Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

School.

The highlight of no teenager's day.

Peter Lavancha was no different.

Another day in English 12, another day in Midnight Lights High School, another day in America, another day on Earth.

As Peter idly twiddled his pencil in his hand, deliberately ignoring the research assignment currently assigned to him, his eyes glanced around the classroom. Sitting to his right was Jeremiah Coleman, one of the star football players who carried the Midnight Lights High Phantoms to state victory last year. To his left was Kimberly Sparks, one of the most talented artists in the school, whose still-life of a potted plant and car gears won the gold ribbon at the county fair. In front of Peter was Scott Hudson, who won third place at the school's science fair a month ago. Behind him was a bookshelf containing a uniform row of well-worn English textbooks, each uniquely damaged and vandalized from each other. Ms. Kirk's aged, exhausted visage accompanied the slouched-over form currently occupying the large desk at the other end of the classroom, switching from eyeing the students to make sure they're working on the assignment, and reviewing emails or other faculty-only forms. But the Word document occupied only by Peter's name, Ms. Kirk's name, the class and today's date: March 12, 2019.

The assignment was simple: research and write about your college and career path. The problem was: Peter had no idea. After graduation, a whole new world opens up. Infinite possibilities make themselves present to him, both good and bad. Sure, he could major in Business and see where that gets him, or he could go into an apprenticeship as an electrician. Or he could burn out. Peter heaved a heavy sigh, hanging his head. His mind wandered to the exciting, escapist worlds contained within the books published by DC Comics. For all that they had going against them, at least Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent knew what they were going to do with their life. And it certainly wasn't working 9 to 5 as an accountant. They would don their specially-made suits and use their unique powers and abilities to defend the innocent and save lives as Batman and Superman, the greatest superheroes ever put to paper. Peter knew his path wouldn't be as exciting. He knew he'll never get bitten by a radioactive spider, or take part in a super-soldier experiment, or be revealed to be the last son of planet Krypton. Peter would always be Peter.

The final bell of the day snapped Peter out of his self-pity, bringing a mixture of relief to finally be going home, and disappointment that he wasted essentially the entire class period daydreaming. The other students showed no such emotion, and hastily darted out from their desk to escape school. "Be sure to return your Chromebooks to the appropriate slot on the cart." Ms. Kirk sighed, knowing there would be at least three students that would misplace the cheaply-produced laptops. Peter gathered his bag, carefully put his Chromebook back in the cart and exited the classroom. The commotion of students small and tall hurriedly making their way to one of the building's three exits. Finding a spot to slip into the current of trendy clothes and hormones, Peter quickly made his way through the familiar halls and out the familiar front doors. The fresh air and warm sunlight were as great an antidote to the stress of classwork as ever. Taking a deep, appreciative breath, Peter walked over to the school parking lot, where the 18th birthday gift that is his car sits, as intact as it was this morning. Normally, that wouldn't be worth mentioning, but certain football players have made themselves enemies of the school's punks, and commonly find their car windows broken and their car bodies dented. Something about a party in September that Peter was, of course, not invited to. Peter dusted off his red varsity jacket and slipped his phone in his pocket before continuing his walk.

Peter threw his backpack in the back seat of his well-worn sedan, started the engine, and after buckling his seat belt like a responsible driver, began his daily drive home. The town of Midnight Lights was bustling with both teenagers and adults, but the foot and road traffic thinned the further Peter drove away from town. His home was about 20 minutes away from school, and while it was nice to live in a more peaceful neighborhood, Peter often envied how busy his colleague's social lives were. The further he drove, the more he fell into his pit. Jeremiah, Kimberly, Scott and many, many more students distinguished themselves with their own circle of friends, their own after-school schedules, their own talents and achievements. Surely they would have no trouble researching and writing about what they're gonna do after high school. Sure, Peter had some friends, but his hobbies could be summarized with "movies and comic books". He wasted his previous three years in high school alone in his room, catching up on what his preferred superheroes had been up to. He didn't think much of it at the time, but looking back, he's filled with immense regret.

Oh well, can't change the past.

Down the usual roads he drove, past the countless trees and over the cracked, worn-down road he drove. The sun streamed through the tree branches, which did little to comfort Peter. The sun did what it always did; rise in the morning and set in the evening, as predictable as his daily life.

But he knew that wouldn't last.

Graduation was only a few months away now. Once he receives that piece of paper and shakes the hand of someone important, the peaceful, predictable days of his life are over. Unwelcome thoughts of college returned to his mind, forming over his consciousness like a dreary storm cloud rearing to ruin a family picnic. As his mind began to wander further down into the heavy future, he started paying less and less attention to the road before him. Not that it mattered too much. The forested back roads saw many a commute to school and the doctor's office. But his inattentiveness almost led him to slide off the road and land in a ditch, but he snapped back to reality and swerved back onto the road just in time.

Soon enough, Peter parked the car in front of his modest home. The two-story, medium-sized house wouldn't look out of place in any other American neighborhood. He climbed out of his car with his backpack and locked the car before heading inside. Walking inside, he found the same usual living room, with two couches arranged in front of a wall-mounted television tuned to NBC news. He hardly paid attention to the news, as he found it too depressing and it wasn't like he could do anything to change things. The TV could barely be heard over the sound of rinsing dishes in the kitchen.

"I'm home." Peter bluntly greeted his mother in the other room. "How was school?" His mom asked him in response, as is usual with the routine. He shrugged as he sat his backpack down next to the door. "It was alright." He nonchalantly answered. Ready to relax from the day, he flopped down onto the couch and began mindlessly scrolling through his Twitter feed on his phone. "Is there anything I can help with?" Peter asked his mom from the other room. "Not really." His mom answered, as per usual. He took comfort in expecting this answer day after day, allowing him to indulge his inner sloth without feeling like a layabout roommate. He didn't particularly enjoy Twitter; it was all the same posts and comments day in and day out. He tolerated it enough, though. It stimulated his brain enough to allow time to pass without forcing him exert too much effort on his part.

"What's for dinner?" He called out to his mom. "Tortellini." His mom answered. His nodded.

A couple hours later, dinner was finally ready. Peter retrieved the bowl of tortellini from his mom, applied an appropriate amount of tomato sauce, grabbed a spoon and sat down in his usual seat at the dinner table. His mom sat down across from him, with two chairs at the other ends of the table. Although Peter was an only child, the fourth seat was reserved for the odd guest that came to visit. Within the first few bites of his dinner, his taste buds savored the taste of the pasta. While it was a regular dish at his house, he always enjoyed a warm bowl of tortellini. The warmth of the pasta provided some relief to the stress that still plagued his mind, allowing him to indulge in the food. His mom ate as well, sharing little words with him. As awkward as it may be to some, there wasn't really much to be said.

Not too long later, the front door opened and footsteps could be heard walking in. The sound of a briefcase being set on the ground indicated to Peter that his dad finally came home. As the door closed, Peter looked up to see his dad walk into the kitchen, wearing the same suit and weary expression that he always wore after a day at work. The expression helped bring Peter's worries about the future back into his mind. The idea of spending the rest of his life working a dreary office job for the rest of his life made him lose a part of his appetite. "Hey, dad." He greeted his dad. "Hey, Pete. How was school?" His dad asked him. He shrugged while idly spinning his spoon. "Same as usual." He answered truthfully. "Got any homework due tomorrow?" His dad asked him further. He shook his head. "Nothing that isn't due until Friday." He answered. "Well, then you've got more time to look into college classes for the fall." His dad suggested. The invoking of the word "college" made Peter's stomach twist, but he hid this inner apprehension and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'll do that..." He muttered.

"How was work, honey?" His mom asked his dad. His dad let out an exhausted sigh before answering. "Exhausting." He answered, more truthfully than Peter than would have. He sat down with his bowl of tortellini and didn't hesitate in digging in. Once he got through enough of his pasta, he turned to Peter. "So, what's Timmy up to these days?" His dad asked him, trying to initiate a conversation. "Timmy and I don't really talk these days." Peter idly answered in between mouthfuls of tortellini. Awkward silence returned to the family before Peter finally got up and set his empty bowl in the sink. "Thank you, mom, that was really good." He thanked his mom after filling his bowl up with water. "You're welcome." His mom replied. As he ascended the stairs to his room, he heard some conversation between his parents, but didn't care to listen in.

The sun had already set when he got to his room, leaving his room only illuminated by the lamp by his bed. He felt weirdly exhausted after today, so all he did after showering and changing into pajamas was read old Superman comics in his bed; the same comics he had read countless times over the years. The more he read, the more his sleepiness overtook him. Thoughts of the future faded away as he drifted off to sleep in his bed.

Peter woke up at his usual time with the ringing sound of his phone's alarm. He wanted to ignore the sound of the alarm and curl back into bed, but he knew the day had to be confronted. The future was coming, whether he liked it or not. With a drowsy groan, he crawled out of bed and shut off his alarm. After changing into a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans, he trudged down the stairs to pour himself a bowl of cereal. He hardly paid attention to which one he pulled off the shelf and filled his bowl with. Judging by the amount of cars in the driveway, he figured his dad already left for work. He silently wished he could have said goodbye, but it was hardly worth losing sleep over. His mom was in the other room watching the news while he ate. Neither talked to each other, as usual. In between bites of cereal, he continued to mindlessly scroll though his various social media feeds. He intentionally avoided following his classmates, out of fear of their successes holding up a mirror to his own mediocrity.

With breakfast eaten, he was as ready to start the day as he could have been. After setting the bowl in the sink and filling it with water, he grabbed his backpack and tossed a "See you later." to his mom as he was halfway out the door. He barely heard his mom say "Have a good day at school!".

The more Peter drove down the road, the more he felt... different. The road and trees remained the same, but he and the car he was driving felt light. Almost as if he's floating off the ground. He attributed this to a lack of good sleep and tried his hardest to continue driving.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the car was engulfed in a brilliant white light, and both Peter and the car vanished without a trace.

ELSEWHERE...

Two figures shot across the sky. A young, winged young man armed with a bow, followed by a white and blue, single-occupant spaceship were rapidly approaching a heavily-armored Airship. As soon as the two were visible to the Airship's occupants, the ship's commander gave the order to open fire. The cannons beneath deck charged power and took aim at the two. The winged one quickly banked out of the way, but the spaceship was only barely able to avoid the particle beam that shot out of the cannon. Once the winged one flew over the deck, he quickly pulled back the string, and a magic arrow materialized in the bow. A blink of an eye later, he shot the arrow at the commander, but the commander was too quick, and used his own magic to deflect the arrow. The spaceship shot into the distance, making a turn around to shoot back at the airship. This time, the spaceship's pilot was more prepared, and swiftly dodged the following particle beams shooting from the airship's cannons. As it drew close enough to return fire, the pilot of the spaceship found that his energy shots were absorbed by the airship's energy shields. Despite the effectiveness of the airship's protection, the commander inside had concern painted across his face. Making his way below deck, he quickly made his way to the communications room. The particle cannons made the airship tremble with each shot, but the commander was able to open a channel to his superior. The large screen in the dark room lit up, and was immediately filled with the visage of a large, stern turtle-like creature.

"What is it, Kamek?" The creature on the screen asked, anger seeping from the corners of its mouth. Kamek gulped before answering. "W-Well, I'm just not sure this airship can handle much more of this. The particle cannons are causing extreme stress to the ship, and we fear continued use will end up doing more damage than those Mushroom Kingdom stooges could!" Kamek answered. The creature roared in anger, unsatisfied with the answer given. "We did not come this far to retreat because you're too cowardly to do what needs to be done!" The creature's anger made the camera on the other end shake, making Kamek intimidated further. "B-B-But Lord Bowser, sir, if we end up damaging the-" "SILENCE! Do as you're ordered! Continue the assault, wipe out those two imbecils in the sky and join K. Rool and Dedede's airships!" Bowser ordered, cutting the video before Kamek could respond again. Hearing the spaceship zoom over head once more, Kamek steeled his nerve and returned topside, confronting the two flying assailants.

Not too far away, a white castle with red roofing was facing an assault from two other airships. The two attempted to use their particle cannons to attack the castle, but the castle was protected by a magic shield. Two figures atop the roof stood, using their staffs to concentrate protection to where the particle cannons were being aimed. The male figure attempted to use his staff to direct lightning back at the airships, but to little avail. The female figure cast a spell around the castle, reinforcing the shield. Smaller castle-goers ran around the roof, distinguished by their mushroom-like head wear, desperately trying to maintain structural integrity in any way they can. One of the smaller ones ran up to the male with the staff, desperate for help. "Lord Raiden, how much longer do we have?" The small helper asked. "At this rate, not much longer." Raiden informed the little one, helping very little. "Get back inside and ensure the Princesses are safe!" The female one instructed the mushroom people. "Listen to Palutena, there is nothing more you can help with here." Raiden added. The mushroom people quickly obliged, disappearing back inside the castle, leaving Palutena and Raiden alone to face the airships. Not a word more was exchanged as the two continued their defense. The airships drew closer, their particle cannons causing more intense reverberations with each shot. With Raiden's lightning and Palutena's light barriers, it started to seem that defeat was inevitable.

Then, a flash of light suddenly erupted, and a wave of energy soon followed.

When the light dissipated, Palutena and Raiden saw that the airship's cannons were catastrophically damaged, and the ships themselves could only barely manage to stay in the air. Realizing their situation, the airships hastily made their retreat, disappearing into the clouds. The airship that troubled the spaceship and flying young man retreated as well, leaving them confused, but relieved. Out of the corner of his eyes, the flying young man noticed a car crashed against a stray tree. This was like no car he'd ever seen, so he got the attention of the spaceship's pilot, and the two quickly flew down to investigate.

The car's driver door opened, and Peter awkwardly staggered out. He hit his head pretty hard on impact, but he's dealt with worse. Assessing the damage, Peter groaned upon seeing how badly the tree damaged the front. The body's dented, the headlights are smashed, the grill's twisted out of shape, there's no way this is salvageable. "Great, dad's gonna kill... me..?" Peter sighed to himself, his frustration turning to confusion upon further looking around. Everything around him was a bit... off. The air tasted a bit different, the tree is colored a bit different, the grass is textured a bit different. It's as if Peter got stranded in the Uncanny Valley.

"Hey, are you okay?" Came a voice from behind Peter. "Yeah, my car's pretty much ruined, but I'm fine-" Peter answered, freezing in place upon seeing who he was talking to. One was a winged young man with short brown hair and adorned in white robes, and the other was an anthropomorphic blue falcon with a silver jacket and robot legs. Peter felt frozen in place, unable to respond. Did he die? Is he hallucinating? Is he in a coma? Why are these two strange people talking with him?

"Well, that's a relief! My name's Pit, and this is Falco Lombardi!" The young man beamed, introducing himself and motioning to the anthropomorphic bird beside him. Falco peered at Peter suspiciously, taking note of his unusual nature.

"...Who are you?" Falco asked, drawing closer to Peter.

Chapter Text

In the face of this mounting pressure, Peter was still looking for how to appropriately respond. A thousand possibilities ran through his head, but he remained frozen in place. His mouth dry and partially agape, Peter took a good moment before he could give Pit or Falco any kind of response. "I'm... uh... Peter Lavancha." He finally answered. Falco's peering eyes turned from Peter to his ruined car, eyeing up the strange machine. "...Where are you from, Peter Lavancha?" Falco asked, peering once more at him. This was even more strange to Peter. He's only been driving for ten minutes, he's only just outside town... right? "Uh... well, I'm from just outside Midnight Lights." Peter answered, his eyes darting from Falco to Pit. The two questioners shared a look of confusion with each other before turning to face Peter. "...What's Midnight Lights?" Pit asked, making Peter even more worried. If he's not near his High School... where was he?

"Well... where am I now?" Peter awkwardly asked. Pit looked at Falco semi-worriedly before answering Peter. "You're a hike away from Peach's Castle, in the Mushroom Kingdom." The more the conversation went on, the more worried Peter became. Peach's Castle? Mushroom Kingdom? Where is he? His panicked state must have been plastered all over his face, as Pit tried to look for the right words to say while Falco continued to look over Peter's car. "This must be pretty confusing, but... what planet are you from?" Pit asked further. Peter could feel his gut fall farther. He already knew this wasn't going to go well. He knew the answer he was about to give wasn't the right answer. But he had to answer. "...Earth?" Peter finally answered, bracing for impact. Falco suddenly shot up, looking to Pit. Pit matched his shocked expression, both turning to Peter.

"You need to come with us." Pit instructed. "What? Why?" Peter quickly asked, stepping away slightly. "You'll see when we get back to Peach's Castle." Falco added, walking up to Peter. Peter backed away further, trying in vain to escape this stressful situation. His eyes shot around the environment, looking for something, anything that could help him right now. Apart from the two before him and a... spaceship? Forgetting about the environment, Peter's eyes immediately drew to to the spaceship parked behind Falco and Pit. The silver, angular body with blue accents and a single cockpit was unlike anything he had ever seen before. "I get that you're probably really confused, but we can help!" Pit assured him. Peter's eyes turned to Falco, who was still eyeing him up and taking in the unusual clothing Peter was wearing. "You just have to come with us, it might be important." Falco added.

Peter eventually sighed in defeat, knowing he couldn't escape this. Hanging his head, he took in a deep breath and looked back up at Falco and Pit. "...Alright, I'll go with you." He relented, accepting he's nowhere near home. Pit's expression lifted, and Falco walked back to his spaceship. "I'll take the Arwing back to Peach's castle, you can carry Petey yourself, right?" Falco asked Pit. "Yup! See you there!" Pit beamed. Falco nodded, got in the cockpit, fired up the Arwing's engine and took off. After being blasted with wind from the Arwing's takeoff, Peter reoriented himself. "Hey, uh, Pit? What did he mean by "carry"?" Peter asked Pit. "Just this!" Pit responded, and before Peter could inquire further, Pit's wings kicked into action. Pit shot up into the air, swooped back down, hooked his arms under Peter's and with a surprised yelp from his passenger, Pit flew off in the same direction as Falco did.

Peter's heart raced as he was carried through the air. His legs dangled about helplessly as his view of the ground grew farther away. The cold air bit his exposed skin, but Pit didn't seem to mind so much. Peter wanted to ask more questions, but the sound of the air whipping by made that essentially impossible. Trying to calm himself, Peter clamped his eyes shut and tried to think about something else for the duration of the flight. Pit didn't seem to mind his weight much as he flew through the sky. Not that Peter was terribly overweight, but he also doesn't eat as healthy as he probably should.

After a while, Peter could finally feel Pit descend back to the ground. Feeling courageous enough to open his eyes, he was met with an immense white castle with red roofing, surrounded by a moat of water and decorated with a stained glass window of a blonde woman in a pink dress above the main entrance. Once Pit got close enough to the ground, he let go of Peter who collapsed gracelessly on the grass. Never before was he so grateful to be back on the safe, grassy ground. Pit gave him a moment to get his senses back before speaking up. "So... this is Peach's Castle!" Pit introduced Peter, who looked up to take in the castle. He felt slightly intimidated by it strangely, it looking bigger up close. Peter also noticed the Arwing parked nearby, with Falco leaning against the bridge over the moat. "Took you long enough." Falco remarked to Pit. "Oh yeah! You try carrying someone while flying on your own!" Pit shot back. Peter walked carefully behind Pit, not sure how to approach the situation. Pit joined Falco in walking to the front doors and casually just walked inside. It struck Peter as odd that there weren't any guards outside, but followed the two inside.

Peter was met with a warm blue wallpaper interior with black and white checkered flooring with red carpet leading to different halls and up two sets of stairs. Pit and Falco hurried through a set of doors on the upper left, and Peter followed them through. Upon joining the two in the other room, Peter caught the attention of a man in a conical hate with white robes and a blue vest, a woman with green hair and an elegant white dress, and a blonde woman in a poofy pink dress, who greatly resembled the stained glass window. The air in the room felt thicker, and once again Peter was frozen in place. "Who is this person you've brought here?" The man asked Falco and Pit, motioning to Peter. "This is Peter Lavancha, he's from planet Earth!" Pit replied, getting the attention of the other two. "Is this true, Peter?" The green haired woman asked, now addressing him directly. In spite of the mounting pressure, he was able to squeak out a response. "Y-Yeah, is that not the right answer or something?" He nervously asked. The woman giggled slightly at his question. "You're currently on planet Yamajiro, Peter." She informed him. As Peter tried to take this in, something suddenly occurs to the woman. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Palutena, and I am the Goddess of light." She introduced herself.

A Goddess! Prior to today, Peter would have met someone claiming to be a deity with immense doubt, but today's been full of surprises. He hastily went to kneel in respect, but Palutena quickly waved that off. "Don't worry, I'll let you off the hook this time." She smirked. "I am Raiden, God of thunder." The man next to Palutena introduced himself. "And I am Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom!" The woman in the pink dress introduced herself. Peter felt the pressure mounting. This is the first time he's ever been in the presence of such important, powerful people. He backed up slightly, taking in his situation more. "So... why am I here?" Peter finally asked. "Were you exposed to a blinding light before coming here?" Palutena asked, where Peter nodded in response. "This must have been because of the particle cannons those airships were using, perhaps their power was so great, it caused your universe and ours to overlap just enough for you to be transported here." Raiden concluded. Falco and Pit moved closer to Palutena, Raiden and Princess Peach, looking at Peter.

How is any of this possible? Another universe? Does that mean the Multiverse is real? How could particle cannons have caused this? A thousand questions raced through Peter's mind, making him feel dizzy. "Poor thing, so far away from home." Princess Peach sighed, feeling Peter's stress. "Why me?" Peter asked anyone who could offer an answer. Raiden and Palutena shared a look, then nodded at Princess Peach. Princess Peach clapped her hands, and two small humanoids with large, mushroom-like hats immediately appeared, each wielding a lit torch. "Follow me, please." Princess Peach said to Peter, who immediately followed. Princess Peach led Peter and the two helpers down the stairs and into a secluded, more dark and recessed region of her castle. The air felt thicker and more damp, the torches illuminating halls that surely have not been ventured through in some time. At first, it seemed like the hall concluded with a dead end, with nothing of note. But when Peter got closer to the end, there was suddenly a deep rumbling throughout the hall, and the wall suddenly parted before him, pebbles and cobwebs falling in the process. Once the dust has settled, Princess Peach and the two helpers stepped aside, allowing Peter a better view. Where the wall once was, there is now an opening to a large, empty room, containing only a pedestal holding a long, grey pistol with orange highlights.

"It's for you." Princess Peach said to Peter. Turning from her to the pistol, Peter carefully made his way over to the pedestal, as if a trap was waiting to be sprung. Arriving at the pedestal, Peter carefully took the pistol in his hand, feeling the smooth yet rigid construction. It felt incredibly strange in his hand, as if he's never held anything like it before. "It's really you..." Princess Peach said softly as Peter observed the pistol. "What do you mean?" He asked in response. "Quickly, come with me." Princess Peach responded, ushering him and the two helpers back to the upper levels of the castle. Pit, Falco, Palutena and Raiden were already there waiting for them, standing by a series of portraits. Idle chatter was quickly shushed when they saw Peter wielding the pistol from the hidden room. "About time you arrived." Falco snarked, being the first to break the silence. This did little to help Peter's confused state.

"I'm so confused, you've been waiting for me?" Peter asked. Raiden stepped forward, closer to him. "One hundred years ago, a great hero came to Yamajiro from beyond the stars and forged four weapons to defeat an army of invaders from beyond time and space. He needed to depart our world to complete his quest, but before he left, he hid his weapons in four castles across the planet, creating a prophecy that another hero would come to claim them in Yamajiro's hour of greatest need. That laser pistol is one of those four weapons." Raiden explained. "But I still don't understand, what makes this your hour of greatest need?" Peter asked. "For some time, the forces of Bowser of the Koopa race, King K. Rool of the Kremling race, and King Dedede of the faraway Dream Land have been attacking our kingdom with highly-advanced weaponry the likes we've never seen before. These are the weapons that you've seen used by those airships, and we believe they received these weapons from the same invading race from 100 years ago." Palutena informed him.

Peter frantically looked around, feeling pressure mount once more. "So... I'm some kind of chosen one?" He nervously asked. "Sure looks like it!" Pit answered. "But... but isn't there anyone else who could defeat those three?" Peter asked further. Princess Peach sighed before answering. "There used to be..." She motioned towards the portraits, where Peter took a better look at them. A short man in blue overalls, a red shirt, a red cap with an M on it and a thick mustache named "Mario", a taller young man with a green tunic, a sword and blue shield, pointed ears and light hair named "Link", a pink puffball with eyes and a mouth named "Kirby", a person in red and yellow armor with an arm cannon named "Samus Aran", A muscular man in a blue suit and red, face-obscuring helmet named "Captain Falcon", a boy in a striped shirt and baseball cap named "Ness", and an anthropomorphic fox with a jacket similar to Falco's named "Fox McCloud". "These seven were the greatest heroes of the land, who set off a month ago to confront Bowser, King K. Rool and King Dedede in their space fortress, guided by Star Fox squadron. ...But they never returned. You're all the hope we have left, Peter." Princess Peach elaborated. Falco turned away from the portraits, hiding his face.

This was a lot to take in. Peter Lavancha, yesterday an ordinary high school student, now the chosen one destined to save the world. A chill ran down his spine, feeling the weight of responsibility crush him so suddenly. "I understand this is much to ask of you, Peter. But the lives of countless men, women and children are at risk, and we've been waiting for a miracle like you for too long. I, along with everyone else here, implore you to aid us in our time of need." Raiden said to Peter. Peter wanted to say no. Peter wanted to run away. Peter wanted to suddenly shoot up in bed and realize all this was just a dream. But he can't. This is real. "You won't have to do it alone! We'll help you, right?" Pit assured, turning to the group. "The airships have been focusing their attacks here, so Raiden and I need to stay here to protect the castle. The Mushroom Kingdom needs its ruler as well, so Princess Peach won't be able to join you." Palutena noted. Pit's mood fell slightly, but turned to Falco. "You've gotta help!" Pit insisted. Falco nodded, turning back to everyone else. "Yeah, I'll come. I've been waiting for my chance to kick their butts for what they did to my wingmates." Falco spoke up.

"I'm coming too!" Came a new voice from behind the group. Peter looked over the group to see a young lady with blonde hair white and blue regal attire, paired with black pants. "Princess Zelda, I think it's best for such an important royal figure to remain in safety-" Princess Peach tried to say, but was soon cut off by Princess Zelda. "I've done enough waiting! Hyrule is still in ruin, and I'm no help to anyone sitting around here! I am joining Peter on this journey, and that is final!" Zelda insisted, walking over to Peter, Pit and Falco. Two princesses and two deities in one day, Peter's gotta be setting a new record. He felt rather strange standing next to the young Princess, so determined to join them. "Her abilities are wasted here, you know." Palutena reminded Princess Peach, who relented. "Oh, fine. But be sure to stay safe! Hyrule needs its ruler!" Princess Peach reminded Zelda. "If getting into dangerous situations will help defeat those three monsters, then I'm doing it." Zelda stated, standing bold.

"Ooh, now we've got Princess Zelda coming, too. Better be on your best behavior, Pit." Falco teased him. Pit waved off his concern, and Zelda turned to Peter, holding out her hand to him. After a brief hesitation, Peter met her halfway, and firmly shook her hand. "Thank you for finally arriving. Yamajiro needs someone like you, now more than ever." Zelda said to him. Peter nodded along, trying to steel his nerve. "So what should we do first?" Falco asked. Pit put a finger to his chin, trying to think of some kind of answer. "Simon Belmont has invaded Castlevania multiple times, has he not? I believe he's currently in New Leaf Town, so I say we go there first. Hopefully the next weapon will be hidden in Castlevania." Zelda spoke up. Pit and Falco nodded in agreement, while Peter was left incredibly confused. So many new names and concepts in so little time, he's feeling more lost than he did taking his Algebra final in junior year. "We won't be able to take the Arwing, it's pretty beat after that last encounter." Falco informed the group. "We'll use the warp pipes! There's one near New Leaf Town, so that won't be hard!" Pit offered. "Right, meet back here in an hour, we'll set off once everyone is ready." Zelda concluded. Falco and Pit set off to prepare, Raiden returned to the original room, and Princess Peach and Palutena remained with Zelda and Peter. "Good luck to you all, we're all with you along the way." Palutena wished to the two, joining Raiden in the other room. Princess Peach summoned two more helpers, bringing glasses of water. "Oh, I haven't introduced them, have I? These are the Toad people, and they help out around the castle." Princess Peach introduced them. Peter waved hello to them, and the two responded with a friendly "Hello!".

Peter was standing by a window overlooking the Mushroom Kingdom with Zelda. The more he thought about his new adventure, the more he was oddly looking forward to it. This could be his chance. His chance to become someone greater than just a high school student. He could be more than a hero. He could be a legend. So many people are relying on him, and there's the possibility that this all works out for him, and he saves the day. "You need a name!" One of the Toads spoke up, catching both Peter's and Zelda's attention. "Huh?" Peter asked. "We need to give you a name the world can you know you as!" The Toad explained, then thinking for a moment. "I'm not sure that's-" Peter tried to speak up, but was interrupted by the Toad. "I got it! Captain N!" The toad announced, motioning to the "N" on Peter's red varsity jacket. "I like it!" Pit suddenly spoke up, emerging from a room with Falco. "Eh, I think it could work." Falco added. Zelda nodded in agreement. "I think it's a heroic, inspiring name." She complimented. After mulling it over for a moment, Peter smiled and said "Yeah, Captain N works!". "Are we all ready?" Zelda asked the other three. After hearing a collective "Yes" and one last farewell from Princess Peach, Princess Zelda, Falco Lombardi and Pit set off on their grand adventure, with Peter Lavancha tagging along as the newly dubbed Captain N.

Chapter Text

Pushing the large doors of Peach's Castle open, Captain N feels a new invigoration within him as he looks over the horizon. The sunlight on his face and the breeze brushing across his skin felt new in no way these senses ever had before. The rolling green hills, the almost cloudless blue sky, the hills in the distance formed in the shape of upside-down U's, the few birds flying around through the open air, the small mushroom-shaped houses. A completely new, unknown world packed to the brim with adventure and discovery. For the first time in his life, Captain N felt truly alien. By his side is a bird-pilot, a winged angel wielding a bow, and a magic Princess from a faraway kingdom. Behind the grand, wooden doors he just exited are currently a stern, stone-faced God of thunder, a gentle, angelic Goddess of light, and a bright and pink Princess of this kingdom. And the vehicles! While on his home world, Captain N's species have been limited mainly to cars and trucks, but within fifteen minutes of his arrival, he's seen a spaceship a fraction of the space shuttles of Earth, and mighty airships carrying immeasurably powerful armaments. Within a couple hours, Captain N has seen more impossibilities made possible than ever before in his entire, eighteen-year life. And to top it all off: the prophecy. This great revelation planted a swirling storm of emotions deep inside the newly dubbed hero. While he's finally achieved the level of greatness and importance he's desired for so long, it came packaged with more responsibility than he's ever held before. From hereon out, the lives of countless innocent men, women and children are counting on Captain N triumphing over an evil force he's only just been introduced to. Bowser, King K. Rool and King Dedede, and the armies they command. Gazing into the distance, Captain N imagines what else he could discover in this strange, new world named Yamajiro. Adventure will lurk around every corner, as will danger. He'll be thrust into more life-threatening situations than ever before, more risk than he could ever have imagined he would ever be trapped in. But at least he won't be alone. Looking to his three newfound allies, Pit radiated a positive determination to save the day, Falco seemed slightly bitter and ready to face the evils of Yamajiro head-on, and Princess Zelda displays a readiness to escape the confines of the castle and help in changing the world for the better.

"Are you ready, Captain?" Zelda asked, snapping Captain N's wandering mind back to the present.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He responded, fearing his nervousness seeping out of his words.

"Right, first stop: The warp zone!" Pit announced, pointing to a nonspecific point in the distance.

Captain N could hear Falco grumble about not being able to get to New Leaf Town in his trusty Arwing, but fortunately didn't complain to the group. Pit didn't seem to notice, however, and led the group on with determination. Zelda and Falco followed directly behind Pit, with Captain N in the back, still taking in the foreign scenery. Few conversation was shared as the group trekked through the grassy plains, eventually going through a small town of mushroom-shaped houses. Looking back, it concerned Captain N a slight bit more to see Peach's Castle, a symbol of fortitude and currently occupied by the two powerful deities Palutena and Raiden, shrink further into the distance. Not wanting to sink further into worry, he turned his attention to the strange houses. Some of the houses were only a single story, with the roof replaced with a red mushroom cap with white dots, while other houses were two stories tall. As Pit led the group through the town center, a small marketplace could be seen, but what was noticeably absent from the entire town were actual townspeople.

"So... what happened to everyone?" Captain N asked, breaking the silence.

Zelda sighed forlornly before turning to answer him.

"Once the airship raids began, the Toad people were evacuated to other, safer places, from New Donk City to the Kanto region. Fortunately, only the castle was targeted by the airships, but panic ensued nonetheless." She explain to Captain N, the slight waver in her voice illuminating that the memory is still a sore spot for her.

"Some of the braver Toads stayed behind to help Princess Peach, Raiden and Lady Palutena in any way they could." Pit added on, his voice more chipper in comparison. "Falco, Princess Zelda and I would do what we could, as well, but now that you're here, we could do a lot more good than wait around and wait for Bowser and crew to show their ugly faces!"

"Hey, uh, that reminds me: ...who are you all?" Captain N nervously asked, addressing the elephant in the room. With the group realizing that this was a good question to ask, the three turned to face him.

"Well, you already know that my name's Pit, but I'm also the captain of Lady Palutena's royal guard!" Pit announced, taking pride in his title. It did sting Captain N a little that Pit actually earned the title of captain, rather than taking it because it sounds cool. "I mainly use this here bow, but I'm proficient with pretty much any other weapon out there!"

"Name's Falco, currently the best pilot on this whole planet and I used to be with Star Fox squadron before they... vanished. Now I've just got my Arwing, my blaster, and my wits." Falco spoke up, leaning against a nearby light post. "You've got us too, you know!" Pit noted eagerly. Falco simply shrugged and responded with "Yeah, I guess so.". Zelda rolled her eyes a bit before introducing herself.

"And I am Zelda, Princess of the kingdom of Hyrule and ancestor of the mortal incarnation of the Goddess Hylia." Zelda introduced herself in a very curt and proper manner. With everyone properly introduced and their importance made known, Captain N felt even more out of place. His footing suddenly felt uneasy as the three pairs of eyes turned to him. "Why don't you introduce yourself to us?" Zelda suggested. Captain N's mouth felt dry, trying to figure out what best to say to make himself sound worthy of the prophecy.

"Well... my name's Peter Lavancha, and, uh... I'm... Captain N." was the best he could do, adding a slight shrug to the end of his sentence. Falco snickered to himself, Pit raised an eyebrow and Zelda seemed more confused to anything else. "...Is that it?" Zelda asked, prodding further. "...Kind of, yeah." Captain N meekly replied. "That can't be it! You're the chosen one for a reason! Are you good at fighting or good with weapons?" Pit asked, hoping to alleviate the awkwardness. This failed however, as Captain N shook his head in response. "You some kinda tech whiz, or know how to pilot? You had that weird car back there." Falco noted, referring to Captain N's currently wrecked car. "Not really, everyone my age can do that." He replied, with slight shame in his voice. "Perhaps you're a dedicated leader? Someone who can inspire people towards a common goal?" Zelda asked, eliciting only a "No, sorry" from Captain N. "Have you at least been in a fight?" Falco asked Captain N. In response, all he got was an embarrassed "...No". Falco leered at Pit, silently saying "THIS guy's gonna save the planet?". But before Falco could verbally make a snarky comment, Zelda spoke up once more.

"Well, then, if you're not currently a warrior, then surely you could become one along your journey. The weapon you're holding means you're the one who can defeat Bowser, Dedede and K. Rool." Zelda insisted, motioning to the laser pistol Captain N was holding. He wasn't feeling brave enough to stick it in his pocket yet. Captain N nodded in agreement, eyeing the pistol. "...Yeah, destiny can't be wrong, can it?" He replied, feeling a bit more upbeat. "That's the spirit!" Pit cheered, grateful the mood's lightened. Captain N eyed a road sign a good distance away from him before getting an idea. "I should get comfortable with using this thing, right?" He noted, raising the pistol and aiming at the sign. Holding his breath, he closed his left eye, looked down the sights, pulled the trigger, and a flash of light later, there was a small blast mark singed on the upper right corner, not the center he was aiming for. Captain N felt thrown off by the complete lack of recoil when he shot the pistol, due to there being no kinetic force involved in shooting lasers.

"Well, I'm sure you'll get plenty of time to practice soon." Falco noted, unimpressed with Captain N's lack of marksmanship. "For sure!" Pit added. Captain N only sighed to himself, hoping he'd do a little better. Turning back to the group, he examined the pistol further. "I think I'll call it the Zapper." He declared, admiring how the sun gleamed on its shiny surface. "You can name it whatever you want, but we really should be getting to New Leaf Town." Falco reminded him. Hastily nodding, Captain N joined Falco and Zelda in following Pit to the warp zone.

The group hike continued past the town and through the same green hills, with Captain N being too preoccupied taking in the scenery to converse with his teammates, as well as still feeling too out of place to consider them more than co-workers. Eventually, a group of large, green pipes sticking out of the ground came into view, with a vacant tollbooth in front of the pipes and signs next to each pipe. "Here we are!" Pit announced, turning back to the three others. "So... what do these do?" Captain N asked Pit. "Oh, right! It's simple, you just jump into one of them and it'll take you to where you want to go!" Pit explained. "...That's it?" Captain N asked. "That's it! Simple as that!" Pit answered.

Zelda walked over to the pipes, reading the signs. Falco idly looked inside the tollbooth, finding nothing of note. Captain N followed Zelda, getting a better look at the pipes. Despite how closely he looked, they were just big, green pipes. Apart from their sheer size, nothing stood out about them. They were smooth to the touch, so either they're made of some tough material or they get cleaned regularly. "Found it! Come here!" Zelda announced, motioning towards a specific pipe. Pit, Captain N and Falco quickly gathered, where Captain N noticed the sign read "To New Leaf Town". "I'll go first!" Pit declared, shooting up in the air and diving down into the pipe before anyone could object. A strange gulping sound accompanied Pit descending into the pipe, which made Captain N even more uneasy. "Looks like Cap here's got some cold feet, so I'll get going." Falco stated, climbing up the pipe and then diving down into it, the same gulping sound coming from the pipe. Captain N was left awkwardly standing with Zelda, wanting to go ahead, but not so sure about it. "...I'll go next." Captain N eventually spoke up, still standing in place. Zelda moved to look Captain N in the eyes, clearly concerned. "I completely understand your situation, Peter. I can't imagine how lost and alone you must feel, but I assure you we will be here to guide you on this quest." She spoke, sympathizing with him. Captain N nodded, climbed up the pipe, summoned the nerve to stick the Zapper in his right pocket, and after saying a silent prayer to himself, he jumped down.

The descent down into the warp pipe was incredibly rapid, and soon Captain N's view was pitch-black. The gulping sound only repeated three times, and after that the only sound to accompany the venture through the pipe was the air rushing past his ears. The further down he went, the colder the air around him became. He tried not to panic, being trapped in this seemingly never-ending pipe. Captain N closed his eyes and tried to send his mind to a more pleasant place. But before he could decide to focus on either his Middle School graduation or his last trip to the beach, the air around him suddenly became much warmer, the three gulping sounds ringed once more, and Captain N shot out of the pipe, falling on the dirt in front of the pipe. Thankfully, the Zapper had remained in his pocket throughout his little expedition, and hadn't been shot either. Taking a moment to adjust his eyes to the sudden sunlight and making sure which direction was down, Captain N carefully stood up, finding Falco and Pit standing close by.

"I'd give that a 3, what do you think, Pit?" Falco remarked. Pit shook his head, frowning at Falco.

"It was his first time using a warp pipe, I think he did great!" Pit shot back.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah! He could've vomited!"

Before they could keep going, Zelda emerged from the pipe, landing much more gracefully than Captain N. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" She asked Captain N. In response, he mulled over the overall experience briefly before concluding that, yes, all things considered, it could have been worse. Nodding in agreement, Captain N removed the Zapper from his pocket and joined Zelda, Pit and Falco on the small hill nearby. The view from the grassy hill revealed a steep decline, with a small town visible in the distance. "That's New Leaf Town, we'll find Simon Belmont there." Zelda informed Captain N.

"Wait, so who's Simon Belmont and how do we know he's here?" Captain N asked the group.

"Simon Belmont is a famous vampire hunter, who's defeated Dracula tons of times before!" Pit replied eagerly, turning to face Captain N.

"Dracula? Really?" Captain N asked, surprised by hearing a familiar name for the first time since arriving.

"Yup! Why, is he in your home world too?"

"...Kind of. Back where I'm from, he's a fictional book character."

"Well, here he's the real deal, so you better watch yourself." Falco warned.

"As for how we know he's here, Simon is a common visitor to New Leaf Town, and his arrival is commonly followed with a delivery of copious amounts of steak. Deliveries to New Leaf Town must pass through the Mushroom Kingdom first, and we found a large amount of raw steak in the most recent delivery, a few days ago." Zelda further explained. "How can Dracula be defeated more than once? I'm really confused." Captain N asked further. "Dracula can be revived after a period of time, so it's likely we'' run into him in Castlevania if we're not careful. Now, Castlevania's exact location can be difficult to determine, but again, it will be made simpler with Simon's aid." Zelda answered. Falco was leaning against a nearby tree, clearly impatient to keep going and get to town.

"I'm sorry if I'm asking a lot of questions." Captain N apologized meekly. "Hey, no worries! This is all new to you! It's good you're with us!" Pit interjected, with Zelda nodding in agreement. "Besides, there has to be a point where you're not asking questions." Falco snarked over his shoulder. "Save your comments, Lombardi." Zelda shot at him. "Whatever, let's just get going." Falco shrugged, turning back to New Leaf Town. After being joined by Zelda, Captain N and Pit at the tree, the four carefully make their way down the steep hill towards New Leaf Town.

Chapter Text

The descent down the hill to New Leaf Town proved to be as steep as it looked. Pit ran ahead, with Falco following without as much eagerness. Zelda and Captain N were much more careful in walking down the hill, taking a bit longer than the first two to reach the bottom. Falco and Pit waited for the two, with impatience plastered across Falco's face. Captain N stumbled slightly as the ground leveled, in contrast to Zelda's more dignified presentation. "How nice of you two to join us." Falco snarked, earning a nudge from a disapproving Pit. "Oh, my SINCEREST apologies for not wanting to misstep and fall." Zelda shot back. After regrouping, Pit continued to lead everyone to New Leaf Town, now more visible than before. Captain N remained quiet, observing the surrounding environment. Despite its tranquil, safe appearance, he still felt uneasy. Captain N couldn't shake this feeling, as if trapped in the uncanny valley. Everything about the environment, the grass, the hills, the birds, the sky, it's all incredibly similar to his home on Earth, but here on Yamajiro, it's all only slightly different. Not different enough to be jarring, but different enough to be noticeable.

"Hey, over there!" Pit suddenly yelled, pointing away from town.

Captain N's attention quickly shifted, along with Zelda and Falco, to see what Pit was referring to. Behind some thick bushes could be seen a group of about ten large, anthropomorphic crocodiles. Each were wearing tan pants and were wielding either clubs or some kind of pistol-shaped weapon. Pit darted behind the other side of the bush, ushering everyone else over. Falco and Zelda quickly hid behind the bush, with Captain N observing from a safer distance away. "These guys are Kremlings, they're foot soldiers of King K. Rool!" Pit whispered to Captain N. "Looks like they're gonna be starting trouble in town." Falco noted, observing them walking towards New Leaf Town. Captain N could tell where this was going, so he carefully drew his Zapper and readied himself for action.

"So what's the plan? How should we approach this?" Zelda asked, turning to face the other two. "Like this!" Falco bluntly answered, jumping out of the bush and dashing towards the Kremling group. Before Zelda could stop him, Pit leapt out to join him, with a battle cry to match. Zelda groaned, rolling her eyes at their lack of tactics before joining them in their pursuit. Captain N decided that now's a good opportunity for some on-the-job training, so he summoned his strength and ran out to catch them. The group of Kremlings quickly noticed the four assailants, and quickly readied themselves for conflict. The Kremlings with clubs stood at the ready in the front, while the Kremlings with pistol-like weapons stood ready behind them. Pit shot up into the air and drew his bow back, conjuring an arrow of light in the bow. While still in midair, he fired the arrow at one of the gunner Kremlings, striking dead center in its chest. Falco deftly dashed from left to right, using his blaster to precisely nail shots on the Kremlings. Zelda stayed the furthest distance away, waving her arms in specific motions to conjure walls of light to protect the two from shots from the Kremlings. The Kremlings adamantly fought back, with the club-wielders displaying remarkable agility betraying their size to close the distance between Zelda and Falco. The pistol-wielders stayed grouped together, each focusing on aiming for one of the three in the action, but primarily on Pit. Falco's blaster shot lasers, remarkably slower than those of the Zapper, were dodged by the Kremlings, carefully weaving about. Falco tried to back up to maintain distance, but the Kremling was too quick, and was soon right in front of him. Prepared nonetheless, Falco swiftly met his opponent with a roundhouse kick, and the blow coming from his metal legs was enough to immediately incapacitate his opponent. Pit glided through the air, displaying great skill in dodging shots from the Kremlings with grace alongside placing shots with his bow. Zelda wasn't as accustomed to direct combat as the other two, and used her magic to keep them at a distance through either walls of solid magic or blasts of magic energy. The Kremlings proved themselves worthy opponents, and were able to jump out of the way of incoming shots or blasts as well as returning fire.

Captain N, however, was frozen.

His legs refused to move any closer than 100 feet to the fray, still clutching the Zapper tightly in his hand. The anxiety returned to his mind once more, realizing his sudden, dire situation. He's never been in a playground brawl in Middle School to over-exaggerate about later in life, and now he's in a life or death situation. He wanted to help, after all it's his newly-bestowed responsibility to slay the evil forces of King K. Rool, but his body refused to cooperate. He could feel his heart race as his mind screamed at his legs to get closer and actually aid his allies, but to no avail. One of the Kremlings was tossed farther away from the center of the battle, and was the first of the group to notice Captain N frozen in place. Snarling at his newly found target, the Kremling reared itself and charged at Captain N. Suddenly, his entire world was slowed as the enemy bared its teeth while charging at him.

Is this it?

Is this how the story of Captain N ends?

Two hours after it began?

The Kremling drew closer.

And closer.

And closer.

"Do something, Captain N!", his mind screamed at the top of its mental voice.

Suddenly, his legs were revived, and he fell backwards, scrambling further back while still clutching the Zapper. The Kremling leapt up into the air, opening its mouth, and prepared to chomp down on the young hero. As if driven by instinct, Captain N raised the Zapper, pointed it square at the Kremling's head, and pulled the trigger. One flash of light later, Captain N was almost crushed by the weight of the now incapacitated Kremling collapsing onto his body. Zelda was the first to notice him, and quickly ran over to check on him. "Are you okay? Are you injured, Captain?" She asked, her eyes scanning for a good look at him under the Kremling's massive body. Captain N could only respond with a groan, indicating his overall good health. Pit swooped down to help out after striking down the last standing Kremling. "Grab the other arm and lift on three!" Zelda instructed, wrapping both her arms around the arm of the Kremling. Pit hastily nodded and followed suit, grabbing the opposite arm. After a count to three, the combined efforts of Pit and Zelda were only enough to lift the upper body off Captain N. This provided him enough room to squirm out from under the Kremling, clumsily regaining his footing.

"Nothing like a little life-or-death situation to get the gears going." Falco remarked, holstering his blaster as he joined the three. Captain N nodded, taking in his handiwork. Seeing the giant Kremling defeated by his hand filled Captain N with a sensation of pride the like he's never felt before. A smile grew on his face, taking in how he won the first fight of his life. "I knew you had it in you!" Pit congratulated him, nudging his shoulder. Captain N chuckled and nodded along, feeling more ready to continue on. "Perhaps next time you could be a little more punctual?" Zelda requested of him. "Don't worry, I'm feeling more ready for next time." Captain N assured. "Yeah, we all FEEL a lot of things, but we should get going." Falco reminded the group.

The remainder of the trek to New Leaf Town was thankfully more peaceful, with nothing else standing between the four and their destination. Upon arrival, Captain N was taken by surprise upon seeing the town's residents. Everyone, young and old, was an anthropomorphic animal, but as opposed to Falco, had much stubbier limbs, bigger heads and stood around four feet tall. The presence of the four was immediately noticed, and a big reaction followed.

"It's Princess Zelda!" A turtle girl in an orange dress announced. A crowd quickly formed around the four, chattering amongst each other. "Isn't that the captain of Lady Palutena's royal guard?" A pink alpaca girl asked a monkey male in a blue uniform, motioning to Pit. "What's Falco Lombardi doing here?" A skunk male asked a giraffe girl. "Do you think Princess Zelda will give me an autograph if I ask?" A beaver male in a blue vest nervously asked an owl with a bow tie. The large mob eagerly chatted to each other, where Captain N noticed he wasn't referred to much other than the occasional "Who's that guy?". It did help alleviate the pressure of having so many people so close to him. Only when he bumped shoulders with Falco did he realize that the four newcomers were backed against each other, inadvertently pressured by the eager townspeople.

Eventually, Zelda cleared her throat to get their attention, and was met with immediate silence from the entire group. "Greetings, residents of New Leaf Town. As you all know, I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and I am joined by Falco Lombardi of Star Fox squadron and Pit of Palutena's Royal Guard. But I am joined today by a new ally: Captain N." she announced, motioning to the man of honor, making his uneasiness return slightly. "For so long, we've faced an onslaught of tyranny from the forces of Bowser, King Dedede and King K. Rool, but today we have been gifted a ray of hope. Today, we have been given a ray of hope to break the darkness. The prophecy has been fulfilled! Captain N has arrived from beyond the stars to defeat those cruel beasts and save Yamajiro!" Zelda proclaimed, allowing Captain N to follow with his own introduction. Awkwardly shifting slightly, Captain N could only think to raise the Zapper in the air with a nervous smile. This was enough however, as the group of townspeople cheered victoriously in approval. Their joy was rather infectious, and Captain N was soon smiling along with them. Falco rolled his eyes to himself.

This moment was short lived as Zelda nobly raised her hand to silence the crowd once more. "The four of us have come here because we require aid from someone we believe is currently here." Zelda continued. "We'd be honored to help someone so important!" The owl from before beamed. "Um, excuse me." Came a soft voice from the front of the crowd. Looking down, Captain N was met with the sight of a yellow dog female wearing a green, plaid button-down shirt and brown skirt. "My name is Isabelle, and I'm the mayor's assistant here in New Leaf Town." Isabelle introduced herself, maintaining professionalism in the face of such important people. "Well, hello Isabelle, where's the mayor?" Captain N asked. "Oh, he's out fishing." Isabelle answered, looking down slightly. Captain N and Falco shared an un-amused look.

"By any chance, is Simon Belmont in town?" Pit asked Isabelle. "Oh, yes! I believe he's at The Roost Café." Isabelle eagerly answered. Zelda sighed in relief, grateful she wasn't wrong in her hypothesis. "I can take you to see him!" Isabelle offered the group. "That would be great, thank you." Captain N responded. "Okay everyone, give the VIPs some space, please." Isabelle spoke up, ushering the townspeople out of the way. Not wanting to be an annoyance to such important people, the townspeople quickly dispersed, making enough room for Isabelle to lead the four through town while still eyeing them, taking in their presence. Along the way, Isabelle took the opportunity to show them around New Leaf Town. Captain N's feelings of uneasiness subsided somewhat, taking in how the town seemed to radiate peace and happiness. Isabelle was incredibly eager to show off her humble little town to the Princess of Hyrule, a member of Star Fox and the prophesied savior of Yamajiro. "Over there's the post office, Pelly's really helpful with getting mail where you want it to go!" Isabelle informed, motioning to a wooden building with a mail sign on the window and a large clock on top. "To the left is Nook's Homes. Tom Nook used to be the manager, but now his nephews Timmy and Tommy are in charge. Tom's a real estate agent now. He's a little... opportunistic, but he can be nice! Oh, and next to that is Club LOL! Every Friday night, K.K. Slider-" "Hey, it's great to get the grand tour, but we've got a schedule, so can we skip to the part where we get to the Café?" Falco interrupted, his impatience surfacing again.

Isabelle shrunk back slightly, flustered. "Right, sorry, follow me." She responded, facing down Main Street. Zelda and Pit scowled at Falco out of Isabelle's sight, and Captain N followed Isabelle closely. Soon enough, the tour ended with Isabelle stopping in front of a one-story building with a glass door and a coffee sign out front. "Well, here we are! Brewster should be able to help you inside, and I'll be at Town Hall in case you need me." Isabelle concluded, standing out of the way of Captain N and company. "Thanks for the tour, Isabelle!" Pit thanked, helping Isabelle ease up a bit. "Yeah, you've been a great help." Captain N added. "I'm glad you think so!" Isabelle replied. "But I really should be getting back to my work, so I hope you have a nice day!" She bid farewell, darting off before Zelda, Pit, Captain N or Falco could say their own goodbyes.

Captain N was the first to walk inside The Roost, whereupon he saw only two people: a formally dressed pigeon male with glasses behind the counter, and a muscular man with long, blond hair drinking from a large mug, who was equipped with red, battle-worn gear and a chain whip holstered at his side. The pigeon, presumably Brewster, was idly cleaning a glass when he heard the door open, looking up to see who's the newcomer. Upon seeing Princess Zelda, Pit and Falco Lombardi follow Captain N, he quickly stood at attention, setting the glass aside. "Coo! W-Welcome to The Roost, my humble, esteemed guests. Is there anything I can get you?" He calmly yet clumsily greeted the group. "We just need to talk to Simon over there." Captain N answered, motioning over to the only other person present. "I see, well, I hope you don't mind me here. Coo..." Brewster noted, turning back to the glass while still peering at the group from the corner of his eyes. Simon looked over his shoulder to see who invoked his name, and eased slightly upon seeing Pit and Princess Zelda. Pit pulled over a few chairs to sit by Simon, where he found himself seated between Zelda and Pit, and across from Falco and Captain N.

"Let me guess: You need help slaying a monster." Simon spoke up, his gruff voice matching his large build. "Not just any monster, we need help getting into Castlevania." Pit responded, leaning forward. Simon's attention was grabbed upon hearing the name of his enemy's home castle. "Why? It's incredibly dangerous for someone unskilled and we still don't know where it currently is." Simon asked further, planting seeds of confusion inside Captain N. Castles can't move... right?

"This guy here's supposed to be some legendary hero chosen to save the world. He's got the pistol to prove it." Falco answered, motioning to Captain N and his Zapper. Simon peered at Captain N, turning to Princess Zelda. "Is this true, your majesty?" Simon asked her. Zelda nodded in response. "Indeed, we were all present when this was discovered, and we have Lady Palutena and Lord Raiden to vouch for us. I can also locate Castlevania using my magic." Zelda informed him. Simon leered at Captain N further. "So you're expecting to find another one of the hero's weapons hidden inside Castlevania." Simon deduced, earning a nod from Captain N. "Word on the street is you're the best person to help us with storming the castle, as you've done it before." Falco added, earning a slight nod from Simon. He mulled the idea over in his head for a moment, where Captain N could notice Brewster trying to subtly listen in, his eyes darting back to the glass as their eyes met for the briefest moment. Simon set aside his mug and cleared his throat before speaking further. "Alright, I shall assist you in your quest, young..?" He trailed off, not knowing the name of the newcomer. "Oh, right, I'm Captain N!" He introduced himself, putting on a more professional demeanor.

"Well Captain N, we start training tomorrow. Get some sleep." Simon stated, turning back to his mug. "Huh? What? Don't you think we should get going as soon as possible?" Captain N asked, confused again.

"You're clearly new to this world, and invading Dracula's Castle is, for someone of your current skill level, tantamount to suicide."

Captain N sighed, knowing Simon was right. Knowing he'd won, Simon took another swig from the mug before speaking again. "We meet at the town entrance tomorrow at 8 AM sharp. Be ready." Simon instructed. "We should be getting some sleep. I bet the hotel will let us stay for free!" Pit spoke up, earning a collective nod from the other three. After waving goodbye to Simon and Brewster, Captain N and company made their way back to the center of town, whereupon a large hotel with white walls and blue roofing could be found. Pit's assertion proved to be right, as the hotel owner was honored to have such esteemed guests staying at his establishment. With Pit, Zelda, Captain N and Falco given their own rooms, the group parted ways for the night. Captain N locked the room door behind him and slumped down on the ground, rubbing his eyes.

What a day.

He woke up in his ordinary house, drove to his ordinary school in his ordinary car, attended his ordinary classes, ate his ordinary food, but was so suddenly thrust into such a strange world. On top of that, he had the largest responsibility one could be given just dumped on him out of the blue. Captain N gratefully took in this moment of privacy, enjoying the silence. After a while, he realized the only clothes he had were the ones on his back: blue jeans, yellow y-shirt, boxer shorts and black socks. He silently filled up the bathtub, mixed in some soap, and soaked each article of clothing in the warm water before setting them aside to dry. It's far from the ideal way to wash clothes, but he doesn't have any other options. Looking out the window, Captain N once more gazed into the horizon, feeling a new sensation growing in his chest.

Homesickness.

He's as far away from his home as he possible could be. Even if Earth existed in this universe, it wouldn't be his Earth. Mom, dad, his dog Xavier, his house, his school, in another universe. The town below seemed lively and happy, but Captain N felt more alone than ever. The moon was hanging high in the sky, so Captain N climbed into the hotel bed, wrapped himself up in the soft blanket, and as he drifted off to sleep, a tear welled up in his eye.

Chapter Text

"Wake up, Peter Lavancha."

Captain N shot awake in his bed, alarmed by the sudden voice inside his head. He could immediately place whose it was: Princess Zelda. But after turning on the light and looking around the room, he couldn't see her anywhere. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he got out of bed and glanced out the window. Unfortunately, he was still in his hotel room in New Leaf Town on the brave new world of Yamajiro, and not in his bedroom back on Earth. His small hope for everything going back to normal dashed, Captain N glanced at the nearby clock. The ornate yet refurbished clock read 7:24, reminding him of what's on the agenda for today. In a little more than half an hour, he'll meet with legendary vampire hunter Simon Belmont to get some training on how to be an awesome world-savior. Pacing around the comfortably-decorated hotel room, his mind wandered to the possibilities of today. Apart from two months of Karate classes when he was ten, Captain N never received any formal training of this nature. On one hand, if Simon Belmont is as incredible as he's made out to be, which is more than likely the case, he could hardly ask for a better tutor in the art of combat, especially when he needs to learn how to effectively fight now more than ever. On the other hand, Simon's sheer size intimidated him. The mere thought of what intense, rigorous training got him to that shape sent a cold feeling down Captain N's spine. It is fortunate that he'll be receiving training away from the prying eyes of the townspeople. These decent people need hope in these times of darkness, and seeing their predestined savior embarrass himself in a training exercise could make plant the seeds of despair.

Fake it 'til you make it, Cap.

Captain N's attention was drawn back to the present with the sensation of his stomach rumbling, reminding him that a hearty breakfast is essential in getting a good start on the day. Not wanting to keep Pit, Falco or Zelda waiting, Captain N quickly dressed himself in his now-dry clothes and stuck his Zapper in his right pocket before exiting his room and making his way down to the lobby. The three teammates were already there, immediately noticing Captain N against the other small, anthropomorphic townspeople. "Morning, sunshine." Falco greeted, leaning against the wall. "Cut him some slack, Falco. He had a really hectic day yesterday and needed his rest." Pit reminded him. Falco nodded nonchalantly in response. "I see you got my little wake-up call." Zelda smirked. Captain N nodded, rubbing his head. "I never knew you could do that kind of magic stuff." Captain N replied. "There's plenty of things you don't know about me." Came Zelda's voice, once again inside Captain N's head. This strange sensation threw him off, eliciting some light chuckling from the three. "You'll get used to it." Pit assured him. Nodding, Captain N laughed a bit. "I'll take your word for it, man."

Breakfast was shared between the four. Upon receiving the plates of fried eggs and bacon alongside glasses of water. Captain N nervously glanced over at Falco, assessing his response to the food. Falco casually cut apart the egg and ate a small portion of it, chewing the food in his beak and noticing Captain N assessing him.

"What?" Falco asked him.

Captain N shifted his jaw, trying to figure how best to word his question.

"Well... I, uh... aren't you... a bird?" He finally asked, referring to Falco's blue, anthropomorphic bird physique.

Falco's eyes squinted in confusion, then realized what he's referring to.

"Don't worry, this stuff might as well be a different species to me." Falco assured, turning his attention back to the fried eggs.

"You had to have known that concern was inevitable." Zelda spoke up, gently placing her utensils to the side as she took a sip of water. Falco simply shrugged, more focused on breakfast. Figuring now's a good time to ask some questions, Captain N turned to Pit. "So... Palutena is an actual Goddess?" He asked.

"Yup! The Goddess of light!" Pit confirmed.

"And Raiden is the God of thunder?"

"That's right!"

Captain N paused for a moment.

"Like, people actually worship them? And they live forever?"

"That's part of what being a God is."

"...Should I worship them?"

"I don't think they'll mind."

"Are there... other deities?"

"Totally! There's Viridi, Fujin, Dyntos, Shinnok, Din, Nayru, Farore, and... some others." Pit trailed off, his mood souring somewhat. "But they've all got their own duties as Gods and Goddesses, so we can really only rely on Raiden and Lady Palutena for whatever divine intervention we can get."

Captain N turned his attention back to his breakfast. Taking a bite, he was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the eggs were. A mixture of salt, pepper and other ingredients he couldn't place makes for possibly the best eggs he has ever eaten. The hunger in his stomach grew much more apparent, which he was quick to remedy. Greedily wolfing down the delectable meal, Captain N found himself finished with his breakfast sooner than everyone else. Pit came in second, followed by Falco, with Zelda being the last to finish her breakfast, delicately placing her fork and knife on her carefully folded napkin. "Mind if I take these?" Asked a blue/white male cat wearing a checkered sweater. The four shook their heads, and the newcomer bowed gracefully before skillfully stacked the cleared plates on top of each other, along with the used forks and knives. "We should get going, Simon isn't known for his patience." Zelda reminded the group. "Yeah, let's go." Captain N agreed, getting up and making his way to the hotel door. Looking back to wave goodbye to the hotel's host. Noticing a large amount of townspeople's eyes glued to the illustrious team, Captain N left before his awkwardness could be made too apparent.

The fresh, crisp air of a new morning helped invigorate Captain N. The air tasted the same as yesterday, that is to say slightly different from the air he's breathed for 18 years on Earth. Foot traffic in New Leaf Town was light, it still being early in the morning. He waved to a couple of nearby townspeople, who happily waved back. "Looks like you slept well." Falco remarked, joining Captain N. "Sure did, yesterday was a lot. How about you?" He asked back. Falco shrugged slightly before answering with "Eh, it wasn't the best sleeping situation." Pit and Zelda joined the two in their conversation. "Well, you don't hear Princess Zelda complaining. If it's good enough for her, it's good enough for you." Captain N pointed out. Zelda smirked slightly. "Come on, time's a-wasting!" Pit interrupted, leading the path to the entrance of New Leaf Town.

---

Outside town, one of the Kremlings managed to escape the scuffle that occurred between the Kremlings and Captain N and company. Rummaging around inside the bag of tools they brought, he eventually found a communicator device. Opening it up, the Kremling punched in the communications codes and waited for a response. After a few moments of nervously waiting, the screen lit up with the images of Bowser, King K. Rool and King Dedede sitting at a large table facing the screen. The large crocodillian wearing a red cape known as King K. Rool had his face turn sour upon seeing him, the large, turtle-like Koopa king with spikes all over his shell named Bowser snarled upon receiving this interruption, and the large, blue penguin donned in regal attire that is King Dedede rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "What is it, minion?" King K. Rool snarled, making the Kremling shrink back a bit. "Well, yesterday, on the way to collect your "taxes" from New Leaf Town, we were ambushed." The Kremling explained to his superiors. "And I assume you were victorious? Because the only possible reason I can imagine you would interrupt our meeting is to bring us GOOD news, correct?" Bowser asked, making the Kremling even more nervous. "Actually... we... I'm the... only survivor." He meekly admitted. "WHAT!?" King K. Rool roared, shooting up from his chair, almost knocking King Dedede off his own chair. "I trained only the bravest and the best of you simpletons! Who could possibly have defeated an entire group of you morons!?" King K. Rool demanded. The Kremling's mind raced, trying to recall who exactly opposed his team yesterday. "Th-th-there was that pipsqueak that runs Palutena's Royal Guard, the blue bird who skipped out on Star Fox, that Princess from Hyrule, and... uh... someone else." The Kremling trailed off, not knowing who the fourth assailant was. King Dedede drew closer to the screen. "What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" King Dedede interrogated, raising his large mallet for intimidation. "I mean I don't know! He didn't have ears like a Hylian, but he had on a red and white jacket and was using an orange laser pistol!" The Kremling defended.

The last detail caught the attention of the three kings. A silent exchange was had between Bowser and King Dedede, realizing what this could mean. "Where did the group come from?" King K. Rool demanded, whereupon the Kremling racked his brain from some kind of answer they would accept. "Uh... th-the north?" Was the answer the henchmen eventually gave.

"Did they come from the warp pipe to the Mushroom Kingdom?" King Dedede asked further.

"I-I-I think so."

King Dedede grew much more concerned, this emotion hidden from his two cohorts. Bowser slammed his fist down on the table, nearly shattering it. "If this mystery nuisance is the one who was said to come in this world's hour of greatest need, then everything we've worked for will have been for nothing!". King K. Rool growled at the Kremling, immensely displeased with the news. "Is he still in New Leaf town?" King K. Rool asked, earning a shaky nod from the Kremling. "Ensure he stays there! I shall send another deployment of you miserable creatures to take care of him. Do not fail me again!" King K. Rool warned. "We continue with our plan, this is only a temporary setback." Bowser assured, earning a quick nod of agreement from King Dedede. "Of course! Soon this entire planet will be mine-ours! Yamajiro will be ours!" King Dedede quickly corrected himself. The Kremling shakily saluted the three kings before ending the call. Once he was confident that no one was listening in, the Kremling let out a heavy sigh, easing a large amount of tension that had been building up. This will be taken care of soon, and nobody will be able to stop Bowser, Dedede and K. Rool... right?

---

Upon reaching the front gates of New Leaf Town, Captain N and company quickly found Simon Belmont standing by a small thorn bush. "Hey, we're here." Captain N spoke up, grabbing Simon's attention. Looking to the clouds, Simon nodded approvingly. "You're on time. That's good." He noted. Captain N stepped forward, away from Zelda, Pit and Falco and towards Simon. "So... when do we start?" He nervously asked. "Now." Simon bluntly responded, suddenly taking out his whip and lashing Captain N across the forearm. The action happened inside the blink of an eye, and Captain N fell over after yelping in surprise and pain, clutching his now stinging arm. "If you're gonna be the hero these people need, you need to be ready for anything." Simon stated bluntly as Captain N regained his footing. Zelda and Pit wanted to intervene, but were stopped by Falco. "This is his battle, not ours." He reminded them. Pit reluctantly stepped back, while Zelda remained right beside Falco.

"Alright, lesson one: be ready for anything. What's next?" Captain N asked Simon. In response, Simon wordlessly motioned for him to follow, which Captain N obliged with. After a brief walk around the outside of New Leaf Town, Simon stopped at a grass clearing, turning to face Captain N, whose arm was still in more pain than it had ever been in before. He unsheathed his whip, but tossed it aside to Captain N's relief. "Disarm yourself, Captain. You need to learn how to not have to rely on weapons." Simon ordered. With some reluctance, as if expecting another trap, Captain N slowly removed the Zapper from his pocket and tossed it right next to Simon's whip. Pit, Zelda and Falco stood in the shade of a nearby tree, the heat of the day arriving with the sun rising in the sky. Pit stood ready to intervene if necessary, regardless of what Falco might say. Simon crouched in a fighting stance, seemingly ready to attack. With much less confidence, Captain N matched Simon's posture, closing and raising his fists. "Your goal of the day is to hit me." Simon instructed. "...That's it?" Captain N asked, easing his stance in slight confusion. "Just one hit and you win." Simon reinforced, his posture just as intense. "If you feel ready for this challenge, step forward and strike me."

Captain N closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, opened his eyes, and approached Simon after slight mental deliberation. Zelda held her breath, not looking forward to what's to come. His steps became much lighter, being ready to dodge out of the way if necessary. Simon stood rigid, eyeing Captain N as he waited for him to make the first move. Captain N targeted Simon's lower torso, and attempted a swift jab. Simon was anticipating this, and quickly intercepted Captain N's incoming fist, knocking it out of the way. The counter strike almost knocked Captain N off his feet, but he recovered before he could fall. Deciding that taking too much time makes his target too obvious, he swung his right leg out to strike the back of Simon's knee. Again, Simon anticipated this, and kicked his leg out to knock Captain N off balance. The indignity of falling on his rear was short-lived, as Captain N knew he needed to persist to get better. Still in fighting stance, Captain N backed away from Simon carefully assessing the situation. "Just one hit and you're done." Simon reminded him. Pit shook his head, knowing Captain N couldn't win. Falco leered at Pit, wordlessly reminding him to not intervene. Zelda was still watching with her breath held, paying no mind to Falco or Pit.

This continued for a period of time shorter than what Captain N would have assumed. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to land a single hit on Simon. His frustration and exhaustion were mixing to something volatile, almost boiling over at the unfairness of this "training" session and how sore his body is becoming from Simon's counter strikes. Simon remained as stoic as before, undeterred by Captain N slowing down. "Shouldn't he take a break or something?" Pit spoke up. Simon shook his head, not taking his eyes off Captain N. "You don't get breaks in real situations. You should know that, Pit." Simon bluntly answered. Falco shot Pit a silent "told you so" and Zelda forced herself to not intervene. As painful as it was to watch Captain N get beaten again and again, it's the only way he'll get stronger. Captain N tried to fake Simon out by throwing a fake punch to distract from the intended strike that was to get Simon's torso. But Simon was a step ahead, and blocked both the fake and real punch at once. Knocked off his feet, Captain N took a moment to get himself together before getting back up. Then he got an idea. Slowly getting up, Captain N wound up as powerful a punch as he could muster, but again, Simon intercepted and knocked Captain N on the ground, but he didn't get back up. Simon looked over Captain N, unimpressed. "There's his break." Simon said to Pit, finally taking his eyes off his trainee. Captain N seized this opportunity, and quickly shot his leg out to land a strike on the back of Simon's knee, almost knocking him off his balance.

Surprised, Simon looked back to see Captain N with a smug grin plastered across his face. "Lesson one: be ready for anything." Captain N teased him, almost immediately regretting his smug attitude. He recoiled in advance, expecting Simon to yell at him for improper behavior. Instead, Simon chuckled at his inventiveness. "Correct, Captain." Simon agreed, holding out a hand to help Captain N up. He took his hand, and was suddenly hoisted onto his feet. "Yeah! Go, Captain N!" Pit cheered. Pride swelling in his chest, Captain N looked over to the three, seeing Falco nod approvingly and Zelda offering a gentle, polite applause at his display. Simon tossed Captain N an apple and stated "Fifteen minute break starts now.". He gratefully bit into the crisp apple, savoring the added taste of his small victory.

Chapter Text

Beneath a tall, shady tree just outside New Leaf Town, Captain N was enjoying his apple alongside Zelda, Falco, Pit and Simon. His body was still sore from the training session, so he was making sure to soak in all the rest he could get. The Zapper was once again comfortably yet carefully stored in his right pocket. The longer it spent in there, the more Captain N wished he had a holster for it. Shooting himself in the leg would certainly be unflattering, to say the least. Zelda seemed to be meditating, sitting upright with her eyes closed and breathing in and out in a steady pace. Simon and Falco were casually chatting, and Pit was on lookout, perched on top of the tree everyone was currently under. But despite the peaceful, tranquil situation he's currently in, Captain N felt uneasy. The warm sunlight and being surrounded by his allies did little to assuage the invisible weight on his shoulders. He knew he did little to impress during his first training session, and he knew the enemies he would encounter in the future wouldn't be so forgiving as to admit defeat after being struck once. Even disregarding the fact that he's destined to engage in a life-or-death battle against three kings with far more experience and resources than he could hope to attain, and that this battle determines the fate of countless innocents across planet Yamajiro. It won't be so easy along the way. He knew there would be smaller battles on the way. Much like the encounter before arriving at New Leaf Town. Captain N carefully drew the Zapper from his pocket and analyzed it carefully. The handle, barrel and sights were orange, with a gray base connecting the three. It's also longer than any pistol he's ever seen before. From the sights to the end of the barrel, it was almost as long as Captain N's forearm. It also felt strange to wield an actual firearm that didn't require ammunition. Careful not to have any of his fingers near the trigger as he looked down the barrel, all Captain N could see was a lens. Clutching the Zapper filled Captain N with a new confidence. One blast from this weapon was enough to neutralize the Kremling that charged at him yesterday. The first confrontation he ever got into, he won. He didn't get a good look at Falco's blaster in the midst of battle, but maybe he'll show him if he asks nicely.

"Alright, break's over, time to get back to training." Simon spoke up. Captain N stood up, ready to keep going. "So, what now?" He asked, storing the Zapper back in his pocket and looking to Simon. "You're gonna need to learn how to use that weapon properly, so your accuracy will be tested." Simon informed him, getting the attention of both Pit and Zelda, walking over to join the group. "And since I'm the only one here who knows how to use those things, I'll be training you too." Falco spoke up, walking beside Simon. Zelda immediately could smell something rotten, and spoke up. "Do you plan on ACTUALLY training him, or are you going to cause trouble?" Zelda asked Falco, fearing she already knew the answer. "Relax, Princess. I'd rather make sure this planet has a future than get on your nerves." Falco answered, not entirely convincing Zelda. "Is that so? Your previous behavior could have persuaded me otherwise." Zelda shot back. Before Falco could make another witty retort, Captain N waved his arms to distract from the conversation. "Guys, this isn't necessary. You think you can save your bickering until after training?" Captain N asked Falco, making him roll his eyes. "Yeah, whatever, let's just get to work." Falco waved off. Pit sighed in relief, grateful that another argument was avoided. Simon had walked a bit farther away, having set up a sort of firing range of apples atop a fallen log. "Back away from the log until I tell you to stop." Simon ordered. With great care in each step, Captain N stepped backwards, farther and farther away from the log until he heard Simon firmly say "Stop". Drawing the Zapper, Captain N took in the distance from the log. About one hundred feet away. Difficult, but doable. Falco walked behind Captain N, analyzing his form. He kicked Captain N's legs farther apart, stating "Your stance could be better.". Falco's metal legs hurt Captain N probably more than intended, but it's not worth complaining about. "Fire when ready." Simon ordered, stepping away from the range.

Steadying his breathing, shutting Falco out of his mind and focusing his eye down the sights, Captain N pulled the trigger, destroying one of the apples with a flash of light. Letting out a small laugh of satisfaction, Captain N refocused on the other apples, and a few flashes of light later, all the fruits were obliterated. Falco nodded approvingly, Zelda offered polite applause and Pit pumped his fist in the air. Simon produced some more apples, but didn't place them on the log. "Your targets will rarely be standing still, so you will need to learn how to hit moving targets." Simon firmly stated, readying his arm to toss one in the air. Captain N quickly got back into the proper stance before Falco could correct him and readied himself to fire again. Simon drew his arm back and tossed one of the apples high in the air. Captain N tried to follow its trail, but how small the apple is wasn't helped by the fact that the sun was shining right in his eye. He focused himself, aimed where he thought the apple would fall, and pulled the trigger. This time, the apple fell to the ground, completely untouched. Groaning in dissatisfaction, Captain N tried to not let it get to him and readied himself for his second attempt. Simon tossed another apple in the air, Captain N aimed, fired, and missed once more. He could hear Falco groan in disapproval right next to him, but he paid him no mind. Simon tossed another apple into the air in a different direction, but Captain N missed again. Falco, fed up with Captain N's lack of accuracy, grabbed his arm and aimed the Zapper for Captain N. "Follow the apple with the Zapper." Falco instructed, nodding at Simon to toss another one. Once the fourth apple was in the air, Falco guided Captain N to follow the apple, and this time he actually managed to hit the apple after pulling the trigger. "You think you can handle that?" Falco asked semi-sarcastically. "Pay him no mind, he's only trying to elicit an emotional response." Zelda communicated to Captain N telepathically. Pit continued his lookout, paying no mind to the training session.

"Yeah, I got it." Captain N assured Falco. Falco waved at Simon to toss another apple. With a strong arm, once more was an apple hurled in the air. Captain N followed the apple with the sights, pulled the trigger, but once again missed. "Oh, come on!" Falco groaned exasperatedly. He grabbed Captain N's arm again, this time more forcefully. "Follow the apple. With the Zapper." Falco reminded him. Captain N was growing more irritated at Falco, but managed to suppress this emotion. Simon tossed yet another apple into the air, but this time Falco controlled Captain N's aim and pulled the trigger himself, hitting the apple. "Tread carefully, Lombardi." Zelda spoke up, her annoyance noticeable. "Oh, please! He's not gonna get better at shooting things if he's not pushed to!" Falco defended, snapping around to face her. It struck Captain N as surprising that Falco would speak to someone of royalty with such a hostile attitude, but he's been seeing previously impossible things made possible left and right lately. "You're only making yourself an enemy of him AND me!" Zelda shot back, stepping closer. Simon didn't intervene, observing what could happen from here. Pit was too far away to tell what was going on, still on lookout. Captain N tried to intervene again, but to little avail. "Simon, throw another!" Falco shouted to Simon. With another one in the air, Captain N tried to steady his breathing and stance as best he could, but he was still slightly rattled, and missed again. Falco was about to express his displeasure, but Zelda was quicker. "Perhaps he would perform better if he wasn't under such pressure!" Zelda suggested. "Oh yeah, real scenarios will be COMPLETELY free of pressure, right?" Falco snarked back.

"But this is his opportunity to learn the basics and to later get used to being in stressful situations!"

"Don't you know the benefits of learning on the job?"

"Don't YOU know the value of patience?"

"Patience!? We've been waiting for Mister Miracle here to show up for a month, and you're telling me to be PATIENT?"

"Guys, come on, this isn't-" Captain N tried to intervene, but was cut off by Zelda.

"I understand, Falco, but-"

"Do you? Do you really understand, YOUR MAJESTY?" Falco sneered.

Before the argument could continue, Pit suddenly shot back to the group, a worried expression painted across his face.

"Guys, we've got trouble." He said, ushering everyone to follow him. Pit guided Simon, Falco, Captain N and Zelda back to the entrance of New Leaf Town, where a large deployment of Kremlings could be seen approaching in the distance. Captain N tried to count the number of Kremlings, but this proved fruitless. Easily at least thirty of them, all wielding either clubs or pistols like the Kremlings yesterday. Captain N turned to the rest of the group, slightly nervous. "What should we do?" He asked them. "We should get the townspeople to safety first." Simon stated firmly, undeterred by the incoming horde. "Captain N and I will ensure they all get to safety, you three get ready for combat!" Zelda instructed, leading Captain N back to the town square. Not wanting to waste any time, the two ran through the now busier town, turning the heads of many townspeople. "Get inside! Get to safety, quick!" Captain N yelled, ushering everyone indoors. Not fully understanding what the panic was, the townspeople trusted Captain N had their best interest in mind, and scurried indoors. Arriving at the center of town, Zelda and Captain N found Isabelle standing by the hotel, with the mayor nowhere to be seen once again. "Hello again, Captain, Princess! Is something wrong?" Isabelle asked the two, noticing their concerned state. "A deployment of King K. Rool's forces are approaching this town, we fear they're going to attack with more intense force." Zelda informed her, making Isabelle even more worried. "Oh dear, what do we do?" Isabelle nervously asked. "Just make sure everyone is safe inside, we'll try to handle the Kremlings." Captain N answered. Isabelle quickly nodded and ran off, persuading as many people as she could to get to safety. The small, anthropomorphic townsfolk were quickly persuaded to get inside, making sure to lock the door behind them. In no time at all, New Leaf Town was surprisingly empty. It felt strangely eerie to Captain N, a once vibrant town now desolate. "We should rejoin the three." Zelda noted, which elicited a nod of agreement from Captain N. Following her back the route they came, the two found that Falco, Simon and Pit had set up a quasi-barricade right at the town's entrance, the mob of Kremlings even closer now. Crouching behind the barricade the group collaborated on their plan of action.

"What're we gonna do?" Captain N asked any of the three. "Simon and I are gonna face them head-on. You, Falco and Princess Zelda should stay back here to get them from far away." Pit answered. "Are you sure that's such a good idea? Just you and Simon?" Zelda asked Pit. "We can handle ourselves! Right, Simon?" Pit assured, nudging Simon partially. Nodding in agreement, Simon added "I've been in worse situations before, this should be no challenge." "Plus this would be a good time for you to work on that aim of yours, Cap." Falco added, earning a slight frown from Captain N. Zelda opened her mouth to scold Falco for instigating once more, but stopped herself, there being more at stake. "So... when do we start?" Captain N asked Simon. "That depends. Are you ready?" Simon asked in response. "Uh... yeah." Captain N responded, somewhat nervously. "And you, Princess?" Simon asked Zelda. "Yes, I'm ready." She answered, more confidently. "Well then, we start now!" Pit declared, jumping out from the barricade and soaring up into the air, towards the mob. Simon followed suit, drawing his whip and running to confront the horde of Kremlings. Captain N immediately wanted to stop them and warn them to be more careful, but it was too late. Falco kneeled behind the barricade, drawing his blaster and aiming towards the mob. Zelda waved her hands about and conjured a yellow wall of magic energy, protecting herself and the other two who stayed behind. Captain N retrieved his Zapper from his pocket, carefully aiming at the Kremlings. Fortunately, the mob was moving slower, making them easier to aim at than an apple soaring through the air.

The Kremling's response was immediate, forming into a similar structure seen yesterday. With the gunners in the back and the clubbers up front, they stood firm, ready to confront the two. Swooping down, Pit broke his bow into two swords, charging at two of the clubbers. Simon joined him, lashing his whip out at a nearby Kremling. The expertise of Pit and Simon was countered by the sheer number of Kremlings who opposed them. Because of this, the two couldn't escape being attacked from all ends. Simon lashed his whip out and incapacitated a clubber, but was shot in the knee by a gunner. Pit was grabbed by his wings by two Kremlings and pulled into a sucker punch right in the face. Just then, one of the Kremlings who was holding down Pit was hit by a bold from Falco's blaster, incapacitating him. This gave Pit the opening he needed, as he shot directly into the air, reformed his bow and formed an arrow. Simon was also freed by another shot from Falco hitting another Kremling. Simon rolled out from under the mob that had formed around him, and with enough space between them, used his whip to knock out two more of the Kremlings.

Back at the barricade, Captain N was still struggling with his aim while Falco had near perfect accuracy in placing blaster shots and Zelda maintained the shield that protected the three. The apparent ease of their slow, clustered movement disappeared when Captain N tried to accurately hit one of the Kremlings in particular who was troubling Simon. Not only were they much farther away from the apples he trained with, there was the added difficulty of making sure to not accidentally hit Simon or Pit. Falco noticed this, but could only roll his eyes in annoyance. Simon backed up as much as he could, but the horde approached just as fast as he retreated. Even the gunner Kremlings made tough work for Pit, who managed to hit him despite Pit's best efforts to dodge. The mounting pain from getting hit again and again made it harder for Pit to stay in the air as he shot arrows at the Kremlings. Eventually, Pit drifted back down to the ground, farther away from the invaders. The horde drew closer still, only a few of their number having been lost. The gunners noticed Zelda's shield protecting her, Falco and Captain N, and immediately concentrated fire on it. Zelda could manage to hold the shield up, but the more the gunners fired on it, the more the shield weakened. Captain N knew it wasn't going to protect them much longer, and made a decision. Captain N took a moment, closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, drew his Zapper, stood up and boldly stated "Cover me, Falco."

Before Falco or Zelda could stop him, Captain N jumped out from the barricade and ran to aid Simon and Pit. The gunner Kremlings immediately noticed him approach, and some focused their fire on him. Adrenaline pumping, Captain N dash side to side, avoiding their fire. But the closer he drew to them, the closer their shots were getting. Captain N jumped onto the ground, lying flat on his stomach as he aimed his Zapper at them. One by one, Captain N managed to pick off each of the Kremlings that were aiming at him, made easier by them standing still and being much closer. As he got up to keep running, one of the Kremlings suddenly popped out and aimed straight at Captain N. Right before Captain N could dive back into cover, the Kremling was quickly picked off by Falco, way back in the barricade. Pit made his way over to Captain N, turning his back to him. "Watch my back!" Pit ordered, which Captain N followed by getting his back right against Pit's. Both Pit and Captain N improved greatly, picking off the Kremlings with greater ease. One of the clubber Kremlings dove on top of Captain N, who managed to roll out of the way before firing his Zapper at him. Simon quickly joined Pit and Captain N, wordlessly getting in sync with them. The Kremlings formed a ring around the three, closing them in. Undeterred, Captain N fought on, nailing shots on one Kremling after another. He also noticed Zelda and Falco running to help them, firing shots while sprinting towards them. At this point, Captain N was much more exhausted, never having exerted himself this much in his life. Slowing down drastically, Captain N was saved by Zelda, who blasted one of the last Kremlings before he could strike him. But Captain N got hit in the back of the head by one of the clubbers, yelling out in pain as he fell to the ground. Zelda cast a shield around him as Falco joined the fray, getting back to back with Pit. Slowly getting up, Captain N was almost knocked down again by another Kremling, but managed to nail him with a shot from the Zapper.

"Everyone, duck!" Zelda yelled, and the four cooperated. Drawing her hands together, Zelda summoned a great amount of magic energy, and shot her hands apart, expelling it all in a large wave. The resulting wave knocked down the few Kremlings that remained were thrown to the ground, and with a few quick shots from Falco and Captain N, the horde was defeated. Simon checked one lying about to make sure it was defeated, and looked to the group. "We are triumphant this day!" Simon announced, earning a cheer from Pit. Captain N was too exhausted to offer more than a victorious fist pump, Falco smirked to himself and Zelda sighed in relief. Looking to New Leaf Town, Captain N felt grateful that the good townsfolk live to see another peaceful day.

Chapter Text

Five cups of specially mixed fruit drink were clinked together in celebration, the five heroes then taking a synchronized sip from their own glasses. Down in Club LOL, Captain N, Simon, Falco, Pit and Zelda enjoyed their victory over King K. Rool's forces alongside other townspeople. Upbeat yet relaxed music wafted through the club as everyone was casually chatting with each other. The townspeople were courteous enough to crowd the five guests, offering them space to move about and feel comfortable. Zelda and Simon stayed further away from the center of attention, while Pit and Falco mingled about. Captain N carefully drifted through the crowds, unsure of what he's supposed to do. He's never been invited to any kind of party during his time on Earth, much less one in his honor. It was much more difficult than usual for him to remain inconspicuous, not only because of his status as town hero, but also because Captain N stood head and shoulders above the people of New Leaf Town. As he tried to take in the fruity drink, two small raccoon boys in formal suits approached him, each holding a piece of paper. "Excuse me, mister Captain?" The one on the left asked. Captain N turned to face them, and they stood up more straight. "My name's Timmy!" The raccoon on the left introduced himself. "And I'm Tommy!" The raccoon on the right continued. "We're in charge of Nookling General Stores, our uncle now runs Nook's Homes." Timmy explained. "We jut wanted to say it's really cool that you saved our home from King K. Rool's henchmen!" Tommy eagerly piped up. Trying to remain humble, Captain N smiled as he waved his hand nonchalantly. "All in a day's work, kiddos." He assured them. "We were just wondering something..." Timmy trailed off, getting more nervous. "Can we get your autograph, mister Captain?" Tommy asked, holding up his paper. Captain N chuckled as he carefully took the paper. Tommy quickly produced a pen for Captain N, before he could ask for one. Taking the pen, setting the drink aside and getting down on one knee to use his thigh to write, Captain N felt incredibly flattered to have someone want his signature. Well, not HIS signature, Captain N's signature. Giving them Peter Lavancha's signature would only confuse his two young fans. He then took a moment to decide how to write his signature, then deciding on writing "Captain" diagonally in cursive, with a large "N" resembling the one on his varsity jacket behind the first word, adding "To Tommy, keep up the great shop keeping!" as the finishing touch. "Me next! Me next! ...oh, please!" Timmy spoke up, holding out his paper. Captain N graciously took the paper and wrote a similar message to Timmy, handing it back after careful writing. "Thank you, mister Captain!" Timmy eagerly thanked. "Yeah, thanks!" Tommy added. Captain N laughed waving off their formality. "Just Captain N is fine." Captain N informed the two. Waving goodbye, Timmy and Tommy ran back off into the crowd, chatting to each other. Captain N could pick up a few sentences on their conversation. "You think he's cooler than Link or Mario?" Timmy asked. "I dunno, Captain N only saved our town so far, those guys saved like the entire world!" Tommy answered. Captain N felt a slight shadow over him, as if trapped under the legacy of the heroes that came before him. Taking another sip from his drink, he could feel the weight of the world on his shoulders again. Those guys, Mario, Link, Samus, Kirby and so on, they were all surely more skilled than him. They had more experience fighting these villains, from the sounds of it.

But they still lost.

Captain N nervously paced about the edge of Club LOL, his mind racing. He tried to calm himself, reminding himself of the victory earned today, but to little avail. His increasing nerves opposed those of everyone else present, who all seemed much more at ease, casually talking and exchanging jokes. Larger battles were on the horizon, and not just against the three kings. He knew invading Dracula's castle isn't going to be easy, and he really doubted his ability in facing the vampire face-to-face. His eyes darted around the club, searching for his allies. Pit and Falco were still talking to some of the townspeople, but Zelda and Simon were nowhere to be seen. Captain N's worrying intensified. Where are they? What are they doing? What if they bailed? What if-

Captain N took a moment, closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, waited a moment, and exhaled. Zelda has her magic, and Simon is more experienced in dealing with Dracula. Surely they were plotting the course to Castlevania. Deciding he shouldn't be alone, Captain N walked over to Pit, who was refilling his drink. He walked a bit slower and more carefully, still sore. Despite the noise in the club, Pit could hear Captain N approaching, and turned to face him. "Enjoying the spoils of victory?" Pit asked jokingly. Captain N shrugged with a smile. "It can be a little much to have all this in my honor." Captain N admitted. "You've really had a rough few days, huh?" Pit noted. "Eh, it could be worse." Captain N replied, rather bluntly. Confused, Pit prodded further.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"You just gotta count your blessings. I could've been sent to a world where nobody speaks the same language as me. I could've been sent to a world where the atmosphere is methane. I could have been teleported a mile in the air or underwater. I could have been sent here while I was in the shower."

Pit laughed gently before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, those are some good points." He chuckled. Captain N gently laughed along, taking another sip from his drink. It tasted rather sweet, but the taste was still unique from other fruit-flavored drinks he's ever had before. Maybe apples and grapes taste different on Yamajiro? It makes more sense than all the other stuff he's seen lately. Falco could be spotted leaning against a wall on the far side, setting his empty drink to the side as he answered questions asked by eager townspeople. A larger raccoon male approached Captain N, who greatly resembled Timmy and Tommy. "Excuse me, Captain?" The raccoon asked, getting Captain N's attention. Pit moved away, not wanting to eavesdrop. "Hey there, how's it going?" Captain N asked him. "I'm sorry if my nephews bothered you, they-" The raccoon started to apologize, but was soon waved off by Captain N. "It's fine! Always great to meet a fan!" Captain N assured. The raccoon nodded before continuing. "Anyway, my name is Tom Nook, I'm sure my nephews mentioned me." Captain N nodded, recalling their description of him, as well as Isabelle's description of him from yesterday. "I don't suppose you want an autograph too?" Captain N gently joked, where Tom shook his head in response. "No no, See, I run a housing business here, and I'm always welcoming new homeowners to New Leaf Town, so perhaps I could show you around where you could move in?" Tom offered. Captain N shook his head, smiling. "That sounds great, but I can't really afford to settle down yet. I'm on a mission, after all." Tom nook nodded to himself, slightly turning away. "Well, in case you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." He concluded, refilling his drink and walking off to find Timmy and Tommy.

As he was watching Tom leave, Pit noticed Simon and Zelda waving him and Captain N over. Nudging Captain N to get his attention, he joined Pit in walking over to the two, who produced a large map. Zelda conjured a small light to illuminate the map. "Here is where we are." Simon stated, pointing to a small town on the map. "And here is where we believe Castlevania is right now." He continued, dragging his finger over to a hand drawn mark further away on the map. "So that's where we'll find the next weapon?" Captain N asked. "We believe so. Yamajiro isn't home to many castles, so we're hoping that despite its mystical nature, Castlevania guards another one of your predecessor's weapons." Zelda answered. "Alright, now we're talking!" Pit cheered, turning a few heads. Falco walked over, peering at the map. "So we've finally got a plan?" He asked the group. Captain N nodded, pointing to the point. "That's where Castlevania is. When are we leaving?" Captain N asked Simon, who bluntly answered "Tomorrow morning, 7 AM.". Zelda noticed Isabelle beside the group, looking nervous. "I guess you're going to be leaving soon?" She asked. "Yeah, we've gotta get going." Pit confirmed, making Isabelle's expression sink slightly. "But what if more of K. Rool's or Dedede's or Bowser's forces come here? What will we do?" Isabelle asked. "Do not worry, I will know if your town is in any danger." Zelda assured. Isabelle seemed to be eased by this, perking back up. "It will be a shame for you all to leave so soon, I'm sure our mayor will have loved to meet you!" She insisted, to Captain N's slight doubt. What kind of mayor spends this much time fishing?

Just then, the spotlights dimmed and focused to the stage, specifically on a white male dog holding a tan guitar while sitting on a stool. The room quickly hushed, eagerly awaiting his song. Isabelle quickly shushed the conversation, despite there not being anyone currently talking. "It's K.K. Slider!" Isabelle eagerly whispered. A microphone was lowered from the ceiling, down to K.K. Slider, where he grabbed it and cleared his throat. "Good evening, guys and gals." He casually greeted everyone. The crowd applauded in response, and K.K. patiently waited for them to quiet back down. "It's been a real rough day, huh? Those no-good goons of K. Rool's almost came in and trashed the town." He noted glumly, but his tone raised after. "But we've got some new tight friends who protected us, and I think they deserve another round of applause." Once he was done speaking, the room erupted into more applause, with the spotlights focusing on the five in the back, Isabelle semi-awkwardly stepping out of the way. Captain N raised his hand to shield his eyes from the bright lights, but Zelda and the others adjusted to the light easier, merely turning away from the spotlights. K.K. waved them forward, and the crowd parted to allow them to walk right in front of the stage, the spotlights following them. Captain N led the group forward, followed most immediately by Zelda and Pit, with Falco and Simon in the back, who had folded up and stored away the map in one of his pockets. K.K. looked upon the group warmly yet casually, leaning back into the microphone. "Tonight's show is in the honor of our most excellent guests: vampire hunter Simon Belmont, Star Fox pilot Falco Lombardi, leader of Palutena's royal guard Pit, Princess Zelda from Hyrule and the man we've all been waiting for: Captain N! Here's to teaching those three jerks a lesson!" K.K. announced, the microphone raising back to the ceiling as he adjusted his guitar. Simon and Falco simply gave a quick nod, Pit waved his arm eagerly, Zelda offered a polite wave to the crowd and Captain N waved, still incredibly flattered. The club hushed once more as the lights refocused to the stage, the silence all the more deafening, eagerly anticipating K.K. Slider's next song. After testing a few of the strings, he began to play.

As a painter with a brush to a canvas, K.K. masterfully and intricately fingered the strings on the guitar, producing a hopeful and invigorating, yet oddly peaceful tune. Captain N closed his eyes, allowing himself to be submerged in the melody. Drifting away from his physical presence in Club LOL, his mind was taken by the song to a scene of Captain N, Falco, Zelda and Pit on the peak of a large cliff overlooking a grand valley, painted in countless, beautiful colors illuminated by the sun rising in the early morning. This imaginary valley stretched out as far as the eye could see, with towns and small settlements visible in the distance. But as far away as possibly visible was a large, imposing castle. The music swelled, K.K. intensifying the song. This raise in tone in turn raised Captain N's spirits. In this moment, he felt invincible. With his allies at his side, he felt like he could take on the world. Dracula, Bowser, King Dedede, King K. Rool and whoever else. None of them stood a chance against Captain N or those who stood beside him. He opened his eyes back up, a smile having grown on his face. Everyone else was enjoying the music, albeit quietly as to not drown out the tunes. Even Falco seemed more tranquil than usual, focusing only on the song. Each strum of the guitar spoke levels of K.K.'s immaculate mastery of the instrument. Sadly, the song, like all things, had to end, and the song concluded with the notes drifting off and becoming quieter and quieter. Once the song was over, K.K. set his guitar to the side, and was met with immense applause, which Captain N and Pit eagerly joined in on. Even Zelda seemed more eager in her congratulatory clapping, clearly impressed with K.K.'s musical talents. "That's a little something I whipped up earlier today, I'm glad you all grooved with it." K.K. said, slightly exhausted from the performance. "Let's hear it again for our heroes!" He announced, earning even more applause from the crowd. As egotistical as it made him sound, Captain N was starting to get used to getting applauded. The outpouring of attention right onto HIM specifically, for what he did earlier today with his four allies, it made him feel a level of pride he's never felt before. Falco nudged his shoulder, grinning at him. "Soak it in, buddy. You've earned it." He encouraged. Zelda and Pit nodded in agreement, while Simon remained rather nonchalant in the face of such praise.

Captain N was content to spend the rest of the night like this, drowning in praise from his good deeds, but Zelda walked closer to the stage and spoke up. "Truly, it's been a pleasure to share this evening with you all, but our journey must continue, and we will be departing early tomorrow morning." She announced to the room, and Captain N could almost feel the tone of the room drop like an anchor. For someone so distinguished, Zelda sure knew how to be a party pooper. "We can't thank you enough for your endless hospitality, and I think I speak for all of us when I say we wish we could stay here." Captain N spoke up, hoping to ease the mood. After some murmuring to each other, it seemed like everyone came to an understanding. Isabelle carefully walked up to the front to address the townspeople. "We should all be getting some sleep, tomorrow is a new day for us all." She spoke up, and soon after the club started emptying out. Not too long after, it was only K.K., Isabelle, Falco, Zelda, Simon, Captain N and Pit. "It truly is a shame that you'll be leaving so soon, but we understand your reasons." Isabelle admitted glumly. "We all hope the waves of life are smooth for you guys." K.K. added, carefully packing up his guitar. "Yeah, those butts aren't gonna kick themselves!" Pit spoke up, lightening the mood a bit. "You all will always be welcome in New Leaf Town, and I'm sure our mayor would agree!" Isabelle assured. "I'll take your word for it." Falco remarked. "We should get going, we've gotta leave early tomorrow morning." Simon informed the two. After waving goodbye, the five left Club LOL and walked back to the hotel. "You four should get to sleep, I can handle the packing myself." Simon declared. Zelda was about to protest, but relented. The ascent up the stairs was slightly more difficult this night, due to still being sore from the battle. Pit and Falco were eager to get to sleep, and disappeared into their hotel rooms first. Zelda was about to go into her room, but Captain N got her attention. "Hey, Princess?" He asked. Zelda turned to him in response. "What is it?"

"You're... you've got access to important stuff, right?"

"...I suppose so."

"Do you think that maybe... when this is all over... I feel awkward asking, but could you and Palutena and the others... figure out a way to send me back home?"

Zelda paused for a moment and looked away, mulling over how best to respond, then looked back to Captain N.

"...We'll see what we can do."

Captain N nodded slightly, hanging his head. Knowing this was the best answer he was gonna get, he responded with a soft. "Thank you, Princess." A mutual, knowing nod was shared between Captain N and Zelda before they walked into their hotel room. As soon as he rolled into bed, Captain N immediately fell asleep.

What felt like only an hour later, Captain N was woken up with a banging on his door. Looking at the clock and seeing it read 6:59, he slowly got out of bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before answering the door. Opening the door, he saw Simon standing right outside, holding a large bag. "We're leaving now." He bluntly stated. "Yeah, good morning." Captain N mumbled, nodding. Looking past the door, he found Falco, Pit and Zelda standing beside him. Captain N briefly looked back in his room, instinctively wanting to pack his bags, but upon remembering he had no bags, he stepped out of the room and met everyone else. "Good to see you're more on time today." Falco noted. "I'm just that eager to get going." He half-lied in response. "Well, since we're all here, let's go!" Pit declared, marching off towards the exit of the hotel. Zelda could hear Falco grumble about not being able to use his Arwing, but Zelda decided to not scold his sour attitude. Captain N groggily stumbled down the halls, managing to keep up with everyone else. Fortunately the sleep he was granted helped assuage the soreness in his body. Simon led the group, where upon reaching the front doors, a fruit basket was placed on the carpet before them. Looking around, only the receptionist was up, and the town was scarcely populated, with the sun not having fully risen yet. Simon picked up the basket and found a note reading "Here's to your continued success from all of us! -Isabelle" written in cursive. He only let out a slight "hmph" and handed it off to Captain N. He carefully took it, and looking around to the group, he could see everyone was ready to today.

Next stop: Castlevania.

Chapter Text

The journey across the land took all day. Over hills and through valleys, Simon led the group on. Convinced he's the only one who could be trusted with the map, he diligently guided Captain N, Pit, Zelda and Falco closer and closer towards Dracula's castle. Out of everyone in the group, Captain N struggled with the hike the most. His exhausted state of mind did not mesh well with his less-than-peak physique. Of course, the other three didn't show nearly as much struggle in following Simon. Even Zelda, despite her title as Princess, still exuded grace and elegance in her every step. At least the others didn't have to carry the fruit basket that was so kindly gifted to the team like Captain N. He could feel his lungs start to protest such exertion more and more as the trek continued, barely managing to keep his feet under him and putting one foot in front of the other to walk. At least his exhaustion distracted from the pressure to perform. Little conversation was shared between team members as they continued on, primarily due to Simon remaining completely solemn and determined to get to Castlevania. Simon refused to take a break for lunch, so the contents of the fruit basket were eaten by the five while walking. It took all day, but after slashing their way through a thick, dark forest, the group found themselves at a massive clearing, with a large ominous lake before them. Beyond the lake, silhouetted against the bright moon in the night sky was an imposing, intimidating, Gothic castle. Captain N hasn't met the Dracula of this universe, or any universe for that matter, but this would be a place his universe's Dracula wouldn't look out of place in.

"Castlevania..." Simon muttered, indicating they've arrived. Falco stepped forward, closely examining the castle. "Sure seems like a humble guy." He joked. "So what's the plan?" Pit asked, turning to the group. "Well, since all we're here to do is get the weapon, I think we should try sneaking in from the back." Captain N suggested. Simon turned to him semi-aggressively. "Are you suggesting we allow Dracula to live?" Simon demanded. Captain N shrunk back slightly, crumbling under the pressure. "Well, I mean, I guess so..?" He meekly answered. "There are more present forces threatening Yamajiro. We cannot afford to be slowed by anything else. Defeating Bowser, King Dedede and King K. Rool is out biggest priority." Zelda stepped in, defending Captain N. "I'm afraid you don't understand the threat Dracula could pose. The longer he's alive, the stronger his army grows." Simon warns, standing firm in his claim. Captain N shifted slightly, knowing Simon has a point. "Okay, well, both can be done! Simon can take on Dracula while the rest of us search the castle!" Pit interjected, breaking up the argument. "Plus, the longer we spend arguing, the more likely it is that Dracula finds us." Falco added. "Unless you want one of us to join you?" Pit suggested, where Simon paced in place, thinking to himself. Eventually, Simon nodded in agreement, turning back to the group. "Alright, leave Dracula to me." He declared. "Are you sure? I could help you take him on." Pit offered. "No, Dracula is my battle. You have yours." Simon insisted. "Very well then, you draw attention from the front while we invade from the rear." Zelda declared, Captain N and Falco joining her. "I wish you all luck on your quest. I hope you grow to become the hero we need you to be." Simon bid farewell. "Thank you for your help, Simon. It's been an honor to fight with you." Captain N thanked. Simon gave a respectful nod to the group, and took off across the shore of the lake, headed for Castlevania.

Captain N stood for a moment, watching Simon march off with such bravery and confidence. Traits that he needs to have. Simon would have been a better hero than him. But he can't have these thoughts now. Not when action is needed. Turning back to the three, he straightened his posture. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to breaking and entering." He joked. Pit was the only one to respond with some laughter. Zelda faced towards Castlevania with Falco beside her. "Yes, let's." Zelda responded, beginning to walk in the other direction to the castle. Falco, Captain N and Pit followed her carefully, almost tracing her exact steps. Zelda led them back into the forest surrounding the lake, staying out of any possible line of sight from the castle. Her steps were light and deliberate, stepping around any stray branches or anything that could alert someone nearby to their position. This proved to be the most difficult for Falco, whose metal legs don't help him remain quiet. Captain N could almost sense Falco's frustration in the air, silently cursing to himself with every snapped branch. As they drew closer, Captain N spotted Simon storming through the front entrance of Castlevania, boldly invading Dracula's home. Zelda carefully led the group further around the castle, still obscured by the trees. Pit was careful to fly beneath the trees, his wings occasionally getting caught in a stray branch. Fortunately, this didn't cause enough noise to give away their position. Eventually, the four found themselves directly behind the front entrance of Castlevania, facing three tall windows. "I'll go scope out the situation." Pit said, flying up to peek through the window after looking around to ensure there wasn't anyone who could see him. Peering through the window, Pit then swooped back down to the group and reported "There's no one in there. I'll try to open the window and I'll carry you guys inside!" He whispered, just to be certain. Captain N felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of being carried through the air again, but decided to go along with that plan. "Only if that's the only way." Falco said, his displeasure with the thought of being carried noticeable. "Fine, let's just make it quick." Zelda replied. Pit nodded, flying back up to carefully inspect the windows. Eventually he found a way to open it up, and almost surgically slid the grand window open. Getting back to the group, Pit lifted Captain N into the air first. Danging his legs helplessly, Captain N felt more brave being in the air compared to his first flight. Mostly because the flight was mercifully shorter, as he was soon dropped inside the grand castle. He scurried away from the light pouring from outside, sneaking off to the side and drawing his Zapper, prepared for anything. Falco was the next to be carried inside, and was much more careful to not cause too much noise. Zelda's entrance was much more graceful in comparison, and Pit touched down inside.

Taking in the surrounding area, Captain N deduced they were currently in Castlevania's mess hall. He was quickly joined by the three, huddling together and facing different directions. Falco drew his blaster and Pit produced his bow, Zelda peering around the grand mess hall. The room was as immense as it was oppressive, with dark, immaculate chairs surrounding the long, onyx dining table, which was decorated with candles and other table decorations. "It'd be really stupid to split up, so we're all gonna have to search for this weapon together." Falco noted. "We're gonna have to find a way to get to the underground levels. That's where the weapon will be stored." Captain N added. "Then we must hurry. Simon can distract Dracula but we can still get caught." Zelda informed the group. "Over there!" Pit whispered to the group, pointing to a pair of doors off to the side. The group shared a knowing look, and carefully moved over as a group. Captain N had his Zapper ready as he slowly pushed the door open, to find no one else present. Signaling to the three he continued sneaking down the halls. Captain N was incredibly impressed by how regal and luxurious the castle interior was, taking in every sight as he led the group. Polished, marble floors, incredibly detailed paintings, regal, red rugs, grand arches curling far above his head, he was partially awestruck. Zelda searched across the halls, tapping the shoulders of the other three to get their attention and motion them down another hallway. But this time there were two white skeletons standing down the hall, keeping watch for intruders. As soon as he spotted them, Captain N zipped back into cover, turning back to the group. "What do we do about them?" He whispered. "Well, how loud is the Zapper?" Pit asked. Captain N shrugged nervously before answering. "Uh... It's not too loud... I think." was Captain N's response. Falco searched around the hall they were in, seeing no one else present. "...It's worth a shot." Falco stated, aiming his blaster at one of the skeletons. Zelda quickly stopped him. "Are you out of your mind? You'll give away our position!" She scolded him. "Guys, leave it to me." Pit interrupted. Splitting his bow into two blades, he swooped over to the two skeletons and cut them down before the two could react. Pit quickly searched around the hall, and gave a thumbs-up to the three. "Perhaps we should let Pit lead the combative charge." Zelda suggested, making Falco roll his eyes. "Sounds like a good idea." Captain N replied. Making their way over to Pit, Zelda moved to the front of the group.

"I believe this is the way to the lower levels." She informed the group, making Falco step forward. "You BELIEVE that's the way?" He asked, wanting a clarification. "This castle's surrounded by a dark and mysterious magic, it's clouding my senses." Zelda answered defensively. "Unless you've got a better of where we should be going, we're following her." Captain N stepped in, shutting Falco down. "Fine, fine, let's just grab your tool and get out of here." Falco relented. Pit joined Zelda at the front, with Falco and Captain N keeping watch in the back. Soon enough, the group came across an animated set of black knight armor, who was quickly taken down with a single quick shot from Pit's bow. Captain N could feel his heart race faster than it ever has before in his life as his eyes scanned the massive corridors. If they're caught by Dracula now, it's over. A small group of zombies blocked their way, but before Pit could attack them, they got word from another zombie, and the small group shuffled towards the entrance of the castle. Simon must be hard at work, Captain N thought. "Come on, this way." Zelda led, motioning down a semi-hidden staircase leading down. Captain N carefully tip-toed down the stairs, aiming his Zapper downstairs while Falco pointed his blaster up the stairs. Descending the stairs, Zelda found that they've entered some sort of coliseum. The stands were empty, but the blood stains inside the sand pit were still fairly fresh. Captain N noticed this as well, and led the group around the edge of the stands. Zelda and Falco walked behind him as Pit quickly zipped through the air to get to the staircase on the other side of the coliseum. But as soon as the four reached the staircase, they heard footsteps above them descending. A flash of panic in Captain N's mind, he quickly scurried out of sight, freezing just beneath the doorway to not make any noise. Zelda went ahead a bit, trying to get a sense of where to go. Pit and Falco crouched behind Captain N. Two voices could be heard echoing through the halls to accompany the approaching footsteps.

"I understand Simon Belmont is here, I've deployed my forces to confront him." Rang a cold, authoritative voice. "But you don't understand, he's only a diversion!" Another, more high-pitched voiced responded. Peering around the corner, Captain N saw a tall, older man with white hair wearing a dark cloak and a small, turtle-like creature wearing a blue hat and robe with glasses, wearing glasses and riding on a broomstick. The tall man turned to the turtle creature, his eyebrow raised. "Is that so?" He asked.

"My superiors believe the prophesied hero has invaded your castle."

"Well Kamek, tell your superiors that I can handle managing my own estate." The tall man sneered, turning away.

"Dracula!" thought Captain N.

Kamek floated across Dracula's path, determined to get through to him. "But your excellency, it would be extremely unwise to take on this threat alone! The prophecy-" Kamek boldly declared, but was cut off by Dracula.

"SILENCE! I care not for some bedtime story told a century ago, tell your Koopa king that I reject his idea of 'assistance'." Dracula shouted, making Kamek back up. "Fine, we'll leave you to your domain." Kamek bid him farewell, waving his wand to open a portal he quickly vanished through. Once he believed he had privacy, Dracula groaned in annoyance, snapping his fingers. Another living suit of knight armor quickly ran to Dracula, hastily stopping just before impacting his master. "You know where Belmont currently is, correct?" Dracula asked, to which the armor responded with a hasty nod. "Good, rally two-thirds of your forces and strike him down. As for the other third... I want a search conducted for this so called 'prophesied hero', as well as any allies he may have come here with." Dracula instructed. The armor then bowed respectfully before running off to the other doorway in the coliseum. Dracula departed as well, heading back upstairs. Once he was certain he was out of earshot, Captain N let out the breath of air he's been holding. "We gotta move." Falco whispered to the three. Zelda quickly nodded, leading the way deeper down into Castlevania.

Chapter Text

As Zelda led the group deeper into the dark, oppressive halls of Castlevania, Captain N could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The stale air surrounding the intruders became much more damp, with the ominous halls illuminated only by well-worn torches mounted on the walls. Pit slowly fell to the back, nervously scanning the dimly lit corridors for more of Dracula's forces. Falco tried his best to silently sneak with the others, but his metal legs did little to assist in that task. From hallway to stairwell, Zelda's magic started to fail her. Castlevania is a dark and mysterious place, and there's been legends of how the layout would shift every time it reappears. Determined to not allow her failing confidence to be visible to her allies, Zelda stepped further in front of the group to hide her face and led further on. Captain N followed her, while also ensuring a generous amount of space between them as to not overstep any boundaries. Nervously gripping his Zapper, his eyes darted from corner to corner, carefully tip-toeing to not alert any monsters which could be listening in. The gentle, delicate breathing of the four was the most conversation that was shared between the group, breaking the eerie silence of the castle's halls. This didn't do much to ease the tension, but both Zelda and Captain N expressed silent gratitude that Dracula's looming presence gave Falco a reason to not be as snarky as he usually is. Pit mentally wiped the other three from his mind, nervously focusing more on staying undetected. He noticed his arms were trembling slightly as he held his bow, so he quickly shook his head and re-steadied his stance, forcing his confidence to return.

Down another flight of cold, stone stairs, Zelda found that the hall opened up to a wide underground river with floating platforms tied to the wooden docks, the sloshing of the cold water echoing throughout the shadowy corridors. With the three joining her, Captain N's eyes quickly searched the halls as best he could, finding nothing to be worried of. "Where to now?" Falco asked Zelda, quickly getting shushed by Pit. Zelda's eyes darted down both possible directions, with the dark power seeping throughout Castlevania dampening her magic and no discernible indicator as to which one leads to the hidden room. Realizing she was holding her breath, Zelda decided she needed to give some kind of answer. "...Left." She finally responded, putting on her best confident voice. Falco wasn't entirely comforted, and leered at her further. "...Are you sure, your highness?" Falco prodded further.

Zelda swallowed her uncertainty and sternly turned to face Falco, not letting this loose cannon push around a royal figure such as her.

"Would YOU happen to have any suggestions, Lombardi?" Zelda shot back, already knowing the answer. "No, but-" Falco tried to respond before getting interrupted again. "I thought as much. So stick to keeping an eye out, and I'll continue navigating." Zelda hissed, the volume of her voice raising slightly. As the two bickered, their voices echoed throughout the halls ever slightly more.

"Hey, guys, come on, there are bigger problems to deal with!" Pit quickly interjected, nudging his way in the middle of the conversation. "Can you at least save the arguments until AFTER we've escaped Dracula's castle?" he requested of the two. Falco rolled his eyes, followed with a "Yeah, sure." Zelda nodded in agreement. "I happen to think going left is a great idea!" Pit beamed. "Duly noted, Pit." Zelda replied, her mood lifted slightly.

Captain N stood farther away, not wanting to get dragged in the middle of another argument. But out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the water rippling in an unusual manner. Training his Zapper on the strange water movement, he steadied his stance and focused his vision. Sure enough, there were at least three of these mysterious things beneath the water.

And they were rapidly approaching.

Captain N's mind raced. As the underwater creatures drew closer, he quickly juggled the pros and cons of taking his eyes off of them and alerting the group. Sure, he'd get the other three prepared too, but he would be leaving himself open to be attacked by more of Dracula's forces. Right as the sound of the rippling water drew even closer, Captain N made his decision and hastily turned back to the group. "Hey, guys-" He tried to warn them, but was cut off by three green fish-like humanoids suddenly leapt out of the water towards him. He fell to the floor, hastily rolling out of the way of the fish men. Pit, Zelda and Falco were snapped out of their argument, alerted by the sudden attackers. Landing on their feet, the fish men hissed at the four, extending their slimy green fins for intimidation. Still on the floor, Captain N aimed his Zapper at one of the fish men as Pit rushed ahead to confront another. Falco groaned to himself as he aimed at the third, which was hastily darting about. "Try to exercise caution!" Zelda tried to warn the three, but her warnings were drowned out by the chaos. As Captain N tried to raise his Zapper at the fish man before him, it stepped on his gun-wielding arm, pinning it to the ground. Try as he might, Captain N was unable to wiggle out of the fish man's grasp. Zelda was focused on gaining a stronger sense of where to go through the castle halls, staying away from the battle. Heavily limited, Captain N could only move his head out of the way as the creature snapped at him. Just as the fish man leaned forward to bite at his face, its rancid stench invading Captain N's senses, it was suddenly shot by a bolt from Falco's blaster. As it fell to the ground, Captain N scurried away, getting his footing back. Pit flew about as he tried to nail a shot on one of the more tricky fish men. Just as Falco was helping Captain N up, two more fish men suddenly leapt out of the water, joining the fray. Captain N was more prepared, and was able to nail a shot on one of the recently-arrived fish men. Falco was able to get close enough to another to sweep its legs out from under it, hitting the floor with a loud impact. Pit then swooped down from towards the battle and finally shot another fish man, who fell back into the water.

Three more fish men jumped out of the water to confront the four. "Geez, how many more can there be!?" Falco groaned, readying his aim. "It's nothing we can't handle! Right, Cap?" Pit encouraged, earning only a nod of agreement from Captain N. Zelda was starting to gain a stronger sense of direction, where she took silent pride in guessing to go left correctly. Falco and Pit rushed ahead to confront two of them head-on, while Captain N slowly backed away as one of the fish men approached him like he was their prey. Despite being significantly taller, the fish men were quickly defeated in a flurry of attacks from the two. But just as Captain N aimed his Zapper, the board beneath him gave way, throwing off his aim just as he pulled the trigger. The shot grazed the fish man and hit a hanging chandelier, which detached from its suspension and hit the ground with an incredibly loud clattering. He froze in place, alarmed by the metallic cacophony and still clutching his Zapper. Falco and Pit also froze, eyeing both him and Zelda. Nobody present made a single sound, staying as still as possible as they figured out what to do next. Finally, Pit spoke up to break the silence. "So... left?" He asked Zelda, which got a "Yes, left." from her in response.

"Left it is, then."

Suddenly, Zelda led the group down the left path, sprinting as fast as they could through the halls. Captain N strayed a bit further behind, not being as athletic. Zelda tried to maintain her sense of direction as she led, the sprinting not helping the already impeding forces on her magic. Through halls and down stairwells, Falco and Captain N resorted to only shooting monsters as they ran past, no longer able to stay and swing it out like before. Frantically running as fast as he could, Captain N fought his way through old cobwebs and small swarms of bats in following the three. His frenzied running almost led to him falling down a steep flight of stairs, much to Falco's annoyance. Zelda was undeterred as she and Pit led on, venturing deeper and deeper into Castlevania. Skeletons and animated sets of armor would step out of the shadows to confront the group, but were swiftly struck down. The more he ran, the more Captain N's lunged burned in protest. He wanted to slow down to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead, but there was more at stake than an unsatisfactory score on the mile run. He kept his chin up and pushed himself further than he ever had before, silently hoping that Simon Belmont was doing his part in keeping Dracula and his primary forces busy.

As the air grew even thicker and the Gothic walls grew even more oppressive, Zelda suddenly stopped running. Captain N almost knocked over Falco as he stopped as well, with Pit swooping down to meet the group on the ground. As he wheezed indignantly, Captain N saw that the group had found themselves in a dead end. The echoes of the various skeletons and monsters were barely audible in the distance, but he didn't want to push his luck. "This should be where the hidden chamber is." Zelda noted, scanning the three walls before her. "So what now?" Pit asked her. "Now's the part where Cap here works his magic." Falco responded, nudging Captain N forward. Feeling a sudden performance anxiety, he awkwardly approached the aged wall before him. Just as he touched the wall, trying to figure out how to get a response, the wall suddenly responded with a deep rumbling and the bricks neatly parting to reveal a pristine, massive room with a single pedestal in the middle. Stepping into the room, Captain N was immediately thrown off by the contrast between the stale, damp air of Castlevania against the cold, sterile air of the hidden chamber. Slightly echoing with each step, he found that upon approaching the pedestal, it held two small, rectangular shaped objects with soft edges, one of which was colored red and the other was colored light blue. Holstering the Zapper in his pocket, Captain N carefully took the two objects and found that they fit neatly in his fists. The left hand holding the light blue object felt strangely cold, while the right hand holding the red object felt oddly hot, but neither felt uncomfortable in his hands.

"What'cha got there?" Pit asked from the doorway, drawing Captain N's attention away from the objects. Not knowing exactly how to describe them, Captain N shrugged in response. "I don't really know." He awkwardly admitted. "Oh, well, that's great, isn't it?" Falco remarked, which got him shoved slightly by Pit. "Well, I'm sure we can figure out what they do." Pit suggested. "Yeah, you guys would probably know better than me." Captain N agreed, returning to the group. Zelda took a particular interest in the two objects presented, looking at them closer. "Peculiar... I've never seen anything like these before." She noted. But her investigation was cut short by the sound of a group of three zombies shambling towards the group. Captain N stepped to the front of the group, and decided to clench the objects in his hands and point his right fist at the group. This was met with an immense beam of fire shooting from his fist, surprising everyone present and engulfing the zombies in a massive blaze. Instinctively afraid he would burn himself, Captain N immediately retracted his fist, the beam of fire dissipating. Upon thorough inspection, he found the hand that just wielded the might of fire was left completely unharmed. The zombies at the end of the hall staggered around hurriedly, their bodies engulfed in flame, eventually collapsing onto the ground motionless. "...Guess that's what they do." Pit noted. Captain N nodded, looking to the opposite hand. He then looked to a torch on a nearby wall and extended his left hand in a similar manner. This motion was met with a white beam of freezing ice shooting from his fist, extinguishing the torch and encasing it in half an inch of ice. Captain N looked at his hands, suddenly feeling much more powerful than before. "Incredible..." Zelda reacted, slightly awestruck. "I'll have to see what those are constructed of!" She declared. "Yeah, yeah, you can do that all you want once we've escaped Dracula's bachelor pad." Falco impatiently replied.

"Indeed, now as for the way out, that will be more troublesome." Zelda glumly noted. "We've surely alerted countless minions of Dracula, and I've been unable to reach Simon with my magic. We can only fight through the monsters before us and hope Simon is still managing."

"Hey, come on, the four of us? We can handle those guys." Captain N spoke up, feeling more empowered as he clutched the two devices. "Yeah! I've fought monsters like those no problem!" Pit added. Zelda looked to Falco for his opinion on the matter. Falco simply drew his blaster and said "Bring 'em on.". Satisfied with the group's optimism, Zelda refocused her senses, searching for an exit path. Not too long after she began, Captain N could hear the shambling of more armed skeletons quickly approaching the group. He and Pit swiftly made their way over to the corner, waiting for the group to get close enough to engage. Zelda tried to ignore the incoming foes, focusing her magic further. Just as the skeletons were about to round the corner and find the group, Captain N suddenly jumped out his cover and pointed his two fists at them, shooting beams of fire and ice at the monsters. The two beams created a bright light in combination with each other, making Captain N squint as he incinerated the skeletons. After a few moments of maintaining his blast, he let up. Regaining his vision, his sight was met with a smoldering pile of remains where the skeletons once were. "Try to leave some for the rest of us." Pit jokingly suggested, earning a slight chuckle from Captain N. Falco was about to make another remark, but Zelda beat him to it. "Got it! Follow me!" She exclaimed, running in front of Pit and Captain N, who all quickly followed her back through Castlevania.

Chapter Text

His exhaustion catching up to him, Captain N tried his hardest to keep up with Zelda and the others. He could feel his legs grow weaker the more he ran throughout the dark, Gothic halls of Castlevania. Waking up so early in New Leaf Town, spending all day hiking through hills and valleys, and only reaching Dracula's castle at nightfall pushed his physicality farther than ever before. Zelda, Pit and Falco showed no such weariness. Still clutching the strange, new devices, Captain N felt his body scream at him for a break, to stop for a few minutes and catch his breath. He only shook these thoughts away, his determination shining through. He slowly drifted behind Falco and Zelda, but Pit remained by his side, running at the same pace. He stumbled more and more trying to match his teammate's pace around corners and up stairways. One corner hid an ornate vase placed on a wooden stand, which Captain N didn't see coming. He ran right into the stand, knocked over the vase, and fell to the ground, the vase shattering next to him. Pit was quick to help him back up, hoisting him back up after wrapping his arms around Captain N's arm. "You okay, Cap'n?" Pit asked. Captain N swallowed his desire to express his current state of being, choosing to respond with "Yeah, I'll make it.". Their little conversation was cut short by Falco hissing at them from across the hall, motioning them over to him and Zelda. As Pit and Captain N joined the two, the group hid behind a corner, with Zelda peering out from cover. "There's a group of axe-wielding knights ahead, I believe we should approach this carefully." Zelda whispered to the team, not taking her eyes off the unsuspecting enemies. "Why? Captain N could probably take them down no problem." Pit whispered back. "Indeed, he could, but recklessness is hardly a viable strategy." Zelda retorted. "You guys can talk strategy all you want once we're outta here." Falco interrupted. "Yeah, leave it to me." Captain N agreed, carefully moving next to Zelda to eye up the opposition. His sight was met with five animated sets of black knight armor, all wielding rather intimidating axes. None of them detected the presence of the four intruders but were approaching them to investigate the sound of the broken vase. "What's your plan, Cap'n?" Pit quietly asked him. After a moment's consideration, Captain N readied the light blue device. "Their armor's made of metal, which could turn brittle and shatter when exposed to a low enough temperature." He explained. "Hop to it then!" Falco nudged him slightly. Taking a few deep breaths and mentally psyching himself up, Captain N finally stepped out of cover, startling the axe men. Before they could recover from their surprise, he let another ferocious beam of ice loose from the device, immediately neutralizing the threats. Their axes fell to the ground pathetically, as the axe men became encased in a quarter-inch thick layer of ice. Letting up, Captain N stepped back and signaled to the three that the coast is clear. Falco and Pit checked out the frozen axe men while Zelda searched the various, dimly lit paths for where to go next.

"Well done, Cap'n!" Pit congratulated him, who blushed slightly from the praise. "Hey, this thing did most of the work." Captain N humbly admitted. Falco quickly struck the frozen axe men with strong kicks, immediately shattering them as their metal armor clanked to the ground. "See? Captain N can handle himself." Falco reiterated to Zelda. "I can see that, Lombardi." Zelda bluntly responded, more focused on finding the path forward out of three possible hallways. "Her majesty doesn't sound very grateful, does she?" Falco quietly remarked to Captain N. "I'm sure she'll come around." He jokingly responded, making sure to avoid having her overhear. "Follow me, quickly!" Zelda suddenly spoke up, running down the hall to the left before giving the group any kind of warning. Feeling more invigorated, Captain N was more able to keep up with Pit, Falco and Zelda, weaving more deftly through the halls and around corners. His Zapper was securely holstered in his right pocket as he held the two devices tight in his grip while he ran. Zelda seemed to have a much stronger sense of where an escape is, moving with much more determination and precision. Whenever one of Dracula's minions would jump out to attack, they were quickly struck down by a quick blast of either fire or ice from Captain N. Falco and Pit provided support from the rear, nailing shots on any skeleton or monster that happens to sneak up on the group from behind.

Soon enough, the four found themselves in a grand yet empty dance hall, with all the tables and chairs stacked neatly off to the side. "Why don't we jump out the window we came in through?" Falco asked, noticing they've strayed from the path they initially entered. "Too risky, Dracula's forces are out in greater number, they'll be expecting us there. I've found a more feasible path for us to exit through." Zelda elaborated. "What about Simon? Shouldn't we regroup with him?" Captain N asked. "I wouldn't worry about him, this isn't his first rodeo with Dracula." Falco waved off. "Yeah, I bet he's already defeated that monster!" Pit agreed. Zelda remained quiet, clearly wrestling with herself on whether to press on or find Simon. "...Shouldn't we at least look for him?" Captain N asked. "We do that, it gives those creepy-crawlies a better opportunity to trap us here." Falco replied. "What about you, Princess? Can't you reach out to him telepathically?" Captain N turned to her. After a few moments of frustration, Zelda shook her head. "I'm not getting any kind of response from him." She answered shamefully. Captain N gulped slightly, worried further by her response. "...Well, maybe he got away? Doesn't your mind reading have a range?" Pit asked Zelda. "...Perhaps, it's unlikely, but Simon could have already escaped, and this place is keeping me from reaching out to him." Zelda agreed. "And you DO have an escape route, right?" Falco asked further. "Correct, but it's more... unconventional." Zelda admitted. "Pretty much everything I've seen these past three days could be described as unconventional, Princess." Captain N spoke up. "But we're ready! Right, guys?" Pit assured, nudging Falco and Captain N. "Yeah, totally." Captain N agreed, with Falco providing only a nod in agreement. Just then, the sound of countless monsters could be heard approaching from the doorway the team entered through. "Then lead on, Princess!" Pit cheered. Zelda quickly regained her bearings and immediately set off up a nearby grand staircase. Just as the door was flung open by the zombies, Captain N threw another beam of fire their way, immediately scorching the mob to a crisp.

The journey throughout Castlevania continued to higher and high elevation. Stairway after stairway, Zelda maintained an air of confidence in her stride, Falco, Pit and Captain N following closely behind. With the majority of his adrenaline rush from wielding the powers of the elements gone, Captain N felt his exhaustion come crawling back to him. The relentless, energetic demeanor of his three allies was only salt in the metaphorical wound. Axe men, haunted knights, skeletons and more bats would swoop down from the shadows but were quickly eliminated. Falco and Pit proved to be more skilled, with Captain N growing clumsier and more sluggish. In attempting to broil a nearby zombie, one of the errant ashes flying from the blaze almost landed on Captain N's sleeve. Frantically waving away the fire hazard, Falco blasted the zombie away. "Remind me to get you a bucket of cold water." Pit remarked, getting a nod of agreement from Captain N. Falco couldn't squeeze in another one of his witty remarks in trying to keep up with Zelda, quickly joined by Pit and Captain N. Pushing open a large set of doors found the group in a long hallways decorated with sets of armor encased in glass. The eerie silence directly contrasted against the hectic struggle from the lower floors as the four carefully made their way through the room. But as Zelda passed one, it suddenly sprung to life, crashing through the case and knocking her over with a strong strike to the head. Before the others could react, three other suits of armor ambushed them. Captain N tried to respond with another blast from the devices, but the two devices were knocked out of his hands by the armor restraining him, its arms locked under his. Even Pit and Falco struggled in trying to escape the armor's grasp, as Zelda tried in vain to wriggle free. Remembering his primary weapon, Captain N's hand quickly shot to his pocket, drew the Zapper, aimed it behind his head and blasted the armor in the helmet, the armor set collapsing onto the floor with an empty clanking. Regaining his footing, Captain N hastily closed his left eye, steadied his breath, aimed and fired at the suits of armor holding his allies hostage. As the suits of armor broke apart, Zelda got back on her feet, helping up Pit as Falco waved off her offered help and got up on his own. "Nice shot, Captain." Falco complimented. "I couldn't just leave you to those deadly outfits, could I?" Captain N remarked, picking his two-colored devices up off the floor and stuffing them in the back pockets of his jeans. "Behind you!" Zelda suddenly exclaimed, pointing behind Captain N. Swiveling around, Captain N found three more suits of armor approaching him, this time wielding spears. Stumbling back, he clumsily aimed and fired at the attackers. His following shots were less graceful, each set of armor taking two or three hits to go down. Another one was about to sneak up on Captain N, but Falco quickly shot it to pieces before it could reach him. "...I had him." Captain N sheepishly stated, which Falco met with rolled eyes. "Sure you did, Cap." He remarked with a sting of sarcasm in his voice. "Save it for later!" Pit yelled to the two, with Zelda blasting away two more sets of armor with her magic. "More of them will regroup soon, we must hurry!" She added, pulling open another large door.

As soon as she opened the door, the group was met with a strong gust of the cold air of night. Adjusting his eyes, Captain N found that on the other side of the door led to a large, open staircase leading to a chamber above. The crescent moon hung magnificently in the night sky, seeming much larger than before as it illuminated the night sky. "So we jump out from here?" Falco asked Zelda. Shaking her head, Zelda eyed the chamber ahead. "There should be a safer escape in there." She explained.

"There SHOULD be?" Falco interrogated.

"Hey, hey, before we start arguing again, I say it's worth a shot!" Pit interjected, determined to avoid another argument.

Falco stopped himself from responding, deciding to not prod further.

"...You wouldn't happen to know where Dracula is, would you?" Captain N asked Zelda, who racked her head trying to focus her magic.

"Unfortunately not, he's shrouded by a dark and mysterious force, I couldn't detect him even when he was right in front of us." Zelda answered.

Captain N nodded, sticking the Zapper back in his pocket while stepping towards the staircase. Falco only groaned in annoyance.

"Come on! Onward and upward!" Pit declared, quickly ascending the staircase. Captain N and Zelda followed him close behind, with Falco ascending the staircase backwards, eyeing the doorway for any monsters that may have been following them. Captain N couldn't help but feel an ominous feeling growing in his stomach as he conquered one stone step at a time. The cold breeze only grew colder the higher up he went, making him hold his arms close to his chest to conserve heat. A nearby clock tower had four gargoyles presiding over the four corners at the top, which thankfully stayed inanimate throughout the team's ascent. It took slightly longer than initially expected, but the four found themselves in front of the grand doorway. Captain N tried to push the doors open on his own, but their large, bulky nature proved too much for him. Hearing Falco snicker slightly, Captain N was about to get the red device out to burn a hole through the door, but Zelda quickly stopped him. "Perhaps you're getting too eager to use your new tools." She remarked. "Yeah, using these things are way too much fun." He admitted with a slight smile. Zelda only took in a deep breath, focused her palms out, and summoning her magic, slowly pushed the massive, imposing doors open.

As the light from the moon filled the chamber, the interior was revealed to contain a coffin on the far end of the room, surrounded by ornate stained-glass windows that reached to the ceiling. The stone interior only accentuated the cold temperature, sending another shiver down Captain N's spine. But what was found right in front of the group in the center of the room was a large, masculine figure tightly bound by chains. Pit quickly ran over and split his bow into two blades to hastily cut away at the restraints before anyone could object. After hacking away, the chains fell limp and unraveled on the floor, revealing an unconscious Simon Belmont. "Simon!? But does that mean-" Pit started, but was harshly interrupted by the doors suddenly slamming shut behind the group. Jumping at the sudden, loud noise, Captain N stepped closer to Falco and Zelda, the room swallowed in near darkness. The candles, torches and chandelier then lit on their own, emanating a mystic fire from their wicks. Behind Simon stood a large, dark, ominous figure idly holding a wine glass. As the light from the candles slowly filled the room, the four intruders were met with the unimpressed visage of Dracula himself.

"I honestly, truly did not believe it would be this easy to capture you all." Dracula admitted slyly, swirling around the wine in its glass. "The Belmont was easy to ambush, what with all the ruckus he was making." The four stepped back, readying themselves for combat at a moment's notice. "What are you talking about, creep?" Falco asked, irritation in his voice rising. "Oh, come now. Surely her majesty knew her abilities wouldn't triumph over mine in my own domain." Dracula elaborated, motioning to Zelda. An ashamed look fell over Zelda's face as she slightly stepped back speechless, realizing she lured everyone into this trap. "You there." Dracula turned to Captain N. "You're the only one I don't recognize. I'm well aware of the Princess of Hyrule, Palutena's best guard and the ace of Star Fox, but your identity escapes me." Dracula went on. Captain N cleared his throat before addressing him in return. "Wh-What can I say, I'm kind of new around here." He managed to stammer out, summoning the strength to speak directly to such an imposing threat. Dracula chuckled softly before replying.

"Ah yes, you must be the predestined one Kamek has told me much about."

Captain N gulped before speaking up again.

"The name's Captain N." He introduced himself.

"What were you doing in my humble abode, Captain N?" Dracula asked him, adding an extra emphasis to his name. Carefully reaching to his back pockets, he gripped the two devices and quickly whipped them out at Dracula. "Getting these!" He shouted, channeling his inner action hero before blasting Dracula with two elemental beams. Dracula was caught off guard by this, and fell to the ground with a load groan, still gripping his glass of wine. Pit and Falco slowly circled Dracula as he slowly got back up. "Is that so? Perhaps this castle holds more than even I knew." Dracula spoke up, standing back up. "You're going down, monster!" Pit shouted, firing an arrow at his opponent. Dracula was more prepared this time, and deflected the arrow aside. "Very well then, have at you!" Dracula declared, tossing the wine glass aside.

Captain N immediately ran back and crouched down to let off another fire blast. While Dracula avoided this, Falco was able to dash aside and place a few shots on the vampire. Pit quickly joined the fray, allowing Zelda enough clearance to get to Simon, still lying on the ground. Dracula idly tossed a few spheres of dark energy towards Captain N, who was able to avoid all but one of the attacks, crumpling onto the floor. Pit and Falco stayed on opposite sides of Dracula, who managed to keep up with both their attacks at once. Getting back up, Captain N drew his Zapper and fired a few shots at Dracula, running side to side. Zelda summoned her power and imbued Simon with part of her magic, bringing him back to consciousness. Jerking awake, Simon rolled to the side to get a view of the situation. "It's Dracula, he-" He started to explain, but was quickly interrupted by Zelda. "We know, we were lured here as well." She replied. Simon quickly got back on his feet and drew his whip. "Leave this to me." He bluntly stated, running over to join the three before she could protest. Zelda stayed a further distance away while Captain N slowly got closer as he shot his Zapper at Dracula more. The vampire proved to be a worthy opponent, swiftly avoiding or blocking nearly every attack from the five challengers. Throwing his cape around himself, Dracula suddenly transformed into a swarm of bats, swirling around the group to make them lose their steadiness. Captain N and Pit dove behind cover, hiding from the bats as Falco and Simon maintained their footing.

Reforming as one, Dracula then summoned pillars of fire to shoot up from the floor and nearly incinerate his enemies. "Geez, is this guy ever gonna go down!?" Falco exclaimed, exasperated. "Escape now! I can handle him!" Simon insisted, running up to confront Dracula. As he was knocked down by another one of Dracula's dark energy blasts, Pit protested with "We're not leaving you here!". Simon's experience clearly matched Dracula's, his whip strikes swift and precise enough to stagger his opponent. "Captain N has his weapon, you all need to leave now!" Simon stated again. Zelda was about to resist this offer, but Falco spoke up. "He's right, you know! He's got this!" Falco insisted. Captain N remained hiding behind a nearby column, not ready to leave yet. As scared as he was, he found it too cowardly to run away now. Gripping the Zapper with a shaky hand, he could feel his heart race, peering from behind cover to fire at Dracula. "Come now, don't leave us when it's starting to get interesting." Dracula taunted, backing up against the stained glass windows. Simon then ran over and with a single, mighty kick, knocked open the doors descending back down into Castlevania. "Escape while you can!" Simon ordered as the cold air billowed in. Captain N peered out from cover to the night sky, Zelda and Falco near the doorway. Pit suddenly swooped down from circling Dracula and hooked his arms under Captain N's, clumsily carrying him over to the doorway. "We gotta go NOW!" Pit exclaimed to Captain N and Zelda as Simon kept Dracula busy. With one last worrying glance over to the battle, Zelda nodded and spoke up with a reluctant "Alright, you win.". Captain N knew there was no winning this argument, and nodded, relenting. Dracula could tell they were about to escape, and transformed back into a swarm of bats to prevent them from leaving. As the four stumbled back out of the chamber, Simon raced over and slammed the door shut, yelling "Godspeed, Captain N!" from beyond the doorway before going back to battling Dracula.

Zelda didn't trust her senses in finding an escape, just leading the group back to the initial entryway from memory alone. Her memory proved adequate as she led the team racing back through the halls. The four completely ignored the monsters guarding the hallways, sprinting past them desperate to escape. Captain N felt like his legs were about to fall off from all the exertion, but he persisted nonetheless. After a few minutes of frantic running, the four burst through the doors to the dining room, spotting the broken glass representing their escape. Falco leapt out onto the ground, landing squarely on his feet on the grass below. Zelda followed him with a more graceful descent thanks to her magic cushioning her impact, and before he could protest, Captain N found himself hoisted off his feet by Pit, who carried him back onto the grassy ground of the forest outside the castle walls. Not long after the four regrouped, a deep rumbling could be heard coming from inside the walls, and Castlevania collapsed into a massive cloud of mist.

Chapter Text

As the massive cloud of mist dissipated, the four were left with a view of only a wide grass field where Castlevania once was. Captain N anxiously searched the area, finding naught but trees surrounding him and the lake from before. "What happened to Castlevania?" He pants, his heart still racing from the adrenaline rush as he turned back to face his allies. "That's what happens when Dracula's defeated." Pit casually replied, Falco leaning against a nearby tree and Zelda pacing slightly. Captain N tried to process this answer, taking in the idea that an entire castle could vanish into thin air. "Well... what about Simon? Is he dead?" He asked. "I doubt it. He's fought Dracula before, he found a way to safety every time he did." Falco answered. Captain N wanted to protest this casual dismissal of his fate, but decided to go along with Falco's answer, figuring he knew more than him. Being able to stand still for more than a few moments without a monster of some sort attacking him made his exhaustion return in force. Failing to suppress a loud yawn, Captain N covered his mouth as he arched his back. He carefully sat down on the grass, rubbing his eyes. The cool, soft sensation of countless blades of grass against his hands provided a much welcome contrast to the dark, imposing halls of Dracula's castle. His exhaustion soon overtook him, and Captain N slid onto his back, lying flat on the ground. "Been looking forward to that, haven't you?" Pit remarked, smirking. "How can you all keep going like that?" Captain N groaned, his eyes still closed. "We're just ready for anything at a moment's notice! Right, team?" Pit beamed, turning to Falco and Zelda. "Yeah, you could say that." Falco replied. Zelda didn't provide a similar confirmation, still pacing about. Captain N noticed this and leaned up to see her. "You okay, Princess?" He asked her, suddenly getting her attention. Snapping back to reality, Zelda sighed exasperatedly, hanging her head. "I led us into that trap. I almost got us all killed." She glumly noted. "My carelessness almost tarnished our only hope for defeating those three kings.

"Hey, come on, don't be so hard on yourself!" Pit quickly interjected. "We'd have been hopelessly lost without your guidance! And we all made it out!"

Zelda rubbed her eyes, feeling her exhaustion creep up on her.

"But I should have known better. I should have been able to overcome Dracula's magic."

Captain N fully sat up, mentally stirring over how best to respond in the midst of his exhausted state. "I think it's safe to say none of us were ready for confronting Dracula. Maybe Simon was, but certainly not Pit, Falco or I." He eventually spoke up, making Falco roll his eyes slightly. "But none of us could do what you can do. On my home world, magic's the stuff of fiction. I can't do what you can do, and it looks like Falco and Pit can't either. Without your guidance, we'd have been completely lost in those halls. I know I would have been."

Zelda wasn't entirely swayed, shaking her head.

"I can't afford to have my abilities fail me. Not when so much is at stake. Not again."

Captain N was silenced after that line, not knowing what she could be referring to, but certainly not wanting to prod that sore spot any further. Pit didn't want the day to end on a dour note, so he awkwardly cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So, uh, what do we do now?"

"Well, since Peach's Castle and Castlevania have been successfully plundered, I say we head for a third castle. Question is: where is that third castle?" Falco offered, not having moved from leaning on the same tree." Zelda's mood only fell further, a certain place coming to mind that she'd rather not think of. Captain N felt uneasy sitting on the grass, being unable to offer any kind of suggestion as to where to head to next. The collective silence shared by the group was filled only by each person brainstorming a possible destination. "Maybe Palutena or Raiden know where we should go?" Captain N suggested. "We can't, I haven't been able to telepathically reach Lady Palutena since we set off, so she and Lord Raiden are probably super busy with protecting Princess Peach. Plus, if we go back there, you could be caught in the crossfire and destroyed by one of the king's forces." Pit glumly noted, idly kicking a nearby rock. Captain N exhaled defeated, not knowing what else to suggest. Knowing that progress would have to be made regardless of how she felt, Zelda swallowed her hesitation before speaking up.

"There's-"

"Suzaku Castle!" Pit suddenly interrupted, beaming with an "a-ha!" expression. Zelda sighed a slight breath of relief, for once grateful to be interrupted. "Suzaku Castle? Really?" Falco incredulously replied, raising an eyebrow at Pit. "Why not? It's super old, and I bet it could hold the third weapon!" Pit went on. "What's Suzaku Castle?" Captain N asked, perking up at the prospect of progress. "It's supposedly a hidden castle that dates back over three hundred years! Rumor has it that's where Ken Masters and even Ryu himself were trained!" Pit eagerly explained. Captain N nodded along, hiding his lack of knowledge on the two mentioned. "It's also not real." Falco bluntly interjected.

"You don't know that!" Pit shot back.

"Oh come on, you can't prove it's real either. Yamajiro's been fully mapped out ages ago, if Suzaku Castle was out there, we would have found it by now." Falco explained.

