Chapter 26: Aftermath

TWO DAYS LATER

A blue-spotted Toad worked his way through the wreckage of the Battlefields, navigating through the numberless bodies heaped up almost as far as the eye could see. He circumvented the remains of a great Venasaur, its bushy fern leaves torn and singed, smelling like a rotting tree. Plodding onward, he continued to step over deceased Smash Brothers until he ran into someone else—a nomadic stranger from the Great Sea known as Old Man Ho Ho, who always carried with him a rusty old telescope, with which he observed nearly every sight the world had to offer. He was doing so now, but looked away from his sightseeing to spot the Toad nearby.

"Ahoy there! Not lost, are you, lad?" He gave a friendly but somehow solemn wave.

The Toad walked over to the old man. "No, sir. I just…can't believe what's happened to our world. Any of it." His eyes were downcast.

Ho Ho nodded understandingly. "Yes, a lot has happened here. Many have died, and the world of Nintendo will never be the same."

"Hey, fellows!"

But this was neither of their voices. A third figure stumbled over to the pair, about half the man's height, wearing a white lab coat and clear-rimmed spectacles, and being completely green in color, for he was a frog.

"Er...my name's Beltino. Beltino Toad. See, my son Slippy was in this war. And I couldn't help but overhear your rather, well, pessimistic conversation. But I think you guys should consider that it's not all bad. Because…well, you know." He seemed too skittish to say it.

"Because we're alive?" Ho Ho said. "Because our world hasn't been destroyed?" He raised an eyebrow. "Because we won?"

"Yes, yes," Beltino said rather quickly. "Now that our land is at peace, now that Master Hand—er, I mean, Nightmare—has been destroyed for good, we have no reason to fear. So rejoice, comrades! We can now rebuild our kingdoms, start a new beginning."

But the Toad wasn't quite so appreciative. "But…that's just it. Starting over, reconstructing the many generations of things we've lost, it's not just gonna happen overnight. And some of it…" He sighed, looking out across the Battlefields longingly. "Some of it can't be restored. The lives of those we cared about...Fourside City…they're gone forever. And those who've suffered, which is basically everyone, are expected to just go on without them? I mean, sure, the city can be rebuilt, but it'll never reach the splendor it once had. It'll never be like it used to be, which is what the Smash Brothers were fighting for."

"Plus," Ho Ho added thoughtfully, "Gadd doesn't think Nightmare is completely destroyed. He thinks what was left of him was sucked into some…outer-dimensional space. A Subspace. And there's apparently supposed to be no way to get back, but…" He gestured with his telescope toward the field of casualties. "…we've been wrong before…."

"Fair enough," Beltino admitted, looking a bit downcast himself. "Yet, maybe a new beginning is just what the Nintendo World needs. Maybe, this Hand of Fate meant for us to start over, and that result is better in the long run than what the Smash Brothers were initially hoping for."

"Exactly," another newcomer agreed in a gritty voice.

Ho Ho's eyes nearly popped out of his head, both eyebrows raised now. "Sh…Shadow? I…thought you were—"

"—Dead?" the hedgehog finished, amused. "I should be." He tightened his fists and looked down, closing his eyes as if he were in pain. "There were…so many others who deserved it more than me…." But then, he snapped out of his mournful state and looked back up at them with a grim smile. "In any case, the frog here has just the right perspective. This is not the end, but the beginning. Despite the Nintendo World losing a third of its population, life will go on, and we will be ever the wiser from what we and those around us have experienced. And we have beheld, my friends, that no matter what the task, no matter who is opposing us, the people of Nintendo can overcome it. Together. Even if the enemy seems to be…immortal. This, the Original 25 have shown us. And the destiny whispered through the stars will never let our efforts go to waste, as long as we have the right spirit about it.

"So come!" Shadow gestured to the Toad, to Old Man Ho Ho, to Beltino. "There is work to be done."

Obliging, they went off to join everyone else in dealing with the results of the war.

So the restoration of the Nintendo World began.

"My hero…again." Princess Peach giggled as she kissed the red plumber tenderly on the cheek. The hero wobbled, dazed by the gesture.

After what seemed to be the end of the world, Mario had woken up to find Nightmare gone, and everyone who had been turned into a trophy reanimated. It was still a heart-shattering scene of dead volunteers, but he soon found most of the people he knew to have survived the indescribable ordeal.

Except Vivian, of course.

Her remains had been lost in the wreckage of the fortress—either that, or her sisters had already taken it away. Mario wasn't sure. But while it struck him as a truly tragic thing for one of his old partners and friends to fall victim to this war, there was a faint inkling within his heart that told him it might have been for the best. His relationship with Vivian had been different from any of his other partners because it was shady—unclear. It had only just occurred to him as he had waved to her fading figure at the edge of Rogueport's dock that she had nourished a deeper love for him, but was too shy and afraid of messing with him and Peach to express it. He knew somehow that if she were still alive, the two of them wouldn't be able to maintain a simple friendship. Yet he was committed to Peach; she was the one for him.

