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Every so often, the entity would dream.
Despite being virtually comatose, a faint memory would occasionally flicker through its consciousness. A white fist rapidly coming closer; a blur of blue crashing into its wings; a violent burst of light as its body dissolved…
Even labelling it an entity seemed generous; its life force had been scattered to the far ends of the universe, diluted until it was essentially nothing. It had no sense of perception, or even an understanding of what it had once been.
It was alive only in the loosest sense of the word.
...
“I IMPLORE YOU,” said Master Hand earnestly, “WITHOUT POWER LIKE YOURS TO STRENGTHEN ME, THE SITUATION IS SIMPLY OUT OF MY HANDS.”
Naga quirked her eyebrow at the blatant wordplay, but chose not to comment. “Spirit of creation, the mystery of how you appeared before me is matched only by that of why someone of your standing would require any additional power.”
“IT’S NOT A PLEA I’VE CONSIDERED LIGHTLY, I ASSURE YOU. MY REALM MAY WELL BE IN DANGER OF ONCE AGAIN FALLING TO A MALICIOUS FORCE THAT I’D BELIEVED TO BE EXPIRED. IT APPEARS THEY CANNOT BE DESTROYED COMPLETELY, AT LEAST NOT BY MY CURRENT FACULTIES.”
The giant glove tried to send the divine dragon his best pointed look. “IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN, YOU ONCE MANAGED TO ERADICATE AN ANCIENT GOD WHO SOUGHT TO BRING RUIN UPON THIS WORLD, DID YOU NOT?”
Naga closed her eyes and exhaled softly. “I understand what you are suggesting, but I am not the omnipotent force you believe me to be. I oversee this world, as you do yours. Even when confronted by that god, my power alone was not enough to thwart them. The covenant I share with descendants of the exalted bloodline allows them a chance to channel my divine power; only together can our will be fully realized. I am sorry, but I cannot grant your request.”
Master Hand slumped, failing to hide his dismay. “…VERY WELL.”
“Even so,” the manakete continued, “I can sense your actions are motivated by righteousness, and trust that you would not abuse such power were you to obtain it. If there is other divinity dwelling among the Outrealms, I urge you to seek their help.”
“THANK YOU,” the giant glove replied, “I INTEND TO.”
...
For what felt like eons there had been darkness. Then one day there came an intense light, growing ever greater until it eventually enveloped the entity completely. It could feel the remnants of its life force, scattered far and wide throughout the universe, condensing and becoming whole again.
Eventually it awoke in an unfamiliar form. Lithe, metallic, and strangely feminine, the new form possessed barely an ounce of the entity’s original ability.
If the entity could feel, it would be insulted.
...
Master Hand observed the concerned looks of the golden goddesses as his words sunk in. After a moment of strained silence, Nayru spoke up. “Are we to understand that this…‘Spirit’ is harmless in his current state?”
“Yes, with no corporeal form, it would lack the means to do much at all,” Din added. “So then, why the need to destroy it?”
“CONSIDER THIS SCENARIO,” the giant glove rumbled. “RECALL THE CHOSEN HERO AND PRINCESS, WHO ARE BOTH CURRENTLY UNDER MY CARE. IMAGINE, IF YOU WILL, THE TWO OF THEM TRAPPED FOREVER THANKS TO THIS BEING OPERATING WITHOUT RESTRAINT. HOW DO YOU SUPPOSE HYRULE WOULD FAIR WITHOUT THEM? NOT TO MENTION THE VARIOUS HEROES OF OTHER WORLDS WHO WOULD SUFFER THE SAME FATE.”
Normally, he considered such scare-tactics beneath him, but fewer methods would get the point across as quickly.
“IT NEARLY HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, AND I HATE TO SAY THE CHANCE OF A REPEAT IS ALL TOO REAL. AS LONG AS SOME PART OF HIM REMAINS, HE RUNS THE RISK OF REGAINING FULL CONTROL.”
