Swordplay
bijoukaiba: Hey everyone, I'm really grateful for the reviews! (smiles) I FINALLY BEAT MASTER AND CRAZY HAND!!! And my champion was...? Why, I'm glad you asked! Good ol' Marth of course!! He'd better be in SSB: Brawl... OR ELSE!!! And I managed to kill Giga Bowser too... WITH JIGGLYPUFF!! XD Okay, shutting up! READ!! Please.
One of my reviewers was confused by the ending of my last chapter... that will be made clear in this chapter.
Disclaimer!
Zelda: Hm, I guess I'm the "lucky one" today. bijoukaiba doesn't own SSBM or any of its characters or their related games, or any other characters. She "pwns" Master, Giga, and Crazy, though. (giggles as Marth and Jigglypuff give the thumbs-up)
--------------------------------------------
Chapter 2: A Mysterious Challenger Appears
At eight in the morning, everyone had been called into the dining hall for breakfast. Ruby had prepared bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast (with those little disposable containers of jelly and butter you might find in a restaurant or hotel) on the side. There was also coffee (with cream and sugar available to those wanted it), milk, tea, and juice in several fruit varieties.
Nana, carrying her plate with eggs, bacon, buttered toast, and grapefruit juice, took a seat next to Link. The teenage elf was eating his toast silently without any emotion of enjoyment.
"Hey, Link? Are you feeling okay?" Nana asked. Link glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, Nana, I just didn't sleep so well last night."
"Maybe you-a should have some-a coffee," Mario suggested, who was sitting across from Nana. He stood up. "I'll-a go get you some if-a you'd like. I'll put some sugar and-a creamer in it-a too."
Link nodded gratefully at the plumber while Nana patted his shoulder with a mitten-covered hand. "Are you worried about the fight, Link? With Pikachu?"
He glanced over at the electric mouse Poke'mon, who was wearing a blue wizard's hat and sitting two tables to the left from him with Ness, Kirby, and Captain Falcon (who appeared unhappy about dressing in a white body suit with a pink helmet, pink gloves, and pink boots).
"No," Link replied as he wiped a dab of butter from his red tunic. "I was busy thinking last night..."
"About what?"
"Stuff."
Nana gave him a no-duh look, which made him smile for the first time that morning.
"Please, tell me?"
At that moment, Mario walked over carrying a hot cup of coffee for Link with extra cream and sugar in it. He didn't say anything else while he drank his coffee.
-------------------------------------
At last the fated time of ten arrived. Mario, Captain Falcon, and the rest of the fighters headed for the other tall building next to their dormitories. Some gazed at the lovely beach beside them, others stared at the building filled with dread, and Bowser stared at the ground in boredom.
Sure enough, Crazy and Master were inside to greet them.
"What a big surprise," Bowser mumbled sarcastically.
"Heh heh heh... Mario and Captain Falcon are up first." Crazy snickered with a grin.
Master shook hands with them and showed them a special elevator. "In here, you'll find buttons to all the stages you want to access. Some buttons won't be revealed until we think you're ready. Ah, here we go! The Kongo Jungle! And don't mind the background music, it's just there to egg you on. Every stage has its own music, and some stages even have two theme songs! Sometimes, it just depends on who's fighting there. Good luck to both of you, and remember- although damage stats will rise in this fight, YOU CANNOT ACTUALLY BE HURT. Crazy and I have a special switch that regulates that."
Captain Falcon and Mario stepped into the elevator and waved to the rest of them.
"Go get him, Mario! I'm sure you'll win!!" Peach cheered.
The elevator made a whirring sound that grew fainter as it pulled further away from the ground floor.
"In the meantime..." Master continued, pulling a remote from his pocket. He clicked a button on it that caused a large plasma screen TV to slide out from the ceiling. Link and Zelda were still clearly confused by all the new technology. The Kongo Jungle was displayed there, and Captain Falcon (clad in white and pink) and Mario (clad in black overalls and a white shirt) had just landed in to fight. In the background, the DK rap was heard playing. "... we can watch the fight in here. Crazy, go get some popcorn from Ruby."
"Wow! I love this song!" Donkey Kong cheered.
Mario shifted uneasily facing the bounty hunter across from him. Master and Crazy had seemed like trouble... what if he really could hurt Falcon here? Then again, if neither of them fought, they would probably have to continue the fight until one of them lost.
"I'm sorry if-a this hurts, Captain!"
"It's all right, Mario!" Captain Falcon gestured in a type of salute. "Show me your moves!"
