(A/N: Consider this my Christmas gift to you guys. Enjoy.)

The entire planet was contested.

Instead of conquered by light or darkness, it had become evenly matched. Half of the planet was a thriving, beautiful scene, while the other was dead and void of any life. Everything had come down to a final push.

Above a stretch of land looking over a sea, the sky was split into two colors: black and white. The ground was both rotten and tranquil. Even the ocean itself was malicious and calm. High above the ground, light and darkness themselves confronted with armadas of hands by their sides.

"Your worthless World of Light will be no more. Your little army is now mine to control, Galeem. We have been battling since the dawn of time, but here… it ends."

"On that, we agree," Galeem spoke calmly.

Down below, the land filled with the sounds of marching. Both entities glanced downward. "But you are sorely mistaken if you believe my entire force to be stolen from me, Dharkon."

On the right side of the land, a battalion of puppet fighters marched until a raised staff halted them. At the rear, hundreds of blue-tinted false fighters stood ready. Two Master Hands floated down with fingers wide. And at the front, Palutena and Roy stood with gleaming red eyes.

"I concealed a small portion from you with the last of my waning power. Reinforced by my own creations, they will bring an end to your darkness once and for all. You stand no chance, Dharkon. While the Super Smash Brothers have indeed vanquished most of my army and defeated me, they have also done the same… for you."

"DO NOT SPEAK OF THAT SETBACK!" boomed Dharkon. "Your defeat allowed me to finally break free from your prison after countless millennia! You lied in wait, waiting for my own power to dwindle so you could finish me off! But I have recovered swiftly, Galeem. The only thing that's ending today is your disgusting light! And besides… you're not the only one with an army."

On the left side of the land, another force of puppet fighters approached, hundreds of red fakes, two Crazy Hands itching for action… and Bayonetta and Dark Samus at the front. On the Umbra Witch's signal, the army ceased their advance. Their purple eyes burned bright with evil and destruction on their minds.

"If that puny unity hadn't decimated my forces, you would be outnumbered, Galeem. But this is sufficient enough to snuff out your light and bring about my new age of darkness!"

"Your own thoughts betray you, Dharkon. I cannot allow you to corrupt my world any further. I sealed you away before, but I see that is not enough. To ensure the safety of my new era, I must destroy you."

"And I you, if that's how it is going to be."

"That is how it MUST be."

Down below, the four commanders turned to their soldiers. Palutena slammed her staff on the ground, drawing the attention of the forces of light.

"We stand today on the brink of purity and tranquility," she spoke. "All that you see before you is what remains of Dharkon's army of darkness. Our master, Galeem, seeks a perfect world where no chaos and evil can touch it! Today, we fight for that world!"

Roy drew his blade. "Neither of you can afford to hold anything back. Show this wretched filth the true power of light! Today, darkness shall be purged from the universe! No more evil! No more corruption! No more hate! Today, light shall reign SUPREME!"

The forces of light raised their arms, letting out a triumphant cry of victory. "FOR MASTER GALEEM!"

Miles away from them, Bayonetta stared at the enemy force with disgust in her eye. She spun on her heel, facing the forces of darkness. Dark Samus silently rotated in their direction.

"Those fools dare speak of justice?! Of courage?! They are no more than false promises of which the true power lies under! Hatred seeps through the veins of all. Death comes to all things that live. And collapse comes to all things that are built. Today, we punish them for believing such follies. We will show them no mercy."

Dark Samus clenched a fist.

"They falsely believe that they can destroy Lord Dharkon himself. He cannot- and will not- be destroyed on this day! Today, it is Galeem who will fall! It is his light that will burn out, leaving this world to encroach in our lord's glorious darkness! Another dawn will never be known, no sun shall ever shine, and no hope shall ever emerge when this day- the last day- is done!"

Bayonetta raised an arm. "HAIL LORD DHARKON!"

"HAIL LORD DHARKON!" repeated the forces of darkness, raising their own arms to the sky. High above the soon-to-be-battlefield, Galeem and Dharkon turned back to each other.

"Trillions of years of constant war, advantages shifting, and neither side triumphing. That changes today, Dharkon. Whether you fall or I do, all existence- the entire multiverse I have birthed- will be forever changed."

"Our battle… ends… NOW!"

Dharkon fired a purple laser from his eye. Galeem shot a beam of pure light from his core. The two streams clashed in the center, initiating a power struggle. The Master Hands and Crazy Hands rushed towards each other while others held back to provide ranged support. They grabbed each other, landed punches, and even engaged in rock-paper-scissors where winners effortlessly crushed losers. Gold and purple puffs indicated the destruction of a hand.

"CHARGE!" bellowed Roy, raising his sword while Palutena pointed her staff in front of her. With a rallying cry, the forces of light broke into a stampede across the land with Roy leading them. The goddess of light walked through it all, the tip of her staff aglow with brightness.

"ATTACK!" yelled Bayonetta, pointing a pistol ahead of her and breaking into a run. Dark Samus flew after while the forces of darkness charged, letting out a wild, battle-ready cry of their own.

Both armies advanced on each other in seconds. Lasers and projectiles flew from puppets with ranged attacks. Bayonetta fired her handguns, her shots blocked by Palutena's Reflect Barrier. Dark Samus opened fire, Roy sidestepping its shots and deflecting others. All four fighters drew near, Roy's blade clashing against Dark Samus' cannon. Bayonetta threw a kick, the attack blocked by Palutena's staff. The goddess jabbed the witch back, firing orbs of light that Bayonetta cartwheeled away from.

And the forces of light and darkness collided in an all-out battle with puppets going on the attack. The four hands clashed and struggled with each other while the hundreds of fake blue and red fighters engaged their enemies. While the commanders fought against each other, the puppets found themselves in battles of their own.

A Bayonetta puppet opened fire on a Toon Link puppet, who blocked with its shield and threw a bomb at its enemy. A Roy puppet fired cannonballs at an airborne Fox puppet with a Rocket Belt, the latter laying down fire from above with a Ray Gun. Closeby, a metal Sonic puppet dashed around and struck targets with its steel-looking ball form. Another Bayonetta puppet clashed with a huge puppet of Robin, shooting at its head and dodging magical blasts.

Two clones of Mega Man- one blue and one red- strafed each other, firing solar pellets at each other. An Ike puppet swung its blade against a King K. Rool puppet, the sword scratching scales. The croc threw a strong punch, knocking the fake swordsman back. It threw its crown, which the Ike puppet deflected and charged back at the false croc.

Two clones of Captain Falcon engaged in a martial-arts brawl, landing kicks and punches. An Inkling puppet laid down a barrage of ink on four tiny Greninja puppets, who constantly stayed on the move. One of them jumped and struck at the Inkling puppet's face with a water blade. A Fox puppet shot at a Wolf puppet, trying to get to a Wario puppet nearby. Whenever it got close, the Wario puppet bolted and prompted the Fox clone to chase after it. A giant R.O.B. puppet blasted lasers at two Lucas puppets, who used PK Fire and PK Thunder on the large robot. Two more Lucas puppets ran in to assist the giant R.O.B., bombarding its assailants with a combined PK Flash. A Zelda puppet joined them, casting a fireball.

A Bowser puppet snagged a Mario puppet and slammed it to the ground, locking its ferocious eyes on a Peach puppet. A golden Incineroar puppet locked claws with a snarling golden Ridley puppet. A Wolf puppet swung its claws at a Corrin puppet's sword, vaulting away from a Shulk puppet's Back Slash. Drawing its blaster, it shot the puppet in the side. A tiny Ridley puppet flew circles around a clone of Zero Suit Samus. A well-placed strike from its whip grounded the small puppet, who had to fly fast from a missile launched by a Snake puppet.

A Marth puppet dueled against a Ganondorf clone, who kicked away a charging Ike puppet after breaking its enemy's guard. It swung against the Marth puppet, knocking it away. Two Mii clones, a Swordfighter and a Gunner, ran across the battlefield with a trio of Palutena, Robin, and Roy behind them. The Gunner laid down fire while the Swordfighter swung at enemies. A team of four Duck Hunt puppets dashed through the battle while eight Yoshi clones made a rolling egg barrier around a tiny Mario puppet.

A Ganondorf puppet breathed out a wall of fire on light fake fighters while any projectiles fired at it bounced right off. Two puppets of Fox and Dark Samus stood back-to-back, firing at other fakes that came for them. The Dark Samus puppet launched a missile, leaving it to blow on an entire squad.

A King K. Rool puppet shot cannonballs at light fighters before noticing light clones of Mario and Shulk coming from behind. The puppet turned itself invisible, confusing them both. Reappearing from behind, it punched the fake fighters hard and sent them sprawling. A Jigglypuff puppet rolled around four clones of Snake, leaving them boxed in and vulnerable to a light clone of Pit's attack run. A volley of arrows sent them all flying while the Jigglypuff puppet rolled away with a dark Sonic clone spinning after in hot pursuit.

A Bayonetta puppet applied acrobatics while firing all four handguns, gunning down multiple light fighters in the middle of somersaults and cartwheels. A giant Little Mac let loose with strong punches, knocking out any dark clone it hit. Two Pit puppets flew overhead in close formation, raining down arrows of light on the dark clones below. A puppet of Mister Game and Watch juggled a light fighter of Simon between its hands while puppets of Pac-Man, Kirby, and Jigglypuff protected it from attack.

...

While light and darkness continued to wage war against each other once again in a fierce struggle for dominance, a third contender was assembling a short distance away from the main battlefield. The Super Smash Brothers gathered around, looking at the land before them. They marveled at the sight of a sky bearing two colors at once. They noticed the land a mix of beauty and ruin. And they heard the sounds of fire in the sky.

In the heavens above, gold and purple lasers streaked through the sky. In front of puffy clouds and a tranquil atmosphere, Galeem's Master Hands fired golden beams from their palms and fingers. Purple lasers exploded some on the spot into golden puffs.

And within a twisting, merciless veil of darkness, Dharkon's Crazy Hands returned fire with violet beams of pure malice. Gold lasers struck them, leaving purple explosions in their wake.

A blast of dark energy shot out from Dharkon's eye with a malicious tone. A beam of light fired from Galeem's core, an angelic sound accompanying it. Both beams clashed together where their two territories collided, fading away in moments while lasers continued to fly.

A pair of boots dug themselves into the ground, skidding to a full stop. Mario turned his eyes to the warring deities above. From his perspective, they stood out in two bright lights: one yellow and one purple.

Dharkon's eye turned down below. "WHAT?! YOU INCOMPETENT FOOLS AGAIN?! HERE?! NOW?!"

Galeem's core flashed. "You have come. An unexpected turn of events… but if you wish to best me again, I am afraid to say that you have had a wasted journey."

"YOU HAVE NO PLACE HERE! LEAVE NOW, OR I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL ONCE I AM FINISHED WITH GALEEM!"

Sonic and Fox approached Mario from both sides. "This is it, old pal… we beat these guys once, and we can do it again."

"How we get to them is a problem, though," spoke the pilot. "But I think that's the least of our worries right now. Look." He pointed ahead of the Smashers, where a massive battle raged from several miles away. At the sight of this, everyone gasped.

"No way!" stammered Pit. "After all we did, they still have their armies?!"

"Look at them!" shouted Bowser. "There must be hundreds of those fakers! Maybe thousands!"

"And we're not even a hundred strong!" Simon added. Greninja looked on in disbelief. Kirby stepped closer, his eyes trained on the battle before him.

Zelda and Samus scanned the battlefield. "There is something about these imposters," spoke the princess. "They're not appearing to self-destruct any time soon."

"Which means they can fight for as long as they like," added the bounty hunter. "And that means we're greatly outnumbered."

"I… I don't see a winning move here," said Robin.

"How can we fight an army this size?" asked the orange Inkling in complete shock. Her blue comrade swallowed nervously. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong made noises of uncertainty, Luigi's knees were quivering, and Red was in disbelief with all of the Pokémon looking at the battle in confusion. Yoshi and the Ice Climbers looked on nervously.

All of the Smashers shared the same emotions: worry and uncertainty against opposing a force of such scale. But through it all, voices of reason rang out; the first from Marth and the warriors from his universe.

