Fandom Super Smash Brothers: The Ten Pillars

[SirPrompto15]

Noctis and Prompto
From their respective positions, Noctis and Prompto noticed the Fighthing Polygon and the wireframes who led them. Noctis warp strikes toward a few Polygon and slashes them.
Prompto shot a few Polygon while making sure Noctis and the rest of his allies were safe.
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Cream the rabbit and Cheese the Chao.
Cream followed her allies while Cheese flew after her. She noticed a familiar face from her world. "Mr Big?! I am so glad to see you!" the young rabbit said,as she came close to the large purple cat.
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Shadow the hedgehog.
Shadow kept staring at the Kokiri archers near him and his allies.

 

[Ploegy]

Ｒｏｘａｓ
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Location: Underground Tunnels -> Outside Military Base
Interactions: @AvidElmV2
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Seeing Steve manage to break through thanks to his chaotic efforts brought a faint smile to Roxas' lips, although it was short lived. Hearing groans echo out from behind him, the Nobody quickly held a hand up to manifest his keyblade in. With weapon in hand once again, he cocked his head over his shoulder and silently observed what had come crawling behind him. To no surprise, but very much to Roxas' dismay, a few zombies had been caught up in all the mess as well. However, it wasn't only them.

As his gaze moved past the slowly moving creatures, it landed upon an odd green figure not far behind. Much like them, it appeared to have a blocky figure, though he supposed it didn't matter in the moment. What mattered was figuring out a way to defeat it. Pulling himself from his thoughts, Roxas was prepared to push himself forward in attempt to follow behind Steve, but as his head turned back in that direction he was met with a new problem.

Despite how many Tadvolts had been frozen, many were still standing, and those that were continued to spark with life. Avoiding the electrical web that was forming all around him was one problem and he was more than capable of dealing with such, however, it wasn't the only thing that was a concern. As his eyes flickered around, looking for some form of escape from the electric trap closing in on him, he caught sight of the strange green creature beginning to glow.

Roxas hardly had time to process exactly what was happening before the sound of the explosion bounced off the chamber's walls. The impact from the explosion itself moved rapidly through the tight space and pushed the boy back before he could even make an attempt to run.

Struggling to land on his feet, the keyblade wielder felt panic rising in his chest. Everything behind him was quickly beginning to crumble and with his path forward still mostly blocked, he was left with no real options. Still he had to do something.

His mind raced as his pulse rose and his eyes flickered about. That was when he caught an opening in the falling rubble- an escape up towards the surface. As much as he hated to take it and possibly leave the others buried, he had to think of himself. If he was crushed here, he'd be no good to anyone. He had to believe that the others were smart enough to find their own escapes.

Finding resolve in that thought, Roxas swiftly turned himself and launched himself upward towards the falling rubble. Jumping from piece to piece, he carefully avoided being completely knocked down and remained vigilant. Luckily for him, the explosion had been powerful enough to cause a massive cave in, allowing cracks in the surface above.

Seeing rays of light peaking through overhead, a wave of relief over came the young Nobody and his pace quickened. In his sudden burst of speed, Roxas approached the underground's "ceiling" and without a second thought threw out his keyblade with as much force as he could muster. The weapon spun from the boy's grip and picked up speed until it collide with the collapsing earth above. Colliding with the thin crevices, the blade tore through the ground with relative ease and created a hole just big enough for the teen to slip through.

Even with dirt and other debris raining down on him, Roxas knew he had little time to shield himself. If he waited to long his moment to escape might pass him by. Showing no hesitation in his action, he bent his knees and forcibly pushed himself upward. Within seconds, his ability to glide kicked in and the boy spun skyward.

Bursting through his makeshift exit, the Nobody twisted around as he returned above ground. He was free. Pausing his ascent, Roxas took in a deep breath before sighing it back out. His moment of repose was short lived though. Completely forgetting about his keyblade, the wielder's weapon was soon to return to him- albeit in a less than pleasant way. The key fell from the sky above and bonked the poor boy atop his head.

"OW!" he cried out before immediately throwing his hands up to try and rub away the pain. As he did so, his key fell to the ground and laid there waiting to be reunited with its owner.

Through his grumbling, Roxas joined it. Landing softly on the ground beside it, the keyblade wielder bent over to pick his faithful weapon up once more, but not before he noticed the large building that laid before him. The sight of it immediately brought him to a halt and cause his brows to furrow.

The structure loomed over all the surrounding land, and even with just one look Roxas couldn't help but feel uneasy about it. Something didn't feel right, yet he wasn't sure why. Was this the place Snake had been desperately trying to reach? There was no way for him to know, but if it was, then maybe he should continue towards it. It'd be his best way of reuniting with the others after all.

Tearing his gaze from the base, it returned to his weapon and he quietly picked it up before returning back to his full height. In that moment, he allowed his mind to quickly process through his options, but in the end he came back to the same conclusion he had already come to. As uneasy as the building made him feel, he needed to move forward. Losing the only allies he had found at this point in time would only hurt him, especially since they knew more about this world than he did.

His mind was made up. Moving his keyblade to rest on his shoulder, Roxas sucked in yet another deep breath before pushing himself forward towards the Military Base that awaited.

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Professor Layton & Luke
With: Byleth ( Ploegy )
Where: Battlefield Fortress

As Byleth pushed toward him, Luke skid into a halt, so awestruck by the regal swordsman that he momentarily forgot about the peril he was in and barely registered the words the man was speaking to him. He shook his head to snap himself back to the present, wiped his eyes, and answered with a shaky, "Y-yes, sir!"

Byleth's monotone and steely eyes didn't bother the boy; his mentor was a reserved and soft-spoken man, and Luke had seen him with a similar expression when things got dire. As Byleth pressed on, Luke made his way to the safety of the Battlefield Fortress. He immediately ran up the castle ramparts, quickly spotting the charging Byleth before raising his gaze upward toward the horizon. Luke froze when he recognized the silhouette of Professor Layton in the far distance, as well as the threatening forms of about a dozen lizardmen heading his way.

"Professor!" Luke shouted though Layton was too far away to hear. There had to be something he could do to help! But what? Luke's eyes dropped to the castle grounds, then widened as they laid upon an abandoned catapault. That'll do nicely! He adjusted his hat and furrowed his brow in determination!



Layton stood his ground, his rusted sword still raised in a fencing stance. Nearby was the tilted and half-buried altar of a goddess unknown to him. For a brief moment, he looked at the statue's weather-worn face. Under normal circumstances, the archaeologist would have been intrigued and take the time to study it. A shame, really. Layton wasn't a religious man and he wasn't even sure if he truly believed in such things, yet he found himself speaking to the statue, likely an attempt to remain light-hearted despite the danger facing him.

"Please forgive my audacity, madam, but you wouldn't happen to have a miracle to spare for a gentleman in a spot of bother?"

As if on cue, a swordsman in noble finery appeared by his side! Maintaining his stance, the professor only let out the softest of grunts to show his surprise. That was certainly quick work! Was this young man the lord of the castle?

Pleasantries and questions can wait. From what the man had said, Luke had reached the castle. He is safe! That brought relief to the professor. As Byleth stepped forward to face the oncoming threat, Layton took him up on the offer for the swordsman to hold the line in his stead. This man certainly looked formidable, and Layton's blade was woefully inadequate. He turned and ran for the castle only to be stopped by a large battleaxe that fell spinning from the sky and buried its head in the sand right in his path. A piercing shriek filled the sky, and a massive reptilian beast leaped from rocky outcrop to rocky outcrop until it landed on all fours before Layton. The creature stood and reclaimed its battleaxe.

This lizardman was far bigger than the ones that had been pursuing Layton and Luke, easily towering over the swordsmen. It had a thicker head, heavy jaws with large protruding fangs, and a spiky hide. The tip of its powerful tail was adorned with its own axehead, turning it into a very formidable weapon. A Dinolfos!

The Dinolfos took a deep breath, and Layton barely managed to dive behind a boulder before it unleashed a cone of fire. He had no time to breathe as the Dinolfos smashed the large rock with a slam from its tail. Layton jumped backwards, then retreated until he was back-to-back with Byleth, who had already taken care of a good chunk of the Lizalfos.

"I'm afraid these rapacious reptiles have no intention of making it easy for us, good sir," Layton said to Byleth as he pointed the rusty sabre at the Dinolfos, left hand holding onto the brim of his hat to keep it in place. Despite the dire change in their situation, Layton hardly raised his voice, remaining calm and in control.

The remaining Lizalfos looked about to flee in search of easier prey, but the appearance of the Dinolfos seemed to renew their fighting spirit. Either that, or they feared the larger beast more than they feared the swordsmen. Screeching their war cries, they waved their swords and attacked!

 

[SheepKing]

---

Pichu faced forward proudly as the amassed army of creatures all rushed past him like a wild river. The various reactions, attitudes, and expressions of each beast were just as diverse as the variety of species there. Some looked back towards Sora with warm appreciation for their hero, others didn’t spare a single glance as they charged on, and there was just about every other emotion in between.

Yet with such a wide range of attitudes, one thing was the same. They were united in a single goal, their protection of their habitat and home. Pichu couldn’t be any prouder. Yet now was no time to stand there and not lend a hand. There was still the last stretch and Pichu couldn’t back out now!

“Pi!-“

With a small grunt Pichu hitched a ride on the closest animal, the Feris from before. Clawing up its spotted body and atop its matted mane, the feline creature didn’t even seem to notice the little hitchhiker, seemingly too caught up in it’s eagerness to wittle down the remaining Primids, something that Pichu certainly wouldn’t want to get in the way of.

Instead, Pichu’s eyes surveyed the battlefield, taking note of his friends and foes alike, especially as a boy shaped figure rushed past him, keyblade raised and an expression of fury pulling at the corners of his lips as he zipped past the two and swung his weapon down at the Fire Primid that had burnt him to a crisp not just moments ago.

Just moments after Pichu took note of the sight, he let out a yelp as the Feris pinned down a nearby foe, causing the little Pichu to lose his grip and go flying into the air. Surprising as it was, Pichu wasn’t one to ignore this new advantage, as he scrunched up his face, and aimed for the nearest enemy. Gravity quickly took force as sent the little rodent right down towards a primid, as Pichu delivered a decisive head butt, sending the shadow creature flying past the forest canopy.

