Super Smash Bros. Break (Unfinished Rough Draft, 2024)

Synopsis

After Tabuu resurrects himself as Khaos using the remnants of Galeem and Darkhon, he erases the world and creates a new one in its place, the “Kingdom of Sublimity”.

Everyone’s been turned into Crystalums against their will and now must serve as his royal subjects for all eternity. Everything seems hopeless, but thanks to the Hand’s sacrifice, there is still a glimmer of hope. A group of characters who retain their free will at the cost of becoming amnesiacs must band together to free everyone from their crystal prisons and restore the world to what it once was, while also regaining their lost memories.

Episode 1: Familiar Voice

Meanwhile, the Hands struggled to keep Final Destination from crumbling under themselves.

As the universe slowly collapsed in on itself, they made one final decision.

“Let’s split up.”

Using what dwindling strength they had, they broke up their souls and sent them into the hearts of the few that remained. After doing so, their tangible bodies crumbled away, as did Final Destination.

The rest of the universe followed suit.

***

“Spring Man? Spring Man! Spring Man! Wake Up!”

Spring Man woke up with a start, coughing up a storm as he stirred back to life. He franticly looked for the source of the voice that snapped him out of his slumber, but no one was there. “That voice… That voice sounded so familiar.” He thought to himself as he slowly rose up from the ground. Instead of the couch he nodded off on just earlier, he was laying on rough detritus. “Am I… dreaming?” He pinched himself to make sure, he was in fact, not dreaming.

Catching himself reflected in a pond, he saw that he had unexplainable cuts and bruises all over his body. He tried to extend his arms, but a bolt of agonizing pain immediately shot up them, forcing him to retract them.

Looking around, he saw that he was in some sort of mountainous plain, the sky was a featureless gray slab and judging by the position of the sun, it must’ve been midday. The landscape around him gave him a strange feeling. The grass beneath his feet felt like AstroTurf. The leaves on the trees had an unnatural shine to them. Even the sun felt more like a giant light-bulb fixed in the sky than an actual sun. Something was seriously wrong.

“Where… Where is everyone? Hello?” He called out for any kind of help, but there was no answer, nothing. He was all alone in this strange place, or was he? There was a burning feeling in his chest as that voice from earlier came back again. “Go there. Go over there to where the trees are. There, you will find another piece of me. Don’t disappoint, my little puppet.” The voice cackled manically as it faded away. “Hey! This isn’t funny! Tell me what’s going on!” he shouted at the voice to respond but got nothing in return. He racked his brain trying to remember who the voice even belonged to, but his mind would just draw a blank every time.

Miraculously, the stuff he was sleeping with just earlier was there when he woke up. A gym bag and his 2 equippable ARMS. Dual Toasters, the same ones he was known for.

After a while, he came across a derelict-looking barn sitting by the edge of a cliff that faced the ocean. The wood that made up its exterior had faded and its tin roof had streaks of reddish-brownish rust all over it. Despite its appearance, there were clearly signs of someone living there.

Turning around, he saw what looked like a little kid with a baseball cap. Their back was turned to him, unaware of his presence as they focused on gathering sticks. He tried to get closer, but instead, stepped right on a twig, which created a loud snap. The kid jumped at the sound and turned around to face him, their impossibly wide eyes staring back into his. it was a kid of indeterminate age in a baseball uniform, had to have been no more than two feet tall. They had no mouth, nose, ears or even legs. Their torso floated just a few inches from their feet. They weren’t in the best shape either. On top of looking weary and malnourished, they had the same inexplicable injuries as he did.

“Oh! I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you!” He chuckles, trying to break the tension. The mysterious kid doesn't respond, just stares at him like a deer caught in headlights.

He cleared his throat and spoke again. “Hey, Are-are you lost?” The kid began to slowly creep back, clearly distrustful of him. “I know I look a little beaten up but…”

“No! Get away!” The kid shrieks before speeding off into the forest. “Hey! Wait! Come back!” Spring Man dropped everything and sprung into action, the kid was surprisingly fast and nimble, dodging thorny branches and making sharp turns with ease. Meanwhile, he stumbled through the woods, nearly losing track of him several times. Each time he lost sight of the kid, a gut feeling would tell him exactly where they were going.

Just as he was about to catch up to them, there was a yelp, followed by the sound of the mystery kid tumbling down a cliff and landing in a puddle. “Oh no!” The Bouncer cried seeing the kid’s predicament. Even when they were soaking wet and in pain, they were still trying to create distance between them.

“Hey! Wait! I didn’t mean to scare you or anything! Why are you running away!?”

“Shut it! You’re here to kidnap me and turn me into one of them!”

“One of… them?”

“One of those putrid crystal creatures… I’ve seen what they do to their victims and it’s NOT pretty…”

“I’m… I’m not one of those… Why do you think I am?”

“Th-they can imitate people! Do you know how many times I’ve thought that someone had finally come to my aid, only for them to morph into those things and attack me? More than I can count.”

Spring Man stood there in stunned silence, not sure what to even say in response.

“Look. I know you probably mean well, but I’m not taking any chances. So goodbye.”