"Stay strong, comrades-in-arms!" cried the prince of Altea, drawing his falchion. "The enemy may be great in number, but do not forget that we are great in strength!"

"I've fought an entire horde of monsters," spoke Eleven. "What difference is this?"

"It doesn't matter how many enemies we face," said Mega Man, priming his Buster. "We'll blow through every last one of them if we have to!"

"Yeah!" called Ness, glancing at Lucas. "Whatever they can throw at us, we'll dish it right back harder!"

"We'll fight at a rate they just can't keep up!" cried Sonic. Link held his sword high. One by one, each of the Smashers had their wills restored and filled with confidence… but while Orange smiled, something was still on her mind.

"I really appreciate that, guys, but… look at them all. If we got separated, we'd get swarmed in a second. We'd need an army of our own to get past them."

"Then it is an army you shall have, Smash Brothers."

Chiaki floated up to the group, the gathered numbers of spirits behind her. Morphing into her semi-physical state, she touched down onto the rocky ground and stared out at the battlefield.

"Uh… army?" repeated Falco.

"This feels just like before… where Galeem and Dharkon battled in the skies above while my own people fought to the death down below. This time, they have used yourselves- generally speaking- rather than my friends and family. Every one of those warriors down there are false, nothing more. They lack the proper power to compete with their original sources."

She turned to the group. "But this time… things can be different."

"Different how?" asked Shulk.

"The one technique I have spent centuries practicing and perfecting… now is the time to unlock its true potential. Behold."

Chiaki floated into the air, spreading her arms wide and turning behind the Smashers. Her eyes rested on empty, barren ground.

"Spirits! Hear me! I summon you all forth!"

Instantly after her call, multicolored orbs of flame popped out from the Smashers' bodies and flew off in the other direction. From the distance, more flew in a colored wind. They all assembled behind the Super Smash Brothers, floating before Chiaki.

"I call to every soul in this world," she began. "Our time is dire. You all should remember when you were robbed of your bodies when Galeem arrived. You should remember what he forced you to do… as well as what Dharkon did to the remainder.

But I do not wish for vengeance. What I seek… what you all seek is to end a war that has waged for eons, even before any one of us became who we are. In the heavens above, light and darkness engage in their final battle… and no matter the outcome, all of reality faces its doom.

I have told the Super Smash Brothers that they must defeat neither Galeem nor Dharkon, but to bring the balance between them both. The balance I spoke of in my prophecy long ago. And now… all of you represent that balance.

Good and evil. Love and hate. Joy and rage. Life and death. Light and dark. Through time, they were always opposites, and they always will be. But if one completely destroys the other and leaves nothing to keep it in check, it will be a change the multiverse cannot withstand.

As always, you must aid the Super Smash Brothers in this fight. But this time, things will be different. Throughout the centuries I have spent as a spirit, I have dedicated myself to a single practice: a practice I have been fascinated with even when I was still alive. The bond between body and soul. The results of this practice… are what you see before you.

For far too long, your souls have wandered in forms unfamiliar to any of you. You have been imprisoned in false shells. The Smashers have set you free. And I shall show you… how to break the final chains."

Chiaki clasped her hands over her heart. "Heed my instructions carefully, spirits. It is time for you all to ascend further than you can imagine. Now… look within yourselves."

The spirits began to shine, their flame-like auras flickering.

"Focus your spirits… remember who each of you are. Recall what makes you special. Immersive yourself in identity. Fill your thoughts with your appearance, of what you were before. Do not allow anything to distract you. Let yourself go. Release your souls… and rise. Welcome your new ascended forms with pride."

The spirits slowly lifted themselves into the air. Their glows illuminated in all the colors of the rainbow. The Super Smash Brothers were transfixed at the mesmerizing sight, unable to tear their eyes away. A few of them squinted and raised an arm to shield their eyes.

Miles away, the two warring armies ceased their battling and turned to the glowing light in the distance. The four commanders paused, curiosity on their faces. And high above it all, Galeem and Dharkon themselves took notice.

"A spiritual light… I have seen nothing like it."

"What?! What is the meaning of this? What's happening?!"

"Rise, spirits!" Chiaki called, raising her arms. "Awaken… and be reborn!"

The hundreds of spirits continued to glow… until one of them reached its limit and broke through.

FSHAM! SPLAT!

Something landed on the ground face-first. Mario stepped forward with a cautious expression. In front of him was a figure glowing with spiritual colors. He saw a head, a torso, hands, and feet… but no limbs to support them. A groan came from the figure, prompting Mario to offer a hand.

The figure slowly stood, touching a hand to his forehead and cracking open an eye. He blinked… and his eyes went wide when he spotted his hand.

He made a noise of surprise, looking over his glowing hand and curling a fist. Multicolored light shone off his newly-revealed form. He looked to his other hand, then down to his feet… and let out a triumphant cry, punching the air.

"YAHOO!" Rayman jumped happily, completely ecstatic about his discovery. He looked to a smiling Mario… and gave him a high-five. "Yeah!"

FSHAM! FSHAM! FSHAM!

Bursts of light rang out across the plain. The Smashers looked in sheer awe as spirits erupted and touched down on the ground. One by one, orbs exploded with light to reveal people, creatures, and everything else in between. Eyes locked over arms and legs, roars rang out, and weapons were drawn.

Mario felt his jaw hang open when he spotted a familiar face in the crowd: himself, as Doctor Mario. His persona winked at him, tossing a capsule in his hand. The spirits of both Metal and Gold Mario walked past. Samus looked and spotted a spirit of herself in her Zero Suit. Zelda noticed the spirit of her Sheik persona, who struck a ninja-like pose.

Bowser and Bowser Junior made gasps of surprise when the seven Koopalings approached, followed by the Koopa King's loyal minions. Wario clapped Waluigi on the shoulder, both of them bursting into laughter. Mushroom Kingdom citizens behind wheels of various vehicles revved their engines.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong were wide-eyed, looking over at their many animal friends and family members. Monsters and allies alike from Link's world stood at the ready. Aliens and animated suits from Samus' universe revealed themselves to the Smashers with Galactic Federation troops among them.

Yoshi did a happy dance when he saw the colorful characters from his world. Kirby waved hello at the many familiar faces from his own universe.

"Guys! You're here!" Sonic approached his friends, greeting each of them happily. Mega Man and his allies- robot and human alike- reunited in happy disbelief. Doctor Wily and his Robot Masters came together, some of them greeting the Blue Bomber with nods.

"Leaf!" Red ran up to his fellow trainer, giving her a hug as Pikachu cried out at the sight of so many Pokémon gathered in one place, even Legendaries. He turned his attention to an Eevee, who hopped up and down joyously as it glowed with color. Olimar waved to his fellow astronaut comrades, who waved back with their Pikmin while familiar creatures moved about.

Dillon tipped his hat and Shovel Knight held his spade high. Yoshi looked in awe as a red T-Rex with a human on its back roared into the air. Beside it, a smaller one did its best to mimic it while Rathalos swooped over the vivosaurs. Winged spirits took to the air, looping and soaring around the assembled crowd while other flying spirits hovered above them all.

Marth and his allies took in the sight of the many gathered warriors from their universe, the female Robin and Corrin among them. They drew their weapons and looked at each other courageously.

Ness looked around the crowd, spotting Starman and a Flying Man among them. Fox looked absolutely stunned at the sight of his long-passed father, who greeted him with a hand to the shoulder.

"Dad?" he stuttered.

James McCloud smiled. "Hello, son." Near the duo, Wolf stood near his wingmates, unable to help but smile. Falco caught up to the other Star Fox members, expressing his delight. Captain Falcon walked up to his fellow F-Zero racers, their respective machines primed and ready.

The Ice Climbers hopped up and down as a condor circled above them. A polar bear donning shades approached them and an eggplant bounced up to them. Mister Game and Watch beeped alongside other black two-dimensional characters.

"Whoa…" Pit and Dark Pit gazed into the crowd of the many gods and monsters from Skyworld and the Underworld. Pit spotted figures similar to the gladiators he recalled fighting alongside, wielding all kinds of weapons from blades to claws and cannons to palms. Wario spotted familiar faces from Diamond City, who looked very excited to have physical appearances restored to them. Snake greeted his various comrades and looked up to see looming mechanical figures: the Metal Gears.

R.O.B. beeped in joy when he saw many robots just like him. Even the old R.O.B. Squad that was part of the Subspace Army was back. The Villager and Isabelle made happy gestures, gathering around their fellow townsfolk.

Little Mac and Ryu gazed at the fighters from each of their worlds. Mac's many boxer opponents put up their fists and Chun-Li greeted Ryu with a bow. The blue and orange Inklings were surrounded by their Inkling and Octoling brethren, who made noises of joy and raised their weapons. Spring Man stood at the forefront of another group with Ribbon Girl and Min Min by his side. Behind them were all the fighters of the ARMS tournament.

Wii Fit Trainers stretched in many different yoga poses. Pac-Man was surrounded by ghosts, a fairy, and pixelated fruit. People from Shulk's world gathered around the boy, who ignited the Monado with a smirk. "Time to make them really feel it now!"

Duck Hunt barked, calling Wild Gunmen to his side. Cloud looked over at his old assembled party, with Barrett priming his machine gun-arm and Tifa cracking her knuckles. Angels and demons alike filled the sky, hailing from Bayonetta's world.

The three Miis' faces lit up in amazement when they heard the sound of marching. Miis of all kinds approached in a large force, dressed in all kinds of outfits. They stopped near the rest of the Smashers, awaiting the next instruction.

"Richter, look!" called Simon, drawing his descendant's attention. Richter turned… and gasped at the sight before him. Before Simon and Richter were the spirits of both their ancestors and descendants, who watched them closely. Nearby, allies of the clan readied their weapons.

"The entire Belmont Clan… I can't believe it." Beyond the family of monster slayers, creatures of the night cried and bellowed into the air.

"Eleven!" called Erdrick, pointing his sword at another part of the crowd. "Look at this!"

The Luminary gasped when he saw several figures armed with swords- with the exception of one holding a staff. "Incredible… the other heroes who fight for the light, just as we do!"

Even spirits of enemies from the Super Smash Brothers' past came together, from Tabuu to Master Core's various forms. Primids, Bytans, and Roturrets stood below their old master. And spirits from various other worlds stood at the ready.

"Oh… my… this is amazing!" called Cappy, turning his eyes to a smiling Chiaki. "They're… I… you seriously did all of this?!"

"Everyone we know from across the worlds!" cried Pit. "They're all here!"

Multiple portals flashed open in the sky, drawing everyone's attention. Through them, a massive fleet of ships built for both sky and space flew through the rifts and filled the air. The Cornerian fleet, the Halberd, Andross's armada, Bowser's airships, the starships of the Galactic Federation, the Great Fox, spaceships of the Mii Force, and the fleet of the Eggman Empire- covered in scrambling robots, Badniks and Egg Pawns- hovered high above the ground.

"This. Is. So. COOL!" cried the orange Inkling. "Aw yeah!"

"NOW it's a party!" called Sonic. "And once we free the last of the spirits, they're free to join!"

"Galeem. Dharkon. Your war ends here," spoke Chiaki in a demanding tone. She spread her arms wide. "This is what you have brought upon yourselves. The very spirits you created will now assist in your complete downfall. Here and today, no more worlds will suffer under your battles! Your timeless conflict has come to its conclusion!"

"Chiaki… my old servant," spoke Galeem. "Never before have I seen such fire in you. But alas, you bring yet another assembled force to fall before me. I showed these spirits the light before… so I can show them again."

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" boomed Dharkon. "You naive girl! Do you really believe your salvation rests in the hands of these meager ghosts?! On the other hand, you have given me all I need to know. Once I crush both this army and Galeem's, you will make a new one for me using whatever technique you pulled that shall never fall! This spirit army won't save you! It is just a matter of time!"

"Enough chit-chat already!" called Shulk. "There's only one thing left to do now…"

The blue Inkling looked around one last time before turning to Orange with a smile. "I… I knew it! This was the dream I had! All of this, everything that's happening right now!"

She held up her Splattershot with a smile of her own. "Then you should know what to do next."

He raised his own weapon. "Oh, yeah. Totally."

"Is everyone ready?!" yelled Pit loud enough for the spirits to hear. Their reply was a world-shattering rally cry loud enough to shake the sky. Creatures roared and bellowed while warriors gathered by universe with their proper Smashers at the front.