But Mario would never forget the one who had sacrificed her life for him, the single greatest expression of love a friend had ever offered him. A true friend.

He and the princess, one arm around each other, bowed their heads before the rubble.

Luigi was so very afraid to reject all the people who would come to him, begging for him to use the miraculous Life Shroom on one of their loved ones. But he knew this was a one-time thing, and there was one person he could trust to give an unbiased opinion on who deserved the Life Shroom the most.

"Hm. Well, it's entirely your decision, lad," Professor E. Gadd said as they watched the beginning stages of the cleanup after Nightmare's massacre. "But, well, if it were up to me, I'd try to think of someone who, if they hadn't fought to their last breath for us, would've made our victory impossible. Someone who had a long life ahead of them, but were robbed of it. Can you think of someone like that?" Then he walked on with an enigmatic smile, not waiting for a response.

Luigi had mulled over it for a full day. They were still inspecting bodies, so the names of the deceased hadn't yet been released. So he had to think back.

There was Impa, whose contributions were most definitely invaluable to the war effort. Luigi himself would probably be dead if the Sheikah warrior hadn't rallied the Smash Brothers together during the Battle of Fourside City. He had gone to Zelda for her opinion.

"You have the heart of a hero, Luigi," Zelda said as she supervised a procession of fallen Hylian soldiers. They and the rest of the dead were being carried to a mass grave, which was to be burned in a solemn ceremony to honor their sacrifices. The Battlefields were not conducive to grave-digging, and there were so many dead that it would have been beyond impractical to try and give them all separate resting places. "I thank you for your thoughtfulness. Impa was my trusted advisor, my loyal guardian, and my closest friend. But…" She almost seemed to falter as she continued. "She would not want the Life Shroom to be used on her. She deserves it, Luigi, but you must find another. A warrior's death, the first to take a stab at Crazy Hand, is something Impa would not want to be deprived of."

That was one option to cancel out.

Then there was Vivian. If she hadn't blocked Fawful from killing Mario, surely many would be dead today who were still alive. But as soon as he brought this up, his brother turned down the offer for reasons he didn't fully understand. Nor did he really want to understand.

But there had been someone…someone who Luigi hadn't gotten to know particularly well himself, but whose support had been key in preparing to face Master Hand's armies on the Battlefields. Someone who had given his life to allow him and Mario to reach the top of the Fortress. Someone who had ultimately switched sides because he'd realized, a bit late, what truly mattered to him.

And so, Luigi made the decision to give it to Shadow. The hedgehog had spluttered back to life like an old machine unclogging rusty cogs and stirring into functionality.

"Shadow, you're back!" Sonic wrapped his confused friend in a strong embrace.

"Heh…so much for personal space." Despite his extremely disoriented state, Shadow's dark sense of humor hadn't changed one bit.

Luigi looked back and smiled as Shadow was reunited with Sonic, Tails, Amy and Knuckles, all of whom had already begun discussing how they were going to find a way back to their home in the Sony World. The burden of the Life Shroom's power had been lifted from the plumber's chest.

But there was one more thing weighing uncomfortably on his mind.

He found Princess Daisy brushing herself off on the giant table, where she and many of the other trophies had been revitalized (despite Zelda's efforts to transport her to safety, she'd been caught in Master's decimating shock wave, and the Cloaked Nightmare's twister had swept her trophy back into the Room). This was not something he was good at, nor did he look forward to the difficult words he would have to say. Clearing his throat, he stepped closer to the bouncy brunette sporting a yellow dress until she turned to see him.

A dazzling smile. "Luigi! You're okay!" She rushed toward the green plumber to plant a kiss similar to the one Peach had bestowed upon Mario.

But she was stopped by a raised white glove. Luigi's eyes were soft, but pained as he let the truth out. "Wait, a-Daisy. There's a-something I have to tell you."

The smile decreased slightly. "Yeah? What is it, Luigi?"

"I…feel…that…" Holy meatballs, this was hard. "I mean…I don't a-think we make a good a-match, Daisy. You're beautiful, but…not the one for a-me." He waited for the yell, the slap, and the huffing desertion.

It therefore shocked him when Daisy seemed to smile again; differently, but she was much more relaxed than he'd ever seen her. She wiped a tomboyish hand across her forehead. "Whew! Thank goodness! And here I was thinking that the stupid royalty pairing stuff would force me to be with you forever! No offense, Luigi, but…well, you're a dork." The princess grinned appreciatively, but looked rather repulsed as she skipped away.

