Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ok, wow, I'm so excited to finally begin this here story. It's been in the making for a while now, and features the return of a character that I've written about before. In fact, many! It won't quite make sense now, with new names and such, but I promise, this'll be a good one. Enjoy!
-Joost

Author's note! Here we are, my most current story! I've been working on this for months, so I hope you all can read and enjoy!

Shattering the Stars
Prologue: A Sweet Reunion

Link walked down the bleak, sterile halls of the complex with a hidden disgust. His boots slapped against the marble floor harshly, making his presence known to every patrolling guard. His sword and shield, strapped to his back, rattled on top of each other, something which all the guards took note of.

They're scanning me, Link mused. His inner thoughts kept analyzing every singly aspect of the makeshift base, articulating ideas on why things seemed so off. Soon he made it to a large, sliding door that separated him from his target. An unseen guard pulled a lever from behind the scenes, opening the door. There, Link's eyes rested on the enemy.

A man. A nefarious man, who held the distinct feature of a malformed right hand. His face wore a heavy, scorched mustache, and his gaze was murky, exhuming an overt sense of authority. His hair was a fiery red, combed back, and clothes were expensive in nature, silver and gold strips lining the cuffs of his suit.

"Ah, you must be Link!" The man stood up and held out his arms. The unwonted act surprised the hero, who hesitated before outstretching his left hand for the man to shake.

"And you must be Alastor," Link smiled, dissembling his true emotions towards the man. He so longed to draw his sword and decry this man, condemning the living bastion of villainy a fate of prosecution.

Nobody knew the true name of 'Alastor', but he did go by one moniker, one that Link refused to even think about. Giving merely the name his time, let alone the man, seemed insulting. He was a foul piece of work, a radical incendiary to the verdant land of Lorule. He accosted them with his terror and left it all in ruin. The kingdom of Hyrule knew of this, but elected to keep their knowledge a secret, hoping to be the swift sword of justice to all the lives lost.

Link looked into Alastor's eyes with underlying animosity. These dark, brackish eyes of the man across from him emitted a vicious sense of danger, something that quickly distraught Link's noble soul. This man had killed countless innocence all in the search of something unknown. Now, he seemed so avid to meet the Hero of Time.

"May I interest you in something to eat? Perhaps a plate of sauteed peppers?" Alastor walked over to his dogs which Link had just noticed, as if they had quickly materialized.

"No, I'm quite fine," Link responded, sitting down. He watched as Alastor lifted a pristine dome to a dish, which revealed a plate of sliced meat. He casually threw some on the floor in front of the hounds, yet they didn't react, only narrowing their eyes towards the food before returning to their master.

"I see. I'll send for the waiter to at least bring us some refreshments," said Alastor as he sat back down across from Link.

A middling table separated the two, and Alastor reached over to a lampstand that was next to his chair and for a little, golden bell. He rung it twice and just before the waiter emerged from the adjacent door, he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the dogs started to shred into their meal, apparently needing permission from their master to do so. Link gulped at the display of power.

"Lon-Lon Milk, chilled," Link mumbled to the waiter as he arrived.

"An excellent choice, my friend!" Alastor waved the waiter away, clasping his good hand to his bad one and resting the ball of disfigured flesh neatly in his lap.

"Now, shall we discuss out arrangements? The whole matter around the incumbent defender of Hyrule?" Link leaned back in his chair, thinking thoughtfully of how to emphasize the exigency of the situation without blowing his cover.

Suddenly, the feigned largesse expression on Alastor's face was wiped away. His brow furrowed into a frenetic curve, a far cry from the more jovial appearance it had just moments prior. Link's nerves tensed up as the mordant glare from Alastor set off so many alarms inside his head. The killer quickly recomposed himself as Link hid his fear, gleaning the remains of his attitude.

"I was… not aware that the kingdom had already made a decision," Alastor replied, glancing to his dogs. The hunters were relaxed, having just finished their meal, but when their master looked over to them, they grew nervous.

"Well, they advised me to visit you to relay their choice," Link began, assuming Alastor was under the pretense of offering his own 'protective' abilities. "They had chosen me."

Alastor then exploded in joy at the news, startling Link. He rose from his chair and emitted a hefty chuckle, extending his good hand for the hero to shake again.

"I had a feeling they'd chose you," Alastor exclaimed as he shook Link's hand ludicrously. "A very wise decision indeed!"

Link was in a state of bewilderment. His thoughts were in complete disarray as he tried to inwardly reason why this monster would be so overly joyous at the fact the opponent was tasked with defending Hyrule. To conceal his confusion, he did his best to copy Alastor's enthusiasm.

"Th-Thank you, Alastor," Link said through strained teeth, his emulation of happiness apparently working. The two sat back down just as the waiter returned.

"You're very welcome, my friend. It's not all the time that my worries for these lands are eliminated." Alastor took his plate of sauteed peppers from the waiter, and Link took his glass of ice-cold milk. "I guess there is no further purpose for this meeting, but I implore you to stay for a little while longer."

"Very well. That does give me time to ask you a few questions I had," Link said, amazed that things were going so smoothly. He didn't think he'd get this far without problem, his head coming up with a few violent outcomes if Alastor tried anything.

"Shoot. I'm an open book!" Alastor looked overwhelmingly calm.

"Alright then. Forgive me for being so blunt, but I am a little… puzzled by your remarkable citadel. What kind of purpose would a place like this serve for a man of your… reputation?" Link chose his words carefully before taking a sip of his drink, knowing that Alastor was a cunning fiend.

"Ah, well, I guess the efforts of the great pioneers often confuse conventional minds," Alastor started, looking around at the expensive lot of relics he had placed in glass displays. "I aim to collect. These are just a few of the various treasures I've come across. I make sure to preserve them for all time, so that they can be remembered by everyone in this reality."

Link's eyes widened at the uttering of those last three words. Alastor was seemingly too busy admiring his handywork to notice, but the Hero of Time grew more disturbed regardless. He nervously tried to bring up more of the subject just to dissuade Alastor from getting any ideas.

"If you don't mind me asking, but what kind of relics? I remember seeing a strange little gadget, one with a long string extending from a spherical object." Link described the item he saw with flimsy imagery. He didn't know what to make of the device, after all.

"Oh, I know what you mean! That little thing comes from my homeland. Friends used to call it a 'yo-yo'! An old childhood toy, that was…" Alastor fell into a feeling of nostalgia for a moment, allowing Link to relax.

"Huh, I didn't take you as the sentimental type," Link commented.

"Oh, I have a lot of memories of home," Alastor said, putting his hand to his chin. Before Link got to ask anything else, a servant appeared and bent down next to Alastor, whispering something indecipherable.

"I'm terribly sorry, but it seems something has come up," Alastor rose from his chair, putting his good hand out for Link to shake one last time. "It was a pleasure to meet you, my friend."

"The pleasure is all mine," Link replied, shaking Alastor's left hand. The two warriors looked into each other's eyes one last time before the hero turned away and started to walk out. The sliding door he entered from closed right behind him.

Alastor walked away with his servant, through the door the latter came from and shut it behind him. A clicking sound came from the oak separator, the automatic lock engaging. The servant looked to his master, shrugging slightly.

"Kill him," Alastor said, looking at his disfigured hand nonchalantly.

Link quickened his pace as he neared the exit, yearning to escape the place that brought him so much dread. The door was open, but when he got just a few meters away from it, a thick, metal shield lowered in front of it, locking him in.

"Oh shit…" Link said to himself as his ears picked up the sounds of rushing boots coming from down the hallway. He turned to face his new opponents, a squad of guards, all armed with their own swords.

Link drew his own sword, the modified Kokiri Sword. It had once been the Gilded Sword, but he decided to revert it back to its original form when he returned from his three-day adventure in that strange, distant land. The Hylian Shield glimmered with amazing splendor from the sunlight pouring through the above windows as Link held it firmly.

"Alright, who wants to go first?"

The squad leader charged, swinging violently. Sparks flashed and fluttered to the floor as his and Link's swords connected. The second guard followed, with the Hero of Time needing to block with his shield. Before his arms could be overpowered by the surprisingly strong attackers, Link swept his leg under them and toppled the first two to the floor.

"GRAAAHH!" The third screamed as he engaged Link, their swords clashing repeatedly. The hero backed off to relieve some of the pressure from the attack, but the guard kept swinging. Link then bumped into one of the display cases holding the mysterious objects from far off lands and dodged another sword swipe. The sound of shattering glass rang in his ears as he rolled out and away.

But then, Link felt a searing pain in his side. The fourth of the squadron sent to kill him had snuck around the first three and took the hero by surprise. He used his sword to slash Link's torso, drawing blood, which splattered onto the marble floor.

Link retaliated with a particularly brutal slash from the Kokiri Sword, making the guard that hit him stagger backwards. He held up the Hylian Shield and bashed it against the guard's chest, sending him to the ground. Link rose his arm to finish his enemy off, by the leader of the squad recovered and tackled the hero, getting into a fisticuff on the floor.

The two sent their fists flying, punches being exchanged for a good few seconds before stopping. Link pulled his legs back and kicked the leader's chest, getting him off. He scrabbled to his feet and barely parried the next sword slash from the second guard.

"You are stronger than you look," the guard hissed, his mouth the only visible part of his head due to the concealing helmet he wore.

"I like to think I can surprise people," Link countered, fighting the pain from his bleeding side.

"So can we!" The leader reappeared and stabbed right into Link's left leg, tearing the muscle of his calves and forcing the hero to collapse. Link groaned in agony before weaving between the two guards' legs, struggling to stand back up.

Just to add insult to injury, the third one quickly kicked Link in the face, pieces of glass from the display he crashed into falling from his armored uniform and clinking onto the floor. He raised his steel-toed boot up and stomped on Link's back roughly, making the battered hero gasp for air. Then, all four of them surrounded him and started to pummel him with their feet, bruising his body more and more.

Link tilted his body and took a blow to the stomach before pushing himself away, knocking over the leader and the second guard. He tried to stand, but the third bastard took his weapon and plunged it into Link's left hand, creating a gaping hole in the middle of his palm.

"Irk… Heeeyyaa!" Link stood up and threw his sword up into the air, using his good hand to knock the living daylights out of the guard who mangled his other one. The man crumpled to the floor, unconscious, and his comrades scowled.

The three killers looked Link in the eye, and the hero foolishly taunted. The leader didn't hesitate to continue his assault, Link blocking with his shield. The hero had to wield his sword and shield with the same hand now, his other too wounded to hold his weapon. The style was unorthodox, but it'd be interesting to try. He didn't know how much longer he'd last, though.

Link dodged attempts on his life before, but these fighters were like nothing he'd ever faced before. They held an unparalleled amount of coordination with each other, proving that they had been trained very well. They managed to knock Link down again and they kept on spilling his blood all over the place. Link's face was marked up by two slashes, both across his cheek, and almost all of his left sleeve had been torn off, cut away by the endless swiping.

The leader rushed Link, grabbing his shoulders and slamming him into another glass display. The distinct sound of a sword clattering to the ground gave Link a new idea. He sheathed the Kokiri Sword and grabbed the one that had fallen from its containment unit. It looked odd, a little like the Master Sword, only more extravagant, wider, and the hilt bearing a lighter blue color.

Link's new sword seemed to be weighted for a fighter of different stature, as it flailed around incompetently in his hands. The second guard took the opportunity of such an occasion and kicked Link into the wall. Then, he sealed the deal by driving his sword into Link's chest, but purposefully not where his heart was.

Link gasped, his right lung being pierced by the guards' blade. He coughed up blood and the man smiled wickedly, twisting his blade, only multiplying the pain. When he tore the weapon out of the hero's upper torso, he and his friends laughed as Link struggled to do anything, his body going into shock.

"N-No…" Link whispered to himself. He tried in vain to swipe at the guards, but instead, he just swatted at the air.

Then, something miraculous happened. The way Link sliced through the air with the unbalanced sword, it activated some hidden ability deep within its blade. It lit up, and from the air, a star-shaped portal opened. The guards gasped, shocked that their enemy managed to unlock the power that resonated inside the weapon.

Without any delay, Link jumped through the tear in reality, mustering up the very last of his strength to do so. The hole closed right behind him, and the guards were left alone. They all looked to one another, knowing that they'd be killed for their failure.

Link opened up the door to the house, looking towards the beach, admiring the serene sea. He had just two things in his hands, that being a letter and a bundle of carrots.

"Epona," Link shouted, walking out past the thin tiled porch and onto the sand. "Come on, girl, you know what time it is!"

Link's ears perked up when he heard the neigh of his companion. He smiled as the mare galloped up to him from the tunnel leading to the shore that oversaw Zora Hall. She slowed down to a canter as she neared her friend, her eyes eagerly staring at the treat in his hands.

"I want to know what you get up to every day, since you almost always miss lunch," Link said to Epona as he started nibbling on the carrots. The 20-year-old boy smiled and put his hand to his hip, looking out to the Terminian sea. Great Bay always looked so beautiful this time of year.

Link sighed happily and let Epona eat, walking over to the mailbox and opening it. The letter in his hand, only having the words 'To Mom' written on it, was placed in the box.

Then out of nowhere, Epona got all riled up. She neighed angerly and trotted around, clearly upset by something. Link whipped his head around to see what the matter was, his hair, still gold with that inch-wide portion of silver, accidentally getting in his face.

"What is it, girl?"

Link's question was quickly answered, as in the middle of the beach, a blinding blue light flashed in the retired hero's eyes. Link fell to the ground in surprise, sand flying up and getting everywhere. When he could see again, his eyes immediately landed on the threatening blue portal, hovering above the sand and close to Mikau's grave.

"What… is that?" Link mumbled to himself as he stood up, walking a little closer to the bright blue hole. For the first time in three years, his senses went on alert.

Link's eyes widened as he witness what looked like… himself? Yes, it was! Another version of himself coming through the portal and landing face-first in the sand. The hole closed right behind him, and the hero could hear the groans of pain from himself across the beach. The sight of blood on the sand made him run, and he quickly reached the clone of himself, reeling back in horror when he could see the wounds.

"Help me…" Link stuttered, his hands shaking. His head was too clouded to scream for a moment, but he quickly found his voice. "Somebody help! Please! R-Romani! Firefly, I need you!"

Link heard the door to the beach house open, and his distress was only slightly relieved when he saw his wife scan the outside. He didn't care if she was 6 months along, he needed help.

"Grasshopper?! What is it?!" Romani did her best to waddle outside quickly, a little difficult since she was with child.

"Uh-Uhm… Bring Epona over here. We need to get him inside," Link said, trying to come up with some kind of plan. Then, he had a better idea. "Actually, no, bring Epona here and stay with him, I need to go to Clock Town for help!"

"Grasshopper, what is…" Romani's heart skipped a beat when she saw who her husband was with. Himself? A bruised, wounded version of himself? She lost her train of thought for a second before quickly whistling, calling for Epona.

Link's noble steed came over and the former hero hopped on. He looked at his wife, confused, before giving her a kiss, and then riding off. Romani, still bewildered at the situation, found a pink fairy to give to the other Link to keep him alive.

Romani's husband, her Link, with Epona, galloped off to Clock Town. He needed to find Jim, his best friend, and get him and his horse to the beach so he could bring his wounded variant to town. A determined frown grew along Link's face as his mind raced.

Chapter Text

Ok, the jig is up. This is a crossover story! More specifically, one dealing with the Multiverse! I know the multiverse is a tired concept in movies nowadays, but I still wanna do this! It's been a dream of mine to bring together characters for something fun! Enjoy!
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 1: Reflect

The wounded Link slowly grew aware of his surroundings. His sight was deeply blurred, his eyes struggling to work from the loss of blood. All he could do was breathe, but even then, just barely. When vision returned to him at last, he found himself lying in a bed he didn't recognize.

The room, however, seemed eerily familiar. His weary brain worked to connect with the images he saw, but nothing came to mind. Everything was foreign to him, as was the scent of the room. It felt different, yet the same to his own home of Hyrule in many regards. Sounds of crackling embers populated the soft, dim air, aiding in relieving the tension in his muscles.

Then, Link noticed that he wasn't alone. There was slender man leaning against the side of the fireplace, wearing a white shirt and red bandana, with a sword and shield on his back. He had his arms crossed and was staring at the floor, seemingly lost in thought. It wasn't long before he noticed the one in bed was looking at him.

"Hey Link! Guys, he's awake!" The fellow hollered. The sound of rushing footsteps could be heard before the door burst open. There, the wounded man was stricken with shock.

The two Links locked eyes with each other, both astonished. Though the one at the door was less surprised than he had been yesterday, he still couldn't quite comprehend what was before him. A similar, but not exact copy of himself. He noted that his variant didn't have the silver portion in his hair that he received from Bellum a couple years ago, nor did he seem to have the Gilded Sword. Instead it was an odd form of the old Kokiri Sword and another sword he didn't recognize.

There were dozens more differences Link could point out, but he brushed those pointless thoughts away and focused on the real dilemma. The fact that something had happened to this version of himself. Something horrendous. He was enervated by some unknown attacker and left in this broken state.

"Link? Is he awake? Is everything alright?" The former hero heard the distinct voice of his surrogate mother, and he quickly shut the door so no one else could disturb the wounded man.

"Okay, okay, let's not get too excited, alright, mom?" Link did his best to keep his own voice down, unsure about how sensitive his other self was. Anju, along with Kafei, Romani, Jim, and the recently arrived Tatl, Tael, and Navi, all garnered around the bedroom door.

Anju, still the keeper of the Stock Pot Inn, was arguably the most baffled by the unexpected news when her son came to visit town the other day. The idea of another version of him, in a horrifyingly wounded state, reminded her of that dreadful evening when her boy returned to the inn unconscious and on horseback, bleeding profusely after suffering a beating in Ikana Canyon. It'd been so long since that incident, yet the memories flooded back like a river during a downpour.

The fairies, Tatl, her brother Tael, and her partner, Navi, all rushed from their humble hut just outside of the Southern Swamp to see if it the letter deemed urgent held any truth. Tatl and Navi's relationship in particular had grown considerably in the past year and a half, with them finally tying the knot just a month prior.

"Ya know, Link, if I had a rupee for every time we had to rush to down because of some emergency, I'd be a rich fairy!" Tatl was easily the most furious of the bunch, having been taken away from a nice retreat with her beloved.

"Sorry, you two. I know I interrupted something special, but this couldn't really wait," Link explained himself, the sound of his soft but prolific voice somewhat soothing the person in the other room.

"Nonsense, Link! Tatl's just being a bit dramatic," Navi elbowed her wife in the side as she spoke. "Whatever happened, we're sure it's important!"

"Yeah, that's one way of saying it," Link rubbed the back of his neck like he used to do when he was younger.

"Just a warning, it's a little… intense…" Kafei chimed in, his words of warning making Tael sweat a little. It wasn't often that the purple-haired innkeeper spoke esoterically.

"Okay, just you three, join me in the room," Link said, Tatl, Tael, and Navi gathering by his shoulders, like old times. "Only us, because I don't want him to get too alarmed."

As he stepped to the door, the former hero looked to his own wife and smiled worriedly, mouthing the words 'I love you'. She did the same as he turned to knob to the bedroom and walked in.

The fairy trio stifled their gasps as they looked upon the wounded Link, who had closed his eyes to try and sleep. He was aware of the visitors, but too bothered to acknowledge them. His own misery was far too overwhelming to power through it. Navi, especially, saw so much of the hero she had fought the great King of Evil within the man that all the color drained from her face. It was as if the man she gazed upon had never been returned to his childhood courtesy of the princess of Hyrule.

When the fairies flew in closer to see the battered and bruised man, his ears shot up. It would be a cold day in Death Mountain before he failed to recognize the sound of his oldest companion. He forced his eyes open and his head to turn, all so he could see her again.

"N-Navi?" The man sounded gruff, and particularly older than the Link that the fairies knew. They flew back at the unsightly scene of his damaged face, but the subtle warmth of his newfound smile brought them forward.

"You… You know me?" Navi said, letting go of Tatl's hand, which she didn't even realize she was holding, to land on the nightstand just next to the bed.

"How-" The Link tried to sit up on the sheets, but a scorching pain in his hip forced him back down. "H-How could I ever forget that blue glow?"

Navi's mouth went agape, a stream of thoughts exploding through her head as countless questions festered at the surface. She kept her mouth shut, however, knowing that it'd be a terrible idea to ask him anything at the moment. She simply flew back over to Tatl and took hold of her hand again.

"B-But what are you doing here? I thought you were…" The Link in bed paused when he realized what he was saying. He retreated into himself and leaned back in the bed. "I-I'm sorry."

"For what?" Navi tilted her head.

"I j-just realized… you're not my Navi," said the damaged fellow dejectedly.

"What do you mean, 'not your Navi'?" Tatl looked almost defensive at the man's statement. To her, there was only one Navi.

"Well, you see, it's a bit-" Before he could finish, he started coughing. Drips of red were flung from his lips and onto the blanket that covered him, but he thought nothing of the sight. "…a bit complicated. The fellow that did this to me… he and his lackeys came from another realm, I think."

"Wait a moment, someone did this to you?" Link pulled up one of the chairs that was nestled by the table near the fireplace and sat down. Tael hovered beside him, still a bit offput by the whole situation.

"Yes, it was Sha-" The wounded man held his tongue, not daring to deem the moniker of that monster a slice of verbal dignity. The cutoff left Link confused, with an eyebrow raised and thoughts provoked.

After a minute of silence, and careful thinking, Link made a decision. "Alright, I think you guys should go. I'll stay with him so he's comfortable," Link said, standing back up.

"Sure," Navi said, breaking out of her own little trance.

All three fairies got up and left the room, with a small commotion erupting just beyond the door when Link shut it without joining them. The boy could faintly hear his mother asking for him, along with a bit of Romani sounding worried. For a moment he stared at the floor, thinking about just what to say.

"So, who are you?" Link turned to face his wounded reflection.

"You already know the answer to that question," The man replied. He knew he and his other self were about to engage in a lengthy conversation.

"Romani doesn't like this!" The town guard, currently at liberty, slowly sat down on the plush bench of the lobby.

"Neither do we, honey," Anju said from the counter, looking to Kafei. The two innkeepers were worried for a multitude of reasons, but with their daughter-in-law so distressed, such worries only grew. "But we just need to trust Link for now."

"I don't understand why Grasshopper has to talk to that man alone!" Romani ran her fingers across the arm of the bench repeatedly, trying to do something to get her mind off it.

"Sweetie, just because he's there alone doesn't mean he's in trouble," Anju's motherly voice soothed a bit of Romani's exhausted mind, but not by much. The ranch woman had gotten a lot of that from her older sister.

"Yeah! Besides, you know him best, Romani!" Tael tried to lighten the mood, but with the uncharacteristic silence from his sister, he felt like a lone soldier fighting a war.

Romani, now much older and womanly than she used to be, still bore signs of her youthful self, recklessness and all. Ever since she met Link, that part of herself had been fueled by his heroism, courage, and complexity. And the same was true for Link, who had managed to break away from his own insecurities and find a better part of life from her, far from all the fighting. But now, with that man in the bed upstairs, the lady felt like there was a new part of the equation, one that could ruin everything she and her partner had managed to find. As she pondered, she didn't even notice she started to strangle the arm of the bench in nervous anger.

"Romani, remember, you need to just stay calm. You're on maternity leave for a reason," Kafei scolded Romani's childish rage, recalling when she and Link were younger, how Cremia told of her little sister throwing fits when she couldn't see her best friend.

Romani looked at her hands, which had been constricting around the leather arm rest, and let go. She looked down at herself, her 6-month large abdomen, and rubbed it gently, relaxing as she felt the warmth of her and Link's child within her. She sighed, her eyelids narrow, wondering why she was being so anxious.

"Perhaps… uh, just think about something else for the time being, alright?" Anju's suggestion got Romani reminiscing.

There were almost a million better things Romani could think about. Dozens of happy moments in her life. The day she met Link, when she first went to the Carnival of Time, when she and Link had that sleepover at the ranch and they confided in each other, when she was first accepted into the Clock Town Guard, or when she finally married her best friend. Her mind rested on a common theme, Link. While yes, she did think of her husband often, now, it was all that was on her mind.

Link had been such an influential part of her life, but to see another version of him, helpless and in a heap on the beach as she waited for Jim and her Link to return, she couldn't help but see a bit of her husband. Her husband, damaged and dying before her, with her powerless to do anything. It haunted her for all those minutes that she waited, holding the man's hand as he slowly bled out. It was a miracle that Epona and Ivory, Jim's horse, were fast steeds.

Out of nowhere, a kick from her stomach brought her back to reality, and Romani blinked. She silently thanked her child for getting her out of those terrible thoughts. But when the movement didn't cease, Romani thought of what the matter could be. The child held a sort of sense that its parents weren't together and grew rowdy at the elongated time they spent away from each other.

"Romani's going up to see him," The ranch woman slowly stood from the bench and steadied herself, arching her back as grunting as she stretched.

Anju cocked her neck as if to speak, but Kafei reached over and held her arm. One look at his face told her that Romani was alright to go. Without a word, the pair held an unseen conversation, and came to an agreement. As Romani disappeared up the stairs, Anju huffed, dwelling still on that awful feeling in her head.

"Hey, what's up?" Jim turned to Romani casually, his gear shifting on his back. Jim, the leader of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice, with his red comma of hair peeking from under his trademark bandana, always looked to his friends punctually.

Jim was now an accomplished fighter, having been trained to the fullest by the Swordsman Teacher in West Clock Town. For so long he wanted to be just like Link, who had respectfully turned down the opportunity of mentoring Jim personally. Now, he was Number Eight on the Clock Town Guard, the latest soldier to join the ranks behind Romani, who was Number Seven.

"Romani needs in, now," The ranch woman was quite blunt with her request, startling Jim a smidge.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

After a quick contemplation by the Bomber, he complied, turning around to open the bedroom door and allow Romani inside. The second she stepped in, she was greeted with the sight of her Link, hunched in a chair, almost looming over the other Link as they talked. The one in the bed ceased whatever he had been previously explaining and did a doubletake at the sight of Romani.

"Malon?" The man's words made Romani's Link freeze on the spot, having not heard that name in years.

"Oh, Romani!" Link scooted away from his seat and helped Romani into the room. Such a habit had become of helping her around. His own personal fears of her getting hurt couldn't stop him, primarily because she was expecting.

"Romani came to save you," Romani explained, putting her arms around Link's shoulders and trying to bring him close. He relented, letting her embrace him, and he nearly melted in her arms, oblivious to the fact he had been tensing up ever since he started talking to his variant.

"Thank you, hon. I'm saved," Link retorted, thankful.

The wounded Link cleared his throat in an effort to gain the others' attention, and Link parted from his wife.

"Right, terribly sorry," Link started, making Romani roll her eyes. She found he apologized too frequently. "This, uhm, is Romani…" The stutter was coming back. "She's my-uh… W-Well she's my wife."

The bedridden man's eyes widened. He blinked twice, thinking he was delirious. No, he was seeing correctly. This Link's significant other was almost the splitting image of the woman he knew of as Malon, from home. He'd had quite the relationship with her, but now wasn't the time for such thoughts. The only real difference from this 'Romani' and Malon was that the woman before him was a bit taller, wearing a robin-egg blue gown, and existed with a certain maternal glow.

"A-And… who's that?" The Link asked, pointing to Romani's torso. A fierce reddening of the cheeks gleaned over the former hero's face.

"Oh! Well, that is… That is… Heh, we don't really know, actually," Link's bashfulness had finally returned, much as Romani hoped it would. Her own presence brought out the best in him, she'd discovered. "We plan to keep it a surprise."

"Huh. Well, congratulations, both of you." The compliment felt comfortably genuine coming from such a damaged man. That signature nobility that Link's possessed hadn't been taken from him yet. "She came at a great time, actually, as I wanted to get some sleep."

"I see," Link replied, facing Romani. He paused before following through with his intrusive idea that had just congealed itself inside his head. "Do you think we should stay the night, Firefly? Just to make sure nothing goes wrong?"

Romani didn't state her mind, just sighing. She had a feeling he'd ask that, and knowing him, he'd find a way to stay. Even when he was twenty, he still had that young ambition that followed him everywhere.

"Alright, fine, but you're staying right next to me the whole time, you hear me?" Romani wasn't about to have any protest from her best friend. Link nodded his head, though not with much conviction.

With a voiceless deeming of goodnight, the couple left the room together. The battered man, now alone, fiddled with the blanket in his lap, thinking of all the things he'd learned from his other self during the evening. Before completely turning in for the night, he had another coughing fit, pressure in his chest and abdomen growing. He glanced at his hands and arms, noting how pale and clammy they appeared. A frown grew, but he didn't care. Sleep could help.

Meanwhile, Link and Romani walked to the next room over. The bunkbeds would be difficult to cuddle on, let alone sleep in together, but both partners had a copious amount of ideas about how to remedy the problem.

"Finally, alone time," Romani plopped herself down on the lowest bunk and beckoned for Link to join her. He first lit a candle that was perched on a nightstand at the crown of the bunk before returning to his beloved. "Romani doesn't quite like that man."

"Well, I don't like him either, but something…" Link trailed off, getting lost in his own words. Romani slanted her head quizzically, examining the clouded glaze in her best friend's eyes. "Something about what we talked about…"

"What exactly went on in there, anyways? What did you talk about?" Romani's ever-present curiosity made Link chuckle. He scooted onto the bed next to his wife and laid down.

"Well, it was a lot about life, you know? About what his own home is like. He seemed so interested in the fact that things were so different, even about how I live here, in Termina." Link's own recollection of the whole conversation was a bit muffled, but he clung to the important details. "He spoke of his own knowledge of what he calls 'alternate realms'. You remember how odd it was when we went to Hyrule?"

Romani nodded.

"Well, from what he knows, there's a lot more of things like that out there," Link said, ruminating on what he already knew of other realms. His thoughts went straight to Hyrule, and how the people of Termina reflected them only in appearance.

"Do you trust him, Grasshopper?" Romani snuggled up against Link, putting her hands to his chest.

"I do," Link said.

"Why's that?"

"Because… Because…" Link engrossed himself in a possible reason. In all honesty, he trusted him just from the look in his eyes. Not the wounds on his body or the sincerity of his voice, but the way his eyes conveyed his claims. "Because I do."

"Hmmm, alright, I trust you," Romani brought Link into her own warmth and the pair sighed. Although, they didn't fall asleep just yet, as a certain someone was still stirring. "Heh, they've been distressed the entire time you were away."

"D-Do you think they missed me?" Link was unendingly nervous about being a father, a fact Romani knew too well. She secretly hoped for a boy, so that he could grow up to be just like his father. Link, oppositely, wished for a girl, almost for the same reason. He didn't want to see his child wear a sword and shield like he did.

"Romani knows they did." The ranch lady reached up and played with the silver portion of Link's hair, smirking.

Later, in the dead of night, Link still remained awake. As Romani blissfully snored beside him, his own head debated something only known to himself. He considered against it for the longest time, but when he knew his wife was in a deep sleep, he peeled away from her and retrieved his item bag which clung to the chair closest to them by the table.

Link rummaged around in his bag for a bit, struggling to identify the items he grabbed in the dim moonlight seeping from the distant window. However, his own keenness served him well, as when he felt the Lens of Truth brush against his palm, he knew he found what he was looking for.

It'd been a while since Link even used any item from his bag, and even longer since the Lens of Truth proved useful. Magic wasn't something Link applied to much since he got married. But now, he knew he needed it. Looking to his boots leaned up against the wall by the door, Link decided to not put them on. Silence would be his ally. He slinked out of the room, carefully placing his feet on the floorboards that didn't creak and made his way to the Knife Chamber. A part of him felt like a Garo, the race of spies he defeated so many years ago.

Opening the bedroom door, Link spotted his double. He slowly made his way over to him and crouched down by the side of the bed. There, he held the Lens of Truth up to his variant's hip and activated it. With the holy eye of knowledge, Link was allowed to see inside of his opposite self, and dread laced around his mouth and consumed his face.

From what he was able to see, the wounded Link in the bed was bleeding, but on the inside. His lung punctured and taking on blood, it explained the coughing fits he occasionally had and the frequent lightheadedness he tried not to complain about when they talked just hours before.

It didn't matter if they had given him the strongest blue potion those hags in the swamp could produce, such an injury couldn't be mended. The reality set in, and the fate of this man was already sealed.

A sweet whisper of profanity swept the hero's tongue as he set the Lens of Truth down. Time was not on this poor fellow's side now. With what he saw, the man would be dead by tomorrow, and there was nothing he could do about it. Link cursed under his breath again before leaving the room, sorrowfully.

However, Link halted in the hallway, gripping the Lens of Truth. His mind swarmed with all the man had told him of his home. The princess he so adored. Zelda. She'd never see her friend again. The world he was forced to flee from would be without their hero.

With a lump of regret in his throat, Link returned to bed with Romani, but he didn't get much sleep. At least not much that wasn't plagued by terrible thoughts of what might transpire the following day.

A feeling of existential pressure made itself apparent on Link's shoulders, but he didn't know why. As he held Romani in his arms as he laid back down, the sense of danger rotted within his conscience, pleading for him to somehow save this man from death.

First thing in the morning, Link visited his wounded alter in the Knife Chamber. As much as he wanted to tell of what he discovered during the night, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"So, what else is different in your Hyrule?" Link tried to hide his own pained remorse for the man stuck in a coffin of sheets and pillows.

"Hmmm, enough about my Hyrule. I grow tired of listing the details." The other Link forced a chuckle but ended with a cough. He felt more miserable than ever before, his heart beating a mile a minute, making his hands weary and unstable.

"Sorry, I'm just quite fascinated with it all," Link said, defending his own inquisitiveness.

"No worries, no worries, I understand. To be honest, I'm equally interested in your own story. How you chose to stay here in Termina and not return to Hyrule." The bedridden man spoke with a labored wheeze, his own breathing stunted. "A very quaint thing now that I think about it."

Link snorted at the comment. He had come to realize that the decision to stay was unusual, but so was Termina itself. In the end, he was glad he did. It allowed him to discover more about himself than he thought he ever could in Hyrule.

"Yes, yes, but I also… um, had another question." Link's words stagnated, his mind working on how to ask appropriately. The Link in bed seemed puzzled.

"How did…" Link paused. He then gestured towards the man's body and the blankets covering up his failure. "How did it happen? Who did it to you?"

The other Link froze, astounded by the request. His eyes darted around like an insect, almost paranoid whether or not there were unwelcome ears listening. The younger of the two stepped back, afraid he had unintentionally offended his other self.

"I-I-I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked that," Link started to take it all back, but the other held his hand up calmly and shushed.

"No, no, it's alright. I-I just wasn't prepared for such a question. But… are you sure you want to know?" The pair of heroes waited, the younger quietly giving confirmation. The damaged fighter collected his own thoughts.

But before either of them could speak, another voice from beyond the door caught their attention.

"Link? Hey, kiddo, could you come down and help Romani with preparing lunch? She seems so apt to take care of it for Anju." It was Kafei. Link, fearing for the safety of his lover, reluctantly left the room for a few minutes, giving the other Link time to meditate on what he'd eventually have to explain.

The distant sounds of pots clanging, metal utensils rustling, and food being chopped were all drowned out as the broken warrior found himself in a pensive mood. Even his own pain was outmatched by the insatiable lust for justice he felt towards the man and the goons that nearly took his life. He stared at his hand, and how it touched the hand of the enemy. It felt like heresy.

The extreme bout of silence that swelled within the bedroom was unbreakable, everlasting as long as life still flowed through the disgraced hero stuck in bed. His own heart raced as he struggled to come to terms with how he'd have to describe that man with a penchant for chaos.

The only name he knew to give that monster, the one he nearly spilled when talking to Navi the day before. He knew he'd have to share it with his other self. He needed to know.

"Hey, sorry that took so long," Link plowed through the bedroom door in a startling fashion, making the other Link jostle in bed.

"It's alright, don't worry," said the hurt warrior, easing himself.

"Would you like something to eat? Romani just finished whipping up some fruity tomato stew." Link held out a bowl of the simmered soup, hoping the man would take some.

"I'm fine."

The hurt man inspected the wholesome, homely face of his double as he put the bowl down. He truly wished to share some of his bountiful food with him, a near complete stranger. Finally, hints of admiration grew in the older man's eyes, and his fears of revealing who damaged him were extinguished.

"Now, you said you wanted to know who is responsible for this," the man threw back his blanket so that more of his scars and wounds were visible. When he saw the resounding nod from the other, he at last delineated the most recognizable feature of the depraved madman he so loathed.

"We call him… Shatterhand."

Chapter Text

To be honest, I'm still stoked that I'm finally writing something as ambitious as this! I really hope you all like the intrigue so far, as I'm proud of how I wrote it. Anyways, please feel free to review and give me your thoughts. Enjoy!
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 2: That Cold, Sterile Embrace

"Shatterhand?" Link repeated, dwelling on the name.

"Yes, from a very distinguishing feature. A malformed right hand, mangled by something we don't know. Shatterhand." Beads of sweat ran down the bedridden Link's forehead as he explained.

"Is that a nickname? A title? I'm not sure I understand," The younger Link stated, putting his hand to his chin and trying to reconcile the name. It made sense as a nickname, due to what his doppelganger said about the disfigurement the man allegedly bore.

"That's our dilemma, you see, because we don't know what he really goes by. He claims his name is 'Alastor', but it's clear it's a load of bull," The older Link spoke scornfully, hardly concealing his rage. The look in his eyes, his clenched fist, the distasteful frown, all of it perfectly expressed how the damaged man really felt towards this fellow.

"But exactly how did he do this?" The younger asked, opening his hands and signaling to his variant's scars. Before the other could answer, he coughed furiously, ignoring the drips of red that stained his blanket. Then he groaned, panting, out of breath from the effort. It was painful to watch.

"Those little twerps he calls 'soldiers', they teamed on me, and I barely escaped with my life," said the older Link. The memory of how expertly they fought had still remained trapped inside his psyche. "They seemed to be able to counter everything I had. It was… odd, to say the least."

"Did they have prior knowledge of your techniques?"

"I'm not sure. Possibly."

"Were they well trained?"

"It seems so, but by who I don't know."

"Why does this Shatterhand want to kill you?"

"Please! Enough questions!" The wounded man erupted with annoyance, catching the younger Link off-guard. Silence purveyed around the room for a moment before another coughing fit began, this time fiercer than any of the previous.

"Ugh… I-I-" The older man looked at himself, his sheets, and his own wobbly hands. His eyes, formally laden with fiery passion, now fell victim to an overwhelming gloom. "I-I know that these wounds are too severe. It's apparent to me that I'm not long for this world…"

Apprehension consumed Link's face. Was the other aware of his sneaking around last night? Did he know that his variant used the Lens of Truth to see the true extent of his injuries. Maybe, but it was equally likely that he just had a feeling deep down that he had little time. That neat little trick Link had, the sixth sense towards danger, perhaps it was ubiquitous with him across the different realms.

"You knew, didn't you?" The dying man said, trying to force a smile.

"Huh? I-I'm not sure I follow," the other Link failed to mask what he was already aware of. The variant just chuckled, albeit weakly, glad that his other was as cunning as he used to be.

"Oh please, don't be so modest. I can see it in you, and… it's alright. I accept my fate with open arms," said the variant, lying back and staring at the ceiling. With his eyes, he traced the swirls on the oak planks above him, focusing on the grooves. There he was just able to discern the age of the tree the wood had come from. 218 years old. It must've been a breathtaking specimen in its heyday.

"I-I…" The younger Link didn't know what to say. The affirmation he witnessed spread across the doomed man's face made his heart sink into his stomach, which then tied itself into a knot. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"No need to be sorry for me, because I know…" he paused to cough again. Before he continued, he glanced over at his younger variant, reading him over. "Because I know this isn't the end. My sacrifice won't be in vain."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, perplexed. There, the other man recited an old proverb he was taught by a very regal woman in his life.

"You know that there is no end, nor is there a beginning. There's only the infinite passion of life. As long as the people we meet-" A sudden tightness sprung up in the bleeding man's chest, but he wheezed and fought through it. "…the people we meet carry on what we've done, we're never truly gone."

"Wait, are you saying…?" Link's jaw went slack, and he inched closer to himself.

"Yes. I hate myself for putting this onto you, especially seeing how much you've managed to find in this world, but… I need you to finish this. I need you to find and kill Shatterhand," The older, weaker Link truly despised his request, and seeing how his doppelganger fumbled with his words, he felt it wasn't fair. Their faces were only a foot away, and when the bedbound fellow held his hand up, his younger double took it. The grip was strong as iron, using what little strength he had left. "It shouldn't be you, but it must. Otherwise he'll hunt you down and destroy this land and everyone in it."

"P-Promise me…" He whimpered, feeling helpless as death was stalking the doorstep. The grip was starting to loosen, and his prolonged departure was at hand. He gazed at the oddly balanced sword across the room. "Promise that you'll use that sword to find him… and promise that the foul crimes of that man will be burned and purged away, for the sake of all."

"I-" Link almost hesitated, but quickly came to the notion that he couldn't let the life fade without accepting. The weight on his shoulders, he finally knew what it symbolized. Responsibility. "I promise."

At last, the misery had all fallen away, and the older, damaged, declining Link was ready to be cradled by the arms of the fallen. His body went limp, arm slumped down on the bed, and one breath of conclusion signaled the man's reunion with death. The other Link was overwrought with remorse, and he lowered his head in shame as he watched a mirror of himself pass on. He reached up and gently used his fingers to shut the man's eyes, letting him embark on his well-deserved rest.

For a while, Link just sat alone, thinking about what he'd do. How would he even tell Romani? Jim? His parents? Possible arguments swarmed his head as he gradually became more distressed, a few tears streaking down his cheek. Using his sleeve to wipe his face dry, he slowly stood up and staggered out of the room, mentally trying to articulate how he'd explain everything.

"You think you guys will stay another night?" Anju asked Romani as she flipped through the reservations notebook. Apparently, the inn was expecting a tenant sometime around dinner, and the lack of space was a bit concerning.

"Maybe, but Romani thinks she can convince Grasshopper to not be so worried!" Romani spoke confidently, thinking it'd be easy to turn on the charm with Link and coerce him into heading back to the beach house.

"You sure? You know how stubborn he is," Jim remarked, snickering under his breath. The conversation died down when they all heard the creaking of floorboards, the stairs always giving away secrecy.

Link appeared, drained and emotionless, leaning on the load bearing wall connected to the front desk. The others kept quiet, waiting for him to say something. The way he opened his mouth, just to second guess himself and keep his tongue still confused them.

"He… He's dead," Link said fecklessly.

"What?!" Anju rose from her seat, greatly perturbed by the sudden news.

"What happened?!" Jim went on alert, but he fought the instinct to grab the hilt of his sword. The training he'd received taught him to always prepare for a fight whenever he learned of someone's untimely demise.

Romani's reaction to what Link had said hurt his soul the most. Her face was almost completely drained of its color, and she zoned out, looking into the distance blankly. The hero could see his wife breathing heavily, correctly concluding that her heart was racing. However, he didn't have the strength to rush to her aid and tell her things were alright. With what he knew, he didn't know if things would be alright.

Link, with the others surrounding him, asking questions, just walked over to the bench Romani sat on and planted himself beside her. Without a word, he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder and brought her into him. She didn't sob, but her own trembling body told him how nervous she really was. As a husband, his inner voice begged him to not let go until his warmth soothed her, and that's exactly what he did. A soft hush came from his lips as he cradled Romani. When her shaking subsided, he was soon brought back to reality.

"Hey," Jim barked, snapping his fingers twice in front of Link's face. The former hero blinked, acknowledging his friend. "You there, man?"

"Right, sorry," Link said indifferently, subconsciously taking Romani's hand and interlocking his fingers with hers. She felt him squeeze her hand, and she squeezed back, never wanting him to let go. Link collected himself and pointed his head at Jim, asking, "What? What is it?"

"I asked you what had happened up there," Jim said, annoyed to a certain extent. The looks from Anju, Kafei, Jim, Tatl, Tael, and Navi were a bit overbearing for Link, but he complied.

"His wounds were too severe to treat," Link told them.

"But we gave him a blue potion! It's the strongest medicine there is, how did it not help?" Kafei was the one to run out to the Southern Swamp to buy one of the potions he talked about. It wasn't a waste, but with the knowledge that the man passed away regardless made it feel like one.

"We were too late," Link responded without much compassion, his head clouded with something else.

"What do you mean, 'too late', Link?" Anju asked.

"I…" Link didn't want to tell them of his little escapade in the middle of the night, but he already kept it from his variant, he couldn't anymore. "I checked his wounds during the night. The Lens of Truth, I used it to look within, and I found it he was bleeding on the inside…" Link almost choked on his words, cursing his constant curiosity and how it led him to terrible truths. "There's nothing we could've done."

"Oh…" Anju put her hand over her mouth. "Oh my goddess…"

The innkeeper started mumbling incoherent nothings, and her husband began to comfort her with the expected celerity. He was always fast to do what he thought was right. Anju's words were frenetic and without meaning, at least from the few feet away Link was from his mother. Only Kafei could distinguish what she was saying, and he didn't dare tell another soul.

"Honey, don't you dare go down that road, alright?" Kafei clasped Anju's hand and took the gambit of kissing her on the cheek, hoping he'd get some sort of reaction. He did, thankfully, and Anju broke out of her muted haze and hugged him.

Jim and the fairies were the only ones not in a state of what looked like delirium. Shunning the depressing mood, Jim marched up the stairs and barged through the door to the Knife Chamber. He paused when he laid eyes on the variant's lifeless form, realizing that it was precisely the reason why the others seemed so upset. All the Bomber could see was his best friend in the variant's place, and he shuddered at the thought.

The leader of the Bomber's continued to gawk at the corpse, burdened with memories of how much his own friend had fought and suffered. An intruding idea of his own friend failing on some point of his life and meeting a similar fate as this man stuck with Jim as he slowly backed out of the room.

Link's fitful description of what had happened to the man upstairs bounced off the walls while Jim returned to the lobby. His mouth talked innocently yet wobbled with an uneasy mindset. Jim could tell his friend felt guilty for it all, regardless of his clear-cut purity in the whole situation. There'd be no indictment on him, but still that sinful feeling landed on him.

"So… what are we going to do?" Tael asked.

"We… We need to at least dignify him with a burial." Link stood up, still grasping Romani's hand. "I learned he was also a hero in his home realm, just like me. He deserves it, even if we can't get him home." The green-clad man looked back to his wife and bent his finger to caress her wedding band.

"Alright, but where?" Tael was skeptical of the idea, knowing that the variant hadn't been here for long.

Link ruminated on Tael's question, pacing around the room. It meant he was no longer holding Romani's hand, which made the latter a little waspish, but she instead just rubbed her stomach and took deep breaths, relaxing. The former hero, reconsidering his entire retirement, kept his thoughts imprisoned inside his head for the time being. While Link was occupied, Tatl and Navi managed to start showing there they weren't filling the places of statues.

"I wonder…" Navi began, thinking out loud. "What was his world like? He seemed much older and weathered than the Link we know, so maybe he's been through something different?"

"Well, he didn't even recognize me, so maybe he never even…" Tatl wished she never said anything, as she quickly fell down an imaginary rabbit hole of why the other Link didn't know who she was.

"The beach," Link said, finishing his thought.

"Why the beach?" Tatl asked, hiding her thanks changing the subject.

"Because it's where Mikau was buried, and I think it's a fitting resting place, at least for now," Link explained, brushing his bangs away from his face. "That beach… it's already letting one warrior sleep soundly."

"Isn't it also where you found him, Grasshopper?" Romani's voice was a soft, spring breeze to everyone in the room. It'd been so long since she had uttered something, it felt like she wasn't even present. Link smiled and nodded, the warmth of his grin infecting the ranch woman.

"Then Romani thinks it's a great idea!" The way Romani delivered her comment forced Link's smile to falter a bit. She had come to some inference while silent, and it bothered the hero, just slightly.

Then, an unspoken problem emerged. Just how would they do it? Link was the first to answer this, going upstairs to the Knife Chamber. It was a few minutes before he returned, and in his arms was a body with a long, wool blanket draped over it. It disguised the lifeless from the preying light of disgrace. Link and Jim kept their heads down as they rode off to Great Bay, the Bomber bringing a shovel along with him. Neither really wanted to handle to task, but who else was going to?

Dusk was wrapping along Termina when Epona returned once again to the coast of Great Bay. On her back were her rider and his wife, finally home. As Link dismounted from his steed and helped Romani off, he briefly peeked at the beach. He saw Mikau's Guitar, and just a dozen feet away was a sword, its blade embedded in the sand. On it was a green, faded hat, tied to the hilt and flowing from the salty wind.

Link and Romani walked inside of the beach house and huffed, tired after a long and arduous day. Emotionally deteriorated and yearning for a night of leisure, the pair held each other as they went inside.

The home, originally the Oceanside Spider House, had been remodeled by Link and the carpenter team from Clock Town as a wedding gift to Romani. Once primordial and abandoned, it was renovated into a fine living space. The place were Link had to roll down as a Goron was dug out, making way for a bean sprout to serve as a ride of sorts to get down to the actual front door.

Romani rested her head on Link's shoulder as the couple were taken down to the door. She grunted softly until her husband placed his head onto hers, adoring how it felt. Once the plant reached the bottom of the rustic, quarry-like chamber, facing the entryway, the two occupants walked off and entered their humble abode.

The Spider House, now a decently decorated living space, had the old downstairs segment filled up and cut away from the main body of the property, all except for one room that served as the basement. The rest of the structure had been refurbished, the stairs leading to the cellar also branching further up to an upper floor. The old library, now a study, had been used frequently, Link purchasing books on parenting for the special occasion only a few months from now.

Just next to the staircase were two new doorways, one leading to a modest but lavishly farm-themed kitchen, as to Romani's preference. The other door opened up to a hallway, in which were two more doorsills each leading the way to a bedroom, one for Link and Romani, and the other for their new additions. At the very end of the hall was a cabinet that held various supplies for cleaning and keeping the space tidy, and above was a picture of a very special day for the two, with one of them wearing a white gown and the other, a sharp, black tunic. Their smiles lit up the room better than the light fixtures on the ceiling.

Romani sat down on a bench not dissimilar to the one in the Stock Pot Inn's lobby, right across from the study. Link had always been fond of that old seat and managed to track down one like it for his own home, though now with a dark blue color instead of light green. It matched the walls agreeably and proved to be endlessly easy to recline in.

Link had gone to put his item bag away in the bedroom, allowing Romani a moment to breathe. Even just walking through the house seemed to be a challenge for her, the child unknowingly ensuring that. When he returned, he sat beside his wife, sighing, thinking of the mystifying events of the day so far.

"So… what should we do?" Link asked, unsure how to break the thin ice that had accumulated during the silence.

"Rest. Lots of rest. The baby isn't very happy with Romani's mood," Romani looked down at her stomach.

"I'm sorry, hon, I didn't mean to upset you with what had happened to him…"

"What makes you think Romani's upset?"

Link raised an eyebrow. He knew many things, and when his beloved was cross was one of them. He shifted himself straight and reached for Romani's hand, taking it and giving a light squeeze.

"Firefly, honey, I've known that face of yours for nearly ten years. I can tell when you're upset." Romani sulked, pouted, then turned away from Link. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of being right, but his own little smile brought her back to him.

"Okay, fine, Romani's upset," Romani said, turning back and scooting her legs so that hers and Link's touched. "The fact that poor man passed away, yet we don't even know who's responsible, yes, it muddles my mood."

"Well, about that…" Link began, cringing at what his wife's face might say now.

"He said he knew his name… Well, a nickname, really," Link fought the urge to shudder when he looked back on the fear his double fetched when he said it. The hero forced himself to repeat it, and he whispered, "Shatterhand…"

"Shatterhand?" Romani mirrored Link's original reaction to the name, bringing her hand to her chin and keeping it there.

"Yeah, he's apparently done a lot," the hero said, his voice just a paltry whisp in the dry, laconic air.

Link looked at Romani for a moment and then the front door to the house. An idea formed, a bold idea. He quickly got up and left, heading to the bedroom where he had put his bag to find something. When he returned, he kept his hands behind his back, and scanned the room inquisitively.

"Could you… stand by the chair for me, please?" Link's eyes conveyed a sense of adorable curiosity. Romani recognized that glimmer and did as he asked, standing behind the chair sitting just next to the front door, her arms draped on its back.

"Perfect," said Link as he held up the item he had retrieved. The pictograph box that he obtained from his first ever adventure in Termina. Leaning against the railing to the staircase, he looked through the lens and lined it up with Romani and snapped a picture, the little square contraption starting to whirr faintly.

"What was that for, Grasshopper?" Romani's own curiosity rivaled Link's as she walked back to him, looking at the box.

At last, the picture dispensed and Link waved it around, helping it develop. When the image finally became visible, he saw his own wife, immortalized on the thick photo paper. It was no match for the real thing, but he knew that it'd keep him going. Keep him determined.

"I'm…" Link stuttered. "I'm going. To find Shatterhand."

"What?! Grasshopper, no! Romani forbids you from going!" Romani got defensive right away, latching onto her husband's arm and planting her feet on the floor.

"Romani, look at me," Link asked, wrapping his free arm around his wife's waist after placing the pictograph box down. The two lovers gazed into each other's solemn eyes for a second. "I… I can't lose you."

"You won't! Because you aren't going!" The ranch woman gripped Link's tunic and held on tight.

"Romani, I need to go. If this man is real, if he exists and he's as dangerous as my variant said he was, then that means he's…" Link almost choked up at the simple idea of it, his voice cracking. "Th-That means one day he'll be here. And he won't stop at anything until he kills me and moves on. I-no, we, can't take that risk."

Link put his hand to Romani's stomach and rubbed soothingly. He couldn't and refused to take his mind off all that he had found in Termina. It was too precious to him. This, to him, was the infinite passion of life his variant spoke of. He had to protect it, and let it protect him.

"If-If he's going to be here one day, why not just wait until then, hm?" Romani was grasping at straws, trying to come up with a good excuse for Link to stay.

"We may not know what they day will come, nor might we be ready. It could be soon, or it could be years from now, when the baby's arrived," Link's chest brushed up against Romani's maternal swell, and a kick from the child accentuated his point. "We can't put them through that, not ever."

Romani prattled on with vague noises, furious that she was losing the argument. Link made sense. Their baby had nothing to do with the predicament of this 'Shatterhand', and it'd be cruel to put them through that if the day came after they were born. Much to her dismay, Link's objective meshed well with the circumstances, and she had little reason to defend her conflicting ideals.

"Fine…" Romani relented. She could recall the days when he was so shy and timid, yet now he was headstrong and exceedingly brave, almost to a fault. It didn't matter to her, just strengthening her grip on her husband and her best friend.

Chapter Text

Happy Anniversary, Ocarina of Time! Only a few of you will actually get the title and what it's referencing, but it's alright. Anyways, how about another chapter? I'm super excited for this one, so please review when you can! Enjoy!
-Joost

Yes, I posted this on the 25th anniversary of Ocarina of Time. I've been working on this for a while, what can I say?

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 3: A Kite… Flying Into A Hurricane

Midday. Link slashed the unbalanced sword through the air yet again, but nothing happened. It simply whiffed, striking a nonexistent foe and slamming back into the sand roughly. Jim sighed, crossing his arms and glancing over to Romani, who sat across the beach by the house.

Link breathed heavily, pulling the sword from the ground, flinging grains of sand into the air, which landed on his boots. He tried again, bringing the blade up over his head and swinging, being met with the same result. This had grown tiring, and somewhat exhausting with how heavy but also small the sword was. The hero, now finally out of retirement, didn't want to be delayed by a simple weapon, but it was the only way he knew to travel between realms.

"You sure the sword is even the key?" Jim asked, eyeing the weapon with extreme apathy. Link lamented his friend's lethargic tone, knowing Jim didn't want to see him go either.

"I'm positive," Link replied. He couldn't get the words out of his head, the ones his variant told him. The doubtless expression was something he couldn't shake, how he pointed to the strange sword with certainty. All Link's hopes lied with the weapon that he could barely handle correctly.

After a few more fruitless attempts with the weapon, Link gave up for the time being, his stomach yearning for some sustenance and a headache roaring between his ears. He and Jim joined Romani back in the house, the couple enjoying the rare company of their friend. While lovely in Great Bay, visitors were like gold dust, and just the sight of a familiar face within their home elated Link and Romani.

Jim, taking off his bandana as a sign of respect, left it hand on the chair by the front door, following his friends into the house and to the kitchen. It'd been some time since the Bomber had been enticed to stopover at Great Bay. He wasn't very fond of the breeze, brooding about how saturated it was with the scent of salt.

Link started preparing lunch, a rather large dish of salmon risotto and a side of poultry pilaf. Even though they lived on a beach, there was enough fertile soil for some farming. A small patch of rice, barley, and wheat had been planted just next to the home, and the salmon was sourced right from the sea. The mushrooms, brought all the way from the Southern Swamp, were worth the journey. When the meal was ready, Link, being the best provider he could be, divided the food up into three portions, one for each of them.

"Thank you, honey," Romani said sweetly, licking her lips as she ogled the food ravenously. Jim expressed his gratitude as well, also eager to dig in. Link smiled, memories of his childhood coming back, the frequent sleepovers he had at Romani Ranch being one he admired.

Such a scenario as this, Link, Romani, and Jim, all sharing a table together, had been almost lost to them. They simply didn't have the time to really socialize anymore, their lives becoming more engrossed by the duties of adulthood. Jim's pursuit of all the missions from the Clock Town Guard, Romani's maternity leave, and Link being the one to keep the house up to code as his wife rested and such. He could remember one particular day, when he was thirteen. He, his parents, Romani, Cremia, and Jim, all sat around the Inn lobby and enjoyed a meal, conversing about the littlest of things. Moments like that became reclusive, seemingly without warning.

Link, presently, enjoyed his life, but he'd be remissive if he said that he didn't miss those days. The times when he was just twelve years old, running around Clock Town with his friends, not needing to worry about the secrets of Ikana Canyon. Right after his rematch with Gomess, where he learned of the returning force of the Garo. That day when Romani became a member of the Bomber's Secret Society of Justice was a special one for all of them. Jim felt like he had finally gotten to know folks better, Link started breaking out of his shell, and Romani began to make new friends.

Nowadays, the only real Bombers of the secret society were Jim and two of the other guys. While the whole team hadn't disbanded, the group didn't quite meet up very often. Link and Romani were at Great Bay, one boy had moved to Snowhead, and the last two just got far too busy with their own jobs. Lastly, there was Skull Kid. Link's face grew immensely contrite in a matter of seconds, his fork clattering onto his plate.

"Grasshopper? Is everything alright?" Romani, startled by the sound, could instantly see that something was unbecoming of her husband. When she received no response from him, she set down her own utensils and stood from her chair, approaching him and caressing his cheek.

"Link? Link, look at me," Romani ordered, one of the scarce times she used his goddess-given name instead of the one she thought up for him when they were children. Even though he didn't acknowledge her yet, she still spoke, "Link, honey what's wrong?" She used two fingers to tilt his chin upwards to face her. "Romani's right here, don't worry. She and Jim didn't go anywhere."

Link inwardly cursed the cruel moment before him. Finally dragging his eyes to meet Romani's, sighing. The sheer beauty of his life, next to the idea of it all being taken away by a man who wished to tear it down just for a reason unknown to him, it stabbed his heart and left him in anguish. The fiend named Shatterhand, from what little Link knew, could be the most dangerous, wicked, immoral, vile thing he may ever come across. Worse than the Garo Master, Majora, Ganondorf, or those witch sisters. The vague yet vivid impression he was granted of the man still lingered front and center.

"I-I'm sorry, honey. It's just-" Link eyed the plate on the table, then quickly returned his gaze to his wife. "I can't stop thinking about that… man. I have to- I need to find him, stop him, and make sure everything'll be alright. That sword is a pain, and I know there's no time to linger. The more I delay, the more I risk losing you, and I can't. I just- I just-"

Romani placed her index finger on Link's worried lips, shushing him gently. Even Jim rose from his seat and walked over to his friend. Together, the Bomber and the ranch woman hugged the hero in green, bending down to wrap their arms around him while he remained in his chair.

"I miss him," Link finally said, cowering within his friends.

It took the others a moment to determine what, or rather who, Link was talking about, but a quick survey of the scene brought the burning memory back with a vengeance. Their fourth piece, the imp that had been struck down in Hyrule. The culprit for his demise, the unruly shadow of Link, was long gone. However, his spectre still remained.

"We…" Jim muttered. "We miss him too."

"I can't lose you guys like I lost Skull Kid," Link said, feeling small. "Even though I let go… I can't fail like that again."

"You won't, Link! You've managed to win against worse odds, so I have faith. Right, Romani?" Jim's plucky demeanor had made a welcome return, forcing a smile to weakly creep onto Link's face.

"Absolutely. Grasshopper, while we won't be there to help you, remember that we're still here. We're alright," Romani looked down at her stomach, accentuating her maternal form for her husband. The act made Link blush, embarrassed that she'd do that in front of Jim.

"Th-Thank you, Firefly…" Link stammered, trying not to bring attention to Romani.

The trio looked back at their plates, realizing their food was getting cold. After another hug, Romani and Jim sat down and resumed eating, still giving Link comforting words as he only stared at his lunch. He tried to eat, stuffing some of the rice into his mouth and forcing a swallow, but it rested in the pit of his stomach miserably. His appetite was thoroughly botched, only an unpleasant feeling of nauseousness left.

An hour later, the kitchen was empty and still. The table had been wiped down by a towel now drying in the wooden hamper, its use evident by the soaped dishes that lay in the lower curve of the sink across the room. All evidence of lunch was gone, expertly cleaned by the three friends who had been eating. The candles, snuffed out and free of the scent of wax, waited for dinner, which would take hours to come.

Outside, Link was at the routine again, continuously swinging the sword in hopes something would happen. With a tired mania, the hero kept praying that somehow, some way, he would figure it out, allowing him to say his goodbyes and start his journey.

Fate was always a cruel mistress for the man in green, his desires marred by the harsh reality before him. He was doing something wrong, but he just didn't know what. Was it his form? The strength of the swing? Link was growing irritated by the lack of progress he was making.

Suddenly, and abruptly, Link fell to his knees in the sand and the sword slammed down next to him. He stared blankly out into the ocean, the sounds of Jim and Romani coming to see what was wrong being drowned out by an intense ringing. His ears were on fire as his companions tried to get through to him.

"I-I just…" Link said, just barely.

Endless thoughts of what Shatterhand might do to his home, his loved ones, and everything he cared about swarmed his mind. Moisture started leaking from Link's eyes as he ignored the pleading voices of Romani and Jim and looked down at the goddess-forsaken sword by his leg.

"I hate it…" Link whispered.

"What?" Jim asked, bewildered.

"I hate it!" Link shouted, snatching the hilt of the sword and reeling his arm back. Overcome with emotion, he threw the sword across the beach, the blade twirling around through the air beautifully. With his arm aching, he fell forward and slumped onto the sand head-first.

Then, as if triggered by his rage, it worked. Sparks shined from the weapon and an opening emerged from the flash. A tear in reality finally opened, just briefly, before closing, vanishing in a brilliant burst of light.

"U-Uh… Link?" Jim said as he and Romani's eyes went wide, their jaws falling slack. He tapped his friend on the shoulder a couple times.

"Whaaat?" Link groaned.

"I… I-" Jim was breathless. "I think it worked!"

Link froze and slowly sat up, his face contorting with confusion. Was this another sadistic joke? No, it couldn't be, Jim wasn't the one to do something like that. He jittered slightly before turning to the Bomber.

"Could you say that again?" Link asked.

"Grasshopper, it really worked!" Romani retrieved the sword from where it landed and held it quizzically. She knew it was dangerous to hold, but when Link saw her with the weapon, he immediately stood up and took it from her.

"How?" Link's mind was so frayed he could hardly make a complex sentence.

Romani thought for a moment before having an epiphany. She grabbed Link's hand, the one wielding the sword, and positioned it straight. "Perhaps… think about what was going through your mind when you threw it, and try again!" she said, smiling. The warmth of her face made the hero's heart weaken, his nerves a bit more at ease.

"Alright…" Link said, stepping away as to not strike either of his friends with the weapon. He took a breath, closed his eyes, and held the blade steady. Reluctantly, he thought about what he had been previously, and his grip on the hilt changed.

Link, his arm eager with rage, yet also love, swung the sword. Again, sparks fluttered around, and another portal opened, this time bigger. When he opened his eyes, he stumbled back and fell to his bottom, shocked at the sight. A glittering, star-shaped opening, hovering above the sand. It seemed to tunnel down into infinity, wave-like oscillations beckoning someone to jump through.

"The infinite passion of life…" Link said to himself as Romani and Jim joined him. They all gazed at the portal with awe, along with some fear. Its presence had several meanings now.

"Is…" Jim began, unsure how to speak. Link's stone-cold stare at the portal oozed a sense of valiance, something that hadn't been there for years now. "Is this it, Link?"

"Not yet," Link assured his friend. "Do me a favor and get Tael. I made a promise to him that he could join me, and I intend to keep it."

"Oh, well, alright then. I'll get going," Jim looked a little glum, but he gave Link a pat on the shoulder before leaving to fetch Ivory, his trusty steed.

Link felt something, or rather someone, grab his hand. Romani, her cheeks red and hand trembling, was holding on for dear life. He returned the gesture, squeezing his wife's hand with similar affection. She walked up to stand in front of him, placed her hands on his cheeks, and made him look her in the eye.

"Promise… Ugh, promise Romani that you'll come back, you hear me?" Romani sounded assertive, almost like her sister. Link chuckled, holding her by the hips and nuzzling close to her lovingly.

"I promise. I don't know how long I'll be… But I'll come back. For you." Link quickly remembered he had a child on the way and rushed to fix his verbal mistake. "For both of you, don't worry."

The sound of hooves clopping along the sand brought the lovers out of their tender moment, and they glanced at the valley leading to Great Bay, waving Jim goodbye. It'd be a few minutes until he'd return, so they restored themselves to just seconds before, smilingly at each other passionately.

"You know, you are such a troublemaker," Romani commented slyly. "Leaving your expecting wife alone while you go and fight."

"I know, I'm so evil," Link replied playfully. He wasted no time in kissing Romani, time slowing to a crawl.

The couple was so immersed in each other that they didn't even recognize the noise of hooves approaching until it was too late. It had been minutes of just them, standing along on the beach, just enough time for Jim to reappear, Tael in tow. They smirked at how oblivious their friends were as the Bomber dismounted from his ride. It took Tael ringing like his sister to break the hero out of his love-induced haze.

"Hey, are we all ready?" Tael asked, flying up in front of the still open portal.

"Oh! Right, sorry," Link blushed and parted from Romani, but not before giving her one last peck on the cheek. He already had his Gilded Sword and Mirror Shield strapped to his back, and his item bag on his belt. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture of Romani he took the night before, holding it carefully in his right hand, the left grabbing the sword.

"Well, see you guys soon," Link said, smiling one final time. He turned and entered the portal, Tael perched on his shoulder. As soon as he crossed, the tear sealed back up, leaving Romani and Jim alone.

"Oh goddesses… please look after him," Romani asked, clasping her hands together for a prayer.

"Hey, Roma, look," Jim put his hand on Romani's shoulder. He smiled warmly at her and chuckled. "It's Link. You know him, he's got this."

Romani glared at Jim, making him take his hand off her shoulder. It was rare for her to give anyone such looks, but then again, nobody ever really interrupted her prayers. She finished her request to the Goddess of Time and eased up, her nerves relaxing at last. She sighed, and a weak, but clear smile crossed her lips as she looked at where the portal once hovered.

"Romani knows," she said.

A cosmic disturbance rumbled through the lair of a certain god-like bird. She peaked her head upwards and quickly leaped out of her nest, taking care to not awaken her recently hatched chicks. She peered over into her spectral looking-glass and gazed inside.

"Something… has begun," she thought, as the amazing mirror granted her eyes a front-row seat to view a man. His clothing, his face, his distinctive complexion, it perfectly matched the one she'd seen in her dreams as of late.

"That boy…" Empyrea mused, noting his green tunic, hefty bag along his belt, and stoic expression. She lowered her head and ruminated on her choices. Her chicks briefly stirred in the nest, bringing her attention to them.

Empyrea, the ageless phoenix of reality, had been sensing tremors throughout the realms for some time now, but her duty to her children outweighed her instincts to investigate. Now, with them finally hatched and well-fed, there was no excuse. She had to at least act and figure out what had been the cause of the untamed madness that was dwelling outside of her home. This man in green, he wasn't the culprit. His actions were different, motivated by a separate resolve.

Ramia, as she was once called, drew closer to her slumbering children, admiring their inert state. So peaceful, yet also criminally unaware of their mother's responsibility. She'd act without their knowledge, time passing slowly enough here compared to other worlds so that days-worth of departure would only be a couple hours.

"Forgive me, my loved ones…" Empyrea thought, nestling herself in-between her heirs comfortably for a little while. She'd be sure to relish this last sliver of rest before she would have to leave.

Chapter Text

Hoo hoo, boy! I'm excited for this one! The first proper crossover chapter! I hope you all like the introductions, and perhaps leave a review of what you think! Enjoy!
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 4: The Name You Should Know

Link stepped out of the portal, surprised to be met with a cool, brisk breeze. His breath was temporarily taken from him, the scenery of his new surroundings far too beautiful to simply appreciate without reaction.

"Wow…" Link muttered to himself.

The sound of fairy wings accompanied him, the purple hue of Tael illuminating the dark shadow of the tree they emerged from. Leaves rustled in the wind as the fairy mirrored Link's reaction to entering a new world.

Suddenly, the sound of the doorway behind Link closing flared his nerves. The portal he opened had swelled shut, leaving nothing behind. Tael flew back a bit, afraid, as the hero in green looked at his other hand, staring at the photo of his wife. He sighed. The picture of Romani, posing elegantly next to the chair in the house, it was the only thing Link would have to keep him sane, along with his fairy companion.

"Well, let's not waste time," Link told Tael. He waited for the fairy to join him, and once he did, they set off, marching through the fields and eventually coming upon a dirt road. Earthy and unpaved, the path seemed especially created to lead somewhere.

Link and Tael glanced at each other and then shrugged, guessing that it'd be better to follow the dirt road instead of just wandering around the land. The hero's boots clumped with determination along the light-brown path, crickets, beetles, and other insects scurrying away to keep clear. Flowers, bushes, and the occasional tree bordered the lane, scents of spring allowing for the man in green and his companion to relax as they walked.

Something was amidst, however. Link, only just a few minutes after his arrival, picked up on a familiar feeling. He could sense eyes upon him. He stopped in his tracks and looked around, his ears on alert.

"What's up, Link?" Tael asked, knowing that if his friend was alert, something was wrong.

"I… don't know, Tael," Link replied, still combing the scenery with his ever-curious eyes. This was unlike how he felt as a twelve-year-old, when the Garo were spying on him. Back then, he could tell the preying gazes were hostile in nature, but now, it wasn't so. Whoever, or whatever, was watching him, didn't have any malevolent intent.

At least… not now.

"Let's just… keep going. There has to be a town or something coming up the trail." Link urged himself to brush off the feeling, and quickly walked off with Tael, keeping the sword he used to travel to this realm out of sight.

From the distance, a figure clad in shadow observed the subject of his stare contemplate his presence. So this fellow was more aware than he looked, interesting. Whoever this man was, either he was not to be contended with, or he was in need of assistance. Out of safety, the onlooker chose the former, not wishing to disclose himself to this person just yet.

One thing of note, however, is that he was human. The knight who was spying on the hero in green only knew one other human, and even then, they were much younger than this fellow appeared to be. With a surmising sigh, the warrior left, right as Link continued on down the path of the dirt road.

The knight, positively certain he was alone, reached into his cloak to a back pocket, finding a slip of paper. Using a pencil he grabbed from his opposite pocket, he scribbled something down and then stuffed it back into the cape and then hunched back. His cape quickly concentrated into a pair of wings, which he used to take off into the sky, towards the house of a trusted ally.

There was a knock at the door. Then another, and then one more. The boy in bed slowly sat up and yawned, quite drowsy even though it was past noon. He had a habit for sleeping in and such.

At first the boy thought the knocking was just in his head, but when a sudden gust of wind outside shook his entire abode, he had a feeling he knew who had visited him. Climbing out of bed, he groggily walked to the door of his hut and fumbled with the knob. His short, stubby paw wasn't the best when he was still sleepy. After a second, he managed to figure out the door.

Peering outside, the boy swapped his eyes from one side to the other. Nothing, nobody. Well, that'd be odd if his visitor was the person he suspected, but then again, he could've left a note. Sure enough, there was a small piece of peeking just from underneath the 'Welcome' mat, stuck there to ensure it wouldn't blow away in the wind.

The boy grabbed the note and looked at it.

"Come to the castle. You are required at once. Signed, Meta Knight," it read. The signature was easily recognizable. Kirby, the puffy pink Star Warrior, and the star of the show, quickly woke himself up at the sight of his mentor's name, knowing the matter was urgent.

"Poyo!" Kirby said, waking up the person who had been asleep next to him.

"Hm? Wha-What is it, Kirby?" A fairy said, her pink hair ruffled, and her pajamas wrinkled from tossing and turning. She rubbed her eyes, and her vision finally grew less blurry.

"Rib! Poy-poyo!" Kirby said, catching Ribbon up to speed. He waved the note from Meta Knight in the air.

"O-Oh, well, alright. You go on out there, I just need a bit to fully wake up," Ribbon chuckled lightly, stifling a yawn. Kirby wasn't content on leaving it at that, so he dashed over to his friend and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

"Oh you… Go on, perhaps there will be a snack waiting for you when you come back," Ribbon said affectionately, blushing and holding her cheek.

Kirby, with one last, big smile, left the house. Waiting out front for just a second, his trusty mode of transportation, the Warp Star, shot across the sky and towards the lawn. It touched down only a few feet from Kirby, and he hopped on and took off, soaring away and to the castle. He had an odd feeling that this visit might be interesting, at least a little.

Link could see buildings in the distance. A town! His hunch was correct. Even Tael spotted the crowns of civilization poking out from over the hillside. They both grew giddy, ecstatic at their progress. It'd only been a few minutes since they arrived, after all.

But then, the pair was impeded by some strange trio, appearing just a couple dozen meters away from them, almost out of thin air. They were fairly short but armed, each of them brandishing a sword comparable in size to themselves effortlessly. Link quickly drew the Gilded Sword, standing valiantly as Tael scanned the opponents. He was ready to target in case the hero was looking to attack.

"Stop where you are, and sheath your weapon," A voice said, heavy with an accent but still understandable. Link didn't obey, keeping his stance and leering. He analyzed the weapons the three held. The outer two had pretty basic, standard swords, but the one in the middle gripped an extravagant, branched sword, golden in color.

These three warriors seemed competent to Link, who brushed his golden and silver hair out of his face as to not have any visual impairment in battle. While small in stature, correctly assuming they'd only reaching up to his hips up close, it was clear they bore unbreakable wills and courage. The man in green almost reconsidered the prospect of crossing blades with them, his newfound respect for their valor immense.

"We said, 'sheath your weapon'!" The one on the right said. His voice was differently toned than the middle one, and his helmet adorned with a large, V-shaped visor. The other, perplexingly, didn't have a visor, yet faced the exact same direction as his companions.

"Who are you?" Link demanded, concealing the picture of Romani in his tunic pocket and reaching for his shield. It gleamed in the sunlight, almost blinding the three as it rested on his forearm.

The trio, still facing Link, leaned into each other and muttered something under their breaths. When they returned attention to the hero, the started to walk forward in unison.

"We are the ones known as 'Star Warriors', defenders of Dream Land," The middle began, speaking up. "I am Sir Meta Knight, and these are my pupils, Sword Knight and Blade Knight."

"My name is Link Dotour, and I… have no knowledge of 'Star Warriors', or of Dream Land. I have come in search of a man similar to myself in hopes of gaining his assistance," Link explained, starting to pace forward as well, Tael preparing for battle.

"There is no man of the name 'Link' here," Sword Knight, the one with the visor, claimed. "In fact, in this land, you are the only man of your kind!"

Link paused. What could that mean? He didn't dwell on it for long, resuming his walk until he and the three Star Warriors were just feet away from each other, their weapons nearly grazing each other. Tension was high as the wind had picked up, howling through the hills as some citizens from the nearby town noticed their guardians facing off with an unknown figure.

"If you do not know of Dream Land, then how did you come to be here?" Meta Knight said, his students being quite eager for battle. His mask was unlike any Link had seen. Completely metal, with a harsh polish only known to him from material used for weapons.

"It's quite a long story," Link said, his right hand reaching down into his item bag. He pulled out the off-balance sword and presented it to the three, hoping it would have some meaning to them. He released it and let it fall to the ground.

While to Sword Knight and Blade Knight, the weapon held no meaning, to Meta Knight, it held too much meaning. How did this stranger, seemingly not of this planet, find that sword? What did it have to do with his presence here? He had no time to think on it, as Link, not appreciating the silence, was the first to strike, the Gilded Sword clashing with Galaxia roughly.

Sword Knight stormed Link, forcing the man to focus with the Gilded Sword on him. Meta Knight stepped back and let his other protégé, Blade Knight, jump forward. His sword clunked against the Mirror Shield, being parried expertly, as the Hero of Termina lurched back, relieving some of the pressure.

Link kicked the blunt of Blade Knight's weapon away, keeping his eye on Sword Knight as they continued to duel. He made sure to block the former's advances, but interestingly, Meta Knight, obviously the senior of the three, hadn't engaged. Instead, he was inspecting the sword Link had thrown to the ground.

The other three fighters battled vigorously, their pivots and advances complimenting each other gracefully. Sword Knight flipped his weapon as to have it pointed downward and lunged, the clash against the Mirror Shield sending vibrations through both him and Link. The golden-haired hero pushed against his defenses, getting the enemy off him. Blade Knight came running up, sword in the air, and Link rolled away from the attack, the swing shearing the grass instead.

"Where-" Sword Knight was cut off by a strike to his sword, planting his feet on the ground firmly so as to not lose his balance. He shoved himself against his weapon and forced Link back, taking a moment to breathe. "Where do you come from?!"

"I… well, am not from this world. I come from a place known as 'Termina'," The last word Link uttered brought Meta Knight's attention back. The three knights shuddered, the word 'Termina' having a vastly different connotation for them.

"A land… named 'Termina'?" Meta Knight asked, taking the other sword Link had discarded and making it vanish into his cape. He eyed his students inquisitively, his faith that Link held malicious intentions dwindling.

"Do you know it?" Link sneered, taking an aggressive stance with his blade and shield. He crouched down and positioned his arm so that his sword remained steady behind him, ready to swing in case any of his opponents got too close. His shield was kept locked in front of him.

"No, we don't," Sword Knight and Blade Knight said, their voices blending together.

More and more people started to gather at the edge of town, cheering for Meta Knight and his allies to vanquish Link. Seeing how the leader of these Star Warriors hadn't even acted against him, Link grew more nervous about the outcome of this battle. The students were skilled, together being almost a match for him.

Behind Link, a star crashed to the ground, signaling the arrival of someone quite special. The calls of the citizens across the field doubled in favor of the Star Warriors, and it was just enough for Link to turn around.

He had no time to react. Link only saw what looked like a small, yellow star careening towards him, and then felt something with unimaginable velocity strike him in the chest, sending him flying. He flew through the air and landed in a heap, his body bruised, his grip on the Gilded Sword and the Mirror Shield relinquished. Groaning, he tried to get up, but quickly succumbed to his exhaustion, passing out in front of Meta Knight and his pupils.

"Yeah! Great job, Kirby!" Sword Knight applauded. The pink puffball smiled bashfully, thinking it was nothing. All he did was inhale a nearby block and spit it back out. All in a day's work.

"Hey! Link, buddy! Come on, get up!" Tael rushed over to his unconscious friend, not caring if he was close to the knights trying to kill his friend. He darted around Link's face, trying to wake him up.

A pair of hands clapped around Tael and held him captive, but were careful not to hurt him. Meta Knight was baffled by the events before him. He reluctantly ignored Tael's cries for help, hating how afraid the fairy sounded. In fact, wait a moment, this boy was a fairy? But fairies, at least the ones he knew, were much bigger and weren't masked by a ball of light they emitted.

"So what should we do with him, Sir Meta Knight?" Blade Knight stood over Link's body, nudging the man's leg with his foot.

"Bring him in for questioning," Meta Knight easily answered.

"What? W-Why? He tried to kill us!" Sword Knight protested, thinking his teacher's logic was unfounded.

"This is true; however, did you not see his face? He was not driven by malice," Meta Knight, ever vigilant, could recognize the look of desperation. While Link hid it well, the lone swordsman saw it in the human. Wait a second, was he human?

"Something about all this is foul, Sir Meta Knight…" Blade Knight mumbled, shackling Link's wrists in a pair of cuffs before helping Sword Knight drag him off towards the castle. Right behind them followed Kirby, knowing his work wasn't done just yet.

Link woke up in darkness. Breathing was a little difficult, the heat from his mouth bouncing against a cloth and into his nostrils. A bag had been shoved over his head, how degrading. He struggled a bit, hearing the shudder of chains down from his hands. Cuffed as well?

"He's awake!" A voice called from a few feet away.

The sounds of shuffling footsteps and the jingling of keys told Link that he was in a cell, the creaking of the jail door immediately assaulting his eardrums. Forcefully he was brought to his feet, a guard gripping his shoulders and shoving him forward. Someone in front of him had taken the connecting chains to his handcuffs and guided him out of the cell, heading somewhere unknown.

At first Link's boots walked along stone, but it later shifted to what sounded like carpet. The scents as well, grew better, almost pristine. The hero's mind raced on where exactly he could be. A prison wouldn't be this large, or so sanitary. He must be someplace more important.

Link's questions would be answered when he and his escorts stopped. He heard one set of footsteps leave, presumably the one behind him. The other yanked on the cuffs, before a mechanical clunk surrounded them. Finally, the sack over the hero's head was removed, allowing him to see. He blinked repeatedly, helping revitalize his vision, reaching down to rub his eyes.

Then Link got a look at the guard keeping his reigns held. He expected a tall, burly grunt, but instead he was met with a short, stout, round little creature. It was orange in color, with a pale peach face. Oddly, it had no mouth, yet expressive eyes and visible cheek bones. Were they bones?

A quick look at himself told Link that he had been stripped of his gear, and other look around showed only shadows. A single cone of light beamed down on him, like he was on display for hidden onlookers. Some vague shapes were just out of sight, but they were hardly distinguishable.

"So tell me…" A foreign voice said, echoing through the darkness. Again, it had an accent, but wildly different from the knight. "What in the heck brought you out here, huh?"

"And where did you find that sword?" Another voice, the knight, said.

"Poyo!" That last voice nearly startled Link. It sounded child-like and small, far too out of place for this kind of situation. All of this was so confusing, and it was giving the man in green a roaring headache.

"What is this place?" Link asked, elongating the word 'is'. His hope for an easy meet-up with some other variant of himself was down the drain and in the sewers. It was easy to tell he hadn't found an alternate version of Termina or Hyrule as he had intended. "Who are you people?!"

"Us? Eheheheh! We're gonna be your caterers to justice!" The first voice said enthusiastically. "I, along with my friends here, are super Star Warriors!"

"What exactly are 'Star Warriors', anyways?" Link felt the need to ask.

"Star Warriors are soldiers sworn to protect the galaxy from all forms of evil. From the vast nightmares of oblivion to the madness of Dark Matter, that is what we defend against," The knight explained, his short speech having a somewhat profound effect on Link. It seemed to be a noble line of work, and his angered eyes became gentle for a moment.

"So you're all a part of the same species?"

"It's not a species, but a title. Anyone can be a Star Warrior, as long as they swear themselves to the cause." The knight's tone grew somber.

"However! That don't matter to you, don't it? You're a threat, just like anything else that dares invade my kingdom!" The first speaker interjected, his brash, booming voice overpowering the knight.

"Invade? How so?" Link growled.

"Because you simply waltzed up from nowhere and attacked my good pal Meta Knight and his friends! I don't take kindly to that there unfounded ferocity!" The crashing of a fist on metal rang out from where the voice emanated from. The two beside the prime speaker looked to them annoyedly.

"Your Majesty-" The knight began, only to be interrupted once again.

"Oh, then let me out of these restraints and I'll show you ferocity…" Link scowled, already sick of listening to this pompous fool. He considered parting his hands with all his might, ready to lunge at whoever entered his line of sight if his chains snapped.

"A threat like that best be punishable by death!" The presumed king roared. He was about to slam his fist again, when suddenly, all the lights flipped on, blinding everyone.

"Dedede?! Kirby? Meta Knight? What in the world is going on in here?!" A new, motherly voice shouted through the chamber as the others recovered, rubbing their eyes. It was clear that it was a woman, and Link got a brief view of her when he tried to look around.

She was a fairly tall lady, with black hair, tied into twin pigtails. A crown rested on her head neatly and wore a red, tailored dress with a cropped, white tee and pink collar. She exhumed a fair, maternal presence right away, however her spectacled face didn't express the same warmness. Her eyes were ablaze with anger, a furious glint lining her cheeks.

"My goodness, let that poor boy go! You know our rules, Dedede, he's no longer armed!" The lady walked up to Link and unlocked his handcuffs, letting them fall to the floor ungracefully.

"W-Wait, Queenie, please! We never get to do an interrogation like this!" The king wailed, upset that his self-imposed menacing figure was ruined so inelegantly. He had this whole plan to mess with the prisoner.

"Poyo poyo!" The childish voice reappeared, and Link quickly looked up to see what it could possibly be coming from. That pink, round, thing that so easily beat him. How?

"I side with Kirby, Your Highness. I too thought it a bad idea," Meta Knight commented, a hidden smirk under his mask. Link just glanced at all four of them, trying to get a grip on himself. Was there seriously a large, talking penguin sitting on a throne?

"I'm terribly sorry about all this, sweetie. Dedede over there is always looking to act more like a king ever since we made things official…" The Queen helped Link stand and dusted him off. The hero backed away, unused to someone touching his tunic. "Oh, my apologies, I didn't know if you wanted help cleaning yourself off or not." The lady fluttered her wings and chuckled.

"Now Dedede," The woman, who Link could guess was the queen, turned back to face the penguin. She put her hands on her hips and wagged her finger sternly. "Please give this boy a proper greeting to the kingdom. I thought Meta Knight already deemed him not dangerous, correct? I know he's not the type to go along with a silly scheme like this!"

"Well, I was also interested in the boy's reaction," Meta Knight replied thoughtfully.

"Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?" Link asked, his voice weary. Everyone, including the Queen, turned and stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. Apparently his language was thought of as obscene to them, and a blush formed around his cheeks. "Sorry…" he added meekly.

"No, no, no, it's alright. You're confused, don't worry," The Queen reassured Link, the man smiling at the instance of hospitality. Again he looked at her wings. Was she a fairy?

"Wait a moment…" Link looked around, noticing the lack of his only ally from Termina. "Wait, where is my friend? Tael?!"

"Ah, your fairy companion? He's fine, rest assured. We questioned him an hour ago, and he was surprisingly compliant with what we asked. He's currently resting in one of the guest rooms," Meta Knight hopped down from Dedede's side and walked up next to the Queen. "I noticed he was of… an interesting species. Now it simply leads to many questions to you on my part."

"Poyo!" Kirby chirped, joining Meta Knight.

"Yes, I was getting to that, Kirby," Meta Knight said.

"Wait, you can understand him?" Link asked, pointing to Kirby, baffled.

"Of course, can you not-" Meta Knight stopped himself. It often slipped his mind that people unfamiliar with Kirby couldn't understand his strange way of speaking. Perhaps he could learn more about his language if this boy managed to learn as well. "Forgive me. It does take time to truly understand my friend, here."

"Poy poyo!"

"Okay then…" Link mumbled. "J-Just… is there any place I can sleep? It's been a long day."

"Oh yes, of course, honey, I'll take you to your friend's room. It has a vacant bed you can take," The Queen was quick to answer Link, gesturing for him to follow. "I'll leave Dedede to tidy up and talk to the guards about relaxing their… methods on you."

"Thank you, that's very kind," Link said as he accompanied the Queen out of the room. The pair left, leaving an angered Dedede in his throne room alongside his friends.

"I really didn't expect her to just barge in like that…" Dedede grumbled, crossing his arms and pouting. He rose from his throne and lingered down the steps, procrastinating as much as possible, Kirby and Meta Knight rolling their eyes.

"She wouldn't have just let you keep enacting that charade, Your Majesty, you know that." Meta Knight remarked.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Dedede frowned, Kirby just chuckling playfully.

"Although tomorrow!" Dedede's mood quickly changed, aware that he did have a good point against the man in green in mind. "Tomorrow we gotta question him! That sword he had; it was Kirby's! Heck, you even recognized it, right? That's what Blade Knight done told me."

Meta Knight hummed as he thought about Dedede's proposal. It was disturbingly peculiar that the stranger, who went by the odd name 'Link', had Kirby's old sword. And in fantastic condition, to boot. Just how, where, and when he got that weapon, and what it had to do with his arrival here, sparked many questions in the lone swordsman's mind.

Chapter Text

Still a little sad no one has reviewed yet, but I won't let it get me down. This story has a lot of meaning to me. Anyways, I think some of you will really like this chapter, and I'm pretty proud of the ending of it! Enjoy!
-Joost

Of course, that little note above was when folks still hadn't reviewed on Fanfic dot net. Don't worry! Anyways, enjoy the song that I referenced in the title of this chapter, it's quite lovely.

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 5: Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Link awoke to a warm glare spread across his face. The sun, peeking through the opened window of the bedroom, greeted the hero, almost blinding him as he sat up and yawned. He smacked his lips a couple times, a strange aftertaste of a red potion staining his tongue.

A soft sigh filled the room as Link looked around, feeling glum. His tunic and tights were hung up on a rack by the front door, but he managed to sneak the photo of Romani out of his pocket before he undressed the night before. The nightstand drawer was where it resided, and the tired husband retrieved it just to have a look at his wife.

For a while, Link just stared at the picture of Romani, thoughts of how much he already missed her overwhelming his eyes. They nearly started to water up, thinking about whether everything was alright back home.

Suddenly, the sound of music brought Link back. Startled, he swung his head towards the source, seeing his roommate, Tael, hovering by a rectangular contraption on a coffee table close to the door. The fairy froze, removing his hand from the knob on the front of the device.

"Oh, Tael," Link breathed, relieved. "I didn't realize you were already up."

"Yeah, sorry, I notice you were… preoccupied. Look at this," Tael faced the oblong box again. "They call it a 'radio'. Listen, it plays music!" The curious fairy turned the knob, allowing the notes of the music coming from the speakers on the machine to more easily be heard.

"Woah…" Link didn't have many words, his mind still gnawing on the sight of the photo of Romani. When he got a better listen to the music, though, his concentration waned. It was jazzy, similar to the performances by the Indigo-Go's from the Milk Bar back home.

The sound mesmerized Link, allowing his interest to shift from his homesickness to the mechanical music box. Orchestration, strings, sax, and what seemed like a clarinet, all complimenting the voice of a woman, a singer. He was always fond of jazz, and the words of the song calmed the hero's scorched nerves, the lyrics being about 'being through with love'. An odd topic for a song, thought Link, but it was pleasant to listen to.

"Hey, I'm going to get my tunic," Link nodded towards the rack with his clothes. "You mind, bud?"

"Oh! Yeah, no problem," Tael turned around, allowing Link to keep his dignity as he left his bed and grabbed his clothes. As he waited for the sounds of rustling cloth to cease, the music faded, the song at its conclusion. Another came on, similar in style, but now with a man at the helm of the lyrics.

"The music is wonderful," Link commented as he dressed himself. The song dealt with heartaches, love being a common theme of the music here presumably. An intriguing difference compared to Termina, where the songs that did have words, the few that there were, didn't have much to do with love.

"Yeah, it's both like home, and not at the same time, you know?" Tael giggled and sat down, still turned away from Link. He reminisced on the times he went to the Milk Bar with Link and the others, smiling warmly.

Link just murmured in agreement, finally finishing his green ensemble with the tightening of his belt. He walked over to his bed and sat back down, indiscriminately stuffing the photo of Romani back into his tunic pocket so Tael wouldn't notice. He didn't rightly know why he hid the picture, but he felt the urge to. Running his fingers through his hair, he quickly heard the growl of his own stomach, a protest of his body, longing for some kind of breakfast.

"Hey, I heard that from over here!" Tael exclaimed, laughing a little.

"Guess we should get some food, then." Link stood back up and gestured for Tael to join him. The fairy did, flying just above the hero's green cap. Together, they left the room, although a little hesitant to venture out into the unfamiliar halls.

Once Link started walking down the regal rugs and through the castle, more of those guards, all identical in appearance and stature, ran by. It was strange, as while he was fooled into thinking they were far more menacing while in shackles, now that he got a better look, they were almost cute. The lack of mouths still unsettled him, though.

It took a while of searching until Link and Tael came upon anything of note. The connecting rooms of the castle were nicely decorated, ornamented with dustless drapes and golden rimmed paintings of the king, the penguin that the Queen called 'Dedede', all in over-the-top poses, all trying to express how big of an ego he had. Tiring was what Link would've described it all as, but the orange brick all nicely cobbled with one another made up for it. He couldn't deny the castle was structured beautifully.

Link wondered how large the fortress really was, as it felt like he was searching for a kitchen forever. A few halls he swore he recognized, telling him he was going in circles occasionally.

"Excuse me, Link," A sudden voice came from right behind the man in green. He yelped, jumping almost three feet in the air and landing in a defensive pose.

"I didn't mean to startle you," It was Meta Knight, looking indifferent at Link's fighting position. He had his cape wrapped around himself, snug, his arms perfectly concealed.

"Sorry, it just wasn't expected," Link replied, leaving his stance and relaxing his muscles. Tael, who had been equally alarmed, hovered back down and sat on his friend's left shoulder.

"I assume you're looking for some breakfast, hm?" Meta Knight correctly deduced, judging from the lack of concentration in Link's eyes and the prominent bags underneath them.

"Yes, actually," Link was surprised with Meta Knight's brisk conclusion. A small smile came along his face as he sensed some warmth from the knight. "That'd be swell. Tael and I have been trying to find some kind of kitchen for a little while now, with no luck."

"Follow me," Meta Knight stated plainly, turning curtly and walking down the hallway. He knew the layout like the back of his hand.

Link and Tael tailed Meta Knight closely for a couple minutes, staying silent as they let the swordsman guide them to what they hoped would be something to eat. There were a million questions that he wanted to ask, but he restrained himself for the time being, knowing that the knight would likely want to set aside some time to chat. Just the thought of learning about this brave, new world he found himself in brought him a little it of child-like wonder.

"I hope the Waddle Dees didn't give you any trouble," Meta Knight said, breaking the sheet of silence himself.

"No, not at all. They haven't even acknowledged me and my friend, actually." Link guessed that Meta Knight was talking of the charming little guards. He could see a few of these Waddle Dees scurrying around the halls in the distance, carrying supplies, papers, or even spears.

Meta Knight just replied with a soft 'hm', the silence resuming.

Eventually, the three arrived at a large, wooden, double-wide door. It gave off a larger-than-life presence, and when the entryway opened up, the smells of fresh pastries and sweet, sugary goods filled Link's nostrils. He nearly salivated, never having picked up such a lovely scent in a long time. The plucky, orange fellows, the Waddle Dees, were hard at work, preparing food tirelessly.

Meta Knight looked around the grand kitchen and then clapped his hands together twice. Suddenly, all the Waddle Dees stopped what they were doing in unison and turned towards him. Link was taken aback by the display, nervous with all the eyes now on him.

"Our guest here would like some breakfast," Meta Knight said.

All the Waddle Dees nodded, smiling despite their mouthless faces. They all went back to work, preparing a multitude of breakfasts for Link to choose from. Meta Knight walked further into the kitchen and sat down at a distant table, Link following. The man in green sat down across from his opposite number, the two warriors waiting. There was a little bit of tension between them.

In no time at all, the Waddle Dees finished their baking. The legion lined up and placed down plate after plate of food for Link, Tael, and Meta Knight to pick. There were pancakes, bacon and eggs, toast slathered with a dark pink jam, blueberry muffins with butter to add, an assortment of chopped fruit, and more. To Link, there were almost too many options. Not wishing to delay, he picked the bacon and eggs, something he enjoyed at home.

Tael picked two hashbrowns, that being one of his favorite foods. They were sizable, two being plenty for him to satisfy his hunger. Meta Knight, secretly, had an affinity for sweet confections. He discreetly grabbed three cinnamon rolls from one of the platters and hid them in his cape, disguising his action by taking the bowl of almond butter granola sitting next to it.

"Feel free to enjoy the rest, my friends. Be sure to leave the favorite for you know who, once he joins us," Meta Knight told the Dees, referring to the numerous unchosen dishes resting on the table. They all perked up, quickly snatching the plates and running off into the main dining hall. All that was left were the pancakes.

"Who's going to be joining us?" Tael asked, his mouth full.

Tael's question wasn't answered by Meta Knight, instead by the sound of a twinkling star just a moment later. Outside, Kirby had arrived, his Warp Star parked just beyond an open window across the room. Meta Knight grunted, thinking the puffball would've been more polite with his method of coming to the castle.

Kirby scooted inside from the windowsill and smiled happily at Meta Knight, hopping down from the ledge and walking up to the table. He took a seat right in front of the pancakes that had been saved just for him.

The group started eating, a strong hush draping over the four as they enjoyed breakfast. For Link and Meta Knight, it was bittersweet to have a moment where nothing was wrong. Confusion was absent and they could relax. For Tael and Kirby, though, it was a little uncomfortable.

"So who are you, hm?" Tael asked Kirby, his mouth somewhat full of crispy potato, the fluff of the insides lining the edges of his lips.

"Poyo?" Kirby tilted his head.

"He is Kirby, defender of Dream Land." Meta Knight said punctually. Link and Tael still couldn't understand Kirby yet.

"Yes, but who is Kirby?" Tael quickly asked, the simple answer of Kirby being Kirby a little vague.

This time it took Meta Knight a second to respond. His eyes, glowing under his mask, darted between Tael and the pink puffball. "You see, it's a little complicated. Kirby… he is one of the many mysteries of this world. Not much of his nature can be explained, even by himself."

Link and Tael glanced at each other.

"He simply cannot be described by words," Meta Knight finished, setting his spoon down in the now empty bowl by his hands. Link did a double take, blinking. How did the knight eat already, he hadn't even lifted his mask.

"Hm, maybe we'll get to know him better over time…" Link commented, stuffing a slice of bacon into his mouth to keep himself occupied.

"That is the plan, isn't it? You two will be working together, after all…" Meta Knight said casually.

Link choked on his bacon, coughing a few times before patting his chest, getting the crumbs of bacon out of his windpipe. He swallowed and leaned against the table, confused, face red. Tael had stopped eating, equally perplexed by Meta Knight's words.

"Excuse me?" Link said.

Meta Knight took note of Link's reaction, sitting up straight in his own chair. He peered at Kirby out of the corner of his eye, and quickly looked back at the man in green. The young Star Warrior next to him hadn't taken notice of them, absentmindedly devouring his pancakes.

"Well, whatever mission you're embarking on, Kirby will need to join you and your friend, won't he?" Meta Knight was far sharper than Link could have ever imagined. He chewed on another piece of bacon before trying to form a response, a strange feeling welling in his gut.

"Who said we needed help?" Link tried to match Meta Knight's collected demeanor, but it was sloppily managed. Deep down, he didn't like being read like a book, especially by a stranger. A distant memory of that dream he once had came to mind, the one that somehow foretold the loss of a friend.

"You mentioned the other day that you were in search of someone similar to yourself, back on the outskirts of town. While there is no one of your… peculiar stature here, I believe that Kirby may be that person," Meta Knight construed, bringing the attention of the pink puffball next to him. He had been giving a long time to think on the meaning of Link's purpose here, deeming it to be no coincidence.

Link thought for a moment, using his fork to excuse his lack of words, cramming an egg into his mouth. Oddly, he examined its texture as he chewed, the fluff of the white and smoothness of the yolk easing his mind. Noticing his and Tael's now empty plates, he finally came to a small conclusion.

"We can discuss more in private. The guest room we're staying at, could you… be there in an hour?" Link said, standing from his chair and taking his and Tael's dirty dishes and walking away, placing them into one of the many sinks.

"Very well," Meta Knight said as he watched Link and Tael leave to return to their room.

Once Link and Tael were for sure out of sight and earshot, the purple fairy flew up next to his friend's cheek and crossed his arms. Link just rolled his eyes, already seeing a bit of Tatl in Tael. However different the fairy siblings were, they shared similar looks of annoyance.

"What exactly are you doing, Link?" Tael asked.

"To be honest, I don't know…" Link said.

The radio could almost be heard from outside of the bedroom, Link having turned it up as loud as it could go to relax. He'd taken a quick liking to this wonderous little machine, the voices of singers belting out serenades drowning out the lingering thoughts of home. He had both hands folded on his chest, staring at the ceiling for a while. All he wanted was a sweet distraction for an hour or two.

"He's gonna be here any minute now, you know." Tael said, kicking his feet as he sat on the edge of the radio.

"I know," Link replied. It had occurred to him that perhaps time didn't work that same in this realm, but it certainly felt similar. The clocks were almost unreadable to him and Tael, however.

"Well shouldn't you be… more prepared?"

"What makes you think I haven't been preparing?"

"Hm… alright, fair." Tael wasn't surprised, just a little concerned. Usually, Link would make a bit of a deal of preparing to talk to someone, but maybe he was taking a different approach now that they were in a place more foreign that anything they'd seen before.

A knock brought the two Terminians out of their conversation, their eyes gravitating to the door.

"It's open," Tael shouted over the music, Link sitting up and turning the volume knob down considerably. The door across from the bed opened, Meta Knight and Kirby entering.

"Ooooo, poyo!" Kirby remarked, never having seen one of the guest rooms of Castle Dedede before. He had seen the guest rooms of a castle on another planet, however, but that was years ago.

"Greetings Link, greetings Tael," Meta Knight said politely, shutting the door behind him. He sat down in a chair by the coffee table, Kirby sitting on the floor a few feet away. Link just nodded at the knight, scooting to the side of the bed and placing his feet on the floor.

"So…" Link began, his face stern as he locked eyes with Meta Knight. "How much do you know about me?"

Meta Knight was not at all surprised by Link's brazen question. It could be easily surmised that the man clad in green didn't fully trust him yet. But there was that small aspiration in the knight's eye that wanted to earn this man's trust. There was something about him, the way he spoke the other day, that told him he was here for a reason much larger than any of them.

"To begin, it's easy to see that you are not of this world, or perhaps this realm." Meta Knight slanted; his hands propped up on the table. "There's no one else like you that I know of. Your physique, your pointed ears, your method of fighting. It's unlike anyone we've ever come across."

"Poyo!" Kirby's attention had been drawn in, a certain topic on his mind.

"Yes, and the weapon you showed me and my students… We both would like to know where you got it…" Meta Knight added.

"I got it from… from someone else, who had stolen it from a man… But what's it to you, why are you so interested in that thing?" Link hadn't shown a smile in a while, his serious, earnest side on full display.

"Because it belongs to Kirby," Meta Knight stated.

Something clicked inside Link's head. His eyes widened, and he was silent for a moment. He didn't know what to say. So this realm indeed had no relation to his, besides the shared instance of the man he was after. Shatterhand. He must have not only been after the variant, but also been to other realms, this one for example. A chill zipped down his spine as he thought of how many other places Shatterhand had access to.

"It's an artifact we called the 'Ultra Sword'. Kirby found use in it many years ago, a result of a friend of ours being possessed by an entity once known as Dark Matter." Meta Knight considered recounting all the events of the last few years, the darkness Kirby had vanquished perhaps having more influence than they may have thought. He ultimately decided against it, though, wanting to keep things clear for now.

"Wait, wait… 'Dark Matter'?" Link asked, his mind now racing. The second Meta Knight mentioned Dark Matter, a fear that had been long locked away in the recesses of the hero's mind resurfaced.

"Yes, Dark Matter. It was a race of… well, something, that operated as a hive. They were formerly a problem for Kirby, but they've been taken care of. Why do you ask?" Meta Knight was confused; the terrified expression Link wore causing concern.

Link remembered Bellum. Possession. Those witches. It all connected like dots on a map. Somehow, some way, that malevolent fiend that the witches said originated from across the stars, was related to that darkness. The swarm of creatures Link saw when the small piece of Bellum assaulted him with sound. Those things, bearing bloodshot eyes and petal-like protrusions.

"Because you're right," Link responded. "I am from a different realm, and that sword was how I got here."

"The Ultra Sword brought you here?" Meta Knight reeled back, hints of amazement in his voice. Even Kirby was a little surprised, his eyes twinkling as he listened carefully to the man in green.

"Yes, it was given to me by a person who stole it from someone else, someone who, I believe, managed to steal it from Kirby." Link jumped to the first thought on his mind. Had Shatterhand somehow gotten that sword from the little pink fellow before him? Link followed up by asking, "What happened to the sword while it was with Kirby?"

"Poyo! Poyo poyo!" Kirby jumped in the air, telling exactly how it happened. Meta Knight he'd have to translate for the others.

"The very last time Kirby was able to use the sword, he was fighting against the one who had been taken over by the darkness. He says…" Meta Knight trailed off, picking up on what Link was suggesting. He knew he had to explain in further detail. "You see, the man we were trying to stop had this ship, a special ship. It could open portals into different realities. Kirby says that the sword was sucked into a portal that came from the man after he gained power from said ship."

Link stood up and put his hands to his face, astounded. He paced around the room, muttering to himself. There was no possibility of such a cosmic coincidence. Now he was certain that it was fate that brought him here and not another version of Hyrule or Termina.

The radio was still going, even through all this bickering. With the silence, now he and the others could hear the song currently playing. There was the voice of an angel, speaking of dreams, night breezes, and a sycamore tree. A piano and violin were appeasing to the now harsh atmosphere, and the voice came back after a second.

"The music here… It's absolutely lovely, I must say…" Link said, calmed.

"Thank you, we're all fond of it too," Meta Knight said, thinking of the singer. He had met her once. Her name was Doris, if he remembered correctly.

"Listen… I'm here because I need to find someone… And stop him. Stop him from hurting my loved ones, and now, I think hurting other people from realms all over." Link was nearly afraid of disclosing the nature of his journey, but if he was going to track Shatterhand down and put an end to him, he would need a lot of help. "I don't think he's here, but somewhere out there, he's causing chaos and leaving things in ruin."

Kirby and Meta Knight made fleeting looks to each other. This was more than just a stranger; this was a call to action.

"We'll help you, but we need to know… Who is this man?" Meta Knight asked. Link stopped pacing around and faced the window. The sun was behind the castle now, just about to set, orange hues filling the sky. Then, taking the photo out of his pocket and looking at it again, he sighed.

"Alright," Link relented.

Meanwhile, across the overwhelming expanse of reality, there was a battle raging on. Less of a battle, and more of a siege, the fighting quite one-sided. A castle, battered with the marks of chaos, was being laid to waste by a force unseen since the invasion of the Haltmann Works Company.

A distant crash was heard, then another, and another, growing and growing in intensity. Finally, another wall caved in, the sight of Kirby flying through and slamming against a firm marble pillar. Bandana Waddle Dee, hiding fearfully, watched as his friend crumpled to the ground and struggled to get back up. He fought the urge to squeak, the one responsible for all this being dangerously near.

Then, horrifyingly on cue, a figure emerged from the dust and grime of the collapsed wall, stepping over the chunks of brick and stone. It was him, that monstrous human that just suddenly appeared only a few days ago. That man with the deformed hand.

Shatterhand approached and loomed over Kirby as he tried to stand, smirking. Bandana Waddle Dee noticed that he had his right hand concealed, covered by a strange, dark-blue gauntlet. It shimmered in the fiery hues of the room, the flames from the destroyed throne room creeping close.

"I told you, Kirby," Shatterhand snarled, grabbing the Star Warrior with the strange device. The gauntlet glowed with glittering splendor, powered by the terrible essence of Dark Nebula. "I will be the first to make you starve…"

"P-Poyo!" Kirby yelled helplessly. Shatterhand threw the boy into the air and socked him as hard as he could with the gauntlet.

Kirby soared through another wall and collided with a suit of armor on the other side. Shatterhand's sinister laughter haunted his ears and he quickly forced himself up. His eyes darted around, looking for something to inhale to use as a weapon. The rusted sword of the knight's armor called to him, and he quickly swallowed it up, gaining the Sword Ability.

"You really think that'll save you?" Shatterhand boasted, knowing that Kirby, while skilled, couldn't handle what he had in store. After all, the sword he gripped in his left hand had been taken from a far superior foe.

Kirby waited for his opponent to draw near. He remembered what Meta Knight had taught him about his form. One foot back, the other forward, planted so as you don't topple over. Nervousness leaked through his skin as he unknowingly cowered in fear. Then he was just able to spot the silhouette of a demon among the carnage. When he got a glimpse of the sword he held, his heart sank.

"The Sword of the Surviving Guardian… That's what they called it, right?" Shatterhand asked with a mocking tone. Galaxia, seized from the corpse of Meta Knight, gleamed traitorously in the deranged man's claw.

The blades clashed, sparks landing on the singed rug peeking from beneath the rubble. They parted then connected again, the duel echoing out through the corridor. Kirby tried to muster enough strength to be on par with Shatterhand, but after only a dozen seconds of whimpering, he failed, Galaxia coming out victorious. The blade stabbed the pink puffball in the paw, his sword clattering to the floor. Again, another chuckle came from the lunatic's mouth.

Shatterhand smiled wickedly, tearing off the green hat Kirby wore, clenching it in his fist until it burst into flames thanks to the gauntlet. When the smoldering strings fell away, he brought his left arm up, but didn't strike. Not yet.

"This…" Shatterhand hissed. "This is what it feels like… to starve."

Bandana Waddle Dee watched in horror as Shatterhand started to slam his fist down on Kirby, bashing and beating him senseless. It was a painful, prolonged death, the power of Dark Matter overtaking the Dream Matter little by little, strike by strike. Kirby's cries of agony slowly weakened, his voice gradually fading, along with the rest of him. Animalistic grunts came from the attacker as he pummeled the Star Warrior into oblivion, his cape rustling with every jerk of his body and each punch flowing like a gust of arid, desert wind.

Soon enough, there was nothing left. When the rage stopped and Shatterhand stood straight, he was alone, the remains of Kirby fading into the night like when a child wished on a dandelion. A smirk formed under his heavy moustache as he combed his crimson hair back, strands of it hanging in front of his sweaty, tired face.

The sweet breath of victory came from Shatterhand's lips as he thought of his tally. Another world down, his revenge successfully enacted. For a second he thought of where he'd go next.

"Sir! Sir!" A heavy voice came from the hallway. Three identical soldiers ran down and came to a halt, kneeling before Shatterhand. They bowed their heads and put their right arms to their chests, fists curled into a ball.

"At ease," Shatterhand ordered once he was pleased with their display of loyalty.

"Thank you sir," said the rightmost soldier. He and his companions looked at each other, silently arguing about who would speak first to their master. Finally, the center soldier piped up.

"Sir, we've eliminated the rest of Castle Dedede's defenses, as you requested. It seems our work here is done," the man explained dutifully. There was a bit of apprehension in his voice, easily noticed by Shatterhand. He raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "B-But, uh, there was something your computer picked up. Captain wanted you to see. Some kind of reading, sir."

"Show me," Shatterhand moved his left arm back, placing Galaxia onto a clip on his belt and extending his hand out. The guard quickly pulled out a glass tablet and handed it to his master.

As Shatterhand read off the report silently, the guards relaxed. Two of them started conversing with each other, but the center soldier had eyed the new weapon. It was quite different looking from the other swords and cutlery that the master kept. He cleared his throat and pointed to the hilt. "A memento, sir?"

"Hm?" Shatterhand peeled his eyes away from the otherwise boring report and glanced down to where his soldier pointed. His eyes landed on the belt. "Ah, yes, this. I plan to keep it as this world's trophy. I never got to finish off the knight before, so it'll be a lovely memory to hold of this realm."

"Splendid, sir," The guard said.

Shatterhand looked back to the report and continued to read it. It was dull to say the least, the pointless jabbering of casualties making him wish to just drop it. However, when it got to the end, a certain detail piqued his interests. Apparently there were dimensional anomaly readings of the Ultra Sword being used in a distant realm. His Ultra Sword, the one that was taken from his citadel. Taken by the one in green. Shatterhand's expression changed, his unimpressed gaze fermenting into a bitter glare.

The soldiers quickly noticed the change in their master's face and silenced themselves. They could almost feel the anger in him swelling, the glass pane of the tablet cracking under his iron grip. He huffed with rage, until suddenly, an unsteady foot slipped from a rock just across from him.

Bandana Waddle Dee, once listening in on the bizarre conversation that Shatterhand and his troops were having, rushed off in terror. He had thought there'd been ears listening in, but his wrath had quickly filtered out his thoughts.

Shatterhand raised his arm and pointed to where the Waddle Dee had scurried off to, visceral violence seething from his teeth.

"No witnesses," Shatterhand said as his troops started to pursue Bandana Waddle Dee. He fully wrapped his fist around the tablet and threw it to the ground in anger, storming off back to his quarters for a thorough talk with the captain.

The tablet was in shambles, but still somehow functional. The screen had been split apart, cut by a jagged piece of rubble. However, a chunk of glass still held some light, text barely readable. It stated the following: "Variance Energy detected from realm ADZ-2000, leading to ADK-1995. Hints of the usage of artifact A113 (Ultra Sword). Signs show temporal rift and dimensional leaping. Subject of tampering currently unknown. -Nav-Com."

Chapter Text

Hehe, I had to let this one cook for a little while longer, but expect that kind of gap between chapters, I guess. I hope you all read and review!
-Joost

Again, enjoy the song I referenced! It's a personal favorite.

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 6: That's Life

Meta Knight walked through the castle silently, but not admiring the stars visible in the windows he passed. While normally it was a common habit he found himself enjoying, tonight, he couldn't focus. The dim candles flickered as he walked by, the dark shadows of night flooding the corridor.

The knight was hiding something, his thoughts dwelling on that deplorable man Link told him about. It was odd for Meta Knight to fixate on a threat that wasn't even apparent, but the way Link described him was so vivid, so fueled by hatred with a tinge of fear, that it infected his own views. Shatterhand was nothing like he had ever heard of before, a clear image painted for him just by the words.

A killer. A ruthless killer, with a desire to find and ensure Link would be dead where he stood. Despite all of the other questions Meta Knight had, most of which Link couldn't answer, one stood above the rest. Why? Why was Shatterhand doing this? What did he have to gain, and if he had access to a weapon like the Ultra Sword, what else did he have? What if some cosmic fluke allowed for this man to have the keys to the other realms, like Magolor?

Meta Knight walked outside and stood on one of the castle's many balconies, the moon overlooking him. There, the lunar light carved out his shadow as he stared at nothing, the dotted stars twinkling faintly. Standing motionless, the lone swordsman was devising a plan, a plan to aid Link and Kirby as best he could on their impending mission to track down and stop Shatterhand.

Unsheathing his sword, Galaxia, and raising it high into the air, pointed at the night sky, Meta Knight thought of one close friend. One he had lost many, many moons ago. She often still crossed his mind when he was alone. Lady Garlude.

