Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers, the characters, or anything related.

I only own my OC.

PART ONE

Conquering the Darkness Within

Prologue

I gazed at my reflection in a form that was not my own, but my exact opposite. I had no control over my body whatsoever and that realization strengthened my fears and worries. My opposite desired to inflict hurt, pain, sorrow and bloodshed. I was frightened by my uncontrollable urges to give in. I could easily feel my heart rate erratically increase and every movement became more restricted, except for breathing.

The mirror's reflection repulsed me, sending involuntary chills throughout my body. I needed to meet my opposing side's demands, but it was not on my list of priorities. No one deserved pain because of me, especially the one I loved with all my heart. Should I hurt anyone important to me, I could not live with myself no matter how hard I would try to ignore feeling regret of being a killer. Once a death was caused by my hands, it would leave a separate scar each time.

In my hand was a sword tightened in my grasp to fight the dark side I was temporary becoming. A chilling thought crossed my mind: Would this ever become permanent and the end I wanted least? No…I cannot allow this to happen. This…is not me. I raised my sword about to strike the nearest blurry figure closest to me, but used the last of my will to turn the blow onto myself.

My mind raced seeing the blood pour from my wound, not dripping but flowing. I ran as fast as I could out of the room, wanting to destroy myself, what I am and its entirety. My demon needed the taste the liquid dripping onto the ground as I continued to run as fast as possible. I needed something else to distract my mind; I didn't want to drink any blood at all costs. The liquid poured from my wounds, adding to the drops collecting on the dirty cold ground. I shuddered from disgust, my hand clutching at my heart. No matter how much I tried, I could not escape what I was meant to be.

Soon I was met face to face with a dark figure chuckling at my pain and suffering. His eyes pierced into mine shining with pleasure at my discomfort. "Enjoying yourself? It sounded like fun back there. Am I right?"

A growl escaped my vocal before I could stop it. How I desired to attack the one in front of me and make whoever it is suffer a blood shedding death and fulfill my other side's need. Calming down is becoming a futile attempt to accomplish the impossible. My anger was too great to be subdued at this point.

"Leave me alone," I hissed at the monster hovering before my very eyes. I knew this monster though. "Just go away. I've had enough of this! I just want to be alone."

"You have no choice but to do as you are asked. You are to obey my commands," the voice replied. "Now murder the demon or else you will meet a painful and miserable end. I am sure that is not what you want."

Tears threatened to fill my eyes and shed onto my cheeks. My heart prevented me from killing senselessly like the monster standing and towering over my small round form. "No…that is not what I want. I will do as you ask. Just don't kill me."

"Very well then. You may go. And do not fail me. I'm giving you only one chance and this one is your very last."

"I won't …" A couple tears splashed down my cheeks at my surrender. Sometimes I wish I could curl up and fall asleep, never to wake up.

My destiny was controlled by a monster.

Was that a life worth living?

Should I even bother anymore?

… I'm not a monster … I can't be a killer. It's not who I am.

But who am I? I don't know myself anymore. Not after years of slaughtering the innocent.

Unexpected Arrival: Chapter One

Rain fell softly from the sky as the clock was reaching midnight. The raindrops glistened the window of a large elegant house neighbouring the Smash Mansion. Inside the house in the main room were two figures shadowed in the dim light from the fireplace.

The smaller figure faced the one sitting in the rocking chair going back and forth by the warm of the fire. The young child had a blanket wrapped around its body to contain the warmth close to her body.

"How did it happen? It must have occurred a long time ago." The child spoke with pure sincerity and curiosity. She never expected her to know of her experiences. For being so young, was the child even ready?

"Dear, it is a long story. It will take a while to explain. But are you truly ready to hear this though? I do not want to make you feel uncomfortable. It is not the easiest thing to talk about."

"That's okay, I'm more than ready. Begin whenever you like. Like I said I'm ready. Are you?"