Luigi nodded, acknowledging his own clumsiness and social ineptness. Relief flooded through him.

The oft-overlooked brother wandered away for another few hours, looking to see who else had survived. At one point, while walking through the Battlefields, a boy in a red-and-white cap ran up to him, grinning.

"Hey…Luigi, right?" Luigi nodded. "I'm Red. I couldn't help noticing your little self-induced romantic downfall there." He grinned. "You know, I have a pretty cool sister; she's been looking for a sensitive, honest guy for a while, but, well, most of her friends are kind of full of themselves. I think you two would get along really well. Maybe you could come with me back to Pallet Town. What do you say?"

Luigi gaped, not knowing what to say. Finally:

"Uh…sure. Why a-not?"

In the days that followed the Smash Brothers' final success, there was, perhaps, more sadness than joy, more grieving than celebrating. For such a huge, devastating percentage of the population had perished in the endeavor: one third of the entire population, and nearly sixty percent of the males. It was such a crippling blow to the world that even though they were safe from tyranny, too much had been lost for many people to feel at peace.

Those who had been turned into trophies by Master's rampage were only a small fraction compared to the total army. Only those few who Nightmare had considered noteworthy had survived. But for those who were reunited with their loved ones, they could feel nothing but joy for the victory they had won. Still, even with the bittersweet mixture of grief and gladness, practical matters needed attending to; reconstruction had to begin; and whatever enemies remained had to be dealt with.

And there were enemies left. Wario and Waluigi did not get to enjoy their reanimation for more than ten minutes before being taken into custody, and every gold coin they had earned in their betrayal was taken away, essentially the equivalent of ripping their hearts out. King Dedede, while not exactly an enemy, was sentenced to some jail time for his traitorous cowardice in abandoning his fellow Smash Brothers during the war.

But some had not been so easily apprehended. Though Evice's escape had been prevented by Ho-oh's timely intervention, Giovanni had vanished from the Battlefields. All of the Aparoids and most of the Starmen and Boos had been destroyed, but King Boo and a few of the head Starman Deluxes were unaccounted for. Still at large were the last two of the metal clones: Metal Mario and Metal Mr. Game & Watch, and they would have to be found sometime in the future when the Nintendonians had a better handle on things. And while Bowser and King K. Rool cooperated in the peaceful cleanup efforts, Ganondorf was another matter entirely.

Zelda had actually begun to consider letting the Gerudo King roam free because of the help he'd rendered the Nintendo World, but when he began slaughtering survivors in search of the Links, she knew what she had to do.

She and Link learned from scouts about Ganondorf's current path and traveled by Farore's Wind to come up from behind. While Ganondorf was in the process of choking the life out of an innocent Beanish soldier, the princess struck him in the back with a debilitating Light Arrow. As the man released the soldier and fell to his knees, growling in pain, Link came around and shoved his bent Master Sword into Ganondorf's forehead as far as it would go.

With the combined power of the Triforce supplemented by the Seven Sages of Hyrule, they sealed the restless spirit of their eternal foe in the Sacred Realm, and that was that.

A week after the final encounter with Nightmare, Professor E. Gadd, retaining his position as leader of the Smash Brothers—which had now become a sort of temporary interregional government—stood before many people to explain the truth of all the events that had transpired since the first appearance of the metal Smashers. He then announced their plans for the future. This included the reconstruction of Fourside City; the permanent closing off of the Battlefields and what was left of Master Hand's Room; and, finally, when they were ready, an attempt to restore relations with the Sony and Microsoft Worlds. Professor Frankly, the Kongs, and the former residents of the Isle o' Hags had had a long meeting with the Smash Brother leaders detailing all they knew about these forgotten other worlds and the Copyright Wars. It was still a mystery why so few remembered these things (Frankly only knew from his library collection), but for now, they would have to work with whatever understanding they had. Like Shadow had said, they had a lot of work ahead of them.

In another meeting, Pac-man and Bomberman described to everyone how they had defeated Metal Peach with a strategy involving bombs and distasteful metallic consumption. The Ice Climbers also relayed in vivid detail how they had triumphed over the manipulated Black Knight (who was actually there listening) through the use of the Pencil. Once both Smashers had become as thin as paper, they'd sliced into the gaps between the armor and removed each piece. Considering the warrior's evident unwillingness to aid Master Hand, they'd opted to leave him knocked out on the third floor of the fortress.

Ness explained how Metal Samus had killed Shadow and nearly him as well until Sonic's friends Amy, Tails, and Knuckles arrived. Knuckles had prevented Ness's immediate destruction; Tails had created a distraction hopping around the clone and whipping its head with his double tail; Amy had snuck up and stolen its Franklin Badge; and Ness had finished it off with PK Fire.

