It Came from Lucina's Head
Chapter 34: A New Beginning
It was a typical Friday morning for the residents of Smash Mansion. Breakfast had arrived piping hot at 9AM, which was a little later than the usual time in order to compensate for some of the Smashers' lack of sleep recently. Lucina certainly didn't complain about it, and was actually feeling quite chipper having had a full 12 hours of undisturbed rest. The same could be said for the likes of Falcon, Robin, and even Ike, although all of them ended up showing up in the dining room earlier than what was scheduled. They were pretty much used to the daily routines, but hey, if arriving at breakfast a half hour early meant fresh eggs and meat, then that was totally fine with them (and especially for Ike).
Most of the Smashers had already come in and were chowing down by the time the clock struck 9:00. Waddle Dees were busy as always rushing up and down the tables, passing and receiving various platters, and barely able to keep up with characters like Kirby who seemed to literally inhale the dishes one after the other.
Even in the light of the casual atmosphere, Wario was still absent despite being a man to never miss out on a hearty breakfast.
As per usual, Falcon and Ike were seated at their end of the table and sitting across from each other in the heat of a debate. This time however, they were joined by Shulk, Robin, and Meta Knight, who were up until this point enjoying their meals before the argument broke out.
"You can't seriously be telling me that after all the shit we've been through you still don't believe in ghosts," said Falcon flatly, a half-eaten piece of toast in his mouth.
"Ghosts are one thing," replied the mercenary, who was furiously cutting into a slice of ham on his plate. "Those things that came out of Lucina's nightmares are something else entirely."
"Ghosts, ghouls, goblins, they're all the same." Falcon glanced across at Robin, who appeared to be looking pretty pensive this morning for some reason. "We take orders from a giant disembodied hand for cryin' out loud!"
"Um, if I could cut in for a moment," said Shulk all of a sudden. "I think what Ike is trying to say is that the Swarm is nothing like the monsters in your Horror movies."
"Thank you, Shulk," replied Ike. "There really is no comparison here. You can have your Freddy Krueger and your Jason Voorhees, but at the end of the day those make-believe monsters are just that: Make-believe. The Swarm was something completely different, and you saw as well as I did how 'real' they were. You of all people should know by now that there's a fine line between what's real and what goes on in your movies and video games."
"That's not the point," muttered Falcon with gritted teeth. "The monsters that came out of Lucina's dreams might as well have been Freddy Krueger or something like that!" A lone Waddle Dee waltzed up to the table to refill the group's coffee and juice, to which Falcon spat a quick, "Thank you." He took a long dramatic gulp before setting down his mug firmly. "There's no such thing as 'make-believe' anymore, especially when some dead dragon from a million years ago can come back without even lifting a wing!"
"But that wasn't even Grima to begin with," retorted Ike. "Master Core, on the other hand, was certainly real." He put down his utensils to wipe his mouth with a napkin. "I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time seeing what Hollywood movies have to do with the catastrophe that befell this mansion."
Falcon let out a small grunt, as if he wanted to say something but felt like it wouldn't add anything to the conversation at all. "Robin, help me out here!"
Robin sat up at attention at the sound of his name, somewhat surprised and dazed upon realizing where he was. He appeared to have been in the middle of a daydream, having been staring at the contents of his untouched cup of tea for almost twenty minutes. He glanced around to see the others staring at him, most of which had concerned looks on their faces.
"Are you feeling alright?" asked Shulk, his head tilted down towards a piece of toast in hand.
"Ugh, sorry," replied Robin. "I was just thinking about something."
"Thinking about what?" asked Falcon.
"N-Nothing…" His gaze fell back to his drink in which a lone teaspoon sat. It was still hot, but the steam had dissipated long before he even noticed.
His friends exchanged a few glances with each other wondering what the heck must have been on his mind. Meta Knight on the other hand, appeared to be rather indifferent, and continued to play the game of Solitaire he had started at the beginning of breakfast. Everyone was pretty much used to the fact that the Star Warrior never ate in company, however, that didn't mean he didn't enjoy the conversations that naturally arose from social gatherings.
"Well, if you're sure…" replied Shulk, uncertain on how to respond.
"It's nothing, I promise," said Robin, although Ike could tell he was lying through his teeth. Falcon simply shrugged his shoulders at his response, figuring that if something was wrong then Robin surely would have spoken up.
After all, they were good friends now, right?
"Anyway Falcon, you can believe what you want to believe," said Ike all of a sudden. "All I can conclude at this point is that you and I have completely different definitions on what determines something to be 'make-believe.'"
"Pfft, as if," spat Falcon, rolling his eyes slightly. "Well fine then if that's the way you want to be." He took another bite of his sausage before waving his fork around like he was giving some kind of lecture. "But the next time ol' 'tall, dark and ugly' comes knocking on your door, don't come cryin' to me."
The friends continued chowing down on their meals while engaging in some more conversation pertaining to nightmares, movies, the Swarm, or all of the above. Robin however, appeared to be more silent than Meta Knight, barely even saying anything at all besides sentences that ended in less than three words ("Yeah," "Sure," and "I guess."). Secretly, he was feeling rather troubled, but his worries had nothing to do with Master Core, or the Swarm, or even the state of the tournament. No, there was one and only one thing on Robin's mind at this point.
Lucina.
He thought that she had been acting a little strange since her long-awaited return. Instead of greeting him with a kiss, she merely gave him a hug, something that she treated all of her friends to equally. Even when he spent the entire rest of the afternoon with her, Lucina didn't seem to want to talk to him about personal things, which was honestly strange since he was always the first person she went to whenever something was on her mind. Sure she told him about the battle against Grima and Master Core, and even what it was like in the dream world and how she was trying to regain control of her body, but anything that was even remotely hinting towards things like their relationship she more or less dropped. Granted, even with all the time they spent together yesterday, very rarely did they ever find themselves alone. There was always some Smasher who felt the need to butt-in unannounced, like Pit and his usual excitement, or even Marth and Peach. It was like the entire roster was out to prevent him from getting anywhere close to Lucina, and although he played it off pretty cool, deep down inside he was feeling rather agitated. The only way he could convert these emotions into an outward feeling was to just let them simmer and remain mellow.
That wasn't the only thing, however.
