Clash of the Smashers
Chapter Fifty-Three: Conclusion…?
The Prison…
"Donkey Punch!" Donkey Kong said gleefully, punching the door of Zelda's cage off. It clattered to the ground, narrowly missing the princess.
"I appreciate the help, but…never ever say that again," Zelda told Donkey. He gave her a confused look, before shrugging widely and moving out of the way.
Zelda calmly stepped out of the cage, brushing her dress absentmindedly while everyone gathered around the door, which was in the process of being Falcon Punched. Well, almost everyone. Ness, Popo and Nana grumbled in the corner of their now open cages, refusing to join the others.
Fox shot his blaster into the center of the door, where Falcon was hitting it with his bleeding knuckles. The continuous stream of fire and absurdly powerful punches were taking their toll on the solid door and the center was glowing red, a glow that was rapidly spreading outwards.
Zelda moved behind the group by the door closed her eyes and began moving her gloved hands around slowly. An aura of power surrounded the princess, while Fox hissed and dropped his overheated blaster. After two more punches Zelda opened her eyes and shot her hands forward, fists clenched, shooting off a ball of red magic at the door that connected with the center.
Nothing happened at first, but Zelda yelled to the others to get out of the way. They were reluctant to move, until the door began shaking, at which point they were eager to dive to the sides of the door. With a small grunt Zelda opened her hands and the door exploded, sending door chunks to both rooms. Most of the Smashers were out of the way of the debris and Zelda deflected it with a hastily erected diamond shield that covered her entire body and faded as quickly as it appeared.
"Alright Zelda!" Luigi said excitedly, "We are totally out of here!"
"Finally! Freedom!" Peach said.
Several more shouts of joy were heard as the Smashers all hurried into the newly opened room. Zelda was the last of the main group to leave the prison and once she was out of sight, Ness, Popo and Nana slowly emerged from their cages and hesitantly walked towards the exit.
Unfortunately, soon after piling into the room they discovered that they were not free. The portal Ganondorf and the others had used was gone, faded when the crystal in FD had been destroyed. All they could see was the now useless screen and machinery beneath it.
"No way," Roy said in shock as the others began to spread out, "After all that…just to be trapped here?
Fox ran over to the heap of machinery beneath the screen hoping to find something, while Zelda dashed over to the alcove where the portal had been, the residual magic alerting her of its presence. The others simply ran their hands over the walls and floor, desperately searching for a hidden door or passage.
"There has to be a way out," Marth said calmly, carefully probing the wall next to the door, as Ness and the Ice Climbers walked into the room, "Ganondorf and the others arrived, and left here by some means that we can discover."
"Andross's brains!" Fox cursed, slamming his fists down on the worthless hunk of machinery, "This thing is fried, it does nothing now!"
Their was an air of silence as the ember of the other's hope dwindled…but the spark was lit anew when Zelda muttered a few words and shot her hands forward. A burst of bright energy erupted from her hands and hit the wall. The wall shimmered slightly and the Smashers held their breath…and then released it in one relieved gasp as a portal appeared, murky and muddy-looking, but definitely there.
"Alright Zelda!" Luigi said, pumping his fist in the air.
"Sweet!" Peach said, spinning a bit.
The Smashers started to surge forward, but Zelda raised a hand, eyes narrowed in concentration. The portal flickered.
"Wait!"
"I'm not waiting for anything! I am getting out of here!" Roy said, dashing for the portal.
"I said WAIT!" Zelda commanded, raising her hand and hitting Roy with a bolt of energy that knocked him back.
"What are you doing Zelda?" Marth demanded.
"She's crazy, who cares, let's go!" Ness said in a rush, shoving past Fox and Donkey and running towards the portal, as it flickered again.
"No!" Zelda said, shooting a red ball of energy at Ness. He stopped and raised a spherical shield of glimmering green and blue energy that absorbed the attack.
Startled Zelda took a step back as Ness dropped the shield and then pushed pass Zelda, enhancing his shove with his psychic abilities enough to knock her to the ground. He dived at the portal, a giant grin forming on his large face…that faded into a wince as the portal flickered out and Ness crashed head-first into the wall behind it.
The others all cringed as his head made a sickening crack against the wall, but none made a move forward to see if he was okay. Zelda got to her feet, brushing her robe again and adopting a look of haughty smugness.
"I warned him. I am not powerful enough to maintain the portal…whatever gave it form before now has faded…perhaps forever."
"So…what? Are we stuck here?" Peach demanded, "I am a princess! Being trapped in this dungeon is not a fitting place for me!"
"Doesn't stop you from getting kidnapped every couple of weeks," Luigi said sarcastically.
Peach sniffed angrily at that, but didn't respond.
"So what now?" Popo demanded, "Do we just wait around for Ganondorf and the others to come back and do what they want to us?"
"We shall fight back," Marth said, "They shall not imprison us again."
"Falcon-greement!" Captain Falcon said, "Falcon will paunch those guys till they…uh…stop moving!"
