A Link to Murder

Epilouge

Samus awoke on board her starship. She groggily looked around. The computer screen lively activated, posting that day’s news. Samus scrolled through the articles, just glancing over each one. Murder in New York. Plane crashed in Nevada. Then, one caught her eye:

The Horrors of Smash Headquarters

Written by our very own
Bruce Nolan


Three years ago, there was a company known to all as the Smash Co. Within its walls was a place where you could gamble on fighters, without fear of criminal prosecution, and watch these fighters, most of whom had superhuman powers, fight nearly to the death in every match. It was a great place.

But then, something happened. The fights became less and less interesting, as the fighters seemed to not want to battle anymore. The crowds got smaller and smaller, and soon, Smash Co. was forced out of business.

Initial reports stated simply that they had gone under because a few fighters had died. Later, they admitted these fighters were murdered. However, not much more detail than that was ever released. Who was it that murdered them? That’s what I’m here to explain.

You see, as it turned out, one of the most respected of swordsmen, the former Altean Prince Marth, went insane, and began murdering the fighters off, one by one. However, Link was the one blamed for all the murders, and, it is believed that he was almost killed at one point in time, for his crimes.

Then, however, the now-famous bounty hunter Samus Aran, solved the mystery behind the murders, and eventually met Marth in a head-on battle, and single-handedly defeated the swordsman, forever lifting the curse of the murders.

After the company went under, all the fighters went their separate ways. No one is quite sure what happened to most of them, but, it’s assured that most of them escaped that company with their lives. I’m Bruce Nolan, and remember, be the miracle.


Samus couldn’t help but smile. That was one of the most brief glances at what had actually happened that she had ever seen or read. Who did this guy think he was? God? She decided to send him an e-mail. What the Hell, she thought. She had two hours to spare, and it wouldn’t take that long.

Dear Mr. Nolan,

I just read your article on Smash HQ, and I must say, I’m very… unimpressed. You have no idea what actually happened, do you? Well, since I’m bored, I’ll fill you in.

Alright. You got the basics of it right. However, you changed several things. The former F-Zero racer, Captain Falcon, was the one who actually solved the case. I was too blinded by my love for Marth to see the truth.

And, I did not, as you say, “single-handedly” defeat Marth. I had help in the form of Ganondorf. He was actually the one who slew him. I just delayed Marth long enough to allow Ganondorf to do so.

Also, I do know what happened to most of them. I’ll even give you some filler, in case you decide to do a follow-up story about what actually happened.

Link, mourning the loss of Zelda, took the one thing he had left from her, a special device that would teleport him to the Kokiri forest, seven years from then, in the past, and used it. He brought Ganondorf along, too. I don’t know what became of them.

Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi went to Corneria, because Fox’s father died. I’m not sure what happened there, either. Probably just one of Falco’s pranks.

Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, mourning the needless death of Peach, headed back to Peach’s Castle. Bowser followed them.

Mr. Game & Watch went back to rule Flat Zone. Go figure.

Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and Pichu, went to a land called Kanto. Don’t know where that is, but I hear Pokemon abound in it.

Dr. Mario has been fighting some diseases, from what I hear, and has gotten dangerously close to curing cancer. But if anyone deserves to cure it, it’s him.

Donkey Kong recently sent me a postcard from Kong Isle, it was one of those family pictures, you know? Really odd looking family he’s got there.

And finally, Ness went back to Onett. I never really liked the kid, so, don’t ask me what happened there, either. I don’t know.

Oh, and there’s me, who, as you said in your article, turned out to be a bounty hunter.

Well, Bruce Nolan, there you go. There’s your story. I have to go now. But hey, keep in touch. I feel I’ve got some big missions ahead of me. Maybe they’ll make interesting articles. Or even novels. Good day to you, sir.

- Samus Aran


She logged off, sighing, and reclining in her chair. She looked to a picture next to the computer. A picture of Marth. She stared at it for a long while, thinking. Just then, her intercom went off.

“Samus!” She snapped back to reality, looking at the screen.

“Yes?” She recognized the face. General McGrath.

“Samus, we’ve had some interesting activity reports from a planet known as… SR-388. We want you to go check it out. We’ll give you twenty-thousand for it.”

“Thirty.”

“Twenty-five.”

“Twenty-seven.”

“Fine, fine, twenty-seven. But do a good job, for that price.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve seen SR-388 before. Should be just an in and out job.”

General McGrath nodded. “Yeah. In and out.”