Reunion

Let's go into Book 2 of this story. I hope you enjoy.


Reunion (n): an instance of two or more people coming together again after a period of separation; the act or process of being brought together again as a unified whole

-from Google Search

2001

The twelve legends Master Hand had brought together had, despite the tension, really grown on each other.

Tears had been shed during the closing ceremony, all the Smashers hoping against hope that this wasn't a permanent "goodbye".

And Master Hand knew it. He, too, was crying as his Smashers parted ways. They were his new family. Following the end of the first tournament, MH was an extremely lonely glove, with only a crazy twin brother and a spherical being of a father to keep him company.

Two years went by, and he couldn't take it anymore. Smash had set the Nintendo universe on its ear, and he knew his Smashers were itching to come back. So, as snow began to fall, cookies began to bake and Christmas lights began to glow, the Hand of Creation decided it was time.

The Original Twelve were ecstatic, to say the least, when Master Hand wrote to them to invite them to another tournament. They'd spent the past two years practicing and keeping in touch with one another via phone calls and letters. Most of them had gone on more adventures since then, adventures which helped them grow, and in the case of one, boosted self-esteem and self-confidence. Master Hand promised that this tournament would be bigger than the previous, with plenty of surprises in store. He had his Smashers at "surprises".

On December 3, 2001, the twelve Smashers once again reported to the Smash Mansion, suitcases in hand, happy to be back. Master Hand heartily greeted them and escorted them to the revamped Reception Area, allowing them to not only reconnect with each other but also bond with the thirteen newcomers he'd invited. Hot chocolate and cookies were passed around as the returnees mingled with the newbies. After about an hour, Master Hand re-appeared to introduce (or re-introduce) himself and to talk about how this new tournament, Melee, was going to be different. There was going to be an all-new Adventure Mode consisting of elements from the Smashers' home worlds, fifty-one Event Matches and several Multi-Man Modes. The Polygons had given way to Wireframes, more than happy to tend to the needs of any Smasher. And finally, the brand-new Home Run Contest introduced the Sandbags, which the Smashers could use for practice if a sparring partner was unavailable.

Once explanations were through, MH had the Smashers form two lines—veterans over here and newcomers over there—to check in and receive their room assignments. The rooms had been remodeled entirely, since with the increased popularity of the tournaments came increased funding. Like last year, the rest of the day was used for leisure, to get settled in and to catch up with friends they hadn't seen in a while.


"I'm so nervous," said Captain Falcon.

"Don't worry," said Ness, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah," said Jigglypuff. "Melee is a clean slate."

"Thanks," beamed Falcon as he knocked on the door.

It opened with a soft click, revealing Luigi. His blue eyes immediately lit up with joy.

"Ness! Jiggs! Douglas!" he said. "I missed you so much!"

"We missed you, too!" cried Falcon, his concerns dispelled by the smile on Luigi's face.

The plumber opened his arms, and his three friends tackled him, hugging wildly on the floor.

"I have some interesting news," said Falcon after the hugfest was over, and the four were seated on Luigi's bed. "For the time being, I am on the starting roster."

"So am I," added Ness.

"Goodness—that's wonderful!" gushed Luigi.

"Puff! You're playing with the big boys now!" added Jiggs.

"I can't wait to show my moves to the newcomers," said Douglas. "How about you?"

"Definitely," said Luigi, "but no matter what happens, we'll still be the Formidable Four. Am I right?"

Falcon nodded. "Right."

"So," said Ness. "How are you and Samus?"

"We're official now," blushed Falcon. "We had our first date, and one might say that we're birds of a feather."

"Congratulations, Falcon," said Luigi. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, L," said Douglas.

"I don't have anything interesting to share," sighed Ness. "Sorry."

"Pikachu and I have been in some more Pokémon tournaments since 1999," said Jigglypuff, "and we made some new friends—as well as enemies."

Ness, Jiggs, and Falcon turned to Luigi, who obviously had something to share but was holding it in.

"Come on, L," said Douglas, seeing the blush to Luigi's cheeks. "We see it all over your face. What's the latest scoop in the Super Mario universe?"

"I—I…" Luigi began softly, but then he straightened and finished in a strong voice. "I rescued Mario."

"No way!"

"Good for you, L!"

"Puff! Jigglypuff!"

"What happened?" asked Falcon.

"I got a letter saying that I won a free mansion, so I went to check it out," said Luigi. "It turned out to be a mansion full of spooks. But then, I ran into Toad, and he told me that Mario was—missing. Later, I met E. Gadd, a paranormal researcher, and he asked me to help him capture the ghosts."

"How did you find Mario?" asked Ness.

"The King of all Boos had trapped him in a painting," said Luigi. "That spook may have frightened me, but I sure as heck wasn't going to leave without my bro!" His eyes flashed. "We fought on the rooftop, and he pulled some tricks. I was badly hurt, but I did it. I defeated him, and I got Mario out of there. We cried and cried in each other's arms."

Luigi then slid off the bed and withdrew a vacuuming device from his closet. "You see this? This is the Poltergust 3000. E. Gadd gave it to me, and I used it to capture those ghosts and Boos and save my bro."

"So—you're not scared of ghosts anymore?" asked Jiggs.

