Awakening

Life was cruel.

The little Pokemon had never wanted to admit it- he always tried to look at the brighter side of things- but in this apocalyptic world, it was all too evident that the Gods hated him.

It seemed to him that with every breath his Guardian took, something would always go wrong. Something would always hinder them in some way. It was no fault on her, though. Oh no, she was obviously doing the best she could. After all, who wouldn't when right in front of them was the most hated of all beings?

No, it was the Gods.

The dragon had been glorious, radiant against the grey Smashville skies. MS had done well in distracting the Smashers, allowing their Guardians to pull out their Smashballs and crack them as one. But it was the instincts of his own body that betrayed him. The Gods had allowed him- the yellow electric mouse- to be the first to recover him his initial surprise.

Damn them.

Now, bathed in a fiery light, Pikana was forced to cover her eyes as his body kicked up his legs and darted away, taking extra care to kick up as much dust as possible in the process. Caught in the heat of the battle, Pikachu was barely able to register what was happening. Dust clung to the skirt of his Guardian. Dust clouded his vision. Dust caked his throat.

Everywhere, dust.

His Guardian was now going mad as usual. Bazookie was swinging every which way, sending deadly bolts everywhere the eye could see. He could vaguely hear the wet smack! as Primids fell before the Thunder Mistress' reign. Glowing boomerangs- from the Links, the Guardians of the Links, and the Primids- briefly illuminated the scene around him.

But still, he could only see dust.

BZZT!

A scream was torn from the lips of his Guardian as a lightning bolt- his lightning bolt- ripped through this cloud of obscurity and singed her fur. Growling, she pointed Bazookie in a random direction and blasted. There was an explosion and a loud scream.

Friendly fire.

He felt her heart racing as she realized what she had just done. Unable to help herself, Pikana put away Bazookie and took out Chainy, hoping to avoid hitting another fellow Guardian. But it was through a cruel twist of fate that another lightning bolt- this one appearing from right above her- slammed into her yet again.

Her cells roared to life. Pain- white hot and searing- ripped through her like a thousand tiny needles. If it were not for the Smashball, she would have been thrown from the battle then and there. But it was all too evident that if she could not release the pent-up energy the Smashball gifted her with soon, her one window to help Pikachu recover his body would be lost.

She sensed another lightning bolt coming her way, rolling to the left just in time to dodge it. Pikachu knew from experience that when he called down the Lightning, he would be vulnerable. But only for a brief moment.

This was a game of Blind Man's Buff. A fatal dance where his body was the hunter and they were nothing more than the prey. Pikana gritted her teeth and sent a Thunder Shock towards the source of the lightning, only to listen helplessly as the ball fizzled out within seconds.

"Bro! Help us out here!" it was Picho. There was no mistaking the smell of singed cloth. "I can't see Ness anywhere!"

"Aw… but dust tastes nasty, bro!" Pichn answered.

"Nasty? We're in the middle of a battle and all you can think of is how bad dust tastes?"

"You'd crave for something good tasting too if all you've been doing all day is eating those Shadow Bugs!"

"You've… how do they taste?"

"Kinda like pickles and cheese with a hint of soy sauce. Frankly, I think they could use a lot more soy sauce, but-"

Pikana huffed, obviously annoyed at the two bickering twins. "HEY! How about we do something about this dust already?"

For a moment, there was silence save for the sounds of battle around them. Then, one of the boys- most likely Pichn- gave out an exasperated sigh.

The roar of a vacuum split the air, Pichn utilizing Kirby's greatest skill to further assist the Guardians in battle. Pikachu watched in awe as Kirby's powerful lungs and bottomless stomach, passed on to his Guardian, absorbed the filth around them like it was nothing. As each layer of the pea-soup cloud was lifted away, Pikana and Pikachu both could make out the faint shapes of their foes. The only one they had eyes for, however, was one of a little yellow mouse crouched belly-low to the ground…

"VOLT TACKLE!"

The flames surrounding Pikana flickered and faded, retreating into the very core of her little body. She closed her eyes, summoning the power from deep within her core, and released, white hot lightning bursting forth from her cheeks.

Pikachu could feel his own heart racing at the speed of the crackling electricity. Never before had he felt so exhilarated. For in this moment, he was both the generator of this deadly aura and part of it was well. He could taste the power in every one of his incorporeal bones, both beautiful and terrifying all at once.

There was no end to the beauty. For at the moment the Volt Tackle was unleashed, at least twenty Final Smashes were given their due as well. For in the wake of Pikana's thunderous charge came what could only be the Zero Laser, Golfer aiming just beyond Pikachu at the once-proud body of the mighty Samus Aran. To her left was Squall, eyes bathed in red flame as his Triforce Slash ripped through Toon Link's feeble defenses. To her right came Sam's battle cry as he- Young Link's Kokiri Sword looking little more than a butter knife in his hand- too unleashed the fatal Triforce Slash.

Time seemed to slow, as was fitting. For then above Pikana came a cry loud enough to shake the heavens. For a brief moment, both Pikachu and his Guardian averted their eyes upwards and saw Miles- golden like Sonic's Super Form- flying at such a speed that it would make the Hedgehog himself envious.

Ah, but perhaps most beautiful of all were when Picho and Pichn appeared right next to her, running at such a speed that it seemed to Pikachu almost impossible. They both beamed matching grins- brothers' grins- at the little Pokemon in between them.

Pikachu felt Pikana's happiness well up at the sight of those grins. There was something behind them that seemed to warm her greatly. Perhaps it was the knowingness in their smiles or the shades of memories long gone past stirring somewhere deep within their eyes that caused this. But in the end, it would not matter. Because it was now all too obvious that some part of them- whether they were aware of it or not- they knew.

Pikachu's body rolled to the side, avoiding Pikana's charge just in time. Frustrated, Pikachu's Guardian performed a might U-turn before charging again. But while the Volt Tackle was fast, Pikachu's body was faster. It rolled and dodged every charge easily, as if taunting its foe.

