The Four Cardinal Heroines

by The Crimson Yinglet

Peach, Amy, Krystal, and Zelda have been pulled from their worlds to save another world from the Wave of Calamity. But there seem to be other forces at play to make them suffer. Hopefully, their strength and teamwork can overcome these evil forces. Rated M for adult themes.

4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer I do not own the rights to Rising of the Shield Hero, Star Fox, Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, or Super Mario characters

Chapter 4: Hope Arrives

Flashback to the Mushroom Kingdom

The morning had arrived and Toadsworth was getting everything ready for Peach. Being her right hand meant he had to ensure all of the small details were taken care of. Such as making sure her breakfast was ready, or that her bath was drawn. Being the ruler of a kingdom isn't easy and Toadsworth made sure to help her however he could.

He approached Peach's room and saw Toadette standing there with the Princess's breakfast.

"Ah, I see everything is ready."

"Yes, it is, Toadsworth."

"Excellent."

Toadsworth said as he knocked on Peach's door.

"Princess, your breakfast is ready. Princess?"

Toadsworth was concerned when he didn't hear a reply. Peach was normally up by now.

"Peach, I'm coming in."

Toadsworth slowly opened the door, in case Peach was not decent. He didn't see her though. He assumed she must be in her bathroom getting ready for the day. But the door was open, and he didn't hear the sound of running water. When he checked he saw no one there. That's when he began to panic.

"Oh dear, where is she?"

"Don't worry, Toadsworth. She's probably downstairs already."

Toadette reasoned, Toadsworth calmed down believing her. But when he asked the other toads about Peach no one had seen her. That is when Toadsworth lost his composure.

"The Princess is missing!"

He shouted, panic soon erupted from all the other toads. He pulled one aside and ordered him to retrieve Mario and Luigi. Meanwhile, he went back to Peach's room to try and find any clues to what happened to her.

The Great Fox

The Star Fox team had awoken and was eating breakfast. Fox had made his special pancakes for the team as a reward for yesterday's job. As he placed a large stack of pancakes on the table, he noticed Krystal was not there.

"Is Krystal still asleep?"

Fox asked his team.

"Probably, from what she told us the crew and the passengers from that luxury cruiser were extra persistent with their attempts to hit on her or touch her inappropriately. Let her sleep in, Fox. We have no jobs for today after all."

Slippy, the team's mechanic, said to Fox.

"Hmm, I guess you're right. Still, she loves these pancakes. I'll take her some."

Fox placed a few pancakes onto a separate plate and went to Krystal's room.

"Krystal," Fox said while knocking on her door. "Breakfast is ready. I made pancakes."

There was no response. Even if she was sleeping in she would have said something.

"Krystal?"

Still no response. Worried, Fox overrides the lock on the door to check on her.

"Krystal? Are you okay?"

Fox asked as he carefully checked the room. But Krystal was nowhere to be found. Worried, he went to check the hanger to see if she had left.

"Good morning, Fox."

ROB, the team's robotic assistant, greeted.

"ROB, has Krystal left the Great Fox?"

"Negative. Records so her arwing is still docked and there has not been activated since yesterday's mission."

"Can you access the video feed of her room?"

The Great Fox had cameras for security purposes. The team was okay with it since they were all like family and ROB and Peppy were the only ones who could access the camera feed. ROB checked it and turned to Fox.

"Danger. Krystal has been kidnapped."

"What!?"

Fox yelled in shock. ROB displayed yesterday's video, and Fox was stunned at what he saw. He dropped the plate of food and made a mad dash to Krystal's room.

"Fox, what's the rush?"

Peppy, the oldest member of the team and father figure to them, asked. Fox didn't answer just rushed into Krystal's room. Peppy followed and saw that Krystal was not there.

"Fox, where's Krystal?"

Peppy asked Fox as he picked up the book. Fox turned to Peppy, not sure how to answer.

"Well, it sounds crazy, but she's in the book."

Peppy just looked at Fox with concern.

"I'm sorry, my hearing must be failing me in my old age. Did you just say Krystal is in the book?"

"I know it sounds crazy, Peppy, but I just saw the camera feed. She was sucked into the book!"

Fox exclaimed. Peppy knew Fox wouldn't joke about this, plus the concern on his face was enough proof that he told the truth.

"Okay, so what are we going to do?"

"I, I don't know."

Fox answered in defeat. He then opened the book and read a few pages. That's when a determined look took over.

"I know where to get help though."

Fox ran out while slamming his fist on a red button in the hallway. Soon the alarms went off, signaling an emergency meeting on the bridge. All of team Star Fox, minus Krystal, was there.

"ROB, how are our fuel supplies?"

"Fuel supplies are at maximum capacity."

"Great, take us to these coordinates."

Fox ordered ROB as he put the destination into the map controls.

"Roger. Inputting route optimization."

"Fox, what's wrong? Where are we going?"

Slippy asked.

"Krystal's been kidnapped and we're going to get help to rescue her."

Falco and Slippy were shocked by this information. That is when Falco, the team's ace pilot, spoke up.

"Hold up, what do you mean she was kidnapped? How? And when? The security alarms would have gone off if some unauthorized person boarded our ship."

"That's the thing, Falco. She wasn't kidnapped by "someone", she was kidnapped by "something"."

Fox answered.

"What was it that grabbed her?"

Fox held up the book to answer Falco's question.

"Ha, very funny, Fox. Now seriously, what got her?"

"It's not a joke, Falco. Just read the first few pages."

Falco was skeptical but did what Fox asked. After reading the first few pages, his beak dropped open.

"What the hell?"

"Yeah, trust me, seeing it on the camera feed didn't help."

"Okay, unbelievable happenings aside, where are we going? Who can help us with this?"

"The only person I know who's dealt with something like this before."

"You know someone who's dealt with magical books that kidnap people?"

"Not books, per se, but he has been inside of paintings before."

Falco was confused until he realized who Fox was talking about.

"Route locked. Destination: The Mushroom Kingdom."

ROB announced as he activated the Great Fox's hyperdrives.

On the roads of Hyrule

Link was racing through the roads on his horse. Riding with him was a child, but this was no ordinary child. This was Purah, a scientist who was over a century old and had accidentally aged herself down with one of her experiments.

