Chakra Wizard
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Alright, this took longer than I would've hoped for. This is definitely the longest chapter I've done so far, but I'm rather proud with how this one turned out, so please bear with itxd I think you'll like this one too, cause I might've just done the impossible (I managed to give Bowser a soft sidexd). And thanks to everyone whose been reading and leaving comments
Enjoy.
Once it boiled down to basics, none of the brawlers were entirely certain of what they were to achieve from competing in this tournament,...at least, aside from greater fame. There was no monetary gain, for it would be nearly impossible to keep track of currencies from entirely different realms. There was no unimaginable prize nor anything else that could be remotely worth fighting for. So, once it boiled down to basics, was fame really all there was to gain from these relentless battles? Sure, the majority of the brawlers' names were well-known throughout their respective worlds, but with the Smash realm being their lone connection to one another and the inability to travel between any world other than their own, what point would there be in making their names heard in places they can not even enter, let alone see? Once it boiled down to basics,...what cause could any of them possibly have?
"Why...am I even...here?"
This question had been circling through Bowser's mind all day, though he had yet to find an answer. He could've asked somebody else, but then again, he wasn't exactly fond of anyone other than himself. So, he kept it in his thoughts, despite knowing that his stubbornness would get the better of him if he didn't find an answer soon.
"Arrrrgggh, that settles it! Urgh, I'm heading to the mess hall! A little chow'll take it out of my mind."
He wasn't exactly speaking to anyone in particular, a fact he noticed as he looked around, but he followed through with his words, anyways.
Inside the mess hall, the remaining brawlers were conversing amongst each other, while Samus leaned against the wall beside the door, apparently in wait for Bowser's arrival. Sure enough, as he stomped through the open doorway, she stood up and walked to the center of the room to address everyone.
"Took you long enough, Bowser."
"Grrr, don't get sassy with me, space freak. Why were you waiting for me?"
"Oh? I was certain that everyone still competing was simply dying to figure out the new twist before their match."
Enraged by her saucy remarks, though still intrigued by this information, Bowser merely shrugged it off and walked over to sit down, while everybody else leaned in a little closer.
"Okay, now that EVERYone is here,..."
She shot a quick glance at Bowser as the words left her mouth.
"...I can inform you that today's matches will now include items. From what Mario and I have heard, only the Smash Ball will not be put into play today."
A few sighs of relief, coupled with groans of disappointment, could be heard as the brawlers went back to their previous activities. Bowser immediately stood up and made for the food, but after four plates worth of meat and junk food, the titanic Koopa still had that question of his floating through his mind. It wasn't until he was about to snap that someone finally recognized his irritation and sought to help disperse it. To Bowser's surprise, his eyes were now resting on none other than Luigi. The younger of the Mario Bros. placed his hand on his humongous arm, only for it to be pulled away in a rather aggressive manner.
"Green!? What the heck do you want?"
Luigi began to shiver for a moment, but it quickly subsided as he let out a response.
"I-was-just-a...wondering what was going on with you is all."
"Hmph. What do you care? Just beat it."
A look of doubt emerged in Luigi's eyes before he began to turn away.
"O-okay."
"Hey, Green...err...Luigi."
He quickly turned around to look at the Koopa King once again. It would appear that he was starting come around now.
"I'm-a...I'm...s-soorrr...rrrgh...I'm-"
"Don't a-worry about it. Just-a tell me what's troubling you."
He sat down beside Bowser, doing his best to hide the fact that he was attempting to keep his distance from him. Meanwhile, the Koopa King started searching for a way to word the question before finally giving up and deciding to improvise.
"You've uh...been here a while longer than I have. Um...so, why do you keep coming back?"
Luigi was caught by surprise, but after taking a moment to think it through, he realized that it was a rather legitimate question. Fortunately, he already had his own answer for it.
"Well, I-"
"Oh, and if you have to use...uh..."his" name,...don't."
It was as if he could sense whenever Mario was around, be it in person or even casual speech. Luigi didn't waste time in restructuring his reply.
"Alright. I suppose I just-a do it to spend-a some time with...him. This tournament is really one of the few-a things that the two of us can do-a together."
Bowser thought about this for a moment.
"Great, I should've known this twerp wouldn't have a good answer! Of course, he has his brother! Rrgh, I need to talk to someone whose here alone."
"Alright, I'll uh...see what anyone else has to say, then. Uh, th-thanks."
Getting up at a relatively quick pace, Bowser started through the mess hall, looking for someone else to ask for an answer from. Short-tempered and impatient as he was, it wasn't long before he sat back down and began mumbling under his breath.
"This is so stupid. It's my question, anyways, so how are these weaklings supposed to have a good answer?"
"Well, first, you're going to have to tell us what the question is."