She smiled warmly. "All right, it all began…"

Thunder could be heard in the distance and all became black after the following flash of lightening…

In a dark hallway, a short, round figure was wondering about. Voices could be distinctly heard from a room nearby. Whoever was speaking was having an important conversation. The round puffball walked silently down the hallway so she could hear what the voices were saying, careful not to make any noises.

She could hear the voices clearly as soon as she was halfway down the hallway.

"What do you think should be done with her? She has never been useful to us after all those years it took to create her. Was she even worth all that time and effort? The same time it took for me?"

"It would be unwise to eliminate her," a voice said, cool and calmly. "We just may have some use of her yet. We could, of course, have her undergo more experiments to see why she has been useless. Once that is done, we can find out what is wrong with her and what can be done to rectify any errors."

"That will do Isaken. We'll carry this out this evening as planned earlier. I'll see you and that girl later then. Be sure to keep to your word, because I guarantee, I can go back on mine must you attempt anything I wouldn't approve."

"That will do Master. We will both be there, I guarantee you. But if we are just a second late, you will have to deal with it, I suppose. Depends on how busy myschedule is. Very well, I'll see you tonight with the girl."

The girl shuddered at the thought of enduring more experiments. She went through so many, she lost count. The girl knew she had to escape as soon as possible. Having lived in a research facility for a very long time, she knew where everything was. The girl knew the research facility was high above the ground and her options of escaping were very limited. She did remember there was an escape hatch nearby. Finding it was a must and had to be done immediately.

The hallway was vacant at the present moment so she was able to get to her destination without being detected. Her hand went to open the door when an alarm blared through the entire area. She glared, her plan failing after she was feeling so hopeful it would work. Her pace to the escape hatch quickened, her silent walking changed to the fastest running she could muster. Now was not the time to give up. She had to try harder.

Adrenaline gave her the strength to send the door flying with one single punch. She kept her frantic pursuit to the exit, oblivious to the footsteps approaching her from behind. At the end of the room, she reached her goal of making it to the escape hatch. She finally did it.

Excitement filled her, giving her tremendous courage she never possessed before. Finally, she could be free after so many years of isolation and misery. Eagerly, she opened the hatch, took a deep breath and jumped.

The day for the opening of the third Super Smash Brothers Tournament finally arrived. The thirty-five that were chosen from various worlds to be Smashers for the tournament left their home planets to another dimension, known as the Smash Universe. By nine in the morning, the garage quickly filled up with several vehicles, the largest one being the Halberd.

During the Halberd's four hour flight to the Smash Universe passed slowly and each second endured with dread. Nearly the whole time, Kirby and Dedede were fighting and causing a disruption. Meta Knight held the steering wheel with a tense grip, not pleased to be leaving his home planet. Dedede and Kirby were battling each other in the background, and the walls were left with dents from being hammered.

Meta Knight sighed, exasperated with those two. The whole time the two knew each other, they constantly were against one another. Dedede's reasons for taking an instant dislike to Kirby were still unknown. Meta Knight often questioned to himself of why those two couldn't just get along for a few hours?

"I ain't done with you yet, ya marshmallow! Stand still so I can clobber you!" Meta Knight heard from behind him. The two managed to find their way back into the piloting room. And for a fight to ensue would drive him insane. Breath in, breath out. They would get bored, quit and behave like civilized people…

Dedede managed to send Kirby flying and he nearly collided into the windshield. His patience wearing thin, Meta Knight found himself shouting.

"If you two cannot behave yourselves, I will throw you off the ship myself and you can walk the whole way there!" Meta Knight used that threat and it worked after hours of enduring them both. Threats like that always frightened Kirby into obeying and every time that happened, Dedede was forced to follow the rules as well: under one condition.

"Even as an official Smasher, you still are my servant. While here, it will be no different between the two of us even if we are not in Dreamland." A quick argument later, Meta Knight gave in to the King's demands. It was useless to persuade the unrelenting penguin.