Luigi shrugged. "I honestly don't know," he said softly. "I can tell you that if a ghost harms or tries to harm someone I love dearly, then all bets are off!

"I was proud of myself afterward," he went on. "I'd look at my reflection sometimes, and I'd say to myself, 'I rescued my big bro'. I was commended for it, you know. It was a small ceremony, but at least it was something. And the look on Mario's face—I can't ask for anything more than that. Or a grateful hug or a shoulder squeeze or a cry of 'Way to go, Bro!' I—I just can't even…" He took a deep breath and swiped at his eyes.

"We're proud of you, L," said Ness, "and I'm sure Mario's proud of you, too. What's that you've always said? 'Anything is possible, once you put your mind to it'."

"And I put my mind to beating back my fears and getting Mario out of harm's way," Luigi said passionately, "and I did it! I was tempted to turn back more than once, but I still got the job done! Let's see what these people say about me now!"

"Luigi…" started Douglas, fearful of the direction the conversation was going.

Luigi whipped around and fixed the racer with an intense look. "I hope they all paid attention, because I made something clear when I faced my worst fear—I'm not a someone to discard or be plopped into last place! I'm not a shadow! I'm not one to shy away from a fight! And I'm as sure as [bleep] not a loser or a—a…" He trailed off.

Douglas, Ness and Jiggs exchanged a look before glancing back at Luigi, taking slow, deep breaths and pulling himself together.

"This is something I feel strongly about," he explained in a softer tone.

"I see that," Douglas said slowly.

"This has been a big year for you," added Ness. "You proved to the world that you're Player One material. My compliments."

Luigi smiled. "Thanks, Ness," he said.

"Yeah, L," said Douglas, draping an arm around him. "You're a trooper."

The moment was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" asked Luigi.

"It's Fox!"

Luigi stood and answered the door. "Hello," he greeted the vulpine, his voice formal.

Fox McCloud had changed significantly since 1999. In addition to gaining closure over his father's death, he'd also fallen in love with a feisty blue-furred vixen named Krystal. Also, he'd garnered more trust among his colleagues.

Currently, Fox held a familiar game tucked under his arm. "So," he said, a little sheepishly. "I see you have some guests, and I was wondering if—well—we could…"

The ice was broken. "Sure, we could play some Twister!" beamed Luigi. "It'll be just like old times!"

"Yeah," echoed Fox. "Just like old times…"

Luigi let Fox in, and the mercenary leader wasted no time setting up the mat. The Formidable Four quickly kicked off their shoes and found a spot on the mat while Fox grabbed the spinner and made himself comfortable in a chair.

"Right hand—green!"


Pikachu was relaxing in his room when he heard a soft knock on the door.

The electric mouse scampered over and opened it. "Pika!" he cried happily.

Kirby stood before him, holding a nice-sized cake. "Poyo?" he asked.

"Pika," replied Pikachu, allowing Kirby to puff inside.

Kirby placed the cake on the table and carefully sliced it up with Pikachu's help. He hefted a generous slice of the cake onto two plates and gave one plate to Pikachu.

Pikachu grabbed a fork and dug in. The cake was delicious, as always. He really missed Kirby and the goodies he made. The Star Warrior and the electric mouse became pen pals after the first tournament ended, which only strengthened their friendship. While Pikachu fought in more Pokémon battles, Kirby was in an adventure which involved retrieving some Crystal Shards and befriending a talented painter named Adeline. But now that they were back together, it was like they'd never been separated.

"Poyo?" Kirby said softly, getting Pikachu's attention.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu.

Kirby blushed and looked down. "Poyo, poyo, poyo poyoyo," he said, explaining how the electric mouse had given him a positive vibe from the very beginning. "Poyo, poyo, popoyo poyoy poyo."

"Pika—pika?" Pikachu asked in a breathy voice.

"Poyo, poyo, poyoyo poyoy poyo poy," confessed Kirby. "Poyo, poyo poy poyo popoyo poyo."

Pikachu smiled. Kirby had just admitted that he loved him, and that nothing would tear them apart. "Pika, pika, pi," he said quietly, reciprocating Kirby's feelings.

The electric mouse leaned forward and took Kirby's mouth in his for a deep kiss.

"Pika?" he asked once the kiss broke, inviting the puffball to go out with him.

Kirby nodded. "Poyo!" he said cheerfully, kissing Pikachu again.


Samus opened her door to find a Wireframe standing outside. "Oh! Hey," she said.

The Wireframe smiled. "Delivery for Samus Aran," she said cordially.

"What? I didn't order…" Samus trailed off when she saw the package of Metroid food, a bouquet of roses and some chocolates. "Captain Falcon. Tell him I said thanks."

"Of course," said the Wireframe as Samus took the gifts and laid them out on her dresser.

Samus's pet Metroid seemed to enjoy the delicious food from Douglas, merrily chowing down while its mistress brought the bouquet to her nose and breathed in the scent of the roses. She then caught sight of the note attached to the bouquet.

8p.m. tonight? It read.

Samus plucked out a piece of chocolate and then popped it into her mouth. "I'll be there," she promised.

We'll meet the newcomers next chapter. What do you think? Talk to me.