Somewhat startled, Bowser looked beside him and saw Ike standing there.
"Oh, it's you. What are you doing,...Ike?"
"Well, until my match with Link, I'm doing nothing. So,...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let me attempt to answer your question."
"Yeah, that won't work. Find someone for me whose been here longer-"
"I think my answer will be enough to satisfy you."
Irritated by his assertion, but desperate as he was, Bowser allowed it.
"Fine, whatever. Um,...what are you getting out of this?"
The look on Ike's face quickly let the Koopa King know that this wasn't the question he was expecting, but his expression immediately afterwards gave him hope for a legitimate answer.
"Well,...personally, I find it an honor that I was invited to participate in this tournament. Very few inhabitants from all our separate worlds are given such an opportunity, so I find no reason not to accept such an invitation."
"Alright, that's a little better. So, Green's got his...ugh...his brother, Ike thinks it's a privilege, so what else is there? That can't be all that someone could look forward to."
"Yeah,...thanks for the answer."
"Of course."
He got up and walked around, somewhat eager to ask another brawler, but not wanting push the matter any further. Fortunately, he wouldn't have time to, anyways, as Zelda's voice emerged from outside the corridors.
"I find it a shame that we're faced with only four matches today, but I can assure everyone here that the brawlers will bring more than enough excitement to make up for it!"
The crowd's cheers were proof enough that they agreed with her.
"Very well, then. I think we've waited long enough, so let's begin the next match, and find out whose the more powerful brawler! Is it Earth's greatest hero...or the Mushroom Kingdom's greatest villain!? Ness and Bowser, please make your way to the stadium and provide us with an answer!"
"Argh, again with the stupid answers! Ah, whatever."
The two wasted no time in exiting the mess hall and proceeding to the closed doorway leading outside. As they stood there in wait, Bowser turned his head and hesitantly asked Ness the same question from before.
"Hey,...Ness."
The boy turned his head in Bowser's direction, somewhat startled.
"Yes?"
"You've been here longer than most of us, right?"
Now slightly confused, Ness looked around at the barren corridor behind them before turning back to reply.
"Well,...yeah. I was one of the first twelve."
"So, why do you keep coming back? What do you have to look forward to each time?"
The young psychic gave it some thought, forming a smile when he found his answer. Before he could give it to Bowser, though, the doors began opening and the two were blinded by sunlight.
"Okay, I'll let you know when we're finished."
Bowser didn't even look back down at him.
"Fair enough."
"It probably had something to do with Lucas, anyways."
The minute or two spent passing over the extended bridge to the stage were done in complete silence, save for the loud screams of the audience. Beneath the overlooking balcony, Lucas and Wario were engaged in a slightly heated argument about the match.
"Ness can handle Bowser, no problem!"
"Pbbth! Please! That dweeb doesn't stand a chance!"
"Coming from the guy who didn't make it pass the first round."
Angered, Wario looked behind him to see Fox casually sitting with his feet rested on the rail of the seating area.
"You wanna say that again-"
Aggravated by Wario's loud and annoying voice, Fox pulled out his blaster in one swift motion of his hand and pointed it at his still open mouth.
"Don't try to act tough with me, Wario. Just sit down and watch the match."
Unable to take his eyes off the firearm for a moment, he finally closed his mouth again and sat back down, obviously irritated. Lucas did the same and looked over at Ness as he walked onto the stadium.
"Come on, Ness. You can do this."
Out on the arena, the two brawlers were now in position and fully prepared for battle. In the balcony, Marth and Peach were giving their own opinions on the match, while Zelda sat idly by and listened in.
"Do you think Ness can claim victory? This is Bowser, after all."
Knowing the giant Koopa's nature, Peach was more than worried for Ness, but she still had confidence in his abilities.
"Bowser...is probably more capable, I admit, but Ness really has more options. He's also a much better fighter as a whole, while Bowser focuses mostly on sheer strength and power, believing that they will more be than enough to win. I have doubts, of course, but I have hope, as well."
Marth nodded in agreement and shifted his gaze to the arena as the referee started the match.
"Are you the better fighter,...Ness?"
"3, 2, 1,..."
"If you are, you'll have to show us."
"...GO!"
"PK Thunder!"
Ness wasted no time in launching his first attack at Bowser, who easily managed to steer clear of it until it had exhausted itself of its power. Immediately after the attack subsided, Bowser unleashed his own assault, storming across the stage before extending his giant claws out to grab Ness, which the latter barely avoided.
"Whoa! He's gotten pretty fast for someone of his size!"
As Mario would testify, Bowser's abilities, as well as their maximum potentials, have greatly varied over the course of their...relationship, but one particular aspect continuously applies to him. Bowser has always been unpredictable.