Mario fired a fireball at him, and watched as Captain Falcon flinched briefly. "It's okay! Didn't feel a thing!"
On the big screen, the display showed figures in the bottom left hand corner. One had a small image of Mario and the number 0 in front of a red mushroom symbol. The other had a small image of Captain Falcon and the number 5 in front of the symbol of a falcon with its wings spread.
"Then those are the damage percentages we heard about yesterday, right?" Kirby asked. Master nodded.
Captain Falcon drew his fist back as Mario started running towards him. A gleam of light showed in his fist.
"FALCON... PUNCH!!!"
In a blazing display of a flaming falcon, his fist connected with Mario's body, sending him flying up in flames. His damage percentage rapidly increased to 24.
"Oh Mario! That didn't hurt him, right?" Peach asked, concerned. Bowser smacked his forehead.
"You imbocile! The guy just said they won't feel any pain!"
Ness turned to Master and asked, "Hey, how long will this match last?"
"We decided to keep things short and simple. It's a one stock fight. So, at the most, maybe ten minutes. The remaining time gives the fighters a chance to strategize and enjoy themselves. That being said, if anyone is bored, you're welcome to leave. BUT BE ON TIME FOR YOUR NEXT MATCH!!"
Donkey Kong left to get a soda, and Zelda followed, intrigued by what a "soda" was. ((A/N: Sorry if I'm making Link and Zelda sound like idiots! But they're from the past so they don't know what sodas or anything in the present is!))
Pikachu's ears perked up and pointed to the screen while Captain Falcon and Mario exchanged punches and kicks in the meantime, the plumber's damage at 84 and the racer's damage at 65.
"Chu, pi! Pika pi chu pi!" (Hey, look! It's a Pokeball!)
Before anyone could ask, Captain Falcon had leapt onto the platform with the red and white ball and threw it at Mario out of sheer curiosity. It opened up and revealed a large green animal that appeared to have a giant flower on its back. "VENASAUR!!!" It roared and began slamming its body against the ground creating huge shock waves. Mario was sent hurtling into the sky, disappearing as a star.
"GAME!!!" Master announced. "THIS GAME'S WINNER IS... CAPTAIN FALCON!!"
"No, no, no!!" Peach whimpered in denial, as Falcon performed a roundhouse kick in a victory pose.
As the plumber and the bounty hunter emerged from the elevator, several of the other smashers came over to them to comment and ask questions about their fight.
"I must say, Falcon, pink is such a manly color," Samus chuckled.
Captain Falcon shook his head in reply. I swear I'm going to burn this thing...
"Oh Mario, it was soooo close! I don't think it's fair you lost!" Peach whined while pouting.
"Ararara Yoshi hup?" (Are either of you guys hurt?)
"Zelda and I just got sodas, do you want me to get something for you?" Donkey Kong offered.
"Guys!" Mario shouted over the commotion. "We're-a fine! It's-a like they said, we weren't-a hurt at all-a!"
"In fact..." Captain Falcon smiled. "It was quite the experience! Fox, Zelda, guys- don't worry about a thing. It's very exciting!"
This statement left several of the smashers grinning excitedly.
Master nodded. "You heard the man. Fox and Zelda, report here for the next match in forty-five minutes."
----------------------
After the minor intermission that included strawberry smoothies, courtesy of Diddy Kong, for Captain Falcon and Mario and a game of checkers between Ness and Nana, the fated time of 10:45 arrived.
Zelda was clad in a green dress and Fox was dressed in a blue jacket.
"Best of luck in our match!" He commented, shaking "hands" with Zelda.
"Same to you," Zelda replied sweetly as they stepped into the elevator. They were carried up onto their appropriate floor, which had a retro feel to it with MIDI-style music playing in the background and pixelated images moving in the background.
Standing on opposite sides of the arena with a large brick platform and two pits about half the size of the platform on either side of it, Fox and Zelda faced each other for their battle.
Zelda swung her arms toward Fox, her body glowing red as an orb of glowing orange energy flew towards him. Swinging her arms in the opposite direction with a small shout, the orb exploded into flames, incinerating the vulpine's body. His damage percentage rose to 11.
"She's using the 'Din's Fire' technique," Link commented to Yoshi.
"Yoshi. Hup!" (I see. Cool!)
"Pretty nice spell... but how well do you perform in hand-to-hand combat?" Fox yelled. He got on one knee and made a beckoning motion with one hand. "Come on!" He taunted, nodding his head in his direction.