He’d land on the ground paws first, immediately sprinting towards the next nearest set of foes, who were so caught up with defending themselves against a pack of Awoofies, there was no way they would have been able to spot the small blob of yellow and black coming from behind. If the Primids had mouths, they certainly would have squawked in pain as Pichu’s tiny teeth tore into their ankles, a hard tug resulting in them collapsing onto the ground and giving the Awoofies just the edge they needed to rush in for the kill!

Darting past them, Pichu gracefully maneuvered between the mess of limbs that filled the battlefield and once again, most were so preoccupied with the much larger beasts and foes that Pichu could zig zag about without even a glance.

Key word being most, as there were still the occasional foe who’d bend down to try and nab the little guy, only to find a bite mark on their hand or violent jolt of electricity coursing through their body, their moment of distraction being the cause of their downfall as any one of the creatures took their chance, rushing in on the enemy to deliver a decisive strike. It seemed like the perfect strategy, although that soon quickly came to an end as Pichu’s streak of luck met its match.

It may have just been pure coincidence alone, but a Primid bent down just as Pichu made a turn, causing the little Pokémon to slam right into its mittened hands. He’d bite, scratch, and kick all he wanted but the Primid’s grip was far too tight. Even worse, his thumbs were positioned right over Pichu’s cheek sacs, the pressure placed on them preventing any output of electricity from being squeezed out. Try as he might to pry himself out, it seemed fruitless as the Primid squeezed tighter and tighter-

*WHAM!*

Pichu fell to the earth as the Primid would release its grip on him, a stray keyblade to the head causing the foe to get knocked right to the ground, leaving it easy prey for the little mouse.

“Piiii-Chu!”

With that the Primid was knocked into the air, just in time for Pichu to catch sight of the Keyblade’s owner in question. Blue eyes shining bright with determination, words were rather unnecessary to get the idea across, especially as Pichu spotted the crackling glimmer of a Thunder spell forming at the tip of his weapon.

With a deep breath, Pichu closed his eyes and backed up, focusing all of his strength into his cheeks. And, as he crouched down and grit his teeth, Pichu’s eyes shot open..

“PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-“


Pichu’s fur stood up on end, ready to release the attack on Sora’s call. This was it, and he’s ready to give it all that he’s got. It’s time to finish this once and for all!

---

Interactions: Ploegy (Sora) Kaiju Cat (Pokey)
Location: Ancient Island Forest (Map TBA)

 

[Minako]

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Princess Peach


As Samus' ship landed, Peach stepped out of the ship, following the Rabbit child and her blue pet close behind. She made a promise to herself and Sonic and intended to keep it.

"A-ah, Wait up, Sweetie!" The pink Princess chirped hastily as she exited the ship closely on Cream's heels.

"Oh!" She took a solitary moment to take in the tragic view of the lake: The once beautiful scenery was now tinted an awful hue as the mountains crumbled in the background of it.

The Mushrooms princess' heart sank as she lamented the torn world... For the single second she was allowed to take in the scene, of course!

Insanity broke loose as cries directed her attention to a giant purple cat that had--

OH! OH!

IT WAS DARK PIT!

An old man and a pink-haired woman (Peach guessed, from her attire, she was probably a nurse of some sort) were also on the scene (exiting some laboratory-looking building), seemingly behind why the big purple cat now had Dark Pit ensnared in its fishing line!

It should have come as no surprise the strangest creature was the one Cream was familiar with, calling out their name (Or, at least, the pink Princess was guessing that was their name and they weren't simply acknowledging how large the cat was) and everything.

"Y-you know that guy?!" Peach gasped as she blurted out the question, really a bit disappointed in herself she was shocked at the moment.

Pikachu pointed and gave her, Zelda, and Samus an expectant look and Peach nodded in agreement vehemently.

Their friend needed their help.

"Dark Pit! Dark Pit!" Peach, running alongside Cream, called out and waved her arms fervently as they approached.


Location:

Lakeside!

Interactions:

SheepKing (Zelda), GrumpySwallow (Dark Pit, Big, Pikachu, Nurse Joy, Lake Scientist, and Froggy), SirPrompto15 (Cream & Cheese)​

 

[Ploegy]

Ｂｙｌｅｔｈ
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Location: Battlefield Fortress | Interactions: GrumpySwallow
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Carefully Byleth's eyes tracked the Lizalfos before him, until the sounds from behind him reached his ears. While whatever it was was out of sight, he was smart enough to know something was attempting to cut off the other man's retreat. How bothersome.

Letting a faint sigh escape his pursed lips, the professor's thoughts were immediately confirmed as he felt Layton momentarily brush up against his back before speaking. Taking in the man's words, Byleth gave a curt bob of his head and quietly grunted to acknowledge he had heard the other professor. He would have responded more vocally, but his mind was far too focused on scanning the battlefield to put much thought into words.

Pale green orbs flickered from left to right, observing the immediate reaction of the Lizalfos. The fear that had previously been struck into them had quickly faded and expressions of newfound bravery were written across their reptilian faces. It was clear that the creatures behind him had inspired the group, much to his own dismay. Luckily, it wasn't something that Byleth was unfamiliar with. The tides of battle were always shifting after all.

As the monsters lunged forward once again, Byleth quickly rose his free hand and in a split second a golden glow encompassed it. Letting out a sharp breath, the former merc swiftly gave a flick of his wrist and sent his magic flying. Within seconds a wall of light erupted from the ground where the magic hit and not long after several Lizalfos dove into it only to stumble back hissing in pain as the golden aura burned at their scales.

With one side of foes momentarily dealt with, his focus could finally shift- although he was aware his magic would only last so long. It was only a matter of time before the lizardmen would be able to break through and begin their assault again. He'd have to find a way to finish this quickly if he wanted to avoid fighting on two fronts.

Putting that thought aside, Byleth's attention immediately shift and his gaze briefly grazed over Layton as he moved to stand in front of the other professor. "That side should be safe for the moment, but if my magic goes down, you may need to defend yourself," he said, keeping his voice low, yet firm. From how he spoke, it was evident that he was used to giving out orders amidst combat. "Stay close to me just in case, and I'll keep you safe."

Byleth knew those words to be true. No matter what he was going to keep this man alive, even if it meant using his other powers and bringing pain to himself in turn. He had learned how to not take a life for granted when his father had been taken from him.

Moving his attention off Layton, the professor shifted it towards his new opponent- the Dinolfos. While its appearance was similar to that of the others, it had some clear differences. For one, it was bigger and wore bits of armor across its body. It also had spikes along various parts of its body- most notably its tail- and a far bigger weapon. Despite all that, Byleth didn't feel intimidated in the slightest. Even if it was clear he appeared to have a smaller and less strong build, he knew his own strengths.

In his moment of observation, the Dinolfos took the offensive and lunged towards the professor. Immediately Byleth's eyes shifted from the beast itself to its weapon and watched its movements as it swung downward towards his own upper body. It was aiming for the chest. No surprise there. It was a prime location to attack, especially with how little armor the former merc wore. His only option was to defend himself and with limited time, he couldn't position his sword properly to take the blow, thus opted for a less safe option- the armor around his right forearm. Swiftly moving his arm upward- sword as well- Byleth held it directly in the axe's line of attack. He had full faith that it would hold, even from a brutal axe swing.

The impact was less than pleasant though. Feeling the force of the reptile's attack weighing down against his arm, a growl of displeasure rumbled in the back of the Smash Brother's throat. He could feel it through his entire body and the more the attack came down onto him, the more it hurt. He wouldn't be able to hold out long before his knees would buckle and force him to possible take serious damage. He needed something and quick.

Little thought went into his next action, and within the blink of an eye, embers began to glow from Byleth's free hand and in one quick arm movement, he flung them into the face of his attacker. Almost instantly the lizardman stumbled backwards, dropping its axe in the process as it grabbed at its face in attempt to recover from the flames.

Taking this opportunity to reposition himself, the professor quickly put himself between the Dinolfos and its weapon. Holding his own sword out in front of him, he ignored the throbbing pain in his right arm and readied himself for what was to come next.

To no surprise the reptile quickly recovered and was enraged even more than before. Recklessly it jumped forward, leading with its spiked tail- fully prepared to crush Byleth with it. However, the former merc had other plans and immediately whipped his blade in its direction. The sword quickly broke apart and as it neared its target, it began to coil around the lizardman's tail.

Feeling the Sword of the Creator's sharp edges dig into its tail, the Dinolfos howled out in pain, only growing louder the tighter the sword wrapped. "This is over..." Byleth sharply breathed out under his breath before he forcibly pulled his weapon down to the ground. The poor lizard that was ensnared had no choice but to follow the whips movements and within seconds it slammed into the ground, sending dust up in every direction around it.

As time began to slowly pass after the impact, no sounds were heard and much like before, the dust began to clear, allowing Byleth to see the damage he had done. To no surprise, the Dinolfos laid mostly motionless- though the professor could still see slight signs of its upper body moving with its shallow breathing. It wasn't dead, but it wouldn't be moving any time soon either. Even if it did try and move, it was still caught within the Sword of the Creator's clutches, giving Byleth the upper hand.

Breathing out quietly, Byleth remained low to the ground as he took this chance to recover. He still had plenty of fight left in him, yet with such a burst of strength used to not only hold himself against such force, but to drag the beast down as well, he needed a moment.

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Professor Layton & Luke
Where: Battlefield Fortress
With: Byleth ( Ploegy )

Layton kept his eyes on the Dinolfols. He felt the man behind him shift slightly and grunt, and knew he had been heard. There was a flash of light and shrieks of pain from behind him, but Layton kept his eyes front despite his curiosity. All it would take was a brief distraction and the beast before him can cut him down! The Professor didn't have to wait long to sate his curiosity as Byleth moved to place himself between him and the Dinolfols.

"What on Earth...?" he spoke softly to himself as he turned and beheld the wall of light before him. Lizalfos charged at the wall only to back off hissing as burns sizzled on their scaly hides. As Byleth spoke, this time Layton could not resist turning his stare to the swordsman, a touch of disbelief in his voice. "... Magic?"

He looked to he glowing wall again. Though Layton was a man who believed anything was possible, all instances of magic and supernatural phenomenon he had witnessed turned out to be hoaxes, mere tricks created through technology, hypnosis, or in even one case, hallucinogenic gas. Layton grunted softly to himself to get back on track. He can be curious later. For now, Layton accepted the situation as it was and stayed close to Byleth. He had no issues with Byleth giving orders. Layton was a stranger in a strange land, and it was very clear the swordsman was experienced and competent. He will put his trust in him.