Then the time of the mass grave's funeral pyre came; it took place near the boundary between the Room and the Battlefields, where the deceased could be most easily gathered to the center.

Gadd stepped up to a podium with a solemn expression and began to read out a long, dreadful list recounting the names of all those who had perished in what would thenceforth be called the War of the Hands. Thousands of names were read, so it took over an hour for the professor to finish. And the most notable among the casualties had been arrayed on the ground between the congregation and the pyre for everyone to pay their respects.

Darunia's body had not been located, but a necklace that another Goron claimed to belong to the leader had been displayed in his place. Naturally, Biggoron had wept huge, gallon-sized tears, causing those around him to cover their heads and move away. Except for Ellie the Elephant, who eagerly sucked the liquid into her dehydrated trunk.

Several generals from among the Star Warriors, Hylians, Akaneians, and other organized Nintendonian armies had also been killed and laid out among the great.

Cranky Kong, still in karate uniform, was among the dead; however, soon after, an apparition of both him and his wife Wrinkly appeared as ghosts to the Kongs, and the old monkey assured them that his last battle had been his greatest—and, admittedly, his toughest.

The two-person Team Star Wolf dedicated a small shrine to Panther Caruso, who had been like a brother to them. Wolf was planning on disbanding the squadron, for he did not intend to lose his last teammate, Leon, in such a painful way as they had lost Panther.

Others, such as Meta Knight, Peach, Zelda, and Lance the Dragon Master, took their turn at the podium, honoring the dead and promoting hope for a bright future. At the end, the remaining bodies were heaped onto the pyre and the congregation dispersed to continue their work.

Most of the Smash Brothers eventually departed for their own lands with their own kingdoms to rebuild—with a few notable exceptions. General Guy, Bowser's Shy Guy officer who had followed Mario and the others out of the Dimension Conflux, opted to remain in the modern Nintendo World with the few surviving followers he had left. Bottles, Jam-jars, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, and Humba Wumba also remained with the Jinjos who had not been lost—only one of each color. Sonic, Shadow, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles planned to remain in the Nintendo World until a game plan was made to contact the Sony World (which, it must be said, was still in early development). Whether any given Smash Brother left the central region of Fourside or not, all were given the means to communicate with Professor E. Gadd and the other leaders who remained to represent their regions.

Thus, the following events did not occur on any one particular day or in any specific order. They simply mention a piece of how each of the heroes went off on their own way—some in groups, some alone, some to places where others could not follow.

After all that can be said, Kirby, of course, was the most celebrated hero of the war. Without Kirby, all would have been lost. Nightmare would be their new emperor. So it followed that any who had ever overlooked him as weak or cowardly due to his size and appearance had a change of heart. Even King Dedede approached the pink puffball to mutter a half-hearted apology for attempting to flee from the war before being escorted back to prison in Fourside. Kirby showed his pure-hearted forgiveness by inhaling the penguin's hammer and spitting it back out at his head in his playful, childlike manner.

In his own mind, Kirby would never forget his last confrontation with Nightmare, and how it really wasn't quite his doing that had saved them. He might never know who or what had sent that Warp Star, but for the time being, he could live without that knowledge. Some mysteries were perhaps never meant to be revealed. And he also kept in mind that although Nightmare's essence had, as Gadd said, been torn apart and sent to a place where he could never return, there really wouldn't ever be any definitive end to evil. And to great beings of evil, such as Nightmare, a thousand years was as the blink of an eye; they would be ever patient, ever seeking an opportunity for revenge.

With all of this to ponder, Kirby returned to Dreamland, refusing to accept any sort of reward for his deeds except anything edible, all of which he inhaled as quickly as he received. Not much else was heard of him for some time, save for a faint rumor that he often traveled to the Kanto Region to see Jigglypuff sing in concert—for reasons unknown.

Dr. Mario shook off many persistent civilian admirers as he turned to leave through the door to the Dimension Conflux with the two Babies. He was glad things had turned out all right, but it was time to get back to his true duty as Overseer. It had been a great adventure participating in the Smash Tournaments and lending a hand in the Smash Brothers' final struggle, but he and the energetic protégés really needed to be getting back to where they belonged. If another strange incident in the forgotten worlds of old—such as Nightmare's sudden disappearance—occurred again, he would be the first to know, and the one to report.

But he had convinced Gadd to give him the Dimension Key for keeps this time; it was too dangerous for anyone else to wander into such a place again. Ever.