Zelda made a gesture that looked as though she was praying, then ran over to Fox. He darted towards her as well, only much faster. As she came within striking range, he used his built up momentum to leap forward and deliver a kick to her ribs, only to have a small blast of magic energy strike him in the face. He flipped out his blaster and made a few shots, but Zelda created a beautiful shield around herself to block. She spun her body within her beautiful crystal chrysalis; a large geometric figure with many sides and edges that looked like it was made of cerulean glass, and as it spun what appeared to be small blue diamonds struck his shots and flung the energy back at him.
"And that one was 'Nayru's Love'... makes a nice shield, huh?" Link explained to Kirby, as Zelda's percentage rose to 14 and Fox's rose to 22.
"Yeah!" Kirby giggled. Link gave him a puzzled look. They don't know about my special powers! Heehee... I gotta try that Nayru Love thingy out if I ever get to fight Zelda!!
Zelda was sent flying into a brick wall directly suspended above her heads as Fox performed a backflip and kicked her up powerfully at the same time. Her damage percentage rose rapidly to 34. She fell to the ground but recovered by rolling out of harm's way, then firing several shots of magic through her hands at Fox, smashing him backwards with a percentage of 44. She ducked onto one knee and began throwingout several low kicks, each one dealing out four to seven points each time she hit. After being dealt a total of 17, Fox managed to leap up and deliver a kick to Zelda's collarbone.
Now think, Zelda... Captain Falcon was able to beat Mario when he got one of those Pikaman things that comes in those red and white balls... if I can get to one of those, it could seal Fox's fate!
Turning away from Fox and facing his original starting point, she spotted a large purple and white capsule. Maybe that holds a Pikaman!
She leapt over to the capsule, then turned and flung it at Fox. It struck him directly, but instead of holding a "Pikaman" it exploded in bright flames and sent Fox flying backwards at a low angle into the pit on the left. He flew and hit his back against the left wall, tumbled into the right wall, then with a roar of defeat, finally succumbed to the pit.
"GAME!!" Master called.
Link threw a fist up into the air and cheered loudly, "YEAH!!"
Zelda made her victory pose of conjuring a smaller scale of Din's Fire close to her heart.
"This game's winner is... ZELDA!!!"
Five minutes later Zelda and Fox emerged from the elevator grinning.
"So that's how you use those spells... I've never seen anyone fight like that!"
"And I've never seen anyone use a blaster gun like yours! I've never seen one at all, actually..."
"Come on, we'll go get a milkshake to celebrate and talk about some things here in the present."
"Oh Fox, that sounds great! Hey, a milkshake has milk in it, right? Or is it another type of those yummy sodas?" ((Like I said, remember that they don't really understand much about the present!))
Fox and Zelda went off to the karaoke bar while Link watched them walk off. "Hmm... guess they didn't have much conflict after their fight. Hey Mario, will you or Ness help me out with how the technology around here works? I still have no idea what a TV is."
Ness and Mario exchanged a grin, then replied simultaneously, "We'll both help!"
--------------------------------
At the Yoshi's Story arena, Samus had been able to destroy Bowser with two completely charged shots, three bombs, and a powerful smash from her cannon. The Koopa had only been able to catch her in his spikes while spinning his body rapidly and using his flame breath to singe her armor. After the fight, Captain Falcon offered to buy her a drink, but she politely declined and explained she wasn't thirsty ((Aww... I still think that was nice of you, Falcon!! Lol)). Ness and Mario had finally gotten Link to understand how to use a TV, remote, DVD player, and even (author audibly gasps) a refridgerator and a hair dryer. Link had joked around with them about how he was lucky enough to learn how to use a toilet, the sink, and turn on the lights on his own.
Lunch came and went, with sandwiches being offered as the dish of the day. Mario, Ness, and Link all ate meatball subs as they continued the lesson, and Fox and Zelda both got a tasty chicken salad gyro as they sat and chatted at the bar. Bowser and Peach came in late for lunch and as a consequence, got the last available sandwiches- egg salad.
The Hero of Time reunited with Zelda in the common room of the building that held the fighting arenas. They both wanted to see what the Hyrule Temple arena looked like, and they were curious about the way that children such as Nana and Popo would fight. Zelda made sure to compliment Fox about how well he explained everything to her, and Link mentioned the excellent teachings of Mario and Ness.
"By the way, Link, you should try the milkshakes here! Malon explained they're made with real Lon Lon Milk, and Diddy Kong also added yummy ingredients called chocolate and ice cream! Fox told me ice cream is kinda like frozen milk, but it's nice and soft when you eat it."
Nana, clad in an orange parka, and Popo, clad in a pale blue parka appeared on the screen. Peach was dressed in a white dress.
