You've waited and I've waited, but KIJ4 is back on track. This is the climax, the last big battle before the end of the story. It's a duel for control of the fate of the Nintendoverse.

It's been awhile since I've updated, so I'd suggest anyone that hasn't read this recently reread it from Chapter 22 onward. That's the point where the Ruined World story arc starts. There are only two chapters after this that comprise the finale, and one more update with some interesting info and details on the sequel.

Chapter 25: Claude vs. Derrick

They plummeted towards the ground; Claude couldn't believe Derrick would be so stupid. In his tantrum, he had just doomed them both.

Claude could only make up the ground spiraling towards them. There was something below, maybe a building or two, but more dead grass surrounded it. All he knew was that it was definitely out in Hyrule Field, and that there probably wasn't anything below that could cushion his fall.

He looked over to see Derrick spinning out of control as well, and then up to see Samus's gunship streaking off in Link's direction, its crew probably unaware that they had lost two more.

All seemed lost until Claude brushed over an object in his pocket and his eyes flashed with hope. It was a crazy idea but it just might work.

He grabbed the phase gun, turned the dial and pulled the trigger while aiming towards the ground. His heart leaped with joy when it began to whine and emit light – it had enough power...or so he hoped.

The blast of light plowed through the air and into the ground, creating a crater the longer it was buried into the earth. The recoil of the blast slowed Claude's descent; the longer he held the trigger, the slower he drifted towards the ground.

Finally, he cut the power, landing ahead of the crater from several feet in the air with more grace and agility than even he realized he had. With his own safety intact, he looked to the sky, torn between feeling guilty for not being able to help Derrick and feeling that whatever happened to the boy was brought on himself.

But he saw no one. However, his suspicions were confirmed when he heard the great flapping of massive wings. He whipped around just in time to see Derrick touch down in a crouch, two crimson wings of dark energy protruding from his back. With the presence of the holy Salvasaber gone, his once pure white outfit slowly transformed back into the black that he had worn before, the color shifting like an invisible paint roller running along his clothing.

Claude was, to the say the least, furious. "What the hell is wrong with you! You almost killed us both!"

Derrick stretched his wings and looked on with pure distaste and arrogance. "You ruined everything. You're interfering with my world! Now that you let the Salvasaber get destroyed, nothing can stop The Darkness! Don't you see what you've done!"

"Me! You made this stupid world and that darkness! Why? You can't play around with other people's lives like that!"

"What would you know? You're the one that ruined it for everyone. I was going to slay The Darkness and live here as one of the appointed rulers for what I did. I could be here forever, never having to worry about school, my parents, murder, hunger or anything like that!"

"..that's exactly how the story you wrote went, ain't it?" Derrick didn't respond. "How selfish can you be? What woulda happened to Yoshi after you 'saved the world'? And everyone else that died?"

"Some people have to be sacrificed," Derrick darkly admitted. "It wouldn't have been a cataclysm if people weren't dying. They would have been remembered, but not everyone's going to make it every time a fiend assaults the universe and a new utopia is born."

"And Yoshi woulda been avenged and everyone in your debt for saving them from a monster you created?" Claude let out a cynical laugh. "You probably don't realize it yet, but you've straight snapped. You're about as crazy as Ken."

Derrick bore his teeth; a nerve had definitely been struck. "Don't compare me to that lunatic! He wanted to destroy everything. What I'm doing will be better for everyone in the end."

"Let me get this straight. You helped Ken try to destroy the Nintendoverse just to double cross him, met up with some of the most dangerous villains in this universe to double cross them too just so you can make a world being torn up by a monster you imagined so you can save everyone and they can be in your debt forever. And on top of that you just grew some crazy ass demonic wings, and you don't think you're just a little bit evil?"

Derrick flexed his fingers and dark energy enveloped both of his hands, covering them like gloves. They extended into sharp claws.

"...and claws too, apparently," Claude finished, slightly disturbed.

"Shut up!" Derrick cried out. "I'm not the one that's evil!" His crimson wings and claws changed from their former crimson color into a deep violet and crackled with energy – a sign that he was ready for battle.

Claude swiftly removed his sword from its sheath. The battle wordlessly began.

Derrick's dark wings were outstretched and he leapt into the, taking flight. He enjoyed every minute of it as indicated by his spirited laugh.

