The sky was colored a paler blue than normal. A harsh cold had settled over the land, in spite of the sun that hung in the sky. The ground was hard and frozen, a thin layer of frost blanketing the soil. The howling wind seemed to warn every living thing to stay inside. Breaths came out in clipped, terse puffs and hands were tucked firmly in pockets, at least for those that dared brave the cold. Even the Ice Climbers were careful enough to wear an extra layer as they went out on their expedition for the day.

For everyone else, however, the day was better spent inside, with piping hot beverages and sitting next to blazing hot fireplaces. And that is exactly where a certain young lady was at that very moment, quietly sipping tea as she watched the world outside.

Yuri Kozukata took another sip. She watched with mild concern as someone (presumably the one named Luigi, judging by his green hat) slipped and fell on a patch of ice. The sky had turned the color of a stormy sea as clouds moved in, subtly darkening the landscape.

She continued to stare out at the world beyond. The countryside was vast and seemingly endless… at least, that was what she had been told on her arrival here.

It had already been a year since Yuri first received her invitation to come to this strange place, and she still remembered it as though it was yesterday. She had been sitting alone, minding her own business, when a large, sentient hand(!) had shown up at her door inviting her to participate in a fighting tournament featuring many warriors from across the multiverse. It had given her an envelope, detailing that she was to be an Assist Trophy, stunning foes with her specialized camera, the Camera Obscura.

Her first reaction was asking them to leave, of course.

…Actually, scratch that. Her second reaction was asking them to leave. Her first reaction was screaming at the top of her lungs.

But thankfully, the talking hand and its brother(?!) were quite calm about the whole ordeal. Well, maybe one of them was. The other was prone to… "goofing off", as Master Hand had said. After accepting the position, they had taken her to a place called the World of Trophies, where warriors from other worlds gathered in pitched combat.

Yuri had her misgivings at first, but she inevitably got used to the routine. Her friends had always said she was adaptable to change. In the face of horrifying, supernatural creatures, she remained adjustable, versatile, and resourceful. Even here, in the World of Trophies, nothing could truly faze her for long.

Her teacup emptied, Yuri got up and began to roam the hallways. Although she knew she had nothing to fear, her footsteps were slow and deliberate, as though something might jump out at her at any moment.

As she rounded a corner, she spotted a small, round, and fuzzy creature heading in her direction. Upon meeting her gaze, he smiled and waved. "Good morning, Yuri!" he chirped.

Yuri smiled and waved back. "Hi, Riki! Everything holding up okay?"

Riki nodded. "It's a wonderful day for Heropon! Sun is shining, birds are singing, and the world—"

Without warning, a loud bang interrupted the Nopon's words. A huge chunk of wall burst out, sending Riki flying through the adjacent wall, leaving a Nopon-shaped hole through brick and concrete.

Yuri gasped and fell backward as another explosion rang out. A small object shaped like a mouse scuttled out from the hole in the wall, moving over the rubble and down the hall. After it moved a short distance, it flashed red and exploded, causing loose plaster to fall from the ceiling.

"Eee hee hee hee!"

Out popped Skull Kid, a bundle of Bombchus in his hand. He grabbed a handful and tossed them into the air, sending them scurrying in different directions. He briefly locked eyes with Yuri. "What're you looking at?" he said, tossing another Bombchu over his shoulder.

Yuri got up. "Skull Kid, what the hell are you doing?!" she asked.

"What does it look like?" asked Skull Kid briskly. He tossed another bomb over his shoulder. It scooted away and turned a corner. Another explosion rumbled through the hall, along with the sound of someone screaming.

"That's quite enough, Skull Kid!"

Yuri and Skull Kid wheeled around to face the speaker. A tall robot clad in red armor and a long, flowing ponytail was standing in the doorway. A blade of glowing blue energy was in his grip. He stared down at Skull Kid with a stony expression. "Where did you find those, Skull Kid?" he asked.

The imp stared curiously at the robot. "I found 'em in the inventory," he grunted. "It was a real maze in there. Why do you want to know?"

