Every year, after Critic's crazy adventures ended, it was up to those who were present at the incident to inform everybody else of what had happened. Film Brain called Mike and explained to him why he had spent so long in Nevada and that no, he neither won big at the casinos or found some rad hookers. Paw recounted to Roses how Ma-ti had died saving everybody, and that he would love to drive her down to Chicago to see where they had left a memorial for him. Stories were passed between friends and colleagues; funny memories seeking laughter and difficult ones seeking comfort. The entire process took about a day, but in the end it was good to have everybody up to speed so that they could prepare for the next year's festivities.

As Chick reentered her apartment for the first time in months, she realized that it was very likely nobody was prepared for her stories this time.

Nella and Elisa greeted her like excited puppy dogs, as did Mignon herself. Chick smiled for their sake and gave them hugs before moving to her bedroom and unpacking.

"So how'd it go? What kind of interdimensional evils did you face?" Nella asked.

"Were there any vampires?" Elisa asked. Nella rolled her eyes; the girl was obsessed, dammit. Chick shook her head.

"I'm surprised none of you asked if I got with Todd. I mean, that was half the reason I agreed to go in the first place." It was a weak attempt at changing the conversation, but she had to try. She really did not want to say it out loud.

"Oh please." Nella said with a condescending tone. "We all know that you haven't got a snowball's chance in Hell with him."

Chick bit her lip. "Well, I did kind of get together with him...for a bit." She twisted her mouth to the side in amusement. "We were robots."

Elisa cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "Now when you say robots, do you mean robot-robots, or that cardboard box that Linkara carries around?"

"Never mind that!" Nella said anxiously. "Why were there robots? Did you go to the future? Did Critic invent a Time Machine?"

"No, we didn't -" Chick started, but was cut off by her BFF.

"Oh, I'll just ask him on Skype!" Nella absconded to the computer on he desk in the corner to do just that.

"He won't answer." Chick choked out. Shit. Now there was no stopping it; it was coming out.

"What do you mean? Ooh, is he still in mourning for Ma-Ti?"

"No, Nella, he's -" she felt her whole body go numb as she mustered up her courage. "He's gone now. He can't answer you because he's just - h-he's gone..."

With that the dams burst, and Chick fell onto the bed and began to sob. Elisa and Nella just stared at her, unable to process it. Surely he couldn't be gone, right? Ma-Ti, sure, he was just a cartoon character, but Critic was an actual person that they knew. Elisa moved over to sit beside Chick.

"Did he...leave the site or something?"

"NO!" Chick cried. "He s-sacrificed himself...he saved everyone but that's not the point! He's gone and he's can't come back because he's gone!" Chick leaned against Elisa, who had no choice but to comfort the girl as she looked at Nella with concern. The two could see it in the other's eyes - Critic was dead. Nothing else cold damage Chick like that.

Nash was in the middle of recording a new video when Jesu got back to their place. She waited patiently by the door of the room as he finished up his latest take. Her boyfriend was shouting something about flying bears, and she doubted there was much extra context to be garnered from that story. Jesu loved the way he was now: alive. Once he was done explaining the madness of humanity he turned and saw her out of the corner of his eye. She smiled and walked over to hug him while he was in his chair. Soon she was hugging him so tight that she didn't want to let go.

"Hey honey...honey...okay, kind of cutting off my airway dear." He patted her back a few times to get her attention, and eventually she relinquished the embrace.

"Sorry. I just had a tough time at the Critic's place." she adjusted her position so she could sit comfortably in his lap.

"Aw, that stinks. I told you that that Free Car thing was bogus. Still, what did he do this time? Try to invade another country?"

"No, he uh...he made his house into a spaceship." Jesu replied. "Then we went into space, and there was a guy with dreadlocks, and some Superman villain, and Ma-Ti was a space...thingy, and then I turned into an anime character -"

Nash furrowed his brow. "Anime character? Was that...permanent?"

She mentally continued beating the Ed personality into submission. "No, not really. Anyways, we had to blow up a space station while Critic did a thing and flew through space-time and reset the universe so that everything makes sense because nothing makes sense."

"Huh. So. Standard fare?" Nash asked with a smile. Jesu hesitated. Did she have to tell him? Well yes, obviously, but she hated that it was her that had to tell him.

"Not quite...see when Critic went through the hole in the plot continuum...he didn't exactly... come back."

Nash's smile faded. She saw the wheels in his head spinning as he processed this new information.

"So he's...dead?" he said. It was like hearing a little boy asking if Santa Claus was really fake, even though he already knew the answer. Jesu nodded, then kissed her boyfriend on the forehead and held him again. She felt his body twitch and realized he was trying to keep himself from crying.