Robin noticed upon Lucina's arrival that she had given Falcon a kiss. Really it was just a kiss on the cheek, and the F-Zero racer probably deserved it based on what Ike had told him earlier, but in the end a kiss was still a kiss. Lucina went out of her way to show her affection to Falcon, but why not Robin? It's not like she was ever comfortable doing that sort of thing in front of others. The fact that she didn't hesitate to leap into Falcon's arms made Robin feel somewhat betrayed, abandoned, but by whom he wasn't really sure. He recalled mentioning to Falcon that Lucina had feelings for him, however, those words were nothing but lies, mere fuel to spark the flame of Captain Falcon's deterministic ego. Without that, there's no way they would have been able to infiltrate Wario's room and secure the Dream Tap, among other various things that took place between then and now.
He was starting to believe that having any kind of sympathy for the racer was turning out to be one of the biggest mistakes he's ever made in his life.
Even worse now was the fact that Lucina didn't seem to notice Robin's upset feelings. Either he was a really good actor (he kind of was, and Lucina had always been known to be a little gullible) or his relationship with Lucina was never as close as he thought it was. Just thinking about it made his stomach ache, and he could feel his heart twisting and tearing every time he heard her name.
"Morning Lucina!" said Shulk all of a sudden.
Robin sat up straight again, almost knocking his tea over in the process. He glanced over to see Lucina and Samus approaching the table, both of them looking unusually happy to see their little group of misfits.
"Good morning everyone," replied Lucina, a glass of orange juice in her hand. She appeared to be rather clean today, the bags under her eyes now completely gone, as well as the various bruises and scars that had lined her lower face from before. She looked about as innocent as the day she first set foot in the mansion. "Did you sleep well?"
"We ought to ask you that," replied Ike with a smirk. "Samus, how are you?"
"I'm fine thanks," she replied. "You mind if we sit down?"
"Absolutely not!" exclaimed Falcon. "Hey Shulk, why don't you scoot down a bit to give the lovely ladies some room?"
"That's okay, Captain Falcon," replied Lucina. "We'll just sit down next to Robin." Lucina shuffled over to the mage's side, taking a seat next to him as he did his best to give a smile. "How are you?"
"I'm good," said Robin, noticing Samus take a seat next to Lucina. In a matter of seconds, a nimble Waddle Dee scurried up to the table and dropped a full plate of food in front of the Smashers. "How was your evening?"
"Peaceful," said Lucina warmly. "I can't describe how relieved I am now."
"She means it too," chimed Samus. "I'd never seen her laugh so much when I saw her this morning."
"Laugh?" asked Shulk. "Laugh at what?"
"Oh, it's nothing really," replied Lucina, although it was plain to see that just thinking about it was making her grin sheepishly.
"Crazy Hand was moving some of the Items today and accidentally dropped one of the Galaga Ships," continued Samus. "He ended up having to chase the darn thing all over the second floor. It actually caught one of the Koopalings and almost carried them out the window."
Lucina was containing her giggles successfully, and Samus' explanation even earned a laugh from Falcon and Shulk. Neither Robin nor Ike found the story to be all that funny, and seeing Lucina act so outgoing to jokes like that was almost weird in a sense.
It was almost like she had emerged from the horrors of her nightmares a different person.
More than likely however, she was probably just really happy to finally be rid of the dreams once and for all.
"You had to be there," said Samus.
"I kind of wish I was now that you mention it," replied Shulk with a chuckle.
More discussions soon followed this, most of them about Lucina or the nightmares, and even some speculation on what Master Hand was going to do about the tournament. The Smashers were expecting an announcement from him sometime later on in the day, so in the meantime the only responsibilities they had were too each other. Some Smashers had dropped by to say good morning to Lucina, and she surprisingly appeared to be okay with it. She was much more comfortable now, having previously been a pretty quiet girl who usually went about her days unnoticed in the mansion. All of the newfound attention was welcome, but she certainly did not want to be treated like a celebrity. A simple "Hello" or "How are you?" was more than enough to make her feel like she was among friends, and after having endured the horrifying encounters of the nightmares, she definitely felt much closer to the Super Smash Bros. than ever before.
Robin on the other hand was still looking rather pensive, and didn't feel all that comfortable sitting here in the middle of the conversation. Words from the Smashers passed over his head as he continued to stare at his cold tea in anxiousness. He felt the need to say something to Lucina, but there was no way he could do it with all of these people around. He wanted to know the truth, or at least learn if Lucina had really been playing him for a fool this whole time. She wouldn't do that though would she? She's not conniving or dishonest, and she certainly isn't one to let down the ones she cares about.
If she just so happened to care about Falcon more than Robin however, then that definitely wouldn't be good.
In the midst of his contemplation, Robin felt a warm hand wrap around his beneath the table. He looked down to see Lucina had touched him, and he followed her arm all the way back up to her pretty face.
Feeling her hand again was reassuring to say the least.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Robin realized that the group's conversation had long since broken off and was now split between Falcon, Shulk, and Ike, who were discussing what possible proposals Master Hand had prepared for the tournament. Rosalina, Ness, and Fox had also joined their end of the table, although they were busy chatting with Samus about the possibility of rebuilding R.O.B. after the fatal dismantle he went through yesterday.
Meta Knight was still silently playing Solitaire by himself.
"I-I'm fine," replied Robin, pulling his gaze away from her blue eyes. "I've just… had a lot on my mind lately."
He noticed Lucina had already finished her meal and was sitting with a full mug of tea in front of her. Although her beverage was steaming, Robin's drink was about as cold as his hands.
"What's wrong?" asked Lucina. Robin did not pull his hand away but continued to have it nest in her loving palm. He wanted to tell her what was troubling him, but here in the middle of the breakfast rush just wasn't feasible. He needed to talk to her in private; somewhere where they wouldn't be interrupted.
"Uh…" he started, unsure of where to start. "Can I talk to you after?" Lucina noticed the side of his lip quiver a little as he asked his question. He had never acted this way around her before, and honestly it was starting to make her worry.
"Of course, Robin," she said seriously. "You can talk to me about anything." She squeezed a little on his hand, and he returned the gesture as if he was holding onto whatever hope he had left.
"Good." He broke away from her grasp and stood up. "I'm going out. Need to get some fresh air." He paused, glancing around and looking for some kind of excuse. "It's a little stuffy in here."
"Okay. I'll see you soon."