"…That's right. King Dedede is in this tournament as well. I have a bad feeling about this…"

With one last sigh, Meta Knight took his suitcase in hand as the Halberd landed. He had been rather skeptical about coming here and now that he arrived, he felt that he may regret changing his mind about leaving home to participate in the tournament. The Smash Mansion appeared much bigger than he expected and he was sure he would get lost finding his way around for anything.

"Poyo!"

That's why he changed his mind in the first place as he was kindly reminded that he forced to accept his invitation.

"…Fine Kirby, I am coming." Meta Knight took one last look at the Halberd before following Kirby up the walkway to the Smash Mansion. Since the both of them were Smashers now, he agreed to let Kirby accompany him on his battleship. Also, Kirby tagged along to be certain that Meta Knight would keep to his word. He heavily sighed again, now feeling nervous as they approached the main doors.

Kirby took one of Meta Knight's gloved hands in one of his stubby arms and gave it a reassuring squeeze as if to say, "It's all right." He smiled behind his mask. He felt a little less reluctant to open the doors.

"Me first!" shouted a voice from behind. "I'm the King, let me through!"

Meta Knight sighed in annoyance, moving out of the way for the fat and greedy blue penguin he called 'His Majesty,' whom he claimed to be his loyal servant.

After Dedede swung the door open, it nearly smashed into Meta Knight from recoil. Luckily, he had quick reflexes so he evaded the oncoming blow. Once the doors became still, he gave them a gentle push and held it open for Kirby who smiled as thanks.

As the other Smashers and newcomers gaze turned to him, Meta Knight looked away, out of place. He hastily made his way to a corner away from everyone else and settled down there. Never once did he dare look up at anyone except for Kirby who stayed by his side.

The Master Hand was in the middle of the announcement for the opening of Super Smash Brothers Brawl, the third tournament. "I am pleased that another tournament can be held. I am delighted that fifteen newcomers will be joining us for this special occasion. I hope that all of you follow the rules and make sure the newcomers feel at home. The same rules apply in this tournament as in the previous two. Those who are not familiar with how things work around here, I suggest you listen carefully. But before we get into the rules, we will allow the newcomers to introduce themselves."

The Master Hand was cut off by the sound of a faint scream in the distance. The Smashers looked around to see what it was, but it couldn't be found in view.

"What was that?" Jigglypuff asked eyes wide.

The Master Hand did not respond to that question, but instead, kept facing the opposite direction. "Everyone, remain in the main room and do not leave until I say so. Wait here until I return," he said seriously. "Please be on your best behaviour."

Though confused, everyone stayed put seated on the couches. While the Smashers were talking to each other, Meta Knight stayed by himself. As he entered the Smash Mansion, he took one last glance at the door before reflecting on his thoughts once again.

While most found a spot on the couches, Meta Knight was gazing out the window, not wishing to socialize with anyone anytime soon. He could faintly see the Master Hand in the distance until he was distracted a few minutes later by the Crazy Hand who was being his usual crazy self. The newcomers were amused by his crazy antics.

However, Meta Knight rolled his eyes and turned back to the window, not even the slightest bit interested. He soon felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see who it was, now slightly annoyed.

"Why don't you join everyone else Meta Knight?" Jigglypuff asked.

"No," Meta Knight said firmly.

"Please? It will be lots of fun."

"No. I prefer to be alone."

"Okay then. I suppose I'll leave you to yourself. It would have been more fun though if you decided to participate. You're missing out, you know…Nevermind." Jigglypuff went over to resume the games and activities.

In the last few minutes, Meta Knight saw no signs of the oversized, white hand. "Where could he possibly be?" As he continued thinking, his eyes changed colours to green.

The doors swung open and in came the Master Hand, who was worried. "Everyone, as suspected I did find something suspicious. You all may want to know what I discovered."

