Captain Falcon: How is everyone doing today?
Samus: It's us, the hosts of Swordplay, with exciting news!
Captain Falcon: The author's game disc for SSBM, which was previously malfunctioning, is now in proper order!
Samus: Therefore, it'll be easier to keep her interest in Swordplay from now on. But wait! There's more!
Captain Falcon: There is a good chance the author will be getting a Wii by the end of January!
Samus: Hmm... toss in a game of Brawl, and she'd definitely be hooked.
Captain Falcon: Miss bijou has mentioned that she'd like to add Olimar and your Zero-Suit form to her list of mains, and possibly Ike as well.
Samus: Oh, really? How about we "poof" him in for the disclaimer?
Ike: (poofs in) Huh? What?
Samus: Here. (hands him a piece of paper)
Ike: Read aloud... bijoukaiba claims no ownership of Super Smash Brothers Melee, Nintendo, or any related characters and their franchises.
Captain Falcon: Enjoy the chapter, everyone! Let's hope Ness is all right!
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Chapter 16: Not One, But Two
"Ness is... gone?" Marth asked, still in shock from Master's announcement.
"Well, you know what this means, don't you?" Captain Falcon asked aloud, standing up to attract everyone's attention. "We have to go out and find him!"
"Suicide," Master disagreed, shaking his head. "The blizzard that's forecasted to come would be too dangerous to risk everyone's lives to save one fighter."
"Haven't you ever heard of the Three Musketeers?" Peach asked, supporting Captain Falcon. "All for one, and one for all!"
"Uhh... no..." Crazy replied dumbly, then laughed briefly.
"What if we tried searching for him before the blizzard arrives?" Zelda asked. "If we find him before the blizzard arrives, we could bring him back... Dr. Mario could attend to anyone suffering from the cold... and then everyone - ALL of us - would be inside the Suites."
Master rubbed his bare hand over his gloved hand uneasily... almost as if he was against the idea of saving Ness. At last, he spoke.
"... Very well then. The blizzard is expected to head our way around three this afternoon... you will have until then. Since this was your decision, my brother and I will not take part in this 'rescue mission' of yours, nor will the staff of the Suites. I still say it's too dangerous..." Master stated. He beckoned Crazy to follow him, and they left the room.
Captain Falcon glared at them, and Diddy and Malon even exchanged a few words, suggesting that they protested the idea of being unable to help. Marth glanced up at the clock. Breakfast had been a little bit late that morning; it was now nine-thirty.
The fighters gathered together in the room, trying to decide how to find their missing friend.
"I think the simplest and best way to find Ness would be to split up into search parties," Captain Falcon stated. "I doubt Ness could've traveled out to sea, so we have five directions to search... east along the shore, west along the shore, northwest into the forest, northeast into the forest, and straight north into the forest. There's twenty of us here, so we can split into five groups of four."
"I'm sticking with Popo," Nana commented, holding her close friend's hand.
"And I'll stick with Mario," Peach added.
"Same goes for me and Link," Marth put in.
"All right, all right. This is getting confusing," Captain Falcon complained. "How about everyone just picks a partner? Then we can put two pairs together. Samus...?"
Partners were soon figured out. Link and Marth, Popo and Nana, Peach and Mario, Samus and Falcon, Kirby and Jigglypuff, and Fox and Zelda were among the quickest to partner up. Dr. Mario ended up paired with Pikachu, Bowser with Falco, Donkey Kong with Luigi, and Yoshi with Roy.
"All right... Samus and I will go with Link and Marth to the north. Dr. Mario and Pikachu can go with Bowser and Falco to the northwest. Mario and Peach, you'll go with Yoshi and Roy to the northeast. Donkey Kong and Luigi, you'll go with Popo and Nana to the west. And Fox and Zelda, you'll go with Kirby and Jigglypuff to the east."
"Wait a little bit," stated a voice behind them. Everyone turned to see Malon and Ruby standing behind them.
"We'll pack some non-perishable food for your lunches while you're out there, so you can look a little longer for Ness," Ruby explained.
Peach smiled up at them. "Thank you! That's so very nice of you to offer!"
"He's such a sweet kid," Malon sighed. "I really want him to come back safely..."
Me too... Marth thought sadly. Me too...
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Everyone had now set out in their respective directions, dressed appropriately for the weather. Three hours later, many fighters had already eaten and had traveled a fair distance. Some were starting to get tired, yet some were still determined to find Ness.
