Some time ago…
Erdrea, Dragon Quest dimension
His destiny had been fulfilled at last.
Mordegon, the Lord of Shadows. Calasmos, the Dark One himself. Both catastrophic threats to the realm were vanquished by his hand. Or rather, to be more accurate, the hands of both himself and his allies. The legendary hero known as the Luminary had brought light and peace to Erdrea once again.
No more monsters roamed the land. His weapon, the gleaming Sword of Light, had been returned to its rightful resting place within the World Tree. He knew too well that, while peace lasted, the darkness would return in one form or another.
And return it had, in the form of a tear in the sky. He had investigated with his allies, some he had grown close to during his journey. Erik, the cunning rogue and the first of his companions. Twin skilled-in-magic sisters Veronica and Serena, who swore to protect him with their lives. Rab and Jade, king and princess of the fallen kingdom of Dundrasil. Sylvando, a traveling performer who vowed to fulfill a promise to his father. And Hendrik, knight of Heliodor, who began as an enemy to the Luminary and later his shield.
Within the rift, they battled an otherworldly being known as the Timewyrm, who sought to bring about the end of time. The fight was difficult, but with the blessing of the great Yggdragon upon them, the group had succeeded. The devourer of time had been destroyed, paving the way for a new era of peace for all of Erdrea.
Now, on the outskirts of his hometown of Cobblestone, Eleven gazed off at the horizon atop his white-maned steed. The horse snorted and shook its head while its rider took in the bright blue color of the sky. After all that had happened- especially when he literally rewrote history- he believed he had earned a time to settle down.
Something in the sky twinkled in the sky, bright enough to grab the young man's attention. Curious, he turned his head to watch the unknown object rocket down from the heavens…
...and crash into the grassy plains with an earth-shattering boom. His horse responded to the noise with a loud neigh and reared up, prompting Eleven to quickly soothe it. He narrowed his eyes at the crash site, questions filling his mind. What was this, a sign of things to come?
He steered his horse towards the impact zone and pulled back on the reins when he approached, bringing the animal to a stop. Dismounting the horse, he slowly walked up to the crater. Whatever was inside… it was glowing.
The smoke dissipated, allowing Eleven's eyes to rest on a beautiful blue crystal embedded into the ground. Eleven walked up to the crystal, taking notice of his own reflection. But alongside himself, he saw… others. Swirls and blurs of figures he could not comprehend. He saw shimmering wings of light, a ball as bright as the sun… and corrupting tentacles surrounding a hideous eye.
This was a beacon. A plea. Darkness was bound to envelop Erdrea once again. Eleven could feel it inside him. With barely a hint of hesitation, he rested his palm against the crystal. What happened next was something he barely understood. One moment, he felt his body surge with extreme power… and then, he saw darkness.
…
When he opened his eyes, that darkness did not fade.
He regained consciousness in the middle of a dark, twisted forest. Clouds ruptured with violet lightning, thunder rumbled through the sky, and shadows dwelled all around. Plantlife was either withering away, dead or tainted with pure evil.
But aside from that, this place was… different. It didn't look like Erdrea at all, yet the sight reminded him of the fall of Yggdrasil in the old timeline. He had prevented it from happening… but could he do the same here, to this unfamiliar land?
A snort came from behind him and he turned. His horse stood on shaky legs and steadied itself. Eleven stood and looked to his steed. Wherever he was, he had at least had some transportation.
Something hit the ground with a clattering noise. Curious, the Luminary turned to the ground beside him… and there, he saw the last weapon he would expect to see here. A blade that was pure and magnificent.
"The Sword of Light," he mouthed. What was it doing here? It should still be resting in Yggdrasil! And yet, if it was here, could that mean-? Yes, it had to. This world needed him. This world needed the Luminary, or else it would suffer as Erdrea once did.
Eleven took the sword in his hand, recalling the Yggdragon's words to him. "A hero will surely rise to take the sword in hand once more… and the echoes of that hero's valor shall ring through the ages." He swung the sword three times, testing the heft and weight he felt during his journey. He sheathed the sword on his back, where Erdwin's shield, the weapon of his predecessor, also lay.
