KT – DA: Okay, this took me a little longer than I meant, but it came out alright.
Link: I'd appreciate it if you would update more often.
Roy: Yeah, like when you had that streak of updating every day on Getting Over Our Troubles.
KT – DA: Great. Karanos has gotten to you all, hasn't she?
Karanos: Mwah-ha-ha! Get writing! Chapter eight is due on Friday/brandishes whip/
KT- DA: Alright, alright. Link, do the stuff.
Link: Kuroi Tenshi – Dark Angel does not own SSBM or any of its characters. She does own Sarah Holly and Jasmine Miles.
Marth/whistles innocently/
Link: Yeah, and Marth.
KT – DA: Speaking of Marth, it's his turn to answer reviewers today!
Marth: Okay! I'll get to that right now!
Max Fuchs – Thank you for the review. You know My Lady very much enjoys reading all her reviews. I sincerely hope you find some inspiration soon.
Lemurian 04 – Karanos can have that effect, can't she? I'm not quite sure what you meant with your comments, but we do hope that you'll enjoy this chapter…
LVMJ - /laughs/ I'm glad you like your sandwich. I worked very hard on it. I think you're right on both accounts of what Roy's intentions are with this fight. But here! I'll let Roy answer the second part of your review! Roy: Full of myself? Yeah, KT got on me pretty good about that. She's a little bit of a pushover most of the time, but when you try to take credit for her stories, whoo! Thanks for rooting for me, I hope I come out okay, too!
MoonCat07 – Roy is most likely in trouble. It's that whole 'human suffering equals character development' thing Karanos is always talking about.
Karanos – Oh, it's you. I'm sorry I passed swag off to KT the other day, but you could try being a little bit nicer to her. Just sometimes. Oh, alright, I'll get back to work. You are the Captain.
Windkiller – Of course Roy can fall in love! He's actually a pretty romantic guy, he just won't admit it. Wait, stop looking at me like that! I don't know this from experience!
Hylian Dragoness – We don't like Captain Falcon around here too much either. Now, while he wasn't actually drunk, his stupidity seems to affect him in much the same way. I think I see what you mean about Roy's confession. Makes me wish KT would share her plotlines with us.
Tymaporer – Oh, come now. KT doesn't take that long to update. There are some people on this site that haven't updated in eight months! Tell me about annoying…
Roy: Alright! Let's get on to the story!
In Midwinter's Stillness – The Left Hand is the Weakest
Roy yelled in surprise as Captain Falcon grabbed his shoulder and roughly shoved him away. Roy staggered backwards, trying to keep his balance. Captain Falcon rushed him and gave him a handful of punches and another of kicks.
Roy reeled away from the blows, his head spinning, his vision clouding. He realized now how important the sphere system was to their fights. He was much more exhausted now than he normally was this early in the game.
Captain Falcon punched Roy a few times again, and then reached out and grabbed him. He flung Roy into a nearby tree. Rushing at Roy, he used his Falcon Punch. Roy went flying. When he skidded to a stop in the snow, Falcon raised his leg over his head and drove his heel into the redhead's side hard.
Roy grunted and rolled out of the way. Throwing his legs out, he managed to bring the racer down by sweeping his feet out from under him. He pushed himself up onto his own feet, but had to jump away quickly. Falcon wasn't anywhere near as winded as Roy was, and was capable of regaining his composure a lot quicker than Roy.
Captain Falcon charged at him again. Roy, thinking to use his counter technique, groped for a sword that wasn't there. Roy tried to protect himself with his arms, but the racer rammed his shoulder into his chest. Before the swordsman could go flying again, however, Falcon grabbed him and slammed him down into the snow. Roy managed one burst of energy and moved to the side just in time to avoid having his skull crushed by one of Falcon's massive fists.
"Stop! Stop! Falcon, stop!" Fox yelled. The racer didn't seem to hear him. He reached out and grabbed the swordsman's right arm and pulled him up roughly. Roy closed his eyes, unable to move, unable to defend himself. He made himself believe that he was unable to cry out as well.
Roy felt Falcon twist his arm fiercely, heard the sickening crack as his bone broke. Pain washed over him in waves. He wanted to throw up, but held it back.
Marth and Link ran forward and grabbed at Falcon. Peach and Jazz joined them, leaving a shouting Zelda to hobble around on her own. Fox shouted at Falcon to stop ad nauseum, with the occasional threat to tell Sarah thrown in. The Smashketeers finally managed to wrestle the racer off of Roy. Roy fell into a snowdrift and cradled his broken arm to his chest.
Jazz and Peach left the boys to control Falcon and knelt down next to Roy. Peach looked worried. Jazz simply scowled at everything.
"Roy, oh my God, are you okay?" Peach asked, sounding a little panicked.
Roy gritted his teeth. "I'm okay. It just hurts a lot."
"Here, Roy. Sit up," Jazz said, reaching her arm around his shoulders and pulling him into a sitting position. "I told you Falcon would cream you."
Roy ignored her comment, choosing instead to focus on the warm feeling of her arm supporting him. He hoped she would feel a little worried for him, even if she wouldn't admit it to him.
