A/N: …What? Have I returned from the dead yet? Who'd say that I died? …Oh. Yeah. The previous hiatus. Well…uh…a decline in motivation? I don't know…I just haven't felt like continuing this lately. UNTIL NOW! Yes, I am back, from the dead or whatever else you might have thought, so deal with it and feast your eyes on the fruits of thought below. Hopefully I won't stop for so long ever again…though I've got no guarantees, of course…:P

Disclaimer: Well…uh…let's see here…what was it now? It's on the tip of my tongue…oh, yeah.

I OWN NOTHING!!

Hm…come to think of it, that was pretty easy to remember…

Fox McCloud trotted wearily after the active monkey that swung and bounced through the thick foliage of trees a few feet away, his thoughts wandering from one place to the other. The subject of his wrecked Arwing momentarily floated to the surface, but he pushed that down with a flinch…along with the memory of being dragged away from his only hope of pursuing that giant airship by that small persistent monkey.

Diddy Kong himself didn't much care about what Fox might have thought of him at the moment. The previous event with the angry Rayquaza was already a hazy inconvenience in his memory, one that had been eliminated with bravado on his own part. Quite besides, the other creatures that they had been fighting on their way through the forest had been extremely weak in comparison. Diddy's mind lingered briefly on the strangeness of their presence here, a disturbing bubble of sudden realization that momentarily had him coming to a halt on the branch he was about to leap off of.

And then, in that brief moment of stillness, it came to him, and all thoughts of the past were driven away by a glorious wave of incessant glee. The red-clad monkey sat straight up, long tail curving excitedly - Diddy could feel them, like the warmth of a lone campfire in the midst of a cold winter night. Bananas, precious, delicious bananas, somewhere close. Tantalizingly close. A whole pile of them, a gathering to rival his own Uncle's. Donkey Kong's bananas…it must have been. He had found them at last!

Fox stopped underneath the branch, gazing up blankly as Diddy performed a small victory dance over his head. When the monkey finally mellowed a little, Diddy jumped off onto the damp forest floor beside Fox and beckoned, hurrying eagerly into more jungle somewhere to their right before the pilot could even respond.

Fox sighed inwardly and made to follow, but paused abruptly as his headset hummed softly. His green lens, which he had dismissed a few minutes back, now flicked out on its own accord, thick streams of indistinguishable data flooding across in a muddled gold river. But before Fox could react his headset immediately stopped humming, and the lens flicked back as though it had never arisen in the first place.

The Arwing pilot remained immobile for a moment, trying to grasp what might have happened. But the unmistakable shriek of an alarmed monkey brought him back to his senses, and Fox quickly took off into the brush, pulling his blaster from his belt.

Diddy performed a back-flip, barely escaping the slashing claw of the opponent that had loomed up out of nowhere to attack. No sooner had the monkey landed when the same large bulk suddenly popped out of thin air, falling to crush him. With a screech Diddy took to the air, using the momentum of his flip, and flicked out his peanut guns, shooting an aimless barrage. There were snarling grunts from the smoke of mahogany powder that ensued, bits of nut flying everywhere, and Diddy's flailing tail found the support of a tree-limb. The monkey immediately scrabbled onto the supporting branch as the smoke cleared, revealing the luscious pile of bananas that took up most of the clearing. But Diddy's attention was, perhaps for the first time, directed at something else other than the sight of all these fruits before him.

For clawing at its eyes, staggering blindly out of the pale smoke, was a purple Bowser.

At that moment Fox leapt into the clearing, blaster at ready, and skidded to a halt behind the tower of bananas, assessing the situation. A large, spiky-shelled reptile with an eerie violet tinge loomed before him, wiping bits of peanut from its face and turning to him. As the concentrated glare bored into him, Fox found himself chilled by the feral yellow eyes that focused on him.

This thing wasn't normal. And it most certainly didn't belong.

By reflex Fox found himself raising his blaster, not a figment of hesitation holding him back, and he fired several times very rapidly. The shots struck the purple Bowser without fail, but it remained unhindered, racing towards him instead with a gait that made the ground beneath Fox's feet tremble. The Bowser stretched out its claws.

Fox sidestepped sharply, and was covered by another barrage of peanut from Diddy, who soon swung down beside him. Then the two heroes came forward together, attacking unanimously.

