We Will Remember You: A Tribute to Satoru Iwata, a super smash brothers fanfic

They had been called to this one place without so much as a single detail. All that was said to them was that what they were about to see was not going to be pleasant, but avoiding it would bring them no joy as the news would eventually find its way to them.

Nevertheless, when they all laid eyes on the single grave, a suspicious feeling of dread washed over them. It had been freshly laid, carved from the finest stone they had ever laid eyes on, and the words transcribed on it were etched out flawlessly.

But it was these words that left them all with a feeling of hopelessness as Mario approached the grave and read them out.

In the few seconds of silence that followed, the magnitude of this event dawned on them and they stood without knowing how to think or feel. Then Mario fell to his knees, took off his cap, and let his tears splash against the ground. Luigi and Peach were quick to rush to his side, but they knew there was no consoling him after what they had all just seen. They too began to cry.

Mostly everyone there began to cry in one way or another. Those like Kirby, Pit, and the Villager who always seemed so happy, or those like Fox, Falco, and Little Mac who had such fiery drives that it seemed like crying was never an option. Donkey Kong pulled his nephew Diddy into a strong hug, Rosalina wiped the tears from her Luma's eyes even though she too felt like weeping, Olimar and his Pikmin sat in complete shock, and Palutena (though she saw humans die all the time) dropped her staff and pulled the still-weeping Pit into a tight embrace.

The most hardened warriors couldn't hold back their sadness. Samus let her Varia Suit fade away so she could wipe the periodic tears from her eyes. Ike gritted his teeth and lowered his head so that no one would see him begin to weep. Dark Pit, who thought he had been born without a true sense of compassion, let Pit and Palutena drape their arms around him as he lip started to quiver. Mewtwo shielded his face from everyone before him, but ceased when his fellow Pokémon touched his shoulders and hands. Wario, a vile man if there ever was one, sought and received consolation from the Wii Fit Trainer, his opposite in both hygiene and physical stature. Even Mr. Game and Watch and ROB, the two of them that seemed to have been programmed without real emotions, felt something akin to sadness start to set in and sought compassion from the closest of their comrades.

Even Bowser and Ganondorf, the most twisted and truly evil of them all, could not stop themselves from hanging their heads in despair. It was ironic, really. They'd done terrible things all their lives and hurt thousands of people in their midst, but as soon as one man met an early end, they were on the verge of tears?

Then again, this was no ordinary man.

That alone was enough for Bowser Jr. to seek comfort in his father's arms and receive it without any second thoughts, and it was enough for Link, Zelda, and Toon Link to approach Ganondorf without fear of attack. The Great King of Evil looked at them in confusion for a few moments, but as they held out their hands to him, he could not stop himself. The four shared in their sadness as their fingertips grazed together

Mega Man, Sonic, Snake, Pac-Man, Ryu, Cloud, and Bayonetta stepped closer to the grave. They had perhaps known the least about this man thanks to their status as outsiders, but it affected them deeply all the same. Mario slowly broke off the hug with Luigi and Peach and turned to them, his eyes still glistening with tears.

"I know you guys didn't know him very well," he said in light shaky breaths. "But…it…it means so much that you came."

Sonic immediately stepped forward and pulled Mario into a hug. Pac-Man and Mega Man began to wipe their eyes, Ryu and Snake brought their hands to their hearts and bowed their heads in respect to their fallen comrade. Cloud bit his lip and hung his head, lamenting the loss of yet another person who meant much to him. Even Bayonetta, who usually had such an air of confidence and nonchalance about her, covered her hand with her mouth as she let sorrow take her heart over. Even these seven outsiders, one of which had returned as soon as he heard the call, could not shake the loss. They couldn't, and they'd damn themselves if they ever did.

The crowd became completely silent once again when Link stepped through them and gazed at the grave for a few seconds. Then, without a word, he drew his sword. He held it skyward for a few moments, everyone wondering what he was going to do. Then, as swiftly as he drew it, he planted the Master Sword into the ground and knelt, muttering "I will remember you" as he did so.

This action passed onto the other sword-wielders, and they found themselves drawing their blades and doing the same. Toon Link with his own Master Sword, Marth and Lucina with Falchion, Ike with Ragnell, Robin with the Levin Sword, Roy with the Sword of Seals, Corrin with Omega Yato, Shulk with the Monado, Meta Knight with Galaxia, Pit with Palutena's Bow, Dark Pit with the Silver Bow, Cloud with his Buster Sword. All kneeling and muttering "I will remember you".

A powerful gesture of remembrance, and soon they all found themselves on their knees, chanting the same phrase and hoping they would reach him wherever he was.

We will remember you…

A soft drone rang through the air, and the Smashers raised their heads to find the messenger they had called them there. Though he lacked a face to show it, he too was distraught, and even he began to doubt himself when they all gazed upon him as if asking "What now?"

For a few moments, he himself didn't know, but his mind settled on exactly what they had been chanting. Remembrance. How he had touched each and every one of them. How without him, none of them would really be there on that day to mourn his loss.

And so Master Hand spoke.

"This man in one way or another has touched all our hearts. Without him, all of this…all of us standing here together with our decades of exploits would not be possible. Though they will continue on, it will not be the same without him. Nevertheless, we gather here today to pay our tribute to him, and if he is watching us from wherever he may be now, he will know that we all are grateful for all that he has done for us."

Master Hand's words echoed in the Smashers' hearts, and they stood raising their hands skyward. As they offered their prayers, they remembered all he had done for them. He was not perfect. No man or woman could be, but no man or woman needed perfection to attain greatness.

This had been a man that started off small and became something great. Just like they all had. They had begun their adventures humbly, and they now had the power to do great things that would change the world.

For that, they were eternally grateful. And they chanted again, shouting as loud as they could.

We will remember you!

With their last cry, Ness and Lucas fired lightning into their air, conducting them in a way that kept them as straight as possible. As soon as they reached an exponential height, the two bolts collided and exploded into a flash of beautiful colours. As beautiful as their sadness, for if they could feel this sad now, they could only have felt happy before, and there would be happy times in the future.

The past was the past, and though this man was gone, he was not forgotten. This was a man they could call their leader...

Their hero…

…their friend.

"And now we sing him to sleep." said Master Hand. "May he rest in peace, and may we remember him always."

In loving memory of Satoru Iwata, Global President of Nintendo

1959-2015