Captain Falcon's words seemed downright prescient in retrospect, hindsight being as clear as it is. He was correct; for the most part, the Super Smash Brothers were never called into action again in any real capacity. To be sure, there were the occasional minor troubles popping up in a few universes from time to time, but there was nothing that would require assembling the Smash Brothers whatsoever. Mario and Luigi spent their time taking care of affairs in the Mushroom Kingdom. Since the demise of Bowser, Peach found herself immersed in far more administrative duties than negotiating terms of war with massive turtles. Yoshi, bored with the quiet life, became a world traveller, leaving his footprints on every land the Mushroom Kingdom contained.
Donkey Kong still used Ganondorf's sword in battle. He seemed more stoic and serious before, and nobody really blamed him. This new side to his personality also allowed him to ascend to patriarch of the Kong Klan, replacing the ageing Cranky Kong. His carefree days of swinging through the jungle and leisurely gobbling bananas were at an end. He now lived to protect and serve his family.
Zelda continued her reign of Hyrule, and her coronation as Sovereign Queen was only a year in coming. The two Links stood valiantly by her side, but their service to her was largely symbolic. There were no wars to fight, no enemies to slay. Ganondorf's death had left a massive void in the land, and while it was a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity, the keepers of the Triforce were at ease. Warriors do not merrily live in a time of peace.
Samus still worked as a bounty hunter, but it was mostly being "errand girl" for the galactic government. The Metroids had long since been domesticated and put to use for powering and repairing starship engines, and without the Space Pirates around, there were few violent incidents to speak of. Samus was the only Smasher whom Captain Falcon still spoke with, and even she had no idea what he did with himself. She suspected it wasn't much.
Fox and Falco were now members of the Interstellar Cornerian Confederation, and all of Star Fox were now official ambassadors for Corneria. They had successfully made contact with three separate star systems already, and Corneria had already taken a large step towards galactic harmony. By and large, Star Fox didn't mind this new arrangement; the pay was more than worthwhile, and the work was easy. Fox had slowed down his hotshot ways since marrying Krystal, and Slippy remarked that he didn't mind not having his bacon on the line every day, a sentiment the retired Peppy heartily agreed with. But Falco? Well, he was known to jet off to parts unknown for days at a time, looking for a little excitement. Some birds were not meant to be caged.
Ness was going through his own transitions – he wasn't a child anymore. Now 15, he had problems in his own life that he needed to sort out, not the least of which was high school. He could no longer afford to run off whenever his aid was needed, and thus his fellow Smashers saw less and less of him. The few times he did show up, they were often impressed – Mario and Luigi, who were almost uncles to the boy, always gushed at how grown-up he was becoming. But Zelda had seen something even more wondrous emerging from the shy young man: with each passing year his mental powers grew exponentially. Within another decade, he may well become the most powerful being in the Nintendoverse, a prospect that left her proud and yet unnerved at the same time.
King Marth ruled Altea with a fair and strong hand, and he and his subjects rejoiced whenever the fellow Smashers arrived for an occasional visit. But the responsibilities of kingship sadly left Marth with little choice but to turn down most opportunities to reunite with his old friends. Similarly, Roy's own duties to Pharae allowed him precious little spare time, but he did his best to keep in touch.
Kirby, the Ice Climbers, and the Pokémon went back to more or less their normal lives, as they had little choice in the matter. They lived in relatively peaceful worlds anyway, so their safety and comfort were assured. Dr. Mario went back to the old laboratory, for the Hippocratic Oath was his sworn duty, and his tireless efforts to cure disease were never over.
As for Mr. Game & Watch, he stayed behind in Smash Central, often alone, but sometimes with a few Smashers coming and going to keep him company. He kept the place tidy and scanned the monitors for trouble signs, which there seldom were. Each Smasher had also received a pocket-sized Game & Watch unit that was, in fact, a sophisticated video communication device that allowed a Smasher to contact any of the others in no time at all. Thus they stayed in touch at all times, although there was barely a need to do so at the moment.