"Allow me to ask for guidance, old friend," Meta Knight asked the vacant air. Despite receiving no response, he sighed before continuing. It was as scarce as hen's teeth for the knight to even permit himself to become vulnerable, yet he did it this once. "Help me… Help me see that this man, this Shatterhand, be brought to justice by the one who journeyed here, and anyone else who may enroll themselves to the task."

The wind picked up just slightly, the trees below the balcony rustling with life. Meta Knight kept his gaze on the night, his grip on Galaxia growing worn. A strong resonance was felt within the sword, a solemn message becoming clear. An idea sparked in the knight's head, and he quickly put his weapon away, kneeling before the unseen presence of his lost friend.

Meta Knight was silent for a while, keeping his head down, listening. She gave him an idea, a splendid one. A part of him wanted to thank her for her assistance, but another wanted to collapse, the essence of grief he always locked away coming to the surface. After a long time, he collected himself and nudged his head forward to speak.

"I miss you," he said.

Finally, Meta Knight pitched his feet upright and left his kneel. He took a deep breath, and then sighed, his eyes spent. They were cursed with dreariness, longing for some sleep. Retiring to his own quarters, he drifted off to a dreamless sleep, as he so often did.

Link, unlike the day before, woke up bright and early, just minutes after dawn. He left Tael to sleep more as he finally reunited with his gear, the Gilded Sword and Mirror Shield looking spotless and pristine. The plucky little Waddle Dees must've gone to the trouble of cleaning them, in which they did an excellent job.

Walking down the halls and signaling the guard manning the drawbridge, Link finally got a whiff of lovely, fresh air after a day cooped up in the castle. Taking a step outside and ignoring the sound of the bridge raising back up to a close, he followed the dirt trail for a little while, appreciating the sights of this strange world. His first day in Dream Land hadn't been the most pleasant, so he deemed it right to take time away from all the madness of his mission.

The town that stood witness to Link and Meta Knight's short confrontation the other day had been parched of fact. Rumors, chatter, and gossip filled the air on who exactly that man was, why he was here, and why he fought the defending trio of knights. One notion in particular went along the lines of Link being some rogue Star Warrior.

Kirby, jolly as can be, was making his rounds at Cappy Town. Visiting friends, checking up on the older folk, the usual. By his side was a very close friend, the fairy named Ribbon. She'd been briefed on the whole situation with Link and was rightly interested in his mission and why Kirby would need to join him.

"Just one muffin, please," Ribbon asked the bakery clerk, contrasting heavily with Kirby's large order of a full dozen.

"Sure thing," The Cappy clerk smiled broadly as he handed Ribbon her muffin and printed out the receipt. He tore it from the register and looked at it before giving it to Kirby. "That'll be twenty-eight Dee Bells, please."

"With pleasure, sir," Ribbon said cheerfully, reaching into her pocket and paying up front.

Then, the front door opened with a ring of a bell. All customers turned to see that man, the one in green, trying to escape the prattling voices of people outside following him. The bell rang again from the entrance, a few folks trying to pursue the one named Link, the man running off into the store to hide.

"Hey Kirby, isn't that-" Ribbon leaned over to her friend and whispered. She took her eyes off the man in the tunic just to see that Kirby was gone. "Kirby? Where'd you go?"

Kirby had run off to assist Link with the persistent pests chasing him. He darted and weaved through the small crowd before puffing up and flying through the air to get a better advantage. He finally spotted Link, protecting himself with his shield as he did his best to ignore the constant questions. The pink hero was almost taken aback by the look on Link's face. Dread and dismay, his eyes squinted and trying not to pay attention to everyone bothering him.

"Poy-poyo!" Kirby diving to the floor and quickly inhaling a frying pan. Link got a quick glimpse of the pink one donning the Cook Ability, his eyes growing wide as he stared with disbelief.

Everyone following Link gasped with shock as Kirby openly threatened them, the pink puffball clanging the pots together as if to signal he was ready to summon the magic cauldron. While they knew he'd never actually do it, just the act of defending the stranger made them all go silent, slowly backing off and gradually exiting the bakery.

"Thanks, Kirby…" Link mumbled, putting his shield away and standing back up. So that was a Copy Ability?

"Poyo!" Kirby said, although Link still couldn't decipher the meaning yet. The power to know would come with time, but not now. The sound of fairy wings caught the Terminian's ears, and he saw Ribbon land just next to the pink fellow.

"Don't just run off like that, Kirby! You know I get worried easily," Ribbon scolded, her hands on her hips. A heavy pang surged through Link's heart, the fairy's tone all too similar to his wife when she was cross. She pointed to the pan, "Come on, get rid of that, you know your manners!"

Kirby complied, squatting down and discharging the Copy Ability, the Ability Star bouncing away and landing on the tiled floor with a clunk. Ribbon extended her hand to reach for Kirby's, but she just finally noticed the man her friend was defending. The one in green.

"Oh goodness! You must be Link! I've heard a lot about you!" Ribbon flew up to Link and smiled warmly, a strong sense of goodwill exerting from her presence. She put her hand out for the hero to shake, his own grip hesitant, but it quickly became the opposite. He felt at ease with Ribbon and Kirby, a welcome change.

"Thank you, miss," Link said after finishing his handshake with the fairy. A brief veil of awkward silence descended on the three before Kirby trotted back to the front counter, hungry for his muffins.

"Would you like to join Kirby and I while we mosey around town? We'll make sure no one else bothers you, Link," Ribbon's offer was enticing, too much for the weary traveler. He swiftly nodded, eager to molt out of the uncomfortable skin of confusion he found himself trapped in. He joined the pair as they collected their food and departed, trying to keep his head down to avoid any attention, but to no avail.

Muffled chatter and distant questions filled the air as Kirby, Ribbon, and Link walked through Cappy Town. It instilled a jittery atmosphere for the foreigner, trying not to let his hearing be used against him. The predicament reminded him of when he was much younger, much more self-conscious of his status as a hero. He used to hear people whispering as he held Anju's hand while accompanying her on errands. Over time, he learned to drown it out, his surrogate family assured him that there was no shame in being different. He couldn't find it in himself to try this time, however.

Ribbon already took note of Link's closed-off demeanor. She nudged Kirby with her shoulder and gestured worriedly to the man behind them. The pair started to make faces, speaking wordlessly to each other on what to do, all while Link paid them no mind.

"Hey Link, would you like to take a visit to Kirby's house?" Ribbon asked after finishing her unheard talk with Kirby. Link just tilted his head in confusion. She elaborated, "Well, it's a lot better than town… at-at least we think so. And it'd be nice to let you get to know Kirby better, right?"

"Poyo!" Kirby added, hopping up and twirling, still holding his box of muffins dearly.

"Uhm… Yeah, sure, why not," Link said, thinking any place would be better than public. Such anxiety hadn't plagued him in what felt like eons, so he was willing to take any opportunity to bail.

Link had to bend down to get through the doorway. Kirby's house was about as big as he expected judging by Kirby's short stature, but it was just roomy enough for him to be comfortable when sitting down on the floor.

The house was quaint and simple, but still convivial and well-kept. There was a low table just by the fireplace, with two pillows acting as seats, all surrounded by a star-shaped carpet. The walls lacked wallpaper, the plaster material easy to distinguish, although there were some photos hanging on the wall. Some showed Kirby and some Waddle Dees, a lion, and some strange, blue creature with large ears. Ribbon and Kirby made themselves at home, the two sitting at the table, ready to enjoy their food.

Kirby scrambled to open his box, and once every pastry was in his line of sight, be opened his mouth and inhaled them all in one prompt gulp. Wind flowed through the room, picking up Link and Ribbon's hair as the muffins were swept into the pink puffball's gullet. After licking his lips and humming to himself, he blinked as he saw Ribbon's disapproving glare, her eyes glancing towards their guest as Kirby blushed.

So much, Link reflected wryly, for the idea of sharing a muffin or two. He chuckled to himself and sighed, his nerves relaxing and the blaring klaxons inside his head slowly faded away. The tension of town had finally vanished, Link leaning back against the bed behind him. Although now he'd gotten just a glimpse of what Kirby could do, it was easy to tell he was thinking of questions.

"Mmmmm, poyo…" Kirby said breathily, rolling back on the pillow and smiling like a child. Satisfied with his copious meal, he wiggled his feet and uttered the odd word 'poyo' again and again.

Link kept quiet as he observed Kirby and Ribbon eat, his naturally curious mind jotting down every little detail. There was no semblance of authority when it came to Kirby and how he acted, both his attitude and mannerisms like that of a youth. To Link, it was a somewhat comforting contrast to Meta Knight, who seemed to be the master of the art of operation, speaking as if he was always tactfully preoccupied. Ribbon, on the other hand, reminded Link of both Anju and Romani, and it made his heart ache for home.

"So Link," Ribbon began, beating Link to the punch. "I think it'd be good to properly introduce myself. My name is Ribbon, I'm Kirby's…" The fairy started blushing, a slight stammer forming on her lips. "I'm Kirby's… well, you know." Link felt some warmth from the fairy's embarrassment, almost humorous in a way. "What exactly brings you to Dream Land, if I may ask?"

Before Link could answer, Kirby drowsily uttered a few of his trademark 'poyos', catching Ribbon up on everything. Link made no comment as he watched for the fairy's reaction intently.

"Oh, I-I see…" Ribbon's voice wavered a bit, as Link guessed it would. Even though Kirby apparently spoke with high detail, it'd be a lot to process for the uninformed. Silence befell her as she struggled to continue talking. "Could I ask why exactly you need to-"

"I'd rather not talk about it right now," Link interrupted, sitting up straight. Ribbon was about to protest, but the man in green quickly explained himself. "I know you have a lot of questions, and I don't blame you. Not at all, but…" he huffed, "I'm… a long way from home, and it's hard to keep my own head in the game when there's so much at stake. It's been a confusing couple of days for me and… and I have my own people waiting for me."

It felt selfishly rude to just brush off Ribbon's worries. Link wasn't that kind of man, not in the slightest, but he couldn't bare to continuously put this burden to words so often. It strained him just to acknowledge the looming responsibility, but such was his duty.

"It's a difficult thing to grasp, I know, and I'm sorry," Link looked up from the floor and noticed Ribbon closing herself off. "I-I'm not trying to make you feel invalidated, but this… this man that I'm after… It's exhausting just to dwell on him, along with all the other things on my mind."

"Poyo…" Kirby sat up and scooted off his pillow and towards Link. "Poy… Poy-poyo poyo! Poyo!"

Link looked to Ribbon, confused.

"He said that he knows the feeling well," Ribbon translated. "That it's alright to be," she paused, her eyes taking a gander at Kirby with some surprise before continuing, "That it's alright to be afraid of the unknown."

Link's eyes widened and he instinctively moved closer to Kirby and Ribbon, his ears perked up and thoughts intrigued.

"And-And I wanna say that it's okay too!" Ribbon flew up off her pillow and into the air, hovering in between Link and Kirby. "I'm sorry I was a little upset a moment ago, I just was reminded…" Ribbon hesitated. Kirby looked at her and gave a nod of approval, aware of what she wanted to delve into. "I was reminded of something that plagued us here a long time ago. It was, funnily enough, how Kirby and I met. It was awful, but even when we were tired, we kept going. Kirby for one was sad because he thought he'd never be free of the madness that followed him."

Link absorbed what Ribbon had said faithfully, hand to his chin. For a second he felt his unshaven face, some stubble along his chin, noting that he'd need to wash up whenever he returned to the castle. Then, a little smile grew along his face, with a friendly glimmer in his eyes. He had greatly underestimated Kirby. At first, he simply thought the pink puffball was no different from a child, speaking incoherently, eating impolitely, and bringing a sense of something Link reluctantly deemed as 'boyish charm' that made him opposed to working together. Now, his view of Kirby had changed drastically.

"It's a special kind of hell, isn't it?" Link scoffed. Kirby and Ribbon just glared at him, as if they didn't know what he said. "Th-The madness, I mean. That feeling of being stalked by your own past, always haunted by it and the things we've done, you know?"

"Ooo, poyo," Kirby replied remorsefully. Ribbon didn't need to translate, just nodding her head with agreement towards Link's sentiment. The three just sat in silence for a bit, mulling over what to say next.

Link's initial judgement of Kirby was premature, and he mentally berated himself for making inferences without information. Kirby did outwardly appear young and absentminded, but behind that cape of imperfection lied a skillful, competent, yet unfortunately scarred boy who had almost seen it all. His own story mirrored Link's in a way, as if reflected in a fun-house mirror. Warped, but still an image of the same, tortured soul.

"Who…" Ribbon often tried not to be nosy, but Link's statement of people waiting for him had engraved itself into her mind. "Who, if you're comfortable telling us, is waiting for you back home?"

A red tint invaded Link's cheeks and he shuffled his head, his bangs drooping down in front of his eyes, masking them. He deliberately didn't respond, his hair hiding the growing moisture from his pupils. Taking a deep breath, Link put his hand into his tunic's left pocket and fished out the photo he had on him.

"My family," Link admitted weakly, "Namely my wife." Link held the picture of Romani out just far enough so the others could see it. Kirby eyed the woman curiously, while Ribbon's heart sank. She didn't even notice the ring around the fourth finger of his left hand. "We're expecting a baby."

"Oh wow, congratulations then," said Ribbon considerately.

"Poyo!"

"Thank you," Link beamed, his soft lips creasing into a crescent shape. A genuine delight, one that almost drove away his somber mood.

"Poy poyo?" Kirby asked, paws on his cheeks. Link just turned to Ribbon.

"He asked if she's reason you're doing all this. If it's all for her," Ribbon construed, facing Link. The Hero of Termina was faintly offended but didn't hold it against Kirby. He guessed it wouldn't be difficult to assume such since his wife was expecting. Before all this started, that was his top priority, to ensure that he, Romani, and their soon-to-be-born child would be supported.

"Yes, but also no," Link answered, Kirby and Ribbon staring at him with glass eyes. "I'm not doing this just for her, don't worry. It's for everybody. My family, my friends, and the people being affected by this man. He might be out there somewhere right now, either invading, deceiving, or worse."

"And there isn't anyone in his way, right?" Ribbon murmured.

"Mhm, but there isn't any way we can change that tune," Link lowered his head and putting the picture of Romani back into his pocket. "It's just how it is."

"Poyo…" Kirby said, a small drip of regret rolling off his tongue.

"Kirby, you know I'm not going to keep you from joining him. Even if it's dangerous, I…" The fairy's words halted for a moment, pressure building inside her throat. "I support this," she grabbed his paw and squeezed it gently, "No matter what."

A thankful smile plastered itself along Kirby's face as Link admired the short, tender scene. Again, he was reminded of his own lover, but it didn't make him saddened this time. He could tell this pink fellow had truly earned happiness, along with his respect.

"We won't be leaving just yet," Link said.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked, puzzled.

"Why not, Link?" Ribbon added.

"Because I need to see what else you can do, Kirby. A frying pan is one thing, but if what Meta Knight says about you in true, I think an extra day here wouldn't be a bad call," Link explained, still inquisitively baffled by the extent of Kirby's abilities. But there was also a little part of him that didn't want to tear Kirby away from Ribbon.

Kirby straight away jumped up for joy. He was both eager to stay a little longer and show Link what he could do. His act brought another smile to Link's face, the enthusiasm contagious.

A knock resonated by the door. Kirby dashed to answer it, a cool breeze from outside rushing in as sunlight poured through the entrance. Link popped his head up to get a look, but all he saw was a vibrant blue cloth. The visitor was eventually let inside, revealing themselves to be a Waddle Dee, donned with a blue bandana and brandishing a broad spear.

"Ah! I forgot to tell you, Link, but we were expecting one of our old friends to visit!" Ribbon rushed to explain, thinking Link wouldn't take too kindly to the weapon Bandana Waddle Dee held.

"No, no, it's fine. I think now is a good time to take my leave," Link stood up and straightened his tunic, his gear rattling against his back. He glanced at Kirby, Ribbon. "It was a pleasure getting to know you two, especially you, Kirby. I look forward to tomorrow."

With that, Link left without another word, bending down to leave the house and starting the walk back to the castle. Ribbon and Kirby waved him farewell, leaving Bandana Waddle Dee slightly confused. He still was in the dark about the newcomer, something that'd would be explained to him soon enough.

Link's short walk through and beyond Cappy Town was far less stressful the second time around. The sweet scent of afternoon air let him dissociate from the dreary and unstimulating journey, at least until he started down the long path to Castle Dedede.

"Liiiiink! Hey! Link!" A voice came. Link stopped in his tracks and looked around. It sounded like Tael. Then, in the distance, he saw a purple speck of light racing down the road and towards him.

"Tael! Hey, what's wrong?" Link bolted down the road and met up with his companion.

"It's…" Tael huffed; his wings fatigued. Link held his palm up and let Tael catch his breath. "It's Meta Knight! He came to me a few hours ago telling me that he had found something. He-He showed me and ordered me to find you! I've been looking around the castle for ages!"

"I thought I left a note in the room telling you that I was going to be in town today," Link said, his memory of the morning a little foggy.

"Nuh uh! I tore apart the room trying to see if you left anything. Nothing!" Tael retorted.

"What do you mean, 'nuh uh'? I left it right by the win-" Link froze. He did, in fact, leave a note. Right by the window of the bedroom. The open window of the bedroom. He facepalmed, cursing himself for not being more attentive. After he recollected himself, he steered the conversation back to its point. "But what happened with Meta Knight? What did he find?"

"It'd be best to just show you, come on!" Tael, his wings back and better than ever, took to the air and pointed to the castle. Link broke into a run and sped down the road as fast as he could. When he and Tael made it, the guards had already lowered the drawbridge in anticipation of their arrival. They could already see Meta Knight waiting for them.

"There you are, Link. Come, it's urgent," Meta Knight spoke calmly, his placid way of talking nigh invincible. However, he did walk down the halls faster than usual.

"So what's going on, exactly?" Link asked.

"Last night, I spoke to my muse, asking for assistance to find out more about this 'Shatterhand' of yours. There, she recommended the services of an old ally, one that has much more knowledge in this field that anyone else I know," Meta Knight expounded. "Our ally as agreed to also become yours. He even dug out a friend to shed more light."

"And just who is this ally?" Link asked. His own question was answered with ludicrous speed, Meta Knight pushing open the doors to a terrace, revealing a massive, gleaming red dragon perched on the adjacent stone. Their four heads, eight eyes in total, all landed on Link as reeled back in fright.

"A dragon?!" Link yelled as he drew his sword and shield. The creature just seemed unamused at the man's puny display of courage, huffing, steam rushing from his nostrils.

"Alright, Link, I know it's startling, but this dragon is a friend!" Tael flew up in front of Link's face and explained before he could do anything brash.

"Yes. My friend, this is Landia, benevolent guardian of Another Dimension," Meta Knight introduced Link to Landia, who still appeared disinterested in everything. "Landia, this is Link, the hero from another world." The dragon just turned away from the knight, unimpressed.

"And I'm Magolor!" Another voice cheered from out of nowhere. "Aw, drat, hang on! The ship messed up my entrance." Finally, the speaker made himself clear, rising from the air, standing atop something that was strangely out of view. Meta Knight just glared at the mage, annoyed.

"Alright, please explain…" Link asked Meta Knight, concealing his weapons and standing back upright.

"Forgive me for not preparing you for this, this one," Meta Knight gestured to Magolor, "Insisted we surprise you, or else he wouldn't help." Link examined the one the knight alluded to. The Terminian already got a concise read on this Magolor's character just by that description, folding his arms together and scowling.

"Hehe, sorry, I like to mess around sometimes!" Magolor stepped off whatever he was standing on and walked onto the terrace, only to be met with an eyeroll from everyone, even Landia. He clasped his hands together and looked back to where he once stood. Then, the mast of something gargantuan came into view.

"Is that… a ship?" Link asked, shielding his eyes from the sun just behind the object coming into view. He recognized the large, square drape that served as the sail, the rest of the vessel slowly making itself apparent.

"Correct! That's the Lor Starcutter, my own personal cruise," Magolor said proudly. Landia quickly clobbered him upside the head with his wing, huffing angerly. "Er- I mean, the l-legendary construct crafted by an ancient civilization. It specializes in inter-dimensional travel, something that I heard is important in regard to you."

Link could already tell this Magolor was a trickster. A bastion of mischief, judging by his eccentric speech, noticeable ego, and Landa pushing for him to correct himself. Trust wasn't something Link was going to immediately give this man, that much became clear.

"Remember the man I told you about yesterday, Link? And his ship?" Link nodded. "Well, this is that ship, and the man," Meta Knight finished, some hostility in his voice. He didn't fully trust Magolor, even after all they'd been through.

"I see. And this is important… why?" Link pointed to everything before him confusingly.

"Because the Lor Starcutter managed to find something out about the man you're after, Link. Something I personally think is going to be critical," Meta Knight started towards the ship, effortlessly hopping from the parapet to the deck, waiting for Link to join him.

"So what'd it find?" Link asked as he copied Meta Knight's movement and set foot on the ship. He found it easier to keep his questions on how the ship was flying to himself, concluding that he had better things to worry about.

"Magolor!" Meta Knight turned to the wizard. "Fetch the map I sketched up; it should be in the main deck by the controls."

"Got it," Magolor said, running off into the vast ship and disappearing behind a door. Landia swooped up and walked up next to the mast and curled his tail around it, laying down and starting to snore. Link was still bewildered at the sight of a dragon but knowing what else he'd seen so far in Dream Land, he just accepted it.

Eventually, Magolor returned, a roll of paper in his hand. He handed it to Meta Knight wordlessly and watched as the swordsman walked over to a nearby table and folded the paper out, allowing them all to see what had been drawn across it. It was an outline of the Lor, with half a dozen boxes drawn in front of it, all numbered respectively. One had a star scribbled inside it, and the furthest one had an 'S' inside it. The knight pointed to the diagram.

"This is a crude depiction of our realms. The one here with the star is us, you see?" Meta Knight spoke slowly, making sure Link and Tael understood. He continued, "The one with the 'S' is where the Lor picked up a signal, where we can assume Shatterhand is."

"Wait, really? You-You think he's there?" Link leaned in to inspect the scroll, skeptical but amazed.

"Yes, because one week ago, the Lor picked up an energy signal very similar to it's own from that realm, meaning that something visited there," Meta Knight addressed the 'S'. "And then two days ago, it picked up another signal, this time from our world. Your arrival here."

"So this ship sensed that something was going from world to world, and you think that it's Shatterhand?" Link put his hands on the table to get an even better view of the drawings.

"Think of it like a hall of doors, the energy as sound. The Lor heard a door down the hall open and close, then heard the nearest door do the same. But it wasn't the one going through."

"Ooooohhh…" Link understood the meaning know, his eyes widening. "Well, we should check there, if we can. I- uh…" A small stammer jinxed his lips. "I-I promised Kirby that we wouldn't leave Dream Land just yet."

"That's alright, Landia was already planning to scout out there and see what he could find," Meta Knight turned to Landia, who snorted awake and peered up in response.

"Good, I need to make sure we're ready, and I wanted to see what else Kirby could do," Link took the scroll into his hands, still eyeing the diagram. Tael could see the pride on his face, the first hint of excitement ever since he started this journey. "But if this is him, if this is where he's hiding, then… We got him."

Just a few doors down.

Chapter Text

Merry Christmas, everyone! I almost didn't get this chapter done today, but I'm glad I did. Enjoy, and happy holidays!
-Joost

Yeah, this one came out in Christmas originally.

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 7: Creeping Down The Hall

"What the hell do you mean, 'someone's on to me'?!" Shatterhand roared, grabbing the captain with his gauntlet and holding him by the neck precariously. The soldier, stricken with fear, didn't dare try to fight, even when his master tightened his grip around his windpipe.

"There-" The captain choked, gasping for air. "There's l-little doubt to the notion, s-sir." His voice was raspy and unpleasant to listen to. Shatterhand softened his grip just slightly, allowing him to breathe just a bit better. "We detected several signals leading to Dimension ADK-1995, o-one of them being your stolen sword. We- We can only assume that there are enemy forces gathering."

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Shatterhand tightened his grip again and launched the captain into the wall with all his might. He slammed against the iron-metal and crinkled like paper, landing on the floor in a heap, coughing his lungs out. The raging bull just seethed as he stared out into the night sky.

None of the nearby guards even considered taking the risk of helping the captain to his feet. Their leader was a ruthless, unremitting, unfeeling thing, bearing a notion that if a man couldn't get back up after a beating, he's not worthy of being helped up. Wheezing and stretching his arms out to catch some air, the captain slowly stood, his entire body trembling. Shatterhand smirked at the sight of the captain's reflection in the window, pleased with himself. He waited for the man to relax before tilting his head so he could see captain out of the corner of his eye.

The way Shatterhand enforced discipline on his subordinates was abstruse to say the least. None of them knew exactly what was going on inside that unapologetic mind of his. All they could discern was that he expected complete cooperation and little failure when carrying out his orders. In fact, he was an invariably captious critic of his own design, making sure to account for each and every possible outcome of the next crusade. But it was easy to tell that this information of an outsider, somehow traveling dimensions, was not something he had expected.

"So," Shatterhand began, hiding his aggravation with fabricated composure. "Where exactly did this disturbance originate from, hm? I recall the report stating it was in a realm designated 'ADZ-2000', but where?"

"It's… It's a Hylian adjacent realm, sir. Just a parallel world known as Termina," said the captain, thinking it was of little importance. Adjacent realms were never usually on their radar, but to have a traveler coming from such a place was cause for concern.

"Hm…" Shatterhand's eyes narrowed as he turned his head back to face the window, the vast, empty expanse of space looking back at him. "Link. Yes… Link. Of course, the one that stole my Ultra Sword. I see," he hissed, a sickly glint in his eye. A great, wide smirk grew along his lips, stretching from ear to ear. "That's how we couldn't find him. The fool fled to an adjacent realm. Heh, clever, I must admit. I'll need to congratulate him for such a play when our paths cross again."

"You-" The captain stuttered, "You plan on crossing paths with the variant, sir? Are you suggesting we investigate that world?"

Shatterhand opened his mouth, prepared to bark an order, but he stopped before any sound came. An idea had just materialized inside his head. A terrible, wicked, awful, yet splendid idea. His lips curled back into that foul smile again, and all his rage from before withered away, replaced with sincere delight.

"No, we won't. In fact, there's going to be a change of plans!" Shatterhand spun around and pointed to the ceiling dramatically, beaming at his own brilliance. "We shall leave the interlopers be for now, but instead we'll adjust our crosshairs. We've been going down a chain, on a rhythm, pursuing these worlds. Now, we'll jump ahead a dozen or so and leave our opponents in the dust, but also ensure that they can find their way here. I have no doubt that they have technology similar to ours and will use it to investigate."

"Brilliant plan, sir!" A guard shouted.

Shatterhand turned to the guard in an instant, raised his gauntlet, and fired a blob of black energy at the guard. It struck him right in the chest and he was sent flying into the wall, his comrades fighting every nerve in their bodies not to check on him. He landed on the floor in a crisp, groaning in agony. He wasn't dead, but there was a penalty for interruption.

"They will investigate," Shatterhand continued as if nothing happened.

"Investigate under the idea that it's a trap. Link, along with whoever else may be accompanying him, will journey here. To this very place." However, all the eccentricity in his voice faded, morphing into gravel. "Because I want them to see. See what I am capable of. See that they have no idea what we can do. And if they move onto another universe, then we shall hunt them down like the dogs they are."

Shatterhand was a man behind many schemes, but this machination was one he was truly proud of. He always aimed to outwit his enemies before they had a chance to figure out who he was and why he was doing this, but for once, he wanted to leave a bit of mystery behind. Until now, there had never been the threat of someone following him through dimensions. He wanted to relish this, let this one get close to him, all to make the end that much sweeter.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir," The captain spoke up, "How will we make sure that they come across this place? Won't they just seek out wherever we went and follow us?"

"We leave breadcrumbs, my friend," Shatterhand explained, chuckling to himself. "Have the Nav-Com outfit one of the escape pods with a tunneling device. When we leave to a distant realm, we'll send it back to this one. I have reason to believe that they can't detect too far out into the realms."

"Why's that, sir?"

"Because if they can detect us at all, it'd be through a Lor," Shatterhand ginned, glad he had his men scour the first ever Starcutter they came across. "Those ancients, while cunning, didn't anticipate so many realms beyond the two they knew of. Those ships can only sense so much, at least according to our readings."

"Ah, so we jump ahead a dozen or so, they'll have no way of knowing, correct?" The captain was catching on to his master's plan. He walked up and stood beside Shatterhand, gazing out into space alongside him.

"Yes indeed," Shatterhand sneered.

"Alright men, you heard him! Boot up the Nav-Com and get it ready!" The captain turned and hollered towards his men, rallying them up and exiting the bridge, making for the escape hall. The last two guards left while dragging the unconscious body of their singed companion in order to get him to medical. Now, Shatterhand stood alone, staring out into the deep abyss of the cosmos.

The manic tyrant remained quiet for a while, thinking. He lifted up his right arm and removed the Dark Matter gauntlet, letting his deformed hand breathe at last. The palm was curved inward, his index, middle, and ring finger fused together and bent to the left so far that it'd normally break a person's bones. Only the thumb and the pinky were free, although the pinky was missing its tip, leaving only two joints left. It always disgusted him to look upon his disfigurement.

Shatterhand sighed and used the only good part of his right hand, the thumb, to rub his crooked palm. It always used to hurt, but one day the pain just vanished. He often wondered if it was the day his resolve finally returned. He would always remember that day, every time he spun his yo-yo that he so cherished.

Link, for once, was a little excited for the day ahead of him. As he walked down the hall and to the castle courtyard, he wondered what kind of surprises Kirby had in store for him. It was barely ten, yet the hero felt astounded by how much of the day had already gone by. He yearned to make the most of his time, the impending display from the Star Warrior, who he was now comfortable calling his friend, simply invigorating.

The sun flickered through the leaves of the trees lining the outdoor pathway bleeding out into the courtyard. The area was surrounded by walls but didn't feel claustrophobic, in fact, just the opposite. It was a little pleasing to have a wide place closed off from the rest of the land. Like it was it's own little world. Coming out of the shade and standing proudly in the center of the courtyard, Link admired the scenery as he waited for Tael to join him.

"Heya, Link!" Tael's voice came ringing in the distance, the fairy pepped up and ready to be wowed. Link returned the wave and smiled as his purple companion hovered by his hat.

"Where's Kirby? Isn't he supposed to be here by now?" Tael asked.

"He's still on his way, I'm sure of it," Link replied.

"Alright," Tael murmured. Link smirked once he got a look at his friend's face. He could still recognize that child-like wonder. Once Tael noticed Link's stare, his smile only grew. "Gosh, I'm honestly really interested to see what he's got."

"I know, me too," Link chuckled, looking at the cloudy sky. The sun was gradually being obscured by the white fluffiness dotting the upper blue. Then, as if almost on cue, the sound of a warp star sounded through the door, Kirby flying through the halls.

"Oh no, he's not…" Link muttered, hoping Kirby wouldn't be so bold.

"I think he is," Tael snorted.

Kirby, riding atop his trusty star, careened through the halls of Castle Dedede, completely ignoring the front gate. It seemed he too was eager for today, as the greatest smile had been bestowed along his rosy, pink cheeks. He appeared to Link and Tael like a comet before his air ride slowed down to a halt just a little way away. He hopped off the warp star and it departed into the sky, flying off back home for now.

"Like to make an entrance, don't you?" Link smiled as Kirby approached, both their faces equally cheerful.

"Poyo!"

Link still couldn't understand the pink puffball, but he didn't mind. He had a feeling he knew what Kirby said anyways. With crossed arms and a warmth rivaling the sun, he gestured out into the blank grass for Kirby to demonstrate the extent of his abilities.

Kirby looked around for something to suck up. Just by the door he flew in through was a suit of armor proudly standing at the entrance. Kirby rushed over to the armor and a whirlwind came from his mouth, inhaling the weapon attached to the statue. A gleaming sword glided into Kirby's mouth, swallowing it whole, before jumping up into the air.

A fierce flash of light engulfed Kirby, forcing Link and Tael to shield their eyes for a moment. When their vision returned, Kirby landed on the ground, wielding a spotless sword and donning a cap not dissimilar to Link's own. The Star Warrior posed with his weapon, smiling wide for his friends.

"Woah…" Link noted the familiar hat, "Did you… How did you do that, Kirby? The hat, I mean."

"Merely a coincidence, my friend," Meta Knight declared calmly, appearing just behind Link, startling the Terminian. It was still unknown how the knight just turned up, even the stealthiest of ninjas having no such accomplishments. "He's always had that hat ever since he first obtained the Sword Ability."

"Huh," Link looked back at Kirby, his smile never wavering. "Well, I still find it neat."

Kirby beamed with pride and swung his sword gracefully through the air, showing some of his techniques. Link, analyzing Kirby's stances and movements, deduced that the pink puffball had been trained by Meta Knight. They shared similar defensive poses and began their flurry attacks with the exact same horizontal swipe to the side. It was admirable to see the influence the master had on the student, a wave of familiarity washing over the pair.

"Alright, the sword is great, but what else have you got, Kirby?" Tael flew down in front of the Star Warrior, hand on his chin. Kirby pondered what he could do next, and his eyes gravitated towards a torch crackling against the wall lining the entrance.

A star dispersed from Kirby's body, and then the whirlwind returned! The torch wriggled about in its holder before coming loose, flying into Kirby's mouth and entering the bottomless pit that was his stomach. He squatted down and jumped up into the air again, another blinding flash of light concealing his transformation.

A blazing heat started to emanate from Kirby's direction, nearly catching the grass on fire when he landed. Flames crowned the hero's head as he let the others look upon him. He spewed fire from his mouth without problem, perplexing Link and Tael further. They wondered just how many things Kirby could draw power from, and the possibility of his gift being truly limitless.

Kirby played around with his Fire Ability for a little while, covering himself in flames, flying like a cannonball, or just bouncing along the ground like an ember from a fireplace. Meta Knight took time to explain which abilities were which as his pupil inhaled and transformed numerous times. Kirby could copy stones, bombs, and even grass, all of which brought awe unto Link and Tael.

Noon came and went, and with a small lunch break, the group remained outside, basking in the sweet sunlight. Link tore into a sandwich, savoring every bite as Waddle Dees pattered around him, gathering up the dishes they had served them. As the Dees departed, a gentle breeze kicked up, it's strength however weak.

"So, what should Kirby inhale next?" Tael asked as he stuffed his mouth with a bite from an apple slice.

Before Kirby could set his eyes on a weapon or element, a long shadow loomed over the castle. Looking up, the group witnessed the Lor gradually descend down and land in the courtyard, its oars coming to a halt and steam whooshing from the vents along the hull. A door materialized on the stern and Magolor emerged, his expression bringing about a veil of worry on the others.

"Hey, Meta Knight! You need to see this!" Magolor waved a paper in his hands, shouting as loud as he could to beat the ambient, yet overpowering, sounds of the Lor.

"What is it?" Meta Knight unfurled his cape from his chest and paced over to Magolor, taking the paper from the magician's hands and scanning it. Link, Tael, and Kirby finished up their food and joined them.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked.

"Hm…" Meta Knight grunted as he looked the sheet over. The report from the Lor detailed along the paper was concerning at most. He read it again just to make sure he understood, then narrowed his eyes, thinking.

"Meta Knight, what's going on? What did the Lor find?" Link needed to know; his own inquisitiveness too strong to resist.

"It seems your man, Shatterhand," Meta Knight began, "May be aware of our presence." The others, except for Magolor, tensed up. "The world that we detected that signal coming from, the Lor just picked up another one. The energy emitted is exact same as the one before it, and the same pattern, too."

"Does that mean he's fled that realm?" Link asked.

"No, because a few minutes later, it happened again. Someone left, then reentered," Meta Knight explained, lowering his hands and gazing off into the distance, still in thought. "I doubt it was a fluke, as I don't see the idea of another being entering right after Shatterhand left to be possible."

"Do you…" Link contemplated every little idea that came to mind. "Do you think it's a trap?"

"I think it's obviously a trap, yes, and the bait is the signal itself," Meta Knight surmised, handing Link the paper for him to read. "I fear that Shatterhand may have allies unknown to us, and that signal is him leaving to retrieve them. He is mostly likely rallying his own subordinates to ensnare us should we travel there to investigate."

"Poy poyo?" Kirby wondered.

"I don't see why he'd fabricate this, Kirby," reasoned Meta Knight. "If Shatterhand's the kind of conqueror Link described him as, he's probably threatened by our presence and knows we'll travel to that realm to stop him. Gathering troops is something King Dedede would do if he was in a situation as such, right?" Kirby nodded in agreement. Even if Dedede was just the self-proclaimed king of Dream Land, he truly cared for the land and the people in it, as any king rightly would.

"So what do you suppose we do?" Link handed Magolor the paper and paced around, his footprints meshing with each other as he strolled along them.

"We should accommodate for Shatterhand's rally and travel to that realm with every soldier we can. This signal is meant to scare us, intimidate us, and drive away Link's crusade," Meta Knight proclaimed, his voice proud. "While the Waddle Dees are not the strongest warriors, they have strength in numbers. Them, along with the combined strength of Link, Kirby, my students, and my own, may be enough to finish Shatterhand where he stands."

Link and Tael mused on Meta Knight's ruling. It was a fine plan of action. They'd seen so many Waddle Dees roaming the castle halls that there must be thousands. Regardless of their puny physical prowess, the sheer amount of them could overthrow any army. Them, along with Link, Kirby, Meta Knight, Sword Knight, and Blade Knight, and perhaps even Landia, victory might be feasible.

"Alright," Link spoke up, "Let's do it."

The Lor escaped Pop Star's atmosphere with ease, flying out into space nimbly. The ship shuddered as its starlight engines powered up, the legion of Waddle Dees in the hangar all huddled up in formation. As Magolor stood at the helm, flicking switches and pressing buttons, getting the ship ready to jump across the realms, things were mostly silent.

Link, standing by a viewport, gazed out into the cosmos. Never did he think he'd ever see anything so vast. Outer space was never a concern or even a thought to him, the technology of his world simply too limited to grasp the reigns of such travel. As he stared off into the starry sky, he searched around in his pocket for a moment and pulled out one of the only things keeping him on track. The photo of Romani.

As beautiful as the scene outside the window was, Link still saw his wife as the most gorgeous thing he'd even laid eyes upon. The image of her, immortalized on paper, reminded him of what he was doing this for. Not just to avenge his fallen variant and all the life lost, but to ensure that Shatterhand wouldn't threaten any more life.

"Almost over…" Link muttered to himself as he stared at the picture. While he had a feeling it wasn't going to be so easy as just finding Shatterhand and finishing him, he had to survive the incoming ordeal. He had a promise to fulfill, after all.

"I wonder what Tatl and Navi are up to…" Tael mumbled out loud, bringing Link out of his trance. He stuffed the photo back into his pocket and relaxed.

"They're probably having fun together now that they're completely alone," Link smirked, Tael being taken aback by the out of character comment. The hero got a laugh out of his friend's reaction. "Sorry, it's just you're never the one to be so glum, so I thought I'd joke around."

"Not funny," Tael lied, doing his best to hide his smile. The fairy's forgery was as clear as daylight, Link's only response being to chuckle.

"Alright everybody, hang on tight, we're about to make the jump." A voice, Magolor's voice, resonated throughout the ship. It put Link and Tael on alert, the two completely unaware of the loudspeaker.

Suddenly, the Lor rocked and shifted ferociously, Link nearly losing his balance. Outside, the Starcutter fired a beam that allowed a massive, star-shaped portal to open up before it. The oars, somehow providing power to the cruiser, launched the ship into the portal, the scenery of space being overtaken by a shimmering light blue. Every window glowed brilliantly as the border world of blue matter flowed by, mesmerizing Link as he glanced out into the great beyond.

"To think… we were missing out on this for so long, huh?" Link told Tael, admiring the new sights.

"Yeah, it's really something…"

"Poyo!" A voice came from down the corridor, catching the boys' attention. Kirby waved to Link and Tael when they noticed him, running off, hoping they'd follow.

Kirby screeched to a halt once he reached the main deck, Magolor manning the ship, Meta Knight and his pupils sitting down, and Landia curled up in the corner, catching some sleep. The two Terminians caught up with the pink hero and took a seat at a nearby table, right next to Meta Knight. Magolor, turning his head to make sure everyone was accounted for, decided to treat the newcomers to a special view. He pressed a button on the dashboard of the control panel, and then the sides of the room gave way to a thick, glass barrier. Double windows on each side, allowing Link and Tael to gaze out into the multicolored haze.

"Enjoy, fellas," Magolor said, smiling as he continued to pilot the ship. Link had to hand it to the mage, he did know how to please his guests. A bit of that hostility and mistrust he held for Magolor dissipated.

"Hey, Meta Knight, I thought traveling realms was kind of… you know," Tael snapped his fingers, "So why's this taking so long?" The fairy had noticed just how much longer this journey was compared to how it was when he and Link left Termina.

"It all has to do with the size. Two beings are easy to transport across dimensions, but a vessel like this," Meta Knight pointed to everything around him, "It all has to be carefully plucked from its world to the next, just so nothing gets left behind."

"Ah, I gotcha," Tael replied. He reclined on the cushion and eased up on his questions, following Link's lead of a calm demeanor.

Only a few minutes later, the madness of blue surrounding the Lor Starcutter disappeared, the travels finally having arrived at their destination. The deep, black void of nothing returned, dotted with shining specks. As the walls lowered themselves and the artificial lights turned back on, Link, Tael, Kirby, and Meta Knight gathered by Magolor. There, the wizard tapped a few buttons and brought up a view of what was in front of the Lor.

"Gentlemen, an alternate Pop Star," Magolor introduced the planet before them. While Kirby and Meta Knight had traveled in the Lor before, this was their first time venturing out to a world parallel to their own.

The group all looked to each other, uniformly nodding in agreement. The sun was already setting behind Pop Star, the Lor being hidden by the shadow of the planet. Magolor slowly brought the ship down, cutting through the clouds. Nothing was visible on the surface yet, so the frontal flood lights glared brightly, illuminating the dense clouds. However, even after a minute or two of descension, there was still nothing.

"Huh, I didn't think the atmosphere would've been higher than our Pop Star," Magolor said, perplexed.

Magolor was proven incorrect, though, as then the entire ship quaked violently. Outside, the bottom of the hull bashed into a hill, sending almost everyone flying. The Lor activated autopilot for a moment, fighting to drudge itself out from the ground and back into the air. It succeeded, the cruiser swaying back and forth before finding its balance again. Many groans came from the deck as the swordsmen, Kirby, Tael, and Magolor slowly got to their feet.

"Is… Is everyone alright?" Sword Knight asked loudly, helping Blade Knight up. The others assured they were fine and Magolor regained control of the Lor.

"I-I don't get it! We were still going through the clouds!" Magolor cried, trying to prove the crash wasn't his fault.

"We already had, look!" Tael pointed to the screen. The oars of the ship parted a spot of clouds, letting the night sky accentuate the blanket of fog across the land. The group stared out into the eerie darkness, the moon providing the only hint of natural light.

"Keep the Lor steady as we wait for the clouds to part, then continue on," Meta Knight ordered. The ship remained still for a while until the view on the screen expanded. "Link, Tael, Kirby, Landia, come. We'll go out on the upper deck for a better look outside."

Outside, there was no sign of life or anything aside from the movement of the oars. The sail didn't rustle, the wind didn't blow, nothing. As the Lor Starcutter gently moved through the air, a cautious Magolor keeping an eye out, the others tried to discern anything from the thick layer of fog clinging so closely to the land.

"Poyo! Poyo poyo!" Kirby complained, thinking it was useless to be out there. Something felt terribly wrong to him about all this, but he couldn't put a paw on what. Landia huffed with annoyance. He grew tired of the eeriness and flapped his wings, jumping into the air and off the deck. The dragon took flight, cutting through the fog like a hot knife through butter, cleaving it expertly.

"Hey, great idea, Landia!" Link cheered for the dragon. As the whisps of white danced in the air, Landia widened his range, each lap around the Lor taking longer and longer. But then he stopped, something catching his attention towards the east. Landia roared, drawing the others to where he was facing.

"Poyo! Poy-poy-poyo poyo!" Kirby shouted with surprise, getting a glimpse of what Landia saw.

"Oh no… No, no, no, no…" Meta Knight whispered as he joined Kirby on the starboard side of the Lor. His heart sank to his stomach right away, the sight of a desiccated and destroyed Castle Dedede in the distance, just beyond Landia.

Chapter Text

Happy New Years, everyone! I couldn't get this one done by 12, but I at least finished on New Years Day. So here's to a good 2024. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!
-Joost

This title interestingly doesn't reference a song, but actually a theme from a certain film soundtrack!

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 8: Try

Vile plumes of smoke and the stench of ash reigned on the group's senses as they slowly made their way through the remains of Cappy Town. Dawn had just broken out among the horizon, yet it was as uncheerful as a graveyard. The newborn necropolis exuded a sense of displeasing curiosity as Link, Kirby, Meta Knight, his protégés, Tael, and Landia scoured it.

Meta Knight knelt down and picked up a piece of rubble, inspecting it. Gingerly, he looked it over, deducing that it was the result of blast damage. A piece of a building had been struck by a cannon, assaulted with a stick of dynamite, or blown apart by some other, powerful force. Either way, it confirmed what the knight had feared. This town, the parallel Cappy Town, had been razed by a malevolent force. A fire accident could not cause such damage. Dropping the piece of stone, he continued on.

Link noticed a slice of blue coming from under a pile of debris. Pulling the object from the mass, it crumbled apart, reduced to ash. Looking at what he had in his hands, Link made out the emblem of Dedede, although oddly, it was rimmed with purple instead of the red Kirby recognized. The cloth was a mere tug away from ripping apart, its fabric stretched as far as it could.

"What the hell happened here?" Link said aloud, caring not if any of his more innocent companions heard him. The chilling stillness of the town, the absence of life, and the lack of an enemy made the hairs on his neck stand straight.

"Something far worse than we could've ever imagined, I reckon…" Sword Knight muttered, stepping carefully between the splintered wood and crisped stone.

The group soon found themselves where the park at the center of Cappy Town would've been back in Kirby's home realm. Now, it was nothing but an expanse of blackened, smoldering grass and a layer of soot. All the evidence of lush foliage had been purged away, set ablaze by an army unknown to the team. Kirby, taking it all in with sorrow, walked slowly through the mess, never uttering a word. His mind raced as he wondered how strong Shatterhand must've been to accomplish such destruction.

"The castle, or what's left of it, is up ahead," Meta Knight pointed to the distant hilltop that overlooked the sea. He turned back to the rest of the group, silently asking who wanted to join him on the trek, knowing that it'd take an inflexible heart to not be overcome with grief.

Only Link and Kirby stepped forward, willing to face whatever horrors they were destined to witness. Sword Knight, Blade Knight, and Tael just looked away with shame, fearing they'd crack. Besides, someone had to continue the search for life in the ruins of the town.

Meta Knight sighed, "Very well. Landia," He approached the dragon. "Take to the sky and search as best you can. You're our only means of reconnaissance with Magolor tending to the Lor. See if you can find the culprit of all this, or at least a clue."

Landia nodded determinedly, and he leaped into the air and took off, flying up and out of sight in only seconds. A harsh boom rang through the air as he easily broke the sound barrier in his haste, an unseen smile forming under Meta Knight's mask. He was glad that Landia, the unmoving guardian of Halcandra, cared enough to fly at such speeds for this cause. Sadly, that small grin faded as the knight looked towards the leftovers of what he hated to recognize as Castle Dedede.

The unnerving absence of fauna and nature couldn't be comprehended. The trio of warriors secretly wished that a chirp from a sparrow or cricket could break the silence, but their wishes fell on deaf ears. Danger surrounded them like a python coiling its prey, squeezing the life out of it. It was just a matter of when the pressure would become too much.

The pathway to Castle Dedede was nearly unrecognizable, yet that familiar bend just before it delved into the upward slant of the hill was still present. It was a scary thing to acknowledge that this world, this Pop Star, wasn't so different from the one the three were accustomed to. As they neared the inert, scorched remnants of the once regal ground, the extent of the damage was clear. A nauseous, green hue appeared on Link's cheeks as he fought not to gag at what he saw, while Kirby was almost brought to tears.

The drawbridge was completely gone, its remains trapped in the dried-out moat that was filled to the brim with the corpses of the Waddle Dees. They lay lifeless in the sullied soil, their normally vibrant, orange color a revolting, deathly pale. A small swarm of bugs zipped around the mass of death, their buzzes filling the air as Meta Knight fell to his knees.

"This," croaked the knight, quickly losing his words. His tongue was dry, and his hands were shaky, yet he took off his mask, bowed his head, and quietly lamented the loss of such dedicated servants. Meta Knight's face was unseen by Link and Kirby as he mourned.

Link forced his bile down his throat, refusing to defile the area even further with his sickness. All three of them knew that if these Waddle Dees were anything like the ones they trusted, they fought till the very end. To the Dees, their lives hardly mattered to what they served, whether it was a king or a cause. While they were offered lives of comfort, they were just fine with the ones they already had, grateful for purpose.

"My apologies," Meta Knight said, recollecting himself after putting his mask back on. "Come, we need to scout out the castle."

Link and Kirby followed Meta Knight without question, jumping from one edge of the moat to the other. Uncomfortably, they began their survey of the totaled palace, with a smidge of hope coming with them as they searched for any kind of survivors. Although, with the carnage that lay at the bottom of the moat, seeds of doubt that they'd find anyone sprouted like weeds.

There wasn't much to find, just charred tapestries, melted gold, and other, former treasures. Everything was gone, the foundation of the castle being what remained. Pouring through the land like water down a river, sunlight came, bathing the three who dared to search the regal ruins.

Meta Knight plucked rubble with Galaxia, moving it out of his way and shaking it off his sword. He created a rhythmic sound of stone flying into a pile, Link just a couple feet away, adding to that same pile as he searched.

"Find anything yet?" Link shouted.

"No, I'll tell you when I do," Meta Knight replied, his voice soft. Link just shrugged and continued to look around, grabbing stones with his hands and chucking them over his shoulder, right into the pile behind him.

That rhythmic sound of palm-sized debris hitting the pile and clunking onto the ground was distracting, but it at least kept Link's mind off what he'd already seen. It'd been an eternity since he'd gazed upon the horrid visage of demise. He wished he would never have to again, the prospect of fatherhood lightening his life before the spectre of heroism clung to his soul yet again. Link shook his head, clearing his mind, throwing another stone behind him. He expected to hear another clunk, Meta Knight getting rid of rubble too, but it never came. Odd.

"Everything alright, Meta Knight?" Link asked. But there was no response. "Meta Knight?" He repeated, this time louder. Still no response, but now Link's ears perked up, his senses going on alert.

"Meta Knight?!" Link left his clearing and ran back, skidding to a stop when he saw the knight. The lone swordsman's back was facing Link, stunned, staring at the ground.

"What is it?" Link asked, walking up beside Meta Knight. "What'd you find?"

"It…" Meta Knight's words were forced, disbelief holding his tongue. "It's impossible." The knight averted his eyes, sticking Galaxia into the ground and falling to his knees again. He shuddered.

A large stain of glittering matter taunted Meta Knight as he lost all composure. Link stood confused as the normally noble warrior next to him broke down. Backing away, Link went to fetch Kirby, as Meta Knight tore off his mask and collapsed on the ground in sorrow.

"Kirby? Hey, Kirby, where are you?" Link yelled out, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Poyo?" Kirby chirped from atop a mound of what was formerly a set of furniture. He hopped off it and onto the ground, following Link as he guided the Star Warrior back to Meta Knight.

Dread wrapped its icy fingertips around Kirby before he even reached Meta Knight. A foreign feeling came to his heart and trapped it in a cage, confusing Link ever more. All he could do was watch as the two warriors came down with some bizarre condition, incapacitating them and leaving them nearly helpless.

"A Star Warrior…" Meta Knight tried to explain, "One was slain here. At this… this very spot." Slowly, but surely, the knight stood back up, his eyes locked on the stain just inches away from his face. "Shatterhand… He will pay for this!" Hints of uneasy rage were present in his voice as he cloaked himself with that same old veil of solitude.

Link's eyes widened considerably, finally understanding the weight. He then sighed and folded his arms and looked down, seeing too much of himself in Meta Knight. A slew of painful memories returned to the boy, and he thought of how he once coped with death. Unhealthy, bottled rage and needless violence. Time felt like a flat circle at that moment, and with haste, he conjured up a way to stop history from playing out that way again, only with another swordsman behind the blade.

"You know, Meta Knight, it's alright," Link began, before being interrupted.

"Have you ever lost a loved one, Link?" The knight snapped, sounding harsher than he intended. The hero in green stepped back in shock, startled by the question. He took a moment to respond.

"Yes," Link said, instinctively retreating into his shell, a habit he thought he'd long outgrown.

"How did it feel?"

"It felt…" Link hesitated, "It felt like a part of me died. My friend, the one that I lost, died right in my arms. I… I felt helpless. It felt useless to try. But as I saw the life fade from his eyes," Link's voice became choked with emotion, "He told me not to let fear make my decisions, some advice that I once gave him. But I didn't listen. I let the anger and grief take me, and I did things that I now regret. I killed just to ease the pain, but it didn't relieve me of it."

Meta Knight fell silent, dwelling on Link's words, absorbing them carefully.

"I still think about him sometimes," Link added painfully. "I let him go a long time ago, but I still wonder if he'd be ashamed of what I did in my sorrow. But it reminds me to never let myself be consumed by that feeling," He took a heavy breath, "And it reminds me that it's okay… it's okay to cry."

Those words repeated in Meta Knight's head over and over again. Like a broken record, it looped. It's okay to cry.

A single tear rolled down Meta Knight's cheek and dripped off his face, landing on the burnt soil. It brought the slightest bit of life back to the ground, however impossible to see. He stood up straight and removed his mask again, wiping his face before putting it back on. It'd been some time since he let a tear leave his body. It felt nice.

"Please forgive me, Link," Meta Knight softly pleaded, walking up and staring into the hero's eyes. "I let myself become overwhelmed, and I deeply apologize."

"There's no need to apologize," Link stated maturely, looking at Kirby. He too was crying, and he went and hoisted the pink puffball up onto his own shoulders, like a father with their child. "I think we've found all we could here."

"Agreed," Meta Knight said, smiling underneath his mask as he saw the paternal interaction from Link towards Kirby. "Let's regroup with the others, see if they had better luck than us."

Link and Kirby nodded happily and joined Meta Knight as they left the horrible memory.

Before the trio even reached Cappy Town, they lit up at what they saw. Three Cappies, alive and well, being tended to by Sword Knight and Blade Knight. Tael had already exhausted himself using his limited healing abilities, but he did his best and was granted some rest before trying again.

"Poyo poyo!" Kirby cheered, ecstatic that survivors had been found. He jumped from Link's arms and dashed the rest of the way back to town, smiles growing along Link and Meta Knight's faces.

"Oh, Link, there you are!" Tael noticed the signature 'poyo' from the pink puffball and correctly assumed that Link was present as well. He flew up and reunited with his friend. "So, you guys find anything up there?"

"Uh… not exactly, but we're alright, don't worry," Link almost chuckled at the thought, but he didn't reside with it as he approached the sole survivors of Cappy Town's siege. He spoke to them gently, knowing they had no knowledge of who he was, "Are you guys alright? You look like you've been through war."

"That… That's putting it lightly, sir," one of the Cappies mumbled, holding her bruised shoulder. Blade Knight was bent down next to her, wrapping her small foot in gauze.

"We only survived because we hid first, I say! I only wish I could've offered others sanctuary." The second Cappy yelped; thankful but remorseful that his house was one of the few with a basement. The third and final Cappy just nodded, sharing the sentiment of their fortunate housing.

Link stood and looked around at the scourge of Shatterhand. His mouth hung open with haunting awe as the realization dawned upon him. Was this truly all that was here for them to find? No trap meant to ensnare them, no battle to be fought, no fiend to apprehend. Just this.

"We were played," Link realized. The others turned to face him.

"Poyo?"

"How so, Link?" Meta Knight asked.

"Earlier you were certain that the signal the Lor picked up meant that Shatterhand set a trap for us here. But it wasn't a trap," Link seemed mortified. "It was a statement."

"Poy-poyo poyo! Poyo!" Kirby easily caught up with Link's sudden suggestion, adding his own thoughts. Link and Tael still couldn't figure out what the little hero was saying, but Meta Knight thought about it. "Poyo poy," Kirby finished.

"Yeah, Link, I think you're right!" Tael interjected, a spark lighting the candle of his mind. "This guy, Shatterhand, didn't lead us here to fight! He lead us here to show us this, all of this! He wanted to show us what he can do."

"Kirby's thoughts exactly, Tael," Meta Knight started, "My comrades, I fear you're right. In my haste, I quickly surmised that it was a trap. I was wrong. Your hypothesis is likely to be correct, and Shatterhand has proved to be a few steps ahead of us."

"Uhm, hey, over here! Excuse me?" One of the Cappies piped up, raising her arm into the air as if to answer a teacher's question. The others faced her inquisitively, interests ablaze. "That 'Shatterhand' you mentioned, are you guys… you talking about the man that attacked us? The man with the deformed hand?"

"Wait you saw him?" Link asked, astonished.

"P-Personally, yeah!" The formerly silent Cappy exclaimed, the fear when he laid eyes on the tyrant still fresh in his psyche. "He came through with his goons with this weird contraption, put it on his messed-up hand, and used it to blow up the town!"

"What kind of contraption did he use?" Meta Knight sauntered over to the Cappy and stood beside them, making sure not to seem overbearing with his show of interest in the supposed device used by the madman.

"I… uh, I dunno! It was some kind of glove thing, that's for sure." The Cappy tapped his chin, trying to remember what little he saw. "When he lashed his arm out, it sparkled like glitter before it fired. It was terrible, but also kinda hypnotizing, too! My brother pulled me away before I could see any more of it, though."

"Hm… Thank you, sir, even if you didn't see much, what you tell us is integral to stopping him, I assure you," Meta Knight shook the Cappy's hand thankfully, bringing a long-lost grin to the man's face. But then the smile was replaced by horror as the Cappy processed the knight's statement.

"Wait, you guys, you're going to try and stop him?!"

"That's suicide!"

"You'll be killed!"

The trio of Cappies all voiced their protest of the prospect of even going after their tormentor, let alone trying to put an end to his campaign. From what they'd witnessed, it was pointless to even try. The foreigners from another realm just watched with concern as the Cappies painted a vivid picture in their heads of Shatterhand's power. They glanced at each other and sighed in unison.

"Hey, look, fellas, we know you're in bad places right now," Sword Knight began, "But we can't let this," He gestured to the whole town. "We can't let more of this happen across the realms, if it hasn't already. Who knows where Shatterhand is now, and how many other worlds have been ravaged like this!"

Before the Cappies could respond, a loud boom roared through the air, Landia appearing in the distance. He swerved through the sky, something large in his talons. Finally, he slowed down when he got above the remains of Cappy Town, swooping down and throwing the massive, metal object in his grasp to the ground.

"Landia!" Tael shouted.

"Poyo!" Kirby ran up to the four-headed dragon and hugged him, having missed his scaly friend. The beast simply huffed and waited for the Star Warrior to let go.

"Landia? What'd you find?" Link hollered to the dragon, pointing towards the metal heap haphazardly thrown to the dirt. Landia glared at the object and a fiery anger emerged from his eyes, clearly upset by its existence alone.

"Come on, let's see what's got him all mad," Link told Sword Knight and Blade Knight, heading over to the glorified pile of scrap. The two swordsmen followed, their teacher staying back to console the Cappies.

Using their swords and pry apart the twisted, mangled metal, the three swordsmen tore their way into the silver cabinet like a rabbit making its own little den. Light flooded the dark inside of the container, revealing it to be a small ship doused with technology similar to the Lor Starcutter. Blinking lights and whirring machinery entered their ears as they climbed through the opening they made and inspected the cold innards.

"Hang on, guys, wait," Link halted, sensing something off about the environment.

"What's you thinkin', Link?" Blade Knight asked, puzzled.

Link didn't answer, instead reaching into his bag and pulling out the Lens of Truth and the Hookshot. He knew that the golden grappling hook could be used as a ranged weapon, so he held it defensively in one hand and held the Lens in the other, activating it. He peered through the looking glass and slowly sidestepped around the pod, the knights right behind him. While he didn't see anything too alarming while using the mystic magnifier, he kept cautious until something caught his eye.

"Look at that," Link handed the Lens of Truth to Sword Knight, using his magic to keep it active as the warrior wielded it.

"Well, well, well, ain't that something…" Sword Knight mused, passing the Lens to Blade and pointing to the wall. There, behind the miscolored metal, was a poorly placed machine that resembled the engine to the Lor, just vastly smaller.

Link fired the hookshot at the panel, smirking as it drove itself into the metal and latched onto the other side. He jerked his arm back, tearing the panel away and revealing the machine. It clearly didn't belong in the cramped pod, taking up a good amount of space. The hookshot chain rattled back into the weapon and Link put it away. The three walked up to the engine and frowned, looking to each other.

Link, Sword Knight, and Blade Knight reemerged outside, lugging the engine out of the pod and bringing it back to where Meta Knight and the Cappies rested. With uncaring looks they dropped it from their hands and let it slam onto the ground.

"We think this is what managed to trick us, Sir Meta Knight," Sword Knight scowled, kicking the machine. The Cappies were wildly confused at the sight, unfamiliar with such a device. Meta Knight, however, shared the displeased look that his pupils wore, figuring out what purpose the machine served.

"It's tech no different from the Lor, Sir Meta Knight," Blade Knight explained, crossing his arms. "Buncha' coordinates punched in that sent it here. We can only guess it's how Shatterhand produced that signal that brought about this whole mess."

"Are there records of the realm it came from?" Meta Knight needed to know.

"No sir, the data's been deleted. They must've known we'd check."

Meta Knight grunted tiredly. He cursed himself for so blindly underestimating Shatterhand. The man proved himself to be cunning, more so than he had anticipated. For once, Meta Knight was stumped on how to continue. Every angle could be countered if he wasn't certain there'd be success.

"Poyo?" Kirby squeaked, distracted by Landia.

"No, Kirby, we aren't going home just yet. We need to formulate a plan," Meta Knight commented to Kirby.

"Hm… Hey, psst, Link?" Tael whispered to his friend.

"Huh? What, Tael?" Link whispered back. The fairy flew up to Link's ear and shared his own little thoughts. The Terminian's eyes slowly brightened as his fairy companion shed some light. "Hey, that's not a bad idea."

"Would you like to share, Link?" Meta Knight said aloud. Nothing went under his radar, even the faint whispers just barely audible to him, something Link greatly admired.

"Well, it's Tael's idea, but I can't help but agree with it," Link allowed himself to elucidate the rest of the group. "Perhaps the best thing to do is split up and let Shatterhand find us."

Meta Knight grew intrigued, while the others seemed horrified at the thought. Kirby remained indifferent, just happy to be there.

"Look, we aren't going to find Shatterhand ourselves, cause there's just too many places he could be," Link smiled at Tael, impressed with his ingenuity. "But what if we lure him in? Say, me, Kirby, and Tael go alone to another realm and see if he searches for us, while Landia heads out on his own to scout out any other realms."

Tael continued on after Link, "Meanwhile, Meta Knight, you and everyone else head back home and keep your world safe! Since Kirby won't be there to help, you know? Then if something happens, you could contact Landia, and Landia maybe could find us and bring us back!"

"Well, the explanation could use some work, but I understand your direction. We head home and defend if the enemy comes, while you go and lure him out should he not invade, correct?" Link and Tael nodded eagerly at Meta Knight. The knight himself wasn't greatly fond of the plan, but if he couldn't think of anything better, it was all they had. One team waiting, another searching, and a third as bait.

"I see no other alternative, so I must agree," Meta Knight concluded. It was dangerous, but if it was a multi-angled method, it could have a chance. "Shatterhand is aware of us, so if we plan accordingly to how he may think, then it may just work."

Landia, without needing to be questioned, flew up into the sky again and roared. Everyone faced him, and Meta Knight nodded heroically, pride rearing its way onto the dragon's face. He blasted into the sky and opened a portal with only his thoughts, flying through and disappearing.

"How does Landia just know when to do things?" Link thought out loud. Meta Knight simply chuckled at Link's bewilderment.

"That dragon is far more than meets the eye, my friend. He's likely the most experienced out of all of us," Meta Knight commented, reaching into his cloak and retrieving the Ultra Sword. The blade gleamed brightly in the sunlight, and he tossed the sword to Link. "While that way of travel is far more random than the Lor, it's best to use it instead of the Lor."

"Poy poyo?"

"Yes, Kirby, I suppose fate did some something to do with Link finding his way to us," Meta Knight remarked. A one in a million chance, he guessed, but he was glad it happened. Meeting Link, getting to know him and his story, it was a nice reminder that even warriors as scarred as him weren't truly alone.

Meta Knight, Sword Knight, and Blade Knight rounded up the Cappies and led them to the Lor, where they'd be safe. Taking them from their realm and to another, although risky, is what was best. They couldn't stay in this realm; the seeds of war already having torn it to shreds. Refuge would gladly be offered to them. Link, Tael, and Kirby stayed on the surface, watching and waving as the Lor Starcutter took off, leaving the planet and heading back home.

"Alright, Kirby, you ready?" Link asked, smiling down on the little puffball.

"Poyo!" Kirby answered, although Link still couldn't quite understand him. He hoped that he'd be able to soon, or else it'd be a little awkward.

"I'll take that as a yes. Okay…" Link held the Ultra Sword out and took a fighting stance. Tael and Kirby took a step back as the Terminian breathed slowly, narrowing his mind to focus hard. He relaxed his hands and thought of the ones he was doing this for. For a second, he grew somber, but he moved his body forward to swing.

The Ultra Sword cut through the air seamlessly, and another, vibrant, blue portal opened up. Shaped just like a star and beckoning to the three, they all looked at each other.

"You ready to enter a whole new world, guys?" Link asked, a bit of that teenage spunk returning to him. His comrades nodded excitedly, and the hero was the first to take a step forward.

Chapter Text

Bam! Chapter 9! Technically chapter 10 if you count the prologue, but that's not important. This one is where a few more key characters are introduced, so enjoy!
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 9: Plumbing's Their Game

A small, brown, chestnut shaped creature scampered around the ground, walking forward absentmindedly. He didn't really know why he was out in the field, knowing that his king didn't really have any schemes planned. Beside him was an orange flower, also enjoying the afternoon.

Suddenly, the creature felt an immense pressure on his head. A boot had stomped down and then quickly bounced back up into the air. He was rendered unconscious, imaginary stars circling his head as another pair of boots came by, jumping in between him in order to avoid causing any more harm.

"Come on, Weege! We're losing daylight!" An accented voice said, followed by a resounding 'Wahoo!' as the person behind the voice jumped through the air graciously.

"Bro! You know we have plenty of time!" The one behind the first shouted, scuttling through the air and landing on a brick platform, skidding to a stop due to the poor traction of his boots. He was always weary of where he jumped, preferring to not fall down any pits.

The brothers engaged in a friendly race against each other, trying to see who'd reach town first. They were always excited to receive a letter from their friend, although strangely it lacked the offer of cake this time around. It didn't matter. They sped through the thin forest, expertly weaving their way past the trees and enemies hidden in their branches. The pair smiled at the frail attempts to catch them as the sun began to set, orange rays peeking through the leaves.

More and more cobbled bricks lay floating in their path, signaling their arrival to the kingdom they so adored. Signs of civilization beckoned them towards the stairway that led right to the flagpole, victory in hand. The red-capped hero took the first jump, clinging onto the tip of the pole firmly, waiting for his brother. The green one appeared right on time, almost overshooting his jump. He reached out and grabbed the flag, almost tearing the tender fabric, but he made it. Together, they slid down the pole and beamed as they celebrated. They had made it.

"See, we didn't need to rush, bro!" The green fellow said as he moseyed his way towards the junction point. The quaint, humble castle greeted them modestly, allowing them entrance into town.

"Hey, we've never been late yet, so let's not break that streak, alright Luigi?" The crimson-colored plumber replied, hands on his hips as he tipped his cap for the officer behind the junction desk.

"Pleasure seein' ya', Mister Mario!" The officer said, smiling broadly. He waved the brothers off, letting them bask in the sunlight that blanketed Toad Town.

Mario, Super Mario to be exact, smiled as he admired the view. His brother, the cowardly, yet caring Luigi, stood beside him, forming the perfect duo. So rarely had they been seen apart, the only time they could recall being when that dastardly ghost concocted a ruse to lure them into his twisted funhouse. But the taller of the two, Luigi, stepped up to the challenge and saved his brother, earning some much-needed respect throughout the town.

"Man…" Luigi sighed, "I never get tired of this view."

"Agreed, Weege, but we can't stare for long. The princess called us here for a reason," Mario stepped forward, leading the way to the heart of Toad Town. At its opposite end was the castle, the splendid home of the princess the plumber spoke of.

"Yeah, why'd she write to us, anyway? She didn't even bake us a cake," Luigi was too used to Peach's offers of sweet, baked confections, so to have a letter without such a tantalizing bid only perplexed him.

"Something about some strangers, hang on," Mario dug around in his overall pocket. "Lemme see what she wrote exactly." Grabbing the folded letter, Mario pulled it from his denim garments and read it silently. "Ah, here it is," Mario cleared his throat, his tone changing to a higher pitch to act as the princess's voice, "'The guards apprehended three strange travelers, who claimed to be on a mission of sorts. What they speak of concerns me, as it's not of the usual problems.'"

"So it's not Bowser?" Luigi asked.

"Doesn't sound like it. Besides, you know him, he's not the one for hired help," Mario folded the letter back and stored it away in his pocket. Breaking out into a jog, he and Luigi ventured through Toad Town and reached the castle gate in no time. Guarding the grand door, two Toads, blue and yellow, stood silently.

"Hey! Bucken-Berry! Ala-Gold! Been a while!" Luigi greeted the two Toads warmly; the brothers having not seen their old friends for some time. These two Toads in particular were special, having been promoted to royal guards after joining Mario and Luigi on an adventure to save the princess some years ago.

The pair of Toads fought not to greet the brothers as friends, their oath to service stating that they mustn't speak casually until after their shifts. The yellow, Ala-Gold, only nodded in response to Luigi, tilting his head to his companion.

"Letter?" Bucken-Berry asked, his voice filled with resolve. Mario gladly gave the letter to the Toad so he could inspect it. They always needed to make sure the handwriting matched. Not long before had enemies arrived with forged letters, all to gain admittance to the castle in order to snatch the princess away for their king.

"Alright, fellas, go on in," Bucken-Berry said, tapping his spear on the ground twice. On command, the door behind him opened for the brothers, and he and Ala-Gold stepped aside to let them continue. As the red and green duo walked past them, the yellow Toad slipped Luigi a letter.

"Hm?" Luigi felt the object being placed into his pocket. He opened it and smirked as he read it to himself, being sure to tell Mario of Ala-Gold's plan to meet up later for a hang-out.

The Mario Brothers casually walked down the castle halls, smiles lining the bottoms of their moustaches as they neared the throne room. Peach was surely to be there, ready to discuss who exactly had come all this way with talk of 'missions' and the sort. Mario eyed his sibling confidently, who easily returned the glance. As they approached the door separating them from the royal throne, their smiles intensified. The hero clad in red put both hands on the doors and pushed them open.

"Ah, there you are," Peach greeted them sweetly, the trio standing before her throne turning to face the brothers. "Boys, these are the Mario Brothers I spoke of. They'll be here to help you."

Mario and Luigi tensed up, not recognizing the strangers who stared at them. There was a tall, blonde swordsman dressed in a striking green, a stout, pink thing by his feet, and a speck of purple light hovering by the warrior's shoulder. Were these the travelers Peach had written about? Weren't they apprehended?

"So this is 'Mario'? No offense, but I pictured him being taller," Link commented.

Hours before, while the sun shined from the top of the sky marking it noon exactly, a portal opened in the middle of the forest. Out stepped Link, Kirby, and Tael, the trio examining their surroundings. Everything seemed still, a layer of calmness soothing them as the calls of birds and chirps of insects filled the air.

Something was different about the lush environment, however. Among the trees stood large, towering mushrooms, far bigger than any of the three had ever seen before. Normally fungi of this nature would be a nuisance to the forest, but these mushrooms helped more than hindered, being just as useful as the trees, perhaps even more.

Link gasped at the strange mushroom-filled land he and his friends had stepped into. "What is this place?", he asked himself, wandering forward to take in the scenery. He hadn't expected to be thrust into such a vibrant world after seeing the grey, desolate land of Cappy Town.

"I'm not sure, but at least we don't have to look far for help," Tael pointed out the jagged horizon, a town in the distance cutting through the blue. Seeing the city was a pleasant change of pace, the three relieved for not needing to search around for hours on end.

"Poyo! Poyo!" cheered Kirby, excited for the adventure ahead of him.

A chuckle came from Link's lips. Even if he still didn't quite get Kirby yet, he found the happiness contagious. As the pink puffball jumped for joy, Link felt the urge to as well. Seeing a city so early was easily the best thing to happen to them upon arrival in this strange land, because it meant that luck was on their side. Perhaps the heroes of this world could help with the dilemma looming over them like death itself.

"Come on, let's go," Link said with resolve, starting the brisk journey through the foliage-fungi forest. Dense branches blocked the way, so the Gilded Sword swiped through them with grace, clearing a path forward. In a way, he felt like those adventurers he and Romani read about in books when they were young, even though he outclassed them tenfold.

"Pooyyooo…" Kirby cooed with wonder, taking in the lush, lavish nature of his surroundings. He ran up to and inspected every minute thing he saw, the rocks, the trees, the fauna, everything.

Link smirked as he watched Kirby run past him, another chuckle coming from his mouth. So much about the pink puffball perplexed Link, from his stoic past and childish demeanor, but it didn't change how he looked at him now. He admired how even after all Kirby had seen, the smile he wore was genuine. It was difficult for Link to smile at times, his own past haunting him as he pressed on. Memories of tyrants slain, friends long gone, and blood splattered along his body cursed him to never truly be the same.

"Hey! Earth to Liiiink!" Tael hollered again, waving in front of Link's face. The hero blinked, snapping out of his recollection.

"Wha-huh? What? What is it?" Link stuttered.

"We're out of the forest, you don't need to keep swinging your sword," Tael pointed to Link's hand, his arm still swishing around, striking nothing. Link turned back to see that he was at least a good few meters away from the edge of the forest, twigs and leaves scattered around as a result of his hacking away.

"Oh, sorry," Link rubbed the back of his neck, sheathing his sword. The field in front of him wasn't as vast as Dream Land, but he'd estimate only half a mile away stood the town. "Alright, seems like we're almost there," Link said softly.

As the trio marched through the fields and towards town, Link couldn't help but reflect on all he'd seen and compare it to Kirby. Or at least what he knew of Kirby at that point. Link's battles with the wicked oppressors of his past, and Kirby's fights against the abstract, yet horrid, Dark Matter, both swarmed his mind like mosquitos on a humid, summer day. Images of horror were something both warriors were accustomed to, and the feeling of pain was no different. So often did they hide behind their own shields, protecting themselves in their shells, that they almost forgot what it was like to be free. However, Kirby had learned and mastered the art of breaking away from his darker thoughts, while Link still fought, trying to understand the technique. He'd broken free before, but with the shadow of Shatterhand, the trap ensnared his once again.

"Link…" Tael started firmly, bringing Link's attention to him. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"No, don't give me that, I learned from Tatl that you often play coy," Tael crossed his arms. "There's something wrong, I can see it in your eyes. That look when you're lost in thought, it's impossible to miss."

"There's nothing wrong, Tael," Link replied, keeping that old, stern look on his face.

"Poyo?" Kirby had turned to face his companions, overhearing the argument. Link huffed, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

"Kirby, not now, this doesn't concern you," Tael snapped, leading to Kirby just repeating his word.

"Guys, please, I'm fine, I was just thinking about…" Link trailed off.

"About what?" Tael tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, pulling off that signature annoyed glare, a trait more commonly present in his sister than him.

"Nothing…"

"Poyo!"

"No, Kirby, I'm not going to-" Link froze, his eyes widening and jaw going slack. Had he misheard Kirby? No, impossible. He couldn't have misheard Kirby, as he actually heard Kirby! "Say… Say that again."

"Wha- Poyo?" Kirby repeated, confused.

Link and Tael glanced at each other, riddled with shock. He actually understood Kirby. He had asked if he would spill the beans, a phrase the Star Warrior had learned from his friends back home. But it wasn't the phrase that caught their ears, it was his words. By some twist of logic, the argument between Link and Tael somehow allowed the former of the two to finally comprehend what the pink puffball was saying.

"Can you-" Link faced Tael, wondering if he too could hear what he did. "Tael, can you understand him now?" Tael shook his head, the 'poyo' still landing on his ears, unlike his friend. "Wait, wait… Okay, fine, I'll tell you, alright?"

"Okay, I was just thinking about the past… About everything that we've been through, you know, Tael?" Link admitted. Tael's scorned annoyance faded away as the memories he locked away resurfaced. "About all the fights, losing Skull Kid, everything, and how Kirby has been through similar, yet he… he still remains happy." Link sighed. "It just feels unfair."

"Poy…" Kirby waddled up to Link and sat down, and on instinct, Link did the same. Kirby placed his paw on Link's arm and hugged him. An infectious but solemn warmth came with the embrace, friendly enough to make even the coldest soldier smile. Link wasn't stronger than the hug and melted with relief.

Link looked at Kirby and bent down, hoisting Kirby up and into his lap, the hug never releasing. "I'm sorry, Kirby, I'm just a worried old man," Link muttered.

"Hey, you're not that old, Link," Tael commented, flying down to sit on Link's hat. Once again, they were just a group of friends.

"Well I feel old, Tael," Link laughed heartily. "I feel like I've been through everything, seen it all, but I'm only twenty years old. We've seen so much, all of us, yet there's still a lot of life left to live." However, that aching feeling at the bottom of his heart led his to speak without thinking. "I just wish that the others were here."

"Me too," Tael said.

"Poyo!" Kirby chirped. He had said 'life will change!' and Link hoped it would.

"Hey! Who are you?!" A new voice came from in front of the group. They all looked up to see a bizarre little man with a strange, rounded cap on his head. Was it a cap? They couldn't tell, but he wasn't alone, five other folks just like him approaching, brandishing spears.

"Here we go again…" Link mumbled, getting flashbacks of his first encounter with Meta Knight and his students on the outskirts of Cappy Town. This time, however, he didn't want to be separated from his friends and detained so unceremoniously. "Alright, guys, put your hands up," Link ordered.

Link, Kirby, and Tael rose and held their hands high, showing to the men that they meant no harm. The six little fellows surrounded the trio and kept their eyes locked on them. Two noted Link's sword, shield, and satchel, and Link willingly removed them, letting them fall to the ground. After that, the men eased up, convinced that whoever they were dealing with didn't want to fight.

"So what do we do, Link?" Tael whispered, hovering by Link's shoulder.

"Well, these guys seem to be guards, so let's appeal to their protective nature, shall we?" Link suggested with a weak smile. Tael, having no better plan, nodded with agreement, gesturing to let Link do his thing.

"Uh… hello, gentlemen," Link started, putting his hands down and speaking with a calm voice. The short, stubby guards stared at Link, unsure what to think of his strange appearance, as to them, he resembled the man they saw as a hero, only much taller and with pointed ears. "We assure you our intentions here are purely honorable."

"Oh yeah?" One of the guards spoke up, gripping his spear tightly. "What's yalls names, hm?"

"That's kind of the thing, fellas, you probably won't know our names, since we aren't from around here… At all," Link said, "However, my name is Link Dotour, and these are my friends, Tael," Link gestured to the fairy, "And Kirby," Link did the same to Kirby. Aside from Link, Kirby perplexed the guards the most, never having seen a creature quite like him before. "We come from a very far world in search of help."

"Help?" Another guard perked up. "Why didn't you say so?"

"Not so fast," the guard next to him interrupted, obviously his superior. He wore a sturdier outfit compared to the others, had a deeper voice, and a much more serious complexion. "Prove it," he demanded.

Link, Kirby, and Tael glanced at each other, inwardly asking one another if they should lead with the most compelling fact first. Kirby smirked deviously, eager to see the surprised faces. Tael scoffed and turned to Link, who shared a similar smile of mischief. For a moment, a child-like hunger for adventure entered Link's mind, and before Tael could protest, Link pulled out the Ultra Sword.

"You all might want to stand back, I don't want to hit any of you," Link warned, holding the massive blade firmly. The guards backed away and Link slashed with the sword, opening up another portal that quickly closed after the onlookers witnessed it splendor.

"Well I'll be!" A younger guard exclaimed.

"We come from another world," Link reiterated, "And we need help. I see a castle by the town just over there, so I guess you have a monarch?" The guards nodded at Link's assumption. "Good, may we please meet with them? None of us want to alarm, but it's a matter of great importance."

"Y-yeah, sure," The leader of the guards said, still somewhat reeling in shock at what he'd seen. The blinding flash of the portal stained his eyes, leaving remnants whenever he blinked. Suddenly, the guard remembered the manners taught to him by the princess, and stretched his hand out for Link, Tael, and Kirby to shake.

"By the way, I'm the prime lieutenant of this group, we're known as the Toad Squadron," said the man as Link shook his hand. "Call me 'Commander Toad'."

Link tilted his head, "Toad?" he asked, "Like the amphibian?"

Commander Toad just looked wildly at Link as he shook Kirby's hand, the prospect of his name being mistaken for an actual toad almost amusing. "Hah, no, but my children often joke about that," he said, hiding a smile.

Much later, Link, Kirby, Tael, and the Toad Squadron made it to the castle perched along the wide hills of the countryside, meeting with the town at its feet. This was the second castle of another realm Link had come across, yet he wasn't at all tired of it. It looked far different from Castle Dedede or even Hyrule Castle, and he was glad. His journey across the multiverse hadn't grown stale in the slightest.

"Ay! It's us! Let us in!" Commander Toad yelled to the guard on duty as he and the others grew closer. He groaned at how the guard was asleep, noting to reprimand him.

"Ah! Sorry, commander!" The dazed guard replied, jumping out of his sound sleep. He quickly pushed the grand, double doors wide open, allowing the squadron inside. As they passed, the commander waited up, standing by his lazy subordinate.

"You, my friend, are relieved of duty for the day. Go home, get sleep, that's an order. I'll have Bucken-Berry and Ala-Gold take over," The commander said, looking deeply into the guard's eyes. He had dark bags underneath his lids and a fatigued frown along his face, a telltale sign of insomnia. "Spend time with the family, you hear me?"

"Y-Yes sir, sorry sir," The guard replied, taking his leave. The commander watched as the man left for home, lowering his head.

"Good grief," the commander commented, smiling. He then returned to his squadron, making sure his Toads led the travelers to the princess's throne room. "Alright, boys, we're trusting you with speaking to the princess herself. Just… make sure not to touch anything while you're in there, got it?"

"Understood," Tael answered, Link and Kirby smiling agreeably.

With that, the sextet of Toads bid the trio of foreigners farewell, letting them through to the throne room. The area was splendid and pristine, a cloudy pattern painted along the walls and on the ceiling, with what looked like a depiction of the sun at the center of the canopy, which seemed to beam down on a spot sitting before the throne. On the throne sat a woman, clad in a bright pink dress with curly blonde hair, almost like Link's just much cleaner. A crown adorned her head as she smiled gently on her visitors.

"Greetings," The woman said, "My name is Princess Peach, and welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom,"

Link knelt before the princess, the honorable gentlemen side of himself coming out. "It's a pleasure to meet you, princess. My name is Link, and these are my friends, Kirby and Tael."

"It's wonderful to make your acquaintance, you three," Peach said formally, looking to the two highly dressed guards standing by her throne. "Oh, boys, there's no need to be so tense," She leaned in on the right and whispered, "Look, they aren't armed, so lighten up!"

"Sorry princess," the Toad said, softening his grip on his weapon. The opposite guard did the same, letting go of his breath that he was unknowingly holding. They simply weren't used to visitors that didn't want to kidnap the princess.

"So, tell me," Peach stood up from her throne and slowly descended the stairs, walking up to Link and the others, "What brings such a varied group to the Mushroom Kingdom?" She clasped her hands together, waiting politely for an answer from Link, as he looked the most senior of the three.

"It's difficult to explain, Your Majesty," Tael began, trying to think up of a sensible way to describe their predicament. Link looked equally puzzled, knowing that he couldn't just whip out the Ultra Sword again, conjure a portal, and explain the whole deal of Shatterhand. It'd be far too blunt, especially in front of the regal monarch of the land.

"You see, we're not really… from here," Tael explained, alluding towards his, Link's, and Kirby's vastly different backgrounds. "We come from worlds, no, realms, different from this one. It's not exactly in space, but beyond that…"

"No need to explain further, I understand," Peach said plainly.

"Exactly, so the place we come from-" Tael paused, shocked, "Wait what?!"

"A different realm, you said? Yes, we have situations like that here all the time," Peach put a hand to her mouth and giggled lightly. "Versions of myself and friends of mine visit to engage in sports, events, and the like. Say, a younger version of myself, one that became a nurse, and more. It's quite fun!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Link butted in, trying to make sense of what the princess just described. "You… You just allow variants of yourself and others to travel here? J-Just like that?"

"Well it's mostly harmless. We try not to let things get heated, they don't mess with too much here, all that. However, we've never seen a version of a person we… uhm…" Peach examined Link and Kirby more thoroughly, reinforcing the fact that she didn't recognize them in the slightest. "Yes, we don't let versions of people we're unfamiliar with come here, that's where we draw the line."

"Poyo poy-poyo?" Kirby asked, leading to a confused look from Peach.

"He's confused about the idea of just letting your variants casually play sports," Link translated, also rightly perplexed by the notion. Peach again laughed, thinking it was no big deal.

"As I said, it's mostly harmless. It's all for fun for both parties," Peach said reassuringly, hands on her hips. But then a question of her own sprouted in her head. "However, now I'm curious, why are you so concerned about it, Mister Link? Is there… something wrong about the idea that has you worried?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, because of-" Link bit his tongue, withholding the threat of Shatterhand. Worried thoughts invaded his mind as he wondered if he had doomed this land by traveling here. If these people had such welcoming neighbors in the realms, would it attract Shatterhand? Did he already know if this place, but let them be due to their so-called 'harmless' traversal to and from realms next door?

"Of what, Mister Link?" Peach looked at the Terminian quizzically, frowning at the thought of a secret being kept from her.

"Of… uh…" Link stammered, contemplating whether or not he should delve into the purpose of he and his group's arrival here in this unsuspecting universe. He had no choice but to do it, hating himself. "Because there's a threat creeping through the realms."

"A threat?" Peach wiped away her more relaxed attitude and grew as serious as she could be, straightening her posture and holding her hands together. As laid back as she seemed before, it left like a startled rabbit, making way for an attentive look from the woman.

"Yes, a threat. A man, to be exact," Link clarified. While he truly didn't want to discuss the man he loathed, he needed to if he were to gain any more help on his quest. "He goes by the name of 'Shatterhand', and he travels from reality to reality, finding any significant civilization and doing as he pleases, leaving it in ruin and its defenders dead. At least, that's what we've been able to deduce. We don't know why he's truly doing it, but I assure you, he is very real."

Peach absorbed the information carefully, her critical mind working wonders thanks to her advisors. Link waited for a response, hating that he had to come to his own conclusion on what exactly Shatterhand was up to. All he'd seen was the remains of his influence, but Peach could almost tell that it was all he could give her. The princess snapped her fingers, one of her servants, a pink Toad with braided… hair? It was hard to tell if the things on their heads were their heads or not.

Princess Peach thought long and hard about what to do, pacing back and forth as the pink Toad awaited orders. It was clear this threat had nothing to do with that troublesome Koopa that came to kidnap her weekly. This was something far bigger than Bowser, and the only ones she knew she could count on were the ones she always did. The plumbers, the pair of valiant brothers that, with one of them, she was much more than just friends with. She trusted them with the world, and this seemed to be bigger than that considerably.

"Toadette, have Toadsworth send out a letter to Mario and Luigi as soon as possible!" Peach said, facing the Toad next to her. Toadette took out a notepad and jotted her directions down.

"What should the letter say?" Toadette asked.

"Have it beckon them to the castle as usual, but also say that the guards came across a trio of travelers," Peach said, thinking, "Oh, and that they revealed some stunning information while speaking with me! Alright?"

"Those exact words?" Toadette added, clicking her pen.

"It doesn't matter, just make sure it gets to them immediately. Have Toadsworth write it himself," Peach said, her mind racing, not caring if the letter was completely accurate. Link's words stuck to her like tree sap on a hot summers day, seeping into her mind and having it run around in a panic.

"Yes ma'am!" Toadette saluted, running off out of the room to meet with Toadsworth.

Peach sighed, shaking her head while getting lost in thought. She slowly returned to her throne and sat down, fist on her cheek, thinking about the vague idea of the man called Shatterhand. Fears started to well up inside, the possibility of a man coming to her kingdom and destroying it with ease, much more ruthlessly than Bowser ever could. By now, she didn't really see the King of the Koopas and a threat, more so just a nuisance that was solved by the end of the day. This, however, excreted a more viscous sense of danger.

"Mario and Luigi?" Link asked.

"Hm? Oh! Yes, Mario and Luigi!" Peach realized that her guests didn't even know of the brave pair of plumbers that were dedicated to the Mushroom Kingdom's protection. She giggled at the thought of the brothers meeting these strange, new travelers. "They're brothers who help defend the kingdom! They're just wonderful, trust me. I think you'll get along with them nicely."

"I hope so, because we'll need all the help we can get," Link remarked, thinking about the unseen presence of the madman he, Tael, and Kirby were after. He wondered if the brothers would be set to assist them. "Some more help would be much appreciated, princess, if we're to stop Shatterhand."

"They will, I can feel it," Peach said confidently.

"Hmmmm…" Mario huffed, processing the heap of information just dumped onto him. Luigi held a similar expression as his brother, the two almost a mirror image of one another. "I'm not sure, we'll need to think about it…"

"We?" Luigi asked, surprised. He was fully convinced and down to help out the three travelers. Oddly enough, he felt confident about being able to handle the matter as long as Mario was there too, but now with his brother skeptical, he grew nervous.

"Weege, c'mere," Mario said, pulling Luigi aside for a tactical huddle. He spoke quietly, just loud enough for his brother to hear him. "I don't trust 'em, bro. Something's not right about these guys."

"You don't trust them? Why not?" Luigi whispered, the brothers peeking out from their crouched stances to ensure none of the strangers were listening in. "I trust them. They seem really concerned about this guy, so we should help them! Besides, it beats dealing with Bowser every week."

"Yeah, yeah, but just something about the taller one puts me off, alright? I've never seen anyone like him before, have you? And the pink one, he keeps staring at me funny," Mario glanced at Kirby, the Star Warrior eyeing his hat as if curious on what it tasted like. It creeped the plumber out.

"To be honest, I thought you would've felt the same as me. I was about to join them on the spot!" Luigi's whispering was poor, the excitement getting the better of him.

"Really though? Why would you do that?" Mario asked, unsurprisingly used to his brother being so brash. Ever since the whole mansion kerfuffle, Luigi had gained a new sense of adventure, which unfortunately had the common result of getting him injured. The whole piranha plant parade thing was painful to watch, but the green man insisted on joining their song.

"Okay, fine, but maybe we should get to know them first. We'll be able to see what they can do and maybe you'll come around," Luigi suggested, smiling wide. Mario just rolled his eyes, but the idea could work.

"Alright, alright, you win, Weege, but I'll be paying attention to them," Mario relented. He could never win an argument, but such was life as brothers. The pair left their huddle and stood side by side, facing the travelers. "Okay, here's the deal, we wanna get to know you three before we set out on any adventure. Say a couple of days, give or take, just to earn some trust, got it?"

"Well, for me, I already trust you, but this guy is being a stic-" Luigi pointed his thumb towards his brother before being elbowed in the hip.

"Shush, Luigi," Mario warned, irritation lining his lips.

Link, Tael, and Kirby looked at each other with concern. While they were happy that they had met the Mario Brothers, the fact that one of them didn't really trust the three was downcutting. Trust wasn't an easy thing to come by now, Link only coming to trust Kirby happening almost by chance, since if he never decided to relax at home with the pink puffball, he likely would still think low of him. However, they needed to take what they could and continue on.

"Absolutely, thank you, Mario. Thank you, Luigi," Link said humbly. "But now, princess, there's one more problem that we need to sort out," Link nervously turned to the princess who sat on her throne. "Sleeping arrangements? It's almost dusk and we have nowhere to rest."

"That's not a problem, Link. I'll phone the inn and set you three up with some rooms. No need to pay for room and board, you are guests to our land, after all," Peach smiled as she stood up from her throne to head to one of the adjacent rooms to find the telephone. Link was confused at the word 'phone', but he brushed it off.

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby chirped, excited to see what kind of food was in store for him in this new land.

"Thank you again, princess," Tael added.

"Hah, it's nothing, really. Anyways, the guards will lead you around town to the inn," Peach's guards stepped away from the throne and joined Link, Kirby, and Tael. "Please, make yourselves comfortable here. Oh, and feel free to call me 'Peach', there's no need to be formal."

"Alright, Peach," Link said with a smile as the Toad guards led him and his friends out, Mario and Luigi following.

Chapter Text

Oh boy, oh boy, I'm really excited to see what you guys think of this chapter. It's actually one of the longest chapters I've ever written, but I'm alright with that, because I think it came out great! Lots of seeds being planted here, so please enjoy!
-Joost

This is the first chapter to properly foreshadow a BIG aspect of the story later on... hehe...

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 10: A Ripple

Link slowly came to, an odd sense of weightlessness all encompassed around him. He opened his eyes and tried to see but was greeted with nothing. He could see his own body, his arms, torso, hands, and feet, but everything else beyond was submerged in a void of inky blackness. This feeling, he thought to himself, was the one when he was dreaming. Only rarely was Link ever aware of being within a dream, his sleep normally too deep to recognize.

"Hello?" Link called out, his voice echoing on for eternity. He shifted his arms, trying to swim around in the murky, sightless space he was confined to. It didn't act much like water, the hero getting nowhere.

This dream was unlike the rest Link usually had. He gave up trying to get somewhere and sighed, letting his body float in the endless abyss. But then, something appeared in the darkness, inching towards him like a snake. Deep from the vast abyss of nothingness came a set of vines, slithering towards Link threateningly. The boy panicked, trying to get away from the indigo-colored vines, thinking this to be some cruel nightmare, but once they reached him, his desire to escape them washed away.

"What…" Link whispered to himself, watching as the thin, tender liana coiled around his body, creeping up his torso and slinking onto his arms. "What is this?" The vines didn't exude a sense of danger, but a strange, welcoming warmth. Passionate and ardent, like a hug from his wife.

Link eased up as he witnessed the vines dance along his upper limps before setting themselves right onto his forearms and hands, wrapping around them protectively. He stretched out his arms, as if waiting for an embrace, and smiled. The feeling of comfort gave the worn hero an exotic relief from the stress he was suffering, so much so that he didn't even notice the vines growing, reaching out from his hands and into the darkness.

A dim light shimmered from the vines as they grew, lighting up the surroundings. Link slowly opened his eyes, his face dazzled and placid, finally seeing that he wasn't alone in this void. Across from him to the right, only a dozen or so feet away, floated Mario and Luigi, the vines wrapping around their hands as well. Looking to his left, Kirby was there too, more sentient plants trailing around his puffy, pink form.

Even then, Link, Kirby, Mario, and Luigi weren't the only ones present. In the distance floated figures, merely silhouettes in the murky gloom, unrecognizable. But they too had the vines creep close to them, slithering onto their hands and staying put. Link narrowed his eyes, inspecting the people he didn't know, but couldn't figure out who they were. All he could see was that they were all wildly different from one another, the only common thing being the vines connecting them all.

The vines themselves were bare, lacking thorns or a wooden texture. They were supple and full of life, but still firm and robust. They clung to his own arms with fervor, their strength commendable when Link tugged on one, testing to see if it'd snap or come loose.

Feelings of affection coming from the vines greatly disoriented Link, but he welcomed it. Even though he was in the presence of friends, he still felt distant from them. These vines, whatever they symbolized, brought great solace and reassurance to the battered hero, reminding him of the infinite passion of life his variant spoke of. He quickly grew to admire The Passion.

Link groggily opened his eyes, the window of the bedroom facing him. The sun hadn't even poked out from behind the hills yet, but the man sat up and rubbed his face, fully awake and alert. He brushed his golden hair away from his face, the silver portion getting in his eye, then stared at his hands. He was unable to shake the lingering image of those vines wired through them.

It was the most peculiar feeling Link had as he sat in the middle of the mushroom-decorated room. The place reminded him tragically of home, the Stock Pot Inn, and he longed to just go back for a night, just to get a good night's sleep for once. But as he looked around the room and eyed his gear sitting on the small table next to the bed, he thought about the vines. It was a dream, sure, but the feeling of warmth from those plants was just like that of home as well.

"My Goddesses… I'm so tired," Link groaned, running his fingers through his hair. He scooted around and sat on the edge of the bed; feet planted on the wooden floor. He didn't even react to the cold lingering around his toes. "I need a drink. Some milk? Yeah… milk, that'd be nice. And now I'm talking to myself, great…"

Link stood up from the bed and stretched, first taking his arms out and cracking his knuckles, then his arms, then back. He groaned at the effort, the joints around his body tightened due to stress. It occurred to him that he really needed to ease up on himself, the popping of his joints adding a bit more pain than it relieved. For a moment he really felt like he was growing old, even if he was anything but aged. His muscles, though tender, were still lively and powerful, as was his mind.

A strange aura of hospitality and untold wonder came from the inn room that Link walked around in. The mushroom décor was admirable, but it felt lonely, at least without Kirby or Tael with him. Both of them got their own rooms separate from Link, surprisingly, but they all guessed it was just to be as considerate as possible. An upside was that each room came with its own accommodations, soap, a bathroom, a bed, and even this strange contraption sitting atop the dresser opposite the bed. A thick booklet sat next to the device, and with nothing better to do, Link snatched it and proceeded to flip through it.

"A 'television'?" Link mumbled to himself as he read the big bold text on the cover of the manual. Sounds of pages turning every few minutes filled the room as Link held a small rectangular box with buttons arranged along its surface.

When Link pressed the big red button on the rectangle, the device on the dresser brightened and flared, startling the hero and illuminating the room with a rippling wave of white light. A horrible blast of noise came from it as Link recoiled, tumbling off the bed and onto the floor in a heap. He quickly pressed the red button again, causing the television to turn off. After taking a moment to recollect himself, he consulted the manual again, trying to figure out the reason for the dreadful assault on his ears.

For a few minutes, Link carefully read the manual, making sure not to miss a word. A lot of it didn't make much sense, but he finally got to something important. A picture of the device in his hand and the one on the dresser helped him decipher its purpose. "What's a 'remote'?" Link asked aloud.

Link readied himself for the horrid noise and pressed the red button again, the room being bathed in the white light once again. This time, he quickly hit another button, which the booklet told him would eliminate the sound. A small icon appeared in the top right corner of the screen and all sound ceased, much to Link's astonishment. This world was even more advanced than Kirby's! After a little more reading, Link finally figured out how to get the blazing white light to go away, and it was replaced with the moving images of people.

"Woooaahh…" Link gasped and inched towards the television like a curious puppy. No sound came from the machine, so he used to remote again, the little icon going away, the sound being restored. Moving pictures reflected in Link's eyes as he stared at the screen, completely mesmerized by the strange, new magic.

Tearing his gaze away from the television, Link read more of the manual with the remote in his hand. One of the buttons, oblong in shape, made the sound either intensify or weaken depending on where he pressed it, and another button similar to it made the whole picture change. Flipping through what the manual called 'channels' was a breeze, allowing Link to submerse himself in the wide array of culture from the Mushroom Kingdom.

For over an hour Link absorbed everything he could from the magic box known as the 'television'. He didn't even notice that the sun had risen, its warm light pooling from the window onto the floor. Only was he demystified by the TV when his door opened, Kirby holding onto the knob for dear life.

"Oh! Kirby, look at this!" Link rolled off the bed and helped Kirby let go of the doorknob, taking the pink puffball into his arms and showing him the TV. Kirby's entire reason for heading to Link's room flew out the window as he too became hypnotized by the TV for a second.

"Oooooo! Poyo!" Kirby gasped; his eyes being captivated by the same sense of fascination as Link had. For a while they stood motionless, staring at the television in awe and wonder.

"So that's what it does," Tael's voice broke the silence as he flew through the door and went next to the two. Link and Kirby forced themselves away from the charm of the moving pictures and looked at Tael. "Funny, there was one in my room, too, but I was too bothered to try and figure it out and stuff."

"Huh, cool," Link said, taking the remote and turning the television off. He let Kirby jump from his arms back onto the floor, and the three relaxed. "I'm lucky I managed to get it working, but it's not so bad. Anyway, why did you guys get up so early just to visit me?"

"Poy…" Kirby thought, but he couldn't remember exactly why he had come to see Link so early in the morning. Of course, when his mind was blank, it quickly went to another topic, one centered around his stomach. "Poyo poyo?"

"Breakfast?" Link retorted, looking at Tael. The fairy just nodded eagerly in response to his question, and the three set off down the hall to find wherever food was served.

Luckily, the inn wasn't as expansive as Castle Dedede, since the trio found a dining area without much problem. Sitting down at a table, Link reached for a menu that had been placed down, opening it up and asking the others what they might want. There was quite a large variety of items to choose from for such a small rest stop, but none of them wanted to complain.

One thing that confused the three was that there was no one around to take their order when they finally made up their minds. No people, no Toads, no one. Link stood from his chair and wandered around, trying to find someone or even just something. There was a small service alcove nearby, the primary counter of the kitchen on the other end. Link walked over and peered over the servery, looking to see if there were any cooks.

"Ahem, down here, sir!" A grouchy voice came from below Link, and he looked down. There stood a small Toad wearing an apron with a notepad in his hand. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a pen, clicking it and putting it next to his paper. "Sorry for not heading out to check on yall, but since you're here, what'll you be ordering?"

"Oh, hello," Link greeted the Toad. "Yes, we'll take a medium plate of bacon and eggs with a side of toast, a set of pancakes with whipped cream, and a small bowl of almond buckwheat granola with yogurt and berries, please," Link recited his and his friend's orders punctually, the Toad writing it all down on his notepad. "And three glasses of milk, too."

"You got it," said the Toad, heading off deeper into the kitchen. Link returned to his seat and waited with the others, unsure of what to talk about in the meantime.

"Have to admit, this place is pretty humble," Tael commented on the inn, smiling. "I mean, the princess didn't need to set us up in a place like this. We don't even have to pay!"

"Well, I think it's because their currency is different," Link pondered. While on the way to the inn last night, he caught glimpses of large, golden coins floating around. He guessed that his rupees, no matter how many he had, didn't have much worth here.

"Poyo!" Kirby said.

"Yeah, probably, it's just hard to think that someone we just met would be so kind to us," Link murmured, but he reminded himself that it was rude to blindly make assumptions about others. This Peach was a princess, after all, and a fair one at that, so it was very possible that she was doing this all for them out of the goodness of her heart.

"Order up!" The Toad hollered from the servery, a large platter with all the food Link and ordered set upon it. Link went and fetched the plate, bringing it over to the table and giving his friends their meals.

Kirby, as usual, had requested the fluffiest pancakes the menu offered, and what he received didn't disappoint. Tael had wanted the yogurt, granola, and berries, and the small bowl the perfect size for him. Lastly, Link only wanted something simple to start his day, so he had the basic eggs, bacon, and toast. The three silently thanked their benefactors for their food and began to eat, briskly enjoying their breakfast.

Glamor came from all angles of the dining room as the three friends ate, pictures on the walls of Toads shaking hands, working in the kitchen, and some with their families. Sunlight poured from the open windows, a gentle summer breeze picking up in the silk curtains.

Bacon crunched in Link's mouth, and he took a sip of his milk. Almost right away he didn't want to swallow, the milk tasting watered down and foul. It wasn't horrible, but he much preferred milk from his home, but that was likely personal bias talking. He'd need to get used to it, unfortunately.

Kirby strangely didn't literally inhale his food, instead using his fork and drizzling syrup along his buttered pancakes. He always cherished his pancakes, as Link cherished milk, the only difference being that the pancakes were actually good.

"So," Tael muffled through a mouthful of yogurt and raspberry, "What are we doing today?"

"Mario and Luigi," Link said, wiping away his milk moustache. "You saw how Mario looked at us yesterday, Tael. He's skeptical of us, and I don't blame him."

"What do you mean, you don't blame him? Can't we just show him the Ultra Sword and the portal and call it a day?" Tael didn't want to dally in the kingdom while the entire reason they were here was off in another realm doing who knows what.

"You know why we can't, Tael, he's not just going to join us on a mission across worlds on a whim," Link's reasoning was solid, since a reputed hero such as Mario wouldn't accompany complete strangers. "It won't be a bother, don't worry. It'll be just like when we're with Jim or the Bombers… I hope."

In reality, Link was somewhat nervous about making relations with the Mario Brothers. How Peach spoke of them stuck with the hero long after he had left the castle, they were respected, brave, and used to the status quo of their home. Link, Tael, and Kirby weren't supposed to be here, yet here they were, and they came with bad tidings of something no one could comprehend. Shatterhand was something even Link didn't fully understand, but he knew that the madman had to be stopped.

"Poyo!" Kirby cheered, hopeful for a good day of getting to know the plumber brothers. Something about them seemed so familiar to the pink puffball, so he was open to anything.

There was another reason Link wanted to try and make friends with the Mario Brothers, however. It was because he had started to notice the repeating theme of his and Tael's time in these new realms. First they'd arrive, come into some altercation with royalty, meet the heroes of the realm, be offered a place to sleep, get some very poor rest, have their first proper day, all with an eerily similar breakfast. Link wanted to break that cycle, do something different, and being able to perhaps start a new friendship with the Mario Brothers seemed like the way to do that.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked.

"Yeah, we'll just walk around town a bit until we meet up with them, that's all," Link explained the game plan for the day.

Once the trio finished their meal, they tidied up the table, washed up, and left the inn. They were unsure if they could even pay, so they didn't bother trying to figure out how to convert their money to the golden coins of the Mushroom Kingdom. It seemed rude, but it was all they could do.

Weird looks were given, and whispers were exchanged as Link, Kirby, and Tael awkwardly dawdled around Toad Town, trying to find something to do as they waited for the Mario Brothers to arrive. Each and every Toad that laid eyes on them had something to say, but they didn't talk loud enough for the travelers to hear, thankfully.

Luckily enough, it wouldn't take long for Link and his friends to find the Mario Brothers, though oddly it wasn't the way they had expected.

Mario and Luigi faced off in a tense game, running down the field in a hurry. They bashed against each other, fighting for ownership of the strange metallic-looking ball they were kicking around. Their teammates, trailing right behind them, waited for an opening where their captain would finally pass them the ball.

"Gotcha!" Mario managed to nudge Luigi out of the way far enough for him to stray off with the soccer ball. He kicked it to one of the moles next to him, letting it get further away from the opposing team.

A living skeleton, a mole, and even a ghost made up Mario's team, all working in conjunction with their teammates to get the ball to their goal, Mario cheering them as they worked. But then, the ball was stolen by a little fellow wearing a bone-white mask, one of the enemies! He kicked the ball back to Luigi who started gunning it for the other side of the court, the goalkeeper tensing up when he saw the green man.

Link, Kirby, and Tael were endlessly confused at what was going on and how, or even why it was important. The audience seemed to be having a good time, roaring with praise or screaming in protest depending on which team they were rooting for.

Suddenly, Luigi jumped up into the air, and a crackling green typhoon of plasma enveloped the ball, the plumber using his hands to guide it. Wave-like energy sizzled around, but before Luigi could punt the ball, Mario bashed into his torso and forced the electricity to dissipate prematurely. Luigi landed face first in the grass while Mario ran off with the ball between his feet, kicking back and forth before passing it to a teammate.

"Hey, guys, come on! We've got this!" Luigi quickly recovered from his fall and gave chase, Mario already halfway across the soccer field. The green dinosaur who Mario passed the ball to had lined up a shot at the goal and kicked as hard as he could, making Luigi go pale.

"Not today!" The crocodilian goalkeeper snarled, blocking the ball and sending it flying back from whence it came. He had saved the game, but for how long wasn't assured. Link and the others were still madly bewildered by things they were witnessing firsthand. Walking, talking crocodiles, skeletons, ghosts? Just what magic was this?

"Let's try that again, shall we?" Mario yelled in a cocky tone. He obtained the ball from a teammate and prepared for a devastating kick. He jumped, soaring high into the air, higher than what the others thought humanly possible.

A heated energy came from Mario's heart as his entire body was coated with metal, his appearance darkening as the blazing fire focused on his foot. His eyes burned with a fiery passion as he lined up his shot, the sunlight above gleaming against the metallic sheen of his body. The wave energy returned, growing as hot as magma while he reeled his leg back, and then he kicked the ball with all the force he built up, splitting the item into six duplicates and sending them towards the goalie.

The goalie, in a panic, only managed to destroy two of the balls, the other four flying past him and into the goal, marking the end of the game. Mario's team had won, and the red plumber celebrated with a double jump and a thumbs up to the camera that had been documenting the match for TV.

Mario went over to his defeated brother and extended his hand, waiting for Luigi to take it.

"You know, one of these days I'll beat you!" Luigi said in a huff, smiling as he took his brothers' hand and stood up straight.

"I know, you're already getting good, bro!" Mario complimented, patting Luigi on the back as the two headed off to the locker room to change and rest up. An early morning soccer game was just what they needed to get ready for whatever was ahead of them.

Later, emerging from the locker room, clad in their classic overalls, the first thing Mario noticed was a tall, blond, green fellow standing in the crowd. He groaned, wondering what Link was doing here. It wouldn't be a stretch to assume that that little pink boy and the fairy were with him. Mario and Luigi shared a quizzical look before wordlessly deciding to venture forth and greet the foreigner and his companions.

"Hey, fellas!" Luigi called out to Link, Kirby, and Tael, waving enthusiastically. Mario just rolled his eyes, thinking his brother was a little too eager to get to know the strangers, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested either.

"I don't know what exactly that all was, but it was impressive!" Link commented on the bizarre game as Mario and Luigi approached, half-chuckling. He held his hand out for the brothers to shake, and they did so politely.

"Poyo!" Kirby jumped up, mimicking how Mario kicked the ball earlier.

"Ever heard of soccer?" Luigi asked, but his question was answered by the perplexed look on Link and Kirby's faces. "Well, it's a little game we play from time to time. It's fun, you should join us sometime."

"Hey, Weege, we aren't looking for new players, you know that." Mario remembered the flyers he and the other captains had to put out a few weeks ago. Within a day they had so many applicants that they had to take down the flyers just so the queue of potential players wouldn't get backed up.

"Yeah, yeah, but look at him!" Luigi circled Link, inspecting the Terminian, picturing how'd he look in a uniform, how fast he'd be, and how strong his shots might be. "He'd be a great player just because of his height alone!" Luigi moved his feet as if kicking a ball, "He'd zip along the field like a cannon ball!"

Mario put his hand to his chin and smiled, "Hmm… Maybe he could, but I don't think he really has time for such a thing right now,"

Link didn't know whether to be honored or embarrassed, the mixed signals he was getting from the brothers just confusing him further. "Th-Thank you, but I'm not sure I'd be a good fit for your game," Link chuckled nervously, "I haven't really played a game of any kind since my youth; I don't even know the rules!"

"Nonsense! Maybe when this is all over, we can teach you!" Luigi offered, walking down the path into town casually.

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby cheered, wanting to learn how soccer worked right away.

"Kirby, we don't know how long all this is even going to last," Link told Kirby. Mario and Luigi's eyebrows creased down inquisitively as they both stopped walking, looking back at Link with stunned gazes.

"You, uh… got something outta that?" Luigi asked, gesturing to Kirby with his hand.

"Poyo?"

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, Kirby's way of talking, it takes… some time to really understand," Link stuttered through his sentence, hardly confident that it'd be easy to explain Kirby's unique nature to the brothers, at least in one fell swoop.

"Ah, gotcha…" Mario breathed, turning back around and leading the way for the group around Toad Town. Deep in his mind, his thoughts were swarmed by just how exactly to act around these people. Folks from other realms were nothing new to him, but Link, Kirby, and Tael were far beyond what he'd seen. He decided to just be blunt and rip the Band-Aid off right away. "So, what's your guys' deal?"

"E-Excuse me?" Link asked, a red glow coming from his cheeks.

Mario sighed, inwardly scolding himself, "Sorry, I just… You know, I wanna know who you guys are and such," He crossed his arms and looked away, letting the rim of his cap produce a shadow that hid his embarrassment. "I was never good at asking questions…"

"No, no, it's okay," Tael said softly, hoping not to upset the mustachioed hero in red. "Link here hasn't been the best asking questions either, don't worry."

"Hey!" Link said.

"Poyo!" Kirby's warm company forced all five to smile, the shadow along Mario's eyes leaving as he looked back at the travelers.

"Yeah, I just want to know what life's like for you guys. Where you come from, all that," Mario said, snapping his fingers, a tiny burst of sparks coming from his hand. Link's eyes grew wide at Mario's unintentional display of power.

"Well, the story of my life isn't… the best," Link began, some unwanted memories of his past resurfacing. Gloom almost overtook his voice before he realized what was happening, and he made sure not to go down the rocky road of pain he'd been on. "However, I'm happy with how I've lived and what I've seen. Yeah, it hasn't been the greatest, but honestly…" Link thought about how fortunate he was. He looked down at his hand, at his wedding ring, and smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mario smiled, respecting Link's statement. "The same is kinda true for me and my bro," Mario slung his arm around Luigi's shoulder and smiled broadly. "You see, this guy and I are twins, but I'm just sllliiightly older!" Luigi sighed, his palm connecting with his face. The fact that Mario was just a couple minutes older than his brother was something he always loved to rub in whenever he got the chance. "But we've been through a lot too, me and him," Mario continued.

"Like the whole mansion thing I did with the Poltergust? Or the commotion with Bowser and the paintings?" Luigi recalled. He still had vivid memories of Mario coming to save him from King Boo, gaining invisibility, jumping through a mirror to save Wario, and more. The King Boo thing in particular was a weird reversal of the roles since it was his rescuing Mario in the mansion before that.

"Yeah! Or like when we went to the Beanbean Kingdom?" Mario wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, knowing he was bringing back memories of Prince Peasley for Luigi.

"Hey, stop, he and I are just friends, and you know that!" Luigi grew defensive at Mario's words, clenching his fists as if he wanted to throw down. Kirby found it quite amusing, the powerful brotherly bond between the plumbers easily readable from the way they talked and interacted.

"I'm just messin' with ya, Weege!" Mario laughed heartily when he saw Luigi's flushed reaction, his hysteria making even Tael and Link giggle despite not really knowing who or what Mario was referring to.

"Sounds like you guys have been through a lot," Tael said.

