Smile for the Sake of Everyone

Chapter 1
Scattering Ashes to the Wind

(Uploaded on November 1, 2018)

Summary: Standing on the edge of a familiar cliff with all of his friends, Kirby finds his worst nightmares becoming a reality – as a new threat to the multiverse makes itself known in the most horrifying way possible.

Notes: This chapter is set at the (presumed) beginning of Adventure Mode: World of Light, as revealed in the Final Smash Direct of November 1st, 2018. This was written prior to the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so story elements from this fic may be rendered non-canon by the time it officially comes out.

In other news, holy shit.

Colors weave into a spire of flame

Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed…

[Kirby]

Master Hand's missing.

Crazy Hand too.

It took us a little bit to realize it, but when we realized he wasn't anywhere to be found, well… the whole mansion—Smashers and Assist Trophies and everybody—went ballistic over it. Who? Why? Where? How?

There wasn't any grand scene to be seen, no spectacular villain snatching Master Hand before our eyes—he was just… gone.

We spent several long hours trying to find him and his brother, calling upon any and all resources at our disposal to track their whereabouts. The Ultimate tournament was due to begin in just a few days—we couldn't have it without them. We just couldn't.

As for me and the rest of the Brawl gang, this whole thing was just a source of intense worry – for we remembered the events of the Subspace invasion far too well. The whole thing nearly took us all out, and I have no doubt that it would've spread to our worlds had we fallen then and there.

And the one thing both then and now was sharing was Master Hand disappearing.

If an invasion, just like Subspace, were to happen again…

…well, I don't really want to think about it.

None of us do.

I desperately hoped it wouldn't come to that—that we wouldn't have to find ourselves divided again, fighting against each other again—nearly killed again. Once was enough for me. Enough for everyone, I'd say.

But—the way things are going now…

There's a real possibility that our worst fears may come true.

Dear NOVA, please, I prayed. Please, just let this be a simple misunderstanding. It has to be. It has to.

(But I should've learned, should've known after Void Termina—

—that things never end up being as simple as that.)

Bare this torch against the cold of the night

Search your soul and reawaken the undying light!

This cliff is one I'm familiar with.

Once upon a time, we stood here triumphant, having saved all of existence from Subspace in the nick of time. It was the end of a beginning, you could say, the lead-in to what would become the Brawl tournament.

Now we're here again, several dozen of us stronger, standing here to quite possibly face a brand new threat – stronger than anything we've ever seen before. (In a way, I guess you could say—this was the beginning of the end.)

Murmurs were moving about the crowd as we stared out into the setting sun. What were we to see? "This is the right-a place, right?" Mario asked. His brow furrowed as he spoke, his face scrunched into the same worry most of us were holding.

"It can't be anything else," Samus replied. "The massive energy fluctuation we detected here is no doubt connected to Master Hand's disappearance." She put a hand on her arm cannon, aiming it out into the sea. "Whatever it is, we have to be cautious."

"Hmph. This won't be anything too special!" Bowser gruffly declared, snorting out smoke from his nostrils. He pumped his fists together. "If it's Tabuu again, we'll just clobber him back to the shadowy hellhole he came from!"

Red nodded assent. "We took down one threat together before," he stated, "we can certainly do this one too!"

But—something about this just didn't feel right to me. "Something's wrong, though," I remarked aloud. "I—I don't know why, but… it feels like—like we're at Tabuu again, about to be turned into trophies." That had been a pretty unpleasant time. And this time, I don't think we were going to have any Deus Ex Machinas save us out of the blue. "We… We can't let our guard down."

"The atmosphere is a little tense," Link agreed—he may technically be a different 'incarnation' than last time, but he's still the same Link we all know. "But whatever happens, we can only face it head on. We can't run away here."

"Still…" My worries didn't leave me. For the first time in a while, I found myself genuinely frightened of whatever awaited beyond.

And unfortunately, I found that I was right to be afraid.

For soon, descending down from the sky, in almost the blink of an eye… was about several dozen Master Hands, all at once. And none of them looked particularly very friendly, either.

Our jaws dropped at the sight. "What the hell…?" I quietly let out, my worries immediately ratcheting up several notches higher. This was bad. This was very bad.

And in the middle of them—the presumed source behind whatever was going on—was some sort of red-and-blue technicolored winged… thing, just hanging out in the middle of the sky amidst the madness. It seemed to glare ominously at us, as if it was promising to bring our doom right then and there. I didn't like it. Not at all.

