I do hope some people review... I wanna know what you guys think! Anyways, here's another chapter for ya! I'm happy with how this one came out! Enjoy!
-Joost
Shattering the Stars
Chapter 11: We Shatter
Jim and his horse, Ivory, went down the sandy path towards the mouth of Great Bay in no hurry. The Bomber could taste the salt in the air as his trusty steed trotted along, weaving his way through the poorly placed fences and other obstacles. Even if he normally admired the view of the sea, now, there were different things on Jim's mind.
Romani sat quietly on the tiled porch of the beach house, staring out at the ocean blankly. Her arms were crossed, and she could feel the breeze of the bay flow through her hair, yet she didn't bask in it. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge the scene before her, her eyes too focused on the picture in her head. The image of her husband, wherever he might be, doing who knows what. She couldn't stop thinking about it, not for a second.
"Romani!" Jim called out as soon as he spotted her. She didn't hear him, too absorbed in her own paranoid thoughts. He called to her again, then again, the third attempt finally being successful.
"Oh, hello, Jim!" Romani stood up slowly, one hand on her back, the other rubbing her stomach. The baby wasn't too happy with its mother's mood lately, kicking and squirming around. "H-How are you?" She managed to say while waving.
Jim looked at Romani with concern as Ivory slowed down to a stop. He dismounted from his horse and put his hands on his hips, his red bandana flapping in the wind. "I think a better question is how are you, Romani? You better not have been sitting out here again."
"Romani hasn't been out here for that long, don't be silly! She's just… Uh…" Romani lost her words, barely able to keep up the facade of being fine. Her sentence didn't even finish, and instead she just looked down and played with her wedding band, hoping Jim wouldn't inquire more.
Jim sighed, shaking his head. Romani had been almost a different person in the week Link had been gone. Her voice was less spunky, her attitude was dreary, and she hadn't been eating right. To top it all off, every single day, when Jim came to visit to check up on her, he found her just sitting on the porch, staring out at the sea, doing nothing. He didn't know how long she was at it, but he presumed it was hours. Statue-like is what he described her as to Anju, Kafei, and Cremia.
"Romani, please, be honest with me," Jim asked sincerely, worried for his friend. Romani was one of Jim's only friends he had to talk to, to tell the truth. Link was off on his quest, the other Bombers were busy living their lives, and Skull Kid… Jim tried not to think about. All he had was his girlfriend Pamela and Romani.
"Romani is being honest, now stop asking questions!" Romani balled up her fists and kept them to her sides, trying to get Jim to stop worrying. Even as an adult, she hated being the subject of worry. She had proven long ago that she can take care of herself, so she thought this was no different.
"Hey, I'm not trying to make you upset, Romani! I'm just… You know…" Jim could tell that Romani herself was worried about Link, as he was. It was the subject of a lot of his thoughts. He hoped and prayed that Link was alright, since this journey across the realms wasn't quite the same as the pair of adventures Link had in both Hyrule and Termina.
Silence fell on the two friends as looked at each other, great concern coating Jim's face as he gazed at Romani. He stepped closer, opening his arms up for a hug, which Romani quickly accepted. Link had always instilled the best in them, but now with him absent, they felt almost empty. They were used to Link being there, making up the inseparable trio that had faced down the Garo Master and Twinrova all those years ago.
"Just because you miss him," Jim said, fighting his instincts not to cry, "Doesn't mean you're not the only one." Jim parted from Romani and smiled weakly. There, the ranch woman could see the bags under his eyes. "I've been losing sleep over this, trust me, and so has Anju and Kafei. We're all worried about him."
"Romani… Romani knows…"
"You aren't alone, Romani, and you know that," Jim walked up to his horse and patted her on the side. "Come on, Anju wants you to stay a few nights at the inn, just so you'll be okay. Alright?"
"Jim, I…" Romani muttered, looking back to the ocean. For a minute or two she just stared out at the sea, uncertain about what she should do. A small frown grew along her face, and she huffed, turning away and joining Jim. "Fine, Romani needs to get away from this view anyways…"
Jim smiled and helped Romani get onto Ivory safely. Even while pregnant, she still knew how to ride a horse, but to be sure that nothing happened, Jim was going to handle his steed. With a gentle kick of his boots, Ivory took off, leaving Great Bay and soon entering Termina Field, Clock Town in her sights. But the entire ride to town, all Romani could think about was her Grasshopper.
