DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters! I only own the plot!

Rated T for language and potentially disturbing imagery.

I apologize if any character seems OOC.


"Everyone is here!" was what the newest trailer proclaimed.

As expected, cheers rang out from the crowd. No one was getting cut, meaning Master Hand and Crazy Hand had decided to bring back the Exiles to the Smash Mansion. This gave the Smashers that have been here the longest to reunite with old friends, and even give the newest members the chance to meet the Exiles. Well, the members who had never had contact with the Exiles, of course. Pit had never been in a tournament with Pichu and Young Link, but he had met the latter during his quest in the Land of the Exiles almost three years ago.

What about Pichu? Well, according to Dark Pit, Pit's flawed clone, he was decapitated moments before Dark Pit betrayed the S.W.E.T., or Smashers Who do Evil Things, and fled to the Smash Mansion. That was years ago, when the fourth tournament had only been going on for several months.

When an assembly was called, all Smashers packed into an auditorium, where they were seated by franchise. Franchises with only one representative usually got a row to themselves. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on the interpretation, Pit was not alone in his row like he was for the third tournament; he was seated with Dark Pit and the goddess of light, Palutena. Next to him, the angel heard a grumble from his darker twin.

"I have to spend more time here?" he muttered under his breath. "I'm a little disappointed."

"It's not that bad," Pit whispered back. "At least you'll be with me and Lady Palutena and Magnus and Phosphora!" Magnus and Phosphora were assist trophies. Even if they did not directly participate in a fight, they got to help out when summoned. And such, the two also resided at the Smash Mansion.

"Pit, we only get pulled out if we get a new game," he argued in a low voice. "Palutena has an excuse, she has a realm to manage, but we don't!"

"Oh, Pittoo, don't get yourself down," Pit said. "Why not try making new friends?" The dark-winged angel let out an hmph, and turned his attention back to the screen.

If he had to admit, Dark Pit barely had any friends within the Smash Mansion. His abrasive nature often drew people away from him. The only actual friends he had, other than those from Kid Icarus, were Lucina and Dr. Mario. Dr. Mario was actually just Mario in a doctor's outfit, but other Smashers considered them as separate people, even if they were one-in-the-same. Lucina, however, was a different story. Rumors had been flying around of a romance between them. Both of them denied it.

Once the trailer had finished, the screen went black, and two floating hands arrived on stage. Master Hand and Crazy Hand. They were easily distinguished by their mannerisms; the former moved in a rather calm, professional manner, while the latter often had jerky and sudden movements, as well as being a little… unhinged.

Master Hand took the microphone. "Ahem, may I have everyone's attention," he started, his echoing voice projecting across the auditorium. "Now, some of you may be thinking, 'Why are the Exiles being forgiven for their crimes?'. Well, we had decided to give them a second chance." If floating hands could wink, the right hand probably would have done so. "Besides, we want this to be the ultimate Smash Bros. tournament."

"We're also pardoning Luigi!" Crazy Hand quickly added. Murmurs of uncertainty erupted from the audience. Everyone knew of how the green-clad plumber had assembled the S.W.E.T. and then kidnapped Mario out of jealously. At first, he rested in the dungeons for his crimes, but after a month or so, the Hands had simply placed him on house arrest, only letting him out of his room to participate in matches or to leave for a new Super Mario Bros. game.

"He is right," Master Hand confirmed.

"Ike! Roy! Bring him in!" the left hand called. Everyone's attention turned to the entrance of the auditorium, where the two swordsmen held a grip on the plumber's arms as they escorted him in. Luigi did not struggle at all, to Pit's surprise. In fact, he remained rather calm, with a flicker of regret flashing in his blue eyes. The two continued to escort up onto the stage. Master Hand put the microphone on its stand, and lowered it to Luigi's height.

"Excuse a-me, everyone," Mario's brother started. "I like to-a express my a-gratitude to Master Hand and Crazy Hand for-a letting me participate in the tournament-a again." He then turned his focus to Mario. The iconic plumber sat in the very first row in the middle seat. He was Nintendo's mascot, after all, and that came with its luxuries. "And a-Mario. My a-brother! I am truly sorry for-a kidnapping you."

Mario exchanged a few uncertain glances with Peach, who was sitting next to him, and returned his attention to Luigi. "Apology accepted." Still, a trace of doubt was present in his voice.

"A-thank you." The plumber was then escorted off the stage, and Master Hand retook the microphone.

"Now, Luigi will not be pardoned right away," the floating hand clarified. "However, he will be when the fifth tournament starts on December 7th."

"We have to wait half a year?!" Bowser Jr. cried out in dismay.

"Yes, yes, you do," Master Hand affirmed. "We still need to gather up the Exiles and prepare them for transport back to the Smash Mansion."

