Woah. e.e This will probably be the only time you'll ever get two chapters in one day. n.n; I just got so many nice reviews that I couldn't help but put up the second one so soon! Thank you people! See, it's getting a little better!! Mild cursing, that's all.

A bright, cheerful sun had replaced the somber white moon as the stage crew changed the set for the next chapter. The building-confined sky was a gray-blue shade, mostly because of the smog, and the city-people below were cheerfully milling about their business. Just ignore the taxi driver cursing in Arabian. Yeah.

Directly reflecting the cheerful day outside, Prince Marth strode valiantly through the Melee House halls, boots clunking to announce his presence. He seemed awfully happy this morning, humming on his stroll and having that telltale afterglow in his cheeks. It was a very different story for his partner, who was staying in bed that day to nurse a sore derriere.

"Well, good morning!" the Altean cheerfully chirped to a kitchen full of sleepy warriors. As he pranced across the room, several sets of bloodshot eyes met him, and sleepy grunts were given in return. Perhaps the only one who wasn't so sleepy this morning was the blissfully blonde Princess Peach, but then again, she's always so unnaturally happy.

As the prince passed by one end of the long kitchen table, humming away, Link couldn't help but shrink from Marth's presence. The poor blonde never knew what to do around the ostentatious personage, especially since he was so open about his sexual orientation. Hey, who could blame Link for being so paranoid? I would be, too, if I was a guy who pranced around in tights. Link's partner, the beautiful Hylian princess who was normally so accepting and so reserved, shot daggers from her eyes at the passing Marth. She felt a bit possessive of Link when Marth was around. Half the reason was Link's obvious discomfort, but the other half was the fact that Marth was probably prettier than she was.

Those were probably the only two who felt uncomfortable around the feminine prince (with all due respect, fangirls). Most of the House had inferred from their attitudes that there was something more than "brotherhood" between Marth and Roy. Those who didn't accept the fact that Marth and Roy were a "couple" were blissfully unaware that anything was going on between the two. This was the case for most of the younger warriors, who were actually very fond of Marth. The kindhearted prince was one of the few who didn't ignore the younger generation. He'd even get things off the high shelves for them so Nana and Popo wouldn't have to constantly scale the cupboards.

Basically, the House was pretty harmonious… Well. For now.

Mr. Nintendo, normally such a strong, unifying force in the House, seemed unusually distraught this morning. Heading towards the kitchen, Mario had his hat in one hand, the other scratching his head. He was preoccupied with something, so much so that he made his entrance into the kitchen by tripping over Pichu. The rat's ear-splitting screech drew the attention of the other Smashers, who craned their necks to see what was wrong. Mario picked himself up off the floor, straightening his suspenders, and picked Pichu up, dusting off his yellow fur. "I'm-a sorry, Pichu. I didn't see you. I have a lot-a on my mind…" Once he was sure the creature wasn't going to burst into tears – as usual – Mario took his seat at the head of the table.

"You're lookin' a little pale today, plumber," Falco scoffed from behind his newspaper. He was one of the few who was awake; he was just naturally caustic and grumpy. "You sick, or y' lose your plunger to th' toilet again?" "No, that's-a not it," he sighed, smoothing his hair back with one hand before putting his hat on again. "I don't-a want to scare any of you, but we had a prowler last night-a." A few of the Smashers did seem alarmed, though I don't know why. They're fine-tuned killing machines, what do they have to fear?

"Now before any of you get upset-a, I'll tell you not to worry." His blue-eyed glance was directed toward the whimpering Captain Falcon, who sat hugging himself over his Alpha-Bits Cereal. "I'll-a put the House on lockdown for a night or two, and if the prowler doesn't come back again, then I'm sure we'll all be okay-a." He calmly gave each of the warriors a reassuring gaze, secretly numbering them in his head, making sure they were all still there. "Where's-a Roy?" Marth's knife slipped and landed in his lap, a smear of grape jelly getting on his pants. "Aww, damn it… He's not feeling well today, Mario. He's in bed." "Well I want-a you to stay there with him. No one goes anywhere alone until we're sure it's all safe."

The red-shirted plumber stood and exited the kitchen again, leaving the room in an awed silence. None of them had ever seen him so serious and upset before. Falco just grunted, turning a page of his newspaper. "Sure got his shorts in a knot, don't he? I'm sure it's nothin' we can't handle, right?" Seeing their fearless leader so troubled made the rest of the Smashers uneasy, and they answered him with a single, monotone murmur.

--

Having gotten little sleep last night, Roy lay facedown on his bunk, covers only pulled to his hips as he soundly slept. His clothes were still scattered about the room, a pair of flame-patterned boxers hanging from the light fixture, a stray bandanna on the bedpost. All this, including the bare-backed teen, was surveyed through cool, green eyes, as our mysterious prowler made his second debut.

"Ahh, sleeping like a child," he crooned, stepping right out of the shadows. Now with toilet paper jammed up his nose, the stranger quietly approached Roy's bedside. Lips twisted into an unnatural, unholy grin as he studied his quarry. Everything he wanted was at his fingertips: the deadly Sword of Seals, the vulnerable, nude form of the son of the Principality, the possibility that Roy's reign could end right now with one simple flick of the wrist.

Lucky for us Roy fangirls, this isn't the villain's style.

Rather, he leaned down, softly whispering, "Though you are my target, dear boy, you're not the one I'm currently after." Cold lips left a soft kiss on Roy's cheek, and when the youth opened his lavender oculars, the stranger was gone. He sleepily lifted his head, looking around the room, and lifted one gloved hand to his cheek.

"Mmh… Got a chill," he murmured. Shrugging it off, Roy turned his head to face the wall, drifting back into his beauty sleep.

There we go, Chapter Two. :D Yay, see? It's not all that bad. A long'un, ain't it? n.n Feel free to review!

(Oh, and don't hurt me if you feel I'm interpreting any characters wrong. o.o Hey, maybe Captain Falcon eats Wheaties, I'onno…)