"I can't believe this, Linky. She was able to hold off Ganon for a century, and was kidnapped by a book."

Purah said. Earlier that day, Link had run into her lab in a panic. Zelda had gone missing last night and Link had no clue where she was or what happened. Purah went with Link to investigate the scene of the crime. That's when she noticed the book on the ground. After reading it she was able to determine that the book was magical and had taken Zelda into a different world.

Link then asked what they should do, but she had no answer. She had never heard of something like this happening before. The closest thing that came to mind was the ancient shrines, but even they couldn't do anything like this. That's when she read the names of the other heroes and knew where to go.

"You said this Mario guy had traveled into parallel worlds or dimensions during his adventures, right Linky?"

"Yes, he did."

Link answered, remembering the conversations he had with Mario during the Smash tournaments about their adventures.

"Then we need to get to the Mushroom Kingdom quickly. They should be working on a way to reach this world."

"Why?"

"Because their princess, Peach, was also taken by this book."

Link was shocked by this, but if that was true then he knew Mario and his friends would be able to help. He gripped the reigns of his horse and continued to rush to their location. An ancient warp pipe that connected Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom.

Green Hill Zone

We see a blue blur rushing through the area at high speeds. This was Sonic the Hedgehog and he was heading back to Tail's, his best friend and super genius, to get help with his problem.

It started as a normal day, Sonic was racing through the streets of the city when he decided to stop by Amy's bakery. He was surprised when he didn't see her there and went up to Vanilla to ask about it.

"Hey, Vanilla."

"Hello, Sonic. How are you today?"

"Doing fine. Where's Amy?"

"I don't know. She hasn't been answering her phone and I sent Cream to go check on her. But she hasn't returned yet. Sonic, can you be a dear and go check on them?"

"No problem, Vanilla. I'll only be a minute."

Sonic said as he dashed out of the store. Within a few seconds, he was at Amy's apartment. When he went inside, he saw Cream looking for something.

"Hey, Cream."

Sonic said to get the small rabbit's attention.

"Oh, hello, Mister Sonic."

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for Amy. She wasn't answering her phone and I couldn't find her."

"Maybe she left to run an errand?"

"I don't think so. Amy's purse and phone are still on the dresser. She wouldn't leave without them."

Cream said while pointing to the dresser. She was right, Amy wouldn't just leave without letting Cream or Vanilla know where she was going or why she wouldn't be at the bakery today.

"I see, that's a good point, Cream. Was the door locked when you came here?"

"Yes, it was."

Sonic looked around the room to investigate. There were no signs of a struggle, so she probably wasn't kidnapped. That's when Sonic noticed the book on the ground. Amy was always adamant about keeping her room clean, so there was no way she would leave a book lying on the ground. Sonic opened it up and was shocked.

"What the? The pages are blank."

Sonic went to the beginning of the book and started to read the pages. That's when an expression of shock and fear grew on his face.

"Sonic? Is something wrong?"

Cream asked.

"Cream, let your mother know that Amy won't be coming in today."

"Why? What happened to Amy?"

"Amy has been kidnapped."

"What!? By who?"

"I don't know, Cream. But I know how I'll find out."

Sonic said as he ran out of the apartment. If anyone could figure out what this book was, it was Tails. Tails was in his home working on a new device when his doors burst open.

"Tails!"

Sonic said as he appeared in front of him.

"I need your help!"

"Sure, Sonic. What's wrong?"

"Amy has been taken."

"What!? By who!?"

Sonic then held up the book. Tails gave him a confused look.

"Hey, don't be so shocked. I was trapped in a storybook before."

"Oh yeah."

Tails rubbed the back of his head remembering Sonic's adventures in a Medieval and Arabian world.

"And you think something similar has happened to Amy?"

"Yeah, think you can help buddy?"

"Sure, just hand the book over."

Tails placed the book in a scanner device he had. While the scanner was working Tails turned to Sonic.

"Hey, Sonic, how did you get out of the storybook during your adventures?"

"Oh, well, when I was in the medieval world I was sent back after I beat the big bad. With the other, I had to run and run until I found my way home."

"Do you think the same could be said of Amy's predicament?"

"Don't know, but if it is then we should help her out."

"Agreed."

The scanner beeped, signaling that it was done. Tails went to his computer and looked over the data.

"Amazing, so according to the data, this book works like a key or a portal. Amy isn't trapped in the book, she is trapped in another world."

"Any ideas on how to get her out?"

"Hmm? No, but I know who we can ask."

Tails said, pointing to a sentence that gave the names of the four heroes.

"I see, Mario was able to jump into paintings that had different worlds in them."

"Yep, so you go on ahead and let them know what's up. I'll get some things ready."

As soon as Tails finished his sentence, Sonic was gone, heading toward the Mushroom Kingdom.

Back in the Mushroom Kingdom

The toads were all in a panic while Mario, Luigi, and Toadsworth were in Peach's room trying to find clues about her disappearance.

"Oh dear, how could this have happened? How can I have let the Princess get kidnapped right after the conference? I'm a failure of an advisor."

Toadsworth lamented.

"Calm down, Toadsworth, we'll find her."

Mario said, calming Toadsworth down.

"Yes, you are right, Master Mario."

"Okay, now did you or any of the other toads find any clues?"

"No, Master Mario, we scoured the room but found nothing. No signs of forced entry, no traces of a scuffle, it's like she vanished into thin air."

Mario was pondering this information. When Bowser kidnaps Peach subtlety is the last thing he thinks about so this rules him out. Could it be something similar to Count Bleck's kidnapping? While pacing and thinking, Mario kicked the book on the ground.

"Huh, what's this?"

"Oh, that is one of the princess's books, Mario. We assumed she was reading before she was taken."

Mario picked up the book and began to read it.

"Um, Toadsworth, did you bother reading the book?"

"No, Master Mario. Why do you ask?"

"Because the book took Peach."

Mario said while turning the book to Toadsworth and Luigi. He pointed to the sentence that gave the names of the heroes.

"Princess!"

Toadsworth yelled grabbing the book.