The Bowser roared, a sound that seemed strangely chilling and almost warped, and Fox found himself flying through the air as the impact of his enemy's punch took effect. Diddy was flying too with an indignant screech, but that was all Fox could take note of before he hit the ground on his back, breath instantly knocked out of him. While he was struggling to regain his bearings the Bowser loomed over him, a huge silhouette lined in violet flame, yellow eyes flashing as it raised a claw to strike the finishing blow -

And it yelped as its jaw was clipped by Fox's right hook. The reptilian thing reeled backwards, surprised, and Fox leaped to his feet. There was a brown-and-red blur, however, and before Fox could even lift another finger Diddy had smashed right into the Bowser's side with incredible force. There was a flash of white light.

Fox winced, shielding his eyes, and the light faded to reveal a large purple trophy depicting the reptilian horror falling to the earth with a dull thud.

It were as though the entire jungle had released its held breath. Diddy tumbled into view at Fox's side, hooting and jumping and clapping his hands over his head, and Fox couldn't help but grin slightly to himself. However the smile soon faded, and he frowned as Diddy pompously hopped forward, peering contemptuously at the fallen trophy. The monkey tossed his head scornfully and butted the lifeless thing out of pure daring, giving it a tackle with his right shoulder. And Fox knew immediately that he should have stopped the monkey.

The trophy rocked slightly from side to side, and then simply melted away in a flurry of purple particles, base and all. Diddy leapt backward in horror, and even Fox took a step back, unnerved, as the particles swung into the air and disappeared into nothingness. The simple gruesomeness of the sight would be equivalent to a person in our world watching a new corpse dissolve into mold. It wasn't right, and it was the worst possible thing to even happen to a trophy. Something neither of the heroes had ever seen before.

There was a hiss.

Fox and Diddy both leapt to opposite ends of the clearing as a burning gold arrow streaked through the air and, missing its targets, barely cleared the ground in a spray of dirt before disappeared behind them into the jungle. At the source of the blast, mouth bared in a fanged grin, was the real Bowser, large blaster cradled easily in his massive claws. Particles of light were already forming at the blaster's front as the Koopa King charged another blast.

This one landed just between Fox and Diddy, exploding in a cloud of red as the arrow truly met the earth. From the billowing smoke rose Diddy, pummeling his chest and looking for all the world like a miniature Godzilla. To be grabbed at the collar of his T-shirt by Fox.

For Fox knew the nature of blasters in reference to the detached memory of his previous lives, coincidentally, and had gotten the feeling that this thing wouldn't be something to meddle with. The sheer power of the released arrows had been incredible. Enough to turn a fully-fledged fighter into a trophy instantaneously.

And they couldn't afford having that happen to them.

Even as Diddy glared menacingly after Bowser, Fox took off across the clearing and dove into a random patch of jungle, which immediately gave way to a steep cliff. The drop not daunting him in the least, the pilot leapt off of it into the misty greenery below, Diddy dangling beside him. And Bowser, raising himself upright, merely laughed.

This was going to be easy pickings.

Lucas took a step backwards as the huge robot exploded, white-hot debris flying everywhere. Porky was nowhere to be found…perhaps he had been only a hologram to fool them? Lucas blinked, but soon forgot about that as Ness turned to him, smiling in a proper greeting for the first time. The boy with the red baseball cap offered a hand, and Lucas hesitantly shook it, feeling awkward and almost unnerved. Standing here before him was an obvious veteran of fighting, a PSI Master, and here he was, shaking Lucas's hand and treating him like an equal. Was it all just a polite joke to crush him with later? Lucas simply didn't know.

But he would soon have other, more dire things to think about.

Ness suddenly stiffened halfway through the handshake, and the boy immediately broke his grip and turned around, towards a pile of crumbled cement to their right. Lucas turned as well, wondering what might have disturbed Ness, and found himself gazing at the shortest, pudgiest man he had ever seen, wearing a yellow motorcycle helmet and sporting a jagged mustache. What little he could actually glimpse of Wario, however, was soon concealed behind the large blaster that the villain soon heaved, turning it in their direction.

Wario himself had been observing the recent happenings as a spectator, the original plan having been the idea that Porky would have easily turned the little boy into a trophy for Wario collect later. But now he had changed his mind upon the appearance of Ness. Porky was obviously gone now…what was there to lose?

Grinning wickedly, Wario idly activated the targeting system and peered through the scope of the blaster, easily locking onto Ness as the PSI user turned in his direction. Then, chuckling amiably to himself, Wario casually began firing.

