Tiers and Hopes, Book 2

Reunion

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 initial tension, really grown on each other.

Tears had been shed during the tournament's closing ceremony in April 2000, all of the Smashers hoping against hope that this wasn't a permanent "goodbye".

And the twelve Smashers had really grown on Master Hand. 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.

A year and a half went by, and he couldn't take it anymore. Smash Bros 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 sent them formal invitations to another tournament. They'd spent the past year and a half 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 their 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.