How long would it take for things to finally turn around for the All Stars? That's the question that plagued the mind of the PlayStation natives for some time now. Since arriving in New Donk a couple of weeks ago, they had been encouraged to look at their situation like it was a nice vacation. But nothing could change the fact that the All Stars needed to eventually move on. The only problem was waiting for news that a sequel to Battle Royale was in progress.

It seemed to never come.

Even though Polygon Man promised that he was sorting things out, no one knew just how long the whole process would take.

Despite all of this, the All Stars kept their chins up high and looked forward to an inevitable rebirth of the tournament. Sly, in particular, was the one who pushed everyone to start getting serious about their future, and even went as far as to schedule a huge meeting with his fellow All Stars and fans of the franchise. Sly managed to convince a manager of a convention center in New Donk to let him rent out the space for the morning, so that a small event could be hosted in preparation of Battle Royale 2.

It was no surprise that when he announced it, news of a PlayStation event being held in a Nintendo location spread like wildfire. Loyalists to the Nintendo brand no doubt felt that it was blasphemy to allow the All Stars to host an event promoting a new Battle Royale on their turf. Despite the backlash, Sly and the All Stars continued preparation for the event until that day finally came. Little did they know, something would happen at the event that would change the relationship that the All Stars had built for good...

New Donk City Convention Center

Day of the Event

Sly looked out into the crowd of people that swarmed on the convention center floor. It brought a smile to his face. It was great to know that he and his family still had the support of their fans after all these years. Seeing them here, clapping their hands, eager to hear what the All Stars had to say about their own future…

It was almost enough to bring the world famous thief to tears.

He felt a gloved hand rest on his shoulder, and looked over to see Murray's trademark smirk. "Ready, buddy? Bentley said that we're green and all ready to go! Let's get this shabang started, shall we?!"

Sly turned his head to the microphone on the center stage and replied, "We shall indeed. Let's hop to it."

Finally ready to start the event, Sly went up to the microphone on the center stage and tightened his gloves. He looked up at at the sound room to his left and gave a wink to Bentley, who then gave Sly a thumbs up.

Everything checked out.

It was showtime.

"Good afternoon to our wonderful friends and family! It's a pleasure to have you all here with us on this beautiful day."

"Woo!" The fans cheered and clapped in excitement.

"Now if everyone will have a seat, we're gonna go head and get this party started." Everyone did as they were told, got quiet and sat down.

Sly then continued, "I called this meeting because we gotta start thinking about our future. As wonderful as it is, we obviously can't stay here in Nintendoland forever. So, we need to get ready for whenever PlayStation greenlights the next Battle Royale. Since all of you are our fans, you're just as part of the family as we are, so feel free to ask any questions along the way. Now that we got all the official mumbo jumbo out of the way, I'll give the floor to Radec who has a little opening speech for us."

Sly stepped aside and beckoned Radec over to the microphone. The crowd cheered and clapped as the Colonel took his place on stage.

Radec tapped the mic twice and cleared his throat. "Who are we? We are PlayStation. The greatest nation. Gods among peasants. Leaders among followers. Men among children. Our four symbols: the Triangle, the Circle, the X, and the Square, all reflect the far reaches of our greatness. The Circle is the emblem of perfection. There is no flaw in its shape, and like so, there is no flaw in our skill. The Triangle professes our unity. From our fans, leaders, and allies, we are unified. The Square is our solid foundation. Equal on all sides, thus, sturdy against oppression. And finally the X. The mark that we paint on the foreheads of everyone who stands in our way! A bullet for our enemies, and a trophy for the fans that invest in our strength! Now I ask you again! Who are we?"

"PlayStation!"

"Speak clearly! Who are we?!"

"PLAYSTATION!"

Sly rushed up and quickly dismissed Radec from the platform before he got in trouble. Any more of his tyrannical speech, and he would probably lead a raid into Smash Mansion. "Uhh, yeah. Enough of that. Now to get things back on track, let's get into the meat and potatoes of this meeting. It's no surprise that PlayStation's working on making a new tournament. But after how badly Battle Royale was received, I gotta ask, do we think it's smart to do another fighting tournament?"

Sly paused to soak in the reactions from the crowd, as well as from his fellow All Stars. All was quiet and when he saw the confused looks, he decided to elaborate.

"So, let's think deep about this for a sec. Okay? The main criticism Battle Royale received had to do with the way Polygon Man had us fight. He didn't want it to be too similar to… AHEM the other guys. But at the same time, he felt confident that what we had would be enough for fans. It didn't work out. I think we should try a different approach to a four person competition."

"Oooh! I know! How about a singing game?" PaRappa blurted out.

Sly smiled, seeing some positive reception for his controversial opinion.

"Good idea," Kat loudly agreed while standing up in excitement. "And we can mix it with something like Dance Dance Revolution!"

"YEAH!" PaRappa shared Kat's enthusiasm and waved his arms in the air, thinking about how fun it would be.

Sly chuckled and continued. "Karaoke isn't quite what I had in mind, buuut it's a start."

"Umm, hellooo, fighting is what we do best, y'know," commented Drake. "If you're not gonna have us servin' up knuckle sandwiches, then what do you have in mind? I used to look forward to taking out all my anger on space rats and dancing dogs after a lousy day at the office."

"Yeah!" Daxter agreed. "What's more fun than kickin' the crap outta each other?!"

To reply, Sackboy used his Popit to bring out a miniature cart. He hopped in and started doing donuts in the middle of the floor.

"Kart Racing?" Jak figured Sackboy was trying to explain. "I'm game. Let's do that," Jak said with enthusiasm. Racing was one of his favorite hobbies.

Sly snapped his fingers, garnering attention back on him. "See how everyone has their own idea for a crossover? That's what the new tournament should be. It should be a collection of mini games." Everyone looked at the person closest to them and chatted about the idea. "So let's break it down here. You can certainly have karaoke, kart-racing, and traditional fighting all in one package. And then some!"

"I don't care what it is as long as the winner gets cake!" Fat Princess shouted.

"But hey! That's not a bad idea," one of the guys from the crowd shouted. "I say we vote the mini games route!"

Kratos stood up and objected. "Enough! We are warriors, are we not?! Who are YOU to tell us, who are born of the sword, to not draw the sword when it calls out to us?! We embraced our bloodsoaked heritage in yesterday's tournament, and we shall do it again for tomorrow's!"

"Yeah! We want non-stop action! I'm voting for another fighting tournament," a guy from the crowd called out. Most people agreed with him, because the entire center got loud with those who thought the same way.

Isaac then stood up and voiced his opinion. "Look," Isaac started, "We shouldn't focus on what type of competition we'll have. The most important factor is who we have participating. Our roster was the biggest criticism. Not the way we fought."