“No! Wait!” he cried out as he impulsively shot his right arm out to the trembling kid, who recoiled in shock upon seeing it.

“Whoa! Why is your arm doing that!?” His high-pitched voice was full of fear as well as curiosity. “Are you a cyborg or something?! A mutant?! D-don’t kill me!!” Spring Man fought through the pain his arm was causing. “It’s not because I’m a cyborg or anything. It’s because I have the ARMS Ability.” He says this like it’s a universally known fact. The kid stopped shivering as their fear morphed into utter confusion. “Eeeh? Arms… Ability?”

Spring Man clears his throat and elaborates. “Basically… As long as I have this mask on…” He points to his mask with his index finger. “I can... freely extend my arms like this.” After struggling to extend his other arm, he further demonstrates this ability of his by gently grabbing the kid by the torso and lifting them up to safety. “That’s basically what the ARMS Ability is.” The kid was in too much pain to even try squirming out of his grasp. Spring Man looked up to the sky, it was already getting dark. “Better get back before nightfall. Let’s go.” He said as he carried the kid back to the location of their first encounter.

“What even is this place and why are we here anyways?” Spring Man asked. “I don’t know.” The kid answered. “All I remember is that one moment, I was at a park with my friends, and another I’m in this strange place with a creepy voice in my ear telling me to find a piece of something… I feel like I’m going crazy...” Spring Man’s eyes widened upon mention of the voice. “You’ve been hearing the voice too?” The kid snapped around to face him. “...Yes?” He stopped walking for a moment. “When I woke up, I heard the same thing, a voice telling me to find a piece of it. It told me to head towards the trees and it lead me to you...”

“Do you think we’ve been summoned here or something? I mean, why else would we end up in the same place with the same voice telling us to look for each other?” The two of them realized they hadn't even introduced themselves to each other yet.

“Oh! I feel like I haven’t introduced myself to you yet. My mistake! I’m... Pawapuro-kun! Student at Pawafuru High School!” He preformed a bow as a sign of respect. “And you?” “Well. I’m Spring Man!” He points to himself saying this. “Obviously, that’s not my real name. I don’t normally give out my real name to people I’ve just met, but if you’d like, you can call me Samuel.” The little baseballer was beginning to lighten up. “Hehe! Okay, Samuel!”

Despite the distressing situation, being in each other’s company put them at ease. By the time they got back to the barn, the sun was almost gone. The sky was a somber blue color, and there was not a single star in the sky.

Episode 2: Memories of a Prisoner

“Is this were you live, kiddo?” He asked while pointing to the barn. The kid nodded “Yeah. When I woke up in this place, it was getting dark and I had to find shelter. You should know that there are a lot of abandoned buildings nearby, a lot of those monsters as well.” Spring Man perks up.

“Wait, how many days have you’ve been here?” The kid scratches his chin, or rather, where his chin would be if he had one. “About… twelve days? Or so? My phone doesn’t work, so I just keep track of the days by scratching tally marks into my floorboards.”

Spring Man quickly ran over to the spot where he dropped his gym bag and ARMS, thoroughly checking it to make sure everything was as left as he left it.

Upon entering the barn. Pawapuro took off his cleats, causing Spring Man to do the same out of politeness. The interior was cramped and dusty. There wasn’t much of interest on the first floor besides a ladder leading up the barn’s second floor.

The only things up there were the kid’s backpack, various scavenged goods, books, and a pillow and blanket neatly set up on the floor. The room was lit up by way of a single ceiling light fixture. “I know it’s not much, but please make yourself at home.” He did just that. He unclipped his mask and put it away in his gym bag, causing his spiral hairdo to unravel into a generic side-swept one. “Man. I was only asleep for a few minutes but it felt like I had that on forever.” He muttered under his breath.

“So. With that mask on, you can extend your arms? That’s so cool! You must be a really good outfielder! Oh! Oh! What team do you play for?” the kid bounced around in anticipation of what his answer would be, but Spring Man just shook his head. “Team? I don’t play for a team. There are no ‘teams’ in the sport of ARMS.”

“Sport of… ARMS? I thought you said that was an ability of yours just earlier.”

“Well. It’s both an ability and a sport. The latter is named after the former.”

“Say, doesn’t it get lonely up in here?”

“Not really. In fact, I have company!” Saying this, he produced a glowing orb from his chest, to which Spring Man jolted up upon seeing it. “Pawa? Where did you find that?” He said with his gaze locked on the light as it aimlessly floated around them. “Oh. This?” Pawapuro didn’t understand why Spring Man was dead serious all of a sudden. “Yeah. That. Where did you find that?” Spring Man’s voice was dripping with solemnity.

“Well, a few days ago, I was ambushed by one of those crystal monsters while gathering food and… I don’t know how I did it but I managed to kill it and this flew out of its remains and into my heart…”

The burning feeling came back again, this time, it was unbearable. He clutched his chest in agony as a flood of memories, painful memories, began rushing in like a dam inside his mind had just burst. The beams of devouring light, the endless armies of puppet fighters, the sense of hopelessness that never seemed to end, all of it. All of it was giving him a severe feeling of déjà vu.

