In a world far, far away, at the center of the multiverse, one lone presence stood at the center of it all, gazing at the endless cosmos that stretched out beyond. This being had sent a summons to his two subordinates, for a meeting of utmost importance. But so far, they had yet to arrive.

The being sighed as he glanced at a passing comet. He had granted his subordinates immense power, to move mountains, to give and take life, to shape and reshape the cosmos as they saw fit…! But for all their might, they were never the timeliest of beings… He smiled wryly at the thought.

The being contemplated the stretch of space before him. He remembered when he had first created this realm… it had been so long ago, with only twelve… and now, to see his handiwork come so far…

His reminiscing would have to wait, as a flash of light in the distance indicated that his subordinates had arrived at last. There was an intense whooshing sound, and his two subordinates, a pair of white gloves, came tearing through the void, flames coming from behind them as they slowed to a stop in front of him.

"You are late," intoned the presence.

The right hand moved forward to speak. "Yes, a thousand apologies, Master. You see, my brother," he began, jerking a thumb at the other hand, who waved cheerfully, "thought it would be a good idea to stop by Mona Pizza for a slice… the amount of destruction he caused…"

"Hey, now, it wasn't that bad!" protested the left hand. "Tomorrow Hill was left mostly unscathed! I mean, you know, mostly…"

The mysterious figure silenced the two hands before the bickering could continue. "What's past is past. What matters now is that I have called you here for a specific purpose. I think, at this point, you know what that purpose is…"

Both hands straightened up, eager to fulfill their duties. "So… a new era of Smash Brothers shall begin then?" said the right hand.

"Yes," affirmed the figure. "Even if it does feel like the last era was just yesterday, I feel now is the perfect time to begin." The figure shifted around as well as it could, the old spark returning to his eyes. "We can begin by inviting the old veterans…"

"Ah, yes, very good!" declared the right hand, producing a fancy-looking quill and parchment from nowhere. "I know we'll invite Mario and Link and Pikachu and Samus, but what of the characters we introduced in the last tournament? Shall we send an invitation to the Villager? Or what about—"

The figure smirked. "Master Hand… This time, we shall invite everyone."

Both hands paused for a moment. "Everyone? Everyone from the previous tournament?" asked Crazy Hand.

"Yes," affirmed the figure.

"Even the latecomers?"

"Correct."

Master Hand thought on the figure's words before returning to his normal self. "No cuts, then? Excellent! Every fighter from the previous era shall be—"

"You misunderstand me, Master Hand," interrupted the figure with a sly smirk. "When I say everyone, I mean everyone. Everyone that has ever joined."

If Master Hand and Crazy Hand had eyes, they surely would have bugged out of their sockets. "E-e-everyone?!" exclaimed the hands.

"Yes," confirmed the figure. "Even Pichu. I know you were thinking that. Don't worry, it's alright."

"B-b-b-but Master," stammered out Master Hand, "everyone?! The Ice Climbers and Wolf are at least reasonable, but Pichu? Young Link?! This is simply—"

"Impossible!" finished Crazy Hand. "I've done the math. This would lead up to 63 Smashers in total! Not to mention all the potential newcomers we would have to introduce!"

The figure thought on their protests. "I know that this endeavor may seem impossible, but I believe that we can bring everyone back together."

"Master, with all due respect, bringing back every single veteran is simply unfeasible!" said Master Hand. "I've seen what has happened in Snake's home dimension. Nothing good, I assure you. To have Snake alone return would take nothing short of a miracle!"

The figure smirked. "Well, I suppose it's time to start learning how to perform miracles, isn't it?" He reached out an arm to gesture at a point in the distance. In response, a burst of light appeared, sending smaller flares of light across the void, each one flying to specific locations in the cosmos. When the lights collided with other stars, they burst into new, shimmering portals of light, each one glowing with a different color.

The figure turned to gaze at the hands. "It is time. Go now and alert the veterans." With those words, the figure turned away and faded into nothingness, off to fulfill his duties. The hands were left alone.

