"This is F-p in da hows! …I know, never do that again. Just…I know, okay?
"So I must say, nearly every reviewer and correspondent has been wonderful in accepting me in this community. Thank you. And so, I continue my foray into the internet writing world with this story, a short saga for TwilitWolfLink's pairing contest, of which I have seen little of at the writing of this Author's Note. Huh, I thought I'd be first, honestly.
"Anyway, since this is not an official story from my 'Blue Sun' universe, I suppose I'll do this myself. I do not own Super Smash Bros. or any affiliates connected to it."
"Shouldn't one of us have done that?"
"Olimar, I already used this joke for my Smash Bros. April Fool's Day song, so go away before I rip apart your friends again."
"You'll be sorry you crossed u—OOF!" Olimar was cut off as Foxpilot whacked him in the gut with the flat of his sword.
"Never quote Andrew Oikonny. He sucks more than you. Anyway, let's start this before things get out of hand. Let it…Begin!
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Perfect, she thought. Utterly perfect!
Well, somewhat.
He could fight on a level as well as any other Pokémon. He was a fun person to be around, even if he could be unreliable at times. He also was able to use fire! How awesome was that!
But there were two things wrong.
First, he couldn't fly. Sure, he could jump high and simulate flight, but he could never experience the sheer joy of the sky on his own. After all, his wings weren't developed like hers, weren't able to get the lift necessary to allow a heavy body to soar in the air. It was a shame, but she'd carry him if needed. After all, she had learned Fly for that reason.
More importantly, he didn't treat anyone on his level, especially "inferior" creatures. Just because he was high and mighty, a favored fighter among many of the Tournament's fans, didn't mean that he was the best. Even his best friend was like garbage in his eyes after a match. A friend he'd known long before ever joining the Smash Bros. He was just that arrogant.
That arrogance had cost him many a match, but he hadn't learned to curb it yet. There were rumors of a betting ring on when, if ever, he'd control his attitude, but she'd never seen it. Perhaps if she would be allowed to join, she'd have been told for certain.
For now, she'd watch and wait, hoping that someday she'd be able to convince him that his ego wasn't the most important thing ever. And more importantly, that there was somebody out there, watching and waiting for the guy to be more open.
But she wouldn't be able to wait much longer.
After all, he was making a fool of himself right now.
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Fox put a hand on his friend's shoulder, looking down at the crowd. "You don't have to do this," he said as he flicked his sharp eyes over the group. Nearly every Smasher was present. Red the Pokémon Trainer had even let his battling buddies out of their Pokeballs by request. Indeed, Falco wanted to do something foolish. Fox shook his head, eyes locking with the avian's right in a desperate attempt to stop his good pal—and ace pilot—from doing something stupid. "Nobody will think less of you if you back out now."
Falco gave a self-assured grin, clear blue eyes locking with the vulpine's green ones. "Stop worryin' Fox! You're starting to sound like Peppy, I swear. If you can do it, I can do it ten times better!" Fox only shook his head and backed off. When Falco Lombardi, resident blue bird of cockiness, was this way, there was no persuading him otherwise.
Not twenty minutes ago, Falco and Fox had been discussing the Aparoid War and the tricks of the trade involved. They had hoped to come up with new battle tactics to keep their rivals in the Smash Bros. Tournament from getting too used to their attacks. Fox had brought up the time in Corneria City when he'd been trapped and Wolf had saved him by catching the trapped canid on the wing of his Wolfen. Fox had been surrounded by aparoids, but Wolf had shot them all with his fighter's lasers. Fox, desperate to escape the blasts, had run to the edge of the Persimmons Building's roof just as an explosion propelled him into the air. Wolf's quick reactions had allowed the lupine to catch the fox on the upper-left stabilizer of the advanced space vehicle. Wolf had walked by at this point and had chuckled when Falco boasted he could do that without trying. O'Donnell's laughter had incensed the bird, challenging Wolf to do the same thing again, only with Falco taking Fox's place. The two ace pilots had exchanged a moment of tension before Wolf agreed.
Now the Star Fox mercenaries were on the highest roof of the Smash Complex, about five stories off the ground. They were awaiting Wolf's confirmation of approach as anxious friends, rivals, and even a few foes looked on. How Master Hand was allowing this was beyond Fox McCloud, but it was too late to stop this. Perhaps the Hand-Lord had a bet going to see if Falco would survive…
"Hey," Wolf's voice snapped in the pilots' headsets. "I'm on the way, so be ready if you wanna back out now, do so. Otherwise, I'll be blowing the ground from under your feet in about thirty seconds."