"And who knows how long that will take?" Crazy Hand chimed in. "The Land of the Exiles is huge!"

He had a point. The Land of the Exiles was a vast, desert-like plain with little vegetation or even water. The sun is sweltering, and it is easy to get lost if you do not know your way around. Pit had been there only once in order to retrieve Mario with the rest of the Detective Squad, and even then, he had a guide.

"Are you sure you can get all of them in time?" Corrin asked.

"Why, yes, we are sure we can," Master Hand replied. "They tend to stay together."

"With that settled, any more questions?" Crazy Hand asked. Silence settled down across the auditorium, making it obvious that no one had any more questions.

"Alright, then. Everyone is dismissed."

With the closure, everyone rose from the seats and scrambled out of the small room in a large mob. They all returned to what they were doing before the assembly of Smashers. Pit in particular was going to spar with Dark Pit moments before the announcement was called to gather in the auditorium. By the nature of assemblies, Dark Pit was usually seated right next to him. Thus, he was also next to Pit at the moment.

"So, Pittoo," Pit started.

"Don't call me that," the grumpy angel interrupted with a growl.

"Dark Pit, sorry. Anyways, ready for that match?"

"You bet." A small smirk came across his face. "I'm sure I will win this time."

The brunette did not answer to his clone's boast. Instead, he replied, "Well, let's see what happens!"

Pit ran off into the hallways to his room, where he had last put his bow. The sacred bow of Palutena was his favorite weapon, entrusted to him by Palutena herself. With arrows of light, he could hone in on an opponent from a distance easily. Entering into the white-walled dormitory, he was relieved to see the golden bow right on his bed, where he had left it before he went to the auditorium. Grabbing it and the other weapons he used on the battlefield, the Guardian Orbitars and the Upperdash Arm, he ran back out into the lobby, where Dark Pit had not arrived yet.

The angel looked up at the newly-installed television hanging above the doors to the arena. The flat-screen TV displayed the next match, which was, as he expected, between himself and Pittoo. A picture of him was displayed on the left side of the screen, while a picture of the raven-haired angel was displayed on the right side. It all looked neat and proper, complete with a 'VS.' label and their names displayed alongside the pictures.

Footsteps rang through the extravagant hall as Dark Pit approached, and Pit turned around to face him. He held the Silver Bow in his hand, which was his preferred weapon. Pit also knew he carried the Electroshock Arm, another pair of Guardian Orbitars, and his staff as well. Like him, the extra weapons were also used on the battlefield.

As watchers poured into the spectator gate, the two knew that their battle was going to start shortly. Without saying another word to each other, the two stepped into the gates to the battlefield.

Pit found himself beaming down onto the platform of Delfino Plaza, followed by Dark Pit.

"3, 2, 1, GO!"

As the match was started, Dark Pit immediately dashed towards his lighter counterpart, bow split into two blades. The light angel jumped out of the way and shot an arrow at him from behind, causing the doppelganger to stop in his tracks. As the platform started to hover over to another location, Pittoo jumped onto one of the smaller platforms, and got out his Electroshock Arm. He slammed into Pit with it, and an electrical surge went through the angel's body. Pit was launched to the other end of the platform, but he got up quickly, shaking off the current.

But Dark Pit was not done with his assault yet. He brought his bow back out and slashed it at Pit, almost knocking him off. The platform stopped in front of a gate, and it dropped them off of platform. The two dueling Smashers were now on the rooftop of a building. The angel threw his shield up, trying to protect himself from the darker one's attacks. Soon enough, he rolled out of the way, escaping from certain doom. Pit ran to the other end of the stage to shoot another arrow, only to have it deflected by Dark Pit's Guardian Orbitars. He threw up his shield again to protect himself against the incoming arrow.

Both angels ran towards each other, causing a swordfight to break out. Blades clashed against one another as the two struggled to get a hit in on the other. Soon enough, the Palutena Bow landed a hit, causing the dark angel to flinch and stop his attacks. This gave Pit an opening. Spinning the bow, he made sure Dark Pit was caught up in it, and the damage done to him started to rack off. He finished with a slash, sending his victim flying into the air. As the platform returned to take the Smashers elsewhere, the doppelganger repositioned himself and landed safely. He flashed a determined red glare at Pit, and got out his Electroshock Arm once more.

Pit got out his Upperdash Arm in response. The two tried to strike each other, but they ended up passing each other instead. While Dark Pit got his bow back out again, Pit took this chance to hit him with the weapon he had out now. Before the boy could shoot an arrow of darkness, he was sent straight up into the air with one hit of the Upperdash Arm. Even if the brunette hoped it was enough, it would not be the case. Dark Pit landed back on the small platform with a thud, and quickly got back on his feet. A crate spawned next to him, and upon seeing it, Pit dashed towards it. Dark Pit had an advantage, however, and broke the crate. In front of him were a Beetle, a Beehive, and a Beam Sword. He grabbed the Beehive and threw it at the light angel.