He made a graceful turnabout in midair and dived straight for Claude, who had jumped towards him in anticipation. They attacked simultaneously; Claude's slash had missed its target, but Derrick was much luckier when they landed and he got a glimpse of the crimson streaks along Claude's back.

"Lucky..." Claude muttered under his breath. Derrick simply took the opportunity to take flight again.

Claude wasn't going to give him the time to repeat that attack and instead held his left hand ahead of him. Energy surfaced in his palm as he concentrated. He had never successfully used magic during all his time in the Nintendoverse, but the spell in question was low level and basic; ideal for beginners.

The light blue sphere of energy in his palm dispersed suddenly. The Firebolt spell was complete, and now in his hand was molten rock, which he hurled straight towards Derrick. The fireball swirled in midair, a tail of flames snaking behind it.

"Hmph," Derrick grunted. He stopped mid flight and hovered in place before jutting to the left to avoid the projectile. Unfortunately for him, he was oblivious to the Firebolt spell's homing capabilities. The fireball did a complete 180-degree turn and plowed into his back before he could make any snide remarks. The embers burst on impact, sizzling and burning against his skin and clothing.

Derrick's dark wings of energy were unaffected by the attack, but the flames were painful enough to distract him, causing him to touch down onto the ground. He was not likely to attack from the air again

The wings folded and slowly faded, but the claws remained. Derrick cracked his knuckles as if brandishing the weapons that enclosed his hands before dashing forward and engaging Claude in close combat.

Derrick took a swipe with his right claw and made a jab with the left one. Claude spun to the left and made a wide swing with his sword, but Derrick caught it in his hands. The dark, transparent energy forming Derrick's claws were not only solid - they were impenetrable by the blade.

Derrick pulled the sword towards him and Claude with it, looking to follow up with another swipe of his claw. Claude ducked low, freeing his sword, and struck again with one more slash of the sword. This time Derrick stumbled backwards with a gash near his stomach; payback from earlier.

Derrick started to panic when Claude continued with a flurry of slashes, his claws were barely able to keep up now that he was on the defense. When he experienced the burning sensation of the blade cutting through his skin once more, this time along his left shoulder, he jumped back and took effortless flight as the wings sprouted from his back again.

"Not this bull again," Claude muttered as Derrick soared about in the ominous golden skies above. If he wasn't so busy keeping track of Derrick's location, he would have swore that The Darkness had increased in size.

This time Claude grabbed the phase gun. Twisting the dial, he unleashed a volley of lasers as Derrick glided straight for him. A laser struck one of Derrick's wings and it dissipated from the attack, the light energy canceling out the darkness. Derrick started losing control and veered to the left, but not before grabbing Claude in the process.

Claude felt Derrick's claws digging into his back as he was lifted off of the ground. The wing was returning but Derrick was still flying erratically, heading straight for the farmhouse that was behind them. Claude braced for impact as they plowed through the walls of the wooden house.

Dust and debris clouded his vision. Though the pain of the claws in his back was gone, it was quickly replaced when he rolled along a floor and slammed into a wooden dresser. There was another crash and more dust and debris filled the air and rained down on him. He looked up to find that where there would have been a door was instead a large hole, and most likely where Derrick had ended up.

Claude scrambled along the floor looking for his lost Phase Gun, dropped on collision. He spotted a flash of silver under a tattered wooden board and tossed the debris aside before snatching the gun up off of the floor. He stood up and got a good look at the room, recognizing it right away. They were definitely in Lon Lon Ranch.

Claude crept toward the hole Derrick had made. His opponent had landed in the room below and in a pile of cuccos that clucked furiously at his intrusion. Claude would have been amused if he weren't fighting for his life.

He looked down on Derrick with his Phase Gun drawn. "So where'd you get your powers from?"

"Where do you think?" Derrick snapped, slowly rising off the ground and out of the sea of Hyrulean chickens. "The same place you did."

"Not likely. They ain't half as good as mine," Claude replied with a jubilant smirk. Derrick growled and the claw in his left hand morphed into a black sphere with an indigo core that pulsated and rippled like water inside of it. Claude flicked the dial of the phase gun and pulled the trigger, releasing his own sphere just as Derrick tossed the dark ball.

He turned and ran without waiting to see the collision; that much power in one place certainly wouldn't have a pretty ending.

