One of Pit's favorite times at the beginning of every Smash season was filming his part of the invitational video and then watching it all in the auditorium with his friends. He had only been a part of two of them ever since his time as a Brawl Freshman, so this season would be his third time around. Unlike the other two seasons, Pit was fully confident in himself going in. Brawl of course was a struggle because he didn't know anyone and no one recognized who he was, the unnamed fourth season was hard because his best friends from Brawl weren't invited to come back so he had to start fresh, but this year would be different. This time he had a group of friends, three years worth of training and beefing himself up, and -the best thing- a boyfriend.

Link and Pit had started dating during the middle of the fourth season, and after they all went home the two of them stuck together like glue. In between days of training and fighting, the two of them would travel to each other's worlds for a day or two. If there was a time they weren't allowed to see each other, they would write letters. Granted, Palutena had to read and write Pit's letters for him, but Link never questioned why the letters were written in cursive. However, now that Smash was starting up again, the two archers would be together without interruption for an entire year. Pit was ecstatic.

While he was putting on his best tunic and brushing his hair, his new roommate made his bed with the sheets and comforters he brought from home. Pit had never gotten to know Marth well, but the prince was friendly enough. Hopefully they could become closer during this season. Turning back to the mirror, Pit uncapped his eyeliner and swiped it perfectly, creating the iconic wing that nodded to his angelic status. He chuckled to himself, becoming giddy at the fact that he would be reunited with all of his friends again.

"Ready to go?" Marth questioned, walking towards the door.

"Yeah!" The angel cheered, turning to follow. He stopped, almost forgetting the gift bag he prepared so carefully for Link. Grabbing it off of the dresser, Pit looked down past the pale pink crepe paper to see the object he spent the last month creating with Dyntos just for Link. Marth opened the door, and the two warriors walked down the halls to the auditorium.

As Pit entered the dark room, he tried his hardest to locate Link's signature hat that he had grown so fond of. He...couldn't find it. Anywhere. He shrugged, assuming Link wasn't there yet, and sat down in the back row along with Ike and Marth. Palutena soon came to join them, and Pit immediately turned to her.

"Have you seen Link anywhere?" He asked, almost distressed. Palutena only shrugged, and told Pit that he was probably here and just nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, the angel looked down at his knees, and his wings drooped to follow his gaze. Peering around at all of the warriors and assist trophies filing it, Pit tried his best to look for his lover. Alas, he had no luck, and couldn't find him before the lights dimmed and Master Hand and Crazy Hand walked onto the stage to give the traditional homecoming speech. It was the exact same speech Pit heard two times already, so he drowned it out with thinking of conclusions as to where his Link could be.

Finally, finally, the projector screen rolled down and the film began to start. Having held his breath before, Pit exhaled with a sigh of relief when he saw Link's segment of the trailer soon after Mario's. He was just wearing a different outfit now, so of course Pit didn't see the hat in the crowd. He would just have to find Link during the afterparty. Becoming more excited again, the angel began to cheer along with the newcomers and the old veterans. A lot of them even cheered for him during his own segment of the trailer, and he channeled that pride in cheering for Dark Pit's segment right after. In the end, he was especially happy to see Snake was back, disappointed but not surprised at the fact that Waluigi still remained as an assist trophy, and absolutely terrified of Ridley being included.

Great, Pit thought. He's sure to tear me limb from limb!

After the trailer, each of the newcomers were welcomed onto the stage to give a small speech, and fifteen minutes later, all the fighters and assists were welcomed into the banquet hall for the afterparty. Since Pit was at the back of the auditorium, he was able to slip out first, and wait at the door of the banquet hall for Link. Eventually, the angel caught sight of a head of blond hair and pointy ears, and he ran over to him.

"LINK!" He exclaimed, hugging his boyfriend tightly from behind. "I missed you so much!"

Immediately, Link tensed up and shook the angel off of him. Pit got his senses back and looked up at Link, and suddenly his heart stopped dead in its tracks.

"Um...who are you?"

This wasn't his Link.

No, it couldn't be. His jawline was different, his nose wasn't as pointy, and the eyes were sharper and colder than his Link's warm gaze. Plus, his hair was lighter and parted differently, and this Link was much taller than the Link that Pit had grown to love. Also, that look of pure disgust showed the angel that this Link had no idea who Pit was. But...why?

"Oh, right…" Samus sighed. "Link, this is Pit. He's the...other Link's...boyfriend."

To Pit, it almost sounded like she was ashamed to say it, like this Link would be offended by the fact that Pit was dating a different version of him. And at that moment, all the gears clicked in the angel's head. No wonder why Link didn't tell him anything about filming his segment of the trailer, nor anything about getting a welcome letter. He also remembered Link telling him about how his family tree is filled with different reincarnations of him, Zelda, and Ganondorf. Pit realized that this person, who he had just blindly hugged, was one of these doppelgängers.

"Where…" he stuttered,his words being drowned by shock. "W-where's my Link?"

The other Link scoffed, crossing his arms. "I don't know, kid, back home? Relaxing? Enjoying his retirement?"

"Retirement?!"

"Yeah, retirement. Not working. Had enough of the spotlight and had to give it up to someone like me."

"Where?!" Tears began streaming down the angel's face.

"I don't fucking know, kid! Now shoo! Go play with Ness or something." The other Link waved a hand in Pit's face.