"Let's be careful…" said Fox, readying his blaster. "But let's get it done."

Pit swung a blade down. "LET'S GOOOOO!"

Link raised the Master Sword high, letting off its sapphire glow. The Super Smash Brothers raised their arms with cries of their own… and charged with spirits in tow. Fliers soared over the charging forces. Above them, the aerial fleet surged ahead with engines ablaze. Fighter ships of all kinds zoomed past them, accelerating to attack speed.

The Master Hands and Crazy Hands flew away from their masters, heading straight for the ships. The armies of light and darkness yelled out, breaking into a run towards the Smashers and their allies. With stern faces, Roy, Palutena, Dark Samus, and Bayonetta ran after them. Two Master Hands and two Crazy Hands swooped down to join the assault. Galeem and Dharkon turned to each other.

"So be it. We shall settle this by ourselves. No armies, no assistance… just as we did countless times before."

"And this time, you will perish once and for all!" The two deities fired huge lasers at each other, their tendrils and wings snaking towards each other.

The sounds of stampeding armies echoed across the land, dust kicking up in their wake. The Smashers picked up their pace to match the relentless puppet forces. They drew closer… and closer… and closer with weapons ready.

Until finally, they met.

Mario jumped up and smashed the ground with a burning fist. He jumped back from a sword slash delivered by a light Link clone. Ryu landed a jumping kick to a Ken clone, Daisy bumped her hip against a Kirby copy, Lucina lashed out at a number of foes, Wolf's team and the Mii Gunner charged with blasters blazing, King Dedede walloped a Bowser clone over the head, and Richter lashed his whip at a Pit clone.

Sonic nailed three enemies at once with a single Homing Attack. The Mii Brawler spun and kicked a Peach puppet in the face. Corrin locked blades with an Ike clone, and Rosalina sent Lumas out into the field while swinging her wand. Bowser Junior led the Koopalings into the fray, cannonballs and Mechakoopas flying. Viridi and Pandora lent a portion of their power to Pit and Dark Pit, sending the two angels into the sky.

The swarm of hands came down on the airborne fleet. The moment they drew near, cannons opened fire, missiles streaked across the sky, and lasers flew everywhere. Bullet Bills zoomed around and collided into hands with the speed of rockets. Banzai Bills were fired from large cannons, homing in on Crazy Hands. The Great Fox fired a huge laser blast that blew up a Master Hand. The Halberd's claw struck a Crazy Hand out of the air. A Dragoon sped around at supersonic speed, piercing through hands. Samus' Gunship fired laser beams on a Crazy Hand, blowing it up and flying through the smoke. The Falcon Flyer and the S.S. Dolphin flew after it, ensuring their safety.

Fighter ships like Arwings, Wolfens, and Gyrowings chased after the hands, spewing out lasers and speeding away from pursuers. Hands were hit with cannon fire, making them disappear in gold and violet bursts in clouds of red and orange.

A Master Hand punched right through a wooden airship- making it slowly drop in altitude- and shot finger bullets at another. A Crazy Hand rained laser fire on one of Eggman's battleships. Squadrons of Arwings and Wolfens made attack runs on more hands, downing them. Galactic Federation and Mii Force ships tried to shake off their tails, firing missiles at floating hands and shooting lasers at more. A stray shot from a Master Hand blew off an Arwing's wing, sending it spiraling onto the deck of a battleship in a fiery comet. The Egg Carrier fired its frontal laser, decimating a Crazy Hand and two Master Hands.

Down below, Marth blocked an attack from behind and struck the Link puppet down. "FORWARD!" he cried, holding his falchion high. Lucina and Chrom stood back-to-back, cutting down any foe that came for them. Ike and Corrin lashed out at other enemies, the latter's female counterpart crashing down in her dragon form. With a loud roar, she blasted out a torrential wave onto more copies.

Lyn cut through many enemies, somersaulting over the blade of a Meta Knight clone and slicing at a Luigi puppet in the blink of an eye. The royal families of Hoshido and Nohr charged together, Pegasus Riders bringing death from above. Gold Mario threw bright gold fireballs at enemies that exploded on contact. A Blooper inked a fake Mii Brawler in the face, blinding it. Jigglypuff plowed through it with a single roll.

Krystal froze foes with ice magic, leaving them to shatter under the might of heavyweights. Skyworld gladiators on Exo Tanks and Aether Rings drove right through, plowing down enemies and shooting wildly. Other gladiators held back, holding their own against fake fighters.

Inklings, backed up by Miis in Inkling clothing, fired ink on both the ground and on enemies. Several squid kids noticed incoming projectiles, diving into the ink to swim away. The Inklings and Octolings utilized every weapon in their arsenal, barraging the fake fighters with sniper rifles, ink miniguns, buckets, brushes, and twin pistols. One Octoling rained down missiles that exploded with color, knocking several copies down.

The Mii Gunner hopped on top of a Samus puppet, raining down a circle of laser fire on other clones. She shot the Samus puppet in the head, rolling off. Bombs and missiles flew out, causing explosions that claimed victim to more puppets. But through the smoky clouds, more charged on her position. Behind her, a Flying Man landed a diving strike on a Zelda puppet.

The Mii Gunner fired a burst of laser fire, sweeping through the clones. But while the ones in front were cut down, the rest continued to charge at her. "I need reinforcements! Does anyone copy?!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! More explosions sent the rest of the puppets into oblivion. The Mii Gunner turned to the source, who laughed maniacally.

"HAHAHA! You're doomed!" boasted Napalm Man. "None can stand against a walking arsenal like me!"

"Thanks for the assist... " the Mii Gunner began, a Gordo bouncing about behind her. Her eyes suddenly shot open and she raised her cannon. "Check your six!"

BUDDABUDDABUDDA! Machine gun fire tore through the group of puppets advancing from behind. "What the?! Who did that?"

"Please," beeped E-123 Omega. "Back of the line, peashooter."

"Oh, it's ON, Mister Trigger-Happy!" The two robots unleashed a salvo of bullets and missiles, annihilating any puppet that dared approach them.

"Well… you two can certainly handle yourselves," the Gunner spoke, dashing off in the other direction. After firing more lasers, she rolled away from an explosion and launched a bomb. It blew beneath the feet of a Wario puppet, sending it flying and hitting the ground face-first. It grumbled and stood back up… only to be run down by a Koopa Troopa driving a Standard Kart.

Vehicles raced after the Koopa, driving through the fray. Wario laughed while popping a wheelie on his bike. "WAHAHA! Time for some road rage!" He gunned the engine, steering for a whole batch of fake fighters that tried to scramble out of the way. A purple Shy Guy driving a Standard Bike performed a trick, and a red Yoshi accelerated past a Donkey Kong puppet on its Turbo Yoshi. The puppet's fists hit only the ground, leaving it vulnerable to a charging strike from a Toad driving a B Dasher. The Koopa on the Standard Kart threw a Boomerang, the projectile hitting five enemies before returning back to its hand.

A Toad on a Mach 8 raced past Akira and Bomberman, who were knocking down enemies with martial arts moves and planted bombs. Bomberman pressed a button, detonating a remote bomb held by a confused light Donkey Kong clone. A Bowser puppet charged at an unaware Ness from behind...

"PK FIRE!" The puppet got blasted away in a fiery burst. Ness whirled behind him to see Lucas standing defensively. Both fighters nodded to each other, keeping their eyes peeled for any more attackers. Pit slashed and stabbed at an Ike puppet, defeating it and releasing the spirit of Magnus. Gaining a physical form and nodding to the angel in thanks, the human warrior swung at puppets with his greatsword and kicked away a false Chrom.

Pichu zipped in and out of combat, darting away from any copy that tried to grab him. Incineroar was tackled by three clones of Ryu, Little Mac, and Kirby… and with a loud blast that blew his attackers away, his entire body lit up in a fiery glow, accompanied by an angry roar. Now in full Revenge mode, Incineroar spun in a flaming tornado. Meters behind him, Ifrit whipped up a raging firestorm that consumed everything in its path.

Mii Brawlers in many different costumes pressed the assault on light and dark copies, and punches and kicks weren't the only things up their sleeves. The copies suffered scratches from Miis in catsuits, powerful punches were landed from Miis in mechanized exoskeletons, swift hit-and-runs came from Miis in tracksuits, and strong blows were shrugged off by Miis in protective gear. A Mii dressed as Akira delivered a jumping kick to a Lucas copy.

Mario and Luigi fought side by side, the latter throwing the former into the chest of a K. Rool clone. Mario bounced off and stepped on a Yoshi clone's foot, tripping the fake dinosaur. A light Bowser copy lunged at them… and a dark Sonic clone struck it in the head before it could lay a claw on the brothers. Mario and Luigi stared in confusion for a moment.

"Whoa…" spoke Cappy. "The light and dark copies are still fighting each other? Let's use that to our advantage, guys!"

"Okey dokey!" the brothers answered in unison, taking off to find more puppets. In their wake, Yuri Kozukata snapped picture after picture of puppets, causing great deals of damage with her Camera Obscura. Kirby kicked a Donkey Kong puppet twice and Pac-Man ran around with pixelated ghosts surrounding him. Sigma slashed at light copies with his plasma blade, earning him an intrigued look from Ganondorf.

Ashley cast all deals of spells and puppets, summoning a purple gas cloud to disorient many. The Black Knight cut through foes with every swing of his sword, projectiles having little effect on his armor. Cammy threw two spinning kicks at a Ryu clone's head. Eevee landed a headbutt on a Ness puppet, knocking down its guard for Knuckle Joe to wail on it. Kracko soared overhead, raining lightning bolts down onto the field. Chaos snagged a Luigi puppet's face with a watery hand, slamming it to the ground. Chef Kawasaki tossed puppets into a pot and heated it up.

Shovel Knight and Knight Man led a valiant charge, whacking enemies with their spade and flail. Shovel Knight used his shovel as a pogo stick, bouncing off his enemies' heads. When he touched down, he dug into the ground and threw dirt at an Incineroar puppet to blind it. While the fake fighter staggered back, Zangief tackled it and smashed it down with an elbow strike. He flexed with a victorious laugh while Max Brass launched his arms at a Meta Knight copy. "HA! None can triumph over the Red Cyclone!"

Marth, Samus, and Pikachu ran forward, jumping to the side when a Shadow Ball came for them. A dark clone of Mewtwo turned its attention behind it, sensing something. Olimar and Alph threw Pikmin after Pikmin at the clone, forcing it to go on the defensive. The real Mewtwo swooped in, blasting his doppelganger away. He took in the sight of fallen Mii Gunners, staring at their weapons. The Miis' cannons detached from their arms, floating upwards and positioning themselves above Mewtwo's shoulders. Without even looking, he directed the cannons to swivel and fire their ammunition on puppets approaching him. Mewtwo advanced, sending a barrage of laser fire to cut down more enemies.

Isabelle whacked a Pac-Man puppet with an umbrella and King K. Rool hovered overhead on his propellerpack. Beside Isabelle, K.K. Slider walloped a Fox puppet over the head with his guitar. Peach and Zelda stood side-by-side, the former holding a frying pan and the latter's hands alight with magic. She ordered Impa, Ruto, and a Phantom to attack a Chrom puppet… and just as they charged, dust kicked up around the princesses. Pit soared past them, pushing against a snarling Ridley puppet gripping onto his bow.

Dr. Wright raised buildings from the ground, taking puppets by surprise. Devil pointed in various directions, sending puppets flying every-which-way. Dr. Kawashima fused numbers together, every 10 formed creating a large explosion that Mister Game and Watch judged with a 9. Lucario spun his Aura staff, batting away enemies and projectiles alike with grace. Venusaur used its vines to ensnare enemies, leaving them as targets for Sheriff to shoot.

Diddy Kong shot a Banana Gun, the fruit blowing up in the face of a Yoshi clone. Diddy tossed the peel behind him and hopped away just as a Sonic copy stepped on the peel, sending it into an uncontrollable slide. With no control, it crashed into many light and dark copies. Bowser jumped high and came down shell-first on top of a fake Charizard. Peach swung her frying pan against a two-dimensional pan wielded by a Mr. Game and Watch clone and the clanging sound of metal against metal rang out.