Sly took a step back and facepalmed, totally forgetting about that very important detail. Their minuscule roster was definitely the last nail in the coffin for them, and he wondered how he had so easily forgot about that.

He stepped back up to the mic and concurred with Isaac. "He's absolutely right. This time around, we'll need some heavy hitters. I'm talking movie star status like, Spiderman."

The crowd erupted in excitement when Sly dropped his name. It got so loud that Sly had to bang the podium just to get everyone focused. "I can tell y'all are pumped up. But let's clear the air here. We can't promise anything. Especially since the kid is so busy with his own movies, comics, yadda yadda, you get the idea. But whenever we get the next tournament set for launch, there's a strong possibility he's coming along. Right Polygon Man?"

Polygon Man gently nodded and cleared his throat, "Absolutely."

"Getting Spiderman here would be a dream come true! He's so talented!" Beamed Kat.

Dante rolled his eyes. "Pfft. Be real, Kat. Just say why you really want Pete here. You just wanna ride his dick into the sunset, like every other bug-eyed fangirl."

Kat shot up, red as the sun, and shot daggers at Dante. "You know, it's not a bad idea just to keep your mouth shut for once! You're just a nasty, vulgar, foul mouthed JERK!"

Dante crossed his arms and cracked his neck, not phased one bit by the hurt in Kat's voice. "True, but you still love me."

A brave soul in the crowd spoke up and backed Kat's idea. "She has a point, you know. It's a good idea to weed out the bad things from the first game. Especially, Dante, since no one even liked you in the first place."

Dante scoffed, uncrossed his legs, and stood up. He scanned the crowd behind him to locate the brave soul that called him out. "Yo, why don't you speak up now that the spotlight's on you. C'mon, don't be a pussy."

No one dared to respond, except for a different fan on the other side of the room that happened to share the same belief that Dante was not liked.

He stood up and raised his voice at the demon hunter. "Hey, just admit it! You're just a cheap knock off of the real Dante that everyone loves!"

Dante rolled his eyes and tossed himself back into his seat. It wasn't worth getting riled up over insults he had heard for years. "You talkin' about that poser with the cowboy boots? Yeah, he can kiss my ass," Dante replied in a smug tone.

Sly whistled and used his calming voice to ease the rising tension. "Now, now. Let's behave ourselves. Throwing jabs at each other won't solve our problems. Now, any other ideas of who you want on board?"

For a minute, the fans all talked with one another about who they would like to see the most. It wasn't long until Sony's most popular game from the last generation came to topic.

"ELLIE!"

People all over the crowd started shouting her name. Sly massaged his chin and sighed. He was honestly hoping that he wouldn't have to talk about that franchise. "Why don't we put that topic on the back burner for now. We-"

"Why should we?" A fan questioned Sly ducking the topic. "Is it because she's queer?!"

Sly sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes, disappointed that somebody would accuse of him being homophobic. "I'm sorry? Oh come on, do you think we're still living in caveman times? Of course it's not because she's a lesbian. It's because, like it or not, that game is one of the biggest stains on PlayStation's history. Some fans enjoyed it. Let me repeat that. Some fans. But most of them absolutely despised it. So, let's be honest now, do we think it's a good idea to have them on the roster?"

Isaac agreed with Sly. "I'm with Sly on this one. It'll just bring more bad publicity."

"Well bad publicity is still better than no publicity," disagreed Drake.

"Nah, I say put em' in," disagreed Evil Cole. "Ellie's still a chick even though she doesn't go for the schlong. I say give the fans what they want and bring some more ladies on board."

After how deep the conversation was getting, Polygon Man felt the need to speak up and clarify some things. "Do bear in mind, my children, it is ultimately up to the higher ups to decide. I do not possess the executive power that I owned before, so I can only give them a recommendation."

Toro politely raised his hand to ask a question.

"Ah, yes, my son?"

"Polygon Man, you never told us exactly why you fell out of power. What happened with you and PlayStation?"

For an odd second, Polygon Man hesitated before he answered. "To keep it simple, most of the circumstance has to do with money. The Battle Royale tournament was quite expensive with all the 'licenses' and 'fees' and what have you. But as for my position of power, you must understand that it has been an entire generation since Battle Royale first started. Much has changed with our parent since then."

Polygon Man's words stumbled out of his mouth with uncertainty and at a strangely fast pace. It definitely wasn't his usual style, and Dante noticed that.

"Got a feeling you're not telling us something," Dante piped up. "What does all that mean for the future of Battle Royale?"

"It means that you all are expendable," a deep voice echoed throughout the chambers of the building, shushing everyone with its coldness.

The All Stars and fans turned to see where that new voice came from. A set of double doors from the entrance to the building had just closed, and right at the entrance was Sephiroth.

"HOLY COW IT'S SEPHIROTH!"

All the fans screamed for their moment to see their idol, but Sephiroth swiftly made it clear that he was not there to please them. He simply raised his hand forward, and all was silent again.

"Quiet," he sternly said, emphasizing again that he wished to be uninterrupted. "Silence is the most beautiful melody."

He then proceeded to walk forward at a steady pace to the front of the seats where all the All Stars still sat staring at him, wondering what the heck he was doing here.

Kratos finally shattered the ambience when he demanded an answer to Sephiroth's interruption. "SPEAK! You profess that my brothers and I are 'expendable'?! Use the tongue inside your head… while you still own it."

Sephiroth grinned, not at the threat from Kratos, but by the upcoming blow he was about to deal to everything that the All Stars hoped for.

"Hm? Your leader hasn't informed you yet? Heh… typical. Long ago, it was decided by your Council that a sequel would not be made. As a matter of fact, PlayStation made that decision only a year after Battle Royale launched. It seems that your leader has decided to keep you all in the dark while he cradled onto his false hope that he would be given a second chance."

Sephiroth paused, awaiting any reaction from either the fans or the All Stars. But everyone was speechless and processing the absolute nuke that Sephiroth just set off. Polygon Man looked like he was frozen in time. Almost like a child caught in a mischievous act.

"He's lying," Jak's guttsy rebuttal struck away the silence. He crossed his arms in confidence as he replied. "Polygon Man told us that PlayStation needed time to work things out."

"And you believed him?" Sephiroth stifled a chuckle before he crushed everyone's hopes. "Fool."

Calm and collected, Sephiroth stepped up to the podium where Sly and Radec still stood, and made his way for the microphone.

Before he could take it, however, Sly grabbed it and twirled it around his fingers. "Sorry, not sorry. This mic ain't up for grabs."

Sephiroth glared at Sly, then decided to not spare him any more attention. He turned to the crowd, stepped to the very edge of the podium, and used his bone-chilling voice at full volume to speak to everyone in the convention center.