The entire Smashers' attention turned to the Master Hand who just came back from outside. He discovered what had fallen, and to everyone's shock, it was a living being.

"What is that…thing?!" the young Smashers blurted out, unable to suppress their immediate shock.

"It kinda looks like a puffball…" Ike said, shocked like the others.

"Whatever it is, we should wait for it to wake up before deciding on an action," Marth suggested.

The Master Hand agreed. "All right everyone. Settle down." All the Smashers were certainly not expecting such an unusual event to suddenly occur, particularly the ones who had been in the first tournaments. As each one assembled in a quiet manner in the main room, the Master Hand set the puffball on a couch.

Even Meta Knight was curious about what it was. So he wouldn't appear suspicious, he sat on the nearest couch to the puffball and tried to act normal. He slowly shifted his gaze towards the couch beside him.

The puffball on the couch appeared to a light shade of purple and almost the same size as him. She had dark brown hair which was held up in a high ponytail and bangs covering almost half of her face. She wore gloves on both of her hands each accompanied by a gorgeous bracelet. She also wore jet black shoes. The mysterious puffball slowly opened her eyes, now regaining consciousness. The one eye that was visible appeared to be a beautiful, chocolate brown. Fear immediately struck her along with confusion.

"Master Hand, she-a has awoken," Luigi said.

"I see," the Master Hand replied, now hovering over to the puffball.

The puffball looked at him strangely. "W-Who are you…Where a-am I?" Her gaze shifted from one Smasher to the other, her expression demanding an answer.

"I am the Master Hand, manager of the Super Smash Brothers Tournaments. You are in the Smash Mansion at the present moment, in the Smashers' residence," the Master Hand replied. "I assume you have no place to go?"

The puffball nodded.

"Perhaps you would like to stay here then. I hope you do not mind being roommates with one of the Smashers."

"I don't mind," the puffball said softly, voice barely audible.

The Master Hand put up the list of roommates on the wall a few minutes later. Some were pleased with who they were paired up with, some were in misery. The puffball didn't mind being paired up with Meta Knight. She could tell he wasn't social either. At least there wouldn't be any demand for an exchange of words.

"What is your name?" the Master Hand asked her as the others were heading up to their rooms.

"… Malvara."

"Could you please escort Malvara to your bedroom Meta Knight?" the Master Hand asked him.

Meta Knight nodded in reply.

"Would you prefer to eat in the bedroom today?" the Master Hand said, turning to Malvara. "It will be crowded at the cafeteria, being the first day of the Tournament and all."

Malvara nodded. "Thank you."

The Master Hand turned to Meta Knight afterwards. "After you show her the way to the bedroom, could you bring Malvara her dinner?"

"Yes."

"Thank you very much. Hopefully, I will see you both tomorrow for the meeting." With that, the Master Hand headed towards his office.

Malvara quietly followed Meta Knight to the bedroom. She was extremely nervous the whole way up there. She remembered passing by some creepy dark lord or something and a huge penguin. At this point, doubt found its way into her thoughts. How would she ever adjust to this kind of lifestyle?

After going up the elevator to the third floor, the bedroom door was in sight. Meta Knight held it open for her and they were both in the room, it closed shut.

The room was very spacious with two very big beds and dressers to store possessions. In between the beds was a fairly large balcony showing an excellent view. The next half an hour was spent into unpacking and settling into the rooms.

By the time it was supper, everyone was very hungry, and however, Meta Knight and Malvara were exceptions. She was intimidated by the sounds of everyone rushing downstairs. Frantic footsteps were accompanied with the combination of everyone nearly speaking at the same time. How she wanted to reconsider having Meta Knight bring her supper. It seemed unfair to have this bestowed upon him when he was still trying to adjust too.

"I'm not doing this by my own free will, this was an order. Remember that."

The loud noises didn't stop Meta Knight though. He slowly opened the door and gently closed it behind him. As he proceeded down the hallway, Snake raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Nice girlfriend," he whispered to Meta Knight.