Master Hand sighed and turned to Crazy Hand. "Well, that's Master for you. He always was the ambitious type." He gazed out towards the light that the figure had created, shining and shimmering in the darkness. "Come, brother. We've got our work cut out for us."

"Hooray!" exclaimed Crazy Hand as he did loop-de-loops. "We get to see aaalll our friends again!"

Master Hand couldn't help but grin (as much as a giant hand could grin) at his brother's exuberance. "Yes, yes, I'm excited too. Now then, off into the multiverse! We've got plenty of veterans to reinstate!" He pointed at the light that their master had sent first, glowing a myriad of colors. "First stop, the Infinite Glacier!"

And together, the two hands flew off into the light, rushing into the brave new worlds that awaited them.

In a world of ice and snow, two children were busying themselves the only way they knew how: climbing up mountains to collect vegetables. Their quest was not to be an easy one, however, for they were assailed by numerous fauna such as polar bears, small, squat-looking yetis and birds that swooped down from above to try and steal their treasure. Amidst the piercing cold and blowing snow, the duo had their hands full.

"Jeez," said Nana, dressed in pink, as she knocked a Topi away, "what's with the wildlife today?"

"I dunno," replied Popo, dressed in blue, swatting a Nitpicker out of the sky, "why don't you ask 'em?"

"Take this seriously!" shot back Nana. "This isn't normal!" She narrowly avoided an icicle dropping down from a cliff.

Popo struck a Topi in the beak "I am too taking it serious—the veggies!"

Indeed, the basket of vegetables was being leisurely browsed by a polar bear with pink shorts and sunglasses. It paused as it plucked an ear of corn out of the basket and threw it over its shoulder at Popo's feet.

Both climbers were incensed. "Hey, you! Don't do that!" The bear paid them no mind as it bit into a delicious-looking eggplant.

"Why, you…!" In a burst of anger, Popo threw his hammer at the bear's head. It failed to do much of anything except get the bear's attention. And from the look on its face, it didn't look very pleased to see the children. It stomped over to the climbers with a snarl.

The Ice Climbers were not perturbed in the slightest. "Come on, you… you… you hoodlum!" they said, hopping up and down making cute little "put up your dukes" gestures against the vicious ten-times-their-strength-and-size polar bear.

The inevitable mauling would have to wait, as a loud crack sound from above threw all parties off their balance. A flash of bright light filled the sky. The riled-up Topis and Nitpickers fled the scene in a panic, and the polar bear, who knew a sinking ship when it saw one, followed suit, leaving the climbers alone, the basket of vegetables laying forgotten off to the side.

Whatever rage the Ice Climbers had quickly subsided and melted away into fear. From the light, they saw two figures descending on their little cliff.

"Popo… Nana…"

The children clung to each other, shivering both out of fear and from the cold that suddenly seemed to pierce through their coats. "Ohmygodwe'regonnadieherewehavesomuchtolivefor…"

The figures paused. "Wh-what? Uh…"

"Not like this! Not like this!"

"Hunh?"

"Well?"

"…Guys."

The Ice Climbers looked up. To their surprise, it was not the harbingers of death they thought they were, but a pair of white hands. From nowhere, Master Hand produced a pair of envelopes sealed with a mysterious logo.

"Welcome back."

Elsewhere, in a seedy neighborhood on the planet Corneria, a certain canine mercenary was stumbling home alone after a couple of drinks. With his one good eye and his claw blaster in its holster, he staggered home, muttering about nothing in particular. "Hrmmm… shoulda brought my good coat with me… Hey, who's there?! …Musta been nothing."

Wolf gazed up at the moon. As much as his fellow members of Team Star Wolf would make fun of him for it, he did occasionally dabble in astronomy. From this distance, he could vaguely make out the trademark pinkish loop of the Sector Alpha nebula. Wolf sighed. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he did find a genuine beauty in gazing at the cosmos. It might have been the space liquor setting in, but the sight enough to emotionally move him. He took another look at the moon and its intersecting lines, then turned to continue his journey back home…

…

…

…The moon's what now?

