Hey everyone, it's Paradigm here with Cross Examined, Chapter 36- Worst Birthday EVER! It's Ness's birthday and he's a wonderful teenager at 13... god, when I was thirteen. Lol. I'm thinking of creating a new one-shot, not focused on Lucas or Ness but, on Marth! He has just nicked at me in this story for not getting enough love and I have abused such a great character. He will indeed have a one-shot, with a working title. This is a romance ficlet, and Marth will be thinking about a girl, one that I have personally opened up to and have given her hope. That will be up soon, no date however determined. So here are thy options- Needy Love/Felt the Door Shut/Count my Steps/Heartfelt Conditions/Global Warming. Please in the review pick the one you like the best! Now, let's get serious.

Thanks to all of you, I have received 10,000 visitors! And, only 21 reviews till 200. So this is for you my fans. Enjoy.

Lucas checked his watch, the urge for the bathroom growing heavy. "All I need is Ness to walk in. We surprise him with the birthday party and then I can run to the restroom. Well, after I kiss him first."

Lucas abruptly stopped his thoughts when he saw Link enter the room. Link looked nearly sick and he was repeating something over and over again. Link beckoned over to Marth, Zelda, Ike, Lucario, Roy, Pit, and Lucas. The seven of them slid past the group in the room and went to talk with Link.

Lucario placed a paw on Link's forehead. "Son, what is wrong?"

Link shook his head. "I cannot believe what Dr. Mario told me."

Zelda frowned. "Well that's not explaining anything."

Pit bounced up and down. "Come on. Tell us."

Link shuddered. "The man that is down in the infirmary has received major blood loss."

Roy hugged his body tight. "Wound infliction?"

Link shook his head in dissent. "No. Someone drained him with a needle. Someone bit him I think, and poured his blood into a bottle. Wolf, I presume."

Lucas took a step back. "Are you saying Wolf drained someone of their blood and drank some of it?"

Link shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just making connections because Wolf was the only one who injured Agent Crimstone. After all he was stabbed in the gut..."

Lucas thought of something. "I think you and Lucario should go talk. Down by the beach. Clear your thoughts."

Lucario smiled. "That's a perfect idea! Link, come on boy. We shall talk."

Ike watched Link and Lucario slide themselves out of the room. He turned back towards the rest of the circle and leaned in. "I looked at the book last night. There is something you need to know."

Pit frowned. "What is it?"

Ike checked behind him, turned back to the circle and stared sympathetically at Lucas. "Lucas, have you ever felt pain in your chest after you used the power given to you from Claus?"

Lucas nodded. "Oh yes, all the time. Why?"

Ike paled. "Um, never mind. Actually, let's get ready for Ness!"

Lucas watched Ike drag Roy and Pit away from him and Zelda sighed in exasperation. Lucas's mind began panicking, his heart beating faster. "How would he know? He would he know? He could he know?"

Lucario's paws shifted through the sand as Link sat next to the aura Pokémon. Link and Lucario both stared at the sunlit sky, the golden bulb sinking beneath the cerulean ocean. Lucario stared at the Hylian elf. "Link, I have sensed something wrong with you. Care to tell me what is the matter?"

Link breathed deeply, and brushed his fingers through the sand. His maple hair shifted through the breeze. "Ever since Wolf killed Dr. Trivial, I have seen images. These aren't ordinary images Lucario. They are almost like hallucinations but, I'm reliving past events. I can tell that Wolf is now getting desperate and is turning into a sadistic killer. As far as I know, Wolf's book is going to go to plan and I'm worried about tonight. The whole burning house represented in the chapter is haunting me. Is it supposed to be imagery or symbolism of something? I mean, what house do we have around here?"

Lucario closed his eyes. "I can feel something else in you Link. Sadness. Regret."

"Of course I do!" Link exploded.

"Link." Lucario warned.

"I have regretted every decision I have made since the first day Brawl has started. Wolf has left a nasty taint on my character, he has destroyed my known reputation all because of a kid who possess power none of us know how to contain!"

Link leaned into Lucario and began to sob softly. Lucario rubbed Link's head. "I understand. I sense that you'll play a large part in Wolf's undoing, or the saving of one of the two PSI users. Agent Crimstone is coming into play. I can feel it," Lucario said. He looked down at Link. "Do you sense anything?"

Link's voice was a croak, in between sobs. "I can feel a hammer stroke start to swell up. Like everything that's happened before now is like a siege. When a soldier kills the footmen, then the guards, then the captains till finally he has killed the highest rank in the kingdom. The soldier is about to kill the king Lucario. The worst offense is coming. Soon."

