Chapter Text
-- Music: Classic Mode: Defeat --
Smash was a fun competition. It was a time for rivals and friends, enemies and family, all to test their might against each other. Whether you were a newcomer or a veteran, it doesn't matter. At this point, Mario was only coming back to Smash to meet cool people from other worlds.
He was the first person ever invited to Smash along with his old rival turned sports companion DK, so he always had a positive outlook on the whole thing.
The first Smash competition wasn’t anything exciting in hindsight. The Hand roomed them up each in a shared room to save on budget in a hotel on the planet Corneria, and they had very poorly made sets designed to represent each place.
Mario roomed with Luigi
Samus with Pikachu
Link with Yoshi
DK with Captain Falcon
Ness with Jigglypuff
and Kirby with Fox
Back then, they really felt like a family. Mario remembers fondly the realisation everyone had that Samus was a woman, the chaos and laughter that ensued.
After that was Melee. They had a large step up this time, everyone getting their own rooms due to the larger budget for Smash. While they still had to fight on recreations of everyone’s home stages, it had spread to multiple planets within the Lylat System so that Corneria didn’t have to completely shut down every time they held a match.
Brawl was the largest innovation. After a large adventure featuring almost everybody in smash history ensued, Master Hand learnt to use Tabuu’s subspace technology to send fighters to an exact recreation of the fighting arenas that would reset naturally.
No extra costs, added realism, and not bothering any citizen of any planet that was a part of it.
After brawl, Master Hand utilised this subspace technology to make it easier for participants to get to and from their home planets, allowing them to leave whenever they needed for one of their own adventures and stay indefinitely in smash.
This leads us to Ultimate. All previous fighters returned due to the improvements, and more and more fighters ended up joining.
89 fighters in total were staying at this competitions accommodation. Well.. technically more if you include fighters like Alph, the Koopalings and Alex.
Master Hand decided to do a nice thing for all the fighters and build one to one replicas of their home’s in a place known as the Smash Village. What the fighters defined as their ‘home’ massively varied from a castle, to a space ship, to a simple tree house.
Master Hand spared no expense in rebuilding these places to be 1:1 exact replicas of their real homes, even going so far as to allowing other fighters families or other residents of their home to live with them.
Initially, Master Hand worried this would cause a bit of a class dispute among fighters. Peach, Bowser, Dedede, Zelda and others got to live in castles while Joker had to live in a café, Snake had to live in a crappy shack that he used to live in in Alaska (complete with cold weather simulation) and Piranha Plant had to live in a pipe. But it seems those with less “idealistic” homes didn’t mind and actually were quite fond of their surroundings.
-- Music: Grass Land - SMB3 --
In the Shipyard, Mario left the Odyssey with a big smile on his face. A new season of Smash. A whole load of new friends to make. He was truly truly excited.
”Hey Mario!” Falco waved, practicing some gymnastics outside of the Great Fox.
Mario waved back.
Outside of Samus’ gunship he saw Fox and Samus talking, Samus not in any combat suit and rather in a casual outfit consisting of a Leather Jacket and jeans.
He turned more and saw Olimar and Alph tending to their Pikmin while Slippy sat and watched them.
Peppy, the fourth inhabitant of the Great Fox, was working with Meta Knight, doing something on the gun of the Halberd
He was disappointed to be placed with these guys and not be in Peach’s Castle or even Luigi’s Mansion, but it couldn’t be all bad. After all, this is the first time non fighters have gotten to stay with the fighters, within reason. There were quite a few wild Pokémon in Viridian Forest which is where most of the Pokémon fighters stayed, Star Wolf and Star Fox both have their full teams, Joker got to bring Morgana and some orange haired girl to serve the café, Zombie’s dungeon was full of skeletons and creepers, Little Mac even got to bring Doc Louis.
It was all a plan by the hands to make all the fighters feel more at home, so they would perform better.