The goddesses exchanged glances. Farore turned to Master Hand, her features tinged with an apologetic look.
“Long ago, the three of us conferred our divine essence to the world in the form of the Triforce. Even if it were here with us, fully formed, I’m afraid it would be no use to you; only a mortal being may make use of it, and you are no doubt familiar with its current holders.”
Din nodded in agreement. “Whether our gift leads to prosperity or destruction, that is for mortals to decide.”
Master Hand stayed silent, understanding but disappointed nonetheless. He bid them goodbye and was prepared to leave when Nayru suddenly addressed him a final time.
“On the subject of Her Grace, and the hero that accompanies her…please watch over them for us.”
...
For a time the Spirit subsisted in its new form inside a mysterious dimension. Surrounded by a maelstrom of darkness, it was eventually approached by a living organism; a pink and spherical creature that seemed familiar somehow.
A brief battle had been fought; the pink creature sent forth a blast of energy, rending the entity from its metal shell and reverting it to something it could not understand.
The pink creature then turned and scurried away, paying the entity no further mind.
...
"You are not of this world."
If nothing else, Arceus was blunt. It was respectable quality, to a degree.
“INDEED,” answered Master Hand. “YOU SEE…”
He managed to get about halfway through his proposal before he was interrupted.
“Power,” the creator said scornfully. “Such an arbitrary term. I have witnessed countless attempts to harness ‘power.’ Humans who squabble amongst themselves and chase after Pokémon of myth, hoping to wield their abilities for themselves. I cannot and will not bestow my power unto anyone - Pokémon, human or otherwise.”
“I DON’T NECESSARILY DISAGREE,” Master Hand replied, “BUT WHAT OF A NON-MORTAL WIELDER?”
“It matters not who wishes to wield it. For one thing, divine power is beyond mortal comprehension. If an irresponsible, or worse, ill-natured being managed to harness my power for their own, this world would be subjected to -”
“BUT THIS GOES BEYOND YOUR WORLD!” Master Hand said exasperatedly. “I AM TALKING ABOUT MULTIPLE PLANES OF EXISTENCE BEING SPLICED INTO ONE! THE RAMIFICATIONS OF SUCH AN OUTCOME ARE TOO GREAT TO RISK -”
“And what would you have me do? Grant you free rein to banish this ‘being’ to another realm? If they are as malicious as you say, would I not be effectively dooming one world to save another?”
Master Hand clammed up, a new thought lighting up his mind. He had approached this problem believing the solution would be to erase the Spirit from existence, an intention he lacked the power to carry out and which no other deity seemed willing to support.
But perhaps...
“Do you have nothing to add?”
Master Hand straightened up. “I HAVE SAID MY PIECE, AND MUST RESPECT YOUR DECISION. BEFORE I GO HOWEVER, AM I RIGHT TO ASSUME YOU KNOW A POKÉMON CALLED MEWTWO?”
Arceus’ eyes narrowed. “I know of him. Why?”
“I SPOKE WITH HIM AT LENGTH ABOUT WHAT COURSE OF ACTION TO TAKE. HE AGREED THAT THIS WAS THE BEST OPTION. FORGIVE MY DISTURBANCE.”
He then vanished, leaving the Hall of Origin to fall silent once again.
...
The entity found itself among a collection of countless other wisps of ever-changing colour. It wandered aimlessly among the progression as they collectively spiralled along. Why it was among them and where they were headed never even crossed its mind.
A loud cry of shock came from somewhere below the entity. It barely had time to register who it had come from before it was grasped by something large and smooth, and fell unconscious again.
...
“Well, this is quite the surprise. What brings you to my domain?”
Master Hand stared across the long table to the short man seated at the other end. The room they both occupied resembled that of a boardroom used to conduct business meetings. Every part of the room, from the walls to the floor to even the swivel chairs that lined the table, was a shade of vibrant blue. For a few seconds, the man silently gazed back at him over an inordinately-long nose before he spoke up.
