Guardians Arise

Wrath.

He had been named after one of the seven deadly sins, a name to represent all that the man- nay, creature- who raised him believed in. He had grown up in the midst of luxury and grandeur whereas his fellow humans suffered in the flames of this Terrestrial Hell. He had been trained as a weapon, specifically to counter any foolish little worm that dared stood in his father's way.

But now, he was a tool no more.

Did it infuriate Tabuu? He hoped it did. His time with the Guardians had changed him, giving him a rebirth he had never expected. His eyes had been opened and he saw the world as he had never seen it before.

The gods had not forsaken him. Master Hand had made that much clear to him. In spite of the crimes his foster father had committed- and tried to force upon him- he had emerged from the very home of Tabuu himself untouched by the corrupting horrors of the Shadow Bugs. The gods, instead of forsaking him, had chosen to gift him instead. He had a soul, a mind, a will…

He stood before his father now, the blade in his hand describing small circles in the air. With each step he took closer to Tabuu, he could feel the air around him suddenly drop ten degrees. Involuntarily, he allowed himself to shiver, unsure if it was from cold or from fear.

For a long moment, Tabuu said nothing, only glowering at the Guardian Army as they slowly walked or limped closer to his shadow. His Chain of Light swung menacingly at his side, like a viper ready to strike. Wrath began breathing deeply as he approached, attempting to calm his screaming nerves as he stared up into the blank blue face of the man he had grown to hate.

Tabuu was the first to speak, his cold voice holding naught but spite. "Ah, my dear Guardians… come to die…"

There was a shuffle from behind the former Guardian of Meta Knight. Then a shout. A deep gray blur shot forward, claws still shining red from a throat freshly shredded to pieces. It took the speed and power of both Meta Knight and Captain Falcon to pin down the wrathful lupine. Wrath watched as Wolf, every bit of his sanity having been engulfed by the misery of his loss and the unending flame of his rage, was forcefully pinned down and held there by the F-Zero racer's powerful arms.

Wolf thrashed and snarled, clawing at his fellow Smasher in an attempt to get free. Weakened though he was by Joe's Final Smash, the F-Zero racer only tightened his grip on the Star Wolf pilot, steeling himself against the rush of pain and Wolf's own rage.

"You ought to control such an animal," Tabuu spat, leering at Wolf. "You know, while you were under my control, Star Wolf pilot, you were more than a little well-behaved. I can almost say that you were quite the… docile one..."

"BASTARD!" Wolf howled, struggling to break free of Captain Falcon's grip. "LET ME GO! I'LL RIP HIM TO SHREDS! THEN I'LL RIP HIS SHREDS TO SHREDS! THEN I'LL-"

"Hush, Wolf!" Mario barked. The plumber, whose face was very badly cut and burnt, then glared up at Tabuu. "Give up now, Tabuu! You've lost!"

Tabuu threw back his head and laughed, a truly mirthful sound that was both musical and completely dead all at once. Wrath felt the blood rushing from his face, his every nerve tingling with fear. He willed his feet to move, to leap, to put an end to this horrible man once and for all. But no matter how hard he willed, his legs refused to budge.

Frozen in fear.

"Do you forget, Plumber, that I still hold the power within me?" Tabuu sneered.

Master Hand now spoke, his every word sounding as if it were a great effort for him to speak. The Creator of the Smashers floated almost limply in the air, his many injuries the result of attempting to take Tabuu head-on. "Mario is correct, Tabuu. Power or not, you have lost. There is no way that you can take on all of us and win."

Again, he laughed. Wrath felt his hand tighten on the hilt of his sword as he crouched low, steadying his breath to calm his racing nerves. Throughout this whole exchange, Tabuu continued to grasp his Chains of Light. Even now, Wrath could faintly see a strange red tendril of power encircling the chains. The Soul Stealing Power, which was once a charged blast of red light, was now concentrated within the Chains. If they were not careful, their souls would be forfeit.

