Prologue

Warning:
A Challenger Approaches!

"A dark void...

no light...

no sound...

this is what I call my own living hell.

All because of that treacherous hand.

I give him life and this is how he repays me.

I've been stuck in this hellhole for 50 years...

but my time shall soon be here.

For tomorrow is the beginning of his beloved smash tournament.

And he will regret the day he betrayed the Orvus Creig"

A white plain. Nothing but white for as far as the eye can see. Except for one thing. A boy, fifteen years of age. He wore black shoes with seven golden rings painted on each side. A pair of blue shorts and a black tank top with a fire like design. A golden chain hanging around his neck connected to a small silver scroll held with a golden ring. His hair was raven black and it went down to his neck. His eyes shined like rubies in the sun.

"Where the hell am I?" He asked as he continued to walk the endless plain. His voice sounded angelic. As he was walking, he spotted something out in the distance. "Whose there?" He entered a defensive stance as the creature moved closer and closer to him. When he was close enough, the boy was able to make out his appearence. It was nothing more than a black silhouette of a boy, two or three years younger than him, glaring at him with blue eyes. It charged towards him. Delivering a punch in his stomach and another on the side of his face, causing him to drop to the ground. He tried to get up, but the silhouette stopped him by slamming his foot in his face. He yelled in pain, much to the silhouette delight. He grab the colorless shadow's foot and was able to toss him aside and delivered a kick to his jaw. He could hear the silhouette's bones crack. Pleased with his work, he continued to walk the landscape until he heard something behind him. The silhouette charged towards him with his hand extended. It's hand erupted in a flash of light. When it dimmed down his hand appeared as if it was made of gold. having no time to react, the silhouette grabbed his face and smashed him to the ground. It was then that the white plain began to crack and dissolve before his very eyes. The white plain that was once around him was now nothing more then a dark void.

The silhouette had changed into a young twelve year old boy. His eyes were aqua blue. He wore white shoes with a signature on them, blue shorts, and a red t-shirt with a blue hedgehog-like creature on it. His hair was very similar to the hedgehog's quills, but they were more curved outwards. The most stunning feature was the mark on his right glowing hand. It was a heart with two sword upon it. It had large yellow K on the top and a banner which read 'Long live the king'. It also featured the top half of a king seen on a playing card (1). The younger boy tightened his grip on the older boy's face. It was then that the youngest spoke. "This hand of mine glows with an awesome power. It's burning grip tells me to defeat you!" He tightened his grip even more, causing the boy to scream a bloodcurdling scream. Then everything went black...

"Barren. Wake up. Helloooooo. Anybody home? WAKE UP ALREADY!"

"AHHHHHHH!"

That was all that the boy, now known a Barren was able to say as he plummeted to the floor of his room. He looked up to see a boy, a year older than him, he wore a black GI with a white dragon extending from the bottom of his right leg to the his left shoulder. He had brown sandals and his was styled with a large spike of brown hair to the left. His eyes were a green.

"What do you want Cain" Barren said as he picked himself up from the floor and began to fix his bed.

Cain only responded by pointing at his forehead. When Barren touched he realized that it was covered in sweat. He must have heard him screaming and figured he had a nightmare. "Was it that same one or something more interesting?"

"I don't know I keep having that same dream every night. It's been like this for months now. I know I've seen that boy before, but-" He stopped once he realized that Cain was gone. "YOU ASK ME A QUESTION AND THEN YOU JUST LEAVE?"

"I left so I wouldn't have to listen to that same old speech for the 37th time!" He called back

Barren sighed. He's been having that same dream every night for 7 months. Things have changed since his friend left. He resides at a dojo with his cousin Cain and a few other students. His friend trained with him and and his cousin with his grandfather, Master Asia. It's been three years since he left. He remembered everything about him. What he liked, what he disliked, his favorite places, his favorite foods. He just can't remember his name. The boy in his dream reminded him of his friend, due to that mark on his hand. The mark of the king of hearts. His friend had obtained it 3 years ago, which is why he left.