Link, Mario, Luigi, Tael, and Kirby jumped from their seats to peer out the window. Sure enough, there was something huge outside hovering in the sky, casting a shadow along the bustling strip of Toad Town. The group immediately raced to the front door, Link picking up his gear on the way out and putting it on in three seconds flat.
"What's happening?" Tael asked as he flew over to Mario and hid behind his cap.
Mario and his brother stared at the enormous ship in the sky, their faces conveying that they were ready to fight. None of them knew what was going on, but it was clear it wasn't a friendly visit. Deep down, Link had a hunch that he knew what was going on, but he wished it wasn't what he was thinking. He simply kept quiet and pulled out his sword and shield.
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's gotta get through us!" Mario declared valiantly as he inspected the dreadnaught that was suspended in the sky. It's size was comparable to Peach's Castle, and it boasted on board weaponry more menacing than anything that Bowser had ever shown off.
More cannon shots were fired from the ship, each striking one of the buildings in the vicinity and taking out a chunk of them, rubble and debris crashing down onto the road. Screaming Toads fled the scene, some tripping and falling, getting almost trampled by the others trying to run away.
"Ah!" Mario watched a set of Toads get stepped on like dirt by their own friends. Mortified, Mario's instincts took hold, grabbing Luigi's arm and breaking off from the group to go help the injured Toads. "C'mon, Weege, we gotta help them!" Mario looked back and shouted orders to the others, "Link, Kirby, you guys stay there and figure out what's going on!"
"Got it!" Link replied, holding his sword firmly.
"Poyo!" Kirby wiped away his normal smile, his face scrunching up into a frown. He ferreted around to see if there was anything to inhale for a Copy Ability, but nothing stood out to him just yet.
Up above, the dreadnaught's hull slowly opened, revealing thousands, if not millions of mechanical looking things that flew out and descended towards the Mushroom Kingdom. Such advanced technology was foreign even to this realm. The drones soared down and deployed their weapons, elongated tubing with rectangular bottoms, magazines chock full of ammo. They didn't fire, however, only using their large, glass eyes to scan the environment, searching for something.
"You ready for this, Kirby?" Link looked down at Kirby as he reached into his item bag and retrieved his hookshot. Kirby looked a little worried, but he brushed off his fear and summoned his Warp Star, hopping on and getting into a defensive stance. Link just beamed, "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
Kirby flew off on his Warp Star and Link took to the air with his hookshot, firing it into the side of a nearby building and letting his body be hoisted upward. When he reached the peak of his ascent, he detached the tip of the hookshot and aimed it at another building, firing it. Link started his swinging technique, something he had mastered long ago while training in Great Bay. Tael did his best to keep up with his companion, zipping along and helping Link find good places to fire the hookshot.
One of the drones swooped down and planned to intercept Link, flying right into the hero's path. Link brought his foot upward, and as soon as he was in range, he kicked, smashing into the glass eye of the machine and rendering it blind. It scuttled around in the sky before crashing into the pavement, sparks flying from its exposed circuitry.
Link swung one last time before landing on the roof of an arcade, taking a moment to inspect his surroundings. This part of Toad Town hadn't been seen yet, at least by his eyes. The Terminian ran to the edge of the rooftop and peered down at the street below, trying to get a grip on where he was.
"Alright, where to next?" Link asked Tael as he scanned the ground and the adjacent buildings.
"How am I supposed to know, Link?! I was following your lead!" Tael complained.
"Well I- Uh oh," Link turned back around to face Tael, but the sight of a squad of incoming drones caught his eye. Link pulled his shield from his back and held it up, ready to slash anything that came close.
The drones readied their weapons, the tubes heating up in preparation to fire, but then suddenly they stopped. Their guns retracted back into their bodies and their eyes focused intently on Link. Something about him had garnered someone's attention, but they weren't granted much time to analyze Link, the sounds of a sparking star coming from the right.
Kirby rode on his Warp Star and passed by the squad of machines, the gust of wind confusing their flight stabilizers. The Star Warrior inhaled two of the drones and spat them back out, their remains colliding with the other two and exploding in a burst of flame.
"Way to go, Kirby!" Tael cheered for the pink puffball.