Pikana was almost crying.

Tears of anger.

Tears of frustration.

Tears of resolve.

She was not alone. No matter how much Tabuu and his Subspace Army tried to separate her from her friends, she was not alone. She never was.

Pichn growled, placing his hands together as a chef's hat appeared on his head. Out of nowhere came a giant frying pan and spatula, which proceeded to flip as many nearby enemies and Smashers as possible into a deadly sauté. Pikachu watched as Ness' body sizzled, Kirby's body burnt, and his own body transformed into a ghastly flambé.

Of course, that was still not enough to create the perfect dish. So Picho now added his own twist to the plate as a rain of fireworks from the heavens pelted the "food" mercilessly. Picho and Pichn wore matching grins as they danced around this frying pan, celebrating a victory begotten only from days upon days of nothing but intense training.

Pikachu could feel it coming. He saw the little flame right in the center of the pan- his body, desperately trying to shake off the deadly flames- and knew that it was time to cut ties. His happiness roared, his heart thundered in joy. He wanted to dance, to laugh, to sing, to show Tabuu just who was boss.

And yet…

Pikana's feet pounded on the ground as she released the last of what was built up in her cheeks. Once again, Pikachu was riding the electricity surging around her as she twisted her way past the obstacles, towards her target. He only had time to open his ghostly mouth one last time, to speak an oath that only he could ever hear…

A flame roared around him. His nerves screamed out in agony. A pain like none other ripped through him.

And it felt glorious.

"Eric! Hey Eric!"

The mechanic looked up from his latest project just in time to catch the unnecessarily large jar flying towards him. He paused for a moment, blinking bewilderingly as he realized that this was a rather large jar full of peanut butter. True, he had requested that someone go grab him glue or something to help him with the thing he was working on, but honestly…

Who in their right mind would assume peanut butter would be suitable glue?

"Ridere!" Eric shouted as the boy walked over. "Why you no bring glue?"

Ridere grinned. For the first time, Eric noticed that Snake's Guardian was also carrying a jar of jelly and a banana. "Because… IT'S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!"

Eric rolled his eyes as he set down the jar, taking extra care not to allow it to touch his little project. "Peanut butter jelly time or not, couldn't you have grabbed anything else?"

Rider shook his head. "Cimar wouldn't let me touch the flour and water after the Bread Incident. Not only that, but Nao would Shadow Ball me to death if I went anywhere near the honey pot. And then when I went to ask Aly for some chewing gum, she threatened to shoot me until I turned into swiss cheese!" the young man placed the back of his hand to his forehead in an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. "And who knows what would happen to Snake if I was turned into cheese!"

Eric rolled his eyes again. "So instead, you sneak into Mars' food store and swipe a jar of peanut butter?"

"Actually, I'm pretty sure that thing came from Wrath's food supply, but you never know," Ridere shrugged. "Just be happy I didn't take it from Picho or Pichn. Knowing them, that thing would have a bomb in it or something!"

"Or something is right," Eric sighed as he turned back to work on his project. Truth be told, it was a rather sad little thing, made out of Ridere's Box, one of Aly's many guns, glue, a few strips of metal, and- now that Eric realized he had no other choice- peanut butter.

"Are you sure you're willing to take a risk like this?" Eric asked as he applied the peanut butter to various parts of the box. "Because I'm surprised Snake isn't giving you a migraine for sacrificing you box like this."

"'Tis a sacrifice I'm willing to make!" Ridere replied cheerfully. "Besides, he already kept me awake two days straight after I let you take my box. He's better now, though." he then raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of Smashers, I haven't heard from Lucario in a while. Is he sulking too?"

This won a small chuckle from the Guardian of Lucario. "No. Simply doing his usual: meditating. Honestly, he spends more time meditating than he actually does fighting."

"Or I am simply wondering why in the name of Arceus we are attempting to build a satellite canon using nothing more than a box, a few metal strips, a gun, glue, tape, and bits of strings," the Aura Pokemon sighed.

Eric laughed. "Lucario, you just have to believe!"

"Believe it!" Ridere said, giving Lucario- and Eric- thumbs up. "But seriously, do you think it'll make it up there?" he pointed towards the sky.

Eric stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well… if we can get Nao to agree to teleport the thing up into the sky… then I don't see why not. Of course, the only concern you should have is whether or not it will stay aloft!."

"And whether or not it will be operable," Lucario added, winning an upward glare from his Guardian.

Ridere gave the satellite cannon a poke with his toe. "You sure?"

"I'm about as positive as the number of times Aly has hit me rather than the target while target practicing."

As if in response to his quip, Eric immediately was forced to duck as a laser went sailing over his head. Not a mere bolt from a laser, though. The gun itself.

Evidently, his partner was currently practicing throwing her lasers at Mars. Not surprisingly, the Sky Claw pilot was taking extra care to knock any gun sent his way towards the unfortunate Wolfen pilot.

Ridere raised an eyebrow, but grinned all the same. "That's pretty positive! Alright, so now we just have to go get Nao and-"

"You called?" Nao asked as he teleported in between the two. Taken by surprise, the two Guardians fell backwards. Luckily, neither of them landed on top of the satellite cannon.

Ridere was the first to recover. "Nao! There you are! Listen, Eric and I built this satellite cannon…" he gestured to the supposed weapon, causing Mewtwo's Guardian to raise an eyebrow. "And we need a way to get it up into the sky. Since Mars and Aly are busy with target practice and Eric is too lazy to turn on his Wolfen…"

"Hey!"

"We thought you could help," Ridere finished.

Nao tilted his head slightly as he stared at the satellite cannon. "Uh… you guys know it's a box, right?"

"Not just a box," Eric said. "It is a Global Herald of Innovative Retrospect Akin to Harbinger Indication and Momentum."

"… The G.H.I.R.A.H.I.M?" Nao asked.