Fox was quick to react. He brought out his blaster and pointed it at the horde of Hands. "Whatever's going on—we can't let a single one of them get away!" he commanded, his eyes narrowed at our enemies. "You guys ready for this?"

Several of us grunted a 'yes', but I wasn't one of them. Two Hands are difficult enough to defeat alone; how are we going to take care of this? Nearby, I could hear Marth's voice carrying a similar uncertainty, easily audible amidst our determined silence. "There's a lot of Hands up there," he noted grimly. "Even if each of us takes out at least ten, it may be too much for us to handle."

"Stow your fears," Zelda said. "We can't let this force spread beyond this world. It's now or never!"

"We'll win this. I—I know we will!" Pit avowed—but what happened next was anything short of 'us winning this'.

One by one, the Hands' gloved forms dissipated away, leaving behind a blue, ghostly aura. We readied our weapons and fists in preparation for an attack, but all the light just streaked into the orb-like contraption instead. It was a rather spectacular light show, but there was no way we'd be able to enjoy it. What are they doing? I thought, a dawning horror coming upon me. It—It looked just like Tabuu's—!

Suddenly, Shulk turned to the rest of us – had he had one of his visions? "We can't face this!" he shouted, startling all of us. "Everybody—RUN!"

But his warning came too late. A miniature black hole engulfed the orb—

—and nothing was ever the same.

On that day, when the sky fell away,

Our world came to an end

In our eyes stood a fading sunrise in the dark,

glimmering shadows…

Holy shit! I uncharacteristically cursed, my jaw briefly dropping further down. We—We have to go!

Beams of rainbow light were shooting straight toward us, looking far stronger than any of the Trophy Guns ever were, and we all scrambled to escape. I grabbed my Warp Star from my inventory and started riding it.

All around me, tragedy was unfolding. I saw Link and Samus try to fight the beam, slicing and blasting respectively—but they were taken aback and completely engulfed, just like that. If I had teeth, I'd be gritting them now—No, no, no, no, NO! And the same thing was happening to everyone else, too—screams and cries and desperate shouts were littering the sunset backdrop, and—I have to get to Meta and Dedede! I can't leave them here!

I flew toward the self-proclaimed king, the guy I'd happily call my best friend—and he was carrying Luigi and Ness on his back, his feet dashing as fast as he could push them. His face was distressed—not that I could blame him—but it was also determined, shouldering the weight of responsibility on his back like it was natural to him (because it was). "Dedede!" I called out, immediately beginning to ride toward him.

"Kirby!" they all cried. As I came closer, I got a closer look at the two piggybacking off of him – Luigi looked absolutely frightened out of his wits—in fact, he was screaming like there was no tomorrow—and there probably wasn't going to be a tomorrow, the way this is heading—and Ness, meanwhile, had tears streaking down his cheeks, grief plastered all over his face. He was standing next to Lucas, I remembered – No, don't tell me…!

I can't think about that now! "Hop on!" I desperately instructed, getting close and flipping my Warp Star sideways for him and the others to ride alongside—but his outstretched hand just kept barely missing it despite his efforts. Again and again, he hopped up and down, my Warp Star remaining ever so out of reach – and I knew I couldn't risk slowing down now, when there was a very good chance doing so could get me killed. (But then again—I was here now, wasn't I?) Come on, come on! I internally screamed, feeling the sweat pour down my spherical body. You can make it, Dedede, you can make it!

Just then, I looked up, and—NO! There was a beam of light curving and streaking straight toward us! This can't be real…! As if noticing my newly panicked expression, Dedede (and Luigi and Ness too) flipped his head to do the same (Luigi reacted with a larger scream, and Ness started whimpering, "I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die—!")—and then he turned back toward me, his face now utterly grim. Don't tell me…! "I'm not gonna make it. You have to leave me behind!" he said.

"What!?" I exclaimed. T-That was ridiculous! "I—You know I can't do that, Dedede!" The beams are too fast for him to avoid—and he's got two others with him, too! They'll never escape on foot like this!

(But I didn't have a choice.)

"You have to!" he pleaded—he looked back again, and the light was getting closer and closer. I didn't have a choice. "Go! And—tell Bandana Dee I'm sorr—"

On instinct, I swerved up—and helplessly watched as my best friend was engulfed. No, not engulfed. Killed.

My best friend, my chummy nemesis, the King of Dream Land who everyone adored, the guy who'd willingly die for me (and just did)—

He was dead, now.