Wolf rubbed his eyes as he looked back up at the moon. Aside from its usual craters and ridges, it now had two dark lines intersecting it. Wolf had heard of moon in far-off galaxies being bizarre, but this was ridiculous! He stared and stared, but the part of his brain that hadn't been muddied by the space liquor he brushed it off as the booze messing with his perception. He was about to turn to go, when a sudden bright flash of light knocked him off his feet.

"Gwaugh! What the…?!"

Indeed, a mysterious form (or was it two?) was beginning to manifest from the light, bringing Wolf back to the world of sobriety. He gaped as the shapes twisted and contorted in the light, a deep voice booming in the darkness.

"Wolf O'Donnell."

The canine in question simply stood there, gawking in awe and horror for a few moments before fumbling around for his blaster. "Alright, listen, I don't know who or what you are, or how you know my name, but you'd better clear outta here, before I—"

"Peace, surly canine. I mean you no harm." The light subsided, revealing the forms to be a pair of large, disembodied white hands.

Wolf dropped his weapon in surprise. "Wh—you?!"

The right hand towered over Wolf. "Yes, it is I, Master Hand, creator and ruler of the World of Trophies, master of the Final Destination. I have come to—"

"Hi, Wolf!"

Master Hand quickly dropped his imposing presence. "Ah. I'm sure you remember my brother," he said, pointing at the intruding left hand.

Wolf, who had picked up his blaster as Master Hand was talking, straightened himself. "I... vaguely recall. …So whaddya want?"

Master Hand chuckled. "We are on the cusp of inciting a new era of the Super Smash Brothers tournament, and we—"

"No."

"Wha... what?"

"I'm not going."

Master Hand went limp. "Wh-wha… But why?"

"I'm just telling you. I'm not going."

Master Hand produced a white envelope from thin air. "B-b-but we already have your invitation! This is the chance of a lifetime! Many people across the multiverse have dreamed of even becoming an Assist Trophy, and you're just going to turn it down?!"

"Listen," said Wolf as he holstered his blaster. "It's not that I don't want to come. I just can't risk it."

"Risk what?" asked Crazy Hand.

"Alright, these Smash Bros. tournaments, they're pretty well-known, right?"

"Yes."

"People like to come and watch, right?"

"Well, we do allow spectators, although certain matches are televised—"

"That's the thing," interrupted Wolf. "I have a bounty on my head. The last thing I need is for me, a wanted criminal, to appear on live television. Might as well paint a big target on my back."

"Ohohoho, you mustn't worry about the authorities," said Master Hand with a wave of his… body? "We'll deal with all of the legal matters when the time comes."

Wolf still wasn't convinced. "What's in it for me?"

"You get free protection from justice… and the opportunity to defeat Fox McCloud."

That got Wolf's attention. His ears pricked up as he grinned wickedly. "…Where do I sign up?"

In order to maximize efficiency in recruiting the veterans, Master Hand and Crazy Hand had split up to travel to different universes, agreeing to regroup in Snake's home world. Master Hand travelled to Hyrule, while Crazy Hand had gone for the Johto region. Master Hand soared above the kingdom before coming across a large farm. Across the entrance was a large sign that read:

Lon Lon Ranch

Master Hand squeezed through the entrance as best as he could, trying not to disturb the cows. He scanned the ranch until he came across a young girl with bright red hair carrying a Cucco in her arms. She didn't seem to notice him until she looked up at the large, disembodied white hand that hovered in front of her. She dropped the bird and stared, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Master Hand stared awkwardly. "Um… hello. May I speak to—"

"Eeek! Dad, come quick! There's a giant evil hand here! Eeeeek!"

"N-now wait a minute!"

The girl turned and ran, shrieking the whole way to the chicken coop. The animals jumped and bolted in a panic. As Master Hand attempted in vain to calm the animals down, three figures appeared from the coop, weapons in hand.

"Wh-what in Farore's name is that?!"