"Shut up," Meta Knight said under his breath. "She is not my girlfriend."

Snake was simply amused by his response, eyebrows still raised.

Luckily for Meta Knight, he was one of the first ones in line at the cafeteria. He avoided the gaze of every Smasher as he waited for the meal to be ready. However, the waitress was attempting to talk to him.

"So, you're a newcomer to the Super Smash Brothers Tournaments?"

In response, Meta Knight simply nodded.

"Did you meet any new Smashers yet?"

"No."

The waitress looked at him seriously and spoke in a low voice so only he could hear. "If I were you, I would watch out for those guys over there." She pointed towards the table where Dedede, Wolf, Wario, Ganondorf and Bowser sat. "Watch out for that no-good penguin. He's a troublemaker, I'm certain of it."

"Definitely," Meta Knight said under his breath.

"Did you say something?"

"No, nothing."

Though unconvinced, the waitress dropped the subject. She handed him the dinner tray giving him a wink. "I guess I see you later then."

Meta Knight quickly nodded and walked as fast as he could up to the bedroom. Behind him, Kirby, Jigglypuff, Ness, Lucas, Yoshi and Toon Link were silently following him. This idea was gladly concocted by Jigglypuff after hearing what Snake said a few minutes ago.

"I-I'm n-not sure if this is a good idea," Lucas said, stuttering. "This d-doesn't seem right. How exactly do you know that Meta Knight was bringing supper for s-someone else?"

"I heard Snake talking about it in the cafeteria just recently. I just had to see what he meant by girlfriend. I mean, aren't you curious?" Jigglypuff replied cheerfully, yet with enthusiasm.

"N-Not really."

"If you're not interested, you can go back to the cafeteria." Toon Link said focused intently on being stealthy. "Some of us are actually interested."

"I-I don't want to g-go back. Fine, I'll go…" The thought of more wedgies was enough for Lucas to reconsider. However, this fear was often used against him, like now.

"Poyo!" Kirby said happily at his change of mind, oblivious to Lucas' misery.

They all listened intently as Meta Knight entered the room. They hoped to hear conversation from outside the door, but they heard absolutely nothing. The eerie silence unnerved everyone. Gradually, they were getting bored. They would have given up if it wasn't for Jigglypuff's enthusiasm, or some would say, false hope. Soon enough, Yoshi was sleeping in the corner a few minutes later, proving that point.

In attempting to stay quiet (and awake), it took them a while to notice that Ness was missing from the group. "Hey, has anyone seen Ness? He was here a while ago." Jigglypuff asked.

Everyone shrugged except for Yoshi was still snoozing. They were all startled when the hallway door opened. In the doorway, stood a small figure, apparently another Smasher.

"We're sorry that we were spying! We were only curious about this all because of Snake. Please don't tell Meta Knight or the Master Hand!" Jigglypuff automatically shouted, thinking another Smasher caught them spying.

Ness looked confused, now holding a lollypop and some candy. "Why are you shouting for? I was only getting dessert."

Jigglypuff turned beet red and looked down sheepishly. "Oh, whoops."

Then the doorknob slowly turned from Meta Knight and Malvara's bedroom. Lucas heard that and jumped onto the table nearly, took off the lampshade for the lamp and put it on his head to disguise himself. Everyone else fled in several directions back downstairs. They would have laughed at Lucas' choice for a hiding spot if the situation hadn't been so frantic.

Meta Knight was confused at the sudden noise as he left the room to take the tray back to the cafeteria, but dismissed it quickly. It didn't really matter anyway, at least when others never concerned him.

"So," Jigglypuff said as she and the group settled back at the dinner table. "Are we going to spy again?"

"No way!" Toon Link said, groaning. "It was like Silent Night in that room. Those two are boring! They hardly ever talk. Why would we want to spy on them again? Eavesdropping on Snake would be more satisfying!"