"And how would you know whether or not your precious Guardians will remain loyal to you, hm?" Tabuu spat. "What have you offered them, Hand, in exchange for throwing away their own life to end mine? Nothing!" his gaze swept over the Guardian Army, drinking in every face, every injury. "Look at yourselves, Guardians. Look at what you have become. Does this scare you? Disgust you? Do you not wish for something greater than a pat on the back from this fool of a limb? Join me and I can offer you so much more…"

"Shut it, Tabuu!" Pit snapped before Master Hand could speak. "There's no way in the Underworld they'll listen to you!"

Every muscle in Wrath's body tensed involuntarily as Tabuu, ignoring the angel, continued to speak. "I know there are those among you that wish to recover the ones you've lost… do you miss your siblings? Your friends? I can bring them back, you know. Once I've gathered the power of the gods, I can easily bring them back. All you have to do is join…"

Wrath saw a flash of temptation flit across Psyche's face at his words. But her expression soon changed into that of disgust as Tabuu briefly turned his gaze to her, a smirk appearing on his nonexistent mouth as he too noticed the enticement. However, the blue man turned once again to the Guardians, the Chains of Light swinging ever so slightly as he spoke again.

"But I also know that there are those of you who wish for power… the power to protect others. Whether it be to defend your own kingdom or to simply to keep your precious little siblings from harm, you still wish for the power to make a difference. I can give that to you, you know… I can give all of that to you…"

Wrath watched his foster father as he slowly revolved in mid-air, turning until Tabuu locked his gaze with his own. The Chains of Light seemed to be swinging faster now slowly making their transformation into the lightning fast blur he knew all too well they would soon become. It would only spell death for them- all of them- if they continued to stand here and stare. And there would be blood, oh so much blood…

Never again.

"NO!"

It was a deep-throated cry, echoed all throughout the Guardian and Smasher army as they all leaped as one. Swords were ripped from sheathes, scythes cleaved the air, magic flashed, guns discharged, flames roared. Wrath could barely hear his own war cry as he and Meta Knight- Guardian and Smasher- ripped their way through the space between them and the Subspace Lord with deadly Mach Tornadoes.

The first thing that could be heard over the clamor of blood-thirsty roars was Tabuu's scream. The man, large though he was, had not reacted fast enough to the sudden all-out attack. The moment Wrath's and Meta Knight's blades pierced the hated one's blue skin, blood- black like evil itself- dribbled its way to the ground.

Wrath held on to his former foster father with his blade, twisting it deeper into the body of his foe. Tabuu, growling in annoyance, raised his hand against the boy to flick him away like some kind of bug. But before he could so much as brush Wrath's hair, Aly and Mars were unloading everything that was left of their arsenal of weapons upon Tabuu.

"Hey, need a lift?" Pit shouted as he flew by. Without waiting for an answer, the angel swooped down and plucked Wrath away- sword and all- just in time to narrowly avoid Traca as she and Roy sped by.

Wrath took a moment to catch his breath. "T-Tha-"

"No thank you's needed!" Pit shouted over the rush of the wind as he dropped Wrath back on the ground. "Just do me a favor and stay al- WATCH OUT!"

Wrath only had seconds to duck as a line of explosions sailed over his head. But while he was distracted by these Pinpoint Explosions, Tabuu activated his Ghost Projection ability, creating what seemed like endless copies of him to create damage all over the field. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw as Cam and Ike, their respective swords humming their dreadful perish song, both leaped into the air and came down upon the Subspace Lord's skull with a resounding crack!

"HYLIANS! CHAAAAAAARRRRGE!" Rinku shouted, pointing the Gamersword in Tabuu's direction as he charged forward. Alongside him were Link and Sheik, Master Sword and deadly chain glittering menacingly as Tabuu transformed into his Gold Brackets to pick up Cimar and slam him to the ground.

"PK FIRE!" four throats cried out as flames roared through the skies. Tabuu smirked and easily countered with his shark blade, ripping a nasty wound through Teal's arm as the Guardian of Lucas shoved the other three out of the way. Snarling, Teal responded with a Cool Howl before Xavier grabbed his arm.

Wrath charged again, another Mach Tornado at the ready. He soon became aware of pounding feet as Miles and Sonic both caught up with him easily, even surpassing him. Wrath was only barely aware of the two blurs before he twisted his way towards the glowing core that was Tabuu's heart.