Robin made his way to the exit, not even bothering to say good-bye to the others. Granted, Ike and Shulk were still in a heated discussion about whether or not Master Hand was going to change the typical stock rules to timed battles (but let's be honest here, nobody plays timed battles).
Lucina felt the urge to go after him, but she remained in her seat pretending like she was participating in the other conversations at the table. Instead, she found herself sitting silently pondering on what was bothering Robin so much. She couldn't remember him acting so strange before her final nightmare took place.
She didn't notice that Falcon had also watched Robin leave, but he was keeping his head down for some reason.
"Follow him," said a low voice from across the table.
Lucina faced forward to see Meta Knight place a queen of spades on top of the king of hearts. The Star Warrior seldom ever spoke, but when he did, he certainly never joked around.
"Sir Meta Knight?" she responded.
"Listen to your heart," he replied deeply. "It cannot lie to you."
He continued placing cards down on the table, not even giving Lucina a second glance. She thought about his words for a few seconds, wondering if he had been listening to her conversation with Robin this whole time. Eventually, she pushed her seat out and stood up, saying a small thank you to the loyal Waddle Dees who were still tending to Smashers. She said her good-byes and headed to the exit, the little voice in the back of her head telling her where Robin had run off too.
Falcon took another gulp of his coffee as he watched her leave.
It took Lucina a few minutes to climb three stories and make it to the rooftop, but when she got there Robin was already standing by the edge watching a flock of Swablu overhead. The birds were heading towards the clouds, but it didn't really matter since most of the sky was clear anyway. The sun was shining brightly and the wind was a little breezy, giving enough of a push so that Robin's robe brushed slightly against his leg.
"I had a feeling you would come here," said Lucina as she approached him. She walked past a pile of Rolling Crates, Targets, and other various training Items that had been stacked up near the entrance. Robin turned his head at the sound of her voice, but most of his body was still facing the other direction.
"You can't get any privacy in the mansion," replied Robin. "Between the Waddle Dees and the Smashers, I'm surprised Master Hand hasn't converted this area into another commons room."
Lucina smiled at his comment, but it didn't last long when she saw that Robin didn't look very amused. She wasn't really sure how to approach this, but she always knew Robin to be the type of guy to never beat around the bush. He had something to say to her and he wanted to say it. That was simple enough wasn't it?
"What's on your mind?" she asked, walking up next to him. "You're starting to worry me."
Robin appeared to be somewhat surprised by her statement.
"I'm worrying you?" he replied. "Well, I suppose that's better than nothing."
Lucina was taken aback by his bluntness, for the way he said that last sentence came off a bit harsh. Now she was really starting to wonder what was bothering him.
"Have I… done something wrong?" she asked seriously.
"You? Of course not," he said, turning to face her completely. "If anything, I should be the one at fault here. It was foolish of me to think that I could stand a chance against him."
Okay… Where exactly was he going with this?
"I… don't understand," said Lucina.
"I suppose he is stronger than me," replied Robin, although the way he said it made it sound like he was talking to himself. "And I guess yeah, he has cooler moves than me. He's also much older, so I guess that makes him more mature?" He bopped himself in the forehead a few times. "Oh jeez, listen to what you're saying!"
"Robin."
"My apologies," he said, standing up straight. "I was merely thinking aloud. That's not something that I normally do, but perhaps he's rubbed off on me."
"Who are you talking about?" asked Lucina. Her concern was only growing more and more with everything that Robin was saying.
"Oh, you know," he replied. "He's a good friend of ours, or should I say yours. Well, he's probably more than a friend now at this point. You both seem to-"
Lucina pressed her index finger atop Robin's lips, sealing them with an invisible force that shut him up instantly. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds, Robin's train of thought coming to a complete stop at the touch.
"Please Robin," she said. "Tell me what's wrong."
She lowered her arm, leaving him to take a deep breath and sigh.
"You really have changed," he said, tilting his head forward. "Okay, I'll tell you straight." He took a few steps back and returned his gaze to the grand view before them. "When you were asleep and in the dream world fighting Grima, your body had become possessed here in the real world. You came after me, and you also murdered R.O.B., but that's not what this is about. I don't feel bad about that at all because I know you had no control over it, and that's fine." He paused momentarily, but did not look back at her. "When you were possessed by Grima, you said some things to me." His eyes fell as he recalled the harsh words spewed from the girl he loved so much. "You said… that you didn't love me anymore. And that it was all a lie. I didn't want to believe it, and the better part of me knew I couldn't since it was likely Grima trying to distract me from the fight. But now, after thinking this, it kind of left me wondering you know?" He turned to face her again, their eyes locking as if they had never parted. "I guess I… I guess I just want to know the answer. Lucina… Do you love me?"
It hurt him more than anything to ask that with so much doubt, and seeing him on the verge of tears like this was almost enough to make Lucina want to cry. She honestly had no recollection of saying such things before, but if she did then she certainly felt as if she had betrayed him now. This explained why he had been acting so weird since her return, and after witnessing that kiss she gave to Falcon, it probably didn't make Robin feel any better about himself. Looking at it like that, Lucina felt like a fool, but surely this wasn't just some misunderstanding. After all, if she really felt that way about Robin, then she certainly would have been more open to him upon returning.
But really, this was all just a misunderstanding.
She walked up to him and pressed her lips against his, sliding her arms around his neck in the process. The motion caught Robin completely off guard, but he ended up responding by putting his hands around her back, closing his eyes.
"Of course I love you," she said when the broke apart from each other. "I'm sorry for making you doubt so much."
She rested her head on his shoulder as he swayed back and forth. His nose and mouth became hidden beneath the locks of her long hair.
"Thank the gods," he said. "I was beginning to think that Grima had brainwashed you or something."
"It's my fault," she replied. "I should have said something sooner, but I didn't want the others to see. I… I don't feel comfortable showing such affection in front of watchful eyes."
That's what he wanted to hear.
Lucina may have come out of her traumatic experience more cheerful than before, but deep down inside she was still the same compassionate and quiet girl he fell in love with. It still however, didn't explain why she went up and kissed Falcon yesterday.
"You didn't have any problem with 'showing affection' to Falcon," said Robin curiously.
"Oh," she replied as she lifted her head up. She realized that she contradicted herself. "With Captain Falcon… I wanted to thank him for everything he did. I know his efforts typically go overlooked here in the mansion, so I thought that I could reward him for his heroic deeds."
