It was a late night outside the Smash Mansion. The moon stuck high in the sky like it was just a glowing ball drifting upon the clouds, like they were a river. Inside one room on the second floor was a young boy, who was lying on a neatly made bed. He looked barely thirteen in age, with short, jet black hair. He was wearing a blue and yellow striped shirt, and his red baseball cap was resting nearby atop a baseball bat, while a backpack lay on the floor. He just laid there, staring at the ceiling. He was Ness, a teenage boy from the town of Onett. He had returned to the Smash Mansion once again. It was barely a day after receiving an invitation once again to spend who knows how long fighting alongside other fighters of various powers skills and abilities. He was born with psionic powers, otherwise labelled as PSI, and a few tools for his combat style.

"This really happened…" Ness exhaled. He had a minor fear before coming to the mansion, aside from lying to his family about where he actually left for. He was so far receiving the same treatment as before when he received a smash invite, even the exact same room, though he got two letters resting on his night stand, already opened and read. Those letters had rattled him, making the reunion with the other smashers a little unenjoyable. He reached over to one of the letters and picked it up, dangling it in front of his eyes.

"Dear Ness,
The others offered to tell you for me, but I know it wouldn't make you feel any better, and I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in person. But I didn't get an invite this time around. I still remember all the fun times we had before, and I'll do my best to write you every week, even if I'm not there. Don't let it ruin your fun. – your old pal, Lucas."

Ness had read that first letter at least three times. Attached to a paperclip on the end of the letter was a picture of a boy with blonde hair shaped like a drop of vanilla ice cream, who wore a red and yellow striped shirt in the photo. He was holding a baby sheep in one arm, showing a peace sign with his free hand. Ness took the picture and put it away in his pocket before going to reread the second letter, like he had some obsession to read them multiple times, which he thought would provide him some form of misreading. But he was starting to accept the truth.

The second letter's writing looked like it had been written by someone that couldn't hold a pen still.

"Dear Ness,
We hope you're well. It's been a long time since we last saw you and it probably will be longer. Something came up and we aren't able to accept our invite. Keep that smile up! We all were good friends, but we'll see each other again! – from Popo and Nana."

It was all written, at least what he could make out of the slightly frost bitten handwriting. Attached to it was another picture. It was of a girl in a pink Eskimo outfit, holding a hammer on her shoulder. In the background another Eskimo in blue was dangling from a rock, looking a little panicked. Ness smiled viewing the picture. The background depicted a very frozen mountain. Just a usual for the Ice Climbers. He pocketed the photograph, too. He had been locked away in his room for at least four hours since he arrived. "Do I even wanna bother with the dumb party…?" he questioned himself further, looking to the window. A party was a tradition to celebrate the returns of everyone. But Ness felt guilty. He felt like he didn't deserve to come back this time, but he was unsure if that was just a thought from his minor depression.

Ness decided to think on what the others would do if it was him gone instead. He let out a deep sigh. "Well… if Lucas was here, he'd meet the newcomers and try to enjoy the party," he thought. It was going to begin soon anyhow, and there were a lot of new fighters to meet. He was aware that staying cooped up in his room sulking wouldn't make him feel better. He grabbed his red baseball cap and fixed it on his head, the blue brim at its usual spot at the left side of his head. Ness then exited out of his room and into the mansion, hoping tonight would go well.