Jagged Edge

Trigger warning: Cutting and blood at the end

I know the feeling
Of finding yourself stuck out on the ledge
And there ain't no healing
From cuttin' yourself with the jagged edge
I'm tellin' you that it's never that bad
And take it from someone who's been where you're at
You're laid out on the floor and you're not sure
You can take this anymore

So just give it one more try
With a lullaby
And turn this up on the radio
If you can hear me now
I'm reachin' out to let you know
That you're not alone

And you can't tell, I'm scared as hell
'Cause I can't get you on the telephone
So just close your eyes
Well honey here comes a lullaby
Your very own lullaby
Please let me take you
Out of the darkness and into the light
'Cause I have faith in you
That you're gonna make it through another night
Stop thinkin' about the easy way out
There's no need to go and blow the candle out
Because you're not done, you're far too young
And the best is yet to come

So just give it one more try
With a lullaby
And turn this up on the radio
If you can hear me now
I'm reachin' out to let you know
That you're not alone

And you can't tell, I'm scared as hell
'Cause I can't get you on the telephone
So just close your eyes
Well honey here comes a lullaby
Your very own lullaby

Well everybody's hit the bottom
And everybody's been forgotten
Well everybody's tired of being alone
Yeah everybody's been abandoned
And left a little empty handed
So if you're out there barely hangin', on

Just give it one more try
With a lullaby
And turn this up on the radio
If you can hear me now
I'm reachin' out to let you know
That you're not alone

And you can't tell, I'm scared as hell
'Cause I can't get you on the telephone
So just close your eyes
Well honey here comes a lullaby
Your very own lullaby
Well honey here comes a lullaby
Your very own lullaby

-Nickelback, "Lullaby"

Kirby opened his eyes as the morning sun hit him in the face. Slowly, he sat up, wincing at the pain still throbbing along his body. The bruises were still fresh, as was the memory.

What had made Fox snap like that? What made him think it was okay to so viciously attack him? He was getting out of control, and he doubted if Master Hand's disciple could bring him back.

The next thing Kirby did was peel off the bandages from his arms. The cuts had nearly healed. Good. Nobody would notice. He told himself that it was only one time, and that he'd never do that again. He turned up his TV and jumped into a cold shower; after drying himself off, he was surprised to find an envelope slid under his door, addressed to him.

"Poyo?"

He picked up the envelope, opened it, and took out the piece of paper inside, which he unfolded to reveal a letter. His lip curled when he recognized Fox's handwriting. Sitting on his bed, Kirby began to read:

Dear Kirby,

I want to apologize to you for last night. What I did was wrong. Me being top-tier does not excuse my actions. I acted like a total barbarian, and I hope you can forgive me. However, that does not mean you had the right to attack me, which instigated the whole thing. Hitting people is not the answer. I won't hold this incident against you, but next time I hope you can better control your temper. Again, I'm really sorry about what happened, but you need to share some responsibility for this incident, as well.

Your friend,

Fox McCloud

Slowly, Kirby tore the letter into tiny pieces. Only a few sentences of actually apologizing, with most of the letter slinging blame at him and talking to him like a parent admonishing a child! That vulpine didn't deserve his forgiveness! He hoped everyone would give Fox a hard time for this for the rest of his life! Swiping at the tears welling in his eyes, Kirby tossed the pieces of the letter into the trash and puffed toward the cafeteria to eat some breakfast.

"Kirby?"

He turned and saw Ness standing there. "Poyo?" he queried.

"The Ice Climbers, Young Link, Pichu and I are playing video games," said Ness. "Wanna join us?"

Kirby beamed. "Poyo!"

He followed Ness to his room, where Pichu, Nana, Popo and Young Link sat around a GameCube. They looked up when Kirby puffed his way inside.

"Kirby!" they exclaimed in unison.

"We heard about what happened," gasped Nana. "Are you all right?"

Kirby shrugged. "Poyo."

"That Fox! Who does he think he is?" Young Link hotly asked.