Just like that, he was gone.

But I didn't have any time to mourn him. The beams of light were coming in faster now, and as I stood here, the casualty count spiked up faster and faster. There was no time to lose. I turned my Warp Star over, gripped the edges tightly, and took off.

And all around me, as I flew through the air with stars streaking behind me, death and destruction rained down from the Off Wings brigade. I saw Sonic reaching out toward Pikachu, only for the latter to die and the hedgehog quickly following—I saw Bayonetta flipping through the sky only to be caught off guard—I saw R.O.B. hovering with his jets, Mr. Game and Watch on his back, only to be too slow to dodge an incoming beam—

Falco and Wolf, in their Arwings, blasted apart—

Pit and Dark Pit, falling from the sky, right into the path of another beam—

Snake, in a box, probably desperately contacting his codec crew before the end, getting annihilated like the rest—

Rosalina and Diddy Kong, swerving through the skies as well, only to die anyway—

Popo and Nana, taking off on their pterodactyl, accompanied by a dragon Corrin and suffering the same fate as the rest—

It was nothing but a complete massacre, and there was nothing I could do about it except keep flying and flying and praying to NOVA I don't become like them.

Another beam came close, and my eyes widened as I looked back because no no it can't end like this—right before Meta Knight swooped in and slashed it, deflecting it away from me. "M-Meta Knight!" I stammered—I'm glad to see he's been doing alright, but I can't express any thanks right now—"D-Dedede's down! Everyone's going down! W-What do we do!? What do we do!?" I frantically asked.

"Get out of here, no matter what!" he demanded, swooping about and deflecting as many beams coming our way as he could. The power of Galaxia was really shining through now—but even as skilled as a swordsman as he was, he wouldn't be able to last forever. More and more just kept coming. "You're our only hope for getting out of this situation! Whatever you do, you can't die here!"

"But what about you!? If—If you stay here, you'll… you'll…!" I've already seen Dedede fall; they—they can't have you, too…!

He looked at me. "So long as you make it out of here, I won't have any regrets. Now go!" His wings flapping violently, he darted back into the fray—and I knew that I couldn't let his sacrifice be in vain. Not now. I had to go, I had to survive.

I blinked back tears. Thank you, Meta Knight…!

I flew forward and I didn't look back, I couldn't afford to look back, and even as the laser fire became more intense and numerous, I couldn't stop for anything. Spinning and dashing and barrel rolling I went, weaving in and out of the beams who would stop at nothing to take me down just like they took down everyone else, and—

Something rose within me. I won't die here, it thought. I can't die here!

I've made it this far. I've survived Dark Matter, Zero, Sectonia, Void Termina, even Star Dream couldn't take me down!

For Meta Knight, for Dedede, for everyone—I'll survive through this too!

I narrowed my eyes, adrenaline pumping through my body, and I loudly bellowed to my Warp Star, with all of my heart—"Now! Become a shining star and fly!" On command, my trusty vehicle began picking up speed, the wind now rushing past my face at higher and higher intensities, faster than maybe even Sonic himself, and as another one of those lasers inched closer from behind me, as my Warp Star emitted louder and louder star-streaks—

I shot forward at light speed—

—and everything disappeared.

Silence grows in the spaces between

Stretching out beyond time

Rising up as a chorus of souls finds a voice

flickering through the void…

I came out of light speed still curving through the skies, still panicked, still hyped on adrenaline, and my Warp Star shooting straight toward the ground. Please let me be safe, please let me be safe—! I prayed, streaking down like a meteor. I didn't know if they were still chasing me, I didn't know if anybody had managed to follow me—

—but that wasn't my concern right now. I crashed into the ground, my Warp Star predictably exploding per usual, sending me right off and dragging my face across the ground. Dust kicked up by my feet as I slowly grounded to a stop.

I laid there, just a little bit longer than usual.

No lasers were shooting through the sky.

No screams were echoing through it, either.

It was over.

It was all over.

Slowly, I pushed myself up, and looked at my immediate surroundings. "H-Hello?" I tentatively called out, hoping against all the odds that somebody—anybody—would answer my pleas. "Is… Is anyone there? …Please?"

A gust blew through the rocky cliff where I sat. I called out a few more times, but it was no use. There was no answer.

I was alone.

I was well and truly alone.

These little sparks cling on to life

Everyone caught in the struggle

And then the storms of change, they fan the flames

scattering ashes to the wind—!