"How dare you, you dreadful stationery! Release the princess at once!"

Toadsworth began to shake the book violently.

"I don't-a think that's going to work. I'll go and get E. Gadd. He should be able to help us."

Luigi said as he took off. Mario grabbed the book from Toadsworth, so he didn't damage it in his anger.

"It's going to be okay. We'll get Peach out."

"Of course, I know you and Master Luigi will succeed."

"Yep, and we'll have some help this time."

"You mean from E. Gadd?"

"Him, but other heroes as well. Good friends of mine."

Toadsworth was confused when a Toad came into the room.

"Mario! We have some people who want to see you."

"What who could it be?"

Toadsworth asked the toad. That is when a blue blur came into the room.

"Hey, Sonic."

"Heya, Mario."

Mario and Sonic greeted each other.

"It's good to see you. But I'm guessing this isn't a social visit."

Mario said waving the book. Sonic had an understanding look.

"Unfortunately not. So, do you have a plan to get Peach out?"

"We're working on it. Luigi went to get E. Gadd."

"Cool, Tails should be here soon. Oh, and Fox and Link are here as well."

Mario and Sonic went down to the main area where the others were waiting. When they got there they saw Link arguing with the toads about his horse.

"We're sorry, Mister Link, but you can't bring your horse into the castle."

"Oh, come on. You let Yoshi in."

"Yoshi wears shoes."

Link was about to argue, but then he thought about it. Yoshi did wear shoes. He relented and let the toads take his horse to their stables. That's when Fox walked up to him.

"Your horse will be fine, Link. Peach often says the Toads take good care of her castle and any guests, including their pets."

"She's not a pet."

"You know what I mean. Oh hey, the man of the hour."

Fox said pointing to Mario. Soon the four talked about what had happened and what they were going to do about it.

Present time

"And soon I arrived with Tails arriving shortly after, and with the help of Slippy, and Purah we made this device to try and reach you."

E. Gadd explained.

"And while we were building it, Mario and Sonic managed to get the help of Rosalina, Shadow, and Silver to try and get you out."

"I see."

Peach said while the other three heroines nodded in understanding.

"Now then, shouldn't you explain why you four don't want to come home?"

"Well, where to start?"

Peach, Amy, Krystal, and Zelda began to explain their situation and everything that had happened in the last couple of days.

Meanwhile, on Rosalina's Comet Observatory

Rosalina was on a viewing platform when Starlow flew up to her.

"Rosalina! We're ready."

"Thank you, Starlow."

Rosalina turned and headed to the main room of the Observatory. Waiting in the room were Shadow and Silver with the seven Chaos Emeralds. As Rosalina entered, the seven Star Spirits floated down from the ceiling.

"I believe we are ready, Rosalina."

One of the Star Spirits said.

"Good, thank you both for gathering the Chaos Emeralds and assisting in saving our friends."

"It's no problem, Rosalina. We can't just abandon Amy or the others."

Silver said in response. Shadow just stood quietly, waiting for the operation to start.

"That's right Silver. Now, Starlow, you and I will focus on the star power granted by the Star Spirits. Silver, you, and Shadow will do the same with the Chaos Emeralds. Hopefully, with the combination of the two, we can bring back the others."

"Shouldn't we have the book they are stuck in?"

"Weren't you listening to Tails, Silver? The book is just one way to open the portal. With the power of the Chaos Emeralds and the Star Spirits, we should be able to open the portal to that world."

Shadow said.

"In theory anyways. Now let's begin."

Rosalina, Starlow, Shadow, and Silver began to use the power of the Star Spirits and the Chaos Emeralds to try and open a portal. A small tear began to slowly form. Suddenly the four were engulfed in a bright flash. When they opened their eyes, they saw they were in a space that seemed to be void of anything and everything.

"Whoa, what is this place?"

Silver asked in awe.

"Limbo, The Void, Null Space, whatever you want to call it. It is the area that exists between universes and multiverses."

Rosalina explained.

"So, why are we here and not where Amy and the others are?"

"Hmm, if I had to guess, it's because the girls were taken to a separate multiverse, Silver. That would explain why the power of the Chaos Emeralds and the Star Spirits brought us here instead of where they are."

"So, the attempt failed?"

"No, Shadow. You can still feel the power of the Chaos Emeralds flowing through you, correct?"

Shadow and Silver nodded to Rosalina's question.

"Good, I still feel the power of the Star Spirits in me as well. We succeeded in opening the portal, we just have to do a bit of traveling and find the girls ourselves. Luckily, Tails let me get a feel of the book's energy signature. I should be able to track it to the girls."

"Well, let's get going then."

Shadow said, prompting the four to move forward. But they were blocked by four figures. The figures were completely white and devoid of any features.

"Who are you?"

Shadow asked, but the figures did not respond.

"Are you here to stop us? If so, be warned, we fought gods before and won."

Rosalina, Starlow, Shadow, and Silver got ready to fight. But one of the figures held out its hands in a manner showing it did not want to fight. Rosalina and the others were confused by this action. That's when the same figure beckoned Rosalina to come closer. She did, cautiously, and the figure placed a finger on her forehead. Information flowed into Rosalina's mind. She then turned and walked towards their entry point.

"Shadow, Silver, we need to go."

"What!? Why!? What about Amy and the others?"

Silver frantically asked.

"We need to ask them about coming home like this."

"Again, why? Is there something wrong?"

Shadow asked.

"The way they were summoned to that world made them an integral part of it. They have become that multiverses foundation, and if we take them out carelessly that multiverse will begin to fall apart until it ceases to be."

This information shocked Shadow, Silver, and Starlow.

"We need to head back and ask the girls if they want to come back home this way. I'm sure they wouldn't want to doom another world."

Shadow and Silver agreed, remembering Amy's kindness. With that, the four went back home to tell Mario, Sonic, Fox, and Link about what they learned.

Back in the Mushroom Kingdom

"And that's why we don't want to go home yet."

Peach said, finishing her explanation.

"I see, how noble of you four. Then, if we can't bring you back home, maybe we can send aid instead."

E. Gadd said while rubbing his chin.

"Actually, I could use some power-ups."