"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when we were grouped together," Fox commented to Kirby, holding the puffball-like creature in his arms.
"Well, it's not our faults," Kirby replied, exchanging a glance with Jigglypuff in Zelda's arms, "They don't have any shoes for us to wear."
"You're already wearing shoes! Bright red ones!" Fox exclaimed.
"Well, they're not snowshoes or boots, so I'm not gonna risk my feet freezing off." Kirby replied.
"What?!"
"Please don't argue," Zelda sighed. "We need to work on finding Ness."
"Puff jiggly ig puff jig puff jig Ig igglypuff," Jigglypuff sighed, fidgeting with the bag of snacks in her 'hands'. (I shouldn't have been so tough on Ness in battle.)
"Jigglypuff, don't blame yourself," Zelda said, giving the singing Poke'mon a friendly 'squeeze' of a hug. "Nobody's to blame here. Not you, not Marth. Ness just made a bad decision while he was frustrated."
"We'll find him, don't worry." Kirby reassured. "By the way, got any chocolate left in there?"
"Jigglypuff..." (Oh brother...)
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"Find any tracks?" Samus asked, leaning over her fellow bounty hunter.
Captain Falcon, kneeling in the snow near the roots of a tree, shook his head. "The snow's too fresh. And my knees are freezing." He stood up, wiping the powdery snow from his pants although some of it had melted, creating two dark spots on his knees. "Where are the swordsmen?"
"They've gone ahead of us," she replied simply.
The sound of Link and Marth calling the boy's name answered Captain Falcon's question as well.
"NESS!! Where are you?!" Link called again.
He and Marth had their way into a small clearing, neatly surrounded by tall (and dead) trees that reached up to the heavens in a misshapen circle.
"Ness!!" Link shouted. "NESS!!"
He paused to catch his breath. The cold air was starting to sting his throat. The Hylian rubbed his neck tenderly, as though it would help soothe his pain. Then Link realized how quiet Marth had become.
"Marth?"
The silent prince stared up into the sky. Link also looked up and spotted what had caught Marth's attention.
A huge gray cloud now covered most of the sun, and snowflakes were starting to fall silently to the ground. A sharp, cool gust of wind cut against the bare skin on their faces.
"The blizzard..." Link stated. "But it wasn't supposed to hit for a few more hours...!"
"Marth!"
"Link!"
The sound of the bounty hunters calling their names broke Link's trance.
"We've got to get out of here," Link decided. "Marth, let's go."
He started to step out of the clearing, but stopped when he didn't hear the snow crunching beneath Marth's boots. The prince hadn't moved from his spot, now staring solemnly at the ground.
"Marth," Link addressed him, walking over to the prince. "The blizzard's coming, we've got to go back."
The prince still would not look at him. The Hylian gently held Marth's wrist to lead him along, but Marth did not budge.
"Marth!"
"I'm not going back." the prince replied sharply, despite his faint voice. "Not until I find him."
"Maybe someone else has found him!" Link tried to sound optimistic, but it was more like arguing with the prince. "Maybe Ness came back on his own! Or if he is still out there, maybe he's found shelter and he's all right!"
"Or, he's still out there, cold and afraid, lost and alone!" Marth replied.
Link noticed that the prince's voice had become fainter and had even cracked when he said 'afraid'. Marth's eyes were starting to shine, and his face was turning red.
"You don't know, he could even be..." the prince couldn't bring himself to say it.
Marth turned his back to Link and walked a few paces away, unwilling to let his close friend see him. He clutched his arms tightly against his body. Link saw the prince's shoulders shaking... but he could tell it wasn't shivering from the cold, especially when a small sob escaped the other swordsman.
"Marth..." Link's voice was softer now. He walked over in front of the prince. "We'll find him. And when we do, he'll be okay."
"Everyone tells me it's not my fault, but I still can't help but feel that way. If I had told him that it might take a while to train him..."
"I know I'm just repeating what everyone has told you, then... but Marth..." Link gently clutched the prince's shoulders. The prince's cerulean eyes met with Link's sapphire eyes. "It wasn't your fault."
Marth gazed up into Link's soft eyes, unable to look away, as though it would take back everything Link had said. The prince finally knew it wasn't his fault. Even though everyone's mouths had told him the same thing, Marth now understood it was true because Link had told him with his heart.