It was in a conversation with Mr. Game & Watch that Mario had an idea; a Smash Brothers reunion to be held on the fifth anniversary of the Hands' final defeat. Naturally, it was met with some reluctance, but eventually the calls came out and several Smashers agreed to attend. Mario, Luigi, and Donkey Kong could come, but Yoshi was still out exploring and Peach had a summit meeting to attend. Zelda agreed to take time out to attend, and Link naturally accompanied her as her bodyguard. Young Link stayed behind to defend the palace in the unlikely even that anything should happen. Samus was more than happy to come, bored out of her skull as she was, but she feigned aloofness when asked. She also agreed to see if she could convince Falcon to come. Marth and Roy were far too busy to show up, but they gave their best regards. Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Pichu were only too glad to show up, and Kirby agreed to come as well. Dr. Mario was in the middle of an experiment, but he said he might drop by if he had the time. Fox and Falco were in the middle of a conference in the galactic centrepoint and wouldn't be back in time. The Ice Climbers were on vacation. Ness was in the middle of mid-semester break, and he agreed to show up. Even though there would be several absentees, there had not been a meeting on this level in two years. It would be good to get most of the group back together.
"That's not bad." Mario murmured, as he and Luigi examined the guest list. "Counting us, that's thirteen out of twenty-f… I mean… twenty-two." He corrected himself, slightly glumly. He recognized that the reunion would not be as merry as it would have been two years previous. But nobody would ever guess how tragic this get-together would become.
That fateful day was a mere…
15 years ago
Smash Central lightly glowed that day, radiating with warmth that it was long denied: the warmth of family. For the first time in too long, a group of Smash Brothers had gathered within, and were now truly being together as a group. Although the assembled characters were initially awkward and silent, it didn't take long for their time apart to take its toll, and soon the barriers between them were gone, and they were talking openly again. They caught up with each other's lives, reminisced about old times, shared dreams for the future, and generally had a good time. There were some laughs, a few tears, and a general all-around feeling of community that they had thought they had forever lost.
Mario watched the unfolding scene with pride. All of the doubts he had harboured about the success of the reunion were long gone. Despite his fears that they had grown apart over the past while, everybody was connecting again. The sparks were rekindling into a comforting fire once more. Even Captain Falcon had agreed to come after all; aloof as always, he stayed near the wall and held a low-key conversation with Donkey Kong. For Falcon, that was a huge amount of commitment. Everybody else seemed to be enjoying themselves; Ness smiled awkwardly as he conversed with the Pokémon, who once were the same height as he, and now only came up to his waist. Even Link, stoic and humourless as ever, seemed in good cheer as Zelda conversed with Samus.
"Hey Mario?" Luigi asked.
"Yeah, Luigi?" Mario replied.
"Did you just hear…"
The room shook like an atomic bomb had gone off.
"What was that?" Falcon demanded.
Ness put a hand to his head. "There's something outside!" he declared.
The group ran out to the front step, where they were confronted with a horrific apparition – glowing, skeletal versions of Master Hand and Crazy Hand looming large over them.
"No!" Mario gasped. "It can't be! The Hands could never return!"
"Stay back, princess." Link commanded, pulling out the Master Sword. "I'll…"
"Wait!" Zelda insisted. "Mario is right. This is a ruse." She turned flashing aquamarine eyes towards the menacing visions. "Show your true form, whoever you may be!" she shouted, a beam of pure white light flashing from her hand, illuminating the truth and banishing the trickery to shadow.
The two hands disappeared as though they had never been there. And in their place stood a sight that was even more horrifying.
Glowing amethyst eyes. Fine ivory fur. A twitch of muscle. A raise of an ironic eyebrow. A low, humming drone in the air. And then…
I am pleased that so many of you have gathered here to greet an old friend. A smooth, baritone voice murmured amusedly in their heads.
"M-Mewtwo?" Luigi stammered.
You remember me. I should be flattered. Mewtwo replied, no trace of humour in his tone.
"What do you want, lab rat?" Captain Falcon demanded. "And you'd better have a darn good explanation for all this."
Impetuous as always, Captain. Mewtwo commented. Do not fear. My explanation will not challenge your limited mind to a large degree. You see, I am on the brink of becoming one with the universe, and I am counting on my dear friends the Super Smash Brothers to aid me in achieving this final step.
"What do you mean by that?" Ness asked, trying hard to gain a lock on Mewtwo's flawlessly constructed mental defenses.
Since the day I arrived in this dimension, I was aware of the massive amount of cosmic energy this realm collects. Mewtwo explained. Before long I had discovered how to take this energy into myself, thus increasing my already unmatched might. I found, however, that this cosmic energy can only subsist on life forces. So, I decided to start collecting life forces to tap into this power. Naturally, I would be loathe to harm an innocent being, so I instead began taking the life forces of those who… shall we say… had proved that they deserved death either way.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked in horror.