It didn't take long for the first item to appear, though neither of them gave it a second glance. After all, the fan was, without a doubt, the most worthless item at the Smash. The next one, however, would prove much more helpful, at least, in the long run. Being the first to notice its emergence, Ness maneuvered away from Bowser and made a go for it, only to be cut off by the Koopa King.
"Hey, don't run away from a fight!"
Left almost completely cornered, Ness was given no other choice but to use another one of his PSI techniques as Bowser began spewing fire from his mouth.
"PSI Magnet!"
A large, blue magnetic field immediately enveloped Ness, not only protecting him from Bowser's Fire Breath, but even absorbing the flames and using the gathered energy to remove any minor damage that may have been inflicted earlier. Unfortunately, his opponent's only priority was to keep him preoccupied, while dashing off to grab the item in the meanwhile. While currently useless, the small object would later prove quite worthwhile. Storing it away, Bowser was forced to activate his shield as Ness gave a powerful swing of his bat, almost completely breaking the red sphere. Knowing he would be left helpless if it broke, Bowser quickly released it and stretched his claw out to grab ahold of Ness. After toying with him for a moment, he tossed the boy into the air before retreating into his spiked shell, leaving Ness unable to prevent himself from landing on top of him. While physical injuries were negated in the Smash realm, the pain was no less excruciating as Bowser began spinning his shell around, creating a vortex that caused Ness to continue landing on it until he found the strength to perform a mid-air jump. Having escaped to safety atop the highest platform, Ness took the time to look at his damage counter.
"Twenty-one, huh? Well, I guess it could've been worse. This is getting rather bad, though."
As his mind returned to his current situation, Ness caught the faint sound of a slightly distant voice. While it was difficult to make out, it didn't take long for him to decipher the speaker's identity, smiling as he turned to see the spectating brawlers, among which was an ecstatic Lucas.
"C'mon Ness, give it to him! You can do it!"
Beside him, he noticed Fox sitting in his seat, who gave him a slight nod and a smirk. Sat next to him was Falco, who also nodded his head, as well as Captain Falcon, who saluted him. In fact, several of the brawlers watching the match were giving Ness their own form of encouragement, and the young psychic thanked them for it before turning to face Bowser again.
"Yeah. I can do this."
As the words spelled out in his mind, Bowser began closing in him, knowing that any projectiles he used would easily be absorbed by his PSI Magnet. Ness was more than prepared, though.
"Oh, no you don't!"
"PK Flash!"
Catching him off guard, the large spark quickly made contact, sending Bowser crashing next to the stage edge, having taken thirty-three points of damage from the powerful attack.
"Ooh, he's good...and he's gonna pay for it!"
Standing up to make another attempt, something else behind Ness suddenly caught his eye, instead.
"Is that...yes, it is. Heh, and now the puzzle's nearly finished,...and so are you, twerp."
Advancing on with intentions of ramming into his opponent, Ness was rather surprised when Bowser continued along his path after failing to hit him, though he later realized why.
"Wait, another item? Could that be...oh no! So, that's what it is! If he grabs the third piece before I do, I'm done!"
Pulling out his bat, he began to approach Bowser, stopping to create a distraction before continuing.
"PK Fire!"
While Bowser was just outside of its range, the resulting inferno brought about by the small spark was able to catch his eye long enough for Ness to roll past him and swing his bat with as much strength as he could manage. His damage count already approaching dangerous levels, these additional points sent it soaring past sixty as he flew across the stadium once again. Regaining his footing shortly after touching the ground again, his anger was now almost at its peak, as was his frustration.
"Rrraaarrrgghhh!"
"I can't take this anymore! This kid's half my size...and has half my strength! This shouldn't even be a contest!"
Though, as much as he wanted to rage across the arena, Bowser was still conscious of the fact that letting the match drag on until the item he was waiting for appeared was the best strategy.
"It won't matter how much damage either of us has taken, then."
Deciding to go with the better option, Bowser made his way to the center of the stadium, so as to put near-equal distance between him and each of its edges, bettering his odds of reaching the item first, regardless of where it appears. Ness, however, was quick to catch on to this plan and began provoking Bowser to give into his anger.
"PK Thunder!"
Aware of his intentions, Bowser wasn't about to allow him to get the better of him, activating his shield and holding his ground as the ball of electricity closed in. Despite the large amount of damage the shield had previously taken, it still managed to absorb the entire attack and Bowser was able to deactivate it before breaking. Unfortunately, this predicament caused him to miss his opportunity to snag the newly appeared item, which was now in Ness's possession.
"Dang it! Well, I have no choice now. I'm gonna have to knock it outta him!"
"C'mere, Ness! I got somethin' for ya!"