Claude dove through the entrance hole the battle had created before and rolled into the eerie, dying fields of Lon Lon once again. He stayed low to the ground as the high-pitched screech of colliding energy gave way to an explosion that tore the roof right off of the farmhouse. Debris rained down onto the ranch along with clouds of feathers – the unfortunate victims of the battle, and a loss Claude hoped to reverse by defeating Derrick.

The explosion receded into what looked a bit like a spiraling blue and black vacuum that pulled and shredded everything nearby, demolishing what was left of the farmhouse before expending itself. No doubt it was the aftereffects of such powerful polar opposite energies clashing and canceling each other out, the risky business of fighting the element of darkness with the element of light.

Derrick shot out of the remains of the house, the wind and power behind his flight was powerful enough to topple over what was left of the west wall of the farmhouse. He was a little battered but it didn't seem to bother him.

Claude didn't waste any time sending another Firebolt spell after Derrick. The molten rock followed its target through the sky. Derrick zigzagged through the air and was amused when the fireball followed his pattern; to him it was like a game...and he was winning.

He dove down low towards one of the few remaining buildings on the ranch which happened to be the cattle stable. He swung off to the right and flew along the wall, tricking the firebolt into ramming into the side of the stable and leaving a scorch mark. The cattle inside had already been freaked out by the quaking from the destruction of the farmhouse and the firebolt was the last straw. Rampant mooing filled the air shortly afterwards from the panic-stricken animals.

Derrick was on the ground again, but this time decided to try a new trick. Rather than risk being diced by the sword, he stood at range and the two chains around his waist came to life. They flickered with the dark light that powered his claws and wings, lashing against the ground sporadically like aggravated snakes. One shot forward like a spear, prompting Claude to pivot. It stopped in midair and swung to the side in an attempt to grab him off guard, but Claude flipped over it while laughing against the mooing in the background. The second chain joined in by whipping the ground, sending a clump of dirt Claude had been previously standing on into the air with force. Claude deflected the chain's follow up attack with his sword and continued to laugh spiritedly with every failed attack.

Derrick gritted his teeth and the mooing wasn't helping his concentration. "Stop pretending like you're not taking this seriously!" He screamed in frustration. Energy gathered around his hand and he opened his palm, sending forth a crimson laser.

Claude ducked the attack out of instinct but quickly found out that it wasn't even aimed at him. The laser had instead burrowed into the side of the stable. The point of impact seared a bright glowing orange before spreading along the rest of the walls, culminating in a flaming explosion that sent the roof – and the charred bodies of several cattle – rolling through the air. Claude looked on in disbelief.

"What did you do that for!"

"I couldn't concentrate," Derrick replied flatly.

"I wanted to try some famous Lon Lon Milk," Claude commented disappointedly when the cattle corpses collapsed onto the ground. "Now I'm goin' to have to settle for Lon Lon burgers instead."

There was a rattle at Claude's feet followed by something squeezing his legs together. In the commotion, the chains had died while Derrick had enacted his frustration upon the ranch's farm animals, but had just as quickly sprung back to life, catching Claude by surprise.

"I told you to start taking this seriously," Derrick chided. He bore one of the few smiles since his world became a reality, and without a doubt a triumphant but twisted smile.

Claude tried to move but the chains only tightened and coiled even further up his legs. "You're a freak, aren't you?" He hacked and pried at the chain with his sword with little reward. "Well, I ain't really into this kinky stuff."

Holding his sword out, Claude began to spin in place, pulling Derrick in towards him as the chains tied to his opponent's waist bundled around his legs. His speed only increased until he became a whirling blur of a twister. The chains finally knotted, pulling Derrick through dirt for a few revolutions.

The twister expanded, causing the chains to explode into broken links from the pressure put against them. The whirlwind dissipated in a windy blast, sending Derrick careening through more earth. He jumped back to his feet quickly, but from his condition, it was obvious that the Twister Blade attack had taken a toll for him in comparison to Claude.

"You've got tricks for everything don't you?" Derrick hissed hatefully.

"You're one to talk with your damn wings and Medusa chains."

"Don't forget the claws!" Derrick warned with newfound enthusiasm. He held his hands forward and curled his fingers to mimic the claws until the actual dark energy swept over his hands and reformed the sharp weapons.

'Damn, he brought out the claws again...' Claude thought. The claws had done the most damage to him during the fight and he could still feel where they had sliced through his back before. He needed some way to counter them, and he knew just what to do.

