"These aparoids are serious! Watch your tail, Fox!"

"Of course, they're serious, Krystal. It's no fun if they aren't!" The quote was followed by a long blast of gunfire. "Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"The machine gun's not working on that enemy."

"I know that, Pep! Shut up!"

"Are you quite done yelling at the game?"

Foxpilot started, almost dropping the controller. On screen, Fox took a hit from an aparoid dragoon's missile, cutting his health by about a third. Pausing the game, the author turned around. "Don't do…How did I no hear you coming?"

Lucario crossed his arms and gave what seemed like a smirk. "You think I'd be that easy to hear?"

"…That's oddly outta character. You still annoyed about the scenes with Toya?"

"It's not as though you have the right to pair me up with someone without my permission."

"Since when do I have the rights to any of this?"

"True."

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"Welcome back to 'The Week of Blue Sun,' starring your favorite Smashers!" The crowd is silent at Foxpilot's words. "You're all asleep, aren't you?"

Soft snoring floated up from the back.

"Alright then, I guess I'll just have to use…this!" Foxpilot pulls his phone out of his pocket and accesses the ring-select function. In moments, the familiar, if grainy tune of Star Wolf begins to echo through the auditorium. The host nods his head to the music for about forty-five seconds, until a high note emits from the device's speakers and pierces the melody like an arrow.

Half of the attending audience wakes up. F-p shuts off the cellular device's music and puts it away. "Now that I have your attention, and now that the time has been taken up, I'll leave you all to become reacquainted with each other as the story progresses. As usual, I do not have licensing over these characters. But first, I would like to make two announcements.

"First, there's the matter of my first fanart. On my profile, you'll see a website posted. Put it into your browser bar to find…a picture of Strawberry! Honestly, it's not how I pictured her…but it is now! Many thanks to Abigail Satoshi xx for her excellent rendition.

"Second, I have decided to ask for an "official" artist to draw OCs and scenes from my stories. You will have to put up with my critical eye, but you get to appear prominently in a story that follows "Blue Sun," along with cameos in my other ongoing stories. The competition is steep, though; there's already a leading candidate. PM me with a link to your entry. You can choose from: Toya, Strawberry, Greg, Clive, or my Author Avatar. Do feel free to ask questions.

"Let it…Begin!"

The lights dim as the chapter begins to play.

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Another pristine feather snapped, adding yet another to the collection at the bottom of Pit's bubble. The angel hardly heard it, though; he was too cold to actually care anymore. They say angels are immortal, and that's true. But when in a physical form, their souls are the only thing that can survive any test.

The wind blowing from the light in the center now had shards of ice swirling through it. Though the frozen spears bounced off of the bubble cage, the temperature associated with the phenomenon pierced the energy with ease. Pit's eyes, crusted with ice from frozen tears of pain, gazed out at the burning wall ahead of him. There was no more strength to speak, no more strength to move. The Smashers' bodies were all frozen in place; even the fiery Charizard was nursing what was left of its energy. In fact, the cold seemed to be weakening the wall of fire, too. Before, the inferno had been a blazing white; only the magic spheres kept the light from blinding their occupants. Now, the hellish prison was only a deep shade of blue—far cooler than it was previously. Pit guessed that the freezing air emitted from the horrid light was cutting the temperature drastically.

The angel's eyelids grew heavy again. With no will available, Pit allowed them to shut, sealing his world into a dark gray. His mortal body, the physical representation of his holy soul, was failing. Soon he would see Palutena again…But what of the others?

Before being overtaken by the need to sleep, Pit called out with his mind one last time. Goddess Palutena…please…guide the souls of…my friends…

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The air was a strange mix of earthly scents and moist textures. Looking over the guard railing, it was easy to see why: the ruins sat high above an enormous lake spanned by a bridge with long-eroded supports. Marth was surprised the stone monument even stood anymore.

"It's beautiful…but we have to keep moving."

Meta Knight was correct as usual. The sun was setting behind the mountains, painting the sky all shades of orange, red, and yellow. The night would come swiftly; if Strawberry was right, Hyrule's sun wouldn't last twenty more minutes. Tearing his eyes from the scene, Marth returned to the group.

Strawberry, exhausted by her underground excursion, hung from Ike's shoulder. The vixen had been embarrassed at the turn of events, but there was nothing for it now. Marth stifled a yawn brought on by the fox's drooping lids. They would all need sleep, and if Straw was right, they were close to Hyrule Castle Town. While the others were discussing how to pay for a night at an inn, the nobleman pondered a more luxurious option.

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"Prince of…Alternate?"