He quickly placed on his clothes and walk out of his room. His grandfather was meditating in the center of the room. He wore a purple GI with yellow details and a scarf around his waist. His eyes were black and his was tied into a ponytail. Seeing as he was in deep meditative state he slowly crept up behind him and prepared to pounce on him until... "Hello Barren. "

"DAMN IT!" He cursed. "How do you always do that."

"You'll find out when you older." He got up from his meditative position and faced Barren. "Did you sleep well tonight?"

Sighing, Barren responded. "No... But I know that boy from somewhere. He reminds me of my old friend."

"Just be patient. I'm sure the answer will come to you any moment now. But remember, I can't tell you his name."

"I know. You told me that yesterday... and the day before that... and the day before that... and the day before that...and the day bef-"

"I get it." With that, Asia left. That was a normal day for Barren. Cain would usually annoy the living shit out of him and Asia would be wise and mysterious. But little did he know that this is more than just a normal day.

xXxXx

Later, outside the dojo, Barren decided to go to his favorite place in all the dojo. Dream Lake. It's a beautiful, crystalline watered lake with a waterfall not far from the margin. This natural miracle of a lake was loved by all students of the school of master Asia, but not as much as Barren did. He remembered that in the past no one could even think of a name for it. That until his friend came...

}Begin Flashback{

A 9 year old Barren sat at the small hill in the center lake with another boy, about three years younger than him with all the same features from the boy in his dream. However he wore a red GI with a large blue dragon that extended from his left foot to his right simply sat there, admiring the scenery that was before them. They enjoyed everything about that lake.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" The younger one asked.

"It sure is." Barren said. "You see this lake was passed down from every generation of the king of hearts. Currently my grand father is in possession of this marvel. But he told me that when he passes away, it will be all yours."

"Wow. I can't wait to actually be the owner of this place. Imagine all the stuff I could do hear."

"Not much."

"Well, for starters, this place is in serious need of a name."

"Why? This place has been easily recognized as 'the lake'. Why give it a name?"

"I like naming things. For example this tree is Belladonna."

Barren only stared at the boy. "Your really weird. Sometimes I wonder how you could be the king of hearts."

"You and me both brotha." He stood up and continued to gaze upon the horizon. "You know, before I came here, I had a dream that I was fighting a boy a lot like you in these waters. I remember that he told me that this water will grant one's wildest dreams. That's it!"

"What's it?"

"The name of the lake of course." He gestured for him to get up. "This place is exactly like my dream and people have said that this place's beauty could only be seen in dreams right?"

"I don't see where your going with this."

"Why don't we name it 'Dream Lake'!"

After thinking about it for a while, Barren decided that it was actually a perfect name for such a magnificent place. And thus, 'Dream Lake' was born.

}End Flashback{

His name. What was his name? Jack? Martin? Dylan? Who knows? Asia Knows, but he wont tell him. He stood on the hill and kept looking at the water. He cupped some in his hands and drank some. He wondered if his friends dream and his dream was real. He just look at his own reflection. It was then, when it happened. He stiffened. Something in his body told him it was coming. The birds stopped singing, the fish stopped jumping and the frogs stopped croaking. It was quiet. Too quiet. Then it appeared. Bursting out of the water was a large, serpent like, florescent green dragon. It eyes were a bloody red and it's claws and teeth were stained with blood.

