Arin walked behind Danny and leaned on his shoulder. "The fair is open, want to go?" he asked. Danny looked at him.
"A date at the fair? Arin, how old are we?" Danny retorted.
"Mentally we are teenagers." Arin stated.
"Fair enough." Danny shrugged.
"Actually the whole office can come. We all need a day off." Arin said.
Thus the next day everyone met at the fair for some time off. They brought whoever they wanted along for the outing. Danny had been jumping up and down cause he saw there was "Mythical Unicorn Visit" but Arin wanted to wait for everyone else, making Danny get more and more bouncy.
When everyone was finally there, Danny grabbed a map and ran into the direction he thought had the unicorn, while Arin ran after him.
"He does know that Danny is a grown man and can take care of himself, right?"Ross joked.
"Have you seen how Danny is around anything unicorn?" Suzy pointed out.
"Your poor husband." Ross laughed.
"Since you don't have anyone to say no now," Holly said to Suzy. "Let's go shopping!"
"What about me?" Ross whined.
"You can go with Matt and Ryan?" Holly suggested. they looked over to find them in another fight.
"You totally did!" Ryan accused Matt.
"She was clearly not interested in you!" Matt called back.
"That doesn't mean I couldn't change her mind." Ryan commented.
Matt laughed, "Sure." he giggled out.
"You know what?" Ryan started.
"What if I went with Brian?" Ross said before Ryan and Matt started to make a bigger scene.
"If you're okay with Ava." Brian said as Ava gave him a big hug around his neck in his arms.
Ross looked over at Matt and Ryan. "I bet I could have any girl I want, even your mother!" Ryan said. Ross looked back at Brian.
"As long as she's okay with it!" Ross confirmed.
Ava looked over at him, "Uncle Ross!" She said with a big smile.
"I'm pretty sure she is." Brian laughed.
Arin finally caught up with Danny who was still running life his life depended on it. "You don't have to run!" Arin informed him. "It will still be there in a minute."
"But I have to pet a unicorn!" Danny said, still looking at the map. He turned a corner and stopped as Arin almost ran into him. There it was. He had found it.
Danny stared in amazement at the fully grown, white horse. Whoever owned it made it extremely believable that it actually had a horn, though some of the mane did cover up the base of the horn. It didn't seem to mind the hoard of little girls crowding around it, reaching their little hands towards it to pet it. It actually seemed to enjoy the attention.
Danny turned to Arin with his pleading eyes, "Please can I have it!" He said, almost sounding like one of the little girls around the unicorn.
"Where would we even put it?" Arin said.
"We can have it in the office!" Danny suggested. "I can house train it and feed it and clean up after it."
"We are not getting a horse for the office."
"It isn't a horse, it is a unicorn."
"We are not getting a unicorn for the office."
"But but-" Danny stuttered, "but- unicorn." he pleaded.
"A wonderful beast, isn't she?" A man next to Danny said. "I heard you were interested in her?" he sounded familiar, but where from?
"No." Arin said before Danny could even respond. "We are just looking." Danny shot him a glare.
"Well, it is a shame." the man said. "I was going to have to get rid of her soon."
"Why?" Danny said, hoping that it could tug on some heart strings and convince Arin.
"She is so old that it is even surprising she is walking." the man said. Danny looked over and realized the unicorn was limping, almost looking like she was ready to fall over at any second in exhaustion. "I've asked around to see if anyone would take her so she can enjoy the rest of her life but there seems to be no one."
Danny looked at Arin with his pleading face again. Before Arin could respond, he turned to the man and asked "How much?"
Arin punched him in the shoulder. "Dude!"
"50 bucks." the man replied.
"Sold!" Danny said and Arin punched him again, but he only responded by rubbing the hurt spot.
"Step into my office and we can discuss more." the man said as he walked to the tent placed near the unicorn and Danny followed.
"Dude!" Arin said, following them inside.
Holly and Suzy had found an exceptionally witchy booth and were searching around to find anything they may need, or want. Holly was playing with the owner's birds, feeding them and calling them "Brave birds."
"I see you eyeing that box of, uh, witchcraft stuff." said a man who seemed to just appear next to her, catching her off guard.
"Well, actually have all of that." she replied. "I was actually looking at that box of insects."
The guy looked at her, confused. "You don't seem to be that type though."
"Well, I am that type. How much for them?"