"Thanks for all you've a-done," Mario said as he and Luigi embraced the doctor followed by Gadd, Peach, Yoshi, Popo, Nana, and Game & Watch. "See you next time!" He referred to the possibility of additional Smash Tournaments which, despite the negative connections they had with Master Hand, were seen by many of the Smash Brothers as a good opportunity to maintain strong bonds between Nintendo regions, and were under consideration for future use.

Dr. Mario just smiled and nodded, the Babies parting with their older selves with difficulty and immediately throwing temper tantrums.

The genetic duplicate of Mario disappeared into the whiteness of the Dimension Door inside the Grande Snifit Hotel, holding the Babies in his arms, and left the people of the modern Nintendo World—perhaps for the very last time.

Luigi fell flat on his face after tripping on a Caterpie.

"Whaaaa!" he cried as the irritated bug Pokémon rewarded him with a String Shot to the face, bringing the small party to a halt as it travelled through the Veridian Forest toward Pallet Town.

The girl standing nearby tried to muffle her laughter, but it burst out suddenly as she went into uncontrollable hysterics. She held her stomach from the joyful convulsions and helped Luigi up, brushing the stringy silk from his face.

"Sorry, Luigi," April said, although her lingering giggles suggested otherwise. "But you're just…hilarious! You should come hang out with me and my friends in Saffron tomorrow…."

Luigi blushed, but he looked pleased that for once, his clumsiness wasn't seen as a weakness.

Red, leaning against a tree while watching his sister April "interact" with Luigi, snickered softly and muttered to himself. "I knew it."

After bidding farewell to his masters and seeing the Babies safely off, Yoshi returned triumphantly to his own people on Yoshi's Island with news of restored peace and freedom, although many other Yoshis had died, making his tidings bittersweet. Now, among the one hundred remaining Yoshis, he was among the thirty surviving males. A rather scary thought. Already a hero among the herd, the green dinosaur did not relish too much in the tribal celebrations which followed, rather wanting to spend time alone in restful bliss. At last, a new era of prosperity had come upon his blessed land. With that comforting thought, he closed his weary eyes and drifted into a calm sleep.

The Kong family returned to their treehouse, but they knew it would never be the same without Cranky hollering at them to do something or other every five minutes. Still, the ghosts of Cranky and Wrinkly visited frequently, and DK felt quite proud that he'd accomplished everything his grandmother had meant for him to do.

As the new family head, Donkey Kong led with energy and a balance between justice and mercy when it came to banana reports, although when Chunky confessed one day he'd already eaten all of the barrels Dixie and Kiddy had brought back from the Brothers Bear, DK found himself behaving in ways unsettlingly similar to the mannerisms of his grandfather. Still, he, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, Chunky, Dixie, and Kiddy managed the family's affairs well, with Funky and Candy contributing from afar through the Krystal Koconut.

But as time went on, something began nagging at all the Kongs increasingly often—something they'd just as soon forget.

The Copyright Wars.

Haunted by freshly recalled memories of the horrors of those dark times, the Kongs—especially Diddy—realized that the time must soon come that they confront the unresolved problems of their past. Yet Diddy had a feeling that those problems would come to the Kongs before they could do anything to resolve them.

Bowser, crippled as his forces were from Master's decimation, reorganized his few remaining troops with his natural leading abilities and volunteered to see that until the Nintendo World was strong and thriving again, they would still be defended from any unlikely, but still possible, attack from foreign worlds. His troops became the Nintendo World's equivalent of a National Guard and he tried to make Pichu a high-ranking officer, but the Pokémon politely declined the offer.

Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Pichu returned to Kanto with their trainer Red, along with April and Luigi. Red let his Pokémon come and go as they pleased while he set to work gathering all the information he could about his missing father. Pikachu and Pichu tended to stick nearby, but Jigglypuff became a singing sensation throughout the Nintendo World—even though by the end of her concerts, almost everyone was asleep with silly pen markings on their faces.

Mewtwo vanished soon after the war's aftermath was cleared up, presumably to his subterranean home beneath the lake in the Unclaimed Territory. He, like Kirby, would never forget what had transpired.

Ness used a portal to go back to Onett with Paula, Jeff, and Poo. He continued to train himself in the mental skills Mewtwo had taught him, never knowing when they might again be needed.

The Ice Climbers, after making sure Reeka's old laboratory on Mountain #32 was torn down, returned to their abode in Freezy Cavern. They began a search for the remains of the Topi Bear the evil scientist had created.

"Leaving so soon?"

Captain Falcon froze with one foot on the boarding platform of the Great Fox, which the Cornerians had graciously offered to ferry him back to Mute City where he could go about finding a new ride—both for the track and for space travel. Both the Blue Falcon and the Falcon Flyer had been casualties of the war, and the racer felt somehow naked without something shiny to fly faster than everyone else.