Jigglypuff sighed. "I suppose so."

Yoshi groaned in agreement, slumping in his seat.

Ness wasn't listening to the others, but was busy eating more dessert. This time, Lucas was missing from the group. He was still hiding as a lamp still trying to hide. Kirby kept himself occupied by inhaling more food. Overall, their mission was a complete and utter failure resulting in a couple unhappy Smashers.

An amused figure stood in the shadows, watching them. "So, they decided to investigate. Perhaps that is something I should try someday. My theory just may prove correct." Faint laughter filled the darkness, yet unheard to everyone else around.

Next up on the Brawl schedule was bedtime which was the craziest time of the day. The Smashers were so excited about the third tournament that they wouldn't be able to sleep much that night. From past experiences, the Master Hand seemed to know this so he made an announcement as the Smashers were getting ready for bed.

Meta Knight, who never slept at a regular time, was reading a book. He kept his nighttime table lamp on to provide enough light to make out the text on the pages, but not bright enough to keep Malvara awake.

"Ahem, attention all Smashers. I am well aware that this is your first night at the Smash Mansion for the tournament and will have troubles sleeping tonight. For that reason, you may stay up as long as you like as long as you remain in your bedroom only. Also, you may sleep in if you like. Good night everyone and I hope you sleep well. Remember there is a meeting after lunch in the cafeteria tomorrow."

Many cheers could be heard in the hallways after the announcement. Meta Knight sighed in annoyance and closed the bedroom door shut, irritated that it slipped his mind. Though everyone else seemed happy, that was not the case for him. If it wasn't for Kirby, he wouldn't have been persuaded into accepting the invitation to Super Smash Brothers Brawl. He knew how persistent Kirby could be based on several past experiences. He gave up on reading so he placed his book on his table after marking his place.

Meta Knight placed a stool by the windowsill and sat on it to gaze up at the stars. He wasn't intending on getting any sleep having been invited out of his home planet to another dimension with several strangers he didn't even know. He was grateful Kirby was a Smasher too, but for King Dedede, he felt disappointed. He remembered what the waitress told him when he was downstairs at suppertime getting Malvara's dinner.

"Watch out for that no-good penguin. He's a troublemaker, I'm certain of it."

The waitress had only witnessed a day of having Dedede around. Soon enough, she wouldn't want him in the tournament. Her comment held so much truth as she will unfortunately discover in the future.

And to make arriving at the Smash Mansion even stranger, some odd puffball that was called Malvara had been found on the grounds near the stadium. She was chosen to be his roommate, but luckily she wasn't social either. Meta Knight didn't like to talk to others and preferred to be alone. Malvara seemed to be that way as well, and not only that, she kind of looked similar to him. He cleared that thought from his mind. That was the last thing he wanted to ponder about at the moment.

Meta Knight turned a little bit to see if Malvara was in bed or not. She lay on the bed under the covers appearing content. Satisfied that she fell asleep quickly, he stood on the stool and jumped onto the windowsill, not wanting to use his wings. The night sky twinkled with the beautiful glow of the stars in the arrangement of gorgeous constellations. He wrapped his cape around himself for comfort providing him the feelings of safety and security.

He refused to admit it aloud, but he sort of missed his home planet, Dreamland. How he hoped he would adjust to his new life as a Smasher soon.

The next morning, Meta Knight slowly awoke to the sounds of excited screams coming from the cafeteria. He gradually sat up, still feeling exhaustion. Realization dawned upon him when he remembered that he never got into bed last night. If he did, he would never have had any blankets over him. He decided not to think about that. Getting through the morning came first on his list of priorities.