"Yeah, we've been at this for a few years, but what about you guys?" Mario's interest in Link, Kirby, Tael, and the stories they had to tell was sincere. "I mean, you've got all that gear on your back," Mario pointed out Link's sword, shield, and satchel along his belt, "So it's safe to say you've been through a lot, right?"

Link and Tael grew silent. The two friends looked at each other worriedly, wondering if they should delineate just some of the things they'd been through together. "It's a bit of a touchy subject," Tael explained. "There are things that Link and I just… don't really like to remember…"

"Oh, I-" Mario grew flustered, hating to have offended the two. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," he said maturely. Then, Mario had a bright idea, and turned to the others excitedly. "You guys ever had pizza?"

"Pizza?" Link and Tael said simultaneously.

"Oh man, Weege, we have to treat them to pizza, right?" Mario's prior coldness towards the foreigners seemed to just be a distant memory now, the plumber currently ecstatic to show off one of his favorite foods. If they liked pizza, how bad could they possibly be?

"Yeah! You guys would get a kick out of it!" Luigi was just as pumped as Mario, the two jumping into the air and striking a special pose. When they returned to the ground, they eagerly led the others to their favorite hangout spot in all of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"My friends, welcome to 'Teaboy's Cafe!" Mario opened up the wide, double doors to the pizza parlor extravagantly, allowing the scents of tomato sauce, melted cheese, and fresh dough to fill the air. The smells put Link, Kirby, and Tael in a trance as they walked in, fully engrossed in the sight.

"Well hey there, Mario! Glad you could stop by!" A Toad cashier greeted the group as they approached the register. He stood on a high stool just so he could oversee everything, his normally short stature being a problem. "I see you've brought some friends, so will that be a table for five this time?"

"Yep, five," Mario said, making a thumbs up. The meal would be expensive, of course, but he was too enraptured by the idea of treating the three travelers to the Mushroom Kingdom's best. "Come on, guys, we can sit anywhere, so follow me," Mario walked down the aisle, the other customers turning in their seats to see him walk by.

"Ahem, excuse me, sir," One of the Toad waiters tapped Link on the shoulder. "You'll need to leave your gear at the front. Don't worry, we'll take care of it, just we can't have you going around with… all that."

"I see, my apologies," Link undid the strap for his sheath and handed his things over to the Toad, two more waiters arriving to take the weapons away to the back for safekeeping. With that, Link joined back up with the others as they found a booth that would suffice.

"Here, let's see," Mario examined the seating arrangement. The booth was in the shape of a half circle, the seats curved around the equally round table, the other side exposed to the bustling restaurant. "Yep, this'll do."

Mario was first, sliding into the booth slowly. Luigi was right behind him, although he went in a lot faster, gliding along the slick leather seat and accidentally bumping into Mario's shoulder. The pair just laughed. Link easily followed, the booths being just like the ones at the Milk Bar in Termina. Kirby was next, however when he sat down, he was too short to look over the table. He tried jumping up repeatedly, but it was no use.

"Oh, I got this, no problem," Mario jumped out from the booth and ran off, coming back just a second later with a booster seat. "Here you go."

Kirby didn't mind having to use the booster seat, seeing it as hardly an issue. He sat in the chair snugly and Mario scooted it so that it met with the other end of the table. The pink puffball smiled happily as he got comfortable, uttering a few 'poyos' so Link could hand him a menu. Tael flew over and landed on a neatly folded napkin right next to Kirby, glad to finally give his wings a break.

"Ah, Kirby, you won't be needing that," Mario took the menu from Kirby's paws and set it on the table. "I'm ordering us all a pizza, don't worry. Waiter should be coming around any minute!" Right on cue, their server walked up to the table, exchanging greetings with the brothers.

"Good to see you, brothers! I assume you'll be getting the usual?"

"Yeah, just make it a large," Mario replied listlessly, reclining in the booth, hands folded behind his head. The waiter nodded and promptly left, and a second later he could be faintly heard in the background shouting the order to one of the chefs.

"Wow, this place is quite quaint," Link commented, looking at his surroundings. The walls of the pizzeria were painted a warm, striking red, with pictures hanging up similar to the ones at the inn. He was continuously shocked at how homey and cozy almost every location in the kingdom had felt so far.

"Hah! It wasn't always like this, you know. A few years back this place didn't even exist, but we brought along some pointers from our home to the kingdom, and one of the first places they built was this big pizzeria!" Luigi said, gesturing towards the whole of the restaurant.

"Your home?" Tael asked.

"Our home, yeah. We come from a place wayyy far away from the Mushroom Kingdom. Called Brooklyn. We stumbled across a pipe leading here like… ten years ago?" Luigi looked at Mario, hoping he'd validate his guess. Mario nodded, letting Luigi continue, "And we've lived here ever since."

"Speaking of home, where do you guys come from?" Mario asked innocently. He hoped that since they were all in a more comfortable place, Link, Kirby, and Tael would be more willing to talk about whatever place they hailed from.

"W-Well, I- uh…" Link thought it'd be right to talk about it, but he quickly grew nervous at the thought of explaining his peculiar homeland. "I come from a place named Hyrule, and Tael comes from a similar world named Termina. I consider myself to be from Termina now, actually, ever since I stumbled upon the land myself and helped it overcome a certain… problem."

"Woah, that sounds amazing!" Luigi exclaimed, then he snorted. "Hey, Mario, that reminds me of how you came across Lake Lapcat!" Luigi was almost overcome with laughter as he remembered the bizarre way Mario told him how he ended up there. "Get this! Mario was just walkin' along one day when he came across a pool of black ink. Then he-" Luigi snorted again. "Then he just fell in!"

"You just… fell in?" Tael asked, looking a little bemused.

"It's a lot less funny than my brother makes it out to be," Mario emphasized the word 'funny' as he slapped Luigi in the back of the head, making his brother's green hat fall off and plop onto the table.

"I found it, hilarious, thank you very much!" Luigi taunted Mario as he put his hat back on. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the waiter coming with the pizza. "Hey! There it is!"

"Your lunch is served, gentlemen," said the Toad as he placed the pizza platter on the table. "Enjoy."

"Thanks, pal!" Mario said. "Now, fellas, the one rule when eating a pizza is," Link, Tael, and Kirby leaned in as Mario spoke. The red plumber took of his white gloves, and his brother did the same, and they both said, "Just use your hands!"

The Terminians and the Star Warrior gazed with confusion as watched Mario and Luigi both take a slice off the pie, trying not to drip any of the piping hot cheese onto their laps as they ate. The trio glanced at each other for a moment before shrugging and following the brother's example, taking their own slices and digging in. Right away, their taste buds exploded with the fantastical flavor of the seasoned pizza.

As they ate, Link discussed his and Tael's past further, along with some of Kirby's.

"After we had fought the Thunderbird, I went to my room and came across this sort-of…" Link snapped his fingers, trying to remember the exact details of his first encounter with Dark Link. "Right, I met a shadow version of myself! I thought I was just seeing things, but when he jumped from the mirror and wrapped his hands around my neck, I knew something was up."

"We've faced shadow versions of ourselves before, right Mario?" Luigi asked, wiping away some of the pizza sauce that had scattered along his upper lip.

"Yeah, we did. Honeyhive, right? That was the first time?" Mario had a few foggy memories of his time in space, but he'd never forget the shrill voice of his cosmic clone.

"Anyways, after the whole mirror thing, later that night, I had a dream. It was the most realistic dream I had ever had at that point," Link, even though the dream he spoke of was more so a nightmare, he looked back on it fondly. Bellum had pulled out all the stops to instill fear, and he respected it. "This dream monster that the witches summoned had been messing with my head."

"Dreams, huh? You know what's funny?" Luigi asked rhetorically, "I usually don't remember most of my dreams, except for when we went to Pi'illo Island. Prince Dreambert was a big help with that. Although last night I do remember my dream, and it was the weirdest thing, now that I think about it…"

"What was it, Weege?" Mario asked after he drank a bit of his water, setting the glass down on the table beside his plate.

"Well, the weirdest part about it was," Luigi put down his third slice of pizza and pointed at Link and Kirby, "You two were there! I mean, I've never dreamed about people I had just met, but who knows, my mind has always been a little out there."

Link stopped eating right away, his eyes wide and mouth agape. He put down his second slice and cleared his throat, dwelling on what Luigi had described. A dream with both he and Kirby in it? Impossible, it couldn't have been like his dream this past night, could it? Mario and his brother noticed Link's change in attitude and stared at him with befuddlement.

"Luigi… About your dream, you said that Kirby and I were there?"

"Yeah, why?" Luigi responded with a question, thinking nothing of the dream.

"Who…" Link paused, thinking about how to word it. "Who else was there? In the dream, I mean."

"Who else was there? I don't think…" Luigi trailed off, a lightbulb flickering on in his head. "Now that you mention it, there were some others there. Mario was there next to me in the dream, along with some other people I didn't really know. But why do you ask, Link?"

"Hey, hey, hang on, Weege," Mario interrupted, putting his hand on the table. "I'm just like you, I don't really remember my dreams too often, but I think I had one just like yours last night! It's real fuzzy to me, but all I remember was you being there, and these vines coming along, and-"

"Mario, Luigi," It was Link's turn to interrupt. "I think we all had the same dream…"

"Poyo poyo!" Kirby interjected, wobbling around in his booster seat excitedly. "Poy poy poyo! Poyo!"

"What'd he say?" Mario tilted his head to Link.

Link's eyes grew ever more surprised. The whole reason why Kirby had visited his room earlier that morning, before they got distracted by the television, was to tell him about his own dream. A dream that included Link, Mario, Luigi, and other, unknown people. Shocked and aghast, Link furrowed his brow, trying to figure out what the dream must've really meant.

"Ay, Link!" Mario shouted for the third time, finally getting the hero's attention. Link knew he had a habit for drowning out other sounds when he was deep in thought, and he apologized.

"Kirby had the same dream as you, Luigi, and so did I," Link explained hastily, keeping his voice down. He didn't know why, but something told him he had to keep this between himself and his companions. "All of us, floating in a void, with these vines coming and wrapping around our arms. I remember it exactly. And the detail of those strangers that we couldn't recognize."

Mario could see just how serious Link was being, and that was all he needed for trust to finally blossom. That sincere glint in Link's eye as he discussed his dream, Kirby's dream, and how it was the same as Luigi's was the last ounce of truth he wanted to be convinced of Link and his cause.

"I think that someone is trying to tell us something," Link's tone went a little lower, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if it has something to do with Shatterhand, but I hope it does. Whoever they are, they know that we, all of us," Link gestured to the whole group, "Are destined to meet."

"You even said that there were people you didn't recognize in the dream, right?" Mario cut in, taking every detail of the dream into consideration. "Weege and I know a lot of people, but even we didn't recognize them. Maybe… Maybe there's even more people that are meant to join us!"

"Us?" Link reeled back with surprise.

"Yeah, 'us', because all of this," Mario alluded to the lunch he and the others had shared, "All of this has convinced me, don't worry. I know it was a rocky start, but I'm willing to do this. You guys are good people, I'm just sorry it took me a while to see it."

"It's alright, Mario," Tael consoled the plumber.

"Besides, we've worked with a team before, so it'll be a piece of cake," Luigi said confidently. No matter how cowardly he was inside, the green plumber still had the same desire to protect the things he cared about that his brother had.

Suddenly, the table began to shake. Every table began to shake, the glasses and plates rattling against the plaid tablecloth, some even falling to the floor and shattering into pieces. The entire restaurant quaked, and outside, a massive explosion rocked the land violently. Mario and Kirby could see just in the window across from their table something crashing into a nearby building, destroying a billboard and landing in the street below. Then, a large looming shadow creeped along the ground, blocking out the midday sun.

Chapter Text

I do hope some people review... I wanna know what you guys think! Anyways, here's another chapter for ya! I'm happy with how this one came out! Enjoy!
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 11: We Shatter

Jim and his horse, Ivory, went down the sandy path towards the mouth of Great Bay in no hurry. The Bomber could taste the salt in the air as his trusty steed trotted along, weaving his way through the poorly placed fences and other obstacles. Even if he normally admired the view of the sea, now, there were different things on Jim's mind.

Romani sat quietly on the tiled porch of the beach house, staring out at the ocean blankly. Her arms were crossed, and she could feel the breeze of the bay flow through her hair, yet she didn't bask in it. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge the scene before her, her eyes too focused on the picture in her head. The image of her husband, wherever he might be, doing who knows what. She couldn't stop thinking about it, not for a second.

"Romani!" Jim called out as soon as he spotted her. She didn't hear him, too absorbed in her own paranoid thoughts. He called to her again, then again, the third attempt finally being successful.

"Oh, hello, Jim!" Romani stood up slowly, one hand on her back, the other rubbing her stomach. The baby wasn't too happy with its mother's mood lately, kicking and squirming around. "H-How are you?" She managed to say while waving.

Jim looked at Romani with concern as Ivory slowed down to a stop. He dismounted from his horse and put his hands on his hips, his red bandana flapping in the wind. "I think a better question is how are you, Romani? You better not have been sitting out here again."

"Romani hasn't been out here for that long, don't be silly! She's just… Uh…" Romani lost her words, barely able to keep up the facade of being fine. Her sentence didn't even finish, and instead she just looked down and played with her wedding band, hoping Jim wouldn't inquire more.

Jim sighed, shaking his head. Romani had been almost a different person in the week Link had been gone. Her voice was less spunky, her attitude was dreary, and she hadn't been eating right. To top it all off, every single day, when Jim came to visit to check up on her, he found her just sitting on the porch, staring out at the sea, doing nothing. He didn't know how long she was at it, but he presumed it was hours. Statue-like is what he described her as to Anju, Kafei, and Cremia.

"Romani, please, be honest with me," Jim asked sincerely, worried for his friend. Romani was one of Jim's only friends he had to talk to, to tell the truth. Link was off on his quest, the other Bombers were busy living their lives, and Skull Kid… Jim tried not to think about. All he had was his girlfriend Pamela and Romani.

"Romani is being honest, now stop asking questions!" Romani balled up her fists and kept them to her sides, trying to get Jim to stop worrying. Even as an adult, she hated being the subject of worry. She had proven long ago that she can take care of herself, so she thought this was no different.

"Hey, I'm not trying to make you upset, Romani! I'm just… You know…" Jim could tell that Romani herself was worried about Link, as he was. It was the subject of a lot of his thoughts. He hoped and prayed that Link was alright, since this journey across the realms wasn't quite the same as the pair of adventures Link had in both Hyrule and Termina.

Silence fell on the two friends as looked at each other, great concern coating Jim's face as he gazed at Romani. He stepped closer, opening his arms up for a hug, which Romani quickly accepted. Link had always instilled the best in them, but now with him absent, they felt almost empty. They were used to Link being there, making up the inseparable trio that had faced down the Garo Master and Twinrova all those years ago.

"Just because you miss him," Jim said, fighting his instincts not to cry, "Doesn't mean you're not the only one." Jim parted from Romani and smiled weakly. There, the ranch woman could see the bags under his eyes. "I've been losing sleep over this, trust me, and so has Anju and Kafei. We're all worried about him."

"Romani… Romani knows…"

"You aren't alone, Romani, and you know that," Jim walked up to his horse and patted her on the side. "Come on, Anju wants you to stay a few nights at the inn, just so you'll be okay. Alright?"

"Jim, I…" Romani muttered, looking back to the ocean. For a minute or two she just stared out at the sea, uncertain about what she should do. A small frown grew along her face, and she huffed, turning away and joining Jim. "Fine, Romani needs to get away from this view anyways…"

Jim smiled and helped Romani get onto Ivory safely. Even while pregnant, she still knew how to ride a horse, but to be sure that nothing happened, Jim was going to handle his steed. With a gentle kick of his boots, Ivory took off, leaving Great Bay and soon entering Termina Field, Clock Town in her sights. But the entire ride to town, all Romani could think about was her Grasshopper.

Link, Mario, Luigi, Tael, and Kirby jumped from their seats to peer out the window. Sure enough, there was something huge outside hovering in the sky, casting a shadow along the bustling strip of Toad Town. The group immediately raced to the front door, Link picking up his gear on the way out and putting it on in three seconds flat.

"What's happening?" Tael asked as he flew over to Mario and hid behind his cap.

Mario and his brother stared at the enormous ship in the sky, their faces conveying that they were ready to fight. None of them knew what was going on, but it was clear it wasn't a friendly visit. Deep down, Link had a hunch that he knew what was going on, but he wished it wasn't what he was thinking. He simply kept quiet and pulled out his sword and shield.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's gotta get through us!" Mario declared valiantly as he inspected the dreadnaught that was suspended in the sky. It's size was comparable to Peach's Castle, and it boasted on board weaponry more menacing than anything that Bowser had ever shown off.

More cannon shots were fired from the ship, each striking one of the buildings in the vicinity and taking out a chunk of them, rubble and debris crashing down onto the road. Screaming Toads fled the scene, some tripping and falling, getting almost trampled by the others trying to run away.

"Ah!" Mario watched a set of Toads get stepped on like dirt by their own friends. Mortified, Mario's instincts took hold, grabbing Luigi's arm and breaking off from the group to go help the injured Toads. "C'mon, Weege, we gotta help them!" Mario looked back and shouted orders to the others, "Link, Kirby, you guys stay there and figure out what's going on!"

"Got it!" Link replied, holding his sword firmly.

"Poyo!" Kirby wiped away his normal smile, his face scrunching up into a frown. He ferreted around to see if there was anything to inhale for a Copy Ability, but nothing stood out to him just yet.

Up above, the dreadnaught's hull slowly opened, revealing thousands, if not millions of mechanical looking things that flew out and descended towards the Mushroom Kingdom. Such advanced technology was foreign even to this realm. The drones soared down and deployed their weapons, elongated tubing with rectangular bottoms, magazines chock full of ammo. They didn't fire, however, only using their large, glass eyes to scan the environment, searching for something.

"You ready for this, Kirby?" Link looked down at Kirby as he reached into his item bag and retrieved his hookshot. Kirby looked a little worried, but he brushed off his fear and summoned his Warp Star, hopping on and getting into a defensive stance. Link just beamed, "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Kirby flew off on his Warp Star and Link took to the air with his hookshot, firing it into the side of a nearby building and letting his body be hoisted upward. When he reached the peak of his ascent, he detached the tip of the hookshot and aimed it at another building, firing it. Link started his swinging technique, something he had mastered long ago while training in Great Bay. Tael did his best to keep up with his companion, zipping along and helping Link find good places to fire the hookshot.

One of the drones swooped down and planned to intercept Link, flying right into the hero's path. Link brought his foot upward, and as soon as he was in range, he kicked, smashing into the glass eye of the machine and rendering it blind. It scuttled around in the sky before crashing into the pavement, sparks flying from its exposed circuitry.

Link swung one last time before landing on the roof of an arcade, taking a moment to inspect his surroundings. This part of Toad Town hadn't been seen yet, at least by his eyes. The Terminian ran to the edge of the rooftop and peered down at the street below, trying to get a grip on where he was.

"Alright, where to next?" Link asked Tael as he scanned the ground and the adjacent buildings.

"How am I supposed to know, Link?! I was following your lead!" Tael complained.

"Well I- Uh oh," Link turned back around to face Tael, but the sight of a squad of incoming drones caught his eye. Link pulled his shield from his back and held it up, ready to slash anything that came close.

The drones readied their weapons, the tubes heating up in preparation to fire, but then suddenly they stopped. Their guns retracted back into their bodies and their eyes focused intently on Link. Something about him had garnered someone's attention, but they weren't granted much time to analyze Link, the sounds of a sparking star coming from the right.

Kirby rode on his Warp Star and passed by the squad of machines, the gust of wind confusing their flight stabilizers. The Star Warrior inhaled two of the drones and spat them back out, their remains colliding with the other two and exploding in a burst of flame.

"Way to go, Kirby!" Tael cheered for the pink puffball.

Kirby waved to his friends before another drone tried to attack. It's weapon fired a concentrated bolt of plasma at the hero, but the Warp Star dodged and then flew in closer, allowing Kirby to inhale the pest. Kirby jumped up as a blinding white light engulfed him, and when he became visible again, he had obtained the Jet Ability. With a large thruster mounted on his back, Kirby's speed greatly increased, his Warp Star shrinking down to pocket size for the puffball to store away.

"Woah, yeah!" Link stared with awe as he witnessed Kirby fly around like a shooting star, more of the machines in pursuit. There was no time to waste, so Link aimed his hookshot at another wall and started to swing away, his sword in his other hand.

Any incoming drone was sliced clean in half by the Gilded Sword, Link's accuracy itself a dangerous opponent. With each swing from the hookshot, Link slashed his sword gracefully, clearing the way for more Toads on the ground to make it to safety. The act reminded the hero that Mario and Luigi were still somewhere down below, completely open to attack.

"Kirby, you go on and take care of those machines, Tael and I are heading back to help the brothers!" Link shouted to Kirby. As the pink warrior rocketed through the sky, he plowed through every drone that entered his sight, their pieces raining down on the ground.

"Poyo?" Kirby just barely heard Link before a large mass of darkness came out of nowhere, striking Kirby directly in the cheek and sending him spiraling out of control. He fell out of the sky, crashing somewhere out of sight from Link.

"What the-?" Link's eyes widened in horror, alarmed that someone had the skill to hit Kirby at such high speeds. Suddenly, a small, circular device shot out towards Link, a metal rope connected to it. In his distraction he had no time to react, the steel cable swinging around his body and trapping him like a hunted animal.

"Enough!" A booming voice roared from the ground as the metal wire forced Link downward, the chain of the hookshot almost snapping as the hero was sent plummeting.

Link crashed like a meteorite, the impact of his landing forming a crater in the solid concrete of the sidewalk. Dust, pebbles, and rock were flung into the air and the Gilded Sword and Mirror Shield clattered on the road just a few feet away. The wire tightened around Link's body, tearing the sleeves of his tunic and his leggings, drawing blood. Link groaned as his back ached from the crash, struggling to free himself from the cable. He didn't even get the chance to escape, the cord dragging him out of the crater and into the air, wrapping around a lamppost and leaving him dangling upside down.

"Hm…" A voice murmured, Link freezing as soon as he heard it. A tall, slender man appeared in front of Link, eyes narrowed, inspecting him. Link's heart pounded, threatening to burst out of his chest, his senses screaming at him that this was the monster he'd been looking for. The gentleman looked unimpressed with the subject of his eyes. "You're not the man I expected to see here."

"Sh-Shatterhand?" Link asked.

"Yes, it is I," said the man confidently, bowing before Link as the hero remained in the air, swaying gently as he hung precariously from the lamppost.

Shatterhand smiled wickedly, his perfect, white teeth showing from beneath his heavy, ginger moustache. He wore a plated-armor suit, colored a deep navy blue and sporting a golden belt with various trinkets hooked onto it. On his pointer finger of the left hand was a the end of a wire, the same wire that was wrapped around Link, keeping him in place. On his right hand was a black, geometric gauntlet with a shimmering darkness coming from its jagged fingertips.

"I must admit, I was anticipating someone much… older than you," Shatterhand remarked, slowly walking circles around Link as he dangled helplessly. "Tell me, did my men actually finish off your variant? Was their incompetence unfounded, and did I kill them for nothing?"

Link said nothing, scowling as he locked eyes with Shatterhand.

"Well?!" Shatterhand flexed his left hand, the cord around Link's body tightening. Blood started to leak from the hero's cuts, dripping off the edges of the steel wire binding him. Link groaned again as the rope lacerated his skin.

"He-" Link sputtered, struggling to breathe. He grit his teeth and spoke scornfully. "He succumbed to his wounds, you bastard! I… made him a promise when he died. I am here in his place."

Shatterhand's eyes widened, and he relaxed his hand, the wire loosening its grip a bit, allowing the hero to get some oxygen. The fiend turned away and pondered to himself for a moment, his gauntlet rubbing his chin smoothly. A light chuckle came from his lips, the scenario amusing him. "I guess those boys were more skilled than I gave them credit for…"

Shatterhand flipped back around, his cape rustling. "No matter, as I suspected killing your variant would've been ridiculously easy. You, however, you're younger, stronger, more resistant. Finishing you will be a treat!" Venom laced Shatterhand's mouth as he clenched his fist, the wire tightening once more, straining Link's body even harder than before.

"N-No! Augh!" Link grunted, fighting to somehow free himself. He felt the wire further maim his skin, the blood trickling down his arms. A part of him refused to die, not like this.

"Get away from him!" Mario's voice came as a surprise as he jumped in to save Link, his outfit now a completely different palette. His overalls were a rosy red and his shirt and cap were as white as snow.

Mario lunged his fists forward, flames building up by his palms before taking shape, being launched from his hands and knocking Shatterhand away. Three fireballs made direct contact with the target, but he quickly pulled his cape up and deflected the rest of the volley, smoke rising from the heat resistant material. Surprised at how effortlessly his fire was handled, Mario looked to Luigi.

"Give him all you got, Weege!" Mario ran over to help Link as Luigi unleashed Thunderhand, sending waves of lightning at Shatterhand, keeping him at bay for a moment. Taking one look at the wire suspending Link in midair told the plumber that it needed to be cut, and luckily the Gilded Sword was just a few feet away.

Mario picked up the Gilded Sword and easily cut the steel wire, leading to Link falling to the ground unceremoniously. Helping the Terminian to his feet, Mario dusted Link off while he came to his senses. "Here, I think this is yours," Mario handed Link the sword and shield.

"Thanks…" Link panted, his arms shaky and his sleeves stained with his blood.

"WAAH!" Luigi flew past Link and Mario and slammed into a stop sign on the other side of the street, the pole ringing as it bent under the weight of Luigi's body.

"Hey!" Mario shouted to Shatterhand, his fist igniting again in rage. Shatterhand sneered, pleased with himself as Mario went to help his brother, Link defending the pair with the Mirror Shield. "Hey, hey, bro, you alright?" Mario tended to an injured Luigi, examining his face and arms.

"Ugh… I… I think I broke a rib," Luigi wheezed as he clutched the lower side of his torso in pain. It felt tender and sore, a hideous bruise forming underneath his shirt. Blood was already rushing to the area to mend his wound, but the bone would need more time. Mario helped his brother stand, Luigi powering through the agony. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I can still fight! I just… gotta be careful…"

"You sure about that, bro?" Mario asked, his face laden with concern.

"To think there'd be an instance where four of my greatest adversaries would all be together in the same place," Shatterhand mused. Mario, Luigi, and Link faced the madman, readying their respective means of defense. For Shatterhand, however, seeing all of them here was such a delicious opportunity. "So many birds with one single stone," he hissed.

"Who even are you?!" Mario shouted.

"Why tell you when you won't live to understand?" Shatterhand answered boastingly, beginning his approach towards the three with a confident swagger in every step. A sickening snarl cursed his lips as he strutted along the road, each time his foot touched ground, the pavement cracked under the sheer amount of energy surging through his body.

Time seemed to slow down as Mario, Luigi, and Link looked to one another in unison. They only had a few seconds to think, but they all came to the silent agreement that they needed to fight, even if the battle wasn't to come out in their favor. As Shatterhand's gauntlet powered up, he cocked his arm back, ready to strike. Link was up first, bravely walking forward and bringing the Mirror Shield up to meet Shatterhand's fist. When they connected, dark energy blasted off the shield, the impact reverberating through the item like a clock chime.

"Come on!" Mario yelled as he jumped into the air, charging Firebrand in his fist and bringing it down on Shatterhand in a swift dunking motion.

The armor on Shatterhand's suit acted independently, restructuring itself around his left arm as he raised it to block Mario's Firebrand. It defended without a hint of tension, a humored glint shining in the deranged eyes of the armor's owner. All the confidence vanished from Mario's gaze as Shatterhand grabbed his arm, the flames dissipated. "You really think I'm not prepared for all your pathetic tricks, little man?"

"Uh…" Mario stuttered as Shatterhand cackled, panicking on the inside. "Lu-Luigi! Now!"

"Wha-?" Shatterhand turned to where he last saw Luigi, only to be met with a blast of lightning to his right. He bellowed in pain and concentrated all the Dark Matter into a single point in his gauntlet, creating an explosion that sent all three of his attackers flying.

Link, Mario, and Luigi didn't waste any time recovering, the three of them engaging Shatterhand again all at once. Their grunts, screams, and cries of pain could be heard all throughout the now empty Toad Town, along with the shrill cacophony of weaponry firing off. A few shots of darkness bounced off the Mirror Shield and into the sky as fire and lightning sounded off, but there was no one to see the battle unfold.

Kirby wakened in a ball pit, his body brushing against all the differently colored spheres. He had to take a minute until he realized where he was, carefully swimming out of the surprisingly deep sea of plastic. He was in the ruins of a children's play place, having smashed through one of the front windows when he was shot out of the sky. The Jet Ability was long gone, it being flung away from his body when he landed so ungracefully.

"Poyo? Poyo!" Kirby called out, hoping there'd be someone around to hear. Nothing. "Poyo?" He uttered again, only to get the same result.

Memories flooded back in as Kirby remembered why he had been struck down. He quickly leaped from the ball pit and summoned his Warp Star, his air ride swerving through the tatters of the dining area and out of the building. Twinkling up into the air, the Warp Star hovered high away from the ground, Kirby trying to spot any drones. Strangely, none could be seen.

A stray shot of lightning thundered out into the stratosphere, Luigi having been knocked off his feet and misfiring. Already Kirby spotted his friends, all three locked in battle with Shatterhand. The tendency to protect snatched Kirby up and the Warp Star drifted down toward the fight.

"There you are…Kirby!" Shatterhand glared at Kirby's arrival, and he reached down to his belt to unsheathe his stolen Galaxia. Shock riddled the Star Warrior's body as he stared at the sword, fear encroaching upon his heart like a disease. A grim smirk gleaned Shatterhand's mouth, and he slashed the Warp Star, denting the vehicle and sending Kirby flying.

Kirby sailed through the air and into an alleyway, where he collided with the lid of a dumpster before falling in with a thud, the top rattling before it slammed shut. Link only saw it through the corner of his eye, fighting to focus on his opponent. The Gilded Sword and Shatterhand's Parallel Galaxia clashed, the blades scraping against each other brutally. As his and Link's swords fought, Shatterhand, expertly tactful, used the gauntlet on his other hand to keep the brothers in check.

"Your form is off, young man," Shatterhand continued to analyze Link, noting that his legs were placed at an awkward position. "You haven't fought in some time, have you? Typical. You 'Links' seem to always have a batch of adventures before fizzling out like a wasted candle. At least you're not as wild as some of your counterparts."

Link kept quiet, his expression cold and unfeeling. He was in full Hero mode now.

The dreadnaught was floating high above the fight, the hangars opening up as they did when they released the drones, but now with a dozen or so figures lining up at the edges. They waited for Shatterhand's signal.

Kirby slowly recovered from the dumpster, inhaling some of the garbage inside and donning the Poison Ability. It was a foul-tasting power, but it was the only ability he had to work with. Jumping from the dumpster, Kirby stared down Shatterhand angerly. He put some pep in his step as he dashed through the alley, closing in. A vile mist of miasma concentrated in Kirby's mouth, the Star Warrior exhaling powerfully.

"Useless!" Shatterhand chortled, sweeping his leg underneath Link and knocking him over. Another volley of fireballs were impeded by Shatterhand's armor, the showboating conqueror using Kirby's speed against the others, stepping out of the way so that Kirby's mist missed, the Mario Brothers getting a face full of the smog instead.

Mario and Luigi hacked and wheezed, their airways corroded with the harsh smoke. Kirby gasped and quickly ran to help them, wailing repeated 'poyos' in apologies.

Shatterhand bounded up and away, floating through the air before touching down across from the group of heroes. A sly grin formed, pushing up his moustache as he raised his gauntlet into the air, waiting for just the right moment. Finally, he snapped his fingers, the loud sound resonating through the air before reaching the dreadnaught hangars. Without hesitation, all of the rallying soldiers took the plunge. They landed on the street painlessly, the suits they wore absorbing any damage they might have sustained from the fall.

"This, haha… This is exactly what I wanted," Shatterhand stated calmly, stretching his arms out to accentuate his finest. They lined up uniformly behind their leader, all taking the same aggressive stance, ready for battle. "All of you, against all of me!"

Kirby helped Mario and Luigi up, patting their backs to get the lingering remnants of weaponized pollution out of their lungs. Link got to his feet and joined his friends, Tael flying over and hovering by the green hero's hat. A horrid realization presented itself to all five of them, as now they were terribly outmatched. Only four of them could fight, and just three were able to stand toe to toe against Shatterhand's overwhelming might.

"Alright, Link, you know this guy better than any of us, so what's our game plan?" Mario asked uneasily. A blazing inferno erupted from Mario's fists as a similar burst of sparks came from Luigi's.

"How do you- How am I- I don't…" Link struggled through his words. What he knew was unsatisfactory for the situation. For a split second he felt small, like he was twelve, facing Majora again in her lair. "I don't know," he whispered fearfully.

"Courage seems to have forsaken you, 'hero'. In that case, may all your deaths be swift and absolute," Shatterhand exclaimed, his yo-yo returning to him, its metal wire reshaping and reconnecting with the spindle. Shatterhand started to play with his toy turned tool innocently, almost taunting the ones who opposed him.

Mario grew irked with Shatterhand's boisterous manner of speaking and overconfidence in himself. The Firebrand sizzled along the red plumber's gloves, mirroring his heightened emotions, and he took the first step forward without thinking. Kirby followed Mario's lead, then Link, then Luigi.

Shatterhand leaned over to his captain who stood beside the rest of his men, watching intently as Link, Mario, Luigi, Kirby, and Tael approached. He said briefly, "I do admire their pluck."

Shatterhand raised his left arm slowly, pointing towards the group. Without the need for words, his soldiers took steps equal to the heroes, ready to engage. The Mario Brothers, Link, Kirby, and Tael had a feeling they were walking into a futile encounter. They hadn't trained together, learned how to work off of each other, nothing. Humbled sweat beaded down along their faces, yet they still marched on with pride.

Link got an idea. He reached into his bag and pulled out the Ultra Sword. In an instant, Shatterhand lowered his arm, his face morphing from smug contentment to disconcerted surprise.

"Wait," Shatterhand ordered softly to his men, all of which stopped, standing in united formation. He rose his voice to address Link and the sword in his hand, his tone akin to gravel, "That sword, it belongs to me!"

"Actually, Kirby is its rightful owner," Link replied, handing the Ultra Sword to the pink puffball. "You're the one who stole it from him!"

"Stole it?" Shatterhand laughed, entertained by the statement. "You're in dire need of a lesson, boy. I came across that blade while I was drifting along the precipice of oblivion, being juggled across dimensions all thanks to that little, blue twerp in the robe! The one who meddled with that darkness!"

Kirby stopped dead in his tracks, turning to Link. "Poyo?"

"Now," Shatterhand extended his arm, beckoning Kirby, "Kindly return me my propert-"

"You know," Mario interrupted, walking ahead of the others. He placed his hands on his hips and stared Shatterhand down with burning hatred. "Could you kindly leave this dimension? The Mushroom Kingdom is a peaceful place, with Toads just living their lives here!"

"You think my quarrel has anything to do with this kingdom?! Fool! I'm only here because of that boy in the tunic!" Shatterhand pointed to Link, his words a grating scream. "He dared to travel across the realms in an attempt to stop me! Link, you cannot fathom what you have stumbled into! Do you know how many variants of you I've slain?! Variants of all of you?!"

Link felt small as the others looked to him.

"That's it!" Mario jumped high into the sky and aimed for Shatterhand. Fierce flames built up in his hand and he made another dunking motion. Firebrand scorched the Earth as he smashed his fist into the ground, Shatterhand vaulting out of the way. The two started to brawl, each swing of Mario's blazing fists being blocked by either Shatterhand's Dark Matter gauntlet or the armor surrounding his other hand.

"Get them!" Shatterhand ordered his troops as he and Mario fought. The captain sprang into action, unsheathing his sword and diving for Link. The Gilded Sword met the captain's as Kirby and Luigi handled the rest of the soldiers.

Mario and Shatterhand exchanged blows again and again, a raging inferno powering the red plumber's movements. His heart resonated with passion for the Mushroom Kingdom, and he wasn't about to let this multiversal weirdo lay waste to the place he called home. An afterglow of metal coating Mario's gloves, the sheer anger of his attacks calling upon several of his powers at once. Such a task wore down the hero's body unlike anything else.

"You're a bit different from most of the other plumbers I've finished, I'll give you that," Shatterhand threw a punch, Mario just narrowly moving into a defensive position to block it. His forearms ached, but the metal surrounding his gloves crept further onto his limbs to protect them.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Mario snapped back, ramming his fist into the gauntlet, both his fire and the darkness exuding enough force to make the ground shudder.

"I suppose so," Shatterhand said casually, blocking another burning punch. "However you wish to interpret it. But such mastery over your abilities shows me what you really want out of them."

"I just want you out!" Mario yelled, giving his all. His fists couldn't even be distinguished from the flames, the Firebrand engulfing his punches, and the metal keeping the force of his throws strong. Even feathers from the Wing Cap appeared by his hat as he jumped out of the way of another blast of darkness, the hero drifting through the air.

"And I just want you dead," Shatterhand proclaimed menacingly. With Mario out of range of his hands, he spun his yo-yo with unmatched speed, the wire cord zooming around and ensnaring the mustachioed man as it did Link.

The metal lining Mario's arms kept them safe from the rigid strain of the metal rope. Shatterhand frowned at the lack of audible agony, and with a little help from an energy cell from his belt, he charged the yo-yo with electricity and sent a current through the steel.

Mario groaned in pain as the electricity flowed from the string to his arms, giving him an intense shock. Normally when in metal form, electrocution was no issue, but with only his arms made of the material, the rest of his human body was left vulnerable to the searing current of energy.

Meanwhile, Kirby had been able to incapacitate a few of the soldiers sent to kill him with the Poison Ability. Just one puff of smog was enough to get them on their knees, gasping for air.

"Hey, uh, Kirby? You mind lending a hand?" Luigi shouted. His Thunderhand was powerful, but using it took a lot out of him, and with five foes to contend with, his exhaustion was almost overwhelming.

"Poyo!" Kirby raced to help Luigi, spewing a stream of gunk at a few of the soldiers trying to stab the poor green plumber. One of them went flying, crashing through the shopping window of a flower shop. The rest were rendered unconscious thanks to Luigi's Thunderhand, but it'd only be for a moment.

There, Kirby and Luigi reconvened.

"Okay, you have any plans?" Luigi asked in a huff.

"Poyo!" Kirby replied, pointing eagerly to the wrecked flower shop.

"Uh… English?" Luigi asked, still unable to understand Kirby. The pink puffball just repeated his words, again pointing to the flower shop. "Oh, Kirby, you know I don't know what you're saying!"

Kirby just gazed at Luigi annoyedly before jumping up and putting his paws onto Luigi's head, tilting it to face the shop.

"Kirby, what's this gotta do with the-" A lightbulb went off in Luigi's head. Among the broken glass and soldier covered in purple sludge was a little, light blue flower, looking back at the green man. Luigi turned back to Kirby, smiling as he finally got the not-so-subtle hint.

Link's sword and the captain's sword clashed again, sparks raining down from the impact. Their blades were of equal strength, but one of them was clearly more exhausted than the other. Link's face was battered and bruised, his arms and legs cut and bleeding, and everything ached.

The captain saw an opening in Link's form. Without a second to lose he kicked the pit of Link's leg and forced him to kneel, completely at the mercy of the ruthless killer.

"It's funny," The captain said as he raised his sword into the air, bringing it down on Link's arm. He watched with sadistic glee as his weapon impaled the hero's bicep, the muscle tearing. "You're here to avenge your variant, correct? Well, look around you! Still willing to walk the path of justice?!"

"Without…" Link panted, "Without hesitation."

"Truly fascinating," The captain smirked, but when he went to pull his sword from Link's arm and stab him in the chest, he found his hands to be frozen solid.

Luigi, now donning a set of green overalls and a bright, teal shirt, threw a bevvy of ice at the captain, first at his legs, then at his torso. The ice quickly grew, encasing the warrior on a frigid cold coffin, the man watching with horror. He screamed as loud as he could before the ice got to his head, his cry being cut off when it passed. Kirby used the Ultra Sword and swung at the blade impaled in Link's arm, shattering it and freeing the hero.

"I don't know how long that'll hold him, but we need to help Mario! C'mon!" Luigi dashed down the street to his brother, still trapped in the binding wire of Shatterhand's yo-yo.

Link paused, looking back. The other guards were starting to come to, recovering quickly from Kirby's smog and Luigi's Thunderhand. In an instant, Link's critical mind took hold, thinking about what could possibly go down in they all battled Shatterhand. They'd be cornered for sure, the rising guards coming from behind as Shatterhand engaged from the front. That would most definitely lead to a terrible fate.

"Kirby, give me the Ultra Sword," Link asked, catching up with Luigi and the pink puffball.

"Poyo?"

"Just give it to me!"

Kirby handed Link the Ultra Sword, the hero just barely able to hold it with one hand. With the other, he pulled out the hookshot, aiming it at the furthest building and firing. The chain rattled through the air and planted itself in the firm brick, and Link let himself be swept off the ground and into the air. He swung through the air and dived down towards Mario, using the hulking blade to cut the string to Shatterhand's yo-yo again.

"What?!" Shatterhand watched in disbelief as Link flew back into the air and landed on the roof of a nearby bookstore.

"Kirby! Help Mario and join me up here!" Link shouted down to the little pink boy. Kirby nodded and summoned his Warp Star again, pulling Luigi onto it as it swerved through the street and towards Mario.

"Poy yo!" Kirby cheered as Luigi grabbed his brother's hand, heaving Mario up onto the Warp Star. Before Shatterhand could act, Luigi gave him a volley of ice as a present, freezing the tyrant's boots to the ground.

Kirby, Mario, and Luigi arrived on the top of the building alongside Link, ready for what he had planned next. "Okay, guys, what are we going to do? Huh?" Mario, even with the smoke rising from his body, was filled with determination.

They didn't expect for Link to swing the Ultra Sword and open up a portal. Kirby, Mario, Luigi, and Tael stared with shock as the glittering tear in reality faced them, the wind of the Mushroom Kingdom flowing through their hair.

"We need to get out of here," Link said flatly.

"What?! What are you talking about?" Mario quickly became aggressive, and when Link just repeated himself, he took the pointy-eared hero by the shoulders and started shaking him wildly. "We aren't leaving! Who knows what he'll do to the kingdom? To the princess!? Who do you think you are?!"

"Hey, stop, listen to me," Link grabbed Mario's hands and removed them from his shoulders. "Shatterhand's doesn't care about the kingdom. Remember what he said? He's here because of me, and now he's just after us! We can't beat him, not yet…"

"Of course we can beat him!" Mario and Link struggled against each other for a second before Luigi broke them up.

"Mario, calm down!" Luigi pushed Link away and consulted his brother. "I think he's right; we can't beat this guy! Look at us! We're in bad shape right now. All his goons and the powers he has, we can't stand up to it."

"No! You don't-" Mario almost considered fighting his own brother, his voice breaking up. The fact was clear. They were bleeding, had broken bones, and more. Down below, the voices of Shatterhand and his minions could be heard. "You don't know that!"

"Poyo!" Kirby chirped loudly.

"Look," Link began, "I don't want to do this either, but we're out of options…" The commotion of men gathering at the bottom of the building grew louder. Shatterhand, his boots reforming into spiked cleats, started walking up the side of the wall, brick cracking with each step.

"No!" Mario yelled again, unwilling to accept it. "N-No!"

Link, without words, grabbed the brother's arms and threw them into the portal. Kirby jumped through next, and with one last look at the now ruined kingdom, Link passed onto the other side. He silently hoped that Peach would forgive him, if he and the others ever managed to get back to the Mushroom Kingdom. The portal closed swiftly behind them, right as Shatterhand and his men reached the roof.

"Aw man!" One of the guards shouted, still eager to kill the heroes. He wanted to get a better score than a few of his cohorts.

Ice shavings fell from Shatterhand's cleats as he walked over to where the portal once stood, sniffing the area. The soldiers looked on with baffled amusement as the captain joined them, his entire uniform covered in frost. Quickly he opened up his glass tablet and tapped into the dreadnaught's scanning functions, getting a read on all the adjacent realms.

"Sir, it appears they've jumped to realm… ADS-2017! Shall we return to the ship and pursue?" The captain asked while Shatterhand thought to himself. There was a prolonged silence before any idea came to the madman's mind.

"Let them run," Shatterhand said, smiling.

"Are you sure, sir?" The captain stood beside the leader.

"Yes, I am very sure. Let them run and hide. In the meantime we shall examine the world of this new Link, along with the homeworlds of his companions." Shatterhand spoke softly about his enemies, almost like he hadn't even been through a fight. "When we see them again, which I'm certain we will, we'll have more knowledge of them and their pasts. Perhaps there are things they don't want us to know?"

"Certainly, sir," said the captain.

"I want to see… everything," Shatterhand hissed.

Chapter Text

FINALLY! Man, I'm super excited to release this chapter! I know ALL OF YOU won't know who these characters are, but I don't expect you to. This is an introduction to another friend's story and his characters. Along with that, now this story has a cover! Sorry mobile users... but, woohoo! Enjoy!
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 12: Rushing and Blushing

The early morning sun drenched the land in a soothing, warm light. There was a slight breeze drifting through the dense, bustling city, its inhabitants chattering away without a care in the world. On the outskirts of the metropolis stood a fine, reputed art academy, a couple of students rushing to class as the first bell rang. However, in the vast lot separating the two main buildings of the campus, a little turf war was raging on.

"AAAHH!" Ink splattered along the wall as someone ran to hide behind it, a boy, wearing a large gas mask. He huffed, his stunted breath fogging up his eyepieces. He waited urgently for his friends to join him behind cover, away from the enemy forces.

"FREDDY!" A girl screamed, diving for the wall and joining her friend. She ducked out of the way of the ink blasts and reformed behind cover, panting. Brushing her purple hair away from her eyes, she stared down at her friend with an annoyed rage. "Why'd you just dip, huh?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I panicked, alright? You know me!" Freddy replied meekly, peeking out from the wall to see what else was going on. He quickly pulled back, a little overstimulated. It took him a second to notice that his other teammates weren't present. "Wait, where's Amy and Crystal?"

"I dunno! They were right behind m- Oh there they are," the purple gal pointed across the parking lot, seeing her friends rush ink a wall and climb up to hide on the above ledge. There was a small, measly alcove that gave the pair a little bit of room to breathe.

"Okay, good, we're all here. Violet, do you still have your armor?" Freddy turned to his friend, but she quickly scoffed at his words and put on a sassy expression.

"Look around us, Freds!" Violet gestured to the lack of their team's ink along the playing field. "Do you think I have it charged?!"

"R-Right, sorry… I just know we had a plan and all…" Freddy retreated into himself at Violet's harsh attitude. He thought for a moment that she had managed to get some ink along their turf, but apparently he was wrong. Looking down at his weapon, the trusty, custom E-Liter he so cherished, thought about his options. "I mean… I still have my special!"

"And it's Baller, you dork! What's that gonna do?" Violet didn't think Freddy's ability would be very helpful with the four of them pinned down. Baller had a good history of being useless, at least in Freddy's hands.

"Well, actually, I had an idea-" Freddy smirked under his mask, then turned to shout towards his other two friends. They were still hiding up above, Amy occasionally using her Dualies to counter some of the incoming ink. "Amy! Crystal!"

"Huh? Yeah, Freddy? What is it?" Crystal peered over the edge of the metal grating, keeping as low as she could so she wouldn't be an easy target. She couldn't really fight back at the moment, her weapon specializing in close-range combat.

"Uh, oh! Remember when we were doing Rainmaker here a while back? When we planned out those distractions?" Freddy knew he was reaching a bit, calling back to a match that had happened over a year ago, but he always remembered it vividly. Using his mask to help focus, he had a layout of the area in his head and mustered up an idea. It had the off chance of working out, if everything worked out.

"Yeah, why?" Crystal asked from afar.

"Didn't we lose that match?" Violet asked Freddy, equally humored and confused.

"Well this is different, alright? Shush," Freddy frowned at Violet's remark, then turned back to shout at his friends. He was coming up with the strategy on the spot, but it felt like it had some merit, at least to him. "Okay, well, this time I'll be the distraction! Violet can signal you when it's time to attack! Alright?"

"Whatever you say, Freddy!" Amy yelled as she reached to pull Crystal back further onto the platform, away from the ink sailing by.

With a deep breath, Freddy activated his special, having just enough ink around the arena to do so. Encasing himself in the plastic ball, he rolled out of cover and into the open, the enemy inklings taking notice right away. They concentrated all fire on Freddy just so the Baller wouldn't burst, nearing them as his timer counted down. It'd be too late for them to realize it was a trap, and right as the Baller exploded, three of the four enemy teammates were splatted at once.

"Go, now!" Violet shouted to Amy and Crystal, the two agents immediately jumping from the ledge and onto their turf. They quickly finished off the last member of the team, leaving the entire arena theirs for the taking.

Freddy raced up onto higher ground and parked himself with his E-Liter, using his careful sniping skills to keep the enemies at bay from a distance. Violet, always confident with her Undercover Brella, kept her finger on the trigger, letting the ink fly. Lastly, Amy and Crystal worked their magic, the inseparable pair keeping each other safe with the far reaching Dualies and the close-up Octobrush. Liquid soared through the air like a whimsical melody, the group's confidence rising with every second. It'd been some time since they had worked together in tandem so effortlessly, but when they all had the same goal, fate almost seemed to be on their side.

Three seconds remained, then two, then one! Then finally, the buzzer screamed, ending the match and both teams ceasing their assault. It was finally over. Back on the metro, the opposing forces waited as the judges tallied up the score, trying their best to hide their eagerness to receive the results. Judd and Lil Judd paused for effect, until suddenly the senior of the two prevailed, signaling that Team Inkstrike had won.

"BOOYAHH!" Amy shouted with joy, dropping her Dualies and jumping into the air. Pride flooded in like a tsunami on the team, cheers and excitement going around as the other team just grumbled at their loss.

As Team Inkstrike left the train station and reentered Deca Tower, Violet, feeling a little generous on this particular day, struck up an offer with her friends. "Hey guys, I was thinking… When we get to town, since we won and stuff, how about a couple of drinks at the Crust Bucket, on me?" She wore an odd, but welcoming smile as the others thought about it. Breakfast was just an hour ago, but what harm could a few drinks do to their appetite.

"Really? You, Violet, are paying?" Amy knew how much Violet loved to spend, mainly on things just for herself, so hearing that she'd treat the rest of the gang to food was cause for suspicion.

"Yeah, I am, what of it?" Violet raised an eyebrow, talking with sly, knowing smirk. "I'm feeling… uhm, what's the word," She put a hand to her chin. "Oh! Charitable. I'm feeling charitable today, so I'd take the offer while it stands if I were you."

Amy, Crystal, and Freddy all shared a glance, before returning their eyes to Violet. The purple-haired inkling just grinned, completely aware that her friends wouldn't pass up the opportunity for free drinks. They all just smiled as they left the lobby, walking out into the brisk, cool air blanketing Inkopolis Square. Friendly faces were seen all around, Team Inkstrike being a little on the popular side of the media spectrum.

The whole team eagerly waited in line at the Crust Bucket, Crusty Sean, the owner of the food truck, working hard to serve each and every of his customers. He whipped up various foods branded with some rather silly naming schemes: Shwaffles and Seanwiches. Nobody really minded, though, as the food tasted wonderful, and even came with some hidden benefits for those skilled enough to tap into them.

"Hey, what's kracken, you four? What'll it be?" Crusty Sean knew Team Inkstrike well, as they were frequent customers to the truck. Violet casually walked in front of the others and pulled out her wallet.

"Four of the usual drinks, please," Violet said, digging around in her bottomless pit of a wallet. "I'll be paying up front, this time, got it?"

"Maybe a Galactic Seanwich for us to share?" Freddy inched up from behind and asked Sean quietly. Sean simply looked over at Violet.

"Freddy!" Violet snapped, wearing a nasty, angered expression on her face. She didn't want to use too much money. Another look back at her friends forced her to reluctantly at the Seanwich to the order, forking over another pile of coins to pay for the entire meal. Amy and Crystal beamed with happiness, thankful that Freddy of all people had the courage to ask.

"Alright, peace!" Crusty Sean put together the order in no time at all, waving goodbye as the team left to sit at an appropriately sized table to feast. Violet grumbled at the amount of money she was forced to spend, but secretly, she enjoyed seeing the looks of joy along her companions' faces.

Amy, Crystal, Violet, and Freddy all sat down at a table and splayed out their drinks and food along the metal surface. They each took their favorite flavors and set the huge sandwich at the center of the table to tear apart as they so pleased.

"Ah, this…" Crystal sighed as she took a sip of her drink. "This is nice."

"Yeah," Amy smiled.

"Mhm," Violet and Freddy said simultaneously.

For a while, the whole team just sat out in the open at their table, enjoying the weather while it lasted. Apparently a storm was coming later that night, so the bright, just slightly cloudy sky wouldn't last forever. A few birds chirped as they flew near the large sandwich, the group needing to shoo them away if they got too close, just in case they tried stealing their food. They were crafty like that. Regardless of the nuisances, the four enjoyed the day, the solitude away from all the other inklings a breath of fresh air.

The air itself started to pick up, in fact. A couple of trashed newspapers floated through the wind before another gust came. With the strengthened breeze, a few of the napkins on the table with the sandwich were stolen by the wind, flying away and across the vacant street. Amy, Crystal, Violet, and Freddy all looked to each other before quickly putting their fingers to their noses.

"Not it," Violet said first, as if she was prepared.

"Not it," Amy followed.

"N-Not it!" Freddy was the most worried about being dead last in the little competition. All that remained was one more.

"Huh? Wha-?" Crystal saw that she was the only one not with a finger on their nose, meaning only one thing. "Oh, crap!" The octoling blushed at the sight of all her friends looking at her expectantly before she scooted from her chair with annoyance. "Why am I always last? I can never have good reflexes, can I?" she whined, standing up and taking her drink with her.

"Sorry, nothing personal," Freddy said bashfully.

"Gotta be ready for it," Violet added.

Crystal said nothing as she went to gather up all the scattered napkins. She bent down and picked them up one by one, until the last few were caught up in the wind again and flew further down the street, landing right by the mouth of an empty alleyway. With a groan, Crystal followed, knowing her friends were notoriously messy and would need all the napkins. She grabbed one, but her senses went on alert, her ears picking up something rustling around in the alley before her.

"What the-?" Crystal mumbled as she took a cautious step forward, trying to see what had caused the noise.

"P-Poyo?" A little creature said, its body colored very similarly to Crystal's own hair.

"AH!" Crystal leaped back with a start, dropping her drink and falling to the ground. She instinctively started to scoot away from whatever her eyes had landed on, but one closer look at it caused all her fear to wash away.

The creature was a round, stout, pink little fellow, with large, adorable blue eyes, glistening like the ocean. It looked distressed, just as cautious about Crystal as she was of it. For a moment, it stared, until quickly hiding, tending to something just out of sight.

"Crystal?" Amy called out, having heard her girlfriend's shout. "Is everything alright over there?"

"Uh, guys?!" Crystal shouted, standing on her feet and ignoring her spilled drink. Her interests were far too invested in whatever she had encountered in the alley, slowly sneaking further in to check it out. Something about that little creature resonated with her.

"Hey, Crystal? What's going on?" Freddy joined Amy and tried to find Crystal, equally worried. They caught up with their octoling friend and tapped her on the shoulder, bringing her out of her trance. "Hey, what happened? Why'd you scream?"

Crystal just pointed to the alley, the sound of a trash bag falling out of the nearby dumpster validating her worry. Amy and Freddy slowly snuck around, Crystal right behind them to investigate, wondering what the matter could've been. What they found was almost hallucinatory, Freddy nearly fainting at the sight. It wasn't a dream. It couldn't have been a dream.

On the ground laid a tired man, clad in a deep but vibrant green, a sword and shield on his back. Next to him sat two unconscious men, both beaten up and wounded. They were overalls, their shirts red and green respectively. On their heads were little white emblems, those being the letters of their first names. Finally, there was a little, purple fairy, trying to heal the green fellow in the overalls.

"Poyo…" The pink creature said dejectedly.

"Is-Is that… Kirby?" Freddy asked, coming out of his delirium, recognizing the pink creature from all the video games he played.

Just twenty minutes before, in the exact same alley, everything was silent. A couple of birds sat on an above windowsill, one keeping the eggs in the nest warm. The other bird had something in its beak, a worm, which it waited to feed to its mate when it decided it was hungry. There wasn't a soul to be seen beyond the entrance to the alley, the place not a particularly good hangout spot.

Suddenly, a blinding flash scared the male bird, flying up into the air and away from the danger, while its mate still stayed put, determined to keep its eggs warm. A bright blue tear in reality opened, the dimensional doorway taking on a distinct star shape. The rift lingered on the ground for a moment, before a faint echo came from beyond.

"AAH- Ow!" Luigi landed on the ground with a thud, his brother, Mario, right on top of him. The red plumber flailed around, trying to escape his brother's surprisingly strong grasp. Then, Kirby jumped through, joining the Mario Brothers.

"Poyo!" Kirby watched as Mario fought against Luigi, his eyes glazed over with concern. He nearly went to help them calm down, but then turned back to see Link exit from the portal at last, Tael right behind him.

"Alright, there," Link said exhaustedly, swinging the Ultra Sword to close the portal. He made sure the portal was gone, certain that he and his allies were safe from Shatterhand's forces. The first thing his mind raced to was what they were going to do next, his own senses failing to alert him to something coming from right behind. "Okay, we should be fine for now. Kirby, Tael, you guys-"

Mario punched Link right in the face, sending the Terminian to the ground ungracefully.

"What the hell was that for?!" Link shouted in response. He got no answer, instead receiving a kick in the stomach from the plumber's boot. Without any remorse, Mario grabbed ahold of Link's collar and brought him up so they could see face-to-face. There, he decked him again, making sure Link stayed down on the ground where he thought the 'hero' belonged.

"Take us back! We can't just leave that guy to kill everyone!" Mario was livid, going for another punch before Luigi and Kirby stopped him, using all their strength to stop the force of his enraged fist. "How- How could you do that, huh?! What makes you think you can… you can…"

Mario's screams of hatred slowly devolved into incoherent stutters, then into a broken sob. He fell to his knees and began to cry, thoughts of what Shatterhand would do to Peach now that there was no one there to defend the Mushroom Kingdom infecting his mind. Terror swelled inside Mario's mind as his entire body went limp, crumping to the ground and panting. Luigi witnessed for the first time that his brother's fortified confidence be completely desiccated and destroyed by an enemy.

"You know…" Link groaned, slowly standing up, towering over Mario. "The only reason I did that was because if we stayed any longer, we'd would've been killed. Then there'd be no-one! No-one to defend any of our homes!" Link retaliated, tackling Mario out of Luigi's arms and falling down with him, getting into a childish fistfight.

Grunts came from the two grown men as they wrestled with each other on the ground, all their honor completely wasted. Emotion surged through their veins as they took all their anger out on the other, their scuffle doing nothing to quell the direness of the situation.

"Guys! Quit it!" Luigi shouted, only to get shoved aside.

"Irk- GAH!" Mario pushed Link off him and the two stood on opposite ends of the alley, staring at each other like wild, ferocious animals. "To think I was- I was willing to work with you. You're some hero… 'my friend'!"

Mario lunged at Link, clinging onto Link's left side like a child unwilling to leave their parent, only far more aggressive. They again struggled, Mario digging one hand into Link's pocket and using the other to grab his hand, trying to force him to fall. The pocket eventually tore, a small piece of paper flying out and drifting away. Mario felt something on Link's hand and thoughtlessly ripped it off his finger, the sound of a small, metal object dinking onto the pavement, right alongside the paper.

"Wha- Huh?" Mario stopped his squabble with Link and let go of his tunic, looking at the two objects on the ground. One looked like a wedding ring, the other a photo of a woman he didn't recognize. "Is that-"

Link hit Mario as hard as he could, sending him crashing into the brick wall across from them and slumping over, unconscious. Breathing heavily, Link went over and picked up his wedding ring, putting it back on and stuffing the photo of his wife into his untattered pocket. Link's words were filled with disdain, "You have no idea… who I'm fighting for, plumber! Who I had to leave just to start this goddess-forsaken journey!"

There, Link's exhaustion easily caught up with him. He had completely forgotten all the wounds he had gotten from the battle against Shatterhand, his arms riddled with cuts and face bruised from Mario's punches. Slowly, he sat down against the wall, next to Mario, and fell asleep, his body too worn down to keep going.

"Poy…" Kirby whispered, tears in his eyes. "Poyooo…"

Luigi and Tael looked at their friends with deep concern. Tael had only seen such rage come from Link when he faced his darker half. Luigi, on the other hand, hadn't seen such an emotional side of his brother ever.

"Where even are we?" Luigi finally asked, looking around the alleyway.

"I… I don't know," Tael started. Quickly he turned to Luigi, looking at how he clutched his chest. "But you, you need to rest too!"

"What? Why?" Luigi asked.

"Well, you have a broken rib, remember? I'm surprised you can even stand!"

"Oh yeah…" Luigi looked at himself, how he unknowingly held his damaged chest. "I honestly kinda forgot about that…" The reality of how much he had been through finally settled down on him. "Actually, some rest doesn't sound so bad…"

Luigi staggered forward and collapsed, just as tired as his brother. "Just… Just five minutes…"

Kirby and Tael were all that remained of the team, the others in no condition to continue. They needed to find something, some place, or someone to help them. One look between the fairy and the pink puffball just confirmed that they were thinking the same thing.

Tael rubbed his hands together and flew down to help Luigi, using his limited healing abilities that he had been granted from his mother's side of the family. As he worked and Kirby surveyed the area, the fairy thought to when he first tried healing, back on Link when he returned to the Stock Pot Inn, bloodied up and barely awake. That terrible day he had in Ikana, after the defeat of Majora. Such an effort back then tired Tael out, but now it was seamless, his mastery over his own abilities allowing him to be a critical ally despite being unable to fight. He felt useful at last.

"What the-" A foreign voice said.

"P-Poyo?" Kirby said quietly, hearing some footsteps approaching. Tael hid behind the dumpster as whoever had found them yelped in surprise. Kirby joined Tael, out of sight from the stranger, until another voice came from the distance.

"Crystal?"

"It's just not possible…" Freddy concentrated aloud as he paced around the living room of Violet's large, whole-floor apartment, hand on his chin. Amy and Crystal just watched him walk around the room over and over again for the past half an hour, mumbling to himself.

"Uh, Freddy? You've been… at this for a little while now," Crystal said worriedly as her eyes tracked him, "You… You gonna tell us what's on your mind?"

Freddy continued to ramble to himself, his footsteps clearly imprinted on the luxury carpet. He didn't want to ignore his friends, however the absolute insanity of what they all discovered just a few hours before still racked his brain. Violet had gladly offered for them to stay at her place, surprisingly. Freddy noticed that she seemed to be weirdly fascinated by Link. The fact that he could describe one of the men they found as the Link simply blew his mind.

Amy grew fed up with Freddy's long bout of silence and got up, walked over to him, and snapped her fingers in front of his mask, startling him. "I know I shouldn't do that, but we need to talk. What's got you so… distracted?"

"I just…" Freddy could barely manage his own thoughts, let alone discuss it. At first he thought to was just really, really convincing cosplay, but seeing the wounds along their bodies proved that it couldn't be. "N-No… It couldn't have been Sheldon, why would Sheldon bring them here…"

"Freddy, what- What are you talking about? What's Sheldon got to do with this?" Crystal hopped off the couch and joined Amy.

"Is it…" Freddy went wide-eyed and gasped, "Is it a new Smash game? Are they here to invite…?" Freddy quickly determined that such an idea was silly. He moved away from Amy and Crystal and continued to pace around the living room, much to the chagrin of his friends. "Why would they have already been fighting if they were going to invite us? Stupid…"

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" Violet screamed from the hallway. Immediately Amy, Crystal, and Freddy rushed to see what had happened and why she had screamed. When they saw her, they stopped, and all wore the same, baffled stare. Violet had her hands to her cheeks, a crimson blush accompanying her smile.

"Ooo! Guys, guys! Look!" Violet had the door closed, muffling her scream of joy. She gathered the others close to her and looked into the bedroom beyond, letting them get a glimpse of the sleeping Kirby. "Isn't he just the cutest thing?"

"Alright, that's enough," Amy grabbed Freddy and Violet's arms and pulled them aside. "You two have been acting really weird since all this started. Like, really, really weird!" Amy pointed to Freddy, "First of all, I've never seen you nerd out so hard about something," Then she pointed to Violet, "And second, you were WAY to eager to let these strangers stay here, and to top it all off, you're acting too… too cutesy right now…"

Freddy and Violet looked to each other for a moment, realizing that Amy was right. The blue inkling knew something the others didn't, and Violet's change in attitude was apparent even to her. There needed to be some explanations for why they were acting so off kilter.

"I'm sorry, Amy, j-just…" Violet opened the door again, seeing Kirby sleep peacefully. "Like you have to admit that's pretty adorable, right?"

Amy crossed her arms, "Yeah, but what about the other one? The tall, green one. We all noticed how you looked at him when you first saw him, didn't we?"

"I mean, yeah, I did," Crystal commented.

"True, it was a little weird…" Freddy added. Violet just started blushing again, avoiding eye contact with Amy or the others.

"No, no, it's not like that," Violet masked herself with a veil of coolness, walking over to the room that the Terminian was sleeping in and opening the door slightly. "I just thought…" Violet, almost right away, fell into a trance when she laid her eyes on Link again, watching him stir in his sleep.

"My point exactly," Amy closed the door before Violet could act any creepier. "You, my friend, you like him!"

"What?! No, I don't like him, he's just…" Violet trailed off, her blush intensifying. Amy just glared at her vacantly, waiting to be proven correct. In fact, Violet's silence already proved her correct, and the longer the purple inkling stalled, the more obvious it became.

Behind Amy, Freddy started to zone out again, his thoughts running back to just how to explain everything in front of him.

"Hey, Freds, don't think I forgot about you!" Amy turned around to question Freddy, still wondering why he had been so quiet about the events unfolding. He seemed to know a lot more about these mysterious people than the rest of the team. "I wanna know what's on your mind, okay? There's something you're not telling us!"

"Well, it-it's hard to explain," Freddy stated, his voice delicate and nervous. Amy cocked an eyebrow, thinking she could take it. "You guys don't really play video games, so you don't know just who these guys all are!"

"Wait, wait, they're just from video games?" Crystal put her hand on Freddy's shoulder. "Freds, why didn't you tell us? Those games you play are simple, right?"

"A little bit, yeah, but these guys were… different…" Freddy couldn't put his finger on how they were different exactly, but something about the vibe they gave off told him that there was so much more than just the stories from the games they apparently hailed from. "Way, way too different to just be from the stuff I've seen, you know…?"

"What do you mean, 'different'?" Amy asked.

"Look at Link," Freddy went over to do the door and peeked inside the room. Violet did her best to refrain from gushing over the sight of the hero asleep, but Freddy pointed out something he had noticed the second he saw him, back in the alley. "His hair isn't supposed to have that silver streak, and his hand. He has a ring on! He might be married!"

"Wait… he might be married?" Violet's face became engulfed with horror as she repeated Freddy's words.

"None of the Link's from any of the games have been married, so there's something very different about him, and perhaps the others, too!" Freddy closed the door, letting Link get some proper sleep. "All of this is just making me so confused…" The inkling sighed, rubbing his temples, trying to ease his headache. "Look, it's really late, we're all tired, and I think we should get some sleep. We can meet up tomorrow, and if they're awake, ask more questions."

"Amy, let's get some sleep. Freddy's right," Crystal yawned loudly, "I'm tired…"

"Crystal, I-" Amy never liked to argue with Crystal. She was also tired of simply thinking about all the madness surrounding her. Taking Crystal's hand, Amy smiled, starting to walk out of the hall.

"Poyo?" A small sound was heard. Kirby, rubbing his tired eyes, looked up at the three inklings and octoling, wondering what was going on.

"Uh… Hey, buddy…" Freddy addressed Kirby nervously, fighting not to act all nerdy and such.

"Oh… my… gosh…" Violet pushed past Freddy and picked Kirby up. He was squishy and malleable, like rubber, but also gave off the warmth of life. It was weird to think that something so cute could really live, but Violet didn't care. She hugged Kirby and held him like most would hold Judd or Lil Judd and walked off with him to the living room to watch something on her phone with him.

"I need to rest, my brain hurts," Freddy said to himself as he, Amy, and Crystal left Violet's apartment, heading to their own and finally getting some sleep. Tomorrow would surely be an interesting day.

Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet all belong to Kirbnation1 on Twitter!

Chapter Text

AAAAAAAAHH! I seriously don't know why it took me SO LONG to get this chapter done, but I did it! I was just... really unmotivated to write, but it's finally here! Here's the sort of 'next arc', hehe. Enjoy!
-Joost

This chapter legitimately took me like 2 or maybe 3 weeks... Oof...

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 13: Repent

Landia had been without luck for some time now, each realm he traveled to either not having any life for lightyears, or there was no evidence to suggest that Shatterhand had made a visit. Every world that held life was blissful and happy, existing without the fear of the unknown, in Landia's case, that being Shatterhand. Even as mighty as the dragon was, there were still things he feared.

There was something off, however, about Landia's search. The entire time he felt like he was being watched, even though he was completely alone, flying through the endless void of space. When he roared to open a portal, the feeling just intensified, as if someone took special notice every time he jumped to another realm, taking notes.

Eventually, the unnerving suspicion grew to be so frustrating that Landia, when he opened a portal, just hovered in front of it, waiting. Waiting for someone to appear, something to happen, anything. For a moment, Landia was starting to think he had gone mad, the long months of solitude before being called to this whole endeavor by Meta Knight having gotten to him. He almost considered just moving on beyond the portal, putting the strange feeling behind him.

"You can sense me, can't you?" A soft, womanly voice echoed inside Landia's head. The dragon went on guard, startled by the sound. He was floating along in space; no sound could even travel to his ears. "Please don't be alarmed…"

Landia snarled and bared his teeth, ready to send fire towards anything that decided to attack. He went to roar, but nothing came from his mouth, and rightly so, he received no response.

"My friend, there's no use trying to talk aloud," the voice said, hiding a chuckle. "I am speaking to you through the mind, telepathy, if you will." Landia was confused at the voice considering his roar to be an attempt at speech. "Allow me to present myself to you in a more proper fashion. I apologize for my lingering watch, but I needed to make sure that you were the right one."

"The right one?" Landia thought to himself.

"Yes, the right one," The voice responded, again startling the dragon. So it could hear his thoughts? Then that must be how he could communicate with whoever this voice belonged to.

Before Landia could think of anything to ask, before him, a new portal appeared. It shimmered extravagantly in space, bright enough to be mistaken for a star. Out came a blue, eagle-like creature, flapping her delicately crafted wings with passion. Her mantle was like an ocean, flowing down her body into her trailing tail feathers. Two quills came from the back of her head, adding to her own splendor. Landia was almost humbled at the sight but kept wearing a determined gaze.

"Greetings, Landia, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," the majestic eagle said calmly, lowering her wings and gently floating in space.

"You know me?" Landia snapped.

"Yes, I do," said the eagle, her voice expressing a smooth, considerate aura in contrast to Landia's brashness. "Along with the nature of your presence here, in a realm not of your own. Your mission."

At that moment, Landia finally became interested in something. He raised an eyebrow inquisitively, closing his mouth and relaxing. The portal that he had opened before now closed, the dragon electing to stay and hear this mysterious phoenix out. "Alright, you have my attention," Landia commented, "How do you know about my purpose here?"

"Well, Landia, your Wave Energy gave it away," the eagle stated matter-of-factly.

"Wave Energy?" Landia tilted his head.

"Yes, your Wave Energy. It's foreign to this reality," The being spoke as if Landia had any clue what she meant. After another confused look, it dawned on her that she had already talked of things that would've come later. "Oh, forgive me, you're uninformed. I shall explain in time, I assure you."

"Who are you, exactly?" Landia was as blunt as an unsharpened pencil.

"I go by a few names, but you may call me Empyrea."

"A 'few names'?" Landia repeated, still somewhat confused. He had never heard of an 'Empyrea' in his exceedingly long life, but he guessed that there were still things to learn from the multiverse. Regardless, he didn't dwell on a simple name, far too enraptured by the mystique of this Empyrea and why she had decided to make herself known to him. "Never mind, but you were the force that's been watching me. Why, and how else do you know about me and my mission?"

"I do apologize for the intruding feeling, but if you're to help assist those boys in defeating Shatterhand, you're going to need much more help than you have now," Empyrea explained, making Landia tense up just slightly. She knew about Link, Kirby, and even Shatterhand.

"If you knew about Shatterhand, then why didn't you stop him?" Landia asked the million-dollar question.

"Well, a mother must take care of her young, Landia," Empyrea stated, flying closer and glaring at the dragon with a bit of hostility. Up close, her wingspan exceeded Landia's, as did her overall size, commanding authority to all normal eyes that happened to lay upon her. Landia would not follow such order, bowing to no one. "However, to discuss that is not why I'm here. I'm here because you cannot defeat Shatterhand alone, at least not with the allies Link and Kirby have gathered so far."

"You underestimate my friends?" Landia asked without thinking. It occurred to him that he didn't often openly consider people his friends.

"No, you underestimate Shatterhand. The Archfiend of Reality has burned and purged more heroes across the multiverse than breaths you've taken," Empyrea spoke with deep remorse, having sat idly and stared through her looking glass for far too long, watching the tyrant kill without honor or mercy. "Now, with my children mature enough to live independently, I am free to act and finally put an end to him."

"Alright, fine, Empyrea," Landia said her name sarcastically, "How can we beat him?"

"We must journey together and find four heroes in which I am familiar with. We can trust them," Empyrea clarified. She paused and smiled to herself, fond memories of the four she spoke of resurfacing. "They're all quite good friends, and two have put their lives on the line for me before. Once them, along with Kirby, Link, and the others are in one place, I plan to bestow upon them a gift."

"What kind of gift?" Landia was tired of the talk of mystery. He looked at his own talons nonchalantly, feigning disinterest. Deep down, however, he was somewhat enchanted by how much this Empyrea knew. He thought the burden of his life was something he went through alone, but now her story told him otherwise.

"I mentioned something known as 'Wave Energy' before," Empyrea said, before stopping herself. An idea entered her mind, and she easily decided that it was better than just filling the telepathic train of thought she and Landia had been on for the past few minutes. "Allow me to show you, among other things,"

Empyrea turned and opened a new portal, and then looked back to Landia, beckoning him to join her. A soft, warm smile appeared along her beak, and Landia then wore his own. Perhaps there was room in his stone-cold soul for more friends.

"Very well, but what 'other things'?" Landia asked as he flew over next to Empyrea.

"I want to show you… everything."

Kirby rubbed his tired eyes, trying to get a glimpse of where he was. His memory was hazy, the last thing he remembered being hugged ferociously. Who though? Who was hugging him so much that even his pink, puffy form became sore? That purple girl! The one that seemed to be entangled with his cuteness the night before, so much so that she watched an endless amount of film on that bizarrely shaped mini-television she carried around.

"Poyo?" Kirby stood up, finding himself alone in the living room. It was a lot different from his own house in Dream Land or the room he stayed in while at the Mushroom Kingdom. Even though there were lavish decorations all about, it felt oddly empty. The soothing patter of rain bounced against the windows, adding to the ambience.

A light shuffling sound came from the hallway, drawing Kirby's interest. He left the cushioned couch and wandered around the spacious apartment, following whatever his ears picked up. Hearing a door open and close, the pink puffball crept along the corridor sneakily, crouching down and easily squeezing under the thin gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. Once he was inside, he saw that girl, the purple one, and his friend Link asleep on the bed.

Violet stared wistfully at the sleeping Link, not noticing Kirby by the door. She had unknowingly been just as stealthy as Kirby, having discovered that the man in the bed stirred at the lightest of sounds. The little Star Warrior wasn't a privy to such information, and when he took a step forward, the floorboard beneath his foot creaked loudly.

It's commonly thought that one wakes from a dream once they realize they're in it, however that was wholly untrue in terms of Link Dotour, among others. He normally slept without ever figuring he was within his own dreams, except for a few rare occasions. This time, however, he remained on the edge of ignorance and cognizance, stuck in an almost purgatory. Suddenly, he was abruptly freed, his arm acting on its own and hoisting him out of his prison.

"W-Wait!" Violet gasped as she watched Link awaken, Kirby none the wiser.

Link grunted and quickly rose his head, eyes darting around the room. He had the urge to shout, curse, or throw a punch, thinking that the red plumber was still in his grasp, but then something different presented itself. A new face, one oozing an almost overbearing impression of admiration.

"Who… Who are you?" Link asked, weary of Violet. The inkling didn't answer, blushing profusely, unable to look the hero in the eye.

"Poyo!" Kirby said, easing his friend's fears.

"Kirby? Wait, you're-" Link sat further up, and promptly regretted it. He felt the cool air of the bedroom hit his bare chest, sending a chill down his spine. A quick expletive filled the air and he covered himself with the blanket, trying to keep a little bit of his decency. "Where is my tunic?!"

Violet again blushed; her face never having been so red in her life. So this must be how Freddy feels when he's with his girlfriend, she mused, before meekly pointing to the other side of the room, "It- It's over there, on my hope chest…"

A similar redness to Violet's appeared along Link's face. Romani had a hope chest too, which they opened together after they were married. The contents inside were then spread out along the Beach House in Great Bay, which the couple used often, especially during their preparation for their child. Here, the sight of Link's tunic atop another girl's hope chest positively mortified him. After a few quick stammers, the hero looked to his pink friend.

"K-Kirby… Could you get that for me?" Link asked, hiding his face from Violet.

"Poy!" Kirby nodded happily and scampered over to the hope chest and grabbed Link's tunic, blissfully unaware of why his friend was so flustered. Violet watched, slightly saddened, as Kirby gave the tunic back to its rightful owner, inwardly contemplating her feelings.

Once Link was appropriately dressed, he stood from the bed, feeling starved of sleep, even though he had just awakened. "Where am I? Where are the others?" Link asked Violet sternly, unwilling to put up with any childish games. He had just remembered he had a score to settle with the red plumber.

"They- They're all resting, I think," Violet mumbled, stepping back towards the door. "My friends found you in the alley, but my apartment was the only one big enough to let you all recover," She was overcome with embarrassment, something she once thought impossible after she broke up with Rez.

Link groaned at the idea of Mario still healing from his bout against Shatterhand. He couldn't just storm into the room where the plumber slept and continue the brawl they had the day prior. Even when driven to an uncharacteristic anger, Link refused to stoop down to such a low level. Annoyed, he started to leave the room, and Violet suddenly found some courage to speak.

"If you don't mind me asking," the inkling began, "Who exactly are you?"

Link stopped in his tracks and waited for a second. Should he even tell her? He had gotten a decent look at her, and she seemed far too young to be entangled in what he, Kirby, and the others were doing. Though he figured his name wouldn't do much to provoke anything.

"My name is Link," the hero replied.

Violet's eyes widened, shocked at the fact that Freddy was right. "Wait, your name is Link? Like… the Link?!" The man in question winced disgruntledly, his assumption quickly proven incorrect. "H-How can you be Link?" Violet continued, walking up and inspecting the hero without her infatuated gaze from before. "No, you can't be, you've just got to be a really good, really tall cosplayer. Yeah, 'cuz like, your ears are just like ours!"

"Why in every realm I go to, people focus on my ears?" Link asked himself as he walked out of the room, clearly not in the mood for any of this foolishness. Kirby followed, leaving Violet completely flabbergasted. The way he just pushed her words aside made her scarily more convinced that Freddy was correct.

Link treaded the hallway indifferently, ignoring the expensive styling and numerous framed photos on the wall, searching for his gear. More importantly, the Ultra Sword. He was going to need the weapon if he wanted to escape from the city and continue his journey to defeat Shatterhand. Then, his entire body stopped, unwilling to obey the commands of his brain. All he could think about was the man himself, the one who came so close to finished him and his friends, Shatterhand.

Violet came across Link, standing in the middle of her living room, wearing the most spiteful, miserable look she had ever seen. His lips were crossed downwards, only bearing a few select emotions, and a dark determination swelled within his irises, burning passionately. Cautiously, she approached him, unsure if speaking up would set him off in some way. Kirby was somewhat surprised at Link's forlorn demeanor, but he was still able to see that his friend was in pain.

"Poyo…" Kirby said as he walked up to and hugged Link's boot affectionately. His own starry eyes met with Link's, and the dark determination faded away, a weak smile forming across his face.

"Thanks buddy," Link said, stepping carefully to the couch and sitting down, putting his face in his hands and sighing deeply.

Then Link felt the overly-inquisitive eyes of Violet.

"You going to tell me who you are, or are you just going to stare?" Link tilted his head and looked at Violet, his tone filled with authority.

"My name's Violet," Violet muttered. Link didn't react, just staring at nothing. Kirby let go of Link's leg and stood between him and the inkling. "I'm, um, sorry that I startled you earlier, I guess."

"It's alright," Link said, hardly thinking it was a problem. Kirby hopped up and sat next to him on the couch, making sure to stay close. Link appreciated the pink puffball's concern but couldn't shake the slight feeling of nausea. For some reason, he felt unbelievably disorganized and disoriented. There was an odd stench in the air, not a bad one, just odd. "Where are we?"

"M-My apartment, Flounder Heights, right by Inkopolis Square," Violet listed, not wanting to confuse the man further.

"Ugh, that doesn't help me," Link grumbled.

"Excuse me?"

Link just rolled his eyes, scanning the living room. Millions upon millions of questions bubbled to the surface of his mind, each fighting for dominance to be asked. To him, he thought Violet was just a child, a young teen that had just happened to find him, oblivious to her history and just exactly how much she and her friends had been through up to that point. Finally he became fed up with the swarm of inquiries plaguing his mind.

"Where is my gear?"

"You mean your swords and stuff?" Violet received a nod, "Oh, my friend Freddy took them to his apartment to keep them safe." Only half of that was true. She knew Freddy too well, correctly assuming that he only kept the items just to geek out over them.

Link groaned again, leaving his seat, "Perfect," he said, irked. It seemed this universe was completely against him, as were the others he had visited so far.

A knock from the door caught Link off guard, making him tense up and hold his ground as Violet went to answer. On the other side was the duo Amy and Crystal, both wearing broad smiles and greeting Violet happily. They didn't even acknowledge the tall, green fellow for a moment as they entered the room and got comfortable, too preoccupied in each other and their friend.

"We thought we'd come and see how your uh, visitors are doing," Amy said as if Link and Kirby weren't in the room. Violet faux coughed, her eyes gravitating over to where the two foreigners stood, giving the Inkling and Octoling a hint.

"Wooaaahh!" Crystal stared in awe at Link once she laid her eyes on him. Though he had met a certain inkling that was considerably taller, his height was still impressive compared to her and her friends. "So you're one of those guys I stumbled across? Cool! Nice to meet you!" She held out her hand for Link to shake.

"Uh," Link was taken aback, "Nice to meet you too," he said, giving a weak handshake. It seemed he was surrounded by children, more specifically, young teenagers. Where were the adults, the parents of these kids? Was Violet living alone? She didn't appear to have had any trouble lending all the rooms here to him and the others.

"Weird hair," Amy thought aloud. Link felt self-conscious for a moment, but not for the reason Amy suspected. She wasn't commenting on the odd, silver streak on the left side of his bangs, instead just his hair in general. To her it resembled Judd's fur, only longer, almost like the mammals she had known were long extinct. "So why the cosplay, huh?"

Link's clouded thoughts settled on that word again. "Cosplay?" he asked, the bewilderment in his voice easily detected.

The Inklings and Octoling stepped back unceremoniously, Link's serious stare and tone telling them that he had no knowledge of cosplay. At first they thought he was joking, but then a small chirp of 'poyo' grabbed hold of their ears. Simply entertaining the idea that this marvel of a man and the plucky little hero were not as they seemed felt futile.

A thunderclap from outside brought all in the room looking to the window. Link noticed that the teens around him eyed the rain with a slight tinge of fear, something he used to feel when he was much younger. He used to have a fear of storms, but as he grew up with Anju and Kafei, he came to admire the violent weather for its natural beauty. While much tragedy of his life was accompanied by the storms, he knew that they made him who he was now. If he hadn't dreamt of Ganondorf before him in front of the Hyrule Castle Town gate, the rain keeping his fear strong, he may not be standing where he was today.

For just a moment, Link reflected on the rain as the Inklings and Octoling tried not to. His thoughts ran from all the battles he'd waged, the swords he'd clashed with, and the blood spilled.

"YOU!" A certain voice cracked through the silence like a whip. At the mouth of the hallway stood Mario, holding his battered shoulder in pain as he pointed at the man in green. Malice raged on in his eyes as he slowly stomped across the living room to face Link. "I ought to beat the shit out of you with my own sprained arm!"

Kirby was shocked at Mario's foul words, but almost humorously, Amy, Crystal, and Violet were unfazed. Link wondered if that kind of nasty way of talking was common for them, but he didn't remain on the idea. He had to defend himself.

Mario threw a punch, and it was blocked by Link's right forearm. Without any thought behind his actions, Mario latched onto Link's ankle and pulled him to the ground. There, with all his anger, he hurled the Hero of Termina over his back and sent him slamming onto the coffee table. The weight of the crash splintered the wood, a small groan coming from the hero as lay sprawled along the remains of the furniture.

Violet screamed at the destruction.

"You'll stay down if you know what's good for you," Mario grunted, his uncharacteristic emotion making his voice sound nothing like it used to.

Link was acutely aware of what was good for him, and he kept still. He had a feeling that Mario would come a little closer, and when he heard the gentle footsteps of the plumber's boots, he acted without remorse.

Sweeping his leg to the side, Mario fell to the floor with a thud, and Link sat up and lunged at him like a wild predator. They struggled against each other for a second until Mario's left arm gave out. Deep groans came from the mustachioed man's mouth as Link's fist hammered down his nose, nearly squashing it. Blood trickled from his nostrils as he jutted his head up and bashed it against Link's, finally getting him off.

"Gah…" Link panted, wiping the sweat from his face. Mario almost mirrored his enemy's action, the blood starting to pool under his bottom lip. "You seriously have no common sense, do you, huh?"

"All I know is that you forced us to abandon our realm and leave it to Shatterhand," Mario countered, yelling. "Heartless!"

"Shatterhand?" Crystal whispered to Amy. Amy just shrugged, having no clue what the two foes were talking about. Admittedly, it was difficult not to listen in on the argument between the two grown men, fighting like toddlers.

Link just growled animalistically, not wanting to think about the fiend that he and the others narrowly escaped. He stalked forward and frisked Mario, grabbing onto the straps of his overalls and thrusting him back into the wall. Mario retaliated with a straight punch to the face, deeply bruising Link's cheek. Then he reached up and yanked on the Terminian's golden locks, forcing some recoil before elbowing the man in the stomach. The wind left Link's lungs and he was tackled, the pair getting into another tussle on the floor.

"You have-!" Link shouted as he hit Mario as hard as he could, knocking the red cap off his head. "-No idea what," he continued breathlessly, "What I had to do to get this far, bastard!"

"You lied, that's what you did!" Mario tried charging his Firebrand, but only a few miniscule sparks came from his hands. He was far to weak to use any power, as was Link. No magic or special techniques would help the two try and best the other.

Link was about to say something else, but then the front door to the apartment opened again.

"What in the-!?" Freddy couldn't believe his eyes. He set down the hefty bag he held and rubbed the goggles of his mask, thinking they were fogged up and hazy. No, he really was seeing two of his most cherished heroes duking it out on the floor of his friend's apartment. "S-stop it, both of you!"

Amy, Crystal, and Violet gave puzzled looks to their masked friend, unused to hearing such authority in his voice.

The two men on the floor blinked twice. "Ugh, get off," Link pushed Mario away and dusted himself off. His limbs cried out in silent agony as he stood up, and the same with the plumber. Without a word, they both walked over to the opposite sides of the living room, giving each other intense death-stares.

"What the hell happened?" Freddy pulled his friends aside.

"I-I dunno! Mario just woke up and chose violence!" Violet truly had no idea what kind of history these two fighters had, but apparently it called for a vicious fight in the middle of her home.

"We just got here," Amy explained. "Link was already up when we arrived."

"But why were they fighting?"

Freddy only got another set of shrugs.

"Well, if we're going to help them, then we gotta settle… whatever this is," Freddy gestured to Link and Mario, pointing out their unsporting scowls.

"Help? Help us?" Mario almost laughed, snorting slightly.

"Not to offend," Link began, "But our quarrel and why we're here doesn't concern… you." He analyzed the squad of strange-looking teenagers. Their odd hair, weirdly proportioned bodies, and wide eyes just gave off the sense that they were merely children. "I'm sure we all appreciate your desire to help us," Link glared at Mario, "But you all are far too young to get involved."

Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet felt somewhat offended. While it was true that they were young, they had been through a lot together, especially Crystal, the Octoling. She came from a place she never wanted to think about, and her partner, Amy, had been essentially disowned by her parents for being what they saw as a failure. Not to mention Violet's sullen mood and Freddy's many secrets, mainly pertaining to the mask he wore perpetually.

"Sorry, Link, but the simple fact that you're here with us means that something big is going on," Freddy said, heading over to the front door to fetch the bag he had put down. There, he rummaged around until his hands felt a special, rectangular device. "Especially since you guys are meant to be in my games and such, not here."

Freddy held his Switch, turning it on and going to the home screen.

The mood suddenly changed. Both Link and Mario's blackened expressions faded away, interest and mystery filling the room. On the tablet screen of the device Freddy held were two, very distinct icons. Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

"What?" Link and Mario said in unison, a horrified amazement present in their voices.

Luigi and Tael later joined the group as they watched Freddy navigate his Switch, each of the dimensional crusaders riddled with shock. Freddy didn't show them much, suspecting that if he did, they may not take it well. All he let them see was that they were a part of this world before they even arrived.

"I know you've got questions, but I think it'd be best…" Freddy became overwhelmed by the sheer amount of eyes focused on him and his Switch. "B-But I think you guys should just take it easy, okay?"

"This is madness…" Tael muttered, his knees weak. "How is that even possible?!"

"Zelda…" Link whispered to himself, unable to get the image of the name out of his head. Mario himself was the most shaken, finding it impossible to comprehend that his name, face, everything, had been plastered across that little icon on the gaming system Freddy had.

"Bro, look at me," Luigi patted Mario's shoulder, "We'll figure out what's going on, don't worry, we just have to…" He trailed off, toiling on how he could even begin to understand it all, let alone calm his equally confused brother.

"Psst, hey, Freds. C'mere," Violet signaled Freddy over to her. Once he was close enough, she grabbed onto his ear and yanked him down onto the chair next to her. "That was a really, really stupid, you know, showing them that!"

"I know, I know, I just…" Freddy glanced at the travelers sitting across from him on the couch. He was both giddy to see them in the flesh, but also alarmed. He and his friends had dealt with the dimensions once before, and it was a hassle from start to finish. "We needed to get them to stop fighting, alright? It was a bad idea, yeah, but would you have rather them kill each other in your living room?"

Violet just groaned, knowing Freddy was right. It made her a little uncomfortable to have him correct so much lately.

"They're here for a reason," Freddy looked at all of them again. "I can feel it."

"So, uhm, why were you two fighting earlier, anyways?" Crystal asked.

Link and Mario tensed up, unwilling to delve into why exactly they destroyed Violet's coffee table and made an indentation in her wall. They looked away, hiding their eyes, feeling foolish for the entire thing. However, they didn't regret anything. Deep down, Link didn't want to apologize for fleeing from the Mushroom Kingdom, nor did Mario want to for striking the first blow in his anger.

"Aw, come on, guys!" Crystal did her best to remain cheery. It was her best attribute, something which Amy greatly adored. Even when she was going through the ropes, she often wore a cute, cat-like smile. "If you all are on this mission together, shouldn't you, y'know, get along?"

"Actually," Mario stood from the couch, arms crossed, "I'm starting to reconsider the whole thing."

"What?!" Link shouted, rising from where he sat as well. "Mario, you can't just decide that you aren't going to help! You saw what Shatterhand could do! If we can't stop him, then-"

"Who is this 'Shatterhand'?" Amy interrupted. When the name was first uttered, she thought she had misheard. But no, this Shatterhand was indeed the name of whoever brought these men so much fear. If they were anything like the heroes from the games Freddy played, that kind of fear didn't come from any normal foe.

"He's a-" Luigi held his tongue, wondering if he should say it. After a quick, solemn glance from his brother, the green plumber decided to word it carefully. "He's a man who threatens… a lot. Link was the first to found out about him, and he rounded up Kirby, Mario, and I to try and stop him."

"Wait a sec, how could he do that?" Amy asked.

"With the Ultra-Sword," Link said flatly.

"Hang on, the Ultra-Sword can't do that," Freddy spoke up, having played the game it first came from.

"Poy poyo?" Kirby rolled around on the couch, looking adorable as always.

"Alright, everyone! Stop!" Violet's voice echoed through the apartment, making everyone go silent. "If you guys are just going to keep going on about… whatever it is you're yapping about, then you can find another place to stay! This is my home, and you're going to follow my rules, got it?!"

Amy, Crystal, and Freddy had never seen such a womanly voice come from Violet. She sounded like the idols, almost. Maybe it was just the incessant talking that caused her to break, but only she would know.

"First of all, if you're all going to stay here, then you need to get along!" Violet left her chair and stood between Mario and Link. "I'll give you guys a day to sort this out, since it's already past noon!"

Just briefly, Link considered showing Mario the picture of Romani. That, along with the child they were expecting, and the family he had back in Termina, was the reason he ran from Shatterhand. He couldn't, and simply refused, to let them down. Among his few desires in life, one of them was to live happily, see his child grow up, and grow old with his loved ones. That, in his eyes, was the infinite passion of life.

Then Link's mind wandered to the subject that rested in there before Mario came to fight. The blood he had spilled, both his own and of his enemies. Ganon, Majora, The Garo Master, Dark Link, everyone. Every single one of those encounters came into perspective for the twenty-year-old hero, as if each time the crimson red essence of life splattered along the floor was leading him to this. The fate of that blood.

Mario, also, was thinking about the battles he had faced. The many against Bowser, like the journey to gather the stolen Power Stars, Luigi's battle against King Boo, or their combined fight to defend the Beanbean Kingdom from Cackletta. He never thought hard about them before, but much like Link, he pondered the idea of them all having a greater meaning.

"Look, I don't know what you think of all this," Link pointed to himself, then Kirby, and then the people that were helping them, "But you, Luigi, Kirby, and I all had that same dream, with the vines. It couldn't have been a coincidence. My variant fell appeared to me for a reason. Call it destiny, I don't know, but he trusted me to finish this and be rid of Shatterhand's evil, but I can't do it alone."

Amy and Crystal's ears perked up at the mention of a dream with vines.

"I have a feeling that everything in my life might have been guiding me towards this. It might be our destiny, or it could just be happenstance, again, I don't know," Link huffed. He felt uncomfortable, vulnerable, and alone. What he didn't realize was that Mario, Luigi, Kirby, and Tael felt the same way. "However, there isn't anyone else able to do this. If he finishes us, then there will be no one left to stop him."

"Responsibility," Mario said. Link's eyes widened. "I'm still pissed at you, Link," He elaborated, making sure nobody got the wrong idea. "But I'm also worried, okay?"

Link and Mario just looked at the floor as the others watched them, waiting for one of them to continue. They never did, at least not for that day. That night they went to bed without a meal, their appetites quenched by the thirst for solace from the threat of Shatterhand.

Chapter Text

Here we're finally meeting some of our last main characters for the story! To think I've only written one story involving them, yet now they're going to be here with the rest of the team is kinda wild to me, but hey, it's my story. Some of you may know the two introduced here from a certain birthday present to a friend last year… But anyways, enjoy!
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 14: Overture

Link found his inability to sleep an incessant pattern. As the rain pelted the bedroom window, he lay on his side, staring at the water dripping down the glass.

He looked at his hand, still thinking about the image that boy, Freddy, showed him on his little device. 'The Legend of Zelda', it said. He remembered distinctly. His mind longed for answers, but his soul wanted the secrets to remain. The conflict within wouldn't end until everything was explained in detail, but it wouldn't happen right away, that much was obvious.

Then, a flash of lightning illuminated the room for a split second. Link waited a moment, and finally, the thunder followed. He estimated that the heart of the storm was a few miles away. Still lying in bed, he reached into his pocket and grabbed the photo of Romani. Each time he looked at her, he felt reborn in a way. The motivation he needed to keep going surged through his soul.

"I promise," Link whispered aloud, plowing through the deafening silence. He felt some emotion gather in his eyes as he thought about Termina. "I'll come home… No matter what, alright?"

Link was met with nothing. No soothing words to calm his restless soul, no comforting embrace to let him melt in, nothing. Loneliness encroached like a predator closing in on its clueless prey, waiting for the perfect moment to lunge out and attack. He remembered Gomess's warning, the one from so many years ago. It just occurred to him that this was the second time he was recalling that simple statement. When the reaper first said it, it was in reference to the Garo, but now, it took on a new meaning.

"Link…" Gomess had practically hissed. "You are a kite… flying into a hurricane," It still baffled Link how the demon knew his name, but that wasn't important. The spectre finished by saying cryptically, "The winds will tear you apart."

Deep down, Link felt like he had been physically torn to shreds. He reluctantly fell asleep while drowning in an infinite ocean of his own sorrow. Moister welled up in his eyes as he tried not to think about the things still haunting him. Shatterhand, the icon, even those strange vines. Right before he dozed off, he muttered to himself, "I just want to go home…"

Meanwhile, far beyond the constraints of space and time, two legendary beings were making their journey to a certain world to enlist the help of some very powerful allies. Landia and Empyrea, wings flapping powerfully, soared across the precipice of reality, invisible to the naked eye. Eventually, their incredible speed faltered and came to a halt, giving them a splendid view of a verdant land, bathed in a glorious sunrise.

"So where are we?" Landia asked, inspecting the land carefully.

"The land of Trodian," Empyrea said, admiring the scenery with a respectful gaze. "This place was once under siege by a terrible curse, however, the adventurer we've come to enlist put an end to it some time ago. Since then…" Empyrea chuckled to herself, "He's made quite the name for himself, that boy."

Empyrea swooped down and let the wind take her towards the castle far off in the distance, Landia not far behind. While it was distant, the castle exuded a wave of everlasting pride than even the uncaring dragon somewhat respected. A bout of awkward silence fell between the two as they traveled, however, the question of who exactly the Godbird was speaking of. If he was so essential to defeating Shatterhand, Landia thought, why the mystery?

"Who is he?" Landia promptly asked, a certain bluntness accompanying his words.

"Hm, funnily enough," Empyrea smiled, "His name is more so a number than anything else. He likes to go by 'Eight', oddly. Not many people know why, even me, but it's just what he prefers to be called."

"Huh, 'Eight'?" Landia repeated with a bit of humor. "Interesting. I suppose it's no different than a name like 'Link'," The dragon snorted as he and Empyrea finally neared the grand castle. When seen up close, even he had to admit that the structure was beautiful. There were even some people walking below, yet they didn't notice the visitors flying through the sky.

Down inside the walls of the castle, on the second floor in the furthest hall, a man dressed in casual clothes wandered around, seemingly looking for something. He was wearing a distinct orange overcoat and blue tunic, vibrant red bandana, and plain grey trousers with brown boots. His eyes scanned the corridor before heading down a spiral staircase, placing his steps quietly, as if he were taking care not to be caught by something or someone. Once he reached the bottom, he walked down an identical hallway and came out into the central chamber, moving past two thrones. Finally, his view landed on a cupboard sitting by a nearby table. A smile formed across his face as he tiptoed towards the furniture.

Sneakily, the fellow removed his bandana and held it, before kneeling down when he was just a few meters away from the cupboard. He lashed his arm out and whipped the bandana, the cloth wrapping around one of the handles of the little door. There, he pulled gently, opening the cupboard.

"Gotcha…?" The man first spoke with pride, but then disappointment creeped along his tone when he saw that the cupboard was empty. Standing back up, he put on his bandana and placed his hands on his hips. "If he's not there, then where could he be hiding…"

Then, the gentleman's ears picked up on something. Turning around, he caught two large shadows by the magnificent flower-shaped window looking over the main chamber of the castle. As quickly as he noticed them, they moved out of sight, and a small groan came from the man's lips, "Oh no…" he said.

Coming out of the castle by the first-floor entrance, the man sighed as he walked up the nearby stairs and stood on the upper balcony, arms crossed. "Alright, come on out."

Empyrea found it pointless to hide from Eight. While the wind blew briskly through the hills and trees rustled, a sign could be heard from her beak, for she knew the hero was always perceptive of the things around him, and the place where he now lived was no exception. Landia just looked confused for a second before the blue phoenix flew from her hiding spot and landed on the balcony, just across from Eight.

"I'm terribly sorry, my friend, I didn't want to just present myself so abruptly, just so there would be no alarm…" Empyrea explained, feeling foolish for trying to keep away from Eight's acute eye. Landia flew down and sat beside her, yet the man didn't seem bothered by his presence in the slightest.

"Well, last time you visited me, you needed to bring me along to another realm in order to help a fellow hero, so don't hold it against me for being superstitious," Eight said, keeping a smile off his face. Truthfully, he found it amusing, but now that there had been a certain development in his life, he found unexpected arrivals to be somewhat of a nuisance. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Landia, he comes from another realm," Empyrea introduced the dragon beside her. Landia's eyes didn't change from their usual disinterested glare, but when Eight's eyes appeared unimpressed whilst looking at the four-headed beast, some of that stone-cold emotion inside the crimson monster weakened.

Eight just put two of his fingers on the bridge of his nose and shook his head. The moment Empyrea mentioned that this Landia came from another realm, the apprehensive feeling Eight had in the pit of his stomach rose up and festered in his throat.

"Alright, what do you need?" Eight asked with annoyance.

Empyrea was taken aback by the hero's attitude. "Well, Eight, there is something foul looming above all of reality. A man by the name of Shatterhand. He has unbridled power with traversing any world he pleases, and he may-"

"It'll be a no, Empyrea," Eight said without hesitation.

"Excuse me, hero?"

"I'm sorry, but I… I don't want to get involved," Eight walked over and leaned against the railing to the balcony, averting his eyes from the phoenix. "Things have changed for me, and I simply don't have the time."

"Eight, what is the meaning of this?! Such words are uncharacteristic of you," Empyrea sounded shockingly offended. Landia stepped forward and growled, bearing his teeth in front of the hero. Once again, the man just looked unimpressed with the red beast.

"You know, Empyrea didn't bring me here just to be let down by a little punk like you," Landia said, his thoughts projecting into Eight's mind. "We are here on a matter of extreme importance, tiny human!" In all his existence, he had never seen such disrespect towards a being of such high power. For a split second, the dragon considered opening his mouths and exhaling a fiery storm upon the boy in the bandana.

"Daddy!" A young child's voice broke the tension, coming from the castle's second story entrance. A little boy appeared, pushing the door open and running out towards Eight.

"Eleven!" Eight's face instantly brightened up as he knelt down and held his arms open. The child ran up and swiftly hugged the hero, Eight hoisting him up and making sure he stayed put in his grasp. "Hey, I thought you were hiding with Munchie, hm? Why'd you come all the way out here?"

"Well, I was hiding, but Munchie got bored, and then I did too! He told me he saw a big dragon, and that you were talking with them!" The little boy spoke with a slight lisp, but other than that, he was practically a smaller version of Eight. He even wore a similar bandana, although he wore a red and white tunic, similar to his mother's dress.

"Aw, you didn't need to come all the way out here," Eight rubbed Eleven's cheek and then turned back to face Empyrea. He gave a knowing look to the Godbird, and she finally understood why he was so ruffled by her and Landia's arrival in Trodian.

"Eight…" Empyrea stuttered. Landia was surprised at the sheer embarrassment in her voice. "I-I was not aware that you had fathered a child with Medea. Please, forgive me."

"No, no, it's alright, we just…" Eight despised thinking about his own past, the pain of it all, but he also realized that he was being unfair, dismissing Empyrea's plea for help on a whim. "We wanted to keep his life private for now, Medea and I, especially after the whole debacle with my own family. He doesn't know of his or even my own heritage. The two of us thought it best to expose him to it gradually."

"I see…" Empyrea found it difficult to talk now, her beak dry as an arid desert in the middle of the more damning summer. Almost a minute passed as she thought about what was right in front of her. Eight had apparently mastered the arduous task of settling down, something she feared the most. "Well, I'm very sorry to have disturbed y-"

"Now hang on, Empyrea," Eight adjusted Eleven in his arms and looked fiercely at the Godbird, passion in his eyes. A lick of determination in his soul had hardened into glory. "Who's the one by the name of… 'Shatterhand'?" He asked, an unwanted chill going down his spine.

"Now you care?" Landia remarked.

"Yes, I do. I was only surprised to see you again, and my mind went only to selfish thoughts, and I apologize," Eight leaned back against the railing and pondered why he would even do that. "The easiness of life lately… I guess it got to me in a way. But I am at least willing to hear you out. If you're here, and you brought someone from another realm, then this must be important, right?"

Landia was again surprised. At least this man, however critical to Empyrea's plan to stop Shatterhand, still held a noble soul. A bit of what Eight said resonated with some hidden part of the dragon. He too wanted an easy life, especially after all he'd been through.

"Thank you, Eight, for reconsidering," Empyrea bowed briskly, but then a small desire filled her mind. The name of Eight's child sounded very familiar. Without needing to ask, the hero recognized the phoenix's curious complexion.

"Ever since I met that boy from the other realm, the one you asked me and those other fellows to help… I couldn't take my mind off him," Eight smiled at the fond memory. "He was as troubled as I once was, and it truly warmed my heart to help him. Medea was against it at first, but I wanted to name my boy after him out of respect." Eleven smiled cheekily at his father. The origin of his name happened to be the first bedtime story Eight ever told him.

"I'm certainly glad it made such a difference to you, Eight," Empyrea commented, "I wonder if the others were as moved…"

"Not to be rude," Landia blurted curtly, looking out at the gathering crowd by the castle, "It seems we've garnered some attention. Should we head someplace else to discuss what to do?"

"Yes, Landia, that'd be splendid," Empyrea said.

"You've got to go back with mommy, alright?" Eight told Eleven, setting him down on the floor.

"Okay, daddy…" Eleven looked glum as he walked back to the door and disappeared into the castle. Eight watched with a smile as his son left before turning towards Empyrea and Landia.

"Shall we?" Eight smiled lightly, extending his hand.

Flying to the Farebury Region, Eight rode upon Empyrea's back as Landia followed close behind. The lush hills glistened in the early sun, the fresh morning air weaving through the trees with a sound that echoed through the entire area. There was a strong scent of petrichor, the smell of rain, lingering about the fields. Landia even saw some storm clouds rolling away through the sky, confirming that it had poured during the night, only just ending before dawn.

"I haven't been here in some time," Eight though aloud as Empyrea scanned for a suitable clearing. Once she found one, the amazing speed she held dissipated, the wind fleeing as she flapped her wings, touching down in the middle of a flower patch.

Eight was able to see a number of places in the distance, namely the waterfall cave and the little dingy shack just close by to it. More memories returned as he dismounted from Empyrea and stood tall in the clearing. It was almost humorous, being there with his old attire. It was pure coincidence that he wore his tunic, coat, and bandana today, but he guessed that the strings of fate lead him to do so.

"Shatterhand is his name, right?" Eight asked. Empyrea proceeded to discuss the nature of the man and his endeavor to hunt down various people across the multitude of realms.

Several minutes later, after Empyrea finished, Eight kept silent. He processed everything carefully, his eyes narrow and hand to his chin. A soft 'hm' came from his mouth as the phoenix looked at her dragon companion worriedly. Landia didn't know what to think while Eight walked a bit away from them and gazed out at the rural scape.

Eight couldn't help but gain a sense of déjà vu when he heard about Shatterhand. It disgustingly reminded him of Lord Rhapthorne, that demon of unstoppable ambition that was scarily aware of his enemies and how they worked. From Empyrea's description of the fiend's activeness against the ones who opposed him, that team of heroes from beyond the stars, Eight knew that this man was ruthless, perhaps having some personal vendetta of some kind. But how, how could a man have something against people that he killed seemingly on a whim? There was something missing, something important.

"Do you know what links this man to the ones trying to stop him? Link, Kirby, the plumbers, and those teens?" Eight faced the two legendary beings, yet somehow didn't feel small compared to them. "It feels like there's a piece of the puzzle that's missing."

"If there is any prior history to Shatterhand and the ones he hunts, then I don't know. The only thing that connects them is that he's murdered many variants of them before," Empyrea exposited with a not-so-hidden displeasure. She wanted more than anything to stop Shatterhand the moment he had started his rampage, but she was too preoccupied with her own matters to intervene at the time. "Although the Inklings, the teens, aren't on his radar."

Eight's concern grew a little from that comment. If those kids had nothing to do with this, why were they involved. Staring with a critical eye, he wondered if Empyrea had a plan unknown to them, him, and even Landia. She had always been considerate, so it wouldn't be beyond her to have an all-encompassing strategy in the works, or even already in motion.

"How do the crusaders fare against Shatterhand on their own?" Eight wondered if any of them alone were able to stand up to the madman.

"If I may," Landia felt like he could provide a good enough answer. Meta Knight had personally seen the remains of one of the people in question, and he still thought about the strained gaze of fear beneath the knight's mask. "They never stood a chance. The Link I know told in great detail just how damaged his variant was, and a friend of mine himself saw what was left of another…"

A small grunt left Landia's maw as his words within Eight's mind trailed off. It nearly slipped the hero's mind that the voice he was heard from both of the powerful figures were only telepathic. While their tones existed only within the mind, he could feel their tired, sorrowful resonance so clearly.

"Then it sounds like…" Eight finally realized why Empyrea came to enlist his help. Specifically him. He, along with three other individuals, were the only ones to have experience with traveling across the dimensions. A part of him grew warm simply thinking about those three again. "Do you plan to seek out the others and ask them for help?"

"Yes," Empyrea said without a second to lose.

Eight held his tongue for a moment. He almost agreed to the whole plan right then and there, but watched himself before he could say anything. Fate had apparently laid out a trap for him, that being either stay and make sure his family remains safe or risk his life on this journey with the ones he missed and hopefully rid reality of this overarching menace.

"Eight, I know this would be a difficult decision for you, along with the others. However, you, along with the other crusaders already out there in the darkness of this predicament, are the only ones capable of paving the path for the future," Empyrea stepped forward and locked eyes with the hero, both their gazes bearing a solemn look. Responsibility weighed down on their shoulders as Eight considered everything he had been told. "It truly is a cruel destiny, but I have tested your strength once before, correct?" Eight just nodded, "Then consider this another trial, only not in service to me, but to everything you hold dear."

The wind bounded through the hills and insects danced among the weeds. A long silence forced itself upon the trio as the hero simply reasoned with his own conscience. He thought about 'destiny', that quaint little word that dictated most of his life.

"Forgive me for asking, but you are a god, right?"

"I am, why?"

"Then do you know how all this ends? If we are to come into conflict with Shatterhand, do you know what would become of us?" Gods were bathed with knowledge and divination, so Eight openly wondered if Empyrea knew what would happen.

"I do, but my design cannot be discovered just yet, or else it's certain to sway," Empyrea tilted her head, "My influence extends to Link, Kirby, and everyone he's met so far. They are still unaware of this."

"Then I guess it's your duty to keep it like that… For now," Eight walked over to Landia and stared at the dragon, thinking about the prospect of working together. After a quick sigh, he turned back to the Godbird, "Fine, let's do it. I just want to ask two things."

"Of course, what will it be?" Empyrea said.

"First, may I return home for a moment and bid my family goodbye?"

"Absolutely, hero," Empyrea smiled a little.

"Second, could you tell me where we'll be heading first?"

"Ah, that's easy," Empyrea stepped closer to Landia, extended her wing, and let Eight climb onto her back. "Our first destination will be the land of Aliahan, in search of the man under the title of Erdrick."

Eight finally smiled wide, knowing exactly who Empyrea planned to find. "Wonderful," he said with determination.

With that, Empyrea and Landia took off, flying through the sky and back to Trodian to allow Eight to give his loved ones a farewell. They, along with the hero, hoped that it would only be a temporary goodbye, but a small sliver of them feared that Shatterhand, as powerful as he was, wouldn't be so kind to let all who opposed him survive. Regardless, there was now a speck of hope in the Godbird's eye.

Chapter Text

This chapter is dedicated to Mr. Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball and main character and monster designer of the Dragon Quest series. While I've never gotten into Dragon Ball, I cannot deny it's along with his own influence on the world of anime, gaming, and other communities. Rest in peace, sir, and I hope you all enjoy.
-Justan

And it's still dedicated to him.

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 15: A Fate Which Still Remains

Eight held his breath as Empyrea and Landia soared higher into the sky and roared, portals opening just a couple meters away. As they neared the tears in reality, the regal Godbird noticed the slightly fearful look on the hero's face and chuckled warmly.

"Oh, Eight, there's no need to hold your breath, I can ensure that no harm will come to you as we travel," Empyrea explained, having cast a shield around herself and her dragon companion, allowing for Eight to survive in the vacuum of the dimensional portal.

"Alright!" Eight let his lungs relax as Empyrea and Landia flew through the doorway between the realms, getting almost blinded by a quick flash of light. When his vision returned, he was able to see a beautiful display of colors, light blue, to white, to green, streaming past him as he sat on the goddess's back. "Wow… I forgot just how gorgeous this view was…"

Landia could concur. Before all this had started, he rarely traveled the multiverse, but now that he had been jumping between realms so frequently, he found himself often admiring the sights. A small piece of him knew that Kirby would find it even more mesmerizing than Eight did.

The journey lasted but a moment, as the pair of legendary figures appeared in a new realms sky, sailing through the atmosphere like a kite on a breezy day, the need to flap their wings absent. They glided along a vast ocean, and eventually they saw a small, circular continent lining the southeastern horizon. On it, in front of a mountain range stretching from north to south, sat the kingdom of Aliahan, home of this worlds hero.

As the group reached land, flying over hundreds of acres of open fields by the continents northern region, a peculiar sight caught each of their eyes. West of Aliahan, on a miniscule island just off the coast of the kingdom's bay, were the remains of some structure. The Dreamer's Tower, Empyrea surmised, somehow destroyed by an event that she was not present for.

"I don't quite remember this place, in all honesty…" Eight admitted to himself as the group touched down on the outskirts of a forest that neighbored the cliffside overlooking the island with Dreamer's Tower.

Empyrea stood motionless while locked on the remnants of the tower across the stretch of water. Eight thought he noticed a part of the Godbird's shadow that didn't show up on Empyrea herself. Around where her wings blocked the light, along the ground, the outline of a vine was present. It bared thorns and moved on its own, like a snake slithering around. The hero blinked a couple times, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but when his view returned to Empyrea's shadow, it was perfectly normal.

"So where is this hero that we're looking for, hm?" Landia thought.

"He has a residence in Aliahan, visible across the ocean, there," Empyrea nudged her head towards the opposite coast. "It has been quite a while since his adventure, so I assume he is at home, however," She then looked at where Dreamer's Tower once stood, "I have a suspicion that he is somewhere there…"

"Then I guess we know where we're looking first," Eight said resignedly, somewhat unprepared to search through the pebbled ruins of what used to be a dungeon. He was at least glad that he had his sword and other equipment, although he was without the company of Munchie. Eleven was still fond of the fuzzy companion, even in its advancing age.