“I suppose it would be courteous to introduce myself first. My name is Igor; I am the proprietor of the Velvet Room, in which you now find yourself.”
“IGOR,” Master Hand repeated. “PLEASE PARDON MY RUDENESS, I AM MASTER HAND. I BELIEVE WE SHARE A MUTUAL FRIEND?”
“Indeed my dear fellow, the one currently residing at your mansion. He has spoken about you at length, of course; he often comes to visit and regale me with his experiences in your tournament. It sounds like quite the spectacle.”
“I SEE…” Master Hand continued. “THEN I ASSUME HE HAS ALSO TOLD YOU OF THAT WHICH HAS COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE ‘WORLD OF LIGHT’ EVENT?”
“That he has,” Igor nodded.
“THEN I’LL CUT TO THE CHASE. A SIMILAR EVENT HAPPENED SOME TIME AGO WHERE A BEING OF CONSIDERABLE POWER ATTEMPTED TO FRAGMENT MY REALM UNTIL IT BECAME A NEW SINGULARITY. HE WAS DEFEATED BY A GROUP OF HEROES WHO COMPETED IN MY TOURNAMENT, AND BELIEVED TO BE GONE FOR GOOD. HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT THE CASE.”
Igor listened intently as Master Hand spoke, neither blinking nor moving an inch.
“FOLLOWING THE MAYHEM CAUSED BY GALEEM, IT CAME AS A GREAT SHOCK TO FIND HIM ALIVE - A MERE SPIRIT OF COURSE, BUT ALIVE NONETHELESS. I DECIDED TO SEEK OUT A BENEFACTOR WHO MIGHT GRANT ME THE STRENGTH TO BRING AN END TO HIM FOR GOOD, BUT I NOW FEAR THAT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE.”
“Fascinating… this ‘being’ must be considerably resilient to withstand an event of such magnitude,” the proprietor said. “I wonder then, what assistance you were hoping I might provide in that case?”
For a moment Master Hand was hesitant, gently levitating above the carpeted blue floor. Then, he slowly curled his digits inward, clenching into a fist. A faint glow spilled out from between his fingers as he uncurled them again.
Floating in his palm was a wisp of smoke that glowed with every colour. The glove gave it a nudge with a giant finger, sending it floating down the table and coming to a stop in front of Igor.
“I CAME HERE TO ASK A FAVOUR,” said Master Hand succinctly. “AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOUR ESTABLISHMENT SPECIALIZES IN BEINGS WITH A CONSIDERABLE POTENCY FOR CHAOS. THEREFORE, I HUMBLY REQUEST THAT YOU KEEP HIM CONTAINED HERE. I CANNOT AFFORD TO FALL UNDER HIS CONTROL AGAIN, LEST HE FIND A WAY TO TARGET REALMS BEYOND MY OWN.”
Igor sat transfixed by the Spirit, which appeared to have no awareness of where it was. If it harboured rage or resentment towards either of them, it didn’t show it. After a moment, Igor sat back and interlaced his fingers.
“Very well then. Out of respect for our mutual friend, I shall honour your request. It will take some preparation, but I think I can secure the means to keep this one contained with no resistance.”
Master Hand quietly sighed with relief. “I WOULD BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL, IGOR.”
...
At last, the entity had accomplished what he’d set out to do. Subspace was complete, a convergence of all worlds into one.
Those who had opposed him lay scattered as trophies. None had managed to even pose a challenge; his Off-waves had made short work of them all.
His puppet had tried to resist him, but such resistance was trivial; it now lay motionless, scorch marks dotting its knuckles where the golden chains had once kept it tethered.
With the entity’s victory finally assured he withdrew into the depths of his domain, satisfied by his handiwork.
...
Somewhere, Igor smirked.
It was entirely an illusion, after all.
But Tabuu needn’t know.