The robot simply narrowed his eyes. "I don't remember you being on inventory duty today. What's more, items are not allowed outside of matches except in extenuating circumstances. Why are you holding Bombchus?"

Skull Kid floated to the ground, clearly caught in the act. "...Who, me? I just, er, found these lying around! So I figured I'd just get rid of some of the extras!"

Yuri and the robot exchanged a glance. Neither of them were fooled by the imp's story. "Well, then," began the robot, "if that's the case, then you wouldn't mind if I took those off your hands." He extended his hand, expecting Skull Kid to take the hint.

Skull Kid stared at the robot's hand. He seemed to be pouting, even through his mask. At last, he sighed and dropped the remaining explosives into the robot's palm. "...Here. You can put it back, I guess." And with those words, Skull Kid glumly floated off down the hallway and disappeared around a corner.

The robot sighed as he held the Bombchus in his arms. "That Skull Kid…" he murmured. He turned to face Yuri. "Oh… I don't think we've met before. Who are you?"

Yuri bowed slightly. "My name is Yuri Kozukata. I'm one of the newer assistants here…"

The robot nodded in acknowledgement. "You, too, huh? My name is Zero. I'm a Maverick Hunter from Abel City. It's nice to meet you." He extended his arm in greeting, a contrast to his stiff and impassive face.

The young woman awkwardly took Zero's hand and shook it. "Nice meeting you, too." There was a long, awkward silence.

…

…

"...I'm sorry," said Zero at last. "Axl always said that I need to, er, loosen up, so…" He trailed off, choosing to take interest in a passing butterfly outside.

Yuri nodded. "Yeah, I get it. Back home, I have a friend, Hisoka… she'd tell me the same thing."

More silence. Yuri fiddled with her shirt, while Zero tapped his foot on the ground. A passing breeze ruffled a curtain and blew Yuri's hair back, not in a dramatic way as in her favorite movies, but in a less noble way that got a few strands of hair in her eyes.

"...I should go," said Zero at last.

"Yeah, I… Me, too," said Yuri. She turned to go, only to stop when she realized that Zero was headed in the same direction. "Oh, were you—"

"Ah— ah," stammered Zero. He, too, paused when he realized where he was going. He turned to go, but caught himself when he realized that Yuri was walking in the same direction. "Wait— wait a second—"

Yuri stopped in her tracks. "Here, let me—" The two were now facing each other. She decided to simply walk past Zero, only to nearly collide with him in the process. "I… aw, jeez."

Zero cringed as he realized what he was doing. "Oh, sorry, let me—" He attempted to sidestep and pass Yuri, but she ended up mirroring his movement, placing them in the same position.

"Ah, come on—"muttered Yuri. She attempted to move in the opposite direction, but to her dismay, Zero had done the same thing.

"Um…"

"Hold on…"

This continued for fifteen agonizing seconds.

At last Zero decided to simply stay put, allowing Yuri to pass. She went on her way, with Zero following suit, both of them eager to put the world's worst tango behind them.

Yuri gave a heavy sigh as she walked down the halls with no real destination in mind. If she was being honest with herself, she really just wanted to get away from that awful interaction she just had. But it wasn't like she disliked Zero! It was just that they'd had a really bad first meeting. Perhaps things would go better the next time they met.

As Yuri contemplated these things, she noticed someone inside the room she almost passed. An older gentleman with a thick white beard was standing at the front of the room, holding a paintbrush in his hand. He seemed to be teaching a selection of others, including a green-haired woman in a red tunic, a tall, thin and grouchy-looking man, and a cyborg with a glowing orange light right between his eyes, all of whom were standing in front of their own easels. Upon noticing Yuri, the bearded man waved at her. "Ah, hello! Are you here for today's art lesson?"

"Hmmm? Oh, I mean, if you'll have me, I guess," said Yuri. As she walked in, the green-haired woman waved excitedly, while the tall man simply scoffed and turned back to his canvas.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin, said the bearded man. "My name is Vince, and I am one of the lucky few chosen to be an Assist Trophy in this new era of Super Smash Bros."