Landia looked passively at the base of the tower, thinking about how he'd survey the area effectively. There seemed to be a number of openings around the wreckage of rubble, perhaps he could blow them open with his fire and clear it out. But then what Empyrea and Eight guessed caught his mind. If the person they were looking for was there, what if they were hurt? The dragon's train of thought continued until he felt something jump onto him.

"What the-" Landia's upper head swerved and was just barely able to peek behind himself. On his back he saw Eight mounting him, as if he wanted to ride. "No," The dragon said plainly, clearly annoyed.

"If we're doing this together, we may as well get into the habit of working with each other," Eight explained, patting Landia's back and wearing a sly smirk. With one look at Empyrea, Landia huffed, knowing that there was no use arguing.

The wind rushed to fill the gap that Landia left when he suddenly took off, accelerating so fast that he nearly blew Eight away. The hero's bandana flapped wildly as he struggled to see, the dry air making his eyes water. Empyrea wasn't far behind, and once the trio made it to the tower site, they started looking around.

For a few moments, all was quiet, only the flap of wings filling the air, until a sudden blast rocketed out from the depths of the ruins and into the sky. It nearly hit Landia, but he swerved out of the way.

"Leave me alone!" A terror-filled voice screamed as another surge of gleaming yellow magic burst from the rubble and tried to hit the four-headed dragon. To Eight it looked like one of his spells, specifically Sizzle, only being sent much farther than he could send his. "I won't let you try and take me again," the voice continued, shouting as loud as they could.

"What in the world?! Alright, that's it," Landia growled as he charged up some fire within his mouths and aimed for where the blasts were coming from.

"Wait! Stop!" Eight shouted, tugging on Landia's horns right as the fire crept up the dragon's throats. The fireballs shot out into the sky and Landia roared ferociously. Then, Eight suddenly decided to jump from the beast and down into the ruins, diving for one of the many gaps in the large mass of debris.

Stone fell past Eight's body as he touched down roughly, rolling out and using his boots for traction the moment they hit solid ground. Sliding down a pile of shattered bricks and splintered wood, the hero came to a stop, finding himself surrounded by shadows and a strange, familiar feeling that was also laced with danger. Almost immediately he unsheathed his sword and channeled Flame Slash, the embers engulfing the blade. He then used them to light up his surroundings, holding his arms out to show that he didn't mean any harm to whoever was lurking nearby.

There was an awkward stretch of nothing until the sound of exhausted panting reached Eight's ears. A couple of feet away, he saw a brief glint, and then another pillar of flames appeared, these ones forming a wall behind whoever had cast them. Sizzle again. Now Eight could see who he was facing, their spiked hair and purple cape easily recognizable.

"Eight?!" exclaimed Erdrick, true name Arusu. His face, regardless of how bruised or cut up it was, expressed some unfathomable shock.

"Wha- Erdrick?!" Eight extinguished his own flames and walked towards the battered hero before him. There was noticeable misery in the fellow hero's eyes, one of them closed due to blood trickling down his forehead and then cheek. "You remember me? But what are you- What are you doing here?"

"It's…" Erdrick seemed reluctant to explain, "I'd rather not talk about it now. I need to get out of here, I think I'm seeing things. I could've sworn I had seen another hydra or something flying above the ruins…"

"There… are no hydra's here, at least not that I've seen," Eight inspected his old friend before urging, "Come on, we're getting out of here." He wrapped his arm around Erdrick's left shoulder to help him walk. Even with the assistance, he still had a limp, clearly having been injured by something.

"Thanks…" Erdrick said gloomily, still in disbelief that a hero from another realm was here, let alone one that he knew.

When the duo emerged from the ruins, Empyrea and Landia had landed on what used to be a parapet, waiting for Eight to return. Erdrick, as soon as he saw Landia, tensed up, his nerves flaring, thinking that the dragon was one of the hydras. He brandished his weapon, the Sword of Kings, and a dark determination blazed in his tired irises. Landia only cocked an eyebrow, amused at the pitiful display of courage despite the hero's injuries.

"Hey, stop, he's with me, don't worry," Eight stepped in between Erdrick and his murderous intent, calming the dark determination. Once the clouded glare left the wounded swordsman, another friend caught his attention.

Erdrick was silenced in awe, and he slowly limped over to Empyrea, looking up at her with wide eyes. The serene Godbird was pleased to see the man who helped bring her to life so many years ago, a smile forming along her golden beak. He too wore a smile, forgetting all about the pain seething through his body.

"Ramia?" Erdrick whispered.

"It's lovely to see you again, Arusu," Empyrea replied, wrapping her wings around her dear friend.

Link walked out of the bedroom with a renewed interest in light. It had been so dark during the night, the storm never letting up for even a second. Fortunately, there was a slight calm, the weather report stating that it'd only be a few minutes before the downpour picked up again. A splash of color appeared out of the corner of Link's eye, making him stop in his tracks and look towards it.

Direct sunlight was visible outside the window, the shafts of yellow rays beaming down to the ground. They were scarce, but vibrant in contrast to the darkened clouds of the morning. The Terminian sighed and continued down the hallway.

Everything at first seemed numb, but this morning, against all odds, Link felt alive. Happy, almost. An unknown sense had told him that things were getting better. He didn't smile yet, but he had a feeling that the day would at least be better than the last. Maybe that would lead to a smile.

Entering the living room, Link saw those two ladies, their names right on the tip of his tongue. They were snuggled together on the couch, snoring lightly, holding each other. Something clicked inside the hero's head, and for a moment, his heart ached. Right there he could tell that they were lovers, and they reminded him of Tatl and Navi almost to a painful degree. Link considered reaching into his pocket to see the picture of Romani again, but when the two girls stirred and there was an approaching sound of footsteps, he refrained, not wanting to expose them to that yet.

"Oh, Link, you're up," it was Luigi, rubbing his eyes groggily, trying to get rid of the dark bags underneath them. The mustachioed man yawned heavily, scratching his neck, and looking around the room lazily. "Want to see if there's anything to eat? I'm starving."

"Are you suggesting we rummage through their fridge?" Link turned around, whispering rather loudly. He was astonished that Luigi would even throw around the idea of doing that.

"Well, we are their guests. They literally told us to help ourselves to anything," Luigi reinstated, countering Link's argument.

"Fine," Link just went along with it.

After a decent ten minutes of searching through the refrigerator, Link and Luigi concluded that there wasn't a lick of edible food in sight. Everything they found had been dipped in or were made out of this strange goopy substance. They both correctly assumed that it was ink, something that normally should never be ingested. That alone presented a new problem, that being what they ever could eat, if anything.

"Whatever, we can probably just ask them if there's anything else when they wake up," Luigi said hopefully, walking out of the kitchen with a pronounced slouch. The way he moved made one of his red and white socks scrunch up, allowing Link to catch a glimpse of a new scar around his ankle.

"Yeah… By the way, how are your wounds?" Link asked, walking beside the green plumber, concern evident in his voice.

"Huh? Oh, they're fine," Luigi said without much care. "They've all scarred over," He rolled up one of his sleeves, showing Link one of his new badges of honor. "It's been a while since I've been hit hard enough to get one, so I don't mind. I don't have many, so it'll make for a great story to tell one day, right?"

Link didn't answer, a shadow appearing over his eyes. Those words to him were almost a slap in the face. Seeing his expression wiped the smile from Luigi's face, and a strong, fearful gulp followed.

"H-How many do you have?" Luigi asked hesitantly, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Too many," Link answered easily, standing in the hallway like a statue. He had covered his eyes with his golden bangs, the silver portion of his hair visible to him. "Luigi…" He said, "You and I are very, very different, I think that much is obvious. Your brother hates me right now, but I can understand why. But he's not the only one that needs to learn something. Scars you gain, no matter how few you had before, are never something to just overlook like a simple scab. They're reminders."

"Reminders of what?" Luigi wondered out loud.

"Reminders that you are not invincible. The things we've faced, they could've taken a lot more from you than some skin. They come with stories, but not ones that you should share," Link rolled up one of his own sleeves, showing off over a dozen scars on his forearm alone. The sight made Luigi turn pale. Then, Link pulled up his tunic a bit, allowing the plumber to see his stomach. Along his abs was a massive, horrendous scar, courtesy of Gomess. "I was fortunate enough to have a potion to help heal these. If I didn't, I would be a dead man, rotting at the foot of Stone Tower Temple."

Luigi shakily nodded his head, pulling up his sleeve to hide one of his scars. It somehow slipped his mind that Link was a very serious person, clearly having been humbled by a life of action fueled by agony.

"I'm not trying to scare you, it's just… things like this aren't something to be proud of. They should be hidden," Link explained.

"You're afraid," Another voice startled to two. Mario, arms crossed, was standing at the other end of the hallway. He and Link put on a scowl as they stared at each other. "Afraid that those scars will push others away, am I right?"

"Tch…" Link grunted, rolling his eyes.

"Look," Mario sauntered up to Link and his brother, turning his head to the right and pushing one of the wings of his moustache up. There, along his cheek and lip were four new scars in total, all from his battle with Shatterhand. "I have a number of these too, and I hide them as well. But they can be a thing of good."

"Whatcha mean, bro?" Luigi asked, a little lost in what his brother was saying.

"These things come with stories, that's what you said, right Link?" Mario put his moustache back and looked straight. Link only nodded. "Well, they are reminders, both of the things we've faced and of how much we've overcome. We aren't invincible, but we're still strong."

Link turned around, away from the Mario Brothers. The red one was right, and all his talk of how scars aren't something to be afraid of caused memories of Anju to well to the surface of his consciousness.

"Link? Everything alright?" Luigi walked over to see the side of the Terminian's profile and saw that he was covering his mouth, and his eyes were slammed shut.

"I'm sorry, I…" Link muttered. "It just brought back something from home, that's all."

Mario went past the two green men and into the living room, leaving the pair be. When he left their view, a small gasp was heard.

"Ah! M-Mr. Mario!" Freddy cried, his shocked audible from around the apartment. He must have just arrived while Mario, Luigi, and Link were talking. "I-I-I didn't know you were awake up, I was just coming over to check on my friends, a-and I…" It was clear he was going on a nervous rant.

"Come on," Luigi said, heading out to join his brother.

Link remained stationary for another moment, again reconstructing his view of Mario. There was so much to consider, even if the time he had spent with the plumber being relatively short compared to Kirby or Meta Knight. He wondered just how much he had seen, and if he was ready to try and forgive Mario for his outburst the other day. With his hand in his pocket, fingers clasped around the picture of Romani, he went to the living room.

Eight cast Midheal on Erdrick again, helping seal up a number of his cuts along his body. The injured hero huffed as he sat on a pile of rubble, thinking about the second looming threat that had been explained to him. That man by the name of Shatterhand.

A gust of wind rushed over the area where Eight and Erdrick rested, Landia returning from a brief patrol of the continent. Before he spoke to the heroes, he observed the sky, checking to make sure he wasn't followed.

"No sign of any hydras," Landia thought.

"Good, they must be in their dens somewhere," Erdrick said, stretching his arms. "It seems that they retreat to them at random, but a few of my friends have guessed that it may be to replenish their energy," Erdrick tried to stand, but was swiftly stopped by Eight, keeping him sitting so that he could ready up another healing spell to cast. "Thank you, by the way, for helping me out, Landia."

"It's no problem," Landia grunted, not doing out of the kindness of his heart.

"Arusu, tell me," Empyrea began, perched atop a large remnant of the Dreamer's Tower, "Why are these hydras such a problem now? If I recall correctly, you had slain their king while on the road to defeating Zoma."

"I did, however, a few months ago, they started resurfacing. None of us know why. Ones like Orochi and the Gran Dragon have been a particularly big nuisance," Erdrick explained. Eight and Empyrea gave him a baffled expression. "Just because we beat Zoma, doesn't mean everything just magically becomes fine. There are a lot of things still going on across the realms, I'm sure you know that, Ramia."

"How long has it been since the hydras started to retaliate?" Empyrea asked.

"Four months now," Erdrick said as Eight cast Midheal for the third time. Rejuvenation surged through his veins, and he was finally able to stand properly. "Anyways, the first sighting of them came from Dreamer's Tower, and they began attacking various dungeons around the world, like Cloudsgate Citadel, before returning here and finishing it off," Erdrick picked up a cracked brick and stared at it for a moment. A slight wave of melancholy washed over him until he dropped the stone, wincing at the sound of it hitting the ground and splitting apart.

"Hm…" Empyrea dwelled on the dilemma, "Have you investigated the cave that once was Orochi's Lair?"

"We've tried, but a number of hydras keep impeding our progress whenever we try. It's very likely that's where they're hiding, but we can't confirm anything yet…" Erdrick's glum attitude was overwhelming to the others, unable to shake the feeling of uselessness and futility when thinking about how Erdrick was going to even respond to their proposition of joining them to stop Shatterhand. "My friends went off to search the other temples, but I haven't gotten any word back in over three weeks. That's when I decided to search the remains of Dreamer's Tower to see if there was anything we missed."

"What did you find down there?" Eight asked.

"I-" Erdrick paused, struggling to figure out how he'd explain it.

"We don't have time for this," Landia interjected. Steam rushed from his nostrils, a sign of his growing annoyance. "Erik, we-"

"Landia, refer to him as Erdrick," Empyrea corrected the dragon, displaying a rare sense of anger in her tone whenever someone got Arusu's title wrong. Eight, Landia, and even Erdrick was shocked at her whip-like voice.

"Erdrick," Landia began, "We need your help to try and find and vanquish Shatterhand, the man we told you about," Erdrick gave him the side-eye, already disliking how Landia away pushed his predicament.

A bit of the hero's darker side bubbled forth, making him give a snarky lip to Landia. He was wondering which spell he had that could dispose of the dragon easiest, but he quickly swam out of the pool of darkness before he could do anything he'd regret. A faint memory of his rage when he held his dying father came back to him.

"Arusu, I hate to admit it, but we do need your help. Shatterhand poses a threat to everything we know among the realms, and with his ability to travel across them, he may choose to launch an attack on the ones who can stop him at any time he pleases," Empyrea again displayed a rare side of herself, worry. "Please, I implore you, join us, and I promise I will assist you in finding a way to stop the hydras that trouble you."

"Will we live long enough for you to fulfil that promise if I join your 'crusaders', as you called them?" Erdrick glanced at Empyrea with some abrasiveness. He was aware that a journey to defeat such a fiend as described as Shatterhand wouldn't be easy.

"I hope so," Empyrea responded.

Erdrick sighed, not getting a very optimistic feeling from how Empyrea replied. However, something festered in the back of his head, his unfinished thought from before Landia interrupted him.

"Right, I had been meaning to explain what I found down in the depths of this place," He looked down at the rubble beneath his feet. "There was a passageway that we never found, and in there, I think I came across where exactly the hydras came from. It was this massive gateway made of stone, it looked almost like your portals, Ramia."

"My portals?" Empyrea repeated.

"Yes, the very ones you can summon, and the ones that I have little doubt you used to get here," Erdrick continued, "It was ancient, the structure I found, but I was able to make out inscriptions that mentioned your names, both of them."

"Hm… Perhaps someone from a different era paid a visit to the tower," Empyrea guessed.

"My thoughts exactly, but now I wonder if it has anything to do with your man, Shatterhand," Erdrick deemed it a coincidence, but there was always a chance that things were more connected than they seemed. "So yes, I will join you, but under the condition that you swear to assist me with the hydras once this is over."

"Very well, Arusu," Empyrea said, giving her companion a smile. It just occurred to the others that she called Erdrick by what was presumably his real name, since she referred to the name 'Erdrick' as a title when correcting Landia.

"And Eight?" Erdrick turned to his brother in arms before hopping onto Empyrea's back. For a moment, everything stopped, words only existing between the two stalwart heroes. "It's really good to see you again," Erdrick commented, a bright grin on his face.

"It's good to see you too," Eight said back, wearing a matching smile. "I have to say, I'm somewhat excited about seeing the others again,"

"The others?" Erdrick looked surprised.

"Yes, Arusu, we didn't plan on only recruiting you and Eight," Empyrea's beak gleamed as she took to the air, flying across the sea. "We're heading to two more realms so see if some other folks you know are willing to accompany us on this quest to finish Shatterhand."

"Wait, wait, like… Solo? The Luminary?" Erdrick asked, his voice practically a shout as the Godbird picked up speed. Eight just chuckled at his friend's bewilderment.

Meanwhile, in realm ADS-2017, the other crusaders were finally awake and gathered in the living room. A few of them had been discussing what they could do for breakfast, with the Inklings and Octoling needing to think about what they could possibly eat. Murmurs, questions, and little answers danced through the air as the rain outside picked up again.

"Poyo?" Kirby asked as he sat down on the couch. He was a little afraid of the purple woman, Violet, as she sat down next to him and looked like she wanted to wrap her arms around his puffy, pink form and never let go.

"Uhm… Is she gonna be alright around him?" Luigi asked for Kirby, using his thumb to point back at the pair.

"Oh, she won't bite… I think…" Crystal replied.

"Wow…" Freddy panted with joy, hands around his mouth and cheeks all rosy. It felt like a dream he often had, seeing all his video game heroes standing together in one room again. The past two, no, three days didn't even feel real, and yet it was still before noon. "It's such an… Woo…"

"Buddy, calm down," Amy put her hand on Freddy's shoulder to help him return from his awe-induced trance. "You can't be shocked by them being here now, 'cause I can assure you; you aren't dreaming."

"I know, I know, it's just… still a little hard to believe!" Freddy said excitedly. By the door was his bag with his Switch inside, as he intended to show off more of the video games he knew the visitors from. The signature giddiness that followed the Inkling like an infection was too much to handle. "B-But I don't want those two to fight anymore… They shouldn't be fighting!"

"Poyo!" Kirby agreed all the way from the couch.

Link and Tael still kept a decent distance away from Mario and Luigi, the tension between the two men still present. But there was something new that wrapped around their hearts and begged for them to settle. It was a small, thin string of respect that formed from their own memories.

"Excuse me, Mr. Link?" Crystal approached Link and tugged on his tunic to get his attention.

"Yes?" Link turned to face the teenager.

"From what Freddy tells us, you're a pretty noble guy, right? You've been through a lot, so how come you're so caught up on something Mario said?" Amy asked, a naive frown lining her lips.

Link glanced from Amy to Mario and then back again, thinking. The battle against Shatterhand flashed before his eyes, and he thought about the distinct smirk from the vile monster that posed as a man.

"Mario?" Link called. The plumber eyed him, and he jerked his head the other way, silently asking him to come over.

"What? What is it?" Mario crossed his arms when he stood before Link.

"Do you believe in fate?"

"No, not really…"

"Well, when I opened that portal, I didn't know where we'd end up," Link said, the others, including Violet, placing their attention on him and Mario. "We could've found ourselves in the swamp of some random realm, or falling down a chasm, anything, but…" Link took a quick look at everyone and everything around the room, "But we landed in that alley, here, in this strange city, and met these kids. They helped us, and we even talked about something that I personally hold very dear to myself. I think that's what some call destiny."

"What does this have to do with you dragging us from the Mushroom Kingdom to here?!" Mario grew frustrated, but for whatever reason, didn't flare up and raise a fist.

"Let me finish," Link ordered. He took a deep breath and continued to speak. "If we stayed to fight Shatterhand, we may have been killed, but something in the back of my head told me, that despite all of our injuries, we could beat him. I ignored it, because I didn't want to lose everything, or even you guys. I felt something tugging on my heart that lead me to bringing us here, even if it was unintentional."

"So you think that was fate?" Mario wondered.

"Yes, because I've had that same feeling before. It was how I met the woman that I would one day marry," Link looked down at his hand, having unconsciously pulled out the picture of Romani.

"Wait, you have a wife?" Mario's arms slacked and eyes widened.

"You're MARRIED?!" Freddy screamed. He quickly grew lightheaded and then fainted, his friends coming to his aid. After only a couple seconds, he was back, shock still riddled through his head.

"Fate brought me and her together, and I think it also did with me and you. With everyone here," Link smiled at the photo in his hands, fighting the urge to cry. "You might not believe it, but I do, and that's why I did it. Why I forced us to leave your world. But I promise that we'll return and finish what we started, as I feel like that might be our fate as a team."

Mario was quiet.

"Ugh, I guess you're not so bad after all," The plumber mumbled, tipping his cap to avert his eyes. Tael flew down and nudged Mario's hat, thinking that he didn't want to face Link's own gaze. When he finally complied, the men viewed each other in a bit of a new light.

"Wait, wait, WAIT! Roll that back! Hang on, lemme see that!" Freddy pushed between the pair and snatched the photo before Link could even object. Disbelief muddled his mind as he tried to process everything.

"This is impossible! How are you- No, you can't be! W-Who is this in this photo, Link?!" Freddy's unnatural outburst worried even his own friends, as they had rarely seen him so distraught. Violet's mind raced back to how Freddy reacted when she brought up his mask, making her sink into herself with the slightest hint of shame.

"Her- Her name is Romani," Link blushed.

"Romani?! It's not Malon?! But that's not right!" Freddy gave the photo back and rushed to zip open his bag, throwing its contents out onto the floor in search of his Switch.

"What do you mean, 'That's not right'? What's going on?" Link became defensive.

"Wait a minute!" Freddy stopped and scurried across the floor back to Link, not bothering to walk on his feet. "Where… Where do you live? Or- Where do you currently live? Like before all this started?"

"I live in Termina?" Link answered as if he himself was asking a question.

"That's-!" Freddy's mouth was agape. "How did you…" He then trailed off, struggling to come to terms with such a revelation.

"Alright, Freds, what are you talking about? What's got you so… crazy?" Violet grabbed Freddy's collar and pulled him up and onto his feet. She then held him by both of his shoulders and kept him still just so he wouldn't fidget around like he often did. "Come on, you can say it."

"It's… it's that…" Freddy muttered. He slowly turned from Violet over to Link and pointed at his hair, the silver portion that he had noticed, but at first thought was a part of the games that he simply forgot about. Now he was certain that it wasn't present in the media he knew Link from. "It's that he went on a different path than normal… He's not the same Link…"

Chapter Text

I'm honestly shocked that I managed to finish this chapter in a week. I thought I'd be working on this for a while, but hey, go me for being productive with the story! Anyways, this one is a bit more uplifting by the end, so enjoy!
-Joost

Almost there... Almost up to date...

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 16: For Our Eyes Only

There was an eerie stillness looming above the clouds of the Snowhead region. The peaks, normally blanketed with ice during the fall and winter, remained snowless during the summer, overlooking all of Termina quietly as the minutes ticked by. The Gorons had lived for many years undisturbed by any calamity, ever since a boy in green helped quell the rage of a beast known as Goht that had been unleashed on the temple by the corrupted witch, Majora. Yet now, even in the welcomed era of peace throughout Termina, something was present that none were aware of.

Hovering above the chilled clouds of Snowhead was a dreadnaught belonging to a man that was alien to the realm. He and his crew, all profane pillars to a shared plan, inspected the land acutely. On the bridge of the advanced ship stood Shatterhand, a tablet in his hand, absorbing all the information he could about the land that one of his foes hailed from. Beside his boots was one of his hounds, a blood hound, asleep comfortably with its master. It was outfitted with miniscule surgical enhancements around the eyes, ears, and mouth in order to make it a fearsome hunter.

On the tablet in his hand, there was a live feed of Clock Town, the drone's camera zoomed in and focused on the Stock Pot Inn. It was there that Shatterhand was certain he had seen a young, red-headed woman. Something about her called out to him.

One of the many men working under Shatterhand's grip nervously approached, a number of his coworkers pleased that he was the one that had lost the bet to speak to their leader. With a distinct stutter, he asked, "Is everything satisfactory, sir? I-In regard to the sentries out around the regions…?"

Shatterhand said nothing for a moment, until easily moving past his followers' initial question and going on to what he suspected they wanted to discuss. "You have news for me, from the captain, I presume?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then speak," Shatterhand ordered.

"W-Well, sir, there seems to be a new anomaly in our scans. Far out in realm ADDQ-2004, then moving to ADDQ-1988. Our readings show high variances of energy not dissimilar to your Ultra Sword…" After another moment of wordless collection, Shatterhand deactivated the tablet in his hand. "It-It seems that the variants have an ally…"

Shatterhand stopped. It was as if he had abruptly become a statue, motionless. About half a minute passed before another word was spoken.

"In some realms, it's said that victory is decided before a battle even begins," Shatterhand mused aloud, his words only confusing his underling. "It all revolves around strategy if I remember correctly. You must prepare for the kill while the opponent is unaware."

"Uhm… I'm not sure I follow, sir…" The technician mumbled in response.

"Do you think that we were unprepared for our battle in the Mushroom Kingdom with those… people?" Shatterhand asked, turning his head, glancing at his minion out of the corner of his right eye.

"N-No, sir…"

"Then how to you suppose we were not successful in eliminating them?"

"B-Because we were-"

"Not prepared, that is correct," Shatterhand said before the other man could even finish his thought. The hound by his feet instantly woke up at the sense of its master growing irritated. "Now in all of my years of doing this, only some of our targets ever fought back. A few didn't even acknowledge that they were on the receiving end of revenge. But now there is a band of misfits that were able to stand up to our own strength, ending that battle in what I'd call a draw."

"S-Sir, the captain was sure that such an outcome was a coincidence!" The technician cried, growing ever more fearful of both his leader and the hound that started glaring at him with a pitch-black will in its eyes.

"NO! It was mere coincidence that we were nearly beaten at one time in the past, this new threat is something that had been prepared, planned, and thought out for some time!" Shatterhand stamped his foot onto the floor, denting the steel lining of the bridge and making the entire room shudder just slightly under the force. He turned around, showing off the crazed look in his left iris as he clutched his face with his good hand. "To think… We were almost defeated by that speedy, blue rodent and that pantsless bobcat!"

Every single workman on the Dreadnaught's bridge ceased their occupations and looked with worry at their fearsome overlord. They all felt sorry for the poor soul that had been forced to speak with him about the new signals that the Nav-Com had detected.

"Hah… Hahaha!" A sinister, deranged chuckle came from Shatterhand's lips as he tightened the grip on his face, smiling underneath his fingers. "Those two were a powerful duo, all because of those puny, miscolored stones. Heh-However, I have no doubt that they acted on their own volition in an attempt to stop me. These new 'heroes'… They are being guided by someone… Ha!"

Finally, Shatterhand stopped laughing and silently pointed towards the technician before him. Without hesitation, his bloodhound sprang up and tackled the man, mauling him to death before everyone's eyes. Flesh was torn and blood was spilled, while Shatterhand simply turned back to the tablet and continued to stare.

"Captain?" Shatterhand pressed on the glass, calling down to his second in command.

"Yes sir?"

"Search for Technician#256's next of kin and find a replacement. His employment has just been terminated," Shatterhand said plainly.

"Right away."

"Thank you," Shatterhand responded, before another thought came into his head, "Oh, and conduct a scan of all our databases for a certain name, I want to see if we have them logged in any of our previous engagements."

"Yes, and what is the name, sir?"

"Romani," Shatterhand repeated, listening to the recording the drone had caught of the female innkeeper speaking to the woman in question over in Clock Town. He didn't recognize the name but observing that she was at least six or seven months pregnant had piqued his interest. That was the one, he told himself. That was the one that Link, one of his new foes, was trying to protect.

"What do you mean, 'He's not the same Link', Freddy?" Crystal asked her friend, trying to make sense of his bizarre choice of words.

"I-I mean… Well…" Freddy was at a loss with himself, his Switch nearly falling out of his now sweaty hands. Link, Mario, Luigi, and Kirby all stared at him with a bewildered look, wondering what the boy was going on about. "Okay, you four, look here!" Freddy fumbled with the cords and dock for his Switch and set them up by Violets' TV. After a minute or so, the flat screen turned on and the Inkling entered the home menu.

"Alright, everyone, c'mere," Freddy beckoned everyone to gather around him and keep their eyes on the screen. They all did so. "'Kay, so, you remember how I showed that you all were from these things called video games, right?" The four travelers nodded with suspicion, their thoughts on the matter still murky with confusion. "Well, don't freak out, but…"

The TV was flooded with a distinct red, the image of a controller that Mario was familiar with on screen before wiping away and presenting a slough of icons, a number of them box-art for games that the red and green plumbers knew.

"Hey Weege, look, Kid Icarus!" Mario pointed to one of the games available, recognizing the sprite of an angel with a bow battling various monsters against a black background, all surrounded by a neat, silver border.

"Mario, you know about this?" Tael asked, flying closer to the plumber.

"Yeah, back home in Brooklyn, me and Weege had this nifty little console that we could play games on. It was pretty new," Mario hadn't thought about his precious entertainment system in some time, but fond memories flooded back of him and his brother competing in a match of Tetris.

Freddy just absorbed all of what Mario said with silence, inwardly freaking out that Mario had some knowledge of the games he was about to show them. It simply blew his mind. Then it occurred to him that it was just at least some of the games since Mario referred to his console as 'new'. His thumbs flicked the joystick repeatedly, scrolling through the many, many options that had been granted on the service while he thought about what exact time period each of these visitors came from. After all, when he saw Violet spending time with Kirby, he didn't appear to know what a phone was.

"So you guys know some of these here?" Freddy asked, slowing his pace as he scrolled along, "Like TwinBee, Urban Champion, Metroid, and, uh… Oh hey, Double Dragon and StarTropics! You know 'em?"

"I mean, we've played Urban Champion together."

"We kinda hate that game," Luigi added, "But it's the fun sort-of hate, y'know?"

"Yeah, and I've played a bit of Metroid, I think…" Mario put his hand to his chin, scratching it lightly as he thought about the few games he used to own. There was a lot to go over, his shelf of games not that large nor small. "Though I don't remember a game called 'StarTropics' or 'TwinBee', though. Do you, Weege?"

"Nah," Luigi shook his head.

"But why are you telling us this?" Tael butted in.

"Because…" Freddy stopped scrolling and let the group see what he had landed on. On the screen was an image of box art, with big, bold, red lettering saying, 'SUPER MARIO BROS.' "This is one of your first games, and right next to it," Then they saw the gold-colored box art of a platinum shield, the words 'The legend of ZELDA' written neatly below it. "This is where you guys come from. I didn't want to show you guys this so soon, but what Link said… I just couldn't stop myself…" The Inkling wore a sorrowful look as he exited out of the app and looked for another similar one.

Mario, Luigi, and Link were speechless, struggling to process all the wild information in such a short time. Kirby was shocked as well, but simply couldn't fully emphasize with the others due to Mario still unable to understand him.

"Poyo!" Kirby chirped, hoping that he could at least get through to Luigi and Link. Luckily, he did, as they turned around to face him almost immediately.

"Hey," Link knelt down and patted Kirby on the head, smiling. "That… That really means a lot. We're just confused, don't worry, buddy."

"Yeah, we'll be fine!" Luigi faked confidence the best he could, sharing a grin underneath his moustache. "Right bro?" Luigi tapped Mario's shoulder, but the red plumber didn't react. He had been staring off into space for a bit now, the comprehension of his life completely shattered.

"M-Mario?" Luigi said, entering his brother's view and waving his hand in front of his face.

"Weege…" Mario mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that everything we've been through, all the times we've faced Bowser… Is all that just fiction?" Mario had taken the game he saw before him into perspective and started mustering up thoughts that would outclass even the most saddened artist thinking their craft was worthless. His pupils were narrow, a bleak, pessimistic darkness lining his face.

"What?! N-No!" Freddy quickly brought the others' attention back to him; with the game he had selected on screen making Link's blood run cold. "Before I show you guys anything more, just because the stuff on here matches up with your lives doesn't mean it's made-"

Link walked past Freddy and stared at the screen. It was time for the spectre of despair to cast its shadow over him, moving away from Mario. Painful memories flashed before him at lightning speed, yet he didn't get overwhelmed. He took them with silence as a crestfallen, dejected shock crept along his spine. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. All he could do was stare at the screen.

'The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask', it read.

Even Tael, the eternally optimistic fairy was taken by surprise, but he fought through it and brought Link out of his trance by flying in front of the hero's face. "Link! Stop! Looking at that isn't going to do you good."

"I was trying to say," Freddy continued as Link slowly staggered over to the couch and sat down, his breathing heavy. "All the stuff on that screen, in those games, it's not exactly a reflection of what's probably happened to you guys." Freddy was working hard to keep the visitors' minds intact. He never wanted to expose them to everything all at once, but fate seemed to be against him. "Link, you said you were married, right?"

Link didn't respond, so Tael just nodded for him.

"Well, that means that after you beat Majora," Freddy was glad the name was both easy to remember and on the box, "You stayed in Termina!"

"I did, yes…" Link said, not looking at Freddy or anyone else in the room. His head was facing the floor, hair drooping down and casting small shadows to hide his face.

"Well that's not what happens at the end of the game. Maybe it's just how your own life differs from that one!" Freddy turned off the Switch, letting the light from the TV blacken. He set down the controller and sat next to Link, feeling a little odd that he had to comfort a grown man. "I remember you said that you believe in fate. Wouldn't you say that it was fate that led you to take a different path?"

"I…" Link quickly trailed off, thinking about what Freddy had suggested. As he was occupied, Mario sat down on the other side of the couch, Luigi following. Amy, Crystal, and Violet could only watch as their friend had to rush to make sure all their guests' minds wouldn't melt.

"Hey Link? I think… I think I do believe it fate now," Mario said suddenly. Link just glanced at the plumber, waiting for him to elaborate. "Freddy, was it?" Mario looked at the blue Inkling, "I don't know how the hell all these games of yours work, but I do know one thing. My brother and I are real. Kirby's real. Link is real. Maybe fate, however it works, is leading us all in some way."

"Y-Yeah! Exactly! Your lives have just as much meaning as anyone else's," Freddy nudged Link's shoulder, "So that shouldn't mean that you take it as anything less than what you deserve!"

"You know, the thought of differing outcomes after my battle in the Moon did occur to me before. Right when I met my variant for the first time," Link explained, sitting up. "He didn't seem to recognize Termina at all, and it made me wonder if there really were other timelines, timelines where I didn't stumble my way into Termina, or maybe even be sent back in time by the princess…"

"Really, Link?" Tael asked.

"Mhm, but I didn't want to dwell on it at the time." Link did his best to smile at his fairy companion. "Now it's practically confirmed, but I don't feel any assurance. I don't feel comforted by the fact that there are possibly dozens of different variants of myself and others, and that they can do what I haven't, perhaps fix or even avoid some of the mistakes I've made. I only feel… terrified."

"Excuse me?" Crystal was the only one who stepped towards the group, her eyes filled with compassion. "Maybe why you feel scared is because… uhm…" Crystal instinctively grabbed onto Amy's hand, causing the Inkling to blush. "It's because you're the only one who has to do all this."

Link examined Crystal for a moment. Her words looped in his head a couple of times before he understood.

"You're right," He said gloomily, "It's just us fighting this war against him, Shatterhand," Link peeked over to his left at the others. Mario, Luigi, and Kirby, the people whose lives he had stepped into out of the blue. He dragged them along with him and let the danger set its sights on them as well. "And we're losing," He finished.

"Well, it's like you said, Link," Mario forced a smile and flicked the brim of his cap, smirking like he valiant man he aspired to be. "There'd be no one. There'd be no one to defend our homes and more if we didn't step up to the plate, 'ey?"

Link eyed the plumber, inspecting him. At last, he could tell that Mario was acting seriously.

"I'm sorry, alright? If I gotta be the first to say it, fine. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry as well," Link replied.

"Awwww, see, I knew they'd make up!" Crystal turned to Amy and hugged her passionately, literally taking the breath away from her partner as she embraced her a little too hard.

"But just…" Mario looked around the room, at himself, his brother, and then Kirby. "We're still in pretty bad shape, aren't we?" Aside from Link and Mario's repaired relationship, their wounds still remained. The Terminian didn't have any potions with him, and he cursed himself for being so careless when leaving home, as he had plenty of bottles that he could've used.

"We are," Link hated to admit. "Violet?" He directed himself towards the purple teenager who had been silent the entire time. The second she laid eyes on him, she looked away, embarrassed. "Do you mind if we stay for a while longer to rest up? It's a lot to ask, and I'm sor-"

"Y-Yep, that's totally fine," Violet mumbled, her friends staring at her with confused expressions. Why was she being so distant?

"Oh, alright, thank you," Link nodded his head in gratitude and then stood up from the couch, his view now centered on the window. It was still raining, even after hours of downpour, with no signs of letting up. He briefly held an internal battle on whether or not to go outside, but with how cramped life had felt over the past few days, he elected to take his chances with the rain. "Maybe we need something to get our minds off this. Would anyone want to get some fresh air?"

"Ooo! Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby sprang up with excitement at the suggestion, having wanted to see what else the city had to offer.

"H-Huh?!" Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet all exclaimed in unison.

"Yo, are you crazy?" Amy walked over and put her hands on her hips, wondering if Link had a screw loose. "You can't just go out in the rain!"

"Wha-" Now Link had a new reason to be confused, besides the lingering worries of how these 'video games' depicted his life. Tael flew over to his friend, also wearing a face filled with bewilderment. He knew to be careful around rain because of his wings, but why couldn't Link go? "Why not?" The hero asked.

Now was ample time for the countless questions he had about this realm to resurface. With how strange these teenagers appeared; it made him mildly curious if the rain was somehow different. Was it poisonous? Acidic? Some other third thing that was vaguely dangerous?

"Us Inklings can't go out in rain! We'll melt!" Amy and her friends still didn't realize that their visitors were completely like them.

"'Us'?" Link raised an eyebrow.

"We aren't like you guys," Mario stood up from the couch, "I thought that was pretty obvious." He didn't want to sound rude, but he pointed towards Amy's 'hair'. "All that isn't something we know. No offense, but you look like a squid or something."

"Wait-" Amy froze and then looked at her friends. They gave her some shrugs and she decided to change into her squid form.

"WHA?!" Mario jumped back, almost scared by how uncannily Amy's form resembled one of the minions of Bowser which he and his brother loathed. When the girl changed back, she couldn't say she was shocked by the reaction. Even Kirby was a little off-put by the display. Link was indifferent, squids being rare in Termina. In truth, he didn't really know what he was looking at.

"You can't do that? Is that why you were so confused by the food?" Amy pointed a thumb at the kitchen, referring to the fridge where Link and Luigi found nothing they could eat.

"Wait a second, wait a second," Freddy butted back in, hands outstretched as if he were folding out a blueprint. "Are you all mammals? Like, actual mammals?!"

"Are… mammals uncommon?" Mario asked.

"They're pretty much extinct," Violet said, having regained a bit of her deadpanned demeanor. "The only mammal that we know is a cat. His name is Judd. Oh, and his clone! Judd was preserved over a long time and is I think basically immortal, I think. His clone was created just a couple months ago."

"Hang on, wouldn't Mr. Grizz also be a mammal? Y'know, since he's a bear?" Crystal suggested.

The Inklings just stared at Crystal like bugs when the rock they lived under was lifted, exposing them to the harsh daylight. The lone Octoling felt small compared to the six, squinted eyes of her friends.

"Um… But it's just a little theory I have, haha. Mammals are extinct."

"Don't be silly, he's just a wooden statue, Crystal," Freddy said confidently, waving off the outlandish idea.

"Interesting…" Mario said. Whatever the history of this world was, he was a little interested in finding out while staying here for the time being. "No matter, I still wanna get some fresh air. It'd be nice after being cooped up here for so long."

Amy, Crystal, Violet, and Freddy just gave each other worried looks while their band of visitors left the apartment, preparing to step foot outside.

Link stood just under the overhang in front of the entrance to the apartment building. The rain blasted down and hit the pavement at a rate which made the Inklings and Octoling nervous. Mario stood right next to him, with Luigi behind. Lastly, Kirby was right beside Link's left leg, staring out curiously at the city, eager to explore everything he laid his eyes on.

Extending his hand out past the protection of the overhand, Link wanted to feel the rain. Team Inkstrike tensed up as they waited for something to happen, murmuring amongst themselves.

A raindrop hit Link's finger, then one to his leather gauntlet. More dripped onto his index, middle, ring finger, and pinky, soaking them. The sensation made the hero smile, not having felt rain hit his hand for some time. It was relieving in a way, how nature could ease him away from the stresses of his quest. Slowly he left the dry protection of the overhang and stood out, getting drenched.

"It's just rain!" Link hailed the comforting feeling of the storm, ironic when he considered his childhood fear of the rain. He looked up at the clouds and let the droplets hit his face, cleansing his skin just a bit. It was nothing compared to what a good shower would do, but he would ask the others about that later.

Luigi chuckled and joined Link in the rain, spinning around childishly, mimicking a scene from a movie he once saw with a man enjoying a strong downpour. He too felt almost a soothing power coming from the sensation of water hitting his body. It didn't matter if his clothes became soaked, he was happy for the first time in days.

"Poyo! Poy poyo!" Kirby danced with Link and Luigi, splashing down in various puddles, getting his little, pink body sopping wet. The pair of green clad men laughed as if Kirby had told a hilarious joke, Mario also stepping out to get in on the fun.

During those minutes that the crusaders messed around in the stunted rage of the normally fierce thunderstorm, they completely forgot about Shatterhand. The thought of responsibility removed itself from their minds as Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet watched them, smiling as the groups' joy crept along their faces, making them consider joining them in the rain as well. Unfortunately, they wouldn't, their weakness to water being the only factor keeping them away from the enjoyment of ignorant play.

For Amy and Crystal, seeing such happiness during the storm was odd. From what they had seen in their lives, rain always seemed to belong to pain. For both of them, a lot of memories of trauma had been followed by thunder, almost mocking them as it got in the way of their happiness. Now, for the first time, they were witnessing joy in the company of raindrops.

"Eh, what's a little water gonna do to us? C'mon!" Amy, without thinking, grabbed Crystal's hand and went out into the storm, engaging with the crusaders in their little moment of excitement.

"Wha-? Amy!" Crystal was scared at first, as were Freddy and Violet, but when she noticed that the rain was just steady enough not to diffuse much of her and Amy's ink, a smile appeared along her cheeks.

It was rare for the rain to be calm enough not to disturb their bodies, but Inklings and Octolings could stand a fair amount of water before it started to hurt. The rain being perfect as to not bring them harm may have been a coincidence, the pair thought, but for a split second they wondered if it was fate. Nah, that's silly. Why would fate bring them rain?

Link, Kirby, Mario, Luigi, Amy, and Crystal all enjoyed their time in the rain, laughing and smiling happily as puddles were splashed and clothes were drenched. Amy and Crystal made sure not to get in the way of the puddles, though.

Later, after the fun was over, a thin line of water could be seen trailing along the polished, wooden floor of the apartment building lobby, leading towards the elevator. It continued on the top floor, number ten, trickling over to the closest of many doors to Violet's apartment. Since she owned the whole floor, it was easy for one to find their way around, and only a few doors were reserved for other rich folks.

"Poyo…" Kirby said drowsily, tired from all the playing in the rain. He emitted a sound akin to a cat's purr as Link pat his head, slowly drifting off to his own personal dream land.

Link was sitting in the bedroom Violet had given him, Kirby in his lap, looking out the window. He didn't have his tunic on, his clothing drying in the laundry room. He was shocked that there was an entire machine dedicated to washing and drying clothes, but his mind didn't remain on the topic for long. With Kirby fast asleep in his lap, Link was thinking about home, about Romani, and about the child they were expecting.

Ever since he met Kirby, Link felt something that he had never felt before. When he picked the Star Warrior up and smiled, an instinct that he didn't know existed bubbled to the surface. It was almost like a mix of pride and love, his chest enveloped in warmth each time he did it. A part of him hoped that such a feeling was that fatherhood was like. To his own surprise, he never asked Anju or Kafei in the months since Romani became pregnant. Maybe whenever he returned home, if he did, he could ask them.

The day was long from over, but a small part of Link longed for a comfy nap, just like the one Kirby was having. Slowly but surely, while he heard the faint echoes of Mario and Luigi sharing jokes in the living room, he drifted off to sleep, the spectre of despair having been vanquished at long last.

Link's mind thankfully wasn't on the silly games that brought him so much confusion just a few hours before. While their meaning still made him wonder how events in other realms transpired, for now, he tuned those thoughts out. Instead, he was thinking about his wife and child. Just before he started snoring, a smile was on his face.

Chapter Text

I think a certain friend of mine will be overjoyed to read this chapter. Here at the start, we see another Hero from the many worlds of Dragon Quest, however, this one's ending differs a bit from the game he originates from. Oh, and for Wattpad users, you guys have a little something special! Enjoy!
-Joost

There we go! All up to date!! And hey, the images work too! Anyways, now, everything is here and for your reading pleasure. Have at it!

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 17: Heaven's Pyre Knows Their Names

Deep on the edge of a small, unimportant forest, tucked between an unnamed village and a prestigious castle, was a cabin. It stood quietly, innocently, almost, a flock of birds gathered on the roof being undisturbed by the home or the nature neighboring it. Suddenly, the sound of a chop and then wood splinter in the distance setting a flock of birds into the sky. Cracking resonated before the upper leaves of a tree making up the strong, green canopy fell. Once the dust settled, a pair of boots walked up to the fallen trunk, the person they belonged to bending over to inspect his handiwork.

The onlooker sighed, placing the head of his axe hitting the ground, the handle pointed skyward, before leaning on it. He waved his hands around, channeling magic, and then cast a spell on the chopped tree, sending it flying into the air and towards the cabin that rested just beyond the forest. It slowed down as it soared, landing gently outside of the cabin, just a couple footsteps away from the door.

"First of many," The man mumbled to himself, holding his axe properly and looking around, inspecting the trees. His grandfather, randomly out of the blue, sent him a letter asking for him to gather up some trees to help him get a head start on woodcutting for the month.

It felt odd, being sent a letter at such a random time, but the man only guessed that his grandfather, in his old age, was simply in need of some assistance if he was to keep up with the demands of his customers. It didn't really matter anyways, as it was a good excuse for him to get some fresh air. For a while he had resided at home, alone. While the solitude was self-imposed, it was pleasant to be called upon for something.

Over the course of an hour, three more trees were felled, each one being sent into the sky and to the cabin. There, an older fellow, the grandfather of the man tasked to the wood, came out and used his tools to chop up the trunks into chunks, bringing them inside so he could manage them easier.

However, before the man could start work on another tree, he felt a peculiar presence make itself known to him. It had been a while since he had felt as if he were being watched, and the hairs on his neck stood on end, alerting him. Letting the axe fall to the ground, he reached behind his back and unsheathed his sword, gripping the hilt tightly and turning out. In front of him was just a barren field, nothing of note.

The wind had picked up, flowing across the valley, and making the man's seafoam green hair get in his face. He brushed it aside and walked slowly out of the forest, his eyes darting in every direction possible until they looked up into the sky. What he saw made his legs turn to jelly.

Above him was someone he recognized, how with another companion by her side. Empyrea, that legendary Godbird that asked him, along with a few other fellows, to help another hero in need. At the time, he thought it was merely coincidental, but now that he was seeing her again a few years after, he felt as if his very soul had been lifted up and dusted off, given a serene smile by a loved one.

Empyrea swooped down and landed in the field, prompting the hero to approach. She let her wing touch the ground, and from behind her back, two men hopped off, their feet settling onto the grass with an air of confidence.

"I hope you've been doing well, Solo," Empyrea said as Eight and Erdrick got their bearings, looking around before resting their eyes on their old friend. Even in the little time they spent together, they still remembered that distinct hair and determined face.

Landia didn't introduce himself, electing to keep silent so that the reunion between the heroes wasn't uncomfortable. For once he was pleased that the hero Empyrea had chosen didn't act alarmed by his appearance as a dragon or multiple heads. That seemed to be something that set these men off in one way or another.

"Hey, Solo," Erdrick said, a smile along his face. Eight followed up the greeting with his own.

"Hey," Solo replied, putting his sword back into his sheath. His eyes displayed a strong exhaustion even though he hadn't been working very hard. Eight and Erdrick were quick to discern that something else was eating at Solo's soul, something that they both inwardly agreed to discuss when the time was right. "It's… It's really good to see you guys," He said while sighing.

"It's good to see you too," Eight smiled, unknowingly repeating what he said to Erdrick when they prepared to leave his realm. "We're sorry to ask this of you so suddenly, but we need your help. There's a man-"

"Sure, I'm in," Solo cut Eight off as swiftly as he could swing his own sword. Eight blinked for a moment before turning back to Erdrick and Empyrea in surprise.

"What?" Eight asked when he turned back.

"Whatever you need me for, I'm down," Solo said calmly and without any resistance to speak of.

"B-But- Wait a second, really?" Eight voiced his and the rest of the groups' confusion towards Solo's willingness to join.

"Yeah, let's go, you can explain everything to me on the way," Solo said casually, walking up to Empyrea. Something was terribly off about Solo's mannerisms, but they all could sense that it was him. It wasn't some kind of imposter or a minion of Shatterhand. It was Solo in the flesh; the aura was enough proof on its own.

"Solo," Empyrea stopped the hero from getting any closer. She bent down to inspect him, using a power above Erdrick, Eight, or even Landia's understanding to analyze him. It only took a second, and the signal she received from Solo's Wave Energy didn't disappoint. "Is everything alright?"

"Mhm, I'm fine, I've really got nothing better to do," Solo said confidently, extending his hand for Empyrea to feel. She nudged her beak against his palm, her trust only enforced by what she felt. However, something still felt off.

"Very well. Let us depart," Empyrea said, letting Solo climb onto her back, followed by Eight and Erdrick. She flapped her wings and took off into the sky, Landia close behind.

As they rode along the Godbird, Eight and Erdrick spoke with one another, keeping their words a secret from the telepathy of Empyrea, Landia, and Solo.

"Something's wrong, I can feel it," Eight said to his friend.

"Me too, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly…"

"Agreed. I saw that look in his eyes, he seemed very… downtrodden."

"But by who? Everything about the land was fine! He only pulled out the sword because he didn't know we were watching him at first," Erdrick became immersed in thought, wondering why Solo was acting so strangely. As Empyrea summoned a portal to another realm, the pair of heroes worried about their ally.

Link didn't even notice that Kirby had left his lap for a while. He snorted occasionally, but after a dozen minutes, his hand, which had been gently patting Kirby's soft, pink head, realized that nothing was there. His eyelids slowly opened, and he looked around the room, his mind a little hazy.

"Hm…" Link grunted as he sat up, eyes gravitating towards the window across the room. It was dark out, the rain having slowed down to a drizzle, a few breaks in the clouds allowing moonlight to shine through.

After another inspection of the bedroom, Link scooted over to the side of the bed where his tunic now lay. Someone must've returned it to him during his nap. He grabbed it and sniffed, just to make sure the smell of dirt was gone. It certainly was, now replaced with a pleasant scent akin to an ocean breeze. Those washing and drying machines truly were a wonder.

Link dressed himself and left the bedroom, being drawn to the faint sounds of excitement echoing down the hall. The voices belonged to the Mario Brothers; something clearly having gotten their attention in the best way possible. Once he entered the living room, he saw the pair of plumbers sitting down on the floor, a large basket of strangely shaped food placed in between them.

"Man, this is great!" Luigi exclaimed, reaching over, picking one of the foods from the basket and basically shoving it into his mouth impolitely. Mario nodded with agreement, his own mouth already full.

"What's all that?" Link asked, tilting his head.

"Oh hey, Link! Look at this! Those kids went out and ordered us some food that they hoped he would like! Here," Luigi picked up the basket and held it out towards Link as he sat down on the couch. "They call it a 'Deep-Fried Super Shwaffle!"

"Huh, alright," Link didn't think much about it and reached for a piece. First he inspected the 'shwaffle', eyeing it carefully. It wasn't very natural-looking, but he chopped that up to the general way food must've been made in this realm.

Link opened his mouth and took a bite of the food. Instantly, his eyes widened, astonished at the heightened taste of whatever he was eating. It had just occurred to him that he hadn't eaten in days, the last thing he remembered being the pizza Mario and Luigi had treated him and Kirby to before Shatterhand arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom. Speaking of which, there was a notable lack of the pink puffball.

"Hey," Link said, words muffled by his enjoyment of the treat, "Have you guys seen Kirby?"

"I haven't," Luigi said.

"If I were to guess, that purple girl, uh- Violet! She probably snuggled up with him again to show him those things on that phone of hers," Mario surmised. That Inkling girl seemed to be infatuated with both Kirby and Link. It didn't really bother the plumber, but he just found it strange.

"I'll look around," Link said, wiping his lips and starting to walk off. "That is good, though," He pointed to the basket.

Leaving the living room, Link proceeded to peek into each door he came across in the hallway, scanning every room in search of Kirby. He didn't need the Star Warrior for anything, he simply thought it was odd that the pink boy would leave him whilst enjoying a rather comfortable nap. There wasn't any hint of suspicion in Link's mannerisms as he checked one room before the next, that was until he opened a particularly interesting door, the one leading to Violet's room.

The bedroom was shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from a lamp that was sitting on the nightstand just beside the bed. Violet was standing in front of the edge, watching over something that her own body obscured from Link. Pushing open the door further, Link leaned forward and finally caught a glimpse of a familiar pink nub.

"What's going on?" Link asked with a slight demand in his tone as he entered the room. The tint in Violet's hair grew pale for just a moment before she turned around, blushing and not looking Link in the eye.

"He was, uh… He was having a nightmare, so I wanted to let him rest someplace quieter, without all the sounds of the rain," Violet explained meekly, clasping her hands together and tilting her head so that Kirby was still in view out of the corner of her eye.

Link finally got a good look at Kirby, and the sight concerned him. The Star Warrior, who normally slept with a smile, was frowning, his brow furrowed. His breathing was erratic, occasionally taking gasps before letting go of the air way too quickly. Lastly, the sheets were greatly ruffled, a sign of tossing and turning. Everything wrapped itself into a neat present of worry for Link.

"Have you tried waking him up?" Link asked, stepping closer and looming over the bed.

"Of course! Nothing I try will work. I've even screamed at him, and nothing…" Violet was ashamed of herself for admitting that she had gone to such lengths, but she found it impossible to lie to the man before her.

Link didn't make another comment. He only stared carefully at Kirby, waiting.

Deep inside Kirby's dreams, he kept witnessing terrible, awful events. It was as rare as an eclipse for him to have a nightmare, and the one he was trapped in was far too vivid. An assortment of scenarios, like a slideshow of moving memories, repeatedly set themselves to assault him. As Link towered over the bed, watching, Kirby whimpered and turned over in the sheets.

"P-Poyo…" Kirby mumbled, not wanting to be shown the bizarre horrors that kept flashing before his eyes. He was, unfortunately, powerless. No matter how hard he wanted to wake up, something wasn't letting him. It was like he was being forced to stay in this purgatory.

First, a sword fell to the earth, and when it hit, the grass and dirt transformed into his mentor, Meta Knight. The swordsman crumpled to the floor and then everything changed, now resembling the metallic laboratory made of greenish-blue hues that he remembered Elfilin being placed in. Elfilin remained trapped in that terrible test tube, before it shattered, liquid spilling everywhere. Things focused on the jelly-like fluid until it became Aqua Star, one of the many planets Kirby, Ribbon, Bandana Waddle Dee, Dedede, and Adeleine visited on their quest to vanquish the Dark Matter.

It was as if Kirby himself was floating through space, eyes on Aqua Star. Suddenly, a hulking mass of glimmering darkness soared from beyond the cosmos and crashed into Aqua Star, completely obliterating it. Then Kirby turned towards Neo Star, it too being swiftly destroyed by the same dark force. Finally, his view landed on Ripple Star, and he nearly burst into tears as he watched it be annihilated.

Lastly, a brief glimpse of a silhouette appeared, basked in light. Then it all repeated. The sword, Meta Knight, the lab, Aqua Star, Neo Star, Ripple Star, and then the silhouette. The only difference was that the silhouette was a bit more defined. Then once more, the cycle went on, going by even faster, the ending image again being just a bit clearer.

"Kirby!" He heard a voice call his name. He wanted to answer, chirp out his trademark word, but he couldn't. The visions wouldn't relent.

"Kirby!" The voice called out again. It only made the visions go by faster.

But then, Kirby saw the final scene of the nightmare. The silhouette appeared one last time. It was perfectly clear. A hand, outstretched, reached towards him. It looked so real, like he could lean forward, with his paws up, and touch it. There was even a ring. Coiled around the palm and along the arm was a set of vines, deep-blue in color and glowing vibrantly. The light behind the hand then grew much, much brighter. His last thoughts were about how he recognized those plants.

"Kirby!" Link said, having a feeling that his third cry for his friend would end the nightmare the poor Star Warrior was in. He was correct, as Kirby slowly opened his eyes just a second after Link said his name.

"P-P-" Kirby sputtered, tears in his eyes. His irises sparkled in the lamplight, the moisture of his fear reflecting brightly. "Poyo!" Kirby cried, hopping up from the sheets and into Link's arms.

"Kirby?" Link whispered, not knowing what to do for a second. Then, without even thinking, an instinct took over. It tugged at his heart, and Link gently put his arms around Kirby's round form, slumped down on the bed, and started cradling him. "Shhhhhh… it's okay, don't worry…" Link said soothingly.

The pink puffball just cried and cried, hating how vicious his nightmare had been. He never wanted to sleep again after such a frightening experience, yet his body was still tired. Sniffles were audible, but muffled, Kirby's sobs soaking Link's freshly dried tunic. Link didn't mind. He simply cooed and rubbed Kirby's soft head slowly.

Violet was almost too surprised to say anything, at least until the door flung open.

"Is everything alright?" Mario asked, his voice broad. He and Luigi had heard the cries and quickly came to investigate. Once they saw Link, sitting on the bed, a blubbery Kirby in his arms, they carefully walked over and joined in with calming the poor Star Warrior down.

Empyrea hated doing that. She hated how reentering the atmosphere felt on her body. Landia was unbothered. He was a space-faring being, after all, so his body was adept at soaring at high speeds and withstanding the burnout that came upon reentry. Erdrick, Eight, and Solo were perched on Emyprea's back, protected by her impermeable shield, but they didn't acknowledge the Godbird's annoyance. They were floored by the sight of outer space.

Empyrea had to take a different path when travelling to the next realm that she had to. Since the horizons were more closely monitored than other worlds, she had to both leave the previous dimension and then arrive in the next entirely in space, unless she wanted to be detected by any stargazers.

Now, with her power not being used by any other sort of magic, she could dedicate it to cloaking herself, the Heroes, and Landia. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to hide from any curious onlookers as she entered the realm closer to the ground.

Time in this realm passed just ever so slightly quicker than most. It was night now, the sound of crickets chirping filling the air. Fireflies were even out, each blinking in their own special patterns, trying to attract mates. One firefly was drawn to another, its lightshow almost hypnotizing, but then a grasshopper's song caused the firefly to quickly fly over to it instead. Such was life.

"Erdrea," Empyrea thought as the party touched down atop a mountain. The Heroes disembarked from her regal feathers and looked around. The Godbird didn't express it, but she was somewhat nervous about being in Erdrea. It was a matter of the very tree that Erdrick's eyes happened to lock onto.

"Is that…?" Erdrick stepped forward without checking his ground, almost slipping on a rock that had been hiding beneath a thick patch of grass. He easily regained his footing, however.

"Indeed it is, Arusu," Empyrea began, "The World Tree, Yggdrasil, just in the distance. I presume you never thought that it persisted in other realms, correct?"

"Back home," Erdrick stuttered, "It was the grandest thing I had ever seen. We found it at the epicenter of an odd mountain range, far northwest of Jipang. It gave me and my allies one of its leaves, but that's all." Eight and Solo were equally surprised, more so Eight. Both had their own variants of the World Tree, each with drastically different appearances.

"So where are we going to find our next… 'helper'?" Landia asked.

"A small village named 'Cobblestone'. The one there is our last recruit, if you wish to see it like that, Landia." Empyrea's gaze was dead set on the place she had spoken of, her resolve unwaveringly strong. She had come so far in guiding her crusaders, now she was on the cusp of bringing them all together.

As the group made their way over to the outskirts of Cobblestone, Empyrea remained lost in thought, staring out into the fields blankly while she and the others walked. Countless worries about Solo came to mind first. Then she wondered how Link, Kirby, Mario, Luigi, Amy, and Crystal were doing. Finally, her noble wishes turned dark as she lingered on Shatterhand. A tinge of hatred and resentment corrupted her soul, something that didn't go unnoticed by Erdrick.

"Is everything alright, Ramia?" Erdrick asked, glad that his natural punctuality didn't forsake him. He, like Link, was almost always scarily aware of the things around him. To some, it was just him looking out for others, but to his enemies, it was almost akin to a sixth sense. But sometimes, he slipped.

"Yes, I'm fine," Empyrea replied robotically. Erdrick raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, knowing better than to question his idol. Even though he was technically her senior, Empyrea had thousands of years of knowledge and experience.

Silence resumed, only the sounds being the shifting of grass beneath each of the travelers' feet and the faint resonance of fauna. While they marched through the fields, it was Landia's turn for some introspection. Despite hiding it so expertly, he was secretly astonished at how far from home he was. A part of his past-self longed for the breath of fresh air that this journey granted, however his present-self wore just a hint of distress and something others would call anxiety.

Then, a new pair of footsteps could be heard. The group halted, with the Heroes bringing out their weapons just in case their visitor was a foe. Solo didn't do the same, however. Just beyond the slope of the hill they stood on, in front of the shimmering light of the torches brightening the sleeping Cobblestone, a man appeared. Empyrea's complexion instantly brightened, not expecting to see her final crusader so soon.

A man with dark, dirty blonde hair style in a bob cut approached, armed, but not wielding his weapons. The shadows of the night hid his appearance for a moment, before he put out his hand and snapped his fingers, creating a spark that the other Heroes recognized as the spell Frizz. The flames lit up the surroundings, letting his sparkling, ocean blue eyes be seen by the others.

"I thought I had sensed something just a little while ago," the man said. His voice was a bit deeper than Erdrick, Solo, and Eight had remembered, a sign of how much time had passed since they had first encountered him. He wore a bright smile, softening the hearts of his dear friends.

Erdrick and Eight put away their weapons, and alongside Solo, walked up to the man dressed in a vibrant, purple tunic. All four of them put on matching smiles, the mystic air of old friends emanating from their combined auras.

"So how long has it been for you since we last saw each other?" Eight asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"What, do days go by differently for you guys?" The man answered with a question of his own.

"Just a little bit, yeah," Erdrick said.

"Heh, well then, it's been about seven years for me," The man replied.

"Five for me," Eight said.

"Five," Solo added.

"Just three…" Erdrick concluded, feeling strangely older even though by the logic that he understood, it had been the shortest amount of time since Empyrea last called upon him and the others.

The squad of boys all caught up without a care in the world. Time seemed to be at a standstill for them, all that mattered at that moment being just their reunion. All the while, Empyrea and Landia watched, a smile creeping onto the four-headed dragon's face.

"So they all know each other?" Landia asked.

"Yes. A long time ago, the man in the purple was in dire need of help. Unlike many other versions of himself, he was particularly distraught by a certain part of his journey. I enlisted the help of the three we've gathered before and brought them to him," Empyrea explained, the whole endeavor bringing about memories she now classified as pleasant. "I truly didn't know if I would ever need their help again, but fate seems to be in favor of their friendship. No matter how long it's been for each of them."

"What's his name?" Landia wondered aloud.

"The entire world knows his name, as do our three companions," Empyrea smiled enjoying being a little mysterious as she delineated everything to the clueless Landia. "Some call him 'The Luminary', but he likes to go by 'Eleven'."

"Eleven, huh?" Landia remarked, "It seems they like to go by numbers."

"Yes, some do. But now is not the time to dwell on that. We must hope that this Luminary agrees to join us. Then, we can finally bring all of our friends together," Empyrea's thoughts were filled with valor and determination.

"So you can grant them your gift?" Landia wondered.

"Indeed."

Chapter Text

To be honest, I don't have much to say for this chapter. I just hope you enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 18: Our Bonds

          Link had been awake for a while, drenched in a foul mood, but it was not because of the events of the night prior. He stood in the doorway, wanting to leave the bedroom, but found it impossible to do so. His head was turned back, staring at the bed, watching over Kirby. A frown donned itself on his face, his eyes a little watery.

          Kirby didn’t talk about the nightmare he had yet, having only cried until eventually being lulled into another sleep, this time much more peaceful. Mario didn’t have much experience in helping another overcome fear, but Luigi did. He spoke of a bit of a personal mission he once had while trying to save his brother from the clutches of King Boo. His words helped Kirby a little, but the tears never truly stopped until Link heard the pink puffball start to softly snore in the wee hours of the morning.

          It was almost noon now, Link had discovered, and his stomach felt like it was tightening, wishing for food. Thankfully, that boy, Freddy, had used his own money to buy at least a dozen more of those ‘Shwaffle’ baskets for Violet’s guests. It had cost a lot, and surprisingly, Violet insisted she’d pay him back. Reluctantly, Link left the bedroom in search of a basket to call his own, hunger driving him down the hall.

          Things again were quiet, but Link’s ears picked up on a faint conversation coming from the living room. Once he entered, he saw those two ladies, Amy and Crystal, sitting together, discussing something unknown to him.

          “Oh, hi, Link!” Crystal was the first to notice the Terminian and waved affectionately.

          “Good morning,” Link greeted the girls as he walked up to the couch. He planned to ask them if they had seen any of those baskets of food, refusing to openly call them ‘Shwaffles’, as he thought the name sounded a little childish. However, before another word could leave his mouth, Amy reached over to her right and picked up one of the three baskets that had been sitting on the cushion next to her.

          “Here, Link. Mario told us that you hadn’t really eaten much lately, so he saved you a basket of Super Shwaffles!” Amy held out the basket, smiling at the man in green.

“Thank you,” Link said plainly, taking the basket. It felt surprisingly heavy, a sign of a lot of food. Right away he started to eat, having felt starved. His mind quickly went blank, his hands and fingers working on their own to shove the Shwaffles into his mouth without a second thought. All his manners went out the window at that moment.

Amy and Crystal giggled to themselves as they watched the man their friend admired to an almost unhealthy degree eat almost animalistically. They didn’t see him as impolite, but also didn’t look at him with pity for being so deprived of food. They watched him with a shared sense of understanding, Crystal especially. She knew what it was like to feel starved, without food for days at a time. Thankfully, those days were long since over.

The rain that had long persisted outside had finally let up, allowing the people of Inkopolis Square and beyond to flourish in the brisk air of the late morning. It was just a quarter to noon, but it felt as if the sun had just risen for some. Among those were Amy and Crystal, having both been plagued by a set of off-putting dreams for the past few nights. At least they didn’t fuse in their sleep again.

“So Link,” Crystal tilted her head, addressing the man sitting beside her on the couch, scarfing down the Shwaffles, “Freddy and Violet told us that something happened with Kirby last night. Do you know what happened?”

“Mm? Oh, Kirby-” Link started speaking with a full mouth, getting a few crumbs onto the floor. His ears picked up on the tapping of food below him and he finally took a moment to swallow and wipe his lips. “Kirby had a nightmare, apparently. He didn’t want to talk much about it when he woke up, though…”

“Aw, poor guy,” Amy said, feeling bad for the poor, little Star Warrior. “Nightmares suck…” For a split second, Amy thought about the horrible nightmares she used to have, but one look at Crystal easily forced those memories away. “We’ve been having strange dreams, too, but neither of us would consider them nightmares.”

“Our dreams lately have been… odd, to say the least,” Link commented, finishing the basket of Super Shwaffles. His stomach felt full for the first time in days, a blanket of comfort pleasantly laying itself down on him.

“Has it been because of… that guy? The one you and your friends are after?” Crystal asked.

“Without a doubt,” Link answered. A quick flash of Shatterhand’s wicked snarl came to mind, causing Link to shudder. He was correct to assume that a similar reaction befell his companions when they also thought about the fiend. “Although a part of me thinks that…”

“That what?”

“Nevermind…” Link, going over what he had planned to say in his head again, thought it was a bit of a stretch.

“Heyo…” Luigi abruptly walked in, rubbing his back and yawning. It seemed that he didn’t get much sleep as well, Link guessed. There were pronounced bags under his eyes, although such a thing was common among all the travelers.

“Hi Luigi!” Crystal said cheerily, just as she had greeted Link.

Luigi didn’t respond, shockingly, simply slumping down on the couch across Link, tired. His presence was seemingly followed by a bout of silence, the only sound being the men in green’s ragged, exhausted breath. Amy and Crystal were bewildered by the change compared to previous days, the quietness making them almost wriggle in their seats.

“Did you ever find out what happened with Kirby?” Luigi asked suddenly.

“No, at least not yet,” Link answered effortlessly, almost like he was anticipating the question. He tilted his head towards Luigi, giving him a soft side-eye. “What are you thinking about?”

“Heh, what do you think?” Luigi said half-sarcastically, half-jokingly. He started staring off into space for a moment before he explained, “I was just going over something that I remembered when I woke up, a little bit ago. Something that Shatterhand had said to Mario. I didn’t care much about it then, but now it’s been stuck on my mind for a while…”

“And that is…?”

“When they were fighting, Mario had asked who Shatterhand was, and I think what he said back was something along the lines of, ‘Why bother when you won’t live to know why’, or something like that,” Luigi’s brow furrowed, and he used his hand to comb his moustache as he thought. Link also dwelled on the statement. “It just made me wonder why he’d word it like that. So specifically and such, y’know?”

“Why would he…” Link trailed off as soon as he started, but he picked his sentence up again after a couple of seconds, “What would we even get out of that? If we knew?”

“That’s what I was wondering. It doesn’t make sense, especially since I doubt any of us would actually know him…” Luigi leaned forward and stared at the floor.

“Well, my variant, the one I told you about, said he went by the name of ‘Alastor’,” Link said. He remembered that his variant said that it was clear it was a ruse, and that no one knew Shatterhand’s real name, but that, along with Luigi’s memory, started to turn some gears inside his head.

As the two men were talking, Amy and Crystal were practically entranced by them and their story. They had been giving the explanation of Shatterhand and the threat he posed earlier, but a part of them were inexplicably drawn to the matter and how these travelers were going to deal with it. They didn’t quite know why, but the odd dreams they themselves had been having also acted as bait, luring them towards this mystery.

“This is making my head hurt…” Amy admitted, standing up and rubbing her head. Crystal followed her out of the apartment, leaving Link and Luigi alone for a moment.

All the negative energy sizzling throughout Link’s veins over the past few days had finally gotten him to consider taking it easy for a bit. Once he stood up and went for the door, Luigi finally took his eyes off the polished wooden floorboards.

“What’re you doing?” Luigi asked calmly.

“Just going for a walk. It’s not raining anymore, so might as well enjoy the sunshine. Do you want to go and ask your brother and Kirby if they want to join?” Link asked, opening the door and holding it there.

“Sure, why not,” Luigi smiled and left to find the others, “I think it’s about time we all had some proper fun.”

“So this ‘Shatterhand’ has been a problem for a while, huh?” Eleven mused aloud as Empyrea and the other Heroes finished recounting the entire odyssey of madness that was their mission.

“Indeed, it is why I, along with your comrades from different ages are all standing before you tonight,” Empyrea said, gesturing over to the Heroes and Landia. “Forgive me for the suddenness of this all, but I have taken care in choosing who to enlist in such a task. You four, alongside six other chosen people, are my ‘Crusaders’.”

“I’m honored,” Eleven said humbly, smiling. Even after so many years since his original adventure, he still held that child-like glimmer in his eyes. Empyrea was pleased with the amount of valor in his eyes. “Alright, I guess I’m joining you then. I can’t let something like this go without giving my two-sense.”

“We are eternally grateful,” Empyrea said, glancing over at Landia. He was distracted by the stars, and the Godbird tapped the dragon with her wing, forcing his attention to her and her final recruit. “I’m shocked that you managed to come to that decision so quickly.”

“Well, I do have one request, ma’am,” The Hero in purple began, a small blush accompanying his slight change in tone. Again, Empyrea was surprised with how different this man was compared to the others. “May we…? Hah, look at me,” Eleven started mumbling, the sight making Eight and Erdrick smile, “May we set off the day after tomorrow? I’ll need to say farewell to my family, and… my wife…”

Solo immediately looked at Eleven but didn’t say a word.

“Absolutely,” Empyrea replied with a smile.

“Th-Thank you, and besides, from the looks of it, you all are quite tired. Rest wherever you please,” Eleven immediately got a few sour faces, “I insist.” He didn’t want the people who had traveled all this way to find him again to be without their energy. This was the second time the three men had visited him, the first occasion being to assist him. He felt like he owed them much more than he could ever give.

“That’s very kind of you,” Empyrea inwardly applauded the man before her.

The group then started to walk towards the village of the Luminary, taking care to keep quiet. The people wouldn’t be very keen to spot a four-headed dragon and a god-like phoenix in the middle of the night.

“Hey, thanks, pal,” Erdrick said to Eleven as they walked down the hill.

“What for?” Eleven asked.

“For giving us a place to rest. I don’t know about the others, but I-” Erdrick held his tongue, ashamed to admit that he was in such bad shape. “I’m in desperate need of some good sleep…”

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s the least I can do,” Eleven explained with a grin. He snapped his fingers to display some of his enhanced magic that he gained after their meeting within his own memories all those years ago. “I owe a lot of my victory to you three.”

“I didn’t think we were that much of a help,” Eight said, having overheard the conversation. “All we did was just… you know, give you a pep talk.” Eleven chuckled at Eight’s pun.

“Well, I don’t think I would’ve been able to get past my own grief if it weren’t for your stories,” Eleven made sure to include Solo. Deep down, even he noticed Solo’s strange silence while they were catching up in the field. The man stopped as to let all four of his companions be in arms reach and wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

“Thank you all, again. I don’t think I ever got to give you my gratitude,” Eleven said.

“Aw, it was nothing,” Erdrick beamed with pride.

“No problem,” Solo said, a weak but noticeable smile on his own face.

“Anything for a friend,” Eight finished.

The group made it to Cobblestone. The lamps lining the meager streets were out for the night, but the Heroes were able to see well in the bright moonlight. Empyrea and Landia made themselves comfortable in an isolated cave just behind the waterfall, perfectly out of view of the villagers once it became morning. The four friends were offered a place at the inn that had been built after the raging fire that consumed the entire area, some moons ago.

Their rest was amazingly uninterrupted. Calmness had descended down on the group thanks to Empyrea, subtly using her own heavenly abilities to ease each of her crusader’s thoughts. At least, the present ones. For a while she waited, knowing that her moment of opportunity was constantly dwindling. It was afternoon, dusk, for the others across the realms. She could sense it.

As the stars twinkled, she waited for all of her companions to drift off into their shared slumber. The godly mystic from another world had waited long enough, after all. Her plans for the selection of people she had chosen needed to be seen through, as fate would hopefully dictate.

While Empyrea waited, she started to think about what little she knew of fate. Even as omnipotent as she was, fate was still a mystery. Was she a crafter of fate, or simply a follower? She wondered for a couple of minutes, nearly dozing off herself. She regained her composure and resumed waiting.

Link, Mario, and Luigi rushed back to the apartment and hid behind the door, allowing for Amy and Crystal to follow before they slammed it shut and locked it. Freddy, Violet, Kirby, and Tael were sitting on the floor, watching the TV, having nothing better to do with their time.

“Where were you guys?” Violet asked.

“Poyo?” Kirby chirped, seeming a lot happier than he had when Link or the Brothers had last seen him.

“We- uh,” Mario stammered, out of breath. The reason was beyond the unaware, but the plumber paused to wave at Kirby, who was happy to see the others. “There were a lot of… y’know,” He fumbled with his words, getting practically nothing across to the inklings.

“People wouldn’t really leave them be,” Amy explained, filling in the wide gaps that Mario’s lackluster explanation left behind. “Constant questions and stuff. I don’t really know what they expected to happen when going out in public.”

“Well why didn’t we see any people the other day, huh?” Mario asked somewhat annoyedly.

Luigi leaned in, tapped his brother’s shoulder, and whispered into his ear, “Psst, bro, it was raining, remember?”

“Oh… right,” Mario felt a little stupid now.

“Poyo! Poyo!” Kirby said.

“Are you feeling better, Kirby?” Link asked.

Kirby nodded happily, having put the nightmare behind him. Dreams usually meant more to him, but currently, he thought it was just his tired, worried mind playing tricks on him. It wasn’t impossible, either, since he had never been under such stress since he had been dealing with Dark Matter. Link smiled at Kirby’s confidence, and then took off his boots.

“Man, we were out there for a while,” Crystal looked at the clock on the wall. The sun was already setting, which was bizarre. It definitely didn’t feel like they were moseying around Inkopolis for hours.

“Sorry, we did wanna see the sights,” Luigi scratched the back of his neck, “It was nice to get a feel for the city we’ve been in but barely seen.”

“Yeah, especially since it wasn’t raining,” Link added. “Though the stares…” He was reluctant to say that it made him uncomfortable. A notion like that made him feel silly. He hadn’t felt uncomfortable by the sense of prying, inquisitive eyes since his youth.

“I’m very sorry that we couldn’t really stop all the people from staring,” Crystal could relate to the nervousness she felt when so many eyes were on her. “We didn’t really want to get into any fights.”

“Speaking of which, I think I saw Sketchy somewhere in that crowd, near the back,” Amy said.

“Ugh!” Violet quickly stood up and left the room at the name of ‘Sketchy’.

“What’s her problem?” Mario asked, “And who’s ‘Sketchy’?” The plumber thought the word was meant to describe someone Amy had seen, not literally be someone’s name.

“He’s this guy that… Uh…” Amy had trouble remembering how to describe a person like Sketchy. “Well, it’s best to just say he’s this brute that confessed to Violet a little while ago. It was really, really strange, but he’s not really on our radar. I think.”

“It’s a guy?” Mario needed to remind himself that he was in a different world, no matter how hard it might be to forget. People had all kinds of names.

Link didn’t join the conversation, but he listened. Violet still seemed to be nervous around him, but now more was becoming clear. This girl who most likely was attracted to him, despite his marital status, intrigued him. He wanted to talk to her sometime, one on one, and hopefully help her with the apparent love problems she had. He didn’t want to assume, but he felt like it was his responsibility.

Then, without warning, Luigi yawned. Amy and Crystal, closest to Luigi, then yawned in unison. Mario yawned next. Their tiredness was infectious, as it was for so many other people. It was a weird phenomenon, but once Link and Tael yawned, it was clear to all of them that some sleep was in order, even if it was relatively early.

“Honestly, I’m game to get some good sleep for once,” Mario easily read the room and stated what he knew the others were thinking. Luigi just chuckled at how punctual his big brother could be at times. It clashed well with his bluntness in other fields.

“Me too, gosh…” Tael’s wings fluttered a little weakly, and he sat down on Link’s shoulder.

“Poy poyo!” Kirby leapt up and puffed out, floating through the air. One look at Link was enough to explain that he wanted to be held, just like last night. Link put out his arms, allowing Kirby to drift right into them.

“Yeah, me and Kirby will hit the hay. I want to make sure he doesn’t have another nightmare,” Link said, beaming from ear to ear.

“Eh, I’ll do the same. Not like I’ll get anything out of staying up,” Luigi said, already heading off to his room. Mario sighed and chose to join his brother, wanting to rest as much as possible. There were still a few lingering injuries from his fight with Shatterhand that hadn’t fully healed yet.

All that was left in the living room was Amy, Crystal, and Freddy. They watched as their guests left for their rooms, and once they were gone, the blue inkling boy smiled at his friends.

“I still can’t really get over that they’re really here! With us! Staying here!” Freddy exclaimed, almost hopping up with joy. A few ‘teehees’ left his lips, causing Amy and Crystal to roll their eyes. “Welp, I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Freddy patted his friends on the shoulders and left the apartment, heading down to his own.

“Can’t get much weirder, huh?” Amy asked rhetorically. “C’mon, let’s go home.”

Amy and Crystal left just a minute later, heading back down to their place. For a little while, they watched television together before drifting off to bed on the couch. It was funnily enough becoming their favorite place to sleep.

Link’s bedroom clock struck nine, but the soft ring was overpowered by the sound of two voices snoring. The Hero of Termina and the Star Warrior were comfortably sharing a bed, Kirby on the left side and Link on the right. They didn’t need to, but an instinct Link had made him keep Kirby close.

Behind his closed eyelids, Link found himself floating again. A deep, dark abyss of nothing surrounding him. He huffed, figuring this was his mind’s way of telling him that he was to go another night with a dreamless sleep. It didn’t matter much, but just the repetition of such an occurrence was becoming bothersome.

But then, there was a small speck of light in the distance. Link at first didn’t even notice it, but once it flashed a couple more times, his eyes caught it.

“What?” Link’s voice echoed across infinity, until the light suddenly gave off a distinct ‘whooshing’ sound, and suddenly engulfed everything. The blinding aura settled after a minute, and everything became clear. He was now standing in the middle of a light purple landscape, seemingly alone.

“Link?” A certain plumber’s voice was heard.

Link turned around to see Mario from just a couple of meters away. The plumber appeared to be just as confused as he was, and they slowly approached each other, wondering what bewildering trickery this could be.

“Is this…? Are you real?” Link tensed up once he got just a yard away from Mario, fearing that Shatterhand might be somehow messing with him inside of his dreams. His thoughts raced. Perhaps the nightmare Kirby had was Shatterhands’ doing as well?

“Bro!” Another voice rang out. Just across from Link and Mario was Luigi. He was already jogging over, positively elated to see his brother.

“Weege?” Mario asked, but he didn’t have time to question anything. Luigi pulled him into an embrace. From what the red-capped hero could determine, his brother was really before him. The pair had a knack for being able to sense each other. It was why King Boo had to go to such lengths to separate them during the whole mansion ordeal.

“Wait a second, what’s going on?!” Mario parted from his brother and walked towards Link. He reached his arm out and tapped the Terminian on the nose. He too was real, or at least as real as Luigi was. Link didn’t even bother to react, as the touch was proof enough for him as well.

“What is this?” Link asked, the urge to reach for the sword and shield he didn’t have on him almost overwhelming.

“Pooyoooo!” Kirby’s voice came from… somewhere. The three looked around for a moment before Kirby eventually appeared, from above. He had been falling for a couple of seconds, and he landed conveniently on Mario’s head. “Ooo, poyo!”

“H-Hey, Kirby!” Mario’s words were muffled by his cap tipping to cover his face, Kirby’s body basically replacing the item.

The four took a moment to reorient themselves. It was obvious that something was afoot. Something had guided them all into the same dream by some unknown means. Luigi was about to say something when he had what felt like a snake slithering between his boots.

“WAAH!!” Luigi yelped, slipping on the things on the ground. When he landed on his behind, he saw that instead of snakes, it was a set of vines, moving on their own. “What in the-? Alright, what in the WORLD is going on here?! This is weird even for us! And it feels… eeuugh…” Luigi shuddered.

“My apologies, my friends,” A new, unknown voice echoed throughout the vast expanse of light purple color. The four were quickly drawn to the source, that being something just beyond their own view.

Shades of color vibrated, almost like they were alive, until it all faded away, revealing Empyrea.

Chapter Text

Another chapter so soon? Well, yes, but this one is shorter. It's actually the shortest chapter yet for the story. However, I hope you all like it just the same. Besides, I made more art for it! Enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 19: Wave Energy

Link, Mario, and Luigi all stared at Empyrea with wild confusion. The four, of course, had no clue who she was.

“You may want to wake up the others,” Empyrea said, beckoning the four over to a pile of dark blue vines that made up the ground. The plants ruffled and parted, revealing a sleeping Amy and Crystal, lying on the ground. The Godbird opened her beak and exhaled, a cloud of glittering dust flying over to the sleeping pair and causing them to awaken.

“Mmm… Huh? Wha?” Crystal sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning groggily. “Is it morning already?”

Crystal glanced at the others and her eyes suddenly widened. For a moment, fear reached across her face and made it contort, her thoughts running to the worst possible scenario. She quickly looked around and saw Amy rested beside her, and she put her arms out and began shaking the yellow Inkling wildly.

“AMY! Wake up! We fused in our sleep again!” Crystal cried.

Amy shot up in an instant, her eyes just as wide as Crystal’s.

“WHAT?! H-How?!” Amy was as alert and distraught as her girlfriend, frantically looking around to examine the dream they were in. After a couple of once-overs, her distress faded away. “H-Hang on, Crystal, look!” She pointed to Link, Mario, Luigi, and Kirby, “How can they be here if we fused again? It was just us last time, remember?”

“But you know that our friends can appear here too! Freddy and Violet did!” Crystal thought, balling her fists up and closing her eyes, hoping to open them again and have everything be normal.

“Wha-?” Amy was dumbfounded. A small smirk grew along her lips, and then she snickered. “Crystal, that wasn’t actually them. They said that they were just the cephalopods taking their shape, silly!” Amy walked over to Link and inspected him. “Tell me something, anything, you hear me?”

“Uh… What?” Link asked.

“There, see! Those little cephalopods spoke all robotically, and they knew a LOT more than we did!” Amy concluded her argument, satisfied with the results. She went back to Crystal and smiled broadly, leaving Link confused, as were the others. “Though, I will say,” Amy looked back at the being that woke her and Crystal up, “She’s definitely new, and NOT one of our friends.”

“That is certainly one way of describing me, but I can assure you, we are not strangers,” Empyrea began, extending her wing to lead her riders, a squad of men unknown to the group, get off. It was Erdrick, Eight, Solo, and Eleven. “I do commend you for realizing so quickly that this was not a normal dream, you two. Your aptness is unmatched.”

“Okay, okay, I think it’s time I ask the big question on all of our minds,” Mario casually walked in front of his brother, Link, and Kirby, holding his arms out. He was quiet for a second before swerving around and pointing to Empyrea with the most ghastly, overwhelmed expression ever seen. “Who are you?!” Then he pointed to the four men at Empyrea’s side, “Who are they?!” Finally he gestured to the entire expanse of mystery, yelling, “What the hell is going on?!”

“Hey, bro, calm down,” Luigi put his hand on Mario’s shoulder and brought him aside. His voice was surprisingly calm for how nervous he normally was, but to be clear, he was also flabbergasted. “I’m positive that she’ll explain… I hope.”

“Alright… Alright,” Mario huffed, scratching his forehead. He was developing a killer headache already.

“See, I knew this’d be a bit much for them at once,” A voice familiar to Kirby then came about. The Star Warrior looked up and saw Landia flying above them.

“Poyo! Poyo!!” Kirby was excited to see the red dragon again after what felt like an eternity. Link was surprised that Landia had a voice, but this was a dream, after all.

“Hey Kirby,” Landia said softly when he touched down across from the entire group. The Star Warrior ran over to him and did his best to embrace him, although his little nubs couldn’t hug much. Landia appreciated it regardless. “And yes, Link, I can technically talk. It’s weird, isn’t it?” Landia said.

“Quite,” Link replied. With everything that had been going on up to this point, he started to grow numb to such developments as talking dragons. He’d already seen a lot in his life, so what more could it throw at him?

“It’s best to explain it as…” Erdrick said loudly, catching everyone’s attention. Once he had the full audience, he said, “We’ve all been chosen.”

“Chosen?” Mario snapped, looking at the spikey-haired, caped man our of the corner of his eye.

“Chosen by Empyrea to stop Shatterhand,” Eight added, coming forward.

Everything became quiet. Mario, Luigi, and Link peered at Empyrea with a stonelike gaze that could only be described as fear. Fear of the name and the fact that this grand, majestic creature knew of it. For several nights they’d been unable to sleep, kept awake by thoughts of what fiend that was hunting them could be doing, what he could be planning, or what he had already done. Haunted was a good word.

“Wait, even us?” Crystal spoke for herself and Amy.

“Yes, young ones, even you. It’s a great deal to explain, but I promise there are answers for all of your questions,” Empyrea’s tone remained gentle as she addressed the group. “I have been watching over you all for a while now, taking note of certain events of your past adventures. Eyeing them carefully was at first not my business, but once I became aware of Shatterhand and the threat he posed to the lives of heroes across the realms, I knew I had to do something.”

“You’ve been watching us? For how long?” Link asked, feeling a little bit intruded by the revelation.

“Well, I’ve been watching you, Link, ever since you chose to stay in Termina after defeating Majora,” Empyrea faced the hero in green. “Very, very few of your variants ever made such a decision and seeing how you set the souls of not one, but three god-like beings free at the age of twelve made you my first candidate.”

Link stepped backwards, his legs almost becoming jelly. He didn’t collapse, but the wind was taken from his chest, and he felt weakened. Majora, the Fierce Deity, and Gomess, were those the ones she spoke of? Without a doubt. After all this time, it had slipped his mind that he had actually accomplished such a feat.

“Kirby, my eyes were not on you as much as Link, at least for a while,” Empyrea turned to the little, pink Star Warrior. “You followed a path much like many others, but when I reevaluated you, I discovered something… distressing.”

“Poyo?” Kirby asked.

“I will reveal that to you in time. The knowledge I know is not your burden to carry yet,” Empyrea’s words were saddened, but why, Kirby couldn’t begin to guess. The closest thing he thought of was that it had something to do with Dark Matter, but it was a stretch.

“As for you, Mario Brothers, Amy, and Crystal, you all showed true excellence when I watched over you. Your sheer potential, your strong auras, your Wave Energy, it was magnificent, on par with the four men I have here with me,” The Godbird gestured back towards the Heroes.

“Now what’s this ‘Wave Energy’? You still haven’t told us why, or who you are yet!” Mario was beyond frustrated by now. That aspect of the plumber was another reason why he was chosen. His bluntness and desire to be in the know of things was one of his few weaknesses.

“Heh, they ought to get a kick out of this,” Landia held back a laugh. It had taken him a while to understand what the phenomenon of Wave Energy was or even what the vague term even meant, but he had taken the liberty of giving the phoenix a revised explanation.

“Oh, please forgive me,” The phoenix said, “I go by many names, but you may call me Empyrea.” She raised her wings in the air and emitted a caw, allowing the group to bask in her splendor. “Now tell me,” Empyrea continued, “How well are you versed in your various powers and abilities? All of you. Give me a rough estimate.”

Mario cocked an eyebrow, but thought nothing of the question, “I can jump real high and use items to fight. Like the Fire Flowers and such. Weege can as well,” The plumber crossed his arms.

“Poy… Poyo poyo!” Kirby mentioned his constant hunger and Copy Abilities.

“I’m just a swordsman…” Link said, thinking that his skills were as impressive as his companions. Funnily enough, he forgot about another aspect of his fighting prowess.

Empyrea then looked to Amy and Crystal, expecting them to answer. The two girls stuttered, not thinking they had any special attributes to mention. For a moment they gawked, thinking of something to say, until the same thought popped into both of their minds.

“We’re good with weapons?” The Inkling and Octoling said.

“Indeed. All of that is a result of your Wave Energy,” Empyrea told the group.

“WHAT?!” They shouted all at once.

“This is insane… So you’re tell me that everything that makes us special is just because of this Wave Energy?!” Everybody had taken a bit to process what Empyrea had said, and Mario was the first to speak. He, of course, was livid. It all sounded silly, stupid, and like it was just a big joke.

“Goodness no. You all tap into and use Wave Energy to amplify our own skills. It’s not the cause, merely a component,” Empyrea sounded almost like a wise hermit, telling them that things were indeed intertwined. It wasn’t far from the truth, her role, but it was also not entirely present, either. “Some of you, like these men I have with me, Link, and even Kirby, can harness the Wave Energy directly.”

“How?” Link asked.

“We’ve been told you can use magic, at least to a degree, right?” Eleven answered Link’s question with one of his own. It dawned on the Terminian that he could use magic, whether it was to charge his sword for a spin attack, or to see the unseen with the Lens of Truth. “It’s how we use it,” The Luminary looked back to his friends.

“You, brave Inkling and Octoling, you can use it not openly, but instead, it guides you,” Eleven spoke to Amy and Crystal. “Have you ever wondered why you were ‘called’ to your weapons of choice, or how you’ve managed to use them to the extent you’ve so far achieved?”

“Woah…” The two ladies gasped.

“That’s… Actually pretty awesome!” Amy then cheered for herself, glad that her choice of Dualies wasn’t completely up to chance.

“Poyo?” Kirby wondered how he could use this ‘Wave Energy’ directly.

“That’s simple, my friend,” Empyrea closed her eyes and looked into Kirby’s soul. There, tied to his life force, was a line connected to the concentrated power of his Warp Star. “That device you use, that is almost entirely made of Wave Energy. Though, it also harbors physical matter to allow you to see and ride it.”

“I’ve seen the Warp Star in action,” Link interjected, thinking back to Shatterhand’s attack on the Mushroom Kingdom. The image of Kirby, soaring through the air and almost supersonic speed wasn’t something he’d easily forget. “You’re saying that’s an example of almost pure Wave Energy?”

“Well, pure Wave Energy is all around us,” Empyrea eyed the ground, pointing out the blue vines that lined her and the other’s feet. “These things that you perceive as plants, that is it. The power in its purest form, appearing to you all as something from nature! They’re vines of fate, in a way. They are…”

Empyrea closed her eyes again, and suddenly the vines came to life. They shimmered with their own blue grow, slinking around before gathering by each of the crusaders’ feet. In that moment, every one of the heroes, even the ones Empyrea brought with her, remembered that dream. Each of them, floating in a dark void, the vines approaching. Link recalled the figures he didn’t recognize. It was Amy, Crystal, and those four men! They all had the vivid image of the vines coiling around their bodies and resting on their arms.

“The potential of Wave Energy,” Empyrea finished. The vines gave off a pitched hum, like when one took their finger against the rim of a wineglass and made it sing. It was heavenly.

The symphony of sound akin to a glass harp soon ceased when the vines crawled up each of the heroes’ bodies and rested once more on their arms. After another second, the vines disappeared.

“You all are the ones I have chosen to finally put an end to Shatterhand!” Empyrea’s tone changed to one of triumphant determination. She flew up and clenched her talon, her beak almost forming a smirk. “In three days’ time, I plan for us all to meet. There, I can give you a gift, something that will be the key to defeating the Archfiend of Reality!”

“Three days?” Eleven asked, a little surprised. He had only asked for one, planning to set off the day after tomorrow.

“Yes, three days. I know it will not be easy to pinpoint where to rendezvous, and with Shatterhand still lurking…” The Godbird paused, a small sliver of her confidence withering away, now replaced with worry. “He may find you,” She looked to Link, Mario, Luigi, Kirby, Amy, and Crystal, “Or us,” She then looked to Erdrick, Eight, Solo, Eleven, and Landia.

Everyone gulped.

“This is all a great responsibility, but I have my faith in each and every one of you,” The phoenix looked gladly at her chosen warriors. It had been so long since she felt gratitude towards such a varied group this passionately.

“Wait a sec! There’s still some things we need answered!” Crystal called out, climbing onto Amy in an attempt to reach higher. It was largely pointless, but she tried.

“I know, but time is still moving, even as we all speak here. The sun is rising, people are awakening, and…” Empyrea calmed herself. She sensed her dream projection was getting hazy. Alarm clocks were going off for some. “I believe it’s time to wake up. Good luck, my crusaders…”

Then, the purple realm the crusaders found themselves in brightened, soon being engulfed.

Chapter Text

Ugh, I do NOT know why this chapter took me so long, and I apologize. Life has been tiring, with school ramping up and yesterday I had prom, but I guess it gave me some motivation! Anyways, enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 20: The World We Knew

The morning was greeted by a stunned silence for the crusaders. Each of them got out of bed, sighed, and gathered in the living room without any words. For a couple of seconds, they all exchanged bewildered glances before Amy finally decided to break the ice.

“So… Uh…” Amy struggled to address what was on everybody's mind. It seemed to loom over her consciousness like a raincloud, something both she and her friends dreaded.

“Yeah…” Mario mumbled, looking at his brother. Luigi shared the same look of concern as they swapped their stare over to Amy and Crystal. Link did the same, as the men simply thought that the Inkling and Octoling shouldn’t join them on this kind of perilous crusade.

“I guess we’ve got a lot of work to do, huh?” Amy smiled weakly, trying to retain some of her natural confidence as she inwardly pleaded for something to save her. Crystal, despite sitting right beside Amy, didn’t look at her as she usually did. In fact, she barely moved a muscle. She instead just stared blankly at the floor, something dwelling on her mind that she hoped no one would ask about.

“I’m not the kind of guy to dismiss what a god says, but uh… I think she got the wrong teens…” Mario scratched the back of his head, trying to appear dismissive of Amy and Crystal. His ruse was only seen through by Luigi, who knew when his brother was unsure of anything.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!” Amy sprang up and pointed at Mario furiously. “Who says that… whoever that was, got it wrong?”

“Sorry, just…” Mario gestured to Amy and by extension, Crystal, grimacing, “You guys are kids, y’know?”

Amy felt insulted. She greatly despised whenever somebody judged her not based on her defined skills, but her appearance and age. A brief flashback to her last battle with Scyther took over for a second as she marched up to face the red plumber, but Link’s stronger voice commanded more authority.

“Not to be rude, but-” Link started, his tone bold. Everybody looked at him. “We don’t even know how old you guys are, and I don’t think many of us are comfortable with putting your lives in danger all to stop the man we’re after.” The man in green then sighed, thinking about home. “In a few months, I’m going to be a parent, but I can already sense the instincts that come with it.”

Amy was dumbfounded. Unseen rage consumed her original views of the travelers before her, and she balled her fists, wanting to throw a punch at something, anything. However, she couldn’t bring herself to. Then, Crystal finally broke out of her own trance, got up, and tapped Amy on the shoulder.

“A-Amy? Can we go for a walk?” Crystal asked, her voice barely audible to the very person she was talking to.

Amy’s eyes widened as her angered face morphed into worry, taking Crystal’s hand and holding it gently. “O-Of course,” she said, forcing a smile. She turned to walk out, but Mario sprang up from the couch and decided to join them.

“I’ll- uh… I’ll go with them to make sure they’re okay,” Mario said.

“Want me to come with, bro?” Luigi asked, about to get up.

“Nah, don’t trouble yourself, Weege. I shouldn’t be long,” Mario was a bit dismissive of his brother, leaving without looking back. Another awkward bout of nothingness came until Link remembered something.

“Luigi, we need to get moving, soon. Didn’t that Freddy boy say that he had our gear? Like the Ultra Sword and my things?” Link, secretly, was a little glad that Freddy took his sword and shield. He needed a break from them, seeing them and such. Even though he had balanced his life out, using his weapons so suddenly again made him uneasy.

“Yeah, I think so,” Luigi faintly remembered Freddy mentioning the Ultra Sword. It was funny to him, that the boy who seemed so young had already proven himself capable of giving them some answers, no matter who baffling. It still sent his mind astray when he thought about the video games the blue Inkling had shown him and the group.

“Alright, you stay here, wait for Tael and Kirby to wake up. I’ll go find Freddy and gather our stuff. Then we’ll discuss what to do next,” Link was quite confident that he could find Freddy.

“You got it…” Luigi replied. He wasn’t much worried about where he and the others would go next, instead wondered why his brother was acting so strange before he left. “Wave Energy…” The mustachioed man mumbled.

“What?” Link caught Luigi’s words.

“Just something about it, its like… I can sense it now,” Luigi opened his palm and generated a few sparks with Thunderhand. He could feel the beat of his blood flow through his veins, the waves working their magic to help him concentrate on his gift and give it form.

Link pondered if he would be able to feel it once he got his gear back. Perhaps if he used the Lens of Truth or an elemental arrow, he’d get something more out of them than he did before. That bird, Empyrea, he thought, made his aware of something he never even considered important to his success as a hero, or even as a man. Just how much did Wave Energy guide him?

As Link walked out and to the elevator, his mind kept working on the mystery of the waves.

Amy and Crystal moseyed through Inkopolis Square without direction, Mario right behind them. While he did intend on speaking to them, they seemed to be troubled with something that he didn’t want to interrupt. The two girls just went wherever their feet took them, occasionally stopping to stand in front of a shop window. They held hands the whole time.

“Th-That looks nice, doesn’t it?” Amy pointed to the pair of shoes on the other side of the window, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of Crystal. The Octoling just stared at the footwear before nodding insincerely.

Amy sighed and kept going, walking with Crystal through the square in silence.

“Chosen…” Crystal mouthed, no sound coming from her mouth. Amy didn’t notice it the first time, but that wasn’t Crystal’s intention. “Chosen…” She moved her lips robotically, not mimicking how those men, Erdrick or Eight, said it, but another man. “Chosen…”

“What?” Amy finally saw Crystal’s mouth move but was perplexed by the lack of words. Her girlfriend didn’t respond. Amy put her hand on Crystal’s shoulder and shook her gently. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing…” Crystal rubbed her shoulder and turned her head away, unable to look Amy in the eye. She knew her sanitized eye was flaring up because of the new burning sensation.

“Hey, no, I know that look,” Amy walked in front of Crystal, faced her, and took her by the hands, “Look at me.” Crystal reluctantly did so, and Amy’s heart sank. “U-Uh… C’mon, let’s go here,” Amy found a nearby alley and hurried in, wanting a bit of privacy.

“Guys!” Mario got a glimpse of Crystal’s burdened eyes and kept his own mouth shut. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t his place to know.

Once the pair were far enough in the alley to be comfortable, Amy got close enough to her close friend that she was all Crystal saw. Both of their sanitized eyes glimmered in the shadow of the buildings while the two held hands. They embraced for a bit until Amy found the words to speak.

“What’s going on?” Amy asked, cupping Crystal’s cheek.

“It’s all this… Me being a part of this, the reason those guys are here,” Crystal looked at the ground, picturing moments from her past. They were fuzzy. “It feels like being a part of Octavio’s army all over again…” Suddenly, Amy didn’t know what to say. Crystal didn’t blame her in the slightest. “Being ‘chosen’ for something we don’t even know that’s happening, it just… r-reminds me of being a soldier… a-and nothing more…”

Amy’s normal brash smirk couldn’t find its place here. It was no time to break into the old ‘look on the bright side’ routine. Even to her, there was no bright side to this situation. Shatterhand, Empyrea, Wave Energy, the realms, they had to take this seriously. They didn’t even know if the others would allow them to join, but they both planned to do their best to convince them.

“I hate this…” Crystal said solemnly.

The tweeting of birds overhead and bustling sounds of the square were drowned out as the Inkling and Octoling thought about everything they had been through. The fights, the nightmares, the sheer madness that encompassed their lives and never let go.

It didn’t hurt, it just ached.

“Please know, Crystal…” Amy said, her head also down, staring at the ground. Her arms were shaking wildly. “I love you… More than anything. More than my stupid ‘parents’,” She scowled once she said that last word, “More than my Dualies, more than myself…”

“Remember that,” She finished, not knowing what else to say.

They stood together in a stillness that could be perceived as time almost stopping, nothing else in the world important while they confided in each other. That was, until it was unexpectedly broken by a deep voice somehow coming from above.

“There you guys are…” An Octoling said as he jumped down and landed on the pavement. He stood up, his height dwarfing the other two as he slowly approached them.

“Sketchy… Not now, we’re in the middle of something, alright?” Amy placed herself in front of Crystal and kept her arm out to defend her companion, not in the mood for whatever the other Octoling was here for.

The boy was tall, freakishly tall for what he was. Sketchy was over six feet in height, a few inches taller than Link, and he certainly looked at least physically stronger than him as well. It was odd that he had such a toned body, but that’s not why people found him frightening. It was his stare, cold and unfeeling, much like the dark recesses of his life.

“Calm down,” He said, trying to sound calming the best he could, “I’m not here looking for trouble-”

“Oh yeah? Then why’s it always follow you, huh?” Amy put some distance between her and Crystal just in case. “Leave us alone, we’re… busy…”

“Busy? Busy doing what, staring at a wall?” Sketchy was sarcastic. “Look, I’m here to ask about Violet…” He didn’t dare make eye contact with the girls. His voice got a little louder, causing the red plumber at the opening of the alleyway to take notice.

Mario, even though he was hardly able to see Sketchy amongst all the shadows, found himself tensing up. Something about the silhouette he saw bridged the chasm between his desire to stay out of whatever was going on and to help. All he had to do was make the decision on whether or not to cross.

“Ugh, Violet doesn’t want anything to do with you, I thought she made that obvious!” Amy knew that Sketchy had… something towards her friend. A part of her was curious if it was genuine feelings for some sick kind of game. Her previous thoughts about Octavio flooded back for a second.

“So you’re mad at me for trying to change? Isn’t that what you wanted when we first fought?” Sketchy’s eyes blazed with anger that he often tried to hold back. “Let’s just say… I’ve convinced her on some parts…” He said mysteriously.

“Huh? What do you mean? You haven’t talked to her in days!”

“That’s what you think,” Sketchy smirked a little, “I have my ways, even from all the way back in that little idiot’s mind.”

Before Amy could snap back with her own comment, Mario’s distinct Brooklyn accent distracted both her and Sketchy. It sounded far thicker than it had before, even when he was brawling with Link, as if something had unlocked.

“Hey! Guys? What’s goin’ on down there?” Mario treaded into the alleyway.

“Who-” Sketchy blinked, “Who is that?!”

“Just go away…” Crystal whispered, just loud enough for Sketchy to hear. Instantly he grew irked, a scowl spreading across his normally blank face.

“What was that? I wasn’t talking to you; I was only here for Violet!” He turned to Amy, “Where is she?!”

Finally, Crystal had enough. Her sanitized eye stung as she failed to fight back to urge to pull out her Octobrush and take a swing at Sketchy. He narrowly dodged, some of Crystal’s ink splattering onto his leg. Amy was just as shocked as he was, but her own instincts made her get out her Dualies, fingers on the triggers. They were certainly itching to fire.

As soon as Mario saw the outline of the gun in his eyes, no matter how strange it looked, he broke into a run. His boots slapped against the concrete and embers burst from his hands, dim but clear as a lit match. He was glad he still had his Firebrand.

“Stay out of this, whoever you are!!” Sketchy yelled, jumping back to avoid another swing from Crystal’s Octobrush. While a crazed look dominated his irises, he whipped out a strange, handheld device that sported a threatening needle. It was crudely put together, a vial containing some off-color liquid.

However, before Mario could make it to intercept Sketchy, Amy and Crystal jumped into action. Ink from the Octobrush landed along the ground, making a clear path for Amy to swim close and fire her Dualies. The sweet patter of fire from the weapons was music to the Inkling’s ears, but they weren’t followed up by the splash of ink from a splat.

Sketchy had managed to dodge, carefully holding the massive syringe. He grasped the trigger and leaped forward, aiming for Amy’s eye, the spot where he knew an injection would be most effective.

“No!” Crystal appeared from behind Amy, swinging her brush as hard as she could. It only hit Sketchy once, but it was devastating. He was swatted away and crashed into a collection of trash cans, their metal lids flying into the air and clattering to the ground, resonating like cymbals from a drum set.

Sketchy scrambled to his feet and held up his needle gun. For a second, he regretted not using any conventional weapons. Amy and Crystal’s skills with their ink were a bit better than he remembered, the pulse of waves running through the liquid like a heartbeat.

Rage powered Sketchy’s movements, and he used his free hand to grab one of the fallen garbage can lids. He used it as a shield, dashing around Crystal’s ink trail and blocking Amy’s Dualie shots in an attempt to get to a possible blind spot. Once he found a good place, he threw the lid at Amy, and it clonked her on the head.

“Ah!” Amy fell over, eyes squinted in pain. Her ears rang and Sketchy was about to close in for the equivalent of an unwanted doctor’s visit when Mario tapped him on the shoulder.

“Huh?” Sketchy turned around and looked down at the comparably short mustachioed man.

“Hey,” Mario said, smiling casually before rearing his fist back. Flames blazed passionately and the red-capped hero uppercutted Sketchy square in the jaw.

The force of the hit sent Sketchy upwards, over Amy and Crystal, and all the way on the other side of the alley. When the dust settled, the Octoling held his face, both a bruise and scorch marks along his cheek.

“Who… Who ARE you?!” Sketchy yelled, getting back up and going into another fighting stance. He had never seen a man like Mario before. Of what little he knew about the abilities of his peers, pyromancy was impossible. How could he, a simpleton, command fire?

Silence was golden, Mario saying nothing as he helped Amy up.

“Are you okay, Amy?” Crystal asked, looking at where Sketchy had hit her girlfriend.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine!” Amy ignored the sore spot on her head and went back on alert. She, Crystal, and Mario stared down Sketchy with annoyance, their eyes glowing with the colors of sanitization and the beauty of flames.

The stares of the heroes was like a razor through honey, it being one of the few things to strike a tinge of fear into Sketchy’s soul. He discarded the emotion as he did with others, running up to the group, needle gun in hand. This time his sights were on the foreign man with the mustache, wanting to get him back for the burn marks along his face.

Amy and Crystal looked at Mario, somewhat amazed that he was on their side without much reluctance. He just gave them a nod, already forming a plan to counter Sketchy’s next attack with their aid. He walked forward and lifted his arm to block his face, letting the needle pierce his glove and just barely get under his skin.

Sketchy was only able to inject a miniscule amount of the liquid from the syringe into Mario’s vulnerable hand, Crystal taking charge and knocking the needle gun out of Sketchy’s grip. It landed across from him on the pavement, the impact making a new crack on the vial’s already damaged glass, distracting the weapon’s owner. Then Amy followed up with a point-blank barrage from her combined Dualies, nearly splatting him.

“GAH!” Sketchy fell back down, his movement slowed by the amount of enemy ink covering his body. “My gun!” He scurried away to tend to his weapon, having needed to tape over previous cracks to the syringe in the past. “Do- Do you know how much time I’ve poured into this thing?!”

It was clear that he cared quite a lot about his needle gun. Mario correctly guessed that Sketchy was the one that crafted the weapon due to how haphazardly it seemed to be put together.

“Obviously, way too much,” Mario removed his glove and looked at his hand. He flexed his fist, expelling what little Sketchy managed to inject into his bloodstream. The Octoling scowled, knowing his virus was unable to do its job now.

This time, Sketchy put away his weapon and lunged for Mario, wanting to use his bare fists to grant his twisted form of justice. He growled like an animal.

Mario, thinking fast, swiped his fist through Crystal’s Octobrush, lathering his other, gloved hand with her ink. Then, he jumped up, reeled his arm back, and performed one of his best finishing moves. A swift, powerful dunk, Mario giving it everything his body could muster.

The ink along the glove finally splatted Sketchy, sending him away and back home to later respawn. Mario landed on the ground, huffing. It had been a while since he had finished with a dunk, his effort being a bit more than he expected. He exhausted himself, his arm a bit sore from the force he had hit Sketchy with.

“Woah…” Amy and Crystal said as Mario stood back up. They didn’t know that a non-ink user could do that. No other mammal to their knowledge, not even Judd, could use ink.

Mario looked back at Amy and Crystal, analyzing them. Then, after a moment, he smiled warmly. “You guys…” His gaze became soft, “We make a really good team…”

Amy, Crystal, and Mario arrived back at the apartment wearing new smiles.

“How’d you know that doing that with your glove would work to splat him?” Crystal asked.

“I had no clue! I was just thinking on my feet!” Mario replied bashfully, “How does your ink work exactly? Is it the different colors that makes it hurt other people?”

“Well, it has to do with teams, y’know?’ Amy explained. She held up three fingers, mimicking herself, Crystal, and the plumber. “Since you were fighting with us, it must’ve made you able to use our ink too!” She was just ballparking her estimate, but to her and Crystal, it made sense. Maybe that’s why Judd and Lil’ Judd couldn’t use ink. They weren’t exactly a part of any team, only referees.

“Guys?” Freddy interrupted the conversation. The three saw him holding a bag. Luigi and Link were right behind him, carrying some of the latter’s gear. “Where were you?”

“Oh, uh…” Amy didn’t know how to explain the whole confrontation with Sketchy. In fact, it occurred to her and Crystal that Freddy might not even know about the dream they and the other crusaders had.

“We’ll tell you later, Freds!” Crystal waved off the question, not wanting to think about why she had asked to go for a walk earlier, “But we saw Sketchy today, and we beat him!”

“Ugh…” A loud groan came from the other room, belonging to Violet.

“Wait, wait,” Freddy drew closer and made sure to whisper, “You fought Sketchy again? Did any of you get injected with that gun of his?”

“I did, but it wasn’t much,” Mario took off his left glove and showed Freddy the wound. Surprisingly, it didn’t show any signs of healing, nor did it bleed. It was just… there. A little hole in his hand.

“Oh, phew. You should be fine,” Freddy was relieved.

“Okay?” Mario raised an eyebrow, but if Freddy seemed so sure, he wouldn’t bother asking why.

“But yeah, he was looking for Violet. He put up a good fight, but we handled it…” Amy looked to Mario, “…with some help.”

“Woah…” Freddy mirrored Amy and Crystal’s previous reactions to Mario’s assistance, and then smiled. The idea that they all as a group could work together without problem gave the boy a spark of hope.

“Heh, well, anyways, hey Luigi! Link!” Mario called out to the two green men.

“Yeah?” They both said.

“Gather everyone up, we need to talk.”

Soon enough, everyone was assembled in the living room. Link, Tael, Kirby, Mario, Luigi, Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet. Mario took center stage and gave a thumbs up to the Inklings and Octoling before turning to his companions.

“I was wrong to say that these guys weren’t able to join us,” Mario put it bluntly. He waited for Link’s usual confusion before continuing, “They are very, very capable of working together with us to stop Shatterhand, I’m sure of it.”

“Hang on, bro, this morning you were sure of-”

“I know what I said, Weege, but…” Mario glanced at Link, taking in the Terminian’s hard stare. “I’ve been wrong about a lot during this journey so far,” He told Link, “And from what happened today, I know for a fact that these teenagers are way more than any of us gave them credit for,” He addressed the entire room.

Amy and Crystal felt the most honored by Mario’s statement, but pride wasn’t exclusive to them. Freddy was on cloud nine hearing the praise, and Violet felt better after having a previous encounter with Link while he and Luigi were gathering their things. She’d be the most comfortable keeping that to herself.

“Wait, what exactly happened, bro?” Luigi still didn’t know where his brother disappeared to after he left to originally talk to Amy and Crystal about what was wrong.

“Well, some fellow was looking for her,” Mario gestured towards Violet, “Got pretty aggressive. But me and these two,” He did the same to Amy and Crystal, “We worked together to stop him. They were great!”

“Wow, that’s awesome! So, do you think they have what it takes to stop Shatterhand?”

“Now wait a minute,” Link stopped the brothers from continuing. “These four are teens, how can you be sure that they can help us stop him? We can’t let them get entangled in all this. Shatterhand isn’t on their radar, so let’s keep it that way.”

“Well, wouldn’t it be best to have some help from people that Shatterhand isn’t expecting? He doesn’t know how to fight them, so they have an advantage!” Mario was confident in his reasoning, but just in case, he added one more thing, “Besides, if I remember correctly, weren’t you only twelve when you beat that demon witch?”

Link’s eyes widened and he looked away for a moment, keeping silent.

“Yes… And I was just eleven when I fought the demon king, Ganondorf…” Link hated remembering his past, but Mario was right to bring it up. Link, despite being worried about these teens being hurt or even killed, had gone up against dangers at an even younger age.

“Just because they’re young, doesn’t mean they’re helpless. You of all people know that, Link,” Mario said.