"Normally I would say 60 but for you 50 bucks." he said.
Holly was curious and came over to Suzy to see what was going on. "What are you talking about?" she looked down and found the case with a bunch of witch craft things in it and started to look through it more.
"How about 50 bucks for both. And I'll throw some butterflies from the back." the man offered.
"That works." Suzy said and Holly nodded in agreement, still searching through the box.
"Follow me to the back and I'll hook you both up." he said, and lead them towards the back of the shop and through a door.
Ross and Brian had been mistaken as a gay couple so much with Ava that now the only person who found it amusing was Ava. It probably didn't help that they were both holding her tiny hands so she couldn't run off. They had been going on ride after ride, which were tame enough for Ava. And they were bouncing around the whole amusement ride section cause Ava was picking which rides they were going on. They easily passed the churrisso stand about five times. This time, they were headed for the ferris wheel.
"Aren't they adorable?" A woman said as Ava dragged them along.
"Why couldn't you brought your wife?" Ross whined.
"Because she wanted a break and I wanted a daddy-daughter date." Brian explained. "Why didn't you go with your wife?"
Ross thought about this, Why didn't he go with his wife? "She didn't give the option." he confessed.
"Ferris Wheel!" Ava said and pointed towards it.
"Yes, Ava," Brian said. "That is a Ferris Wheel."
They went to the end of the line and actually got to the front pretty quickly. Of course, many people were thinking they were gay with even the attendant at the ride asked if they wanted a cart alone, even after Brian pointed out the three-year-old with them. Brian calmly enjoyed the ride while Ava and Ross pointed out the sights of the fair below. They also tried looking for their friends which they haven't seen since the morning, but they were not able to spot them anywhere.
When they got off Brian pulled out the map again and knelt to Ava's height "Where do you want to do next?" he asked.
"How about a fun house?" A man suggested. Brian looked up at him. He looked and sounded familiar. Where did he know this man? Was it one of the classes he taught?
"There doesn't seem to be one on this map." Ross pointed out.
"It's because it opened up today. Totally new attraction!" the man responded.
"Then why haven't we heard about it until now?" Ross asked, becoming more sceptical of this mysterious man.
"Signs are absolutely everywhere!" the man said then pointed towards a sign that said that there was a fun house by the carousel. "There is no way you could have missed it." he pointed to another sign, and another, and another. Ross knew there was something fishy, and it wasn't the man eating fish and chips nearby.
"Weren't we just at the carousel?" Brian asked, knowing Ross had the same thought.
"Yeah and I didn't see anything that seemed to be a fun house." Ross said, knowing what Brian was trying to do.
"I saw it!" Ava butted in. Brian knew she would lie just so she can get her way, that sassy tot.
"No sweety." Brian said, trying to get her on his side. "If it was, wouldn't you have wanted to go on it already?"
Brian could see she was thinking of a counter. "I have a system." she sassed back, placing her hands on her hips.
Ross knelt down beside her "How about we go to the shopping district?" he asked her. "I'll buy you a stuffed animal if you want!" her eyes lit up. "And maybe we can see what the girls are doing!" She bounced in excitement and ran off. Thankfully he grabbed her hand right before she bolted.
Brian was able to catch up with them but it isn't hard to spot a short man getting pulled by something even shorter. They walked around the different shops while Ava ran from shop to shop, from item to item.
"Fluffy!" she yelled, randomly and ran to a booth that had an extremely fluffy assortment of stuffed animals. It was like an adorable little fluffy mountain. There were cats, dogs, alpacas, deer, foxes, fish, flamingos, horses and another animal that be thought up, even mythical! Ava grabbed a little fluffy white dog stuffed animal and hugged it. She looked up at Ross and shoved into his hands, "Pay up!" she demanded.
"A sassy one today, aren't we?" he laughed, pulling out his wallet.
"You know I have bigger ones in the back?" the Salesman said. "And I could cut you a deal if you want." again, this man sounded familiar. "Do you want to go to the back to see them?" Ava nodded and ran to where he was motioning.
"Ava!" Brian yelled and ran after her, closely followed by Ross.
"Holly?" Suzy called out into the nothingness.
"Yeah?" Holly said, standing up. "Where are we?" she looked around, then her eyes fell on her friend, then herself, "Who are we?"
Suzy looked down and othen over to Holly, "I think-" she started, "No, it couldn't be."