Fox almost responded to his rival's offer for Falco, desperate to keep a tragedy from occurring. The time in Corneria City was a freak chance, one that would be completely foolhardy to recreate. But then Krystal flashed in his mind—how he'd pushed her away on his own selfish whims. He was lucky to have her back now, but he wouldn't make that mistake again with anybody. No, Falco felt he needed to do this, and he needed to know that Fox wouldn't stop him. "You ready then, Falco?"
Lombardi looked at his old friend with a questioning look. "What? Now you're gonna support this? Feh, I knew you'd come around eventually. Just get off the roof before Wolf blows you up. I'll be fine." Fox only nodded and made for the hatch leading into the building. He wouldn't leave Falco alone, but he still didn't trust Wolf to not take a few potshots at him.
As Fox lowered himself into the building, the whine of plasma engines filled the air. From the northwest, from the airfield, a small shape was approaching. As the silhouette grew, a bright glow grew in front of the form. This was the Wolfen, lasers charged and ready to recreate that dreadful scene all those years ago.
The Wolfen, Red Fang version, was a state-of-the-art planetary superiority fighter under the ownership of Wolf O'Donnell, leader of Star Wolf. Its front end was two points, the top slightly longer than the bottom. The points united under the cabin, which sat on the main body of the ship. From the sides of where the points met were two tusk-like protrusions, not long enough to go past either of the front end's points, but still visible. From behind each of these "tusks" was a large engine booster that propelled the fighter along. Two long wings jutted down at forty-five degree angles from the boosters, one on each side. Two smaller stabilizers sat a little behind the cockpit, which continued to slope up until it reached a point. To top it all off, a third engine sat behind the cockpit, providing the already-impressive machine with even more thrust. The whole ensemble was painted mostly black with the boosters dominantly red and the wings silver. Its simplicity belied its power: two high-strength laser cannons outfitted with a targeting system to hit multiple foes was the primary weapon, while the Wolfen also carried a Smart Bomb not unlike the ones found in the tournament. The fighter's barrel roll shield also protected it from most physical damage, allowing it to plow through enemies with ease. This incredible ship was aiming straight for Falco on the roof.
Fox tensed, knowing that this stunt would be more risky than ever since the Red Fang Wolfen had more powerful lasers and smaller wings. Fox wished that he had convinced Wolf to get his Aparoid War model in, but it was far too late.
Wolf grinned behind the shaded canopy. It had been far too long since he'd had a chance to shoot at the annoying blue bird with his darling Wolfen. Sure, he had an obligation, but that didn't mean he couldn't have fun with it.
Wolf opened fire on the rooftop, making sure to aim a burst at the partially-open ladder cover. Twin streams of energy streaked through the sky, each giving off a small squeak as they escaped the shelter of his Wolfen's cannons. Lombardi began to run towards the awaiting crowd of Smashers as quickly as his legs would carry him. Wolf's grin gained a note of disdain. The bird had slowed down some since the aparoids had invaded Lylat.
Falco reached the end of the rooftop and sprung off. Though Wolf entertained the thought of rolling away just before the avian could grab his wing, he knew that he'd never hear the end of it if Falco splattered against the ground. Time slowed as O'Donnell swung his fighter around the building to perform the finale of the little spectacle. A second dragged itself out so that he could have been moving a yard per hour. Wolf's eye tracked Lombardi as the lupine's hands adjusted the controls accordingly to catch the bird on the upper-left stabilizer. Just like he had done with Fox all those years ago.
As Falco grew bigger in the canopy, Wolf twisted the flight yoke to left, leveling out the stabilizer so that it was more flat in respect to the ground. Time sluggishly resumed its proper pace as Falco made his one and only bid to grab the pointed foil. His feathered fingers reached out for the cold metal—.
—And wrapped around the stabilizer. There he hung, Wolf and the crowd below gaping as the avian clung for dear life, body flapping in the air trail of the Wolfen. And then it happened.
Falco's fingers had slowly been slipping since he had latched onto the Wolfen. The combination of the high winds and the general slickness of his feathers made keeping a grip difficult, if not impossible. Now, all of ten seconds after he had made his life-preserving catch, Falco Lombardi lost the grip he had on the fighter's wing and began to plummet towards the ground.