"And I would appreciate it if you sent some rings and the elemental shields."

Peach and Amy said.

"Okay, and what about you two? Do you want anything?"

E. Gadd asked Krystal and Zelda. They pondered on this for a bit before answering.

"Yes, send me a reflector and the stealth devices Slippy has been working on."

"How many Krystal?"

Slippy asked.

"How many are ready?"

"Let's see. I have two ready for use right now, but if you give me a couple of days I can have four more ready."

"That's fast."

"Well, once I finish the first one it gets easier to make them."

"Okay, I'll take two right now and another two when they are ready."

"Helping out the others?"

"Yes, the four Cardinal Heroes do need to work together after all."

"Understood."

"Okay, and you, Zelda?"

E. Gadd asked.

"Some ancient weapons would be useful right now."

"Okay, which ones?"

Purah asked.

"One sword, shield, spear, and a bow and arrow."

"Ah, one for each of you."

Zelda nodded. That's when Peach spoke up.

"Oh, Mario, is it possible to get some items for me?"

"Which ones?"

"Four copies of the Guard Shell DX and four copies of the Healthy Ring."

"Okie dokie, it'll be a bit since we have to go and get them from Driftwood Shore."

"Alright then."

"Okay, now while you all are gathering the items for Peach, Amy, Krystal, and Zelda, me, Tails, Slippy, and Purah will be making adjustments to the machine so we can send the items."

E. Gadd explained to Mario, Sonic, Fox, and Link.

"We should also make modifications so we can send people to help. I'm sure Link wants to go and aid Zelda."

Purah added.

"Agreed, Purah, alright people let's get to work."

Just as E. Gadd said that, a bright light filled the room and Rosalina appeared with Shadow, Starlow, and Silver.

"Ah, Rosalina, was your group able to open the portal to the other world?"

"Yes, E. Gadd, but some troubling developments came up."

Rosalina began to explain all she had learned from the four figures.

At the dungeons of Melromarc Castle

It has been a few hours and we see a woman with long pink hair in one of the cells. She is in chains and is being heckled by two guards watching her.

"Such a shame that a beautiful woman like her went against the king."

"She may have beauty, but I have no doubt she's tainted."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, why would she defend those animals? One of them had to be her lover. That's the only reason she would defend them so vehemently."

"So she's nothing but a dirty beast fucker then? How disgusting."

The guards continued to mock and laugh at her. All she could do was lower her head in shame. Suddenly there was a loud thunk and the two guards fell to the ground.

"Are you Eclair?"

A voice asked.

"Um, yes. Who and where are you?"

Eclair asked in concern and confusion. That is when the air began to simmer and Peach and Krystal came into view.

"My name is Peach, and this is Krystal. We are here to save you."

"Rescue me? Were sent by the queen?"

"No, Raphtalia and the rest of the villagers of Lurolona sent us."

"Please, just leave me."

Eclair said while she hung her head in sadness and shame.

"I failed them. I couldn't protect any of them. Why would they need a failure of knight like me?"

"You failed, but that doesn't mean you give up. The people of Lurolona haven't, so why should you?"

"But what if I fail again?"

"Then you get back up and try again. Everyone fails at least once in their lives, but the strong use their failures to build themselves up. Tell me, Eclair, will you be strong and get back up? Or will you stay weak and rot here?"

Eclair pondered Peach's words before she looked at her with a determined gaze.

"I assume you have a plan to get out."

"Of course."

Krystal grabbed the keys off of the unconscious guard and freed Eclair.

"My gear was taken by the captain of the guards. Assuming he hasn't sold it by now, he should still have it."

"Do you know where he is?"

"He should be at the top of the stairs."

Peach, Krystal, and Eclair silently made their way up the stairs. Once they reached the top, they saw two men guarding the entrance to the rest of the castle. One wore standard armor, while the other had slightly more extravagant armor. They assumed that this was the captain of the guards. In the corner of the room was a large sac.

"My gear should be in that sac."

Eclair whispered. Peach and Krystal nodded and proceeded to sneak up on the guards.

"I can't believe the heroes turned out to be frauds."

The captain said.

"The summoning is random, sir. It was only a matter of time until we got duds for heroes."

The other guard said in response.

"Still a shame though. From what I heard the Spear and the Bow were quite the lookers. It sucks that they were complete failures as heroes."

"I think we're doing alright."

Peach said, surprising the guards.

"What the!? How did-"

The captain didn't finish as Peach knocked him out with a punch to the face. The other guard tried to run to a nearby bell to call for help, but Krystal hit the top of his head with the handle of her sword, knocking him out. With the two guards taken care of, Eclair went to the sac to see if it had her gear.

"Excellent, it's all here."

"Good, now to escape."

Peach gestured to a nearby window. They began to scale the outside of the castle until they reached a ledge.

"So what's the next step?"

Eclair asked. Peach smiled and transformed her spear into a golden spear with the socket and blade resembling a star.

"That spear, are you the Spear Hero, Peach?"

"Yes, I am. And Krystal is the Sword Hero."

Peach said, pointing to Krystal who waved her sword as proof. Peach then glowed for a bit and a second Peach poofed into existence. One grabbed Krystal and the other grabbed Eclair.

"Hang on."

She said as the two Peach's leaped high into the air and began to fly. Eclair was in awe at this as they continued towards Lurolona.

"Amazing. I didn't know the Spear Hero could fly."

"I don't think any of the past Spear Heroes before me could, Eclair. This is an ability that I possess, not one granted by the spear."

"But, the spear changed its form, and everything else it did. Surely this is an ability of the Legendary Spear."

"Well, it's complicated. I'll tell you more once we land."

They continued in silence until they reached Lurolona. As they did, they saw two figures waving them down.

"Hey, Peach, Krystal. I'm assuming your rescue mission was a success."

Amy said, pointing to Eclair.

"Yes, it was, Amy."

Peach said as they landed. Soon, the other Peach poofed out of existence, leaving Eclair stunned. Before she could say anything else, Amy and Zelda came up to greet her.

"Hello, I am Zelda, the Bow Hero."

"Hey, I'm Amy, the Shield Hero."