"Very well. I will do my best to be of no burden to you, sir."

Byleth took on the Dinolfos. Layton watched, amazed, as the noble swordsman blocked the huge lizardman's axe attack with an arm, shot flames into its face, then forced it to the ground with a sword that became a whip. It was finished in a matter of seconds! Layton had seen many strange and fantastical things, but nothing like that! Putting his awe aside, the Professor knelt down to put a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

From the corner of his eye, Layton saw the wall of light fade away. There was nothing to stop the remaining Lizalfos from attacking the two men now. Layton calmly stood up readied his saber. It appeared he will be able to return the favor sooner than he had thought! He will buy his new friend time to recover.

Layton charged, the normally soft-spoken man yelling loudly while kicking sand straight at the lizards. He was outnumbered and armed with an old, rusted weapon. He had hoped that through shouting and kicking sand he could startle, and possibly blind, the beasts and give himself a couple of precious seconds.

It was all the time he needed.

Layton's blade was a blur as he quickly and gracefully disarmed three of the Lizalfos, their swords spinning into the air behind them. He swung and thrusted his sword a few times to menace the now-unarmed Lizalfos before shifting his feet to face an oncoming fourth lizard, ducking and weaving as the creature swung at him with an axe. Fortunately, the Lizalfos were not trained fighters; there was no skill or finesse behind their strikes. That made it easy for the Professor, an experienced fencer, to read their attacks and react accordingly. Layton ducked an axe swing that sliced the air where his head was, grabbed his floating hat, and pulled it down onto his head before retaliating with a swift sword thrust. The Lizalfos shrieked and dropped its axe, backing off while rubbing its injured claw. The sounds of footsteps and a hiss alerted the Professor to an attacker coming at him from behind. He turned and thrusted... into a raised shield!

-SNAP!-

Layton stepped back from his attacker, the hilt and shellguard of his saber being all that was left of his sword. Bother! The shield-bearing Lizalfos cackled wickedly and raised its own sword. The unarmed Lizalfos also advanced toward Layton. Unlike the professor, they had claws and fangs, and they fully intended on using them to tear the man apart! Layton scowled softly as he stepped backwards, his brain working quickly to find a solution to this predicament.

A large rock shot through the air and slammed into a row of ancient stone arches nearby. Professor and Lizalfos alike all turned their heads in the direction of the arches as they shook and wobbled. Thankfully, Layton was quick of wit and action. He dove for Byleth, tackling the man and rolling with him down the sand and out of range of the collapsing arches. The Lizalfos were much slower, and were only able to let out a screech before being buried under stone.

The Dinolfols shook the stars out of its head and roared with rage. Hungry for flesh and vengeance, it thrashed about and spat flames from its mouth.

A boulder fell onto its skull and silenced the beast. He definitely wasn't getting up after that!

Layton remained flat on the ground until the dust settled and the world became silent. Covered in sand, he carefully rose to his feet, offering a helping hand to Byleth as he did, before looking behind him to see what had happened. The stone arches had completely collapsed. Outside of a twitching claw and tail from the pile of rubble, there wasn't a lizardman in sight! Layton dusted sand off himself as he turned toward the direction of the fortress where he knew the bounder had to have come from. In the distance, the Professor saw a small blue figure beside a catapult. Layton allowed himself a sigh of relief and a smile.

He could always count on Luke!

 

[Ploegy]

Ｂｙｌｅｔｈ
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Location: Battlefield Fortress | Interactions: GrumpySwallow
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Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Byleth's upper body instantly tensed and his head immediately turned. Upon seeing it was only Layton, the young professor relaxed and allowed his shoulders to drop. Hearing the other man ask if he was alright, he gave a small nod of his head. "I'll be fine. I just need a moment."

From the sounds of it, he wouldn't have a moment. The sounds of the Lizalfos charging in behind them was enough to tell him that much. Rest would have to wait, or so that was what he had thought, but as his fingers curled tightly around his sword's hilt, he felt Layton leave his side.

Eyes widening, Byleth abruptly cocked his chin over his shoulder and prepared to tell the other to stand down, but by then he was too late. The other man had taken off towards the reptilian humanoids and the sound of his battle cry echoed out across the battlefield. While Byleth was concerned, it was less in regards to the man's abilities- given he knew nothing of his skill- and more about his weapon's durability.

He needed to prepared himself to help just in case. Briefly averting his gaze away, Byleth looked down at his weapons, allowing his eyes to trace along it and land upon the Dinolfols' tail that it was still wrapped around. "Might as well unravel it..." he breathed out. In only a few seconds the blade began to glow much brighter than before, responding to the professor's crest once more. Watching the weapon loosen its grip around the currently dazed creature, Byleth gave a quick yank of its hilt which caused the pieces of the sword to come retreating back to him and once more return to its usual appearance.

In the time it took him to do that, things behind him had drastically changed. The metallic echo of the rapier striking the Lizalfos' shield was enough to make the former merc alert once again and without a second thought, he turned to observe the situation at hand.

To no surprise, Layton's weapon had broken. It was exactly what Byleth had feared and to make matters worse, he was in no position to immediately jump in and help. Whipping his sword out would do no good, given the other professor's position. There was no guarantee he could avoid hitting the other man in the process. His magic brought forth the same problem. Still, he couldn't do nothing. Was now the time for him to use the greater powers Sothis had granted him?

The thought of it irked him, making him feel as if he had failed his previous statement of keeping this man safe, but still, Byleth knew he had the chance to change it even if it meant manipulating time itself.

As he was prepared to freeze time in place, the sound of the boulder hitting the arches pulled him from his thoughts and a new danger was presented. "What the...?" he uttered under his breath as he tried to wrap his head around what exactly was happening. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have time to think. The tides of battle were moving far too quickly to let him formulate some kind of plan. Everything needed to be reactionary. He was no stranger to that. However, even he didn't have time to make his own move. Layton had been faster- much to his own surprise.

Losing his sword in the process, Byleth felt his back hit the ground as he was tackled to safety and a sharp grunt of displeasure escaped his throat. Gaining his composure after a moment, the professor slowly pushed himself up to his knees while brushing the dirt from his clothes. At least he had been smart and thrown his white robe aside to keep it from dirtying more than need be.

Shifting his focus from cleaning himself up to the hand that was extended to him, the professor looked up to meet Layton's gaze. Reaching up, Byleth took hold of the other's hand and pulled himself up before giving a small dip of his head. "Thank you." Despite his thanks being simple, his genuine gratitude showed upon his features. His usually stoic expression softened and the faintest of smiles managed to cross his lips.

He left it at that though and quietly withdrew his hand. As he did so, his head turned in the direction which the boulder had come from only to spot the crying boy from earlier near a catapult. It seemed he was more dependable than his first impression had given off. That was good.

"You should go be with the boy," Byleth stated, not even bothering to look towards Layton as he spoke. Instead, he turned towards the fallen rumble, scanning it quietly for signs of both his weapon and robe. "I'm sure he'd be comforted in seeing you safe."

With those words, the professor continued his search. Luckily, it didn't long. Near the edge of one of the fallen archways laid the Sword of the Creator, completely undamaged, yet still covered in a hue of crimson, which was far more noticeable now that its glow was gone. That hardly bothered the swordsmen. It wasn't the first time nor would it be the last. Nevertheless, Byleth moved forward to collect his weapon. Bending down, his fingers curled around its hilt, but as they did, the twitch of a nearby Lizalfos tail caused him to quickly raise the blade in a defensive position. While he was prepared for an attack, all fell still again. That was a relief. Letting a sigh escape his lips, Byleth lowered his sword and clambered to his full height once more before sheathing the blade at his hip.

Now where were his robes? Scanning the area once more, green orbs flickered about in search for the familiar white cloths, but it was to no avail. "Tsk!" he hissed. "Lady Rhea's likely to give me an earful if I don't find them..."

The last thing he needed was a scolding from the archbishop herself, that was if she was even okay. His last memory of her had been an unpleasant one after all, though in the moment it meant very little. The things back in Fodlan could wait until he found his way back.

Giving a small shake of his head, the professor moved around, allowing his eyes to comb the area once more, until the familiar sight of white caught the corner of his vision. Unfortunately, unlike his sword, his robe hadn't been as lucky. All he could hope was that he could pull it out with tearing it.

Hurrying over, Byleth wasted no time moving the foward most stone. While moving it, he was careful, knowing one wrong move could rip the fabric beneath. Luckily it didn't, and even luckier that only one piece of rubble had covered it. Still, it was covered in dirt and wrinkled. Heaving a sigh, the professor shook his head as he bent down to pick it up. "Maybe they should rethink making me wear this ornate garb..."

Even if he complained it wouldn't matter. They were a sign of him gaining a revelation from the goddess- or that was what Rhea claimed. Little did she know that Byleth had far surpassed a simple revelation- or maybe she did know. It wasn't as if he knew what she was thinking. Not that it mattered.

Shaking the robe in the air to rid it of as much dirt as possible, the swordsmen quietly began to put it back on as he began moving back towards where he had left Layton, unsure whether or not the man had left to rejoin Luke or not. He'd find out soon enough.

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Pikachu & Dark Pit
Where: The Lake Shore
With: Samus Aran ( Develius ), Princess Peach ( Minako ), Princess Zelda ( SheepKing ), Cream & Cheese ( SirPrompto15 )

The huge purple cat turned toward the sound of Cream's voice, Dark Pit swinging along with his movements. Big's voice was deep and his speech was slow. "Uhh, Cream? Cream! How've you been, little buddy?"

As soon as Cream got close, Big scooped her up with one arm and held her close as he happily danced around and around. Still held by the fishing line, poor Dark Pit was spun along with them. Froggy, who was still stuck onto his head, appeared to have a big vacant smile on his face as he went along for the ride. Dark Pit normally wasn't prone to dizziness or motion sickness, but he felt himself becoming more and more nauseated the longer Big spun. Mercifully, the large cat stopped spinning around to hug Cream gently.

"Mmm... Hugs are nice!"