Of course I killed them. Mewtwo sniffed. They were villains. By all logic, killing villains makes one a hero, does it not? It took some deception to make a few of the deaths appear an accident, but their life forces now howl within me like a distant storm. And soon this place will be the epicentre.
"And you would even take the lives of your comrades Bowser and Ganondorf?" Link was appalled. "And those of their armies? To say nothing of your own army?"
Their deaths were unfortunate, but the sacrifice will be more than worth any unnecessary bloodshed. Mewtwo coldly replied. The weak-minded such as them have no place in the universe as I shall form it.
Samus levelled her arm cannon. "You dirty, murdering spawn of a…"
"Samus, wait." Mario cautioned her. "Let's just find out what he wants."
Well spoken, Mario. Mewtwo remarked. You are now as ever a negotiator. You see, my storage of cosmic energy has nearly reached the surface. All it requires is one final influx of life forces… and I have deemed that yours will do splendidly. Only the mighty and the courageous have the strain of life necessary to feed my cosmic hunger. Upon your deaths, I will be far beyond anything your insignificant minds can conceive. I will be everything, and everything will be me. Innocence will never be threatened. There will be no more pain, or sadness, or malice. Nothing but everlasting peace.
"Peace at the expense of the free will of the universe is no peace at all, Mewtwo." Zelda harshly countered. "Your twisted mind has deceived even itself."
I have no more time for this pretence of civility. Mewtwo declared. Such courtesy is for lesser beings than I. I will therefore ask you this only once. Will you surrender your life forces to me quietly and willingly? Since you Super Smash Brothers seek a purpose as to your continued existence, I hereby offer you your chance to send me to my rightful destiny. Do you accept?
"Never!" Link shouted.
As you wish. Mewtwo coldly sneered. The very fact that you feel as though you stand a chance proves your inferiority. Destroying you all will be my utmost pleasure.
Normally, Mario would get ready to do an acrobatic leap, Link would pull out his sword, Samus would prime her weapons, and Pikachu would begin storing electricity. But none of them did that. Instead, they and all the others were barely able to stand, clutching their heads as they writhed in agony.
The mind is a wondrous creation. Mewtwo sadistically mused. Merely stimulating the pain receptors can produce such entertaining results. It is to my choosing how long I will keep you in this state before…
As quickly as it had begun, the mental assault suddenly ceased. The Smashers looked up and saw Mewtwo nearly knocked off of his feet by a psychic blast from another source. The tall Pokémon regained his composure and glared at Zelda. You wish for your death to come sooner than that of the others, Princess? I will honour your request.
Now their mental energy met, pushing against each other like two battering rams. Slowly but gradually Mewtwo gained the upper hand, pushing away Zelda's assault as he sought entry into her mind. Her mental barriers began to lower…
Suddenly another mental blast knocked Mewtwo back into a defensive stance, and he found himself fighting off not only Zelda, but also a second assault from Ness.
"Keep at it, Zelda." Ness grunted as he concentrated. "We can hold him off together!"
And by now the rest of the heroes had regained their senses and climbed to their feet. "Give it up, Mewtwo!" Samus hissed. "Now that they got you on the ropes mentally, there's nothing to stop us from ripping you apart physically."
Indeed. Mewtwo harshly replied as the two-pronged assault began to wear him down. Which is why I took the precaution of planting a sleeper agent amongst your ranks.
Captain Falcon blinked. "A what…?"
Luigi never saw the fist coming until it crashed into his face, smashing him harshly to the ground.
"Luigi!" Mario shouted. Everybody looked at the one who had knocked out Luigi with a mix of horror and fury on their faces. Donkey Kong stood before them with a fiendish grin on his face, his eyes glowing purple.
Such a simple, stupid creature. Mewtwo taunted. Taking over his pitiful excuse for a mind was child's play. I let him live in case he could prove useful to me, and in this case he certainly has. If you wish to get to me, you must first kill your trusted friend.
"Samus!" Mario shouted. "You and Link try to get a clear shot at Mewtwo! Falcon and I will take care of Donkey Kong!"
"Us?" Kirby asked, as Pikachu snarled in fury and Pichu and Jigglypuff still lay on the ground in a daze.
"Try to escape." Mario commanded. "I don't want you guys getting hurt."
"Uhh…" Kirby turned to ask Pikachu for help carrying their incapacitated team-mates, but the larger electric mouse was nowhere to be seen.
