"Enter, young Pandalaide. You had something you wished to discuss with me?"
Pandalaide took a deep breath to calm herself. Ever since she started her training with the great hero El Falcón, she always tried her best not to displease him. After all, if she wanted to learn the ways of the hero, it would be wise to stay in the hero's good graces. But after their last skirmish with the dreaded La Cobra, something about her own confrontation with the infamous El Pollito left her curious. She only hoped that her curiosity would be rewarded rather than punished.
"Forgive me for the intrusion, Falcón-shifu," she said as she bowed before her master. "I had a question about the life of a hero."
El Falcón smiled and leaned back in his throne. "Levantarse, Pandalaide. There's no need to be so formal. We are all friends here. What is your question?"
Pandalaide did as her master instructed and cleared her throat. "Our last battle with La Cobra went… rather poorly. Tuba Boy still hasn't fully recovered."
El Falcón sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Indeed. Our foes seem to get bolder by the day. Which is why we have to fight back with just as much fire."
"Interesting strategy," Pandalaide mused. "But there is a flaw in your assessment, shifu."
"Which is?"
"Not all of our foes are as bold as you make them out to be."
El Falcón raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "Explain, Pandalaide."
"El Pollito had the perfect opportunity to destroy you when you called for us to retreat. I could hear La Cobra ordering him to shoot you down. But for some reason, he let us go. I can imagine La Cobra is not too happy with him. Why do you think he did that?"
El Falcón's calm smile was replaced by a stern frown as he folded his hands. "I see. I figured you had questions about that."
Pandalaide looked up. "Questions about what, shifu?"
El Falcón heaved a great sigh. "The truth is… El Pollito was a great admirer of mine. He wanted to join my crusade against injustice so badly. However, we didn't quite see eye-to-eye. We vigilantes work outside the law, but also alongside it. El Pollito didn't understand that. His methods were too dangerous; too reckless. They still are, which is why my enemies embrace him."
Pandalaide took a moment to mull things over. This was all new to her, which was not surprising. She started her training under El Falcón but a few days ago, after all. But the sadness in her master's voice spurred her curiosity further.
"So, he is not truly evil?" she asked.
El Falcón closed his eyes and shook his head. "He has chosen his path. He clearly does not want to be a champion of justice."
Pandalaide arched an eyebrow. "How are you so sure?" she asked. "You said it yourself. He admired you. He wanted to join you. Surely, there's good in him."
El Falcón scoffed. "You have a noble heart, Pandalaide. That idealism is the great trait for a hero to have. But any good in El Pollito is overshadowed by his desire for destruction and quick solutions. I wish there was something that could be done for him, but there isn't. Not every villain can be turned to the light, Pandalaide. You would do well to learn that."
Pandalaide frowned. "Have you tried, shifu?"
"I wouldn't be telling you this if I hadn't," El Falcón responded swiftly. "It's not like a hero to give up, but as I said, some battles just can't be won."
"But surely…"
"I know. I wish it wasn't that way," El Falcón interrupted. "But I've tried many times to help El Pollito, and he's refused me each time. I don't see him giving up his life of crime anytime soon. It truly is a tragedy."
After a somber pause, El Falcón leaned back in his throne. "Is that all you wanted to ask of me?"
Pandalaide sighed. She actually had more to say, but she knew it would be pointless to argue against her master. She instead bowed her head.
"That is all, Falcón-shifu," she said solemnly. "Thank you for your wisdom."
But as she left her master's chambers, her mind was already at work.
Perhaps you have failed to reach this poor soul, shifu, she thought. But that doesn't mean it's impossible…
The moon shined bright in the sky as Pandaliade moved swiftly along the jagged mountain path. This was not the patrol that El Falcón had assigned to her; she knew she was discouraged from traveling this way. After all, a hero doesn't go beating down the door of a villain's lair without cause. But as she saw the intimidating visage of El Dragón's mighty castle get closer and closer, she pushed her doubts to the wayside. This had to be done. She had to try, or else, what kind of hero was she?