Robin appeared to be somewhat skeptical of that explanation.
"So that's it then?" he said. "You and him have nothing going on?"
"As far as I know, no," she replied. "You make it sound as if this is some sort of competition."
"Eh, maybe…"
She pecked him on the lips again, holding him tightly with her arms wrapped around him.
"I love you, Robin," she said. "I want to be with you for as long as I can. But I remember Master Hand saying something a long time ago about how he didn't want there to be any romantic relationships between the Smashers."
Robin could recall seeing something like that in the contract when he first signed up with the Super Smash Bros. It said somewhere that fighters weren't permitted to fall in love with each other. The hand's exact words were something like, "There shall be no dating, no kissing, and no male Smasher may visit a female Smasher's dorm (and vice versa) after curfew." Realistically, it's not like anyone ever followed the rules perfectly. If they did, well, then the Smashers would be up and out of bed at 6:30 in the morning every day, no one would lay a finger on anyone else in the halls, and people would always say good-bye to one another with, "I hope you have a smashing day!"
Seriously, how lame would that be?
"I understand," said Robin. "I'm perfectly fine if you want to keep things a secret for now. We don't have to tell Master Hand, but I feel that some of the others have a right to know what's going on between us."
"We can tell a few," she replied. "This mansion already has a reputation for spreading rumors as it is."
"If that's what makes you comfortable then sure."
She gave him a mischievous look seeing as how he was making it seem like he was only going to keep quiet for her own benefit.
"Don't sound so disheartened," she said. "I'm okay with keeping our relationship behind closed doors."
There were two ways Robin could interpret that, but since this was Lucina then it was more than likely she only meant it one way. Not that it made much of a difference to him. All he knew was that Lucina still loved him, and he wouldn't want to change that for anything in the world.
"Speaking of closed doors," said Robin," we're still alone on this roof."
"And?..." she replied with a small smile.
"Well, I was just thinking about how beautiful you look today."
"You're asking for something aren't you."
"I'm asking for another kiss."
And so they kissed again, and the feeling was pure bliss for the both of them. Lucina couldn't ask for anything more at this point, what with the nightmares now behind her and the boy she loved tucked safely in her arms. Now was the start of a new beginning for her, and she was relieved that even in a cloud of doubt, Robin still remained by her side no matter what.
"Look out!" came a voice from behind.
Robin and Lucina broke apart to see a Rolling Crate hurling towards them at incredible speed. They both jumped away from each other, the wooden box zooming past them and right over the edge of the mansion's roof. The crate fell three stories before colliding with the courtyard below and exploding in a mass of flame. Lucina and Robin both peered over the edge to see a few splintered pieces of wood and a charred black smudge on the pavement.
"Oops, sorry about that," said Falcon.
Robin and Lucina whirled around to see Falcon crouching behind the pile of training Items near the entrance. Apparently he had accidentally knocked one of the crates, causing it to go on a wheeling rampage without any sign of stopping. Those things were pretty dangerous, and a lot of the Smashers often wondered why Master Hand kept so many of them on the rooftop.
"Falcon?" said Robin. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to ask you guys that," replied Falcon as he rubbed the back of his head. "I uh… I didn't mean to disturb you or anything."
"Oh, not at all," said Lucina. "But please try to be more careful. The crates are designed so that they move at the slightest touch."
"Yeah, I know." Falcon waltzed up to the two Smashers, noticing that they were holding hands. Lucina didn't think anything of it, but Robin was doing everything he could to test Captain Falcon.
"This is it," thought the mage. "If he saw us kissing just now then he's bound to blow a fuse."
Robin had his other arm out, ready to pull out his Levin Sword if things started to get a little messy. In all seriousness, he was expecting Falcon to go on a fiery rampage since he knew very well the kind of feelings he had for Lucina. To see her kissing and holding hands with another man surely must have made Falcon feel jealous, which would certainly trigger his temper. After all, Falcon did have a habit of reacting solely based on his instincts.
The three Smashers stood there in silence for a few seconds, Robin waiting on Falcon to make a move. Interestingly enough, Falcon was also waiting for Robin to say something, but neither party felt the need to take the initiative.
"Um, Captain Falcon," said Lucina, her cheeks turning a little red. "How much did you see?"
"I saw enough," he replied with a smirk. "All I can say is…" He gave them a thumbs up. "Congratulations to the both of you!"
Robin lowered his guard, somewhat astonished by Falcon's response. Here he was thinking that he was going to get Falcon Punched for making a move on Lucina, but instead he was getting praised! Was the world finally coming to an end?
"Who are you and what have you done with Captain Falcon?" said Robin in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" replied the F-Zero racer. "I'm Captain Falcon!"
"That's not what I meant!" He let go of Lucina's hand. "Aren't you at all upset by this?"
Falcon gave him a queer look, while Lucina also appeared rather uneasy.
"You and Lucina hooking up together?" he asked. "No. Why would I?"
What the heck was going on here? Robin could have sworn that he had been literally punched in the face yesterday morning by Captain Falcon because of mere jealousy. Yet now here he was acting like he never had anything going on with Lucina to begin with!
"Because you love her!" said Robin. "You told me yourself that you did!"
"Robin," interrupted Lucina, "what are you-"
"Stop pretending that you don't know and just fess up already!" continued the mage, not even noticing Lucina's comment.
Falcon scratched the side of his helmeted head in a rather cartoonish manner with another hand on his hip. He appeared to be about as confused as Robin was, but he still didn't have any idea of what he was going on about.
"Well, I don't 'love her' love her," replied Falcon. "I mean, she's a sweet kid and all, but there's no way her and I could be together." He chuckled. "Especially if it's you I have to contend with."
Robin was at a loss for words, but he was more stupefied than anything else. Where was the Falcon who tried so hard just to get Lucina to like him? Where was the Falcon who was standing with his mouth agape when Lucina had kissed him on the cheek? If Robin didn't know any better, he would have thought that this Captain Falcon was some sort of imposter.
"Anyway," said Lucina loudly, trying to draw the topic of discussion away from her. "What is it you wanted to see us for?"
"Oh right," replied Falcon. "I just came here to tell you guys that Master Hand will be starting the tourney meeting in a couple hours. I wasn't sure if you got the memo so yeah."
"Ah, good. Now we'll know for sure what our status will be once the tournament kicks off again. Isn't that great Robin?"