"Cute, she looks like a nurse!" Zelda giggled.
The Ice Climbers stuck out their hammers as the wind breezed past and chirped, "Yep!"
"Are you trying to threaten me?" Peach jested, plucking a turnip with a happy face from the ground. "Because I'm not scared. Yeah!" She tossed the turnip at the Ice Climbers. It hit Popo squarely in the face, but it missed Nana. Back in the real world, the smashers were puzzled when they saw the damage percentage for the Ice Climbers remained at zero.
"I don't-a get it..." Mario mused. "It-a hit Popo perfectly! Why didn't their-a damage go up?"
"That's part of the Ice Climber's trick," Master explained. "Without telling them, we decide which Ice Climber is the 'leader'. If the leader is hit, their damage percentage goes up. For instance, in this match, Nana is the leader. Because the turnip hit Popo, their percentage didn't rise. Also, if the other Ice Climber falls, the leader can continue fighting. Granted, it'll be much harder, but it gives Nana or Popo a second chance for victory."
Mario folded his arms and watched as Peach slapped Nana twice across the face, and sure enough the damage rose to 6. Popo came to her rescue by whacking Peach with his hammer. Then hooking arms square-dance style, the two Eskimos spun rapidly towards Peach, striking her several times. 4, 7, 11, the screen read. Then the duo knelt down and shot an icy gust from their hands, freezing the princess briefly as it rose her damage percentage even more. As they tried to strike with their hammers, she whipped out her trusty bodyguard/servant/friend, Toad, and he reluctantly took the blows from the hammers but shot out the force back at Popo and Nana.
She spun around in joy and winked cutely after realizing the edge she had gained over her opponent. "Sweet!" she squealed, only to be struck by the two hammers and be sent hurtling towards the edge of the temple battlefield. She popped out her umbrella and delicately floated back onto the same level as the Ice Climbers. They saw this coming and powerfully swung their hammers above their heads to strike underneath her. Peach shrieked as she flew off screen as a tiny star.
"MAMMA-MIA!! PEACH!!" Mario glared at Ness who was cheering loudly for the Ice Climbers.
"THIS GAME'S WINNERS ARE... THE ICE CLIMBERS!!"
Nana and Popo made a cute victory pose by peeping out at the camera behind each other.
At the elevator, Peach made a calm exit. She didn't seem upset about her loss, but she still didn't seem too chipper about it either. Ness, Popo and Nana were leaping for joy together, talking about getting cookies to celebrate. At the mentioning of sweets, Yoshi and Kirby perked up too.
"Yoshi arara hup, hup?" (I guess a snack couldn't hurt, huh?)
-----------------------
Yoshi and DK's match had ended in a Sudden Death, but DK pulled out victorious after he grabbed a walking bomb (referred to as a "Bomb-Omb") and flung it right at the feet of Yoshi. The explosion sent him hurtling off the Rainbow Cruise. Donkey Kong clasped his hands together and shook them above his head in victory. Forty five minutes later, Ness and Kirby prepared to enter the bright battlefield of Green Greens. This also gave Kirby the homefield advantage.
Mario twirled his moustache in thought as he watched Kirby and Ness appear on the screen. "Hmmm... I wonder..."
Nana looked up at him. "What is it, Mario?"
"Ness told-a us he has-a the powers of-a ESP and PSI. What-a sort of powers do you-a think Kirby has-a?"
Nana shrugged. "Probably won't be too impressive. He's just a pink puffba- WHOAAA!!!!"
Kirby had opened his mouth to practically the size of his body and had sucked Ness into his mouth.
"No wonder he has such a big appetite!" Samus marveled. Ness had been let out, but Kirby was now sporting a baseball cap just like Ness. Using ESP he floated up in a flip directly above Kirby.
Kirby balled up his little "fists" and in his cute little voice, shouted, "PK FLASH!!" A small wave of green energy floated above him towards the airborne Ness, then exploded in a mass of green and white sparkles and flashes of light. His damage rose from 8 to 24 in that minor shot. Kirby floated up and spun himself in midair, creating a combo as his arms and legs struck Ness. Even before Ness could land, Kirby swung a hammer at him, then yanked out a sword and with two sharp cries, he dove up into the air and flung it down, creating a shockwave that struck Ness.
Now the psychic boy had a chance to retaliate. As Kirby dashed towards him, Ness threw both his hands forwards along with an orange streak of light. With a cry of "PK Fire!", a small inferno targeted directly on Kirby lit up. Ness repeated his attack constantly, then pulled out his favorite yo-yo and twirled it above him in an arc, sending Kirby upward. Ness leapt up onto the platform, ready to whack Kirby again, when the "puffball" changed into a black ball with silver spikes. Before he realized it was too late, Ness was crushed under the weight and impact, and was sent hurtling into the sky.