He turned to find a surprise: Samus Aran, decked out in her suit except with her helmet under her arm. This time, she seemed to be regarding him not so much as someone who'd emitted an extremely antisocial noise, but as someone who had been so careless as to try and board a train without his boarding pass.

Falcon's body grew rigid. He was determined this time not to look the fool in front of the fellow bounty hunter.

"What's it to ya?"

Samus stepped toward him until they were only a few feet apart in the hangar. "I never had the chance to thank you…back when we were beneath the colosseum…you stood up for me, tried to protect me from the Trophy Transformer."

"Yeah, well…look where that got us." Falcon's heart did a triumphant flip. He was winning this one. Time to milk it. He turned back and made to board the Great Fox without further discussion.

"Wait."

Falcon was shocked to find that Samus had grabbed his wrist—or at least, her suit had.

Next thing he knew, she was hugging him. Falcon's brain suffered a traffic jam; he wasn't aware the cold Smasher was capable of expressing emotion.

"Thank you," she said.

Falcon's dumbfounded expression turned into a warm smile as he returned the hug. "We made a pretty good team out there, didn't we? Master Hand never stood a chance."

"Yeah, well…" Suddenly the moment was past. Samus stepped back, waiting for him to disappear inside the ship. "Next time, don't count on a Reset Button to bail you out after your first punch misses."

Captain Falcon opened his mouth, expecting a clever retort to come out, but nothing did. After a long, awkward moment, he turned and climbed inside without another word.

Mr. Game & Watch returned to Mushroom Kingdom II with the companionship of Prince Peasley. After all they'd been through—from their initial animosity to taking on Metal Marth in Akaneia to fighting side by side in the Battlefields—they had become close friends.

"Farewell, comrade!" Peasley said as they parted ways at the eastern edge of Kanto, him for Beanbean Castle, Game & Watch for the Mushroom Kingdom. "It has been a true honor to fight by your side. I am sure we shall meet again!"

"I'm count-ing on it," G.W. said, his face in a frame that could perhaps be construed as a smile. "Un-til then, try not to get ea-ten by dra-gons."

Professor E. Gadd continued to lead wisely in facilitating the world's recovery, and he often relied on the Original 25 to accomplish the most important tasks and to help make the most important decisions.

When Mario and Game & Watch sought advice on how to hunt down their murderous clones, Gadd suggested they first consider what they already knew. Mario related how during their battle on the roof of the fortress, Metal Mario had suddenly disregarded its loyalty to Master Hand, shoved everyone else off the tower, and disappeared. Also, like all of the metal clones, the two surviving ones tended to have a strange fixation on their original selves.

Gadd considered the Smashers' accounts with a hand on his chin. "Interesting. I'm afraid, lads, that unless you get extremely lucky—or, I suppose, unlucky, depending on how you look at it—all you can do in the meantime is prepare for the day you'll meet again. Even after studying the remains of several of these thingymajiggers, I'm still no closer to figurin' out how they work…let alone why two of 'em are still living even with Master Hand gone." He grinned. "But make no mistake, young'uns. You'll see them again someday—as sure as my balding head."

Fox and Falco sped away to the Lylat System with the rest of Team Star Fox, wondering if and when the day would come when the heroes from Nintendo's farther reaches would need to gather once more.

Marth and Roy returned to Akaneia, where they helped Princess Nyna and Gotoh restore its capital to its former glory. There even began to be talks of sparring competitions with the neighboring kingdom of Hyrule—something that had a greater effect upon the soldiers' training efforts than any motivational speech ever could. With Gharnef and Medeus gone and the Earth Dragons sealed in the Fire Emblem once more, all was well.

The real Biggoron master craftsman graciously agreed to repair the bent Master Sword, but insisted that before he could do so, he still needed his special eye drops.

The orange glow of dusk stretched across the skies of Hyrule, the saturated light reflecting off the rolling plains. Grass swayed gently in the breeze along with daisies and other wild flowers. Hyrule Castle rose in the distance to the north—Death Mountain to the south, the ocean to the east, and Kokiri Forest to the west. A slight red haze indicating the Gerudo Desert shimmered in the light to the northwest. The Zora River gurgled almost magically, shining prismatically in areas and blurring the rocks beneath the water.

Link stood beside Zelda near the river, the two of them looking out upon their beautiful land. Young Link shuffled impatiently on Link's left, but to an extent, he, too, could appreciate the glorious place they had to live in.

"We've done it, Link," the princess said. "We've restored peace not just to the land of Hyrule, but to all the lands around us. Darkness has been placed long at bay, and surely for at least the rest of our lifetimes, this is something we will have to enjoy."

The grown Hero of Time nodded, turning to face Zelda. "Yes. But I'm sure Ganondorf's not at all happy after we sealed him back in the Sacred Realm." Young Link giggled at that with a smirk.

