Nothing much to say, except that I'm back.

Chapter 27: Old Foes

Location: Unknown

"My Lord, we've uncovered crucial information about the newest Smash Brothers", said Vancave, bowing in respect for the Shadow Overlord sitting in the throne in front of him.

"Please, reveal it to me, Vancave, a bit of good news will put me in a better mood; Squadron Three's destruction was a very disappointing event, and I do not wish to punish anyone this minute", the Overlord replied in a bored tone, his hand holding his head up on his throne. His voice was very deep, but sounded like that of a thirteen year old.

"We have found two old enemies of the Half Smash Brothers, Timmy and Tootie, I believe their names are. I have all of their information, if you wish to look it over", Vancave explained, still bowing, his sword making it very uncomfortable for him to stay in that position, as the handle was digging into his chest.

Nodding his head the Shadow Overlord replied. " Stand, Vancave, and please give me the details of their backgrounds, I do not wish to know of their power, for I have my own plans for that matter."

Vancave obediently stood. "It's all in these files, My Lord", he said, handing to separate manila files to the Overlord.

The Shadow backed away and remained silent as his master looked over the information. The overlord read, and as he did, his smile grew wider, indicating that he was indeed pleased.

"Vancave, I congratulate your efforts. I want these two located. You yourself will be going to confront them and offer them the Shadow Army's power. If they refuse, tell them the reason for doing so, I'm sure they won't pass up an opportunity like this", the Master Shadow ordered, after giving the two files a brief look through. Vancave gave a quick bow and left the throne room. Holding the two pictures that accompanied the files, the Shadow Overlord studied them. One was a tall brunette in her teens. The other, was a taller black haired man, with a mischievous grin and a hunch in his back.

"This shall turn the tide of the war", the Shadow muttered maliciously to himself.

Two months ago...

"T.J., is that you?", Sovia repeated. The wolf simply replied with a quick happy yelp.

"It's definitely him, or...at least it smell like him", James said, after few sniffs.

The party turned to each other.

"Can he do that?", Tootie asked.

"Apparently", Sonic replied.

"What'll we do with him, what if he can't change back", Sovia quickly asked, more to herself than the group.

"We'll analyze him back on the ship, we can't stay too much longer, more Shadows will be here soon", Timmy pointed out, noting the sinking sun in the distance.

"All right", Sovia murmured.

"And...BREAK!", a voice next to her shouted, making everyone jump. They all turned to see T.J., Amy, and Yoshi watching them. T.J. was smiling, as if someone had told a joke.

Ten minutes later...

"...I don't know how I did it, I didn't even know that I could transform into a dog without the Twilight Field*", T.J. lied. He had just come out of a scanning session. His wolf transformation was because of a Shadow who pronounced himself as Galtreo.

"What do you want", T.J. asked, raising his sword. Amy had already disappeared into the jungle, leaving T.J. with a fat Shadow.

"Just a little gift from my master, think of it as a gift of destruction", the large, round Shadow cackled. Before T.J. could react, the Shadow threw a bolt of black lightning at him. Instinctively, he raised his arms for defense. The attack hit him and he fell to the ground. Getting up, he failed to stand on two feet. Examining himself, T.J. gasped, if he could, his entire body was in a wolfish form, from head to tail.

He remembered the event well, and thought it wise to keep it secret that he accepted a Shadow's gift, much less the Overlord's.

"I just don't know...", he repeated, looking off into space.

Present Time...

That was two months ago, and it was now in the dead middle of December. The twentieth, to be exact. Holiday cheer was something that T.J. couldn't find, his thoughts were focused on battle plans, upgrades, safety, and the Shadows themselves. He sighed, ever since everyone decided to go back to their flagships, everything was too quiet. Even Sovia, Timmy, and Tootie had decided to spend the holidays on the Blue Typhoon, and he was left alone, with only Mario, Speedy, Bowser to accompany him. Looking out at the vast endless boundaries of space, T.J. sighed again, the flight decks walls seemed to close in on him. The Chao on his shoulder sighed his sleepiness into the boy's ear. Looking at the clock over the giant glass window, he decided to go to sleep, it wasn't healthy to stay up past six in the morning*.

"Speedy, hey little buddy, why don't you head to my room and settle in, you don't have to stay up here with me", he quietly and calmly said to the little creature lying on him.

"Chao", Speedy whispered, unable to carry out the action.

"All right, I'll carry you", T.J. offered, noting the Chao's sleepy condition.