"It's FABULOUS!" Ridere declared.

Nao blinked. "Okay… where do you want me to send the G.H.I.R.A.H.I.M?"

"In space, of course!" Ridere replied. Eric laughed as he nodded his confirmation.

"I got that… but where in space?"

"Oh, anywhere is fine," Eric replied, smiling quite sanely. "No matter what happens both Ridere and myself will be able to call it to us when the time is right."

Nao blinked yet again, but said nothing. Frowning at the G.H.I.R.A.H.I.M, he held out his right hand- palm up- and made a tossing motion with his arm. At the same time, a purple flame surrounded the satellite cannon, lifting it and holding it suspended in mid-air for the briefest of moments. Then, with a small explosion, it was launched into the skies.

Ridere grinned. "Thanks Nao, thanks Eric! That thing's going to really help us in the final battle!"

"That is, if it is somehow able to come crashing down upon Tabuu's skull," Lucario commented drily.

Eric slapped the side of his head in an attempt to jar the Aura Pokemon from its rather cynical mood. "Come now, Lucario! Have confidence in my inventions! Everyone else does!"

Nao turned away and whistled.

If there was one thing about Lucario, it was that he had almost always envied those other Pokemon gifted with the ability to fly. He didn't mean levitate like Mewtwo and even himself occasionally, when ready to unleash an Aura Storm. No, it was more than that.

Levitation was great, yes, but it was not the same. Levitation was a power that took years to master and even then, a non- Psychic or non-Legendary user could only ever lift oneself off the ground a few feet at most. Flight brought new heights, new freedom, new possibilities.

And he had his Guardian to thank for everything.

Eric wrenched his steering wheel to the left as a Greap's scythes cleaved towards him. The deadly blades were quick to attempt spinning again, only to be blocked by Nao as his own twin swords rose to counter them. Eric only had time to give the Guardian of Mewtwo a brief thumbs-up before he fired his rockets right into the weak-point of his deadly foe.

But that one Greap was only a diversion. For in that brief moment that Eric and Lucario had concentrated on the Greap, they had failed to sense the great mass of aura charging at the Wolfen. It was not until Lucario's senses flared ghastly that Eric finally noticed just what was flying at him.

"WE HAVE A SITUATION HERE!" Mars screamed over the radio before an explosion rocked the ship. In the distance, the sounds of rockets being fired could be heard as Aly unloaded extensively on this new, deadly foe.

Meta-Ridley roared its disapproval, arrogantly using his wings to swat away the rockets as they neared him. Its tail came up and swiped at a certain Sky Claw as it neared the pterodactyl-like creature, nearly taking off a chunk of Mars' wing in the process. In response, Falco's Guardian immediately opened fire before speeding away.

"Impossible!" Lucario growled, unable to believe the aura he was currently sensing. "We Smashers destroyed Ridley years ago! He is surely beyond repair!"

"Amazing what you can do with a lot of Shadow Bugs and Space Pirate technology," Eric breathed as he slammed buttons and flicked switches.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

In only what could be called machine gun-like fashion, a hail of bullets unleashed itself upon their monstrous foe. Lucario briefly saw a flash of pink hair as Nao flew around the Leader of the Space Pirates and delivered a powerful blow to his arm. A chunk of armor flew off, exposing the deformed and rotting flesh underneath.

"We've got a weak-point, boys!" Aly shouted. "HIT IT WITH ALL YA GOT!"

"Not yet, Eric," Lucario said. "I can sense arrows coming this way."

Eric closed his eyes briefly as well, testing the aura below him. "Arrows… Lasers… and… is that a Waddle-Dee?"

In answer to his question, a hail of arrows appeared out of nowhere and slammed into the vulnerable fleshy spot Nao had managed to uncover, causing the dinosaur-like being to screech in rage. Its tail now went up and came down on Nao, who was not quick enough to dodge. But before Eric could move a finger to help him, Mars' Sky Claw had already swooped in and caught him.

There were three- no, four- new figures flying around Ridley now. Sam and Young Link- who had since then reclaimed his body- leaped off of Traca in her dragon form and onto Meta-Ridley's back as the manakete flew off to flame at the Feyish and the Shaydas that dared wandered near this great battle in the skies. Meanwhile, Sam and Young's swords glittered as they weaved in and out of the armored plates, creating chinks in them that allowed for Aly's now slightly more precise aim to rip through the exposed flesh underneath.

Eric slammed into the gas and charged, barrel-rolling out of the way of numerous arrows, Gordos, and lasers. Lucario felt his exhilaration rise as his adrenaline reached new heights. With the wind roaring in the Aura Pokemon's ears, he watched Eric let loose yet another rain of bullets, this time directed right at the right eye of the Space Pirate Leader.

Meta-Ridley roared in agony as its eye exploded in a shower of blood and fluid. Eric pumped his fist in victory as Mars and Aly proceeded to relentlessly attack the right eye. Nao, now recovered, swooped in to where Sam and Young were to hack and slash at the wings of the dreadful foe.

Ah, but it was not nearly going to be that easy. For in that moment, the bodies of both Mewtwo and Lucario chose to arrive. Both were locked in mortal combat with Kai, who was desperately using Ganondorf's dark magic to fuel his own power over aura. All three landed right on Meta-Ridley's back, easily shaving off more chunks of armor as deeply evil magic, Psychic power, and aura flared.

Eric, his attention caught by the Aura Pokemon's body, now opened fire. Sam and Young were forced to roll to the side as the rain of bullets grazed them as well. Lucario could only watch in horror as his body wrenched Mewtwo's in front of it, allowing its Psychic rival to take the hits.

It was a truly disgusting sight indeed. Mewtwo's limbs seemed to explode in fountains of deep purple blood as the bullets ripped through the thin layer of skin. Lucario could almost hear Nao's cry of rage as the young Guardian swooped in and aimed his sword at Lucario's exposed back. But the Aura Pokemon's body had already sensed his approach and it was only a matter of time before- instead of Nao's sword slicing into the fur of its back- it slammed into a chink in Ridley's armor and stuck there.

