Once they entered the cafeteria, Pyra couldn't help but notice how eerie a place meant for communal eating could be when the only person occupying that space was one lonely girl, another kid with pink tentacle hair. Said girl sat at a table that was as furthest away from the entrance as possible and ate what Pyra could only describe as the shadow of some kind of fruit with a hunger that she rarely saw in someone's eyes.

"Hey, I'm gonna get us some food," Shulk said. "Is there anything that you don't eat?"

"Oh, um… no, I don't think I have any dietary restrictions," Pyra said. At the sound of their voice, the girl looked up from her strange food and waved her hand at them, face full of tiny black blotches. They waved at her back. "Anything is fine."

"Alright then," Shulk said, somewhat with a sheepish smile. For some reason. "Could you get us a table? I'll be right back."

Pyra refrained from pointing out that there was no need for her to reserve a table for them, instead preferring to sit by the table closest to the empty food aisle at the center of the cafeteria. As she saw the boy disappear behind a door by the side of a small balcony, there was a brief thought of escape that she decided she would not indulge in, if only because she could feel her stomach growl and there was no guarantee that she would find food out there.

Escaping would have been so easy at that moment; Pyra cursed her stomach for being hungry. She watched the girl with pink tentacle hair get up from her seat and walk away, not a single sign of worry in her cute face that Pyra might just run away. Once the girl was out of sight, Pyra found herself truly alone. Resting her elbows on the wooden table, she watched the scenery outside from the windowed wall at her left, at the gentle swaying of the trees, the birds that flew freely.

Also at the colorful spirits that roamed around. They were certainly curious little things that piqued Pyra's interest. She made a mental note of insisting on an explanation from Shulk later.

Speaking of which, she heard him return from what she presumed was the kitchen and turned her attention back to him as he approached their table. At the sight of the strange shape that was on the plates, Pyra could feel a knot in her stomach. Her eyes widened even more as she saw the boy place one of the plates in front of her and then take a seat in front of her, his plate also filled with what she could consider the shadow of something.

The same (perhaps?) something that the girl with tentacle hair was eating before. It felt like she was staring into the void with an unidentifiable shape, so devoid of depth and reflection of light that it looked to be bidimensional. Pyra couldn't even touch the fork that was offered to her, she did not know how to proceed.

"It's pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs," Shulk said. "I know it looks weird, but I promise it is edible."

"Are… are you sure about that?" Pyra asked, not being able to hide the disgust in her face. The comforting smell gave away that the food might have been legitimate, which gave her a cognitive dissonance worse than a whiplash.

She watched Shulk stick his fork in that disformed shadow and twirl it. To her absolute horror, he took out a piece and munched it without hesitation. "Shee? It'sh edible," he said, droplets of pitch black ink dripping from his lips. "Try it."

Pyra felt her stomach growl. She couldn't deny what was being offered to her, not if she didn't want to starve. Swallowing every ounce of doubt she had, Pyra touched her food with her fork. She was shocked to feel that, despite the apparent bidimensionality, the food actually had texture and depth, that with a twist of the fork, she managed to get some of the pitch black pasta into a nice little roll of void.

Shulk let out a chuckle as he saw Pyra's eyes widen when she took a bite. It tasted just like what he had described. Pasta with meatballs. What kind of magic was that? "Told you so," he said. "That's just how Mr Game and Watch's cooking looks like. But it's-"

He was cut short by Pyra digging in, now realizing just how famished she was. She ate like it was her last meal, which it might as well be if she somehow managed to escape camp later. She barely noticed that Shulk was so amused by her gobbling food up like an animal that he didn't pay much attention to his own plate.

"I'm gonna tell Mr. Game and Watch that you sent him compliments."

Pyra gulped. "Tell him that it's good, but that next time he could leave the pasta less time in the water," she suggested. "Also to add a little less salt."

"Duly noted."

As Pyra was about to finish her meal, Shulk began to eat his own food. Neither of them felt like exchanging a word, so she decided to continue watching the scenery outside. It was a beautiful day, after all, despite the uncanniness that she felt over the feeling that something was missing. At first she attributed this uncanniness to the fact that they were in a borderline ghost resort, where only very few people ran the place. Yet, that answer didn't seem right, no more than the fact that those people were using the resort as a survival camp more than anything else.

Then it hit her, when her eyes looked into the horizon, between the rustic white square houses, to the clear blue sky. Something was missing. Something that Pyra wished to reach ever since she woke up from her slumber of five hundred years.

"The World Tree…" she muttered.

Shulk gulped down his pitch black pasta. "What is it?" he asked.