"Chao", Speedy sighed, possibly in a demanding tone.

"And I'll get some sleep too", T.J. negotiated. The Chao didn't reply, and T.J. walked back to his room. The lights weren't dimmed since there were only four people on board. After reaching the appropriate door, T.J. stepped inside, he was relieved to see his skylight, and the endless space beyond it; he had moved his room from deck sixty to deck 198, the Terminal Junction had been moved to another deck during the ship's upgrade. Placing Speedy on his bed that was on top of a high pole. T.J. reached his hammock and grabbed the Sovia plushie that he had found lying beside him one morning. He sunk into the suspending bed. It rocked as he climbed into it, but that always helped him sleep. This night, however, he couldn't sleep, for one question remained in his head.

Meanwhile...

T.J. wasn't the only one awake, Tootie lay on a bed made for her by Cream and Amy, unable to sleep. She was wondering what she was going to get Timmy for Christmas. She had meant to grab a valuable item before she left with the others from home. She was creating a slight snowing effect in her room, the snowflakes, melting and evaporating, reminded her of how T.J. had got Timmy to fall for her. It was almost a year ago now, at the end of January . T.J. thought of a clever idea to secretly conceal Timmy inside of a hollow ice block. Tootie wasn't aware of this until T.J. had told her in a way that made her think that he just found out. He gave her a very detailed description of where her crush might be, telling her that he had been kidnapped. Well, with T.J. struggling to keep behind her, she dashed for the spot deep in the forest. After she found Timmy's icy prison she, aided by the strength of love, destroyed the block of ice. Timmy had been aware of the entire situation, but the rest of the tale is hazy from there.

"Why does this have to happen", she pondered aloud, for no apparent reason.

Everyone seemed to be over-stressed this holiday season, the tension could even be felt in the air, like a visible disease spreading from one to another.

"Better sleep on it", she said, stopping her ice tricks, and turning out the lights.

Later...

All was quiet for the time being, they haven't had an attack for a few weeks. T.J. was worrying that the Shadow's were coming up with a devastating plan.

Checking all of the necessary systems T.J.'s thoughts reflected past events, from battles to dates-gone-bad with Sovia. Seeing as how everything was fine, he decided to walk out to the Carrier's exterior to think. He made it to the very front when he stopped at the peak. He wondered how he was going to break it to Sovia that the next Smash Bros. world would be explored by him and by him alone.

He heard it then, the familiar abstract and somewhat psychotic cackling of a man. He drew his sword, knowing that he was not going to like who it was.

"Hello again, Trenton, I hope you've remembered me", a man said, gliding out of a Shadow Warp Hole*. He was a slim hunchbacked man. He was covered with Shadow Essence*, but not fully Shadow Embraced*.

"Crocker", T.J. said coldly, "what's a physcho like you doing here*?"

"Only to prove to myself and the universe, that you and Turner, have FAIRY GOD PARENTS!", Crocker replied, twitching violently as he shouted those last words.

"Not this again, I've told you once, and I'll tell you for the LAST time, we don't have FAIRIES!", T.J. shouted at the psychopath, "And we both know, I am ten times smarter than you!"

"Well, after I deal with you, I'll take all your fairies", Crocker replied, ignoring him.

"Okay with me, and I've been wanting to do this for a long time", T.J. threatened. The fleet was in front of the Carrier, so T.J. was alone, their battle would go by unnoticed.

Without wasting a second's thought, T.J. raised a hand to fire flames. They just left his palms when they extinguished.

"What?", T.J. said, astonished, he tried again, Crocker was laughing his head off, this time, only smoke left his hands. Quickly, he tried his other hand, with the same results. He then tried with his other powers and both of his hands.

Never Surrender by Skillet

"It doesn't matter, I still have my swords and hammer", he said, pulling the Blade of Heroes from its hiding spot. "Bring it on, old man."

"Very well, face the wrath of my "F"'s", he screamed, slinging hundreds of black failing grades from his black streaked hands.

T.J. deflected a few with his sword and engaged the magnetic field of his force field*. He lunged at Crocker his sword came down upon him. Instead of making contact, Crocker vanished with a cloud of black smoke. T.J. turned around in time to see a shadowy "F" coming at him. Looking for Crocker, he switched to his hammer and shot it back in a random direction. He fell back down to the Carrier.