Things were desperate now. Eric opened fire again, only to be met by a shower of Aura Spheres. He was forced to wrench his ship to the side to avoid most of them, but his cockpit window took heavy blows. Mars and Aly, still trying their best to avoid Ridley's claws and tail, were distracted with blinding the pterodactyl. There was almost no help for the three Guardians and one freed Smasher as they were lifted into the air by Mewtwo's body- terribly weakened from the wounds it sustained, but nonetheless still fit to fight- struggling as if they were being strangled…

Then it happened. Two helicopter-like devices appeared from nowhere, their pilots clashing into each other like bumper cars in a slippery rink. Indeed, even without reading their aura, Lucario knew immediately who the two were. After all, who could ever look at the sight of a young boy and a grown man feebly trying to kick each other or hit the other with grenades and not be sinfully reminded of a certain former soldier and his Guardian?

Ridere had the upper hand. He was lighter, faster than the body of the former Smasher. Wherever he lacked in strength, he was able to make up for it in speed and accuracy. And it was either through great foresight or pure dumb luck that a powerful double-kick to the chest of the former Smasher sent him hurtling downwards, slamming into the still bleeding body of Mewtwo. Lucario watched as his rival doubled over in pain, sent careening of the edge of their enemy's wing.

Eric breathed a sigh of relief as the Guardians were dropped onto Ridley's back, disoriented by nonetheless alive. In the meanwhile, Ridley continued to shriek and slash at the two Star Fox vehicles buzzing around his head like flies, fruitlessly attempting to grab head or tail of Mars' Sky Claw or Aly's Arwing.

"Eric, things are going to get messy!" Aly shouted. "I'm almost outta ammo and Mars won't stop hitting and running!"

"It's working!" Mars snapped back. "I'm taking a Hell lot less hits than you are!"

"Hang on, you two," Eric ordered. "Try avoiding his claws as long as you can! I'm-" he dropped his radio in surprise.

Nao and Kai were glowing with an unearthly light. Lucario watched in shock as Nao rubbed his hands together, forming a Shadow Ball unlike any other. It throbbed and twisted like some sort of disgusting animal, slowly elongating and taking form. It was not long before the Shadow Ball had become a giant gleaming scythe. At the same time, Kai's aura flared to new heights, colored deep purple like the magic of his Smasher. From out of nowhere he too created a scythe, this one glowing deep red with many Hylian runes.

What happened next, however, was perhaps the most terrifying thing Lucario had ever witnessed. The two scythe wielders leaped off Ridley, aiming straight for the ground. The way the light hit them made them seem as if they were twin Reapers, vile creatures that appeared only in the most sick and twisted of nightmares. They descended to the ground easily, slicing once, twice, three times…

Time to get back to reality. Eric and Lucario wrenched their eyes away from the sight of the gruesome Primid massacre long enough to see Ridere slamming against the window of Eric's cockpit. The pilot barely managed to pull his fellow Guardian in in time to avoid the hail of rockets at they slammed into the window, mercilessly shattering numerous glass panes to pieces.

"Ridere, you okay?" Eric asked over his shoulder as his fingers nimbly danced over the buttons of his great arsenal of guns.

"His aura remains strong," Lucario reported. "However… he will not hold out much longer if he continues pushing himself to such an extent." the Pokemon proceeded to frown at the quickly fading Smashball flame surrounding the Guardian of Snake. "And I believe that he must utilize his Smashball soon. Otherwise, he will get no other opportunity to help free his Smasher."

Eric nodded, acknowledging the Aura Pokemon's words. For a moment, Lucario felt him consider dropping off Ridere near Teal or Xavier, but soon dismissed it. After all, he was needed in the skies. Ridley was not going to blind himself.

Ridere coughed as he shakily got to his feet, clutching his ribs. "Ugh… got hit by… Kage's Final Smash in midair…" he grinned, showing a slightly cracked tooth. "She's gotta try to control that laser of hers… could hurt someone… heh…" he winced. "I think I… cracked a rib… or six…"

Eric bit his lip. "Ridere… do you think it's time we use G.H.I.R.A.H.I.M?"

Much to Lucario's bemusement, a smile slowly spread its way across the boy's face. "I thought you'd never say so! Let's get cracking!"

Eric quickly yanked open his glove compartment. Out rolled a remote control of some sort and of course, the familiar glowing sphere. He tossed the remote to Ridere before picking up the Smashball, the fragile object pulsing gently under his fingertips.

"Listen well, Ridere!" Eric shouted as he was quickly forced to swerve out of the way of an army of Waddle Dees. Down below, he could hear faint music pounding away, the sound of Bongo Drums as someone- most likely crystal- pounded a beat. Not long after, Chi and Mah both flew by- each on a barrel jet pack and wings respectively- leading the Waddle Dee Army towards an unseen group of Smashers or the Subspace Army below.

"Listening!" Ridere answered.

"Any second now, Beeh should activate her End of the Day!" Eric told him. "I want you to start activating the cannon as soon as she does! The thing's loaded with two different beams: a stun blast and a vaporization ray! I don't want you using the latter unless it's absolutely necessary, got it?"

"I think so!" Ridere answered as he was forced to grab onto the nearest piece of equipment as the ship rattled from a blow of Ridley's claw. "Shoot everything like there's no tomorrow… FABULOUSLY!"

"… Close enough," Eric relented.

Lucario closed his ghostly eyes, trying to tap into the aura of the young Guardian of Olimar. He was able to pinpoint a small pinprick of neon green light standing somewhere near Tabuu himself. Another pinprick- this one black as night- seemed to be throwing things at the neon green one. Of course, many of these objects being thrown seemed to be ineffective, but…

"She has prepared her Smashball!" Lucario warned as the neon green light suddenly flared to bright orange.