Kirby waved to his friends before another drone tried to attack. It's weapon fired a concentrated bolt of plasma at the hero, but the Warp Star dodged and then flew in closer, allowing Kirby to inhale the pest. Kirby jumped up as a blinding white light engulfed him, and when he became visible again, he had obtained the Jet Ability. With a large thruster mounted on his back, Kirby's speed greatly increased, his Warp Star shrinking down to pocket size for the puffball to store away.
"Woah, yeah!" Link stared with awe as he witnessed Kirby fly around like a shooting star, more of the machines in pursuit. There was no time to waste, so Link aimed his hookshot at another wall and started to swing away, his sword in his other hand.
Any incoming drone was sliced clean in half by the Gilded Sword, Link's accuracy itself a dangerous opponent. With each swing from the hookshot, Link slashed his sword gracefully, clearing the way for more Toads on the ground to make it to safety. The act reminded the hero that Mario and Luigi were still somewhere down below, completely open to attack.
"Kirby, you go on and take care of those machines, Tael and I are heading back to help the brothers!" Link shouted to Kirby. As the pink warrior rocketed through the sky, he plowed through every drone that entered his sight, their pieces raining down on the ground.
"Poyo?" Kirby just barely heard Link before a large mass of darkness came out of nowhere, striking Kirby directly in the cheek and sending him spiraling out of control. He fell out of the sky, crashing somewhere out of sight from Link.
"What the-?" Link's eyes widened in horror, alarmed that someone had the skill to hit Kirby at such high speeds. Suddenly, a small, circular device shot out towards Link, a metal rope connected to it. In his distraction he had no time to react, the steel cable swinging around his body and trapping him like a hunted animal.
"Enough!" A booming voice roared from the ground as the metal wire forced Link downward, the chain of the hookshot almost snapping as the hero was sent plummeting.
Link crashed like a meteorite, the impact of his landing forming a crater in the solid concrete of the sidewalk. Dust, pebbles, and rock were flung into the air and the Gilded Sword and Mirror Shield clattered on the road just a few feet away. The wire tightened around Link's body, tearing the sleeves of his tunic and his leggings, drawing blood. Link groaned as his back ached from the crash, struggling to free himself from the cable. He didn't even get the chance to escape, the cord dragging him out of the crater and into the air, wrapping around a lamppost and leaving him dangling upside down.
"Hm…" A voice murmured, Link freezing as soon as he heard it. A tall, slender man appeared in front of Link, eyes narrowed, inspecting him. Link's heart pounded, threatening to burst out of his chest, his senses screaming at him that this was the monster he'd been looking for. The gentleman looked unimpressed with the subject of his eyes. "You're not the man I expected to see here."
"Sh-Shatterhand?" Link asked.
"Yes, it is I," said the man confidently, bowing before Link as the hero remained in the air, swaying gently as he hung precariously from the lamppost.
Shatterhand smiled wickedly, his perfect, white teeth showing from beneath his heavy, ginger moustache. He wore a plated-armor suit, colored a deep navy blue and sporting a golden belt with various trinkets hooked onto it. On his pointer finger of the left hand was a the end of a wire, the same wire that was wrapped around Link, keeping him in place. On his right hand was a black, geometric gauntlet with a shimmering darkness coming from its jagged fingertips.
"I must admit, I was anticipating someone much… older than you," Shatterhand remarked, slowly walking circles around Link as he dangled helplessly. "Tell me, did my men actually finish off your variant? Was their incompetence unfounded, and did I kill them for nothing?"
Link said nothing, scowling as he locked eyes with Shatterhand.
"Well?!" Shatterhand flexed his left hand, the cord around Link's body tightening. Blood started to leak from the hero's cuts, dripping off the edges of the steel wire binding him. Link groaned again as the rope lacerated his skin.
"He-" Link sputtered, struggling to breathe. He grit his teeth and spoke scornfully. "He succumbed to his wounds, you bastard! I… made him a promise when he died. I am here in his place."
Shatterhand's eyes widened, and he relaxed his hand, the wire loosening its grip a bit, allowing the hero to get some oxygen. The fiend turned away and pondered to himself for a moment, his gauntlet rubbing his chin smoothly. A light chuckle came from his lips, the scenario amusing him. "I guess those boys were more skilled than I gave them credit for…"
Shatterhand flipped back around, his cape rustling. "No matter, as I suspected killing your variant would've been ridiculously easy. You, however, you're younger, stronger, more resistant. Finishing you will be a treat!" Venom laced Shatterhand's mouth as he clenched his fist, the wire tightening once more, straining Link's body even harder than before.