While Chun-Li took out five puppets with a Spinning Bird Kick, Ryu knocked away a Mega Man puppet before a familiar figure caught his attention. He whirled on his heel to face a figure with crossed arms, Little Mac and Balrog finishing off his target.

"Bison?!"

"Calm yourself, Ryu. Galeem and Dharkon made the mistake of engulfing my world in their pathetic war. For the moment, all the might of Shadaloo is beside you."

"Hmph. Very well." Ryu turned his attention back to the battle, blasting a Hadoken at a Little Mac puppet. M. Bison tore through enemies with his Psycho Power. Chun-Li kicked the head off a dark R.O.B. clone and shot a Kikoken at a flying Dark Pit clone. Next to her, Min Min launched her dragon arm at a crowd, igniting them with flame. The chakram on her other arm sailed through the air after cutting through some small false fighters, returning to her like a boomerang.

Taking a moment to address Chun-Li, Min Min bowed in appreciation. The other woman returned the gesture before both of them rushed off, Min Min running to the bouncing Helix. The ARMS fighter swung a leg high, smacking her heel against the face of a Little Mac puppet. She lashed out with her other leg, nailing a Dedede clone in the chin with the toe of her shoe and following up with a solid spinning sole strike.

The roar of a Bowser puppet rang out behind Min Min. She looked down to her right hand, swapping it for a yellow mine-like fist. She drew it back and punched forward, bashing the clone right in the head. With a pained howl, it fell onto its shell. Luigi jumped high, stomping down on the exposed torso. "Thank you very much!" he quickly congratulated, hopping off towards another clone.

"SHORYUKEN!" Ken and Knuckles took out a King K. Rool puppet with a double rising uppercut. "Nice! Keep it up!" Ken called, congratulating the echidna before he tunneled underground. He spun into a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, nailing a clone of himself with a flaming kick. Incineroar jumped in, adding to the literal firepower with a roar.

Vega, Mumkhar, and Slash Man sliced and cut through their enemies, clearing a path for Guile. The soldier knocked a clone of Samus away with a Flash Kick. Nearby, Cammy engaged a puppet of Ness with a combo of palm strikes and kicks. Nash attacked a light clone of Yoshi, who threw eggs to defend itself. Guile spun towards a Wii Fit Trainer puppet jogging for him… and he crossed his arms together.

"Sonic BOOM!" The projectile smashed into the puppet and knocked it to the ground, where Donkey Kong landed right on top of it. After a rage-filled howl and a beat of his chest, the ape bounded away. Guile smirked, straightened his hair…

...and saw Sonic looking at him with an unimpressed expression.

"What?"

The hedgehog just sighed, rolled his eyes, and took off. While he ran, Lucina flipped off a Link clone and thrust at a Marth copy.

The Mii Swordfighter backflipped off a Lucario puppet, throwing a chakram at a Mario clone. Without even looking, he deflected a strike from a Shulk puppet and cut it down. He jumped when two clones of Toon Link and Shulk approached, hitting the false Hero of Time with the hilt of his sword and the fake Monado wielder with his boot.

Link charged into a Wario puppet with his shield, spinning wildly in a circle. He threw a Rune Bomb behind him, detonating it and racing off. The Mii Swordfighter spun behind him, spotting another squad of light and dark clones charging for him. Before he could move to engage…

...something unseen to the naked eye blitzed through the squad with wild, swift strikes. When they all fell, Sheik, Ninjara, Shinobu, Shadow Man, Ibuki, Espio, Kat and Ana, and Miis in ninja garb struck a pose. "Ha! That was easy!" cried Ibuki.

A Mii in white ninja clothing slashed across a Link puppet's chest, vaulted over it to kick a Mario puppet away, and threw shurikens at Kirby clones. A second female Mii in yellow colors landed a jumping slash, delivering a high kick to a Mega Man puppet behind her. Close to her, Shinobu cut down numerous Kirby clones with her katana.

A Mii in prate gear sliced through a copy of Toon Link, leading more Swordfighters into battle. Miis in plate armor courageously charged like knights, slaying any foe they came across. Miis in samurai armor advanced, focusing on the protection of their brethren. Laser swords from futuristic-looking Miis sliced through puppets effortlessly, clubs wielded by Miis in monkey suits clobbered puppets on the head, and a Mii dressed as Lip grew damaging flowers on puppets' foreheads with each swing. The real Lip skipped alongside, swinging her own flower. A female Mii dressed as a maid swung a broom, a Mii dressed as Rex fought alongside a Mii in Ancient Soldier gear, and Miis in Yiga Clan garb stayed on the move. Two Miis in Monster Hunter gear struck more clones with their blades while two more dressed as Link and Dunban fought back-to-back.

Mega Man Zero and Model ZX appeared, joining the bladed skirmish. Proto Man. EXE readied his plasma blade, swinging it at puppets and cutting a R.O.B. puppet in two.

Metal Mario and Gold Mario jumped atop puppet fighters with Geno by their side and Paper Mario whacked more with his hammer. Paper Bowser breathed fire on enemies and Fox Luigi swooped low. Spirits of Mario and Luigi in tennis wear smacked balls at enemies while a spirit of Daisy in baseball gear threw balls of her own. Waluigi stomped down wildly and delivered smacks with his racket. Bowser roared loudly, his loyal minions protecting him. Koopas spun in their shells, Piranha Plants chomped and bit, Shy Guys ran, Bob-ombs blew up, Thwomps crushed hapless puppets, Kamek cast spells, Wiggler marched along and trampled puppets, Lakitu threw wandering Spinies, Goombas charged in head-first, Chain Chomps rampaged across the battlefield, Boos swooped all over the place, and Hammer Bros chucked hammers.

King Boo laughed menacingly, swooping low over the crowd. Boom Boom turned into a fisted whirlwind of pain that pummeled an Incineroar clone. Pom Pom threw large shurikens alongside Shadow Man. A Chargin' Chuck fully tackled a Wario clone and King Bob-omb stomped on tiny puppets. Professor Elvin Gadd shone a flashlight on a clone of Dark Samus, blinding the copy. One of Duck Hunt's gunmen turned and shot it on the spot.

Petey Piranha spat balls of mud from his mouth to slow puppets down. A spirit of Waluigi in his Strikers gear lashed out with a thorny whip, striking light and dark clones alike. While laughing, he ran away and left behind a wall of thorns that a Sonic puppet ran right into. Mini Marios marched together, tossing hammers at foes. Nabbit ran along the battlefield to snatch up whatever he could. Baby Mario and Baby Luigi drove by in their Goo-Goo buggy, a barking Chain Chomp propelling them forward.

Lucina fought gracefully, thrusting at a Marth puppet and cutting down a Snake clone. She spun on her heel, facing down an advancing squad… that lit up in cyan colors. Before Lucina could question this, they were flung away and a white-furred creature touched down with palms aglow. With a smile, he turned to Lucina.

"Mind if I cut in?" asked Silver the Hedgehog.

Lucina smiled back. "By all means."

The two future fighters stood back-to-back, delivering psychic attacks and sword swings to their enemies. Mario and Rayman landed punches on puppets, fist-bumping each other before jumping away. Closeby, Gamma and a force of Mii Gunners helped out a pinned-down Lucas and Luigi, shots of all kinds flying. Peach lobbed a Freezie at a Daisy puppet, encasing it in ice. Luigi yelped when a Wolf puppet dove for him. The plumber ducked, which made the fake fighter miss and fall flat on its face.

Meta Knight chased after a flying clone of Diddy Kong, weaving around peanuts and chopping some in two. King K. Rool locked his claws around a Dedede clone's hammer. A Klaptrap lunged at the false penguin, forcing it to back off when it gnashed at its face. Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, Mechanica, Ninjara, Master Mummy, and Twintelle powerfully pummeled a large group of puppets with Rush attacks... and Min Min fired a huge laser from her dragon arm, destroying them all on the spot.

On one portion of the battlefield, a large firefight broke out between Mii Gunners and puppets with ranged weapons. While strafing and shooting at a Falco clone, one Gunner dressed in military gear dove behind a large rock for cover. Another slid into a crater formed by an explosion, raising his cannon and providing covering fire for his comrades. When a Bayonetta clone drew too close to another Mii, she spun around and struck the clone with her cannon.

A Mii in astronaut gear floated through the air, blasting clones with lasers. A squad of Miis in special forces gear rained down a hail of bullets, advancing in a tight formation. A Mii in a bear costume shot sticky globs of honey on puppets, who were roasted by a stream of fire from a Mii in dragon armor. A few lasers made it drop to a knee, but that hardly did anything to faze the Mii. Turning his cannon in his attackers' direction, he launched a fireball that exploded and roasted the imposters on the spot.

A Mii in high-tech armor stomped up, laying down a barrage of laser fire. Puppets who fired back had little success, as lasers were absorbed by the armor. Miis in steampunk gear released a blinding mist of steam, allowing Miis in t-shirts donning the Smash Brothers emblem to attack. More Miis in wild west gear made their shots count, most of their shots rarely missing their mark.

A Mii Gunner swung his cannon at a Snake puppet and hit nothing but air. The momentum flung him backward... and thinking quickly, he fired a close-range burst shot. The recoil slammed the Mii's backpack against the puppet's face. Another Gunner rocketed into the air and kicked at a Pit puppet, blasting it to the ground. A Mii Brawler threw himself onto a Daisy clone, sandwiching it into the ground.

A whole line of puppets fell under a stream of fire from three Miis dressed as Fox, Samus, and Mega Man. Model X, Axl, Ray Mk III, and Saki Amamiya jumped in to assist, unleashing another storm of lasers. Ridley screeched from overhead, scorching the battlefield with flames. In front of the raging fire, Red shouted a command and pointed while Squirtle and Ivysaur protected him with water blasts and lashing vines. Charizard flew in, wasting no time in blasting more puppets with fireballs.

Mega Man slid underneath a Mario puppet's legs, breaking into a run and charging up his Mega Buster. To his right, the Ice Climbers spun wildly in a circle as their condor flew overhead, their hammers taking out any puppet they hit. Ness used PK Flash on other puppets, blasting them away. A blue flash sped between puppets, taking out most of the enemies it hit. Sonic jumped into the air, slamming down on copies with Homing Attacks.

The Robot Masters approached Mega Man to assist him. Puppets were frozen in place by Flash Man, blown up by Crash Man and Bomb Man, sliced by Cut Man and Slash Man, electrocuted by Elec Man and Spark Man, pounded by Guts Man and Hard Man, frozen by Ice Man, and burned by Fire Man. Snake Man, Gravity Man, Skull Man, Wood Man, and Metal Man protected Mega Man while the Wily Capsule shot out elemental orbs. Mettaurs trotted around and the Yellow Devil fired energy blasts. Rush and Mega Man's mechanical animal pals stayed close to the Blue Bomber while the agile Robot Masters went on the attack.

Quick Man, Top Man, Wind Man charged into puppets while Dive Man, Dark Man 4, and Sword Man backed them up. Galaxy Man gave Mega Man the go-ahead and the Blue Bomber nodded, thanking everyone for the help. He ran off to see who needed some help of their own… and spotted R.O.B. blasting away a fake Kirby with a short laser burst. The robot deployed a Gyro, which spun into a Jigglypuff clone.

Nearby, Samus kicked away from a Roy copy and blasted a Mario clone in the face at point-blank range. Bowser punched a Donkey Kong clone in the side, grabbed its foot, and swung around to use the puppet as a wrecking ball. Robin and his female counterpart cast a multitude of spells, Zelda adding her own magic to the mix. Carried by paper versions of Toads, Papercraft Mario charged through dark clones. Rock Mario rolled around the battlefield and crushed any puppet that got in his way.

Cranky Kong and Dixie Kong led the entire Kong family into the fray, going bananas on their enemies. Donkey Kong stepped around a Captain Falcon puppet, landing a strong punch that sent it sailing high into the sky. Rambi charged forward with Ellie and all of the Kongs' animal friends by his side. Winky hopped across the heads of various puppets. Enguarde swam through the ground as if it were water, spiritual light giving off the illusion of it. Kritters and Klaptraps neared their king, protecting him with bites and claw swipes. Karate Kong and Ninja Kong delivered martial arts mayhem while Lord Frederick and the Tiki Tak Tribe assisted in backing up King K. Rool.