"Get ready, Ridere!"

"Ready!"

The aura changed from bright orange to deep red. "She is preparing to unleash it…"

"She's gonna let it go!"

"I'm ready!"

Then, the deep red aura split into two, each glowing brighter than any star in the night sky. Somewhere in the distance, there was an explosion as a rocket launched itself into the skies, a black blanket covering almost the entire battlefield as creatures found only in nightmares preyed upon friend and foe alike.

"NOW!" both Pokemon and Guardian shouted at the same time.

Lucario's senses roared as Ridere's Smashball-fueled aura flared, the boy channeling all of his concentration into the little remote he held. At the same time, Eric's fingers bit into the fragile sphere he had been clutching this whole time, a burst of energy speeding through him as he was given power beyond anything he had ever felt in his life.

Two things happened at once. The first thing was that Eric- in a single moment of either pure stupidity or utter genius- swiftly barrel rolled his way straight into the one remaining eye of the Space Pirate Ridley. Samus' foe, now completely blinded, thrashed and screeched more than ever as the blood dripped down to earth. Mars and Aly both took this opportunity to let lose everything they had, rockets, missiles, bullets, and cannonballs painting the skies lead gray. Sam and Young, knowing that the end of Ridley was near, let loose a deadly volley of Fire Arrows into the spots of Ridley's back they managed to expose before they too jumped off the dying monster and were swiftly caught by Traca.

The second was the ejection button. Both Eric and Ridere knew it was coming. Both of them were able to escape just in time, Eric sustaining heavy damage from being at the very fore of the suicide attack. It was by divine providence, however, that Ridere managed to pull out his helicopter device and catch him just in time.

He was delivered upon the back of the still-thrashing Ridley, where he was to await Lucario's body. The Aura Pokemon was able to sense that his body was desperately clutching on to Ridley's tail somewhere, fighting the Space Pirate's thrashing and twisting like none other. Eventually, though, it would emerge.

And then he would be free again.

It was a cut and bleeding Eric that witnessed his creation, the G.H.I.R.A.H.I.M, unleash its wrath. A terrible beam from the heavens ripped through the skies as Ridere activated the deadly vaporization beam. Eric knew full well who this terrible herald of death was aimed at and he could not help but wince at the thought.

Faintly, Lucario could hear Snake scream. But whether it was the agonized cry of the Shadow Bugs or the terrible shriek of Snake's own soul, the Pokemon would never know. For in that moment, he could sense himself slowly being broken apart, various parts of his ghostly form being slowly concentrated into tightly packed shells.

Ah, there he was. As Ridley spiraled down to earth, peppered to death by the teamwork of the Three Pilots, his thrashing was slowing. It was now much more manageable for one to gain a foothold upon the Space Pirate's armored form.

He saw his body, little more than a blue blur as it nimbly leaped from where it was hiding and charged at his Guardian. Eric activated Double Team, briefly disappearing and reappearing with a powerful counter-attack. But nothing could prepare him for when the body of the Aura Pokemon placed its palm against his chest.

Pain. Pain beyond pain. Lucario knew all too well what its source was. It was Force Palm, a powerful attack that concentrated the aura of the victim into a single point and forcing it to flare, painfully reminding them of the price of having such a gift from the gods.

Force Palm was a brief attack, but a powerful one nonetheless. Eric had been forced to deliver a powerful kick into the stomach of Lucario in order to avoid a second treatment. He could see now that the body of his Smasher was busily concentrating its own aura into a glowing blue sphere, Lucario's signature attack.

No more games.

Eric pulled his two guns out of their holsters and spun them, taking careful aim at his foe. Before Lucario knew it, he felt himself melting away, every ounce of his soul being channeled into the two deadly firearms. Just as the last bit of him faded away from his Guardian's mind, Eric pulled the trigger.

And then, he emerged. He came out piece by piece, a hail of aura encased bullets replacing his Aura Storm. Eric suddenly became nothing more than a quickly fading speck behind him as the Aura Pokemon zipped through the air, leaving behind him the life he had come to known since the day he was finally released from that dreadful glass prison.

The next thing he felt was agony. It came at first as nothing more than a whisper, as he had not yet truly reclaimed his body. But the more his willpower grew, the more Shadow Bugs were expelled from him, the greater the pain bloomed.

And it was through this pain that he received his awakening.

"Hey, you two coming or what?" the raven-haired boy asked, deep brown eyes shining like twin obsidian stones. "Break's gonna be over soon and I don't wanna run into them Smashers again!"

"Takashi, break was over three hours ago," the brunette young man countered sharply. At ten years old, he was the youngest of the group of three.

The only girl in said group came running not long after, huffing and puffing as she tugged at her sweat-soaked rags. "Taka, how much further? My feet hurt…"

The raven-haired youth, Takashi, grinned as he spread his arms wide. "Austin and Psyche… Mr. 'We-totally-shouldn't-do-this' and Little Miss Cousin of Mine… Behold! I have gathered you here today to take a look at… that!"

And what a glorious sight "that" was. For over the horizon, the children stared in awe as a great sphere of golden light slowly made its regal way from what seemed like out of nowhere. The sky, once shielded by a blanket of black, was illuminated in glorious gold, pink, and red, a gift from the mighty round king that was slowly treading his way across the skies.

The days in Smashville were forever colored a dull gray, the nights tinted red and black with blood. Beauty such as this was rare, and rarer still was the opportunity to witness it. But here they were, these three friends for life, watching as the great orb of fire in the sky- called the sun by the Elders- rose and with but a single wave of its hand dispelled the sea of blackness.

"Pretty…" Psyche whispered as the sun continued to rise. Austin, transfixed by what he beheld, could only nod in agreement.