"N-No! Augh!" Link grunted, fighting to somehow free himself. He felt the wire further maim his skin, the blood trickling down his arms. A part of him refused to die, not like this.
"Get away from him!" Mario's voice came as a surprise as he jumped in to save Link, his outfit now a completely different palette. His overalls were a rosy red and his shirt and cap were as white as snow.
Mario lunged his fists forward, flames building up by his palms before taking shape, being launched from his hands and knocking Shatterhand away. Three fireballs made direct contact with the target, but he quickly pulled his cape up and deflected the rest of the volley, smoke rising from the heat resistant material. Surprised at how effortlessly his fire was handled, Mario looked to Luigi.
"Give him all you got, Weege!" Mario ran over to help Link as Luigi unleashed Thunderhand, sending waves of lightning at Shatterhand, keeping him at bay for a moment. Taking one look at the wire suspending Link in midair told the plumber that it needed to be cut, and luckily the Gilded Sword was just a few feet away.
Mario picked up the Gilded Sword and easily cut the steel wire, leading to Link falling to the ground unceremoniously. Helping the Terminian to his feet, Mario dusted Link off while he came to his senses. "Here, I think this is yours," Mario handed Link the sword and shield.
"Thanks…" Link panted, his arms shaky and his sleeves stained with his blood.
"WAAH!" Luigi flew past Link and Mario and slammed into a stop sign on the other side of the street, the pole ringing as it bent under the weight of Luigi's body.
"Hey!" Mario shouted to Shatterhand, his fist igniting again in rage. Shatterhand sneered, pleased with himself as Mario went to help his brother, Link defending the pair with the Mirror Shield. "Hey, hey, bro, you alright?" Mario tended to an injured Luigi, examining his face and arms.
"Ugh… I… I think I broke a rib," Luigi wheezed as he clutched the lower side of his torso in pain. It felt tender and sore, a hideous bruise forming underneath his shirt. Blood was already rushing to the area to mend his wound, but the bone would need more time. Mario helped his brother stand, Luigi powering through the agony. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I can still fight! I just… gotta be careful…"
"You sure about that, bro?" Mario asked, his face laden with concern.
"To think there'd be an instance where four of my greatest adversaries would all be together in the same place," Shatterhand mused. Mario, Luigi, and Link faced the madman, readying their respective means of defense. For Shatterhand, however, seeing all of them here was such a delicious opportunity. "So many birds with one single stone," he hissed.
"Who even are you?!" Mario shouted.
"Why tell you when you won't live to understand?" Shatterhand answered boastingly, beginning his approach towards the three with a confident swagger in every step. A sickening snarl cursed his lips as he strutted along the road, each time his foot touched ground, the pavement cracked under the sheer amount of energy surging through his body.
Time seemed to slow down as Mario, Luigi, and Link looked to one another in unison. They only had a few seconds to think, but they all came to the silent agreement that they needed to fight, even if the battle wasn't to come out in their favor. As Shatterhand's gauntlet powered up, he cocked his arm back, ready to strike. Link was up first, bravely walking forward and bringing the Mirror Shield up to meet Shatterhand's fist. When they connected, dark energy blasted off the shield, the impact reverberating through the item like a clock chime.
"Come on!" Mario yelled as he jumped into the air, charging Firebrand in his fist and bringing it down on Shatterhand in a swift dunking motion.
The armor on Shatterhand's suit acted independently, restructuring itself around his left arm as he raised it to block Mario's Firebrand. It defended without a hint of tension, a humored glint shining in the deranged eyes of the armor's owner. All the confidence vanished from Mario's gaze as Shatterhand grabbed his arm, the flames dissipated. "You really think I'm not prepared for all your pathetic tricks, little man?"
"Uh…" Mario stuttered as Shatterhand cackled, panicking on the inside. "Lu-Luigi! Now!"
"Wha-?" Shatterhand turned to where he last saw Luigi, only to be met with a blast of lightning to his right. He bellowed in pain and concentrated all the Dark Matter into a single point in his gauntlet, creating an explosion that sent all three of his attackers flying.
Link, Mario, and Luigi didn't waste any time recovering, the three of them engaging Shatterhand again all at once. Their grunts, screams, and cries of pain could be heard all throughout the now empty Toad Town, along with the shrill cacophony of weaponry firing off. A few shots of darkness bounced off the Mirror Shield and into the sky as fire and lightning sounded off, but there was no one to see the battle unfold.