Robin continued to stare at Falcon, the wheels and cogs in his head whirling as he desperately tried to find an explanation to Falcon's sudden change in attitude.
"Yes…" he said. "Great."
Falcon noticed Robin's staring and ended up exchanging a glance with Lucina who shook her head in dismay.
"Was there anything else?" she asked.
"Actually yeah," replied Falcon. "Master Hand said that he wanted to speak to you before the meeting. I'm not sure what it's about, but if I had to guess…"
"It's probably about the nightmares," she said. "That's fine, thank you. I'd better go see him now."
She gave one last look to Robin, but his gaze was still focused on Falcon. She ended up leaving him be, scurrying off back to the mansion door and shutting it with enough force to snap him out of his trance.
Robin stood there puzzled for a moment, noticing that with Lucina gone, Falcon was casually standing before him. The two men faced each other in silence, and Falcon probably had one of the blankest looks the mage had ever seen on him. Robin however, still couldn't make heads or tails of Falcon's responses to his questions.
"Why…" he said, his eyebrows furrowed in a knot. "Why did you say that?"
Falcon shrugged his shoulders.
"Because I care about her," he replied.
All those things he said about not loving Lucina romantically, it was just a blanket to cover his true feelings. Falcon was indeed the same person, but something about him seemed different, and whether it was the way he carried himself or the way he spoke, Robin wasn't quite sure. Could this have been a result of Lucina's last nightmare?
"But I thought you hated me," said Robin bluntly. "I thought you despised everything I did with her, and you didn't want us to be together."
"I used to," replied Falcon with a smirk. "But I can't say that now. I just want her to be happy, and if being with you is what makes her happy the most, then I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it."
This certainly was a change of heart for Falcon, and a very nice one at that. Regardless, Robin was having a hard time coming to terms with how fast Falcon could change his mindset considering he was so adamant about getting together with Lucina in the first place. Truthfully, Falcon cared about Lucina, but if she thought that he had feelings for her then it would only complicate her relationship with Robin ever further. It was best to just let her be with who she wanted for better or for worse.
It was then when Robin realized how selfish he had been acting this whole time.
"I…" he stuttered. He couldn't bear to face Captain Falcon in the eyes. He kept staring at the racer's boots, a deep wave of regret and shame quickly overtaking him. For the past week, Robin had felt nothing but a bitter rivalry between himself and Falcon. He thought he was better than him being the more conservative and analytical fighter. It turned out that Captain Falcon was more a man than he gave him credit for, and now it was Robin's turn to feel like the stupid one standing there with his hands clenched.
Falcon retained a straight face, unfaltering as Robin's eyes slowly met the jagged lens of his helmet visor.
"Perhaps…" said Robin quietly, hanging his heavy shoulders in defeat. "Perhaps I was wrong about you."
"Huh? What's that?" asked Falcon, leaning an ear towards the mage.
"Falcon." Robin lifted his head, his voice slightly rising with a serious tone. "I'm sorry." He paused. "I know I haven't been the nicest guy to you. I was afraid that… Lucina would leave me because of you. I thought you were doing it all for your own amusement, but it turns out I was wrong. You really do care about her." He shut his eyes tight. "Oh gods, I feel like such a fool…"
How else was he supposed to feel really? Just a few minutes ago he was pouring his heart out to Lucina regardless of whether or not she felt the same way about him. And he wanted her to love him back, but was so caught up in the moment that he almost forgot about her feelings. If this was the kind of person he truly was, well, then perhaps Lucina really did deserve better.
"Hey."
Robin opened his eyes as he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. He was met face to face with a warm, genuine smile.
"Don't feel bad," said Falcon. "Lucina chose you because she loves you. You can't force someone to fall in love." He chuckled. "Trust me, I've already tried that."
"It's not about Lucina though," replied Robin. "It's about me and the way I've been treating you. I never felt so bitter about anyone in the mansion until I met you." His lip quivered again, but he held it together. "There's no reason for me to be this way; you're a great person. You fight hard, you make people laugh, you do whatever it takes to protect our friends." He looked away again. "Compared to you… I'm nothing."
Falcon could sympathize for Robin, but it's not like he could blame him for any of this; he was well aware that he wasn't the easiest person to get along with. It was still nice to hear an apology all the same.
"Well I'm sorry too," said Falcon, "for making you feel that way because of the things I said or did. I'm not here to make enemies. I'm just trying to have a little fun."
Robin nodded. It seemed that there was much more to Captain Falcon than meets the eye. He may have been headstrong, and perhaps he had a tendency to say things without thinking them through first, but deep down inside he had the kindest of hearts. And it took nearly an entire week of nightmare monsters, swarming pests, and ancient reborn dragons for him to realize it.
"We may have gotten off on the wrong foot," continued Falcon. "Like, I never really knew you until I started hanging out with Lucina." He gave a small smile. "But one thing's for sure: I'm damn well glad to have met you Robin." Falcon removed his hand from Robin's shoulder and held it out in front of him. "Friends?"
Robin was seeing another side of Falcon that he didn't even know existed. No longer was the Super Smash Brothers' flashiest F-Zero racer laughing in his face or making smart comments about him. He had forgiven him, and Robin could easily find the words in his heart to describe how he felt the same. Robin reached out and grasped Falcon's hand in a firm handshake, wincing a little as a small tear escaped from his eye.
"Friends."
2 hours later…
The Smashers had all gathered in the mansion's auditorium, a room that was normally reserved for massive tournament meetings or announcements. Due to the sheer number of tourney participants, this process took well over half an hour, and that wasn't even including trying to track down the Koopalings who had all run off mainly because they despised serious meetings like this. The auditorium itself was designed to fit a little more than a hundred members at once, complete with lit paths that followed down to a large stage on the far side of the room. Here is where the typical talent shows or holidays plays were performed, and any extra seats that went unfilled were usually occupied by Waddle Dees who had been recognized for outstanding dedication to their jobs.
Today Master Hand had prepared a big announcement for the Smashers, something that most of them had been waiting on for quite a few days since the sudden suspension of the tournament.
"Let's see, is everyone here and accounted for?" said the big hand as he scanned the room. The Smashers were all seated, but hardly anyone was paying attention to him because they were talking amongst themselves. Crazy Hand came up from behind with a piece of paper in hand.