With a single gesture of his arm, Ganondorf called a horde of monsters to attack while Ghirahim stood at his side. The demon teleported towards light copies, surprising them with wild slashes while Ganondorf advanced. Calamity Ganon and the Imprisoned towered over the battlefield. A Bokoblin bashed its club against a fake Mii Swordfighter.

Young Link and Toon Link fought alongside various other spirits of Link, letting bombs, boomerangs, and arrows fly. Midna tossed puppets away, allowing Wolf Link to snatch one right out of the air. Cuccos stampeded with a herd of Yoshis, trampling and pecking at puppets. The Skull Kid and the Moon spread terror through their enemies, and even the four guardians of Daruk, Revali, Mipha, and Urbosa stood together. A Guardian walked across the battlefield, firing laser beams at puppets.

A Metroid grabbed a puppet and drained it of life with a Komayto from Pit's world doing the same. Galaga abducted another in a tractor beam, taking it away. The Fusion Suit, Light Suit, Phazon Suit, Gravity Suit, and Dark Suit downed the puppet of Zero Suit Samus, springing the soul of Samus' younger self free. Ridley's many forms tore through puppet fighters and Galactic Federation troops laid down laser fire. A Federation Mech stomped onto the scene, its cannon blasting at targets. Kraid roared and slammed his claws down, leading a horde of alien monsters on the attack.

Among the herd of Yoshis, one looking a little out of place with its handmade appearance, one of them threw a massive egg that rolled along the ground. While it crushed many clones beneath it, it wasn't the only thing rolling. Diddy Kong kept his balance while Donkey Kong turned himself into a living bowling ball, knocking down puppets. Diddy activated his rocketbarrel pack, carrying his friend high into the sky… and dropped him.

With an angry howl, Donkey Kong smashed down with the force of a hundred elephants. Diddy touched down, throwing a pebble at a Mega Man puppet. Kicking in his rocketbarrel pack, he tackled the fake robot and flew up, slamming the puppet back down on its head. Sakura from Marth's universe stood alongside Sakura from Ryu's world, letting loose on puppets. Tauros charged through the fray, knocking puppets aside. Scizor lashed out with its claws with Darkrai and Zoroark closeby.

A hand whacked puppets with a fly-swatter while the flies buzzed around. A game of pong was played by Color TV-Game 15 with the ball hitting clones. Chocobos trampled any puppet they ran into. An Unira poked any puppet that drew close. Young Link threw a Fairy Bottle at Sheik, healing her up while Kirby consumed a Maxim Tomato. Incineroar locked hands with a King K. Rool clone, both creatures growling at each other. Link rolled away from a Snake puppet and fired two arrows at it.

The Arcade Bunny picked up puppets with its claw, the Nintendog and the ghostly Polterpup helped Duck Hunt in driving away more clones, and Kapp'n drove after Wario's bike, snagging up stunned puppets in his bus. Excitebike riders drove after the bus. Wii Fit Trainers struck puppets with yoga poses and Dark Pit used his Electroshock arm on clones of Young Link and Toon Link. Yoshi swallowed a Kirby clone with his tongue, popped out an egg, and threw it at the face of a Lucas copy. Wario stopped near Chef Kawasaki, gobbling up some food before driving away.

King Dedede and Meta Knight fended off puppets with Masked Dedede and Galacta Knight closeby. Waddle Dees, Waddle Doos, and Bandana Waddle Dee kept up the pressure. Magolor, Landia, and Queen Sectonia joined forces in their own attack. Poppy Bros Jr and Bonkers let out a flurry of bombs and hammer strikes. Multiple enemies from Kirby's world charged into the fight. And four parts of Kirby's soul with a Warp Star, an Ultra Sword, a Star Rod, and Robobot Armor battled against light and dark copies. Nightmare blinded puppets in darkness, allowing the spirits to deal the final blows.

Near the copies, Pikachu Libre assisted R.O.B.'s team of robots by piledriving a Luigi puppet. The robots advanced, shooting lasers at any puppet that approached. A Hothead appeared in and out of sight, burning any enemy it touched. Diddy Kong rocketed into the sky, making two charging clones run into each other. Birdo spat eggs at two Yoshi clones. Wolf sprinted across the battlefield, kicked a Little Mac clone in the head, grabbed a fake Mii Gunner shooting at him by the head, and slammed it to the rocky ground.

Lucas used a Ramblin' Evil Mushroom on a Pikachu puppet while Daisy bathed more clones in flames with a Fire Flower. Luigi grew in size after consuming a Super Mushroom, kicking away a Bowser puppet. Mario dashed about with sparkling light from a Super Star, knocking down every puppet who touched him. Doctor Mario used a Lightning Bolt to shrink puppets down to size, where Pikmin rushed up to them. A tossed Blue Shell from Peach slammed down on a group of puppets cornering Snake. A Charmander ignited a Blast Box, blowing nearby puppets to kingdom come.

A Mii Brawler kicked a Luigi copy to the ground and punched it across the face. Captain Falcon crashed down fist-first, lighting up the area around him in a short burst of fire. ST Falcon stomped around and fired at clones. A Mii Swordfighter kicked down a Link clone and stabbed it in the chest. Ike slashed a R.O.B. clone repeatedly and never stopped to watch it fall apart. Cloud spun in a circle, cutting up dueling clones of Lucina and Shulk. Little Mac spun up a fist... and jabbed a Daisy puppet with his other one.

Fox performed a split kick on brawling clones of Mario and Luigi. In his eggshell, Yoshi bounced off a Diddy Kong clone and rolled right beneath it, taking out its legs. Pidgeot flew past the head of a Bowser clone and scratched it, making it tumble to the ground. A Little Mac clone tried to punch a Mii Gunner in the back... but hit the ammunition backpack. While the puppet grimaced, the Mii was alerted to the enemy's presence, whirled around, and blasted the clone.

A large foot stomped down on a Marth puppet, surprising Luigi and Meta Knight. Both of them looked up to see the red T-Rex with Yoshi on its back. As the small dinosaur let out a happy noise, the bigger one roared while Rathalos flew over it. The vivosaur charged, breathing a wall of fire down on puppets. It chomped down on an Ike puppet, shaking it and throwing it aside. Yoshi stirred the larger dinosaur onward, pointing eagerly at another group of puppets. Unlike the others, this group tried to make a run for it… but the T-Rex was on them in seconds.

Rathalos crashed down on the ground, crushing dark copies beneath its talons. A tail swipe sent puppets flying, it chomped down on a Bowser puppet, and a roar staggered a dozen clones at once. A blast of its own fire burned them all on the spot. Nearby, Blaziken spin-kicked a dark Wolf puppet in the face with a flaming foot.

Andross spit out polygonal tiles at puppets and Tricky charged through clones. A Landmaster rolled across the battlefield, firing high-powerful laser shots. An Arwing flew low and transformed into its Walker mode, sprinting and shooting at puppets. F-Zero racing machines blasted across the battlefield with more vehicles in tow, Mach Rider racing by on his motorcycle. Starman fired PSI blasts and frequently teleported away from harm. Vince went to work on a painting, throwing paint in the eyes of puppets.

Lucas and Ness freed the spirits of Lucas' mother and brother, the former running up to embrace them while Ness looked on warmly... and whacked a Pac-Man clone with a swing of his yo-yo. A Skyworld gladiator dropped to one knee, sniping at distant enemies with a long-range staff and whacking close ones with melee strikes. Hector lashed out with his scythe, instantly taking out the heavily-injured tiny Ridley puppet.

Peach bounced a Pit puppet off her opened parasol. Daisy slipped behind a Luigi clone and bumped it away with her rear end. Ryu jabbed a Ken copy and threw it over his shoulder. Dark Pit bashed a Samus puppet with his Electroshock Arm and Mega Man blasted it out of the air. Incineroar faked out a Squirtle clone with a canceled punch, making the fake fall onto its shell... and get crushed by a Thwomp. The Wii Fit Trainer took out a Falco clone with acrobatic movements.

Two light clones of a net-wielding Villager and Zero Suit Samus lunged for the prepared Shulk and Sonic… and Bowser suddenly appeared, laying down a stream of fire. The two puppets were engulfed while Shulk and Sonic slid back.

"Hey!" the hedgehog yelled. "They were ours!"

"Quit your whining!" bellowed the Koopa King, gesturing around him while Little Mac and Bowser Junior punched puppets of Pac-Man. "There's plenty to go around!"

Metagross pounded an Olimar puppet into the ground while Salamence flew above the battlefield. E. Honda, Fei Long, and Dhalsim fought their way through more puppets. Lon'qu wielded a Killing Edge elegantly, cutting down puppets like blades of grass. A Skyworld gladiator with a Back Shield battled against a Dark Pit puppet, any attacks from the rear becoming nullified.

"He's right!" called Shulk. "We're just getting started!" He swung the Monado at clones of Marth, Ike, and himself. Ness used PK Fire on clones of Greninja and Squirtle while Jeff fired a storm of bottle rockets. Ike struck a Link puppet across the back, blocking a strike from a false Marth. Machamp pounded on a Donkey Kong puppet who attempted to fight back. The Mii Swordfighter spun, slashing a Snake clone underneath its arm.

"I'll be sure to save some for the rest of you guys!" Sonic blasted off at high speed, jumping over the snarling Ultimate Chimera. The hedgehog raced past other spirits who engaged in high-speed duels such as Jet the Hawk on his Extreme Gear, Baby Rosalina in a Biddybuggy, a Villager in a City Tripper, and a Toad in a drifting Cheep Charger. He knocked down multiple puppets with a Spin Dash, jumped off a Donkey Kong clone's back, and kicked a Fox puppet out of the air. He smashed into it with a Homing Attack, freeing another spirit that emerged into a physical form. As he did so, Knuckles plowed through a Ganondorf puppet with two strong punches.

Sonic knew the spirit's fox-like shape anywhere. "Tails! Glad to have you back, bud! Feel like kicking imposter butt with me today?"

"Heh! You know it!"

His best friend grabbed him and Knuckles spun them both around, letting go with a yell. Tails kicked Sonic hard, flying into the air while spinning his tails. Sonic became a blue comet, smashing into puppets- one of them a copy of Roy that Metal Sonic was currently engaging. The spirit of Dr. Eggman was freed, who immediately blasted missiles at puppets while Metal Sonic blasted off.

Sonic touched down, finding himself surrounded by clones of R.O.B. "Oh! This'll be fun!" The fake robots opened fire, only for Sonic to jump high at the last second. While some of the robots suffered friendly fire, Sonic bashed the rest of them and kicked the last one down. Hungry for more action, the hedgehog raced off.

The blue Inkling popped out of his ink, his tank full. He laid down fire until a Ganondorf puppet grabbed him by the neck. Grunting, the Inkling turned and fired his Splattershot right at the puppet's face…

...and the fake warlord wiped it right off.

The sight of this sent a wave of familiarity through the boy's body. He knew this… but how did he get out of this?

Something struck the Ganondorf puppet and blitzed all around the Inkling, prompting other puppets to retreat. The blur slowed down, revealing Sonic. "C'mon, kid! Get your head in the game!" He punched down a Mario puppet and spun right on top of it. He grabbed a Mega Man clone, spun high into the air with it, and threw it back down. Before the puppet could recover, Sonic smashed down on it in a ball.

"Head in the game?" the Inkling muttered. He looked to the side, where Mega Man was shooting clones of R.O.B. He looked back to Sonic, who targeted one enemy after another. After a moment of standing idle… he readied his weapon.

"Right! Head in the game!" he charged, sprinting away from the recovering Ganondorf puppet. The clone sneered, drawing a greatsword…

"BWAAAAAAAH! DAAAAAAAA!" Small white rabbits came out of nowhere and swarmed the puppet, some of them whacking it with plungers. Nearby, Rabbid Mario, Rabbid Peach, and Rabbid Kong blasted and smashed puppets away. Charmy, Hornet Man, Zinger, and the Honey Queen buzzed through the sky, bringing stinging pain to more clones.