Tabuu was large, but he was fast. Too fast. Before Wrath could so much as connect with a wound upon the monster's body, the Subspace Lord had teleported, nimbly dodging Wrath's attack like it was nothing. Wrath's world spun as he spiraled down to earth, but nothing could prepare him for what happened next.

Tabuu appeared on the other side of the Guardian Army, the side where their healers had retreated in case their aid was needed. Wrath watched numbly as Tabuu pulled his Dragon Laser from nowhere, tauntingly charging it up as the healers began to flee. As Wrath finally landed on the ground, a laser sailed over his head, singing the tips of his hair. Trembling from exertion and relief, Wrath lifted his head to scan the battlefield.

Drake and JB were both fighting their hardest, axe and daggers piercing Tabuu's skin, more of his blood staining the earth. Game and Watch threw sausage after sausage at their hated foe. Not far away, Jigglypuff lay in a messy heap, a small spurt of red coating her pink skin. But it was she that lifted her head to face Wrath, fear all too evident in those big round eyes.

She knew it was coming.

"HE'S BRINGING OUT THE DAMN BOOMERANG!" Wrath shouted, his voice lost in the clamor of the battle. Wrath watched as Tabuu pulled out his three-bladed shuriken boomerang from nowhere and sent it spinning right at Traca, opening a deep gash across the manakete's chest. Roy leaped at Tabuu, screaming oaths of revenge as Traca let loose one last flame at Tabuu before she began to spiral back down to earth.

Wrath, trying his best to ignore the pain, struggled to his feet and charged once again. He soon became aware that Tabuu was now toying with the Guardian Army, teleporting in every direction possible to avoid the "pathetic" attacks thrown at him. There seemed to be a pattern in his teleporting, though, almost as if…

It took one second for Wrath to realize what was happening. Tabuu had teleported, appearing only a few feet away from the Guardian of Meta Knight. Before Wrath could so much as scream, he was being slammed with chop after chop after chop.

Pain beyond pain ripped through him, the deep purple energy of Subspace engulfing his vision. Something warm and wet began trickling down his face as he desperately clawed at his sword to fight back. He felt something in his chest shatter, then another, then another…

"NOT MY GUARDIAN YOU SCUM!"

Through the red haze that had settled over his eyes, Wrath was suddenly aware of a blur of purple and blue. He could just barely make out a flash of gold as Galaxia created wound after wound upon the hated man's skin. Wrath, blinded by the blood in his eyes, wrenched his sword from the ground where it had fallen and released a piercing scream, thrusting his sword forward to put an end to the battle at last…

Only for the cry of rage to quickly transform into one of horror.

The last thing he saw before they were separated was Meta Knight's wide-eyed stare as the Star Warrior clutched feebly at the blade lodged within him.

These Guardians were pathetic. He could take them on easily. True, there were many of them and a few of them managed to land a couple of hits- good ones at that- and maybe make him bleed a little. But that didn't matter. One this was all over, the Shadow Bugs would heal him. The Shadow Bugs would see to his welfare…

It was a shame, truly a shame, that he would have to turn his blade against the boy he had once called his son. But then again, he supposed that was only natural. After all, if the one you raised to be your greatest pride had only become the cause of your deadliest wrath, the only way to fix the problem was to exterminate it.

Speaking of extermination…

He writhed and twisted in the air, transforming once again into the Shark Blade as he tore a large gash through the Guardian defense. Cackling internally, he released a Bullet Rain the moment the Shark Blade had faded, surely infuriating that annoying little girl in the process. Speaking of the Guardian of Fox, a single blast of energy from his palm sent her precious plane careening from the sky, forcing her Smasher to have to catch her as he flew by.

Something stung his skin, opening pinprick sized holes with each impact. Glowering in annoyance, he turned towards the source of the Arrows of Light- the Guardian of Pit- and transformed yet again. Her tiny body writhed and fought as she attempted to escape his Gold Brackets to no avail. He slammed her into the earth, taking extra care to slam her face first to the ground. Then, to add insult to injury, he proceeded to abuse her with his Rapid Chop, slamming the tiny body with every ounce of his strength.

He knew this would infuriate the angel.

He hoped it did.

"PALUTENA DAMN YOU!"