"For years now, Polygon Man has lied to you. He has made you believe that your labor has not been in vain, and that your Council would honor your desire to continue Battle Royale. He has steered you onto a path of deception. And this latest venture of yours is no different. I'm actually amazed that he would go so far to bring you into the very world that destroyed your own. I find it… quite amusing."

Stifling his laughter no more, Sephiroth's chuckles echoed throughout the eerily mute conference room that had been overtaken by shock at what he was saying.

Dante stood up and shouted, "Tell me that isn't true! TELL ME THAT ISN'T TRUE!"

"How dare you…," Nariko said, standing up as well.

"Whoa, wait. This guy's just pulling our leg, right?" Sly asked.

But as more of the All Stars and fans began reacting, Polygon Man suddenly burst out into a mess of emotions. "I COULDN'T LET YOU ALL GO! You are my children! How does a father turn a blind eye to his own flesh and blood?! Is that what you wanted me to do?!"

"Hmm mhmm mh hmmhm mhm?! Mh mhm hm mh mhmh hm hmm hm hmmhm hmm!" (What about our personal lives?! Not all of us wanted to stay in Battle Royale!)

"Hey, Sir Daniel's speakin' the truth!" Emmett said, standing up in rage along with some of the other fans. "Yeah, we gotta family here with one another. But we also had family back in our own worlds. Sisters and brothers that miss us, but we stayed here because we thought we had a future together."

"And that future was declared dead a long time ago," Sephiroth's voice sliced back in like a sword. It continued cutting away without an inch of mercy. "And all for what, I ask."

Radec attempted to answer, "I suppose that by some stroke of luck, Polygon Man hoped that people would pay more attention to us than the Smash Brothers?"

"YES!" Polygon Man roared, moving forward to the center of the podium behind Sephiroth. He, too, looked out into the crowd and raised his voice. "TELL ME, WAS THAT SO WRONG TO HOPE FOR?! Look at you, my children! You deserve every ounce of praise that the Smash Bros have gotten and even more! PlayStation itself may have lost faith, but I NEVER did! That's why I did what I did! If I had told you the truth that year, you all would've lost hope!"

Dante shook his head and pointed at Polygon Man. "Nah. We never asked you to do that. We wanted you to be straight with us! Pulling us here against our will… into the same universe that spat on us and what we did? Only a selfish bastard like you could do that!"

"Don't you talk to him like that!" Toro shouted. "He's our last hope! He hasn't given up on us! He deserves our diligence to put up one last fight for our survival. For the survival our family."

Next to Toro, Kuro hollered, "He isn't being selfish! He's showing us love that we may never ever receive from the same people that raised us!"

Sephiroth interrupted once more. "Let's say that you do. Perhaps all of you march up to your Council and demand that your dreams become reality. That your tournament be given a second chance. Do you sincerely believe they will bat an eye? Hmph. Take a look at yourselves. All of you are ghosts. Memories of long forgotten franchises that have been bled dry of any opportunity that was once present. You… are… dead. And that, is the ultimate ultimatum."

Toro looked to Polygon Man with tears in his eyes. "Is it true, Polygon Man? Does PlayStation not care about us anymore?! Are we really that bad?"

"Ngh! N-No! I-"

"Speak the truth, Polygon Man," Sephiroth boomed. "You claim to be their Father, correct? What kind of Father speaks false words to the son he has sworn to protect?"

Toro didn't need to hear it from Polygon Man. He let the tears run freely from his eyes now.

"Sephiroth, just stop!" Kat begged. "Please! You're breaking our hearts!"

"Me? Dear, I am removing the shackles that your Father has bound to you. You should be praising me."

With grace, Sephiroth descended from the podium, and back down onto the ground where the rest of the All Stars and fans could only stare. He was right. Everyone knew he was right. And no one dared to challenge him.

Sephiroth continued as he steadily made his way through the walkway, and back to the entrance. "Face the truth. Accept the truth. Embrace the truth. You all hold no value to your Council any longer. You are not family. You are cashed checks that have long been forgotten."

He turned around before he reached the door, and looked back. "Even you Polygon Man. You admit yourself that you have no pull of what you dictate for the future of your own tournament. What does that reveal about how your parent sees you?"

Having enough of his slander, Drake cut Sephiroth off and defended his family. "You're full of shit!"

"And you're full of denial. Heed my warning and meditate on my words. You should all abandon your fruitless labor, and return to your own worlds. You are only setting yourselves up for further failure. After all, failure is the only thing you have succeeded in."

Sephiroth couldn't help but give off a huge shit-eating grin before he turned and left, leaving everyone decimated by his words.

No one expected what happened next.

It started with Dante shouting multiple expletives and storming out. Fans then followed his example and began making a ruckus that nearly shook the walls of the convention center.

In literally just a few seconds, the entire scene was transformed into a madhouse with no end in sight. And for the first time, the All Stars questioned their faith in themselves.

Meanwhile in the Mayor Pauline Commemorative Park

At the very edge of the famous park, were two oddities that clearly looked out of place.

Cloud and Raiden.

Cloud had one leg perched up on the bench with his elbow resting on his knee while he looked out into the massive Metro Kingdom cityscape. Raiden sat with his legs folded over, taking in every detail Cloud had been spilling to him.

They spent the morning together with mostly Cloud going into further detail why he ultimately went to Smash Bros, and how it impacted his life. There was no longer any hostility between the two brothers. They had made up well over the last couple of days Cloud had been staying at Donktastic. If only the same could be said for the other All Stars.

For example, Drake welcomed Cloud with a great smile when he saw him. However, Zeus elaborated how "traitors" were executed where he came from, hinting at some quite harsh feelings for Cloud. Nevertheless, Cloud felt good to be taking a break with the people he considered his "original" family.

"...And that's when I fell in love. The game. The people. All of it. I just became so fascinated with everything Smash stood for. At first, I wasn't so sure about the choice I made. But it was thanks to the support I got from my friends. From Chrom. From Robin. From all of the friends I made. It was worth joining Smash just to meet these people that have helped me grow so much."

Taking his eyes off the pillars of glass and concrete, Cloud turned toward Raiden and got firm. "I don't give a damn what you think about them. They are good people. And they deserve your respect."

Raiden remained looking off into the distance as he replied, "I… understand." Raiden unfolded his legs and sat up, letting his elbows rest on his thighs. "Cloud, listen. "Not once did I ever say they weren't good. I'm just angry that you chose them over us."

Raiden looked down at the grass beneath his feet, and shook his head in grief. "I love you. But… I'm not sure if I can ever forgive you for that."

