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Link accepted the offered hand before giving it a good-natured shake. Still, he couldn't help but feel minor disappointment; no Smasher appreciated loosing, and to be knocked out during the first match only added insult to injury. Man, I hope Midna doesn't catch wind of this... or at least not anytime soon. She can be such a nag!

***
In response, Zelda quickly transformed into her more agile Sheikah form before vanishing from her seat in a cloud of smoke and reappearing barely a half step ahead of the bounty hunter. Then, on reconsideration, why leave the only convenient healer behind? With no telling if medics were to be needed or not... She quickly teleported back to her seat, grabbed the frufru blonde, and completed the circuit in less than a heartbeat.

Peach barely had enough reaction time to utter a gasp out of surprise as she felt two slender arms snatch her in broad daylight. "Oi! Set me down at once, you rouge!" she exclaimed, writhing just enough to manage a smart slap across her assailant's face; the royal smirked in satisfaction when she felt a suppressed grunt.

Sheik glared down at the blonde. "It's only me, you twit!" she snapped.

"Zelda?" Peach demanded. "Well why didn't you say so! And contrary to popular belief, I can walk on my own!"

Sheik resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Never claimed otherwise. However, Spyro must be seriously injured if he would allow Midna to carry him, and you're the closest healer on hand until the medics arrive -excluding me, but it's been years since I've used my magic to tend a wound. Is that an adequate enough explanation?"

***
Midna quickly scanned the bleachers below for any familiar faces, but at this height, the crowd was still shifting dots of blobbed color -and already she could feel her magic wane. Stupid judges! I could understand caps during a match, but are the limitations outside really necessary? In desperation she made a final dash for the nearly empty nosebleed section near the announcers' booth.

Mario nodded. "That was a good fight, great job!" he replied, looking around the surrounding area as he waved to the crowd, then noticed the two princesses and Samus running. He tapped Link's shoulder and pointed to the strange sight, as the three weren't just in a rush, there was a certain urgency about it.

---------------------

Samus continued to run, then made out Midna arriving in the stadium. "Thank goodness," she muttered under her breath, somewhat relieved that Spyro was now somewhere safe at least. She jumpped up twice, using her Screw Attack to leap up and land next to them.

"Spyro!" Samus exclaimed, pressing a button and causing her helmet to disappear, revealing her face and putting a hand on the wounded dragon's back.

Spyro couldn't help but smile lightly at the sight of a friend. "Samus...it's good to see you..." he said, then cringed in pain.

"Sush, you're hurt and need to rest," said Samus, then looked to Midna. "What happened?"

"I guess," Link shrugged modestly while flashing a sad smile. "I-"

Mario quickly cut him off with a light nudge and a silent pointing finger; Link wordlessly followed with his eyes. The girls. Something certainly had them riled, and their urgency foretold that it wasn't another petty argument over shoes and what else women fought over. He felt his frown deepen; he could have sworn that he caught a glimpse of Midna's signature hairdo, and a glittering glint of purple during his match.

"Yeah," he replied, "I see them. But was it just me, or were they chasing Midna?"

***
A small gasp escaped from Peach; though she tried to mentally prepare herself, she hadn't expected this! She quickly stole a glance at her "rival", who she noticed slightly balk at the gruesome sight. But for now, she reached into her hidden side pocket and produced an astonishing amount of assorted items -among which were cloth strips that could be used as bandages and a few shriveled peaches from her last Final Smash.

Despite herself, Zelda inwardly flinched -such wounds should have instantly reduced the dragon into a trophy, and yet he still lived, if it could even be called that. She instantly began to focus her magic into a form of energy that could be used for healing -a process she barely remembered.

Midna's face became uncharacteristically grim as she heaved a heavy sigh. "Cynder's been kidnapped," she stated bluntly.

Zelda's head immediately jerked upright. "What? How? By whom?"

"By some creep in a black metal suite and red cape who calls himself 'the Dark Emperor'. Ring any bells? No? Well, despite his lack of style, he's not anyone who we can mess with -at least, not with our current power; he easily reverted both Cynder and Spyro into trophies with single attacks when he ambushed them, after they had already unleashed their Final Smashes on him... let's just say that only resulted in him casually brushing off ash. However, you all should know that he plans on reverting her back into a 'Dark General'."

He reduced them into trophies, and Spyro's still this injured? What is he? Zelda thought with unease. She quickly exchanged a glance with Samus; surely this new enemy wasn't Tabuu, right?.

"Don't you worry Spyro," Peach cooed softly. "We'll get you patched up in no time."

Mario looked closely, taking in the sight before answering. He nodded slowly. "Yep, they are," he stated, looking to Link. "Should we go?"