The time for a new quest had begun. And he would not stop until he, alone or with new allies he found, had put this darkness to slumber.
Mounting his horse, Eleven urged the creature onward and rode off into the forest. As he departed, he failed to notice violet, soulless eyes watching him. Eyes belonging to false, replicated warriors from other realms…
…
Just like Erdrea, Eleven had learned that peace didn't last long in this world, either. If there was one thing that made this world thrive, it was battle. Competition or otherwise, nothing was more certain than the thrill of the fight whether it was in the World of Light they lived in… or beyond its borders.
Eleven, Eight, Erdrick, and Solo blew through a puppet squad of Peach, Luigi, Mario, and a Mii Brawler dressed as a Toad. Joker, backed up by two Mii Swordfighters dressed as other heroes from his world, hung back to finish them off. Lastly, Sonic dashed past them with two more Miis in tow: a Gunner dressed like his old buddy Tails and a Brawler in an outfit resembling Knuckles. Both trios evaded barking-mad Chain Chomps and a wild Kyogre that swooped dangerously low.
Eleven clashed swords with a Toon Link puppet, alternating between offense and defense. He kicked the puppet's shield to make it fall, and a quick slash with the Sword of Light made it explode and release the captive spirit.
Erdrick blocked high kicks from a Falco puppet, which Solo charged into shield-first. He cast Kazap on the puppet, frying the fake bird to a crisp. Before long, the area was clear, allowing Sonic and Joker's teams to continue on.
"According to Princess Zelda," spoke Erdrick, approaching the cliffside. "The last known puppet activity was here." He looked down at the landscape before them: vast, wild, and uncharted. Both a blue streak and a black van were already heading down a slope leading there. "She believes there's a possible encampment out here."
"We all know the quest, Erdrick," replied Eight. "The question is; where could the presumed camp be? I can see everything for miles up here, but nothing resembling a settlement of any kind."
"I propose we check the forest," Solo suggested, pointing his sword at trees down below. "It would make sense that a camp wasn't set up in the open." Eleven nodded in agreement. "Do we know the exact number of enemies?"
"No… at least, not yet," Erdrick answered. "But what I do know is that they outnumber us. We must be vigilant during our search and expect any ambushes."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Eleven finished. "Let's get down there and begin our new quest."
…
On the landscape below, the four heroes roamed the land with weapons by their sides. So far, they had no luck in finding the campsite, yet still, they pressed on. For a brief moment, Eight looked down at the ground with concern.
Solo was the first to notice his comrade. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing…" Eight replied. "I… I guess I'm just used to having my friends by my side whenever I head out on some big quest such as this. This feels… different." At the tone of his voice, Erdrick turned with a confident smile.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "You do have your friends by your side. Perhaps not the ones you are used to… but allies nonetheless."
Eight looked to Erdrick and nodded. "You're right. Forgive me if I-"
Eleven stopped him with a raised hand, facing in the direction of tall grass. Solo took notice of the Luminary's stance and expression. "What is it?"
"Something draws near."
The long green blades shifted and rustled as small shapes moved through it. On Eleven's silent call, the heroes formed up around him with shields raised. The rustling in the grass increased, the hidden figures drew closer and closer…
...and five blue Kirby clones popped out of the grass and onto their shields. They bounced off just as fast and proceeded to hop, jump, and bounce around the confused warriors.
"Well, we found some of the puppets," Solo said. "But they're acting rather… odd." To prove his point, one of them used Eight's head as a bounce pad. Another darted beneath his legs, making him fall over and glare at them with an annoyed expression.
Another of the puppets bounced right at Erdrick's head and used its body to smack him in the face. "Ow! Hey!" Another tried to do the same to Eleven, who ducked. The blue Kirby clone sailed over his head and continued to jump around.
"I'll handle this," Solo stepped forth and gathered his magical energy. "Ka-SWOOSH!" He spread his arms out, summoning two small tornados that plucked the Kirby copies from the ground and flung them high into the air. Each of them burst apart from the force of the tornado… and spirits slowly descended down.
