SIDE STORY: THE BITTER TRUTHS

The ancient ruins:

Enter the darkness (vanitas) goes here

Bowser was plotting to take advantage of the old ruins' mystical power, it would allow him to rule over many lands and finally defeat mario…

So to have to work with admiral bobbery, an enemy he respected, the commander of the army from rogueport, assembled by don pianta in order to combat any evil that could arise, he was a respectable bob-omb, master of soul bursts, controlled explosions that have a bob-omb's lethality, but are safe for the user, not requiring many improvements besides a pressure valve to let the blast out…

That would come in Handy against their foe.

It was a snake made from Stone, what TEC-xx could define as an ancient guardian from another world corrupted… this was analyzed and revealed to be the coily rattler from floralia, a kingdom above dream land…

Between bobbery's blasts breaking the snake's connections with his fragments, and the occational flying fortress to counter his energy blasts, bowser and bobbery were gaining advantage.

It is indeed an honor to battle alongside the koopa King my father fought for.- bobbery said.- however, it indeed feels odd.

Same thing chump.- bowser acknowledged- your father was a fine general in my army before retiring, i at least want you to be a great foe for when we clash… but before that… i'll give this chump ONE KO PUNCH!

In that case, i'll give you an opening.- bobbery responded.

Just in time, as their foe decided to Split into multiple pieces, before falling down into countless meteors…
bobbery however, created a steam smoke bomb, allowing him and the koopa King a chance to catch their mysterious foe of guard.

And as the head of coily rattler fell down into the battlefield, a room concealed high above a pit of flames, with 4 pillars with torches concealed within them, emitting a blue flame, adorning the room…

It missed his target, and bowser was there to receive him.

Well chump… THIS SHOW'S OVER!- bowser boasted…

HWAAH!- and with one fierce punch, he managed to throw the ancient idol through the room, making it bounce across the field… before exploding into shards, the illusion shattered…

As both bowser and bobbery were kicked into the entry hall, the dimensional gate unable to be found…

What sorcery is this?- bobbery retorted.- just when it seemed we would enter the chambers…
BAH!. What a waste of time- bowser furious, remarked.

TEC-XX, can you explain what happened?- bobbery asked the computer that used to work with the X-nauts.

I scanned the room during our fight with the coily rattler- he began to explain.- while the defense system was indeed destroyed and nullified, something or someone, has engaged the dimension link protocol, thus concealing Access to the main hall from all worlds but the one were the protocol was started… and to all related to whomsoever started the ancient machine sealed there.

So… you chumps are telling me… that an even bigger chumpi s plotting something big?- bowser resumed…- FINALLY, a worthy challenger… once we find that chump, he'll meet bowser's wrath… GWAHAHAHAHAHA

Great horn spoon, we better tell rogueport and the mushroom kingdom at once- bobbery said, scared yet invigorated by the discovery.- it was an honor to fight alongside you… might we face in the battlefield as foes… i hope is within the normality of our world safe.

Same… i'd rather have a world to conquer than a big chump destroying it.- bowser answered.

Guardians defeated: 3 of 6, it seems our Little foe will get his wish.- TEC-XX began to write his log.

Your majesty, do you read?- began to ask captain goomba.

I can hear you, a Little too much.- bowser answered.

How was the raid, papa?- junior was the one to ask this time.

Worthless, we just reduced the defenses our foe has to counter to achieve their goal, and the machine down there is already being claimed by them… so we can't begin a dimensional conquest…- bowser grumbled.

At least we know our foe enough to start planning ahead, shall i gather our troops.- kamek asked.
OF COURSE, prepare the koopa Troop, we'll be GOING TO WAR! GWAHAHAHAHA…- bowser, with a grin said.

Simultaneously…

Turret tusk's theme from donkey Kong jungle beat goes here.

Out of all things klonoa would have to ask him, helping him defeat a robotic tank shaped like an elephant was clearly not one of them…
but considering it was the only clue at who tried to attack them… guntz had to relent and help the dream traveller defeat turret tusk…
he was starting to think it was a good idea…

On the ruins of an ancient civilization (aztecs, probably), were the roots of many Woods grow besides the vestiges of man… was one of the ghastly king'd former enforcers… the turret tusk.

HOLD STILL you iron VERMIN!- he was barraging a solid chunk of his ammo from his red meteor (he'd rather save the family pistol from his father for shinigami rushes only), but was managing to chip of a lot of the armor from the tusk…

Only for it to hide his heart and repeat the cycle.

KLONOA! Throw another pineapple onto his trunk… make his cannon self destruct.- he comanded to his sometimes friend.

Aye aye.- klonoa said jesting… for he found exploding pineapples that explode like dynamite somewhat funny… that they had to feed them to a robotic elephant to get it's weak point to open was hilarious…

As one could say: it was the good ol' feed it a bomb.