He clapped his boots together twice.

"You're not going to get home that way," Derrick commented.

Fluorescent blue light engulfed Claude's boots in a flash. He felt lighter on his feet, but with much more power behind them. He could tell from the expression on Derrick's face that he wasn't amused.

"I call these Lucent Boots. Or Stomplighters. Maybe Lightrunners? Namin' special techniques is hard." Claude shrugged. "Hey, you said yourself that I've got tricks for everything."

"Puh-lease."

"At least it ain't a generic name."

The sky was suddenly filled with a sound resembling the crack of lightning. The Darkness pulsated with a red aura before several of its black tendrils extended and hurled toward the land below. The tendrils, enlarged since the last encounter, dug into the major regions of Hyrule. The most visible attack was of the tendril that embedded itself directly into the rocky carapace of Death Mountain.

The assault finally came to a halt, but not before one last tendril claimed the ruins of Lon Lon Ranch, implanting itself into the ground only feet away from Claude and Derrick. The tendril was static for a few seconds before coming to life, thumping and pulsating like a blood vessel. The already dying grass wilted and melted into an inky blackness that slowly spread from the point of impact; The Darkness was the heart pumping its toxic blood into the earth through the pulsating veins that now connected it to part of the Nintendoverse.

Claude bore witness to the horrific act with little idea of what to do. He didn't have much time to contemplate it all before Derrick broke into a dash and attacked him with his claws, putting Claude's latest technique to the test.

The sword became more of a shield as Claude used it to block and deflect claw strikes while using his boots as the weapon. Derrick slid back a few feet after receiving a straight kick to the gut, the added power causing a minor shockwave in the process. He wasn't fazed for long, as he dove back into the battle with arms flailing.

Claude felt the claws slice across his leg as he attempted another kick. Derrick changed his strategy a bit now that he had gotten a taste of the Stomplighters, carrying the fight on with more claw strikes and a surprise attack with another laser from his palm that missed by inches.

The Darkness wasn't one to be ignored, initiating yet another tendril assault on Hyrule. This time Lon Lon Ranch had been hit with several veins. The once flourishing land now resembled a bizarre mockery of itself, appearing as if it were depending on the dark bonds jutting into and killing it.

'I have to end this soon or we all might die from The Darkness,' Claude decided, vaguely observing the world transform around him. Blows from his light-powered boots were wearing Derrick down, but the claws had taken a toll on him as well. Of the two weapons, the claws were the most devastating, and he tried to ignore the many rips in his clothing and the blood he felt trickling along his limbs from exposed wounds. 'I guess I have to be the one to increase the brutality if I'm going to finish this.'

Claude sheathed his sword...an action that left Derrick suspicious. Regardless, he dove in, with at least the intention of stopping Claude from doing whatever he had planned with another wave of attacks. His strikes with the claws became less coordinated and more feral, fueled by his growing hatred and the fear of his ultimate fate if left up to The Darkness.

Claude realized that he would have to get closer than he'd like to actually pull off his plan, but it was actually Derrick who unwittingly set it into motion. Derrick took a direct kick to the gut, but instead of sliding back, he shot forward with the sudden sprouting of his wings, using their power to propel him with one solid flap. He made his move, shoving his right claw into Claude's chest

"If you're going to take my world, my right, away from me, I'm going to take yours first."

"...bang."

Derrick was puzzled by that response until he felt the light burrowing into his stomach. He took a direct shot from the Phase Gun at point blank range, and it wasn't a simple laser. The result was a blue blast that blew the adversaries apart.

Claude skidded to a kneeling position, peering through the dust cloud to see Derrick's motionless body facedown in the field.

'Don't get up don't get up don't get up...'

Derrick began to stir.

"Damn..." was all Claude could mutter, feeling the extent of his injuries. Derrick could barely get off of the ground himself, but he instinctively knew where his enemy was, providing a hateful glare as he struggled off of the ground. His clothing had been completely disintegrated where the blast had connected in his stomach, leaving his flesh burned.

He finally gave up fighting with his earthly limbs and summoned the dark wings again, coming into existence with little sign of trouble.

In a flash, the sound of an unsheathed blade accompanied the cold steel pressed against Derrick's neck. "Tch. This battle is over, unless you plan on losing your life today."