"Guys," cautioned Ness. "We're trying to make Kirby feel better, not trigger flashbacks."

"Sorry," said YL. "It's just that people beating up those smaller than them leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

Kirby and Ness joined the others around the GameCube.

"Poyo, poyo?" asked Kirby.

"Mario Party," said Popo. "Wanna join in?"

"Poy!"

Forgetting everything else, Kirby joined Ness and his friends in playing fun, exciting and oft-frustrating minigames, winning Stars and trying to outwit the other players. In between, Ness passed around donuts and pastries. There were no tiers or invisible boundaries in this room. Only shrieks of laughter, cries of frustration and triumphant crowing as everyone enjoyed a Mario Party.

An hour later, something crossed Kirby's mind. "Poyo?" he asked.

"Yeah, I have Luigi's Mansion," said Ness, "but that's a single-player game. I mean, I'll let you fiddle around with it for a bit, but…"

"Poy," chirped Kirby.

"Tell you what," said Ness. "I'll gather my other friends, and see if we can pool our money to buy you a copy."

Kirby's smile widened. He still had a lot of friends in the Smash World!

After playing a few more minigames, Nana turned to the others with a mischievous smile.

"Ness," she said. "Wanna do something a little more—active?"

Ness raised a brow. "Are you talking about…?"

"Yup."

"Yeah! Twister!" shouted YL.

Ness grinned. "Why not? Kirby, are you up for some Twister?"

"Poyo!" laughed Kirby. Last night all but forgotten.

The first thing Luigi had done when he woke up was to email Sir Meta Knight about last night's incident. Then, he logged on to the Smash blog and read through all of the posts. Not a single nice word had been said about Kirby. Worse yet, Fox, Falco and Marth were leading this assault. Luigi flagged as many posts as he could, but he doubted that would do any good. So, he stretched out his fingers and began to compose a post of his own:

I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. I thought we learned something from the chaos the tier list wrought in 1999, but obviously, we didn't. Instead, the hounds think that a brand-new tournament has erased and absolved the sins from the past. But the pain never goes away; it stays with you. It has stayed with me. I've spent many a sleepless night turning the year 1999 over and over in my mind, seeing the faces of the two bullies (you know who you are) who led the onslaught against me. I remember the voice of the one who called me a n—b and a loser. I remember the feeling of lemonade trickling onto my pant leg, of chocolate syrup or mud splattering all over me as I tended to my business in a bathroom stall. I remember the rage flooding through me as I stared at that tier list, black marker heavy in my hand. Every word, spoken or written, is a scar on my spirit. And upon my return to participate in Melee, I can't look at the two people who led this campaign of harassment and not feel sick or infuriated or the need to just run up and punch them in the face. At least one of them is remorseful, but I still don't see him the way I did two years ago. So, the action of the past don't go away. They're still there, because the victim always remembers.

Luigi was running out of space, so he posted that entry and started on a new one:

Now, you're probably asking, "Where is the green guy going with this?" Well, let me tell you. Kirby, the Hero of Dreamland, has fallen victim to the very stuff I was subjected too. Ever since the reveal that he was the worst Melee fighter, everyone has stepped over his heroic actions and done everything in their power to degrade him. He's been booed on the Battlefield, repeatedly called a "filthy casual" and even physically assaulted by a Smasher, one of the Smashers who bullied me over the same issue! He's had food thrown at him, his so-called "boyfriend" is apathetic toward him because his side-B is more important—I just don't understand. It's like we conveniently forgot the lessons the first tournament taught us, and we're falling back on the same behavior we supposedly swore off. Now, Kirby has been cast into the role of the ugly duckling, the runt of the litter, the weakling, and it's worst because by Star Warrior standards, he's only a child! He's so sweet and naïve, and he doesn't understand why he's hated on all of a sudden! He doesn't understand why friendships were betrayed and left in tatters once again! How can I explain the ramifications of the tier list to him? Two years ago, I hated that tier list, and now that a CHILD is being attacked, I hate it even more. Almost everyone may think that Kirby is nothing, but soon they'll see—just as they did with me.