After making his bed, he read one of his books he brought with him. At least he could keep himself busy until the meeting. That plan only lasted a few minutes before his mind screamed at him to put the book down and reflect instead. He sighed. That was the usual way of his mind to focus on concepts in which he was not sure of, like how he got into bed without getting there himself. That would be a place for his mind to wonder first…

Suddenly, his stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him that he didn't have breakfast yet. Sighing with annoyance, he stood from his bed and began to make his way downstairs. Knowing the Smashers, they would be talking the whole morning about the excitement of being in the tournament…and the room would be crowded. Eating alone in the bedroom seemed like a nice plan.

Meanwhile from the shadows in the hallway, a small smile crept on Malvara's face as she watched Meta Knight go down to the cafeteria.

"So," the Master Hand said as everyone finally took a seat quietly in the meeting room which had vastly been upgraded since Melee. "Do I have everyone's undivided attention?" As he spoke, everyone could faintly hear faint squeaks from a chair in the back. If the Master Hand had a face, he would have glared at the villains.

Wario and Dedede were chuckling to each other, when they felt the vibe of a glare directed at them. They shrunk down in their seats and instantly went quiet. Lucas whimpered from the unnerving silence and accidentally fell from his seat, then landed with a thud.

The Master Hand's patience was wearing thin in a matter of seconds. "The meeting, please?" Everyone nodded and stayed quiet this time. "As you all may have noticed, we have fifteen newcomers to the Tournament of Super Smash Brothers Brawl. You may stand as I call your name and introduce yourselves. Ike, you may begin."

Malvara watched the meeting staying as quiet as possible. Truth to tell, her mind wondered somewhere else while the newcomers told the others about themselves. Meta Knight didn't say more than a few words, only his own name and she could tell by his posture as he sat back down that he was as distant and quiet as she predicted him to be.

Lucas, however, was not so quiet. The poor boy's expression was identical to that as if Bowser confessed a terrible secret of being a ballerina graceful on the stage in a tutu. Even that was an understatement. Aside from the whimpers of fear here and there, he managed to say his name. Ness, oblivious to his friend's terror congratulated him on a great job. Toon Link, Jigglypuff and Kirby began clapping.

The Master Hand sighed exasperated. "On with the meeting…?" As if on cue, the applause died down and everything became still once more. "Thank you. Now as I understand that you are excited to be in Super Smash Brothers Brawl, but I would appreciate that you all listen to me when I am speaking." Many heads nodded in response. "On with the meeting! First off, we need to make the rules very clear and what behaviours are inappropriate. Disregard these rules completely and you will be punished according to your actions. Crazy Hand, if you may,"

The Crazy Hand came in nearly breaking the door and handed his brother a scroll. This was a rare day when the Crazy Hand wasn't having a coffee fit.

"Thank you," the Master Hand said, unrolling the scroll on a very long table. "First off, you will all treat each other with respect. I understand that some of you know each other very well and do not get along well, but I expect you to behave yourself. The Smash Mansion is not a stadium, it is a place of residence. Also, you will be given responsibilities while you are here such as cleaning and the like, but that should not be too difficult."

Malvara listened as the Master Hand kept talking about the rules and responsibilities, though not paying attention. Too many worries occupied her at the moment to really care about a Tournament that didn't relate to her.

Like the day previously, Malvara stayed up in the bedroom she shared with Meta Knight. She didn't ask him to bring her dinner, also because her stomach felt too sick to handle anything. Though this place was much better than what she was accustomed to, she still found loneliness inevitable.

Malvara climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself tightly. Only then did she notice the moon high up in the starry sky. Her eyes widened in wonder seeing the new sight. Never had she seen a sky as beautiful as the one she was witnessing at the present moment. Night had not fully settled in yet so the sky was a shade of midnight blue, almost the colour of Meta Knight. Annoyed at the unexpected thought bubble, she cast it aside with irritation.

"This is a life I never expected to experience in my wildest daydreams. Perhaps I will wake up tomorrow morning and find myself back into reality. What an illusion this must be. This lifestyle is so pointless; one moment I was miserable, next I end up here in a fighting arena. Which is worse? I suppose I'll find the answer to that in time…"