"GAME!! THIS GAME'S WINNER IS... KIRBY!!!" The warrior from a distant star leapt up a few times and spun around before throwing a joyful fist into the air.
Everyone stared at Kirby agape while he proudly walked out of the elevator. Ness also walked out, looking fairly embarrassed that he had only been able to land a few hits on his opponent.
"Remember... size gives you no reason to underestimate a fighter!" Kirby giggled.
Master chuckled, then looked at his watch. He smirked at the time he saw. "Okay... our final match between Link and Pikachu at the Venom arena will be in one hour. Until then, ciao."
The smashers nonchalantly left the building, leaving only Master and Crazy in the room.
"I don't want to wait an hour!" Crazy whined. "I want him to fight now!!"
"Show some patience, will you?" Master snapped.
"I can't help it!! I've been waiting to kill one of these guys for ages!! Personally, I'm hoping Link kicks our guy's ass."
Master rolled his eyes at the request of his accomplice. "Tell you what, brother. Send him to the Fountain of Dreams arena for his match. And remember to tell him it's kill or be killed. I'd do it myself, but you're the only one who understands him."
Crazy sniggered. "I can handle this just fine."
------------------------------
He unlocked the door in the prison and undid the ropes that held the prisoner bound up. He looked up at Crazy in surprise.
"Huh?"
"What are you looking at?"
"Hmph."
"Shut up and get your weapon."
He glared at the white-haired man. Crossing his arms over his chest, he turned away as a sign of defiance.
Roughly, Crazy grabbed him by the front of his battle garb. He briefly held up his left hand (still clad in a white glove) over his face in case the prisoner tried to spit on him again.
"Listen, you pompous little brat, we're doing this for entertainment. At least make it interesting for us. And don't forget, we have your little girlfriend and sister hostage."
He growled as a sign of retaliation.
"It's perfectly within our power. All it takes a sword and-"
The prisoner sighed and nodded, giving in to Crazy's demand.
The prisoner got a slap across the face. Apparently, this was Crazy's method of agreeing that he had a deal.
"Now then, here's the plan. You're going to an arena known as the Fountain of Dreams..."
-----------------------------
Link, clad in his red tunic, and blue-hatted Pikachu stepped onto the elevator heading for Venom.
"Pika, pi!" (Good luck, Link!)
When they appeared on screen, they had landed on opposite ends of the Great Fox, one fighter on each wing. Pikachu started the match by firing a small Thundershock that followed a curved trajectory as it bounced several times on the ship... but never struck Link.
"Hmm... that attack seemed pretty short," Donkey Kong commented.
The Hero of Time leapt over the dorsal wing of the plane and stuck his sword out below him, tip facing down, ready to stab the electric mouse below him. Pikachu leapt onto his two legs and powerfully cried out, "PIKA!!!" A dark ebony cloud formed overhead Pikachu and a streak of golden lightning shot to the ground, striking Link in the process. He quickly shook off the injury and followed through with his attack. The tip struck Pikachu accurately, and he grunted as he was thrown against the dorsal wing. Throwing out a kick as he returned to his feet, the Poke'mon twirled his body as blue sparks were expelled from his electrical cheeks. Link was sucked into the whirling vaccuum and took several strong zaps from Pikachu.
"Haha, the "Great Hero" is losing to an electric rat!" Bowser laughed.
"Ohh... COME ON LINK!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!" Ness cheered.
Link recovered from the assault by pulling out a bomb and hurtling it at Pikachu in a fiery cardinal-red explosion. He spun around at high speeds in a vortex of red as Pikachu was whipped about by Link's blade, before sparking another jolt of electricity at Link. Their damage percentages had now risen to 43 for the elf, 36 for the Poke'mon. Link swung his blade in two arcs, striking Pikachu off the ship. The Poke'mon now had reached 77, but despite the statistics, he shot himself upwards in streaks of blue and white electricity, landing safely back on the ship. Pikachu performed a backflip, kicking Link into the air at a percentage of 57, then used a Thunder attack to raise his damage to 67.
At the height he had reached in the air, a strike from his swordtip would send Pikachu spiraling off into the heavens, and send Link to his second fight, unbeknownst to him. As he drew closer with increasing speed, zapping sounds could be heard behind him. Three small jets, in the color of royal blue and silver, fired six fiery shots at Link. Unfortunately, at his height, he was easily sent hurtling into the air.