The Smashers snapped into action. Lucas and Ness, the only resident telekinesis-wielders since Mewtwo had left, reached out and used all their influence to slow Falco's descent. Wolf pulled a loop in the hopes, for reasons he would later question, to catch the flightless bird as he plummeted towards the ground below. Pit, Meta Knight, and Charizard all took to the sky in an attempt to catch the flight-challenged avian before he hit the earth beneath him. Mario ran to put on his Doctor Mario suit, knowing that Lombardi would need a full examination after this. The others made for Falco's potential landing zone to act as a last line of defense against the bird falling to his doom. But they acted out of instinct, hadn't taken one thing into account.
The Wolfen had been travelling at a grand speed of three hundred twenty-five miles-per-hour. In the few short seconds since Falco had grabbed it, the starfighter had travelled nearly a mile away, and Falco went even further due to the laws of physics. The distance had made the PSI-powered youths' telekinesis weaker, reducing the effects to a mere fraction of their potential. Furthermore, only Sonic was fast enough to have a chance to reach Falco, and he wasn't enough to stop the incredible Energy Falco had built up through falling from forty feet in the air. Two screams pierced the air, reducing to one as Falco landed in Sonic's arms, dragging the hedgehog with him to the dirt and crushing his arms. Falco, for his part, lost consciousness once he struck the dirt below.
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The sounds of machines filled the otherwise silent room: a mournful hum sang alongside with repetitive beeps to create a mood-setting, mechanical chanting. Five beings were in the room, with over two dozen more standing outside waiting for news. Fox, Falco, and Sonic each lay in their own hospital beds with various conditions as "Doctor" Mario and Master Hand observed.
Falco had been treated first. The avian, despite his slightly-softened landing, had suffered severe trauma all over his body. He was currently out cold in the center bed, head bandaged and wingtips in tiny casts. He was hooked up to two machines, monitoring his heart rate and currently-minimal brainwaves.
Sonic had come next. Though the hedgehog hadn't been knocked out, his arms had given way under the strain of trying to catch Falco. The energy of the falling bird was not dissimilar to a falling rock, crushing the Blue Blur's arms. Thankfully, Falco wasn't a falling rock; his clothes and feathers had softened the blow and kept Sonic's arms from being completely destroyed. Instead, each forearm had only broken in a couple of places. These were now each bandaged in their own cast as Sonic sat, pouting at being forced to stay out of Brawls for the next few weeks.
Fox had been last. When Toon Link, Fox's friend and occasional combat partner, had realized that the vulpine hadn't shown up for Falco and Sonic's treatments, the large-headed warrior had gone looking. He had found Fox unconscious in a small pool of blood which could be traced to the gash on his head. Wolf had declined comment, but a look at the Wolfen's forward camera showed the lupine blasting the hatch to the roof. It was determined that when the blast had hit, it had forced the crawlway cover down. Fox had been hit on the head and knocked out and fallen to the floor. Being out cold had saved Fox's bones from breaking, but he had lost a good amount of blood. If "Toony," as Toon Link was affectionately known, hadn't found him, he may have bled out and died.
Mario wasn't pleased with the stunt in general. The plumber-doctor partially blamed himself for allowing the scene to continue at all. But, he reminded himself, those two would have continued with their antics anyway, witnesses or not. Mario shook his head. At the very least, he shouldn't have let Fox stand up on the roof.
But that was then. All he could do now was treat the wounded.
Master Hand made a throat-clearing noise, drawing the attention of every creature that was awake. "How are they Doctor?" Mario could almost hear the soap opera music in the background.
"Well-a, Master Hand, the-a two Lylatians are-a both likely to stay-a out for a while. I'm-a giving them both-a intravenous fluids and keeping them-a comfortable. Sonic should-a be up and about within a couple of days, though he-a should stay out of-a fights for a few weeks."
"You just don't want to face me," Sonic accused. Despite hardly being able to move his arms, the hedgehog was still in high spirits. Everyone hardly spared him a glance. His rivalry with Mario was well-documented, as well as his optimism and tenacity. Still, the Blue Blur wouldn't argue too much with Mario's "doctor side." Not too much.
"Have you called their friends?" Master Hand's question was simple, but it still maintained a grave undertone. Falco's injuries were quite severe, and Fox hadn't been found for at least fifteen minutes. Though Mario wasn't admitting it, MH could tell that the famous mascot was heavily concerned for the two space beings. Their states bordered on comas, and the medical-licensed plumber didn't have any projection for their awakening. The Hand-Lord knew that their closest friends would probably want to be near them for a while.
Furthermore, Sonic would only accept help from his closest friends, most likely Miles "Tails" Prowler. The two-tailed fox was Sonic's closest friend and confident, making him a necessity for the next few weeks as a helper as well as hedgehog-control. Though Sonic's actions had been valiant and pure, he wouldn't be living down not being able to fight for some time. Tails' mild nature would help counterbalance Sonic's heated feelings.