The first figure was stout, but burly, with a bushy moustache and carrying a large pitchfork. The second was skinnier-looking but still fit, with a sickle in his hand. And the third figure was much younger, but dressed entirely in green, with endless courage behind his fierce blue eyes, wielding a sword and wooden shield. Upon seeing Master Hand, his eyes widened as slowly lowered his sword.

"Please," said Master Hand, as the boy in green kept his eyes fixed on him. "Let me explain…"

After that misunderstanding was cleared up, all parties involved were on pretty good terms with each other, and Young Link was given his invitation back to Smash Bros. Master Hand had opened up a dimensional rift to take him directly to the World of Trophies. The time had come to part ways, with Malon giving the boy a case of Lon Lon Milk for his travels.

"Bye-bye, fairy boy!" called Malon. "Stay safe out there!"

"Make sure you win a prize at that tournament!" said Talon. With a final nod, Young Link stepped through the rift as it closed behind him.

With that task behind him, Master Hand turned to the workers. "Well, this has been nice, but I must be going…" He flew off as the farmhands waved goodbye. "I just hope Crazy Hand hasn't caused too much trouble in Johto…"

Crazy Hand was the deity of destruction in the World of Trophies, but when visiting other worlds (which was a regular occurrence), he tried to keep a lid on things. Some days were good. Others… not so much.

Today was a "not so much" day.

He hadn't meant to put a gaping hole in the Violet City gym. He hadn't meant to cause a small, contained fire in Ilex Forest, royally ticking off the Voice of the Forest in the process. And he certainly hadn't meant to fling the Pokémon Trainer into a tree upon arrival, knocking him unconscious in the process. He'd flung him through a dimensional rift to the World of Trophies to get rid of any evidence. That counted as an invitation, right?

And now, here was Crazy Hand, hovering ominously over a terrified Pichu, the smell of burnt shrubs lingering in the air.

Okay, I gotta be careful with this one. This Pokémon is really skittish when disturbed, so I've gotta put it at ease, he thought. He took a deep breath, and then spoke.

"Congratulations!"

Pichu's "flight" response kicked in as it bolted for the nearest clearing.

"Oh, no you don't!" cried Crazy Hand, snapping his fingers. With a loud crack, a dimensional rift appeared in front of the fleeing Pichu. Pichu skidded to a stop, hoping that it would be able to stop soon enough. But Crazy Hand anticipated this move and scooped up the squealing rodent to forcefully fling it into the rift. He snapped his fingers again, and the rift disappeared with a pop. Crazy Hand was now alone in the forest.

"…That'll do it. Now, where's my next destination?" He pulled out a map of the multiverse to study, when a rustling sound from behind him caught the hand's attention. He whirled around to face it, crouching low to the ground (as much as a hand could crouch). From his hiding spot, he saw a young girl, with a white wide-brimmed hat. She seemed to be a trainer, but what really got Crazy Hand's attention were the three Pokémon she had with her: a Squirtle, an Ivysaur, and a Charizard!

Crazy Hand quietly spawned an envelope between his fingers. Perhaps he could make up for the fire after all…

In an undisclosed location, Master Hand waited in the middle of a snowstorm. He regretted not bringing his favorite coat, a winter glove the Smashers had given him during the era of Brawl. He idly drummed his fingers on the ground, an action he immediately regretted, recoiling at the cold. He was about to start up a fire to keep warm when Crazy Hand appeared from a gap in reality.

"Where have you been?" asked the right hand irritably.

"Oh, you know, just in Johto, re-recruiting Pichu," replied the left hand.

"You didn't set anything on fire, did you?"

"Haha, of course not? Why would I do something like that? And if I did, it would be a small, contained fire, easily dealt with by your average firefighter."

"…Right. In any case, let's just start looking for Snake."

The two searched for the mercenary in the seemingly-endless snowstorm. It was no easy task, with the whipping winds and blinding snow blowing about. Once or twice, they'd find a shape in the distance that looked like Snake, but it would end up being a rock or a tree.

"Any luck finding him yet?" asked Master Hand.

"None yet," replied Crazy Hand, uprooting a tree that he thought was Snake. "I think he's dead."