"It's all right." Link assured him again. He could tell that he had gotten through to Marth.
The prince smiled, although a tear managed to leak halfway down his face.
Link shifted a hand out of his rough, woolen glove. He watched his hand move, almost as if it had a mind of its own. He stopped it, holding his hand up in the air in front of him, questioning what it was doing, and if it was all right.
Yes, it was.
Link slowly reached out and gently rested his fingers against Marth's cheek. The prince released a slow, soft breath, visible in the cold air. Link gently shifted his thumb to brush away the tear, feeling Marth's soft skin underneath his touch. Link's head tilted down as Marth's face tilted upwards, their eyes meeting again... this time, in a softer gaze.
Now it felt like his head wanted to move forward, to...
Link blushed.
Was it all right?
The Hylian searched the prince's expression. There was no trace of fear or confusion in his eyes; rather, he appeared to be waiting for something.
Yes, it was.
Link started to lean forward, still watching Marth.
The prince closed his eyes as a lovely tint of red filled his cheeks. His expression softened as he placed his hands against the front of Link's shoulders.
The Hylian placed his other hand against the small of the prince's back, pulling him closer. Link closed his eyes, and closed the distance between them.
Soft as a feather, Link's lips brushed against Marth's. He gently pressed into the kiss a little more, then moved down to kiss Marth's bottom lip. His lips were so delicate, much softer than Link had expected. Nothing could end this moment. Nothing could -
"Guys! Where are you?!" Samus shouted, her voice notably louder this time.
Link and Marth pulled away from each other, startled by the bounty huntress's voice. Samus and Captain Falcon came running up to the two swordsmen. Much to their relief, they apparently hadn't seen anything.
"Haven't you noticed the weather?" Captain Falcon asked. "We need to head back now, before the blizzard really hits us hard!"
"Right. Uh, right." Link replied. "We're... uh, right behind you!"
Samus and Captain Falcon turned around and started to jog back in the direction of the Suites. Before Link could start to run, Marth slipped his hand into Link's. The Hylian smiled and squeezed the prince's hand affectionately before they chased after the bounty hunters.
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All the teams returned safely to the Suites by three that afternoon. Malon and Diddy had thought ahead, and had plenty of hot chocolate prepared for when the fighters had returned. Spike and Alice were now distributing the mugs to all the fighters in the cafeteria, as Ruby passed out extra blankets for everyone.
"No luck, eh?" Spike asked sadly.
"Afraid not," Peach replied. "Too much fresh snow. We couldn't track him. It also got too cold for Yoshi to handle, so I had to help him come back early. Falco says the same thing happened to Bowser too."
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Marth had returned to his room, calling along Luigi, Captain Falcon, Samus, Pikachu, Zelda, Roy, Fox, Popo, Nana, and of course Link. It was pretty crowded to say the least.
"Okay, what did you want to see us about?" Samus asked, a little bit of impatience in her voice.
"Look, I'm sorry we were so slow, okay?" Marth replied, detecting her tone. "I just want you guys to see something."
Marth bent over and pulled a small box from underneath his bed. "I know we're supposed to keep our Secret Santas a 'secret', but I really wanted to do this..."
Marth removed the lid so everyone in the room could see the present inside. Inside the box was a brand new baseball bat, freshly sanded, along with a permanent marker.
"... You got Ness, didn't you?" Link asked.
Marth nodded. "I started training with him because I wanted his first victory to be my gift to him... but I also decided to get him something 'material', so we wouldn't look awkward when we exchange gifts."
Marth lifted the bat out of the box as well as the marker.
"I thought it'd be nice if we would all sign it." the prince explained with a smile. He signed his name on the bat before passing it to Samus. Everyone passed it around the room, signing it. When it was Pikachu's turn, Luigi gently took the Poke'mon's paw and colored it darkly with the marker, then pressed it firmly against the bat, leaving a small pawprint. Luigi then wrote Pikachu's name by the print.
Marth took the bat back after Fox had finished signing it, and returned it to the box.
"Okay, that's all I really wanted. Let's go downstairs before the hot chocolate gets cold!"
Everyone in the crowded room agreed and dashed outside.
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The lights dimmed briefly, then returned to normal power.
"We better not have a blackout." Bowser stated angrily. "If the heat goes out..."
"What? What'll happen if the heat goes out?" Kirby asked.