"You mean like Castlevania?"

"That's different, and you know it."

Captain N got up and walked between the two in an attempt to break up the argument. "Guys, I've seen things these past couple days that I would have called impossible last week, from fighting Dracula in his teleporting castle to teaming up with a princess, angel and bird-guy. I say if Ken or Ryu were supposedly trained there, then I'm sure they'd be willing to tell us where it is if they knew what we're trying to do." He interjected. "That's the spirit!" Pit cheered, eager to have a supporter. "What say you, Princess?" He asked Zelda, who remained quiet throughout. Biting her lip before responding, she looked up to address them. "Captain N is right, surely we can find a way to locate Suzaku Castle, where the third weapon would surely be." She added, much to Pit's approval. "We're gonna be wasting our time." Falco muttered. "Well, do you have any better ideas?" Captain N asked him. Falco had one particular castle in mind, but upon meeting Zelda's expression, silently requesting he remain silent, he sighed and answered with "No, I don't."

"Well, then it's settled! Next stop: Suzaku Castle!" Pit cheered. "So how do we get there?" Captain N asked Pit. Pit's chipper mood fell somewhat at that question. "Well... hey Zelda, can't you use your magic to find it?" He asked her. Zelda shook her head. "Magic was used multiple times in the past to map out Yamajiro, and Suzaku Castle wasn't found at any point during the process." She explained, making Falco respond with a slightly smug noise. "What about Ryu or Ken? If they know, where can we find them?" Captain N followed up. Pit put a finger to his chin, trying to come up with what he'd last heard of the two. "Well... Ken's on honeymoon with his fiancé Eliza somewhere, and Ryu's preparing for the World Warrior Tournament in New Donk City." Pit answered. "So, that's where we should go!" Captain N declared, boldly standing up, then awkwardly turning back to the group and asking "...Do we know how to get there?". "There is a warp pipe from the Mushroom Kingdom to New Donk City, but it's much longer than the pipe to New Leaf Town." Zelda informed him. "Not to mention we'll likely encounter heavier forces from the three kings along the way." "But that's nothing Captain N the chosen one can't handle, right?" Falco spoke up. Captain N paused for a moment, reflecting on the increased risk with continuing the adventure. Feeling he shouldn't leave Falco hanging, he puffed up his chest and responded with a confident "Yeah, no worries.". Pit hummed happily, and Zelda slightly nodded.

"Say, how come you know so much about these Ryu and Ken guys?" Captain N asked Pit. "Because they're two of the greatest martial artists in the world! Those guys are the only two masters of the ancient martial art Ansatsuken" Pit excitedly explained. "You gotta see them fight sometime, it's awesome!". "I'll add it to the to-do list." Captain N chuckled. "There's one more problem." Falco spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "What's that?" Captain N asked him. "Her." He answered, pointing at Zelda. "Me?" Zelda asked, semi-offended. "Yeah, you're too recognizable. If we go casually strolling through somewhere like New Donk City with the Princess of Hyrule, it could end up attracting more trouble than we want." Falco explained. Zelda sighed, followed with a "That's true. Perhaps I could fashion a disguise of sorts.". Captain N nodded in agreement, sitting back down on the grass. "You sure? You wouldn't rather guide us from Peach's Castle? We don't want you to get caught in more trouble than you can manage." Pit carefully suggested. "No, I can't. I've done enough waiting around in that castle and I'm not going to idly stand by as the battle is taken to those three brutes!" Zelda was quick to defend, sitting straight up. Pit shrunk back slightly, holding his hands up in defense. "Sorry, sorry, just trying to help!" He defended himself. Zelda sighed and hung her head. "I'm sorry, Pit." She apologized. Pit waved it off with a "Hey, no worries." to go with it.

"So, what're you gonna call those things?" Falco asked Captain N, motioning to the two devices in his back pockets. "What do you mean?" Captain N asked in return. "You called that thing the Zapper, I was wondering if you came up with an equally cute name for those things you stole from Dracula." Falco elaborated. Remembering what he came here for, Captain N took the devices out of his pockets and inspected them in his hands. Taking in the oppositely colored nature of the two, he mulled over several possible names in his head before answering. "Well, I don't know, how about... the fire and ice... boosters?" He asked, as if to expect disapproval from his cohorts. Falco snicked slightly at the name. "Boosters?" he asked, amused. "I think it sounds cool!" Captain N defended himself, clutching the boosters. "Okaaaaaaay." Falco teased. "Ignore him, I think it's a good name!" Pit chimed in. "Thanks, Pit." Captain N laughed slightly. "You're the last to voice your opinion, your majesty." Captain N joked, turning to Zelda. She smirked slightly, shrugging indifferently. "Of all the matters present, the name you assign to your weapons isn't exactly of the highest importance to me." She answered. Shrugging, Captain N looked around and spotted a branch on a distant tree across the bank of the lake, only barely holding on to the trunk. Getting an idea, he placed the boosters back in his pockets and drew his Zapper as he stood up. "Betcha I could hit that branch from here." He offered, closing his left eye and aiming at the branch. "You sure about that?" Falco asked smugly. Captain N didn't reply, steadying his breath. Eventually, he held his breath and pulled the trigger. The bolt of light shot from the Zapper whizzed by the branch, disappearing into the forest. Letting his hand fall to his side, Captain N hung his head, annoyed. "Nice shot." Falco complimented sarcastically. This earned him a smack from Pit, but Captain N ignored him, sucking in a large breath of crisp air and aiming again. Aiming, focusing his breath, and pulling the trigger resulted in missing the branch again. "Want me to help?" Falco offered, which Captain N quickly waved off. "Are you confident you'd rather wile the night away firing upon a hapless tree, or would you rather get some sleep?" Zelda asked him, already knowing his answer. With an incredibly loud yawn, Captain N answered her with "Yeah, that's a good idea.".

Collapsing onto the grass, Captain N relished the surprisingly soft sensation of the ground. "But what if someone finds us here all defenseless?" Pit asked her. "I'll get a mental alert if someone draws within a mile of us, which is unlikely given our location." Zelda explained, which helped ease Pit's nerve. Falco sat down against a tree, feeling sleepiness overcome him. "Wait, before we all fall asleep, let's hear it for Simon Belmont, who, without his expertise, we would have been unable to conquer Castlevania." Captain N sleepily declared, lifting his head from the group as to not muffle his voice. With a slight laugh, the group shared a "hurrah!" in honor of Simon, jabbing their fists in the air in unison. "May we encounter him again in our journeys." Zelda added. "Well said!" Pit congratulated her. Everyone adjusted themselves on the grass to get as comfortable as they could for a good night's sleep. Captain N removed his varsity jacket to use as a makeshift cover, using a pile of grass as a pillow. "Goodnight, team." He sleepily said to the three, which he was barely able to do before slipping off into the abyss of another night's sleep, this time without the sting of homesickness.

Chapter Text

The first of the group to wake from their slumber was Captain N. As he groggily regained his bearings and remembered he slept on the grass previously occupied by Castlevania, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Glancing around, he found Pit, Falco and Zelda still lost in slumberland. Pit laid splayed out on the ground, Falco slept propped up against a tree and Zelda maintained her regal demeanor even in her slumber. Captain N slowly and quietly got up onto his feet, further surveying the area. The sun was only just visible over the lush tree line, transforming the scenery from a dark, foreboding maze of fauna to a lush and vibrant forest. Morning dew formed on the grass and leaves, save for the patches of grass taken up by the four. Captain N stepped away from the four, stretching his arms with a deep groan. With the occasional sound of birds chirping and the gentle breeze brushing through the tree branches, he gratefully drank in this rare moment of peace and tranquility in the middle of such a chaotic few days. The chill of the early hours still haunted the air, so he picked his varsity jacket up off the ground, shook the few stray blades of grass off it and put it back on. Patting his jacket down, his heart skipped a beat when he felt a familiar rectangular shape in his right jeans pocket. Hastily removing the object from his pocket, he found himself holding his phone. His heart racing, he impatiently pressed the power button on the side, but to no avail. His heart sinking, Captain N surmised that the battery died in between being transported to Yamajiro and now. He sighed in defeat, knowing that the hope of recharging his phone is scant in such a strange and foreign world. He sat down on a large rock nearby, still clutching his phone as if he was expecting it to dissipate like Dracula's castle. How long was he gone on Earth, he wondered to himself. Three days? A couple hours? Did anyone even know he went missing yet? Surely his mom or dad would have tried texting, but would anyone else worry? His cousin might, MAYBE a couple of his lab partners whose numbers he acquired to communicate during a group project, but that's all. Captain N sighed to himself, idly rubbing the smooth, near flawless screen of his phone. Everyone back home was probably too busy celebrating Jeremiah Coleman getting another touchdown, or Kimberly Sparks submitting another award-winning art piece to notice that he went missing. The more his mind ran through these thoughts, the heavier the tear in his eye felt.

"Whatcha got there?" Suddenly came Pit's voice, snapping Captain N out of his depressing train of thought. He tried to mask his true emotions towards the phone with a casual shrug, answering with "My phone.". Pit squinted his eyes a bit, walking over to get a better look at Captain N's phone. "Something from your home world?" He asked him, getting a simple "Yep." in response. Pit sat down next to him, further analyzing the strangely simple device. "...What does it do?" Pit asked. Captain N chuckled a bit, never having expected to have to explain the details of something so omnipresent in his home world. "It lets you communicate with people far away, get information from anywhere near instantly, take pictures and videos, write down notes, play music, and pretty much everything else you'd need it to do." He explained, Pit inquisitively nodding along. "How does it work?" Pit asked further. Captain N laughed a bit, shrugging. "I don't know, I didn't build the thing." He remarked, his mood having lifted somewhat. "It looks kinda like the Sheikah Slate." Pit noted. "...'Sheikah Slate'?" Captain N repeated, confused. Pit smacked his head, remembering who he was talking to. "Oh yeah, you don't know about that yet. If you ask Princess Zelda, she'll- actually, you better not." He quickly stopped himself. Captain N was more confused than before but knew better than to prod further. "You wanna show off how it works?" Asked Pit. Captain N shook his head. "Can't. Battery's dead." He explained, hoping Pit knew what that meant. Pit groaned a bit. "Dang, that's never fun." He noted.

"Good morning to you guys too." Falco grumbled, still lying on the ground. "We just didn't want to disturb your beauty sleep, that's all." Captain N joked, eliciting slight snickering from Pit. Falco rolled his eyes as he got up, arching his back with a groan. Zelda woke up soon after, roused slightly by the conversation. "I assume everyone slept soundly last night." She said, sitting up as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Captain N didn't, really. Sleeping on the ground covered only by his jacket proved far less than ideal. Hiding this, he nodded along with Falco and Pit as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Well, good, as we've a long day ahead of us. We'll have to return to New Leaf Town before making our way to the warp zone in the Mushroom Kingdom." She instructed as she got up and made her outfit more presentable. "Speaking of which, how are they doing? The town wasn't attacked while we were dealing with Dracula, was it?" Captain N asked. "Thankfully not. From what I can sense, they've been as safe as when we left." Zelda answered. Feeling a slight feeling of relief, Captain N looked across the lake to the path they initially traversed through. "We all feeling ready?" Captain N asked the group. "Yep!" Pit eagerly answered. "Ready when you are, Cap'n." Falco spoke up, adjusting the blaster at his side. Zelda only nodded in agreement, closing her eyes as she drew upon her magic to conjure the path back to New Leaf Town. It took a moment, but she finally opened her eyes back up, eyeing a specific opening between a pair of trees on the other side of the lake. "Follow me." She instructed, taking the lead. "Wait, I gotta do something." Captain N suddenly spoke up just as Pit and Falco started walking. "What is it?" Falco asked with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice. Captain N didn't answer that question, instead searching the nearby tree line. Finding the same branch from last night, he drew his Zapper from his pocket, aimed at the branch, steadied his breath, closed his right eye, and pulled the trigger. Opening his eye back up and assessing the tree, he found that the branch fell to the ground, slightly smoldering near the end where he aimed for. A smile growing across his face, Captain N pumped his fist and cheered "First try!". Zelda let out a slight laugh from his display. "Nicely done, Captain!" cheered Pit. "Yeah, yeah, great stuff, care to get going now?" Falco asked, humoring Captain N. Clutching the Zapper, Captain N nodded, rejoining the three as they began the trek.

The day felt more welcoming as the four traversed the land. Captain N felt much more at ease as he hiked, due to the fact that they're heading towards a familiar and friendly town, as opposed to the mysterious castle of Dracula himself. However, the absence of Simon Belmont made the group feel slightly more empty. Despite Falco's assurance that he made it out alright, Captain N couldn't help but worry about his well-being. Hopefully he'll run into him again sometime in the near future. Conversation was light between the group as they hiked over the grassy hills and through wide valleys. Zelda remained focused on following the correct path, still rattled by Dracula's manipulation in Castlevania despite there being no similar forces overshadowing them now. Falco exuded an aura of annoyance which Captain N picked up, which he surmised had to do with not being able to fly his Arwing back to town. Which reminded him of a question he'd been meaning to ask.

"Hey Pit, can't you fly?" He asked, making Pit feel immediately uneasy. "Uh... kind of?" He awkwardly answered. Instilling only confusion in Captain N, he followed up with "What do you mean? You flew me to Peach's Castle and inside Castlevania.". "It's, uh, tricky actually. Even though I've got wings, I can only really FLY when Lady Palutena's directly helping me. Other times I can just kind of "boost" a little bit." He explained, making Falco roll his eyes. Captain N nodded, knowing that being flown across the sky was a little too much to ask for. "Well.. what about you?" Captain N asked Falco. "...What about me?" Falco asked in return. "Can you, you know... fly?" Captain N clarified. Falco let out an annoyed sound and responded with "No, I can't. Not without my Arwing.". Realizing he should have known this already, Captain N felt flustered realizing how that was kind of a dumb question. "Look!" Zelda suddenly spoke up, pointing at a nearby tree. Upon closer inspection, Captain N and Pit found the tree was populated with plump, ripe orange fruits hanging from the branches. "It's incredibly rare we find a tree of Wumpa Fruit outside the Wumpa Islands!" She excitedly explained, examining the fruits. "Looks like we found lunch." Falco noted, followed with Captain N feeling a rumbling emptiness in his stomach upon hearing food mentioned. "Allow me." Zelda stated, raising her hands at the fruit in the tree. Shortly after, four of the Wumpa Fruits were delicately removed from the branches and floated down to each of the four's pairs of hands. Taking it in his grasp, Captain N noted the firm yet slightly soft texture of the fruit. He looked back to Pit and Falco, waiting for them to take the first bite of their fruits. After Pit's initial bite was followed with a sound of him enjoying the fruit, Captain N took a careful bite of his fruit. His senses were immediately rewarded with this action, as the fruit tasted incredibly sweet, with the juices seeping out of the newly-made opening. The taste was difficult to place further than that, not being comparable to peaches or mangoes or any other fruit he ate back on Earth. His sense of taste, his brain and his stomach voted unanimously to continue eating, which he quickly obliged to, greedily scarfing down the Wumpa Fruit. "You don't have these on Earth, do you?" Pit asked, which he answered by shaking his head. Falco and Zelda ate theirs slower and more carefully, in direct contrast to Pit and Captain N. The fruit disappeared into Captain N's stomach disappointingly soon, left with only a sticky mess on his hands and mouth area. "Looks like Cap approves." Falco smirked at the display. Slightly flustered, he cleaned himself up as best he could to make himself presentable. With a slight giggle, Zelda floated two more Wumpa Fruits down to Captain N, which he graciously accepted with a polite "Thank you, Princess.". The three only had just finished their first fruits, whereupon they were granted two more fruits by Zelda. "I'm confident you gentlemen can eat and walk at the same time, so we should continue our journey." Zelda instructed. With a mouthful of Wumpa Fruit, Captain N could only respond with a less-than-polite "Mm-hm.". Pit nodded along with a hearty "We sure can!". Falco agreed with a determined "Yeah, let's move it.", stowing his fruits under his arms. Satisfied with their answers, Zelda continued leading the group to town.

It took the vast majority of the day to reach New Leaf Town. The handful of Wumpa Fruits only did so much to provide sustenance for the adventurers, eventually feeling the growl of hunger return. The sun sank further and further towards the horizon, the sky slowly shifting colors to match the rapidly approaching evening. Captain N could sense Falco envying the birds flying freely throughout the sky, chirping happily to each other as they soared across the warm breeze. Pit stretched his white, bird-like wings out to take in the nice breeze. Zelda remained as determined as ever to follow the determined path, assigning the task of eating food to the secondary priority. Just before the sun dipped below the horizon, Zelda led the group over the hill overseeing the entrance to New Leaf Town. The townspeople could still be seen walking about, enjoying their peaceful lives without a Kremling or other minion of the three kings in sight. "Ugh, finally!" Falco groaned, quickly hastening his pace towards the entrance, followed closely by Pit. "Thanks for being the guide, Princess. I never had a doubt." Captain N complimented Zelda, which she accepted with a soft yet gracious "...Thank you.". Captain N looked to the side and saw the warp pipe leading to the Mushroom Kingdom in the distance. He felt a strong feeling of uneasiness upon remembering what his true duties entail, separate from enjoying free stays at hotels. Zelda remained at his side, silently understanding his inner conundrum. "...I understand your struggle, Captain." She quietly said to him, feeling the weight on his shoulders as his eyes remained on the large green pipe. He sighed and hung his head, avoiding her gaze. "...Really?" He asked her. Zelda moved to his side to meet his eyes. "I know the pressure of having to live up to everyone's expectations in the face of such dire odds and consequences." She went on. Captain N took in a deep breath, straightened his posture and turned his gaze back towards New Leaf Town. "We better catch up with them, shouldn't we?" He asked, motioning towards Falco and Pit. "Indeed." She agreed, feeling slightly off-put by him suddenly diverting the conversation. "Well then, we better not keep the townsfolk waiting." He said, making his way towards the entrance with Zelda following closely.

The four approaching town was immediately noticed first by young Timmy and Tommy. "They're back! Princess Zelda, Captain N and the others are back!" Timmy shouted to the nearby townsfolk. This immediately caught the attention of Tom Nook and Isabelle, who was meeting with a dark brown owl male with a bow tie and checkered torso, the three of whom made their way over to the two youngsters. "I thought I taught you two better than to cause so much ruckus." Tom scolded his nephews. "But it's true! They're over there!" Tommy insisted, pointing to the field in front of town. Sure enough, the three saw Falco, Pit, Captain N and Zelda approaching. "Oh, goodness! I wish we could have known sooner! We could have prepared for their arrival!" Isabelle fussed, growing worried about pleasing such famous guests. The owl quickly made himself presentable, adjusting his bow as Tom quickly got his two nephews to the side so they could enter. With Pit and Falco having slowed to allow Zelda and Captain N to catch up, the four found themselves crowded once more by the anthropomorphic townspeople. "Welcome back to our humble town!" Isabelle happily greeted them. "What happened?" Timmy eagerly asked. "Didja beat up Dracula?" Tommy asked further. At this point, more townspeople noticed the four had returned, and quickly formed a mob around them. Feeling the pressure, Captain N raised his hands to create some space. "You all can rest easy knowing that Dracula's no longer a threat!" He announced, earning a joyous cheer from the townspeople. "I hate to ask, but would you happen to have retrieved anything of value from Castlevania?" The owl asked the group. "Unfortunately not, aside from that which was meant for Captain N." Zelda politely answered. "Oh, what a shame. It would have made a wonderful addition to the local museum." The owl grumbled. Just as Captain N was about to ask for his name, he perked back up and introduced himself with "Oh, my apologies! My name is Blathers, and I am the curator of the town's museum." with a slight bow. "Well then Blathers, I'll try to snag you something to show off the next time I break into someone's home." Captain N joked. "Wait... where's Simon Belmont?" Tom asked. Falco quickly answered with "He took on Dracula himself, letting us escape with the goods. Don't worry, he's fine". "What did you escape with?" A navy-blue cat with exotic head wear asked Captain N. The eyes of countless townspeople began boring themselves into Captain N, their interests piqued by the prospect of some hidden treasure hidden inside Castlevania. Instead of offering a verbal answer, he stepped back, drew the two Boosters from his back pockets and shot two brilliant beams of fire and ice into the sky. The townspeople were amazed by this display, cheering victoriously as his pride swelled, drinking in the sensation of an entire town cheering him on. "What brings you all back here?" Isabelle asked in the midst of the cheering. "Perhaps you decided to take up my offer on-" Tom tried to ask in return, but was interrupted by Pit explaining "We're just staying the night here. Tomorrow we set off for New Donk City!".

"Well, it's an honor to host such esteemed guests! Our mayor is currently off fishing, but K.K. Slider's playing in the center of town!" Isabelle beamed. Falco rolled his eyes at such an absent mayor, but Pit was eager to take her up on the offer. "Sounds great! And I bet K.K. does do!" He quipped. Captain N and Zelda happily followed Pit and Isabelle to the center of town, Falco straying a bit farther behind. Upon arrival, K.K. Slider was playing a song reminiscent of an old western movie from Captain N's home world. Some of the townspeople were too absorbed in the song to notice the four arriving. Captain N found himself taken into the song, soaking in its intricate melodies. But when the song ended, the presence of the four became immediately known, with Isabelle, Blathers and Tom with his nephews standing nearby. "Well well well, looks like our heroes came back champions." K.K. casually noted. "Got any requests?" He asked the group. Captain N, Falco and Zelda remained quiet, while Pit quickly responded "Something smooth!". "You got it, bird dude!" K.K. happily accepted, adjusting his guitar before beginning another song. As the expertly-played song wafted throughout the crowd, Captain N felt much more at ease with his mission. Still feeling his phone in his pocket, he felt stronger and more determined. His chest felt bigger and his height felt greater than before. Zelda and the others enjoyed the song as well alongside the happy crowd, noticeably more relaxed than before. But eventually, the song had to end, resulting in Captain N's tiredness making its presence known. "We ought to hit the hay. Got a big day tomorrow, after all." Falco suggested. "Seems like all my days recently are big days, but yeah, sleep on an actual bed sounds good." Captain N agreed with a smile. "Thank you all for hosting us, you've all been truly wonderful." Zelda thanked the townspeople. "Of course, Princess! You're always welcome here!" Isabelle replied, slightly flustered. "Everyone wish our heroes a good night!" K.K. spoke up, earning a collective "Good night!" from the crowd. Captain N awkwardly thanked them for their kindness, and he quickly made his way back to the hotel with his three allies. The host graciously handed the four room keys to the group as they entered. Ascending the staircase and arriving at their doors, the group quickly exchanged farewells for the day, more eager to sleep on a soft mattress. As soon as he locked the door behind him and fell onto the bed, Captain N succumbed to slumber once more.

Chapter Text

Comfortably wrapped in the thick, heat-trapping cover, Captain N woke up to a peaceful morning, a warm shaft of light drifting through the window. For the briefest of moments, he hoped with all his heart that he had been just as magically transported back to his bedroom as he was when transported to this world. But once he sat up in bed and further examined his room, his heart sank, finding himself still in New Leaf Town's hotel. He groaned, wrapping himself further in his cover. Once he was sufficiently cocooned, it slowly occurred to him that this was the first morning in his time in Yamajiro that he woke up in a bed without being woken up by someone else. He carefully peered over at his room door, expecting Falco or Zelda's impatient voice to resonate from the other side. After waiting a few moments, no such wake-up call came. Knowing that the day would have to be tackled eventually, he slowly got out of bed and made his way to the door. Just as he reached for the door handle, he stopped in his tracks, looking over at the miniature bathroom. With a quick test-sniff of his jacket, he decided that a cleaning of himself and his only set of clothes would be in order. Closing the door behind him, Captain N disrobed and turned on the shower, waiting for the water to heat up to an acceptable temperature before getting in. The soaps and shampoo available, despite boasting the scent of "Autumn Harvest Apples", smelled different from anything Captain N had ever considered apple-scented. It had the hint of an apple-related scent, but, like everything else he had seen from this world, pitched camp in the uncanny valley. Finally stepping inside the running shower, Captain N could feel his stresses almost literally melt off of him, soaking in the warm, relaxing water pouring out of the shower head and onto his body. The shower proved more tricky than usual, having to bathe himself and wash down his articles of clothing at the same time. He would alternate from scrubbing his skin and hair to scrubbing soap into his clothes and soaking them in the warm water. Once each article of clothing was thoroughly washed, he carefully peeked out of the shower to hang them on the towel rack on the other wall. Even after having washed all of his self, Captain N savored his time in the shower. With the warm water coursing down his body, he felt truly isolated from the troubles lying outside New Leaf Town. However, the temperature of the water soon started to wane, the supply of hot water diminishing. Captain N shut off the shower, carefully stepping out while avoiding slipping on the smooth floor. Finding that the clothes were still fairly damp while hanging on the rack, he wrung them out as best as he could over the shower drain. With his clothes as dry as he could get them, he put his clothes back on, re-holstered his weapons and exited his hotel room.

As soon as he opened the door, he could hear a couple pairs of feet scurry away. Looking out the door, he spotted a blue otter male wearing a read coat and a pink alpaca female wearing a red apron disappear behind the corner, avoiding eye contact. Not paying it much mind, he rubbed the last bit of sleep out of his eyes and made his way downstairs. It was during this little commute that he noticed many of the hotel rooms were unclaimed and empty. Descending the stairs and entering the main entryway, Captain N found Zelda and Falco sitting at a table, idly talking with a plate holding a hearty stack of waffles before them. Glancing around, he found a small buffet table off to the side holding more plates and waffles, as well as a variety of syrup dispensers. Piling on a hearty helping of waffles, a nearby blue cat male beamed with pride, saying "I've hardly ever cooked a finer batch of waffles than these here!". Captain N chuckled, pouring on maple syrup. "I'm flattered." He replied with a smile. "It's not too often we have such esteemed guests! Or guests at all, for that matter!" The cat further gushed. "Well, I'm still getting used to being such an esteemed guest." Captain N admitted. "If you want anything else, just give me a holler!" The cat informed him, which he responded to with a humble "I'll be sure to.". Having filled his plate to his content with waffles, he thanked the cat and carefully took a seat between Falco and Zelda. "There you are, we were afraid you weren't ever gonna wake up." Falco remarked. "Truth be told, I'm surprised I wasn't woken up earlier." Captain N replied. "I figured it best to let you have much-needed rest. It's been a rather taxing few days." Zelda spoke up, delicately cutting a piece of her waffles into a more suitable size. "I appreciate it, Princess." Captain N thanked her. After a few bites of the slightly foreign tasting but nonetheless delicious waffles, something occurred to Captain N. "Say, where's Pit?" He asked the two. "Still sleeping." Falco answered, mouth partially full with waffles. Captain N nodded, turning his attention back to his breakfast. "You know, you shoulda asked for his autograph." Falco joked to Captain N. "Who?" He asked, slightly confused. "Dracula! Didn't you say he was fictional back where you're from?" Falco reminded him. Captain N laughed softly, shaking his head. "I doubt he likes me enough to give that to me." Captain N surmised. "Maybe Zelda would give you hers if you asked nicely." Falco idly remarked, twirling his fork slightly. Zelda chuckled slightly, still focusing on her waffles. Suddenly, her expression grew much more alarmed, dropping her fork on the plate. "Something wrong, Princess?" Captain N asked her. "We have to go. Now." She answered, quickly getting up and using her magic to move the partially-finished plate to the dirty dishes sink across the room. Neither Falco nor Captain N knew what the problem was, but both trusted that it was a real problem. Just then, Pit entered the room with a loud yawn. "G'morning, guys. What's the-" He tried to greet, quickly interrupted by Zelda. "We don't have much time, grab some food over there." She instructed, pointing to the table. Captain N and Falco hastily joined her in dashing out the front doors, with Pit following with an armful of waffles and a clumsy apology hurled over his shoulder to the blue cat.

Zelda sprinted through New Leaf Town, with the three hastily following. Isabelle was standing by the front gates, but her warm greetings were drowned out with the group rushing past her. "Sorrygottagothankyouseeyoulater!" Captain N managed to say to her while still in earshot, not breaking stride. As Pit tried to scarf down the waffles while running, he asked Zelda "What's the big deal?". Zelda didn't answer, running towards the warp pipe leading back to the Mushroom Kingdom. While the run uphill proved slightly taxing, it was nothing Captain N couldn't handle after a long night's sleep. Arriving at the large green pipe protruding out of the dirt, Zelda was the first to descend down through it, three loud gulping sounds following. "Do either of you guys know what's going on?" Pit asked Falco and Captain N, while chewing on a handful of partially dry waffles. "No, but it can't be anything good." Captain N answered. Before Pit could ask any further questions, Captain N jumped down the warp pipe, quickly descending down into the cold, dark pipe network. Despite the lack of visual stimulus, he could hear Pit and Falco follow him down the pipe. The journey through the warp pipe felt longer than before, despite it being the same distance. Captain N felt his nervousness returning at the thought of what could by lying at the other end of the warp pipe. What could have worried Zelda this much? Before he could wonder further, the air around him suddenly became much warmer, and the light of day returned to his sight. As he shot out of the warp pipe, he managed to land on his feet with more grace than before, albeit stumbling slightly on the landing. Zelda was ahead, looking towards Peach's Castle. As Falco and Pit joined the two, Captain N could see what the trouble was. Swarming Peach's Castle were three of the airships seen when he first arrived to this world, each armed with particle cannons. As the cannons were fired with a loud boom, the castle was protected with a magic barrier. With each shot fired, Captain N could tell the barrier grew weaker and weaker. It was then he noticed that a formation of dark storm clouds suddenly appeared the three airships. Bolts of lightning larger than any he's ever seen before rained from the clouds, striking the airships, but to little avail. "So that's the big deal..." Pit muttered, slightly intimidated by the invaders. "So what's the plan?" Falco asked Zelda. "We head to New Donk City." She simply answered, causing Captain N to whip around in surprise. "But what about them?" He asked, motioning to the castle. "We can't afford to have you get caught in the middle of that. Not while you still have two weapons to claim." She insisted, searching the other warp pipes for the one that led to New Donk City.

"But we can't just leave them like this!" Captain N countered.

"Princess Peach is protected by the Goddess of light and the God of thunder, she'll be fine." Falco assured.

Captain N looked back at Peach's Castle, not persuaded. Sure, there were actual Gods on their side, but it looked like not even they were enough to combat the forces of the three kings. With each shot from the particle cannons, the barrier grew visibly weaker. Suddenly, Captain N felt his resolve grow stronger. Remembering he still had his two Boosters along with his Zapper, he eyed the airships further. He was brought to this world to save it, right? What kind of chosen one would he be if he didn't do what he was predestined to do?

"Ah, here it is, now let's-" Zelda spoke up, but soon stopped when Captain N ran off towards the battle. "Captain! Get back here now!" She yelled at him, but he intentionally drowned her out, drawing his Zapper as he ran. As he sprinted beyond town, Pit drew his bow and ran off to join him. "Come on, we gotta help him!" He yelled over his shoulder, quickly fading out of earshot. With a groan, Falco drew his blaster. "Guess we better make sure they don't get themselves killed." He suggested to Zelda. Annoyed, Zelda nodded in agreement, joining Falco in following the two to Peach's Castle.

His lungs were only one part of Captain N that began to protest this running. Almost immediately after running off, he knew he made a mistake. Zelda was right, he's not ready to take on such a formidable foe. If they stand to challenge deities, who is he to step up to bat? As Peach's Castle drew closer, he shook those doubts out of his mind. Destiny is on his side, after all. He was foretold to save the world. He's gonna win. He has to.

Soon enough, he found himself right in front of the bridge leading to Peach's Castle, the airships directly overhead. The sound of the airship's propellers almost filled his hearing, where he was almost unable to hear the particle cannons being charged again. Taking aim, he found crews of turtle-like workers operating the airship, none of which noticed him yet. Taking one step back, he focused his breath, aimed carefully, and pulled the trigger. Near instantly, the bolt of light shot to the airship, knocking one of the turtle-people off the airship. As the minion plummeted to the ground, his allies immediately noticed, and looked to where the bolt came from. Once they saw Captain N, an alarm was quickly raised. "We've got more trouble down here!" One shouted into a radio device, signaling to the other two airships. As lightning continued to strike the airships, the one Captain N attacked drew away from the pack, focusing on him. Seeing the particle cannons take aim at him, his instincts kicked in, and he quickly dodged out of the way. While he wasn't directly hit by the blast, the resulting force tossed him to the side, landing on his back. Pit quickly joined him, taking aim at the cannons. The two other airships maneuvered around the castle, the first remaining in place. Pit was far more agile than Captain N, and managed to avoid another blast from the particle cannons entirely. Conjuring an arrow of light, Pit drew his bow back and fired at the airship. The cannon suffered only slight damage, but it was progress nonetheless. Following this, Pit weaved about, too swift for the turtle-minions to actively fire at. The barrier around the castle seemed to be restored, not showing as much visible deterioration. With a slight soreness, Captain N got back up and instead drew his Ice Booster, firing a beam directly at the cannon Pit already damaged. Encased in a thick layer of ice, the cannon soon became inoperable. Quickly moving out of the way of more cannon shots, he could hear more shouting come from the airship, as to why one of the cannons no longer works. Suddenly, the ice shattered, and broken pieces of the cannon fell to the ground, destroyed. Captain N looked over and saw Falco and Zelda had joined him, with Zelda having used her magic to destroy the cannon. "Oh good, you guys joined us!" Pit spoke up, firing more arrows at the cannons. "Yeah, don't get too comfortable!" Falco shouted back, firing at the crew on the airship's deck. Zelda ran about, trying to keep up with Pit and Captain N in assisting in destroying the cannons. Captain N's running soon turned to stumbling about, frantically trying to outmaneuver the attackers above. With a beam from the Fire Booster, one of the cannons melted partially, weakening it enough for Zelda to telekinetically pry it apart. The longer the battle went on, the fewer voices could be heard from above deck. Pit was able to shoot up into the sky enough to place four precise shots on the crew above who were hiding away from the edges of the airship. Zelda and Captain N soon grew into a rhythm, with Captain N weakening each cannon enough for Zelda to finish the job.

Falling to the ground after a missed step, Captain N drew both of his Boosters and fired each at the last two cannons. With one partially melted and the other frozen solid, Zelda let out a loud grunt as she tried to focus strong enough magic at the two separate targets. Stumbling aside, she managed to shatter the one cannon and pull apart the other. Panting heavily, she turned her stern gaze to him. "Let's avoid such reckless behavior in future, shall we?" She sternly suggested. In the midst of heavily panting, Captain N nodded. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea." He agreed. Falco and Pit walked over, slightly tired from their darting about. "One down, two to go." Pit stated, reminding Captain N of their situation. Looking over, he saw two immense bolts of lightning destroy the remaining airships, with the first making a hasty retreat as it disappeared into the sky. "Guess not." Falco responded, holstering his blaster. Right after, two people appeared in front of the four, who were quickly identified as Palutena and Raiden, who were less than pleased to see him. "That was reckless and irresponsible of you, Captain." Raiden coldly stated. Captain N quickly got up to more formally address them. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to help." Captain N meekly defending himself, feeling their divine presence almost choke him. "I understand, and we're grateful for your selflessness, but it's incredibly unwise to challenge such opponents when you're not ready yet." Palutena reminded him. Captain N's head sank, where Zelda spoke up with "We already agreed that this recklessness will cease in the future.". "While it is true you were brought here to defend this world from the forces of Bowser, K. Rool and Dedede, we cannot afford to lose our last hope." Raiden spoke up once more. "It just seemed like you two were having trouble fighting them off, that's all." Captain N slightly muttered, summoning the strength to make eye contact with the thunder God. "We've faced airships like this before, we can defend ourselves long enough for you to find the last two weapons, assuming you were victorious in Castlevania." Raiden responded. "Yep! That's where Cap'n got those super-cool Boosters!" Pit spoke up.

"'Boosters'?" Palutena asked quizzically. Feeling the name he gave his new weapons wasn't as cool now as initially seemed, Captain N guiltily presented the two devices for Palutena and Raiden. "Oh, I see!" Palutena beamed. "Between 'Zapper' and now 'Boosters', I'm looking forward to what fun name you'll give your next toy!" She teased Captain N. Blushing slightly, he holstered his Boosters back in his pockets. "A-At least we won, right?" He offered. "While it's true that Princess Peach is protected by her castle another day, that does not mean you should get too comfortable in approaching combat." Raiden coldly answered. Captain N nodded in agreement.

"...At least destiny's on my side, right?"

"To an extent, yes, but please try to avoid being dumb. We can't afford to replace you." Palutena answered, her tone much lighter than Raiden's. "Don't worry, we'll keep him on a short leash." Falco assured the two. "I'll hold you to that." Palutena giggled.

"What's the matter?" Came a new, softer voice from behind. Turning around, Captain N found Princess Peach had joined the group, with an older Toad holding her parasol. "Captain N's recklessness nearly got himself killed in the midst of battle." Raiden informed her. "But surely it was his courage and skill that prevented the destruction of my castle?" Peach asked. "That's one way that could be said." Palutena offered, much to Raiden's silent annoyance. "Oh, joy! Thank you, Captain N! Thanks to you, the minions of that awful Bowser have been kept at bay!" Peach congratulated him. "We helped too!" Pit interjected, whereupon Falco elbowed him for interrupting Princess Peach. "Indeed! Your services to the Mushroom Kingdom have been noted." Peach corrected herself. "It truly has been a pleasure to catch up with you, but we must be going. We believe Ryu in New Donk City can assist us in finding the next weapon." Zelda spoke up. "Oh, I'm much fond of that town. Perhaps I'll return once those horrible tyrants are dealt with." Peach responded. "Indeed, it would be wise for you to continue on your journey." Raiden agreed. "Oh! But before you go, you'll need some sort of disguise, won't you?" Palutena addressed Zelda. "That would be greatly appreciated." Zelda answered. With a simple wave of her hand, Palutena conjured a large sunhat and sunglasses for Zelda, as well as a large dress. Caught slightly off guard by her offering, Zelda nonetheless accepted the clothing with a gracious "Thank you, Lady Palutena.". As she carefully put on the dress over her other close, Pit spoke up. "I guess you guys are gonna be busy here, huh?" He asked the three. "Unfortunately, yes. Much to attend to, with reinforcements surely coming." Peach answered. "You SURE you don't want us to stick around?" Falco asked. "You four are needed more elsewhere. Your time will come, worry not." Raiden assured him.

"Oh, Toadsworth?" Peach addressed the Toad beside her, who stood up straight after being addressed. "Yes, your majesty?" Toadsworth asked. "See to it that they make their way to New Donk City." Peach instructed him. With a solemn nod, Toadsworth took the lead. "And from one Princess to another, stay safe out there." Peach said to Zelda. Zelda sighed slightly before responding. "I'll try to, despite the nature of our task.". "Farewell, heroes! The fate of our world lies on your shoulders! No pressure, though!" Palutena bid them farewell, with a slight giggle. Raiden only bowed slightly before returning to the castle. Palutena joined Peach in walking back inside, leaving Captain N, Falco, Pit and Zelda with Toadsworth. "Shall we?" Toadsworth asked the group. Looking to the others for approval, Captain N turned back to Toadsworth and answered with "Yes, we shall.".

Chapter Text

With Palutena guiding Princess Peach back into the fortified confines of her castle, Toadsworth nodded to himself and began guiding Zelda, Pit, Falco and Captain N back to the warp zone. But before he could walk too far, something pops into Captain N's mind. His eyes darting to the right of Peach's Castle, he scanned the horizon to find something beyond the flat, green plains. Finding nothing resembling what he was searching for, his worry grew as his heart rate quickened. As he stepped away from the group to look further, he caught the attention of the group. "Is something the matter, Captain?" Toadsworth asked him formally. After ensuring that what he was searching for was nowhere in sight, he turned back to Toadsworth. "What happened to my car?" Captain N asked him. Toadsworth's grew confused for a moment, but suddenly realization manifested in his mind. "Oh, that! We brought it back to the castle after you four left for New Leaf Town. It appears the vehicle's damaged beyond repair." He answered. Captain N's heart sank upon hearing that, his shoulders sinking to match. "What a shame, that've made getting around a lot easier." Falco remarked. Captain N sighed before addressing the group in return. "Oh well, I could use the cardio anyway." He joked, trying to lift his mood a bit, to little avail. "I forgot to ask, what would you like us to do with your vehicle?" Toadsworth asked him.

"Is it taking it up too much space at the castle?" Captain N asked in return.

"Fortunately not, what with all the free space we have now that most of the Toad people have fled."

"Then, I don't know, can you... keep it?" Captain N nervously asked.

"Of course, Captain!" Toadsworth politely replied.

Feeling at least a slight relief, Captain N answered with a grateful "Thank you.". "What's the big deal? It's just a hunk of machinery." Pit asked, slightly confused by his mournful nature. "Well, back where I'm from, man and car share a very sacred bond." Captain N answered, feeling more of a lighthearted move. Pit chortled at his answer. "I get that." Falco spoke up, surprisingly showing understanding. Captain N figured he was referring to his Arwing, which was supposedly stored inside the castle alongside the remains of his 18th birthday present. Standing apart from the group was Zelda, adjusting the slightly too large sunhat and slightly starchy sundress. "Oh, my apologies Princess, would you like a different outfit?" Toadsworth was quick to ask her upon noticing her annoyed demeanor. "Thank you, but I can manage." Zelda insisted, too focused on making the dress comfortable to make eye contact. Toadsworth opened his mouth to offer his hospitality once more, but stopped himself, not wanting to make a nuisance of himself. "Well then, are we all ready now?" Toadsworth asked once more. Falco and Pit responded with a blunt "Yep.", Zelda took a moment to collect herself before nodding, and Captain N still looked over the horizon, longing for the vehicle he arrived here in. But knowing he couldn't keep the group waiting, he turned around and answered with "Yeah, I'm ready.". "Well then, tally-ho!" Toadsworth proclaimed, getting back to leading the group.

As Toadsworth marched valiantly on, Captain N took note of his guide. Toadsworth looked noticeably older than the other Toad people he's seen so far, as indicated by his white mustache and walking stick with a mushroom on the top resembling those roofing the houses. However, his physicality betrayed his age, maintaining a brisk walking pace as he strolled down the path. He also noticed Zelda still fumbling with her dress, muttering to herself about Princess Peach's choices in casual wear as well as Pit and Falco talking to each other about something he wasn't familiar with. He could tell it was supposed to be funny, as Pit laughed a bit every now and again, where Falco's occasional laugh was more short-lived and conveyed the subtle message of "I'd prefer if we ended this conversation.". A hollow wind breezed through the empty mushroom town, the silence emphasizing the lonely buildings surrounding the five as they walked through. Shops had their doors hang forlornly open, with no lights inside and nothing on display in the windows. Figuring that he could get some valuable context from Toadsworth, Captain N quickly hastened his pace to walk alongside him.

"I assume you're familiar with the Mushroom Kingdom?" He asked him. "Oh, yes! I've assisted the kingdom since before Princess Peach was born!" He beamed. Captain N looked around the small town of mushroom houses, feeling slightly off-put by a surely once-vibrant town now completely desolate. "Do you have any history with the three kings?" Captain N asked further. "Indeed I do. Particularly with Bowser and his army of Koopa henchmen like those who you jut challenged." Toadsworth answered, a slight bitterness on his tongue at the thought of the cruel ruler.

"Has he always been so fearsome?" Captain N asked further.

"Not always. Time after time, he would kidnap Princess Peach and attempt to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom for his own nefarious ends, with each scheme more elaborate than the last. But never before was his might so great that even the Gods have trouble keeping him at bay."

A chill ran down Captain N's spine, imagining what Bowser could be truly capable of if something like this truly was unprecedented, and how he's the one who's supposed to put an end to his evil ways.

"Well... how was Bowser defeated before?"

Toadsworth sighed forlornly before answering.

"Mario was the greatest hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Whenever Bowser reared his awful head, Mario was always there to smack him back down. His bravery was matched by his skill, always coming out on top of whatever evil rose before him." Toadsworth reminisced, with a tinge of reverence in his tone.

The name brought the image of the mustached man with white gloves, blue overalls and a red shirt to match his cap adorned with the letter M to Captain N's mind. He reflected on this briefly. Mario was also built short, portly and rather unremarkable in his opinion. At first glance, he never would have guessed that man was the greatest hero in the kingdom. Perhaps Mario came from a humble beginning to match his own, Captain N thought.

"Occasionally he would also be aided by his brother Luigi. What he lacks in bravery, and skill, and power, he... actually, I'll have to get back to you on that." Toadsworth admitted, somewhat embarrassed.

"Wait, how come Captain N could damage Bowser's airships while Raiden himself had trouble getting through the airship's defenses?" Falco asked, suddenly joining the conversation. "We don't entirely know for sure yet. From what we could gather from retrieved components, it seems that their shields were specially designed for protecting against Lord Raiden's lightning, and haven't been designed to block Captain N's ice or fire.". Toadsworth answered. "Another good reason to finally have Cap here!" Pit cheered, helping hide the pressure Captain N felt. "Indeed! We've waited for a savior of the sort for too long." Toadsworth agreed.

"As for King Dedede and King K. Rool, we're not entirely familiar with them yet. Dedede hails from the planet Popstar and K. Rool focused his efforts primarily on conquering Donkey Kong Island, neither of whom attempted something as grand as Bowser previously has." Zelda elaborated further, having finally adjusted her hat to as comfortable as possible. "I myself have never dealt with them firsthand prior the invasions, nor has anyone else present." she admitted, motioning to Pit and Falco. "Hey, I've been busy helping Lady Palutena on Skyworld!" Pit was quick to defend himself. "And it's kinda hard for me to help out when I'm an entire planet away." Falco added. "I understand that, I was only trying to explain how we're about on the same level as Captain N." Zelda defended, semi-exhausted. "Well I've been around the Lylat System tons and taken care of plenty of criminals, so speak for yourself." Falco remarked. "What Falco's trying to say is that the three kings are no match for us!" Pit quickly stated, diverting the conversation before Zelda could shoot another comment back. "...Yeah, let's go with that." Falco agreed, realizing that an argument wasn't worth it. Captain N remained close to Toadsworth, maintaining enough distance to avoid looking like a puppy following its owner.

Before too long, Toadsworth and his followers finally arrived at the warp zone, with the numerous green pipes as intact as before. "Here we are, now!" He declared, walking to a specific warp pipe on the right while not paying the signs any mind. "This pipe here will take you directly to New Donk City. I'm positive Mayor Pauline will be delighted to host such illustrious tourists!" Toadsworth assured. Captain N inspected the large pipe, finding it completely identical to the pipe that took him to the outskirts of New Leaf Town. "And surely she will know where we could find Ryu." Zelda noted. "Well, what are we waiting for? See you all on the other side!" Pit spoke up, suddenly diving down the pipe with a the same three gulping sounds following. "I better make sure he doesn't do anything dumb." Falco stated, following Pit down the warp pipe. "Are you positive your outfit is suitable, Princess?" Toadsworth asked one last time. "Toadsworth, I'm grateful for your courtesy, but I assure you I can manage." Zelda assured, partially lying. "Very well, then. I just hope to not be left out to dry if anything happens to the last ruling figure of Hyrule." He defended himself. "I worry more for your well-being, it's unwise to stroll about during such chaotic times at your age." Zelda spoke, concerned. "Ah, worry not, I've survived worse." He assured with a slight chuckle. Captain N stood off to the side, not wanting to interrupt.

"I'll be off, then. Please give Peach my regards." Zelda bid farewell, descending down into the pipe as Toadsworth returned the goodbye. Soon it was just Captain N and Toadsworth before the pipe, with Captain N figuring out how to properly say goodbye, incidentally leaving an awkward silence between the two. "...Thank you for bringing me up to speed on the situation." Captain N eventually said to him. "Of course! It's an honor to serve someone with such prestige." Toadsworth happily replied. Feeling he should know what he's really feeling, Captain N turned to face Toadsworth. "...To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I'm the person this world needs." He admitted. "Whatever do you mean?" Toadsworth asked, puzzled. Captain N sighed, shrugging. "I just don't feel like I'm the person the prophecy was talking about." He explained further. Toadsworth was undeterred, and maintained his positive demeanor.

"Why do you believe that?"

"I've never done anything like this before. I've never fought back against any great threat or used any weapons like these before. I'm barely considered an adult on my home world."

"Well... who else could it be?"

"Huh?"

"Who else could the prophecy be referring to?"

Captain N paused for a moment, mulling this question over in his mind before coming to the inevitable answer.

"...I don't know."

"Neither do I! So far, you're the only person whose come 'from beyond the stars', and those hidden chambers opened up for you and you alone, so surely it must be you!" Toadsworth insisted.

Captain N relented, nodding in reluctant agreement.

"...I suppose you're right."

"I'm glad you think so, Captain!" Toadsworth beamed.

"...Do you mind keeping this conversation between us? I don't want Palutena or Raiden to lose their faith in me." Captain N meekly requested.

"Not at all!" Toadsworth happily complied, helping Captain N feel slightly more relieved. He climbed to the top of the pipe, and just before descending down to join his allies, he asked Toadsworth "...Can you keep my car in nice enough condition, please?". Toadsworth answered with a hearty "It would be an honor, Captain.". Nodding and sharing a smile, Captain N finally jumped down into the pipe, feeling the damp, cold pipe take him once more.

---

"What do you mean 'they were destroyed'!?" Roared Bowser, making the two Koopa before him shrink back, trembling in fear.

Bowser towered over the two ominously, with King K. Rool at his right and King Dedede at his left, none of whom were pleased with the recent news. A harsh light shined down over the three kings, being the only source of illumination in the meeting room, with the kings looking down on the Koopa from above, casting an ominous shadow over the two meek henchmen. Bowser huffed angrily, fuming at the news that his brand-new, state of the art weaponry was torn apart like cardboard. The Koopa ran through a thousand possible fates in their minds that could possibly await them for their failure. "W-W-We mean that Raiden destroyed two of the airships, and the third was heavily damaged. W-We only managed to get away!" One of the Koopa explained further, having carefully chosen his words. "How is that possible!? You told us those were built to the EXACT specifications given by our 'benefactor'!" K. Rool snarled, leaning towards the two Koopa. One of the Koopa quickly nodded its head up in down while trying to restrain the rest of its body from shaking. "I-Indeed they were, but it seems like there was a weakness in the plans." The Koopa answered, raising his pitch as he talked, not liking what's to follow. "That's not possible! Not even the thunder God Raiden could penetrate its defenses!" Bowser harshly reminded them.

"Yes, Raiden and Palutena were unable to harm the airships, but... there was one person who could." The Koopa carefully explained.

King Dedede squinted his eyes at them, intrigued by this mystery person.

"You're telling me there's someone out there who's more powerful than the GODS?" King Dedede questioned them further. After sharing a brief look of fear with each other, the two Koopa only nod in response. "I refuse to accept that! You're lying!" King Dedede accused them. As the two were cowering in fear, something suddenly occurred to Bowser. "What did this strange person look like?" He asked them. The eyes of the Koopa darted nervously about, desperately trying to recall the appearance of the person who saw their failure. "H-He was a young man, h-he wore a red and white jacket with the letter N, he had blue pants, an-."

"HIM!" Bowser suddenly roared, steam fuming from his nostrils. The two Koopa fell back in surprise, recoiling out of instinct. "That's the twerp Kamek tried to warn that old fool Dracula about!" Bowser roared in realization. "That must mean Dracula's castle must have had the weapons that he used to destroy the airship!" King Dedede concluded. "He's the reason my Kremling troops couldn't collect New Leaf Town's due taxes." Snarled King K. Rool, the memory still sour in his mind. "Does he have a name?" Bowser interrogated the two.

"Uh... well... w-we think they were calling him 'Captain N'." One of the Koopa shakily answered. King Dedede snickered at the campy name. "Did he come up with that himself?" He questioned sarcastically. "No matter! Where is this 'Captain N' now?" Bowser demanded of the two, leaning even further forward at them. "Well, uh, w-we're not entirely sure, but we think they mentioned New Donk City while we retre- uh, I mean tactically maneuver our way back to base." One of the Koopa answered. King K. Rool huffed in disapproval. "You 'think'!? Is that all you have to go on!?" King K. Rool rhetorically asked, only to be interrupted by Bowser. "It's the only lead we have, and if 'Captain N' really is the one chosen to save Yamajiro, our priorities are finding and destroying him." Bowser declared. King K. Rool leaned back in annoyance, with King Dedede awaiting Bowser's newest plan. "You two!" Bowser suddenly addressed the Koopa, causing them both to immediately stand at attention. "Find Kamek, get to rebuilding the airship, and set course for New Donk City."

Chapter Text

Soon after being sucked down the warp pipe, Captain N found that Zelda's claim was proven correct. Even though he could feel himself shooting through the pipe faster than before, Captain N could tell the pipe ride to New Donk City was longer than the previous pipe he traveled through. Like before, he couldn't see or hear his allies in front of him, his senses being filled only by the blackness of the pipe and the cold air whipping past his ears. The sensation of traveling through a warp pipe was as strange as it was the first two times, feeling as if he was being sucked through a massive vacuum cleaner. Thoughts of his home still haunted his mind. The trees and tall grass growing on the side of the worn, deteriorating asphalt road cutting through the woods of Midnight Lights, the sun hanging high in the sky as a cool breeze brushed through. This image brought a pang of nostalgia he never imagined he would feel for such a mundane situation. The trees and grass of Yamajiro were similar to his own, but different enough in incredibly subtle ways to feel alien and unfamiliar. The grass was too brightly colored, the trees were too shapely, none of the world around him made him feel at home. The differences didn't stop with the plant life, either. The sky was colored a subtly different hue of blue, and the sun was slightly larger than he was used to. All these examples of "almost, but not quite" left him with a slightly uneasy feeling, as if trapped in an artificial world.

As he was reminiscing about the most mundane aspects of Earth, light suddenly returned to his field of vision. With the air around him warming up once again, he could tell New Donk City was near. Preparing himself mentally for being shot out of the pipe once more, he steadied his legs and braced himself. Emerging from the pipe with the three familiar gulping sounds, Captain N maintained this stronger form, landing squarely on his feet on the metal platform below. Feeling slight satisfaction at his improvement, he looked up to see Pit, Falco and Zelda leaning on the platform’s guardrail and looking ahead at the city, with a cable car on a large cord leading down to the main road. Captain N joined them, getting a good view ahead. From a distance, the city looked incredibly populated and lively, with neon billboards decorating surprisingly modern skyscrapers, and cars and taxi cabs busily traveling through the roads. Once again, Captain N was left with a subtly uneasy feeling from the city, everything about it feeling slightly off. The taxi cabs were adorned with slightly different writing, the buildings were colored either too dark or too light from the usual gray color he was used to, as well as more of the skyscrapers being pointed at the top. He was so close to home, yet so far away.

"It's been a while since anyone came from that warp pipe." Came a chipper voice from behind him. The four turned to face the voice and were met with a woman in a semi-formal uniform behind a tourist stand adorned with merchandise of New Donk City. "Is there anything you all need help with today?" She politely asked, but quickly experienced minor shock upon seeing Zelda with the three, and immediately corrected her demeanor. "I, I mean, welcome to New Donk City, your highness." She spoke, as formally as she could muster in spite of her nervousness. "Thank you, but I wish we were here for solely leisurely purposes." Zelda replied, as noble as ever. "Well, it would be an honor to assist the Princess of Hyrule, is there any way I can help?" The woman asked. "You wouldn't happen to know where we could find Ryu, would you?" Pit asked her, stepping forward. "Uh, well, not really." She sheepishly admitted. "But maybe Mayor Pauline would! I bet she'd be willing to meet with you all!" "And she's in city hall?" Falco asked further. "She should be! I'm not privy to her schedule, but it's worth a shot." The woman confirmed. Captain N was still looking over at the city, listening in on the conversation. The air was remarkably warm, and the hustle and bustle of the city could be heard even from such a long distance away. "Are you okay, sir?" The woman asked him, catching him off guard slightly. "Yeah, I'm just... new around here." Captain N covered up, turning back to her. "Well in that case, you might want a map!" She offered, pulling one neatly folded map from the display and holding out for him. He carefully took the map and unfolded it, surprised by how large New Donk City was from the illustration, with places of interest marked on the key. But looking at the woman, he was surprised to find her identical to his own species. She didn't have wings like Pit or pointed ears like Zelda, she looked like an ordinary human. "We'll make sure he doesn't get lost." Pit assured the woman. "In that case, is there anything else I can help you with today?" She politely asked the group. Captain N folded the map back up and stored it in his jacket pocket. "That will be all, thank you ma'am." Zelda answered her. "In that case, I'll fire up the cable car and get you folks down to main street! Welcome to the Big Banana, the city that never leaps!" She boldly concluded, flipping a nearby switch in the booth. The cable car whirred to life behind them, the sound of a basic motor rumbling in the device holding the car to the cable. With one last "thank you", the four carefully got into the cable car, which was found to be a bit small, barely being able to hold two people on each side. Captain N found himself crammed in next to Falco, with Pit and Zelda on the other side. But once they were all secured, the machinery kicked into gear, and carried them down to the main entrance to New Donk City.

"Seems like your disguise wasn't very effective." noted Falco, looking at Zelda. "Perhaps, but we can't afford to turn back for a wardrobe change. Surely the people will be too busy with their own tasks to notice." Zelda reinforced, undeterred. "How come Princess Zelda was the only one to get recognized? Aren't you two kind of celebrities as well?" Captain N asked Pit and Falco. "Not really, Pit spends most of his time helping out Palutena and I've spent most of my life on the planet Corneria." Falco casually explained, leaving Captain N surprised to find that Falco was essentially an alien. "So, what do we do? Apart from asking Mayor Pauline, I mean." Pit asked the group. "Well, Princess Zelda has telepathy, right? I say we split up and try to cover more ground that way. I've got a map, so we could try asking around the more populated areas." Captain N semi-confidently offered, not entirely comfortable with the idea of splitting up, but felt a need to contribute something. "That's rather risky. If we get into conflict it could mean more trouble if we're separated from each other." Zelda responded. "I say it's worth a shot! Plus, I'm sure we could handle ourselves if we get into a sticky situation." Pit piped up, adjusting himself as to not be crammed right next to Zelda. "Well then, where should we look other than bothering the mayor, Mr. Map?" Falco asked Captain N. Getting the map back out of his pocket, he looked over the places of interest marked on the key. Beneath the Projection Room, Crazy Cap flagship store and RC car room, what stuck out to Captain N was the Commemorative Park. "Maybe we could check there?" He offered, pointing at the park. "Maybe we could find someone there who's in the know on what Ryu is up to, or he could be training there." "Sounds good to me!" Pit happily responded. Falco idly nodded, not offering any other ideas. "Then it's decided. Pit and I will search the park, and you two can try to meet Mayor Pauline." Zelda concluded, still slightly fidgeting with her dress. Captain N put his right hand out, facing down in the middle of the space between the four. None of the three others knew what this meant, and he was only met with confused looks. "Come on, put 'em there." Captain N insisted. After some slight hesitation, the three put their hands in the middle, where Captain N lifted them into the air, with a hearty "Go team!" before the car came to a stop with a sudden clunk.

Captain N carefully stepped out of the cable car, Zelda, Falco and Pit following. Up close, Captain N could see the countless men and women in black and gray formal attire densely populating the sidewalks, some carrying briefcases. Steam rose from beneath the manhole covers when not obscured by the countless cars, motorized scooters and taxi cabs populating the streets. The buildings closest to the entrance could be identified as apartment buildings, with fire escapes on the exterior. In the distance could be seen the taller, more pointed buildings where business took place. Countless billboards adorned the nearby walls, from advertising music events to the Crazy Cap store to the upcoming World Warrior Tournament. Falco nudged Captain N slightly, motioning to the rooftops ahead. There could be spotted Koopa, Kremlings and small, tan creatures with round bodies and stubby limbs, all patrolling the edge of the buildings while carrying high-tech spears. "Looks like Waddle Dees up there." Pit whispered, keeping his head low to avoid eye contact with them. Captain N nodded, and quickly led the group down the sidewalk, obscuring the four somewhat in the massive crowds. The horde of hasty businesspeople going about their daily lives felt reminiscent of the crowded hallways of Midnight Lights High School, where he learned to survive the torrential waves of classmates and the occasional faculty member in between classes. Fortunately, the businesspeople were too focused with their own tasks and responsibilities to pay the four much notice, despite Pit and Falco standing out with their avian features. The hat, while cumbersome, proved especially helpful in obscuring Zelda from the sight of those patrolling the rooftops. The businesspeople moved as if they were packed together like sardines, so maneuvering through the crowds proved a difficult task. With the map, Captain N quickly noted the group's current location in the city, and while walking at a brisk pace matching those of the businessmen around them. Stopping at a busy intersection, Zelda took a quick glance at the map and found the path to the Commemorative Park. "Looks like this is where we part ways." Pit spoke up. Nodding, Zelda straightened her posture and looked to Captain N and Falco. "If you two get into trouble, reach out to me in your mind, and Pit and I will-" "Don't worry, we got this, don't we, Cap'n?" Falco interrupted, nudging Captain N. Despite his slight worry of parting with two of his only allies made so far in this new world, Captain N nodded along, with an earnest "Yeah, we’ve survived worse, right?". Zelda still wasn't entirely swayed. "It's not your well-being I'm concerned for, Lombardi, rather your reckless inclination." She noted, earning a scoff from him. "Y'hear that, Cap? She doesn't care about me." He reiterated with mock-hurt in his voice. "You get too eager to use that weapon at your side and it could endanger countless civilians!" Zelda insisted. "That's why he's got me, Princess. I'll keep him on a short leash." Captain N interjected, using Falco's earlier quip against him, much to Falco's annoyance. "Then it's decided! We better get going before someone nasty notices us." Pit cut in, impatient to get going. Zelda sighed in reluctant acceptance and bid the two good luck before she and Pit set off in the opposite direction. Left with Falco, Captain N watched Pit and Zelda disappear from his vision, vanishing into the crowd. "Come on, let's not keep Miss Mayor waiting." Falco reminded him. Captain N put on a more confident face, turned back to Falco, and responded with "Yeah, let's roll.".

As they tried to casually stroll alongside the businesspeople to remain inconspicuous, Captain N spotted a good amount of Toad people struggling to make their way amid the dense crowds. Their short, stubby stature did little to aid them, being pushed around and almost tripped over by the much larger people who barely paid them any mind, except when they almost cause the businesspeople to trip over. The struggle of the Toad people was felt by Captain N, empathizing with how out of place they felt, suddenly being in a completely alien situation they're clearly unsuited for. Peering out of the corner of his eyes, he could spot the Koopa, Waddle Dees and Kremlings patrolling diligently across the rooftops. Both he and Falco could tell they were incredibly impatient to use their advanced spears, constructed of white metal with bright blue machinery underneath. Fortunately, the two were slightly shorter than the businesspeople surrounding them, helping hide the two fugitives from the sight of the three king's forces. Upon closer inspection to those around him, Captain N could tell the businesspeople were uneasy being surrounded by the nefarious forces above them. Each one of those around him kept their heads down and avoided looking at the goons above, as if expecting to be fired upon at a moment's notice. Who knows what kind of trouble could have happened before, Captain N wondered? With the cars on the road rushing by, enough ambient noise was provided to hide conversations between Falco and Captain N from prying ears. "So... you're an alien?" Captain N awkwardly asked Falco.

"In a way. From where I'm standing, you’re alien." Falco pointed out.

"Yeah, good point." Captain N relented.

A moment of silence between the two passed as they walked.

"So, what's Corneria like?" Captain N asked.

"A lot more advanced than this planet. We completed our space program before the Mushroom Kingdom was even created. In fact, those guys back in New Leaf Town are actually the great-grandkids of the first Cornerians to live on Yamajiro." Falco bragged, taking pride in his planet's achievements.

"I assume the Arwing was built on Corneria?"

"Pfft, yeah! Those rickety airships are as advanced as Yamajiro technology gets!" Falco boasted.

"That doesn't sound so bad, given their armaments." Captain N reminded him.

"That's cheating, and you know it. They didn't invent them on their own, those three creeps were GIVEN those high-tech gizmos from who-knows-who," Falco was quick to shoot back.

Another moment passed between the two.

"So... what else does this solar system have?" Captain N asked.

"Well, you've got this planet, Corneria, the desert planet Titania, the ice planet Fichina, there's Sauria, Venom, and... Zoness." He answered, a tinge of disgust in his voice in mentioning the last planet.

"...Have you visited them?"

"All those and then some, even planets outside the system like Zebes and Big Blue." Falco informed him with pride in his voice.

"Wow..." Captain N said, amazed at the prospect of such adventures.

"I guess they don't have space travel back where you're from?"

"...Not really. The farthest we've ever gone is the Moon."

Falco snickered at the thought, the concept seeming quaint to his experiences.

On the way to the mayor's office, a large, brightly lit billboard on a wall nearby caught Captain N's attention. The billboard proudly displayed Mario in an energetic jumping motion, smiling at the viewer with "SUPER MARIO BROS. - NOW PLAYING" right next to him in blocky, multicolored text. Captain N stopped walking to take in the billboard, feeling incredibly small in comparison. He could feel a sense of gravitas emanate from the massive illustration of Mario, his bold yet positive demeanor providing a stark contrast against Captain N's inner turmoil. Looking up at the billboard, Captain N knew he couldn't compare. He felt like a child playing pretend. Mario has been made out to be larger than life, in a sense. The greatest hero in the Mushroom Kingdom, whose might and bravery were so great he saved Princess Peach and triumphed over Bowser time and time again.

But not this time.

Bowser and his two ally kings now possessed a power unparalleled by anything seen before. They now possess a power so great that not just Mario, but Link, Samus Aran, Kirby and other presumably legendary heroes failed in their mission. To his right, Captain N spotted a businessman having stopped to look up at the massive billboard of Mario. When the two shared eye contact, a moment of knowing mourning was shared at the disappearance of Mario, before the businessman hung his head defeatedly and continued on his way. The weight on Captain N's shoulders grew more intense, knowing what was at stake. He, who only just arrived in this world, now had to triumph where men greater than him had failed. He couldn't bear to look back at the billboard of Mario, feeling he doesn't deserve to look upon someone with such prestige and call them his equal.

"...You doing alright, Cap?" Falco asked him, bringing him back to reality. Captain N stepped back and turned away from the billboard, facing Falco. He took in a deep breath to puff up his chest, and nod reassuringly. "Yeah, I'll make it." He assured, not entirely convincing Falco. "Well, we shouldn't stand around much longer, those goons are gonna notice us." Falco reminded him, subtly motioning to the Koopa atop the tall buildings. In agreement, Captain N continued on to City Hall, which was marked on the map as the tallest building near the plaza. The rest of the walk wasn't too troublesome, apart from getting in between businessmen and the odd Toad people. Captain N's red varsity jacket and jeans and Falco's blue avian physiology made them stand out noticeably among the crowd of homogeneously dressed businesspeople, but not so much so to cause a disruption. Soon enough, after crossing the plaza decorated with a fountain and grassy pathways, the two found themselves before the massive city hall. Separated from the interior only by three pristine, glass doors. Feeling slightly intimidated by the massive building in its art deco style, Captain N looked to Falco and remarked “We best not keep the Mayor waiting, huh?”. Falco nodded, and the two pushed open the doors and walked in.

Chapter Text

Upon entering city hall, Falco and Captain N were met with a wave of cool air emanating from the interior. The interior matched the art-deco exterior, with a large rug laid out across the polished floor of the large lobby, with small tables holding fancy lamps and weeks-old magazines for reading, in between large, cushion chairs. Above the center of the room was the largest and surely most expensive chandelier Captain N had ever seen, immaculately decorated with countless, intricately cut crystals with the light from the ceiling gently reflecting through each one. The two's presence was immediately noticed by the others waiting in the room, the formally dressed businesspeople looking up from their magazines and newspapers to subtly gawk at the casually dressed young man and the bird-person. Being the center of attention like this did make Captain N feel slightly uncomfortable, but it's preferable to confronting Dracula or one of Bowser's airships. "Can I help you two?" The receptionist asked from behind the desk. "Yeah, do you think we can meet with Mayor Pauline today?" Falco asked in return. "Captain N, tell Falco we-" Zelda suddenly spoke to him in his mind, which he waved away. "Don’t worry, we’re at city call." Captain N thought back to Zelda. Zelda didn't say anything back in return. "Unfortunately not, as she's spending all of today at the park, commemorating the recent renovations." The receptionist answered, making Captain N feel freeze in place. "Wait, the Commemorative Park?" Falco clarified, double taking. "Yes, would you like me to schedule you in tomorrow?" The receptionist politely asked, where Falco looked back at Captain N. Captain N was still frozen in place. "Did you find Mayor Pauline?" Zelda asked him in his mind, with a hint of smugness in her voice. "...I think so." Captain N awkwardly thought back, where he could sense her suppressing slight laughter. "No thanks, we're good." Falco answered the receptionist, quickly turning back to her. "Well then, have a nice day!" She bid them farewell, turning back to what she was doing. 

As the two quickly exited, Captain N could feel Falco leering at him. "She knew, didn't she?" Falco asked, referring to Zelda. "She might've!" Captain N defended himself. Falco shook his head as Captain N hastily pulled the map out of his pocket and unfolded it, trying to find a route to the Commemorative Park. "Do you need help finding us?" Zelda asked him in his mind. "I think we got it under control." Captain N mentally spoke back to her as he speed-walked alongside Falco. He ended up bumping into many more businesspeople on the sidewalks as he tried to navigate through New Donk City, much to their annoyance. "Gimme the map!" Falco hissed at him, snatching it out of his grasp. Taking a quick stop to carefully look at the map, Captain N kept his head low, hoping to avoid attracting attention from the Koopa, Waddle Dees and Kremlings patrolling above. The longer the two stayed in place, the more likely it was that they get singled out. Captain N impatiently looked over Falco's shoulder at the map, hoping to find the path himself. He could feel tensions rise, with more and more businesspeople around him peering at the two outsiders as they walked by. Just as one of the Waddle Dees was beginning to notice the small commotion occurring, Falco smacked the map triumphantly and declared "Got it! Follow me!". The two then darted off, with Falco weaving through the dense crowds and navigating around the maze of roads. Captain N tried his best to keep up, often bumping into other people on the way. Realizing they could be causing even more of a scene, Captain N tugged on Falco's jacket slightly. "What's the rush, man?" He asked him, who whipped around to face him. "We can’t mess around. Time’s a-wasting!" Falco insisted, realizing he was standing on unsteady foundation. "Yeah, well, WE could be in trouble if we keep making a scene!" Captain N reminded him, hiding away from the view of the goons above. Falco was about to shoot something back, but after noticing a Kremling patrolling above, he relented. Assuming a slower, more subtle page, the two carefully followed the path leading to the Commemorative Park. Captain N ducked his head down, further obscuring him from the forces above.

Upon reaching the archway leading away from the crowded, busy streets and into the more peaceful Commemorative Park, Captain N held Falco back from entering. "What is it now?" Falco asked, turning to face him. "Shouldn't we approach this with a little more caution?" asked Captain N. 

"What, you mean more than the snail's pace we were just at?"

"Yeah!"

Falco groaned in annoyance.

"Look, Pit and Her Majesty are already in there somewhere. They've found Mayor Pauline and has she told you that they're in trouble with those goons?"

"...No, she hasn't."

"Exactly. Plus, you and I both know what a GREAT disguise Zelda's got on. So, if they haven't been sniffed out yet, they won't sniff us out either."

Captain N groaned to himself, relenting to Falco's insistence.

"If that's it, then come on." Falco said, heading into the park. Captain N quickly followed behind. The park provided a nice contrast against the modern and crowded city. Here, the air was fresher, the grass and trees were more alive, and the wide area reserved for the park was lined with dirt paths to a small pond near the center. None of the three king's goons could be seen around, but Captain N was hesitant to let his guard down. Apart from the occasional light post and metal park bench, the two noticed four robots moving along the grass with their hexagonal bases. These robots also had a "platform" halfway up their spines that connects to their arms, and a rectangular head with two large, round eyes. "You ever seen robots like these before?" he asked Falco. "Nope." was the answer Falco gave. The robots didn't notice the two, and seeing that they posed no conceivable threat, the two paid the robots no mind and continued down the dirt path.

"I can see you." Spoke Zelda in Captain N's mind. Caught off guard, he stumbled back a bit, looking around for the source of the voice. "Something up?" Falco asked, noticing Captain N stumble back. "Zelda said she sees us." he answered. Falco looked around for a bit, then settling on a specific point in the distance. "Maybe she's over there?" Falco suggested, pointing to the location. Looking over, Captain N saw a fairly large crowd gathered around, where could be heard the sound of faint music being played. "It's worth a shot." he agreed. As the two walked over, the music grew louder, the crowd remaining respectfully quiet throughout. The band stood on a short metal platform, and was comprised of a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, a trumpeter and a singer. The four instrument players were men, wearing red formal jackets and pants, with a black shirt, black hat and white tie. The singer was a rather tall woman with long dark hair, wearing a formal red dress and a large red hat as she sang. The song they played was lively and energetic, the crowd enraptured by the song. Three more of the robots from before were situated behind the band. Captain N noticed Zelda and Pit near the back of the crowd, listening to the song alongside everyone else as he pointed them out to Falco. Pit noticed Captain N and Falco approaching, as did Zelda. Falco began to ask her where Mayor Pauline was, but was quickly shushed by Pit, not wanting him to disturb the song. Alongside the people of New Donk City, Captain N could finally understand the lyrics of the song.

"Spin the wheel, take a chance"

"Every journey starts a new romance"

"A new world's calling out to you"

Captain N found himself getting swept up in the positive air of the song, his spirits being lifted by the joyous energy conveyed from the instruments and singing.

"Take a turn, off the path"

"Find a new addition to the cast"

"You know that any captain needs a crew"

It sounds cliché to him, but Captain N felt the lyrics really speak to him.

"Take it in stride"

"As you move from side to side"

"They're just different points of view"

"Jump with me, grab coins with me"

"Oh yeah!"

Glancing at his allies, he found Zelda surprisingly at ease, enjoying the song as well. A gentle smile graced her face, softly rocking her head in time with the beat. Pit was also entranced by the elegant yet energetic singing of the woman behind the microphone. It took him a moment to ease up, but even Falco got into enjoying the live musical performance, not that he would admit it. It was also nice for Captain N to see the townspeople enjoying the nice day, paying no mind to the forces of the three kings currently infesting the city. The song continued on, and his worries felt assuaged. He silently wished he could freeze time in these few moments, where there was only him, his teammates, nice music, a warm community and a sunny day. He could feel the beautiful notes of the song waft around him, almost entrancing him in this warm melody. But only a couple minutes of bliss later, the music faded away, the song drawing to a close. Reality came back to Captain N, along with a slight depression with the end of the lovely song. Once the band was officially done playing, the crowd of casually dressed men, women and children cheerfully applauding. Even the robots behind the makeshift stage applauded, their metal "hands" rapidly clapping together. "Wasn't that song the coolest!?" Pit excitedly goaded. "Yeah, it sure was something." Captain N agreed, smiling. “Eh, I’ve heard better.” Falco bluntly said, earning him a scowl from Zelda and Pit. Once the applause faded, the woman took the microphone in her hand. "Thank you all once again for coming today, it's more important now than ever that we maintain our New Donk spirit!" She cheered, earning some more applause. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to meet with someone important, stay safe, everyone!" She proclaimed, and after another quick round of cheering, the crowd began to disperse. He could sense the people weren’t too keen on leaving the park and going back to the city being patrolled, but they had their own lives to get back to. Once it was clear enough to get to the band from the back, Zelda made her way up to the singer, her band members packing up their instruments. "Your song was lovely, you and your band should take great pride in your talent!" She congratulated her. "Thank you, Princess. It's not often we receive such esteemed audience members!" The woman replied. "Man, we really should get you a better disguise." Falco remarked, which Zelda ignored.

"Oh! I haven't introduced you to my companions yet!" Zelda suddenly realized, motioning to the three with her. "You’ve already met Pit, this is Falco Lombardi of Star Fox squadron, and Captain N of the savior's prophecy." She formally introduced them, each waving after their name was mentioned. The woman's eyes widened, turning to Zelda. "You mean 'from beyond the stars'? To come in our 'hour of greatest need'?" She asked, which Zelda answered with a nod. The woman quickly turned to Captain N, who produced the Zapper from his pocket as well as the Ice Booster. "Oh, how wonderful! Hope has finally returned!" She cheered. "My name is Pauline, I'm the mayor of this fine city as well as singer." She introduced herself, taking Captain N aback. "...You're Mayor Pauline?" Falco asked her, getting a cheerful "Why, yes I am.". Falco and Captain N shared a surprised look, which earned a laugh from Pit. "Got you guys!" He gloated. "At any rate, it's an honor to meet you, miss Mayor." Captain N said to her. "Oh, the honor is all mine! And please, call me Pauline." She replied.

"Well then, Pauline, you're the best mayor we've met thus far." Captain N remarked.

"Oh yes, New Leaf Town. I know their mayor well." Pauline remarked.

“That makes one of us.” Pit noted.

"We came to you hoping you'd know where we could find Ryu." Zelda said to her, surprising her slightly.

"Ryu? You mean the man who's about to compete in the World Warrior Tournament this weekend?"

"That's the guy." Pit confirmed.

Pauline put a finger to her chin, thinking to herself.

"Well... it's not under my job description to keep tabs on citizens of New Donk City, but I think Ryu could be found at Doc's Gym on the east end of the city." Pauline answered. Captain N got the map out and scanned the diagram for the gym. "It's at 74 Squaks Park Street, not too far from here." Pauline clarified. This helped locate the destination, approximating it to be only a few miles away from the Commemorative Park. "Thank you, Pauline." Captain N gratefully said to her, which she met with a hand wave. "You being here could mean so much to a lot of people. That horrible Bowser's had his oppressive hand down on the city for so long. The people are too scared to go out at night, fearing they'll be roughed up by his goons, if not the minions of Dedede or K. Rool.” She explained with a scowl. “Mario was... he was the best of us. Him and his six allies. With them gone, and presumably... we've almost lost all hope.” She mournfully went on, turning away slightly. “But you being here, proving the prophecy true, it could bring hope to these people." Pauline spoke, her voice rising once more at the prospect of liberation. This did little to help the pressure Captain N felt to perform, but wanting to maintain the image of the prophesied savior Yamajiro so desperately needed, he puffed up his chest. "It's the least I can do for you fine people." He boldly stated, making Falco groan a bit. "Say, if you don't mind me asking, what are the robots for?" Captain N asked, referring to the three robots currently disassembling the stage. "Oh! Those are Light-patented Robotic Operating Buddies, or R.O.B.s for short. They're a great help in renovating and performing odd jobs around the city." Pauline answered proudly. Upon hearing their names mentioned, the three R.O.B.s looked up and waved at the group, their mechanical arms moving jaggedly. He waved back awkwardly, knowing that the R.O.B.s weren't conscious of what their gesture meant. The three robots turned back to their job, and Captain N turned back to Pauline. "Thanks again, miss mayor! It's been great listening to your band!" Pit said cheerfully. "My pleasure. I wish you all well on your journeys, beyond finding Ryu." Pauline said back. "We'll be around in case those grunts cause too much trouble." Falco assured. "Indeed, you have our word that the people of New Donk City can rely on our protection." Zelda added.

"Thank you, you don't know how much that means to me." Pauline said, gratefully. "Well, I shouldn't keep Mr. Savior of Yamajiro much longer, so I'll leave you all on your way. Happy trails!" Pauline bid farewell. With the four thanking her one last time, they referred back to the map, found the route to Doc's Gym, and went on their way to hopefully find Ryu.

Chapter Text

Zelda took the map for herself, not entirely trusting Pit or Falco to not get the group lost. With her eyes glued to the map, she guided the other three out of the park and back into the city. Captain N walked further behind the group, his eyes anxiously searching the rooftops. Despite the chaos that ensued that morning at Peach's Castle, it looks like none of the Koopa or Waddle Dees or Kremlings got a description of him or any of his allies. The sinister forces atop the buildings patrolled as uniform as diligent as ever, clutching their advanced spears close. It was difficult for Captain N to get a good look at the spears from such a distance, not to mention the need to remain inconspicuous, so he peered at them from out of the corners of his eyes. The spears seemed to be made of some kind of white metal, with a glowing blue interior. The tips of the spears also glowed blue slightly, and he could tell the goons held the tip away from them. Perhaps the spears could shoot laser blasts? It would hardly be surprising at this point. Captain N also thought it was strange that the Kremlings that attacked New Leaf Town weren't wielding such weaponry. Perhaps the spears weren't constructed yet, or they didn't expect to need too heavy firepower when on the assault of that small town. Whatever the reason may be, it's more than likely that further reinforcements would wield this more advanced armaments. Captain N kept his head down as he followed the three, navigating the maze-like streets of New Donk City. Even with her face buried in the map, Zelda was able to gracefully weave in between the surrounding commuters and effortlessly navigate around corners and across intersections. Falco and Pit struggled a bit more to match her pace, bumping into the odd businessperson. As Captain N drew the irritation of other people, all he could offer was a quick, meek "Sorry!" as he attempted to keep up with the other three.

The further Zelda led the group on, the quieter the road to the right became. Captain N also noticed that foot traffic lightened as well, and the occasional passerby was dressed more casually than the suit and tie worn by the businesspeople. The buildings towering above them gradually shrank in size, from skyscrapers to being about five stories tall. It seemed that they were moving away from main street and were getting closer to the residential area of the city. Between the shoulders of the chatting Pit and Falco, Captain N spotted a mother and father holding the hands of their young son as they walked down the opposite side of the street. The young boy happily skipped down the sidewalk while his parents struggled slightly to keep up with him. Seeing this happy display inflicted a pang of homesickness onto Captain N, reminding him of his own family in his home world. His mind wandered to what they could be doing right now. Were they panicking, wondering why he never came home? Were they idly going about their day, confident that he was just running a little late? Were they coming to terms with the idea that he could be dead? The more his mind raced, the more he drifted away from the three in front of him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered how he never even got to say a meaningful goodbye to his mom and dad. Despite how similar he looked to everyone around him, he knew he didn't belong. Pit's wings, Zelda's pointed ears and Falco's... avian physique made him feel even more alien. If only he knew that all this would happen. If only he knew he would get transported as far away from home as he possibly could be. Maybe then he would have gone to Homecoming. Maybe then he would have asked Sarah Thompson in Geometry class to Prom. Maybe then he would've went to the movies or the skate park or the shake shack with friends. But now all those days were wasted. The years he spent alone in his room reading comic books instead of spending time with his mom and dad or friends at school now haunted him. Now he'll possibly never get back home. Maybe he'll be trapped in this strange world for the rest of his life...

...No.

He wiped away the tears accumulating in his eyes and sucked in a deep breath of air.

He's seen things that he would have called impossible last week. Magic, Gods and Goddesses, animal people, animal people, laser weapons, disappearing castles, and so much more. He got to this world from his own, surely it's possible for him to go back home. It has to be possible to jump dimensions to go back home.

It has to be.

"Hi there, would you like to sign my petition?"

Captain N was snapped out of his mental turmoil to face the voice that just addressed him. The man he was met with was tall, wore sunglasses, a black trench coat, a blue shirt, jeans and combat boots. He also had short, thin red hair with a small goatee and was holding a clipboard. The confusion on Captain N's face was apparently visible, as the man held out his clipboard for him to see. The clipboard contained a petition with only two signatures and was titled "PETITION: To make whiney princesses watch violent movies". "Uh, I really can't. I've got somewhere to be." Captain N awkwardly answered, turning away to continue walking. "Look, just sign the stupid petition. I've got stuff to do." The man insisted, stepping closer to him as he held out the petition. Captain N stepped back, almost stumbling over the curb onto the road. "Look, I've just gotta-." "There you are!" Pit's voice suddenly rang. The two looked over and found Pit, Falco and Zelda standing at the nearby crosswalk. "Try to keep up, Cap! You could've gotten lost without the map!" Falco reminded him. Captain N nodded, and the man held out his clipboard at them. "Wanna sign my petition?" He offered. Zelda's face soured upon reading it, and Falco's answer was a blunt "Can't, busy.". The man grew more visibly irritated, but Pit yanked Captain N away before he could make another demand of the four. "Hope you get those signatures soon!" Pit yelled over his shoulder and Zelda buried her face in the map and continued on. Captain N could spot the man groan impatiently before walking in the opposite direction to haggle more people. Making an effort to match the pace of his three teammates, Captain N could sense Zelda wasn't in a good mood as she read the map. Reaching another intersection, he and Zelda met eyes for a brief moment as she looked around the streets, where he quickly averted his gaze, wanting to avoid any awkwardness. "I'm not whiney, you know." Zelda suddenly shot at him. "I know, I know!" Captain N quickly defended himself. "I don't know, she can be a real-" "Where should we go next?" Pit suddenly interrupted Falco. Zelda huffed to herself, scanned the road signs, and answered "This way." before marching on.

Awkward silence was shared between the four for the remainder of the trek. After not too long, the four found themselves in front of an unassuming gym with an aged sign on top reading "Doc's Gym". From the outside, it didn't seem very lively. The lights were on inside, but little else indicated the building was currently occupied. "Should we knock?" Captain N asked. "Knock the door on a gym?" Falco rhetorically asked back. After rolling his eyes slightly, Falco shoved the doors to the gym. Blasted with a wave of cooled air, the four were met with a makeshift boxing ring in the center of the gym currently occupied by two people, with weightlifting and other exercise equipment stored around the sides. Aside from a small office, a bathroom and a storage room, little else was inside the gym. The smaller man, wearing a black tank top, green shorts and boxing gloves seemed to be practicing boxing against the bigger man, wearing blue sweatpants and a red sweater. The smaller man turned his focus from the bigger man to the four intruders, whereupon the bigger man landed a hit on his shoulders. "Don't get distracted, Mac." The man instructed him, slight teasing in his tone. Rubbing his shoulder slightly, the smaller man nodded and grabbed his water bottle for a quick refreshment. "What brings you all to my humble establishment?" The bigger man asked the four. "So you're Doc?" Captain N asked him. "Doc Louis, that's what people call me." He introduced himself, wiping his forehead with a towel.

"Say, I feel like I've seen you two before." Doc Louis noted, eyeing Pit and Zelda. "Well, I'm Pit, captain of Lady Palutena's royal guard!" Pit introduced himself. "That's it! I knew the wings were familiar." Doc Louis snapped his fingers. "And I am... Zelda of Hyrule." Zelda spoke up after some hesitation, removing her hat to better reveal her visage. Doc Louis's eyes widened from sheer surprise. "My apologies, your highness!" He clumsily responded as he hastily bowed out of respect. "What'd she say her name was?" Mac spoke up from the opposite end of the boxing ring, wiping his mouth. "Show some respect, she's a princess!" Doc Louis whispered at him, still bowing. Zelda nervously laughed as she waved her hand. "Such formalities aren't necessary this day." she dismissed. With some hesitation, Doc Louis carefully met her gaze, along with Mac walking up to meet them. "So who're you two?" Mac asked Captain N and Falco. "Name's Falco. Star Fox Squadron, you heard of 'em?" Falco answered. "Didn't they disappear?" Doc Louis asked him. "I had to stay back because I 'wasn't fit for piloting an Arwing'." He said, making quotation marks with his fingers. With a simple "Hm", their eyes turned to Captain N. "So... who're you?" Doc Louis asked him. "Well... I'm Captain N, the guy the prophecy was talking about." He said, trying to make that sound as official as he could. Mac snorted as he tried to hide a smirk. "That old bedtime story?" He asked, incredulously. Captain N drew his Zapper and showed it off to the two. "If that's what you wanna call it.".

Mac and Doc Louis froze and looked at each other, sharing a silent conversation through their eyes alone. After coming through a seeming understanding, the two turned back to Captain N. "...No joke?" Doc Louis asked Captain N. "Well, I don't picture Raiden as any kind of comedian." Captain N remarked. "Lady Palutena can be pretty funny, though!" Pit piped up. Taking in the prestige of those before them, the two boxers felt more humbled than ever before in their lives. "So... what's an angel, star pilot, Princess and chosen one doing here?" Doc Louis asked. "Apart from being the setup to a bad joke, we're looking for Ryu. We were told he could be found here." Falco answered. Mac chuckled slightly rubbing his forehead. "I could've guessed that. You wouldn't believe how insistent the paparazzi are in getting a one-on-one with that guy." He mused. "He's out now, doing who-knows-what. He'll probably come back here for his stuff before leaving again.". He continued, motioning to only a white punching bag laying on the ground in the corner. "Would you know when he'll be returning?" Zelda asked. Doc Louis shrugged in response. "Nope. Guy's a mystery. Never really opens up about his daily routine.". "The longer he's gone the better." Mac grumbled to himself. Doc Louis let out a hearty laugh, overhearing Mac. "Don't mind him, Little Mac's just sore after their last sparring session." Doc Louis informed them. Captain N could tell he meant that figuratively and literally, spotting some bruises on Little Mac's chest.

"If he's gonna be a while, mind if we crash here until he shows up?" Falco asked, earning a slight scowl from Zelda. Before she could scold him for intruding on them like this, Doc Louis answered with "It would be an honor." with great esteem. Little Mac climbed out of the boxing ring and sat down on a nearby bench, resting up. "Thank you." Zelda politely thanked him as Falco and Pit idly walked around the small gym. Captain N took this opportunity to rest his legs, and sat against a wall near a row of punching bags hanging from the ceiling. "You sure we're not intruding? I'd hate to be a bother." he asked Doc Louis. "Don't worry, as long as none of you break anything we'll be fine." he answered. "You hear that, Falco? No breaking anything." Pit teasingly reminded Falco, where he responded with rolling his eyes. "I'll try not to." He sarcastically said. Zelda sat down on a bench on the other side of the gym, sitting straight up as she breathed deeply in and out with her eyes closed. He didn't want to disturb her meditating, so Captain N slumped down against the wall, soaking in the period of rest. Little Mac took this opportunity to rest as well, moving over to Captain N. "So what's your story?" He asked him, drawing him out of his slight drowsiness. Captain N shrugged noncommittally before answering.

"I was just, suddenly brought here by the Bowser's airships using those laser cannons." Captain N explained.

"What do you mean 'brought here'?" Little Mac asked.

"...Well, I'm actually from another world."

"You mean like Corneria?"

"No, I mean like... a different universe."

Little Mac only responded with an incredibly confused face, before shaking his head and dismissing the question.

"So what do you need with Ryu?"

"Mac, that ain't none of your business. Now get back in here, break's over." Doc Louis spoke up from inside the ring. Little Mac nodded, got back on his feet with a slight groan and climbed back inside the boxing ring. "In case any of you are hungry, I've got some chocolate bars in the cabinet over there." Doc Louis offered to the four, pointing to a cabinet near the office. Captain N politely declined, Zelda didn't seem to hear him, still meditating, but Pit and Falco hurried over to the cabinet and rifled through its contents, evidently incredibly hungry. "Try not to eat all of 'em." Captain N advised the two, which Falco responded to with "Mind your own business.", still focused on finding the chocolate. "Don't worry, I've got more stashed in other places." Doc Louis waved off. He put his arms up, Little Mac steadied his form like a boxer, and began practicing against Doc Louis. Captain N watched Little Mac closely, analyzing the boxer's technique. While he was lacking in physical strength compared to Little Mac, Captain N figured he could still put up a decent fight if he knew how to fight. Little Mac weaved about, swiftly dodging Doc Louis's jabs. When given an opening, Little Mac would quickly strike Doc Louis with either a jab or hook. Doc Louis seemed to be going easy on Little Mac, as Captain N could tell he was reacting slower to Little Mac's strikes slower than he should be able to. Falco and Pit finally retreated from the cabinet, each holding two or three chocolate bars in each hand. Captain N gave them an unimpressed look as they sat down. "What? I barely had breakfast!" Pit defended himself, mouth half full of chocolate. Captain N relented, remembering how Pit was the only one who didn't get to enjoy the delicious waffles for breakfast that morning.

"So are you training for the World Warrior Tournament?" Captain N asked Doc Louis from outside the ring. "You betcha. Mac here's gonna need all the training he can get if he's gonna go toe-to-toe against those guys." Doc Louis answered, still focused on training Little Mac. Zelda seemed to be finished with her meditation, and opened her eyes and relaxed her form against the bench. Little conversation was shared outside the ring, with the four watching the boxing session closely. Little Mac's demeanor remained mostly determined, but apparently the notable guests watching him seemed to be feeling some performance anxiety. Doc Louis didn't relent, and Little Mac seemed to be slowing down. But for the briefest moment when Doc Louis changed his stance, Little Mac took the opportunity to knock him down, hitting the floor of the ring with a loud thump. Captain N was at first concerned for his condition, but was assuaged with Doc Louis heartily laughing. "That's the spirit, Mac!" He congratulated him, where Little Mac smiled gratefully and helped Doc Louis back on his feet. "You paying attention, Cap?" Doc Louis asked Captain N. "Yeah, that was impressive stuff." He said. "Well, it's only gonna get tougher from here, and you're gonna need to learn to fight if you're gonna give those Koopa thugs what-for." Doc Louis reminded him. "But he's got us with him! Those goons don't stand a chance!" Pit declared. "Yeah, that's right." Doc Louis chuckled. Suddenly, the doors to the gym opened, and in stepped a large, muscular man wearing a white martial arts outfit with a black belt and red headband. Pit sprung up, and Falco and Zelda got up to meet him. "Captain N, meet Ryu!" Pit introduced him to the newcomer.

Chapter Text

When Captain N's eyes met Ryu's, he felt his foundations weaken. Ryu was built like a mountain, almost towering over him. He looked over him suspiciously, taking in Captain N's unusual appearance. A chill traveled down Captain N's spine as Ryu's eyes scanned him. An awkward silence filled the room, and Captain N almost felt suffocated by the tension. The ambient buzz of the fluorescent lights above was the only thing accompanying the two's silent greeting. Eventually deciding he should do something, he raised his hand out to him, cleared his throat and introduced himself with "Hey, I'm Pet- Captain N.". Ryu squinted his eyes at him, making his heart beat faster. Was he supposed to say that? Should he have waited for Ryu to introduce himself? All Captain N could do was keep his hand held out and hope for something to happen. After what felt like an eternity, Ryu met him halfway, took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Nice to meet you, Captain N." Ryu's bold voice said in a surprisingly quiet tone. Captain N his the pain he felt from Ryu's crushing grip and maintained a strong form as he shook in return. Releasing him from his grip, Ryu took a step back and looked over to Little Mac and Doc Louis. "Do you know them?" He asked the two. Little Mac shook his head. "Nope, you're meeting them with us." he answered. Ryu looked over to the three accompanying Captain N. He gave Pit and Falco a solemn nod, and bowed graciously upon seeing Zelda. "It's an honor to meet you all." He said to them. "The honor's all mine! I'm a huge fan of your fighting!" Pit giddily responded, nudging past Falco to get to Ryu. He smirked slightly, apparently used to having fans. "So what brings you all here? I assume you've been looking for me." Ryu asked the group. "How'd you know we were looking for you and not Doc over here?" Falco asked. "Oh, don't flatter me, son. I 'aint as popular as I used to be." Doc Louis chuckled in between bites from a chocolate bar. "We were hoping you would guide us to Suzaku Castle." Zelda spoke up, moving closer to Ryu.

His expression grew more stern as he heard the castle's name invoked, heaving a deep sigh. "You're hardly the first to want to know the location of Suzaku Castle." Ryu responded. "But it IS real?" Pit asked eagerly. With only a nod, Pit pumped his fist in the air victoriously. "Ha! Told you so!" He bragged to Falco, who rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Why would you want to know where it is? It's a secret not lightly held." Ryu asked. Captain N stepped forward, his mentally prepared speech ready.

"These weapons I hold are proof that I'm the hero that ancient prophecy was talking about. We've already reclaimed the weapons from the secret chambers in Peach's Castle and Castlevania, and we believe the next weapon is hidden in Suzaku Castle. Without those weapons, it'll be essentially impossible to defeat the three kings terrorizing Yamajiro." Captain N declared, presenting his Zapper for Ryu's inspection. His expression grew more suspicious, eyeing Captain N's less than idea physique. After a moment of Ryu mentally mulling over his options, Captain N spoke up, asking "So can you tell us where it is?".

Another moment passed.

Doc Louis and Little Mac moved away from the conversation, giving them their space.

"Come on, where's the castle?" Falco impatiently asked.

Another moment passed.

"...I can't tell you." Ryu finally answered.

"What!?" Captain N, Pit and Falco responded in unison.

"Surely you can't mean that!" Zelda insisted, taken aback.

Ryu ignored them, and walked over to the punching bag laying on the floor. "You're in no shape to take on the forces of the three kings." Ryu bluntly stated, hanging the bag from the ceiling. Captain N felt wounded by the comment, but didn't let that become visible. "But we managed to go up against Dracula! We defeated him!" Captain N assured him, walking over to Ryu. "Dracula doesn't have the weaponry or the influence of Bowser, or K. Rool or Dedede. Just from looking at you, I can tell you're not a one-man army." Ryu reminded him. Zelda stormed right up to Ryu and straightened her posture with a stern look on her face. "As Princess Zelda of the kingdom of Hyrule, I command you to reveal the location of Suzaku Castle!" She demanded. Doc Louis and Little Mac tried to look busy, while also trying to subtly eavesdrop. Ryu didn't even acknowledge her as he adjusted the punching bag. "I have a sworn oath to keep the location of the castle secret from the outside world. If too many people found its secrets, the consequences would be disastrous." was Ryu's only response. Zelda huffed frustratingly, turning to the other three with a "Can you believe this?" look painted across her face. "But you can trust us! Destiny says I'm gonna save the world!" Captain N reminded Ryu. Once the punching bag was secured, Ryu turned to face Captain N. "Punch the bag." He instructed.

"What?"

"Punch the bag."

Still incredibly confused, Captain N stepped up to the punching bag. The bag swayed slightly, with a barely audible squeaking noise coming from the chain harness above. Captain N mimicked Little Mac's form in the ring, steadying his footing, putting up his hands in front of him, and with a deep breath, struck the bag with a swift punch. The punch stung his fist slightly as the bag reacted by swinging away. Rubbing his sore hand, he looked over to Ryu. "There's work to be done." Ryu bluntly stated. "What do you mean?" he asked him. "You need to prove to me you deserve to know the location of Suzaku Castle, and that you deserve your prestige." Ryu answered. "So you'll help us?" Falco asked from across the room.

"Yes, but only once he's proven he can put up a fight."

"Does that mean you're gonna teach him Ansatsuken?" Pit excitedly asked, leaning forward.

"No, but I can teach him how to fight before he competes tomorrow." Ryu answered, making Pit's expression fall slightly.

"Compete?" Zelda asked.

"You don't mean in the World Warrior Tournament, do you?" Captain N nervously added.

"You'll be taking my place in the tournament." Ryu informed him. Doc Louis nearly choked on his chocolate bar, and Little Mac was thrown off by this revelation. "But he's not ready!" Zelda objected. "Sure he is, destiny's on his side, after all." Falco semi-sarcastically spoke up. "We can train here to prepare. Only after your performance tomorrow will I decide if you deserve to know where Suzaku Castle is." Ryu calmly answered. "Well shoot, we better get going, then!" Doc Louis declared, getting up with a slight groan. "You know if we have any spare gloves in the back?" He asked Little Mac. He darted off to the office to check, and Doc Louis climbed into the ring. "Come on in here, Cap." He invited, which Captain N somewhat awkwardly obliged. Ryu stood right up at the edge of the ring, with Zelda, Falco and Pit standing next to him. Not too long after, Little Mac returned with two red boxing gloves, and gave them to Captain N. Standing in the corner of the roped edge of the ring as he slipped on the gloves, he spotted Ryu patiently observing, Zelda watched concerned, Falco watched with subtle interest and Pit hopped slightly in place, eager to see the action up close. He could tell the gloves haven't been washed recently, but otherwise felt comfortable. "Lucky you, getting trained by such legends to compete in the World Warrior Tournament!" Pit said giddily, gripping the rope below. Captain N nervously chuckled as he adjusted the strap on the gloves. "It'll be the first fight I've ever gotten into one-on-one. I won't be able to rely on dear friends like you to bail me out." He sheepishly admitted. "Plus it'll be broadcast all over the world for everyone to see you take on some of the best fighters in the world. No pressure, though." Falco chimed in nonchalantly. Pit nudged him for not helping. "Wait, what about the Koopa or Kremlings or any of those guys? It'll be, like, impossible for them to not notice me." Captain N realized, growing more worried. "If that happens, we'll be nearby to come to your aid. We took down an airship on our own, need I remind you." Zelda assured him. Captain N wasn't entirely persuaded, but decided that his time would be better spent training, so he turned away from the audience and towards Doc Louis wearing his own boxing gloves in the other corner, with Little Mac behind him.

"So you've never boxed someone before?" Doc Louis asked to clarify. Captain N answered with a shake of the head. "Well, you're gonna learn today!" He chuckled, tapping his gloved fists together. Captain N raised his fists up and steadied his posture. Doc Louis started approaching him, and he carefully made his way towards him. "I just wanna say it's an honor to be teaching someone of such reputation." Doc Louis said to him, making Captain N slightly flustered. "What can I say, my reputation precedes me." He responded. "Yeah, well, get ready for some old school!" Doc Louis declared, getting into a fighting stance. Realizing he was relaxing his posture, Captain N snapped into a posture matching his opponents. He could feel the eyes of his audience burn into him, Ryu's careful gaze making him feel slightly unsteady. The bell dinged, and round one had begun. Doc Louis danced around Captain N slightly, him trying to keep up with the surprisingly agile older man. Out of the corner of his eye, he could spot Pit bouncing in place, hyped up. Doc Louis suddenly pulled back slightly and yelled "Dodge!". Before Captain N could react, he was met with a strong boxing glove across the face, knocking him gracelessly onto the matted floor of the ring. Falco could barely hold back his snickering as Zelda gasped in surprise. "Come on! You can do better than that!" Pit cheered him on, Ryu remaining silent. Captain N's face stung like never before. His right cheek was already a bit swollen and tender to touch. He was content to lay on the mat where safety was somewhat guaranteed, but he knew he would have to face his elder opponent eventually, and with a quiet groan, got back up on his feet and put his gloved hands back up. "Try to listen up next time!" Doc Louis advised. "I doubt my opponents will be as sporting as you." Captain N remarked. "Hey, that's training. You gotta walk before you can run. You wanna go up against someone like Ryu in your first bout, be my guest." Doc Louis remarked. "As much as I enjoy watching you get your butt kicked, you should probably listen to him." Falco spoke up. Paying him no mind, Captain N re-steadied his stance and braced himself for the next strike. Doc Louis quickly got into a rhythm with him, each carefully maintaining a short distance from each other. "Dodge this one!" Doc Louis suddenly warned him, but this time he was prepared. As Doc Louis unleashed a mean right hook, Captain N dodged out of the way, finding an opening to strike his opponent. Before the window could close, Captain N struck Doc Louis several times before his opponent stumbled back to the ropes. "Good going, kid!" Doc Louis congratulated him. Zelda offered polite applause, where Pit happily cheered him on. Ryu remained silent, and Falco wasn't too eager to make any kind of remark yet. Doc Louis got back up from the ropes to get close to Captain N again. As the two held their fists up, Captain N waited for his opponent's next warning. "Block this!" Doc Louis suddenly exclaimed, which Captain N had barely enough time to register. Holding his arms together to block the right jab, he stumbled back somewhat, thrown off by Doc Louis's strong punch. "Try to stay anchored to the floor!" Doc Louis advised him. Regaining his footing, Captain N nodded along.

As the two slightly danced around each other, Captain N suddenly got an idea. Right after Doc Louis gave his warning in the form of "Dodge!", Captain N opted to duck down and strike his stomach with a right jab, rather than dodge out of the way. Doc Louis clearly wasn't expecting this, and stumbled backwards onto the ropes. The feeling of triumph he felt course through his body helped him stand up taller, feeling triumphant in his ingenuity. Looking over to the small audience, Falco nodded approvingly, Zelda seemed pleased with his actions, Pit was clapping excitedly, but Ryu remained as stoic as ever. Little Mac looked over to check on Doc Louis, but he got back up just fine. "Now you're getting the hang of it!" Doc Louis commented, approaching Captain N. He felt more determined than before, maintaining his distance from his opponent. His ears perked up slightly, anxious to get Doc Louis's next warning. This time, the warning came later than usual. Tensions were high as Captain N danced about on the tips of his toes, eager to spring into action. His instincts were kicking in, and he could feel Doc Louis peer into his eyes, much like how he was doing the same. He could feel each individual bead of sweat decorate his forehead. He could feel the air move around him. "Block!" came Doc Louis's voice suddenly boomed. Captain N's instincts took over, and as he weaved out of the way of his jab, he delivered the strongest uppercut he could summon and knocked Doc Louis down onto the mat. He stepped away to observe his opponent. Before he could worry if he ended up seriously hurting his sparring partner, Doc Louis got back up, chuckling heartily. "That's the spirit, son! You've got the spirit of a real fighter in you." He remarked, stretching his back. Captain N let out a laugh of built up nervous energy, relieved that the match has seemingly ended. "Hooray for Captain N!" Pit cheered with eager applause. "Oh, please. He was literally told what to do. It's about as great an accomplish as a connect-the-dots picture." Falco shrugged off. "Pay him no mind, you're making admirable progress." Zelda assured him. He smiled warmly, taking pride in his admittedly minuscule achievement. "So what next?" Captain N asked Doc Louis. "First, take five." He answered, tossing Captain N an unopened water bottle. He managed to clumsily catch it in his arms, and greedily gulped down its refreshing contents. Wearing his jacket wasn't helping how much he was sweating. He sat down in the corner of the ring, near the four watching. "This is such a waste of time, can't you just tell us where the castle is?" Falco impatiently asked Ryu. He remained firm in his stance. "The tournament will go for two days. I need to see that he's worthy of knowing where Suzaku Castle is." Ryu stated. "And you're SURE you can't use your magic to just find it?" Falco turned to Zelda. She sighed softly, looking down. "It's been attempted before, but to no avail. Plus, I... I'm not terribly confident in my navigational abilities after I almost led us to our defeat in Castlevania." She glumly admitted. Falco groaned, annoyed. "Oh, come on. You're telling me there's NOTHING on where Suzaku Castle is?" He asked. "You didn't even think it was real yesterday." Captain N reminded him. "Then how'd you hear about it?" Falco interrogated Pit, who put his hands up in defense. "I dunno, I heard a couple rumors!" Pit nervously answered. Captain N spotted Little Mac talking with Doc Louis on the other end of the ring, just out of earshot. Not paying them too much mind, he took a couple more swigs of the cold water, feeling incredibly refreshed.

"Alright, break time's over, Cap. Time for round two!" Doc Louis declared. Captain N jumped onto his feet, ready for action. But instead of climbing back into the ring, Doc Louis opened the ropes up for Little Mac to get in. "Normally I wouldn't move you along so quick with your training, but since your big day is tomorrow, we gotta hustle." Doc Louis explained. "That means I'm gonna be sparring you." Little Mac continued, putting up his gloved fists. Captain N's worry returned, turning to his audience for some kind of help. "Don't worry Cap, I'm sure he won't hurt you too bad!" Pit reassured him. Falco smirked slightly, but seemingly got a mental instruction from Zelda to not make any witty remarks. "Relax, I'll go easy on you to start, but it's gonna get tougher later." Little Mac explained to him. "After all, I can't have the chosen one getting all bruised and bloody before his first official competition." He remarked. Captain N didn't want to get into a real fight like this, his face still stung from when Doc Louis got his punch in. But he knew that he was going to have to get stronger if he was going to save Yamajiro. He steeled his nerve, tossed the empty water bottle out of the ring, and put his hands up. The bell rang, and Little Mac marched forward. Only when he got closer did Captain N realize he was actually taller than Little Mac. Not by much, only a couple inches, but it still surprised him. He shoved those thoughts to the side and met his opponent in the middle. Mimicking the stance he's learned, he crouched slightly behind his two raised arms. The two carefully moved in a circle around each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. But almost in the blink of an eye, Little Mac attacked Captain N with a right hook. He was quick to react, and hid behind his arms to block the attack. "You coulda dodged that!" Pit noted from outside the ring. "Thanks for the tip, coach." Captain N sarcastically replied, moving back from Little Mac. He still didn't react any further than that, carefully trying to maintain a safe distance from Little Mac. His small stature betrayed his skill, his prowess radiating off his bold form. Right as Little Mac let loose another right hook, Captain N dodged out of the way and jabbed at his torso. The impact pushed back Little Mac a bit, who chuckled once recovering. "Nice shot!" He congratulated. "Heh, than-" Captain N was about to say, but was cut off by being crossed across the face by a surprise left hook, knocking him to the floor. His face felt sore from the impact, but he felt his pride was more wounded. "Don't get distracted, that's how they'll get you!" Little Mac advised him. "Yeah, save the flirting for post-match." Falco remarked. Captain N waved him off and quickly got back onto his feet, guided by his fighting instinct.

He furrowed his brow at Little Mac, more determined. Tension was cut short as Little Mac tried to jab at him. Captain N quickly got out of the way and landed two more punches at Little Mac. But this also left himself open, so his opponent was also able to punch his side. The punches made him feel more sore, but he couldn't quit now. The two danced around each other, anticipating their next move to subvert and strike. "It might be a good idea to take on a more offensive technique." Zelda suggested, watching closely. Ryu offered no suggestion of his own, silently watching the match. Captain N locked his gaze onto Little Mac's face, keeping his wandering eyes from giving away where he would attack. Finding a small opening in his lower torso, and tried to quickly jab at that region. Little Mac was too quick, and blocked the jab, knocking Captain N back onto the ropes. "Perhaps not..." Zelda shrunk back, slightly embarrassed. He wasn't going to keep getting pushed around, so Captain N re-approached Little Mac, ready for more. He waved out of the way, but jabbed at Captain N. He blocked the jab, and unleashed a powerful uppercut on Little Mac. Taken completely by surprise, Little Mac fell back onto the mat. He tapped the mat twice, indicating that he's done sufficiently enough. "Heh... not bad!" Little Mac noted, slowly getting back onto his feet while rubbing his jaw. "I'm glad you think so!" Captain N chuckled, taking this opportunity to catch his breath and relax. "See, you're making progress!" Doc Louis noted approvingly. "Was that impressive enough for you?" Captain N jokingly asked Falco. "Eh, could've been better." Falco shrugged. "Never mind him, your skill is improving ever more." Zelda assured him. Captain N sheepishly thanked her for the praise. "Thank goodness you didn't beat him too bad, could've embarrassed him in front of the Princess here." Doc Louis joked, whereupon Little Mac rolled his eyes. "I could've beaten you if I really wanted to, you know that, right?" Little Mac asked Captain N. "Yeah, I got it." Captain N answered, with a small smile.

"Now what?" He asked Ryu.

"Next you fight me." Ryu stated.

Captain N froze in place.

"...Huh?"

Ryu climbed into the ring and walked to the opposite end.

"Your competition tomorrow will be fierce and relentless. If you are as promising as I'm seeing, you'll need to do well against me."

"Ryu, I'm not so sure this is such a good idea." Little Mac spoke up, but Ryu was undeterred. He adjusted his gloves and did some minor stretching, not helping Captain N's nervous state. "I'm sure he won't hurt you too bad. This is only training, after all." Doc Louis said, trying to ease the tension. "Yeah! Plus there are a TON of people who'd love the opportunity to have a fight with Ryu himself!" Pit added. Falco and Zelda shared a look, both deciding that there was nothing too drastic to worry about. "Do be careful with him, we've only got one." Zelda requested of Ryu, using humor in attempt to alleviate the tension. This did little to aid Captain N, who was almost shaking in place at the thought of having to fight this mountain of a man. "Are you ready, Captain?" Ryu asked him.

Captain N nodded.

The bell rang.

Ryu approached Captain N, and he followed his motion.

He instinctively put his guard up, but it did little to block Ryu's powerful punch. He was knocked to the floor, doubling over in the severe pain. Ryu simply stood over him as he writhed on the floor, trying to recover as soon as possible. Captain N eventually rolled away from Ryu and slowly got back up, putting his guard back up. As Ryu approached him, Captain N watched him carefully to detect where he would strike next. In almost the blink of an eye, Ryu swung his leg around and kicked Captain N's legs, knocking him back onto the floor. "Wanna call in an assist?" Pit asked him. Captain N waved off the suggestion, and slowly got back onto his weakened legs. He saw an opening in Ryu's defenses, and swung him arm out to strike him in the abdomen. His rock-hard abs almost deflected the blow, and all it took was one uppercut with a powerful "Shoryuken!" to knock Captain N back down, this time for good. He groaned in pain, clutching his nose and hoped it wasn't broken. No blood ran down from his nostrils, which assuaged his fears. All Ryu offered was a simple. "Hmph." before exiting the ring and retrieving his punching bag. Shame came over Captain N as he realized what losing meant. He looked down at the floor, avoiding looking at Ryu. No one in the room wanted to comment on the match, not even Falco. "At least you'll have your weapons." Ryu noted, throwing the bag over his shoulder. "Huh?" Captain N said, perking his head up. "Weapons are allowed in the World Warrior Tournament, I assumed you knew that." Ryu went on. "Then why'd you have him get beat up? You're not wasting his time only, you know." Falco interrogated him. "It's unwise to rely solely on weapons, especially if so much rests on one's shoulders." Ryu calmly explained.

"I'll head to the arena to arrange for you to compete in my place. I will see you there tomorrow at 5 PM." Ryu stated as he walked out the door, before anyone could bid him farewell. "Wait, where are we gonna stay for the night?" Captain N asked. "It wouldn't be a good idea to search for a hotel, with so many of the three king's forces patrolling New Donk City." Zelda noted. "Yeah, plus we shouldn't keep asking for free stuff." Pit added, making Falco respond with a smug "Tch.". "I've got some cots in storage, you four can stay here for the night." Doc Louis spoke up, opening the door to the storage closet. "Oh, no, we would hate to impose." Zelda tried to object, but Doc Louis was undeterred as he got four cots out and set them up, with assistance from Little Mac. "I trust you four won't be causing much trouble, although I wish I could offer something more fitting for a Princess." He said. "It's more than what we could ask of you, thank you for your kindness." Zelda thanked him. "Yeah, I don't know how I would've gotten by without the kindness of strangers." Captain N added.

"We'll be back at around 7 AM, have a good night, you'll need it!" Little Mac said over his shoulder, carrying his gym bag as he exited the gym with Doc Louis, who tossed a set of keys to Captain N. Once the two left, Captain N locked the door behind them, looked back at his three allies, then at the four less-than ideal beds.

"...Hey, come on, this isn't so bad. Two nights ago we slept on the ground!"

Chapter Text

A sudden and loud knocking on the door jerked Captain N awake from his slumber, where he tumbled off of the rickety cot in surprise. He was able to shield his head with his arms from impacting the hard floor, where he slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He had been using his varsity jacket as a cover, which fell onto the floor as he regained his bearings. The lights in the gym were off and the sun had not yet risen outside, so he couldn't see neither the three others who were sleeping, nor the person outside. As he noticed the clock read 6:58, the person on the other side knocked on the door again. His first instinct was to open the door, as Doc Louis said he would return early in the morning. But it was two minutes earlier than 7 AM. Was it really Doc Louis? Or was it a Koopa or Waddle Dee? He did spend all of yesterday not in disguise, he remembered. It's likely he was spotted in the middle of the giant crowds crowding the streets of New Donk City. As his heart began to race with the possibility of his journey ending so soon, he heard Pit sneak up next to him, barely able to make him out in the darkness.

"You heard it too?" Captain N whispered to Pit, his eyes locked on the door. "Sure did." He answered, carefully eyeing the door. Once again, the sound of the mystery newcomer knocking on the door rang throughout the small gym, this time with the sound of the person jiggling the door handle. Captain N carefully drew his Zapper and as he considered approaching the door, Pit drew his two blades and tip-toed towards the door. Captain N quietly hissed at him, whispering "What if it's one of the three king's forces?". "We've dealt with plenty of those guys before, we'll be fine." Pit whispered back reassuringly.

"Those guys are patrolling every roof in the city, what if more of them hear us?"

"Then we'll fight them too!"

"Easy for you to say! This is all still new to me!"

As the two were whispering their debate on the best course of action, Zelda casually walked up to the door, unlocked it, and opened it to greet the guest. Before either of them could try to stop her, they found that the mystery person was, in fact, Doc Louis holding a small pile of green gym clothes. "Good morning, Princess." He politely greeted her, which she returned. Her hair was slightly messy, but she made the effort to make herself presentable enough. Sharing an awkward look with each other, Pit and Captain N holstered their weapons and got up off the floor. "And good morning to you two." Doc Louis greeted the drowsy pair behind Zelda. "G'morning." Captain N drowsily waved to him as he stuffed the Zapper back into his pocket. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, we thought you were one of Bowser's minions." Pit explained to him, standing up straight and stretching his arms. Doc Louis waved that off, replying "No worries, makes sense to worry about those guys.". Just then, Falco joined the group, switching the lights to the gym on without warning anyone. The sudden bright lights seared the eyes of the unsuspecting four, who quickly covered their eyes to shield their vision. "Geez, how about a warning next time?" Captain N groaned. "Yeah, good morning to you too." Falco sarcastically answered as he idly scratched himself. "I should get those checked out, things've been too bright for some time now." Doc Louis noted, adjusting more easily to the light. "Forgive me, he's usually not so brash." Zelda apologized for him, making Captain N and Pit share a small, knowing laugh. "No worries, helps wake me up." Doc Louis dismissed, his positive demeanor unchanged.

"So... do we head out now for the arena?" Captain N asked him. "Yup, gotta get there early to warm up and scope out the competition. Ryu and Little Mac are already there, you just need to officially sign in and you'll be ready to rumble." He explained, taking a chocolate bar out of his pocket and taking a bite. "Don't you think it's a little risky for him to keep walking through New Donk City without any disguise?" Falco asked as he leaned against the ring, farther away from the group. "That's why I brought you these." Doc Louis said as he tossed the gym clothes to Captain N, which he was barely able to catch in a graceful manner. The hesitation he held for holding gym clothes of unknown status was slightly visible on his face, as Doc Louis chuckled heartily and assured him "Don't worry, they were washed last night.". Captain N nervously laughed, holding out the sweater to compare its size to him. When held out lengthwise, the arms stretched out further than his own, and the sweater was long enough to pass his waist. The sweatpants were about as large, but both were manageable to wear. As he slipped on the two articles of clothing over his usual clothes, Falco snickered at the sight of him in the oversized clothes. "Good thinking, Doc. Nobody'll suspect this pile of green mush." He joked, earning some giggling from Pit. Zelda turned away, partially in attempt to hide a small smile. Captain N's cheeks felt slightly warmer at this attention, but laughed along goodhearted. "I've never been particularly fond of professional combat. I can hardly stomach such brutality." Zelda admitted, readjusting her sunhat. "Come on, seeing Ryu unleash the Shoryuken or the Hadouken? Seeing the strongest, toughest guys on the planet go toe-to-toe? That stuff's awesome!" Pit excitedly tried to persuade her. "I bet it's a lot more cool when WATCHING the fight." Captain N remarked, feeling his nose to ensure it was still attached to his face after his last fight. "Oh! Before I forget!" He suddenly realized, going back to pick up his varsity jacket off the floor. "Don't wanna forget that." Noted Pit. "Yeah, it's one of a kind." Captain N added jokingly. "You about ready, Mr. History-in-the-making?" Doc Louis asked him after taking a bite from his chocolate bar. Captain N puffed up his chest and took on a more bold stance for effect. "I feel like I could take on the world!" He answered, masking his inner turmoil about the competition. "Luckily you won't have to take on the entire world, just five of the most skilled fighters in the world. No pressure, though." Falco reminded him.

He felt the pressure.

"Well then, let's hit the road!" Doc Louis declared, stepping out of the doorway. When the four stepped out of the gym, they found an average sized car that, like everything else Captain N had seen in Yamajiro, was similar to the cars he was used to back on Earth, but different enough to be alien to him. The car was painted silver, had a much more rounded chassis, was noticeably older, and had four seats, with two in the front and two in the back. "After you, your majesty." Doc Louis graciously helped Zelda, opening the front door on the passenger side for her. She thanked him once again and carefully got into the car while managing her hat and sundress. "Quite the set of wheels you've got here." Falco noted, commenting on the car's aged nature. "Yup, she's needed some work done, but she's as reliable as ever." Doc Louis assured him pridefully after closing the door for Zelda. "So... how are the three of us gonna fit in there?" Pit asked him. He chuckled heartily and, motioning to Pit and Falco, answered "You two are gonna sit back here, Cap's gonna get more training in!". Captain N laughed nervously and asked "What do you mean?". "It's early in the morning, the air's crisp, and you've got your big fights today. You gotta get your heart pumping!" Doc Louis answered. "You mean I'm gonna run ALL THE WAY to the arena?" Captain N worriedly asked him, stepping back slightly. "Don't worry, it's not too far and I've got plenty of water in the trunk." Doc Louis assured him, tapping the trunk of the car. "Good luck with that." Falco flatly said to him before getting into the car, sliding into the seat directly behind Zelda. Unimpressed with Falco's lack of helpfulness, Captain N turned to Pit, hoping he could offer assistance. "The arena's not TOO far away, and we'll be right beside you if anything happens." Pit said, grabbing his shoulder reassuringly. Taking a moment to think, Captain N slowly became more okay with the idea. As long as he paces himself, he should be good.

Looks like all those Pacer Tests in Gym class were about to pay off.

"Alright, I'm ready." He declared. "That's the spirit! Let's get moving!" Doc Louis chimed in as Pit got into the seat directly behind the driver's seat. Captain N observed the surrounding streets as Doc Louis locked the door to the gym and . The foot and road traffic was significantly lighter compared to yesterday, and even though the sun had not yet fully risen, he could spot the vague outlines of the Koopa, Waddle Dees and Kremlings patrolling each and every rooftop lining the streets. Doc Louis's disguise had proven effective, as not one of the goons above paid much attention to him or the car before him. After the engine whirring for a moment, the car started up, the headlights now illuminating the road ahead. Doc Louis nodded at Captain N from inside the car. He took in a deep breath, mentally braced himself for the run and broke into a light jog. Doc Louis drove the car slowly beside him, matching his pace. Remembering his time in gym class, Captain N paced himself by jogging slower than he was capable of running. After all, there's more than a comparison to the national average lying ahead of him. The car drove slightly ahead of Captain N, guiding him throughout the concrete maze of the city. Thankfully, the jog to the arena was much less intense than sprinting through Castlevania or dodging blasts from airship cannons. His lungs thanked him for his slower pace, and enjoyed the jog while he ran. While he ran, his mind gradually phased the armed minions atop the buildings and even the threat of Bowser, King Dedede and King K. Rool. Captain N's mind savored only thinking about what was right in front of him. Right here, right now, all that mattered was the run. The roads and cars that passed him by started to feel more natural surrounding him. The sun slowly peeked over the buildings blocking out the horizon, gracing his face with the welcoming warmth of the morning rays. All that was missing was his music, he thought to himself. More and more people started to populate the sidewalks, but not too many to make jogging more troublesome than it already was. Doc Louis drove the car away from main street, as to not get in the way of the ordinary people trying to get around.

Despite the more relaxed nature of his jog, his lungs did have a limit. His legs started to slow their pace, slowly falling behind the car. If only he went out for football as a Freshman, maybe he'd be more prepared for the battles ahead. The rear left window lowered and Pit held his head out. "Catch!" Was the only warning Pit gave right before he tossed Captain N a plastic water bottle. Catching the bottle while running was almost enough to make him fall on his face, but he maintained enough grace to keep going. After rapidly gulping down the cool contents of the bottle, his first instinct was to toss the bottle over his shoulder like all those marathon runners in the Olympics. But environmental health was important to him, so he clutched the bottle as he jogged, tossing it into the first trash can he could see. That trash can was in the middle of being emptied into a large vehicle that he assumed to be a dump truck, and almost missed his opportunity. The run continued for about fifteen more minutes, by Captain N's measure. The buildings suddenly cleared up, allowing the sun's rays to pour over Captain N's body and revealing a huge field surrounding a massive, modern-looking stadium decorated with immense banners flowing in the wind, reading "WORLD WARRIOR TOURNAMENT". Energetic music like no other he had heard before could be heard from inside the stadium. An incredibly long line of cars crowded the road leading to the stadium's parking lot and entrance, all sitting still and waiting for something to happen beside the water fountains lining the entrance path. More R.O.B. workers moved in perfect formation on the opposite side of the arena, carrying crates of varying size into the rear entrance. Captain N couldn't help but be amazed by the scale of the arena, and even a little intimidated. Doc Louis took the opposite path away from the main entrance, and drove towards where the R.O.B.s were working. The rear entrance wasn't as nicely presented as the front, as Captain N noticed more trash lying around on the ground. After finding an appropriate place to park, Doc Louis got out of the car with the other three follow him. "So... how'd I... do?" Captain N panted, finally coming to a stop. "Not bad, son!" Doc Louis answered. "Yeah, coulda been worse." Falco added, surprisingly non-sarcastically. "Given the circumstances, I would say your efforts were admirable." Zelda noted, leaving Captain N not knowing how he should feel about that. "Here, have another!" Pit said to him, tossing another water bottle his way. The cold condensation forming outside the bottle proved to serve as a decent enough ice pack, which he drank from after applying it to his forehead. Doc Louis walked up to the attendant by the loading bay, who was overseeing the R.O.B.s. "Good to see you, Doc Louis." The man greeted him, seeming to not recognize Falco, Pit or Zelda in her disguise. "Good to see you, this here's the man that's taking Ryu's place." He said to him, patting Captain N on the shoulder. His stance wasn't entirely solid, and Doc Louis almost knocked him over with his gesture. Captain N awkwardly waved at the man, who didn't seem impressed by Ryu's replacement.

"Well, let's hope there's more to him than meets the eye." He shrugged, opening the door leading inside the arena. "Thanks, I guess." Captain N muttered as he walked inside with Doc Louis, with Zelda, Falco and Pit following closely. It was a strange feeling for Captain N to be "backstage" at such a big event, hearing the muffled sounds of excited audience members and energetic music. "First, we gotta get you checked in." Doc Louis said to him, leading on. None of the organizers or staff members paid Captain N much mind, apart from idle glances. The R.O.B.s passed by, focused purely on their assigned task. Soon enough, Captain N found himself at a receptionist's table with the rest of the group. "I assume you're the last minute addition?" The receptionist asked, a hint of impatience in her voice. "Y-Yeah, that's me." Captain N answered, feeling unwelcome. She pulls up a window on her computer and moves over to a blank space in the massive bracket of names. "So what do you call yourself?" She asked him. He put his fists on his hips and stands up straighter. "I'm Captain N." He boldly introduced himself. She didn't notice the Zapper holstered in his pocket, so she idly nodded and typed his name into the bracket. "Locker room's down the hall to the right. Your first match is in about two hours." She flatly states, pointing in the general direction of the locker room. "Great, thanks." He thanked her, and headed off down the hall. Falco looked like he wanted to make a rude comment to the receptionist, but Zelda stopped him. Pit quickly walked alongside Doc Louis taking in the atmosphere. "Oh man, oh man, oh man, this is so cool!" He giddily said, his eyes darting around the halls. Captain N found the doors that seemingly led inside the men's locker rooms. Inside he was assaulted with the scent of intense sweat. Fortunately this stench was consistent with what he experienced in gym class. Once his nostrils recovered, he saw Little Mac and Ryu sitting on a nearby bench, who look up to see Captain N.

"About time you got here, we were starting to worry you bailed on us." Little Mac said to him, while Ryu simply nodded at him. "Hey, come on, it's not like I had anywhere else to go." Captain N reminded him. "It's still admirable of you to rise to the challenge." Ryu assured him. "He wouldn't have to if you just told us where the castle is." Falco bitterly reminded him, suddenly walking into the room with Pit and Doc Louis. Ryu paid him no mind. "So this is the famous locker room!" Pit quietly said, dazzled as he looked around the room. "Yep, kinda gets old after a while. It IS a locker room, after all." Little Mac said with a smile. "But how!? So many awesome fighters stood where we're standing now!" Pit went on. "Once you've met them once or twice, you realize they're people just like you or me." Doc Louis chuckled. "Say, where's Zelda?" Falco asked, noticing she wasn't with the rest of the group. "I'd rather wait out here, don't mind me." Zelda spoke up from outside, not feeling entirely welcome in the men's locker room. Captain N shrugged and turned back to the two. "So how're you feeling?" Little Mac asked him. "Ready as I'll ever be." he answered, still not entirely confident in his ability to win an actual fight. "Come sit next me." Ryu invited him. Once he was seated, Ryu closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. "Close your eyes and breathe in and out steadily. Peace of mind is crucial to overcoming your opponents." Ryu stated. He followed his instruction, and tried to get into a peaceful state of mind. This proved somewhat troublesome for him, as his mind was more preoccupied with worrying about the fights that drew ever closer. Every time he tried to shove those thoughts out of his mind, they barged their way back in. Just as he was starting to relax, Falco interrupted with an annoyed groan. "When's the fight gonna start?" He impatiently asked anyone who would know. "They'll let us know over the intercom, now will you lighten up?" Doc Louis said back to him, and knowing that was the best response he was gonna get, Falco rolled his eyes and leaned back against the row of lockers. Pit pulled Little Mac away and the two started chatting about his fighting career, allowing Captain N to focus on his meditation. Ryu was undisturbed by the commotion, and remained at peace. Closing his eyes, Captain N forced himself to maintain a slow, deep breathing rhythm. It required some work on his part, but he actually managed to achieve a level of zen. Bringing his mind back to where it was while he was jogging, he was able to bring his mind to a more peaceful state. He spent the next few minutes like this, savoring the peace and quiet, even ignoring the odor of countless sweaty garments.

"Captain N to arena entrance B." Suddenly came a voice over the intercom.

He opened his eyes, his inner fear returning.

"Well, showtime, Cap. Knock 'em dead!" Doc Louis cheered him on. Reluctantly, he stood up and looked back at the group. "We can watch the match from in here. If anything happens, we'll come running." Zelda assured, peeking from outside the room. Nodding gratefully at her, he took one last look at the people who kept him company this far. Leaving them now felt more scary than he cared to admit, but he had a job to do. Taking one last look at his allies, he steeled his nerve and walked down the hall to his first real fight.

Chapter Text

Finding his way to the entrance of the arena was simple enough. Directional arrows on the floor that seemed to have been recently painted guided Captain N to his first real fight. The closer he got to the match, the more sweaty his palms got and the faster his heart raced. He tried to distract himself by looking around the halls of the arena, keeping his mind busy. The hallways reminded him of sixth grade, where his dad took him to a Pro Football game. San Diego Chargers versus the Green Bay Packers. The muffled sounds of the audience cheering at the fight currently going on wasn't too different from that he heard at the football game. The Packers won that game, he remembered. He also remembered the incredibly long car trip and how he was too shy to ask the cheerleaders for their autographs when they were walking around the stadium during the halftime show. But these memories did little to assuage his worries. All these memories offered him were reminders that he was alone in this. Falco, Pit, Little Mac, Ryu and even Zelda had proven themselves to be more capable fighters than him. If it had just been him versus Dracula a few days ago, it certainly wouldn't have ended well for him or the world of Yamajiro. Apart from a few sideways glances by low-level workers in the stadium, Captain N didn't draw too much attention as he walked to the gate.

Then something occurred to him.

His name.

He told the receptionist that his name was Captain N.

The same name that the Koopa and the Waddle Dees and the Kremlings would be searching for.

And now he's about to fight in presumably one of the most widely-viewed events on this planet.

His heart sank to his stomach as he realized how doomed his situation was. Out of the corner of his eye, he could spot a pair of doors that lead somewhere at least resembling a way out. For the briefest of moments, Captain N considered bolting out those doors and running until his feet bled, and then keep running. But he swallowed those cowardly instincts. Zelda promised him she and the others would intervene if he was attacked by someone other than his opponent. Despite Falco being a little rough around the edges, to say the least, he had no reason to distrust them. Captain N took a moment to breathe, mentally went over the techniques he learned the day prior, and walked up to the gate.

On the other side of the wide concrete gateway lied a large arena of dirt with the limits of the ring laid out in white paint. The fight currently going on was between a large, muscular man wearing blue and black pants along with a blue mask that resembled a wrestler's, sparring against another muscular man wearing reed wrestling trunks and sporting a brown Mohawk. The sight of the two massive men facing off against each other made Captain N's knees feel weak. He knew he stood no chance against either of them. Their biceps were almost as big as his head. The two men grappled each other, their powerful forms locked in a standstill. But the match couldn't continue like this forever. The man in the blue mask weakened his stance just enough for the man with the Mohawk to take the advantage and sweep his legs. After a few moments of being pinned to the ground, the man in the blue mask drooped his head, having fallen unconscious. The announcer counted down from ten, which the audience soon joined in on. Upon reaching zero, a blaring horn went off, declaring the man with the Mohawk the winner. The crowd roared with applause, cheering at the display of might. The man posed and flexed his muscles victoriously, sending another chill down Captain N's spine. If the muscular man in the blue mask couldn't defeat this man, what chance did he have? He shook his head, remembering destiny was on his side. He could survive an encounter with Dracula, he could survive this.

"So you're, uh... Captain N?" The bored man standing by the gate asked him, snapping him out of his train of thought. "Yeah, that's me." He confirmed, clumsily shaking his head. "Y'know, a lot of people were expecting to see Ryu fight, so if you're gonna replace him, you better blow me away." the man warned him. "...I'll try my best." Captain N semi-confidently assured him, making him shrug nonchalantly.

"MATCH THREE WINNER: ZANGIEF DEFEATS CRASHER WAKE!" The announcer proclaimed from his booth in the press box. Crasher Wake is hoisted off the ground and onto a stretcher by two R.O.B.s, and is carried back into the underbelly of the stadium. After making a few more victory poses, Zangief peered at Captain N as he walked past him to the locker area. Feeling incredibly weak in the presence of Zangief, Captain N stepped back and watched him almost in awe as he lumbered by, like a lion patrolling the savanna. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?" The attendant asked Captain N. "Nah, don't worry, I'm good." Captain N shakily assured him, not meeting eye contact. "WE HAVE A NEWCOMER FOR OUR NEXT MATCH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" The announcer proclaimed. This drew a noticeable reaction out of the crowd, who were clearly expecting to see Ryu. "NOW, IF THIS NEWCOMER'S GOT RYU'S APPROVAL, THEN WE OUGHT TO BE IN FOR A REAL TREAT!" The announcer assured the crowd. Captain N took a few deep breaths, mentally preparing himself for the beating he's surely about to receive.

"AND NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WORLD WARRIOR HISTORY, GIVE UP FOR CAPTAAAAAAAAAIN N!" The announcer introduced him, fast-paced electronic music beginning to play right after. Captain N ran out onto the arena, in full view of everyone in the massive stadium. The stadium had proven to be far more massive than he had initially assumed, holding possibly thousands of men, women and children of various species. Humans, Toad people, animal people that resembled those living in New Leaf Town, and others he was unfamiliar with. The cheering from the massive crowd seemed more halfhearted, clearly unimpressed by this newcomer who was replacing Ryu. Captain N raised both fists in the air in an attempt to bolster his own confidence. The packed stadium was much more populated than any schoolyard brawl back in Midnight Lights. Atop the arena, Captain N spotted more Koopa, Kremlings and Waddle Dees, but they haven't taken action yet. He steeled his nerve, preparing to face the first man he'll be fighting mono a mono. "FACING THIS NEWCOMER, WEIGHING IN AT 110 POUNDS, IT'S GLAAAAAAAAAASS JOE!" The announcer continued, the music shifting slightly to introduce Captain N's opponent. Out stumbled a remarkably scrawny man from the opposite gate, wearing red boxing gloves and white/red shorts, and medium-length blond hair and a long face. The crowd applauded once more, about as enthusiastically as they did for Captain N. Upon seeing his opponent, Glass Joe visibly heaved a sigh of relief at not having to fight Ryu. Captain N almost laughed when he exhaled his built-up breath, easing his nerves a little bit. But he grew worried once more when he saw Glass Joe was wearing boxing gloves, while he wasn't.

Before he could do anything, the announcer initiated the match with "READYYYYYYYYY: FIGHT!". Captain N and Glass Joe moved towards each other. The closer he got, the more Captain N could tell Glass Joe was nervous about the fight, stumbling forward a bit. Once the two got into arm's range, he held his forearms up in front of him, taking a defensive stance. Glass Joe shifted slightly, which gave Captain N a window of opportunity to land a hit. He swiftly delivered a right cross to Glass Joe's abdomen, causing him to stumble back a bit. His defenses remained lowered, so Captain N closed the distance between the two and struck Glass Joe with three more jabs. Glass Joe grunted in pain with each hit, stumbling backward in an attempt to regain the advantage. Captain N wrung his hands out after punching Glass Joe. He had never punched anyone before in his life, thanks to his Zapper and two Boosters for getting him out of previous confrontations. His hands remained slightly sore as Glass Joe regained his footing and managed to cross Captain N across the face. The cushioned boxing gloves did little to weaken the impact, which made Captain N fall over. The announcer remained quiet throughout the match. The crowd started to get more into the match with the intensity emanating throughout the arena rising. Captain N regained his footing and managed to block another jab from Glass Joe. He tries to him him again, but Captain N dodges out of the way. Seizing the opportunity, he struck Glass Joe with four crosses across the face, slightly hurting his fists. Glass Joe then suddenly stepped back just as Captain N was about to strike him again, causing Captain N to fall forward and almost trip. He was quick to correct his stance, and weave out of the way of another one of Glass Joe's strikes. Captain N silently thanked his luck that he was facing a boxer, which he had the most experience from during his training. The dirt shifted around the two as they fought and maintained a short distance from each other. Captain N knew he could jut pull out his Zapper and shoot Glass Joe, but he felt confident enough in his boxing abilities to take him on. While he was reflecting on this, Glass Joe began to wind up a strong uppercut. Fortunately, this was incredibly telegraphed, and Captain N rolled out of the way before Glass Joe could hit him. Glass Joe stumbled forward awkwardly and almost fell on his face. His exhaustion was starting to show as he looked around for his opponent. Taking on a bolder stance, Captain N recalled his training session, yelled "Shoryuken!" and struck Glass Joe with a powerful uppercut. Glass Joe fell to the ground, unconscious. Captain N rubbed his right hand, now more sore from the continued punching. The announcer got back on the speakers and counted down from ten. The audience joined in counting down again. Once the number "one" was reached and the buzzer went off again, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. The audience cheered for him a bit more enthusiastically than when he first entered the arena. A smile growing on his face, Captain N pumped his fists into the air victoriously. It was only then that he realized how cut up his knuckles were. Two R.O.B.s came out and hoisted the unconscious Glass Joe onto a stretcher and carried him back inside the arena.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THE FIRST VICTORY OF CAPTAIN N'S FIGHTING CAREER!" The announcer proclaims, earning another loud cheer from the audience. The minions of Bowser, K. Rool and Dedede atop the arena still haven't intervened, which offered some relief to Captain N. The immense screen beneath the press box displayed a massive bracket of other fighters, which then shifted to show that he had moved on to round two. Beneath the match up between Glass Joe and Captain N was a match up between Dan Hibiki and someone called the Urban Champion. Realizing the next match was about to start soon, he ran back inside the underbelly of the arena and made his way back to the locker room. Zelda was still waiting outside for him when he arrived. "That was incredible!" Zelda congratulated him, rushing up to greet him. Captain N smiled and waved it off humbly. "It was actually a lot easier than I thought it'd be, that Glass Joe guy wasn't tough at all." He remarked. "It was your first bout on your own! Take pride in your accomplishments!" Zelda insisted. He chuckled and relented. "As you wish, your majesty." He joked. Zelda rolled her eyes, and Captain N walked inside the locker room to find Pit, Falco and Doc Louis. "Not bad, kid!" Doc Louis congratulated him. "Yeah! That was awesome! Little Mac's out preparing for his match but I bet he'll think so, too!" Pit eagerly added. "Well, thanks, but it really wasn't that hard." Captain N waved off. "Well, yeah. Glass Joe's got a win loss ratio of 1-99." Doc Louis informed him. Captain N and Falco shared a brief laugh at this revelation, but Captain N quickly stopped himself. "Seriously?" Captain N asked. "Yup, he was one of Little Mac's first opponents when he was up-and-coming." Doc Louis explained. "You think that guy'd get the message by now." Falco snickered. "Well, I think it's cool to see him so determined to win!" Pit defended. "Any effort expended in achieving such a goal is commendable." Zelda chimed in from outside the locker room. It was only then that Captain N spotted Ryu meditating on a bench farther away from the conversation. Ryu seemed undisturbed by the conversation, so Captain N approached him. "So... how do you think I did?" He nervously asked his pseudo-mentor. Ryu didn't respond at first. As Captain N turned back to Doc Louis, Ryu spoke up. "Your technique is solid for a newcomer, but your stance is exploitable. You're lucky your first opponent was someone less skilled." Ryu bluntly stated. Captain N reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"You should protect your fists, too." Ryu noted as he noticed Captain N's cut-up hands. "Oh, right!" Doc Louis remembered, and tossed Captain N a roll of bandages. "Wrap those around your knuckles. It ain't gonna make 'em indestructible but it'll provide some protection." Doc Louis advised him. "Yeah, thanks." Captain N responded, wrapping a generous amount of the bandages around his hands. "You show promise in your skills, Captain." Ryu said to him. Captain N nodded at him gratefully, appreciating the compliment. Suddenly, Pit and Falco exclaimed in surprise. "What happened?" Zelda asked, still outside the locker room. "Dan Hibiki somehow beat Urban Champion!" Pit answered her. "This is the first time that guy's ever seen round two!" Falco added with a smirk. "Looks like you'll be fighting Dan next, Cap." Doc Louis chuckled. "Who's Dan Hibiki?" Captain N asked. "Guy's a joke, you'll be fine." Falco waved off. "It's not smart to underestimate your opponent, Falco." Zelda noted. "Correct. Hubris can easily lead to one's defeat." Ryu agrees. Captain N sat down on a nearby bench and joined Falco and Pit in watching the next match. Little Mac versus Vega. Doc Louis finished another chocolate bar when Pit suddenly remembered something. "Oh! That's not how the Shoryuken works." Pit informed Captain N.

"Huh?"

"It's not just saying 'Shoryuken!' while uppercutting someone."

"Well, I couldn't grasp the subtleties as Ryu almost punched my nose off, so forgive my ignorance."

Ryu chuckled softly. "If we had the time, I could instruct you in the way of the Shoryuken, I would.". "Maybe someday." Captain N smirked. "Shh! The fight's starting!" Falco interrupted, his eyes still glued to the screen. Captain N turned to watch the fight alongside the others. Little Mac came out when his name was announced, who was soon followed by a tall man wearing a simple mask that obscured his face, and was equipped with long claw weapons. Vega was noticeably taller than Little Mac, but then again so was everyone else. Once the fight started, Little Mac proved himself much quicker than Vega. Swiftly dodging around each and every one of Vega's slash attacks, placing strikes when he lets his guard down. Vega's initially calm demeanor weakened more and more as the fight went on. His frustrations at being unable to hit Little Mac even once boiled over. Little Mac took the moment of opportunity and, with a firm uppercut, defeated Vega. The crowd cheered as the match ended, more so for him than Captain N. While this wounded him slightly, he figured Little Mac had more of a reputation. Pit met the results with applause, and Doc Louis nodded approvingly at the screen. "I assume Little Mac won?" Zelda asked, still out of view of the screen. "Sure did." Falco bluntly answered. Ryu was still meditating. Captain N was incredibly impressed with his show of skill, far better than anything he'd seen even on Earth.

Not too long after, Little Mac returned to the locker room. "That was awesome!" Pit eagerly greeted him. "Heh, thanks Pit." Little Mac chuckled. "Not a single hit! You oughta be proud of yourself!" Doc Louis added. "I know, I know." He waved off with a smile. He sat down on a bench and wiped his forehead with a clean towel. "How come you weren't that good against me yesterday?" Captain N jokingly asked him. "I didn't wanna hurt your feelings too much!" Little Mac replied. They shared a laugh and turned to the next fight on the screen: Cammy White versus Akira Yuki. Both proved themselves to be exceptionally skilled martial artists, and the fight went on for longer than the previous two. In the flurry of kicks and punches, the blonde woman in the green leotard fought viciously against the man with dark hair in the white martial arts getup akin to Ryu's. This display of raw skill and power made Captain N uneasy. If Falco was to be trusted, and Dan Hibiki wasn't very threatening, how long could his luck last? This is the World Warrior Tournament, after all. Expecting all his opponents to be chumps would be pure ignorance. With a strong roundhouse kick, Cammy claimed victory over Akira. The crowd erupted in applause for the woman as two more R.O.B.s came out and carried the man back inside the arena. "She's really something, huh?" Little Mac remarked. Captain N nodded, acknowledging how attractive Cammy was as she walked back into the arena, especially in that green leotard. "Yeah, strong, tough, good-looking, she's like the opposite of Zelda over here." Falco teased. Zelda's face grew a bright red as she scrunched up her face, but then sighed, figuring it wasn't worth the effort.