"Altea, good sir. My friends and I have come a long way and wish to speak with your king."

The guard blinked stupidly and stared at Marth as though the Altean were the dope. "We don't got a king, 'Your Highness'. Only a noble Princess-to-be-Queen, who's off doing some sort of intercontinental meeting that's lasted for a long time now. Besides, she isn't after suitors; the great Hero's her chosen man."

Marth resisted the biting outburst forming on his tongue. Sure, his royal clothes had been ruined over the past few days, but the noble leader of Altea still bore his regal air!

"Besides, we ain't hosting a costume party. As you can see," the guard gestured to the scaffolding behind him, "we're busy rebuilding the castle. Our own Princess doesn't even have a place to stay after that bastard Zant destroyed everything."

"I thought Ganondorf destroyed it!" blurted Ike. Falco whacked him on the head, sparking an argument between the two mercenaries.

The guard scoffed. "Gay-non-dwarf? He's a legend for scaring kids at night. No, we're talking some freak from the shadows who commanded an army of near-invincible beasts. But the Hero finished him off. The battle destroyed the castle, but it was worth it. He saved our Princess and the land!"

Meta Knight stepped up, taking a challenging stance. "That's not important right now. Where does the Princess sleep? Prince Marth is a…royal envoy from Altea and wishes to meet with her."

"Didn't you hear me, shorty? She's out of the country. She left her trusted advisors in charge, and they're staying out of public view. So go away, all of you!"

"Now Taurence, don't be rude." A short, balding man wearing opaque glasses and fancy robes stepped up. His remaining hair, two large puffs that covered his ears, caught the setting sun, taking on the appearance of strands of fire. "These fellows have all come a long way. Certainly we can at least offer them asylum for the night."

"But Minister, these men are freaks! Just look at this one." Taurence pointed a meaty finger at Meta Knight. "He's got to be some sort of monster!"

The Minister brought a wizened hand up and pulled the livid guard's arm back down. Turning the Smashers, the small Hylian fixed an unseen stare on each member of the troupe. "Some of these people do seem rather strange, don't they? But they mean no harm. Besides, this young man," the Minister indicated Marth, "has all the bearing of a nobleman. We have strange creatures in our land, do we not? Perhaps the world is more diverse than we thought. Come." The strange person beckoned the fighters to follow him. "We have much to discuss. You said that you were from Altea, Prince Marth? Such a fine man certainly only keeps the most honest of cohorts."

Reluctantly, the warriors followed the Minister. Marth seemed to bear the most trepidation, though. Ike noticed this. "What's wrong? I mean, I know that this guy's kinda weird, but he seems to be helping us."

"I never mentioned my name in his presence."

"Hey, yeah." Falco put a feathery finger to his chin. "I didn't see that guy around at all. He just seemed to pop up outta nowhere. How does he know who Marth is? Besides, he seems to trust us pretty easily."

"Exactly. It's as though he knows us already. But that's impossible, isn't it? I don't think Zelda or Link have returned here once since the Battles started."

Ike and Falco were silent, each contemplating their own scenarios. The awkward hush lasted until the Minister led them to a large single-level cottage. "Please, enter here. It isn't much, but it's more than we can offer. These servants were killed by that madman. They'd be honored to give up lodgings for emissaries from another land."

One at a time, with Marth leading, the Smashers entered the hut. The inside was sparsely decorated but rather comfortable. Several dozen beds lay in double file on both sides of the room, almost like the teeth of a giant herbivore. There were fireplaces at both ends, the nearest of which was already lit. The earthy smell of slightly-rotten wood filled the room, completing the image with a sort of satisfaction.

The Minister closed the door behind him once Strawberry had entered. "I hope you don't mind sharing with the advisors of the Princess, but as you've seen, the castle isn't finished yet. The destruction was so total that we had to start from scratch. That accursed Ganondorf and his dastardly magic…"

Ike whipped around and pointed at the small advisor. "How do you know about Ganondorf? Only—"

"Only those who are associated with Princess Zelda know about him, yes. And only those associated with the Princess know about the Smash Brothers." Recognition passed between the Minister and the fighters. There were no enemies in the room.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Minister Potho, master of Princess Zelda's education and the head of her advisory council. Please do excuse Taurence. The public wasn't made aware of Ganondorf or the Smash Brothers, you see. Our Zelda is only the second one of her lineage to ever join your tournament, you see. And Ganondorf is—"

"'A legend for scaring kids at night,' right?" Sonic made his way forward, taking the opportunity to shake Potho's hand. "We heard from Sir Jerkface."