-------------------------

"...The attack was so strong..." said Spyro, looking up at Zelda. "...I hit him head on with my Final Smash and he just dusted himself off..." he muttered, feeling his wounds slowly heal as the princesses tried their best to heal him. "I...I couldn't protect Cynder..." he said, guilt and sorrow in his face. "I...I tried...I really did...I failed her..."

Samus clinched her fist, fury in her eyes. "Don't blame yourself, Spyro. This creep is the one to blame," she stated, clearly enraged. Samus was reknowned for many things, but there was one only those who had seen her rampage against Mother Brain after the death of the Baby Metroid knew about her. Only someone who'd seen her fight Ridley would've known. Only someone who had seen her rampage against Dark Samus on Phaaze would know. And that was this; mess with her friends or family, and you will pay. She will track you to the ends of the universe and do everything in her power to blast you until you're nothing but dust. "And I'm going to make him pay...by the time I'm through with this jerk, he'll wish he'd never laid a hand on you or Cynder..." she stated, her voice dead serious and dripping with fury. "I'll shove my arm cannon into whatever chink in his armor I find and let him have a Zero Laser for good measure."

She really cared about Spyro and Cynder, because she related to them. They'd lost so much to an enemy. Their families, their friends, and almost their entire home world. They'd suffered so much and that's why they connected. And that's why she was going to annilate whoever laid his filfthy hands on them.

OOC: Really sorry about such a late reply... I've been pretty busy lately but I'll post when I can! xD

BIC:
Link slowly nodded before racing towards the teleportation tile at his starting end of the field. Within moments the tile resurfaced from the earth, and the swordsman vanished with a flash. He reappeared moments later within the 5th Tier's northwestern locker room, stepping away from the tile to make room for Mario.

***
Zelda's eyes narrowed as they filled to the brim with cold fury and cruel judgement. "We will find a way to defeat him!" she gritted through her teeth. "But for now, try to relax and lie still. Your ligaments are in shambles, and the last thing we need is for your tail getting connected to the neck by accident," she added in a gentler tone.

"Here," Midna interjected while tossing a flat black object to Samus. "I found this shortly after reviving Spyro. I don't know if this guy left her scale as some sort of trap or just out of plain sloppiness, but I figured it could give us a lead of sorts."

Movement caught the Toadstool Princess's eye; she swiftly let loose a barrage of frowny-faced turnips at a stack of crated. Out rolled a rubbery green figure and an avalanche of foodstuffs from one in a splintering of wood. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Yoshi?" she gasped. "What were you doing in that crate?" she demanded with narrowed eyes.

"Eehhrrr... Yavshi?" Yoshi mumbled innocently through puffed up cheeks, quickly whisking away stray crumbs with his tail.

Mario soon followed Link through the portal. "Let's go," he stated, wanting to know what was going on. He didn't know Spyro or Cynder too well, but something that had Peach running seriously most've been very important. He started off towards were the three female Smashers had gone.

------------------

Samus watched Spyro do his best to hold still, but he kept choking back sobs and straining himself not to cry. She knew why. He'd just failed to protect the one thing in the world he loved more than anything else, his mate. But he didn't like letting others see him cry, in his world he was the chosen one, the one everyone turned to for hope. He didn't think it was fitting of him to sob and cry.

Samus softly put her armored hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Spyro. Right now, you need to let your body relax. Holding back tears and sobs is just making it work harder than it should be and might interfer with you healing...we won't judge or think any less of you for it," she said, then gave a glare to Midna to tell her not to say anything.

Spyro sighed and slowly relaxed, letting his tears fall and even giving a few sobs. "I'm sorry...It's just...it really hurts that I couldn't protect her...I...I haven't felt like this sense I saw Ignitus die..." he muttered.

Samus patted him softly and looked to the others as he mourned his lost. "Ignitus was his mentor and father figure. Back in his world, Ignitus sacrificed himself to let Spyro save their world, died pretty much right in front of him," she explained softly. "He didn't reappear here outside of an Assist Trophey, which isn't much comfort..." she stated, knowing what it was like to have your father figure die...it'd happened to her three times.

"Yeah," Link replied before chasing after Mario. A sinking feeling of dread began to settle in the pit of his stomach. Whatever happened, something just didn't seem to bode well for the swordsman -and after a series of countless misadventures and close encounters, he had learned to trust instincts. Otherwise, he'd be dead.

The echos of hushed voices and hiccupped sobs quickly from down the hall and around the corner quickly jolted him from these thoughts.

"They must be close by," he murmured to Mario.

***
Midna resisted the urge of rolling her eyes in responce to what she percieved as Samus's judgemental attitude towards her in favor of retreating to a corner to sulk, seething. What was the point of wallowing in self-pity? Well... you wouldn't hear her deny that that was what he needed at the moment... But she needed to act! Let those two frufrus finish healing him (she quickly pushed away the nagging counter-thought that she was technically a royal too) and everyone else form a plan of action. That was common sence... wasn't it?