This didn't meant getting the bomb onto his trunk was easy… namely, it seemed that the guardian ilusion of turret tus kwas pulling from the entire tusk family; as it had grave tusk's gattling rush mode for firing multiple cannonballs in one volley… an attack that made klonoa run in a panic, remembering what biskarsh did as a similar attack on the grand hall of the volk empire… (and because lolo was empowering the former's wind ring… she got out and began running in a panic too… to the absolute disbelief of hanbei takenaka… who decided to help the dream traveller defeat the guardian sealing the mushroom kingdom gate of the ruins…

Woah… seems like you've got your own demons… well, can you at least try to calm down so we can beat him?- he was asking as he used his sundial as a makeshiftt shield in order to block a gattling rush from the tusk…
sorry.- klonoa and lolo both apologized, before the latter entered the wind ring and the former used it to grab a pineapple bomb…

Just as turret tusk was beginning to charge his other attack…

Charging enemy, it began to walk to the edge of the hill it was… then, pointing his cannon trunk down, began to fire a poweful energy lazer, one which usually belonged to TORCH TUSK, fought in a magma crater…

Well, guess it realized we're trying to block his trunk when he tries to fire, so it seems he will start firing lazers willy nilly.- guntz said in a sarcastic manner as he was starting to lose his patience…

Well… if he's not gonna fire, we'll make him fire.- hanbei simply said…

And it clicked on guntz's head like a bullet: if someone keeps attacking the tusk, it could enrage him, and it could try to retaliate… then klonoa and lolo would throw the bomb at him, finishing the machine of for good.

Well, wish me luck.- was all hanbei could say before he sat atop the tusk.- you know, for a machine built to destroy anything on it's path, you'd make for a great ride… (perhaps the indians had a point with having war-trained elephants)…- he muttered.

But i guess it's time for the main act.- and with a simple push of a button, he activated the chopper blades of his sundial… which began to chip of more of turret tusk's armor… and it's patience.

It got to the point, even the buzz of the blades enraged the tusk… and it was ready to blast at will…

Only for a pineapple bomb to come his way…

Here it goes lolo…- klonoa told her friend.

Ready.- she answered, leaving the wind ring as she jumped.

Hyah…- he launched…

HAY… YAH!- and lolo spiked the pineapple like it was a volleyball… onto a surprissed, shocked and scared turret tusk…

As his trunk blew up yet again and he was left vulnerable…

Guntz grinned, it was time for the reaper to collect his due.

Shinigami…- he grabbed the gun from his father Butz, as he began to focus his two hands on the two blasters…- RUSH!

And with a flick of two fingers, he discharged countless bullets onto the defenseless tusk, barraging steel and flames onto the heart of the machine… before…

CLANG!

The machine began to fall down, giving hanbei enough of a signal to leave, as the tusks began falling onto the floor, breaking like glass upon impact… before the colossal elephant… crumbled into pieces.

As they say… the larger they are… the harder they fall.- hanbei said in victorious manner…- you truly live to your reputation as shinigami, guntz.

Don't flatter me, it would be wiser to honor my father, he taught me all i know…- he bluntly and humbly stated.- besides, without the dream traveller and the priestess over there, we wouldn't have succeeded in destroying that odd tank.

Fair enough.- was hanbei's response…

As the room faded to White… and they were back in the entryway to the ruins.

Klonoa: HUNYAH?!

Guntz: just what the-
hey look.- lolo pointed as the fourth torch lit up, as the sygil of a mushroom began glowing red… in approval of it's trial being conquered.

It looks like the seal was broken… but we couldn't enter- hanbei began to ponder…- it seems someone was able to deny us Access… but who?

So that means, we cannot figure out what has been happening back home?- lolo asked, worried.

Nope, it just simply means we will have to find each world's rifts, rather than just taking a shortcut.- dedede answered.

Dedede?- klonoa and lolo said in mutual shock.

The one and only… and it seems not even here we can enter these ruins…- he began to say in a bitter tone…

Well at least you've managed to defeat another of those guardians… so only two remain, and you're quite the fine team, i must say.- he began to complement the makeshift crew.

But we didn't manage to enter the ruins- klonoa dissapointed said.

At least you've managed to survive and thriumph against a mysterious foe… besides, this will serve as training for the inevitable conflict.- dedede told him.

Thanks King… but what did you say of an inevitable conflict.- lolo wondered.

Heh, just a hunch, but something tells me those guardians are just stalling a bigger picture, one that will involve all of us.- he stated.

Well, no matter what, i will reap them out of the land if they threat the innocent, for this shinigami always achieves his goal.- in a challenging attitude, guntz proclaimed a bow.

That's what i like to hear.- dedede vouched in approval.- but first a rest, for while our Little siege failed… we can always prepare for another round.