Dark Pit hung limp from the fishing rod, his eyes drifting apart slightly, only to immediately refocus themselves upon hearing a very familiar high-pitched voice calling his name. Oh no! Seeing Princess Peach, Princess Zelda, Samus, and Pikachu heading his way, Dark Pit struggled with renewed vigor. Oh, no no no HELL NO! They CAN'T see him in this humiliating position! He willed his Silver Bow to appear. Froggy hopped into the air as Dark Pit swung the weapon overhead and cut through the fishing line.

-SPLOOSH!-

Dark Pit fell right back into the lake. He instinctively flailed then sat up in the shallows. Froggy landed right back on his head, agitating the welts. At the splash, Big turned and stared blankly at the angel. Dark Pit glowered back into those empty, staring yellow eyes. If looks could kill, the cat would be dead and buried right where he stood!

"It's not good to sit in the water this late, pal," Big said, not bothered at all by the glare. With no concern for his well-being, Big reached out and grabbed Dark Pit by the back of his exomis and placed him standing on dry land. "You could catch a cold."

Dark Pit wanted so badly to use his Electroshock Arm on the dim-witted feline, but he was still holding that little rabbit girl, and he wasn't so heartless as to put an innocent child in harm's way. Instead he chose to wring the water out of his exomis and try to mend his injured dignity. He flapped his wings to shake water off of them, caring little for whoever was in the splash zone.

Nurse Joy cried out in surprise and raised her arms to shield her face from the cold water droplets. Her patience for her patient was running very thin. "Ah! Of all the rude, inconsiderate...!"

Dark Pit ignored her, turning a sullen glare to the Super Smash Sisters, Peach in particular. "... Aren't you supposed to be at the Stadium?"

The Lake Scientist finally approached the group. He stroked his chin. "Ahh, so the rumors I've been hearing are true: the Super Smash Brothers are returning to the Realm! Nurse Joy and I saw the dark haze lift from the forest not too long ago. I'm assuming you're responsible for that?"

Nurse Joy turned away from trying to inspect Dark Pit's head to face the Smash Sisters and clapped her hands together joyfully. "If that was you, you have my gratitude! I was running low on healing berries!" She then spotted Pikachu, who stood by Peach. "Oh! Oh, you poor thing! You're so skinny!"

Nurse Joy took Pikachu into her arms and held her close. Pikachu nuzzled the nurse and wagged her tail. Nurse Joys were always friends to Pokemon! "Pikachu!"

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Professor Layton & Luke
Where: Battlefield Fortress
With: Byleth ( Ploegy )

As Byleth walked toward the rubble, Layton adjusted his hat and responded with a simple, "Of course."

Luke let out a happy and relieved gasp as he saw the two professors heading his way. Layton was nearly knocked over as the boy ran to him and threw his arms around his waist in a very aggressive hug. Layton smiled softly as he put a reassuring hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Professor! I thought... I thought..." Luke buried his face into the Professor, his body trembling as he tried to keep it together. He was supposed to be a true gentleman, after all!

"There now, my boy," Layton said gently, bending slightly to be closer to the boy's height and using his free hand to take one of Luke's. "I'm alright, and I'm very grateful you are safe."

Though Layton and Luke were not father and son, it was clear their bond could not be any stronger if they were. When Luke was able to compose himself, they both looked to Byleth, smiles of gratitude on their faces. With one hand still on Luke's shoulder, Layton took hold of the rim of his top hat and bobbed it slightly in his usual greeting. "I am Professor Hershel Layton of Gressenheller University, and this is--"

"Professor Layton's apprentice," Luke interrupted, bobbing his flat cap in a manner similar to Layton, "Luke Triton! Thanks for your help, sir!" Now that the danger had passed, Luke was full of excitement! "Is this your castle, sir? Cor blimey, are you a lord? Or a king?!" He paused in his interrogation to better take in his surroundings. "It looks really sad and lonely here though. There's no one here but us, and the place appears to be falling apart. It's a real fixer-upper if you ask me!"

"Luke," Layton chided.

Luke's eyes widened with the realization that he had forgotten his manners and immediately sought to correct himself. "Oh! I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to be rude!"

"Who do we have the pleasure of thanking?" Layton asked Byleth pleasantly, offering a hand for a handshake. Once the introductions were made, Layton spoke again, a touch of cheer to his voice. "Ah, a fellow professor! I thought I saw a kindred spirit in you, Professor Byleth, though I must say I feel quite underdressed in comparison to your finery."

Professor Layton then took the envelope out of his long coat. He was a man who preferred to get to business, and he sensed that Byleth was the same. "You've done so much to help us already, my new friend, but I'm afraid I am still in need of your assistance. I recently received this letter with no sign of who the sender is. Perhaps the wax seal is familiar to you?" He held the envelope out for Byleth to take, and he didn't mind at all if Byleth read the letter within. The wax seal was stamped with the logo of the Super Smash Brothers. "I am hoping you can tell us where we are and how we got here."

 

[megar]

Shez in... the Battlefield Fortress
ft. Byleth ( Ploegy )and Professor Layton & Luke ( GrumpySwallow )​

"Hey. Battlefield's not the best place to have a casual conversation, you know."

The conversation is promptly interrupted by the sound of a sword cutting into scales, followed by a dull thud against the ground. If the trio were to turn, they would see it: another Lizalfos seemingly having emerged from the blue, yet fallen to the floor unmoving.

The dual-wielding mercenary stands above it, easygoing smile on her face.

"Can't say I ever expected the day to come where I'd be covering the Ashen Demon's back, though. But don't worry! I cleaned things up for you. Those things are smarter than they look; the stragglers were about ready to ambush you three before I came by."

She'd be hard-pressed to say she really understands what's going on, but... it's not like that matters much. True, she doesn't even know where she is, or how she managed to end up here -- Arval would scold her for her sense of direction at this point, she is fully aware -- but she can always rely on her pride as a mercenary to guide her when nothing else is there to. She couldn't just stand around while someone she knows is being attacked by a bunch of biped lizards. Mercs rely on loyalty in the business: it'd be bad for both her reputation and her friendships if she didn't try to help at all. Besides... she likes Byleth, nowadays. She'd just feel bad leaving him to deal with it.

It's then that Shez realises she ought to follow her own advice, and she begins to look around to scan the area... just to be sure. She's pretty confident they're all gone now, though.

"You guys, you know, keep talking about what's going on. Pretend I'm not here."

She hopes pretending she already understands will make her look at least somewhat less foolish.

 

[Twice Knightly]

??? and ???
THE BATTLEFIELD
ft. Shez ( megar ), Byleth ( Ploegy ), and Professor Layton/Luke ( GrumpySwallow )

"Ah... heheheh..."

Yet again, another sound is heard from behind the group. It's an unmistakable sound. The kind that will send chills through the spines of even the most seasoned of warriors. It happens before Byleth can even respond to Shez - let alone garner any input from the professor and his trusty apprentice. That sound, of course, is an all too smug bout of laughter. The laughter is as quiet as it is cocky - as intimidating as it is confident - and it sounds from a hooded figure behind them all. It's all accompanied by a set of footsteps, each of which echo throughout the now-silent hall. Silent due to the presence of him and his companion, no doubt. Well, that, and the sword in his hand - which just so happens to be the length of his entire torso and the width of his (very muscular) forearm.

After stepping over a few lifeless lizalthos, they come to stop a few feet away, making it a point to do so by planting their feet in the ground like trees. Tall, mighty trees, to be exact. Likely made of oak! That is the comparison to be made with the hooded man and his shorter, thinner hooded companion. That smug chuckling climbs the mighty oak tree that this figure represents, eventually reaching a fit of uproarious laughter that bounces off the walls, no doubt shaking all those that are present to their very cores. That laughter eventually gets to be so much that he's forced to tilt his head back before long, revealing the chiseled jawline of a god beneath the shadowy visage. The figure beside him mimics the motion, and though they do not reciprocate the same features, they match the energy to a tee. Which, really, is enough.

​

"You bloody fool..."

Finally, the man speaks. And as he does so, he slowly brings up an arm so that he may point at the group. More specifically, that finger lands on none other than Byleth. The figure beside him follows the motion - their index finger landing upon the green-haired tactician as well. They both point at her and no one else. It's unmistakable that they are the target of such ire. A pity for Byleth, surely, to be targeted by beings so cruel, rugged, and good-looking. The taller man's wrist turns so that his palm points skyward, and before long, his twitching fingers have curled into a fist so tightly wound that one may swear that it could crush even the toughest of metals. The smaller figure does so as well... and it looks like they could probably snap a pencil if they tried.

"You have no idea the damnation of which you have brought. To summon me here was your first mistake," he effortlessly flicks his wrist and extends his pointer finger toward the ceiling. "And your second," he extends his middle finger, so that it may join his primary one. "Was to be so foolish as to believe you could pull one over on ME!"

Without warning, that entire arm is thrown back, and all five fingers curl inward with the motion to dramatically thwip his hood back. His companion does the same, and as such, the two figures are revealed in their full glory. A rugged face with an eyepatch and short silver hair, and a softer face with short green hair and glasses so thick that trying to get a view of their eyes is downright impossible.

"That's right, demon! You have incurred the wrath of ZEKE. VON. GENBU, and his iconic Blade, PANDORIA! Though of course, you will address me by my proper title, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐙𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑!!"
​

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐙𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 does not dare waste any more precious time on his introduction. Instead, he simply opts to enter a more confident lackadaisical pace as he and Pandroia begin strolling toward Byleth. All the while, he gives his mighty sword a few tapered swings. Even they're enough to audibly slice through the air in front of him - a clear taste of what awaits the Ashen Demon once Zeke von Genbu gets his hands on him.

"Say your prayers now, you wretched beast! Because in a few short moments, there will nary be a piece of you OR that crummy human boy disguise left to pray to anyone!"

 

[megar]

Shez in... the Battlefield Fortress
ft. Byleth ( Ploegy ), Professor Layton & Luke ( GrumpySwallow ) and Zeke & Pandoria ( Twice Knightly )
​

"...I'm not with that guy," is the first thing that comes to mind.

Shez is now even less certain of what's going on than she was but seconds prior. All she knows is that she doesn't want to be associated with... whatever that is? He's got a big sword, at least. Seems like he's used to carrying the weight of it, so even though he's playing the part of jester, it'd be better not to brush him off on that alone.

She cannot for the life of her figure out anything else to even say.

