//------------------------------//
// Part 3: A World in Crisis 
// Story: Super Smash Bros: Harmony Rising 
// by Lance Skyes 
//------------------------------//

	Back on the Halberd, Meta Knight had set the ship to cruise back to its temporary hangar at an undisclosed location in the world they were currently in.
“We should be back at base shortly,” Meta Knight said into a communication device on his console. “And we have the cargo you requested.”
”Good,” a voice said from the other end. “Make sure she's briefed on what she's now involved in before you get here. The last thing we need is our last resort kept in the dark.”
“As you command,” Meta Knight replied. “Meta Knight out.” He then deactivated the comm, turned around, and walked over to where Dark Pit was leaning against the wall next to Twilight. “Now would be a good time to wake her. We may be able to explain everything to her before we get back.”
“Alright,” Dark Pit replied. He then turned his head around to look at the Twilight trophy while maintaining his leaning position. The dark angel then gave the stand Twilight was on a kick, which caused the entire trophy to glow brightly.
Twilight had no idea what was happening. One moment, she had been hit with some kind of disc by a short round creature, and the next, she was on the floor of what looked like the bridge of a ship of some type that had no other occupants other than herself and the two creatures who attacked her earlier.
“Wha... what's going on?” Twilight asked as she looked around. To her left was Dark Pit, and in front of her was Meta Knight. “Who are you two? And what do you want?”
“You'll have to excuse our rudeness before,” Meta Knight said. “My name is Meta Knight, and my associate is Dark Pit. You see- WOAH!” Meta Knight was cut off when he was suddenly launched clear across the room by a blast of magic from Twilight. The alicorn then turned around and tried to attack Dark Pit, but she was stopped suddenly when the flawed clone drew two blades and held them to her throat.
“Try that on me, I dare you,” Dark Pit said. Twilight glared daggers at him for a moment, but finally sighed and backed off. “There's a good little pony.”
“Alright, so now what?” Twilight asked. “You two obviously went through the trouble of trapping me in limbo, taking me from my home, and then reawakening me here where you've basically got me cornered. Surely that means you want something from me.”
“If you'd have let me finish, I could have told you what we wanted,” Meta Knight said as he got up and walked back over to Twilight. “Though I suppose I could understand the meaning behind your actions just now.”
“Enough stalling,” Twilight said. “Just tell me why you brought me here.”
“Okay,” Meta Knight said. “First, I should inform you that you're currently in a dimension completely different from the one you call home. Second, I shall tell you the history of this world we're in so that the third thing, which will be explaining the situation we're in, will make sense.”
“Another dimension, huh?” Twilight asked. “Every time Pinkie Pie talked about that sort of stuff, I dismissed it as a scientific impossibility. Could you show me what kind of technology you possess that lets you jump dimensions like that? Please?”
Dark Pit and Meta Knight exchanged confused glances for a moment. (“It looks like we have her trust,”) Dark Pit mouthed. Meta Knight couldn't have mouthed a reply if he wanted to, so instead he nodded before turning back to Twilight.
“It's actually a little more complicated than what you might expect,” Meta Knight said. “But if you insist, I can explain how dimensional travel works later. For now, though, there is a more pressing matter. All of existence is in jeopardy, and you might be our only hope of stopping a massive catastrophe that will leave all or our worlds in ruin.
“But before we get to the catastrophe, you should learn of the history of our dimension. The world we are currently in is called Smashinia. It is a world that bridges all other worlds in this dimension together so heroes and villains alike from different worlds can come together to partake in a competition called the Super Smash Brothers Tournament. In this tournament, fighters gather together to test their mettle against foes unlike any they may face in their own worlds. Recently, the fourth such tournament began. However, not long after that, one of the fighters went rogue. And I mean more so than what might be normal since there are several vile villains that take part in this tournament on a regular basis. This fighter identified himself as Overlord V, and he announced that he had a plan to conquer this world and all worlds connected to it. Not long after his announcement, several of the combatants, all the villains and some of the heroes, vanished without a trace.
“Following this event, several attacks have been conduced on the remaining heroes. Some of the attacks resulted in the heroes being captured, and this is likely because the heroes have rivalries amongst each other that keep them from becoming organized.”
“So... what?” Twilight asked. “You need my help to rally these heroes?”
“Not quite,” Meta Knight replied. “Almost all of the heroes are beyond rallying. True, some of them can cooperate without killing each other, but the only way Overlord V can be defeated is with an army, which is something the heroes can't put together. And that's where Dark Pit and I come in. We're members of a growing army called the Renegade Alliance, a hodgepodge of heroes, villains, and anti-heroes who are united under the knowledge that Overlord V is a threat beyond any one of us. Therefore, we have vowed to set aside our differences and fight together until V is defeated.”
“It's not the best plan, but it's more than that Goddess Palutena has come up with so far,” Dark Pit added.