"The Bow and the Shield as well? So all four heroes are here?"

Amy and Zelda nodded at Eclair's question. Suddenly, three people came and tackled Eclair into a hug.

"Eclair! You're back!"

Raphtalia said as she Keel and Rifana hugged Eclair.

"Raphtalia, Keel, Rifana! You three are okay."

"Yes, it's all thanks to the Cardinal Heroines. They saved us from Rabier."

Rifana explained. Eclair's smile turned soured into a frown at the mention of Rabier.

"Of course Rabier had you all enslaved. I wouldn't be surprised if it was his idea to attack my father's lands after the wave."

"Well, you'll get your chance to make him pay for that soon. First, we rebuild Lurolona."

Peach said, receiving a nod from Eclair. That's when Amy handed her a sleeping bag.

"Here, it's late so get some rest. We'll start reconstruction tomorrow."

"Right, thank you once again, Cardinal Heroines."

Eclair said with a bow before she went with Raphtalia, Keel, and Rifana to find a place to sleep. With the rescue done the four heroines went to find a spot where they could sleep.

"Good choice on the power-ups, Peach."

"Considering the situation it made sense to have these power-ups."

Peach replied to Amy. Earlier, when E. Gadd had sent aid through the machine, Peach had requested the double cherry, winged cap, and the time stopper. When backup arrived tomorrow they would bring even more power-ups. Slippy was able to send Krystal the two cloaking devices and Amy and Zelda would get their help when backup arrived. Then Peach, Krystal, and Amy lay down to sleep while Zelda takes the first watch of the night.

The next day

Dawn breaks over the villagers of Lurolona. As they got up, a tantalizing smell overtook them. They looked to the four heroines who were making breakfast.

"Rise and shine everyone. Make a line, we have plenty for all."

Amy said as she got a plate of food from Zelda. The villagers all lined up for breakfast. As everyone was getting their plates, Raphtalia was looking around.

"Hey, Keel, have you seen Eclair?"

"No, I wonder where she is."

While the two are pondering on Eclair's location, Amy speaks up.

"Oh, she and Neia went into the woods earlier to level up. They should be back soon."

"Oh, that's good. Who's Neia?"

"She's a blue elf girl Krystal and I saved a couple of days ago. She came last night wanting to join our party."

"Oh, is she friendly?"

"Yes, she is, Raphtalia. I think you all will get along just fine. Now here, eat up, we have a long day ahead of us."

Amy gave Raphtalia, Keel, and Rifana a plate of food. They took it graciously and went to find a place to sit. Soon Eclair and Neia came out of the forest looking exhausted.

"Hey, there you two. Did training go well?"

Amy asked.

"Well, we made progress, Lady Amy. But I never knew how difficult it was to fight at level one."

Eclair said with Neia nodding in agreement. Along with being thrown into the dungeon, King Aultcray had reduced Eclair's level back to one. Now she was doing all she could to get back her strength.

"It'll probably be much easier once you join one of our parties."

Peach said.

"You're right, Lady Peach. That smells good."

Eclair and Neia looked to the pot of food and their stomachs began to groan. Peach started to chuckle and got two plates.

"Here, a good meal after a hard training session is good."

"Thank you."

Eclair and Neia said as they took the plates. With everyone fed the four heroines prepared their plates and sat down to eat. After breakfast was done the villagers and the heroines gathered to discuss the rebuilding of Lurolona.

"Okay, now that our bellies are full, let's start the rebuilding!"

Keel shouted, getting cheers from his fellow demi-humans. As they were about to begin, the legendary weapons began to vibrate again.

"Oh my, it appears our backup has arrived."

Peach said as she, Amy, Krystal, and Zelda separated from everyone and pointed the gems of their weapons to an open area. Soon a beam of light came from the weapons and hit a spot on the field. Once the light faded, four figures were standing where the beam had hit. They looked around, and once one of them saw Peach, he ran up to her.

"Peach!"

The man yelled as he picked up Peach in a hug.

"Mario! It's good to see you too."

Peach said with a smile. Soon the other three walked up and greeted the heroines. While this was happening, Eclair, Neia, and the villagers were watching in confusion. That is when Eclair spoke up.

"Um, excuse me, Lady Peach, but who are these people?"

"Oh, sorry about that. To answer your question, Eclair, these are our friends."

"From where?"

"Our home, we can bring allies from our world."

"What!? I never heard of any past heroes having that ability."

"Well, we do. Now, time for introductions. This is Mario, hero of the Mushroom Kingdom."

Peach said while Mario waved to the villagers. Krystal walked up next.

"This is Fox Mccloud, Leader of the Star Fox team."

Fox gave a nod.

"This is Link, my knight and hero of Hyrule."

Link also gave a nod.

"And last but not least, this is my Sonic."

Amy said while holding onto Sonic's arm. Sonic looked embarrassed but wasn't doing anything to stop her.

"Lady Amy is Sonic your lover?"

"Well,"

"Yes, Sonic and Amy are dating."

Krystal answered.

"Krystal, don't read my mind! That was private."

"I'm sorry, Amy, but your thoughts about him were so loud. I couldn't help but overhear your thoughts."

Amy pouted a bit while all the villagers were observing Mario, Fox, Link, and Sonic. Raphtalia, Keel, and Rifana were very interested in Sonic.

"Hey there, is something wrong?"

Sonic asked the three.

"Why are you naked?"

Raphtalia asked. All the villagers turned and started to give Sonic weird stares.

"Okay, hold on. Let me explain. Back in my world males don't normally wear clothes."

Amy explained.

"That's weird. How does he cover his privates?"

"Where are his privates?"

Raphtalia and Keel asked. Sonic just turned away in embarrassment.

"I guess we'll have to get you clothes, huh Sonic?"

Mario said before turning to Peach.

"By the way, here are the other power-ups."

Mario handed a bag to Peach. Peach grabbed the bag and held it over the gem of her spear. It was soon absorbed and a pop-up appeared, showing all the new power-ups she attained.

"So, is it just you guys, or will others be joining us?"

Amy asked.

"Don't worry, Amy, we're just the first ones to come through. Our friends will be joining us soon."