More and more fights went on, and eventually it came time for Captain N to face his next opponent. "Well, off to get my ass kicked." Captain N remarked as he got up, semi-jokingly. "Remember, bold stance, remain firm in your strikes." Ryu reminded him. "Bold stance, firm strikes. Got it." Captain N repeated. "You got this, Cap! Eye of the tiger!" Doc Louis encouraged him. "Go Captain N!" Pit cheered. Falco only offered a solid nod at Captain N. As he left the locker room, Zelda wished him good luck before he left, and reminded him that they'll be watching over him. Smiling at her, Captain N thanked her and made his way to the entrance. He jogged along the way, feeling more confident in his skills, and more importantly, the supposed lack of skills in his opponent. He passed by a couple more R.O.B.s before reaching the gate, where the same attendant from before. "Gotta say, didn't think you'd see round two." He said to Captain N. "Thanks for the words of encouragement." he jokingly replied, jogging in place to pump himself up. "Well, let's hope your luck persists." The attendant wished him. He nodded at him, and soon after the announcer came back on. "AND NOW, FOR THE FIRST ROUND TWO OF HIS CAREER, GIVE IT UP FOR CAPTAIN N!" He almost yelled, signaling him to run back into the arena. The crowd seemed more enthusiastic to see him, as their applause was a little louder than the last time he made an appearance. Looking up, he saw the same Koopa and minions from before, but now they seemed to be whispering something to each other. He could only hope it was unrelated to him, and reminded himself that his allies are at his back. "FACING THIS NEWCOMER, WEIGHING IN AT 163 POUNDS, HEEEEEEEEERE'S DAN HIBIKIIIIIIIIII!" The announcer boldly continued, whereupon a man with long, tied-back brown hair and pink martial arts getup burst out of the opposing gate to greet the audience. His arrogance was immediately apparently, jumping around and trying to hype up the crowd, which only offered half-hearted applause. Dan didn't seem to notice or mind, and turned to face Captain N. "So YOU'RE my next opponent?" Dan loudly asked Captain N. Before he could answer, Dan gave a loud "HA HA HA!". "I'm one of the GREATEST martial-artists in the world, and I'm self taught! Some kid like you's got no chance! You might as well give up now!" Dan continued to brag. Captain N remained quiet, perfecting his bold stance as Dan danced about. "READYYYYYYY: FIGHT!" The announcer declared, initiating the match.

"Here, I'll let you have the first hit, just for-" Dan bragged, but was immediately cut off by Captain N punching him across the face. Dan was clearly not expecting this, and stumbled back clumsily. Captain N's fist was less sore than before, thanks to the bandages around his fist. "Heh, well, I let you have that one! Now the real fight begins!" Dan rebounded, his ego recovering. He approached Captain N, who maintained a safe distance between the two while maintaining a strong stance. Dan tried to fake him out with half-jabs, but Captain N kept his hands up and blocked the jabs. Suddenly, Dan then jumped back and launched at Captain N with several spiral kicks, yelling "Dankukyaku!". He jumped out of the way, but was hit in the side by one of the kicks. It wasn't a particularly powerful kick, but it still partially knocked the air out of him. Stumbling over, Dan took the opportunity to gloat further. "I hope you're ready for a beating!" He boasted, readying another attack as Captain N got up. He could tell the audience was getting more into the fight from the atmosphere throughout the air. "And now, behold my power!" Dan declared, shooting his hand forward and yelling "Gadoken!", shooting a ball of blue energy at Captain N. He recoiled and braced himself for it, but it dissipated right before it could hit him. Dan looked down at his hand, confused by this. Before he could attempt another attack, Captain N delivered another strong right cross, knocking Dan down. He stepped back as Dan writhed on the ground, clutching his face. Dan tried to get back up, but Captain N quickly struck him back down with a punch to the back of the head. Now completely vulnerable, Dan fell victim to a flurry of Captain N's punches. He disregarded any technique and wailed on Dan, left hood after right hook after left hook. He tried to raise his arms in defense, but Captain N quickly subverted these defenses. With one final strike from both his fists, Captain N knocked out Dan. One countdown from ten later, the buzzer went off, and Captain N was once again declared the winner. He took a moment to catch his breath after the fight, and raised his fists victoriously. The crowd cheered even louder than before, now growing more fond of this young newcomer. "LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THIS YOUNG CAPTAIN N HAS JUST WON NOT ONLY THE SECOND FIGHT OF HIS CAREER, BUT THE SECOND IN A ROW! NEXT STOP: ROUND THREE!" The announcer proclaimed, boosting Captain N's ego somewhat. Two R.O.B.s came out to carry Dan off, and Captain N walked back to the locker room.

In the press box, in a dark, private room, a large man wearing a red hat and uniform was watching the match intently. As Captain N was declared the winner, he huffed to himself, displeased. A small portal opened behind him, where Kamek floated through to speak to the man. "Are you certain you don't want to move in on him now?" Kamek asked the man. The man stood up and shook his head. "If this 'Captain N' is who you really say he is, I'm certain his next opponents will be his undoing. His beginner's luck WILL run out, I'm sure of it.". "Dracula thought much the same, M. Bison. Vega already failed you earlier in the Tournament." Kamek reminded him. "I understand that, Kamek." M. Bison barked back. "You may have some sovereignty from the three kings because of Shadaloo supplying additional arms and manpower, but remember who's holding your leash." Kamek shot back at him impatiently. M. Bison snarled at this comment, but his eyes remained on the arena. "Rest assured I have my plans in place. If this 'Captain' can somehow survive the challengers to come, Shadaloo will ensure he'll never live to see the outside of the stadium.".

Chapter Text

Captain N felt strangely uneasy as he walked back to the locker room. He could subtly glance out of the corner of his eye and spot other people eyeing him suspiciously. He knew using his given title was a bad idea. He swallowed the sinking feeling growing in his stomach and marched back to the locker room. The halls felt longer and more ominous, but he tried to ignore this feeling and soak in the feeling of his second victory in a row. Turning the corner to the locker room, he found Zelda and Pit waiting outside. "There he is! Two wins in a row!" Pit excitedly cheered, running up to high-five Captain N, which he gratefully returned. "Impressive work, Captain. I'm sure Dan will think twice before confronting you with such arrogance again." Zelda commented. "He won't!" Falco yelled from inside the locker room. Little Mac walked out of the locker room, about to head to the next match. "Your turn, champ." Captain N remarked. "Eh, don't worry about me. I've had by bouts with Soda Popinski before. He's a tough customer, but I always come out on top." Little Mac assured. Looking over his shoulder to the screen in the locker room, Captain N saw a large, muscular bald man with a handlebar mustache gulping down a bottle of soda in preparation for the match. Estimating from only the screen, he assumed Soda Popinski was a solid six to eight inches taller than him. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?" He remarked, turning back to Little Mac. "...Yeah, that's a good point!" Little Mac agreed, taking a liking to the novel phrase. "Come on, Mac! Don't keep Soda waiting!" Doc Louis reminded him from inside the locker room. He quickly nodded and darted off to the next match.

"Wish me luck!" Little Mac yelled over his shoulder.

"Not like you'd need it!" Captain N yelled back.

"Round three! Not bad for someone who started training yesterday!" Pit congratulated him further once Little Mac had vanished from sight. "Hey, like Falco said, Dan was all bark and no bite." Captain N waved off. "Yeah, but that luck ends here. In case you weren't paying attention, your next fight's against Piston Hondo, some big-shot boxer who's losses can be counted on one hand. Little Mac fought him before, you shoulda asked him for advice." Falco spoke up. "And if you continue to fight as recklessly as you did when you fought Dan, you'll never win." Ryu bluntly added. "Right, got it." Captain N sighed, mentally bracing himself for his next fight. "Do you? There's more on the line than just your fighting career." Falco asked him, leaning forward to look him in the eye. "I do. It's not like I've got any other chores to do around here." Captain N shot back. "Hey, hey, Cap's proved himself to be a competent fighter. If he holds his ground, I'm sure he'll be able to take on Piston Hondo." Doc Louis intervened between bites from his chocolate bar. "Indeed. I imagine you've learned many valuable lessons on hand-to-hand combat so far." Zelda agreed. "Oh, for sure. If I got into a fight back where I'm from, I'd have been destroyed." Captain N admitted. Zelda and Falco shared a slightly uneasy look at this statement, but Pit was undeterred.

"Good thing you're here now! I bet you'd be one of the best fighters of your world once you've saved Yamajiro!"

"Oh, for sure! I doubt anyone else back home could claim to have fought in a fighting tournament!"

Falco quickly shushed the two as the next match started: Little Mac versus Soda Popinski. Pit ran up to eagerly watch the match right up against the screen, where Falco was casually leaning on a row of lockers nearby. Doc Louis moved closer to watch the match, while Ryu went back to meditating. Zelda watched the match from outside the locker room, and Captain N joined Falco and Pit. After the announcer loudly introduced the two with enthusiastic applause, the match began. Soda wasted no time in getting the first hit in, striking Little Mac with a powerful right cross. Captain N recoiled as he watched, as if he could feel the impact of the punch. Little Mac retained his footing, but was knocked back. Soda followed this up with two more powerful strikes, knocking him back further. Pit cringed with each strike, offering a "Ooh" and "Sss" with every punch. Zelda looked away, unable to watch such brutality. But when Soda went to strike Little Mac a fourth time, he weaved out of the way and used the opportunity to attack Soda with a flurry of left and right hooks. Captain N heaved a slight sigh of relief and Doc Louis chuckled slightly to himself. Pit nudged even closer to the screen as the fight went on. Despite the fact that Soda was almost an entire foot taller than Little Mac, he proved a worthy opponent for him. Captain N could tell the two had a history of sparring each other with how the two could almost predict each other's moves. This fight went on for notably longer than the previous matches. Each of the two managed to land more strikes as the fight went on, but neither fell. Suddenly, the fight was interrupted by a bell being rung, where the two fighters stopped fighting and stepped away from each other. Captain N could sense disappointment from the audience, as well as from Pit's annoyed groan. The goons atop the arena patrolled vigilantly, not terribly concerned with the outcome of the match. After a few moments went by of nothing happening, Captain N turned to Doc Louis.

"What just happened?"

"Timer ran out. Each match is only supposed to last five minutes. Now the judges gotta pick the winner" Doc Louis answered in between bites from his chocolate bar. Pit quickly shushed them as he watched intently.

Tensions were high as the audience waited for something to happen. Some murmuring could be heard from the announcer's box until the announcer got back on the microphone.

"AFTER DISCUSSION FROM THE JUDGES, IT WAS DECIDED THAT LITTLE MAC WILL MOVE ON TO ROUND THREE!" The announcer declared, earning cheers from both the crowded stadium and Pit and Doc Louis in the locker room. Little Mac pumped his fists in the air, and Soda rubbed his head, huffed an angry breath, and stormed back into the arena. Once Little Mac got back to the locker room, Captain N and Pit were quick to congratulate him for his victory. "That was awesome, Mac!" Pit cheered. "You took those punches a hell of a lot better than I would have!" Captain N joked, where Little Mac rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Don't sell yourself short, Cap!" Little Mac insisted. Captain N rolled his eyes, smiling. "You know, if you two manage to claim victory in round three, you could end up fighting each other." Zelda reminded the two. "You better hope that doesn't happen, Mac. I learned a lot in these past couple hours." Captain N smirked. Little Mac laughed along, and the two went back into the locker room to watch the next match. Captain N spotted another man leering at him from outside the locker room, but quickly walked away. He was quick to wave off his own concerns, knowing he was safe among his allies. Little Mac and Pit joined Falco in watching the next fight, but Captain N decided to try to meditate alongside Ryu. He tuned out the sounds of the next fight and tried to transfer his mind to a more peaceful place. This proved rather difficult, with his mind drifting to thoughts of his next fight or the slight soreness on his torso from his fight with Dan. The commentary coming from Pit, Little Mac and Doc Louis didn't help either. Squeezing his eyes shut, he breathed even more deeply in and out to control his temperament. He could tell Ryu wasn't bothered even a little bit by the commotion without having to look over at him. Listening closely to Ryu's breathing, Captain N tried to match his respiration pace. With some determination, he managed to calm his nerves somewhat and focus on clearing his mind.

After what felt like half an hour, Captain N reopened his eyes and looked over to the screen to observe the fight. "How long was I out?" He asked Falco. Glancing over at a nearby clock, Falco answered "About ten minutes.". Ryu was still in deep meditation. He groaned at his revelation and turned his attention to the fight. The current match was between a man wearing an outfit resembling a police officer's named Kurtis Stryker and a young woman in a red, skimpy ninja outfit named Mai Shiranui. What surprised Captain N was seeing Stryker wield a handgun of some sort. Granted, it was different from any handgun he had seen on Earth, either in real life or in movies, but the sight was still intimidating. Mai managed to outmaneuver Stryker's gunshots, gracefully spinning and flipping around her opponent. She also held two paper fans as she twirled about as Stryker remained planted in place, aiming and firing at Mai. Just as Stryker went to reload his handgun, Mai suddenly threw one of her fans at Stryker as a distraction. When Stryker was disoriented, Mai unleashed a powerful wave of fire upon him. Captain N widened his eyes in surprise. He then quietly thanked his luck that he didn't face her prior. Stryker recovered from this blast of fire, holstered his handgun, drew his baton and charged at Mai. The two engaged each other in vicious hand-to-hand combat, blocking and weaving out of each other's strikes. Stryker was stronger than Mai, but Mai was faster and more agile. The fight threatened to extend past the five minute limit, but with a powerful roundhouse kick, Mai struck Stryker down. One countdown from ten later, and the announcer came back on the microphone to declare that she'll move on to round three. She happily waved to the cheering audience and skipped back off into the arena, with two R.O.B.s carrying off the unconscious Stryker. Captain N sighed in slight relief, now certain use of his Zapper and two Boosters wouldn't be frowned upon.

"What a match!" exclaimed Little Mac. "I couldn't imagine wearing something so... revealing." Zelda stated, flustered at the thought. "You have something like this back where you're from?" Doc Louis asked Captain N, tossing the wrapper of his chocolate bar into a trash can. "Well... kinda. We had professional fighting, but they were divided into different forms of fighting. And people generally aren't allowed to use weapons or... powers." He answered. "Sounds pretty boring." Falco remarked.

"Oh, hardly. Some fights can get really intense. Someone actually got their ear bitten off in a famous boxing match."

Zelda cringed at the mental image, but Little Mac and Pit were intrigued further. "Maybe you should focus less on combat and more on meditating." Ryu suddenly interjected, his eyes still closed. "Sorry! I've never had much experience with any kind of inner peace." Captain N defended. "How come?" Little Mac asked him. Captain N shrugged. "I just... never had a reason. Yoga is usually for meeting married women who don't get enough love from their husband."

Before any more questions could be asked, a voice came over the intercom, summoning Captain N to the gate. He stood up and tightened the bandages around his hand in preparation. "Firm, solid stance." Captain N repeated to Ryu. "Correct. Go on and claim victory." Ryu instructed. After waving a quick goodbye to the others, he darted off to the gate. There was a strange pressure filling the air around Captain N. As he walked through the halls, he felt the eyes of countless people burn into him. Maybe it was because of his rising fame, or because of a less desirable reason. Keeping his hand steady by his Zapper, he made his way to the gate. Upon arriving, the same man was waiting there, now more happy to see him. "There he is, Mr. Champion in the Making!" He happily greeted him. "I gotta say, I like that greeting more." Captain N joked. The two shared a laugh before Captain N steeled his nerve and adjusted his bandages. "AND NOW, FOR THE THIRD MATCH IN HIS CAREER, IT'S CAPTAAAAAAAAAIN N!" The announcer exclaimed, signaling him to run out to the ring. When the sunlight met his face, the audience cheered at his arrival. For a brief moment, he soaked in the feeling of having an entire stadium of eager audience members cheer him on.

"FACING OFF AGAINST THE YOUNG BLOOD, WEIGHING IN AT 174 POUNDS, GIVE IT UP FOR PISTOOOOOOOON HONDOOOOOOOO!"

A tall, muscular man with short dark hair, red boxing gloves and a white headband appeared from the other gate. The crowd cheered Piston on as he walked towards Captain N. While they were focused on Piston, Captain N could just make out a large man in a red uniform and hat observing the match from the press box. It almost looked like he was eyeing him, from Captain N's perspective. Seeing as how the goons patrolling above the arena still haven't intervened to apprehend him, he turned his attention back to Piston. Once the two were close to each other, Piston bowed at Captain N respectfully. Surprised by this respectful gesture, Captain N offered him a solid nod in return. "READYYYYYYYYY: FIGHT!" The announcer declared, signaling the start of the match. Almost immediately after the bell rang, Piston struck Captain N with a left jab. He didn't react fast enough to block the hit, and was pushed back by the punch. Holding his nose as he recoiled, Captain N kept himself from falling over and prepared himself for another hit from Piston. His senses were more attuned to small details in his opponent, which he learned from Dan and Glass Joe. One split-second eye shift was all he needed to know another strike was coming. Just as Piston threw a right hook at him, Captain N dodged out of the way, backing up slightly. What he didn't see coming was another strong blow from Piston, knocking him even further back. Piston was significantly stronger than Dan, so Captain N recoiled in pain much more from the hits. Piston was relentless, backing Captain N into a corner and assaulting him with a hail of left and right punches. Captain N tried to back away, but his footing failed him, and he fell to the ground. Piston towered over Captain N, who was now helplessly backed against the wall. Suddenly, Zelda's voice came to him in his mind. "You have weapons, use them!" She spoke to him. Remembering this, he hastily drew his Zapper and shot Piston in the knee. Piston collapsed onto the ground, holding his knee as he groaned in pain. Captain N backed away from Piston and looked around the stadium, as if expecting the audience to "boo" him for using a weapon. When no objections were raised, he got back up and trained his Zapper on Piston. His knee still sore, Piston got back up and rapidly approached him. Captain N tried backing up and firing at Piston, but he was too quick. Another strong cross from Piston knocked Captain N back down onto the ground. Ignoring the stinging in his face, he spun around and shot Piston in the chest, who fell over, clutching his chest. Wanting to seal the fight victoriously, Captain N stuffed his Zapper back in his pocket and delivered a strong right hook onto his opponent. Piston fell over unconscious, the crowd counted down from ten, and Captain N was declared the winner.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE POSSIBLY WITNESSING HISTORY IN THE MAKING! THE ROOKIE CAPTAIN N HAS QUALIFIED TO MOVE ON TO THE SEMIFINALS!" The announcer declared, earning another round of cheering from the massive audience. Taking a moment to soak in the victory, Captain N sighed in relief with a smile on his face. Looking back up at the top of the arena, he could tell the Koopa and Kremlings and Waddle Dees were growing impatient, as well as the man in the red uniform in the press box storming off. With two R.O.B.s carrying off the unconscious Piston Hondo, he decided to hastily make his way back to the locker room. Ignoring any possible people eyeing him suspiciously, he kept his hand on his Zapper and rushed through the halls. Upon arrival, he ran into Little Mac, who was on his way to his next match. "Knew you couldn't get this far without cheating." Little Mac smirked. Captain N put his hands up in defense. "Hey, if they didn't want me to do that, they wouldn't have let me do that!" He defended. Little Mac chuckled before leaning into Captain N's ear. "Hey, if I manage to beat Cammy in this next fight, and we face off in the semifinal... I'll let you win." He whispered to him. Captain N looked back at him in surprise.

"What?"

"If you're right, and there's some hidden weapon in Suzaku Castle that'll lead to Bowser, Dedede and K. Rool finally being taken down, I'm willing to accept losing a match."

"But- But you-."

"Captain, this is more important. It'll look convincing, I promise."

Captain N relented, sighing and nodding reluctantly. "...Well, good luck out there, Mac.". The two shared a solid nod before parting ways. Arriving back at the locker room, he found Pit and Falco waiting for him, with Zelda standing behind the two. "Smooth moves there, gunslinger." Pit remarked. "Okay, look, they said weapons were allowed. If he wasn't prepared he to bring a gun to a fistfight, that's on him." Captain N defended himself. "If it'll get us to Suzaku Castle sooner, I can look the other way on cheating." Falco shrugged.

"It wasn't cheating!"

"If the judges deem such actions within the rules, I don't see any need for debate." Zelda calmly interjected. "...You're right, let's hope he can just shoot his next opponent and be done with it." Falco said, walking back into the locker room to watch the next fight. "You okay, Cap? Piston was hitting you pretty hard out there." Pit asked him. Captain N rubbed a couple sore spots on his head, and shrugged. "Eh, I'll live." He waved off. Zelda looked at him with some concern, but he went back into the locker room to watch Little Mac fight Cammy White. Doc Louis was watching the match intently, and Ryu was still meditating. Once the match began, Little Mac held his arms up in defense, but this wasn't enough. Cammy struck him in the legs with a powerful roundhouse kick, knocking him off his feet. Little Mac limped back up but couldn't react fast enough to block Cammy's assault. Her strong kicks and superior athleticism were too much for even Little Mac. His experience was mostly against boxers, and had trouble defending his legs. Doc Louis watched nervously, hoping Little Mac would pull through. The longer the fight went on, the more worried Captain N grew. If Little Mac was having trouble against Cammy, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance. "Come on, Little Mac! You can do it!" Pit pleaded, but to no avail. "Right hook, Mac, Right hook!" Doc Louis said to him on the screen. Little Mac tried to exploit an opening with a right hook, but was quickly interrupted by another powerful strike from Cammy. With one final roundhouse kick, Little Mac fell to the ground, knocked out.

Captain N stood frozen as he watched Little Mac lay motionless on the ground. Cammy wiped sweat off her forehead and stepped back as the crowd counted down from ten. With each number, Captain N's heart sank further, his prayers for Little Mac getting back up growing more futile. As the bell rang once more and Cammy was declared the winner. Little Mac's motionless body was carried off by two R.O.B.s as Cammy walked back into the arena. As he stared helplessly at the screen, Captain N could feel the other five people present looking at him expectantly. An awkward silence filled the locker room as each person there tried to come up with a way to ease the tension. Falco was the first to break the silence.

"...Shoulda loaned him your Zapper."

Captain N hung his head, his hopes for winning diminished. "Hey, chin up, you've still got your weapons! All Cammy has is her punches and kicks!" Pit reminded him. This did little to restore confidence in Captain N. "I, uh... I better go check on Mac." Doc Louis spoke up, then rushing out of the locker room. The silence returned to the room. Captain N turned to Ryu for any kind of help. "Cammy is tough, but with courage and determination, you will prevail." Ryu assured him. Captain N groaned at this unhelpfulness. "Can't you just tell us where Suzaku Castle is now and stop wasting our time?" Falco shot at Ryu.

"Only when I believe you deserve such information."

"Alright, you listen here, because I'm only gonna-" Falco snapped, approaching Ryu. Pit was quick to hold him back. "Threatening the guy isn't gonna help, bird brain!" Pit said to him. Falco relented and stormed off to the other side of the locker room. "Perhaps Captain N should... continue to try to meditate. Going at this challenge with a level head could give him an edge." Zelda suggested. Not having any better ideas, Captain N nodded, got back on the bench, and got back into meditating. The room was much more quiet now, which helped him zone out. The thought of the fight ahead still haunted him. What if Little Mac got seriously injured? What'll happen to him? As he shut his eyes and tried to control his breathing, his heart still raced. He found little solace in this period of time, so it only felt like a few minutes went by when the voice over the intercom summoned him to the gate once more. Forcing himself to get up and walk out of the locker room, he turned to look at the four once more. Met with expressions varying in concern, he knew he couldn't stand here forever. His head hung low as he walked down the halls, now having essentially memorized the path. When he arrived, he didn't share any words with the man waiting by the gate, and waited for his name to be announced.

"AND NOW, FOR THE FIRST OF THE WORLD WARRIOR TOURNAMENT'S SEMIFINALS, NEW DONK CITY'S LATEST UNDERDOG, HEEEEEEEEEERE'S CAPTAIN N!" The announcer's voice once more boomed. After taking a moment to ensure that his Zapper and Boosters were still in his pockets, Captain N ran out to the center. Once more, he was met with cheering at his arrival, but he couldn't revel in the praise this time. Peering upwards, he saw the man in the red uniform still in the press box, watching intently.

"OPPOSING THE CAPTAIN, DELTA RED'S FINEST: CAMMYYYYYYYYYY WHITE!" The announcer continued. Cammy White then ran out to meet Captain N, being met with applause as well. When the two were within arm's reach of each other, Captain N clenched his jaw and looked her right in the eye to avoid looking as worried as he felt. Cammy clearly felt no such worry, with determination being the only emotion present on her face.

"READYYYYYYYYY: FIGHT!"

Captain N immediately jumped back to get away from Cammy. Cammy tried to get the first hit in with a roundhouse kick, but only grazed him. Her leg was still powerful enough to knock Captain N off his balance and make him fall on the ground. Forgoing any grace, Captain N scrambled away as he tried to pull his Zapper out. She knew what he was trying to do, and kicked his hand away. Striking him right on the wrist, he clutched his hand as he rolled out of the way. Once he established a safe enough distance away from Cammy, he got his Zapper out of his pocket and fired at Cammy. She was faster than his hand, and was able to avoid each and every one of the shots he fired. "Painful, isn't it?" Cammy asked Captain N. He didn't humor her with a response, training his Zapper on her. She suddenly rushed him and before he could react, Cammy disarmed him by grabbing the Zapper and tossing it away from him. The shock of being suddenly vulnerable was quickly cut off as Cammy kicked him in the face and knocked him onto his back. The pain of a possibly broken nose seared throughout him as he desperately scrambled away from Cammy. Looking to land the finishing blow, she ran towards him and leapt up in the air. In an instant, Captain N drew his Fire Booster from his back pocket and unleashed a small wave of fire. This was enough to disorient Cammy, who collapsed onto the ground, clutching her leg. Captain N spotted his Zapper, and clumsily dashed towards it. Cammy regained her bearings and spotted what he was trying to do. Like a puma, she darted towards him to finish him off. Dangerously close to being outpaced, Captain N dove onto the ground, grabbed his Zapper, spun around, spotted Cammy mere inches away from him, and managed to land a blast on her forehead.

Cammy collapsed, unconscious.

Captain N sat back on the ground as he caught his breath.

The crowd counted ten from ten.

Upon reaching zero, the bell rang once more.

Captain N won.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE UNDERDOG STORY OF OUR TIME! CAPTAIN N, THE NEWEST FIGHTER IN THE TOURNAMENT, WILL NOW BE MOVING ON TO THE FINAL ROUND!" The announcer cheered.

In the press box, M. Bison clenched his fists in fury. Kamek floated behind him, observing Captain N walk off and Cammy being carried off by two R.O.B.s. "You could sic your Shadaloo minions on him right now, Bison." Kamek reminded him. M. Bison huffed an angry breath in response. "His luck will run out." He stated. Kamek groaned at his stubbornness. "If you allow Captain N to escape-"

"I KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES, WIZARD!" M. Bison suddenly roared at Kamek, his eyes glowing. The two glared at each other, but nothing more came of the confrontation. The two remained in silence throughout the next match, though tensions still ran high in the room. The Koopa and other minions above were clearly growing impatient, and M. Bison could tell some of them were planning on going rogue and charging at Captain N. Below, the finishing blow was landed, and the match ended. The winner walked off victoriously, and the loser was carried off by two more R.O.B.s. The intermission period began. In twenty minutes, the final round will commence. The large screen above the stadium lit up for the final two contestants.

"CAPTAIN N VERSUS SCORPION"

An evil grin grew on M. Bison's face.

"Perfect."

Chapter Text

Pit's face turned white upon seeing who Captain N will face next. His celebratory cheers were immediately silenced, catching the attention of everyone present. "Is something wrong?" Zelda asked Pit. He only pointed at the screen displaying the match-up for the final round. Falco's face grew more concerned, but Zelda and Captain N were still left somewhat in the dark. Looking at the man in black and yellow ninja robes on the screen, he turned to Pit for answers. "...Who's Scorpion?" Captain N asked him. Falco and Pit shared a somewhat surprised look, but remembered that he's from "out of town". "Scorpion's one of the most skilled fighters on Yamajiro! He's practically unstoppable!" Pit worriedly informed him. "So is Cammy, but I still managed to beat her." Captain N reminded him. Pit hurriedly shook his head.

"No no no no, Scorpion's WAY worse!" Pit insisted.

Captain N turned to Zelda. "Do you know anything about him?" He asked her. Zelda shook her head. "Unfortunately, this is the first I've heard his name." She answered. "But how!? This is SCORPION!" Falco interrogated her, getting up from the bench. "I apologize for my ignorance, but more pressing matters had to be attended to than worrying about professional fighting." Zelda shot back. Falco sighed and rolled his eyes, turning back to Pit.

"Tell our two esteemed guests who Scorpion is."

Pit gulped and turned to face the two.

"Scorpion's a zombie ninja with fire powers."

Captain N and Zelda shared a double take.

"...A what?" Captain N asked him.

"He's a... a member of the Shirai Ryu clan that was brought back from the Underworld after he was killed. When he was revived, he got new powers, like the ability to summon fire and even teleport!"

"Going toe-to-toe with Scorpion's essentially a death wish. He's a master martial artist to boot, but you'd have to be if you were gonna join the Shirai Ryu." Falco added. The more the two went on about how fearsome and deadly his next opponent was, the more Captain N's stomach felt uneasy. His palms grew sweaty, his heart quickened, his eyes darted around the room, looking for any kind of escape. Zelda looked over to Captain N, more concerned now that she knew the odds. A tense silence filled the room, interrupted only by the quiet ticking of a nearby clock. His hand instinctively went to his right pocket, where his Zapper was stored. Feeling slightly more safe with the assurance that his weapon was still where he left it, he looked back to Falco and Pit. "So... what now?" Captain N spoke up, breaking the silence and alleviating some of the tension as he paced back and forth. Falco just shrugged. "Pray for a miracle." Was his only suggestion. Zelda quickly stood up to confront Falco. "You're hardly being supportive of the situation." She scolded him. "Well, whadya want from me? Wave my magic wand and make the two weapons we need appear? Change the rules so that we can gang up on Scorpion? I'm all ears, Princess." Falco shot back, venom seeping from the last word he spoke.

"You could start by not immediately resigning to defeat, Lombardi."

"Oh yeah? Are you that confident in Captain N's abilities to go fight Scorpion on his own? Need I remind you, he had to essentially cheat to beat Cammy, and EVEN THEN he almost lost."

Captain N wasn't about to endure another round of those two bickering, and jumped in between Zelda and Falco. "Hey! We only have fifteen minutes until showtime, and I think that time is better spent not arguing with each other!" He exclaimed, looking at the two with a newfound confidence. Falco huffed and stepped back while Zelda relaxed her posture, still glaring at Falco. "You know, Cap being here at all's a miracle, Falco. HE'S the miracle we need to finally give it back to those tyrants threatening the world!" Pit reminded him. Falco turned to face Pit, backing off from the confrontation and leaning on a row of lockers.

"What if you lose?" Falco asked Captain N.

Despite how obvious it may have seemed, the question never really occurred to him. Even though he came close to defeat when fighting Piston and Cammy, he never really took the time to consider what he'd do if he lost. He tried to maintain a confident demeanor as he mulled over the question in his mind, but Falco saw right through it.

"...We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Captain N finally answered.

Falco tried to contain his laughter, but a giggle or two slipped through his hand covering his beak. Just then, Little Mac limped through the doorway to the locker room, being carefully supported by Doc Louis. His face had bruises all over, and he was using his free hand to hold an ice pack to his forehead. "Oh hey, you're back!" Captain N greeted Little Mac as he carefully sat down on a nearby bench, and Zelda quickly sat down next to him. Pit got closer to get a better look at his injuries, but Falco only leaned forward a bit to get a better look at him. Little Mac softly chuckled as he looked at the four surrounding him. "How're you feeling?" Pit asked him. "I've actually been worse, believe it or not." Little Mac answered, humor in his tone despite his injured state. Captain N and Falco lightly chuckled at his remark. "Trust me, he's telling the truth." Doc Louis noted, after taking another bite from a new chocolate bar. "I couldn't imagine sustaining such injuries for sport." Zelda said, concerned. "Don't worry, Princess. It's never too bad." Little Mac assured her. Captain N sat down on the other side of Little Mac, with Pit, Falco and Zelda nearby. "Should've guessed you'd use those fancy weapons of yours to win." Little Mac said. "Hey, I get enough accusations of cheating from Falco." Captain N joked. Little Mac waved that off, smiling gently. "Still, you should be proud of yourself. Cammy's went up against stronger enemies with threatening more threatening weapons." Little Mac congratulated him. Captain N smiled at him, gratefully accepting the praise. "Lately I've been surprising even myself." Captain N said, whereupon Pit and Falco shared a knowing look.

"You wouldn't happen to know any way of defeating Scorpion, would you?" Zelda asked him. Little Mac sighed and shook his head softly. "I wish I did. That guy's unstoppable." Little Mac admitted. "But I bet if Captain N used those fancy weapons of his, he could stand a decent chance against him." Doc Louis interjected. This reminded Captain N of what he had in his arsenal. "Hey Pit, you said he had fire powers, right?" He asked him. "Yeah, but not just any fire. UNDERWORLD fire." Pit confirmed. "Underworld fire means it can only be extinguished through magical or otherwise supernatural means." Zelda spoke up. Captain N stood up and pulled his Ice Booster out of his left back pocket and shot a beam of ice across the locker room, searing the wall with ice. "I've only been in this world for a few days, but this thing seems pretty supernatural." Captain N quipped.

"That's a pretty COOL idea!" Pit grinned.

Falco, Little Mac and Captain N groaned in unison, while Doc Louis chuckled at the pun.

It was only then that Zelda noticed Ryu in the corner of the room, still meditating. "What are your thoughts, Ryu?" She asked him, getting his attention. "Hey Falco, you should ask him what happens if I lose. We're at his mercy, after all." Captain N suggested to him. Coming out of his peaceful state, Ryu got up from the bench and walked closer to the group. Ryu's strong, rock-solid form made Captain N feel much smaller in comparison, seeing him as a more appropriate opponent for Scorpion. "Have you ever fought Scorpion?" Captain N asked him. Ryu seemed to think about this question before answering it.

"...Only twice."

"Didja win?" Pit asked him.

"If I answer that question, it could impact how you perform in the final round." Ryu bluntly answered.

"Speaking of which, what happens if Scorpion beats Cap?" Falco asked Ryu.

"That's for me to decide, should that happen."

"What kind of answer is that!?" Falco exclaimed, exasperated. "Surely that could be a good answer. At the very least, we'll know that he won't automatically refuse us aid should Captain N be defeated." Zelda spoke up, trying to remain optimistic despite the unattractive odds. "But... You gotta have some advice worth sharing!" Captain N said to Ryu, stepping closer to him. Ryu eyed him closely, making Captain N's legs feel weak under such pressure. When their eyes met, Captain N could almost feel Ryu search his soul as if he lost his keys. "I see a strong will to fight in your eyes, Captain. Your will is your strongest ally." Ryu said to him. "I dunno, I think Princess Zelda might be my strongest ally." Captain N remarked. Falco scoffed as Zelda graciously accepted the praise. "Ryu's right, Cap. Where there's a will, there's a way. I'm sure if you go at it with a winning attitude, you'll send Scorpion home crying!" Doc Louis spoke up. "Your strength is equal to your will to win. Never forget that." Ryu stated, putting his hand on Captain N's shoulder. "Yeah! I've fought plenty of enemies before, and an ton of them were really tough. But with determination, I was able to overcome any obstacle!" Pit encouraged.

Taking a deep breath, Captain N could feel his confidence slowly return. He looked up at Ryu and gave him a firm nod. "Thank you, Ryu. I don't think I'd have gotten this far without help from you or Doc or Little Mac" he said. Doc Louis chuckled heartily, sitting down at the far end of the bench. "I'm not so sure about that. We only had a day in advance to get you ready. I think you're underselling yourself, Cap." Doc Louis said to him. Captain N laughed gently as he shook his head. "I keep saying I've never been in a fight on my own before today. I think a lot of it's the weapons I've been able to use." Captain N admitted. "Maybe you're just a natural-born fighter!" Little Mac suggested jokingly. "How about we wait until after the fight to start inflating his ego." Falco jokingly suggested. "It may seem too late for that, seeing as how we spent the past six days calling him the 'prophesied hero destined to save Yamajiro'." Zelda reminded him with more humor in her tone. "Oh, don't worry, Cammy and Scorpion are doing a great job at humbling me." Captain N joked.

After a round of shared laughter, which Ryu didn't participate in, choosing instead to go back to meditating, Little Mac turned to Captain N. "So whatd'ya think of Mai Shiranui?" He asked him, with a grin across his face. Captain N chuckled nervously as he felt his cheeks glow slightly. "...She's a great fighter." Was the answer he finally let out. Pit and Falco smirked at each other, and Zelda rolled her eyes. "You sure that's all you think of her?" Little Mac grinned. Captain N threw up his hands in defense. "Okay, she's hot! Is that what you wanted to hear from me?". Little Mac, Falco and Pit shared a round of cackling at Captain N's flustered state. "Don't worry, hero. Everyone thinks Mai Shiranui's hot." Little Mac assured him. "Only because she risks a wardrobe malfunction with each match." Zelda grumbles. Pit nodded in agreement, trying to not get lost in that thought. "You know, if you asked her out, she'd probably say yes." Falco said to Captain N. He laughed nervously at the suggestion, waving it off. "I'd hate to ruin any image you have of me, but I've never been that good at the dating game." Captain N awkwardly revealed. "Oh, please. Just flash her those two Booster thingies and she'll be all over you. Chicks dig predestined heroes, just ask Zelda." Falco grinned. Zelda snapped over to him, her face bright red and Pit and Little Mac giggle at the display. "And what exactly is THAT supposed to mean?" She interrogated Falco, who was nonetheless smug. "Oh, nothing." He teased her.

"I gotta say, I'm proud of you, Princess." Captain N said to her, a grin on his face. "Oh? Why's that?" She asked him. "Working up the courage to step inside the locker room with the rest of us. That was a big leap for you." Captain N remarked. Zelda rolled her eyes, making Captain N giggle at his own joke. "Awfully brave of you to tease someone of royal importance." Zelda softly scolded him. Captain N shrugged, smiling. "Bravery's a big part of this job, right?". Zelda heaved a sigh, relenting. "I suppose so. If such ridicule is merely platonic, then I suppose I'll allow it.".

As the group continued to exchange jokes, Captain N grew to appreciate this period of camaraderie. Something like this was always foreign to him. Even back on Earth, he never went out with friends, and felt a pang of jealousy whenever he saw groups of students going downtown or to the park together, sharing stories and jokes. He stopped himself from cursing the days he spent reading comic books to bring himself back to the present. Zelda was more visibly at ease now, more open to the idea of welcoming those around her as friends. Falco's remarks came off as more humorous than sarcastic, and Pit was as peppy as ever. Little Mac seemed to be recovering from his injuries, and Doc Louis backed away from the conversation, more focused on his chocolate bar.

Then the voice came over the intercom.

"Captain N to Gate B."

Conversation in the room was immediately silenced. The casual, upbeat atmosphere was suffocated by the reminder that Captain N was going to have to fight one of the most skilled and feared martial artists on planet Yamajiro. All eyes in the room turned to him, who's blood turned cold. The final round lay ahead of him. The most anticipated match of the World Warrior Tournament was now mere moments away. After wresting control of his hands to ensure one last time that his weapons were still where he stored them in his pockets. Feeling his Ice Booster did little to make him feel ready for game time, but there was nothing he could do to avoid the fight. Standing up, Captain N robotically walked over to the doorway, stopping to take one last look at his allies before he left. Ryu got up to approach him, and offered a couple words of advice before he set off. "Your will is your strength. Approach with confidence and determination." Ryu reminded him. "You got this! Scorpion's just some zombie-ninja, you're the chosen one!" Pit cheered him on. "Your cheating hasn't let you down yet, so go with that." Falco remarked. Little Mac offered a solid nod at him, Doc Louis recited the phrase "Dance like a fly, bite like a mosquito!", and Zelda wished him a sincere "Good luck, Captain.". After offering a gentle, nervous smile to the group, Captain N turned and walked out to the gate.

It seemed like more and more men were watching Captain N as he navigated his way through the underbelly of the arena. He didn't pay them any mind, as Scorpion was more than enough trouble for him to worry about. He could notice the men whispering to each other while peering at him, but he paid them no mind. He could almost taste the tension in the air emanating from the stands above the halls, overseeing the ring. His shoes felt like they were filled with cement, as if he had to fight his instincts with each and every step towards the fight. The halls stretched out seemingly forever, but he eventually reached the same gate leading out to the ring. He could see the sun had fallen below the horizon, and the moon was hanging high in the night sky. Strangely, the spotlights were all turned off, bathing the entire exterior in complete darkness. The same attendant as the previous four times was there to greet Captain N, but he seemed more nervous now as well.

"...Here you are." The man greeted him.

"...Here I am." Captain N eventually responded.

A moment of awkward silence passed.

"...I gotta say, I didn't think you had it in you."

"...Neither did I, to be honest."

"Now the only thing standing between you and total victory is... Scorpion."

"...Yeah."

The arena grew silent, then the announcer came on over the speakers with a loud "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN..."

"Showtime, Cap." The man bid farewell, stepping away from the gate.

"FOR THE FINAL ROUND OF THE WORLD WARRIOR TOURNAMENT..."

Captain N braced himself.

"THE UNDERDOG STORY OF THE YEAR, RISING UP TO TRIUMPH OVER THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE ODDS, GIVE IT UP FOR CAPTAAAAAAAAAAIN N!"

Several spotlights came on over the gate as fast-paced electronic music blasted over the speakers. Captain N ran out of the gate and was met with uproarious cheering from the audience. He could tell the crowd had become more fond of him, but he couldn't think about that at all. The cool air of the night bit against his skin, and the only lit spotlights being focused on him made him feel even more isolated from any kind of help. It was difficult to see, but Captain N could spot not only the same minions of Bowser, King Dedede and King K. Rool patrolling atop the arena and the same man in the red suit in the press box, but also Mayor Pauline watching from a luxury suite high up in the arena. Surely she would intervene if the fight got too intense, right?

"FACING CAPTAIN N, THE SPECTRE OF THE UNDERWORLD, THE LAST OF THE SHIRAI RYU, SCOOOOOOOORPIOOOOOOOON!"

Several more spotlights were lit and focused on the other gate as a different electronic song started playing. Out stepped a man in a black ninja suit and yellow robes and mask. With each step, he left a flaming imprint singed onto the dirt ground of the arena. He also seemed to have some kind of chain wrapped around his right forearm. The crowd went wild upon Scorpion's arrival, their cheers nearly deafening Captain N. As Scorpion approached him, he tried to maintain a strong, confident appearance like Ryu advised. He couldn't see Scorpion's facial expression under his mask, but he knew it wasn't a friendly one. Scorpion's fiery aura hit Captain N, almost making him sweat despite the cool temperature. The two peered at each other, waiting for the fight to start. As Scorpion's eyes scanned Captain N, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He touched his back left pocket and felt his Ice Booster. He puffed up his chest and looked Scorpion right in the eyes. As the music ended, tensions rose as Captain N and Scorpion stood only a couple feet away from each other. The star quarterback of Midnight Lights High School looked almost skinny in comparison to Scorpion. But instead of goading him to punch him or boasting about his strength, Scorpion just stood there, his mere presence enough to unnerve lesser men. But Captain N had to believe he was no "lesser man". Destiny is on his side, after all. He stowed his fears and prepared for battle.

"READYYYYYYY: FIGHT!"

Captain N tried to get his Ice Booster out of his pocket, but Scorpion was faster, and knocked him out with one punch.

Chapter Text

The stadium immediately went silent as Captain N hit the ground. Every single pair of eyes in the stands and the sections above watched him closely, hoping for any kind of moment. Even Scorpion watched his body closely, expecting some kind of surprise attack now that he's lowered his guard. But Captain N just lied there, face down and splayed out across the dirt. Breaking the awkward silence, the announcer got back on the microphone to begin the countdown from ten. None of the audience members joined in on the countdown this time, still trying to take in the fact that the match ended really before it even began. Upon reaching zero, the celebratory fireworks and lights were set off, but they rang hollow. A palpable air of disappointment emanated throughout the stadium as some the audience members shook their head and left. Others tried to create the celebratory cheering that was sorely missing from the event, but to little avail. Despite their best efforts, all the cheers for Scorpion were almost drowned out by how deafening the lack of enthusiasm was elsewhere. Scorpion had barely reacted to his victory, keeping his eyes on Captain N's unmoving body. He only sighed, disappointed in his opponent's lack of skill. When two R.O.B.s came out with a stretcher to carry Captain N off, Scorpion looked over to the stand beneath the large screen displaying the match, where Mayor Pauline was holding the World Warrior trophy. He watched Captain N get carried back into the arena before walking back inside to prepare himself for the award ceremony.

Captain N woke up about ten minutes later on a strange bed with a glowing screen beneath him instead of any kind of mattress. Looking around the room, he saw rows of other similar beds, some being occupied by unconscious fighters from previous rounds in the tournament. There didn't seem to by any kind of doctor or nurse in the room. Maybe they had something to do elsewhere. A poster hung by his bed, showing Mario in a doctor's suit and holding a massive pill, saying "Doctor Mario says: eat your vegetables!". As he regained consciousness, the realization of what happened during his incredibly brief period of time in the spotlight sank in.

He lost.

Pathetically.

He lied back down on the bed and loudly groaned. The shame he felt only intensified as he covered his face with his hands. What was he gonna do now? Ryu and the others obviously saw him lose. What if Raiden and Palutena saw him lose? What would they think? What kind of chosen one would he be if he loses in the final round? He could almost hear the minions of Bowser, K. Rool and Dedede laughing amongst themselves at his defeat.

Some hero he turned out to be.

"Hey, I know you!" A familiar voice said to him from across the room.

Turning over, Captain N saw Dan Hibiki lying on a bed on the other side of the room, and he wasn't very happy to see the newcomer who defeated him. "...I'd be worried if you didn't." Captain N remarked, trying to elevate his mood. He could almost see steam coming out of Dan's ears as his face grew bright red. "Save it, loser! I know you cheated!" Dan accused him. Captain N wearily shook his head at the claim. "Weapons are within the rules, Dan." He reminded him. "No way! Cheating's the only way you could have overcome my deadly Saikyo Style!" Dan shot back, his voice dripping with pride despite his injured state. Captain N turned away from him, not wanting to humor him any further. "But it doesn't matter! You still lost against Scorpion!" Dan reminded him. Captain N didn't respond. "Not even cheating could keep you from losing, loser!"

"It's not like you would have done any better."

As Dan sputtered for some kind of witty comeback, Captain N heard a group of people coming down the hall towards the infirmary he was in. His eyes shot open as his heart started racing in fear. If it was the Koopa or Kremlings or whoever else that would want to hurt him, he wouldn't be able to fight back much. His head still pounded where Scorpion had decked him, although the pain had subsided somewhat since he woke up. Dan's boasting drowned out as his mind raced on what to do. The footsteps drew closer, and closer, and closer. Groaning as he moved, he leaned towards the doorway and readied his hand by his Zapper for the worst.

As soon as he saw the briefest glimpse of someone's silhouette cross the doorway, he whipped out his Zapper and pointed it right at them. The person fell back in surprise and held up their hands to show they weren't armed. "Hey, hey, hey, it's just us!" The person quickly said. Lowering his Zapper, Captain N recognized the person as Pit, who was soon joined by Zelda, Little Mac and Falco. Realizing these people weren't here to take advantage of his weakened state, he slumped back onto the bed and turned away from them. Captain N felt too ashamed in his failure to even face his allies. He could sense that the four were non-verbally trying to figure out how to handle the situation. Tense silence filled the room before Captain N spoke up.

"Where's Doc Louis?"

"He's, uh, getting some stuff ready to head back to the gym. It's getting late, after all." Little Mac answered.

Another moment of silence passed.

"Where's Ryu?" Captain N asked.

"He didn't say. He grumbled something and then just left." Falco informed him. Captain N curled up on the bed, trying to hide a tear welling up in his eye. He also noticed that his forehead was much less sore than it was before, but he didn't care. Zelda sighed and walked closer to him. Suddenly, Dan bolted up to get a good look at the group. "Princess Zelda!?" He asked, hastily scrambling up to greet her. "Not now, Hibiki." She coldly shut him down, not even giving him a look in his general direction. Dan slumped back down on the bed, dejected.

"How are you feeling now?" Pit asked him.

He didn't respond. Pit cleared his throat.

"You know, these fancy beds are reverse-engineered from Pokémon healing devices." Pit noted.

Captain N turned over, confused.

"Huh?"

"Oh, yeah, you don't know what those are. Never mind..." Pit awkwardly trailed off. Seeing the four people so sympathetic towards him only made his emotional wounds sting even more. Little Mac stepped forward and rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, I've lost plenty of fights, too...". "Yeah, plus Scorpion's really strong and stuff. There's no shame in losing to him!" Pit added. Captain N leaned up to face them. "Yeah, but you've never had the fate of the world resting on your victory." Captain N bitterly reminded him. Little Mac reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, you're right..." He agreed. Captain N sat up to face the four more directly, feeling more bitter about his loss. "This is just some fighting tournament, too. If I lost against Scorpion, how am I gonna take down Bowser or K. Rool or those other guys?"

"Now what do we do?" Captain N groaned. "I really doubt I impressed Ryu out there. I'm supposed to save this world, and I just went out there and embarrassed myself.". "Okay, maybe we hit a road bump, but I'm sure we'll think of something!" Pit tried to reassure him. Falco idly looked around outside the infirmary, as if expecting something to happen. Zelda opened and closed her mouth slightly, trying to search for something to say. "Oh, yeah? Do you have anything in mind?" Captain N rhetorically asked Pit. "Uh... well, uh... I don't know. B-But I bet I'll have a plan in five minutes!" Pit meekly answered, failing to impress him.

Then something occurred to Captain N.

"What about a rematch?"

The four were taken aback by this suggestion, looking at each other nervously. "...What do you mean?" Zelda asked him, fearing she already knew the answer. "You know, go out there and challenge Scorpion to a redo." Captain N clarified. Little Mac nervously chuckled before answering. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Cap." He offered. Captain N wasn't persuaded. "Come on, you can't be serious." Falco spoke up, turning to face him. "I am. What kind of hero would I be if I stayed down every time I got knocked down?" Captain N retorted. Another nervous look was shared between the four as they tried to figure out how to keep him from getting into another impossible fight.

"What's happening out there now?" Captain N asked. Falco shrugged. "Getting ready to give Scorpion his fancy medal, so you-"

"There's still time!" Captain N said as he shot up, pushing his way through the four to run down the halls. Zelda quickly followed him, calling out to him. The three remaining just watched them race off, with Dan watching the ordeal go down.

"He's gonna get thrashed, isn't he?" Dan asked.

Falco sighed and responded "Yep.".

"Captain! Captain, stop, now!" Zelda ordered as she ran, but to no avail. He knew the hallways of the arena's underbelly more than her, so Zelda had difficulty keeping up with Captain N. The two turned plenty of heads as they raced through the less crowded corridors. Two of the men who were watching him before readied themselves to keep him from getting through them, but were caught off guard by Captain N opting to run towards the battlefield as opposed to away from it. Captain N's heart began pumping with Adrenalin once more, his fear of Scorpion fading away and being replaced with determination to prove himself worthy in the eyes of Ryu. Zelda grew frustrated enough with trying to chase him down, and blasted him with a small ball of magic energy to knock him onto the ground, stumbling into a wall. At first, she worried about having injured him too severely in her brief outburst. But Captain N got back onto his feet with only a small groan, prepared to do more running. Zelda got in front of him and held her arms out to block his path.

"Captain N, stop! Think about what you're doing!" She scolded him. Captain N stood his ground and looked her right in the eyes. "I know what I'm doing! I'm doing what needs to be done!" He shot back, impatient with her.

"You should consider yourself lucky for only having received a concussion from that fight. You could-"

"Lucky? I lost in five seconds of the final round and you think I should call that 'lucky'?"

"I've heard what happened to other people that faced Scorpion. You could have gotten severely injured! Or worse!"

"You and so many other people spent the past near-week drilling into my head that the world will essentially come to an end if those three kings win!"

"Such recklessness is only a path to ruin!"

"And what, I'm supposed to sulk home, licking my wounds when I lose?"

"That's not what I meant."

"I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna fight Scorpion. And I'm gonna win. Because I'm Captain N. These weapons in my pockets prove that destiny is on MY side. Not Scorpion's, not Dracula's and not Bowser's!"

"If we calmed down and thought this through, perhaps we could think of another way to convince Ryu to reveal the location of Suzaku Castle."

"We can't afford to always rely on a plan B! Sometimes it's do or die!"

"You have to realize how dangerous this is! Aren't you scared?"

"Of course, I am! But this is bigger than me. I can't afford to risk countless lives because I'm too scared to face the challenges that come with being the chosen one."

A moment of silence passed between the two.

"You would do the same." Captain N reminded her.

Zelda stepped back to think of a response. At first, she opened her mouth and turned to Captain N to make a comeback, but stopped herself from doing so. Instead she heaved a heavy sigh and her head slumped. Captain N stepped back, fearing he was too harsh to the Princess. A moment of silence passed between the two before Zelda's arms fell to her side as she looked back up at him with concern in her eyes.

"...Be careful, Peter."

Captain N was caught off guard by the use of his birth name, but he breathed in deeply and nodded at her.

"I'll try."

Without any more conversation, Captain N ran past Zelda and towards the battlefield. Zelda watched him go, silently praying he survives the fight.

Normally Captain N would be reeling from the fact that he got so confrontational with an actual Princess, but he'll ruminate on that later. The closer he got to the battlefield, the louder the announcer's words got. He could tell they were about to award Scorpion as World Warrior champion. He threw off the aspect of pacing himself and full-on sprinted through the halls. His running became much more clumsy, but he was still able to navigate the industrial-gray labyrinth of halls. He could only barely make out the man standing by the gate as he shot passed, only able to register a noise of surprise as he whizzed past. Upon reaching the battlefield, he found Mayor Pauline on a small podium, about to award Scorpion a golden, immaculate medal. The announcer was narrating the event throughout.

"AND THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S WORLD WARRIOR TOURNAMENT IS-"

"I WANT A REMATCH!" Captain N roared, pointing an accusatory finger right at Scorpion.

The stadium grew silent after his interruption. Even the announcer heard him from all the way up in the press box, having stopped speaking. Looking around, he saw that the stadium was half as full as it was when he initially fought Scorpion. The reactions he drew from the crowd varied, from confusion to amusement. The large red man in the box above seemed to have been bickering with someone, but was now watching him intently. Mayor Pauline looked at him with immense surprise, and Scorpion's face was still covered by his mask, so his expression wasn't as easy to gauge. Despite the mounting pressure at this situation that would have horrified him to hgve been in during the Homecoming game back home in Midnight Lights, Captain N remained firm in his stance. His finger remained pointed at Scorpion, and his face remained stern.

"...WELL, WE'VE NEVER HAD A REMATCH BEFORE IN THE WORLD WARRIOR TOURNAMENT. ESPECIALLY FOR THE FINAL ROUND." The announcer finally spoke, addressing Captain N. Before the announcer could go on, Scorpion raised his hand to silence him. "Let him fight." Scorpion instructed, making Mayor Pauline turn to him in surprise, who then looked up to the announcer's box. "...BUT THE RULES DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT A REMATCH." The announcer protested, somewhat weakly. "He's made it this far in the Tournament. Let him fight." Scorpion restated. "Are you sure, Scorpion?" Mayor Pauline asked him, retracting the medal of victory. Scorpion turned to face her. "I, along with the countless viewers, want real combat in the final round. Perhaps he could prove himself the underdog story of the generation." Scorpion confirmed, then turning to eye Captain N.

As the two met each other's gaze intensely, Mayor Pauline was quick to hurry off the battlefield, with two R.O.B.s carrying the podium away. Captain N could tell the audience's interest was beginning to return. People were returning to their seats, leaning forward to watch the two closely. Captain N felt more in the zone now. More ready for combat.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WORLD WARRIOR HISTORY, WE WILL WITNESS THE REMATCH OF THE FINAL ROUND!" The announcer declared, which was met with enthusiastic cheering from what audience members remained. Scorpion and Captain N circled each other like lions ready to pounce. Scorpion put his fists up, while Captain N grazed his pockets to assure himself his weapons were where they were supposed to be. The tension in the arena was so high it could almost be tasted. Captain N closed his eyes and breathed in.

"READYYYYYYYYYY"

Captain N breathed out, opening his eyes.

"FIGHT!"

Learning from his mistakes, Captain N dove out of the way of Scorpion. He lunged forward and tried to strike him down with the same punch that knocked him out before, but Captain N was able to scramble out of the way. Scorpion was prepared for this, and spun his leg around to deliver a strong kick to Captain N's abdomen. Being only partially winded, Captain N managed to retrieve his Ice Booster and unleash a blast of freezing air at his opponent. Scorpion was caught off guard by this, stumbling back in combination of surprise and reflexes. Captain N seized this brief opportunity to get back on his feet and back away from Scorpion. Regaining his bearings, Scorpion found Captain N and ignited his fists ablaze. This display of power delivered a strong blow against Captain N's confidence, who hesitated slightly before blasting Scorpion with more ice. In reaction, Scorpion suddenly disappeared in a blaze of fire, reappearing right behind Captain N. Before Captain N could registed what just happened, Scorpion struck Captain N down with a roundhouse kick. He yelled out in pain as he fell over, dropping his Ice Booster. As pain seared through his head, Scorpion grabbed his Ice Booster and tossed it far away from Captain N. He tried to retrieve his Fire Booster, but Scorpion kicked his wrist before he could. The Fire Booster fell out of Captain N's reach, but he decided against going for it.

With pain searing throughout more of his body, all Captain N could focus on doing was getting away from Scorpion. The longer the fight went on, the less brave Captain N became. Before Scorpion could give Captain N another roundhouse kick, he grabbed a handful of dirt on the ground and threw it into Scorpion's eyes. This bought him just enough time to regain his footing and get away from his opponent. He knew this did nothing to endear himself to the ninja, so he kept his eyes glued on Scorpion and didn't bother going for his weapons again. His heart was pounding in his ears and his face was coated in sweat despite the cool temperature. Scorpion teleported right up to Captain N again, but he jumped away before he could be struck again. With the two right up against each other, Scorpion punched Captain N across the face again. Recoiling, Captain N was able to remain on his feet. He found an incredibly brief opening, and jabbed at Scorpion's face. He took this strike much better than Captain N, and was quick to return with another punch.

When Captain N stumbled back, he saw the large screen above the battlefield out of the corner of his eye.

And the timer counting down.

One minute left.

He had one objective now.

Survive.

"Strike him down!" The man in red yelled at Scorpion. Captain N continued to retreat away from Scorpion's attacks, only being able to successfully dodge some of Scorpion's strikes. When he got a good distance away from the ninja, Scorpion suddenly unsheathed a kunai at the end of a rope and shot it at Captain N. He was only barely able to avoid the rope-dart, the side of his neck being grazed by the razor-sharp weapon. As Captain N clutched his neck and groaned in pain, Scorpion retracted the rope-dart as quickly as he summoned it. Scorpion ran up to his opponent and propelled his feet up with blasts of fire, launching himself into the air with a massive backflip, striking Captain N. The pain of being knocked back by the kick was only amplified by being singed as well. Dodging below Scorpion's follow-up strikes, Captain N grabbed another handful of dirt and threw it at Scorpion again. He saw this coming and turned away to avoid getting any dirt particles in his eyes. Captain N took this opportunity to draw his Zapper and point it at Scorpion. But Scorpion was too quick, and once again disarmed Captain N before he could place his shot. Now completely defenseless, all Captain N could do was back away from the ninja. But he hit the wall of the ring behind him. Scorpion grabbed his throat and pinned him to the wall, almost choking Captain N. He tried in vain to strike Scorpion and free himself from Scorpion's grip, but to no avail. Captain N was desperately scared, feeling completely helpless. He tried calling out to Pit or Zelda for help, but couldn't get anything out from Scorpion's grip. His breathing became rapid, his eyes desperately pleading Scorpion for mercy.

"Finish him!" The man in red roared from above. Scorpion clenched his other fist, lit it ablaze, and pulled his fist back.

Then the bell rang.

Scorpion froze in place, still glaring at Captain N with ferocity in his white eyes. He extinguished the flame on his fist and released Captain N from his vice grip. He fell gracelessly onto the dirt, gasping for air. Scorpion only gave him a sideways glance before returning to the center of the battlefield. After taking a moment to regain his nerves, Captain N got back up on his feet and stumbled over to the center of the battlefield, standing next to his opponent. The man in red could barely be heard yelling in frustration, storming out of his viewing box. He spotted his three weapons scattered about on the dirt as two R.O.B.s hastily brought the podium back out. Mayor Pauline followed them, still holding the medal. Only with it so close could Captain N appreciate the immaculate detail put into the medal. It was designed to look like two nondescript men engaged in combat within a circle, with a flower-like design outside the circle.

Captain N and Scorpion stood by as the judges above debated amongst themselves on who to declare the winner. The air was too tense for any conversation, so Mayor Pauline only looked upon Captain N with sympathy. Scorpion stood firm and waited diligently for the verdict, while Captain N still focused on calming his nerves. Only a brief period of waiting went by before the announcer returned.

"AFTER THOROUGH CONSIDERATION, WE DECLARE THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S WORLD WARRIOR TOURNAMENT IS... SCORPION!"

Captain N felt too ashamed in his performance to even be disappointed. The crowd cheered for Scorpion more eagerly than after the first fight. Scorpion turned to face Captain N. "Now's your chance to challenge me to another rematch." He coldly offered, almost taunting him. Captain N just sighed and shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." He reluctantly rejected. Mayor Pauline carefully placed the medal around Scorpion's neck, signifying him as the victor. Captain N walked off, gathered his weapons off the ground, and trudged back into the underbelly of the arena, accepting his defeat.

Chapter Text

The halls of the arena's underbelly felt darker than before. Captain N's shadow stretched out in front of him as he trudged through the cold corridors, now almost completely empty. The silence contrasting against the raucous noise from earlier in the tournament did little to comfort him. What should have been a simple walk through the halls proved more difficult after having been so viciously beaten by Scorpion, leaving his body sore and weakened. His eyes were almost glued to the floor as his thoughts haunted him.

He lost.

Scorpion won.

Again.

He might as well have not even bothered, he thought. Scorpion defeated him without so much as breaking a sweat, while he desperately scrambled around praying for some kind of divine intervention. But what was the point? He's Captain N, he thought. He IS the divine intervention. Or rather, he's supposed to be. He stopped walking in the middle of another abandoned hallway and pulled out his Zapper, closely examining it. Its fine orange and gray finish almost mocked him. Such a unique and powerful weapon wasn't meant to be used by someone like him.

"Why was I picked, of all people?" He thought to himself. Of all the star athletes and Navy Seals and other extraordinary people on Earth, why was he chosen? What made him so special?

From his perspective, he couldn't see anything special.

The swelling sensation of depression and hopelessness became too much for him to visibly hide. After looking over his shoulder to assure himself that he was alone, Captain N allowed a couple tears to escape his eyelids. Having opened the metaphorical and almost literal floodgates, more tears traveled down his face and fell onto the cold, concrete floor below. His soft whimpers were the only sounds that filled the halls.

Only one thought was in Captain N's mind, climbing to the forefront above everything else that happened.

"I want to go home."

He spent a few precious moments of solitude indulging in his misery. What would Princess Zelda think of him, having caught the predestined savior of the world crying like a homesick Cub Scout? What would Falco think? What would Raiden or Palutena think? He backed against the wall and sank to the floor, hiding his face in his arms. Not long after, he accepted the fact that he can't keep his allies waiting forever, so Captain N stood up, wiped the remaining tears from his face, cleared his throat to ensure his voice was unwavering, and marched back to the infirmary.

As Captain N turned a corner, he was suddenly met with Ryu waiting for him. He had his arms crossed and looked down on Captain N with a stern, unwavering expression. Not having entirely recovered from his emotional session, Captain N's confidence immediately crumbled under the pressure. He took a step back, trying to find a way to approach this unappealing confrontation. Ryu only eyed him closely, his exact thoughts hidden from any visible tic. Captain N looked behind Ryu, not finding any of his allies.

"...Where's everyone else?" Captain N asked him, breaking the silence.

"You lost." Ryu stated.

Captain N sighed and hung his head. "Yeah, twice.". Ryu squinted at Captain N, leaning closer to him. "You challenged him to a rematch, why?" Ryu asked him. Captain N let out a stressed groan and threw his hands up. "What else was I supposed to do? I've gotta prove to you that I deserve to know where Suzaku Castle is, and the only was I was gonna do that was by beating Scorpion!" Captain N exasperatedly defended himself, both physically and mentally exhausted. "You knew you were going to lose, didn't you?" Ryu asked him. After taking a moment to summon the courage to answer truthfully, Captain N nodded in confirmation. Ryu nodded firmly and uncrossed his arms, revealing a folded piece of paper. Looking up at Ryu quizzically, Captain N carefully took the paper and unfolded it, revealing it to be a large map of the entire world of Yamajiro, with an "x" marked in the middle of a dense forest a good distance away from New Donk City. He looked back up at Ryu, confused.

"Is this where Suzaku Castle is?"

"Yes. You've earned it."

"I... I don't understand."

"There's more to strength than winning fights. True strength comes from getting back up after being knocked down, and standing up for what you believe in no matter how hopeless it seems."

Captain N felt his mood elevate, grateful for the praise of his character for a change. A gentle smile graced his face as he looked back at Ryu, more confidently. "Your friends told me your story. While you may be inexperienced now, the road ahead is long, and with the weapons you reclaim and the allies at your side, I believe you'll become the hero we need." Ryu continued, his tone subtly softer than before. Looking back at the map, Captain N reflected on how lucky he was that the map was written in a language he could understand. He laughed nervously to let out some built-up stress, looking back at Ryu.

"So what do we do now?"

"Regroup with the others in the infirmary. They're expecting you, and I bet they're getting tired of Dan." Ryu joked, his gruff voice betraying the humorous tone intended. Captain N rolled his eyes and smiled. "Yeah, good call. I could use some time to heal up anyway." Captain N agreed. Ryu provided some support for him to lean on as he made his way back to the others, providing his muscles some much-needed rest.

"So what do you know about Scorpion?" Captain N asked Ryu. He looked ahead as he thought over his answer. "He's a fearsome warrior, whose skill is almost unmatched. He's made an enemy of the Lin Kuei clan. Long ago, he was revived by a powerful warlock to serve him, but Scorpion broke free of his control, and now wanders the land, without clan or purpose." Ryu answered.

"And you've fought him before?"

"Twice. I defeated him once, he defeated me once. But I will say you've lasted longer against him than most other opponents."

"Only because I tried running away from him."

"Making you more intelligent than most."

Captain N and Ryu shared a hearty laugh before arriving back at the infirmary, where Pit, Falco, Zelda and Little Mac were waiting for them. Dan was seemingly unconscious again, although Captain N refrained from thinking about how that could have happened. "Some fight, hero." Falco remarked, earning him an elbow from Little Mac. "Ignore him, I think you did really good." Little Mac assured him. Captain N nodded half-heartedly nodded as he climbed back onto one of the vacant beds, which glowed softly once he had situated himself. He could feel himself feel immediately more at ease once the bed started up, resting back on the surprisingly comfortable bed. "I think you did great in your first- well, second fight against Scorpion!" Pit congratulated him. "Well, if you think so." Captain N sighed, relaxed. "I'm sure you impressed Doc Louis, too. I'm sure he watched." Little Mac added. "I'm not really looking forward to any kind of commentary on how I did." Captain N gently chuckled. "I assume you gave him the map?" Zelda asked Ryu. Ryu offered a firm nod, and Captain N lazily waved the map around in the air. "I'll guard it with my life, promise." He assured her. Pit decided to test out one of the beds, and quickly sank onto it once he laid back, sighing in relaxation and resting his eyes. "Better hope you don't run into Scorpion again when you're out on the road. There's no timer out there." Little Mac joked. "Hey, out there I won't be alone. I've got my buddies here to make sure I don't die before I'm supposed to." Captain N reminded him. "Hey, you'll have to be responsible for your own skin." Falco spoke up, leaning against a vacant bed. "Yeah, yeah." Captain N sleepily responded.

"You oughta try this out, Princess! It's really comfortable!" Pit suggested to Zelda. A brief glance at Captain N's relaxed state indicated that the idea was worth considering to her, but she quickly shook her head politely. "I'd much rather figure out our plan to reach Suzaku Castle." She formally answered. "Ugghhh, you're right." Pit groaned, sitting back up. "There aren't any warp pipes to anywhere near the forest, are there?" Falco asked. "Unfortunately, not. However, if I'm not mistaken, there should be a warp pipe from the Mushroom Kingdom to outside Scuttle Town. It's still about a day's hike to the castle, but it's preferable than trying to venture directly from New Donk City." Zelda answered with semi-certainty. Captain N groaned slightly as he sat back up, unfolding the map to confirm her claim. Shortly after, he nodded in agreement. "Woo-hoo! Go team!" Pit cheered, to Falco's annoyance.

"I bet Doc would let you stay in the gym for another night. I don't think they'll let you stay the night in the arena." Little Mac offered. "We could try to get another hotel to let us stay for free." Falco retorted, internally cringing at the thought of spending another night in a room haunted by the stench of sweat. "It's not a good idea to always rely on stuff like that." Pit reminded him. Falco rolled his eyes. "Gimme a break. We're trying to save the world here, the least they could do is give us somewhere to sleep." Falco replied. "Kinda like what Little Mac's doing right now." Captain N interjected after folding the map back up and storing it in his left pocket.

Then a group of people could be heard rapidly approaching the infirmary.

Ryu was the first to spring into action, running out and confronting the intruders. A flurry of hits and exclamations of pain could be heard from outside the room. The group quickly crowded in the doorway to see the mayhem and found Ryu standing over three men in dark-red uniforms, all unconscious.

"We need to go. Now."

Before any questions could be asked, more of these men could be heard approaching. Captain N's drowsiness quickly vanished as he drew his Zapper and crouched behind the doorway. Falco drew his blaster, Pit formed his bow, Zelda readied her magic, and Little Mac braced himself for combat. As soon as five more uniformed men turned the corner, Captain N shot his Zapper at them, managing to hit only two. Falco and Pit jumped out of cover and struck the remaining three down with greater accuracy. Zelda and Little Mac searched the hallways for any more approaching. The ruckus has created a significant amount of noise, and soon a sound resembling a stampede filled the corridors, quickly growing louder. "Looks like we're not staying the night." Pit glumly noted.

"Shadaloo. I should have known they'd be here." Ryu stated, his stance ready for battle. "They kinda look like this big guy I saw in the box above the arena." Captain N remarked. Upon hearing this, Ryu quickly whipped around to face him. "Was he a large man wearing a red cap?" He interrogated him. Captain N backed away, feeling the pressure. "Uh... I think so?" He nervously answered. Falco, Little Mac and Pit whipped around, shocked. "M. Bison's here!?" Pit exclaimed, visibly worried. "Why didn't you tell us!?" Falco demanded of Captain N. He threw his hands up in defense. "I didn't know who he was!" Captain N answered with a shaky voice. Zelda was unfazed by the commotion, and focused her magic on creating a shield around the group. "Long story short: M. Bison's the leader of a criminal organization called Shadaloo. We thought they got crushed out some time ago, but now it looks like he's working with Bowser and the others." Little Mac enlightened him. "He's mastered a force called Psycho Power, making him an extremely skilled and deadly adversary." Ryu added.

"Stronger than Scorpion?" Captain N nervously asked.

"...Yeah." Little Mac confirmed.

Captain N gripped his Zapper tighter, sweat forming in his palms.

"Are we gonna stay here forever or are we gonna move?" Falco impatiently asked Ryu. "Be on guard." Ryu advised, leading the group down the halls. Zelda and Pit followed him closest behind, while Falco, Captain N and Little Mac guarded the rear. After turning a corner, a massive group of not only Shadaloo grunts, but also minions of Bowser, K. Rool and Dedede were waiting, armed with the spears seen before. The six darted behind cover as a volley of laser blasts shot through the halls, nearly striking Captain N. Zelda managed to take advantage of an incredibly brief window in their blasts, and jumped out of cover to conjure a glowing yellow field of magic energy in front of her. The enemies tried to blast her away with their spears, but the barrier proved impenetrable. Falco and Captain N crouched behind Zelda, nailing shots on them as their blasts passed effortlessly through her barrier. While they managed to strike down some of the enemies, the Koopa, Kremlings, Waddle Dees and Shadaloo members quickly adapted, finding cover in doorways to empty rooms and behind corners. Pit and Ryu kept an eye on the opening behind the group as Little Mac crouched behind safety, unable to help much. They continued to blast at Zelda's barrier, weakening its defenses. Zelda groaned as she struggled to keep the barrier up, knowing that only a fraction of a second was all the time they would need to blast the group away. Captain N could feel his heart race, despite being behind Zelda's barrier, the pressure of being shot at by so many made his Adrenalin kick in. He took a risk and stepped out of cover, taking out his two Boosters and unleashed a massive blast of fire and ice in the general direction of the enemies. Those who weren't immediately taken out by the blast were disoriented enough for Falco to take them out with swift and precise shots. After confirming everyone in the immediate area was taken down, Zelda removed the barrier, gasping slightly at the exertion the barrier required.

"So what's the plan now?" Pit asked. "Get you four back to the warp pipe and on the way to Scuttle Town." Ryu answered, moving forward through the halls. "Wait, us four?" Captain N asked him, worriedly looking over to Little Mac. "Don't worry about us, we can handle ourselves." Little Mac assured him. "We would make much greater progress if you accompanied us." Zelda tried to persuade him, following Ryu and the others throughout the arena. Falco and Pit ran closest to the front, shooting back at enemies at the seemingly never-ending wave of enemy forces popping out of corners and doorways, if not charging directly at them. Captain N struggled to keep up with the group, still somewhat sore and tired from his fight with Scorpion. "Don't worry about me, you guys've got it covered. It's not really a boxer's fight." Little Mac chuckled, keeping up with everyone else. "But we could always use more help!" Pit insisted, firing more arrows at distant enemies. "Our battle is here. Yours is out there." Ryu assured the four, looking over a corner down another hall. One Shadaloo member jumped out and tried to shoot Ryu with his spear, but Ryu's superior skill allowed him to land a strong back kick on the attacker, immediately knocking them out. A hrode of Kremlings stampeded towards the group from behind and were about to fire when Zelda spun around and summoned her magic to unleash a powerful wave of force, knocking them all back down the hall.

"Can't be too far from the exit now. We can make it to the warp pipe if we hurry." Falco informed the group, darting forward to shoot at Koopa and Shadaloo grunts. "Follow me!" Little Mac instructed, darting forward and weaving around shots fired by the enemies. Taking cover behind a metal door, Little Mac motioned for everyone else to follow. Captain N showed more hesitation than the others to jump out into enemy fire, and remained in cover as the others engaged the attackers. He crouched behind cover as he heard Pit shoot arrows and Falco fire his blaster in the midst of the never-ending volley of laser blasts shooting by. After summoning his courage to peer out of cover, he only managed to get a peek before a laser whizzed by his face, nearly striking him. He fell over in surprise, quickly scrabling back into cover.

"What's the holdup!?" Falco yelled to him from down the hall. "I'll be shot to pieces!" Captain N yelled back from behind cover. He could just barely hear Falco groan in disapproval as Zelda and Pit continued to fight back. The sound of another blast of magical energy could be heard, signaling that Zelda had defeated the remaining grunts. "I'm not terribly accustomed to combat." She admitted, weakness from extended use of her magic beginning to show. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it!" Pit cheerily encouraged her, jumping out of cover to follow Little Mac and Ryu. "I'd rather not have to." Zelda grumbled to herself as Captain N joined her and Falco. "Nice timing, hero." Falco snarked at him. Neither Zelda nor Captain N humored him as they quickly joined the three ahead, leaving Falco feeling rather undercut.

The six eventually found themselves nearing the entryway of the arena, almost having escaped the metallic corridors. Suddenly, a masked man with tiger claw weapons jumped down from above and stopped the six in their tracks. Captain N quickly recognized the man as Vega, whom Little Mac had defeated in the tournament earlier that day. More of the Shadaloo members and minions of the three kings joined him, their weapons ready to fire. The six remained still, carefully analyzing the situation. "So you're the famous Captain N?" Vega slyly remarked, eyeing him closely. "I'm famous now, huh?" Captain N asked. "Someone as ugly as you doesn't deserve your fame." Vega shot at him. Captain N recoiled in offense, scowling at Vega.

"That's uncalled for!"

"As for you, I'm terribly sorry you had to be mixed up in all of this, Princess. Such nobility doesn't deserve these mongrels." He formally spoke to Zelda, who was unswayed. "That's enough, monster!" Zelda shot back at him. "Don't fret, not everyone can move as gracefully and beautifully as I." Vega boasted, confident in being backed up by the other minions. "Is that why you got beaten to a pulp by Little Mac?" Falco asked him with a grin. While most of his face was obscured by his mask, Captain N could see his eyes shoot open in anger. "Say, this dull arena is almost as ugly as you! I know, I'll have it painted red!" He roared, lunging at Captain N. He fell backward and tried to scramble away, but Zelda was able to protect him with a magic shield before Vega could slash at him. The henchmen quickly opened fire on them, forcing the six to dart behind cover. Ryu was quick to confront Vega alongside Pit. The two put up a challenge for Vega, but he was able to keep pace with the two of them at once, blocking attacks from both of them at the same time. Falco and Zelda were focused on taking down the grunts firing on them, with Little Mac and Captain N hiding behind cover. Vega was more skilled in hand-to-hand fighting than Pit, and knocked him on his back with minimal effort. Ryu proved to be a more challenging opponent, but was able to focus more of his efforts on fighting back against him. It was clear that the two have fought before, as it seemed that both could predict each other's punches and kicks. Vega seemed to be at an advantage with his tiger claws, but Ryu was undeterred. More of the henchmen tried to shoot at Ryu, but Zelda and Falco kept them from being successful. Captain N noticed that Vega's back was turned to him, and took the opportunity to shoot him with his Zapper. Vega collapsed onto the ground after being struck, unconscious. Ryu was initially surprised, but nodded firmly at Captain N, impressed.

Summoning one more blast of magic energy, Zelda finished off the remaining Koopa, leaving the six alone in the room. "Way to make the rest of us feel needed." Falco joked, which Zelda ignored. "I gotta make sure Doc's okay, you all go on without me!" Little Mac insisted. Knowing he couldn't be talked out of this, Captain N and the others relented. "Stay safe out there, Mac." Captain N wished him. "Can do! We're all rooting for you, Cap! Go save the world!" Little Mac bid farewell, darting off into the dark of night while waving goodbye over his shoulder.

Captain N felt a pang of sadness watching him go, only being able to wish him well as he left. "We can't worry about him, you four need to get going." Ryu reminded them. "Right, let's hurry, then!" Zelda declared, leading everyone out into the night. Along with the blast of cold air, the five were met with an airship flying above the rooftops, its spotlights searching the arena. "We don't have time to attack it, just focus on getting to the warp pipe!" Zelda instructed further. Captain N agreed, and followed her closely with Ryu, Pit and Falco close behind. The streets were illuminated by the streetlights and neon signs above the buildings as the five desperately sprinted down the street. Ryu, Falco and Pit ran the fastest, with Zelda and Captain N struggling to keep up. Suddenly, the five were bathed in a bright light, coming from the airship. "THERE THEY ARE! TAKE THEM IN, DEAD OR ALIVE!" Kamek's voice yelled through the speakers of the airship. "Run!" Pit exclaimed, sprinting even further down the street. The five sprinted to the lift leading to the warp pipe, shoving their way through the people walking down the sidewalk and turning everyone's heads to see the commotion. Captain N could hear the particle cannons on the airship being charged up, and tried running diagonally in order to make himself a difficult target to hit. The particle cannon was fired at a thankfully empty intersection, nearly blowing the five away.

The Koopa, Kremlings and Waddle Dees atop the rooftops finally got to use their spears as they shot at the group from above. Captain N's exhaustion was starting to set in after the day spent fighting opponent after opponent. Parts of his body was still sore, screaming at him for a break. But he couldn't slow down. Shot after shot rained down from the sky as the airship tried to obliterate Captain N or any of his allies. Cars and signs were destroyed in the crossfire, including the Super Mario billboard he'd reflected on the day prior. The civilians desperately hid inside the buildings, trying to find any shelter from the chaos. Captain N ran directly into the man in the trench coat asking for signatures for his petition, but could only continue running while profusely apologizing over his shoulder as the man grumbled to himself and got back up. Running down the street and dodging fire from above, the five finally reached the platform leading up to the warp pipe. But then, a large man in a red suit glowing with power floated down to meet them.

M. Bison.

"Hold your fire, I can handle them!" He roared at the airship, which ceased fire. "Well, well, well, look who we have here." He grinned maliciously, looking at Captain N. "I hoped Scorpion would make short work of you, but it looks like you're a hard bug to squash.". The airship stopped firing at them, allowing M. Bison to confront them. "Out of our way, monster!" Zelda demanded of him, making him cackle maniacally. "You have no power here, Princess! Bowser will finish what Calamity Ganon started all those years ago!" He taunted her. Brimming with rage, she unleashed a massive blast of power towards him, which only slightly fazed him. "Really? I expected more of you!" He taunted further. Pit drew his bow as Captain N and Falco aimed their weapons at him. Zelda readied herself alongside Ryu, circling M. Bison.

"Leave him to me." Ryu insisted.

"No way! Fighting him is suicide!" Pit resisted. "Listen to him! It's the only way we're gonna make it out of here alive!" Falco shot at Pit. Captain N and Zelda looked to each other, then at the lift. M. Bison cackled again at their desperation. "Try it! You'll only die later!" He goaded, then looking to Ryu.

"Very well, then. Fight me!"

The two charged at each other, their impact almost sending out a shockwave. As they fought, the four quickly hurried into the lift. After frantically searching for any kind of controls, Zelda instead summoned her magic to manually lift the small cabin up the cable herself. As they ascended, Captain N saw Ryu was fighting an uphill battle against his opponent. M. Bison's fists glowed with purple power as he struck Ryu, making him stagger back with each blow. All Ryu could do was block each strike, each blow weakening his defenses even more. Deciding he needed to intervene, he drew his Zapper and fired at M. Bison, only grazing his knee. This allowed Ryu to get an advantage, but M. Bison was quick to adapt, and was back to pressuring him.

With much exertion, Zelda finally secured the lift on the platform. Falco threw the door open and dove down into the warp pipe, Pit right behind him. Captain N looked down at the fight below and saw that M. Bison had knocked Ryu down onto the ground. He drew his Zapper and aimed it at M. Bison, but Zelda tugged him away. "There's no time! We need to go now!" She pleaded, pulling him over to the warp pipe. He tried to fight her, but relented, running over to the warp pipe. M. Bison summoned his power to levitate himself up the lift towards the two. Zelda and Captain N were only barely able to escape down the warp pipe before M. Bison crashed down onto the platform.

Chapter Text

As much as he tried, Captain N couldn't make the trip through the warp pipe any faster. The cold air emanating throughout the pipe shot across his face, obscuring his view of the pipe ahead even more than the darkness already was. He could only pray that M. Bison or any of his lackeys weren't too close behind. The ride through the warp pipe felt significantly shorter than it was journeying to New Donk City, as while he was panicking about the threat behind him, he suddenly shot up into the air and fell onto the dirt beneath him. He hastily got back up and darted away from the pipe, his eyes glued to it with his Zapper drawn, expecting M. Bison to emerge. He heard the other three scurrying about behind him as the image of the maniacally-grinning man with pure white eyes haunted him.

"Where's the warp pipe!?" Pit impatiently asked, shifting about nervously. Zelda hastily scanned each one of the countless, identical pipes. Falco stayed further back than Captain N, aiming his blaster at the pipe to New Donk City. "Come on, we don't have all night!" Falco insisted. "It'll only take a moment!" Zelda unconvincingly assured, her focus remaining on the pipes. Captain N could hear her worriedly murmur the names of where each pipe led to. Stealing a glance at Peach's Castle behind him, he could make out that it was all still in one piece. There weren't any airships attacking the castle, and he guessed Princess Peach was currently enjoying a good night's sleep. He could only envy her peaceful state as he feared for his life, expecting the powerful madman to emerge. His Adrenalin was starting to fail him as his drowsiness insisted on taking the wheel. Spending all day firing on all cylinders as he fought opponent after opponent was starting to take a toll on him, if not from the bruises and sores Piston Hondo, Cammy White and Scorpion had inflicted on him.

"Got it! Over here!" Zelda declared, rushing over to a certain warp pipe partially obscured by other warp pipes. Pit and Falco wasted no time in rushing to the warp pipe, as Falco partially elbowed Pit out of the way to be the first to go down the pipe. After groaning to himself, Pit followed him down the pipe. After he got a good line directly to the pipe from where he was, Captain N ran backwards to the pipe in order to keep his Zapper pointed at the pipe. This didn't work out as well as he hoped, as he bumped into another warp pipe and fell on his back, losing his orientation. The impact felt more painful than it usually would have, as a result of the beatings he's taken thus far. "What are you doing? Hurry up!" Zelda hurried him, waiting for him to get over to the pipe. Clamoring back to his feet, he made a mad dash to the pipe she was standing next to and jumped directly down into it, where he could hear Zelda follow him.

This pipe ride was significantly shorter than the previous ride. Before he knew it, he suddenly shot out of the pipe and stumbled onto the ground in front of Falco and Pit, Zelda appearing from the pipe shortly after. After shaking the dizziness out of his head, Captain N took a good look at his surroundings. He could make out dirt paths formed between countless rows of corn stalks in the dark of night. The gentle breeze of night gently blew through the corn stalks, rustling the plants slightly. "So how're we all looking?" Captain N asked the group. "A bit worse for wear, but otherwise fine." Zelda was the first to answer. "We're all good! Right, Falco?" Pit nudged him. Falco grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, fine..." He eventually spoke up. Captain N looked back at the pipe, pointing his Zapper directly at it while stepping back slowly. "That should have provided us valuable time in escaping those brutes." Zelda noted, a bit more at ease as she looked ahead. "Sequin Land's just outside the Mushroom Kingdom, we'll spend the night at Scuttle Town before heading off for Suzaku Castle." She continued. "'Bout time." Falco groaned, just audibly enough to be heard by everyone present despite muttering.

After a few moments went by of neither M. Bison nor any of his or the three king's minions having followed them, Captain N sighed, turning back to the group. "I don't like this little trend we have going." He noted, tired. "What're you talking about?" Pit asked him, confused. "Leaving behind our allies at the mercy of such powerful enemies. First Simon Belmont with Dracula, and now Ryu with M. Bison. What if something happened to them?" He continued. Zelda sighed, nodding in reluctant agreement. "I understand your concern, Captain, but both of those men are extraordinarily skilled, and have proven their mettle time and time again." She tried to comfort him. "For sure! You know how many fights Ryu won?" Pit added.

"...No?" Captain N answered.

"...Oh, right. Point is, he's an awesome fighter, he can handle himself!" Pit clumsily assured him. "Plus, you're higher priority than Ryu and Simon combined. You're the one with a prophecy backing you up, and not them. You ask them, I'm sure they'll be happy to take one for the team." Falco shrugged off, less assurance in his voice. Captain N's empathetic nature wasn't entirely pleased with this answer, but he was far too exhausted to argue any further. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he relented. "Alright, fine. How far away is Scuttle Town?" He drowsily asked. "Not too far! The Lilac Fields are only just outside town!" Pit piped up, showing none of the tiredness that plagued Captain N. "Then let's move. The sooner we get to sleep, the sooner we can wake up and get to the castle." Falco groaned impatiently. Zelda let out a yawn that was a bit louder than she was expecting, as she immediately covered her mouth in an attempt to retain her demeanor.

As the group trekked down the dirt path, Captain N's sleepiness was starting to overpower him. His eyes were becoming insistent on shutting, and his legs were ready to clock out. Despite his best efforts, he ended up accidentally stumbling and almost falling over a couple times. Pit was always behind him to ensure that he wouldn't fall over. "Keep it up, Cap. We're almost there!" Pit reassured him. Captain N could only muster a drowsy nod in response, powering on. Zelda walked at the front of the group, enjoying the peaceful silence of the Lilac Fields as reprieve from the chaotic ruckus of New Donk City. Falco walked beside her, clearing away any obstruction that happened to be in the way. Silhouetted by the moon, the outline of Scuttle Town became more and more visible the longer the four hiked.

After mulling it over in his head, Captain N addressed Zelda. "Hey, Zelda?" He asked her. "Yes?" She responded, looking at him from the corner of her eyes as she continued to walk.

"What was M. Bison talking about with that Calamity Ganon stuff?"

Zelda suddenly stopped walking, looking straight ahead, frozen. Falco noticed this, and turned back to look at her. Pit and Captain N stopped walking as well, but a safe distance away from her. A tense silence surrounded the group as Zelda remained frozen. Pit looked at Captain N nervously, silently communicating to him that he touched a nerve. Another suffocating moment of silence passed.

"We need to keep moving." Zelda suddenly stated.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Captain N meekly tried to apologize, but was cut off again.

"I'd quite like to reach Scuttle Town before sunrise." Zelda firmly interrupted. Relenting, Captain N nodded to himself and continued along with the three. Zelda continued on, as determined as ever, while the three drifted behind her, not wanting to bother her any further. Even Falco seemed hesitant in getting close to her. The sounds of crickets surrounded the four as they walked on, soothing the atmosphere somewhat. The cold air nipped at Captain N's skin, making him shove his hands inside the pockets of his varsity jacket to retain heat. The pumpkins lining the path were still fairly small, with harvest presumably being a few weeks away. Trying to ease the tension, Captain N cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So... what do you think we're gonna find in Scuttle Town?"

"Well, from what I've heard, the town used to be PACKED with genies!" Pit answered with a chipper tone. Captain N perked up at this revelation, and turned over to face him. "You know, in my world, genies grant wishes, so maybe-" "All the genies are gone now. Nobody knows what happened to 'em. Some say they got caught in bottles, others say they went back to some place called the 'Genie Realm'. Either way, we're not finding an easy way out there." Falco interrupted, trying to avoid getting his hopes up. Captain N sulked, and grumbled "Figures...". "Say, what are genies like in your home world, Cap?" Pit asked him. He rubbed some sleep from his eyes before answering. "Well, first: They don't exist. Just the stuff of fairy tales and old stories." Captain N admitted. "And second: They live in lamps and grant three wishes to whoever finds the lamp.".

"Ooh, that sounds cool!" Pit commented. Falco's interest was somewhat piqued. "So you could just... wish for anything and they'd just... give it to you?" He asked. "...Well, there are some rules. You can't wish for someone to die, you can't wish to bring someone back from the dead, and you can't wish for someone to fall in love." Captain N elaborated, racking his brain to remember correctly. "Tch, lame." Falco remarked. Zelda showed no interest in the conversation, soldiering on towards town.

"Oh shoot, I almost forgot! Some of the genies got together with human men, and had children that were half-genies!" Pit suddenly remembered. "Can they grant wishes?" Captain N asked, his hopes lifting slightly. "...Well, no, but they've got some magic powers!" Pit answered, maintaining his upbeat demeanor. "Oh, come on, half-genies are just a rumor. Don't you think if there were half-genies out there, we'd've heard something about them by now?" Falco dismissed, rubbing his eyes. "Didn't you say the same thing about Suzaku Castle?" Captain N asked him. Falco spent a moment trying to figure out how to respond to that, but just groaned "Whatever.".

At last, the four found themselves at the archway leading into Scuttle Town. The town seemed cozy enough, with everyone currently sleeping in their homes. Only a few torches lit the streets, revealing that the buildings seemed to be made of brown, stucco bricks with cone-like tops. What caught Captain N's attention was an older, relatively simple-looking lighthouse on the outskirts of town, standing out somewhat from the more recently-built buildings populating the town. Zelda marched forward, scanning the streets for any signs indicating where a hotel would be. Captain N, Pit and Falco followed her closely, not familiar with the language written on various signs outside the buildings in the center of town. She muttered herself with frustration in her voice, which grew more noticeable with each passing building. Suddenly, she stopped in front of one rather large building, marching inside soon after. Following her inside, the four found a sleeping hotel receptionist behind the front desk, snoring rather loudly.

"Hey!" Falco snapped at him, immediately waking him up. Snapping out of his sleep, the man jerked to attention to properly greet the four. As soon as he saw Zelda, he began clumsily apologizing. "M-M-My sincerest apologies, Princess Zelda, I-I didn't mean to-"

"That's enough. We're looking to stay the night." She curtly cut him off. Hastily nodding, he looked over the book detailing which rooms were available. After checking it multiple times, he nervously looked back at Zelda. "Uh... again, my apologies, Princess, but... we only have one room available." He timidly confessed. Zelda only groaned, accepting that no other options were available. "It'll do, thank you." She relented. The man reached under the desk and produced a singular room key. "For you, free of charge!" He beamed. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Falco snarked, snatching the key away and marching down the hall in search of the room, Zelda alongside him. Pit and Captain N remained with the receptionist, with the man's fear still palpable.

"We're really sorry about the hassle, it's been a long day for us all." Captain N apologized on behalf of his two allies. "None taken! It's an honor to meet you, Captain N!" The man beamed, making him somewhat flustered. "News of the fight spread that fast, huh?" Pit asked. The man nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes! Everyone's been talking about the fight between Scorpion and Captain N all afternoon!" He continued. "I'm sure it did..." Captain N remarked with a glum tone. "Not just anyone could have put up a fight like that! You should be proud of yourself!" The man encouraged him. Captain N halfheartedly smiled as he nodded, with Pit right at his back to ensure he doesn't fall over. "Yep, and he's gotta heal up from his fights. Got a big day tomorrow!" Pit explained, pushing Captain N towards the hall leading to their room. "Oh, of course! Have a good night!" The receptionist bid them farewell, returning to his little nap.

Pit and Captain N put their heads together to locate the room that Falco and Zelda hurried to, which they found by listening carefully to the hushed whispers between the two. Upon entering, the two found a quaint room with a couch, small table, mini-kitchen, bathroom and the problem that was plaguing Zelda and Falco: there were only two beds. The four stood around the neatly-decorated room, trying to figure out how to solve this situation.

"...We're not sharing beds." Falco declared, earning a collective agreement from the group. "I think it's fair that Zelda gets one of the beds. She's royalty, after all." Captain N suggested. Zelda waved off the suggestion, trying to remain humble. "I couldn't, when two of you are going to be sleeping uncomfortably.". "Well, you guys can figure that out, I'm gonna hit the hay." Falco stated, climbing into one of the beds and immediately falling asleep before anyone could protest. Captain N and Zelda groaned at Falco's selfishness, but Pit broke the tension. "Cap's right. The Princess of Hyrule doesn't deserve to sleep on the couch or the floor!" He insisted. "But... what about you two? Especially after what you went through today, Captain." She asked, her tone more soft than before. Captain N chuckled before answering. "I'm so tired I could sleep on a rock, I'll be fine." He assured her. Realizing that they weren't going to be swayed, Zelda relented.

"...Fine. I won't protest further." She stated, carefully climbing into bed, only barely able to wish the two a good night before succumbing to sleep. The two remaining awake turned to look at the couch behind them, then to each other. "Don't try to argue with me on this, Cap. You deserve that couch more than I do." Pit insisted. Captain N wanted to argue, but knew deep-down that he wanted to sleep on the couch more than he wanted Pit to. "Alright, if you insist." He smiled, lying down on the surprisingly comfortable couch. "G'night, Pit." He mumbled, hearing Pit return the saying before drifting off to sleep.

---

"How could you let him get away!?" Bowser roared at M. Bison, the two communicating through a video transmitter from a hidden location. King K. Rool and King Dedede stood by his side, all looking down at M. Bison from the video feed. M. Bison remained firm in his stance, maintaining a strong demeanor while talking to the three from New Donk City. "Ryu allowed them to escape by providing a distraction. Had Kamek fired upon the cable car, Captain N would have been eliminated." He sneered. Bowser slammed his fist down on the desk, not pleased. "Do you think I'm stupid? You ordered Kamek and the others to cease fire!" Bowser shot back at him. "Perhaps we put too much faith in Shadaloo." King K. Rool growled, leaning forward. "If eliminating one child is too much trouble for someone like you, perhaps we should cut our support for Shadaloo." King Dedede sneered, grinning at M. Bison from above. M. Bison clenched his jaw in the face of this pressure. "You said it yourself, he's not just a simple child, if he really is the one the prophecy spoke of." He shot back. Vega stood behind him, silently observing the conversation while standing over Ryu's unconscious body. "Did you happen to get any information worth noting from Ryu?" King K. Rool asked M. Bison and Vega. M. Bison let out an angry breath from his nose before answering. "We have not. It's clear that Ryu knows where they're going, but he refuses to budge.". Bowser roared again in fury. "I won't accept that! Have Ryu brought to the detention center. We've saved a cell for him right next to Simon Belmont. Dracula was kind enough to turn him over for questioning." Bowser ordered. "It will be done." M. Bison coldly stated.

"It better be! Or it'll be your head!" King K. Rool threatened before the communication was cut. "That tears it! I'm not gonna sit back while Captain Loser keeps slipping away from us!" King Dedede declared, shooting up from his chair and grabbing his mallet before leaving the meeting room. "And what are YOU going to do about it, munchies?" King K. Rool interrogated him. King Dedede opened the door and addressed the Waddle Dees guarding the entrance. "Minions! Have the Kabula prepared for departure! Now!" He ordered, making the two quickly hurry off. "Oh, this is rich! You're gonna try to find Captain N on your own?" Bowser asked him, with amusement in his voice. "What are YOU two going to do? Wait around and just HOPE that he gets caught? Need I remind you, Giovanni's based entirely in the Kanto region." King Dedede shot back. "You don't even know where he went! There are thirty-six different places he could've gone from the warp zone in the Mushroom Kingdom." Bowser bitterly reminded him as King K. Rool impatiently paced around the room. "Then we'll search each and every one! He's gotta be exhausted after today, so he can't have gone far. His buddies can't protect him forever." King Dedede assured. "If something happens to you, we're not saving you from your stupidity." King K. Rool shot at him. "I don't need any of you idiots to save me!" King Dedede shot back before storming out. He flagged down a Bandana Dee that was rushing through the halls. "Organize the ground troops. Send them to each and every pipe in the Mushroom Kingdom's warp zone.". The Bandana Dee hastily nodded, and was about to set off to carry out the task before King Dedede stopped him again.

"...And stock up the Kabula with two tons of food."

Chapter Text

The four were suddenly awoken from their slumber with the sound of a massive crowd outside. Falco groaned irritably as he sat up in the bed and rubbed his eyes. "What is it now?" He grumbled. Zelda, Captain N and Pit were stirred along with him, noticing the noise coming from outside. Once his mind came to the realization that they could have been found, Captain N jumped up and drew his Zapper, pointing it at the door. Pit jumped up and drew his bow, looking nervously over at the other three. "You think they've found us?" He asked. Zelda rubbed the sleep from her eyes and shook her head. "Can't be. If those are the minions of the three kings outside, they would have attacked us from outside already." She drowsily assured.

"You sure?" Pit asked her.

"Confident."

Sharing an unconvinced look, Pit and Captain N slowly approached the front door and braced for combat. As he got closer to the door, Captain N distinguished the noise outside as not the grumbling of armed henchmen with a mission, but rather the sounds of a concerned civilian populace. With Pit right behind him, he edged the door open just enough to peek outside. From his position, he saw a large group of townspeople gathered together, muttering to each other worriedly. Sighing in relief, he turned back to the three and noted "False alarm.". Falco fell back onto the bed, wrapping himself tightly in the blanket. "Then gimme ten more minutes." He requested. Zelda got up and straightened out her outfit and making her hair presentable. "I hope you two slept well in spite of your conditions." She said to Pit and Captain N. "No worries, Princess! I slept like a rock!" Pit assured her, beaming. Captain N smiled gently as he nodded in agreement. "I slept like never before, I was so beat yesterday. Figuratively and literally." He good-heartedly joked.

"How are your wounds?" Zelda asked him, concerned. Captain N laughed a bit at her use of the word 'wounds' before prodding the sensitive areas he found on his body yesterday. "Getting better already. No broken bones or bleeding, nothing I can't handle." He half-lied. "You'll let us know if such wounds are inflicted upon you, correct?" She asked him. "Oh, if I broke a bone or started bleeding profusely, trust me, you'll know." Captain N remarked, hiding his own anxieties at the thought of how likely those things are to happen in this particular job. Pit looked outside the door again, then turned back to the group. "Looks like things're getting pretty bad out there." He noted, concerned. Falco groaned, turning over on the bed. "They're fine. We need to focus on getting to the castle after getting enough rest." He argued, muffled slightly by the pillow his face was currently buried in. Captain N and Zelda joined Pit in observing the crowd. They all seemed to be looking towards the docks at the edge of town, although they couldn't see the cause of the commotion. "Looks like they need some divine intervention." Captain N suggested. "I'm not entirely certain I would use that term, but yes." Zelda reluctantly agreed. "You coming, Falco?" Pit asked him, turning back to face him. Falco waved it off while remaining buried in the bed. "You guys go on ahead, I'll be fine." He assured. Huffing an annoyed sigh, Captain N exited the hotel room and walked out to the town center.

The sun in the cloudless sky beat down on the three especially harsher today, much to Captain N's surprise. Remaining inconspicuous at the back of the crowd, the three peered ahead to the docks, where they found a large pirate ship docked, with a gang of men standing above the crowd on the ship with swords at their sides, with a woman with long, read hair covered by a purple bandana and purple clothes seemingly leading the gang at the front.

"Now do I have to ask you pathetic wimps again? Empty your pockets! All your valuables into the pile!" She commanded. While the townspeople near the back of the crowd whispered worriedly amongst themselves, those closest to the woman had to relent and surrender whatever valuables they happened to have. The woman's henchmen muscled the townspeople around, bullying them around.

"Looks like we found the problem." Pit noted.

"I'm not giving her the opportunity to fight me one-on-one." Captain N stated, drawing his Zapper and aiming at her.

"Captain, I suggest you approach this carefully." Zelda warned him, noting the henchmen accompanying her. "Relax, once I've taken out Ms. Sharing Is Caring, we'll take down her henchmen." Captain N assured.

"You'll never get away with this! Shantae'll stop you!" A man near the front exclaimed at the woman, making her cackle in an evil manner.

"Funny, I don't see Shantae anywhere around he-" She boasted, but was cut off as Captain N shot her from across the crowd, nailing her on the head and immediately knocking her out. The townspeople immediately went silent as the woman collapsed, with her henchmen snapping around to face the back of the crowd to find the culprit. Zelda and Pit followed up by blasting away the henchmen before they could react along with Captain N. The townspeople panicked and ran back indoors as chaos ensued. While the thugs at the woman's service were many, they were outmatched by the three due to not having any kind of ranged weapons. Zelda blasted several away with her magic as Captain N and Pit placed shots on the remaining goons. Some of the thugs tried to take some of the panicking townspeople as a human shield, but Pit was an accurate enough archer to hit only his enemies and not hurt the civilians. Whenever one tried to charge at the three, they would quickly be struck down. The ones that tried to hide and wait for a moment to attack held out slightly longer, but couldn't escape the three. As he backed away and continued firing at the enemies, Captain N reflected on how his accuracy with the Zapper improved so soon.

After Pit fired an arrow at one of the thugs attempting to stuff his pockets with the valuables piled up, silence returned to town square. "Great job, team!" Captain N congratulated the two accompanying him. "Yeah! Especially you, Princess! You're not such a bad fighter, after all!" Pit complimented Zelda, which she politely dismissed. "Merely self-defense tactics honed from my innate abilities. I'm certainly not as skilled as those you faced, Captain." She humbly assured. "Hey, come on, that's quitter talk." Captain N smirked. "If Cap can fight those guys, so can you!" Pit encouraged, then turning to Captain N and embarrassingly adding "...No offense." After dismissing the comment and clearing his throat, Captain N approached the town square. "Alright! Show's over, you all can come out now!" He called out to the townspeople. Slowly and nervously, the men, women and children stepped outside of the buildings, approaching the three once they've assured themselves the pirates have been dealt with. The three heroes backed away from the crowd as they approached them in curiosity and surprise, murmuring amongst each other.

"It's Princess Zelda!" One woman excitedly whispered to her husband.

"What's she doing here?" Her husband asked her in return.

"I think that's Captain N!" A young boy excitedly informed his parents.

"I thought Scorpion beat him senseless yesterday." His dad remarked.

"Who's the winged one?"

Zelda formally raised her hand to get their attention. The crowd immediately fell silent as the Princess prepared to speak, eager to hear her words. "Citizens of Scuttle Town, your suspicions are correct. I am Princess Zelda, and accompanying me is Captain N and Pit of Lady Palutena's Royal Guard. We thank you for your trust in us, and we are happy to have diminished this threat on your livelihoods." She formally spoke. "I'll help you all get your stuff back, the Captain and the Princess are gonna talk with the town's leadership to see what's what." Pit added.

"And who are you?" One man spoke up, directed at Captain N.

After taking a moment deciding how best to answer this question, he stepped forward and confronted the crowd of interested townspeople.

"I... I'm just... the guy the prophecy was talking about." He awkwardly answered, eliciting a shocked gasp from the crowd. "Show us the blaster-thingy!" A young boy demanded, quickly being shushed by his parents. Captain N then raised up his Zapper for all to see, earning several various sounds of interest from the crowd. "Wait a minute! If you're the person the prophecy was talking about, then why'd Scorpion beat you up?" A young boy asked him. Sighing to himself, Captain N figured he should have seen this question coming. He maintained a calm appearance, and answered with "...Rest assured, progress on defeating those three kings is being made. Lose the battle, win the war, you know?".

"...But you still lost."

"...Yes, but that only paves the way for future victories!"

Thr crowd whispered amongst themselves, unconvinced. "So what're you doing here?" A woman asked the three.

"Just passing through, don't mind us."

Zelda, Pit and Captain N turned around to find Falco walking up to them, turning to greet the crowd. "Name's Falco Lombardi. Star Fox Squadron, it's a big deal." He introduced himself. "I think I've heard of them!" A young man exclaimed from somewhere in the crowd. "Got good taste, kid." Falco smirked. Zelda and Captain N shot an ugly look at Falco, which Pit was quick to react to. "I'll, uh, help everyone get their stuff back!" He spoke up, darting over to the pile of valuables left untouched by the pirates. The crowd gathered around to reclaim their belongings as the two confronted Falco. "Fashionably late, huh, tweety-bird?" Captain N bitterly shot at him, Zelda scowling at him. Falco shrugged nonchalantly. "You guys handled yourself well out here, you should be proud." He assured the two. "There's too much at stake currently for you to be so lazy!" Zelda sternly reminded him. "Relax, your majesty. All we gotta do is pack up for the day and head to the castle. Looking at the map, we should get there by nightfall if we don't stop." Falco assured her. "You promise you're gonna help us out when we get caught in more trouble?" Captain N asked him. "Cross my heart." Falco semi-sarcastically assured, crossing his heart with his finger for emphasis.

Just then, a short, fat man in a turban approached the three. Clearing his throat, he puffed up his chest as the three turned to face him, with varying levels of annoyance. "It's a pleasure to host such esteemed guests in our humble town. I am Mayor Scuttlebutt, and I oversee the safety and well-being of all Scuttle Town's citizens." He spoke, making Falco snicker for a brief moment before putting on a serious face. "Don't get too attached, we're only passing through." He assured Mayor Scuttlebutt. "Ignore him, it's a pleasure to visit this town, Mayor." Zelda assured him, making him beam with pride as they politely shook hands. "I'm flattered our town is up to your standards, Princess!" He replied. "Hey, uh, you know who that was on the pirate ship?" Captain N asked Mayor Scuttlebutt. The mayor almost did a double-take in surprise upon hearing the question. "I'm... from out of town." Captain N elaborated with a weak smile. Mayor Scuttlebutt leered at him, but then shrugged. "That was Captain Syrup and her Black Sugar Gang. We've been struggling with getting by, with all these pirates constantly stealing our stuff. I had a box of fancy chocolates from the Kalos region! And they took it!" The mayor exclaimed. "OH drat, I hate pirates." Pit huffed.

"So there are others besides Captain Syrup?" Zelda asked. Mayor Scuttlebutt sadly nodded.

"Sorry! Sorry I'm late!"

The five turned around to see a olive-skinned girl with long, purple hair in a belly dancer's outfit hurrying over to the group, huffing slightly from exerting herself. "I'm super sorry! I had to make sure the lighthouse didn't get destroyed!" She hastily apologized. Mayor Scuttlebutt pinched his nose and groaned in annoyance. "Shantae, we can't afford to have our Guardian Genie not be here when pirates attack." He scolded her. Shantae hung her head. "I know, I'm sorry, but the lighthouse was being attacked." She defended. "Never mind that, our guests manage to defeat those brutes." He noted, motioning to the four. Upon seeing Zelda, Shantae's eyes shot open and bowed respectfully. "I-It's an honor to meet you, Princess!" She greeted, which Zelda waved off. "Such formalities aren't necessary, Shantae. Are you really this town's Guardian Genie?" Zelda asked her. "...Well, kinda. I'm actually a half-genie!" She corrected. Pit smirked at Falco. "Hey, look Falco, it's that thing you said doesn't exist." He commented. Falco rolled his eyes and ignored him.

"And you're Captain N?" Shantae asked him. He nodded, along with saying "Yep, that's me.". "You look good!" Shantae complimented him. Before he could embarrassingly thank her, she continued speaking. "Especially after yesterday! Scorpion really did a number on you!". Captain N's expression fell, but maintained a positive appearance. "Yes, well, it's gonna take more than Scorpion to kill me." He assured her, half-believing his own words. "I bet! Scorpion's really tough, so you should be proud of having survived him!"

"...Survive, huh?"

"So you're a real Half-Genie?" Pit eagerly asked her. "Yep! I know my mom's a Genie, but I don't really know much else." She sheepishly admitted. Captain N wiped away the sweat forming on his forehead, but chose to not remove his signature jacket despite the heat. Falco idly looked around Scuttle Town, taking in the scenery. "Not to interrupt this bonding session, but we have some important matters to attend to." Mayor Scuttlebutt intervened. Shantae ignored the subtly rude tone in his words and nodded in agreement. "Right, with Captain Syrup taken out, there'll be more pirates coming once they notice she hasn't returned." Shantae agreed, a certain sourness in her voice.

"And what, you want us to help?" Falco rhetorically asked. Shantae and Mayor Scuttlebutt were taken aback slightly by the comment, and Captain N pulled Falco aside to speak privately. Pit and Zelda tried to ease the tension by asking the two more about Scuttle Town and the Guardian Genies. "You really wanna leave the townspeople at the mercy of those pirates?" Captain N hissed at him. "Oh, don't give me that bleeding-heart stuff. Our priorities are on finding the four weapons and kicking the three king's teeth in." Falco quickly reminded him.

"Yeah, but-"

"I thought you'd be more on my side after you got the tar beaten out of you thanks to Ryu wasting our time!"

"You-"

"You need to get your eyes on the bigger picture. These people lose their stuff, so what? Bowser, Dedede and K. Rool have the means to conquer the entire planet if we lose."

"Falco-"

"We're wasting time right now, Captain. Those warp pipes only bought us a little bit of time. At any moment, the forces of the three kings or M. Bison and Shadaloo or even Dracula could appear over those hills right now, and we'd be sitting ducks! So why shouldn't I just leave you three and get to the castle myself?"

"You need me."

Falco was surprised by this claim, raising an eyebrow at Captain N.

"Oh, do I?"

"If you really want to, you can pack your food and march right on over to Suzaku Castle right now. But what're you gonna do when you get there?"

Falco tried to think of a comeback, but remained silent.

"The hidden chamber in that castle only opens for me. And I have a responsibility to help the helpless wherever I go. If any enemies we've made suddenly appear, we'll handle them as we have been: together. So I'm staying here until the people of Scuttle Town feel safe."

Falco and Captain N glared at each other, remaining silent until Falco finally submitted. "...Fine, have it your way." He grumbled. Captain N nodded at him and returned to the group, who seemed to be tying to look like they weren't listening in on them. "After some lively discussion, Falco's agreed to help with the pirate infestation." He assured Shantae and Mayor Scuttlebutt. Falco reluctantly nodded along as Pit and Shantae cheered. "Go team!" Pit beamed as Zelda shot Falco a subtle stink-eye because of his obtuseness. Mayor Scuttlebutt nervously cleared his throat nervously before speaking up again. "I'll, uh, let you all figure out all that stuff, I'll be in my retr- uh, office." He clarified before hurriedly leaving. Shantae let out an "Ugh." as she watched the mayor leave before turning back to the group. "That guy can be such a pain! He's fired me before, even though I'm the only protection this town has!" She exclaimed, exasperated. "I can see why one wouldn't appreciate his presence." Zelda noted, making sure to remain professional in expressing her distaste. "Did you guys know Half-Genies inherit the kind of magic that their Genie mothers had? That's what Shantae said!" Pit eagerly informed Captain N and Falco. "There's more than one kind of magic?" Captain N asked. "Eh... kinda? Magic's a weird thing, and different people learn to use it in different ways. For example, Princess Zelda uses magic in a different way from me!" Shantae explained, as Captain N tried to follow along. Trying not to rack his brain too much on something like magic, he relented with "That makes sense, I guess.".

"First thing's first: We gotta meet up with my friends at my uncle's workshop so we can plan out how to fight off any other pirates that come! Oh! I can show you around town along the way!" Shantae giddily suggested, turning to lead the way before anyone could offer any objections. Pit, Captain N and Zelda followed her close as Falco drifted to the back, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activities. Shantae proved rather difficult to keep up with as she quickly listed off all the noteworthy spots in town. The group drew some attention, but the townspeople were more invested in ensuring their valuables were safely secured.

"Over there's the shop, you can get pretty much anything you want there. The bath house is nice to visit, too! You guys should give it a try if there's time!" Shantae suggested, making the three following her a little uneasy. "Uh... maybe another time." Captain N politely declined. "I'm not terribly accustomed to... bathing while surrounded by others." Zelda added, slightly flustered at the thought. "It's not a big deal when you get used to it, your majesty!" Shantae assured. Pit was too busy taking in the sights to add anything to the conversation. "Oh! Over there's the dance parlor! When I'm not off protecting the town, I dance there to make extra money!" Shantae happily added. "What kind of dancing?" Pit asked curiously. "Y'know, stuff like this." Shantae answered, offering an example of her dancing by rocking and swaying her hips like a belly dancer. Zelda and Captain N shared a nervous look as Pit turned away, slightly flustered. Falco was more focused on keeping an eye out for potential threats.

"...Surely someone of your abilities shouldn't have to perform such... performances to make ends meet?" Zelda cautiously asked. "I like dancing! Plus I can do stuff like transform and teleport through dancing!" Shantae assured her. "You guys should come see one of my dances after all this!" She suggested while continuing to walk. Captain N felt his cheeks glow slightly brighter at the thought. "That, uh, sounds good!" He answered, with a nervous chuckle, albeit quietly. "Hm?" Shantae asked, turning around. "He said he can't wait to watch you dance." Falco smirked. "He's lying! Ignore him!" Captain N was quick to respond, his cheeks glowing more red. Shantae and Pit shared a laugh at the moment while Zelda remained turned away.

"Anyway, we shouldn't be too far away now!" Shantae assured, continuing to lead them on. After a couple more minutes of walking through the hot, dusty town, the group finally arrived at a notably new building near the outside of Scuttle Town. Shantae then suddenly threw hair back and whipped it forward, using it to open the door of the building. "Didja ever see do someone do that before, Cap'n?" Shantae asked Captain N. He laughed politely and shook his head. "Nope! I bet you go through a ton of shampoo!" He joked. Shantae rolled her eyes and responded "Oh, you have no idea.". A loud banging noise came from inside the building. "Well, here's my uncle's workshop! After you, your majesty!" Shantae stated, opening the door for Princess Zelda with a bow. After nodding politely in thanks, Zelda walked inside, followed by Pit and Falco. As Captain N walked inside, he noticed something in between the corn stalks of the Lilac Fields that almost resembled Waddle Dees.

Chapter Text

A blast of cold air immediately struck Captain N as he walked inside, much to his relief. The interior of the building was rather cramped, with the five people being packed tightly together. The room was rather dark as well, illuminated only by a couple of lights hanging from the ceiling. The lights illuminated a large, metal table, where a large man with a thick, white beard and green coat hunched over a spear that greatly resembled those wielded by the minions of the three kings. Despite the ruckus the group made walking inside, he didn't notice them at all as he picked away at the spear. Shantae cleared her throat to get his attention, but to no avail.

"Hey, Uncle Mimic!" Shantae spoke up.

Still no response.

"Y'think he's deaf or something?" Pit suggested.

Shantae walked over to the man and tapped his shoulder. This time, the man reacted by shooting and frantically looking around the room. Upon seeing the four opposite him, he quickly grabbed the spear and backed against the wall, eyeing them suspiciously. "You're not taking this! Not today, not ever!" He declared, clutching the spear close. Shantae walked in front of him, waving her hands. "No, no, no! They're not pirates!" She assured him. As he calmed down, he took a better look at the four. After glancing past Pit, Falco and Captain N, his eyes shot open in surprise upon seeing Zelda. As he nervously sputtered, trying to come up with as formal a greeting as he could muster, Zelda politely raised her hand to stop him. "No apologies are necessary, we didn't mean to intrude on your work." She spoke. The man hastily nodded. "T-Thank you, Princess." He managed to get out. Captain N caught his eyes again, whom he eyed closely.

"Say, I know you." He spoke, leering at him. Captain N smiled nervously and rolled his eyes. "Seems like everyone does." He joked. "You're Captain N!" The man concluded. "Yep, that's me." He politely answered. The man leaned back in his chair, turning to look at Shantae. "Why didn't you tell me you had such famous friends?" He asked her. "These guys rolled into town recently! They said they're gonna help us fight off the pirates!" Shantae excitedly informed him. "Captain Syrup's a thing of the past, thanks to us." Pit boasted.

"Well, where are my manners? My name is Mimic. I'm something of a Relic Hunter, but this thing's been giving me all sorts of trouble lately." He introduced himself, setting the spear down on the table. "Some Koopa must've left that behind during a raid, and I can't make heads or tails of it. Thing's more advanced than even Cornerian tech." He admitted. Falco scoffed at the claim, and examined the spear closely. "If it weren't for Cornerian tech, you guys'd still consider the wheel futuristic." He joked. As he eyed the spear, Captain N and Pit peered over his shoulder to get a better look at it, and Mimic turned to Princess Zelda. "Didn't think I'd see you out and about, taking the fight to the three kings." He admitted. "Yeah, don't you have Princess stuff to worry about?" Shantae added. Zelda sighed and shook her head. "Such responsibilities can wait. I've sat by the wayside watching all of this happen for far too long." She answered with a slightly mournful tone.

"I can respect that." Mimic respectfully said. Shantae then turned to him. "Where's the other two?" She asked. Mimic lazily waved a screwdriver over his shoulder towards the door. "In the other room, securing my other research." He answered. "You guys gotta meet my friends! They'll like you, I'm sure!" Shantae assured, quickly darting through the door. Falco continued to examine the spear with Mimic as Zelda, Captain N and Pit followed Shantae. The Half-Genie led the three into a room that was nearly packed to the brim with various trinkets and treasures of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some in display cases, others hanging on the walls, not an inch of the room's walls were left exposed. Captain N also noticed that this room was much warmer than the previous, while also not as hot as it was outside. His attention was soon drawn to the many treasures on display. Closely eyeing one trinket after the next, he marveled at such immaculate, beautiful designs. From pots and vases to ancient, rusted weaponry, the foreign designs captured his imagination. The rusted swords on display were designed differently from any he had seen on Earth, be it in a museum or in a history textbook. Zelda observed the many vases on display as if they were behind a pane of glass in a museum. Pit also took a great interest in the weapons, perking up at the sight of a specific helmet. "Is this an old Centurion helmet?" He asked Shantae. "Sure is! Mimic found that not too long ago!" She answered as she walked over to a hatch door in the far corner. "You guys can come out now!" She yelled past the door, banging on it to get their attention.

The hatch door opened and out peered two people: a young man with a yellow headband, white tank top and dark blue vest and shorts, the other a tan-skinned, blonde-haired girl with white pants, light blue tube-top and purple hood. The two noticed Princess Zelda soon after.

"Is that-" The young girl started.

"Yep, Princess Zelda. Of Hyrule." Shantae cut her off, a hint of impatience in her voice.

The two looked at each other nervously before stepping out of the cellar to properly bow before her. Zelda politely smiled back and waved them off. "Such formalities aren't necessary at the moment, more pressing matters are at hand." Zelda reminded them. Shantae nodded rapidly, darting in between the two. "This here's Sky, she's a war bird trainer who's usually out and about." Shantae introduced her. "Ever since I heard about the pirate raids happening here, I came here to help out where I can." Sky continued with a tinge of sadness in her voice. "And this here's Bolo, he's... a great help around the workshop!" Shantae continued, nudging the male with a nervous smile. Bolo had been less than subtly staring at Zelda. After snapping her fingers in front of his eyes, Shantae managed to snap Bolo out of his trance. "Oh! Uh, yeah, that's me." He hastily corrected himself. Pit and Captain N were still perusing the shelves of ancient artifacts, apart from the conversation. Captain N leaned close to Pit as Pit explained what each deteriorated piece of armor or weapon exactly was, and who it could have been used by.

"This here's probably one of the Centurion's bows! Old one, too. Haven't seen something like this in a long time." Pit informed him. Captain N carefully took the bow in his hands to examine it closer, admiring the immaculate craftsmanship that managed to endure over the countless years of wear and tear. "Who're the Centurions?" Captain N asked him. "Those guys're the front men of Lady Palutena's army! After all that's happened lately, there're barely any left..." Pit trailed off. Captain N carefully set the bow back on the rack before turning back to the ongoing conversation. Bolo's eyes shot open as he pointed at him.

"You're Captain N!"

"That's me."

"You were incredible yesterday!" Sky gushed, flattering him. "Was I, now?" Captain N replied, surprised by this unexpected praise of his performance in the tournament. "You got all the way to the final round! You managed to stay up against Scorpion until the timer ran out! That's nothing to sneeze at!" Sky assured him. He blushed as he nodded politely in thanks. "It appears your actions yesterday are more widely known that I thought." Zelda hummed. "Of course! It's the World Warrior Tournament! It's shown all over the world!" Shantae reminded her.

"Guys, we have a mission." Captain N reminded the group. Shantae nodded, and Sky and Bolo drew closer. "The one with the wings is Pit, and there's a bird guy in the workshop with Mimic named Falco. The four of them said they're gonna help us fight back against the pirates!" Shantae cheered. Bolo's drowsy expression became more lively as Sky pumped her fists victoriously. "Oh, thank goodness! I don't know how much longer we could've help them off from this shack." Sky cheered. "So are you guys on some kind of mission?" Bolo asked the three, his gaze lingering on Zelda for slightly longer. "Top secret stuff, can't tell." Pit stated as bluntly as he could. Sky huffed slightly, but before she could prod further, Falco and Mimic walked into the room. Falco set the spear down on a nearby table and groaned in annoyance.

"No luck?" Zelda asked. Falco shook his head. "In the Cornerian Flight Academy, we're taught to disassemble and reassemble our blasters down to each and every last, tiny piece. Cornerian weaponry is the most advanced in the entire Lylat System. But I can't make heads or tails of anything in this spear." Falco admitted. "Nothing in this spear even resembles any weapons we have. Thing's composed of elements that just don't exist here on Yamajiro." Mimic added. "But it's a laser spear! It can't be that different!" Shantae insisted, making Captain N reflect on how mundane laser weapons are in this world. Falco shook his head. "Machinery of all kind can be broken down into the same, simple processes. You know, levels, pulleys, wheels and axels, you get it. But... there's none of that in here." He explained.

"We can worry about that another time, how do we deal with the pirates?" Captain N asked once more. The eight gathered around the table holding the spear. "Do we know anything about these opponents?" Zelda asked Shantae, Mimic, Bolo and Sky. Shantae's face turned sour as a certain name came to mind.

"...Risky." She muttered.

"Who?" Captain N asked.

"Risky Boots. Calls herself 'Queen of the Seven Seas', all sorts of greedy, and she's been the scourge of this town for too long." Sky spoke up as Shantae's expression furrowed. Bolo's attention began to drift, forcing Falco to nudge him to bring him back to the present. Zelda picked up the spear and inspected it closely, stealing her attention away from the conversation. "She, along with Captain Syrup, may have been getting weapons from Bowser or K. Rool or Dedede. Not any spears, but her ship's cannons got an upgrade, as well as a shielding system." Mimic explained. Captain N groaned, pinching his nose. "Never thought my enemies being too generous would ever be a problem." He muttered. "Risky wouldn't be the first. We got into some trouble in New Donk City with Shadaloo having gotten that stuff." Pit spoke up, making the four resident's eyes shoot open in surprise. "...Shadaloo?" Sky nervously asked. "Yep, couldn't stop us though." Falco assured. "You mean you actually fought M. Bison's troopers?" Shantae asked further. "Oh yeah, we even fought Vega and M. Bison." Falco nonchalantly said. Captain N sighed, remembering that night differently. "...How did you make it out of there alive?" Bolo asked, leaning towards the three. "...Well, we didn't actually FIGHT him, but a buddy of ours bought us some time to get away!" Pit answered.

"You mean you didn't stop M. Bison?" Sky carefully asked.

A chill ran down Captain N's spine as he tried to think of an answer they'd like.

"Relax guys, I'm sure M. Bison's not a problem anymore!" Shantae butted in, trying to ease the tension. Captain N silently thanked her as Falco and Pit shared a look.

"Back to Risky Boots, is there anything about her you think you should warn us about?" Captain N asked Shantae. She let out an angry sigh before answering. "She's got a sword, pistol, dark magic, and an army of Tinkerbats backing her up." Shantae answered. Before he could ask, Mimic answered his question. "Tinkerbat's are little shadow minions of Risky Boots. Fight in groups, loyal to a fault.".

"Maybe we could try using the spear?" Pit suggested. Mimic shook his head. "Too risky, if you'll pardon my use of the word. Either they could steal it back or it'll get damaged. We're keeping it here so I can keep researching it." He elaborated. Zelda's brow furrowed as she tried to comprehend the inner machinations of the spear, frustrated by her lack of understanding. Setting the spear back down with a huff, she looked back up at Shantae. "You're confident Risky Boots doesn't possess these weapons?" Zelda asked. "Trust me, if Risky had stuff like this, she woulda used them by now." Shantae assured. "That stunt you pulled earlier isn't gonna work on Risky, by the way. Her ship's protected by a field generator, so lasers aren't getting through." Bolo added, leaning against the wall behind him. Pit put a finger to his chin to think of some kind of plan, but something occurred to Captain N.

"...Could we lure her out of the ship's protection?" He suggested. "Maybe, but with what?" Sky asked. "I'm looking at a dozen answers to that question right now." Falco answered, looking over the treasures on display. Mimic quickly shook his head and blocked Falco's view. "Not happening. You know how valuable some of these artifacts are?" Mimic rhetorically asked him. "Exactly! Risky won't be able to resist, she'll come out, try to run off with this stuff, we pounce and save this town." Falco shot back. Zelda and Pit showed hesitation to the plan, not wanting to risk such valuable pieces of history. Mimic sputtered impotently as he looked to Shantae, Bolo and Sky for help. Shantae heaved a sigh and hung her head. "They're right. It's the only thing Risky would leave the safety of her ship for." She reluctantly agreed. Bolo had moved subtly closer to Zelda as the conversation continued.

"I won't allow it!" Mimic declared. Captain N tried to persuade him.

"Come on, there's no other-"

"I've spent far too long amassing this collection to risk losing it all to those pirates!"

"Mimic, you must understand, unless you want their attacks to continue. You can't keep all this hidden away forever." Zelda insisted. After blocking everyone's view of the treasures with his outstretched arms, he relented and let his arms fall to his sides. After a moment of silence, he looked back at the group.

"...You're sure this is gonna work?" He asked.

"Positive." Pit answered.

"What makes you so certain?"

"Because we're here now." Captain N stated.

Just then, a large, purple bird swooped in from an open window above and landed on the table before the group. Captain N jumped back in surprise as Sky happily stroked its neck. "Oh! This here's Wrench, my bird!" She introduced the animal. "Hi, Wrench!" Pit greeted the bird. "Your only bird? I thought you were a bird trainer." Zelda asked Sky. "I train war birds, but Wrench is MY bird." She explained, helping Wrench onto her glove. Wrench pecked at Bolo's head, making him recoil and rub the spot with a sore "Ow...". Captain N was entranced by the bird and its magnificent coloration. Sky noticed his entrancement and slightly giggled. "Don't have Wren/Finch mixes where you're from?" She asked. "Don't have purple birds." He chuckled. Wrench noticed Falco, and happily nuzzled him. Light laughter was shared around the group at the sight of the two avians bonding, but Falco only rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, real funny." He muttered, trying to distance himself from Wrench.

"...Alright, fine. But you need to promise me I won't lose these treasures." Mimic caved.

"We promise." Captain N, Zelda, Pit and Falco answered in unison.

Chapter Text

"Hey Bolo, you remembered to check on the stew, right?" Shantae asked. Bolo's eyes widened as he quickly darted off to the kitchen, where a faint burning smell could be detected. As Sky and Shantae shared a giggle, Mimic turned to the four. "I hope our cooking's up to your standards." He remarked. Zelda waved off his concerns. "You needn't worry about such things, I'm confident it'll turn out lovely." She assured. It took the mention of food to make Captain N realize that he skipped breakfast in favor of saving Scuttle Town from Captain Syrup, which his rumbling stomach was quick to remind him of. "You don't mind us staying for food?" Pit asked. "Of course not! If you're helping us deal with those awful pirates, it's only fair!" Sky chirped. Wrench continued to nuzzle Falco, which he was initially reluctant to receive. "Hey, take it easy, buddy." He insisted to the bird, whom was undeterred. Bolo stumbled back out of the kitchen carrying a large pot containing delicious-smelling stew of various vegetables. Setting the pot down with a grunt, he looked back up at the group.

"Food's ready!"

Shantae quickly produced eight bowls and spoons and placed them on the table. Falco, Pit and Captain N were quick to fill their bowls with the stew, while Zelda and Mimic patiently waited behind Sky, Bolo and Shantae. Falco was ready to wolf down the stew, but Captain N stopped him. "Where I'm from, it's polite to wait until everyone's ready to start eating." He informed him. Falco groaned. "Well, we're not in the world where you're from, are we?" Falco rhetorically asked him. "You know, you've got quite an attitude for someone who didn't feel the need to help us out this morning." Captain N remarked. "Yeah, come on Falco, it's not a big deal." Pit added while hungrily eyeing the stew, sitting down next to Captain N. "Wait, what do you mean 'the world where you're from'?" Sky asked Falco as she sat down next to him. "Cap here's from another universe." Falco nonchalantly answered. "...Another universe?" Bolo slowly asked. "I thought there was only one universe: THE universe."

"Are you familiar with the concept of the multiverse?" Zelda asked him as she formally sat down beside Falco and opposite Pit, placing her napkin at her lap. Bolo racked his brain for a moment before answering with "...No.". "I think it's something like there's a universe for every possibility ever." Shantae suggested, sitting next to Captain N. "Correct!" Zelda hummed.

"...Every possibility?" Bolo asked further.

"All of them." Mimic confirmed.

"So there's a universe where everyone's a Pokémon?"

"Huh?" Captain N asked.

"Yes." Zelda answered.

"And a universe where colors are reversed?"

"Yep!" Pit confirmed.

"And 'yes' to anything else you can come up with." Falco interjected.

"Woah..."

"Anyway, you're from another universe?" Sky asked Captain N. He slowly nodded in confirmation. He could feel four sets of eyes burn into him as he looked down into his stew. "Can we start eating now?" Falco impatiently asked. "Oh, yeah, go ahead!" Shantae answered. Pit, Falco, Sky and Bolo quickly dug into the stew, while Zelda ate it with much more refinement. Captain N cautiously took a small portion of the stew to test the taste, not knowing what to expect from this world's stews. But once his taste buds were rewarded with the delicious taste of the stew, he quickly began eating away. Shantae and Mimic took the time to savor the taste as they ate. Before he knew it, Captain N had managed to get through half of his bowl's contents. "Someone's hungry, huh?" Shantae giggled. "Yeah, saving the world tends to work up an appetite." Captain N remarked. "Your cooking is incredible, you should be proud." Zelda congratulated Bolo. He chuckled nervously and responded with "Thank you, Princess...". "So what's your story?" Sky asked Captain N.

Captain N set his spoon down and cleared his throat. "It's been a pretty eventful... week?" He said, looking over to his allies. Zelda nodded in confirmation. "...Man, I've been in this world for a week..." Captain N sighed, the feeling of homesickness beginning to return. He shook this feeling away and looked back up at Shantae, Mimic, Bolo and Sky. "Anyway, after I got warped here through means I'm still unclear on, Princess Peach told me that I'm the one some prophecy was talking about, so I got this Zapper from a hidden room in her castle." Captain N retold, showing off the Zapper. "What makes that different from other blasters?" Mimic asked, looking at the Zapper closely. "From what I can tell, that thing doesn't overheat and its blasts move a lot faster. As in, speed-of-light faster." Falco answered with a mouthful of stew. "So while Princess Peach is being protected by Raiden and Palutena, these three decided to help me go around this world to find the other three weapons." Captain N continued.

"Wait, you know Palutena and Raiden?" Shantae suddenly asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm probably more surprised about that than you."

"What're they like?" Shantae eagerly asked. "Pit's probably more qualified to answer that." Captain N chuckled. Pit was caught off-guard by the spotlight being shifted to him, and had to hastily swallow the stew in his mouth before answering. "Well, Lady Palutena's great to work with! She's wise and patient, but also knows how to have fun. Raiden... He's pretty stoic and stern, I wouldn't invite him to a party." Pit admitted. "There're some others in the pantheon, but I haven't heard from them in a long time. And others I wouldn't want to hear from..." Pit added, trailing off somewhat.

"Wow... Must be really cool to be buddies with the Gods!" Shantae answered. Captain N reflected silently on how he got to meet two actual deities in his life as he twiddled with the spoon in the half-empty bowl. "What do you think of them?" Shantae asked him. He looked over to Pit, who added "Don't worry, I'm not gonna tattle." with a grin. Captain N shrugged with an awkward laugh. "It was... strange, meeting them. I could almost feel their divine power radiate off of them." He tried to explain, not doing justice to the exact sensations he felt when he last spoke with Palutena and Raiden. "I'm sure they'd like you, though." He assured Shantae. She giggled warmly. "If you say so, Captain." She replied. Bolo, having seemingly forgotten about the stew, became much more fixated on Zelda. "So what're you guys gonna do after leaving town?" Sky asked the four. "None of your business." Falco was quick to answer. "What he means is we've gotta keep our mission secret. Someone entrusted that stuff to us and we had to promise them we would keep it a secret." Captain N quickly corrected him. Zelda sighed angrily as she swirled the stew. Falco ended up creating a tense atmosphere which he paid no mind to as he continued to eat. "I do hope our cooking's up to your standards, Princess." Mimic spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. "I already assured you the stew is lovely, no worrying is necessary." Zelda assured him. "Even the Princess is impressed! You should be proud, Uncle!" Shantae congratulated him. He chuckled softly at the praise. "It's really nothing special, just any old recipe you'd find in a cookbook.".

"D'ya got any more?" Pit asked, letting his spoon rattle about in the empty bowl. "Go on ahead." Mimic answered. Pit quickly got up to get more stew. After eating a few more spoonfuls of stew, Captain N spoke up. "I've kinda been wondering something. I've met a ton of people with powers and abilities beyond anything from my home world. How come none of them tried to push back against the three kings?" He asked Shantae. She sighed despondently before answering. "Some have tried, but they all lost in the end. The 'insurgents', as those three kings like to call them, all got thrown in the Panopticon." Shantae glumly answered. "They confiscate weapons and technology, they've got magic dampeners, special restraints for certain people, so now everyone else just tries to keep their head down and stay out of trouble." Sky added. "If those airships break through Raiden and Palutena's defenses, they'll throw Princess Peach in the Panopticon and complete their conquest of the entire planet."

"So... Me too?" Captain N asked.

"No, they'd probably just kill you and throw your three buddies in the Panopticon." Bolo bluntly answered.

A chill ran down Captain N's spine as he stared down at his nearly-empty bowl. "B-But you're not gonna get killed! If you can survive Scorpion, you can survive anyone!" Shantae tried to reassure him. Captain N weakly nodded, trying to force himself to believe her. Zelda sighed as the mood in the room lowered once more. He's never even broken a bone in his life before, and now he's risking death for this quest that's just been dumped on him, Captain N reflected. Sure, he had to assume death was a consequence of failure, but having that stated to him was enough to weaken his foundations.

The worst part of this situation was that he had nowhere to go. Midnight Lights was an entire universe away. Mom and Dad were an entire universe away. The spoon slipped from his hand and slid back into the bowl as he stared down into it. The others at the table could have been talking amongst themselves, they could be sitting there quietly as their Chosen One had a mental crisis over what he's destined to do. He sat there, frozen and staring down at the bowl as his mind continued to race. Just as he could feel a tear welling up in his eye, Pit walked back into the room with a freshly-filled bowl of stew.

"You okay, Cap?" He asked.

"I need some air."

He quickly stood up and stumbled out from his chair and hurried out the front door, careful to avoid bumping into and accidentally knocking over any of the treasures on display. The table remained silent as they watched him leave. "...Was it something I said?" Bolo asked, his voice somewhat shaky from uneasiness.

Silence.

"He can't have gone far, I'll try to find him." Pit declared, setting his bowl down on the table. "Yes, I'll go as well, try to cover more ground." Zelda said as she got up and returned her napkin to the table. "I should look, too." Shantae tagged along. Bolo was hasty to get up from his seat.

"I think I should-"

"Scuttle Town's a small place, I think the three of us'll be able to find him." Shantae assured him. He looked over to Zelda with a pleading look in his eyes, but failed in swaying her. "You four can stay here and work out the details of our plan further." Zelda suggested. Pit had already darted out the door and was looking around town for the missing Captain. Bolo, Mimic and Sky looked to Falco, who sat up in his chair. "Princess's right. If we all go out looking for him, Risky could attack and you'd lose those fancy trinkets of yours." Falco reminded Mimic. Bolo sank down into his chair as he watched Zelda and Shantae leave. "Hey, you guys wanna hear an up-close and personal perspective on the Lylat Wars?" He asked. Sky leaned forward, giving Falco her full attention. "You were part of Star Fox Squadron?" She asked as Wrench flew down and nuzzled next to Falco.

"I like to think I still am." Falco answered, stroking Wrench's neck gently.

Captain N hurried through town, keeping his head down to avoid making eye contact with any of the townspeople. He tried to control his breathing and avoid having his tears spill in public. It was only a few hours into the afternoon, so Scuttle Town was still fairly populated by the ordinary people going about their day. The sun still hung high in the sky and continued to assault the populace below with its fierce rays. Captain N drew the attention of the people as he rushed towards the docks, but they only watched him go. One young boy stopped Captain N as he was walking, stepping in front of his path.

"Thanks for everything, Captain N! My family would have lost everything if you and your friends hadn't stepped in!" The young boy thanked him. Captain N tried to get his nerve under control to put on a dignified appearance. Taking a deep breath in, he smiled warmly at the boy and nodded firmly. "Of course! All in a day's work." He replied, trying to keep his voice from reflecting his inner turmoil. There must have been a giveaway in his eyes, as the young boy peered at Captain N suspiciously.

"Is something wrong?" The boy asked him. He quickly shook his head. "Just stretching my legs, getting a good read on the town, working out the plans, fun stuff like that." Captain N assured him. The boy could sense something was wrong, but just then his mother appeared behind him. "You can't just run off like that, young man!" She scolded him. "I know, but look!" He diverted, pointing at Captain N. Looking up at him, the woman sighed before greeting him. "I'm sorry if he bothered you." The woman apologized. Captain N shook his head. "No worries, always nice to meet a fan." He chuckled. The woman smiled gratefully. "Thank you again, Captain. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there this morning.". "Well, I'm here, and I'm gonna make sure no other pirates threaten this town." He declared, his voice beginning to buckle under the emotional weight he'd been carrying. Before any questions could be asked, Captain N quickly dismissed himself and continued to make his way to the docks.

"Captain, you do yourself no favors isolating yourself." Zelda spoke to him through her magic. Captain N shook away these words and marched on. He didn't bother imagining what he must have looked like to the passerby, trying to avoid a conversation with someone on the other side of town. "If you would simply return to the workshop, we could approach this together, as a team." Zelda insisted. Captain N didn't respond. Once he arrived at the docks, he found them sparsely populated, almost as if the townspeople were preemptively avoiding any kind of pirate attack. Turning around, he saw that the majority of the town's population were closer towards the center, leaving him mostly isolated with a couple of docked cargo ships, thoroughly ransacked by previous pirate attacks.

Once Captain N had assured himself that he had privacy, he looked out to the horizon. The sun had just began to sink from the sky, painting a faint orange hue amidst the clear blue of the sky. Despite his profuse sweating from the heat, he still refused to take his jacket off. Partially to avoid looking weak, partially in hope to sweat off some weight. As he gazed at the distant line separating the sea from the sky, he heaved a heavy sigh. He had only been in this new world for a week, and had met animal people, deities, evil kings, vampires, super-powered martial artists, undead ninjas, pirates and genies. His fears of failing to submit his English 12 assignment seemed hilariously quaint with the weight of this world weighing down on him. A sense of wonder filled his being as he looked out across the sea, but in contrast to what he felt when overlooking the Mushroom Kingdom when beginning this adventure, he now felt a sense of impending dread. If all of what he's faced could be considered mundane, what's next?

"There you are! For someone with such a colorful jacket, you can be pretty hard to find!" Shantae's voice rang out from behind him. Captain N whipped around in surprise, his eyes darting around for some kind of escape. She sighed and looked down before approaching him closer.

"I kinda want to be alone right now." Captain N tried to persuade her. Shantae shook her head. "Nobody's an island, Captain. Everyone needs help sometimes." She insisted. Captain N heaved a heavy sigh and sat down at the edge of the dock, overlooking the horizon. Shantae sat down next to him, looking at him with concern in her eyes. "Something's bothering you." She detected. Captain N took a moment to prepare his answer. "Yeah, it's just... it's a lot of responsibility, you know? I mean, not just this town, but this entire planet is looking to me for-"

"Something else is bothering you."

A moment passed between the two, the silence broken only by the water softly crashing against the docks and the faint sounds of the seagulls above.

"...I feel so alone, Shantae." Captain N admitted. "I'm as far away from home as I possibly can be. My mom and dad are in another universe! And I could die here, I could be KILLED, and my parents would spend the rest of their life wondering what happened to me.". Shantae sadly nodded in understanding.

"You're lucky, at least. You've got those magic powers and your uncle." Captain N noted.

"...Mimic's not my real uncle."

Captain N turned to her in surprise. "What do you mean?" He asked, turning to face her. "My mom was a genie, and that's really all I know about my parents. Maybe she's somewhere in the Genie Realm, but I don't know for sure. But as long as I could remember, I always had Mimic supporting me. He didn't understand my genie abilities, but he was still there for me. My point is, family isn't always those you're related to. Family's the people you love, the people you can rely on for support and comfort. They make you stronger in their own way."

Captain N let out a gentle sigh as he let this sink in. Shantae continued, motioning to the nearby lighthouse. "I've lived in that lighthouse my whole life. I've seen a lot of the world outside Scuttle Town, and I've met a lot of people, but people like Mimic will always make this town my home."

"But... I've heard about what great heroes people like Mario and Link and whoever else was, and they were still defeated by the three kings. How am I supposed to not only live up to their legacy, but also triumph where they failed?" Captain N asked her.

"I know it's not as simple as just one pep talk, but I bet you'll become the hero the prophecy was talking about in no time! Especially with those three at your back. You're stronger than you know, Cap. You'll learn that soon." She assured him. While the emotional wound in his heart wasn't fully healed, Shantae's words did help provide comfort. He wiped away a tear from his eyes before addressing Shantae. "...Thank you." He softly said to her. Shantae punched his shoulder in a friendly manner. "Anyone would be more than willing to go on a globe-trotting adventure with Princess Zelda herself, especially Bolo..."

Just then, Pit and Zelda arrived at the docks, visibly sighing in relief upon seeing Captain N. "There you are! I feared for your safety when you didn't respond!" Zelda softly scolded him. "I just needed some time to breathe, but I'm all good now." Captain N assured her. "Well, I'm grateful. But do be careful next time. Running off away from your allies won't always end so well." Zelda reminded him. "Hey, come on, he's got the Zapper and Boosters, he can handle himself just fine!" Pit interjected. Shantae peered at Captain N. "'Boosters'?"