Kirby wakened in a ball pit, his body brushing against all the differently colored spheres. He had to take a minute until he realized where he was, carefully swimming out of the surprisingly deep sea of plastic. He was in the ruins of a children's play place, having smashed through one of the front windows when he was shot out of the sky. The Jet Ability was long gone, it being flung away from his body when he landed so ungracefully.
"Poyo? Poyo!" Kirby called out, hoping there'd be someone around to hear. Nothing. "Poyo?" He uttered again, only to get the same result.
Memories flooded back in as Kirby remembered why he had been struck down. He quickly leaped from the ball pit and summoned his Warp Star, his air ride swerving through the tatters of the dining area and out of the building. Twinkling up into the air, the Warp Star hovered high away from the ground, Kirby trying to spot any drones. Strangely, none could be seen.
A stray shot of lightning thundered out into the stratosphere, Luigi having been knocked off his feet and misfiring. Already Kirby spotted his friends, all three locked in battle with Shatterhand. The tendency to protect snatched Kirby up and the Warp Star drifted down toward the fight.
"There you are…Kirby!" Shatterhand glared at Kirby's arrival, and he reached down to his belt to unsheathe his stolen Galaxia. Shock riddled the Star Warrior's body as he stared at the sword, fear encroaching upon his heart like a disease. A grim smirk gleaned Shatterhand's mouth, and he slashed the Warp Star, denting the vehicle and sending Kirby flying.
Kirby sailed through the air and into an alleyway, where he collided with the lid of a dumpster before falling in with a thud, the top rattling before it slammed shut. Link only saw it through the corner of his eye, fighting to focus on his opponent. The Gilded Sword and Shatterhand's Parallel Galaxia clashed, the blades scraping against each other brutally. As his and Link's swords fought, Shatterhand, expertly tactful, used the gauntlet on his other hand to keep the brothers in check.
"Your form is off, young man," Shatterhand continued to analyze Link, noting that his legs were placed at an awkward position. "You haven't fought in some time, have you? Typical. You 'Links' seem to always have a batch of adventures before fizzling out like a wasted candle. At least you're not as wild as some of your counterparts."
Link kept quiet, his expression cold and unfeeling. He was in full Hero mode now.
The dreadnaught was floating high above the fight, the hangars opening up as they did when they released the drones, but now with a dozen or so figures lining up at the edges. They waited for Shatterhand's signal.
Kirby slowly recovered from the dumpster, inhaling some of the garbage inside and donning the Poison Ability. It was a foul-tasting power, but it was the only ability he had to work with. Jumping from the dumpster, Kirby stared down Shatterhand angerly. He put some pep in his step as he dashed through the alley, closing in. A vile mist of miasma concentrated in Kirby's mouth, the Star Warrior exhaling powerfully.
"Useless!" Shatterhand chortled, sweeping his leg underneath Link and knocking him over. Another volley of fireballs were impeded by Shatterhand's armor, the showboating conqueror using Kirby's speed against the others, stepping out of the way so that Kirby's mist missed, the Mario Brothers getting a face full of the smog instead.
Mario and Luigi hacked and wheezed, their airways corroded with the harsh smoke. Kirby gasped and quickly ran to help them, wailing repeated 'poyos' in apologies.
Shatterhand bounded up and away, floating through the air before touching down across from the group of heroes. A sly grin formed, pushing up his moustache as he raised his gauntlet into the air, waiting for just the right moment. Finally, he snapped his fingers, the loud sound resonating through the air before reaching the dreadnaught hangars. Without hesitation, all of the rallying soldiers took the plunge. They landed on the street painlessly, the suits they wore absorbing any damage they might have sustained from the fall.
"This, haha… This is exactly what I wanted," Shatterhand stated calmly, stretching his arms out to accentuate his finest. They lined up uniformly behind their leader, all taking the same aggressive stance, ready for battle. "All of you, against all of me!"
Kirby helped Mario and Luigi up, patting their backs to get the lingering remnants of weaponized pollution out of their lungs. Link got to his feet and joined his friends, Tael flying over and hovering by the green hero's hat. A horrid realization presented itself to all five of them, as now they were terribly outmatched. Only four of them could fight, and just three were able to stand toe to toe against Shatterhand's overwhelming might.