As silent as the wind, she scampered just up to the point where El Dragón's drones usually patrolled. All she had to do now was sneak around to the back entrance and slip inside. Child's play for a karate master such as herself. But as she started over to the cliffside, she couldn't help but get the feeling that someone's eyes were upon her. With a snort, she detached her nunchucks from her belt and narrowed her eyes. Her plan was either working too well, or she caught the attention of someone she didn't want to interfere. She would know which it was soon enough. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she heard the snide cooing of a particularly confident bird.
"Going somewhere, chica?"
Pandalaide smirked and breathed an inward sigh of relief. It was just the one she was looking for.
"Well, you just saved me the trouble of trying to find you," she said, maintaining her guard. "You're quite reckless to come after me on your own, El Pollito."
El Pollito scoffed. "Look who's talking. Were you planning on taking on the mighty El Dragón all by yourself? Even El Falcón can't manage that!"
"It is not the dragon I seek," said Pandalaide cooly. "Or did you not hear me before?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what appeared to be a large bird ruffle his feathers.
"I don't care why you're here," El Pollito said stiffly. "All that matters to me is that I get to deliver you to El Dragón personally."
"Really? You plan to make up for your failure to take us out this afternoon?"
Instead of a reply, Pandalaide heard an angry caw as something flew towards her at high speed. Her smile grew wide.
Too easy, she thought.
With one smooth motion, she turned and flung her nunchuck into the oncoming attacker. Sure enough, she managed to smack El Pollito in the face and parry his strike. El Pollito crashed into the ground, sliding into the dirt path for a good few feet. But he didn't stay down for long.
"Th-that was your freebie," he snarled.
"Oh? I wasn't aware you were giving out freebies," Pandalaide purred coyly.
El Pollito let out another snarl. "Just for that, I'm gonna tear you limb from limb!"
With a caw, he tossed back his feathered cloak, revealing a grapple gun. Pandalaide rushed for him, sidestepping the talon-shaped hook as it shot forth. She swung her nunchucks once again, but this time, they were met by a corncob-shaped dagger. Pandalaide raised an eyebrow.
"An eloté dagger? Quite an impressive weapon," she mused.
El Pollito grinned a toothy grin. "I'm sure it'll be more impressive embedded in your skull!"
With that, he withdrew the knife from Pandalaide's nunchucks and made a stab for her head. However, Pandalaide managed to weave around the strike and landed another smack with her nunchucks.
"Just a word of advice: you don't want to announce to your opponent where you're aiming," she scolded.
El Pollito snorted. "Don't you lecture me, chica! I've already heard enough of those!"
"What, lectures?"
"Yeah!"
"From El Falcón?"
In that moment, El Pollito flinched, his feathers bristling at the very mention of the great hero's name.
"El Falcón is my foe," he stated. "And if you're his friend, then you're my foe, too."
"Is that the only option here?" Pandalaide asked. "A cycle of violence with no conclusion?"
"Oh, there's gonna be a conclusion, alright," El Pollito proclaimed. "One where I deliver you to El Dragón!"
With that, he fired his grappling hook again. Pandalaide leapt into the air and landed on the extended rope. As she raced down it towards El Pollito, she swung her nunchucks wildly. El Pollito smirked.
"Now I gotcha."
From his cloak, he brandished an egg-shaped device and tossed it into the air. With a crack, the egg burst apart, revealing a bola. Caught off-guard, Pandalaide became tangled in the ropes and fell to the ground.
"L-lucky shot," she spat, squirming in her restraints. "But tell me, do you really like El Dragón? Or La Cobra?"
El Pollito scoffed as he approached his prey. "Why not? They like me, and that's what matters."
"So, you just want to be liked? Is that why you do this?"
El Pollito scowled as he towered over Pandalaide. "I don't know what you're trying to do, chica, but it won't work. I'm El Pollito, the greatest scoundrel ever known. The only person I look out for is me."
"So, not El Dragón or La Cobra."
El Pollito's eye twitched. "I-it's the same with them. That's all villains care about."
"It sounds to me like you have problems with that worldview."
"N-no I don't! I wouldn't do this if I did!"
"Then why follow El Dragón and La Cobra at all? Why not just be by yourself?"
El Pollito let out a low growl. "No one can be by themselves, chica."
Pandalaide grinned. "Funny. That sounds like something El Falcón would say."
Pandalaide's smile did not vanish as El Pollito grabbed her by the collar and hoisted her up into the air.