Captain N rolled his eyes with a smile and presented the Fire and Ice Boosters, firing a small blast over the water in demonstration. "Oh wow!" Shantae exclaimed in amazement. "If you're gonna make fun of the names, don't worry, I get enough of that from Falco." Captain N smirked. "Speaking of which, we better get back to them before Risky shows up." Pit suggested. Zelda nodded in agreement. "Right, don't wanna keep any of them waiting." Captain N agreed. "Oh! If we have time, I can show you some of my dances!" Shantae offered.

"If we have time to spare, perhaps. But let's not get distracted." Zelda answered before Captain N or Pit could take her up on that offer. "Right, right." Shantae sheepishly agreed. Feeling more invigorated, Captain N joined the three in returning to the workshop.

Chapter Text

Upon returning to the workshop, Falco was found waiting outside with Bolo, Sky and Mimic, each holding an armful of the treasures previously seen on display. Bolo groaned slightly under the weight of his cargo, but raised no complaints. "You got the details worked out?" Captain N asked him. "Mimic here says Risky's ship shows up in the evening. We dump this old stuff on the docks, wait for her to show up and nab 'em, and we pounce." Falco answered. Wrench swooped down from the workshop's roof to land on Sky's gloved hand. "Wrench here'll keep an eye in the sky so we can stay prepared." Sky assured. "Last chance to back out, Uncle." Shantae advised him. Mimic groaned while looking down on his armful of surely priceless trinkets. "If it's the only way, then you'll hear no objections from me." He relented. Zelda looked over the treasures the four were carrying while Pit gently stroked Wrench. "Do you need us to carry anything else out to the docks?" Captain N asked Mimic. "No!" Mimic quickly answered, clutching the treasures close while blocking the way inside the workshop. "All this stuff should be more than enough to get her to bite." Sky interpreted for him. "Do try to avoid worrying excessively, Mimic. You have my word that these artifacts will remain undamaged." Zelda confidently assured him. Mimic murmured something to himself.

"Great! Let's get going!" Shantae beamed, turning right back around and heading back to the docks. Pit and Sky followed right behind her, with Captain N and Zelda staying behind Falco, Bolo and Mimic as protection. The sun had descended further from the sky, nearing the horizon over the sea. The sky's coloration became much more colorful and varied, painted in a variety of orange and purple hues. Captain N could sense an aura of uneasiness growing in the town as he observed the townspeople heading inside their homes. Pirate raids must be incredibly common, he thought to himself. He spotted one woman looking at him as he walked through town with the group, turning to head inside once the two made eye contact. He felt the pressure to perform mounting once more. But before he could spiral into another pit of doubt and insecurity, he pulled himself back out and refocused on Zelda beside him and Shantae and Pit in front of him. This isn't like the fight against Scorpion. Now he has his allies alongside him.

Bolo stumbled on a stray rock on the dirt path to the docks, making him lose his balance. Captain N and Zelda were able to catch him and keep him from falling on his back and breaking all the priceless pieces in his hold. "Uh... thanks." He awkwardly thanked the two as he regained his footing. "Do try to be careful." Zelda advised him. "Y-Yeah, I'll be sure to, Princess." Bolo stammered out. "You break any of those and you'll pay in more ways than one!" Mimic scolded him from over his shoulder without breaking pace. "Come on, ease up a bit! We've got this!" Shantae assured him. Mimic nodded reluctantly and continued on. "You want me to carry some of that?" Captain N asked him. Bolo shook his head. "We're almost there, don't worry about me." He responded, with a hint of strain in his voice. "Shouldn't say that, it's his job to worry about people." Falco spoke up. Light laughter was shared among the group.

The eight soon arrive at the docks, as vacant as they were before. With a groan, Mimic set his armful carefully down onto the wooden boards beneath him, careful to not even scratch their delicate exterior. Falco, Sky and Bolo followed in suit, carefully piling their treasures close to Mimic's. Wrench leapt off of Sky's glove and soared up into the sky, circling far above the group. "He'll come back once he sees anything that looks like Risky's ship." Sky explained, stretching to ease the tension in her muscles.

"So what do we do now?" Pit asked.

"Wait." Zelda bluntly answered.

"...Is that it?" Shantae asked.

"We can hide behind these crates so nobody coming in can see us." Captain N offered.

"I know that's the plan. But, like, Risky doesn't show up until dusk. Can't we do anything to pass the time?" Shantae asked further.

"Too risky, if you'll pardon the term. We get caught, it'll jeopardize not only our plan, but the safety of Scuttle Town." Zelda reminded her.

"You're a Half-Genie with magic powers, you can entertain yourself." Falco added.

With an audible "ugh", Shantae planted herself down behind some crates. Mimic groaned slightly as he sat down behind a stack of crates closest to the pile of treasures. Sky and Bolo sat down next to him, but their posture was far more relaxed. Falco slouched against a pile of crates farther away as Pit restlessly paced about. After ensuring that they were obscured from the ocean's view, Zelda and Captain N sat down beside Shantae.

And so they waited.

Hours dragged on, and Captain N could feel each and every last minute go by. His mind was insistent in demanding him to get up and stretch his legs and arch his back, but his comfort wasn't as important as the town's safety. Zelda must have given Shantae a mental reminder to remain silent, as it looked like she was about to say something, but stopped herself. The only sound that permeated the group were the ambient noises of the water softly crashing against the dock, the wind gently blowing across the land, and the occasional calls of the seagulls above.

Staring blankly at the boards beneath him, Captain N was becoming more bored than he ever imagined possible.

Being so far away from his movies and comic books, his only solace from boredom was to mentally relay those stories inside his mind. He tried to zone out of the world he was currently in and imagine himself viewing Superman's battles against Lex Luthor in Metropolis, but to no avail. His mind wasn't so easily refocused, and wasn't as able to imagine these stories as it was to actually see them before him. After half an hour of trying to force himself to lose himself in his imagination, he looked over to everyone else. Zelda had her eyes closed and was slowly breathing in and out, clearly better at the art of patience. Mimic was slouched back but still eyeing the treasures closely. Bolo and Falco looked like they were asleep, Sky had her eyes on the flock of birds above, keeping track of Wrench. Pit was idly strumming his fingers on his legs as he waited for action. Only Shantae seemed as impatient as Captain N, with her eyes scanning the environment for any kind of excitement. He felt tempted to start a quiet conversation with her, but Zelda was seated between the two, and he didn't want to get on her bad side.

So he continued to wait.

As time continued to drag on, he felt his joints ache from sitting for so long. This prolonged monotony was broken when Wrench swooped back down onto Sky's glove, pointing its beak at the horizon over the sea. Shantae peered over the crates to get a look, and sure enough, a large pirate's ship was approaching. "Finally!" She quietly exclaimed. "Don't get eager yet, we need to remain hidden." Zelda reminded her, hushed in her tone. Captain N slowly drew his Zapper and maneuvered his body to be crouching behind the crates. Mimic, Pit and Sky also readied themselves for the attack, but Bolo and Falco were still napping. Falco was nudged awake by Pit, with some grumbling and rubbing his head. As Falco readied his blaster, Sky put her hand over Bolo's mouth and shook him awake. Assuming the attack had begun, Bolo tried to shoot up and attack whoever had snuck up on him, but Sky and Pit restrained him from jumping up and giving away their position. After a brief fit of excitement, Bolo got a sense of the situation, got a glimpse of the pirate ship approaching, produced his flail and got ready for battle.

Out of the corner of his eye, Captain N spotted something approaching in the sky. As it drew closer, he could make out the smaller details of the ship. The ship appeared as a blimp with a tan patchwork pattern over the hull with a menacing face painted on the front. The ship also had orange fins, a propeller at the rear and a large blaster beneath the hull. The closer it drew, the less he was confident in the idea that it was friendly.

"Hey, uh... is that bad?" Captain N spoke up, motioning to the ship.

Zelda whipped around, prepared to scold him for breaking silence, but stopped herself upon seeing the ship approaching from the sky. The rest of the group noticed it as well, and exchanged worried looks amongst themselves.

"...Yeah, that's bad." Pit answered with a pale face.

"What do we do?"

Tensions rose as the eight looked amongst themselves, trying to figure out how to handle the worsening situation. "What is it? Why's it bad?" Captain N quietly asked Zelda and Shantae next to him. Before they could provide an answer, the ship secured itself directly above Scuttle Town, its immense size almost covering the entire town. The ship's blaster was retracted back to reveal a hatch beneath the ship. The hatch opened and a blue beam shot down from the ship onto the ground. Falco and Pit trained their weapons onto where the beam met the ground, with Zelda, Shantae and Mimic keeping their eyes on the ever-approaching pirate ship. Bolo and Sky shared an uneasy look.

The pirate ship docked, and a small bridge extended from the ship onto the docks. A light blue field surrounded the pirate ship, protecting it from any kind of attack as was described. On the deck were countless skinny, pure-black humanoid creatures with clawed hands and feet, red bandanas and pants, only yellow eyes on their heads, all armed with curved swords.

An object slowly floated down the beam from the ship onto the ground. Upon reaching the ground, Captain N recognized the object as four Waddle Dees carrying a large, penguin-like creature with blue skin and a yellow beak dressed in royal red finery and yellow mittens atop a finely-crafted wooden throne. The penguin creature maintained a regal demeanor as the four Waddle Dees struggled to carry it over to where the eight were. Captain N kept his hand on his Zapper, ready to strike when the action started.

"Be ready for anything." Mimic advised.

A woman with blue skin appeared at the bow at the boat. She peered down at the pile of treasures, then smirked. "How kind of you to bring us your valuables on your own! Saves my crew SO much trouble." She goaded. "Oh, don't worry about hiding, I know you're there." She added.

The four Waddle Dees set the throne down at the end of the dock, and the penguin creature grabbed a mallet from behind the throne and carefully walked towards the eight. His eyes scanned the group but landed on Captain N. Upon seeing him, his expression soured. "So YOU'RE Captain N!" He exclaimed, hoisting his mallet up. "Don't attack him, he's mine!" He ordered the pirates. "In fact, let them all show themselves.".

After taking a moment to make sure the penguin creature wasn't trying to lure him into a trap, Captain N slowly and cautiously stood up to meet him. "I don't think we've met, Captain. Around this planet, I'm known as none other than King Dedede the great!" He boldly introduced himself. Falco fired his blaster at Dedede, but the shot was absorbed by an invisible barrier surrounding him. He cackled happily at Falco's attempt to injure him. "I'm not stupid, Cornerian. Do you really think I'd come all the way out here without protection?"

The others stood up to join Captain N, firmly prepared to strike. "Oh my, Aren't YOU a long way from home, Princess!" The pirate woman snickered. Zelda remained calm, but Shantae glared at the pirate. "Shoulda known you'd be licking Dedede's boots, Risky." Shantae shot at her. "That's KING Dedede to you, Half-Genie!" Dedede declared. "Don't worry about them, my crew'll take care of those goodies for you, your majesty." Risky assured Dedede. "Only from my cold, dead hands!" Mimic shouted at her. Dedede continued to look Captain N up and down, then letting out a small "hmph". "You're smaller than I thought you'd be." Dedede remarked nonchalantly. Captain N inhaled sharply, trying to maintain his stern expression. Dedede waddled over to leer at the group closer. "Awfully bold of you to venture so far from safety, Princess Zelda." Dedede noted, which she didn't allow to get to her. "And Pit's right-hand man. Didn't get fired, did you?" Dedede teased. "You wish!" Pit shot back. Shantae continued to scowl at Dedede, but Mimic, Bolo and Sky looked more visibly shaken in his presence. "Tinkerbats! Round up the shiny things!" Risky ordered her crew. The Tinkerbats responded with a short grump and marched down the plank towards the treasures.

"As for you, Captain, let's talk." Dedede waved him over. "Leave them to me, King Dedede! These mongrels aren't worth your time, anyway!" Risky yelled to him. Captain N could hear the Tinkerbats march in unison as he walked beside King Dedede towards the ship. "You've been a real pain in my side. You know that, Captain?" Dedede asked him, the four Waddle Dees surrounding the two.

"It's apparently my job to."

"What's your real name, anyway? I'm getting annoyed calling you 'Captain'."

"That is my real name." He lied. King Dedede stopped walking to leer at him. "I'm from another universe. Our names are different. Where I'm from, Captain's a name, not a rank." He lied further.

"And your last name is just 'N'?"

"We don't have many families. Only twenty-six."

Captain N couldn't stop himself from continuing the lie spawned from his inner rebellious spirit. But Dedede accepted this answer with a shrug and continued walking. "Whatever. Look, Captain, you've been really annoying. Slipping away from Dracula and M. Bison as well as my hard-working underlings!" Dedede exclaimed, exhasperated. He idly spun his mallet in his hand as the two walked through Scuttle Town. The townspeople that remained outside hurriedly ran back inside to hide from King Dedede and his forces. Captain N felt uneasy around Dedede's immense mallet, but he knew if he tried to make a run for it, he'd get struck down and get horribly injured by the king beside him. "But the truth is, I don't want to destroy you. Takes too much work and my mallet makes an awful mess of things. Considering this, I hereby offer a modest proposal to you.".

Captain N started to feel more uneasy in Dedede's presence.

"If you agree to come quietly, you'll be treated with the upmost care during your imprisonment while me and my allies dominate Yamajiro."

"...So I'll still be thrown in jail?"

"We have nice jails!"

The thought of being thrown in jail made his stomach twist in a knot. Sure, it's preferable to being killed, but it's still an incredibly unpleasant outcome for all his work.

"...Why don't you just throw me in jail yourself? You probably could, with that big mallet of yours."

"I'm flattered you think so, Mr. Captain. But I don't like violence, believe it or not. I usually leave that stuff to my underlings. Plus I figured you'd appreciate a peaceful resolution." Dedede explained. Just then, a loud boom erupted from the docks. Whipping around in surprise, the two saw violence had erupted between Captain N's allies and Risky Boots' forces over the ownership of the treasures. Captain N seized the opportunity to pull his Fire Booster out of his pocket for a momentary distraction.

"No thanks."

He unleashed a massive blast of fire right at Dedede before sprinting back to the docks. He knew it wouldn't penetrate his personal shield, but it provided him enough time to get away from Dedede. "After him!" Dedede yelled at his minions after recovering from the fire. The Waddle Dees readied their spears and fired at him, but he was able to serpentine away from each shot.

Running as fast as he could, he got back to the docks and dove behind some crates to hide from the Waddle Dees, to find his seven allies fighting a seemingly endless horde of Tinkerbats as Risky watched from the bow of her ship. The Tinkerbats quickly recognized him, and charged at him with their swords drawn. With his Fire Booster still in hand, he was able to quickly incinerate his attackers. The seven allies were surrounding the pile of treasures, fiercely keeping the Tinkerbats at bay. Captain N peered over the crates and saw the four Waddle Dees draw closer. To pick them off, he replaced his Fire Booster with his Zapper and placed four precise shots, knocking the Waddle Dees out. This left him open for a Tinkerbat to plunge his sword into his back, but Falco was able to shoot him down before he could. As the Tinkerbat collapsed, Captain N looked over to Falco.

"Good talk?" Falco asked while aiming.

Captain N shrugged, shaking slightly. "Don't lose focus!" Mimic yelled at them, fighting off the Tinkerbats with only his two fists. Captain N was surprised by his proficiency in keeping up with everyone else in combat, standing between Shantae and Zelda using their magic to fight back. Bolo and Pit fought side-by-side, with Bolo closer to the horde in order to effectively use his flail against them as Pit fired arrow after arrow from his bow. Sky fought with Wrench in sync, using their claws in tandem. Still leaning against the crates, Captain N fired rather recklessly into the general direction of the Tinkerbat army, hitting one each time. Shantae used a combination of whipping her prehensile hair at the attackers and using magic spells of her own. It was clear from the way she fought that she's no stranger to the Tinkerbats.

"Everybody duck!" Captain N yelled. As the seven ducked down, he pulled his Fire and Ice Boosters out and blasted the army of Tinkerbats away with beams of ice and fire. While this managed to destroy the majority of them, some stumbled back up and charged back at the team. This victorious moment was short lived as more Tinkerbats jumped down from the pirate's ship to join the fray as Risky laughed with a vicious tone. "Not gonna be that easy, Captain!" She taunted him. "We got this! You're going down!" Pit yelled back at her. Finding an opportunity to get some breathing space, Zelda backed away and created a glowing yellow barrier around the pile of treasures.

"Focus on defeating Risky's forces, I'll protect the valuables!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Shantae replied, blasting some more Tinkerbats with her magic.

The sun began to dip below the horizon, and Captain N noticed King Dedede's blimp hover right above the fray. The blimp's blaster lowered from its resting state and began to charge up with a whirring noise. Zelda realized this and shifted her magic barrier to shield the team. The massive blaster on the blimp unleashed a massive blast of energy, which Zelda was only just able to stop with her shielding. The blast also had a shockwave effect that blew away nearby crates and debris, as well as rocking Risky's pirate ship. Zelda collapsed from exhaustion right after dissipating her shield as Dedede waddled over the hill.

"Again! Fire again!" He ordered, pointing at the group for effect.

Falco and Shantae helped Zelda back onto her feet as Captain N regrouped with Pit and the others. The Tinkerbats were as relentless as ever, continuing their assault. Mimic, Pit, Sky, Bolo and Captain N formed a circle around Falco and Shantae helping up Zelda and the treasures. "You gonna make it, Princess?" Falco asked her. Zelda weakly nodded. "I will, I've survived worse." She tiredly answered. "You better! Hyrule needs its Princess!" Shantae insisted. Zelda laughed weakly.

As Captain N tried to shoot down more Tinkerbats jumping from Risky's ship, he was nearly struck by Bolo's flail. "Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Captain N scolded him while aiming and firing. "Sorry! I get distracted!" Bolo defended himself. "Now's not the time to get distracted!" Sky reminded him as Wrench swooped down and attacked another Tinkerbat. The more the group fought, the more exhausted they became. With Risky's nearly endless army coming to fight, Captain N and the others became more slow and clumsy with their attacks. One Tinkerbat managed to slip past Bolo and make for the treasures. Mimic was quick to crush it beneath his large body just before its claws could grab one of the aged trinkets.

As Dedede's blimp began to charge up its next shot, Captain N got an idea. "Zelda! Can you create another barrier like before?" He asked over his shoulder. Zelda regained her footing and was able to stand on her own. "Yes, but only barely." Sh answered.

"Angle the barrier towards Risky's ship!"

"Ooh, good idea!" Shantae agreed.

Shantae and Falco joined the rest in fighting back against the Tinkerbats as Zelda readied herself for the next strike. Dedede was still watching from afar, jumping up and down as he demanded action.

"Fire! Fire! Fire!" He ordered, shaking his mallet at the blimp. The blimp's blaster charged up, glowed blue and fired once more. Zelda was able to deflect the blast directly at Risky's ship, blasting right through its defenses and completely destroying the ship.

"No! No! No! Fire at the Captain and those other thugs! Not at my underlings!" Dedede yelled at the blimp. Risky eventually surfaced, clinging onto a stray plank of the destroyed ship. "My ship! Look what you've done to my beautiful ship!" She screamed at the team, coughing on seawater and having lost her pirate hat. "Nothing more than what you deserve!" Shantae shot back at her, whipping her hair at the remaining Tinkerbats.

As the eight continued to fight, King Dedede called up to the blimp. "We can't try firing again! They'll deflect it again! Retreat!" Dedede ordered, scurrying away from the battle. "What about me!?" Risky yelled at him. "Your efforts will be noted and you will be compensated in due time!" Dedede assured her while waddling away. Before she could get a word in edgeways, Dedede was beamed back up to his blimp, which made a hasty retreat back into the sky.

Risky tried to swim away from the chaos, but Zelda used her magic to lift her onto the dock, in the middle of the eight. Once all the Tinkerbats have been defeated, the team turned their attention to Risky. She groaned in an annoyed tone and hung her head. "Whatever. I'm not surrendering." She said.

"Any tricks up your sleeve this time?" Shantae asked her.

"No, but-" Risky answered, but was interrupted by Captain N punching her in the face, knocking her out. Attention shifted from Risky to him as he wrung his fist. "If there's one thing I learned from the World Warrior Tournament, it's take the opportunity when you can." He explained. Falco chuckled and punched his shoulder jokingly. "See? You CAN learn!" He joked. Zelda sighed and rubbed her eyes as Pit heaved a sigh of relief.

"So we won?" He asked.

"Looks like it!" Shantae chipperly answered.

Mimic, Bolo and Sky went to tend to the treasures as the five cheered in celebration, albeit in a tired manner. With Risky defeated, Scuttle Town was safe.

Chapter Text

"Is she really still out?" Captain N asked Mimic. He stepped to the side to get a better view of the unconscious Risky Boots, who was tied to a chair with her hands secured and weapons stored in a nearby safe after yesterday's encounter. "Either that or she's good at pretending to be unconscious." Mimic assured him. "And from what I know of her, she's not good at the subtlety game.". Captain N squinted his eyes to look around the dark, damp basement. The stench of aged, damp stone haunted the air, with only a couple flickering lights illuminating the room. A slight echo was produced with each, minute sound made. Risky looked strangely at peace as she slept while tied to a wooden chair taken from Mimic's workshop. A slightly darker blue area appeared on the part of her face that Captain N punched yesterday. He looked at his fist in partial amazement at his strength.

"Gotta say, it's nice to wake up to the sound of birds chirping outside my window and not a pirate crew ransacking the place." Mimic remarked. Captain N chuckled humbly. "I'm grateful to actually beat someone posing a threat, as opposed to running away and hoping my teammates handled the issue.". Mimic leered at him upon hearing this statement.

"What do you mean?"

"In order to make sure I live long enough to save this planet, Simon Belmont made me run away from Dracula, I... lost against Scorpion and Ryu kept M. Bison busy enough to give the four of us enough time to escape New Donk City and Shadaloo. Seeing Risky Boots defeated is very rewarding, if nothing else."

"...But King Dedede got away."

"...Yeah, he did." Captain N meekly agreed. "But back on my home world, we have a saying: 'they can run, but they can't hide'.".

"Heh, I'll have to remember that." Mimic chuckled as he got up. "You sure you don't want any more breakfast? Don't want the Chosen One going hungry on his quest." Mimic offered. Captain N arched his back to stretch and shook his head. "If I keep Falco waiting any longer, I'm pretty sure he'll explode." He joked.

"Well then, you better get back to your friends up there. When Risky comes to, I bet the four of us could make her talk about the kinda help she gets from the three kings." Mimic stated. Captain N walked back up the stairs and opened the hatch, unleashing a ray of sunlight into the dimly lit cellar. Quickly covering his eyes, Captain N took a moment to recover from the momentary blindness to climb out of the cellar and return to the fresh air of morning. From the outskirts of town, he could see men and women going about their day with a noticeably more relaxed attitude. Children played in the center of town, shops were able to sell their wares freely, and the sun seemed to shine a bit brighter today. He took a moment to soak in the feeling of triumph over evil, no matter how small it was in the grand scheme of his adventure. Sure, Bowser, Dedede and K. Rool were still out there scheming away, but with this small town able to sleep easier at night, he was victorious.

For the first time in his life, he was a real hero.

"You spying on someone or something?" Pit asked him, suddenly appearing next to him. Captain N laughed good-heartedly and shook his head. "Nah, just taking in the moment.". Pit nodded and smiled gently. "I've gone on plenty of big adventures myself, but helping out the little guy never gets old."

"You would know." Captain N smirked. Pit huffed and punched his shoulder. "I punch above my weight class, you know!" He insisted, slightly red from embarrassment. Captain N laughed before responding. "Oh, I know, don't worry." He assured while chuckling. Pit sighed and nodded. After a shared moment of peaceful silence, Pit turned to Captain N.

"You earned this, Cap'n." Pit said to him. Captain N turned to him and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Pit." He genuinely responded. "Don't worry too much about not being an amazing, unstoppable hero yet, by the way. Every master was once an apprentice." Pit added. Captain N sighed and hung his head slightly. "I know, but I can't really afford to take my time.". Pit rubbed his arm reassuringly. "You'll always have me by your side, all the way. And I'm sure Falco and Princess Zelda feel the same." Pit assured him. Captain N smiled at him.

"And I can't thank your guys enough for that."

Just then, Mayor Scuttlebutt came waddling through town over to the workshop. Pit and Captain N waved at him as he huffed in exhaustion after the trek through town. "Good morning, Mr. Mayor!" Pit greeted him. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" Captain N asked him. Once he regained his breath, Mayor Scuttlebutt nodded. "Oh, yes. Best sleep I've had in weeks! I've almost overslept and missed out on my many duties as mayor." He confessed. "But I made time in the morning to come over here and personally express my gratitude. Thanks to you all, our valuables are safe from those villainous pirates.". Captain N put his fists on his hips and struck a bold pose. "All in a day's work, Mr. Mayor." He boldly assured him. "You know, if you're going to stay any longer, I'd be honored to give you the proper introduction to Scuttle Town." Mayor Scuttlebutt offered.

"Can't, we're on a mission."

The three turned to find Falco walking over with a nearly-full backpack, Zelda and Shantae behind him. Mayor Scuttlebutt chuckled awkwardly. "Right, my apologies. Saving the world, and all that." He corrected himself. "We're actually about to depart, and we'd hate to prevent you from attending to your duties as mayor." Zelda spoke up. Mayor Scuttlebutt humbly bowed and hastily nodded in agreement. "Y-You're right, your majesty. I'll, uh, get back to what I was, uh, doing. Farewell!" He bowed once more before rushing off towards town. Shantae groaned and pinched her nose. "I try to get along with the people of Scuttle Town, but he really gets under my skin sometimes." She admitted. "Somehow you manage, right?" Captain N remarked. Shantae nodded. "Yep, somehow." She laughed.

"You're SURE you don't wanna come with us? There's always more room on the party bus." Falco offered her. Shantae sighed and shook her head. "I'd love to, but I can't. Scuttle Town needs my protection, despite what Mayor Scuttlebutt might say." She answered glumly. "Same for Bolo and Sky. Not every town gets the protection of the Gods.". "Yeah, right..." Pit reluctantly agreed. Captain N's mood fell at her rejection. The one time his ally saw their battle through to the end, and he still has to continue on without them. "But we're gonna help in our own way! We'll make sure Risky tells us the three king's dirty secrets!" Shantae assured them. "That's the spirit!" Captain N beamed.

"Not to rush any of you guys, but if you can, I'd love to show you some of my dances if you can swing back here sometime during your journey!" Shantae offered. Captain N and Falco were about to respond to the offer before Zelda interrupted them. "Perhaps someday, but we should try to keep distractions to a minimum, when possible." She bluntly stated. Shantae chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head. "Right, yeah, sorry 'bout that.".

"Thanks a million for all your help! I doubt we could've saved the day without you guys!" Pit thanked her. "You don't need to thank me. But you're welcome!" Shantae giggled. Falco hoisted the backpack onto his back and started off towards the path out of Scuttle Town. "We all ready?" He asked over his shoulder. After hearing a collective 'yes', he began marching off. "Goodbye, Falco! Goodbye, Pit! Goodbye, Captain N! Goodbye, Princess Zelda! Good luck out there!" Shantae bid them farewell, waving her hand. "See you around! You guys stay safe!" Captain N called back to her as he followed Falco. As Zelda hurried to meet Falco at the front of the group to read the map, Captain N saw Bolo, Sky and Mimic waving goodbye from the workshop. He and Pit waved goodbye to them, then turning and following Zelda and Falco out of Scuttle Town.

The path Falco and Zelda took the group through ventured through all of Sequin Land. By midday, the four had hiked around the outside of a town called Water Town, east of Scuttle Town. Captain N marveled at the finely built buildings of white pillars and purple rooftops. The architecture suggested these buildings were much older than those in Scuttle Town, but Captain N could only assume this. Falco kept his head buried in the map as he marched on, hardly slowing down for him to acquaint himself with any of Water Town's citizens. Zelda kept her head low to avoid attracting any unwanted attention that would hinder their progress. Fortunately, neither forces of the three kings nor nosy townspeople suddenly appeared to cause any trouble, and so they ventured on.

The rest of the day was spent hiking. Falco marched onward without breaking pace, holding the map in front of him to avoid getting distracted by anything that might lengthen the journey any more. Zelda and Pit followed behind him, managing food along the way. Falco carried the day's rations in his backpack, so when someone got hungry, they simply took an apple or other fruit from his backpack. Occasionally, Falco would hold his hand out behind him to signal that he wanted an apple. Pit grumbled to himself as he reluctantly handed him the fruit, which he gobbled down without so much as a 'thank you'. Captain N ventured at the back of the group, his legs growing more sore the more he walked. His pace gradually began to slow more and more as the day progressed on, but he knew better than to complain.

The day proved rather peaceful, for once. Over grassy hills and through barren valleys, Falco led the group diligently onward. Captain N silently reflected that Falco had it easier than anyone else, seeing as how he was the one of the group with metal legs. He would occasionally fidget with his Zapper and two Boosters in his hands in an attempt to entertain himself. His phone was still dead, the sensation starting to almost burn into his skin, knowing how unusable it was. He also wanted to try to test his accuracy further, aiming at targets farther away than the tree branches he previously shot at. But he knew he'd get scolded by Zelda or Falco for toying around with his weapons and giving away their position to any minions of the three kings, or Shadaloo or some new threat. So he stuffed his weapons back in his pockets and continued on.

The day dragged on, much like it does on Captain N's home world, and as he stumbled along the path being forged by the three in front of him, he could almost see the sun descend from the sky before his eyes. As the edge of the horizon was being painted brilliant shades of orange, purple and yellow, Falco suddenly stopped walking. Almost falling over from this sudden change of pace, Captain N took this opportunity to sit down on the grass and rest his legs momentarily. Pit and Zelda consulted the map along with Falco. Looking up, Captain N saw that the group had arrived at the edge of a thick forest that stretched to either direction as far as the eye could see. Unlike the forest that housed Castlevania, this forest seemed almost inviting in comparison. The trees weren't nearly as imposing, being smaller and having a much brighter color of green. The leaves that decorated the branches of the trees were colorful and looked almost soft, as if they were drawn from a child's imagination. The gentle breeze blowing through the hills caused the leaves to dance ever so slightly. Peering through the trees, Captain N felt a sensation of exploration growing within him, as opposed to dread.

"I should take leadership from here." Zelda suggested. "I'm likely far more proficient in navigating this forest.". Falco scoffed slightly. "You sure about that, Princess? Not even magic could find Suzaku Castle, remember?". Zelda huffed in annoyance. "I understand that, Lombardi. However, now that we have a specific point to navigate to, I can use my abilities to get us there. If Suzaku Castle is not at the location marked on the map, then Ryu will have some explaining to do." Zelda rebutted. "If we go through all this and the castle's not here, I'm gonna be seriously mad at Ryu." Pit admitted. Falco laughed at Pit's statement. "I didn't know you COULD get mad, little guy!" He teased him. Pit waved it off and turned to Captain N. "What do you think?" He asked him. Captain N looked up from his resting state and lazily nodded in agreement. "Zelda's right. She's the one with magic powers, I'm comfortable relying on her. And if the castle's not there... we'll figure out some way to punish Ryu." He answered, his exhaustion present in his voice.

"Well then, lead on, your majesty." Falco relented, tossing Zelda the map. "Shouldn't we take a minute to rest, or something?" Pit asked him. "We had all morning to rest, and I'm sick of resting." Falco shot back. Zelda ignored this and marched on through the woods, holding her hands out in front of her to sense the path forward. Figuring they don't need the map anymore, Falco stuffed it back into his backpack, tossed Captain N and Pit an apple, took one for himself, and the three followed her into the woods.

The woods proved to be as inviting as they looked. Fewer branches and brambles stuck out to hinder the group's progress, and the trees acted more as gentle guardians from the sky above than towering threats looming over the four. The group remained mostly silent throughout in order to remain hidden from any potential threat, with the only sounds breaking the silence being the breaking of branches or the rustling of leaves. The trees obscuring the sunlight only made Captain N feel more tired from the entire day spent hiking, and the sun was descending back beneath the horizon. Darkness began to consume the group's surroundings, which, combined with the group's draining energy, made their trek much more clumsy, tripping over more waywards branches and rocks.

"You think we could stop for the night?" Pit asked, speaking what Captain N was thinking. Falco suppressed a yawn before turning to face him. "What, now? We're almost there!" Falco insisted, then turning to Zelda for backup. Zelda covered her mouth to hide her yawn before answering. "If we continue at a steady pace, we could reach our destination within four hours." She admitted. "...But I doubt we'll be able to maintain such a pace without succumbing to our exhaustion.". Falco scoffed. "Speak for yourself, none of you've been trained at the Cornerian Flight Academy. This stuff's easy for me." He boasted. Captain N and Pit sat down on the dirt. "Can you blame me? I would've put in more training if I knew I was gonna be going on a globetrotting quest." Captain N defended himself. "Come on, you're tired too. Princess Zelda'll use her magic to let us know if anyone tries to sneak up on us, like the last time we slept in the woods." Pit offered. Falco looked to Zelda, who shook her head. "The wise option would be to rest up. We could need our strength for whatever happens tomorrow." She reminded him. After looking between her and the two others, Falco relented with a groan and plopped down against a fallen log. "Fine, but we set off first thing in the morning." He insisted. "Fine by me." Captain N agreed as Zelda carefully sat down in a less dirty area of grass.

"So what's your story?" Falco asked Captain N. "Hm?" Captain N drowsily answered. "Come on, you had to have had a life before you arrived here. What was that like?" Falco asked further. "Oh yeah, we don't know a lot about you, do we?" Pit added. Captain N lazily shrugged. "Don't really have a story. Go to school, go home, read comic books, rinse and repeat until I end up here." He answered.

"Alright then, I'll start: what's the 'N' on your jacket for?" Falco asked him.

"It's not an 'N'. On my planet, it means hope." Captain N cheekily answered. After a brief silence, he followed up with "...Nah, it's just an 'N'. As for what it means... that's a story for another time."

"...Well, what's education like in your world?" Zelda asked him.

"Pretty boring. English, Algebra, Chemistry, History, Physical Education, stuff like that."

"English?" Pit asked.

"The language we're speaking now." Captain N clarified.

"Oh."

"Didn't you say your world didn't have any space travel or magic or... anything that's on this world?" Falco asked him.

"...Pretty much, yeah. Should I start a campfire? Getting harder to see you guys." Captain N asked. Pit and Falco looked to Zelda, which she accepted. "I suppose. It'll be unlikely we'll be the victim of a surprise attack so long as I'm alert.". Captain N then gathered a small pile of dead leaves and twigs, then used his Fire Booster to create an ember small enough to get the campfire going without accidentally unleashing an inferno. Only once the fire got going did he realize how cold it was getting, even with his varsity jacket on. Pit gratelly held his hands out in front of the fire to warm up, and Zelda moved closer to it.

"This is much nicer." She complimented. "Now, 'comic books'?" She asked Captain N. He lazily waved his hand out as he slumped further down. "They're like books, but with pictures instead of paragraphs of text.".

"You mean picture books?" Falco asked, a slight tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

"No no, you've got movies in this world, right?" Captain N asked. Pit nodded. "Well, imagine frames from a movie were taken, and boxes of text were put in to show what characters were saying or thinking." He tried to explain. The three tried to picture this concept, before Captain N dismissed the concept. "Whatever, it's not really important."

"What kind of stories are told in these 'comic books'?" Zelda asked, more intrigued.

Captain N opened his mouth to answer, then got a better idea. He got up from the ground and suddenly pointed to the sky.

"Look, up in the sky!" He suddenly exclaimed. Pit, Zelda and Falco whipped around to try to find what he's pointing to. "Is it a bird? Is it a plane?" He rhetorically asked.

"...What is it?" Pit asked.

"No, it's Superman!" Captain N continued regardless.

The three turned back to him, confused. "...'Superman'?" Zelda asked him. "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!" Captain N excitedly continued. "Superman's the greatest hero my world's ever known, and his stories are entirely fictional!"

"Is he in the comic books?" Pit asked.

"He sure is! His story's a classic where I'm from!"

"Well, don't keep us hanging, what is it?" Falco asked, growing more interested.

"Long ago, on the distant planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El was able to save his son from the planet's impending destruction by putting him on a rocket and shooting him all the way to planet Earth, my planet." He retold, Pit leaning forward as his interest grew. "Earth's yellow sun means young Kal-El got a ton of awesome powers! He could fly, he had super strength, super speed, he could shoot lasers from his eyes, he was nearly invincible, he had X-Ray vision, telescopic vision, super hearing, and a ton more powers!"

"Wait, the sun gave him his powers?" Falco asked.

"Yeah! Kryptonians get their powers from absorbing sunlight. Krypton had a red sun, so they didn't have any powers on their home planet." Captain N clarified.

"I imagine a lot of people would be intimidated by someone who wields such power." Zelda noted.

"But that's the thing! Superman's the hero! He always uses his power for good, whether that's for preventing a meteor from destroying the planet, or helping a cat down from a tree. That's what makes him so inspirational! He shows us the best of ourselves! He shows us how we can use what we can do for good!"

"Seems like a guy we could use right about now." Falco hummed. Captain N's mood fell slightly. "Yeah, you're right." He glumly noted, reflecting on his own meekness in comparison to someone like Superman. "But we don't need Superman, we've got Captain N!" Pit encouraged him. He chuckled at his giddiness, nodding somewhat reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"It sounds like the storytellers of your world have strong imaginations." Zelda noted, which Captain N quickly agreed to. "Are there any other stories of note?" She asked, leaning forward slightly. "Yeah, maybe some others to do with space." Falco requested. The night had arrived in force, the moon shining brilliantly through the twisting branches above the small campfire. Looking at the three people with him listening intently to his story, Captain N grinned before speaking again.

"Alright then, our story begins a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

Chapter Text

"Come on, come on, up and at 'em!" Falco's voice suddenly rang out, waking Captain N from his slumber. As he leaned up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes with a groan, he saw Falco nudge Pit awake with his foot. Zelda was already awake, facing towards the sunlight peering through the trees and breathing deeply. Pit sat up and yawned loudly. "How long's it been?" He sleepily asked. "'Bout six hours. Plenty of sleep for anyone that survived Cornerian Flight Academy." Falco answered with a slightly smug tone. "You're gonna keep bringing that up, aren't you?" Captain N asked him, already knowing the answer. "As long as I have a reason to, yeah." Falco responded, more energetic than the others.

"There's some food in the bag. Get eating, 'cause the Princess and I are ready to go." Falco instructed. Pit leaned over and stretched his arm out as far as he could to reach the bag, still lying in his sleeping spot on the ground. After waking up his legs, Captain N got up and got a fruit from the bag, tossing one to Pit. The strangely sweet taste of the unknown fruit helped wake him up, reinvigorating him. "This stuff's great, what's it called?" He asked. "That there's a Palm Fruit. They're mostly from Hyrule, but farmers started growing them all around Yamajiro." Pit answered in between mouthfuls of the fruit. "Huh, tastes kinda like strawberries, but that's really the only comparison I can make." Captain N remarked. Zelda had remained remarkably quiet throughout, in deep thought. The woods were as peaceful as they were the previous day, with the occasional sounds of forest critters and the rustling of leaves and branches filling the silence between the four. Falco kicked some dirt on top of the spot where Captain N created the campfire the previous night, trying to find some way to pass the time while the two ate.

The moment Pit and Captain N finished their small breakfast, Falco walked up to Zelda. "Ready to lead on?" He asked. Zelda took a moment to respond, inhaling deeply before slowly nodding. "Yes, just give me a moment to get my bearings." She responded. After a few moments of silence, she turned towards the direction they were previously travelling and said "Follow closely.".

Falco walked alongside Zelda with his face buried in the map as he tried to keep track of where they were. Pit and Captain N walked behind the two, taking in the lush scenery. In between the branches and leaves, Captain N caught a glance of a uniquely colored bird tweeting happily. Its red-colored head and white body and wings were unlike anything he had ever seen before. His time spent admiring this unique bird was brief, as it quickly flew off into the sky, partially obscured by the branches. Captain N's walking pace slowed somewhat as he thought about the past week. Within a relatively short amount of time, he had experienced so much that he spent all his life assuming could only be confined to the pages of fiction. Vampires, monsters, aliens, zombie ninjas, genies, magic Princesses, and anthropomorphic pilots. The more his mind wandered on these fantastical things, the farther away from home he felt.

Pit could tell Captain N's mind was racing again, so he cleared his throat to get his attention. Captain N quickly snapped out of his homesickness and faced Pit. "So, uh... I've been wondering something about what you talked about last night." Pit admitted as Captain N caught up with him.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Does Superman have any enemies?"

Captain N chuckled, nodding. "Of course, he does. Conflict is the basis for all great fiction, after all." Captain N answered. "He actually has a ton of enemies. Superman's had his stories told for almost a hundred years."

"No way!" Pit exclaimed. Falco looked over his shoulder at the conversation while pretending to not look too interested. "Yeah, way. Superman was created in the year 1938, and I come from the year 2019."

"Your planet's only existed for a little over two thousand years?" Zelda asked without breaking pace.

"...Well, no. It's actually 2019 AD, which stands for After Death, because there was this Jesus guy that was really important, and measuring time after he died made things a lot easier to keep track of. My planet's actually, like, 4 billion years old."

Zelda accepted this answer and continued on. "So anyway, what kinda enemies does Superman have?" Pit asked Captain N. He put a finger to his chin to think of a list of names. "Well... Lex Luthor's probably his most famous enemy. He's an evil, rich man with access to near infinite resources, General Zod's-"

"Wait, how can Superman have enemies? Didn't you say he was invincible?" Falco asked over his shoulder. Captain N awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, Kryptonians have weaknesses of their own. There's this mineral called Kryptonite that emits radiation that's harmless to humans like me, but deadly to them. Magic can hurt him, too. Oh, and sunlight from a red star can take away their powers. Krypton orbited around a red star." He answered. As Falco and Pit tried to understand his explanation, Captain N reveled in the sensation of his peers being genuinely fascinated by the stories of Superman, and not be seen as lame or nerdy.

"Oh! One of Superman's most famous enemies is Doomsday. Doomsday's a monster from prehistoric Krypton that's been evolved to be essentially unstoppable. He was such a great threat, he actually managed to kill Superman!" Captain N informed them. Pit looked at him in shock.

"What!? Superman, who has a ton of powers and is basically invincible, was KILLED?"

"Don't worry, he came back."

Zelda and Falco both stopped walking and looked back at Captain N with incredulity. "...He came back... from death?" Zelda slowly asked. Captain N laughed awkwardly. "...Well, I mean, it was more of a healing coma than actual death. But his 'death' actually made national news, when it happened." He admitted. "The temporary death... of a fictional character... made ACTUAL news?" Falco asked in disbelief. Captain N sighed and nodded. Zelda and Falco shared a confused look.

"...It seems like your world is one of very imaginative storytellers." Zelda noted. Captain N nodded in agreement. Zelda refocused herself and continued on, the three following closely behind her.

After a couple hours of trekking through thickening foliage, Zelda suddenly stumbled out of the trees and into a large clearing. As Captain N, Pit and Falco joined her, she looked in front of her and saw a massive castle with high, white walls guarding a single complex with white walls and red, curved roofing. Captain N looked upon the castle in awe, taking in its massive scale and immaculate architecture, unlike anything he had ever seen before. The castle was clearly hundreds of years old, with its colors fading and wear beginning to show on some of the walls. Pit and Falco were silent as well as they looked on.

"Suzaku Castle..." Captain N whispered.

"...It is real." Falco slowly muttered, in disbelief. Pit turned to him with a smirk. "Heh, told you so!" He boasted. "Looks like we don't have to beat Ryu up for wasting our time, right, Princess?" Captain N joked, turning to Zelda. She didn't respond, still gazing upon Suzaku Castle. She furrowed her brow as she tried to focus her magic to little avail. "I don't understand... how could this have been so well hidden?" She asked herself. Pit shrugged. "Maybe someone with more powerful magic hid it away." He suggested. "Perhaps..." Zelda muttered.

Captain N looked to the side of the castle and saw a massive, red doorway. "You guys ready to get looking?" He asked the group. Pit and Falco offered a collective "Yeah.", but Zelda didn't respond, still trying to use her magic on the castle. No matter how much effort she put into focusing her power, the castle seemed to repel all outside magic. Letting her arms fall to her side, letting out an annoyed groan.

"Yes, let's continue." She stated.

The doors of the castle, despite their imposing size and build, were able to be pushed open through a combined effort from Falco and Captain N. Zelda and Pit looked around inside, and found a worn, dirt pathway leading to the large complex. "...Looks like nobody's home." Pit observed. "Makes sense. Ryu was determined to keep his mouth shut on this place, so I'm glad we're the only ones here." Falco added.

"The only ones that we know of." Zelda reminded him.

"Zelda's right, I've had my standards for what is and isn't possible change drastically this past week, so, uh, stay prepared for pretty much anything." Captain N added, drawing his Zapper preemptively. Falco drew his blaster and Pit prepared his bow while Zelda continued to try to use her magic. Still failing in her efforts, she turned to the three. "I reccommend we have Captain N lead while the rest of us stay prepared for possible threats, seeing as how only he can open the door." She declared. After hearing a collective agreement from the group, Captain N took the lead of the pack, holding his Zapper in his right hand and his Ice Booster in his left. Pit and Falco walked by his side, with Zelda at the back of the group.

Walking over the aged pathway, he carefully pushed open the door to the interior of Suzaku Castle, which creaked with age. As he stepped inside, his nostrils were filled with the scent that reminded him of a Revolutionary War cottage from a re-enactment he attended in Eighth Grade. The scent of old wood and stone permeated the air, and floating dust particles were illuminated by the daylight streaming in through the closed blinds. With each step, the wooden floor of the castle creaked in protest, making him fear breaking through the wood by accident. From the doorway was a long hallway that stretched out in either direction, neither of which seemed very promising in terms of results.

"Which way, Captain?" Pit asked him. Captain N closed his eyes and, after a short game of mental "eenie-meenie-miney-moe", decided to travel down the hall to the left. Each and every step he took was done with deliberation and precision, channeling his skills acquired from sneaking out of his room past-bedtime in Elementary School to steal cookies from the pantry. A relatively thick layer of dust had built up on the floor, which shifted with each step taken by the four. Captain N silently reflected on how he's the first person in countless years to walk down these halls. Falco's steps were noticeably louder than everyone else's; his metal legs were doing him no favors in his stealth attempts. He muttered his frustrations under his breath at this, but continued on. Zelda and Captain N remained on edge throughout, the silence haunting them. But after peering over each corner, nobody else could be found in any of the rooms.

Down halls and through rooms, Captain N led the group deeper and deeper into Suzaku Castle. The air surrounding the four was hauntingly still and somewhat cold. The stone walls provided sufficient insulation from nearly all the heat provided by the sunlight outside. The slight echo produced with each minuscule sound produced with each step only served to raise Captain N's heart rate, fearing a jump scare akin to various horror movies from his home world. Pit cleared his throat after inhaling some dust, making Zelda and Captain N suddenly jump at the noise. Whipping around with Zelda with his weapons drawn, Captain N sighed in frustration upon realizing it was Pit. "Sorry!" He quietly apologized, flustered. "Less apologizing, more staying alert." Falco scolded him, peering down another hall. Pit hastily nodded as he followed Captain N deeper into Suzaku Castle.

As he wandered near-aimlessly through the empty, almost identical halls and rooms, one room caught Captain N's eye. One of the rooms had a faint red stain on the stone white walls. Upon further inspection, he found the red stain was in a specific shape, one of a symbol he was unfamiliar with. "Hey, Princess, you know what this symbol means?" He asked Zelda. She stepped closer to get a better look at the symbol, which resembled a sideways "H" on top of an arrow pointing up. "Difficult to say, this symbol has several meanings. It could mean heaven, day, invincibility or immortal." She explained, lightly running her finger along the red stain.

"...Is that blood?" Pit nervously asked. Squinting at the light residue on her finger, she slowly nodded. "Don't worry, they died a long time ago." Falco assured him. Pit stepped back slightly from the symbol, partially squeamish. "Who do you think died here?" Pit asked further. Falco shrugged. "Beats me. But they sure did bleed a lot." Falco added, noting the size of the symbol. Captain N slowly approached the blood symbol, but just before his hand could make contact with the wall, the aged stone wall parted before him, revealing a staircase leading down into darkness.

"Lucky guess." Falco muttered.

"You guys stay up here and keep watch, I'll go down to look." Captain N advised. "I'll go with you, to be sure." Zelda asserted, stepping next to him. "Y'hear that, Pit? Zelda wants to be alone with Cap'n for a bit." Falco smirked. "My intentions are nothing of the sort!" Zelda asserted, her face slightly red. Captain N shook off the thought and swallowed his flustered state to carefully step down the stairs with Zelda close behind him.

As soon as his foot left the wooden floor and met the stone staircase, Captain N was met with a drastic shift in atmosphere. The air in the staircase was cold and almost dead, which only grew more intense the deeper he descended. Illumination from above soon became scarce, so Zelda summoned her magic to create a sphere of light. The walls, as opposed to those above the staircase, were immaculate and hadn't seemed to have aged at all. The stone walls were also ice cold to the touch, nearly making him recoil as he idly ran his hand down the wall. The echoes produced with each step were louder and more ominous. He silently expressed gratitude at Zelda accompanying him, despite Zelda likely being able to hear his thoughts.

Once the stairway ended, Captain N found himself in a large room with a domed roof, with an artificial light source of some kind illuminating the room from above. In the center of the stone room was a small podium displaying a small, white, rectangular object. Upon closer inspection, he found that the object had a circular button on the front, and a rectangular button on the back, as well as a black rectangle at the top. Bracing himself for some kind of trap, he slowly removed the object from the podium and held it in his hand.

"We should return to the others before inspecting that further." Zelda advised. "Yeah, good idea." Captain N agreed.

After ascending the staircase, the two found Falco and Pit sitting around, looking down the stairway as they awaited their return. "Whatcha got there?" Pit asked, getting close to look at the object. "Not sure..." He answered, holding it up. But pressing the circular button activated a blade of light appear from the end of the object, about three feet long. Pit jumped back in surprise as Captain N looked at the blade closer. Waving it around produced a low humming sound, and accidentally grazing the wall behind him resulted in singing the wall deeply, almost cutting through it altogether.

"...So it's a laser sword." Falco observed.

"I'd go with something like 'saber of light', but yeah." Captain N agreed, waving it around some more, with Zelda observing it from a safe distance. Pressing the circular button again caused the blade to disappear. "That's so cool!" Pit said excitedly. Captain N laughed in agreement. "Yeah, it is!" He agreed. Idly pressing the rectangular button on the back caused another beam of light to shoot out from the object, but this beam attached itself to the ceiling like a grappling hook.

"It's a grappling hook too, looks like." Captain N added. Pressing the rectangular button again made the light rope disappear back into the object. "Got a name for it?" Falco teased him. "Hey, don't rush me." Captain N chuckled. After thinking for a few moments, he decided on the name "Remote Sword". Pit nodded approvingly.

"Next order of business: The last castle!" Pit declared. Zelda expression fell as she turned away from the group. "That's the plan. Question is: where's the next castle?" Captain N asked. Pit put his finger to his chin as he pondered with Falco. Zelda stepped away from the group as they discussed potential destinations.

"Isn't there a castle in the Unova region?" Pit asked Falco. "I don't think that one's been around for a hundred years." Falco answered. After more deliberation, Zelda swallowed her nerves and spoke up.

"Hyrule Castle... my home."

Pit smacked his head. "Oh man, it's so obvious! Why didn't I think of that sooner?" He asked. "'Cause you're too busy thinking about Shantae's dancing?" Falco teased him. Captain N stepped closer to Zelda, able to tell something was troubling her.

"...Is there something wrong, Princess?" He carefully asked her. Zelda tried her best to hide her inner turmoil as she shook her head. "There's no issue, where's the map?" She diverted the conversation, turning to Falco, who produced the map from his bag. She quickly snatched the map away from him and analyzed it closely. "Hyrule still hasn't had their Warp Pipe installed, but perhaps there's somewhere near... there!" She declared, pointing to a city a good distance away from the Mushroom Kingdom. Pit and Falco gathered around to look at where she was pointing to.

"...Inkopolis?" Pit asked her. She nodded in response. "That's the closest place to Hyrule with a Warp Pipe. We can pass through there, much like what we did with Scuttle Town." She decided. "Hopefully with less diversions..." Falco muttered. "Sounds like a plan to me." Captain N spoke up, storing the Remote Sword in his front left pocket. "If we hurry, we can probably go back through Scuttle Town, get back to the Warp Zone, and find somewhere to stay in Inkopolis for the night." Pit suggested. "We've got enough food to last us until then." Falco added, weighing the bag in his had. Zelda was still holding the map, staring directly at the region designated as Hyrule. Captain N looked her in the eyes, trying to figure out what was troubling her.

"You up for this?" He gently asked her. Folding the map back up, Zelda nodded firmly.

"I'm as ready as I can be."

Chapter Text

“And that’s when Darth Vader grandly reveals… ‘No, I am your father!’” Captain N announces, deepening his voice to mimic the villain’s.

“What!?” Pit exclaims, looking back at Captain N as the group hiked back to the Warp Pipe. “But that’s impossible! You said last night that Anakin Skywalker was killed!” Pit insisted. Captain N grinned as he shook his head. “Darth Vader, the villainous Sith Lord was born from when the noble Jedi Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side.”

“Wait, didn’t you say Darth Vader was a student of Obi-Wan Kenobi? And that Anakin was a good friend of his?” Falco asked Captain N over his shoulder, his face buried in the map. Zelda had remained eerily quiet throughout the hike, though still listening.

“That was to mislead Luke. Imagine being told that your long-lost father was actually one of the most powerful and evil men in the entire galaxy! Obi-Wan just wanted to soften the blow, you know?”

“I don’t know what I’d do! Like, what if Bowser was my dad?” Pit spoke up, still in shock. “But keep going, Cap!”. He chuckled good-heartedly and continued telling the story. As he described Luke Skywalker’s shock and horror at the revelation followed by his escape from Cloud City, Pit listened intently, with Zelda and Falco’s attention being less obvious, but still present. Captain N held the Remote Sword in his left hand, idly tracing the impeccably smooth material used to construct it.

“I’m kind of surprised you didn’t call that thing a Lightsaber.” Falco remarked, motioning to the Remote Sword. “But that would’ve been unoriginal and lame. This whole adventure’s a chance for me to forge a completely new identity for myself. I’m Captain N, not Luke Skywalker.” He explained, stuffing the sword back into his pocket.

“And Captain N’s all we need! Right, Princess?” Pit piped up, looking to Zelda. Still looking ahead, she gently nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.” She quietly agreed. “...Is something wrong?” Pit asked her.

“No, it’s just… we need to stay focused, is all.”

“She’s right, Inkopolis is probably teeming with the three king’s henchmen, plus anyone else who stands to benefit from Captain N’s downfall.” Falco reminded Pit. “And they’ll probably be looking for us too…” Pit agreed. “So we’re gonna make this quick. Slink around the outside of the city, and then it’ll be a clean shot to Hyrule, right?” Captain N asked. The three others stopped walking and exchanged a nervous look with each other.

“...Is there a problem?” Captain N asked.

“Well, you see, the inhabitants of Inkopolis aren’t really like the ones in New Donk City.” Pit spoke up.

“So they’re from Corneria, like you?” Captain N asked Falco.

“...Not really. The citizens of Inkopolis are called Inklings.” Falco answered.

“Inklings are a unique species; they’re small, humanoid creatures who can transform into squids.” Zelda elaborated to him.

Captain N took a minute to internalize this revelation, looking at the three with immense confusion.

“...You mean, like, swim around in the water?”

“...Yes and no. Inklings are actually capable of swimming through ink as well as water.” Zelda elaborated further.

Captain N pinched his nose, racking his head while trying to comprehend any of the explanations provided to him. “...None of this is making any sense to me.” He admitted. “Vampires, aliens, half-genies, magic, Gods and Goddesses, all this stuff you don’t have on your home world and THIS is where things get too confusing for you? Falco asked him. “Look, I’ve been trying to loosen my interpretation of what’s possible and impossible since I got to this world, but I can only take so much.” Captain N defended himself. “I’m sure one of them would be happy to give you a demonstration if you asked nicely.” Pit joked.

“There’s no time for such distractions. We’ll find somewhere out of the way to stay for the night and set off first thing in the morning.” Zelda sternly insisted. Pit jumped and raised his hands defensively. “Right, right, that’s at the top of the to-do list!” Pit hastily agreed. Captain N sighed, letting his shoulders hang. “Probably wanna refuel a bit before we get to the Warp Pipe.” Falco spoke up as he opened his backpack. Pit hastily took one of the few apples left, and Falco handed a few more out to Zelda and Captain N.

His hunger hit as soon as Captain N bit into the provided apple. The strange yet undoubtedly sweet taste of the fruit graced his taste buds, forcing him to greedily wolf down the fruit to assuage his hunger. Pit ate in a similar fashion, however Zelda was much more graceful and refined in her eating manner, with Falco leaning on a nearby boulder, not hungry. Upon finishing the apple, Captain N noticed a small dribble of juices trailing down his mouth, which he quickly wiped away with his sleeve.

After finishing the apple and having satisfied his appetite somewhat, he took the Remote Sword back out of his pocket. Deciding to test the sword’s limits on its grappling hook, he aimed at a tree roughly 300 feet away, from his visual estimate. Closing his left eye and aiming the sword as he would with the Zapper, he pressed the rectangular button on the back of the sword. The rope-like white beam suddenly shot out from the tip of the sword, speeding across the field and attaching itself to the tree. Captain N laughed lightly, impressed by the display. “Luck Skywalker can’t do that!” He boasted, turning back to the three. But absent-mindedly pressing the rectangular button again made the sword’s handle fly out of his hand and retract to the tree, where the rope had attached itself.

“Good thing, otherwise that’ll happen.” Falco snickered.

Pit laughed good-heartedly and Captain N rolled his eyes. “Hey, I just got the thing, it’s a learning process.” He insisted, slightly embarrassed. “Well, now you know. I recommend fetching it before someone else finds it before you can.” Zelda advised. Quickly nodding, Captain N rushed across the field and found the sword firmly attached to the tree. Simply trying to pry the sword free proved fruitless, but pressing the circular button on the front detached it from the tree.

“Got it!” He yelled back to the group, waving the sword in the air for them to see. “Good! Now don’t do that again!” Pit advised, yelling from across the field. After nodding and answering with a quiet “Yeah…”, he made his way back across the field to get back to the group. Slightly winded, Captain N sat down on the ground to rest. “At least you’re getting good exercise.” Pit remarked. Captain N rolled his eyes and nodded. “It’ll take us about an hour to get to the Warp Pipe net Scuttle Town; we can get to Inkopolis before to dusk if we hurry.” Falco informed the group, surveying the map. With a slight groan, Captain N got up off the ground and stored the Remote Sword in his pocket. “If you’re ready to continue, I suggest we continue on.” Zelda spoke to Captain N. “Yeah, I’m good.” He assured her, slightly flustered. Falco nodded and led the group on.

The sun slowly descended from the sky as the group ventured on. The air slowly and gradually cooled to match the time of day, and the sounds of birds and small animals became less frequent. Once again passing by Water Town, Captain N continued telling his story to Pit, with Zelda subtly listening in.

“So what happens next?” Pit eagerly asked Captain N.

“Actually… that’s it.” Captain N admitted. Pit jumped back in shock.

“Luke Skywalker loses a hand, Han Solo’s captured, the Empire’s got the upper hand on the rebels, what do you mean ‘that’s it’?”

“Perhaps the story continues further, beyond just this part.” Zelda suggested to him. Pit groaned in disapproval. “And THAT’S the best story of the whole saga?” Pit asked Captain N. “Well, it’s not just about how the good guys win in the end. It’s about how they grow as characters and the personal journeys each of the main characters went through.” He informed in a very matter-of-fact tone. “Indeed, I can see how Han’s relationship with Leia and Luke being trained by Yoda would make for excellent storytelling, if we could ever see the film.” Zelda agreed. “Yeah, well, none of that’s like what I’ve done during the Lylat Wars.” Falco spoke up as his eyes scanned the map. “That’s probably why it wouldn’t make for exciting storytelling.” Pit mumbled. Falco quickly whipped around and pointed a feathered finger directly at him. “You know, I’ve seen more worlds and have seen more combat in a couple weeks than you have in your whole life. I think some of my story could be pretty ‘exciting’.” He insisted. “Okay, okay! Geez, sorry!” Pit stepped back defensively. “Save your agitations for the threat to this world’s safety, and not to your ego.” Zelda scolded him. Falco huffed and turned back around, continuing the trek.

Before the sun could paint the sky in the brilliant hues of the evening, the four had finally arrived back at the Warp Pipe outside Scuttle Town. Falco stuffed the map back into the bag and climbed on top of the pipe. Before he could descend, Captain N stopped him. “Oh, what is it now?” Falco irritably asked him. Captain N shrunk back somewhat, but stood firm. “Don’t you think we should check in on Shantae and the others? Make sure they’re doing alright?” He asked. “You don’t need to worry about them, Captain Syrup and Risky Boots have been dealt with, and they didn’t mention any other threats plaguing the town.” Zelda assured him. “Besides, if some threat were to make its presence known, I’m confident that I would have been alerted by my magic.”. Captain N wasn’t entirely swayed, and looked past the rows of corn stalks to where the entrance to Scuttle Town was. Pit put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “I get that being the hero’s your new job, but we’re needed more in other places. We beat Dedede, Bowser and K. Rool, and we won’t have to worry about their safety ever again.” He comforted him. Zelda focused her magic towards the town, closing her eyes. After a brief moment of meditation, she opened her eyes again. “The town has been left unharmed since our departure; they’re all safe.” Zelda concluded. Captain N turned back to the large, green Warp Pipe, looked up at Falco, and nodded.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Falco quickly jumped down the pipe, the familiar gulping sound accompanying his departure. Captain N climbed up onto the pipe and jumped down, with Pit and Zelda following behind him. As much as he would dislike admitting it, the sensation of travelling through the dark tunnels of the Warp Pipes was starting to become familiar to Captain N. The sensation of the cold, almost stale air shot past his face in much the same way it had the previous times he went through a Warp Pipe, but the ride felt shorter than it had before. In order to speed up the trip, he closed his eyes and focused his mind elsewhere. He focused on Little Mac and Doc Louis. Surely they had to be doing well, right? Surely the three kings knew that they were in league with him.

But Shadaloo probably does.

Captain N quickly shook these thoughts away and reminded himself of Pit’s words.

Focus on the bigger battle.

That’s why you’re here.

Suddenly, light returned to his surroundings, and he shot out of the pipe and landed on the ground. Before he could look for Falco, several loud booming sounds attacked his hearing. Falling back in surprise, he looked up to see several airships attacking Peach’s Castle. A luminescent bubble surrounded the castle, keeping the blasts from the airship’s cannons from damaging the castle. A large, dark storm cloud had also formed directly above the castle, from which enormous bolts of lightning shot from, attacking the airships. The landscape seemed to shake with each blast, nearly deafening him. The cacophony was so great that Captain N didn’t hear Pit and Zelda behind him, jumping in surprise upon seeing them.

“Cap, I know what you’re thinking, but we can’t risk going out there again.” Pit warned him through the bombardment. Captain N reluctantly nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry, I got it.” He loudly assured him, trying to be heard through the booming sounds. Zelda looked at the battle with a mournful expression, but turned her attention to the various Warp Pipes jutting out of the ground. Falco had hidden himself behind the pipes from any of the airship’s workers. Captain N and Pit joined Falco in waiting for Zelda to read the pipes to find the right one. From the incredible distance he was away from Peach’s Castle, he could just make out the silhouettes of Palutena and Raiden channeling their power to combat these immense threats. It was a strange feeling to see literal deities face an actual threat against beings that are essentially mortals with godlike weaponry. One would assume the ability to make lightning rain from the sky would assure a swift victory, but the three kings proved otherwise. The silhouettes of several Toads could also be seen scurrying about outside and on top of the castle, desperately trying to secure their defenses. Captain N could only hope Princess Peach was safe inside the castle, fearing that not even the protection of two Gods would be enough.

“This one! Quickly!” Zelda yelled to the three, jumping down the pipe as soon as the group saw which pipe she was referring to. Pit and Falco quickly followed her, but as Captain N joined them, he saw one of the airships turn towards the Warp Zone as he descended the pipe.

The ride through the Warp Pipe proved to be as long as the ride to New Donk City. Captain N’s ears were ringing slightly from the battle that he had almost come up in the middle of. As he shot through the dark, cold Warp Pipe, he reflected on the airships he just saw. Their immense size and firepower were incredibly intimidating, especially when focused on him as opposed to Peach’s Castle. What possessed him to charge right at the airships before his initial trip to New Donk City, he wondered. Could it have been an inner drive to do the right thing and forge an identity for himself as a sort of superhero, or possibly a simple rush of Adrenalin?

Perhaps his future adventures would yield the truth.

After another few minutes, the light surrounding him shifted only somewhat as he shot out of the pipe. Instead of finding himself outside, under the sky, Captain N found that he, along with his three allies, found themselves inside a dimly lit corridor resembling a subway tunnel. Of the few lights that decorated the walls, a few were flickering weakly, and a few more were offering no light. The faint sound of water dripping from a pipe could be heard a distance away, echoing off the walls. Captain N also realized that he was standing on subway tracks, but it didn’t seem like any kind of train was approaching.

“So this is Inkopolis?” Captain N asked the group.

“Eh… kinda. The main city’s a little while away. There’s a station stop close by.” Pit answered. Falco tried consulting the map as Zelda created another ball of magic light to offer illumination. “No good, thing doesn’t offer a look at the city’s subway system.” He stated irritably. Zelda closed her eyes and held her hands out in either direction, pointed at both directions of the tunnel. As she tried to find a solution, Pit turned to Captain N. “You got anything like this in your home world?” He asked him. “Yeah, actually. Underground trains are pretty common where I’m from, but really only in big cities.” He answered. Suddenly, Zelda opened her eyes and looked to the right.

“This way.” She stated, walking off. The three others followed her close, making sure to stay as far as possible from the train tracks in case a train would suddenly pass by. After a few minutes of carefully making their way down the tunnel, the four came out of the tunnel and found themselves at a proper subway stop, where an elderly Inkling with a thick beard and blue navy hat was closely watching the station. Upon seeing the four, he raised his cane at them and backed away suspiciously.

“Now just what do you four think you’re doing down here?” He interrogated the group, eyeing them closely. Captain N raised his hands to show he was unarmed, and Zelda stepped forward. “Worry not, we mean you no harm.” She assured him. Upon recognizing the Princess, the Inkling quickly bowed in respect. “My sincerest apologies, your majesty. I never expected someone of your status to be lurking around in the Deepsea Metro.” He hastily apologized. “You needn’t worry yourself, our concerns lie elsewhere.” Zelda stated, making the Inkling look back up at the group.

“Well then, I best introduce myself. I’m known as Cap’n Cuttlefish. I fought in the Great Turf Wars, way back when. Now who might you all be?” Cuttlefish asked the three others. “I’m Pit, Lady Palutena’s right-hand man!” Pit beamed with pride. “Name’s Lombardi. Star Fox Squadron, I’m a big deal on Corneria.” Falco spoke up. Captain N was interrupted before he could speak.

“I know you! You’re Captain N!” Cuttlefish realized, pointing right at him. Captain N smiled and nodded in confirmation.

“Yeah, I-“

“I’m surprised to see you up and about! Scorpion did a real number on you!”

“...Yeah, he did.”

“It’s imperative that we find a way to pass through Inkopolis with as much subtlety as possible. Our priorities lie beyond sightseeing.” Zelda informed Cuttlefish. Cuttlefish nodded gravely, noting her tone. “I understand, so staying at New Albacore Hotel isn’t gonna be safe, what with all those Koopa and Kremlings and others on the hunt.” He noted. “In that case, your best bet’s gonna be going through the subway tunnels here. I’d be honored to guide you all through this maze. I know this place like the back of my hand”. “That’d be great!” Pit piped up. Zelda and Falco also agreed, but Captain N was more focused on the faint sounds of the commotion of city life above through the entrance to the station, but he could detect a faint tension in the air.

Cap’n Cuttlefish slowly hobbled down from the platform and onto the ground, next to the subway tracks. “Don’t worry about getting flattened or anything. C.Q. Cumber hasn’t had much business since Bowser and his henchmen took over the city.” Cuttlefish informed the group. Zelda created another ball of light for illumination as Cuttlefish started to head off. “Ah, thank you, your majesty.” He politely thanked Zelda. At that moment, he noticed the Zapper sticking out of Captain N’s pocket, making his eyes shoot open in surprise.

“Lemme see that pistol!” He ordered. Surprised, Captain N awkwardly took the Zapper out and held it out for Cuttlefish to see. Upon further inspection, Cuttlefish backed away in awe. “...It’s you…” He muttered in awe. “You know about the prophecy?” Pit asked him. “Oh, not just the prophecy, kid. I knew the guy who made that pistol!” Cuttlefish revealed. Captain N and Falco exchanged looks of disbelief.

“But the first hero arrived a hundred years ago.” Falco reminded him. “That’s right! I was 26 when the Great Turf Wars happened, and the hero actually stopped by to help out us Inklings!” Cuttlefish explained further. Captain N stepped closer, eager to learn more.

“What else did you know about my predecessor?” He eagerly asked. Cuttlefish sighed before answering. “Not much. I only spoke to him once. He was older than you, and also pretty mysterious. When I asked for his name, his response was ‘Hero’.”. Cuttlefish admitted. Captain N sighed reluctantly, then pulling out his two Boosters and his Remote Sword. “Did he also have these?” He asked him. “Yes, yes! I remember those!” Cuttlefish eagerly confirmed.

“What about a fourth weapon? Did you notice anything else?” Zelda quickly asked him. Cuttlefish shook his head. “My memory’s a little foggy going so far back. I think he might’ve had a robot hand or something…” He muttered. Pit pondered on this.

“So I’m guessing you lot’re passing through Inkopolis to get to Hyrule Castle?” Cuttlefish asked. “Yeah, exactly!” Captain N confirmed, with Zelda backing away slightly. Nodding in understanding, Cuttlefish turned to keep heading down the subway tunnels. “I’d hate to keep you, but there’s some people along the way that I think you’d really like to meet.”

Chapter Text

The path through the Deepsea Metro led through a labyrinths of tunnels branching off from each other. Cap’n Cuttlefish showed no signs of being lost or even confused by the seemingly infinite layout of the subway as he continued leading the group on, despite his age. Captain N followed him close behind, with Zelda beside him lighting the way with her magic. Pit and Falco watched the back of the group, their weapons drawn and ready for any kind of surprise that would seek to harm them. Running his finger along a nearby guardrail indicated to Captain N that it’s been a long time since the metro was last ventured through, as indicated by the heavy buildup of dust. Outside Zelda’s light was only an empty, eerie silence, filled only by the sounds of the group walking down the tunnels and other ambient noises, such as water dripping from aged, rusty pipes. The urge to strike up conversation with the Inkling and learn more about Inkopolis burned inside Captain N, if only to break the silence, but he feared being reprimanded for giving away their location to any eavesdroppers.

“You can talk, you know. Nobody’s down here except us.” Cap’n Cuttlefish suddenly spoke up, startling the four. Captain N let out a nervous laugh to let off some built up stress, and looked to Cuttlefish as he walked. “Alright then, what were the Great Turf Wars?” He asked him.

“‘Bout a hundred years ago, rising sea levels started to become a problem, and the amount of land to live on quickly shrank. The Inklings got into a big fight with another species, the Octarians, over who gets the land. Tensions got higher, and war was declared. Don’t worry, though. Us Inklings won.”

“Is it possible that the rising sea levels were caused by the invading force that Captain N’s predecessor was brought here to defeat?” Zelda asked him. Cuttlefish sighed and shrugged. “Maybe, I‘ve been busy keepin’ watch ‘round here to read up on all that. I only ran into Hero when he was passing through.” Cuttlefish answered. “Would you know why Hero would take the time out of his mission to help fight the Octarians?” Captain N asked him. “I don’t remember exactly, my memory isn’t what it used to be. Judd served with me in the war as part of the Squidbeak Splatoon, you’re better off asking him.” He admitted. Captain N could hear Falco groan in annoyance, but it didn’t seem like Cuttlefish did. “Well, what happened to the Octarians?” Captain N asked him. “Oh, they’re living in underground domes in places like Octo Valley and Octo Canyon, which aren’t too far away from here. We had our conflict, but it seems like they’re not as bitter about it.” Cuttlefish answered. Pit jumped at the sound of a small rat scampering by, letting out a yelp of surprise. His tensions were eased at the sight of the rat, turning back to the group awkwardly. “Just a rat.” He informed them. “Well, good to know you’re here to protect us from those fiends.” Cuttlefish joked, turning back to leading them on.

“So how far away are these people you’re so keen on introducing to us?” Falco impatiently asked Cuttlefish. “Not too far now, just you wait.” He assured him. Captain N held the Remote Sword firmly in his hand as he walked alongside everyone else, partially to prepare for a surprise attack and partially to get a feel for this new weapon of his. His thumb traced the smooth circle on the front of the handle, careful not to accidentally press it and activate the sword. He eyed a row of aged pipes lining the tunnel with a growing desire to test out what the sword can cut through. The dream of becoming a noble Jedi and wielding a Lightsaber of his very own was one that he held onto for longer than he cared to admit, and the opportunity to try out his own laser sword was incredibly tempting to him.

“Ah, here we are!” Cuttlefish proudly announced. The four almost tripped over themselves as they looked to where the Inkling was facing, finding only a section of incredibly old brick wall. “...You sure your eyes are up to par?” Falco asked him. “I’m still doing fine! Watch this:” Cuttlefish responded, knocking on the section of wall in front of him three times with his cane.

Nothing happened.

“Uh... maybe it’s broken?” Pit awkwardly suggested. Captain N looked down the dark corridors of the empty metro tunnels, but Zelda remained calm. Just as Pit was about to suggest that perhaps Cuttlefish was in the wrong place, a low rumbling could be heard from the other side of the wall. Dust and tiny fragments of stone fell to the ground when the wall parted before them, revealing a massive room packed with computers and other types of machinery that were foreign to Captain N. To the right of the newly created doorway was a purple sea slug with a conductor’s cap, perched atop a large lever.

“Took you long enough!” Cuttlefish scolded the sea slug, waving his cane at it. “Hey, it’s not my fault the other’s eyes are glued to the fifty TV screens we have.” The slug defended itself, surprising Captain N with its ability to speak. Shaking his head, Cuttlefish turned back to the four. “This here’s C.Q. Cumber. Like I said before, he used to be the conductor of the metro before the three kings took over.” He informed them. “Uh… Hey there, C.Q.” Pit awkwardly greeted him. Falco only offered a nod at him, and Zelda waved gently at him. C.Q. Cumber took a look at the group before turning back to Cuttlefish. “If I knew we were gonna be having guests, I would have tidied the place up a bit.” C.Q. Cumber remarked. “Yeah, Cap’n Cuttlefish said there were people here we were gonna want to meet.” Captain N explained, still trying to internalize the concept of a talking sea slug. C.Q. Cumber nodded then hopped down from the lever. “Yes, follow me, please.” C.Q. Cumber instructed. As he slowly made his way back into the room, the four carefully walked behind him, careful to not accidentally step on him as Cuttlefish tried to lower the lever next to the opening back down. Captain N stepped aside to help him with the lever, which he accomplished through some exertion. As the walls rumbled and closed, Cuttlefish stepped back and sighed in relief. “Thanks for the help, Captain N.” He thanked him through heavy wheezes. “That’s what I’m here for, right?” He smirked. Cuttlefish laughed gently and nodded in agreement.

“I thought you said there were people.” Falco called out to Cuttlefish. He put a finger to his chin and thought to himself. “Must be in the surveillance room.” C.Q. Cumber surmised, slowly making his way across the room. Upon further inspection, Captain N found a number of what looked like workbenches holding a mess of disassembled machines of all sorts. Some looked like robot limbs, some looked like radios, and some didn’t look like anything he could describe. Pit was looking at the countless screens that populated one of the walls while Zelda and Falco accompanied C.Q. Cumber to a door on the other side of the room. Captain N and Cuttlefish sat down at a table that was in the center of the room, leaving ten more chairs open around the table. C.Q. Cumber hopped up onto the door and opened it, allowing it to swing open and have light pour into the new room. Several voices could be heard inside the room gasping in surprise.

“Who’re you? And how’d you get in here?” A high-pitched voice interrogated Falco, trying to sound intimidating.

“We’re the good guys. Your Inkling buddies let us in.” Falco answered, his hand on his holstered blaster.

A bright yellow anthropomorphic fox peered out of the room and looked at the group. Upon seeing Captain N and Zelda, he looked back inside and spoke “It’s okay, they’re friendlies!”. Captain N was about to greet the fox, but was surprised to find the fox had two tails. “My name’s Miles Prower, but you can call me Tails!” He cheerily introduced himself, holding out his hand.

“Uh… Hi, Tails.” Captain N replied, getting up from his seat and shaking his hand. How’d you get the nickname?” Falco snickered, earning him a smack from Pit. Two more Inklings came out of the dark room as Tails introduced himself to the other three, one was a girl dressed in a white outfit and white hair, and the other in a black outfit with black hair. “Ah, there you two are!” Cuttlefish greeted the two, starting to get up from his chair. The two quickly stopped him, easing him back down onto the chair. “Take it easy, you’ve done a lot already.” The white-dressed one assured him. “Yeah, you can leave the heavy-lifting to us!” The black-dressed one added. Pit and Tails were shaking hands and exchanging greetings as C.Q. Cumber slithered into the dark room. “Girls, we’ve got some important guests here today. Say hello to Falco of Star Fox Squadron, Pit of Lady Palutena’s Royal Guard, Princess Zelda and Captain N himself!” Cuttlefish introduced them. The two shared a surprised look before turning to Princess Zelda.

“It’s an honor to meet you, your majesty.” The white-dressed one formally greeted her with a bow. “What brings you guys down here?” The black-dressed one asked Captain N. “We were just passing through, Cap’n Cuttlefish found us and insisted we come here.” Captain N explained. “Lucky us, right?” Cuttlefish spoke up to the two.

“So who are you two?” Captain N asked them. “We have our names. You can call me Agent One.” The white-dressed Inkling introduced herself. “And I’m Agent Two-“ The black-dressed inkling followed, but was cut off by Falco.

“That’s Callie, that’s Marie.” He nonchalantly interrupted, pointing at first at Agent Two, then Agent One while leaning against a row of computers. Callie huffed in annoyance as Pit whipped around to see them. “You’re the Squid Sisters?” He asked in awe. Marie nodded in confirmation. “We’d prefer our code names, but whatever.” Callie muttered.

Marie knew Captain N was about to ask who the Squid Sisters were, so she answered his question before he could ask it. “We were a pop idol duo a couple years ago. We did stuff like announce Splatfests and perform our music, but now we’re dedicated to the New Squidbeak Splatoon.”. “So you get to work with celebrities?” Pit eagerly asked Tails. “Eh, you get over it kinda quick.” Tails shrugged off. “Regardless, it’s a pleasure to meet you two.” Zelda said to the Sisters, holding out her hand to shake. “Pleasure’s all ours!” Callie responded, eagerly shaking her hand, followed by Marie shaking her hand more gently. Captain N looked around the room, then back at the Sisters.

“So, I guess this is the secret lair of the New Squidbeak Splatoon?” He asked. Callie rolled her eyes and made a disgusted sound. “Rooms like these were actually created by Kamabo Corporation for secretly testing on Inklings, like me!” She answered, exasperated. “But once they were out of the way, we managed to take control of these rooms for our own use!” Tails chimed in. Captain N considered asking what kind of experiments were done, but decided against it in good taste. “I’m really sorry you had to deal with that, but… is it only you all?” He asked them. “Oh, no, the other’s are still in that room over there.” Marie clarified, motioning towards the door that C.Q. Cumber went into. Turning to Cuttlefish, Falco found him fast asleep while Captain N walked over to the door. Tails, Callie and Marie took a seat at the table and were joined by Zelda and Pit as Captain N carefully knocked on the door.

“J-Just a minute!” An awkward voice rang out from inside, followed by several indiscriminate sounds. Suddenly, the door swung open and knocked him over onto the ground. A small girl with blonde hair, a red dress and red shoes walked out of the room, but quickly looked over Captain N. “Oh no, are you hurt?” She asked him. “Nah, I’ll live.” He joked as he got back on his feet. The girl was soon joined by an old man with a lab coat and a thick white beard and a yellow-skinned reptilian creature with glasses and a lab coat. “I’m guessing you all know who I am?” Captain N asked the three. “Sure do! You’re Captain N!” The girl beamed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain. You can call me Doctor Light, and this here’s my helper: Roll.” The old man greeted him. “A-And I’m Doctor Alphys!” The reptilian creature added, adjusting her glasses.

“We can exchange greetings later, I say it’s time for a meeting.” Callie spoke up from the table. “R-Right, sorry.” Alphys meekly apologized, taking a seat at the table. Callie and Marie were seated next to the sleeping Cuttlefish, who had Falco and Zelda next to him and Tails and Pit seated next to the Sisters. Captain N took a seat next to tails, followed by Doctor Light, Doctor Alphys and Roll taking their seats. Marie subtly nudged Cuttlefish, who suddenly jumped awake. “Oh, heh, sorry ‘bout that.” He apologized with a chuckle. C.Q. Cumber came out of the room and wiggled over to the lever to the secret entrance. “Looks like we’re ready to begin.” Callie stated, then turning to Cuttlefish. “Now, who’s this Captain N guy you brought to our secret hideout?” She asked. “That there’s the hero the prophecy was talking about! Go on, show ‘em your weapons!” Cuttlefish goaded him. Feeling all eyes turn to him, Captain N placed his Zapper, Fire and Ice Boosters and Remote Sword onto the table, which immediately caught the attention of the group.

“Oh my… I was starting to believe the prophecy was a bunch of… never mind.” Alphys admitted, looking at the weapons in awe. Callie and Marie gazed at the weapons with a collective “Ooooooh.” “It’s a good thing you’re not just the guy who lost to Scorpion!” Roll said to him, which stung more than he cared to admit. “But if you’re the Chosen One, then what are you doing here in Inkopolis? This city is teeming with the three king’s forces!” Doctor Light asked him. “We were just passing through, trying to lay low until that fell through.” Pit answered. “So what’re we here for, anyway?” Falco asked, leaning back in his chair. “Well, the eight of us have been hidden down here trying to break into the Comms on those airships that are constantly flying overhead. Doing so should give us a leg up on those awful kings.” Tails answered. “But without having the specific data boxes on the communication towers, we haven’t had any luck.” Doctor Light added. “Others have tried to get the data boxes, but all of them got caught and were sent to the Panopticon.” Alphys said with a glum tone in her voice. “People that were close to us…” Tails sadly added, which Roll, Doctor Light, Callie and Marie nodded in agreement to, silently expressing how much they lost.

“And you want us to get them for you.” Falco guessed. “Oh, please? It’ll be a great help to us!” Roll pleaded. Falco was about to reject the proposal, but got interrupted. “Inkopolis is a nightmare! Legions of Kremlings and Koopa and Waddle Dees marching the streets, airships covering the sky, there hasn’t even been a Splatfest for months!” Callie informed the four newcomers. “Having someone like you show up could be the miracle we’ve been waiting for. With the data boxes, we could finally have an advantage over those monsters.” Marie added.

“We’ll do it.” Captain N declared.

Falco turned to him in shock as Roll, Callie, Marie, Alphys and Tails cheered. “Do you have a plan ready for this? Surely such an endeavor can’t be as simple as climbing a tower and stealing it.” Zelda asked the group. “Actually… it is as simple as that.” Doctor Light answered. “...W-Well, that plan itself is simple. Getting up onto the tower without being captured…. that’s the hard part…” Alphys reluctantly admitted. “Plus, we’re not exactly the ‘action hero’ type. More like the ‘help the action hero’ type.”.

“But we’ve been busy building gadgets that could help with that.” Tails spoke up, getting out of his chair and rummaging through the work tables. Falco leaned into Captain N and hissed “We can’t afford constant pit stops like this.”. “And what, leave them stuck down here?” Captain N whispered back.

“Yes! We can save them later, once we have all the weapons we need.”

“Maybe getting them the data boxes could help us, too.”

The two were about to continue their verbal sparring when Tails returned with several earpieces, which he gave to Pit and Zelda. “These should be able to communicate with each other up to a mile away!” He beamed. “They’re a little uncomfortable…” Pit admitted as he tried to adjust the earpiece. “Such equipment isn’t necessary, I have my own methods of communicating with others.” Zelda informed Tails, handing him back the earpiece. He took them back with a slightly dejected look.

“What about the climbing gloves?” Alphys suggested. Tails snapped in realization and went back to rummaging through the table. While they waited for him to produce the gloves, the table’s eyes returned to Captain N. An awkward silence filled the table as Captain N looked around at the various kinds of people surrounding the table, where he eventually noticed that Cuttlefish had fallen asleep again. “Y’know, you don’t really seem like someone a prophecy would talk about.” Callie admitted. “You’re only saying that because Scorpion beat me up on worldwide television.” He joked. “If it would help your perceptions, Captain N has aided us in defeating the forces of Dracula, M. Bison and Risky Boots in less televised circumstances.” Zelda defended him. “I-I gotta say, it’s a real honor to finally talk to you, P-P-Princess.” Alphys awkwardly stuttered, struggling to make eye contact. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Doctor Alphys.” Zelda warmly replied. As Alphys became a stammering mess, Tails dropped several pairs of bulky, black gloves with glowing bits all over them onto the table.

“Try these on for size!” He said. Captain N and Pit took the gloves and slipped them onto their hands. He found them surprisingly comfortable despite their strange design. He tested the gloves by sticking his hand to the table. When he tried to pull his hand back up, his hand remained stuck to the table. Both Captain N and Pit struggled to get their hands free, making the table chuckle slightly. “Try pushing forward on them.” Tails suggested. Captain N followed his advice and pushed down on the table, which finally freed his hand. Pit got his hand free as well, slipping the glove off. “They work great!” Pit told Tails. “Yeah, such a strange feeling.” Captain N added. Tails beamed with pride. “So what, we go out there now?” Falco asked. “Oh, no! It’s better to get a good night’s sleep before you try to climb a building!” Roll answered. “We have some cots open, so you four can stay here for the night, if you want!”

“Sounds better than sleeping on the ground again.” Captain N remarked. “Thank you, that would be greatly appreciated.” Zelda answered Roll. “I’ll go get those ready for you all! Be right back!” Roll announced, rushing off down a hall close to the door. Pit let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms out. “Say, I’m beat. We had a long day today, you know.” He informed the group.

“What’d you do?” Marie asked him.

“Oh, we had to wake up super early this morning to find the sword in Suzaku Castle-“

Pit quickly covered his mouth, but everyone else perked up in interest.

“You found Suzaku Castle!?” Tails interrogated him.

“As far as you’re concerned, no, we didn’t.” Falco insisted, his glare ending that conversation. Zelda subtly glared at him before Callie and Marie helped Cuttlefish back onto his feet. “We’ll get him to sleep, you guys can still check the place out if you’re not tired.” Marie offered. As the three walked off down the hall, Falco looked over the work table at the various gadgets, until a disc case caught his eye. Intrigued, he picked it up and read out the title.

“‘Mew Mew: Kissy Cu-‘“

“That’s private!” Alphys suddenly declared, snatching the case away from him and hurrying off back into the dark room. Raising an eyebrow at her, Falco eventually shrugged it off and headed down the hall to the makeshift dormitory. As Zelda, Pit and Doctor Light eventually decided to call it a night and head off to sleep, Captain N looked back over at C.Q. Cumber, still on the lever. “Don’t worry about me, Captain. I’ll keep this place secured.” He insisted. Captain N was reluctant to trust the sea slug’s defensive capabilities, but was too tired to protest. Before he could walk off down the hall, he was confronted by Tails.

“So you’re really from another universe?” Tails asked him, which he answered with a drowsy nod. “Would you happen to have any technology from your home world?” Tails asked further.

Captain N felt a lump grow in his throat as the sensation of his phone in his pocket burned more. He reached down and felt his pocket, but then stopped himself from pulling it out. His phone was the only anchor he had to his home world. To his mom, dad, and various social media platforms that connected him to people all around Earth. Giving it up would be losing all of that, the thought of which he could hardly bear.

But his phone wasn’t working anyway.

Tails seems smart, maybe he could fix it, he thought to himself.

After winning a mental battle with himself, he surgically removed his phone from his pocket and handed it to Tails. Before Tails could take it, Captain N looked him in the eyes.

“You need to promise me you’ll take extremely good care of this.” Captain N insisted. Tails met his gaze and observed his pained expression, nodding in understanding.

“I promise, Captain N.”

Chapter Text

“Alright, gear check!” Tails announced, clapping his hands together. Captain N, Pit, Zelda and Falco stood by the section of wall that would part to allow access to Deepsea Metro, fidgeting with the gear given to them by the group. C.Q. Cumber was resting on top of the lever in control of the opening while Cap’n Cuttlefish continued to sleep in the makeshift dormitory. Doctor Light pulled out a clip board and handed it to Roll, who began to read it off. “First: climbing gloves.” She stated, looking from the clip board to the four. Pit, Captain N and Zelda presented their hands, clad with the hastily assembled gloves while Falco continued to fit the glove on his feathered hands. “Heh, sorry, Falco. I-If we had more time, I could have made a better fitting pair…” Alphys sheepishly apologized, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. “Relax, we’re climbing a building, nothing I can’t handle.” Falco waved off, still trying to make the gloves fit. “Okay, second: earpiece communicator.” Roll listed off, looking to Captain N. He tapped the earpiece inserted into his right ear and nodded at her. “Really, they only need one.” Callie assured Tails, who was still holding the other earpiece dejectedly. “I can still reach out to you in my own way.” Zelda telepathically spoke to Tails, making him jump in surprise. “Uh… heh, right.” He awkwardly laughed off.

“Number three: Captain N’s special weapons.” Roll listed off. Captain N felt his pockets, and after ensuring his Zapper, two Boosters and Remote Sword were where they should be, he gave her a solid thumbs up. “Oh, what I’d give to see what’s inside those things…” Tails muttered to himself. “Hey, you got my phone already, that’s more than enough.” Captain N smirked at him, in partial attempt to alleviate the sting he felt from being separated to his anchor to his home world. Pit shook his head, looking to the group. “So the plan’s just… climb the tower and get the data box?” He asked. “That’s the plan.” Marie confirmed while looking over a tourist’s map of Inkopolis, marker in hand. She circled a specific part of Inkopolis and handed it to Captain N. “That’s where we are, that’s where you need to go.” Marie stated, pointing out two circles she made. His attempt to make sense of the map was immediately undercut upon realizing that all writing on the map was written in a language he had never seen before. “Oh, right, you’re from another universe.” Marie remembered, making Callie facepalm. “Here, you try.” He instructed Pit, handing the map to him. His eyes frantically scanned the map before chuckling awkwardly.

“...H-Here, uh, y-you try.” Pit said to Zelda, passing the map to her like a hot potato. Falco rolled his eyes. Alphys looked over some blueprints nervously as Doctor Light and Roll whispered something to each other.

With slight irritation, Zelda took the map and analyzed it to greater success. After a moment of scanning the map, she folded it back up and stored it in her pocket. “The data box is on top of Moray Towers. There’s a Deepsea Metro exit about three blocks away. Navigation to the tower will be difficult, but not impossible.” She stated with confidence in her voice.

“So, we have to actually… climb the tower?” Captain N asked the group before him. Tails reluctantly nodded. “They’re on top of the communication poles, which are about… two hundred feet above the top floor.” Tails confirmed. Captain N felt his palms grow sweaty as his stomach sank. He looked to his three allies, none of whom displayed the level of nervousness he was currently experiencing. “Are you afraid of heights, Captain N?” Roll asked him. He laughed nervously and rapidly shook his head. “Just anxious to get some fresh air, that’s all.” He waved off. Callie groaned. “Ugh, I know what you mean. I’m seriously sick of the stale air down here!” She complained.

“B-But, you know, if we do go up there, we’ll likely get sent to the… P-Panopticon, too.” Alphys meekly reminded her. “Yeah, I know.” Callie responded, rolling her eyes. “No worrying about us, huh?” Falco teased. As Alphys’s eyes shot open and began to hastily polities, Doctor Light stepped forward. “I understand it’s incredibly impolite of us to request this of you, but you four are the most qualified to accomplish this.” He sighed. “No worries, we’ll get your data box!” Pit assured him. As Zelda nodded in agreement, Captain N’s mind began to race again. He had never climbed anything higher than 15 feet, and that was a rock wall in Middle School. The memory of falling off the top of the rock wall and plummeting onto the matting below with a loud thud wasn’t doing him any favors. His palms grew sweaty as his infest continued to worsen. Climbing up the side of a building also leaves him open to any of Bowser’s or K. Rool’s or Dedede’s forces. His gaze fell to the floor, the conversation occurring right next to him fading away.

Captain N was brought back to the present when Pit nudged him slightly. His head snapped to Pit, trying to avoid looking like he wasn’t listening. “Didja hear what I said?” Pit asked him. After briefly glancing over at Tails, Callie, Marie, Alphys, Doctor Light and Roll, he looked back over to Pit, shaking his head.

“I asked if you’re ready to go.”

Knowing he couldn’t back out now, especially in front of those in need, he answered with “Sure am.”

“I’ll lead us out to the Metro exit, you three remain on guard for any attackers.” Zelda instructed, turning towards C.Q. Cumber. He lowered the lever with noticeable effort, and the wall soon parted before them. Carefully peering around the corner, Zelda stepped out into the Metr tunnel once she was confident it was safe, it’s Falco close behind. Pit drew his bow and followed them out after waving goodbye to the group. Captain N was about to follow him out, but was stopped by Doctor Light.

“You mind if we have a word?” He asked him. Looking back to his allies, Falco and Zelda had a look on their face that conveyed “Make it quick.” While Pit was on lookout. Captain N turned back to Doctor Light, and was approached by Alphys and Tails. “I, uh… I bet this is all really weird, huh?” Alphys asked with an awkward chuckle. Captain N sighed and nodded. “It’s been a little over a week, I’ve gotten used to magic and all sorts of crazy stuff.” He replied with a hint of weariness. “I know what it’s like to not feel ready for what’s ahead.” Tails tried to console him, making. Captain N weakly laugh. “Is it that obvious?” He asked, semi-sarcastically. Tails and Alphys exchanged an awkward look as Doctor Light put his hand on Captain N’s shoulder. “I’m a scientist, not a motivational speaker, but for what it’s worth: you’re a lot stronger than you think you are. You’ve accomplished a lot this past week, and I know you’re gonna be a great hero.”. Captain N chuckled slightly to himself. “If I had a nickel for every time I needed a pep talk like that…” He muttered to himself.

“We should get going soon.” Zelda mentally spoke to Captain N, catching him off-guard. Stepping back, he saw Cap’n Cuttlefish walking into the room from the dormitory. “Y’about to head out?” He asked. “Inkopolis isn’t gonna save itself.” Captain N remarked. “Ah well, y’best be safe out there.” Cap’n sleepily replied. “Good luck, Captain N!” Roll called out to him. “We’ll be in your ear, right by your side!” Tails reminded him. “Thank you, stay safe!” Captain N bid them farewell with a warm smile. As he stepped out into the tunnel and the all began to close behind him, he could hear Callie and Marie say “Stay fresh!”.

With a fairly loud thud, the wall closed, leaving the four alone in the empty Metro tunnel. “So… which way?” Pit aside Zelda, trying to remain quiet. She created another orb of light and read the map. Captain N noticed that even though he was close to the orb of light, it emitted no heat. “Not too far from here, we should expect stiff resistance upon surfacing.” She stated, looking ahead. Falco drew his blaster and peered down the tunnel. Zelda lead the way, with Pit nod Falco beside her and Captain N watching the rear through the darkness. The four remained deadly silent as they crept through the tunnel, making sure their footsteps made as little noise as possible. Such silence wasn’t helping Captain N conquer his fear of climbing the tower, but all he could do was march on, hiding this weakness from the others.

The four passed by several Metro stops along the way. Although he was maintaining a safe distance from any prying eyes from street level, he could hear the commotion of the city life. Through the noise of Inklings rushing by and vehicles he could only imagine the appearance of, he could also make out the distinct sound of troops marching in uniform. His heart rate quickened as the thought of the enemies he would face came back to mind. With a nervous gulp, he reflected on his luck so far. He had Simon to bail him out with Dracula and Ryu to distract M. Bison long enough so he could escape, along with having Shantae and her friends to help fight off Risky Boots’ forces.

But now it’s just the four of them in a city of enemies.

No getting bailed out this time.

“Hey, is this thing working?” Marie’s voice suddenly rang out in Captain N’s ear. He fell backwards in surprise with an unflattering yelp from how on edge he was. Zelda, Pit and Falco snapped around, expecting someone to have snuck up on them. “...Guess it is.” Marie surmised. Captain N groaned and got back up, adjusting his earpiece. “Yeah, just… don’t surprise me like that.” He spoke back in a hushed voice. Falco groaned and turned back around to look ahead while Pit and Zelda continued on. “Got it, sorry.” Marie sheepishly answered. He could hear Callie reprimanding her in the background before taking a deep breath and continuing on, jogging slightly to catch up to his allies.

About half an hour passed before Zelda suddenly stopped next to another Metro stop. “Here we are.” She stated, looking up through the entrance to the city streets. Captain N got closer to the platform to get a better look at the population above. The sound of marching troops wasn’t as present, and it sounded like there was less foot and road traffic in general. He could only glimpse a sliver of the skyline, but he silently expressed gratitude at not spotting any airships. “So… we just… march on over to Moray Towers and nab the data box?” Pit asked. Zelda huffed in annoyance. “I do wish we were given a more thought-out plan, but I suppose they weren’t exactly strategists.” “Well, what do you think we should do, then?” Falco asked her. She sighed and shook her head. “It seems that just… climbing the tower is our best option.” She relented. “Bet you wish you could fly now, huh?” Captain N asked Pit, smirking slightly. Pit nodded in reluctant agreement. “Sure do. If only Lady Palutena was here…”

“Well, we’re not doing anyone any favors by wishing we had more allies.” Zelda reminded him, climbing up onto the platform. “Yeah, right…” Pit agreed, joining her and Falco. Captain N then got an idea and tapped his earpiece to activate it. “Hey, can you guys see through security cameras, or something?” He asked whoever was on the other end. He heard some rustling on the other end before Tails answered him. “Uh… kinda. Some we can see, but not others.” Tails admitted. “Ask him if he can see outside the station we’re at.” Falco said to him. Waving him off, Captain N asked the question to Tails. He heard sounds of a computer whirring before Tails came back with “Yep! All clear out there!”. Captain N gave a thumbs-up to the three. “Alright, we’re heading out.” Captain N said to Tails, climbing onto the platform to join his allies. Zelda lead the group up the stairs and out onto the streets of Inkopolis.

After instinctively shielding his eyes from the sudden blast of sunlight in the cloudless sky, Captain N took a moment to observe the city around him. The buildings surrounding him were almost uniformly white and notably taller than most of the buildings he saw in New Donk City. In the distance, he could make out a tall, green tower, along with several airships patrolling the skies above the city. Only a few Inklings populated the sidewalks, most of whom seemed young and wearing presumably trendy clothes. The four didn’t attract too much attention from the resident Inklings, who were too busy with what was going on their own lives or just trying to keep their heads down. “Can you see a traffic light near the intersection to your right?” Doctor Light spoke up in Captain N’s earpiece. He looked over and spotted the security camera on the traffic light post, waving to it. “We can see you from here!” Roll excitedly spoke up from the other end. “What are you doing?” Falco asked Captain N. “Waving to our buddies.” He answered motioning towards the camera.

“Stay focused.” Zelda bluntly stated, looking back to the map. Captain N’s hand fell back to his side dejectedly as Falco and Pit huddled around to see the map. “We can remain hidden if we sneak through the alleyways. We’ll only have to cross three streets.” She explained further. After joining the group, Captain N looked ahead through the alleys. Once they were regrouped, Zelda lead the three across the street and between two buildings. The familiar yet strange architecture of the buildings continued to haunt Captain N as New Donk City did. He kept close to Zelda, making sure to not trip over any garbage bags carelessly tossed somewhat near dumpsters in the alley between the tall buildings. Falco and Captain N would go before Zelda to peer around corners with their weapons drawn in case any problems were present. Pit watched the rear, making sure Zelda was thoroughly defended.

Remaining inconspicuous was the most difficult part of getting to Moray Towers. Captain N, the Princess of Hyrule, the Star Fox pilot and the Angel of Skyworld stuck out like a sore thumb in a city of Inklings. The group remained completely silent, listening closely for any sounds that might indicate they were spotted. Sneaking around became much more difficult the closer the group got to Inkopolis Square. More Inklings populated the sidewalks and crosswalks, and instead of cars being driven down the streets, entire deployments of Koopa, Kremlings and Waddle Dees marched on the roads, all of them carrying the same spears he saw used in New Donk City. Zelda looked back into the map while the group hid behind a dumpster, Captain N silently praying to not be spotted.

“...Is there any way I can help?” Captain N offered Zelda, trying to break the awkward silence and ease some tension. “Just keep watch.” She curtly answered while examining the map. Nodding reluctantly, he looked back over the street the team just came from. Faint pop music wafted through the air from Inkopolis Square, although the singers didn’t sound like Callie or Marie. Pit and Falco remained firm in their battle-ready stances while crouched behind the dumpster, keeping a keen eye out. Captain N shifted uncomfortably several times while he waited for Zelda to come up with some kind of plan. As more of the king’s troops marched by in perfect form, clearly eager to use their spears, he observed the fear present on the Inkling’s faces by their presence. The younger Inklings hid behind their older siblings and some others ran inside as the enemy forces passed. In between the crowd, Captain N also spotted someone he recognized as the man who heckled him to sign his petition, talking to some older Inklings.

“We move, now.” Zelda whispered to the other three. Before Pit, Captain N or Falco could ask any kind of question, she quickly darted across the road towards the alley on the other side. The three hastily followed her, managing to dodge the eyes of any of the Inklings or enemy forces. Fearing he was spotted out of the corner of a Koopa’s eye, Captain N felt his heart race as he clutched his Zapper, leaning against a wall. “We’re not too far now. That was the hardest part.” Zelda explained. “Oh, the hardest part will be climbing the tower while somehow not being seen by anyone.” Falco reminded her. “That’s not helpful, Lombardi.” Zelda said back at him. “Hey, why didn’t we get climbing stuff for our feet?” Pit suddenly asked, looking at his ordinary sandals. “I’ll ask them.” Captain N spoke up, tapping his earpiece. “Hey, why didn’t you give us any climbing shoes to go along with the gloves?” He asked whoever was on the other end. After some rustling and hushed his peeing, Alphys came on the speaker. “Uh… we didn’t have time to make any. P-Plus, we, uh… didn’t get your shoe size.” She admitted. “They didn’t have time to make any.” Captain N relayed to his allies. Falco scoffed, unimpressed as Zelda sighed slightly. “At least this’ll give us an opportunity to work on upper-body strength!” Pit suggested. “Whatever, let’s go.” Falco shrugged off, turning to Zelda. Alphys was hastily sputtering out apologies on the other end of the radio, which Captain N interrupted. “Hey, you didn’t know we were stopping by, we’ll make do.” He assured her, then joining his allies and continuing to sneak through the alleys.

After a few more alleys and streets, the four found themselves before Moray Towers. Being able to get a good look at the towers up close, Captain N found that the towers that the towers were under construction, but hadn't been worked on in a significantly long time. “Look, over here!” Pit yelled to the three from around a corner. Upon joining him, Pit pointed out an entrance to the towers that was chained up several times over. “Time to work your magic, Cap!” He goaded Captain N. Masking his giddiness to use his laser sword, he pulled out the Remote Sword, activated the blade and cut a hole through the gate as if it were hot butter. His sense of satisfaction was cut down considerably after the circular portion he cut out fell to the ground with a loud bang. Captain N and Pit froze up at the noise, but Zelda and Falco hurried inside. “What, you want to make it easier for them to catch us?” Falco asked the two frozen in place. Shaking it off, the two quickly ran inside the interior of the tower. Out of the corner of his eye, Captain N saw a pair of Waddle Dees spot him as he turned the corner ascending the interior of the tower. He couldn’t stop to worry about that as he sprinted to keep up with Zelda. “Are you inside?” Doctor Light asked Captain N through his earpiece. “Yeah, but we might’ve been spotted.” Captain N quietly answered. “What!?” Falco spun around in shock. “We might’ve! We might not’ve!” Captain N hastily defended, struggling to keep up with his running. “We can’t worry about that! Just keep going!” Pit yelled back while running. Falco only groaned and continued to run along with Captain N, who started to fall back more and more. His ability to sprint hasn’t improved significantly yet, and he feared his role as Chosen One might require him to rely on that. “Go, Captain N! You can do it!” Roll cheered in his earpiece, which helped invigorate him and maintain his stride.

The interior of the tower most closely resembled a parking garage with how each platform spiraled up and up. The mostly empty interior of the tower made each frantic footstep on the cold concrete floor echo off the walls, possibly signaling any enemy forces nearby of their presence. Zelda stopped sprinting upon being met with a massive wall blocking any further progress. Pit nearly fell over Falco as he skidded to a halt, with Captain N taking the pause to catch his breath. “How’re you holding up?” Callie asked Captain N through his earpiece. In between wheezing and recovering from his lung burning, he answered with “Just… peachy.”. “We need to climb out this window and climb up from there.” Zelda announced, motioning towards an open window. Captain N peered out the window down below and became slightly dizzy upon realizing how high up they were. By his estimate, they were about fifty or sixty stories high up. The Inklings and deployments of enemy forces more closely resembled ants on the street. “...Guess we gotta start climbing now.” He muttered. “Guess so.” Pit glumly agreed. “I’ll go first.” Falco declared, marching on up to the window while adjusting his gloves. “Hey, hey, you wanna be more careful?” Captain N stopped him. “Do you want me to bring up my time at the Cornerian Flight Academy again?” Falco rhetorically asked him. Relenting, Captain N stepped back and let Falco climb out. The gloves worked as Tails promised they would, and Falco was able to climb up the side of the building with relative ease. It was after watching Falco ascend the side of Moray Towers that Captain N noticed a couple of the airships seen hovering over Inkopolis square were now closer to Moray Towers.

“There are Waddle Dees ascending the tower. We only have a few moments.” Zelda informed them, growing more concerned. “I’ll go next!” Pit announced, leaping out the window and clinging onto the wall while flapping his wings in vain. Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs, making Zelda and Captain N share a concerned look. He really didn’t want to climb up the side of such a tall tower, but he knew he couldn’t avoid it anymore.

“I’ll go.” He decided.

Zelda looked at him with concern as he approached the window while adjusting his gloves. Reaching around the outside of the window, he tested the gloves by sticking them to the wall. After prying it free, he was confident in its ability to hold him up, so he carefully stepped outside the window and began his ascent.

The wind whipped by his face as he dangled near-helplessly of the side of the tower. He could barely keep his eyes open to guide him up the building. He could tell Zelda had already begun her ascent, so he steeled his nerve and continued on. The lack of footing made his climb much more difficult due to him barely being able to support his own weight. Each time he detached his hand from the wall made him risk falling.

He was a long way from Middle School.

Falco and Pit already made significant progress as they climbed with ease. In the midst of the cold air whipping past his ears, he could hear the Waddle Dees spotting him and Zelda climbing up the tower. He tried to ignore them and continue up, but was shot in the left hand by one of the spears, breaking the glove. As he dangled off the side of the building, he shifted into full panic mode. The Waddle Dees continued firing at him and his allies with some difficulty due to their position. Zelda could only push them back with a small wave of magic while she climbed. Pit and Falco had already reached the top of the tower, and tried to fire back on the Waddle Dees from above. Shots from both sides whizzed by Captain N, some nearly hitting him.

Then he remembered the sword.

In a frenzy, he desperately reached down into his left pocket and grabbed the Remote Sword’s handle. His frantic motions caused the sword to slip from his grip and fall, but after his heart skipped a beat, he managed to catch it. He aimed in the general direction of “up”, pressed the back button, fired the grappling hook at the top of the tower, pressed the button again, and began his rapid descent. However, his right hand was still stuck to the wall, and the Waddle Dees continued to fire on him as the Remote Sword still tried to retract the line, threatening to pull his arm right out of its socket. Zelda climbed past him in the crossfire and was nearly at Pit and Falco while he flailed about helplessly. Wiggling his hand around inside the glove, he slipped his hand out of the glove and shot up the building, clinging onto the Remote Sword as if his life depended on it.

Which it did.

Before he knew it, Captain N found himself face-to-face with a large black box on top of a tall antenna. He pressed the earpiece and curled up to make himself a smaller target to the Waddle Dees. “Is the data box a large, black box!?” He yelled into the earpiece to get through the intense winds. “You don’t have yell, you know.” He heard Callie mutter. “Yeah, tear it off there and get going!” Marie hastily confirmed. He tried as hard as he could to pry the data box free, but he couldn’t do it. But the antenna tower offered better footing, so he situated himself, turned the Remote Sword from a grappling hook to a laser sword, and cut out the area around the data box. It proved more heavy than he initially thought as he held it in his arms. Looking down, he saw Falco and Pit still firing back at the Waddle Dees along with Zelda motioning to him to throw it down. While he was initially hesitant to possibly break what he came all this way for, but he trusted Zelda, and tossed it down. She used her magic to slow its descent and gently set it down on the floor. Heaving a sigh of relief, Captain N smiled at having secured the package.

Next step: descend the tower.

Chapter Text

Only upon seeing Zelda safely securing the data box below did Captain N realize his grip on the tower was loosening. A sense of panic took over as he frantically looked around for a safe way down. Seeing one of the airships haunting the sky flying over to where he was stranded only intensified his heart rate and panicked state. His fingers were growing more and more sore as he desperately tried to cling onto the tower, moseying his feet carefully down to try to descend the tower safely. The sharp, cold metal dug into his fingers and only weakened his resolve further. He could hear Falco and Pit fighting off the approaching Waddle Dees through the wind blasting by his face. Captain N looked down onto the roof and met eyes with Zelda, who set the data box aside and motioned for him to jump down. His initial instinct was to refuse this reckless offer and try to carefully climb down. But when he tried that, his footing slipped and nearly lost grip of the tower.

With a sharp gasp and a skipped heart beat, his thoughts on the matter were quickly re-evaluated.

Closing his eyes and bracing himself with his faith in his allies, he psyched himself up a few times before trying to leap off the tower. But his legs weren’t entirely convinced and stayed rooted to the metal holes. Captain N’s instincts kicked in and he desperately clung back onto the tower, now even less willing to attempt that again. Falco turned his head to see the commotion Captain N was causing and groaned loudly. “You plan on coming down here some time today, Captain?” He irritably yelled to him in between firing shots at the approaching Waddle Dees. Captain N could tell Zelda was losing her patience as well, making him mentally chastise himself for his cowardice. But his thoughts were interrupted when his footing slipped and completely lost grip of the tower, plummeting towards the roof. As he flailed his arms around pathetically, he felt his descent slow noticeably. Soon it felt like he was lying on a cushioned mattress carefully being lowered onto the ground. Looking up, he saw Zelda focusing her magic into a small circle beneath him, slowing his fall. Upon being set down, Captain N took a moment to calm his nerves and regain his footing. Pit looked over at Captain N trying to calm his rapidly shaking legs. “See, that wasn’t so bad, now, was it?” Pit asked, half-teasing him. Captain N could only let out a shaky, nervous laugh.

“So, now what?” Falco asked, turning to the group. Upon realizing their way back to the Deepsea Metro was now essentially inaccessible, Zelda put a finger to her chin to think about a back up plan. Pit tried to come up with some kind of plan, but came up empty handed. Captain N tapped his earpiece to activate it and speak to the others. “You guys have any idea on how we should get back to you?” He asked whoever was listening, his eyes glued to the airship drawing closer by the minute. He could only hear rustling of papers and worried murmuring on the other end, which did little to help his nerves. Falco and Pit hurried back to the ledge to fight off the Waddle Dees, who now had special climbing equipment to scale the tower wall. “Uh… well, uh… w-we kinda expected you to… uh… come up with your own escape plan?” Alphys meekly answered, conjuring the image of her hiding behind a clipboard in Captain N’s mind. He groaned loudly in disapproval as he and Zelda continued to scan the rooftop for any possible way down. “We climb back down, we’re sitting ducks.” Pit yelled over his shoulder to the two. “Thanks for the update.” Captain N sarcastically shot back. “But we believe in you! You can do it!” Roll butted in on the other end, trying to be helpful. He sighed, letting off some stress. “I know, I appreciate it, but we need more than good will.” He spoke back into the earpiece. “Hey, how ‘bout you cut a hole down into the tower and we fight our way back?” Pit suggested. “Then we’d be directly in the middle of the pack.” Zelda reminded him. “We’ve survived worse, we’ll be fine.” Falco assured her in between shots from his blaster.

Captain N considered the idea, taking his Remote Sword out and igniting the blade. “Hey Tails, you know how thick the ceilings are in Moray Towers?” He asked into his earpiece. He could hear more papers rustling on the other end as he scanned the rooftop for a potential cutting spot. Zelda ran over to help Pit and Falco as Tails returned to the radio. “Uh… about three feet?” He answered, uncertainty in his voice. With a quick eye measurement of the Remote Sword’s blade, he figured that would work enough. “What’re you planning on doing?” He heard Callie ask him. Instead of answering, Captain N dove down and cut a large hole into the roof, surprising himself somewhat with how easily the sword’s laser blade sliced through solid concrete. The segment of roof crashing down to the floor below made the three others suddenly whip around in surprise. “You know, stuff like that costs money.” Marie softly scolded him on the other end. “Come on, down here!” Captain N yelled to them. Zelda looked like she was about to protest, but noticing the airship drawing even closer and readying its cannons made her reconsider her position on the matter.

“Don’t have to tell me twice!” Pit answered, diving down into the freshly cut hole. Falco quickly followed him down, but Zelda grabbed the data box and dumped it into Captain N’s arms. “We’ll clear the path, you keep that safe.” She ordered him before levitating herself down the hole. Stowing the Remote Sword and getting a better hold on the large, black box, he steadied himself before jumping down into the tower’s interior. The impact made him nearly fall over with his knees immediately buckling from the impact. The data box weighed down heavily on his chest, making him struggle with getting back up. Upon regaining his footing, he found Zelda, Falco and Pit fighting back against a torrential wave of Waddle Dees armed with the same spears he saw before. Zelda managed to conjure a wall of magic that protected the group from the spears, but allowed Falco and Pit to shoot through it. Clutching the data box in one arm, Captain N drew his Zapper and clumsily tried to shoot down some of the Waddle Dees. Summoning her strength, Zelda pushed the barrier towards the Waddle Dees, knocking them all down and out. “We don’t have much time, we must hurry.” Zelda insisted, darting off down the tower. The sunlight streaming through the hole Captain N cut into the roof was cut off by the airship flying directly overhead Moray Towers. “...Yeah, we should get going.” Captain N agreed, rushing to catch up with his three allies.

Still holding the data box under one arm, he tried to run and gun with his Zapper alongside Falco, Pit and Zelda. Waddle Dees came creeping out from every window and doorway, spears drawn and ready to strike. Captain N struggled to keep up with his three allies while also trying to keep the data box safe. His legs still haven’t fully recovered from his climbing session and remained shaky and unsteady as he sprinted down the tower. He could hear more reinforcements being lowered down from the airship onto the roof of the tower, making him sprint even harder to outpace them. Falco and Pit ran through the countless Waddle Dees with noticeable ease, darting between the crowd and placing shots with extreme precision and grace. Zelda struggled a bit more to maintain her swift pace, but her magic was able to keep the countless Waddle Dees at bay.

Soon enough, the four forced themselves through the horde of Waddle Dees and climbed through the hole Captain N had previously cut into the barrier. But as he was escaping, Captain N’s foot got caught in the hole, making him fall on his face. In his weakened state, one Waddle Dee took the opportunity to steal the data box away from him. By the time he had recovered and discovered the data box was taken, Captain N could only glimpse the Waddle Dee disappear around a corner, heading towards Inkopolis Square. With a desperate “No!” Captain N caught the attention of his three allies, who knocked out the deployment of Waddle Dees before noticing something was awry. “Where’s the box?” Zelda quickly asked him, her eyes scanning the immediate area. “They took it. They got the box.” Captain N admitted, hiding his face partially by hanging his head. “They WHAT?” Falco interrogated him while aggressively approaching. “I dropped it for a split second, one of them got it and they went down that way!” Captain N continued, motioning in the general direction that the Waddle Dee went.

“What happened to the data box?” Doctor Light asked him through his earpiece.

“Nothing! It’s under control!” Captain N lied as he hastily got back up onto his feet. Pit quickly ran off down the street he had indicated, shooting down Waddle Dees and other Kremlings and Koopas that came to investigate the commotion. “You better hope we don’t lose that thing.” Falco scolded him before running after Pit. Zelda only let out an irritated groan before she and Captain N ran after them.

“Doesn’t sound like nothing…” He heard Callie mutter on the other end. “We’re handling it, don’t worry!” He shakily assured them, not entirely believing his own words.

After turning a corner, the four spotted the Waddle Dee lugging the data box around another corner with noticeable struggling. But upon seeing its pursuers, it felt revitalized enough to increase its pace and run off. “After it!” Falco ordered, drawing his blaster and sprinting after it. “Wait, Lombardi! Be careful with your weapon!” Zelda yelled at him, running after him. With Pit and Captain N running alongside them, the four became more and more noticeable to the Inklings going about their day or ducking for cover from the assailing forces. Despite lugging the hefty data box, the Waddle Dee managed to keep a lead on the four pursuing him. While chasing it, Captain N could hear the Inklings comment to each other about the chase. Certain phrases he could pick up were “Isn’t that the guy that lost to Scorpion?” and “What’s Princess Zelda in a hurry for?”, but he barely paid them any mind. The sensation of shame he felt losing the data box and letting down not only his allies, but those depending on him in the Deepsea Metro hideout burned inside him. He avoided looking at Pit and Zelda as he ran, fearing they’d shoot him a sour look for causing such trouble.

What kind of hero only makes things worse?

He tried to shake off these thoughts and keep up with the three.

Eventually reaching the square, the Waddle Dee disappeared into a massive crowd of Inklings and hiding from its pursuers. After losing sight of their target, the four stopped to quickly scan the area, but to no avail. “What now?” Pit asked, turning to the other three. “Split up. We can cover more ground that way.” Falco curtly stated. Zelda wasn’t satisfied with this plan, and objected with “But where should-”.

“You go there, you go there, you go there, and I’ll go there.” Falco interrupted her, pointing out four directions across Inkopolis Square.

“But what if-” Captain N tried to object.

“You got a better idea, CAPTAIN?” Falco intimidated him, stepping right up to him.

“...No…” Captain N relented.

“That’s what I thought. Now move!” Falco ordered, running off shortly towards a gray, flashy building that looked like a gear store. Zelda huffed angrily at him before quickly running to investigate a faded yellow food truck. Pit only offered Captain N a sympathetic look before darting through the thick crowd of Inklings. Taking a moment to sigh forlornly, Captain N barely paid notice to the countless neon signs with a strange foreign language written on them. A large tower at the opposite end of the square had a large screen above the entrance which featured an Inkling girl dressed in nearly all white talking to what looked like an Octoling wearing dark clothes. Upon realizing that nearly every Inkling head in the crowd was turned towards him, Captain N was reminded of his goal and quickly ran off down a nearby street, as Falco indicated.

Forced to nearly shove past stray Inklings, Captain N frantically searched through the windows of each and every flashy store he ran past, desperately looking for anything that looked like the Waddle Dee. “Captain N, is everything alright?” Marie asked him through his earpiece. “Yeah! Yeah! Don’t worry, we’ve got it under control!” He assured her through wheezing, labored breaths from sprinting. He heard Tails ask him another question, but his mind subconsciously pushed it to the backseat as he continued desperately searching. Turning another corner, he fell over in surprise from coming face-to-face with an entire deployment of Koopa, each and every one of them armed with spears. Before they could aim and fire, Captain N regained his footing and fled inside a nearby toy store.

The interior of the toy store nearly blinded him with how much the walls were covered with neon colors, along with a large crowd of Inklings of varying ages browsing the various shelves and displays. Quickly turning around indicated to him that the Koopa continued to pursue him inside and were readying their aim. Almost instinctively, Captain N whipped out his Zapper and let off three quick shots, defeating some of the Koopa. Inadvertently creating a frenzy inside the store, the Inklings let out various exclamations of shock and fear as they ducked and hid behind the shelves.

Taking cover behind a shelf showing off wind-up Mario toys, Captain N waited for the Koopa to unleash their volley onto his cover before he stuck his head out. As one of the Koopa walked around the shelf to strike, he quickly shot them before they could attack. Out of the corner of his eye, Captain N spotted the Waddle Dee carrying the data box out the back entrance of the toy store. His impulses took over as he ran around the shelves towards the Waddle Dee. But after being shot at by more of the Koopa, he instinctively dove to the right and ended up crashing through a stacked-up display of action figures labelled The Cheetahmen, making a massive mess. He could hear what he assumed to be the store’s owner yelling at him about the damages, but he ran through the back entrance after the Waddle Dee and completely ignored them.

“Hey Cap, it looks like a Waddle Dee’s got the data box. Are you sure it’s all under control?” Tails asked him, making him grow even more nervous. “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” He yelled into the earpiece, turning even more Inkling heads as he yelled at seemingly nothing. It sounded like Alphys had something to add on the other end, but suddenly got cut off. He couldn’t stop to worry about that while pursuing the thief. He pointed his Zapper at the assailant and before he could let off a shot, he realized that if he missed, he’ll end up hitting an innocent bystander Inkling. Knowing he couldn’t afford to let his public perception sink even further, he stuffed his Zapper back into his pocket and ran even faster after it.

Down streets and through alleys, Captain N was slowly but surely gaining on the Waddle Dee. He could tell it was getting worried about being caught with how its steps were more hasty and clumsy. It tried to lose him around busy corners and past deployments of Koopa and Kremlings, but he was agile enough to avoid any other diversions. The chase eventually led him back to Inkopolis Square, where a large clearing was made for a ring of Waddle Dees to aim their spears directly at him. Realizing he was cornered, Captain N stopped running and held his hands out to indicate he was unarmed. He could hear Inklings murmur to each other about the commotion while observing from behind the ring of assailants. He heard a thud behind him along with even more lively whispering from the Inklings. Turning around, Captain N saw Pit, Zelda and Falco being ushered into the ring with the look of defeat about them. Once the group was huddled in the center, nothing needed to be said to indicate to each other how the search went.

The sunlight streaming down onto the square was then blotted out by a large object in the sky. Looking up, Captain N recognized it as the same ship that held King Dedede. Sure enough, a tractor beam shot down onto the ground, slowly lowering four Waddle Dees carrying a small carriage holding none other than King Dedede himself.

Upon seeing the four, King Dedede let out a smug laugh before addressing them. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t you troublemakers again.” He remarked, eyeing Captain N. His brow curling into a stern frown, Captain N offered him no response. “We’re not as cornered as you might think! We can take these guys!” Pit insisted. In response, King Dedede let out a deep belly laugh. “Oh, I know. But can they?” He asked, and with a flick of the wrist, the Waddle Dees turned their aim to the Inklings.

As the Inklings cowered in fear and tried to hide from the spears, Zelda stepped forward in confrontation. “Dedede, stop this at once! They didn’t do anything to you!” She ordered him. “You want me to let them go? Then surrender!” Dedede shot back. “We’ll never surrender!” Falco insisted, undeterred. Dedede only responded with a smirk and “As you wish, Star Fox survivor.”. The Waddle Dees began charging up the spears, making the Inklings scream in fear. Seeing them desperately try to hide from seemingly inescapable demise, Captain N couldn’t stand to let it happen, and after exchanging worried looks with Pit and Zelda, he spoke up.

“Fine!”

King Dedede turned to Captain N with a smug grin.

“What was that, Captain?”

Captain N let out a deep sigh and hung his head.

“...Fine, we’ll surrender.”

“Smart move, hero.” Dedede mocked him. As he ordered the Waddle Dees to lower their weapons, Falco shot Captain N a furious look. But before he could start yelling, another Kremling came up to King Dedede as the data box was stored away in a transportation crate.

“Sire, we found the source of the transmissions in the Deepsea Metro. We managed to capture most of them, but two got away.” The Kremling explained to him. “They must have fled through the Warp Pipe to the Mushroom Kingdom. Send a deployment out immediately.” Dedede ordered him. The revelation made Captain N’s heart sink, looking at Pit helplessly. He and Zelda didn’t say anything, but the bad news conveyed the dire situation. Falco took to giving him the silent treatment, looking the other direction. The Inklings quickly fled from the scene to inside various stores, but were still watching from inside. Four Waddle Dees came out from the crowd with incredibly complicated handcuffs, restraining the four. “Put them on airship B, I’ll head on over back to base to deliver MY good news.” Dedede boasted, then reactivating the tractor beam and returning to his airship. Being guided along by eight Waddle Dees, Captain N trudged along, hanging his head. As he was pushed onto a loading platform and being raised up to the airship haunting the air above Inkopolis, the situation fully sank into his mind.

He failed.

Chapter Text

“Wait, wait, stop the lift!” King Dedede yelled from below, suddenly halting the four’s ascent to the airship. While four Waddle Dees accompanied the four on the lift, Captain N was able to overhear the conversation between King Dedede and the Kremling below.

“I want them on the Kabula.”

“But sire, wouldn’t it be smarter to transport them alongside the other prisoners?”

“”They’ll get to the Panopticon, but first I wanna introduce them to my two friends. I’m sure they’d be delighted for the opportunity to speak to the needle in their side.”

“But won’t you be in the Kabula as well?”

“Are you suggesting I spend the trip cramped up in that dingy, smelly airship with the rest of those hooligans?”

“No, no! I fear that being in such close proximity to those four would leave you vulnerable to a surprise attack during an escape attempt.”

As King Dedede let out a deep belly laugh, Captain N realized he was struggling to breath somewhat. Because of the altitude, the air was more thin than he was used to. The elevation also provided a better view of Inkopolis and the vast, nearly endless view of tall, white buildings plastered in neon signs and screens displaying newsreels. Several screens displayed a live feed of the airships hovering above Inkopolis Square. The massive crowds of Inklings on the streets could barely be seen from above. He didn’t dare look back at his three allies, fearing what they were currently thinking of him.

“Don’t patronize me, minion. They’ll be secured without any hope of escape, and I’ll be nice and safe in my own private compartment. Need I remind you, it’s YOUR job to worry about making sure the prisoners don’t escape.” King Dedede scolded him. After a brief moment of silence, the Kremling responded with a meek “Yes, your majesty.”, then turning to bark orders up to the Waddle Dees watching the four on the lift. With a strong lurch, the lift shifted far to the right, where a tractor beam from King Dedede’s airship, apparently named the Kabula, engulfed the lift and lifted it up into its interior.

The four were immediately met with the scent of various foods in various states of freshness permeating throughout the air. Captain N was silently grateful that the air pressure changed back to normal once entering the Kabula, allowing him to breathe easier. The underbelly of the Kabula looked incredibly industrial, with gray and brown pipes weaving across and into walls. Two more Waddle Dees were waiting inside, but looked to each other in surprise upon seeing Captain N and his allies aboard the lift. Hushed murmuring was exchanged between the Waddle Dees. Once their discussion was settled, the two picked up their spears and helped usher the four over to the far corner of the loading bay, where their handcuffs were tightly attached to a section of pipe running across the wall horizontally. Captain N’s weapons were taken by a Waddle Dee and kept in a metal box, which a Waddle Dee sat on to keep safe. Captain N kept his head low, taking a great interest in the metallic, aged flooring in order to avoid looking at Pit, Zelda or Falco. The Waddle Dees stepped back to admire their handiwork and take in the high value cargo they now carried.

The tractor beam reactivated once more, and a short while later, King Dedede’s mobile throne was lifted onto the loading bay, still carried by four Waddle Dees. Upon seeing his prisoners, he grinned in satisfaction. “Comfortable?” He sarcastically asked the four. None of them answered, undercutting him somewhat. “Well, take it in while you can! Because once you’re dropped off at the Panopticon, it’s straight to the Maximum Security section with you troublemakers!” King Dedede continued, undeterred. The Waddle Dees carrying his throne hoisted it up and carried it off to his personal quarters as he cackled victoriously. “Oh! Before I go…” King Dedede called back to the prisoners. “You’ve got an appointment with some friends of mine, so be ready!”. The door closed shut behind him, and the remaining six Waddle Dees, spears at the ready, watching over the four silent prisoners.

Time was nearly impossible to measure as Captain N slumped lower and lower from his restraints. There were no windows, and light was only provided with some hazy bulbs hanging overhead. The handcuffs dug sharply into his wrists, but the physical pain they caused was nothing compared to the emotional pain he was experiencing.

He lost.

He failed.

So many people put their faith in him and he failed them.

He forced himself to not shed any tears, fearing the judgment of not only his captors, but his allies as well. If he could even call them his allies now. His eyes remained glued to the floor, frozen in place and not daring to look anywhere else. But he didn’t need to look at the other three to discern their moods. Zelda had her hands restrained so she couldn’t use any of her magic, and was trying to remain calm and collected in such a dire situation. Pit’s mood wasn’t too far from his own, as indicated by the occasional sharp breaths in and out. Falco had an aura of extreme agitation about him. His blood could have been mistaken for Nitroglycerin, as he could tell only a slight prod would make Falco explode. Despite their varying emotions on the matter, each and every one of them remained completely silent, the silence filled only by the unrelenting whirring of the Kabula’s engines and machinery. While the Waddle Dees tried to remain vigilant and dutiful in their responsibilities to watch the prisoners, they quickly grew bored by the lack of any kind of action and slumped back in their makeshift seats.

Trying to alleviate the mood, Pit broke the silence by offering “...It could be worse.”.

And Falco lost it.

“How!? How could it be worse!?”

“T-They could have killed us in Inkopolis Square!”

“What difference does that make!? We might as well be on our way to our execution right now!”

“I-I’m just s-saying we should look on the bright si-”

“Bright side!? We’re on our way to a Maximum Security cell for the rest of our miserable lives and you’re telling me to look on the BRIGHT SIDE!?”

“But-”

“No buts! We lost! That’s it! Captain N, the most amazing and important person in the entire universe, who was supposed to descend from on high and save us all, just gave away an advantage we might have had over them and now all this WALKING across Yamajiro and stopping to rescue kittens from trees was all for NOTHING!”

Falco’s words cut deeply into Captain N. He turned away and tried to avoid looking like he was hurt, feeling more than a few tears well up in his eyes. The Waddle Dees were roused by this sudden outburst and grabbed their spears, ready to intervene if necessary.

“And YOU! You failed, too! You failed Palutena, Zelda failed her kingdom, and I failed Star Fox! We all failed! There is no bright side! There’s no way out, there’s no escape plan, there’s NOTHING.” Falco shot at him, his words seeping with venom. Pit stepped back, obviously hurt by Falco’s words. Zelda still hadn’t spoken at all, but it was clear Falco’s explosion got to her. Silence returned to the group, and things simmered down somewhat. The Waddle Dees, satisfied with the peacefulness, returned to their more relaxed state. Captain N’s mind was racing on what imprisonment would be like. All he ever got was a warning from a police officer back home for speeding on the highway, but that was nothing in comparison to what he feared awaited him.

Not just ordinary imprisonment.

Maximum Security.

A chill ran down his spine as he envisioned a tiny, dimly lit cell with a giant, steel door. His heart raced, his palms grew sweaty, his breathing quickened. He was starting to panic, and Falco noticed.

“Something on your mind, hero?”

Captain N quickly shook his head. “Instigation isn’t going to help.” Zelda finally spoke to Falco. He ignored her and continued to prod at him. “Come on, you’ve got something you wanna say, I can tell.” Falco prodded at him. Captain N couldn’t remain silent, but he also knew he couldn’t admit how scared he was, so he took a moment to steady his breath before he responded.

“...Maybe there’s a way out we just don’t see yet.”

Falco loudly scoffed at this suggestion. “Oh, really? There’s a way out? What is it, then?” Captain N weakly shrugged as he hung. “I don’t know, maybe if we’re patient, we can find something.” He responded, trying to shrink back in realization of how weak this suggestion was. “Y’hear that? Captain Amazing here says there’s a way out. We just gotta wait for it!” He snickered to Zelda. “Is this your idea of helping?” She interrogated him. “No! It’s my way of blowing off steam! I’ve put up with too much time wasting and other stupid stuff, and now that we’re gonna get locked away, I’m gonna have my voice heard!” Falco shot back.

“Well, are you happy now?”

“As long as we’re on this airship, no!”

Zelda huffed angrily and turned away. Captain N closed his eyes and prayed with all his might that he wake up in his ordinary bed and realize he was late for ordinary school in ordinary Midnight Lights on his ordinary planet. He repeatedly prayed “I swear to God, if I get out of here I swear I’ll get right to studying and preparing for college and never complain about tests again.”. But to no avail.

The engine continued to hum monotonously as the four gave each other the silent treatment. A couple of the Waddle Dees drifted off to sleep, their spears falling to their side. For the briefest moment, Captain N considered apologizing to Falco for everything he’s caused. But remembering that this would likely only make the situation worse, he decided to stay quiet.

Until he got an idea.

He leaned over to Falco and whispered “Play along.”. Falco turned to him with a mixture of confusion and irritation on his face, but was interrupted before he could ask any questions. “I never wanted you to come on this journey, anyway!” Captain N shot at Falco after summoning his inner strength. His brow furrowed into an angry shape in response.

“And what, I should have just sat around and helped Princess Peach pick out dresses?”

“The farther away from me, the better!”

“Oh, YOU’RE the real victim?”

“Everyone who knows you personally could be called a victim!”

Falco was about to shoot back an angry snarl, but he spotted the Waddle Dees drawing their spears and coming closer to neutralize the situation if needed.

And then he caught on.

“At least I’m not a loser like you!” Falco snarled at Captain N.

“A loser?” Captain N repeated, genuine irritation forming in his voice.

“Yeah!”

“A LOSER?”

“What are you gonna do about it, LOSER?”

“Guys, stop! Please, this isn’t gonna solve anything!” Pit pleaded. “Falco, Captain, stop this, now!” Zelda ordered the two. “Oh, I’ll show you!” Captain N shot back, jumping up and kicking Falco back. The two immediately clashed in their restrained manner, throwing half-intentional kicks at each other, forcing the Waddle Dees to cut in. They tried jabbing the two with their spears as a warning, but the two suddenly spun around and kicked the Waddle Dees onto their backs, knocking their spears aside. The other four Waddle Dees suddenly sprung up in surprise, but Falco was able to grab a spear with his metal feet and shoot his restraints, freeing him. Quickly darting to the side, Falco proved to be a far more proficient marksman than his opponents, and within moments, all threats in the room were eliminated.

After shooting out the restraints holding up his three allies, they collapsed onto the floor and rubbed their sore, aching wrists. “Thought you’d pull your punches.” Falco remarked. “‘Loser’?” Captain N repeated back to him. “Awesome stuff, but now what?” Pit asked. “Surely there’s some kind of emergency equipment for us to make us of, such as a parachute.” Zelda offered. “The others have surely noticed the disturbance, so we should make our departure as soon as possible.” “Or… we could stay up here for a little while longer.” Falco retorted. “What’s your plan, Falco?” Zelda asked him cautiously. “We’re up here, Dedede’s got nowhere to go, I say we sneak up on him and take him out of the picture.”

“Ooh, good idea! The four of us against him and his goons? He doesn’t stand a chance!” Pit agreed. “I’m not so certain. Dedede could be already alerted of the commotion and is expecting us to make a move. He has the tactical advantage if he’s fighting defensively and he knows we’re coming.” Zelda reminded him. While they were discussing the matter, Captain N stepped away from the discussion to steady his emotions. He wasn’t entirely free yet, but the future where he gets thrown in a cell for the rest of his life was now slightly less likely. His breath was still shaky and his mind was still racing, so he tried taking deep breaths in and out to calm himself back down.

“What say you, Cap?” Pit asked him.

Turning back around to the conversation, Captain N tried to present himself as collected as possible as he voiced his opinion. “We might as well try to take out Dedede. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?” He voiced. “Captain, your bravery is admirable, but we must exercise caution when approaching this.” Zelda retorted. “We’ll be careful! Fighting four-on-one, we’ll handle it fine.” Captain N assured her. After looking at the other two, Zelda relented. “Alright, but if we’re going to stay, we should accomplish other tasks.”

“Like what?” Pit asked.

“The cannon on the bottom of the Kabula. I’m positive there’s a way to disable it within the ship. Falco and I will work on that, you and Captain N clear the path to Dedede’s personal chamber. Do not confront him until the four of us are ready” Zelda instructed the two. “Got it, we’re on it.” Captain N assured her. Falco muttered something to himself, but Pit pulled Captain N off towards the Kabula’s corridors as Falco and Zelda ran off. “You alright, Cap’n?” Pit asked him. Captain N chuckled awkwardly and tried to smile confidently. “Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t I be?” He answered. Pit saw through his ruse. “”Cause… y’know… some of that stuff Falco said…”. Captain N sighed and hung his head, relenting. His words affected him more than he cared to admit. “...We’ve got bigger fish to fry, come on.” Captain N ushered him along. Pit resisted somewhat, detecting lingering hurt in Captain N, but continued on regardless.

“Wait! Don’t forget your stuff!” Pit reminded him, pointing back to the metal box which stored his weapons. Smacking his head, Captain N quickly darted over and stuffed his weapons back into his pockets before rejoining him and creeping into the hallways. The makeshift corridors were incredibly narrow and noticeably small, being built for those of King Dedede’s stature. The walls were once pure white, but were now slightly faded from age, and the flooring below was somewhat shoddily assembled metal grates. As predicted, the Waddle Dees knew something was up, and had their spears ready to go upon seeing the two. The two quickly dove into a corner to dodge fire from the spears, but ended up jumping right in front of another group of Waddle Dees. Captain N hastily drew his Ice Booster and clumsily sprayed the beam in the general direction of the attackers while Pit peered around the corner and fired shot after shot from his bow.

Despite how many of Dedede’s minions were struck down by the two, they seemed to continuously spawn right around the corner. But with enough effort, Pit and Captain N managed to push back against them and make progress throughout the corridors of the Kabula. “If only we had a map of this thing.” Pit remarked to Captain N. “Oh, we could wish for a lot of things if we start going down that rabbit hole.” Captain N shot back with a smirk.

As he switched between using his Ice Booster and Zapper, Captain N was able to swiftly jump around and dodge the spear blasts, keeping pace with Pit. They could tell they were making progress as they ascended the near countless sets of stairways and the walls got slightly cleaner as they went along. One spear shot whizzed right past Captain N’s face, making him fall over in surprise. Another Waddle Dee snuck up behind him from behind, but he was able to shoot him down as he lied on his back. “Come on, now’s not the time for a nap!” Pit joked as he helped him back up. Rolling his eyes with a smile, Captain N joined him as they ran down even more corridors.

Almost immediately after spotting a rather regal set of doors at the end of a corridor, the doors burst open, revealing King Dedede wielding a massive mallet. “You just HAD to make a mess, didn’t you!?” He yelled at the two. Captain N and Pit tried firing at him, but their shots deflected off of the energy barrier that surrounded him. Before they could come up with some kind of backup plan, King Dedede charged at them with his mallet raised and a mighty battle cry. The two were only just able to dodge the swing of the mallet, which left a massive dent in the wall he struck. Captain N jumped behind King Dedede and activated his Remote Sword’s blade and tried stabbing at the barrier surrounding him, but to no avail. King Dedede was quick to respond and strike him in the stomach with his mallet, knocking the wind out of him. As he doubled over, desperately trying to get his breath back, Pit divided his bow into two blades and charged at King Dedede. Even though he was faster and smaller, Pit failed to break through King Dedede’s defenses. Just as Captain N got back up, he heard three more Waddle Dees come up from behind, which he took care of with a blast of his Fire Booster.

“You’re just wasting my time!” King Dedede boasted, pushing Pit back further and further. Captain N got his Zapper out and tried to accurately shoot the Waddle Dees that tried to sneak up on Pit. King Dedede broke through Pit’s shaky defenses and knocked him down with a strong strike from his mallet. He took this opportunity to gloat to his downed opponents by waving his mallet in the air. But this celebration was cut short with him being enclosed in a glowing yellow barrier. Rolling over, Captain N saw Falco and Zelda behind him, having returned from their task.

“I instructed you to not confront him until we’ve regrouped!” Zelda scolded him.

“We didn’t have a choice!” Captain N groaned as he got back up, feeling the massive sore spot left by King Dedede’s mallet. “Did you find a way out?” Pit asked, dashing over to the group as King Dedede tried to escape his prison. “Kind of. We still have to find parachutes.” Falco answered. After banging on the magic barrier a few times, King Dedede wound up and broke through with a powerful swing.

“Time to improvise.” Captain N noted, turning to run off with the rest of the group. “We found an emergency exit down these halls, keep up!” Falco yelled over his shoulder to Pit and Captain N. As they struggled to maintain pace, Zelda and Falco fought back against the seemingly endless waves of Waddle Dees that poured out of every room and corner of the Kabula. Falco suddenly skidded to a halt right in front of a large metal door. “Cut it open.” He ordered Captain N. Not wanting to waste time arguing over how to politely ask, he got his Remote Sword back out and cut a large hole in the door, which immediately fell away and unleashed a massive cold vacuum inside the ship, which threatened to suck them out. Peering below, Captain N could only see a tiny island in a massive, blue ocean.

“We’re forgetting the parachutes!” Pit reminded them. “Can you use your magic to make sure we land safely on that island?” Falco asked Zelda. “I’m partially confident!” Zelda yelled, trying to be heard through the screaming winds. “Are you or are you not?” Falco asked her back.

“I can!” Zelda definitely answered.

King Dedede suddenly rounded the corner, brandishing his mallet with a sour face to match. “I trust you, Princess!” Captain N yelled to her, and dove out the Kabula.

Chapter Text

If Captain N had taken it upon himself to keep a nickel every time he made a decision he would immediately regret, his wealth would surely rival most millionaires.

As the ice-cold air shot past his face as he plummeted towards the vast, endless ocean, his momentary bravado was replaced with panic. He tried to maneuver his body around to look back up at the Kabula. The fierce winds kept him from opening his eyes all the way, but from he could make out from behind his squinted eyes, he couldn’t see Pit, Zelda or Falco anywhere in the sky. All that was visible to him was the unnaturally blue sky and a vague, dark shape that represented King Dedede’s airship: the Kabula. He began to panic even more as he flailed around frantically, falling faster and faster. He tried calling out to his three allies, but the intensity of the winds invading his ears meant not even he could hear what he was saying, even when screaming at the top of his lungs.

Flailing back around, he saw the ocean beneath him was incredibly rough and populated with massive, roaring waves. The island, while rather small in radius from his perspective, featured a massive mountain surrounded by a large jungle. But he couldn’t focus further on this island when he was falling faster and faster.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t orient himself as he fell. His heart was threatening to break free of his rib cage in a desperate attempt to escape. His ears rang loudly as he fell, protesting the volume of the winds that screamed past his head. The more he tried to orient himself, the more he made himself disoriented, flipping and spinning around recklessly.

This is it, he thought to himself.

This is how Captain N dies.

Alone, far from home, smashing into the ocean after diving out of an airship.

His luck had to run out eventually, he figured. Challenging so many powerful people had to catch up to him eventually.

But he didn’t want to die.

Not here, not yet.

He closed his eyes and let his body fall limp as he fell, trying to take a last moment of peace for himself before his death. His mind filled with all the things he wished he could have said to his mom and dad before. But they all came back to “I love you” and “I’m sorry”.

As he continued to fall farther and farther from the sky, he eventually found solace in one thought: He’ll die a noble death. His life will have ended fighting an oppressive regime plaguing an entire planet. Even though he’ll have failed, he stood up for what was right in the face of overwhelming odds.

Which he doubts his classmates back home could say.

He could sense the impact with the surface of the ocean was mere moments away, so he fell limp and, stomaching some deep-rooted fears of death, accepted his fate.

Moments before he predicted he would die, he suddenly felt his descent rapidly slow down. Opening his eyes, he was able to see three vague shapes above him, who he immediately recognized as his three allies. He dared not look down at how far he was from the ocean, so he only let out a massive gasp of relief at being spared death.

“Brace yourself.” Captain N heard Zelda telepathically speak to him.