"Well-a, obviously it'll be very-a cold," Dr. Mario explained with a chuckle. "But this is-a especially bad for Bowser and Yoshi, since-a they're cold-blooded reptiles. It means-a they can't produce their own-a body heat. They'd-a go into hibernation... a really long-a sleep, before you ask-a."
Marth and Link sat alone together at a table.
"I can't believe that nobody was able to find any trace of Ness," Link admitted solemnly.
"And to think, you were the one telling me not to give up, and now I have to say the same thing to you." Marth sighed, pausing to take a sip of his hot chocolate. "Maybe there won't be a blizzard tomorrow, and maybe we can spend the entire day looking for him."
Link was about to reply, when Master Hand came into the room and stepped forward to the stage to make an announcement.
"Well, look who it is," Captain Falcon grumbled, taking a seat beside Link.
"I see you weren't able to find Ness," Master stated, as if he knew that the fighters would be unsuccessful. "Now that the blizzard has hit, no one is permitted to leave the Suites. And once the blizzard passes, the search for Ness will be called off."
"What?!" Marth exclaimed, practically jumping out of his seat. "You can't do that!"
"It will be futile. There's no way Ness could survive a blizzard like this. I hate to say it... but the kid's probably already dead." Master declared grimly. "That is all."
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After dinner was done, Marth was on his way back to his room when he passed by Ness's room.
... The door was ajar.
A brief wave of hope swept over Marth, but it ended when he saw Peach sitting in the boy's room, holding one of his baseball caps in her hands.
"It's just so sad," she sighed in a soft voice. "Ness was so young and innocent... no one, especially a child like him, deserves to have that happen to them..."
Already, people were starting to give up hope. Link had given Marth hope Ness was still alive.
Now Marth was going to give everyone hope.
He turned around and went back into the cafeteria, asking Ruby for all the packaged energy bars she had. She was surprised by his request, but still gave him all eight of them. Carrying the bundle in his arms, he dashed back through the hallway, up to the second floor, to the third floor, back to his room. Marth browsed through his closet, find a few extra layers of clothes, and placed them in a pile on his bed.
All he could do now was wait, he thought, turning on the TV
Several hours passed, and it was now close to midnight.
Marth pulled the extra clothes on and stuffed the energy bars into the pockets in his pants and on his jacket. He slipped out the door silently, down the three floors, and over to the entrance to the Battle Royale Suites.
For a "lockdown", Marth was surprised to find the door was still unlocked. He opened and closed it quickly and silently, then headed north again to try and find his younger friend.
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The next morning, everyone was relieved to see the blizzard had ended, and a beautiful layer of white snow covered everything. Then their relief was replaced with sorrow, remembering that they weren't allowed to search for Ness anymore.
When Link awakened and left his room, he was surprised to find Marth had left his door open.
"Marth?" he asked, calling for the prince. He peered into the room, only to find it was empty.
He stepped inside, calling for his friend once again. At that moment, Link spotted a note on the pillow. The front of it read "For Link's Eyes Only". Link unfolded it quickly and started reading, suddenly feeling concerned. There appeared to be a few spots on the inside of the letter where a few drops of liquid had dried.
Water? No.
These were likely tears.
Link...
I can't let one of my friends die out there when I know I can do something to stop this. I'm not returning to the Suites until I find Ness.
I'm sorry, but this is how things have to be.
Thanks to your assurance, I believe - no, I KNOW - Ness is still alive.
I have no regrets about the time we shared yesterday.
- Marth
"No..." Link whispered, letting the note drop limply from his hand. "He... he can't be... he couldn't have..."
He dashed out of Marth's room, running down the stairs, down the hallways, straight to the cafeteria.
He burst through the doors just in time to hear Master making another announcement.
"... against our orders. Marth has also run away."
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bijoukaiba: Surprised to see me? Well, even though this chapter was very short, this has probably been one of my favorite chapters to write as well (dreamy sigh). As the author, I wanted the honors of making the closing. (makes an actually upset sigh) Oh, Marth! Why'd you have to go be a hero?! This chapter seemed so romantic and then you go and... GAAAHH!! You made everything so sad and serious! I have a feeling this chapter probably feels a little rushed... What's interesting is I didn't intend for that scene to happen. It was supposed to be a simple hug, but then I started thinking... and that was the final result. (smiles) Makes things a lot more dramatic and romantic, huh?