“He’s right, Link,” Tael said, hovering by his friend’s shoulder. “He’s got me convinced, come on,” The fairy placed his hand on the hero’s face and the two locked eyes.

“Fine…” Link huffed, feeling guilty.

Before Team Inkstrike could celebrate being inducted into the band of crusaders, there was a knock on the front door.

“Oh, I’ll get it,” Crystal walked over to the door and turned the knob, thinking nothing of who it could be. Then her face went pale, the sight of Sketchy standing on the other side sending everyone into alert.

“Wait!” Sketchy cried before anyone could act. He held his hands up, showing that he was unarmed. “I’m not here for a rematch, don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson!” Amy was the first to shield Violet, but not from Sketchy. She was defending Sketchy, as the purple Inkling was already fuming, a dark rage enveloping her face.

“I’m not even here for you… Violet,” Sketchy couldn’t look her in the eye, knowing she hated him.

“That better be true, asshole! I’d rather leave you in a dust bin than have you in my apartment!” Violet grit her teeth as she spoke, and Kirby looked at her weirdly. He still didn’t understand curses.

 “I know, I know, but I’m actually here for you… guys?” The man saw Mario, but was shocked to see Luigi, Link, Tael, and Kirby there as well. “Oh wow…”

“Us?” Link asked, fists up. If this guy was able to convince Mario that Amy and Crystal were capable of helping defeat Shatterhand, he must be an apt fighter.

“Yeah, you… All of you,” Sketchy took one step in, his body language showing that he was actually nervous about being in the presence of so many fighters. “Look, I was desperate earlier, but I swear on my other half,” His eye twitched at that specific mention, “I am not here to fight or anything. I… I can tell that you guys,” He pointed to Mario, Luigi, Link, and Kirby, “You aren’t supposed to be here, and I wanna help.”

“Help? You think you can help us with why we’re here?” Mario raised an eyebrow, keeping his guard up at the same time.

“Yes, because I have a gift that lets me look into other worlds.”

Instantly, the crusaders were baffled.

Sketchy belongs to Squid_is_back on Twitter. Special thanks for the writing help!

Chapter Text

Okay, yes, I know, Sketchy’s power is a bit convenient, but hey, it’s literally something he can do in the story he mainly appears in, I swear! I know it’s a lot to introduce, but it works for both this and the person who owns Sketchy! Anyways, sorry for rambling. Enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 21: Eulogy

Hours before, while Amy, Crystal, and Mario were out, Link, Luigi, and Tael were making trips to and from Violet’s apartment and Freddy’s, bringing back their belongings in preparation for their departure.

“Man, you made holding this thing seem…” Luigi grunted, struggling to lift the Ultra Sword through the door, “Easy!” He slammed it down on the floor, exhausted.

“It’s weirdly balanced, that’s for sure,” Link picked up the sword by the hilt and held it steady, “It takes a certain amount of precision to hold it up. This thing belongs to Kirby, after all, so that’s probably why it’s so bizarre.”

“Oh yeah,” Luigi remembered what Shatterhand said during their battle in the Mushroom Kingdom. For some reason, he said that the sword was his, and Link explained that it was once Kirby’s. Then the plumber felt a little inferior, thinking that his abilities were lame compared to the pink puffball.

“Didn’t Mario say he wasn’t going to be long?” Tael flew up to Luigi.

“Yeah, that’s what I heard. I don’t know why he’s not back yet,” Luigi looked at the clock. Thankfully, clocks in this world weren’t much different from what he knew. It’d been over an hour since his brother left and there was still no word.

“Weird…” Tael trailed off.

Link set the Ultra Sword up against the wall and sighed. To tell the truth, he was growing fond of the place he and his fellow travelers ventured to almost by accident. It was oddly comfortable here, even in the apartment, though he could also say the same for the room he stayed in at Castle Dedede or the room he was given at the Inn back in the Mushroom Kingdom. However, it could never beat home.

“We’ll get the rest of the stuff, don’t worry, Link,” Luigi knew there wasn’t much more to collect from Freddy’s apartment, so he and Tael went off by themselves to fetch it. With Kirby still asleep, Link was left alone, but he didn’t mind.

“I wonder if there are any more of those ‘Shwaffles’…” Link thought to himself, first walking to the kitchen. When he found nothing, he decided to look around in the rooms, thinking that perhaps Mario and Luigi kept some for themselves. If they did, surely they wouldn’t mind if Link helped himself to a few?

In the room where the brothers had been given, Link noticed it was almost exactly the same as his. Plain bed, although this time there were two, one large window, closet, small desk, everything. He admired the uniformity to an extent, but also thought that such similar rooms was boring. It didn’t matter, they wouldn’t be staying for much longer.

After a couple minutes of searching around the room, Link came up empty handed, unfortunately. His stomach growled, and as he looked out the window, he inwardly made himself a deal to ask if there was more to eat when he got the chance.

Then Link heard the door to the room close.

Whipping around, Link’s instincts told him an enemy had cornered him, but instead he saw Violet standing before him, her cheeks flushed with a red tint and wearing something he had never seen before. Oddly, the urge to blush overtook his previous needs of alarm, and he stumbled back, confused. Violet wouldn’t even look him in the eye.

“H-Hi, Link…” Violet mumbled, hands clasped in front of her like she had been ordered to do something and she had taken the request with obedience.

“Wha- What are you doing?!” Link was beyond the capacity for words, unsure what to make of Violet’s strange attire and meek-sounding voice.

“I-” Violet stuttered, “I-”

After a moment, she fell silent, ashamed of herself. She stepped to the side of the room and looked at her hands, feeling like the biggest fool. After a heavy sigh, she turned back to Link, “It’s a m-maid dress…”

Suddenly, it clicked for Link. He let his guard down and frowned, discerning what Violet was getting at. At first he considered just walking out without another word, but a part of him recognized the confused expression of someone struggling. Struggling to figure out their emotions, that is.

Link walked over and sat down on one of the beds, and then pat the spot next to him. “Sit down,” He said. The Inkling did as he asked, taking a seat beside Link but putting a little bit of distance between herself and him. She still couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Violet… I think I know how you feel,” Link began, avoiding from having his voice sound demeaning. While this girl was young, he could tell that she was for the most part, mature and confident, at least on the outside. “You’re looking for something, aren’t you?”

“What? No I’m not, I’m just trying to… to… uhm…” Uncharacteristically, Violet wasn’t able to repel his words with her own.

“You are. I can tell you like me. From putting my tunic on your hope chest, to the way you look at me, and this,” Link gestured to Violet’s outfit. He wanted to see her face in its entirety, just to confirm his thoughts. “But it’s not quite what you need.”

“How do you know what I need? You don’t know me!” Violet grew defensive at Link’s bold assumption.

“I don’t know you, but I know the feeling,” Link stared off into space, thinking about the past. The way he felt when adjusting to life beyond his sword and shield, it took him years to finally see the whole picture. The best way he could describe it all was ‘painful’. “You want to fill up that hole you have in yourself, but you can’t do it just like that,” he snapped his fingers to accentuate, “It takes time to really figure out what you yourself need.”

“…” Violet didn’t snap back with another snarky comment. Link smiled at the sight, the girl reminding him of Tatl, especially with how stubborn but headstrong she was.

“For instance, you want to try and woo me, right? Well, I can tell you that it isn’t what you need. What you need is something that I, or any partner, can give,” Link wondered just how many people had caught Violet’s eye in the past, and if one had left her so heartbroken she was desperate for another just to fill in the gap. “I know this will sound childish, but before you can love anyone, you need to first love yourself.”

Violet took in Link’s words carefully. While she was occasionally impulsive, she knew when someone was being serious with her. A flicker of a memory of Freddy came back to her before getting whisked away by a sigh from Link.

“It took me a while to figure that out,” Link thought about how low he used to think of himself after he learned of the now long-gone threat of the Garo Master. “I just want to make sure that no one else has to go through that same, long walk for the right answer.”

The two sat on the bed, thinking to themselves for about a minute.

“Thanks…” Violet said softly.

“Anytime,” Link replied with a smile.

“Heh, I just remembered, I never even got a good look at your wife,” Violet now sounded more like her usual, confident self. “Do you mind?”

“Sure,” Link reached into his pocket and showed Violet the picture of Romani.

“Pff, she’s not that hot…” Violet crossed her arms, faking a jealous frown. The joking way she spoke gave it away, thought.

Link just chuckled to himself and stood up from the bed. “Come on, you should put some proper clothes on. Besides, the guys are probably back with the last of our things,” He said.

“Yeah,” Violet watched as Link left the room. She still looked at him with admiration, but this time it was with respect instead of endearment.

That was what Violet kept thinking about as Link, Mario, and Luigi stared down Sketchy with hard, suspicious glares. Once she snapped back to reality, she saw Sketchy just a bit differently than she had before.

“You can what?!” Mario asked, not believing a word of what Sketchy had said.

“It- It’s true! I know it sounds insane, but I don’t think it’s as insane as a group of people not of this world standing in this apartment!” Sketchy countered. He know for a fact that an ability like his wasn’t the strangest thing here, not by a long shot. He wasn’t even aware of the Ultra Sword or its fantastic powers just yet.

Mario, Luigi, Link, Kirby, and Tael looked to each other before all raising one eyebrow. They gathered around and whispered between themselves, their words just beyond their visitor while he looked on inquisitively. Finally, they broke out of their huddle and faced Sketchy.

“Prove it,” Mario demanded.

A blush creeped onto Sketchy’s face, and he looked down at the floor, nervous once again. Amy, Crystal, and Freddy were shocked to see the towering Octoling appear so vulnerable. They thought that was impossible.

It took a second before Sketchy responded, keeping his head down as if he was ashamed. After a grunt and a small battle with the other person in his mind, the boy relented. He thought it was silly to just show them, but he had no other choice but to comply.

“Fine, but I can’t do it for long,” Sketchy looked at the one in the room closest to his height, the blond man in green. “You, describe your home,” he asked. Link suddenly felt like he had been attacked, unprepared for Sketchy’s question or all the eyes on him. Then, he became nostalgic, thinking about what was going on in Termina, if Romani was alright.

“It’s a place called ‘Termina’,” Link stared. He became even more embarrassed when he struggled to describe the place he had lived in for years. “Very lush region, snowy mountains to the north and a coastal area to the west. In the east is the ruined kingdom of Ikana, which also holds the remnants of a race known as the Garo.” What else was he missing? “Oh, at Termina’s center is a place named ‘Clock Town’. Couldn’t miss it.”

“Alright…” Sketchy walked over to the couch and sat down. Violet was irked that he just waltzed on in and took a seat, but she also reasoned that he could maybe help the group. “Here we go…” Sketchy told both himself and his other half, focusing on the description Link gave him.

Sketchy breathed in and drowned all other sound out. Then, within his head, a loud, gong-like sound resonated as he peered through his looking glass. He only had a few seconds to look into other worlds, so he made sure to take in every detail.

The picture was fuzzy at first, but as things became clear, he audibly gasped. The land he saw was beautiful, unlike anything he had ever seen in Inkopolis or beyond. Plants, mammals, a sunny sky, and a vibrant, blue horizon. After taking a second to collect himself, he searched around for people, things that he could ask Link about, see if he recognized.

“I see…” Sketchy said while in his trance, “A woman. Fairly tall, redheaded, wearing a kind of sky-blue shirt, and…” A certain detail about the woman caught him by surprise. He had read about the anatomy of mammals before. “Is she… pregnant?”

“Romani…” Link’s eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat.

Sketchy’s fifteen seconds were up, and he was forced out of his vision, coming to back in the apartment. The first thing he saw was Link breathing heavily, Tael flying over to ask what was wrong. Mario and Luigi were also worried about Link.

“Are you okay?” Sketchy asked, standing up from the couch and taking a step forward. Crystal intercepted and kept him away from the others, just in case.

“You…” Link was breathing fast, the mere thought of his wife, doing well bringing unimaginable warmth to his soul. “You saw my wife…”

“I-I did?!” Sketchy was astonished that the first person he saw while in his vision was someone so close to Link. “W-Wow, then… congratulations on the baby, I guess…” he mumbled. He wasn’t the best at that part of social interaction, sadly.

“He’s telling the truth,” Link told the others, “My wife and I are expecting a child soon, I remember telling you all that.”

“Wait…” Mario had an idea. It was something he so longed to see yet was just as terrified to know. Slowly, the red plumber turned to Sketchy and approached him carefully. “Can you… can you do that again? But for me this time?” Mario couldn’t help himself. He needed to know.

“I-I mean, I guess, I usually don’t do this over and over again, but I’ll try,” Sketchy sat back down. “What’s your world like?”

Mario turned to Luigi, wanting his brother to confirm that this is what they wanted. After a somewhat hesitant nod from the green fellow, Mario began to explain. “Our world is called the Mushroom Kingdom. The capital is a place named ‘Toad Town’, with a red and white castle overlooking it. Around the land are forests of both trees and mushrooms, with the Dark Lands bordering them,” Mario wasn’t quite ready to continue, but his urge kept on going, “At-At least half the town is in ruin because of a man who attacked a couple of days before.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best…” Sketchy focused again and closed his eyes.

The next vision was cloudier than the last, Sketchy’s energy not having quite enough time to replenish itself. However, he was still able to see. The place he found himself looking down on wasn’t as decimated as Mario’s tone had suggested. He saw little people in what he thought were white hats with red polka dots rebuilding parts of what must’ve been Toad Town. They didn’t look very down and gloomy, all of them helping one another with the effort. Seeing such teamwork brought a solemn feeling into Sketchy’s heart.

After coming out of his experience, Sketchy told Mario and Luigi what he saw. The brothers, still having feared the worst for their home after leaving it so suddenly after their failed to defeat Shatterhand, looked at themselves with relief.

“Weege…” Mario said as he embraced his brother, eyes watery and voice softened, “They’re alright…” A weak but genuine smile appeared on both mustachioed hero’s faces while they rejoiced.

“Wait a second…” Luigi’s smile vanished, and his pupils went sharp. He parted from Mario and turned to the other crusaders. “If the Toads are rebuilding, then that means Shatterhand is gone. He’s not in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore. B-But…” Some of that perpetual fear Luigi was known for crept along his spine, “Where is he?”

Silence befell the group as the horror of where Shatterhand could be and what he possibly could be doing. They didn’t consider the idea that he just gave up, the way he spoke during the fight in the Mushroom Kingdom cemented that he wouldn’t stop until any and all loose ends were taken care of. The chances were slim if not impossible.

“We can worry about that later, what’s important is that the Mushroom Kingdom is safe,” Link put his hand on Mario’s shoulder, and the two shared a small smile. In retrospect, they both felt silly for fighting about it before. “Besides, you guys remember what Empyrea said. We need to leave soon and find a secluded world to meet up with her.”

“Yeah, but Link, what if we run into Shatterhand? We can’t risk that if we don’t know where he is,” Tael had a point. If the fiend was able to track them to Mario and Luigi’s home, who’s to say that he wasn’t waiting for them to make their move.

“Poyo! Poy poyo! Poyo!” Kirby had an idea and was eager to share it.

“What’d he say?” Mario asked, still not fully able to understand the pink puffball.

“He asked if Sketchy could try and find him. Find Shatterhand,” Link glanced at the Octoling, speaking loudly so he could hear.

“W-Wait, guys, I don’t kno-” Sketchy muttered while waving the idea away. He was tired, after all.

“I mean, it’d be real, real helpful if you could, just sayin’,” Amy remarked, leaning against the wall beside the couch, her own arms crossed.

“Okay- Look, I-” Sketchy felt the burden of desire and responsibility weighing down on him. For once, he felt like he was doing good, but it came at the cost of his own energy, something he greatly valued. “I’ll come back later and do it, alright? This… This takes a lot out of me, I need to just recharge, okay?”

“That’s fine, as long as you do it, please,” Crystal said, smiling cutely as always. Her expression eased Sketchy a little.

“Thank you…” Sketchy said politely. Freddy and Violet were shocked, but kind of pleased with his change of character. It was nice to have him on their side for now. Sketchy left without saying anything more, leaving the group to discuss their plans for moving forward in their quest to stop Shatterhand.

“So like…” Tael was the first to speak up, “Should he join us?”

“No!” Violet immediately protested the idea, balling her fists up again and snarling.

“We shouldn’t drag more people into this than we need to,” Link said, still a bit weary of letting Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet join their crusade. But if Mario was confident in them, he trusted his faith in their skills. “Though he seemingly is a great help. We never could’ve figured that Shatterhand left the kingdom.”

“True,” Mario put his hand to his chin, “Let’s just hope he can find where Shatterhand is so we can avoid him.”

“Agreed,” Link said.

“Wait, hold up,” Amy butted in, her mind focused on a certain detail about Shatterhand, “You guys said that he managed to destroy like half of your home, right?”

“Yeah, him and his army,” Luigi clarified. He could see that Amy perhaps thought that Shatterhand did it all on his own.

“Oh, phew,” Amy relaxed.

“So it’s really gonna be just the nine of us against all of Shatterhand’s goons?” Freddy wondered out loud. “Th-This seems like… a bit much, don’t you think?”

“Well we’re also going to get some help. Last night, this being came to us in a dream and explained that she along with four other fellows are against Shatterhand too. I forget their names…” Mario was still in relative disbelief with the events of the dream he and the others had. “But they looked capable of a lot. I remember Empyrea said that they use magic, like you, Link.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Link said with a smile. “Also, off topic, but uh… do you and Luigi have any more of those ‘Shwaffles’?”

Mario blinked for a second before chuckling, tapping Luigi on the shoulder.

“Hah, sorry, we kinda ate them all,” Mario grinned, shrugging apologetically.

“No worries, I,” Violet pointed her thumb at herself, “…can order us lunch!” She pulled out her phone, smirking while scrolling through her various apps to find a place that’d give them food that the others could also enjoy.

“Isn’t it a bit late for lunch?” Crystal said.

“It can be an early dinner!” Violet corrected herself.

Sketchy was walking down the street alone, as normal. He had rested up back home and was ready to return to Violet’s apartment and help those folks with finding that man. The name, ironically, had stuck with him the entire time. ‘Shatterhand’. It was weird, because at first he thought that they would tell him the man’s real name, but they didn’t. To have such a strange moniker but no true name, it perplexed the Octoling.

“Shatterhand,” Sketchy mumbled to himself aloud while he went down the sidewalk. He ignored the weird looks he was given by the occasional passerby’s, his mind locked onto the weirdness of the situation.

“How did they even get here?” He thought quietly, “Can one of them just jump from world to world with ease? No, ‘cuz then why’d they bother asking if I could find that guy? They could just take a quick peek in every realm they found.” Sketchy shook his head and pushed the ponderings aside as he entered the apartment building and made a beeline for the elevator.

A few more glares were sent his way by the couple leaving the elevator, and Sketchy, now annoyed with the attention, growled at them. That easily scared them off, their feet breaking out into almost a jog as they left. Walking into the metal box and pushing the button for one of the highest floors, the doors closed, and it started its ascent.

As the hum of the elevator droned on, Sketchy returned to his thoughts about that peculiar group of travelers. A part of him admired how varied they were. If such differing people could come together against something far worse, maybe there was hope for someone like Octavio to one day see things from a new perspective. Sketchy chuckled at the idea as the elevator came to a stop.

Sauntering down the hall without much care, Sketchy found the door he visited before. Before he knocked, however, he heard a few laughs from the other side. Amy, Crystal, and what he guessed was that little, pink thing and the red-capped man who bested him earlier.

For some reason that he couldn’t explain, Sketchy hesitated on knocking. It wasn’t intimidating, having all those people on the other side, but rather what they were here for. If this Shatterhand guy was as bad as they made him sound, he might be in over his head in assisting them in finding him. But one thought kept him going and helped him knock on the door.

Crystal once again greeted Sketchy at the door, and he was happy to have a better reception than last time, though it wasn’t perfect. Link, Mario, Luigi, and Amy wiped off their smiles and got serious, while Tael and Freddy remained neutral, and Violet was preoccupied with Kirby. She still found him overwhelmingly adorable.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Sketchy said, taking a chair from the kitchen and setting it down in the middle of the living room. He wanted to refrain from slouching on the couch since it messed with his concentration.

The others cleared off the floor and gave Sketchy his space as he sat down.

“So, what’s this guy look like? I can’t find him if I don’t know,” said the Octoling.

“Tall, ginger hair, freckles, wide smile with pointed teeth,” Link started listing off everything he recalled from Shatterhand’s appearance. When they first met, even while strung up on a lamppost, the hero of Termina was as acute as ever, making tiny mental notes. “Very dark blue, plated armor, a black gauntlet on his left hand, and a matching cape.”

“Most striking feature is his disfigured right hand, I think his palm was curved like the letter ‘c’,” Mario added.

“Yeah, that should be it,” Luigi finished.

“Okay…” Sketchy took another deep breath and focused hard, even more so than he did before. Things again became muffled, slowly fading away as he delved into his own little world within his mind.

In less than a second, Sketchy felt like he went on a journey, piecing together every little detail given to him about Shatterhand and using his energy to peek throughout the realms, searching for the man who matched it all to a T. It took longer than usual to find something, anything in the miasma of madness he sorted through. He had to get it right.

Finally, Sketchy found him.

Shatterhand was at the helm of his dreadnaught, overlooking the land of a place Sketchy didn’t recognize. Sketchy couldn’t even see the man’s face, as he was turned towards the large, beckoning window, but he knew it was him. There was a wicked aura ruminating off him, almost tangible, fouler than anything he’d seen yet. Back on the outside, Sketchy grimaced in the chair, catching the groups’ attention while they waited.

“Is he alright?” Tael asked Team Inkstrike. They could only shrug.

About five seconds had passed since Sketchy found him, but he didn’t focus on the man anymore. He needed to get the details of the land Shatterhand was looking over, to tell the others in case they knew where he was. The best thing he discovered was that the planet was oddly star-shaped, with what must have been rings surrounding it, floating through space.

Eleven seconds had gone by, almost the limit. Sketchy got one last look at Shatterhand’s outfit, refusing to see his face. Satisfied, he readied himself to leave the vision.

“Someone… is watching…” Shatterhand hissed. His slow, methodical, almost hypnotic words were cause for one of the rare times Sketchy froze in fear. How did he-?

“Is anything the matter, sir?” One of the guards asked.

“Yes, there’s someone here… spying,” Shatterhand continued, carefully looking around. He jolted his head to the side, getting the hair out of his face. “Spying on us. On… me…”

It had been fifteen seconds, and Sketchy, regardless of if he wanted to stay, should’ve been forced out of the vision by now. But before he could drift away, Shatterhand raised his left arm and harnessed the power of the Dark Matter. A viscous energy shot from the gauntlet’s pointer finger and somehow wrapped around Sketchy’s astral form, keeping him there. For Shatterhand, the spy started to materialize.

Meanwhile, back in the apartment, Sketchy groaned in pain, his arms being restricted by a force the crusaders could’ve see.

“Holy sh-” Link exclaimed but was cut off by a ‘poyo’ from Kirby.

“Sketchy? You okay?” Freddy jumped in and put his hands on Sketchy’s shoulders, trying to shake him free.

“Who… are you?” Shatterhand asked as Sketchy’s form started to take shape before him. First his legs, torso, arms, then head became clear. It had been twenty seconds by now. The fiend’s hair fluttering in the sudden gust of wind generated by the Dark Matter gauntlet.

“ACK-!” Sketchy grunted, Shatterhand examining him thoughtfully, like he was looking at a fish in a fishbowl.

“You………” Shatterhand grinned as he figured out what Sketchy was. The name had eluded him for a bit, but now, seeing the hair, the ears, and the highlights, he was sure he knew. “You’re an Octoling……”

Before Shatterhand let Sketchy go, he smiled, letting the intruder get a nice, long look at his face. Then, with a surge of energy from the gauntlet, he was released.

A giant crash erupted from nowhere and Sketchy was sent flying off the chair and across the living room, slamming into a wall. His body smoked, like when Mario hit him in the face and left a scorch mark. The stench of ash spread throughout the room as Mario and Link helped him stand.

“Are you okay?” Mario looked the boy over.

“What the hell happened?!” Link added.

“He-” Sketchy gasped for air, took one step, and then collapsed. He hadn’t a clue how Shatterhand managed to keep him lingering there for so long, but it costed him a considerable amount of energy. “He saw me… He knew. He knew I was watching…”

“Is… Is that possible?” Freddy didn’t think that’s how Sketchy’s abilities worked.

“It shouldn’t be!” Sketchy hollered, trying to collect his scattered thoughts.

“Did you see where he was?” Mario asked.

“He was in some room, or building, or plane, I don’t know! All I saw was some weird thing outside this big window. It looked like a huge star, like a five-pointed star!” Sketchy fought hard to try and stand up on his own, but his legs were almost like twigs, weak and wobbly.

“Poyo!” Kirby cried once he heard Sketchy describe the thing outside of Shatterhand’s window.

Mario, Link, Luigi, and Tael all looked to each other and said, “Pop Star”, in unison.

“Wait, you guys think he saw Pop Star?” Freddy turned to the other four, flabbergasted. All he received was a nod from them.

“Why’d would he be looking over Pop Star?”

“Is he going to attack?”

“Poyo!” Kirby was the loudest and arguably the most furious.

“Should we head back?”

“GUYS STOP!” Luigi’s voice echoed through the room and electricity crackled. He at least got everybody’s attention. “Okay, calm down, let’s break this down,” He picked Kirby up and held him over his head so all eyes would be on him. “Shatterhand wouldn’t just go and attack one of our homes for no reason. He left the Mushroom Kingdom, so that just proves he’s only out for us!”

“But then why is he there?” Link was worried.

“I… I don’t know, but hey, we know where he is now, so we can avoid him!”

“Poyo…” Kirby had managed to calm himself, now wearing a gloomy, saddened look.

“I’m sorry, Kirby, but we can’t go after him. He might be setting a trap.” Luigi held Kirby in front of his face, showing to the Star Warrior that he too was unsure of everyone’s safety.

“It’s possible, he did before. When Kirby, Landia, Meta Knight, and I went to check out where we thought Shatterhand was, it turned out he had just lead us there to send a message,” Link hated thinking about the remains of the parallel Cappy Town that he and Kirby visited before. Seeing that torn flag still gave him goosebumps.

“Yeah, you see, Kirby?” Luigi just got a slow nod from the pink hero.

“I think it’d be best to continue with Empyrea’s plan. Just use the Ultra Sword to find a secluded realm and meet up with her, Landia, and her four heroes,” Link mused. The others were in agreement, but Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet were surprised that things were moving so quickly.

“So we’re leaving soon?” Amy asked.

“Yes,” Link said with resolve, “Right away. If Shatterhand was able to see him,” He pointed to Sketchy, “He might be able to figure out where we are if he doesn’t already know. Something tells me he isn’t going to be happy with being spied on.”

“It was… horrifying…” Sketchy said, “That’s the guy you’re going after?!”

The crusaders simply nodded.

“Well… Then, how else can I help?”

Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet were stunned at Sketchy’s request. He truly did want to help them, huh? They’d all be lying if they said they weren’t a little proud of him.

“Listen, we are going to need you to stay here,” Link walked up to the Octoling and had to look upwards a bit. It was strange how the boy was taller than him, but that was hardly important. “You’re not a part of this, but we greatly, greatly appreciate your help. Stay here and keep things safe the best you can, alright?”

“A-Are you sure? I mean, I can fight pretty well!”

“Yeah, that is true, but I think I know what Link is getting at here,” Mario stood beside the green hero. For the first time, they shared the same wavelength. “Stay here, we’ll do our best to return and check up on you. If we need it, you can help us find where Shatterhand might be next.”

“There are plenty of people able to fight here too, so they’d be able to help if anything happens!” Crystal kept her cheery demeanor alive even while the others spoke about things so dire.

“Definitely. If they see someone like Sketchy fighting to protect everything, they’ll probably join in,” Freddy knew how the folks in Inkopolis thought. If an enemy messed with one of them, the enemy messed with all of them.

“Should I pack some things?” Violet asked without thinking.

Violet’s fellow teammates just looked at her annoyedly. They had all seen the movies where that one girl packs too much, they were not about to have that kind of problem during something like this. Violet just chuckled and made it seem like she was joking the whole time.

“Let’s not waste any more time,” Link revealed that he had already gotten on his gear, in record time as well. “We need to go,” He grabbed the hilt of the Ultra Sword and held it firmly.

It was the first time Freddy had seen Link fully decked out with his sword, shield, and item bag in hand. He looked just as valiant as Freddy could have ever imagined. Then, Mario, Luigi, and Kirby joined him. It was enough to make a fanboy shriek. In fact, the blue Inkling nearly fainted!

“C’mon, Freds, don’t pass out right now. This ain’t the time,” Amy told Freddy as she helped him keep straight.

“R-Right, sorry,” Freddy laughed nervously.

“How do we get to the roof? That should be a safe place to use this to make a portal without drawing too much attention,” Link walked over to the door and peeked outside. What signs that were hung up in the hallway didn’t help much, as he couldn’t even begin to understand the language.

“Let’s go to the elevator, it should take us up to the roof no problem,” Violet led the others out, but was the last to leave the apartment. The elevator was too small to take them all at once, so they needed to take two trips. During the first, after Link, Mario, Luigi, Tael, and Freddy piled into the box, Sketchy tapped Violet on the shoulder.

“Hey… uh…”

“No, not now, I’m not in the mood,” Violet gave Sketchy the hand.

“I just wanted to say,” Sketchy talked over Violet, “I’m not doing this for you.”

“What?” Violet didn’t face him.

“I’m doing this for everyone,” Sketchy said.

With that, the Octoling left, taking the stairs. Violet was the last to go up, thinking about what Sketchy had said the entire time. She was finally distracted by the view on the roof. The sky was hitting dusk, beautiful hues of yellow and orange flanked by the dark clouds casting shadows onto the ground. Such a tranquil horizon was something which Violet and the rest of her friends feared might be the last time they’d see for a while.

Link, with an elegant swing, slashed the air with the Ultra Sword, creating a new portal. It glimmered so brightly that it could be seen from buildings away. A rush of wind blew through the tear in space and time, making all of them wonder what was on the other side.

“Let’s do this,” Link said, stepping into the portal and heading through. The others followed, all except for Team Inkstrike.

“You guys ready?” Amy asked her friends.

“Yep!”

“I think…”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, heh!”

Amy, Crystal, Freddy, and Violet looked towards the portal and finally crossed.

Chapter Text

Oh yeah, it's all coming together. All of our main characters in one chapter! Enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 22: Modern Crusaders

“Empyrea?”

“Yes?”

“What’s all that wrapped around you, hm? Those… Those plants? With the thorns?”

“These? They are my passion.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You have your own passion, you know.”

“I do?”

“Certainly. All the righteous do…”

Shatterhand scowled as he paced around the bridge to his dreadnaught. The guards had never seen him this… troubled. Not angry, just troubled. After the unexpected experience just an hour before, the red-haired leader didn’t quite know what to make of it, nor did his second in command.

“Do you think he’s gonna snap?” whispered one of the men by the main door, leaning over to his colleague. His words were jittery and stunted a bit, clearly on edge about what might happen.

“I don’t know…” The other man was a little more composed, although both wore unsure complexions as the Captain entered, the door behind them opening with a loud hiss.

“We’ve gotten a scan of the intruder’s resonance before he vanished,” said the Captain, looking at the holographic screen that materialized from his forearm, “It seems that he wasn’t quite physically present,” he explained with a sneer, “Instead, he was tapping into some ‘third eye’, at least that’s what the boys down in research suppose.”

Shatterhand kept facing the window, staring at the surface of planet Pop Star. For a second, the gauntlet along his left hand clicked, as if he was about to use it to attack, but he only flicked a finger, second guessing before he could act. The guards let go of their breath, not even realizing they were holding it until now. All Shatterhand did was look to his left, then right, contemplating something in his head.

“There is going to be a change in plans, my friend,” Shatterhand said slowly, turning around. The Captain didn’t show any signs of fear when looking his superior in the eye, much to Shatterhand’s pleasure. “We are going on the hunt now.”

“Very well, sir, where to first?” asked the Captain, the hologram along his arm disappearing. He walked up and stood beside his leader, also looking out onto the surface below. Onto Dream Land.

“The realm we picked up on when those little pests escaped us back at the Mushroom Kingdom, it was designated ‘ADS-2017’, correct?”

“That is correct, sir.”

“There. That will be a good place to start. I suspect the group has moved on by now, off to another realm. We shall scan everywhere for clues, any traces of my Ultra Sword and its energy signature,” Shatterhand glanced at one of the many pilots below and off to the side, and they worked accordingly to his words. Gradually, the sight of Pop Star left their view, outer space facing them. Then, they were off.

For a moment, only the sounds of mechanical whirring, hums, and the clacking of keys on various keyboards filled the air. The dreadnaught tore open a portal and drifted through, heading to a new realm. The stars along the murky, black backdrop of the cosmos seemed to liquify, an effect of dimensional travel, the ship moving so fast it made light bend and smear.

Now, on the other side of the window, that familiar color show was illuminating everything. It was pleasantly quiet for a while until the Captain grew confident enough to ask something that had been on his mind for some time.

“Sir, if I may,” he began.

“Yes?” Shatterhand gave his subordinate validation, allowing him to continue.

“The next time we face those… little ‘crusaders’, may I personally handle a few of them? I wish to give my full support once we finally deal with them,” asked the Captain.

“Hm…” Shatterhand gave it some thought. “Which ones did you plan on taking on?”

“I’ve had my eye on those plumbers ever since they stopped me from vanquishing Link, particularly Luigi. I’d like to have a proper fight with him and his brother before I give the Terminian a rematch,” the Captain smirked while he spoke, having a wonderful idea on how to make the green men pay, both Luigi and Link. Shatterhand caught a glimpse of the wickedness plastered along his cohort’s face, and he himself smiled.

“Very well, I’ll allow it,” Shatterhand beamed.

“Thank you, sir,” said the Captain.

“Empyrea? Is everything alright?” Eleven had noticed the sudden worried look on the Godbird’s beak.

“Y-Yes, forgive me, I just got a chill, that’s all,” Empyrea had been taken out of a vision that he had been having for eons now. A horrible fate that she feared may befall her and her crusaders if things didn’t go as she hoped.

Eleven was suspicious of Empyrea’s explanation. He knew better than to believe that she would simply get a chill. Something was wrong, and he felt like he could guess why. If that was the reason, he didn’t blame her, as he’d be a filthy liar if he said that he wasn’t somewhat worried either. But one look at the three other people perched on the phoenix’s back gave him confidence.

Erdrick, Solo, and Eight all had their own determined glares as Empyrea and Landia emerged from their own portal into a new reality. The Godbird had a hunch that either this one or an adjacent one was where her group had ended. She felt when Link had used the Ultra Sword, but it puzzled her that it was ahead of schedule. They had been told the ‘day after tomorrow’, as that was when she and the others would be fully prepared.

“You’re overthinking,” Landia could surprisingly sense the sheer amount of worry coming from his companion’s silence. He made sure to keep quiet so that the heroes wouldn’t pick up on his telepathy with Empyrea.

“Forgive me, Landia, I’m just…” Empyrea stuttered, “I just didn’t expect Kirby and the others to leave their realm so soon. It makes me wonder if something happened, something that might have provoked the enemy…”

“We won’t know until we find them,” Landia felt a little strange talking to Empyrea like she was an old friend. They had only known each other now for a short time, yet they formed a bond that the four-headed dragon hadn’t had in a very long time. “Don’t worry, I’m sure that Kirby and the rest are alright.”

Landia secretly prayed that they were safe. Link, judging by what he saw of the man previously, wasn’t the type to make a quick, possibly brash decision. If something had happened to lead him or Kirby to use the Ultra Sword, it might not have been anything good.

“I don’t think they’re here!” Eight said once he had finished looking around the area where they appeared from.

“Come on, you barely even searched,” Erdrick scolded, “Ramia, land down there, we can search around on foot. We need to be sure before moving on.” The spiky-haired man pointed to a cliffside where the group would be able to survey the scenery better.

Once the six touched down onto the ground, the quartet of men jumped off of Empyrea’s back and each scanned in a separate cardinal direction. Their stares were as keen as a hawk, looking for any signs of the other set of travelers. While they only watched for a moment, their heightened senses told them much more than a simple glance ever could.

“Nothing,” Erdrick said when he and the other heroes met back up after a minute. The remaining three just shook their heads in disappointment, coming up with the same result.

“Empyrea, I thought you were certain that this could be one of them,” Eight turned and faced the Godbird, the others following.

“Yes, but I fear I may have been mistaken…” she said, her eyelids narrow and focused yet staring at nothing. Inwardly, she cursed herself for making a mistake, thinking she shouldn’t have been so distracted by a prospect that once seemed so out of reach.

The four men just exchanged looks.

“I know we all of something on our minds, some things that we may not want to share,” Eleven tried not to look at Solo, but failed. It was still a mystery as to why the green-haired man had been so quiet and reserved, but the Luminary hoped to figure that out with his fellow heroes later. “But you, Empyrea, are above us all. Please, tell us what’s been going on. What’s been troubling you?”

At first Empyrea turned her weary head over to Landia, silently pleading for help. Landia didn’t cooperate, knowing that this was not a place for him to speak. “Fine…” Empyrea sighed, facing the heroes once more, “It sounds foolish of a god to be so worried, but… I’m overwhelmed, to be truthful. For so long I’ve waited for this day, the day that I along with my chosen crusaders would finally put an end to Shatterhand, yet…” she trailed off.

“Yet what?” Eight and Erdrick asked.

“Yet it feels like time is no longer on our side. With Link and the others having left early and us unable to find them, I worry that Shatterhand may be closer to them than we are,” Empyrea’s head hung low, shame riddling her tired voice. The rest of the group didn’t quite know what to say, unsure how to comfort a god.

“It’s alright, at least to me,” Solo spoke up, his deeper voice almost startling. “We’re all afraid in our own ways, and I’d say you’re most terrified by destiny.”

Empyrea had no words. Even as she had foreseen destiny, a part of her did indeed shudder at the idea of the fate of her heroes in regard to their eventual confrontation with Shatterhand being out of her control. There was knowledge that was burdened to be unknown to all until it came to pass, even to the Godbird.

“Don’t feel small, Empyrea,” Landia strutted up and huffed, “Fear is something we all feel, including me. We aren’t invincible, trust me,” The dragon opened his wings to show some of the badges of honor across his body that he had received from battles eons ago.

“But I… I’m supposed to be…” Empyrea again didn’t finish her thought, but it didn’t really matter. They understood.

Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven didn’t know what to do, what to say, anything. How could they comfort a god going through a crisis? They didn’t know if Empyrea was truly mortal or not, she was ageless, after all. Futility scorched their eyes and tore away their determination, paving it down and making way for uncertainty.

“Ugh, let’s not waste any more time,” Landia shook his head, “Empyrea, if you can’t break away from this feeling, then we’ll prove that we can tame destiny. We’ll get time back on our side if it isn’t already,” He wasn’t the greatest at pep talks, but he tried.

“Hm, ‘tame’ destiny?” Solo mused to himself, almost humorously. After the things he had been through, he considered destiny to be against him until Empyrea and the others came and swooped him away from all the pain.

“I think the dragon is right,” Solo commented aloud, “Let’s tame our destiny.”

Erdrick, Eight, and Eleven smiled at Solo’s optimism.

Link opened his eyes to see a dusty, clouded sky, yellowish like a desert and flowing rapidly from the wind that rushed past him and through the portal. He took in the scene as the rest of his companions entered from the opening in space. The land was arid, dry, but mountainy and cool. Sunlight lit up the clouds above, but didn’t break through and touch the ground, giving the area a dull, almost shadow-like appearance.

“What is this place?” Mario asked once his eyes adjusted to the new light.

“I don’t know, but it’s remote,” Link said.

“That’s good, right?” Tael flew up as high as he could and looked around. All he could see was more desert, but without the sand. The rock was a dark beige, almost brown, like a lake in the middle of a drought.

“I’m not sure, it might be too dry for our friends,” Link warned as Team Inkstrike finally joined them. Of what little he knew about squids, they might not be compatible with this sort of dry, barren environment.

“Woah-ho… Jeez, this is…” Amy instinctively coughed, the air lacking the same humidity as Inkopolis. It instantly made her and her fellow Inklings and Octoling yearn for a drink.

“Augh… This already isn’t great,” Freddy wheezed, the wind blowing particles small enough to mess with the filter on his mask. He didn’t take it off, though, choosing to just deal with it and adapt.

“You guys alright?” Luigi asked.

“Gah… It feels like I just got knocked onto my ass… And I don’t even have any reception!” Violet complained, holding her phone up into the air and waving it around.

“Uh… Here, wait!” Crystal looked around for a spot on the ground that was flat and free of cracks and pulled out her Octobrush. She swatted at her feet, covering the area with her ink before resting in it, sighing contently. “Ah, that’s better.”

The rest of the team did the same, regaining some moisture in their bodies and getting back on their feet in no time. It was funny that just a little bit of their ink could be reabsorbed to refill their entire tanks, but who would try and argue against something that would give them an advantage?

Once all of Team Inkstrike were back to normal, they left the ink and found themselves better resisting the dry environment.

“So, what’s our plan, Link? What do we do?” Mario tipped his cap so that the brim would shield his eyes from some of the sand as he tried to look around. The trick didn’t help either him or Luigi, the two giving up after just a few tries. It’d be impossible to get a feel for the wasteland if they couldn’t see.

“Link?” Luigi called out.

Link was standing atop a rock structure that had been situated nearby, scanning the surrounding land without any protection along his face. His time trudging through Gerudo Desert, during both his original quest through Hyrule and when he returned when only sixteen alongside his friends, gave him a bit of an edge when it came to places harsh on the eyes.

Mario jumped up and stood next to Link on top of the rocks, arm raised so cover his face from the wind. “What is it?” he asked.

“There’s nothing. Nothing at all,” Link sounded cross, and Mario could just barely see a light scowl donned on the Terminian’s mouth. “First place we go to, and it’s just a desert, as far as I can tell,” He practically growled, “Tch, what a waste…” Then he turned around and leapt off the rocks, rolling out onto the ground and walking back to the group.

“Woah, hey,” Mario jumped down to follow Link. When he caught up, he put his hand on Link’s shoulder. “You alright? I didn’t think that the place was that bad.”

“It’s not that, I just…” Link still wore his frown, “I just feel like something’s wrong. Off. Not right.”

“Poyo?” Kirby puffed up and floated into the air, meeting Link at eye level.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have left so early, but… what if…” Link mumbled, feeling his wedding ring as his mind wandered.

“Mmm… Poyo poy,” Kirby consoled Link, flying up and setting himself down on the hero’s head, using his paws to rub his aching temples. It helped a little, relaxing Link enough to let him take a deep breath.

“Hey Weege,” Mario whispered, “What’d Kirby say?” It annoyed the red plumber that he still couldn’t understand Kirby, but he hoped to one day figure it out.

“He just said not to worry,” Luigi retorted.

“Hm, good advice, I guess,” Mario replied. It was something that all of them could do to rest their singed nerves. They hadn’t even encountered any danger, yet they all held this unspoken fear of what may happen next.

By the time an hour had passed, the group noticed that it must’ve been transitioning to night where they had landed. The wind was dying down, the clouds were darkening, and a serene silence blanketed the world. Now that the dust storm had dissipated, the clouds finally parted, giving the crusaders a glimpse at the fresh night sky, stars spangled across the pitch-black backdrop. It wasn’t much of a view, but it was beautiful regardless.

Taking refuge within a depression surrounded by rocks, the team settled in. There was even a large structure that hung over them, protecting them. Link, using one of the many fire arrows that he hadn’t found use of yet, started a camp. He was glad that they worked since the air was starting to grow chilly. Thankfully, the powerful flames provided a good amount of warmth without the need for wood to feed it.

“Y’know, it’s kinda nice here! It’s quiet, calm, and I can focus enough to still play my games!” Freddy reached into his bag and pulled out his Switch, smiling wide as he powered it on.

“Why did you bring that?” Violet asked annoyedly.

“Because I get bored easily! Why did you bring a palette of your makeup, huh?” Freddy pointed tauntingly to Violet’s bag, where a stick of lip balm was poking out from an opening in the zipper.

“Cuz a girl has gotta look her best if she’s gonna help save the multiverse!” Violet defended herself by unzipping her bag and showing off all of the cosmetics she had packed. Amy and Crystal just rolled their eyes. “Not like any of you are looking as nice as me!”

As Freddy and Violet playfully argued the semantics of what they had packed, Luigi stood guard while his brother and Link rested. With his arms crossed and a light breeze flowing through his unkempt moustache, he shockingly felt proud being there, watching over the now cleared-up land.

“Poy… Poyo poyo…” Kirby waddled up and laid down on his stomach, deciding to keep watch with Luigi. It’s not like he had anything better to do with his time. He had been napping a large part of the day, so he had a lot of energy where the others didn’t.

“What’s up, Kirby?” Luigi looked down at the pink puffball.

“Poyo!” Kirby rolled over to see the green man.

“Yeah, I’m not all that tired either. It’s weird, ‘cuz Mario and I always have this pattern,” Luigi chuckled to himself as he turned his gaze back to the barren plains, “Whenever we’re out on a mission, like to face Bowser or whatever, once night comes, one of us is up and at it, the other is takin’ a snooze.”

Kirby just giggled, causing Luigi to do the same.

“I think it’s what Daisy always talked about, the ‘twin power’ that she said we have,” Luigi smirked, but then his smile slowly faded. He just now realized that, after five days of being away from his home realm, he had never got to say goodbye to Daisy. He didn’t even know if she was aware of the whole matter of Shatterhand. If Peach didn’t tell her, which he hoped she did, then Daisy could be in the dark about the attack on the Mushroom Kingdom.

“Poyo?” Kirby had noticed Luigi’s silence and sat up.

“O-Oh, I’m alright, sorry. Just… thinking,” Luigi struggled through his sentence. Now, he couldn’t even try to smile because he knew it’d look forced.

Some time passed with nothing to report. Team Inkstrike fell asleep surrounding the still-burning fire arrow, comfortable and cozy. Mario had woken up in the middle of the night and taken Luigi’s place keeping watch, with some help from the wide-awake Kirby.

However, slowly, things somehow became fuzzy. Even though Mario and Kirby were fully rested, they found themselves fighting to stay awake. The last thing Mario saw of the sky, there wasn’t any sign of dawn coming. He snorted, trying to keep his eyes open. He slapped his cheek, made flames from his hand, rolled up his sleeve, and burned his arm, whatever he could, but nothing really worked. He and the Star Warrior fell asleep just like the rest of the group.

An explosion knocked Mario wide awake. It went off right across from him and sent him flying. He landed on the now extinguished fire arrow, startling everyone else out of their sleep.

“WAH?! What the-?!” Violet screamed as Mario’s hat hit her in the face by accident.

Another explosion rocked the camp, making sure the other crusaders were up and alert. Kirby narrowly dodged one more as he dived into Link’s lap and away from the sunlight.

“Mario! What’s going on?!” Luigi called out to his brother.

“AAHH HA OW!! M-My back…” groaned the plumber, slowly rolling off of the fire arrow and rubbing his behind. The crimson gem didn’t break his fall, the rock stuck to his shirt, lodged in between one of his vertebrae. He pulled it out and grimaced, his entire spine tingling like it was on fire.

One last explosion caught everyone’s attention, and they quieted down. From what they could see, the clouds that perpetually obscured the sky were gone, but there was still a raging gust of wind flowing, except now it was in the opposite direction. Most noticeably, there was a large, lumbering shadow that covered the rocks making up the camp.

Link, Mario, Luigi, Kirby, and Tael all looked at each other with worry. Without even needing to see the source of the shadow, they knew what it was. Dread wrapped its cold fingers around their backs and sent a chill down every one of their spines.

“What’s happening?” Crystal yelled in a panic.

“It’s him,” Link said, looking terrified, “He found us.”

As if on cue, the sound of the dreadnaught proved their suspicions. It was like the blaring horn of a ship, only it made the eardrums of all who heard it almost burst. High up in the sky, the ship prepared to deliver its payload of drones, as it did before, but the little machines never came. Instead, a pod flew out of the starboard side, soaring down towards the ground.

Link, Mario, Luigi, Kirby, Tael, and Team Inkstrike slowly walked out into the open, ready to face whatever the Archfiend of Reality had for them. The ones familiar with Shatterhand’s dreadnaught were confused. What was that pod heading towards them?

The strangeness of the situation only multiplied, as the dreadnaught started to ascend out of view. It left the sky, letting the pod take center stage as it neared the crusaders. Once it got close, just four meters off the ground and about thirty away from the group of warriors, it split.

The top of the pod opened like a clamshell, unveiling Shatterhand and his men. Over two dozen of them. It wasn’t the same group of goons as before, though, because now they wore padded armor, made of a mesh, sponge-like material. Amy instantly knew that the armor the men wore was designed to absorb ink, because it was just like suit upgrades that she could find back in Octo Canyon.

A few of them wielded swords and shields, some held blasters that looked similar to the Amy’s Dualies. They appeared to be hand-picked to match each of the heroes evenly.

“I was right to assume that you had gotten these… creatures to join your little adventure, Link!” Shatterhand called out. Link grabbed the hilt of his sword and brandished it tightly, already imagining what he could do if anyone got too close.

“So this is Shatterhand…” Freddy muttered, his own hands trembling, struggling to hold his E-Liter steady.

“Hm, I was never a fan of squids or octopi, they were quite a nuisance during my own adventures…” Shatterhand strode in front of his men, approaching the heroes at a scarily brisk pace.

“His own adventures? Wha- What’s he talking about?” Freddy leaned over and asked Mario, but the only response he got was a shrug.

“I have to know, which one of you was the one that was spying on me? I need to at least congratulate him on the effort,” Shatterhand looked at the Inklings and Octoling, but none of them matched up with what he remembered the intruder had looked like.

“Pretty stupid to assume he’s with us, you big, freckled weirdo,” Violet commented, her tone snarky.

Shatterhand’s eyes widened, and his grin disappeared beneath his moustache. Without a word, he lifted up his good hand and flicked it, letting the yo-yo that was concealed within his sleeve come out into his hand with a quick ‘shhkk!’. Behind him, his men murmured amongst themselves, wondering why their leader was going against their initial plan.

The crusaders tensed up as Shatterhand stared them down with a malice that was unmatched. He was about to fling his arm forward and let his yo-yo loose but stopped at the last minute. “No, I refuse to let a child goad me,” Shatterhand said to himself, “A squid, no less! A meaningless animal!”

“Men!” Shatterhand stepped back and put away his weapon. Then, with his other hand, he pointed to the group opposing him with the Dark Matter gauntlet, “End them,” he ordered, his words smooth and decisive.

The soldiers jumped from the pod’s platform and charged, running past Shatterhand as he retreated. His shrill, haunting cackle echoed through the valley as the pod flew up and hovered in the air, observing the battle that started to unfold.

Link was the first to meet the new group of goons, using the Gilded Sword to quickly cut one in the chest before kicking him away. Then his blade met with another, and he was suddenly occupied with defending himself from three separate swordsmen coming at him.

Mario cupped his hands in front of his torso and bent down, nodding towards his brother. Luigi, wasting no time, jumped, and put one foot into Mario’s hands, letting the red plumber lift him into the air.

“Yea-hey!” Luigi exclaimed as he clapped his hands together. When they parted, strands of electricity crackled between his fingers and enveloped his palms.

Aiming for the area away from Link, the moment Luigi landed, he slammed his opened hands onto the ground, letting lightning surge through the stone and zap the incoming group of enemies. Luckily, Luigi was far enough away from Link to help take care of one of the soldiers attacking without electrocuting the Terminian as well.

“Thanks!” Link said, smiling when he got the chance.

“Poyo!” Kirby chirped before sucking up the blaster that the man closest to him had. Swallowing, Kirby jumped up into the air and obtained the Plasma Ability.

“Yeah! Look at them! They’re SO COOL!” Freddy forgot that he was in a battle for a moment, admiring all of his heroes as they fought.

“Focus!” Amy shouted at her blue friend, “We aren’t here just to watch, remember?” she inked her surroundings whilst berating Freddy.

“R-Right, sorry! Just got a ‘lil excited!” Freddy chuckled nervously and ran back towards camp. Finding suitable cover, he laid on his stomach and propped up his E-Liter. Closing one eye, he peered into the scope and waited, aiming carefully.

Violet wasn’t really fighting with her Undercover Brella. Instead, she had her phone out, snapping a picture of herself posing with a trio of goons approaching. Freddy noticed her surprising confidence and instantly knew what she was doing. Adjusting his sights, he targeted the biggest of the men and fired.

‘BANG!!!’ A direct hit. The soldier was sent tumbling into his companions, and they all toppled over, covered in ink.

“Woohoo! Way to go, Freds!” Violet put her phone away and cheered for her friend.

Freddy was about to say, ‘thank you’, when he saw the men getting up. To his horror, they didn’t get splatted as he expected. Because they weren’t Inklings, the ink covering their bodies was more of an annoyance than anything else.

“Violet, watch out!” Freddy yelled, standing up from his spot in a panic.

“Huh?” Violet turned around, and just before the goons could get their hands on her, Crystal appeared from the ink splattered across the ground for a surprise attack.

“Veemo!” Crystal squeaked as she hit all three men with her Octobrush, knocking them away. Amy was ready right where they landed and inked them further, incapacitating them for a time.

“Haha, great job, guys!” Violet congratulated her team for the effort to protect her. Every time something like that happened, she secretly felt the most respected ever, even more than when a desperate boy wanted to date her.

Across the battlefield, Link managed to take down one of the men coming after him, staining blood along the blade of the Gilded Sword. He hated the need to kill, but it was either his life or theirs, and he was determined to see his wife again after all this. The Mirror Shield vibrated at the sudden impact of another sword, and the Hero of Termina countered with a swift bashing of the skull with the hilt of his weapon.

Mario and Luigi stayed together, firing off their abilities in a pattern. With their backs against each other, the whirlwind of fire and lightning kept every soldier coming towards them at bay.

“Poyo!” Kirby narrow dodged a shot from another blaster. He retrieved his Warp Star and was about to hop into it when it was hit by a bolt of plasma, sending it spiraling like a spinning top away from the Star Warrior. “Wha?!”

“Bro, Kirby needs some help!” Luigi pointed out Kirby’s predicament.

“Go! I’ve-a got this!” Mario said confidently, a bit of his Italian accent coming out as more flames appeared around his fingers. He unleashed the burning passion from his heart onto the enemy, the heat so strong it could melt steel. In fact, it did, as the swords of some of the soldiers caught in the blast started to drip.

Luigi broke off from his brother and ran over to Kirby. Thinking quickly, as Kirby was struck with the blunt of a shield from one of the goons, the green man put his hands together and charged some lightning.

“Poyo!” Kirby landed before Luigi.

‘Hit me’, Kirby had said.

Luigi did as he was told, taking the electricity that was originally meant to take care of some of the soldiers and blasted Kirby with it. The green aura surrounding the pink puffball was strengthened, the Plasma Ability absorbing the lightning and giving the little hero the edge he needed.

Now normally, when Kirby scuttled around with the Plasma Ability, he built up a charge that could grow powerful enough to light up Cappy Town for a week. With Luigi’s help, said charge outgrew what it could be before. Wave Energy moved independently, flowing out of Kirby’s paws and taking down the soldiers with ease. It was so bright that even Shatterhand, from the pod high up above, had to avert his eyes.

“Poy! Poyo!” Kirby smiled. To be completely honest, he had no clue if his plan would’ve worked or not.

“Bang bang!” Luigi made a pair of finger-guns and pointed them at the defeated men, smirking.

“Sir,” the Captain appeared on Shatterhand’s intercom, having seen the entire battle from the dreadnaught. With a slightly concerned tone, he said, “It seems that they are very much capable of handling this. Should I assist you?”

“No, no, that won’t be necessary at the moment. Just send the drones, I assure you that this is not our final confrontation with these pests,” Shatterhand replied, opening the pod, and gazing down at the ensuing fight below with his own eyes.

“Very well, sir,” the Captain signed off, and just a moment later, hundreds of drones emerged from the clouds, soaring towards the ground, weapons aimed at the crusaders.

Tapping his feet, the pod drifted down. Shatterhand leapt off of the platform and landed in a clearing, joining his drones as they started to fire, smirking. He started running, his cape fluttering in the wind, with the Dark Matter gauntlet sparkling its usual, dark hue. He used his other arm and grabbed onto some of the exposed machinery of a drone flying by, taking it for a ride straight into the center of the battle.

“Oh shit,” Link finally noticed the drones and readied his shield. He expected to be met with a blast from one of the guns, but when they only roared past him, he lowered his defenses for a moment, confused.

Then, the ground in front of Link rumbled, Shatterhand letting go of his ride and touching back down on the ground.

“You,” Shatterhand hissed, “You’re mine.”

“You son of a bitch…” Link whispered as he threw his arm into the air, bringing the blade of the Gilded Sword down onto Shatterhand.

With the stolen Galaxia in hand, Shatterhand parried the blow, smirking as he locked eyes with Link. He cackled once again and shoved himself against his foe, getting the pressure of the Gilded Sword off him and swinging his own weapon.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Shatterhand snarled, using his gauntlet to imbue Galaxia with Dark Matter, corrupting the once proud sword.

The darkness made Link’s arm quake, and he had to get away. Kicking Shatterhand in the leg, he jumped back and reached into his bag to find a light arrow. Gripping it by the shaft, he held it alongside the hilt of the Gilded Sword, powering it up. He figured since the trick with the light arrows worked against Bellum all those years ago, it’d be worth a try against another form of that same dark energy.

When the two swords crossed each other again, Shatterhand was jolted with the power of the light, his gauntlet weakening just temporarily. Assurance filled Link’s soul and he bashed the fiend with the Mirror Shield and then struck Galaxia again with his sword.

Freddy was struggling to keep up with the drone’s impeccable speed. He was always meticulous with his shots, the E-Liter fully charged every time he fired. However, it wasn’t enough. The drones were coming faster than he could take them down, and only when they were just a few meters away did he realize he was in trouble.

“Uh oh,” Freddy lifted his head away from the sniper scope and gulped.

“Gotcha!” Violet came out of nowhere with her Brella and fired at the incoming drone, covering its large, glass eye with ink and causing it to crash.

“Heh, thanks, Vi!” Freddy gave Violet a thumbs up.

“Don’t mention it, I had a feeling you weren’t gonna see that you were cornered ‘till it was too late,” said the purple Inkling, almost mockingly. “I’ve always got to save your ass!”

Meanwhile, Mario wasn’t having much luck with hitting the drones whizzing by. His fireballs moved slowly in the air, too slow to hit any of their targets, even with the most careful of planning.

“Here, Mario, we’ve got this!” Amy called over to the plumber, Crystal right beside her. The two ladies looked at each other and smiled.

Crystal held up her Octobrush and Amy jumped up, going into her squid form. Swatting Amy as hard as she possibly could, Crystal sent her girlfriend flying into the air, high above Mario. There, she shifted back into her normal shape and took down all the drones that were in range, her Dualies moving so fast it was like she was experiencing everything else slowing down.

By the time Amy touched the ground, it was raining machinery. Either the drones had been blinded and crashed into each other, or they collided with the surrounding rocks after their thrusters had been rendered useless by the ink.

“Booyah!” Amy said, pumping her fist up as the drones around her exploded. Crystal just stared lovingly at her partner, making Mario put on a wide, adoring smile at his friends.

But then, that familiar metal wire spun itself around Amy’s body and trapped her, just as it did with Mario back in the Mushroom Kingdom. The red plumber’s face was filled with dread while Amy was dragged away, Shatterhand using her to distract Link.

“AMY!” Crystal, Freddy, and Violet screamed, jumping into action.

“Come on, Link, hit me!” Shatterhand boasted, holding the wire with Amy wrapped in it just in front of him. He grinned, knowing Link wouldn’t dare risk it.

“Do it, Link! I can take it!” Amy didn’t care if she got hurt, she’d do anything to make sure Shatterhand was struck down. She overlooked the cuts she was already getting from the wire digging into her skin.

Link, for a second, lowered his sword and shield, thinking about what angle he could swing from to hopefully avoid cutting Amy while still doing good damage to Shatterhand. From below and to the left was an option, as it was only Amy’s shoes dangling in front of Shatterhand’s stomach.

“TOO SLOW!!” Shatterhand roared, blasting Link with a surge of Dark Matter point blank. The blob-like shadow hit the hero in the chest and sent him across the battlefield, landing in a heap with smoke rising from his body.

“No, Link!” Tael rushed over to his friend and looked at his face. He was completely unconscious.

“Come on, you!” Freddy, while running, aimed his weapon at Shatterhand’s face. It didn’t matter if he didn’t have a clear shot, his own anger was visible in his eyes, even from under his mask. He finally pulled the trigger, and at that moment, Shatterhand’s eyes darted over to the Inkling.

“Squids,” Shatterhand scoffed, lifting up his other arm. His armor shifted around his body and gathered around his limb, forming a shield that protected him from the bolt of ink flying at his face. Relaxing his wrist, the wire around Amy loosened, and flicking the yo-yo up, Shatterhand sent it to Freddy.

“GAH!” Freddy gasped as the yo-yo coiled around his head, covering his eyepieces.

“Let’s see what’s under that mask of yours…” Shatterhand smiled as he yanked the yo-yo, pulling Freddy towards him.

Once the boy was close enough, Shatterhand wrapped his good hand around Freddy’s neck, letting his yo-yo return to him. Then, slowly, and methodically, Shatterhand put his gauntlet around the gas mask and started to pull it away from the blue Inkling’s face.

“N-No!” Freddy wheezed, fighting to breathe while his throat was constricted. He gripped the Dark Matter gauntlet, trying to get Shatterhand to free his grip, but nothing worked.

“Uh, s-sir?” The Captain’s voice interrupted on the commlink in Shatterhand’s ear.

“What?!” Shatterhand snapped.

“Something just entered the atmosphere!” the Captain worded frantically.

Shatterhand looked up and saw the overhead clouds be cut in two, as if they were sliced in half by a gargantuan blade. The sky revealed the dreadnaught, flames erupting along its hull. From behind the ship, a four-headed dragon flew by, spouting fire from each of its mouths.

“What the hell?!”

“At last,” A motherly voice echoed, “We’ve found them!”

Empyrea, her four heroes riding on her back, cut across the horizon, taking down every drone that tried to follow. The majestic Godbird caught Shatterhand by surprise, and he let go of Freddy, the mask snapping back onto the Inkling’s face roughly.

“So that…” Shatterhand backed away, hiding his newfound fear, “That’s who has been helping Link and his pitiful little band of misfits!”

“Hey Freddy, you alright?” Luigi was first to come to Freddy’s aid, followed by Amy, Crystal, and Violet. Kirby, Mario, and Tael were over by Link, helping him stand after he finally woke up.

“Y-Yeah, I’m alright,” Freddy’s voice was shaky. Shatterhand, meanwhile, pointed at the gathered heroes and commanded his drones to fire.

Before their weapons could even get hot, Empyrea swooped down and landed before the group, using her wings to shield them from the drones’ fire. The shots did practically nothing to her feathers, bouncing off them like they were pins falling against a sheet of metal.

“Come on!” A voice called out. From Emyprea’s back, Erdrick jumped up, his fellow magic wielders right behind him. The four all called upon the same spell, Sizzle, and blasted away the drones effortlessly in a fiery explosion. Once they landed, the heroes held up their shields defensively, challenging the last remaining enemy, Shatterhand.

The Archfiend’s only response was to growl, the pod flying down and picking him up away. To the heroes, Shatterhand was fleeing back to the dreadnaught like a coward as the ship tried to handle Landia’s assault. He escaped without words, no call for a rematch, no curses to any of the new arrivals halting his plans, nothing.

As soon as Empyrea, Landia, and the others appeared, the enemy retreated. The dreadnaught warded off the red dragon’s attacks and summoned a portal, flying through and out of this dimension.

“You better run, bastard,” Landia thought to himself, satisfied.

“Is everyone alright?” Empyrea asked when things calmed down. Immediately, she noticed Link was injured, and gestured towards him, Mario, Kirby, and Tael. Her four men acted accordingly, going over to help.

“His tunic is a little burned and he’s a little bruised,” Mario explained.

“Poyo!” Kirby added.

“But I’m fine,” Link finished.

“Here, I’ve got this,” Eight volunteered himself to use some magic to help heal his new ally. Focusing, a light-green energy flowed from his hands to Link, soothing the Terminian’s battered body. “The name’s ‘Eight’, by the way,” he said, offering his hand for Link to shake.

“Thanks,” Link replied, wasting no time in greeting the hero. “So, you’re the four that we saw back in the dream, huh?”

“Yep,” Eight clarified with a smile. Solo followed up with a nod, as did Eleven and Erdrick.

Empyrea took a step back and gazed with awe at the group. “My goodness, the day I’ve waited for so long, it’s finally here.”

Everybody looked at the phoenix with curiosity.

“My chosen crusaders, fully assembled,” Empyrea proclaimed, pride emanating from her voice. She raised her wings into the air and cawed majestically, a cry of joy. For her, this would be a day long remembered.

Chapter Text

Hope you guys know your old-timey words. I put the definition in the tweet I made about this chapter's release, but I know not everyone follows me on Twitter. Anyways, enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 23: Anagnorisis

Empyrea looked at Team Inkstrike with confusion. If she remembered correctly, only Amy and Crystal were chosen to be a part of this group. It brought up the question, why were the other two here? Empyrea couldn’t even recall their names even though she had considered them at one point to be a part of her crusaders.

“B-But Miss! They’re a part of our team, our friends! We can’t do this without them!” Crystal pleaded with Empyrea to change her mind.

“I’m sorry, Crystal, but I cannot in good conscience let them join this endeavor. While they would give us an advantage, they have no stake in this, and I wish to keep it that way,” Empyrea explained. She glanced over at Freddy and Violet, and their response was to look away. This was one of the rare times Violet felt completely inferior, although for Freddy, the sensation was normal.

“Bah, you’re just like the others before Mario happened to see what we can do together! What, do they need to prove themselves as well?!” Unlike Crystal, Amy chose to let out her anger, arguing with the ancient Godbird. She didn’t even care that she hadn’t gotten her cuts looked at yet, the pain could wait.

“Didn’t we already do plenty earlier? We helped fight off those goons easily!” Violet snapped at the phoenix.

“Yes, but then Freddy was the first to get closest to Shatterhand, and he was nearly killed when that fiend got his hands on the boy,” Empyrea tilted her head towards the blue Inkling, thinking about the mask he wore and how Shatterhand almost revealed the teen’s face. She knew what Freddy hid and respected it, but if Shatterhand was even the slightest curious, that put him in the most danger.

“If I may-” Freddy went to speak.

“Shush, Freds, I’ve got this,” Violet put her hand on Freddy’s shoulder, silencing him for a second. “Listen, you baby-blue, overgrown turkey!” Empyrea shuffled backwards, never having heard such a strange insult, “If we’re not supposed to be a part of this, then why are we even here? Shouldn’t fate have construed some elaborate reason to keep us home?”

“Hey, Vi, I know Link and I talked about fate a bunch before, but I don’t think that’s how that works,” Mario butted into the conversation and received a dirty look because of it. In his defense, it was a little hard not to eavesdrop.

“Violet, your spunky, condescending words are precisely why you specifically are in danger!” Empyrea rose her voice, shocking even Landia, “Provoking Shatterhand is not a wise decision!”

“Now wait, hang on-” Freddy again tried to give his own input.

“Not now, Freddy, I need to show this ocean-colored chicken who’s boss!” Violet clenched her fists and cracked her knuckles. Empyrea just raised an eyebrow, thinking that such a gesture was humorous more than threatening.

“Violet, stop it, this is stupid!” Even Amy, as cross as she was, knew Violet was in over her head.

“The only stupid thing here is this ‘god’!” Violet said that last word sarcastically, “Thinking she can boss us around like all the other teams back home that look down on us.”

“GUYS, SHUT UP!! I think I might be able to figure out who Shatterhand is!” Freddy, even with his mask that slightly muffled his voice, was heard loud and clear. Everyone, including Link who was still being healed by the heroes a couple of meters away, looked up at Freddy with astonishment.

“What…” Empyrea said softly, think she misheard. Her eyes widened, as did the others, and they all looked at the blue Inkling. “What did you just say?”

“I might be able to figure out his identity!” Freddy repeated, before stepping in between Violet and Empyrea to halt their argument. “It’s been on my mind for a while, and with everything Link and the others have told us, the details we know, and what I saw when we were fighting earlier, I could maybe learn who he is.”

Empyrea blinked, completely flabbergasted.

“Explain further if you can. I myself have been puzzled on who he is for years now, ever since I first sensed his tampering with the realms and when he started killing variants of these heroes,” Empyrea looked over at Mario, Luigi, Link, and Kirby.

“Okay, okay,” Freddy talked a bit with his hands, ensuring that he had everyone’s attention, “This Shatterhand, you said he goes after variants of those guys, right?” Freddy pointed to Mario, Luigi, and the rest, “People from video games!” Then he pulled out his Switch, “Empyrea, do you know if he goes after any other beings that aren’t related to them?”

“Well… There are a few,” Empyrea pondered the question. She thought about all the targets she was aware of, every single one she managed to find while she was still unable to act. “I remember… A blue hedgehog, a bipedal bobcat with a shirt, a robot able to use the powers of its foes, some creature known as a ‘bandicoot’, and a purple dragon…”

Freddy put his hand to his chin and thought for a minute. A few of the targets Empyrea explained were easy to discern. “Sonic, Mega Man, Crash, and…” He paced around, making Violet smile. She knew he was in the zone. “Oh! Spyro and Bubsy! Yeah! All characters from video games!”

“Boy,” Landia huffed, all four of his heads locked on the blue boy, “Are you saying there is a connection between him and his targets?” He asked as he approached Freddy.

“I think so! I mean, if all his targets are from video games, then maybe he’s from a video game too!” Freddy exclaimed, almost giddy at the fact that he was being useful. “The only question is… which one? I don’t know every single game, but I’ve played a lot!”

“Freddy,” Link chose to enter the discussion. Slowly, he stood up, holding his still injured chest, and walked over to join the Inkling, “Do you think you could figure out who Shatterhand is by using your Switch?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m positive!” Freddy smiled, feeling the most humbled he ever had in his life now that a lot was resting on him. He turned on his Switch and went to a certain application, explaining, “When he was trying to take off my mask, I got a good look at his face! He looked a little familiar, but I’m gonna need some time to look around my games and see if something clicks.”

Instinctively, everybody turned to Empyrea. Now it was time to put some pressure on her for a change. Team Inkstrike looked at the Godbird with pleading eyes, and eventually, the phoenix came up with a compromise.

“Freddy, Violet, I will promise you this,” Empyrea beckoned the two Inklings over. Once they approached, she knelt down, “If you two can work together to figure out who Shatterhand is, I will not send you home this instant. You two are in danger, but if we fail to defeat Shatterhand, then you and everyone else we’ve met,” she looked at Kirby, knowing Meta Knight, Landia, and all of Dream Land would come calling if something happened to him, “You will be our last chance to finish that monster.”

“So you still won’t let us join, huh?” Violet’s tone was snarky as she crossed her arms.

“Vi, this is our chance to help, maybe in a way better than facing this guy directly!” This time, Freddy put his hand on Violet’s shoulder, “You, me, Sketchy, and whoever else Empyrea is talking about will be the last line of defense. This isn’t just about beating Shatterhand, it’s about protecting our homes. Protecting everybody.”

Violet rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. She stared at the ground for a time, thinking about home. Then she thought about everybody’s homes, even the ones she didn’t know. If Link was the great man she thought he was, then his home was worth fighting for, along with everyone else’s.

“Fine,” Violet groaned, “Let’s do it. Freddy!” She turned to face her friend, “Time to be your nerdy self, ‘cuz I’m helping!”

Freddy beamed from ear to ear. “Hah!! I knew you’d come around to this stuff! Maybe after this I can finally show you Squidka and why I love it so-”

“Don’t,” Violet put her hand across Freddy’s mask, covering the mouthpiece, “Don’t ruin this moment.”

Hours later, Link was busy showing Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven the mechanics of the Ultra Sword. He slashed the air furiously, creating another portal which he stepped into, and then backed out.

“From what Kirby and I know, thinking about whatever place you want to go to, whether it’s somewhere you know or just desirable details, that helps,” Link said as the portal behind him closed. He let Erdrick, the most senior of the four men, give it a try.

Erdrick closed his eyes and focused. He thought about home, and in an instant, he swung the Ultra Sword. It cleaved the air gracefully, and in the wake of the blade ripped another star-shaped portal. When he opened his eyes again, he stepped through without hesitation to get a peek.

“Woah…” Erdrick, poking his head out of the other side, saw home. The portal was situated on the cliff that oversaw the island that held Dreamer’s Tower. Satisfied after only a minute, he retreated back through the portal.

“Yep, it works,” he said as the portal closed, giving the Ultra Sword back to Link.

“I wonder,” Solo narrowed his eyes and looked at Link, “Why show us how to use this sword? Wouldn’t the others knowing be sufficient?”

“Well, I could tell you all were good swordsmen,” Link smiled at the four, “Mario, Luigi, and those teens, while strong, aren’t used to swords like me or Kirby.”

“Hm, you’re quite perceptive then. You didn’t even get a good look at us before you offered to show us,” Solo mused, cracking a slight smile. Erdrick then offered him a chance to use the Ultra Sword, but after thinking about where he wanted to go, Solo kindly refused.

“Thank you,” said Link.

“May I?” Eleven reached out for the sword.

“Of course,” Link gladly gave the Ultra Sword to the Luminary. Once the blade proved itself to the hero, he returned it to the blonde man in green. He was glad to get acquainted with the four, but he wondered how they might get along with the others.

Meanwhile, half of Team Inkstrike was busy recollecting themselves, the other hovering above the game console, searching through the archives of many, many titles to discover the identity of the enemy.

“Ah! Ouch!” Amy seethed, her cuts burning, as Crystal tended to them.

“S-Sorry, I’m sorry!” Crystal whimpered, unused to playing the part of nurse.

“It’s okay, just… stings!” Amy writhed around at the slightest touch, holding back her discomfort best she could. Shatterhand’s yo-yo had dug deep into her skin, nearly hitting the bone, and it showed. Long, horrible gashes along her arms made her partner feel queasy.

“You guys should ask those four men to help,” Mario said, walking past Amy and Crystal, “They healed up Link pretty good, they’ll probably do the same for you.”

“I don’t wanna be a bother, though…” Amy looked away.

“Hey, listen. All that,” Mario pointed to all of Amy, “Don’t do that. I know you worry about bothering people, both of you, but now isn’t the time to protect your pride.”

“He’s right, Amy,” Crystal looked at her girlfriend, “We can’t afford to let you remain hurt just because you don’t wanna bother others. It’s not healthy.”

“Ugh, fine, I’ll ask…” Amy slowly stood up and started hobbling over to where those men were. She knew Link was busy showing them the Ultra Sword, if she was lucky, they’d still be busy. As she passed Freddy and Violet, still hunched over, staring at the Switch, she pointed to them and asked, “You guys find anything yet?”

“Not yet!” Freddy said, keeping his eyes on his console, “It might take a little while, I gotta be sure that we get it right!” The masked Inkling was running through all he remembered about Shatterhand’s appearance and seeing if anything he saw on his system matched. Red, ginger hair that swooped to the right, his right, freckles, a yo-yo, everything. It all mattered.

“Okay…” Amy continued to slowly limp away.

As Amy found Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and the rest, Crystal watched from a distance, holding her hands together by her chest. It warmed her heart to see the heroes presumably agree to heal her girlfriend, but a part of herself couldn’t smile.

“You alright, kid?” Mario easily noticed the anxious look plaguing Crystal’s normally plucky face.

“No…” Crystal’s tone was as cold as flint, though she didn’t mean it.

“Wow, and I was gonna tell ya to be honest…” Mario said under his breath before continuing, “What’s wrong, hm?”

“It’s… everything,” Crystal whispered.

“It’s what?” Mario didn’t quite hear her.

“All of this,” Crystal turned her head just slightly, allowing Mario to see the whites of her eyes and a glimmer of her pupil. A soft sigh rushed past her lips, and she looked to Amy again. Two of the men, one wearing a purple tunic and the other bearing an orange bandana were helping the Inkling recover. “It feels like something bad, worse than the fight before, is coming.”

Mario turned his eye to Amy. She was laughing now, the aura of the mystic healing powers of the two men helping her mimicking intoxication. To Mario, she seemed drunk, high off the pain-numbing wonders of alcohol. The plumber hated to admit it, but he knew the feeling. Before the Mushroom Kingdom, when he and Luigi were down on their luck, the bar was a place he frequented. There, in order to escape the life he once called ‘pitiful’, he indulged in things he wished to forget.

“I know…” Mario replied after a moment of prolonged silence, “To be frank, I think our victory was too easy. It felt… empty,” That was the best he could put it.

Again, he watched Amy as she forgot her own worries as she was being healed, laughing, smiling. Just across from them, Luigi and Kirby were also enjoying their time. Crystal, looking behind herself, saw Freddy and Violet smirking as they remarked about the games they looked through, their words just out of reach.

“I feel like I’m doing something wrong,” Crystal began, unable to keep her eyes on anything except the barren dirt beneath her feet. She huffed, “We’re all so close to beating him, that guy, Shatterhand, but I’m not… excited.”

Mario went to comfort the Octoling, but he quickly realized he didn’t have much experience in giving someone solace.

“M-Maybe it was Empyrea talking down to my friends earlier, maybe it’s just some dumb memory, I…” Crystal refrained from thinking about Octavio, or the reason she was so quiet back before they even left Inkopolis. She knew that being chosen for this, one of Empyrea’s crusaders, it wasn’t the same. That’s what Amy told her, right? That’s what she believed, right?

“Hey, uh…” It pained Mario that for a split second, he couldn’t remember Crystal’s name, “Crystal, listen to me, stuff like this, it’s anything but normal.”

“I-I know that…” Crystal mumbled.

Mario smiled, knowing he had interpreted Crystal’s expression correctly. Figuring out that she wanted things to be normal, or as normal as she considered them to be before all this chaos started, he found a way to give some much-needed comfort.

“Trust me, this is a surprise for all of us, but…” Mario sat down on the ground and smiled at the Octoling. She slowly sat down beside him. With his grin growing wider, he rested his view on Amy, who was still laughing, “But surprises are normal for us, including you. I may not know much about what life is like for you and your friends, but I can tell that you are good at adapting.”

“I… I guess so…” Crystal also locked onto Amy, thinking about life. It wasn’t often that she became introspective, but seeing where she and her friends were, so far from home, it helped her realize just how much they’d been through together.

“A lot of people supposedly got different outlooks on life, but take Link,” Mario gestured, palm opened, towards Link. He was still speaking with those other guys, probably about the events that had taken place between himself and the rest of the group so far.

“Link thinks about his wife, family, and loved ones. That’s why he’s doing this. Now, why are you doing this?” The plumber asked.

“B-Because… Empyrea wanted us to?”

“Try again,” Mario smirked, “Why does Empyrea want us to do this?”

“To… protect our loved ones…” Crystal’s became just a little less murky.

“Wouldn’t you say that’s why you’re doing this, too?” Mario took off his own cap and glanced over at his brother. He knew that he was doing this not only for Luigi, but everyone back home.

“Well, yeah, of course!” Crystal shot up, fist clenched, chin high. “Amy, Freds, and Violet, they’re my family!”

“Then there ya go,” Mario said, a lick of finality in his voice as he put his cap back on top of his head.

“But… What’s that got to do with looking down? About this being normal? Adapting?”

“It’s because life is about adapting, changing, all that. The outlook is that this change is to protect your family, same goes for me, Link, and everybody else,” Mario reasoned, feeling strangely wise even though he was just voicing his own thoughts. “I think the reason why you look down is that you just forgot that.”

“Ooooh… I get it now…” At last, Crystal’s plucky personality emerged from the murky depths of her own worries.

As Mario cheered the dreary Crystal up and out of her funk, Empyrea and Landia chuckled to themselves as they observed. The two legendary figures kept close to each other, surprisingly close considering Landia’s history of self-imposed solitude.

“It shocks me, truly, to see them all get along so well,” Empyrea thought.

“Well, Link and those boys are quite similar, and I can already see how he’s shaping up to be a father figure to a certain someone,” Landia eyed Kirby for a moment, and then looked back at Mario, “Same goes for him. Besides, apparently Link and the plumber didn’t quite like each other, at least from what Kirby’s told me.”

“Interesting. At first I worried that they’d be too different to work together, but I’m pleased to be proven wrong,” Empyrea commented as she thought about just how much of a compatible team the whole group could be.

“Yeah… But now…” Landia squinted, getting a good, long look at each of Empyrea’s crusaders, “Now I can’t help but think if they’ll be able to use The Passion as a team or not. That gift of yours, the way you described it, I already know it’s going to take time to understand, let alone use.”

“I trust they’ll be able to wield The Passion to its greatest extent. They know of Wave Energy, what more could there be to understand?” Empyrea was confident in herself and the power she planned to bestow.

“Oh, I don’t know, summoning it, channeling energy, all that,” Landia remarked, a cocky grin on each of his heads.

“Don’t worry, my crimson-shaded friend,” Empyrea stepped out of sight of the rest of the heroes and lifted up one of her talons, “They’ll know,” she said. Flexing her claws, a set of blue vines sprouted, humming faintly like a distant song as they wagged back and forth through the air. Wave Energy crackled from their thorns before the vines disappeared, the Godbird putting her talon down.

“No…” Freddy grumbled as he scrolled once again through his games.

“No…” Freddy repeated, Violet taking notice this time around.

“No…” This time he sounded peeved. His grip on the controllers had tightened, his thumb flicking the control stick frantically.

“Gah! Nothing!” Freddy set his Switch down angrily and pouted. At this point, he’d been looking through each and every one of his games for hours, but currently, was empty handed. Seeds of doubt were planting themselves in his mind, making him consider that maybe he was wrong.

“Freds, maybe you’re just looking in the wrong place. We’ve been staring at pixels this whole time; is there something else we can reference that’d help?” Violet was concerned about her friend. It was so unlike him to become frustrated with his own interests.

Freddy just groaned, hanging his head down and using his fingers to rub his tired eyes. It was hard enough to see the screen in the harsh daylight, even while under the shadow of the rocks. His pupils were strained, as was his patience.

“Freds?” Violet called out to him again.

“S-Sorry, this is just… annoying…” Freddy said dejectedly. Wishing for an escape for just a bit, he pulled out his phone and checked if he could get any service. The bars were empty, just like the day before. Another sigh of annoyance came from his mouth before he looked through his pictures, bored.

“Say, Freds, if I know you, you’ll have downloaded scans of those games and their manuals and stuff,” Violet didn’t actually know if Freddy had done something like that, but she hoped to tap into his inner nerd and bring some hope back into his eyes.

“Hey…” Freddy gently lifted his eyes away from his phone and stared into the distance. His lips curled into an excited smile as he remembered the countless folders in his gallery. “I did do that! A while ago, though… Cod, I hope they saved!”

Violet crawled over to peer over Freddy’s shoulder, watching as he looked through his photos for a certain folder. One name stuck out, ‘Manuals/Art Scans’, that must be it! Eagerly, Freddy tapped the folder and started searching through. There were countless images of old game manuals, their quality impeccable. Violet never thought that something like this would ever, in a million years, be useful.

For a while, Violet held Freddy’s phone, screen pointed at him, while he continued to scroll through the games on his console. Every time he opened up a new game, he turned and stared at his phone, tapping the screen to find the exact manual.

“Hmmmm… No, not him…” said Freddy, returning to his Switch and finding another game.

The routine lasted a good while, Freddy getting stumped once again. Each game he went to, he examined the villains closely, then went to their art. He still couldn’t see any correlations with Shatterhand.

“Any luck yet?” Amy finally returned to the group after being fully healed, Crystal in tow. She wasn’t loopy, thankfully, and her partner seemed quite happier than she was before.

“Nah, not yet,” Violet sighed, resting her chin in her hand.

“I just can’t seem to find a bad guy with a yo-yo, or that hair that Shatterhand has,” Freddy set down his Switch, looking towards his friends.

“Maybe it’s not a villain,” Crystal suggested, hardly paying attention to her own words. She just spouted out the first idea that came to mind, her attention focused more on her girlfriend than anything else.

Freddy went silent.

“Freds?” Violet quickly acknowledged Freddy’s sudden state of shock.

“Maybe…” Freddy murmured, “It’s not a villain! Oh my Cod, Crystal, that’s a great idea!!” The blue Inkling instantly sprang up, his heart filled with new determination. He quickly grabbed his phone and found the closest art scan of a video game protagonist.

“I didn’t even think of that, it’s a little out there, but it might be the key! I just gotta be sure! Crystal, you’re a genius! Amazing!” Freddy was already rambling, Violet scooting away and rejoining the other two members of the team. “No, not them. Nope… Oh! Uh… nah…”

“Look at him go…” Violet commented, a little freaked out at Freddy’s fantastical enthusiasm. She still wore a smile as she and the rest watched, though.

“Hey!” Link was coming from behind, also having noticed the development. He arrived with the others right behind him, all curious about what might’ve been found, “Did you get anything?”

“Crystal had a great idea, so now Freddy’s gone wild,” Amy explained it bluntly, unsure how else to describe her friend’s wild antics. She wouldn’t have it any other way, though. It was the thing she and her friends admired most about him, after all.

“Woah,” Mario and Luigi said, surprised that Freddy had so much energy now. When was the last time he even ate? It was midday, yet none of the crusaders had any food since the day before.

Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven chose not to comment on the strange, blue boy scrabbling around on the ground, ranting about various things. At first they were amused, however then quickly became entranced by his methods of moving. It was somewhat like a dance, swapping from his Switch and his phone over and over again in a special rhythm. It was admirable to see how dedicated he was to his craft.

Empyrea soon noticed the commotion below and flew down to see what was going on. She and Landia touched down gently, the wind rushing out of their way as they flapped their wings. Their eyes were calculated, both knowing that something important was coming. The tantalizing electricity was in the air, calling out to everyone and drawing them near.

“Poyo?” Kirby said, puffing up into the air and floating above the others to get a better view.

“No, not those two…” Freddy went to the next picture, “Hmmm… No, wrong hair…” His heart was beating out of his chest, hands trembling. The anticipation was killing him, fingers twitching as he knew he was nearing some kind of conclusion. It felt like a chanting choir, growing louder and louder as he weaved through the madness and towards the peak of the song.

“Freddy, here, let’s make this easier…” Violet grabbed the phone and sat next to her companion. Every time he signaled for it, she swiped, showing the next picture of art from long ago. “This one? No? Okay, uh… how about this?”

“Come on…” Freddy whispered. He went from Wrecking Crew, Xevious, Twin Bee, Punch-Out, Ninja Gaiden, Gradius, and then StarTropics. Each time, Violet found the corresponding art and let him analyze it. Suddenly, all the color drained from Freddy’s face, his cheeks growing pale and pupils narrowing.

“Wait, V-Vi… Go back,” Freddy asked.

“Okay…?” Violet swiped backwards to the previous scan.

On the screen it showed an illustration of a boy, likely his middle teens, swinging a baseball bat. He had bright, vibrant, ginger hair, swooping to the right. His cheeks were freckled, mouth lacking a smile, only a determined glare across his face as he held his bat.

“That’s it…” Freddy said, his voice clear enough for everyone surrounding him to hear. Shakily, he put his Switch down and pointed at the screen, proclaiming, “That’s him!”

Below him, the Switch was resting on one game on the retro collection. The pinpoint of the discovery. The image was outlined, almost tauntingly, and the box art showed an island, a sunrise creeping onto the palm trees dotting the beach. Above it was the name ‘StarTropics’.

“Yeah, I can see it,” Link said. He did have a scarily clear image of Shatterhand back when he was strung up on a lamppost when first meeting him back in the Mushroom Kingdom. The hair, the face, it was all there, all that was missing was the bone-chilling grin and gauntlet.

“Freddy, are you absolutely sure this is him?” Empyrea asked, leaning her head down, “I never…” Her own words were interrupted by an uncharacteristic shudder, “I never thought it could be him…”

“Yep. He uses a yo-yo, has the same hair, freckles, everything. That has to be Shatterhand!” Freddy pointed to his phone, looking back at the others with shock and awe. In truth, he didn’t want to believe it either. He had played through the game that this man hailed from, and rather enjoyed what kind of a man he was. Or once was, to be more accurate.

“It’s Mike Jones!” Freddy exclaimed.

Chapter Text

This is a chapter I've been greatly anticipating. Now I think chapters might come out quicker, but who knows. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! For Wattpad and Ao3 readers, I hope you like the art I made for this as well. I'm quite proud of it. Enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 24: The Passion

“To think that he, defender of the South Seas, one Mr. Michael Jones… That he is…” Empyrea was at a loss for words. Another shudder rippled down her spine and she extended her talon, summoning a bed of ocean-blue vines from her claws. They wrapped around Freddy’s phone and yanked it out of his hand.

“Wha-?! What the?! Empyrea! Stop!” Freddy tried to reclaim his property, but to no success. Empyrea brought the device close to her eyes, the dark determination blazing within her irises.

“THAT BASTARD!!!” Empyrea’s voice echoed through the dry, depressing world, and the crusaders had to cover their ears. The Godbird’s scream was deafening, but she didn’t silence herself.

Erdrick and Eight had never seen anything close to such rage come from Empyrea, nor did they think it was natural. Something about the revelation, about whoever this ‘Mike Jones’ was, it brought fuel to the already fiery pit of the Godbird’s soul. Together, pushing away any hesitation that might’ve halted them previously, they pleaded for Empyrea to calm herself and refrain from such anger.

“How DARE he?! How could he fall from such grace!?!” The vines constricting Freddy’s phone tightened, humming lightly as Wave Energy flowed through them and caused the screen to crack a bit.

“Empyrea, stop this!” Landia intervened, two of his heads latching onto her wings and ripping her out of her fury-induced frenzy.

The Godbird resisted for a moment before the look in Landia’s eyes brought her back to reality. She huffed, the vines releasing Freddy’s phone and letting it drop, where the blue Inkling was luckily able to catch it before it got damaged further. The mystic liana disappeared, leaving the rest of the group wildly confused as to what they were and why Empyrea was led to such an extreme bout of rage. They’d remain without an answer for the time being, the phoenix refusing to speak for a couple of minutes as things calmed down.

Landia, genuine concern covering his four faces, stayed close to Empyrea as she kept to herself, staring out into the distance, her mind just as cloudy as the sky had become ever since Freddy showed the others the image on his phone. The wind was howling, the weather sporadic and messy. One minute it was clear as a glass of water, now it was blanketed by thick, shadowy clouds.

“For…” Empyrea turned and faced Freddy, and by extension, the rest of her crusaders, “Forgive me, anger took a hold of me… My deepest apologies, my friends,” Shame washed over her. Freddy looked at her with slightly confused sympathy, while the others were just plain confused.

“What the hell was that?!” Violet didn’t know how to express her bewilderment.

“Yeah, uh, we don’t know who this ‘Mike Jones’ is, so how does that help us?” Solo asked, hands on his hips.

“I do, actually,” Mario raised his hand, stepping forward. Freddy’s face lit up, surprised that Mr. Jumpman himself knew of anything about the topic. With a critical eye, Mario explained, “I have a game console back home, I played a little bit of StarTropics. It was fun, never beat it though, but I know about the main guy from it.”

“I think I remember the manual, actually!” Luigi added, “At one part of the game, you had to dip the letter that came with it into water to continue!”

“Wait huh? Is that when that computer guy asks about some ‘secret code’ or whatever?” Mario looked back at his brother, shocked.

“Yeah, you never knew?” Luigi tilted his head.

“No! That’s why I was never able to beat it! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just thought you were bored with the game!”

“Guys! Focus!” Link interjected, waving the Mirror Shield in between the brothers to get them back on track. “Alright,” he placed his hand on Mario’s shoulder, “You said you know who this guy is, right? So what do you and Freddy know?”

“Well, I haven’t played the game in a while,” Mario scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“I never got far in it either, but I do know that he was a decent guy, Mike,” Freddy said.

“No need to strain your minds with remembering,” Empyrea finally spoke up, still facing away from the group. All of them directed their attention to her as she elucidated her crusaders about the history of the man who they knew as Shatterhand.

“In his world, Mike Jones was a hero… He was brilliant,” The shame seeping out of Empyrea’s tone was infectious, “Defeated an alien named ‘Zoda’, who abducted the boy’s uncle. He traveled to a distant planet, and even through time in order to stop that fiendish little pest of an extraterrestrial. Only fifteen years old, he got into this sort of work at a young age, similar to you, Link,” she peeked over at the Hero of Termina before continuing, “He was an honest man after all was said and done, truly… however… I cannot fathom what happened to him that caused such a decline in both morals and sanity…”

“Freds, is there any way you could figure out why this ‘Mike’ guy is doing all this?” Amy asked, walking up to her companion.

“If I could, I have no clue where to start, I’m just a nerd who likes video games,” Freddy blushed, feeling like he had run out of usefulness for the others, “But we know who he is, that’s what’s important!”

“Indeed, and now, Freddy, Violet,” Empyrea finally turned around to face her crusaders once again. Her face, regardless of whether it was of a bird in nature, gave off the most earnest sense of thankfulness anyone had ever seen. With a smile, she said, “I believe it is time for our deal to continue.”

“Yeah, I was afraid you’d mention that…” Freddy looked down again.

“Though this does not mean you are out of this fight. What you’ve done for us, helping us figure out who Shatterhand is, is invaluable. Furthermore, you will be ready to defend your home if the time comes, correct?” Empyrea took both Freddy and Violet into her wings, walking with them slowly.

“Heh, you know it! I’ll take Shatterhand down with my own fist if I need to!” Violet’s spunk was to be admired.

“Wait!” Crystal bolted over to join her friends, “We have to say goodbye first, y’know, just in case…”

“C’mon, Crystal, we’ll be fine,” Amy chuckled as she gathered with her teammates, “We’ve got this whole team with us, don’t worry. I trust them!” Crystal nodded in agreement, easing her worried soul.

“Very well,” Empyrea allowed Team Inkstrike to share a moment together while she opened up a portal back to Inkopolis.

“Alright, first off,” Crystal brought the rest in for a hug. The four teenagers smiled as they embraced, a few of them wondering if that’d be the last time they’d have such an honor. “It’s not really gonna be the same here without you…”

“Yeah, probably gonna be lonely without my awesome jokes,” Violet boasted.

“You know it will,” Amy punched Violet in the shoulder playfully, and the group walked towards the portal that Empyrea opened. The wind from the foreign word was almost sucked through the opening in reality, just like it had when Link used the Ultra Sword before.

“Bye guys! Good luck out there!” Freddy considered lifting up his mask to fully display his enthusiasm, but decided to just wave his friends farewell, “I know you can beat him!”

Violet, leaning against Freddy, elbow resting on his shoulder, said sternly, “Don’t die. I know that’s obvious, but like, I never know with you two.”

“Like I said, we’ll be alright,” Amy assured her friend, holding Crystal’s hand. With that, Freddy and Violet walked through the portal together, ready to defend Inkopolis if the time came. As the tear closed up, the lovers felt a wave of melancholy wrap itself around them, bringing fear along with it.

“Hey,” Mario approached Amy and Crystal. The pair simply turned and looked at him meekly. “You guys’ll see them again, I promise,” the red plumber said. He fully intended on keeping that promise, no matter how hard it’d be.

The Inkling and the Octoling smiled, just a little, appreciating the comment. For the two of them, once again, it didn’t hurt, it just ached.

A veil of awkwardness enveloped the group, the dread of what was to come constricting their souls. Their journey was far from over, the foreboding sword of fate shredding through the air without any trace. Empyrea could sense it though, the vines of emotion alerting her. To her, things were moving a little fast. She didn’t expect to accidentally reveal her gift to her crusaders early with her impulsive anger.

Not yet. Empyrea still needed a little time to cool down, some of her fury not having fizzled out yet. Even though she had reaffirmed it in her mind, a part of her still couldn’t begin to comprehend the one big question. ‘Why’?

Why did Mike Jones lose his once noble character? When? How? Why target individuals that were just faintly related to him in the grand scheme of the cosmos? Empyrea figured the only one who knew the truth was Shatterhand himself, but it’d be difficult to take his word if he even managed to delineate the details. If he was willing to go so far as to kill fellow defenders of worlds, then he was not above lying, at least to the Godbird.

Link found himself staring at the picture of Romani again. For an unknowable amount of time, he just gazed wistfully at the photo of his expecting wife, wondering if she was alright. Things had been so crazy as of late, he had lost track of time. Had it been a month? Two? Was their child already born? He hoped not. He prayed not, he didn’t want to miss such a special moment.

“I miss them too,” Tael mumbled, sitting beside Link on a pebble as the Terminian sat on a flat-faced rock.

“I can’t help but think… What if Shatterhand visited home?” Link said blankly, eyes trained on the picture in his hands, “Does he know about her? About Tatl? About mom and dad?”

“I sure hope not, but it’s best not to think about it. You know how worried you get when you think about stuff like that,” Tael warned, knowing how Link could spiral down into a state of angst and worriment if he continued to dwell in his darkest fears.

“Yeah…” Link just shook his head slightly.

“Hey, you two alright?” Eight parted from his main companions and joined Link on the rock he sat on. When he was given no response from the blonde hero, he nodded his head, the silence itself being an answer.

“Just worried about home,” Link explained, his voice plain and uninterested at the moment. He hated to be reserved like this, but he knew he would just give his fellow hero the silent treatment.

Taking a deep breath, Eight concentrated, considering what he could just from Link’s expression, appearance, and everything he knew of the man up to that point. His eyes lingered on Link’s left hand, locking onto the silver ring around the finger beside his pinky.

“Your wife, I presume?” Eight said, not even leaning over to try and peek at the photo Link held.

Link’s ears perked up, secretly impressed at Eight’s perceptiveness.

“Y-Yeah,” Link fixed his posture slightly and cleared his throat.

“My friend, trust me, I’m thinking about mine too,” Eight held up his own left hand, letting his ring shine in the sunlight. However, there was something else he noticed in Link’s eyes. A glimmer of concern that was on someone besides just his spouse. With a surprising amount of apprehension, Eight asked, “A little one?”

Link again was shocked at how punctual Eight was.

“We’re expecting, yeah…” He murmured, just barely audible.

“Congratulations. I have a little boy back home,” Eight smiled at Link, a little excited to share about his family to a man who also had one. His other companions, Erdrick, Solo, and Eleven, either hadn’t settled down just yet or didn’t even indulge in the topic.

“A boy… My Goddess, I hope we aren’t having a boy, to be honest,” Link said, ashamed to admit something like that. When he felt the curious presence of Eight’s stare, he explained, saying, “I’m afraid, if it is a boy, he’ll turn out like me… To a fault,” Link looked at his hands, then his sleeves. Rolling up one, he gazed distastefully at his scars.

“I first started with this when I was only eleven, and… it took a great toll on me. The way I thought, acted, my mother always said it was as if I lived for an eternity,” Link remembered a certain conversation he had with Anju before he really considered her his mother. Back when, to him, she was just the innkeeper that took pity on him and let him stay for a while. It all felt so quaint.

“Well, let me tell you, it might not be all bad if it is a boy,” Eight said, taking off his bandana, “In my perspective, if they turn out like you, that’s just a greater opportunity to make sure they have everything you didn’t.”

“Hm…” Link thought about the idea for a moment, picking the statement apart and digesting every meaning. When he was finished, he smiled, just faintly. It would be fulfilling to try and give his hypothetical son everything that he couldn’t have when he was young. Although, that was only if it turned out to be a boy or not.

“Is that a smile, I see?” Tael lit up at the now-rare sight of Link smiling.

“Oh, shush, Tael,” Link couldn’t help but chuckle, his fairy friend becoming even more satisfied at the occurrence.

“Huh, well, now you’ve gotten me curious. Tell me,” Eight put his bandana back around his head, “What’s it like?”

“What do you mean?” Link asked.

“You mentioned that you really got involved in this life at a young age, eleven, right? If you don’t mind, I’d like to know more,” Eight smiled sincerely, showing Link that he didn’t intend to insult or confuse him.

“Hm…” Link thought about it for a moment. While Eight was still basically a stranger, he knew that he and the other three fellows he arrived with ought to get to know him, and likely the rest of group. Deciding that it wouldn’t hurt to simply talk about life a little more, “Sure,” Link said, “It all really started just a little while after I was born… From what I was told, there was this war that put my birth parents in danger…”

Link proceeded to tell Eight about the peculiar tales that led him to venture out into Hyrule, defeat the King of Evil, then literally fall into Termina, stop the moon, fall in love, then head back to Hyrule when he was a teenager. To his surprise, it was fun recounting his various troubles, looking back on them with a strange fondness that he never expected to feel. Telling stories was almost healing for the blonde hero in green, and even when he found himself remembering the friends he had lost, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, and especially Skull Kid, he realized that he was happy. Happy to pass around the knowledge of such powerful bonds to new ears.

Tael was encapsulated by Link’s words, laughing and adding his own little tidbits from what he remembered to bring even more heart to his stories. The pair painted such a vivid picture of the far-off world known as ‘Termina’, for the bandana-wearing swordsman.

Not wanting to miss a thing, Eight listened carefully to Link and Tael, absorbing every word with meticulous certainty. He didn’t express it, but something about Link called to him when they first met. He felt something strong coming from the hero’s noble stance and self-contained demeanor. Before him was a man who had seen so much, and the things he learned through the course of his life easily matched Eight’s own.

“Everyone!” Empyrea called out, catching everyone’s attention. Link, Tael, and Eight removed themselves from their concentration, the latter a little miffed that he had to wait for Link to get into the details of how he vanquished his own shadow atop the Spirit Temple.

The crusaders regrouped in front of the legendary Godbird, and she spoke with a soft, agile whisper, afraid that somehow, someone untrustworthy was listening. She never knew, and she had to, needed to keep this a tightly bound secret.

“There is something that Shatterhand does not know, something that I have that may be the key to defeating him,” Empyrea said, the mood becoming as mystic and mysterious as she was. Everyone exchanged glances, all confused, except for Landia.

“Poy poyo?” Kirby chirped quietly, tilting his body as he looked at Landia.

“You’ll find out, Kirby,” Landia said, before telling the rest of the heroes, “You’ll all find out. I know this is odd, the secrecy, but trust me, you’ll learn why Empyrea is being careful.”

Mario and Luigi shared a look that could only be read as hazy. Internally, they made subtle faces to each other that carried the weight of a conversation. They were brothers, twins, so such a way of talking without words was naturally easy for them.

“For the longest time, I have been able to influence the abilities of others, enhance them even. I plan to do the same for you all, but first, Link,” Empyrea singled out the Terminian, lowering her head until she was eye-level with him. The others backed away, allowing the phoenix to approach, slowly. She said, “It occurred to me that you are here because of your variant. You made a promise to him, no? Since there is no end, nor any beginning, there is only the infinite passion of life!”

Link grew serious, his bangs hanging over his eyes, casting a light shadow across them, asking grimly, “How do you know about that?”

“I was watching over you during that moment, Link, as I had with all of you during some of your darkest times,” Empyrea said, her eyes on Amy and Crystal specifically. The Inkling and the Octoling felt small again, holding each other’s hands as they thought about some of the worst times of their lives. “For all of you, your passion and will to persevere is something rare and unique. However, it alone is not enough to finally put an end to the rat we call Shatterhand!”

“Then what do you suppose to give us in order to bridge that gap?” Link wondered out loud.

“Allow me to give it to you now!” Empyrea exclaimed. Then, taking in the deepest breath possible, her lungs filled with air and sacred magic, magic that hadn’t been used in eons. Performing an art known as the Phoenix Exhale, she emitted a blessed breath that covered her allies.

For all of the crusaders, their hands started to tingle. The ethereal dust rested on their fingers and arms, being absorbed into their skin and unleashing divine power throughout their bodies. Slowly, it made each of them drop, the potency too much to handle all at once, putting them to sleep. Mario and Luigi were the first to pass out, then Kirby, slumping down into a pile, the plumbers snoring loudly. Amy and Crystal followed. Link was next, falling to his knees, his consciousness fighting to stay active until it couldn’t any longer. The last to fall were Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven. They were more prepared than the others, but even they were no match for the overwhelming power.

“When you awaken, you shall see…” Empyrea bellowed, holding her wings into the air.

Link’s ears twitched, picking up the sound of… something. It was a hum, like when some gently played a flute, or his own ocarina. However, it didn’t stop. The music lasted longer than any normal being could feasibly play, still remaining the same tone, unhindered by any loss of strength while playing the instrument. Opening his eyes and stretching, he noticed the ground felt different. Instead of the hard, rough texture of the rock, around his body he experienced buoyancy, like he were laying on a mattress.

Fully coming to, Link sat up and tried to see. At first he was blinded by the harsh sunlight of the bare, open sky. Groaning, he closed his eyes and positioned his head down, opening them again, slowly. This time, expecting to see the beige-brown ground he was becoming used to, he saw blue.

“What the…?” Link scooted back, instantly put on alert by the unknown mass of blue beneath him. Rubbing his eyes, he noticed his arms felt just a bit heavier. Now he could identify just what the blue was. Those vines.

The vines Link first witnessed crawling towards him in that void-like dream he had, during his first night in the Mushroom Kingdom. When he saw them rest on his own arms and do the same for the rest of his companions he noticed across from him in that same dream. Those same vines he and the others saw Empyrea refer to when she visited them back in Inkopolis. Those same vines that they saw her summon during her fit of anger at Mike Jones.

Link opened his palm, watching as the vines reacted. They quivered at first, clearly unprepared for even the faintest of movement from their owner. They managed to follow his actions, rising into the air and positioning themselves like an extension of his own limb.

“Ugh, what is this?” Link heard Mario groan, guessing that the plumber noticed the same strange sensation as he did when he awoke.

“WAAH! Ew! What the-?” Luigi’s signature wail of confusion caught both Link and Mario’s ears, also waking up Kirby, Amy, and Crystal. They too shared the same reaction, startled by the new presence wrapping itself around their arms and legs, hugging them passionately.

“Hey, Link! What… What is all this?” Mario called over to Link, seeing how the vines around his hands moved around with him. Deep down, he was experiencing a sensory overload. His hearing, along with everyone else’s, was heightened, as was the rest of their abilities.

Sparks born of flame were coming from the tips of Mario’s vines, and ones from electricity were flying from Luigi’s. For Kirby, his Warp Star reverberated in reaction to the new, powerful stimuli, forcing itself out of the Star Warrior’s pocket, desperate to expel some of the excess energy. Without needing Kirby’s command, it enlarged and darted around the sky, it’s rider unable to control it for a moment as he tried to call it back.

“Poyo!” Kirby puffed up into the air, flying over in front of the path of his out-of-control Warp Star. It didn’t even slow down before it collided with him, zooming around like a child on a sugar rush.

“Your Warp Star is now in ‘overdrive’, Kirby,” Empyrea chuckled, knowing that the pink puffball would regain control over his precious item momentarily. She knew all this would likely disorient her crusaders, but what was better than a test run of this new, unimaginable power?

“Empyrea, what is this?!” Link demanded, clenching his fist, the vines wrapping around his hand and humming loudly as a result.

“We know,” Erdrick said, being the first of his colleagues to awaken. Solo was next, then Eight and Eleven. They all stood up straight, something Link had tried to do at first, but failed due to his legs feeling too wobbly. “This is Empyrea’s gift, something to help, I presume?”

“Correct, Arusu,” Empyrea commended Erdrick’s quick thinking, “This is what I believe is the key to finally defeating Mike Jones, a power I have bestowed that will enhance all of your already fantastic skills and abilities. I call it…”

Empyrea lifted her wings again, the same vines that her crusaders now held coming from her feathers. Wave Energy dispersed throughout the tender, yet strong foliage, crackling and emitting a soft, tender light.

“The Passion!”

Link sat on the ground, staring at the vines. By now, all the mass of liana had disappeared from beneath him and the others, now coalescing around their hands as they all worked around its bizarre properties. Taking off his leather gauntlets and rolling up his sleeves, Link tried to get the vines, or The Passion, to return. They did so, appearing as if they retracted into his arms and vanished. Then, effortlessly, he extended his arm and The Passion shot out, springing forward at least twenty feet. They cracked like a whip, slicing through the air and making a mini-vacuum as they reached their limit.

“It’s amazing!” Mario exclaimed, doing the same thing as Link did, his own gloves off and sleeves scrunched up by his shoulders. Using his Passion, the red plumber shot them towards a rock, the vines wrapping around it and constricting it. He only stopped when he saw the rock visibly crack, now aware of just how much physical strength the heavenly plants were capable of.

“Bro, watch! I can even use Thunderhand with it!” Luigi said excitedly, sounding like a child eager to show their parent something they made in class. Extending the Passion, Luigi made the white-blue sparks that came from his powers fire from the thorns, beaming with pride.

“Haha, I expected such a reaction from the Mario Brothers,” Empyrea chuckled to Landia, the pair watching the plumbers play around with the gift. Those two were easily the most eccentric of the group.

“Indeed, though I fear that it may be a bit too much for Kirby, look,” Landia pointed out how Kirby, trying to ride his Warp Star, could hardly catch it as it flew through the air at breakneck speeds.

“Worry not, my dear friend,” Empyrea was surprised that she used the word ‘dear’, “We will work with him specifically to control what The Passion grants him. I estimated that it would give his Warp Star immense speed.”

Kirby, giving up on trying to catch his Warp Star for now, went to find Link. He wondered what the hero was up to with his set of vines, curiosity visible in his wide, starry eyes. Finding his friend, Kirby chirped, making Link’s face light up.

“Hey Kirby,” Link said, shifting around on the rock he sat on to face the Star Warrior. Kirby came up and sat down beside him, kicking his feet absentmindedly and summoning a single vine from his little, pink paws. Link mimicked him, letting all but one vine disappear from his arm, letting the remaining plant wave around.

Kirby realized that Link was copying him and embraced it, calling upon more vines, waiting for Link to do the same. He did, causing Kirby to giggle.

Behind where the two boys sat, Amy and Crystal were basking in their all-time high. Testing their weapons, they stood in the ink that splattered along the ground, relishing the new, refreshing feeling that came with hiding in the puddles.

“My Cod, it feels better than the couch at home!” Amy said breathlessly, returning to her teenage form and laying down, back facing the ink. As the liquid shined in the sunlight, it gave off the slightest jolt, not enough to be uncomfortable, just barely sensed by the Inkling.

Crystal was no different, swinging her Octobrush around and watching the results literally paint themselves along the ground. She found that her ink flew farther now as The Passion was wrapped along her arms and extending to coil around her weapon. It was magical for her, feeling like she was on top of the world at that moment.

“Amy! Watch this!” Crystal swished her brush wildly, far faster that she normally could. Amy sat up and was awestruck, the ink flinging around like a barrage of strikes as potent as a punch.

“Ah! Hey!” The ink flew so far that it landed on Link and Kirby, who were sitting over ten meters away. Kirby just giggled at the feeling, actually enjoying the sensation of the ink covering his body.

“Ha, sorry guys! I guess- I guess I got a little carried away!” Crystal apologized to the others, but Link wasn’t very pleased.

“It’s alright, I just don’t want it to stain my tunic!” It was too late, as there was a big splotch of pink on the lower frills of his outfit, along his right hip. It wasn’t that much of a bother, but he was still a little annoyed.

As Link worked to get some of the ink off him, Kirby noticed something odd about his friend’s left hand. The Passion was still wrapped around his arm, his wedding ring reflecting the dim, blue light the vines gave off. As the hero of Termina wiped himself off, Kirby stood before his left arm, and his eyes widened in realization at the seemingly meaningless thing he saw.

Kirby saw, just for a second, Link’s arm extending out towards him, the vines intertwined with his fingers. He recognized the moment from an odd source, and he backed away.

“Huh? What is it?” Link asked, immediately noticing Kirby’s startled expression.

“Poy…” Kirby started, working to put his nonexistent fingers on it. Then, he exploded in surprise, “Poyo poy poyo! Poyoo!” he cried, both excited and confused.

“What?” Link was lost on Kirby’s meaning, at least until he remembered the ‘nightmare’ the puffball spoke of. He tilted his head and furrowed his brow, unsure why Kirby was bringing it up now. “What do you mean, Kirby?”

Kirby didn’t quite respond, only walking up to Link’s hand, taking it, and inspecting it. By then, The Passion had returned to the hero’s arm, vanishing again. Kirby, anxious to see it again, asked Link to bring the vines back out.

“Alright…?” Link did so, and Kirby saw the final image that the nightmare he had back in Inkopolis showed him, now before him and tangible. A person wearing a ring, extending their arm out towards him, vines wrapped around their hand.

“Eh? What’re they talking about?” Crystal pointed out Link and Kirby’s strange interaction to Amy, and the two went to investigate.

“He… He said he saw me in his dream, something about my hand,” Link explained as best he could, he himself still lost on what Kirby was so interested in.

“Hey, wait, I remember Violet telling us about a dream!” Crystal said.

“Nah, it was a nightmare Kirby had one night, to her it was really random. She said you and the Brothers came to comfort him after he started bawling,” Amy added, unsure as to why she held onto that detail so cleanly up to now. It was probably because when Violet told her, she could tell that Violet had been crushing on Link at the time.

“Pooooy! Poyo!” Kirby wondered, turning away from Link and putting his paw to his chin. Then, without warning, he bolted off to see Empyrea, knowing that she was the one to ask about dreams. She had affected his and the other’s dreams twice before.

“Hm?” Empyrea looked down to see Kirby approaching.

“Poyo! Poy poy poyo poy! Poyo poyo!” Kirby went on, not waiting to take a breath until he was done.

“Oh? Ah, yes, don’t worry, Kirby, that was indeed me,” Empyrea said, sounding shockingly disinterested, turning back to observe Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven testing their now empowered abilities courtesy of The Passion.

“Empyrea, do you know what he’s talking about?” Link asked from a distance, catching up with Kirby.

“Yes, Link, he was alarmed that his dream was accurate,” Empyrea decided to take the matter a bit more seriously now, trusting that her heroes would be fine with casting various spells. “Kirby, what I showed you is crucial, every single thing, I assure you. Link, do you really wish to know what is making him so alarmed?”

“Well,” Link thought for a second, “It does mildly interest me. Dreams are important to me, as some have shown me the future,” Link thought about the nightmare he once had about his wedding. It ended in terror, but when the day came to pass, it was perfect.

“I was the one who gave you that dream, Kirby, the one of madness that caused you to awaken in tears. I deeply apologize, but I needed to show you what has happened,” Empyrea explained, her voice becoming deeper. Kirby was off-put for a second, a bit confused.

“Poyo poy poyo?” Kirby asked.

“I cannot tell you what exactly it means yet. I mentioned before that I had reevaluated you for this task, being one of my crusaders,” the phoenix grew saddened, “There is knowledge you are not supposed to know yet. I can only warn you that it brings great agony,” she sighed, and then repeated what she told him back when discussing Wave Energy, “It is not your burden to carry yet.”

“Poyo…” Kirby trailed off. He had a feeling he knew what it was but decided against sharing with Link or anybody else.

“Although Link, what you said about dreams telling the future, you are correct,” Empyrea said, “I managed to show Kirby the future. It was not much of it, as such an ability is not my specialty. Other gods are more versed in that matter, like one you know of…”

“The Goddess of Time…” Link knew instantly.