A white blur charged towards him, clutching twin blades of blue and gold. Smirking, Tabuu unfurled his wings. He only had a few seconds to catch the expression of horror flash across the Captain's face before an off-wave sent him and Mars' Sky Claw careening from the skies.

The off-wave did more damage- much more damage- than before. Tabuu watched in glee as Guardians and Smashers alike were sent flying, dust and dirt whirling around them like tornadoes. The Subspace Lord took this opportunity to teleport to where the vulnerable Nao and Mewtwo were, slamming them with a Bullet Rain before the two could so much as blink.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" it was the Guardian of Lucario's voice joining the fray, a dust-mask covering his mouth and nose as he nimbly dodged numerous flying bodies and made his way towards the Subspace Lord. Tabuu watched with some amusement as he unloaded his gun on him, lasers lightly tapping his skin but only burning it very slightly.

"Very cute, Little Eric…" Tabuu purred. "But now it is my turn!" and with those words, he began to grow once more, reaching a near impossible size. A burning began building up behind his eyes, released as two powerful lasers. Eric was forced to dash away as both lasers singed the tips of his combat boots.

"HEY! YOU! YOU WITH THE FACE! GET OVER HERE AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN!"

A slight, but unexpected pain appeared on the back of Tabuu's neck. This was soon followed by several more as grenade after grenade made contact with him. He now turned to view this new attacker, screaming in rage as Ridere and Snake both unloaded every explosive they had on them right into his eyes.

Blinded by the black blood that poured from his newest wounds and the smoke left by the explosives, he swat blindly at the air. His hand connected with something small and vulnerable, his ears singing happily as a sharp cry of pain was torn from Snake's lips. He rubbed the blackness from his eyes and turned around to brutalize the Guardian of Snake even more.

He never got his chance. For it was Nask and Marth that were now upon him, slamming their swords into any part of his body they could reach. The swords were little more than pins, but the pain was annoying nonetheless. Out of the corner of his eye, the Subspace Lord perceived the famed Bounty Hunter Samus Aran and her Guardian preparing to fire lasers at him.

He knew what to do.

It was with a quick flick of his wrist that he plucked the Huntress and her little sidekick from the ground, swinging one of them in each of his hands. He threw the two like baseballs at his attackers, sneering in glee as Golfer took out both Nask and Marth in one fell swoop. Samus, her Power Suit equipped with the means necessary for her to recover, managed to avoid hurting her allies at the cost of the suit in the process.

"FALCON PAAAAAAAWWWWWWNCH!"

That racer again! And there was not one but two of those stupid punches! But no matter. He knew exactly what to do against these two annoying little bugs. For the moment each punch connected with him, he was already on his way with his Diving Slash. Joe and Captain Falcon were sent reeling away as he swooped between the two and then released an Electric Shield to shock them even more.

He was left open to projectile attacks, a fact that Pikana and Kage apparently knew all too well. It could only be they that were utilizing their powerful Thunder and Laser attacks non-stop. The attacks were extremely powerful. He was quite sure he had not felt such pain before in a very, very long time.

No matter.

It was with the utmost calmness that he unfurled his wings once again, preparing an off-wave that would prove to the Guardians just what type of a force they were facing. He faced his main targets- the yellow Mouse Pokemon and the Guardian of ROB- and sneered. This would be the end of their days.

Then, something all too familiar happened.

He felt naught but pain as not one but two ear-splitting noises rang in his ears. For while during the First Subspace War, the Blue Blur of Speed was able to slightly damage his wings, he now had a partner in crime. And it was the combined power of Sonic and Miles that rendered his most powerful offensive useless.

And all he felt was rage.

He let forth a wordless roar, singing his wrath to all four corners of the battlefield. Once again he writhed and twisted as he transformed, the Shark Blade taking shape.

For a moment, he was nothing more than a blur, a gust of wind, a rushing beam of light. The Plains of Smashville became nothing more than a great blur of color and sound as he twisted his way through the air. Tabuu was only vaguely aware of the red blur that pushed the blue one out of the way as he approached, transforming back into his humanoid form at the last second to gaze upon his newly captured prize.