He posted the second entry and shook out his fingers, feeling better. After showering and getting dressed, he exited his room and started down the hall, only to hear laughter coming from Ness's room. Picking up the sound of Kirby's voice, Luigi paused at the young psychic's door and knocked.

Ness opened it. "Luigi! Hey!" he cried.

"What's up?" asked Luigi.

"My friends and I wanted to cheer Kirby up," explained Ness, "so we played Mario Party for a bit, and now we're playing Twister."

Luigi grinned like a fool. "May I join in, please?"

"Of course you can!" Ness let Luigi in, where the latter saw the Ice Climbers, Young Link, Pichu and Kirby on that familiar mat, laughing as they attempted to maintain their contorted positions. Luigi made himself comfortable on a bean bag and picked up the spinner.

"New game, everyone," said Ness, causing everyone to disentangle themselves and line up along the mat. Nana and Popo shrugged out of their parkas, revealing a simple t-shirt and pants underneath.

"Ready when you are, L," the Ice Climbers said in unison.

Smiling, Luigi gave the spinner a flick and watched the needle go round and round till it slowed and finally stopped.

"Left foot—green!"

Kirby's good day continued when the day's matches commenced. A heaping helping of catharsis awaited him as every single one of his friends took on the fabulous-me Fox McCloud. And by "took on", I mean demolished. First up was Peach, who had her frying pan, tennis racket and golf club, along with her Veggies, Parasol and Peach Bomber, among other things. She really knew how to hit hard! But what Kirby remembered most was the sinister smile on Peach's sweaty face. She had immersed herself in the stage of anger where there was no outward expression, but which was most dangerous. If Koopa cared about his own hide, he'd better not touch her anymore!

That cold smile remained after Fox limped out of the Reception Area once her victory was announced. "Oh, did I win?" she asked sweetly, innocently, her blue eyes following the vulpine out of the room.

Mario went to her then, taking her hands in his and whispering something into her ear. Peach seemed to calm down a little, nodded, and the two left the area together.

Second up was Ness, who greeted Fox with an unsettling grin, baseball bat raised menacingly high. During their match, he actually broke it, something he'd never done before! A Wireframe tossed him a new one, but too bad Fox used the distraction to take a cheap shot! Since he was the best, he didn't need cheap shots! The vulpine had his short hop single and double lasers and his "shine", but Ness had PSI and his back-throw and his bat and a whole lot of fury! The teen lost the bout, but at least he gave Fox a run for his money!

Kirby was fired up! He honestly couldn't wait for his turn to face Fox again. That desire grew as the Ice Climbers "Wobbled" the vulpine to their heart's content, Samus fired Charge Shots and Missiles at him and battered him with her Cannon Arm, both Links slashed at him with their swords, Zelda zapped him with her magic and Jigglypuff Sang him to sleep before launching him sky high with Rest. But the best catharsis by far came when it was Luigi's turn.

Luigi was now a decent mid-tier, but he wasn't gloating to anyone about it! Those who mocked his poor traction and called him "Mr. Slip-n-Slide" now regretted it, as it gave him the best wavedash in Melee! And Luigi used that wavedash to evade Fox's attacks, quickly approach and take the offensive. He'd slam Fox down repeatedly or batter him with all of his Smash attacks, sliding along the stage to keep up with the swift vulpine. But by far, his two favorites were hitting Fox with a glorious Misfire and slamming him with a Super Jump Punch. And as Kirby watched, cheering, he remembered how Luigi took the harassment over being bottom-tier and used it against the harassers. He responded to it by giving it his all, by fighting harder, faster, better. Whenever he was on the battlefield or in the Training Room or the gym, he released his anger and aggression and frustration. Did he spend the day moping in his room or using a shard of glass to carve into his skin? Absolutely not.