Cloud swallowed hard when he heard the deep pain in Raiden's voice. It was true what Raiden said about Battle Royale. It was more than just a game to the All Stars. Much more than a tournament. And Cloud was only just beginning to truly comprehend the extent of the love they had for it.

"The thing is," Cloud began, "I always felt empty here." Raiden picked up his head and studied Cloud's tone as he continued. Cloud fiddled with the mythril bangle on his wrist, struggling to be honest with Raiden as well as himself.

He let a brief cackle escape as he continued. "Believe me, I've felt joy on levels I never thought possible here at Smash. But it never felt… right. Like I was on a different planet." Cloud shuffled over and let his hands caress his weary face. "Like… I didn't belong there."

"Mm," Raiden hummed.

"But yesterday… when you all welcomed me back… I felt like I was right where I needed to be. Where I belonged."

Raiden smiled, pondering back to the previous morning when Raiden announced that Cloud would be staying with them for a while.

"Toro and Kuro would completely agree. They couldn't take their hands off you the entire day."

Cloud laughed fully and wholeheartedly. "Yeah! It was great to see PaRappa too. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when he started rapping for me. That was awfully nice. Oh! And that tall blonde girl. 'Kat' I think her name was?"

"Yes. That's her."

"I don't think I ever met someone so upbeat. She barely even knew me, yet treated me like her brother."

Raiden leaned over and put his arm around Cloud's shoulder. "It's because you are. You always have and always will be our brother."

Cloud looked into Raiden's eye, and that's when it all came crashing down on him. The truth about all of this brutally cut into him at once when he saw the look on Raiden's face.

Cloud looked away and shut his eyes. "I should've been there. Damn it! I should've been there at the beginning to give my support!"

He looked up into the sky as pure regret continued to shred him apart.

"If only I could go back… maybe things would've ended differently for Battle Royale… Damn…"

Raiden took his arm off of Cloud and stood up from off the bench. "Cloud. Look at me."

Cloud hesitated for a moment before he finally complied.

"We love you. So much. We always have and we always will. You'd better not ever forget that. Understand?"

Cloud offered a steady nod as his reply.

Raiden nodded too as he continued. "But… You need to go back. You've formed a commitment. You've made a promise. From the moment you accepted that invite, you've pledged your loyalty and support to those people, and I know they're counting on you-"

"W-Wait a minute. Raiden, I confessed all of this to you so you could understand why I can't go back. I have a responsibility and even though I ran away from it for a few years, I'm ready to take it back."

Raiden leaned forward and looked directly into Cloud. "Are you sure this isn't an excuse? To avoid fighting-"

"Don't say his name," Cloud roughly cut Raiden off, getting a little angry. "Do you really think I'm that selfish? If that were the case, then I why would I be wasting my time here?"

Raiden reeled back, sensing the hurt in Cloud's voice, and also feeling like he may have pushed a little too far.

"Besides, I can never truly escape from Sephiroth… It's like he haunts the very air I breathe."

Feeling the shakiness in Cloud's breath, Raiden wrapped his arm around Cloud's back again. "Listen, Cloud. You made a promise when you accepted that invitation. And that promise means standing up to your enemies as well as your responsibilities. As much as I'd love to have you on board, you've got a mission to complete. You choose to be a Smasher, right? Well, fulfill your promise you made to Master Hand and the fans that love you. Be the best Smasher there ever was. And don't you dare let that bastard, Sephiroth, stand in your way."

They stood up and shook hands. Raiden smiled the hardest he had in a while. "Me and the gang, we'll be on the sidelines rooting you on."

Cloud nodded and replied, "Just… let me stay this one last day with you all. Then, I'll go back. My head should be clear by then."

"Okay. Let's do that."

After a while, the two decided to start heading back to the hotel.

Raiden took a nice long look at Fenrir as they approached it. "You sit on the back this time. It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of riding a motorcycle."

Cloud gave a nonchalant shrug. "Your call. As long as you get us there with all limbs attached."

"Tch. I'm a little rusty, but it's nothing that my cybernetic upgrades can't help with. They're not just useful for combat, y'know."

"I get it. It's to make up for your lack of skill," Cloud teased.

"Is that what you think? Hmph. A sparring match will beg to differ."

Raiden eased up on the throttle when he saw the streets ahead filled with crowds of people. "Hold on, somethings happening up ahead."

"Hm?" Cloud looked up past Raiden's right shoulder and sure enough, he could see for himself that it appeared to be somewhat of a riot in the street.

Raiden parked Fenrir on the curb leading up to the hotel. The two men had to push through the crowd of people that was so loud, that their chants were unintelligible. They eventually made it to the entrance where there was a reporter and news team at the front door.

"Oh! Look! Over there!" The news woman stopped her current speech on a dime, and pointed at Raiden and Cloud. "Oh, this is too good of a chance to miss! Get the cameras on these gentlemen right here!" She rushed to Raiden's side and practically shoved the microphone into his mouth. "Raiden! I am so honored to be speaking with you! Super fast, what's your take on the breakup of the PlayStation All Stars?"

"THE WHAT OF THE WHO?!" Immediately, Raiden bolted past the swamp of cameras, flashing lights and microphones, and rushed into the lobby to find out what was going on. The news woman turned to Cloud next, but he casually looked away from the cameras with an annoyed face and followed Raiden inside.

As soon as they got inside, they could see more fans had pooled into a crowd, and they could also hear loud shouting coming from the center. Raiden recognized the familiar voice as Drake's.

"...And that's how I feel about it. Look, I'm sorry to all my fans, but I just can't associate myself with someone who lied to us for almost a whole decade. Nuh-uh. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to put some whiskey in my system." Drake stepped off the chair he was standing on and pushed his way past the crowd to make it up to his room.

"NATHAN," hollered Raiden. He rushed up to Drake and grabbed his arm. "Drake, what the hell is going on?! People are saying that our team broke up! What happened?!"

Drake looked at Raiden, then to Cloud. "Boy, did you two pick a good time to go on a picnic."

"Just tell me what happened!"

As quickly as Drake cracked a joke, his smile disappeared in a flash, and Raiden could see the anger dwelling inside him. "Show's over. It's done. Just have your crap packed by tomorrow morning, because we're getting the hell out of here and back to where we belong… our homes."

Frustrated that he still had no clear answer, Raiden rushed past Drake, upstairs where he found more of his family in the hallway.

He ran up to the closest, who was Kat. "Kat! Everyone's talking about leaving! No one's making any sense! What happened while we were gone?! Just what the HELL is going on?!"

Kat leaned against the wall solemnly with her hand caressing her shoulder. She told Raiden and Cloud everything that happened at the convention center while they were out catching up.