"I don't think I've ever seen the World Tree while I was here," Pyra said, though it didn't feel like she was answering his question. "Maybe… maybe I really am in another world."

"So you believe me?"

"I believe your claim that we are not in Alrest," she said. "But I still have a hard time believing that I am a replica of the Pyra that lives there. Besides…"

"Besides?"

"This is all the more reason why I need to find a way to return to my world and find Rex and the others," Pyra said, clutching at her chest, where her core emerald crystal lay. "Because Rex and I… we share the same destiny. I can't leave him alone like this."

She was met with another frustrating look of pity from that stranger that claimed to know her. It was different from the looks that she usually received from strangers that claimed to know her. Fear. Respect. Desire. Sometimes a combination of those three, but never pity. The Aegis did not know how to deal with pity that was not her own and she did not want to.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Shulk asked, eventually. "Return to your world, I mean?"

"Well, obviously I haven't figured that out yet," Pyra said, biting her lower lip.

"If you figure it out, please do tell me, because I've been dying to visit my own world for quite some time," he said.

"You are also not from here?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes and no," Shulk answered, cryptically, just like the pasta he ate. "Yes, I am from another world, but no, I was born here."

"That makes no sense."

"I am the same as you, Pyra," he said, which earned him a frown from her. "Well, I guess you could say that everyone in this camp is also just like you. We all have very vivid memories of another life, despite never having lived them."

Pyra shook her head and decided to end the conversation there with a profound "hmph". Shulk simply shrugged his shoulders and finished his food, not a single wrinkle of worry in his slightly tanned face over his lack of convincing her. The question he raised, however, was a valid one and it only made Pyra more anxious.

She did not know how to return to her own world. She was stuck in this one for an undetermined amount of time and she did not know where to even begin searching. Shulk also knew that, because once he had his plate cleaned, he simply asked, "Why don't you stay over while you try to figure it out? I promise you that it's better than to wander around without knowing where to go."

Pyra sighed. Of course he would say that. "Shulk, please be honest," she said. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to be safe."

"Do you want me to be safe or do you want others to be safe from me?"

She did not expect him to be as confused as he was with that question. Perhaps flustered for having his ulterior motives discovered, but not confused.

"Pyra, what are you talking about?"

"If you know me as well as you claim, then you know what I am," Pyra said. "You know what I'm capable of."

"I mean, I know what you're capable of doing in battle," Shulk said. "We've fought together in a few challenge battles, but I don't think this is what you're referring to."

"Are you sure that me being the Aegis has nothing to do with you wanting to keep me here?" she asked, eyes filled with an accusatory glare.

"I don't know what an Aegis is and I don't think anyone here in our camp knows either," he said. "What I can tell you is that the reason why we want you to be safe is because you are just like us and walking around alone like this might be dangerous to you, no matter how good of a fighter you are."

There it was again, the claim that they were the same. Pyra shook her head in denial, certain that they couldn't be more different. Shulk wasn't even a blade like her, what could he possibly mean by them being the same was beyond her. She opened her mouth to say something, but Shulk interrupted her with a sigh.

"I guess you're not going to believe me until I show you an actual puppet fighter… or Galeem…" he mumbled.

"What's Galeem?"

"What Galeem is I don't know how to answer, but who it is it's another question. You'll see it eventually, once we manage to reach it. What I can say about it is that it's a creature that you do not want to face alone."

"Right…"

"Oh, by the way, been meaning to ask you," Shulk said, crossing his cutlery. "How is Mythra doing? She hasn't shown up until now, so I'm curious about her."

Pyra felt her chest tighten, with her breathing coming to an abrupt halt. She could feel all color draining from her face, an overwhelming feeling of dread taking over every inch of her body that left her paralyzed in her seat.

"Pyra? Are you-"

As if his words were a trigger to something instinctive inside of her, Pyra bolted up from her seat and ran away. She ignored Shulk's yells for her to wait up and made her way outside the cafeteria, only flinching when her eyesight was assaulted by the bright daylight. Despite that, she continued aimlessly running, mind racing as fast as her legs would carry her. She needed to find Rex. She needed to reach the World Tree. She needed to find her father, the almighty Architect, and get answers.

So blinded she was by the light and her own thoughts, that she did not notice Leaf nearby. Pyra accidentally bumped into the spirited girl and stumbled forward, while Leaf couldn't get a hold on herself and fell flat on the floor. With a brain filled with the rush of adrenaline, Pyra did not think twice before summoning her sword and pointing it at a very baffled Leaf, who did not hesitate to pull out her own spherical device and point it at her.