In a spray of scarlet energy the arrows streaked outwards, making a beeline for Ness. Ness, however, was equal to them, and he ran swiftly to one side, leaping and dodging and ducking as the occasion demanded. Though his face did not show it, Ness found himself inwardly disturbed by the searing power of the arrows as they streaked past him. These things definitely weren't good.

Ness landed cleanly a few feet away from his original position utterly intact, and Wario tsked between his teeth, disgruntled. Shrugging away the minor inconvenience, he instead turned to Lucas, who was still staring after Ness in amazement, and Wario's grin returned in all its huge, pearly whiteness. The beginnings of an evil laugh gurgling up between his teeth, he charged the blaster again as the targeting system locked onto Lucas where he stood at unawares.

And then Lucas finally looked up, far too late to dodge, as the blaster fired again, a fiery black arrow streaking to claim whatever conscious being it might make contact with. Lucas could only freeze in place, eyes widening in horror, too terrified to move -

And with a shout Ness was suddenly there, tackling him aside. Lucas stumbled backwards in shock as a painful flash lit the air, and Ness's flying body was whisked into a horizontal whirl, black arrow dissolving easily into his shoulder.

Lucas stared, stricken by horror. It were as though time had deliberately slowed down to allow him to dissect every painful moment as the light engulfed Ness and then faded, leaving a short trophy with a dull golden base in its wake. The plastic thing landed on the drab sidewalk with a hollow clatter, displaying a humbly smiling boy wearing a faded red cap and a gray backpack, completely innocent…and disgustingly artificial. Lucas could only stand there and stare in utter disbelief. How could this possibly be the same selfless veteran that had saved him, a hero with such confidence and expertise? The world had been turned upside down, and everything had gone terribly wrong.

Wario, feeling satisfied, leaped down from his perch atop the pile of rubble, landing with a heavy thud next to Ness's trophy and making Lucas leap backwards. Grinning, Wario laughed, and lunged forward as though to attack. Lucas stumbled back once more as terror suddenly coursed through him, blooming in a strangling vine of panic. His breath caught in his chest and Lucas found himself turning and running, running faster than he ever had before. Thunder rumbled as though in reprove, and lightning flashed as though to hinder his cowardly path, but still he ran on, through the thick curtain of rain that began to fall. Not able to help it, Lucas glanced back over his shoulder once, catching sight of Wario as he stood, holding Ness's trophy by the head and laughing openly. Both were illuminated in another chilling flash of lightning.

Lucas looked away, feeling his heart quail. A deep sense of helplessness had rising now, and he felt more vulnerable and afraid than ever before. He was worthless, and had only been a burden to Ness…even Ness's own downfall, in the end. Lucas knew that he deserved that horrible fate, not Ness…he should have been the one to have been turned into a trophy. Ness shouldn't have ever saved him.

And with these depressed thoughts Lucas ran on aimlessly through the rain, certain of his own inevitable doom.

Red paused, looking up in relief as the fierce downpour that had persisted for several minutes began to relent its merciless driving for a short while. Wiping the last of the water droplets from the brim of his red and white cap, he glanced up briefly at the gray-clouded heavens, then lowered them again to check his surroundings once more. The bleak ruins of a city loomed up before him, portrayed in every shade of gray and slate that had probably ever been devised. It was a depressing place, Red knew that for a fact. The sooner he got out of here, the better off he'd be.

The Pokemon Trainer took a few deft steps forward, shivering off the last of the rain's damp chill, but soon stopped again, a small frown tugging the edges of his mouth. His head slowly turned as he glanced from left to right, taking in his dull surroundings. Everything seemed normal and yet…something was not right. As though he were being watched. But there was certainly a way to find out for sure.

In a casual movement that had been reiterated many times in his past life, Red raised a gloved hand to the red and white vest he wore, locating the shield-shaped white device lined in blue that he had pinned there. He deftly pressed the middle, which sank inside and then sprung back out quickly; it had been a button all along. At once a small green light atop it flashed, and several piercing beeps cut through the still air.

Red blinked as the hostile, battle-ready awareness of the things that had been pursuing him were revealed in his mind, as clear as a beacon in the night. And he knew that he had not been imagining the feeling of being followed…though of course he had never highly doubted it.