The three Pokémon echoed their sentiments, although how the others were able to determine that was difficult, since they all spoke only their names.
"Oh shut up!" Roy said, "We're stuck here…and we won't last long enough to fight back!"
Roy hurled his sword at the wall where the portal had been, where it plunged deep into the stone a foot over Ness's head.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Luigi asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Nana said, as if Luigi was an idiot, "There's no food or water. We're going to starve."
"Oh."
"Well…maybe not," Fox said with a grin at Ness, "At least not all of us."
"No!" Zelda commanded, "We're not eating anybody!"
"I didn't say we should," Fox said, raising his hands up to block Zelda's accusation.
Marth took a long step towards Ness, cape billowing out behind him as he came to a stop in front of the unconscious psychic. He looked down…and raised his sword.
"Marth?" Roy said hesitantly, "What are you doing?"
"I was joking!" Fox said frantically, "I didn't mean to-"
Marth plunged his sword down.
"NO!" Zelda yelled…as Marth's blade dug deep into the wall a bit above Roy's sword.
"As I suspected," Marth murmured to himself, removing his sword and sheathing it. He began to run his hand over the wall.
"What the hell was that Marth?" Roy demanded, "You scared the ah!"
Roy barely managed to catch his sword as Marth casually yanked it out and tossed it to him.
"This is a door," Marth said, gesturing at the seemingly solid stone wall.
"How can you tell?" Fox asked.
"Because our swords won't cut through stone that easily. This is wood."
"A way out?" Zelda questioned, stepping forward, her dress gracefully flowing around her as she raised her hand.
"Falcon's got it!" Captain Falcon said excitedly, pushing past Zelda. Before the others could say or do anything he raised his bloody knuckles…and Falcon Punched the door.
The door immediately exploded outward, revealing another chamber. Falcon stood there gleefully for a second, before lowering his hand and allowing a frown to cut across his features.
"Ow," he said rather calmly, cradling his openly bloody hand, "My hand…hurts."
He stepped aside as Zelda stepped past him and over Ness, into the new chamber. Falcon hurried in after her, and they were followed by the others…into a massive and full hall.
It was easily twice the size of both the prison and meeting room combined, and was packed to the brim with crates that stacked up towards a dim ceiling. The lights in the room, a combination of glowing stone and torches were not enough to illuminate the entire room, but they were enough to reveal the writing on the crates.
"Looks like we won't starve," Luigi said, inspecting a crate that said, rather blatantly Food.
"Perhaps this won't be too awful," Peach said, as Donkey Kong began prying off the lid of one labeled Water.
"Well, at least know we know where the food they fed us with came from," Fox said while looking at the other crates.
"We can't stay here forever Zelda," Marth stated, as she looked around the room.
"I know," Zelda said, "But until someone finds us…it'll do. It has to."
On Final Destination…
Silence. After the long and multiple battles, Final Destination was silent. No sounds could be heard, as if the entire universe was holding its breath.
Mario stared in shock at the sword jutting out from his ally's body, while the unconscious bodies of his previous comrades lay around him.
Link stared deep into Kidar's pain-filled eyes, as he waited for the Master Sword, the Sword of Evil's Bane, to purge the evil around it…namely Kidar.
But it didn't…and the silence left the arena in one loud, throaty chuckle. One that came…from Kidar.
"So close, Link," Kidar hissed, placing his hands on the blade, as it continued to glow faintly, "But not quite close enough."
Link could only gape as Kidar's face began to become covered in shadow.
"I don't understand…that went through your heart…no man could survive that!"
"I am no man…M.C. created me to be the greatest warrior of all time…do you really think I am kept alive by organs and flesh?"
Kidar's entire body began to darken, and small violet tendrils began to poke out of his back.
"But you're evil…the Master Sword should have purged you from this world!" Link said, his hands shaking, but the sword remained locked in Kidar as the mage became a silhouette of shadow, and the tendrils lengthened into tentacles.
"Clearly I am not the evil the Master Sword was designed to purge," Kidar said, his voice turning into a deeper, more resonant one, "It was made to seal away Ganondorf, and other foes in your dimension…which I am not a part of. It burns yes…but it is survivable."
Kidar's transformation, from man to monster finally hit Link as the beast that had been his enemy now towered over him, his sacred sword slowly being consumed by a writhing amorphous mass with sickly smooth tentacles waving about its growing self.
"Agh!" Link yelled, as the violet-black gunk started to spread to his hands. He tried to tear them away, but the mass held strong, and as Link frantically struggled against their icy embrace the tentacles encircled him, "No! I won't let you win!"
His Triforce glowed brilliantly, shooting out beams of golden light that pierced Kidar, forcing the creature he had become to let out a pained shriek as they penetrated his shapeless body. The points of light rotated around as the tentacles sought to completely cover him and one of the points of light sliced a tentacle clean off…although upon hitting the ground it slithered towards Link before wrapping itself around his legs.