“Destiny is something I do not know for certain, but I needed to show Kirby that his part in all of this lies with you and The Passion,” Empyrea summoned a vine from her talon again.

“Poyo,” Kirby said, a bit of finality alongside his word. He then walked away to think, leaving Link with Empyrea.

“Thank you, I suppose,” Link said, not looking the Godbird in the eye. He had to think as well, but about something different. Destiny was something he hated to say, he feared, but to know that it was tied to this journey and Shatterhand was a bit of a wake-up call.

“Hm, I didn’t think you’d actually tell them,” Landia thought as Link left.

“I didn’t either, but a part of me wanted to. Destiny hasn’t been kind to any of us, and that boy,” Empyrea watched Link sit beside Kirby, “He wields the greatest fear of it because of what he’s fighting for.”

“I guess it’s understandable,” Landia thought.

“You guys okay?” Amy asked, the distracting, solemn aura coming from Link and Kirby unbearable. She hadn’t been able to focus on training with her newly enhanced Dualies now that her teammates were visibly distressed.

“Just a little tired,” Link replied, hand on his cheek.

After a minute, a shot of ink whizzed past his face, putting him on alert. He swung his head to meet Amy’s gaze, and she chuckled, holding her Dualies defensively. She wanted to spar, all to help Link get out of his funk fast.

Smiling, Link stood up, unsheathed his sword and strapped his shield onto his other arm. He figured a little friendly match wouldn’t hurt. The Mirror Shield blocked another ink shot, and Link was off, jumping up over the rocks to join Amy and Crystal. Even Kirby was drawn out of his silent introspection from the sounds of ink flying and splatting around the ground.

“Come on, Kirby, join us!” Crystal asked. Kirby, with a smile on his face, sprang up and quickly inhaled a glob of ink that was shot his way. He swallowed, but no ability emerged. Shrugging, Kirby inhaled another shot and spat it back at Crystal, guessing that was the best that he could do with it.

Link blocked another swipe of Crystal’s Octobrush with the Mirror Shield, and then swung the blunt of his blade to meet with the weapon directly. They collided, The Passion overpowering the Gilded Sword, stunning Link.

“Woah! That’s not a bad idea, actually,” Link said to himself, holding his weapon tightly and summoning The Passion. It crawled up the hilt of the sword and wrapped around the blade, humming. Now his strikes would be stronger than ever, the blade able to deflect and even cleave shots of ink without trouble.

“Looks like they’re having fun, c’mon, bro!” Mario caught a glimpse of Link, Kirby, Amy, and Crystal sparring, and with his brother by his side, also joined in.

“Link! Watch out!” Tael alerted Link to the new ‘foes’ incoming, and the hero prepared himself. He anticipated Luigi would be the first to strike and swung his sword accordingly.

“Hey! That’s cheating! Having Tael with you in unfair!” Mario shouted playfully. Link just rolled his eyes, wearing a smirk, as Luigi’s Passion reached him first. He managed to get the vines around his sword, and he yanked Luigi in for an attack.

All the while parts of the group sparred or simply tested out the limits of their powers, Empyrea and Landia watched with pride. Just a few days of training would be needed, knowing that her crusaders would be adept enough to figure out what they could do with The Passion quickly. A grin appeared on both Empyrea’s beak and Landia’s four maws, and confidence radiated off their expressions. They could rest assured that these heroes were everything they hoped they’d be.

“Funny, it reminds me of the crusaders of old, that coalition of defenders from across the realms. I forget the name… Ah, the ‘League of Heroes’,” Empyrea chuckled again.

“That’s from before my time,” Landia noted.

“Well, no matter, I don’t know what happened to the old League, but perhaps these ones could match up to them. They are more modern, after all,” Empyrea said, still thinking about the former League of Heroes. She could hardly remember a detail about them, all except for the fact that it was made up of heroes from many worlds, just as varied as the group before her.

It felt almost too coincidental, but she brushed it away for now, focusing on her crusaders.

Chapter Text

Y’know, something I noticed was that every twelve chapters, I had a chapter named in a sort of pattern, and conveniently, they lined up with the main ‘arcs’ that I told. After the prologue was ‘Reflect’, then after the first battle with Shatterhand was ‘Repent’, and now, our crusaders finally armed with The Passion, here is ‘Resolve’! Anyways, this is a bit more serious of a chapter, so I hope you all enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 25: Resolve

Kirby readied himself with his Warp Star. Hopping onto the item carefully, he summoned The Passion, keeping the vines away from it for a moment. Then, slowly, he pointed his little paws down, letting the vines interact with the Warp Star. Energy crackled and fizzed, the star’s glow growing fiercely. Kirby’s eyes widened, a joyful smile appearing on his face.

“Careful, Kirby,” Empyrea warned, standing just to the side. She, Landia, and Link were watching over him as he tested this new-fangled power out. “The Warp Star is highly comprised of Wave Energy, so when The Passion is infused with it, it’ll go into overdrive.”

“Poy poyo,” Kirby said, being as cautious as he could.

The Passion and the Warp Star were exceedingly similar, both being high concentrations of the waves, now given form. The only difference was that the Warp Star had some other matter mixed in, allowing Kirby and others to see and interact with it without the need for a blessing like they were granted from Phoenix Exhale. Now that the vines, the physical manifestation of Wave Energy, were introduced to the sparkling air-ride, things started to change.

“I can’t watch,” Link said in fear that Kirby might get hurt. By now, the hero and the Star Warrior’s relationship was too complex for him to just stand idly as the latter experimented with dangerous powers.

“This is gonna end really well, or really badly,” Landia thought.

The Warp Star suddenly blasted off, the vines from The Passion empowering the device, sending it off with energy to spare. Link peeked from behind his hands, and then lowered them, seeing that Kirby now wasn’t hanging on for dear life, but instead positioned confidently atop the star, one foot in front, the other behind. This time, he was in full control as he rocketed through the sky, almost too fast for Link’s eyes to follow.

Empyrea, on the other hand, was easily able to follow Kirby as he flew around. She smirked just as the Warp Star exceeded the speed of sound, a sonic boom thundering through the air. Kirby reached Mach Two, twice the speed of sound, then Three, all the way until his body was just a blip in the sky. Afterimages were appearing around the horizon, Kirby moving so fast that it was impossible to keep up. At first he was over by the clouds, then he was on the opposite side of the sky. Then he was flying past the sun, then he was gone.

“It seems he has reached the speed of light,” Empyrea commented in a congratulating tone. Link’s mouth went agape, unable to comprehend just how fast The Passion allowed the Warp Star to go. With this speed, it definitely gave the crusaders an advantage, with the fierce Godbird wondering aloud, “Perhaps he could distort time to a degree, if his Passion is strong enough…”

Eventually, Kirby slowed down, sure not to relinquish his speed too quickly in fear of hurting himself. The Passion left the Warp Star, returning elegantly to Kirby’s paws and back into his body, disappearing for the time being. Hopping off his trusty air-ride, the Star Warrior gave Link a big, hearty smile.

“Great job, Kirby!” Link congratulated the pink puffball, thoroughly impressed with the new power The Passion granted Kirby. The two went for a high five, and the moment their hands touched, or Link’s hand and Kirby’s paw, The Passion burst forth from their palms and sizzed, Wave Energy dispersing into the air, giving the area around them a glimmering effect.

“Poyo…?” Kirby looked at his paws once the vines returned to him, wondering what had happened.

“This power is primarily lead by emotions. The pride you two shared manifested when you touched hands,” Empyrea explained. She knew there’d be many questions to come, but she had all the right answers for each one she anticipated.

Link and Kirby both gazed at their respective vines with heightened curiosity. They were mystified by The Passion, as were the other crusaders, and none of them tried to hide that fact. The heavenly hum that somehow resonated off their thorns brought their souls tranquility, letting all their worries melt away into the warmth of their hearts. Except for one, oddly. He felt the vines soothing nature as nothing more than something to sigh at. Not scoff, just sigh.

All members of the group were experimenting with themselves and their newfound strength differently. The Mario Brothers were still having fun combining the techniques they learned long ago in the Beanbean Kingdom, Thunderhand and Firebrand. Together, their movements became almost like a lightshow, mesmerizing Amy, Crystal, Erdrick, Eight, and Eleven so much that they ceased their own training just to watch.

“Lead by emotions…” Link thought to himself as Kirby left to continue testing the new limits of his Warp Star. His mind jumped to anger, and he questioned if anger affected these powers in any significant way. Chances were high that it did.

But there was an intrusive, hideous query that paraded around in Link’s mind. The Passion twirled up from his fingers, the plants frayed for a split second before returning to normal, the green hero brushing away the thought. However, a shrill, dark laugh from his past echoed through his head as he joined back with Kirby.

Kirby, sending The Passion into his Warp Star again, was about to leap up and take off, when he sensed a wisp of sorrow coming from Link. The lowered mood was visible, the grin Link wore now replaced with a neutral, distant expression.

“Poyo?” Kirby asked, concerned.

“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing, Kirby,” Link said, trying to remain inconspicuous. He didn’t want to ramble on about something that happened years ago, as he found he did that often.

“Poy. Poyo?” Kirby didn’t want to pry, but Link’s thoughts mattered to him.

“It’s just a distant memory came back as I was thinking about these vines, that’s all,” Link reassured the little pink puffball that he was okay. Things were alright with him, and he expressed that, no matter how painful the past once was.

“Poyo…” Kirby responded, feeling dissatisfied. He wished to know what was wrong, but he guessed he might find out some other time.

Link, seeing the dejected silence of his friend, decided to try and cheer him up. Extending his hand, The Passion emerged and slinked over to pat the Star Warrior on the head. Turning around, Kirby smiled as the vines wrapped around him gently, the thorns retracting and letting the warmth of the waves bubble up in his body. He giggled and summoned his own Passion to return the favor to Link, allowing the two to relax. It lasted for an unknowable amount of time, the pair just enjoying each other’s company.

“C’mon, guys, we were testing out our strengths, remember?” Tael interrupted the moment, circling around Link’s cap and hovering down by his ear. He snapped his fingers, letting the vines spring up out of his own little hands for a second.

“Poyooo…” Kirby groaned, slightly annoyed.

“He’s got a point, bud, we aren’t here to stand around,” Link defended, taking out his bow and some ice arrows. He stood away from Kirby as the Warp Star powered up again, and the pair resumed training. Channeling his magic, the ice arrow illuminated, and he shot it towards an adjacent pile of rocks, freezing them solid.

Tael even found that, with his own Wave Energy flowing through his wings, he flew exponentially faster than he used to. He zipped around, helping Link target Kirby until neither he nor his fairy companion could keep up. Again, Kirby vanished from view, light bending around him as his speed increased. He pushed past his limits and soared ever higher, smiling all the way.

“Heh, I’d say, ‘Look at him go,’ but you can’t even see him!” Tael remarked, wondering where Kirby could’ve got. He and Link still couldn’t even begin understanding the sheer amount of speed the Warp Star had been granted, and when Kirby reappeared just seconds later, they cheered.

“Boom!” Erdrick called out, clasping his hands together and casting a spell. It was a small explosion, but the hero didn’t use it offensively. Instead, he cast it downwards at his feet, and used the force of the blast to propel himself into the air.

Solo, Eight, and Eleven gasped at Erdrick’s use of magic, all deeming themselves not quite clever enough to have tried something so odd on their own. Their sparring match had been intense, their spells greatly bolstered by The Passion. They all were ready to counter whatever was thrown at them, and with Erdrick at an advantage against his fellow swordsmen, he put his arms together and cast another spell, smirking as he stared down at his comrades.

“Kazap!” He yelled.

A massive blast of electricity was hurled towards the other three men, and they defended against it accordingly. Eight cast Kaclang and hid within a casing of metal, Solo simply jumped to the side and out of the spell’s range, and Eleven blocked with his shield.

“GAH!” Eleven’s shield proved to be rather ineffective against the electric current, his arm getting tazed by Erdrick’s spell. It went limp for a moment, his fingers twitching as the energy dissipated throughout his body. Chuckling as feeling returned to his arm, he said, “Y-Yeah, that probably wasn’t the best idea…”

“Hey, I won’t judge,” Erdrick began when he landed back on the ground, huffing.

Eight emerged from Kaclang and stood on guard, keeping prepared for another attack. When he saw Eleven, distracted, he decided to have a bit of fun. Pinching his fingers, he sent out a weak Sizz spell, and it burst into flames right by Eleven’s feet, startling him.

Solo suddenly rushed past Eight and Eleven with his sword, Kacrackle Slash in effect. The blade was covered by The Passion, now frostbitten, ice particles clinking down onto the gravel underneath his feet. Erdrick blocked the attack with his shield, frost starting to form against the normally polished sheen. Pushing back, he called on the last of his magic he had stored to use Flame Slash, the two opposing swords hitting each other with enough power to cause their magic to disperse.

Erdrick at first looked at Solo with a gleeful, adventurous smile, but when he examined the face his friend wore, his blood ran cold. Solo’s eyes were dark, burdened, and glossed over with hindered rage. Something was wrong, just Erdrick was left unaware as to what. In order to stop another unsparing blow with the sword, the caped hero rammed his shield into the hilt of Solo’s weapon, disarming him.

“Alright, guys! Break! We’ve been at this for a while!” He called for a time-out, having been in this sparring match for over an hour straight. Muscles ached, none of the heroes being used to such extensive battle in some time.

They all sat in a circle, bathed in shade from a formation of mountains casting their thick shadows across the battlefield. Their hands glowed a subtle green, each of them casting healing spells to tend to their mild injuries. It was hardly anything major, but three of the four heroes found that one of them was being particularly rougher than they had expected.

Solo was busy with his own satchel, reaching inside for a food parcel he had stored somewhere inside of it. Once his hands found what they were looking for, he cracked open the small, silver box and picked out some herbs and bread. As he ate, he didn’t even notice Erdrick and Eleven’s stares.

“Here, want some water?” Eight asked, holding a vial in his hands. Erdrick snapped out of his judging gaze and looked at his other companion.

“Oh, uh, sure. What’s it do?” Erdrick took the vial, checking it out.

“It helps rejuvenate magic. You used a whole lot back there,” Eight explained, a warm smile donning his lips. Erdrick somewhat recognized the vial, as it looked a little similar to what he used to give back magic when he ran out. Removing the cap, he sipped, a sparkling energy coming from the bottle while his stamina was restored.

Eleven noticed Erdrick and Eight talking and took his own eyes off Solo for a moment to check what he had in his bag. He was glad he remembered to pack plenty of food, knowing that when he and the others left, they might not be able to return for some time. “You guys want anything I’ve got? There’s plenty to go around,” asked Eleven, picking a number of items out of his bag and spreading them out along the ground.

“I’m good,” Solo said, mouth full of green herbs. They oddly matched his hair and tunic colors. Eleven, forgetting about his previous thoughts concerning Solo, chuckled.

“I’ll take one of those little bags,” Eight pointed out the small, white sack of unknown contents. Eleven gladly handed it over, the item being a Panacea, a combination of herbs, medicine, and a hearty root. The food was made for an excellent poison remedy, and it healed quite nicely.

“Hey, is that a Moonwart Bulb?” Erdrick asked, recognizing one of the things Eleven had laid out.

“Yeah, you want it?”

“Definitely, they helped a lot with things back home,” Erdrick said, reaching over to grab the bulb. He didn’t mention that they were a personal favorite snack of his, but it was obvious that he enjoyed them just be the way he ate them. Holding it like an apple, he bit into it raw, surprising Eleven and making him smile.

“Though, we should save these for the others,” Eight mentioned, looking over his shoulder at the other crusaders training. He saw Mario and Luigi using their Passion in tandem to break apart boulders, Amy and Crystal covering everything they saw in their ink, and Link testing out his elemental arrows.

“Good idea, we don’t even know if they packed food,” Eleven said, taking another Panacea and stuffing the rest of the items he laid on the ground back into his bag. A deep sigh escaped his mouth as he opened the bag and ate, happy to be in the shade.

A scarf of comfortable silence briefly wrapped itself around the heroes as they relaxed, resting their tired arms and restoring their magic. Although, there was something creating baggage for Erdrick. He glanced at Solo, looking at his hands. He was holding that tin tightly, bending the metal, his knuckles white. Nothing about his eyes, however, showed any malice, unlike what Erdrick had seen earlier. Solo continued to be a walking mystery, the others wondering why he chose to join so quickly, why he was so distant, and what exactly was wrong on the inside. How much of a load was he carrying?

Erdrick, staring at his hand, removed his long, leather glove and summoned sparks of Wave Energy. The Passion followed, humming faintly while the thorns crackled with the power of the waves. Fleetingly, he considered somehow using The Passion to help Solo, either by wrapping him in it or doing something, anything to try and coax out an explanation. Quickly shaking his head, he chose not to apply force to his friend. It was clear the man was struggling with something, something he didn’t want to share. Perhaps it was for a reason.

Eight and Eleven noticed Erdrick’s eyes locked on his exposed hand that was wrapped in vines. They did the same, their Passion resonating in unison, catching even Solo’s attention.

Putting the dented tin down, Solo raised his own arm and attempted to summon The Passion. At first, only sparks flew from his fingers, until finally the vines emerged. Their hum wasn’t as notable as Erdrick, Eight, or Eleven’s, but that detail wasn’t acknowledged by its user. Instead he simply admired the ethereal foliage, watching them twirl around his fingers gracefully.

“I wonder…” Solo muttered, putting his hand on the ground. Following his inner commands, the vines drove themselves into the ground, burrowing beneath the rock and soil. Then, after Solo closed his eyes and breathed in and out slowly, young blades of grass perked up out of the ground. He had silently cast a healing spell.

“Woah…” Eleven saw what Solo was doing, and putting his hand on the ground, his Passion managed to bring life back into the arid dirt, reviving the once dried-out seeds from plants long gone with a simple wave of magic.

“This… ‘Passion’, it must have qualities that Empyrea neglected to tell us,” said Solo, while the grass continued to flourish rapidly.

“Hm, I could say the same thing about you,” Erdrick blurted, hardly even thinking.

Solo’s vines quickly retracted from the ground and back into his arm. His posture had changed, his back straightened, and his gaze calculated. Tilting his head slightly, he glared at Erdrick before asking, “Excuse me?”

“No, excuse me for being so blunt, but something about the way you’ve been acting is foul,” Erdrick countered, putting his glove back on before standing up, “You’re greatly troubled, yet none of us have a clue as to why. Ever since you joined us, you’ve been acting off.”

“I-I…” Solo was taken aback by Erdrick’s unnatural tone. Sounds of ink splatter and sparkling stars filled the air as the two men stared at each other, Eight and Eleven unsure if they should intervene.

After seeing Solo’s startled face, Erdrick realized he was being unfair. Sitting down beside his green-haired friend, he sighed, shaking his head in disapproval of himself.

“I apologize, I just…” Erdrick made a single vine sprout from his hand, “You’re not the man we once knew, back when Eleven needed help. I don’t mean to prattle and bug, but trust me, we’re worried about you.”

“Do you even know what’s got you so… unwell? Or is it just one of those unexplainable slumps?” Eight asked, trying to help.

“No, no, that’s not it,” replied Solo, unable to look his friends in the eyes. Lifting his head up and staring at the sky, he admitted, “I know exactly what’s wrong with me.”

“Well… Would you tell us?” Eleven joined the conversation, “We’re all friends. We at least want to know so we can understand.”

Solo didn’t respond to Eleven. He took his time, his mind unwillingly dwelling on a certain word that Eleven had said. He repeated it over and over, thinking about how deeply it actually mattered to him. Then, standing up and speaking softly, he said, “Give me a few minutes to clear my head. I wasn’t quite ready to tell you all this today,” a small chuckle ended the sentence as he walked away.

Erdrick, Eight, and Eleven looked at each other.

“Think we did the right thing?” Eight asked.

“I’m not at all sure,” Erdrick murmured, putting his hand to his chin.

“I just hope he’s alright,” Eleven finished.

Solo, combing his fingers through his scruffy, disheveled hair, walked around the makeshift training grounds that he and the rest of the crusaders were using. He treaded lightly, stray puddles of ink everywhere.

“C’mon, Crystal, try and fling it faster!” Amy shouted, excited to see just how fast her partner could attack with the Octobrush.

“Alright, get ready!” Crystal warned, her arms covered by The Passion and allowing her already impressive reflexes to be stretched to their limit. Swatting her brush around wildly, ink flew high into the air.

Solo, not stopping his walk, turned his arms inward and cast Bounce, allowing the ink that normally would’ve hit him to be deflected, like it had jumped onto a trampoline. It landed close to Crystal, the Octoling not even noticing that it had been sent in the opposite direction. She and Amy kept training undisturbed, their vigor greatly admired by the swordsman just a couple of meters away with a smile.

It was humorous to Solo, the miniscule interaction of having to reflect the unintentional attack of a wildly different ally. He could at least call himself happy to be a part of such a varied group of remarkable people. From Kirby’s mysterious way of gaining abilities, to Amy and Crystal’s use of a seemingly natural, unsuspecting substance, it was magical.

Taking a seat on an inconspicuous rock that surveyed most of the site, Solo thought to himself for a while. His eyes watched his surroundings carefully, though he didn’t pay attention in the slightest. Fiddling with his hands, occasionally letting The Passion weave around his palms and shimmer brightly. However, they were numb. They had been numb for a long time now.

“Faith always wants to delude me,” Solo thought to himself as he tried to feel something, anything with his desensitized fingers, “And destiny seems to despise me.”

A part of Solo felt like calling himself a coward, unable to do something as easy as explaining what had happened with his time alone in his realm. Before Empyrea came, his old friends accompanying her and asking if he could join this bizarre crusade to stop a man known as Shatterhand. Only he knew why he was so fast to accept.

Then, taking his sword from his back, Solo drove it into the ground and stared at the blade. His hands still lacked feeling, even though he knew his blood beat brazenly throughout his veins. Deep, in the back of his consciousness, he knew precisely when his unbreakable faith was destroyed, and he had to continue on with a deceiving smile on his face. Reaching out, he ran a finger along the sharp side of the sword, before suddenly cutting it, letting blood slowly trickle from the meager wound. He just wanted to see if he was still truly alive.

“I never thought you to be the one to deluge in such dark coping mechanisms, Solo,” Empyrea’s voice came from behind, the phoenix approaching the solemn hero alone. She watched as the cut along her friend’s finger dripped in pulses, his heartbeat pushing out blood while trying to mend the damage.

“I don’t do it often, I assure you, I only want to make sure that-”

“That you’re still here, standing?” Empyrea finished Solo’s sentence for him.

“You know, I always found it somewhat intrusive that you could look into our minds like that,” Solo chuckled, casting a small healing spell to fix his finger. He took his sword and placed it back in its sheath, standing up to face the Godbird.

“And I always wondered if you’d ever shed that faux smile of yours,” Empyrea said, seeing straight through Solo’s act. The hero’s stare went cold, and he took a step back, surprised. Looking down and shaking her head, Empyrea explained, “My friend, I do not mean to trespass on your thoughts, but I noticed the moment we reunited that you had lost the strength to live for all you fought for. Something happened that not even I could figure out,” she didn’t truly want to be on the opposing end of Solo’s inner ordeal, but she found it necessary in order to work best as a team for their upcoming endeavors.

“Yet you still let me join,” Solo commented. At that instance, he thought that Empyrea might have made a mistake, something rare for a god like her.

“Because I hoped that your bonds with the others, Arusu, Eight, and Eleven, would help you overcome such darkness,” Empyrea stood beside Solo, looking over at the other heroes sitting around in the shade. Solo didn’t follow her gaze, instead staring down at the blood that glistened on the ground, bright as crimson. “And I know they will,” Empyrea finished.

“How?” Solo asked.

“Because you four share something inherited, something that’ll fight through that ever-spreading pain in your soul,” Empyrea’s voice was evoking passion in her own heart. With a smile, “It’s the everlasting pride of your bonds,” she said.

There was a resonating ripple in Solo’s heart as he finally looked at the ground Empyrea was referring to. He saw them talking, such a simple thing to do, yet he felt connected to them like he had been connected with a woman from his past. The blood staining the ground had dried up, and in the wind, it broke apart into flakes and drifted away, out of sight.

“I’m ready…” Solo, after thinking long and hard about his decision. His hands were wobbly, nervousness creeping along his skin.

Forgetting about the numbness that corroded his soul, Solo rejoined his fellow swordsmen, Empyrea alongside him. He returned with an unseen spectre of anxiety clutching his mind, squeezing his fears out like one juicing some fruit.

“So you all have lost someone very important to you, I remember that clearly,” Solo began, calling back to when he, Erdrick, and Eight visited the distressed Luminary, “I told you of my friend, my best friend, who I lost… and I loved…”

The three heroes were silent. It was so distant, and brief compared to the length of time that had happened since then, yet it was still held onto dearly by all four men. Eleven had been remiss, disturbed and downtrodden after experiencing a vision of the past, seeing the moment of his father’s demise. Unlike most variants of him, he didn’t have the fortitude to continue. Empyrea, seeing a hero in dire need of help, decided to seek out Erdrick, Solo, and Eight to consult him, help him come to terms with what he had seen.

“She wanted to stay with you forever, and you said the same thing,” the Luminary repeated, remembering Solo’s words from back then accurately. Solo nodded slowly, confirming it.

They had all shared their tragedies, and Eleven learned that he wasn’t truly alone in his sorrow.

“Well, as we were being taken back to our realms, something caught my attention. In that vast tunnel that you traveled through to find us, Empyrea, I saw a world where…” Solo needed a moment. He shook his head, letting his hair hide the emotion leaking from his eyes, “I saw a world where she was alive, with me…”

Empyrea was shaken, rearing her head back in shock at what the hero before her had explained. “S-Solo, I…”

“I’m so sorry.”

With a sigh, Solo continued, asking, “Am I just… different? Why? Why did Eliza never return? Why wasn’t she revived? Did I do something? Is this something I deserve?” It was a desperate plea for answers from an equally broken man, a drop of moisture falling from his cheek and onto his seafoam-green tunic.

“Unfortunately, that is one of few things I don’t understand. Why some realms don’t experience certain events… it’s something that perplexes me just as much as it does you,” Empyrea said, unhappy with her own answer.

“But… I’ve been like this ever since,” Solo concluded his painful explanation, looking at his hands. The Passion appeared, humming, reaching out for the other hand. Their thorns started to twist together, binding the hero’s hands and giving them warmth. “I know… that I’m not in a good place, but I don’t have the will to do anything about it,” He said softly, his words laced with a viscous amount of shame.

The others didn’t know what to say. It’d be a hollow gesture if they told Solo that they understood such pain, or that things would be okay. Here, it was the purest example of an unfair world. An unearned wound in an already unfortunate chain of events, one that couldn’t even be rightly explained. Solo was denied happiness by his own realm, the pain evident on his face. The most wrenching aspect of it was that he would’ve never even known had he not joined Empyrea to help the Luminary back then.

“I don’t know what you think, but…” Eleven looked between his friends, “No matter what you’ve lost or been denied… you still have us.”

Solo, tears gleaming his reddened eyes, looked at Eleven. Then, a blubbery chuckle came from his mouth, and he staggered over and hugged his comrade.

Eleven was unused to receiving hugs, but after a moment of confusion, he put his arms across Solo’s back and returned the favor. Eight, taking off his bandana, joined, along with Erdrick. They could hardly sympathize with their friend’s agony, but they were still there as the closest thing to brothers Solo had.

Empyrea watched the hug with awe. She stepped away from the group and let them embrace, wanting to keep such a vulnerable moment private for the four.

“Just…” Solo managed to say, “Just as long as we get to fight this Shatterhand together, I’m fine with anything.”

Erdrick, Eight, and Eleven smiled at Solo’s affirmation of their mission. His drive to continue had been restored, The Passion coming from his arms vigilantly. This time, he didn’t even sigh. The vines extended out and wrapped around his friends, bringing them further comfort. They even appeared stronger, their resonance louder to boot.

Now, Solo was confident in his ability to continue on with a smile on his face, a real one. With nightfall approaching, the sky turning orange, the four parted from each other’s hold and smiled, their shared destiny carved delicately into their veins, where their blood ran with pride. They gathered their supplies and joined up with the rest of the crusaders, Link using another fire arrow to set up camp.

“Hey!” Mario called over to the four swordsmen, hanging from a ledge with his own Passion. The vines were driven into the rock, showing off just how resilient they were. “Everything okay back there?” he asked, “Me and Weege noticed you four were keeping to yourselves all day.”

“Well, it’s been a pretty busy day for all of us, hasn’t it?” Erdrick said. Shatterhand had just attacked that morning, retreating once Empyrea, Landia, and her heroes arrived. The rest of their time had been gone towards Freddy and Violet finding the name ‘Mike Jones’, and training with The Passion.

“On yeah…” Mario said, having lost track of time. His vines then retracted, allowing him to descend from the rocks and sitting down next to a troubled Luigi by the fire, “You alright, bro?”

“Just hungry,” Luigi said, his stomach audibly growling.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Eleven held up his bag, opening it, “You guys hungry? I’ve got food to spare.” Inside his bag he took out several Panacea’s, offering them to whoever was hungry.

Kirby was the first to respond to Eleven’s offer, shouting, “Poyo!!”, at the mere sight of food. He was starving, after all. He quickly nabbed one of the little white sacks and opened it, savoring his food instead of inhaling it for once.

“I’ll take one of those, too,” Link said, acting politer than Kirby had.

“Same, we’re… uh…” Amy looked at herself and then Crystal, noting just how much ink they had used during the day, “We kinda need it…”

“No problem, there are plenty,” Eleven smiled, handing both the Inkling and Octoling their own bag to enjoy. As the stars dotted the sky, Empyrea’s crusaders managed to eat well, surprisingly. They didn’t know what the next day would have prepared for them, so they kept alert all throughout the night.

Chapter Text

To be honest, I had trouble figuring out a title for this chapter. I had one idea, but I feel like it might be a better name for the next chapter. This title came from a song, like many chapter titles I do. For this one, it’s the same name, by a singer named ‘Aurea’. This isn’t an ad, I just legit like this song, it’s good. Anyways, I will admit this a bit of a messy chapter, but it’s waited long enough. Enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 26: How Far Would You Go?

The dreadnaught floated aimlessly through the vast, empty void of space, as by the orders of its supreme commander. None of the soldiers, lieutenants, even the captain, had a clue as to why he had decided to keep himself and the ship in the shadows. A random realm, drifting with not a single planet nearby, absolutely nothing. A miasma of mystery breathed through the halls.

A pair of boots clanked against the dense steel of the floor, trotting down the corridor leading towards the reserved quarters at the very top of the ship. The captain, without any fear striking his heart, had become greatly displeased with his superior. There hadn’t been any news, any new plans, in hours. Such silence was thought to be impossible for the tactician that was Shatterhand. While never normally uptight, the captain had gained new confidence in his own abilities, and deeply wished to show those pests what true strength was.

“Sir!” The captain pounded on the door to Shatterhand’s private residence, an authority similar to an angered father in his voice.

Without any answer, the door slid open with a hiss, the light from the hall flooding in and bleeding along the neatly cared-for carpet of the room. A light mist poured out of the doorway and slinked along the cold floor.

“Enter…” Shatterhand’s voice appeared, yet the man himself was nowhere to be seen from where the captain stood. Without any resistance, the captain picked up his foot and took his first step inside. The voice came once again, “Interesting, wiser men would’ve turned and closed their eyes…”

“I’m not the wisest man here, sir,” said the captain, his pace assured. He stopped right in the middle of the room, the door whirring shut and bathing the area in darkness once more. Crossing his arms, “Although, I am starting to question your authority.”

“Bold words. Do you have a death wish, my friend?”

“I only intend to die on your command, sir,” the captain spoke meaningly, “My faith in you is unwavering, although I along with others wonder what exactly our plan is. We have been without your direction for nearly a day.”

Without warning, a thud from behind the captain accompanied by the deep huff of damp breath meant that Shatterhand had descended from somewhere above to speak face to face. A tinge of fear shot down the captain’s spine, but when the commander spoke, he was soothed like vanilla.

“You know how I live my life, is that correct?” Shatterhand asked, placing his good hand on his companion’s shoulder, speaking breathily.

“Of course, you cut through life like a knife, living on the edge. I’d say it’s your defining trait, sir.”

“But it wasn’t always like that, have I told you that?” Shatterhand, running his fingers around the captain’s back, walked slowly around him, smiling. “After I was freed from that desolate prison, when I worked at the lab I used to speak of, I gambled with others.”

“I never thought you the type,” the captain raised an eyebrow. Money was superfluous to Shatterhand. For as long as the two had known each other, savings, expenses, all that matter was of no worry to them.

“Neither did I until I won my first game,” Shatterhand explained smugly, “When a friend told me to, ‘Spend the money quickly.’ I recognized it as a threat, yet my mind was unfazed. That rush from winning empowered me, and I went on to begin funding for this very ship. That was where I evolved to live down to the wire.” Shatterhand, without eyeing the captain, caressed his cheek playfully. They both suppressed their urge to smirk, but the tension between them had all melted away.

The captain raised his left hand up and snapped his fingers, summoning the lights. While Shatterhand preferred to be in the dark, he didn’t mind the light. The illumination allowed the scattered papers pinned up on the walls to be seen. On a desk, beside a private bookshelf, was an opened sketchbook which caught the captain by surprise.

“Haven’t seen that in a while. You must be worried, sir,” he said, walking over and picking up the book, flipping through the pages. Some eraser shavings and flint from a pencil fell onto the floor as the captain admired the various drawings of the enemies.

“Well, the reason I told you about the way I live at is because now I realize it must change. These fools, brought here by that damned goddess Empyrea, they have proven to be formidable,” Shatterhand took the sketchbook and flipped to his drawing of the Godbird. There were arrows pointing towards suspected weak spots that would make the kill easier. “That little blue turkey,” he unknowingly echoed a former crusader, “She must have been waiting for this moment for eons. I don’t know how, but she managed to gather that green swordsman, the plumbers, and all the rest together.”

“They managed to kill a good number of our elite, so I understand the newfound concern,” mused the captain. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a journal on the desk, placed sneakily in a slightly opened compartment next to the lamp. It was easy to guess that the details of death that dwelled in Shatterhand’s mind were logged on the pages.

The one thing neither Shatterhand nor the captain were expecting was to see Empyrea bring along backup. Those four men, magic users, all from distant and some shared realms. Alone, against all of the crusaders, Shatterhand didn’t stand a chance. However, now that they had arrived, they knew what they were truly contending with. A dark glimmer of bastardized joy came from Shatterhand’s eye as he inwardly chose to handle a few of those heroes himself.

“Though now… What exactly is our plan?”

“It’s simple,” Shatterhand flipped to another page in his book, showing a sketch of the old citadel he had in a Hyrulean realm. “We have them come to us. I have a feeling that Link, ever noble, might want to finish this in a place his variant knew very, very well!”

Swiftly, a strong memory rushed back to the captain. He remembered speaking with his master, beckoning him away from his ‘meeting’ with that variant of the Hero of Time. The cold, unfeeling words he had spoken, ordering him to have the man killed. The captain himself had sent out a squad of his best men, all proficient in swordsmanship and briefed on Link’s fighting style to face him. While the old man had gotten away, it was later proven by Shatterhand’s encounter with the other Link that his men had succeeded in their mission.

“That old, decrepit land? I wouldn’t have guessed, but perhaps it’s fitting,” the captain looked up at the ceiling, thinking about the status of that world. “Do you think the Hylians have evacuated the town? If vacant, it’d provide a fine battlefield to split up the crusaders and deal with them quickly.”

“If they haven’t, we’ll kill them all. But I am confident that they will be thoughtless enough to do anything in ensure I and the rest of my influence are wiped out,” Shatterhand grinned spectacularly, putting on his Dark Matter gauntlet and clenching it, letting the murky, wicked energy spark. It burst into a flicker of light, embers of shadow fluttering to the floor.

The captain recalled his request to finish those plumbers, Mario and Luigi, “I see. I assume I will get my chance to face the brothers somewhere in town?” He still deeply wished to pay back the debt for being frozen by the green one during the battle in the Mushroom Kingdom.

“Precisely, and I myself will stay at the castle, with a group of our finest at the Temple of Time,” Shatterhand gestured over to some papers scattered about the wall. They outlined the layout of Castle Town, certain markers pinpointing where he, the captain, and others would go to either ambush or fend off the group opposing them. “If I make it known that I am at the castle, then you attack before they reach the outskirts, they’ll surely divide in an attempt to conquer.”

“Wonderful,” the immorality of darkness gleamed from the captain’s mouth, his smile foul enough to wither a flower.

Without any questions left, the captain turned and exited the room to tell the rest of the dreadnaught crew the plan. He’d need to search for the exact realm, but the banks of data they had stored from previous missions. It’d be an effortless task to track down where they needed to go.

Dawn crept along the mountains slowly, seeping down the rocks and across the barren flats until reaching the campsite. Mario was the first to awaken, a beam of sunlight reflecting off of Eight’s shield straight onto his face. It was rather annoying. Rising from his curled-up position by the remains of the campfire, the red plumber stretched, yawning.

“Meh…” Mario grumbled to himself, his back sore from the way he was sleeping. He already missed pillows and blankets. Smacking his lips, he yawned again before looking up towards the sky. Knowing the erratic weather in this realm, clouds were sure to follow the sunrise.

It was easy to notice that the campsite and its inhabitants were sleeping peacefully. While Mario wanted to have his allies rest a bit more, deep down, he knew they didn’t have any time to waste. As he cleaned up what was left of the campfire, he inspected each of his fellow crusaders. Choosing Link first, he put his hand on the green swordsman’s shoulder and gently shook him awake.

“Hm… Huh? Wha-?” Link woke up without much effort from Mario, proving that he wasn’t getting quality rest, “Oh, hey Mario.”

“Hey man, you doing alright? C’mon,” Mario put his hand out for Link to take.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” Link said as Mario helped him stand up. There were defined bags under his eyes, and he had somewhat of a slouch. His posture and appearance screamed ‘exhausted’, but the mustachioed man was no different in his weariness.

“Should we wake the others?” Mario asked, a warm smile drawing across his face, admiring the group he could call his friends.

“If they slept anything like I did, no,” Link said, walking back to check the surroundings in case of any lingering enemies. The field where the battle against Shatterhand had ensued had a few corpses of fallen soldiers. It was sickening, but it had to be this way. Taking another step, he went down and stood above the body of an armored swordsman.

Mario sighed, following Link down and keeping to the side. The green hero crouched down and inspected the body, somberness glistening from his eyes. Taking off his hat and placing it across from him, he removed his shield and held it by the sides, using it to dig into the dirt.

“Don’t tell me…” Mario’s jaw went slack.

“Look, we might be fighting Shatterhand, but…” Link gazed upon the rest of the dead soldiers with remorse, “But we are not like him. They at least deserve this honor.”

“Come on, they tried to kill us!”

“And yet we killed them,” Link was determined to bury the dead, no matter what their allegiance was. Fairness was a virtue that the enemy lacked, but the hearts of the righteous carried it in bulk. “I highly doubt Shatterhand buried his victims, if there was anything left of them when he was done… You know that saying, ‘there’s no rest for the wicked? We need to let them rest.”

Mario was trapped. On one hand, he didn’t want to let these depraved men rest in peace, but on the other hand, there might be an endless amount of torment waiting for them in whatever was beyond life. Reluctantly, the plumber joined Link in the job. Together, they dug a grave for each and every one of the fallen fiends, giving them a suitable place to sleep. It took a good amount of the morning to finish, mounds of dirt marking where each nameless goon rested. By then, a good number of the other crusaders had woken up.

Amy and Crystal had probably slept the worst out of everyone. The entire night, they were restless, tossing and turning on the uncomfortable ground, the fire warming them up and the breeze being too chilly. The couple had laid a good distance away from the others, unable to find a suitable spot that wasn’t too hot or cold. Frustration was easy to see in the irritable way they spoke once awake.

“Where were you two?” Amy asked, just now noticing that Link and Mario had left as they were coming back. The handles of her Dualies occupied both palms, occasionally twirling them around by spinning the trigger guard around her pointer fingers.

“Busy helping the dead,” Link replied, walking right by.

“Woah…” Amy grew shocked at Link’s attitude; the night having been just as unkind to him as it was to her and her girlfriend.

“Sorry about that,” Mario told the Inkling, “I kinda peeved him earlier, but I’m sure he’ll snap out of it.”

“I hope so, he seems worried. Nah wait- he’s anxious,” Amy guessed.

“I wouldn’t blame him, I am too!” Crystal remarked, lying in the sun. She had her arms up, the Passion summoned and its vines mingling around, casting shadows along her face. “I mean, we’ve got everybody here! I’m sure he’s thinking about our plan and stuff!”

“Fair…” Mario rubbed his chin, figuring that Crystal was probably right. He couldn’t deny that the subject was also on his mind. The weirdest part was, the night before, Link seemed so happy. A smile had been across his face, a real one, excited to train with The Passion, and to see Kirby flying around with his Warp Star.

“Just leave him be for a bit, it helps, shockingly. I know it did for me…” Amy’s eye stung for a split second, a natural reaction to thinking about some of her darkest moments.

“Alright, I guess I’ll just go find Weege…” Mario walked off in search of his brother, unable to see him from where he was standing.

Amy and Crystal were alone again, only the sound of the wind keeping them company. There was a slight wall between them, forming out of Amy’s comment about leaving Link be. Gloominess was glazed over her eyes, causing Crystal to worry for her a bit. After just a minute, the silence became incorrigible. Taking each other by the hand, the Inkling and Octoling joined back up with the others.

Chatter filled the morning air as the four heroes, the Mario brothers, Kirby, Link, Tael, and the mystic duo of Empyrea and Landia talked in their respective groups. Things seemed to be going well for them all, thankfully. Empyrea’s gift made sure of it; the mystic vines being closely linked to the strings of fate. No one, not even Empyrea, knew the limits of The Passion’s purpose, abilities, or properties. All the Godbird knew was that they amplified the capabilities of the user, guided emotions, and were very delicately connected to the realms. However, that was the extent of her knowledge about them.

However, one being knew just a little more. The collection of sorrow that tied Amy and Crystal together found hidden familiarity with The Passion, and it gave it much comfort. With that, and the undying love formed between the two teens, the being gained the determination to fight as hard as it could for such a mortal pleasure. The desire was so intense that the pair of souls bearing the being felt something off.

“Ack- My eye won’t stop stinging!” Amy complained, rubbing her face in hopes that her dirty hands would help against the searing feeling in her head.

“Mine too… But these usually go away, hopefully…” Crystal also rubbed her eye, a few green-ish sparks flashing fast enough to be unnoticeable.

Crystal sat down next to Amy on a rock, head down, trying to sooth her pain. For a second she considered using the vines to try and somehow accomplish it, but that was silly. Although, doing an internal double take, Crystal thought about the fact that she even played with the idea of using the Passion in such a way. An instinct like that wasn’t natural, especially for her, so why? Why would she do that?

“Yo, you alright?” Amy was unused to Crystal’s prolonged silence.

“Y-Yeah, just thinking about this ‘Passion’ thingy. Hehe, it’s funny, I’m usually the one to ask you if you’re alright!” Crystal giggled, her smile returning. Her chuckle caused Amy to do the same, with both their sets of vines humming in a symphony.

“I know! I just… like mixing things up! Besides, you ask it so often, yet aren’t asked it nearly as much,” Amy leaned back and smirked, sighing and enjoying the surprisingly fresh air. It reminded the two of their time enjoying the air back in Inkopolis, making their already far-flung journey feel quite roundabout. If there was a view that rivaled the one they got back home, maybe this wouldn’t be all that unnatural. “Huh, my eye feels a bit better now…” Amy thought, before turning to Crystal, asking, “Hey, wanna train a little more? The others seem busy, so we might as well make the best of our time!”

“Hehe, yeah!” Crystal replied excitedly. She and Amy stood up, not even noticing their vines parting from their own exotic, thorny embrace.

Grabbing their weapons, Amy and Crystal left for a flat plain near the campsite, right where they had sparred the day before. Both teens grinned, clutching their precious items tightly, summoning The Passion from their arms to bind themselves and their tools together. After a collective deep breath, they started, Amy dotting the ground with ink from her Dualies. Amy, oppositely, took a more careful approach, inking the turf behind her and in two directions, hiding.

“Crap, where did she…?” Amy grunted, not knowing where Crystal had gone. She was cunning like that. But when her Passion sparked and moved on its own volition, it entered the ink, diving in like other Inklings and Octolings could.

“There…” A voice inside Amy’s head said, though it was so faint, she mistook it for some of the distant words coming from the other crusaders back at the heart of the camp. Regardless, Amy aimed for the area the voice alluded to, the right, and fired.

“Wah!” Crystal jumped out of her ink and into the open, exclaiming, “How’d you know I was there?”

“I… I dunno! A feeling!” Amy snapped her fingers, The Passion emerging from the ink and scurrying towards Crystal. They sprang at her, coiling around her arms and keeping her from using her Octobrush. “Get over here!” Amy cried, yanking on her vines, pulling Crystal into the ink and towards her. She resurfaced and wound up in Amy’s arms, the Inkling instantly getting lost in her eyes.

“W-Woah…” Crystal muttered, blushing at the sudden contact between her and her girlfriend.

Amy didn’t say anything, already drowning in her admiration for Crystal. Unbeknownst to them, The Passion started to wrap around them. The thorns had retracted, allowing for all the comfort to multiply tenfold. All their loneliness was forgotten about whenever they held each other, their bonds, just like Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven’s, strong enough to rival any manmade weapon. When they finally parted from each other, they were taken aback by the intense light emanating from their vines.

“Man, these things feel… strong? It’s hard to get a grip on them fully, right, Crys?” Amy wiggled her arm, making her Passion writhe around on the ground, the excess Wave Energy seeping into the ground and bringing life back to the soil.

“Do you… Do you think it might have something to do with our sanitization?” Crystal wondered aloud, watching as their fusions’ trademark green sparks shot from The Passion’s thorns when they protruded again. It was the only explanation she had, proving what little she or the others truly knew about the vines.

“Maybe… But let’s get back to training!” Amy quickly grabbed one of her Dualies and chuckled.

The two resumed their rigorous method, ink proceeding to fly around and stain the ground, sunlight reflecting off the wide, shiny surface. As in synch as Amy and Crystal usually were, one thing was never synchronized. Their heartbeats. Instead, they pumped in a rhythm, always complimenting one another as if in tune to a song that only they could hear. Like Kirby before, they too went into overdrive, their hearts swelling with combined pride.

Across the field, Empyrea and Landia were standing backs against one another, watching both directions carefully. The four-headed dragon was amused with how the Mario Brothers and the four swordsmen trained together, the Firebrand and Thunderhand somehow being a match for a good number of spells the heroes wielded. Empyrea was keeping an eye on Link, Tael, Kirby, and the two ink users.

“Hm… So they are the most potent of the group… Very good,” Empyrea thought to herself, having been observing Amy and Crystal’s routine extremely closely. So much so that she couldn’t even recall what Link, Tael, and Kirby were doing.

“Infinite… passion…” The voice appeared to Empyrea this time, only a whisper, but still breaking through the Godbird’s consciousness.

“Indeed it is,” Empyrea replied.

Link’s frown had grown since the early morning, almost matching with the mortified expression that donned the Mirror Shield. The friendly match between him and Kirby had gone stale, Link moving like an automaton and showing little emotion. Something was different, the unseen danger sign getting so distracting that it was driving him insane. He lowered his sword, making Kirby stop in his tracks before he could use his strengthened Ice Ability.

“Hey Kirby, could I have my arrow back?” Link asked.

“Poyo!” Kirby complied, rejecting his power and spitting out the Ice Arrow that Link had allowed him to use. It flew through the air and landed right in Link’s hand, where he put it back into his item bag.

“Something wrong, Link?” Tael asked.

“I think… it’s about time for us to move out,” Link explained, Kirby joining him and his fairy companion. “Call it superstition, but I know Shatterhand is planning something. It’s only been a day and we haven’t gotten any sign of him,” he made his way to Amy and Crystal, “We shouldn’t wait around anymore, not after knowing what he’s capable of!”

“Poy poyo!” Kirby wasn’t the surest about Link’s plan.

“I don’t mean to be difficult, but we need to go after him!”

“Hey, you guys alright?” Amy was the first to spot Link out of the corner of her eye. She and Crystal ceased their sparring and looked at the hero in green with confusion.

“Gathering up everybody, I think now’s a good time to get going and find Shatterhand,” Link told the two, turning right around to fetch Mario and Luigi next. He expected Amy and Crystal to follow, which they did, only after they glanced at each other briefly.

“Find Shatterhand? H-How’re we going to do that?!” Crystal sputtered, nervous about the sudden news.

Link didn’t respond, his gear clanking against themselves as he walked. Agitation oozed from his demeanor, glimpses of The Passion flickering in and out of existence around his hands. Either he was struggling to summon it now or it was materializing too eagerly. No matter, Link’s emotions were awry, the dark determination in his eyes as he thought about the possible end of this long, arduous journey. As soon as he and the others approached, Mario and Luigi knew their intentions were serious. They stopped channeling their elemental arts from their palms and rose to attention.

“You feelin’ better, Link?” Mario asked.

“I- I’m not sure,” Link said plainly, reaching into his bag and retrieving the Ultra Sword, “But we’ve got work to do.”

“You got it!” Luigi was admittedly excited, electricity crackling from his glove with impressive vigor.

“Ah, Link, it seems you’re ready,” Empyrea greeted the hero in green as they passed by to find Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven. She smiled at the sight of the Ultra Sword, and with Landia, she took flight. “Boys!” she called over to the four swordsmen, “It’s time!”

A suave grin appeared on Erdrick’s face, and he leaned on the hilt of his sword like a cane. “Alright team, time to put this training to use, let’s go,” he waved to his friends. Together, they marched across to meet up with Link, the same feeling running through their veins.

“Is it bad that I’m kind of amped for this?” Eleven asked, nudging Solo.

“Not really, I’d be a liar if I didn’t agree,” Solo said, smiling again. It was nice to see him at ease for once considering what had gone down between him and his comrades yesterday.

With all the crusaders assembled and their divine guides, Empyrea and Landia, ready, Link held up the Ultra Sword. With his other hand, he fished around in his pocket to find the picture of Romani. Just for a second, he smiled at it, hoping he’d be able to get home soon before the baby would be born. Putting the photo back, with the sword held by both hands, he swung, cleaving through the air and summoning a new, star-shaped portal.

“Is everybody fully prepared?” Link asked, putting the Ultra Sword away. Tael flew over to be by his side, the fairy giving his old friend a warm smile.

They all nodded, giving him solid confirmation.

“Let’s do this, then,” Link said, summoning The Passion in his hand.

Empyrea swooped down and soared through the portal first, Landia right behind her. Link was next, he and Tael walking in without any hesitation. Amy and Crystal went through holding hands, the hum of the sacred vines coming from their touch. Then, the four swordsmen joined, Eight’s bandana and Erdrick’s cape flowing in the wind. For the Mario Brothers, an air of resolution combed their moustaches, smirks on both of their faces.

“Kinda crazy how much we’ve seen, right, Weege?” Mario remarked, jolting forward and jogging through the portal before his twin.

“Yeah, but it’s not over yet!” Luigi crossed his arms and smiled.

“Poyo!” Kirby chirped, his little comment making the green plumber chuckle as he walked into and beyond the opening in reality.

Chapter Text

Again, this chapter’s title is a reference to a song. I won’t say what yet, but it goes in tandem with the next chapter’s title I have planned! Anyways… Uh, it’s kinda wild that we’re actually nearing the final battle. It’s not gonna be short, don’t worry, but I hope you all are ready. Also, fair warning, but I had fun showing our heroes traveling across the multiverse. Enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 27: Choose The Way

The star-shaped portal closed behind Kirby, him being the last to step through following the rest of the crusaders. Instantly, the smell of seawater filled his invisible nostrils, the stark, blue color of an ocean facing him. Looking down, there was sand, tons and tons of sand, stretching out along the edge of the massive, glistening oasis.

“Where are we?” Mario’s voice didn’t recognize a lick of the environment, nor did the others.

Link had a feeling he knew. They appeared to have touched down on an island, meager in size yet offset by the large, looming ridge of rock winding around the back and creeping up before being suddenly cut off. However, another island connected by a bridge seemed to continue the mountain just barely. Behind the group was a simple hut, standing still against the cool ocean breeze. Across the beach, a pier sat unsuspectingly with a watchtower topping it, a dirt path leading from them to the hut.

“I remember this…” Link murmured to himself, a haunting memory of his teenage years coming back, when he chased one of the witches through realities. Yes, Kotake, if he remembered correctly. It was so quick, yet the image of the beach stuck with him.

“Poy…” Kirby mumbled, staring at the ocean with wide eyes.

“Kirby, don’t you dare, we don’t have tim-” Link didn’t even get to finish his sentence, Kirby bolting for the water, giggling happily.

“Poyo!!” Kirby cried with joy, splashing around.

Empyrea flapped her wings graciously, having gotten a survey of the surroundings in the short time since her arrival. “Outset Island, home to another hero like you, Link,” she announced, landing by the pier.

“Link, is this where Shatterhand is?” Erdrick asked, putting his hand above his eyes to protect them from the harsh sunlight as he looked around.

“…” he sighed. As when he was a child, Link was of little words now.

“This place is nice, though, can’t deny that,” Luigi admired the scenery, taking off his hat to feel the wind in his hair. “What do you think, bro?” he asked Mario, turning to face him.

Mario took a deep breath and exhaled, sighing deeply. “Honestly, I hope Shatterhand is here, I do not wanna leave…” The tired tone from the red plumber was shared among the rest of the group, none of them feeling the greatest mentally speaking after all the chaos it took to simply get to this point in their journey.

“The sand is pretty nice, but the water… uh…” Crystal, along with Amy to an extent, were hesitant of water. Rain was one thing, all they needed was to stay inside, but an ocean was another level entirely.

“Yeah, if we’re gonna cross all that, we’re gonna need a good boat… But, why’d you bring us here, Link? This doesn’t much look like a place where that Jones guy would spend his time,” Amy put away her Dualies and ran her hands through the leaves of a nearby bush. It was rather nice to touch a plant that wasn’t wilted or coming out of her arms.

“I don’t know, must’ve just been a mistake…” Link stared at the Ultra Sword for a moment, wondering why he took the group to a place from his memories. Was it his mind trying to dissuade him from finally finishing this? For a second, his faith in himself waned, but he couldn’t fully articulate why. “Would anyone else like to try? Maybe it’s something on my mind that made me take us somewhere else…” He held the sword out towards the others, waiting for someone to take it.

After a quick glance between each other, one of the four swordsmen, Eleven, decided to volunteer. “Eh, why not? It’s worth a shot,” He stated, grabbing the hilt of the Ultra Sword. The effort he had to use to hold the weapon was decent, but he managed to get a feel for it again after just a few seconds.

“Be careful, alright?” Eight warned.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this…” Eleven smiled, closing his eyes and breathing slowly. He had an image in his mind, and as The Passion emerged from his arms and wrapped around the Ultra Sword, he swung, opening a new portal.

“Okay, Kirby!” Link hollered, calling out to the distracted pink puffball, “Come on, bud! Let’s go!”

“Poyooo…” the Star Warrior fretted dejectedly, reluctantly swimming back to shore.

As before, Empyrea and Landia were the first to go through, then Eleven this time, him being the wielder of the sword. The others followed one by one, the gateway in space and time closing behind Luigi, leaving no trace of the crusaders’ presence as an old man left the nearby hut to check on the sudden commotion. Not even noticing the mess of footprints across the distant sand, he shrugged and went back inside.

Upon entering the next reality, Empyrea instantly knew that is wasn’t the one she and the others were hoping for. Still flying up to scout out the land, she almost retched at the sight of the sky, a hideous, sickly green that reminded her of vomit. Landia didn’t care, but he saw that his Godbird friend was having a difficult time flying due to her disliking for the world she was in. Once they made it back from their short expedition, the group was completely assembled.

“I’m afraid we’re not supposed to be here,” Empyrea said bluntly, swinging her head around in search of a certain creature she knew was native to this infernal planet.

Erdrick, Solo, and Eight slowly turned their heads to stare at Eleven, the same annoyed expression on each of their faces.

“What? I… I guess I didn’t have a clear mind!” Eleven crossed his arms, pouting.

“Okay, my turn,” Solo took the Ultra Sword from Eleven, hoping his attempt would be more successful.

“Why’re you so worried, Ramia?” Erdrick was the first to spot Empyrea’s sullen look, raising an eyebrow. “Is there something about this place that makes you anxious?”

“Yes, Arusu, there is,” she said.

“What is it?” Tael asked, flying up to the phoenix’s face worriedly.

While Solo tried a couple of times to summon a new portal, Empyrea explained her concern. “This planet, I’m not sure how we’re even standing on it… It’s a place that should’ve been destroyed at the hands of a hunter, yet it appears as if she’s never even set foot here,” her advanced ears picked up the rustling of leaves and she instantly went on alert.

Over three hundred feet away, a floating creature appeared, distinct in shape. It looked like a giant cell, a thick, green membrane making up most of its body. On the bottom it bore menacing talons which it notoriously used to latch onto prey. It emitted a shrill scream, sensing the presence of life to hunt.

“That!” Empyrea exclaimed, causing a few of her crusaders to tense up and peek over in the direction the Godbird was looking. “That… thing! The dominant lifeform of this accursed planet! A mockery of nature!!”

“Huh?” Amy and Crystal were the last to acknowledge Empyrea’s startling words. The pair finally looked behind to see the floating monster careening towards them. Breaking away from each other, the Inkling and Octoling knew right away to ink the ground around them and hide.

“What is it?!” Mario backed away, greatly stirred by the bizarre creature. It shrieked, targeting him. Grunting, the mustachioed hero started charging some fire into his palms, preparing to attack.

“Don’t! It’s only weak to freezing temperatures!” Empyrea shouted. From where the creature appeared, two more followed, having heard their ally’s call. The sight further stressed the Godbird, and she turned to Solo, the hero still trying to summon a portal. “Hurry!”

Link, acting quickly, reached into his bag and got two ice arrows. He chucked one at Kirby, the Star Warrior jumping up to swallow it and gain the Ice Ability. With the knowledge that these things were weak to the cold, the Hero of Termina readied his bow and shot his arrow at the first beast, freezing it solid. Kirby followed suit, exhaling a frigid breath to dispatch the other two. They fell out of the air and landed on the ground with a thud, the membrane protecting their internal organs hardening as it turned a light blue.

Solo, having seen all the chaos unfold in just the span of seven seconds, stopped trying to create a dimensional doorway and used the Ultra Sword as it should be, a blunt instrument. He swung the hulking blade over himself and onto the frozen bodies of the enemies, shattering them into pieces. They scattered across the ground, sparks flying from the last remnants of life that remained in the now dead husks.

The crusaders, including Empyrea, panted, their hearts all racing for a good moment after the dust settled.

“What… the hell?!” Mario finally shouted, “What was that?!”

“Affronts against nature, they’re known as Metroids,” Empyrea elucidated shakily, having a well-earned fear of the bioengineered beasts. “Weapons created by a foolish race given life, they can suck the life from anything…”

“You… You know what all that was?” Eight wondered aloud.

“Yes, because someone from a realm like this was in consideration to be one of my crusaders, however…” Empyrea flapped her wings, blowing the chunks of ice away to ensure they didn’t pose a threat. “The hunter proved to be quite busy with her own personal affairs, so I decided not to bring her into this.”

“Huh, we could’ve used her help with this…” Tael remarked quietly.

“I never intended us to encounter these… things…” Empyrea said distastefully. This time, she summoned her own portal, quickly flying through and keeping it open so that the rest of the group could follow. However, her own clouded mind after the exasperated experience led her to another world that clearly wasn’t the right one.

Shatterhand cut down another Hylian guard that was trying in vain to protect Hyrule Castle. A frightening glare of murderous intent flashed before the last defender as he stood against the Archfiend of Reality. Galaxia, stained with blood, glimmered in the dim sunlight peeking through the large, stained-glass windows of the hall.

“You fools don’t seem to understand when you’ve lost!” Shatterhand snarled, lunging towards the guard and clashing with him.

“You’ll find us Hylians don’t give up easily!” countered the guard, keeping confident even as the odds were opposing him.

“Indeed they do, I’m aware,” Shatterhand grunted, thinking about all the variants of Link he had killed. Two specific ones came to mind, the old man he met with in his base some time ago, and the younger one that somehow managed to pose a threat. Such nuisances.

The combatants pushed against each other, the guard managing to be faster. He slammed his blade down on the madman’s repeatedly, sparks raining onto the already ruined carpet. Then, both weapons met in the middle, locked in a desperate struggle. Their swords fought for dominance, but eventually, Galaxia won out. Shatterhand forced his opponents sword to the floor and kicked, knocking the guard down and defeating him.

“Any last words, Hylian?” Shatterhand asked, pointing Galaxia at the guards’ neck.

“See you in hell!” taunted the guard.

“Sure,” Shatterhand said mockingly, tearing through the guards’ throat, taking yet another life. Finally, his assault on the castle was done, all its forces thoroughly wiped out.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Shatterhand continued on his way through the lavish corridors of the castle, making for the throne room. The sounds of boots against marble echoed through the halls, accompanied by the flowing of a cape. Once he found the grand entrance that marked the place where the king once sat, he pushed open the doors and smiled at the serene silence. Taking his time, the fiend approached the throne, putting his only good hand on the right armrest. Slowly, he sat down, sighing contently as if he had earned the right to be on the throne.

The ambiance of the castle was somber, all life exterminated except for Shatterhand. He took a minute to appreciate his work, removing the Dark Matter gauntlet and letting his malformed hand breathe.

After a while, the silence became displeasing, so using his other arm, he summoned a holographic tablet and contacted his second in command. It rang twice before it was finally answered.

“Sir,” the captain’s first words when greeting were always the same.

“I’ve finished with all the little… annoyances at the castle. How were the folks down in town?” Shatterhand spoke casually, not even looking at the screen. His eyes were tilted to the side, focused on something that was off screen for the captain.

“All cleared out sir, although there was no sign of the princess,” the captain gave his report without much emotion, thinking nothing of the lives he or his men had taken while their commander was busy.

“Hm, interesting…” Shatterhand mused, fiddling with his deformed hand for a second. “Are you in position for the arrival and Link and his pitiful little band?”

The captain chuckled before responding, “Of course, sir, I did not forget the arrangements. Five of our finest are stationed at the Temple of Time.”

Shatterhand nodded, refraining from cackling. He wanted to save it for the right time. Instead, he put both his good hand and mangled hand together and ruminated on his plan. It brought glee to his face, the ever-present grin growing. The thought of putting an end to these remarkable few that somehow managed to stand up when so many others before them couldn’t, made Shatterhand feel a sense of relief. He smirked, putting his gauntlet back on, letting the darkness shimmer as the light from the windows dimmed.

A revolting, sinister, spine-tickling laugh resonated through the halls of Hyrule Castle, the source waiting for the enemy to face him. He would be their final opponent.

“Something tells me this isn’t the right place, again…” that was the first thing Mario said upon laying eyes on the world Empyrea brought them to. Luigi shared the sentiment, the hills and loop de loops looking very out of place.

Empyrea was overcome with shame, unable to look her heroes in the eye. Facing away, she shook her head, her posture exuding pure, unfiltered embarrassment. “F-Forgive me,” she pleaded softly, refusing to believe that she made such a blunder. Landia consoled her for a moment as the others gazed out on the strange world filled with striking robots and oddly-shaped flowers.

“Why do I smell oil?” Amy complained, holding her nose.

“Reminds me of the smell when Violet tried to drive…” Crystal also held her nose, finding the stench of gasoline unfavorable. A part of her wanted to hide in her ink, but she wasn’t certain that inking the grass would do the smell any good.

“Green Hills… Unbelievable…” Empyrea grumbled, coming to terms with her foolish mistake and collecting herself. “I-I must’ve been thinking about the homes of the other heroes that Shatterhand had killed… But I’m not sure why,” her words were stunted, confused, and unnatural compared to normal.

Landia just rolled his eyes, all eight of them. He thought Empyrea was just being overdramatic, but he helped her regardless. “Look, it’s alright that you fumbled, don’t worry. I do it all the time,” the four-headed dragon said, “Here, I’ll make a portal this time just so you can take it easy.”

“A-Alright, thank you, Landia,” Empyrea stuttered.

“No prob,” Landia turned back to the others, beginning to protect his thoughts, “Alright, stand back everyone.”

The crusaders backed away, letting Landia prepare himself. He reared his heads back and roared so loudly that the ground shook. Just a couple dozen meters away, a portal of his own opened, sparkling majestically.

“Poyo poyo! Poy!” Kirby hadn’t seen Landia summon a portal in so long, he instinctively reacted with joy. He pulled out his Warp Star and hopped on, being the first to go through.

Link laughed, Kirby’s enthusiasm always making him smile. Once he and the rest of the team stepped beyond the portal, the pink puffballs’ joy was gone, some curiosity being all that was left. Before them was an orange, barren landscape, just like the desert realm they were in before. However, they were right at the foot of a volcano, a horizon of stars behind it. Again, they were not where they wanted to be.

“Poyo?” Kirby thought out loud.

“Halcandra?” Link repeated, not knowing what his little friend was talking about.

“Huh, I was thinkin’ about home… Neat…” Landia was down to rest for a while, but he was dragged out of his hopes of relaxation when Mario grabbed the Ultra Sword from Solo, causing a ruckus.

“I’ll handle this, I have an idea of where Shatterhand might be!” Mario exclaimed, fighting against the green-haired swordsman for the weapon.

“Mario, you don’t know how to use that!” Link warned, breaking up the scuffle, but after Mario secured the sword.

Mario was struggling a bit to hold the Ultra Sword steadily. “How hard could it be? I remember you said that it just takes thoughts, right?” His hands, as tight as their grip was, couldn’t hold the blade properly. Grunting, he swung haphazardly, giving Link no time to explain now the weapon fully worked. Somehow, but some miracle, his movement managed to cut the air just right, another portal opening.

“Woah…” Link was shocked that the plumber opened a portal, but he decided not to instigate anything further. The group had to find Shatterhand, so swiping the sword from Mario’s grip, he jumped into the opening first, the others right behind him.

The next world was familiar only to Mario and Luigi. A vast battlefield greeted the crusaders harshly, the two warring factions unsure how to grant the new visitors their attention. Cannons fired off, their projectiles flying into the sky and letting the forces of gravity act on them. The way they cut through the air made a screaming sound, revealing itself to be a giant bubble as it neared the ground.

“Watch out!” Luigi dived across the ground and tackled Link, saving the Terminian from an injury that’d force him to sit out their final battle with Shatterhand, if they were ever going to find him.

“GAH! We’re getting nowhere!!” Mario groaned, dropping the Ultra Sword.

“We need to get clear! C’mon!” Luigi shouted, helping Link up and running away from the battlefield, leaving the Bob-Ombs massively bewildered. Mario begrudging followed, initially wanting to just let a bubble hit him just so he could feel something besides frustration.

Empyrea picked up most of the crusaders and flew off, Landia letting the rest onto his back or picking them up carefully with his talons. After a minute of aimless flying, the two touched down in a clearing to reconvene and figure out what to do about this portal dilemma. Fortunately, Link managed to grab the Ultra Sword before being swept up by Landia.

“I don’t get it, why can’t we just focus enough to find where Jones might be?” Amy paced back and forth, hand caressing her chin. A bit of her leadership skills were starting to emerge, though not many of her companions noticed, instead dwelling on her words in hopes of figuring something out.

Link was the only one not quite thinking about Amy’s question, simply being hunched over and staring at the sword that he placed on the ground before him. His eyes scanned the blade, the hilt, everything, but his mind kept going blank. Nothing he could come up with could properly explain why this was happening, why the uncertainty was a common feeling that even Landia was feeling. At least, he guessed it was uncertainty that was causing all their portals to lead them to places the team didn’t desire. With Landia’s case, he didn’t see it unlikely that the dragon just wanted to go home.

“Maybe we’re thinking about this the wrong way…” Eight suggested, his brow furrowed. Erdrick, Solo, and Eleven glanced at him, urging him to continue. “I think we just need to retrace our steps and go back to the beginning. Why are we trying to portal anyways? Shatterhand, right?”

“Yeah…” Erdrick and Eleven said.

“We gotta stop him, that’s our plan,” Luigi restated, his words unhelpful.

Link was still thinking but had kept an ear on the conversation between his allies. Then, like clockwork, he focused on what Eight had proposed. Back to the beginning. Those four little words repeated a couple of times in his head, surrounding a mental image of Shatterhand. At last, that sickening smile did some did, as it clued Link on what Shatterhand’s plan might be. An epiphany finally dawned on him.

“I know where he is…” Link pulled his head up, addressing the rest of the group.

“W-Wait, really? Just like that?” Mario was skeptical.

“Mhm… What Eight said helped out,” Link began to explain, “Shatterhand, he’s a cunning lunatic, so he probably thought of some sick way to make this all come around for him,” his tone was serious. Taking the Ultra Sword into his hand, he stood up. “He’s going to take this back to the beginning, but not for us. For him. Where all this started for him, the place that somehow led to me getting this sword.”

“Link, you mean the home of your…” Tael couldn’t finish his thought, guilt following the memory of his friend’s variant that landed on the beach in Great Bay. In was strange to think that it was so long ago now.

“The place my other-self came from, that’s where I think Shatterhand is hiding,” Link surmised.

“Hang on, you’re saying he’s in a place he likely knows?” Erdrick stepped in, “You know that he’s probably set something up for us, don’t you?”

Link looked down at the ground, sighing. “Yes, he probably has, but I doubt we’re going to be able to coax him out now. He’s no fool.” The hero walked to the side and held the Ultra Sword up, swinging downwards to open one final portal. “We need to do this, no matter what this bastard has planned. He’s not going to let us play by anything other than his rules.”

“Dammit…” Erdrick cursed to himself, thinking it was wrong to go into a world that was almost definitely set up like a spider’s web, waiting for the unsuspecting flies to entangle themselves in it.

Link, without another word, stepped through the tear, vanishing. Tael flew in next, followed by Kirby, Mario, Luigi, Amy, and Crystal. Empyrea and her four heroes took a moment to glance among themselves before finding the resolve to continue, Landia flying in first before the Godbird and her four swordsmen.

Link’s eyes naturally became tired once he set them on the land. It’d been so long since he had been ‘home’, even if it was a different realm from the Hyrule he knew. This one had the unfortunate dishonor of harboring the worst kind of scum reality ever knew.

“This… looks the exact same, Link…” Mario complained, at first only getting a look at the similar field that the group had stepped onto from the portal.

“Nope, look over there,” Link pointed out the structure far across the landscape. A white, stone wall, with a destroyed drawbridge that led right to what remained of this Hyrule’s Castle Town.

Mario stifled a gasp while the rest of the team emerged from the portal, his brother, unlike him, fulfilling the need with a sharp inhale. Seeing smoke pluming from town, blood stained against the grass by the bridge, and Shatterhand’s dreadnaught hovering in the sky was cause for great shock. Finally, however much at a disadvantage the modern crusaders may be, they were going to face the man they guessed was none other than Mike Jones, regardless of what would befall them once they were tasked by the ultimate hand of fate.

In unison, they summoned The Passion along their arms, the collective hum coming from the vines audible for nearly a mile. The glow was intense, rivaling the murky beams of the sun as clouds obscured their light. Link took one step forward, fully prepared to tame his destiny, whatever it’d be. One last thought went to the picture in his pocket, reminding him that death was not an option, at least for him.

Chapter Text

Here’s the next chapter, and the sort-of ‘next part’ of the name of the song I’m calling to. It’s from a German short film from 2014, called ‘Schee in Rio’. Again, the song is damn good. Anyways, warning! This chapter is quite violent, so be weary if this gets to be too much. I won’t keep you reading this for long, I’m sure you wanna see what happens. Enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 28: You Want To Die

The lack of life around what was left of Hyrule Castle Town’s drawbridge was unsettling. No chirps of insects, no signs of wild deer, rabbits, mice, absolutely nothing. Unnatural stillness exuded from the normally bustling area, reminding Link of the era of darkness brought about by the King of Evil, Ganondorf, back during his first adventure in his realm. The buildings around town, at least from where Link was able to see, looked in better shape than when they were under the reign of the Gerudo king, but that wasn’t much to be happy about.

Link, Tael, Kirby, Mario, Luigi, Amy, Crystal, Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven stood just a few meters from the moat, their Passion burning with brazen determination. Their guides, Empyrea and Landia, were just behind them, waiting for the leader to make his decision.

“To think… we’re finally here. This horrible nightmare can end,” Link said, unsheathing his sword and arming himself with it and his shield. Mario, Amy, and Erdrick all took one step, but were stopped by Link. “Wait,” he asked, “I just want you all to know, before we do this… I-I have no regrets. I’m proud to call you- To call all of you, my friends. It’s truly been an honor, even in the short time we’ve spent together compared to our lives, I just hope the rest of you feel the same.”

“Hey, Link, don’t talk like that,” Tael sat down on Link’s shoulder, “None of us would be here if we didn’t feel the same, right?” The number of nods from the rest of the group proved Tael’s point.

“I’d say we found something very precious here, right?” Eleven put his arm around Solo, smiling wide as he alluded to the latter’s feelings towards the other three swordsmen that he could safely call brothers.

“Yeah… Things are feeling pretty good,” Solo said with a smile to match Eleven’s, causing Eight and Erdrick to wear one as well. The amount of pride flowing through their vines shined brighter than polished platinum, and they all unsheathed their own swords, just as Link did.

Link was steadfast, believing it to be his purpose to counter the worst things imaginable. From Ganon, Majora, and the other foes he contended it, it was his duty to bring justice and tear the weed of evil from its very roots! He needed to flush it out where it thrived, and this was his moment to make good on what he believed he was meant to do.

Amy and Crystal were the only ones not to speak, even when Kirby shouted his trademark word. They simply held each other’s hands, gazing into the other’s eyes with admiration. The Inkling held her Dualies, the Octoling gripped her Octobrush, their Passion wrapping around the weapons and empowering them with the mystic Wave Energy. Some excess ink spurted out from their tools, showing just how powerful they were becoming with the help of The Passion.

Mario felt in his heart that he was up to this. He felt it necessary to bring retribution upon Shatterhand for what he did to his home, the Mushroom Kingdom. The memories of the Toads fleeing returned to him and Luigi, their business’s destroyed, the entire town in shambles as was the one they were entering.

“You ready, bro?” Luigi asked Mario.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Mario said, a smirk beneath his moustache.

With that, the crusaders entered the town, taking each step carefully. They were eager to fight, but cautious of any traps. Except for Link and Tael, this world was foreign to the others, and even then, the two Terminians were taken aback by the destruction laid about by Shatterhand and his forces. Empyrea and Landia didn’t fly, keeping with the heroes to provide the best assistance and strengthen the group.

“My cod… This is just… awful,” Crystal muttered, unable to look away from the viscous chaos scattered about the ruined town. The presumed number of people displaced, likely dead, because of all this was too much to think about.

The trek through town towards the market area was uneventful, but as Link stepped into view of an unseen spy, a beam rocketed down and struck the stone road, startling everyone. Then more beams were fired, hitting the ground, nearby buildings, even just grazing Landia.

“Get down!” Mario barked, diving away. The others followed suit, except for Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven. Without much problem, they turned their arms inward and each cast Bounce, the reflecting spell. Now, they stood confidently, the beams that managed to hit them being sent in every which way off from the mystic shields.

The crusaders without the magical protection of the Bounce spell backed off, letting the enemy fire focus on the heroes. None of the four minded, as they kept their power fully charged with the help of some special water. It replenished their magic easily, allowing them to ensure the others could regroup.

“That dreadnaught is a big problem,” Luigi said, holding his hat tightly, trying to drown out the intense sounds of explosions all around him.

“We need to have someone distract that thing, or else we’ll just be stuck here,” Link suggested, looking at Empyrea and Landia. “I hate to ask this of you two, but… do you mind?”

“With pleasure,” Empyrea held her wings up high, casting her own magic around herself and her dragon friend. Landia just huffed, thinking nothing of the problem, and was the first to take off into the sky. “The rest of you, find Jones! Finish this!” Empyrea soared into the air, following Landia in pursuit of Shatterhand’s dreadnaught.

The beams hitting the ground stopped, letting the four heroes defending to release their spells. Fortunately, they didn’t use too much water, as they knew they’d need it for spells meant for Shatterhand. As if on cue, somehow, the laughter that they attributed to him rang through the town. The deafening cackle shook them to their core.

“So! You finally made it!” Shatterhand’s forces had set up hidden speakers that were just now activating. They made it so his voice came from every direction, disorienting the opposition as they tried to find the source. “You’re already trembling, you little fools!! If you want to end this, come and find me at the castle! There, we’ll have a battle fit for a king!”

The sadistic message ended with another, ear-grating cackle, the sound echoing beyond the town and reaching half of Hyrule by the time it died out. Fear was written along the walls as the group recollected their senses, hoping to formulate a plan. With Empyrea and Landia handling the dreadnaught that was hovering above the land, the others had to take things on without their help.

“Poyo!” Kirby was ready to go against the dreadnaught himself, his Warp Star blazing with excited energy.

“No, Kirby, we’re going to need everything we’ve got to fight Shatterhand!” Luigi spoke up before the pink puffball could ride off and send his Warp Star into overdrive. “C’mon, they’ve got things handled up there,” he pointed to the sky, then to the castle, “Let’s-a do this!”

“Alright, if anything else tries to shoot at us from up there, we’ve got you all covered,” Eight snapped his fingers, letting Bounce surround Amy and Crystal as a demonstration. It’d take a lot of concentration to focus on casting the spell around two other people, but he’d make it work.

“Booyah!” Amy cheered, admiring the purple magic encasing her body.

Mario quickly sprang into action, Luigi beside him. They summoned their Passion and used it to hoist them into the air. The vines wrapped around the planks of wood jutting out from the ruined buildings of the township, taking the lead. With a light chuckle, Link took out his hookshot and used it to swing above the ground, Tael helping him to target the best places to fire the tool. Right before Kirby could join the three in the air, Mario was suddenly tackled out of the sky, the attacker moving too fast for the others to see until they halted.

The captain, with a wicked smile on his face, had come out of the shadows to play. He and Mario collided with the outer wall of what was once the Bombchu Bowling Alley, crashing through the rickety, wooden planks and landing in the lobby.

“Bro!” Luigi cried out, returning to the ground. A few punches and grunts could be heard from the impact point in the bowling alley, until it went quiet, and then suddenly, Mario flew out and careened across the town, smashing into a pile of wooden crates.

“You’re finally here!” bellowed the captain, leaping out of the ruins and standing proudly. Along both of his arms were strange, white, curved blades, reaching from his wrist to his elbow. They glimmered, even without the presence of light to reflect off the blades, looking like pirate scimitars severed from the hilt.

“Who in the- GAH!” Mario tried to get up but punctured his hand on a scrap of splintered wood. Pulling it out, he got into a fighting position, the rest of the crusaders closing in.

“Don’t remember me, plumbers?! Of course…” the captain cursed under his breath, taking a gander at Amy and Crystal who were approaching fast. “Tch, teenagers,” he raised his arm, letting an unknown light shine off his weapons, “Behold, the blades of brilliance! They’ll cleave your bones and grant me the greatest of trophies to present to my master!!”

“Trophies?” Amy wondered, skidding to a stop and grabbing Crystal’s arm so that she wouldn’t be in range. After a blinding flash, the captain jumped forward, his right arm leading as a nearby wall was sliced apart at amazing speed.

Eleven slid by and extended his hand, summoning the Passion. His vines shot over and wrapped around the captain’s body just as he stopped moving, ensnaring him and keeping his blades at bay. “Take this!!” Eleven shouted, channeling Kazap and sending it surging through the Passion, electrocuting the enemy.

The captain roared in agony, smoke rising from his body after Eleven’s Passion slithered off. Link, going in for the kill, was about to swing his sword and finish off the crazed opponent, when his shoulder was blasted by something behind him.

“Hah, you really think I’d be alone?!” the captain grinned madly as he saw the quintet of his master’s most skilled warriors appear right next to the remains of the Happy Mask Shop. The lead held a gun, similar to the ones that the other guards used back in that desert realm, and the rest had swords. “Boys, why don’t we show these crusaders how we love to fight!”

The group shouted and charged at Link, Eleven, and Luigi, a terrible aura radiating off them. Thinking fast, Mario jumped into the air and moved his hands in a pattern, clapping them together and then reeling them back behind his head. Sparks burst from his fingers, igniting the air around him and enveloping his palms. Finally, after a quick smirk, the red plumber launched two massive fireballs towards the five and the captain, sending them flying.

“M-Mario!” Luigi ran over and caught his brother from the air, setting him down carefully. “Why- Why’d you use that already?”

“I had to make sure they got off our backs…” Mario wheezed; a good amount of his energy spent. His gloves were singed slightly, and he silently hated himself for using what was normally a last-ditch move.

Putting away his sword, Link glanced back at the castle, knowing Shatterhand was waiting for them. Fighting an internal battle, the blonde hero reluctantly made a choice. “Alright, we need to split up!” he said as the rest of the team were in earshot.

“What?! Are you crazy?” Erdrick criticized, “We can’t do that, we all need to stay together!”

“I know, but we can’t handle these guys and Shatterhand all at once! Some of us need to face that bastard at the castle!” Link pointed out to the distance, then towards the group of fiends just starting to recover from Mario’s grand attack.

“Ugh…” Erdrick thought about the circumstances, grimacing as he came to the same conclusion Link did. “Fine! But how? Who should stay back?” He looked between himself and the others.

“Okay, you, me, Kirby, Solo, and Crystal, we go to the castle,” Link gestured to the people he spoke of, “Mario, Luigi, Amy, Eight, and Eleven, you take care of these guys. I’d say getting rid of that lunatic’s swords would be a good way to start!”

“Wait, wait, why do we need to split up?!” Amy took hold of Crystal’s hand. “We do things together, right?”

“Right!” Crystal repeated.

“I know, but your guys’ ink is something that’s extremely helpful for us! Mario,” Link turned to the red plumber, “You told me about how you managed to use their ink, and how it made you stronger, right?”

“Yeah, I covered my glove with it and dunked that Sketchy guy. It sent him packing,” Mario clenched his fist, swinging it downwards to compliment his claim.

“Exactly. Amy, Crystal, I know you two are… quite close, but what you give is too valuable to not have against Shatterhand,” Link put his head down, ashamed that he had to ask the couple to be apart, especially during a harrowing time like this.

The Inkling and Octoling shared a look, their ears drowning out the sounds of lasers flying through the air above and grunts of men coming to their senses. Squeezing each other’s hands lovingly, they embraced, Amy cupping Crystal’s cheek before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“I love you,” they both said. They realized they had jinxed and giggled heartily before parting from their passionate moment, Crystal stepping over to stand with Link and Erdrick.

“Alright, good luck, everyone. I… I guess we’ll only meet again after this is over, or in heaven…” Link’s bangs hid his eyes again as he bid the other half of the crusaders farewell, unsure if they would be victorious. “Tael, follow me, I’m going to need your help.”

Tael flew over and tingled, his purple light brightening up at the prospect of finishing this adventure by Link’s side. He finally felt like his sister, Tatl, and his sister-in-law, Navi, both girls having been helping Link for years. With his Passion wrapped around his arms and empowering his wings, he followed Link as he sprinted off, Kirby, Erdrick, Solo, and Crystal behind him.

“Heh, I never thought Link as one to abandon his allies…” the captain remarked, catching the attention of Mario, Luigi, Amy, Eight, and Eleven. He raised his arm again, letting the blades glisten before going into a cat stance, prepared for any attack the heroes might have.

It was a strange combination of sights for Link, seeing the town in ruins, yet Hyrule Castle mostly intact. Unlike his first quest throughout his home realm, the castle hadn’t been replaced by Ganon’s unruly fortress, twisting and terraforming the land around it just by its sinister presence alone.

“Poyo?” Kirby asked, bringing Link out of his inner thoughts.

“Hm? Yes, I’m fine, Kirby, I promise,” Link assured the pink puffball with a hollow lie.

“Now I know a lie when I hear one,” Solo commented between breaths as he ran down the long, dirt path stringing to the castle drawbridge. “Link, you’ve been through a lot, but I’m sure Kirby can even tell.”

“Well- I-” Link wasn’t able to counter.

“It’s alright if you’re afraid, I kinda am too…” Crystal interjected, giving Link the benefit of the doubt. Everything here, all the chaos erupting around her, was unlike anything she nor Amy had experienced before, with one exception that she refused to think about.

Link slowed down, the distance from the castle too minimal to waste the energy of running. Along his arms, the Passion surged with Wave Energy, fizzing as his emotions conflicted with one another. Erdrick became worried that the hero of Termina might not be up to the task of facing Shatterhand now, the weight of everything at stake being too much. Although, he couldn’t deny that he too felt the responsibility piling on top of his already burdened shoulders.

“I am… I am afraid…” Link admitted, hiding his face from the others. “Afraid that this demon we’re about to fight might just be too strong, and that everything we’ve done so far would’ve been futile.”

“Hey, you know what, look at me,” Erdrick came from behind and placed his hand on Link’s shoulder. He pulled, letting him see the tired man’s eyes. For Link, he saw a shocking amount of sympathy. “We’ve gotten this far, all of us were able to come together and do this. Even if we don’t win, we’ll give this fool something to fear.”

“Poy poy!” Kirby added.

“…” Link was silent for a moment, Erdrick’s gaze fermented in his psyche. Even as explosions rumbled and the faintest of grunts came from the rest of the crusaders battling the captain back in town, a smile appeared on Link’s face. “Th-Thank you, truly.”

“Let’s not keep him waiting up there,” Solo nodded, his eyes darting over to the castle just up ahead. The five turned and made it to the gate, standing valiantly, prepared to fight against the danger awaiting them just inside.

There was almost a tangible mist of terror oozing from the castle as Erdrick and Solo readied themselves to cast a spell in tandem to blast away the gate and begin what might be their last battle. They stood side by side, one raising his right hand, the other his left, their arms touching. A yellow light came from their palms, glowing furiously as they mustered up the magic to send out Kaboom. But before they were about to fire, the gate shuddered, clanking loudly and opening slowly.

“There will be no need for that,” Shatterhand’s voice came from somewhere as the gate creaked, sliding across the ground to make way for the group. “I’ve been waiting patiently for you, though I’m surprised only five of you are here… I’m sure the rest will be dealt with swiftly. Please, come in…”

“Poyo!” Kirby shouted; his paws balled up like little fists.

“Kirby, language…” Link said. It humored him that Kirby spoke so boldly, but now wasn’t the time to admire or admonish the Star Warrior’s tendencies. With a deep breath, he walked past the front line of the gate and towards the moat, the castle’s drawbridge already lowered.

A soft laugh came from Shatterhand’s disembodied voice as the team of five entered the castle, the gates closing behind them. The bridge remained open, the dim light from the outside being the only thing illuminating the room beyond. Just over yonder were three pairs of candles, marking three doors that the group had to choose to eventually find Shatterhand. Crystal scoffed, thinking they made the mood of the area weird instead of menacing.

“How big is this place, Link?” Tael asked.

“Hm… I remember just a bit. When I was younger, I used to sneak in the back. The only time I was ever let in through the entrance was…” Link trailed off, thinking about Zelda for the first time in a while. His Zelda ought to be worried if Anju or Romani sent her a letter detailing where he was, but thoughts about what might’ve become of this realms Zelda overpowered the others. “I do know the way to the throne room. Come on,” Link took the second door, placed at the opposite end of the room.

Blood stains, torn clothes, and damaged pieces of armor were scattered about the halls, showing just how far Shatterhand was willing to go for a proper battle against his incoming foes. There was no trace of the bodies that any of the remains belonged to, the group guessing they must’ve been taken care of before they even arrived.

Kirby held back from using his Warp Star to plow through the castle and find Shatterhand, thinking that his newfound speed would be of better use later. His ride was secured in his pocket, though his Passion seemed to want to act on its own, the vines rummaging around trying to find it. They often sought the Warp Star out, Kirby assuming that it was their connection to Wave Energy.

Crystal was a little green by the gills, doing her best to keep from being sick. The mess of carnage splattered across the corridors never relented, thoughts of fellow Octolings being blended by Sycther plaguing her. To cope, she gripped the handle of her Octobrush tightly, her pink ink dripping off the bristles and leaving a deliberate path along the dark red carpet in case the team needed it for a possible escape later on.

Suddenly, the group needed to blink, all thinking their eyes were deceiving them. It was, in fact, not. The following hallway happened to twist around impossibly. Link groaned, knowing what kind of trick this was. His past experiences in the Forest Temple as a displaced adult, that same magic was being employed here. He didn’t know how Shatterhand managed to do it, but it didn’t matter.

“Look around for something on the wall, a diamond-shaped switch with an eye on it…” Link backed away and scanned his surroundings, taking out his bow and a single arrow.

“A what?” Solo asked, bewildered.

“Just do it,” Link said, deciding not to elaborate.

For a minute, the group eyed the walls, searching for anything out of place. Link wondered if Shatterhand even set up a switch for them to find, figuring that he planned to mess with them and perhaps ensure they couldn’t reach him. No matter, it was worth a shot to search for one.

“Oh! Link, over here!” Crystal called over, pointing up above her. Sure enough, there was a silver, diamond-shaped contraption mounted high on the wall.

“Got it,” Link said, aiming his bow. His shot was perfect, the arrow striking the eye and making it close on command. Then, the walls creaked, the twisted hallway reforming into one that properly followed the laws of physics.

Once they group continued to make it through the fun house that Shatterhand had set up, they found yet another roadblock. This one was exponentially easier to figure out, proving that while Shatterhand was a tactician, he was no good at setting up perplexing problems for his foes. All the crusaders had to do was light up five torches, Kirby doing so effortlessly with the Fire Ability granted to him by one of Link’s fire arrows.

“Nice way to save arrows, huh?” Erdrick said, noting that Link would’ve needed to use four more arrows, wasting resources.

“All thanks to Kirby,” Link smiled down at his puffy, pink companion. They pushed forward, finding only a few problems on their way to Shatterhand.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of solving foolish puzzles, the group wandered upon the doors to the throne room. More splashes of blood, now dried, marked where a viscous fight must’ve ensued. Sadly, the victor was proven to be the orange-haired monster waiting on the other side, as before anyone could open the doors themselves, they unlocked, slowly parting to reveal Shatterhand.

“Ah, there you all are. I hope my games were not too much for you. It seems like you’ve wasted a bit of daylight already,” Shatterhand was relaxed on the throne, one leg in his lap, his good hand propping up his head, hinting towards his boredom.

“Hardly! You aren’t the greatest puzzlemaster,” Crystal said defiantly, holding up her Octobrush.

“Hmph, very well. Now, I guess it’s time for us to do battle,” Shatterhand was unnervingly casual about the battle that was about to go down. He fixed his posture and stood from the throne, his cape rustling while it draped down to his heels.

Right as Link, Erdrick, and Solo unsheathed their swords, a blast of darkness came from Shatterhand’s Dark Matter gauntlet, aimed right at Kirby. Unfortunately, only his Warp Star could move fast enough to dodge it, as Kirby was struck and sent flying back across the hall that he and the others entered from, crashing into a painting.

“Kirby!” Link called out, turning back, his eyes trying to find where Kirby had gone.

“I anticipated Kirby would be joining you, you utter buffoons!! The energy coursing through this gauntlet is the exact thing Kirby is weak to!” Shatterhand jumped from the stairs that the throne sat on and down right in front of the opposing forces. “Dark Matter against Light, such a combination didn’t bode well for your variant, Kirby!”

“P-Poy…” Kirby’s sharp grunt was just barely audible, and the gauntlet charged up again in preparation to fire.

“Hiya!” Link dived in front of the blast, his Mirror Shield protecting him. The surge of darkness ricocheted off the shield and hit the leftmost wall next to the throne, bits of stone raining onto the floor.

“Gah!” Shatterhand dodged a concentrated attack of magic from Solo, making sure to avoid Crystal’s ink that now covered the floor. She was certainly fast with her brush, he had to give her that.

Erdrick was about to join up with Link to fight together, knowing their sword skills would be on par, but he became confused when he was alone. “Link? Hey! What’re you doing?”

Link was breathing heavily, a terrible realization coming to him. He panted, his heart beating fast. “K-Kirby… Your variant…” The meaning of Shatterhand’s words hit him like a punch to the gut, his mind recalling the remains of a Star Warrior that Meta Knight had come across while they were exploring the parallel Cappy Town.

“The gauntlet is what can kill Kirby…” Link whispered worriedly, almost too distracted to notice Shatterhand coming towards him.

“Oh no you don’t!” Crystal shouted, summoning her Passion. The vines stretched out towards Shatterhand, coiling around him. She wasn’t strong enough to pull him away, but she was able to stop him momentarily.

“What the hell-?!” Shatterhand screeched, fighting to figure out what was wrapped around him. It dawned on the others that the Archfiend still didn’t know about the Passion or its nature. Such a thing was good to keep a secret. Erdrick acted fast and cast his vines out to aid Crystal, their combined effort keeping Shatterhand in place.

“KIRBY! Get out of here! Y-You can’t handle that gauntlet!” Link practically screamed, pleading for the pink hero to escape.

“Poyo?” Kirby had freed himself from the wall he was embedded in when he crashed but tilted his head with confusion at Link’s new orders.

“Remember what happened to you back at the Mushroom Kingdom! He shot you out of the sky!” Link yelled, regaining his senses and running at Shatterhand, kicking him as hard as he could so that Crystal and Erdrick weren’t left trying to keep him under wraps for too long.

Kirby instantly knew what Link was talking about now. It was difficult at first to remember such a specific detail, but the fact that Shatterhand was able to shoot him down while he was riding the Warp Star at what was then his top speed was something he always kept with him. That was the primary reason he was so excited to test out the limits of his Warp Star once he obtained The Passion. Without a second to lose, Kirby hopped on his air ride and flew it through the closest window. He didn’t want to leave, but he was well aware of the risks the powers of Dark Matter posed against him.

A small chuckle came from Shatterhand as Kirby fled, finally breaking free of the Passion. For Crystal and Erdrick, the sensation of their vines literally being torn through was terrible, both their arms becoming numb for a moment as the liana retracted. Staggering towards the Octoling, Shatterhand revealed his sword, Galaxia, smiling wide, murderous intent in his strong, piercing gaze.

“Come on!” Solo kept Shatterhand and Galaxia distracted by engaging him with his own sword. They connected once, pulled away, and then again, almost mirroring the battle between the Hylian guard. A strong blow was parried by Solo, and he tried to cast Kaboom to send him away.

“You’re open!” Shatterhand growled, bringing Galaxia up away from Solo’s shield and swinging it towards his face.

Solo dodged just enough so that the sword missed taking off his nose but wasn’t able to move further to save his left eye. The tip of the weapon sliced Solo’s face, tearing out his eye and sending blood to the floor.

“AH! D-aaauugh!” Solo groaned, collapsing. His left arm dropped his sword and quickly went to cover the side of his head, hoping to stop the bleeding.

“Solo!” Erdrick yelled, caring not for the numbness in his arms and running over to help.

“Heh… Now it’s only four of you! This shall be easy!” Shatterhand gloated, standing above Solo, about to blast him with the Dark Matter gauntlet.

“Hey! Don’t count me out!” Tael flew up and used everything he had to attack with his own Passion. The vines, though vastly smaller than Crystals’ or Erdricks’, were able to wrap around Shatterhand’s head.

“Oh, but I shall!” Shatterhand, still able to see through a break in Tael’s vines, swung both hands forward. Tael, hovering in front of Shatterhand, tried to fly out of the way, but was too slow.

Both hands surrounded Tael in an instant and slapped together, taking the fairy with them. The act was followed by an echoing clap. A small crunch was heard at the same time, Shatterhand grinning with deep, unfathomable malice as he felt Tael’s wings fold beneath his one good hand. The Passion wrapping around his head went limp, letting go and fading away into nothingness.

All the color drained from Link’s face, his eyes going wide in desperate fear.

“They seem to be splitting up!” Empyrea noticed her crusaders going off into two teams, a group of what she assumed were guards from Shatterhand in the town.

It was just after the group made up of Mario, Luigi, Amy, Eight, and Eleven decided to take on the captain themselves, and the others went on towards the castle to find Shatterhand. The Godbird thought it unwise for them to divide into teams, but there was no arguing now, both her and Landia busy dealing with the dreadnaught. The ship shot its beams endlessly, the bolts screaming through the air and past the divine beings.

“Link probably has a plan, don’t worry- AH!” Landia for once showed fear, a shot from the dreadnaught hitting his lowest head right in the cheek.

“Landia!” Empyrea too expressed worry as Landia’s trajectory faltered, his wings at first going to wrap around him protectively. He knew better and kept them straight, though his flight became a little wobbly until he steadied himself.

“I-I’m fine,” Landia said, shaking the blast off.

“A-Alright…” Empyrea said, keeping her cool. She turned and dive-bombed the dreadnaught, the feathers along her wings solidifying into razor-sharp blades. They slashed the hull, a defined cut forming along its side. “That’s it! Landia, cover me, I’m going in for another run at it!”

“You got it!” Landia said, flying up and spewing fire from three of his four mouths to keep the shots concentrated on him. A few cannons along the ship’s starboard side caught on to the tactic and kept their sights on Empyrea, waiting for the right moment.

“Here we go!” the excitement from Empyrea’s thoughts made Landia smile, just slightly. He hadn’t seen her in battle before, but now that he was witnessing it firsthand, he was awestruck.

Like she did before, Empyrea turned and dived towards the dreadnaught, her wings once again going solid. Their sharpness was seen through the windows, various crewmembers running down to tend to technical emergencies. However, the gunners manning the cannons were given clean shots, and when they fired, the horrible sound of ripping flesh filled Empyrea’s ears. While her outer feathers lining the edge of her wing were solid, the inner ones were not.

“GAAAUUUGH!!!” Empyrea hollered in pain, the lasers from the closest cannons being strong enough to pierce her wing, complicating her flight movements. Her speed was stunted as she pulled away from the ship, another, albeit smaller cut now lining the hull beside the first one.

Landia growled with rage. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that!” He grew strangely protective of Empyrea, and all four of his heads fired in tandem, thick balls of plasma striking the cannons that shot the Godbird. They were instantly melted, sparks raining down onto the Temple of Time.

The two flew out of range of the dreadnaught for a second, Landia going close to inspect Empyrea’s wing.

“Now are you alright, this time?” Landia asked.

“Y-Yes, I’m alright. It’s only a flesh wound,” Empyrea calmed her four-headed companion, easing his thoughts.

“Good. I’m counting on you, you hear. I can’t take this thing down alone,” Landia replied, not even realizing he was admitting to his inability to go it alone as he often did.

“I understand. Come on, we need to finish this thing off and help the others as soon as possible!” Empyrea soared back, breaking off from Landia to pursue to dreadnaught again. All Landia did was sigh before joining her, his heart truly smitten.

After another run against the dreadnaught, a third gash now across its hull, Landia noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. It was a sparkling star flying out and away from the castle, Kirby riding atop it. He scowled, but not at the Star Warrior. If something happened in there, something bad enough to cause Kirby to flee, it mustn’t be good. As Empyrea was readying up for a forth dive, Landia considered suggesting to her that they could handle the dreadnaught last. He never ended up giving just a query, another blast hitting his head angering him further.

“TAAAEL!!” Link cried out in agony.

Shatterhand parted his arms and looked at his hands, expecting to see the remains of a purple fairy squashed between his fingers. Instead, something fell to the group, hitting the rug with a light thud. Tael, his body bruised and wings in tatters, coughed, struggling to breathe. He was still clinging onto life.

“Insect,” Shatterhand said dismissively, a hint of disgust lining his lips. Then, with a smirk, he lifted his boot up to stomp Tael. Before he could, Link tackled him, rolling onto the floor and away from his fairy.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” Link roared, using his bare fists to pummel Shatterhand. He wanted every single bone in his enemy’s wicked body to break by his own doing, darkness clouding his eyes.

Link never got to see his desires through, Shatterhand blasting him in the chest with a weak, but still point-blank shot from his gauntlet. The hero flew into the throne, joints in his back popping at the force of the impact. Meanwhile, Shatterhand panted, wiping his now bloody lip and smiling.

“It seems you’re unfit to cope with loss… How about some direct exposure, then?!” Shatterhand cackled, aiming his gauntlet at Crystal, who was still struggling to get feeling back into her arms.

“HEEYYA!!” A sword slashed the gauntlet, but the swing wasn’t strong enough to break it. Regardless, Solo, holding the blade firmly, stared down Shatterhand with the only eye he had left. A dark determination swelled throughout his iris, taking on the appearance of the Passion itself. He heaved, the blood trickling down his face. “You’re going to regret that, asshole.”

Solo’s sword and Galaxia met once again, clashing against each other brutally. Crystal had finally gotten overcome the numbness surrounding her arms and grabbed her Octobrush, inking the ground and giving her room to gain some speed. Swimming through and refilling her ink tank, she appeared right in front of Solo and Shatterhand’s duel and swatted him to the ground with her brush. He fell forward face-first on the floor, his pants drenched.

“Stupid child!” Shatterhand looked up and performed a tactical get-up move, swinging his legs around and knocking both Crystal and Solo down in the process. Once they fell, he kicked them both in the sides for good measure, relishing the sound of his steel-toed boots breaking bone. He flicked away a few spots of ink from his clothes, insulted that it was even touching him.

Moments after Solo and Crystal were downed, Link and Erdrick came together with their swords in hand, going for a pincer attack. Erdrick was in front of Shatterhand, Link was behind, closing in on their enemy in hopes of getting him down.

Instead of simply dodging, like how the two swordsmen expected, Shatterhand crouched down and held Galaxia above him, letting Link and Erdrick’s swords collide with it. The three blades sent sparks flying, a smirk along Shatterhand’s face. Then, jumping up, he successfully pushed them away and cleared the arena for him to step back and collect himself.

“Dammit!” Erdrick cursed again, standing upright and looking at Shatterhand.

“Fools!” Shatterhand seemed to love that word, and he quickly fired at Erdrick with his gauntlet. The first shot was blocked by a shield, but when the second one hit the floor, it left the caped hero confused. Then, he was sent across the room with a third shot, leaving Link as the last one standing. Staring at the Terminian, the manic ginger laughed. “I feel as if I’m really going to enjoy this, Link!”

Link’s lungs fought for air. His vision around the edges was blurry, eyes darting around the room. First he saw Tael, crumpled in a heap on the floor, then he saw Crystal clutching her torso where Shatterhand had kicked her. Then finally, his sights rested on the man coming towards him, panic invading his heart and leaving him as stiff as a statue. Shatterhand. He had discarded Galaxia, holding up his left arm, his good hand in a pristine attacking position.

“I’ve wanted to say this ever since we met in the Mushroom Kingdom, Link…” Shatterhand treaded closer with unspeakable evil seething from his teeth. There was such a clear difference between his composure then compared to now. Then, curling his arm back, he screamed with joy. “DIE!!!”

Just as quick as it happened, the horrendous sound of tearing flesh rang in all of the crusaders ears, blood spurting across the floor and staining the wall of the throne room.

Chapter Text

Not very much in terms of the author’s note today, as I know that you all wanna get to the chapter. However, I will say that the two groups are going through their respective events at the same time, one half battling Shatterhand, the others fighting the captain. Anyways, beware, this one is unfortunately violent for our crusaders…
-Justan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 29: Wilted Flowers

“LINK, MOVE!!”

Link’s ears didn’t pick up the sound, but he felt his whole body being pushed out of the way. Solo, having managed to recover from being kicked in the side, bolted towards Link and pushed him out of the way of Shatterhand’s charge. Then, he sensed his entire body going into shock, with silence permeating the throne room as blood flew out and splattered against the wall and floor.

Shatterhand frowned, his only good hand creating a gaping hole not in Link’s torso, but Solo’s. His broken ribs thanks to Shatterhand’s boots left his chest vulnerable, and it was remarkably easy for the fiend to plow his fist through his flesh. The green-haired hero sputtered, flinching violently as his attacker ripped his hand back through his body and left the hole wide open. Solo shivered, the damp, cool air hitting his insides and sending furious chills along his nerves.

“S-Solo…” Erdrick muttered, unable and unwilling to comprehend what was right before his eyes.

“Hm… A rare display of valiance from a lonely, depressed man,” Shatterhand mocked as Solo slumped onto his knees, struggling to get his body to do anything. The red-haired maniac then put Galaxia into his other hand, powering up his stolen blade via the Dark Matter gauntlet. Then, just as all the darkness culminated at one point at the tip of the sword the golden glow of a Light arrow pierced it, causing a large explosion, sending Shatterhand straight into the door. The sword was completely obliterated, the gauntlet damaged in the blast.

Link, bow in hand, wore only a hollow glare as Shatterhand was dispatched just briefly. He knew the light could counter the dark, but his foe still possessed remarkable physical prowess, so he was uncertain how long Shatterhand would remain out of commission.

“Solo!” Erdrick scrambled to his feet and raced over to his friend, pulling him up into his arms. “Wh-Wh…” The normally bold hero stuttered, trying to get his mind to pick something, anything to say. “D-Don’t worry, Solo, you’re going to be alright. I just need to heal… Yeah, healing!”

Crystal rushed over to try and help Erdrick, them being the closest to her. Her side still throbbed, pain almost too much for her to even stand, but she managed. Hobbling over and going down onto her knees, her Passion instinctively started to wrap around Solo’s damaged body, as did Erdricks’.

Meanwhile, Link slowly made his way over to Tael, dropping his bow and bending down. Carefully, he scooped his beloved fairy into his hands and sat down, silently pleading with his Goddesses to somehow save Tael’s life.

“Tael…? Can- Can you hear me?” Link asked softly, his words wobbly, trying to fight back the urge to cry. When he received no response, a single droplet dripped down his cheek and hit the carpet, his body curling down in sorrow.

“L… L-Link…” Tael’s purple light returned; it’s glow horrifyingly faint. He was still holding on, trying to sit up in Link’s hands. Only one of his little arms had the strength to hold him up, the other broken, along with his left leg. Both wings attempted to move, to flutter, but they couldn’t.

Link looked at Tael with watery eyes. He wrapped his hands around the wounded fairy, wanting to protect him with his entire body.

“I’m… I’m alright, Link, honest…” Tael said, fighting to smile despite the ruthless damaged inflicted on his wings. They hurt the most, the veins that pumped blood to fuel his flight directly exposed.

Over where Shatterhand had been sent, from the rubble of the now destroyed swinging door to the throne room, pieces of wood, the metal hinges, and chips of stone grating the ears as the madman rose from the ruins. He looked down at his gauntlet, clicking his fingers together. Weak sparks flashed; the weapon damaged just slightly by the light arrow. That put things into perspective, this battle requiring a much more serious performance from Shatterhand.

“You…” Shatterhand pointed to Link. “You’re next!!”

“Tael…” Link gently put Tael down on the ground. He needed to get Shatterhand away from the others so Erdrick could have the time to possibly save Solo. Taking his sword by the hilt and strapping his shield to his arm, he bolted, gunning towards the closest window and jumping through, glass breaking as he escaped.

Shatterhand ignored the others, his eyes focused only on finally killing Link. He pursued, leaping through the broken window and giving chase. Dusk was swallowing the land, sunlight dimming as it set below the horizon. The glow of Link’s Passion as he used it to swing along the trees in order to gain speed slowly faded from view, leaving Erdrick, Crystal, Tael, and Solo in the throne room.

Crystal, fearing the worst for Link’s fairy, ran over to help him instead, cradling him in her arms as her Passion started to wrap around his broken body.

“Come on…” Erdrick muttered to himself, casting his third healing spell. His magic seemed to have little to no effect, the gaping hole in Solo’s chest refusing to close up or heal in the slightest. “Come on! PLEASE!”

“Erd-” Solo wheezed, hardly able to breathe with his lungs pierced and partially torn through. “Erdrick… J-Just leave it…”

“No, don’t say that you idiot. You’re fighting to stay alive, just- just work with me!” Erdrick cast Heal for a fourth time, and when it didn’t appear to have any effect, he had an idea. Grabbing his satchel, he stuffed his hand in and searched around for some medical aid.

“No herb is going to f-fix this…” Solo guessed.

“I’m not looking for an herb, I’m trying to find a…” Erdrick pushed away all the medicines, water, and whatever else in his bag, looking for a very sacred item. Rare and valuable, Erdrick had his sights on an Yggdrasil Leaf, something used to bring back the fallen. He could’ve sworn he had one.

The realization set in after he rummaged through the bag for nearly a minute, no luck in finding the special leaf. Horror and dread filled his eyes as he looked back at Solo, his own Passion writhing around in the pool of his blood that had accumulated around him and Erdrick. It seeped into the carpet, coloring it a deeper red, splotches now riddling Erdrick’s cape, gloves, and pants.

“Erdrick, I…” Solo lifted his arm up and put his hand on Erdrick’s cheek, smiling weakly. “It’s okay… I’m fine with this.”

“No, Solo, we made sure that we were going to fight Shatterhand together! I’m not-! I-I’m not…!!” Erdrick was lost, his emotions everywhere as he held his friend in his arms.

“And we did… We fought…” Solo restated.

“I… I can get the others! Surely they have a leaf that we can-” Erdrick was about to stand up, but he found his tunic being tugged on.

“N-No, please… Don’t leave me…” Solo begged. His words, unlike the rest, were accompanied by fear, the only time he was legitimately scared. Erdrick did as his friend asked, remaining with him, holding him as he bled out. The Passion coming from Solo’s arms started to shift in color, their normally vibrant, blue hue dulling. Hideous grey cracks formed along the rims of the vines, bits and pieces of the thorns starting to fall away. “I just… I just wish that the others were here.”

“M-M… Me too,” Erdrick said, petrified as he watched Solo’s Passion begin to wither away. Their hum died out, the life fading, the vines crumbling into dust and blowing away just from Erdrick’s harsh, heavy breathing.

"Just... Win... Win for me, okay?" Solo asked.

As the sun fully set, nightfall blanketing Hyrule, Solo died. His skin grew pale, blood no longer dripping, and his Passion completely withered. All the Wave Energy had ceased, leaving nothing but his husk. Erdrick, moisture in his normally stoic eyes, held the body of his friend close, muttering sweet nothings as Crystal tended to Tael. At that moment, the crusaders had lost a member, the silence between them almost deafening as Erdrick screamed out in grief.

“Heh, I never thought Link as one to abandon his allies…” the captain remarked, catching the attention of Mario, Luigi, Amy, Eight, and Eleven. He raised his arm again, letting the blades glisten before going into a cat stance, prepared for any attack the heroes might have.

“Nah, we just think quickly,” Mario affirmed, using whatever strength he could to charge his hands with Firebrand again. Luigi did the same with Thunderhand, the brothers leading the charge against the captain and his team.

The sun beat down on Castle Town with almost blinding power, the streaks of light coming from the captains blades along his arms flashing so brightly that even Empyrea and Landia noticed them from where they were flying, the pair still fighting against the dreadnaught. As Link, Tael, Crystal, Erdrick, and Solo raced down the pathway towards Hyrule Castle, the rest of the crusaders began their battle against the captain and his men.

At first, Eight and Eleven, being the only two with swords, contended with the captain against his blades of brilliance. Despite being outmatched physically, the captain held his own with ease, moving his arms in such a way to parry the different simultaneous attacks from both swordsmen. Luigi fought against the other men at the captain’s command, Mario and Amy backing him up allowing them to be on par with the five attacking units.

Luigi opened with a blast from his Thunderhand, dispatching one of the men right away. Their armor was metal, so the electricity flowed through it too effectively, stunning them. One problem, Luigi would need to charge his Hand Art up again before using it, but Amy jumped in and covered the surrounding turf in ink.

“What is this stuff?” One of the men questioned the ink across his hands. He smudged his fingers with it, inspecting the substance before Mario challenged him.

“I think it’d be best for her to tell ya!” Mario pointed his thumb towards Amy, the Inkling taking the hint and shooting his glove with her Dualies. With the ink covering his fist, he punched the man straight in the jaw, a thick splat of ink erupting from the impact.

Amy covered the man with ink for good measure, smirking as she twirled her guns around. “It’s a little bit of us!” She turned curtly and put her hand on her hip, thinking the enemy had been taken care of.

“Gah…” The man slowly rose, huffing, shaking the ink off his armor.

“What the-?!” Amy realized that her opponent wasn’t done for and reeled back in hindered fear.

“Shatterhand’s given us some advancements! It’s going to take a lot more than gunk from a pen to finish us!!” he said, swinging his sword downwards. Amy jumped, dodging the blade, but wasn’t ready to be met with a roundhouse kick to the stomach when her feet touched the ground again.

“Amy!” Eight looked behind him, hearing Amy land on the road roughly just a few feet away. The distraction was enough for the captain to rush forward and clotheslining the hero, sending him crumpling to the ground.

“Hey!” Eleven shouted in defense of his friend. A spell was quickly cast, Flame Slash, and he aimed for the captain’s right arm blade. When they touched, Eleven was suddenly forced back, his magic bouncing off the blade and the flames being inflicted on him instead.

The captain just laughed maniacally, the light from his weapons bending impossibly. “It seems you heroes can’t recognize superior magic! These blades were gifted a special art by a genie far more powerful than you!” he boasted, walking towards Eleven. “My, my… She certainly was lovely, though that pirate in which these come from was far fouler.”

“What… What the hell is a genie?” Eleven asked with surprising seriousness. The captain just frowned, inwardly frustrated.

“Tch- No matter! These blades can move independent of my arm, slicing at speeds far faster than I could!” The captain inched back, raising his weapons and closing one eye. As if he were peering through the scope of a rifle, he carefully aimed his arm, looking to slice open Eleven’s chest. “Even I don’t know what their limit is!”

A bolt of lightning abruptly struck the ground next to the captain, gaining his attention.

“And we aren’t finding out!” Luigi said, scowling that he had missed his target just slightly. He was never the best at directing his powers, unlike Mario.

“Luigi…” hissed the captain, grinning madly at the sight of the green plumber. “You came at a good moment, actually. You and I… have unfinished business!”

“Huh?” Luigi put his arms down, confused. “We do?”

“Yes, I- Unbelievable,” the captain snarled and stepped away from Eleven, his blades now set on Luigi. It gave the purple-clad hero time to bail, getting out of range of the captain’s swords. There, he started to ready his arms to cast a spell.

“Bang!” Eleven called out the name of his magic, his Wave Energy gathering by his palms and dispersing, soaring towards the captain. Before it even got close, the captain sneered, swinging his arms. His blades lit up, flashes of light blinding both Eleven and Luigi as the spell was negated, the explosion going off prematurely.

“Useless, useless, USELESS!!!” The captain bellowed, returning his twisted gaze onto Luigi. He kicked his legs into the ground and flew up at amazing speeds, Once he reached the peak of his jump, over fifteen feet above Luigi, he thrust his fist forward. A glimmer of light came from his blades, just narrowly missing the green plumbers’ right hand. They cut the ground cleanly, a perfect gash in the stone.

A blaze of fire then came from behind Luigi, Mario launching a small volley of fireballs out his hand courtesy of Firebrand. While they were parried by the captain’s blades, the distraction gave Eleven time to help Eight and Amy, who were now fighting against the quintet of men further into town.