 

[Ploegy]

Ｂｙｌｅｔｈ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Battlefield Fortress | Interactions: GrumpySwallow
Twice Knightly megar
───────────────────────────────────────────​

As Byleth returned to the pair, he was greeted by their smiles. For most, they would have smiled back in the moment, yet no smile found its way onto the young professor's lips. Hints of friendliness did make themselves present upon his features, but such was still difficult for him to express. However, he did give a small dip of his head in acknowledgement towards the other's introduction. In that moment, he would have offered his own in return, but the boy was quick to chime in afterwards.

A professor and his apprentice. How fitting for someone like him to encounter such a pair given his own status. If only Claude was present, then it'd almost be a mirrored image so to say, although Claude was no apprentice, but rather the House Leader of his class and he was basically the same age as Byleth himself, rather than being much young like Luke was compared to Layton.

The little thought escaped his mind as the boy began to ask if he was a king of some sorts and if this was his castle. He could see why one might think that. His clothing did him no favors in perishing the thought either. As Layton chided the boy for his statements, Byleth gave a small shake of his head in response. "It's fine. I understand him being curious."

Such curiosity wasn't unfamiliar to him after all. As a professor he had grown used to his own students inquiring various things, though he supposed that wasn't what the other professor was trying to stop the boy from doing. Even so, the latter comments he spoke had little effect on Byleth anyways. This place was sad, and lonely- quite the opposite of the monastery he now called his home.

Hearing Layton continue on, Byleth drew himself from his mind and gave another small nod of his head. "I am Byleth," he stated. "I am no king, nor even a lord, but rather a mercenary turned professor."

The statement that came from his fellow professor next was enough to show a minor shift in Byleth's facial expression. The stoic gaze softened and unlike before, when only traces of friendliness grazed his features, a faint smile managed to crossed his lips as a stifled chuckle rumbled in the back of his throat.

"No need to feel under dressed. I wish the church would rethink making me wear this ornate garb," he sighed as he shook his head. It was quite evident he held displeasure towards the fanciful robes he had to wear, though he wore them nevertheless. Perhaps he was being far too obedient in that sense, but even then he figured Sothis would have scolded him if he refused.

Letting his displeasure pass him by, Byleth listened as Layton continued on. While he still had his own issues to deal with, it felt wrong to leave this man so quickly, especially given he was asking for more help. Helping was exactly what he had always done ever since his childhood, albeit only as a means of making money. Even so, he couldn't turn a blind eye.

At the mention of a wax seal, Byleth quirked a brow as his own curiosity piqued. Eyes landing upon the familiar Smash Bros logo, his mind began to run a bit rampant with thoughts. "A Smash invitation?" he mused quietly as he stroked his chin in thought. There was no denying it was similar to the one Sothis had used to transport him hear upon his invite, but he could have sworn such things were over- at least for awhile. Sora was supposed to have been the last of them, although he admittedly wasn't sure if even the boy had been invited, but rather summoned in order to help them fight off the darkness. Either way, the professor thought such things weren't being handed out at the moment.

Finding his curiosity taking the best of him, he took the envelope from Layton and quietly opened it to look over the letter within. Its contents were certainly not what he had been expecting and it was no normal invite. If anything it was simply a plea for help. Had that been why he had been returned to this world himself? It was possible. As one of the fighters, it was his obligation to protect the realm, or so that was how it had been painted for him upon his last visit.

Lifting his gaze up from the letter, Byleth's expression became eerily serious. "I can't tell you exactly what is going on myself, but I can say you are in a world known as the Smash Realm, and from this letter, it seems it yet again is having issues." Letting his shoulders drop as he heaved out a sigh, the professor handed the letter back to the other man as his mind began to ponder over the next course of action he needed to take. The thought of finding others among the roster crossed his mind, but there was no guarantee they would even be present.

​

His thoughts on the subject were brought to an abrupt end as the shrill cries of a Lizafols dying caught his ears. Turning, Byleth's gaze rested upon a purple haired swordswoman, who proudly stood over the dead creature with a smile plastered upon her face. While one might be grateful, the professor found himself baffled by the words she spoke. Sure, he had been known as the Ashen Demon for quite some time, but he hadn't been called such since becoming a professor. Most days he was merely referred to as "Professor" or "Teach." It was never his real name or even Ashen Demon.

What made things even stranger though was how she spoke. It was almost as if she believed they were on casual terms with one another- almost similar to how his students had become towards him- yet he couldn't recall ever having met her before. Surely he would have recalled such vibrant hair. It was hard to miss after all.

"Have we met-" he began, but that sentence would never finish. The sound of laughter was enough to make him stop and cause his shoulders to tense.

Green orbs flickering about in search for the laughs source, Byleth's eyes landed on the hooded figures approaching. Moving a hand slowly to the hilt of his blade, it hovered there as the professor listened to the stranger speak. Matters were only made worse as the pair pointed in his direction and threw wild claims his way. Was this really how his day was going to go?

Unamusement found its way onto his features as he continued to watch Zeke and Pandoria's theatrics play out. It only became worse as the man began yelling even louder than before. It was worse than the usual shouting he was used to from the students of the academy, and yet it still hardly fazed him. He simply stood there with a rather deadpan expression upon his face. Even the sounds of Zeke's sword slashing the air didn't make Byleth flinch. Hearing the man's final claim, the professor finally moved. His hand dropped from the hilt of his blade and his head shook.

"For starters, I did not bring you here. That goes for all of you," he said, his voice coming off far louder and firmer than it had been when he had only been speaking to Layton and Luke. "You can probably thank the Hands for doing that. Either way, I can assure you that I am also not from this world, but I do have experience with it."

Pausing briefly, Byleth took a moment to think of how he wished to proceed. Talking like this had never been his forte after all. He had always been one to keep things short or even be completely silent, yet here he was, forced to speak as if he was giving a lecture.

"And second, I advise you that picking a fight with me is not in your best interest. It'll be a waste of energy for I am not your enemy. If anything, I'm probably your best chance of finding a way back to whatever world you came from."

 

[Kameron Esters-]

"Wooooowwww, this is some nice architecture here!" Captain Falcon responds as he takes in the scenery before one of the archers kicks him in the back of his injured knee. "AAAGGGHHHHHHHH! THAT WAS A GENUINE COMPLIMENT!" Captain Falcon looks around and notices something "Hey, w-where did Link go? And Annette? Where they go!"

The archers turn around and see that two of their captives have disappeared. They began to suddenly talk among themselves and in between their rising panic.
------------------
"Could the Tree Demon have taken them?"

"No, we would've seen it! We would've known!"

"It's property magic, yes! They're hiding from our sight!"
------‐--------------
"Calm yourselves! Quick, we need to head inside. Follow us!" The archers began to make a sprint for one of the households ahead

"Whoawhoawhoa, demons? There's demons here?!" Captain Falcon asks in shock
SirPrompto15 Ploegy Gears

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Professor Layton & Luke
Where: Battlefield Fortress
With: Byleth ( Ploegy ), Shez ( megar ), Zeke & Pandoria ( Twice Knightly )

The Smash Realm? The Professor and Luke certainly never heard of such a place! Though Byleth spoke little, what he did say was enough to inform Layton of two things: One, that Byleth wasn't a native; and two, that Byleth had been in this "realm" before and it has a history of troubles. The two friends could not help but wonder if they were in a situation similar to that of Folsense or Labrynthia, where hallucinogens and hypnotic suggestions were used to make them believe they have been transported to a fantastical place. Those monsters they faced could be animatronics; it wouldn't be the first time!

With the answers Layton got, more questions popped up. He wanted to investigate the castle and ruins, and maybe find a dead lizardman to inspect in case they were, indeed, animatronics, but he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of... a dead lizardman falling to the floor. And a purple-haired woman wielding two blades standing above it. Before Layton and Luke could respond to her, a sinister laugh caught their attention, the Professor immediately turning in the direction it came from while protectively pushing Luke behind him. Layton's features became stern, the shadow cast over his face as well as the slight obscuration of his eyes from the brim of his top hat adding to his steely expression (quite an achievement for a man with beady dots for eyes!), as the two hooded figures approached them.

The two figures moved in unison, pointing at Byleth while shouting their accusations at the poor man. Layton remained silent and stoic as they threw their cloaks off, and the silver-haired man shouted his introduction so loudly that it echoed. From behind the Professor, Luke couldn't take his eyes of the two strangers. The situation was so bizarre that he was unsure whether to be intimidated or laugh! Their accusations and threats toward Byleth filled the boy with anger instead. Luke hadn't known Byleth for very long, but the swordsman had saved their lives, and he will NOT tolerate any ill will aimed at him!

"He is not a demon!" Luke shouted indignantly, trying to get around Layton, though the Professor held his arm out to keep the boy from doing so. He was ready to throw hands! "Professor Byleth is a good and noble man! You've got some nerve--"

"Luke," Layton said in almost a whisper, shaking his head in gentle disapproval.

"B-but--!" Luke protested. They couldn't just let this jerk talk to Byleth like that and attack him, right??

Layton turned Luke so they were face-to-face and could keep their conversation between themselves. "Listen to me, Luke: despite this fellow's, er, abrasiveness, I believe he's got the heart of a gentleman. Maybe he can be reasoned with."

Luke adored and trusted the Professor deeply, but it took all of his control to not shout with incredulity. "THAT guy? A gentleman? Really now, Professor!"

Layton's face softened into a smile, and the Professor took hold of the brim of his hat. "Well, we shall see, my boy." Layton turned toward Zeke and Pandoria, features serious once more. "I will vouch for this man, Mister, er, Zekenator. He is no demon. If it wasn't for his timely interference a short moment ago, my friend and I would have been in considerable peril." The friendly smile returned to his face. "You hardly look like a monster yourself, sir. Perhaps we can settle this over tea like gentlemen..." Layton blinked as realization hit him. His soft voice carried a tone of sheepishness to it. "Ah, oh dear. I've forgotten I do not have my trunk..."

"Professor!"

Luke unslung the bag he always carried and opened it, pulling out a woven box. Inside was a small portible tea set. Luke puffed his chest proudly. "Professor Layton's apprentice always needs to be prepared!"

"Capital, Luke!" Layton held his arms out in an open, non-threatening gesture toward the other adults. "While Luke makes the tea, why don't we relax with a puzzle? I've a riddle that I think you would find quite charming.

Spoiler: Puzzle: 002

Halo of water, tongue of wood;

skin of stone, long I've stood.

My fingers short reach the sky;

inside my heart, men live and die.

What am I?"