"Yes-a, Master Hand. The Star-a Fox team, General Peppy, Amy, and-a Tails are on their-a way now. They should-a be arriving through the-a warps within the-a hour."
"Good. Thanks you for all of your help, Mario. Now, I'm going to go deal with Wolf." With that, Master Hand left the infirmary, the crowd of Smashers parting to let him pass. Aggravation poured off of the Hand-Lord like water from Niagara Falls. Whatever was in store for Wolf would not be pleasant, to say the least.
Throughout all of this, she watched silently. She could sense that he was in pain, just below the exterior. If only she could help…
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The friends staying in the Compound made it hard for her to visit alone. So she waited outside whenever she could. When she was called away, she grieved for him, prayed to whatever deity would listen for his safety. But the three in the medical ward were always vigilantly guarded by their friends. Tails and Amy switched off every few hours to keep Sonic from going haywire. The Star Fox team and General Peppy Hare—a rather tasty-looking old fellow, she thought—kept a constant watch over their Lylatian friends. She had even heard mutterings of someone else from their universe coming to see Falco. All the more reason for her to sneak in as soon as possible.
Several days passed before she had a chance to get in to see him privately. In her claws she clutched a bouquet of flowers, specifically and carefully recommended by one of her closest friends for the occasion. Everyone had gone to dinner, including Sonic. The infernal hedgehog had thwarted several attempts to see him, as even when everyone else had gone, he remained awake, watching alertly. He often snapped at anyone who got near; he'd managed to see her a number of times and had mouthed off his dislike at being watched. It didn't help that he couldn't understand her—only a select few could get what she was saying.
But today, Sonic had finally been allowed to return to the world outside of the ward, leaving him and his friend lying alone in the dark room. She'd only be a moment…
Setting the bouquet on the bedside table, she left a note with her signature folded up. There were several puncture holes from her claws piercing the folded scrap of paper, but they didn't get in the way of the soot-blackened smudge that only a few Smashers could provide. Of course, the others who could leave this also were able to write, making her signature unique.
He stirred as she placed note on the bed-stand. He inhaled sharply, signifying that he was finally ready to awaken. As quickly and quietly as she could, the silent, embarrassed lover made her way back towards the hallway.
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The first thing he noticed was the smell of something burning. This put the rest of his body on alert as he snapped his eyes open.
His vision was drawn to the fading light by the door. Reaching by instinct down for his Blaster, it took his foggy mind several moments to grasp the three things that were obvious: the light was fading, his Blaster wasn't there, and the smell of burning was right next to him.
Whipping his gaze back towards the door, he noted the shadow on the wall opposite his room as the door closed with hardly a squeak. The silhouette was undeniable, but he couldn't place it. He didn't have much time for a second glance, for the door clicked shut in a few quick seconds.
Blinking, he turned his attention to the burning smell. It came from his bed's nightstand—when did he get in the infirmary anyway? The last thing he remembered was falling and pain. He shook those thoughts from his head. They could wait to be explained when Mario came to check on him. Wait; the burning smell. It came from the piece of paper settled next to the bouquet of flame-colored and blue roses, fresh-picked from Nana's garden it seemed. The little lady wouldn't be happy when she found out that someone had taken her flowers…
He shook his bleary head again to try and focus. The burning smell…he opened the paper, feeling the holes through it and wondering why someone would give him a smoldering piece of flimsy wood with cavities punched in random places. But what really mattered was that the shape on the paper was made of something hot. Not warm enough to catch the paper on fire, but certainly from a heat source.
Reaching out an arm, he snapped on the light, blinked at the sudden brightness, and looked around. Fox was in the bed beside him, resting peacefully. Only the occasional beeping from his heart monitor and the rise of his blankets in time with his breathing signaled his status as alive.
Turning his eyes back to the paper, Falco blinked again, this time in confusion. On the scrap of hole-filled paper was an amorphous black smudge. Running his wing across the blob, Lombardi could tell that it was soot.
"Falco! You're awake!"
The avian slipped the spotted note behind his back as he turned to the age-dried voice. Indeed, Peppy Hare, General of the Cornerian Army, was at the door. Mario, dressed in his doctor's uniform, squeezed past the wizened Lylatian and began, after expressing his relief, to perform an examination. As the plumbing doctor pulled out Falco's wing to take his pulse, something clicked in Lombardi's head. The shadow from earlier…it had been an appendage for flight!