“You guys going to be okay?” Eleven shouted as he left.

“Of course! Link said to take out the swords!” Mario replied. Turning to his brother, the mustachioed hero smirked. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Heh, you know it!” Luigi pumped his fists into the air, electricity crackling. Mario did the same, embers bursting forth and raining onto the ground. For both of them, The Passion sprang up and covered their hands, empowering their skills.

The captain raised an eyebrow, unaware of what he was allowing the brothers to do. An unseen force whirled around them, pulling them up into the air and making them appear to take flight. Their powers surged, Mario heading towards the captain first, twirling around like a spinning top.

Mario made collision with the captain, The Passion moving so fast that it slashed him in the chest, cutting his shirt and almost taking off his star-shaped rank insignia. Luigi came in next, going low before jumping up and delivering a fierce headbutt. Mario was up again, stomping on his head to add to the pain. Luigi then swerved close, spinning around like a cyclone. The pair kept this pattern going, hitting the captain again and again without fail.

“Urk- GAH!” The captain made rather humorous noises as he was pummeled on repeat, until something unimaginable inside him snapped. He yelled as loud as he could, and right as Luigi was going in to strike him with The Passion curled around his fingers, a bright slash of light interrupted him.

Once vision returned to the brothers, Luigi’s arm felt lighter. Looking down, he saw a stump where his right hand used to be. Below him on the ground lay his severed hand, twitching slightly before going limp.

“WHA- AH!! AAAAAAAAAAAUUUGH!!” Luigi cried out in pain, holding his arm.

“A new trophy!” the captain proclaimed, kicking Luigi so hard that he was sent flying into the air and into a boarded-up window right across the street. Dust followed, cracked planks of wood falling to the ground, another resounding crash being heard, Luigi presumably colliding with a nearby wall inside.

“Weege!” Mario shouted, ignoring the captain and using his Passion to swing up and dive into the window to find his brother.

Inside, Luigi had slammed into a wall and slid down, landing on a wooden crate filled with strange, blue devices with yellow highlights. He was too busy screaming in pain to acknowledge their mouse-like shape, the building he had been sent through being the Bomb Shop’s upper floor, where all the explosives were held in storage.

“Hey, Luigi!” Mario called out. He gasped at the sight of all the bombs and treaded carefully to find his brother. When found the green man, he quickly carried him out of the storage room and into the hallway, setting right beyond the door and next to the stairs. “Bro! Hey, look at me! Are you alright?”

“M-M-My hand…” Luigi whimpered, clutching his right arm. The wound making up the stump perplexed the brothers. Instead of blood, there was a reddish-orange substance forming, almost like magma. It was hot to touch for Mario and even more painful for Luigi.

“Thank you for the trophy, Luigi,” the captain said smugly from the foot of the stairs. He had taken the scenic route inside, passing through the shop and meeting his enemies with a smile. In his hands was Luigi’s, holding it like a toy and taunting Mario as he stared down at him with hatred.

“Y-You… You’re sick!!” Mario jumped into action, fire burned by his hands as he flew down the stairs and landed on the first floor roughly.

“I only wish to give my leader a fitting reward for finishing off you and your little friends! The right fists of my opponents are a fine gift to give the man with the mangled hand!” the captain’s reasoning for relieving Luigi of such a precious body part made Mario want to puke. There was no understanding this deranged beast, the red hero deciding there and then to end him, even if it meant his own life.

At the same time outside, Eight, Amy, and Eleven were busy. Enough ink to fill a pool had been sent all across the market area of the town, the sounds of ink squishing between both the heroes and the villains’ feet. Magic sizzled through the air, often making contact with its targets, occasionally missing, but still flying all over the place.

“C’mon, just a bit more space…” Amy said to herself, knowing that she almost had her special fully charged. She needed to make herself useful while still fending off the attackers. In one hand was her blaster as the other lobbed burst bombs around, her efforts looking haphazard for the enemy.

Two swordsmen were teaming on Eight, the bandana-wearing hero fighting to try and cast a spell that he knew would be effective.

“Eleven! I need you!” Eight shouted.

“A little busy right now!” That was the only response Eight got, as Eleven was busy dodging the shots of the leader, his gun firing in his direction was dangerous intent. One bolt hit his boot, causing him to slip. Quickly, he cast Bounce, protecting him from any incoming projectiles as he recovered.

“Aha!” Amy’s cheered, her gauge finally full. Bombing the area in front of her, she got away from the group and readied her Tenta Missiles. In her eyes she eyed all four of the attackers and locked them in.

Pulling out a set of missile launchers seemingly from nowhere, Amy fired them into the air. After a moment, they all turned, seeking out their designated targets. The arial ambush was unexpected, the three remaining swordsmen and the leader being knocked away from the impact of the blasts, though they weren’t as strong as normal. Since there were four targets all together, fewer missiles were reserved for them all. The special was only meant to aim for three, after all.

“Guys! Get up, hurry!” Amy called out, watching as some of the men were already getting up after just a few seconds.

Eight hadn’t gotten up because he was finally able to get ready for his spell. Sword in hand, he got to his feet. “Metal Slash!” He said, swinging his weapon at the closest warrior.

Each of Shatterhand’s finest were wearing steel-plated armor, reinforced to provide further protection. However, against a spell devastating to all forms of metal, it was rendered pointless. The slash caused the armor of Eight’s enemy to contort, warping heavily until it exploded under the pressure, causing such intense injuries to the wearer that they were far more than simply knocked out. They were completely out, retired from the battle, many bones broken.

“Of course, Metal Slash!” Eleven exclaimed. He used the same technique, hitting the armor of another close enemy. The same results that befell the first victim happened to the second, Amy taking care of the leader of the group with a swift but powerful punch.

“Is… Is that all of them?” Amy asked, looking around. Luigi had taken down one of the men with his Thunderhand earlier, two more were down thanks to Eight and Eleven, and the leader was out for the count.

“Nah, this one over here…” Eight said, walking up to the last one, the man just barely conscious. Amy and Eleven joined him, looking down on their final opponent. “What should we do with him?”

“Wave Energy, anyone?” Eleven said, summoning his Passion around his fingers.

“How’d that work?” Amy tilted her head.

“We just send it through to him. It’ll be too much for him to handle, putting his lights out,” Eleven explained, his vines already wrapping around the man in question.

Eight and Amy just shrugged, bringing out their Passion and together with Eleven, sending streams of the waves through into the last warrior. As expected, it overloaded his senses, knocking him out for a good while. They didn’t totally want to kill him, though, as it was clear by the youthful look on his face and tired eyes that he was forced to be a part of Shatterhand’s wretched forces. Due to the revitalizing nature of Wave Energy, he’d wake up in a few hours feeling like a million dollars.

“Wait, where’s Mario and Luigi?” Eight asked, noticing the concerning lack of plumbers in the area.

“Uh… They were…” Eleven trailed off, the last time he saw them being when he left to join the others, leaving them to face the captain. The trio’s question was soon answered, as a blast of fire burned through the door to a nearby shop, a sign with an image of a bomb bursting into flames.

“I guess he’s there, come on!” Amy took action, bolting towards the inferno without a second thought. Eight and Eleven were right behind her.

Mario gasped for air, his arms aching. He had been using Firebrand too much, lacking the energy to use it without issue. Now that he was going off whatever scraps of willpower he had left, everything around him felt fuzzy. He wished he had a few of those beans from the Beanbean Kingdom. They could keep him going if he truly needed it.

“Bro!” Luigi called from the stairs. He was hardly able to stand, yet he found the strength to overcome his state of shock from his severed hand and make it down a few steps.

“Weege, don’t! Stay there!” Mario ordered, not wanting his brother to lose any other part of his body.

“Hah! I thought you learned that you don’t always need to be alone, you! Or… was that Link’s lesson, I’m not sure…” the captain mused out loud. He grabbed Mario by the collar, pinning him down by a table.

“How- How do you know about that?” Mario grunted.

Before the captain could answer, Eight, Eleven, and Amy burst through the door, weapons in hand. Delighted to see fresh meat, the captain raised his arm again, causing his blades to flash. Anticipating an attack right when they entered, Eight put his arm out to stop the others from going further, inadvertently saving his right hand from being cut off after a beam of light flickered brightly in front of him where his arm would’ve been.

“No!” the captain realized that Eight’s hand was intact, and he pushed Mario into the side of the table, flipping it over. Strutting menacingly towards the new arrivals, his blades shimmered, moving so fast that the sound of their vibrations were almost akin to The Passion’s hum.

“Shit, Eight, don’t use magic-” Eleven tried to warn Eight about what happened when he tried to use Flame Slash against the captain’s weapons, but it was too late.

“USELESS!!” the captain smirked.

Eight was going in for another Metal Slash, seeing the captain’s blades as simple swords. He was met with a rude awakening, his energy reverberating and sending him crashing into the wall. All that followed was a laugh from the captain, his wide smirk unsettling for Eleven and Amy.

“Guys!” Luigi snapped the others out of the captains’ trance-inducing smile. He waved his stump in the air, showing just what the captain was capable of. The act pained him, and he curled back and seethed. “Alright, Weege, you’ve got this…” he said under his breath, mustering up the strength to attack.

Amy moved to the side, putting both her Dualies together and firing them together. A technique from her more tactical days as an Agent, the stream of ink flowed faster than normal and hit the captain almost like a punch, blinding him for a moment. Eleven followed up with a weak Sizz just to get him away, joining up with Eight and heading past the captain to get to Mario.

“You little bitc-” the captain was quickly cut off by Luigi jumping down from the stairs in a gambit, all-or-nothing move. Both his boots landed on the captain’s left blade, all the plumber’s weight forcing the ruthless man to the ground.

Then, a sharp snap came from the captain’s weapon. Luigi had broken the sword grafted onto his left arm clean off, clattering to the floor loudly. The captain didn’t scream, holler, or do anything. His eyes went wide at the sight of one of his blades on the floor. Now, something else inside him clicked, his mouth hanging open just slightly as he held almost perfectly still, the green-capped hero in front of him.

Luigi smirked, charging up his fist with Thunderhand. He turned his body around to give the captain the strongest punch he could throw, but a quick flash of light made him stop all movement.

“LUIGI!” Mario yelled.

A soft chuckle came from the captain’s mouth as he stood straight. Luigi was frozen, his mouth shuddering as all the electricity in his hand dissipated. Then, he fell to his knees, a mortified look on his face as two bloodstains formed on his shirt, one on his back and the other on the opposite end.

“Hah…” the captain breathed heavily, having put a lot of energy into what he called his ‘statue attack’. When Luigi had broken off his left blade, all forms of thinking besides winning exited the captain’s mind, his body locking up and the blade along his right arm spinning to pierce the green man’s heart at sub-light speeds. “It’s… been some time since I did that…”

“Lu…” Mario crawled out from beneath the flipped over table and towards his brother. The captain, feeling merciful, decided to let the plumber do so without intervening. While it would’ve been easy to kill him then, somehow, he still had some honor left in his darkened heart.

“L-Lu… Luigi?” Mario rolled is brother over to try and get a response, but he only got to see the deathly-white, pale look of bloodless skin. Taking off Luigi’s left glove, he checked for a pulse, but it was in vain.

“Poyo?” A voice came from outside.

Mario ignored it, tapping Luigi’s cheek, hoping that something would happen.

Kirby had just fled from Hyrule Castle at Link’s behest. The Dark Matter gauntlet could quickly prove to be his demise had he stayed any longer. Now he didn’t know what was happening with Link, Tael, Crystal, Erdrick, and Solo, but finding that Mario, Luigi, Amy, Eight, and Eleven were nowhere to be seen didn’t instill hope in his heart.

“No! No! Please!!” Mario didn’t begin sobbing, instead, he begged. He begged whatever higher power truly existed. “Please, god, no!”

“Poy poyo!” Kirby followed the sounds of dismay until he found them, coming through the door to the bomb shop and making his way in. Once he discovered the scene of Mario holding Luigi with Eight, Eleven, and Amy mortified by the stairs, the captain standing above the brothers, he quickly prepared himself.

A quick vacuum flowed through the room, Kirby inhaling Luigi’s discarded glove and obtaining the Fighter Ability. Death was something the Star Warrior greatly despised, and with a warriors’ bandana appearing on his head, Kirby raised his paws up in preparation for a beatdown. Luigi and Link were the only ones so far who could understand his words, that fact being cherished by the little, pink puffball.

“Now!” Eleven and Eight drew their swords and went to attack, but a flash of light from the captains’ left blade created several cuts along Eleven’s face and sliced open Eight’s leg, keeping them away.

“His death was painless, I assure you,” said the captain, taking one step closer to Mario. Eight and Eleven groaned on the floor and Amy was struggling to act now that she had seen a man die right before her eyes. “You should be grateful, you know.”

Mario didn’t respond, getting onto his knees to mourn his brother.

“M-Mario! Do something!” Eight shouted, getting up slowly.

“…” The red plumber mumbled something.

“What was that?” asked the captain.

“I said… monster…” Mario reiterated himself, standing up. Then, with all the passionate rage he could ever muster in his life, he turned around and punched the captain. Then he hit him again, and then again. Blows struck the man’s chest, arms, and face, never letting up.

“HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Mario screamed, borrowing Link’s battle cry.

Time slowed down for him while he gave the most meaningful barrage of blows of all. All that swelled through his mind was to avenge his brother, the cruel punishment feeling so sweet and savory. His last punch sent the captain flying, where Eight gladly continued the pummeling. His fists flew with just as much anger as Mario’s, slamming down onto the captain’s face without mercy.

“POOOYYOO!!!” Kirby said, uppercutting the captain and delivering his own bout of unrelenting fury.

Finally, the captain was sent Amy’s way, where she finished the beatdown with all the effort she had.

As she went to town on the captain, Amy’s sanitized eye sparked painfully. Strangely, it was somehow numb for her as her target was sent crashing into the stairs, thoroughly destroying them once it was all said and done. She only wished that Crystal was here, their fusion’s power being the only thing strong enough to fully deliver the vengeance Mario deserved.

Eleven was still on the ground, unable to see. The cuts along his face were deep, one along his eyelid. Eight went over to help him, and luckily, the damage was minimal. If the slash to his eye was deeper, it would’ve blinded him.

Mario, on the other hand, was slumped over by his brother’s body. Now the tears were flowing. Kirby trotted over to him and didn’t wait to be spoken to, simply hugging him as tight as he could. The Passion emerged from his round, pink body and wrapped itself around the red plumber, giving all the comfort he might ever need. It still wasn’t enough to quell the grief that was flooding in.

Chapter Text

…Yeah, not much to say… This is going to be a shorter chapter, but I hope it’s all the more sweeter. Please enjoy.
-Justan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 30: Unbreakable Love

“L-Luigi…” Mario whispered, his tone full of regret. Kirby’s Passion let go after a bit, the Star Warrior realizing that no amount of love could mend this right away.

Eight took off his bandana, keeping silent for a moment in respect for Luigi. Though he and the green plumber weren’t close, he valued him as an ally and man. The amount of honor he had for each of his fellow crusaders was unimaginable.

Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by debris being pushed over. From the remnants of the staircase, the captain slowly and painfully got up, only a few bruises lining his body. His hair drooped in front of his face, only the heavy stare of his eyes marking any sign of his presence. Eight sensed him, glancing back in horror to see that the enemy was still kicking.

“It’s going to take a lot more than emotion to kill me!” the captain spelled it out quite plainly. The bated breath the crusaders held vanished, the hopes that they had finished the captain going out the window. Now on alert, Eight, Amy, and Kirby felt their muscles immediately tense up. “Now gaze at the splendor of this lovely, beautiful violence!!”

Raising his arm into the air as he did many times before, the captain charged, the crooked, demented grin on his face holding onto Amy. It reminded her of Sycther, his own smile often coming up in her nightmares. She found herself unable to move, but thankfully, Eight blocked the incoming slash of light with his shield, engaging the captain with his own sword. The impact of their weapons connecting produced sparks, threatening to ignite the dry, broken wood at their feet.

Mario was at a loss. He gave that beatdown everything he had, yet it still wasn’t enough to put an end to this miserable excuse of a human being. In fact, the mere idea of the captain being human had left the conversation long ago. This man, this thing, he didn’t have a soul!

“WAH!” Eight’s sword recoiled from the devastating slash from the captain’s blades of brilliance. Upon looking at his weapon, there was a tiny crack in its sheen thanks to the blow. “K-Kirby! Empyrea told us that you could go into some kind of ‘Overdrive’! That’d be really helpful!”

“Poyo!” Kirby joined Eight, ready to help. Eleven right by his side, even though he was still wounded, they approached the captain together. Kirby held his paws back to summon a Giga Force Blast, the most powerful thing he had at his disposal when he and Eleven were abruptly kicked with incredible force, soaring across the room at blistering speed.

“Shatter against the wall, fools!” the captain said as Kirby and Eleven smashed into the very wall he spoke of. Kirby was mostly fine, his squishy, soft body being much more difficult to damage, but Eleven was only injured more.

“MARIO! Stand up! Help us!!” Amy pleaded, holding her Dualies shakily. The captain still wore his twisted smile, only bringing back more terrible memories of Sycther. “Ah!”

Amy jumped away from a slash from the captain’s weapons, the attacks instead hitting Kirby. Again, his puffy, pink body protected him, but it contorted like rubber, driving the Star Warrior into the ground further, dazed. With a tiring effort, Kirby tried to bring out his Warp Star, hoping to use the Passion to take into overdrive and somehow fight against the captain, but as the fiend loved to say, it was useless.

The captain’s blade hummed, light bending while he was going in to strike. For Mario, all sounds were drowned out, his ears only filled with the rhythmic beat of his heart. His vision was narrow, and everything felt fuzzy, the Firebrand almost fizzled out due to overexertion. Finally, he turned his head to see what was going on behind him, his eyes locking on to the captain’s fist. If he could somehow keep the slash from hitting Amy, maybe he could use the Passion to reflect it.

Breathing heavily, Mario’s Passion accumulated by his fists, and after standing up, he swung at the captain with all his might.

“REBUFF OVERDRIVE!!” Mario shouted, infusing his hands with the vines as Kirby did with his Warp Star. His and the captain’s fists connected, fire and light bursting from their touch.

“Hah! You truly are stupid, plumber! You’ve given me another trophy!!!” the captain exploded with joy, slamming his free elbow into Mario’s arm. Then, in one swift movement, an arc of light sliced through his right hand, cutting it at the wrist.

The disembodied hand landed on the floor with a thunk, Mario’s arm going into shock. His legs trembled and he fell to his knees, holding his new stump. As he struggled to form any words for a moment, the captain put his hand to his ear, smirking. “What was that, Mario?”

“A-AH!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHH!!!” Mario cried out, the stump covered in a strange, orangish-red slop as it steamed. Like when Luigi’s hand was removed, the wound burned, the sheer power and speed of the blades of brilliance cutting immediately cauterizing the damage, his flesh vaporizing.

“A lovely answer,” the captain said in response to Mario’s shriek.

Amy suddenly came in, tackling the captain. She latched onto his wrists and kept both his arms up, creating an opening for Eight to blast him with magic. Casting Fwoosh, a dense gust of wind blew towards the two combatants. The captain was barely able to move his left arm and deflected part of the spell with his sabers. He was still pushed back, as was Amy, but Eight was also affected, flying back into a corner right across from Mario.

“Ugh… M-Mario…” Eight managed to speak, crawling out of sight of the captain behind a protruding section of wall. “How’s your wound?”

“GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHAAAH!!!!!!!!!” Mario continued to scream, the pain unmatched.

Eight looked to the floor in remorse, wondering if this was how he and the other crusaders would be defeated. He slammed his fist down onto the wooden planks under him, cursing those damned swords. Just briefly, he glanced at his own weapon, his face reflected in the polished, burgundy sheen.

“Th- This guy is insane! He… He took Luigi’s hand too…” Mario finally used his tired voice for something other than expressing the absolute ocean of agony his arm was in.

“W-Why?” Eight asked, the sounds of Amy shooting ink with her Dualies distracted him for a second, peering out from behind the part of the wall keeping him out of view of the captain. Then, an idea sprang into mind. Grabbing his sword, he reached into his bag and found a vial of water.

“What’re you…” Mario fought for air, having trouble breathing as all the adrenaline his brain could produce rushed through his veins. “What’re you doing?”

“If this bastard won’t play fair, we won’t either!” Eight proceeded to give Mario a plan, keeping his voice down so no attention would be drawn to him.

“I never in my lifetime thought a squid could be a match for me!” the captain wiped off the ink now covering his blade, shocked to discover that it being tainted by the liquid impeded it’s performance. Grabbing Amy by the throat, he lifted her up and flexed his arm, light flickering as the speed returned to the weapon. “Say ‘hello’ to the calamari I had the other night, you’ll be seeing it soon.”

“No!” Mario shouted, a bolt of flame hitting the captain in the back. Amy was released, falling to the floor and coughing furiously, desperate for air. Seeing that the captain’s eyes were on him, Mario tried to stand, his left leg wobblier than his right. “Come on, you monster! Didn’t you say that you had unfinished business with me and Luigi?!”

“Hm… Yes, I did…” the captain spoke softly, inspecting the scene before him. He couldn’t see anything dangerous afoot, so after a quick shrug, he took one step closer to Mario.

“Well, then finish it! I’ve got nothing left to live for!” Mario growled, pumping his chest out to coax the captain in. “You killed my brother, so go on! Finish it! Finish the job!”

“Heh… With pleasure, fool!” the captain raised his right arm up, his blade shimmering. Lunging forward, he giggled with childish glee, his sword aiming for Mario.

Fwoom! A large flash of yellow light cleaved through the air. When the captain could see again, he found his weapon gone. His right hand had been severed by the start of the wrist, taking his so-called brilliant blade with it. It clattered to the floor just as his previous one did, causing the owner to gasp in horror.

“WHAT?! NO!!” The captain screamed, trudging forward in an attempt to kill Mario once again.

Another fwoom blinded the captain, now his right foot cut clean off. Eight, from the corner where he hid, had his own sword in hand. Particles of light fell from the weapon, the hero calling upon the art of Miracle Slash to hopefully put an end to the captain once and for all.

Mario smirked, huffing as he silently relished the look of disbelief in the captain’s eyes. "Well?! Do it! I'm right here!!"

“Y-YOU! YOU WILL NOT WIIIINNN!!” the captain tried to jump, Eight charging up one final Miracle Slash. The Passion weaved around his fingers and became infused with his blade, the weapon going into overdrive.

“Say ‘hi’ to Cackletta for me, in hell,” Mario said, resolve in his voice.

Miracle Slash emitted such a strong beam of light as Eight swung his sword, it looked as if the sun itself appeared in the Bomb Shop. By now, night had just descended on Hyrule, the stars twinkling along the sky as the orange hue of the sun disappeared behind the horizon. The stars were overwhelmed by the amount of light coming from town at that moment, the captain being hit so hard that instead of flying to the side from the force, his body started to crack.

“GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” the deranged subordinate of Shatterhand screamed one last time as his body started to break down. Steam hissed from the exposed valleys in his skin, the same magma-like substance that covered Mario’s stump appearing underneath it.

Falling to the ground, the captain’s organic form started to turn to stone, the magic of Eight’s slash solidifying his flesh and bones. Pieces of him chipped away as his final, dying scream faded into the night, the yellow shine from the magic surrounding him and Mario. The plumber simply kept a smirk plastered along his face, the sweetest sense of victory washing over him.

The captain’s form dissolved and crumbled away, the last remaining force from the slash of unbelievable power turning his petrified remains into dust, scattering them throughout the room and falling into the cracks between the floorboards.

Mario’s strength had finally left him, his body slumping down onto the floor in exhaustion. Eight emerged from his hiding spot, limping slightly from the captain’s cuts along his legs. He turned the corner to check on the others. Amy was alright, as was Kirby, but Eleven had passed out, blood covering his face and tunic. Eight squinted, determining that Eleven was alive, able to discern his chest lifting up and falling back down, a sign of breathing.

“Hey, Mario,” Eight said, hobbling over and bending down to help the red plumber up. “Come on, this isn’t over yet. We need to go help Link, Erdrick, Solo, and Crystal…” The hero still remembered the agreement. The other half of the crusaders must still be at the castle, battling Shatterhand.

“Okay… Okay…” Mario said wistfully, staring at nothing for a time.

Then, a slight breeze rushed through the building. At first, Eight and Mario thought it was from the door, still open from when Kirby had arrived, but oddly, the wind came from the opposite end of the room.

“What the-?” Eight muttered, seeing the ashes of the captain being picked up by the wind. For a second, terror afflicted their hearts, fearing that somehow, the captain wasn’t dead. However, when the dust and grime collected itself by the opened door leading to the street outside, it took on a much more familiar shape.

The spirit of Luigi, holding his left fist up proudly, appeared before Mario and Eight, gazing at them from over his shoulder. The lone brother blinked twice, thinking that his grief-filled mind was playing some twisted, cruel trick. No, his brother’s soul really was there, or it at least certainly seemed like it. Nodding gently, Luigi smiled at his family, now able to rest knowing that the one that struck him down had suffered utter defeat. The ghost faded into the night, all of the captain’s remains being swept along with it out towards the open air.

“LU-LUIGIII!!” Mario cried, freeing himself from Eight’s hold and stumbling forward. He tripped and fell over his twin’s still-present corpse, baffled. Even if what he saw was only a vision, he believed that his brother was able to rest comfortably now.

Eight went over to Mario and helped him up again, taking him over to Amy, Kirby, and the unconscious Eleven to rest for a minute. They all breathed heavily, tears streaming down Mario and Kirby’s cheeks as Amy and Eight looked down at themselves sorrowfully.

“Again!” Landia called out to Empyrea, all four of his maws curling into a smile as he watched her dive bomb the dreadnaught for a fifth time. The dragon decided to push his thoughts about Kirby fleeing the castle to the side, having better things to worry about.

Empyrea swooped up and around the ship, Landia following her lead. The two flanked the bottom right and bottom left respectively to avoid any and all fire directed towards them. Beams still shot out in all directions, hitting the trees, parting the clouds, and fire spreading along the ground.

“Handle the dreadnaught for a moment, I need to take care of this fire!” Empyrea swerved away from the ship, heading towards the growing forest fire. Dust was released from the confines of her wings, shimmering as it floated down on top of the flames, putting them out slowly.

“Got it!” Landia engaged the dreadnaught himself, his rightmost head firing where the large, central window to the bridge was, his leftmost head taking out a few of the turrets still active.

Tilting his wings inward, Landia gained incredible speed, soaring across the width of the ship and going out of sight. A sonic boom ruptured the sound barrier as the crimson dragon flipped himself around and fired from all four heads at once, allowing his flames to combine into one massive, hulking inferno. It made direct contact with the hull, bypassing the shields that were initially a problem for the attackers when they first went up to battle after being shot at from town.

“Any orders from the captain?!” One of the lieutenants asked, frantically trying to fight back.

“N-Nothing but static!” The response he got wasn’t comforting.

“Great, I guess this is my problem now…” grumbled the lieutenant, cursing under his breath. Then, after a glimpse of only Landia flew by central commands’ window, he noticed that there was no sign of Empyrea. “Where’s the Godbird?!”

“Off radar! Probably flying somewhere close to the ground,” shouted one of the analysts.

“Hm…” the lieutenant wondered why Empyrea would be going low. The ship’s tracking was always confused when targets went down towards the ground. Deeming Empyrea a lost cause, a new idea entered his brain. “Is the Ion Cannon functioning?”

“Uh…” another analyst typed away at the console hurriedly. When a green light flashed on the screen, she leaned forward in her chair. “Yes sir! Empyrea’s essence has stopped interfering with the exhaust!”

“Splendid…” said the lieutenant.

Empyrea made another pass along the ridge where the burning trees stood, the orange embers matching the sunset. Her dust wasn’t fast enough to quell the flames if she didn’t make one last run. Looking behind her at Landia, a bit of confidence instilled itself in her heart as he took out the stern turrets, leaving one half of the dreadnaught without any firepower.

Landia kept taking shots at the ship from above, all the regular cannons too weak for their bolts to reach him. He almost wished he had the Master Crown, as it did give him some power as he held back the rest of the darkness when he still had the duty of keeping it out of the wrong hands.

Then, Landia could feel something different coming from the ship. Shudders on the deck of the dreadnaught and the ones that revealed the hangers opened up, allowing the ion cannon to be seen from its hidden bunker. As it powered up, the electricity in the air was captured and charged. Normally, the cannon was used to interfere with and ultimately disable the systems of enemy craft, overloading their electrical circuits. But, when given enough energy, the ions themselves could be weaponized, becoming so potent with kinetic energy that they could cut through almost anything.

“Uh oh…” Landia noticed that he was being tracked by the cannon, and because of it’s round base, it was given almost full 360-degree movement. Parts of the ship opened up to remove any and all obstructions, nothing blocking the cannon’s line of sight and thus ensuring Landia had no place to hide in a pinch.

“No, no, no, no…” Empyrea saw the dilemma in the sky.

“FIRE!” the lieutenant ordered. A wide, sheet-like beam fired from the nozzle of the cannon, aimed at Landia. The dragon tried to dodge, but the beam still managed to feet

“AH!” Landia roared in pain, one of his talons falling and landing one of the manmade water reservoirs placed next to the Temple of Time.

The ion cannon fired again, this time aimed at Landia’s upper head. Diving towards the dreadnaught, his front facing the cannon, he tried to minimize his visible size to throw off the ships’ aim. It worked against the second shot, ducking out of the way just in time, however, a third shot was fired right after, and it didn’t miss.

Landia was partially beheaded. While having four collective minds, one for each of his heads, they all worked together to operate all his senses, his wings, and everything else at the best possible level. Even with three remaining brains, the shock of loosing just one made the dragon pass out. He started to spiral out of control, loosing altitude and crash landing in the moat surrounding the gate and drawbridge protecting Castle Town.

“No!” Empyrea screamed horror. She didn’t care if her dust was enough to put out the fire, after her last pass across the forest, she veered off to find where Landia had gone.

The ion cannon took one last shot, trying to hit Empyrea, but she concealed herself under the wide canopies of the forest, her blue feathers hidden underneath the sea of green. Luckily, the darkness of the night washing over the land helped her blend in where the trees couldn’t protect her, but it wasn’t much. With the dreadnaught still active, danger lurked in the sky as the Godbird escaped the forest and searched the moat. There, right in front of the destroyed drawbridge was Landia’s unconscious body, half-submerged in the water, the rest of it having evaporated, steam formed from the fiery impact.

“Landia?!” Empyrea touched down and dragged Landia from the moat and onto land. He was breathing, a massive relief for her, but now she was on her own battling that damned ship in the sky.

In that instant, she wondered how her crusaders were faring. The stress ringing in her ears stopped her from hearing any of the fight going on in town. Then, a huge blast of yellow light came from town, catching her attention. Hoping that Landia would be alright without her, she took flight and looked around town, the harsh flash seemingly gone.

“Where…? Ugh, of course,” Empyrea lamented that she couldn’t find the source of the light, but another sight in the distance helped her find at least one of her heroes. She even witnessed Shatterhand giving chase, but before she could attack, the dreadnaught’s ion cannon charged up again, the tension literally in the air. Flying low, hoping the cannon’s systems would be disoriented, shame welled up in her heart. “I’m sorry…”

Empyrea needed to take on the dreadnaught alone. Unfortunately, that meant leaving whoever it was Shatterhand was chasing to fend for themselves as they fled. The soft, blue glow of The Passion was hardly visible in the darkness of the night, their blonde user swinging through the trees and into town. Only the moon accompanied him as he panted heavily, searching for his friends.

Chapter Text

It’s odd, the song I’ve referenced here is actually what I consider to be ‘Link’s Theme’ in The Fierce God Given Life and Twilight of Danger, my two previous Zelda stories. Now, it takes on a much different meaning. I swear, Chris Cornell was a master of music. Anyways, we’re picking back up with Link from the beginning of chapter 29. Enjoy.
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 31: You Know My Name

The Passion sprang in and latched onto a lamppost. It creaked terribly as Link swung through the ruined town, the blue vines vibrating while they held his weight. His mind raced as visions of blood from previous battles plagued his mind, all reminding him of his past that was drenched in violence.

“I can’t let him catch up,” Link thought as his feet landed on the rickety roof. He broke out into a sprint, his breath never leaving him as The Passion shot out from his arm again. He channeled his Wave Energy through his wedding ring, strengthening it as the vines reached out and grabbed onto the terrace of what was once the Bombchu Bowling Alley, pulling him through the air and away.

That haunting, shrill laughter came from the darkness of the shadows, growing ever closer, threatening to wrap around his heart and cut off its pulse. Thankfully, The Passion’s hum drowned out the horrible sound, soothing the weary crusader as he tried to find the others.

“Where the hell are they?!” Link asked himself, his eyes darting around. He could’ve sworn he saw a quick flash of light coming from town, one that rivaled the sun! He cursed the fact that the realm was so familiar, yet foreign. Without Tael hovering by his side, it made him feel much more than lost. He was alone.

“Come on!!” Shatterhand’s voice bellowed somewhere behind Link, “Where is that bravery you men in green are known for?!”

Link felt irked. He knew he didn’t want to run away, to try and escape the living spectre of death that was Shatterhand, but his will wouldn’t let him do anything else. He remembered what his variant spoke of, the infinite passion of life. He was momentarily taken out of his thoughts when landed on the rubble-covered roof of the same building he and his family stayed in during his second adventure in Hyrule. The memory was sweet, but it pained him to see the building now ruined in another world. He used his other hand to briefly touch his wedding ring. To him, that was it. That was the infinite passion of life.

Just as Link used The Passion to once more swing up onto the top of the remains of the Potion shop, Shatterhand landed on the other side, splintering the wood tiles and revealing the concrete underneath. Dust, grime, and other debris flew into the air and Link stopped dead in his tracks, panting, his heart beating a mile a minute.

Once the dust settled, Link could see Shatterhand, just barely. His form was drenched in darkness, the faint, yellow-ish light of the full moon only illuminating just a sliver of his left side. His head was obscured by shadow, but Link could feel his demented, piercing gaze.

“You know, I never expected that you would be such a problem, Link,” Shatterhand said, taking a single step. It was rough, the sound of splitting stone coming after he moved forward. “The others I’ve hunted were easy.” He took another step.

“Well, that little streak of luck has run out,” said Link. As Shatterhand took yet another step, the hero in green had an idea. With a clenched fist and a smirk, he finished his sentence with, “My friends and I already made sure of that, Mike.”

Shatterhand stopped.

“What was that?” He said softly.

Link didn’t answer. Instead, his smile just grew. For the first time, he saw Shatterhand hesitate, almost stutter. He knew he had gotten him with the name. Freddy was right.

For a moment, deafening silence reigned over the two, and Link reached back to grab his sword. With his weapon in hand, he pointed it at Shatterhand, confidently stating, “You can’t scare us anymore, Mike Jones!”

“...” Shatterhand looked down, evident by the release of pressure usually felt by people in his sights. “So, you figured it out,” He finally said. The calmness in his voice made the hairs on the back of Link’s neck stand on end.

“It wasn’t me!” Link said, scowling. “Freddy did. He’s far more knowledgeable about us than you’ll ever be!”

“Hah!” Shatterhand snorted, lifting his head up, “That little nerd?!” His smile gleamed in the moonlight. It disturbed Link how perfect Shatterhand’s teeth were, spotless and pointed like a savage predator. “If that masked twerp is so smart, why didn’t he stay and help you and your little friends form a plan of attack that would be suitable for me and my men?”

“We didn’t want him in danger,” Link growled, “He has no quarrel in this. He wasn’t chosen to stop you like we were.”

“Yet it adds one more casualty,” Shatterhand threatened, holding his concealed left hand into the air. The gauntlet glimmered as it powered up, allowing Link to see the fiend’s face. It mortified him. Across his lips was a grin that would give Link nightmares, and in his eyes was unfathomable bloodlust.

Shatterhand practically screamed with joy as he lunged at Link, who managed to parry the incoming attack with the Gilded Sword. A blast of dark matter erupted from the gauntlet, but Link’s blade knocked it away. The pair went into a rhythm, darkness flying in all directions as Shatterhand got closer and closer to Link. Finally, when he was in range, his armor restructured itself around his leg and he kicked the hero in green in the side, sending him flying.

Link landed on the edge of the roof, holding the area where he was kicked. He thought he could feel a fractured rib. Once he got his bearings, Shatterhand leapt in front of him, his armor leaving his leg and forming back around his chest to protect him.

“In all my years of doing this, you Links never gave me problems,” Shatterhand began, sidestepping. Link did so as well in the same direction, keeping his distance. “Sure, you fought back, but in the end, you never saw me coming…” The fiend snarled before removing his gauntlet, holding up his malformed, right hand. The two men kept going in a circle, sizing each other up like animals. “But now, I will kill you with my own, crippled hand… And I’ll take the greatest pleasure in it.”

Link still wore his determined gaze. Such a courageous display didn’t give Shatterhand confidence, so instead, he thought of something that would truly tug on the hero’s heart. The prospect delighted him.

“Once I’m done, however, I’m going to pay a visit to your wife,” Shatterhand smirked wickedly.

Link’s heart skipped a beat, fear washing over him just as it had when he saw Tael be defeated.

“I saw her, you know,” Shatterhand said tauntingly, “While I was investigating each of you and your friends’ worlds.” Link held his left hand up and looked away, thinking about what Shatterhand could’ve done. He hated everything that came to mind.

“She was lovely, and what I’ll do… I’m going to enjoy it. Very, very much.” Shatterhand was pleased with the pure, unbridled rage he saw in Link’s eyes.

“I’ll cut you in two before you get the chance!!” Link roared, thrusting his sword out and gripping the hilt tightly. The Passion emerged from his arm and wrapped around the weapon, empowering it. Wave Energy crackled, and at the same time, the dark determination overwhelmed Link’s gaze, his irises ablaze with the ruthless desire to kill. Emotion had fully taken the wheel.

“I’ll tear open each of those scars and watch you bleed!” Shatterhand retaliated, his armor now quickly forming a makeshift blade around his gauntlet to replace the now destroyed Galaxia, the weapons meeting in the middle. Sparks rained down from the impact and the two men’s faces stood just inches apart.

Shatterhand was a man of his word. First, he aimed for Link’s cheek scar, the semi-triangle shaped one he received from none other than the Garo Master. He cut perfectly, opening the wound without slicing any more skin. Then, he got the chin scar courtesy of Dark Link using one of the sharpest edges of his armor.

Link refused to let Shatterhand win. He simply couldn’t. All his flaws, all his love, it made his blood beat! The pulse of life surged through his veins, and it showed in the blood that Shatterhand spilled with each cut. It splattered all over, appearing black in the moonlight.

Shatterhand decked Link in the face, sending him off the roof. The hero summoned the Passion and used it as a whip to hang onto the exposed wood by the edge. The fiend walked over to the drop-off and smiled, “Tell me, your child, the one you’re expecting… Do you know whether it’s a boy, or a girl?”

Link didn’t answer, struggling to keep the Wave Energy coursing through his battered body.

“Would you like to know?” Shatterhand raised his arm up and pulled up his holographic screen. Smugly, he stared down at the helpless man under him while typing away, looking for his data.

“Damn you!!” Link screamed, forcing his other, bleeding arm to move up. The Passion coiled around his limb and with both sets of vines, he heaved himself up and into the air, leg up. There, he kicked Shatterhand in the chest, making him stagger backwards.

Once Link was steady, his fists went into overdrive. With all the strength his body could muster, he punched Shatterhand. Then again, and again. He wanted to hear the chilling sound of bones cracking; only then would he be satisfied.

Suddenly, Shatterhand caught Link’s fist before it could connect to his face a fourth time. Their arms wobbled as they tried to overpower the other, their raw, physical power almost on par.

“I wonder… Who taught you how to punch, hm? You’re so adept with that sword, your own physical fighting abilities normally aren’t so… impressive,” Shatterhand said mockingly, grinning as he kept Link’s fist away from his face.

Link again didn’t say anything. Instead, The Passion appeared around his wrist and covered his hand. Finally, Shatterhand’s grin disappeared, a frightened look replacing it.

The sound of the fourth punch was sweet, savory, and it brought a brief glimpse of victory in place of the dark determination clouding Link’s soul.

“You…” Link said breathlessly. The hero grabbed his sword and stood above the man known as Mike Jones, glaring down at him without pity.

Shatterhand’s chest heaved as he poked his head around, thinking of some way to best Link. Then, he got a cunning idea. “Ever heard of Achilles, Link?!” He snarled. His armor again restructured itself around his leg, forming a meager but sharp blade, and he kicked.

Link’s boots had been carelessly planted on either side of his opponent. Shatterhand, with the blade now along his leg, slammed the weapon into the back of Link’s ankle. It easily sliced through the leather boot and drove itself into the back of his foot, cutting the Achilles tendon.

“Ah!” Link shouted, losing his balance. He took a knee, allowing Shatterhand to sit up and tackle the hero. Without any hesitation, his armor gathered around his mangled hand and into another blade, which he plunged into Link’s shoulder. He screamed out in agony.

“Hah…” Shatterhand scrambled to his feet like a weasel, his face contorting into a twisted smirk as he pulled the blade out from Link’s shoulder. His blood-stained armor went back to its normal placements. “Hahaha!!” Shatterhand laughed to himself as he felt his heavily bruised cheek. His cackle echoed through the decimated town while Link fought to scoot back and gain some room.

“I could not imagine how you thought you’d win, Link! A simple man like you doesn’t stand a chance against my prowess!” Shatterhand gloated as he closed the distance between himself and Link.

The hero in green was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He clutched his shoulder, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. For a moment, he feared that he was the last of the crusaders. He didn’t know what befell the others, not yet. Was Shatterhand about to win?

Link wasn’t sure if his eyes were deceiving him, but he swore he saw a shadow form above Shatterhand. He figured it was one of the last things he’d see, his imagination messing with him, but thankfully, the signature red hat and blue overalls of Mario proved him wrong. The plumber had come to Link’s rescue, just like how he did in the Mushroom Kingdom. However, a scornful, grief-ridden, rage-filled stare was now on his face, something that Link immediately noticed.

Mario extended his arms and launched The Passion, the vines shooting towards Shatterhand and wrapping around him. Another thing Link saw was that instead of a right hand, all Mario had on his respective arm was a stump.

“What?! D-Did my captain… fail?!” Shatterhand, taken by surprise, looked up at the plumber, mystified that he was still alive.

“BURN IN HELL, JONES!!!” Mario screamed as he landed on the other side of the roof, channeling his Firebrand through the thorns, torching the madman. Flames burst from Shatterhand, his clothes getting lit ablaze, a sweet scream of unimaginable pain coming from his mouth.

Shatterhand had completely turned his sights from Link onto Mario. After the vines retracted, the Dark Matter gauntlet charged up.

“Rebuff! Overdrive!!” Mario shouted, his only remaining fist being covered by The Passion. His fist and the gauntlet met, however, unlike with the captain, Shatterhand didn’t have anything planned beyond his shadowy swing. Rejecting the darkness, Wave Energy countered the blast, Mario’s rebuff sending Shatterhand careening across town and into the shadows, a crash resonating out of sight.

Three more sets of vines appeared from below, their users using them as ropes to hoist them up onto the roof. Eight, Kirby, and Amy joined Mario as the plumber helped Link stand straight. Together, they hopped down onto the street and bolted towards the Temple of Time, regrouping.

Recovering from his fall and disappearing down the back alley of town, Jones rested against a wall, huffing as he looked at the burns along his outfit. Scoffing at the damage, he thought about what had just transpired. Link, that young fool, had no idea what he had just done. It was funny, scarily funny for the Archfiend.

“He knows…” he said softly. It occurred to him that it was much more than just Link. “They all know…”

“Huh… Huhuhuh… Hah! MUAHAHAHA!!” Mike put his good hand along over his face and scratched, his nails threatening to tear his skin. He laughed to himself for a good minute, endless thoughts on how this truly just became personal. How dare Link invoke his name, Jones wondered. “HAAAAAAAHHAAAHAHAHA!!!!!”

After letting out his rage by crazed, insane laughter, Mike removed his gauntlet to examine his hand. He gazed at his deformity with new lenses, like he had just seen it properly for the first time. The mangled, unnaturally shaped flesh that made up his digits was now met with a disgusted grimace.

“My captain, he couldn’t have…!” Then a tsunami of disbelief cascaded through Jones’ darkened heart, the smile on his face leaving in an instant. It’d been so long since this feeling, the terrible, weakening emotion he knew as sadness, overtook him. On the edge of hyperventilating, he combed his hand through his ruffled hair and fixed it up, putting the gauntlet back on right after.

At last, one final problem arose in Jones’ mind. Somehow, some way, Mario deflected the darkness all with that damned set of roots along his arm. There was still some lingering energy spread along the fingers of the Dark Matter gauntlet, tampering with its normally void-like shimmering, creating small apertures where cones of dim light shot through. Light was like rust to the device, and now it was corroding.

Putting the thoughts of the damaged gauntlet in a secluded corner of his mind, Jones calmed himself. He knew better than to lose his cool at a time like this. A defiant voice in his head refused to let his focus leave him. Looking down, debris that came not from his collision with the nearby building caught his attention. With a critical eye, he crouched over the broken glass, tracing it back to the window that showcased part of the Bomb Shop. Walking inside, the stench of death loomed as Jones noticed a corpse lying on the floor. Luigi.

“He took one down,” Jones mused, silently congratulating his comrade. Dried blood, shattered glass and porcelain, dust, and cracked wood from the wreckage that was presumably once a staircase cluttered up the back portion of the shop.

Kneeling down to examine a trail of dust lining the floor, Jones’ armor clicked and formed a spatula-like tool around his gauntlet. Moving his arm carefully, he used the reformed armor to scoop up a sample of dust and scan it. It took a moment, the holographic screen shot up from his arm and displayed the readings it obtained from the sample. A strong, abhorrent glare took shape in Jones’ eye once he learned where the dust came from. At first he expected it to be ashes, but he was instead told that it was the remains of a powerful slash of light, different from the captain’s blades.

“Eight…” Jones growled, suspecting that the bandana-wearing swordsman was the culprit. He doubted that Eleven was the one to cast such a spell, as his scans also picked up trace amounts of liquid metal from the Dragovian King sword, something that Jones knew Eight wielded.

As his armor went back to its normal placements around his body, Mike Jones articulated a new plan. He began to take things more seriously, the death of the captain striking a nerve that he never knew was there.

“That move,” Jones mumbled, adjusting the Dark Matter gauntlet, “It countered perfectly. Whatever that was, it conflicts with this,” He flexed his hand. What Mario had shouted before his fist touched the weapon, it repeated over and over again in Jones’ mind. The vines that the crusaders now possessed seemed to be his antithesis. “Hm, rebuff… overdrive…?”

Stepping out of the shop, Jones walked through the alley slowly, glaring like a hunter. The breath leaving his nostrils was calm, the flow of his blood steady, his heart beating in a simple rhythm. Deep in the dark recesses of his eyes, the flicker of life existed without a hint of anxiety.

It was dark in the Temple of Time, something Link was very much unused to. Even when Ganondorf laid the kingdom in ruin, light still resided in the temple. Now, the interior of the building was swallowed by shadow, deathly still and devoid of the honor it once had.

“What… the hell happened to you guys?” Link asked, fighting off the pain from his own injuries to finally acknowledge the visible marks of chaos that lined the bodies of his allies. “Mario, w-what happened to your hand?!”

“I’d rather not talk about it,” Mario huffed, facing away from Link and the others. The fact that he hadn’t made eye contact with Link yet made the blonde swordsman worry, but such feelings were trumped when he saw all the wounds along Eight, Amy, and Kirby.

Eight noticed Link’s concerned stare and decided to be the one to discuss. “Shatterhand’s captain was far more skilled than I think we could’ve ever anticipated. Those swords that he had were more than just metal, they had properties that matched our magic…” Eight drew his own weapon and charged it with Kazap for a moment, showing it’s now weakened state. “Eleven’s still out cold, I think the shock of getting hit in the face, just barely, dazed him…”

“Poyo…” Kirby said softly.

“He hit you directly?” Link asked Kirby, unsure if he had heard the pink puffball correctly.

“Poy… Poyo poyo,” Kirby explained, heavy bags under his eyes. It seemed that the captain’s blades could interfere with Wave Energy. Eight fared better than Kirby and Eleven, but that was only because he drank some water to replenish magic before going all out with Miracle Slash.

“Eleven’s okay, Link, before you ask… But what about Crystal? Where is she?!” Amy couldn’t help but openly worry about her partner.

“She’s back at the castle with Erdrick, Tael, and Solo,” Link told her, unaware of Solo’s ultimate fate.

“We’ve got to meet up with the others and finish Shatterhand,” Mario said, peeking his head out the entrance to the temple and looking towards the castle, its spires poking out from over the mountaintops that hid it from view.

“Mario…” Link said, approaching the plumber. There was a detail that he had noticed, but a part of him loathed the mere prospect of bringing it up. Something was missing. "Where’s Luigi?”

Mario’s boots squeaked against the marble floor, the sound echoing through the temple. Without anything on the walls, no furniture, or even a carpet, noise bounced all around for an eternity before dying out, leaving nothing but stunned silence. Mario had been unknowingly holding his breath, his heart not having the will to respond.

“I see,” Link said, stepping back and holding his head down in shame. Mario’s stifled demeanor and distinct lack of a response was the worst possible answer he could’ve gotten, but there wasn’t a way the loss could even be put into words. Guilt crept up in Link’s throat, pricking his nerves and paving the way for a terrible fact. “We should’ve stayed together…”

Fate was cruel, the time the group had to mourn feeling nowhere near satisfactory.

“There’s no use worrying about it now,” Mario said, his tone heavy. The burdened hatred was still blazing his eyes. Even though the captain had been thoroughly defeated and sent to the depths of hell, Mario still wanted some more revenge. Even though Shatterhand wasn’t the one to strike Luigi down, he was still partially responsible for the unimaginable loss the plumber suffered. Now, the dark determination was dwelling in his irises, the unquenchable desire to kill overtaking his usually virtuous soul.

Link instinctively stepped back at the feeling of such negativity coming from Mario of all people. The closest thing he could compare it to was when he and Mario were both at each other’s necks for a time after fleeing the Mushroom Kingdom. It was almost startling.

“Hey, before you-” Link couldn’t get his thought out in time, an explosion rocking the entire temple and sending the remaining crusaders on alert. Through the broken stained-glass windows, the dreadnaught could still be seen flying above, functional and without an adversary.

“I-I thought Empyrea and Landia were handling that thing!” Amy groaned, looking out the window.

“Poyo?” Kirby wondered.

“N-No, Kirby, they couldn’t have-” Eight paused, doing a double take and peering at Kirby. Now he could understand the pink puffball! Being happy at the fact just wouldn’t happen now, though. In a way, it didn’t matter. “They couldn’t have both been defeated, I’m sure of it…” Eight finished.

“Well, whatever happened, we still need to take that thing down,” Link stared scornfully at the ship hovering almost a mile in the sky. The group faced a huge problem, however. They couldn’t reach it, nor did they have the raw power to take it down with their own hands.

“Kirby…” Mario interjected.

“Poyo?” Kirby turned over to face his mustachioed friend.

“Could you… head up there with your Warp Star and see what you can do?” Mario knew that when Kirby’s Passion and the Warp Star united, they harbored unmatched power and could possibly go at the speed of light.

“Right! Kirby, remember how you trained with the Passion! Take your star into overdrive!” Link added, a smile on his face as he made his suggestion.

“Poy poyo!” Kirby was happy to do it. Reaching into his pocket, he found the Warp Star and sent it out. It grew to its normal size and waited for it’s owner to hop on. “Poooyo…?”

“Don’t worry, Kirby, we’ll be fine. I’ve got a plan, actually,” Link’s voice came with a soothing wave of assurance for the Star Warrior. Nodding, Kirby kept his faith and confidence in his companions strong as he rode off, soaring into the night to challenge Shatterhand’s dreadnaught.

“So, you have a plan?” Mario asked.

“Yes. Eight, see if you can get Eleven up,” Link pointed over to the still-sleeping hero.

“Why?” Eight couldn’t help but be curious.

“Because he and Amy can go to the castle and round up the others. Shatterhand was the only one there, so with him somewhere here, it’s safe…” Link explained, using his hands to coordinate for the others. “Besides, Amy, I know you’re desperate to see Crystal again,” He beamed from ear to ear at the teenager.

“I- U-Uh…” Amy blushed, looking away. “Th-Thank you, Link…”

“Mario, Eight, and I, we’ll keep Shatterhand here, so he won’t be a problem,” Link faced the others. “He’s after me, so I’m guessing he’s looking for us.”

“W-Well, I’m not sure about that…” Eight scratched the back of his neck nervously.

“What do you mean?”

“Mario and I… We finished off that captain together… While I’m not disagreeing with you, Link, but I think he’ll be after all three of us,” Eight was right to assume that Shatterhand must’ve found out by now. Link felt worse now, knowing that not only did he have a large target on his back, but his other friends had arguably bigger ones.

“Alright… Eight, see what you can do for Eleven,” Link said.

“On it,” Eight rushed over to Eleven and worked his magic.

Jones used his armor to swipe away at any suspicious piles of debris around the remnants of the Happy Mask Shop. He didn’t know where the crusaders had scuttled off to, but he was determined to find them. Darkness oozed from his gauntlet as he charged it up, blasting away a section of the rightmost wall and stepping out into the open air, deciding that the place was empty.

“Hmpf…” Jones gazed at his dreadnaught for a second. Judging how Empyrea and Landia were no longer attacking, he guessed that they must’ve finally been vanquished. He was about to give up on his search and return to the castle, but the twinkling sound of Kirby’s Warp Star somewhere out of view made his ears perk up.

“Ah, there you are, Kirby…” Jones thought, spotting the puffball rocketing towards the dreadnaught. The sight confused him at first, but then he snorted, a light chuckle coming from his lips as he figured why exactly Kirby was heading into the sky.

“Useless, Kirby… Useless!” He thought it a futile act to try and take on his prized starship alone, but there’d be no pain in letting him try. The ion cannon was especially made to cut through matter like the Warp Star, so seeing it finally be shot down would be quite joyous. “But…” another thought came to mind, “Now where were you hiding, Kirby?”

The Warp Star always left a trail of sparkling stars in its wake, so before they could fade away, Jones’ eyes darted all around to find where they had started. Mistaking them for the stars would’ve been easy if they had been higher up, but once Jones realized that some of the glittering dust appeared suspended in the air in front of some wreckage, he smiled. Since the hills were rather tall, the dust didn’t linger against the backdrop of the night sky. Now, Mike could easily see that the stars led all the way back to the Temple of Time.

“Figures, that’s where the rats go to gather…” Jones smirked, adjusting his hair and making his way to the front of the temple. His boots made audible thuds against each step that paved the road to the entrance. The broken fence was usually of no concern to him, but when a huge bolt of hellfire came flying in his direction, he went on guard.

Jones used the gauntlet to deflect the bolt, sending it into the sky and away. Thinking nothing of the meaningless sneak attack, he continued, but two more shots of the same magic appeared.

“Hm… This is…” Jones’ armor reoriented and formed a shield along his left arm, while the gauntlet continued to defend his right. Blocking each bolt proved to take a bit of effort, causing Jones to reconsider moving forward so carelessly. “Eight…” He snarled, realizing that the one attacking must be one of the magic users.

“How do you like it? A bit of Sizzle never hurt,” Eight’s voice confirmed Jones’ guess, the hero emerging from the pool of water that bordered the fence that was previously ignored by the target. Eight used Woosh to dry himself off, the breeze refreshing as he stood against his enemy. “I thought I’d have a little fun with you.”

“As you did with my captain?” Jones asked, raising an eyebrow and wearing a cocky, yet agitated, grin.

“Indeed,” Eight responded. Such a simple, blunt answer peeved Jones greatly, but he didn’t show it.

Jones took a moment to scan the surroundings. Standing just in front of the entrance to the Temple of Time, nothing seemed off. Although, Eight oddly didn’t have his sword in hand or shield around his arm. Something was wrong, and Jones suspected that such ignorance was the cause for his captain’s downfall. That same mistake won’t be repeated. Sneering, he raised his gauntlet into the air, ready to attack.

Seeing Eight smile was proof that he had something else planned.

Instead of just attacking with the gauntlet, with his other hand, Jones pulled out his yo-yo. Now was the perfect time to use it, as he hadn’t shown it off to any of these swordsmen yet. Aiming it low, the cord shot out along the ground and caught Eight by surprise, swinging around his legs, latching onto him at his hips, and ensnaring him.

“What the-?!” Eight dropped the smug attitude and grew a little frightened, but it wasn’t as frightened at Jones expected. Regardless, he leapt into the air and charged his gauntlet, going for a devastating blow to the face.

The air rushed as Jones swung the Dark Matter gauntlet through the air, but it oddly halted right before the device could collide with Eight’s cheek. Darkness shimmered as Jones pulled it away, confident that he knew exactly was Eight was doing. The yo-yo relaxed, going limp and being returned to Jones’ hand, the fiend backing away to be a safe distance from his enemy.

“I must give you credit for that little scheme of yours, Eight,” Jones said, retreating into the darkness. Only the outline of his body was visible for Eight, but he still smirked anyways. “Exceedingly clever, well done.”

“As are you, Shatterhand,” Eight turned his body, The Passion materializing from his arm and even under his clothes. Along the opened portion of his tunic, where his chest could be seen, the vines covered him like a protective cloak. “Have to admit, I’m surprised you were cautious enough to avoid my Wave Energy,” Eight said, sparks crackling and dispersing from The Passion.

“Tch…” Jones scowled, “I’m surprised you were smart enough to use it to cover yourself like a blanket of barbed wire. If only your friend, Solo, had known. Perhaps his death could’ve been avoided!” He knew that that’d throw his opponent out of the loop.

“What?” Eight immediately forgot about his, Link’s, and Mario’s plan once he heard what Mike Jones had said to him.

“Correct. You’ve already lost quite a few ‘crusaders’ tonight! And now that I know you’re the one who murdered my friend, I’m pleased to say that you’re next!” A large, sadistic smirk appeared along Jones’ face as he started to summon more darkness from his gauntlet. A strong breeze ran its fingers through town, the Archfiend’s clothes rustling in the wind. “You think I need to hit you with this device just to attack?! Fool! Your Wave Energy means NOTHING to me!!”

A blast of darkness hit the temple, causing an explosion that sent chunks of brick and stone to fall right onto Eight. He protected himself a little with The Passion, but seeing that there was trouble was more than enough for Link and Mario to spring into action.

Link used his vines to clear away some of the destruction brought about by the gauntlet while Mario engaged Jones directly. With his only fist, he brought it down with a burning fury, slamming into Jones’ chest and making him stagger. As Eight got to his feet, he, Link, and Mario prepared themselves for anything.

“Finally, I’ve been wondering where you two were…” Jones chuckled as he stood back up, his armor taking proper formation around his body. In his good hand, the yo-yo flicked into view, and on his other, the gauntlet powered up. “All of you have been a pothole on the road to my vengeance for far too long now. I’m quite eager to finally pave over you all and forget your existence!!”

“As are we, Mike Jones,” Link countered, drawing his sword and shield. Eight finally did the same, the swordsmen brandishing their weapons proudly. Mario felt a little left out, but his Passion was emboldened by the desire to end Jones right here, right now.

Snarling like a feral animal, Jones charged, as did the crusaders. An eruption of noise came from the fight as they all challenged Shatterhand differently, Link going for the gauntlet, Eight for the armor, and Mario for the yo-yo. Wave Energy, Dark Matter, and the heavenly hum of The Passion filled the air as the three warriors faced off against the embodiment of chaos.

Chapter Text

Once again, this chapter sorta goes into different events happening at the same time. I hope it’s not too confusing, but yeah, just keep that in mind!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 32: Approaching the Roche Limit

Kirby raced through the sky at breakneck speeds, flying up and away from the Temple of Time and towards the dreadnaught. The closer he got, the more he felt the apprehension take hold of him. The ship was gargantuan, far larger than it seemed from the ground. He wasn’t even in range of turrets and some semblance of fear was starting to make him reconsider this whole endeavor.

Before Kirby could even prepare himself for the auditory assault, explosions thundered through the air, forcing him to evade getting hit by swerving around. He hadn’t even sent his Warp Star into overdrive yet! He wouldn’t be close enough to do any damage if he infused it with The Passion now.

As Kirby closed the distance between himself and the dreadnaught, it’s size induced more and more panic in his heart. Like a swift punch in the face, it reminded him of his time chasing down Void Termina, the epitome of darkness and destroyer of worlds. When he first heard Hyness invoke Void’s name, during the crazed rant to summon the Astral Birth, it was like Kirby had heard the name of a distant, estranged family member. At the time, it made him happy to have his friends beside him. Now, like a kite flying into a hurricane, he was alone.

“Poyo…” Kirby muttered to himself as he drowned out the deafening sounds of energy bursts, lasers, and other, unknown projectiles coming his way. Just a little closer.

Then, Kirby felt the weight in the air literally change. It felt fuzzy, a loud, sharpening hum coming from some strange cannon positioned inside the dreadnaught gathering was looked like pixie dust around its tip. Some strange curiosity called out to Kirby, the hum mesmerizing him for a moment. For some unknowable reason, it reminded the weary Star Warrior of the voice of a very close friend.

“Rib?” Kirby asked softly, his mind going straight to Ribbon. He missed her. He missed her quite dearly.

Inside the dreadnaught, the lieutenant wore a sinister grin, his objective very plain. Kirby’s Warp Star was in range, and didn’t seem to have any interest in veering off course. With the Ion Cannon locked onto Kirby, the lieutenant gave the order to fire.

“Kirby!!” Empyrea flew out from the dreadnaught’s blind spot and rammed into the Warp Star, the pair flying to the right abruptly. The air around the beam’s trajectory was cleaved, fizzling wildly as the harsh glow of the shot missed its target.

Empyrea had been waiting for the right moment to attack, but with the ion cannon still active, it had proven risky even for a god. When she witnessed Kirby nearing the ship, she knew he had no clue about the threat the cannon posed. Now that her position was out in the open, she pulled the Warp Star away and towards the ground, landing in the adjacent forest to hide.

Spotlights shined down from the dreadnaught and scanned the landscape, their cylindrical shafts of yellow visible all the way from Hyrule Castle. It was as if a concert had broken out in the sky, the way the lights funneled through the clouds resembling how attendees’ glow sticks looked in the light mist from various fog machines.

“P-Poyo?” Kirby asked when he came to, jumping out of the bush he had landed in when Empyrea and the Warp Star crashed onto the forest floor. Her shadow covered him, the Godbird protecting him like a mother bird would her chicks.

Empyrea didn’t answer the Star Warrior, keeping her eyes high and peering out of the small breaks in the green, leafy canopy to make sure she and Kirby weren’t spotted. She had been breathing heavily, her chest heaving and her wings trembling. Fright could be seen in her worried expression, along with a tinge of hesitation as she gazed down at Kirby for a moment. He looked determined to fly up and fight, but the Godbird wasn’t willing to let him go just yet.

“Kirby, I cannot in good conscience let you fight that ship alone, but…” Empyrea herself would only hinder Kirby, her vibrantly colored body and large frame making her an easy kill for the ion cannon. At least, that was her own reasoning for not letting the pink puffball go out there. “I-I… I just…” she stammered.

Kirby tilted his head to the side, wondering why Empyrea was so concerned. They were so close! They, the group of crusaders were finally nearing their goal of seeing Shatterhand’s end. Why was Empyrea acting so overly-cautious now?

The truth was, Empyrea had become greatly attached to her heroes. At first, when the prospect of rounding up a team capable of defeating Shatterhand came to mind, she thought of it as a mission. It was simply her duty to protect the other heroes at risk and defend the realms. Now, she saw her crusaders as more than simply her candidates for justice, but her friends. Seeing Landia get beheaded made her realize that. The thought of letting an even worse fate befall Kirby, Erdrick, Eight, Link, or anyone else just made a sick, horrible feeling manifest in the pit of her stomach.

“Poy poy! Poyo!” Kirby freed himself from Empyrea’s protection and hopped back onto his Warp Star.

The two shared a quick glance, the Star Warrior surprised that the Godbird could be so worried for a mortal soul like his. No, that was on odd way to think of it. It was surprising that Empyrea cared for a being that wasn’t close to her level of divinity. Kirby wasn’t a god. He had power that could be described as godlike, but in the end, his held a frail life compared to Empyrea’s. Staring at the sky, Kirby blasted off, ready to face the dreadnaught.

The air once again became bombarded by the booming sound of explosions, almost every available turret firing at or around Kirby and his Warp Star. Those gunners needed to be dealt with, because if anyone were to get close enough to do any real damage to the dreadnaught, they’d be taken out of the sky in just a few shots.

Frustrated, Empyrea joined Kirby in his venture, again keeping low to the ground to avoid too much attention. The wind cascaded through her feathers as she pondered over what to do, her own brute strength insufficient to hit the dreadnaught without a good head start like when she had been partnered with Landia. With the ion cannon ready to fire at any time, she’d be treated like a duck during hunting season. It’d simply be impossible to gain enough speed for a dive bomb.

Empyrea was taken out of her train of thought when three bolts from the attacking turrets hit her left wing, making her stumble in the air. Deciding to use some of her own magic, Empyrea roared, sending out a godly skill many called Dazzleflash in hopes to blind the opposition. When it hit the hull, light flared up from the impact and enveloped a portion of the ship, disorienting many of the gunners that had their eyes set on the Godbird.

“Ha!” Empyrea chuckled at the dismay, taking the opportunity to fly up and search for Kirby. He happened to be around the opposite end of the ship, trying to inhale any of the bolts of energy nearby. Each time, he was too slow, the slow start-up to his inhale resulting in failure.

Thinking for a moment, Empyrea breathed out softly, electricity sparking from the cloud she made. There, an idea formed, and she called out, “Kirby! I have a plan, I just need you to cover me!”

“Poy? Poyo!” Kirby was ecstatic at Empyrea’s change in attitude, zooming through the air in a zig-zag motion to avoid any harm as he joined her.

The Star Warrior kept by the majestic phoenix as she took an amazingly deep breath and started to exhale, emitting a light, yellow cloud that started to gather. Flying around, the mist sparkled as it surrounded the dreadnaught, Empyrea’s lungs tiring about halfway through. She pushed through, though, finishing the ring of breath and closing her beak, swerving away to avoid the incoming wave of magic.

“Heavenly Lightning!!” Empyrea shouted, sparks coming from the cloud as it brightened, thunder following. Suddenly, the cloud summoned bolts of lightning that struck the dreadnaught all at once. Anyone standing on the ground could’ve mistaken the flash for a meteor, the ship being rocked as many, many electronic circuits were fried within.

“Poyo! Poy poyo!” Kirby cheered like the jingle of a tambourine, confidence surging through his veins as the first meaningful hit against the dreadnaught was dealt.

“Alright!” Empyrea shared in the excitement, “That should give them enough trouble to distract them for a bit. Kirby, let’s-” She was cut off by that terrible feeling in the air again. The ion cannon was charging up again! For a second, the Godbird was filled with dread, until Kirby chimed in with an idea.

“Poy poyo poy? Poyo poy!” Kirby asked.

“Wait… That might work! B-But, are you sure you’ll be able to?” Empyrea gave Kirby a look that resembled that of a scared mother.

“Poyo!” Kirby replied, a smirk on his round, little face. His Warp Star shot off to challenge the dreadnaught, and the Godbird decided to simply pray as she followed.

Amy rushed down the barren, dirt road leading to Hyrule Castle. Eleven was just a couple meters behind her, his body far more damaged than the Inkling’s. He was still going strong, thankfully, as he routinely cast Heal on himself to mend his wounds while running down towards the castle. By the time he and Amy made it to the hill that ramped up to meet the opened gate, his stride was almost fully repaired.

Once the pair reached the gate and trotted along the drawbridge that made up the entrance to the castle, they were thoroughly winded and exhausted. While adrenaline and courage pumped through their bodies alongside their Wave Energy, there was no denying that they looked like they had been to hell and back.

“Shit, which way?” Amy looked around the castle foyer, three doors beckoning to her. They would need to make a choice on where Crystal, Erdrick, Solo, and Tael could be.

“Uh… Oh no…” Eleven felt a flicker of panic in his heart, fearing that he and Amy might never find the others. Instinct wouldn’t be of much help now, but then, he noticed something staining the otherwise pristine carpet. “A-Amy, look,” he pointed to the stain, “Recognize that?”

It was pink ink, making a trail that ended by the middle door.

Amy’s mind raced as she dreamed about her girlfriend. Crystal would definitely be one to leave breadcrumbs, and the Inkling would be eternally proud of her for that. Without a second thought, she bolted towards the door and threw it open, revealing that the trail of pink continued on through the halls and away. Amy’s hopes were confirmed true, following the ink, Eleven right behind her.

Diving into her squid form, emotion taking the wheel, Amy swam through the ink at breakneck speeds, making it hard for Eleven to follow. To compensate, Amy summoned her Passion, the vines sprouting out of the ink and giving Eleven a visual for him to easily chase. The splashing, squishy sound of liquid repelled the silence, the clamping of boots acting as a base for an almost melodic beat. Lastly, the soothing hum of The Passion tied it together into something that could almost be mistaken for music.

Amy’s heart was pumping so hard and so fast that it felt like it’d burst out of her chest. While she was able to sense everything around the ink, when she detected the nearby spots of dried blood, it told her that she was getting close. Jumping out of the ink, her Passion remained coiled around her arms as she ran as fast as she could.

“I think we’re almost there!” Amy said to Eleven. A part of the Inkling was afraid, though. Afraid that maybe she’d find Crystal in a way she didn’t want. Desperate, she started to cry out for her beloved. “Crystal!! Crystal, where are you?! Crystal!?!”

“Amy?” the faint, yet unmistakable sound of Crystal’s voice made Amy instantly tear up. Somehow, she started to run even faster through the halls.

“Crystal!” Amy cried, looking out desperately.

“Amy! W-Where are you?!”

“Don’t worry, Crystal, I’m coming!”

Finally, Amy and Eleven made it to the destroyed doors of the throne room. The Inkling skidded to a stop and gazed down into the royal chamber, seeing the lovely Octoling waving at her.

“Crystal!” Amy cried out again, running with open arms.

“A-Amy!!” Crystal almost didn’t believe that her partner was here, but she didn’t dare question it.

“CRYSTAL!!” Amy reached Crystal and tackled her, the pair falling to the ground together as they cheered. Tears of joy fell down their cheeks as a bright, greenish-blue light surrounded them, taking the form of a ball that bounced along the floor a few times.

Within the glimmering orb of light, the two lovers sighed at each other’s comforting embrace. For the first time since Amy and Crystal had parted, they felt truly content. Both their Passion intertwined, the vines twirling around and hugging just as their users did. Even Wave Energy started to drip from the thorns, the heat of their bodies strong enough to somehow turn it to liquid for a moment. As the relief died down, the light dimmed, the ball splitting into two before the Inkling and Octoling could fuse.

“Wha-What are you doing here, Amy? I thought you were fighting that captain guy!” Crystal asked. The mention of the captain made Amy’s smile vanish in a flash, regret corroding the brief moment of joy the Inkling had in her heart.

“C-Crystal, you-” Amy realized that her partner had no idea what had happened to the group since they split up. Unfortunately, the same was true for her and Eleven with that had gone down within the castle.

“Oh my god…” Eleven muttered, his shoulders going slack, causing the strap that held his sword and shield to his back to fall. His items clattered to the floor as he stared at Solo’s lifeless body in Erdrick’s lap, his pupils shrinking to focus on the horrific sight.

Blood pooled around Erdrick, yet the caped hero didn’t even acknowledge Amy and Eleven’s arrival. His chest heaved in a scarily speedy manner, the man having been panting for a while now. It’d been almost half an hour since sundown, half and hour since Solo died, and he still hadn’t fully processed it yet. His lips shuddered, his voice coarse and tired. He had screamed out in unending anguish until he could scream no longer, the redness that came from crying visible in the whites of his eyes.

“E-Erdrick…?” Eleven asked softly. Erdrick slowly turned his head up to look at his comrade, the usual happiness that would come from seeing an ally simply not there.

Not a single word was said as Erdrick stared at Eleven for a moment before turning back to gaze at Solo’s pale, blank face. The gentle flutter of wings caught Amy’s attention, pulling her away from the new horror of seeing yet another fallen friend. Tael sat on the ground across from Erdrick, trying in vain to fly. While he was in much better shape than he had been when Link coaxed Shatterhand away from the castle, his body was still in no condition to reenter the madness.

“Crystal, what the hell happened here?” Amy asked.

“He…” Crystal began meekly, fidgeting with her hands and looking down at the ground in shame. “He was too strong. Kirby had to go because of that- that gauntlet, and th-then Tael got hurt, and Solo…”

Crystal held the hilt of her Octobrush so tight that her nails tore the foam mesh covering it. Her Passion grew weak and disappeared, her saddened, mournful state keeping it from fully materializing.

“Damn it…” Amy cursed, clenching her fist in hidden fury as she realized just how much had been taken from the crusaders in one night. In less than an hour, the loss that the group had suffered couldn’t be properly portrayed. The perverse joy that the captain, and presumably Shatterhand, took in striking down others made Amy’s blood boil.

“What? What is it?” Crystal asked.

“W-We…” Amy almost couldn’t do it. She couldn’t let the news of Luigi’s fate damage her girlfriend’s already broken mindset, but keeping Crystal out of the loop would be even more cruel. “We were barely a match for that captain… Luigi, h-he didn’t make it.”

Crystal’s jaw hung open just slightly, the disbelief welling up in her pupils. Fears of tears flashed before her eyes, but the Octoling refused to cry. Taking Amy’s hand, she managed to summon her Passion again, this time using it to bind her and her girlfriend’s fingers together. Then, she locked eyes with her best friend, the two engaging in a silent conversation.

“Hey, Eleven, Erdrick, Tael!” Amy shouted after a dozen or so seconds of gazing wistfully into Crystal’s eyes. “Eight, Link, and Mario are fighting Shatterhand alone down there,” she pointed out the window and at the town, “We need to help them, now!”

Eleven and Erdrick faced each other.

“She’s right,” Eleven said.

“I know…” Erdrick mumbled.

“Come on,” Eleven put his hand out for Erdrick to take, “Let’s do it for him.”

Erdrick looked back at Solo’s vacant face, smiling painfully at it before pushing himself away. He grabbed Eleven’s hand and was hoisted to his feet, standing steadily and walking over to Tael. There wasn’t even the need to say anything, Erdrick bending down and placing his palm before the fairy. Tael, albeit weakly, climbed on, where Erdrick placed him on his shoulder.

The five glanced at one another and nodded firmly. Tael was covered by a green energy from Erdrick’s hand, the hero casting Heal on him to help get the fairy back into action.

“Now, Crystal,” Amy gave her girlfriend a knowing side-eye, “Are you thinking… what I’m thinking?”

“M-Maybe…” Crystal responded, a small smile on her face. The Passion’s hum grew in intensity, and the Inkling and the Octoling were once again surrounded by a ball of light, Wave Energy crackling as something that had been so far unseen by the rest of the crusaders was finally unleashed.

The light became almost blinding, Eleven, Erdrick, and Tael shielding their eyes from the intense glow. Even the wind started to pick up, the exceedingly potent power of Amy and Crystal’s bond sending their bodies into overdrive thanks to the addition of The Passion. This time, they felt a sense of cleanliness that went beyond what was normal. The mystic consequence of their sanitization. When the light faded, a being bathed in a light teal glow stood before the two heroes and the fairy.

Behind them, The Passion took on a more wild, overgrown appearance, like it were a lush blanket of foliage growing along the side of a long-abandoned building. The thorns were even sharper, rivalling a sword. From them came excess Wave Energy, zipping through the air, searching for something to absorb and enhance. All of it proved that this new being born from the fusion of Amy and Crystal, bore unfathomable power.

“Let’s go,” they said, their voice entangled in an ethereal echo. Slowly, they marched over to the shattered window and leapt out, falling to the ground without a hint of pain and no need to bend their knees.

Kirby soared across the nighttime backdrop like a comet, the shine and speed of his Warp Star easily mistakable for one. The ion cannon was still charging, making the Star Warrior guess that it was readying for multiple shots. He was surprised it could still operate after so many bolts of lightning hit the ship, but it was silly to assume the workers panicking inside didn’t know what they were doing.

So many streams of energy were diverted to access essential functions of the dreadnaught, causing many exterior lights and superfluous things around the ship to go out of order. For the lieutenants, it was pure chaos, but they somehow managed.

“Please, please, please work…” Empyrea hoped and prayed that Kirby would be able to carry out his suggestion.

Kirby dismounted from his Warp Star and touched down directly on the dreadnaught’s main deck, his feet startled by the shockingly cold steel. Every single soldier that saw Kirby thought it was a bold, but ultimately stupid idea to set foot on the ship itself, but they were terribly unaware of his plan. Jumping down into the carved-out area that held the ion cannon, the pink puffball bounced like he were on a trampoline, landing on his bottom before standing to go face to nozzle with the hulking weapon.

The tip of the ion cannon was pointed directly at Kirby, only about two dozen feet away from his sparkling, courageous gaze. A distinct hum came from the gun as the air started to grow fuzzy again, and right as the nozzle of the cannon lit up, Kirby opened his mouth.

The first blast from the ion cannon entered Kirby’s gullet with ease, the pink hero inhaling so deep that he thought he had harnessed the power of the Hyper Nova for a moment. All the light from the shot was swallowed up, every onlooker from within the dreadnaught was sent into a state of bewildered shock. They thought repelling, deflecting, or absorbing the energy from the cannon was impossible, but the strange, backwards logic of Kirby’s remarkable abilities proved them wrong.

“Ya!!” Kirby shouted as he jumped into the air, a bright flash emitting from his body.

Strands of energy wrapped around Kirby’s round, pink form, donning a crown with a glass dome atop it. Within the dome, fusion occurred in just a fraction of a second, nuclear power coursing through the air yet being contained inside the meager restraints of the crown. Unlimited power was now at the Star Warrior’s little pink nubs, the Crash Ability being bestowed onto him as he posed triumphantly.

Right as the ion cannon was about to fire again, Kirby’s mouth no longer posing a threat, the puffball activated his one-time use power.

“HEEEEEEEYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Kirby cried, releasing the incredible power of a supernova on the ion cannon. Now, Kirby was truly of the stars, the explosion produced from the Crash Ability incinerating the cannon in one, clean stroke.

When the smoke cleared, the ion cannon was gone, the fractures of it’s resting place within the dreadnaught’s hull scorched and partially melted. Kirby huffed, falling from the sky and towards the ground as he realized he also blew away his own footing. While the blast left the ship with heavy damage, it’d take something even more potent to finally destroy the thing, with Kirby now out of ideas.

“Remember, the Warp Star!” Empyrea called out to Kirby as he fell, the Godbird too far away to save him.

“Ooo! Poyo!” Kirby thought himself foolish for forgetting so fast. He stuck one paw out and his Warp Star came careening towards him, catching him before he even got close to hitting the ground.

Empyrea took a gamble and flew over to be by Kirby’s side. She was hit several times by incoming turret fire, but she pushed through the nuisances and guided the crusader away.

“Kirby, I have one last idea for how to finally finish that damned thing,” Empyrea explained, keeping her flight steady while next to the plucky little Star Warrior. She summoned her own Passion and sent it into the Warp Star, powering it up briefly. “Use your Passion and go into Overdrive! If you strike the ship with one, powerful hit, you might just do it!”

“P-Poyo?” Kirby was a little intimidated by the idea.

“I know, you’ve only gone into Overdrive while we were training, but I cannot destroy the ship myself, I’m…” Empyrea felt small, “I’m not strong enough.”

“Hm… Poy!” Kirby nodded and grabbed onto his Warp Star firmly. Gently, The Passion emerged from his paws and entered the mystic device, Wave Energy seeping in from the thorns into the golden glow of the star. There, it started to gradually gain speed, leaving Empyrea behind as it rocketed off into the distance.

All Empyrea could do was smile as she watched Kirby overtake her, knowing what was about to happen.

The low, powerful rumble of a sonic boom showed that the Warp Star had broken the sound barrier, and it didn’t seem to be stopping soon. The clouds were sent into wild swirls as Kirby flew through them, The Passion’s hum and the frizzy, frantic surge of the Wave Energy fading into nothingness as they simply couldn’t keep up.

Passing Mach Two, Mach Three, and beyond, the Warp Star finally exceeded the speed of light, disappearing from the sky in a brilliant flash. Just as when Kirby had reached such amazing speeds back during his training, afterimages started blipping around the darkened horizon. He was by the castle, the mountains, right above town, in front of the moon, and finally, all traces of him vanished.

Both Empyrea and all the crewmen along the dreadnaught waited for something to happen. The anticipation was crushing, wrapping around each worker’s throats like a rope.

Then, one last streak of light ripped through the air, the Warp Star colliding with the bow of the dreadnaught, tearing through everything until reaching the stern. A metallic scream roared from the creaking hull, matter being sliced apart and vaporizing. For a moment, the ship had been split perfectly in two, sparks zapping between the parted cables and severed steel. Just a second later, an explosion consumed everything, creating a sound that reverberated around the world and threated to make the combatants down on the ground go deaf.

Kirby reappeared, standing atop his Warp Star and watching the dreadnaught erupt in a fierce, fiery inferno. A smug, valiant grin could be seen on his pink, little face, his eyes glimmering as the pieces of the ship fell out of the sky and crashed into Hyrule Field. To him, it felt like watching fireworks, the same, proud feeling resonating in his heart as he relished his victory.

“Poyo…” Kirby chirped as he relaxed for a moment, his Passion retreating back into his body and letting the Warp Star recover from such a tremendous use of energy. He closed his eyes and let the hum of the vines cease, and unfortunately, his lowered guard ensured that he was an easy target.

A blob of Dark Matter struck Kirby in the face, knocking him out of the sky. Jones, enraged at the loss of his friend, crew, pets, and everything else that was stationed aboard the dreadnaught, used his gauntlet in a wild fury. First he aimed for Kirby, then he hit Link, Mario, and Eight away, slamming his weapon into the ground to send the darkness through the dry, lifeless dirt and catch them by surprise.

“Now…! Now I’m going to make sure your deaths are nice and slow, fools!” Jones screamed as Mario protected himself from another blast from the gauntlet with The Passion.

“Irk… Eight!” Link shouted, his feet numb from the attack. Jones’ yo-yo spun along the ground and tied itself around the blonde heroes’ chest, pulling him towards the Archfiend and away from his allies.

Not caring enough to share any spiteful remarks with Link, Jones slammed his fist onto the heroes’ cheek, knocking him out for a second before throwing him over his shoulder like garbage. He knew Link wouldn’t stay unconscious for long, but he was blinded by rage and only wanted to save the Hero of Termina for last. Endless ideas about how he could torture Link came to mind before he focused on Eight.

“Gah- Shit!” Eight sputtered as he regained some feeling in his legs and managed to stand. He parried a shot of Dark Matter with his sword and cast Kazap out into the air.

Jones’ armor absorbed the electricity effortlessly, making Eight step back in fear.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to get rid of two of you swordsmen in one night, but I certainly don’t mind,” Jones snarled, running a hand across his lip to wipe the sweat from his moustache.

“…” Eight panted and looked around. Where the hell were the others? It’d been some time since Amy and Eleven went to fetch Erdrick, Tael, and Crystal. Knowing that Solo had been murdered sent a pang of guilt into his soul, but it was quickly overshadowed by the terror of seeing Mike Jones just feet away from him.

Right as Jones went to lash out a band of darkness at Eight, a few vines crawled along the ground and rustled. At first Jones ignored it, but the fizzle of Wave Energy made him reconsider attacking in fear that it may be somehow reflected. Turning to the side, he saw a patch of liana creep towards him, their thorns giving off a menacing glow.

“What the-?” Jones witnessed what looked like a forest of The Passion slowly inch closer, approaching him with a deep rumble that was followed by heavy footsteps. Their source was yet to be seen, but it triggered something of a fight or flight response from Jones, which he didn’t know what to make of.

Chapter Text

Hooo, okay, brace yourselves, because this chapter is pretty wild! I really wanted to show off the final fights, though I do acknowledge that some words are repeated a TON, like ‘looked’, ‘punched’, 'again', etc. There just aren’t that many synonyms for them, augh! Anyways, enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 33: Colors Weaving Through The Waves

The night brought stillness throughout Termina. The wind gently grazed through the trees, crickets and grasshoppers singing their little songs as the grass rustled just slightly. Clock Town was even more quiet, the carpenters on leave for the month, the Gorman Troupe out traveling to the swamp to perform for the Deku King, and overall, everything being rather quaint.

However, one remained restless, even in the tranquil environment that had dwelled along the land for so long now. A woman, who normally lived out by Great Bay, tried her hardest to get some steady sleep as she tossed and turned in one of the many beds of the Stock Pot Inn.

“Mmmf…” Romani grunted, adjusting her position beneath the covers. It’d been just over a week since she was invited to stay at the inn at the behest of Jim. Both he, Anju, and Kafei were worried about her, and about the baby.

Speaking of which, ever since Link had left to venture out on his journey across the realms, his and Romani’s child had been anxious. It didn’t matter that they didn’t have the capacity to understand why, they simply felt agitated at the missing presence of their father. Every day, they kicked up a storm, further hindering Romani’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. The kicks were so strong, they jostled the blanket that was draped along their mother’s stomach, finally getting her awake.

“Goodness,” Romani grumbled, sitting up and rubbing her aching belly with one hand. This was the third day in a row she had been awakened before it even struck midnight, and no amount of soothing words, soft singing, or assurance that Link would be back soon would quell her unborn child’s worry. “You’re going to be a fighter, just like your father, hm?” Romani chuckled to herself softly, trying to laugh off the soreness the baby brought to her back.

Romani had taken to sleeping in Link’s old bedroom, the ‘Knife Chamber’. Such an unfitting name for a surprisingly well kept, cozy room. For the first four days, the familiar setting helped the baby relax, but the novelty eventually wore off for both them and the ranch woman. She couldn’t deny that she longed for her husband, his presence and his touch.

Sighing, Romani scooched over to the edge of the bed and slowly got to her feet. She groaned at the effort, her belly becoming rather heavy as she entered her seventh month. So far, she and Link thought she was, at maximum, six months along, but Anju knew better. The innkeeper had been keeping a close eye on her daughter-in-law, knowing the feeling of a missing loved one all too well. Even now, in the middle of the night, Anju woke up at the feeling of Romani’s discontentment, having been able to do this for a bit now. As a mother, she and Romani somehow shared this sort-of sense.

As Romani waddled down the hall and towards the door to the inn’s balcony where the large bell resided, the employee’s only door opened a crack. Anju, peeking out, saw the pregnant ranch woman go outside for some fresh air, and she followed.

“Romani? Is everything alright?” Anju asked as she closed the door behind her. Romani was leaning against the leftmost beam that held the bell, rubbing her stomach and looking up at the stars. When the innkeeper didn’t get any kind of response, she spoke with a hint of authority, “What’re you doing up this late?”

“It’s the baby again…” Romani answered, keeping her eyes on the dark, night sky. “They miss him…”

“Oh…” Anju backed away a bit. While she was inherently a mother, Anju and Kafei weren’t ever able to have a baby themselves. As hard as they tried, it just never worked, but perhaps that was the way things were supposed to be. To them, Link was their son, as they had taken him in after his whole ordeal against Majora and raised him as their own. “I’d be an idiot to not say that I missed him too… We all do, you know.”

“Romani knows that!” Romani snapped, coming off a little meaner than she intended. “Jim misses him, Kafei misses him, Tatl misses him, Romani understands, but…”

“But what?” Anju thought that perhaps Jim had gone too deep into driving home the fact that Romani wasn’t the only one that longed to see Link again.

“But Romani and the baby don’t just miss him, we worry about him, dream about him, and we…” Romani trailed off, defeated. She could hear her own voice, but all she registered was selfishness.

Anju tilted her head with pity. Walking over to Romani, she wrapped her arms around her daughter and held tight. “I get it, truly, I do, but no amount of worrying is going to make his journey go by any quicker.”

“Tell that to the little one…” Romani grumbled as her baby kicked a few more times. Deep in her mind, she couldn’t help but feel bad for herself, but also angry at the same time. What she was doing was childish, but it was for a good reason. The ring around her finger justified her actions without problem. It was normal for someone to worry about their spouse. “Anju, Romani needs to wait for him…”

“What do you mean, ‘wait for him’? That’s what we’re all doing, honey,” Anju was lost on Romani’s meaning.

“Romani’s going back to the bay and waiting for Grasshopper…” said the ranch woman, holding a determined tone. “While Romani can’t go through the realms to find and help him, she at least needs to be there when he returns, whenever that might be!”

“What? Romani, no, I know what you’re going to do! You can’t be doing that, going back to sitting out by the porch for hours!” Anju was filled with concern as she recalled what Jim had reported to her during the first week after Link’s departure. It was the whole reason she had asked for her to stay at the inn. Before that, Romani wasn’t getting enough sleep, exercise, anything.

“Romani doesn’t care! She just wants to be there the moment he gets back!” Romani blurted, her face scrunching up in anger. “Romani knows him, Grasshopper will do anything to get back home. He’s been that way for as long as she can remember! Ever since he trotted onto sister’s ranch eight years ago, he’s done his best to return no matter the cost. Grasshopper’s never failed Romani, and Romani will never fail him!”

Anju was shocked that Romani was able to say such profound things about Link. Even though Link was hardly perfect, the innkeeper admired how Romani viewed him. He had made his fair share of foolish mistakes as he grew up, especially during the whole matter in Hyrule as a teenager, when he spiraled down into a fit of rage after Skull Kid’s death. However, hearing that Link had ‘never failed’ Romani proved to Anju that the ranch woman truly saw the best in him. It was beautiful, the dedication to a man who was, at his best, still flawed, and Anju was certain that Link was just as dedicated to Romani, if not more.

“Alright…”

“H-Huh?” Romani was surprised at Anju’s simple response. The baby even kicked with excitement!

“Alright, you can go… in the morning. It’s late, so promise me that you’ll sleep,” Anju’s voice was somehow ever more motherly with Romani than it had been with Link in a long, long time. “I assure you, it’s what Link would want for both you and the baby.”

“Ugh… fine,” Romani huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest and pouting.

“Come on, let’s get inside,” Anju took Romani’s hand and went back to bed, a strong veil of comfort falling on them both as they finally got some proper sleep.

It was a rare moment of distraction for Jones, the hoard of vines that was closing in setting off a defensive reaction from the Archfiend of Reality. Choosing fight instead of flight, he was left with some bewilderment at the sight. He wasn’t able to recall any of his opponents wielding a form of The Passion so strong and oddly foreboding.

The vines stretched and twisted with the sounds of a tightening knot, the Wave Energy so loud it made a crackling symphony. Like the brief snap of someone’s fingers, Jones saw an eye peek through the mass of thorns, truly mortified that it wasn’t one he recognized.

“It’s… impossible!” Jones sputtered, backing away. How could there be another? He and his captain were certain that there were only ten crusaders, with two already defeated. Had they miscounted? For a second Jones wondered if it was Tael, but quickly brushed the idea away. That fairy couldn’t muster a Passion this strong.

“Jones…” A voice came from behind the vines. A set shot out towards him and wrapped themselves around his torso, arms, legs, and even the gauntlet, keeping him still as the main wall of foliage parted. “You don’t know the meaning of the word ‘impossible’.”

Confusion crept along Mike Jones’ back and stabbed his spine, freezing him in place as his body was riddled with shock. That voice was new, and their Passion was potent. How could there be an eleventh crusader?! He lowered his gaze and stared ruefully at the being across from him, scanning their appearance. Their build was familiar, and a quick look at the ears and the ‘hair’ instantly connected the dots between this new opponent and those pesky little teenagers that had joined Link and the others. The lifeform that was designated as an ‘Inkling’, but weirdly, with a few features in common with an Octoling.

“Are you… Amy?” Jones asked as he struggled to free himself from The Passion’s grip.

The being didn’t answer, instead yanking on the vines and bringing Jones dangerously close. Before he could even counterattack, they stuck their arm out and clotheslined him. Jones was slammed into the ground, the brick road cracking from the impact and dirt flying up into the air. He roared out in pain and felt something in his back snap. The Passion’s thorns dug into his armor and bent it just slightly, squeezing the air out of his lungs as the rest of the crusaders finally regrouped.

“Hey, Erdrick!” Eight tried not to become too distracted by the spectacle just across from him. The mysterious new ally was handling Shatterhand without problem.

“Eight! You’re alright!” Erdrick called out, thankful that his friend was seemingly fine, at least compared to himself and Eleven. The three remaining swordsmen came together in a brotherly hug, relieved. “I’m sure you’re wondering where Solo is, he-”

“I know, I know what happened…” Eight kept Erdrick from bringing about more pain. He hated to cut the reunion short, but when Link and Mario rejoined them, visible concern appeared in his eyes as he counted. “…four, five, six- Wait, where’s Kirby?”

“He’s fine!” the serene sound of Empyrea’s voice calmed Eight’s worry. The Godbird, flapping her wings in a rushed manner, landed before her chosen ones. “He was shot out of the sky after he finally destroyed the dreadnaught. He’s unconscious, but okay,” Empyrea revealed a sleeping Kirby snoring on her back. Finally, the phoenix noticed the scuffle going on in the middle of the ruined town. “My goodness, they’ve already fused!”

“Oh yeah, that… I was going to ask about them,” Link said, at first being too tired to really notice the new, powerful entity facing Jones.

“They call themselves, ‘Crysamy’,” Eleven explained, as that was the only thing the fusion told them. Otherwise, during the short journey from the castle back to town, they were eerily silent.

Empyrea smirked at how well Crysamy was handling themselves against Jones. Their power wasn’t without consequences, though, as it used up a tremendous amount of energy just to stay formed, let alone move and act. Thankfully, the gift of The Passion and Amy and Crystal’s new ability to directly tap into Wave Energy allowed them to stay fused for longer. Empyrea didn’t know how much longer, but she was confident that they’d be able to use their newfound time effectively. But something was tugging in her mind. Right! Landia! Flying off, she hurried check on him, leaving the group to handle Shatterhand themselves.

Jones grunted as he was punched in the face, a molar flying from his mouth. Scowling, he secretly ordered his armor to gather around his left arm, forming a blade that started to saw through some of the vines binding him. Grinding his weapon against The Passion, he finally cut them apart and freed one limb.

“Little BRAT!!” Jones screamed as he blocked another punch with his free hand. He was surprised to feel that the being’s skin was deathly cold, like it had been overcome with frostbite and was lying in a morgue. In a way, Amy and Crystal were technically ‘dead’ while fused, but a force somehow kept them from dying and losing control. “What in the hell are you?!” Jones demanded.

“You are not worthy of knowing our name…” Crysamy said, suppressing the light in their eyes to show off their black sclera and their pupils, which were a color that matched their skin. “We consider ourselves to be a Mass of the dead! A requiem of fallen warriors!”

“Pfft, Requiem? How needlessly dramatic!” Jones let Crysamy hit him, allowing his freed arm to swing at the fusion’s chest. He moved at such speed that he easily cut his opponent’s clothing, causing The Passion to come loose and for him to continue his attack. “Your strength is admirable, but I can tell you’re still a child! A child that has no idea what power truly amounts to!”

With a flick of his wrist, Jones sent out his yo-yo, ensnaring Crysamy’s arm with the sharp, metal wire. It tightened so much that ink spewed out from the wound it made, splattering across the ground and hissing as it started to melt the brick. When Link, Mario, Eight, Erdrick, and Eleven went to intervene, seeing that Jones was still very much of a threat, Crysamy put one finger up and shushed.

The vines began to shimmer and twirl around frantically. Crouching and putting their head down, Crysamy inhaled deeply as a harsh, green aura started to shine from their mouth. Unleashing Killer Wail, they bellowed a sonic scream as the ground subtly shook and everything around them vibrated. It echoed across town and died out in Hyrule Field. It was so intense that Jones released his yo-yo, using both hands to cover his ears to protect them from the auditory onslaught.

“GAAAAAAAAHHH!!!” Jones hollered in agony and set his armor to surround the sides of his head. “I refuse!” he said, taking wobbly steps as he fought against Killer Wail, staggering towards Crysamy slowly. He charged his gauntlet with darkness, and without even aiming, fired it wildly in his enemy’s general direction.

Dark Matter whizzed by Crysamy’s body, the closest shot just inches away from their face. Once Killer Wail finished, Jones leapt up like a predator pouncing on their kill and lunged at the fusion. He whiffed his first throw, but his second was caught and pushed away. Jones threw his fists at Crysamy, each one being blocked or parried with precision. Then, they both launched a punch, the gauntlet and the fusion’s bare hand connecting and setting off a quick blast of energy.

“HAHA, fool!” Jones was aiming for his fist to meet Crysamy’s. He began channeling darkness into the gauntlet again, looking to sever Crysamy’s hand from the point-blank shot. Before any blood could be spilled, Link dived in to assist in the fight, slashing the gauntlet with the Gilded Sword.

“You’re a fool to think we wouldn’t help them finish this!” Link said, sweeping his leg down to knock Jones to the ground. Right when the fiend landed, Erdrick cast Frizz to keep him down, the fire again burning his clothes.

Jones looked around. He saw Eleven running up, most likely ready to cast a spell of his own. Thinking fast, Jones sent his yo-yo out and it did what it did best, tied. It spun itself around Eleven’s legs and made him trip. Jones chuckled at the sight, and then he rolled to the left to avoid a hit from Link’s sword. Sparks flew from the impact, Link growling when he missed.

Eight went over to help Eleven, cutting the yo-yo's wire and freeing his friend. Helping him up, Eight moved to summon his own magic, but then the wire sprang up and lashed him in the face, slicing open his right cheek.

“You really don’t recognize your own materials, do you?!” Jones asked as he stood back up. Eleven watched as the pieces of the yo-yo reconnected, fusing back together and slinking across the ground back to their owner. “Liquid metal is quite tough to break, isn’t it?”

“Liquid metal? Wait, wait,” Eleven thought to himself, the only kind of substance like that he knew of being from those pesky little slimes that loved to flee from anyone coming near. “Ah! Eight! Are you okay?” he couldn’t begin to explain how Jones managed to get his hands on their essence, but he had bigger things to worry about. Kneeling down, he cast Heal to help mend Eight’s wound.

“I’m good, I’m good…” Eight said as he held his still-bleeding cheek. Now was no time to dwell on injuries. “Come on, he’s right there! This is our chance to end him!”

“Wait!” Link called out, “Look at Crysamy! I think they’ve got something planned!”

“A plan?” Tael appeared out of nowhere and startled Link.

“Wha-?! T-Tael! You’re flying!” Link was suddenly overjoyed to see his fairy companion’s strength had returned.

“Yeah, I am! Erdrick and Eleven helped me as we were heading back to town!” Tael explained. He flew over and hovered by Link’s shoulder like normal, smiling wide and letting some vines sprout from his arms and wave about. “Now, what do you think they’re planning?” he asked.

Link looked at Crysamy, noting that they wore a steady face and that an aura similar to the one that they had before they unleashed that screaming attack surrounded them again. If he had to guess, they were charging up to hit Jones with something powerful.

“Okay, don’t let him close his fist,” Link whispered to Tael. The fairy nodded and darted through the air and, once in range, used his Passion to keep the fingers of the Dark Matter gauntlet from closing. Across from them, Mario, acting on his own, threw himself at Jones first, and Link decided to follow the plumber’s lead. “Come on!”

“JOOOONES!!” Mario hopped up and lobbed a pair of fireballs at Shatterhand. “I’m not done with you, bastard!”

“What!?!” Jones, having been preoccupied with a sword fight with Erdrick, using his armor as a blade just like in his rematch with Link, had to restructure a portion of it to block the fire. Then, Tael swooped in and stopped the gauntlet from firing in Mario’s direction. Seeing that the fingers of his device was being stopped by the purple fairy, he grew even more frustrated, howling, “You! I’ll smash you like a bug a thousand times if I have to!!” He stepped back and kicked Erdrick away, and turned to slam his opened palm down on Tael.

“No!” Link refused to let that happen to his friend twice. Throwing his arm forward, The Passion sprang out and twirled as it wrapped around Jones’ free hand. Seeing that Crysamy’s aura was growing brighter, he ordered, “Hold him down!” to the others.

Mario, Eight, and Eleven went around and used their Passion in different directions, one to the right, one directly behind, and one on the left. With Link, they pulled against Jones, restricting his movement as Tael kept the gauntlet from charging. Erdrick joined the effort, sending out his vines along the ground to keep Jones’ feet bound as if his shoelaces were tied together.

“Whatever you’re planning to do, do it now!” Link shouted to Crysamy, grunting as he held Jones’s left arm back. The Passion started to strain, stretching to its limit in order to keep the enemy from breaking free.

Seconds felt like hours as Crysamy finished readying an attack that would likely effect both Jones and the other crusaders in range. From the looks of the brittle, aged stone that made up the road, Splashdown would do immense damage. Putting one heavy foot in front of the other, the energy contained within their body so great it was physically taxing, Crysamy stomped towards Jones as he struggled against his thorned restraints. Jumping high, The Passion gathered by their arms as a number of barely visible figures appeared behind them for just a split second, their eyes shining as bright as a glimmering diamond. All their fists hit Jones at once, right in the chest, and an explosion of color ripped forth.

In the ensuing blast of green ink, even Link, Mario, and the other heroes participating were blown away from the intense display of energy. It was like a typhoon had washed through the market square, Empyrea, from all the way outside of town and with the still unresponsive Landia, by the dried-out moat, got a few specks of ink in her feathers.

“Auuuugh…” Mario groaned when he came to, tasting something foul in his mouth. He quickly realized that it was ink, and he spat it out before he accidentally swallowed any. “Jeez, what the- oh, come on…” He was drenched in the ink, clothes covered but oddly, not stained. When he swung his arms out to flick off some of the liquid, he saw that his overalls were spotless, if only a little moist. “Guys? Guys?! Wha- Where is everyone?”

Mario had been flung away from where he stood and landed right next to the gaping hole in the Bombchu Bowling Alley, where the captain had tackled him into just after they arrived. Leaning forward, he narrowed his vision to try and spot somebody, anybody. Gobs of ink were easily mistakable for someone covered in the stuff. What made him nervous, though, was that there was no sign of Jones.

Rising from the rubble, Mario stretched his aching arms and looked at them. It was chilling to see the ends of his ulna and radius bones jutting out just slightly from the now partially-healed injury on his right forearm. Clenching his remaining hand, Mario felt a sensation that he could only explain as ‘ghostly’. His mind sent signals to his severed nerves that he wanted to move his right hand, but nothing happened. He could almost feel his hand there, even though it clearly wasn’t, and the onset of fear that came when he realized that now he would forever be changed from what the captain did to him was crushing. What had been taken from the plumber, both his hand and his brother, just now fully set in.

Mario was forced out of his introspective thoughts when Crysamy flew up into the air, having been punched in the gut. Jones, bursting out of the mess of ink that covered him, held his chest and panted.

“Haah…” Jones heaved. Looking at himself, the armor that once protected his torso was gone, there being only the cracked pieces covering his arms now. His shirt was torn, revealing a dark purple bruise and dribbles of blood. “Heh, all that… for some broken bones and blood? Useless!”

Crysamy landed on the ground and checked for any major damage. There were a few cuts along their face and Amy’s goggles had a small crack in them. A searing headache hit the fusion briefly, their physical form starting to weaking as energy was being drained with little to replenish it. Using what time they had left, they intercepted Jones before he could make another move, exchanging blows and taking the fight away from Splashdown’s impact point.

“It’s not enough…” Mario muttered. If Crysamy's attack only resulted in a few broken bones for Jones, they alongside the crusaders would have to hit him all together.

Around the area, the others were starting to emerge from their dazed states, wiping the ink off themselves and getting their bearings. The plumber, being the only one standing apart from Crysamy, decided to run over and join the fusion’s fight. The pair had been taking their one-on-one fisticuffs outside of the Bazaar, drifting out towards the street that led out to the drawbridge.

“Fine, I’ll admit it,” Jones began after he blocked another punch from Crysamy with his forearm, “You’re a keen fighter. Where did you learn such impressive hand movements?”

“A friend,” Crysamy said, thinking about a purple Inkling. Then they stamped their foot on the ground and summoned Splattercolor Screen, erecting a hulking barrier that separated them from Shatterhand. They finally got some time to breathe, Jones taking a second to inspect the transparent, green wall.

“Hm…” Jones pressed his gauntlet up to the screen, sending a small charge of darkness into it. Crysamy expected it to be ineffective, but when the wall warped and contorted like rubber, their eyes widened. “Heheheh… it seems your colors and be washed out with ease!”

Jones reeled his gauntlet back and punched the Splattercolor Screen with so much force that it shattered, breaking like glass before melting into a jello-like liquid and evaporating. His cleats struck the ground and made the stone crack, that unnerving smile that Link knew was being implanted in both Amy’s and Crystal’s minds when they witnessed it sprawl along his face. Jones laughed maniacally as he hit Crysamy in the jaw with his gauntlet and then wrapped his good hand around their neck. Lifting them up like a ragdoll, The Passion faded away as Jones started to strangle the fusion. Madness swirled through his gaze as he grinned, slowly choking the life out of Crysamy.

“HEEYYAA!” Mario came running in and jumped into the air. Performing a swift sex kick, his own Passion appeared and wrapped around his leg, powering up his strength and unleashing a splash of Wave Energy when his foot connected with Jones’ back.

“Huh- AAAUGH!” Jones was sent flying like a spitball, hitting the wall of the Guard House and releasing Crysamy from his grip.

Crysamy crumpled to the ground and coughed furiously, struggling to breathe as Mario helped them up.

“You okay?” Mario asked, seeing that an imprint of Jones’ fingers were left on Crysamy’s neck from his strong hold. “Can you breathe?”

“We’re fine,” Crysamy said, using their fist to pound their chest twice just to free up any trapped air. They tilted their head from side to side, loosening some joints and relieving them from a painful backache. “Where is he? Where’d he go?”

“Poyo?”

Both Mario and Crysamy instantly turned their heads when they heard that voice. Above them, Kirby stood perched on Empyrea’s head, looking a little banged up. His normally pink hue wasn’t as vibrant, and there was a harsh, blue ring around one of his eyes. His bruises were a direct result of being hit by Dark Matter, and he planned to get Jones back for that.

“Kirby! There you are!” Mario waved both arms in the air, not caring that his stump was being exposed to the rather cold air. “Wait, Empyrea, where have you been? We could’ve really used your help!”

“I’m sorry, Mario, but Landia was… hurt,” Empyrea couldn’t bring herself to discuss Landia’s injuries. Kirby had found out the hard way when he woke up in a clearing and saw the Godbird caring for the now three-headed dragon. That was why the pink puffball wore a frown, showing that he was more than ready to fight. “His wounds are unlike anything I’ve seen before, so I had to care for them unless he were to lose his life!”

“How is he now?” Mario asked.

“He’s fine, but still asleep. Now, Kirby,” Empyrea looked up and addressed the Star Warrior on her head, “Head down there and finish Jones off! I’ll look for the others and make sure they’re okay!”

“Poyo!” Kirby said, jumping off Empyrea and landing on the road across from Mario with ease. He even struck a pose, his eyes flaring with anger as he looked around for Mike Jones.

Then, out of nowhere, a blast of Dark Matter hit Crysamy. She was knocked down and her form started to glow, Amy and Crystal’s bodies fighting to stay fused. Jones, covered in soot and rubble, launched another shot of darkness towards Mario, smiling wide at the sight of the plumber right out in the open.

Link, drawing closer in silence in hopes of surprising Jones, was forced to show himself when he saw Mario being targeted next after Crysamy. He threw the Mirror Shield like a frisbee, the shimmering sheen with an anguished face printed on it reflecting the darkness and sending it away. It struck one of the buildings out of view, and Link broke out into a run as he raced to retrieve it.

“Hmph,” Jones groaned at Link’s arrival, but when the Mirror Shield rolled along the ground and stopped right across from him, he got an idea. He was far closer to the shield than Link was, so thinking fast, he ran over to it. “Why don’t we even the odds, Link! I never found much use in shields anyways, so why should you?”

Link gasped in shock at Jones’ words. Oppositely, Mike laughed as he brought his spiked cleats down on the Mirror Shield, breaking the glass and even splitting the wooden frame. Picking his foot up, he slammed it into the shield again, this time smashing it to pieces. The amount of glee coming from his chuckle was sickening, his gauntlet glowing threateningly as Link, Kirby, Mario, and Crysamy were the only ones in his way.

“To think! Variants of my old friends would come so, so close to beating me. I refuse to let myself lose to you again!!” Jones snarled, arming himself with his yo-yo.

“Huh?” Mario had an urge to snort, thinking it obscene that any version of himself or his allies would’ve been friends with Jones. “You really are insane, aren’t you?”

“Oh no, the entire reason I’m so eager to kill you… is because of you!” Jones sent out his yo-yo again, this time trapping Mario with the cord. Kirby, in retaliation, sprang up and bolted towards Shatterhand. “All of you! You proved to be the lowest scum of all and betrayed me!”

“Even them?” Link pointed to Crysamy as he used the Gilded Sword to cut Mario free from the yo-yo.

“Well, no, not them, but I never liked squids anyways, so I've got problem killing them,” Jones admitted, flexing his wrist to bring his yo-yo back and then aiming his gauntlet at Kirby.

“Poyo!” Kirby chirped to Crysamy.

“Hm?” Crysamy was a bit surprised to hear that they understood Kirby, even though Amy and Crystal individually still didn’t master that. Now was no time to question it, as Kirby had asked for some help! “Oh, Kirby, here!”

Breathing out slowly, Crysamy exhaled a cloud of Toxic Mist. Another special ability, though because of their dwindling energy, wasn’t very powerful. Thankfully, it was enough for the Star Warrior. Sucking up the cloud, Kirby obtained the Poison Ability, a hat made up of gushing, purple waste sitting on his head. He knew that one puff from his mouth would be enough to corrode Jones’ lungs and finish him.

“Of course, now I need to use the rest… ugh,” Jones grumbled to himself as if he were handling a day-to-day chore. The last remnants of his armor gathered by his face, forming a makeshift mask to filter out any pollutants. It wouldn’t work for long, but his capacity to care had long left him. “Now, join your variants in the afterlife, Kirby!”

“Poy poyo poy!” Kirby dodged a swing from the Dark Matter gauntlet, Jones’ attack hitting the wall behind him. There, a volley of sludge was lobbed at him, sticking to the ground and hissing faintly as the acids in the concoction melted stone.

“I’ll take great pleasure in killing you, Kirby, as I have many times before,” Jones was about to strike with his gauntlet again, when Crysamy and Link, now without his shield, joined their plucky, pink companion. Swiping the Gilded Sword upwards, Link hit the armor concealing Jones’ face, knocking him down. Shaking his head, Mike mused aloud, “Although, I’m a little ashamed that Luigi was already taken care of, as I quite enjoy finishing the plumbers myself…”

Link was growing tired of the banter, so he took his sword and dived, plunging it straight into one of Jones’ cleats, slicing through the steel-capped plating and stabbing his foot.

“GAH!” Jones went berserk. He lurched forward and blasted Link with his gauntlet, then hit Mario right in the stump, sending shockwaves of rippling pain through the plumbers’ amputated arm.

“AHH-HAH!” Mario yelped, holding his now numb arm and falling over.

Jones, once his yo-yo repaired itself once more, spun it around and sent it careening towards Kirby. Since the Star Warrior was so small, the metal wire wrapped itself around his entire body, and Jones used Kirby as a wrecking ball, swinging him around and throwing him at Crysamy. A splash of purple tar erupted from the puffball’s collision with the fusion, the two completely confused as to what had just happened.

“You know, Link, I feel like you at least deserve to know one, simple thing…” Jones said as he walked up to the hero in green. The Terminian groaned as his fought off the pain from the blast, but he screamed out in agony when Jones stomped down on his arm, the spikes in the bottoms of his cleats now exposed and cutting through Link’s flesh. “You want to know why I’m doing this?”

“I’d- I’d certainly like to, because then… augh… then I can know exactly why I’ll subject you to Hell’s justice!” Link barked.

“It’s because,” Jones leaned in and whispered, “In the vast mystery of the realms, you, Mario, Erdrick, Kirby, and I, among others, were friends once!”

Link lifted his head up and stared at Jones with disbelief. A story like that sounded so undoubtably false that it was comical, yet there was a sick sense of truth coming from Jones’ tongue. His stare, calm and direct, told Link that what he said was fact, and it seemed even more bizarre because of it.

“But you all left me to die one day, the only memento being this mangled hand,” Jones removed his gauntlet to remind Link why he took up the name ‘Shatterhand’. A chill raced down Link's spine as he once again saw the extent of Jones' deformity, some fingers missing and others bending in ways that looked monstrous. “That’s why.”

“All because…” Link panted, glancing at the others. They were already getting up, but had been knocked too far away from where Jones stood. “All because some versions of us left you?”

“Yes… I guess all this is just one big grudge,” Jones said as another wicked smile formed across his bruised cheeks. Placing the gauntlet back onto his hand, it charged up with darkness, a void spreading along its fingertips as its master lifted it into the air to strike. “Now, meld into the infinite abyss, Link!”

Link didn’t accept that fate for a second. No matter what destiny meant to him, Mario, or even Mike Jones, he knew that he wasn’t done yet. It was all because from above, he saw Eight, Eleven, and Erdrick standing on the roof of the building behind Shatterhand.

Eight’s sword flew through the air and stabbed Jones in shoulder. He cried out in pain and slouched, trying to reach behind himself to grab the weapon. However, the sound of the three swordsmen coming down to ground level for their final confrontation caused a wave of fear to overcome him.

“Don’t worry, Link,” Erdrick said as his Passion shot out from his hand and grabbed Eight’s sword. He pulled the blade from Jones’ body and returned it to its owner. “We finish him together, that’s what we promised to Solo, and we promise that to you, too.”

Jones scowled, stepping away from Link. When his cleats tore their way out of Link’s skin, the hero in green grabbed his own sword and held it firmly. The Wave Energy coursing through his body managed to quell the pain, and with Mario, Kirby, and Crysamy back on their feet, all the remaining crusaders were present and accounted for. This was it.

Chapter Text

Alright everyone, this is it. Forgive this chapter for being comparably shorter than the previous few, but some writers’ block got to me. Besides, it’s rather hard to write fluent battle, but I think the chaos helps enforce the idea that everyone here is desperate. Anyways, please enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 34: Party of a Dead Man

Jones looked from side to side, examining the situation. For the first time in a while, he was cornered. Everyone around him had their sights set on his death, something that hadn’t been the case since he always made sure to defeat his enemies one by one. Now, with eight opponents, his captain dead, dreadnaught destroyed, and armor in fragments, Jones felt something he so often instilled in his targets. Desperation was hitting.

“Tch…” Jones, even just for a second, looked down in defeat. Then, his face scrunched up, a snicker coming from his lips. “Huh- Heh, heheh… Muahahaha! BWAAAHAHAHA!!”