Cloud banged his fist against the wall, making the chandelier above them flicker from the impact. "Damn you, Sephiroth! Why can't you just leave us alone?! Everywhere you go, you just cause division and misery."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not leaving. Even though Polygon Man lied to us, he only did it because he believed in us." Kat hoped for some kind of reaction from the two men, but they both seemed lost without emotion. "R-Raiden…?" She softly asked.

"Where is Polygon Man right now," Raiden questioned. His voice was low, almost whispering.

Kat shook her head. "...I don't know."

After he received his answer, Raiden set off to find his boss. The scary thing about him was that no one could tell which side he was on. Was Raiden angry? Sad? Did he wish to leave the All Stars or stay for Polygon Man? Before he fled off, it was impossible to tell. One thing was for sure though, he was dead set on finding Polygon Man.

Later That Evenimg

It was quiet at Master Hand's house, save for the sprinklers whirring in his garden. Inside, he was parked just a few feet from his doorway, simply floating in that spot with anticipation for his guest.

"It won't be long now," he thought to himself. He was thinking about the inevitability of Polygon Man showing up to his house for a "talk."

The news of the All Star breakup was everywhere. You couldn't step foot outside without hearing somebody talking about it. Even though he didn't have all the info on why this happened in the first place, somehow he knew that Polygon Man would come to seek his counsel. His theory was proven correct when he heard a knock on the door just a couple of minutes later. Master Hand huffed and opened the door.

All he could see was a fleeting wave of purple as Polygon Man angrily rushed past him and into his house. "IT'S ALL COMING UNDONE!" The floating head whipped to and fro, like he was looking for something, and his breathing was frantic.

"Calm down. I'm still in the dark to all the details. What exactly happened this afternoon?"

"Sephiroth! That's what happened! Everything was perfect until that boy showed up! We were talking futures! Opportunities! Possibilities! And the fans were eating it up! They LOVED it! Do you know how long I've waited to see that sparkle in their eyes again, Hand?! But then HE had to invite himself and obliterate everything I've worked for! EVERYTHING!"

Polygon Man took a moment to settle himself. Full of embarrassment, he looked back up to the glove like a humiliated child. "He told them the truth…"

If Polygon Man was capable of producing tears, now would be the point where they start pouring down. Master Hand hummed, thinking about Sephiroth. That man already had everyone on edge. Everywhere Sephiroth went, a cold draft accompanied him, making all in the area uncomfortable and on their toes.

"What do you want me to do?" Master Hand asked.

"Bah! There is nothing that you CAN do! It's over!" He cursed and excused himself from Master Hand. Polygon Man floated out of the doorway and closed the door to Master Hand's house.

All the secrets.

All the lies.

It all came crumbling down on the family he worked so hard to build, and even harder to maintain. He felt a presence and looked to his left to see Raiden leaned against the wall of Master Hand's house. His arms were crossed and one foot was propped up against the wall, and his eye studied the patterns of grass that gently swayed in the evening air.

"What did you hear?" Polygon Man asked.

"...Everything."

Raiden looked lost.

Like he didn't know what to do.

It was an expression that Polygon Man had never seen before. Raiden always seemed to have a plan along with a backup plan, and a backup plan for that.

But right now, he looked like a lost child.

It hurt Polygon Man to his core.

Raiden opened up his mouth and let the words tremble out. "So, it was all a publicity stunt? Bringing us here to this world? And they still neglect us? Why?" Raiden took his foot off the wall and let body slump against it. He felt so defeated. "All we want… is another chance to fight with all the heart we have."

"Mmm. Indeed, my son. It was all a publicity stunt. Taking you to this place. It was all just to gain attention. But all for the right reasons. You think I don't know that PlayStation has been ignoring us? I thought, surely when they saw how desperate I was through what I did, they would address my pleas for another tournament. But nothing has been said."

Raiden took a deep breath, afraid to hear the answer to his next question. "So what's the plan now?"

Polygon Man's glowing yellow eyes bored into Raiden.

He loved him.

He loved him so much.

Polygon Man loved all his children. He never wanted to face the day where he would have to let them go.

It physically hurt him as the words left his mouth, "We go home."

Raiden looked up at the sky that had beautiful hues of pinks and blues as the sun began to set. He swallowed the boulder in his throat as his heart broke.

"Alright."

Master Hand looked out of his living room window as the two began making their way out of his yard.

An idea had been rolling around in his mind.

One that could get him into serious trouble, but save the efforts of Polygon Man. He just couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Polygon Man. Wait."

Raiden and Polygon Man stopped in their tracks and looked back at the floating glove exiting his house. "If publicity is what you need, then I am willing to make one last offer that will give you all the publicity in the world of gaming."

Polygon Man sighed. What else did he have to lose? "What do you propose?"

Master Hand hesitated for a second, knowing what he was about to say was downright insane.

But… he did it anyway.

"For this time only, I am personally inviting the All Stars to join the Smash Bros."

Later that night at Donktastic

Later that night, the Donktastic hotel was a mess. Security had to constantly keep fans and rioters alike from disturbing the peace of the hotel. Or whatever was left of the peace.

Inside, the All Stars were in the lobby, continuing to argue whether or not it was worth it to leave back to their own worlds. Suddenly, Polygon Man and Raiden entered through the double doors, and all attention was immediately on them.

"Speak of the devil," Dante said with a beer in his hand. If you asked him how many he had for the night, he wouldn't be able to tell you.

Dante, Drake, Zeus, Emmett, and a few other All Stars glared at the two men.

"You are quite brave, mortal," Zeus stated to Polygon Man. "Professing fables of prosperity and victory for years. Such fruitless promises! I would do well to strike you down where you stand!"

"I can second that," Drake said. "You know, I've had ex-gilrfriends that weren't as sleazy as you. I mean, a whole decade of constant lying? Heh, that's gotta be a world record. Pfft, you should be proud of yourself, because that is quite an accomplishment, pal!"

Polygon Man sighed. "Before anyone says anything else, you should listen to what I have to say."

Dante slammed his beer down on the table in front of him, and stood up from the couch. "Nah, I think you've ran your mouth long enough."

By this point, some of the other All Stars began coming down from upstairs once they heard the commotion.

"Seriously?! Fat Princess shouted from atop the stairs in her nightgown. "Y'all are still arguing?! Why don't you boys just SHUTUP and go nighty-night already?! Sheesh!"

"Not until Polygon Man sets the record straight," Dante replied glaring back at Polygon Man. "This bastards been lying to us for years, but that's about to stop right now." He stepped up to Polygon Man. "No more lies. Where do we stand?"

Polygon Man looked up at the ceiling above him, too ashamed to look the demon hunter in the eye. "...Everything Sephiroth said was true." Dante winced and looked away, angry. "Then tell me… what the fuck are we doing here?"