Captain Falcon finally managed to calm down enough for the boys to relax their grips on him slightly. Fox was shaking with fury, his tail practically a brown blur as it flicked back and forth ceaselessly.
"Unsportsmanlike, indecent, foul action. Sarah will here about this, I can assure you. In fact," he turned to Roy and the girls. "get yourself to the hospital wing pronto. That arm needs to be set. I'll take Falcon to see Sarah."
Marth went with Fox and Falcon, but Link and the kids moved to Roy. Jazz left the redhead to Link and went to join an irritated Zelda. Roy was sad to see her go, but a sudden jarring of his arm brought him painfully back to reality.
Link helped Roy up and walked with him to the hospital wing, the girls and kids trailing behind.
Dr. Mario looked up as they entered. "Oh my! What have we here?"
Link made Roy sit down on a bed as he answered. "Captain Falcon broke Roy's arm."
The short doctor clucked sympathetically and went to fetch his equipment. Ness left when Roy's arm was being set, apparently squeamish around such things. Young Link went with him. Peach simply turned her head. Zelda, Roy was a little surprised to note, seemed to stare even harder at his arm. Jazz didn't do anything, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
Once the setting was over, Dr. Mario left to rummage about in his many cabinets and drawers to find some pain medicine. The small group could here him muttering to himself, and random boxes and bottles of pills flew around as he tossed the unwanted items carelessly over his shoulder. He had told Roy to stay put, so the redhead made himself as comfortable on the hospital bed as he could.
Link became impatient and started fidgeting. Zelda, sitting on the bed next to Roy's, jiggled her foot to some unheard rhythm. Peach propped her chin on her hand and sighed.
Finally, Dr. Mario returned with the medicine. "Here it is! This should make the pain stop pretty well." He handed a pill to Roy along with a small glass of water. Roy took the pill clumsily left-handed, spilling water on himself as he tried to drink. Dr. Mario offered him a box of similar pills, which he accepted.
"Take only one of these every twelve hours, and only if you need it," the doctor said. "You must keep from jostling the arm for at least two weeks. I don't know how long you'll need to keep from using it after I've taken the cast off."
Before Roy could reply, Sarah stormed into the room, followed by Fox and Marth. "Roy! Dr. Mario, how bad is his arm broken?"
"Well," said the tiny doctor, "It's a clean break. It should heal nicely, but Falcon really broke it good, if you understand my meaning."
Sarah sighed and cradled her forehead in her hand, as if she had a headache. "Roy, why did you challenge Falcon to a hand-to-hand fight? In a place without any sphere system, to boot!"
"I…" Roy stopped. He couldn't tell her why he had been so keen to fight the racer. His feelings for Jasmine were something he'd rather keep to himself for now. "He insulted me."
Link snorted. "He insulted all of us. He deserved to get worse than Roy did."
"Yes, I know he insulted you. Marth and Fox explained it to me in my office." Sarah shook her head.
Zelda brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "What have you done with Falcon? I want to see some punishment."
Sarah smiled unhappily. "I've 'sent him to his room,' as it were. He's to spend three days in his dorm, except for meals and such."
Zelda exhaled harshly, exhibiting her dislike of the situation.
"Roy, you'd better get well quick. You need to take revenge!" Peach said energetically, trying to lighten the mood a bit. It worked.
Sarah shook her head again, laughing this time. "Alright, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you all at lunch."
Dr. Mario was bustling about the ward again. "Everyone out! I still need to test a few more things on Roy's arm, and I need quiet to concentrate!" He shooed the group out and went into a back room to dig something else out of his cabinets.
Jasmine stayed behind. She had been silent through the whole conversation with Sarah. Now she came and stood next to Roy.
"You're right-handed, aren't you?"
Roy looked up at her. "Yeah."
"I can help you learn to fight left-handed."
"How? More importantly, why?"
Jazz laughed. "Why would I help you? Let's just say that I have a guilty conscience. I didn't exactly try very hard to change your mind out there."
Roy rolled his eyes. "That still doesn't answer the 'how' part."
Jazz smiled, almost shyly, but not quite. "I know a lot about hand-to-hand combat."
Roy must have looked like he didn't believe her, because she suddenly glared at him. "Well, if you don't want my help, then I guess I can just let you figure it out on your own." She turned and started to leave.
"Wait, Jasmine! I didn't even say anything!" Roy cried. Jazz turned back to him.
"Yes?"
"I'd… I'd like your help."
For a moment, Roy thought she was going to yell at him again. Then, suddenly, she smiled at him. "There's an empty room in that hallway Marth and Sarah are always going to that we can use for training. We'll meet there once your arm has healed a little bit."
Roy smiled back. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."
"Oh, I know you do, Roy-Boy." Jasmine left with a flip of her blonde hair.
For once, Roy truly liked being called by that ridiculous nick-name.
KT – DA: The end! Well, of the chapter.
Karanos: I like it. A nice, light ending. Make it gory and dark next time.
KT – DA: Ah… right…
Link: Look, I'm going to play Ocarina of Time. Call me if you need me.
Roy: Who's Line is on! I've got to go watch!
Marth: Please review!