"That's a nice trick, Crocker, but you can't stay hiding forever, you and I both know your power will be drained, however you got it", he said. He looked around, but saw nothing. He tried his kinesis again, no success. Since their fight wouldn't be seen T.J. could try something. "Well, looks like I'm improvising, even though I going to hate it. Hieash, truiand, NICTOAN!"

The spell or whatever he had yelled seemed to have worked. His arms started to slowly turn a sickly black.

"I have twenty-five seconds, better not waste'em", T.J. said to himself. His weapons were gone. He thought he saw Crocker out of the corner of his eye. "There you are!"

T.J. shot a beam of Shadow Energy* at him. Crocker was hit with it. He was sent reeling backwards. He quickly retaliated with his own Shadow Attack. The giant "F" was sent flying at T.J. He didn't bother to reflect it, instead he caught it, and threw it back.

"I was told you didn't have Shadow Powers", Crocker said, dodging his attack.

"You were told wrong, then weren't you", T.J. barked, disappearing. Crocker was now left alone, confused, and fearing for his well being. T.J. appeared behind him, ready to end this. He kicked Crocker hard and sent him flying. Disappearing again, he appeared where Crocker was flying. Conjuring another beam of energy, T.J. hit Crocker, and didn't stop. He was going to slowly destroy him. As he started to give it his all, something caught his eye. With a second passing, T.J. dodged the deadly claws of something, as it flew past.

End

"Vicky", he growled. Watching the new figure, which now stood beside Crocker, who was recovering.

"T.J.", she returned in her own growl. T.J.'s arms returned to normal, indicating his twenty five seconds were up. "After three years of pain and oppression, I'm going to get you back."

"Great, two nut jobs, no powers, and only weapons", T.J. said. He was going to have to do this the old fashioned way.

Can Walk on Water I Can Fly by Basshunter

Vicky hand Shadow claws, obviously not possessing any projectile attacks. She flew back at T.J., claws bared. He blocked it, and she was pressing down harder and harder. Crocker was now fully recovered, and threw some "F"'s. T.J. waited and threw Vicky into them. She got hit and struck the surface of the Carrier.

"Twerp", T.J. taunted, smugly, with a daring grin. He knew just how to push her buttons. She ran at him again. As a reflex, T.J. raised his hands to sling flames. This time, he did. Vicky disappeared and reappeared as the flames shot passed.

End

"Oh yeah", T.J. said looking at his hands, that were now pouring fire. Vicky winced.

"Let's get out of here", she said grabbing Crocker by the shoulder and fleeing. Before T.J. could pursue them, they vanished into a Shadow Warp Hole.

"Great, won't this be a story to tell", he said to himself, swearing slightly. He walked back into the Carrier, glad that he had a fight, but resentful about what he had done. He had broken a promise, a promise he made to Sonia. That he would not use the thing that dwelled inside him, dormant, for Shadow Power*.

He sighed. Entering the airlock, Speedy tackled him with a hard hug.

"Chao, Chao, Chao", he cried. T.J. smiled, but did not replied, he didn't want to explain to Speedy what had happened, for the Chao would surely tell on him.

Looking for a quiet place T.J. went to the flight deck, for it was unlikely for anyone to be there. Not surprising him, no one was. He took his seat and looked for something to do.

"T.J. get here now", Sovia's voice rang through the room.

"On my way", T.J. replied into J.E.E.V.E.S.

Since he couldn't warp onto the Blue Typhoon, he ran to the nearest airlock. On the outside, he jumped to the Blue Typhoon*. When he got to the bridge and found Sovia, he gasped.

Cliffhanger, anyone? Well, you got it. Reviews or else.

Facts: 10

1. This will be explained later, but if you have played a certain game, you know what this means.

2. When T.J. gets bored, he can lose track of the time.

3. These are how Shadows are able to appear on the battlefield. They are more sophisticated than Subspace warp points and won't stay open to be destroyed.

4. This is the very thing the Shadows are made of, this is pure evil.

5. When a creature is Shadow Embraced it becomes a Shadow, after, the Essence decides what it will be, whether it be a Shadow Solder, Elite Shadow, or whatever.

6. T.J. hated Crocker, they were constantly at each other's throats before he left for the war.

7. This will make the Smash Carrier like a planet, giving the outside a gravity-like effect.

8. This gives Shadows movement and mental stability. Using it as an attack will have devastating results.

9. Shadow Power is present only when a host is present, it will not turn the host into a Shadow, and can only be summoned if the host knows Shadow Language.

10. T.J. knew this was quicker, he could not wait for his gunship to get ready and launch.