Luigi tried to get up, but he couldn't. The gorilla's punch had put him out of commission for this fight. Weakly he surveyed the battlefield. Mewtwo was still holding off Zelda and Ness, and showed no signs of surrender. Link and Samus were circling, trying to get a good shot, but with no luck. Donkey Kong was blocking their view while single-handedly holding off Mario and Captain Falcon, and to fire upon him would endanger their teammates. To Luigi's chagrin, he saw that even as Mario jumped and flipped and dodged the gorilla's blows and returned them in kind, he was still holding back. Even now, fighting a savage and bloodlusted opponent, he still did not want to hurt his friend. Falcon showed no such restraint, be he was less agile than Mario, and was having a harder time finding an opening. And circling around unnoticed was Mr. Game & Watch. He was the wild card in this battle – he was immune to psychic attacks, as he had no real mind to speak of. Who knew what clever tricks he was planning?
"PIKA…!" Suddenly a golden ball of fur shot out of nowhere and attached himself to Mewtwo's back, shocking the larger Pokémon with all the electricity he had stored in his tiny body. Mewtwo reared back in pain, temporarily releasing the strain on Zelda and Ness. Pikachu held on as tight as he could, letting loose with a relentless outburst of electricity.
Do not mock my power, mouse. Mewtwo mentally snarled, tearing the tiny rodent from his back and holding him aloft. Your power is like any other… it can be controlled… it can be redirected.
A bolt of thunder shot from the heavens, but this time it went where Mewtwo commanded. Link cried out suddenly when the electric energy struck the blade of his sword like a lightning rod, knocking him down. Samus' entire body thrashed as the deadly energy tore through her suit, shutting her down instantly. Mr. Game & Watch let loose a mechanical squawk as another thunderbolt fried his LCD innards, his two-dimensional form flopping flat on the grass.
"Link!" Zelda cried, her control slipping as she saw him fall. Like the mountain that collapses when a keystone is removed, so had her weakness cost her the control she so desperately needed. Before she could so much as think, Mewtwo was inside her mind. Zelda screamed, shuddered, and fell into unconsciousness.
Ness suddenly felt a wave of mental energy hit him like a wave. Let us see how you handle a singular confrontation, oh Son of Stars. Mewtwo's voice mocked him, but he stood firm. With a thought, Mewtwo summoned another thunderbolt to strike down Kirby, who made a courageous but foolhardy assault. Kirby was blasted backwards and landed beside the prone forms of Jigglypuff and Pichu.
Pikachu snarled as he watched his own power being used to attack his friends. Suddenly he lunged, gripping Mewtwo's hands and focussing all the power he possessed for one final act: overload.
If you think this… will stop me… you are gravely… mistaken… Mewtwo gasped. Both their bodies glowed with the sheer energy involved. Indescribable pain wracked both their forms, but Pikachu refused to back off. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't always easy. Donkey Kong had raised his fist and was about to crush Captain Falcon's skull like an eggshell…
BOOOOM! Suddenly the entire area erupted in an enormous flash of electricity. Even Donkey Kong was distracted by the sheer intensity of the explosion. When the smoke cleared, nothing was left of Pikachu or Mewtwo. The electric burst had wiped them both out of existence.
"Pi!" Pichu screamed, jumping to her feet in horror, despite the great pain she still was in. Tears were in her wide eyes. There was not even the slightest trace of Pikachu left. Suddenly, however, her ears pricked up. She looked up and saw a brilliant bolt of electricity as pure and bright as the light of the sun. It crackled a moment before bolting straight at her, faster than she could possibly dodge. Pichu cried out as the electricity struck her, but although there was pain, no damage was done. Instead, this electricity was strengthening her, empowering her, changing her…
She passed out again from the strain.
Ness breathed heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "I did it…" he sighed, cursing himself for not being strong enough to save Pikachu.
Meanwhile, Donkey Kong looked around in a daze. Captain Falcon managed to climb to his feet, and Mario cautiously approached them. "What happened?" Donkey Kong asked, scratching his head.
"It's okay, big guy." Falcon grunted. "No harm done. Let's go help the others. They took it pretty bad."
"Yeah…" Mario added, gazing sadly at the spot where a noble Pokémon had fallen. He couldn't deal with it right now. There would be a time to mourn after the cleaning-up was done. "Well, at least it's over…"
A loud crash shook the area. The sky turned a sinister shade of purple. Two malevolent glowing eyes burned at the only four conscious heroes from the clouds. Oh, yes indeed, Mario. It is over. It's all over.
