Section: Super Smash Bros
Genre: Angst, Horror, Thriller, Romance, Alternate Universe
Rating: Older teen for drug use, terrifying imagery, and mentions of suicide
Type: Short Story, 8000 words
Status: Completed
Completed: February 25, 2011
Starring Characters: Sheik, Roy, Zelda, Link, Samus
I was passing through the Smash Brothers section one day in February. I didn't intend to stay long, but then a contest caught my eye. Two people named Foxpilot and PitFTW were clever enough to come up with an Alternate Universe romance instead of the overused and occasionally cliche Smash Bros universe and its stigmas. I was interested and read up on the entries. When I found this story, I was floored. I couldn't believe there was writing this good... anywhere. Inspired by this and other works in the contest, I decided to start my Fanfiction career with an entry for their contest. (Also just yesterday I found out I came in second to last. Awesome! :D)
And I haven't left that section yet. And nothing's been the same since.
Now, I love Foxpilot and Pit, but I have got to say that Guessworks' entry being one of the bottom entries is one of the biggest crocks of bullshit I've ever heard. She was robbed as this is not only the best entry to their contest but the best short story in the entire section. And this is the one section I've read up and down. She absolutely killed it.
What makes this story haunting is not so much the acts of physical violence which one would normally think would provoke fear and horror. Guessworks takes you into the mind of a haunted, somewhat insane young woman (Sheik) who is convinced that she is nothing and that her perfect sister (Zelda) is evil and seeks to ruin her life. And as you read on, you start to wonder what is real and what is fiction- it's not quite as straightforward as it seems.
I look to my left at the mirrored wall. In the reflection I see a pale girl with big grey eyes, pin-straight blonde hair, a big nose, pointy shoulders, knobby knees... People tell me that I am beautiful. We are semi-identical, after all, but I know they all believe that she is the prettier twin. People tell me that I am not fat, that I am skinny. I don't believe that either.
Suddenly the girl in the mirror morphs into the one I hate most. She stands there, in her fancy crimson costume, grinning at me like there is nothing wrong with the world. Screeching, I punch her with all of the strength I can muster. The glass shatters and rains around me.
I start to panic when I see her ugly head on every single shard. I turn around, but she is on the mirror behind me. I am surrounded by her.
"What's wrong, dear sister? Aren't you happy?"
Her falsely sweet voice makes me sick.
"You are my understudy! You should be proud."
I don't want to be proud. I have failed! I was not perfect, I failed! But she wasn't perfect either! She deserves nothing!
"Dear sister, you are mistaken... I deserve the world on it's knees."
"STOP!" I scream at the top of my lungs, frantically scratching my ears. "STOP! SHUT UP!"
What makes it terrifying is the uncut, raw trip into Sheik's tortured psyche. Guessworks holds no punches and keeps no subtlety. And while normally that means a shlock of cheese and cliche and oh god this again, here it's just a knife to the heart. She proves that you don't have to be subtle to be true and realistic.
I could go on and on about how remarkable her interpretation of Sheik is, but there's a lot to talk about here. The plot itself is simple enough to leave things open to anything instead of going down a worn path. The haunted and self-loathing Sheik is the understudy to her ballet sister, Zelda, with whom she shares a hateful, volatile situation. Zelda is doing the ballet with her boyfriend, Link, who Sheik loves dearly. Link's understudy is Roy, a kindly young man who cares for Sheik. This is the short basis of the plot as there isn't much else to reveal without spoilers. But the interesting thing about the plot is that it doesn't quite feel solid and yet things really do happen. Usually a plot not being solid is a bad thing but I quite like it here with it not feeling cemented. You're busy being drawn in and not taking events into account. It's truly hypnotic.
Even the way she writes it is absolutely masterful. At the beginning of the chapters is a bit of the ballet script, which distinctly but subtly parallels the story itself (is that a paradox, distinct yet subtle?) I've come to love people who truly compose their stories, and Guess is no exception. She is a master of it.
It's clear that expertly handled raw psychological and emotional trauma is more frightening than watching Jigsaw kill someone by disembowelment six hundred and sixty six times. But at the end of the day, it leaves you more moved than those murders ever will.
This was the true winner of Pit/Fox's contest. Sorry, Pikana. Your story was great, but this was the best of them all. And definitely one of the best I've ever read. I owe this story and its brilliant author a lot.
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