14th installment of the VGNU.
The time has finally come.
Heroes are called from all corners of a universe self-destructing.
A mysterious figure has gathered them to save their worlds before it is too late.
Will they stop this great calamity?
Or...
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Before all things matter and time, in the emptiness of what always was, there were two entities, two souls.
One was a spirit of wisdom and intrigue, all-knowing in the now and looking towards the future. Shifting the elements of nature ever so slightly and watching the gradually more elaborate outcomes, chain reactions that would lead to civilizations and technologies and societies. A simple nudge and the whole would be sent spiraling into some new and fantastic direction.
Second was a spirit of intelligence and sociopathy, all-knowing in the future and manipulating the now. Shifting elements of nature suddenly and violently to disrupt the balance of things, throwing civilizations into chaos, turning technologies into weapons and societies into dust. A harsh upheaval and one being could send worlds spiraling into self-destruction.
The story of these two has been repeated many times from many people across many worlds, and the reason for this is because it's true. They are ever present, and ever watching, the balance of light and dark. But many are mistaken in that light and dark implies good and evil respectively, as neither truly cares for the destruction or even the rise of mortal civilizations. They simply show different interests in how they rise and fall.
What the stories get right however, is the constant battle between the two. To settle this, they hold a tournament every Phase-- a fluid measurement regarding when the entities came into alignment. The entities choose champions from the different realities from any point in their timelines, champions whose motives align with theirs, and the victor decides how the realities continue to develop until the next phase.
From above, Mario watched his friends battle against Mother Brain. He couldn't interfere, Master Hand wouldn't let him. This was their battle.
"She wishes for death and chaos and destruction. I only wish to see the personalities of the people of your worlds. The intricate stories all woven together."
"She wants t' watch us fight," Mario growled.
"Your lives are but works of fiction, and we are the writers. You are the characters, and it is up to the reader to decide which of us dictates control. She would see you struggle, and break, as you have so many times. I would see you invent, and explore, and grow."
"Even if we suffer along th' way."
"It would be suffering of your own making."
"Right," Mario scoffed. "Tell me... Who was in charge during this last Phase?"
"The one you call Mother Brain. She finds war more interesting than intellectual dissection."
"An if it's up t' th' reader, an not me, then why am I here? What was th' point of winnin'?"
"Consider yourself... our Judge. You are my champion, but is up to you who you side with. Then this decision and your reasoning reach the reader, and they make their decision."