"He was already back to killing innocent people," Zelda defended. "It had to be done, despite his brief spurt of heroism."

Link laughed. "I know." Then, slowly, hesitantly, he brought an arm around the princess's shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"You know we can never be that way, Link," Zelda said, rigid in his embrace.

Now, Link's expression had gone serious. His eyes glistened sincerely and inquisitively. "But…why not?" He loosened his arm, prepared to remove it in reluctant acceptance.

"Because I'm a princess, and you're Hyrule's hero, and we have a duty to…" Zelda hesitated for a long, strange moment. "Hm. You know, I'm not exactly sure why; I've just always assumed…" Then, the absurdity of her assumption dawning upon her, she moved her face fluidly toward Link's.

"Ugh!" Young Link backed away from the two, shielding his eyes dramatically. But then, he couldn't help separating two of his fingers to peek, and then removing his hand altogether, staring with interest at the two interlocked figures. He grinned, eying Zelda over and over again. "Wow. I can't wait to grow up!"

At those words, Link temporarily broke away, turning his head to grin back at Young Link. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll be so excited in seven years…when you'll have to go through everything all over again!"

Young Link's grin vanished into terror as he realized what his older self's words implied. "Crap!" He turned and dashed away toward the castle on his swift ten-year-old legs.

"Really, Link?" Zelda asked as they gazed into each other's eyes. "He'll have to live through Master Hand's invasion twice?"

Link grinned. "No, of course not. I don't know why he's here and not in his own time, but our lives are placed upon two separate paths, in two separate Hyrules. I just thought he deserved it after breaking my sword."

The End

Epilogue

One full year after the Smashers' triumph over their greatest enemy—to the day—the Original 25 were called back together, to the southwestern coast of the Unclaimed Territory. Something, apparently, had been spotted in the distance across the sea, and on a sparsely clouded day with a light blue sky, twenty-four heroes gathered at the very edge of the beach to see what it was. They found themselves alone, for Professor E. Gadd had for some reason decided that they alone were meant to meet the approaching speck on the horizon.

And so they gathered, not a single noise besides the gentle crashing of the waves. Almost self-consciously, they grouped alongside one another in a peculiar fashion, awaiting whatever the future held for them on that speck.

And, soon enough, the speck became clearer, and each of the Smashers reacted in their own way in response to the sight before them.

To the far left of the group, Princess Peach raised a hand slightly over the front of her dress, unsure of what this outlook meant.

Above her, Mr. Game & Watch leapt into the air, ringing his bell wildly.

To Peach's right, Link stood erect, hands loose fists at his sides, his eyes fixed warily upon the object.

Between the princess and Link, Pikachu smiled ecstatically. His ears were laid back, his jagged tail standing up straight, his legs bent in a playful stance.

Beside the Pokémon on the right, Kirby looked just as excited, just as adventurous, his soft eyes innocently gazing forward.

Behind and to the right of Kirby, Young Link had a hand on his hip, feet positioned firmly. He stared at the growing speck after drinking a few mouthfuls of Lon Lon Milk.

Standing behind the Kokiri boy, Samus faced the ocean, just as mystified. She was turned slightly sideways with her arm cannon in front, her expression indecipherable behind her green visor.

Hovering higher behind the bounty hunter was Mewtwo, also turned sideways. His arms were folded, and his tail was raised in a wary curve. The legendary Pokémon's purple eyes were fixed intently on the scene, a million or more thoughts buzzing in his capacious mind.

Reclining beside Kirby in a childlike fashion, Ness placed his elbow on the sand and tilted his head against his hand, his eyes full of wonder.

Mario adjusted his red cap behind the PSI-potent boy, looking prepared for another adventure.

Standing two feet taller behind Mario was Princess Zelda, turned to the side and gripping one arm with her other hand, viewing the fateful thing with caution.

Bowser towered behind her and to her right, his teeth bared in a strange smile and fiery orange eyes burning intensely into the shape across the sea.

Pichu stood on Bowser's head like he often used to position himself, surveying the scene as if he were a watchman on a tower, possibly more excited than anyone else.

Captain Falcon posed not far in front of the beast, seemingly oblivious to the giant Koopa inches behind him. One arm was curled before him in a challenging gesture.

The Ice Climbers took to the front before the F-Zero pilot, Nana leaning toward her brother, both with joyful sparkles in their eyes and smiles on their faces.

Fox McCloud leaned forward beside the siblings, his gaze fixed on the object with alert anticipation.

Close to Fox was Yoshi, leaning even farther forward, amazement written on his kind face.