Lucario breathed. "I cannot exactly pinpoint the date or what the event will be but, it will be huge. Wolf wants to make his name known. He will cause a death, that is evident. Who it is I cannot tell."

Link gazed down the beach then his heart almost stopped. "I think the event has already happened."

Lucario followed Link's gaze. "What do you mean?"

Link didn't answer. Instead he bolted up and ran. Lucario tried to grab Link's arm but, instead he got his tunic end and was dragged across the sand as Link ran as hard as he could down the beach. When Link stopped, Lucario slammed into Link's legs. Lucario stood up and then gasped.

"Ness!" Link screamed.

I heard hard running come down the beach. I tried smiling but, my mouth couldn't move, due to my peanut allergy destroying my throat. I bleakly opened an eye to see Link and Lucario towering over me.

Lucario picked me up in his arms and I felt that he was running towards the infirmary. I heard Link slam the door open and my body was laid upon a tabletop. Dr. Mario must have started clearing stuff because I heard bottles shatter.

"Do you-a know what-a is wrong with-a him?" Dr. Mario asked.

I heard Link's reply. "Allergic reaction to peanuts."

Lucario gripped my arm and held tight as Dr. Mario injected me with some pain killer medicine. Lucario said something in disgust. "Why is he covered in blood, yet there is no mark on him?"

Link gave Lucario a hard look. "That is something we must discuss later."

I felt a mask go over my nose and soon was out, like a light.

Time must have been in my favor because it didn't seem as much time had passed for me. Dr. Mario removed the peanuts floating in my bloodstream and removed the blocking tissue in my throat to get my body back to normal. Then Lucario and Link carried me to my room. I guess I was supposed to have a surprised entrance but, now everyone in my room was crowded around to console me.

"I'm fine. I would like to have my party." I whined as Link pulled the covers over me.

Lucas chuckled, although his eyes were red from crying. "No Nessie, I can't allow my precious baby to get injured anymore." Then he threw the cake at me.

I felt a wave of cream fly over me and the Smashers howled in laughter. It was ON!

I grabbed a chunk of cake off me face and licked the icing. "Yum. Strawberry." Then I threw my piece of cake at Marth. It hit Marth square in the chest. Then laughable chaos began. FOOD FIGHT!

I flew off my bed and tackled Roy. Roy slid into the punch bowl and had punch running down his hair, mopping it to his face. "HEY! Don't ruin the hair!" Roy growled. He punched me in the chest as hard as he could, and I hit Zelda in the back. She fell face forward into Kirby's pie, chocolate smeared across her face. Zelda shrieked and blasted fire at Roy, who ducked. The fire ball hit Lucas in the back of the head. Lucas screamed like a girl and ran into the restroom. I heard sighs of relief come from Lucas as he dipped his head into the toilet.

Link created a bow and made each crepe like an arrow, sending crepes of different colors and fruits into the chests of any Smasher that dared get near him. Marth created a small barrier around him with R.O.B, Mr. Game and Watch and Toon Link. The three sent lasers, black sausages and flaming cocktails into the air while Marth was screaming the entire time. "KEEP ME CLEAN! KEEP ME CLEAN!"

I laughed as hard as I could when Lucario tossed an apple at Ganondorf's head so hard, the apple knocked Ganondorf to the floor. Then I smelled something. Something was wrong.

"EVERYONE, STOP!" I stood on my bed and screamed.

My room fell silent. Lucas sniffed the air. "Does anyone smell that?"

Link's face clouded as he shared a terse glance with Lucario. "Smells like smoke."

I jumped off my bed and flung the door open. What I saw next made Ganondorf nearly shit his pants.

Wolf was on the very tip of the roof of Smash Mansion with a flamethrower.

The ground was burning, the mansion falling apart.

Wolf was setting the mansion on fire.

DUN, DUN, DUN! Yes, my friends, Wolf has done the act we now know as arson. Symbolism is always somewhere in Wolf's actions. Now, for serious reasons, my three paragraph food fight made me laugh, while I had to have some cliffhanger dropped on my fellow readers. I am truly amazed that I have indeed received 10,000 visitors. That is almost too much to believe!

Now, if you will, in the review if given, please tell me what the one-shot title I gave in the first AN is the best. Then also say which story should be started first after this one is complete. Either The Raven and the Lion, or Dark Abyss. Dark Abyss will have an excerpt at the end of the story, following the epilogue. I am bringing back a fan favorite OC for the epilogue. It's been awhile but, who do you think it is?

Anyway, I love all of you and I am only 21 reviews away from my stated goal of 200! I can't wait. And, 10,000 visitors, I mean oh my gosh! That's amazing. Thank you so much! I love every one of you.

~Paradigm