Ness barely managed to brace himself before Mewtwo's mental assault began all over again. Donkey Kong, in Mewtwo's thrall once again, grabbed Mario and Falcon by the throats, squeezing the breath from their very lungs.
The loss of my body is of no consequence. Mewtwo's voice rumbled. Soon everything in this universe will subsist only of, and by, myself. A pity the same cannot be said for you.
"Ness!" Falcon grunted as he struggled to breathe. "Shut him down!"
"Wha… but… I can't!" Ness insisted. "I've never…"
"I know you've never, kid, but now's the time to start!" Falcon wheezed. "Shut… him… d-d-down…"
Ness closed his eyes, concentrated, and, with power he'd never felt before, struck back at Mewtwo with his full strength.
Arrogant insect! Mewtwo's voice raged. How dare you show no respect for destiny! You are nothing more than a stumbling block, you hear? I am superior! I am unlimited! I was created to be all-powerful, and thus it is my destiny to control all! You stand no… logical… chance… of… beating… m-m-m-me…
"My mind broke Giygas!" Ness grunted. "And it can break you, Mewtwo! I'll make you pay for all the suffering you've caused everybody in the universe! All of it!"
The malevolent cloud began to fragment under the strain. An angry shout echoed across the cosmos. What do you know of s-s-suffering… I… created in… laboratory… suffered… hundred deaths before… cloning process… successful… it is logical… that… I… receive back for… all that I… l-l-l-lost….
But it still was not enough. Ness used all of the power he had, but it was not enough to stop Mewtwo. No longer even able to stand, Ness gasped and fell facedown on the ground.
Taking advantage of Donkey Kong's distraction, Captain Falcon struck the ape's shoulder on a pressure point, causing him to release his grip on both himself and Mario. "I don't care who's controlling you anymore." Falcon snarled, drilling the ape with red-hot punches. "I'm taking you down."
Luigi blearily sat up and witnessed the next split second in what seemed to be slow motion. Donkey Kong grabbed Falcon by the lapels and tossed him aside like a rag doll. Mario leaped to attack, but he didn't notice that the giant gorilla was swinging his other arm around to intercept.
"Mario! Look out!"
For the rest of his life, Luigi would hear the sickening CRACK that seemed to split the universe in two, followed by the almost inaudible thud as Mario's body limply hit the ground.
"No…!" Luigi cried. It was all his fault. Why was he so weak? Why couldn't he have leaped up and taken the blow for Mario? The universe needed Mario. Nobody needed him…
And thus falls the last of the Super Smash Brothers. Mewtwo dryly noted, his composure regained. I have done what the combined might of the Hands and Giga Bowser could never do. The universe is now mine.
Donkey Kong's eyes flickered and returned to normal. He looked around in a daze, gasping when he saw Mario's crumpled form at his feet. Gasping as he realized he was responsible. "You!" He shouted, pointing at Mewtwo.
I admit that your strength was useful in ridding me of my enemies. Mewtwo mocked the gorilla. But once I have absorbed the life forces of the Super Smash Brothers, you will be of no use to me. Enjoy your final moments alive.
Mewtwo created a vortex, prepared to suck the life out of his fallen opponents. Donkey Kong had to stop him, but what could he do? He could not physically harm him in this state, and there was no way he could combat him psychically. If only there was a wild card he could use…
Suddenly he gripped Ganondorf's sword and stared at it intently. Magic.
In a flash, Donkey Kong leaped towards the vortex, the sword crackling with Gerudo magic as it shot a beam into the heart of the vortex.
Meddlesome primate! Mewtwo's voice roared. I'll… But he couldn't. The magic of the sword halted all of his attempts to drain the life of Donkey Kong or to control his mind again.
Donkey Kong held the sword aloft. The sky screamed as Mewtwo's psyche began to split in two. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! THIS IS NOT HOW I HAD FORSEEN IT!
"You use Donkey to kill Donkey's friends!" Donkey Kong roared. "Now Donkey kill YOU!"
I BONDED OUR PSYCHES! Mewtwo thundered. KILL ME AND I SWEAR THE FEEDBACK WILL END YOUR DISEASE OF A LIFE AS WELL!
"Doesn't matter!" Donkey Kong yelled, raising the sword higher. "Just… DIE!"