Upon impact, a swarm of bees raced out of the broken hive and towards Pit. They circled around him like a school of fish, except much angrier. Their stingers dug into his fair skin, causing the angel to cry out in pain over and over again. With the stings just starting to swell, he could not focus real well. And Dark Pit saw this as the perfect chance to strike. With the electrifying weapon covering his hand, he swung it right into his gut, sending Pit flying. And thanks to this, Pit succumbed to his injuries and fell into the blue void below. A red streak followed his knock-out. He had lost.

"GAME!" the announcer proclaimed. As the two twin angels teleported off the stage, the announcer then announced, "The winner is… Dark Pit!"

A cocky smirk appeared on the doppelganger's face as he twirled his self-named staff. "Looks like I'm the last man standing."

A fully-healed Pit walked up to him, clapping. "Well, good game, Pittoo. Good game." The dark angel winced at the sound of his nicknamed.

He had to admit, he was a little disappointed that he had lost the match, but yet, he had to feel proud of his clone. It was rare for Dark Pit to win a match against the light angel, and when he did, Phosphora and Viridi happily cheered him on. Pit didn't know why, but whenever he sees Dark Pit with them, he looked genuinely happy, with a true smile on his face and everything.

The two angels walked out of the gates leading out of the arena, and they were met with some familiar faces. In the center of the group was the goddess of light, Palutena, a gentle smile on her face. Next to her was Lucario, the Aura Pokemon who could speak in human language telepathically. On the other side of her were the two Robins, friends Pit had made ever since the Detective Squad was first formed. Finally, next to Lucario was Lucina, the stoic princess of Ylisse.

Lucina was the first to speak up. "You did well, Dark Pit." She walked up to him and set her hand on his shoulder. "I'm proud of you."

The angel's face tinged only the slightest of reds, and a small smile came across his face. "Thanks." Shaking his head, he regained his more serious persona. "I've been training for so long, and now, I finally beat Pit."

"I wouldn't say 'finally'…" Palutena chimed in. "You beat him before."

"Let him have his moment," the male Robin suggested to the goddess. "Can you remember the last time he won?"

"Wasn't that a few months ago?" Lucario asked.

Pit walked over to the others to join them, and replied, "I think so." He scratched his head. "Actually, I can't remember."

The Pokemon shook his head in disappointment. "He and Lucina do this every time he wins." He let out a huff. "I'm just glad they aren't making out or anything," he whispered to Pit.

Maybe those rumors are true, Pit pondered. But I'm happy for him.

"Anyways," the goddess started, "I have something to show you. It is important!"

Pit's attention snapped to Lady Palutena. "What is it?" he asked, curious.

"All of you, meet me in the courtyard tonight," she requested. "Especially you, Pittoo."

The dark angel rolled his eyes. "I think I got what you meant the first time."

"Still," she emphasized.

"Okay, Lady Palutena," the lighter angel chirped. "I'll make sure we're all there!"


"Robin, Robin!" the young voice called to the white-haired tactician. "Remember what Lady Palutena said? She said she has something for us!"

"I know, Pit," he replied as calmly as he could. Folding the corner of the page, he set down the book he was reading on his dresser, and rose from his bed. "Trust me, I haven't forgotten."

As the two Smashers walked to the courtyard, they had a small conversation.

"What do you think she has for us?" Pit asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," Robin replied. "Perhaps she has some books for us."

"Come on, Robin," the angel groaned. "You know I can't read. Okay, I can, but only picture books. Picture books are my favorite!"

"Well, how about a buffet? You like food, do you not?"

"Well, if it has floor ice cream, I'm sold!"

The tactician felt a little sick at his comment. "That's not healthy at all. Especially if it has been on the ground."

"Well, who cares? I like it."

Robin sighed. "Well, each person to its own."

Soon enough, the two arrived at the courtyard, an enclosed area located in the back of the Smash Mansion. A fountain was the main feature of it, being right in the middle of this peaceful relaxation spot. When the library was unavailable, Robin came here, if it wasn't raining or dark, of course. It seems they were the first one to arrive, as not even Palutena was here.

However, someone else was. Mewtwo sat on the very top of the fence, looking out in the distance. As if by instinct, Pit rushed up to him. Robin decided to go over there as well. He was not friends with the Genetic Pokemon, but he was still a fellow Smasher.

"Hey, Mewtwo!" Pit called. "What are you doing?"

The Pokemon remained silent; in fact, he didn't acknowledge Pit, as if he were in a trance.

"Mewtwo? Hello?" The angel tapped his tail, which was dangling from the top of the stone wall.