To Yuri's right, the tall man snorted and rolled his eyes. Vince went on. "It is truly a great honor to see so many new people and discover so many new worlds. In my time here, I have heard of many worlds troubled by chaos and bloodshed. My greatest hope is that painting can provide a brief respite from the strife in your lives."

There was a brief pause as they took in his words. "Perhaps some of you are accomplished artists in your world, or maybe you've never so much as picked up a paintbrush in your life. At any rate, you're about to become part of a grand tradition stretching back thousands of years. Now, with that out of the way, let us begin the first lesson." He took out a piece of chalk and began to write on the chalkboard behind him:

Still Life:

Fruit

"Still life," explained Vince, "is one of visual art's most enduring genres, with fruit in particular featuring heavily within the genre. It's quite popular among beginners, as it can be broken down into three basic elements: shape, color, and texture. Today, we shall focus on fruit, in particular one of my personal favorites…" He reached into his pocket and pulled a red, shiny tomato. "The tomato. Let's start with the linework…"

The assistants took out their pencils and set to work. As they made their first few strokes, the green haired woman leaned closer to Yuri. "Excuse me, I don't think we've met before," she whispered. "I'm Tiki, and that's Gray Fox over there." She gestured at the cyborg, who only looked briefly at her before returning to his art. "Who might you be?"

"My name is Yuri Kozukata," said Yuri, taking Tiki's hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah, you're from Fatal Frame, right? I do remember that. Quite the underrated gem, that one," said Tiki with a wink.

Yuri opened her mouth to say something, but was rudely interrupted by the tall man right beside her. "Oh, puh-leeze," he drawled with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "You can't underrate something if it's not worth anything to start with."

Both women glared at Waluigi as they continued drawing. "Oh, leave her alone," chided Tiki. "At least she actually has a starring role."

"Shut up, anime girl! What good is a starring role if it's in a failed project?!" retorted Waluigi.

Tiki clenched her jaw and clutched at a mysterious stone on her person, but seemed to decide against it after a quick glance at Gray Fox. Yuri stopped drawing the sepal of her tomato to face the man directly. "What is your problem?" she asked heatedly. "Who even are you?"

"Me? I'm just the one guy among all of you losers that actually deserved to get in." he answered in a falsely humble manner. "But everyone calls me Waluigi."

Yuri had heard the name Waluigi from the murmurings of some of the other Assist Trophies, most of it a complaint of some form. "Ohhh, you're that guy. The guy no one likes," she remarked.

Tiki stifled a giggle as Waluigi grimaced even further. Even Gray Fox paused his sketching to glance at them. "Waaah! Go ahead and laugh! But mark my words, one day I'll be the number-one superstar of the world!"

"Ignore him, Yuri," came Gray Fox's raspy voice from behind his easel. "I've worked with Waluigi before. He's been like this since the first Assist Trophy program, unable to appreciate the opportunity he's been given."

"Bah!" said Waluigi scornfully. "You may be content with your lot, but I refuse to be on the same level as you lowlifes!" He turned back to his easel, glaring daggers at Yuri as he applied the first layer of paint.

Time passed, and the lesson went on, with Vince walking around the room and giving pointers to those who needed it. Eventually, he returned to the front of the room and said, "Alright, I suppose that's enough for one day. You are free to take your art with you or simply leave it here for others to admire. Next time, we start on charcoal! I hope to see you there!"

All the assistants got up and headed for the exit. "Oh, Yuri, yours turned out so nicely! You're so talented!" said Tiki.

"Wow, th-thank you!" replied Yuri. She honestly hadn't had much experience in painting, but now that she looked at it… "Your picture looks great, too! And even yours, too!" she added, gesturing at Gray Fox.

The cyborg paused, caught off guard by the genuine compliment. He stared at his painting, the orange light on his helmet glowing steadily. "…I suppose it did," he murmured.

As the three of them stood there admiring each other's art and giving each other pointers, Waluigi stomped past them, his painting tucked under one arm. "Opportunities… waaah, I'll show them…" he muttered under his breath. "Hey, move it! Out of my way, nonachievers!"