Keeping this singular goal in his thoughts to prevent himself from overdoing things, Bowser made the charge toward his opponent, who was more than prepared to keep the item in his possession. Pulling his bat out again, Ness retreated to the highest platform and hoisted it over his head, prepared to pummel Bowser into the ground should he attempt to leap through it. He wasn't, however, prepared for the possibility that Bowser wasn't going to take any risks while retrieving the item, as the giant Koopa drifted out from beneath the platform, spinning in his shell. The contact with Ness startled him and caused him to drop his bat, but the damage was not severe enough to cause him to drop the item.
"But, I know what will, though."
Not intending to give Ness a chance to catch his breath, he scooped him off the ground before leaping high into the air.
"Here's a taste of my Flying Slam move for ya!"
Positioning Ness directly beneath him, the two hit the ground with such force that a cloud of dust covered the entire right half of the stadium. As the dust cleared, Bowser looked down at his exhausted opponent with a feeling of utter triumph, but he wasn't going leave anything to chance. Looking around the arena, he finally caught sight of the third piece of the item, laying just a few meters away.
"I win,...thank goodness."
Pulling himself off the ground, Ness turned over to look for Bowser, only to watch in shock as the three sections of the legendary Dragoon assembled themselves in the shape of a bird, taking off into the sky once Bowser jumped on top of it.
"Oh no! He did it. Oh man, what am I gonna do now?"
"C'mon, Ness! You can still dodge that thing!"
"Yeah!"
Standing up and looking over at the group of spectating brawlers, he watched as Lucas cheered him on and prompted many of the others to do the same, with a few obvious exceptions, of course. Ness was instantly refilled with hope and looked up into the air, catching a glimpse of the distant Dragoon, which Bowser was positioning to fire. Not about to give up without a fight, Ness put everything he had into this last stand, using any maneuvers he could think of to keep Bowser from locking on to him.
"I just gotta keep this up until the thing fires on itself. I can do this."
Up in the sky, Bowser was struggling to get a precise aim on his opponent, something that was causing his anger to begin resurfacing once again.
"No! Stay still, you little twerp! Argh, I'm not gonna waste this shot, not after I got this far! C'mon, I can do this. Just relax, ol' Bowser. You don't have all day, y'know. Just...relax."
Taking in a deep breath of air, he focused his gaze on Ness once again, doing his best to keep up with his movements. Before long, he noticed something that would prove vital to his success.
"Wait a minute,...is he...?"
He was. Catching onto a slight pattern in Ness's movement, it wasn't long before he was right on target. Positioning the Dragoon just right, he let it go.
"Game over."
Flying at speeds twice that which Sonic was capable of, the attack was dead-on accurate, sending Ness soaring off the stage and past the Blast Line, as the Dragoon turned around and dropped Bowser off over the stage.
"Game! The winner is...Bowser!"
Exhausting from the match, Bowser tumbled onto the ground, sitting himself up as he waited for Ness to return. He expected that the audience would be silent with utter disappointment in Ness's loss, booing him off the arena at the worst, but instead, he got exactly the opposite. Much, if not all, of the crowd had stood out of their seats and applauded the well-renown villian for his victory, as did Marth and the princesses in the balcony, as well as the brawlers beneath them. It would appear that, while he was known merely as a powerful evildoer in his own world, only his power was acknowledged in the Smash realm.
"Heh, I could get used to that."
Standing back up, Bowser waved his hand across the colliseum for a moment, savoring it until Ness was brought back onto the stage. Walking up to him, the brawlers shook hands, symbolizing the absence of any grudges between the two, and walked back inside together. Once the doors closed behind them, Bowser reiterated his previous question to Ness.
"So, tell me again what you get out of coming here?"
Taking a moment to put a bit thought into it than he did before, Ness smiled as he finally answered him.
"Well, I suppose I could really give two answers to that question."
"The more, the merrier. Let's hear 'em."
"Well, the first is that I just enjoy the feeling of winning a match against another one of the best brawlers in the universe. And even when I don't win,...the satisfaction of knowing I did my best is more than enough to tide me over."
Looking ahead for a split second, Bowser turned back to reply.
"Yeah, I suppose I could relate to that. What's the other one?"
Ness's smile grew ever wider as the words left his mouth.
"Each time I come here, it gives me a chance to spend with my friends."
"Ah, so it did have something to do with Lucas."
He was prepared to walk away, but the sight of Ness shaking his head caused him to look back in confusion.
"Not just Lucas. I mean everyone here. I may never get to know exactly what kind of worlds they come from, but I consider every brawler in this tournament to be a good friend,...well, almost every brawler."
It was at this point that Bowser did something that he almost never did, even in private. He smiled.
"Well, I never thought about it that way before. Thanks, Ness."
"No problem."