He remembered this feeling all too well. The feeling of a tiny, writhing plumber lodged within his palm. The high echoing cry of his fellow Smasher- his brother- ringing through the air at the sight of the Leader of the Smashers captured so easily. Already he could vaguely feel Luigi's fist slamming into his leg, the Green Plumber desperately attempting to free his brother from the inevitable.

And Mario… oh, Mario… there was no end to the joy Tabuu felt as he watched the Her of the Mushroom Kingdom writhe and struggle within his fist. All it would take is one squeeze. One single squeeze in just the right spot…

"Give up now, Plumber…" he whispered, his soft voice carried by the wind. "You'll never win… surrender now and I might allow you to live…"

Mario spat in his face. "You are the one that should be giving up, Tabuu! You know nothing of the power we all hold!"

Tabuu laughed, truly laughed, with his head thrown back and shoulders heaving. "Pathetic Plumber! You truly place your belief in these pathetic little things you call your Guardians? In these stupid little bugs you call the Smashers? How can you seriously place your faith within them when you can barely be taken seriously yourself? Look at you, stupid Mario! Look at you and look at the ones who like you claim to be Heroes! Who was it that defeated you once and for all? Who was it that so easily ripped your souls form your bodies? Who was it that did what no other mortal could do before him? It was I! I, Tabuu, Lord of Subspace and soon to be Lord of all the known universes! You stand no chance against me!"

The plumber- with his infuriatingly piercing blue eyes- only glared back at him. "Look at yourself, Tabuu… you claim yourself to be a man and yet I see a monster before me. I do not know if the man within you still exists, but… for all that you have done… for all the suffering you have caused to my Guardians, my friends, my family, and the woman I love… I…"

Tabuu tightened his grip on the plumber, feeling his pudgy stomach give way between his fingers. "You…?"

"I-I-I… f-f-for… give…"

He tightened again, squeezing the plumber, watching as his face turned blue. Beneath his glowing blue fingers, he could feel the slightest of cracks as the plumbers spine slowly gave way one vertebrae at a time. In the distance, he could hear Luigi's scream of rage, feel MS' and Green's fireballs as they slammed into his skin, taste the salt of the Guardians' tears. But it did not matter to him. Because right here, right now, the greatest of them all would fall…

"MARIOOOOOOO!"

The woman's shriek filled the air, followed by a mighty blast of pain as something pink exploded in the Subspace Lord's face. Caught by surprise, Tabuu felt his fingers loosen on the plumber, dropping the round body on the ground. He only caught a glimpse at the plumber's broken body- limp, like a ragdoll- before he felt more searing pain across his face as the enraged Princess Toadstool avenged her beloved.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Tabuu staggered, his Chain of Light flailing wildly as he threw it in every direction in an attempt to ward off the furious monarch. But before he could so much as tear her infamous pink gown, more pain had come. This time, it came in the form of arrows, magic, blades, guns, and fists.

Every Guardian was throwing all they had at him. Every Guardian, every Smasher. The Teachers and the Students rose against him and he felt their wrath. Flames licked his heels as electricity and aura flared outwards, slowly eating away at the hide of the Subspace Lord. His Chain of Light felt heavy as Guardian after Guardian after Guardian grabbed onto it and attacked it with their weapons, desperately hoping to shatter the Subspace Symbol of Power before it could be used against them again. Tabuu attempted to teleport away from this chaos, but he found that he could not.

For no matter where he went, the Guardians and Smashers would follow.

He felt blood- his blood- slowly coursing out of him through numerous gashes and wounds. With his great size, whatever injury inflicted was little more than pin-sized. But there were many and every single one of them bled all the same. Even now, as his gigantic hand swept a few Guardians off of his Chain of Light, he had no time to avoid a powerful blow to the head from Sakura's golf club.

"FOOLS!" he screamed, lashing out with his Chain of Light. Much to his anger, the Guardians he lashed at managed to leap away. "IDIOTS! Do you not know who you are up against? I am Tabuu, Scourge of Smashville, Conqueror of the Smashers! I AM KING!"

Once again, he teleported from the Guardians, far enough away so that none of them- not even Miles and Sonic- could prevent his final gambit. Smirking, he unfurled his powerful wings, damaged though they were from Miles' and Sonic's attack. He heard the outraged cries of Guardians and Smashers alike, felt the searing pain as they slammed their weapons and shot him with renewed vigor, desperately hoping that they could avoid the final Off-Wave.