"You think El Falcón is so great," he snarled bitterly. "He helps everyone in the world and stops evildoers and blah blah blah eloté eloté eloté~. What a joke."
"What's the joke, exactly?" Pandalaide asked coyly. "That you somehow think nobility and justice are beneath you?"
El Pollito sneered. "It's all well and good to talk about stuff like that, but we bad guys don't care. We don't have honor or play by your rules. But no, you heroes have your stupid codes, and you're so scared of taking risks. That's why we'll always win. If you fought on our level, you'd see how much easier it is."
Pandalaide's grin widened as she wriggled in her restraints. "Heroes do believe in risks. I took a risk coming here tonight."
"Yeah, and El Falcón's gonna read you the Riot Act after he saves your sorry butt from me."
"So you believe that if he tried to rescue me, he'd succeed?"
El Pollito's cheeks suddenly turned red. "N-no! Sh-shut up!"
Pandalaide snickered as her restraints slowly loosened. "It's strange. For how much you claim to despise El Falcón, you acknowledge that he's doing something right. You say that the villains win all the time, but have you been keeping score? Because I've seen El Falcón triumph more times than he's failed."
El Pollito pouted and snorted. "Th-that's not true."
"Look me in the eye and say that," Pandalaide challenged.
El Pollito let out a strained grunt as he averted his gaze. Pandlaide scoffed.
"Just as I thought. You're not truly a villain, are you?"
Before El Pollito could object, Pandalaide broke free of her bounds and kicked her opponent square in the jaw. El Pollito squawked and sputtered, releasing Pandalaide as she leapt back and landed on her feet. She then dashed towards El Pollito and leapt into a flying tackle. By the time El Pollito saw this, it was too late. Pandalaide's charge connected, and she pinned him to the ground.
"I asked El Falcón about you," Pandalaide said. "He said you admire him. You wanted to fight alongside him, but the two of you disagreed on tactics. You think breaking the rules is fine as long as you get the result you want."
"Y-you got a problem with that?" El Pollito spat. "The villains don't play fair; why should the heroes?"
"And what happens if innocent people get hurt because you stooped to your opponent's level?" Pandalaide countered.
El Pollito groaned and averted his gaze. "If I was a hero, that wouldn't feel good. But I'm not, so…"
Pandalaide giggled. "That's what this is all about. You don't actually like any of these cretins you fight alongside. You are but a child throwing a tantrum because your idol doesn't think you're as amazing as you think he is."
"Y-you don't know anything about me!" El Pollito roared, writhing against the force of Pandalaide's pin. "I-I'm going to defeat you! I'm better than you! I…"
"Am not entirely wrong."
El Pollito stopped struggling and stared blankly at Pandalaide's contemplative face. "Huh?"
"El Falcón is great in many ways, but he's not perfect," Pandalaide mused. "After all, he failed you."
El Pollito's blush seemed to resurface. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"He tried to show you the right path to be a hero, but he gave up too easily," said Pandalaide. "He says you're a lost cause, and that any attempt to save you would be futile."
"'Cause I don't need saving," El Pollito growled.
"And that's where I disagree," said Pandalaide. She leaned in closer, until her face was just inches away from El Pollito. "If you had a choice, you'd love to be the hero. You want to be praised and adored. But that is not what a hero fights for."
"You think I don't know that?" El Pollito huffed. "Of course heroes want to do what's right just because it's the right thing to do. That's what makes them heroes, and that's why people love them."
"Thank you for proving my point," Pandalaide said with a sneer.
El Pollito's face turned even redder. "I, um, buh…"
As he sputtered, Pandalaide softened her stance. She maneuvered her arms around El Pollito's body, turning a pin into an embrace.
"You walk this path in protest, because you're bitter at your idol," Pandalaide cooed. "But I believe there's hope for you. El Falcón might not be able to see it, but I do. You have a hero's heart, El Pollito. You just need to listen to it."
El Pollito didn't respond. How could he? His foe was so… confusing. She actually thought he could be a hero? When the great El Falcón said he couldn't? The very thought caused his heart to beat faster. After resting in Pandalaide's arms for a while, he finally found his voice.
"Why?" he croaked. "Why do you believe in me?"