IF I WILL BE DENIED MY BIRTHRIGHT, IT WILL COME AT A PRICE! Mewtwo shrieked, cracking to pieces. Ness somehow awoke and saw the horrifying sight. YOU WILL DESTROY ME, BUT EVERYBODY IN THIS WORLD WILL D….
Mewtwo's malevolent form shattered and exploded, raining down deadly psychic energy on the entire area. Even though Ness had been drained of his energy, he suddenly found the strength to sit up. His head crackled with pain, but he shrugged it off, erected forcefields around all of his unconscious comrades. All but one… the sheer intensity of Mewtwo's death and the magic of Ganondorf's sword kept him from creating a field around Donkey Kong. The rest were protected, and Ness held his head and cried out in pain as he struggled to keep the fields from collapsing. He had never before had his abilities pushed to the limit and far beyond like this. Never. And yet he persevered, knowing that giving up would only increase the death toll. An eternity passed by in ten seconds, and it was all over. The bombardment on the shields finally ceased. A trickle of blood escaped from Ness' nose, and he gasped before passing out again. On the plains in front of Smash Central, all lay still for the longest time.
Five minutes later, Link was shaken awake. He blearily opened his eyes and saw Captain Falcon staring intently at him. "C'mon, Green. Look alive."
"Ngghh…" Link coughed. "Z-Zelda…"
"Just take it easy, Green." Falcon replied. "You took a bad…"
"Zelda!" Link choked out, breaking out of Falcon's grip and crawling towards where the princess lay. "You live?" Link asked, his voice catching when she saw that she breathed still, her delicate eyes fluttering open. "Heavens be praised, Zelda." He whispered.
"Do not fuss over me, Link." She whispered, her voice broken. "I will be alright. After my failure, I do not deserve anybody comforting me."
"Princess, you did not…" Link consoled.
"I said do not fuss over me!" Zelda insisted, forcing herself to sit up. "We must tend to the child." She added, pointing at Ness' unconscious form.
The rest of the area looked like a war zone as they limped over. Mr. Game & Watch and Samus had mostly recovered, and they were helping Ness regain consciousness. In the corner were Kirby, Jigglypuff and Pichu. Donkey Kong was left where he was – he was beyond help now, and judging by the look on his face, he was at peace. It was more than the rest of them could say.
"Jiggly-y-y-y!" Jigglypuff sobbed, hugging Kirby tightly.
"S'okay." Kirby soothed, holding onto the round-eyed puffball. She had just lost her oldest friend, and at this point he was the only one who could comfort her.
"Chu…" Pichu muttered as she sat up. Jigglypuff and Kirby gasped.
Pichu felt different. She was bigger now, by a great deal. She felt stronger as well, as though her muscles had been energized. And above and beyond everything else, she felt confidence. More confidence in herself than ever before. Looking at her paws, she realized that with his dying breath, Pikachu had given her a gift. "Raichu…" she whispered.
"Unnnghh…" Ness grunted as he regained consciousness, seeing the faces of his friends through half-focussed eyes.
"He lives. My prayers have been answered." Zelda whispered.
"Zelda…" Ness gasped, a sudden panic gripped him. "Mewtwo… is… is he…"
"He is no more." Zelda softly replied, running a hand across his face. "Be still, child. Do not trouble yourself. Rest."
"I'm… I'm sorry…" Ness whispered, tears running down his face. "It's all my… I… I'm sorry… I couldn't stop him… if I… he wouldn't have killed… killed…"
"Hush." Zelda whispered. "You are blameless, Ness. Do not apologize for a thing. The fault was mine alone. I allowed myself to get distracted, and endangered us all. You handled everything with bravery befitting the strongest warrior, and we owe you all of our lives."
Ness sniffled, and Zelda simply gathered him into her lap, whispering soothing words to him.
Luigi sat brokenhearted over Mario's body. "Don't panic, don't panic." He told himself. He pulled out his Game & Watch communicator and frantically punched in Dr. Mario's number. A beep, and the good doctor's face appeared on the screen.
"Luigi! What happened?" Dr. Mario asked. "Just a few minutes ago I heard this explosion, and…"
"Doctor… we need you over here right away." Luigi gasped, struggling to keep his voice steady. "We have wounded here… some bad…"
"Say no more. I'm on my way now." Dr. Mario replied, and the screen went blank.
"Luigi…" Luigi looked down and saw Mario staring up at him. He faltered. What do you say to your brother when your own weakness may have resulted in his death?