"A cry for help. Everything that's been done afterwards was a cry for help. Begging PlayStation to see the passions that still dwells in us, and offer us a second chance. This was my last resort, my son."

Dante turned back and pointed his finger in Polygon Man's face. "I'm not your damn son-"

"After we had no money to support ourselves, bringing you all here to the Nintendo universe was a public cry for help to PlayStation to show how much I believed in our community. But it's been two weeks now… and they still refuse to bat an eye at us. Do you know how much it pains me, boy?! As your father-"

"TO HELL WITH THAT! You're not my goddamn father! Quit, saying that shit! Not to me, not to Ratchet, not even to a kid like Spike. You're a coward."

Polygon Man winced and backed up against the wall as Dante got closer. The demon hunter was murdering him with his words that he just couldn't hold back on at all.

"You hear me? You're a goddamn coward. One year after Battle Royale, we could've been off doing our own thing. But you had to hold on to us because you were scared. Scared to admit you failed. Don't blame PlayStation or whoever else for that shit. No, it was your fault."

Dante stood face to face to Polygon Man after spitting out his last words that writhed in seething anger. Everyone watched with their hearts heavy in their hands. Polygon Man had a set of fixed expressions they were used to seeing: Anger, Stoicness, and even a hint of Joy. But sadness was something they had never seen.

"I'm… so sorry, my son."

Dante looked away and shook his head. He grabbed his coat from off the ground and fished in the pockets to light up a cigarette. He took one long drag and looked to his fellow All Stars. "It's the end of the road. If you stay here another day, you're wasting time just like that sad heap of shit over there."

"Dante, chiiill! You can't be talkin' to our daddy like that. You gotta believe!"

"Dammit! Get real, PaRppa! I'm leaving, and so should you, and the rest of us! You wanna stay here and kiss ass to those Smash Bros assholes, be my guest!"

"DANTE!" Raiden shouted with a noticeable growl to his voice that made the demon hunter stop his rampage.

Dante took another drag, and turned his head just enough to make Raiden out in his peripheral. "What the hell do you want?" The words fell out of his mouth at a lazy pace. Dante was done. He didn't want to hear anything else from anyone.

"Master Hand wants us to fight in the Smash Bros tournament. You will accept the invitation. And you will fight for PlayStation's legacy."

Dante let a small smile crawl on his face. "That's cute." He chuckled and flipped Raiden off before turning back to go to his room. "Go fuck yourself."

He stormed up to his room in the hotel and began packing his things. Polygon Man came from against the wall and addressed his children. His voice was shockingly soft and absent of the booming authority it usually had.

"I won't hold anything against you if you choose to follow in Dante's steps. If anyone wishes to leave, pack your things and be prepared to leave tomorrow. I will prepare a plane that will bring you back to your own worlds."

"Excuse me, but did I just hear you say that Master Hand wants us to join the Smash Bros?" Yelled Emmett.

"No," Raiden sharply replied. "We aren't joining them. We're participating in their tournament."

"Holy cow! Now isn't this ironic," Drake teased, chuckling at Raiden. "You're the one always preaching about brand loyalty and devotion like some pampered golden boy! And now you're telling us to fight in their tournament? Gee, I guess it wasn't enough that we were wipin' our asses with their toilet paper, in THEIR goddamn hotel!"

"For heaven's sake!" Raiden shouted back. "It isn't about stroking our egos anymore, Nathan! Screw that! We can't afford to be blinded by pride! We're on our own, don't you understand?! We need to do what's best for us, and right now, that means taking whatever opportunities we get!"

With that final sentence, Raiden made the entire hotel lobby cold and silent. All Stars and fans alike simply looked at each other, mulling over the bomb that was just dropped on them.

The idea seemed so ludicrous.

To have PlayStation characters associating with Nintendo sponsored events?

None of it made any sense. Yet, somehow, it was obvious that there was no other way to get the message across that the All Stars weren't done fighting. Someway, somehow, they would fight, with or without the help of Sony themselves.

A deep, booming voice destroyed the silence, and it belonged to none other than Kratos.

He spoke with strong authority as he descended down the stairs and joined the argument. "If it is indeed true that our fathers have forgotten us, then we will stand together and show them the error of their ways." Kratos parked by Raiden and Polygon Man with his head held high, showing that he was not ashamed at all to be by their side.

"Uh huh! Now we're talkin'!" PaRappa cheered and skipped over to Polygon Man. "This party's just gettin' started!"

Fat Princess shrugged and decided she would stay as well. "Whatever! The cake here is waaayy yummier anyway! This princess has decided to stay!"

Raiden chuckled. "Heh. If cake is good enough for her to stay, then what's holding you back?" He asked, pointing towards Drake, Emmett, and Zeus.

Drake shrugged and smugly replied, "Simple. We're not dumbasses." Drake turned around and began making his way upstairs. "I'm not sticking around just to be mocked like a third grade dork. You better not be lying about that plane, Polygon Man, because I'm hightailing it outta here first thing in the morning."

It was official.

The All Stars were breaking up.

They were a family no more.

The Next Morning (Departure)

Rain poured down.

Nonstop.

It was a relentless phenomenon that showed how the universe had a sick sense of humor. On the last day for some of the All Stars, it had to be raining, didn't it? Even though water gushed from the clouds, Polygon Man insisted that the flight not be cancelled. He had no intention of keeping his children "against their will" any longer. If they wanted to go back to their own lives, he felt he owed them the quickest flight possible.

The time was nine o'clock in the morning, and despite how early it was, Dante was up and outside. He was crouched down, chilling right in the middle of the airstrip with rain hammering him. The water droplets trickled from down his hoodie that shielded his face from the weather. Truth be told, he wasn't an early bird. But the only reason he was up so early was because he simply could not wait to leave. He kept a keen eye on the distant runway for whenever the plane would eventually arrive.

Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed someone parking themselves by his side. He looked up to see his own self-proclaimed rival, Nariko. He wanted to laugh but didn't have the energy. He thought it was funny that out of all the people to console him, it was her.

He shifted his eyes back down to the ground. "Go back inside. You'll catch a cold."

A brief pause was given before Nariko replied. "Perhaps so. But if you indeed intend to end your journey with us…" Dante looked back up at her just to catch a faint smile cross her lips. "...I wish to accompany you for your last moments."

He sucked his teeth and said, "Be my guest."

The two let the smooth tranquility of the rain cradle them into bliss.

"When we were not bickering like children," Nariko began, "I quite enjoyed fighting alongside you. I doubt that I shall ever find a warrior quite like you."

Dante licked his lips and replied, "That so? If you're gonna miss me that much, why don't you come with me?" He stood up and got face to face with her as he continued. "No bullshit. Just me and you; a couple of misfits that just so happen to be the best swordsmen to ever live."