Tensing up his body for impact, he was suddenly thrust towards the island at a rapid pace. In only a few moments, Captain N’s descent came to a finish with him crashing into the island’s beach, rolling to a halt. Frozen in place, Captain N took a moment to assure himself that he was on solid ground, and didn’t die. The air surrounding him was much more docile and warm, gracing his skin with the beach’s gentle breeze. Aside from the faint noises of the Kabula above, the only sound his ears could pick up were the waves gently rolling in and out of the shoreline. After gripping a handful of the soft sand in both his hands as if he was afraid it would vanish before him, he slowly began to get back on his feet. His legs weren’t entirely ready for the task however, and quickly buckled beneath him. As he struggled to maintain a solid footing, Falco made impact on the beach in much the same way he did, however with a much quicker recovery. “Need a hand, daredevil?” Falco asked him, holding out his feathered and to him. Firmly taking Falco’s hand, Captain N was suddenly hoisted up onto his feet. Falco helped him steady his footing on the shifting sand.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t think you had it in you.” Falco remarked. “Neither… did… I.” Captain N panted as he tried to collect his nerves. The two were soon joined by Pit swooping down onto the sand and Zelda delicately lowering herself onto the ground with her magic. “Nice jump, Cap’n!” Pit congratulated him. Before he could shakily thank him, Zelda turned to give him and Pit a stern look. “Were you two not instructed to wait for us to join you before confronting Dedede?” She asked the two. “Hey, it wasn’t our fault! He snuck up on us, right, Cap’n?” Pit defended, turning to Captain N. Still breathing in and out shakily, Captain N’s only response was him rapidly nodding his head. “Well then, perhaps you could have snuck up on him if you had moved about more quietly.” Zelda scolded them. “Oh, come on! That’s a ton easier said than done! There was, like, a million of those Waddle Dee guys!” Pit pleaded defensively. “Y-You guys managed to disable the cannon, right?” Captain N asked Zelda and Falco, after summoning enough strength to speak clearly. “I’d be surprised if we didn’t. Ripping out cables and parts seemed to do the trick.” Falco shrugged off. Looking above them, the group saw the Kabula slowly approaching the island.

“We should hide somewhere.” Pit suggested.

“And then what?” Captain N nervously asked him, looking up at the massive airship.

“We’ll figure that out later, now move!” Falco ordered. Without a single protesting voice, the three hastily followed him into the thick jungle marking the edge of the beach. Before his view of the mountain was obscured by the tall, tropical trees, he could just make out the shape of an ape’s face carved into the mountainside.

In an attempt to match the pace of his more graceful and solid-footed allies, Captain N stumbled over every stray branch and dangling vine as he tried to escape the prying eyes of King Dedede’s forces. The trees of this island were much taller than those he familiarized himself with when venturing to Castlevania and Suzaku Castle, and also seemed more tropical. There were fewer branches and leaves at the top of the trees, but the leaves were far bigger. Pit ran at the front of the group, using his two blades to cut away branches and vines that opposed him. The rustling of the island’s wildlife could be heard as they sprinted through the foliage, but there were bigger threats at hand.

“I think we lost ‘em. For now, anyway.” Pit declared stopping against the trunk of a particularly large tree. Falco and Zelda came to a halt, but Captain N tripped on a large rock and fell over. With a slight groan, he got back onto his feet and dusted the leaves and grass off of his jacket. “So… what now?” He asked the three. Falco reached into his pack and got the map back out, scanning the ocean closest to Inkopolis. “Looks like we’re on one of these three islands.” He noted, circling three small land masses in the massive blue body representing the ocean. Zelda took the map from him and analyzed it closer. While the two looked it over, Pit and Captain N took a seat on the dirt ground, taking a moment to catch their breath. It seemed like King Dedede’s ground forces hadn't arrived yet, as the only sounds that surrounded the group were the gentle rustling of leaves and the chirping and mating calls of various fauna. Captain N wondered to himself what these animals could possibly look like, not ruling out any possibility in terms of their appearance. Surprises lurk around every corner, whether he likes it or not, he thought to himself.

“Ah, here we are!” Zelda announced, pointing to a specific island, almost impossibly small to see on the map. Pit and Captain N peered over her shoulder to get a better look at the map.

“‘Donkey Kong Island’?” Captain N read aloud.

“Correct.” Zelda confirmed, drawing a line back to the mainland from the island. “From here, we’re roughly 2,200 miles away from Hyrule.” “And all that’s between us and there is… an entire ocean.” Pit deduced, slightly intimidated by the massive size of the ocean. “Yep.” Falco glumly stated, kicking a small rock nearby. Captain N felt a wave of guilt overtake him, believing it was his fault that they were now stranded on this island, incredibly far away from their destination and cornered by one of their greatest enemies.

“Well… what do we do now?” Captain N finally asked. “Simple! We hold out here, find some fruits and stuff to eat, wait until Dedede’s minions come down, steal one of the crafts, get back up to the Kabula, hijack the ship and sail on over to Hyrule Castle.” Pit announced with pride in his voice. “No, that won’t work. King Dedede’s proven himself a worthy adversary for even the four of us, and he’ll be prepared for us to attempt such a plan.” Zelda reminded him. Pit snapped his fingers and disappointment and got back to thinking.

Just then, Captain N heard a rustling behind him. Instinctively drawing his Zapper and whipping around to aim, he couldn’t spot anything that could have made the noise behind him. Not letting his guard down, he leaned back slightly to address his teammates. “Hey, anything live on Donkey Kong Island that’s worth warning us about?” He asked over his shoulder. Zelda was quick to answer. “Well, it’s mostly populated by the Kong species, but other inhabitants include-”

Zelda was then interrupted by a small object suddenly shooting out from the foliage and hitting Captain N and the head. Letting out an exclamation of both surprise and pain, he crouched down to aim and inspect the object that just hit him. As Falco and Pit aimed their weapons in the same direction, Captain N found the object that hit him to be a peanut, still in its shell.

“What the-”

More peanuts started shooting out of the foliage at the group. Zelda created a protective barrier around the three as they fired near aimlessly into the general direction of their attacker.

“Wait! Wait! Hold fire!” A voice called out from the foliage. After this voice rang out, the peanut assault ended, allowing the four to lower their defenses. “Looks like the three king’s weapons budget ran out.” Falco remarked. “No, this isn’t their doing…” Zelda corrected him, closely inspecting the peanuts.

A short, bipedal pig with round glasses nervously emerged from the foliage to greet the four. “You four wouldn’t happen to be forces of K. Rool’s or Bowser’s, correct?” He asked them. “No, are you?” Captain N asked him. He quickly shook his head. “Goodness, no! You can call me Professor Chops.” He introduced himself with a small bow. “Hey there Professor Chops, you sorry for flinging peanuts at us?” Falco asked him, leering. “Oh, of course! But that wasn’t me, that was my companion.” He answered, turning to motion to someone behind the shrubbery. After a brief moment of awkward silence, a chimpanzee-monkey animal with a red shirt and cap swung out from the branches and perched itself above the group. Captain N also noticed the chimpanzee-monkey was wielding two wooden pistol-shaped objects, which he surmised was used to unleash the volley of peanuts.

“My name’s Diddy Kong, I’m one of this island’s protectors. We don’t have much, but those brutes continue to threaten our livelihood!” Diddy Kong grumbled as he introduced himself. Diddy Kong swung down to get closer to the four. “Sorry ‘bout the whole attacking you thing, we really only get visitors that try to steal from us.” Diddy Kong apologized to the group. “Don’t worry, none taken!” Pit waved off. “You four don’t look like you’re from anywhere near here.” Professor Chops noted. “We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to intrude on you like this. We had a… detour.” Captain N answered, trailing off near the end. “You wouldn’t happen to know a way off this rock, would you?” Falco asked him, pulling his hand away from Diddy Kong. “...Well, sort of.” Professor Chops answered. “What do you mean ‘sort of’?” Captain N asked him. “We know someone who could help you! He’s back where we live, we can take you to him.” Diddy Kong clarified. “I’m not so certain that’s a good idea. We might bring trouble along with us, in the form of our pursuers.” Zelda warned them.

“Why’s that? Didja do something to tick off the three kings?” Diddy Kong asked. “Oh, yeah we did.” Pit sighed, slightly embarrassed. Before they could ask any more questions, Captain N stepped forward. “I’m the guy the prophecy was talking about. We’re on our way to Hyrule to get the last of the four weapons, but we barely avoided being captured and sent to the Panopticon.” He explained as simply as he could. Professor Chops and Diddy Kong looked at each other in shock, then to Captain N.

“So you have three of the four weapons?” Diddy Kong asked him.

Nodding slightly, he produced the Zapper, two Boosters and Remote Sword for them to see. The two stared at the weapons in amazement, making Falco impatient again.

“So shiny…” Diddy Kong muttered.

“Come with us, quickly.” Professor Chops stated, turning back to where he came from before any objections could be raised. Diddy Kong waved the group along as he swung from branch to branch using his limbs and tail in perfect form. The four were more hesitant to follow the two, huddling close to discuss the matter privately.

“Should we follow them?” Captain N whispered to the others. “They could be luring us into a trap, for all we know.” Falco surmised. “But we don’t really have any other way off this island.” Pit reminded him. “We’ll handle it, right? We’ve survived every other run-in we’ve had so far, we can handle them if we need to.” Pit assured him. Zelda remained quiet, mulling the problem over internally. Captain N wanted to believe that these new people could help them, but he didn’t want to risk them getting thrown in jail along with those he met in Inkopolis. The thought of them suffering in a cold, dark cell, and it being essentially his fault, weighed down on his mind tremendously.

“What do you think, Princess?” Captain N asked her. She sighed softly before answering. “...We approach this with caution. Move swiftly and do not risk their safety. I don’t want any more to be imprisoned because of us.” She finally answered. Falco groaned at being in the minority, but nodded reluctantly. “Fine. Let’s make this quick. The sooner we get off this rock, the sooner we get to shove those weapons down the king’s throats.” He agreed.

“Are you coming or what?” Diddy Kong called out to the four from above a tree. “We’re coming!” Pit assured him. As Diddy Kong continued on, Pit and Falco followed closely behind, but Captain N stopped Zelda to speak with her.

“Thank you for saving me from falling, back there.”

“Well, of course, Captain.”

“No, really… thank you.”

Zelda didn’t need her magic to read Captain N’s thoughts. The fear of death and failure was ever-present in his eyes and voice. The two shared a brief moment of silence.

“...Of course, Peter.”

Smiling weakly at her, Captain N turned to follow the group into the jungle, feeling more ready to confront the unknown with Zelda alongside him.

Chapter Text

As he used his Remote Sword to cut away branches and other foliage that obstructed his path, Captain N couldn’t help but drift behind the rest of the group. Not only because Diddy Kong and Professor Chops were far more used to traversing through the jungle, but because his body could only take so much of the adventure. His joints and abdomen protested slightly with every motion he made, forcing him to restrain vocalizing these moments of pain and keep up an image of strength and willpower one would associate with a predestined hero. Tracing the general area on his stomach where the soreness was greatest, he surmised that he got these injuries not only from facing King Dedede on the Kabula, but also from previous altercations he had with Risky Boots, Scorpion, Cammy White and even Dracula. While his body didn’t hurt nearly as much as when he fought them, they certainly left their mark on him. A chill ran down his spine at remembering his encounters with his past enemies, with his mind reminding them that they were still out there. Not to mention Bowser, K. Rool, M. Bison, and whoever else wanted him lined up with his allies and shot.

Along with those back in Inkopolis.

Callie and Marie, Dr. Light and Roll, Tails and Alphys, all so young and full of hope. But thanks to him, they were captured and shipped off to the highest security prison on the planet. Cap’n Cuttlefish and C.Q. Cumber, too. The more Captain N’s mind raced, the slower his pace became. He trudged along at the back of the group, with Diddy Kong, Pit and Falco and the front and Zelda and Professor Chops right in front of him. His arm wielding the Remote Sword fell to his side as he retracted the blade back into the handle and stored it back in his pocket. He stumbled over a fairly large rock wedged into the ground, making him fall forward. While he was able to catch himself, his body cried out in pain, making him let out a pained groan. Professor Chops and Zelda turned around as Captain N got back up and dusted off his jacket. “Are you alright… I’m actually just realizing I didn’t get your name.” Professor Chops admitted. “You can call me Captain N.” He introduced himself. “And yeah, I’m fine, thanks.”

“Are you sure? It sounded like you hurt yourself quite-”

“Don’t worry, I’ve survived worse.” Captain N cut him off, slight irritation surfacing as a result of his exhaustion. “Right, my apologies…” Professor Chops trailed off, turning to continue on. “We apologize for not introducing ourselves properly, Professor. I am Zelda of the Kingdom of Hyrule, and accompanying us is Falco Lombardi and Pit.” She spoke to him, motioning to the two walking beneath Diddy Kong as they trudged on. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you all, Zelda of Hyrule!” Diddy Kong greeted her back from in front of the group. Captain N’s pace was even slower now, trudging along in an almost zombie-like manner. His head hung as he kept his eyes on the ground directly in front of him in order to not fall over and hurt his body even more.

The trek continued suddenly up a steep hill, threatening to make Captain N fall even further behind. His legs had suffered plenty up to this point, so he made the ascent with a slight limp. “Hey, how far away’s this place you’re taking us?” Falco finally asked Diddy Kong. “Not far now! Try to keep up!” Diddy Kong assured him. “How’ve you guys been able to get by on an island while dealing with those goons?” Pit asked him. “...It’s been rough, ya know? We’ve had K. Rool trying to steal our bananas before, but… we’ve never seen anything like this before.” Diddy Kong answered with a slightly mournful tone. “Wait, you’re familiar with the kings?” Captain N spoke up from the back of the group. “Only K. Rool. Those other two never bothered us before.” Professor Chops answered. “What did you say they wanted? Bananas?” Falco asked over his shoulder. “Those kings have massive armies, and the underlings gotta eat something, and they don’t like to ask for that stuff nicely..” Diddy Kong responded, somewhat bitterly. “Sounds like you’ve got some really tasty bananas.” Pit surmised. “Oh, they’re delicious! You should try some!” Professor Chops offered. The thought of fresh, golden yellow bananas almost hypnotized Captain N and only served to remind him of how much he needed something to eat. Motivated by a fresh meal, he swallowed his inner weakness and quickened his walking speed to catch up to his allies.

Just then, the sky above the group darkened and a few of the birds perched on one of the higher branches flew off. Looking up, Captain N saw the massive outline of the Kabula hovering directly above them, silhouetted slightly against the sun still hanging high in the sky. Its incredible size proved intimidating enough for him as he felt his resolve grow even weaker than it already was. “Quickly, hide!” Zelda ordered. Diddy Kong and Pit quickly darted off beneath the shelter of a large tree and hid under a massive pile of branches and leaves, and Falco, Zelda and Professor Chops ducked beneath a small ledge. Frantically looking around, Captain N couldn’t immediately see anything that would provide a suitable hiding place. All the nearby fauna had fled and left him completely isolated in the center of the small clearing beneath the Kabula. As if he could feel King Dedede leering down on him from above and before Zelda could telepathically remind him to hide, he decided to opt for the less graceful option and darted off deeper into the jungle. His legs protested against the running, but he shoved the burning sensation to the back of his mind. He knew that using the Remote Sword to clear away the foliage as he ran would only give away his position, so he instead ran straight through the branches and leaves that obstructed the path ahead. His face was struck with branch after branch and their large, tropical leaves, only making him feel even more panicked. He didn’t dare look back and see if he was being pursued by two or ten or even a thousand of King Dedede’s troops. His sneakers barely scraped the dirt as he sprinted further into the jungle. Without even knowing it, his improvised path led him further up the hill at a much steeper incline. Almost inevitably, his footing slipped and made him fall forward. His mind reacted fast enough this time and allowed him to catch himself, only slightly scraping his palms as he readjusted his form and continued running.

When he finally found a spot beneath a large overhang that he declared suitable enough to hide in, his lungs immediately filed a complaint against the excessive running. He tried to stay as quiet as he could to avoid detection but couldn’t help but loudly wheeze in and out in a desperate attempt to recharge. While a few birds and small critters could be heard scuttling about near him, but through the tops of the trees obscuring his view of the sky he could still spot the Kabula, having not moved at all. This made him realize how far he ran in such a short time. With a weary chuckle, he reflected on his times for the mile run back home. Nothing provides an opportunity for self-improvement like a life-or-death situation. He slumped down against the nature-made wall of earth behind him and felt his legs immediately begin to heal. Succumbing to his exhaustion, his eyes closed on their own accord and he fell into a deep slumber.

After how long, he couldn’t know, but his sound sleep was disturbed by a slight stirring in his mind. He slowly opened one of his eyes and couldn’t spot King Dedede or anyone that looked like they were taking orders from him, so he shrugged off the feeling and returned to his sleep. But he heard a rustling in the foliage soon after. Adrenalin still had not cooled down entirely, his eyes shot open as he jumped onto his feet and drew his Zapper. The Kabula was no longer menacing the sky above the island, but for all he knew, King Dedede sent down some Waddle Dees to take him out. He couldn’t spot anything, but the rustling was only getting closer. His heart pounded in his ear and his hands clutching the Zapper started to shake while trying to spot whatever was coming closer. What kind of wild animals lived on this island, he thought to himself. The past week and change have taught him that he really doesn’t know what to expect. Maybe some kind of twenty-foot long snake with three heads that can spit acid, or a giant canine that breathes fire. Could they talk, too?

The foliage before him started to rustle. He collected his nerves and aimed his Zapper directly at it. He could feel a single drop of sweat trail down his forehead as his ears heightened their acuteness. The moment he saw a flash of color behind the greenery, he let off a shot. “Hey, hey, it’s us!” Pit’s voice called out to him. Captain N immediately lowered his guard and sighed in relief. Diddy Kong, Pit and Zelda appeared from behind the foliage, with Falco and Professor Chops behind them. “Oh, good! He’s safe!” Professor Chops cheered. “I didn’t hit any of you, did I?” Captain N nervously asked them. “Almost hit me, but I’m good!” Diddy Kong assured him. “Might be different in your home world, but we don’t really like friendly fire in this universe.” Falco half-scolded him. “Hey, come on, you could’ve warned me!” Captain N defended. “How’d you guys find me, anyway?”. Zelda waved her pointer finger, creating yellow sparks from her fingertip. “Right, magic…” Captain N sheepishly remembered.

“The Kabula flew around to the other side of the mountain. It seems that Dedede is seeking to strike us from above to avoid getting him or his troops personally involved.” Zelda surmised. Captain N groaned in understanding as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Perhaps they see it as an easy victory, you four being trapped on this island.” Professor Chops added. “No way, we can take ‘em!” Pit confidently declared. “Hey, speaking of which, how do we get off this rock?” Falco asked him and Diddy Kong. “The answer’s right up there!” Diddy Kong answered, pointing just past Captain N. Further up the hill behind him was a rondavel hut held up by tall stilts, with a sign reading “Kong” right above the door. “Everyone else is in there, you’ll wanna talk to them.” Diddy Kong continued.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Pit announced, racing off towards the hut. Falco and Diddy Kong matched his pace, and Captain N tried to keep up with Professor Chops and Zelda. The brief nap he had did little to restore his body’s strength, but all he could do was grit his teeth and muscle on.

Two ropes dangled down from the hut for the group to climb up. Pit, Diddy Kong and Falco were able to quickly ascend the small tower, but Professor Chops hesitated when his turn came. “Something wrong, Professor?” Captain N asked him. “I really hate to ask, but could you help me climb? This rope’s made for Diddy Kong and his friends and not someone like me.” He reluctantly asked, turning away from him and Zelda. “Of course, now, hold still.” Zelda answered, focusing her magic on him. Professor Chops was soon enveloped in a field of glowing yellow energy and began to carefully ascend the tower. His eyes shot open and he tried to orient himself, but before he knew it, he was gently placed on the platform above. “Thank you, Zelda! I’ll be sure to repay you somehow!” He graciously thanked her. “It’s no trouble, you shouldn’t worry about such things.” Zelda assured him. “Do you need any help climbing this, too?” Professor Chops asked the two. “Nah, we’ve got it, right?” Captain N answered, then turning to Zelda. Answering with a polite nod, Captain N turned back to Professor Chops and informed him “Yeah, we got it!” “Well, then… if you insist!” He relented, disappearing inside the hut. Captain N then took his Remote Sword and weighed up the pros and cons of using the grappling hook to lift himself up onto the platform. Sure, it would be easier on his body, but it risked breaking the boards holding up the hut, and possibly the stilts.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you.” Zelda informed him, able to read his thoughts. “Right, yeah.” Captain N agreed, stuffing the Remote Sword back into his pocket. He then stepped aside and motioned towards the rope with a polite “Ladies first!”. Zelda smirked slightly before beginning her own ascent up the small tower, aided somewhat by her magic. Once she was finished, Captain N hooked his feet against the crossed poles making up the stilts, grabbed the rope with all the strength he could muster, and began his climb. His arms almost immediately gave out, but with a strained groan, he managed to cling onto the rope. Slowly and surely, he managed to cling onto the footing and climb up the rope. Once he reached the top, he was consistently groaning louder and louder with his body getting progressively weaker. When he tried to grab onto the platform, his grip failed him and slid off. All he could respond with was a surprised yelp, but Zelda was able to catch him with her magic before he fell. Lifting him up and carefully setting him down, she looked over him with concern. Captain N rolled onto his back and let out a deep sigh. “Thanks, Princess…” He wearily said. “Are you injured at all?” She asked him. He lazily waved his hand in the air. “Nah, just tired and sore… all over.”

“You two coming in or what?” Falco asked, peeking out from inside the hut. Captain N weakly nodded. “Yeah, just… gimme a minute or three.” “We’ll be with you shortly.” Zelda added. Falco only shrugged and disappeared back inside. Zelda used her magic to help Captain N back onto his feet. Once he was steady, he slowly made his way inside the hut.

The first thing he noticed upon entering was the unmistakable scent of fresh bananas. The wood panels creaked beneath him with each step, and the gentle light of evening streamed in from the window. After being almost blasted by the strong scent, he looked around inside to see who else was present. Pit, Falco, Diddy Kong and Professor Chops, who was now napping, were seated in the far corner next to an incredibly large tire. Across from them was the largest and most yellow bushel of bananas Captain N had ever seen. His stomach was incredibly eager to dig in, and made its desire audible with a loud grumble. But right next to the bananas and a bunk bed was a large, muscular ape covered in brown fur and wearing a red tie. Once the two made eye contact, Captain N took a careful step back, only to notice that another ape of similar build was sitting next to him, but wearing a bandana on its head, a white tank top, sunglasses and denim shorts slouched over in his seat. The first ape lumbered closer to Captain N, only making him even more worried. He looked nervously to his allies out of the corner of his eye. Pit and Falco got ready to unsheathe their weapons, but Zelda didn’t show any concern. He was about to ask Diddy Kong what was up, but the ape came right up to him. Mere inches away from his face, he could feel the ape’s warm breath on his face every time he exhaled through his nose. Feeling his blood run cold, he frantically thought of any way to deal with this in a way that wouldn’t aggravate the ape. But then, the ape backed away from Captain N and sat back down where it was. “Sorry I couldn’t introduce you, that’s Donkey Kong. He’s this island’s protector, and my best buddy!” Diddy Kong informed him. Donkey Kong gave Captain N a toothy smile, which didn’t help much in assuaging his concerns. “He looks like that face carved on the mountain!” Pit realized. “Actually, that’s Donkey Kong Senior. He’s DK’s grandpa.” Diddy Kong clarified, pointing right next to Captain N.

It was only then that the four noticed a snoring, elderly ape with a thick white beard on a rocking chair. “We call him Cranky Kong. Wake him up from one of his twenty naps, and you’ll see how he got that name.” Diddy Kong added. “And I’m Funky Kong! Total pleasure to meet you new dudes!” The shades-wearing ape introduced himself, suddenly bounding up to give each of the four a powerful handshake. Pit and Falco handled the handshake well enough, but Zelda and Captain N got their entire arms shaken by Funky Kong in his attempt to make a friendly first appearance. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Zelda greeted him back. “I like this guy already!” Pit whispered to the other three. “So what brings you dudes over to our humble abode?” Funky Kong asked. “We got captured by Dedede, bailed from his airship, got stranded here, and need the next flight to Hyrule ASAP.” Falco quickly answered. Donkey Kong huffed loudly and unhappily upon hearing King Dedede’s name mentioned. “For real?” Funky Kong asked. “Oh, yeah! And it’s all thanks to Captain N!” Pit cheered, pointing to his ally. “Lil’ DK here said you’re the guy the prophecy was speakin’ about?” Funky Kong asked. With a weary sigh, he nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, dude of legend!”

“So can you do it?” Falco impatiently asked him. Funky Kong sighed. “If only it were that simple. My Funky Barrel can’t make a flight all the way to Hyrule without some serious upgrades, and we’ll just get shot down by King Dedede if we’re not careful.” Captain N rubbed his eyes and groaned disapprovingly before sinking to the floor. “But it is possible, correct?” Zelda asked him. “Anything’s possible, Princess! Where there’s a will, there’s a way!” Funky Kong boasted. “There’s an old factory on the other side of the island. Donkey Kong and I will come with you and meet up with another one of our friends there to get some parts.” Diddy Kong informed them. “How about now?” Falco asked Diddy Kong. “It sounds like you all had a really big day, so getting some rest will keep you on your toes in case one of those Waddle Dees or Koopa or Kremlings decide to rear their ugly faces. Captain N looks like he’s about to pass out.” Diddy Kong answered. Barely conscious, Captain N weakly nodded in confirmation. “A night’s sleep would be great.” He said. Donkey Kong walked over to him and rubbed his head reassuringly. He would have appreciated it more if Donkey Kong’s strength didn’t almost rip his head off in the process. Smiling weakly, Captain N rubbed Donkey Kong’s massive arm in a show of appreciation. “Diddy Kong is right, such recklessness will only lead to our defeat.” Zelda informed Falco. He only sighed and said “Fine.”.

“You look hungry, dude.” Funky Kong noticed. Captain N’s eyes moved from between him, to the bananas, and then to Donkey Kong, nonverbally seeking their approval to eat them. Donkey Kong leered at him again, took one banana from the bushel, and carefully handed it to him. Unpeeling and tasting the banana, he was met with the most delicious and ripe banana he has ever tasted. His eyes shot open as the delectable taste revitalized his being, forcing him to quickly scarf down the fruit. Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Funky Kong chuckled at the display as Captain N set the peel aside. “...Can I have more?” Captain N sheepishly asked. “Can we have some?” Pit asked. Donkey Kong then got up and plopped the bushel down in front of the four, offering them a solid nod to go with it. Pit, Falco and Captain N dove in and fiercely started grabbing the bananas from themselves. Zelda waited back and only took one banana to carefully eat. “I sincerely hope we’re not hurting you in our consumption.” She said to the three apes. “Don’t worry about that! You’re our guests of honor, we can manage.” Diddy Kong assured her. While she wasn’t entirely swayed, she decided to accept their hospitality and eat the banana.“You don’t mind if we stay here for the night?” Pit asked him in between mouthfuls of banana. Donkey Kong shook his head, indicating they were welcome. “The more, the merrier, right? It’s been totally cramped in here ever since those king dudes upped their game. Cranky Kong and I had our own place, but we had to stay here with DK and Lil’ DK here to be safe. There’s no way Chops over here would’ve survived on his own out there.” Funky Kong informed them. “I’m really sorry, it seems like everyone’s got similar stories…” Captain N muttered. “But there’s no reason to dwell on the negative stuff. You’re here, and you’re gonna get us one step closer to pushing back against those lame-o’s!” Funky Kong assured him.

“Hey, would there happen to be a Wumpa Fruit tree somewhere on this island?” Captain N asked after having finished three more bananas. “Yeah, we think there’s one!” Diddy Kong confirmed. He was about to cheer at the thought of getting to eat another one of the juicy, delicious fruits, but remembering the sleeping Cranky Kong next to him kept him from doing so. Donkey Kong grabbed a picture frame off the shelf nearby and handed it to Captain N for him to see. Pictured was a female ape with blonde hair, tank top and denim jeans and lipstick. Looking at Donkey Kong, Captain N could tell this was someone close to him. “...Was she taken by the kings?” He asked, getting a mournful nod in response. “We’ll find her. We promise.” Zelda assured him. Smiling weakly, Donkey Kong took the photo back and carefully placed it back on the shelf. With a full stomach, the drowsiness finally caught up to Captain N. He could only barely hear Falco and Pit talking with Diddy Kong and Funky Kong before succumbing to sleep against the wall of the hut.

Chapter Text

“Is he dead?”

“Nah, that’s just how he sleeps.”

“...He looks dead.”

“He’s alive. See? He’s breathing.”

“...You think we should poke him?”

“No!”

Captain N was slowly drawn from his peaceful sleep by the hushed conversation held by several distinct voices. With a loud yawn, he sat up from the surprisingly comfortable wood plank floor of the treehouse and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The gentle light of the morning streamed through the windows, engulfing the interior of the treehouse in a warm, welcoming glow. Once his eyesight adjusted, he found Zelda, Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Falco, Pit and Funky Kong looking at him expectantly. Professor Chops was nowhere to be seen in his field of view. Fearing he was late for something, Captain N’s eyes widened and he quickly got on his feet.

“Oh geez, am I holding us up?” He nervously asked. “Nope! The later the better, actually. Professor Chops says the Kabula’s still out there, so it’s better you stay hidden and regain your strength.” Diddy Kong assured him. He sighed in relief and sat back down on the floor. Cranky Kong was still asleep, rocking gently in his rocking chair, undisturbed by the chatter. Donkey Kong sat down next to Captain N and put his massive arm around him, crushing his body more than intended. “Sleep well?” Pit asked him, lightly dusting off his tunic. “Yeah, thanks.” Captain N answered in a slightly strained tone. “Well, now that all you dudes are up, time for breakfast!” Funky Kong declared, producing a massive pile of bananas out of seemingly nowhere. “We deeply appreciate the gesture, but we would hate to eat through what little resources you have left.” Zelda politely declined. “Yeah, plus we’re still pretty full from last night…” Pit awkwardly added. “Don’t worry about us! You guys’re our guests!” Diddy Kong insisted. Donkey Kong nodded in agreement, smiling at Captain N. For the first time since his arrival to this world, he felt surprisingly full and didn’t really want more food, which was a strange thought to him, in the middle of all the chaos of the past few days. Funky Kong took one of the bananas and held it out for Zelda. While she was about to prepare another polite excuse, Falco snatched it away and ate it himself. “You should eat up, you never know when’s the next time we’ll find food.” He stated with a mouthful of chewed fruit. Zelda scowled at his impolite display, but Pit shrugged and responded with “He makes a good point.” before taking another banana for himself.

Donkey Kong reached out and took one of the bananas, holding it before Captain N. His immediate instinct to politely decline the food offered was overruled by the massive ape currently holding him close. The two locked eyes, but Donkey Kong clearly was the dominant one. While his face was one of a friendly demeanor, Captain N didn’t want to potentially aggravate him, so he took, unpeeled and ate the banana, much to Donkey Kong’s delight. The banana, while still delicious, didn’t satisfy him as it did last night. This was mostly due to gorging on nothing but the bananas for an entire meal. Figuring there were bigger problems at hand than the menu at this makeshift bed and breakfast, he ate the rest of the banana and smiled warmly at Donkey Kong to indicate he enjoyed it. Donkey Kong beat his chest with his free hand, almost making Captain N’s heart stop.

“Looks like you made a friend!” Pit joked at him. Captain N laughed awkwardly and nodded. “Yeah, sure looks like it.” He agreed. Zelda finally relented and ate only one of the bananas before gently placing the peel in the pile of peels amassed last night. Falco, Pit, Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong ate plenty more of the bananas, but Funky Kong sat out of the meal entirely. “Thank you all for your hospitality.” Captain N said to Diddy Kong and Funky Kong. “Hey, no worries, dude! Anyone who wants to take the fight to K. Rool and his jerk buddies is cool in my book!” Funky Kong happily replied. Once finished with his meal, Diddy Kong used his prehensile tail to produce a piece of paper with near-incomprehensible writing on it. Zelda and Falco tried to read it, but to no avail.

“Is that our shopping list?” Pit asked after swallowing a large mouthful of banana. “That’s everything we need to make the Funky Barrel ready to fly on over to Hyrule.” Diddy Kong confirmed. “When the Captain’s ready, DK and I will lead you guys to the old Kremkroc Industries factory on the other side of the island. Before K. Rool started getting his stuff from who-knows-who, he built his own machinery here.” Diddy Kong elaborated. Donkey Kong let out a displeased breath through his nose, finally freeing Captain N from his arm. He stumbled up and set his banana peel aside with the others and then turned to Funky Kong. “What about you? And Professor Chops and Cranky Kong?” He asked him. Funky Kong waved off his concern. “Just chill, dude. Those two don’t get up to much, I can handle them.”.

“What about Dedede, can you handle him?” Falco asked.

“There’s a hiding spot pretty close by that we’ve used before. Plus they’re gonna be looking for you dudes, not us.” Funky Kong assured him. Captain N looked to Zelda and Pit worryingly. Images of Doctor Light, Roll, Tails, Alphys, Callie, Marie, Cap’n Cuttlefish and C.Q. Cumber being forcefully restrained by the three king’s forces and being shipped off to The Panopticon haunted him. That is, if they weren’t lined up and shot for helping him. The sounds of Falco and Funky Kong debating back and forth were replaced with the terrified screaming from the innocent Inklings that King Dedede threatened to fire on if he didn’t surrender himself. Were they safe? What about Shantae and her friends? Or Little Mac and Doc Louis? Or Ryu? Or Simon? Or Isabelle and the other townspeople? His gaze fell to the floor to match the sensation of his heart sinking. Out of the corner of his eye, he peered at Cranky Kong, still gently snoring amidst the increasingly loud conversations. Could Cranky Kong really be protected from King Dedede? His heart started to beat faster as he mentally spiraled further and further down; his worrying was starting to turn to panic.

“Oh, don’t worry about him, by the way. He’s a heavy sleeper.” Diddy Kong’s voice suddenly filled his ears. Snapping out of his trance, Captain N quickly turned to face him. “Team meeting, now.” He declared, looking to Falco, Pit and Zelda, who all looked back at him with confusion. Before Diddy Kong could ask any questions, Captain N quickly moved over to his three allies and had them huddle together in a tightly-packed circle. He could sense Donkey Kong and Funky Kong peering at them, but Diddy Kong was checking on Funky Kong.

“What’s up?” Pit asked Captain N, who quickly hushed him. “I don’t like this.” He answered in a hushed tone. “If we leave Professor Chops and Cranky Kong alone here, they’ll be defenseless. Funky Kong won’t be able to protect them.”. Pit looked back over at the Kongs, then back to the group. “...He’s right.” He admitted. “I recommend one of us stay behind and ensure their safety.” Zelda offered. “But then we’ll be down one pair of hands when we’re out there risking getting caught again.” Falco reminded her. “Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong seem to know their way around the island, they should know how to stay hidden.” Pit reminded him. “And I bet Donkey Kong could really rough up some of those guys.” Captain N added. Donkey Kong heard this comment and flexed his arms pridefully.

“Alright, fine. Who’s gonna stay?” Falco asked. The four exchanged glances, expecting the person they looked to and cave and offer themselves as the one to stay behind. Zelda remained firm and unrelenting, turning her stern gaze to Falco and Pit. Captain N forced himself to stay silent and maintain his role as the predestined hero and not the role of the meek sidekick that stays behind. Falco’s stern expression was unmoving as he leered at his allies, not willing to just sit by and let the others have all the fun. The silence filled the room, making Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Funky Kong exchange concerned looks, unsure how to break up the silence. The faint sounds of the Kabula’s engine could be heard in the distance, only serving to make the situation more tense. Pit looked around nervously, trying to find an alternative solution to the matter, but eventually, he caved.

“Alright, I’ll stay!” Pit announced with exasperation. Captain N turned to him in surprise and Falco and Zelda sighed in relief. “You sure?” Captain N asked him, starting to feel guilty. “Someone’s got to, right?” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “I can help them get away quicker if someone comes knocking on the door, don’t worry about me.” “Woo-hoo! Resolution!” Funky Kong cheered. Donkey Kong also whooped in celebration. “Plus those wings of yours would give us away.” Falco remarked. “Kinda like your blue feathers?” Pit asked Falco with a hint of sarcasm. As Falco raised a finger at him, Diddy Kong jumped in, asking “So are we all ready to go?”.

“I believe we are.” Zelda answered with a polite nod. “I’ve been ready.” Falco bluntly added. Diddy Kong turned to Captain N, who was looking out the window to view the rising morning sun illuminate the landscape of Donkey Kong Island. Thoughts of his allies made along the way still haunted him as he focused his sight on the Kabula, which was barely visible behind the mountain. A burning desire to strike back at King Dedede had formed deep within him, making him clench his fist and imagine it colliding with the king’s smug grin. “How’re you feeling, Cap?” Diddy Kong asked him. Drawn out of his small trance, he turned back and offered a smile. “Better than yesterday. Thank you again for the bananas, they were the best I’ve ever had.” “No worries, man!” Funky Kong answered happily.

Donkey Kong peeked out the door of the hut, and walked out once satisfied there weren’t any threats present. “Alright, let’s go!” Diddy Kong declared, following him out with Falco. Before leaving, Captain N and Zelda turned to Pit. “Do not hesitate to alert us if you’re discovered by the enemy, we’ll come to your aid as soon as possible.” Zelda lectured him. “Relax, Princess! With me on guard, there’ll be no monkey business around here!” Pit boasted, smugness in his tone from his pun.

Zelda, Captain N and Funky Kong gave him an unimpressed look.

“Just… stay safe, Pit.” Captain N said to him with a genuine tone. Pit gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “You got it, Cap’n!” He chipperly replied. Just then, Cranky Kong began to stir from his lengthy nap, slowly opening his eyes and yawning. “You dudes better get moving, we’ll handle Cranky.” Funky Kong advised as he moved over to Cranky Kong’s rocking chair. Captain N and Zelda quickly nodded at him and Pit and left the hut just as Cranky Kong mumbled “...Huh? What’s goin’ on? Who’re they?”

Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong were waiting for them by the edge of the platform outside of the hut. The cool air of morning did little to assuage the feelings Captain N was experiencing, primarily an eagerness to strike back at Dedede and his two cohorts. The occasional bird could be heard chirping its unique song in the distance, but those songs were few and far between in the midst of the Kabula’s engine’s whirring on. The rising sun painted the sky in a beautiful variety of colors, all of which slightly different from the morning sky Captain N was used to in his home world. As soon as thoughts of his home in Midnight Lights entered his mind, he shook them away to prevent mentally spiraling again.

“Sounds like Crank finally woke up from his nap.” Diddy Kong noticed. “Yeah, we’re- we’re really sorry about making such a ruckus in there.” Captain N meekly apologized. “Ah, don’t worry, he’s on his own little schedule.” Diddy Kong waved off. Donkey Kong nodded in agreement. “So where’s this factory?” Falco asked the two. “Through Kongo Jungle, there’s a shortcut we can take through the Monkey Mines. It’s dangerous, but if you wanna save time, it’s the way we’re going.” Diddy Kong informed them. “We can handle a little danger, right, team?” Falco assured him, nudging Captain N. He shakily nodded his head while Zelda answered with “So long as it’s expedient.”. “Glad to hear it!” Diddy Kong said, then jumping off the platform and swinging down onto the ground below. Falco jumped down from above and used his metal legs to absorb the impact of the landing, while Zelda used her magic to gently float herself down to the ground. Captain N looked down to the ground below, then to the rickety-looking rope, then to Donkey Kong.

“Hey, you wanna go first?” He asked him. Donkey Kong then looked to the three below and turned back to Captain N with a wide grin. Before he could take a cautious step back, Donkey Kong threw Captain N over his shoulder and leaped down to the ground below. Captain N couldn’t stop himself from yelping in surprise and fear at suddenly being at the large ape’s mercy, but the ride was over before too long. Even after they had landed, he tightly clung to Donkey Kong’s fur while shakily breathing in and out. After a few moments, he let go of Donkey Kong and stumbled over to the three, his heart still rapidly beating. “Perhaps you could exercise more caution in handling him?” Zelda suggested to Donkey Kong, who only snorted slightly in response.

“Didja have a nice trip?” Falco teased him. “Whatever, let’s get moving.” Captain N bluntly answered. “Thanks for that, by the way.” He awkwardly thanked Donkey Kong, who nodded at him with a smile. Donkey Kong joined Diddy Kong at the front of the pack and marched on into Kongo Jungle. “Try to keep up, you could get really lost if you’re not careful!” Diddy Kong warned the three from over his shoulder. Zelda led Captain N and Falco along with her hands outstretched in order to focus her magic to detect any Waddle Dees or other troops of the three kings. Falco and Captain N marched on carefully with their weapons drawn. While Falco displayed a more cool and collected demeanor, Captain N felt much more shaken internally. The thought of being isolated on a small island with someone who wanted him dead hovering not far away permeated his thoughts. The tall trees provided shade from the increasingly hot sun, but also kept Captain N from being able to see any possible threats from above. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong displayed an in-depth knowledge of traversal through the thick jungle, leading the three over hills and through shrubbery that didn’t indicate any kind of path forward to Captain N. He silently reflected on how his time living in Midnight Lights paid off somewhat, as forging a path through Kongo Jungle reminded him of the hikes he took through the town’s surrounding forest with his dad. Bringing this into his thoughts then reminded him of how he stopped going on these hikes with his dad after entering high school, making his heart sink into a thick pool of regret. The trees, the birds, the grass, all of it so hauntingly similar to what he was used to, but different enough to make him feel alienated and isolated from everyone else.

Of the five, Zelda struggled the most in marching through the thick fauna of Kongo Jungle. The tall grass and outstretched roots made her stumble every now and again, but she was quick to correct her form and continue on as if nothing happened. Captain N surmised to himself that she wasn’t used to trailblazing like this due to holding the title of Princess, but fearing Zelda could detect his thoughts, he ended that train of thought there. The further along they continued, the louder the sounds of the Kabula grew. Captain N gripped his Zapper tighter as his eyes nervously darted about, carefully scanning the lush greenery for any sign of King Dedede or his minions. Falco and Zelda kept up a more cool exterior, and Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong seemed to not mind the looming threat at all. Captain N, on the other hand, made each careful step with care and caution, expecting a trap of some kind to be sprung at any moment.

“Y’know, this jungle used to be more dangerous when K. Rool was just trying to steal our banana hoard. Kremlings and Gnawties and Klumps were all over the place like an infestation.” Diddy Kong whispered to the three following him and Donkey Kong. Captain N didn’t know what the last two of the three named were, but figured it wasn’t an important question given their current situation. “Sounds like you’ve got a real history with K. Rool.” Falco noticed while still scanning the environment with his blaster at the ready. “You could say that.” Diddy Kong chuckled. “Would you happen to have any information that could aid us in defeating that tyrant?” Zelda quietly asked him. Captain N listened in on the conversation, trying to ignore his heart pounding in his chest from the pressure. “Not really. Just that he wanted our bananas and doesn’t like us Kongs.” Diddy Kong admitted. Captain N could hear Falco groan to himself, but didn’t dare move his focus from the environment around him to double-check.

After a few hours of hiking, Falco suddenly whipped around. “Shh! Get down!” Falco hissed at the rest of the group. Captain N quickly dove for cover alongside Falco while Zelda and Diddy Kong hid behind a large log. Donkey Kong looked around for what caused the commotion before Diddy Kong dragged him under cover too. “What is it?” Captain N whispered to Falco while nervously looking around. Falco only motioned to his north-west, where he spotted a group of five Waddle Dees wielding the same spears from before, patrolling the jungle. Clutching his Zapper, Captain N peered over his shoulder at Zelda, Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong to make sure they could see them too. The three were eyeing the group carefully from behind the log, but Donkey Kong was having the hardest time keeping his massive body hidden behind the log. Though it was difficult to tell, Zelda had a frustrated look on her head, possibly scolding herself for not detecting them with her magic. “What do we do?” Captain N whispered to Falco. “No shooting them. The commotion would give away our position.” Falco bluntly stated. Falco’s advice brought back Captain N’s memories of infiltrating Castlevania and accidentally causing a chandelier to come crashing down, so he holstered his Zapper to be extra safe. “So, what, we just wait them out?” Captain N whispered to Falco. “I know, it sucks, but we’re already cornered enough. Let’s not make this worse.” Falco whispered back.

The Waddle Dees didn’t notice the five during their patrol. In fact, they didn’t even look in their general direction, waddling along right next to each other in perfect formation through the forest. Just when they were passing by, a loud snapping sound rang out behind Captain N and Falco. The two whipped around and saw Donkey Kong crouching over a fairly large branch, now neatly broken in half. Diddy Kong and Zelda hastily helped Donkey Kong crouch back down behind the log, but it was too late. The Waddle Dees didn’t seem to see Donkey Kong but heard the noise, and two of them waddled over to investigate. Hand ready to whip out his Remote Sword, Captain N learned over to Falco and whispered “What if they catch us?” “If we’re caught, there’s no use staying hidden so we might as well go out guns blazing.” Falco whispered back.

Hidden by a large shrubbery, the Waddle Dee unknowingly stood directly over the two. Captain N’s breath hitched in his throat as he lay mere inches away from the goon. He and Falco kept themselves hidden, but from out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Waddle Dee squinting at the land before him, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. Captain N couldn’t tell how well hidden Donkey Kong was and didn’t dare to look. He breathed in and out almost surgically, making precisely sure to breathe as silently as possible. The Waddle Dee took a single step forward, almost stepping on Falco’s beak. He had his feathered hand by his blaster, ready to burst out and blast the Waddle Dee away. Captain N knew what he was planning on doing and shot him a stern look to stay hidden. But just before Falco could throw caution to the wind, the Waddle Dee decided there was nothing of note around and made its way back to the group. Once he was positive they were out of earshot, Captain N let out a deep breath he was holding for dear life.

It took a few minutes for the Waddle Dees to disappear from their field of view, but once they were sure they were gone, Captain N and Falco stood up and patted down their jackets to get rid of the dirt and leaves. Diddy Kong and Zelda carefully helped Donkey Kong back up. “Nice job!” Captain N congratulated the group with a shaky thumbs-up. “Looked like Falco was about to start some trouble, back there.” Diddy Kong noted with a chuckle. “Indeed it did.” Zelda added with less humor in her voice. “Hey, can’t you talk to Donkey Kong in his mind? Tell him to hide or something?” Falco asked her. Zelda sighed and shook her head. “It’s not as simple as that. He doesn’t understand what we say, so I wouldn’t be able to make him understand what I’m saying.” She answered. “But… why couldn’t I sense them? Are my abilities failing me?” She wondered aloud, staring at her empty hands. Captain N was reminded of how she inadvertently led them into Dracula’s lair, so quickly stepped in. “Hey, what’s important is that we’re safe for now. How close are we to the mine?” He reminded her, then turning to Diddy Kong. “It’s only a few more minutes away, we’re almost there.” Diddy Kong happily answered. “There, we’re making great progress!” Captain N assured her. Zelda wasn’t convinced by his assurances, but nodded along. Donkey Kong was anxious to keep going and avoid more troops, so he adjusted his red tie and marched on, followed directly by Falco, Diddy Kong, Captain N and Zelda at the back.

Chapter Text

Following an ascent up a steep incline, the five had finally arrived at the entrance to Monkey Mines. The rocky slope up the mountainside revealed an aged, wooden entrance to the dark, foreboding mines beyond. A dank, musty stench emanated from within, conveying a lack of life or anything that would entice one to venture inside. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong displayed no such fearful emotions as they peeked inside the mine’s entrance in order to assess for any threats. Falco and Zelda stood behind the two while Captain N gazed across the island to rest his legs from the hike. The sun now hung high in the midday sky, perfectly illuminating the shimmering blue ocean beyond the shores of Donkey Kong Island. Only a small flock of birds flew across the island, and in the opposite direction of the Kabula, which was hovering on the other side of the mountain. In spite of the dire situation they were currently in, Captain N found some respite in the peaceful landscape before him. The ocean and shoreline, while still residing in the uncanny valley from his perspective, was incredibly picturesque with its vibrant colors and peaceful state.

“You drop your sword back there or something?” Falco called out to Captain N. Drawing him out of his admiration for the sight, he turned around and shook his head. “Nah, still got it.” He assured him, waving around the handle to prove his statement.

“Well then, what’re you looking for?”

“Just… admiring the scenery.” Captain N admitted.

“What, you don’t have trees on your home planet?” Falco asked incredulously.

“Of course we’ve got trees on Earth. We’ve got beaches and oceans and all that fun stuff, but… I don’t know, it’s all new to me here.”

“Trees are trees.” Falco bluntly stated.

“You shouldn’t dismiss his statement. Remember that this entire world is new to him; we don’t know what his world is like in comparison.” Zelda spoke up. Captain N nodded in confirmation. “It’s difficult to say, but… I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“I think I get what you’re saying!” Diddy Kong informed him. “Hey… there wouldn’t happen to be any Wumpa Fruits nearby, would there?” Captain N hopefully asked Diddy Kong. Diddy Kong shook his head. “Nope, sorry. They’re not usually on this part of the island.” He admitted. Falco shook his head and turned back to the mine entrance. “Whatever, we’re sitting ducks just standing around out in the open, so let’s save the before/after stuff once we’re somewhere else.”. Donkey Kong nodded in agreement and looked to Diddy Kong. The two shared a solid nod and began their descent into the mine. Captain N took out his Remote Sword and ignited it. Waving it near the rock face indicated that it gave off a noticeable white glow. “Captain N and I will illuminate the path forward, you should stay at the rear and keep watch if anyone tries to attack from behind.” Zelda instructed Falco. “Yeah, got it.” He answered nonchalantly, drawing his blaster. Captain N was about to thank her for her help, but Zelda simply followed Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong into the mine before he could, using her magic to illuminate the tunnels. Taking one last look at the barely-visible hut that housed Pit, Funky Kong, Cranky Kong and Professor Chops, Captain N cautiously followed her down into the mine.

The light was seemingly sucked from the tunnel after mere steps into the mine. Captain N gulped quietly in an attempt to swallow his nervousness and continued into the dark, damp tunnel. Zelda walked alongside Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong at the front in order to provide illumination for them as they guided the group onward. Falco’s metal feet scraped against the stone ground caved away for the tunnel. Even the slightest sound of water dripping down echoed off the walls, unnerving him even more. It was only after stumbling over a plank secured to the ground that he realized that they were walking on the path of rail tracks meant for mine carts. He assumed that they were meant for moving gold or some other material this planet considers precious, but knew better than to speak up and break the stealthy silence the group was trying to maintain. Even though he couldn’t see him fully at the front of the pack, Captain N could tell Donkey Kong was having trouble trying to be quiet as he lumbered down the tunnel. Aged, unlit lanterns hung from the top of the tunnel, threatening to come crashing down at the slightest disturbance.

As the tunnel sloped downward, Captain N could taste the air getting more stale around him. He surmised the air in the mines haven’t been disturbed in possibly years, which made breathing more difficult. He stifled his wheezing as much as he could, in contrast to everyone else’s surprising ease at handling the journey. It was only when he started to imaging King Dedede rounding the corner and trapping the group so far from the surface that he realized the hand he was using to hold out his Remote Sword was shaking slightly, which he was quick to correct. He could feel Falco’s eyes burn into him from behind, tossing around plenty of snarky comments in his head. Ignoring him, Captain N rubbed his eyes clean and marched on.

The three in front of him suddenly stopped dead in their tracks after how much walking, Captain N couldn’t tell. Due to being almost lulled into a trance by the monotonous walking forward, Captain N almost bumped into Donkey Kong, who was looking directly ahead with Zelda and Diddy Kong. He walked beside him and almost immediately fell down a massive, seemingly bottomless pit that stretched out to just beyond his limited field of view. Falco stood beside Diddy Kong as the small monkey and Donkey Kong looking from side to side, trying to find something. “Is something up?” Falco asked Diddy Kong, followed by being quickly hushed by Zelda. “There should be a walkway around here…” Diddy Kong muttered while still looking around. “Well, let me know when you make progress.” Falco replied, idly wandering in the area out of boredom. The faint chirping of bats could be heard in the distance as Captain N carefully peered down the pit before him. His breathing became much more careful as he felt locked onto the sight of the black emptiness before him. He clutched the Remote Sword even tighter in case the worst case scenario came to pass.

“Follow us!” Diddy Kong quietly announced, running off down the narrow path to the right past Falco. Donkey Kong bounded ahead at an equal pace, but Zelda and Captain N followed along much more careful. Falco was quick to keep up with the two primates as he darted along the path. More unlit torches and lanterns decorated the wall beside them as they walked, eventually coming to a stop before a rickety-looking wooden drawbridge. It hung motionless above the massive pit with a noticeable layer of dust built up. “This is the path ahead.” Diddy Kong informed them. Falco took a moment to take in the state of the bridge, then turned to Diddy Kong.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Honest! This’ll lead us to the factory!”

“This thing looks like it’ll break if you breathe on it!”

As Diddy Kong defended the path forward, Donkey Kong took a close look at the bridge. With a huff, he stepped away from the bridge with a slightly nervous look on his face. Captain N felt his stomach twist at the thought of a plank breaking underneath him, sending him to his doom far below. He couldn’t even humor the thought of thinking of it as the bridge from the playground he went to all the time as a kid. This time, he’d be risking a lot more than a scraped elbow.

“Look, I’ll go first to prove it’s safe, alright?” Diddy Kong offered. “Hey, your life.” Falco shrugged. Captain N walked to interject and offer himself as the bridge’s first potential victim. He was supposed to be the hero, after all, and heroes are supposed to be brave and selfless. But his instincts of self-preservation kicked in and kept his lips shut. Zelda looked like she was processing the same thoughts, but he figured such a topic would be better discussed once they were all safe. Diddy Kong inhaled deeply, puffed up his chest and valiantly marched across the bridge. The first loud creak coming from the old wood made Captain N turn away instinctually, afraid to watch him possibly fall to his death. As he stared at the wall behind him, he could hear the bridge’s creaking get quieter and quieter. Eventually, silence filled the area once more. Captain N looked at Zelda and Donkey Kong nervously, non-verbally asking what they should do. The two tried to suppress their nervousness, but Falco was still eyeing the bridge with suspicion. As the silence continued, Captain N decided that he would call out to Diddy Kong. But just as he opened his mouth, a voice rang out from the other side.

“See? It’s safe!” Diddy Kong’s voice echoed off the walls. The three sighed in relief as Falco rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, I’m coming over.” Falco yelled back. As he semi-casually made his way over the bridge, Captain N turned to Zelda. “Guess we’re done trying to stay hidden, huh?” He half-joked, but Zelda was more preoccupied with watching Falco cross the bridge. Soon enough, he too disappeared into the darkness. It seemed like Falco was in more of a hurry, as he called back to the three with an echoing “Made it across!”. Without missing a beat, Zelda stepped up to the bridge and began crossing it after securing her grip on the rope railing. As he watched her vanish into the darkness, Captain N was left with Donkey Kong. His heavy breathing was the only sound that filled the silence of the cave, aside from the creaking of the bridge. After a few moments went by, Captain N awkwardly cleared his throat and turned to Donkey Kong.

“So… you’ve always lived here?”

Donkey Kong nodded with a grunt.

“...Hey, how come Diddy Kong, Funky Kong and Professor Chops can talk, but not you?”

Donkey Kong looked at him with confusion. Captain N sighed and shook his head. The more he tried to make sense of this new world, the less it makes sense to him. Awkward silence returned between the two as Captain N tried to think of some other way to pass time with the tie-wearing ape he could feel almost breathing down his neck.

“I made it across the bridge.” Zelda telepathically spoke to him, spooking him slightly. “Okay, good.” He thought back to her, then turning to Donkey Kong. “Zelda’s safe on the other side.” Captain N told him. Before he could ask him if he wanted to go next, Donkey Kong gripped the ropes and began carefully stepped from plank to plank, with a loud groaning coming from the planks with each step. Captain N stepped closer to the bridge with his Remote Sword ready to try to catch Donkey Kong if the board broke and he fell through. Thankfully, no such thing happened, and soon Captain N was left alone on his side of the bridge as Donkey Kong vanished into the darkness.

As his nerves began to voice their opinions on the matter again, he sat down against the rock wall behind him without fear of appearing weak before his allies. Staring out into the blackness before him, his thoughts wandered back to those in the hut. Surely Zelda would’ve told him if something happened to the others, he thought to himself. Besides, Pit earned the title of Captain of Lady Palutena’s royal guard, and he can’t imagine that was easy to achieve. Surely he could handle dealing with an old, talking ape and his funky friend. But even though he was sure Pit was getting along alright, Captain N couldn’t help but miss Pit’s peppy, upbeat attitude in the most dire of situations.

He could take or leave the puns, though.

“Are you still in good health?” Zelda spoke to him telepathically. Jumping again at her sudden interjection, he tried answering verbally with “Yeah, I-“ but quickly stopped himself and awkwardly cleared his throat before thinking back to her “Yeah, I’m still good. Is Donkey Kong over there?”. “Yes, but I would advise great caution. The boards have surely weakened from our travel over the bridge.” Zelda replied. Standing up and taking a few deep breaths in and out, he carefully placed his right foot down on the first plank. It responded with a slight groan, but didn’t give too much. Still holding the Remote Sword tightly, he gripped the rope railing and carefully placed his second foot down on the next plank. Another creak was heard, but it still held him up. Summoning his inner power to prevent his legs from shaking, he proceeded to robotically place one foot in front of the next, slowly making his way across the bridge. He tensed the muscles in his neck to force himself to keep looking ahead and not at the infinite abyss beneath him that threatened him with each and every step.

Slowly, as he made his way across, his confidence in the bridge had grown, allowing him to move across quicker. His breathing was still shaky and his legs were still trying to shake like a leaf in a tornado, but he forced himself on.

“Keep going, Captain N.” He quietly repeated to himself.

“Keep going, Captain N.”

“Keep going, Captain N.”

Eventually, Zelda’s light became visible to him. Over-enthusiastic, he quickened his pace and rushed across the bridge.

This was a really bad idea.

One of the boards broke away as he put his weight on it, making him fall forward. With a loud cross between a gasp and a yelp, he clung to the ropes for dear life as his right leg dangled through the hole and over the pit. “You okay over there?” Falco called out to him from the other side. Captain N was too busy hyperventilating to answer, frozen in place as he stared directly down into the abyss. After a few moments, he realized having his sword’s blade out would only put him at greater risk for breaking the bridge and falling. Even though he knew he would be in near-complete darkness without the sword’s light, he deactivated the sword. His hands were still trembling rapidly as he tried to think of a way out of this situation in almost pitch-black.

“Captain N, are you okay?” Diddy Kong called out to him, but he didn’t respond. Zelda’s light grew brighter in an attempt to see him, but it didn’t seem that she could see him. The board that Captain N’s other leg was starting to give more and more, making him realize he needed to get off the bridge as soon as possible. Closing his eyes and saying a silent prayer, he breathed in and slowly raised himself up while gripping the ropes. His heart was beating at was likely a record rate, but he ignored it. He thought of one thing as he raised himself up out of the hole.

“Captain N will not die like this.”

Using the strength he never had in P.E., he raised his feet up off the bridge and carefully set them back down on the intact boards before him. To his immense relief, the board held his weight. Once he was secured, he carefully continued along the bridge before finally reaching the other side, collapsing on the stone ground before the four others.

“Geez, Cap, we thought you died.” Falco lightly scolded him. Captain N, still shaking, nodded stiffly. “But good job getting yourself out of that!” Diddy Kong congratulated him. Donkey Kong clapped in agreement. “I could have helped you out of the hole if you had told me you were in danger of falling.” Zelda sternly reminded him. Captain N could only nod in response. “Well, he made it across all by himself, so it’s for the better!” Diddy Kong countered her. She paid his comment no mind.

After Captain N had spent a minute curled up on the ground, Falco and Donkey Kong helped him back up onto his feet. “You wanna take a minute?” Diddy Kong asked him. Captain N repressed his immediate response to say ‘yes’, he shook his head. “The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get the stuff we need, the sooner we can get to Hyrule.” He answered. “That’s the answer I wanna hear!” Falco agreed boisterously. Zelda knew he wasn’t entirely ready to continue on, but raised no objections. ”Alright then, let’s keep going!” Diddy Kong declared, and with a toothy smile from Donkey Kong, the two led them along the edge of the abyss.

Before too long, the two stopped in front of a row of lined-up minecarts sitting on a rail road leading down a tunnel. “This here’s the fast track!” Diddy Kong introduced them to the carts. “Are you suggesting we ride those to our destination?” Zelda asked him, fearing she already knew the answer. “Hey, could be fun.” Falco shrugged. “That’s easy for you to say, Mr. Ace Pilot.” Captain N meekly commented. “It’s safe! DK and I’ve done it a ton before!” Diddy Kong insisted. Donkey Kong nodded in agreement. Zelda stepped back and sputtered trying to think of something to say. “But… but it’s terribly hazardous!” She exclaimed. “So’s taking on King Dedede and King K. Rool and Bowser.” Diddy Kong reminded her. She groaned and hung her head. Captain N looked at the reliatively old minecarts with a growing sense of uneasiness within him. Him just surviving a near fall to his death didn’t make him any more keen to risky getting crushed to death by whatever lies ahead.

Donkey Kong was ready to prove that it was safe, so jumped on the first minecart and began rolling away. Captain N and Zelda tried to protest, but it was too late as his joyful whooping echoed off the walls with his departure. “Your majesty, I promise it’s completely safe.” Diddy Kong assured her. She bit her lip and squinted at the cart, still undeterred. Realizing that there was no other way to get through the rest of the mine, she relented. “...Fine, I trust you.” She groaned. “Great! I’ll help you maneuver it!” Diddy Kong beamed, jumping into the cart. As Zelda climbed in with him, she turned to Falco and Captain N. “You two can handle your own safety, I hope?” She asked. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Falco waved off. Captain N wasn’t so sure, but knew protesting wouldn’t get him anywhere. “See you at the other side!” Diddy Kong bid them farewell before he and Zelda kicked off and began rolling down the tunnel.

Once the two had vanished, the remaining two looked at the minecart, and then to each other. “Come on, let’s go, Captain Hero.” Falco spoke up, getting into the minecart. With another sigh, Captain N carefully got into the cart behind Falco, trying to sit as comfortably as he could in the vehicle not meant for people. “Push us off now.” Falco instructed. As he pressed his hands against the minecart behind him, he froze up for a second, but summoned the strength to push them off, allowing them to roll down the tunnel.

Before he knew it, the tunnel walls whizzed by him as the minecart shot down the railroad faster and faster. Falco retained a firm grip on the cart, but Captain N clung to it for his life. He tried with all of his effort to keep his weight centered and avoid tipping the cart and having his and Falco’s face sanded off. The wheels on the cart squeaked loudly as it careened down the track, but retained an incredibly swift pace. With each twist and turn, Captain N reflected on the roller coasters he was too cowardly to ride back home.

At least those had seatbelts.

The ride continued for another few minutes until it descended sharply down to then curve back up. Suddenly, the cart was airborne as it left the end of the track, which hung over yet another bottomless pit. Falco took this well, but Captain N yelled in both surprise and fear at now being at gravity’s mercy. Just as he was getting his Remote Sword out to grapple up to the ceiling, the cart landed back on the rail with a loud thud. The motion threatened to make Captain N lose his breakfast, but he kept it down. He could have sworn Falco said something, but the air shooting by his ears made it essentially inaudible.

Only a moment later, the cart came to a stop at the end of the track, bumping into two empty minecarts in front of it. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Falco half-sarcastically asked him. Captain N didn’t answer, still clinging to the minecart. The exit to the mine was nearby, allowing the brilliant light of day to fill the room. Falco jumped out of the cart and peered outside the mine. Captain N slowly got out of the cart and took a moment to regain his nerves before catching up with his partner.

Outside was more jungle, but atop a small mountain was a set of industrial-looking buildings uniting by a bridge over a crevice, with smoke stacks atop the buildings. The sounds of the Kabula were even louder than before, indicating King Dedede and his forces were hovering almost directly above him. “Zelda! Donkey Kong! You guys around?” Captain called out to the others. No response. “Come on, don’t waste our time!” Falco yelled into the jungle, but was met with the same result. With a groan, Falco turned to Captain N. “I’m sure they’re fine. They just decided to ditch us.” He concluded. Captain N was starting to grow even more worried. “But… but why would they do that?”

“We‘ll ask them when we find them, now come on.” Falco answered, marching off towards the buildings. Just then, another ape-chimpanzee mix swooped down from the treetops in front of the two. The two instinctually drew their weapons and aimed it at the newcomer before they could introduce themself, whose eyes widened as it raised its hands in surrender.

“You work for Dedede?” Captain N asked the newcomer, his voice shaking slightly. “No, no, no! I’m friends with Diddy Kong!” She answered. Falco leered at her, but could tell she was telling the truth. Both of them lowered their weapons. “Who’re you, then?” Falco asked further.

“My name’s Dixie Kong!” She answered.

“Well, hi Dixie Kong, have you seen Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong pass through here with a girl?” Captain N asked her. “Oh, yeah! They went on ahead, I can take you to them!” Dixie Kong answered chipperly. Captain N turned to Falco, who shrugged. “She’s not with Dedede, if she was, we’d already be dead.” He reminded Captain N, then turning to Dixie Kong. “Fine, lead on, then.”

“Sure thing!” Dixie Kong answered, turning and leading the two towards the factory.

Chapter Text

Captain N walked beside Dixie Kong with his Remote Sword slicing away at branches at vines that obstructed the path she had been leading them on. Falco stayed behind the two with his blaster drawn in case any enemy forces made themselves seen amidst the foliage, carefully placing each step. The hike Dixie Kong had been leading them on continued on a steep incline up the mountainside. Cover from the tall trees was growing more and more sparse, risking them being seen by the Kabula, which still slowly circled the large mountain decorated with Donkey Kong’s face carved into the side. Dixie Kong showed no worrying about this, and simply continued on as peppy as ever. Captain N couldn’t see Zelda, Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong further ahead up the mountain, planting some worry in him. Eventually, Falco couldn’t ignore his feelings of suspicion any further and pulled Captain N aside, simply saying to Dixie Kong “Give us a minute.”

Once they were secluded, Captain N retracted the Remote Sword’s blade so as to not accidentally slash his partner. “What’s up?” He asked him. Falco peered at Dixie Kong before answering, who was looking at the two confusedly. “I don’t like this.” He whispered back. Captain N rolled his eyes and groaned. “Didn’t you just say that you were positive the Kongs weren’t working with Dedede?”

“Yeah, but aren’t you wondering what happened to her majesty? Don’t you think she’d have talked to us in our mind?”

Captain N wanted to offer a rebuttal, but realized Falco made a good point and fell quiet. “...Maybe she’s busy?”

“Busy with what?”

“Hiding from Dedede’s minions, maybe?”

“She coulda told us to lay low and be careful. It can’t be that hard to mind-talk to someone if you can.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t have magic.”

Falco groaned. “All I’m saying is, Zelda disappears when she went alone with the two Kongs, and now a third Kong shows up to escort us to the factory?”. Captain N turned around to get another look at Dixie Kong, who was still standing by and pretending she wasn’t looking at the two. “Come on, this is Princess Zelda we’re talking about. I’m sure she can handle two monkeys.” Captain N assured him. Falco wasn’t convinced and peered at Dixie Kong. “...And so can we.” Captain N added. With a sigh, Falco relented. “Whatever, we’re not getting any closer to Hyrule just standing around.” He stated, pushing past Captain N to meet back up with Dixie Kong. Captain N hurried back to the two and the three continued hiking up the mountainside.

“What were you two talking about, anyway?” Dixie Kong innocently asked the two. “If we wanted you to know, we would’ve invited you.” Falco shot back, making Dixie Kong recoil a bit. “Right, sorry…” She apologized, sulking a bit. As Falco continued peeking around the trees and bushes, Captain N put his hand on Dixie Kong’s shoulder reassuringly. “Sorry about him, we’re just… under a lot of stress.” He apologized on his partner’s behalf. Dixie Kong nodded softly, looking back up at him. “It’s okay, I shoulda known.” She replied. The incline continued to get more steep as silence returned to the group, which proved more taxing for Captain N to climb. Dixie Kong and Falco marched on as easily as ever, undeterred by the steepness of the path forward.

“You two are lucky, you know. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong had to go through Vine Valley and Gorilla Glacier to get here way back in the day!” Dixie Kong piped up. Captain N nodded and made a hum of interest while Falco made no acknowledgement of her fun fact. “How do you know the two, anyway, are all the Kongs one big family?” Captain N asked her. Dixie Kong shook her head. “We all have our own families, we just call ourselves Kongs. Donkey Kong’s a really good friend and Diddy Kong is… a good friend, too.” She answers, then looking down at the ground. “...But a lot of them got shipped off to that awful prison where those three tyrants are keeping everyone. At first it was just the ones that fought back, but then they started taking anyone that could catch…”

“Then why are you helping us?” Falco asked her, finally speaking up. Dixie Kong sighed slightly. “Because you two look like you could stand up to them, and I want to help.”. Captain N chuckled slightly. “Thank you, Dixie, that’s what we’re working on.” He replied. “Captain Hero here’s supposed to save the world.” Falco informed her. She gasped and looked to Captain N with starry eyes. “Really!?” She excitedly asked. Captain N took a careful step back and let out a slight, nervous laugh. “...Yeah, at least according to the prophecy.”.

“Is the girl with you guys, too?”

“Sure is.”

“What’re you guys going to the old factory for?”

“We’ll tell you once we’re up there, okay?” Falco offered. Dixie Kong nodded eagerly and continued leading on.

Eventually, the three reached the jungle’s edge at the base of the mountain. Turning around, Captain N saw the Kabula still circling around the first mountain as it always did. It moved in a counterclockwise circle around the rock formation and was now disappearing behind the mountain with the sound of its motors fading somewhat. Looking up the smaller mountain before him, he could see the faint outline of an old, industrial factory at the top. Falco looked up the mountain as well, then looking to Dixie Kong. “You’re sure they went this way?” He asked her. “Uh… pretty much?” She slowly answered while avoiding eye contact. “‘Pretty much’?” Falco repeated back to her, irritated. “I mean they didn’t take the path we’re going to take, but they went up there!” Dixie Kong defended. “And that’s gonna be up the other side, right?” Captain N jumped in, which Dixie Kong answered with a quick nod. “There, it’s all good, we’re still on the right path!” Captain N insisted to Falco. Falco rolled his eyes and groaned in annoyance. “Alright, alright.”

The Kabula was beginning to circle back around the mountain, its horrible face painted atop the blimp appearing from behind like a monster out of a children’s storybook as its engines grow slowly louder and louder. Realizing they were out in the open and completely vulnerable, Captain N yelled to them “Come on, let’s go!”. The three sprinted around the base of the rock face as the Kabula crept out into the open further and further. Captain N ducked down as he sprinted along the side, being taller than the two accompanying him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw more and more of the Kabula, and with the sight of the eye painted on the side, he felt like he locked eyes with King Dedede himself. It was only then that he wondered why King Dedede alone was here. Not to elevate his ego, but he thought he posed enough of a threat to get Bowser and King K. Rool involved as well. These thoughts quickly faded as the looming threat grew greater and greater.

He was in such a hurry to keep up with Dixie Kong that he stumbled forward and scraped his palms in an attempt to break his fall. Falco grabbed the back of his jacket and yanked him back upright, hissing “One foot at a time, graceful!” At him. As he rapidly nodded in acknowledgement, he noticed Falco had his blaster drawn while running, so Captain N got his Zapper out of his pocket, ready for action. His Zapper was uncomfortable to hold with the scrapes in his hand still fresh, stinging with any added pressure. But he knew any pain he suffered now was nothing compared to not only what he received from Cammy and Scorpion, but also what he would possibly face in the event he’s captured by the three kings. He bit his lower hip, exhaled through his nose to release some of the pain and continued running.

“Just a little further!” Dixie Kong yelled back to the two as she ran on all fours. The steepness of the hill made multiple attempts to ruin Captain N’s footing while running and make him slide and fall. Despite having metal legs, Falco remained as swift and agile as ever, consistently outpacing Captain N. As he ran his hand along the rock face, he could feel the faint curvature of the mountain. But this was kept brief as to keep the cuts on his hand from getting worse. He didn’t need to look over to hear the Kabula getting louder and louder. Was it too late, he thought to himself. Was he already spotted? Is King Dedede making his way over to them right now, armed to the teeth with whatever other weapons he had stored? His heart rate matched his rapid wheezing in and out as he ran. While he couldn’t make any kind of measurement, Captain N had the feeling he was getting better at sprinting and long distance running. The continuous droning of the Kabula kept getting louder and louder, closer and closer. The more he ran, the more exhausted he became. A breakfast of bananas and more bananas could only subsist him for so long and that energy was rapidly draining. Despite all his effort, he only lagged further and further behind Falco and Dixie Kong. He knew his blue jeans and red/white jacket stood out like a sore thumb against the rock face, but could only keep running and pray he wasn’t spotted.

Dixie Kong suddenly skidded to a halt, hunching over to catch her breath. Falco came to a clean stop but Captain N almost fell over trying to stop. But in preventing himself from falling, he only scraped up his hands more, making him groan in pain and shield his hands in his jacket. Falco didn’t express any exhaustion, maintaining his usual cool demeanor as he leaned against the rock face. A shadow was cast over the group by the mountain, providing some relief from the sprinting. “It’s… up… there…” Dixie Kong panted, pointing directly up. The two looked up and saw the same factory from before, but now they could make out some finer details. The main buildings were gray and seemed to have faded from age. No smoke was coming out of the smokestacks, indicating that it’s not currently in operation. “And they’re… up there?” Captain N asked in between pants. Dixie Kong nodded eagerly. “Now all we gotta do is climb the… Oh.” She trailed off, realizing the two accompanying her weren’t Kongs. Captain N chuckled softly and placed his Zapper back inside his pocket to replace with his Remote Sword. “Don’t worry about us, we’ll manage.” He replied. Dixie Kong cocked her head at him. “Are you sure?” She asked. Falco raised his eyebrow at Captain N before addressing Dixie Kong. “Yeah, we’ve got it. You go on ahead.” Falco instructed her. With some hesitation, Dixie Kong replied with “Alright then!” and began her rapid ascent directly up the side of the mountain. Captain N watched her jump from ledge to ledge with incredible ease, soon disappearing at the top of the mountain.

“So you got a plan to get up there?” Captain N asked Falco. He nodded nonchalantly. “Rock wall climbing was part of mandatory physical fitness for the Cor-”

“The Cornerian Flight Academy, right.” Captain N interrupted him slyly. Falco scoffed at him and approached the rock wall. “Have fun taking the elevator, hero.” He remarked, and before Captain N could make a comment back, he jumped up onto the ledge and quickly climbed up the side of the mountain. Even though Captain N thought Falco would have had a hard time climbing with his wing-like hands, he proved as agile as before. Not wanting to be outdone, Captain N stepped back, aimed the Remote Sword’s handle at the top of the mountain and fired the grappling hook. The grappling hook shot into the air but eventually succumbed to gravity and attached to a lower point than he aimed for. Determined to beat Falco to the top, he hit the button to retract the rope and was forcefully lifted up by the grappling hook. His scraped hands made holding onto the handle more difficult as his wounds cried out in protest. Feeling his grip slip, Captain N clung onto the handle with both of his hands as his legs dangled about while he was lifted higher and higher up.

And then Captain N realized one of his shoes needed to be tied.

As the grappling hook’s attachment point got closer, he could only pray his shoe didn’t fall off as he dangled about. He kept himself from looking down at the ground below and focused solely on the rock wall in front of him. Soon enough, he passed Falco on his way up, being given just enough time to tease him with “See you at the top!” as he passed him. But this pride was short lived as his ascent came to a stop. Left dangling on the side of the mountain, Captain N was quickly passed by Falco, who only offered a smug “Heh” while continuing his climb. Being forced to look down, Captain N was left almost dizzied by the incredible height he managed, and was now forced to drop down to a small ledge. In order to prepare himself, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, exhaled, and detached the rope. He slid down the side of the wall before landing squarely on the ledge. His heart skipped a beat as he landed, expecting to fall off the side and plummet to the ground. Slowly opening his eyes, he hugged the wall and carefully looked up. The factory was much clearer to see now, as well as Falco beating him to the top. Thankfully, the top of the mountain was much closer than before, and therefore easier to aim at. He carefully raised his arm up, aimed at the top, and fired the rope again. This time it attached to the peak and he quickly retracted it, resuming his ascent. His shoe now dangled off the tips of his toes as he was lifted up. Just as it was about to fall he swung his leg up and kicked the shoe into the air, which he caught in his arms.

At last, his climb concluded with him reaching the peak, finally detaching when it was safe to touch the ground. Falco and Dixie Kong were waiting for him by a boulder, where Falco had an incredibly smug look on his face. “Didja enjoy the ride?” Falco teased him. “Whatever…” Captain N muttered as he tied his shoe securely on his foot. “Careful not to fall in the pond!” Dixie Kong warned him. Captain N looked back up and saw a large pit filled with yellow-green, foul-smelling liquid of some kind. A few clumps of dirt fell into the pit and created a sizzling sound upon sinking into the liquid. He stepped back to a safe distance and looked back to the others. “So they’re inside, right?” He asked Dixie Kong. “Yup! For sure!” She answered with an eager nod. Falco looked down the mountain and drew his blaster. Dixie Kong and Captain N then realized that the Kabula was making its way over to the mountain, but was at a lower elevation than the peak where the factory was. “Inside, now!” Falco ordered, darting towards the doors. Followed closely by Captain N and Dixie Kong, Falco crashed through the doors and slammed them shut once the group was inside.

The factory corridors were dark and decrepit, having not had power supplied for possibly years. Cold, rusty pipes ran up and down the walls, making the interior feel even more claustrophobic. Falco’s metal feet scraped against the floor as he carefully crept down the hall. The droning sounds of the Kabula reverberated off the walls, making it feel even more ominous. Captain N drew his Remote Sword to provide light along the way. “Guess you don’t know where exactly the three are, huh?” Captain N asked Dixie Kong. She shook her head. “They’ve gotta be in here somewhere, they wouldn’t leave without you guys, right?” “They better not have.” Falco added, peering around corners.

The journey through the factory took what felt like hours. Endless, near-identical hallways, rooms filled with either empty boxes or broken down machinery, rickety catwalks and elevators. Captain N grew more and more worried that Zelda hasn’t mentally reached out to him yet. What if Falco was right? What if something happened to her? What about Diddy Kong or Donkey Kong? He knew he couldn’t afford to get distracted right now, or else risk getting lost in this industrial labyrinth.

...What about Pit?

Falco interrupted his train of thought by shoving him to the wall. “Turn off the sword!” He whispered to him. He did so, engulfing the three in darkness once more. Dixie Kong leaned back against the wall. “What is it?” Captain N whispered to Falco. His answer came in the form of a deployment of Koopa armed with flashlight headbands and the same spears as before marching down the hall opposite the group. Captain N held his breath as they passed by, who seemingly didn’t notice them. Once they were safely out of earshot, the three eased up. “What’re they doing here?” Falco asked Dixie Kong. “I dunno! I’ve never seen them here before!” Dixie Kong worriedly whispered back. “Maybe Bowser heard that we landed on this island and sent down his own troops to investigate.” Captain N offered. “Maybe they know where the other three are!” Dixie Kong realized. “What, you think we should follow them?” Falco retorted. “They might know this place better than us, I say it’s worth a shot.” Captain N suggested. Falco looked around the corner, seeing that the Koopa were still visible. A few corner turns and they’d essentially be lost. Falco realized this and nodded reluctantly. “Fine, but stay quiet.” He instructed, carefully tip-toeing down the halls. Dixie Kong jumped onto Captain N’s back to stay quiet, almost making him let out a yelp of surprise. “Sorry!” She whispered in his ear. He remained silent and slowly followed Falco with his Zapper ready, getting all the illumination he needed from the Koopa ahead.

The Koopa seemed to know the path ahead, but to where exactly they were heading was a mystery. The three breathed slower and more quietly as they crept along, with Falco placing his steps much more delicately. A conversation was had among the Koopa, but only faint murmuring could be heard. Choice words that could be made out were “Bowser”, “King Dedede”, “Captain N”, “Fourth castle” and “Weapons”. He couldn’t explain it, but Captain N could sense he was getting closer to the other three. The Koopa also seemed to be moving stealthily as well, as if preparing to sneak up on someone or something. Captain N couldn’t even begin to comprehend where he was in relation to the layout of the factory.

All of a sudden, the group of Koopa stopped walking. Reacting on instinct, Captain N and Falco darted to the side, hiding in a dark room housing heavy machinery of some kind. The Koopa murmured something to each other, and footsteps could be heard approaching the room. The three held their breath. Falco and Captain N raised their firearms and prepared for attack. But just as one of the Koopa rounded the corner to investigate the room, three of the Koopa yelled out at something and charged off. The Koopa that was about to catch them did a heel-turn and ran of to catch up with the others. “They found something!” Captain N whispered to Falco. “LEss talking, more moving!” Falco whispered back. Since the Koopa were in a hurry, the three risked to be less subtle as they followed them and matched the group’s pace through the halls. The Koopa had their spears drawn and ready for action, turning one corner and firing into a lit room. A yellow glow emanated from inside the room, making Captain N’s heart leap.

Zelda and the others!

Captain N and Falco ran directly at the group, and before they knew who their pursuers were, they were met with a rain of shots from Falco’s blaster and Captain N’s Zapper. The three turned the corner and were met with Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong and Zelda standing over a large, winged contraption of some kind. “Dixie!” Diddy Kong gasped in pleasant surprise. Dixie Kong jumped off of Captain N’s back and ran up to him to greet him with a big hug. Donkey Kong whooped happily upon seeing the three newcomers. “Thanks for waiting for us!” Falco shot at Zelda and Donkey Kong, his voice seeping with bitterness. “We had no choice! The Kabula was closing in on our position! We had to move!” Zelda shot back at him.

“And, what, you couldn’t tell us that with your magic?”

“Hey, hey, calm down! We’re all here, we’re all safe, that’s what matters most, right?” Captain N jumped in. “Indeed, what matters most is that we have what we came here for.” Zelda agreed, looking down at the contraption. “This is supposed to get us to Hyrule?” Falco asked, unimpressed. “Nope, this is what’s gonna help the Funky Barrel get to Hyrule!” Diddy Kong corrected, separating from Dixie Kong. “So… how are we getting back to the hut? We’ve got Dedede on our tail, and I doubt Bowser’s far behind.” Captain N asked. “We’re gonna ride this here back to the hut!” Diddy Kong happily answered. “What!?” Falco spun around. “Trust me, it’s perfectly safe for use as a glider, if the Kabula is on the other side of the mountain, we can get back to the hut without being caught by King Dedede.” Zelda assured him. Captain N looked down on his scraped-up hands and worried about hanging onto the glider. “Is something wrong, Captain?” Diddy Kong asked him. Swallowing the slight pain in his palms, he shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head. “Just eager to get away from those creeps.” He answered. Donkey Kong nodded in agreement, then lifting the entire, massive glider plus a large box of components onto his back. “We must hurry, reinforcements are surely on their way.” Zelda urged the group.

“Hey, this is an outer wall, right?” Captain N asked. “Should be, yeah!” Diddy Kong confirmed. Captain N then got his Remote Sword out and cut a massive hole in the metal wall to allow the glider and everyone else through. Unfortunately, this hole, while facing the direction back to the Kong’s hut, was also directly above another chemical pond. The metal plates cut out plummeted down into the pond and seemingly disintegrated upon making contact with the chemicals. “We all clear?” Falco asked, helping Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong secure the box on top of the glider. Feeling his stomach turn at the thought of falling in the pit, Captain N turned back to the group. “We’ll need a running start to get us over that pit.”

“From in here!?” Falco asked.

“We have to!” Captain N insisted. Dixie Kong climbed back onto his back and peered out the hole cut into the wall. The Kabula’s engine could be heard getting subtly louder, making everyone even more worried. “We can do it! Just hang on and run!” Dixie Kong encouraged them. “We need to move out, now!” Zelda insisted, moving over to cling onto the glider’s handlebar. Diddy Kong climbed onto Donkey Kong’s back, who also held tightly to the glider’s handlebar, with Falco joining him shortly.

The Kabula was getting louder. Captain N knew he had to ignore his hand’s minor wounds and held tightly onto the handlebar with everyone else. He was morbidly reminded of an opportunity he had in tenth grade to go gliding with his dad and his dad’s friend, but chickened out because he was afraid of falling.

“Are we all ready?” Zelda asked the group. Sounds of confirmation were made by everyone present, with Captain N vocalizing his last.

“Three…” Zelda began counting down

“Two…”

“One…”

“Run!”

Almost in perfect unison, the four ran out of the room, held tightly onto the glider, and jumped off the ledge.

Chapter Text

It soon occurred to Captain N that he wasn’t as prepared to make the leap as his allies. The force of Zelda, Donkey Kong and Falco pulling the glider forward overpowered him, dragging him behind. But he retained his footing and ran towards the hole with everyone else. “Jump, now!” Zelda commanded just as the four got as close as they could to the edge looming over the chemical pit below. He tried to jump off the floor and into the air with everyone else, but was once again jerked off his footing by the combined strength of the group.

As soon as his feet left the ground and he caught a glimpse of the hazard far below him, memories of plummeting from the Kabula towards the ocean thrust themselves back into his mind. Panic overtook him as his heart skipped a beat and closed his eyes. He slowly opened his eyes back up after a few moments of not immediately falling to the ground had passed, and upon looking up and seeing that the glider was working as intended. Still clinging to the handlebar, he let off some tension with a few nervous laughs that were hidden by the wind blasting by. Even as his legs dangled about, his shoes stayed on his feet. Once he fully recovered from the initial shock, he felt an incredible sense of freedom. Soaring through the wind, high above the ground on a tropical island with those closest to him instilled an incredible, powerful feeling in him. Going hang gliding with friends had seemed like a distant fantasy even when he lived on Earth. He looked over at the others and saw they were at ease as well. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong made no attempt to hide their enjoyment of the ride, and while Falco and Zelda expressed more concern at being caught by King Dedede or any of the three king’s forces, Captain N could tell they were having fun. A wide smile grew on his face as his worries of King Dedede or any other threat melted away. Right here, right now, all was right.

But then his scraped hands made themselves present again.

With his fingers still tightly curled around the handlebar, their soreness compounded the pain felt by the scraped palms. Slowly, painfully, maintaining his hold on the handlebar became much more difficult. His smile faded away as he groaned and squirmed in pain, trying in vain to readjust his grip in an attempt to alleviate the pain. Dixie Kong could tell something was wrong with him as she clung onto his back. “Are you okay, Cap’n?” She asked him in his ear, trying her hardest to be audible through the wind. He tried to assure her everything was alright, but he knew he’d be lying. As he opened his mouth to answer, his grip slipped.

Captain N’s heart skipped a beat as he let out a horrified gasp at the fear of falling from such an incredible height. Dixie Kong clung even tighter to Captain N. “G-Guess that answers that…” Dixie Kong muttered worriedly. Donkey Kong noticed how Captain N was struggling and quickly motioned for Dixie Kong to move onto his back to ease Captain N’s struggling. While it did help somewhat, he still felt the pain in his hands getting more unbearable. The weight distribution on the handlebars shifted noticeably in the commotion, making Falco and Zelda look over at what was the matter. What they saw was Captain N clinging on for dear life by only his fingertips. Hyperventilating as he looked down, his panicked mood was only worsened by seeing how he was easily at least a quarter mile off the ground. He tried to control his legs swinging around but only ended up intensifying the swinging about because of his overcorrection. He used all of his remaining strength to swallow the pain and hold onto the bar.

Then his hands slipped off the handlebar.

“Peter!” Zelda and Falco yelled in unison. Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong only gasped in horror as Captain N was now completely at the mercy of the planet’s gravity.

At that moment, everything went slow.

He descended like a feather as his mind raced. His life didn’t flash before his eyes. All he saw was the nearly cloudless sky above. The wind around him came to a near-standstill. The sounds of the Kabula behind the mountain that housed Kremkroc Industries became less intense and more strangely melodic. He didn’t even have the mental capacity to fully process the intensity of his current situation.

He looked to the sky as he fell.

But then something grabbed his leg.

He realized he had stopped falling.

Afraid of what he would see, he slowly looked over to see what caught him. What he saw was Donkey Kong holding his leg with his own foot, flashing him a wide, toothy smile. Zelda was looking over her shoulder at Captain N dangling about, clearly relieved. Dixie Kong and Diddy Kong shared a sigh of relief, but Falco continued looking ahead.

Captain N ignored the sensation of blood rushing to his head and laughed nervously in relief. His heart still raced, but refused to slow at any point. He used his flailing arms to get his two Boosters out of his back pocket and hold them in his hands while keeping his hands stuffed in his front pockets to keep the Zapper and Remote Sword from falling out.

The rest of the glider ride went by in a haze for Captain N, growing more dizzy as he dangled helplessly. The next thing he knew, he was dropped onto the dirt ground, making his heart skip a beat and get another surprised gasp out of him. He lay there for a few moments, lying on his back and swallowing the sensation of motion sickness that had been building. Once his dizziness had subsided enough for him to sit up, he saw the glider had slid to a safe, complete stop in front of him. After he fully took in that he’s now safe on the ground, he flopped onto his back and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. He could hear the group talking amongst themselves by the glider, but he was more focused on resting up while he could, where all he could hear was his own steady breathing in and out. The sky above him and the tops of the jungle trees faded out of focus as his body finally allowed itself to ease itself. He couldn’t hear the Kabula at all, which only allowed him to sink further into his break. Seizing the opportunity, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier until they forced themselves shut.

“Come on, you don’t get to die yet.” Falco’s voice suddenly rang out as Captain N felt his shoulder being nudged. He stirred from his incredibly brief nap with a groan and opened his eyelids back up to find Falco and Donkey Kong standing over him. “Nice job up there, butterfingers.” Falco shot at him. Too exhausted to answer verbally, Captain N held out his hands to show how cut-up and sore they were. “Is he alright?” Zelda asked while helping Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong unpack the components connected to the glider. Donkey Kong looked over and nodded at her. “He’ll be fine.” Falco assured her. Once Dixie Kong and Diddy Kong were all set with the equipment strapped to their backs, Zelda walked over to investigate for herself. Upon seeing the state of Captain N’s hands, she turned to him with a stern look on her face.

“Why didn’t you mention this prior to the glide?” She asked him with a pointed tone. Captain N weakly shrugged. “We needed to get out of there, I thought it was less important.” He answered, now a bit more energized. She grabbed his wrists to look at them more closely. “It should heal overnight, but I implore you to be more careful, Captain.” Zelda lectured him. He nodded and made a sound resembling “Uh huh”. “Promise me you’ll be more careful!” Zelda scolded him further, clenching his wrists even tighter. Wincing slightly, Captain N quickly nodded. “Alright, alright, I promised!” He relented. Zelda released his wrists and huffed in annoyance. “Good. There’s far too much resting on your wellbeing for you to get so reckless.” She added before turning her back on the three and going back to Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong. Falco and Donkey Kong grabbed Captain N’s arms and helped him back onto his feet. After ensuring he had steady footing on the dirt, Captain N quickly placed his weapons back in the pockets where they’re properly stored. Falco still looked annoyed at him for continuously causing trouble, but Donkey Kong gave him another wide smile and thumbs up. After returning the thumbs-up, Captain N looked to Zelda, Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong.

“So, uh… how far are we from the hut?” He asked them after clearing his throat. Dixie Kong and Diddy Kong shared a surprised look. “...We’re here.” Diddy Kong answered. Looking to his immediate right, Captain N found the same hut that he left Pit to keep watch over Funky Kong, Cranky Kong and Professor Chops. He laughed softly to himself, turning to Falco. “We’re here.” He jokingly informed him. Falco still wasn’t entirely in a good mood.

Donkey Kong quickly bounded up the ladder and disappeared inside the hut. Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong followed him inside, leaving the multiple boxes on the platform outside. “Quickly, before we get spotted.” Zelda instructed before ascending the ladder. Falco pushed past Captain N as he marched over to the ladder and climbed up it with ease. Feeling a sting of shame from all the trouble he’s caused up to now, he made sure to quickly follow Falco up the ladder and inside the hut.

It was only after entering the hut once again that he realized how surprisingly spacious the interior was. Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong were seated comfortably at the far end of the room, and Zelda and Falco stood near the doorway. Captain N looked around and found Cranky Kong comfortably napping on his rocking chair, but no sign of Professor Chops, Funky Kong or Pit. He worriedly looked to Zelda, who could tell what he was thinking. “I haven’t heard any kind of distress coming from Pit, so it’s unlikely they were found by Dedede.” She assured him. Falco didn’t seem to care and slumped down against the wall, resting his eyes. Captain N nervously looked out the windows of the hut, but couldn’t see any signs of the other three. “Should we go out looking for them?” He asked. “If Funky Kong’s with ‘em, they’ll be fine. They’re probably looking for the bananas we stashed.” Diddy Kong chimed in. Cranky Kong didn’t seem to be disturbed by the conversation, and simply snored away.

Captain N swallowed a lump of uneasiness in his throat and sat down against the wall, next to Cranky Kong’s rocking chair. “Besides, going out to search further only makes it more likely we’ll be discovered.” Zelda added matter-of-factly. Captain N wanted to protest and look outside the hut, praying Pit and the others would show up. But he knew this wasn’t a debate he could win, so slumped down and allowed himself to rest as much as he could.

Silence filled the hut as everyone simply took the time to breathe. After being chased around by enemies of all shapes and sizes for the past few days, a moment of respite was much needed. Falco only slumped further down as he snored rather loudly, which Captain N was only now noticing. Zelda didn’t seem to be sleeping as much as she was meditating, but either way he figured it would be best to leave her be. Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong snoozed away as well, rather peacefully despite the possibility of being caught. Captain N couldn’t sleep. He was kept awake by the cloud looming over him, reminding him that Pit was out there somewhere, and he didn’t know where. He almost didn’t mind the growing pains from increasing hunger as he stared out into the jungle. The sun slowly and subtly sank towards the horizon as time passed, painting the sky in many a beautiful color. Captain N knew he should get some rest and nap, but he wanted to stay up in case Pit and the others finally showed up.

Suddenly, he could just make out the sound of rustling plants in the distance. He perked up upon hearing this change in the environment, carefully peering out from the doorway to see what could have made such a noise. Falco and the others didn’t stir from their slumber, but Zelda noticed the sound too, and emerged from her meditative state to look outside. Nothing immediately stuck out to the two, not seeing any Waddle Dees or Koopa or anything else that could pose a threat. Captain N was about to ask Zelda what to do, but remembered her telepathic abilities.

“Is there anything out there?” He thought to her. She squinted at the dense forest, then shook her head. “It’s difficult to say. If I attempt to reach out to them, that could result in giving away our position to a possible enemy.” She responded. Captain N carefully drew his Zapper just in case, resting his index finger on the side of the barrel. “So we just… wait and see what happens?” Captain N asked her through his mind. “If it’s Pit and the others, they’ll know how to get here. If it’s one of the enemies, we’ll be ready.” She assured him. Captain N nodded in agreement, still firmly holding his Zapper and leering outside. Zelda readjusted her stance to be crouching, ready to pounce into action at a moment’s notice.

Soon after, the rustling sound came again, but it was closer this time. And then the rustling came again. This time, the bushes could be seen rustling, far from the hut. Captain N and Zelda shared a surprised yet determined look, then quickly turned back to the bushes. He couldn’t spot what was in the bushes through the dense jungle foliage, but it was getting closer. In a few moments, it should be emerging from the treeline, but the sinking sun would make it more difficult to see what exactly it was. Captain N predicted that it was some kind of hunter with how slowly and carefully it was making its way towards the hut. His mind began to race, imagining what kind of creature inhabited this island that the Kongs somehow forgot to mention. The Kabula was still out there, still circling the mountains, searching for him. Before his heart rate could skyrocket again, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and calmed himself down. Zelda’s at his side, and Falco and the Kongs will back him up if the worst comes to pass. He crouched behind the wall, aimed his Zapper at the jungle, and waited.

The rustling got closer.

And closer.

And closer.

Until something appeared from behind the jungle trees.

Captain N was almost taken over by his panicked instincts and fired at whatever just popped out of the jungle, but resisted and waited to see what exactly it was. The daylight had diminished significantly, so Captain N had a harder time trying to see. But after squinting, he could see a small humanoid wearing white clothes and had short, brown hair.

“It’s Pit!” He excitedly informed Zelda through his mind. Zelda sighed in relief and relaxed her stance. Right after Pit emerged, the two could make out Funky Kong and Professor Chops following him, both carrying armfuls of various fruits. Zelda waved her hand in front of Falco, gently waking him up. As he ended his snoring with a fairly loud snort, he rubbed his eyes and grumbly asked “What is it?”. “Pit and the others have returned.” Zelda informed him. Falco let out a loud yawn before replying. “Alright, I'll get the others.” He said, groaning while getting up from his sleeping spot. Pit, Funky Kong and Professor Chops continued to carefully approach the hut while constantly looking around to make sure they weren’t about to be ambushed. Once they were close enough, Captain N and Zelda waved to them from inside the hut, helpfully illuminated by the two lanterns with their fading light. Pit’s face lit before he turned back and excitedly waved them over. Captain N silently thanked the appropriate God for ensuring their safety during his absence, sitting back down on the floor.

Once Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong were woken up, the newcomers had quickly ascended the ladder and made their way inside. “Guys!” Pit excitedly greeted everyone inside. Captain N leapt up and gave Pit a quick welcome back hug. “You made it back!” Captain N happily commended him. Pit nodded with pride. “It was tricky, but we managed to not get caught!” Pit replied. “‘Sup dudes? How’s it hanging?” Funky Kong asked the group, but was quickly mobbed by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, while Dixie Kong helped Professor Chops inside. “Especially YOU, Captain! Pretty scary stuff!” Funky Kong commended Captain N. “Oh, yeah! We saw the glider fly by overhead!” Professor Chops added. “Weren’t you guys supposed to stay in here?” Falco asked Pit, slightly annoyed. Pit chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. “We wanted to find food for everyone once you had returned, since we… ate a lot of the bananas…” Professor Chops trailed off. “It took longer than we thought it would, but we found tons of fruit you guys!” Funky Kong announced, letting his armful of various fruits fall to the ground. The sight of a couple Wumpa Fruits immediately caught Captain N’s eye, forcing him to dive down into the pile and greedily stuff them into his mouth. The sweet, delectable taste of the fruit filled his mouth once more, reminding him of how hungry he was. Once he had backed away to eat, Zelda, Falco and the Kongs claimed their food from the pile and began chowing down. Pit and Professor Chops sat down next to Captain N. After arching his back with a groan, Funky Kong walked back over to the hut entrance.

“I’ll let you dudes get filled back up. I’ll get the Funky Barrel prepped and ready to go.” He announced. “We’re leaving soon?” Captain N asked him through a mouthful of delicious Wumpa Fruit. “Yep! We should be able to get away from King Dedede under the cover of night, so the sooner the better.” Funky Kong confirmed. “Then you better hop to it.” Falco remarked after swallowing a bite of an apple. “See you in a few!” Funky Kong said before leaping off the hut’s platform and getting to work.

Falco was still working on an apple, Zelda was delicately eating a fruit that Captain N couldn’t identify, and the Kongs that were awake were all chowing down on banana after banana. Cranky Kong, despite all the commotion, was still snoozing as soundly as before. “You guys wanna eat something?” Captain N asked Pit, offering him an apple. Pit shook his head. “We’re good! We, uh… taste-tested them… to make sure they were safe to eat!” he awkwardly defended himself. Professor Chops hastily nodded in agreement. Chuckling softly, Captain N shrugged and replied with “Your loss.” before returning to his delectable Wumpa Fruits. Another few moments went by of everyone peacefully eating before Captain N spoke up again.

“You know, it isn’t actually a big deal that I lost against Scorpion.” He remarked. Falco, Zelda and Pit turned to face him with varying levels of incredulity. “What makes you believe so?” Zelda asked. “It’s a tournament, and I made it all the way to the final round. That makes me the second-best fighter on the entire planet!” Captain N boasted pridefully. “Eh… not really.” Falco replied. “‘Not really’?” Captain N repeated back to him. “Well, one: You used weapons against all your enemies when they didn’t have any.” Falco reminded him. Before Captain N could protest that weapons were allowed, Falco continued. “Two: some of the best fighters in the world were thrown in the Panopticon before you got here, so you would’ve lost a lot earlier if you had to fight them.”. Captain N sunk back down, feeling wounded. “You know, people like Kazuya Mishima and Terry Bogard and Dhalsim-”

“And Tina Armstrong and Liu Kang and…” Pit pitched in, but trailed off upon meeting Captain N’s dejected expression. “...Sorry.” He sheepishly apologized. Captain N shrugged and set the half-eaten Wumpa Fruit aside. “You have shown incredible proficiency in self-defense for your time here.” Zelda reminded him. Captain N gently nodded in agreement, still wounded from Falco’s counterpoint. “...At least I’ve got you guys behind me.” He replied. “Yeah! We’re with you through to the end!” Pit happily agreed. “Right, guys?” He then asked Zelda and Falco. “Indeed, we are.” Zelda agreed, while Falco nodded along. “You guys sure did a heck of a lot better against those brutes than we could have!” Diddy Kong added. Donkey Kong nodded in agreement, with another of his wide smiles. It was only then that Captain N noticed what an immense pile of banana peels had amassed behind the Kongs. Dixie Kong was too busy with that to add to the conversation. “Well, I’m glad you think so.” Captain N smiled gently. “All in a day’s work.” Falco shrugged off, self-satisfied. “It’s an honor to defend you from such enemies.” Zelda said to Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong gave her an eager thumbs-up as he tossed another banana peel behind him.

The night progressed on and light conversation was had before Funky Kong returned to the hut. “Time to go!” He announced. Having grown used to how homey the small hut had felt, it almost pained Captain N to have to leave and face the threat of the three kings again. But he, with Zelda, Falco and Pit, got up and climbed down the ladder outside the hut, following Funky Kong. What stood directly in front of the hut was an incredibly large plane built out of a massive barrel, with wings and a cockpit and everything else a plane needs. Captain N stood in awe of the aircraft, having never even been on a regular airplane from his home world. Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong followed them down the ladder to see them off. “We better get going, or else those wicked dudes’ll spot us.” Funky Kong advised. “So climb aboard!” He invited them in, climbing inside the plane. Falco, Pit and Zelda climbed inside the plane, but Captain N was stopped before he could board. “Good luck out there, Captain.” Diddy Kong wished him. “You got this! You can stop them and save us all!” Dixie Kong cheered. Donkey Kong simply gave him a banana. Chuckling at the gesture, Captain N graciously took the banana, whereupon Donkey Kong captured him in a strong hug. Captain N gagged at having the air choked out of him by the bear, or rather gorilla hug. When Donkey Kong finally released him, he only gave him another smile.

“Thank… Thank you all for helping us. We’ll repay you somehow!” Captain N promised. “Just kick that Koopa where it hurts and we’ll call it even!” Cranky Kong called out from above, having hobbled out onto the platform with his walking stick. Captain N still wasn’t entirely used to talking animals, so he smiled and waved back at him. “Fair enough!” He called back.

“Come on, get in before you get us captured again!” Falco yelled to him from inside the plane. Feeling a sting from the comment, Captain N relented, waved farewell to the Kongs and climbed aboard the Funky Barrel. He could make out the four Kongs waving back to him and the others before the Funky Barrel accelerated, lifted off, and soared towards the horizon.

Chapter Text

Captain N had only been able to shut the Funky Barrel’s door and latch it lock before its wheels left the ground and the makeshift plane took off. The force of the plane taking flight made him stumble back, where a vacant seat was there to catch his fall. The sensation he felt inside a plane was unlike anything he had ever experienced even on Earth. The silent envy he felt at his classmates in the marching band talking about their travels to Disneyland diminished as he felt a sickening lurch in his stomach. Feeling around the seat, he couldn’t find any kind of seat belt or whatever this universe had for passenger safety, so he tightly clung to the armrests on the side and shut his eyes as the ascent continued. The Funky Barrel shook slightly from the turbulence, not helping Captain N’s restlessness at all.

Then his mouth felt strangely deeper than usual. His stomach started to flip in his abdomen, and he didn’t need experience as a world traveller to know what would follow. He began to feel the effects of motion sickness, but braced himself, kept his mouth shut and forced himself to keep the contents of his stomach where they should be.

He’s Captain N.

He’s on his way to save the world.

He’s not gonna be defeated by an upset stomach.

...Well, that’s what he tried to convince himself.

To avoid getting into less appetizing details, he kept himself from expelling onto the plane floor before him. He didn’t know how long the flight from Donkey Kong Island to Hyrule would last, and he knew such substances wouldn’t endear him to his pilot or co-passengers.

At long last, the Funky Barrel finally leveled out, signaling the end of its ascent. Captain N took a moment to calm himself down before opening his eyes. But when he did, he wasn’t met with much. The sky was pitch-black outside, barely allowing him to make out the inky black ocean from the starry night sky. If there were any lights inside the Funky Barrel, they must have been shut off to allow for a more stealthy escape from the Kabula. The Funky Barrel still shook in the wind, planting further seeds of worry inside him amidst the droning hum of the turbines outside.

“Aaaaand we made our clean getaway!” Funky Kong announced once Donkey Kong Island vanished into the night in the wake of the plane. Pit applauded the pilot, but the other three remained quiet.

“First time flying?” Falco asked him from behind. Captain N still didn’t trust his constitution enough to turn around without making a mess, so he carefully nodded his head in confirmation. He could hear Falco chuckle through the turbines outside. “Everyone’s got that queasy look on their first flight. Even me, believe it or not.” Falco informed him. Captain N laughed gently. “Thought a Cornerian Flight Academy hot shot like you came out of the womb ready to fly spaceships.” He joked. “Yeah, not even I’m good at everything. At first, anyway.” Falco quipped.

“Didn’t think you’d be cracking jokes!” Pit yelled to him across the aisle. Falco leaned back in his seat and relaxed. “The closer we get to Hyrule Castle, the sooner we get that last weapon, the sooner we take down those three kings, the happier I’ll be.” Falco replied. Zelda remained silent, but Captain N could tell she wasn’t struggling with the flight like he was. He just assumed she was meditating again or was trying to get some sleep. Either way, bothering her wouldn’t be a good idea.

“You know, I could probably get us to Hyrule faster.” Falco remarked. Pit quickly whipped around to face him. “No way! Funky Kong’s a great pilot!” He insisted. Falco chuckled. “All I’m saying is I know how to get from point A to point B in a flying ship.” Falco waved off. “Yeah, but this thing’s not built for someone like you.” Captain N spoke up. “‘Someone like me’?” Falco repeated back. “You know, someone trained to pilot a fighter, not a passenger plane.” Captain N continued. Falco rolled his eyes. “You wanna get to Hyrule fast, right?” He rhetorically asked the other two. “Yeah, but with this thing in one piece!” Pit shot back. “Oh, come on. This thing’s durable enough, right, Funky?” Falco directed to Funky Kong. “I don’t know, man. If I had another day to make double-sure it was ready to roll, I’d let you take the wheel.” Funky Kong responded while not diverting his attention from the control deck before him. Falco only let out a “Tch, whatever.” before sinking down into his seat.

“So what do you dudes call yourselves?” Funky Kong asked the group from the pilot’s seat. Captain N squinted at him, confused. Pit awkwardly cleared his throat and tried to answer. “...Well, my name’s Pit, the one in the red jacket’s Captain N-”.

“No, not your NAME names, I mean like a team name.” Funky Kong clarified. “We usually leave the naming stuff to Cap’n.” Falco answered. Captain N was left unable to respond to this question. It surprised him how it’s been almost two weeks since his journey began and he still hasn’t come up with a team name. “Seeing as how this is his journey first and foremost, I believe Captain N is most qualified for assigning us a name to be known by.” Zelda stated, breaking her silence. “Ooh, good idea!” Pit agreed, eagerly turning to Captain N. He only smiled weakly and raised his shoulders noncommittally. “...Well, the Avengers, the Justice League and the Power Rangers are already taken where I’m from, so that’d be cheating.” He informed them. “What, you worried we’ll tattle?” Falco grinned. Captain N shook his head. “Nah, it’s just… they have their names, and I want my own. I want us to be known by OUR name, not theirs.” He answered. Falco shrugged and sank back into his seat. “Whatever, the Justice League’s a lame name anyway.” He muttered.

“So what’s it gonna be?” Funky Kong prodded further, leaning in his pilot’s seat to look at Captain N from out of the corner of his eye. But as hard as he tried to come up with a unique team name, he came up empty handed. The Fearsome Four? Nah. The Four Dynamos? Not really. Captain N and his Cadets? There’s no way they’re going with that. Funky Kong chuckled before turning back to the controls before him. “I’m sure you’ll think of something, Captain.” Funky Kong assured him. “Thanks.” Captain N good-heartedly replied.

“Fun fact: Captain N didn’t come up with that name of his.” Falco informed Funky Kong. “Really?” Funky Kong asked back. “Oh, yeah. He’s not even a real captain.” Falco smirked. Captain N’s cheeks burned as Funky Kong heartily laughed at the news. “Yeah, well, Palutena and Raiden were fine with me calling myself that, so I think I’ll keep calling myself Captain N.” He boldly insisted, having regained enough of his strength to sit up without upsetting his stomach. Falco, Pit and Funky Kong shared a hearty laugh. Zelda remained quiet, pensively looking out the window at the nearly-pitch black outside. “...Besides, too many people know me as Captain N, anyway. It’d be weird to suddenly start calling myself something else.” He added. “Well, if you could pick a new name for yourself, what would that be?” Pit asked him. Captain N shrugged again. “Haven’t really thought about that. Captain N’s been working out pretty well for me so far. Plus Black Dynamite’s already taken…”

Captain N was suddenly reminded of the picture Donkey Kong showed him. “Hey Funky Kong, what was the name of the Kong that was in the picture?” He asked him. Funky Kong sighed before answering. “That’s Candy Kong. She’s DK’s sweetheart, but King K. Rool captured her before you dudes rolled up. Been at the Panopticon for about a month, with Lanky Kong and… the others.” He sadly recounted. Captain N felt a pang of empathy within him as he imagined how they could be suffering at the hands of their oppressors. This turned to remembering the group that tried to help him in Inkopolis the previous day. He peered over his shoulder to look at Zelda, who was still looking out the window. “Hey, Princess Zelda?” He gently spoke to her. She was caught slightly off guard by Captain N suddenly addressing her as she turned to face him. “Yes?” She asked him. A lump formed in Captain N’s throat, preventing him from initially asking her the question he had in mind.

“Can you… could you… reach out to the Squid Sisters?” He asked her, his voice wavering near the end. Zelda’s gaze fell to the floor. “I’ve tried, but… I’ve been unable to.” She admitted. Captain N started growing more worried. “Well… what about Alphys or Tails? Or Doctor Light? Or Roll, or-”

“I’ve tried, but I can’t reach out to them. For whatever reason, my abilities are… unusually limited.” Zelda relented, covering her face. Captain N sank down into his seat, spiraling down into another pit of worrying and dread. They haunted his mind. Callie and Marie, C.Q. Cumber and Cap’n Cuttlefish, Roll, Tails, Alphys, Doctor Light, so many people who put their faith in him. They looked to him as the hero they needed.

And he failed them.

Sure, he and his three companions fled imprisonment but the others didn’t.

They weren’t as lucky as him.

He spiraled further.

What about Simon Belmont? What about Ryu? Or Little Mac or Doc Louis?

His stomach fell.

What about Isabelle and the others of New Leaf Town?

What about the people of New Donk City or the Inklings in Inkopolis?

What about Shantae and her friends? Risky Boots had an entire pirate crew and some support from the three kings, meaning she could have escaped. What if Risky Boots got Shantae, Bolo, Sky and Mimic sent to the Panopticon? He knew he was essentially a team of four going up against an entire empire. They had to have the resources to not stay down.

He thought about turning to Zelda and asking her to reach out to them, but he stopped himself, instead gazing down at his shoes. He didn’t want to annoy her in a time like this.

And within who-knows-how-long he’ll be back on the ground, back in the fray, back in the crosshairs of Bowser, King Dedede and King K. Rool. He was smart enough to know that King Dedede would figure out they’ve escaped. His mouth grew more and more dry as he spiraled further and further. All he could do was sit on his hands and stare at the floor.

Pit felt the tension growing in the cabin, so cleared his throat in an attempt to get another conversation going. “So, uh… what can we expect in Hyrule?” He shakily asked Zelda. She didn’t answer, continuing to stare out the emptiness beyond the window. The tension Pit tried to alleviate quickly returned to fill the compartment. Falco managed to fall asleep, and Funky Kong was focused on piloting the Funky Barrel through the night to worry about conversation. But right before Pit could say something else, Zelda finally answered. “...It’s come a long way since… what happened so long ago. The towns recovered and became self-sustaining, and the ecosystem made a great recovery. We also don’t have to worry so much about the Yiga Clan, thanks to… the hero of... Hyrule…” Zelda trailed off. She took a moment to collect herself, wiping a growing tear from her eye. “But because of what happened, Hyrule isn’t quite as advanced as other cities or countries on this planet.” She added. Captain N barely paid mind to what she said. He felt around his pockets, reassuring himself that his weapons were still where he stored them. “...We got this! We’ll get that last weapon, stop the three kings and save the world!” Pit cheered, desperately trying to raise everyone’s spirits. This failed, as the droning hums of the Funky Barrel’s turbines were the only sounds that permeated the plane. Accepting defeat, Pit idly kicked his legs about as the flight went on.

Captain N rested his head against the cool glass of the window next to him, idly looking out. Thoughts of decent people being thrown in the Panopticon were still present in his mind, but the drowsiness that came as a result of such an exciting day was beginning to make itself present. His eyes slowly closed, allowing him to drift off to as peaceful a sleep as he could manage.

He didn’t know how much time had gone by, but his seemingly brief sleep was interrupted with the sensation of the Funky Barrel descending. Once he opened his eyes, his vision was filled with the bright light of the morning sun. He recoiled, groaning as he rubbed his eyes and more carefully opened them away from the window. Once his vision adjusted, he saw that the others were all already awake. Zelda, Pit and Falco were all slouched back in their seats, still trying to fully wake up. Funky Kong was still flying the Funky Barrel, not tired at all. “Morning, everyone.” Captain N drowsily greeted them. “Good morning, Cap’n.” Pit responded. Falco only groaned in response, but Zelda just stared ahead out the window. Captain N sat up in his seat and realized how good he felt after what sleep he got. Even though he doubted he got a full eight hours, he still felt rather rejuvenated. He surmised it was because it was one of the few nights he spent in this world without sleeping on the ground or floor. How strange, he thought to himself, that now he’s grateful to not sleep on the ground.

“Good morning, dudes!” Funky Kong happily greeted everyone. “Just a few more minutes and we’ll have reached your destination!”.

Captain N looked out the window and saw the morning sun rising against a mountainous landscape. But these mountains stuck out to him. He felt a strange, ethereal aura when looking upon the landscape. The mountains almost seemed like they had been hand crafted by some higher power. Some pointed directly into the sky, while others pointed out at a strange angle. The closer the Funky Barrel got, the more he felt a strange presence surround him. He began to make more and more details in the landscape. Trees, valleys, towers new and old, and smoke rising from small towns. He looked over to the other three to gauge their reactions. Pit was eagerly looking at the land before him, Falco didn’t seem to care, and Zelda was also looking out the window, but with a more foreboding look on her face. As if she dreaded what lay before her.

Captain N felt his stomach lurch again when the Funky Barrel descended further down. He forced himself to control his nausea by closing his eyes and sitting on his hands in an attempt to keep everything down. Before he knew it, he felt the Funky Barrel lurch as the wheels made contact with the ground before slowly rolling to a stop. After taking another moment to allow his stomach to settle, he opened his eyes.

“We’ve arrived in Hyrule!” Funky Kong proudly announced.

Falco quickly got up from his seat and unlatched the door, followed closely by Pit. The two stepped down to the grass below as Captain N carefully got up from his seat. He looked back to Zelda as he got to the door, but she remained in her seat, looking out the window with a dreadful look in her eyes.

“Are you okay, Princess?” He gently asked her.

Zelda closed her eyes and got up from her seat.

“I’m fine.” She insisted.

Captain N didn’t believe her, and stepped away from the doorway to face her. “...You know, if you ever need help, we’re here for you, no matter what.” He reminded her. Zelda slowly nodded. “I’m aware, thank you.” She calmly replied. Captain N knew he wasn’t going to get through to her now, and he didn’t want to keep the other two waiting, so he turned around and stepped out of the Funky Barrel.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he was met with a breath of surprisingly fresh air, unlike anything he had ever breathed before. His hometown Midnight Lights on Earth was secluded in a more heavily forested region of Oregon, but not even that compared to how pure and untainted the air of Hyrule. There was a unique but powerful sense of wonder and awe to the fields and valleys of Hyrule. The morning sun shone brilliantly in the sky, casting a magnificent golden light across the fields and forests before him. Packs of animals could be seen roaming the fields below. He felt as if he had been transported to a fantastical fantasy world akin to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and a swelling sense of adventure began growing within him. The faces and voices of his previous allies, from Simon Belmont and Ryu to Shantae and the Squid Sisters, but now they didn’t haunt him. This time, they filled him with a sense of purpose and determination. He puffed up his chest, clenched his fists and gazed upon a unique silhouette in the distance.

A silhouette of pointed towers scraping the multi-colored sky.

Hyrule Castle.

The last stop.

“You dudes take care of yourselves. Hate to see something happen to you now.” Funky Kong wished them from inside the Funky Barrel. Zelda had stepped down from the plane. “Thanks again for the ride, Funky Kong!” Pit thanked him. “I could’ve got us here faster…” Falco muttered. Zelda ignored the conversation and looked upon the land as Captain N, but just as pensively as before. “I’ll be heading back now, good luck on your quest!” Funky Kong bid them farewell. “Thank you for helping us.” Zelda quietly thanked him. “Stay safe from Dedede and the others!” Captain N reminded him before the door on the Funky Barrel shut. The turbines maneuvered the plane around, it sped down the field and lifted off, flying back the way it came.

Once the Funky Barrel disappeared into the sky, the four turned around to look at Hyrule Castle ahead of them. A silence was shared between the group, filled only by the gentle sounds of the wind rustling the grass and trees. While it painted a peaceful picture, Captain N knew danger wasn’t too far behind or ahead of him. Even Falco and Pit could tell Zelda was feeling uneasy. But she inhaled deeply before speaking, still staring directly ahead at the castle.

“...We should be going.”

Chapter Text

The atmosphere of the land of Hyrule was unlike anything Captain N had ever experienced before.

As Princess Zelda led the three down hills and through valleys, Captain N soaked in the serene, majestic landscape all around him. For the first time in however many days, he felt at peace. Even though they were possibly well hidden, there was no sign of Bowser, King Dedede, or King K. Rool anywhere. Birds chirped in the distance and the sun peeked through the incredible mountain peaks. The wind, while whistling a hollow tune as it blew through the landscape, accentuated the land’s grand scale. And even though the colors of the sky still stuck out to him as unfamiliar, this time it was a comforting unfamiliarity, like meeting a friendly camp counselor on a grade schooler’s first night away from home. He followed Zelda closely behind, soaking in the serene atmosphere as much as he could.

“I bet you don’t even need a map to navigate through Hyrule!” Pit encouraged Zelda, who barely acknowledged his assertion. “Y’think she knows where we are now?” Falco muttered to Pit. This time, Zelda did respond. “Funky Kong left us just past Loshlo Harbor. Directly ahead is the Firly Plateau. From our current location, it’s approximately a three-day hike to… our destination. I recommend you refrain from questioning my familiarity with my homeland if that wouldn’t trouble you.” She shot back, still looking ahead. Captain N and Pit gave Falco a smug look, which he responded to by rolling his eyes. “Geez, didn’t think you’d be so sensitive about it.” He muttered. Zelda simply exhaled sharply from her nose and continued on.

As he walked along a worn dirt path bordering the edge of the hill, Captain N’s attention was immediately drawn to a glowing blue tower sticking out of the ground. It was difficult to tell from his current position, but he could make out a glowing inner pillar of the tower, surrounded by mesh of some kind, with platforms sticking out of the side, ascending up the side of the tower. The seemingly high-tech nature of this tower sharply contrasted against the untouched landscape, overflowing with plant life. He gasped softly at the magnificence of the tower, which was noticed by Pit.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Pit grinned. Captain N nodded while still staring at the tower. “...What is it?” He softly asked. Zelda was about to remind them that they should remain quiet in case any enemy forces were lurking about, but Pit was quicker.

“That’s a Sheikah Tower! There’s tons of ‘em all over Hyrule! They were built a super long time ago to tell when Calamity Ganon’s coming by the ancient Sheikah people!” Pit giddily informed him, as if he was waiting all day to explain their existence. Captain N, not having context for who the Sheikah people were, nodded along to pretend to understand. But the name Calamity Ganon rang a bell in his head.

“...Didn’t M. Bison mention Calamity Ganon back in New Donk City?” Captain N asked Pit. Before Pit could answer, Zelda suddenly whipped around to face Captain N.

“Captain, I highly recommend you refrain from vocalizing your each and every thought, unless you’d prefer the four of us to be found by our enemies?” She scolded him, making him shrink back. “...No, I’m sorry…” He meekly apologized. Zelda scowled at him for a moment, then turned back around and marched on. Falco kept on walking, but Pit waited by Captain N, recovering from the emotional wound. Once Zelda and Falco were out of earshot, Pit put his hand on Captain N’s shoulder reassuringly. “...Hey, don’t take it too personally. She’s just… got a lot on her plate.” He comforted him. Captain N nodded as he recovered. “Don’t worry about it, man. I’m not gonna get wounded by Princess Zelda getting snippy at me.” He remarked with a small smile. Pit matched his grin before the two quickly ran to catch up with the two ahead of them, fearing another scolding for lagging behind.

For the next few hours, silence was once again shared among the four as they trekked along the dirt path. Captain N didn’t mind as much as he soaked in the atmosphere. He could tell Falco was still grumpy about not being able to simply fly his Arwing directly to Hyrule Castle, but he knew better than to annoy Zelda further. The dirt path soon led them by the side of a ledge looking over a river far below. Captain N marveled at how even the water below seemed more majestic than any other he had seen before, although he couldn’t articulate why. Perhaps it was the unique shade of blue, although that was hard to tell from his current elevation.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound behind him as he crossed a bridge carved into the mountainside. The survival instincts he had been developing over the course over the past almost two weeks immediately kicked in. Within an instant, he drew his Zapper and whipped around, aiming it squarely at the location of the noise. All he could make out was a large, light blue mass approaching him before he hastily fired his Zapper at it. After he shot it, he identified the mass as a large blob of some kind of goo with two large, red eyes, which melted to the ground as a result of being shot. He looked to the three in confusion. “That’s a Chuchu. You’ll find them in Hyrule.” Pit answered his unasked question. Captain N looked back at the remains of the Chuchu, internalizing this new creature he’s stumbled upon. But upon seeing the impatient looks on Falco’s and Zelda’s faces, he quickly lost interest in the Chuchu and continued on.

The path Zelda led the group down winded across and down the side of a smaller mountain and through a small forest. But upon passing beneath the raised gate of a massive, battle-scarred fort wall made of well-worn stone, the four found themselves passing through a wide open field scarred by a battle that occurred countless years ago. Captain N was able to get a better look at the massive hunks of machinery half-buried beneath the grass and dirt, but their shape was hard for him to describe. Their main bodies resembled upturned bowls, with thimble-shaped “heads” on top. An eye hole was carved into the head and three to six tentacle-like legs stemming from the main body. Upon looking closer, he noticed intricate, wave-like patterns carved into their bodies, as well as a significant amount of rust.

The battlefield was littered with these large, strange machines as far as the field stretched out. The landscape was warped and unnatural, presumably caused by explosions during a battle from long ago. He felt a strange sort of awe as he looked upon the machines, having never seen anything like them before in his life. He looked to Zelda, but his enthusiasm for answers soon drained upon seeing her face. Zelda’s eyes were closed as she continued hiking and while she showed no signs of having difficulty navigating the path forward blind, her face was painted a thousand words. She had her eyes tightly closed and her mouth was scrunched slightly. Her deep breathing in and out and her rigid posture conveyed to him that she was deeply troubled by her surroundings. Figuring it best to not stare at her, he slowly drifted behind her, walking beside Pit and in front of Falco. When his and Pit’s eyes met, Pit looked to Zelda empathetically, then to Captain N. Figuring his questions could wait for a better time, he looked ahead and continued to follow Zelda.

After a long day of hiking, the sun began to descend towards the mountain peaks in the distance once more. Although she didn’t say it, Zelda non-verbally conveyed to the other three that their destination for the evening was drawing closer. Her posture relaxed upon crossing a bridge built over a massive river leading away from the battlefield. Captain N’s legs started to get sore again from all the hiking, but this time, the pain wasn’t as present. He figured he must have been getting tougher from everything he’s been through.

About time, he thought to himself.

After long last, the path leading up a fairly steep incline and through the valley between two tall mountains, a set of large, red gates made themselves visible. Looking further down the path, Captain N saw a small but lively town decorated with lanterns and lights, along with plenty of townspeople populating the pathways. Pit and Captain N shared a sigh of relief at finally finding a place to rest, but Falco walked up to eye the village more closely alongside Zelda. She closed her eyes and focused her magic towards the settlement, then turning back to the two behind her after a few moments.

“We’ve arrived at Kakariko Village. It doesn’t seem that any threats are present here, so we should be able to spend the night here.” Zelda informed them. “You sure they aren’t hiding around anywhere?” Falco asked her, which she responded to by shaking her head. “The townspeople are too at ease. If the threat of the three kings was present, they would radiate a more troubled and anxious aura.” Zelda explained. Neither Falco nor Captain N knew enough about auras to debate her on the topic, so they accepted her answer. “I’ll find us a place to stay for the night!” Pit declared, darting down the hill towards town. “I’ll heckle the people here for food and stuff. I bet Captain N would appreciate a little tour in the meantime.” Falco remarked, following Pit’s path through Kakariko Village before Zelda could stop him. She huffed in annoyance as she watched him make his way to what looked to Captain N like a shop. “I wish we didn’t have to rely so much on taking food for free…” She grumbled. “I woulda figured a Princess like you would be used to getting stuff for free.” Captain N replied. “It’s also my responsibility to exude graciousness and courtesy, and not take from those not as well off as I.” Zelda rebutted. Captain N nodded in understanding.

“...Hey, I’m sorry for being annoying along the way.” Captain N sheepishly apologized to her. She gently sighed before responding. “There’s someone here I must speak to. I’m sure she would appreciate you accompanying me.” She informed him. Captain N nodded in agreement and followed her down the hill.

Zelda didn’t even bother disguising herself as she marched on through Kakariko Village, maintaining her elegant yet determined stride. Needless to say, she and Captain N turned plenty of heads. At this point, Captain N was more used to being in the spotlight like this, so he didn’t feel the same pressure he felt when first arriving at New Leaf Town. Something he noticed about the townspeople is that their ears matched Zelda’s; much longer and more pointed than his own. The townspeople also wore medieval-style clothing that matched Zelda’s attire far more than Captain N’s. He felt no need to be wary about their prying eyes, so he kept his head up and continued following Zelda. Fortunately, all of them knew better than to approach the two.

At the base of the village, Zelda turned to greet an old man standing in front of a stairway leading up to a large house built in front of two waterfalls. Upon seeing her, the man bowed respectfully. “Good evening, your majesty. It’s an immense relief to see you in such good health.” He greeted her. “The wellbeing of this village is great news in such dire times.” She spoke back to him.

“Impa remains in good health, partially thanks to Paya’s care.” The man informed her. “Thank you, sir.” Zelda thanked him, walking up the stairs towards the house. Captain N tried to follow her but was quickly stopped by the man stepping in his way.

“And who might YOU be?” The man coldly asked him, eyeing him closely. Captain N stepped back, slightly surprised by not being recognized for once. “Well, I’m… Captain N!” He introduced himself. The man squinted at him, not persuaded. “Let him pass, he’s with me.” Zelda ordered from above. The man responded to this by stepping aside with a bowed head. “My apologies, go on ahead.” He corrected himself. Captain N chuckled softly and waved him off. “Hey, no worries.” He assured him before joining Zelda at the doorway of the large house.

Zelda didn’t hesitate in pushing the doors open and walking inside, with Captain N following her inside more cautiously. Inside was an incredibly old woman with a massive conical hat sitting atop a cushion at the far end of the room and a younger woman presiding over her with a tray of various foods. The two spotted Captain N and Zelda at roughly the same time, but the younger woman reacted with far more surprise, hiding her face, and turning back to the older woman.

“G-Grandmother, we seem to have guests-” The younger woman whispered to the older woman, hiding her face from the newcomers.

“Indeed, I’ve noticed.” The older woman bluntly replied.

“Is this an inconvenient time, Lady Impa??” Zelda asked. “For you, it never is.” Impa kindly answered. The younger woman mustered the courage to look at the two before bowing in respect. “I-I-It’s an honor to meet you, P-Princess Zelda!” The younger woman shakily greeted, trying to sound as polite as she could. Zelda gently bowed back at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Paya.” Zelda assured her. Paya and Captain N met each other with a confused look as they were unable to recognize each other. Zelda walked over to Impa and crouched in front of her. Paya hastily moved out of the way. “I truly am grateful to see you still healthy.” Zelda whispered to Impa. Impa lightly cackled. “Oh, I’m not ready to move on yet.” She joked. Impa then turned her attention to Captain N, squinting at him suspiciously.

“...That isn’t Link.” Impa noted.

“...Well, no, but I like to think I’m still pretty good!” Captain N assured her. Paya’s expression fell noticeably.

“You’re familiar with the Hero’s Prophecy, correct?” Zelda asked Impa and Paya. “Indeed, I am.” Impa answered. Paya also nodded in confirmation. “Well, this is Captain N. He’s the one the prophecy spoke of.” Zelda continued. Paya gasped, looking at Captain N in shock with her mouth covered. Impa squinted at him further, eyeing him up and down.

“...I think I prefer Link.” Impa stated.

“...Thanks.” Captain N replied with a forced smile and thumbs-up.

“I-I could show Captain N around the village if you’d like to privately speak with Impa!” Paya offered. “That would be appreciated. Thank you, Paya.” Zelda answered. With another bow, Paya quickly walked over to Captain N and guided him back outside the house.

“So… you’re the hero.” Paya carefully noted. Captain N chuckled softly and shrugged. “I guess I am.” He replied. She couldn’t fully come to face him yet, so peered at him from out of the corner of her eye. “...You have very unusual clothes, Captain N.” Paya noted. Captain N looked down at his red and white varsity jacket and blue jeans and compared them to Paya’s more period-appropriate attire. “...I guess I do!” He agreed. An awkward silence was shared between the two while the faint, indistinct murmuring of Zelda’s and Impa’s conversation could be heard. “...So, who’s this Link guy I keep hearing about?” Captain N finally asked, breaking the silence. Paya’s cheeks reddened upon hearing Link’s name. “Oh! Well, he’s… uh… the hero of Hyrule. He’s… uh… a great swordsman, and he defeated Calamity Ganon a year ago… and he… uh…” Paya trailed off, getting redder in the face. Captain N coughed awkwardly, trying to ease some of the tension.

“So, uh, Calamity Ganon! What’s he like?” Captain N suddenly asked, trying to help Paya out of her flustered state. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “...Perhaps it would be best if we walked while I tell you the story.” Paya advised. “Sounds good to me, I’m down for sightseeing anyway.” Captain N agreed. Paya cocked her head in confusion at him. “You’re… ‘down for’ sightseeing?” Paya repeated back with a confused tone. “It means I’d like to.” Captain N clarified with a grin. Paya nodded along as she learned his slang. “‘Down for sightseeing’...” She quietly repeated to herself. Realizing she trailed off again, Captain N stepped down a few steps in front of her. Paya snapped back to reality. “Oh, right! Follow me.” She said to him, guiding him down the stairs and through town.

As the two strolled through Kakariko Village, Paya taught Captain N the story of ten thousand years ago, where a reincarnating being of evil known as Calamity Ganon was defeated by a previous incarnation of Link and Princess Zelda. “Wait, Zelda’s a reincarnation?” Captain N interrupted her. “Oh, yes! Hyrule has its own prophecy of sorts, where the spirit of the hero, the blood of the Goddess Hylia, and the incarnation of Demise’s hatred are reincarnated throughout time to form the three pieces of the Triforce. Link, the hero, represents the Triforce of Courage. Zelda, the blood of Hylia, represents the Triforce of Wisdom, and Ganon, the incarnation of Demise’s hatred, represents the Triforce of Power.” Paya answered. The look of confusion on Captain N’s face was all Paya needed to know that he was having trouble.

“So, wait, Hylia is Zelda?”

“...In a way. The three Golden Goddesses: Din, Nayru and Farore created this world, and entrusted the safety of the Triforce to Hylia. Following a battle with the being Demise, Hylia was reborn as Zelda a long, long time ago, when the earth was unsafe, and life was kept safe in a society in the clouds. So, in a way… yes, Hylia is Princess Zelda.” Paya tried her best to explain to him.

Captain N could feel a headache coming on as he tried to follow along with Paya’s story. “I-Is this difficult to understand?” Paya gently asked him. He shook his head. “Nah, I think I’ve got the basics.” He half-convincingly replied. Paya cleared her throat and continued on. “As for the Triforce, it’s a relic of incredible power! Anyone who gathers the three pieces will be able to use its power to have any wish of theirs granted!”

“WHAT!?” Captain N exclaimed, spinning around with a shocked expression. His outburst made Paya jump back in surprise as well as turn the heads of the townspeople walking about.

“I-Is something wrong, C-Captain?” Paya nervously asked.

“Well, why am I bothering with finding the weapons!? Why don’t we just go find the Triforce and wish the three kings away!? You don’t need me for that!” He frantically asked her with his heart racing. “B-B-Because they can’t be found! It’s been thousands upon thousands of years since the Triforce was last recorded in historical texts. W-We don’t know how to find them!” Paya hastily explained to him. Captain N’s heart sank with this hope for a shortcut being so quickly shot down. Once he calmed down and looked around, the townspeople waited a moment before returning to their routines.

“...I’m sorry, it’s just… been a stressful two weeks.” Captain N apologized to Paya. “I can imagine…” Paya responded. “...I assume you’re going to Hyrule Castle for the last weapon?” Paya asked. “That’s the plan.” Captain N confirmed with a hint of weariness in his voice. “I’d love to hear what kind of adventures you shared with Princess Zelda.” Paya said to him. Captain N heaved a heavy sigh and retold his story.

The sun sank behind the mountains as Captain N retold his tale, from meeting Zelda along with Pit and Falco, being bestowed his quest by Raiden and Palutena, stealing the two Boosters from Castlevania, participating in the World Warrior Tournament to get the location of Suzaku Castle from Ryu, and almost getting captured by King Dedede, hiding out on Donkey Kong Island, and finally ending up in Hyrule. Paya’s eyes lit up with amazement as she listened to his story, imagining her own version of the story in her head from what he described. Captain N intentionally left out such details as the possibility of Ryu and Simon Belmont being captured alongside the Squid Sisters, Tails, Dr. Light and the others from Inkopolis. Once he concluded, Paya only responded with “Oh my, sounds exciting!”. Captain N laughed before answering with “Yeah, that’s one word to describe it.”

“You don’t look like any kind of legendary hero.” A cranky old voice said to him from behind. He spun around and was met with an unimpressed old man. “...Huh?” He asked, caught off guard. “Hyrule’s only ever had Link. Link’s the greatest hero on the entire planet! And we’ve heard the tales of Yamajiro’s other great heroes like Mario and Samus. They’ve all got a legacy of heroism. They’ve all earned their place in history. But now that they’re gone, we’re supposed to believe in YOU, coming in from out of nowhere and pledging to succeed where they failed?” The cranky old man interrogated Captain N.

He stepped back cautiously, trying to avoid a confrontation. “Well, uh… I guess you gotta… trust me?” Captain N nervously replied. “‘Trust you’? You haven’t earned our trust! Link had our trust, and now he’s gone! Link was a hero! You’re just some kid!” The old man shot back. Out of the corner of his eyes, Captain N could see other townspeople nodding in agreement and shooting him some sour looks. He looked to Paya, but she couldn’t offer any help. All Captain N could do was back away and try to think of something to rebut their claims.

Maybe it was because he knew they were right.

“...We should probably return to Impa and Princess Zelda.” Paya advised. Captain N agreed with a wounded spirit, so the two trekked back to Impa’s dwelling.

Chapter Text

As Paya guided Captain N back to Impa’s house, the crowd surrounding the two had dissipated and the townspeople had gone back to their routines. But the man’s words remained in Captain N’s mind.

Because he knew the man was right.

If Paya’s flustered reaction was anything to go off of, Link was clearly a highly respected and beloved hero of the land of Hyrule. The image of the portrait of the hero that hung inside Peach’s Castle remained in his mind as Captain N trudged on. His bold, courageous stance, while surely a pose made for the portrait, was unlike anything Captain N knew he was capable of replicating as naturally. Sure, he confronted Dracula, M. Bison, Risky Boots and came out victorious against them, but he always had Zelda, Falco, and Pit at his back helping him on his journey. From what he could tell from Paya’s story, Link did it all on his own.

Link traveled across Hyrule and defeated the monstrous foe Calamity Ganon entirely on his own.

Captain N knew that if he tried to fight King Dedede or M. Bison or Dracula on his own, he would lose pathetically.

As indeed he did against Scorpion.

Twice.

His stomach turned a knot as he continued dwelling on his ineptitude. He wanted to grab Paya’s attention and ask her more about Link, but his already wounded ego prevented him from doing so. With a heavy sigh, he mulled more over what kind of hand he was dealt.

He, an eighteen-year-old loser, was supposed to succeed where not only Link, a braver, stronger, more capable and admittedly more attractive hero, but also Mario, Samus Aran, Captain Falcon and however many other greater, more beloved heroes failed.

He clocked in lower than average in all his high school’s fitness tests, and now he has to save a world that doesn’t trust or respect him.

He was suddenly yanked out of his self-pitying trance when he stumbled over the path and fell on the ground. He managed to react fast enough to protect his face, but his gracelessness still left him flat on his face with a small, pained groan. “Oh, goodness! A-Are you okay, Captain?” Paya worriedly asked him, crouching beside him. As he got back up, he saw he caught the attention of a few of the townspeople, who gave him an unimpressed look before turning back to their own business. He sighed quietly.

“Yeah, don’t worry.” He waved her off as he got back up. “Are you sure? People can get really hurt falling down hills…” Paya prodded further. Captain N dusted off his jacket before putting on a more confident face to hide his inner insecurity. “Link wasn’t defeated by a small stumble, and I won’t be, either.” He assured her. A brief flash of vulnerability flashed across Paya’s face at the mention of Link being defeated, making Captain N realize what he said. “...I’m sorry, that was out of line.” He apologized. Paya shook her head. “It’s alright, let’s just return to Impa and Princess Zelda.” She said with a slight waver to her voice. With a slightly guilty conscience, Captain N continued to follow Paya through the village.

As the two returned to the small clearing before Impa’s house, Captain N heard a door slam behind him. Instinctively whipping around and expecting the worst, Captain N instead saw Falco storm out of a small shop while muttering something to himself. “Hey, Falco!” Captain N called out to him, drawing his attention away from his frustrations. Paya turned to see who he was addressing and did a double-take upon seeing Falco. He trudged down to meet the two with his irritability still present.

“‘Come back when you’re a little richer’. Like aren’t trying to save his sorry-”

“Uh… are you perhaps one of the Rito people?” Paya nervously asked him. Falco turned to her, squinting at her. “Try Cornerian.” He bluntly corrected her. Paya grew more flustered and took a step back. “M-My sincerest apologies, it’s just… that, well…” Paya stammered, eventually trailing off. Falco ignored this, turned to Captain N and asked him “Who’s she?”. “This is Paya, she’s the granddaughter of Impa.” Captain N answered as Paya recollected her nerves. “You say that like I’m supposed to know who that is.” Falco replied. Captain N sputtered indignantly. “Well, you’ve been on this planet longer than I have! You’d be more likely to know!” He defended.

“L-Lady Impa is the elder of Kakariko Village and one of the last of the Sheikah!” Paya suddenly proclaimed, then shrinking back. Falco and Captain N turned to her, then to each other.

“Well, there you have it.” Captain N remarked to Falco.

“Whatever, you see Pit around here?” Falco asked him. Captain N shook his head. “Probably still looking around for somewhere to stay for tonight.” He replied. “Oh! W-We have an inn!” Paya informed them. “Great! Where would that be?” Captain N asked her. “It’s just over there, right in between the path out of Kakariko Village and Impa’s house.” She answered. Before she could add anything else, Falco began marching off to the building that could most closely resemble an Inn. Captain N followed him, and Paya awkwardly tagged along while trying to get a word in.

Right before Falco could push open the doors to the Inn, they swung open in his face and knocked him back. Clutching his beak in an attempt to assuage the soreness, he saw Pit on the other side of the doorway covering his mouth in shock. “I’m super, super sorry!” Pit hurriedly apologized. Falco stumbled back and shook the pain out of his head. “Whatever, this the Inn?” Falco groaned. “Oh, yeah! We won’t have to sleep on the ground tonight!” Pit beamed. Captain N smiled at the news and Paya looked at the three with concern.

“Doesn’t Princess Zelda accompany you three on your journey?” She asked.

“Yep! She’s a real helping hand.” Pit confirmed.

“...And you’ve been having her sleep on the ground?” Paya asked further.

“Hey, we’ve been limited by our situation and she hasn’t complained about it.” Captain N defended. Paya worriedly looked at the three, then putting on her best stern face. “...Pr-Princess Zelda is someone of significant importance! Y-You can’t j-just have her sleep on the dirty ground!” She declared. Falco gave her an unimpressed look.

“Well, rest assured Princess Zelda will be sleeping on the finest bed this Inn has to offer.” Captain N assured her. “No further promises, though.” Falco muttered under his breath. Paya was getting more and more flustered by the situation, so Pit had to intervene.

“So, uh, anything we can help with, while we’re here?”

Paya took a moment to take a deep breath. “Well, there have been reports of a Lynel in the forest north-east of the village, but-“

“We’ll handle it!” Captain N declared. Paya, Pit and Falco turned to him in surprise. “...You will?” Paya asked him. “Yeah, we’ve handled worse, right?” He reaffirmed, turning to Pit and Falco for affirmation. Falco shrugged in acceptance, but Pit showed a bit more apprehension. “Uh, well, yeah, but…” Pit trailed off. It was unusual that he showed hesitation like this, but Captain N was determined to prove his worth as Yamajiro’s destined savior and so ignored any caution he may have been better off heeding.

“It’s just north-east of town, right?” Captain N asked Paya. She showed hesitation in answering, but eventually caved. “Yes, but please be careful. Even Link faced significant difficulty in challenging Lynels.” Paya warned them. “Well, there was only one of Link. There’s three of us! We’ve got it!” Pit assured her. Falco brandished his blaster for further evidence. “You wanna make this a party of four?” He offered. Paya stepped back and quickly shook her head. “Oh, goodness no! I must return to Lady Impa. Her and Princess Zelda may require my assistance!” She was quick to respond. “Shame, we could’ve used your confidence boost.” Falco remarked. Captain N nudged in front of him to speak to Paya. “Thanks for showing me around, Paya. We’ll handle this, I promise.” He assured her. Paya solemnly nodded at the three before hurrying off towards Impa’s house, soon disappearing inside the massive holding.

“So who was she?” Pit asked.

“Not important. We’ve got a Lynel to kill, whatever that is.” Captain N boldly responded. He began to march towards the nearest path out of Kakariko Village, but then slowly came to a stop.

“Which way’s north-east?” He asked the two, his ego slightly wounded.

Falco pointed a thumb behind him. “Right, let’s get going!” Captain N announced as he began marching off in the direction indicated by Falco.

To his surprise, he could see the tree line marking the edge of the aforementioned forest atop a tall ledge just beyond the outskirts of Kakariko Village. Captain N marched on towards the forest with the two following him, not paying any mind to what the townspeople may think of him. He passed by a small pen of what he could describe as chickens but weren’t exactly the same as the animals found on Earth. He quickly turned away from them in order to prevent another sting of homesickness and continued on. The sun had begun to sink below the horizon, reducing the three’s visibility as they strayed further from the lights of the village. “You sure you don’t wanna find the path up there?” Falco asked him as Captain N analyzed the cliff face. He turned back to the Cornerian with a grin. “With my handy-dandy Remote Sword, why should I?” He replied.

“But what about us?” Pit asked. Captain N then remembered that despite his wings, Pit couldn’t fly without direct assistance from Palutena. He put a finger to his chin as he thought of a possible solution. “Y’think he’ll trust us with that?” Falco asked Pit. Pit shrugged. “I dunno. It’s meant for him, after all.” He answered.

“You’re being really stupid about this!” Falco announced to Captain N just as he was about to fire the grappling hook up the side of the cliff face. “Calm down, you two’ll get up there somehow.” Captain N replied over his shoulder. “No, I mean you don’t even know what a Lynel is!” Falco shot back. Captain N’s arms fell to his sides and he turned to face the two. “It’s like Pit said. There’s three of us and one Lynel. We’ll be fine.” He assured him. Pit looked nervously to Falco, then Captain N. “...Maybe we should talk to Zelda about this first?” Pit suggested. “Too late for that now. Odds are good she’s still talking with Impa about important stuff that doesn’t concern any of us.” Captain N dismissed.