Elsewhere, on the ruins' depths…

Battle for storm hill goes here.

Evaristus grand was ENRAGED at the discovery he has made…

A possible connection between the samurai warriors world and the brawl stars universe was buta n odd possibility…

Until he saw yukimura's spear, and now, he was fearing that because the chance it IS the past of starr park, that would involve the brawlers, and by extension, throw them onto the same world of strife as everyone else…

That he was fighting a kaiju robot from starr par kwas not helping matters…

Hungh… GRAAAAAAAH!- with a fierce slash, he decapitates the robotic beast, his hatred turning the blade of his scythe a blood red colour…

Just when i tought my plans could not suffer a greater altercation, just when i tought i could spare these kids… THE SPEAR OF THE SANADA TELLS ME THEY HAVE TO PARTAKE IN THE STRIFE!... just who can this sinner bond with that doesn't yet pulled and consumed by the flames of strife?- he asked the heavens themselves…

As he leaves the starr park hall, and enters the puyoverse hall…

One more, one more guardian and i will be able to start the machine… perhaps there i can find a way to ensure the brawlers don't get involved in this mess… but even so… it's their choice… not mine to make…- as he made his mind, the door opened…

Well, enough delaying the inevitable… the flames of strife await.- and with that, he walks towards the sixth and final guardian… the last foe safeguarding the true power of the genesis device the ancients of dream land made… the binder of lands, as they called it.

In front of him was a simple foe; a White haired boy with purple armor, a blue bandana and a sword emitting a fierce, bloodlusting energy…

The phantom decided to take schezo's form…

Too bad evaristus was too enraged to care for a souless foe who imitates others…

GWRAAAAAAH!- was all the phantom could hear before a scythe made it's way to intercept his sword…

Combining sweeps, slashes, dashes and pole jumps, evaristus was applying an infernal pressure on the phantom of schezo wedgey, the black knight was no slouch either, harnessing black flames, slashing the wind with such a force a dark energy wave was released, the occational light pillar appearing bellow grand… and fierce swordsmanship worthy of the title schezo seeks to claim…

In evaristus's mind however, there was another struggle, so he decided to end this quickly…

Sorry foe… but i can't care enough…- and with quick motions he began to spin his scythe, forming a cyclone before impaling it into the earth…. Before spinning it like a wheel and charging his own take on a spindash…

It would be more accurate to call his infernal Wheel a homage to kirby's burning cartwheel…

As the scythe revolves as a fierce untamable Wheel… a forcé of nature, the phantom that looked like schezo accepted his fate, as with one final slash, evaristus claimed victory…

And once he returned to the ruins… he saw the fountain's last pillar fall down, allowing the six pedestals for the ancient artifacts to shine on all their glory…

Just as he was being called by fang.

We got them boss.- he said, showing bean holding the power star…- any luck on your end…

This incited evaristus's rage to the point he took his free hand…

HYAAAAAAAAAAH!.

And slammed it onto the nearby wall, almost shattering the nearby pillar.

The spear of the sanada was adquired.- he answered.- but it seems i will have to take more time than expected to fuse the worlds…

Shame…- fang remarked.- anyways, do you need something more from the hooligans… or do you want to cool off?

No, return to the ruins… NOW.- he ordered them.

Very well… alright folks, we're leaving.- fang told bean and bark, as another portal arose…

Well… why didn't i saw it?, hypercharges, supers… more refined and controlled versions of the spirit powers and musou attacks… IT WAS A SIMPLE CONNECTION AND I MISSED IT!...

He was angry, angry that yet again he was unable to figure out the signs of problems… but this time, he grined…

Perhaps it's for the best… because their antecesors from sengoku japan can help them grow… and perhaps they can give the world a better ending, a better future… it's just…

Many of the brawlers are too Young to head onto a battlefield, to the horrors of war…

If they must, i will ensure… they grow to surpass and conquer the flames of strife.- he said it, solemnly, as if starting an oath…

In blood one pays for their sins… the sins commited to pave the road for others to atone… and thus, make a better world… thus, i shall spill my blood… a fate demise… and ensure… that a better future is paved with it.

Hidden on a pillar, was meg yet again, recording all on her cell phone…

The discovery that her world and the samurai warriors world could be one in the same, just past and present… was a shocking twist…

If what he says it's true…- meg began to wonder…- why did jessie perform a musou attack? She should have hypercharged… unless the hypercharge is the primitive, sealed… or controlled version of a musou attack… better tell jessie and friends… that knowledge would be Handy for them…

As for you grand… i'll keep a greater eye on you… even if you want us to not intervene for our own good…

Heroes and brawlers are just too stubborn to simply let things happen.- with that declaration, meg made her way back to starr park…

The knowledge she adquired… might just save her and her friends from an upcoming threat…

But for grand, that will be, a future tale to tell

End of Chapter.