Mario had to admit, it was a pretty smart strategy to keep people at ease. It also was easier to get veterans to return and newcomers from various different worlds that way, as they wouldn't really be missing out on anything back home.
-- Music: Map 2 - SMW --
Mario decided it was time for a stroll. He was made aware of the Smash Village before anyone else.
He gawked at how much control they had over the weather. The shipyard seemed to have normal summer weather, but he looked to Belmont Hold and Luigi’s Mansion which both seemed to be in a state of perpetual darkness. Kind of cruel to put Luigi in that… at least he has E-Gadd with him.
Not far away was the Kong’s tree house, where Mario could feel the humidity emanating off of it.
Perhaps this was Palutena’s doing? But she wasn’t a goddess of the weather, so maybe Master Hand just found somebody to control the weather for them, or they could do it themselves. A scary thought regardless. It was all a bit beyond his understanding, if he was honest.
Most of the areas seemed to be pretty uniform in design. Forest areas were all bundled together, urban/suburban households were all in the same neighborhood (named Smashville), and of course Mario was in the shipyard with other fighters that lived on ships.
He looked up the hill. Peaches Castle. Daisy was also living there along with countless Toads.
He looked toward the horizon. He could see bright lava spouting in the distance. No doubt about it, that was probably the ‘villains’ area where at the very least Bowser and Jr. were, most likely Ridley and Ganondorf were there too. Maybe even that new Sephiroth guy, probably one of the only people who put a genuine chill down his spine
Mario couldn’t help but smile at the growth this great competition had spouted.
”Oh, excuse me!” A quiet voice spoke to him.
-- Music: 4PM - ACNH --
Mario looked around but couldn’t seem to see anyone no matter how hard he looked.
”Um.. down here”
He looked down and laid his eyes on a golden Shih Tzu. Isabelle. A friend of his for a couple of years, she'd been promoted from assist trophy to fighter this go around.
”Ah! Isabella! I’m-a so glad to see you join smash!”
”Thank you Mr. Mario!” Isabelle smiled. “My problem is I lost the mayor and I don’t know where my house is.. would you mind helping me? I am so sorry to ask this of you.”
”Not at all! I assume you are in-a Smashville with all the houses?”
”I think so..” Isabelle mumbled, dusting off her skirt. “I’m so clumsy I got lost on my first day...”
Isabelle had over the top tears bawling out of her eyes.
"How can I even fight if I'm this clumsy?!"
Mario just put his gloved hand on her head with a smile.
”Don’t-a worry! I’ll tell-a you something. My-a brother Luigi is very clumsy, but he’s-a one of the best fighters in smash!”
Isabelle sniffled
”Wow... I didn’t know Mr Luigi was clumsy like me!”
”No, Isabella, he’s-a more clumsy than you” Mario let out a small laugh, picking up one of Isabelle’s bags and guiding her towards Smashville, the two catching up since the last time they met.
They finally reached her... "house"
”Um, Mr Mario.. is this really my house?” Isabelle asked.
Mario scratched his head
”I.. uh.. think-a so?”
Mario and Isabelle both stared at the town hall from Isabelle’s home town, also coincidentally named Smashville.
”B-but Mr Mario there’s no bed in there!”
”Do you.. have a house back home?”
Isabelle paused for a moment. Did she have a house? She wasn't even sure. A large blue cartoony question mark appeared above her head to signify that she was very confused.
”Well, look on-a the bright side, you are in charge of this-a Smashville!”
Red and Leaf, the two Pokémon Trainers, walked past talking gleefully about each others Pokémon (which were the exact same), before they stopped and waved at Mario and Isabelle.
”So she’s the new mayor of Smashville, huh Mario?” Red asked.
-- Music: Youthful Lunch - P4 --
”Wh-whaaaat?!” Isabelle yelled with a blush.
”It would appear so” Mario said bashfully.
”W-wait, you can’t be serious. I’m the secretary. Where’s the real mayor?!”
Seemingly out of nowhere, a young boy with fluffy black hair and eyeglasses left the town hall.