Hard Man fired two Hard Knuckles at Lucario clones. Jumping high, he fired both fists at once to pound the earth and knock a Meta Knight copy off-balance. Fletchling flew around a Donkey Kong puppet and pecked at it. Enguarde breached from the spiritual water and pierced the ground tip-first. Snake planted C4 on a R.O.B. clone, standing back and watching the fake machine blow. Diddy Kong flew circles around a King Dedede clone, leaving it completely dizzy. The monkey flew headfirst into the false king, knocking it down.

Cream and Cheese ran up to Isabelle, who was cheering on some Chao. The Villager launched his Lloid, which soared into the sky and struck a Master Hand fighting Mario and Kirby. Citizens from the Villager's town hustled about to support anyone they could find. A Mii kicked a soccer ball as hard as he could, sending the flaming orb into the head of a Bowser clone. A Hocotate Bomb crashed down from above.

Pikachu, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Lucario, Mewtwo, Incineroar, and Greninja all fought together with Red and Leaf riding on their Charizards. Despite the Pokémons' odds, dozens of puppets were vastly approaching. Mewtwo threw psychic balls at a Ganondorf puppet, who deflected them with his greatsword. Mewtwo tried to hold the puppet in place, but a flying headbutt from a Luigi puppet disrupted him.

Luckily, Pikachu knew just what to do.

"PIKAAAAAA!"

His call was answered in no time… by dozens of different Pokémon both great and small. Fire-types burned their enemies alive, Water-types washed them away (joined by water-based Robot Masters), Grass-types unleashed the wrath of nature, Dragon-types brought forth a rain of destruction, Electric-types gave them a literal shock, Fighting-types brought the pain on puppets, Ghost-types haunted foes, and Flying-types streaked through the sky.

Pikachu noticed some other familiar faces. Oshawott waved hello while using Surf on Kirby puppets with Snivy running after, Spewpa released a spore cloud, Fletchling darted through the sky, Genesect protected Chespin from a Samus puppet with laser blasts, Meowth scratched at enemies, Bewear landed an uppercut to a King Dedede puppet, Raichu and Vulpix stayed on the move, and Victini gave his buddies an attack boost.

Pikachu hopped over a downed Pac-Man clone, seeing more Pokémon everywhere he looked. Snorlax belly-slammed an Incineroar puppet, Gogoat charged past with a riding Toon Link firing arrows, Mew looked to Pikachu with wondrous eyes, Gardevoir and Bellossom walked about, Abomasnow used Ice Punch on a Bowser puppet, Tyranitar rampaged its way through light clones, Garchomp slashed through several more, Deoxys fired a Hyper Beam from high above, Staryu fired off star-shaped rays, and Goldeen and Magikarp… flopped about uselessly. Pikachu made a disappointed face and ran off. He moved around a towering Exeggutor, dove away from an exploding Electrode, and noticed a Ditto copying Mario's movements.

Several puppets, two of them with gold bodies, surrounded Pikachu from all sides, leaving no chance of escape. Pikachu steeled himself, charging up for a massive thunderstrike…

A screech rang through the air, alerting both Pikachu and the clones. Three aerial figures swooped in and attacked. Pikachu recognized their red, blue, and yellow colors: the three Legendary Birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Roars came in from the right, prompting Pikachu to look.

Suicune, Raikou, and Entei charged onto the scene. Suicune used Ice Beam to freeze enemies and Entei used Fire Spin to obliterate them in a burning whirlwind of decimation. Raikou electrified puppets that charged at him.

Ho-oh and Lugia swooped through the sky, blasts of both fire and air striking their marks. Regirock, Registeel, Regice, and Regigigas rumbled their way through more light and dark clones. Latios and Latias streaked through their air, their cries heavenly to Pikachu's ears.

Pikachu gasped when a firestorm ignited more puppets. Groudon let out a massive roar, crushing clones beneath his feet. Kyogre let out a cry and doused jets of water on his own assailants. Rayquaza zigzagged through the sky, striking at any puppet down below.

Giratina unleashed a ferocious windstorm, Dialga used Flash Cannon on a puppet, freeing Arceus from his prison. Palkia fired beams at the light and dark copies. The two Pokémon of space and time let out an echoing cry, announcing their arrival.

Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo charged up to Pikachu. Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem stormed through a squad of dark clones. Xerneas charged into sight horns-first, slamming into the golden puppets. Yveltal swooped in with Zygarde in tow, finishing off the puppets. Upon their defeat, the spirits of Solgaleo and Lunala emerged, ready to join the fight.

The Guardian Deities of the Alolan Islands appeared with Tapu Koko at the front. Pikachu looked at them all in shock and happiness.

The spirits of all the Legendary Pokémon were here! He couldn't believe it!

From high above, one of Dharkon's lasers was deflected by Galeem's wing, shooting right for the Pokémon. Pikachu caught sight of the purple beam… and could only watch in horror.

Something on four legs skidded to a stop in front of Pikachu, taking the full force of the laser. Once it vanished, a wolf-like face turned to Pikachu with a shield-like formation around it.

"Pi… Pika?" Could this be…?

A Bowser puppet roared and jumped up… but a second wolf-like figure with a sword in its mouth slashed across its form, cutting it down in one fell swoop. It touched down next to the first creature. Pikachu felt like he was going to pass out.

Zacian and Zamazenta were here, too?!

Pikachu saw Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble scurrying about with Celebi, Inkay, Mimikyu, Marshadow, and the smaller Pokémon. Past a roaring Gyarados, Volcanion, and a moaning Venusaur, a Corviknight saved a Blastoise and a Gengar from a swooping Ridley puppet. The two winged creatures tangled with each other in the air, a Pidgeot doing its best to avoid them. Morpeko and Slowpoke kept their distance from the larger creatures.

Pikachu took one more look at the Legendary Pokémon before him. They all turned to a charging group of light and dark copies… and Zacian and Zamazenta narrowed their eyes.

"AWOOOOO!" They broke into a run, leading the other Legendaries into battle. Pikachu waved goodbye, running off to find a Smasher in need of assistance.

Spring Man fought side-by-side with the Robot Master of the same name, the rest of the ARMS fighters laying the smackdown on puppets. Young Cricket assisted the Mii Brawler in battle, and Cloud found himself surrounded. Behind him, Bahamut joined other creatures and added to their fury.

Cloud readied his Buster Sword, ready to strike at a Chrom puppet…

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

The puppets were slowed down in moments. Shadow the Hedgehog leaped onto the scene with Rouge in tow. The bat kicked a Zelda puppet in the face and chased after a Wario puppet. Shadow spun into the rest of the puppets, threw Chaos Spears at those still standing, and finishing up by kicking the Chrom one away.

"No need to thank me," he spoke, teleporting away and leaving Cloud alone.

"Don't know about 'need'," answered Cloud. A Mii ran past him, firing a Steel Diver. A Toad floated through the air, having used a Super Leaf to gain ears and a tail. It touched down, swinging the tail in a circle. Cubone threw bones at a fake Duck Hunt and whacked an Olimar clone with another. A Chocobo ran by, allowing Cloud to vault onto its back and ride into battle. A Pit clone flew in... and was cut down by a single slash of the Buster Sword.

Metal Face raked through clones and fired a laser at the ground. Melia, Elma, Tora, and Nia backed up some Mii Swordfighters while Reyn, Lao, Zeke, and Morag engaged clones of Pit and Duck Hunt. Pyra and Mythra stuck close to a crowd of Pokémon.

Simon, Richter, and the entire Belmont Clan lashed out with a flurry of whip strikes. Beside them, Mister Game and Watch led his fellow two-dimensional characters into battle. A werewolf pounced on a Bowser puppet, throwing a Pac-Man puppet away. The spirit of Sonic the Werehog snagged that puppet with an extended arm, slamming it to the ground and using it as a bludgeon to wield against other puppets.

Hades, Thanatos, and Medusa commanded the entire Underworld Army while Dyntos swung his hammer at enemies. Phosphora darted through the air, shooting lightning bolts and electric balls at targets. Viridi and her Forces of Nature cleared a path through clones for centurions to progress through. Centurions with bows fired arrows at clones while bulky, muscular centurions smashed and pounded through enemies.

Blaze called forth a raging inferno to blast away puppets surrounding Incineroar and Ken. Amy Rose aided Dedede and the Ice Climbers in bringing the hammer down on foes. Vector tackled a King K. Rool puppet, sending the two reptiles in a tumbling heap. Luigi kicked a Green Shell, sending it bouncing off puppets.

Warriors from across Marth's universe came to the help of souls from Link's. In her dragon form, Tiki unleashed a stream of fire while Corrin brought another watery whirlpool down on the enemy. Anna fired arrow after arrow at clones of Sheik and Snake as Hewdraw soared overhead. Pixelated soldiers and tanks marched across the battlefield, shooting at puppets and copies. Barbara and a Burrowing Snagret protected them from attack. Charlie swung a Rock Pikmin like a mace, smashing it against the head of a Squirtle copy.

Mister Resetti swung wildly with his pickaxe, screaming in rage and taking out two Mega Man puppets. Takamaru effortlessly sliced through puppets. Big the Cat reeled struggling puppets in on his fishing line, the Ice Climbers ready to wallop. Twinbellows charged onto the field with fire erupting from his two mouths, lending a paw to Houndoom and canine-like Pokémon. The Polar Bear jumped up and down, creating small quakes that knocked puppets off their feet. Chun-Li rapidly kicked a Zelda puppet at lightning speed, a Mimicutie mimicking her actions. Mechanica advanced with the police robots Byte and Barq right behind her.

Mega Man called forth more of his allies. In an instant, X, Zero, Bass, Proto Man, Mega Man. EXE, Mega Man Volnutt, and Mega Man Star Force appeared before him.

"Shall we?" asked X.

"Oh yeah!" Mega Man called back. The two robots fired their weapons, obliterating the King K. Rool puppet before them with a combined charged shot. Zero slashed his saber at Marth's attacker, cutting down a copy of Pit. "Ha! Let's see your butter knife do that!"

"It is no excuse for the real man's sword," replied the prince of Altea calmly.

Snake fired his rocket launcher at more puppets, the Metal Gears stomping forward. Among them, the Toy-Con robot- piloted by a Mii in Toy-Con gear inside the head- marched with them, kicking away the giant Robin puppet. A downward punch finished it off, releasing the puppet within.

Tabuu led his forces forward, Infinite providing backup. Master Giant swept his arms across puppets. Master Beast chomped down on a R.O.B. puppet, assisting the Ultimate Chimera. Master Core floated through the air while Master Edges cut down any light or dark copy foolish enough to attack him.

Doctor Mario threw capsules at puppets, flinging his cape around a light clone of Mario. Zero Suit Samus fired her Paralyzer, stunning enemies that came for her. Gray Fox cut through enemy after enemy with great skill, somersaulting over an Ike puppet's sword sweep. Samus jumped high with a Screw Attack, nailing a flying Pit puppet. A Mii soared past with a Rocket Belt equipped. Magnus swung his greatsword at puppets while Ganondorf tore through enemy numbers.

The orange Inkling sprinted across the battlefield, jumping off of rocks and shooting ink at puppets. For a split second, a fire gleamed in her eye…

Fox drew back, firing his blaster three times. Tails jumped by his side, sweeping his tails across a Wolf clone's face. Falco and Revali demonstrated what true feathered fury feels like to their enemies. A Bulborb chomped down on a Pikachu puppet, stepping on a Squirtle clone in the process. Blanka rolled into a Diddy Kong puppet, and a Peckish Aristocrab nabbed its pincers around a Snake puppet. Copper and Booker stood in a defensive formation around spirits who had no weapons, swearing to shield them from harm. And more Villagers ran into the fight with many household objects in hand.

All of the boxers Little Mac had fought threw powerful punches on puppets with Balrog landing blows of his own, walloping a Ryu clone with a haymaker. Wild Gunmen fired their pistols while Duck Hunt bit on a Shulk puppet's arm. His bird pecked at a Yoshi puppet's face. A Mii Swordfighter twirled his weapon into a reverse grip, punching a Wario copy in the face with a battle cry.