"Nonsense!" retorted Master Hand. "He can't possibly be—" He stopped himself. He had mentioned that nothing good had happened in this world… It wasn't a stretch to assume that Snake really was gone. Master Hand paused his searching. He himself had said that it would take a miracle to bring back Snake…

His master's words echoed in his head. Well, I suppose it's time to start learning how to perform miracles, isn't it? If he were to fail his mission… to fail his master…

No, said a voice in Master Hand's mind. I cannot fail Master under any circumstances. Listen to me. I am Master Hand, creator and ruler of the World of Trophies, God of Creation, and master of the Final Destination! I cannot fail! 'Learning how to perform miracles'? I've been performing miracles since I was first given form!

Now reinvigorated by his little rousing speech, Master Hand continued to dig through the snow to search for Snake. He would find Solid Snake, no matter the odds! Failure was not an option, and neither was—

"Yip."

…What?

"Yip yip woof!"

Both hands whirled around to face the source of the noise. Out in the distance, they could see what looked like several dogs pulling a sled. And on that sled was…

"S-Snake?!"

Indeed, the special agent was standing on the sled as it sped by, dressed in a thick tan parka and wearing goggles, but still recognizable by his trademark beard. He didn't seem to notice the two giant hands floating there in the snow and ice. In fact, he barely said a word as the sled blew right past them.

"W-wait!"

Master Hand and Crazy Hand sped after the sled, calling after the driver as they flew. "Snake! Wait for us!" they cried. Snake did not answer.

"Snake!" called Master Hand. Snake did not answer.

"Snake!" shouted Crazy Hand. Snake did not answer.

"Sn— No! I refuse to deliver on this cliché!" said Master Hand.

"Fine," interrupted Crazy Hand, "I will! Snake! Snake! Snaaaaake!"

At the third "Snake", the driver let out a "whoa!" and stopped the sled. He turned and stared at the two hands that floated before him. Master Hand snapped his fingers, and a large white envelope appeared in Snake's hands.

"Welcome back."

"We did it. It sure wasn't easy, but we did it."

The hands' master smiled at them as they returned to the center of the multiverse. "And was it so bad?"

"Well," began Crazy Hand, "I miiight have broken some things while I was in Johto… N-not that I did! I just said I might have…"

"At any rate," said the figure, "with you two having recruited the absent veterans, and I having sent letters to the veterans of the previous era, the first phase has been completed. Now, we move on to the fun part: the newcomers." Both hands straightened up at this point, eager for whatever came next.

"As you know, I have selected some of the Inklings to participate in this tournament. With their skill and rise to fame, they have proven themselves worthy. I have two other newcomers that I want you to invite." The figure pulled two cards from his sleeve. With a flick of his wrist, the cards turned over, revealing the characters on the other side. The first was a princess wearing an orange dress, with a flower-shaped brooch and a wide, excitable grin. The second was…

"Oh, hell."

It was an unbearably hot day in the kingdom of Birabuto, one of four known countries of the kingdom of Sarasaland. But this was nothing new, considering the country was ninety percent desert. What made this particular day so hot was the fact that the current monarch of Sarasaland, Princess Daisy, was in Birabuto that day on a diplomatic conference, to discuss politics with the sovereigns of the Beanbean, Mushroom, and Metro Kingdoms. Birabuto had been selected to host this conference, but so far, neither Queen Bean, nor Princess Peach, nor Mayor Pauline had yet arrived, leaving Daisy alone, waiting.

And Daisy was bored. So very bored.

She glanced at her loyal pet Gao, a sphinx-like beast that lazed at her side. Even it seemed to be tired, whether from the heat or otherwise. She glanced out the window as a large bee floated lazily past. She stared at the wall, in hope that maybe the others would come if she stared long enough. But of course, nothing happened.

"I'm missing out on tennis for this."

To put it simply, Princess Daisy was not too keen on politics. Rather than sit in a room surrounded by ambassadors droning on and on about tariffs and such, she'd much prefer racing a go-kart or playing soccer, the type of soccer that had electric fences surrounding the field, as was the norm. But nooooo, it just had to be today she had to host this boring conference, while her friends were out doing something fun. They were probably on some thrilling adventure, or at a cool party, or playing dodgeball, or basketball, or even golf…!