"Oh Hell." Barren muttered as the large dragon lunged towards him. He was able to dodge his head, but wasn't so lucky with it's tail. It slammed into the tree causing it to shake and rustle. The dragon charged towards him again and attacked him with his claws. Barren counteracted sliding underneath him and delivering a kick to his stomach and another on his leg. Though this didn't seem to phase it in any way whatsoever, he continued until it slithered around him, boxing him in with no way of escape. The dragon moved faster and faster and faster until it's entire body was nothing more than a green blur. Lighting began to erupt from the blur and was aimed towards the center, where Barren was. They pierced his body, causing his entire body to begin bleeding. Blood was leaking down to the floor, only to make the dragon move even faster causing more electricity with a greater force. Barren screamed in pain as the ring that the dragon was emitting due to his speed began to shrink, hitting him with more intensity and more carnage. He could of sworn that half of his blood was on the floor. He began to cough up blood. But even so he did not give up. Even while being electrocuted, he entered a meditative state and began to chant. "I call upon the 9 elements that make up our world. Time, Water, Earth, Fire, Space, Metal, Ice, Air, Magic... Grant me your power!" A white orb appeared in Barren's hands and began to grow. The dragon had quickly cancelled it's electric attack and flew into the air ready for another attack. It charged towards him with full force. His claws and teeth had turned red, redder than before and a dark orb of pure energy appeared in his mouth. Barren extended his hands and yelled. "エレメンタルブレイズ!(2)" (Elemental Blaze) The large white orb contacted with the dark orb pushed the dragon back. The energy was to much for the dragon to withstand and it dissolved to a pile of green dust which was carried away by the wind. "I never thought I would have to use Elemental Blaze till I completed my training."

He panted heavily. Blood was slowly dripping from his body. He was going to return home until an envelope hit his face. It was had a smash symbol on it and had Barren's name on it. He opened it and found a letter and a small black box with a button that looked like the smash symbol. He read the letter out loud.

Dear recipient

If you are reading this, you were able to defeat one of the Fighting Dragon Team.

I personally sent that dragon as test of your battling skills as a fighter.

To put it simply, you are one of the most skilled fighters in all of world

Which is why I have invited you to attend the fourth Super Smash tournament.

And of course I cant forget the prize.

The prize: The Shuffle Key!

If you wish to attend, simply press the button on the small device I gave you. It should teleport you the smash train station.

Train leaves tomorrow, 7:45 AM.

Sincerely,

Master Hand.

PS: Think wisely before accepting.

'hmmm' He thought. 'So this 'Master Hand' wants me to attend a fighting tournament? If I can keep the Shuffle Key out of the wrong hands, I'll be rewarded beyond my wildest dream by the other students.'

He raced back home, anxious to tell his grandfather about his discovery and worried on how he'll react when he sees him in his current state.

Red dust was blown away by the wind in an alley. There stood a fifteen year old girl with shoulder length wavy dark chocolate brown hair, which on each side of the bangs, there are a few strands of hair that have beads attached. Her eyes were lime green, and her skin is quite pale and has a small blush of redness, due to the cold she has in the present time. She was also very skinny. She wore a light blue T-shirt and a red sweater, she also wore a pair of camouflage pants like the ones people who are in wars wear, and has military boots with the pants tucked in. She was holding a similar note to the one barren was holding.

"A fighting tournament huh?" She pondered. "Maybe I shouldn't... but then again, it's got to be better than living in the middle of the street."

She walked away, thinking on how this tournament would be. Only she would find something she would have never imagined.

Purple and blue dust was washed away by the ocean. Standing at said beach were to warriors.

One was a twenty one year old woman wearing a male school uniform. Lavender hair down to her shoulders, purple hair down to her hips, and dark purpl ehair down to her ankles. She wears a black eyepatch on her right right side of her bangs go down to her collar bone and the left side goes down to the bottom of her chin. Kaze has 3 bangs that go down to her eye brows on her left side. Her most eye popping feature were big boobs. Her eyes were lavender and her voice was deep for a girl.

The other was a man of the same age wearing a black hoodie with the hood up. Dark Lavender eyes. His hair was dark purple on top and down to the bottom of his head. Purple from the bottom of his head to halfway through his neck, and lavender to his shoulders. The bangs on the right side of his face went down to his chin, then he has three bangs above his left eye and then three bangs that go down to his collar bones. He had a deep voice.

They were both holding they same note as Barren.

"Super Smash Tournament?" The man questioned.

"Hey, I remember Prince Marth telling me about this." The woman said. "He said it's a fighting competition where the strongest warriors of the universe compete for glory. And apparently, this year there's a prize."

"Is Shiida participating?"

"I don't know. She might."

"If she isn't, I'll leave. No questions asked"

"Just because of a girl?"

"Yep."

"You really need to understand women."

They began to walk back to there army's campsite. Unaware of a dark figure watching them in the horizon.