Lucas hardly noticed as the rain began to ease and then stopped altogether, too deeply wrapped up in his tumultuous thoughts to care. He had finally slowed to a plodding walk once more, listlessly wandering the empty streets of New Pork City as he had been in the beginning…before he had met Ness…

His shoulders wilted even more at the very memory. Lucas vaguely considered the volume of feeling he seemed to have, how unusual it was to be so pained by a simple occurrence - it was not natural in this world, this dimension. Perhaps it was the fact that his intuitive to fight had never been as strong as it should be, or that he had always felt himself constantly in the shadows of other, greater heroes…but it was still strange. Listening to his damp steps reverberating on the soaked blacktop, Lucas miserably wondered what it would be like to be like everyone else for a change, to be strong and confident and always eager for a fight.

And so it was not until he actually bumped into a person's elbow that he noticed another individual standing, immobile, in the middle of the road.

Lucas looked up, thoughts breaking as he gazed in surprise. He found his eyes meeting those of the tall, lean teenager that looked over his shoulder to identify him. The newcomer was wearing a red and white cap and a matching vest, beneath which the sleeves of a black T-shirt showed, and he was wearing a pair of pale jeans. The dark eyes that surveyed him seemed slightly irritated at first, and then they softened slightly in catching sight of Lucas for the first time. The stranger then turned forward, sweeping an arm across the area before them both as though in warning. And Lucas, lifting his eyes to wear the boy was gesturing, felt himself freeze inside, reveling in horrified recognition. For before them puddles of purple had collected and began to rise, melding into the unmistakable forms of Primid.

Lucas cowered backward, wanting nothing to do with the foul beings as fear coursed through him, but in an unexpected move the stranger had a hand on his shoulder. Lucas looked up in surprise, meeting the warm eyes of the boy once more, shadowed beneath the cap that hid his copper hair. The stranger cast him a confident smile, a small laugh, raising a small red and white ball to his chest with his other hand.

He turned forward once more, smile creasing into a determined frown, and he stepped forward to confront the Primid that turned their newly-formed heads in his direction. With a casual flick of his hand Red let the pokeball expand into its full size. Then, with an easy swing of his arm, he tossed it, rather like a person would toss a baseball. Except that this ball stopped in midair, splitting open and pouring a stream of white light from its contents.

Lucas looked on in astonishment as the white light materialized on the ground, forming into a small blue turtle with an amber shell and a short, coiled tail. The Squirtle crouched there at ready, waiting for Red's command, who assented by pointing forward. The Pokemon then launched itself at the enemy…in a spray of crystal water that seemed to slosh up as if from nowhere.

Navi fluttered anxiously a few feet ahead, turning back to him in an agitated flurry of blue light and pale, delicate wings. The air tinkled and swirled behind the little sky-blue ball of light as the fairy fluttered forward, inquiring and confused.

What was wrong?

With a smooth rustle that was barely audible on the forest floor Link stepped past the baffled fairy, declining to respond for once. He knew she had reason to be concerned, but there wasn't time to explain it now. He himself was just as worried, but now was certainly not the time for hesitation, either. He could not forget what he had felt just a few minutes back. A stabbing pain, a fleeting headache, a throb in the hand that held the Triforce of Courage, and then nothingness…

Link frowned at the memory. Something must have happened. They were connected by the binding of the Triforce, he knew as much from the memories of his many previous lives, and that could only mean that something must have happened to one of them. Something bad.

He was set on finding out what. And the going would not be safe without anything to defend with…

Navi drifted after him, having no choice but to follow and wonder. And the two pushed on through the quiet wood, lit only by the pale rays sunlight that shafted sparsely through the thick pine canopy over their heads. Link walked on purposely, stepping easily around and through the wood that he knew so well. He had been here before, and he knew the way. That part had been burned particularly clear in his memory…it had been here that he had first found it…the holy blade…

He had used it only in need before. And he would need it again.

Yoshi shifted slightly where he lay curled on the comfortably half-rotted old stump, relishing the gentle warmth of the single shaft of sunlight that reached down into this small clearing. The air was crisp and still, the surrounding pine trees aromatic and whispering, and everything was at peace. Yoshi was glad to leave it at that. What need was there to rush when you were warm and drowsy, when you had anticipation of a filling future battle and no other worries whatsoever? No need at all, as Yoshi saw it. He was content to have a good doze at the very least, before life should catch up to him and rush him off again, to some other frantic place and time. But not now. That was in the future, and this was the present. No need to get worked up about it.