"We understand though. The Smash Brothers society is only for elite fighters. Not only would people be jealous of your Princess for being invited, but they'd worry about her safety, too. This would cause national turmoil that could easily lead to a revolt or other chaotic actions."

Only Meta Knight didn't seem dumbfounded by Marth's explanation. "Which is why you left someone capable in charge of your home of Altea, right?"

"Exactly."

Potho cut in. "Marth is correct. Though we were concerned about sending both the land's Hero and Princess to such a strange and remote…society, as you say, we knew we couldn't stop them. But that's beside the point. You know that they aren't here, so that means that there's something wrong. Please, what has happened?"

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The night was spectacularly silent, with only the crackle of coals and the soft snoring of several Smashers and royal aides to pierce the otherwise still time. From his bed, Ike reflected on Potho's reaction to all that had transpired.

The Minister hadn't been happy, of course. The aged face had dropped considerably, though Zelda's advisor had already suspected foul play. Given the record of the country, it was likely that he'd expected Ganondorf to have captured Zelda again. To not know the fate of both the Hero of Hyrule and the beloved princess—not to mention the danger that the Smash Planet was in—was a terrible burden. Still, the wizened consultant had kept his voice level.

"I see. Well, that's where you come in, is it not? I have no doubt that you, Prince Marth, and your companions will be able to save everyone. Each of you is a hero in his own right—." Strawberry had interrupted there, clearly annoyed at being lumped with the guys. "As I was saying, each of you is a hero in your own right. Together, you can overcome any trial that comes your way. We in Hyrule may not be able to help, but we can pray to the Goddesses for an easier quest."

The rest of the evening had been simple: dinner and sleep. But now Ike lay awake, unable to banish Potho's words.

"Together, you can overcome any trial…"

Through all of the creatures and beings that their force had cut through, the Smashers hadn't been given such high praise. Each Smasher had played on his strengths, with Strawberry putting in some sort of help when she could, through the whole adventure. There was no saying what would come next, but the Minister was right. Together they would succeed. The deities had to be smiling down on them. Yune, Din, Nayru, Farore, Palutena, whatever Goddess Morth worshipped…all of the Smashers here were the blessed of their lands, saving their individual worlds time and again. Granted, it was Straw's first outing, but she had proved to be a wonderful guide.

Ike's thoughts were interrupted by the howl of the wind. It was unearthly and eerie, as though the land itself were screaming. That may not be too wrong, actually. With all that Hyrule's been through in its history…

"This land belongs to me, fool. Even if my body is gone, I'm still here."

Warrior instincts kicked in immediately, bringing Ike in a clockwise motion, sword arm outstretched and muscles taut. The savior of Tellius felt no fear as he rammed the back of his hand—

Through Ganondorf.

No, not Ganondorf. Though the…thing in front of him had Ganon's face and voice, it was immaterial. Ethereal. Dead. Ike found himself face-to-face with the specter of Ganondorf, the former King of Evil of Hyrule. "Wh-what the blazes?"

"You're a brave kid, but you won't kill me like that. Besides, I'm already dead!" The ghost's laughter started low, but grew more boastful and more terrifying with each burst. As the guffaws became stronger, the Smashers and advisors started to awake. But by the time everyone was oriented, the spirit of Ganondorf was gone.

The embers of the fire reflected off of Pothos hair, much like the sunset had earlier. This time, though, the effect was more unnatural than beautiful. "Did I forget to mention that we've been having ghost problems?"

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Blooper!

"And you!" Ike snapped to attention as the guard pointed at him. "You're wearing a woman's fur sash on your shoulder! What are you, some sort of kinky weirdo?"

Ike smoldered, but came back with a clever retort. "If I am, would you want me?" Falco and Sonic smothered chuckles.

"What? Ew! No, I'd beat you up and give your sash to my wife. She's always enjoyed soft, fluffy things that don't fight back."

By the time Minister Potho arrived, the guard's face was in Strawberry's stomach. The vulpine grimed at the appalled advisor sheepishly. "Uh…I saved you most of it?"

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No excuses. Only really stupid reasons why I haven't updated this. By the way, I mean no offence to kink weirdoes or people who like fur sashes.

Now then, I think most of you know which version of Hyrule I'm using here. But there's a bit of a twist to this: the Minister. He is not an OC. He's actually a character of moderate importance in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. His position is basically as I described, only he's a lot more neurotic. Or am I thinking of Teacher from Spirit Tracks? I forget…Could be both.

As to the ghost of Ganondorf, I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. Ah well. Until the next update, friends, ciao chow.