"Anything doesn't sound crazy right now." Holly assured her.
"I think you are Samus," Suzy suggested and sighed as she looked at herself, "And I'm Princess Peach."
Holly looked at herself and then back at Suzy, "That doesn't sound as crazy as would have a couple of minutes ago."
"Danny!" Arin yelled out "What were you thinking?" he said as his voice slowed down as he realized what was around him, or the lack thereof.
"Arin," Danny said, looking around, "Where are we?"
"Suzy?" Arin said, looking towards the girls. "Suzy!" he said running up to her and wrapped his arms around hers. He let go and asked her, more serious, "How did you get here?"
"Holly and I were at a booth looking around and the owner offered us a deal and then lead us to the back and we ended up here." Suzy stated, "But it seems like we may not get that deal." Holly pouted in response. "How about you two?"
"The little girl was about to buy a unicorn for the office." Arin said, pointing towards Danny.
"She was 50 bucks!" Danny said, trying to defend himself, "You can't beat that!"
"Interesting," Holly said, " We were priced the same deal. 50 bucks."
Danny had noticed their clothes but didn't mention anything, pondering their purpose.
"It must have been linked then." Suzy said.
"Luigi," Danny said pointing to himself, changing the subject. "Mario," he pointed at Arin, "Princess Peach," he pointed at Suzy, then he pointed at Holly, "and Samus. Those make no sense."
"Yeah!" Arin protested, "I want to be Peach. Suzy, lets switch."
"That isn't it." Danny said. "It's just- we aren't from the same game."
"Mario, Peach, and Luigi are from the Mario Universe." Holly said, "Samus is from Metroid."
"Except for Super Smash Bros." Arin pointed out.
"Oh no," Holly gasped.
"Ava!" Brian shouted. "Didn't I tell you not to go into a place that promised something from a strange man?"
"Daddy's a knight!" Ava said, giggling.
Brian found that this was somewhat true. "And you seem to be Kirby." Brian responded, trying to hide the anxiety filling his body with a minor chuckle.
"Arin?" Ross said and flew over to him. He landed and then realized that he actually flew over to them.
"Pitt, Kirby, Meta Knight." Danny continued. "I hope to the stars that you are wrong Arin."
"What do you mean?" Ross asked, then looked around.
"I think this has something to do with Super Smash Bros." Arin said, biting his lip with anxiety.
"Why does everyone else get a couples costume?" Ross said. Suzy and Arin, Brian and Ava all match. Himself and Holly did not.
"The bigger question here is what is planned for us."
"Well, first I will build a map around you, and everyone will fight." Now that voice sounded familiar. They all know who it was.
"I don't think we wanna do that." Danny responded.
The man wore a suit. Glitching out as he hovered over the ground some feet. "Oh, come on, it'll be a fun. Not get ready cause it is time to SMASh!"
The scene seemed to build around them, shoving them into a 3d landscape but 2D layout. As more and more of it came into view they knew this map. It was Hyrule from Zelda.
"Mark, just let us go!" Arin yelled, finally remember where the voice was from.
"Not until you win." he responded, pressing a button and immediately Donkey Kong thumbed down by Danny, startling him. Everyone seemed to be assigned a colour. Arin and Suzy's clothes seem to grow rader somehow, Brian and Ava grew yellower, Ross and Holly gained a blue, and Danny and the random Donkey Kong gained a green colour.
"Of course," Danny sighed at him being the one alone.
"4,3,2,1, Smash!" Mark said and slammed the button, and Donkey Kong ran at everyone, swinging like a mad man. And everyone seemed to fight each other, except for Danny.
Danny had quickly ran to the point he always remember to have absolutely no one fighting there. It just seemed to not be a very active place, perfect for hiding. He crouched behind a wall so people could possibly forget about him.
"Kirby, eliminated." Mark said.
Not surprising, Danny thought. Ava probably didn't really understand the game.
"Meta Knight, eliminated."
Brian would do that. Danny thought. He would do almost anything for his daughter.
"Ross, From behind!" Holly yelled, but she must have been too late.
"Pitt, eliminated." Mark announced.
"Suzy," Danny could hear Arin say as if he was standing next to him. "Donkey Kong is the CPU player. He could easily put on any setting."
A thowamp followed by a thump and a groan. "Probably on Weak." Suzy laughed.