 

[Ploegy]

Ｙｏｓｈｉ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Kokiri Settlement | Tagged: Kameron Esters-
SirPrompto15
───────────────────────────────────────────​

Letting a snort flare from his nostrils, Yoshi glared towards the archer that dared to kick at Captain Falcon. Despite how over-the-top he could be, the dino saw no reason for them to abuse him anymore than they already had. He was still irritated by it all, even if he had reigned his anger in and kept it in check. For him that was quite telling given how laidback he typically was.

That irritation momentarily faded as the conversation move forth and Falcon mentioned the disappearance of two of their companions. Blinking in surprise, Yoshi's head turned on a swivel in attempt to find both whom had vanished, but it was to no avail. The claims that followed did little to comfort him either.

"Demon tree...?" he echoed, as if trying to let his mind wrap around the thought of such. The archers had said weird things were happening around the area, yet he wouldn't have thought it would happen so suddenly or even without notice. It made him feel guilty for not realizing sooner, but what could he do.

Lifting his nose into the air, Yoshi sniffed it in hopes of picking up a familiar scent, but unfortunately nothing came to him. Not even a trace of which direction they might have gone. It was unsettling to say the least. Frowning, he turned his head towards Falcon, briefly ignoring the orders from the archers. "Yoshi has bad feeling about all this... Can't believe friends just disappear..."

His voice was clearly uneasy as he spoke and his eyes said everything- he was upset. All traces of anger that had previously been there had vanished and were now replaced with major concern. "Yoshi think we should follow and get more info. Archers might know how to get friends back."

It felt like a long shot, but what choice did they have right now? It wasn't as if they had any idea of what was going on.

Not waiting for an answer, Yoshi pushed himself forward after the archers, hoping that he might be able to question them for some kind of way to find their missing friends. He had to at least try.

 

[Gears]

Suddenly from the forest burst cyberneticly enhanced creatures, charging at the heroes. Many armed with futuristic laser guns and various enhancements giving them an edge in the battle. Suddenly The former hero of dreamland, Kirby stepped forward, the left side of his face covered by a metal visor, wearing a Jetpack and metal gauntlets. His eyes flew red as he charged forward, a long sword crackling with electricity in hand. The former ally didn’t think, except for the order repeating in his head. Eliminate threats and assist recourse collectors at all cost. He charged at captain falcon, fighting with ferocity, one moment swinging his sword, the next firing rockets from an extending arm.
Kameron Esters- Ploegy

 

[Ploegy]

Ｐｙｒａ / Ｍｙｔｈｒａ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Ghost Ship | Interactions: GrumpySwallow
───────────────────────────────────────────​

Hearing Pit's words, Pyra gave a small nod of her head. She wasn't sure if he really understood it or not, but even having some kind of understanding and empathy towards it was nice. She knew Mythra would feel grateful over it too, even if she would be less likely to admit it. Either way, she personally found comfort in it and was glad to hear him offer such words. If only words were enough to get them through this place though. Sadly, she didn't think they were, but for now she'd keep such things to herself.

Taking in a deep breath, the aegis watched as the mists around them began to take shape again, though luckily for her, it was nothing she recognized, though that was to be expected. Much like her other half, her fears were difficult to pinpoint and most of it stemmed from her own fear of herself, albeit to a much lesser extent than Mythra.

The mists were as quick to dissipate as they were to form. That came as a relief. Even if Pyra hadn't experienced the dreadfulness of the ship firsthand, she had no desire to and the pain it had brought Mythra had been more than enough for her to feel it as well. However, she couldn't let that hold her back. If the ship wished to try and drag her into the depths of her own fears, then she welcomed it to try. She would do her best to hold strong and continue to move forward.

Finding strength in her own resolve, Pyra gave a small nod of her head when she heard Pit agree with her about moving on. Watching the angel move forward, soon followed by Toon Link, the aegis wasted no time to get into gear and follow as well. Much like the pair before her, she could feel the strong pull that came from the stairway up ahead, though despite the heaviness it gave off, her features didn't become grim like her companions had. A glimmer of positivity sparkled in the blade's eyes and a gentle, yet surprisingly confident smile made itself present on her face.

Pit's rallying words were enough to get a curt nod from Pyra and allowed that confidence in her to grow even more, even enough to push her to make her own claims of victory.

"We've made it this far, and been this strong," she rallied, giving her companions a quick side glance. "Even if the worst lies ahead, we cannot turn back. We can win this fight!" Her confidence for once shone through. Perhaps it was Rex's own personality rubbing off on her after all this time. He had been the positive light in her life after all. A little bit of his positivity shining through now was no problem. Besides, they needed it now more than anything.

Letting those words settle in for a moment, the aegis held her hand out and in a wisp of flames, her sword came to her. "Whatever waits for us, I'll stand and fight it with you all, for the safety of everyone around!"

Lowering her blade to her side, Pyra took a stood forward onto the first stair and gave a small gesture of her head for the others to follow suit. It was time to put all of this to an end- Coconut or not. This was no longer about the treasure, but rather to end whatever curse was haunting this place and to prove the lot of them could stand strong, even when faced with the worst fears they held.

 

[Minako]

​

Princess Peach

"The... Stadium...?" Peach muttered in confusion, deep in thought for a moment, tilting her head.

She had been there before, so it was definitely ringing bells, but as for why she should be there RIGHT NOW, Why would Dark Pit think---

Then it hit her!

"OH! THAT'S RIGHT! I remember now!" She finally stated, clapping her hands together in an "AHA!" moment!

"W-well, you see, the thing about th-that is--" The pink Princess explained sheepishly, "I... Well... Sorta..."

"Got lost..."

It all came flooding back to her: Before she met Samus and Pikachu in the forest Peach had been trying to make her way toward the Stadium because that was where she suggested everyone meet up for the reunion!

How could she have forgotten!?

Guess all that messy business with Mario must have weighed on her mind more heavily than she thought...



ANYWAY!

A good Princess owns up to her mistakes and moves forward after making amends, which was EXACTLY what the Mushroom Princess intended to do!


"Er, Uhm, Thank you so much for reminding me where I was needed, Dark Pit! A-anyway, It's impossible to get lost now that we have Samus' ship, S-so We'll be going there right away! You wanna come with us? Er... When you're all healed up, of course...?"

She then turned to the Nurse and the Lab Scientist, figuring they probably more accurately knew why Dark Pit needed medical treatment anyway... Aaaaaaand most likely they might be less curt and a bit more honest about the situation than the dark-winged angel.

"What happened to him, anyway? Is he alright?" Peach asked them curiously and concernedly.


Location:

Lakeside Lab!

Interactions:

GrumpySwallow (Pikachu, Nurse Joy, Dark Pit, Big, and Lake Scientist), SirPrompto15 (Cream & Cheese), Develius (Samus), and SheepKing (Zelda)

​

 

[SheepKing]

---

Right as the hatch of the ship’s doors unsealed, Pikachu rushed to meet the outside world, Cream and her pet following behind as Peach rushed to catch up with the young child. A light laugh escaped her lips at her allie’s eagerness to leave the confines of the cramped vehicle, though Zelda too would step down from the ship stretching her arms and taking in a deep breath of fresh air. As absolutely fascinating as it was to travel by air, she was pleased to be back on the ground.

A gentle gust of wind flew through her hair, as if to direct her to the sight that was the lake. It was like a painting, gentle blue waters, soft fluffy clouds in the sky, and vibrant green grass that was just begging to be laid down upon. Compared to densely packed trees of the forest, standing out here in the field almost felt like a weight off one’s shoulders. Even the large feline who sat by the lake’s edge only added to the lake’s tranquility, as he peacefully fished without a single care.

Yet, as scenic of a sight it was, the lake didn’t just offer mere beauty to its beholders. No, as Pikachu’s ears and tail suddenly sprung up in alarm, Zelda’s attention quickly tore itself from the lake, falling onto the building on the opposite end of the water as a cacophony of all manner of noise rang out from inside. Whatever was going on in there surely was serious, as alongside the noise, Zelda could hear what sounded to be screams! Picking up the ends of her gown, Zelda was just about to make her way over to investigate when a third and much more…familiar voice filled her ears.

She could recognize that voice anywhere, it had to be one of the angels! And based on the slight dip in tone, Dark Pit to be specific. But she felt no relief, not when the content of his words left her filled with worry. One could only make the assumption that he was being held against his will, maybe even kidnapped! And if that was the case, there wasn’t a chance that Zelda would stand by and let these fiends get away with this-

The doors burst open with a startling boom as a dark mass shot its way out from the building, a pink haired nurse and old scientist scrambling to keep up. As they frantically chased the escapee Zelda’s previous assumption would be put into question, or it would be more accurate to say contextualized. As evidently, Dark Pit seemed to absolutely object towards being captive and yet, the white bandages that lined his head and the genuine care in the nurse’s voice certainly implied that these were no fiends to speak. No, they had been healing him, and in return Dark Pit had flown off mid procedure!

That surely would have been it, Dark Pit gone in the horizon just as the group had found him, if not for the aid of the large cat, who with a wide swing of his rod, ensnared Dark Pit in fishing line and plunged him into the crystal waters, leaving an utterly drenched and none too pleased Dark Pit glaring at the nurse and scientist as they finally caught with with him.

As soon as the chaos began, it had already ended before Zelda could even get a chance to react, leaving her standing there and just taking in all that had occurred in the short span of time.

Pikachu would finally break Zelda’s daze, as she stood on her hind legs and pointed at the scene.

Joining Princess Peach in her nod, it was clear what to do.

“Right!”

With that, Zelda joined the rodent, Princess, and Rabbit in making their way over to the ensnared Dark Pit, to help their friend, to figure out what Cream’s relation to the large cat was, and in general to simply get a grip on the entire situation!

As the group neared, Cream would be the first to make it to the other side, as she was soon enveloped into the large arms of Big, as the poor angel was helplessly spun about. This appeared to be the final nail in the coffin as Dark Pit suddenly began to thrash against the confines of the fishing rod, before summoning his bow and cutting right through it, falling into the waters below with a rather loud plop. Thankfully from his distance, the Angel surely wouldn’t be able to see Zelda’s nostrils flare out slightly as she forced herself to hold in her laugh.

No, rather as Zelda finally caught up with the others, she’d quickly compose herself, especially as Dark Pit shot at the group, questioning Peach specifically regarding why they weren’t at the stadium.

