Super Smash Bros. Brawly Melee

Chapter 5

Bowser approached Mario as the Great Fox continued its voyage through the night.

"Hey, Mario." Said Bowser.

"Hey Bowser, what's up?"

"I think the others want you to go see what the deal is with Fox. We're just not sure why we should trust him."

"Well he saved our asses back there," Mario said, remembering his convenient entry, "But he did say he'd explain himself… but why does everyone want me to ask?"

"I think they see you as a leader. I mean, you have convinced everyone here to turn their backs on Link."

"They see me as the leader? Just this morning they didn't care at all about me."

"Yeah, but that's what leaders do. They gain trust fast, and they change peoples' minds. That's what you and Link are so good at. That's why you guys are number one."

"Gee Bowser, I never thought I'd hear this from you."

"Hey, I call them as I see them. I think the gang would agree."

"Thanks, Bowser! I'll go talk to Fox. Listen, I'm kinda worried about Ike still. Maybe see if Zelda can go talk to him for me. She's a princess after all, so I think she'll be best to comfort him."

"Will do."

And so Mario walked up to Fox, who was at the front of the Great Fox looking forward determined to reach his destination.

"Hey Fox, I have a question."

"Right, you wanna know what the deal with me and Link is, right?"

"Exactly."

"Well, it's like this. I joined Link's team because I figured, y'know, there's power in numbers. But my enemy Wolf also joined Link. We tried to work it out, but then he just went too far…"

"What did he do?" Mario inquired.

"The unspeakable… he stole my Land Master final smash!"

"He did not!" Mario exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yep, it's true."

"So what did you do?"

"Well, when he wasn't looking I got into my landmaster. But he noticed and jumped on top of it. So I set it to hover over a cliff and I jumped out, and let him fall to his death."

"So… Wolf is dead?"

"Yeah, and there's no way Link was gonna let me stay on his team after killing another member. So I figured I could help you guys out instead… it's better than being alone."

"That's great. We actually need to get to Yoshi's Island. I think Yoshi's staying there and we might be able to get him on our team."

"Well, that' the direction we're heading in. Hopefully Link isn't privy to your plans."

"Let's hope we'll at least have time to stock up on resources before he catches up to us."

"Well I think you're safe for now, so if your team wants to get some sleep now's a good time. I can stay guard; foxes are nocturnal. And you can trust me. Promise.

"Good deal." Said Mario, "I'll go tell the others."

Ike sat still, gazing at the stars, the wind blowing gently through his hair. By now the tears had left his eyes, but the impact of Marth's death still had him shaken. His sword was laid out, and he looked at it. It was brilliantly sharpened, and he was ready to plunge it through Link and all of his supporters. He didn't know why, but he felt like things would have been different if him and Marth had never joined Link in the first place.

Zelda approached him. He couldn't find the energy to look up at her, to see the sympathy in her eyes. He knew he would just begin crying again. Zelda took a seat next to him, and put her hand on his shoulder. Ike realized how distanced he had become; just the simple physical gesture sent a shock down his spine, but he quickly began to appreciate the comfort.

"I'm so sorry," said Zelda, "I couldn't even imagine what you're going through right now."

"It feels like part of me has died. Marth was everything to me. Now he's just… gone…"

"Marth loved you like no one else could. But I want you to know that I'm here for you. And so is everyone else. We all want to be your friends."

"I appreciate it, Zelda… I just can't show it. Whenever I think about Marth, I only feel sadness. When I think about anything else, I just don't feel anything. It's like I'm a hallowed tree."

"I completely understand. Given what you've been through and all this craziness around us, I'm sure those feelings are normal."

"It's not safe for any of us. I want you to know I do consider you guys my friends. And whatever happens in the coming days, I will fight for all of you. I fight for my friends."

"You just had to find an excuse to say that, didn't you?"

"Yep."

Zelda smiled, and Ike gave a slight smirk; the first expression he made since Marth's death. Mario and Fox approached them, as well as Bowser, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Snake.

"Okay, everyone," said Mario, "Fox explained everything to me. Basically, he's as against Link as we are, and we're en route to Yoshi's Island. Tomorrow we'll have to start preparing for a battle with Link and his team. But for now, we can rest. If you want some sleep, now's the time to get it in."

Sometime later, everyone was gathered around. Fox kept upright while everyone lay, staring at the sky. The force field keeping everyone in the tournament grounds began giving off a bluish sheen in one area, reminding everyone of the artificial environment they were in. Eventually the blue blur formed into text, which read "The Fallen" Everyone watched in silence.

The first image that came up was that of Falco, with his name displayed below. Fox gave a nod to his friend. Next was Sonic. Nobody cared. Wario was shown, followed by Captain Falcon, Mr. Game and Watch, Nana, Pit, Jigglypuff, Popo, and Ness. Mario still wasn't quite sure what exactly happened with them, he just knew it had something to do with a falcon punch and an explosion. After that was the Pokemon trainer, Ivysaur, Squirtle, Charizard, and Pikachu. Bowser remembered the tasty meal and the slight sadness over the loss of his cousin Charlie. Then Lucas, who violently committed suicide after barely surviving the explosion of Wario. Roy's picture and name were next. Then Olimar's. Meta Knight's was displayed, then Kirby's. Marth's was displayed, rekindling some of the residual pain within Ike, as he gave a solemn bow to his lover. Wolf appeared, and then King Dedede, ending the list. The blue screen disappeared, and the black starry sky was all that was left.

"With so many of Link's team dead or switching sides, we're pretty much evenly matched," said Mario, "I think we might actually have a chance."

The crew was hopeful, as they slept through the rest of the night, ready for this hellish nightmare to finally come to an end.