Marth and Roy stood side by side at the end of the group, both with swords raised in a gesture that seemed to resemble both respect and a warning. The sun glinted off the blades, the heroes' capes waving slowly behind them.

Jigglypuff puffed up above the swordsmen's heads to see, her big eyes shimmering with awe.

To the puffball's left, Donkey Kong pounded his chest, generating almost the only noise besides the waves with his mighty bellow.

Falco leapt off the ape's right shoulder, aligning his figure with the sun's glare, but seeming unaffected by it. His knee was raised, one blue wing raised across his body, and his head tilted up. It looked like a sort of noble salute.

Finally, whizzing across the peaceful sky above them all, Luigi launched himself headfirst through the air with his Green Missile, his eyes closed without worry, leaving a trail of white smoke in his wake, somehow signifying the importance of this event.

And as the green blur passed by, something remarkable, something that cannot be explained, happened among the Smashers at that moment. Two more figures appeared—whether they were mirages, imagined apparitions, or something else.

Startlingly close to Zelda, the dark king Ganondorf faded into view, his eyes fixed appraisingly on the sight in front of them, one arm crossed over his chest in a powerful symbol of acknowledgement.

Behind Kirby, Dr. Mario materialized with a hand on his chin, inspecting the sight with curiosity.

But as the Original 25, somehow complete as Fate meant for them to be, watched the speck grow into a recognizable shape bobbing up and down in the waves, a sort of glory overtook them all—as if this were a moment so special that they would never forget it no matter what happened in the future.

It was a raft, made of simple wooden planks and a straight wooden post for the sail. There were distant silhouettes on the raft as well, but they were too indistinct to identify. And the billowing white sail had a symbol emblazed upon it, shining brightly against the square canvas.

A circle, with an off-centered cross cutting through it. Shining with every color of the rainbow, just like the Smash Ball had. The raft bobbed gently yet purposefully toward the coast of the Nintendo World, as if guided by some unseen hand.

(Scene fades on the gathered Smashers, which looks just like the image used for this story's thumbnail. You can find it in full by Googling "Super Smash Bros Melee Soundtrack" or "Super Smash Bros Melee Poster.")

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading this story! It's been a long time coming—something that underwent drafting, hiatus, finishing, another hiatus, revising, a really long hiatus, and heavy rewriting and revising over the course of about 10 years. (in case you're curious, the completely rewritten parts range from Chapter 1 to Chapter 13, though many other changes were made throughout) It's far from perfect, but it's certainly come a long way (from the scribblings of a 6th grader, that is), and I can honestly say I'm happy enough to leave it to rest.

For those who slogged with me the entire way (or even those who just decided to glance at the first chapter and then read the end—yes, I'm looking at you), I would very much appreciate reviews both of the positive and the constructively critical sorts. Even though I'm not going to touch The Trophies again, it would greatly benefit me in future writing.

Speaking of which...after all those hiatuses (hiati?), I'm happy to announce that The Trophies will indeed be seeing a sequel, which I told myself for years would only exist in my head, but with time I've come to accept that there is another tale that needs to be told about This World. The pieces have floated listlessly around my mind for so long and gradually begun to connect so that three months ago, I finally put pen to paper (metaphorically) and the story resumed where it left off.

This sequel of mine, called The Forgotten Rights of Passage, is already about 2/3rds complete thanks to my very writing-conducive summer job. In a word, it expands the scope of the Nintendo World into something much bigger, much older, and much more controversial than Master Hand's whimsical wars with the Smash Brothers ever were. It delves deeper into mysteries ranging from the identity of Red's father to the ill-recalled repercussions of the "Copyright Wars" to the very significance of the Super Smash Bros. symbol itself. It is progressing even better than I could have hoped, and for any who enjoyed The Trophies, it is not to be missed.

I will give readers a bit of a breather with this concluding chapter, but come Friday, September 2nd, 2016, the first chapter of The Forgotten Rights of Passage will be posted, to be continued on a weekly basis until the estimated 20 chapters are complete (less than The Trophies's 26 chapters, I know, but they are meaty chapters).

Until then...may your princesses, your kingdoms, your powers, or whatever your personal Trophies may be, keep you satisfied. If they don't, maybe they need to be reevaluated—or perhaps there's simply an empty trophy stand on your shelf waiting to be filled by that solitary raft that even now approaches the Original 25, the Nintendo World, the digital pages of the Internet, and consequently, the rods and cones of your eyeballs.

Adieu,

~Bob Snicket

In a world far, far away, a hand reached up out of a puddle of unusually fluid mud and pulled its host up and out. The short figure stood up, not only covered and dripping with the multicolored goop, but appearing almost as if it were made of it. The figure adjusted a pair of diamond-framed glasses and looked away into the dark, star-lit sky.

"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…."