The warriors from Ryu's world were putting up a strong fight themselves. Well, most of them, since Dan Hibiki was struggling to throw a light clone of Shulk over his shoulder. Sagat punched a Doctor Mario puppet to the ground, and Juri landed a high kick to the face of a Zero Suit Samus clone. Akuma used his fatal Shun Goku Satsu move, depleting all strength from a Ganondorf puppet in seconds. Blanka swiped his claws at a Charizard copy. Dee Jay, Karin, T. Hawk, Jen, Cody, Yun, and Yang lent their efforts to help Ryu and Ken as the two kept up their attack.

Tifa, Barrett, and Aerith formed up on Cloud, fending off puppets with punches and kicks, machine-gun fire, and magic spells. Red XIII ran past, pouncing on an Incineroar clone. Cloud swung his Buster Sword precisely, cutting through five puppets at once. The Prince of Sable slithered past him in his snake form, transitioning into his frog form to hop onto a Bowser puppet's face and wail on it wildly. Appearing in his human form once the clone fell, he held up two fingers and ran off.

The Legendary Pokémon brought down a Master Hand, its form sinking to the ground. A large group of spirits overpowered a Crazy Hand and took it out as well… leaving only two remaining near the cliffside.

Jeanne and Rodin plowed through clones with a horde of angels and demons at their side. Gomorrah chomped at copies, roaring at more to blow them away. Mega Man and R.O.B. moved up, shooting lasers and solar pellets at clones. Mega Man threw out Metal Blades that struck targets, firing a Hard Knuckle at a Donkey Kong clone. More puppets approached, and the Blue Bomber utilized every weapon in his arsenal to beat them back.

The monsters of Dracula's castle went on a relentless assault. A mummy grabbed a Luigi puppet, Kid Dracula tried to scare some puppets- and succeeded with two Wario and King Dedede copies- and Death slashed his scythe at several puppets. The Medusa Head froze clones in their tracks while Carmila floated nearby. The Creature shambled forth with the Flea Man in its back, an arm swiping at a dark Incineroar copy. Alucard clashed his blade against a false Lucina's sword.

Alongside the Inklings and Octolings, Judd and Li'l Judd waved flags. DJ Octavio laid down hurtful beats on fighting light and dark copies. The Squid Sisters and Off the Hook added to the musical experience, distracting puppets and giving their enemies time to strike. Even Sheldon and Cap'n Cuttlefish cheered them on.

Eleven, Eight, Erdrick, and Solo battled through puppets, the rest of the heroes from their world using swordplay and magic alike to combat the threat. Rayman and Sukapon pounded on more puppets, the former landing a spinning fist and the latter dancing around. Kirby and Starfy teamed up to fight against Yoshi clones. A Mii Swordfighter slashed up at a Roy clone, then down.

Charizard and Ridley unleashed draconic rage on their enemies, burning them in a wave of fire. Ness and Mewtwo blasted foes with a storm of psychic powers. Link and Eleven plowed through dark clones, their legendary swords having a great effect on the shadowy fakes. Yellow Pikmin conducted Pikachu's electricity while red Pikmin boosted Incineroar's fire attacks.

When Fox and Falco were pinned down, Fox raised two fingers to his earpiece. After the sound of his communication channel came through, two Arwings flew low and laid down laser fire on the pilot's opposition.

Sonic raced around the battlefield, spotting Dillon rolling into puppets. From one of them, Isaac was released and swiftly joined the battle.

Sonic shot up to a Luigi puppet, driving an elbow into its back. The hedgehog ran away just as quickly, running over a Wario puppet in the process. He jumped over a Squirtle clone's water flow, slid underneath a Simon clone's whip strike- just before the latter was pummeled by Master Mummy- and clonked the heads of two Pit and Marth copies together.

As he raced away from them, Kid Cobra and Twintelle attacked them. Karate Joe and Chibi-Robo were among the many other spirits Sonic blasted past, the blue hedgehog spinning into a Donkey Kong puppet.

Sonic screeched to a stop near Mega Man, lending him a hand in dealing with R.O.B. clones. From both the Blue Blur's spinning slams and the Blue Bomber's shots, the false robots were reduced to pieces of scrap. Squirtle and Greninja surged forth with a massive wave, washing away more clones. Isacc flicked away a Pikachu clone with one Psynergy hand and pounded a fake Mewtwo with another.

Nikki drew various sketches that came to life and attacked. Mother Brain fired a beam from her eye. Samurai Goroh aided Gray Fox, Sakura Samurai, and the Wandering Samurai, swinging his blade wildly. Riki fought alongside Shulk and Dunban while Fiora engaged Mega Man clones. Heracles, Aisya, and Orville stood within a force of warriors, fighting against puppets that came for them.

King Knight, Shield Knight, Plague Knight, and Specter Knight battled alongside the charging Shovel Knight. Wonder-Red and Wonder-Blue cleared the way for Mario and Sonic. Shantae whipped her hair at a Zero Suit Samus puppet with Risky Boots looking on. A Mii wielding a Home-Run Bat swung at enemies, knocking away a Ness clone's own bat before bashing it over the head. A strong swipe to a Yoshi copy sent it careening into the atmosphere.

"I don't see any more puppet fighters!" cried Samus. "I think we've got all the spirits!" Nearby, a Skyworld gladiator blasted ten clones with a Daybreak. Ness tossed a Mr. Saturn at a Pac-Man clone, instantly breaking its raised shield.

"Yeah!" called Captain Falcon, kicking a Marth clone in the side. "But there's still way too many of these guys!" He kneed a Snake copy in the chin. Wario threw a hook at a Lucina clone, but the copy stepped back to dodge. Wario lost his balance, collapsing right on top of the clone and crushing it under his weight. Incineroar snagged a Ryu puppet and gave it a suplex.

A Mii wielding a Beam Sword front-flipped off a rock as an explosion went off behind him, slashing down at a Link clone and kicking at a Ken clone's face. Two Miis with Ray Guns and Rage Blasters fired at copies, another Mii set down a motion-sensor bomb that blew when an Inkling clone stepped on it, and another Mii threw a Gooey Bomb that stuck to a Sonic clone. It raced around and scrambled to get it off… but the explosive went off while attached to its forehead. A Mii Gunner spun and dropped to a knee, shooting at a Samus copy's head.

"So now what do we do?!" called Falco, shooting a clone of himself in the head. A Mii wearing bunny ears ran past, a thrown black hole pulled in several clones, and Rosalina summoned a Launch Star. Combining their powers, Sonic and Pikachu rolled along the ground in a Shocking Spin Dash.

While Link threw a Deku Nut at one clone and Young Link threw a Beetle at another, Pit spotted a familiar figure off in the distance… a figure with green hair and a staff that knocked away a figure in black.

"Lady Palutena…"

Pit broke into a run, sprinting for the goddess. A Skyworld gladiator with an Ore Club battered a Meta Knight puppet, Toon Link used a Gust Bellows on Kirby clones, and Fox tossed out a Smart Bomb that blew in moments. Pit split his bow into two blades, ready to strike.

"My lady! Watch out!"

Someone dove in front of Pit, blocking his attack with a sword. At the sight of fiery red hair that matched the color of his eyes, Pit's own went wide. "Roy?!"

The Young Lion shoved Pit back and kicked him to the ground. "How DARE you attempt to strike Lady Palutena!" Rex charged at him, but Roy deflected the boy's attack and threw him away. Shulk rushed up and helped Rex to his feet.

"What- that's MY thing!" Pit shot back. "I'M the one who calls her that!"

"Your time has passed, angel!" Suddenly, Marth lunged at Roy, knocking him away from Pit. "Don't worry!" he cried. "I've got him! You help Palutena!"

Dark Pit nudged his counterpart in the shoulder to get his attention. "The witch is mine!" Without further comment, he rushed for Bayonetta while Samus made a break for her own counterpart. The witch used a Wicked Weave to punch away Isaac, breaking through his golden hand.

"Pit, Pit, Pit," spoke the goddess of light. "You just never learn. Time for me to beat some sense into you."

"I freed you from the Chaos Kin… I can free you from Galeem!"

"You're welcome to try."

Pit rushed for Palutena, his blades clashing against staff. Dark Pit was engaged in his own duel against Bayonetta, using his orbitars to shield himself from bullets. "You call yourself an angel hunter?!" he taunted, twirling his blades to deflect more shots. "I've seen Pandora try harder than this!"

"You have interfered in Lord Dharkon's business for the last time, traitor!" The witch swung a leg high, prompting Dark Pit to duck and sweep low. Bayonetta backflipped away from this, aiming her guns at him again.

Samus and Dark Samus strafed each other, cannons letting loose with shots. Phazon tentacles erupted from the ground, forcing Samus to evade. She fired a bomb at her doppelganger's face, which detonated against the helmet.

Marth, Lucina, and Chrom tagged up against Roy. The Young Lion turned his attention to one warrior at a time, shoving them away. When Marth crossed blades with him, he looked Roy in the eye.

"Do not worry, my friend… I shall release you."

"Don't be so foolish! Thanks to you and your band, my master's army is completely wiped out, save for his conjurings and his Master Hands! But once this day is through and darkness is abolished forever, his army will be remade once all of you are back in his possession! And this time, Kirby will not save you!"

A Master Hand and a Crazy Hand attacked the Smashers. Mario, the Inkling, and Kirby battled the Master Hand while Sonic, Mega Man, and the Belmonts engaged the Crazy Hand. Everyone else chose a target while the spirit army continued to relentlessly battle the light and dark copies… who still attempted to fight themselves.

A Mii Brawler held a Super Scope, using both rapid-fire and charged shots against copies. A Skyworld gladiator fired a Drill Arm at a dark King K. Rool clone, throwing the empty weapon at a dark Luigi copy. A Shy Guy swung a Fire Bar, a Mii whacked a spinning Sonic clone with a Home-Run Bat- sending it careening into a Richter copy-, a Mii in ninja gear threw down a smoke ball, a Beastball whacked a Diddy Kong puppet, a Killer Eye zapped Kirby and Yoshi clones, a Goomba hit a POW Block to shake the ground, a Hammer Bro slammed the ground with a giant hammer, and another Skyworld gladiator threw an X Bomb right into the middle of a charging clone force. Items of all kinds could be seen among the fighting spirits.

And up above, the fleet of gathered ships continued their assault. One by one, each five-fingered foe was blown to bits… or at least gold and purple puffs. But despite the fleet's efforts, ten hands replaced each hand that fell.

Marth spun, striking Roy in the chest and downing him. A charged shot from Samus smacked into Dark Samus. A blow from Pit's Upperdash Arm knocked Palutena upward and she landed hard on the ground. Dark Pit fired off arrows at Bayonetta, splitting his bow into blades.

"Say goodbye!"

He lunged, stabbing the Umbra Witch with both blades and slashing across her form. She collapsed with a groan. Everyone looked around, seeing all four fighters were down. And the last two hands were on their last legs… or fingers?

The four trophies lit up when touched, their light shining brightly. When the light faded, everyone stood up… and went into sudden alert at the raging battle before them. Bayonetta pointed her guns as Dark Samus did the same for its cannon. Roy drew his blade, turning a grateful eye to Marth.

"Lady Palutena!" cried Pit, dropping to a knee. "I'm so glad to have you back!"

"The feeling is mutual, Pit," answered the goddess. "But I have to admit that I'm… lost."

"The last thing I remember was Galeem," said Roy. "Who's he fighting up there? Are those hands fighting an entire fleet of flying warships? And where did all of THEY come from?!" he gestured wildly at both the false images of the fighters and the army of semi-physical spirits.

"Uh… it's a long story," answered Ness.

"A VERY long story," added Red. "Allow me to bring you up to speed. Galeem's been fighting a being known as Dharkon since the dawn of time, and if we don't stop them, everything we know is doomed."

"I understand our main goal and everything…" said Fox. "But Chiaki, what do we do about all of them?" he gestured to the light and dark copies. "I know there are hundreds of them. And yes, we have thousands of spirits on our side… but how are we gonna prevent them from attacking us?"

"You don't have to do anything."

The voice didn't come from the spirit; to everyone's surprise. They all turned around to see…

"Master Hand?" asked Sonic. "Is… is that really you?"

"Indeed!" called Crazy Hand. "Thank you all for releasing us!"

"Super Smash Brothers… it has been too long," said Master Hand. "The last times I remembered you were before Tabuu imprisoned me. It is true that I escaped his chains… only to be bound in new ones thanks to Galeem. I have been his pawn just as I was Tabuu's… but no more. Please. Allow me to repay you."