"Here's all the people that signed in when they showed up!" he exclaimed.
"Give me that!" replied Master Hand, swiping the note from his brother. "Hmm. Okay, Pac-Man, Greninja, Jigglypuff, yadda yadda yadda, Luigi… Anyone seen Luigi?"
Luigi waved from the audience, but he was barely noticeable thanks to Pit and Dark Pit who were both seated on opposite sides of him. The two angel boys were currently fighting over a bag of Twizzlers (which Dark Pit actually snatched from Villager when he walked in).
"Luigi's here!" said Peach.
"Link, Kirby, Meta Knight, Mr. Game and Watch, Little Mac, okay, okay," muttered Master Hand to himself. "Yeah, yeah… Lucina…" He glanced up to see Lucina sitting somewhere in the front row next to Robin, but the two Fire Emblem characters appeared to be in the middle of some discussion. Falcon was sitting in the row behind them and was engaged in some kind of thumb wrestle with Wario, and beyond them sat the Pokémon, the Koopalings, and some Waddle Dees. "Olimar? Where's Olimar?"
"Um, Olimar's right there," replied Crazy Hand, pointing to a short man in the left aisle next to Shulk and Megaman. "You don't have to give a role call or anything since everyone who signed their name should be here already."
"I know, I know, I'm just making sure." Master Hand took a few more seconds to scan the list and compare it to the audience. Eventually, he crumpled the piece of paper up and threw it behind him haphazardly, hitting Crazy Hand in the process. "Well, it looks like everyone's here! That's a first…" He took his spot at the center of the stage and cleared his "throat," while Crazy Hand hovered casually to his left. "Good afternoon members of the Super Smash Brothers! Thank you all so much for coming out on this fine summer day."
"Pfft, like we had a choice," replied Sonic, who was leaning back and had his feet kicked up on a poor Waddle Dee in the row in front of him.
"I am pleased to announce that as of this coming Monday, the tournament suspension shall be lifted and matches will resume as described in the schedule. You will all once again have access to the various stages, and the spectating booths will be reopened so that anyone can join in to view the games."
Applause soon rose from the audience. As expected, Master Hand was going to revive the tournament that had been so suddenly halted due to Lucina's nightmares. Most of the Smashers were already aware of this by now, however, none of them blamed Lucina for it by any means.
"I understand that there are some of you who have missed the last few matches because of… unforeseen circumstances. Therefore I have made it so that all matches from the last week will be stricken from the records, putting all participants back on the same playing field. All fighters who did win their matches however, will keep those victories marked on their own personal records." He was referring to Falcon, Lucina, and Robin, who had all unfortunately missed a few matches this past week. By wiping the databases of all recent brawls, he was essentially setting the entire schedule of the tournament back a week. Fortunately, winners still kept their wins, and even better was the fact that losers had their losses made obsolete. It was basically a win-win for everybody, and losing a week wasn't too much of a setback since the tournaments typically went on for several years. "In light of this new custom, I'd like to introduce a new fighter to our ranks… Well, I suppose he's not really 'new,' but he will certainly seem like a newcomer to some of you. Please give a warm welcome to our returning veteran, the legendary Psychic Pokémon himself, Mewtwo!"
The audience clapped as Mewtwo took the stage, floating nonchalantly as he always did. He appeared about as unscathed as he did when he was discovered in the hidden facility, but he did not look nearly as menacing as he did before. He still, however, maintained that mysterious aura about him as he levitated before the Smashers, giving a slight nod to acknowledge the welcome they were giving him.
"Greetings, fellow Smashers," he said telepathically. "I am honored to fight by your side once again."
"Mewtwo had been in a deep sleep for more than a decade now," continued Master Hand. "In light of recent events, he has awoken, but he is still the same Smasher that the veterans will know him by. Careful though, because Mewtwo is known to have quite the temper when he gets angry."
"Hey, just like Ganondorf!" said Crazy Hand.
A few Smashers in the audience laughed, but the room fell deathly silent when they heard the Gerudo King clear his throat.
"How amusing…" was all he said.
"Mewtwo will be the first of several fighters who will be joining us this year," said Master Hand. "I have received a few applications from some other potential Smashers, one of which belongs to Lucas, who has mustered enough courage to step forth and join us this year as well."
Lucas got some applause for that announcement, but he remembered asking Master Hand specifically to not say anything about it. Being the shy and quiet boy that he was, he ended up sinking down into his seat a bit, somewhat flustered by all of the attention he was getting. He received a pat on the shoulder from a nearby Ness.
Mewtwo floated back towards the audience and took a seat next to Pikachu.
"This brings me to my next point," continued Master Hand, taking a notice of Lucina. "By now, all of you should be aware of the dangerous creatures known as Swarm. You all put up a good fight; I wouldn't expect anything less from my Smashers. The fact that we almost lost everything yesterday, however, should be proof enough that you need to train harder." He paused dramatically. "One of our members, R.O.B., was brutally murdered at the hands of these monsters yesterday." This wasn't the whole truth, but really it was the easiest way to explain this to the Smashers. Lucina, Robin, and several others already knew exactly what happened, but no one was going to say, "Lucina got possessed and then she went crazy and cut R.O.B. up into little pieces."
Yeah, that wouldn't end well at all.
"We are an organization that strives to train the strongest fighters this world will ever know," said the hand. "The Subspace Emissary taught you all to throw your differences aside and to help each other for a just cause. R.O.B. was without question the most loyal and dependable member of the Super Smash Brothers, and he remained a trusted ally to the very end. We shall remember him, but I urge you all to never lose hope. According to our very own Fox McCloud, some of R.O.B.'s parts were salvaged from the wreckage in the underground facility. With any luck, we should be able to repair him. I have appointed Shulk and Fox as leaders in this operation, so if you think you can offer any assistance on these matters, please ask them immediately after this meeting is adjourned. I hope that together we can make R.O.B. feel right at home again once he is up and functioning properly."
More applause soon followed, along with some whistling and some shouting. The fact that R.O.B. was going to be okay was great news for everyone! Granted, R.O.B. was never particularly close to anyone to begin with, but the Smashers knew that at the end of the day, they were one big family. They had to look out for each other because sometimes it felt like Master Hand was barely even doing that.