Or they were at Smash.

The Smash Bros. Tournament was a bit of a sore spot for Daisy. She certainly wasn't jealous of Peach or Rosalina, or even Wario for getting invited. To put it simply, the reason was…

…

…

…

…Okay, maybe she was a little jealous.

The closest she had gotten to meeting other people from different worlds was when she went to the Olympics with Sonic and his friends… and those board games with that blue slime thing. But other than that, she often ended up being left behind, while Mario, Luigi, Peach, and all of their friends got to go to that prestigious tournament… She was not jealous. She wasn't!

…Toad got to go, and he wasn't even a fighter. But she wasn't jealous…

They brought in Bowser's brat pack, too. But she wasn't jealous.

They even invited that chump as an Assist Trophy, whatever an Assist Trophy was! She wasn't jealous!

"It's not even supposed to Birabuto! The translators thought it was a dakuten!"

Daisy exhaled. She didn't know where she got the energy for that little outburst. She stared out the window and huffed. Out in the distance, she could see a shooting star streaking across the bright blue sky. Please, she thought, someone, anyone, just come…

…

…Hang on. Why was there a shooting star in the middle of the day?

And why was it coming right at her?

"Uh-oh."

She dove out of the way, her Gao following suit just in time. A deafening explosion filled the air as the shooting star landed, sending pieces of the wall flying everywhere and even sending some of the fancy chandeliers crashing to the floor.

Daisy stared, waiting behind a fallen column. She gripped a baseball bat as the Gao by her side growled menacingly at the incoming threat. She squinted at the rubble. Was that even a star at all? The "star" groaned and struggled to get up. Okay, only certain stars did that. What was going on?

"Dang it, brother! We could have just used the door, but nooo, you just had to go for the dynamic entry!" said one voice. Daisy's grip on her bat tightened. The Gao snarled as smoke wafted from its nostrils.

"Ehh… it's fine, it'll be fine. We'll fix that later," said the other being. "Now then, where is this princess… Daisy, was it?"

Daisy's breath hitched in her throat. Without even thinking, she whispered to her Gao. "Sic 'em."

"Are you sure she's even—AAAUGH!"

Crazy Hand was rudely interrupted by the Gao biting on to his pinky. He screamed and thrashed about, destroying even more of the throne room in the process. "Getitoffmegetitoffme what even is this thing?!"

Master Hand rushed over to help his brother, finger guns at the ready. But before he could act, Daisy leapt on top of him, bat in hand, swatting the hand right between the knuckles. Master Hand screamed and tried to shake off his assailant, but Daisy responded by latching on and sinking her teeth into his index finger. "AARGH! That's my good finger!" cried Master Hand.

The four were embroiled in chaos for the next couple of moments, a cacophony of punching, kicking, breathing fire, swinging with a baseball bat, and the occasional stray finger laser. Much of the throne room was destroyed in the process, but nobody seemed to notice or care. Eventually, after several bruises to his knuckles, Master Hand had had enough. "Silence!" he bellowed, firing a shot into the air, leaving a hole in the already-damaged ceiling. The fighting stopped almost instantly, with Crazy Hand, Daisy, and the Gao all looking up at the hand in surprise.

Master Hand pointed a finger at the sphinx. "What is that thing?"

"Oh, that's my pet Gao. His name is Mr. Snuggles," said Daisy. At the mention of his name, Mr. Snuggles bounded over to Daisy to be petted and stroked. "Who's a baby? Who's a baby? You are! Yes, you are! Those giants tried to hurt me, but you wouldn't let them, would you? Would you?" Mr. Snuggles happily rolled over on his back to receive belly rubs.

Master Hand and Crazy Hand stared blankly at the scene. She had been just trying to kill them a moment ago, and now here she was, cooing and fawning over a fire-breathing lion like it was one of those little dogs. "You, uh… you can't bring that thing with you."

