Shalom: hello, goodbye, peace. L'hitraot: either "see you later" or "goodbye" or something like that. I did some research, though! At least I knew the words!

Pia opened the e-mail from Isaiah. With Pit looking over her shoulder, she read:

Shalom, guys!

I'm sory if i wasnt supossed to tell Lilith about th trouble. Ive been tailing Sho and it doesnt look like shes up to anthing suspishus. Im sory i coudnt come in person, but i told you about my quest rite Pia? Sho and Lil r defenately out. Ill try to investigate more blonds ok?

L'hitraot, Isaiah.

Pia sighed. "His spelling hasn't improved much. It's my fault he told Lilith about the trouble. I forgot to tell him to keep it a secret. It looks like Shoshanna doesn't know about it, though."

"Lilith's still a suspect. She could be lying or unknowingly being an accomplice. Sho... she's more likely, I'd say. She's sneakier than Lilith."

"Let's go tell the others."

...

Marth sat in his room, texting. Mistie was crawling all over him, but he seemed completely oblivious.

"Hey, what's up?" Ike asked, poking his head into Marth's room.

"Texting Roy. I'm gonna video chat with him."

"Oh. Okay." Ike and Roy weren't rivals, but they weren't ever going to be true friends. That was just how it worked.

"You want to join?"

"Sure, I'll talk." Ike sat down next to Marth on the bed. Roy's face appeared on Marth's computer screen.

"Hi, guys! What's new?" Roy smiled.

"A lot. There's a girl named Pia here-she came from Angel Land to tell us about brewing trouble in the Worlds." Marth hoped that Pia wouldn't mind him telling Roy about the trouble.

Roy's still-childish face turned solemn. "In Fire Emblem World, you mean?"

"Including it. Yeah."

Roy looked away for a second. "Stuff's been happening here, Marth. Ena's baby was kidnapped, but we managed to get him back fast. Soren's super depressed, but that's normal, I guess. And Lethe's come over here more than once because of racism troubles." Roy paused. "I've been trying to get into contact with some of my old friends with Elibe, but according to Wolt, things are doing badly there too. Ostia certainly was never doing well... Ray seems to be slipping into darkness... Sophia is getting more and more distant... but you know what's weird?"

"What?" Marth and Ike asked at the same time.

"The creepy loner guys like Karel and Rath and Jaffar-you know they stopped aging after Blazing Sword-they don't seem to be affected by all this... this brewing trouble. "

"Well, Jaffar's got a wife and two kids," Marth pointed out. Roy acknowledged this with a small shrug.

"It seems like the weaker-willed people are getting swayed into darkness or something," Ike said.

"Something like that. It seems to be getting... tainted here or something. Sure, at first glance, everything's fine, but then you look a little closer. You see Shinon snap at Rolf, you see Oscar get testy with Kieran... Mia and Rhys seem fine, thank Elimine... Soren seems more depressed than usual."

"What about Mist?" Ike asked worriedly, concerned about his happy little sister.

Roy winced. "Boyd... Boyd seems to get annoyed by her a bit. And like I said, it's just been little things at first, but it's just so... wrong. And it could get worse."

"It very well might," Marth said grimly. "So far, we've just vaguely been talking about 'brewing trouble...' now we know what it is. We should ask Link to contact someone in Hyrule, and Roy, you check with some Lords who aren't involved with Super Smash Bros."

"Will do." Roy signed off and Marth's computer screen went blank.

Marth closed his laptop and looked at Ike. "That's... perfect."

"Uh... what?"

"It's exactly what you'd imagine to be happening in the troubled Worlds. Brewing trouble... not exactly cause for international alarm, just... brewing. Getting ready."

"Someone wants the characters of those very important Worlds to fall under his or her control," Ike said wisely.

"You're right, Ike. Angel Land, Hyrule, and Fire Emblem World are all very prominent Worlds. At least in the Smash Bros. universe."

"And things have been happening here, too. Even before Pia came."

"Yeah. Pia's right-trouble is brewing."

Ike was quiet for a while. "I think that Lilith chick is lying," Ike said. "Her alibi was crap."

Marth nodded. "She definitely knows something. Do you think she's in league with Shoshanna?"

"Not sure. It's a bit too early to jump to conclusions like that-"

All of a sudden, a video chat request came up on Marth's computer.

"Is it Roy?" Ike asked.

Marth shook his head. "No... Roy's screen name is BlazingHero15. This is PrinceofLight776."

"Who's that?" Ike asked.

"Dunno. I'm accepting."

A young man with long blue hair tied back in a ponytail appeared on Marth's screen.

"Whoa!" Marth exclaimed. "Celice? Celice Baldos Chalphy?

Ike gasped. "You mean the Celice Baldos Chalphy who I've never heard of?"

"Ike, he's the Lord of Jugdral. You know, Genealogy?"

"Oh yeah, that guy."

Celice smiled. "That's me."

"Wow! Did Roy tell you-"

Celice nodded solemnly. "Yeah, he did. It's true-this trouble you speak of is spreading all around Fire Emblem World. Patty's been stealing a lot more than usual. The people of Lenster are getting... I can't explain it, but they seem unhappy with Leaf."

"I thought Leaf wasn't their leader?" Marth said.

"No, no-he just didn't accept the title of "king." He's still Prince Leaf. He doesn't seem to be ruling as well as usual. And Yuria... Yuria's been... zoning out, I guess you'd call it. More and more frequently. But you know who seems unaffected?"

"Aless, right?" Marth guessed.

"How'd you know?"

"Aless has a very strong will. Leaf, Patty, and Yuria have much weaker wills-no offense intended, but it looks like the weaker-willed people are getting corrupted faster."

Celice's face took on a somber expression. "Do you have any suspects as to who's causing this?"

"Yeah." Marth hesitated-did Lilith still count? "Um... two. These girls from Angel Land."

"Hmmm. I'll look into this-if it's happening in Tellius, Elibe, and Jugdral, there's a good chance it's happening everywhere."

"Unfortunately, Celice," Marth said grimly, "I think you're right."

Reminder: Roy is lodging in Tellius. Celice is the guy from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, which was mentioned briefly earlier. I'm sorry; I couldn't resist putting him in. Besides, it makes for a new insight! This stain of corruption-or brewing trouble-is spreading to continents that aren't even affected by Super Smash Bros.! This is getting serious! Please R&R!