As Mario continued to check Falco's vitals, the bird thought about whom in the Compound had wings. Come to think of it, how many fighters were clumsy enough to leave holes in paper, not to mention smudge a scrap with soot for no reason? And the flowers…there must be some reason for their color combination!
Slowly the factors put themselves together in the avian's mind. Only one creature would fit those descriptions.
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"Charizard!"
The Fire-Flying lizard practically jumped into the air. She'd been sitting in the garden, trying to hide the hole in Nana's flowerbed from view until nightfall. And she'd been so close, too.
Turning towards the voice, her heart nearly stopped. Supported by the tasty-looking old rabbit and the strange grey-and-white cat that had only shown up yesterday, if she remembered correctly, Falco Lombardi was slowly making his way toward her. It had been a few days since she had dropped her get-well present off in his room and she hadn't gotten close since. At least Falco was finally out of the sterile environment and back in nature.
As he approached, Falco waved off his helpers, who stepped back and let the avian tread forward at his own pace. His natural confidence was gone, replaced by an almost shy disposition. Once he reached her, Falco put a hand on Charizard's shoulder. "It was you, wasn't it? The one that left behind the flowers and, uh, card?" The Pokémon flushed in embarrassment, though her skin tone hid it from view. But Falco seemed to read her just the same.
"I thought so. You know, I have been wondering why you're always lookin' at me funny. But when Katt came, it hit me. You've got a crush on me, don'tcha?" All this time, Falco had hardly been speaking above a whisper, as if fearing he might be overheard.
Charizard backed away, surprised. Was it that obvious? But Falco continued, regardless of her actions.
"Yeah, I thought so. Look, I getcha, don't worry. You're the only one like you around and you feel lonely, right?" Charizard merely looked at him. Perhaps he understood after all? Could it be that…?
"Well, listen. I appreciate you're caring and whatnot—don't spread this around, mind you—but I've already got a girl back home." Charizard slumped to the ground, saddened. Falco continued. "You see her," he said, pointing to the strange cat. She wore a yellow shirt with two orange circles on it, a strange, red, pointed bandana on her head, and maroon pants. She wore gloves that went from elbow to fingertips, with the forearms matching her shirt and the hand part toned like her pants. Her striking, deep-blue eyes watched their exchange, lingering mostly on Falco. Charizard snorted some smoke disapprovingly. Falco ignored this, too and continued.
"Her name is Katt. Katt Monroe. Once again, don't tell anyone, but she and I have been going on and off for the past, oh, eighteen years of so. I really appreciate your concern and all, but I'm afraid that you're just not my type." Charizard leered threateningly, beating her wings and preparing to charge. Exerting his strength as a Smasher, which had partially returned, Falco forced Charizard to the ground and returned to his speech.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't get all mad, alright. I'll tell ya what. When I'm cleared again, perhaps sooner, we can go do something fun together, just the two of us. You know, you like flying, right? How's about we go on a flight together, just you and me?" Charizard, though dejected and saddened, gave Lombardi a look of approval.
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The sky, she thought, is where we truly belong.
Even if he does need a bit of help.
Charizard looked over at Falco, who was flying his customized Sky Claw-class Arwing alongside her. The narrow fuselage and forward-swept wings allowed for greater speed and maneuverability. Of course, Falco wasn't using these to allow Charizard to keep pace.
Lombarid gave Charizard a thumbs-up and a grin. The two had grown close over the past few weeks as he had healed. They had shared in everyone's—almost everyone's—joy when Fox had finally awoken, only to be half-tackled by the strange blue lady-fox that had come with the rest of his team. The vulpine's blush has been visible through his fur. They had laughed when Master Hand had revealed that he had hung Wolf in his Wolfen, stripped of engines and lasers, from the flight tower on the airfield as punishment. And they had waved good-bye together as the visitors from Lylat and Sonic's world went home. And when they had finally gotten another chance to talk, Falco had made a promise.
"We can go flying anytime you like, as long as Red'll let you go. Just you and me in the sky together for a little while, y'know?" While Charizard hadn't understood that the bird had meant that he'd be flying in his fighter, she still somehow knew that he wouldn't be riding on her back.
Charizard gave a roar, belching out flames into the open air as the winged creatures crossed over nearby mountains. While this wasn't what she had hoped, she knew, both intellectually and instinctively, that he flightless friend would never be hers.
But soaring with a once-fledgling into the sunset was its own reward.
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"Finally done! This took a lot longer than I would have liked, but I still finished it. I hope you all enjoyed the tale, even if half of it was set-up.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I've discovered a webcomic that I like and I want to read more. Oh, and Olimar's being a pest. Ciao chow, all!