Nash wasn't as close with the Critic as the other reviewers, but the man had given him his job - a job without which he never would have met his current girlfriend, or been abel to make the impact he did today. Every twitter follower, every ad watched, every new person he met was all because of one man, and now that one man was dead.

Hagan was chowing down on a freshly murdered Zubat when one of her minions came up to her.

"Mistress!"

*bang*

The minion clutched it's chest as it collapsed onto the ground.

"What did I tell you about disturbing me when I'm dining on the flesh of fictional beings?"

"Not to..."

"Exactly. Now hurry up and die so I can finish my meal."

"But...phone call...Lupa...blegh."

This got Hagan's attention. The redheaded vixen had been away for an extended period of time, and considering that it was around this time that Nostalgia Critic went off on loony expeditions, she was probably back to regale tales of her adventures, sexual or otherwise. Finishing off the Pokemon, Hagan went to her study and picked up the phone to answer her awaiting American liaison.

"Hello, is this Diamanda?" a timid voice on the other end asked.

"Indeed it is! My dearest Lupa, how are things down in the country of morons?"

"They're okay, I guess...listen, I need to tell you something about what happened during the latest Critic incident."

"I'm all ears dearie. Tell me, were there any events that caused massive upheaval in global politics? I've been looking to purchase Latveria, and I was hoping that I might have the chance now."

"No, it's actually kind of serious." Diamanda silently scoffed at Lupa's idea of 'serious'. Those American reviewers always panicked whenever they saw a murderous robot or werewolf or pan-dimensional demonic entity. Those things were not only standard in Haganistan but also protected under the constitution.

"Very well, what kind of heart-wrenching perils did you have to suffer through?"

"Nostalgia Critic is dead."

Diamanda shrugged, even though she knew Lupa couldn't hear the shrug through the phone. "Well that's a shame. How long until he comes back?"

"Excuse me?" Lupa now sounded a bit angry.

"Well it happens all the time. I mean, I died and I came back only after three weeks. And Phelous dies all the time, so it must not be hard for Critic to come back."

"Lupa, you don't understand. He's dead for good. He flew through a hole in the universe and closed it from the other end. He can't come back."

Diamanda listened silently as Lupa explained all of what had happened on the trip, ending with how Critic perished.

"Well then," the tyrant stated, "Did he die an honorable death?"

"He sacrificed himself for us."

"Good to know. Thank you for your time." Diamanda hung up the phone, not waiting for Lupa to reply. She stood there for a moment, staring at the device, before ringing for a minion.

"Yes Mistress?" it asked.

"Minion, declare today a national holiday in honor of the Nostalgia Critic. He deserves to be paid tribute in thanks of his deeds for me and this pathetic, worthless world."

"You got it Mistress!" The Minion ran in the direction of the National Calendar Room shouting something about going to Disneyland on it's day off. Diamanda stayed behind reminiscing.

"Your house is back."

"Oh good! I thought it was because of you guys that it had vanished. Good thing I got this hotel room!"

The Other Guy stood on the edge of the doorframe staring at Film Brain, who had been gracious enough to inform him of his abode's return.

"Yeah, it's a little banged up from going into space, but on the upside the rocket engines attaches to the sides will probably up the property value." Film Brain put on a smile - a very fake looking one, the Other Guy thought.

"Huh. Well, how was everything? Did you save the world?" he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of an exciting story. Film Brain breathed heavily.

"Yeah. Yeah we did. Actually it was your brother doing most of the saving." Film Brain tried to be happy thinking of the memory, but that just made things worse.

"So where is he? Why didn't he come tell me personally that the house was back? I mean it's his house too."

"Listen, Other Guy, I need to tell you something." The brit composed himself, bracing for what he knew was the inevitable reaction. "Your brother's dead."

The Other Guy stopped smiling immediately. His eyes lost focus and his breathing seemed to stop. "What? No." He tried to laugh but all that came out was a dry rasp. "No. No." He managed to refocus his eyes on Film Brain, who he never noticed was on the verge of tears since he had opened the door. Film Brain nodded, and the Other Guy felt his knees turn to mush. He was in tears before he hit the ground.

Film Brain was right there with him right after, crouched beside him and holding him as the two of them violently sobbed over their friend and brother. Film Brain tried to console the man, but it was impossible when he was just as damaged. The whole time, the Other Guy just kept on repeating the word.

"No...no...no...no..."

Word spread, as it always did. But it wasn't smiles and laughter this time. It was tears and memories for their friend, their boss, the man who introduced the world to them and them to the world. He was like a father, or a brother, in some cases a temporary lover. His influence had spread over the entire website, and everybody knew him and respected him even if they had never even spoken to him.

And everybody who heard it second or third hand could only think of one thing.

"If I was there, it wouldn't have happened."

They were wrong, but they didn't know that