Link happened to step into the same particular clearing, wrapped in his own thoughts as he watched Navi flutter ahead of him, trailing blue glitter. He was most acutely conscious of the warm weight against his back, as though it were being bathed in sunshine, and he knew well enough what the source was. He could feel the warm power of the Master Sword washing over him even now, as though in greeting, and he couldn't help but be glad for its presence, for its comforting mass between his shoulder blades. It had chosen him and he only to wield it in the beginning, and by now Link had an odd affection for the blade that had played such a part in his previous lives. It had always been something more than a weapon of warfare - it was the seal-breaker, the bane of evil, the giver of hope, and a little piece of the distant Goddesses in their power and glory, all melded and meshed into a double-edged shaft of metal that glowed like starlight and reared like fire when held in the heat of combat.

Link didn't pay any heed whatsoever to the little green dinosaur in red boots that was curled and dozing on a stump mere feet away, and merely trudged past, mind intent on the future and his latest resolution. Yoshi, equally as unimpressed by the dirty-blond swordsman with his pointed hat, forest-green tunic, and tinkling fairy, merely opened a bleary eye to watch him pass and then closed it again, his own mind simply intent on nothing more than a good morning's nap.

Navi had, by that time, fluttered past the barrier of pines that bordered the perimeter of the clearing and disappeared beyond, and Link stepped forward to follow her, but stopped abruptly. Suddenly the warmth at his back had grown more intense, and Link felt the incoming evil even before he lifted his head to gaze at the sky, which turned into an unpleasant shade of red at that moment. Then there was a hiss as the Halberd glided past, making the tops of pines ripple beneath it and distributing its now-renowned violet particles. They drifted from its belly and trailed from the sky like deformed snowflakes, congregating in the clearing, and Link took several paces back as Primid rose from the resulting puddles, turning to face him.

Link's surprise melted into anger, and he only beckoned to the sleepy Yoshi that had drifted up beside him as he whipped out the Master Sword, which blazed white-hot in confrontation of the beings that were so clearly their enemies.

Yoshi jogged up beside Link as the swordsman skidded to a halt at the edge of the cliff, glaring out to the desert that stretched out beyond and watching with an angry glint in his icy blue eyes as the Halberd continued its ponderous journey far ahead in the distance. Yoshi himself gazed after it in mild interest, not angry in the least, but slightly curious all the same. That ship was obviously the enemy here, and those beings it had dropped most certainly hadn't belonged to the forest they had been deposited in. They had not even been that hard to defeat, though there had been many of them. Almost more than Yoshi had been able to chew…and they had definitely had a bitter taste, to boot. Yoshi almost wrinkled his large snout at the very memory.

The green dinosaur instead glanced at Link, who was still looking out after the departing ship. The anger had faded slightly from his features, and now he looked more thoughtful instead. He caught Yoshi's eye, and both nodded in mutual agreement. Then both started off down the edge of the cliff in a swift run, in hot pursuit of this new enemy.

Far away in that very desert, with this particular part of the landscape shadowed by the looming subspace dome in the distance, two other individuals were running. Or rather, one was running and one was gliding, in hot pursuit of the Ancient Minister himself.

Marth pressed forward, knowing he was gaining on the hovering, bomb-bearing enemy. His cloak streamed behind him in the sharp, icy wind that slapped at his face, but he hardly noticed. All of his attention was instead bent on the Ancient Minister, and the deadly weapon he was dangling beneath him. They had been pursuing the mysterious opponent for quite some time now, after breaking out of the circle of Primid and other enemies, Meta Knight and himself side by side. There was no doubt now that they would be good comrades, at least for the present moment. But now there were more pressing matters on Marth's mind.

Marth raised Falchion at an angle against his side and dug his heel into the ground, bunching his strength together. In a lunging movement he leapt into the air, lashing out with his blade, which slashed through the air inches away from the catch that held the bomb against the platform the Ancient Minister hovered on. Missing, Marth returned to the earth with a frustrated puff, tumbling into the wasted momentum to keep himself from falling over and whirling away from the chase momentarily.

Meta Knight rushed forward in turn, barely skimming the ground himself. He reared up to confront the Minister himself, but the being was swifter, suddenly whirling around and firing a red laser that had been hidden on the rim of the platform. The attack struck true, catching Meta Knight on the corner of one of his wings and sending him spiraling back down. He swiftly landed, hastily sweeping back his violet wings, which melted and rippled into a purple cape instead and snuffed out the burning flame.