The two shook hands one more time before heading their seperate ways, Ness to go find Lucas, and Bowser to the mess hall. Oddly enough, the last time he went there today, he was looking to cloud his frustration with a pile of food. This time,...he just went there because he was hungry.
Enjoy.Chapter 20 - Matter Over Mind
Once it boiled down to basics, none of the brawlers were entirely certain of what they were to achieve from competing in this tournament,...at least, aside from greater fame. There was no monetary gain, for it would be nearly impossible to keep track of currencies from entirely different realms. There was no unimaginable prize nor anything else that could be remotely worth fighting for. So, once it boiled down to basics, was fame really all there was to gain from these relentless battles? Sure, the majority of the brawlers' names were well-known throughout their respective worlds, but with the Smash realm being their lone connection to one another and the inability to travel between any world other than their own, what point would there be in making their names heard in places they can not even enter, let alone see? Once it boiled down to basics,...what cause could any of them possibly have?
"Why...am I even...here?"
This question had been circling through Bowser's mind all day, though he had yet to find an answer. He could've asked somebody else, but then again, he wasn't exactly fond of anyone other than himself. So, he kept it in his thoughts, despite knowing that his stubbornness would get the better of him if he didn't find an answer soon.
"Arrrrgggh, that settles it! Urgh, I'm heading to the mess hall! A little chow'll take it out of my mind."
He wasn't exactly speaking to anyone in particular, a fact he noticed as he looked around, but he followed through with his words, anyways.
Inside the mess hall, the remaining brawlers were conversing amongst each other, while Samus leaned against the wall beside the door, apparently in wait for Bowser's arrival. Sure enough, as he stomped through the open doorway, she stood up and walked to the center of the room to address everyone.
"Took you long enough, Bowser."
"Grrr, don't get sassy with me, space freak. Why were you waiting for me?"
"Oh? I was certain that everyone still competing was simply dying to figure out the new twist before their match."
Enraged by her saucy remarks, though still intrigued by this information, Bowser merely shrugged it off and walked over to sit down, while everybody else leaned in a little closer.
"Okay, now that EVERYone is here,..."
She shot a quick glance at Bowser as the words left her mouth.
"...I can inform you that today's matches will now include items. From what Mario and I have heard, only the Smash Ball will not be put into play today."
A few sighs of relief, coupled with groans of disappointment, could be heard as the brawlers went back to their previous activities. Bowser immediately stood up and made for the food, but after four plates worth of meat and junk food, the titanic Koopa still had that question of his floating through his mind. It wasn't until he was about to snap that someone finally recognized his irritation and sought to help disperse it. To Bowser's surprise, his eyes were now resting on none other than Luigi. The younger of the Mario Bros. placed his hand on his humongous arm, only for it to be pulled away in a rather aggressive manner.
"Green!? What the heck do you want?"
Luigi began to shiver for a moment, but it quickly subsided as he let out a response.
"I-was-just-a...wondering what was going on with you is all."
"Hmph. What do you care? Just beat it."
A look of doubt emerged in Luigi's eyes before he began to turn away.
"O-okay."
"Hey, Green...err...Luigi."
He quickly turned around to look at the Koopa King once again. It would appear that he was starting come around now.
"I'm-a...I'm...s-soorrr...rrrgh...I'm-"
"Don't a-worry about it. Just-a tell me what's troubling you."
He sat down beside Bowser, doing his best to hide the fact that he was attempting to keep his distance from him. Meanwhile, the Koopa King started searching for a way to word the question before finally giving up and deciding to improvise.
"You've uh...been here a while longer than I have. Um...so, why do you keep coming back?"
Luigi was caught by surprise, but after taking a moment to think it through, he realized that it was a rather legitimate question. Fortunately, he already had his own answer for it.
"Well, I-"
"Oh, and if you have to use...uh..."his" name,...don't."
It was as if he could sense whenever Mario was around, be it in person or even casual speech. Luigi didn't waste time in restructuring his reply.
"Alright. I suppose I just-a do it to spend-a some time with...him. This tournament is really one of the few-a things that the two of us can do-a together."
Bowser thought about this for a moment.
"Great, I should've known this twerp wouldn't have a good answer! Of course, he has his brother! Rrgh, I need to talk to someone whose here alone."
"Alright, I'll uh...see what anyone else has to say, then. Uh, th-thanks."
Getting up at a relatively quick pace, Bowser started through the mess hall, looking for someone else to ask for an answer from. Short-tempered and impatient as he was, it wasn't long before he sat back down and began mumbling under his breath.
"This is so stupid. It's my question, anyways, so how are these weaklings supposed to have a good answer?"
"Well, first, you're going to have to tell us what the question is."
Somewhat startled, Bowser looked beside him and saw Ike standing there.
"Oh, it's you. What are you doing,...Ike?"
