Chakra Wizard
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Thanks to all those who read these, even more to those who comment. That really helps. These next few chapters will make the fights go by a little quicker. Once it makes it into the Round Two fights, I'll get back to doing mostly one fight chapters.
The crowd's cheers had hardly ceased since the conclusion of the last battle, as Zelda stood up to confirm the next match-up, before Peach's interference that is.
"The battle has just ended. Surely the brawlers...and the crowd deserve a short break between each match."
Zelda looked out at the sea of cheering fans for a moment, then nodded before reclaiming her seat.
"I suppose a few more minutes could pass. The matches seem to be getting more and more intriguing."
Peach nodded in agreement.
"That they do. I'm sure the answer is...obvious, but is there someone you yourself intend to cheer for above the others?"
The Hyrule Princess smiled at the question.
"I suppose both our answers would be obvious."
"Hmm...true. Though surely you have another favorite."
Zelda thought on this for a moment before responding.
"Well, the Smash is seeing quite a few new faces. I would certainly enjoy watching one of them prove themselves to be a match for the older brawlers."
Peach also brought the many new contestants to mind, deciding on her own favorite should Mario or Luigi be unable to win.
"That is intriguing. We also have a few...legendary appearances as well, when I bring them to mind. Sonic the Hedgehog, Solid Snake, Wolf O'Donnell,...some more noteworthy for their crimes than their deeds."
Zelda nodded, realizing the excitement that would certainly take place in this tournament. Having decided that enough time had passed, though neither of them kept track, she rose once again and addressed the crowd.
"I look around and see what I believe to be the faces of eager fans of the Smash Tournament, waiting impatiently for the next brawl. Tell me if I'm right!"
The crowd's cheers grew louder, confirming her to be correct.
"Well then, we'll find out who the next match-up will be right now!"
Once again, the large "VS." appeared upon the numerous screens, followed shortly by two familiar faces.
"The next match-up will be...Mario and Solid Snake!"
Cheers erupted through the colliseum, the crowd now eager to see the brawl between these two legends begin. From within the corridors, the contestants also heard the announcement, many having the same enthusiasm as the crowds. Snake, on the other hand, found himself in a nervous state that was almost completely new to him. Captain Falcon, who walked with him, questioned this.
"Ya alright? I didn't think the great Solid Snake had a shred of doubt in him."
The mercenary looked at the bounty hunter and responded.
"It appears to be a lose-lose situation. Should I be defeated, no one would be surprised. Should I win, then I've just defeated a crowd favorite, which normally isn't a good thing, is it? You're one of the original twelve brawlers, so you should know, Captain."
"You have many fans here, Snake. I'm sure that you are just as much a crowd favorite as Mario."
The twitching in his left eye as the plumber's name left his mouth did not go unnoticed by his friend.
"Very funny. Now if you don't mind, I have a battle I must win."
As Snake made his way towards the arena, Falcon gave a final word of encouragement, though hardly with a straight face.
"Good luck."
Sensing that he was on the verge of laughter, he stopped and looked back at the bounty hunter.
"You have a cruel sense of humour, Captain. You think that merely because I don't have a spiked shell or elf-like ears that I bare no threat against a man with a moustache?"
This caused Falcon to form a straight face once again and look onward of his fellow brawler.
"I cheer for you as any other contestant here would. Both of you have history on your side Snake, though unfortunately, you lack any here at the Smash. He was one of the first here...and for a very good reason. I have doubts as any of us would. Don't blame me for that."
Snake looked at him for a short moment before moving onward. As the Captain watched him leave, he did not break into laughter as he believed he would, but rather kept his silence, hoping that his friend would truly be able to remove one of the biggest obstacles in the Tournament.
Moments later, the doors were letting sunlight back into the corridors as the two legendary brawlers stepped through them. The crowd grew estatic as the contestants made their way onto the arena, silence falling across the colliseum once they took their starting positions. Knowing that he would not get a response, Snake still spoke out to his well-known opponent.