Derrick didn't have to look to know that Jack was breathing down his throat, most likely with Rudy and Cecilia as backup. His wings dissipated as quickly as they had appeared; he had finally admitted defeat.

Satisfied, Jack returned his sword to its scabbard. "Now are you two boys done fighting? If so, maybe we can figure out what's going on here."

By now, Claude was standing and making his way over to the trio. His surprise and relief at seeing others alive and well made him forget about his pain, even if temporarily.

"I know exactly what's happening! He changed the world into this hellhole!" Claude bellowed, pointing at the crumpled figure of Derrick.

"It wouldn't have been this way if you didn't interfere! You only have yourself to blame!" Derrick retorted. "It's all his fault!" he added as a sort of plea to the three foreigners.

"That may or may not be true, but all hell's breaking loose around us! We need to get out of here, fast!" Jack's gaze turned onto Derrick, and there was little if any pity behind it. "If you made things this way, then you know how to reverse it all, correct? It is possible, isn't it? What were you even thinking!"

Derrick's eyes wandered to the ground as he felt the others' outrage beginning to suffocate him. It was one thing to get into it with Claude. For however briefly, they had wordlessly and mutually became sworn enemies and rivals, but to hear it from those whom he felt would be neutral started to bear down on him. The events of the day were making him crack.

"I couldn't stand it...I just couldn't stand being in that house for another day..."

"That's what this was about? Domestic problems? You know, most people see counselors about that kind of stuff. They don't invent monsters to ruins worlds!" Claude would have thrown his arms into the air in anger if he hadn't winced from the pain.

"You're hurt!" Cecilia shrieked, when she got close enough to see the extent of Claude's injuries. Normally, he would have told her it wasn't a big deal, but all that came out was a soft gurgle when his chest wound decided to spasm.

Within seconds the princess had raised her staff and summoned her magical powers to cast a healing spell. The soft sparkling light enveloped Claude's body, closing his wounds and drying blood as it washed over his skin. It was an odd feeling as his pain dulled before leaving a tickling sensation.

"Thanks princess. It's good to know that I ain't the only one with some humanity left."

Derrick growled; that was clearly a potshot. Either way, he continued with his story. "You don't know what it's like. None of you know. Those people were supposed to take me in. Everything seemed like it would be the perfect new life when I left the foster home this time, but it was really a facade for those people. They've been trying to mold me into their perfect little robot. They aren't parents, they're trainers. They're thinking about what's best for them, not me."

The latest scuffle replayed in his head. He could see it as he recanted it.

"Entering the contest wasn't even my idea. My foster 'mother' was always against my hobby: games. She would always tell me to stop wasting my time with those useless things. Pointing and cackling and mocking me...ironically, she was the one that saw the ad and forced me to enter, and told me to make something useful out of it. Knowing my foster parents, they probably thought the prize was money and planned on using it for themselves. Losing the contest just meant that things would get much worse for me."

Derrick's personal sob story was doing nothing for the guys. In fact, it seemed to be pissing some of them off. Cecilia took it upon herself to coax a solution out of the troublesome youth, kneeling down beside him.

"So this was your way of running away? Believe it or not, I understand what it's like to be under immense pressure, and then given the opportunity to be set free in a new, amazing world. But what you're doing is as bad as...no, it's worse than your foster parents' treatment. You're playing with a whole universe full of lives here, and things are going badly. Please...the first steps towards any kind of redemption would be to help us bring things back to the way they were. This world now is hopeless; it has no future. Everything here is doomed to die, and many innocents have died already."

Derrick had to look away from Cecilia's sincere eyes. It was the only way he could continue his protest. "You don't understand. I had to make things like this. If I had just slipped in here and decided to make myself useful, I could have ultimately been rejected by the few that gave me solace. They could always be thinking in the back of their mind 'sure, he helps us every now and then, but we really didn't need his help. He's expendable.' But if I could save them, avenge their fallen, and protect them in their ultimate time of need, there was no way they could have rejected me. It was the perfect position and I would have rightfully earned it."

"This is ridiculous," Jack muttered under his breath. "You think you've got it bad. That's fine. You want people to accept you. That's also fine. But the way things are going, there won't be any of you left to accept. Or any of us for that matter. We have to change things now!"

"All you have to do is go back to the core and reverse everything," Derrick stated flatly.

Claude turned to Jack and shrugged. "The only way I know how to get back in there is through the gateway in Lava Valley and then we have to find one of those orbs Ken had and...we just don't have time for that!"