"No..." Master murmured in shock. "There's no way... it can't be... Link was actually... defeated? Then that means..."
"You know, I figured if there was a Great Fox, then there would be Arwings," Fox interpreted, not listening to Master.
"GAME!!" Master's voice shouted, despite the surprised look on his face. "This game's winner is... PIKACHU!!" Pikachu appeared to be sleeping peacefully after such a tough battle. This cued several "aww"s and "oooh"s from Peach, Zelda, and Nana, plus a smile from Samus.
"Girls..." Popo muttered to Ness. They laughed softly.
At last the elevator opened to reveal Link, who was grinning despite his defeat.
"Did you see that guy? Pikachu's pretty strong for being so small!" He complimented. He turned around to congratulate his opponent. "Nice fight, Pikachu!"
The elevator was empty.
"Pikachu?"
As the elevator closed, Kirby had noticed that it was headed for the Fountain of Dreams stage.
"But that's impossible!" Master lied. "He could only travel there if he was having a fight, and we just had our final match for the day. Not to mention that all of our other thirteen fighters are here! Unless..." he gasped audibly. "Quick! What's on the TV screen?"
The others fixed their attention on the TV screen. The image of the fountain couldn't be seen on the screen. Instead, it had turned completely blue, with a gigantic black exclamation mark in the center, taking up most of the screen.
"Then it's just as I feared..." Master whispered in mock worry.
"What?" Zelda asked. She found herself clinging to Link in anticipation. Master pointed to the screen.
"A NEW CHALLENGER HAS APPEARED" had been spelled out in red letters on the TV monitor in front of the exclamation mark.
--------------------------
Pikachu gazed around in confusion at the starry sky and the bright waters of the Fountain of Dreams. To Pikachu, it seemed like one of those dreams that had suddenly turned into a nightmare. At any other time, Pikachu would be thrilled to be in combat here, but without his friends... it seemed very haunted. Much like the waters of the fountain, the arena appeared to have two sides- a bright and beautiful side reflected on one side and a darker, more mysterious side on the other.
"Piii... ka-" (Hey, guys-)
At that moment, a he felt a blow to his back from something long and hard. ((Ew, not like that!!!)) It felt a lot like a sword.
"PIKA?!" (LINK?!) He shouted as he flipped into the air. The Poke'mon crashed to the ground, glimpsing up at his opponent. He couldn't glimpse his face, but he was clearly a swordsman, made obvious by the blade at his side. The swordsman was dressed in darker colors, but Pikachu was too dizzy to tell if his wardrobe was black or blue. Shaking his head, he threw a kick out at the swordsman as he got to his feet.
"Chu, chu pi?" (Hey, what gives?) His face connected with the tip of the blade and he was sent flying backwards. He barely clutched onto the edge of the fountain to keep from falling. This definitely wasn't a smasher. Sure, they were fighters with a desire to win, but none of them- probably not even Bowser- would be this aggressive to win. Pikachu's eyes grew wide in fear.
Pikachu... ka pikapi? (Could it be... an assassin?) He pulled himself up onto the ledge, then dove head first and whacked his attacker backwards. He fired a blast of electricity at his opponent, sending his opponent into mid-air only to have him slice his blade downward and whack Pikachu aside once again.
"PIKACHU!!" He cried in pain. His opponent froze in mid approach, sword still held high in his hand. This was the first time his opponent's identity had been fully established. This was clearly not the 'Link' he had been assigned to fight. At the beginning of the fight, he had his doubts that 'Link' would be a cute and furry little creature, but heck, how could he have known?
It gazed up at him with frightened eyes, expecting any breath it took to be its last. Pikachu had hardly moved at all, "playing possum" instinctively. If this wasn't Link, what was he supposed to do? The confusion was bothering him. He finally figured that Master and Crazy would understand if he hadn't been fighting because he didn't get the proper opponent. He was also a peaceful person at heart, and couldn't stand to see an innocent being- person or creature- geting abused for an unfair reason. But what if this was a trick? What if he had to defeat this creature in order to fight Link to save his sister and female friend?
No, he decided. It was still unfair to this Pikachu thing. He could explain what happened to Crazy. He would be given a second chance. He wanted to save his loved ones dearly, but taking an innocent life in the process? He knew they wouldn't want to be saved that way.
Pikachu watched in confusion and apprehension as the swordsman lowered his arm and blade to his side.
"Pi?" (What?)