Zelda would glance at the Nurse and Scientist as they expressed gratitudes for the Smash Fighters return, the latter asking if they played a part in the fog’s lifting from the forest.

As Zelda in all technicality hadn’t actually been with the others when they saved the forest, she wouldn’t speak on the topic. Though still she’d give a small head nod, confirming that the other ladies had in fact been the cause.

As for Dark Pit’s question, while Princess Peach would bashfully admit that she’d gotten lost on the way to the stadium, Zelda would add on

“And I was intercepted on the way to it as well. Though before we can make our way to the stadium, there are a few matters we will need attend to, especially here at the lake”

Zelda gave a quick wink towards Princess Peach, hoping to remind her of their search for the pillars

“Ah! speaking of, would it perhaps be alright if we could ask the two of you a few questions regarding the lake, Mister…?”

---

Interactions: GrumpySwallow SirPrompto15 Minako Develius
Location: The Lake (Map TBA)

 

[Ploegy]

Ｓｏｒａ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Forest on Floating Island | Interactions: SheepKing
───────────────────────────────────────────​

As his own thunder spell crackled from his keyblade's tip, Sora's eyes moved to find Pichu. Luckily the other seemed to understand what had had been implying and was charging his own attack. Hopefully the two combined would be more than enough to end this fight. He had to put his faith in it.

Allowing a confident smile to cross over his face, Sora lifted his weapon up even higher causing the electricity flowing from it to spark even further from it as he charged it. When all things were looking right, the boy finally decided it was time for their tag team combo to be unleashed.

"NOW PICHU!"

His voice boomed out and in that instant, the lightning burst out from his own weapon and rumbled out around him in a circular motion. As it did, it united with the electricity let off by Pichu and together, the two combined into a raging parade of lightning bolts which danced across the Primid camp with grace, yet sheer power. Anything in its path was immediately met with a severe jolt of raw electrical power running through their body. They wouldn't even last a few seconds before dropping to the ground unmoving. Such an attack gave proof of the pair's sheer determination to end whatever it was that was happening in this place.

Listening to the thunder rumble around him, Sora's eyes wandered about, taking in the lights show that moved around them. Despite its raw power, it was still a sight to behold, and even the keyblade wielder found himself in brief awe. Even Donald's powerful magic spells couldn't compare to the move he and Pichu had managed to pull off. It was an accomplishment to be proud of, and thankfully, it had done its job as well.

After spreading out across the battlefield, the bolts soon died down and the rumble of thunder died with it. All the enemies that had been left standing had now fallen to the ground, completely stunned from the shock. Some even began to dissipate into small purple orbs which floated upwards to the sky. Sora wasn't sure the meaning of it, but he figured it was a good thing. Even so, much like the lightning before, it was a beautiful sight, even if it had a grim meaning attached to it.

​

Staring in awe once more, Sora lowered his keyblade and let an audible gasp slip through his lips. A childish wonder filled the young keyblade wielder's eyes as he slowly turned and watched the orbs dance up through the trees overhead. Perhaps he was gawking too much, but who could blame him. It was a sight much unlike what he was used to. Even during his time in the Smash Realm before he had never witnessed anything like it. Usually the darkness lifted from the fighters in a similar manner, but their bodies were of course left in tact. There was nothing like that in this case.

As much as he mind wanted to think it over, his thoughts on it were brought to an abrupt halt as his turn finally brought Pichu back into his vision. Blue eyes fell back upon the small, electric rodent and in an instant a cheesy smile crossed Sora's face.

"We did it!" he cheered as his keyblade disappeared from his hand. Without a thought in his mind, the teen rushed forward and dropped to his knees next to the Pokemon, scooping him up in the process. A hearty laugh rumbled in his throat as he pulled Pichu close and held him against his chest in a warm, yet friendly hug.

While Sora was more than used to saving a freeing others, something about this time felt different from the others, though he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was. It wasn't as if he had time to think it over either. His moment with Pichu only was short, but it only became more cheery as the creatures came darting from their hiding places to join the pair. The awoofy and sabrecub were the first of them to reach the two heroes and both dove at the pair in excitement.

Next thing Sora knew, he was on his back. Pichu had been freed from his grip and his hands instinctively moved to his face to protect it from the wet tongues that lapped at it. "H-hey! That tickles! Cut it out!"

His laugh echoed out as the creatures continued to express their appreciation towards the boy. The other animals wouldn't be too far behind and soon, Sora and Pichu were completely surrounded by all the former victims of the Primids- each of them showing appreciation in their own way. Some were more animated like the sabrecub and awoofy, while others offered a soft nuzzle to both their heroes.

However, another one stood out from the crowd as well- the nopon, which had dubbed himself as "Meemee." The cream furball hurried forward on his stubby legs with tears of joy streaming down his face as he jumped onto Sora's chest and fell on top of the keyblade wielder. "MEEMEE HAPPY HAPPY FRIENDS HELP!" he sobbed out while hitting his small hands against the teen. "MEEMEE TRULY THOUGHT IT WAS END! FRIENDS MUST LET MEEMEE REPAY THEM!"

Managing to pull his face away from the creatures that still were licking at him, Sora lifted his head in order to offer the nopon a soft smile. "We were more than happy to help. No reward needed."

"NO NO NO! MUST LET MEEMEE REPAY! NOPON HONOR RELY ON IT!"

Those words caused Sora's brows to flatten as a sheepish smile made itself present on his features. Scratching at his cheek, his gaze moved towards Pichu, wondering if the other might have a clue as to what they should even ask for as a reward. Even if he did, the boy knew the two wouldn't be able to easily communicate anyways.

"Uh... well..." he breathed out as he sat up, causing Meemee to fall down into his lap. "Do you or any of the other creatures here know where we are? Pichu and I are trying to reunite with our friends. Maybe you know them- the Smash Brothers?"

​

Meemee's face seemed to light up at the mention of the Smash Brothers and hurriedly he hopped out of Sora's lap. "Meemee knew friends super duper special! Should have known legendary heropons when pon see one!" the nopon quickly spit out as he flapped his long wing-like ears in a panic. "PLEASE FORGIVE MEEMEE FOR NOT NOTICING!"

The nopon bowed before Sora, causing the boy's face to become coated in concern. "It's really not a big deal, I promise!"

His words quickly reassured the nopon and he once again sprang to life, beginning to dance around the keyblade wielder in a blissful joy. "Meemee lucky! Meemee forgiven by legendary heroes of big Smash Pow Tournament!"

Sora found himself lost by now, but a smile stayed ever present on his face even if his eyes betrayed that very expression. "Right... but Meemee, do you think you could help us? If you can, we can call us even and you lose no nopon honor. Does that sound okay?"

His words brought the nopon to a stop mid dance and his attention moved back to Sora. "Meemee help! Friends need to know where friends are, well, friends on Ancient Floating Island! Island fly high over rest of Smash Realm. Hard to get to main land."

Did he say floating island? Sora's expression quickly shifted as that information settled in and the happy-go-lucky look he had tried hard to maintain vanished in an instant and was replaced by wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "Floating Island?!"

"Correct! Friends way high up above rest of world! Truly exciting right?! Sometimes Meemee get good view of big floating castle that fly around! Even more exciting, right?!"

Exciting wasn't exactly the word Sora would use, yet he didn't bother arguing with the nopon. He did offer something interesting after all; a mention of a floating castle. That seemed out of the ordinary. "A floating castle?"

Meemee's head bobbed in excitement. "Yes! Yes! Only thing is Meemee heard bad guys here try making loyal minions of Meemee and friends to send to help owner of castle! Not know much more, but scary thought! Castle still pretty though!"

It wasn't concrete information, but it was something, even if Sora hardly wanted to believe it. If it had some truth to it, then they clearly had a much bigger problem on their hands than what the forest alone suggested. It made rejoining the others all the more important- that was if they had even come back like they had all promised. He hoped they had, though if it was only him and Pichu, then they'd have to find a way to get by.

"Do you know which way the Stadium is in?"

The question caused Meemee to frown and his ears immediately drooped. "Meemee have no clue, but maybe other animal friends help? Some travel more than Meemee do!"

Sora gave a simple nod at the nopon's response before he turned his attention to Pichu. "Do you think you could ask if any of the other animals knows which way we should go? You'll probably understand them better than I can."

 

[Twice Knightly]

Zeke Von Genbu and Pandoria
THE BATTLEFIELD
ft. Shez ( megar ), Byleth ( Ploegy ), and Professor Layton/Luke ( GrumpySwallow )

"The... Hands?" Zeke repeats the term aloud - somewhat in confusion, and somewhat in disbelief. This brief moment of respite only lasts a moment, however, as before long, the man has already returned to smirking. "Nice try, chum! But the only hands you need to be worrying about are these furious flying fists of fury!" To further emphasize his point, Zeke curls his free hand up into a fist and flexes the arm. For all of his theatrics - those biceps certainly do not lie. They aren't egregiously large by any means, but they're still extremely impressive. Of course, Zeke wastes no time in actually showing off as much of them as he can, smirking more to himself than anything as he twitches the bulging mass of muscle in his arm - though he definitely turns back on the occasion to gauge the reactions of the others. Pandoria follows suit, still mimicking his motion... and while her muscles are nowhere near as prominent as Zeke's, it's obvious that something more lean and toned is there under her smaller arm.

Her second sputtering of nonsense is met with an incredulous raise of Zeke's brow, before he allows his fist to fall to his hip and therein leans back to let out a bout of mocking, condescending laughter. Pandoria of course mimics the motion, although unlike Zeke, no laughter leaves her. She just... copies the motion to a perfect tee, just like she has been.

"Hah! As if I would trust a demon to lead me out of here! Sorry, mate, but you'll need to use a bit more brainpower to earn the trust of Zeke Von Genbu!" he proudly thumbs to himself, while the knuckles on his sword hand come to rest against his hip. "𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐙𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 is perfectly capable of finding his own way out, I assure you!"

He holds the pose up until a tiny, high-pitched voice interrupts the moment. It causes Zeke's eye to open right back up and flick downward to meet the stern gaze of the child... and it's a sight that he tries his best not to laugh at. It's not as if he plans to harm the child or anything... but seeing him get so upset is a just tad adorable, he must admit. Pandoria finds similar trouble, as she too brings up a hand to stifle any oncoming laughter. The tall, dapper fellow beside him proceeds to scold the child. If Zeke had to guess, this man is likely his father. And a good father at that, teaching his boy manners! Way to go! Zeke hoists his sword back over his shoulder and watches them talk with his one eye.

