Finally at chapter 21! (this one took a bit of fooling around, because I wasn't sure when to break for chapter 22).
Enjoy!
Zelda nearly jumped when she heard the slamming of the dungeon door. This was the second time it had woken her up. Glancing around, she found the others had awoken too.
Clenching her hands into fists, Zelda waited for Ganondorf to appear, but was surprised when a bulging Kirby walked into view.
Zelda was even more surprised when Kirby opened his mouth and Pichu came tumbling out, Young Link behind her. The pokemon landed on her feet, sending a determined glance around the room. Young Link, in contrast, landed on his face which, when he straightened up, was ashen.
"I'll never be the same..." he murmured to himself, eyes distant and horrified.
Pichu spotted Zelda, then turned to Kirby who handed her the key ring. A moment later and the door was open.
"Come on!" Pichu exclaimed, "We have to get out of here!"
Nobody argued with this fact and soon the cell was empty. As everyone headed up the stairs to the dungeon door, Marth stooped to pick up Young Link, who was at this point muttering to himself while rocking back and forth in the fetal position.
They broke out of the dungeon and started off down the hall. Link was mumbling to himself now too, about how this wasn't right, that he needed to defeat the mini boss, acquire an item to reach the final boss, beat him and then save the princess.
Pichu, running in between Link and Marth who was carrying Young Link, was beginning to think whatever was up with them ran in the family.
The group turned a corner only to come to a screeching halt. Right in front of them was Ganondorf.
Everyone turned to run except Link, who yelled, "It's impossible! We've already entered the boss battle! There's no getting past the invisible wall!"
Kirby was the first to reach the corner and, about to round it, bumped into the invisible wall and rebounded back into the hall.
"Damn it." Zelda hissed, "I was thinking since there wasn't a cut scene, it wouldn't have come up yet."
Marth glanced at her warily, wondering what in the world the place Zelda, Link and Young Link came from was like and how screwed up it really was.
They turned back to Ganondorf, who had been glaring at Zelda up till the point where Kirby had hit the wall.
"You betrayed me!" Ganondorf roared, "You'll pay for that, Kirby! You'll all pay!"
And just as Ganondorf started to transform into something or else intimidating and far too big for the hall, a group of slim glowing purple figures dropped from the ceiling to surround him. Each of the figures had a red logo on their heads.
The group gawked at them.
As the circle of figures tightened around Ganondorf, blocking him from view, one of them detached themselves- a female- and approached the group.
"1-player mode." she said, "Stadium. Multi-man Melee. Cruel Melee."
No one bothered to ask what she meant.
"Hey guys!" Pichu exclaimed, "The invisible wall is down!"
"What...?" Link breathed, staring in awe as everyone rounded the corner, "Does that mean the boss was... defeated?"
Link glanced over his shoulder to check, only to find the purple figures, along with Ganondorf, had disappeared.
Link shrugged and hurried after the others. Someone must have pressed reset. Realizing this caused Link to scowl. Damn it, now he had to redo the whole level!
-(space)-
Roy stood in the common room of Smash Stadium with all the other Smashers, waiting. In ten minutes he'd have to go into the arena- whether Zelda was present or not. If she didn't show up when the match began, she would lose by default.
Roy stared at the floor and sighed. He wanted to win the finals, of course, but not this way. It was an empty win if he didn't earn it.
His win against Marth hadn't been empty. It wasn't his fault Marth had gotten distracted and didn't block. That win had been completely legitimate.
Roy looked at the clock and hung his head. Seven minutes, and he'd be the champion.
-(space)-
Zelda and the others returned to Smash Stadium around noon. It was a few minutes after they got back that Marth toppled over.
Young Link (who had been left to walk on his own after leaving Ganondorf's Fortress) rushed to his side, "Marth!" he exclaimed, "Marth! Are you ok?"
While shouting this, Young Link poked Marth's head, worried that he was unconscious. When he pulled his hand back he shrieked.
Marth stirred enough at the noise to mutter, "Shut up..." then drifted off again.
By now, the others had gathered around.
"What's wrong?" Zelda demanded. Young Link showed her his finger.
"Marth's hair cut me!" he waved his red finger around, "Look at all the blood!"
Zelda scowled at him and knelt down, not bothering to pay the boy any more attention as she gingerly touched Marth's head. Pulling her hand away, she found it speckled with blood.
"Hey Marth." Zelda snapped, shaking his shoulder, "We have to get you to the clinic. Link can't carry you. Get up."
Marth didn't reply verbally or physically. He was motionless.
Zelda threw up her hands, "Argh! I hate men!" she rose to her feet and glowered at Link, "Pick him up."
"But I can't!" Link protested.
"Since when?" Zelda demanded.
"Since... well since ever!" Link exclaimed, "You even said so yourself!"
Zelda planted her hands on her hips and glowered at him, "Are you saying I contradicted myself?"
"No, I- " Link hurried to explain, but Zelda had already turned around, her stern gaze on Young Link.
"Help him." she ordered, and Young Link obeyed without question.
A few minutes later they were on their way to the main building, Link and Young Link supporting an unconscious Marth in back while Zelda walked a good distance ahead, Pichu beside her.
Pichu snuck a few peeks at Zelda, who's brows were knitted together with worry or irritation. Maybe both. Probably both.
"You ok?" Pichu asked Zelda, who's scowl deepened in reply.
"I can't remember whether I hit him recently or not."
"Who?" Pichu asked, then glanced over her shoulder, "Ah, you mean Marth."
Zelda nodded, then shook her head, "I honestly can't remember."
"Oh, you didn't do that." Pichu said, realizing Zelda meant the wound, "That was Roy, yesterday. It must have closed overnight and opened up again at some point."
"Roy?" Zelda asked with a puzzled scowl, "You don't mean during their match?"
Pichu nodded, then saying when she saw Zelda's expression, "Yeah, I was surprised too. Marth was beating the crap out of Roy, and then all of a sudden this announcement came on about you being kidnapped and Marth froze up and Roy hit him off the screen."
Zelda stopped in her tracks and Pichu sent a curious glance over her shoulder. The princess didn't move for a moment, then she did move, and it was almost too fast for Pichu to see.
The next thing the pokemon knew, she was alone.
A minute later, the others had caught up.
"Where's my princess?" Link asked, looking around for Zelda. Marth, who was awake by now, glared blearily at Pichu.
"You didn't mention yesterday's match, did you?" Marth asked.
The pokemon shifted from foot to foot, "I didn't not mention it?" she tried.
Marth only sighed, "Great."
-(space)-
Two minutes.
Roy looked away from the clock again. Everyone- even Mewtwo- seemed just as anxious as him. Did they really not want him to win that much?
His eyes landed on Ness, and the boy glared at him until he looked away, where his gaze found Samus- decked out in her regular armour and visor- whose glare seemed to penetrate him more than Ness's had.
Ok, maybe those two didn't want him to win that much.
It was then, just as the clock reached one minute and Roy started sullenly for the arena, that the common room doors burst open and Zelda came hurtling through.
There were a few gasps and exclamations of surprise, but Zelda ignored everyone, glaring around the room.
Then her gaze landed- and stayed- on Roy, and the next thing the redhead knew he was flying backwards.
A few moments later, Roy was leaning against the wall on the other side of the common room, slowly slipping into a darkness that reminded him of picture books and scary wells.
I'll post the conclusion tomorrow, and I may or may not post the epilogue too (I'm still not sure if I'm pleased with it, I'll have to look it over). Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you guys think!