He got to his feet and threw out a headbutt into the swordsman's stomach. He flew backwards, clutching his stomach, but otherwise did nothing.
Pikachu... pi pika pi chu ka? (It's as if... he's lost the will to fight?)
-------------
In the secret headquarters of the two "owners" of the Battle Royale Suites, Crazy was watching their match on a private TV.
"Idiot!" Crazy shouted angrily, banging his fist against a table. His popcorn spilled everywhere. "Fight back! Fight back!"
-----------------
Pikachu felt his confidence returning. He used his Thundershock against his opponent- it was a weak attack and easy to block or dodge- and it hit his foe perfectly. Charging up energy, Pikachu dove at his opponent in a Skull Bash attack. The swordsman caught on to the ledge of the fountain and leapt up, bringing his sword down out of instinct. The tip managed to scratch against Pikachu's nose, but the courageous Poke'mon grabbed onto the swordsman and flipped him behind his back. Pikachu whirled his body around in a whirlpool of blue sparks, catching the swordsman in the vortex. Next he performed a backflip, kicking his opponent onto the highest platform directly above him. As he got to his feet, Pikachu gave out a sharp cry of "PIKA!!!" A lightning bolt crashed to the ground as he got to his feet. The swordsman was sent hurtling into the sky and disappeared as a star.
"Pika pikachu!" (Just like Team Rocket!) Pikachu giggled. He felt the environment around him becoming fizzy, just like the graphics. Before Pikachu could blink an eye, he was teleported into the elevator and was on his way down.
The smashers stared at the door, expecting some wicked person or an evil monster step out. Link and Zelda braced for Ganondorf, Fox was ready to draw his blaster if it was Andross, and Samus was prepared to load her cannon in case it was Ridley. When it opened, Pikachu stepped out with a tired smile. Everyone smiled to see the familiar Poke'mon.
"Pikachu! You're okay!" Peach squealed in glee, holding out her arms. She pouted when Pikachu leapt into Zelda's arms instead.
"Pikachu... are you really feeling okay?" she asked.
"Pika. Pikachu pika." (Yeah. The stress just has me slightly tired.) He replied.
"Don't drift off to sleep just yet," Kirby warned. "Just tell us, what did your attacker look like?"
Pikachu described the match in detail. He apologized for not being able to get a look at his foe's face, then described seeing dark clothes and that he was a swordsman.
Link's ears perked up. "Pikachu... did he use any projectiles... a boomerang, a bow, anything like that?"
Pikachu shook his head in denial. "Pikachu." (Just a sword.)
The Hero of Time gazed at the Triforce of Courage seal on his glove.
Is it possible...? That Dark Link is here?
Zelda glanced over at Link. "You think it might be Dark Link too, huh?" she whispered softly. Link nodded. (A/N: I have no idea if Zelda knows about Dark Link or not, but if she doesn't please just play along!)
Master walked over at that moment and sympathetically patted Pikachu's head.
"Poor little guy. You should all head back to your dorms for a much needed rest and meal."
Bowser glared. "Excuse me, we just had a fighter attacked! What if he comes after ME next? Or anyone else? Not that it matters..." He roared.
Master held up his hands in a calming gesture to silence the overgrown Koopa.
"The only way he can get out is through that elevator." he explained. At least that you know of... Master thought.
"So there's no way he could be in our dorms?" Donkey Kong asked.
"Precisely, my simian friend." Master confirmed confidently. "Crazy and I shall guard this doorway with our lives."
Link smacked a fist into his gloved hand. "I'll help too!" he added.
Master shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but you are our guests. It is the duty of my brother and I to protect your lives." He insisted.
Zelda placed a hand on her companion's shoulder. "Link," she whispered. "Just do as he says. For your own safety."
Link sighed and agreed to Zelda's demand, before turning to Master. "Fine then. But be careful. Only if it's absolutely necessary should you kill him."
Master nodded, then shooed them off. "I completely understand your concerns, Link. Go now, all you, eat hearty and sleep well! It's Friday, so enjoy your weekend! We don't have any melees on Saturday or Sunday!"
As for your plan, Link... killing him was our idea all along!
-------------------------------------
Dinner that night was spaghetti. It was so good Link couldn't help but grin at the taste, smiling for the first time that evening since Pikachu was attacked. Mario, Fox, and Kirby, who were sitting with him, began teasing him about smiling everytime he ate Ruby's cooking. That being said and done, not much happened the rest of the night except for showering and the smashers saying their goodnights to each other.
"Remember, Pikachu, if anything goes wrong, just call for me or DK, and we'll come help you."