The Ancient Minister turned back forward, satisfied at his own success…and so it was that he did not see the two-handed broadsword that spun into the air just behind him, rising into an arc and glinting gold in some unseen shaft of sunlight. No, the Minister did not know the danger…until it was too late.

In a blue and white blur another swordsman had taken to the air in a mighty leap, cleanly grasping the hilt of the flying blade and bringing it smashing down on the catch. There was a snap of electricity as the catch was severed in a clean flash of gold, and the Ancient Minister found himself spiraling erratically into space like a deflating balloon let loose, streaming smoke.

The newcomer landed cleanly on the dry ground in a plume of dust, the subspace bomb flickering and shorting out as soon as it struck the earth beside him. Then Ike raised himself upright and gazed out after the Ancient Minister that had now righted himself and was speeding off to the beyond. The swordsman was joined by Marth and Meta Knight, and all three gazed out solemnly at the escaping enemy, as one.

Then the short peace was broken, and all three set off after the Ancient Minister and at a feverish run.

Red lifted his head and gazed around, satisfied when he noted that the urban area was now completely empty…where they stood, anyway. The battle with those strange creatures had taken them both a long ways away from their original meeting spot, but from what he could judge Red knew he was still on the right track. And there was no more time to lose.

He raised his pokeball and turned to Squirtle, smiling. The Pokemon merely sat back, acquiescent, as a red laser shot from the center of the pokeball and engulfed it, receding with the laser into its temporary shelter. Then, sighing in satisfaction, Red gazed back over his shoulder at the strange short boy that had half-heartedly joined him in the previous fray. Lucas was looking back behind them, worried about what other dangers might be lurking around them. Red smiled again, this time more to himself. The kid was a pretty good fighter, but he still had a thing or two to learn about courage. Blinking, the Pokemon Trainer shrugged off the thought. It was time he got going.

Lucas had felt the Trainer's eyes on him, and he felt even more awkward and inferior than ever for it. He had been terrified half to death throughout the whole scenario with those weird creatures, even as Red had fought confidently through his Pokemon. Suppose that the same thing that had happened to Ness would happen to this new confident stranger, too? Yet here the teen now stood, quite whole and well and genuinely unperturbed by the recent events.

He looked up as Red suddenly stepped forward, casting a wave of farewell in Lucas's general direction, and Lucas felt his stomach drop. He already taken a slight liking to the brave person, and he couldn't help but wonder what might become of him on whatever unspoken quest he was on. More worries began to weigh on Lucas's mind as well - what if there were really more of those strange beings about? Could he possibly take them on alone? Most certainly not…yet he would be a burden to any respectable hero…but…

Lucas gazed after Red in despair as the Trainer started forward. Then something in his mind clicked, and Lucas ran forward, grabbing him by the arm and feeling almost desperate.

Red stopped in surprise and turned to Lucas, feeling mildly confused. He gazed for a moment as Lucas looked at him pleadingly. Then he blinked, shrugged, and turned forward again, trekking on.

Lucas, staring after him for a moment, decided the movement was a yes and hesitantly followed. There was nothing for him here anyway, in the bleak and now monster-infested suburbs of New Pork City. But what if he made a mistake and angered Red? What if he became nothing but a worthless dead weight? What if Red was turned into a trophy?

At the thought a sudden memory was relieved - the image of Wario, laughing as he greedily eyed the pale trophy of Ness that he held in one hand. And something in Lucas's turmoil of thoughts hardened and settled down, a simple reason for following Red that Lucas decided to anchor himself to when he was in doubt.

Simply put, he would come with Red because he would never let someone with such confidence and bravery be captured like that again.

A/N: Holy crap, I wrote a lot this time. Do people always write like this after an extensive hiatus? …Eh, whatever. Can't complain, I guess.

Another thing that I've realized, however, is the number of SSE fics there actually are on this branch of fanfiction. It's left me breathless just trying to count them all. So if you're reading this one fic, out of so many other similar stories, I can only thank you endlessly. You've got a wide variety of choice out there…and you end up reading and reviewing this one. It's got me flattered. So, what I'm trying to say is…thank you, every one of you, who might be reading this end note. Your support means a lot to me.