"The next thing I'd like to talk about pertains to a few specific Smashers during the Swarm incident," continued Master Hand, although he didn't sound very thrilled about this. "You are all aware by now that any possession or consumption of the drug known as Dream Tap will have the user removed from the tournament without any exceptions. Crazy Hand and the Waddle Dees have made sure to destroy any and all remnants of the substance. At this point, I am confident that every last trace of Dream Tap has been removed from the mansion grounds, however, I am not particularly fond of the thought of some Smashers using the drug for their own amusement or to harm others. Therefore, I would like to ask the following Smashers to see me in my office immediately after this meeting: Ganondorf, Wario, Bowser, and King Dedede."
"What!?" shouted Dedede from the audience. "You gotta be kidding me! It was all a setup I swear!"
"This blows!" whined Wario.
"I will not be discussing this with you now," replied Master Hand calmly. "If you think you are being wrongly accused, then you can debate that with me personally afterwards."
Ganondorf sat there with arms crossed, remaining silent with a scowl on his face.
"Despite all this," said Master Hand, "I would like to end this meeting on something positive." The hand approached the edge of the stage, peering down at the two Fire Emblem characters in the front row. "Lucina, please stand."
Lucina hesitated, blinking in confusion as she stood up from her position. The room had fallen silent yet again, some Smashers like Falcon and Shulk literally on the edges of their seats anticipating what Master Hand possibly had to say about Lucina.
"All of you fought bravely to defeat the Swarm," said Master Hand warmly. "But had it not been for Lucina, we all would have certainly been consumed by the creatures."
Lucina stared at the floating white glove that was her superior, still unsure and slightly bewildered by what he was getting at. It was then when she realized that there wasn't anything to fear about Master Hand. She could hear it in his voice and see it in his movements that he didn't mean any harm unto her.
In fact, he appeared to be rather happy.
"Please give a round of applause for Lucina and her heroic triumph over evil," said Master Hand. "She's had one hell of a week."
Lucina turned around to be met with applause from all of her fellow Smashers. Master Hand had told her prior to the meeting that he planned on talking about the Swarm and the nightmares, but he didn't make any mention about this. Even fighters who couldn't care any less about this whole ordeal like Wario and Dedede found themselves reluctantly clapping along. Robin stood up as well, which was enough to get everyone else to stand in honor of Lucina's accomplishment. Master Hand and Crazy Hand were even applauding, but they had to stop after a few seconds because clapping for them literally meant bashing their bodies into each other like drunken sailors.
"Thank you," said Lucina, a small tear in her eye. "Thank you all so much."
She really was thankful because she knew that she couldn't have done it alone; her friends never gave up on her even when she was at her worst. There were times when she felt afraid, alone, or simply uncertain on what to do about the nightmares. With the help of her friends, she was able to find the strength in herself to overcome all odds, to stand up and face her fears, and to ultimately feel like an honorary member of the Smash Bros. family.
"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Master Hand. "This meeting is now adjourned. I'll see you all on Monday."
Later that evening…
"Alright boys and girls! Today's Friday so you know what that means?" Falcon posed dramatically in front of the flat screen TV with something sparkling in his eyes. "That's right! It's Captain Falcon movie night!"
Ike gave out an audible yawn, earning a chuckle from Lucina on the other end of the couch.
"I don't understand," muttered Robin, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch. "No one said anything yet you still felt the need to answer your own question."
"That's kind of how it works around here," replied Ike.
Falcon flashed a shining smirk at the tactician.
"Oh yeah, you're the new guy!" said Falcon. "Since this is your first time coming to one of my movie nights, why don't you introduce yourself to everyone?"
Robin looked around, but there really wasn't much to introduce himself to. With Ike and Lucina on the couch, Captain Falcon was the only other person in the room. Well, technically Pikachu was sitting in front of Lucina digging into a bag of ketchup-covered popcorn, but introducing himself at this point was more or less counter-intuitive.
"Falcon, you know who I am," replied Robin flatly. "Everyone knows who I am!"
"I'm sorry, what was that 'new guy?'" said Falcon, turning his head as if he didn't hear him the first time.
"Just play along with it," said Lucina, nudging her boyfriend on the shoulder. "He likes to play these up like some sort of preshow."
With the nightmares nothing more than a distant memory, the Smashers were back to their regular schedule of whatever it was they did on a weekly basis. For Captain Falcon of course, all this entailed was putting together another one of his weekly movie nights, a special event that only took place on Friday evenings.
After the meeting with Master Hand had ended, the Smashers pretty much spent the rest of the day hanging out and relaxing. Falcon was busy trying to get something together for tonight, while Lucina, Robin, Ike, and Shulk had gone out to play some Target Blast with Palutena and the angel twins. It was great to have a worry-free day for once, but it would ultimately go short-lived thanks to the tournament restarting in a few days.
At this point, they were best off trying to make the most of it.
"Pi-Pikachu!" protested Pikachu.
"What was that you little cheeseball!?" replied Falcon.
"He said that you never made Pikachu give an introduction like this during his first movie night," said Lucina in response.
"Hey, not bad," commented Ike. "You actually interpreted Pikachu's speech pretty well that time."
"Pika!" exclaimed Pikachu.
"Aw, thanks," replied Lucina, patting the electric mouse on the head.
"I know what he said!" retorted Falcon. "But he doesn't deserve an introduction. I mean, heck, he's been around here as long as I have. We are veteran Smashers who really need no introduction!" Falcon stood up tall and raised a confident fist, but Pikachu ended up just shaking his head in disdain.
"Well, what can I say?" asked Robin. "Hi, my name is Robin and I'm the Super Smash Bros. resident tactician?"
"That's not bad," replied Lucina. "I think it suits you."
"And?..." pressed Falcon. "Tell us about yourself."
"Oh! Uh…" said Robin as he thought of a response. "I specialize in elemental magic, and I spend my free time doing research."
"Wow, what a nerd," replied Falcon, putting a hand in front of his mouth and looking at Ike, although everyone clearly heard what he just said.
"Hey, be nice," said Lucina. "At least he's being honest."
"Yeah, Falcon," chimed Robin. "Be nice to me."
"Pfft, you kidding?" replied Falcon. "I'm one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet! Why, I can't even count on one hand how many times I've done something nice for someone!" He then proceeded to count on his fingers how many times he could recall helping someone out. He stood there muttering things to himself for several seconds, while the others Smashers in the living room just stared at him unimpressed.