"So, they too have received the invitation." The figure chuckled. "Hopefully they wont interfere. Ike! I, Zelgius, am coming to that tournament! Be prepared to meet your death!" He let out a maniacal laugh that could probably be heard miles away.

Brown dust was whipped away by the ever strong winds in front of a suburban house. There stood an eighteen year old man wearing a white shirt with black collar linning, a crimson zipped jacket, thorned dark grey jeans and white and grey tennis shoes. His hair was blonde and messing and he had piercing turquoise eyes and lightly tanned skin. The most stunning fact of this man were his caramel colored Chimera ears, tail, wings and claws. He was holding, yet another note.

"A fighting tournament eh? This just might be the excitement I need. After all, it has been pretty quiet. Plus I'l finally be able to put these claws to a good use other than cutting pineapples open. I like pineapples."He looked to the reader. "Do you like pineapples? There rich in vitamin C and Manganese. Did you know that in Brazil they have this incredibly sweet pineapple? It's called abacaxi. Some people with weak stomach might not like putting pineapples in a blender. But it's better than putting a dead baby in the blender. O.K., O.K., we all know dead baby jokes are sick, but then again laughter is the best medicine, isn't it? also-"

Orange dust-

"HEY! I WASN'T FINISHED YET!"

DEAL WITH IT! Orange dust was being vacuumed away by... a vacuum cleaner. Several vacuum cleaners I might add. A large amount of butlers and maids were cleaning the orange dust away on the top of a mansion. There stood a fourteen year old boy wearing a brown shirt with a fencing sword upon it. He wore a pair of jeans and his hair was dirty blond with brown highlights. His eyes were emerald green. He too was holding the note.

"Master Jake," One of the butlers started. "are you sure about entering the tournament?"

"That depends." Jake said. "When does mom come home from her business trip?"

"Next week actually."

"I got time. But there is no way I'm taking a train. CHAPMAN! PREPARE THE LIMOUSINE! WE LEAVE TOMORROW, 5:00 AM SHARP!"

"Yes Master Jake."

Jake was pleased that his mother wouldn't be back. After all, if he told her she would have said 'no' right then and there. His next stop: Smash Mansion.

Yellow dust was again blown away by the gentle winds of a flowery meadow. There stood a fourteen year old girl wearing a plain white shirt with mini-jean shorts. She had a belt with a holster for gun and a back pouch for arrows and bow. She also had white leg warmers that had strange specks of red near her feet. She also had jet black hair that was wrapped up in one long braid. Her eyes are bright green. She, like the other seven that appeared in this chapter, was holding the note.

"A t-t-tournament?" She stuttered. "Maybe that's where he went. Only one way to find."

She only looked at the small device in her hand. Many questions rushed up to her head, but she could only locate three:

1) Why me?
2) What the Hell is a Shuffle Key?
3) Is this the tournament that my brother told me to go find him?

Lavender dust was blown away and a letter slowly drifting around. Then, a hand snatched the letter from the gentle breeze. The man was in his thirty's, wearing a black hoodie and black glasses which covered his fiery red coal black eyes. He wore a grey, ripped shirt and dark jeans. Through the holes of his shirt, various scars could be visible. He had a long black cloak, black shoes and and dark gloves. After reading the letter, the man smirked, reviling a row of perfectly sharp canines.

He chuckled. "The legendary Shuffle Key. What a great prize and weapon. And soon, it will be mine!"

His chuckle turned into maniacal laugh as various silhouettes appeared around him. They all bowed at his presence.

White dust was flying in the air around the streets of the big apple. There stood a seventeen year old man wearing a white T-shirt with, in black writing, the words 'don't mess with the Zohan.. He wore grey shorts, and white sneakers. His skin was tanned and he had a muscular build. He had a pair of ember eyes that went well with the pink streaks on his side bangs, which were tied up. He also had a black smiley face tattoo on his back. He also carried a sheathed Katana. He, like the others, was holding the note.

"OOOOOoooo... A fighting tournament! I love fighting! Especially with my katana. I wonder if we watch movies while we're not fighting? I hope they have 'Don't mess with the Zohan', or in other words, 'Don't mess with me'!"