"Alright, Link, you know this guy better than any of us, so what's our game plan?" Mario asked uneasily. A blazing inferno erupted from Mario's fists as a similar burst of sparks came from Luigi's.
"How do you- How am I- I don't…" Link struggled through his words. What he knew was unsatisfactory for the situation. For a split second he felt small, like he was twelve, facing Majora again in her lair. "I don't know," he whispered fearfully.
"Courage seems to have forsaken you, 'hero'. In that case, may all your deaths be swift and absolute," Shatterhand exclaimed, his yo-yo returning to him, its metal wire reshaping and reconnecting with the spindle. Shatterhand started to play with his toy turned tool innocently, almost taunting the ones who opposed him.
Mario grew irked with Shatterhand's boisterous manner of speaking and overconfidence in himself. The Firebrand sizzled along the red plumber's gloves, mirroring his heightened emotions, and he took the first step forward without thinking. Kirby followed Mario's lead, then Link, then Luigi.
Shatterhand leaned over to his captain who stood beside the rest of his men, watching intently as Link, Mario, Luigi, Kirby, and Tael approached. He said briefly, "I do admire their pluck."
Shatterhand raised his left arm slowly, pointing towards the group. Without the need for words, his soldiers took steps equal to the heroes, ready to engage. The Mario Brothers, Link, Kirby, and Tael had a feeling they were walking into a futile encounter. They hadn't trained together, learned how to work off of each other, nothing. Humbled sweat beaded down along their faces, yet they still marched on with pride.
Link got an idea. He reached into his bag and pulled out the Ultra Sword. In an instant, Shatterhand lowered his arm, his face morphing from smug contentment to disconcerted surprise.
"Wait," Shatterhand ordered softly to his men, all of which stopped, standing in united formation. He rose his voice to address Link and the sword in his hand, his tone akin to gravel, "That sword, it belongs to me!"
"Actually, Kirby is its rightful owner," Link replied, handing the Ultra Sword to the pink puffball. "You're the one who stole it from him!"
"Stole it?" Shatterhand laughed, entertained by the statement. "You're in dire need of a lesson, boy. I came across that blade while I was drifting along the precipice of oblivion, being juggled across dimensions all thanks to that little, blue twerp in the robe! The one who meddled with that darkness!"
Kirby stopped dead in his tracks, turning to Link. "Poyo?"
"Now," Shatterhand extended his arm, beckoning Kirby, "Kindly return me my propert-"
"You know," Mario interrupted, walking ahead of the others. He placed his hands on his hips and stared Shatterhand down with burning hatred. "Could you kindly leave this dimension? The Mushroom Kingdom is a peaceful place, with Toads just living their lives here!"
"You think my quarrel has anything to do with this kingdom?! Fool! I'm only here because of that boy in the tunic!" Shatterhand pointed to Link, his words a grating scream. "He dared to travel across the realms in an attempt to stop me! Link, you cannot fathom what you have stumbled into! Do you know how many variants of you I've slain?! Variants of all of you?!"
Link felt small as the others looked to him.
"That's it!" Mario jumped high into the sky and aimed for Shatterhand. Fierce flames built up in his hand and he made another dunking motion. Firebrand scorched the Earth as he smashed his fist into the ground, Shatterhand vaulting out of the way. The two started to brawl, each swing of Mario's blazing fists being blocked by either Shatterhand's Dark Matter gauntlet or the armor surrounding his other hand.
"Get them!" Shatterhand ordered his troops as he and Mario fought. The captain sprang into action, unsheathing his sword and diving for Link. The Gilded Sword met the captain's as Kirby and Luigi handled the rest of the soldiers.
Mario and Shatterhand exchanged blows again and again, a raging inferno powering the red plumber's movements. His heart resonated with passion for the Mushroom Kingdom, and he wasn't about to let this multiversal weirdo lay waste to the place he called home. An afterglow of metal coating Mario's gloves, the sheer anger of his attacks calling upon several of his powers at once. Such a task wore down the hero's body unlike anything else.
"You're a bit different from most of the other plumbers I've finished, I'll give you that," Shatterhand threw a punch, Mario just narrowly moving into a defensive position to block it. His forearms ached, but the metal surrounding his gloves crept further onto his limbs to protect them.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Mario snapped back, ramming his fist into the gauntlet, both his fire and the darkness exuding enough force to make the ground shudder.