"The teleporter. He has it."

Jack and Cecilia didn't seem to be all that phased by those words but Claude had to do a double take at the origin of that information. It was the first words he had heard Rudy speak since meeting him.

"Where is it?" Jack growled at Derrick. He looked to be on the verge of beating it out of him. Derrick slipped the battered control device out of his pocket. The Hanpan, the 'wind mouse,' crawled out of Jack's coat, leaped onto Derrick's arm, snatched the teleporter in his maw and nimbly returned to Jack by leaping onto his shoulder.

"It took a beating but it looks like it still works," Hanpan informed him after dropping the teleporter into Jack's open palm. The treasure hunter immediately began to scratch his head with his free hand as he examined the many dials and switches that covered the face of the teleportation device.

"Just press the button near the top," Derrick murmured. "The last coordinates should still be set to the Core Chamber."

"Alright everybody, get close," Jack said sternly. "I don't want anyone getting left behind."

They drew close together as he pressed the button. They faded out like a fuzzy TV image, leaving the ruined farmlands to be further taken over by The Darkness.

They appeared in the familiar core chamber. The core itself was now a deep crimson and its shields spun in a subtle fury.

"I don't think the Phase Gun's got enough juice to break the shields!" Claude informed them as they ran towards the core.

"Then we'll just have to give you a little help," Jack said, laying a hand on the grip of his sword. Rudy held a silver gun with pronged tips and energy crackling on them. Even Cecilia was ready to cast a few spells if needed.

Their preparation was for naught, as the shields disappeared by themselves. They traded glances and Claude noticed that Derrick was keeping his distance, most likely out of guilt. He still didn't trust him, and decided to go for the core before Derrick had the chance to screw things up even more if he wanted to.

He jumped into the pulsating core just as dark spines broke through the cavernous walls of the chamber. Inside, he immediately felt his body engulfed by warmth and his vision went white.

I remember this. It was like the time Derrick erased the world...but this feels much better. This feels comforting.

"Welcome back."

You...you're the core, right?

"Correct. What is it that you wish?"

Just like that? You'd grant me anything?

"I'd let you shape the world as long as it is within my power. Though I must warn you, we don't have much time."

Then it's settled. I want you to change everything back to the way it was before Derrick ruined it all.

"As you wish."

But...does that mean it'll be exactly as it was left? Does that mean that maybe...maybe Yoshi would still be alive? And everyone that died or didn't exist in Derrick's world would come back too?

"Yes. It shall return to what it once was, and those of you in my presence shall retain your memories."

Wait!

Even going back, things were in a mess. There was a group of bad guys...it's not that I don't think they can be beaten. I mean, come on, we're talking about the Smash Brothers here, but it could still get really ugly in there. Blood Falcon is a loose cannon and I don't know anything about that Asylik guy...

"What do you wish to be done?"

Just send them back to their own worlds. I've been in enough fights today and so have the Smash Brothers.

"...as you wish."

With little warning, I heard a familiar explosion and the sea of warm light I had been bathed in was being torn apart before being reformed...the "bits" I saw creating and destroying were data. Or were they atoms and molecules? Everything about this world definitely felt real.

Before I could even begin to ponder the secrets of this universe, I was yanked out of this little subspace and...

Claude blinked. He was back in the core chamber, the core itself giving off a soft blue light. He looked around and found himself in a crowd, surrounded by the Smash Brothers. Looking back, he saw Rudy, Jack and Cecilia, as well as Derrick.

"Does anyone else feel strange?" Roy asked, voicing his concerns. He held a hand to his forehead and wobbled as he tried to walk.

"I feel like a just woke up from a long slumber," Zelda murmured. Link came to her aid, holding her by her shoulders. "No, no, I'm fine."

"Where did Blood Falcon go?" Captain Falcon asked when realization hit him. "And Ganondorf and Bowser and..."

"Exit Command."

And with those words, Derrick Salvas had been whisked away, back to Earth. Even with his former nemesis' sudden escape, Claude couldn't help but smile. His wish had been granted. Everyone was safe again, at least for the moment.

"Hey," he said, patting Yoshi on the shoulder. "You still givin' out those autographs?"

The dino turned around with an incredulous look. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"I'll explain everything."

The world is saved! But there are still some lingering issues that must be addressed...