"Well, until my match with Link, I'm doing nothing. So,...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let me attempt to answer your question."
"Yeah, that won't work. Find someone for me whose been here longer-"
"I think my answer will be enough to satisfy you."
Irritated by his assertion, but desperate as he was, Bowser allowed it.
"Fine, whatever. Um,...what are you getting out of this?"
The look on Ike's face quickly let the Koopa King know that this wasn't the question he was expecting, but his expression immediately afterwards gave him hope for a legitimate answer.
"Well,...personally, I find it an honor that I was invited to participate in this tournament. Very few inhabitants from all our separate worlds are given such an opportunity, so I find no reason not to accept such an invitation."
"Alright, that's a little better. So, Green's got his...ugh...his brother, Ike thinks it's a privilege, so what else is there? That can't be all that someone could look forward to."
"Yeah,...thanks for the answer."
"Of course."
He got up and walked around, somewhat eager to ask another brawler, but not wanting push the matter any further. Fortunately, he wouldn't have time to, anyways, as Zelda's voice emerged from outside the corridors.
"I find it a shame that we're faced with only four matches today, but I can assure everyone here that the brawlers will bring more than enough excitement to make up for it!"
The crowd's cheers were proof enough that they agreed with her.
"Very well, then. I think we've waited long enough, so let's begin the next match, and find out whose the more powerful brawler! Is it Earth's greatest hero...or the Mushroom Kingdom's greatest villain!? Ness and Bowser, please make your way to the stadium and provide us with an answer!"
"Argh, again with the stupid answers! Ah, whatever."
The two wasted no time in exiting the mess hall and proceeding to the closed doorway leading outside. As they stood there in wait, Bowser turned his head and hesitantly asked Ness the same question from before.
"Hey,...Ness."
The boy turned his head in Bowser's direction, somewhat startled.
"Yes?"
"You've been here longer than most of us, right?"
Now slightly confused, Ness looked around at the barren corridor behind them before turning back to reply.
"Well,...yeah. I was one of the first twelve."
"So, why do you keep coming back? What do you have to look forward to each time?"
The young psychic gave it some thought, forming a smile when he found his answer. Before he could give it to Bowser, though, the doors began opening and the two were blinded by sunlight.
"Okay, I'll let you know when we're finished."
Bowser didn't even look back down at him.
"Fair enough."
"It probably had something to do with Lucas, anyways."
The minute or two spent passing over the extended bridge to the stage were done in complete silence, save for the loud screams of the audience. Beneath the overlooking balcony, Lucas and Wario were engaged in a slightly heated argument about the match.
"Ness can handle Bowser, no problem!"
"Pbbth! Please! That dweeb doesn't stand a chance!"
"Coming from the guy who didn't make it pass the first round."
Angered, Wario looked behind him to see Fox casually sitting with his feet rested on the rail of the seating area.
"You wanna say that again-"
Aggravated by Wario's loud and annoying voice, Fox pulled out his blaster in one swift motion of his hand and pointed it at his still open mouth.
"Don't try to act tough with me, Wario. Just sit down and watch the match."
Unable to take his eyes off the firearm for a moment, he finally closed his mouth again and sat back down, obviously irritated. Lucas did the same and looked over at Ness as he walked onto the stadium.
"Come on, Ness. You can do this."
Out on the arena, the two brawlers were now in position and fully prepared for battle. In the balcony, Marth and Peach were giving their own opinions on the match, while Zelda sat idly by and listened in.
"Do you think Ness can claim victory? This is Bowser, after all."
Knowing the giant Koopa's nature, Peach was more than worried for Ness, but she still had confidence in his abilities.
"Bowser...is probably more capable, I admit, but Ness really has more options. He's also a much better fighter as a whole, while Bowser focuses mostly on sheer strength and power, believing that they will more be than enough to win. I have doubts, of course, but I have hope, as well."
Marth nodded in agreement and shifted his gaze to the arena as the referee started the match.
"Are you the better fighter,...Ness?"
"3, 2, 1,..."
"If you are, you'll have to show us."
"...GO!"
"PK Thunder!"
Ness wasted no time in launching his first attack at Bowser, who easily managed to steer clear of it until it had exhausted itself of its power. Immediately after the attack subsided, Bowser unleashed his own assault, storming across the stage before extending his giant claws out to grab Ness, which the latter barely avoided.
"Whoa! He's gotten pretty fast for someone of his size!"
As Mario would testify, Bowser's abilities, as well as their maximum potentials, have greatly varied over the course of their...relationship, but one particular aspect continuously applies to him. Bowser has always been unpredictable.
It didn't take long for the first item to appear, though neither of them gave it a second glance. After all, the fan was, without a doubt, the most worthless item at the Smash. The next one, however, would prove much more helpful, at least, in the long run. Being the first to notice its emergence, Ness maneuvered away from Bowser and made a go for it, only to be cut off by the Koopa King.