"They fear you, y'know. Not that they shouldn't. You're not one to go down easy, let alone in the first round. Unfortunately, I didn't come here to lose in the first round either. You're certainly strong, Mario. I give you that. But, I was bred to be the strongest. And I hope, for your sake, that you were, too."
Mario hardly changed the look on his face as he spoke, though he gave a small nod as he finished. It seemed that neither of them were prepared to lose. The referee began the countdown to start the brawl.
"3, 2, 1, GO!"
Snake immediately sprang into action, pulling out a missile launcher and sending two small missiles after the plumber. Keeping as much distance from them as possible, Mario ran in between them, quickly jumping out of the way as they collided. The small incident, however, forced him to remove his eyes from Snake, who had pulled out a bazooka and fired it at him. Already in the air, Mario quickly did the only thing he could and Air Dodged the shot, falling back to the ground afterwards. His opponent stood up and formed a smile, bringing a look of confusion to the plumber's face.
"You're certainly a slippery one, Mario. I suppose I can't I'm surprised, though. It couldn't be just your offensive skills that make you so revered. Unfortunately for you, I've been specifically trained for several years to take down people even more slippery than you."
As he spoke, a small ringing went off in Mario's ears, causing him to look around in confusion. As Snake finished speaking, he looked down at his feet to notice a small bomb that was apparently planted while he was avoiding the two missiles. Being that it was already about to detonate, Mario merely braced himself for the coming explosion. Upon detonating though, the area around him filled with smoke. Realizing too late that it was a distraction, Mario felt Snake's foot connect with his jaw, flying out of the smoke cloud and toward the other side of the arena. Getting up off the ground, Mario managed to anticipate Snake's next attack and rolled out of the way, but he had already sustained much more damage than his opponent. The crowd watched in awe as Mario appeared to be continuously being bested by the mercenary, even surprising the princesses, more so Peach. Zelda turned to speak to her.
"It appears you got what you were hoping to see."
The Mushroom Kingdom princess looked to her counterpart, bearing a serious look on her face.
"It won't end like this. Mario's too strong to lose this soon."
On the arena, Mario found himself continuously dodging and blocking Snake's attacks, while the latter showed no signs of exhaustion.
"I told you that I don't plan to lose. Not even to you."
All the while, Mario's mind was constantly working to find a way to retaliate. After a few short minutes, he found one. Waiting for Snake to attempt to kick him, Mario grabbed him by the ankle and began spinning him around before tossing him off the edge of the arena. Snake's determination, however, preventing the match from ending just yet. Pulling out a rappelling gun, he fired it at the arena, causing it to latch onto the edge. However, while pulling himself up, he noticed that the end was caught up in flames, looking beside it to see Mario clenching his fist, having shot a fireball at Snake's only remaining lifeline. After burning for a short while, it finally snapped and sent Snake plummeting into the darkness of the colliseum. The crowd went positively wild at this staggering turn of events as the referee hovered over to confirm it.
"Game! The winner is...Mario!"
His humble nature kept him from jumping around in celebration as he looked around at the crowd, though he did form a smile on his face and wave as he looked toward the balcony upon which the princesses sat. Peach, who was estatic about his amazing comeback, waved back before looking at Zelda with somewhat of an "I told you so" expression.
"See? He can't lose. ...He's too strong."
Being somewhat reassured, the Hyrule princess smiled back at her before returning her eyes to the arena, where Snake was now being brought back up. After getting up, he walked over to Mario, apparently with more vicious intentions. Upon standing in front of him however, a short moment of silence between them was followed by Snake holding out his hand. Mario smiled as he took it in his own before the two brawlers exited the stadium, free of any grudges. As the corridor doors closed behind them, Peach stood up and addressed the crowd.
"Is it about time to find out who the next match-up will be?"
The crowd, never bored of the Smash, only cheered in response. The screens across the colliseum were then branded by another large "VS.", shortly followed by two silhouettes.
"Very well then. The next two contestants will be..."
The two figures were suddenly filled with color and familiar form.
"...Bowser and the Ice Climbers!"