Mario smiled at his younger brother. "You did fine…" he whispered.
Soon everybody was in the waiting room as Dr. Mario worked his magic. Miraculously, most of the injuries weren't bad. Link suffered burns on his hands, Samus was mostly protected by her suit's insulation, and Mr. Game & Watch was back to his old self in no time, making coffee for everybody. Kirby, Jigglypuff and Raichu suffered only mild headaches. Luigi and Captain Falcon had only a few bruises, but no broken bones. Zelda's head hurt, but she had suffered no lasting damage. The others, though…
Everybody sat up when Dr. Mario stepped into the waiting room. "I've examined Ness…" he declared.
"…And?" Link asked.
"Physically there is absolutely nothing wrong with him." Dr. Mario concluded. "He suffered no neurological damage whatsoever. It was strange, though…"
"What was strange?" Zelda asked, an odd urgency in her voice.
"For whatever reason, his brainwave activity seems to have altered itself in some way." The doctor muttered. "I can't explain exactly what happened, but something in the wiring of his mind seems to have altered itself. But it makes no difference. He's in perfect health, and his personality and intelligence haven't altered in the slightest."
Zelda sat down like somebody had struck her. "Are you okay, Princess?" Luigi asked.
"It is… nothing." Zelda murmured. "Just fatigue, and nothing more."
"A good rest in bed and the boy will be just fine." Dr. Mario concluded with a small smile.
"He'd do it better at his own home." Luigi declared. "Falcon, could you…"
"Sure, I'll give the kid a ride home." Falcon nodded, getting up and stepping out of the room.
"And now…" Dr. Mario continued.
"Yes?" everybody asked, anxious to hear about Mario.
"Luigi, I need to speak to you in private." Dr. Mario simply said, gesturing towards the examining room. Luigi stood up and walked through the doors, Dr. Mario following him.
Link bowed his head and sighed. "What has happened to us?" he asked to nobody in particular. Nobody at all answered him.
In the examining room, all was silent except for the steady beep of a heart monitor and the rhythmic wheeze of Mario's respirator. At the other end of the room stood Luigi and Dr. Mario.
"…And you're sure?" Luigi asked, clutching his hat over his chest.
"Absolutely." Dr. Mario gravely replied. "The damage is too intense. I can't heal him. No doctor can."
"But… are you sure that we're making the right decision?" Luigi asked. "I mean, if we do this, it'll mean that he can never come back down here…"
"He'll like it up there." Dr. Mario replied. "He won't be in pain, he'll be among the stars, and he'll even be able to watch you and his friends whenever he wants."
"He'll hate having to give up adventuring…" Luigi sighed.
"He'd never be able to adventure again anyway." Dr. Mario pointedly stated. "Down here he'd be a burden, and he wouldn't want to be a burden. Up there he'll be taken care of, and you won't have to worry about anybody trying to hunt him down and finish him off."
Luigi wiped his eyes. "I'll miss him…" he muttered.
"We all will, Luigi." The doctor clarified. "I'll even miss him, and I AM him. People like Mario only come along once. We're all so fortunate just to know him. And you'll see him again someday. After all, plenty of room up there for one more."
"Yeah." Luigi sighed. He straightened up. "I… I'll agree to your plan, but… what can I tell the others?"
"You want my suggestion? Don't tell them about where he's going." Dr. Mario replied. "It'll only break their spirit. If you want to truly keep his legend alive, don't make him a burden. Make him a martyr."
"A martyr." Luigi repeated. "But… I won't lie to them."
"You won't have to lie." Dr. Mario replied. "There's two little words you can say that are completely true, and yet will still have the desired effect."
"Okay." Luigi sighed. "That's what I'll tell them."
"You've made the right choice." Dr. Mario said with a smile. "Now, go out and tell them. Don't worry about Mario. I'll make all the arrangements."
"Okay." Luigi replied. "Thank you, doctor."
"Hey, it's just my job." Dr. Mario shrugged. "But you're welcome all the same."
Back in the waiting room, the assembled Smashers fidgeted nervously.
"There can't possibly be any good news coming out that door." Samus declared.
"Ssh!" Zelda whispered as the door opened.
Out the door came Luigi, looking like the entire weight of the world sat upon his shoulders. His eyes were wet and bloodshot.
"Luigi…?" Link asked.
Luigi lowered his head and somehow managed to choke out those two words.
"He's… gone."