"Repay us?" Orange repeated. "How are you gonna do that?"

"By watching your back, that's what!" Crazy Hand repeated. "Being copied just as you all were isn't gonna slow us down!"

"Huh?" stuttered Captain Falcon. "You two? Against all of them?"

"Do not worry about our safety. We have fought you before, so we know what tricks these imposters have up their sleeves. Now go! Conquer both light and darkness and save your worlds!"

The two hands clasped together, rubbing against each other and charging up static electricity. They spread out… and slammed the air with their palms.

SHAKOOM! Electricity shot out, shaking the very sky. The shockwave formed a yellow rift in the air that Master Hand dove through. Crazy Hand followed him through…

...and the two hands emerged on the battlefield. While the spirits fought against the light and dark copies, Master Hand and Crazy Hand slapped, punched, and flicked away puppets. Master Hand fired finger bullets, drilled against the ground, rained laser beams on false images, threw rings at enemies, and threw iron balls to crush clones.

Seven copies managed to land hits on both hands. Master Hand and Crazy Hand shrugged off the attacks, dishing out strikes of greater power. A finger snap from Master Hand stunned five clones, allowing Crazy Hand to rain down bombs on them. A force of fifty fakes charged at the hands, which the duo continued to punch and slap away.

"They'll be fine, right?" asked Bowser Junior.

"Indubitably, yes," answered Zelda. "They can keep the enemy forces at bay."

Floating platforms rose up out of the rift conjured by the two hands. The breach in space slowly expanded, casting a yellow glow into the air strong enough to dissipate both the light and the darkness.

High in the sky, neither Galeem nor Dharkon noticed the situation had changed. Dark tendrils and beams of light neutralized each other out. Purple and yellow lasers zoomed past each other or connected. Yellow and purple orbs resembling large spirits clashed together in midair. The Super Smash Brothers looked on from down below. Not a word was spoken. All eyes glared at the two deities sternly.

"Your final challenge awaits you all," spoke Chiaki. "But before you depart… I have one last gift to bestow upon you."

"Considered you called upon an entire army, I don't think anything's going to top that," answered Fox.

"I beg to differ, McCloud. Behold…"

Chiaki raised her arms to the sky… and bright blue lights sailed into view. One by one, the lights came and fused together, drawing the unity's attention. To the eyes of several, a crystalline shape could be made out. A huge, glowing crystalline shape.

The blue lights faded, revealing a beautiful blue crystal hovering in the air. The Smashers gasped in awe with Zelda's mouth dropping open.

"Is that… the Smash Stone?"

"Galeem made it to give life to all that existed. Dharkon destroyed it long ago…" said Shulk.

"And most of the pieces brought us to this world," finished Samus. "How…?"

"Alongside my spiritual training, I had another goal in sight," spoke Chiaki. "The pieces of the Smash Stone were scattered across the dimensions. Through the power of a single shard, I traveled through universe after universe to recover them and restore the Stone. If Galeem or Dharkon is victorious in this battle, not even the Stone will survive the fallout."

"So why put it back together now?" asked Cappy.

"Consider it your… trump card. Good luck, Super Smash Brothers. May all the spirits watch over you."

Chiaki reverted to her standard spirit form, darting away from the crowd. Shining blue sparkles leaked off of the Smash Stone and floated down onto the champions below.

A sparkle touched Mario's arm, vanishing within. Another landed atop Link's head. Another on Orange's tentacle. And many more fell on the Smashers like snowflakes. Dozens were absorbed by their bodies… and in a split-second, they felt themselves erupting with power.

"W-w-whoa!" gasped Pit. "What's going on?!"

"I dunno…" answered Bowser. "But I feel GREAT!"

"This… this power…" stuttered Ike. "It feels… familiar."

"Yeah…" replied Ness. "It's just like our matches together! And the tournaments! Which means we felt this way every time-"

"Every time we obtained a Smash Ball!" finished Samus. "But… magnified!"

"By a hundred?" asked Orange. "No, no, wait! A thousand? Oh, wow! This feels way too amazing to even put into words!"

"So this is the Smash Stone's true power…" said Red. "Does this mean all the Smash Balls were originally part of its power as well?"

Mario closed his eyes, letting the inner power bind to his very soul. He allowed the Stone's strength to seep through his being and latch onto his core. It flowed throughout him until he felt his limit being reached…

Mario shot his eyes open, revealing them to be a blazing red with fire within them. He exploded with fiery power, his entire body alight with flame. Huge fireballs were conjured into his hands. Everyone looked at the plumber in amazement… before changes overcame them as well.

Donkey Kong's strength dramatically increased and he roared. Link's Master Sword gave a brighter glow than before. Samus' and Dark Samus' cannons became overcharged, an entire squadron of Arwings surrounded Fox and Falco, and Wolfens approached a growling Wolf.

Yoshi grew wings and gave them a good flap, fire leaking from his maw. Behind him, spirits of multicolored Yoshis neared him. Kirby donned a hat and a sword, the weapon growing in size. Pikachu and Pichu became enveloped in electric fields, their eyes bright yellow with lightning bolts inside them. Luigi held the nozzle of his supercharged Poltergust triumphantly, his eyes glowing green.

Ness and Lucas surged with PSI energy, striking a pose with outstretched palms. The spirits of Paula and Poo joined Ness while the souls of Kumatora and Boney stood by Lucas. The Blue Falcon appeared on a stretch of glowing road, engines at full power. Captain Falcon vaulted into the seat.

Jigglypuff puffed up, slowly growing in size. Peach and Daisy's eyes twinkled in pink and yellow colors, peaches and flowers swirling around the princesses. Bowser tucked in his arms and legs, surrounding himself in a purplish aura. A large monstrous figure emerged when it faded… and Giga Bowser let out a deafening roar with eyes burning in anger.

Ganondorf mimicked Bowser's movements and ascended into his true form of Ganon. The Demon King brandished his twin sword, bellowing in rage. The Ice Climbers clasped their hands together, chilly wind and snowflakes surrounding their bodies. Ice covered their hammers, allowing them to bring extra oomph.

Zelda and the soul of Sheik's wrists bright glowed with yellow light. Sheik struck a pose, a shadowy aura surrounding her. Zelda brought her hands together and let the Triforce of Wisdom shine. A swarm of capsules surrounded Dr. Mario. Marth, Lucina, and Chrom held their weapons high, their tips shining brightly.

Ike and Roy's swords were coated in blue and red fire. The two warriors of the emblem nodded to each other. Young Link and Toon Link's Triforce of Courage gave out a gleaming light. Mewtwo's eyes glowed purple and a bright aura sphere enveloped him. It cracked like an egg… revealing Mega Mewtwo Y beneath a rainbow-colored symbol.

Mister Game and Watch rose up, his form shifting into that of a 2D octopus. Meta Knight gained an extra pair of wings and Galaxia surged with electricity. "Behold!" he shouted. Pit flipped in midair, donning the legendary Three Sacred Treasures. "Equipped!" he called as the Lightning Chariot flew up beside him. Dark Pit, surrounded by a violet aura and his eyes glowing purple, pointed his unique Dark Pit Staff forward.

The spirit of Zero Suit Samus shot high into the air, landing on top of her Gunship. Wario bit down onto some garlic, transforming into his superhero alter-ego, Wario-Man, and striking a flexing pose. Diddy Kong screeched, holding his peanut popguns. His rocketbarrel pack looked like he was holding back a fully-charged boost. Snake tuned into his earpiece, readying a flare grenade and contacting a squadron of helicopters. On top of their Charizards with their Ivysaurs and Squirtles beside them, Red and Leaf smiled and nodded to each other.

Both Trainers raised their wrists and touched two fingers to their Key Stones. Their Charizards vanished inside brightening orbs of light… and re-emerged transformed and roaring. Red sat atop Mega Charizard X with pumped fists and Leaf rode Mega Charizard Y with a loud whoop.

Sonic stepped forward, spreading his arms out. Seven colored lights- the Chaos Emeralds- soared to the hedgehog's position and swirled around him in a circular rainbow. Sonic tucked in his arms, hung his head low… and exploded in a golden flash of light. What emerged was a transformed blue blur. Spines stood upward, gold fur replaced blue, and his eyes were ruby red instead of emerald green. Looking up to Galeem and Dharkon, Super Sonic frowned.

King Dedede donned a mask and his hammer turned more metallic. Olimar and Alph had rockets summoned to them, along with a horde of Pikmin. R.O.B. transformed into a laser cannon mode, his systems fully charged. Lucario scowled, bracing himself.

"MAX AURA!" He was surrounded by the same orb that swallowed Mewtwo and the Charizards… and blasted out as Mega Lucario. His Aura flared all around him.

The Villager and Isabelle danced about in joy with shining eyes. The Wii Fit Trainer struck a series of yoga poses, colored silhouettes copying her every move. And Mega Man primed his buster. "Mega Legends, TO ME!" In an instant, his fellow Mega Man- along with Proto Man and Bass- teleported to his side and Rush let out a growl of warning.

Rosalina's eyes swirled with galaxies inside them and she raised her arms to the sky. A massive Grand Star emerged, followed by dozens of Lumas. Little Mac growled and vanished in a green light… a light that a roaring-mad Giga Mac burst out of. Greninja transformed into Ash-Greninja, summoning blades of water. The Mii Fighters' eyes burned a bright yellow and they raised their fists, sword, and cannon.

Pac-Man chomped down both a Power Pellet and a Super Pellet, initiating a change of his own. He became a massive yellow two-dimensional wedge with only a maw. Palutena sprouted angelic wings from her back, her body and staff glowing with light. The tomes of both Robins surged with magic and Chrom stood by their side. Bowser Junior morphed into a paintbrush-wielding Shadow Mario while his Koopaling deviously laughed. Shulk readied the Manado and drew a hand forward.

"Dunban! Riki! Fiora! Everyone, with me!" The souls of his three friends approached in no time. Duck Hunt giggled while a whole gang of Wild Gunmen, Hogan's Alley Thugs, and a flock of pixelated ducks neared him.

Ryu tapped into the Power of Nothingness and Ken erupted in fire. Both street fighters struck a ready pose. Cloud's Buster Sword glowed brightly, his limit at its maximum. Both Corrins morphed into their dragon forms, pools of water at their feet.

"AVAVAGO!" Bayonetta created a hair-strewn portal that unleashed the demon Gomorrah. The monster roared and gnashed its teeth while Bayonetta giggled and smirked.

The Inklings' tanks were full again and their eyes shone with their designated colors. Blue slammed down a Killer Wail, adjusting the volume. Orange smiled, holding her weapon steady. Ridley screeched loudly, eyes searing with rage and claws aglow with purple light. Simon and Richter Belmont flashed their whips, which created an ear-splitting crack. King K. Rool laughed menacingly, a portal summoning his deadly Blast-o-Matic weapon. And Incineroar roared like a tiger, his entire body burning up. His eyes blazed red and his claws lit up with flame, snarling at Galeem and Dharkon high above.

The heroes placed their weapons together, drawing all their strength into Eleven, Eight, Solo, and Erdrick. All four heroes turned to their fated foes, their swords sparkling with overcharged magic. Galeem and Dharkon continued to battle, neither one letting up and giving the other time to act.

"Let's get 'em!" shouted Super Sonic. Kirby held out his Ultra Sword.

"Both of your evils end here!" called Mega Man.

"For all worlds everywhere!" screamed Orange.

"Time to show them what we can do together!" cried Cappy.

Mario shot into the air with two fiery trails from his hands, landing on the first platform and immediately springing off. Everyone else jumped after him while those that could fly rocketed into the sky. Giga Bowser and Ganon climbed up the platforms, using them as handrests and footholds. In the air, a gold streak, a purple trail, and a blue aura stood out among the rapidly-ascending flyers.

While the ultimate embodiments of light and darkness battled for the fate of the multiverse, the legendary heroes and villains from across dimensions raced up the climb to begin the final battle…

(A/N: It all comes down to this! The Super Smash Brothers vs Galeem vs Dharkon in an epic three-way free-for-all! With everything hanging in the balance, will both good and evil be placed in check? Or is the multiverse doomed to continue light and dark's never-ending conflict? The end of the journey is in sight...)