Eleven gasped when he noticed the familiar shape within the spirit. The constant jumping, the weak structure, and their attack states came back to him. No wonder they were so familiar. But how-?
His thoughts paused when he heard the sound of a low thumping. He turned to the side… where a larger blue clone of Kirby stood tall above the heroes with wide eyes. It began to open its mouth…
"Kafrizz!" Eight shot a fireball into its open mouth, leaving the projectile to blow inside the puppet. Smoke poured out of the dazed puppet's mouth before it tumbled to the ground and exploded in a flash of light.
"Those puppets…" Eleven told his team. "They had the souls of Slimes in them."
"Tell me something I don't know," replied Erdrick. "I know Galeem's light enveloped our world… but I thought all of the spirits were supposed to be returned."
"The only reason we didn't become spirits ourselves was that we were whisked away to here," Eight added. "Could it be possible that not all of them made it back?"
"Obviously so, seeing that there are new puppets popping up," Solo answered. "There must have been a reserve puppet squad Galeem made from souls from other worlds. They must have recaptured those spirits somehow. And they've stayed hidden from us until their master must've said so."
"And since he didn't say so, they chose to take up the task of destroying us themselves," Eleven finished. "All the more reason for us to finish what we started."
"Right," Erdrick said. "We have a camp to find." He made a gesture, prompting the heroes to move forward. They journeyed through the landscape, making their way towards the forest. To get there, they had to first cross the grassy plains.
And they didn't get a mile in before they were attacked again. It started when Solo noticed a large shadow on the ground… and looked up to see its owner careening right for them. Everyone dove out of the way just as a giant King K. Rool puppet crashed down on the ground, crushing the spot where the heroes once stood.
A puppet of Eleven jumped from the copy's back and clashed swords with the real Luminary. As he defended himself, Eleven glanced at the fake. "How is this possible?! Galeem didn't capture and clone me!"
"Now's not the time to figure that out!" Erdrick called, launching a bolt of lightning at the K. Rool clone. The giant puppet shrugged off the attack easily and threw itself at Erdrick belly-first. Eight rushed in, landing a critical hit with his sword followed by a Bang spell. He backflipped away, allowing the explosion to consume the copy. And when the smoke cleared, the puppet just glared irritatingly. It dove at Erdrick with a claw…
"Thwack!"
...and exploded in a purple flash. Nearby, Solo drew back his hand with a victorious smirk. "That should do it!" Closeby, Eleven knocked away his counterpart and sliced downward. His opponent stunned, the Luminary proceeded to shoot it square in the chest with a fireball. It exploded with the burning projectile. From the spot where the King K. Rool copy once was, a spirit of a flying whale flew up and away.
"Cetacea…" Eleven muttered. "Not even she could survive Galeem's surprise attack."
"At least that's one more taken care of," Eight said. "Let's keep moving." The heroes continued to trek across the plains, keeping a sharp lookout for any more threats that could pop up at any moment.
But the trek towards the forest turned out to be more perilous than the heroes intended. More puppets struck and attacked them in an ambush. A metal Kirby clone sprang at Solo, causing the hero to jump back and strike with Metal Slash. The move being very effective against metal, it destroyed the puppet with a single blow. The soul of a Liquid Metal Slime hovered above the ground and shot off into the sky. Solo held his sword by his side, expecting no less.
The next enemies to appear were clones of Pichu, a giant Pikachu, and a giant R.O.B. Eight and Erdrick charged at the steel titan, only to be swept aside by a low, heavy swing of its arm, The Pichu puppet pounced at Eleven, who held up his shield to deflect the copy. The large Pikachu clone tried to tackle Solo, its face planting into the ground when the hero sidestepped. Their swords struck the fake Pokémon, sending them both reeling. The large Pikachu clone stepped in front of the injured Pichu puppet protectively, a ferocious look on its face.
The giant R.O.B.'s arms kept Erdrick and Eight from landing a critical blow. Hopping away from another sweep, Erdrick channeled his magic and cast Snooze on the steel titan. As the spell washed over it, the puppet stopped in its tracks and hung its head low. Its arms drooped and the sound of systems powering down could be heard. Nodding to Erdrick in thanks, Eight landed his Hatchet Man move while Erdrick launched a huge fireball at the puppet.