Dante took his thumb and gently ran it across her cheek. Her skin was soft like velvet, despite the countless gruesome battles she had seen. It made him smile. "We could accomplish all types of shit together. Maybe even this strange thing called 'love.'"

Nariko admired his bravery for finally admitting his feelings for her in a genuine way.

Still though, nothing could change her mind about staying. "I am not swayed by those who retreat from the greatest challenges."

Dante threw his hands up in the air and looked away. "Hey. No one's running away here. I'm just not wasting my time anymore. There's a difference."

Nariko hummed and disagreed. "If that is the lie you choose to believe, so be it."

Dante huffed and looked toward the back of the airstrip to see the plane finally coming. "About damn time," he muttered. Nariko took her hand and slowly placed it under his chin, forcefully but gently bringing his focus back on her instead of the plane. She leaned forward and blessed him with a kiss on the cheek. It was warm, heartfelt, and lasted about three seconds until she pulled away.

"Farewell, Dante. It was a pleasure to work with you." She gave the best smile she could before turning away to trudge back to the hotel.

He couldn't help but massage the tingling on his cheek and fish another cigarette out of his pocket.

Meanwhile in Daxter's Hotel Room

"Mmm, sugar, ya know that's my favorite spot! Ooooh, yeah baby, just like that. Just like that! Tee hee! Ooh! Ooh! OOOH! Now you're getting just a tad too rough with it! Easy, sugar, nice and slow just like-"

*THWACK*

"OW!" Jak slapped Daxter out of his usual dream about… well, who knows.

Daxter rubbed his tired eyes and looked up to see his buddy in not a very playful mood. "JAK! What have I told you about waking me up from my-"

"Daxter," Jak abruptly cut off, "Get ready. We're leaving."

"Leaving? Unless you know any massage parlors to make up for you yanking me outta my sweet dreams, I ain't going nowhere!"

"Daxter. Enough. The plane is already here. Let's go."

Daxter's ears flopped all the way down against his back when he finally caught on to what Jak was talking about. Today was the big day. Last night, Jak went to his room and didn't say a word to Daxter.

"Jak, think about it. Polygon Man was just tryna look out for us! Doesn't mean we should just up and skedaddle!"

"He kept us, knowing that we wanted to go."

"He had to do what he had to do! If he just came out and said that PlayStation saw us all as big fat losers, then you'd have people like Dante throwin' a hissy fit like he did last night! Polygon Man didn't give up on us though! So I ain't givin' up on him!"

"No. It's time we put that Battle Royale stuff behind us and move on. That's what PlayStation wanted us to do."

"Are you stupid?! Polygon Man just admitted that those dudes don't give one flying iotta about us anymore, Jak!"

Jak opened his mouth to curse but quickly stopped himself. He took his hand and ran it across his face, feeling his anger getting the best of him.

He sighed and continued, "We're not having this conversation all over again. Let's go."

Daxter crossed his arms and looked down. "...I ain't goin', Jak."

Jak huffed and punched open the door. As he stormed down the hall, he heard his lifelong friend calling behind him. "Jak, wait!" But Jak just ignored him and continued down the hall.

Daxter slumped down in the middle of the hall, helpless to change his best friend's mind.

One Hour Later in the Smash Mansion Lounge

"We're here live here at the New Donk City Airport to bring you exclusive coverage of an unexpected event. It was only two weeks ago that the Playstation All Stars arrived in New Donk City at the request of Sony executive, Polygon Man. Yesterday morning, a verbal disagreement during the controversial event hosted by Sly Cooper, sparked an outrage that caused the All Stars to essentially 'breakup.' Following the fight, many of the ex-Battle Royale members have opted to leave for their home worlds. This is Channel 64 news. We'll keep you posted."

Sonic turned down the volume to the TV and tossed the remote on the sofa. "Guess it's really happening, eh, Ratch?"

Ratchet turned his eyes from the flatscreen and sighed. He gave an unenthusiastic, "Yeah," as a reply.

Sonic patted Ratchet on the back and began leading him out of the lounge. "C'mon. Let's get you down there."

"...Yeah."

On their way out of the mansion, the two were greeted by lots of other Smashers also headed down toward the airport as well. As usual, some were happy and others were sad for the way things turned out for their rivals.

"Wah! Why so glum, chum?! BWAHAHA!" Wario laughed and teased in Ratchet's face, giving the Lombax a huge dose of stale onions, spoiled meat, and whatever other garbage Wario had for breakfast.

Ratchet pinched his nose and f-bombed Wario in his mind.

"Shouldn't you be off giving some little kid a nightmare or something?" Sonic retorted, grabbing Ratchet away from him. "Get lost, Barf Breath."

The two friends shrugged off the stares they got as they made their way out of the garden and on their way to the airport. When they arrived, it was just as bad as it looked on the news report. Paparazzi and fans flooded the area, with some of the All Stars giving last minute interviews. Ratchet and Sonic found Clank standing off to the side near the booths.

"Eh, look who it is, Racth!" Sonic said as they approached. "The miniature one-robot-army himself. Your friend here's told me a lot about'cha."

Sonic reached out his hand and Clank shook it. "It is an honor to meet such a legendary hero." Clank then turned to Ratchet. They both stared at each other, speechless.

Sonic took that as a cue to excuse himself and leave the two alone. "Uh, if anybody needs me, I'll be at the chili dog stand." Sonic bolted away.

"Hey, buddy." Ratchet murmured.

"What is your opinion on Polygon Man's confession?" Clank asked getting straight to the point.

"What am I supposed to say? We've put so much effort into what we have… wouldn't feel right to just give up."

Clank shook his head. "Ratchet, our galaxies need us. Solana and Polaris are always in need of our assistance. Talwyn misses you." Ratchet winced at the mention of her name. "Members of the Q-Force such as Al and-"

Ratchet stopped Clank before he could say any more. "Okay, look, Clank. I know. Okay? I know. But, I can't do it. I can't leave. Not when we're so close."

Clank slumped over. "I wish you felt otherwise. But, I do understand. I will stay with you."

Ratchet kneeled down to eye level with his buddy. "Nah. You should get going."

"But-"

"Hear me out here, Clank. I don't want you staying with us if your heart's not in it. Besides, you got the Agency, your TV show gig. You got way more responsibilities than I do. It's not like we'll never see each other again."

Clank hesitated a while before he finally nodded. "...Very well." Ratchet stood up and followed his buddy to the plane.

Pit, Zelda, and Link made it just in time to see the airline crew begin preparations for takeoff.

"Major bummer," Pit said. "I never really cared for them that much, to be honest. But I didn't want them to have a huge fight, y'know?"