He would give them no mercy.

Tabuu threw back his head and laughed, a sound that chilled all to the bone. It was the highest, most maniacal laughter anyone on the battlefield had ever heard. It was at this moment that the Subspace Lord knew- and accepted- that he had truly gone mad. All of these long days with the Guardians, all of these years ruling Smashville alone only to see it nearly be robbed from him in a single battle... only a fool would not have gone mad.

Miles and Sonic were far away, much too far away to prevent anymore Off-Waves. Any other Guardian or Smasher would not be fast enough. In a heartbeat, he would use the last ounce of his strength to send forth the ultimate Off-Wave, the most powerful attack he possessed, even when his wings were in this distorted, saddening form. For even while his most powerful ability was crippled, the Prince of Subspace sang in jubilation.

He won!

He had enough.

He was tired.

He was hungry.

He was angry.

His Smashers were hurt. His Guardians were hurt. It was his fault… his fault that this had happened. If he had only been more careful, if only he controlled himself better, if only…

It didn't matter now. He saw what he had to do. He and his brother had done little this battle, but that was all going to change. It was time that they took a stand. It was time that they helped the ones they had come to call their children. It was time that they prove to the foolish Subspace Lord that while Subspace could consume all, Good would always rise.

It was time they joined the brawl.

"YOU ARE NO KING!"

He and his brother moved as one, curling into fists and shooting themselves forward. Everything from Guardians to Smashers flashed by in a blur, wind whistled around him in deadly white swirls. Power, his power, which had been restrained for so long was born anew. He was the Creator, Crazy was the Destroyer.

Together, they were the Universe.

Twin fists connected with the shattered remains of Tabuu's wings. The hated man saw them coming, but could do nothing to stop them. It took all but a second for everything to collide.

An explosion rocked the earth, shards of Tabuu's wings slicing into him as he was blown back. For a moment he was blinded by pure white light, deafened by the shattering of the wings and the enraged cry of Tabuu. Blood and dust choked him, clouded his senses, sending him hurtling towards the ground.

But then, something within him rose. For by the time his body hit the ground, it was already too late- much too late- for the Subspace Lord to save himself. Because weakened though he was by this attack, the Master and the Crazy Hands still rose above their injuries for one final assault.

Crazy led the Smashers.

He led the Guardians.

A single all out attack, pitting every ounce of strength the Guardian Army had left within them against Tabuu. Weakened by the shattering of his wings, the Subspace Lord could only pathetically swing around his Chain of Light as he slowly shrank down to size. At this moment, the Guardians and Smashers finally chose to unleash everything they had left on him. His screams shattered the air itself. His blood painted the ground black. Crazy Hand gave one final order, allowing the Smashers to get in their last attacks before the left hand turned to his brother, twitching a little more erratically than normal as he gave an extremely subtle nod. Master Hand needed no more encouragement.

It was time to end it all.

"This is it!" Nask shouted as she charged, her Naginata swinging in deadly arcs. "Now!" she leaped forward and performed a powerful Shield Breaker, ice springing forth from her Naginata's tip. Tabuu screamed and clawed desperately at the weapon, unprepared for what happened next.

"If I don't make it out alive…" Ridere whispered. "TONIGHT, I DINE IN HELL!" he flew forward and dropped every single last grenade he had on him, creating glorious explosions from which only the sounds of his torment could be heard.

"Let's get this over with," Crystal whispered, as the former Guardian of Donkey Kong used her chains to summon a gigantic ball. Swinging it over her head, she slammed the makeshift wrecking ball into the cloud of explosions, smirking as a meaty smack met her attack.

"PK THUNDER!" Picho shouted. He placed his hands together and unleashed a ball of electricity, larger and much more powerful than any other he had ever created.

"BOW BEFORE ME, TABUU!" Pikana cackled as she too added her power to the ball of thunder. It grew to twice its size, the electrical field surrounding it powerful enough to make anyone's hair stand on end. It hovered in front of Picho's twin, as if waiting for his contribution…

"Mmmm… HA!" Pichn slammed his hammer into the ball of electricity, sending it hurling towards Tabuu. There were a great many cheers as the ball made its connection with the Subspace Lord.