"Chu, Pika." (Thanks, Samus)
"Just relax, Link... Master and Crazy are handling this. Don't let it keep you from sleeping. Sweet dreams."
"... Okay. Zelda, you were the one given Wisdom. I'll take your advice. Good night."
--------------
Master and Crazy had designed a portal to send their assassin to after he had battled (and hopefully defeated) his opponent. The swordsman was flat on his stomach, starting to recover from his previous fight several hours ago. Crazy walked over and knelt beside him. He cruelly gripped the swordsman's hair and yanked him to his knees.
"Rise and shine, gorgeous! You failed!" He yelled.
"Pi-Pikachu-" He was cut off by a sound slap across the face.
"I don't care if it was Pikachu or Link or WHOEVER!!! You were supposed to kill them!"
He shook his head. No, no, this had never been part of their agreement! It was only suposed to be Link! They had never said killing whoever he fought! His only target was supposed to be Link!
Master walked over.
"So, I heard he failed."
"Exactly. He just quit fighting in the middle of the battle." Crazy explained.
The swordsman glared at him with a hint of bloodlust in his eyes. The type of glare given by a true warrior.
"And it's just like I warned you," Crazy hissed. "They're dead."
The warrior gave a gasp and covered his mouth with both hands.
Crazy continued sniggering. "What were their names again? Sheila and Alyssa? Something like that?"
"Hyah!" With an angered cry and hot tears in his eyes, the swordsman leapt to his feet, drawing out his blade. His dear ones weren't named Sheila or Alyssa, but he knew what Crazy was implying based on the pronunciation.
He dashed forward with a rapid slice towards Master, but Crazy grabbed him from behind and proceeded to inject a needle into his neck.
"Errrghhh..." The swordsman murmured, his blade falling to the ground beside him.
"Feeling sleepy?" Crazy teased. "This needle will knock you out in about another minute or so. You'll forget everything within the past five hours, including your battle with Pikachu and the deaths of sister and little girlfriend."
He tried to resist the effects the drug was having on his body, but his resistance was futile. The images of a laughing Crazy and Master became blurry and faded away into a dark, unconscious sleep.
Master picked up the blade and returned it to the sheath.
"Brother, why did you do that?" Crazy asked.
"I figured it would be honorable for a swordsman to be buried with his weapon." Master chuckled.
Crazy grinned. "And where shall we dig his grave?"
Master smirked. "How about the ocean?"
--------------------------
With a heavy ball of lead chained to his leg, the swordsman was thrown into the ocean. Crazy was sniggering the whole time.
"Adios, loser! Now then, what will we tell the smashers?" Crazy asked.
"Plain and simple- we were attacked, we killed him, body was disposed of. Don't go into any details. Just keep it to basic details." Master hinted.
"Impressive. Brother, why did you have to get all the brains?" his sibling whined
"Because you're the one they call Crazy. Now let's get out of here." Master ordered.
--------------------------------
In their freetime, the water Poke'mon enjoyed taking a swim in the ocean to relax after a long day's fighting.
Marill was swimming along freely when suddenly she noticed a human in chains along the bottom.
"Marill! Marill!" (Guys! It's a human!)
"Goldeen?" (Why is he in chains?)
"Marill, Marill! Marill, rill, Marill!" (I don't think he's supposed to be! Blastoise, Staryu, get him out!)
Staryu fired a barage of energy-balls of light at the chains, known as its "Swift Attack".
Blastoise grabbed onto him with one arm, then fired its water cannons for jet propulsion towards shore. Marill clutched onto its shell for dear life as well.
"Blastoise?" (Should we take him to the humans?)
"Rill. Marill rill. Rill rill, marill marill. Mar, marill rill mar." (No. Humans are dumb. The minute they see us, they'll think we hurt him. Or, they'll try to capture us.)
"Blast, blastoise?" (So, what should we do?)
Marill looked at the human, who was coughing heavily and breathing hoarsely.
"Mar, marill marill mar marill. Marill rill marill." (Well, we can only hope the humans rescue him here. Before it's too late.)
---------------------------------------------------------------
bijoukaiba: Sorry for taking so long to update! I've got Chapter 3 on paper, so that one should arrive much faster. Ugh, I felt like I rushed on the last few parts with Crazy, Master, the goodnights, and the Poke'mon.
It's also really hard to keep the prisoner anonymous. Everyone probably has him figured out by now! And if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, rorozoro, then you're probably right. Or is Link correct, is it really Dark Link? (shifty eyes)
My grammar seems really bad too. Maybe I'm just feeling it. Meh. Will you send me a review, please?