Pandalaide released him and shrugged. "It's just how I see you. You may fall prey to your selfish desires, but deep down, I can see someone who just wants respect. And tonight, you've earned a little bit of that from me."
She then leaned in close and pursed her lips. El Pollito tried to push her back.
"N-no. Th-this isn't right," he whispered sharply. "What if El Falcón or El Dragón see us? Th-they're gonna be so mad at us!"
Pandalaide giggled. "Aw~. Are you trying to look out for me, El Pollito? I thought villains don't care about anyone but themselves."
El Pollito swallowed. "Well, um… y-you clearly care about me, and I… I don't dislike that. I-It wouldn't feel right if you got in trouble with El Falcón because of me."
"And this is why I say you have a hero's heart," Pandalaide cooed. She brushed back the feather's of El Pollito's costume. "Let them see us. This is how we show them how wrong they are about you."
With that, she leaned in again. This time, El Pollito did not resist. This hero was breaking the rules, just like he would've done. But she did so because she wanted to help him. It was a feeling El Pollito hadn't felt in a while; not even from his idol. This girl… she might be the one. He returned her embrace as the two of them pressed their lips against one another. What was a duel between villains had become a declaration of love. And nothing would…
"Um, Adelaide?"
Adelaide Chang tilted her head at Sid, who was sitting on the couch with an open Sugar Sugar Rainbow Unicorn Friendship Hour notebook in her lap. Sid herself had a rather puzzled look on her face.
"What? Is something wrong?" Adelaide asked.
"Not really. This is actually a very engrossing story," said Sid, looking back at the notebook. "It's just… I thought Carl was fine with El Pollito being a villain."
Adelaide shrugged. "Well, he might be fine with it, but I'm not. I know Carl can be a bit of a butt sometimes, but he tried to win that contest fairly. He didn't try to cheat or scam me and Alexis or do any of the bad stuff he used to do. That's not who I think El Pollito should be."
Sid furrowed her brow and nodded, processing everything Adelaide told her. "I guess you have a point there," she mused. "But why the kissing?"
Adelaide blushed and twiddled her fingers. "I-I thought it'd be romantic. Y'know, a hero and a villain, both breaking the rules because they love each other."
"I see," said Sid, her lips curling into a sly smirk.
Adelaide pouted. "I-it's not what you think. Carl and I are just really good friends," she huffed. "It's Pandalaide and El Pollito who're in love."
"If you say so," Sid said with a giggle.
Adelaide sighed. "Look, would you stop with the commentary and just check my spelling and stuff? I want this to look really nice when I give it to Carl later."
"Ooh~. This is a present for Carl, huh?" Sid purred slyly.
Adelaide's blush spread from her cheeks across the rest of her face. "Sh-shut up, Sid~! I-it's not like that~!" she whined.
Sid laughed. "Okay, okay. Whatever you say, Pandalaide," she jeered.
Adelaide let out a frustrated groan. "If you're not gonna take this seriously, I'm telling Mom!"
"Alright, fine. I'm done teasing" said Sid, throwing up her hands. She turned back to the notebook for a few seconds before looking back up at Adelaide. "Y'know, you and Carl do make a cute team. I think Pandalaide and El Pollito would, too."
Adelaide couldn't help but smile at the thought. "Thanks, Sid. I hope Carl thinks so, too."
Sid raised an eyebrow and smirked, but said not a word as she continued reading Adelaide's story. Suddenly, her eyes went wide.
"Um, Adelaide?"
"What now?"
"There's, um… there's a lot of kissing in this part."
"Yeah, so?
"Like, a lot of kissing."
"What's wrong with kissing?"
"Nothing, just… did you really need two pages to describe it?"
"There's a lot of emotion in that part. Can't you tell how in love they are?"
"And this is supposed to be a gift for Carl, right? Do you really think he'll like this?"
"I mean, I sure hope so. I'm making his character a good guy!"
"By having your character kiss him."
"There's more to it than that!"
"I'm not saying there isn't. I'm just… why two pages of kissing?"
"I like kissing. Sue me."
"Does Carl like kissing?"
"I, um… maybe? I would hope so. I-I mean… Just get back to checking my spelling!"
"Alright, alright. Sheesh. Someone's in denial."
"What was that?"
"Nothing~."