“Fine, whatever, let’s just get this over with.” Falco relented. “That’s the spirit!” Captain N commended him before turning back to the cliff face. “You can just toss that back down to us once you’re up there.” Pit recommended. “Alright, but if you break it, I’m gonna be seriously upset.” Captain N joked. He aimed the Remote Sword at the top of the cliff and pressed the rectangular button, firing the grappling hook. This time, the grappling hook managed to hit the top of the cliff, pulling him up all the way to the top. After some difficulty swinging his legs over the ledge, he looked down at Pit and Falco below. “Just aim at the top and press the button on the back!” He yelled to them before tossing the Remote Sword down. Pit caught the Remote Sword but accidentally activated the sword’s blade, which almost cut his arm as he dropped it in surprise. “Sorry!” Pit yelled up to Captain N. Captain N watched nervously as Pit carefully picked the sword up off the ground and deactivated the blade. Even from above, it was clear Falco was getting impatient. Pit clutched the handle at the same spot Captain N did and carefully pressed the correct button, firing the grappling hook at the top of the cliff. “Now press the button again to get up here!” Captain N explained further. Pit pressed the button, but the speed at which he zipped up to the top surprised him enough to almost lose his grip on the handle. Captain N helped him climb over the ledge and get on his feet once he reached the top. “Didja have a fun ride?” Captain N remarked. Pit shakily chuckled as he handed the Remote Sword to Captain N. “Think I prefer flying.” He replied. Captain N chuckled good-heartedly.

“Look out below!” Captain N warned Falco before tossing the Remote Sword down to him. Falco caught the handle and managed to zip right up to the top without any instruction from either of them. Once Falco got himself up onto the ground, he idly tossed Captain N the sword and immediately marched directly into the forest with Captain N and Pit following him.

The darkness of night was only made worse by the trees obscuring the sky from the three. Captain N used the white glow of the Remote Sword’s blade to illuminate the path forward as Falco and Pit followed him closely behind. Once he realized he was essentially wandering around aimlessly, he asked “What’s a Lynel look like?”. “Oh, you’ll know it when you see it.” Pit assured him, which planted a seed of worry inside him. The forest, aside from the faint sounds of insects and small forest animals scurrying about, was completely silent. Captain N ignored the growing sense of anxiety within him and channeled the courage he imagined Link would exhibit in such a situation and marched on.

At the center of the small forest was a large fountain of strange, colorful plants with a sparkling pool of water in the center. The plant life surrounding the fountain seemed more colorful and lively compared to everywhere else in the forest. Captain N became immediately entranced by this strange fountain, absent-mindedly wandering closer to it. He felt a strange, magical aura about the fountain fill his senses, easing his tension and making him feel strangely safe. Just as Falco was about to chastise him for getting distracted, loud thumping was heard nearby. Captain N immediately snapped out of this trance and spun around with his Remote Sword ready for action. Pit and Falco put their backs to each other to survey the forest for whatever could have made the ominous sounds.

The thumping got closer and closer, becoming louder and more threatening with each step. Clutching the Remote Sword tightly, Captain N saw a menacing silhouette appear behind the tree line. The silhouette didn’t notice the three and simply wandered through, allowing it to be more visible. The three were finally able to identify it as a massive dark-skinned centaur-like creature with curled horns, a flowing mane, shield and the most intimidating sword Captain N had ever seen. Frozen in place at the sight of the creature, he leaned over to the other two and whispered, “That’s a Lynel, isn’t it?”

“I’ll give you three guesses.” Falco whispered back.

Pit gulped loudly as he gripped his bow even tighter. Captain N’s confidence in his pest removal plan fell drastically within moments. The Lynel was easily twice as tall as him, and his sword was about as big as Captain N. He remained rooted to the ground as he tightly held his Remote Sword, but he knew he would have to do something. He promised Paya it would be done.

“...What do we do?” He whispered to Falco and Pit.

“We attack it, what else?” Falco whispered back. “Well, I mean, shouldn’t we have some kind of strategy?” Captain N quietly asked him.

“Too late for that.”

“We came all the way out there, we’ll handle this!” Pit declared, firing an arrow of light directly at the Lynel. This immediately caught its attention as it whipped around to look at the three. With an angry snarl, it drew its sword and shield and took on a predatory stance. Captain N’s eyes widened as his hands started to shake, still holding the Remote Sword. Falco groaned and aimed his blaster at the Lynel. “Here’s your strategy: Attack!”

The Lynel roared as he charged at the three. Pit and Falco were quick to dart out of the way, but Captain N hesitated until the last possible moment to avoid being crushed underneath its hooves. His heart racing at a million miles per hour, he frantically aimed the Remote Sword behind him and fired the grappling hook. As he got dragged further away from the fray, he could see Pit and Falco darting around the Lynel with incredible agility as it swung its massive sword around. It nearly struck Pit with its hind hooves, but he was too quick, and managed to place three more shots from his bow into the Lynel’s hide. Falco kept a further distance from the Lynel, ducking behind tree trunks and firing his blaster. The Lynel, while pained from each shot, didn’t seem to be wounded by any of them, as if they were only pinching him.

Captain N lied flat on the ground as he carefully analyzed the situation. He knew that no matter how effective using the Fire Booster would be, it could easily spread and create a wildfire, and using the Zapper would give away his position. Having made up its mind, he reached into his back pocket and drew his Ice Booster and aimed it at the Lynel’s hooves. When he unleashed the fierce beam of pure ice, it encased three of its hooves in a thick layer of ice, completely immobilizing it. Captain N let out a cheer as he sprung up with his Remote Sword drawn. The Lynel roared in anger as it thrashed about, trying to get free of the ice. As Pit and Falco used this opportunity to focus their fire onto the Lynel’s head, Captain N ran right behind the Lynel and sliced right through its left hind leg, making it roar out in pain. The laser blade of the sword immediately cauterized the wound, saving Captain N from getting sprayed with blood.

“Good thinking, Cap!” Pit congratulated him. The Lynel writhed around, trying to swing at any of the three with its sword, but to no avail. Captain N was about to slice at the other hind leg, but it broke free of the ice and grazed him across the cheek, scraping it open and knocking him on his back. Pit and Falco jumped back upon seeing the Lynel free itself, and Captain N rolled out of the way to keep himself from being stampeded in the frenzy. The scrape on his cheek stung with unparalleled intensity, forcing him to hide behind another tree to recover. The Lynel was hindered by its lost hind leg, greatly affecting how it could attack the three. It swung its sword frantically at Pit, but he was able to out-maneuver the attacker. “Wanna try that again?” Falco yelled to Captain N as he strafed around the Lynel and fired his blaster at it.

“Got a better idea!” Captain N yelled back after recovering from his small wound. Peering out from behind the tree, he fired the Ice Booster again, this time at the Lynel’s head. The Lynel swung its head around and managed to avoid the beam, which instead encased the branches in a thick coating of ice. “You missed!” Pit yelled to him.

“I noticed!” Captain N yelled back.

The Lynel swung its body around and charged directly at Captain N. In his frantic reaction, all he could do was wildly swing the Ice Booster in the direction of his pursuer. He managed to freeze the Lynel’s front legs, making it fall short of Captain N. It tried to cleave his head off with a swing of his mighty sword, but Captain N scrambled away from the fierce blade. “Shoot it again!” Falco ordered him as the Lynel furiously attempted to break away from the ice. Captain N showed no hesitation this time and coated the entire front of the creature in ice, almost completely immobilizing it.

“Leave it to me!” Pit declared, jumping up high, detaching his bow into two blades and decapitated the Lynel.

Captain N heaved a sigh of relief as the massive body fell limp. Falco kicked the sword away from the body just to be sure. The three took a moment to catch their breath before Captain N spoke up.

“...Now that wasn’t so bad, now, was it?” He remarked.

Pit and Falco shared an exhausted look.

Just then, strange noises were heard coming from the mystical fountain. Sharing a suspicious look, the three carefully made their way closer to the fountain with their weapons drawn. With the Remote Sword in his left hand and the Zapper in his right, Captain N peered down into the water, which began to bubble. Before he could ask the other two for what to do, a massive body shot up out of the water, making him fall back in surprise. Falco and Pit jumped back, ready to strike back. But once he recovered, Captain N identified the fountain’s inhabitant as an incredibly large upper body of a woman with strange, crystalline clothing and a poofy hairdo.

“Oh, thank goodness that awful creature was dealt with. I’ve been terribly unable to get my beauty rest!” The massive woman sighed in relief. Captain N looked to Pit and Falco with immense confusion. Their reactions mirrored his. “Oh, my, you three seem like you’re new to these lands.” The woman noticed. “Uh… yeah.” Captain N finally answered, standing back up to talk to her.

“Well, you may call me Cotera: the Great Fairy of Kakariko Village!” She proudly introduced herself, throwing her arms up into the air for emphasis.

“...I’m… Captain N.” He awkwardly introduced himself, still unnerved by the woman before him. Pit and Falco remained silent, slightly unnerved. “...These two are Falco Lombardi and Pit, my… coworkers.” Captain N motioned to them. Cotera smiled upon the three. “It’s a pleasure to meet you three young men! Is there any way I could repay your selflessness?” She offered.

Immediately diverting his mind from the most obvious yet least family friendly answer, Captain N turned his attention to the clothes he wore. “...Is there any way you could make me tougher?” He asked the Great Fairy.

“Oh, yes! You want me to improve your clothing?” Cotera asked him. “Yeah, that’d be great!” He confirmed. Cotera then inhaled and blew a mystical gust of air across Captain N. The pleasant scent of the gust soon dissipated with the yellow, sparkling cloud. But once it disappeared, Captain N could feel his clothes were strangely tougher than before. He smiled and looked back up at Cotera.

“I think it worked, thank you!” He thanked her. Cotera smiled upon him, then turned to Falco. “Now what about you-”

“There you are!” Zelda’s voice suddenly rang out behind the three.

The three turned around to find Zelda marching towards them with her irritation painted across her face. “Princess Zelda! Good to see you again!” Pit greeted her. Zelda ignored him and got closer to them. “What made you think going into the forest at night and confronting a Lynel would be a wise decision?” She interrogated them. Captain N’s reasoning for the decision soon seemed much weaker than it did before he set off upon being met with Zelda’s stern face.

“Relax, we got it taken care of.” Falco assured her, pointing his thumb to the lifeless body of their enemy. “You speak with such confidence, but that would soon lead to your early demise!” Zelda scolded him. “We can’t afford to take unnecessary risks when so much is at stake!”

“Hey, there’s three of us, and if Link can handle it, we-” Captain N contested.

“Enough!” Zelda interrupted him; the mention of Link clearly having struck a chord. An awkward silence filled the space between them before Zelda turned her attention to Cotera. “Thank you for your assistance in preventing these three from getting into more trouble.” She wearily thanked her. “Oh, no need! These young men have been a tremendous help, your highness!” Cotera replied happily. Captain N was left with a guilty conscience in going against Zelda like this and touching her sore spot, and he could tell Pit felt similarly.

“...At least Paya will appreciate this issue being resolved.” Zelda relented. “Now, we should take advantage of this night spent on actual beds.” She advised, turning to leave the forest. “But maybe Cotera has some other-” Pit spoke up. “We’re leaving. Now.” Zelda ordered without looking back. Pit relented and waved goodbye to Cotera as he sulked behind Zelda. Falco only let out a “Tch” before following the others.

“Farewell, young adventurers! I wish you great fortune on your journey!” Cotera bid them goodbye before disappearing back into the fountain. Once the water in the fountain settled, Captain N wiped the growing drowsiness from his eyes and hurried to catch up with the others.

Chapter Text

The following morning, Zelda was quick to rise from her gentle slumber to meet the morning sunrise peering over the mountaintops. Paya was fussy enough to ensure the Princess got her own room, but the same luxury wasn’t afforded to Falco, Captain N and Pit, who had to share a rather small room. At first, Zelda wanted to wake them and get on with their day as soon as possible. But upon hearing the soft chirping of birds of morning and remembering how frequently the group was forced to sleep on the dirt, she allowed them to continue their slumber.

Zelda stepped out of the Inn, where she found Paya waiting outside. “Good morning, your majesty! I trust you slept well?” Paya was quick to ask her. Stifling a yawn, Zelda drowsily nodded. “I slept as well as I allowed myself. Far more is at stake than just my sleep schedule.” She replied. Paya looked upon her with a face of concern. “Shall I wake the others, then?” Paya offered. Zelda shook her head. “Their sleep is valuable, especially after last night. They’ll join us before long.” Zelda assured her. Paya wanted to protest but prevented herself from challenging the decision of royalty.

A moment of silence was shared before Paya grew uneasy again. “...Do you think your enemies will find you here in Hyrule?” She asked Zelda. Zelda thought for a moment, then hung her head slightly. “Captain N is their highest priority target. We can’t rely on them simply giving up on their hunt. And while the majority of their firepower is directed towards the Mushroom Kingdom, there are only so many castles on the planet that could possibly hold the last weapon.” Zelda admitted. Paya could tell there was something else bothering Zelda, but she didn’t want to prod any further. So, she simply stole an occasional glance at the Princess in between watching the sun ascend into the near-cloudless sky of Hyrule. Zelda eventually relented with a sigh.

“...I fear Captain N isn’t who we need.” Zelda informed her. Paya covered her gasp with her hand, turning to Zelda with a shocked expression. “B-But the weapons! Aren’t those only meant for the hero destined to save the planet?” Paya nervously asked. It took a moment for Zelda to respond. “Indeed, but… Captain N lacks the skill and experience of Link. On his own, without the help of Pit, Falco, or I, he’s lost more fights than he’s won. His… not cowardice, but… lack of bravery, I suppose… becomes more evident the longer one spends time with him. He has a good heart, but… I fear we can’t rely on him to succeed where Link and his allies failed. Falco feels similarly, and as much as Pit tries to hide it, I know he shares the sentiment.”

“I can’t be too harsh on him. I’m more familiar with having the weight of the world on one’s shoulders than I’d like to be, and he’s not even of this world.” Zelda continued, her voice quivering so slightly enough to not be noticed by her companion. Paya turned back to the sunrise, not knowing how to respond. For the next while, the two shared an uncomfortable silence, with neither knowing how to address the subject.

“...The worst part is… I have no choice but to put my faith in him. The regime of Bowser, K. Rool and Dedede spread across the face of the planet faster than any opposing force could challenge them. Everyone else that could possibly help us has either been forced underground or imprisoned in the Panopticon. Captain N isn’t just our last hope… he’s our only hope.” Zelda continued with a pained tone. Paya knew she had to say something to lift the Princess’s spirits and thought for a moment for something to say. As a tear was welling up in Zelda’s eye, Paya turned to her.

“At least he has you! Your wisdom and mystical prowess is unparalleled, your majesty! Surely this Captain N would be utterly lost without you!” Paya reminded her with a semi-forced smile to mask her inner uncertainty. Zelda laughed gently as she wiped the tear from her eye. “Yes, I suppose he would be.” She agreed. Taking a deep breath, she turned and looked towards the path leading them closer to Hyrule Castle. Almost too low for Paya to hear, Zelda whispered “I won’t let tragedy befall this land again…”

Just then, the Inn doors swung open, and out stumbled Pit, Falco and Captain N, displaying varying levels of drowsiness. “Oh, good morning!” Paya greeted them, shaking off the worriedness. “G’morning!” Pit responded with a chipper tone. Captain N smiled and waved at her while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Falco only yawned in response. Paya’s eyes quickly darted to Zelda, who turned to face the three. “I’d like to leave as soon as possible. Would you be ready to depart now?” Zelda asked them. “Yeah, think so.” Captain N drowsily answered. “They were giving out free breakfast in there, it was great!” Pit informed her with his usual cheery tone. “I’ve been ready to leave.” Falco muttered under his breath. Before Zelda could lead the group off, Paya nervously pulled her aside, out of the three’s earshot.

“I’m sorry your confidence in Captain N isn’t what you’d like it to be.” Paya whispered to her apologetically. Zelda pinched her nose and shook her head. “Save your apologies, Paya. I appreciate the concern, but direct action is the only way through this problem.” Zelda waved off. “Is there any way I could be of assistance?” Paya offered.

“Just continue to oversee Impa and assist her as needed.” Zelda replied. Paya hung her head slightly and stepped back slightly.

“Hey, your majesty! We gonna be leaving sometime today?” Falco yelled to her from the entrance to the Inn. Zelda could see Captain N muttering something to Falco as she turned back around to them. Paya looked to Zelda worriedly, but Zelda nodded. “My apologies, we’ll be leaving now.” Zelda called out to them. “Farewell, your majesty! May the Goddess smile upon you!” Paya bid her farewell as Zelda rejoined the group. Zelda offered her a respectful bow before addressing the three.

“So where to from here?” Captain N asked her. She masked her inner feelings towards his abilities before answering. “Through that path there, it’s a straight shot to the castle.” Zelda answered, motioning towards the path leading through two cliff faces outside the edge of Kakariko Village. “You mean, like, a straight line?” Pit asked her.

“Correct.”

“Finally, something easy.” Falco sighed in relief. He and Pit were about to lead the charge through the path when another voice rang out to them from behind.

“Don’t you leave just yet!”

The four quickly turned around and saw Impa slowly making her way down the front steps to her house with careful assistance from Paya. Zelda hastily made her way over to Impa, with Captain N and Pit following close behind. Paya hovered over Impa with each step, ready to catch her should she stumble or fall. “You shouldn’t risk such excessive movement for our sake, Impa.” Zelda lightly scolded her. Impa chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, you and I both know it’ll take more than a wrong step to do me in.” She remarked. Still concerned, Zelda stepped back. “It was awfully reckless of your three to challenge a Lynel on your own.” She directed at Captain N and Pit, as well as Falco farther back.

Captain N put his hands up defensively. “I’m supposed to be the hero, right? I was only trying to help!” He defended. “Yeah! At least you don’t have to worry about that mean ‘ol monster anymore!” Pit added. Impa shook her head. “Overconfidence led to the downfall of many great men throughout the history of Hyrule, especially when confronting a Lynel, of all things!”. Captain N wanted to remind her of how Link was capable of handling such threats on his own but remembered Zelda’s sensitivity on the subject and remained quiet. “So, what, should we just avoid having to fight anyone at all?” Pit semi-rhetorically asked her. “Of course not, but do avoid unnecessary risks along the way. You’re supposed to stop those three brutes, after all.” Impa answered.

“We got that dressing-down from her majesty last night!” Falco informed Impa from farther back. Zelda and Captain N shot him a dirty look, but Impa simply laughed softly. “Of course, I should have expected so.” She chuckled. “Thanks again for having us, Impa! It sure is a lovely village you have here!” Pit thanked her. “Yeah, thank you, Paya. I’d love to spend more time in this place under better circumstances.” Captain N thanked her. Impa smiled, but Paya was a little more hesitant. “I’m sure the Great Fairy Cotera’s blessing will help you along your way.” Impa assured Captain N. Other than the strangely starchy nature of his clothes, he didn’t notice much of a difference. Avoiding any unnecessary conflict, he smiled back at her and nodded agreeingly, saying “Yeah, I think so too.”.

“We really should be going now.” Zelda spoke up. Impa’s expression returned to a more determined demeanor. “Of course, I won’t keep you any longer. May the Goddess smile upon you all.” Impa bid them farewell, with Paya bowing respectfully behind her. “Goodbye! Thanks again!” Captain N thanked them one last time. “See you later!” Pit yelled over his shoulder as he ran to rejoin Falco. “Farewell, my friends. I sincerely hope you remain in good health.” Zelda bid farewell before joining Captain N through the path from Kakariko Village, looking mournfully back at Impa, Paya, and the people of the village.

Through the tall, narrow passage between the two cliff-faces, the four were met with a magnificent view of the land of Hyrule. Hills and valleys, mountain peaks and rolling plains illuminated by the bright morning sun, painting the sky a blue resembling a pure pool of water. Small herds of wild horses raced through the wide-open fields, a wandering traveler could be seen trekking with their trusty horse and sacks of wares, and more of the glowing blue towers from before pierced the sky. And finally, after a long descent down the hill before them and through an array of boulders and trees, just at the edge of visibility, was their destination: Hyrule Castle.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Pit goaded them on, racing down the hill. “Come on, hero! Thought you’d be in more of a hurry!” Falco yelled back to Captain N as he chased Pit to their end point. After fastening his Zapper and Remote Sword in his pockets, he ran after them. Little could he see Zelda hesitating, her eyes locked on the castle’s silhouette in the distance. Apprehension began to fill her being, but before she could be seized by her anxieties, she made her way down the hill, attempting to match her allies’ pace.

The rest of the day stretched on in much the same way it began. Where they couldn’t simply run down a steep descent, they had to carefully make their way around the ledge. The simple, direct path forward allowed Falco and Pit to take charge of the group while Captain N and Zelda tried to keep up. Much to Captain N’s relief, there wasn’t a sign of enemy forces anywhere. No Koopa, No Waddle Dees, no Kremlings, no Shadaloo and no monster minions of Dracula. Every now and again, the group would pass by an apple tree and take one or two of the fruits, hardly breaking pace. The apples grown on the Hyrule trees were far juicier and rejuvenating to Captain N. While he gratefully devoured them within moments, he found they weren’t as delicious as Wumpa Fruits, but he’ll take what he could get.

“Perhaps you could tread a bit more carefully!” Zelda called out to the two at the front of the group. Pit sprinted with all his might, though it was clear he would rather be flying with his angel wings. Falco continued to run forward with an athletic stride which contrasted against the clumsier form of Captain N and Zelda. “Oh, we’ll be fine! If there are any enemies around, we’ll see them coming from a mile away!” Pit answered over his shoulder. “The Yiga Clan are far more subtle than you might think!” Zelda shot back. Falco let out an amused sound as Captain N tried to picture what the Yiga Clan could look like. “We have guns, they don’t. We’ll be fine.” Falco reminded her. Zelda only groaned as she outpaced Captain N to keep up with the reckless two. While they were in far more of a hurry, Captain N took the time away from any present threat to soak in the serene atmosphere surrounding him. While the woods and forests of Midnight Nights, Oregon were wonderful to go camping in, the magic emanating throughout the landscape was anything he had ever felt before. Right here, right now, he was content.

Eventually, long after the group's legs had grown sore, the sun began its inevitable descent back beneath the landscape. While they had gotten remarkably closer to the castle, they still had a long way to go. Pit finally slowed his pace in order to speak to Zelda and Captain N. “Hah… maybe we should… set up camp for the night.” Pit wheezed, finally allowing his exhaustion to be known. Falco stopped his stride to whip around and give his teammates an unimpressed look. “Oh, come on! We’ve been hunting down castles for almost two weeks, we can SEE the last one from here and you wanna stop NOW?” Falco asked, clearly irritated. “That’s why we should stop now. We can head off first thing in the morning, energized and ready to go in case there’s anything less than friendly waiting for us inside. We keep going through the night, we’ll be exhausted.” Captain N tried to convince him. Falco loudly groaned and continued on forward.

“...Y’think we should stop him?” Pit asked Zelda as Captain N sat by a tree to rest his legs. Zelda shook his head. “He’ll be back.” She assured him. Pit was too exhausted to doubt her, so he slumped against another tree close to Captain N. As Zelda manifested her magic to create another warning radius around the group, Falco came stomping back, huffing and puffing to himself. “You’re back!” Pit cheered, which didn’t help his mood. Instead of responding to Pit, he jammed his finger directly at Captain N. “You are SO lucky we can’t get that last weapon without you.” He shot at him. Captain N was in danger of drifting off to sleep as soon as he got some rest, but Falco’s bitterness was enough to stir him. “Yeah, uh, right.” He clumsily agreed, making Falco groan and sit by a boulder farther away from the group.

“Oh! I’ll get some firewood!” Pit declared, darting off to gather some kindling. Without the talkative member of the group, a silence took his place. Zelda again took on a meditative state, carefully breathing in and out, but for what purpose, Captain N could only speculate. Falco was slouched against the boulder while staring directly at the ground. Captain N fought to stay awake, constantly readjusting the way he sat against the large tree behind him. Looking over at Hyrule Castle in the distance, he felt his chest tense up. With the final weapon, whatever it may be, he’ll have one goal.

Defeat the three kings: Bowser, King Dedede and King K. Rool.

He took out his Zapper and gently stroked the barrel. While he felt the smooth surface of the unique pistol, he thought back to his last two confrontations with King Dedede. Both times, the king had a force field surrounding him, protecting him from anything he or his allies could throw at him. The memory of being directly hit by Dedede’s massive mallet also filled his thoughts. With a gentle prod to his stomach area, he felt the soreness, while minimal now, was still present.

A chill ran down his spine as he thought about King Dedede and the Kabula pursuing him.

He knew he couldn’t run away from him forever.

He knew he’d have to dig his heels into the dirt and stand his ground.

He looked to the two others present and decided that he shouldn’t bother Zelda or Falco and risk annoying them. Captain N bit his lip and stuffed his Zapper back into his pocket, looking into the sky. In the distance, he could faintly hear the melodic sounds of an accordion, but he decided he shouldn’t go investigate and put himself at further risk of harm or getting on Zelda’s nerves.

“I’m back!” Pit announced, dumping a large pile of sticks and twigs in the center of the group. Zelda was stirred from her meditation, and Falco grumbled as he looked at Pit proudly display his findings. “Great, thanks.” Falco mumbled. “Princess, would you mind us having a campfire tonight?” Pit asked Zelda. “The spell I cast should alert us if someone draws near, so I’ll allow it.” She replied. Pit beamed and turned to Captain N. “Then will you do the honors, Captain?” He asked. Captain N nodded, drew the Fire Booster from his back pocket and created a smaller fire than usual, but large enough to get the campfire going. After being enveloped by the warm air emanating from the bonfire, Pit sat down on the grass and stretched his limbs with a loud groan of relaxation. Captain N got closer to the fire and held his hands out to warm them up, which helped comfort him from his stressful thoughts. Falco eventually got closer to the fire but stayed farther away from the other three that have situated themselves around it.

Aside from the sounds of the fire crackling and the other idle sounds of the plains, the four were left in silence. Captain N was beginning to succumb to his worries again, which became more and more visibly present. Pit was the first to notice, so cleared his throat and tried to initiate conversation.

“So, uh, looks like that car of yours isn’t all that different from what we have on this planet!” Pit remarked. Captain N was at first confused, then smiled and chuckled when he realized what Pit was referring to. “Yeah, I guess so.” He agreed. “What’s your car like?” Pit asked him, sitting a bit closer to him. Zelda and Falco looked over to Captain N, who just shrugged. “There’s not really much to say about it, honestly. It was a… uh… 2003 Dodge Neon!” He informed them after remembering the exact make and model. The three responded with only looks of confusion. Upon realizing that Dodge doesn’t exist on this planet, he followed his previous statement with “...It wasn’t a very nice car.”. Falco smirked. “What exactly made it less than ideal?” Zelda asked him. “Oh, geez, where do I start?” Captain N sighed. “The A/C didn’t work, one of the hubcaps was missing, rust was threatening the chassis, the brakes needed to be replaced soon, the tires, too, actually.”

“So how’d you end up with that rust bucket?” Falco asked while dusting a speck of ash off his jacket. “It was a gift for my 18th birthday. To be honest, I kinda knew I wasn’t getting anything from within the past decade. I can’t really complain, though. It runs, and it gets me from my home to school, which is really all I ever do.” Captain N answered, starting to feel the sting of homesickness return. “It wasn’t much, but it was mine…”

Captain N knew there was more he should say, so he cleared his throat.

"...Look, I get it. I know you don't really see me as the most qualified person for this... job. And as bad as it sounds... I agree with you. I spent this whole journey wishing I could be the person you need me to be. But... just know that I'm trying."

He felt the three others gaze at him as he took a deep breath before going on.

"...This jacket isn't even mine. My cousin, Kurt, not only graduated from New York University, but was the star of the soccer team. When I started high school, he gave me his old varsity jacket, saying it'll help me achieve greatness like he did."

He stopped for a moment.

"So I wore this jacket. Every day, rain or shine, cold or hot, hoping that some of his greatness would rub off onto me."

Silence returned to the group as Captain N tried to focus on the fire before him and not on how far away from home he was. He could sense some uneasiness from the rest of his group, who he could tell still didn’t entirely trust him to be reliable in a drastic situation. His eyes met Zelda’s for a moment, but he quickly looked away. Zelda sighed and looked up to the smoke rising above the fire.

“I… understand your position, Peter. Like you, I’ve known the burden of having the weight of the world on your shoulders.” She quietly admitted to him. Captain N and Pit shared an uncomfortable look before turning back to Zelda. “Hey, you don’t have to… if you don’t want to.” Pit nervously urged her. “...Yeah, Paya already told me about Calamity Ganon.” Captain N added. Zelda sighed and shook her head. “But she didn’t tell you all of my story.” Zelda replied. Falco remained quiet, but paid attention to the conversation.

Zelda took a deep breath before continuing.

“Even from a young age, I knew Calamity Ganon would return eventually. As the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, I served an instrumental role in ensuring Ganon would be sealed away and to ensure the safety of Hyrule.” She began, her voice beginning to waver. “My role was to manifest the power necessary to seal him away. Link would serve a similar role in fighting back against the darkness, and there were…”

She took a deep breath before continuing.

“Four other… champions. They… represented the Goron, Zora, Rito and Gerudo races and were meant to pilot the Divine Beasts…”

“But…”

A tear welled up in her eye.

“...Ganon arrived, and we were unprepared.”

She took a moment to collect herself.

“The champions were… defeated… as was I… and Link… Although, through a miracle, we were able to hide Link in the Shrine of Resurrection, and I was able to contain Ganon in the castle for one hundred years… the land suffered a century of Ganon and its minions.”

She looked back to Captain N after wiping the accumulating tears from her eyes.

“We may have prevailed, but the scars of their wrath remain. I understand I do you no favors by comparing you to Link, but… I’m sorry.” She turned away. Captain N tried reaching out to her but didn’t know what he could say to comfort her, so he let his hand meekly fall to the dirt.

Falco loudly groaned before getting up from his seat by the fire. “I see it in all your eyes!” He accused the three. Captain N, Pit and Zelda recoiled in a combination of surprise and confusion. “What?” Captain N asked. “Falco, we don’t understand.” Zelda informed him after collecting herself. “You all think I’m a coward!” He accused them.

“Falco, that’s ridiculous!” Pit defended. “What makes you say that?” Captain N asked. “You see me, Mr. Star Fox Squadron Big-Shot, and wonder why I wasn’t up there with the rest of my squadron when they all went off to take on Bowser and the other creeps!” Falco added. Before the three could defend themselves from the accusations, he continued.

“About two weeks before that big departure, Corneria, my home planet, feared attackers from another world would strike. I was sent off with the rest of Star Fox Squadron to take on this threat, whatever it turned out to be. Somewhere in the outer rim of the Lylat System, we got ambushed by Star Wolf.” He began with his voice seeping with bitterness.

“...’Star Wolf’?” Pit quietly asked.

“A bunch of mercenary scumbags who let the highest bidder decide their morals for them.” Falco quickly shot back. He took a deep breath before continuing his story.

“They might have not been as skilled as us, but they… got me pretty good. My Arwing’s deep-space functions were damaged and I was almost killed.” Falco continued, rubbing a certain spot on his torso where he was hurt. “They got me back to this planet, but by the time they had to go off and fight the three kings, I still had to recover from my wounds!” He shot out, kicking away a small rock.

“And then they vanished! My squadron’s gone, and I wasn’t there to help them!” He yelled to the sky. “I should’ve been there!”

“...Falco, you can’t blame yourself for that.” Zelda assured him. He shook his head. “I owe it to them. We’ve always had each other’s backs. I can’t just ‘sit it out’ while they go off to risk their lives to save the day!” He shot back.

He hit the tree closest to him and yelled out in anger and pain as he clutched his feathered hand, turning to Captain N. “So that’s why I’ve been such a jerk to you. Because I’ve had my fill of just sitting around while those assholes run free.”. Captain N only nodded solemnly. “...I understand.” He assured him. Falco sat back down by the fire, where Pit made room for him. “...Looks like we’ve all got some problems…” Pit glumly noted, resting his head on his hands as he gazed into the blaze before him.

As hard as it was for him to hear his allies reveal their inner struggles like this, Captain N could feel his bond with them grew stronger. Zelda appeared to be calmer, Pit’s cheeriness was beginning to return, and Falco’s abrasiveness seems to have been sanded off somewhat. He looked to Falco, then Pit, then Zelda with a more powerful sense of unity. The fire felt warmer as its heat surrounded him.

With his teammates beside him, the night ahead seemed a little less dark.

---

“Dedede, it’s a tiny island, and you had near-360-degree visuals. HOW COULD YOU LOSE THEM?” Bowser roared at King Dedede from the other end of the video feed. King K. Rool appeared on the video screen next to Bowser’s, but not in a better mood. King Dedede paced about, thinking to himself on what to do next. “Perhaps our benefactor was wrong to include you in our deal.” King K. Rool growled at him, leaning closer to the screen. “Calm down! Captain N and his cohorts are still out there, we can still crush him!” King Dedede hastily assured them.

“The longer he’s out there, the more likely it is he finds a way to undo our plans!” Bowser roared in response. Two Waddle Dees were about to walk into the room to address Dedede, but hastily rushed away upon hearing the chaos inside. King Dedede continued to pace around, rubbing his chin as he racked his brain for some kind of plan. His attention turned to a massive countdown counter just above the doorway, constantly counting down to an unknown event.

“Our benefactor won’t save you, Dedede, so don’t go running off to him begging him for mercy!” King K. Rool taunted him. “And he won’t tell us what that’s counting down to, so don’t even think about asking him again!” Bowser interjected. King Dedede continued to stir, thinking about a possible next course of action.

The prophecy…

Four castles…

Not Peach’s Castle…

Not Castlevania…

A light bulb went off over King Dedede’s head. Both Bowser and King K. Rool noticed this and leered at him.

“What, did you decide what you’re gonna have for your third dinner?” King K. Rool sneered. King Dedede turned back to the screens with a new boldness. “You know, I WAS gonna let you in on my new plan to catch Captain N, but just for that, you can sit back and watch me!” He declared. Before either of his allies could respond to his claim, he shut off communications and whirled around to the doorway, where a single Waddle Dee was waiting.

“Minion! Bring me another cake… and set course for Hyrule Castle.”

Chapter Text

Once again, Zelda was the first to wake up. The morning sun peeked through the vibrant leaves adorning the trees surrounding the group. As to not disturb the sleep of the other three, she carefully stepped away from the burnt-out remains of the bonfire from last night to look ahead at Hyrule Castle.

Her home.

What was once a bright, shining icon of peace and justice fell victim to decades upon decades of age and decay; the scars of Calamity Ganon still haven’t fully healed. The fields before them, now populated only by blooming plants, bore the memories of harsh, nightmarish memories she carries with her. The longer her gaze lingered on the path ahead, the darker the sky above her seemed. The bright, welcoming morning turned to the same dark, stormy night that saw the fall of Hyrule for an entire century.

Zelda knew she should turn away and keep an eye on Pit, Falco, and Captain N, but her gaze remained on the castle. Her breathing became lighter, fearing what emotions would arise when she returns to the rooms and halls of her youth.

She remained like this, staring directly ahead until she heard Captain N’s drowsy groan behind her. When she turned around to see him, she noticed the red varsity jacket his cousin had gifted him was a size too big on him. He tried to hide this by tugging the jacket down to prevent it from resembling a puffy winter coat. A feeling of empathy panged inside Zelda as she looked at Captain N. His relative inexperience still shone through what limited experience he got from his encounters against the forces of the three kings and their other enemies. He didn’t have the courage or skill of Link, or anyone else that had long since vanished. She could only hope that whatever was hidden in her life-long home was, it would be enough to turn the tide of this planet-wide siege.

After he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sitting up, he gave Zelda an informal nod and a half-awake “G’morning.”.

“Good morning.” Zelda courteously greeted him back. Captain N patted his pockets and ensured all his weapons were still in his pockets, he took a few bites from a nearby apple and joined Zelda in looking ahead to the castle.

“Did you eat breakfast?” Captain N asked her; she shook her head in response. “I don’t have much of an appetite.” She confessed. The two stood there in silence, waiting for the other two to wake up. Captain N felt Zelda’s apprehension in continuing on, especially after the story she told the previous night. But this time, he didn’t feel a need to break the silence. Standing there, looking ahead, and thinking about the possibilities of not just today and what’s hidden in the castle, but also the future here on Yamajiro was enough for him. A certain boldness filled his being where nervousness previously resided. Perhaps bolstered by the newfound bond with his teammates, he felt more ready to take on the day ahead, and the evils that may come with it.

Not long after, Pit and Falco could be heard stirring from their sleep. “Gonna be honest, I’m getting real sick of sleeping on the ground.” Falco grumbled as he got dirt off of his jacket. “Yeah, aren’t we all.” Captain N mumbled. Pit loudly yawned as he stretched his arms. “Good morning, team!” He greeted everyone, almost immediately shaking off the effects of his sleep. “Morning, Pit.” the group replied in near unison. Falco quickly ate an apple before the group gathered to look ahead at the castle. “Looks like we’re all ready to go.” Pit noticed. Falco and Captain N looked to Zelda, knowing she’d have the most reservations against going on. She took a deep breath and nodded.

“Yes, the sooner we leave, the sooner we complete our journey.”

“That’s the spirit!” Pit cheered. Falco quietly groaned at Pit’s volume so soon after waking up. After taking an extra moment to fully prepare herself, Zelda valiantly led the group in a direct line towards Hyrule Castle.

The day continued on quietly and peacefully, much to Captain N’s surprise. No sign of King Dedede, no sign or Bowser, King K. Rool or any of their allies. The four passed by a horse stable populated only by a couple people, but none of them paid the group any mind. As they passed over a bridge in order to cross a large river, Captain N reflected on how if he weren’t on such an important mission, he’d love to spend some vacation time in the magnificent land of Hyrule, exploring the mountains and valleys that surround him in all directions. Falco didn’t seem impressed by the landscape, and Pit paid more attention to keeping an eye out for anyone that could sneak up on them. Zelda’s gaze was unwavering, marching towards the castle while maintaining unbreaking eye contact with the spires that decorate the peak of the massive structure. Suddenly, something occurred to Captain N.

“Oh, shoot, does soccer exist on this planet?” He asked. Pit jumped slightly at being caught off guard by the question but nodded. “It’s just, I know I’m from a different universe, so I-” “Oh, yeah, we do.” Pit interrupted. Captain N turned to him in surprise.

“You mean, like, two teams kicking a ball into a goal?”

“Yep!”

Captain N turned back to the path ahead, softly laughing to himself. Of all infinite universes he could have ended up in, it was extremely convenient for him to end up on a planet with an oxygen atmosphere, an English-speaking population and a society that bore a great resemblance to what he was used to on Earth. “You said your cousin played soccer?” Falco asked. “Kurt, yeah.” Captain N confirmed.

“What was he like?” Falco idly asked. “Since you mentioned wanting ‘his greatness’ to rub off onto you.”

Captain N sighed gently, preparing to open up more memories of home.

“...Kurt Lavancha was everyone’s friend. He was… cool, and funny, and confident, and athletic, and smart, and brave. He won the New York University Violets the last game of the season against the Furo City University Phantoms.” Captain N reminisced, feeling his heart begin to ache. “One time… when I was young… I brought a toy car to a family reunion, and I accidentally lost it. It was my favorite, and I was really torn up about losing it. Kurt… he spent almost an hour helping me find it.” He revealed. Zelda listened intently to the conversation while looking directly ahead. Pit and Falco listened to his story closely, remaining respectfully quiet.

“I just… Kurt’s always been kind of my hero. I already told you about how he gave me his old varsity jacket, but… yeah, wearing it always made me feel stronger.” Captain N admitted. “I guess that’s why I fell into reading comic books like Superman or The Avengers. I’ve always dreamed of being the kind of person who’d be able to stand their ground, stare Doomsday in the eye and say, ‘Not today’.”

“...Well, you’re already way cooler than him!” Pit assured him. Captain N wiped a growing tear from his eye and rolled his eyes with a small smile. “Oh, am I, now?” He semi-sarcastically asked. “He helped you find a toy car. No offense, but big whoop. You’ve stood up for helpless civilians tons of times. New Leaf Town? Scuttle Town? Inkopolis? You’re already more of a hero than he is for kicking a ball around.” Falco insisted. Captain N let out a small laugh at how surprisingly kind Falco was being, in contrast to his usual annoyed demeanor. “Falco’s right. You’ve accomplished greater feats than your cousin.” Zelda commented. Captain N felt his cheeks glow as a smile spread across his face. He savored the feeling of being appreciated by his allies. Then another thought popped in his head.

“Hey, Zelda?” He asked her. She turned to him with a slightly confused face. “Yes, Captain?” She asked.

“The, uh… event happened over a century ago?” He carefully asked her. She paused for a moment before responding.

“...Yes.”

“...So, does that make you over a hundred years old?”

Zelda was caught off guard and masked a small smirk. “Yes, technically speaking, I’m one hundred and eighteen years old.” She confirmed. Captain N’s eyes widened, not expecting such a literal answer. Pit laughed at Captain N’s reaction, and Falco chuckled as well. “...Well, you sure don’t look it!” Captain N jokingly assured her. Zelda chuckled slightly before turning back to the path ahead. “Not all Hylians age like that, don’t worry.” Pit jokingly assured him. “I’m surprised someone as young as you’s been able to keep up with us!” Captain N joked to Pit. A wide grin grew across Pit’s face in preparation of his response.

“I may be 13 in angel years, but I’m actually around three hundred years old in Yamajiro years!” Pit boasted. Captain N almost choked on his words, looking at Pit in shock. Pit cackled with a notably victorious tone. “No way. There’s no way. You’re thirteen.” Captain N tried to insist, flustered. Pit shook his grinning head. Captain N sputtered indignantly, turning to Falco.

“So, what, are you, like, a thousand years old?”

“Closer to 28.” Falco bluntly corrected. Captain N sighed in relief at a more easy-to-digest answer. “Guess that makes you the youngest of the team.” Falco grinned at him. Pit laughed out loud at the revelation, which helped mask Zelda’s own chortle. Captain N’s face grew red as he tried to come up with some kind of response but groaned loudly and put his hands up.

“...So what?”

The group erupted in laughter. Falco nudged Captain N’s shoulder endearingly.

“Come on, junior. You don’t wanna get lost, do you?” Pit giggled. Captain N succumbed to the jolly conversation and turned to Zelda. “Your majesty, your subjects are making fun of me.” He jokingly whined, earning another round of giggles from the other two. “Perhaps you need to respect your elders more, young man.” Zelda teased. Pit burst out laughing as Captain N drifted back, embarrassed. Zelda’s more lively mood was soon dissipated once the group passed over another hill and came across another of the large, multi-legged machines half-buried in the dirt. As if a storm cloud appeared over her head, Zelda’s smile vanished as her focus returned on the castle ahead of them, now closer and far more imposing. The other three noticed her change in mood, and refrained from joking further, continuing on somberly.

The closer the group got to their destination, the more common wreckages of these giant machines became. What Captain N quickly noticed was how some of the machines were newer than others, having significantly less dirt and rust on their body, as well as the dirt surrounding them being much fresher and without grass growing. Zelda knew where Captain N’s curious mind was wandering, and Pit learned to not speak on her behalf. As Captain N dragged his hand along the cool, metal shell of one machine, Zelda carefully looked upon it.

“These… Guardians… were supposed to protect us. We had built them, long ago, as the ancient Sheikah did to combat Ganon, thousands of years ago. But… when Calamity Ganon arrived, the Guardians… they… turned on us.”

Zelda heard her voice quiver, so she took a moment to take a deep breath and look away before continuing.

“The Guardians succumbed to Ganon’s power, and what was supposed to be an instrument of our protection, came to bring about our destruction…”

Zelda looked upon Hyrule Castle mournfully. Captain N and Pit gave her some space, and Falco inspected the dead Guardian more closely. Once she got her emotions under control, Zelda simply turned back to the path ahead and kept walking. Still wanting to be cautious of her emotional state, the three continued to walk behind her at a safe distance.

After passing through an opening in a large, curved wall, Zelda led the group through the ruins of a once-huge town. Only small piles of rubble were left of the houses that decorated the sides of the roads, which curved around a stagnant water fountain in the center. While the buildings were left to ruin, the plant life showed signs of recovery. Grass was beginning to grow on once-smoldering piles of dirt, and even thin, brittle trees were beginning to look livelier. An aura of death surrounded the town that disturbed Captain N. Pit clutched his bow more tightly and Falco lightly grazed his hand by his holstered blaster. As they passed by the fountain, they were able to observe the fine artistry that went into crafting the intricate design of the fountain that fell victim to both the wrath of Calamity Ganon and the uncaring passage of a hundred years. With a stiff jaw, Zelda looked to the path directly ahead.

At the bridge over the river.

At the wide-open gates.

At their last stop.

She simply stood there, in the shadow of the castle. Pit, Falco and Captain N stood beside her, taking in the looming structure ahead. It may have seemed empty on the outside, but the presence of something evil long past still lingered. The air around them felt thicker, and almost hard to breathe despite it being untouched in so long.

There was something about Hyrule Castle that made it eerily different from Castlevania and Suzaku Castle. The insidious atmosphere of Castlevania was much more blatant in comparison to their current target, and the abandoned, hidden Suzaku Castle seemed almost warm and welcoming in comparison. The proud, magnificent architecture betrayed the cold, dark vibe that permeated Zelda’s home. Massive, skyscraper-sized pillars jutted out of the ground at irregular angles and pointed in the direction of the castle, as if the frame for some kind of outer shell. A chill ran down Captain N’s spine, as if someone, or something, was leering at him from the shadows.

The sky seemed darker all of a sudden, which snapped the group back to the present. “...We all ready?” Captain N quietly asked. “R-Ready as ever!” Pit stammered, trying to sound confident with the bow, now in two blades. “Ready when you are.” Falco replied, drawing his blaster while carefully eyeing the spires that scraped the sky. Zelda took longer to respond, carefully breathing in and out with her eyes closed before answering with a gentle “...I am ready.”

Together, the four began their hike inside the mouth of the castle.

The path leading from the bridge wound up and around the ascending hill. Captain N tightly held his Zapper in his right hand and his Remote Sword in his left, closely following Zelda. The four passed more of the demolished, ruined houses along with even more ruined Guardians. While the path was incredibly straightforward, Captain N felt on edge the entire walk up the path, and he suspected his allies felt similarly. While not having explored any castle on his home world, he believed he couldn’t experience anything like this on Earth.

The winding path concluded with a staircase that led to two large doors guarding the interior of Hyrule Castle. “...I think it’s only right for you to lead us in.” Captain N quietly suggested to Zelda. She solemnly nodded, stepped up to the doors, and pushed them open with a loud groan coming from the doors. The entry hall hosted only a massive hole in the floor, leading down to a dark, battle-scarred room below that almost resembled an arena. Dust floating in the air was illuminated by the light streaming through the broken windows. Fine carpets and tile floors, once unimaginably valuable, were now as trashed and disregarded as yesterday’s newspaper. Chairs, tables, and other furniture befell a similar fate. Captain N looked away from Zelda, not wanting to intrude on the emotions currently flowing through her. Aside from the gentle creaking of the aged wood settling after years of being untouched, there was only complete silence.

“...So… where you do reckon we should look?” Pit carefully asked Zelda.

“...The hidden chambers are always in the deepest, most recessed areas of the castle… perhaps the library.” Zelda concluded. Falco idly kicked a dust clump before looking at Zelda. “Well, you better lead us carefully. Don’t want the kid here to get lost.” He joked. This joke did little to alleviate the tense atmosphere, as Zelda only gravely nodded. “Yes… wouldn’t want to lose another...” She quietly said to herself before heading down a corridor. With a chill down his spine and a nervous gulp, Captain N followed her, flanked by Pit and Falco.

Had he been on his own, Captain N would have gotten horribly lost. The massive exterior of Hyrule Castle matched the interior, with countless, labyrinthine halls and corridors, each as ruined as the last. Room after room, serving a purpose he could only speculate, coated by ruin. He couldn’t bear to imagine how Zelda must feel, being forced to navigate through the ruined halls of the home she’s known all her life. To wake up a century later in a completely new world, and to lose one of her closest allies to a seemingly unstoppable enemy force.

As Zelda led them down another staircase, Captain N remembered Inkopolis. He remembered how King Dedede threatened to hurt the bystanding Inklings with his alien weapons. He remembered how scared and helpless the Inklings were. He remembered how Callie, Marie, Tails, Doctor Light, Roll and Alphys were found by King Dedede’s minions. He remembered how Cap’n Cuttlefish and C.Q. Cumber were now in possibly grave danger. He felt a new determination flow through him as he gripped his weapons. The halls may have grown darker, and the walls may have been decorated with long-unlit torches, but his uneasiness was fading.

Zelda focused her magic into creating a light source to guide them safely through the underbelly of the castle. “Oh, give me a second.” Captain N suddenly spoke up, stuffing his weapons back into his pocket. “What is it?” Pit asked him as Falco kept an eye on the path behind the group. Captain N answered by getting a torch off the wall and using his Fire Booster to ignite it, then holding it out to Pit. “Ooh, good idea!” Pit said, reforming his bow and taking the torch in his free hand. The warmth radiating off the torch felt comforting to him. Zelda hesitated only slightly as the two paused but continued walking on.

After a dizzying path through the halls, Zelda finally led the group to the castle’s library. The books filling the countless shelves shared the same wear and tear as the rest of the castle, with the pages yellowing and fading and the spines weakening. The library itself was far larger than any Captain N had ever seen in person back home, but the library itself was strangely welcoming with the smell of old paper emanating through the air. With two stories of bookshelves, and having the shelves fill the walls and empty space on the ground, he could only imagine what stories these books told, whose voices they held.

“...This was my favorite place in the castle…” Zelda quietly admitted, looking down. Captain N nodded understandingly as the other two searched the room for anything that could lead to a path forward. Before either of them could pitch their ideas, Zelda led the group down a set of stairs and to a more hidden-away section of the large room with exposed stone walling.

“What makes you think it’s over here?” Falco asked her. “...I just know.” Zelda simply answered. Falco wasn’t in a very argumentative mood, so he simply went along with it. Captain N ran his hand along the railing of the stairway down, collecting a small mound of dust. Pit and Falco tread more carefully, as to not disturb the library too much. Zelda’s breathing became much shallower, which she made great effort to hide from the other three.

Zelda stopped walking as she came to the section of wall. “...The rest is yours, Peter.” She quietly said to Captain N. Pit and Falco looked to him with determination. He felt a strange feeling within him that felt oddly compelling. He looked first at Zelda, then to Falco and Pit. “...Thank you.” He quietly thanked them. Pit awkwardly chuckled. “Hey, guiding you around’s no problem.” He assured him. Captain N shook his head. “No… thank you for… being here for me. Thank you for helping me through this world. Thank you for… making me feel more at home.”

He turned back to the section of wall, and when his hand was about to make contact, the wall rumbled deeply and parted before him, revealing a dark path further down. Without hesitation, Captain N walked down the corridor, each step making an echo sound. He ran his hand along the wall again, but this time, the wall was pristine. No dust, no damage, it could have been made yesterday. It almost unnerved him to be in such a jarringly different environment, so different from the destroyed castle above.

At the end of the corridor was a room, like the three others.

Containing only a pedestal.

Holding only a gray glove with black attachments.

Captain N felt a strange force surround him. But this time, it didn’t weigh down on him. This time, it empowered him. As he stood before the pedestal holding the glove, he reflected on his situation.

He, Peter Lavancha, a faceless loser from an ordinary world, was meant to be here.

Years upon years passed in this world. Chaos scourged the land in many forms. Legendary heroes came and went. Mario, Link, Samus Aran, Simon Belmont, Ryu and the others, who have all achieved greatness, weren’t meant to be here.

Noble figures of royalty like Princess Peach weren’t meant to be here.

Great evils like Bowser, King K. Rool, King Dedede, M. Bison, Dracula, and even Ganon weren’t meant to be here.

Not even actual Gods and Goddesses like Palutena and Raiden were meant to be here.

He, and he alone, was meant to be here.

These hidden rooms, these powerful weapons, this ancient prophecy. All of it was for him.

Not for the artists or athletes or honor students of Midnight Lights High School.

Him.

Feeling the power of destiny course through his veins, Captain N grabbed the glove and slipped it onto his right hand. He clenched his newly clad fist and felt a new kind of power. He felt strength he never felt before. The black attachments on the glove had several buttons on them, for what purpose, he’ll find out later. This glove felt the most different from the other weapons, and as he inspected it further, a triumphant grin grew across his face. He held his hand out, clenched his fist, and said to himself:

“Groovy.”

Chapter Text

Captain N’s triumphant moment was shattered when a massive booming sound rang out throughout the chamber. The stone walls that remained untouched for a hundred years cracked and crumbled slightly upon feeling the shockwave of the sudden explosion from above. Snapping out of his daydream, Captain N clenched his gloved fist and ran back up the stairs out of the chamber.

Another loud boom reverberated throughout Hyrule Castle’s underbelly, knocking Captain N off his feet as he sprinted up the stairs. He felt his bones practically shake within his body as he tried to recover. Once he regained his footing, he continued running up the stairs, only to run headlong into Pit. The two accidentally knocked each to the ground with loud grunts coming from both of them. Captain N sighed in relief upon realizing who he ran into as he helped Pit up.

“The hell’s going on up there?” Captain N worriedly asked Pit. With a frantic look, Pit shrugged. “I dunno! It just kinda happened!” Pit answered. “Well, come on, we need to get moving!” Captain N declared, leading the path back up the stairs. Once the two had exited the other-worldly staircase and returned to the castle’s library, they found Falco and Zelda standing by where they came in, both looking worried. “So what’d you find down there?” Falco yelled to Captain N. He held his gloved hand up in response as he and Pit ran to join them. Falco and Pit tried to get a better look at Captain N’s latest addition to his collection of well-hidden weapons, but Zelda urged them back to the path leading out of the castle. “We can worry about that once we’ve eliminated the risk of falling debris!” Zelda insisted. Shakily nodding in agreement, Captain N drew his Zapper, and the group began to retrace their steps back to Hyrule Castle’s entrance.

For the first time throughout their adventure, Zelda was almost hard to keep up with. As she led the way through the once luxurious hallways and corridors, decorated with faded paintings and worn rugs, she moved at a speed that even rivaled Falco’s athletic stride. Pit ran beside Captain N, who was unfortunately lagging behind the other two. Despite how much exercise he’s had the past two weeks, his physical prowess has hardly improved by any noticeable amount. He held his Zapper in the air, ready to swing around and shoot anything that could have created such chaos so suddenly. Pit and Falco also ran with their weapons drawn, and Zelda focused on leading the path out.

As they ran, boom after boom rang out through Hyrule Castle. The aged halls and rooms didn’t handle these as well as the hidden chamber. Paintings fell from the walls, small pieces of furniture fell over, and the ground rumbled beneath the four. Captain N’s stride wasn’t as articulate as the other’s, so another one of these enormous shockwaves was enough to knock him over again. Panicked, he tried to grab onto a nearby stone ledge near the bottom of a pillar, but his gloved hand tore a section of stone out of the pillar, failing to catch his fall. He didn’t get back up as quickly as he would have, as he took a moment to stare at the chunk of rock he single-handedly tore out of its place. “Woah, how’d you do that?” Pit asked Captain N as he helped him back up. “The whole place is coming apart! Of course the foundation’s gonna weaken! Now hurry up!” Falco yelled over his shoulder as Zelda hardly broke pace. Pit and Captain N quickly got over the moment and ran to catch up to them.

The explosion-resembling sounds slowly became more frequent, shaking the team to their bones. Captain N’s heart skipped a beat with every boom. His breathing became more and more frantic as he and his allies slowly got closer to the source of the loud noises. It was only as he frantically ran for his life, trying to escape the roof collapsing in on him that he began to empathize with soldiers in World War I trenches. He couldn’t read the faces of the three others, but it didn’t matter. Someone, or something, out there wanted to bring down Hyrule Castle, and he wasn’t about to let that happen. So, he steeled his nerve, clenched his fists, and kept running.

His lungs began to burn again, but soon enough, Zelda led the group up the final stairs and out of the front doors of the castle. As soon as their eyes adjust to the light, they were left silent at what they saw.

The Kabula hovering high in the air.

An army of Waddle Dees, all armed with the advanced spears and surrounding the water fountain before the Castle Town.

And King Dedede, wielding his mallet and armed with a scowl at the front.

The cannon beneath the Kabula glowed faintly, revealing it was the cause of the bombardment of the castle. Upon seeing the four, King Dedede let out a hearty belly laugh.

“You’re a slippery bunch, aintcha?” He yelled to them. “You’re too late, Dedede! Captain N got the fourth weapon! You and your buddies are finished!” Pit gloated. As King Dedede laughed out loud at his claim, Captain N stiffened his jaw. He could tell King Dedede still had his energy shield protecting him, which prevented them from initially defeating him in Scuttle Town. He could sense Zelda and Falco get more tense as they stared down the opposing army, but they didn’t budge an inch. “Y’really think I’m scared of that loser? It takes more than just fancy gadgets to take ME on!” King Dedede shot back.

Captain N knew he was right. Remembering when he went toe-to-toe with King Dedede in Scuttle Town and aboard the Kabula, his Zapper, Boosters and Remote Sword weren’t enough to even slow him down, but it only took a good few swings of his mallet to make him scurry away. “Seems to me that Captain N’s still the scaredy-cat that ran away from our last fight!” King Dedede instigated further. “How ‘bout you come over here and find out?” Falco yelled back, to which Captain N silently protested.

“Say, that sounds like a great idea!” King Dedede sneered, then turning to wave at the Kabula. Just then, a small, floating device popped out from underneath the flying ship, which floated down closer to King Dedede. He couldn’t tell from far away, but he could make out a camera lens in the front of the floating device, which focused on the King.

“Yo, ladies and gentlemen of this loser planet! King Dedede, the strongest, baddest, hungriest king you’ve ever seen, coming to you live all the way from Hyrule Castle!” He proclaimed to the floating device. “Over there’s that loser who got knocked out in ONE PUNCH in the World Warrior Tournament, Captain N!” He introduced him. The floating device pointed itself at the four, then focusing on Captain N, trying his best to look determined. “Get this: this weakling really thinks he’s some kind of legendary hero that’ll stop Bowser, K. Rool and ME! And he’ll say those toys of his are proof!” He continued, succumbing to laugher near the end. Captain N felt his cheeks glow, partially from embarrassment, but also from anger. He stiffened his jaw, clenched his fists, and stared daggers at the camera, not allowing any inner weakness to surface on his visage.

“Your hideous reign ends here, Dedede!” Zelda yelled to him, her hands starting to glow. “Yeah! Captain N’s the real deal!” Pit added. King Dedede erupted into more laughter, this time getting some of the Waddle Dees to join in. Seeing an opening, Falco drew his blaster and fired three shots directly at the king, but all three were harmlessly absorbed into the barely visible shield surrounding him. “Oh, is that so?” King Dedede grinned.

Just then, the army of Waddle Dees backed away, creating a ring between the water fountain and the bridge leading to Hyrule Castle. “Then come down here and prove it! Show me, and this whole stinking planet what those toys can do!” King Dedede challenged him as the flying camera device turned its focus to the mini arena. As Captain N felt a chill run down his spine at the challenge, Falco audibly scoffed. “What makes you think the four of us won’t just gang up on you?” He snarled at him. “‘Cause these boys are gonna keep you three busy while I wipe the rotting pavement with Captain Nincompoop!” King Dedede gloated back. Almost as if it were waiting for its cue, the cannon beneath the Kabula began charging up again, aimed directly at Hyrule Castle.

“Say goodbye to your home, Princess!” King Dedede grinned. In a moment of panic, Zelda managed to create a magic barrier to protect the castle from the Kabula’s blast, but this time, it didn’t ricochet off. Instead, it simply dissipated upon contact, much to King Dedede’s delight. “Oh, I learned from my mistakes, too! This baby’s specially made for breaking through magic!” He cheerily explained. Zelda gasped in horror, a worried expression spreading across her face as the Kabula began charging up its next blast. “You’re a monster!” Zelda screamed at him. “Thank you, I do try!” He grinned back before returning his attention to the camera.

“Now, watch in awe as your only hope for my defeat gets crushed beneath my mighty mallet!” He exclaimed, brandishing his mallet in the air. “Attack!” Pit yelled, dashing at King Dedede alongside Falco. But the Waddle Dees intervened, dogpiling on top of the two while also clearing the path for Captain N. Now much more worried, he turned to Zelda. “I apologize, but I won’t allow my home to be turned to rubble.” Zelda apologized, bracing her magic. The Kabula then unleashed its next blast, which was again absorbed by Zelda’s magic, but this time it seemed that it strained Zelda more. “I’ll… try my best.” He weakly assured her before turning to face King Dedede, who stood proud and ready for battle.

As Captain N walked down the bridge to confront King Dedede, his mind flashed back to the hallways of the World Warrior Tournament’s arena before he fought Scorpion for the first time. The same sense of dread hung over him. He could feel his heart rate slowly hasten. His movement resembled a rudimentary robot, marching forward at a steady pace. He walked past Falco and Pit fighting tooth and nail against the seemingly endless army of Waddle Dees; punching and kicking and shooting one after another, but it seemed like three more joined the fray whenever one was taken out.

He stopped walking once he was around twenty feet away from King Dedede. The two locked eyes. If King Dedede was feeling any apprehension about the fight, it wasn’t noticeable. As King Dedede spun his mallet and grinned devilishly at his opponent, Captain N took deep breaths in and out, gently grazing his gloved fingers by the Zapper holstered in his pocket.

“Y’ready?” King Dedede mockingly asked him. Captain N didn’t answer.

“Too bad!” King Dedede continued regardless and charged at him.

His immediate instinct was to freeze up like a deer caught in car headlights. His arms and legs stiffened up as King Dedede got closer and closer. His mind screamed at his body to dodge or run away or do anything, but his body refused to comply. Finally, when King Dedede was winding up his swing, he finally regained control of his legs and jumped out of the way. He felt the very edge of the king’s massive mallet scrape by his cheek as he dove to the ground, covering his head. In a panic, he shakily drew his Zapper and blasted King Dedede. As he reluctantly expected, his opponent was unfazed. “Some weapon you got there!” King Dedede mocked him. Before Captain N could come up with something else, King Dedede struck him in the stomach with his mallet.

As he recoiled in pain, he realized how it hurt less than it probably should have. He touched his stomach and felt only slight soreness. “Took that like a champ.” King Dedede sneered. Captain N scrambled away and regained his footing, then remembered Cotera. Her blessing from yesterday made his clothes tougher!

Moving onto Plan B, he shakily backed away from King Dedede and traded his Zapper for his Fire and Ice Boosters. “Ooh, what do THOSE do?” King Dedede asked in mock curiosity. Another blast rang out through the air, indicating the Kabula fired again. He stole a glance at Zelda, who maintained her defensive position but was noticeably weaker. King Dedede took the opportunity to catch him off guard and strike Captain N in the stomach again. He yelled out in pain as he collapsed onto the ground, the pain beginning to mount.

But he knew he couldn’t stay down.

With a pained groan, Captain N got back up, and while clutching his stomach, blasted King Dedede with his Fire Booster. Still protected by his shield, King Dedede simply charged through the beam of fire and closed in on him again. His mind racing, Captain N tried to come up with some way to get through his shield. In an instant, his left hand retrieved his Remote Sword, ignited the blade, and slashed at King Dedede. Although he surprised his opponent, the blade couldn’t pierce his shield.

“You’re not impressing me, Captain!” King Dedede mocked him. Captain N grew more panicked. He looked out of the corner of his eye to see Falco, Pit and Zelda too busy to help him. King Dedede grabbed the handle of his sword and tossed it far away from him, making him more vulnerable. “Some hero you are!” King Dedede exclaimed triumphantly, slamming his hammer into Captain N again and again. He could only weakly back up against the empty water fountain and block the mallet with his forearms. If he tried grabbing his Zapper or Ice Booster, he’d lower his defenses. Pain screamed throughout his body. Curled up against the water fountain, all he could do was defend his body and head as much as he could.

But it was inevitable.

He was losing.

Then, King Dedede stopped swinging his mallet. Looking up cautiously, Captain N saw King Dedede step away and address the flying camera. “Now watch as I crush this loser!” King Dedede ordered his audience. He flipped a hidden switch on his mallet, making the outer pieces open up and reveal what resembled a rocket booster, which began to power up. Captain N could hardly stand as he shakily regained his footing, looking at the rocket-powered hammer with fear in his heart. King Dedede turned back to Captain N, wound up his swing, charged forward and leapt high into the air. Realizing his fate, all Captain N could do is close his eyes and raise his right hand in a pathetic attempt to defend himself.

King Dedede fell from the sky and swung his rocket mallet at Captain N.

But the hammer didn’t hit him.

Captain N slowly opened his eyes and saw what happened.

His gloved hand stopped the rocket mallet.

His eyes shot open as his gaze met King Dedede, who matched his shocked expression as he shakily held the rocket mallet’s handle.

He felt more powerful.

He felt like he stood a chance now.

King Dedede clenched his teeth and tried to lower the mallet down onto him, but Captain N diverted the weapon to crash into the ground next to him, causing King Dedede to lose his balance and fall over. Once he was given this window of opportunity, Captain N swung his fist at King Dedede’s head. While it couldn’t break through the shield, he felt his fist was significantly stronger than before. King Dedede maintained his grip on the rocket mallet and hastily got back up, shaking off his surprise.

“Pfft, so what? That’s not gonna save you!” King Dedede shot at him, but Captain N could tell that was partially meant as reassurance for himself.

As the two readjusted their stances, Captain N analyzed the situation surrounding them. More blasts from the Kabula rang out, each one successfully being defended by Zelda, but her resolve was weakening by the moment as she stumbled forward and tried to maintain her focus. Pit and Falco were starting to slow down as well, getting hit by the Waddle Dees more and yelling incomprehensibly at each other.

“Heh… getting tired?” King Dedede asked him. Captain N sneered. “Why, you wanna take a break?” He shot back. “Oh, you do talk!” King Dedede noticed in fake surprise. “Yeah, and I’m gonna make you sing.” Captain N retorted. King Dedede readied his mallet and prepared to pounce.

In that moment, Captain N remembered the training he received from Doc Louis and Ryu. He could feel their presence beside him, watching over him as he fought for all the world to see, as he did in the World Warrior Tournament. Now feeling more ready to fight, he corrected his footing, raised his fists, and stared down King Dedede.

His opponent charged at him. He didn’t move, not from fear, but from steadiness. He squinted at the mallet-wielding king closing in on him, shifting his weight slightly. King Dedede once again leapt up into the air and just before he brought the rocket mallet down onto him, Captain N dodged out of the way. In the split second after King Dedede touched the ground, Captain N swung his gloved fist at him again, again bouncing off his shield. But he could feel he was getting through. Now frenzied, King Dedede swung the mallet around, but Captain N dodged out of the way at the last minute to punch him again. The floating camera followed the fight intently, making sure to get a good angle of the fight as Captain N and King Dedede traded blows.

His mind flashed back to the technique displayed by Ryu and Doc Louis. Their footing and stance, their techniques, everything about them. He tried his best to mirror them, dodging out of the way of King Dedede’s mallet and placing strikes where he could. One of the blasts from the Kabula caught King Dedede off guard and made him stumble backward in surprise. Captain N took this window to punch King Dedede right in the face, finally breaking through the shield and sending him flying back.

A wide grin appeared on Captain N’s face as King Dedede clutched his beak, groaning while holding onto his mallet. Captain N let out a giddy laugh as he met King Dedede’s panicked gaze.

King Dedede is vulnerable.

Memories of the Inklings in Inkopolis flashed through his mind.

Memories of King Dedede threatening to hurt them.

Now King Dedede was as scared as they were.

“My turn.” Captain N growled.

King Dedede desperately tried to get into a fighting position as Captain N barreled towards him. Right before King Dedede could respond at all, Captain N punched him in the gut, cracking the stone water fountain behind him. King Dedede coiled up on the ground, reeling from the intense pain. He managed to use the rocket mallet to get away quickly, but Captain N saw his Remote Sword lying nearby. Before King Dedede knew it, Captain N used the sword to grapple directly at him and deliver another powerful punch.

Captain N could feel the fire inside him grow by the second. His pain almost left his mind entirely. He looked down on his opponent, curled up in the fetal position.

For the first time in his life, Captain N felt powerful.

For the first time in his life, the villain was afraid of him.

It’s hero time.

He completely disregarded his Zapper, Remote Sword and Boosters. He completely disregarded any technique. All he did was punch King Dedede again and again and again.

His anger towards his opponent inflated with each and every strike, causing him to hit him faster and with more intensity. Captain N yelled out in fury as he whaled on King Dedede. King Dedede’s panicked eyes locked with Captain N’s rage-filled eyes one last time before Captain N wound up a punch, smashed it into King Dedede’s face and knocked him unconscious.

Taking a moment to breathe, he looked at King Dedede’s unconscious body splayed out across the ground.

Captain N defeated King Dedede.

His incredibly brief moment of victory was interrupted with the continued blasting of the Kabula. Realizing he needed to do something to help Zelda, he took out his Fire and Ice Boosters and blasted them directly at the airship’s cannon right before it fired again. The attack caused a chain reaction that created an explosion in the cannon, destroying it completely. He looked over and saw Zelda slump against the massive doors of Hyrule Castle, exhausted.

“Hey! Little help here?” Falco yelled to the two as he continued to fight back against the Waddle Dees. Pit fell backwards as he tried to fight off the onslaught. Zelda hardly had much power left in her but mustered enough to create a wave of magical energy powerful enough to disarm the Waddle Dees and scatter their spears across the ground. Captain N then spun around with his Boosters and blasted away the remaining minions.

The camera remained motionless in the air, watching the four slowly reunited before the water fountain. At first, Captain N wanted to celebrate with his allies and get some much-needed rest following their victory, but a large balloon sprung out from behind King Dedede’s cape, floating his limp body back up to the Kabula. As he watched his fallen opponent disappear inside the ruined airship. Watching the Kabula return to the sky in a retreating manner, his attention went to the camera, which was still broadcasting.

Power filled his being once more. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, pumping him up again. He took a deep breath and stepped forward to address his audience.

“I am Captain N! I’ve come to this world from beyond the stars! I am the hero spoken of in the Hero’s Prophecy! I’ve traveled across this world to find these weapons to fulfill my destiny: to liberate the innocent people of Yamajiro in their hour of greatest need!”

He blasted beams of fire and ice from his Boosters into the sky to emphasize his point.

“Let King Dedede be an example for my power! Citizens of Yamajiro, know that I am your ally! I am your guiding light! I exist in this world solely for your liberation!”

Zelda, Falco, and Pit stood proudly beside him as they stared down the camera.

Suddenly, he got the perfect team name.

“We are the Super Smash Brothers! We are the bane of all evil! We defend those who cannot defend themselves! We run towards danger when all others run away! And we won’t stop until all evil in this world has been vanquished! So to Bowser, King K. Rool, M. Bison, Dracula, Risky Boots and anyone else who would seek to hurt the innocent: may Palutena, or Raiden, or whatever other deity you worship have mercy on your soul,”

He raised his Zapper at the camera.

“‘Cause I won’t.”

He shot out the camera.

Chapter Text

As the shattered fragments of the camera drone fell to the ground, silence returned to the castle town. Captain N breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath following such an intense bout. The Kabula flew away, but instead of disappearing behind the clouds as it had before, it instead flew higher and higher into the sky, vanishing from sight into the brilliant blue above. He turned around to assess the damage done to Hyrule Castle. Fortunately, the ancient castle remained surprisingly intact following the bombardment. While the towers and walls of the castle were damaged by the blasts, the castle remained standing, piercing the sky with its immaculately crafted architecture. As his heart continued to beat at a rapid pace within his chest, his gaze fell upon his three allies. They shared the same beaten-down demeanor as Captain N. Pit wheezed as he slouched over, seeming as if he was trying to avoid throwing up from the exhaustion. Falco tried his best to keep his exhaustion hidden within, crossing his arms firmly as he breathed in and out. Zelda’s exact state remained hidden from the three as she continued to look upon the ruined towers of her lifelong home. No one shared a word until Zelda turned back to the group.

A sense of true victory grew within Captain N like a brilliant sunflower bursting from within a thick layer of pavement.

Captain N defeated King Dedede.

The whole world watched him win a fight against one of the world’s most feared tyrants.

A laugh Captain N’s lips, finally breaking the silence.

“Thought he’d be tougher.” He quipped.

Pit and Falco erupted in victorious cheering. Pit leapt up into the air and pumped his fists with victorious whooping as Falco did much the same. Even though Zelda’s attitude was much more restrained, a grin grew across her face as the joyous occasion infected her being. “One down, two to go!” Pit cheered, darting about, bursting with energy. “We’ll show them, we’ll show them all!” Falco declared to the sky with a pointed finger. “We already did! King Dedede showed off his butt-kicking to the entire planet!” Pit reminded him. Captain N and Pit shared a victorious high-five, but the act hurt Pit more than intended, and he wrung his hand out and hissed in pain to soothe the pain. “Oh shoot, I’m sorry!” Captain N hastily apologized to him. Pit waved it off with a chuckle. “I’m in too good a mood to be hurting!” Pit assured him. “That’s an incredible weapon you found! The first weapon to ever break through their shields!” Zelda complimented him. Captain N grinned as he clenched his fist. “Yeah, it is! I think we saved the best for last!” He agreed.

For the first time in his life, the spotlight was on him.

And he loved it.

“Hey, Cap!” Falco called out to him. Captain N turned to him. “What’s up, Falco?” He asked. “‘Super Smash Brothers’?” Falco repeated back to him. Captain N chucked sheepishly at hearing the name he came up with repeated back. “What about it?” He asked. “...Could we have at least talked about that name first?” Falco asked him. “Hey, I think it’s an awesome name!” Pit jumped to his defense. Captain N gave him a firm thumbs-up. “Too late! Already announced it to the world! We’re official now!” Captain N reminded Falco. He relented and grinned along with the others.

“...Alright, it’s… not the worst name.” Falco back-handedly complimented. “There’s a problem with the name, though.” Pit piped up. “What’s that?” Captain N asked. Pit shifted awkwardly before motioning to Zelda. “...She’s not exactly a ‘brother’.” Pit informed him. Captain N and Falco laughed at the mutual realization. Zelda grinned along and waved off the concern. “It’s a symbolic name, I don’t mind.” She assured them. Captain N bowed respectfully at her. “Besides, already announced it to the world, and “the Super Smash Brothers and Sisters” doesn’t really roll off the tongue as well.” He added.

“Woo-hoo! Super Smash Brothers for life!” Pit cheered, going back to leaping around in joy. Just then, a massive formation of dark, swirling clouds appeared in the sky above the four. Before any of them could react, a fierce bolt of lightning shot down from the cloud in between the four. The four jumped back in surprise as the loud crack of thunder filled their ears. As their sight and hearing recovered, they found Raiden standing where the bolt struck the ground, electricity arcing off of his body.

“L-Lord Raiden!” Pit sputtered out, falling to his knees in respect. Falco, Zelda and Captain N were quick to follow suit. The very presence of the Thunder God was enough to make static electricity fill the air and make the hairs on the back of Captain N’s neck stand up. “You may rise.” Raiden instructed them. The four got back onto their feet he arranged into a neat line before him. “King Dedede’s defeat seems to have caused a damaging blow to their organization. The airships across Yamajiro retreated back to Bowser’s spaceport and the remaining ground troops are in disarray.” Raiden informed them. “That’s awesome!” Pit cheered. “Indeed, but we mustn’t waste any time. While you displayed remarkable combat prowess against King Dedede, we can’t assume it will take long for Bowser and K. Rool to regroup and close in, now that the whole planet knows where you are.” Raiden spoke. “Yeah, good point…” Pit agreed. Zelda looked mournfully back onto the castle she’s known as her home. She knew they would have to leave so soon after arriving, so she tried to savor every second she got to remain in its vicinity. “So where are we heading?” Falco asked Raiden. “Back to Peach’s Castle. While the enemy forces regroup, we can come up with the next course of action under a common roof.” Raiden answered in a matter-of-fact tone. “So… we all ready for some teleportation?” Pit asked the other three. Falco closed his eyes, took a deep breath and nodded his head firmly. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” He semi-shakily answered. Zelda took one last moment to burn the image of Hyrule Castle into her mind, then turned back around with the most confident face she could muster. “I’m ready.” She confirmed. Captain N noticed a small, glowing orb fluttering gently through the air nearby. Curiously, he lifted his gloved finger up to it, and it fluttered closer to him. As it got closer, he saw it had four butterfly-like wings, as well as noticing a slight twinkling sound coming from it.

“As for you, Captain N?” Raiden asked him.

The small creature flew away from him and he turned back to the group. “Ready!” He chipped my answered, unaware of what awaited him. Raiden nodded and within an instant, five bolts of lightning shot down from the sky, striking the five present and teleporting them away.

A blink of an eye later, the five were transported to the grassy hills of the Mushroom Kingdom, on the dirt path leading to Peach’s Castle. Captain N fell over clutching his stomach. The sensation of teleportation was unlike any he had ever felt before, as the best he could describe the sensation as was as if his internal organs were turned inside out, then turned back again. Pit and Raiden were the only ones in the group to not show any after effects from the trip, while Zelda and Falco stumbled forward, trying to balance themselves.

“Phew, what a trip, huh?” Pit chuckled to the other three. Captain N could only groan in response. “Yeah, some trip…” Falco muttered. “Teleportation requires some getting used to.” Raiden informed the three most troubled. “At least we’ve arrived in one piece.” Zelda remarked.

“Oh, thank the heavens you’ve returned!” Rang a familiar voice from over the hill. Captain N looked up and saw Toadsworth eagerly approaching the group, with two Toads accompanying him closely. “Good to see you again.” Falco grumbled. “Judging from that stunning display, I trust your quest was a success?” Toadsworth inquired, leaning close to Captain N. After he managed to get his bearings back, he stood up and showed off his new gray glove. “Ooh, what is it?” One of the Toads asked him. Captain N looked at the glove, realizing he hasn’t had an opportunity to name it yet.

“It’s the… I dunno, Power Glove.” Captain N smirked, relenting on a less-satisfactory name than he would have liked. “Looks like it makes that hand a TON stronger!” Pit remarked. Looking ahead, he noticed how blue the sky behind Peach’s Castle was when there wasn’t a fierce battle filling the skyline. “Further discussions should be taken to the castle. There’s two you may know that are eager to speak with you.” Raiden spoke to the group. “Oh, of course!” Toadsworth hastily agreed, turning back around with the two Toads to lead the way back to Peach’s Castle. Raiden simply teleported back inside the castle within another flash of lightning. Falco expressed silent gratitude at being spared another experience like that. “You slowpokes ready to go?” Pit cheekily asked his teammates. None of them gave him the satisfaction of a response, giving him only annoyed looks. Undeterred, Pit marched on. Captain N, Zelda and Falco followed in the back.

Pit and Toadsworth stayed by the doors, watching the three intently as they slowly approached the front entrance. Captain N lagged behind the most, dragging his feet against the ground more and more with each step. “Took you guys long enough!” Pit grinned as he leaned against the doorway. “Oh goodness, I hope you’re not in too bad shape!” Toadsworth fussed. Falco waved him off. “We’ll live.” He grumbled. “We appreciate your concern, Toadsworth.” Zelda thanked him in place of Falco. Captain N took a moment to steady himself before the doors suddenly swung open again, revealing Princess Peach accompanied by the two Toads from before.

“You’re safe! After so much trouble!” She cheered, rushing to greet the newcomers. Pit fell over from the door being swung open, and stumbled to get back up. “‘Trouble’ is quite the understatement.” Captain N replied. “We’re grateful to see you in such good health, Peach.” Zelda courteously greeted her. “Oh, don’t worry about me! Raiden and Palutena have been excellent in making sure I’m unharmed. You’re the one that’s been putting yourself in harm’s way!” Peach fussed, swiftly looking between the four, inspecting each for injuries or other markings. “Don’t worry, we’re not hurt.” Falco assured her. “You should see the other guy.” Captain N remarked, feeling his inner strength return. “Quickly, inside. There’s much to discuss!” Peach ushered them inside. Peach led to Pit and Toadsworth inside the castle, with Falco, Zelda and Captain N close behind.

The air inside the castle was immediately refreshing. Compared to the three others that held Captain N’s secret presents, Peach’s was the one that felt the most like home. Not that it compared at all to his actual home with his mom in dad in the living room as opposed to a grand foyer, but compared to Castlevania, Suzaku Castle and Hyrule Castle, it was the one he’d most like to stay the night in. Captain N felt himself become more at ease within these light blue walls. “So where’s Raiden?” Falco asked Peach. “I imagine he’s conversing with Palutena now. Best not to disturb them.” Peach happily replied. “So… what do we do now?” Pit asked. “Yeah, didn’t you say that there are others waiting here for us?” Falco asked Toadsworth. “Oh, yes! In this room here!” Toadsworth confirmed, guiding the group over to a doorway on the left of the room.

What Captain N immediately noticed when he caught a glimpse of the room inside was a massive painting of what looked like a comical bomb on legs. What he noticed next was a familiar “He’s back!”. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized the voice from days ago. Peering over Toadsworth, he saw Tails and Alphys rushing forward to greet the group. “Guys! You managed to escape Inkopolis!” Pit excitedly greeted them. “W-We’re just as surprised as you!” Alphys replied. Captain N could hardly get a word out amidst his joy. Tails understood his emotions and opened his arms up for a hug. Captain N seized the opportunity and wrapped Tails in his arms, holding him close to ensure he doesn’t risk being taken again. “How did you manage such a feat?” Zelda asked. Tails shrugged after Captain N finally let him go. “We just… ran away! The Deepsea Metro’s got tons of different tunnels, so they just couldn’t keep up with us.” He answered as best as he could. “And the others?” Falco asked Alphys. She looked down mournfully, turning away slightly. “They… were captured. Sent to that horrible place…” She sadly replied. Captain N’s heart fell at the reminder. Callie, Marie, Cap’ Cuttlefish, C.Q. Cumber, Doctor Light and Roll thrown into the worst jail on this planet for trying to do the right thing. All he could do was hope they got to see King Dedede’s ass get handed to him. Tails and Alphys also sulked at the reminder of how many were imprisoned in the Panopticon, having more of a personal connection to its inmates.

“...But we have faith you’ll free them!” Alphys spoke up, trying to restore a sense of levity to the occasion. Zelda nodded in agreement. “Indeed we will.”. Peach clapped her hands together in excitement. “Nothing will stop the Super Smash Brothers!” She cheered, making Captain N blush again. “Alright, maybe it’s not the BEST name, but it was the only thing I could come up with on the spot.” He sheepishly admitted. “I think it’s a good name!” Tails interjected. Captain N smiled at him and nudged his shoulder. “Thank you!” He thanked him. “I-I think it’s a pretty good name, too…” Alphys muttered. “I dunno, I probably could’ve come up with a better one.” Falco muttered.

“Oh, yeah? Like what?” Pit suddenly interrogated him with a grin. Peach, Tails, Zelda, Captain N and Alphys turned to Falco expectantly. He couldn’t back up his claim, and stepped back semi-nervously. “...Whatever. That’s not important. Cap picked the team name anyway.” He tried to dismiss the topic. Chuckling was shared among the group. “So… the Super Smash Brothers…” Alphys mumbled. “Something on your mind?” Captain N asked him. “Does, uh… you know, our involvement with you make us part of the team?” She nervously asked. “It sure does!” Captain N happily confirmed. “So, all of us?” Tails asked further. “You know it! You, Alphys, Princess Peach, even Raiden and Palutena! The more, the merrier!” Pit answered. “Don’t forget our other allies. Simon Belmont, Ryu, Little Mac, Doc Louis, Shantae and her friends, and the four that were taken.” Zelda reminded them. Pit nodded hastily in agreement. “Ooh, fun! The forces of good grow stronger by the day!” Peach cheered, clapping her hands together.

“At risk of sounding rude… am I included?” Toadsworth suddenly piped up. “Eh, why not.” Falco relented. Toadsworth perked up with the confirmation. “Have you four decided who’s the leader of the Super Smash Brothers?” Peach inquired. Captain N, Pit and Falco immediately looked to Zelda, who shook her head, smiling. “I could hardly assume such a role, although I appreciate your enthusiasm.” She replied. “Yeah, really, you ought to be the leader! This being your quest and all.” Pit agreed, nudging Captain N. He let out a nervous laugh. “But you’re an actual royal figure! It wouldn’t be right!” He insisted. Zelda shook her head. “I insist, Captain. Unless you’d prefer to be knighted?” She joked. Captain N relented. “Fine, I’ll accept the responsibility of leading the Super Smash Brothers.”. A small round of applause was shared in celebration, making his cheeks flush.

“Alright, fellow Super Smash Brothers, what’s the plan now?” Peach asked the group. Her question was met with an awkward silence. Slowly, all eyes turned to Captain N, making the color drain from his face. The responsibility of his position crashed back down onto his shoulders, as now the path forward wasn’t as simple as “find the four weapons”. Now he had to actually get results. He stepped back, trying to come up with some kind of plan.

“You know… since you… got the four weapons and all…” Alphys nervously muttered, her eyes on the floor. Captain N’s heart rate quickened as he searched the room, looking for some kind of answer. How could he be expected to come up with a game plan when he’s as far away from the home field as he possibly could be?

Then it hit him.

“Do we have a big map of Yamajiro?” He asked Peach. “Oh, yes! Toadsworth?” She turned to her helper. He nodded hastily and darted off back into the castle. “What do you have in mind?” Zelda asked him. “I was thinking if Bowser and K. Rool have bases on this planet, we could take them. Weaken their grip on the planet.” He explained. “Problem with that: they’re gonna be smart enough to shut down transport routes to and from the bases. We can’t rely on being able to take a Warp Pipe and day hike to every destination.” Falco reminded him. “Oh! We’ve got something to help you get around!” Tails interjected excitedly. Alphys perked up at Tails’s statement, and the two quickly darted out of the room. “Ooh, you’re going to like this!” Peach assured the four before following the two out. After exchanging confused looks with each other, Captain N, Zelda, Pit and Falco followed them out.

The path Princess Peach led them down trailed through the castle’s back halls and out to the garden in the back. The sight that lay there before the four took their breath away. Next to Falco’s carefully maintained Arwing was an incredible, massive spaceship docked on the grass beyond the castle’s garden. The chassis of the ship curved around like a crescent moon and was painted in a navy blue color. Behind the outer curve of the ship were two massive thrusters pointed at the ground and ready for takeoff. Captain N felt a childlike excitement grow within him; a sensation he hasn’t felt since he first watched Star Wars in fifth grade. He carefully stepped closer to the ship, as if he were afraid of startling the ship. He ran his bare hand across the chassis of the ship, savoring the sensation of the metal against his skin. Grinning in glee at the prospect of flying, Captain N turned back to Tails and Alphys.

“Is this… for us?” He carefully asked, trying to not get his hopes up.

“You betcha! We managed to salvage enough tech and components from the Airships you destroyed before going off to New Donk City. Wasn’t hard to throw this together.” Tails boasted. “Isn’t it incredible? It’s specially made just for you four!” Peach piped up chipperly. Captain N shared an eager look with Pit, who seemed equally impatient to get on board. Zelda approached the ship with more apprehension, and Falco displayed his apprehension towards the ship. “I suppose you want me to fly this?” He asked Tails. He sheepishly looked to the ground. “Uh… yeah, kinda.” he admitted. Falco further inspected the ship, eyeing it with an aura of annoyance. “My Arwing wasn’t nearly as bulky as this thing.” Falco stated. Alphys and Tails shared an uneasy look. “Dude, come on, it’s a FREE SPACESHIP. Can you be a little more grateful?” Captain N requested. “Plus it’s not like we’re all gonna fit in that fancy Arwing of yours.” Pit reminded him. Falco quietly groaned. “Too bulky, not gonna be able to maneuver it so easily…” He muttered. “Nothing mister Star Fox can’t handle, right?” Tails carefully asked. Falco whipped around and pointed an accusatory finger at him, prepared to warn him about invoking his old squadron’s name. But he calmed down before he could, taking a moment to calm himself. Eventually, Falco nodded in agreement. “...Yeah, nothing I can’t handle.” He agreed.

“We’re immensely grateful for such a tremendous gift. There aren’t words proper enough to express our gratitude.” Zelda graciously thanked the three. “Oh, it’s no trouble at all! It’s better in your hands than mine.” Peach assured them, seemingly unaware of the immense value the ship carries. “You wanna look inside? We just had it cleaned!” Captain N and Pit shared a giddy look before eagerly nodding at Peach. Stifling a small giggle, she produced a small remote and hit a button on it, opening the hatch in the rear of the ship, between the two thrusters.

Pit and Captain N raced each other up the ramp and inside the ship, with Zelda, Falco, Peach, Tails and Alphys following them inside. Peach wasn’t kidding when she said it was cleaned recently. The interior of the ship shined with a sleek, pristine luster of futuristic technology. The main deck of the ship was about the size of his living room, with a table with a touch screen as well as a ladder to the deck blow directly in the center. Five seats with safety harnesses were positioned at the far end of the room before a control deck with a massive yoke for the pilot in the center seat and a wide windshield stretching from end to end. Captain N took a deep breath, savoring the new car smell of the ship. He was reminded of the times he’d use the cardboard box his family’s washing machine came in to pretend to be Han Solo flying the Millennium Falcon, and how that seemingly impossible dream became a reality.

“That ladder leads to the private quarters below. Everyone gets their own private room with bed, bathroom and shower.” Tails guided them. Falco and Captain N cheered at the news. “No more sleeping on the ground!” They cheered in unison. Zelda allowed her joy at the news to show on her face. “This is amazing!” Pit exclaimed, jumping into one of the seats and spinning the chair around. Zelda stood in awe of the advanced technology weaved into every inch of the ship as Falco carefully inspected the yoke positioned directly in front of the center seat. “It’s perfect!” Captain N congratulated Alphys and Tails.

“Oh! Uh, actually, it can’t… really… go to space…” Alphys trailed off, her eyes falling to the ground. “We’re aware. The three kings maintained a blockade on the spaceports since they launched their initial attack.” Zelda answered. “It’s actually more than that. The, uh… the ship doesn’t have a Megadrive.” Alphys clarified.

“A ‘Megadrive’?” Captain N interrupted.

“An engine that lets the ship go to Faster Than Light speed.” Falco informed him, rejoining the group. “Doesn’t matter anyway. Our plan’s to go around and wreck their pop-ups. We’ll worry about going to space after that.” Peach clapped her hands together in excitement. “Ooh, this is so exciting! We’re finally gonna strike back at those brutes!” She cheered. Captain N stood in awe of the control deck at the bow. So many buttons, so many dials, he couldn’t even begin to comprehend how complex it was.

“We’ve also got one more surprise for you, Captain N.” Tails said to him. Both he and Peach turned to Tails in confusion. Alphys gave Peach a knowing look, then she realized what they were talking about. “Oh, yes! That surprise!” She realized. Before Captain N could ask what they were talking about, Peach hit another button on the remote, lowering another hatch on the underbelly of the ship. The group went back outside the ship to see what was concealed underneath.

Out of the hatch rolled the most sleek, sexy car Captain N had ever seen. The silver chassis curved in such a way that resembled the precise brushstrokes of a master artist. The windows, the wheels, even the headlights gave off an aura of not only style, but also danger. Ferrari, Lamborghini, not even Bugatti could compare. As if to make sure the car before him was real, he ran his hand along the chassis of the car, and was rewarded with the cool metal sensation on his fingers.

“We saw the smashed-up remains of the car you came here in and decided to use the leftover materials to build you a new ride! So you can get to places the ship can’t.” Tails introduced the vehicle to him.

This was officially the best day of Captain N’s life.

Tails spun the car keys on his index finger.

“Wanna go for a test drive?”

Chapter Text

Captain N rode his shiny, four-wheeled steed over the hills of the Mushroom Kingdom with reckless abandon. The engine of the metallic beast roared with a power and enthusiasm unlike any he had ever seen before. Gripping the steering wheel, he grinned like a maniac that just made a clean getaway from Alcatraz island with each leap over every hill the car made. Driving the car was an experience unlike any other. The beast moved almost like it had a mind of its own, with Captain N only barely able to steer it where he wanted to go. The vibrant greenery surrounding Peach’s Castle faded into an indistinct green blur beyond the windshield. The interior, while incredibly futuristic and containing more buttons and screens than he could know what to do with, but the wheel and pedals were as familiar as the back of his hands. Buttons even dotted the steering wheel, but he was far more focused on keeping the car going in a straight line and not escaping from his control.

The group watched Captain N maneuver the car clumsily yet fiercely over the hills, catching air time and driving around in seemingly pointless turns and curves. Pit, Peach and Zelda watched cautiously, Tails and Alphys watched carefully, as if they were expecting the car to fall apart at any moment, and Falco silently judged his imprecise driving.

“I think he likes it.” Falco informed Alphys and Tails.

Captain N’s enthusiasm got the better of him, allowing his recklessness to inadvertently hand control back to the car. When trying to turn, the wheels in the back swung out, making the car spin out. In a desperate attempt to correct his steering, Captain N spun the wheel as far in the other direction as he could. But this wasn’t enough, and the car ended up slamming into a tree on the passenger’s side.

He cringed with the sensation of the impact, closing his eyes and sucking in air through his teeth at the thought of what kind of damage he inflicted upon his new gift. After bracing himself for what he could see, he slowly opened his eyes and saw, to his immense surprise, that the car was completely undamaged. Despite partially uprooting the innocent tree, the chassis and interior of the vehicle remained as pristine as it was when Tails handed him the keys. He let out a nervous laugh of relief, slumping back in his seat.

The group carefully approached the collision site, worried that he had been harmed upon impact. Captain N opened the door and stepped out to greet them.

“And THAT’S why you wear your seatbelt!” He quipped. Peach, Tails and Alphys sighed in relief. “Is crashing into trees some kind of tradition where you’re from?” Falco sarcastically asked him. “Ooh, aren’t you funny?” Captain N shot back.

“So… what do you think?” Tails asked Captain N. He looked back to the car with a giddy grin. “It’s beautiful! I love it!” He answered. Alphys and Tails looked to each other with pride as Peach giddily clapped her hands together. “I think you’ve shown more enthusiasm for this vehicle than any of the four weapons you’ve been gifted.” Zelda remarked. Captain N put his hands up defensively. “Where I’m from, man and car have a very sacred bond.” He half-joked.

“Tails put together the basic machinery while I did all the complicated systems stuff. We’ve given the car the designation G-6155... b-but you can give it a better name if you want.” Alphys offered.

“Interceptor!” Captain N proudly declared. Pit expressed surprise at his sudden choice. “What made you pick that?” He asked. Captain N shrugged, stroking the Interceptor’s chassis. “I don’t know, it sounds cool.” He admitted. “That’s the logic behind all his names.” Falco informed Peach. She giggled slightly at the information. “You gonna let me pick the name for the ship, too?” Captain N asked the group, motioning towards the spaceship docked beside Peach’s Castle. “You know, as leader of the Super Smash Brothers, you don’t need to ask for permission.” Zelda slyly reminded him. “Her Majesty’s right! You can just name it whatever you want!” Tails agreed. Captain N chuckled as he nodded along. “Alright, alright, just… give me some time to come up with something.”

“Fair enough! Speaking of which, we’ve got some final preparations to make before you set off tonight.” Tails reminded them. “Oh, no, no, no!” Peach interjected, shaking her head. “Is something wrong?” Zelda asked her, concerned. “I can’t possibly allow you to simply leave so shortly after arriving, and after defeating one of those brutes terrorizing the planet, no less! You four will stay as guests in my castle, and will receive only the best food and meals!” She insisted. Pit awkwardly chuckled as he exchanged unsure looked with Zelda and Captain N. “We, uh, really appreciate the hospitality, but, uh, we’ve kinda got a mission…” Pit tried to politely decline. “Yeah, and the ship’s got beds. We’ll be fine, right?” Falco added, looking to the others for confirmation. “And wouldn’t Palutena and Raiden want us to keep going as soon as possible?” Captain N askedPeach remained firm, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m not allowing any further discussion! You will accept my hospitality, and that is final!” She insisted. “Y-You should probably agree with her, she’s not easily swayed.” Alphys quietly advised. Falco loudly groaned and turned to his three allies with an irritated “Help me out here” look on his face. Captain N looked to Falco, then Pit, then Zelda, who finally answered Peach. “...Alright, but we really must set off first thing in the morning.” She relented. “Oh, joy!” Peach cheered. “Hey, if we’re heading back to the ship, I can give someone a lift there, since the Interceptor’s got two seats.” Captain N offered. The group observed that the car was still half-lodged to the tree.

“...I think I’ll pass.” Pit replied.

Back on the ship, Falco adjusted the pilot’s seat and yoke to be as comfortable as he could be while familiarizing himself with the layout of the dashboard. Captain N and Pit thoroughly inspected the table in front of the ladder leading below deck while Zelda simply stood outside the ship, soaking in the calm atmosphere without any chaos or enemies to disturb it. “Sp what do you think this does?” Pit asked Captain N, nudging one of the buttons. In doing so, he accidentally activated a holographic screen that suddenly sprung up from the table, glowing a light blue. “That’s the battle station. Most C-class starships have one.” Falco answered, not even looking up from his work in the pilot’s seat. Captain N carefully waved his hand in front of the hologram, making the image flicker and distort with each hand motion. As he grinned with the discovery of an actual hologram, Pit looked to Falco. “...What’s the battle station for?” He awkwardly asked. Falco turned to Pit with an annoyed look. “Shouldn’t you know this already? Aren’t angels supposed to be immortal?” Falco asked. “Hey! Most of my time’s spent in Skyworld helping out Lady Palutena!” Pit hastily defended himself.

“The battle station’s for all sorts of stuff! Communication, navigation, you name it!” Tails answered from outside the ship. Looking beyond the lowered hatch, Captain N saw Toadsworth hastily following Tails with an armful of rolled up maps. “Alphys is back inside with Princess Peach. I was helping Toadsworth find the maps.” He explained. “I do apologize for my tardiness, finding the maps of Yamajiro proved more difficult than I thought!” Toadsworth explained himself, setting the maps down onto the battle station. “No worries, thank you.” Captain N said to him. “Hey, what are those buttons on your glove for?” Tails asked Captain N. He looked down onto his Power Glove and shrugged. “Haven’t really had time to check it out too much, especially with Dedede crashing the party.” He smirked. “Now seems like as good a time as ever to see.” Toadsworth suggested. “Ooh, good idea!” Pit agreed. Shrugging in agreement, Captain N pressed the largest button in the bottom row, which activated its own holographic display, appearing almost identically to that of the battle station’s.

“No way!” Pit said in amazement. The exclamation caught Zelda’s attention from outside. “What is it?” She asked, stepping back into the ship. “Captain N’s Power Glove has its own holographic tech!” Pit excitedly answered. Falco and Zelda both reacted with immense surprise as Tails greedily grabbed Captain N’s arm to look at it more closely. “But… that’s impossible. The glove existed a century ago, far before hologram technology was brought to Yamajiro...” Zelda quietly said, eyeing the hologram with caution. “Well, the guy before him had to have some tricks up his sleeve to do what he did a century ago.” Pit shrugged. “Yeah, but for it to be so similar to what we have now…” Tails muttered as he thoroughly inspected the glove. “Well, if it’s so similar to the system on board, could we sync them up?” Falco asked from the pilot’s seat. “It’s possible, just gimme a second.” Tails responded. “If you don’t mind, of course.” He quickly addressed Captain N. He took off the Power Glove and handed it to Tails. “Careful with that, it’s a collector’s item.” He joked. Tails nodded understandingly before getting to work.

“Is there still a need for the maps I went through all the trouble of finding?” Toadsworth asked. “Yeah, once we get those scanned into the ship’s database.” Falco answered, getting up from the seat to grab the maps. “Is there any way I could help?” Zelda asked. “Oh, you shouldn’t worry about that! In fact, I recommend you rest up as much as you can before your grand departure tomorrow morning!” Toadsworth insisted. “Are you sure?” Zelda asked him. He dismissed her concerns. “Your efforts are better spent fighting off those brutes that terrorize so much of the world, rather than performing such menial labor!” He rebutted. “That goes for you three, as well!” He then said to Pit, Captain N and Falco. As Captain N was about to offer any help required, Falco spoke up. “I’m staying here. If I’m gonna be stuck in the pilot seat of this thing instead of the Arwing I’ve spent years in, I’m gonna get this adjusted to my liking.” He informed Toadsworth. “Fair enough!” He relented.

“Got it!” Tails announced. Just then, the hologram above the battle station stuttered before refocusing on a talk show between an Inkling girl in white clothing and an Octoling girl in dark clothing, seated between a screen displaying a still frame of Captain N’s fight against King Dedede.

“I dunno about you, but I could watch tubby get his butt kicked for hours!” The Inkling girl informed her friend, kicking her legs in excitement. “And it was all thanks to a guy you made fun of like, a week ago.” Her friendly slyly reminded her. “Oh, come on, Marina, that was funny!” The Inkling defended herself. Captain N rolled his eyes with a gentle smile at the memory of his fight against Scorpion. “But this is totally different! That big loser Dedede got sent back to Popstar crying! He got his butt beat for the whole world to see!”. Marina couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “You’re right, Pearl. Seeing what’s left of their troops so scared is SO refreshing. For the first time in months, I felt like I could actually breathe the air of Inkopolis.”

“Looks like you’ve got some fans.” Pit commended him. Captain N felt his cheeks glow yet again. “Quiet, you’re interrupting the show.” Falco spoke up from underneath the main control deck.

“This ‘Captain N’ guy says he’s the one the prophecy was talking about… Do you really think he could end all this craziness?” Pearl carefully asked Marina, as if she was afraid enemy forces would overhear her. Marina sighed. “I don’t wanna get my hopes up. Especially after what happened with the others…” She trailed off. Pearl solemnly nodded. “...But something like this hasn’t been possible until now. Captain N stood his ground and proved that those kings aren’t invincible. He said so himself, he and his Super Smash Brothers are gonna take down Bowser and K. Rool!” Pearl cheered. Marina nodded in agreement. “Never thought Princess Zelda would join up with a freedom fighter group, but seeing her out there on the front lines is really inspiring.” She admitted. Zelda was gazing towards the horizon, trying to ease her nerves while also subtly listening in.

“But I can’t get what he said out of my head. ‘I came from beyond the stars’. What do you think he meant by that? Is he an alien, or something?” Pearl asked Marina. She shrugged. “Could be. There’s a lot of planets in the Solana Galaxy we haven’t discovered yet, maybe he’s from one of them.” She answered, unable to provide anything better. Pearl sank back before noticing what must have been the time, off camera.

“Well, looks like we’re out of time for today, so be sure to stay safe out there in Inkopolis and beyond!” Pearl waved farewell to the camera.

“And remember:” Marina followed.

“Don’t get cooked, stay off the hook!” Both said in unison before signing off.

“If you’re done stroking your ego, you probably oughta make yourself cozy in Peach’s Castle while you can.” Falco suggested. “You guys sure you got things under control here?” Pit asked Tails and Toadsworth. “Don’t worry about us, we’ve only got some minor stuff to finish up.” Tails replied. “Princess Peach should have some cake baked up for you three, so you best hurry inside!” Toadsworth urged the three. Pit looked to Captain N and Zelda with excitement before rushing towards the castle. Captain N then realized how hungry he was after his exciting day, so he and Zelda followed Pit.

As soon as he pushed open the doors, the lovely scent of freshly baked cake wafted throughout the entrance hall of Peach’s Castle. Alphys was pacing back and forth, and jumped in surprise upon seeing Pit, Zelda and Captain N enter. “O-Oh! You’re just in time! W-We saved some of the cake for you three! A-And Falco, too!” She sputtered out. “Thank you, Doctor Alphys.” Zelda politely thanked her. “And just in time, too! We’re starving!” Pit added. Captain N’s rumbling stomach chimed in as well. Alphys snickered slightly. “Well, it’s over in the dining hall. Follow me.”

Alphys led the three through halls of Peach’s Castle that Captain N had never seen before. More large paintings decorated the walls, illustrating a variety of different setpieces. A tall tower standing tall against a blue sky, a snowy landscape with two snowmen, a sunken ship at the bottom of a body of water, and a malicious-looking face inside a bright flame were some of the illustrations. Captain N felt a strange aura around them, but he decided to ignore this feeling and continue following Alphys.

As soon as she pushed open two large doors leading into the dining hall, Princess Peach jumped up in excitement of their arrival. “Oh, good! You’ve finally arrived!” She exclaimed. “Is there still cake for us?” Pit asked her. “Oh, yes! Help yourselves!” She invited them, motioning towards what remained of a massive yellow cake with white frosting and strawberries decorating the top. A few Toads sat around the dining hall, who had mostly finished and were talking amongst each other. After grabbing a few plates, Alphys, Pit, Zelda and Captain N cut themselves slices of the decadent cake and sat down near the end of the massive table. Pit wasted no time in digging into his serving. Alphys displayed slightly more restraint in eating her cake, while Zelda portrayed the same distinguished air as she delicately cut each piece from the cake and ate them. Captain N hesitated slightly before cutting himself a slice of cake, not knowing what to expect from the cake, not knowing what to expect from the surprisingly sweet scent of the cake on his plate. Figuring nothing bad was happening to his allies, he took a bite.

His taste buds were rewarded for the venture as his mouth was filled with the sweetest, most delectable taste his mind could comprehend. He couldn’t quite place the taste, no matter how many possibilities he ran through. It tasted faintly of all sorts of berries, but still not like any specific one he knew. His eyes widened, knowing he needed more. Throwing his care to the wind, he hastily cut more and more pieces of the cake and stuffed them into his mouth. He knew he’d be making a scene, but satisfying his appetite was more important.

“Someone’s hungry.” One of the Toads remarked. Once he had thoroughly cleaned his plate, Captain N wiped the frosting from his mouth before looking around. He had drawn the attention of all nearby. Even Pit, who had also cleaned his plate. “I trust you enjoy it?” Peach asked Captain N. He nodded eagerly. “You’re more than welcome to have more, if you’d like.” She offered. Before he or Pit could accept her offer, Zelda jumped in. “Perhaps, but our companion Falco remains outside, working on the ship. We would like to save what remains for him, if that’s alright.” She countered. Peach nodded understandingly as Captain N and Pit shared a sulking look. “Oh, it’s no trouble at all!” Peach eagerly replied. The sun had begun to set outside the castle windows, signaling Captain N’s return to exhaustion, combined with how surprisingly full he felt from the cake as well as the lingering soreness he felt from his fight with King Dedede earlier that day. “Is there anything I can do to help clean up?” He offered. “Don’t worry, we’ll handle that stuff!” One of the Toads piped up, springing into action gathering the leftover plates from everyone. Zelda and Alphys politely thanked them while Pit longingly looked at the leftover cake that was specifically reserved for Falco.

“Thank you again for the cake, it was lovely.” Zelda thanked Peach. “It’s no trouble at all! Cake is best when shared, especially between Princesses.” Peach dismissed cheekily. “Would you like us to show you to your accommodations for the night?” One of the remaining Toads asked the group. Pit loudly yawned before rubbing his eyes. “The sooner I hit the hay, the better.” He mumbled before getting up to follow the Toad out of the dining hall. “I think I’ll stretch my legs a bit before I get to bed, be alone with my thoughts.” Captain N responded. Peach nodded understandingly. “Very well, then. When you decide to turn in for the night, your room is on the second floor in the right hallway. It’s the fourth room down.” She informed him. He thanked her before carefully getting up and walking out of the dining hall.

As his footsteps echoed faintly off of the walls, Captain N was finally allowed to think about his situation without someone else’s voice invading his ears. His body remained sore from his fight earlier that day, but it hardly mattered to him. The fire of victory still burned brightly within him. Knowing what an impact his victory had in providing hope to this strange world.

And yet… he wasn’t entirely satisfied.

He stopped walking when he reached another large window and stared out towards the sunset, imagining what his parents must be going through right now. By his measurements, it had been exactly two weeks since he was suddenly transported to Yamajiro on his near-daily commute to school. What stage of grief were they in, he wondered. Were they still calling the police and staying up at night by the phone, expecting it to ring with good news, or were they already in the acceptance stage and are trying to move on without knowing what happened to him. He sighed forlornly with the intense feeling of homesickness returning. Even if he managed to defeat Bowser and K. Rool, would he even be able to return home, or would he be trapped on this planet for the rest of his life? As his mind continued to spiral downwards, tears began to well up in his eyes. A shaky breath escaped his throat as he attempted to stifle his welling emotions. Just then, a pair of footsteps could be heard approaching from around the corner. He jolted up and quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before turning to see who was approaching.

Once he saw it was Zelda, he eased up and relaxed his posture. “Oh, hey, Princess.” He greeted her with a slight sigh. “I apologize for startling you, but I felt you needed company.” She said to him. He wanted to protest and request solitude, but he knew that such a path would only lead to a more distressed emotional state. “...Thank you.” He quietly responded. Zelda walked to stand beside Captain N, looking out the window. While neither said anything to each other, the other’s presence was comforting enough to not need anything to be said.

“...I understand how you feel.” Zelda suddenly spoke up after a few minutes. Caught off guard, Captain N turned to her with slight confusion.

“What do you mean?”

She took a deep breath before elaborating.

“...After Link defeated Calamity Ganon and peace was restored to Hyrule… we learned how drastically the world had changed over the past century. Fantastic creatures were discovered, incredible technology was invented, contact with other planets was established, and so much of what we thought was impossible was now part of everyday life. It was all so… alien.”

She continued to look out the window, imagining the world she once knew.

“When Link and I first arrived here, and when we first met Mario, and Princess Peach, and Samus Aran with Captain Falcon, it made me realize how truly… small my entire world was. The kingdom of Hyrule paled in comparison to an entire planet- no, solar system of life and civilization. I… could hardly recognize the land before me…”

She paused.

“...At least I had Link…”

Captain N stood there, unable to help at all. He didn’t know if he should say something or try to hug her, so all he could do was stand there and hope his mere presence was enough.

“...I’m sorry…” He whispered to her.

Breaking the moment was another set of footsteps approaching, this time more rapidly. Zelda and Captain N quickly turned around to see who it was, but the newcomer darted behind the corner before they could see them.

After a moment, the newcomer peered around the corner carefully, revealing themself to be Alphys.

“...A-Am I interrupting something?” She nervously asked the two.

Captain N looked to Zelda, who shook her head. “Not particularly. Company is welcomed.” She assured Alphys. With some apprehension, Alphys joined the two in looking out the window. The sun had almost disappeared behind the hills of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the sky almost had the appearance of night. Alphys turned to look awkwardly at the other two.

“...Y’know, I-I’ve had a similar experience to you guys…” Alphys spoke up.

“Really?” Captain N asked her.

Alphys nodded.

“...Us monsters… w-we used to live underground, beneath Mount Ebott, because of a- n-nevermind. A-Anyway, I did a lot of… uh… not-good things for my old king Asgore, before the Human freed us. L-Let us return to the surface world…”

“...When we reached the surface, it was so… different from how it was described. L-Like Princess Zelda said, the technology a-and stuff was… a lot… B-But! W-We used this as an opportunity! F-For a new start! And Undyne- I mean, uh, o-other monsters, we all… uh… lived the best life we could while we learned more about this world…” Alphys trailed off.

She took a moment to clear her voice before addressing Captain N.

“...Things have been different around here since you beat King Dedede. The Toads seemed… happier. People, and monsters, and everyone else… they all felt more lively. Maybe… you really are what we needed, Captain N.”

Captain N looked down, feeling the pressure to perform weighing down on him again. He still didn’t know if he really could be the legendary hero everyone was saying he was, or if it was dumb luck that got him this far, but Alphys needed hope, so he nodded.”

“...People like you make it all worth fighting for. You, the Toads, even Doctor Light, Roll, Callie, Marie, Cap’n Cuttlefish and C.Q. Cumber, and everyone else in the Panopticon. Helping the helpless makes all the struggle worth it.” He solemnly replied.

“We will liberate your friends, Doctor Alphys. You have our word.” Zelda assured her. Alphys smiled gently before her eyes shot open.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” She exclaimed before digging through her lab coat pockets hastily.

“Tails wanted me to give this to you, he said it was really important.”

Before Captain N could ask her to clarify, Alphys produced his phone from her pockets.

His heart leapt as he recognized the object she produced. He carefully took the phone into his hands, and while containing his hopes, he pressed the power button on the side.

It powered on.

He yelped in joy as an object of familiarity finally returned to his life. He excitedly turned to Alphys and captured her in a quick hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” His mouth repeated on rapid fire before letting her go. “...What is it?” Zelda asked him. He quickly turned around and tried to explain it in a way she would understand.

“It’s a… little technological device that’s good for all sorts of stuff. It lets you talk to people far away, access information, play music, take pictures, everything you’d need really.” He answered. Zelda continued to leer at it along with Alphys. “I think Pit described it as a ‘Sheikah Slate’, whatever that is.” He added. Zelda’s eyes widened in recognition, nodding slightly. “Yes, I suppose that is a strong comparison.”

“H-Hey, uh, not to be rude or anything, but we should probably get some sleep soon. B-Big day tomorrow!” Alphys reminded them. Captain N and Zelda noticed the sky had transitioned fully into the star-decorated pattern of night, so they agreed.

“Hey, Alphys? Princess?” Captain N called out to the two before they escaped his line of sight. Both turned to face him. Swallowing his inner emotional state, his gaze softened as he looked at them.

“...Thank you.”

Chapter Text

“So to Bowser, King K. Rool, M. Bison, Dracula, Risky Boots and anyone else who would seek to hurt the innocent: may Palutena, or Raiden, or whatever other deity you worship have mercy on your soul, ‘cause I won’t.”

As the recorded video footage came to an end with Captain N firing his weapon at the camera. Bowser was left glaring at the sputtering video static for the twelfth repeated viewing. Anger seethed from every breath that shot out of his nostrils. Nine months of unchallenged rule over the entire planet suddenly came to an end. He had done the impossible. He had been gifted weapons from beyond the reach of the heavens by what resembled an angel. Not just weapons. Tactics, building materials and power sources that left anything on their planet in the stone age.

All he had been given was a timer.

A clock counting down to an unknown deadline.

A clock that measured a unit of time unlike any other on any known planet.

All the angel requested was that they deliver a conquered planet by the time the clock reached zero.

Even after the problems he ran into when collaborating with King Dedede and King K. Rool, he exercised his newfound power. Even he was surprised by the might of his new armaments. The might of Captain Falcon, the arsenal of Samus Aran, the power of Ness, the armada of Star Fox Squadron, the skill of Link and even the courage of his eternal adversary Mario all paled in comparison to what he was so graciously given. Try as they may, even the Gods struggled to push back against his reign.

But then Captain N arrived.

Captain N achieved what he thought was impossible.

He defeated King Dedede.

All their gifts paled in comparison to this newcomer.

He and his ragtag team of do-gooders had destroyed their airships, beaten one of their leaders within an inch of their life and showed the world that they can be hurt.

Bowser clenched his fist on the table, crushing it underneath his grip. The countdown above the main screen continued as relentlessly as it always had, in complete disregard to how far south things are going.

Why didn’t Dedede just tell them where he was going?

Flames shot out of Bowser’s nostrils.

Why won’t the angel just tell them what the timer is counting down to?

Bowser tore a chunk out of the table and flung it across the room in a fit of rage. Kamek, who was about to enter the room, ducked at the last moment to avoid being struck by the metal chunk., only being able to yelp meekly in surprise as a response. Upon recognizing his trusted advisor, Bowser sank back into his chair.

“You better have good news for me.” Bowser growled. Kamek partially hid behind the door frame, gulping in preparation of delivering the news he carried.

“...Well, good news… and… b-bad news…”

The embers of rage reignited within Bowser for a moment, but he forced himself to control his temper.

“...Bad news first.” He ordered.

Kamek shrank back and braced himself for what was to come. “...Still no response from King Dedede or the Kabula…” He trailed off. Bowser flung a chair across the room with a fearsome roar, denting the wall with his strength. Kamek ducked back into the hallway as he waited for his boss to calm down enough to hear him continue his messages. He could make out Bowser yelling about King Dedede in between crashes of expensive equipment and furniture. But after a few moments of such chaos, Bowser calmed down enough for Kamek to reapproach him.

“Tell me the good news.” Bowser demanded.

“...Uh...W-Well… K-King K. Rool gathered the… specialists he set out to find. They’re awaiting your presence in the meeting room.” Kamek stuttered out. Bowser heaved a sigh before turning away from the screen displaying static to Kamek with some irritation remaining. “...Thank you for informing me.” Bowser wearily replied before shoving past Kamek, marching down the hall. Kamek followed him close behind with many thoughts swirling in his mind. While he was eager to know what they planned to do about Captain N and the Super Smash Brothers, he didn’t dare set off Bowser’s fiery rage again. Koopa, Kremlings and other sorts of henchmen quickly scurried out of Bowser’s way as he marched down the corridors of their lair.

Before too long, the two had arrived at the dark, secure room where video meetings were held for off-world communications. King K. Rool, along with two Kremlings, both armed with their spears, were already waiting on the screen with impatient looks decorating their crocodilian faces.

“At least YOU didn’t run away.” King K. Rool snarled. The two Kremlings snickered amongst themselves. “I was told you brought the specialists in.” Bowser growled as Kamek stood boldly beside him. King K. Rool nodded before stepping to the side, revealing two small groups with three people in each. Some of them were familiar to Bowser, but there were others he had never seen before. The six people varied greatly in appearance and demeanor, but seemed willing to hear out his proposition. He eyed them with great suspicion before turning back to King K. Rool.

“I’m detecting a pattern in your choices.” Bowser noted. King K. Rool nodded with satisfaction. “Indeed! To your left you’ll see three specialists known for their incredible technical and scientific accomplishments, and the three to the right are powerful masters of the magical forces!” He proudly introduced them. Bowser’s suspicion remained as he turned to Kamek, who quickly produced a clipboard and pen.

“F-For the sake of our records, would the, uh, specialists you selected please introduce themselves and their skills?” Kamek requested. King K. Rool turned to the six. “You heard him! You want your reward, you let ‘em know who to give it to!” He barked at them. The man on the farthest left jumped at the opportunity to make his name known.

“Doctor Ivo Robotnik’s the name! You’ll hardly find a technical mind better than mine on this planet, or any other!” He proudly introduced himself, drawing the ire of the two closest to him. Bowser scoffed. “I’m familiar with your abilities and robotic arsenal, as well as your more popular name, Eggman.” He remarked. Kamek and the Kremlings snickered. “We’ll just pencil you under ‘Doctor Eggman’, if you don’t mind.” Kamek remarked with a grin. Doctor Eggman scowled before sinking back into his chair. “As long as you deliver on that reward…” He muttered. The man sitting next to him stood up to address Bowser and Kamek.

“I am Doctor Albert W. Wily. You’ve likely heard of my works in electronic engineering and robotics, not to mention the Double Gear System of my design.” He spoke, with a strong aura of pride in his words. “Weren’t you colleagues with Doctor Light in years past?” Kamek inquired as he wrote down his name. Doctor Wily scoffed at the name. “His short-sightedness and naivete was what led to his imprisonment in the Panopticon.”. Bowser nodded in approval.

“Bah! I hardly need to introduce myself, but I will, if only because I so enjoy the sound of my name. I am none other than Doctor Neo Cortex! Easily the superior intellect of Yamajiro, with expertise in far more than simply robotics!” The third man in the first group declared. As Kamek jotted down his name, Doctor Eggman and Doctor Wily glared at Doctor Neo Cortex. “Perhaps a ‘superior intellect’ wouldn’t be bested by a rambunctious Bandicoot!” Doctor Eggman said to him. “Oh, and defeat at the hands of a blue hedgehog is a more noble defeat?” Doctor Neo Cortex shot back. The two began to argue as Doctor Wily leaned back in his chair, pinching his nose. King K. Rool slammed his fist against the wall to disrupt the argument. “Quiet! Some level of camaraderie between you all is required if you truly want your reward!” King K. Rool roared. As the argument simmered, Bowser grinned at Kamek.

“You three, magicians. Your turn.” Bowser addressed the second group. The first one stood up and produced a staff. “To many across the land, I am known as Merasmus the Magician! Master of Monoculus! Handler of the Horseless Headless Horsemann! The Bombonomicon’s-” “Thank you, you’ve provided enough information.” Kamek interrupted Merasmus. Merasmus grumbled something to himself before banishing the staff and sitting back down in his chair. Next to Merasmus sat an old woman with a witch’s hat and robes, although her face was obscured.

“Hee hee hee, what about me? If I’m to play this game, then Gruntilda is my name.” She cackled, with a slightly dry inflection in her voice. “Is the rhyming your thing, or something?” Doctor Eggman asked Gruntilda. “Her manner of speaking shouldn’t matter to you or your goal.” King K. Rool suddenly barked at him. “Perhaps you should listen to your boss, lest we all suffer a great loss.” Gruntilda said in a smug tone. Doctor Eggman, Doctor Neo Cortex, Doctor Wily and Merasmus expressed silent annoyance at her as Kamek looked to the last member of the group, who remained silent.

“...And you are?” Kamek asked after a period of silence.

“...Malistaire Drake. Master of death.” The last man finally answered in a dreary tony. His continued silence created some uneasiness in the room until Doctor Eggman coughed to break the tension. “Looks like that’s everyone. Got all your little notes, there?” He asked Kamek. After adding some final scribbles, Kamek looked to Bowser, who nodded in confirmation.

“You should be immensely grateful we’ve decided to possibly follow your orders.” Doctor Wily informed King K. Rool and Bowser. “Indeed! My abilities are far better suited as the leader for such an operation, as opposed to a mere henchman!” Merasmus loudly agreed. “Perhaps you could. But our benefactor is a generous one. He wishes to share the spoils he’s granted us with you miserable lot.” King K. Rool shot back. This piqued the group’s interest. “Is this true? You’ll share such power with us, too?” Gruntilda asked Bowser. “Oh, not just power. Anything you could possibly want.” Bowser grinned.

“...This ‘benefactor’... could they restore life to the dead?” Malistaire asked. “Even more than that.” Bowser confirmed. “Didn’t you just say you were the ‘master of death’? Can’t you restore life to death on your own?” Doctor Eggman asked Malistaire. “Enough with this petty discussion!” King K. Rool roared at him. Malistaire silently scowled at Doctor Eggman as he sat back in his chair. Once their attention had returned to their host, Bowser began to speak again. “Our benefactor’s power is immense but his disappointment in King Dedede’s failure is greater. He had entrusted that fool with more power and resources than he deserved. His laziness and hubris got the better of him, allowing that outsider and his pathetic band of insurgents to not only strike him down, but allow the entire planet to see him put a dent in our once indestructible defenses!” Bowser reminded them, his anger growing with each word he spoke.

“If this ‘benefactor’ truly does have immense power, why don’t they handle Captain N themself?” Doctor Neo Cortex asked lazily. “Maybe if this ‘benefactor’ had entrusted us with their gifts to begin with, Yamajiro would already be at its knees!” Merasmus claimed, bolting up from his seat. As looks of agreement appeared on Doctor Eggman’s and Doctor Neo Cortex’s faces, the Kremlings on standby reflexively aimed their spears at Merasmus, but King K. Rool remained undeterred with a sneer. “Oh, have you met our benefactor?” He rhetorically asked Merasmus. Merasmus scowled. “...Well, no, but-”

“Then perhaps it would be in your best interest to not act as if you know him!” King K. Rool shot at him. Merasmus glared at him before sitting back down. The Kremlings relaxed upon being sure that he wouldn’t act up again. “This ‘benefactor’ better deliver on this ‘anything you want’ promise you made.” Doctor Wily said to King K. Rool and Bowser. “That’s the only reason we’ll follow you, so we hope you pull through!” Gruntilda added with a dry cackle. “If it preserves your ego, you can image yourselves as bounty hunters, rather than underlings.” Kamek offered with a grin. “Still a demeaning position for someone of my intellect…” Doctor Neo Cortex muttered under his breath.

“What about you, ‘master of death’?” Doctor Eggman turned to Malistaire. With a faintly annoyed look, Malistaire turned to look at Doctor Eggman. “...What about me concerns you?” He asked. “I mean, I’ve heard of Gruntilda and Merasmus in old bedtime stories, but I’ve never even heard of you before.” Doctor Eggman replied, leaning towards him in suspicion. Malistaire turned away in annoyance. “Eggman raises a good point, K. Rool. Where DID you find him? His staff and robes are unlike anything I’ve seen on Yamajiro.” Bowser asked him. King K. Rool grinned with satisfaction. “Our reach encompasses countless worlds across the Solana Galaxy. His abilities caught my attention.” He proudly answered. Malistaire ignored the conversation, keeping to himself. “How can we trust him, when what we know is so slim?” Gruntilda asked.

“Oh, you can’t.” King K. Rool answered with a grin. The others jerked up in their seats, looking angrily between Malistaire, Bowser and King K. Rool. “Only one of you is gonna get our benefactor’s gift, so you shouldn’t rely on each other for mercy or an easygoing competition.” Bowser elaborated. Tensions rose in the room as the six exchanged suspicious glances with each other. The Kremlings stood ready to intervene if necessary. “The hunt isn’t on until you leave the base, and your efforts are best spent hunting down your target, so we’d recommend not immediately going for each other’s throats.” Kamek advised, partially hiding behind his clipboard despite being on the other side of a video meeting.

“...So it’s only the six of us hunting them down?” Doctor Wily asked. “Of course not! Team Rocket and Shadaloo have already been informed of the potential reward they could be granted if they deliver before any of you six.” King K. Rool answered. Merasmus, Doctor Eggman, and Doctor Neo Cortex immediately bolted out of their chairs in frustration. “This isn’t fair! You’ve given them a head start, and there’s far more of them than us!” Doctor Eggman cried out, slamming his fist down onto the table. Doctor Wily pinched the bridge of his nose, Gruntilda muttered something in rhyme to herself, and Malistaire remained his cool, withdrawn demeanor. “Perhaps, but we thought that should serve as a good motivator, beyond your reward.” King K. Rool grinned. Bowser huffed a breath in frustration, wishing he could have been informed that Team Rocket and Shadaloo have already been briefed. But he didn’t want to create any further chaos and uneasiness, so he allowed Kamek to give them the briefing.

Kamek cleared his throat as he produced images of Captain N, Princess Zelda, Falco Lombardi and Pit on the screen for the six to see. “These four are the main members of the Super Smash Brothers. They’ve managed to overcome the odds and constantly slip out of our grasp.” Kamek explained to them. As the uneasiness between the six remained, images of Tails, Alphys, Princess Peach, Raiden and Palutena. “We have reason to believe these five are aiding the Super Smash Brothers as they remain in Peach’s Castle.”. Kamek produced images of Isabelle, Shantae, Bolo, Mimic, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Funky Kong, Kranky Kong, Professor Chops, Impa and Paya. “These remaining people you see before you have aided the Super Smash Brothers in the past, but they pose a lesser threat, and they remain more scattered and disorganized. Finally, he produced images of Simon Belmont, Ryu, Little Mac, Doc Louis, Cap'n Cuttlefish, C.Q. Cumber, Callie, Marie, Doctor Light and Roll. “These four have aided the Super Smash Brothers, and have been apprehended for their crimes and currently reside in the Panopticon.” Kamek finished. Doctor Wily sneered to himself victoriously at the sight of his former colleague being imprisoned.

“These people you see before you are your primary targets. The Super Smash Brothers will attempt to increase their numbers. You are not to let that happen.” King K. Rool ordered them. Bowser stepped forward to address the six. “Soon this meeting will be adjourned, and the hunt will be on. To the victor go the spoils! If you want to be declared the victor…”

Bowser increased the size of Captain N’s image.

“Kill Captain N!”

Chapter Text

“You should wake up soon.”

What was possibly the most comfortable and peaceful sleep Captain N had ever enjoyed was suddenly brought to a screeching halt with Zelda’s voice telepathically invading his mind. Stirring from his sleep, he groaned and wrapped himself tighter inside the incredibly fluffy sheets Princess Peach had provided for his stay overnight and tried to fight off the responsibilities that lay before him.

“Hiding inside your blanked won’t help you.” Zelda added, with a slightly scolding tone in her voice. Captain N peeked out from under his cover to glance out the window. Upon seeing that the landscape beyond the castle was still obscured by the oppressive veil of night, he groaned in annoyance. “But the sun isn’t even up yet.” He thought to her, sounding more whiny than he intended. While she didn’t convey it telepathically, he could tell she huffed in her usual manner when annoyed. “Everyone else is awake and ready to depart. I figured you would receive a more polite wake-up call from me, as opposed to Raiden.” She informed him.

The thought of Raiden’s divine fury barging through his bedroom door provided Captain N with enough motivation to leap out of bed and make himself presentable. He hastily ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to comb it over, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes while climbing back into the only set of clothes he had in the entire universe. With one final pat-down to ensure he still had his weapons, he dashed out of the guest room and almost ran directly into two Toads, each carrying a platter of various items.

“Oh, Captain N! We were just about to deliver these to you!” One of the Toads said, producing the platter for him to see. Upon closer inspection, he recognized that the platter held various fruits, a pitcher of milk, and a hot towel. He smiled in relief and wiped his face with the tower. “Thank you, this is lovely.” He said to them. The other Toad offered up his platter, but Captain N politely declined. “Sorry, I’ve got places to be. Maybe you could follow?” He asked. “Of course!” The two Toads agreed in unison. With a smile, Captain N led them back down the magnificent halls of Peach’s Castle to his destination.

Through some miracle, Captain N was able to remember the path from his guest room to the gardens in the back, where the spaceship was stationed. As he pushed open the doors, the cool air of morning was the first to greet him with its eager embrace. The warm towel helped protect him from the crispness of the air, as well as helping him wake up in a more preferable manner. In the same spot just beyond Peach’s garden, the ragtag freedom fighters that called themselves the Super Smash Brothers were gathered around the hatch in the rear of the ship. As Captain N got closer, he managed to make out Falco directing Tails, Toadsworth and some other Toads as he oversaw final preparations while Zelda and Pit talked with Peach and Alphys.

“Backup generators.” Falco read off his list.

“Check.” Tails confirmed from under the battle station.

“Emergency Oxygen supply.”

“Check.

“Gravity well.”

“You’re not going to space, you don’t need the gravity well.”

“I don’t care. Gravity well.”

Tails groaned in annoyance. “...Check.” He answered.

“Thank you. That wasn’t so hard, now, was it?”

“I’d savor that, if I were you. He’s not always so polite.” Captain N remarked once he was in earshot of the group. Tails and Falco turned around to see him. “Morning, Cap’n.” Tails happily greeted. “Oh, hey, I was starting to wonder if you were just gonna sit all this out.” Falco added. “And miss my first flight on an actual spaceship? Yeah, that’s not happening.” Captain N answered with a grin as he eyed the ship eagerly. “Even though it’s not going to space…” Tails quietly said to himself. “Hopefully you can keep your lunch down this time.” Falco remarked. As Captain N scoffed at the claim, his attention was returned to the two Toads following him. “We can place these inside the ship for you, if you’d like.” One of the Toads offered. “Sounds good! You better ask Falco where to put it, though. He knows the layout of the ship better than me.” Captain N instructed. Falco looked up from his list to the Toads. “Set ‘em on the table below deck, down the ladder inside.” He instructed. As the two eagerly got to work, Falco stretched and let out a loud yawn. “I hope I haven’t kept you guys waiting for too long.” Captain N said to Pit, Zelda, Alphys and Peach. Peach was quick to wave off his concerns. “It was only of Raiden’s insistence that we wake up so early. If this were up to me, we’d all still be in bed!” She replied. “The thunder god’s concerns aren’t unfounded, however. Bowser and K. Rool could have reorganized their forces and appear over the horizon at any minute.” Zelda reminded her. “Which is why I’m not so happy to wait around and chat.” Falco spoke up. Alphys grumbled something about Falco under her breath as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“Hope you’re not too tired to jump back into action, Cap!” Pit said to him. Captain N smiled and shook his head. “What, me? Never!” He joked through a fairly loud yawn. The two Toads returned from the ship and gave Captain N the thumbs-up before Peach dismissed them back into the castle. Toadsworth appeared from inside the ship as well. “The Interceptor’s all juiced up and ready to go, and the private quarters are all furnished to your liking!” He happily reported to Peach. “Oh, goodie!” She cheered as Falco impatiently directed him away from the ship. “I could hardly imagine a princess sleeping in an ordinary cabin, though.” Alphys admitted. “Not having access to a cushy living situation is a worthy sacrifice to make.” Zelda assured her. As Pit continued to talk with Toadsworth and Peach while Zelda and Alphys talked, Captain N continued to admire the spaceship before him. An indescribable aura of awe and majesty emanated around the ship. Just from touching the chassis of the ship, he could tell it was constructed from an element that didn’t exist in his home world. As he touched the ship, the sensation of adventure within him grew. Where he would have been more nervous before at the thought of striking out into the unknown, he now felt more ready. He still felt the strikes King Dedede had managed to land yesterday, but he had healed enough for this sensation to only motivate him further. The rising sun gleamed off the shining exterior in such a magnificent way, it could almost be described as ethereal.

As Captain N admired the ship, another light appeared from behind him, that only grew significantly brighter by the second. Shielding his eyes, he turned around and saw Palutena descending from utop the castle. Almost as if it were instinct, Captain N knelt in her presence, as did everyone else present. Once she touched the ground, Palutena ushered them to stand. He noticed Alphys and Tails seemed more at ease around Palutena than he would have expected them to be. Granted, they have spent the past few days getting to know each other. Zelda, Falco, Peach and Toadsworth also seemed more relaxed around the goddess than he was. “I hope you’re all rested enough. Today is a big day, after all!” She greeted them. “You bet we have, Lady Palutena! Nothing’s gonna stop us from saving the planet!” Pit answered heartily. “If you’d mind me asking, is Lord Raiden currently occupied?” Zelda asked her. “Oh, he’s looking out for anything nasty that might be approaching. Making sure you all have a safe departure.” Palutena answered. Looking to the top of the castle, Captain N could faintly make out the silhouette of Raiden with his signature conical hat atop the highest peak. “Hey, question?” He softly asked Palutena. As she looked to him, he felt her divine presence surround his being in an indescribable manner. “Yes, Captain?” She asked.

“...Why is Bowser so determined to destroy this place?”

Palutena looked to Peach, who answered instead. “That brute has always been obsessed with me. Trying to kidnap me time and time again to marry me. But I won’t have it!” She declared with a sour look painted across her face. “...This castle remaining intact means the Mushroom Kingdom is the only place on Yamajiro free of the king’s control. Raiden and I oppose such brutality, especially against the unfair odds, and have decided to protect this land. The other Gods may frown upon such a decision, but we stand by our decision.” Palutena continued. “And we don’t care what they say! We’re gonna save the world, whether they like it or not!” Pit added victoriously. “Hey, speaking of saving the world, you mind if we go do that now?” Falco asked the group from halfway inside the ship. “Of course! I wouldn’t want to stall you Super Smash Brothers any more than necessary!” Palutena giggled. She then turned to Captain N.

“But we can’t fly off on a ship without giving it a name first!” She reminded him.

The feeling of all eyes present suddenly turning to him made him immediately question his naming skills. He mentally smacked himself for not having come up with a name already. Such a magnificent ship deserved a name of equal quality. Nervously, he turned from the group, to the ship, then back to the group. With a shaky laugh, his mind raced internally.

Time was of the essence, he had to come up with a name.

Pit, Zelda and Palutena looked to him with great interest, Tails, Toadsworth and Alphys expressed some silent confusion about the situation, and Falco was getting more and more impatient by the second.

Think, Captain, think!

As he mentally filed through all the ship names he’s heard in his youth, he remembered the name he came up with for his Star Wars OC’s YT-Freighter when he was twelve.

“The Wavebird!”

Looks were shared across the group as they took in the ship’s name. While it seemed overall positive, Falco, Alphys and Tails expressed confusion at the choice. “Not to sound overly judgmental, but what made you pick that name?” Tails asked him. Captain N merely shrugged. “I just think it sounds cool.” Was the best answer he could give. “Shouldn’t have expected anything else…” Falco muttered.

“Then The Wavebird, it shall be!” Palutena declared happily. “If you need me, I’ll be in the pilot’s seat readying our departure.” Falco yelled to them before disappearing back inside The Wavebird. “I’ll, uh, try to help him out before he gets too grumpy.” Pit said before joining Falco inside the ship. “You know, since there are five seats, and five sleeping cabins below deck, would one of you be interested in joining us on our adventures?” Zelda asked the group before her. Tails and Alphys exchanged nervous looks while Toadsworth backed towards Peach. “Uh...w-we’d love to… but, uh… our t-talents are better suited in a… scientific environment.” Alphys weakly countered. “Yeah, uh… I’m not really much of a fighter…” Tails added. Zelda sighed, but nodded understandingly. “Perhaps you’ll find someone more ready for battle during your journey!” Toadsworth suggested. “Don’t worry, Raiden and I will make sure they’re safe within these walls, and that their skills are put to good use.” Palutena assured her. Zelda smiled gently as she nodded. “We already have! I haven’t gotten to show you the Interceptor’s combat abilities, but you’ll see them for yourself soon.” Tails remarked. As eager as he was to try out these combat capabilities, Captain N couldn’t mentally escape the situation present.

“So… this is goodbye?” Captain N asked the others. “Sure looks like it…” Tails glumly confirmed. “At least, for now, it is.” Alphys piped up, trying to remain optimistic. Captain N nodded along, trying to believe her. The Wavebird’s engines then whirred to life as the thrusters ignited, preparing for liftoff. Captain N and Zelda stumbled away from the ship to get away from the deafening engine sounds and blast of exhaust force coming from the thrusters. Captain N noticed more Toads from within the castle gathered outside to eagerly watch the departure. Seeing the Toads so hopeful for a hero, and for peace to be restored to the planet, gave Captain N a boost of motivation. He turned to The Wavebird and felt its open hatch beckoning him to adventure.

“We won’t let you down, Lady Palutena! We’ll teach all those fiends to not mess with the Super Smash Brothers!” Pit exclaimed from inside the ship. Although the powerful roar of the mighty Wavebird’s engines did their best to drown him out, his words could still be heard by all concerned. “Guess that’s our cue to leave.” Captain N thought to himself. He looked to Zelda, who nodded understandingly and boarded the ship before him. The Toads that gathered eagerly waved goodbye to her along with the small group before the ship, which she met with a graceful wave goodbye and a barely audible “Farewell! May the Goddess smile upon you all!” before she disappeared into the ship. Captain N shielded his face from the air blasting from The Wavebird’s exhausts before he climbed aboard as well. He turned around to look at his ragtag team of allies once more before he blasted off to unknown corners of the planet once more. Peach, Toadsworth, Tails, Alphys and Palutena all looked to him with hope and confidence in their eyes, believing him to be the savior they spent so long waiting for. For possibly the first time in his entire journey so far, Captain N felt like he was up to the task. With a glow within his chest, he waved to them one last time before the hatch closed shut, sealing him inside The Wavebird.

“Don’t get all choked up, now. You better buckle up before I put this baby to work.” Falco warned him from the pilot’s seat. The sounds of The Wavebird’s powerful thrusters were thankfully drowned out once the group were sealed inside. Captain N looked over and saw Falco seated in the middle of the row with his hands firmly wrapped around the ship’s yoke. Zelda sat to his left while Pit sat to his immediate right. Not wanting to delay any further, Captain N took the seat next to Pit and hastily fastened his safety harness. He gripped his seat’s armrests with unbridled enthusiasm. The mind-numbingly complex control deck before him, as well as the serene, peaceful landscape of the Mushroom Kingdom beyond the ship’s windshield seemed like something that could only exist in a fantastical dream he would have as a young boy. But the sensation of the seat assured him that this was reality, however strange it might be.

“Last chance to chicken out.” Falco sarcastically offered. “You kidding? Like any of us would miss THIS!” Pit was quick to answer, speaking for his peers. Captain N nodded excitedly with his eyes still glued to the morning sky. “Ready when you are.” Zelda spoke to Falco. Now assured everyone was ready, Falco pulled a lever that increased the power of The Wavebird’s thrusters enough to lift it off the ground. The rockiness of the maneuver upset Captain N’s stomach slightly, but this wasn’t enough to temper his good mood. Once the ship had lifted off the ground enough, Falco pulled another lever to direct the main thrusters from underneath to behind the ship, propelling it forward with incredible speed. The ship began to climb to greater heights, making the landscape beneath them appear smaller and smaller. Captain N could only barely see Peach’s Castle before it disappeared into the horizon.

For the first time in a very long time, Captain N felt free.

The clouds racing past the ship, the color of the sky shifting with the rising sun. The foreign yet strangely magnificent landscape racing by below him. Captain N’s jaw was agape at the sheer freedom he felt.

Here he was, aboard a spaceship, exploring an alien world with his closest allies on a mission to save the planet. What would sound like a fantasy to anyone he knew in Midnight Lights was the life he was experiencing right now. His fears of death and the unknown evaporated from within him. He could practically hear an epic orchestral score straight out of a blockbuster film playing in his ears. He managed to tear his attention away from the landscape below to look at his allies. Pit’s eagerness matched his own, undeterred by the fact that Pit was more naturally capable of flight than him thanks to his wings. Falco looked onward with determination in his eyes, seeing the enemy forces that lie beyond the horizon, or perhaps the image of his friends in Star Fox Squadron, waiting for him to return. As for Zelda, the faint glimmer of hope twinkled in her eyes. For too long, she waited within Peach’s Castle, eager to strike out and change the world for the better, and succeed where Link and the others had failed, hoping to see them again.

At that moment, Captain N was reminded of the portraits of the missing heroes that hung within the walls of Peach’s Castle. Mario, Link, Samus Aran, Kirby, Captain Falcon, Fox McCloud and Ness. But he no longer felt intimidated by them. He no longer felt as if they were looking down on him. He felt as if he now stood proudly beside these great, respected heroes. He felt more ready than ever to take his place beside the planet’s great saviors and do what needed to be done.

The landscape finally ended before the massive blue body of the ocean with a familiar town. Even though he was incredibly high up, Captain N knew he was looking at New Leaf Town, where a train was soon to arrive. He smiled upon seeing how peaceful the town was, especially in comparison to when he and his allies had to protect the townsfolk from invading Kremlings. He knew Timmy and Tommy Nook were playing and having fun in the nice weather. He knew K.K. Slider was perfecting another one of his tunes. He knew Isabelle was doing her best to help the mayor run the town amidst all the uncertainty in the world. He knew that, thanks to him, they had hope for liberation and a better future.

He knew he was going to make a real difference. He knew he was going to use his weapons to fight evil in whatever form it may take. He knew his allies would help him help the helpless and grow the numbers of the Super Smash Brothers. He knew he was going to free everyone trapped in the Panopticon, defeat King K. Rool and Bowser and save the world.

The Wavebird crossed the beach line and shot out into the horizon, the ocean beneath it, the sky above it, and only adventure before it.

Look out Yamajiro, here comes Captain N.

Chapter Text

As the landscape beyond The Wavebird’s windshield shifted to an almost entirely blue landscape with a horizontal line separating the ocean from the sky, Falco pressed a few buttons on the dashboard before him. Before anyone could ask what they did, he spun his chair around and got up. “Now that autopilot’s on, we should probably decide where we should be going.” He declared as he activated the battle station. As he realized this was a good idea, Captain N quickly managed to pull himself away from the majesty of Yamajiro to join Falco, with Zelda and Pit close behind. Falco pulled up a blue holographic recreation of the planet once everyone had gathered around. A small yellow dot blinked above one of the ocean’s segments, not too far from land.

“That little dot right there is us. We’re flying a little closer to the ground than I’d like, but any higher and the three- oops, I mean two king’s satellites would pick us up. Without a functioning Megadrive to get away, we’d be sitting ducks.” Falco informed them. “Well then, what’s the move?” Pit asked. Captain N felt his responsibility as leader of Yamajiro’s hottest insurgency returned to him once presented with his latest conundrum. Merely looking at the planet didn’t provide any meaningful leads, as, to him, at least, there didn’t seem to be any immediately significant locations. He rubbed his chin as he closely eyed the many cities and mountains the planet held, hoping for something to light the bulb over his head.

“...Do you have the locations of any bases the kings might have?” Captain N asked Falco. Falco nodded as he pressed a few more buttons on the battle station, which made more dots of various colors appear on the holographic planet. “Communications towers, training camps, you name it.” Falco confirmed. Captain N eased up upon being met with something to help him lead. He moved around the battle station as he compared the location of The Wavebird to any nearby locations of interest. Eventually, he landed on a blue dot over a small landmass in the middle of the ocean.