"I suppose so," Shatterhand said casually, blocking another burning punch. "However you wish to interpret it. But such mastery over your abilities shows me what you really want out of them."
"I just want you out!" Mario yelled, giving his all. His fists couldn't even be distinguished from the flames, the Firebrand engulfing his punches, and the metal keeping the force of his throws strong. Even feathers from the Wing Cap appeared by his hat as he jumped out of the way of another blast of darkness, the hero drifting through the air.
"And I just want you dead," Shatterhand proclaimed menacingly. With Mario out of range of his hands, he spun his yo-yo with unmatched speed, the wire cord zooming around and ensnaring the mustachioed man as it did Link.
The metal lining Mario's arms kept them safe from the rigid strain of the metal rope. Shatterhand frowned at the lack of audible agony, and with a little help from an energy cell from his belt, he charged the yo-yo with electricity and sent a current through the steel.
Mario groaned in pain as the electricity flowed from the string to his arms, giving him an intense shock. Normally when in metal form, electrocution was no issue, but with only his arms made of the material, the rest of his human body was left vulnerable to the searing current of energy.
Meanwhile, Kirby had been able to incapacitate a few of the soldiers sent to kill him with the Poison Ability. Just one puff of smog was enough to get them on their knees, gasping for air.
"Hey, uh, Kirby? You mind lending a hand?" Luigi shouted. His Thunderhand was powerful, but using it took a lot out of him, and with five foes to contend with, his exhaustion was almost overwhelming.
"Poyo!" Kirby raced to help Luigi, spewing a stream of gunk at a few of the soldiers trying to stab the poor green plumber. One of them went flying, crashing through the shopping window of a flower shop. The rest were rendered unconscious thanks to Luigi's Thunderhand, but it'd only be for a moment.
There, Kirby and Luigi reconvened.
"Okay, you have any plans?" Luigi asked in a huff.
"Poyo!" Kirby replied, pointing eagerly to the wrecked flower shop.
"Uh… English?" Luigi asked, still unable to understand Kirby. The pink puffball just repeated his words, again pointing to the flower shop. "Oh, Kirby, you know I don't know what you're saying!"
Kirby just gazed at Luigi annoyedly before jumping up and putting his paws onto Luigi's head, tilting it to face the shop.
"Kirby, what's this gotta do with the-" A lightbulb went off in Luigi's head. Among the broken glass and soldier covered in purple sludge was a little, light blue flower, looking back at the green man. Luigi turned back to Kirby, smiling as he finally got the not-so-subtle hint.
Link's sword and the captain's sword clashed again, sparks raining down from the impact. Their blades were of equal strength, but one of them was clearly more exhausted than the other. Link's face was battered and bruised, his arms and legs cut and bleeding, and everything ached.
The captain saw an opening in Link's form. Without a second to lose he kicked the pit of Link's leg and forced him to kneel, completely at the mercy of the ruthless killer.
"It's funny," The captain said as he raised his sword into the air, bringing it down on Link's arm. He watched with sadistic glee as his weapon impaled the hero's bicep, the muscle tearing. "You're here to avenge your variant, correct? Well, look around you! Still willing to walk the path of justice?!"
"Without…" Link panted, "Without hesitation."
"Truly fascinating," The captain smirked, but when he went to pull his sword from Link's arm and stab him in the chest, he found his hands to be frozen solid.
Luigi, now donning a set of green overalls and a bright, teal shirt, threw a bevvy of ice at the captain, first at his legs, then at his torso. The ice quickly grew, encasing the warrior on a frigid cold coffin, the man watching with horror. He screamed as loud as he could before the ice got to his head, his cry being cut off when it passed. Kirby used the Ultra Sword and swung at the blade impaled in Link's arm, shattering it and freeing the hero.
"I don't know how long that'll hold him, but we need to help Mario! C'mon!" Luigi dashed down the street to his brother, still trapped in the binding wire of Shatterhand's yo-yo.
Link paused, looking back. The other guards were starting to come to, recovering quickly from Kirby's smog and Luigi's Thunderhand. In an instant, Link's critical mind took hold, thinking about what could possibly go down in they all battled Shatterhand. They'd be cornered for sure, the rising guards coming from behind as Shatterhand engaged from the front. That would most definitely lead to a terrible fate.