They had been together since the beginning. Pretty much born together, raised together, educated together, worked together... these three were inseparable. With Takashi playing the part of the reckless youth, Austin being the careful young man, and Psyche just simply being the naive young woman, there could simply be no other that could replace them. They had literally been through everything together, from all the punishments Takashi often incurred to the quiet breaks Austin enjoyed taking. These three, to be exact, were synced. They had done everything together as toddlers, and that was not changing anytime soon.

Takashi smirked. "Yeah. Sometimes, it totally pays getting out of the factory once in a while. You get to see stuff like this!"

"It kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Austin asked. "Just what was this place like all those years ago…"

Psyche scrunched up her nose as she kicked the dirt. "Those people sure were lucky back then! They probably got to see something like this every day!" she looked to her cousin, who always seemed to know something or the other about Smashville in the past. "Isn't that right, Taka?"

Her cousin seemed distant as she said this, his gaze focused on the spectacle before him. "… Yeah… everyday, probably…"

"Taka?" she waved a hand in front of his face. "Helloooo? Anyone hooome?"

Takashi blinked twice before he turned to her and grinned. "What?"

"You seem distant, Tak," Austin said before Psyche could speak. "Is there something on your mind?"

Takashi sighed, blowing back his long bangs as he did so. "Yeah, I guess you can say that…" he looked out towards the horizon again and spread his arms, as if gesturing to the whole of Smashville itself. "Have y'all ever wondered what this whole place was like before ol' Tabuu moved in?"

"We've done so often, Tak," there was a new note in Austin's voice now. A hint of sadness was creeping into it. "Lately, you've done nothing but talk of such things."

"That's my point, Austin!" Takashi said excitedly. "Don't you see? What if we can make a difference? Tabuu's been ruling for what, 95 years or so now? What if we're the ones destined to take him down? What if we're the ones that are gonna be able to make the difference? What if-"

"What you're speaking of is treason!" Austin hissed in a harsh whisper. "Tak, all the talk of what this place was once was is dangerous enough! But plotting to overthrow Lord Tabuu? You could be hanged!"

"Stop being so paranoid, Austin!" Psyche pouted. "Taka's just got big dreams in his head that's making his brain all wonky. I bet with all of that ego stored up in there, there's barely any room for smarts!"

Takashi let out a low chuckle at her quip. "Yeah, you got that right, cuz…"

Austin bit his bottom lip. "Let's just… never talk about this again, okay…?"

Takashi laughed. "Alright, Mr. Paranoid, we'll play along." he turned to them and spread out his arms again, exposing his thin rags and nearly as thin chest. "Just take a good look now, you two! 'Cause in about five years time, this thin little maggot here's gonna make a big change in this world!"

Irony. That's what it was. Irony. Pure, stupid irony.

It was irony that led Wrath to be the first to charge at Tabuu, the hated King.

It was irony that led Lin to perform a full out three-on-three Pokemon battle against the body of her Smasher. It had ended up in an all out combined Pokemon attack, Hydro Pump, Solar Beam, and Flamethrower ripping through the battlefield like it was nothing.

It was irony that had led Traca to literally fight fire with fire as she nearly burnt Roy's body to a crisp with her Final Smash: a powerful blast of fire.

It was irony, then, that led to this.

Pit watched as his body charged yet again, twin blades gleaming deadly gold. His Guardian, speed being her greatest trait, rolled to the side and sent a Light Arrow after him. His reflexes proved to be his savior, as his body pulled out a mirror shield just as quickly and sent the arrow flying back at her. Perhaps it was by Palutena'swill that she found within herself the wit and the speed to twist out of the way.

There were shouts. Running feet. Panting. Guardians trying to come to her aid.

But she remained as infuriatingly stubborn as ever: "GET BACK! THIS IS MY BATTLE!"

"Psyche, don't be so stubborn! They can make this eas-"

"NO!"

Her feet, cut and bruised as they were, were light and quick as she switched from ranged to melee to range again. His own body- with its great capacity for both ranged and close combat continually abused its flight to taunt her, knowing full well that she lacked the wings with which to soar.

But still, she refused to give in.

Pit's body flew in again, blades whirling as he pounded her with a powerful Angel Ring. Psyche was forced to dodge to the side, nearly landing in the way of Chester as the Guardian of Pichu ran in to help. But before he could so much as hold out his hand, she was off again.

It had occurred early on to Pit that she was yet to use her Smashball. Stubborn fool. She insisted continually that her Final Smash- his Final Smash- was too easy to dodge. And with his speed and Mirror Shield, even the Commander of Palutena's Army had to admit that she had a point. She- they- would have to wait until a moment of vulnerability, whether they had to knock the Mirror Shield out of his hands or pin him under a ton of rocks.

But that didn't mean he had to like it.

There had been other Smashers, of course. Evidently, Tabuu didn't understand the concept of a one-on-one fight. Then again, any Smasher that dared tried to interrupt this fight ended up getting their butt kicked via Guardian anyways.

Okay, that was a bit of a stretch, Pit corrected himself. But he at least got the gist of it right. While some Smasher bodies- such as Ike's- foolishly charged right into their respective Guardian's Final Smash, others- such as Meta Knight- were intelligent enough to keep on the move. As such, Wrath had been forced into the defensive when he realized that he only had one chance to help save his Smasher once and for all.

She aimed an arrow at his body's wings and fired, mentally bending the projectile's trajectory slightly so as to guide it on its path. Unfortunately, her arrow missed by more than a few feet, allowing Pit's body to fly in while she was still vulnerable. It was only a split second between the time she released the arrow and the time she was forced to recover, but that was more than enough.

A flash of white clouded Psyche's vision, then a searing pain ripped its way across her forehead. She spun once and stumbled, nearly falling into one of the many giant holes littered around the battlefield. JB, Fyre, and Drake, gigantic in their Final Smash forms, had literally ripped it apart in an attempt to hit Tabuu. Unfortunately, the hated man had teleported well out of harm's way, not bothering to lift so much as a finger let alone a Chain of Light to counter them.