He didn't need any other queue to dash as fast as he could out of the banquet hall, gift bag still in hand.

…

Pit ended up outside, sitting by the courtyard with his bare feet in the water of the small pond. He had already cried all the tears he could, and was looking up at the night sky, wondering where in the world his love could be. Most likely he was still back in Hyrule, but when the other Link mentioned the word retirement, he couldn't help but shudder. Back in Skyworld, the word retirement was only used for when angels become so worthless they basically die, but he knew deep down that other worlds used the word differently. He didn't really understand it, but he didn't understand a lot of things about mortals: especially not the different reincarnations of his boyfriend. Feeling his eyes sting up with tears again, the angel winced his eyes and turned back to his lap.

However, he did know that he probably wouldn't see Link for the rest of the year. He also knew deep down that he couldn't send the same heartfelt letters to him that he used to, for the staff look over every letter that comes in and out. They wouldn't let Pit send his letters to Palutena, in fear that they might be too personal for their own good. He was already certain the same thing would happen with Link, for Pit poured all of his heart and soul into every single one of his letters. Closing his eyes, he remembered every single word of Link's letters.

Pit, my love,

The angel smiled, the voice coming to him in a memory that seemed almost real.

I'm here, Pit.

He shook his head, his eyes wincing up with tears even more. Thinking about Link's voice comforting him hurt too much.

Angel, please.

He began to sob, his head dropping into his hands. It wasn't a very long sob, for his wails were reduced to meer hiccups once he felt his Link's arms tighten around his shoulders.

"Link-!" He gasped, turning to see the familiar rugged features and soft eyes of his love. "H-how are you-"

"Shh-shh-shh….don't be so loud. I'm not supposed to be here."

"Why not?" Pit cried, his hands moving up to caress Link's face. "Y-you're a veteran! W-why wouldn't you be welcome?"

"They hired the newest Link," he grimaced, confirming Pit's suspicion. "So I'm not allowed to come back."

"T-then how are you here?!" The angel began to cry again, gripping onto Link's hair.

"I snuck in to see you and tell you goodbye."

"GOODBYE?"

"Shh! Yes, I have to go! I can't stay here much longer. I only came to see you, Pit."

Sobbing loudly, the angel buried his face in the crook of Link's neck."I-I'm gonna miss you so much!"

"I know, baby, I know. And I'm gonna miss you so, so much." Link rubbed Pit's back, burying his face into the soft, coppery hair he had grown so fond of. "It's only a year! Soon enough you'll be back home and we can be together forever."

"It's not fair!" The angel wailed, gripping Link harder. "Why do you have to stay behind? Why does he have to be here instead?"

"I know it's not fair, and I'm so, so sorry. There wasn't anything I could do."

"L-Link," Pit looked up into his lover's bright icy eyes, blinking the tears out of his own. "I-I don't want you to get hurt…"

Realizing that Pit meant the dozens of guards who were probably looking for him, Link sighed. "Yeah, I know. I need to go."

"B-but I don't want you to! W-why can't you just s-stay?"

"I don't know. But listen, I have to go before they find me. I was already running from them when I found you here." Link gripped the side of Pit's jaw, wiping a tear away from his cheek. "I will always love you."

"Nononononnoo!" Pit whimpered, holding Link's face in both of his gloved hands. "I'm gonna miss you so much!"

"I don't wanna leave either, trust me." Link began to choke up himself, and while the calm facade worked earlier, he broke it whilst brushing the hair out of Pit's eyes. His crying only made Pit's cries worse.

"P-Pit, please. Always remember that I l-love you. And I-I always will." He smiled slightly, removing the familiar green cap from his head. "Please, take this. I know how much you love my hats."

Pit only sobbed harder at this offering, and gripped the hand tighter than anything else he had ever held. Looking back up at Link, he took a deep breath.

"Link, I love you s-so much…" his voice cracked, and Link only nodded while pursing his lips.

"I love you too, my sweet angel."

Pit leaned in to give Link what seemed to be the last kiss they would share until Pit returned home the next year. His eyes were closed, and his heart burned with more fire than he had ever felt before as he awaited the bittersweet touch.

It never came.

Instead, Pit was jolted upright by a sudden flash. Link was convulsing, his body flashing a million times a second, and his eyes rolled back into his head before he laid limp on the ground. As his body fell, Pit looked up in shock to see one of the Smash guards armed with a taser; the wires twisted and turned before injecting themselves right in the small of his love's back.

The angel couldn't even speak, and stuffed the hat in the waistband of his shorts before the guards could come close enough to take Link's unconscious (possibly dead, Pit didn't even know) body away from him. The angel tried to reach out to him, but two guards appeared behind him and held his arms back. Kicking and screaming, Pit called for Link's name as he was dragged all the way back into the smash manor. All the while he kept his eyes focused on Link's body, being dragged away from him with much less care as it was halfheartedly thrown into the prison van before the vehicle drove away.

Once the manor doors were open, Pit was thrown inside and left to skid his way onto the polished marble floor. Everyone crowded around him, since they became aware of the commotion when the guards ambushed the banquet hall demanding for Link. Pit couldn't even fight anymore, and just stared emotionlessly at the chandelier on the ceiling while he heard the slow footsteps of all the other fighters gradually getting closer. The angel closed his eyes, no more tears even willing to come out anymore. All of his tears were lost at the courtyard, along with his homecoming gift for Link:

A single heart container which now lay at the bottom of the pond.