"You have no place in this world! Shatterheart!" Teal cried. The Lylatian- Wolfdog leaped forward and touched Tabuu as soon as the smoke cleared, sending forth a truly chilling power that froze the Subspace Lord to the bone, lowering whatever defense Tabuu had left.

"FOR SMASHVILLE!" Eric, Aly, and Mars cried as one. The Three Pilots, long ago abandoning their planes, now fought on foot. Six different guns were pulled out of their holsters, six different blasts painting the air a myriad of color. Six different impacts and grunts as Tabuu was forced to take each and every laser, bullet, and blast sent his way.

"SHIT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN!" Joe shouted as he slammed into Tabuu with a powerful Falcon Punch.

"Let's go!" Mah shouted as she and Beeh charged. Eggs and Pikmin mixed in with the laser blasts as Tabuu writhed in pain. The Subspace Lord sent out his Chain of Light, but Mah proved to be too quick. Master Hand felt himself exhale in relief as the Guardian of Yoshi narrowly avoided certain death.

"C'mon, Charizard!" Lin shouted as the Guardian of Red the Pokemon Trainer took control of the Fire Pokemon. Charizard roared its approval as it added its flame to that of Traca's and Fyre's, searing Tabuu's heels with a type of heat that could only be found in the darkest pits of Hell.

"Hey, Tabuu!" JB shouted as he, Chi and Drake rushed the Subspace Lord. "Say AaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" from the Guardian of Jigglypuff's throat came a note so high, so piercing that only the pink Pokemon herself had ever reached such volume. Tabuu clamped his hands over his ears, leaving him wide open for blows from Drake's mighty axe and numerous peanuts from Chi's gun.

KOR now leaped forward, accompanied by Doggie and Kage. As powerful ice bullets peppered the air, Doggie leaped up and came down on Tabuu's head with a large wham!, driving every ounce of her bodyweight into this attack. While Tabuu was still reeling from the full-on body slam, Kage unleashed from her eyes a lazer, one so powerful it shook the ground beneath the Subspace Lord's feet.

"Everyone ready?" Sakura asked over the din as she stood together with MS, Green, and Miles.

"LET'S GO!" MS shouted as he drew his beamed katanas and charged. Green's hands were soon enveloped in bright green flames as he, along with Miles and Sakura, charged after MS. Green's flames flared, Sakura's golf club gleamed, MS' katanas sliced, and Miles cackled as blow after blow was delivered to their foe.

"TIME FOR YOU CHECK-UP, TABUUUUU!" Xavier shouted as he, laughing maniacally, pulled a chainsaw from nowhere and charged. Master Hand was forced to save many a Guardian and Smasher to prevent them from being sliced up.

"FOR TELLIUS!" Sigmund whirled and crackled as Cameron charged, not caring that he was running over several Smashers in the process. Letting out an enraged cry, the Guardian of Ike performed Aether after Aether upon Tabuu's slowly breaking form, ignoring the crackling electricity and searing flames that surrounding him.

"If we make it out alive, I CALL TABUU'S THRONE!" Golfer laughed as he cocked his gun. Before anyone could so much as blink, he sent a powerful blast aimed right for Tabuu's head, the sickening stench of burning skin filling the air when it made contact.

"ARCHERS! AT THE READY!" Cimar ordered as he readied his Bow of Light. Next to him, Eclipse, Sam, Rinku, and Squall all did the same. "FIRE!"

"For Gensokyo!" Eclipse declared.

"For the Seas!" Squall cried.

"For the Smashers!" Sam yelled.

"For Hyrule!" Rinku shouted.

TWANG!

A hail of arrows were sent Tabuu's way, guided by the Three Goddesses themselves to hit their mark. Fire Arrows pierced the Subspace Lord's left arm, Ice Arrows pierced his right, and Dark Arrows slammed into his chest. Finally, as if by a final insult, Light Arrows pierced his head. Sobbing and pleading, Tabuu finally fell to his knees, desperately attempting to bat away the blood that rained down his face in torrents.