I finally broke down, then and there. Again, I hit the floor, my fist pounding it in agony. This—This can't be! I tried to deny, even though I knew the truth. It's not real! I'm—I'm just dreaming!

I hit myself, attempting to 'awaken' from this nightmare, but… all I found was the pain of the physical world, indicating that it wasn't an illusionary nightmare at all – just one made into reality.

"No…" I whispered. Tears sprung out of my eyes, dripping down my cheeks, as I thought of everyone I knew being dead and gone, scattered far and wide through the winds. Meta Knight. Dedede. Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Fox, Pikachu…

Everyone is dead.

They're not here.

They're not beside me, anymore.

They're not laughing, or crying, or doing anything now—

They're dead.

…I don't know how long I sat there sobbing. This wasn't like Subspace, this wasn't just 'being turned back into a trophy'—they were disintegrated whole by those beams of light, and for all I knew, there was no coming back from that. No 1-Ups, no Dream Rods, no Revives.

I'm the last of the Smashers again.

(Except without even a glimmer of fate, now.)

And then, something else hit me. I didn't want to think of it, I tried desperately to keep my mind away from it—but…

…was this limited to just us?

Or has it already spread to the rest of the multiverse?

Immediately, I began fearing for the rest of my friends. Bandana Dee, Marx, Magolor, Adeleine, Ribbon, Daroach—none of them were safe. None of them stood a chance against this. And they might be dead, too, another victim of this demented deity that dares to tear out all of our hopes and dreams.

Everything I knew had been taken away.

Every soul contains a whisper of light

Gleaming faintly as it dwindles from sight

No escape; no greater fate to be made

In the end, the chains of time will not break

…but would I let this be the end?

As I lay there, on the ground, crying my heart out—am I going to just let this be the end?

Am I gonna let all my dreams, my hopes, my friends—just die in vain for the whims of some monster?

For a moment, the despair was just too much, and I almost wanted to just lay there and sleep—but I knew I'd never be able to forgive myself if I did.

I stood up, wiping the dust away from me, blinking back the tears that still threatened to keep spilling out, and let my eyes become a determined glare.

No.

No, I won't just sit down and take this.

I never got anywhere in life letting fate spin its thread for me.

When Void Termina showed its true form, my friends didn't let me doubt myself – and if they were still alive now, they'd definitely do the same thing here.

I may be the last hero left, but that doesn't mean I won't give it my all to restore everything back to the way it's supposed to be—to when we were happy, awaiting the day the Ultimate tournament would begin, smiling and laughing and throwing each other up in the air with joy.

I won't let those days be over. Not by a long shot.

I stared out into the ruined world, a mish-mash of past and present come together—castles, cities, bridges, waterfalls, volcanos… the Smash World before me lay in tatters, emptied out by the force of nature that dared to show its wrath upon us.

I clenched my fist and gave a determined smile, as best as I could. "All of our worlds… they're going to live, no matter what!" I declared to myself. "Whatever it takes, I'll make a miracle happen. I'll save my friends, save the multiverse, and bring back the happiness everyone desires!

"And that's a promise!"

I don't know what's going on, I don't know if my friends are still around, I don't know if I can even defeat the villain ahead of me—

—but I'll give it my best shot anyway!

I'll smile for the sake of everyone, and show the multiverse why it shouldn't piss me off!

"Let's go!"

And so, I shot forth, dashing into the new world…

…and began the biggest adventure of my life.

Colors weave into a spire of flame

Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed

Bare this torch against the cold of the night

Search your soul and reawaken the undying light!

(All the lyrics, as you can no doubt guess, come from Lifelight, the main theme song for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I thought it fit.)

Ho-ho-hooooooooly shit, was the end of the final Smash Ultimate Direct something else. If nothing else, you have to say that Sakurai knows how to show us the hype—and show it he did.

Adventure Mode: World of Light looks like it'll be a spectacular experience, and an amazing capstone to the celebration that is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and I can't wait to play it for myself this December.

And boy howdy, was the opening to World of Light one of the darkest things I've ever seen come out of Nintendo. Everyone dead, their bodies possessed, the universe in ruins, and Kirby the only one left. And that theme song—that theme song! How can you not love this game and everything it's doing?

I hope you enjoyed this little rewrite of the opening cutscene – I tried my best to capture the hopelessness and despair of the situation, and I hope it gets you a little more hyped for the eventual release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It's gonna be a long month – but you better bet I'll be waiting 'til the day comes.

Well, that's all for now – see you around!