Link, Kirby, Mario, Crysamy, Erdrick, Eight, and Eleven all thought Jones was beyond crazy at this point. Laughing in the face of his loss, as if he had no perception of the overwhelming odds against him. The question of how far this man could fall wasn’t what they were asking themselves, they were asking just how much more he could take. It was seven, technically eight, against one. Crysamy’s Passion flared up, though it wasn’t as lively as before. In fact, the fusion themselves weren’t as lively, the amount of power needed to perform their special abilities now showing.

“You all think you’ve got me caged like an animal? No! I will not fall to the likes of you, crusaders!” Jones readied his gauntlet, anticipating Crysamy to be the first to charge. The faux threat worked, the fusion jumping towards him first, their vines twisting and tightening around their arms, ready to attack. “It’s useless, foolish child!!” he screamed joyfully.

Jones ducked, Crysamy’s vines narrowly missing him. Boldly, he grabbed The Passion with his gauntlet, not caring if the Wave Energy disrupted the flow of darkness coursing through the device. Using Crysamy as leverage, he swung himself away from the group and landed on the other side of the street. Now, fully charging up his weapon, he fired it at the space between Eight and Erdrick, blasting the ground and letting the debris confuse them for a moment.

“I think I’ll start making good on our promise!” Eleven wasn’t hindered by anything, so he rushed Jones with his sword, waving it through the air blindly. Each swing ended with a bang, sparks flying up as the sword hit the terrain roughly.

Finding a large opening in the middle of Eleven’s slashes, Jones took advantage of it. When Eleven’s blade went past his face, something cut through the air so quickly that it created a vacuum, and an eye was taken with it.

“GRRAAAAHHH!!” Eleven screamed as he tumbled to the turf, the cord from Jones’ yo-yo halfway done blinding him. Using all the speed he could muster, Jones strummed the wire so fast that it cracked like a whip, just like it had to Eight’s cheek when it was cut.

“You know, I took Solo’s eye as well. Now I want to complete this little collection!” Jones boasted, thinking about stealing Erdrick and Eight’s eyes next.

“Poyo!”

“Here we go!!”

Kirby and Mario leapt to intercept Jones, sludge coming from the Star Warrior and passionate flames coming from the plumber. Following them was Link, though he was a little slower because the injury to his arm was catching up to him. The others planned to join, but were abruptly stopped by yet another shot from the gauntlet hitting the road, picking up a cloud of dust over their eyes.

Jones’ eyes darted around, looking for a strategy to claim. Spotting a gap between Mario and Kirby, he guessed he could weave between them and give Link a face-full of darkness. In order to keep Mario at bay, he called on the rest of his armor and it gathered by his hand. Detaching from his suit, the metal formed into a small dagger, Jones gripping the hilt. Leaping forwards, he slid across the ground, weapon in hand, and stabbed Mario in the knee.

“Nope!” Erdrick yelled, his Passion lashing out at Jones. Because of the grime getting in his face, he had one eye closed, thus throwing off his aim. He had been going for Jones’ torso, but the vines instead wrapped around the fiends’ leg. “Take a dozen volts of electricity!” he proudly proclaimed, channeling Zap through The Passion.

“Poy poyo!” Kirby shouted an obscenity, not out of the fight yet. Seeing that Erdrick was sending an electric charge through the vines like wires carrying a signal, Kirby joined the effort, using his Passion to do something similar. “Pooooyo!! he yelled, using the Poison Ability to disperse a noxious cloud from the thorns.

Link, walking with a tired gait, took the opportunity to attack as Jones coughed his lungs out. Raising his sword in the air, he had a ruthlessness in his heart that was shared between his fellow crusaders. Swinging his weapon, he brought it down on the Dark Matter gauntlet brutally, but was sent flying after the impact. Jones had expected Link to go for the gauntlet again, so it had already been filled with thick, viscous shadow, and reacted violently to being hit.

Landing on his back and groaning, Link heard the others’ footsteps head towards Jones. Fumbling with his shaky hands, the hero scrabbled to his feet and looked at his sword. It hadn’t any cracks from the darkness, but it’d get some if he tried to destroy the gauntlet again. “There has to be something that’ll hit harder…” Link thought as Eight and Eleven were forced to their knees, having gotten too close to the toxic mist emitted from Kirby’s Passion while trying to get near Jones. Eleven’s sword fell to the ground, right in front of Link’s view of Kirby.

The image of a sword around Kirby reminded Link of the Ultra Sword. After retrieving it, he scanned its edge. While it was wider than the Gilded Sword, it also ended sharply, a full swing likely bringing a lot of force. Maybe, just maybe, it’d be enough force to break the gauntlet. Wrapping both hands around the hilt, Link held it up, just barely.

“Tael?” Link asked out for his friend.

“Yeah?” Tael flew in right away, hovering by Link’s hat.

“I’m going to need some help with this. Do you mind perching yourself on my arms and using your vines to keep this thing steady?” Link gestured to his hands, expressing how they wobbled as they worked to hold the Ultra Sword.

“You got it!” Tael nodded, flying down and standing on Link’s right arm like a mountain climber. He coiled The Passion around his little hands and sent it up, wrapping it around the cross guard. “Does this work?”

“Mhm!” Link said, smiling.

Meanwhile, the only crusader that could get close to Jones without succumbing to Kirby’s Poison cloud was Crysamy. They relished the toxicity, able to absorb it slightly and regain some lost energy. After pulling their arm back, they swung their fist forward for a devastating blow to Jones’ face. Expecting a burst of Wave Energy to come from the hit, they closed their eyes, concentrating.

Bam! Crysamy hit Jones square in the jaw, but nothing else happened.

“Hm, you’re getting weaker, Requiem!” Jones wheezed smarmily, his tone overly condescending despite his lungs being corroded by toxins. Crysamy’s strength simply wasn’t enough to do make any real difference. The distraction gave Jones the chance to headbutt them. Staggering backwards, they lost their footing and became tangled in Erdrick’s vines, partially releasing Jones. “What you lack is teamwork! Such wasted power, trying to play off each other’s abilities when you’re all so different!! Especially you, Kirby!”

Crysamy fell back and that same, harsh glow swallowed their form. Erdrick, letting his Passion retract back into his arm, hurried over to help.

“Hey! What’s wr-” Erdrick didn’t even get to ask.

“N-No!! We need to st-stay TOGETHER!!!” Crysamy yelled in a panic, their body splitting apart, the symphony of Amy and Crystal’s voices filling the air. Reverting to an amorphous blob of energy, Erdrick was just barely able to make out the outlines of the Inkling and Octoling fighting to keep themselves fused.

“Eight, Eleven!” Erdrick didn’t know if he and his friends could help, but it was worth a try. The other two swordsmen reconvened, hardly in the best of shape.

“Oh my god- What happened to your eye?” Erdrick now noticed the gaping hole in his friends’ face and went to inspect it.

“I-I’m fine, don’t worry…” Eleven lied, wanting to focus on what was important. One look at the mess of matter before Erdrick told him and Eight everything. Amy and Crystal were belting out sounds of distress, their dwindling power forcing them apart.

A set of silent nods were shared between the trio, all figuring what they could do. Kneeling down, The Passion emerged from their arms and cloaked the lovers, encasing them in the Wave Energy that was being expelled from the swordsmen’s thorns.

Just as Link and Tael were about to swing the Ultra Sword at Jones, he escaped their range, discarding it like it didn’t even happen. Instead, he made his way over to Kirby, using his gauntlet to grab the hero’s vines and tear them apart. The act sent Kirby into shock, just as it had when Erdrick and Crystal’s Passion were severed. Numbness roared through the pink puffball’s body, allowing Jones to attack him without interruption.

“Etching your name off my list is a pastime I particularly enjoy, Kirby,” Jones said as he sent a wave of darkness through the Star Warrior’s heart with a punch. “I’ve finished you in so many different ways!” He dealt Kirby another punch, beating him like a sandbag. “You’ve starved, you’ve suffocated, I’ve even destroyed a planet with you on it!”

“P-Poyo…” Kirby sputtered.

For an instance, Link’s fear made him nauseous, thinking that what was happening before him was exactly how Kirby’s variant was defeated. “Kirby!” he yelled.

“Seeing your Ripple Star vanish from the sky was quite, quite fun!” Jones whispered, a murderous glint in his eyes and his teeth seething with gruesome joy as he lifted his gauntlet up to strike Kirby one last time.

Hearing those string of words set something off in Kirby, and he went into overdrive without the need of his Warp Star. The next few moments were a blur, so many emotions being set off like firecrackers through his soul in no time at all. Next thing he knew, Jones was slumped against one of the pillars making up the drawbridge, a large gash along his chest, blood and gunk staining his clothes. In Kirby’s hand, inexplicably, was the Ultra Sword, with a confused Link and Tael just across from the pink hero.

“Woah…” Link was startled to see Kirby with the dark determination in his eyes. In all honesty, he didn’t think Kirby had it in him. The glare of a killer was uncanny when donned by Kirby, but whatever Jones had said clearly paved the way for it to appear.

The hole in Jones’ shirt from Crysamy’s Splashdown had left his chest vulnerable, and with several ribs broken from that very same attack, it was definitely prone to damage. Now, witnessing blood spilling from the tears in his stomach and shoulder, Jones was granted a reality check, gasping in horror not at the sight of his injury, but the feeling. A cold, bitter sensation rippled through his exposed insides, rage bubbling to the surface of his flushed, worried face.

“Irk- NO!” Jones looked for a target close enough to attack, his view resting on Mario. The blade was still in the red plumber’s knee, so it was unlikely that he could defend himself.

Suddenly, Crysamy, bursting out of Erdrick, Eight, and Eleven’s vines, tackled Jones and fought hand to hand, saving Mario for the time being.

“Ugh… I… I can’t feel my face…” Eleven collapsed, the effort of rejuvenating Crysamy costing all three of the swordsmen to feel weary. Eleven passed out first, his adrenaline rush ending, making him succumb to his exhaustion.

“Ah! No, no, no! You can’t pass out again, not when we’re this close!” Eight, startled to see Eleven fall face-first to the ground, bent down in hopes of waking him.

“Eight,” Erdrick said. Eight ignored him. “Eight, hey, Eight! Listen to me!” Erdrick barked, regardless of if Eight acknowledged him or not, “It’s alright, let him rest. We can finish this!”

“I don’t care! H-How do you know he’s resting?! We can’t lose him too!” Eight replied, moisture in his eyes.

The aftermath of Kirby’s overdrive, along with seeing him wield the Ultra Sword for a moment, gave Link a new idea. “Everyone!” he shouted, catching the attention of Erdrick, Kirby, Mario, and even Crysamy as they wrestled with Jones. “We need one last overdrive! That might just do it!”

“Look, I have faith he’s alright,” Erdrick told Eight before dashing towards Jones. Eight stayed behind, making sure Eleven would be alright. Faith wasn’t easy for the bandana-wearing hero to find, but he’d do his best as he started to cast Heal on Eleven.

Erdrick’s boots tapped against the road in a simple tempo, thinking that this wasn’t a march towards death, but a race to determine both his life and the lives of the others. His pace was matched by Mario and then Link, the three prepared to unleash all the energy they had left into Shatterhand. Kirby, noticing the uncontainable valor, held up the Ultra Sword.

“Poyo!” Kirby shouted, tossing the weapon to Link.

“Tael, I need your help!” Link said as he grabbed the Ultra Sword. The purple fairy quickly went down to his friend’s hands and used The Passion to assist with brandishing the blade.

“Get off of me, stupid bitch!” Jones cursed Crysamy, jerking his arms forward and shoving the fusion to the side. “Y-You!” he finally spotted the other crusaders charging at him, boldly claiming, “I’ll kill you all, no matter how damaged I am, I’ll kill you!!” When he finished, he glanced at his gauntlet, imbuing it with murky, corrosive shadows.

“Crysamy? You gonna join us?” Mario asked.

“Of course, just, what’s the plan?” Crysamy answered Mario’s question with one of her own.

“Kill him!” Link said valiantly, allowing Crysamy to add on to the already overwhelming typhoon of Wave Energy. It crackled through the air as the quintet of heroes hurled themselves at Mike Jones, ready for anything.

“Oh va drive!!” Kirby chirped, doing his best to speak so that even Shatterhand could understand what was about to happen. The pink puffball lead the attack, time seemingly slowing to a crawl as they neared the enemy.

Jones growled and launched his fist at the opposition, looking to destroy the Ultra Sword and send Dark Matter through each of the heroes’ bodies, killing them at last. To counter this possibility, the warriors put their hands on the hilt, allowing for the most potent amount of Wave Energy to overflow from the weapon as it cut through the air and at Shatterhand. An eternity ticked by, the wind howling with ferocity as Eight watched from the sidelines. In the distance, Empyrea appeared in the sky, having been too busy healing Landia to join the grueling battle.

“Come on, do it!” Empyrea pleaded. She felt cruel and unjust for staying out of the battle, but she knew it was not her destiny to defeat Jones. It was theirs, the Empyrean Crusaders, as dictated by destiny’s design.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGHH!!!” they hollered in unison.

 Finally, the gauntlet and the sword connected, a brilliant flash of light erupting from the metallic collision. Link, Kirby, Mario, Crysamy, and Erdrick shielded their eyes as the light intensified. The creaking screech of steel assaulted the ears as the Wave Energy fought the darkness, struggling for dominance. Suddenly, the blade of the Ultra Sword cracked, the tension too great for it to stay in one piece. Shatterhand grinned from ear to ear, chuckling softly.

Then, like sound reverberating through an echo chamber, the darkness bounced back, unable to contend with the Wave Energy. Instead of the gauntlet taking any damage, Jones’ body did, thin, sharp valleys of fire bursting from his skin and burning his clothes while his arm started to break apart.

“W-What?!” Jones gasped.

It was like ice when under immense pressure, the solid sheet popping into separate pieces. That’s what it would’ve been described as if any of the crusaders could see it. With his body fracturing, Jones screamed out in agony, everything crumbling away. The openings along his arm crept across his chest and reached his head, small arcs of light shooting out into the air.

“NO! It’s- It’s IMPOSSSIBLLLLE!!” Mike Jones declared. A million thoughts rushed through his head, each unwilling to accept the reality of defeat that was quickly approaching. Light consumed the wounds in his chest and shoulder, the pain mixing with the sheer insanity churning within his brain. Pure madness started to pour from his mouth, Jones howling, “Dehsinif ton m'I!! Tey uoy htiw hguorht t'nsi dnahrettahS fo ertceps eht!!! HAHAHA- MUUAAHAHAH!!!!” The laughter was riddled with defiance as it faded away.

A strong blast darkness spouted from the arm in a dazzling display of blazing energy. There, the limb burst, taking half of Jones’ torso and the entirety of his head with it. Light swiftly escaped into the night, vision returning to the heroes, granting them sight right when the Ultra Sword clattered to the ground.

Next, it all went silent, just the sound of the wind flowing through Hyrule.

Link found himself facing the earth, sprawled about just mere moments after the explosion, panting. When he turned his eyes just a little bit upwards to look around, before him landed the Dark Matter gauntlet. The thud it generated against the brick was startling, steam hissing from the heated metal and its void-like shimmer wasting away like a wilted flower. Seconds later, Jones’ remains toppled over, legs going limp as flames covered it.

“Ack-! Owww…” Erdrick’s voice could be heard, but Link didn’t take his eyes off Shatterhand’s fresh corpse.

“Link?” Mario was the one to get the blonde hero’s attention, just a few feet away from him. “I-Is it over?” asked the plumber, his voice soft and shaky. When he got to reply, he spoke with firmness, “Did we win?”

Link took a glance at the battlefield. Kirby was just behind him, Erdrick was slowly getting to his feet, Eight was a little ways away, tending to Eleven, and Amy and Crystal were now unfused, their energy totally spent. The pair were curled up together on the other side of the crater that had formed from the impact of the Ultra Sword and the gauntlet. Tael was just beside them, his wings fluttering subconsciously as he snored lightly.

After Link was done, he looked back at Jones’ body, just in time to watch the embers along the corpse fizzle out. Then, like the captain previously, the body was petrified, solidifying into a pale gray stone before crumbling away. The ashes of Mike Jones sprinkled around like sand in the breeze, dancing out of sight, bringing back peace after its long, arduous absence.

“We won…” Link said.

“Are you sure?” Mario wondered out loud, a tinge of worry invading.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m sure,” Link made sure to speak with assurance, able to see plain as day that the Dark Matter gauntlet, the yo-yo, and the short blade of armor was all that was left of Jones’ presence.

Chapter Text

Here we are at last. It’s honestly very surreal to be writing this final chapter. Of course, there WILL be a bonus chapter after this, but I plan to take a break for a little while before writing that. Almost a year ago, I posted the prologue, and now, after 36 total chapters, we’re at the end. Thank you all, truly, for reading. You have no idea how much it means. Please enjoy.
-Justan

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 35: No Good About Goodbye

Link removed his leather gauntlets, trying to use them as pads to pick safely up the device of darkness, still yelping in pain as its pitch-black metal burned his fingers regardless. After Jones’ body was annihilated, the heat was absorbed into the weapon, causing it to steam. Surprised that the gauntlet didn’t explode along with its owner or just melt away, Link became drawn to it, his curiosity unrelenting.

“No, don’t touch it,” Mario warned, unsure if there was still darkness lingering.

“It needs to be destroyed. This thing has caused more death than we know,” Link argued, stuffing his own gauntlets into his bag for later. He wondered if Jones had any sort of failsafe or countermeasures regarding a possible defeat. Although, his unending confidence when the crusaders arrived suggested that he didn’t.

“Ugh, just… at least wait until the damned thing cools,” Mario grunted, the pain along the stump where his hand once was catching up to him again. That same ghostly feeling of fingers that should be there came back, tugging at his skin, his nerves swearing up and down that they were controlling something. “Hey!” he suddenly called out, “Everyone alright?”

“Poyo!” Kirby said, smiling.

“I-I’m fine, just a little sore…” Erdrick responded, before spotting Eight and Eleven still sitting on the sidelines. With hesitance in his posture, he walked over to them, watching his step among the cracked, caved in road. “Eight?”

“Have to admit, you did good,” Eight commented on Erdrick’s performance, the compliment making the latter red in the cheeks.

“Heh, thanks,” Erdrick said bashfully, but the reserved attitude quickly went away when he got a better look at Eleven, still unconscious. “Is he alright?” he asked, his friend completely motionless except for the slight rise and fall of his chest. At least he was still breathing.

“For the most part, fine, but there’s no saving his eye,” Eight began, “I don’t even know where it went, so much was happening.” The last of his magic was used up healing Eleven’s face, but the wound was still open, blood trickling down along his cheek and onto the ground. Without any reluctance, Erdrick grabbed a portion of his cape and tugged, ripping a piece off to work as a bandage.

“That’s another thing added to the list of what he took from us…” Erdrick said as he wrapped the cloth around Eleven’s head, covering the unruly laceration and protecting it from infection. After it was secure, he sighed, mind still lingering on Solo. Then, looking at the area where Jones’ ashes had been scattered, he began to walk over to it.

Eight watched wordlessly as Erdrick singled out that yo-yo, the weaponized toy sitting on its side innocently. The metal wire that caused so much pain was unspooled, stretching out for a few feet before ending right next to where the gauntlet sat. Staring at it, an insatiable desire to leave nothing left of the Archfiend of Reality took over. Picking his leg up with a snarl, Erdrick slammed his foot down on the yo-yo over and over again, grunting and gasping as he took his anger out on the item. Over a minute went by, the circular halves snapping apart from the axels under the weight of Erdrick’s boot. Once he was finished, all that was left of the weapon was broken, warped metal and tangled wire.

“Where’s the gauntlet?!” Erdrick asked, turning to Link.

“I don’t think that same treatment will work on it,” Link explained, guessing that if the gauntlet was fortified enough to withstand a hit with the Ultra Sword, a mild tantrum wouldn’t do much.

Erdrick only scoffed, finding the dagger of armor that Jones used to stab Mario. Holding it tightly, attempted to use Sizz and melt the object, but all that appeared from his hands were meager, miniscule sparks. He, like Eight, had no magic energy left. Lacking any water to restore his mana, he presented it to the red plumber. “Mario,” Erdrick said, “Melt this.”

“Why?” Mario thought himself too exhausted to use his fire abilities.

“We can’t let a single piece of him remain, not one. He- He’s stolen too much from us. Your brother, Solo, we don’t even know what happened to Landia! There’s a-” Erdrick was cut off just mere moments after he alluded to Luigi’s fate. Mario; his ears drowning everything else out, stood up and limped away, heading down the road towards parts unimportant.

“Where are-?” Erdrick noticed the shard of armor had been left on the ground, undamaged. Frustrated, he picked the piece back up and pocketed it, sure to come up with some way to destroy it later. Mario had gone out of sight, none of the group having a clue where he’d went.

For Erdrick, all the agony was now just hitting him, the weight making him weak in the knees. The state of the group, the world they found themselves in, and the uncertain finality of Shatterhand’s death, it brought him great unease. Something felt wrong, and it messed with his normally stoic way of operating.

Link, as perceptive as ever, recognized the misery festering in Erdrick’s soul. It was that same fury that he saw within Meta Knight when discovering the remains of a Star Warrior in that parallel Cappy Town. Link didn’t know why his mind dived straight for that memory, but perhaps it was what he said to Meta Knight back then that caused it. Approaching Erdrick carefully, he placed his hand on the tired swordsman’s shoulder.

“Hey…” Link started, a bit doubtful that his words would help after he received a provoked glare from Erdrick. No matter, he continued, “It’s okay to cry. It’s okay, really, it is.”

“Huh?” Erdrick thought Link was mocking him.

“I’ve been hurt by loss before, and it’s just good to be reminded that it’s alright to cry. We…” Link realized just how short of a time he’d spent with his fellow crusaders, yet he already felt so connected to each of them. “We’re your friends,” he assured Erdrick, a solemn speck of understanding in his eyes, “We’re here.”

Neither swordsman knew what to say. When they heard the sound of boots against stone nearing, they simply looked over, finding a ghastly sight where they least expected. Mario returned, carrying the body of his fallen brother in his arms, walking with a distant gaze. Link took his hand off Erdrick’s shoulder, his breath hitching as a chill raced down his spine. Luigi’s skin was pale, lifeless, and as Mario came to figure out, cold.

“You know, you’re right, Erdrick. Shatterhand has stolen a lot from us,” Mario said, laying his brother’s corpse on the group. No tears fell from his cheeks, but the sorrow was malleable, almost as if it were floating above his head like a storm cloud in cartoons. “But I think my constant arguments with Link taught me that no amount of anger can change things. If it did, Luigi would be standing right here with me,” the plumber rubbed his nose, trying not to look at his brother’s face.

“Well, then what do we do?” Erdrick asked.

“Rejoice. Jones is dead, let’s leave it at that,” Mario replied with little emotion despite his words. “He’s rotting in Hell, I think that’s good enough.”

Finally, Empyrea touched down on the ground by the entrance to town, Landia now awake and right behind her. Kirby, being the closest to them, was the first to see what had happened to the crimson dragon. Now, he was left with only three heads, the fourth somewhere unimportant. It couldn’t be reattached anyways, the window for that opportunity having closed a while ago. He walked with a pained sway, keeping his wings folded behind him, focusing solely on staying balanced.

“Poyo!” Kirby cried, racing over to check on his friend.

“Kirby, give him time,” Empyrea said before the pink puffball could embrace Landia. “I’m not sure he’s in the right place to accept a hug at the moment, I’m sorry.”

“Poy… poyo…” Kirby lowered his eyes gloomily, a few tears rolling down his cheeks as he walked back into town. Once Empyrea and Landia entered, the Godbird noticed the lone plumber and the body in front of him.

“No…” was all Empyrea was able to say. She couldn’t begin to comprehend the loss. Inspecting the scene, and the absence of Solo, she correctly presumed that he too had fallen in battle. However, seeing Amy and Crystal curled up together and Eight kneeling over Eleven instinctively made her fear the worst. “Eight?” she called out.

Crystal’s ears twitched at the name, but she remained asleep.

“He’s alright, just spent like the rest of us,” Eight rose to attention, walking over to Erdrick. “Where’s Solo’s body?” he asked, ashamed to even need to ponder a question he was never prepared to ask.

“Back at the castle. Throne room,” Erdrick said.

Eight sighed, “I guess I’ll go get it…”

“Why?”

“Well, we can’t just leave him there,” Eight explained. Next came the question of what to do after. “Do you… Do you know what he wanted when… you know.”

“No,” Erdrick spoke in more of a mumble than anything, hating to think about the topic.

An awkward silence fell between them, so Eight turned to the others, “Mario, do you know what your brother wanted to do with his… things?”

Mario knew what was being discussed, and it hurt that he had an answer. “He wanted to be cremated. I never understood why, but said he wanted to let his loved ones have a bit of him after he was gone.” It was an idea that their parents always thought strange, but it was in Luigi’s nature to be there for his family, especially his brother.

“Alright, I guess we can do that…” Eight wasn’t too thrilled to take on the task, but he did it without any protestation. There, he embarked on the long walk to the castle.

Again, silence permeated the area as Mario kept his head down, akin to Kirby.

“My sincere condolences, Mario,” Empyrea said, hoping to give the plumber some comfort. It was hardly enough to quell the fierce depression creeping its way into the mind, but the thought was at least welcoming.

Mario gave the Godbird a plain, “Thank you.” On the inside, he was thinking about whether or not this was fate. When asked about the concept of fate, destiny, and the future being written, Mario once would’ve just scoffed. Now, with the knowledge that fate very much could exist, guiding Link to meet him and allowing the events of this journey to unfold, he wasn’t at all sure.

Eight didn’t return for some time, but that was expected. Almost an hour passed with nothing but the sound of the wind filling the air. Although, just minutes after Eight had left, Eleven came to, his face sore, dried blood flaking off from his cheek as he sat up. Erdrick was glad to see that Eleven was, for the most part, fine, though he urged his friend to keep the bandage wrapped around his head at least until dawn. His injury had been mostly mended, but it was better for it to heal a bit more on its own. They were glad to have time to breathe.

Link, oppositely, was plagued by worry as he stayed by Amy and Crystal’s side, routinely checking their pulses every few minutes. They slept so soundly that it seemed unnatural, the hard stone beneath them being so obviously uncomfortable. Yet, they snored with bliss, their bodies retaining little warmth, causing them to automatically seek each other out and cuddle closely.

“There’s no need to worry, my friend,” Empyrea told Link, breaking him out of his prolonged stare. “Amy and Crystal are fine, I assure you. Wave Energy allowed them to stay fused for far longer than normal, but it’s no replacement for the energy required to stay in such a form together.”

“I still don’t understand how they did that…” Link muttered, still rather amazed at the raw power Crysamy’s Passion held. The image of it behind them like a forest of tendrils struck fear into Shatterhand’s heart, and Link would be wrong to say he wasn’t a little afraid as well.

“Their bond is the greatest I’ve ever seen,” Empyrea mused aloud, “None of their variants have ever attained such a passionate dedication for each other, not one. I believe it’s unique among the realms.”

Link smiled, guessing that was precisely the reason why they were chosen. “Hm, well, if they’re alright, then I’d say they’ve earned a long rest.”

Empyrea took a moment to respond. “Indeed,” she said.

Out of the corner of his eye, however, Link saw something move. It was faint thanks to the night blanketing the drawbridge, but shifting his head just slightly, he discerned what he thought was a cloaked figure making its way towards him. For once, Link believed it was his tired mind trying one last trick. He was content with believing that until his ears picked up something he didn’t think he’d hear.

“Hello?” came a distinctly feminine voice.

Link, alongside the few other crusaders within earshot, all tensed up and went into battle stance, unsure if the voice belonged to an enemy. Unsheathing the Gilded Sword and reaching for the Mirror Shield, Link remembered that it had been destroyed, leaving him without defense.

Upon seeing the many perturbed faces that heard their words, the figure put their hands up and waved them cautiously, signaling that they weren’t a threat. “I-I apologize! I didn’t mean to alarm anyone!”

“Who are you?” Link shouted in a demanding tone.

The figure was left stunned when they heard the hero in green. Bringing their hands up to the hood of their cloak, they slowly pulled it down, revealing a face Link hadn’t seen in eons. Her golden hair was riddled with grey streaks, only a few wrinkles dotting the undersides of her eyelids. The complexion though remained as stern yet inviting as it had during her younger years. The Princess Zelda of this reality stared back at Link with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Link?” she mumbled, silently praying that she wasn’t being deceived.

“Zelda?” Link sputtered, taken aback by her presence. Compared to his counterpart that fell into Termina almost by chance, Zelda aged quite gracefully. Link put his arm out, gesturing for Mario, Erdrick, and Eight to stand down.

The princess couldn’t muster a word, simply walking across the drawbridge to meet Link up close. Once they were only a foot away from each other, she stopped, examining the hero’s face. Perhaps her memory was hazy, she thought to herself, but she didn’t much care. It’d be impossible to forget that stoic, but still adorable look of the man she devoted so much to.

Reaching out, Zelda cupped Link’s face. He let it happen, not knowing what else to do. A single, vulnerable tear welled up and ran down her cheek, chuckling lightly. “You… You said you wouldn’t be long. You said going into to meet Alastor wasn’t a problem…”

“I-I…” Link had no words. That name, ‘Alastor’, he remembered that’s the one Shatterhand took up in this realm. The Archfiend’s real name wasn’t known to this parallel Hyrule, further proving how he managed to work so cleanly before all this started.

“What took you so long, darling?” Zelda asked, donning a warm smile. She took her hand off his cheek and peered behind him, looking at what had become of her town. There were people standing there that she didn’t recognize in the slightest, and even a large, majestic, blue phoenix perched just a couple meters away from Link. Could it be Hylia? Just then, she spotted Shatterhand’s petrified remains, giving her a glimmer of excitement. “Did… Did you do it?”

Link just nodded.

Zelda didn’t erupt in joy, didn’t cheer, she only smiled softly as she looked up back at Link. “Good,” she said, hand on her heart. Then, she moved in to kiss her beloved man in green.

That’s where Link had to stop her. Backing away and shaking his head slowly, guilt rose up into his throat at the sight of Zelda’s shocked expression. “I’m so sorry,” he said three times over, despising the cruel reality of it. “I’m not your Link…”

“Wh-What do you mean?” Zelda’s hands were shaky, feeling betrayed by Link’s words.

“I… I come from another realm, a realm which your Link fell into. With his dying breath, he asked me to continue his mission to defeat Shatterhand,” Link explained, shame reeling back and giving him a swift punch to the gut. Once he caught a glimpse of Zelda’s disbelief, he showed her the ring on his left hand. “I’m a married man, so I can’t accept a… you know.”

Zelda, discarding her initial relief upon seeing Link, studied his appearance with a more scrutinizing eye. He was indeed not the same as she remembered, being slimmer, having different scars across his face, his hair less greyed besides a strange, silver streak along his left bang, and wielding a different sword.

The princess lowered her head, a darkness clouding the ridges of her face, her lips curving downwards just enough to form the faintest frown. “I see…” she said, thoroughly defeated.

Empyrea, or any of the others for that matter, dared to interrupt the agonizing moment. This was something only Link could handle, as much as it hurt. However, he did have one option in order to bring the now grieving princess some comfort. Taking soft strides, Link wrapped his arms around Zelda and hugged her, keeping his movements tender and placing his hands carefully along her waist.

“I assure you, though, that his death was not without meaning. Shatterha- no, Mike Jones, has been defeated,” Link muttered into Zelda’s ear as she met his embrace with a strong grip. She relished this, knowing that it’d be all this Link would give her. “It’s over, and you can do whatever you see fit with his remains. That is your right.”

Mario, Eleven, and Empyrea smiled at Link’s decision, thinking it proper for the princess do what she pleases with Jones’ ashes. Erdrick wasn’t as keen on the idea, but figured that as long as Zelda destroyed them, it was alright. What kind of a man would he be to deny her that satisfaction?

The hug lasted an eternity, but when Zelda finally parted from Link, she whispered a sincere, “Thank you.”

Taking her first steps into Castle Town in ages, Zelda looked around at the scenery. “Is this all that’s left?” she asked. Charred, splintered wood, split rock, brick, whatever was used to make up the town had been scattered all over. It brought great pain to see the market in such a state, but that was the cost for Shatterhand’s defeat. Then, her view landed on the crusaders.

“Poyo!” Kirby walked up to greet the princess, holding a paw out.

“Oh! W-Well, hello…” Zelda said, bending down to shake Kirby’s paw. To her, he was a strange fellow, but if this Link was from another realm, she assumed these other heroes were as well.

Erdrick, Eleven, and Mario followed Kirby’s lead, introducing themselves to the princess with a welcoming hand. They all had a friendly quaintness to them, which Zelda appreciated. Shatterhand wore a similar veil when she first met him, but it was clear that it was a façade.

Just then, a person approaching in the distance seized Zelda’s attention, and what they held in their arms made her blood run cold. It was Eight, carrying the body of Solo, like Mario had with Luigi before.

“By the Goddess…” Zelda said, mortified.

“Eight, you’re back,” Erdrick met up with his comrade, trying his best to not look at Solo’s pale, lifeless face. He distracted himself by looking at the sky. The stars were slowly fading, and a small, almost indistinguishable orange hue was coming from the eastern horizon. “I guess we should get started then, it’s getting close to sunrise.”

“Already?” Mario asked, hardly believing that it had been that long.

“Yeah, hey, Link!” Erdrick called out.

“Mhm?”

“Could you and Eight go and gather some wood to start a fire?” Erdrick nodded his head, hinting at the many pieces of displaced lumber around town. “Mario and I… we’re going to set things up in the field so nothing here is at risk.”

“Alright,” Link said, a bit distant after his experience with Zelda.

Eight relinquished Solo’s corpse to Erdrick before heading with Link to find suitable wood for the plan. Erdrick and Mario then left town, settling just a couple dozen meters from the bridge in the wide clearing.

Twilight marked when Link raised his bow, pulling back on the string, adjusting his aim. The gleaming, red glow of a fire arrow illuminated his face, his companions right behind him. Determining now was the right time, he loosed the arrow, letting it soar through the air. Its target was a bundle of wood forming a trail that split off towards two separate funeral pyres. Placed under the pyres were the bodies of Solo and Luigi respectively.

Flames burst from the arrow’s impact, igniting the kindling. Like water tumbling down a stream, the fire danced gracefully, reflecting in each of the crusaders’ eyes. Sunlight slowly spread along Hyrule, the first light of the new day reaching the edge of town right as the fire touched the bases of the pyres.

Link, Tael, Kirby, Mario, Erdrick, Eight, Eleven, Empyrea, Landia, and Zelda watched the cremation, their silence a symbol of their limitless respect for both sacrifices.

“Addio, Fratello…” Mario whispered, losing sight of his brother.

The procession lasted for so long that Amy and Crystal awakened to witness it. It didn’t matter how exhausted either the Inkling or the Octoling still were, when they saw the rest of the group assembled in front of the rising smoke, it told them that something important was in motion. A wave of understanding hit them once they joined the others, guessing who the fire was for. Nobody acknowledged their reawakening, immovable as they honored the fallen.

Amy removed her goggles, and Crystal picked the hibiscus out of her hair, gazing at the burning pyres, the sunrise providing a melancholic backdrop. Together, they sighed remorsefully, holding hands as Luigi and Solo returned to nothingness.

They all wished that they could turn back time, do things differently, but not even Link had that kind of power anymore. All they could do was proceed, moving forward just as the eternally ticking hands of time did. The pyres were soon reduced to ash, same as the bodies within them.

Mario, moving first, went to collect Luigi’s ashes, using a vase taken from the ruins of a house in town. It wasn’t what he wanted to use for such a delicate thing, keeping them in such basic containers feeling like a form of disrespect, but he had no other choice. Erdrick, Eight, and Eleven chose to leave half of Solo’s ashes here in Hyrule as a testament to the last world he had helped save. They’d take the other half and return it to Solo’s grandfather as soon as they could.

“I guess… that’s it…” Mario said, holding the vase protectively, glancing at Erdrick, who held Solo’s remains in another vase. Just yesterday, the idea of going home was tantalizing, but now dread loomed over the prospect.

“Indeed it is…” Empyrea said.

“Everyone,” Zelda cut through the sorrow with a stern voice, catching everyone’s attention. She walked before the sunrise, looking back at the group. “I want to say… thank you. Thank you all, from the absolute bottom of my heart. A part of me had resigned myself to the idea that this day would never come, but it finally has,” she wore a weak smile that still managed to express utmost gratitude. “I don’t know you all, nor do I know how much you’ve needed to yield in order to see Shatterhand’s demise, but…” she paused, emotion taking hold, “You’ve won.”

“She’s correct,” the Godbird added, “You, the Empyrean Crusaders, have finally won.”

“We did, so, are we going home?” Tael asked, his tone weary, matching his fellow warriors.

“I think we are, Tael,” Link answered, thinking Tael a little rude to just blatantly ask that. Then, he addressed Zelda, “Princess, if I may, what do you plan to do with Shatterhand’s remains?”

Zelda had removed her cloak, now using it as a bag to hold everything that she could find that pertained to Mike Jones. The few unbroken chunks of his petrified body, a good amount of his scattered ashes, the powerless Dark Matter gauntlet, and the remnants of the yo-yo Erdrick had previously smashed to bits. Even the shard of armor was in there, bundled inside the cloak.

“To be honest, I’ve been fantasizing what I’d do if I received just a piece of the fiend,” Zelda admitted, a dim blush appearing on her face. “I’m going to make the journey to Death Mountain’s crater and discard everything into the lava. It’s most fitting in my opinion.”

Erdrick started to laugh. As he had hoped, Zelda had a spectacle in mind that he could get behind. Eight and Eleven were a little confused by the sudden change in attitude, but it wasn’t too important.

“Very good,” Link said, smiling.

With one final formal farewell, Zelda departed, heading towards Kakariko and beyond to finally be rid of the contents within her bagged cloak. Now, it was just the crusaders, Empyrea, and Landia in Hyrule Field, the morning sun blanketing them.

“So this is it, huh?” Eleven mused, “It’s time to go our separate ways?”

“Not exactly,” Empyrea interjected. “I believe I made a promise to Erdrick. The hydras, you and I made a deal that if you were to help us, we would return the favor.”

“Oh, right!” Erdrick, still a little giggly, remembered the issue of the hydras throughout Aliahan and the rest of his world. Eight recalled the deal, as did Landia, who was thankfully feeling better.

“Hydras? You guys never told me about anything of that sort,” Eleven realized, “How big of a problem is it?”

“W-Well, it’s been- wait, why are you asking?” Erdrick raised an eyebrow.

“I… I want to help! I’m not ready to part ways, not yet!” confessed Eleven, sounding a bit childish. “We’ve still got to go to Solo’s realm and tell what happened to him. I might as well help you if you’re in need!”

Erdrick was astonished at Eleven’s willingness to add himself to Empyrea’s deal. He’d be a liar if he said he didn’t want to spend more time with the men he was comfortable calling brothers, especially in the wake of Solo’s death. That might be just what he needed in order to fully come to terms with it.

“I mean…” Eight also spoke up, saying, “As long as we can pay a short visit to my realm, so that I can assure my family that things are alright, I’d like to join you as well.”

“Are- Are you sure?” Erdrick didn’t want to blindly agree with his friends tagging along, feeling as if it’d be a choice born from selfishness. However, they already seemed so inclined.

“Of course!” Eight and Eleven said.

Meanwhile, Link and Mario continued to stare at what was left of the funeral pyres, savoring the serenity. Kirby and Landia were conversing, the pink puffball asking over and over again if the dragon was truly as fine as he claimed. Lastly, Amy and Crystal sat themselves down to enjoy the brisk, morning air.

“So…” Link began, a little unsure on how to speak. There was a bit of hesitation, but he asked, “Is everything going to be alright? When you head back to the Mushroom Kingdom, I mean.”

Mario had purposefully pushed those thoughts away. He didn’t want to think about how he’d delineate what happened to him and Luigi since their abrupt departure over a week ago.

“I’ll… figure something out,” Mario imagined it would be immensely difficult to explain. They just narrowly escaped Shatterhand’s grasp back then, and to return with the ashes of his brother and a missing hand would bring about endless questions. Somehow, some way, he’d tell Peach, Daisy, and everyone else about Luigi’s fate.

“I could come with you if you want, some of this is my fault…” Link stated.

“No, no, it’s fine. Besides, don’t you have a wife to go home to?” Mario wasn’t about to stop Link from finally seeing the woman in that photo he kept in his pocket. Then, almost by complete accident, the plumber remembered that he recognized a few of the pieces of wood that made up the pyre. It had been the remains of Link’s Mirror Shield, destroyed by Shatterhand. “Sorry about your shield, by the way.”

“Eh, it’s alright,” Link said matter of factly, “I can get a new one. I’m not going to need it for a while anyways.” That was true. There’d be little use for a shield with a baby on the way. Link, thinking about that, his soon-to-be status of ‘father’, looked over at Kirby.

Kirby, as he was speaking with the recovering Landia, had left arguably the largest impression on the Terminian. He and Meta Knight were the first ones he discussed his initial objective with, back when he knew next to nothing about Shatterhand. Now that his mission was complete, he saw Kirby as not only a friend, but somewhat of a child to him, the hero in green both guiding the Star Warrior and being guided at the same time.

Having picked up the Ultra Sword before using his bow and arrow to light the pyres, he held out the large, hulking weapon, thinking about home. “Alright, let’s do this,” he announced, heading to gather everyone together.

“Hey, we should get a picture!” Crystal suggested.

“A picture?” Empyrea echoed, not following.

“Yeah, a picture! We’ve been through a lot as a group, made a lot of memories, though some were bad…” Crystal then trailed off, starting to reconsider. Amy, on the other hand, thought it was a great idea.

“It doesn’t matter, we still made memories. Here!” Amy pulled out her phone, its battery was quite sufficient to take a picture since she hadn’t used it since leaving Inkopolis. The other crusaders were already in one place, so, summoning her Passion, the vines held the phone up as Amy and Crystal corralled everyone close together for a simple photo.

Not knowing whether to smile, some of the group were immortalized on Amy’s phone wearing a neutral expression. It wasn’t a big deal to the Inkling, as she was just glad to have some kind of memento, even if this journey hadn’t been the easiest. That young sentimentality she and Crystal held wouldn’t let them not have some kind of reminder of this.

“Well… that was odd. B-But I guess it’s time to go then…” Erdrick said, glancing at Empyrea, who gave him gentle smile. “Eight, are we heading to your realm first?”

“No, we go to Solo’s first,” Eight wanted to ensure that returning Solo to his family was their top priority. Empyrea nodded, her feathers shimmering as she stepped forward. Closing her eyes, she roared, summoning a portal that would take her and her heroes where they needed.

“Now, Link,” Empyrea began, eyeing the hero in green. “I trust you’ll be able to send everyone else home without assistance?” She received a firm smile from Link, the man holding the Ultra Sword firmly. Upon his response, Empyrea lowered her wing to allow her companions to climb onto her back. But, before she took off into the sky, she turned to Landia, speaking with him telepathically. “Farewell, my friend. Perhaps I might visit you when time permits it.”

“I’d very much like that,” Landia thought, his speech back to normal. It had been slurred before, the now three-headed dragon barely able to form a sentence. He admired Empyrea’s form as she flew off towards her portal, disappearing.

“So, who wants to go first?” Link asked a few moments later.

There was a bit of reluctance from the remaining crusaders, so Mario raised his hand. “I’ll head home first,” he volunteered.

Thinking about Mario’s home realm, he brandished the Ultra Sword and slashed the air cleanly. There, a star-shaped portal was conjured, a breeze flowing through it and into Hyrule. Mario’s nostrils were instantly met with the familiar, mushroomy scent of home, and he took a few steps forward. He was about to cross, but he stopped to turn back.

“Do you think we’ll ever see each other again?” Mario wondered, speaking to Link primarily.

“I don’t really see a way we could, but who knows,” Link speculated. He wouldn’t be opposed to crossing paths with Mario one more time. “Just… remember what we learned, alright?”

“Like I’ll ever forget,” Mario forced a chuckle, but then his gaze became somber. “So long, Link,” he said, placing the vase of Luigi’s ashes on the ground for a moment and holding his only hand out.

“Farewell, Mario,” Link shook the plumber’s hand. After they were done, Mario picked the vase back up and continued on his way, vanishing once he reached the other side of the portal. It closed, leaving Link, Tael, Amy, Crystal, Kirby, and Landia as the only ones left.

“I think Freddy and Violet miss us, so-uh, we should… y’know…” Crystal blurted, a bit anxious to get home. Without any words, Link cut the fabric of reality again, summoning another portal with the Ultra Sword.

Amy and Crystal stared at the opening for a second or two, holding hands. Then, looking between themselves and Link, a greenish glow surrounded them. They fused back into Crysamy for a moment, growing a little taller. Using this height, they closed in and gave the Terminian a strong, meaningful hug. Link hadn’t expected them to do such a thing, but he welcomed it, feeling a maternal bond with them alongside Kirby.

“We’re glad we met you, Link,” Crysamy said, their voice ethereal. This whole journey to them felt like dream, the best kind of dream they could have. Parting from the hug, Crysamy waved Kirby goodbye as they stepped through their portal, finally heading home to Inkopolis.

Now it was just Link, Tael, Kirby, and Landia.

“Kirby…” Link felt the need to have a personal talk with Kirby, but weirdly, it felt wrong. Fumbling with his words, Link tried to express his unkempt feelings, but to no avail. Tael just crossed his arms and smiled, this side of Link having been dormant for some time.

“Poyo. Poy poyo…” Kirby said, walking up and holding his paws in the air. Link picked the pink puffball up and held him in his arms.

“I know, it’s hard to just go on without thinking about everything we’ve lost, but…” Thinking about all that had transpired, the chaos, the confusion, and the death, Link locked eyes with Kirby. Finally, he found the right string of words. “It’s not our duty to mourn the fallen, Kirby,” he affirmed, “It’s our duty to carry on their legacy, their memory.”

“Poyo?”

“Yeah, we can’t just relegate them to when we’re mourning,” Tael chimed in, taking what he learned from Skull Kid’s death.

“Exactly,” Link continued, “The people I’m proud to call my friends, especially you, we will do it. Because that’s the infinite passion of life!”

“Poyo poyo!” Kirby chirped, his plucky demeanor fully restored. He hopped down from Link’s embrace and let the hero use the Ultra Sword once again. Another portal formed from nothing, its swirling form inviting Link.

“One last thing,” Link knelt down and presented the Ultra Sword to Kirby. “You’ve got to head home, too. I believe this is yours?”

“Poy,” Kirby told Link to keep it.

Smirking, Link whispered a fond adieu, he and Tael finally treading through the portal. The last thing they saw before the blinding blue light from the portal overwhelmed their vision for a brief moment was Kirby leaping onto his Warp Star, following Landia as the dragon roaring fiercely to summon one last opening in space.

For Link and Tael, their sight was soon blessed by Termina’s sky, their portal placing them back on Great Bay’s salty coast. It nearly brought tears to the blonde man’s eyes, pleased to see the familiar outline of the beach in front of him. Funnily enough, it was just past morning for Termina as well, the sun in almost the exact same position as it was in Hyrule just seconds earlier.

Suddenly, The Passion sprouted from Link’s arms, reacting to his unexpressed joy at being home. Their hum filled his ears as he looked down at his hands, the vines twirling excitedly.

“H-Hey Link, look up…” Tael said, referring to someone just across from him and his friend.

Link didn’t hear Tael at first, mesmerized by The Passion. He was actually quite surprised that he still had access to it, faintly remembering something Empyrea had said that was tied to its nature. Then he realized he never put his own gauntlets back on, but it was hardly an issue. The Passion weaved around his fingers as he thought about what he said to Kirby, alongside Luigi and Solo. As long as he lived, he’d make sure to keep them in a special corner of his mind. Clenching his hand, the Wave Energy sparked with lively vigor.

“Link! Look!” Tael said for the fourth time, finally bringing Link’s attention to the woman waving to him. Romani, with her hand on the small of her back, called out to her husband eagerly.

“You’re back!” the ranch woman cried, too overjoyed for tears. The baby kicked a few times, sensing its father had finally, finally come home. Link, his legs acting on their own, walked towards his waiting wife and hugged her.

“Grasshopper…” Romani breathed wistfully, melting into Link’s arms. There was no understanding how much she had longed for this moment. This reunion made her truly the happiest she’d ever been, rivaling the joy of her and Link’s wedding day. Tael, with a big grin on his face, left for Clock Town, ready to tell Anju and Kafei about their son’s return.

“I’m home, Firefly…” Link said, his voice a soft coo as he slowly brought himself and Romani down to the sand, sitting alone on the beach for a while. There was so much to tell, so much to talk about, and yet, the pair simply basked in their love, at peace.

The End.

Mario will return in – The Shadow of Solace

Erdrick, Eight, Eleven, and Empyrea will return in – Dragon Quest: The Men of Myths and Monsters

Lastly, Link and Romani will return in – Nothing Burns Like The Cold

Chapter Text

Ah, welcome back, readers! It’s been a bit. I’ve enjoyed being on break to be honest. Drew some art, made a lil Anju and Link comic, and have been brainstorming stories I didn’t know I’d be writing! This chapter isn’t quite an epilogue, though. Instead, it shows a previous battle between Shatterhand and a duo you might not be expecting. I do admit the pacing is rather fast, but I wanted to have this be just one bonus chapter and not two. Though now it means that this is the LONGEST chapter I’ve ever written. Anyways, thank you all for reading, and enjoy!
-Joostan

Shattering the Stars
Bonus Chapter: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The dirt had been tainted by gallons of oil, all spurting out of each machine that trudged through the grasslands in unity, all destroyed with ease. They were popped like balloons, but not by the usual blue perpetrator. Instead, they had been reduced to scrap by missile fire, lasers, and a magic that not even the greatest mind on the planet could recognize.

All the animals had gone away, hidden like it were winter despite the humid, sunny weather. Fear corroded the walls of every underground den, their residents trembling as they heard the distant booms of a siege happening on the surface. The soft soil around them had become coarse and dry, the grass singed and reeking of smoke and gasoline.

One animal, however, was on the surface. A creature often mistaken for a rodent and ran with a speed that was unseen among humans. From him came an aura so strong that it made all the animals in hiding want to come out just to witness him blaze by. They didn’t dare take the risk, the fumes threatening to send them into coughing fits that their little lungs couldn’t handle.

Cutting through the dense, smog-filled air like a knife, a blue blur sped across the hills, following the pipeline that led towards the Chemical Plant. Sonic the Hedgehog, holding the Phantom Ruby, had his heart set on delivering the artifact to Eggman, whom he had formed an alliance with against the one they called ‘Shatterhand’.

“This thing better be worth all this trouble,” Sonic thought annoyedly, ignoring the throbbing pain in his feet. It wasn’t often when he got tired of running, but his legs hadn’t stopped moving for almost two hours straight.

More and more metal appeared along the ground as Sonic crossed the territory of Green Hills and into Eggman’s Chemical Plant. He always despised the machinery, but now, with no other safe haven, it was all he and his friends could call a ‘base’.

Sonic’s footing was completely steel, tubing surrounding him, pumping liquid to who knows where for who knows what. Taking two turns to the right, heading straight down sliding down a slope, he approached a large, iron door.

“Hey, Eggman, I’m back! Lemme in!” Sonic shouted, putting the Phantom Ruby under his armpit so that he could cup both hands around his mouth. After a couple of seconds with no response, the hedgehog lowered his eyelids and groaned.

“Ugh, ‘Robotnik’, I’m back. Let me in!” Sonic begrudgingly corrected himself. Finally, the door opened with a hiss, sliding to the right and allowing him entry. Scoffing, Sonic ran in, the natural outside light being quickly replaced by artificial light.

There were surprised murmurs coming from every direction as Sonic slowed his pace to a speedwalk. All the Badniks and fellow freedom fighters greeted him with similar friendliness. Normally it would feel strange, such kindness coming from Eggman’s little robots, but they’d been allied for so long that now it was natural. A month can feel like a year if the stress is high enough.

Entering the communication’s hub, Sonic took the path to Eggman’s lab, knowing that’s where he’d be. A few waves between friends were exchanged before Tails spotted him, flying into the air and across the room.

“Sonic, you’re back!” exclaimed the fox, happy that his best friend returned safely. He was a little offput by the Phantom Ruby though, not expecting it to right there in Sonic’s hands. “Eugh… So that’s the thing we lost Shadow over?”

“Yeah…” Sonic hated the reminder. Shadow was the first one Eggman trusted to retrieve the ruby, just a week ago. However, after a few days, all that came back were his golden Limiter Rings, broken and dull. Nobody knew for sure, but it was likely he was defeated by Shatterhand. “But at least now we don’t have to worry about that guy getting his gross little hands on this.”

“True. Without this, there’s no risk of him being able to bypass your Super form,” Tails mused aloud, hesitantly taking the ruby into his hands to inspect it for a moment. He was still a bit uneasy around it when he gave it back to Sonic. “Robotnik’s still in his workshop, or whatever he calls it.”

“Hm… Still not really sure if I should just hand it over to him,” Sonic mumbled, thinking about the many possible ways he could be betrayed. It had happened in the past, who’s to say it wouldn’t happen now?

“I don’t see any other way to travel through dimensions to get help. Robotnik’s been trying it for years,” Tails reminded his friend.

“Meh… Alright, see ‘ya later!” Sonic tried to instill a bit of hope in the mood that had already become so laden with dread. He and Tails smiled at each other as the former left, making his way to Eggman’s ‘sanctuary’ as he called it.

The sanctuary itself was dimly lit, entrance blocked by a large, red door with Eggman’s trademark emblem printed on it. Only a select few were allowed inside, one being Tails and another being Sonic, but for the hedgehog’s case, it was rare. The facilities within Chemical Plant were crude according to the doctor, who had only set them up if his original headquarters in the blandly named Metropolis were compromised.

Sonic hated just how picky Eggman was with who was allowed inside his lab. Standing before the red door, he knocked a few times, waiting for it to open. Along the wall, a compartment opened, were a small camera scanned the hallway before glaring at the blue speedster. Sonic just held up the Phantom Ruby and waved it around. The camera made a mocking gesture, somehow being programmed to roll its eye before disappearing behind the compartment shutter.

The door slowly opened, letting the hall’s light flood in, revealing Doctor Ivo ‘Eggman’ Robotnik, working on a large, platform-like machine while splitting his attention between it and his computer. Sweat beaded down his face and moistened his moustache, creating an unflattering image of the man with an IQ of exactly 300.

“You’ve really got to install a few more air vents in here, Eggman. This is just gross…” Sonic grumbled as he walked inside.

“It must be so tragic, forgetting basic information so fast. It’s Robotnik, you little rat,” the doctor snapped, wiping his brow as he typed a command into his computer without even needing to glance at the desktop. His fingers were large and bulky, yet they glided along the keyboard with amazing precision. Robotnik never made a single typo in his life, having memorized each key’s location at the age of three.

“Not my fault you’re an egghead,” Sonic shrugged, chuckling at the soft growl Robotnik gave as a response. “Anyways, here, your stupid ruby, fresh off the presses.”

Robotnik swiped the Phantom Ruby out of Sonic’s hand in a flash, taking the time to examine the stone to make sure it was truly the genuine article. Unlike the many prototypes he tried to create during this whole debacle, the real ruby conjured an illusion of whatever was most desired by its holder. The doctor briefly saw something that made a chill ripple through his spine, so that was enough to convince him of the gem’s legitimacy.

After experiencing the ruby’s illusion, Robotnik’s face became soft for a moment. Looking back at Sonic, he nodded and gave a quick, “Thank you,” to the hedgehog before sitting down in his chair. Reaching across his desk, he grabbed several cords ending with suction cups. Placing them on opposite faces of the ruby, they began reading data.

Sonic knew that the Ruby showed its holders things. When he first touched it, he saw images of Mobius united, his friends all together. He didn’t know what Eggman saw, but it must’ve meant a lot for him to go all soft for even a second. Sonic was a little surprised to be given a sincere gesture of gratitude from Eggman, but he didn’t focus on it for too long, deciding to check out the contraption taking up a considerable amount of space in the room.

“So, this is what you’ve been working on all week? A stage?” The platform Sonic spoke greatly resembled something singers would perform on. There was a wide, circular design in the middle, lights surrounding it with exposed wires connecting to power cells on the back next to the wall.

Robotnik groaned, “It’s not a stage, it’s to contain a portal. You stand on it as the Phantom Ruby summons an entryway to another world,” he explained. Waving one hand around as the other continued to type, he said, “The frame simply stabilizes the portal, because the gem’s power is too sporadic to hold it for more than a few seconds.”

“Where do you even plan on heading to?” Sonic asked, a bit curious.

“Well, it’s a place with an animal similar to you. I figured, if you’re so powerful, someone like you also harnessing the Emeralds’ might be what we need to finish this… ‘Shatterhand’,” Robotnik hated saying that name. When first appearing on Mobius, the doctor thought of Shatterhand as nothing more than a new rival. But, as a third of his Badnik army were wiped out, it became horrifyingly clear that this man was something different.

“Hey, hey, if I’m gonna need to share the Chaos Emeralds with someone, I’ll need time to trust them!” Sonic argued. He didn’t need to literally hand over the emeralds to someone in order for them both to transform into a super state, but granting them such power wouldn’t be something Sonic would just instantly decide. Even if he only had twenty minutes to choose, a stranger would have to show their worth.

Robotnik turned and gave Sonic a rude glare, “I know that! It’s why I’m planning on sending you there as soon as possible! I’ll only need an hour to finish writing this code so that my machine can handle the ruby,” he explained with hurried words, more focused on his work than actually speaking about it. “Now leave me be, I need to concentrate!”

Sonic shook his head, ashamed that he was trusting the fate of Mobius with Eggman. Leaving the lab, he soon realized that he didn’t have much to do now that his mission to bring the Phantom Ruby back was done and over with.

But there was something he remembered Tails telling him before he had left to go on said mission.

The two-tailed fox wasn’t anywhere to be found in the communications hub once Sonic returned. Wandering around the station with no real purpose, he eventually bumped into Tails when going outside for some semi-fresh air. He was sitting on a ledge, head down, staring blankly at his glass tablet.

Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Discarding his previous intention to ask Tails about his research, he simply sat down on the ledge next to his friend.

“You alright?” Sonic finally asked after a good five minutes of silence, only the distant whirrs of machinery, goo running through tubes, and steam being expelled from various air vents providing any distraction.

“Not really… Just…” Tails couldn’t find the words, fiddling with the edges of the screen in his hands. He never did finish his sentence, leaving it alone as a sigh came from his mouth. “This guy, Shatterhand,” he suddenly said, “Have you ever thought that this might be someone we just… can’t beat?”

That had been a question that Sonic definitely considered numerous times already. “C’mon, bud, what kind of talk is that?” he feigned confidence, thinking to himself in the meantime. Unlike Eggman’s often short-lived plans for world domination, the Time of Awakening, or even Operation Big Wave, something about this ongoing war against the walking mystery that was Shatterhand brought a sense of… finality? Sonic didn’t rightly understand why, but he could feel that the strings guiding his fate were tied to this man.

“I’m serious, Sonic,” Tails reiterated himself, “Shatterhand isn’t like the others. He’s not here to conquer, he’s here for… something else.” His fingers rapped against his tablet anxiously.

“He’s probably here for the Chaos Emeralds then,” guessed Sonic, “What else would he want?”

“That’s the thing! If he wanted the emeralds, wouldn’t he have expressed that by now? It doesn’t make sense why he’s doing this when it doesn’t seem to be any real motive. Is it just for fun?” Tails wondered aloud, not even realizing he was rambling. His eyes widened when he thought about that last possibility, feeling sick to his stomach. “Jeez, I hope it’s not just for fun…”

“Whatever his reason, I’ll beat it out of him once I get help from whoever Eggman is sending me to,” Sonic assured, a cocky smirk forming along his muzzle. “By the way, I wanted to ask, did you and Eggman use the Phantom Ruby prototypes to find out who he is?”

“We-” Tail’s stuttered, the question a surprise. “We did,” he began, looking down at his tablet and dragging his finger along the surface, scrolling to the page of scans he and the doctor had made.

Sonic lit up, “Hey, that’s great, right?”

“Y-Yeah, I had kinda hoped you had forgotten, because… what we found didn’t help,” Tails muttered meekly, lowering his head and letting the trio of bangs dangle in front of his eyes. He showed Sonic what he and Robotnik had found, “His name is Mike Jones…”

“Mike-” Sonic fumbled with his words, taken aback by the simplicity of Shatterhand’s real name. “Mike Jones?” he repeated, peeking over at the tablet screen.

“Yep, I didn’t believe it either,” Tails admitted, “But look, the data we gathered from what’s apparently his home dimension has this picture of him when he was young. It’s him, right?”

On the screen was a teenage boy’s face, lightly tanned, possibly from traveling, with bright, ginger hair swooping to his right. Compared to the fiend Sonic recognized, the face was indeed Shatterhand, only he looked far more innocent than the hedgehog ever expected. He even had the same pattern of freckles on his face. All that was missing was the moustache and that nightmarish grin.

“Mhm… That’s him,” he confirmed.

Dumbfounded, Sonic leaned back and thought to himself. If Shatterhand, or Mike Jones, seemed so unsettlingly normal in his youth, how did he attain such overwhelming power like that gauntlet? Or his ship?

But then, all the questions stopped once the two friends felt the faint rumblings of explosions, a few thundering booms sounding off behind them. Standing up, Sonic and Tails looked back, already able to see smoke rising behind the base, debris flying through the air.

“Speak of the Devil…” Sonic growled, rightly assuming that Shatterhand was here. He was about to speed off into the base to find Robotnik and go wherever he needed to, but was stopped by his friend for a moment.

“Wait, hang on,” Tails handed the hedgehog the glass tablet, “Robotnik and I learned some more details, so whenever you can, read them over.”

“Will do,” Sonic grinned, taking the device. Again, he was just about to leave when this time, he stopped himself, “I promise I’ll be back before you can say ‘Full speed ahead’!”

With that, he was gone, disappearing behind the door and into the facility, leaving Tails by himself. “Full…” he mumbled, “Full speed ahead…”

Sonic negotiated the falling metal and searing fire of the base. How did Shatterhand already cause this much damage? Laser fire came towards him, being shot by someone or something out of view. They were easily dodged, though. Sonic was used to being shot at, hardly expecting anyone’s aim to be good these days.

Skidding to a stop in front of that same red door, it opened for Sonic right away, urgency surging through Robotnik’s veins as well. “Is it ready?!” he asked, seeing that the portal platform looked no different from what it had earlier.

“It’s only been a little over half an hour!” Robotnik shouted, typing frantically. At first he thought an hour was a bit excessive, but the Phantom Ruby was proving hard to code for. “Gr… Just- Give me seven minutes! That’s all I need!”

Sonic grumbled and turned away, peeking out the door to check for anything closing in. Nothing so far. He wouldn’t resort to the Chaos Emeralds just yet, only if he actually ran into Shatterhand. Keeping himself near the area, he waited, his ears just as alert as his eyes. The crackles of fire were easy to drown out, the hedgehog having learned it years ago.

The first minute went by with nothing of note.

The second minute was also wrought with an eerie stillness. Frustrated, Sonic questioned how so much destruction could’ve been caused without any foes in sight.

The third minute was almost the same, until a flash of light appeared down the hallway, followed by laughter. Wasting no time, Sonic dashed down the corridor and heard a scream, but it was cut short right when he arrived. There, right across from him, stood a man dressed in grey and blue, hunched over a body. As he turned around, his star-shaped badge glimmered in the light coming from his weapons. Two scimitars grafted to his arms.

“You must be Sonic,” the man said, his brown, wavy hair swinging down into a fringe on the right side of his head, concealing his right eye.

“Am I supposed to know who you are?” Sonic asked, trying to get a look at who was crumpled on the floor behind the man.

The man just chuckled, “Well, don’t you see the rank insignia? You can call me ‘Captain’.”

“Yeah, right, well you better step aside before I-” Sonic was cut off by an arc of light shining from one of the Captain’s weapons, aiming for his right hand. Thanks to his heightened senses, he managed to pull his arm back before he could discover what the beam of light was supposed to do.

Snarling, the Captain lunged at Sonic, determined to obtain a trophy present to his master.

Jumping up to avoid another slash of light, Sonic powered up in the air, rolling into a ball. Once he landed on the ground, he sped towards the Captain while in his ball form, ramming into the swordsman at full speed, sending him flying. Then, before the Captain could even hit the wall, the blue blur appeared behind him while in midair, delivering a swift kick.

“RAAGH!” the Captain let out a shriek as he was tossed around the room repeatedly, his time in the air easily enough for Sonic to run and meet him where he would’ve landed. “Hmpf! Let’s see you outrun the speed of light, rat!” a smirk appeared on the Captain’s face as he swung his left blade, a bright shimmer coming from it.

Right as Sonic was about to continue his volley, the Captain as the ball, he was blinded. Then, a thin yet lengthy slash appeared across his right arm, causing him to falter.

“HA! Your speed is useless! USELESS!!”

Sonic rolled back up into a ball and took off, zooming across the room and making circles around the Captain in an attempt to confuse him. Enraged, the Captain swung his weapons, beams of light slicing the ground after each go. They were all too slow to keep up with Sonic, who was only buying time, having no intention on defeating this guy.

It’d only been two minutes, meaning there was thankfully just two more to go before Robotnik was ready with the portal. To keep the Captain busy, Sonic occasionally stopped and punched when in his opponent’s blind spot.

Suddenly, a dark blob of energy struck the floor, sending both fighters flying in opposite directions. Sonic got some of his fur singed, while the Captain was reduced to an aching fool struggling to stand.

Eyes darting around, Sonic was about to ask what the big idea was, when his body shuddered involuntarily at the sound of a soft, chilling laugh. The only entrance to the room besides the hallway Sonic ran in through was blocked off by flames. Glancing at the fire, Sonic watched as a figure emerged, marching within the embers without problem. There was no mistaking that unruly smile.

“M-Master…” the Captain uttered, groveling on the floor as Shatterhand walked past him.

“Get up, leave us,” Shatterhand ordered, stopping for a moment, “I’ll handle this.”

“Oh no…” Sonic muttered.

The Captain slowly stood up and departed, quickly dashing past the fire and leaving Shatterhand to deal with Sonic. Sonic, knowing that Robotnik only needed one more minute, decided not to even risk letting the Archfiend of Reality get close to the Chaos Emeralds, vanishing right as Shatterhand blinked.

“Hm… For once, a smart choice. Almost,” Shatterhand snickered, following the trail of blood left by Sonic’s wound, taking his time.

“Eggman!” Sonic called out, slamming his fist against the door. “Running out of time, c’mon, you better finish up,” he spouted worriedly. The barrier opened, letting him in. Robotnik was almost done, the portal aglow with blinking lights as he removed the cords from the Phantom Ruby’s faces.

“Put it in the socket, now!” Robotnik squawked as he handed Sonic the gem, pointing at the spot where the ruby would fit. Then, he slammed his fist down on the button that opened the door, now closing it and sealing it off. “That might net us a little more time,” he said.

“Alright, alright!” Sonic’s hands were surprisingly shaky as he place the Phantom Ruby into its socket, allowing the platform to whirr to life. A dozen more lights flickered on, a droning hum coming from the center of the machine.

The tech came to life with a jump, the Phantom Ruby glowing as its energy was directed through the wiring and controlled by the restraints of the Robotnik’s coding. Just seconds after Sonic inserted the stone into place, a star-shaped portal opened up, wind coming from whatever was on the other side and swirling around the room. The lights within the room dimmed from the amount of power being redirected to the device, becoming overpowered by the glow of the tear in reality.

Sonic was about to cross when he stopped and turned to look at Robotnik. “Alright, I guess-” he didn’t actually expect to leave so soon, “I guess I’ll see ya later…”

“Yeah… No you won’t…” Robotnik mumbled as Sonic entered the space between the realms, being whisked away into another world. Weightlessness overtook him while he swam through the dimensional soup, and he remained unsure if he would return to Mobius with an ally, not even knowing the name of whoever he was going to meet.

When there was a resounding boom against the door protecting Robotnik, he acted quickly. He took a wrench and started to bash the Phantom Ruby, hoping to destroy the gem before Shatterhand could get his hand on it. The door was no help against the Dark Matter gauntlet, as it went down after just three hits.

“Hello, Ivo,” Shatterhand greeted, grinning from ear to ear.

Robotnik, to Shatterhand’s surprise, shared the smile, hitting the Phantom Ruby one last time, causing it to explode. The blast was immense, enveloping the room in a hot pink mist, energy crackling before fading away.

When the smoke cleared, Shatterhand was alone. He cackled at Robotnik’s effort, greatly amused.

“WAAAHHH!!” Sonic hollered as he stood on the edge of reality for an instance. “Woah, oh no, AAAHHH!!” he continued to scream, nausea and confusion wracking his brain until he found himself in a thorny brush, leaves crinkling and cushioning his impact.

“Ugh, ouch! Stupid thorns!” Sonic tumbled out of the foliage, his body covered in splinters, some threatening to lodge themselves inside the cut along his right arm. He didn’t even register the scenery until he was finished slowly and methodically pulling out every thorn he could find. “Hate thorns, get stuck in my fur, sometimes make me sick, ugh,” he grumbled, looking up, “Now, where’d you send me Eggman?”

Having touched down in the middle of a forest, Sonic smoked out its edge, standing before a valley that held a quaint little village about a mile away. It reminded him of South Island, only flatter and with a plethora of grassy rock formations, some with water running off their sides, dotting the land like spires. A heavenly breeze made each blade of grass dance in waves, rustling gently. Beautiful was how Sonic would’ve described it.

“Huh…” Sonic, forgetting about the pain in his arm and body, admired the new world, putting his hands on his hips and whispering to himself, “I’ll admit it, Egghead, you picked a good one.”

“Egghead!? Who you callin’ an ‘Egghead?’ Better not be me, buddy!” came a thickly accented voice somewhere behind Sonic.

The hedgehog jumped almost twice his height at the startling new sound, “WHO IN THE-?!” he yelped, tripping on a conveniently placed branch and again falling to the ground. Picking his head up, Sonic saw a feline-esque face staring back at him, connected to a slim body that seemed to be appearing out of a hole in the ground. “Who the HECK are you?!”

“Afternoon to you as well-” said the figure sarcastically. Leaping out of the hole, the fellow revealed themselves to be some kind of cat, wearing a white tee branded with an orange exclamation mark, matching their unkempt fur. Oddly, they lacked pants. While Sonic didn’t wear much besides shoes, why wear a shirt without going all the way? “Hmmmm…” they examined Sonic closely, hand on their chin and eyebrow raised, “You’re not from around here, are ya?”

“N-No, not exactly,” Sonic stated, standing up and dusting himself off. “Hey, wait! I asked you a question first! Who are you?”

“Man, you’re feisty! The names’ Bobcat… Bubsy Bobcat,” they said, striking a pose and speaking dramatically, as if they were emulating something they heard from a movie.

Dread teased Sonic’s nerves as he thought about the prospect of this person being the one Robotnik wanted him to meet. Something about this Bubsy screamed ‘self-proclaimed hero’ and ‘idiot’ at the same time. “I take it back, Eggman…” he softly groaned to himself, regretting the earlier compliment.

“Sonic,” Sonic struggled to introduce himself, unable to shake fear of the possibility of needing to work together with this oaf. He held his arm out, wincing under his breath as his shoulder ached.

“Hmmm, Sonic, eh? Sounds a ‘lil familiar,” Bubsy leaned in after the handshake and pointed over yonder, “No matter, I bet you wanna head over to town and relax, right?”

“Not exactly,” Sonic began, looking over at where the bobcat was pointing. “The thing is, I’m not on a pleasure trip, I’m uh…” He thought against explaining everything right away. Surely Bubsy would think Sonic insane if he just spouted out the whole reason he was here, so instead, the hedgehog elected to play it safe. “Y’know what, some relaxation sounds swell. Lead the way.”

Sonic expected Bubsy to speed off down the slope and towards town, but he was shocked to have his hand taken and pulled downwards. Bubsy, smiling wide, dragged Sonic through the mysterious hole he had previously appeared from, falling through matter and into darkness.

“WOOOAAAHHH, WHERE ARE WE GOING?!” Sonic bellowed, his voice echoing like he were in a cave.

“Where else? To town!” Bubsy cheered, falling with his hands clasped behind his head and legs crossed, as if he were reclining on a chair. “My hometown, to be exact! Called ‘Berlyn’, you’ll love it!”

Moments later, Bubsy and Sonic were flung into the air and landed right in the middle of a bustling village. Their feet hit the ground with a thump, the bobcat striking another pose as Sonic staggered and toppled over, feeling sick to his stomach. It churned, first from the sensation of traveling dimensions, and then from the many unwilling somersaults he did while falling through the hole.

“What’s wrong? Never been in a Portable Hole before?” Bubsy stood over Sonic, watching with confusion as the hedgehog clutched his abdomen, groaning. Bending over, he peeled the hole off the ground, revealing that it to be as thin as a placemat. Then, he put his arm through, pretending he were a magician with a bottomless hat.

Sonic carefully got to his feet, forcing the bile that was stuck in his throat back down. “N-Nope… Never heard of them,” he mumbled, his arms feeling like jelly. A part of him wanted to be mystified by the reality-bending hole, but he was too preoccupied with regaining his balance.

Bubsy was stumped by the perplexing nature of this Sonic’s sudden appearance. Very jumpy, face flushed with nervousness, and unresponsive to his jokes, Bubsy couldn’t get a read on Sonic. He was in obvious pain, not only from his experience with the Portable Hole, but also because of the various bruises on his body and long gash on his arm. So, choosing to take things a bit more carefully, Bubsy grew serious.

“Hey, here,” Bubsy put down the hole and went to help Sonic stand up fully. Taking the hedgehog’s good arm, Bubsy put it over his shoulder, relieving some of the pressure on the blue hero’s tired legs.

“Thanks…” Sonic said, disconcerted by the change in Bubsy’s attitude.

“Heh, I might not be the wisest, but I can tell when someone’s in a rough spot, bud,” Bubsy explained, acknowledging Sonic’s expression. “I’ll lead ya to an inn, on me.” He gestured over to a building two blocks down, a wide one with a red tile roof and wooden windows along the front.

“Yeah… Yeah that’d be sweet,” Sonic huffed, forcing a smile. Some respect for Bubsy formed, though he didn’t know if this would be a one-time instance of the bobcat casting his humor aside.

The two left for the inn, not many words being exchanged during the short journey. Bubsy took care of the finer details, but Sonic was granted a simple room, with a decently sized bed. The whole time, there was a veil of awkwardness between the two speedsters, not really knowing what to say. Bubsy didn’t know why Sonic was here, and Sonic didn’t know how to explain. Regardless, after getting his wounds tended to, Sonic passed out cold on the mattress, snoring rather loudly for a while.

The next day, Sonic greeted the morning before everyone else in town. He woke up right at dawn, resting against the windowsill of his room, watching the sun gradually rise over the mountainous horizon. This place, Berlyn, if he remembered what it was called, was cozy, somewhat like the early days of Mobius, before Robotnik’s constant quests to conquer.

Reaching into his pocket, or what Tails called ‘hammerspace’, Sonic pulled out one of the Chaos Emeralds, the silver one, and holding it up so that a ray of sunshine made it glow vibrantly. The way light bent within the gem’s facets always brought Sonic ease, even though he could do the same with any piece of glass or mineral. Seeing rainbow rays shoot out and paint the walls with color felt magical, despite what science was actually behind the phenomenon.

Then, a knock at the door made Sonic’s fingers slip. He caught the emerald before it could fall, sighing as he put it away.

“Come on in!” Sonic shouted.

“Heeeyyyy, pal,” it was Bubsy, opening the door and leaning on the frame. He had a ball of yarn in his hands, which he played with idly as he spoke. “Didn’t think you’d be awake, but how ya feelin’?”

Sonic didn’t think he and Bubsy were on the level of ‘pals’ yet, but he didn’t want to be rude. “Better. No limp, as you can see,” he demonstrated, walking around the room with ease. “Why’re you here this early, though?”

“Well, first I wanted to check on you, and the inn requires me to be here since I’m payin’ for the room,” Bubsy explained, walking inside and lounging on the bed without Sonic’s permission. The hedgehog just groaned under his breath, thinking it pointless to object. Was this how Robotnik felt dealing with him?

“Wait, you’ve been here all night?” Sonic asked, dumbfounded.

“Yep, never left,” Bubsy’s smile faded, annoyed by the inn’s rules. He kept tossing his yarn up into the air and then catching it, purring slightly. “Chairs are pretty comfy though, so I ain’t complainin’. You should try ‘em out!” He sat up and pointed his thumb to the door, chuckling.

“Hm…” Sonic didn’t really care about the chairs, turning his head to gaze out the window again.

Once again, there was a wall of silence between Sonic and Bubsy, just like yesterday. Fed up with such irritating nothingness, the bobcat got an idea. “Hey, wanna get somethin’ to eat? It’s early, so the food court is all ours!”

“Eh…” Sonic was about to pass on the offer, but his stomach rumbled slightly. It occurred to him that he couldn’t even remember the last time he ate anything. “Sure, why not?”

Before Bubsy knew it, Sonic sped out of the room.

“Oh hohoho… So you ARE fast like me, awesome!” Bubsy smirked and leapt off the bed, speeding through the door and down the hallway after Sonic.

Taking two rights and then straight down, Sonic made it to the food court in less than two seconds. He saw it in passing the night prior, so he knew where it was. Bubsy was right behind him, his own speed impressive, but not really comparable to Sonic’s. No matter, because the bobcat had an ability that Sonic didn’t, but there wasn’t really space to display it. He decided on showing off later, giggling softly.

“Ah, beautiful, beautiful food,” Bubsy sighed, walking over to the pastry stand and grabbing a cinnamon roll, stuffing it in his mouth. He chewed only a little before swallowing, still savoring the taste of the icing. “Mmmf, feel free to pick whatever,” he said, mouth half full and crumbs getting everywhere, “I’m still payin’ for this!”

“Yeah, we’ve established that…” Sonic replied, rolling his eyes.

Secretly, Sonic was in the mood for a chili dog, but that was anything but a breakfast item, so one probably wasn’t up for grabs. Instead, choosing to go basic for once, he picked out a random muffin and sat down at a nearby table. Peeling off the wrapper and taking a bite, he ate it absentmindedly. There were just hints of blueberry flavor.

Bubsy sat opposite Sonic, picking his legs up and crossing them on the table, tilting the chair back to subtly rock back and forth on its two hind legs. He enjoyed his sweet confection much more sloppily than his blue companion, but the silence again got on his nerves after a minute. Sonic’s irresponsiveness was concerning, the hedgehog barely showing any enthusiasm for the food he was eating. Thinking about what to do, Bubsy then realized that he forgot to grab butter for his cinnamon roll. Finally, an idea sparked.

“Hey, y’know what? I think you and the Portable Holes got off to a bad start yesterday, so here,” Bubsy reached down and, out of nowhere, retrieved two of the aforementioned holes. Closing one eye and bending his arm, he flung one hole across the room where it slapped and stuck against the wall just behind the table with the little butter packets. “Allow me to formally introduce you to them!”

Bubsy then tossed the other hole over to Sonic, landing before him on the table like a plate. “Stick your arm through, you’ll see,” he wore a smug grin.

“Stick my- Huh?” Sonic was confused.

“Just do it,” Bubsy interrupted.

After putting his muffin down, Sonic carefully reached over to the hole, and reached, and reached some more, until he discovered that he was almost elbow deep. Next, he heard a dish clattering to the floor behind him. When he looked over, he saw his arm poking out of the other hole, having accidentally knocked over a plate.

“Wooaah…” Sonic exclaimed, watching as his arm moved around as if it were still in front of him.

“There we go! Now grab the butter for us! That muffin ought to taste better with some,” Bubsy said, pointing over to the tray with the butter packets. Sonic, narrowing his eyes and moving his arm with precision, picked up a handful of butter and retreated back through the hole, reappearing out of the first. “See? Pretty rad, right?”

“Yeah…” Sonic remained astonished by the Portable Hole as he chucked a few of the butters over to Bubsy. “How does that work?”

“I dunno!” Bubsy just shrugged, picking up a knife and opening the butter, spreading it across the rest of his food before taking a large bite.

Sonic snorted at the answer, buttering up his muffin. He found he enjoyed it a lot more now, the flavor enhanced a bit, but maybe it was just the atmosphere around him and Bubsy finally cooling after so much unspoken tension. Once breakfast was done and over with, the pair went to leave the inn, genuine smiles donning their faces. However, Bubsy’s expression was far more mischievous, and for a good reason. As soon as he and Sonic stepped outside the door to take in some fresh air, the bobcat raced forward and jumped, holding his arms out wide and somehow taking flight.

“Try and keep up now, pal!” Bubsy called out, taking repeated dives to gain speed as he glided through the air.

Sonic again was shocked, trying to discern any logical way Bubsy was now soaring around in the sky seemingly without any equipment. “Heh, you’re on, ‘pal’!” Sonic yelled confidently, curling into a ball and building up some speed. He blasted off into town, expertly steering himself around lampposts and the occasional pedestrian.

Surprisingly, when Bubsy saw that Sonic was keeping up with him fairly easily, he chuckled, having finally found someone worth competing against. So few folks here were as fast as the bobcat, so the glee he felt when racing with the blue blur was earnest. Swinging through the air and landing on a roof, Bubsy rolled down the incline and used the momentum to maneuver out of sight and catch his rival off guard.

“Watch out below!” Bubsy cried, tilting his body back down and dive-bombing at Sonic.

“AH!” Sonic ducked out of his ball-form to avoid a collision. Luckily, Bubsy didn’t crash, swerving back up into the air with little speed left. Noticing he had an advantage to get ahead, Sonic spindashed away, leaving Bubsy behind. “Hah, try and catch me now! Ha! Haha… ha,” his laughter died down once he figured out he didn’t know where he was going. The race between him and Bubsy really didn’t have a goal, they were just racing for the fun of it.

“What’s up?” Bubsy touched back down on the ground gracefully, tilting his head.

“Nothing, it’s just…” Sonic almost considered revealing a Chaos Emerald, but he chose against it at the last second, merely putting his hands behind himself casually. He glanced around, he and Bubsy standing in a field just on the outskirts of the village. “I think I like it here,” he admitted.

“Hey, I’m glad you do!” Bubsy proclaimed, patting Sonic on the back, “I was a ‘lil confused by ya at first, I’ll be honest, but it was probably ‘cause how shaken up you were yesterday. Now that you’ve gotten your mojo back, you fit right in!”

Sonic was touched by Bubsy’s words. Truthfully, if he was visiting under vastly different circumstances, he would be enjoying his time in this realm far more. However, there was the looming threat that he didn’t expect would find him, at least not yet. Taking a minute to think, Sonic didn’t happen to see a cloud in the sky that was… different from the others. It drew closer to the ground, partially blocking out the sun. Only then did either speedster notice its peculiar appearance.

“Huh, that ain’t normal…” Bubsy muttered, eyebrow raised, thinking that maybe the Woolies were invading again. If so, he could handle them, he had in the past effortlessly!

“No… Oh god, no, not now… How did-?!” Sonic couldn’t believe the cruelty of fate, able to recognize that ‘cloud’. He’d seen it before, it being a lazy imitation of nature. His blood ran cold at the horror, realizing that Shatterhand had found him.

Reentering town, Sonic and Bubsy stood worriedly at the sight of the ship casting its hulking shadow across the landscape, causing the clouds to scatter and a harsh breeze to rush through the valley. The trees rustled violently, some branches snapping at the sheer force of the wind.

“Alright, that’s no Woolie ship! What is it?!” Bubsy had to shield his face from the air, it flowing so fast it made his eyes water.

“It’s Shatterhand’s dreadnaught…” Sonic answered, scowling, fists clenched.

Bubsy’s personality fermented for an instant, tromping over in front of Sonic, placing his paw on the hedgehog’s shoulder. Unlike before, his grip was tighter, his retractable claws slightly exposed. “What?” he asked, wearing a rare, serious glare. “Do you know who’s up there? Is he dangerous?"

Knowing there was no other way to do this without owing Bubsy an explanation, Sonic relented. “Yes…” he said, looking down at his shoes. “He’s dangerous, alright, and he’s-” he had to bite his tongue, but then he released his worries, trying to speak with some sternness, “He’s after these,” Sonic revealed one of the Chaos Emeralds.

The glimmering sheen of the emerald was as mesmerizing to Bubsy as it was to Sonic, and the bobcat’s face grew soft. “So… that’s why you’re here? Are you running from him? Who ARE you, really? I think I deserve to know,” he argued, backing away from Sonic.

“I’m just looking to beat that guy,” Sonic began, pointing angrily at the dreadnaught, “I was sent here in search of someone like me, to help me take Shatterhand down! I wasn’t so sure about you at first, but we don’t have any other choice! Will…” Sonic clutched the Chaos Emerald, “Will you help me?”

Bubsy glanced at the darkening sky, the sun completely obscured by the ship. Now the only light was the soft glow from the many lampposts around town, though the dreadnaught soon fixed that. A dozen or so searchlights on the bottom of the hull soon activated, shafts of light swaying from side to side, each inspecting the ground. It was like nightfall had quickly consumed the land and a vibrant, blinding claw dug its many fingers into the town, looking for something. There was only one question on Bubsy’s mind: Would this Shatterhand destroy the town in order to get to Sonic?

“How do we do it?” Bubsy asked, turning to Sonic with a fierce determination in his eyes.

“I-” Sonic wasn’t expecting the bobcat to agree, “Well, it depends. If he lets his goons loose on us, we just gotta fight them off best we can. But if he decides to take us on himself, we wear him out and finish him off with all seven of these,” Sonic pulled out the other six emeralds, his hands barely able to hold them all.

“What are those, anyways?” Bubsy kinda had to ask at this point.

“Uh… The key to a power that should be handled carefully,” Sonic explained, the emeralds clinking together. “Listen, if we can do this, we’ll both harness these and take down Shatterhand together!”

“Okay, okay, but let’s make sure we can-” Bubsy was abruptly cut off by a chilling hiss coming from the dreadnaught. Both he and Sonic looked up to see the sides of the hull opening, revealing a hangar. They almost expected to witness a legion of men emerge and descend towards them, ready for battle, but oddly, only one could be seen making the dive out of the hangar.

“Uh oh…” Sonic said, squinting in order to get a better look. As soon as he saw the black energy surging from the figure diving through the sky, his muscles tensed up. “I guess he’s gonna take us on himself!”

Sonic was about to speed off to meet Shatterhand where he estimated he’d land, when Bubsy cried, “Wait!”

The blue blur stopped.

“I was going to say that you should round up all the villagers and get them out of here! You’re faster on your feet, so you’d be best,” Bubsy explained, showing true concern for the safety of the people living in Berlyn. He looked back up at what he presumed to be Shatterhand, still in his dive. “I’ll distract him for a bit until you’re done, alright?”

“You sure?” Sonic wasn’t confident that Bubsy could hold his own for long enough against Shatterhand.

“Yeah, I got these,” Bubsy cheekily whipped out a set of Portable Holes and a ball of yarn.

“Heh, alright then, good luck,” Sonic again was about to leave, when he had an idea. “By the way,” he said, catching Bubsy’s ear. “His name is Mike Jones. No one else knows that besides us, and I don’t think he’ll like that fact.”

Bubsy chuckled, already thinking of some ideas to taunt Shatterhand. Sharing a thumbs up, the two speedsters ran into town, breaking off from each other. One was going to meet with the Archfiend of Reality and buy time, while the other began heading around to every house to gather everyone he could find and evacuate them.

Shatterhand landed with a thundering boom, the sheer force of his impact creating a crater in the rough, dry dirt. Standing up straight, he tilted his neck left and then right, popping some of his joints and loosening his shoulders. Then he took in his surroundings, the searchlights of the dreadnaught giving most of the environment an orange glow. He was unimpressed.

“Hm… quaint,” Shatterhand mumbled, the town reminding him of some of the villages he visited in his youth.

“Yeah, it’s quaint,” Bubsy’s voice came from behind, surprising Shatterhand as he flipped around in confusion. There, the bobcat laid on a bench in a relaxed pose, legs crossed and a toothpick between his teeth. “But it’s home. Sure does beat leaving in a floating, metal box,” he declared calmly, sneering at Shatterhand.

“You…” Shatterhand inspected Bubsy curiously, “I never thought I’d encounter you like this. You’re that bobcat, correct?”

“Yep. Name’s Bubsy,” Bubsy said, sitting up straight and spitting out his toothpick, “I’m just chillin’, enjoying life. Made a new friend, too! He’s real great.”

Shatterhand scanned Bubsy up and down before turning away curtly. To him, the orange feline was of no threat to his plans, and simply wasn’t worth the effort to eliminate. He hadn’t even considered the idea of Bubsy being a challenge.

“But you, Mister Mike Jones,” Bubsy pointed at his opponent. Upon hearing his real name be uttered, Shatterhand stopped dead in his tracks, startled. The reaction made a wide, cocky smirk appear on Bubsy’s face as he continued, “I can tell you’re a killer. If you hurt just one of the folks livin’ here, you’re getting these paws, bud!” Bubsy then stood up and perched himself on the back of the bench, bearing his claws.

Jones gave off a furious stare, a murderous glint in his wretched eye. How Bubsy knew of his identity was beyond him, but now, the idea of killing this fool was joyous. “Are you prepared to die?” Jones asked, his voice like gravel.

“Are you?” Bubsy answered the question with a question, his hands behind his back.

Jones said nothing, raising his gauntlet up and letting the darkness pour. It shot from the fingers and at Bubsy, striking the bench and releasing a dark cloud. When the smoke cleared, Bubsy was gone. “Expectingly simple,” he scoffed, beginning to walk away.

“Nuh uh!” Bubsy’s voice rang out, and suddenly, Jones was tripped, falling to the ground ungracefully. Bubsy had used one of the many Portable Holes planted around the site to escape the blast, peeking out of one just close enough to Jones’ legs to tug at them.

Scrabbling to his feet, Jones eyed Bubsy incredulously. “WHAT THE-?” he screamed, as the bobcat proceeded to grab ahold of his boots and heave, lifting Jones off of the ground. With one big movement, Bubsy spun his foe around and flung him into the wall of a nearby building, slamming into planks wood and splitting them in half.

“Mikey, you have no idea what you’ve done! Ask Oinker P. Hammm and he’ll tell ya, there’s no fun to be had when Bubsy’s mad!” Bubsy stated proudly, reaching over his shoulder and somehow revealing three balls of yarn. Wrapping each limp string around his right paw’s digits, he put his arm back and launched the yarn at Jones, the balls unravelling. “Now take this!!” he shouted as the lines of fabric reached and grabbed onto the fiends’ limbs.

Jones thought it ridiculous to fight an opponent who used yarn as some sort of attack, but when he attempted to tear his way out of the string binding him, he was met with surprising resistance. This yarn was special, strong and flexible like rubber but still made of wool. Each string tightened around Jones’ arms and legs, and Bubsy started to pull, dragging Jones across the dirt like a ragdoll.

“NO!” Jones bellowed, but it was no use.

Bubsy jumped onto a roof and used every ounce of strength he had to yank Jones into the air, over his head, and straight into the ground on the other side of the house. Dirt and grime scattered everywhere while the yarn released Jones, returning to its owner. Then, a Portable Hole was chucked onto the grass, Bubsy climbing out of it seconds later.

“Sonic might be done helping everyone out in a bit. Come on, Jonesy, I think he’ll wanna word,” Bubsy said coldly, the yarn once again going and wrapping itself around Jones’ body.

Jones groaned as he felt himself be pulled across the ground like a sack of potatoes. He wriggled about, feeling like the greatest idiot in the universe for allowing this to happen. Flexing the Dark Matter gauntlet, he tried to turn and aim it at Bubsy, but he couldn’t. “Gah! Stupid cat,” he whispered, but then he felt the gauntlet’s fingers brush up against one of the yarn strings holding him. Adjusting his shoulder, he realized he could grasp it with the device. “Heh, despite seeming clever, as it turns out, you are nonetheless stupid!”

Gripping the yarn, Jones charged up the gauntlet, sending a surge of power through the fabric. Even though the material was an insulator, being made out of wool, the dark energy had nowhere else to disperse, so it raced up and delivered a painful shock to Bubsy.

“YYEEEEEOOW!” Bubsy screamed, his whole body lighting up for a split second as it was tazed by darkness. He collapsed, some fur blackened and smoke rising from his body. Jones, in the meantime, managed to free himself, the yarn going slack due to Bubsy’s distraction.

“FOOL!” Jones rushed towards Bubsy and grabbed the bobcat by the neck with his good hand.

“Ack! W-Wait!” Bubsy wheezed, already short of breath. All he needed was to swipe at Jones’ hand to get loose, but he had little strength left.

Jones growled like an animal, holding his gauntlet up and angling the fingers threateningly. “Never… Never in my time searching for my old companions have I had someone not even RELATED to the matter try and stop me. You, my friend,” Jones chuckled, “You have set a new standard.” There, he powered up the gauntlet again.

Bubsy watched helplessly as he dangled in Jones’ grasp, thinking this was the end. The Dark Matter seemed to be a painful but fast way to die. Then, a rush of wind caught the Archfiend’s attention, and when a quick flash of blue ran by, he softened his grip by mistake.

“AAAH! Sonic!” Bubsy was able to get a full breath, and finally managed to claw at Jones’ hand. Blood was drawn and the feline was released, tumbling to the ground while coughing up a storm. Without warning, he was scooped up and sat down over a dozen meters away, Sonic having gotten him out of range of the gauntlet.

“You alright?” Sonic asked.

“Ugh, yeah…” Bubsy pounded on his chest to fix his cough. After a bit of hair flew out of his mouth, he noticed the patches of singed fur along his arms. “Guy was fast to do a number on me. I thought I had him for a second there.” Turning his head, Bubsy was shocked that Sonic was able to come to his aid so soon. “Thanks,” he said.

“No problem, pal,” Sonic replied, “Now, let’s do this!”

When Sonic said the word ‘pal’, it immediately gave Bubsy a boost in spirit. The two wore matching smiles as they sped back towards Shatterhand to continue the fight. If they coordinated well and got Jones weak enough, they’d both be able to finish him off with the power of the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic was always up to gamble a little, but here, he was determined to win big.

Jones wasn’t left alone for long. He denied his instincts to chase, seeing that if Bubsy planned on taking him to Sonic, their biggest goal was to defeat him. If that was the case, he knew they’d come running back, so he waited. Taking a seat on a mound of dirt, he hunched himself over, fiddling with his nails. In just the blink of an eye, Sonic and Bubsy appeared across from him.

“I have to admit, I never thought you two would team up,” Jones commented on the bizarre duo. He clicked the fingers of his gauntlet, flicking off some soot that had accumulated on the tips. Making eye contact with Sonic, a sadistic smile gleamed his lips, “Across the realms, after all the weird foes I’ve faced, very few have actually managed to put up a fight.”

“Fate seems to favor the strange, at least in my eyes,” Sonic replied, he and Bubsy taking defensive stances.

“Oh yes, indeed, it does,” Jones said smugly, straightening his posture, “Once I fought a scruffy, blonde man in blue, using handcrafted weapons he picked up along his journeys. Another time, I had the displeasure of dispatching a washed up set of plumbers. They were ugly variants of people I am truly after!” He quickly stood up, holding both hands in a crazed manner, leaning back and howling with laughter.

“Guess that means we’re special, eh?” Bubsy mused.

“Mhm… Let’s show him just how special we are,” Sonic had a brazen fury in his eyes, and it was accentuated by his next movements. He zigzagged towards the enemy, closing in and landing a swift punch to the jaw. Right after, Bubsy glided down and pounced on Jones’ head, scratching the man’s scalp a few times before sticking a three-point landing behind Shatterhand, growling.

Sonic, spindashing the fastest he ever had, crashed into Jones’ chest at full speed. His quills partly shredded through the armor plating protecting the fiend’s torso, and he aimed to get rid of each and every piece.

“Hold him down!” Sonic ordered. To his amazement, Bubsy was able to briskly follow orders, pulling out his yarn and using the strands to again keep Jones at bay. “Huh…” the hedgehog had an urge to laugh, not expecting that to be how Bubsy’s yarn worked.

Without any more delay, Sonic then began to whirl around Shatterhand, creating an updraft, all while a blue aura trailed behind him. The Blue Tornado technique, as he called it, generated a vortex that sucked Jones into the air, unable to move thanks to the yarn constricting him. Normally, Sonic performed the move with his friends, so it wasn’t as powerful as it could be, but it was enough to allow him to jump up and stomp downwards, curling up right as he hit Jones, spinning violently. He proceeded to slice through the rest of the armor, the yarn releasing Jones as he crashed back into the ground.

Performing a tactical roll in order to avoid any more incoming attacks, Jones dodged what would’ve been a brutal punch from Bubsy. He reached onto his belt and brandished his yo-yo, a tool that neither hero had seen in action yet. Outfitted with a metallic, serrated wire in place of normal string, Jones cast it at Sonic. He considered it a weapon now, since after the wire coiled around the hedgehog and constricted, skin was cut like tinfoil.

Bubsy, in retaliation, chucked a yarn ball at Jones, distracting him for a moment. Next, he threw one Portable Hole at Sonic, slapped another on the ground and dived in. Appearing beside his friend, Bubsy used a claw to cut the yo-yo, untying it. It slithered back to its owner in a flash, as if it were alive.

“Here, I’ve got an idea,” Bubsy said, keeping an eye on Jones. He held up his two spare balls of yarn and whispered his plan to Sonic. With a new strategy, Sonic took the yarn and sped away, unraveling it to form a large barrier, the enemy standing right in the middle.

“Heh…” Jones was keen to notice what his foes were up to. Using what was left of his yo-yo, he watched Sonic’s racing pattern, and eventually calculated where he’d be after a certain turn. Throwing the yo-yo, it stuck itself between two walls, right in Sonic’s path, and it acted like a tripwire.

Sonic was nearly decapitated, as his neck would’ve been right in the way if he hadn’t jumped at the last possible second. He still fell face first in the dirt, parts of his shoes ripped thanks to the wire, but enough yarn was tied up around the area that Bubsy’s plan could still be seen to its climax. Scrambling to the closest part of the barrier, Sonic curled up and spindashed into it. The yarn acted like a rubber band, snapping back after too much resistance was built, launching Sonic like a cannon ball. He barreled at Jones with fantastic speed.

“GAH!” a grunt came from Jones as he stumbled backwards from the hit. Bubsy suddenly came in from behind and stomped on his head, gliding away when finished. Then, Sonic struck again, having done the same trick with the yarn barrier in another spot. An uppercut courtesy of Bubsy followed, knocking Jones down. The blue blur was just about to get one more hit when Shatterhand somehow got up and punched him with the gauntlet, forcing him out of his ball form. “Insignificant RODENT!!” Jones roared, charging up with darkness.

Bubsy acted fast. Running in with a Portable Hole in hand, he leaped over and held it up right in front of Sonic’s face, where Jones was aiming. The blast funneled through the opening and fired out of its connecting hole, which was around the place Jones had first landed in town. The stray shot flew into the air and hit one of the searchlights on the dreadnaught, glass raining down.

“What the-?!” Jones still didn’t know how the holes worked, but he didn’t forget about them, even when Bubsy moved away, allowing Sonic to land a punch straight to the nose.

“Ha! Way to step it up, Bubs!” Sonic commended Bubsy for the idea, even if it only partially worked. Jones seemed spent, a bit of blood trickling down his face and bruises on his cheeks. Holding a Chaos Emerald, Sonic outstretched his hand, “I think it’s time we finish him.”

On cue, the rest of the seven gems powered up, orbiting Sonic as he smiled. Bubsy, even while enamored by their majesty, held a bit of skepticism. “S-Sonic, I dunno…” he stuttered, “You said these things have to be used carefully, so I’m not sure I trust myself-”

“No, stop, shush,” Sonic interrupted, “This might be our only chance. I know we’ve only known each other for like, a day, but I trust you. You’re a little… quirky, but you’ve got what it takes.”

Bubsy took a second, peeking over at Jones. He was still dazed.

“Alright,” Bubsy said, putting his hand on the emerald Sonic held.

A bright, heavenly light enveloped Sonic and Bubsy, the Chaos Emeralds activating. Though the two didn’t know it, Wave Energy sparked through their bodies, unlocking a passionate potential within them. One might’ve mistaken the light from the gems for the sun, so vivid and warm like godrays. It only lasted a couple of seconds, sadly, but when it dissipated, there floated Super Sonic and Super Bubsy. Their fur shimmered with power, shining like platinum yet colored a splendid gold, flowing in the wind as they levitated.

“Wooah-ho-hoo!” Bubsy exclaimed, looking at himself. The exclamation mark on his shirt was flashing through all the colors of the rainbow, something he didn’t even know could happen.

“So, you’re ‘super heroes’ now, hm?” Jones got his first glimpse of his opponents’ new forms. Well, new for Bubsy, as Sonic had done this before. The mockery of their status as heroes didn’t faze them, instead just making their resolve to defeat Shatterhand even stronger. “Finally, worthy opponents!”

“Worthy opponents? Nah, it’s over, Mike. You’re never getting your hand on the Chaos Emeralds now,” Sonic smirked, clenching his fists. He was the first to attack, revving himself up and flying right at Jones, sparks bursting from his shoes “TERIAAA!!!” he cried out.

The last thing Sonic expected was to have his momentum screech to a halt, but when he saw that his was being stopped by Jones’ gauntlet, the darkness acting like a shield. His eyes widened in confusion.

“Fool… Does it look like I need the Chaos Emeralds?” Jones snarled, pure, visceral wickedness in his voice. A knowing, vile grin etched itself across his face, and he licked his lips before cackling maniacally. He gestured to his gauntlet, asking, “Why would I ever want a couple of miscolored stones, when I have this?!”

Then the Dark Matter Gauntlet did something unprecedented. The black, oozing energy corroded the veil of light that normally surrounded Super Sonic, eating away at it slowly. Sonic’s confusion morphed into unrelenting panic. The darkness could bypass his Super Form?! He didn’t want to discover the extent of that, but he found that he couldn’t pull back, as if the shadows were clutching him, latched on like a tick.

Meanwhile, Bubsy snapped himself out of his self-imposed trance. While he couldn’t help but gawk at his newfound abilities, he was quick to help Sonic. “I got you, bud!” he shouted, charging at Jones and ramming into the fiend with his elbow. He didn’t know his own strength with this form, because Jones flew like a bullet, breaking the darkness’s hold on Super Sonic.

BOOM, Jones careened straight into a bench, demolishing it, kept going, and crashed into a vacant house. Colliding with one of its loadbearing beams, he plowed through it, causing the building to collapse. He was left with a few broken ribs, a sprained leg, and dirtied hair.

“What happened?!” Bubsy asked, helping Sonic dust himself off.

“He… W-We,” Sonic couldn’t form anything coherent, the shock of what he now knew too immense to stomach all at once. “We’re not invincible…”

Sonic found it strange that, even though he didn’t have any rings, he was able to stay in his super form. Perhaps the rules of this realm caused the emeralds to act differently. It didn’t matter if that was the cause for the gauntlet’s ability to affect him and presumably Bubsy in their transformed state. The fact it could at all meant trouble.

“It- It’s fine,” Sonic pivoted his attention back to Jones, who was just starting to recover from his injuries. “We’ve got to stop him, fast!!” he shrieked, his soul swelling with frustration. In a blind rage, he took off, tackling Jones and flying high into the air.

“Wait, what’s wro- Ugh, wait for me!” Bubsy flew after them, concerned as to why Sonic was so distraught now.

“Stupid to assume I can’t fly either, rat!” Jones cracked, reaching down and charging his boots with Dark Matter. He gained a surprising amount of control, kicking Sonic in the chest to get him away. “You and I are far more evenly matched than you think! When I described you as ‘worthy opponents’, I truly meant it, because we all have power far beyond our own understandings!!” Taking Sonic by the shoulders, he gave a devastating headbutt, following up with an upwards punch to the stomach via the gauntlet, sending the hedgehog into the hull of the dreadnaught above.

The ship rocked to the side slightly at the sharp dent Sonic’s body created, sound reverberating through its metal like a gong. He was embed in the steel for a second, but couldn’t free himself, Jones flying up and socking him.

“YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?! M̴̚Ư̶͌A̵͓͝Ä̷́Ạ̷͙̩́̒H̶A̸̙̓̄͂H̴̖̐AH̴̪́̄Á̴̔͊H̴̱̀A̸͋!!!” Jones howled with insane laughter, baring his teeth like a savage, deranged predator. He went in to throw another punch, but Sonic caught his fists, and they struggled for a second, both trying to overpower the other.

“Hey! Get your hands,” Bubsy appeared behind Jones, grabbing his waist, “Off him!” He tore Jones off Sonic and kept him still, allowing for some teamwork.

As soon as he was free, Sonic delivered a flurry of blows, his arms moving so fast that they produced afterimages. Next, he took Jones by the feet and began to spin, twirling around wildly. Once he was satisfied with the speed he had, Sonic let go, flinging Shatterhand away.

“Uh, Sonic?!” Bubsy’s voice was ridden with anxiety. “S-Sonic, help me!”

Turning to his companion, Sonic saw that the yo-yo wire had been tied around Bubsy’s neck, and it was rapidly losing slack. When he was being held back, Jones secretly looped some of the remaining yo-yo cord there, anticipating some sort of attack that would send him flying. The throw resulted in Jones crashing into not one, but two of the ship’s searchlights, consequently yanking Bubsy through the sky with him once the yo-yo’s string strained.

Jones finally came to a stop, stabilizing himself in the air. Before Bubsy could, however, he flew forwards and caught the bobcat with his gauntlet. The fingers of the weapon tightened around Bubsy’s chest, charging up. “I have you now!” Jones proclaimed.

The gauntlet surged with energy, eating away at Super Bubsy’s golden glow and burning into his fur. It stunned the feline for the perfect amount of time, so Jones went in for the kill. Bubsy’s body was promptly infected with darkness, making his skin go cold and stopping his heart instantly. All the fire faded from his eyes as Jones smiled, and he let go, letting the bobcat’s body fall.

“Bubsy?!” Sonic yelled, flying down to catch his friend. He swooped further towards the ground, landing on a roof. “Hey, hey, come on, man,” Sonic said, thinking Bubsy had just passed out. When he got nothing, he shook Bubsy by the shoulders, he shouted, “Dude, get up!!”

Sonic couldn’t believe it. There was nothing, no sign of life anywhere in Bubsy’s corpse. His eyes were glazed over, glassy, pupils narrow. His mouth hung open just a bit, no breath coming out. There was no way. It was impossible. Did he really just get Bubsy killed? Denial and guilt overwhelmed the hedgehog, the loss feeling too sudden to be real. How? How did the gauntlet overpower the Chaos Emeralds? Why must there always be something that goes wrong? These questions and countless more invaded Sonic’s head as he huffed, showing so little emotion on the outside that it made Jones giggle.

“I’ll add him to the list of your friends I’ve slaughtered,” Jones said while he hovered in the air, crossing his arms. He tilted his head, speaking tauntingly, “Your disbelief amuses me, Sonic, I must say… Today has not gone according to plan, has it?”

The golden glow of Sonic’s fur dimmed just slightly, and slumped onto his knees, the will to fight diminishing. He kept his head down, unwilling to look Jones in the eye. Out of all the questions swirling in his head, one managed to reach the surface. “Why…?” Sonic asked.

“Why?” Jones repeated.

“Why are you doing this? If you… If you don’t want the Chaos Emeralds, then why?!”

“You want to know why? Hmph…” Jones snorted, hovering back to keep his distance. He had full confidence that victory was assured for him, so he saw no reason not to finally discuss the reason why. “Fine, I’ll enlighten you…”

“I was a hero like you,” Jones began, pulling out his damaged yo-yo. He reminisced on his first journey, “I fought a beast named Zoda and saved my world,” he said, “But one day, a blonde fellow came to me and invited me across the realms!” He held up his gauntlet, gazing between the fingers. “I accepted, and joined a league of heroes to protect these realms, and my god… it was glorious!” Reaching into his pocket, Jones pulled out a trinket. A weathered, rusty badge. “It was me, the blonde man, a pair of brothers, a blue robot, a spiky-haired swordsman,” his face scrunched up with annoyance, “A pink ball, a military operative named ‘Snake’, and even you.”

“What?” Sonic didn’t understand what Jones meant.

“But then, one day, while we were surveying a ruined realm, something happened,” Jones continued, ignoring the interruption, “I was betrayed, left to die in a decaying dimension, and deformed!” He removed his gauntlet, bestowing to Sonic the reason he was called ‘Shatterhand’. “I spent… an eternity alone, wondering why I was abandoned. Then, almost by chance, I was freed, all thanks to a foolish, blue-robed magician who wanted to control the multiverse,” Jones wanted to one day thank Magolor for unintentionally allowing all this to happen. He put the gauntlet back on, smiling, “After that, I discovered a way to travel the realms, and I came to realize that there were many versions of people across the realms. But most importantly, most tantalizingly, I found out that there were versions of that blonde man, the robot, the brothers, all of them.”

Sonic was easily able to discern what the whole explanation meant. Horror crept down his spine and whispered the truth to him. “I get it…” he stammered, “So you’ve just been-”

“Yes,” Jones, for the millionth time, smiled like a madman. “I’ve just been hunting down each and every version of my old friends until I find the ones that betrayed me. You, Sonic, are just another one off my list.”

It was almost too much to take in at one moment. Sonic cowered over Bubsy’s body, unsure of what to do. He wanted to unleash every sliver of anger and fury onto Jones, kill him right there, end his life without any more adversity. That’s exactly what he attempted to do.

“HYYYYYYYYYYAAAAHH!!” Sonic hollered, zooming up and lunging. He tackled Jones and the two flew through the air again, the hero resuming his barrage of punches, raw hatred flowing through each thrust of his fists. “I’ll stop you, right here and now, Mike Jones,” he declared between blows, gritting his teeth, “I won’t give up until the end of me, you got that?! I’ll avenge my friends, I’ll avenge Bubsy, I’ll avenge EVERYONE!”

Super Sonic’s attack lasted some time, bursts of light flashing every time his fists made contact with Jones. He was able to block a few, but the hits that did make it through were painful, Sonic making sure to go for any possible weak points. Finally, all the light ceased when Jones caught one of the punches with the gauntlet.

“Your efforts are useless, you hear me?” Jones squeezed, sending a wave of darkness back and breaking Sonic’s hand, “It’s useless! Useless, useless, useless, useless, USELESS!!!”

The fight quickly turned around, the darkness used to crush Sonic’s fist crawling up and corrupting his arm. Jones slammed the gauntlet directly into his opponent’s muzzle, knocking out a single tooth. Then with his boots, he kicked Sonic in the face, ending it off with a hard jab to the stomach. He finished his assault by lifting the gauntlet up, charging it full of thick, murky shadows, and bashing it downwards. The hedgehog was sent plummeting like a meteor, creating a massive crater.

Dust clouds bordered everything in view for Sonic when he came to, the orange beams from the dreadnaught’s spotlights barely able to break through. Sitting up slowly, Sonic’s whole being ached, every muscle either strained or torn. Looking down at himself, he saw that his fur was back to its normal blue coloration, meaning that he was weakened enough to eject the Chaos Emeralds from his body when he crashed.

“No, no no no no,” Sonic rummaged around, groping the dirt in hopes of finding the emeralds. He only needed to reach a few feet to grab one, all seven sitting on the ground around him. A bit of hope returned to his eyes, but it was swiftly stomped out when he realized that the emerald in his hand had lost its luster. “No…” he muttered again.

Suddenly, an earsplitting thud shook the earth, Shatterhand landing behind Sonic. Fright forced a yelp out of his mouth, and he rolled onto his back try and scoot away from his pursuer. Standing up tall, the Archfiend towered over Sonic, his eyes aglow with a piercing, intent stare.

The two opposing forces remained fixated on each other, silence hanging over them. Almost everything had been lost, the Phantom Ruby, Mobius, Bubsy, and the Chaos Emeralds, all that remained was the blue blur. He had put one hand up, yielding to Jones, but he knew, deep down, there would be no mercy. Oddly, he experienced a renewed fervor against Jones, feeling that even if this was where it all ended, his crusade to defeat Shatterhand wasn’t quite done.

“Behold, Sonic,” Jones lifted his gauntlet up one last time, “Oblivion.”

The essence of Dark Matter became more potent than ever before as it amassed across the gauntlet’s fingertips. Wisps of energy fired off wildly, and in a single, enormous blast, it was over. When the shadows faded and light returned to the crater, Sonic had completely and utterly vanished. Mike Jones stood alone, much like after Robotnik destroyed the Phantom Ruby. He was victorious.

Jones looked up into the air at his ship, bringing his left arm up and opening a holographic tablet. He tapped it once, lowered his arm, and let the fruits of his battle bring him to his knees. Panting heavily, he coughed up a bit of blood, peeling back his shirt to check the side of his torso. It was a deep purple.

“Hah… Hah…” Jones huffed over and over, not even acknowledging when a porthole on the dreadnaught’s exterior opened up, casting a cylinder of light down onto the town.

From the light emerged the Captain. “Well done, sir,” he congratulated, holding his hand out for his master to take.

“Thank you,” Jones said as he grabbed onto his captain’s hand, hoisting himself up. They walked slowly into the light, getting beamed back into the dreadnaught. Dozens of medical personnel were summoned to assist Shatterhand, even bringing in a stretcher. Lying down and letting them do their work, Jones and the captain remained side by side.

“We all kept a close eye on things, sir, as per request,” the Captain reported.

“Good. I may have just slightly underestimated those two, particularly the cat, but it’s of no matter,” Jones mused as he was bandaged up. He wouldn’t need long to recover, so he sat up to keep his professional demeanor intact. “Oh, I just remembered,” he reached into his pocket, grabbing the severed wire of his yo-yo, “I think this may need an upgrade. Perhaps some of that liquid metal we have stored, it’d allow it to reconstruct itself if cut.”

“Yes, sir, of course,” the Captain took the yo-yo and handed it off to one of his specialists. “Now, that brings the question, what’s next, sir?”

Jones was shaken up just a bit at the idea, having not even considered what their next objective would be. Reclining on the stretcher, he removed the gauntlet and folded his good hand and malformed hand together, sitting them on his chest while eyeing the ceiling. He stayed like that for some time, thinking to himself, all while the Captain simply waited for an answer, obedient as ever. There was no denying that Shatterhand’s battle against Sonic and Bubsy was, in actuality, closer than either party had anticipated. This fact made Jones weary of going directly into battle again.

An idea soon sparked in Jones’ mind, and he turned to the Captain, “Maybe we should approach things a little… differently,” he said, “The next realm we were going to was a parallel Hyrule, correct?”

The Captain opened up his own tablet to check. “Yes, sir, it is,” he confirmed.

“This recent fight has reminded me that I am, indeed, mortal,” Jones explained, looking down at his bandages. “Now, I’m wondering if we eliminate our next target by more… careful means. Instead of engaging in combat from the get-go, we implant ourselves into their society.”

“Hm?” the Captain didn’t quite follow.

“I’ve always thought about what it’d be like to live as a Hylian, so maybe, we forge a name for ourselves and bring our target in to eliminate him when least expected.”

“Ah, I understand,” said the Captain, smiling.

“Begin preparations. Immediately. I shall join you tomorrow,” Jones ordered.

“Yes, sir,” the Captain left, and the dreadnaught soon disappeared from the sky, leaving the ruined town of Berlyn behind.