"Hey, don't run away from a fight!"
Left almost completely cornered, Ness was given no other choice but to use another one of his PSI techniques as Bowser began spewing fire from his mouth.
"PSI Magnet!"
A large, blue magnetic field immediately enveloped Ness, not only protecting him from Bowser's Fire Breath, but even absorbing the flames and using the gathered energy to remove any minor damage that may have been inflicted earlier. Unfortunately, his opponent's only priority was to keep him preoccupied, while dashing off to grab the item in the meanwhile. While currently useless, the small object would later prove quite worthwhile. Storing it away, Bowser was forced to activate his shield as Ness gave a powerful swing of his bat, almost completely breaking the red sphere. Knowing he would be left helpless if it broke, Bowser quickly released it and stretched his claw out to grab ahold of Ness. After toying with him for a moment, he tossed the boy into the air before retreating into his spiked shell, leaving Ness unable to prevent himself from landing on top of him. While physical injuries were negated in the Smash realm, the pain was no less excruciating as Bowser began spinning his shell around, creating a vortex that caused Ness to continue landing on it until he found the strength to perform a mid-air jump. Having escaped to safety atop the highest platform, Ness took the time to look at his damage counter.
"Twenty-one, huh? Well, I guess it could've been worse. This is getting rather bad, though."
As his mind returned to his current situation, Ness caught the faint sound of a slightly distant voice. While it was difficult to make out, it didn't take long for him to decipher the speaker's identity, smiling as he turned to see the spectating brawlers, among which was an ecstatic Lucas.
"C'mon Ness, give it to him! You can do it!"
Beside him, he noticed Fox sitting in his seat, who gave him a slight nod and a smirk. Sat next to him was Falco, who also nodded his head, as well as Captain Falcon, who saluted him. In fact, several of the brawlers watching the match were giving Ness their own form of encouragement, and the young psychic thanked them for it before turning to face Bowser again.
"Yeah. I can do this."
As the words spelled out in his mind, Bowser began closing in him, knowing that any projectiles he used would easily be absorbed by his PSI Magnet. Ness was more than prepared, though.
"Oh, no you don't!"
"PK Flash!"
Catching him off guard, the large spark quickly made contact, sending Bowser crashing next to the stage edge, having taken thirty-three points of damage from the powerful attack.
"Ooh, he's good...and he's gonna pay for it!"
Standing up to make another attempt, something else behind Ness suddenly caught his eye, instead.
"Is that...yes, it is. Heh, and now the puzzle's nearly finished,...and so are you, twerp."
Advancing on with intentions of ramming into his opponent, Ness was rather surprised when Bowser continued along his path after failing to hit him, though he later realized why.
"Wait, another item? Could that be...oh no! So, that's what it is! If he grabs the third piece before I do, I'm done!"
Pulling out his bat, he began to approach Bowser, stopping to create a distraction before continuing.
"PK Fire!"
While Bowser was just outside of its range, the resulting inferno brought about by the small spark was able to catch his eye long enough for Ness to roll past him and swing his bat with as much strength as he could manage. His damage count already approaching dangerous levels, these additional points sent it soaring past sixty as he flew across the stadium once again. Regaining his footing shortly after touching the ground again, his anger was now almost at its peak, as was his frustration.
"Rrraaarrrgghhh!"
"I can't take this anymore! This kid's half my size...and has half my strength! This shouldn't even be a contest!"
Though, as much as he wanted to rage across the arena, Bowser was still conscious of the fact that letting the match drag on until the item he was waiting for appeared was the best strategy.
"It won't matter how much damage either of us has taken, then."
Deciding to go with the better option, Bowser made his way to the center of the stadium, so as to put near-equal distance between him and each of its edges, bettering his odds of reaching the item first, regardless of where it appears. Ness, however, was quick to catch on to this plan and began provoking Bowser to give into his anger.
"PK Thunder!"
Aware of his intentions, Bowser wasn't about to allow him to get the better of him, activating his shield and holding his ground as the ball of electricity closed in. Despite the large amount of damage the shield had previously taken, it still managed to absorb the entire attack and Bowser was able to deactivate it before breaking. Unfortunately, this predicament caused him to miss his opportunity to snag the newly appeared item, which was now in Ness's possession.
"Dang it! Well, I have no choice now. I'm gonna have to knock it outta him!"
"C'mere, Ness! I got somethin' for ya!"