Nao, surprisingly calm in the midst of the chaos, now rose before Tabuu along with fellow scythe-wielder Kai. Glaring coldly at Tabuu, the young Guardian of Mewtwo placed his hands together and whispered a single word:

"Die."

Aura Sphere met Shadow Ball as the two attacks united as one. Chester, standing nearby, concentrated with every bit of his willpower to add an attack of his own to this unholy beacon of terror. Zap Cannon, one of the most powerful electric attacks, gave the Shadow Ball-Aura Sphere combination an added deadliness and gave it just the momentum it needed to collide with their hated enemy…

BOOM!

Master Hand was blown back, winded by the powerful explosion the blast created. In the very center of the blast, he could just barely make out the form of Tabuu, shrunken and feeble, a shadow of what the Subspace Lord once was. He could feel darkness threatening to take him, his very mind teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. Desperately, the Creator fought to stay awake, to see what the final results of this great battle would reveal…

He saw someone standing over Tabuu. Someone with jet black hair and skin the color of winter. The figure clutched in his hand a mighty sword, but it was certainly not his own…

It was Galaxia, Blade of Meta Knight.

Master Hand watched as Tabuu slowly lifted his head to his foster son, the Subspace Man's feeble words as he desperately pleaded for mercy echoing slightly in the din. "Wrath… dear Wrath… you… you have come to help, haven't you? You wouldn't hurt your own father, would you?" he reached out and tried to touch the young man's face, only for Wrath to recoil in disgust. "I'm the man who raised you… fed you… turned you into the great warrior you are today… Help me and I will change my ways… I will spare you friends… I swear it… I swear it upon my life…" his tone was desperate now, the fear of death all too evident in the glowing blue face of the Smashers' hated foe. "Wrath… please… please… I'm your father…"

The Creator watched as the Guardian of Meta Knight's face contorted in many ways, going from emotionless, to pitying, to angry, and back again. Tabuu meanwhile gazed up into the boy's face, little more than an innocent, begging worm. Wrath, sword hand shaking, slowly lifted the blade and positioned it over the glowing core of Tabuu.

For a moment, Master Hand saw someone else standing beside Wrath, a tall, familiar figure. Heather Wolfon placed her ghostly hand upon Wrath's shoulder and squeezed it very slightly, as if encouraging him to finish it. Wrath's gaze briefly flashed to the spot where Heather's hand sat, confusion overlaying his features. Before Master Hand lost consciousness, he was just barely able to make out Wrath's final words.

"You are no father of mine."

The revolt had begun while Tabuu was away at battle.

They had been guarded by mere Primids armed with guns. They- the slaves- outnumbered these pathetic guards ten to one. They were armed with the molten metal, their own dinner knives, and whatever other things they could find.

The battle was brief. They had easily managed to crush most of the Primids and lock the Shadow Bugs within a secured vault. The rest had fled to the Plains of Smashville, seeking death among their own kin. After all, what kind of fool would dare attempt to fight them off when they were outnumbered ten to one?

The slaves had taken over the factory.

His name was Tom. He had been a slave since birth. From dawn to dusk he had been forced to make synthetic Smashball after synthetic Smashball, only ever being rewarded for "bad behavior". It took him a moment- and a long moment at that- to realize what had happened. He had been among the leaders of the Slave Revolution. He had conquered the Primids, their oppressors, and taken over the Smash Mansion.

He was free!

Of course, it had to be said that while the Smash Mansion had been taken, there was no guarantee that Tabuu would be defeated over on the Plains of Smashville. In fact, it was highly likely that if he did return, they would all surely perish.

Well, Tom thought, might as well just enjoy the freedom while it lasts.

Indeed, they did. It did not take the slaves long to completely thrash the Smash Mansion. Everything form Tabuu's throne to the walls of Wrath's old room had been layered in various coatings of paint and whatever else the slaves could get their hands on. It was a cry of rebellion, a sign that while Tabuu may return and regain his throne, they would simply submit. They would fight for their freedom, the liberty they had tried so hard to earn. All of this the slaves thought of with every splash of paint upon the walls and throne, and all of this they took into consideration as they stood and waited.

At dawn the first Guardian stood at the gates of the Smash Mansion.

A/N: And thus ends our tale. But we are not done yet, folks! Join me for the epilogue!