“Samuel? Are you okay? You’re shaking really badly.”

“Pawapuro… I think I know why we’re here all of a sudden…”

“The reason why… I think... I think the reason why we’re in this new world is because the old one ended.”

“Wait, WHAT!? Are you saying… That my friends and teammates are—”

“Spirits. They’ve been turned into Spirits and possibly placed into those monsters you were just talking about.”

Pawapuro glanced at the Spirit, then back at Spring Man. His eyes wide as saucers.

“I’ve been in this situation before. Me and my friends were vaporized, placed into puppets and made to do a tyrannical god’s bidding.” Spring Man fought long and hard to not break down multiple times while recounting his experience, but eventually, it was too much for him to bear and he burst into tears. Sobbing loudly as he clutched Pawapuro tightly in his arms. “I can’t live knowing my friends are out there, trapped in those putrid husks against their will, and that I’m not there to save them.” He tried his hardest to comfort him as he cried. “I know how you feel… I can’t live knowing my teammates are out there in that state either.” With that, he began weeping too. “Please don’t cry, Pawapuro. I hate seeing you upset.” Spring Man cried even harder. They both cried it out for a long time.

After there were no more tears left to cry, they silently got ready for bed. Spring Man lovingly tucked Pawapuro into bed. Before he went to bed himself, Spring Man grabbed the Spirit from out of the air and simply marveled at its light. Its blinding white core was bathed in an almost soothing green aura. The more he had it in his grasp, the more it reminded him of someone he knew. He invited the Spirit into his heart and fell asleep.

Episode 3: Diamonds in the Rough

“GAH!!” Spring Man sprang out of his slumber bug-eyed and violently hyperventilating.

“Samuel? What’s wrong?”

“I had a nightmare that we were cornered and attacked by those crystal monsters, and that they tore us to shreds.”

Just as Spring Man was about to continue talking, Pawapuro hushed him. “Do you hear that?” There was a flapping sound in the distance that was getting closer with each passing second. “I think that’s one of them.”

The whole barn shook as whatever it was tore off the roof in one fell swoop. Pawapuro buried his face into Spring Man’s abdomen, cowering in fear of whatever beast was attacking them. “AHHHH! A GIANT TURKEY!” A giant crystal avian peered into the barn and immediately started pecking at the two of them. “Samuel! Quickly!” Pawapuro said as he threw the gym bag at Spring Man. Knowing he needed to act quickly or they were both doomed, he hastily put his ARMS gear on and lunged at the creature ready to punch it right in its beak, but was quickly interrupted by it plunging said beak into the barn, destroying it.

Spring Man was a heap on the grass, but staggered back onto his feet. “Pawapuro! Pawapuro! Where are you?!”

“I-I’m okay!” Pawapuro was trapped underneath the remains of the barn, but was relatively unharmed.

“Hang in there! I’m not going to let this thing get away!”

The crystal beast shrieked and began to peck at him, he dodged each plunge of its beak with a level of grace and agility that was unusual for him, but he was too focused on dodging the attacks to notice. Just then. His chest began to burn as a need to defeat the creature and rescue whatever Spirit was trapped in there, one of almost unbearable intensity was brewing inside of him. “I’m not going to let it get away…” he repeatedly muttered to himself as he fearlessly approached the beast. Pawapuro peeked out from under the rubble to see what was happening, his heart dropping upon seeing what he was doing. “Samuel! What are you doing? That’s suicide! Get away from it!” Pawapuro screamed at him to stop, yet his words were falling on deaf ears.

Suddenly, there was a burst of light and colors. Something huge had just happened. Spring Man’s whole body was wrapped in an intense colorful aura. His eyes were an intense yellow. His pupils, a blinding white. “I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GET AWAY!” He hollered as he threw a flurry of supercharged punches at the bird’s face, the sheer force of and heat produced by the repeated impacts caused it to violently explode into a heap of charred crystal fragments.

Pawa eventually freed himself and most of his belongings from the rubble and ran over to Spring Man, who was still staring down the bird’s remains like it was going to come back to life and attack him at any moment. “Samuel!! Are you okay? What happened!?”

“I… I don’t know how I did it, to be honest…” He looked down at his ARMS, smoke was still emanating off of them. “I just did it.”

“Samuel, Look!” He pointed towards the heap as a lone Spirit floated up from the remains and towards the pair. This one had an intense reddish glow to it. The Spirit proceeded to invite itself into Pawapuro’s heart, leaving a burning sensation as it phased into his chest.

“What are we going to do now? Do you have any ideas?” He sighed looking around at all the chaos that surrounded them. The barn was totally beyond repair. He walked back over to its ruins to fish out more supplies since it looked like they were going to spend the next few hours walking to the next suitable shelter.

“I wish we had a map or something…”

Episode 4: Friends and Foe

“Say, who's the little kiddo behind you?” Wario said while gesturing towards Pawapuro, who glared at him in response. “He says his name is Pawapuro-kun. Uh, I found him living in a barn and now he's with me.”

“Samuel, who is that?”

“This is… What was your name again?”

“The name’s Wario. Don’t forget it.”

“Wario. He’s a friend of someone I knew.”