He paused for a moment as everybody stopped and stared at him. Mario noted he was definitely a new fighter, and not one he recognised even though he'd looked over the fighter list. On further inspection he only looked like a high school student.
”Oh. Hi everyone.” The boy said.
”Um! Excuse me! Do you know what happened to the mayor? Is he in there? Did you talk to him?!?!” Isabelle looked up at the boy desparately.
”Huh, what?” He looked down at Isabelle, taking a step back as she got closer to him.
“Oh. You mean that guy." The boy said, pointing back at the town hall. The boy returned his hands into his pockets and he let out a sigh as he explained.
"Yeah, he just told me he’s retiring, going into smash full time”
Isabelle paused for a moment, her face dropping.
”He told me to come back when the new mayor gets here because he’s not qualified to give out business licenses anym-“
”WHAT?!” Isabelle screamed, cutting off the young boy. She, rather out of character, barged through the door and into the town hall to see the mayor, sitting there.
--Music End--
”Oh! Mayor! Please tell me it’s not true is it?”
The Mayor, or rather the Villager, sipped a mug of presumably coffee and slipped a note to Isabelle.
“My dearest Isabelle.
You ran our own Smashville so well when I was fighting the last time, and before this new Smash, I was considering stepping down from my home position and handing it to you due to your excellence.
Since we have a simulation of Smashville right here, I feel this is the perfect time for me to train you how to be a good mayor without harming the good citizens of our own Smashville.
Regards
Your Mayor”
”M-mayor” Isabelle teared up. “I’m not ready...”
-- Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental) - P5 --
“I’m gonna fail!” Isabelle wailed, slamming her head onto the counter of café Leblanc, the local café in Smashville, and she was crying streams of tears.
The girl working the bar, Futaba Sakura was the daughter of the real owner, Sojiro Sakura, but she was definitely not as good at giving advice as her father.
”Uhh.. so. You don’t wanna be mayor?”
”Of course she does.” Ken said from his booth seat. “She’s just stressed because this was all forced on her so suddenly.”
”O-oh” Futaba gulped. “Sounds like a kinda crappy ex-mayor if you ask me”
Isabelle’s tear flow stopped.
She looked up.
Her brows pointed downwards and her cheeks flushed as exaggerated steam came out of her ears.
”Don’t. You. DARE. Say that about the mayor ever again. I will have this café shut down or so help me!”
Futaba yelped, ducking down behind the bar counter.
”Wow. I didn’t know you had bite as well as bark, new mayor” Ken laughed, taking a big gulp of his coffee.
He decided to get up and move towards the counter where Isabelle sat and sat next to her.
”O-oh.. I’m so sorry, Miss Sakura! Please forgive my outburst!”
Futaba arose from behind the counter and wiped her eyes.
“..’sall cool..”
The bell of the door rang and in came a man none of the people in the café had met before. He seemed to be carrying a winter coat, but had a military uniform on underneath.
”Is this the.. café?” He asked.
”Yup! Number 1 Café in Yongen-Jaya, Tokyo! Leblanc, Coffee and Curry!” Futaba answered and pumped her fist.
”Huh. You’re Japanese?” Ken asked. “That’s weird, I hear ya speaking English. Maybe those hands are lettin us talk to each other or whatever.”
”Jesus Christ... this shit just gets more confusing every time...." The man rubbed his eyes, then he returned his glance to Futaba. “I’ll have the house blend”
”Eep! Uhhh.. Ren!-“
The same black haired boy from earlier, who Isabelle had just identified as the fighter Joker, came out from the kitchen, and started preparing the coffee in the siphon.
”Um, excuse me, whats your name?” Isabelle asked the military man.
The man looked at her.
”Are you a dog?”
”Um.. yes.. would you please tell me your name? I’m.. I’m the mayor of this town and I’m trying to learn everyone’s faces…”
The man sat down next to her at the counter, Isabelle now sandwiched between him and Ken.