“How about that one?” Captain N asked. “That’s a small archipelago known as Dinosaur Land. The two kings have a small fortress there, used primarily for communication.” Zelda informed. Upon hearing the word Dinosaur, a grin spread across Captain N’s face. “Oh, now we’re DEFINITELY going there!” He declared. “You have dinosaurs on your planet?” Pit asked him. Captain N hesitated for a moment. “Well… we HAD dinosaurs. They went extinct millions of years ago. A meteor wiped them all out.” He answered. As Zelda nodded understandingly, Falco leered at him. “...But you humans didn’t go extinct?” He prodded him. Captain N shrugged defensively. “It was a long time before my kind crawled out of the primordial sludge.”

Falco shook his head as he shut off the hologram and went back to the pilot’s seat. “Whatever. Course is set for Dinosaur Land, our mission’s to destroy the base on that island. ETA is roughly four hours, so rest up while you can.” He advised as he turned his attention back to the control deck. Captain N semi-nervously turned to Pit and Zelda, not knowing what to do from here. “Sounds like we should claim cabins below deck.” Zelda advised. “Oh, yeah, good idea!” Pit excitedly agreed before darting down the ladder before the battle station. Captain N swiftly followed Zelda down the ladder to join Pit. Sure enough, five separate cabins lie below, matching the number of seats at The Wavebird’s bow. To the left and right were two cabins, but directly before the ladder was a noticeably larger cabin, with presumably the engine or maintenance room on the opposite end. The floor consisted of reinforced glass, allowing the Interceptor to be seen waiting for action. As if on autopilot, Captain N pointed to the largest cabin.

“I got dibs on that one.” He spoke up. Zelda squinted at him in confusion. “It means he claims it for himself.” Pit clarified for her. “I see…” She said as she turned back to Captain N. “Did he just claim the best cabin for himself?” Falco asked as he descended the ladder. “It would appear so.” Zelda answered, making Captain N feel less confident about his claim. “You’d think that room would be reserved for the one with an actual rank.” Falco scoffed at him, referring to Zelda. “That’s actually kinda a good idea…” Pit quietly agreed. In an attempt to bolster his foundations, he puffed up his chest and put his fists on his hips.

“...Well, uh, the Princess allowed me to crown myself as leader, so I think I should be allowed to sleep in the… you know… main cabin.” He suggested. The three smirked at him.

“But are you really the most qualified for it? After all, Falco is the only one of us capable of piloting this ship.” Zelda reminded him. “A VERY good point, your majesty.” Falco smugly agreed. Captain N faltered internally but refused to let it be shown. If he was gonna be taken seriously as the leader of Yamajiro’s liberation, he had to stand his ground.

“But… But I’m THE Captain. I’m the one that prophecy was talking about.” He insisted, more meekly than intended. “I don’t think it’s that big a deal. I’m fine with taking one of the other cabins!” Pit offered in an attempt to ease up the situation. “It truly isn’t that big an ordeal. At this point, I’m grateful to have any kind of bed to reliably sleep in.” Zelda agreed. Falco groaned and shook his head. “Fine, whatever. Our time’s better spent resting instead of bickering over stupid stuff.” He relented, having grown weary of his own teasing.

Captain N let out a breath of relief as his hands fell from his hips. “Thanks, guys. Ill, uh… get myself situated.” He concluded. After a brief awkward silence between the four, he pressed the button to the right of the door, making it slide open. He quickly disappeared inside the cabin, shutting the door behind him. Falco, Zelda and Pit remained gathered around, soaking in the awkward silence. After a few moments, Pit finally spoke up.

“...Gotta be honest, I didn’t really think we’d get this far.” He admitted. “You’re telling me.” Falco remarked. “For two weeks, I didn’t think he’d make it this far. Hell, I was sure Scorpion was gonna kill him in the World Warrior Tournament.”

“Y’know, it’s actually kinda a miracle we made it out of Castlevania in one piece.” Pit chuckled.

“What happened in the past is hardly worth remarking on now. Not only have we escaped those situations, we completed the task of fetching all four of his weapons.” Zelda quickly spoke up, avoiding the memory of how she almost led the group to an untimely demise. Silence descended upon the three once more, making Pit shift about uncomfortably.

“...He has no idea what he’s doing.” Falco stated. “Can you blame him? He’s known this world for all of two weeks and is expected to lead the revolution against the greatest oppressors we’ve ever known.” Zelda reminded him. Falco groaned. “But if he was just a little more-”

“Hey, come on, he didn’t ask for any of this. Go easy on him!” Pit insisted. Falco scoffed at the command. “‘Go easy on him’? In the middle of all this? The two kings’ve got entire armies on their side and they’re not gonna go easy on him!” He shot back. “Which is why we have to! He needs to be able to rely on us!” Zelda scolded him with a pointed finger. She quickly realized the volume of the conversation was increasing, so she stepped back slightly, afraid Captain N could hear them. Falco rubbed his eyes and opened one of the cabins. “Better rest up. You never know what we’ll run into in Dinosaur Land.” He said, soon disappearing behind the closed door of the cabin. Pit and Zelda looked to each other before wordlessly disappearing into their own cabins.

Captain N couldn’t hear the exact words being thrown around outside his room, but he understood the basis of the conversation. As he stared out of the massive window showing off the same view as above deck, he reflected on his current situation.

Now he had to actually deliver on what the prophecy promised.

Sure, he defeated King Dedede, but-

No.

Stop it, Captain.

You defeated King Dedede.

One down, two to go.

They might have untold armies and weapons on their side, but he has a greater power behind him.

Destiny.

Fate smiles upon you, Captain N.

He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and dismissed his doubts with his exhale.

He looked around his new accommodations. The bed looked like it had never been touched before with its immaculately folded covers. Various empty shelves decorated the walls, waiting to be filled with whatever trinkets he may come upon in his adventures. A coffee table filled the otherwise blank space in the center of the room, where the tray previously held by the Toads rested. He smiled at how it remained in place during takeoff. Other than a small shower in the corner nothing else filled the room. He took a moment to simply stand there and soak in the room. For the foreseeable future, this cabin, in this spaceship, on this planet, in this universe, is his new home. It was a strange feeling, but one he had to eventually come to recognize the feeling as ‘normal’.

The bed tempted him with its soft mattress, pristine cover and fluffy pillows. Merely gazing upon the piece of furniture was enough to remind him of how his sleep was cut short the previous night. Remembering Falco’s suggestion, Captain N kicked off his shoes, set his weapons and phone on the table, and nestled himself between the cover and mattress. Within moments, he succumbed to the welcoming embrace of sleep.

...Only to be woken up with a loud banging on his door.

“Five minutes to arrival! Get yourself up here and strapped in for descent!” Falco yelled from the other side of the door. Captain N whined to himself, but rolled out his bed and onto the floor, knowing he wouldn’t be allowed a five-minute grace period. He felt more rested than before, but it only felt like he was asleep for a few moments. Within a few more moments, his shoes were back on his feet and his weapons were back in his various pockets, but he left his phone on the table, afraid of losing it again. He felt The Wavebird begin to descend from the sky, so he hurried back up the ladder and secured the safety harness in his usual sleep.

Outside the windshield, the landmass that matched Dinosaur Land’s appearance on the map began to appear on the horizon and was quickly growing with their approach. “Looks like we’re here!” Pit remarked. “I’ve got a more detailed readout of the island. I say we just blast the fortress with a few missiles and head on to the next target.” Falco recommended. Zelda leaned forward to protest. “That isn’t a good idea. We do that, we risk causing collateral damage that could harm or potentially kill anyone nearby. Plus, if we take a stealthier approach, we can disable the fortress without the enemy command noticing.” She countered. Falco rested his thumbs on two buttons on the yoke. “We don’t have infinite free time. We can’t afford to be all ‘slow and steady’.” Falco rebutted. “...You two both make some good points… what do you think, Captain?” Pit asked Captain N. He leaned forward to eye Dinosaur Land. Falco was right, the faster they get to K. Rool and Bowser, the sooner Yamajiro is returned the freedom that was stolen from it.

But… he also has a mission to help people.

Thoughts of the Squid Sisters, the remaining Squidbeak Splatoon members, Doctor Light and Roll being trapped inside the Panopticon because of him forced their way to his mind. If he caused any more innocent, well-meaning people to get hurt because of his actions, what kind of hero would he be?

He had to side with Zelda.

“...Slow the descent and land a decent swimming distance away from the island, the farthest distance from the fortress as possible. If we’re gonna save the world, we can’t be reckless about it.” Captain N declared. Zelda smiled gently. “Thank you, Captain.” She said to him. As Pit mentally prepared himself for the mission, Falco sank back into his seat and drew his thumbs away from the buttons.

The Wavebird was maneuvered closer to the water and around the island, eventually landing about a quarter mile away from the island. The four braced themselves as the ship landed, adjusting to the rough waters outside. Once enough stability was reached, the four released themselves from the seats and headed to the back.

“We got everything we need?” Pit asked the three, with his hand on the lever to lower the hatch. Captain N made double sure his weapons were still on him, and Falco drew and holstered his blaster as Zelda did a brief breathing exercise. “Looks like it!” Captain N answered.

“Super Smash Brothers Mission One: Destroy the Dinosaur Land Fortress is a go!” Pit declared before lowering the hatch. Now faced with the ocean water, Zelda turned to the other three. “I trust your swimming skills are up to par?” She asked them. Falco nodded, Pit answered with “You betcha!”, but Captain N hesitated slightly. The distance he was from the island was greater than he thought it would be. “...I, uh… Yeah, I should be good.” He eventually answered. Zelda leered at him, but Falco just went ahead and dove into the water. Pit quickly followed him, as the two began swimming towards the island. While Zelda was quick to join them, Captain N once again exercised caution. The swim to the shore intimidated him, but after taking a moment to remind himself that no swim was gonna defeat the Chosen One, he readjusted his weapons and jumped into the water.

The immediate sensation of the cool ocean waters engulfing him was more than enough to rid Captain N of whatever drowsiness remained. A sharp gasp escaped his mouth as he tried to keep his head above the water. No matter how much he kicked his legs about in the water, he couldn’t find any sea floor to stand on.

As if he needed any further reminders on his situation, he knew he wasn’t in the community swimming pool in Midnight Lights.

Once he collected his nerves, he saw his three allies swimming towards Dinosaur Land. He corrected his form to lie on his stomach on the water surface as he kicked his legs and used his arms to cut through the water in a rhythmic motion, as he remembered from his swimming lessons in grade school. Soon enough, he was in his element enough to catch up.

Thankfully, the current was on his side, and helped carry the four to the edge of the island. It was only then that they discovered Dinosaur Land didn’t have beaches, but cliffs dividing the land from the sea. The four rested against the cliff face, looking up at the land above.

“Nothing we can’t handle, right?” Pit encouraged the three. In between exhausted pants, the three made noises of agreement. “I mean, I’ve got my grappling sword, Zelda can levitate and Pit can kind-of fly, but you might take longer.” Captain N said to Falco.

“Hey, remember how I beat you to the top of the cliff on Donkey Kong Island?” Falco reminded him. Captain N reluctantly nodded. “Then don’t worry about me.” Falco said before beginning to scale the cliff face. “Hey, wait up!” Pit exclaimed to him before drying out his wings with a few flaps before shooting halfway up the cliff face. Zelda was quick to levitate more gracefully with her magic, but Captain N required a few moments of aiming to fire his Remote Sword’s grappling hook near the top of the cliff before shooting up. Pit rested against a small ledge to prepare himself for the next leap, allowing Falco to outpace him. “Come on, gimme a break! I’m not used to swimming!” Pit pleaded. “Move it or lose it, slowpoke. You’re making Palutena look bad if you’re really her right-hand man.” Falco teased him. “I’ll make you eat those words!” Pit yelled back to him before regaining his strength and shooting up the remainder of the cliff, incidentally beating Zelda and Captain N to the top as well.

The moment he peeked out from under the cliff, he realized that any enemy forces may have heard the commotion, so ducked back down as Zelda and Captain N caught up to him. “Did you see anything?” Zelda asked him in a hushed voice. Pit shook his head. “Didn’t get a good enough look.” He answered. While the Power Glove allowed Captain N to hold onto the grappling line for longer than he’d be able to otherwise, he needed to rest his body after the swim, so he dropped down a little bit to rest his feet on a small ledge. “Do you wanna scout the area, or should I?” Falco asked Pit. “I got it, I got it!” Pit insisted, but hesitated. “...You sure?” Falco slowly asked him again after a few moments passed. Pit hastily nodded. Just before Falco could prod him any further, Pit peeked over the cliff and ducked back under within an instant.

“Coast is clear.” Pit informed them.

“You sure? You were barely up there.” Captain N asked him. “Perhaps I should make sure the path ahead is safe.” Zelda offered. Before Pit could assure her of his perceptions, Zelda closed her eyes and focused her magic within her hands, breathing deeply in and out. After a few moments, she opened her eyes. “Pit is correct, there aren’t any enemy forces nearby.” She confirmed. Pit sulked upon having his statement being nearly dismissed as Falco and Captain N climbed over the ledge.

A forested area lay directly ahead of the group, ending almost right where the cliff began. Captain N lied on his back and panted heavily while trying to regain his strength. Falco, Zelda and Pit also took a moment to rest. “Remember, we’re trying to remain hidden.” Zelda reminded them. “Yeah, got it.” Falco answered in a faintly annoyed voice. “Stealth is my middle name!” Pit boasted. “Do you even have a last name?” Captain N asked him. Pit waved him off. “It’s a figure of speech. Don’t you have those on your planet?”

“Of course we do, but- never mind, let’s go.”

The forests of Dinosaur Land felt different to Captain N than the forests on Donkey Kong Island. While both were incredibly lush and verdant and filled with all sorts of life, Donkey Kong Island felt more tropical and hotter, while this had the atmosphere of the forests Midnight Light was known for, back on Earth. Of course, it was still different enough from his home world to keep him from feeling at home, but he barely minded that at this point. Bushes and grass were still plentiful, but the trees didn’t obstruct their voyage nearly as much as the forest that guarded Suzaku Castle. While this made it easier for them to hike, it also made them more open to enemy fire, so they remained as subtle as they could manage while scanning in all directions. Zelda guided the group forward with her magic while Captain N, Pit and Falco guarded her with their weapons at the ready.

After what felt like an hour of hiking through the forest, a sudden rustling sound came from behind them. Captain N kept his nerves under control and stopped himself from immediately shooting whatever made the noise with his Zapper, but he and the others whipped around to see what it was. A large green animal could be briefly seen before it hid behind a bush, clearly afraid of them. Realizing this intruder wasn’t a threat, Captain N and Pit lowered their weapons, but Falco remained vigilant.

“...You’re not with Bowser, are you?” Captain N asked.

The animal peeked out from behind the bush and nervously shook its head. “Lower your weapon, it means us no harm.” Zelda instructed Falco, who complied. The animal stepped out from behind the bush, revealing itself to be a green dinosaur with a large nose, shoes and a small red shell, standing about as tall as Captain N. It made a few squeaking noises that were incomprehensible to Zelda, Falco and Captain N. “Oh, I think I understand him!” Pit piped up. The dinosaur ‘talked’ to Pit, who nodded understandingly. Captain N and Falco shared a look of confusion before turning back to the group.

“He says his name is Yoshi. He says there are many others like him, but they’re under attack by the Koopa and Kremlings that maintain the fortress. He can take us to a hideout where the others are.” Pit explained to the three. “You got all that from a few noises?” Captain N asked, slightly amazed. “You can speak their language?” Zelda asked him. “Lady Palutena required I learn all the languages of Yamajiro. It helps me do my duty to protect the planet!” Pit boasted. “Can you talk to Pokémon?” Falco asked him. “Some kinds, yeah!” Pit answered. Before Captain N could ask what a Pokémon is, Pit returned to talking to Yoshi. The two began squeaking to each other, leaving the remaining three awkwardly standing around, waiting for some kind of resolution. Eventually, Captain N turned to Zelda and asked her “Can you speak Yoshi?”. She shook her head. “His species isn’t native to Hyrule.”

Once the bizarre conversation had ended, Yoshi jumped up and began marching off in a direction other than the one the group initially set off on. “Yoshi says there’s someone that can help us!” Pit excitedly informed the group, rushing off to follow Yoshi before any questions could be asked. Relenting that this was their only real lead to infiltrating the fortress, the three followed.

It took another good while of hiking through the forest and dealing with wet, soggy clothes before Yoshi stopped in front of a large boulder, obscured slightly by some bushes. While Yoshi stood proudly beside the boulder, the rest looked at him, perplexed. “...Is this it?” Captain N hesitantly asked Yoshi. Pit quickly jumped in to translate his words for the dinosaur, who happily nodded. Yoshi then turned to the boulder and knocked on it several times in a specific pattern, making a surprisingly hollow sound come from the boulder.

Suddenly, the bottom of the boulder was lifted up, and a blue Yoshi peeked out from underneath, revealing the boulder to be merely a shell hiding a trap door. The blue Yoshi talked to the green Yoshi while looking at the four with suspicion, but their concerns were eased upon supposedly being told that they were friendly. The blue Yoshi then lifted the boulder shell up higher to let everyone in.

Beneath the trap door was a small enclosure kept warm by a fireplace, where many Yoshis of varying colors remained huddled around. Captain N noticed that they all looked tired, and were clearly afraid of what patrolled the island above. Families remained close together, trying to retain what little hope they had. They couldn’t travel away from the oppressors like the Inklings or citizens of New Donk City could, they were trapped on this island. Such a sight implanted a strong feeling of melancholy within Captain N.

The green Yoshi got up on a small mound to assure the group of Yoshis that these newcomers are friends and are trying to help them return to their peaceful life. “Looks like you just found the first group to not know about the prophecy.” Pit remarked to Captain N, who chuckled in agreement. Once the green Yoshi concluded its speech, happiness spread across the others. As they squeaked to each other, a man suddenly rose from the back of the group. While he wore only pants and shoes, his long, dark hair was carefully maintained, and his face was covered in black paint around the eyes. He carefully moved around the Yoshis to approach the four, eyeing them closely.

“...Are your words true? Do you really mean to eliminate the menace that plagues this land?” He asked the four. “Of course.” Zelda answered. “That’s our mission!” Pit confirmed. “Saving the world’s our job.” Falco remarked. The man softened his gaze slightly, believing he could trust these newcomers.

“Who are you all?” He asked.

“Oh! This is Princess Zelda of the Kingdom of Hyrule, this is Falco Lombardi from the planet Corneria, this is Captain N, and I’m Pit, Lady Palutena’s best guard!” Pit chipperly introduced the group.

“...What about you?” Captain N asked the man.

“...My name is Tal’Set, and I am Turok.” He answered.

Chapter Text

Bowls of soup were passed around the small enclosure as dinner was served. Captain N poked around the bowl, trying to determine what exactly comprised the warm substance. His eyes alone couldn’t parse the solution but seeing his allies and the Yoshis so happily chow down on what was served eased his apprehension. Without being given a spoon to assist in consuming his meal, he awkwardly raised the bowl to his mouth and drank straight from it. The resulting taste was, unsurprisingly, unlike anything he had ever tasted before. The aura of familiarity hovered around the soup, slightly reminding him of the tomato and mushroom soups he’s had on Earth, but, like every other food on Yamajiro, was completely unique.

Nonetheless, he enjoyed the taste.

The hunger that grew during his swim to Dinosaur Land was quickly sated by the delectable substance. He quickly joined the others in gulping it down while so tightly packed together in the makeshift living space.

“I take it you enjoy it?” Tal’Set asked him. Captain N hastily wiped the soup residue from his chin before answering with a nod. “I’m glad. Food is hard to come by with the enemies patrolling the island.” Tal’Set explained. “I can imagine.” Captain N said before taking another sip from the soup. “...You said you were Turok, what does that mean?” He asked Tal’Set. Tal’Set gave him a suspicious look, puzzled that he’s never heard of the Turok lineage before. “He’s from a land far from this one.” Zelda answered for him. Tal’Set nodded understandingly before speaking. “Long ago, the Saquin Nation bestowed the title of Turok onto a powerful warrior, who defended their world from powerful enemies from other worlds. Over time, the mantle was passed from warrior to warrior before it was bestowed onto me.” He answered, speaking with great reverence when referring to his ancestors. Captain N nodded along as he ate, listening intently to his story. “What kind of threats did the Turok warriors have to face?” Falco asked. “Evolved creatures from prehistoric times, creatures from other worlds, anything that emerges from the Lost Land.” Tal’Set answered as he finished his soup. “...But these people that plague this island… they’re far more powerful than what has emerged from that wretched place.”

“How’d you come to be here, anyway? You seem pretty out of place in… all this.” Pit asked, gesturing to the crowd of Yoshis chatting amongst themselves. Zelda and Falco tuned in to the conversation while they listened. Tal’Set sighed and shook his head before answering. “...I wish I knew. Last I knew, I was in the Lost Land and had just defeated the Campaigner and destroyed the Chronoscepter. The next thing I know, I’m here in this place you call ‘Dinosaur Land’.” Tal’Set answered, instilling very little confidence in Falco. “So, what, you mean you just teleported? All of a sudden?” Falco asked him. Tal’Set solemnly nodded. “I wish I could provide a more satisfying answer, but what I say is the truth.” He reiterated. Captain N gulped down another mouthful of the soup. “...Well, what’s the Lost Land?” He asked Tal’Set. “Ooh, I know! It’s this weird space-time anomaly that stuff from all over time and space randomly gets transported to through random portals appearing!” Pit suddenly interjected. Tal’Set turned to him with surprise. “...That’s right. How did you know that, winged one?” He asked Pit. “Oh, Lady Palutena knows all about stuff like that.” Pit happily answered. “So, you’re close with the Goddess Palutena?” Tal’Set asked.

“We all are. We’re on a mission to save the world.” Captain N chimed in. “Specifically, from the guys you’re dealing with on this island.” Pit clarified. Tal’Set looked to the two, then to Zelda. “We’re the leaders of an organization called the Super Smash Brothers. With your help, we could bring an end to all this madness, starting with the communications tower on this island.” Zelda offered. A determined expression appeared on his face as he sat up and set his bowl aside. “So… you gonna help us?” Captain N hesitantly asked. “Those troops stole my weapons upon my arrival, taking advantage of my disorientation. I barely escaped from their weaponry by disguising myself with the forest. They’ll pay for what they’ve done.” Tal’Set declared. “Awesome!” Pit cheered, drawing the attention of some of the Yoshis.

“Do you have a plan to infiltrate the tower?” Tal’Set asked the group. The four shared an awkward look with each other. “Wel, uh… not really.” Pit admitted. “We were kinda planning on sneaking in through the back.” Captain N added. Tal’Set paused for a moment, but then nodded. “It’s decided. We wait until nightfall and sneak our way inside.” He decided. “Have you been able to get a good look at their defenses?” Zelda asked him as she set her own bowl aside. Tal’Set shook his head. “I couldn’t see any during my escape, aside from some guards patrolling outside.” He answered. “Makes sense. It’s only a communications tower on some random island. They don’t know we’re here, so they shouldn’t see a reason to put this place on lockdown.” Falco noted. “Then it’s decided. Rest while you can, we’ll set off in a few hours.” Zelda decided.

“So if we’re all decided on the plan, can we go back to the ‘you were teleported here’ stuff?” Falco asked Tal’Set. This question also intrigued Captain N, so he leaned in to listen. “Yeah, sounds a whole lot like what happened to Cap over here.” Pit added. Tal’Set then looked to Captain N. “You were suddenly brought to this world as well?” He asked him. Captain N nodded. “Yeah, but… where I’m from, there’s nothing about a Lost Land. This entire planet is new to me.” He tried to explain. Tal’Set’s suspicion grew. “I was always from this world. I was born in the Saquin Nation and was raised in this world. The Lost Land is merely an anomaly of it, which I was drawn to in order to defeat the Campaigner. But for you to say you’re not of this world at all… it’s truly strange.” He said. Captain N slouched back against the wall as he took in this revelation. He didn’t know who the Campaigner is or how easy it is to travel to the Lost Land, but he couldn’t help but compare Tal’Set’s situation to his own. Sure, what brought him here was apparently destiny, but what happened to Tal’Set sounded eerily familiar; To be in a completely different location, only to then be suddenly teleported to Yamajiro. Could it be possible that what brought them here is connected?

The evening went by without much happening. The conversation on what happened to Tal’Set proved fruitless, so the five tried to rest up as much as they could before they set off. Captain N tried to nap in the meantime, but the thoughts that inhabited his mind prevented him from doing so. At least the Yoshis seemed happy among each other, almost forgetting about the dangers that lie above. The feeling of togetherness that united the colorful dinosaurs made Captain N long for home. He had hoped that enough time in this would have made him immune to homesickness, or at least seeing it as less important than saving Yamajiro.

It seemed like some wounds would never heal.

A thought occurred to Captain N that made him chuckle. He leaned over to Pit, who was scooping up the remaining soup on the side of the bowl with his fingers. “You know, I’m kinda disappointed by the dinosaurs on dinosaur island.” He remarked. Pit looked at him with a puzzled face. “Whaddya mean?” He asked. Captain N shrugged. “It’s just, the dinosaurs in my world were a little more… scary. These guys, the Yoshis, they’re a little too… cute?” Captain N admitted, not entirely sure of how to phrase his feelings. Pit chuckled. “You’re upset that you’re not scared of these guys?” He asked, motioning to the Yoshis enjoying each other’s company. Captain N laughed to himself. “I guess I am.”

Soon enough, Tal’Set peeked outside the hideout and deemed it time to set off. With a slight groan, Captain N got up from his uncomfortable seat as Pit jumped right up. Zelda and Falco were soon ready as well. Tal’Set spoke to the Yoshis in their language, and five of them jumped up out of the hideout and into the night. “They know where the tower is, they’ll help us get there as quickly as possible.” He explained. “But they don’t know the magnitude of what they’re against. It wouldn’t be right to ask them to risk their lives for our cause.” Zelda protested. Tal’Set gave her a solemn look. “They understand, believe me.” He insisted. Zelda hesitated as Captain N, Pit and Falco climbed out of the hideout, eventually joining the rest of the group.

As Captain N fully climbed out of the hole, his skin was met with the cool air of night. The faint glow of the moon and the stars painted across the midnight sky offered some illumination, but darkness permeated the landscape of Dinosaur Land. In the distance, he could hear the faint sounds of the waves crashing against the cliffs. There weren’t any signs of Koopa or Kremlings or any remainder of King Dedede’s forces, but he knew better than to let his guard down. As Zelda climbed out of the hole, he caught one last glimpse of the remaining Yoshis below, waving goodbye to the group before the entrance was hidden once more. Seeing them vanish inside their hideout reminded Captain N once more of the fate that befell his briefly known allies in Inkopolis. With a knot in his stomach, he knew he couldn’t dwell on that any longer and focus on righting the wrongs that plague this world, so he turned away from the hideout and towards his allies.

“Pick a Yoshi and get on, it’s going to be a long ride.” Tal’Set instructed as he mounted the red Yoshi. Pit jumped onto the blue Yoshi, Falco climbed on top of the yellow Yoshi, and Zelda got onto the black Yoshi, leaving Captain N with the green Yoshi from before. His lack of horseback riding on Earth made itself present with how clumsily he climbed onto the Yoshi’s back. The Yoshi shifted around uncomfortably as Captain N tried to situate himself properly. But once he was, he gave Tal’Set a confident nod, signaling that he’s ready. With one last glance over the group, he kicked his Yoshi into action, and the group began their journey into the night.

The journey was almost too dark for Captain N to fully experience. Tal’Set proved to be a more skilled guide than any of the four as he valiantly rode his Yoshi through the forests and hills of Dinosaur Land. He led the front, Falco and Zelda trailed directly behind him, followed by Pit, with Captain N in the back, still trying to grasp the basics of riding his Yoshi. What little light was left from the evening faded, engulfing the land around them in even more darkness. Nevertheless, Tal’Set led them to the only source of light on the island: the communication tower. It continued to faintly blink in the night, providing Captain N at least a little assurance that they weren’t aimlessly running around. None of the group could see anyone that wished them harm lurking around, but that didn’t stop Zelda from using her magic to double-check their surroundings. Throughout the journey, none of them spoke.

The five were soon met with a steep incline leading up to the tower at the peak of the mountain. Captain N felt slightly unnerved, but the Yoshis were prepared. As Tal’Set motioned them in the direction of their destination, the Yoshis began leaping and bounding from ledge to ledge with incredible ease. The air became colder the higher up the group went, biting at what skin was exposed. The Yoshis also made a little squeaking sound whenever they jumped. As Captain N looked below to check their progress, he noticed that the Yoshis fluttered their feet while in the air in order to achieve greater altitude. A slight fear of the incredible fall beneath them seized his heart, so he clutched his Yoshi even tighter.

When the ascent up the side of the mountain concluded, the five stopped to assess the tower from a safe distance. They now saw the tower had several spotlights scanning the surrounding area, but no ground troops could be spotted. Zelda approached it carefully, focusing her magic in the surrounding area. “What’s it looking like?” Falco asked her. She turned back to the group after a few moments of meditation. “Six guards are positioned at the top of the tower as lookout. Power generators are located in the basement, but the signal emitters are located at the very top of the tower.” She answered. “What about any patrol groups?” Captain N asked. “Only one group, on the far side of the tower.” Zelda replied. “So, sounds like we just climb the tower all stealthily, take out the guards, destroy the emitters and take care of whoever’s left inside!” Pit deduced. Tal’Set squinted at the tower with a scowl on his face. “If there are six guards and a patrol group, we’ll be discovered and easily overwhelmed, not to mention the alarm being raised.” He countered. Captain N rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he paced about, trying to come up with a plan of action.

“Easy, we send a couple out as decoys to draw their attention away from the rest, who sneak up there and get the job done.” Falco spoke up. “That could work!” Pit agreed. Tal’Set wasn’t entirely convinced, simply staring ahead. “Pit and I could be the decoys. We’re best suited at drawing attention to us with our abilities. You could join Falco and Captain N in climbing the tower and taking over the outlook post.” Zelda offered to Tal’Set. This idea piqued his interest as he subtly nodded in agreement.

“...But what about the Yoshis?” Captain N finally spoke up. “They’ll draw too much attention to us if we ride them over and I really don’t want to risk their safety by intentionally drawing fire to them.” “They can wait for us here to complete our mission.” Tal’Set stated as he dismounted his Yoshi. Falco and Pit dismounted theirs as well. “If we’re all in agreement, then we better get moving before the patrol group finds us.” Falco reminded them. Captain N and Zelda joined them, giving their Yoshis one last pat before moving to get the mission on.

“Zelda and Pit, you guys go in from the left and draw their fire with a little light show. Falco, Tal’Set and I will go in from the right at a wider angle to sneak up on them from behind.” Captain N instructed, trying to reinforce his position as leader. To his satisfaction, everyone present seemed to follow his instruction. “Try not to fumble this.” Falco joked. “Personally, I’m more concerned about you attempting to remain hidden.” Zelda remarked back at him. With a scoff, Falco began to head off in the other direction. “Good luck, guys! Try not to get… hurt.” Captain N trailed off, not wanting to humor the idea of losing his allies. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this!” Pit boasted as he drew his bow and ran off. With Zelda close behind him, Captain N, Tal’Set and Falco ran off in the opposite direction.

The three remained shrouded by darkness as they scurried in a large curve towards the rear of the tower. They ran hunched over and close to the ground, trying to remain as small as possible to avoid detection, as Falco and Captain N did on Donkey Kong Island. Each footstep resulted in a slight sound of grass being rustled, but they didn’t want to risk being so careless now. Tal’Set once again displayed his guerrilla skills in his ability to make his way so swiftly and stealthily through the night, to the point that even Captain N was having trouble keeping track of where he was ahead of him. After a few moments had gone by, several flashes of light suddenly erupted behind the three, signaling that Pit and Zelda had enacted their part.

The reaction was immediate. The spotlights immediately directed to where the two were, giving their position away in the dark. More and more flashes of light representing the guard’s weapons lit up the night as the three ran. “Don’t look back, keep your eyes on the path forward!” Tal’Set quietly said to the two behind him. Captain N tried to follow his instructions and remain focused, but the thought of the closest thing he had to friends in this world- no, this entire universe being eviscerated in an instant plagued his mind. He wanted to turn back and help them. He wanted to do what heroes do: help wherever help is needed.

But he remembered that they weren’t helpless civilians.

Zelda and Pit were two of Yamajiro’s best hopes for liberation, who’ve proven their skill time and time again.

With confidence in the skill of his allies, he turned his attention back to staying low and following Tal’Set.

It took an excruciatingly long time to swing all the way around and come at the tower from the rear, but eventually the three came face-to-face with the communications tower. It was only now that Captain N noticed that the ground was littered with large blocks and old construction material, as if this was built where an old tower or base previously was. The tower was constructed of a metal that felt incredibly durable and was cool to the touch. The guards above were still focused on taking down the two they could see, and from the sound of it, the ground patrol was nearby. Captain N went for his Remote Sword to grapple up the side but realized the faint glow of the rope would give his position away. He turned to Tal’Set and Falco with a nervous expression.

“What’s wrong?” Falco asked.

“If I use my sword to get up there, they’ll see me coming and I’ll give away our position and it’ll all go south.” He answered. Tal’Set leered at the tower, trying to figure out some way to solve this problem. “We really should’ve figured this out earlier…” Captain N muttered to himself. “Yeah, I’m aware.” Falco shot back. “Quiet, your voices could alert them.” Tal’Set hissed at Falco. Captain N began to panic. The three were burning through time just standing there, trying to figure out what to do next. He nervously glanced around, trying to think of something while also staying alert to anything that could sneak up on him while Falco and Tal’Set conversed with each other in a hushed tone. He couldn’t see anything, but he wasn’t sure if that was comforting or concerning.

His elbow was gently nudged while his mind raced, almost making him yelp in surprise. Captain N whipped around and saw the five Yoshis standing there, looking eager to help. “I thought we told you to stay away!” Captain N hissed to the Yoshis. Tal’Set stepped in and communicated with them, who answered back in their own language. “They say they couldn’t stand by and let you approach this alone.” He spoke for the dinosaurs.

In that instant, Captain N got an idea.

“They could give us a boost to the top!” He realized. “No time to talk it over, let’s do it.” Falco quickly agreed. Tal’Set communicated with the Yoshis on the plan, who seemed to quickly agree. The three mounted the Yoshis, who fluttered their legs most of the way up the tower while remaining hidden from whoever was above. The thought of being seen made Captain N freeze up, but right before the Yoshis began to descend back to the ground, the three leapt off the Yoshi’s shells and hastily scrambled over the ledge.

The plan worked, and the six Kremlings that occupied the overlook were caught completely off guard. Before they even knew what happened, Captain N and Falco whipped out their guns and blasted away four of them in an instant. Tal’Set quickly and brutally tackled one to the ground and knocked it unconscious with a nearby chair, and Captain N used his Power Glove to punch the last one over the ledge, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

“Quick, the emitters!” Tal’Set reminded Captain N. Hastily nodding in agreement, he jumped onto a table, whipped out his Remote Sword, activated the blade and cut a hole in the ceiling. He waited a moment for the edges of the hole to cool from the laser cut. “Gimme a boost up!” He requested. Tal’Set and Falco then grabbed each of his legs and boosted him up through the hole, allowing him to climb on top of the tower, identify the signal emitters, and slice them to pieces.

As the remnants of the emitters clattered down, Captain N heaved a sigh of relief. “Mission accomplished!” He yelled down to the two, giving them a thumbs-up through the hole. “That’s what I’m talking about! Now whoever’s down there can’t call for help!” Falco celebrated. “Now these monsters are at our mercy.” Tal’Set noted with a look of satisfaction painted across his face. Captain N jumped back down into the overlook and shut down the spotlights, signaling to Zelda and Pit that they were successful. He then looked back down to the Yoshis below, giving them a thumbs-up and yelling “Thank you!” down to them. Falco found the hatch down into the tower interior and kicked it open.

“Ready for more?” He asked with a grin. Tal’Set and Captain N looked at each other and nodded.

“We were born ready.”

Chapter Text

After quickly assuring the other two that the room below was empty, Captain N dropped down into the tower. The first thing he was met with was a chill emanating throughout the facility that bit at his skin. The interior of the tower was brightly lit like a doctor’s office, almost stinging his eyes in contrast to the near blackness of the night outside. With each step, a metallic echo bounced off the equally sterile, metal walls. Aside from the ladder leading up, the room was empty. He carefully put his ear to the sliding door leading out of the room and carefully listened for anything that could indicate enemy forces were coming. Falco and Tal’Set remained cooperatively quiet above as Captain N hushed his breathing to listen as closely as possible.

A few moments passed, giving him the confidence that the Kremlings inside the tower knew about the ambush. He exhaled the breath he was holding in and waved them down. The two carefully jumped down to join him by the door. The three drew their weapons and looked at each other, seeing if everyone was ready. With a unified nod, Falco activated the switch to the door, opening it.

...Only to be met with three Kremlings leaning against the wall on the other side of the corridor.

The two groups froze in place as both mentally ran through a list of possible courses of action. Captain N reacted almost on instinct and shot the Kremling in the middle with his Zapper. The other two Kremlings scrambled as the sound of the shot rang out throughout the tower. Fortunately, Falco was able to shoot them down before they could escape, incidentally sending out the sound of two blaster shots, signaling their presence even further. Sure enough, alarms began to ring out throughout the tower. Captain N frantically turned to his two allies. “What do we do now?” He quietly asked them, as if that would help their situation at all. “We improvise.” Tal’Set answered in a determined tone, hiding behind a corner where reinforcements could be heard coming from, further down the hall. Before Captain N or Falco knew it, four more Kremlings appeared to investigate, this time armed with spears. But Tal’Set was ready, and jumped out from his cover to deliver strong punches to the snouts of the two in the middle. The other two couldn’t react fast enough to aim at him, allowing him to sweep their legs as the first two he struck landed on their back, clutching their snouts. Falco kept an eye out for further reinforcements as Captain N meekly aimed his Zapper in the general direction of the clash with Tal’Set and the Kremlings, too unsure of his aim to hit the Kremlings and not Tal’Set to take action. Within a flurry of powerful strikes, Tal’Set defeated the four Kremlings. He stood back up and panted heavily while Captain N continued to stand with his Zapper aimed at the downed enemies.

“They’ve taken my bow and stored it somewhere in this facility. We must find it.” Tal’Set stated. Before Captain N could respond, Falco interrupted by shooting down several more Kremlings that appeared from a stairwell on the far side of the corridor. “We’ll have better luck finding it if we actually get moving.” He reminded them. “Yeah, can’t have gone far, right?” Captain N added. Tal’Set nodded.

“Well then, let’s show these guys who they’ve been messing with!” Captain N declared, clutching his Zapper with increased vigor and dashing towards the stairwell. Tal’Set remained close behind Captain N as Falco watched the rear, keeping his blaster at the ready. As he approached the stairwell, he could hear a significantly higher number of Kremlings approaching, and he could assume they had their spears at the ready. At first, he was initially unnerved by the volume of opponents before him, his inventiveness kicked in. Just as the first of the group began ascending the stairwell, Captain N holstered his Zapper and pulled out his Ice Booster, firing a fierce beam of brutally cold ice down the stairwell. While he couldn’t see far below, he heard a mixture of angry confusion followed by voices being silenced in between the futuristic hum of the Booster. After a few moments, what was left was a thick coating of ice encasing the stairwell, the surrounding walls, and the Kremlings below.

“Incredible…” Tal’Set muttered to himself. “Don’t worry, I’ll try to let you guys have some fun, too.” Captain N remarked as he stuffed the Ice Booster back into his pocket and got out his Remote Sword. Falco scoffed. The two kept an eye behind them at the opposite stairwell as Captain N sliced away at the ice, creating a safe path down the stairs. “What are Zelda and Pit doing, anyway?” Falco wondered aloud. “Probably petting the Yoshis or something.” Captain N off-handedly answered, finishing his makeshift path downstairs. “We’ll find out once we’ve assured none of these savages can harm them anymore.” Tal’Set stated, looking ahead of Captain N at the floor below.

As the three ran through the near-identical corridors of the tower, they all fought back against the Kremlings that continued to pour out of every room and corner they came across. Captain N felt his exhaustion becoming louder within him, amplified by the swimming from earlier. But he went through too much in the past two weeks to give in now, so he simply swallowed this feeling and maintained his determination. Tal’Set, despite being unarmed, proved to be incredibly proficient in combat. His reflexes and agility were clearly the result of rigorous training, and the precision and power of his punches and kicks suggested mastery of martial arts, perhaps one unique to the Saquin Nation. Falco, as usual, demonstrated remarkable aim with his blaster as he sprinted throughout the corridors, jumping over the downed Kremlings wherever they lay.

“Hey, we going anywhere specific?” Falco asked Captain N in between shots from his blaster. Captain N took a moment to place a few shots with his Zapper at another approaching wave of Kremlings before answering from behind cover. “Not really! I thought the plan was to kick the door down and shoot anything that moves!” He answered. “I ask because there’s a good chance we’re gonna end up getting trapped!” Falco spoke up after shooting two more Kremlings. Captain N groaned as he leaned against the wall behind him. “Well, do you have any better ideas?” Captain N rhetorically asked Falco. He briefly glared at Captain N, but was spared the indignity of answering “No” with Tal’Set managing to steal one of the Kremling’s spears and shoot down several more than came around the corner. “We’ll make do.” Tal’Set bluntly stated. Captain N quickly nodded and peered around the area, trying to come up with a plan. More shots from the Kremlings whizzed by his face, forcing him to return to cover.

“Well… uh… maybe there’s some important stuff in the lowest level. Th-That would be the most secure location here.” He shakily suggested while clutching his Zapper. Tal’Set nodded in agreement and leaned out from cover to shoot down more of the attackers. “Then find us a way down there!” Falco exclaimed while shooting. Captain N could only sputter out a “Uh-huh.” before he more carefully peered around the corner again, searching for another descending stairwell. Soon enough, the path down was found, and with a blast from his Fire Booster around the corner, he hurriedly led the three deeper into the tower.

The descent into the tower continued as it previously had. Captain N displayed a higher proficiency in putting one foot in front of another, compared to his previous attempts at scurrying away from some threat. He couldn’t escape the feeling that the tower was somehow larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. But that thought was less important than trying to dodge the never-ending hail of purple blasts flashing by in all directions. Eventually, Captain N eschewed trying to shoot back at them and simply used his two Boosters to blast away the path forward and keep going down into the tower. Falco and Tal’Set picked up the slack and shot back at the seemingly endless horde of Kremlings. They weren’t agile enough to avoid every shot, so every spear blast that grazed their legs or struck their shoulders slowed them down little by little. Cotera’s enchantment imbued within Captain N’s clothes did help reduce the pain but couldn’t completely protect him. One lucky shot from a Kremling managed to hit him in the knee, making him fall onto his face and let go of the Boosters. He yelled out in pain, clutching his knee as Falco dragged him behind another corner while Tal’Set covered them.

“How bad is it?” Falco asked him. Captain N tried extending his right leg, but the effort resulted in a searing pain, making him wince. “Can he walk?” Tal’Set asked Falco over his shoulder after nailing several more shots. Captain N gave Falco a worried look. “Doesn’t look like it.” He answered. “W-What do we do now?” Captain N shakily asked, trying to peer around the corner to find his Boosters. Falco quickly glanced around the corridor they were in to try to get a sense of their progress.

“The air’s cooler down here, so we’ve gotta be close to the basement level. You’ve just gotta… tough it out.” Falco said to him. Captain N only grew more nervous as he continued to try to find the Boosters.

“W… We really should have made getting Zelda and Pit inside the tower a part of the plan.” He weakly joked as he deeply breathed in and out. “We’re gonna get out of here, and we’re gonna have one hell of a story for them.” Falco insisted. Tal’Set retired from shooting down the Kremlings to duck back into cover. He quickly tossed the spear to Falco before putting Captain N’s left arm around him and helping him back onto his feet.

“Lean on me, we’re almost at our goal.” Tal’Set assured him. Captain N weakly nodded. “I’m… still gonna be helpful, though.” He insisted, drawing his Zapper.

Falco spotted the Boosters at the far end of the hall. They were closer to the Kremlings, but Falco managed to keep them in cover enough to keep them from trying to jump out and grab them. “I see what looks like the last stairwell ahead. On my mark, we jump out and make a break for it.” Falco ordered. Captain N worriedly looked at Tal’Set, unsure of his ability to move quickly. “Lean on me, I’ll carry you.” He assured him. He took a deep breath and leaned more of his weight on Tal’Set.

“Alright, time to see what Turok here is made of…” Falco muttered to himself. He took a deep breath, held the spear in one hand, his blaster in the other, and with one last nod in agreement with Tal’Set, jumped out and dashed forward, shooting haphazardly at the Kremlings. This was enough to keep them in disarray long enough for Falco to kick the Boosters behind him and towards Tal’Set, who leaned down and grabbed them. “I’ll hold onto these until we’re covered.” He assured Captain N. He was focusing all of his energy into limping along on his good leg and ignoring the pain shooting through his other leg, so all he did was nod. Tal’Set didn’t seem like the type to steal other people’s prized possessions, anyway.

As predicted, the stairwell led down to the deepest level in the tower, where a room with a heavily armored door stood at the other end of the hall, guarded by seemingly what remained of the enemy forces. Falco had already ducked behind cover to avoid fire from the remaining Kremlings. Tal’Set and Captain N hid behind the stairwell, pinned down. “Give me one of the Boosters.” Captain N requested of Tal’Set. “You’re in no condition to fight, Captain. You can barely stand.” He rebutted. Captain N shook his head. “We’ve gotta do something to help Falco. I’m not in this world to be carried around and let other people fight my battles for me.” He insisted. Tal’Set looked to Falco, who was looking at the two of them with an impatient look in his eyes. “...Be careful.” Tal’Set said before carefully handing him his Fire Booster.

With the Booster held tightly in his hand, Captain N tried to lean out and get a good aim at the Kremlings, but his leg gave out and made him fall onto his side. The Kremlings immediately noticed him, but he was quick enough to blast them away with a powerful belch of red-hot flames before they could turn their sights to him. After a few moments of agonized yelling and scrambling around, Falco finished them off with his blaster.

“Smooth moves, Cap.” Falco teased him. Captain N couldn’t help but grin as Tal’Set helped him back up onto his feet. “Tips appreciated; applause required.” He remarked back. “Your performance will be congratulated once we’re free of this place.” Tal’Set interjected in a deadpan tone.

Once the three were in front of the door, they knew it was guarding something important. The door was locked in place with several retractable bars and seemed to be constructed of a significantly thicker metal. Despite how guarded the room seemed, they could faintly make out a panicked voice on the other side.

“I- I mean, they CAN’T have cut off communications! Th-th-there were only two! The guards only saw two! Unless… oh, no.” The male voice frantically muttered to itself.

Captain N saw this as his time to shine and stepped away from Tal’Set. “Stand back, boys. I’ve got this.” he warned them. After steadying his still weak footing, he clenched his Power Glove armed fist, wound up a punch, and slammed his fist into the door, knocking it clean off the wall. As he steadied himself in order to not fall over again, the light pouring into the room revealed a tall, lanky Koopa with wide eyes and a plume of yellow hair seated in front of an array of computer screens. The Koopa frantically spun around and backed away from the three, guarding the computer screens.

“You were hoping for Mario, weren’t you?” Captain N asked the Koopa with a grin. As his eyes nervously darted between the three, the Koopa got an idea and spun around and frantically typed in various commands on the keyboard before it. Just then, all the screens displayed only a lock symbol, reassuring the Koopa somewhat.

“H-Ha! Now you’ll never get our intel!” The Koopa boasted. “That’s not true. You’re gonna tell us.” Falco shot back, grabbing the Koopa by the neck and holding him against the wall. Tal’Set started searching the room for anything else of interest, and Captain N leaned against the wall for support. The Koopa appeared scared at first, but something behind the three made a sinister grin appear across his face. “What’s so funny?” Captain N asked the Koopa.

The Koopa didn’t answer.

“Hey! He asked you a question!” Falco yelled at him. The Koopa only grinned and motioned behind the three. They turned around and saw a massive group of Kremlings assembled, all with their spears aimed and ready to fire. A chill ran down Captain N’s spine as the three froze in place. With the three completely trapped, the Koopa cackled victoriously. “I knew it! Lord Bowser knew it! You’re all talk! Your victory against King Dedede was a fluke!” The Koopa boasted.

Captain N wanted to look at Falco or Tal’Set for any kind of reassurance, but he knew one step out of line, and he’d be minced meat. Worse, his leg was starting to cry out in pain some more. He couldn’t even begin to count how many Kremlings there were. But it didn’t matter. Twenty, thirty, fifty, all that mattered was that they were caught completely off guard and were horribly outnumbered.

“And now you’re gonna die! Along with the last, pathetic hope this planet has!” The Koopa continued in between maniacal laughter.

“Close your eyes.” Zelda’s voice suddenly spoke to Captain N inside his mind.

Almost as if it were instinct, he shut his eyes as tightly as possible. But he didn’t need to see to know what happened next. A powerful, brilliant light seared throughout the corridor, blinding the Kremlings and the Koopa by the sound of it. He couldn’t hear Tal’Set or Falco exclaim similarly, so he assumed Zelda gave them the warning as well. What followed were the sounds of Pit darting around, firing his bow at a rapid pace. He wanted to open his eyes but chose to wait.

“It’s now safe to open your eyes.” Zelda’s voice returned after a short period. Captain N complied and was met with the sight of Zelda and Pit standing above a pile of unconscious Kremlings, with their spears scattered about. Pit looked happy to see them, but Zelda appeared more annoyed.

“Zelda! Pit! Just in time, you guys are incredible!” Captain N cheered. “Thanks! We’re surprised you guys survived this long!” Pit replied, with more honesty than intended. “When were you planning on letting us into the tower?” Zelda was quick to ask. Falco groaned in an over-exaggerated manner as he rolled his eyes. “We attempted to remain hidden, however we were soon discovered, and our priorities shifted to ensuring our own survival first and foremost.” Tal’Set answered in a steadfast tone. “We could have helped you more if you had given us some kind of signal you were inside.” Zelda scolded them.

“Hey, you two got to save the day, you don’t need to be grumpy.” Falco reminded her. Zelda huffed to herself. “Hey, come on, guys! We did it! The tower’s taken down!” Pit chipperly reminded them. Captain N sighed in relief and slumped down against the wall. “Yep, looks like our first mission as an official freedom fighting team was a success.” He said, rubbing his knee.

Tal’Set then noticed the Koopa was knocked unconscious by one of Pit’s arrows. The look on his face, along with a loud groan from Falco, informed Pit that he made a mistake.

“Oops…” Pit mumbled.

“Pit! He’s the only one who knew the credentials for that computer! We could have gotten a ton of intel from him!” Falco scolded him. “It’s because of his intervention that you’re able to worry about this, as opposed to being sent to an early demise!” Zelda angrily reminded him. “M-Maybe we could wake him up somehow?” Pit meekly suggested. Tal’Set shook his head. “It’s going to take more time than we should spend attempting to revive him.” He sighed.

“Well, that’s great. What now?” Falco asked. Captain N’s attention was drawn to his Power Glove, where he was reminded of the holographic screen that Tails showed him back at Peach’s Castle. Out of curiosity, he brought up the screen again, but this time it displayed a possible connection to a nearby computer. As the group continued to bicker, Captain N connected his Power Glove to the computer, bringing up several files and folders on the display.

“Guys? I’ve got something.” He spoke up, holding out the Power Glove’s display for them all to see. “I got into the system. I can access all their files here.”. Falco clapped his hands, Zelda sighed in relief, and Pit cheered while Tal’Set continued to search the Koopa’s room. “Alright, we’re back in business!” Falco exclaimed in a much better tone. “Well? What can you find?” Zelda impatiently asked him. Not knowing where to start, Captain N searched the different files for anything that stuck out. What he eventually stumbled upon was a recent communications log. While both ends of the communication log were going by code names, the other end was traced back to another base on another island.

“They recently talked to someone in a place called ‘C Island’. From what I can tell, they’re stocking up on some important stuff there, but they don’t know about what happened here.” Captain N informed the group. Pit grinned mischievously. “Be a real shame if the Super Smash Brothers paid them a surprise visit.” He slyly remarked. “Indeed, it would.” Zelda confidently agreed. Falco ran some numbers in his head.

“I can get us from Dinosaur Land to C Island in about… three hours, give or take.” He stated. Captain N groaned as he stood back up. “What about that guy?” He asked, motioning to the Koopa. Pit smacked his head. “Oh, right! You don’t know him! That’s Iggy Koopa. He’s one of Bowser’s main men who lead the Koopa army. They call themselves the Koopalings!” He quickly brought Captain N up to speed. “How many Koopalings are out there?” He asked further. “Six, now that Iggy’s out of the game.” Falco answered. “We’ll imprison Iggy in the storage compartment of The Wavebird until he can be brought back to Peach’s Castle for proper questioning.” Zelda stated, using her magic to bind Iggy’s arms behind his back.

“So, it’s settled! We’ll set off for C Island, take out whatever creeps are lurking around there and then drop off Iggy at HQ!” Captain N declared. “We would be honored if you would join the Super Smash Brothers and help us in our righteous battle.” Zelda offered to Tal’Set. Instead of responding, he produced an intricate yet powerful bow and matching quiver, full of a variety of arrows, from beneath Iggy’s desk. He nodded firmly. “You can rely on the power of Turok to be at your side.” He boldly stated. He clutched the spear in his other hand. “You might wanna bring that, too.” Pit suggested. Tal’Set simply let the spear fall from his hand.

“I have no need for a savage’s weapon.” He stated.

Chapter Text

Unlike their small voyage to the cliffside shores of Dinosaur Land, Falco was the only one to swim back to The Wavebird. While he got to the ship and prepared it to pick everyone up and fly off to Island C, the others spent the meantime assuring that all the Yoshis were accounted for and safe. None of them felt that taking the time to sleep was a good idea, as enemy forces could sneak up on them and wipe them out with embarrassing ease. The moon still proudly illuminated the night through the otherwise dark scenery, but Captain N knew that morning couldn’t be far away. Zelda and Tal’Set took the time to rest, sitting neatly by the ledge overlooking the ocean beyond and engaging in deep, deliberate breathing exercises. While she wouldn’t show it, Zelda also internally fought off the temptation to fall asleep, knowing that she could sleep on The Wavebird. Pit was entertaining some of the Yoshis who were still remarkably energetic despite the hour by pitching some fruits away from the ledge, where they would run after it and race to eat it first. Iggy Koopa was slumped up against a tree, still unconscious and tied up. Captain N struggled to rest like Tal’Set and Zelda, and yet didn’t have the energy to join Pit in playing with the Yoshis. While his knee was starting to recover, his anxiety about future encounters kept him awake. He used his left hand to gently stroke the head of a napping red Yoshi while his right hand rested on his holstered Zapper. He gazed ahead at the vague shape on the horizon that represented The Wavebird while waiting for Falco to work his magic.

While by his measure, today marks the 16th day on Yamajiro, his amazement at the wonders of this world has yet to fade. He’s accomplished more in this short amount of time than in the entirety of his life on Earth, and yet he knew his journey was far from over. So many questions have yet to be answered. What was his predecessor who left the weapons like? Who’s giving the three kings their weapons? Did Tal’Set’s sudden appearance in Dinosaur Land have anything to do with his arrival on this planet?

A faint glow emanated from beneath The Wavebird before it gently ascended from the water, interrupting his train of thought. Falco demonstrated his remarkable piloting skills by carefully maneuvering the ship towards the rock face and swinging it around, presenting the group with the ship’s open hatch, incidentally blasting everyone present with a powerful gust of air from the ship’s exhaust thrusters.

“All aboard!” Falco yelled to them from the pilot’s seat. Zelda, Captain N and Tal’Set stood up as Pit threw the remaining bunch of fruits to the Yoshis. He then presumably bid them farewell in the language of the Yoshis, to the best of Captain N’s perception. The Yoshis understood him and happily waved goodbye to the four. Pit eagerly waved goodbye to them as well as he hopped back into The Wavebird. Zelda offered them a polite wave as she boarded the ship, but all Tal’Set offered the Yoshis was a film, understanding nod before he got on board, along with a short farewell in the Yoshi’s language while carrying Iggy over his shoulder. Captain N was the last to jump on board, albeit clumsily. The drop to the water far below unnerved him, but the jump was small and easy to conquer. Once Falco heard his shoes meet the metal interior of the ship, he began to close the hatch. Fortunately, Captain N was able to wave goodbye to the Yoshis before his view of the colorful dinosaurs was taken from him with the sealing of the hatch.

Captain N wasted no time in claiming the only vacant seat at the helm, which happened to be next to Zelda at the far left. Tal’Set returned from securing Iggy in the lower deck before seating himself at the front, where he fumbled with his seat’s harness before securing it across his body. Falco looked over to make sure everyone got their harnesses secured before raising The Wavebird higher into the air and taking off towards the endless horizon of the ocean. An instant later, The Wavebird took off, away from Dinosaur Land and towards Island C.

“Alright, we’ll be arriving at Island C in about four hours. Rest up while you can.” Falco suggested after switching the ship to autopilot mode and leaning back in his seat, resting his metal feet on the dashboard before him. Zelda stood up and descended down the ladder behind the battle station, eager to sleep as much as she could. Captain N wanted to sleep, but felt that his presence at the front would be necessary for whatever surprises may come up.

“Hey, Tal’Set: how’re you feeling?” Pit asked him, showing no signs of tiredness. Tal’Set slightly shrugged. “I’m alive, and ready to take the fight to those tyrants.” He stated, staring ahead at the horizon. Pit gently kicked his legs as he leaned forward in his seat. “So… we never really got to hear much of your story besides how you were suddenly teleported.” Pit remarked. Tal’Set furrowed his brow as Captain N and Falco leaned into the conversation, interested in what his story could be.

“...But you don’t have to tell us your story if you don’t want to.” Captain N added. Tal’Set shook his head. “No, I don’t mind.” He assured him. Captain N gently nodded, sinking into his seat. “My life, as I know it now, began when my nation was attacked by an evil man we call the Red Snake. He and his men slaughtered all but me, but our conflict was interrupted when we were both transported to the Lost Land.” He recalled with a hint of pain in his voice. He paused for a moment to recollect himself before continuing. “Upon my arrival, I was identified as Turok by the River People. My life then on was traversing through the Lost Land and protecting the innocent from whatever monsters that may arise, until I was brought to this place.” Tal’Set finished. His emotions were hard to read on his face, so Captain N tried prodding further.

“...What happened to the Red Snake?” He asked, careful to not trigger any kind of strong emotional response. Tal’Set eased his posture. “He died a degrading and undignified death at the hands of scavengers.” He answered. “So... he was stabbed or sliced to death?” Pit asked him. Tal’Set shook his head. “He was devoured.” He bluntly corrected him. Pit’s face turned pale as the image sank into his head.

“Oh…” He muttered.

“It’s nice to finally have someone with us that actually knows how to fight.” Falco remarked to Tal’Set. “Yeah, especially since we’re gonna need all the help we can get.” Captain N added, slowly becoming more and more sleepy. Tal’Set solemnly nodded. “Evil takes many forms, and it’s my responsibility to weed it out wherever it may grow. That is the quest of Turok, and all who bear the name.”

“You know, you’ve got a lot in common with Zelda and Captain N.” Pit noted. Tal’Set turned to him with slight confusion.

“How so?” He asked.

“Well, you three have a history of suddenly appearing in a weird new world.” He clarified. “Y’think we’ll find more people that fit that pattern?”

Captain N couldn’t help but respect Tal’Set. His story sounded like a more severe version of his own. Even though his family and loved ones were slaughtered and he was brought to a completely alien world, he went on to become a noble, courageous warrior. He felt inspired by him, as well as a greater motivation to continue on with his mission.

But as Falco and Pit continued to talk with Tal’Set, Captain N’s eyes slowly drifted shut, lulling him to sleep, slouched over in his seat.

However, his slumber was rudely interrupted with a particularly loud buzzing sound.

Jerking awake, Captain N saw that the skyline beyond the ship’s windshield illustrated a brightly lit morning with the sun rising from the horizon. He then noticed a red light blinking on the dashboard, along with Falco, Pit, Tal’Set and Zelda uneasily looking upon the button.

“What’s going on?” Captain N asked, quickly growing worried.

“We’re getting an incoming transmission from Island C.” Falco answered, but the tone of his voice indicated that this wasn’t good news.

“So, what do we do?” Captain N asked further, sitting upright.

An uneasy silence fell over the group.

“...We’ll have to answer eventually.” Zelda said. “What do we say? ‘Hey, don’t mind us, just thought we’d stop by and overthrow your little base’.” Falco said back, with a slight note of worry in his voice. “Don’t worry, I-I’ll handle it.” Pit declared with a slightly wavering voice. All eyes fell onto him, none of which had much confidence in him.

“...You sure?” Captain N asked. Pit chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. “Y-Yeah! I-I can talk our way out of this, don’t worry!” He tried to assure them. “You’re truly confident in yourself?” Tal’Set prodded further as the button continued to beep.

“The longer we keep them waiting, the more suspicious they’re gonna get. Just… I don’t know, talk to them.” Falco ordered Pit. He hastily nodded, held his finger over the button, hesitated for a brief moment, then pressed it down.

“C-Class shuttle craft, you are trespassing on Koopa airspace. State your business.” A stern voice spoke from the speaker. Captain N held his breath as all eyes focused on Pit. He remained frozen in place as he tried to think of something to say.

“C-Class shuttle craft, you are trespassing on Koopa airspace. State your business immediately.” The voice repeated in a more intense tone.

“U-Uh, yeah, we, uh, were j-just heading to the… uh… Pokémon World Tournament!” Pit finally answered in a deeper voice than usual. He recoiled in preparation for the voice’s response.

“...The Pokémon World Tournament.” The voice repeated back, unconvinced. Pit cleared his voice before continuing.

“Y-Yeah! We were just heading on over to the, uh, Unova region! We’re really big fans of Pokémon battles! I-In fact, I hear Blue’s gonna be compet-”

“You’re heading in the wrong direction.” The voice informed them.

A chill ran down Captain N’s spine as everyone present fell silent. Pit’s jaw fell agape as he desperately tried to come up with a way to continue the ruse.

“...We are?” Pit nervously asked.

“Yeah, you are. You’d sooner hit Arstotzka than the Unova region going this way.”

Pit looked over to everyone else, silently pleading for help in dealing with the situation. While he was stiff as a board because of the quickly rising tension, Captain N spotted an island in the shape of the letter C in the middle of the ocean. “Say something about the map being upside down!” Falco hissed at him. Pit whipped back around.

“O-Oh! W-W-We were just holding the map upside down! Th-That explains it! D-Don’t worry about us, w-we’ll be on our way now. Thank you…” Pit trailed off, cringing at his performance. Zelda looked to the floor, Tal’Set tensed up, Falco loudly groaned, and Captain N looked around, growing more and more nervous.

“...You haven’t changed your flight path.” The voice reminded them.

Before Pit could sputter out another weak excuse, the voice continued.

“And you’re flying below the minimum height for C-Class ships.”

As they got closer to the island, Captain N could barely make out several small structures that outline the rim of the island, some of which resembled artillery cannons. He looked to Falco, who was still piloting.

“Don’t worry, I see them, too.” Falco whispered to him.

“...What’s your registration number?” The voice asked them. Falco pushed Pit out of the way and leaned over the button.

“Oh, I’ve got your registration number right here.” Falco shot at them before shutting off the transmitter. “Strap in, everyone. It’s about to get rough.” He warned Pit, Tal’Set and Zelda. But this was barely enough warning for them as Falco suddenly dove The Wavebird towards the island. Captain N and the others tried to stay in their seats as the ship rocketed towards the island. In the blink of an eye, Falco pressed two buttons on the yoke, hitting the first artillery cannon with laser blasts from The Wavebird’s arsenal. With the first cannon destroyed, Falco pulled the ship back up into the sky while the other artillery cannons on the island powered up.

“Be careful!” Zelda scolded Falco while clinging onto her seat’s armrest. “We can’t afford to! Hold on!” Falco said back, throwing a lever forward on the dashboard, increasing the ship’s speed even more. Several loud booming sounds rang out while shots from the artillery cannons whizzed by the ship, only narrowly missing their target. Falco remained focused as he masterfully maneuvered the massive ship through the air, curving over and under as he made another approach to the artillery array.

Captain N clung onto his seat for dear life as Falco blasted away another cannon in the midst of enemy fire. His heart raced as his eyes wildly scanned the environment on the other side of the windshield, being unable to do anything except pray that Falco’s bite is as bad as his bark when it comes to piloting.

The Wavebird lurched about from side to side, even flipping upside down briefly as Falco tried his best to maneuver the oversized ship. Tal’Set stayed cool, but Pit looked as worried as Captain N, and Zelda was only doing slightly better. With each sudden turn or flip, Pit and Captain N yelped in surprise and fear. The enemy forces on the island retaliated in greater force, increasing the frequency of their artillery fire. Despite Falco’s best efforts, one of the blasts managed to graze the top of the ship. While it didn’t do significant damage, it did more than enough to shake Captain N’s foundations. Falco only groaned in annoyance as he continued, undeterred. “What I wouldn’t give for my Arwing…” He muttered to himself.

“How many more are there?” Tal’Set asked Falco. “Gimme a sec.” Falco answered, suddenly jerking the ship around and shooting towards the island. The Wavebird flew dangerously close to the water, creating a massive ripple in its wake in an attempt to dodge the artillery cannons. But before Captain N or Pit could make any more undignified sounds, Falco let off another shot and destroyed another cannon.

“Two left.” He answered.

“I’m sorry for getting us into this!” Pit loudly apologized. “We’ll work out the apologies once we’ve survived this!” Captain N loudly said back to him. Falco pulled The Wavebird high into the sky, arcing over the island as the barrage continued.

“Hey Princess, how much you wanna bet I can hit the last two with one shot?” Falco asked Zelda. “Now is not the time for this, Lombardi!” Zelda shouted at him. He ignored her as he made the ship do a nosedive back towards the ocean surface.

“Falco! What are you doing!?” Captain N yelled at him. Falco gripped the yoke, leaned forward, squinted his eyes, and a split second before they would have impacted the water, he forced the ship back up, aimed at the area in the direct middle point between the two remaining cannons, and let one more laser blast loose. The shot impacted the ground, but the shockwave and blast radius was enough to damage the last two artillery cannons beyond repair.

Falco brought The Wavebird back into the sky, set it in autopilot mode and leaned back in his seat. Captain N kept clinging to his seat, still thoroughly shaken after the

“You’re welcome.” He said with a smug grin painted across his face. “Ugh, I don’t believe you.” Zelda huffed, rubbing her temple. “That was amazing! You really are an awesome pilot!” Pit congratulated him. “Heh, you had your doubts?” Falco replied. “Oh, thanks for not getting motion sick, by the way.” He said to Captain N, who shakily nodded in agreement.

“Impressively done, now how do we approach the situation from here?” Tal’Set asked. Falco sat back up and switched off autopilot as he grabbed the yoke. “We blow up that building and get out of here.”

“No!” Captain N exclaimed, making Falco whip around in shock and irritation.

“‘No’?” Falco repeated back.

“We can’t just blow it up! What if there’s innocent people down there? What if there’s more intel we can salvage?” Captain N argued. “The Captain’s right, we can’t afford to be so reckless.” Zelda agreed. “But we- uuuuggghhhh.” Falco loudly groaned, sinking into his seat.

“I mean, you’ve gotta agree-”

“Fine! Fine! We’ll go down there and put ourselves in more danger than needed!” Falco exclaimed, recklessly throwing the ship around as he approached Island C. Once they got close enough to the shore closest to the main building, Captain N undid his seat’s harness while muttering “I almost feel bad for Iggy down there…”.

“They’re gonna be on us the moment we touch down, so we need to come out swinging the moment the hatch opens.” Captain N ordered, getting up from his seat and making his way towards the hatch. Pit and Tal’Set quickly joined him, both brandishing their bows. Zelda waited a little longer for Falco to even out the ship and slow his descent before she got up to stand by the hatch. Falco activated the landing gear moments before The Wavebird touched the ground, which skidded slightly before coming to a stop. Without skipping a beat, he leapt out of the pilot’s seat, drew his blaster and huddled around the hatch with everyone else.

“Everyone ready?” Captain N asked the four.

“We’re ready.” Tal’Set assured him.

“Let’s do this!” Pit cheered.

Zelda and Falco nodded in agreement.

“Alright, go Super Smash Brothers!” Captain N exclaimed, opening the hatch and diving out.

To his surprise, he wasn’t immediately met with a hail of blasts from the laser spear wielding Koopa or Kremlings or even Waddle Dees from before. As he peered around the edge of the ship, he couldn’t see any enemies attacking or approaching. He decided it still wasn’t a good idea to fully step out into the open, so he stayed behind the ship and waited for the others to join him.

Pit didn’t show the same caution as him, jumping out with his bow at the ready and a mighty battle cry that ended unceremoniously once he realized nobody else was out there and fell on his stomach.

“Uh… where’re the bad guys?” Pit asked over his shoulder. Falco, Tal’Set and Zelda emerged from the ship, just as confused as the others. “Are they hiding from us?” Tal’Set asked. “Doubt it. There’s gotta be more of them.” Captain N rebutted. “I dunno, I pulled off some pretty fearsome moves back there.” Falco remarked. Zelda rolled her eyes and focused her magic to detect anything hidden in their surroundings.

All Captain N could hear was the sound of the small waves gently rolling against the shore and the gentle breeze brushing against the palm trees. Apart from the wrecked debris that used to be the artillery cannons, there wasn’t any evidence that the chaotic battle that happened mere moments ago occurred at all. His eyes fixated on the small, innocuous building that sat at the opposite end of the field. Zelda still hasn’t found anything, so he decided to step out into the field a bit more. Pit hurriedly got up and dusted himself off. Tal’Set clutched his unique bow, ready for action at a moment’s notice

“Still nothing?” Falco asked Zelda. She quickly shushed him and returned to her ritual. In that moment, the front door of the building slowly opened. The five immediately snapped to attention, drawing their weapons, and taking on a battle-ready stance.

But instead of any familiar enemies pouring out of the door, what emerged from the building was a stampede of raptors, all decked out with robotic limbs and even laser guns mounted onto their right arm. Captain N stepped back in both fear and surprise, being almost completely thrown off by these newcomers coming after them.

“Looks like we found them.” Pit noted, readying his bow. Captain N stepped back and took a deep breath, puffing up his chest. The raptors charged towards the five with a vicious fury in their eyes, baring their teeth in preparation for their next meal.

“Spread out! Attack from a distance!” Tal’Set ordered. Without a second thought, the other four immediately went with this plan, fanning out in a wide arc. The raptors spread out their pack to attack them. Captain N was still thoroughly unnerved in the face of this new threat but stood his ground and blasted his Zapper in the general direction of the oncoming dinosaurs. Falco moved about with incredible agility as he blasted them, Pit and Tal’Set both used their bows to fire an array of powerful arrows and Zelda manipulated her magic to strike back against the raptors. Despite their savage appearance, the raptors proved to be incredibly intelligent as they leapt around, swiftly avoiding the incoming fire while pursuing their prey.

Captain N’s breathing quickened as he stumbled back while continuing to fire his Zapper at them. His perception of how his allies were doing faded out of his peripheral vision as he tried to focus solely on taking down the dinosaurs. One raptor charged at him and got dangerously close to taking a bite out of his face, but he fell over and dodged the raptor leaping over him. He quickly adopted a new strategy as the raptor recovered. He stuffed his Zapper back into his pocket and retrieved his Ice Booster. Instead of attempting to charge at Captain N again, the raptor instead raised the blaster mounted on its right arm and aimed it directly at him. As the weapon whirred up, Captain N blasted the dinosaur with a fierce, powerful beam of ice energy, freezing the dinosaur in place. He wasted no time in getting back onto his feet and pulling out his Fire Booster, trying to find another raptor to take down. He remained lying on the ground, rapidly breathing as it fully sunk in that he was fighting actual dinosaurs. Zelda and Tal’Set proved remarkably capable of taking down more of the dinosaurs, and Pit and Falco weren’t too far behind them, but it was of little use. More raptors charged out of the building, all with cybernetic enhancements and a thirst for blood.

“These creatures must have come from the Lost Land along with me!” Tal’Set declared after nailing a raptor in the head with an explosive arrow. “Then how’d they get here?” Pit yelled back over his shoulder while leaping high into the sky and shooting down another raptor. “We’ll probably find that out in the building over there!” Zelda declared, forcing two raptors into the water. Captain N hastily nodded and ran out into the battle, blasting his Fire and Ice Boosters in the general direction of the raptors, getting mixed results. The raptors were smart enough to try to avoid his blasts but getting singed by the blasts crippled them enough for the others to finish them off.

“How many more of these can there be!?” Falco cried out in exasperation shortly before side-stepping another raptor and stomping on its mounted plasma blaster. “Oh, this isn’t anything compared to Hades’s minions!” Pit called back, taking a quick breath behind a palm tree. Tal’Set remained silent as he meticulously and brutally struck down raptor after raptor. His skill and accuracy proved that he was no stranger to fighting these monsters.

The five made their way towards the building while fighting through the seemingly endless horde of raptors. The flurry of razor-sharp teeth and cutting-edge blasters used by the ravenous creatures was almost too much for Captain N, but his allies helped him. One raptor leapt out and clamped its jaw around his right hand, but thankfully he was protected by the Power Glove. After a yelp of surprise and a brief flurry of panic, he pulled out his Remote Sword and decapitated the raptor, making its headless body fall limp. It took him frantically waving his arm around to dislodge the dinosaur’s head from his hand.

Tal’Set was the first to reach the building, where he waited by the edge for the other four to reach him as he eliminated more of the dinosaurs that emerged before they could even see him. Zelda created a powerful, glowing barrier of yellow magical energy that thrusted the horde of dinosaurs far from them, but this could only delay the beasts. Pit, Zelda, and Falco quickly caught up with Tal’Set, but Captain N’s leg started aching again, forcing him to lag behind the others. Tal’Set was growing more and more impatient, glancing between the inside of the building, and watching Captain N catch up to them.

“Are these dinosaurs living up to your expectations?” Pit jokingly called out to him. Captain N forced out a semi-genuine laugh while Zelda tried to keep the raptors from getting to him. Falco soon grew tired of waiting for him and dove inside the building. “We’ll clear the path ahead, but you need to hurry!” Tal’Set yelled to Captain N. As Pit and Tal’Set disappeared inside the building, Zelda gave one last push against the horde of raptors before joining them. At this point, Captain N was nearly at the building, but one raptor recovered sooner than the others and charged directly at him.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he planted his feet into the sand and clenched his Power Glove-clad hand into a fist. The beast charged forward and opened its jaw with a hideous growl escaping from its throat. It jumped into the air, and Captain N delivered a deadly uppercut onto the ferocious dinosaur, immediately eliminating the threat. He took a moment to look at the raptor he just took down with a single punch, where a giddy laugh escaped him at the thought of having just punched an actual raptor. He spun around, hoping that his allies saw this feat, but the revelation that none of them did deflated his mood somewhat.

The oncoming pack of raptors snapped him back to reality, so he ran as fast as he could towards the building. Just before the tip of a raptor’s claw could scrape his back, he disappeared into the building, with the thick, metal door sliding shut behind him.

Chapter Text

The door managed to slide shut just before the ravenous pack of raptors could jump inside and devour the group. Captain N backed away from the door with his Zapper drawn, aimed at the sounds of claws scraping against metal and the hiss of the raptors from the other side of the wall.

“Good to see you’ve joined us.” Falco remarked from the other side of the dimly lit room. “Yeah, by the way, thanks for almost locking me out with the robot dinosaurs.” He sarcastically said back to him. “We had confidence in your survival abilities.” Tal’Set assured him in a very matter-of-fact tone. Captain N groaned and turned away from the metal door to scan the room. While it wasn’t lit enough to get a clear view of the interior, he could make out a computer console next to the door that the others used to seal them inside the building. Really, the only other thing inside was a pathway leading down a man-made tunnel, which Zelda and Falco were guarding. “Ooh, check this out!” Pit spoke up, noticing a yo-yo on a nearby table. As he picked up the yo-yo and tucked it away in his pocket, it was only then that Captain N realized there weren’t any more robo-raptors running at them, which eased his nerves only slightly, as the threat of more of them still lingered. “Anything worth looking at on that computer?” Captain N asked Falco. He shook his head. “It just controls the doors. Not anything worth looking through.” He answered.

“Looks like our only way forward is through the dark, creepy tunnel that raptors come out of…” Pit trailed off, clutching his bow tightly. “It appears so.” Zelda quietly agreed. “Oh, don’t get cold feet. We can handle some overgrown lizards, even if they’ve got robot enhancements.” Falco assured them. Tal’Set didn’t add anything to the conversation, instead peering down the dark tunnel, waiting for something to pounce. The raptors outside the building haven’t let up, still scraping away at the door. Captain N could tell they were making progress at wearing away at the only fortification they had, so he turned to the tunnel with growing worry. “We need to go, now. I’ll lead the path ahead. I can light the way.” He stated, drawing his Fire Booster. Pit quickly backed away as Captain N blasted the tunnel with a powerful belch of flames, bathing the tunnel with light and immense heat. This allowed them to see the path forward consisting of only a single, non-branching tunnel, without any turns.

“Well, that makes things simpler.” Pit remarked. A loud bang rang out from the door, followed by a slight creak. The raptors were getting closer to breaking down the door. “This way, come on!” Captain N ordered, charging down the tunnel with his Zapper in his right hand and his ignited Remote Sword in his left. Tal’Set and Pit ran close behind him while Falco and Zelda watched from the rear.

In stark contrast to what they just endured; no raptors charged at them from the darkness of the other end of the tunnel. Aside from the five making their way through the tunnel, it was completely empty. This did little to assuage Captain N’s concerns. If anything, it made his worries worse, fearing that some huge surprise attack would leap out at any moment.

This run continued for an indeterminate amount of time until Captain N ran almost directly into another metal door. “What do you think’s on the other side?” Pit asked, trying to keep his gasping for air as subtle as possible. Tal’Set put his ear to the door but couldn’t hear anything on the other side. Falco had his blaster ready, antsy to jump into action. “You think it might’ve been a good idea to bring Iggy along? Maybe he would’ve been helpful somehow, like telling us what’s on this island.” Captain N suggested. “He’d have just slowed us down. We drag his Koopa ass around, we’d have been eaten alive.” Falco bluntly responded. “It appears that there isn’t anything on the other side.” Tal’Set assured them. “We won’t know for sure until we’ve breached the barrier.” Zelda said, channeling her magic into her hands. “We can handle it! ...right?” Pit asked the group, still tightly holding his bow. “Yeah, we can! We’re the Super Smash Brothers! We can handle anything!” Captain N declared. “Yeah!” Pit cheered, but his enthusiasm was deflated somewhat when Tal’Set, Zelda and Falco didn’t join in, more focused on the door. Captain N swallowed the awkwardness of the situation and held his Remote Sword towards the metal door.

“On the count of three, I’ll cut a hole in the door and we’ll breach the room! Ready?” Captain N asked the others. “Just do it, don’t keep us waiting!” Falco urged him. “Ready-freddy!” Pit said, ready for action. Zelda and Tal’Set only offered a firm nod of agreement with their eyes squarely focused on the door. But then a chill ran down his spine. Maybe Tal’Set couldn’t hear anything on the other side because they were planning a surprise attack. What if there were a whole bunch of dinosaurs, armed and ready to attack?

“Okay! One…” He finally spoke up after his brief pause.

“Just cut it open!” Falco exclaimed.

Captain N recoiled, but quickly nodded and responded with “O-Okay!” before he used his Remote Sword to cut a large hole through the metal door. To his satisfaction, the thick metal offered as much resistance as a stick of butter would to a hot knife. Once the circle was cut, he sheathed his sword and Zapper.

“Breach!” He yelled before striking the area with his Power Glove, knocking it clean out of the way and clanging loudly on the floor. To his surprise, the room was empty, but brightly lit. A voice could be heard exclaiming in surprise from inside. Tal’Set and Falco shoved past Captain N to confront any threat that may be inside but were quick to realize that there was none. Instead, there were two more metal doors and a holding cell containing a young man in a blue t-shirt and jeans. “Hey! You with the dinosaurs?” Falco barked at him. The young man looked up and quickly shook his head. “Nonono! I-I was captured by those turtle-looking guys!” He quickly answered. Captain N, Pit and Zelda joined them in the room and jumped to the young man’s defense. “Calm down! He’s a prisoner, he’s not gonna hurt anyone!” Pit hastily assured Falco. Tal’Set lowered his guard somewhat and investigated the other doors. The young man calmed down once he saw that the newcomers weren’t here to hurt him as he shakily stood up inside his cell.

“What’s your name?” Captain N asked him. The young boy cleared his throat. “Uh… M-Mike. Mike Jones.” He introduced himself. “What happened, Mike? Why are you here?” Zelda asked him. Mike rubbed his eyes and gasped in surprise once he saw who he was talking to.

“Wait, you’re-” Mike said, pointing to Captain N.

“Yep.” He interrupted.

“And you’re-” Mike then turned to Zelda.

“Indeed.” Zelda confirmed.

“And you guys’re-” Mike continued.

“The Super Smash Brothers, yeah.” Falco stated.

“What’re you guys doing here?” Mike asked the group.

“Saving the world, one island at a time! What about you?” Pit asked him. Mike stood up and paced inside his cell, and sighed before answering. “...My uncle has a lab on this island. A few days ago, I heard he was rounded up and sent to the Panopticon. I came here to make sure he was okay, but… I never found him.”

Mike took a deep breath before continuing.

“...But those Koopa creeps found me. Caught me sneaking around in their tunnels, took my stuff and locked me up in here. At least they feed me, but I think they also took the three magic cubes from Argonia.” He glumly said.

“Wait, you know your way around the island?” Captain N asked Mike.

“Oh, yeah! A couple years ago, I actually came here to visit my uncle, only to find that he was abducted by aliens!” Mike excitedly answered. Captain N was caught off guard by this answer but focused on the matter at hand. “If you let me outta this thing, I could help you guys get around Island C! And there’s no way I’m missing out on kicking some Koopa butt!” Mike insisted. Captain N turned to his allies, who offered their agreement. “The more the merrier!” Pit cheered. Captain N hurried over to the console nearest to Mike’s cell and brought up the holographic display on his Power Glove to open it as Falco and Zelda went over to help Tal’Set investigate the doors.

“Do you know where those two doors go?” Zelda asked Mike. Mike’s giddy expression vanished from his face as his eyes nervously scanned the two massive, identical doors. “Uh… well, um… one of them goes to the tunnels under Coralcola, and the other leads to, uh… the dinosaur pens.” He eventually answered.

“So, which one is which?” Falco asked as Captain N continued to fumble with the controls. Mike awkwardly laughed as he looked harder at the two doors.

“I… kinda… don’t know?” He eventually said, his voice raising with every syllable.

“You don’t know!?” Pit exclaimed in shock, whipping around while Tal’Set only sighed to himself in annoyance. “How do you not know? Staring at those doors is the only thing you can do in that stupid cell!” Falco interrogated him. “It’s super boring in here! I didn’t think it would be that important!” Mike defended himself. Just as Zelda let out an annoyed groan, a loud bang hit the door they just came through. Everyone whipped around in surprise to see one of the raptors that pursued them earlier clawing through the hole that Captain N carved in the door, ready to chow down on them all.

Captain N yelped in surprise as he fell over, scrambling to react quick enough. Tal’Set reacted quicker, drawing his bow and firing a special arrow at the beast, quickly neutralizing it with a small, blue explosion.

“We need to make haste. Which door leads to the path forward?” Zelda pressured Mike. He only answered with an “Uh…” as he nervously scanned the two doors more. More raptors soon crowded around the hole, growling and snapping their massive, razor-sharp teeth. “How about sometime today!?” Falco yelled at him while Captain N scrambled to his feet and drew his Remote Sword, ready to cut another hole in the door of choice.

“That one!” Mike finally answered out of desperation, pointing at the door on the right. Captain N hurried over to the door on the right and began to slice another hole. Falco, Zelda and Tal’Set crowded around the hole to fight off the vicious raptors, while Pit frantically pressed buttons on the console, trying to free Mike from his cell.

“Don’t worry, I’m gonna get you outta here!” Pit assured him through the cacophony of raptor cries and Falco’s blaster, Zelda’s magic, Tal’Set’s variety of arrows and Captain N’s sword carving through the door. But just as Captain N finished cutting his hole, a massive, fearsome roar emerged from inside the room. Before he knew it, the creature burst through the door, having been given enough slack in the door from the hole. Captain N was knocked onto his back as everyone whipped around in shock.

The creature resembled a colossal lizard with porcupine-like spines on its back, but most notably, two machine guns mounted onto its back. The Remote Sword fell out of Captain N’s hand as he fell back, leaving him completely defenseless against the monster. The monster quickly took aim at him, growling with hunger in its tone as the machine guns pointed directly at him. His first instinct was to allow fear to overpower him, paralyzed in place as the machine guns stared him down.

Just before he could be torn to shreds in a hail of hot lead, Zelda protected him with a magical barrier between the two. This gave him enough time to scurry out of the way and draw his Ice Booster.

“I think I’m good in here for now.” Mike informed Pit.

Tal’Set recognized the beast immediately. “It’s a Dimetrodon Mech!” He yelled to the others. “What’s that!?” Pit yelled over his shoulder as he fired several arrows at it. “It’s a giant dinosaur with machine guns! That’s all you need to know!” Captain N assured him. Zelda maintained the barrier between the Dimetrodon and the group, allowing the three remaining raptors to scratch and swipe at Falco and Tal’Set, who were nearest. The situation quickly grew much more frantic as the group was stretched increasingly thin against the onslaught of prehistoric attackers. Mike wanted to help Captain N, Pit and Zelda fight off the Dimetrodon, or aid in Falco and Tal’Set’s efforts in pushing back the wave of technologically enhanced raptors, but without any of his weapons, he couldn’t do much to help at all.

Pit leapt around the room as he fired arrow after arrow at the massive dinosaur’s head as Captain N focused his Booster’s Ice beam at the machine guns mounted on its back. The Dimetrodon was almost completely unaffected, roaring in fury as it bashed its head against Zelda’s magic barrier. She knew she couldn’t keep this up for much longer. “Take cover!” She yelled to the two. Before either of them could fully figure out what she meant by “cover”, she dispelled her barrier, making the beast fall forward in surprise. It quickly recovered and lunged at Captain N, preparing to clamp its jaw down on his upper body. Luckily, Captain N was quicker, and blasted a beam of ice at the Dimetrodon’s mouth, completely encasing it.

“Nice shot!” Pit congratulated him as he leapt onto the dinosaur’s back and began attacking its mounted guns. Zelda helped him by using her magic to pin the dinosaur to the ground and prevent it from getting back up. Another explosion rang out behind the three, which almost disrupted Zelda’s focus on her magic. Captain N whipped around and saw Tal’Set shot another explosive arrow at the raptors, but only managed to take out one. Falco stood farther back than Tal’Set, trying to shoot down the ravenous beasts with his blaster. “Couldn’t these things stay extinct!?” Falco exclaimed in frustration at his firearm not easily downing the raptors.

As Mike hurriedly looked around the room, trying to find some way to help, he noticed the console in between the two doors, giving him an idea.

“Captain N! Get me out of this cell! I know what to do!” He yelled to him. Captain N hesitated, frantically looking between Pit hacking away at the Dimetrodon’s machine guns and Falco’s and Tal’Set’s attempts to keep the raptors back. He didn’t know how to help either without seemingly making things worse by accidentally hurting someone. “Come on, what are you waiting for!?” Mike yelled to him again. Captain N decided on helping Mike, so he ran over to the console next to his cell, brought up the holographic display on his Power Glove, and tried shuffling through files and displays, trying to find a way to open the cell. The raptors crawled through most of the hole, and Zelda was beginning to strain against the force of the Dimetrodon, all while Pit was still having trouble destroying its guns.

He soon gave up on the hacking method and used his Power Glove’s immense strength to smash and destroy the console. Almost instantly, the cell’s energy barriers disappeared.

Mike didn’t waste a second. He ran over to the console between the two doors, hit a few buttons, and opened the door the raptors were climbing through. Before Falco or Tal’Set could flip around and let loose a furious flurry of less-than family friendly expressions of their disapproval, Mike closed the door back on the raptors, crushing them beneath the massive metal door.

“You know, you coulda told me to do that!” Captain N said to him. “Yeah, but I was feeling left out of the fun!” Mike admitted. Falco glared at him, but Tal’Set turned his attention to the Dimetrodon. “Move, Pit!” He ordered. “You got it!” Pit answered, leaping off of the dinosaur. Zelda loudly groaned in exhaustion as her magic finally drained from her, releasing the dinosaur from her control. The beast roared with fury as it aimed its mostly functional machine guns at the group.

“Oh, if only I had my yo-yo…” Mike muttered. “Wait, what?” Pit spun around. Tal’Set fired another explosive arrow at it, but only made it stutter. “Move! It can’t hit multiple targets!” Falco yelled, firing his blaster at it some more. The five others quickly spread out and formed a large curve around the beast, making it spin around and lose focus of who to attack. Zelda hobbled off to the side, significantly weakened by the strain of constantly using such a massive amount of magic. Mike took cover as well, watching Tal’Set, Pit, Captain N and Falco fire blast after blast at the beast.

The Dimetrodon fired its machine guns aimlessly, hoping to hit someone. Everyone dove for cover, but Captain N was the only one that yelped in surprise as he cowered, trying to avoid getting shot. Pit and Tal’Set only got grazed by stray bullets. Pit yelled out in pain as he clutched his leg, but Tal’Set gritted his teeth and shifted his weight onto his other leg. “You alright over there!?” Captain N called out to them. “Don’t worry, I-I’ll be fine!” Pit shakily tried to assure him. Zelda waved him over, but Tal’Set remained on guard.

“Try to draw its fire! I’m gonna get on top of it!” Captain N ordered Falco. He nodded and blasted directly at the Dimetrodon’s face in order to get it to turn its attention to him. Captain N used his Remote Sword to grapple on top of the beast and get onto its back. It flailed around as it tried to knock him off, but Captain N’s Power Glove allowed him to keep a firm grip on the beast. He crawled onto the machine guns, and just as the dinosaur was about to mow down Mike, he clamped his hand around the barrel of the gun, preventing it from shooting. Falco tried to shoot the beast some more, but almost hit Captain N in the process,

“Wait until I’m back down! Don’t shoot me!” He yelled to him. The Dimetrodon then swung its head around in such a powerful manner that Captain N flew off of his back. He hit the wall behind him and collapsed onto the ground, groaning in pain. “You alright back there?” Falco yelled at him. Captain N backed against a corner and slowly nodded. “Yeah, too bad you didn’t get to shoot me down.” He weakly joked.

“Hey Mike, what did you say about a yo-yo?” Pit asked him as the two joined Zelda in hiding. “Oh, when I first came here a few years ago, the chief of Coralcola gave me a yo-yo to protect myself when I looked for my uncle.” Mike answered. Pit dug through his pocket as Zelda carefully surveyed the situation, watching Falco and Tal’Set keep out of the Dimetrodon’s range. “You mean like this?” Pit asked Mike, showing him the yo-yo he found earlier. Mike’s eyes shot open, and he snatched the yo-yo from him. “Yes! That’s it! Where’d you find it?” Mike hurriedly asked him. “W-Well, it was just kinda sitting around…” Pit admitted with a blush. Mike did a few tricks with his yo-yo, and soon enough, he was back in the groove.

“You’re not planning on challenging that beast with that, are you?” Zelda asked Mike. Instead of answering, Mike ran out and charged at the massive dinosaur. Zelda loudly groaned in annoyance and leaned out of cover to help him. As soon as the monster locked eyes with Mike, he slid under and threw the yo-yo around its neck. It didn’t do much to restrain him, but it distracted the beast enough to allow Tal’Set to place one final explosive arrow at its head, finally defeating the monster.

As the Dimetrodon slumped over, Captain N slowly got up with a pained groan. “Is everyone okay?” He asked the group. The five others grouped up and looked at each other. Sure enough, everyone was ready enough to continue on. Then everyone’s eyes turned to Mike, who awkwardly laugh.

“Heh… looks like it’s the other door…”

Chapter Text

As Captain N cut a hole in the second massive door with great hesitation, Falco leered at Mike as Zelda, Pit and Tal’Set stood guard, ready to confront whatever lay on the other side. Sweat beaded Captain N’s forehead as he imagined what kind of dinosaur could be waiting for them on the other side. Sure, Mike said that the other door that wasn’t holding the Dimetrodon was the one that lead to Coralcola, but he didn’t entirely trust his words. Not that Captain N had deemed Mike untrustworthy in the brief time they’ve known each other, he’s just grown to become incredibly wary about what could be waiting for him on the other side of whatever doors he may come across on his journey. His cutting speed slowed, his palms grew sweatier and sweatier, and he felt his heart rate increase.

“What’s the holdup?” Falco asked him from across the room. This made Captain N realize that he’s only carved half a circle. He quickly shook his worries out of his head and hastily cut right down, concluding his work with a half circle of metal falling away from the door.

As it clanged on the ground, the other side of the door was revealed to be not housing a massive, hungry dinosaur with more prosthetics than usual, but instead a large dirt tunnel with small pools of water on the left and right, and a dirt and wood path leading onward. Captain N heaved a sigh of relief and turned back to the others with a relieved smile.

“All clear!”

Zelda quickly shushed him and peered through the door, nervously scanning the tunnel ahead. “Something wrong, your majesty?” Mike asked her. After a moment, Zelda pulled away and turned to the group. “...Nothing. That is, now that I’ve assured that the path ahead is indeed safe, and Captain N didn’t just reveal our presence to any possible enemy.” She informed him, subtly shooting Captain N a cold look, making him shrink back somewhat.

“Okay, awesome! I’ll lead the way; I know this island better than anyone else on Yamajiro!” Mike declared, brandishing his yo-yo and pushing ahead of everyone. Falco followed him closest behind, with Pit and Zelda trailing behind. Tal’Set and Captain N agreed to watch the back of the group with only a solid nod to each other. With everyone brandishing their weapons, the six began traversing through the underbelly of Island C.

Captain N quickly became grateful that Mike was leading the group. The dirt tunnels quickly became impossible for him to attempt to navigate on his own. Sometimes the tunnel led to a large room with small ponds of water, but it all blended together in his eyes. Tal’Set and Pit seemed to have the most familiarity with navigating such an environment, and Falco and Zelda seemed to be following along better than Captain N was. Zelda’s assurance that the path ahead was clear gave him the confidence to use his Remote Sword to try to help illuminate the tunnels. This ended up having the adverse effect of attracting a small family of bats that were resting on the tunnels’ ceiling. The small creatures eagerly flapped around his sword’s glowing white blade, making Captain N flail around recklessly in an attempt to shoo them away. The display slowed everyone’s progress as they watched him deal with the menace. Once the bats had their fill and the Remote Sword’s blade has been retracted, Captain N took a breath and calmed his nerves.

“Yeah, you gotta watch out for those.” Mike said to him.

“Don’t worry, they’ve been dealt with.” He shakily assured them.

With only Falco snickering, the group turned ahead and continued on.

Thankfully, no more bats made their presence to the group known. After an incredibly complex series of twists and turns, along with some hops over small ponds, Mike stopped before a large staircase leading up to a large set of wooden doors. Tal’Set and Falco remained on guard as they clutched their weapons tightly, while Zelda and Mike were the first up the stairs to undo the locks that secured the door. Pit walked back to Captain N and was about to make a clever comment about his bat situation earlier when a strange rustling noise came from beyond the darkness in the tunnel they came from. The two whipped around and brandished their weapons, ready to strike whatever pops out.

A small scuttling sound could be heard approaching them, only getting louder and louder. It didn’t sound big enough to be a dinosaur, but for all Captain N knew, it could be a chicken with massive fangs and night vision. His imagination could have gone further, but the creature then popped out, allowing Pit and Captain N to get a good look at it.

From the legs to the neck, it appeared like any other chicken. But it was what rested atop the body that made Captain N’s heart seize.

Instead of a chicken’s head, the creature had a human’s skull and jaw.

Captain N and Pit froze in place as they got a good view of the creature, unsure of what to do next. It didn’t seem interested in hurting the two, but its exact motives couldn’t be pinned down. The two nervously looked to each other from out of the corners of their eyes.

“...What is it?” Captain N asked Pit.

“...I dunno.” Pit eventually answered.

The creature switched between looking at the two before looking directly at Captain N’s Zapper.

“...What do we do?” Captain N asked.

“...I dunno.” Pit answered.

“What are you guys doing over there?” Falco suddenly asked the two. The creature then sprung up and darted right at Captain N’s weapon. The sudden action made Captain N yelp in fear and lose his balance and fall on his rear. Before Pit knew it, the creature was right on top of him. Captain N flailed around in a panic, not helped by the creature’s skull right in his face.

His vision was flashed by Mike’s yo-yo springing out and knocking the creature off of him, where it collapsed on the ground. Captain N quickly scrambled to his feet and turned around to face him.

“Oh, yeah, you gotta look out for those Bone Heads creepin’ around in these tunnels. You wouldn’t believe how many there are.” Mike nonchalantly informed him, indicating his experience with the creatures. Pit helped him up and he quickly dusted himself off, trying to hide his embarrassment from the others.

“Are you ready to continue on?” Tal’Set asked the two. They nodded, but Captain N stole one last glance at the unconscious Bone Head. “Well, then stop slacking and get back up here!” Falco barked at them. Captain N and Pit hurried their way up the stairs just as Zelda finished unlocking the door. Mike slicked back his hair curl and pushed his way to the front.

“What’s it looking like out there?” Pit asked Zelda. She leaned against the door and tried to use her magic to sense anything on the other side. After a few moments, she reported “There’s several Koopa out there, riding on large, four-legged creatures.”. “Do they have a shield-like skull?” Tal’Set asked her. She nodded. “Triceratops, a pack of them. They don’t have any mounted weapons, but they have harnesses that allow their riders to use weapons while riding them.” Tal’Set informed them. “How tough are they?” Pit asked. “Are they hurting anyone up there?” Mike butted in with a worried look growing on his face. “Even without weaponry, a triceratops is a formidable opponent. They’re powerful and ferocious, but like every other beast in the Lost Land, they can be outsmarted.” Tal’Set assured Pit. Zelda was continuing to assess the situation before she turned back to Mike. “They’re afraid, but unharmed.” She assured him. Mike sighed in relief and stood by the door, twirling his yo-yo.

“What kind of weapon is a yo-yo?” Falco quietly asked Captain N. “Mike’d probably be able to answer that better than me, so stay focused.” Captain N muttered back. “So, do you guys have a plan?” Mike asked the five accompanying him. Captain N and Pit shifted awkwardly. “...What do you mean?” Pit eventually asked. Mike stepped back, surprised. “A plan to save the people of Coralcola! What else would you be here for?” He reminded them. “Well, truth be told, we’re only here to take down one of their communications towers.” Falco admitted. Before Mike could vocalize his anger, Zelda jumped in. “HOWEVER, the Super Smash Brothers was formed to free the innocent from the clutches of evil, no matter what form it may take.” She intervened. “The Princess is right. We may have come here with different goals, but there’s no way we’re gonna leave without helping these people.” Captain N agreed. “For sure! You can count on us, Mike!” Pit cheered. Tal’Set and Falco nodded in agreement. Mike visibly let some stress off his shoulders before turning to Captain N.

“So… Do you need a minute or two to come up with a plan?” He asked him. In that moment, Captain N realized he was growing better at maintaining grace under pressure, as indicated by his ease in coming up with a plan. “Well… Tal’Set said that the triceratops don’t have mounted weapons, so focusing on the riders seems simple, but they’re small targets and the triceratops could charge, so be careful. And if Zelda’s right about there not being any other threats, which I’m positive she is, we could ask the people after and see if they know anything about the communication tower or anyone running it.” He said, in a more formal voice than he normally would have used. “So… we just kinda run out and… beat ‘em up?” Mike asked. It was only then that Captain N realized what a weak plan he had.

“Well...uh… kinda?” Captain N sheepishly admitted. “Hey, it’s not like we knew. Maybe if we got an advanced notice, we could have come up with something better.” Falco intervened. “I believe we’re capable of handling this threat. After all, all of us have defeated greater opponents in the past.” Tal’Set assured him. Mike eventually relented and turned back towards the door.

“...So, does this make me part of the Super Smash Brothers?” Mike asked.

“Sure! We need all the help we can get!” Pit said.

“Alright! Can I lead us in?” Mike requested. Captain N nodded. Mike grinned and crouched, ready to pounce.

“You give the signal; Pit and I will kick down the door.” Captain N declared. Pit leaned over and raised his finger. “I’ve, uh… never actually kicked down a door before.” He admitted. “Just kick next to the handle.” Falco impatiently instructed him. Pit hastily nodded as he took position next to Captain N. Falco, Zelda and Tal’Set stayed behind them, ready for action. Captain N looked to Mike.

“Ready… Go!” Mike sounded them off.

Pit and Captain N weren’t very synchronized in kicking the door open, which stifled how soon the massive door was opened. But the moment the doors swung all the way open, the Koopa riding the triceratops noticed the intruders. Falco, Tal’Set and Zelda let loose a hail of blasts of magic, a variety of arrows, and blaster shots. But the Koopa were trained for this sort of situation, and quickly sprung into action. They reared their triceratops around and readied them to charge. As the three fanned out, Captain N, Pit and Mike joined them outside. As Captain N dove out of the way of the Koopa returning fire, he got to take in his surroundings. The town of Coralcola was a sunny, tropical town of wood and grass huts built on sand. The townspeople must have been hiding inside. It seemed like a place he’d really enjoy vacationing in, if it weren’t for the rampaging dinosaurs. He crouched behind a palm tree, his Zapper tight in hand, ready for action. The roars of the triceratops rang out louder than the sounds of weapons being fired, almost making the trees shake. But he soon realized that the ground was shaking because one of the triceratops was charging right at him.

At the last moment, Captain N dove out of the way, right before the charging beast could destroy the tree. As he dove onto the ground, his vision was briefly obscured by the sand. He was able to recover soon enough to get his sight back on the triceratops, and the Koopa riding it. He didn’t know much about Koopas, but he could tell that the one facing him recognized him and wasn’t happy to see him. It raised its spear at him and made the triceratops charge. Captain N quickly regained his footing and got an idea. When the triceratops charged, he sidestepped, pulled out his Remote Sword and slashed at the beast’s hind leg. It howled out in pain as it hobbled along, making the Koopa atop it exclaim in frustration. It tried to aim its spear at him, but Captain N was quicker on the draw, and shot the Koopa was his Zapper. The Koopa slumped over, but the triceratops was still flailing about, howling in pain. Captain N scrambled away, but he knew that if left unattended, it could possibly hurt the townspeople. He tried to get a lock on the triceratops’ head, which proved difficult as it recklessly stampeded about. But when given a very brief window of opportunity, Captain N was able to seize it and shoot the dinosaur in the head, knocking it out.

As it collapsed onto the ground, Captain N was barely able to catch his breath before another triceratops appeared out of the corner of his eye. In the moment before its massive horn would have been driven through his stomach, one of Tal’Set’s explosive arrows struck the beast’s head, knocking it off its course and saving Captain N. He fell over from the surprise and quickly scrambled away from the beast before it could recover. “Are you hurt, Captain?” Tal’Set asked him as he drew another arrow. He shakily nodded his head before he got back onto his feet. The triceratops and its riding Koopa spun around and snarled at them, ready to try again. “Go for the rider, I’ll take care of the dinosaur!” Captain N yelled to him. Tal’Set nodded in agreement. The Koopa aimed its spear at Captain N as the triceratops spun around. Captain N dodged out of the spear’s blast and Tal’Set nailed the Koopa in the head with another arrow. Before the triceratops could spin out of control, Captain N used his Ice Booster to freeze it in place, allowing Tal’Set to take it down with another arrow.

“Check the houses and make sure the civilians are okay! I’m gonna help the others!” Captain N ordered before rushing off to the others. Falco and Mike were still fending off one of the triceratops, while Zelda and Pit were each fending off a dinosaur. As Captain N sprinted across the sand, he narrowly avoided getting caught in a flurry of spear blasts. But his footing failed him, and he fell over onto the ground, dropping his weapons on the sand. “What’re you doing over there!?” Falco yelled to him in between blaster shots. Mike was too busy avoiding the triceratops to chime in. Captain N’s attempts to get back up was slowed by the sand constantly shifting beneath him. But once he did, he shakily aimed his Ice Booster at the triceratops’ feet, immobilizing it. “Hey, careful where you point that thing!” Mike yelled to him, jumping out of the way of the ice blast. “Sorry!” Captain N exclaimed back. With a few shots from his blaster, Falco was able to shoot down both the Koopa and its triceratops.

“That’s only two to go! Falco, go help Pit! Mike, you’re with me! Come on!” Captain N yelled to the others. As Falco nodded in affirmation and ran off to shoot at the triceratops that Pit was fighting off, Captain N felt the feeling of leadership flow through him. The authority in his voice was something that never left his lips on his home world, and he enjoyed the feeling.

As Falco swooped in to turn the tides against the triceratops mounted Koopa that had Pit pinned down, Mike and Captain N dashed over to aid Zelda. Her opponent had her backed up against one of Coralcola’s larger huts, forcing her to defend not only herself, but whoever was hiding inside. The act stretched her incredibly thin, but the two were able to help by jumping in and splitting the Koopa’s attention between the three. “Focus on defending the hut! Mike and I’ve got this!” Captain N assured Zelda. She wanted to protest, but another roar from the triceratops convinced her to go along with the plan. She casted a shield of magical energy around the hut while Mike ran circles around the triceratops. Captain N didn’t need to communicate that Mike focus on the Koopa while he fought the triceratops, which he silently appreciated in between diving out of the dinosaur’s ferocious swings of its massive, shield-like head. Each roar that left the triceratops’ mouth reverberated deeply within Captain N’s body, almost knocking him back onto the sand. Each attempt to draw a weapon was interrupted by having to dodge the beast.

Mike, on the other hand, was remarkably agile. He displayed a swiftness on his feet that Captain N would struggle to replicate, especially on the sand. He spun his yo-yo around while avoiding blasts from the Koopa’s spear, some more narrowly than others. When the triceratops swung its head around at Captain N, he wrapped his arm around its horn and clung on for dear life. He almost immediately regretted this decision as the beast threatened to give him whiplash and snap his spine in two. He tried to grab his Zapper with his free arm, but was unable to, at risk of being thrown off. He could hear the Koopa yelling out in anger, but that was soon silenced when Mike managed to climb onto the back of the triceratops and knock out the Koopa with his yo-yo.

The triceratops soon proved more powerful than Captain N’s left arm, and flung him to the side. The impact was only slightly softened by the sand, but still stung his side like never before. All he could do was roll over and hope the triceratops didn’t stomp him into a red paste. With a weak groan, he saw the beast turn its gaze to him, while Mike still clung to the top of it, with his grip weakening rapidly. With an angry snarl, the triceratops reared, threw Mike off its back and kicked up some sand. Captain N could only sit up, and the beast charged.

But a split second before it could crush his body with its massive foot, it was immobilized by Zelda’s magic. Captain N carefully came out of the fetal position as Zelda raised the beast into the air with great strain. This allowed Falco, Pit and Tal’Set to swoop in and deliver one final, collective strike on the triceratops, finally defeating it.

Calmness finally returned to the seaside village as Captain N took a look around to really take in the dinosaurs he encountered. He slowly stood up, walked over to the nearest triceratops. As he gently stroked its hide, he really took in the fact that he fought actual dinosaurs. When he was six years old, he would have given anything to pet a real dinosaur. That enthusiasm was dampened when these beasts tried to kill him.

“So what’s the situation with the townspeople?” Falco asked Tal’Set as Pit helped Mike back up. “They’re safe inside, unharmed by the chaos.” Tal’Set said to him. “Can you walk, Captain?” Zelda asked him. Captain N carefully tested his walking by shifting his weight from one foot to another. After a few test steps, he was assured of his ability to walk. “Yeah, thank you.” He wheezed out. Falco and Tal’Set crouched down to inspect the triceratops’ augmentation more closely.

A few moments later, a pair of eyes peeked out from behind the hut that Zelda was protecting. Once he made sure that it was safe outside, he carefully stepped outside to greet the six. Mike was the first to notice him, and soon became delighted upon recognizing him. “Chief Coralcola, you’re okay!” He cheered, running over to greet him. The large man was wearing only a blue tribal kilt, and had short brown hair and a matching moustache. He chuckled heartily upon returning Mike’s eager handshake. “Hah, it’s better to see you, Mike! After you got locked down there, the people of Coralcola have been worried sick! If Zoda and his forces returned, we don’t know what we would’ve done.” Chief Coralcola chuckled.

“Who’s Zoda?” Captain N asked. Chief Coralcola smiled and shook his head. “Nobody to worry about, now that the Super Smash Brothers are here to help us.” He chuckled. Captain N beamed with pride at the praise. “We’re immensely relieved that your people are safe, and it’s an honor to come to your aid.” Zelda politely said to him. “The honor is all ours! We never thought we’d have such esteemed guests!” Chief Coralcola replied with a hearty laugh. “Yeah, we have a way of finding trouble.” Pit remarked. “...You haven’t seen my uncle, have you?” Mike asked Chief Coralcola, bracing for an answer he could see coming. Chief Coralcola’s expression fell as he looked upon Mike sympathetically. “...Doctor Jones was taken to the Panopticon two days before your arrival. There was nothing any of us could do to stop them.” He said to him. While Mike expected this answer, the confirmation of his fears still stung his heart. “Oh…” He muttered, idly kicking some sand and wandering off. Pit ran off to comfort him, putting his hand on his shoulder reassuringly as the two talked in private.

“...We’re gonna rescue Doctor Jones, and everyone else in the Panopticon.” Captain N assured Chief Coralcola. “We all have friends and loved ones trapped within that prison, and we won’t rest until they've had their freedom returned to them.” Zelda stated. Chief Coralcola solemnly nodded before looking the two in the eyes. “...Hey, would you happen to know anything about the communication tower on this island? Anything at all would really help.” Captain N gently asked. Chief Coralcola opened his mouth to answer, but a distant thumping sound interrupted him. Captain N and Zelda turned around to see what it was, and the sight struck fear into Captain N’s heart. The thumping sound grew louder, and the silhouette in the distance grew louder. Pit and Mike noticed this, as did Tal’Set and Falco.

It smashed through trees, it kicked up sand, and it snarled with a vicious hunger.

It was a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Chapter Text

The six stood frozen in place as the T-Rex stared them down. Captain N didn’t need Zelda’s telepathic abilities to tell that he was more intimidated by the massive, robotic beast than anyone else. His knees begged to be freed from their static state. He wanted to spin around and run for the hills as fast as his vaguely athletic legs could carry him. But he knew that would be suicide. All the confidence he gained from defeating King Dedede drained out of his being like a drain plug was pulled within him as the dinosaur’s snarl sent a chill down his spine. Tal’Set, Mike, Zelda, Falco and Pit remained on guard, maintaining their bold stance. Chief Coralcola slowly backed away from the dinosaur, trying to get to the building he was hiding in before.

“What do we do?” Mike whispered to Captain N. It took him a moment to snap out of his terrified state and respond. “...W-Well… uh… I think we should st-stay as still as possible.” Captain N shakily whispered. “Hey, why don’t we all jump in and attack at once?” Falco whispered to Captain N, keeping his eyes trained on the T-Rex. Captain N silently wished that Zelda or Tal’Set would jump in and help him come up with some kind of plan, but they were more focused on the T-Rex. “...Uh… Its vision is actually based on movement. A-At least on Earth, that’s the case…” Captain N whispered, trailing off near the end of his sentence. Falco squinted at Captain N from out of the corner of his eye. “How do you know? Didn’t you say that dinosaurs are extinct on your planet?” Falco quietly interrogated. A bead of sweat trailed down Captain N’s face.

“...Well, I saw it in a movie.”

Before Falco could whip around and assault Captain N with his latest glare, a silhouette resembling Iggy Koopa’s appeared behind the head of the T-Rex. But their hair plume was styled more colorfully and like a mohawk, and they weren’t wearing glasses, and they appeared smaller than Iggy. The T-Rex huffed as the Koopa stood proudly atop his mount.

“Hehehe, you all look so small down there!” The Koopa teased them. The group below wanted to sling their insults at the Koopa, but the T-Rex staring them down dissuaded them from doing so. The Koopa knew this, and so continued with an air of childlike smugness.

“My name’s Lemmy! Lemmy Koopa! I’m in charge of keeping this island!” Lemmy introduced himself before sticking his pointed finger at Mike. “And you! You were supposed to stay locked up down there! You weren’t supposed to get out of there!” Lemmy scolded him. “Yeah? Well, plans change!” Mike retorted. The T-Rex snarled and leaned towards Mike, who hurriedly stepped away from it. With a snicker, Lemmy turned his eyes on the other five.

“I bet you’re the losers that call yourselves the Super Smash Brothers! And I double-bet that YOU’RE Captain N!” Lemmy deduced. Captain N solemnly nodded with his eyes still fixed on the dinosaur. “You hurt Iggy real bad! So, I brought my T-Rex here to hurt YOU even more!” He declared. The T-Rex reared its head and let out a mighty roar, making birds resting in the trees fly away. Within the blink of an eye, Tal’Set drew an arrow and fired it into the T-Rex’s mouth, making it howl in pain and recoil. Lemmy was almost thrown off its neck but clung onto the beast and drew two laser spears.

“Fine! Take this!” Lemmy shouted. The T-Rex reared its head and charged at Tal’Set. Mike, Captain N and Falco dove to the left and Zelda, Tal’Set and Pit dodged to the right. The massive dinosaur made it difficult for Lemmy to aim at the six, especially with a spear in each arm. Chief Coralcola seized the opportunity and sprinted back inside the building and threw the doors shut behind him. Lemmy let loose a hail of spear blasts at the six as they scattered, trying to make themselves harder to aim at. Zelda raised her hands to conjure another shield, but Lemmy managed to hit her hand, making her double over and cry out in pain as she clutched her hand, which is now completely numb.

“So, shoot the dinosaur?” Mike asked Captain N.

“Shoot the dinosaur!” Captain N confirmed, whipping out his Zapper.

As Captain N, Falco, Mike and Tal’Set created a circle around Lemmy and the dinosaur, Pit rushed over to Zelda. “Princess! Are you okay?” Pit worriedly asked her. She nodded, still trying to get sensation in her hand. “Yes, but I don’t think I’ll be able to use my magic until I recover.” She weakly responded. “Well, then you better hide and stay safe!” Pit suggested. “No!” Zelda quickly whipped back up. “I’m not allowing others to fight my battle for me any more!” She insisted as she got back up. Pit wanted to protest, but another loud roar from the dinosaur reminded him of their situation.

“Well… be careful!” Pit closed off before drawing his bow and running to help the others.

Captain N’s instincts commanded him to flee from the T-Rex. The nightmares that Jurassic Park gave him as a child of being trapped beneath a Jurassic Park-themed Jeep on a dark, rainy night while a giant, hungry dinosaur clawed at the car were brought to the forefront of his mind, only worsened by the mechanical augmentations of the one before him. As he meekly shot at the beast with his Zapper from a safe distance, Tal’Set proved to be far more courageous in the face of such an apex predator. He also stayed a distance from the monster, but was far more active in his attack, firing more explosive arrows. Falco stayed close to Tal’Set, but Mike took a greater risk than the others. He ducked around the dinosaur’s legs and tried to use his yo-yo to tie up its legs and strike it from below. The effort helped disorient the beast, but Lemmy was still atop his mount, recklessly firing his spears at those below him. Lemmy wasn’t intimidated by those who appeared so small beneath him and his vicious monster, and so cackled giddily all the while.

Lemmy’s giggling was cut short when Pit managed to hit him with an arrow of light from behind, while he was focused on tormenting those before him. This led to him momentarily losing control of the T-Rex, who thrashed about violently upon being gifted with a fleeting moment of freedom. The act almost crushed Mike beneath its giant foot, but he managed to roll out of the way just in time. “Ha! Better watch your back!” Pit jeered. After Lemmy regained control of his mount, he glared at the group before another giggle emerged from his lips.

“Good thing I don’t have to!” He countered, pushing a button on the console mounted on the T-Rex’s neck. Before any of his opponents could wonder what, he could have done, five velociraptors jumped out from the tropical foliage and charged at the group. Captain N couldn’t help but let out an embarrassing yelp of surprise at suddenly being surrounded by these prehistoric beasts as he fell onto his back from shock. A flash of concern and uncertainty crossed Tal’Set’s face, who whipped around to face the newcomers. Despite being caught off guard, Falco was able to spin around and let off a few shots at the raptors, who were too quick, and dodged out of the way.

Mike, Pit and Zelda scrambled to try to handle the situation between the T-Rex and the raptors. Pit continued to try to shoot at Lemmy and Mike turned his focus to the raptors, but Zelda was noticeably lagging behind. Without full use of her magic, all she could do was try to stand her ground. Seeing her so weakened filled Captain N with even more dread, but one of the raptors managed to escape Falco and Tal’Set and barreled down on him. Reacting almost on instinct, Captain N grabbed his Remote Sword’s handle, switched on the blade and swung his arm out just in the nick of time. Just as the raptor was about to clamp its jaw around his face, the Remote Sword sliced through its neck with incredible ease. As Captain N’s footing slipped and he fell onto the sand again, the raptor’s decapitated head landed on his chest. He registered what exactly the object on his chest was when his eyes met the frozen-wide reptilian eyes.

Captain N wasted no time in scrambling back onto his feet and frantically getting the dinosaur’s head as far from him as possible. But once he fully registered that he killed a raptor, and that Tal’Set and Falco were still fighting the other raptors while Mike, Zelda and Pit continued to battle the T-Rex, he realized something.

He can totally do this.

He sheathed his Remote Sword, pulled out his two Boosters, and blasted the four raptors assaulting Tal’Set and Falco with beams of fire and ice, downing them for the time being.

“Pit! Zelda! Get over here and help Falco with these raptors! Mike, Tal’Set, we’re gonna take down this T-Rex!” Captain N commanded. “Don’t order me around! I’m capable of handling myself!” Zelda insisted with an annoyed tone. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this!” Pit yelled to Captain N in between dashing from point to point, shooting arrows at Lemmy. Thanks to the other raptors that joined the fray, Lemmy was able to focus on shooting Pit, Zelda and Captain N with his two spears as his T-Rex took swipes at Mike from below. Tal’Set and Falco either didn’t hear Captain N or pretended to not hear him as they continued to fight the raptors. Captain N would have loudly groaned in annoyance at none of his allies listening to his orders but was forced to stay in the moment as Lemmy continued to shoot him.

“Hehehe! Some leader you are!” Lemmy giggled. Captain N spun around and raised his Zapper to shoot Lemmy, but another raptor appeared out of the corner of his eye. He tried to turn himself around in time to aim at the dinosaur, but was too slow this time.

Just then, right as the monster’s teeth scraped against his varsity jacket sleeve, a flash of light obscured his vision, and the raptor was on the ground, unconscious. Captain N looked over and saw Zelda breathing heavily, wringing her hand. “Perhaps you should be more careful!” She loudly advised him in between gasps for air. Captain N hastily nodded his head and jumped back onto his feet.

“Come on! Go for the feet and help Mike! I’ll distract Lemmy!” Pit instructed him. “Hah! Like I’d ever fall for your-” Lemmy interjected, only to be cut off by Pit shooting another arrow at him. Captain N seized the opportunity and dove beneath the snarling dinosaur’s underbelly, where Mike was rushing around in a frenzy with his yo-yo.

“Oh, hey! Glad you could join me!” Mike weakly joked, clearly exhausted. “Get to safety, I can handle this!” Captain N ordered, ignoring his remark. As Mike backed off and slicked back his hair curl, Captain N activated his Remote Sword’s blade and swung for the T-Rex’s leg. The effort made the dinosaur roar in pain, but to Captain N’s immense surprise, the laser blade didn’t immediately cleave through its leg. It only cut through a small portion of the metal leg, even with his Power Glove’s strength added. The T-Rex kicked back and struck Captain N in the chest, sending him flying backward and knocking the wind out of him. “You okay over there?” Falco yelled to him after shooting down one of the raptors. Captain N couldn’t answer, only weakly groan and desperately try to regain his ability to breathe while lying on the sand.

Chaos surrounded him. Zelda and Pit tried their best to fight back against Lemmy, Mike struggled to out-maneuver the T-Rex, and it seemed like a never-ending horde of raptors arrived to challenge Tal’Set and Falco. His Remote Sword lay on the sand, just out of his reach.

He wanted to lie there.

He wanted to take a moment to himself to just rest and take a break from the non-stop danger and adventure that his life had become.

He wanted to ignore the sounds of battle filling his ears and pretend today was a nice, relaxing day at the beach.

He knew he had to get back up and keep fighting, but his body begged him to rest for even a moment.

Captain N succumbed to his exhaustion and slumped down on the sand.

Mike tried grabbing onto the tail of the T-Rex to climb his way up its back and confront Lemmy face-to-face but was soon spotted when the tail’s flailing around revealed his presence to Lemmy. “Ooh, trying to be sneaky, huh?” Lemmy grinned, aiming both his spears at Mike. “We better ship you off to the Panopticon to make sure you don’t get out again!”

“Pit, attack the beast’s head, now!” Zelda commanded him. Right as Lemmy looked over to see what they were up to, Pit shot an arrow of light into the T-Rex’s eye, and Zelda struck Lemmy with a weaker blast of her magic. Even though the effort nearly made her faint from the combined pain, it was enough to make Lemmy lose his grip on his mount. With a surprised yell, he fell off of the T-Rex and onto the sand below.

“Ha! Gotcha!” Pit cheered.

But the beast knew it was free now.

With a triumphant roar that shook everyone present to their core, it made a break for the forest nearby. Tal’Set and Falco finished off the last of the raptors and turned around to see what just happened. Tal’Set drew another explosive arrow and fired it at the dinosaur, but as it hit the monster’s head, the impact made it crash into the nearby building, tearing down the wall and leaving the Coralcola citizens, including Chief Coralcola, fully exposed and vulnerable.

The T-Rex’s attention was soon drawn to its new prey.

It crouched down and snarled at the group of cowering, terrified men, women and children that could only huddle together and pray that they don’t get devoured. None of them dared make a noise, afraid that the slightest sign of weakness would lead to them being devoured. “Hey! Over here, ugly!” Falco yelled at the T-Rex, firing a volley of blasts from his weapon directly at it. “Come over here and face us!” Tal’Set exclaimed at the dinosaur, firing arrow after arrow. Pit and Zelda frantically joined in and tried to instigate the T-Rex to turn around and fight them instead, but it was no use.

It had a captive prey.

“Come on, do something!” Mike begged Zelda and Pit before he tried tugging on its tail. Pit gulped and tried shooting more arrows, and Zelda tried to summon the last of her strength to distract the beast or protect the people, but it was no use. Lemmy curled up in the sand and tried to shield himself for what he feared would happen next.

The T-Rex focused its eyes on a small girl trying to hide behind her mother. It crouched forward and carefully sniffed at the girl, and the parents trying to protect her.

It was too much for her.

The little girl began to cry as the T-Rex slowly bared its teeth, clutching her mother’s dress as tightly as she could. Nothing the heroes did could even make the monster flinch.

The T-Rex bared its teeth.

A foul stench wafted out of its mouth.

The stench of death.

But slowly and weakly, before the unthinkable could happen, Captain N regained his strength enough to stand back up.

He saw what was going to happen.

And he knew what he had to do.

He snatched up his Remote Sword, aimed it at the T-Rex, shot the grappling hook at its head, and retracted the rope.

The force of the plasma-like rope being retracted back into the blade propelled him across the sand, where he was able to strike the T-Rex in the skull with a thunderous punch from his Power Glove.

Finally, they had the T-Rex’s attention.

The dinosaur roared out in a mixture of pain and fury as its eyes fell upon its new prey.

“Leave them alone!” Captain N roared at the beast, expelling all the fear from his being with that one sentence. His five allies continued to assault the beast, finally goading it away from the civilians. Captain N maintained his grip on the T-Rex’s metallic skull, embedding his fingers into the metal with his Power Glove. No matter how hard the dinosaur swung him around, he refused to let go.

Once the T-Rex was fully turned around, Captain N jumped down and used the Remote Sword’s grappling hook to yank its head down onto the sand. He didn’t have time to breathe a sigh of relief that the people were safe, as this wasn’t over yet. “I got you, Captain!” Mike yelled out, jumping over and using his yo-yo to keep the T-Rex’s head restrained. Tal’Set jumped onto the dinosaur’s back and got situated into Lemmy’s harness.

“I can immobilize the beast with an electrical shock! It will give us just enough time to strike it down once and for all!” Tal’Set yelled to those below as the T-Rex thrashed about, almost as if it could tell what was happening. Captain N nodded firmly at him, and then turned to the others.

“Super Smash Brothers!” Captain N yelled.

Everyone stood at attention.

“Ready!”

Falco, Pit and Zelda corrected their stances and aimed.

“Steady!”

Mike strained to contain the T-Rex with his special yo-yo for much longer as Tal’Set’s finger hovered above the button.

“Now!”

The moment Tal’Set hit the button, a powerful electrical charge seared through the T-Rex’s spine. The debilitating shock paralyzed the dinosaur in place, as Falco, Pit, Zelda and Captain N unleashed their power and weapons onto the head where the Power Glove dented before. The result of four different blasts coming together in one spot created a light that almost temporarily blinded Captain N, but he held on.

Tal’Set and Mike were released from their places as the electrical charge dissipated. The four let up their attack, and once their sight was adjusted from the light, they saw the T-Rex motionless on the ground.

Silence filled Coralcola as Captain N almost metally dared the T-Rex to get back up. A few moments passed, and there still was no signs of life from the beast.

“...Looks like we won.” Falco noted.

But Captain N wasn’t taking any chances.

He slowly walked over to the T-Rex, gently ran his bare hand across its rough hide, and used his Remote Sword to liberate the dinosaur’s head from its body.

He took a moment to just stare at the head, really taking in the fact that he just fought an actual, real-life T-Rex.

And won.

For the first time in probably his entire life, he felt that his eight-year-old self would be proud of him.

No more Jurassic Park nightmares for him.

He held the severed head high in the air for all to see, making the townspeople huddled in the destroyed building cheer in victory. They wasted no time in rushing back out onto the sand and tearfully hugging each other, immensely grateful to finally be free of such terror.

“This doesn’t mean anything!” Lemmy’s voice rang out.

The cheering stopped as all eyes turned to the Koopaling, who uncurled himself and dusted the sand off of himself. “You don’t know where to go from here! We’ve locked up the communication tower all tight! And you’ll never get to the Glade of Dreams-” Lemmy bragged, soon clamping his own hands over his mouth as he realized he spoke too much. Mike simply walked over and kicked Lemmy in the face, knocking him out cold.

Celebration returned to the beach. Captain N took a moment to soak in his victory and bask in the warm, tropical sun shining through the palm trees. Falco and Tal’Set picked up Lemmy’s unconscious body and began to tie it up as Mike, Zelda and Pit conversed with the townspeople to make sure everyone was alright. Through the crowd, Chief Coralcola emerged to talk to Captain N.

“Heh, thanks for saving our behinds back there. You know, I never had any doubt!” He assured him while trying to hide the slight shakiness in his voice. Captain N smiled and nodded, deciding to accept his congratulations instead of clarifying how cowardly he actually felt. “Truly, this island owes a debt to you and your friends. Anything we can do to help you on your journey, just let us know!” Chief Coralcola offered. Captain N looked back out to the horizon, where the edges of Island C could be seen.

“...Well, we could start with telling us where the communications tower is.”

Chapter Text

Six triceratops mounted Koopa guarded the small, aged building that housed the communications equipment. As the radio tower beeped on as it always did, the Koopa exchanged semi-nervous looks with each other. The chaos between Lemmy’s T-Rex and the Super Smash Brothers could be heard faintly in the distance before suddenly going quiet. The fact that they couldn’t hear what exactly happened between the two parties instilled further worry into the ground troops. Sure, Lemmy’s T-Rex was the most fearsome thing they had seen in a long time, but they couldn’t rid their mind of how Captain N defeated King Dedede. The Koopa silently envied the triceratops they rode on top of, as they had no idea about what their situation was. They didn’t know about Captain N or the Super Smash Brothers or Bowser and K. Rool’s quest to conquer Yamajiro.

But before any of the Koopa could carry their thoughts further, the Wavebird came in screaming through the sky, barreling towards the building. Panic shot through the Koopa as they scrambled, trying to figure out a plan of action. But again, the Wavebird beat them to the punch and blasted them away with a volley of shots from the starship’s arsenal. The resulting blasts kicked up a small sandstorm around the building, completely obscuring the ship’s vision of the building. The Wavebird waited for the sand to resettle by carefully circling the building.

Inside the ship, Falco leaned back in his pilot’s seat and gave Zelda a smug look. “And you thought I’d hit the building.” He slyly reminded her. Zelda rolled her eyes and turned back to Tal’Set, who was holding onto a support bar to steady himself. “I hope our pilot hasn’t been making you too uncomfortable.” She said. Tal’Set shook his head. “I’ve survived far worse.” He assured her. Captain N gripped the armrests of his seat and softly groaned, trying to keep his breakfast where it should be. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Mike and Pit were faring far better than him in their seats, which didn’t do anything to relieve his queasiness. Thankfully, Falco was able to set the ship down in front of the small building. Captain N almost collapsed out of his seat before slowly getting back onto his feet. “You alright there, Cap?” Mike asked him. Captain N weakly nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry.” He assured him after having collected his nerves enough. “It’s gonna take more than an upset stomach to take out Mr. Captain here!” Pit cheerily added, smacking Captain N on the back. The act almost made Captain N regurgitate some of the contents of his stomach, but he was able to repress the sensation. “I sure don’t wanna be Lemmy back there!” Pit joked, as Tal’Set tied up the Koopaling and threw him into the same makeshift brig that kept Iggy.

Falco walked over to the other end of the ship and lowered the Wavebird’s hatch, with his blaster ready. Tal’Set and Zelda covered him from the rear, keeping their eyes peeled for any Koopa that might still be around. To their relief, Falco’s blasting run was enough to wipe out the security guarding the communications building. “Impressive work, Lombardi.” Tal’Set formally congratulated Falco. “Careful, compliments tend to go to his head.” Zelda teasingly warned Tal’Set. Falco scoffed at the claim. “Whatever. Coast is clear. Captain, get up here and do your thing.” Captain N hastily nodded and hurried over to the building, preparing to knock down the door with his Power Glove. Mike quickly recognized the building and rushed up to the others. “Wait, I know this place!” Mike exclaimed. Zelda and Captain N turned around to face him. “Really?” Pit asked him. “Yeah! This is my uncle’s old lab!” Mike excitedly continued, pushing past Captain N to check out the building for himself. “I think I still know the code to get in, give me a sec.” Mike said after honing his vision on the keypad next to the door. Captain N could tell Falco was about to make a noise that expressed annoyance, so he preemptively turned around and shushed him before he could.

Zelda, Pit and Tal’Set peered over Mike’s shoulder as he punched in as many different combinations as he could come up with. To his frustration, none of them proved to be the correct one. With each four-digit number, his worry grew higher and higher. He could feel the group’s gaze boring into him, waiting for him to open the door.

“Looks like they changed the combination when they took over.” Pit surmised.

“Don’t interrupt me!” Mike snapped at him without looking up from the keypad. Captain N could tell by the way Falco shifted his feet that he was growing more and more impatient by the minute. The glare Falco gave Captain N was enough to get his intended message across: Speed things up.

Not wanting to disturb Mike in his frustrated state, but also not wanting to get on Falco’s nerves more, Captain N awkwardly shuffled closer to Mike and peered over his shoulder. The keypad beeped four times with every number put in, followed by a harsh buzzing to indicate that the combination was wrong. With each wrong combination, Mike’s groans of frustration grew louder. Captain N eventually tapped Mike’s shoulder carefully to get his attention.

“Hey, uh, want me to help?” He offered. Mike waved his hand to shoo him away. “I’ve got this, just gimme a sec!” He insisted. “We’ve given you several already.” Falco bluntly reminded him. “I know how to get in!” Mike asserted. “Mike, we only want to help. Needing help isn’t a sign of inadequacy.” Zelda assured him. “Yeah, just ask Captain N!” Pit chimed in. He soon realized that what he said wasn’t the best thing he could have said. Captain N gave Pit an unimpressed look as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and looked away.

“What do you mean?” Mike asked Pit. Captain N crouched down next to Mike.

“...You know, I wasn’t always this… person you see before you, or on the screen. Believe it or not, before I wound up on this planet, I was completely ordinary.” Captain N admitted. Mike raised a dubious eyebrow at him. “Oh, really? I really don’t think someone completely ordinary could beat up King Dedede all on their own.” Mike responded. Captain N chuckled softly and nodded. “Well, yeah, but before that, like two weeks before that, I didn’t know where I was or who anyone was. I was completely alone.” Captain N continued.

“...I was honestly really scared. I was so far away from home and had the responsibility of saving the world dumped onto my shoulders.” He continued, his voice slowly getting softer.

“But-” He looked up “I didn’t have to go on my quest alone. I made great friends along the way. Not just the people here,” He motioned to Zelda, Tal’Set, Pit and Falco, “but people like Princess Peach, Shantae, Isabelle, Little Mac, Ryu, Callie and Marie, and a ton of others who have helped me navigate this planet and become the kind of person that COULD take Dedede down a couple pegs.” Captain N assured him. Mike softened his gaze and nodded understandingly.

“Captain N isn’t alone in this stance. I, along with everyone here, have had great help in overcoming obstacles.” Tal’Set chimed in. “Without the people of the River Village to guide me through the Lost Land, I would never have been able to defeat Red Snake.”

“And Falco’s got Star Fox Squadron, and Zelda’s got Link-” Pit tried to help again, but soon realized he was evoking the names of individuals that disappeared long ago, and so clamped his hands over his mouth, feeling Zelda’s and Falco’s ire burn into him.

“Alright, alright, I get it.” Mike chuckled, standing up. “Even though I probably coulda taken down that T-Rex by myself…” He jokingly muttered. Captain N laughed at the claim. “Hey, next time we come across one, I’ll let you prove it.” He joked. “First, you gotta prove you can get through this door, like you said you would.” Mike reminded him as he stepped away from the door. Captain N stood up and faced the door, cracking his knuckles and accidentally hurting himself with the extra force of the Power Glove. “Be careful, there could be trouble inside.” Tal’Set warned Captain N as he wrung out his bare hand. “I think he’s gonna do more damage to himself than any Koopa could do to him.” Falco remarked. Mike and Pit giggled at his claim.

After his hand recovered, Captain N simply swung his Power Glove’d hand and knocked the door to the lab down with a single strike. Zelda and Pit jumped back in surprise and Mike rushed forward to assess the damage. “Careful! This is my uncle’s lab you’re breaking into!” Mike scolded him. “And you were just warned about possible dangers inside!” Zelda added. Captain N quickly jumped back with an apologetic look covering his face. As he sputtered out an apology, Falco and Tal’Set peered inside.

“Well, ‘least there’s nobody inside waiting for us.” Falco noted. “It appears they focused their efforts into defeating us in Coralcola.” Tal’Set surmised. Zelda scowled at Captain N. “The fact that you got lucky changes nothing about the claim that you should be more careful.” She reprimanded him. Captain N remembered how he gave away the group’s presence in Castlevania and how he got the Black Box stolen, his group captured, and the others sent to the Panopticon in Inkopolis, and nodded in reluctant agreement.

Mike wasted no time in hastily searching the lab-turned-communication center for anything that would indicate what happened to his uncle, under desks and in drawers. “We’ll keep watch out here in case anyone comes late to the party. You get in there and work your magic.” Falco told Captain N. “And try to help Mike with anything he needs.” Pit quietly told him. “Yeah, got it.” Captain N replied before joining Mike in the dimly lit building.

The story of the makeshift communication center was apparent from the state of its interior. Shelves and drawers of potentially years of research and study were shoved to the side and left unattended as all the new equipment got pushed to the center. There still existed dust trails indicating where the drawers and storage containers got pushed to, and the new equipment was far less dusty. The only source of light provided was a couple faded, occasionally flickering lightbulbs above the two.

The main console wasn’t hard to locate; it was at the end of the room with multiple monitors and keyboards hooked up to the biggest computer in the room, whirring robotically. But Captain N hesitated on getting into it with his Power Glove’s holographic interface. He stood there, waiting for Mike to finish looking around. He suspected Mike didn’t even know what he was looking for. Documents, video recordings, anything that could possibly mean that his uncle was okay. Then Captain N mentally reminded himself that he wasn’t helping Mike just standing around, and so quickly got into the communication tower’s computer banks with his Power Glove’s holographic interface. After a few swipes and taps at the display, Lemmy’s slip-of-the-tongue was backed up. The forces of Bowser and K. Rool had a presence on a landmass called the Glade of Dreams, located within the Sea of Lums. But something else caught his eye. Another message received by the communication tower said something about six “specialists” hired by the two kings specifically to eliminate him. Information on who exactly these specialists are must be top secret, as he couldn’t find any names no matter how much he dug through the data bank.

But their next target for liberation was found, and that’s what mattered the most at the moment.

Mike’s sudden outburst of frustration startled Captain N enough for him to instinctively whip out his Zapper. He soon realized that there wasn’t a threat present, and quickly holstered the weapon. Mike dumped a load of papers onto the floor and kicked them defeatedly. “Nothing. There’s nothing in here that talks about where my uncle could have gone.” Mike grumbled. Captain N carefully approached him in an attempt to comfort him.

“...Maybe he’s-”

“He’s in the Panopticon. That’s the only reason why he hasn’t left a note or anything.” Mike interrupted him, anger seeping through his words. “I bet they took Nav-Com too!” He exclaimed.

“We’re gonna get him out of there, I promise.” Captain N assured him. Mike responded only with an angry huff. “We have friends and loved ones trapped there, too.” Zelda spoke up, appearing in the doorway. “Yeah, she’s right.” Captain N confirmed. Mike shook his head. “But… But I saved him before. This isn't the first time my uncle’s gone missing! I found him before, and I’ll find him again!” He insisted. Mike’s eyes betrayed the conviction in his voice as he nervously looked around for anything that could possibly mean that his uncle was anywhere other than the Panopticon. But no matter how many papers he turned over or drawers he threw open, his search proved fruitless.

Eventually, Mike sank to his knees in acceptance, his head hanging defeatedly. After a moment of collective silence, Mike spoke up.

“...We’re gonna find him. We’re gonna get him out of there.” He softly declared. Captain N patted his shoulder. “Hell yeah, we are.” He firmly confirmed. Tal’Set helped Mike back onto his feet. “You have a strong spirit within you. You should be proud.” Tal’Set said to him. Mike grinned at the compliment. “You know I am! I’ve taken on an alien invasion! Twice! And now I’m gonna be helping the Super Smash Brothers save the world!” He exclaimed victoriously. “Yeah!” Pit cheered as he pumped his fist in the air.

Falco clapped his feathered hands together. “Okay, so if we’re all good and motivated, we better get moving to the Glade-”

Interrupting Falco was a sudden beeping on Captain N’s Power Glove. He quickly recognized it as the kind of beeping that indicated an incoming message. He quickly brought up the screen to answer the message, and was met with Tails and Toadsworth on the other end.

“Yes! It works long distance!” Tails cheered

“Oh, hello Captain N! How’s everyone doing?” Toadsworth greeted Captain N. He moved his glove to show Zelda, Pit, Falco, Mike and Tal’Set standing in front of the Wavebird, who all waved to the two on the other end. “We’re all okay! Just saved a little town called Coralcola on Island C from the Koopa. I can still feel the adrenaline running through me!” Captain N answered. Toadsworth perked up at the good news.

“Oh, goody! Wait one moment!” Toadsworth responded. Before any questions could be asked about what to wait for, the connection was cut out. Captain N’s arm awkwardly fell to his side as the team was left in silence. “...Do you think they’re alright?” Zelda asked the group. “Didn’t hear any explosions or anything, so I’m sure they’re fine.” Falco nonchalantly assured her. “...Who were those two?” Mike asked the others.

Just then, a large, glowing, magnificent doorway apparated before them on the sand. Stumbling back in surprise, Captain N, Tal’Set and Mike had their weapons ready to draw, not knowing what to expect next, while Falco, Pit and Zelda seemed almost relieved. But the doorway slowly opened, and through it stepped Palutena, as divine and elegant as ever.

“Lady Palutena! You’re alright!” Pit joyously exclaimed as Zelda, Falco, Captain N and Tal’Set knelt before her. Palutena chuckled as Captain N and Tal’Set relaxed their stances. “Oh, the airships haven’t been coming as often as they used to. Seems like they think you’re a bigger problem, young man.” Palutena teased Captain N, motioning him to stand. “Hey, I have been causing a lot of trouble recently.” He remarked as he regained his footing on the sand. Mike had his eyes glued onto Palutena, but carefully leaned over to Tal’Set. “...Who’s that?” He whispered. Tal’Set squinted at Mike, surprised by his question. “...That is Lady Palutena, the Goddess of Light.” He answered.

Mike’s eyes shot open as he quickly fell to his knees. “Oh, sorry- I mean, m-my apologies, your-” He sputtered out, but Palutena waved off his concerns. “Your ignorance is excused.” She warmly assured him. Mike hastily nodded his head and got back onto his feet. “What brings you here, Lady Palutena?” Zelda politely asked her. “How’s Lord Raiden doing?” Captain N added. “Raiden is as vigilant as ever; always focused on making sure Princess Peach is safe, even when there aren’t even any clouds in the sky.” She remarked. Pit nodded understandingly, trying to suppress a small smile.

“As for why I’m here, I believe you’ve picked up some allies along the way?” She asked. Captain N quickly nodded. “O-Oh yeah! This is Tal’Set, he’s a member of the Saquin Nation and currently holds the mantle of Turok!” Captain N introduced him. As Tal’Set courteously bowed for her, Palutena raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Currently holds the mantle of Turok’, hm?” She quietly repeated to herself. “And this is Mike Jones! He defeated an alien invasion! Twice! On this island!” Pit introduced Mike. Mike blushed slightly at the praise in the presence of Palutena but bowed before her as well. “I see!” Palutena noted.

Behind Palutena suddenly appeared Tails and Toadsworth, as happy to see them as the team was to see them. “Oh, hey. Did you two get sick of Alphys’s cartoons and escape here?” Falco jokingly asked. Toadsworth squinted in confusion as Palutena, and Tails laughed. “Oh, no. We’re here because we’d like to take in your newcomers.” Palutena finally answered. Zelda was taken by surprise at the answer. “Forgive my ignorance, but do you mean take Mike and Tal’Set to Peach’s Castle?” She asked. “As well as any prisoners you may have.” Palutena confirmed. “You guys beat up a couple of the Koopalings, right?” Tails asked. “Yeah, Iggy and Lemmy. Barely worth mentioning, they were a bunch of pushovers.” Falco claimed. Captain N chuckled at the claim, rubbing the sore spot on his side.

“Is it okay if I tell them, your highness?” Tails asked Palutena. She smiled and nodded. Tails hopped up and walked towards the team. “You see, we’re actually making a brand-new base for the Super Smash Brothers, far beneath Peach’s Castle!” He announced. Captain N’s eyes widened along with Pit and Mike. “So what’s this clubhouse gonna have?” Falco asked Tails. “Everything you should need, we’re sure! Barracks, dining halls, conference rooms, communications centers, training rooms, jail cells, and more.” Toadsworth proudly answered. “The Toads are hard at work putting it all together as we speak. Lord Raiden will make sure they’re not interrupted by any invaders.”

“And you want Tal’Set and Mike to go there and get all trained and brought up to speed?” Captain N asked him. “That’s right! Princess Peach can’t wait to get started!” Tails confirmed. “Besides, I imagine you’re starting to run out of room for everyone on board that ship.” Palutena cheekily noted. Tal’Set and Captain N nodded understandingly, remembering how they had one seat too few for everyone, making the voyage just across Island C far less convenient than it could have been. Zelda turned to Mike and Tal’Set. “Please don’t think of me as rude for this, but would you mind accompanying Lady Palutena and the others for the time being?” She carefully asked them. Tal’Set firmly nodded. “I believe time spent training and learning about what plagues this world will be invaluable to helping defeat this great evil.” He readily answered. Mike gulped before answering. “...I guess that’s for the best.” He relented after a moment of mulling it over. “But we’ve gotta rescue my uncle!” He stated. Palutena nodded understandingly.

“Falco and I’ll go get the Koopalings! Be right back!” Pit piped up, dashing back inside the Wavebird. Falco wanted to object but groaned upon realizing that making a scene in front of the Goddess isn’t a good idea, and followed Pit inside the ship. As they went to go retrieve the prisoners, Mike and Tal’Set walked over to Palutena, Toadsworth and Tails. “Thank you for all you’ve done to help us. I doubt we could have taken back Dinosaur Land or Coralcola without your help.” Captain N graciously thanked the two. “Indeed, I anxiously await the day we meet again, although I hope it is in celebration.” Zelda added. Tal’Set nodded at them respectfully. “It was an honor to fight alongside you. You have the spirit of a great warrior within you all.” Tal’Set said to Zelda and Captain N. “Just call me up whenever you need another T-Rex taken down!” Mike jokingly reminded them. Captain N laughed good-heartedly.