"This going to be a long night…" mumbled Ike.
"Hey guys!" called Shulk's voice. "We late for the party?"
The group glanced at the room's entrance to see Shulk walk in, along with Marth and Samus in tow. As always in casual setting, Samus was dressed in her Zero Suit, but seeing her along with Marth show up was honestly something that Falcon didn't expect.
"Holy moly, we got a full house tonight!" exclaimed the F-Zero racer. "This is awesome!"
"Oh Marth," said Lucina suddenly. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"I wanted to see what all the fuss was about," replied Marth. "Ike told me about it earlier and I'll admit… the way he described it had me curious."
"Curious?" spat Falcon. "What, you think this is some kind of secret underground meeting? We come here and watch movies; it's as simple as that."
"Pikachu…" replied Pikachu in protest.
"Okay, well sure, I may have fallen asleep last time, but that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the movie!"
"Oh yeah…" muttered Ike. "The movie."
That movie. That cursed movie that gave Lucina and her friends the week from Hell that nobody asked for. It was amazing how even after everything they've been through, Falcon still had the urge to continue with his weekly movie nights. He had told both Lucina and Ike that he had something special planned for this evening however, and he promised that what he showcased wouldn't simply be a repeat of last week's events.
"'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' was it?" asked Samus as she took a seat next to Robin.
"We try not to talk about it anymore," replied Ike.
"I see," said Marth. "Well, I'd be interested in seeing what Captain Falcon has cooked up for tonight's movie." He pulled up a small seat next to Ike, while Shulk took the liberty of sitting down on the floor behind the coffee table with Robin and Samus.
"You bet I do!" exclaimed Falcon. "Trust me on this guys; I guarantee that everyone here will have a good time tonight. After all, the tourney's going to be starting up soon! That gives us all the more reason to celebrate!"
"No Horror movies though," said Ike flatly. "Please."
"Yes, please," responded Lucina. "I'm not sure if I can handle another one of those."
"I got you kids covered, don't worry," replied Falcon. "You just sit tight and hold on while I grab us some quick snacks!"
The racer dashed out of the room faster than an F-Zero machine on the streets of Mute City. While waiting, the Smashers began discussing what movie Falcon could possibly have on his mind this time. Robin had suggested allowing him to pick the movie, but Falcon didn't want to take any more chances. Even when Ike had suggested a documentary, or when Lucina recommended something animated, Falcon declined their offers for he had an idea that was sure to not backfire this time around.
Eventually, Falcon returned with two armfuls of bagged popcorn, as well as some chocolate, candy, and a plate of beverages balanced on his head. He even took the time to prepare a couple of teacups for Marth and anyone else preferring something a bit hotter, and he delivered it with the grace and dexterity of a waiter in an esteemed coffee house.
As expected, the remote was wedged somewhere in the couch, and he ended up having to reach his arm into the crevices of the cushions before pulling out the commanding electronic device. He ran back to kill the lights, but a small lamp on a nearby table was more than enough to reveal which buttons did what on the remote control. With everyone holding onto their snacks and Falcon finally sitting his butt down between Lucina and Ike, Robin felt the need to ask again.
"So, you mind telling us what the movie is?" he asked seriously.
"I will in a second!" replied Falcon. "It's just that…" He paused. "It's just that I've never had so many people at my movie nights before!"
"It's no wonder," replied Ike. "You used to only invite Lucina to these things."
"Um… Really?" said Robin.
"You've made quite the reputation for yourself, Falcon," said Marth warmly. "If these nights turn out to be a success, you might have to start charging people."
"Well, I don't think it'll get to that point," replied Falcon. "What I mean to say is, it's great to see so many friendly faces tonight! I… I kind of want to take a picture to commemorate the occasion."
Robin sighed. "I don't think that's a good i-"
KER-SNAP!
Robin's eyes shot open, his head a daze at all the colorful lights dancing around his head. Falcon held up his digital camera, everyone around him cramming together to try and get a glimpse at the group selfie he just took.
"My hair is lopsided," commented Marth.
"I wasn't even paying attention," said Ike.
"You could have at least waited for me to smile," muttered Samus, noticing her blank expression in the picture.
"What the heck am I looking at?" asked Shulk. "Haha!"
It seemed that the only people who were looking at the lens when the picture was taken were Falcon, Lucina, and Pikachu. Actually, scratch that last one; Pikachu had his head buried deep somewhere in his bag of popcorn.
"Pi-Pika! Pikachu!" retorted the Pokémon, his mouth covered in ketchup and making him look like some kind of vampire.
"I don't know, I think it turned out alright," said Lucina. "Robin, what do you think?"
Robin shook himself out of his dizziness, glancing up at the amateur photography skills of Captain Falcon. He noticed that half of his face had been cut off, revealing only one and a half of his eyes, as well as part of his nose in the picture.
"Why am I not surprised…" he muttered to himself.
"You guys are awesome, you know that?" said Falcon. "Anyways, let's get this show on the road already!" He pocketed the camera and pulled out the remote control.
"So, what's our movie tonight?" asked Lucina.
Falcon paused dramatically, glancing at Lucina from the corner of his eye and smirking that same smirk he gave to everyone.
"To be honest, I have no idea!" he exclaimed. "I figured that since last week's movie didn't turn out so good we could just watch whatever's on TV. Everyone cool with that?"
"That's… actually a pretty good idea," replied Ike.
"I'm good with that," said Marth.
Everyone was pretty much in agreement, and they admired how much thought Falcon had put into this. It wasn't much, but hey, at least he was trying to make up for what happened in the last movie night. The group doubted that they would find a program airing "A Nightmare on Elm Street" of all movies this time around.
"Alright then gang!" said Falcon. "Let's do this!"
He turned on the power, the artificial light from the screen overtaking the darkness of the room and painting the faces of the Smashers in cryptic black and red colors. Following this, the group was met with a blasting and utterly scary tune coming from the TV, while the title screen for "Friday the 13th" began flashing in its classic Horror fashion. Needless to say that the sight was captivating, but it didn't sit well with any of the Smashers in the living room.
The next thing anyone knew, the screen had turned off, and the room fell eerily quiet. Everyone turned to Falcon to see him staring straight ahead with his thumb on top of the power button of the remote.
"Eheh," he muttered. "On second thought, let's forget the movie tonight. Parcheesi anyone?"