“Oh you’re the new mayor huh?” The man said, his tough gravelly voice somewhat soothing Isabelle’s mind strangely. “It's Snake.”
”Oh. Mr Snake! You’re the one who lives in the cold house, right? Was that a specific request?”
”To be honest, I didn’t put in any request. I guess the hands just decided to play a prank on me by making me revisit my hermit days in Alaska.. closest thing I ever had to a home I guess.”
Joker came over and placed the cup of coffee in front of Snake.
Snake took a small sip, and his eyes widened. What incredible flavour!
”Oh so you didn’t put in a request either? That’s how I got stuck living in the town hall…” Isabelle mumbled. She sighed, leaning her head into her paw.
Snake didn’t reply. Isabelle understood why though, the coffee was extraordinary.
It might even be better than Blathers' coffee, if she was honest.
”Huh? You don’t have a place to live, Mayor?” Futaba asked.
”I do, but it’s the town hall...”
“C-Come live with me!” Futaba offered. “They brought me here to run Leblanc so Ren- I mean Joker didn’t have to do it after all his fights, but I needed a place to stay too so they completely remodelled my dads house! He’s not here though, he had to stay home and run the real café. So because of that we have a spare room!”
Isabelle blinked at her.
"Convenient" Snake chuckled.
”Miss Sakura, that is very kind of you.. but..”
”Don’t be so modest” Snake grunted. “Take the kid’s offer.”
”’Kid’?” Futaba moaned at Snakes wording.
”Yeah. Kid. I’m not calling you ‘Miss Sakura’ when you look like you're half my age.”
”Well, you got an easier name we can call you by?” Ken asked Futaba.
Futaba was never really good with social interaction, so she just had to pretend to be confident.
”Welll… when my dad runs Leblanc everyone calls him Boss so… call me Boss!”
”Boss, huh?” Snake chuckled to himself before taking another sip of coffee.
“Well.. B-Boss… I would like to humbly accept your offer!” Isabelle said loudly, standing up and bowing.
”Huh? It’s not that big of a deal.. we had the spare room and it beats sleeping on the floor”
”Congratulations on the roommate, boss” Ren said to Futaba, teasing her about her new nickname.
“Don’t make me retract my offer.” Futaba glared at him.
--Music End--
-- Music: Dark Hallways - Luigi's Mansion --
Night had fallen on the first night living in the Smash Village. Daisy prepared to sleep, but a loud sound discouraged her from doing that.
Knocking. Loud, loud knocking on the castle doors.
“Who could that be at this hour?” Daisy groaned.
The castle doors were being pounded on.
She thought to ignore it, but it sounded almost desperate.
She got up in her night gown and trudged down the stairs. Not a toad in sight to open the door for her.
She opened the door slightly.
”Hellooo?” Daisy answered, and was met with a loud yell and somebody came darting in.
”Owowow!” He yelled. Daisy could hear audible teeth chattering, and she soon realised who it was.
She shut the castle door and went over to the person who had just entered the castle.
”Are you okay, Luigi?!” She asked, trying to hide the concern in her voice
”D-d-daisy!” Luigi yelled, gripping onto her. “I was-a so scared Daisy! I’m-a sorry! There's ghosts in-a my house!”
”They put ghosts in your house? Luigi… are you sure you’re not just… you know..”
”No! I saw the ghosts! There was-a big mean scary thing! It jumped at me and I had to-a run Daisy!”
“There there.” Daisy pulled Luigi into a close embrace. “We’ll talk to the hands and make sure you get a nice safe place to live. How does Smashville sound?”
”C-c-can we talk-a about this tomorrow..?” Luigi said, his teeth still chattering and his voice quivering.
”Sure. I’ll put you in the guest bedroom for tonight. With lots of candles and cuddly toys to make you feel safe and secure!”
--Music End--
But back in Luigi’s mansion..
”HAHAHA did you- did you see his face?” Wolf keeled over with laughter, the other members of Star Wolf all laughing along with him.