He ran like a speeding bullet into a hair salon, wondering how this tournament would be.

Grey dust was blown away near a comic shop. There stood a twenty three year old man wearing blue jeans and t-shirt with the words, in black print, "I'm with stupid" and an arrow pointing to the left.. His skin was lightly tanned and he had short black hair. His eyes were emerald green. He also wore white shoes with a black spider web design on it. He, like the other nine warriors, was holding the note.

"Super Smash Tournament?" He asked himself. "I'm a skilled fighter all right, but I'm not so sure..." He looked at the small device in his hand and thought it over. He wouldn't go. He was just you average comic fanboy who was able to reenact the heroes abilities. (You call that average!) He walked to the trash can and was about to throw the teleporter away untill he saw a poster of the same tournament. It had a complete list of characters and one of them caught his eye. "MARVEL! MARVEL CHARACTERS ARE IS GOING TO BE IN THIS TOURNAMENT! THAN OF COURSE I'M GOING!"

He jumped around like some crazy person, happy that his favorite heroes were going as well.

Ember dust flew around a tall slim figure in the city of lights. It was a twenty four year old woman wearing a black victorian dress and a mask to cover her eyes, like at a masquerade. She had long brown hair with black streaks. Her eyes were the color of sapphires. Large burn marks and scars covered the left half of her body.

"A tournament..." She grinned. "I could use a break from looking for my beloved Tank..."

She walk away, unaware of the shadowy figure panting heavily in an alley close behind her.

"That was a close one..."

Pink dust was blown away in a small town. There stood a fourteen year old girl wearing a teal top that had see-through sleeves in kimono style. She wore a white skirt with short, visible leggings underneath. She had sliver eyes. She to held the note.

"Hmm... I wonder what kind of misadventures there's gonna be there. After all, it has to have some random group of interesting people."

She wondered what types of people would be participating. After all, who wouldn't?

Black, dark purple and dark blue dust was whipped a by the wind, only for it to be stuck in the trees of a forest. There stood three men each holding the note.

One was a sixteen year old boy wearing a black T-shirt with a little devil on it. Grey shorts and black and red shoes. His black hair is styled into a short Mohawk and his eyes were crimson red.

The other was a twenty one year old man wearing white cloak with nine jewels on it. Black pants and a grey T-shirt. His eyes and his hair were black.

The last one was a thirty three year old wearing green camo pants and a grey camo shirt. Brown boots and a dog tag that said: "Greil". His eyes were blue and his hair was short and blond.

"A Fighting tournament?" The first one questioned.

"So this 'Master Hand' wants us to attend a tournament? " The second one said. "What do you think Bark?"

Bark wasn't listening. Something had caught his eye. It was king of spades playing card.

"What's this?" He thought.

He extended his hand to pick it up. This however, was a grave mistake. A dark aura enveloped his entire body. His friends screamed his name. When the aura cleared down, he was now wearing black cloak over a black tuxedo. A magicians top hat and he was holding an entire deck of cards.

The man gazed at his new form before chuckling, and this chuckle turned into a laughter.

"Finally! After fifty years of imprisonment, I am free!" He looked to the others who were paralyzed in fear. "You to will do just fine." He released a dark mist from his fingers. They entered the men's nostrils and they began to feel an intense burning sensation. The boy's eyes began to change colors and a pair of shackles appeared on his hand and the man's hair disappeared and a drama mask appeared on his face.

"What the hell happened?" The boy questioned, that is until he recognized the man with the cards. "ORVUS!"

"So you escaped." The man said.

"Yes my men. And tomorrow will be the day our empire rises again!" He showed the others the note, making them both grin with pleasure. "OUR TIME HAS FINALLY COME! THE EMPIRE OF DARKNESS WILL RISE AGAIN!"

This is gonna be one hell of a tournament.

The challengers have been chosen. Who will win? Who will lose? How will Asia react when he sees Barren in his condition and why weren't the others as messed up as him? Find out next time on: Super Smash Bros. Unlimited!