Zelda sighed with her hand placed over her heart. "I can't help but grieve for them. Misfortune seems to always follow them wherever they go."

"Hmph." Link grunted in agreement. He felt something plop on his head, and looked to see Daxter's feet on his shoulder. Link grinned. He'd be lying if he said he didn't somewhat miss the little bastard.

Zelda turned to Daxter in joy. "Oh, Daxter! How have you been?!"

"Ooooh, her royal sweetness remembered my name! I still got the stuff, baby!"

"Of course I remember your name. How could one forget such a silly fellow like you?"

Daxter gently tugged on Link's ear. "Anywho's. I came over here to see if you could talk some sense into your twin brother."

"Hm?" Link asked, arching an eyebrow. Now that he thought about it, it was weird seeing Daxter without Jak.

"J-Jak?" Zelda asked, slightly flustered. She swallowed a lump in her throat and asked, "Where is he?"

"Where do ya think?! On that plane gettin' ready to skedaddle outta here!"

Zelda immediately began jogging up towards the plane. "Zelda! Hold on!" Pitt said, following her.

"Hey!" Link also followed as well.

Out of the window of the plane's interior, Jak looked out to see Zelda looking up at him and waving. "Erghh… damn…"

Thoughts back to how harsh he was with her last time kept repeating in his head. He had wanted to apologize to her for a while, but he was never really good at that.

He was never good with words to begin with. He shifted in his seat, away from the window. It'd be easier just to pretend she wasn't there, and accept the fact that he'd acted like a major asshole.

"Pardon me, your Highness, but the plane is about to take off," one airline worker said as Zelda got closer to the plane. As soon as he finished, the aircraft's jets kicked in causing the air around them to violently swarm up in the area.

The worker raised his voice to compensate for the loud gushes of wind. "I'm afraid we're going to need you to step back!" She ignored him, shouted Jak's name while jumping up and down to get his attention.

"Wait a minute. Ain't that Zelda down there," Emmett asked from his seat.

Dante looked out of his window and confirmed. "Yeah. The hell does she want?"

Jak knew the answer, and he couldn't ignore it any longer. He looked back through the window and huffed. "Damn."

Sackboy got up from his seat and opened Jak's window. He used the PopIt and formed a playground slide to help Jak quickly and safely get out of the plane.

Jak turned and smiled at Sackboy. "Thanks."

Drake turned around from the front seat just in time to see Jak sliding down the equipment. "What the-? Jak the plane's about to take off!"

When Jak made it to the end of the slide, he got up and met face-to-face with the princess.

Immediately, he began apologizing. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you when I was banged up. It wasn't right. My bad."

She giggled and twirled her hair in her fingers. "If you desire my forgiveness, then I must ask you to stay here with Daxter."

"What," he choked out.

Daxter hopped from Link's head over to Zelda's. She giggled even more as the ottsel rested on her.

"You heard the princess! Gotta love a good ol' guilt trip!"

Jak solemnly scratched the back of his head. "I can't stay. I don't believe in what my boss is doing."

"Then, don't stay for him. Stay for us. Your friends."

"How could you even call me that? Princess Zelda, you don't know me." Jak didn't know how many times he would have to reiterate that. For some reason, Zelda acted like she knew him for years, and it confused the hell out of him.

She hesitated before finally looking back into his eyes. "...I would like the opportunity to do so. You posses a good heart, Jak. And sometimes, it takes strong friends to help one see the good within oneself. I suppose, someday, I wish to be the friend that opens your eyes to that truth. If you'd let me."

They locked eyes for a moment before the airline worker interrupted. "You need to make a decision now the plane is going to take off in just a few seconds."

Pinned up against two choices, Jak finally caved in to Zelda's wishes. "Fine. Then go," he waved the airline worker off. The employee nodded and signaled for take off.

From the plane, Sackboy threw Jak's duffel bag of stuff down the slide and waved goodbye. Jak let a harsh breath escape from his lungs. He picked up his bag and walked right past Zelda, Pit, and Link.

"I'm going to regret this." he huffed out.

"Yay!" Zelda's face lit up as she gently clapped her hands.

Daxter leaped onto his all too familiar spot on Jak's shoulders and celebrated. "Woohoo! The boys are here to stay, baby!"

Link took off in his own direction, leaving Zelda and Pit together. Zelda glanced at Pit and noticed he had a mischievous grin on his face.

"What troubles you, Pit? Are you okay?"

"The question is are you okay, Zelda?"

She shook her head back and forth, not sure what he was getting at. "Of course. I'm fine."

Pit chuckled and winked at her. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

A Few Minutes Later…

Cloud closed the door behind him.

He studied Raiden sprawled out on the bed in the same position that he left him in when he went to say goodbye to the All Stars that decided to leave.

All together; Dante, Radec, Drake, Emmett, Zeus, Big Daddy and Little Sister, Sackboy, and Sir Daniel were the ones that decided to leave. Not to mention Sweet Tooth getting himself kicked out.

Their family had easily been cut in half.

And Raiden felt responsible for every last one of them.

Cloud perched himself in the chair next to the bed. "The plane left. It's done."

Cloud waited a minute for a response.

Nothing came.

He leaned over and nudged Raiden in the head. "Hey. You plan on beating yourself up for the rest of the day?"

Raiden sat up and leaned on his elbow. "I just wish they could see what I see in them."

There was a knock on the door, and Cloud volunteered to get it. He opened the door to see Polygon Man in the doorway. When Raiden saw who it was, he immediately sat up.

"It is time, my children." Cloud looked back at Raiden, confused.

"Time for what?"

"We made a deal with Master Hand. One that's bound to stir the hornet's nest for sure."

"Indeed," Polygon Man chimed. "A last resort. Tomorrow, the Hand and I will announce the Battle Royale collaboration with the Super Smash Bros. We will be joining the fight."

Cloud's heart nearly stopped from what he heard. "...What?"

Raiden continued, "This will be our last chance to fight for ourselves and what we have built. This is our last chance to save Battle Royale. And I'd be damned if PlayStation continues to ignore us by then. At the end of the day, one way or the other, Sony will hear our voice…"

A/N: How's it going guys? This chapter was more of a deep dive into Sony's shitty treatment of their franchises that made them the awesome company they used to be. It pains me to know that we may never get another Twisted Metal, Heavenly Sword, Jak and Daxter game, or Sly Cooper game (PS2 era Ratchet, Jak, and Sly are PS's best franchises. Fight me!), or anything that's NOT fucking God of War or Marvel-related. Ugh. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I apologize for not updating this story in nearly a year. I put a shit ton of research and heart into it that I think I just ended up burning myself out. Needed a break for a while. Anyway, thanks for reading the story up until this point, and I hope y'all have a good one.