Tiki glared at the man as he walked off. "Gods, he's annoying. How does Mario put up with him?" She turned back to Yuri with a sympathetic smile. "At any rate, I guess I'll see you around, then." She turned and left, her painting in one hand and that strange stone she held in the other.

"I suppose I, too, must take my leave," said Gray Fox. He nodded at Yuri. "Farewell, Yuri Kozukata. And remember…" His voice was raspy, yet genuine. "You're much braver than you think you are. Let your position as an Assist Trophy stand as a testament to your skill." And with those words, Gray Fox turned and did a quite impressive backflip out a nearby window.

But not before opening it first.

Yuri smiled at her painting as she ascended a flight of stairs. Ever since Tiki brought it up, it did look pretty nice… And honestly, Tiki seemed pretty nice, too! She was new to the Assist Trophy program, but she kept a bright outlook, in spite of Waluigi's negativity! She definitely seemed like a good friend.

…It occurred to Yuri that she didn't have anyone that she could really consider a friend. Acquaintances and colleagues, sure, but no one she was particularly close to.

Until today, she supposed.

"Heeey…"

In such a bizarre world, it would be nice to have someone to confide in…

"Heeey…!"

Maybe at some point, she'd invite Tiki over for tea and—

"Heeey! Over here!"

Running towards Yuri was a very short boy clad in a blue-and-beige spacesuit. The antenna on his helmet trailed behind him as he ran, with three plant-like creatures following him. He nearly collided with Yuri as he caught up with her. "Hey! Hey, it's you!" he said, smiling widely.

"Oh… heeeey," said Yuri, a little surprised by the spaceboy's arrival, and a little disquieted by the walking plants next to him. Something about the boy was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "Do I know you?" she asked.

"Oh, you don't remember me?" said the boy, a little flattened by her response. "It's me, Alph! I'm from PNF-404!"

"Ah." Okay, now she had a name to the face, but she still didn't know where she knew him.

"We were on Wii U together! Remember that party at the end of 2015?"

"Oh, yeah!" Now the memories were coming back! "That was the year those squid people came around, right?"

Alph nodded. "Remember when Bowser fell into that pool filled with ink? Man, it makes me almost miss those days…" He glanced at the painting Yuri was holding. "Oooh! That's a nice drawing of a Sunseed Berry you got there!"

Yuri reflexively bowed in gratitude, Alph's odd terminology sinking in. "I'm sorry, a what?"

"A Sunseed Berry!" repeated Alph. Before he could launch into an expository speech, he stopped and took a closer look at the painting. "…Or is that an Insect Condo?" he said tentatively.

"It's… it's a tomato," explained Yuri.

"Oh." Alph thought about this new information for a moment. "Well, that's a pretty weird thing to name a fruit," he said at last. One of the plant creatures at his side stared at the painting in a scrutinizing manner.

The topic of fruit led to yet more conversation. As the two walked, they talked at length about their adventures, about the points where all seemed lost, and their most prominent moments of triumph. Yuri even showed Alph her Camera Obscura, and compared it to a strange gadget of his that he called his KopPad. To their surprise, they learned that in spite of their vastly different appearances and functions, the two devices were actually quite similar in build and framework, almost as if they were derived from the same model hardware.

Their stroll led them to the billiards room, where several Smashers and Assist Trophies were sitting at tables shooting the breeze, having a drink or two, or simply people-watching, like the Nightmare Wizard seemed to be doing.

Yuri and Alph sat down at a table. Some of the people present glanced at them in acknowledgement, but gave no salutation. In particular, Wario and Waluigi briefly looked at them, exchanged a few hushed words, and chortled between themselves, sneaking covert glances at the duo all the while.

"So, anyways," said Yuri, "how have you been enjoying the tournament so far?"

"Oh, yeah, plenty!" replied Alph enthusiastically. "Just yesterday, I was in a match against Captain Falcon on that Delfino Plaza stage! So he starts out with a Raptor Boost right out of the gate, and I'm thinking 'no way', so then I…"

As Yuri listened to Alph prattle on, her eyes fell on Wario and Waluigi again, who were talking with each other again. The taller man nudged the shorter one, and not-so-furtively pointed at Yuri. Wario glanced over his shoulder to peer at the girl. He made a face, then turned back to Waluigi, snickering alongside him.