As Falco and Pit returned from the Wavebird, dragging Iggy and Lemmy behind them, Tails suddenly remembered something.

“Oh! You know that phone-thing you loaned to me before you went to get the black box?” Tails asked Captain N. He perked up at the mention of something from his home world.

“Yeah?”

“And you know how it plays music?”

“Of course. It’s my phone, after all.”

“Heh, right. Well, Alphys and I figured out a way to play your music on the Wavebird!” Tails revealed to him. Captain N grinned at the good news. “That’s awesome! Thank you, Tails!” Captain N eagerly thanked him. Tails nodded happily. “We’ve even put together some playlists of our favorite music of yours. Not gonna lie, some of it was really… different from what we’re used to.” Tails admitted. Captain N sheepishly smiled and nodded understandingly. Aside from Mayor Pauline’s song in New Donk City, he hasn’t really heard much music from this planet.

“Are you certain you wouldn’t rather have us with those two, training alongside them?” Zelda asked Palutena. “Are you suggesting I don’t think my decisions through, young Princess?” Palutena asked Zelda. Zelda’s eyes widened as she stepped away from the Goddess. “Oh! N-Not at all, your highness, that’s n-not what I…” She rambled, her words soon becoming incomprehensible.

Palutena giggled and waved off her concerns. “Oh, I’m just teasing you.” Zelda relaxed her shoulders and sighed in relief. She was about to apologize once more, but Palutena cut her off. “But yes, I am certain. Venturing across this world and cutting down the growths of evil is essential to preventing Bowser and King K. Rool from conquering the planet.” Palutena assured her. Zelda eventually relented. “Very well.” She agreed.

“We won’t let you down, Lady Palutena!” Pit assured Palutena, dropping Lemmy right in front of the doorway. “None of those creeps are gonna escape my sight.” Falco claimed, dumping Iggy right next to Lemmy. “Oh! When they come to, ask them if they know anything about six ‘specialists’.” Captain N advised Toadsworth. “Will do, Captain!” Toadsworth replied.

“Fare well, friends! May we meet again someday!” Zelda bid them farewell. “See ya later!” Pit added. “Try to not have too much fun with those two Koopalings without us.” Falco advised with a smirk. “Take care of yourselves while we’re out. Again, thanks for everything.” Captain N finished. Tails, Toadsworth, Mike, Tal’Set and Palutena waved goodbye as the doorway shut, and then vanished.

“Now come on, no getting mushy. The Glade of Dreams isn’t gonna save itself.” Falco reminded them. “Right, let’s move.” Captain N agreed. The four quickly boarded the ship again, but Captain N made a quick detour to his cabin below deck to retrieve his phone. As everyone buckled themselves into their harness and Falco powered on the ship, Captain N switched on his phone and navigated to the Music app. Sure enough, there were two playlists that were made three days ago. One was titled “Tails’ picks” and one was titled “Alphys’ picks”.

As the ship lifted off, Captain N opened Tails’ playlist and hit the first song. The melodic sounds of Burn the House Down by AJR filled the interior of the ship as Falco maneuvered the ship around to face their destination. It was just at the moment when the music really kicked in when Falco hit the thrusters and blasted past Island C. Captain N was only barely able to catch a glimpse of Coralcola before it disappeared behind him.

The news of an official base for the Super Smash Brothers really energized Captain N, his attitude only bolstered by the contemporary pop song that his allies seemed to enjoy, if not entirely understand.

The song was right.

Let’s burn down the two king’s house.

Chapter Text

The morning that followed the team’s exhilarating clash with prehistoric foes was one that was truly unnatural for Captain N. He looked around his little cabin as he sat up in his bed, the gentle hum of the Wavebird’s engines almost providing a soothing complement to the sea and sky beyond the window. His suspicions continued until his mind came to the realization.

This was his first sleep on the Wavebird that wasn’t interrupted.

His noble actions in protecting Coralcola were rewarded with a full night’s sleep.

With a smile, Captain N sank back into his bed, wanting to soak in more of this unusual gift. He knew he would've gotten away with it, too. If he was really needed above deck, Falco and Zelda aren’t the type to be shy about it. But he knew he had a responsibility. Predestined saviors of the world don’t get to sleep in. It pained him to do so, but he swung his feet out from under the covers and stood up.

As he sat there on the edge of his bed, he tried to remember the dream he had last night. But no matter how hard he racked his brain; he couldn’t pin down any exact details. All he could remember was a faint, almost whimsical voice...

After dressing himself and combing his hands through his hair, Captain N exited his cabin and climbed up the ladder, where he found his three teammates sitting in their usual seats.

“Morning, Cap’n!” Pit cheerily greeted him, spinning around in his seat. “G’morning.” Captain N sleepily replied. “Gotta be honest, I thought you’d never wake up. You’ve really been put through the wringer these past couple weeks.” Falco remarked, barely looking over his shoulder in the pilot’s seat. “It was only upon my insistence that you were allowed to sleep as long as you did. Falco wanted you to join us the moment he left his chambers.” Zelda informed him. Captain N chuckled. “Yeah, well, thanks for sticking up for me, your highness.”

“So how far are we from the Glade of Dreams?” Pit asked Falco. “This is the fourth time you’ve asked since you woke up.” Falco grumpily answered. “Well, yeah, but Captain N doesn’t know!” Pit retorted. Falco groaned and turned his eyes to the display on his console.

“We’re roughly three hours out from our destination, assuming the waters don’t get rough.” Falco reluctantly answered. Captain N nodded in understanding and took a seat at the front of the ship. “So, what’s the Glade of Dreams like?” He asked the others. Zelda stood up and walked over to the battle station, pulling up a holographic map of the island. “Some know it as the Crossroads of Dreams. Ages ago, it was brought into existence by an ancient being named Polokus. So powerful was he, that mere thoughts of his became reality.” Zelda explained in a scholarly tone.

As Captain N got up from his seat and looked over the recreation of the island, he marveled at the thought of Polokus. Not even the deities he met could will anything into existence, as far as he could tell. He silently prayed that if Polokus was still around, they’d be on his side.

“Polokus was accompanied by small, colorful beings of pure energy called Lums. Together, they made the Glade of Dreams into a verdant, fantastic land with a vast variety of plant and animal life.” Zelda continued.

“But?” Falco loudly spoke up from the pilot’s seat, utilizing his ability to tell where Zelda’s story would go. She glared at him for a moment before turning back to Captain N.

“...But as his dreams came into reality with a mere thought, as did his nightmares. And from his nightmares came the nefarious Jano and his army of Darktoons.” Zelda reluctantly continued. Captain N contained the giggle he involuntarily produced upon hearing the name of Jano’s army. Fortunately, Zelda didn’t seem to notice, so she continued. “In retaliation to this dark force, an alliance of nymphs combined their power to create a hero who could liberate the Glade of Dreams, and his name was-”

“Rayman!” Pit interjected excitedly. Zelda groaned to herself before turning to Pit with an annoyed look. “Yes, Pit. His name was Rayman.” Zelda confirmed. Seemingly unaware of her annoyance, Pit spun back around in his seat. Captain N gave her a moment to herself as he studied the hologram of the Glade of Dreams. He could tell from the hazy, blue recreation of the land mass that it wasn’t like anything else he’d seen, either on Earth or Yamajiro. Trees and other foliage grew and twisted in unnatural ways, but not in a manner that seemed foreboding. More so, it seemed cartoonish and fantastical.

“So… what’s Rayman like?” Captain N hesitantly asked Zelda. She took in a deep breath before looking up and answering. “Pit would know better than I.” She admitted. Almost as if he were waiting for his cue, Pit sprung up from his seat and joined the two around the battle station. “Rayman’s super cool! I’ve met him before! He’s really laid back but always up for whatever ideas we get! He used to be pretty immature, but now he’s got a bit of an edge!” Pit excitedly described him. Captain N nodded understandingly. “Oh! I almost forgot! He doesn’t have any arms or legs!” Pit remembered.

This fact about Rayman made Captain N recoil in surprise. Such a major detail about him seemed like something that wouldn’t be easily forgotten. How could someone with such a… unique physique could protect the Glade of Dreams from the forces of darkness, he couldn’t imagine. He nervously looked at Zelda, then to Pit, unsure of how to address the matter.

“Oh, I’m… so sorry to-”

“Oh, don’t worry! He still has hands and feet!” Pit quickly added.

Now Captain N was more confused than anything else. His confusion must have been visible on his face, so Pit assured him with “Don’t worry, it’ll make sense when you meet him.”

Suddenly, the ship was rocked with turbulence. The three caught themselves by grabbing onto the battle station. “Everything alright up there?” Pit asked Falco. “Yeah, but not even the best pilots on Corneria can avoid turbulence when flying in the atmosphere.” Falco yelled back from the pilot’s seat. “Glad you’re humble enough to admit that!” Captain N cheekily remarked. Pit giggled as Falco rolled his eyes and turned back to the view ahead. Zelda lightly groaned in distress as she clung onto the battle station. “You alright, Princess?” Pit asked Zelda. With some hesitance, she nodded. “Yeah, just a bit tired, is all.” She assured him. Captain N looked at her with concern. He could tell she was lying by how she looked down onto the floor.

“...You know, we’re still a few hours away from the Glade of Dreams. If you wanna go back down to your cabin to get some rest, you can.” Captain N reminded her. Zelda shook her head almost as if by instinct, but Pit quickly joined in. “Yeah! We let Cap’n sleep in! You can, too!”. Zelda wanted to protest but couldn’t ignore how tired she was feeling. She had a duty to serve the people, but she knew she couldn’t do that without enough rest. Captain N knew she was gonna try to refuse her rest, so he spoke up.

“Princess Zelda, as leader of the Super Smash Brothers, I hereby order you to get some much-needed rest.” He cheekily asserted. With a reluctant sigh, she relented.

“...Very well. I’ll rest.” She sleepily sighed before descending the ladder and disappearing into her cabin. “You two got her at the right time. She’s more stubborn when she’s more awake.” Falco remarked from the pilot’s seat. Captain N chuckled, but Pit’s attention was quickly drawn to Captain N’s phone, which was left on the battle station last night.

“So, this tiny thing really has hundreds of songs on it?” Pit asked him, analyzing the small, technologically advanced rectangle. “Yep! They’re from all sorts of different genres, too. I bet it’s pretty different from what music you’ve got on this planet.” Captain N confirmed. Pit’s eyes widened with the potential laid out before him, astonished that such a small device could hold such a vast library.

“D’ya think I could pick a song?” Pit asked.

“Go ahead!” Captain N answered.

With a grin on his face, Pit quickly began scrolling through the music library. Captain N had taken the passcode off the phone the previous night, no longer feeling a need to hide its contents from his peers.

Him purging his phone of illicit media played no small part in that.

“So I can just pick any one I want?” Pit asked him once more. “Yup, just pick the one with a title that speaks to you.” Captain N confirmed. After a few more moments of scrolling, Pit ultimately landed on his song.

Once Captain N recognized the opening beats of The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang, he snatched the phone from Pit’s hand and switched off the music.

“Not that one, though.”

After a few hours of closely-supervised music enjoyment, Falco broadcast his voice over the Wavebird’s intercom. “Landing in T-minus 2 minutes. Everybody strap in.” He announced. The other three quickly rushed back into their seats at the front and fastened the safety harnesses. “Did anything out of the ordinary appear?” Zelda asked Falco. He shook his head. “Nope. Apart from the communications tower, couldn’t find anything.”

“How’re you feeling?” Captain N asked Zelda. “Better, thank you.” She softly admitted.

“Hey, that looks like the communications tower!” Pit piped up, pointing at a familiar-looking structure on the shoreline. Sure enough, it was a communications tower, but Captain N’s gaze was soon drawn to the surrounding environment. Just as he made out on the hologram, the Glade of Dreams was filled with the most fantastical trees he had ever seen. They appeared as if they were illustrated by a free-spirited young child. The clouds, too. The puffy formations curled around the mountains like something he would see in an old Disney movie. It sickened him to think such evil forces could corrupt such a colorful, beautiful place, both Jano or Bowser and King K. Rool. But this feeling only made him more ready for battle.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea.” Falco suddenly spoke up, just as the ship was nearing the shoreline. “What’s up?” Pit asked him. “Go back to the battle station and see if you can scan the communications tower from up here. I’ll hold the ship steady so you can get to work.” Falco instructed. “Are you ridiculous? That’s far too dangerous!” Zelda quickly countered. “Relax, starships like this have a really long range for their scanners in order to communicate with other ships out in space. Combine that with Cap’n’s Super Glove computer, we can get what we need from up here, without getting our hands dirty.” Falco assured her.

“It’s called the Power Glove…” Captain N muttered.

“It’s no biggie, I can handle it!” Pit said to Zelda. Falco brought the ship higher into the atmosphere, in order to be a safe distance from whatever armaments could be hidden below. “You sure you’ve got it?” Falco leered at Pit. After a second glance at the complicated data being displayed on the holographic display, Pit awkwardly chuckled.

“Uh, I mean, I can push buttons!” He meekly said to Falco. After giving Pit an unimpressed look, Falco turned to Captain N. “Think you can handle it, hotshot?” He asked. “Yeah, I’ve got it.” He answered. As he held tightly onto the armrest to steady himself as he got up, Zelda stood up. “Captain, are you certain you want do to this?” She asked him. He smiled and waved off her concerns. “Relax, your highness, I’ve survived worse!” He reminded her. With a sour expression on her face, Zelda sank back into her seat and allowed Captain N to make his way back to the battle station.

After his slow trudge to the battle station, he connected his Power Glove to the holographic HUD. Just as he was about to scan for the communication tower’s computers, the Wavebird suddenly lurched to the right. The action made Captain N yelp in surprise as he fell onto the floor. “The hell’s going on up there?” He loudly asked Falco. “Just staying out of their line of sight, just focus on getting the intel, Mr. I’ve Survived Worse!” Falco answered. With a stifled groan, Captain N got back onto his feet and went back to work.

The act of trying to search through computer databases while Falco weaved and jolted the Wavebird from side to side threatened to give Captain N a nasty bout of motion sickness. But he was able to suppress the feeling and keep rifling through messages and maps. A lot of the messages he found were meaningless fluff, typical business talk between middle managers. Except these middle managers served an oppressive planet-controlling authority, as opposed to a faceless corporation.

“How much longer you think it’s gonna take?” Pit asked Captain N. “Just a second!” Captain N promised him, keeping his eyes glued onto the messages. After a few more moments, he finally found something worth noting: a Koopa-Kremling research facility on South Island. With a victorious smile, Captain N stepped away from the screen and turned to address the three. But just before he could declare their next target, Falco jerked the ship downward to the right. Before he could even articulate an exclamation of surprise, Captain N fell onto his face and rolled towards the front.

“Were we spotted?” Zelda worriedly asked Falco. “Think so, hold onto something.” Falco answered. Captain N wasn’t given the opportunity to and slid across the floor as Falco banked the ship about. The more he tried to evade any possible pursuers, the more trouble Captain N had trying to cling onto any kind of support. He groaned in pain with each impact, but these signals of discomfort went undetected by those at the front. “Careful, Lombardi!” Zelda warned him. “You don’t have to tell me that!” Falco answered, undeterred. Captain N eventually slid through the hole leading to the lower deck, landing rather hard on his back. “You alright back there?” Pit yelled to Captain N from his seat. He didn’t immediately respond, as he took a few precious moments to cling onto the ladder and steady himself.

“I think so.” He answered, after gathering enough strength to speak. “What did he say?” Falco asked Zelda. “I think he’s alright.” Zelda answered with an unsure tone. “Hey Cap’n!” Falco yelled. “Wha..?” He dizzily replied as he raised his head above the ladder hole.

“You get the data you need?”

“Uh, yeah, but-”

“Then hang on!”

Falco directed the Wavebird into a dive towards the shoreline, letting loose a volley of blasts from the ship and destroying the communications tower. Despite how hard he tried, Captain N’s grip on the ledge slipped and he fell back down onto the floor below.

“Lombardi! What did you just do!?” Zelda exclaimed at him. “Relax, Princess! We’ve got the info we need! Captain said so!” Falco hastily defended himself. “Guys… can we put the ship down soon? I’m really dizzy…” Pit mumbled as he clutched his head. “Perhaps that’s a good idea. There could be further ground forces hidden within the trees.” Zelda added. “Yeah, sure.” Falco replied as he ignored Zelda’s glare.

In a stark contrast to his earlier piloting, Falco managed to land the shift surprisingly softly. Once it had fully settled on the sand, Captain N managed to gather the strength to climb up the ladder and collapse onto the floor next to the battle station. “We did it, Cap!” Pit happily informed him, spinning around in his seat. Captain N could only weakly groan as he lay on the ground.

“He’s alive, don’t worry.” Falco half-joked to Zelda as he got up. He didn’t notice her unimpressed look as he walked over to Captain N and gently kicked him. “Hey, you DID get some intel, right?” He asked him further. Captain N nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, there’s a research facility on South Island.” He relayed back to him. Falco squinted at him. “That’s all you got?” Falco asked further. Captain N nodded again. “I guess they keep their more confidential stuff locked up. Bet they’ve got some pretty juicy secrets on there, just waiting for us to steal.”

“That’s the spirit!” Pit cheered. “I presume you couldn’t find any further information on the six ‘specialists’ you mentioned?” Zelda asked him. Captain N shook his head. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” Falco dismissed, walking over to the hatch at the end of the ship. Pit helped Captain N back onto his feet and joined Falco and Zelda at the hatch.

“Are we all ready?” Zelda asked everyone. After receiving mixed levels of positive answers from the three, she activated the hatch door and lowered the ramp onto the beach.

The first thing they noticed was the smell of smoke and fire coming from the destroyed remains of the communications tower. Captain N and Zelda winced at the sight of the picturesque beach being ruined by Falco’s handiwork, but it was for a worthy cause: saving the world.

The second thing everyone noticed was how quiet it was. There weren’t any reinforcements rushing out to combat these invaders, nor were there any artillery weapons being set off at them. They wanted to sigh a breath of relief, but knew better than to believe the threat was completely eliminated. Captain N drew his Zapper and walked down the ramp onto the sand. “Keep your eyes out and watch each other’s back. Be prepared for anything, and I mean anything.” Captain N instructed his team. “Aye, aye, Cap’n!” Pit eagerly confirmed. Falco drew his blaster, Zelda readied her magic, Pit prepared his bow, and the four began their march into the forest.

Captain N really underestimated how mystical the forest was. The trees and plants gave off the aura like they were illustrated by an incredibly imaginative young child. The butterflies, the sun streaming through the treetops, even the dirt beneath him gave off a remarkably whimsical aura. For a moment, for the briefest moment, Captain N forgot about his struggle against the forces of evil. He wanted to toss aside his weapons and race through the forest without a care in the world. He wanted to embrace the joyous environment. He wanted to pretend he was back home in Midnight Lights, fleeing his school on the last day of his public-school career, the future bright ahead of him.

But out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the determined looks of Zelda and Falco. In that moment, he was reminded of what was at stake. He remembered what they lost and how they suffered. Friends and loved ones gone missing, homes being taken, and evil reigning. Reluctantly, he was brought back down to Earth- well, Yamajiro. Feeling his determination return, he clutched his Zapper and peered through the foliage ahead.

“Now who goes there?” A sing-songy voice came through the trees.

The four snapped to attention, pointing their weapons at where the voice came from.

“Who goes there?” Zelda demanded.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m nobody you should be afraid of!” The voice promised them.

“If that’s true, then show yourself.” Captain N interjected.

“Only if you lower those things!” The voice requested.

Falco raised a suspecting eyebrow. ‘I’ll remain ready to strike if this person lures us into an ambush.’ Zelda telepathically communicated to the four. The three others nodded in unison, and so lowered their weapons.

“Oh, goodie! Thanks for understanding! I expected as much from the famous Super Smash Brothers!”

From behind the shrubbery appeared a floating, purple colored humanoid with wide eyes, no nose and dressed like a regal court jester, complete with purple cowl and sleeveless vest atop a white unitard.

“I just hate hostility, don’t you?” The newcomer asked them. None of the four answered immediately, trying to discern what exactly this newcomer was.

“...What’s your name?” Captain N asked them.

The newcomer floated a bit higher into the air and respectfully bowed their head.

“My name is NiGHTS, and I’d love to help you along your way!”

Chapter Text

The four remained standing there, looking at NiGHTS with a growing sense of confusion. While they could sense that this newcomer didn’t seem like any kind of threat, they couldn’t make out exactly ‘what’ they were. Captain N, Falco, and not even Zelda or Pit with their years of experience could identify them.

“...Okay, and… who ARE you, NiGHTS?” Captain N asked.

“Oops, silly me! I should’ve known you wouldn’t know!” NiGHTS giggled before floating a little higher into the air. “I’m the protector of the world of dreams! Although I was hoping someone as worldly as you would have known about the world of dreams.” NiGHTS remarked, turning their attention to Zelda. In that moment, a lightbulb could almost be seen going off over her head.

“Oh, yes! I remember reading ancient texts on the Night Dimension!” She realized. “I deeply apologize, Mister- or… Miss...?” Zelda awkwardly trailed off. NiGHTS giggled. “Oh, I’m neither!” They clarified. The four were slightly caught off guard by the answer, but soon came to accept it. “Hey, isn’t the world of dreams only accessible through… you know… dreams?” Pit asked. NiGHTS’ expression fell as they scratched their chin. “It’s the strangest thing… I thought the same. True, some from my world have done it before, but… I am unable to deduce how I ended up in this world.”

“Wasn’t this whole place dreamed into existence a long time ago? Maybe that has something to do with it.” Falco surmised. “True, but that shouldn’t mean the barrier between the two worlds would be so weak as to allow someone to pass between with such little effort.” NiGHTS countered. Zelda, Pit and NiGHTS pondered on the question before Captain N spoke up again. “Wait, if you’re from the world of dreams, how did you know who I am?” He asked. NiGHTS perked right back up. “Simple! All dreams play out in the world of dreams, and you wouldn’t believe how many people dream of the famous Super Smash Brothers!” They cheerily answered. Pit beamed with pride and Falco grinned.

“We’re always willing to accept new members, you know.” Zelda offered. “Yeah! Especially someone with your abilities.” Captain N added. NiGHTS grinned and clapped their hands together. “Oh, joy! Because this place is in dire need of some help.” They answered. “Help in the form of kicking some Koopa or Kremling ass?” Falco guessed. NiGHTS giggled. “Oh, no! Your magnificent flying ship already took care of that!” “We didn’t harm anyone, did we?” Captain N asked NiGHTS. They shook their head. “No, no, a new friend of mine would be able to explain better than me. Come along!” NiGHTS ushered them before turning and floating into the depths of the verdant jungle.

After exchanging semi-confused looks with each other and coming to an unspoken consensus, Captain N and Zelda began their trek deeper into the Glade of Dreams, with Pit and Falco watching the rear, just in case.

The deeper Captain N ventured into the forest, the more strangely at ease he felt. NiGHTS’ whimsical voice ensured the four didn’t get lost, allowing him to really take in the atmosphere of this island. The mist surrounded the massive, curving tree trunks that decorated the edges of the crystal-clear ponds. As he looked around, he saw some other trees were adorned with mushrooms and fungi of a wide variety of colors. The gentle tweeting of birds and rustling of small animals, if he closed his eyes, made him feel just a little bit more at home, in the forested town of Midnight Lights nestled in the heart of Oregon.

As Zelda carefully navigated around a series of trees, Captain N gazed longingly at the pond. The purity of the water before him reminded him of his distinctly unwashed state. He wanted more than anything to toss aside his weapons and dive into the water. He wanted to spend the entire day swimming around in the pond and sleep under the shady trees and starry night, like the Boy Scouts of his hometown.

As Captain N felt the slight sting of homesickness return, his footing slipped on the small ledge. He snapped back to the present and caught himself before his wishes for a swim were granted. “You alright there, Cap’n?” Pit asked him. With a small lump in his throat, he nodded with partial honesty. “Better watch your step! Can’t have Mr. Savior of the World tripping over his own feet!” NiGHTS teased him from ahead. Falco and Zelda peered at him in an attempt to get more out of him, but Captain N turned his attention back to the path ahead and marched on.

After almost an hour of following NiGHTS’ voice through the dense forestry, the denizen of the dream world suddenly reappeared before the four.

“Shh! Be really quiet!” NiGHTS whispered to them. Captain N looked at Zelda, then at NiGHTS with growing concern. “Why? Is someone over there?” He carefully whispered to NiGHTS. They covered their grin with their hands. “You’ll see!” NiGHTS answered. Falco leered at them. “If you’re luring us into an ambush, you’re gonna regret it.” He warned them. Before Pit or Zelda could voice their concern, NiGHTS crouched beside the shrubbery. Unable to contain their grin, NiGHTS motioned a countdown from three to one, before finally throwing aside the shrubbery and exclaiming “Surprise!”

The first thing to come from NiGHTS’ reveal was a high-pitched shriek of surprise. After covering his ears, Captain N looked ahead to see what caused that noise. What he saw was a young woman adorned in a tall green hat, bikini top and short skirt, floating in the air with translucent wings. After recovering from the initial shock, the floating lady crossed her arms and scowled at NiGHTS. “You could’ve given me more of a warning, you know!” She scolded him. NiGHTS waved off her concern. “You heard my voice, don’t worry!” They reminded her.

“So, who’d we just barge in on?” Falco asked. With a groan, the young lady straightened herself up. “Well, my name-”

“This is Betilla! She’s been watching over this island for a very long time!” NiGHTS interrupted her. She groaned at them, but they didn’t seem to notice. Zelda, Pit and Captain N bowed respectfully, but Falco simply offered a quick “Hey” nod. “Betilla, these are the four that took care of those Koopa that’ve been in that awful tower! There’s Falco Lombardi, Princess Zelda, Captain N and Pit… just Pit!” NiGHTS introduced the four. Betilla waved at them politely. “I’ll admit, Just Pit is a strange name, but it’s nice to meet you all.” She greeted them. Pit sputtered indignantly. “M-My name’s Pit! It’s just Pit!” He insisted. “Just Pit, I know.” Betilla confirmed. NiGHTS snickered alongside Captain N and Falco. Pit’s face started to grow red as he tried to formulate a proper argument. “We’ll sort out names later, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Betilla.” Zelda spoke up, sparing Pit from further frustration. Betilla smiled and waved at her. “You might not believe it, but these four are the Super Smash Brothers!” NiGHTS excitedly informed Betilla. Her eyes shot open in surprise as she looked at the four gleefully.

“Oh my, it really is you! It’s an honor to meet you all!” She properly greeted them. “It’s an honor to meet you too, Betilla. In our line of work, a friendly face is always welcome.” Captain N said back to her. “Is this place your home?” Zelda asked her. “For as long as it’s existed! I was one of Polokus’ first creations, and me and my fairy sisters have protected the Glade of Dreams for centuries!”

“Doesn’t look like you did a good job…” Falco quietly remarked to himself.

“Wait, does that mean you know Rayman?” Pit asked Betilla. She giggled. “Better than knew, I created him!” She informed him, channeling some of her magical abilities. “By weaving the moonbeams of the second summer solstice, I was able to shape the protector of the Glade of Dreams.” She explained, utilizing her magic in much the same way to demonstrate. Captain N stared in amazement at the show. “Is Rayman still around?” Pit asked Betilla. Her expression sank a bit as she shook her head. “Unfortunately, not. He’s-”

“Oh, dear. I’m terribly sorry for your loss.” Captain N empathized with her. Betilla looked up with a confused look on her face. “...Did I say something wrong?” He asked. “Rayman didn’t die or get locked up in the Panopticon or anything, he’s actually out in the world.” NiGHTS informed him.

He exhaled a sharp breath, feeling his face heat up a bit. “Guess you shouldn’t jump to conclusions.” Falco cheekily advised. “Oh, that’s great! Where’s he now?” Pit eagerly asked NiGHTS and Betilla. Betilla rolled her eyes. “Oh, he’s off with some friends to save the world.” She answered.

“Hey, that kinda sounds like what we do!” Pit realized. “Yeah, it does.” Captain N agreed, feeling more than slightly undercut. It’s not that he doesn’t want this world to be saved from King K. Rool and Bowser, but as selfish as it was to admit, he wanted to be the leader of that effort. He hoped that being the chosen one would entitle him to top billing in the history books, and he didn’t want to be shoved to the side again.

“Does his group have a name?” Zelda asked. “They call themselves the Freedom Force.” NiGHTS informed them. Captain N groaned at the name. “Super Smash Brothers sounds better…” He muttered. “Of course, YOU would think that.” Falco slyly replied.

“We can talk about the Freedom Force later, there’s something that requires your help!” Betilla urgently reminded them. NiGHTS smacked their head. “That’s right, come quickly!” They added, disappearing back into the forest, with Betilla close behind. “We came out all this way just to head somewhere else?” Falco asked, annoyed. “Just come on.” Captain N instructed, following where Betilla and NiGHTS had disappeared. “Unless you want those Freedom Force guys to steal your thunder!” Pit teased him as he followed Captain N into the forest. With a grumble at allowing Pit’s remark to get under his skin, he joined Zelda in traversing deeper into the forest.

Fortunately, this venture was the shortest of the three on the Glade of Dreams. NiGHTS and Betilla showed more concern this time as they hid behind a boulder and motioned the four over to them. Captain N peered over the top to see the entrance to a vast, dark cave system, with motionless, nonfunctioning robotic parts strewn across the ground.

“That’s the entrance to the Caves of Skops up ahead.” Betilla informed them with a hushed voice. “Around the time I showed up here, I saw some mean-looking lackeys carrying crates of stuff down there. They had power cables running from here all the way to the communications tower.” NiGHTS continued, using their finger to point out the cables running from the entrance of the caves into the forest. Pit raised an eyebrow at Betilla. “So, whaddya need us for?” He asked her. She motioned to the four turret guns nested above the cave entrance. “Those awful things are protected by force fields. Whenever I try to get close to the caves to see what’s going on down there, I almost get blown to bits!” She exclaimed in a slightly louder voice. “They’ve gotta be storing something nefarious down there, if only we could get past those guns.” NiGHTS surmised. “And you need us to help get rid of those turrets.” Captain N concluded. “Oh, can’t you? You put that jerk King Dedede in his place, you can handle these!” Betilla insisted. Falco peered at the turrets, and the shield surrounding them. “Excuse my intrusion, but don’t you have sisters that live on this island?” Zelda asked Betilla. She sank closer to the ground and sighed forlornly. “They tried to get in there too, but they-”

“Got sent to the Panopticon?” Falco assumed.

Captain N and Zelda glared at Falco, but Betilla reluctantly nodded. “Rayman couldn’t save them. Edith, Annetta, Helena, even Big Mama! I… I guess that’s why he ran off with the Freedom Force. He didn’t want that to happen to anyone else…” Betilla sighed. NiGHTS patted her back comfortingly. Falco silently gloated about his knowingness to Zelda, who ignored him. “...Anyway, yeah, we can handle those turrets no problem.” Captain N confirmed. Betilla immediately perked up and clapped her hands together and NiGHTS did a little backflip in the air. “Oh, goodie! Thank you, Super Smash Brothers!” Betilla cheered. “Yeah! There’s probably a ton of Bowser’s dirty secrets down there to give us an edge over the forces of evil!” Pit cheered.

“And the Freedom Force…” Captain N muttered to himself.

“So! Now that we’ve got all hands on deck, what’s the plan?” NiGHTS asked the four. Betilla eagerly looked at the four as well, and eventually all eyes turned to Captain N. In response, all he could offer was a nervous chuckle. “Is something wrong?” NiGHTS asked him. “No, it’s just, uh, I kinda… need time to come up with a plan.” He admitted.

“Looks like the power generators for the force fields are kept within the force fields themselves. I’d also guess that those are backup generators, since there are cables leading to where the communications tower was. A few of us draw fire from the turrets, while the others get past that force field and destroy that generator.” Falco intervened. Everyone’s eyes turned to him and away from Captain N. “Ooh, that’s a good idea!” Betilla congratulated him. “Yeah!” Pit agreed. Falco smirked at Captain N, who looked away, annoyed.

Zelda took in a deep breath and looked at the turrets carefully. “Very well, then. Betilla, Pit, NiGHTS, you’ll join me in distracting those weapons. Falco, you’ll assist Captain N in destroying that generator.” She directed. “You got it!” Pit confirmed. Betilla’s face turned pale. “M-Me?” She nervously asked. Zelda nodded. “Your magical abilities will allow us to keep the turrets busy. Falco will utilize his technical expertise to assist Captain N in destroying the generator.”

Betilla sputtered out something that vaguely resembled an argument, but NiGHTS nudged her shoulder. “Come on, there’s nothing to worry about. The Super Smash Brothers are here to make sure nothing bad happens to you!” They assured her. “NiGHTS is right! Your safety is important to us, and we wouldn’t ask you to do something we weren’t confident you could do.” Captain N assured her.

Feeling a little more empowered, Betilla perked up. “Okay, if you say so!” She said. With a smile, Captain N put his Power Glove-clad hand in the center of the group. “All hands on deck!” He instructed. Pit, NiGHTS and Betilla were the first to put their hands forward, with Falco and Zelda hesitating slightly. “One… two… three! Go Super Smash Brothers!” He announced, raising everyone’s hands into the air.

The joyous moment of team unity was cut short by one of the turrets noticing the commotion and turning towards them. “Oh, shoot! Duck!” He exclaimed, diving to the ground. NiGHTS and Betilla quickly floated away from the spot, and Falco, Pit and Zelda hurried away.

“Nice job, Captain!” Falco sarcastically yelled at him from behind the boulder as a blast from the turret blasted the boulder. “No worry! We’ll jump into action now!” Zelda ordered, readying her magic. “You guys ready?” Pit asked NiGHTS and Betilla as he drew his bow. “You betcha!” NiGHTS confirmed. Betilla took a moment to answer, but stiffly nodded in confirmation.

“Chaaaaaaarge!” NiGHTS exclaimed, flying high up into the air, and diving back down to the ground, gracefully avoiding each blast from the turrets. “Come on, NiGHTS needs us!” Pit urged, diving down towards the cave entrance. Zelda was close behind, but Betilla hesitated a little bit.

Captain N wanted to run out towards the back of the force fields and help, but Falco held him back. “Unless you want to get blasted to pieces, wait for them to keep those things occupied.” He sternly reminded them. Captain N yanked his arm away, but reluctantly agreed. With his hand ready by his holstered Zapper, he anxiously watched the four stand their ground against the highly advanced, highly deadly weaponry. Zelda and Pit displayed the same expertise that he’d seen before, and Betilla surprised him with her magical prowess, but it was NiGHTS that entranced him the most. It almost appeared as if they swam through the air, as gracefully and effortlessly as an Olympic swimmer, up and through the air. He’d seen ballet performances before on Earth, but nothing compared to what NiGHTS was putting on display.

Falco tugged his jacket sleeve to get his attention. “Hey, showtime, hero.” He reminded him. Captain N tore his attention away from NiGHTS and nodded at Falco.

Crouched real low, the two scurried around the back of the perimeter to where the turrets were. The closer they got, the louder and more thunderous each energy blast from the artillery became. Even though they couldn’t harm the four below, they were still doing terrible things to the forest. Trees got blown apart, craters were created, it was horrible. Captain N wanted to yell to them to urge them to be more careful, but he knew he wouldn’t be heard over the cacophony.

Once Falco and Captain N got to the force field that housed the generator, the blasts from the turrets were threatening to make them lose their hearing. “You got a plan to get in there?” Falco yelled to him over the noise. Captain N shot him a quick glare at his lack of preparation, but the earth-shaking blast of another shot from the artillery directed his attention back to the generator.

He looked the force field up and down. The shimmering blue sheen of the faintly humming energy field protected the machinery inside. He lightly tapped the force field with his Power Glove and felt a spark of energy erupt from the field for the briefest moment.

There’s only one thing he could deduce for sure: it sure is a force field.

“Got any bright ideas?” Falco asked him. Captain N groaned at Falco’s unhelpfulness. He glared at the force field and clenched his fist. King Dedede had a force field, and that couldn’t protect him. “Brace me!” Captain N ordered Falco. He got behind him and Captain N readied his fist. In between blasts from the cannons, he flattened out his Power Fist-clad hand and plunged it into the force field.

For the first time since he put on the Power Glove, Captain N’s right hand was met with resistance. He leaned into the effort, digging his feet into the dirt as Falco kept him sturdy. He used his other hand to grip his other forearm, adding what little strength that offered to the effort. It was slow and arduous, but he could feel the force field give a little more with every passing moment. The force field cried out with shrill crackling noises and bright light, but he refused to relent. He couldn’t tell if he was tuning out the artillery blasts or if he was losing his hearing, but he refused to let it get to him.

“You getting there?” Falco groaned in his ear. “Just a little more!” Captain N insisted. Sure enough, with just a little more effort, his hand suddenly slid through the force field and dug into the generator. The action severely damaged the machinery, enough so that the force field dissipated and the turrets powered down with a wimpy hum. With an exhausted groan, Captain N collapsed onto the ground. His Power Glove was hot to the touch, so he kept his hand away.

“You alright, bulldozer?” Falco jokingly asked him. Captain N weakly nodded with a smile. “Good job up there! We knew you could do it!” Pit yelled from below. “Sure gave us the workout, too!” Betilla added jokingly. “I’ll go ahead and make sure there aren’t more defenses inside.” Zelda announced before disappearing into the cave. NiGHTS floated up to Falco and Captain N. “I hope you two aren’t too exhausted, there’s still danger afoot!” He reminded them. “You kidding? We’re always ready for more. Ain’t that right, Cap’n?” Falco answered. Captain N tried to sit up, but the effort pained him more than he thought. NiGHTS scratched their chin. “Hmm… can’t have the leader of the Super Smash Brothers sleeping on the job, can we?” NiGHTS asked. Then they snapped their fingers.

“I’ve got it! Captain, put your hands out like this.” NiGHTS instructed, holding their outstretched hands. If he had more energy in him, Captain N would ask if they were wanting to play patty-cake. But he trusted NiGHTS, so he put his hands out too. When their hands met, a bright light shone in his eyes, and then he blacked out.

Chapter Text

What felt like a moment later, Captain N regained consciousness. He immediately noticed that the soreness he felt from destroying the generator had suddenly washed away, as if he had never did that. He chuckled to himself and rubbed his eyes.

But his hands didn’t feel the same.

He looked at his hands and didn’t see his bare left hand and his Power Glove on his right hand; he saw two gloved hands with longer fingers than normal.

Worry started to grow as his eyes traveled down his arms to see purple and gold cuffs and white sleeves, then a white and gold vest covering his chest on top of purple tights.

The same clothes NiGHTS was wearing.

His head shot up and he tried to look around for NiGHTS, but he couldn’t see them. Not only that, he felt taller than normal, and his head felt wider. He looked over and saw Falco looking at him, with a shocked expression that neatly matched his own.

“Ta-daaaa! Whaddya think?” NiGHTS’ voice spoke to him from inside his head.

Captain N stumbled back in surprise. “What did you do to me!?” Captain N exclaimed, but the voice that left his mouth wasn’t his, but NiGHTS’. He clamped his hands over his mouth, and Falco backed away from him.

“It’s called dualizing! Normally we’d switch places and I’d get to control your body, but you deserve some rest.” NiGHTS explained, again only through Captain N’s mind. “...And what does dualizing mean?” Captain N nervously asked. “Who are you talking to? And what did you do to Captain N?” Falco asked who he thought was NiGHTS. “I’m not NiGHTS, I’m Captain N!” He insisted, his voice and appearance betraying his claim.

“Everything alright up there?” Pit yelled from below. “Yeah! We’re fine! D-Don’t worry about us!” Captain N insisted with the voice of NiGHTS. Pit squinted at the ledge above in suspicion, but Betilla whispered something in his year, and his eyes widened. “Ohhhh, okay!” He said in realization. “Doesn’t sound like you’re fine, NiGHTS.” Falco said unknowingly to Captain N. “Dualizing is something us denizens of the Night Dimension can do! It lets us combine minds with people in the physical world. Normally it only works when those people are dreaming, but things have been kinda weird recently.” NiGHTS explained to Captain N. He stood up and dusted off NiGHTS’ body before speaking to Falco.

“Promise you won’t freak out at the answer?” He asked him.

“No promises.” Falco said, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Captain N sighed, expecting this kind of answer.

“I’m actually Captain N. I know what it looks like, but NiGHTS did this thing called dualize, which means our brains are connected somehow.” Captain N tried to explain. “See, you’ve got it!” NiGHTS mentally congratulated him. Falco wasn’t convinced. “Oh really?” Falco asked, his voice seeping with sarcasm. “I know what it looks like, but it’s true!” Captain N insisted, still not used to hearing NiGHTS speak his words. 

“How do I know you didn’t just destroy him?” Falco interrogated him.

Captain N’s mind raced as he tried to come up with something. “W-Well, uh, r-remember when you and Pit found me after I crashed my car into that tree, when those airships were attacking Peach’s Castle?” He said. Falco wasn’t entirely swayed. 

“Remember when you tried to get me to lash out when you and Simon Belmont were training me outside New Leaf Town?” 

Still nothing.

“Well… uh… What about the time when it was just the four of us sitting around the campfire the night before I got the Power Glove from Hyrule Castle and beat up King Dedede, when you talked about how Star Wolf-”

“Alright, fine! I believe you!” Falco interrupted him. Captain N jumped back a little in surprise, but was ultimately relieved to have convinced him. “Geez, what’s his problem?” NiGHTS asked him mentally. “I’ll tell you later.” He whispered back.

“We’re gonna head inside and help out the Princess!” Pit informed them from below. “Have fun.” Falco waved them off before the two of them descended into the Caves of Skops. He turned back to NiGHTS/Captain N. Captain N put a finger to his chin as he thought of something. “Tell him to go ahead and join the others in the caves; we’ll keep an eye on things from up here since we can fly!” NiGHTS advised Captain N. 

“...How about you join the others? NiGHTS and I can keep an eye out from up here, in case anyone tries to follow you down there.” Captain N relayed to Falco. “Do you even know how to fly?” Falco asked.

“I’ll help you figure that out, don’t worry!” NiGHTS assured Captain N.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got it under control.” Captain N tried to assure Falco. He wasn’t swayed.

“Is he always this stubborn?” NiGHTS asked Captain N. He ignored their question. “Falco, you’re gonna need an eye in the skies with everyone else going down in there. It would be really easy for Bowser or whoever to sneak up on you and corner everyone down there.” He insisted. Falco sighed. “Fine, but stay nearby.” He relented. “We will, don’t worry!” He assured him, before Falco jumped down and into the caves. After a moment, silence returned to the area, leaving Captain N in his new body with NiGHTS in his mind.

“Soooo… whaddya wanna do?” NiGHTS asked him. “We’re supposed to stay out here and keep an eye out, like we said we would.” Captain N reminded them. He could almost sense NiGHTS groaning in his mind. “But that’s boring!” NiGHTS complained. Captain N chuckled at the sudden complaint. “Well, yeah, saving the world isn’t really supposed to be fun.” Captain N rebutted. “But this isn’t saving the world, this is sitting around and waiting for something to happen!” NiGHTS said. Captain N groaned and hung his new head. “Well then, what do you want to do?” Captain N asked NiGHTS. “I wanna actually see this wonderful place! Now that those Koopa creeps and their awful weapons are gone, I can freely explore!” NiGHTS answered. 

Captain N looked up to get a good look at the Glade of Dreams before him. He took a moment to appreciate the scenic beauty of the island. Even though he already admired the foliage and lakes when venturing to the cave entrance, he really appreciated being able to slow down and just breathe. Even though a little part of him remained on edge in case Zelda’s voice decided to manifest in his head alongside NiGHTS’, he savored the sensation of the tropical air, along with the colorful horizon and the sound of the waves gently crashing against the shoreline. From here, the world-threatening conflict of Bowser and King K. Rool seemed so far away.

“Come on, we’ll ‘keep an eye out’, I’ll teach you how to fly, and we can stop and smell the flowers for once!” NiGHTS insisted. Captain N silently cursed at NiGHTS for weakening him with the beautiful scenery, making him more susceptible to the idea.

“I heard that.” NiGHTS informed him, with an unimpressed tone.

Right, should’ve known that.

Captain N groaned and flopped onto his back with a groan. “Fine, you win.” He relented. “Oh, goodie!” NiGHTS cheered. “First things first, you gotta stand up.” 

“Do I have to? It’s really comfy down here.” Captain N jokingly asked. “Nuh-uh! We can’t ‘keep an eye out’ rolling around in the dirt. And by the way, that’s MY outfit you’re getting dirt all over.” NiGHTS reminded him. Captain N gently laughed and stood up, dusting off NiGHTS’ body.

“Next, stand by the ledge.” NiGHTS instructed.

He did as he was told. He looked down and assessed how hurt he could get if he fell. From his estimate, he’d break an arm or a leg, worst case scenario.

“Now believe you can fly.”

“How do I do that?”

“I can’t tell you that! You gotta believe!” 

Captain N reluctantly nodded, closed his eyes, steadied his breathing and spread his arms out like wings.

“I believe I can fly… I believe I can fly… I believe I can fly…” Captain N slowly repeated to himself. 

“Now jump!”

“What a-”

“Don’t think! Just believe and jump!”

Captain N hastily nodded, clamped his eyes shut, and leapt off the ledge.

All he could feel was the sensation of falling. He didn’t know how far away the ground was, but suddenly he felt his descent slow before he hit the ground.

“Hey, I kinda did it!” Captain N cheered.

“Actually, no you didn’t. I just slowed you down enough to not hurt us both too bad.” NiGHTS corrected. Captain N slumped back down onto the ground defeatedly.

“Hey, you can do it next time, I bet! You just can’t hesitate.” NiGHTS said. “Yeah, got it, Peter Pan.” Captain N remarked as he got back up. 

“Huh?” NiGHTS asked, confused. 

Captain N then remembered what planet he was on.

“...Never mind.” He waved it away.

He noticed the cave entrance where his teammates went into. He couldn’t hear anything from the cave, which he couldn’t decide was assuring or worrying.

“Hey, Princess Zelda’s got telepathy. If she needs your help, she’ll let you know.” NiGHTS reminded him. He nodded in reluctant agreement and looked up at the ledge above.

“Gotta believe.” Captain N quietly repeated himself.

He hurried back up the ledge, looking down below again. This time, he won’t take the time to steady himself. He backed away from the ledge and sprinted to the ledge. The moment his feet left the ground, he spread his arms out like wings, keeping his eyes open this time. 

This time, he didn’t fall.

He continued on, still in the air. 

The sensation of the wind flowing across his body as he soared through the air was nothing short of incredible. He couldn’t help but laugh victoriously as he looked ahead.

“There you go, you’re doing it!” NiGHTS congratulated him.

Captain N nodded with a grin spread across his face. He soon found that he could maneuver his body in order to move around in the air. He arched his chest up and soared higher into the air. The atmosphere around him grew a little colder, but he didn’t care. He rolled around and flew on his back, as if sunbathing in the air.

Then he got an idea.

As he flew over a marsh, he rolled his body around and held one fist in front of him, flying through the air like Superman. He laughed to himself, immensely enjoying the sensation. “Nothing else like it, huh?” NiGHTS asked him. He shook his head, still grinning like a maniac. His confidence grew faster than it ever did at Midnight Lights High School. He dove through the air, twisting and turning with enthusiasm and proficiency. He hit a few tree branches when he got closer to the ground. “Hey, watch out! You’re piloting for two, you know!” NiGHTS jokingly reminded him. 

As Captain N flew NiGHTS’ body through the air, the sounds of trees crashing down behind him caught his attention. He floated in the air and looked down to see a large, orange skinned person wearing boxing trunks knocking down trees while carrying a large amount of various fruits. “We should probably check that out.” Captain N suggested. “Good idea.” NiGHTS agreed.

Captain N carefully flew down in front of the large, orange person. It was then that he noticed this person didn’t have a nose. He had a silver crown and two large teeth jutting out from the lower jaw, like inverse buck teeth. “Excuse me, uh… mister, why are you tearing down those trees?” Captain N asked the large man, who only grunted in an annoyed tone and continued on. 

“Oh, I know who that is! That’s King Hippo!” NiGHTS realized. “Who’s King Hippo?” Captain N asked them, watching King Hippo trudge through the forest. “He’s one of the best boxers in the world! ...Well, not really. Only on the Minor Circuit. He’s supposed to live on Hippo Island, so why is he here?” NiGHTS answered, wondering to themself. “How do you know who King Hippo is? Didn’t you say you live in the Night Dimension?” Captain N asked NiGHTS. “Aspiring boxers dream about winning the big title, and King Hippo was one of the people that kept popping up in their dreams.” NiGHTS answered.

Captain N decided to save the rest of his questions for another time and darted in front of King Hippo. “Hey, uh, I know someone, her name’s Betilla, she lives on this island and I don’t think she’d appreciate you not tearing the place apart.” He spoke up. King Hippo looked down on him, grunted, and continued on by shoving him aside.

“We better get a look at where he’s going.” NiGHTS suggested. “Yeah, good idea.” Captain N agreed, and after initially stumbling, flew back up into the air. He followed King Hippo from outside the boxer’s vision, and soon realized where he was heading. 

The Wavebird.

A massive pile of other fruits had been amassed beside the rear of the ship, as well as some scuffing on the exterior, indicating King Hippo had tried to get in with force. Captain N knew that if he kept trying to get in, the Wavebird could sustain too much damage to fly, and they’d be trapped on the island.

“We gotta stop him from getting in!” Captain N declared. Before NiGHTS could vocalize their agreement, Captain N dove down to confront King Hippo. The landing was flawed, and stumbled and fell over on the landing. King Hippo noticed the commotion while adding the fruits to his pile. Upon turning around to see what it was, he grunted in annoyance upon seeing NiGHTS again. 

“Hey! You can’t go in there!” Captain N declared. King Hippo ignored him and tried banging on the rear hatch of the Wavebird some more. Captain N got closer and tried to pull King Hippo away from the ship. “Come on, can’t you just eat somewhere else?” He asked. King Hippo responded by turning around and punching him in the face. Captain N fell to the ground and clutched his face, still not entirely used to not having a nose anymore.

“Try to be careful, Cap’n. That’s MY body, you’re putting in danger.” NiGHTS reminded him. “Yeah, I know.” Captain N said. King Hippo continued to bang on the Wavebird’s hull. Captain N stood back up and tried to float in front of him, but the pain in his face was too distracting, and so only meekly hopped into the air. 

“What should I do?” Captain N asked NiGHTS. “Try distracting him! Annoy him into chasing us and getting him away from your starship!” NiGHTS answered. Captain N nodded in agreement, picked up a nearby rock, and flung it at King Hippo’s head. The rock struck King Hippo’s head, and ended up knocking his crown off his head. He immediately noticed this. He spun around with an angry look on his face, saw NiGHTS, and charged.

“Run! No, wait, fly!” NiGHTS urged Captain N. He rapidly scrambled onto his feet and darted off, occasionally trying to fly again. But the remaining sting of the punch and the panic of King Hippo chasing them was too distracting. When he eventually did gain flight, King Hippo caught NiGHTS’ leg and swung them into a tree. The resulting impact knocked the wind out of Captain N, who crawled away while ineptly weezing for air. Captain N tried to reach for his Zapper to aim at King Hippo, but remembered that he was in NiGHTS’ body, and so didn’t have access to his Zapper. King Hippo stomped after the two-in-one as Captain N desperately tried to come up with what to do next.

“What’s your plan now?” NiGHTS worriedly asked Captain N. “I kinda know how to box, just gimme some time.” He gasped, slowly regaining his strength. His side stung with unbearable soreness, but he could only crawl away from King Hippo. Hiding in the foliage slowed King Hippo, but not by much. 

After coming to an impassable cliff face, he knew he had to turn around and fight. He locked eyes with the snarling King Hippo as he used the wall to steady his footing. King Hippo put up his fists like a boxer, and so did Captain N. King Hippo swung his fist at them, but Captain N dodged out of the way and delivered a right hook to King Hippo’s face. But this wasn’t nearly as helpful as he had hoped it would be. Captain N had gotten too used to wearing his Power Glove, as now his punch wasn’t nearly as powerful as it was before. As he wrung out NiGHTS’ hand, King Hippo punched them in the gut again, this time flooring them. 

Captain N curled up on the dirt, clutching his stomach. The soreness he felt destroying the generator returned in a new form. He could sense King Hippo looming over him, breathing heavily. “What’s your plan now?” NiGHTS asked him. “We need to split…” Captain N groaned. “Ooh, good idea!” NiGHTS agreed. King Hippo grabbed NiGHTS’ body and lifted it up into the air with an angry snarl. Captain N could only brace for impact, but his vision was obscured by a bright light again, and before he knew it, he flopped onto the ground, back into his own body.

NiGHTS shot up into the air, away from King Hippo’s reach. As he ineptly jumped up and down trying to reach them, Captain N felt up his own body to make sure everything was in order. Sure enough, his nose, hair, head shape, clothes and weapons were all just as he left them when he and NiGHTS dualized. He also noticed he was feeling better than before, and NiGHTS seemed to be doing alright with the sustained pain. Determined to help his new ally, Captain N shot to his feet and got King Hippo’s attention.

“Hey, fun size!” Captain N yelled. King Hippo turned around, and Captain N swung his Power Glove-clad hand right into his stomach.

This time, he felt it.

King Hippo doubled over and fell to the ground. NiGHTS floated back down next to Captain N. “You feeling alright?” Captain N asked them. “Eh, I’ve been better.” NiGHTS admitted, rubbing their side. “Yeahhhh, sorry about that…” Captain N sheepishly apologized. 

Before NiGHTS could accept his apology, King Hippo got back up, ready for more. As he glared at the two, Captain N and NiGHTS looked to each other, both thinking the same thing: split up.

Captain N darted to the left while NiGHTS flew to the right, just as King Hippo was about to smash his fists down on them. He then spun around in confusion, not sure who to go after. NiGHTS flew around and kicked King Hippo in the head while Captain N struck him behind his knees. King Hippo fell to the ground, NiGHTS flew down and double-punched him in the face, Captain N punched him in the gut, and he was knocked unconscious.

The two stepped back and slumped against the cliff face. NiGHTS weakly chuckled. “Well… that wasn’t so bad, huh?” They joked. Captain N laughed in good nature. “That was a… really unique experience.” He remarked. “How do you think I felt? I was in the passenger seat of my own brain!” NiGHTS reminded him. “Hey, you’re the one that started it. I didn’t even know what dualizing is.” Captain N reminded him. “Yeah, yeah…” NiGHTS waved off.

The two sat in silence and watched the beach for a while before Captain N spoke up again.

“…Hey, did you see me in anyone’s dreams?” He asked. NiGHTS nodded. “Oh, yeah! A ton of people look up to you. They were super impressed by how you gave King Dedede what was coming to him. You’re a real inspiration to them.” 

Captain N felt a warm feeling was over him as he sat back against the cliff face. To think he would ever become someone of such status, to be an inspiration to anyone, much less an entire world. He never thought he would ever get to this point, but life has been jumping through hoops to surprise him lately.

“…I’ve seen your dreams, too.” NiGHTS added. Captain N looked over at them, with his pride turning to worry.

“…What did you see?” He nervously asked.

“…Your home.”

Captain N looked down at the dirt, and the two remained silent for a moment.

“…It’s only human to be homesick, especially when you’re so far away from home.” NiGHTS reminded him. “But I’m supposed to be better than this. I’ve got the weight of this world on my shoulders.” Captain N rebutted. “Not just your shoulders. Princess Zelda, Pit, Falco, even me!” NiGHTS reminded him. Captain N still looked down at the ground, but nodded. “…Yeah, I do.” He admitted, still harboring his inner doubts about himself.

“Captain! Captain, where are you?” Zelda’s voice suddenly spoke to him in his head. He shot up and cleared his throat. “I-I’m by the Wavebird with NiGHTS, what is it? Are you okay?” He thought to her.

“You two need to get over here, now!”

“Got it, on our way.” Captain N confirmed, then looked to NiGHTS. “The others need us, we need to move.” He informed them. NiGHTS floated up into the air. “Ready?” They asked him.

“Ready.” Captain N answered, and the two dualized.

Chapter Text

As wonderfully liberating as it felt to soar through the open air of Yamajiro with the ease and grace that NiGHTS provided, Captain N couldn’t indulge in this feeling. His mind was filled with thoughts on what could be happening to Zelda, Pit, Falco, and Betilla down in the Caves of Skops. She sounded really worried, he thought to himself. After everything they went through together, beyond just the Koopa and Kremlings, what could make her sound so worried?

She didn’t even get to describe what he and NiGHTS were in for once they swooped in. For all he knew, Bowser or King K. Rool could have set up an ambush. They could have somehow intercepted the rudimentary plans the Super Smash Brothers made and set a death trap for them all, down where they couldn’t possibly hope for help or escape.

Did something happen to her?

Did something happen to the others?

“You know, worrying too much isn’t gonna help you.” NiGHTS said to him, inside his mind. This remark caught Captain N off guard, almost to the point of losing his grace and plummeting. His flight did wobble a bit, akin to one of the Wright brother’s earlier attempts at flight.

“What are you talking about?” Captain N said aloud to NiGHTS.

“Well, you can’t really do anything right now, right?” NiGHTS rhetorically asked him.

“I’m trying to; I’m flying as fast as I can.” Captain N retorted.

“That’s not what I mean. If you can’t do anything right now, you better save your energy for when you actually can do something. Falco and Zelda are gonna need Captain N at his best.” NiGHTS elaborated.

Captain N took a moment to think about this. As tough as it was to just stop worrying about his friends when they’re possibly in danger of serious injury, or even death, he knew what NiGHTS was saying was right. The more he worried about this, the weaker his resolve would become. And if his resolve was too weak, he’d be too weak to actually help out with whatever they were fighting against.

They need Captain N as strong as he can be.

This whole world does.

He took a deep breath and gently nodded.

“...You’re right.” He relented.

“I know I’m right. You were thinking that a few seconds ago.” NiGHTS reminded him. Captain N weakly chuckled, his worries beginning to fade. “Right, I keep forgetting that.” He remarked.

“Well, chin up, hero, ‘cause we’re getting closer to the cave’s entrance.” NiGHTS let him know. Captain N turned the head of NiGHTS’ body to look ahead, and sure enough, NiGHTS’ claims were confirmed. Getting clearer in his vision was the ledge he practiced flying on, right above the entrance to the Caves of Skops. The roots of worry were beginning to worm their way through his brain once more as he instinctively began to wonder once again what could be waiting for him within the darkness, but NiGHTS was quick to respond.

“Hey, we’ve got this.” NiGHTS reassured him.

“...Yeah, we do.” Captain N agreed.

Without breaking pace, Captain N piloted NiGHTS into a descent from the air. He couldn’t stop to admire the exotic foliage. His focus was solely on the cave before him.

“Ready?” Captain N asked his mental companion.

“Ready, Captain!” NiGHTS said with determination.

NiGHTS’ body swooped down into the cave entrance, submerging the two sharing a body into the shadows of stalactites and stalagmites.

But what caught Captain N off guard was how he wasn’t met with pitch black.

Instead, his, or rather NiGHTS’ eyes were met with a fully-lit, colorful view of the intricate rock formations of the Caves of Skops. Captain N almost stopped flying and felt his mouth fall agape as he took in the sights all around him.

“Oh, yeah, I can see in the dark. It’s a pretty cool perk of the job.” NiGHTS informed Captain N. He figured someone who dealt with the dreams of people would need to be able to see in the dark. But he stopped thinking about that. He’ll worry about that later.

“Can you hear anything?” Captain N asked NiGHTS. “I hear what you hear. We’re sharing bodies.” NiGHTS reminded him.

“Just let me know if you hear anything.” Captain N requested.

“Can do.” NiGHTS replied.

Captain N continued into the cave, NiGHTS’ eyes darting around in every direction. The further the two traveled into the cave, the more labyrinthine it became. Paths descending deeper in the earth splintered off into more paths, with most of them leading to dead ends. And every time Captain N realized he made a wrong turn and turned around, he lost track of where exactly he came from and became even more lost.

With each wrong turn, Captain N’s patience drained exponentially. He couldn’t afford to waste a single second. With every passing moment, Pit, Zelda, Falco, and Betilla were at risk of losing whatever conflict they were tied up in, and he dreaded to imagine what losing could entail.

Upon making yet another wrong turn, Captain N dropped onto the ground and loudly exclaimed in frustration.

“Zelda! Pit! Super Smash Brothers, where are you!?” He cried out, still slightly surprised to hear NiGHTS’ voice speak his words.

“Hey, come on, I’m worried too, but you’re not gonna get anywhere-”

“I know!” Captain N cried out, interrupting NiGHTS. As he paced around and nervously glanced around, he spotted something that stuck out in the cave: a series of cables running down another path.

The power cables!

Captain N felt really stupid for forgetting that the four followed the power cables down to the source of the Glade of Dreams’ troubles.

“NiGHTS, why didn’t you tell me to follow the cables?” He interrogated his mental companion.

“I’m sorry, but King Hippo gave me a real beating back there. I was more focused on dealing with the soreness.” NiGHTS replied defensively.

Captain N couldn’t even take a moment to smack his forehead. He immediately dashed down the path that the cables were descending into. He wasn’t even flying, he was sprinting as fast as NiGHTS’ long, slender legs could take him. But NiGHTS’ legs were clearly not built for running. The dream master’s small feet were prone to slipping across the more smooth rocks in the cave, much to NiGHTS’ ire.

“Hey, careful! That’s not your body you’re throwing around!” NiGHTS sternly reminded him. Captain N ignored him. He was getting closer, and he knew it. With every ledge he slid down and every crevice he squeezed NiGHTS’ body through, he felt his anticipation rising. He knew he was getting closer to the bottom of the cave when he began to see pools of crystal-clear cave water. Some even had water dripping down onto them from the stalactites above.

But those sounds were soon replaced by the faint noises of a fiery conflict in the distance.

Captain N practically leapt down into the clearing that the cables ran into. He and NiGHTS were met with the sight of Zelda, Falco, Pit, and Betilla fighting a giant yellow man with no head and a single eye on its chest, standing firmly in front of a generator setup.

“We’re here, don’t worry!” Captain N cried out, again in NiGHTS’ voice. Zelda, Pit, and Falco spun around in surprise as Betilla fluttered around, trying to avoid the yellow man’s swipes. “Where’s Captain N!?” Falco yelled at NiGHTS, and unknowingly Captain N.

“Dude, it IS me!” Captain N insisted holding his hands up defensively. “I know who you are, NiGHTS, but what happened to Captain N? You know, red jacket, blue jeans, got a laser gun and gray glove?” Pit interrogated them further as he swooped over to them.

“We need to stay focused!” Zelda cried out to them as she used her magic to deflect strikes from the yellow man.

“Sh-She’s right, you know!” Betilla

“We NEED to find out what Mr. Dream over here did to Mr. Our-Only-Hope-Of-Saving-This-Planet!” Falco shot back at her, seemingly having forgotten about the matter at hand. “Now where’s Captain N? Or are you working with Bowser?” Pit unknowingly leered at his ally.

Captain N began backing up. He was about to explain the situation and separate from NiGHTS, but his attention was drawn to something behind them.

It looked like several yellow cannonballs were launched at the three.

“Look out!” Betilla cried out.

Falco, Pit, and Captain N (as well as NiGHTS) couldn’t react fast enough. The moment Pit and Falco spun around, they were struck by the yellow cannonballs several times, knocking them onto the ground with painful groans. Captain N and NiGHTS didn’t fare much better. The pain of being hit in the stomach, chest, legs, and face was shared between the two. Before he knew it, Captain N was on the ground, sore all over.

“Don’t say anything.” Captain N muttered to NiGHTS.

“It’s my body, I’ll say what I want.” NiGHTS groaned.

“Hey, I’ll say whatever I want to you.” Falco snarled at NiGHTS’ body.

“Alright, here we go.” Captain N groaned. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A single instant later, he felt the air shift around him, and was back on the ground. Clenching his right fist, he could feel his hand covered by the Power Glove he had gotten so used to.

He was back in his own body, and NiGHTS got their body back.

“How’re you feeling, NiGHTS?” Captain N asked them as he got back onto his feet.

“Ugh… I’ll be fine, just gimme a sec.” NiGHTS replied with a slightly strained voice.

“Oh, hey Cap! Where’d you come from?” Pit piped up, dropping his suspicions in an instant.

“Worry about that later! Behind you!” Falco shouted at them.

Captain N, Pit, and NiGHTS were quicker to reach this time. The yellow man had picked up a frighteningly large chunk of stalagmite and hoisted it up over its body. But Zelda was quick, and with a single wave of her hands, used her magic powers to pull its arms apart, making the chunk of rock fall onto its body. Captain N suspected it would let out a loud groan of pain if it could, but just stumbled backwards, stepping into the cave water.

“What is that thing?” Captain N asked his teammates as Betilla fluttered around weakly, trying to open the monster up for Zelda to attack it with her magic. From the experiences he’s had in this world during the past almost three weeks, he learned he wasn’t safe to assume anything.

“We’re, uh, not really sure.” Pit admitted. “Yeah, first time I’ve ever seen that thing.” Falco added.

“I’d much rather you worry about that later!” Zelda yelled at them, trying to restrain the yellow monster as it pushed on out of the cave water. Captain N leapt into action, joining Falco and Pit as they dashed towards their monstrous foe. NiGHTS struggled slightly to get back on their feet, but once they were standing up, they were back to floating through the air, back in their element.

“So what’s the plan?” Captain N asked the others, clutching his Remote Sword in his bare hand and ready for action.

“We’re still- eep! Working on that!” Betilla shakily replied, trying to avoid the yellow monster’s attacks. One punch just barely grazed her dragonfly-esque wings and struck the rock wall with a powerful thud upon impact.

“Don’t worry, I’m coming!” NiGHTS called out to her, swooping through the air and darting around the yellow monster’s body. Sure enough, the purple figure flashing in and out of its vision was enough to grab its attention, allowing Betilla a precious few moments to catch her breath.

Captain N figured he’d make a plan of his own. Igniting the pure white laser blade of the Remote Sword, he saw an opening created by NiGHTS and dashed in. But when he tried to slash at the yellow man’s leg, the blade just passed through its leg like a hot knife through butter, as he expected it would, but the leg simply reformed around the blade as if he never struck it. He stood there puzzled and at a complete loss for what to do next, which inadvertently left him open for an attack, which the yellow man took. With a strong kick delivered to his stomach, Captain N was sent flying backward, collapsing onto the ground.

“This thing’s practically invulnerable! We’ve been trying to take this thing down and we haven’t made a dent!” Pit cried out to Captain N. “Yeah, got it.” He groaned as he struggled to get back onto his feet.

“That’s quitter talk!” NiGHTS retorted, gracefully floating through the air and avoiding the yellow man’s punches. “Easy for you to say!” Falco snarked at them while firing a few blasts from his pistol at the monster. “Lombardi! Focus your aggression on the enemy!” Zelda scolded him, trying with all her might to restrain the yellow giant with her magic. Betilla had regained enough of her strength to get back in the air and help NiGHTS distract the monster, allowing the four on the ground to regroup.

“So… are you guys SURE he’s invulnerable?” Captain N asked his three fellow Super Smash Brothers.

The three shared a look before turning back to him and saying “Yes.” simultaneously.

Captain N turned back to NiGHTS and Betilla dodging around the yellow giant’s attacks. The more he got a good look at their menacing foe, the more he noticed how fluid its body was. Despite how firm its strikes were, the body seemed to shift about, taking whatever form it needed. Its arms would retract back into its body like lemonade being poured into a pool, only to shoot back out and take a swipe at Betilla and NiGHTS. Captain N began to feel less confident in his ability to stop this monster. Out of all the villain’s he’s faced, none of them could be described as gelatinous.

Not in a respectful manner, anyway.

But his attention was drawn to the single eye in the chest of the yellow body. It stuck out to him as a pretty obvious possible weak spot.

“What about the eye?” He asked them.

“We tried that. Didn’t work.” Falco rebutted him.

“Only Pit was able to get close enough to it, along with NiGHTS and Betilla, but it’s fast enough to counter all of our attempts to attack it.” Zelda elaborated.

“Or if it gets a good look at you.” Pit added.

“Even if I use my magic to try to create a window of attack, it will break free of my restraints within moments.” Zelda said.

Captain N wasn’t ready to just give up on this. If he can take down a T-Rex, then this yellow thing can’t be impossible to take down, either.

“But there’s six of us. If you guys could keep that thing distracted for just a moment, I could blast it with one of my Boosters.” Captain N pleaded.

“One problem with that plan: you’re the only one who doesn’t have to get all ‘up close and personal’ with that thing.” Falco reminded him. Captain N rolled his eyes. This wasn’t the time to argue, so he found this an appropriate time to relent his position.

“Alright then, Zelda can probably do some damage with her magic. Pit, that bow of yours still good?” Captain N asked him.

“You know it, Captain!” Pit cheerfully confirmed.

“Alright, you two toss a coin or something and decide who’s taking the shot. Falco, you’re with me. Let’s go!” He declared, drawing his Fire and Ice Boosters and running back to the monster. Falco wanted to make some remark about Captain N still requiring him to get close to the yellow giant, but just turned back to Pit and Zelda and said “You two better choose soon.” before he ran back into the action.

The yellow giant noticed Captain N and Falco as soon as they joined the fray, and wasted no time in retaliating. Chunks of the monster’s yellow body began to rapidly shoot out like globs of goo, but striking NiGHTS, Betilla, Falco, and Captain N with roughly the force of a bowling ball. NiGHTS’ graceful flight was rudely interrupted when they were sent back down to the rock floor beneath them, groaning in pain. Betilla collapsed with similar gracelessness. It took Captain N a moment to recover after being struck in the gut, but he saw where the blobs of the beast were headed. It noticed Pit and Zelda were standing in the far corner of the clearing, and must have put together that they were planning to attack it from afar. The blobs that shot out from its body began to reform into the yellow giant, but right in front of where the two designated ranged attackers were. Pit was quick to dart away, but Zelda wasn’t as quick to react. The monster curled its fingers and swung a punch at Zelda, but she was able to raise her arms and create a magical barrier fast enough to shield herself.

“Glad you could join the party.” NiGHTS weakly remarked to Captain N. “Ugh, this is pointless! That thing’s just gonna keep doing that and we can’t even scrape it!” Betilla complained as she slowly got back to her feet and fixed her wings. “Whining’s not gonna get you anywhere.” Falco groaned. “Come on, that kind of attitude’s not gonna get you anywhere.” Captain N insisted, recovering from the attack. “They called an optometrist, and I’m not leaving until I perform my operation on that thing.”

“Forget the plan! Just do what you can!” Zelda yelled out to the others. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind!” NiGHTS said, shooting back into the air, spinning like a corkscrew, and shooting right at the yellow giant’s eye. Unfortunately, the eye of the monster shifted slightly downward so NiGHTS would get firmly stuck inside the yellow mass that made up the giant’s body. All NiGHTS could do was flail their legs around ineptly as they tried to get free. Captain N could faintly hear a request for help in the tone of NiGHTS’ voice. Betilla and Zelda combined their magic in an attempt to make a dent in its semi-gelatinous body, but barely fazed it.

As Falco and Pit danced around its attacks and placed shots where they could, Captain N realized that maybe if he froze it in place, that could stop the yellow giant from splinting into a dozen pieces again. So he planted his feet firmly in place, farther away from the action, held his Ice Booster firmly, and kept his eyes peeled for the perfect moment to strike.

“How about some time today!?” Falco yelled back at him, not breaking his focus. “Hey, no complaining allowed!” Betilla shot back at the pilot. NiGHTS was still flailing about, unable to get free from the yellow giant. “Guys, come on! Just stay focused on keeping it busy!” Pit pleaded with them. Zelda was far too focused on keeping herself shielded from its each and every attack to chime in on their debate.

Captain N’s breathing slowed as he focused on the eye. Pit and Betilla flying around made getting a lock on the giant’s eye difficult, made even more difficult by the fear of hitting NiGHTS. But his focus remained absolute.

And so he waited.

And waited.

But then he got his opening.

He shot a powerful, freezing-cold beam out from his Ice Booster directly at the yellow giant’s sole eye. As soon as the beam made contact, the yellow giant recoiled, staggering backwards and falling onto the ground with a loud thud.

“Nice shot, Captain!” Pit congratulated him.

“Attack!” Zelda exclaimed.

With a blinding flash of lights of colors, Betilla, Pit, Falco, and Zelda focused their attacks directly onto the monster’s eye. NiGHTS was able to finally pry themselves free from the body, only narrowly avoiding getting hit in the crossfire. “Hey! Careful!” NiGHTS reminded them, but to no avail. They flew up into the air, but noticed something at the very top of the opening.

“Hey, Cap’n, up there!” NiGHTS pointed out to Captain N. Captain N looked up at the ceiling, and in between the stalactites dangling down and posing a danger to anyone below if they fell, was what looked like a mechanical platform suspended from the ceiling. The other four were too busy ensuring that the yellow giant doesn’t get up again to notice, so it fell to those two to investigate.

“Wanna dualize again?” NiGHTS offered. Captain N shook his need. “No need. Race you up there!” He challenged them. He put his two Boosters in his back pockets, pulled his Remote Sword out, and shot a grappling line up to the ceiling. He was then pulled up to the ceiling by retracting the line, but NiGHTS was quicker. Just before Captain N could get to the platform, he heard a slight scuffle going on between NiGHTS and whoever was up there. But once he did land on the platform with a loud clang, he saw NiGHTS leering at a white and black colored Koopaling with a black star over its right eye.

“I don’t suppose you’re here to help.” Captain N surmised, approaching the Koopaling while clutching his Remote Sword.

“He’s controlling that thing down there with the control deck behind him!” NiGHTS asserted, pointing at the blocks of technology that the Koopaling was trying to hide.

“So what if I was? It’s working your buddies down there over real good!” The Koopaling taunted them. “And that’s Morton to you-”

Morton’s taunting was cut short with NiGHTS flying up behind him and wrapping their arms under Morton’s, hoisting him up into the air.

“Wanna break his toys?” NiGHTS cheekily offered.

“Why, I’d be delighted to.” Captain N grinned, igniting the laser blade on his Remote Sword. “You do that, you’re gonna regret it!” Morton tried to warn him, but wasn’t intimidating enough due to how he weakly kicked about, trying to get free of NiGHTS’ grasp.

Captain N unleashed a flurry of slashes and stabs onto the computer equipment, completely destroying it. Morton kicked his legs even more, crying out in frustration. Almost instantly, the commotion at the bottom of the opening ceased, followed by Pit awkwardly asking “So… is it dead?”

“That stuff wasn’t cheap! Doctor Wily’s gonna be so mad when he learns you broke his Yellow Devil!” Morton warned him. NiGHTS shook their head.

“Wanna get a few hits in? You know, even things out?” NiGHTS cheekily offered.

“You better no-” Morton tried to warn him, but was cut off by Captain N punching him in the gut. NiGHTS jokingly tut-tuted his action.

“Oh, come on, Captain, you can hit harder than that!” They goaded him on.

So Captain N hit Morton a few more times. A couple were in the gut, and a couple were in the face. Morton tried to resist, but to no avail.

“Come on, one more!” NiGHTS insisted. Captain N wound up his next punch in a comical, over-exaggerated manner before striking Morton one last time. Upon contact, NiGHTS finally let go of Morton, letting him fall to the bottom of the cave opening.

When Captain N and NiGHTS slowly followed him to meet everyone else, they found them surrounding Morton with foul looks on their faces. Morton weakly turned around and nervously chuckled.

“Uh… is it too late to apologize?”

Chapter Text

As Pit and Betilla were focused on tying the restraints around Morton’s wrists, Falco and Zelda approached Captain N and NiGHTS.

“We’re really sorry we couldn’t make it here sooner, we got held up protecting the Wavebird from trouble.” Captain N apologized to his allies. “We’re just grateful you made it in time to help us, that monster’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.” Zelda replied, wiping some sweat from her forehead. Falco leered at the two, not saying anything.

“...Is something wrong, Falco?” Captain N asked him. Falco briefly looked at him, then to NiGHTS, then back at Captain N.

“We’ll talk later.” Falco said, walking over to where Morton was restrained. “Don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere.” Pit assured him. “Yeah, we tied him up real good!” Betilla confirmed. Falco gave them a firm nod as he loomed over the Koopaling.

“Hey, turtle-boy.” He said to him, snapping his feathered fingers in front of Morton’s face. Morton was a little dazed after being so roughed-up, but sat up in surprise.

“Wh-Whaddya want?”

“That yellow thing over there. Where’d you get it?” Falco barked at him, pointing his thumb at the yellow pile of goo that used to be the giant monster that threatened the Super Smash Brothers.

“I ain’t telling you. You Smashed-Up Brothers don’t scare me one bit!” Morton retorted. NiGHTS, Zelda, and Captain N gathered around Morton.

“It would be… unbecoming of me, but I could use my magic to make him more cooperative.” Zelda offered, unsure she could carry out such a morally-gray offer. “Thanks, but I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Captain N assured her.

NiGHTS floated over to Morton and peered deep into his eyes. “Hmm, I bet I could get you to talk!” NiGHTS declared. Morton chortled, unintimidated by the floating purple being before him.

“Oh, yeah? Bowser’s way scarier than you! There’s no way I’m telling you anything!” Morton smugly informed them. But just as Captain N was about to unholster his Zapper and get more personal with the Koopaling, NiGHTS raised an eyebrow with a grin.

“Wanna bet?” NiGHTS asked him.

Before Morton could answer, NiGHTS grabbed Morton and flew him out of the cave at a rapid speed. The five that were left standing there stood silently for a few moments, processing what just happened.

“So… what do we do now?” Betilla asked the group.

Falco turned to glare at Captain N. “What kept you and him so long?” He interrogated him.

“Them.” Captain N corrected Falco.

“WHATEVER. What was so important that you left us to almost get beaten to a pulp by that giant thing?” Falco pressed further.

Captain N threw his arms up in exasperation. “The Wavebird was being attacked by some giant guy called King Hippo. We had to work together to get this whole ‘dualizing’ thing down and make sure we can get off the island and get back to kicking Koopa ass. I figured you’d appreciate that.”

“Really? You seem pretty spotless for someone who just had a throwdown with a guy called ‘King Hippo’.” Falco shot back.

“King Hippo? I know that guy! Little Mac fought him back when he was in the Minor Circuit!” Pit excitedly interjected. Captain N motioned to him, hoping Falco would be more persuaded, but this apparently did very little to help.

“Would you rather just tell us what you’re so irritated about?” Zelda asked Falco.

“I don’t trust NiGHTS.” Falco firmly stated.

Betilla was more surprised by this statement than anyone else, judging by the way she floated up into the air slightly higher as her eyes widened.

“What!? Why not? He’s been my only help on this whole island ever since Bowser and those other tyrants took over the planet!” She asked him.

“NiGHTS’ been shifty ever since we met THEM.” Falco retorted, shooting that last word at Captain N, who remained undeterred. “I don’t like the way NiGHTS combined with Captain N. How do we know NiGHTS didn’t mess with his head at all? NiGHTS could’ve been implanting thoughts or erasing memories. Besides, someone who messes around with dreams is immediately suspicious to me.” Falco asserted.

“Falco, NiGHTS has been nothing but helpful for all the time we’ve spent on the Glade of Dreams. I dualized with them twice, and I feel perfectly fine!” Captain N insisted. “And how would you know? If memories of crucial information got erased, you’d feel fine then, too.”

Captain N sputtered for a moment. As wrong as it felt, Falco had a point. When he was younger, he thought about what it would feel like to be abducted by aliens, have experiments done on him, and then have his memories erased. The thought of having his memories erased was a thought that’s kept him up for many nights as a boy.

“NiGHTS could’ve stolen information, too. Like where we’re headed next, or where our base is located.” Falco continued.

“If it would soothe your concerns, I could assess if Captain N’s mind was tampered with in any way.” Zelda offered, drawing Falco’s attention away from Captain N. Falco rolled his eyes and sighed. “Whatever. Fine.” He relented, stepping aside.

Zelda’s hands began to glow as she scanned Captain N’s head. His head started to feel lighter, and his thoughts soon got fuzzier. Within moments, Captain N started to feel really dizzy, struggling to stay standing in the same position. It almost felt like fingers were being ran through his brain, combing through each and every last fold in his gray matter.

Before he could fall over from the strange feeling, it suddenly stopped. His vision cleared as soon as the strange sensations in his mind cleared.

“He’s perfectly fine. There doesn’t appear to be anything that was tampered with or removed, concerning his memories.” Zelda concluded, wringing her wrist from the effort. While Betilla and Pit sighed in relief, Falco wasn’t concerned.

“Well, that’s good news! So we can trust NiGHTS after all!” Pit cheered. “Like I told you!” Betilla shot at Falco. He groaned and looked away. “I still think there’s something NiGHTS is keeping from us. They still could’ve copied down Captain N’s memories.”

Before the argument could continue, a terrified screaming sound could be heard coming from elsewhere in the cave. The five of them looked up quizzically and saw Morton come flying in, hitting the ground with a loud thud. NiGHTS floated to the ground much more gracefully, with a pleased expression on their face.

“Now, let’s try that again: where’d you get your friend over there from?” NiGHTS asked the quivering Morton with a smug tone.

“I-I-It’s called the Yellow Devil. Doctor Wily gave it to me to help hold down the fort in case you guys showed up!” Morton meekly answered.

Captain N, Zelda, Falco, and Pit got closer to Morton, eager to learn more about their enemies.

“Doctor Wily?” Captain N asked.

“Yellow Devil?” Zelda asked.

“Oh, I know them, they’re-” Pit was about to interject, but got shushed by Falco. “Let Morton talk.” He ordered him.

“Thank you, Falco.” NiGHTS politely thanked him. Falco scoffed at him and turned back to Morton.

“Th-The Yellow Devil’s one of Doctor Wily’s toughest inventions. It’s supposed to be adaptable, y-y’know? Like, it can change shape and stuff.” Morton continued through the trembling.

“But who’s Doctor Wily? And why’re they so interested in helping you out?” Captain N demanded to know.

Morton hesitated, trying to remain tough in the midst of these mounting threats. “Come onnnn, you don’t wanna go for another flying lesson, do you?” NiGHTS goaded him.

“Alright, alright!” Morton relented. “Doctor Wily was hired by Bowser and King K. Rool specifically to get rid of you!” He informed them, pointing at Captain N. “Looks like you’re famous.” Pit remarked.

“But why?” Captain N asked Morton.

There was a brief pause when everyone stopped to turn to look at him.

“Oh, right.” Captain N remembered, feeling silly.

“Do you know who else was hired?” Zelda asked Morton. Morton rapidly shook his head. “N-No! I-I only saw Doctor Wily once when he dropped off the Yellow Devil and the security systems! That kind of information’s classified!”

The group leered at him, expecting a better answer. NiGHTS was undeterred, patting Morton on the spiny shell on his back. “Don’t worry, he’s telling the truth!” NiGHTS let them know.

“Well, that’s better than nothing!” Pit piped up, maintaining his optimistic demeanor. “It sure is! This gives us a lead to get to Bowser and K. Rool.” Captain N added.

“So… what’s the plan now?” Betilla asked the team.

“We have a connection to our home base. We can keep the Yellow Devil and Morton there for further research.” Zelda decided. “Good idea, there’s probably a way for us to communicate with home base on the Wavebird. They’ll probably know more about Doctor Wily and the others that are involved.” Captain N agreed.

Pit dashed over to the large yellow puddle that used to be the Yellow Devil. When he tried to scoop it up into his arms, it spilled right back onto the ground like an extra-slippery liquid of some kind. “Uh, gonna need a little help here.” Pit informed the rest of the group, letting the remainder of the “liquid” drip from his fingers.

Captain N felt his leader instinct kick. He stepped towards the center of the room. “Zelda, Betilla, try to use your magic abilities to gather up what remains of the Yellow Devil. Pit, go with Falco to bring the Wavebird over to the mouth of the cave. NiGHTS and I will stay here to keep an eye on Morton. Sound good to everyone?” He asked the group.

After hearing several different voices confirm their approval of the plan, Captain N nodded and clapped his hands together. “Alright, let’s hop to it!” He proudly exclaimed.

“Race you to the cave entrance!” Pit challenged Falco shortly before zooming up back through the path through the cave. Falco huffed an annoyed breath of air before continuing back out of the cave, but not not before shooting NiGHTS a dirty look. NiGHTS was left standing there, confused by Falco’s sudden hostility. “What’s with him?” NiGHTS asked Captain N. For a brief a moment, Captain N remembered Falco’s words of caution against NiGHTS. He hesitated ever-so-slightly about being open with NiGHTS, but upon remembering the moment they shared on the beach after defeating King Hippo, he knew he could trust NiGHTS.

“...Nothing, don’t worry about it. He’s always a little rough around the edges, it’s just something you kinda gotta get used to.” He cheekily let NiGHTS know. NiGHTS snickered. “Oh, a sourpuss, huh?” They surmised. “Don’t let him hear you call him that, he’ll blow a fuse.” Captain N remarked.

Their conversation was halted by the sound of Betilla and Zelda exerting effort in using their magic to gather up all of the Yellow Devil’s puddle into a large, floating ball. “Perhaps it would be wise of you to go up there and meet Falco and Pit when they bring the Wavebird to us.” Zelda recommended. “Y-Yeah, and try to be quick!” Betilla added through gritted teeth. Captain N quickly nodded before stooping down over Morton.

“Hey, does it hurt when I do this?” He asked shortly before lifting the Koopaling up by the rim of his shell. Morton exclaimed in surprised upon being hoisted up off the ground by Captain N’s Power Glove-clad hand. “Not really…” Morton answered. “Alright then, away we go.” Captain N declared.

NiGHTS effortlessly floated up through the path they just went down to fight the Yellow Devil while Captain N trailed behind, groaning from the exertion of having to climb up through the cave while carrying Morton in his arm. Using the Remote Sword’s grappling hook only helped so much, with him using his good arm to carry his prisoner. Every now and again, his footing would slip on a jagged rock, making him tumble backwards and sometimes fall back down a ledge he just climbed up. The more this happened, the more frustrating it became for Captain N.

“Wanna dualize again? Looks like you’d do a lot better flying through here than using those legs of yours.” NiGHTS offered to him. Captain N shook his head. “Nah, carrying Morton is gonna be easier with this glove of mine. Thanks anyway, though.” He replied. At least making his way back up was easier, now that he knew to follow the cables towards the exit.

When Captain N came across a particularly large ledge, he knew he wouldn’t be able to climb while carrying Morton at the same time. Before he could let out any expression of annoyance, he got an idea.

“Hey Morton, on a scale of 1 to 10, how secure are those restraints on your wrists?” Captain N asked him. Morton was confused by this question, not entirely knowing where he was going with this, but he answered anyway.

“Uh… eight?”

“Good enough.” Captain N said. In that moment, Morton knew where this was going. But before he could react, Morton felt himself get wound up and then flung on top of the tall ledge that opposed him and Captain N. Morton cried out in surprise and slight fear as he soared through the air, only coming to a stop as he hit the ground above with a rather loud thud, unfortunately landing on his back.

Captain N quickly used the grappling hook on the Remote Sword to catch up to Morton. “You alright?” He asked him. Morton groaned as he tried to flip over as dignified as possible. “Ugh… I’m fine…” Morton muttered. “Glad to hear.” Captain N said as he picked Morton back up and continued his climb.

“Nice throw, Captain!” NiGHTS commended him. Captain N smiled in response. “Thanks, I’ve been working on my throw.” He replied.

The continued climb was arduous, but it eventually came to an end. The light of the morning sun shined through the entrance to the cave provided Captain N with a wave of relief as he continued to lug Morton through the rocky path. “Would’ya look at that, we’re here!” Captain N cheekily informed Morton. His companion wasn’t as pleased by the news, so he just weakly groaned. NiGHTS floated higher up to get a better look at the horizon.

“Hey, Captain, I think I can see the Wavebird!” NiGHTS let him know. But just as Captain N and Morton emerged from the cave and collapsed onto the grass outside, the Wavebird swooped in from the skies and landed in front of the cave entrance. NiGHTS was able to adjust to the blast of the starship’s thrusters, but Captain N and Morton were almost thrown back into the cave by the blast of exhaust air. Captain N was able to hold onto Morton, but staying on the ground proved a little more difficult.

Before too long, the Wavebird landed squarely on the ground and the ramp extended out from the hatch, allowing Pit and Falco to greet NiGHTS, Captain N, and Morton.

“Need a lift?” Pit cheekily asked the three.

“Oh, this guy does, for sure. He’s in pretty rough shape, so you better be careful with him.” Captain N grinned back, holding Morton out in front of him. “We’ll be sure to treat him with extra care. Isn’t that right, co-pilot?” Pit asked Falco. Falco just muttered something under his breath and walked straight past the three, looking down into the cave for the two others. NiGHTS considered saying something to him, but couldn’t think of anything that could make the situation better.

Captain N passed Morton over to Pit, who struggled to carry the weight of the Koopaling. Captain N noticed him struggling, and reached out to help. “You gonna be alright?” He asked Pit, who hooked his arms under Morton’s and tried to resist the shaking in his legs. “Y-Yeah, just give me a minute…” Pit groaned through the struggle, carrying Morton backwards onto the Wavebird and into their makeshift brig.

Seeing that the situation was basically handled, Captain N joined Falco in looking for Zelda and Betilla to make their appearance from the cave. Pit stayed on the Wavebird with Morton, so Captain N was left in an awkward silence with Falco and NiGHTS, just staring down into the cave, with no sign of anything coming up.

It eventually got to the point where Captain N felt that he had to say something, as allowing the silence to continue would possibly lead to further hostility from Falco directed at NiGHTS.

“...Probably could’ve helped them out if I used my Ice Booster to freeze the remains of the Yellow Devil into a solid object.” Captain N suggested.

“Not a good idea. Would’ve made the mechanisms in the robot brittle and break.” Falco retorted.

“Eh, good point.” Captain N relented.

Just then, a giant, floating, yellow ball emerged from the cave, catching the three of them by surprise. Captain N stumbled backwards to make space for their guest, which was soon accompanied by Zelda and Betilla. Zelda seemed to be handling the stress well, but Betilla was really struggling to carry her weight. Her arms were shaking from the effort, and her deep panting in and out made it seem like she was ready to give out at any moment.

“You’re free to rest now, if you’d like.” Zelda offered to her companion.

Betilla immediately collapsed on the ground, clutching her arms. “Geez, I haven’t exerted myself in FOREVER. Think I’m getting a little rusty…” Betilla moaned in between several deep breaths.

“Hey guys, come look at this!” Pit yelled to them from the cockpit of the Wavebird. NiGHTS floated through the ship and up to where Pit was, and Falco followed him closely behind. Captain N turned to Zelda, who was still holding the liquid form of the Yellow Devil in the air. “You gonna be alright?” Captain N asked her. She responded with a somewhat strained nod. “Yes, I’ll be alright. Betilla will be here to assist me in case it becomes too much, right?” She asked her. Betilla weakly put a thumbs-up into the air to serve as her answer. Satisfied with their responses, Captain N ran back inside the Wavebird and climbed up the ladder.

When he reached the cockpit, he found Pit, Falco, and NiGHTS huddled around the dashboard. Upon joining them, he heard Pit ask Falco about the various blinking buttons before them.

“So what does that one do?” Pit asked him.

“That just plays the messages received by the ship.” Falco answered.

“Does it blinking mean we’ve gotten a message?”

“...Yeah.”

“...Should probably answer that.” NiGHTS suggested.

Falco spun around and pointed a finger at NiGHTS with a sharp inhale, but Captain N was quick to intervene.

“Hey, hey, come on, we were all preoccupied with Dinosaur Land and Coralcola. It’s understandable that we didn’t notice the messages we got. But now that we did, let’s just… do that.” He said to Falco.

Falco froze, sharply breathing in and out before finally sitting back in his pilot seat.

“Fine, just play them.”

Pit hit the flashing button, and the four were met with the nervous voice of Alphys.

“Uh… hey, you guys! Just wanted to, uh, check in. Y’know, make sure you’re not, like, dead or anything. I mean, i-it’s probably nothing. You’re probably fine. Just, uh, y’know, lemme know that you’re doing alright. Please? Okay, great! Talk to you soon!”

As soon as that message ended, another message from Alphys began.

“Y-You guys are alive, right? I mean, like, Palutena says you’re doing fine, a-and I know she’s a Goddess and all, but, like, can you please respond to my messages? Just to let me know? Please? T-Talk to you soon!”

Another message from Alphys played.

“C-C-Can you guys please respond? I’m really starting to get worried. I-I mean, it’s been, like, a whole day, and apparently there’s been some trouble in Dinosaur Land. Was that you? D-Did any of you get injured? Or k-k-killed? Is Captain N alright? Is Princess Zelda alright? I can’t stop worrying about you guys, please get back to me when you can, please?”

The next message from Alphys was about to play, but Falco pressed the button again before it could begin.

“Let’s just call her.” He stated.

Captain N and NiGHTS watched as Falco pressed several buttons on the dashboard, resulting in a holographic screen appearing in front of them. At first it only displayed static, but this only lasted for a few seconds before the message was answered, and the four of them were met with the sight of Alphys hurriedly adjusting her glasses and sitting down in front of her computer setup.

“Captain N! Pit! Falco! You’re all okay! I can’t- wait, where’s Princess Zelda?” Alphys asked them, her renewed enthusiasm soon replaced with familiar worry.

“Zelda’s out back managing some giant pile of goop that used to be this guy called the Yellow Devil. She’s fine, don’t worry!” Pit was quick to assure her. Alphys sat back in her chair and wiped some sweat from her forehead. “Oh, you don’t know how much of a relief that is. I haven’t heard from you guys at all, and kinda got a little carried away…” Alphys said, clearly more than a little embarrassed about having worried so much.

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. I would’ve felt the same if I was in a similar position. We all really appreciate how concerned you are.” Captain N assured her. Alphys awkwardly chuckled. “Thanks, Captain N.” She sheepishly responded.

“Oh, I’m NiGHTS, by the way! I’ve been helping these guys out of all sorts of sticky situations!” NiGHTS said to Alphys. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, NiGHTS.” She said back to them.

“Wait, how come you didn’t know about how we were doing when just yesterday we dropped off Lemmy Koopa, Mike Jones, and Tal’Set at Peach’s Castle through a portal that Palutena created?” Falco asked Alphys. A faint blush appeared on Alphys’ cheeks as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her head.

“Uh, well, I was really tired after helping Tails build the newest extension of our base and kinda fell asleep during all of that…” She trailed off. Falco sat back in his chair and clutched the bridge of his beak. “Fine, whatever.”

“Oh! Do you guys have anything else you’d like to drop off with us? We just finished our portal generator!” Alphys offered.

“As a matter of fact, we do!” Captain N confirmed. “Yeah, we’ve got another Koopaling for you, and the Yellow Devil thing!” Pit chimed in. “Great! Lemme just get a hold on your coordinates…” Alphys said, pushing her glasses up her nose and typing away at the keyboard in front of her. “I’ll go bring the good news to Zelda!” NiGHTS declared before shooting back down and out of the ship.

“You sure this is a good idea?” Falco muttered to Captain N, motioning to NiGHTS right before he vanished from their line of sight. Captain N waved off his concerns. “Dude, it’s fine. If it matters that much to you, we can keep NiGHTS around instead of sending them back to home base. If they’re nearby, they can’t cause too much trouble.” He suggested. Falco groaned.

“But what if NiGHTS takes over your mind or something? What are we supposed to do about that?”

“I can trust you guys to take me down in case something like that ever comes up.” Captain N assured him.

“Oh, right, like how King Dedede took you down?”

“Wait, you still don’t trust NiGHTS?” Pit asked Falco. “Even after Zelda checked Captain N’s head?”

Falco loudly sighed. “Just TRY to be careful. Do you REALLY think it’s a good idea to let EVERYONE that we come across join our little club?”

“Zelda trusts him, and she’s telepathic!” Pit reminded him.

“Y’know, we could run a few tests on NiGHTS over here, if you want.” Alphys timidly interjected.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Falco groaned. “Captain N’s right. The best bet is to keep NiGHTS away from our HQ so we can keep a close eye on them. You just focus on the Yellow Devil and the Koopalings.”

Captain N sighed in relief at the topic finally being resolved. “Thank you, Falco.” He said to him. “Whatever.” Falco grumbled.

“A-ha! Got it! Portal opening in three… two… one!” Alphys announced. Immediately after, the sound of a fairly loud boom was heard outside, and the large platform behind Alphys whirred to life, emitting a bright blue glow.

“I’ll help out Zelda and Betilla!” Captain N said, spinning around to dive down the hatch leading out of the Wavebird. He could faintly hear Alphys ask “Wait, who’s Betilla?” before he opened up the storage room that was holding Morton and dragging the barely conscious Koopaling out onto the dirt. Outside, he was met with the cool fresh air of morning alongside Zelda, Betilla, and NiGHTS standing in front of a light blue portal that matched the one on Alphys’ end.

“I assume this is partially your doing?” Zelda asked Captain N, still holding the sphere of Yellow Devil in the air. “Yeah, we got in touch with Alphys back at base. We can drop off our findings with them.” He let her know. Alphys ran over to greet them on the other side of the portal, ushering in the cargo.

“Just drop it all in here! We’ll take care of it!” She said to Zelda.

“Well, alright.” Zelda relented, releasing her magic and allowing the yellow goo to flow into Alphys’ lab through the portal. Alphys wasn’t expecting the remains of the Yellow Devil to spill out all over the place like a poorly placed glass of water, and scuttled out of the way of the massive yellow puddle.

“Uh… that’s new.” Alphys awkwardly remarked.

“Here’s your new roommate.” Captain N said to Alphys, pushing Morton through the portal, making him fall on his face and into the yellow puddle. “I’ll, uh, see if someone’s awake to take care of him.” Alphys replied, staying a safe distance from the prisoner. “Oh, that reminds me!” She suddenly exclaimed, hurrying back over to her computer setup.

“Hey, Falco?” She said to the monitor.

“What is it?” Falco could be heard responding through the slightly choppy audio.

“You see those blue buttons above the button that plays the messages?”

“Yeah?”

“Press them in order from right to left. That should spoof the registration number of the, uh, Wavebird to match a starship registered to the Koopa armada.”

“Wait, why didn’t you tell us about this earlier?” Falco asked her, with a noticeably more agitated tone. “Would’ve been really handy to know yesterday.”

“I’m sorry! I forgot to tell you before you set off! It was really early in the morning and we were all caught up in the emotion of you all leaving!” Alphys defended herself while sputtering. “A-A-And besides, maybe if you answered your messages, I could’ve told you sooner!”

“We’ve got it now! Thanks, Alphys!” Pit interjected, providing a needed light tone to the conversation. Alphys sighed in relief and sat back in her seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Betilla weakly sitting by the Wavebird.

“Hey, uh, are you Betilla?” Alphys asked her.

“Ugh… yeah…” Betilla weakly answered, barely able to raise her head.

“Y’know, you can come and move into our HQ, now that we’re all set up. We could really use someone like you.” Alphys offered.

“That’s a good idea! You look like you’re about to collapse.” NiGHTS added, looking to Betilla with concern.

Betilla sat up. “But… this place is my home. The Glade of Dreams needs me, especially since my sisters were all captured by those awful Koopa…”

Zelda sighed and put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. “Trust us, you’ll be safer with them. You’re in no position to defend this place all on your own, you’d only be putting yourself in further danger.” She reminded her. “Yeah, you can count on the Super Smash Brothers to keep the world safe!” Captain N chimed in.

Betilla was too exhausted to argue further, so she weakly nodded. “Yes, that’s true. And there’s also Rayman with his friends in the Freedom Force…”

The sound of Betilla invoking the name of the Freedom Force felt like a pin was jammed into Captain N’s ego. He tried to ignore this feeling, so he nodded along.

“Yeah, and also the Freedom Force.” He agreed.

With a loud groan, Betilla got to her feet. “Alright, I’m convinced.” She said, slowly making her way over to the portal. “That’s great!” Alphys cheered. But as soon as Betilla crossed the portal and entered Alphys’ lab, she immediately collapsed onto the floor and snored loudly. Alphys stood frozen, unable to decide on how to handle such an awkward situation.

“I’ll, uh, get her a cot, or something.” Alphys said.

“Should I go with her? I can make sure she gets to a bed safely.” NiGHTS asked Alphys, Captain N, and Zelda. Remembering the conversation he had with Falco, Captain N was quick to answer.

“Uh, actually, we were think you could stay with us.” He said to NiGHTS. They were rather surprised by this statement, but was nonetheless eager to continue on their adventures. “That’s great! When are we leaving? I can’t wait to get started!” NiGHTS eagerly asked him. “Uh… ask Falco, he’s the pilot.” Captain N directed him. “You got it, Cap’n!” NiGHTS responded with a chipper tone, floating back inside the Wavebird.

Zelda turned back to Alphys. “I’m glad to hear everything is going well on your end. Worries of everyone’s safety have filled my mind.” She said to her. “Oh, yeah, you don’t have to worry about us! Not with Raiden and Palutena keeping their watchful eyes out!” Alphys replied, with a happy tone. “Oh, I bet! I’ve never worked with Gods before, I’m honestly still getting used to that.” Captain N chuckled.

Before their conversation could continue further, the engines on the Wavebird blared to life, signaling that takeoff isn’t far away. Falco appeared on the edge of the ramp, waving everyone inside the ship, although his voice couldn’t be heard over the engines.

“Looks like you’ve got a flight to catch!” Alphys yelled to Captain N and Zelda in an attempt to be heard over the engines.

“Yeah, good seeing you again!” Captain N yelled in response.

“May the Goddess smile upon you all!” Zelda bid Alphys farewell right before the portal was disabled, leaving the two alone on the ground.

The two ran on board the Wavebird as the ramp closed behind them. Once the ramp was sealed, the roar of the ship’s thrusters was greatly muffled. The two clamored up the ladder and joined Falco, Pit, and NiGHTS in the cockpit. As soon as Falco saw them, he pushed the lever to lift the starship off the ground and hover in the air.

“Get strapped in! We’re blasting off in ten!” Falco ordered. Zelda and Captain N hastily buckled themselves into their seats right before Falco thrust the Wavebird into the sky, pushing the thrusters to their full potential. Captain N felt his stomach turn at the rough feelings of being in a starship in the process of taking off, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

With his allies at his side, even with NiGHTS on shaky ground with the others, he had full confidence in the Super Smash Brothers.

Next stop: South Island.

Chapter Text

As the Wavebird soared through the skies of Yamajiro towards South Island, Captain N internally reflected on how far he’d come since he first arrived on this world. Being in this starship on this planet that’s so alien to him, accompanied by a princess, a bird-man starship pilot, an angel boy, and a denizen of the dream realm. Just one month ago, a situation like this would have been-

Captain N stopped himself, then softly chuckled to himself. He had to have thought this same exact thought a dozen times. “Aren’t things so crazy in this world?” seemed to appear in his mind whenever he could stop to rest from fighting some great evil or being chased by an army of evil henchmen. Now that he was able to rest after having saved the Glade of Dreams from the Yellow Devil, he gently grasped the arms of the seat, fully able to enjoy the thoughtful design that went into them. He didn’t expect the seat of a starship to be so comfortable, especially compared to the space shuttles of his home world, which were designed for practicality first and foremost.

“Something on your mind, Captain?” Pit asked him, noticing his lighter mood. Captain N shrugged. “I just… never realized how comfortable these seats are.” He chuckled, knowing how silly that might sound.

Pit raised his eyebrow at him, turning to look down at his own seat. “...I mean, I guess it’s pretty good. I’ve sat in comfier seats, though.” Pit admitted. “Gotta agree with Pit on that one. The seat in my Arwing fits me way better.” Falco piped up from the pilot’s seat.

“I know, I know, I guess… I just never really got much of a chance to appreciate what a nice place this world is.” Captain N admitted. Zelda nodded understandingly at him. “Indeed, through the evil that plagues this planet, there’s so many technological wonders to marvel at, and kind, decent people to enjoy the presence of. I only hope we can help these beauties flourish free of the evil of Bowser and King K. Rool before too long.” She sighed as she stared ahead. Longing for a more peaceful world.

“Yeah, that’s exactly right, Zelda. I just… I wish I could stay in New Donk City or Scuttle Town to spend more time with the lovely people I’ve seen, or learn more about magic or the history behind all those castles we’ve explored. I’ll make sure to do that after I’ve shoved the barrel of my Zapper- I mean, the barrel of justice and righteousness down Bowser’s throat.” Captain N chuckled. Falco chortled at the thought. “That’ll be a sight to see.” He remarked.

“You ask me, Bowser should start writing his will! You guys tore through the Yellow Devil like it was nothing!” NiGHTS piped up, eager at the idea of continuing to fight the good fight. Captain N grinned at him. “Hell yeah! If we can beat a shape-shifting robot, I don’t think there’s anything those two two tyrants can throw at us that’s tougher!”

While Captain N, NiGHTS, Pit, and Zelda continued to eagerly discuss how much fun it’ll be to give Bowser and King K. Rool a good beating, Falco couldn’t help but leer at NiGHTS out of the corner of his eye while piloting the Wavebird. It was far too suspicious to him that NiGHTS drew Captain N away from the rest of the group while the Yellow Devil was thrashing them, and was only able to be defeated after the two came back. Not to mention how NiGHTS was able to combine with Captain N. Having two minds in one body is a really good way for one mind to steal sensitive information from the other mind, or even alter or remove memories. But besides that, there was something that really rubbed Falco the wrong way about NiGHTS that he couldn’t put his feathered finger on. Maybe it was how lighthearted NiGHTS was, in the face of the forces of the three kings ruling Yamajiro.

Falco wanted to confront NiGHTS. He wanted to shift the Wavebird into autopilot, slam his fist on the dashboard, and wring every secret he could out of NiGHTS’ abnormally thin body. But he knew he couldn’t. If NiGHTS really was secretly working for Bowser, or King K. Rool, or Doctor Wily, or some other antagonistic force, then maybe he could turn the tables and get sensitive information out of them. After all, the first step in avoiding a trap is knowing that there is a trap.

With a quiet huff, Falco just gripped the yoke and continued on ahead, following the path set by the navigation systems to South Island.

“Uh… Falco?” Pit tried to get his attention.

Falco was a little on edge, thinking about how NiGHTS could be secretly plotting against them, that hearing Pit speak to him made him jump a bit.

“What, what is it?” Falco asked him in a faintly annoyed voice.

Pit recoiled slightly at this hostility. “Uh… There’s an incoming message from HQ.”

Falco turned back to look at the dashboard, seeing a blinking light labeled “Incoming Message”, but there was no sound to accompany it. “Man, no wonder we missed all those calls from Alphys…” Captain N mumbled. Falco ignored him and pressed the button right next to the light, bringing up a holographic screen to the right of his view. This allowed the pilot to still have a view of the area ahead.

Falco was a little too focused on flying the Wavebird to see who was on the other end of the call, but Captain N, Pit, Zelda, and NiGHTS could see that it was Tails on the screen.

“Hey Tails!” Pit was quick to greet him.

“Oh, good, you picked up this time!” Tails happily said to them. “Indeed, we found that there isn’t any sound to indicate that a message is incoming. If Alphys is there, can you please tell her we apologize for not noticing earlier?” Zelda requested of Tails. Tails quickly nodded. “You got it, your majesty!”

“I don’t believe we’ve met, Tails. My name is NiGHTS!” The dream land denizen said to Tails. Tails smiled and waved at him through the screen. “It’s nice to meet you, NiGHTS!” Tails said back to him. Falco internally scoffed at hearing this, not allowing himself to get caught up in this charade.

“It’s really good to see you in good health, Tails. what’s the occasion? Why’re you calling us?” Captain N asked Tails. Tails sat up and held up a stack of papers. “Betilla told me about how Morton was getting help from a guy called Doctor Wily, so I looked into that and found some pretty helpful stuff!”

“That’s awesome!” Pit said happily, sitting up.

“What’ve you got?” Captain N asked him.

Tails took a breath. “Well… remember Doctor Light?”

The mood in the Wavebird fell after hearing that name spoken. Captain N remembered him, as well as Roll, Callie, Marie, Cap’n Cuttlefish, and C.Q. Cumber. All of these people were captured by King Dedede’s forces and thrown into the Panopticon. All because he couldn’t do what they wanted him to do and retrieve the data box atop Moray Towers. Only Tails and Alphys were able to escape capture.

Captain N solemnly nodded. “...Yeah, of course I remember him.”

Tails took a moment, then cleared is throat. “Well, Doctor Wily grew up as a close friend of his. They studied together at the Robot Institute of Technology. Their work propelled robot technology ahead several decades!” He said to them.

When Tails mentioned that, Captain N remembered the time he spent in New Donk City competing in the World Warrior Tournament. Whenever a fighter got knocked out, two robots called R.O.B.s would come out and carry them to the infirmary. He remembered noticing that they had a Light logo on them when he was close to them.

“...Did they invent the R.O.B. robots?” Captain N asked Tails, who nodded in response. “Yep! Pretty much every robot walking around on Yamajiro uses technology created by them.”

Captain N sat back and took that in. To think every robot on this planet had the fingerprints of these two Doctors on them is something he almost had trouble imagining.

“But if these two were such close friends, why did one try to help us out while the other is seemingly trying to aid the tyrants that control this world?” Zelda asked Tails.

Tails sighed before continuing. “Well… that’s because they went their separate ways after graduation. Doctor Wily invented what’s called a Double Gear System. This system was supposed to make robots way faster and way stronger, but use of the system would eventually lead to severe internal damage, resulting in the system being shut down.”

“Think I heard something about that…” Pit muttered to himself.

“Doctor Light kinda played a part in getting the Double Gear System shut down, which is why Doctor Wily hates him so much.” Tails finished his story.

“Yeah, that would explain it.” NiGHTS said.

“Hey, shouldn’t you know some stuff about Doctor Wily since you got Morton to talk? Couldn’t you combine with him like you did with Captain N?” Falco asked NiGHTS, trying to avoid sounding like he was prodding too deep into them. NiGHTS shook their head. “I can only dualize with willing partners, like Captain N here. Morton was… not very willing.” NiGHTS explained sheepishly.

Captain N quietly groaned at Falco. He knew the true intention behind those words. He knew that Falco was trying to interrogate NiGHTS, and that Falco still didn’t trust NiGHTS. But he trusted NiGHTS. He knew NiGHTS wouldn’t betray him. Captain N felt that he was a pretty good judge of character, and when they dualized to fly across the Glade of Dreams or fight off King Hippo, he couldn’t find any hint of malice in NiGHTS. He just wished Falco could trust NiGHTS as much as he did.

“Did Doctor Wily have any kind of history with Bowser, King K. Rool, or even King Dedede?” Pit asked Tails. After flipping through his papers, Tails shook his head. “As far as I could find, no. He built a factory in the middle of the ocean, tried to wreak havoc with eight robots of Doctor Light’s design and was thrown in jail. He broke out a few months ago, but we haven’t heard anything from him since.” He sighed.

“Your findings are more than enough, thank you.” Zelda courteously expressed her gratitude.

“Yeah! We’re gonna find him and all the others working with those creeps!” NiGHTS added with a chipper tone. Captain N remembered that NiGHTS wasn’t there when he and the others had that confrontation with King Dedede in Inkopolis that lead to the others getting captured. Maybe that’s why they’re so peppy when talking about someone who was involved with Doctor Light and the others getting thrown in the Panopticon.

“That’s the spirit!” Tails cheered. “So where are you guys heading now?”

“South Island. There’s another Koopa-Kremling base that should be there. We’re gonna go wreck the place.” Falco answered, still looking ahead at the horizon while piloting the Wavebird.

Tails lit up at the sound of Falco’s answer. “South Island?! That’s where I met Sonic!” He exclaimed.

“Who’s Sonic?” Captain N asked him, sitting up in his seat.

“Only the coolest, fastest, bravest guy ever! He stopped all sorts of villains and saved the Chao species from being wiped out!” Tails excitedly informed him. “He’s out there right now, helping you guys fight back against the Koopa and Kremling forces right now with his team called the Freedom Force!”

“Wait, we’ve heard of the Freedom Force!” Pit piped up.

“Betilla said that Rayman was off with them!” NiGHTS added.

“That’s right! You really should meet him sometime, Captain N! I’m sure you’ll get along!” Tails urged Captain N. While he smiled and nodded along, he couldn’t ignore a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that returned when he heard the Freedom Force get mentioned again. He couldn’t figure out why, he knew it’s a good thing that more people are rising up to challenge the evil forces that have taken hold of this planet full of decent, innocent people. So why did he have such a visceral reaction to hearing about the Freedom Force?

“I hope it’s all been going well on your end, Tails.” Zelda said to him.

“Oh, yeah, we’re making do!” Tails answered.

“...What do you mean, you’re ‘making do’?” Captain N asked him.

“...Well, uh, it seemed like the cellar of Peach’s Castle would make for a good base of operations, but once we really got everything set up, we kinda found that it wasn’t as spacious as we thought it would be…” Tails sheepishly admitted.

Falco leered at Tails from out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t know much about NiGHTS, but giving away the location of their base is could put not just the Super Smash Brothers at risk, but the rest of the planet. He wanted desperately to corner NiGHTS and pry every secret from their head. But doing so could also put everything in jeopardy. It was a very tough decision to make, but Falco continued to just internally seethe at NiGHTS as he gripped the yoke.

“We should keep transmissions to a minimum. Sending too much information over the airwaves could raise suspicions, even with their registration number spoofed.” Falco said to Tails.

“Oh, yeah! I’ll sign off now, you guys keep fighting!” Tails bid them farewell.

“See you later!” Captain N said to him.

“Farewell!” Zelda said.

“Stay safe!” Pit said.

“Catch you later!” NiGHTS said.

Falco grumbled something under his breath.

“Oh, Captain N, before I forget: You could think about making a logo for the Super Smash Brothers. Since you came up with the team name.” Tails suggested to Captain N. He sat back in his seat and thought about it, realizing that was probably a good idea.

“Got it!” Captain N answered.

With one final wave goodbye, Tails ended the communication.

Falco leaned back in his pilot seat and groaned. “We’re a few hours out from South Island. You’re free to walk around, take a nap, whatever. I’ll announce over the intercom when we get close or there’s trouble nearby. Don’t do anything stupid.” He let them know.

Captain N, Zelda, and NiGHTS got up from their seats to stretch their legs out, while Pit stayed glued to his seat, eager to be helpful to the irritable pilot. This time, Captain N made sure to be extra careful when walking to the ladder leading to the lower deck. Memories of being thrown around like a rag doll in a washing machine as Falco was performing his evasive maneuvers were still fresh in his mind. He made each step with careful precision, acting as if he was afraid of setting off a pressure plate trap in some ancient tomb that guards a priceless treasure.

As he carefully made his way towards the ladder, he could hear Falco groan behind him.

“Oh, for the Gods’ sake, just walk normally. You’ll live, I promise.” He bluntly reminded him.

Captain N stopped and looked at Falco, annoyed.

“I’m the founder and leader of the Super Smash Brothers. I’ll do what I want.”

Falco scoffed at him as he descended down the ladder, heading back to his cabin. Once the door sealed behind him, he sat down on his bed and let out a heavy sigh. Sinking into the mattress allowed Captain N some much needed rest after another fast-paced, exciting day of adventure and peril.

He lied down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, feeling the stress melt off of his body. In such an exciting life, resting when possible is essential, Captain N learned. It couldn’t match how relaxed and healed he felt after resting on the infirmary bed after getting knocked out by Scorpion with one punch, but it was still plenty comfortable.

...Nor did it compare to his bed back home.

Once that thought entered his mind, his mood instantly fell. Captain N sighed, hoping he would have gotten over his feelings of homesickness by now. He would’ve thought that after weeks of dealing with evil kings, mad scientists, pirates, ninjas, and robots, he’d whine less about missing his home like a Cub Scout on their first camping trip.

...How are his parents doing right now?

Captain N clutched the covers beneath him as worries about his parents filled his mind. Surely, they’d have filed a missing person report by now. His breathing got more intense as he thought about his parents lying awake at night, hoping he’ll come back home soon. They’d carry on about their day as normal as they could manage, but with the inescapable shadow of the loss of their son constantly looming over them.

And the worst part is… he never got to say a meaningful goodbye.

For all they knew, he ran away for some stupid, selfish reason they’ll never know.

For all they knew, he got kidnapped.

Was he even gone for three weeks back home?

This multiverse stuff was so difficult to wrap his head around, he could have been gone for a few minutes, or several months.

As he was spiraling into this pit of worry for his parents, someone knocked on his cabin door. Captain N barely had the energy to sit up amidst his mental turmoil, so he just ushered them with “Come in.”

The door opened, revealing NiGHTS to be standing on the other side.

“Hey, I… figured could use some company.” NiGHTS gently said to him. “Yeah, how’d you know?” Captain N asked them. NiGHTS weakly smiled. “I’ve, uh… got a sense for these kinds of things…” They explained. Captain N shrugged, figuring that this falls in line with their other powers relating to dreams and shape shifting.

“...You’re worried about your parents.” NiGHTS deduced as the cabin door shut behind them. Captain N weakly nodded. “I know I’ve got bigger things to worry about, like Bowser, King K. Rool, Doctor Wily, and whoever else might be out there, but… I don’t know, I can’t stop worrying about what they’re going through. They’re so far away…”

NiGHTS nodded understandingly and sat down at the desk. “It’s fair to be worried about your parents. I don’t think any of the others would look down on you for that.”

“But I have more than them to worry about.” Captain N retorted, sitting up. “I have to worry about everyone who lives on this planet. Everyone under the oppression of Bowser and K. Rool need a hero who’s strong enough to save them, and… I can’t afford to get homesick when they need me.”

NiGHTS paused for a moment, thinking of a way to respond.

“...Well, at least you don’t have to do it alone. You’ve got me, and Zelda, and Falco, and Pit, and that’s just the people on this ship! There’s Betilla, Tails, Alphys, those others you already picked up, and even Raiden, Palutena, not to mention Rayman and Sonic and the rest of the Freedom Force!” NiGHTS reminded him.

Again, mentioning the Freedom Force stung Captain N more than he cared to admit. He couldn’t let that show on his face, though. He had enough to worry about with his parents being as far away from him as he possibly could be. NiGHTS noticed he was staring off into space with his mind racing, so they cleared their throat.

“My point is, look at what you’ve done already! You’ve already kicked King Dedede’s ass all over the place for all of Yamajiro to see. You took down the Yellow Devil, and I saw in other people’s dreams that you saved New Leaf Town, and Scuttle Town, and survived a fight with Scorpion! That’s all very impressive!”

“Look,” Captain N said, turning to face NiGHTS. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do for me, but… I don’t know, I just need to be stronger. Both times we’ve talked privately, it was so you could make me feel better. I need to be better than that.” He stated.

NiGHTS paused.

“...But you don’t need to be an island. You may be this great hero who’s gonna save the world, but you’re still human. Humans are allowed to feel those emotions.”

A silence fell between the two as Captain N returned to staring up at the ceiling.

“...I know I’m not human, but I feel like I know them pretty well.” NiGHTS chuckled.

Captain N couldn’t help but gently smile at the joke.

“Besides, the prophecy says you’re gonna save the world. It’s basically a given that you’re gonna win in the end. So you’re gonna come home and show your parents what an awesome son you are!” NiGHTS encouraged him. Captain N nodded along, feeling more confident. He sat up on his bed and looked to NiGHTS with a grateful look in his eyes.

“...Thank you for… helping me out.”

NiGHTS smiled and waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll always have friends like us to lean on, so don’t be afraid to lean when you need to.”

Captain N gently nodded. “I’ll try my best to.”

As NiGHTS began to leave his cabin, they turned around to face Captain N.

“Oh, can’t wait to see what you come up with for the logo!” They said to him.

Captain N gently smiled. “Thanks, NiGHTS. I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations.”

“See you later!” NiGHTS said to him before floating back through the doorway and shutting the door behind him, leaving Captain N alone in his cabin. After this shared experience with NiGHTS, he had even more trouble believing Falco’s claim that they were secretly an agent of Bowser. NiGHTS had the perfect opportunity to kill or capture Captain N when they cornered him in his cabin, but they chose to help him work through his emotional troubles. Someone like that cares too much to be secretly evil, and he didn’t have to dualize with them to know that.

Reinvigorated, Captain N got up and sat at the desk in his cabin. With a pen and paper at the ready, he began the brainstorming progress to come up with a single symbol to embody the Super Smash Brothers.

When he began the sketching process, he broke a pen in his hand due to the unintentionally strong grip of his Power Glove. With that removed, and another pen retrieved, he sketched out whatever came to mind. Squares, triangles, octagons, circles, shapes of all kinds would serve as the border for whatever he could think to fill them with. He tried to work the initials “SSB” into the logo, but he could never integrate it in a way that felt natural or satisfying to him.

With one page taken up by rejected ideas, he crumpled up the paper and casually tossed it behind him. He didn’t have any kind of strong inspiration to draw from, so he was going off of pure instinct.

This instinct eventually drew him to a source of inspiration: simplicity.

The logo should be as simple as possible, yet immediately recognizable.

Something that a child could draw with ease, but also immediately make anyone who looks at it think of the team of this world’s greatest heroes.

And what’s more simple than a circle?

He filled countless circles with symbols of all kinds. The letter S, the letter B, crosses, triangles, squares, whatever his mind brought him. He was barely thinking about what he was drawing. His hand was being guided by the creative powers that be, bringing him closer and closer to that “eureka!” moment.

And then it hit him.

A circle containing a thick vertical line intersecting with a thin horizontal line, but meeting at the lower left corner.

Once he finished the sketch, he held the paper out in front of him, admiring it. It was so simple, yet so striking. He shaded in the areas within the circle outside the lines to make it stand out even more.

He didn’t believe in love at true sight before, but this simple symbol may have changed his mind on the matter.

He almost couldn’t believe that a mind as unremarkable as his could have created something so brilliant.

A grin spread across Captain N’s face as he held the logo above him.

The Super Smash Brothers have a symbol.

And the whole planet is going to know it.

Chapter Text

Before Captain N could rush back up to the rest of the Super Smash Brothers and show them his logo design like a young child proudly displaying a crayon drawing of their family to their parents, Falco’s voice came over the Wavebird’s intercom.

“We’re approaching South Island. Everyone buckle up.”

This announcement hastened the return of Captain N and NiGHTS to the bridge of the Wavebird. NiGHTS managed a quicker return to the rest of the team thanks to their ability to float through the air, but Captain N’s slightly sore limbs as a result of his clash with Morton and the Yellow Devil kept him from keeping pace. He clutched the paper displaying his freshly-designed Super Smash Brothers logo tightly in his hand as he climbed the ladder, crumpling it slightly. Captain N froze up slightly as he ascended the ladder when he felt the Wavebird bank forward towards the planet’s surface, remembering how he was tossed around during their arrival to the Glade of Dreams. Thankfully, Falco’s piloting was more careful than it was before, so Captain N was able to climb back up to the main deck and return to his seat at the front, beside Falco. Zelda, Pit, and NiGHTS were already fastened in by the time he reached them.

“How’re we looking?” Captain N asked Falco once he got settled in.

“Last I checked, you weren’t blind. See for yourself.” Falco bluntly answered, motioning towards the windshield before the five of them.

Captain N turned towards the windshield, faintly annoyed by Falco’s impolite answer. But upon seeing that the opposite side of the windshield displayed only a thick layer of deep gray clouds, he felt faintly embarrassed for not already noticing that before sitting down.

“We’re not far from South Island, but we can’t get a good look at it from all the way up here. We’ll break through the clouds soon, though!” Pit informed Captain N. “Hey, whatcha got there?” Pit asked him, noticing the paper he was holding in his hand.

Captain N, feeling a little self conscious after after asking that dumb question just a moment ago, folded up the paper and kept it in his back pocket alongside his Fire Booster. “I’ll show you later, let’s focus on our Koopa extermination job first.” He replied after clearing his throat to try to regain some confidence.

“Ooh, mysterious.” Pit remarked. “What do you think it is?” Pit then asked NiGHTS, leaning over to them. NiGHTS simply shrugged with a sly grin. “Beats me! Captain N here’s a mysterious guy.” they cheekily responded.

Pit was undeterred, turning to lean over to Zelda, who was maintaining a calm demeanor as they approached their next encounter with the forces of evil.

“What do you think it-”

“Pit, quiet.” Falco ordered him

Pit huffed in annoyance, muttering something under his breath and crossing his arms and facing out towards the heavily overcast weather outside the Wavebird. As the starship descended from the sky towards their destination of South Island, Captain N once again pondered how there was almost no way of predicting what awaited him on South Island. This last island had a giant, shape-shifting robot and a being from the realm of dreams. He silently reflected on how he wasn’t as scared of what’s waiting for him in his future.

His triumph over King Dedede has to have meant something.

Not just for him, but for the Super Smash Brothers and the world of Yamajiro.

A moment later, the Wavebird broke through the thick layer of clouds separating the surface from the sky to reveal a rather picturesque island covered in lush green fauna, with a tall mountain surrounding the opposite edge of the island. From where they were in the sky, Captain N couldn’t spot any threatening signs coming from the island. No airships, no giant robots, no dinosaurs, and no Koopa or Kremlings.

Falco flipped a few switches on the dashboard in front of him, bringing up a small display in front of him. After a few moments, a single beep came from the dashboard. “No signs of hostile forces ahead of us.” Falco reported.

“Is there any particular reason as to why you couldn’t do that before?” Zelda asked Falco.

“Yeah, the reason’s because the system wasn’t working when we first set off. One of Tails’ little- well, little-er helpers gave me a guide to reboot the system. So don’t worry about it, your majesty.” He answered.

“No hostiles sounds good! Bet it’ll be an easy mission!” NiGHTS piped up. This remark stirred Falco’s suspicion some more. Captain N noticed this as well. Without being able to thoroughly vet NiGHTS for their trustworthiness, there existed the possibility that NiGHTS was somehow able to pass on the intel that the Super Smash Brothers were coming to South Island, and was somehow able to sabotage the scanning equipment to lure them into an ambush.

But… why would NiGHTS betray them?

They helped the Super Smash Brothers protect the Glade of Dreams and defeat Morton and the Yellow Devil.

They showed that they care about his well-being.

They talked in his quarters.

Captain N wanted to believe that NiGHTS is here to help.

“You alright, Cap’n?” Pit asked him.

Captain N snapped out of his worries and turned to face him, Zelda, and NiGHTS. He quickly nodded, trying to avoid arousing suspicion for whatever reason.

“Yeah, just… anxious to get to kicking some ass.” He chuckled, trying to mask the contents of his racing mind.

“That’s the spirit!” NiGHTS cheered.

Falco ignored their upbeat spirit and focused on landing the Wavebird on the beach. As the landing gear was deployed and the thrusters were shifted downwards to prepare for descent, Captain N kept his eyes peeled for anything to come out of the dense foliage with a mean look on its face. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Zelda was doing the same while holding one of her hands out, using her magical abilities to sense anything that might be out there as if she didn’t have complete faith in Falco’s systems.

The Wavebird settled upon the beach sands with its landing gear nested firmly into the ground. Once Falco shut off the starship’s engine, he turned to Captain N.

“Got any inspiring words for us?” He asked him. Captain N sat back in his seat and pondered on this for a moment. Despite his memories of all the movies he’s seen that’s culminated in an epic, grandiose speech given before the climactic third act, he couldn’t put any words together to make one of his own.

“...I’d say we’re plenty inspired already.” Captain N remarked.

“Oh, are we?” Falco asked the rest of the group.

“Yep!” NiGHTS was quick to answer.

“Sure am!” Pit added.

“I would say so.” Zelda said.

Captain N made a mental note to come up with a better speech for next time as Falco pulled the lever to lower the exit ramp of the Wavebird.

“Let’s put that inspired spirit to the test!”

The five Super Smash Brothers charged out of the Wavebird and onto the sandy beach of South Island. But much like their last valiant effort on the Glade of Dreams, this bold defiance of the tyranny plaguing Yamajiro was met with no resistance or response of any kind. But this time, Captain N wasn’t gonna be deterred at all. They already knew there was a Koopa-Kremling base here, so there had to be enemy forces guarding it. Whatever form they take has yet to be discovered.

“...Well, what now?” NiGHTS asked the others, visibly confused by the lack of any forms of life to greet them on the beach.

“We’ll continue on. Surely there’s something to be found ahead.” Zelda declared, firm in her stance. “My thoughts exactly, Princess.” Captain N added. “Come on, there’s gotta be something up on that mountain over there.”

Pit and Falco drew their weapons and followed closely behind NiGHTS, Zelda, and Captain N as the group ventured further into South Island. As the terrain below his feet transitioned from sand to grass, Captain N took the time looking out for anyone who’d want to hurt him to take in his surroundings. Despite the dense layers of dark clouds covering the sky, this green, hilly zone of the island appeared brighter and more welcoming than the more dreamlike Glade of Dreams. The palm trees that decorated the grassy terrain stuck out to him, due to their leaves having angled bends in them as opposed to the curve that he always knew. Looking out at the mountainous landscape beyond, he noticed that all the rocks and mountains had a checker pattern to them. Not only that, but the grass paths leading up to the tops of these mountainous peaks spiraled around the mountain, and even further in the distance were what looked like loops made out of naturally-forming checkered rocks.

Captain N took another breath as he walked along the well-trodden path in the grass laid by past visitors to this island. From what he could survey on the faces of his comrades, nothing about this island seemed strange or out-of-the-ordinary to them. He couldn’t worry about their fascination with the environment for too long, that kind of vulnerability leaves him open to a surprise attack. But this casual approach to geology and trees unlike anything he’s seen before made him feel even more alien.

Captain N gently chuckled at the thought of being an alien, but kept his hand firmly wrapped around the handle of his Zapper.

“...Wouldn’t it be a little hard to ambush someone in an environment like this?” NiGHTS asked the rest of the team.

Before Falco could spin around and scold them for breaking the group’s silence, the thought occurred to the rest of them as well.

“Indeed, these trees… they’re too thin to hide within…” Zelda agreed with a growing sense of suspicion. “And I can’t detect any signs of enemy forces…”

A sense of uneasiness began to grow within Captain N. The lack of any kind of sign indicating the presence of enemy forces should be a good sign, but for all he knew, this could only mean something worse was lurking beneath and waiting to strike.

He glanced nervously back at Falco and Pit to see if they had any idea on what could be going on. Both of them were looking back at him with a similar expression, albeit less worried. Captain N spun back around as he tried to hide his concerns, knowing the importance of having confidence as a leader.

Then he noticed something sticking out of one of the bushes nearby. Drawing his Remote Sword from his pocket, he carefully made his way over to the bush to get a closer look at it.

“Didja find something?” Pit asked him.

Captain N didn’t respond. He used his Zapper to move aside one of the flowers and look at what was inside the shrubbery, which turned out to be an unconscious Koopa Troopa.

Just as he was beginning to feel even more worried, he felt something curl around his ankle.

“Captain!” Pit cried out.

A flash of terror coursed through Captain N as he felt his leg get yanked out from beneath him and forcefully drag him away from his allies. He flailed around as he got dragged through the grass to some unknown fate, trying desperately to get a good grip on the ground to resist the pull. But it was no use. Whenever he tried to dig his Power Glove-clad hand into the dirt to anchor himself, the dirt gave way beneath his hand, as if the environment itself was conspiring against him.

His heart raced and his breathing increased rapidly. Rolling over as he’s dragged along the ground meant scraping his face against the dirt and filling his mouth with grass and dirt. He tried to steel his nerve and activate his Remote Sword, swinging wildly around his feet to cut whatever had attached itself to him. Such reckless actions could have meant accidentally cutting his feet or legs off, but that was a risk he’d have to take if he wanted to survive long enough to survive Yamajiro.

After a few wild swings of his white laser sword, he manage to sever what had him by the ankle, letting him collapse onto the group and sliding to a halt. As the white-hot blade tore through the tendril, it almost sounded as if it cried out in pain. Captain N didn’t bother looking to see what was dragging him across the grass, he scrambled to his feet and sprinted off back towards where the other Super Smash Brothers were, praying that they didn’t also get dragged off by whatever evil force had him..

But this run was short lived. Three more tendrils shot out of nowhere and restrained him by his two legs and the arm holding his Remote Sword. No matter how much he tried, he wasn’t strong enough to overpower the tendril that was pinning him down. Now that he got a better look at what was restraining him, he noticed it looked more like a vine than a tendril.

Just as Captain N remembered his Power Glove-clad hand was still free, another vine appeared out of nowhere and restrained his last free limb.

Captain N was beginning to panic. His head spun around in all directions, trying to find his allies or whatever was restraining him. But he couldn’t see any sign of life that wasn’t the grass or trees. He writhed around on the ground in a desperate, futile attempt to free himself from his restraints a la Harry Houdini, but becoming an escape artist wasn’t a part of his escape attempt.

“Ha! Try to get out of that, human scum!”

Captain N’s panic was partially replaced by a feeling of confusion upon hearing the triumphant voice of a young girl gloating about her apparent triumph. He tried looking around, but couldn’t find a source for the voice.

“What-”

His confused question was interrupted as the vines wrapped around his legs forcefully dragged him along the grass and into a large boulder, knocking the wind out of him upon impact.

“Now what did you do with Pit?”

It took Captain N a moment to even begin to respond, but he didn’t know how to answer this question.

“Pit? What are you-”

Captain N was flung into a tree, with the being interrogating him apparently unsatisfied with his response.

“What kind of lies did you feed that gullible angel?”

Captain N could only weakly groan as he slouched against the palm tree. The restraints on his limbs haven’t loosened at all, and were only getting tighter. His mind flew through dozens of possible responses to give to this unseen girl that wouldn’t prompt another fierce beating.

“Viridi! Viridi! It’s okay!” Pit’s voice hurriedly cried out, relieving Captain N gently. The vines restraining his arms and legs loosened upon hearing Pit’s voice, granting Captain N some precious mercy. As he turned over, he saw Pit hurriedly gliding over to him, with NiGHTS, Falco, and Zelda rushing along with him. As soon as Pit descended to the ground, the vines retracted and freed Captain N. He followed the sight of Pit running over to his other side, seeing a young girl with a red dress, long blonde hair, and a large wooden staff meeting him with a stern look on her face.

“I knew you would do something like this, you dummy! Getting involved with dirty humans like HIM is only gonna get you in trouble!” The girl scolded Pit, who awkwardly chuckled.

“But you know I can’t just stand by and let Bowser and King K. Rool run amok! I had to do something!”

“I TOLD you, we already had a plan! And it DIDN’T involve messing around with the idiots who started this whole mess!”

As the two argued, Captain N slowly got back onto his feet. NiGHTS and Zelda made their way over to him, but a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere and struck the tree that he was hiding under, making him jump back in surprise. A red blur flashed in front of his eyes, disorienting him even more.

“What’s going on?” NiGHTS asked Pit and the girl he was bickering with. Zelda got a good look at her, and her eyes widened in shock upon recognizing her.

“You’re Viridi, the Goddess of nature!” Zelda exclaimed.

“Wait, you’re a Goddess?” Captain N asked, even more surprised.

Viridi spun around and faced them with a sour expression.

“Yeah, I am. And YOU lot are the Super Smash Brothers.”

“Yeah, we are, so what’s with the hostility?” NiGHTS asked her.

“We don’t need your protection here, so why don’t you just leave?” Viridi barked at them.

Captain N stood up and made his way towards Viridi, with Falco close by. Pit could sense tensions rising between them, so he darted in between the three with his arms outstretched to keep them apart.

“Hey, I didn’t even WANT to come to this world! I got dragged here and got some prophecy dropped on my lap, and I think I’m doing pretty well at it after kicking King Dedede’s ass!” Captain N defended himself.

“Yeah, you should be more grateful that we bothered showing up to this island! There’s a ton of other people out there who’re actually capable of saying ‘thank you’ when we offer to take the Koopa’s spears and shove them where the sun don’t shine!” Falco was quick to add, infuriating Viridi even more and making Pit even more worried about a fierce conflict between the two groups.

“Guys, guys, come on, let’s just-” Pit tried to interject

“Out of the way, Pit. I’m just gonna-” Falco interrupted him, but got zapped by another flash of lightning out of nowhere. Captain N, Zelda, and NiGHTS jumped back in surprise and putting a smug grin on Viridi’s face.

“Oh, sure, pick a fight with a Goddess, that’s a REALLY good idea!” Another female voice remarked in a sassy tone. In another flash of light, a young woman appeared before the Super Smash Brothers with short blonde hair, a white outfit and blue scarf. Before any of them could react to this, the large boulder that Captain N was thrown into suddenly lifted up from the ground and turned around to face them, revealing two eyes and a mouth in its center.

“Phosphora? Cragalanche? What are you guys doing here? We could’ve really used your help back in the Mushroom Kingdom!” Pit pleaded them, where Captain N silently thanked him for letting him know what their names are.

“Pfft, and get our hands dirty? No thanks! We’ve got our own plan!” Phosphora boasted, followed by a slow but firm nod from Cragalanche.

“And what plan is that?” Zelda asked them, growing more irritated with them.

“We’ll wait it out.” Cragalanche answered with a deep voice.

A shocked silence fell over Zelda, Falco, Captain N, and NiGHTS, making Pit even more nervous.

“...What?” Zelda asked them.

“Once the dust has settled and Bowser and K. Rool’s sitting pretty, we’ll swoop in out of nowhere and defeat them quick and easy!” Viridi declared, taking great pride in her plan.

“But what about the people of this world? At that point, a lot of innocents will have been killed by those tyrants!” Captain N pleaded.

“What good has mankind been? Pit saved them ages ago and all they’ve done is make even bigger messes! It’s even begun to endanger us!” Viridi shot back.

Captain N’s blood began to boil, and he knew Falco and Zelda were experiencing similar emotions. The breath exhaled through his nose was shaky with barely-contained anger. To think that a mortal like him with no special powers or abilities had to go out and risk his own life to save the world while deities like Viridi were perfectly content to sit it out was enough to weigh up the pros and cons of forcing this group opposite him to be more cooperative.

Falco and Zelda took a step closer to the three opposite, where NiGHTS quickly joined Pit and tried to assuage tensions.

“Come on, there’s no need to make more enemies than we need to, let’s just… can you tell us where the Koopa-Kremling base is so we can take care of that? We’ll be out of your hair right after, we promise!” NiGHTS offered to Viridi, Phosphora, and Cragalanche. Captain N, Falco, and Zelda weren’t in the mood to accept this weak attempt at a compromise, but Viridi snickered.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Captain Hero, but you’re a little too late. The base has already been destroyed.”

The anger that was burning within Captain N vanished, his muscles relaxing and his gaze weakening as the ground felt softer beneath his feet.

“...What?”

“Oh yeah, you just missed them, too! They just swooped in, tore the place up, and set off again! You could learn a thing or two from them!” Phosphora was quick to inform them. Captain N took a step back, making Pit and NiGHTS sigh in relief. He looked at Zelda and Falco, who were also surprised by this turn of events.

“How long ago was this?” Zelda asked the three.

“An hour ago.” Cragalanche answered.

“...Did they call themselves the Freedom Force?” Captain N slowly asked them. Phosphora snickered. “Sure did. I think the name’s kinda stupid but they seemed proud of it.”

“Well, why’d you let them do their thing but come harass us?” Falco interrogated them further.

“Because I have a history with them.” Answered a new, male voice from behind the group. Turning to face this voice, the Super Smash Brothers saw a red, anthropomorphic echidna, sporting gloves with large spikes on the knuckles.

“And who’re you?” Falco asked him.

“Name’s Knuckles. Sonic and I go a long way back, he got me out of a few tight spots and helped take Doctor Eggman down a peg or two when he needed to. So when he says he’s here to smash up one of their research bases, I talked the Forces of Nature here into letting them do that.” Knuckles answered.

Captain N’s confidence and bold attitude had completely vanished. He was brought to this world with the purpose of defeating the tyrannical forces oppressing the innocent people, and here a large opportunity to deal a massive blow to their regime was undermined by a group of people who didn’t have the destiny he had.

The conversations being held faded into the background as he looked down onto his Power Glove. It was with that hand that he defeated King Dedede for all the world to see, asserting himself as the face of justice and freedom for this world when it needed it most.

“Captain N?” NiGHTS asked him.

After everything he risked, climbing up the side of Moray Towers, fighting off dinosaurs on Coralcola, sneaking through Castlevania, and diving through the sky to Donkey Kong Island, he thought he had proved himself to be worthy of the honor. After living an entire life of mediocrity, he thought he had finally earned the greatness he yearned for his whole life.

“Hey, you there?” NiGHTS asked him.

He thought he was finally great.

He thought he was finally special.

But now that’s at risk of being taken from him.

“Hey!” Knuckles barked at him, snapping him out of his dizzying dread.

“Yeah, I’m here, what’s up?” Captain N asked him, pretending he was paying attention the whole time.

“The Freedom Force already took care of Larry Koopa with the help of these guys here. I say we go back to the Wavebird and figure out our next plan of action.” Falco informed him.

Captain N gulped. He didn’t want to leave this encounter with his tail between his legs, with Viridi, Phosphora, and Cragalanche smug in the knowledge that they get to keep out of this conflict.

“But… There’s gotta be something we can get from the lab. Some kind of intel on Doctor Wily or whoever else he’s working with. Y’know, sensitive info that they wouldn’t want us to read.” Captain N suggested as he tried to hide the weakness in his voice. Knuckles shrugged. “I doubt you’ll find anything. They were using the place to build storage capsules.” He let him know.

Captain N glanced over to Zelda, NiGHTS, and Pit, hoping that they’ll help him leave with some pride intact.

“Besides, Arlon tried getting involved before, and that just got him captured and sent to the Panopticon.” Knuckles bluntly informed them.

“What!?” Pit cried out, recognizing the name.

“Knuckles!” Viridi shrieked at him, making him recoil. “What? They should know!” Knuckles defended himself.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Does Palutena know?” Pit demanded to know.

“She doesn’t NEED to know! Arlon will be outta there by the time we put our plan into action!” Viridi shot back.

“We have a line of communication with Palutena! I’m sure she’d be interested in hearing that you’re content to let innocent people be hurt or worse!” Zelda spoke up, making Phosphora scoff. “Oh, please, you’re gonna have to do WAY better than that if you wanna try to intimidate me, Princess.” She smugly replied, making Zelda even angrier. As Captain N continued to dissociate about losing his status, the arguments between Pit and Viridi, Zelda and Phosphora, and Falco and Cragalanche faded out of his mind until he thought to tap Knuckles’ shoulder and get more info.

“Hey… Do you know where the Freedom Force went?” Captain N asked Knuckles, who shrugged in response. “Nope. Sonic’s never been super careful about making plans, and I bet his buddies are the same.”

Captain N swallowed a lump in his throat at the thought of Sonic and the Freedom Force going around and doing more good than him and his allies while they’re stuck figuring out what do to. He felt his head begin to spin as he tried to think of what to do next.

“I think just getting a quick look is worth a shot!” NiGHTS said, supporting Captain N. “Just point us in the direction of the lab and you’ll never see us again!”

“At this point, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make…” Zelda muttered under her breath.

“Sorry, what was that?” Viridi asked her.

“She said that she loves NiGHTS’ idea just like the rest of us, right guys?” Pit quickly jumped in, turning around and hastily motioning them to nod in agreement.

“Yes, that.” Zelda confirmed.

“...Yeah.” Falco said.

Captain N took a little longer to respond, having to regain some of his wounded ego to make himself look like the great hero this world needed him to be. He looked back at Knuckles, Viridi, Cragalanche, and Phosphora, steeled his nerve, and nodded.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” He firmly stated.

“See? Everyone likes the idea!” NiGHTS insisted. Viridi sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine, but you better be out of here the moment you’re done. Or else I won’t be so nice to you.” She warned the group, but specifically Captain N. He nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry, we’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

“Yeah! Everyone’s happy!” Pit cheered, shedding the tension almost instantly to Falco’s and Viridi’s annoyance.

“Knuckles, you’re guiding them.” Viridi instructed him, to which he agreed. “Got it! You guys can count on me.” Knuckles assured the Super Smash Brothers, as if they didn’t just butt heads with the Forces of Nature. “We’ll see about that…” Zelda muttered under her breath. Falco still leered at them out of the corner of his eye, but NiGHTS and Pit were just happy to not be on the verge of fighting anymore.

“...Hey, what happened back there?” Falco quietly asked Captain N, who pretended he didn’t hear him and moved over to where Pit, Knuckles, Zelda, and NiGHTS were.

“You’ll have to keep up with me, though!” NiGHTS teasingly warned Knuckles, floating through the air to show off their flashy abilities. Knuckles crossed his arms and chuckled.

“Maybe, but you’d be surprised-”

Knuckles’ response was cut off by a dark figure gliding through the sky and landing on the grass nearby. Upon getting a good look at who this newcomer was, Captain N noticed that they had a strangely familiar body and clothing style.

They wore dark robes, had black bird wings, and looked almost exactly like…

...Pit?