The crowd's cheers echoed into the corridors as Snake and Mario went their seperate ways. As the plumber made his way back to his room, he was passed by his all too familiar rival. The large Koopa gave his nemesis a cruel look as he usually did, which Mario returned with a frown. The exchange of hateful gestures lasted merely a second though, as Bowser continued his way to the arena. After he disappeared from sight, Mario continued to his room, where Luigi was waiting to congratulate his brother.
"Well done, bro. Can you ever not-a win?"
Mario smiled at the admiration that his younger brother had for him. They, or Luigi rather, continued speaking for another fifteen minutes about the match. In regards to Snake's determination, Luigi paused and thought about the disappointment he must feel.
"That-a probably kept-a you two from leaving on-a good terms, I think?"
A reassuring glance from Mario brought a smile to his face.
"Well-a, that's good. Not-a everyone can take a first round loss that-a well. But in-a the end, someone has-a to lose the first round. Not-a likely to be you, bro."
As he spoke, the referee was heard from outside.
"Game! The winner is...Bowser!"
The faces either of them had at the time instantly turned into frowns before they turned back to one another.
"Well, at least-a we know somebody that-a he won't-a beat."
Mario thought on this for a second. He had defeated Bowser, both at the Smash and in the Mushroom Kingdom, more times than he could count. That's not to say that the Koopa King hasn't managed to get the best of him at least twice before. Luigi, who realized what his brother was thinking, reassured the humble hero.
"Bro. He's-a only beaten you at-a the Smash once. And-a he cheated that year. Here, you have-a the advantage. He doesn't have-a his army or anything else that-a he can get-a his hands on to use against-a you here."
Though he still knew that failure was always a possibility, his brother's words certainly got rid of any doubt he had at the moment. Suddenly, Zelda's voice appeared from outside the corridors.
"The next match-up will be...Luigi and Wario!"
The two looked at each other before Luigi broke the silence.
"The day keeps-a going by faster. I'll be back in a while, bro."
As Luigi left the room and headed for the arena, Mario decided to make his way to the mess hall. Hopefully, a few mushrooms would settle his nervous stomach.
Chapter 4 - A Brawl Between Legends
The crowd's cheers had hardly ceased since the conclusion of the last battle, as Zelda stood up to confirm the next match-up, before Peach's interference that is.
"The battle has just ended. Surely the brawlers...and the crowd deserve a short break between each match."
Zelda looked out at the sea of cheering fans for a moment, then nodded before reclaiming her seat.
"I suppose a few more minutes could pass. The matches seem to be getting more and more intriguing."
Peach nodded in agreement.
"That they do. I'm sure the answer is...obvious, but is there someone you yourself intend to cheer for above the others?"
The Hyrule Princess smiled at the question.
"I suppose both our answers would be obvious."
"Hmm...true. Though surely you have another favorite."
Zelda thought on this for a moment before responding.
"Well, the Smash is seeing quite a few new faces. I would certainly enjoy watching one of them prove themselves to be a match for the older brawlers."
Peach also brought the many new contestants to mind, deciding on her own favorite should Mario or Luigi be unable to win.
"That is intriguing. We also have a few...legendary appearances as well, when I bring them to mind. Sonic the Hedgehog, Solid Snake, Wolf O'Donnell,...some more noteworthy for their crimes than their deeds."
Zelda nodded, realizing the excitement that would certainly take place in this tournament. Having decided that enough time had passed, though neither of them kept track, she rose once again and addressed the crowd.
"I look around and see what I believe to be the faces of eager fans of the Smash Tournament, waiting impatiently for the next brawl. Tell me if I'm right!"
The crowd's cheers grew louder, confirming her to be correct.
"Well then, we'll find out who the next match-up will be right now!"
Once again, the large "VS." appeared upon the numerous screens, followed shortly by two familiar faces.
"The next match-up will be...Mario and Solid Snake!"
Cheers erupted through the colliseum, the crowd now eager to see the brawl between these two legends begin. From within the corridors, the contestants also heard the announcement, many having the same enthusiasm as the crowds. Snake, on the other hand, found himself in a nervous state that was almost completely new to him. Captain Falcon, who walked with him, questioned this.