Pyra did not know why, but the sight of the young defiant girl helped her come down from her rush. Her chest heaved up and down as she slowly lowered her sword at the same time the girl lowered her weapon. They stared at each other in shock while being approached by Shulk and the same tall woman that Pyra had seen from the window of her room. Unlike Shulk, who looked absolutely terrified over the scene in front of him, the woman looked only mildly annoyed that their prisoner just tried to break away from camp.

The woman, to Pyra's shock, was quick to point a gun to her temple, her intense, icy blue eyes telling her to let go of her sword immediately. She obeyed.

"Shulk, I thought Falcon left you responsible for monitoring Pyra," she said. "What is she doing threatening the Pokemon Trainer like this?"

Shulk, who had been helping Leaf get up, said, "We were just having lunch when she decided to run away. I was caught by surprise!"

She could feel her face heat up from the cold touch of the gun on her skin, the rush that was calming down suddenly picking it up again. That overwhelming feeling of dread returned at the pit of her stomach and she tightened her fists, forcing herself to stay put.

"Leaf, I'm.. I'm sorry for pointing my weapon at you, I wasn't thinking," Pyra said, her voice shaking ever so slightly. "I was… scared."

"It's okay," Leaf said and gave her a, what Pyra assumed, forceful smile.

"It was not my intention to try to run away," she continued. "Please, believe me."

To her surprise, the woman lowered her gun, though it could also be because she was certain that Pyra would not attempt to fight three people at the same time, especially when one of the people involved was a young girl. Placing one hand on her hip, the woman said, "Your energy is better spent pointing a sword towards a puppet fighter than at another Smasher. Shulk, help her out with spirit training as soon as possible, alright?"

"Uh, sure," Shulk said, rather surprised. "Will do that."

"Leaf, next time, have one of your Pokemon accompany you outside of their pokeball when you walk around camp," she said as she turned towards the trainer. "I know that things have been rather peaceful lately, but let this be a lesson that you can't lower your guard as of yet."

"Sure, Samus!" Leaf said. "Will do!"

Samus then turned to Pyra, who had been quietly watching her order others around with astonished respect. "Pyra, I know that you are still confused and I can't blame you for being… jumpy," she said. "But if I discover that you have been threatening others again, I WILL be forced to restrain you. Do I make myself clear?"

Pyra nodded, too nervous to open her mouth. Samus's harsh gaze softened, enough for both Shulk and Leaf to relax their shoulders, which in turn made Pyra relax hers. They watched the imposing woman walk away, her long golden hair swaying in the warm wind and her steps firm and poise. They waited for her to leave their sight until they could all collectively, fully relax.

Shulk placed a hand on her shoulder, which made her realize that he had been slightly shaking until now. "I'm glad that Samus likes you, but please don't do that again," he said. "Please, please don't run away like that again."

"She… she likes me?" Pyra asked. "That can't be right."

"She didn't shoot you first," Leaf said cheerfully. "Getting just a slap on the wrist is pretty lucky!"

"By the way, Leaf, did she…"

"Nope, she and Captain Falcon got bodied by that Rosalina again," Leaf said. "She ran away."

"Then do as Samus said and walk around with a Pokemon by your side, okay?" Shulk said. "That Rosalina can come back at any time."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to tell me that."

"That also explains why Samus is impatient that I train Pyra," he mumbled. "I really wish you could rest more, but oh well…"

"What was that about spirit training?" Pyra asked.

"Pyra, you want a chance to leave this camp?" Shulk asked, which made Pyra nod. "Then you need to at least know how to fight using a spirit. Come on, I'll show you the basics."

Pyra couldn't hide her smile, which in turn made Shulk's worried semblance become just a little more relaxed. For the first time since she arrived in that world, Pyra eagerly followed Shulk to her next destination.

A/N: Just to make things clear, I tend to separate the Smashers in small camps according to the areas they are placed in the map (with a few exceptions). For characters that have more than one alt, their placements are more loose and don't tend to follow "canon". So the characters that occupy this particular camp are Shulk, the two Pokemon Trainers, Samus, Mr Game and Watch, Captain Falcon, two of the eight Inklings (which explains why they don't all habitate the city on the map) and Diddy Kong. This also applies to characters stuck in the Dark Realm, so if I continue this series, you can have a good guess who might interact with who.

Since DLC characters were added later in the game and don't have an official placement in the map, I'm still deciding who goes where. My oneshot "Ribbon Road" already established that Min Min woke up in... well, Ribbon Road and Pyra woke up near the train tracks.