"...Pandoria?" Zeke whispers to his partner, who is quick to stand at full attention. "You can read lips, yeah?"

Pandoria blinks, "It's not my specialty, my Prince... but I can try." she speaks for the first time. Unlike Luke and Layton, they aren't exactly very quiet, so it's very easy to hear her voice. It sounds a lot more... normal than Zeke's. Really, it could be mistaken for any average girl in their twenties. She purses her lips and leans forward ever so slightly through an invisible, squinted gaze, her eyes meeting the lips of The Professor and his apprentice. "I think... they're saying something about lemon slices."

"Bastards..." Zeke curses under his breath whilst clenching a fist. "They must wish to squirt lemon juice in my one good eye..."

"The nerve...!" Pandoria scoffs in kind.

As soon as the duo turn back around, Zeke and Pandoria both straighten right back up, hoping to dismiss any notion that they were talking amongst each other in those last few moments. They listen to the taller one's words... and then raise a brow as a tea set is suddenly produced by the smaller one. An incredulous brow is raised thanks to the sight. He doesn't say anything just yet - although thanks to his trusty assistant, he's already ten steps ahead of what they're planning. He slowly raises his head so that his eye may find Layton's gaze once more.

"A puzzle, you say?" Zeke asks, as he sheathes his sword - for now. He crosses his arms for a brief moment, pondering the notion. Normally, he would outright deny it... but he did need to pass the time until those dastardly lemon slices came into play... "Very well!" Zeke nods, his smile widening. "I'll take you up on your brain tickler! After all, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐙𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 never backs down from a challenge - no matter how puzzling!" Zeke closes his eye and lowers head, pondering for all of five seconds. Before long, however, his smile has slowly grown into a smirk more and more, and with that growing smirk of course comes an ever-growing, all too familiar chuckle. "Heh... aheheheh... you bloody FOOL!"

(OOC Note: Keep at the timestamp for the intended effect!)
​

With that final word, his eye shoots open, and his grin turns from smug to mad.

"The answer is so obvious that even a child could solve it!"

"IT'S A CASTLE!!"​

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Toon Link & Pit
Where: Ghost Ship
With: Pyra/Mythra ( Ploegy )

As Pyra stepped onto the descending stairway, Pit watched her with admiration. Wow, her rallying call was great! He wondered if Pyra would be up for some collaborations? Pit shook his head to snap himself back to reality. There was no time for that! Focus on the mission, Captain!

Toon Link and Pit followed their friend down the stairs. The mists grew thick, and the darkness was overpowering. Thankfully, Pit had a torch (he learned the importance of keeping one on hand during his first adventure!) and lit it. Much to his and Toon Link's surprise, the hold was an empty hallway, with old rusted prison cells on each side of the ship's walls. Was this once a prison ship? Toon Link saw Pit grow uneasy and looked to him. Pit glanced back at the Hylian boy momentarily, chuckling nervously as he faced forward again.

"I've... Uh... I've never liked prisons..."

He shook himself and held his torch up higher. In the distance, at the end of the hold, was a torch holder. However, instead of a torch being held in the rusted iron ring, there was an asymmetrical crystal shard of ghostly white. Mist emanated from the crystal, covering the hold with fog so thick that the wooden deck could hardly be seen. Toon Link and Pit stared at the shard. They could feel the power radiating from the crystal, but while it was, indeed, a crystal, it was certainly no coconut!

Both fighters of the Super Smash Brothers decided questions could wait. This has to be what they were sent to retrieve, and so they shall claim it!

Toon Link and Pit descended the rest of the steps, only to suddenly freeze with shock the moment their feet touched the deck, their pained and startled cries cut short as invisible talons of icy cold seemed to dig into their bodies and cut off their breath! Toon Link could liken the sensation to being paralyzed by a ReDead's shriek, but worse! Far worse! The malevolent, whispering voice that hissed in the back of their minds throughout their exploration in the Ghost Ship was now a demonic roar, drowning out their thoughts.

"Get out! Get out! Get out! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GETOUTGETOUTGETOUT!!!"

Deep breaths could not help the young fighters; they couldn't even breathe! They could only make pitiful gurgling sounds as they struggled for breath, their bodies refusing to obey! Stars popped in the back of their heads as darkness began clouding their vision. Pit and Toon Link shut their eyes as they focused their will, and for a moment, their world grew silent.

Pit and Toon Link's eyes snapped open! With a defiant scream, they broke the hold the Ghost Ship had on them and ran for the crystal shard. The cages next to them were a blur as they tore down the hold, screaming out all their rage, pain, frustration, and fear. The distance between them and the crystal closed, and both boys reached out to claim their prize.

As if sensing their intent, the crystal shard glowed brightly and unleashed a massive shockwave that blew Toon Link and Pit backward as it shot through the Ghost Ship... and the Black Scourge outside!



Chaos broke out on the deck of the Black Scourge! Exposed to the pure essence of Fear, the ship's crew were overcome with terror, sailors and captives screaming and howling as they ran about in a panic, some even jumping overboard. Those with weaker constitutions dropped stone cold onto the deck, horror frozen on their faces. Kap'n Krook had also been affected by the shockwave. Ghostly pale and mist rising from his body, the Kremling pirate lashed out at his panicking krew in a desperate attempt to restore order. With his sword, he ran through a Kremling trying to chop the ropes that connected the Black Scourge to the Ghost Ship. His dream was on that haunted ship, and it was slipping from his klaws!

"YARR! Ye yellow-bellied cowards! Back to yer duties! I haven't spent years followin' dead leads 'n' slittin' throats to lose me treasure now!"

The Reaper in control of the spirits of the Ghost Ship laughed wickedly, thoroughly enjoying the havoc brought about both ships. The ghostly Zora and Kremlings shrieked like banshees, their forms becoming twisted as they, too, felt the crystal shard's curse upon them!



Toon Link groaned softly as he slowly came to his senses. He opened his eyes only to shut them immediately as they were stung by a bright light. He had been in the dark for so long... Wait, why was there a light? And why was this light so warm? Toon Link cautiously opened his eyes again. He found himself draped upon the stairs. More importantly, the mark of the Triforce of Courage on his left hand was shining again, much more brightly than it had when it saved him from the phantom Bellum earlier! Toon Link could no longer feel the cold dread of the Ghost Ship, nor could he hear the sinister whispers that hissed in the back of his head.

What just...?

The memory of what had happened struck the young Hylian like a lightning bolt! Right, that crystal! It unleashed an energy wave and... Toon Link's eyes widened with the realization that the Triforce of Courage was protecting him again! But where were Pit and Pyra? Thanks to the light from his left hand, the hold was brighter than before, even with Pit's torch. Down the hall he saw Pit. The angel was staring into one of prisons. Toon Link's stomach churned; he knew something was very wrong! Pit didn't have the protection Toon Link had, and he had been caught in the epicenter of that wave! Without another moment's hesitation, he ran to his friend.

Pit groaned and slowly pushed himself off the deck floor. Ugh, what just... happened? Wasn't there a coconut or something...? Pit couldn't remember. His head felt fuzzy, really fuzzy, like it was full of dryer lint! Maybe he had been hit by a coconut? The angel captain stood, but his legs felt like they were made of wet noodles. He instinctively grabbed one of the bars of a nearby jail cell to support himself. Why was he so... pale? Having regained his balance, Pit looked at his hands. He was a very ghostly white, and a strange haze was emanating from his body. What in the...?

Something in the corner of his eye caught Pit's attention, forcing the angel to look into the jail cell he had used to support himself. His eyes squinted. This cell had ancient green stone walls. Rusted manacles hung from the far wall. Pit's eyes trailed down the chains, pausing when they fell upon a pair of shriveled hands...

Pit's eyes widened, the captain completely transfixed as he gazed in horror upon the desiccated remains of a winged humanoid!

It all rushed to him at once: the green stone walls, the rusted manacles digging into his wrists and ankles, the red spears and clammy talons of demons stabbing into his body as they cackled mockingly, the smell of sulfur and death filling his nostrils, and the screams of the damned echoing around him...

Toon Link reached Pit's side. He called out to the angel but it was to no avail; Pit could not tear his eyes away from the sight before him! His body heaved with quick and heavy breaths. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, fists clenching as he trembled uncontrollably.

No! NO! He can't be...! This isn't real! He escaped! Pit knew he had to resist! Resist what, he couldn't recall, but he knew he must! He must! He... must...!

Toon Link could not reach Pit. He called out to Pyra, then looked to the crystal shard that still hung from the wall at the far end of the hold. His eyes narrowed. That crystal is the source of all this misery! He had to get it, and with the Triforce of Courage protecting him, Toon Link was certain that this time he will be successful. Once again, he ran for the crystal, hand outstretched to take it.

A harsh voice hissed from the mist.

"Demons of the Underworld are attacking! It is an ambush! They are here to kill your Lady! You MUST stop them, Captain!"

Toon Link turned at the sound of running footsteps and barely got his sword up in time to block the blades of Palutena's Bow. Pit snarled as he pressed down upon the Hylian's sword, his eyes glowing white as Fear's corruption overcame him.

"Underworld scum! Leave this place at once, or I'll cast you out myself!"

 

[Kameron Esters-]

One of the soldiers takes of their helmet and drops it to the floor. "Alright, guys. Prepare to back me up. I'll try to provide an opening for you guys. Take him out while you can."

"Understood. We'll be right behind you. Shame that we can't halothane through the lower-level vents."

"We don't have time for that now. Just make sure you take aim at Sephiroth or the Remnant. Better we keep one from leaving than both. Time to do our jobs, boys. Let's try to die right." Suddenly, the soldiers body begins to morph, contort and grow; overshadowing the other soldiers. Soon, the sounds of clanking metal drawing closer into the lab. Out from the darkness appears multiple glowing red eyes. And from the shadows, a hulking dark grey figure with fur across it's back and arms and six spider legs, and mandibles prying open it's mouth comes through the door and looks at Sephiroth.

Spoiler: Enter the Jenoid

"You have five seconds to drop the Remant and leave while you can, Sephiroth. Unfortunately for you...It took me eight seconds to say that..." Without warning, the creatures spews forth a torrent of web-like fluid at bullet speed from its mouth.
Kaiju Cat