"Then we should wait for our weapons to vibrate again. That'll signal when they're ready."

Zelda said, staring at her bow.

"Oh, they won't be coming through the same way we came in."

Link explained.

"What do you mean, Link."

"They're preparing something to help you four."

"What is it?"

Krystal asked Fox.

"I'm not sure, Krystal. They didn't tell us all the details. Just that it was going to be big, really big."

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait for them then. Now, we have a lot of work rebuilding the village. Mario, Sonic, Fox, Link, would you four be kind enough to help?"

Peach asked. The four nodded and the reconstruction of Lurolona began. With the help of four new heroes, it seemed like things were getting better for the freed slaves.

Back with Rosalina

Rosalina was in her observatory watching over the construction of something. That is when E. Gadd came up to her along with Purah.

"E. Gadd, Purah, how goes the construction?"

"It's going great, Rosalina. With the help of Purah, Tails, and Slippy the designing of our project is going great."

"And with the added muscle assembling it is also progressing smoothly."

E. Gadd and Purah answered.

"Yes, at this pace it should be finished within a day. Maybe sooner."

"That's good, E. Gadd. Purah, how does finding allies go?"

"It's going great, Rosalina. After the other kingdoms found out what happened to Zelda they offered any aid they could. Sidon came from the Zorah, we have Riju and Buliara from the Gerudo, Teba from the Rito, and Yunobo from the Gorons. The kingdoms can't send any more as they still have to protect their own homes."

"That's fine, Purah. Any help is appreciated. E. Gadd, how about from our home?"

"Well, Luigi is a given, Daisy offered to help and is already here. DK, Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong showed up a few minutes ago and are helping in the construction. Yoshi is on his way, and as for Wario and Waluigi, well, we're working on that."

"I see, we'll just have to hope Toadsworth can convince them to aid us. How about from Sonic's team?"

"Knuckles has also arrived and is aiding in the construction. Vector, Charmy, and Espio are also coming along. And Vanilla and her daughter Cream insisted they come along as well."

"Very well, I'm sure Amy will understand. And did Star Fox get any other aid?"

"Yes, Katt Monroe should be arriving soon along with some other allies."

"Good, we'll take all we can get. Once the construction is done, Shadow, Silver, and I will use the power of the Chaos Emeralds and the Star Spirits to send everyone who's offered aid and the new base to that world."

Rosalina said as she gazed upon the project. A giant space station to act as a base for the four heroines and their allies.

"I know they need help, but this seems excessive."

Purah commented.

"Whatever took them to that world made them an integral part of that world's foundation. Such power needed to do that is why I commissioned the construction of this base."

"I still don't understand, Rosalina."

"Remember, Purah, those four were taken to fight off a great force. Since whatever summoned them needed them to fight that force leads me to believe that whatever they have to fight is just as powerful, or maybe even stronger."

Rosalina's words give a sense of dread to Purah and E. Gadd.

"Then we best finish this as soon as possible. Come along, Purah."

E. Gadd said heading back to work. Rosalina was left alone with her thoughts.

"I pray that whatever help we can send will be enough."

In Melromarc Castle

Aultcray was sitting on his throne pondering over the new information he received. He learned that Eclair had escaped last night. And what's worse is that the Spear and Sword heroines freed her.

"Damn it!"

Aultcray screamed.

"If Mirellia learns of what happened to Lurolona I will surely lose my head. I must capture Eclair at all costs. But she is under the protection of the Cardinal Heroines. How do I take her from them?"

Aultcray pondered this until his face lit up.

"Of course! Advisor!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Call my lead shadow."

"Of course, sir."

The advisor left to retrieve the individual. After a few minutes, the shadow came into the throne room.

"You called, sire?"

"Yes, I want you to send some agents to Lurolona and report back with their findings."

"But, Lurolona was destroyed, sire."

"Do not question my orders! Just do it, or I'll throw you in the dungeons for treason!"

"Of course, I meant no disrespect. I'll send some men out immediately."

The shadow left to complete his task. Aultcray sat there, thinking of a plan.

"If my hunch is correct, I'll just wait for when the heroines are busy. They still have to fight the waves. And then I'll strike and capture Eclair once again. This time I'll lock her up in an unknown location. The truth about Lurolona must never be known."

The king said to himself, fearing his wife's wrath should she learn of Lurolona. Unfortunately for him, her shadows had already learned of what had happened and were on their way to report it.

Faubrey

Queen Mirellia is in her room, resting after a long day of diplomacy. Thanks to Aultcray's actions in summoning the four heroes, he had angered the other kingdoms of the world. According to a treaty signed by all the major kingdoms, one hero would be summoned to each country, to better fight the waves. Faubrey would get the Spear, Zeltobe the Sword, Siltvelt the Shield, and finally the Bow for Melromarc. But Aultcray had gone against that treaty and now they all wanted to wage war against Melromarc to retrieve their heroes.

Mirellia was in discussions with all the kingdoms. Putting out the fires Aultcray had caused and dissuaded the other kingdoms from waging war. Unfortunately, her husband was not making things easier for her. The kingdoms had sent out envoys to Melromarc to try and get the heroes to join the proper kingdoms as the treaty dictated. However, the authorities of Melromarc did not help and would not disclose the locations of the heroes. This just caused the other kingdoms to assume that Melromarc was hoarding the heroes to itself. Siltvelt's representative even accused Melromarc of killing their Shield Hero.

Mirellia was able to convince him that the Shield Hero lived. According to the old texts, the waves become stronger and appear more frequently if a hero dies. There have been no changes to the waves, so it stood to reason that the Shield was in good health. While this stopped the accusations of murder, the representatives were still angry at Melromarc for going against the treaty.

"That damn fool. What was he thinking?"

Mirellia said to herself in anger. That is when one of her shadows appeared in the room.

"My queen, I have a report on the heroes."

"What is the status of the heroes?"

"They are all alive and well, but they refuse to work with the king."

"Why is that?"

"The first princess arranged the kidnapping and sale of a citizen of Melromarc and planned to frame the Shield for it. The king went along with a trial and charged her of kidnapping and selling a Melromarc citizen."