"Kirby, give me the Ultra Sword," Link asked, catching up with Luigi and the pink puffball.
"Poyo?"
"Just give it to me!"
Kirby handed Link the Ultra Sword, the hero just barely able to hold it with one hand. With the other, he pulled out the hookshot, aiming it at the furthest building and firing. The chain rattled through the air and planted itself in the firm brick, and Link let himself be swept off the ground and into the air. He swung through the air and dived down towards Mario, using the hulking blade to cut the string to Shatterhand's yo-yo again.
"What?!" Shatterhand watched in disbelief as Link flew back into the air and landed on the roof of a nearby bookstore.
"Kirby! Help Mario and join me up here!" Link shouted down to the little pink boy. Kirby nodded and summoned his Warp Star again, pulling Luigi onto it as it swerved through the street and towards Mario.
"Poy yo!" Kirby cheered as Luigi grabbed his brother's hand, heaving Mario up onto the Warp Star. Before Shatterhand could act, Luigi gave him a volley of ice as a present, freezing the tyrant's boots to the ground.
Kirby, Mario, and Luigi arrived on the top of the building alongside Link, ready for what he had planned next. "Okay, guys, what are we going to do? Huh?" Mario, even with the smoke rising from his body, was filled with determination.
They didn't expect for Link to swing the Ultra Sword and open up a portal. Kirby, Mario, Luigi, and Tael stared with shock as the glittering tear in reality faced them, the wind of the Mushroom Kingdom flowing through their hair.
"We need to get out of here," Link said flatly.
"What?! What are you talking about?" Mario quickly became aggressive, and when Link just repeated himself, he took the pointy-eared hero by the shoulders and started shaking him wildly. "We aren't leaving! Who knows what he'll do to the kingdom? To the princess!? Who do you think you are?!"
"Hey, stop, listen to me," Link grabbed Mario's hands and removed them from his shoulders. "Shatterhand's doesn't care about the kingdom. Remember what he said? He's here because of me, and now he's just after us! We can't beat him, not yet…"
"Of course we can beat him!" Mario and Link struggled against each other for a second before Luigi broke them up.
"Mario, calm down!" Luigi pushed Link away and consulted his brother. "I think he's right; we can't beat this guy! Look at us! We're in bad shape right now. All his goons and the powers he has, we can't stand up to it."
"No! You don't-" Mario almost considered fighting his own brother, his voice breaking up. The fact was clear. They were bleeding, had broken bones, and more. Down below, the voices of Shatterhand and his minions could be heard. "You don't know that!"
"Poyo!" Kirby chirped loudly.
"Look," Link began, "I don't want to do this either, but we're out of options…" The commotion of men gathering at the bottom of the building grew louder. Shatterhand, his boots reforming into spiked cleats, started walking up the side of the wall, brick cracking with each step.
"No!" Mario yelled again, unwilling to accept it. "N-No!"
Link, without words, grabbed the brother's arms and threw them into the portal. Kirby jumped through next, and with one last look at the now ruined kingdom, Link passed onto the other side. He silently hoped that Peach would forgive him, if he and the others ever managed to get back to the Mushroom Kingdom. The portal closed swiftly behind them, right as Shatterhand and his men reached the roof.
"Aw man!" One of the guards shouted, still eager to kill the heroes. He wanted to get a better score than a few of his cohorts.
Ice shavings fell from Shatterhand's cleats as he walked over to where the portal once stood, sniffing the area. The soldiers looked on with baffled amusement as the captain joined them, his entire uniform covered in frost. Quickly he opened up his glass tablet and tapped into the dreadnaught's scanning functions, getting a read on all the adjacent realms.
"Sir, it appears they've jumped to realm… ADS-2017! Shall we return to the ship and pursue?" The captain asked while Shatterhand thought to himself. There was a prolonged silence before any idea came to the madman's mind.
"Let them run," Shatterhand said, smiling.
"Are you sure, sir?" The captain stood beside the leader.
"Yes, I am very sure. Let them run and hide. In the meantime we shall examine the world of this new Link, along with the homeworlds of his companions." Shatterhand spoke softly about his enemies, almost like he hadn't even been through a fight. "When we see them again, which I'm certain we will, we'll have more knowledge of them and their pasts. Perhaps there are things they don't want us to know?"
"Certainly, sir," said the captain.
"I want to see… everything," Shatterhand hissed.