"Ya alright? I didn't think the great Solid Snake had a shred of doubt in him."
The mercenary looked at the bounty hunter and responded.
"It appears to be a lose-lose situation. Should I be defeated, no one would be surprised. Should I win, then I've just defeated a crowd favorite, which normally isn't a good thing, is it? You're one of the original twelve brawlers, so you should know, Captain."
"You have many fans here, Snake. I'm sure that you are just as much a crowd favorite as Mario."
The twitching in his left eye as the plumber's name left his mouth did not go unnoticed by his friend.
"Very funny. Now if you don't mind, I have a battle I must win."
As Snake made his way towards the arena, Falcon gave a final word of encouragement, though hardly with a straight face.
"Good luck."
Sensing that he was on the verge of laughter, he stopped and looked back at the bounty hunter.
"You have a cruel sense of humour, Captain. You think that merely because I don't have a spiked shell or elf-like ears that I bare no threat against a man with a moustache?"
This caused Falcon to form a straight face once again and look onward of his fellow brawler.
"I cheer for you as any other contestant here would. Both of you have history on your side Snake, though unfortunately, you lack any here at the Smash. He was one of the first here...and for a very good reason. I have doubts as any of us would. Don't blame me for that."
Snake looked at him for a short moment before moving onward. As the Captain watched him leave, he did not break into laughter as he believed he would, but rather kept his silence, hoping that his friend would truly be able to remove one of the biggest obstacles in the Tournament.
Moments later, the doors were letting sunlight back into the corridors as the two legendary brawlers stepped through them. The crowd grew estatic as the contestants made their way onto the arena, silence falling across the colliseum once they took their starting positions. Knowing that he would not get a response, Snake still spoke out to his well-known opponent.
"They fear you, y'know. Not that they shouldn't. You're not one to go down easy, let alone in the first round. Unfortunately, I didn't come here to lose in the first round either. You're certainly strong, Mario. I give you that. But, I was bred to be the strongest. And I hope, for your sake, that you were, too."
Mario hardly changed the look on his face as he spoke, though he gave a small nod as he finished. It seemed that neither of them were prepared to lose. The referee began the countdown to start the brawl.
"3, 2, 1, GO!"
Snake immediately sprang into action, pulling out a missile launcher and sending two small missiles after the plumber. Keeping as much distance from them as possible, Mario ran in between them, quickly jumping out of the way as they collided. The small incident, however, forced him to remove his eyes from Snake, who had pulled out a bazooka and fired it at him. Already in the air, Mario quickly did the only thing he could and Air Dodged the shot, falling back to the ground afterwards. His opponent stood up and formed a smile, bringing a look of confusion to the plumber's face.
"You're certainly a slippery one, Mario. I suppose I can't I'm surprised, though. It couldn't be just your offensive skills that make you so revered. Unfortunately for you, I've been specifically trained for several years to take down people even more slippery than you."
As he spoke, a small ringing went off in Mario's ears, causing him to look around in confusion. As Snake finished speaking, he looked down at his feet to notice a small bomb that was apparently planted while he was avoiding the two missiles. Being that it was already about to detonate, Mario merely braced himself for the coming explosion. Upon detonating though, the area around him filled with smoke. Realizing too late that it was a distraction, Mario felt Snake's foot connect with his jaw, flying out of the smoke cloud and toward the other side of the arena. Getting up off the ground, Mario managed to anticipate Snake's next attack and rolled out of the way, but he had already sustained much more damage than his opponent. The crowd watched in awe as Mario appeared to be continuously being bested by the mercenary, even surprising the princesses, more so Peach. Zelda turned to speak to her.
"It appears you got what you were hoping to see."
The Mushroom Kingdom princess looked to her counterpart, bearing a serious look on her face.
"It won't end like this. Mario's too strong to lose this soon."
On the arena, Mario found himself continuously dodging and blocking Snake's attacks, while the latter showed no signs of exhaustion.