Link started to scream as he was sucked into the mass of horror but he was soon silenced as tentacles sought to cover his body, before he vanished into the beast Kidar had become.
The mass of writing tentacles shook and shivered, its imprisoned occupant hidden from view. Mario ignored the monstrosity, instead scooping up both Falco and Samus and slinging them over his shoulders. He then picked Diddy and Raichu up and carried them in his hands. He easily strode over to Kidar, the weight of his former companions like nothing to him.
Mario came to a stop in front of the horror, casually dumping his cargo down in front of it. Despite lacking any kind of actual features or even eyes, it appeared to look down at them…before disgorging Link with a disgusting schloop. He plopped down near the others, seemingly unharmed, although he was as motionless as the rest of them, and a patch of the violet gunk was attached to his left hand.
A sudden violent motion from the mass, and the tentacles shot out, stabbing into the heads of Kirby, Falco, Samus, Raichu and Diddy. They moaned slightly as it penetrated their skin, but it quickly retracted, leaving no marks and the five became motionless once again.
Mario gave Kidar a questioning look, as the being began to sink back into itself, slowly reforming its shape into that of a man.
"What did you just do?"
"I made sure they won't wake up until we want them too. We should leave now."
"Why? We won…no one is left to stand against us," Mario said, "All we need to do now is find the others."
"No," Kidar answered softly, "M.C. said he had made contact with worlds we haven't visited. There are still those that served him, and they might know of this place. I am not willing to stand here and do battle with additional foes."
"Are you weak?" Mario asked.
Kidar flashed him an exasperated look.
"No, just smart. Do you seriously think that either of us is up to more? We've done what we accomplished. We should leave."
"Any ideas where to?"
At that Kidar appeared hesitant, and an unfamiliar look of uncertainty entered his gaze.
"Actually…no. I haven't been around for too long, I don't have any hidden fortresses or something," Kidar said, "I suppose I could make one…but-"
"Not necessary," Mario said with a smile, "I know just the place."
Peach's Castle…
"Toadsworth! Reports are coming in!"
Toadsworth looked up from his pacing in front of the throne in the castle to see one of the younger Toads running towards him. Sighing slightly, the elderly Toad raised a hand, and the Toad came to a skidding stop.
"Reports! They're in!" The Toad said excitedly.
"I heard. Reports of what?" Toadsworth asked.
"The Koopas! They've retreated!"
Toadsworth immediately stopped his pacing and shambled over to the Toad as quickly as the elderly cane-using Toad could.
"They've what?!"
"They've retreated! They pulled out of the outlying sections of the city and gone back to their castle!"
"Did we beat them?"
"No! We were actually being pushed back, but then it was like they panicked and ran away!"
"Was perhaps Ma-"
Before Toadsworth could finish his inquiry, a large vortex appeared behind him, right in front the throne. It swirled with an eerie violet light and as both Toadsworth and the Toad turned to peer at it, wind swept around them. Toadsworth put his hand over his eyes and squinted as he could barely see something forming in the center of the mysterious object. The other Toad tried to say something, but the wind blocked out his voice.
Then there was a sudden sharp gust that blew the Toad off his feet, and almost sent Toadsworth stumbling, if not for his hunched position and cane…and just as suddenly as it had appeared the vortex had vanished.
In its place were nine beings, two of which were standing. As the red-capped one looked around, Toadsworth's eyes widened in recognition.
"Master Mario! You have returned!"
Mario ignored the Toad, but gave Kidar a small grin, "So, what do you think?"
"Good idea. Course it will need some work…"
"Master Mario?" Toadsworth questioned, "Did you find the Princess?"
Mario stepped towards Toadsworth, hopping over a few of his unconscious captives.
"Not yet. Don't worry, I have an idea where she is but until we find her, I'm taking charge of this Kingdom."
"Master…Mario?" Toadsworth said, startled by the clear diction with which Mario was using, "You are not of royal blood…you can't…"
"I've saved this place enough times…don't worry about the formalities, I'm not declaring myself King…just making sure things that need to get done, get done."
"Of course," Toadsworth said, confused, "But what are they-"
Mario shook his head as Toadsworth gestured at the unmoving Smashers.
"Don't worry about them. Leave."
Toadsworth looked completely flabbergasted, but followed the order. He was about halfway to the exit of the throne room when a voice called out.
"Wait!" Kidar commanded.
Toadsworth stopped and turned around, although when he saw it was Kidar who was speaking to him, his confusion deepened.
"Get some Toads in here to drag these people to the dungeons."
Toadsworth looked rather indignant, but before he could tell Kidar how he was not going to do that, he saw Kidar's violet eyes…and decided it would be safer to just do it.
"The castle dungeons won't hold them," Mario warned.
"I'll reinforce them. Don't worry," Kidar told him, "And as for your hammer and cape…I'll see what I can do about getting them here."
"I'd appreciate it. What now?"
Kidar looked at Mario, before turning towards the throne.
"Now…we see how far we can go."
THE END…SO FAR
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