The next thing Pit saw was a curtain of red. A redness so familiar to him by now, it was a wonder why he still felt so sickened by the sight of it. His Guardian's blood blinded her to his body's next attack, which came from behind. It was only moderately strong, but it hurt nonetheless. One moment, there was pure agony in Psyche's right shoulder, a golden dagger sliding through the space between her shoulder bone and ribs like they were made of butter. The next, it was gone, and once again, she and Pit were left alone in this horrifying world of red.

"My body's toying with you!" Pit shouted. The angel had been attempting to take over for her ever since the beginning of the battle. But her infuriating stubbornness, her overly ambitious wish to prove herself to him kept pushing him back. "Let me take over, Psyche! Please! I can handle it!"

"No… no…" she was swiping at her forehead with her hands. Trying to wipe away her blood. Her hair. Her tears. "Can do this… need to pr- AAAAAGGGH!"

A cry ripped itself from her throat as her left shoulder received the same treatment as her right. She swung wildly behind her with one half of the Bow of Palutena, only to slice through air. It was not long before her right wrist was caught in an iron grip, Pit's body twisting the half she held away from her as she cried out in pain. Pit watched as his body now raised its other hand, which held his blood-soaked bow.

She would have died then and there, had it not been for Chester and Pichu. The two were racing through the battlefield, Chester in the middle of his Volt Tackle Final Smash and Pichu simply attempting to evade him. They glided quite close to the angel, slightly singing its wings. That one bit of pain was enough for it to take its eyes off his target, giving Pit's Guardian the chance she needed.

Her left arm came up, still clutching the gleaming gold blade. She plunged the deadly weapon right into the hand that held her, creating a deep gash from thumb to wrist. With an inaudible shriek of pain, the angel's body released her wrist, only to be met by a second blow, this one from her Mirror Shield.

The shield was a large and clumsy weapon, but powerful all the same. Had Psyche been fighting a normal human or Primid, they would have slumped to the ground then and there. The blow from the Mirror Shield stunned Pit's body, sending it reeling to the ground. Psyche herself only had seconds to throw down her won weapon and leap atop the vulnerable angel in an attempt to wrestle his bow away from him.

Nose to nose the two were as they wrestled for control of the bow. But in the end, it was a powerful kick to the stomach that caused Psyche to lose her grip, the wind rushing out of her as Pit's body turned the tables.

Pit was ready to leap out and kill. "NO!"

Psyche was on the ground, pinned there by Pit's knee on her stomach. What was more, the bow was now positioned just above her neck, held there by the angel's body as it attempted to push its weapon down onto her throat. She continued to struggle, however, gripping the shaft of the bow as the point hovered threateningly a mere centimeter above her flesh.

His Guardian's hands were shaking. It was all too evident to Pit that they were. Her breath came to her in near-hyperventilating gasps as she stared into the pale yellow of eyes that were once his. He felt the horror, the fear, and the disgust well up within her, knowing full well that these were the eyes she had seen only in nightmares, that these were last things her best friend had seen…

Where was her Smashball? That's what she needed right here, right now. It was the only thing that could possibly save her. Pit felt dread well up in him as the bow slowly began to lower, the tip pressing ever so slightly into her neck.

Then something cracked.

Pit felt an intense heat flare up all around him, the walls of Psyche's mind suddenly turning a flaming red and gold. The Commander of Palutena's Army looked around him, bewildered at the sudden change, sweating from the intense heat. It was as if he were being burnt alive by an invisible flame, one that only grew more intense as time passed.

There was a fire in Psyche's eyes as her arms found renewed strength, stopping the point of the bow dead in its tracks. It remained there, pressed barely a hair's length into her skin, drawing very little blood. She glared into the yellow orbs before her and for a moment, Pit could've sworn that he saw a shadow- a shade of what he once was- flicker from behind the yellow film that covered his eyes.

Guardian and Smasher spoke in unison.

"All troops, move out!"

Whether it was her voice or his that carried to the heavens above, he would never know. But it was not long before he found himself once again in the air, gazing down at the scene below him as Psyche continued to struggle with his body. Pit looked down and realized that he was clad in glittering gold armor, just like the suit he wore when he had travelled to the Sky Palace and defeated the hateful Medusa.

A cry welled up from behind him. It rose in a feverish crescendo until it reached a truly glorious pitch. It could only be the cry of the Salvation Army. He could feel the pain, the hate, the misery, and the rage his Guardian had felt since the day they first met. But at the same time, he felt her smile on his cheek, her happiness in his wings, her laughter in his ears…

There were shades standing behind him. Shades he recognized from her past. They seemed to fade in and out, once moment incorporeal and worldly the next. He saw old friends, long dead mentors, two adults that shared between them the features she carried upon her young and naïve face…

Three people in particular stood out to him. Or, to be exact, one did. For at the very edge of the army, gripping a red blade with a black streak was none other than Heather Wolfon. A solemn smile was on her face and her magma eyes glowed as they locked with Pit's sky blue ones. But it was with a gentle gesture of her hand that she then directed his attention to two even more familiar looking people as they slowly walked up to him, the army forming a path for them to reach him.

Both of them were young men clad in shining silver chainmail, and were grinning nearly identical smirks. One of them- with his gentle brunette locks, brown eyes, and kind, open face- could only be his Guardian's old friend, Austin. The second- with his raven tresses and undeniably mischievous demeanor- could only be her cousin Takashi, who had passed away long, long ago. The two looked not a day older than eighteen.

The brunette, Austin, saluted him. "We're ready when you are, Captain. Just give the order!"

Takashi smirked. "I'm ready to kick some Tabuu ass! Who's with me?"

The army screamed and banged their weapons upon their shields in response to his call. Pit suddenly felt a great weight on his shoulders as he realized that he- who had not so much as stepped foot in Skyworld for a hundred years- was being named the unofficial commander. For a moment, he hesitated, unsure if it was the time for him to take command once again.