Daisy stood up from her adoration of Mr. Snuggles. "Bring him with me? Where to?"

"Ah, yes, we haven't been properly introduced, have we? I am Master Hand, and over there," he said, gesturing at the left hand, "is my brother, Crazy Hand. Together, we are the hosts and masters of ceremonies for the Super Smash Brothers Tournament."

The princess' eyes widened. "The—the what now?"

"Yes," continued Master Hand, "the famous Super Smash Brothers, the greatest collection of warriors in the multiverse! Many people from across the many, many worlds we've seen have fervently vied to earn their spot among us, and we—" the hand produced a shining envelope sealed with the iconic logo— "have selected you to join our ranks." He gave the princess the envelope, gently pressing it in her hands.

If Daisy's heart wasn't going one million miles an hour before, it sure was now. A wide grin took over her face, the same smile that Master Hand had seen on the card his master had given him. She ripped open the envelope and avidly read the card inside.

Congratulations, Princess Daisy!

We have selected you to join the Super Smash Brothers tournament! You have shown the skill, bravery, and immense strength needed to join our ranks. A plethora of new challenges and prizes await you!

-The Hosts

Attached to the invitation itself was an interdimensional map and a set of lapel pins shaped like the tournament's logo.

Daisy looked back up at the hands, her eyes shining. The hands had opened up another rift in the fabric of space. "Come with us," said Master Hand, "to face your destiny." Without another word, she stepped into the rift into the new world, the rift closing behind her and the hands.

…

"Yoo-hoo! We're here!"

Just as the rift had closed, Princess Peach, Mayor Pauline, and Queen Bean entered through the door.

"Daisy? Is everything all—all right…?!"

The sovereigns had gotten a good look at the throne room, or at least what was left of it. Cracks and horrid, strangely fist-shaped indents in the wall, a shattered chandelier, burn marks everywhere, and at the center of it all was Mr. Snuggles the Gao, panting and staring at where the rift had been. Peach's jaw hung open in shock.

"Wh-what happened here?!"

In a tunnel deep underground on a faraway, desolate planet, a Space Pirate stood alertly at his post. He had been given one mission, and one mission only: find and destroy the hunter Samus Aran. But the hunter had not shown up for a long time, at least on this part of Zebes. Nevertheless, the pirate stood at his post, in spite of the heat from the magma flow nearby. Besides, he thought, smirking at his plasma rifle, if anyone else was to come along, they'd make excellent target practice…

The pirate was about to get his wish, as a large crack sound filled the air, nearly knocking him off his feet. He gripped his rifle and pointed. "Who's there?" he barked. "Show yourself!"

As if to answer, a sudden movement got his attention. It seemed as though something was moving, but he didn't know what. It was as if the air itself was struggling to keep itself from bursting at the seams. What was it? Was it the Hunter, with some new cloaking technology? The pirate was about to fire when the space itself split open, long and thin at first, but slowly widening at the bottom to form a teardrop shape. The pirate peered inside, and what he saw made him drop his weapon in shock.

Infinite space, with seemingly endless stars and planets dotting the cosmos, stretched out before him, as far as the eye could see. The Space Pirate could only gawp at its vastness. All those planets… they looked hospitable. They could be ideal for a new Metroid breeding project! And just think of all the resources they had to steal! With these wicked thoughts in mind, the Zebesian turned to go and tell an executive pirate, when something hit him with a dull thump, sending him crashing into a rocky wall.

The Space Pirate was a tad dizzy, but he'd seen and dealt with worse hits. He picked up his plasma rifle and aimed at the new presence. But again, the pirate had to stare in awe. For the new presence—presences—were a pair of large, white hands. And they spoke!

"Are you sure this the right place, brother?"

"Yes, I'm positive. Lower Norfair, right? This must be the—oh, it woke up."

The Space Pirate suddenly noticed that the hands were facing him. He aimed his weapon. "Who are you?" rasped the pirate.

"That is… no concern of yours," said the right hand. "We are here to see Ridley."