*SNAP!*

Mirellia had crushed a fan in her hand. Angry that her daughter and husband did such a thing.

"I can't believe Aultcray would do such a thing."

"The fact that the Shield is a demi more than likely aided in his decision."

"What? The Shield is a demi-human?"

"Yes, the Sword as well, your majesty. The Shield appears to be a pink female hedgehog demi. And the Sword is a blue female fox demi."

"I see, that would explain his rash actions. Undoubtedly, the church and my daughter are taking advantage of his prejudice against demi-humans. And what of the Spear and the Bow?"

"They are blonde human women, Your Majesty."

"So all four heroes are females? And how did the other heroines react to the trial?"

"They did not believe the accusations. They defended the Shield even with the king threatening them. The Spear even managed to save the one who was kidnapped and presented her so she could reveal who truly captured her."

"I see, it appears that these heroines will not be fooled by fake tears and lies."

"No, they will not. It appears they all know each other."

"Really?"

"Yes, they called each other by name even before introducing themselves to Aultcray. The Spear seems especially protective of the other heroines. And the Sword can sense when any shadow is near."

"That's unusual, past heroes have all been from different locations. I wonder why it is different this time?"

"From what we were able to gather, it appears that the four have done this before. The Spear and Shield would often speak of traveling to different worlds or dimensions."

"How strange, but fortunate. The act of summoning the heroes is not that different from kidnapping. There have been incidents where the heroes refused to work with us because of this. To have the heroines already used to this may prove beneficial."

"Indeed."

"Is there more to what my husband has done to anger the heroines?"

"Yes, when the other heroines defended the Shield Aultcray made one final and desperate move. He threatened to remove all support for the heroines if they continued to defend the Shield."

"That fool. I'm assuming the heroines did not take kindly to this."

"No, they did not, Your Majesty. They stated they would not accept aid from a crooked king and left the castle. The Spear even left behind this contract that details the sale of Rino, the citizen who was kidnapped."

The shadow presented the contract. Mirellia took it and read it. Her face showed more anger and frustration the more she read. She then pointed two fingers at a family portrait nearby and ice needles pierced the faces of Malty and Aultcray.

"I can't believe how low they would sink. To sell out one of their own to frame the Shield, unforgivable. Where are the heroes now?"

"They are currently at the ruins of Lurolona with the rescued citizens."

"Huh? What happened to Lurolona?"

"It was destroyed during the first wave and Lord Seaetto was killed. After his death, the king sent a battalion of knights led by Idol Rabier to destroy what was left and enslave the citizens there. Eclair tried to defend her home but was quickly overwhelmed. She was then charged with treason and placed in the dungeons."

"That damn racist fool! All the work I've done to make peace with Siltvelt he undoes it in a matter of days. What happened next?"

"The heroes purchased a slave who was a former citizen of Lurolona. They heard her pleas and helped free the remaining slaves under Rabier's control."

"I see, how much damage was caused in the battle? I'm sure Rabier didn't let them go without a fight."

"There was no fight, Your Majesty. The four heroines managed to trick Rabier into selling his slaves to them. He is unaware that they are now free."

"That's impressive. It seems these heroines truly live up to their titles."

"Indeed, they are now staying in Lurolona to aid in its reconstruction and have even rescued Eclair."

"Good, keep me informed on the heroines and my foolish husband and daughter's actions."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The shadow left to complete her tasks. That is when the door to the room opened. It was a young girl with purple hair like the queen's. This was Melty, the younger daughter of the king and queen.

"Mother, the king of Faubrey wishes to speak to you."

"Thank you, Melty. Let us go and meet him."

Mirellia said as she left with her daughter.

Back in Lurolona

The reconstruction was proceeding faster than expected. With Mario and Sonic's help, it was looking better than before.

"Okie dokie, so this is what the house looked like?"

Mario asked Keel, looking at a picture he had drawn of his house.

"Yes, please be careful, Mister Mario. This house is important to me."

"Don't-a worry, I got it."

Mario went to work and a huge dust cloud formed where he was. The sounds of hammer swings and reconstruction were heard for a minute and then stopped. When the dust settled, Keel's house was repaired. It looks good as new.

"So, how's this?"

Mario asked.

"Amazing, how were you able to do that so fast?"

"Years of practice kid."

Mario said while giving a thumbs up. He then went to help out others. Sonic, Peach, and Amy were also helping out repairing the village. That's when Raphtalia walked up to Peach.

"Excuse me, Lady Spear."

"You don't have to call me that, Raphtalia. Just use my name, Peach."

"Oh, okay then. Do you know where Eclair is, Lady Peach?"

Peach just giggled at how formally Raphtalia addressed her.

"She's with Krystal and Fox right now. They're in the forest trying to raise her levels."

"Oh, alright then. I was just worried."

Raphtalia left to continue what she was doing. Meanwhile, with Krystal. She, Fox, and Eclair were in the woods fighting off Mushes, mushroom monsters.

"Excellent, I'm already level five. If we keep up this pace I should be able to reach my former level in no time."

Eclair said as she killed another mush.

"That's good, Eclair. Now I have a request for you."

"A request, Lady Krystal?"

"Just call me Krystal, and I want you to teach me swordsmanship."

"What? But you're the Sword Hero. Do you not know how to use a sword?"

"I mostly used a staff back home, so I had to adapt. The villagers often praise your skills and I want you to help me grow."

"I see, very well then. Let's begin."

Eclair got into a fight stance as did Krystal. They traded blows for a bit with Eclair noting Krystal's fight style.

"It's obvious that you are self-taught, but you have good reflexes and combat awareness. I'm impressed, Krystal."

"Thank you, I had to learn to defend myself at a young age."

"I see, then let me teach you some proper stances."

They stopped sparring so Eclair could teach Krystal. In another part of the woods, Zelda, Link, and Neia were also killing mushes to help Neia level up.

"Yes! I'm at level five! Thank you so much, Lady Zelda, and Sir Link."

Neia said with a bow.

"It's quite alright, Neia. And please, just call me Zelda."

"Oh, okay then, and you, Sir Link?"

"Just Link is fine."

"Alright then."