"I told you that I don't plan to lose. Not even to you."
All the while, Mario's mind was constantly working to find a way to retaliate. After a few short minutes, he found one. Waiting for Snake to attempt to kick him, Mario grabbed him by the ankle and began spinning him around before tossing him off the edge of the arena. Snake's determination, however, preventing the match from ending just yet. Pulling out a rappelling gun, he fired it at the arena, causing it to latch onto the edge. However, while pulling himself up, he noticed that the end was caught up in flames, looking beside it to see Mario clenching his fist, having shot a fireball at Snake's only remaining lifeline. After burning for a short while, it finally snapped and sent Snake plummeting into the darkness of the colliseum. The crowd went positively wild at this staggering turn of events as the referee hovered over to confirm it.
"Game! The winner is...Mario!"
His humble nature kept him from jumping around in celebration as he looked around at the crowd, though he did form a smile on his face and wave as he looked toward the balcony upon which the princesses sat. Peach, who was estatic about his amazing comeback, waved back before looking at Zelda with somewhat of an "I told you so" expression.
"See? He can't lose. ...He's too strong."
Being somewhat reassured, the Hyrule princess smiled back at her before returning her eyes to the arena, where Snake was now being brought back up. After getting up, he walked over to Mario, apparently with more vicious intentions. Upon standing in front of him however, a short moment of silence between them was followed by Snake holding out his hand. Mario smiled as he took it in his own before the two brawlers exited the stadium, free of any grudges. As the corridor doors closed behind them, Peach stood up and addressed the crowd.
"Is it about time to find out who the next match-up will be?"
The crowd, never bored of the Smash, only cheered in response. The screens across the colliseum were then branded by another large "VS.", shortly followed by two silhouettes.
"Very well then. The next two contestants will be..."
The two figures were suddenly filled with color and familiar form.
"...Bowser and the Ice Climbers!"
The crowd's cheers echoed into the corridors as Snake and Mario went their seperate ways. As the plumber made his way back to his room, he was passed by his all too familiar rival. The large Koopa gave his nemesis a cruel look as he usually did, which Mario returned with a frown. The exchange of hateful gestures lasted merely a second though, as Bowser continued his way to the arena. After he disappeared from sight, Mario continued to his room, where Luigi was waiting to congratulate his brother.
"Well done, bro. Can you ever not-a win?"
Mario smiled at the admiration that his younger brother had for him. They, or Luigi rather, continued speaking for another fifteen minutes about the match. In regards to Snake's determination, Luigi paused and thought about the disappointment he must feel.
"That-a probably kept-a you two from leaving on-a good terms, I think?"
A reassuring glance from Mario brought a smile to his face.
"Well-a, that's good. Not-a everyone can take a first round loss that-a well. But in-a the end, someone has-a to lose the first round. Not-a likely to be you, bro."
As he spoke, the referee was heard from outside.
"Game! The winner is...Bowser!"
The faces either of them had at the time instantly turned into frowns before they turned back to one another.
"Well, at least-a we know somebody that-a he won't-a beat."
Mario thought on this for a second. He had defeated Bowser, both at the Smash and in the Mushroom Kingdom, more times than he could count. That's not to say that the Koopa King hasn't managed to get the best of him at least twice before. Luigi, who realized what his brother was thinking, reassured the humble hero.
"Bro. He's-a only beaten you at-a the Smash once. And-a he cheated that year. Here, you have-a the advantage. He doesn't have-a his army or anything else that-a he can get-a his hands on to use against-a you here."
Though he still knew that failure was always a possibility, his brother's words certainly got rid of any doubt he had at the moment. Suddenly, Zelda's voice appeared from outside the corridors.
"The next match-up will be...Luigi and Wario!"
The two looked at each other before Luigi broke the silence.
"The day keeps-a going by faster. I'll be back in a while, bro."
As Luigi left the room and headed for the arena, Mario decided to make his way to the mess hall. Hopefully, a few mushrooms would settle his nervous stomach.