Yuri simply rolled her eyes as she turned back to Alph, who was finishing up his little anecdote. "...With a xylophone! Isn't that hilarious?" he asked.

Oh, wait. "Ummm…" She shifted around in her seat, trying to think of something to say with what little she had picked up. "Yeah, that's… that's great." she said lamely.

Alph stopped smiling. The plant creatures beside him stared up at Yuri and tilted their heads, looking exactly as if they were asking a question. "Were… were you listening at all?" he asked, imitating the head tilt of his comrades. Yuri could only wince and shrug apologetically.

"Oh, it's… it's fine. No, really! It's okay," added Alph hastily, seeing Yuri about to blurt out an apology. The Koppaite rested his helmet in a gloved hand and. "It's just…" He paused, and seemed to briefly consider his words. "Do… do you ever feel like people forget about you?"

A derisive-sounding snort came from Wario and Waluigi's table. Alph tried to ignore it, but a telltale twitch of his eye gave away his true feeling on the matter. "Like, in the last tournament, I got invited, and it was a really big deal, you know? But then, when I got here, they told me I'd only be Captain Olimar's alternate, to use the same moves as him when he's unavailable. N-not that I resent him for that, no! The Captain's really great, honest! But still, they invited Lucina and Dark Pit, and they got to be their own fighters…

"So that tournament comes and goes, and then they announce this tournament. They show off this new 'Echo Fighter' thing, and so I figure this is my big chance! I sign up for it, detail all my proposed differences, all that jazz. I was thinking I was gonna use Rock Pikmin instead of the purple ones," he added, gesturing to one of the creatures beside him. "Anyways, I send in my application, and you know what happens? Not even twenty-four hours later, I get a rejection. Saying I'm 'not different enough'. And now that we've got more people getting invited, I'm probably gonna get left in the dust again," Alph pouted. Yuri was silent, sensing the rancor from the boy's otherwise cheerful face. From the corner, the Nightmare Wizard gazed at them dispassionately.

"But you know, it could be worse," concluded Alph with a shrug. "Not everyone gets to be invited, so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. And at least I'm an actual fighter, and not just an Assist—" He paused, face blanching with horror at what he was saying. "Ohmigosh, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I completely forgot you were— I didn't mean that you were somehow— it's just that everyone says it's the worst thing that—"

"Hey, it's okay!" interrupted Yuri. "It's fine, you didn't mean anything by it!" Alph calmed down a bit, but still looked guiltily down at the floor. Vince's art class echoed in Yuri's mind. You may be content with your lot, but I refuse to be on the same level as you lowlifes…

Let your position as an Assist Trophy stand as a testament to your skill…

"I know how you feel," admitted Yuri.

Alph looked up at her. "You do?"

Yuri nodded and lowered her voice. "We Assist Trophies, we barely get any of the attention that the fighters get. Plus, I was in Fatal Frame. I know all too well what it's like to be forgotten. But you know what? I say we make sure no one forgets us! Fight as hard as you can, and make them remember the name Alph! And if someone gives you a hard time, I say fight even harder!"

That seemed to lift Alph's spirits a bit. "…You're right," said the explorer, nodding his head. "And you know, this is a team effort! We're gonna take our place in history together!"

Yuri smiled as the Pikmin surrounding Alph cheered. Off to the side, Waluigi scowled into his coffee, while Wario simply downed his cup, uncaring of the events beside him. They were right as far as Yuri was concerned. If they were gonna be here at all, they were gonna make sure every moment counted! Very soon, everyone would recognize their names! So they sat, filled with a newfound determination to show the world who they were.

So much so, that they didn't even notice that the Nightmare Wizard had disappeared from the room…

Author's Notes: It's Yuri Kozukata! No one else seems to write about her, so I think it'd be nice to see how she, a relatively normal person, meshes with some of the other people around.

Also she and Alph are Wii U buddies and you cannot convince me otherwise