"Okay, now that you have leveled up a bit, I think it's time we teach you how to fight."

Zelda said, she looked to Link who nodded. He pulled out two wooden swords from his bag and gave one to Neia.

"Link is a master swordsman and is willing to teach you, Neia."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."

"It's fine, Neia. Now hold up your sword. We're going through some basic knight exercises."

Link said as he got ready. Neia did as instructed and began to learn swordsmanship from Link. A few hours passed and the two groups returned to Lurolona. Link, Zelda, Krystal, Eclair, and Neia were left speechless while Fox whistled at what he saw. The once-ruined village was now restored. It was as if the had never happened.

"Damn, Mario and Sonic work fast, huh?"

Fox commented.

"I don't believe it. I thought it would take at least a few weeks to restore the village, but it's already done?"

Eclair said in disbelief.

"Yes, Peach did mention that Mario had worked in construction, but I wasn't expecting this level of craftsmanship."

Zelda said.

"Indeed, but this is just the start. We have plans to improve the security of the village. So it doesn't fall victim to that cruel king's actions again."

Krystal said with the others nodding in agreement. As they were walking to the village, Peach waved them down.

"Hey there! So? How did leveling up go?"

"It went well, Peach. Eclair and Neia are level ten now."

"That's good, Krystal. The next wave is two weeks away. We all need to be ready for it."

Everyone nodded at Peach's words. That's when four bright lights began to fly around the group.

"What is this? Are these spirits? Or possibly spies from the king?"

"No, no, no, no. They are fine, Eclair. They are friends from my world. They are called Lumas."

Peach explained.

"Oh, well that's good. I was afraid the king had discovered that Lurolona's citizens were rescued and rebuilding the town. No doubt he would send another platoon of knights and slavers to destroy the village again."

"Don't worry, Eclair. If he does, the Cardinal Heroines and their allies will be here to stop him."

Peach said, with the others giving reassuring nods and thumbs up to Eclair.

"Thank you, everyone. Now, what are these "Lumas"?"

"They are infant stars, Eclair. Each one holds great power. My friend sent them so they could take us to our "gift"."

"What do you mean "gift", Peach?"

Krystal asked.

"Well, when our friends come to help, they'll bring that "big" something with them. It's so big, that it'll not fit here. So, Rosalina, Shadow, and Silver will be using the Star Spirits and Chaos Emeralds to open a portal to bring it."

"Okay, and where will it be appearing, Peach?"

Peach just pointed to the sky. Krystal, Zelda, Fox, and Link were confused for a bit. Until their eyes widened in shock.

"Wait, you mean it's going to be in space!?"

"Yep, our base will rest among the stars."

"Oh my, I've never been to the stars before."

Zelda commented. That's when their screens popped up in front of the heroines.

"Hello?"

E. Gadd said through the screen.

"Hello, E. Gadd."

"Ah, Peach, it's good to see you. The base is complete and now rests above you. The Lumas will be able to take you all there."

"Thank you, E. Gadd. We'll go right away."

Peach then hung up the call.

"Okay, we're going to our new base of operations. Now, Eclair, and Neia, since you two joined our parties we want you to come with us. Will that be fine?"

"But, what about the village? We can't abandon it, Lady Peach."

"Don't worry, Eclair. We won't be gone for long. The Lumas are extremely fast. We'll be able to make the journey in a few minutes."

"Oh my, well if that's the case, then of course I'll go. I'm curious as to how this base looks."

"Good, and what about you, Neia?"

"You all have saved my life and given me a purpose. I'll follow you to the ends of the earth."

"Good. Now, before we go, others wish to join us."

Peach said. That is when Raphtalia, Keel, and Rifana walked up to the group.

"We wish to join your parties."

Raphtalia said.

"Are you sure? You'll be throwing away your childhoods."

Amy said in concern.

"We know, Lady Amy, but we want to become strong enough to defend our home and fight by your side."

Rifana answered. Peach, Amy, Krystal, and Zelda had a quick discussion before they turned back to the three children.

"Alright then, if you are sure about this, welcome aboard. We'll figure out which parties you'll be joining later."

Amy said.

"Well, we all want to join the Shield Heroes party."

"That may be a problem. You see, some friends of ours will be joining us from our world. We need to divide the manpower between the hero teams."

"Oh, how many allies will be coming?"

"You'll soon see, Keel. Now then, let's get going. Peach, if you would."

"Got it, Amy."

Peach waved to the Lumas and they began to spin around the group. Soon they all began to float off the ground.

"W-What!? What's happening!?"

Eclair asked in shock.

"Don't worry, Eclair. The Lumas are just using their power to take us to the base. Now hold on."

Peach explained. The group began to fly off into the sky. Unbeknownst to them, two shadows were watching from the woods. One belonged to the queen, the other belonged to the king.

"I must report this at once!"

"The queen must know of these developments!"

The two shadows said as they took off.

In space above the world

The group was now soaring through the space above the world. The natives of Melromarc looked down at the world. They were astonished by what was happening.

"I can't believe it. We are flying through the stars. This is amazing!"

Eclair said in excitement.

"I never thought I would see the world like this."

Neia commented.

"I didn't think the heroes were capable of this."

"Of course, Miss Amy can do this, Keel. She's the Shield Hero, she can do anything!"

"I don't think it's just Amy, Rifana. Lady Peach was the one who summoned the Lumas. If anything it's because of her that we're flying."

Keel, Rifana, and Raphtalia said amongst themselves. The four heroines and their friends couldn't help but smile at the others. It was nice to see how excited they were for this.

"Now then, where is it?"

Peach said, looking for the base.

"Aha! Over there."

Peach pointed to a large space station floating above the world. The Melromarc native's jaws dropped at seeing this.

"Don't get too excited now. Wait till we see the inside."

Amy said. The group flew towards their new base. Hope filled the natives of Melromarc. If the allies of the four heroines were capable of this, then they would be able to stop the waves with little to no difficulty. For once since the waves started, a bright future could be seen by them.

And that's the end of the chapter. So yeah, the four heroines will have a lot of help this time around and a fancy new space station. Thank you so much for reading, hope you have a nice day, and feel free to leave a review.