The Space Pirate seemed surprised, but quickly regained his composure, still keeping his weapon aimed at the hands. "What business could you have with Commander Ridley?"

"Yes, we are in need of 'Commander' Ridley. His skills will prove quite useful to us…"

The Space Pirate still kept his plasma rifle trained on the hands. "Is that so? Well, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to see—"

With a single finger laser, the left hand, who had been quiet during the whole encounter, fired at the pirate, evaporating him completely.

Master Hand turned to Crazy Hand. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes."

"You… whatever. Let's just find Ridley."

Deeper into the volcanic caves of Norfair went the two hands. It was a tough time for them, not because of the hostile aliens and animated statues, but because of the extreme heat caused by the lava flows. At last, they came to a gate shaped like the dragon's head. With some difficulty, the hands squeezed through the gate and beheld what they saw.

Ridley was sitting on the floor of his lair, curled up and lithe, like he had been waiting for them the whole time. With his tail curled up around him, his wicked wings folded against him, and his piercing yellow eyes that seemed to look right through them, he was a truly fearsome beast to behold. He stared at the hands and growled.

Master Hand was unperturbed by Ridley's threat. "Geoform 187. We have come for you again." The dragon cocked an eyebrow (somehow). Was this to be another role as a boss?

"But this time… you are to be our star reveal."

Ridley's eyes widened in shock and surprise. Was today the day? The day he would finally join? He stared at the envelope that appeared in his claws. His mind began to race with thoughts of death and destruction. Now, he could fight without restraint! No more following those pesky rules. He gave a snort as he remembered the last tournament, where he was forced to fight alongside them if they hit him hard enough. More often than not, he would find himself allied with the hunter… the thought alone was enough to make his blood boil. But now… Now…!

Now, no more rules! No more fetters to hold him back! He could tear and annihilate as he pleased! Oh, to rip to shreds! Oh, to tear apart! He smiled wickedly as he remembered the hunter. He made a mental note to go after her first. But not her specifically, no. He would make sure to kill any loved ones she had at the tournament first.

"On one condition."

…Oh, of course. "What?" barked the dragon.

Master Hand continued. "In the Smash Brothers Tournament, there are those that would champion destruction, such as yourself. But none of them, save for maybe one, would revel in it like you would. …Thus, I ask you to, ah… 'tone it down a notch.'"

Oh, of course they would. "So… no impaling?"

"Only on the battlefield."

"No evisceration?"

"You can't really… do that. You know how enchantments are."

"No consuming their flesh to regrow my own?"

"No, you… wait, what?!"

"That's what I did with the Hunter's parents."

"Oh, yeah. Still no."

"…I still get revenge on the Hunter?"

"Yes."

"Yes!" With a mighty roar, Ridley burst through the walls of his lair and took off into space, leaving the hands behind.

Master Hand sighed. "Well, at least that's over with. We must report back to the master." And with that, the two hands flew back through the rift.

The mysterious figure of the abyss was waiting for them at the center of the multiverse. "You have done well, my disciples," he said with a smile.

Master Hand seemed exhausted, but gratified. "Well, it certainly wasn't an easy task, you know…"

"Now that everyone is truly here, the next phase can begin." With a flick of his wrist, the burst of light that he had created during their first meeting shone brighter and brighter, slowly growing in intensity, until a familiar-looking mansion sitting on a grassy plain was just barely visible.

Without needing a word of confirmation, both hands flew into the light with great vigor, leaving the figure alone in the void of space. He smiled to himself. To think, they had started with only twelve champions… and now, to see their numbers and bonds grow…! Now, they could shine ever brighter!

The figure smiled. The World of Trophies is safe in their capable hands, he thought. With these thoughts in mind, the figure turned and began the long journey to his own realm, to continue his work.

Author's Notes: Kept you waiting, huh?

Boy, that new Smash Bros sure looks great, huh? They finally added the one character everyone wants! That's right, Princess Daisy is finally joining the battle!

Anyways, this work will most likely be short and sweet, maybe 2 chapters, to act as a prologue to a different work. And then, off into a new era!