“Who's this 'Goddess Palutena'?” Twilight asked, legitimately curious.
“She's this dimension's Goddess of Light,” Dark Pit replied. “I as well as several others expected her to be the first to do something about Overlord V when he first announced his presence, especially since she was fighting in this Smash Bros. tournament, but she hasn't done a thing so far. And that's why we're taking matters into our own hands.”
Twilight was silent for a moment. “Hold on... you're trying to tell me that you believe in deities in this world?” the God-like princess asked. “Let me guess, you think she's all-powerful and she can do literally anything?”
“She really can, actually,” Meta Knight admitted. “I've seen her in action. She has more abilities at her disposal than any other Smash Bros. fighter I've seen before, and those are just the powers she uses for battle.”
“But that's beside the point,” Dark Pit said, seeming a little peeved at how the subject suddenly changed from a world in crisis to calling Palutena's divine powers into question. “The point is that our world is in danger and we need your help to save it.”
“You need my help, huh?” Twilight asked. “And I'm... what? Your last resort?”
“I wouldn't drag the Halberd across dimensions if it weren't absolutely necessary,” Meta Knight replied. “It does a number on the paint job.”
“Really?” Twilight asked. “Hypothetically speaking, what if I were to refuse your request? I have good reason to, after all. Breaking into a castle, attacking and kidnapping a princess? I have my doubts as to how much you deserve my help.”
Meta Knight chuckled softly before replying. “Do you recall that disc I hit you with back in Equestria?” he asked. “The one that trapped you in limbo? That was something known is this world as a Trophy Stand. It can be used to turn anything into a Trophy, which are the building blocks of this hodgepodge world. As such, you were turned into a trophy, thus linking you and your entire world to this one. Whatever fate we suffer at the hands of Overlord V, Equus shall share that fate.”
“You're a pair of monsters,” Twilight growled. “Have you any idea how many innocent lives are in Equestria?”
“Have you any idea how many innocent lives are in all of our worlds?!” Dark Pit retorted. “Put them all together, and that number far outweighs however many strong Equus is! Would you rather save your people while dooming all of ours? Because we can throw you out of this ship right now if you refuse our offer! Then no one will survive V's plans! Is that what you want, Princess Twilight?!”
Twilight took a step back from Dark Pit. She hadn't expected him to start shouting like that, and she really wasn't considering all the innocent lives he mentioned. She had her own world's best interest in mind, but she couldn't live with herself if she saved her little ponies while at the same time screwing over every other creature in this dimension. Plus there was the fact that Equus would be endangered whether she helped Dark Pit and Meta Knight or not. Twilight was still angry at the two for endangering Equus as a means to get her on their side, but there was no point in backing out. That would just mean more lives lost.
“Alright, fine,” Twilight said finally. “I'll help you save this world from Overlord V. I'm not going to like you since you endangered my world, but I will fight with you for the sake of those in this world who can't defend themselves.”
“Good,” Meta Knight said. “We don't need you to like us, we just need you on our side.”
Twilight glared daggers at the Star Warrior, but didn't say anything more on the subject. “So where are we going?” the princess asked.
“We're heading to the ruins of an ancient temple,” Meta Knight replied as he turned around and walked back to the control wheel. “That is where the Renegade Alliance has made its base of operations. We're making our decent right now, in fact.”
As Meta Knight said this, he guided the Halberd to a smooth landing next to a tall mountain that was just barely taller than the airship (If you didn't count the wings on the Halberd, that is.)
“Cloaking device active,” Meta Knight said as he pressed the button on the center of the wheel, which caused the entire battleship to disappear. Meta Knight then turned around to Dark Pit and Twilight. “Come, Princess Twilight. There is someone you must meet before we can begin.”

After some walking through the massive ship, Dark Pit, Meta Knight, and Twilight stepped out of the Halberd and made their way to a small opening in the side of the mountain. “In there is the ancient temple I mentioned earlier,” Meta Knight said. “It spans some of the interior of the mountain, as well as many levels below.”
“Okay,” Twilight said. “Let's just go in so we can-”
The alicorn was cut off when the air was suddenly filled with an ear-splitting screech from above. All three looked up to see a massive but strange creature flying towards them. It was purple and looked like a demented cross between a dragon and a pterodactyl. Twilight readied herself for battle as the creature descended and landed right in front of the alicorn, staring directly at her intently.
”So you are this Princess Twilight Sparkle I've been told about,” the creature said through telepathic means. Twilight looked down to see that there was a small white device attached to the creature's chest, which she deduced was the device that was translating the creature. ”You should know that you've been talked up very much by some of my comrades, so I expect very much from you.”
“Who or what are you?” Twilight asked with a serious expression. The creature's mouth then curved into a sinister smile.
”My name is Ridley,” the creature replied. ”And I am the leader of the Renegade Alliance.”