"It is a good thing you are pretty." Arin groaned. He tried getting up but was smacked again and hit the wall and sunk to the ground. Suzy ran up behind Donkey Kong and wacked him in the back wither her umbrella. He turned around and roared at her and smacked her to the sky. She landed on the platform above them with a thud.
"You- you" Arin tried to say as he stumbled to his feet. "You have no-no idea what you-you did." he gasped. Arin tried to fireball him but before he was finished charging, his face met with Donkey Kong's huge hand.
"Mario, eliminated." Mark's voice rang and Danny grew still. Arin put up a fight and lost. How could Suzy do the same?
"Arin?" Suzy groaned, but there was no answer. "Arin!" there was a deathly silence, Danny's heart fell to his stomach. "Arin." Danny knew she just found out what happened, but it seemed not to fully sink in yet.
A roar from Donkey Kong, met with another punch and Danny felt the wall he had been hiding behind shake as Suzy hit the other side.
"I will put up a fight, no matter what!" Suzy said, looking dead in the Kong's eyes. "I will win." Danny bit his lip, not wanting to hurt her, but not wanting to get hurt himself, cause that's the only way she could win.
Another roar and another hit to Suzy. the impact made her fly to the sky. She landed a couple feet away from Danny. He wished he could hide before she noticed him, but she got up and looked directly at him.
"I thought you were eliminated first off." she said.
"I hid." he sheepishly said.
"I will win." She said.
"I heard."
"For Arin." she said and then shoved her umbrella at Danny. Instinctively he grabbed it then shoved to to her, dealing her damage and she flew off into the sky.
"Peach, eliminated." Mark's voice rang. "Game Over. Green victory." Danny won. Danny wins.
Everything went black and then he was on the nothingness again, Donkey Kong was next to him, celebrating the win, while Danny stood then glancing around him. Everyone was here. "Arin! Suzy!" Dany exclaimed but they didn't respond, they just kept clapping and staring blanking at his team. "Ross? Holly?" Same reaction. "Brian? Ava!" Even the sassiest of the tots was sasslessly clapping for him.
Everything went black again.
Suzy looked around at the different booths. Holly was feeding pigeons she had found with her bird feed that she always had with her. "Hey Holly. Look at this booth!" Suzy said and walked over to a booth that had taxidermy birds and little magic stuff.
"Birbs!" Holly responded and ran to pet the stuffed animals.
Nothing about the empty lot they were by reminded them of anything. They didn't even bat an eye.
"Caterpillar ride!" Ava yelled in excitement. This was the third time but she seemed to like it.
"Lead the way then." Brian said, standing up and grabbing her tiny hand. She bolted, dragging Brian and Ross along.
There were no signs anywhere. They never realized any lack of signs. All Ava cared about was riding that caterpillar, and Ross and Brian just went along with Ava.
Danny stood looking at the unicorn. Every cell in his thin body tensed. "Are you alright?" Arin asked. "You don't seem that happy to a unicorn. That isn't like you."
Danny shook his head, bringing him back. "Yeah, " he responded. " Just-overwhelmed with joy." but it didn't sound convincing. "Have you talked to Mark recently?" he asked.
"No, I actually haven't seen him in a while either. Maybe we should invite him." Arin said. "I could call him now and he can join us at the food court."
"No, it's fine. Just wondering." Danny said.
Arin noticed that the only thing off was Danny. He was actually surprised Danny wasn't begging to buy the unicorn. Claiming all the things he can do until he just caved.
Danny remembered everything. He remembered there was a tent. He remembered the man pleading to by his horse, but he seemed to be nowhere. He remembered the announcements made by Mark telling him as his friends died, one by one.
"How about we go get some food." Danny suggested. "I haven't had breakfast and I am hungry!"
"You don't want to keep looking at the unicorn?" Arin asked, very puzzled at his friend's behaviour. "Not even pet it?"
"And your turning down food?" Danny pointed out.
Arin decided to drop it, "Let's get hot dogs."
"How about elephant ears afterwards?" Danny suggested.
"Now this is why we are friends." Arin said and Danny laughed.
His reward for winning was the memory of all his friends dying, and no one would understand.
Also, Matt and Ryan didn't even notice anyone even left them. Actually, they got kicked out a couple minutes after everyone left. Who knew that you can get kicked out of a fair for having a fist fight?