He felt a gentle warmth flow through him, washing away his self-doubt like a gentle river. He had felt such warmth many times before in his life, and that was when the Goddess Palutena appeared before him to bestow her blessings. In a moment, he was ready, a grin slowly forming on his features as he slowly raised his own Bow of Palutena.

"CHAAAARRRGE!"

The Salvation Army descended, swinging swords, lances, and scythes as they descended down onto the battlefield. Battles between Smashers, Guardians, and the Subspace Menace seemed to freeze as a brand new battle cry rang through the air. Divine blades sliced and cleaved their way through Shadow Bugs, purifying everything they touched. The two armies watched, one in delight and the other in rage, as the Subspace Army soon began to shrink.

At the forefront of the charge were Pit, Austin, and Takashi. Austin wielded a glowing Bo Staff, whereas Psyche's cousin swung a gilded sword. As Pit glided swiftly towards his body- which was struggling to comprehend what was going on- the two on either side of him easily cut down any enemy that dared stand in his way. But in the background, not taking on the assault herself, Heather watched with a calm expression on her face.

He could already see that the fire that surrounded Psyche was dying. As such, so too was the Salvation Army. As Pit glided closer to his own body, he could only watch as one by one, the soldiers that made up the army- the shades of his Guardian's past- slowly evaporated into golden smoke and floated heavenward, back to the skies where they belonged.

Pit watched Takashi's sword come up and slice easily at a passing Ike body before Cam tackled it to the ground. He saw Austin easily pin Wario's body down tithe ground as Eclipse readied his own Final Smash. While their comrades continued to fade and fly skyward, these two continued their assault, knowing full well that at any time, they too would be forced to leave.

As he neared his own body, Pit looked to Heather. With a final nod and smile, and a swish of her cape, the Wolfon began to walk away. Time seemed to slow as she too evaporated into golden smoke and floated up to the skies.

Pit soon became aware that a battle still raged on. His body was still in that same position over his Guardian, knowing full well that all it had to do was kill her before the angel would cease to exist. Gritting his teeth, Pit used the full momentum in his wings to drive himself forward, flying faster than he had ever flown before.

"This one's all yours, Commander!" Takashi said cheerfully as he started to fade.

"Take care of her, alright?" Austin asked softly.

Takashi laughed."Otherwise, we might just have to come down and haunt you."

"Tell her we both miss her…"

"And that it better be at least sixty more years until the next time all three of us are together again, cool?"

Pit watched the two young men that had been closest to his Guardian before his time disappear, nodding quietly to their smoking forms as they floated back to the skies. He was only inches away from his body now, which was now trying futilely to run away. As ghostly hands plunged into the back of what was once his, he could not help but think about how ironic this whole thing was.

She was the first Guardian known to be awakened, but the last to be set free.

It had to be said. He was sick and tired of this war. He was sick and tired of The Hands. He was sick and tired of the Gods forever forsaking him.

He was sick and tired of these meddlesome kids.

Lust…

It was the lust for power that had cursed him. And there was no doubt to him that it was because of this that the Shadow Bugs flocked to him so easily. And yet, while the Gods easily turned their backs on him, the power the Shadow Bugs gave him was enough. He would be the victor over these foolish kids, whether they decreed it or not.

Greed…

Greed was everywhere. He was greedy for power. He was greedy for victory. He was greedy for revenge. It was an insatiable thirst, an unsatisfied hunger. He wanted Smashville, the world, the universe!

He wanted it all.

Gluttony…

The more Subspace absorbed, the greater it became. His world was one of a vast empty blackness. But it was because of all that the Shadow Bugs absorbed and corrupted that such emptiness was lifted. They wanted more… more. The more they absorbed, the greater they would become. The larger his kingdom would grow.

Acedia…

How many things had he neglected in his life? His family? He didn't have one. His allies? They were more pathetic than the angel without his wings. His gods? He was a god.

He had neglected to make sure that the Master Hand was absolutely powerless before ordering the attack. How was he to know that Fyre possessed the ability to transform into a giant behemoth of a demon? That Eclipse was able to find within himself the power to overcome the wing shard locked within him and release powerful blast of lights via fart?

It hit him then and there that there was another thing he had neglected: the battle. He had neglected to raise a finger and fight. He had assumed- quite sinfully- that the Guardians would easily be crushed by the likes of Ridley or his Smashers.

Oh, how wrong he truly was.

Envy…

Perhaps he did envy the gods and their power. Perhaps he did envy the Master Hand for his foolish little army of Guardians. Perhaps, in a strange and twisted way, he did envy the Smashers for being given the title he had so dearly desired in his youth.

Perhaps he did envy the Guardians for the gifts they received from their own gods. He had watched as Cameron, locked in a deadly duel against the former mercenary Ike, had unleashed his Final Smash: the Great Aether. It was not the Flame of Tellius that surrounded him as he moved, but electricity, which crackled all around him with each blow he dealt to Ike's body. It was a glorious sight indeed!

But none of that mattered now. Now he had the power to not only crush the Smashers, but their pathetic little human vessels as well. Now he had the power to rip apart the gods piece by piece, force them to give him what he demanded. Now he had the power to reign supreme.

Pride…

Pride. That's what he was. The living embodiment of pride. He was perhaps the most sentient being in the universe, able to look into any of the known worlds and see what could not be seen. He knew the mysterious secrets that the Sheikah guarded, the dark past of the Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, and even the reason why the Pokemon had so long ago been enslaved. He knew all of this and he felt his pride swell.

And yet the thing that was supposed to be his proudest achievement of all, his greatest victory, was approaching him at a slow, even pace. And behind this failure was the Guardian Army. The army that should have been crushed long ago. The army that stole what was rightfully his- the Smashers- and turned them against him. The army that should have fallen from the moment the Guardian of Ike and the Scion of Rage crossed swords.

Wrath.