Dracula's Castle

Link twisted his head, uneased by the zig-zagging road they walked upon and the huge drop beside them into an empty chasm. An enormous, dark castle cast a haunting presence over them. "Thank Hylia," Zelda said. "You're back. I thought you had been taken by the deity you speak of."

"Great," Lucina said. "Since you're awake you can put yourself to use. Roy needs a break from pulling the wagon."

Link looked back to see three of the Fire Emblem warriors pulling the wagon up the winding path. "What happened to the horses?"

"While you were busy sleeping we were attacked by a deranged, flying monster."

"We had no choice but to venture up this dark road," Zelda said. "It was the only way we could get away from that flying reptile. Have we chosen a bad path?"

Link closed his eyes, trying to think. "Perhaps not. Going through here should take us to where we need to be." He looked up at the ghastly structure. "Although I'm not sure this place is safe."

The door creaked as Ness, carrying Lucas on his back, pulled it open. A colony of bats sped out over their heads. The medieval hallway inside was faintly lit by candlelight. Death appeared from out the shadows and swiped with his scythe. Robin and Corrin bounced off the ground as a trophies. Several warriors yelled. Everybody dashed forward, leaving behind the prison wagon. Death turned his bony face to the Inkling still locked inside the wagon. "No!" The Inkling got down on her knees and begged. "Please. I didn't mean to come here. I was brought here against my—"

Death slashed through the bars of the wagon, taking her soul and turning her into a trophy. The others came to a dead end at a door they could not open. They could do nothing but watch as Death slowly creeped towards them. A spiked ball smashed Death across the face. A man with long blonde hair stood behind Death, a metal whip in his hands. Simon. Another man appeared beside him. "Be gone!" Richter Belmont shouted. "You don't belong in this world, monster!" He reached out his own metal whip and took Death's head off.

"Thank you, strangers," Ike said. Marth and Roy bowed. "We should revive our friends."

"There is no hope in that," Simon said. "They have been slaughtered by Death. Their spirits are no longer in their trophies. They have been taken to another place."

"You mean, they are stuck like that for good?"

"Until somebody finds their spirits, yes."

"You folks should not have ventured here so unprepared," Richter said. "Your lack of wit will see you all doomed to eternal damnation."

Zelda looked at Link as Lucina argued against the vampire killers. "Link," she whispered. Link was in a daze, hypnotised on nothing particular. "Link." She pinched him on the back of the arm, snapping him out of his trance.

"Step aside," Simon said, walking towards the door. He placed a key inside it, making it cry as he forced it open.

There, at the end of the dark corridor, Dracula sat upon his throne eradiated in candle light. "And you wonder why I hate people," he said. "You can never leave me in peace, can you?"

"Don't talk of peace," Richter said. "We've seen what is happening to the world. No doubt it is you who has sent those purple waves through our lands."

Ike's ears pricked up. "It was him?" He unleashed his sword.

Dracula grunted, rising to his feet. He towered over all those standing in front of him. "You people have the nerve to enter my castle and point your weapons at me? Perhaps I should give you a real reason to fear me." Dracula raised his arms. A violet light whirled in the air, slowly becoming a haunting clone of the Inkling who had been touched by Death. Dracula smiled. "She familiar to you?" Another two violet lights whirled in the air, becoming Robin and Corrin. "Look what happened to your beloved friends. I have their spirits now. They will do as I command." He raised his arms again and an entire army of corrupted souls appeared. False versions of Shulk, Isaac, Geno, Banjo and Kazooie came forth from Dracula's demonic magic. "A little birdy told me you would soon be arriving at my castle. I went to the trouble of preparing a very special spirit for you." He raised his arms once more. Out of the purple light, Chrom appeared.

"Father!" Lucina yelled. She dashed forward.

"Lucina, no!" Ike yelled.

She held her arms out to Chrom. "What have they done to you, father?" Chrom drew his blade and struck his daughter in the heart. She dropped as a trophy. Dracula grinned. He held up his arms and Lucina reappeared as an evil spirit.

The living Fire Emblem warriors and the vampire hunters unleashed their attacks on the army of corrupted spirits. Ness radiated PK fire from where he stood, avoiding getting too close to the enemies so they could not take Lucas from him. Zelda transformed into Sheik. As she pulled out a bust grenade, she spotted Link gazing at nothing.

Link stared at the wall. It was like the wall was thumping in and out, something behind it pumping the magic through the entire castle. It was like something was behind it, calling to him. Come to me, Link. This is the only way to find yourself again.

Sheik crashed into him, saving him before Shulk's Monado collided with him. Her grenade slipped out of her hands, blowing a hole into the wall Link had been staring at. Haunting spirits spread forth from the other side of the hole, the likes of King Boo, Gengar, and Dead Hand. Sheik ducked and dived as the spirits whizzed around her head. Ness aimed PK thunder at them, the light causing them to flee.

Simon and Richter battled back and forth with Dracula. The three Fire Emblem swordsmen, Ike, Roy and Marth, stood close in a triangle as they fought the corrupted army surrounding them. They cut through the likes of Vaati, Knuckles, Bomberman and an enraged Nintendo Dog. They struggled to stay relevant in the battle as a sea of Fire Emblem warriors long since fallen closed in on them.

As Sheik rolled out of the way of a flying projectile, she looked through the hole she had blown in the castle wall. Ghosts floated above Link's head, who was slowly walking along a dark bridge over a deep void…

A voice called from beneath the ocean. "Come back to me, Link. Come back to Hyrule." Link caught his cartoon reflection in the waves. He jumped over the King of Red Lion's and dropped into the depths of the Great Sea where no sunlight reached. A dazzling blue light enticed him further down. "Come to me, Link. Link. Link. Link…"

"Link!" Sheik yelled. A huge mass of black vermin rose from the void. She grabbed Link with her chain and pushed him as the Master Fortress burst through the bridge. She stumbled, falling with the bridge into the empty blackness the Master Fortress had reared its ugly head from. Link tried to catch her with a hookshot, but he could not reach. "Zelda!"

The horrid Master Fortress buzzed in his face. He looked beyond it, at all those who had been corrupted. The Fire Emblem warriors, one of the vampire killers, Ness. Plasma Wisps spread forth from the Master Fortress coming towards Link. Simon took them down with his foot, jumping across them as if they were stepping stones. He repeatedly threw his cross at the Mater Fortress, sending it up in wave after wave of fire. He threw the smallest vial of holy water over the monstrosity. The Master Fortress shrieked as it sunk. It whipped out a ghastly hand and grabbed Simon by the leg. Link was stunned in place as he watched the vampire hunter cling to the edge of the cliff. "Run, you fool."

The Master Fortress shrieked once more, pulling Simon down into the depths of its void. The corrupted army slowly made its way across a road of vermin left behind by the Master Fortress. Link turned and ran towards the light.