One giant robot crashing to the ground later, the spirit of a Golem was freed. At the same time, the two fake Pokémon fell, releasing the souls of a young and adult Sabrecat.
"Our adversaries are getting remarkably stronger," noted Eleven. "We must be on the right track." Off in the distance, the sun began to dip below the horizon. The night would cover the land soon. Did that mean the enemy would step up their efforts?
The four heroes entered the forest, traversing down a dirt path surrounded by trees and other foliage. If Eleven had to choose a place for a camp, it had to be here. The trees could serve as shelter and keep them protected from threats that could attack anything in the open.
They continued down the path further until darkness enveloped the forest. "Stay wary," Eleven whispered. "We must be getting close now." Erdrick nodded in reply and kept his eyes trained on the dark. The enemy could come from anywhere, so he had to be ready.
It wasn't long before a movement in the trees above caught Erdrick's attention. A small figure darting between branches. "The trees!" he hissed. Eight stepped past him, spotting the mysterious shadow. "I got this! FRIZZLE!"
Erdrick moved to stop him, but he was too late. The shadow zipped away just as the fireball exploded against the tree. The top part burst into flames and fell to the ground in a smoking, burning heap.
A pair of eyes pierced through the darkness… followed by two more pairs just like it. Three figures flew out from the shadows with swords drawn, each of their faces hidden behind menacing masks.
Eleven and Erdrick stood firm, making contact with the trio of Meta Knight clones. Eight and Solo moved to join them… but the two heroes stopped. Behind them, they heard a strange series of ticking and beeping noises.
When they turned around, they saw a miniature, multicolored force of tiny Mr. Game and Watch clones scurrying towards them. While Eight jumped back at the sight, Solo wasted no time and cast lightning bolts at the clones. A single zap blew some of them away, but several more piled on top of Solo and made him fall.
Eight kicked away a red clone and lashed his sword at more of them. Eleven and Erdrick kept pace with the false Meta Knights, blocking and countering their swift strikes. They both retaliated with magical attacks and sword swings of their own. The Sword of Light nicked a clone's wing, grounding it and hindering its ability to fly. Eleven drove his blade through it, eradicating it where it lied. Erdrick spun around in a circle, driving the other two away with his blade.
Nodding to each other, Eleven and Erdrick unleashed a combined Zapple blast. The lightning strike connected with the two puppets, causing them to explode from the extreme voltage. Behind them, Eight and Solo finished off the last of the tiny Mister Game and Watch copies.
From the puppets, more souls belonging to creatures flew off into the night. And once they were gone, Solo noticed something. "There's a light… a fire?"
"It's coming from that clearing," Eleven whispered. "Stay quiet, but let's see who or what's out there." The heroes crept up to some bushes, their eyes catching the orange glow of a small fire. And in a nearby clearing with some tents, multiple figures surrounded two warriors bound in ropes.
Eleven focused his gaze on them. The captives appeared to be Miis: one of them dressed in martial arts garments while the other was donned in a suit of armor. "We'll never talk!" the armored Mii spat.
"On the contrary," spoke a clone of Zero Suit Samus. "You will tell us where the Super Smash Brothers are assembled. They may be looking for us, but what they do not know is that we are also looking for them. Now tell us! Where are they?"
A Link puppet clenched a boomerang in his hand. A small female Robin clone lit up its book with magical energy. A little King Dedede copy tapped its hammer menacingly. A Zelda puppet frowned at the captive Miis with crossed arms. A Sheik puppet fiddled with needles in its hand and a false Ike hefted its greatsword over its shoulder.
The Mii in the martial artist gi caught sight of Eleven and gained a knowing look on his face. "You wanna know where the Smashers are, huh?" he asked. "Well, they may be closer than you think."
The Zero Suit Samus clone lifted a brow. "What is it you mean by that?"
"NOW!" A shout echoed through the camp, followed by explosions, lightning bolts, and small tornadoes. The puppets were caught off-guard, but those spells proved to not be their downfall. Eleven, Erdrick, Eight, and Solo dashed into the clearing with weapons drawn. Muncie squeaked atop Eight's shoulder.