"Huh?" the Pokemon gasped. Looking behind him, he saw Pit and Robin standing below. "Oh, it's just you two." He groaned. "What do you want?"

"We were just wondering what you were doing," the white-haired man told him.

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed. "Must you ask?"

"Come on, Mewtwo," the brunette cried. "You're acting more grumpy than usual."

"…It's a little personal," the Genetic Pokemon confessed. He turned away from the two of them. "It has to deal with the Exiles."

"Oh…" Pit frowned.

"It's okay," Robin said. "We won't get into your business." He glanced at Pit. "…Right?"

"Yeah… right." The light angel started to walk to a bench near the fountain, worrying his friend.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Mewtwo," he quickly told the creature before running off after Pit. "Pit, what's gotten into you?"

The angel sat down on the bench they had just arrived at, yet he avoided the tactician's golden gaze. "I just want to help Mewtwo," he started, a melancholic ring to his voice, "but it's hard to do that when he doesn't want to talk to me."

"Pit… Look at me." Robin sat down next to him, filling the wooden bench up. The angel rested his gaze on him with sad blue eyes. "You can't help everyone." He frowned. "Trust me, I tried once."

"But I'd feel so bad if I don't," he argued. "It goes against my morals."

"I know Pit, but-"

Robin was interrupted as he saw his female counterpart, Robyn, walk into the courtyard, along with Palutena.

"What were you doing?!" Robyn immediately scolded. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Pit brought me out here early."

"Lady Palutena!" the angel cried out, and sprang out of the bench, running up to the goddess. "What do you have for us?"

"Hi, Pit," she greeted with a smile. "You'll see once the others get here."

"Aw…" He sat down in yet another bench, and now, all of them had to wait for Dark Pit, Lucina, and Lucario to arrive.

A few minutes later, the Aura Pokemon arrived at the courtyard, although he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Hello," he greeted. The group gave their greetings back to him, and then Lucario whispered to Palutena, "Can you make this quick, please?"

"I can't promise that," she admitted. "We have to wait until Dark Pit and Lucina get here."

He groaned, and started to leave the courtyard.

"Lucario?" Robin asked loudly. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the Daycare," he replied. "One of you can wake me up when they get here."

"But-" Pit started.

As soon as Lucario opened the door leading back into the mansion, he was met with two faces.

"…Never mind," he grumbled. He stepped out of the way, revealing Lucina and Dark Pit, walking into the yard.

"Finally!" the light angel exclaimed. "I've been waiting all day!"

"Alright, gather around, everyone." Palutena waved her staff, and the six Smashers present formed a circle around her. "You may want to step back."

The orb on the end of the green-haired lady's staff began to glow, and then, a magenta stream of light began to soar into the air. Robin looked up at the stream as it traveled into the night sky, and then, it exploded, dazzling the darkness with vibrant streams of light. He didn't know what she did, but it looked beautiful.

"Celestial Firework?" puzzled Dark Pit. "But why?"

Ah, so that's what it was, Robin realized.

"Oh, lighten up, Pittoo," Pit said. "Isn't it pretty?"

"I was expecting something more… useful. Not a complete waste of my time," the dark angel explained.

"Perhaps you should learn to appreciate life a little more, Pittoo," Palutena suggested. Dark Pit winced at the mention of his nickname. "I'm sure you'll have a much better attitude if you do."

"We're immortal, Palutena," he simply said.

"I know, but compared to me and Pit, you're still quite young," she replied.

"You know, Lady Palutena…" Pit chirped. "Are you gonna launch more fireworks?"

"Of course." Palutena's staff glowed once more, and another stream of light, a cyan one, launched into the air, and it exploded far above them, just like the previous one. She continued this, until the half moon was high in the night.

She tried to suppress a yawn. "I think that's enough for tonight. What do you think?"

"It was beautiful, Palutena," Lucina responded, still in awe at the mass amount of celestial fireworks.

"I agree, it was stunning," Robyn added. Robin simply gave a nod of agreement.

"It was absolutely amazing!" Pit exclaimed. "I loved every single moment of it!"

"Of course you did," Dark Pit muttered. Despite the group's efforts, he still was not happy.

"Finally, it's over," Lucario resounded. "I can't wait to sleep!"

"I think we all do," Palutena agreed.

"Well, good night, Lady Palutena," the light angel said.

"Good night, Pit," the goddess replied.

As the Smashers said their goodbyes, they all went to their rooms, hoping for a peaceful sleep.


A/N: Well, I decided to release the sequel to "The Case of the Missing Smasher" on the three-year anniversary of the uploading of its first chapter! I wanted to try have better writing in this sequel but still maintain the original charm of the original, but... I don't think I succeeded. It's better and longer, yes, but the chapters in the original were quite short. Well, I don't know when the next chapter will be, hopefully it will be before the end of the year. Branchwing, out!