'Heh, know-it-all Samus strikes again,' she thought bitterly, once again ignoring the fact that not even a handful of Smashers were present. Touchy-feely had never been her thing, unfortunately. But she refused to voice any of this aloud -a huge show of self-control on her end, she reflected- for no one even noticed her one idea.

The Hylian Princess's eyes softened as the fallen hero beneath her hands grudgingly allowed himself to weep openly in dispair. "I understand, Spyro. We all do, including Midna, believe it or not."

The imp glanced up in bewilderment before quickly glancing away and chastising her own self-centeredness.

"Do you think it was easy to surrender to Zant? I'll tell you right here, right now, that it wasn't. Many people died, and I, their monarch, had failed to protect them. But many more would have been sacrificed if I had not. The point is, it will never be easy to realise your weaknesses. But unlike me, you still fought your hardest, and we will do everything we can to guarentee that you can do so again, and return with your mate."

Peach cast one final glare at the mischievious dino before returning to the others. "But why did this guy kidnap Cynder? Aren't there plenty other canidates?"

"For once, I'd have to agree with the ditz," Midna commented, earning an indignant glare from said individual. "It does seem odd that he'd pluck her; I may be completely off basis, but it seems like more of an attack on Spyro."

"I think they went that way," said Mario, pointing in the right direction. "What do you think is going on?"

-------------------

Spyro looked up sorrowfully. "I think I might..." he muttered. "Cynder used to be a villain. She was corrupted by Malefor into a monster. She can use her Final Smash to turn into that form here but... Dark Cynder is still sleeping in her somewhere... What if..." he started, unable to hold back tears as he thought about it.

Samus sighed. "If this guy turns Cynder back into Dark Cynder, we're in big trouble," she stated. "Especially if she's working for him," she continued, having seen Cynder's Final Smash in action. Like Giga Bowser and other such Final Smashes, she became a powerful beast for a brief time. She didn't want to face her when she COULDN'T turn back to normal and was controled by evil.

"I thought I saw something purple clutched in Midna's hair-hand. Judging that neither Spyro or Cynder have appeared.... Do you think that was Spyro?" Link replied.

***
Zelda lowered her hands, letting them return to her sides and rest on her lap. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Peach rewrapping the extra bandages into neat little rolls before returning them to her hidden pocket. "This is about all we can do. Do you still hurt?"

"Maybe," said MArio, a little uncertain. He didn't know either of them THAT well, but if it was purple, Spyro was about the only purple Smasher he knew. "But that's a good guess."

-----------------

Spyro got to his feet. "I'm a little sore, but I'll be ok..." he said, looking around the stadium and seeing Link and Mario coming. "We should tell everyone about this. With the Emperor running around, it's clear we're in danger, we shouldn't keep this a secret."

Samus looked up as a dark cloud brewed over the stadium. "I think they're coming to us," she said, pressing a button and reactivating her helmet.

Spyro took a fighting stance, but gasped in shock at what arrived. "No!"

Dark Cynder descended from the clouds and perched a top the stadium wall. Ridley descended next and perched opposite of her. "Hello, pathetic heroes," cackled the dark Dragonness. "I'm afraid your little tournament is cancled, by order of this world's new master, the Dark Emperor," she announced, before flying down, clutching the trophey for the tournement in her claws and flying back up. She then motioned for Ridley to attack.

As the space dragon charged them, Samus charged back, leaping off the wall and landing on his back, firing a barrage of shots into her arch enemy's maw, sending him into a downwards spiral, both hitting the arena floor far below.

Zelda quickly teleported to the arena, landing a safe distance away from both dragon and bounty hunter. From there, she began unleashing a rapid barrage of Din's Fire aimed for the dragon's head.

Link, before Midna could grab his tunic to stop him, quickly leaped through the gaping hole Ridley created in the cement wall with a battle-enraged snarl. In midair, he quickly unsheathed his sword, aiming it downwards towards the deep-space dragon's spine for a devastating downward smash as he plummeted several stories toward the arena floor far below.

The imp's hand enclosed around empty space. With a sigh, she quickly darted after her Hylian comrades to the arena, intending to take up her position beside Zelda. On her decent, she contemplated the courses of action she could take. Midna seriously doubted that "Puppet" would work against a boss; on the other hand, "Energy Field" was suited best for multiple "small fry" enemies and was easily dodged by a singular opponent, and "Negative Space" was more of a recovery move similar to Pit's flight technique...which only left "Fused Shadows", a close combat move, but wouldn't she only get in the way of the two veteran Smashers? With a sigh, she decided to wait patiently next to the princess and decide how to best assist later.

***
With a sly wink towards Mario, Peach daintily leaped through the hole after Link and opened her parasol for a smooth landing.

Yoshi scratched his head in puzzlement before following suit, preparing himself for an epic ground pound that hopefully might stun the rival reptile.