Keeping this singular goal in his thoughts to prevent himself from overdoing things, Bowser made the charge toward his opponent, who was more than prepared to keep the item in his possession. Pulling his bat out again, Ness retreated to the highest platform and hoisted it over his head, prepared to pummel Bowser into the ground should he attempt to leap through it. He wasn't, however, prepared for the possibility that Bowser wasn't going to take any risks while retrieving the item, as the giant Koopa drifted out from beneath the platform, spinning in his shell. The contact with Ness startled him and caused him to drop his bat, but the damage was not severe enough to cause him to drop the item.
"But, I know what will, though."
Not intending to give Ness a chance to catch his breath, he scooped him off the ground before leaping high into the air.
"Here's a taste of my Flying Slam move for ya!"
Positioning Ness directly beneath him, the two hit the ground with such force that a cloud of dust covered the entire right half of the stadium. As the dust cleared, Bowser looked down at his exhausted opponent with a feeling of utter triumph, but he wasn't going leave anything to chance. Looking around the arena, he finally caught sight of the third piece of the item, laying just a few meters away.
"I win,...thank goodness."
Pulling himself off the ground, Ness turned over to look for Bowser, only to watch in shock as the three sections of the legendary Dragoon assembled themselves in the shape of a bird, taking off into the sky once Bowser jumped on top of it.
"Oh no! He did it. Oh man, what am I gonna do now?"
"C'mon, Ness! You can still dodge that thing!"
"Yeah!"
Standing up and looking over at the group of spectating brawlers, he watched as Lucas cheered him on and prompted many of the others to do the same, with a few obvious exceptions, of course. Ness was instantly refilled with hope and looked up into the air, catching a glimpse of the distant Dragoon, which Bowser was positioning to fire. Not about to give up without a fight, Ness put everything he had into this last stand, using any maneuvers he could think of to keep Bowser from locking on to him.
"I just gotta keep this up until the thing fires on itself. I can do this."
Up in the sky, Bowser was struggling to get a precise aim on his opponent, something that was causing his anger to begin resurfacing once again.
"No! Stay still, you little twerp! Argh, I'm not gonna waste this shot, not after I got this far! C'mon, I can do this. Just relax, ol' Bowser. You don't have all day, y'know. Just...relax."
Taking in a deep breath of air, he focused his gaze on Ness once again, doing his best to keep up with his movements. Before long, he noticed something that would prove vital to his success.
"Wait a minute,...is he...?"
He was. Catching onto a slight pattern in Ness's movement, it wasn't long before he was right on target. Positioning the Dragoon just right, he let it go.
"Game over."
Flying at speeds twice that which Sonic was capable of, the attack was dead-on accurate, sending Ness soaring off the stage and past the Blast Line, as the Dragoon turned around and dropped Bowser off over the stage.
"Game! The winner is...Bowser!"
Exhausting from the match, Bowser tumbled onto the ground, sitting himself up as he waited for Ness to return. He expected that the audience would be silent with utter disappointment in Ness's loss, booing him off the arena at the worst, but instead, he got exactly the opposite. Much, if not all, of the crowd had stood out of their seats and applauded the well-renown villian for his victory, as did Marth and the princesses in the balcony, as well as the brawlers beneath them. It would appear that, while he was known merely as a powerful evildoer in his own world, only his power was acknowledged in the Smash realm.
"Heh, I could get used to that."
Standing back up, Bowser waved his hand across the colliseum for a moment, savoring it until Ness was brought back onto the stage. Walking up to him, the brawlers shook hands, symbolizing the absence of any grudges between the two, and walked back inside together. Once the doors closed behind them, Bowser reiterated his previous question to Ness.
"So, tell me again what you get out of coming here?"
Taking a moment to put a bit thought into it than he did before, Ness smiled as he finally answered him.
"Well, I suppose I could really give two answers to that question."
"The more, the merrier. Let's hear 'em."
"Well, the first is that I just enjoy the feeling of winning a match against another one of the best brawlers in the universe. And even when I don't win,...the satisfaction of knowing I did my best is more than enough to tide me over."
Looking ahead for a split second, Bowser turned back to reply.
"Yeah, I suppose I could relate to that. What's the other one?"
Ness's smile grew ever wider as the words left his mouth.
"Each time I come here, it gives me a chance to spend with my friends."
"Ah, so it did have something to do with Lucas."
He was prepared to walk away, but the sight of Ness shaking his head caused him to look back in confusion.
"Not just Lucas. I mean everyone here. I may never get to know exactly what kind of worlds they come from, but I consider every brawler in this tournament to be a good friend,...well, almost every brawler."
It was at this point that Bowser did something that he almost never did, even in private. He smiled.
"Well, I never thought about it that way before. Thanks, Ness."
"No problem."
The two shook hands one more time before heading their seperate ways, Ness to go find Lucas, and Bowser to the mess hall. Oddly enough, the last time he went there today, he was looking to cloud his frustration with a pile of food. This time,...he just went there because he was hungry.