"What my dear friend means," Eleven answered. "Is that we're onto your plan to snuff us out! You were looking for us? Well, here we are!"
"The Luminary…" whispered the Ike puppet. "At last."
"Destroy them!" shouted the false Zelda. The Sheik puppet activated a Beam Sword and sprinted for the heroes. The Link puppet threw out its boomerang, prompting Erdrick to duck beneath it. When it looped back around, Eight rolled out of the way and raised his shield to block the Sheik puppet's Beam Sword. The King Dedede puppet tried to snipe at Solo with a Staff, only for the hero's shield to block the shots. A quick Bang spell was enough to drive it off for the time being.
The Link puppet drew its weapons and engaged Erdrick in a duel. The puppet banged its shield against Erdrick's face to stun him, to which Erdrick retaliated with a swipe to the tunic. Their swords clashed against both each other and their shields while Eleven went for the fake Zelda and Robin.
Blasts of magic deflected off Erdwin's shield as Eleven held it in front of him. He jumped at the Robin puppet in a downward slash and his sword hit the ground when it jumped back. He cast a quick fireball at the Zelda clone, knocking it away with the blast. The Robin puppet rushed him and was met with the tip of the Sword of Light to ids midsection.
Eight lit up his sword with lightning and spun wildly in place, electrocuting both the Sheik and King Dedede puppets. Solo sprinted up and cast Kafrizz on the Dedede clone, swallowing it up in the fiery explosion. At the same time, Eight cast Thwack on the Sheik puppet and defeated it instantly in a purple flash. With those two out of the way, they set to work in rescuing the captive Mii fighters.
"They caught us by surprise!" said the one in armor as his bonds were loosened. "They wanted to get the drop on you before you did the same." The one in the martial artist gi stood up… and widened his eyes. "Look out!"
Eight and Solo stepped to the side just as a greatsword came down right between them. The Mii in the martial artist gi launched himself at the Ike puppet with a flying kick. The Mii in the armor grabbed his sword from a nearby tent and charged to assist Erdrick with the Link puppet. The puppet turned its attention to the freed Mii while Erdrick rushed off to help Eleven.
Solo cast Kaclang and turned himself into metal, his steel form absorbing the blow from the Ike clone's weapon. He reverted back quickly and stabbed the stunned clone in the chest. He kicked it to the ground, where it exploded.
Ducking beneath a swipe, the Mii in armor struck at the Link puppet and kicked away a boomerang. He tucked himself in and spun in a ball for the puppet, colliding with it blade-first. The puppet fell to the ground and a resulting stab finished it off.
The Mii in the martial artist gi landed a spinning kick to the Zero Suit Samus puppet's head. He cartwheeled to the side to avoid the crack of a plasma whip, landing a three-hit combo to the midsection and head. He swept out the puppet's legs and gave it a strong punch, knocking it against a tree before detonating with energy. The Zelda puppet managed to teleport away just in time and blast Eleven with a fireball.
Eight rushed in, casting Heal on Eleven to mend him up. Erdrick charged shield-first, absorbing a magical blast. The Robin puppet sprinted up to him, making him see his chance. He unleashed all his remaining magic…
...and with a yell, swallowed both remaining puppets up in a violet Magic Burst. After the explosion died down, there was no one but Erdrick on his knees and panting for breath.
"You have all fought well," Eleven spoke, helping the other hero to his feet. "We have found the campsite, defeated its occupants… and rescued some new friends."
"So it's true?" asked the armored Mii. "It's not over yet?"
"No," answered Eight. "There appear to be puppet fighters we missed during the war against Galeem and Dharkon. Plus, they might be manufacturing more with captured spirits."
"So, in other words…" Eleven finished as he watched the souls of his old party fly into the night sky. "It's only just begun. But we will not stop until it is truly finished!"
The other three heroes cried out in unison, joining their swords together and lifting them to the air. The words of the Luminary were true: the fight was far from over. But to their last breaths, the four heroes would see its end and their ultimate victory.