It was time for the Star Warrior to follow Luigi's example.

"Poyo!" cheered Kirby as Luigi pounded Fox with combo after combo, giving him no breathing room and no chance to fire his Blaster. His face was a rosy color, eyes blazing, mouth open in a great shout. His shouts echoed through the stands, making Falco, Ganondorf and Koopa wince. Kirby smirked when he saw them. They acted tough, but they were cowards—cowards to the core, targeting the weak and hiding from the strong.

The man in green was still wired when the match concluded, fists clenched, chest heaving, sweat beading his brow. He'd won, and Fox wasn't too happy about that. "You were lucky," the vulpine huffed before stalking off to nurse his wounds.

Kirby exchanged a nod with Luigi before the latter turned to Mario. Hand-in-hand, the brothers headed off to the Training Room.

Later that afternoon, Kirby was puffing himself down the halls of the Smash Mansion when he heard the familiar whine of an electric mixer. Dropping to the ground, he practically sprinted toward the kitchen. When he got there, he was greeted with beauteous sight.

Peach, wearing a sleeveless dress and an apron, held a bowl of—something—over the electric mixer, whistling a cheerful tune. And as it splattered onto her apron, Kirby knew exactly what that "something" was—cake! Sweet, delicious cake! And a big cake, no less. He knew that the Princess was famous for baking cakes, and he couldn't wait to taste one made by her own hands. But what could the occasion possibly be?

"Hey, Kirby," said Peach without looking away from her task. "I knew I'd get your attention."

"Poyo?"

"Does something special have to go on in order to bake a delicious cake?" retorted Peach as she turned off the electric mixer and poured the batter into a cake pan. "This is the first tier. Wanna help me with the other two tiers?"

"Poy!" Kirby washed his hands, and Peach gave him a puffball-sized apron to wear.

As they combined the ingredients into a medium sized bowl, Kirby stared up at Peach. "Poyo, poy poyoyo popoyo poyo," he said.

Peach blushed. "Well," she said. "It was a long time coming for him."

"Poyo," smiled Kirby.

Peach smiled back. "No thanks are necessary. It was the right thing to do."

They took turns holding the bowl under the mixture until it was a nice, thick batter.

"Are you gonna be okay?" asked Peach.

"Poy," nodded Kirby.

"I'm surprised that Pikachu hasn't done anything yet."

Kirby scoffed. "Poyo poy poyo, poyo poyoy poyoyo poyo popoyo."

"How is Luigi's side special such a big deal? Sure, it's similar to Pikachu's, but your well-being should be his top priority right now, since he loves you so much," huffed Peach.

"Poyo," Kirby said sullenly. Then, he brightened. "Poyo, poyo, poyo, poyo."

"Jigglypuff, huh? Well, I can't tell you how to run your love life, but maybe Jiggs is the one for you, not Pikachu."

"Poyo, poyo poy," Kirby told her. "Poyoyo poy poyoy poyo popoyo poyo. Poyoy poy poyo, poyo, poyo, popoyo poyo, poyo."

"So—Jiggs wants you to get back together? I can see that. And I can see why she doesn't want to rush into anything with you. But I also hope Pikachu snaps out of this soon. Otherwise, I'll be rooting for you to end up with Jiggs."

"Poyo, poyo, poyo. Poyo, poyo."

"Just friends? I'll take your word for it. I'm just saying, if Jiggs is more willing to listen to you…"

"Popoyo poy poyo."

"'The rebound puff'? That's also understandable. I wouldn't want to be considered somebody's rebound, either. But, Kirby, you're so young. I don't want your heart to get hurt."

"Poyo," Kirby said softly.

His spirits lifted when he smelled the first tier of the cake in the oven. He helped put plastic wrap over the bowl with the second tier's batter, and they put in in the fridge.

Peach took a handkerchief and dabbed at the drool seeping from one corner of Kirby's mouth. "Almost there," she assured him.

The two of them made the third tier's batter in a small bowl and placed it next to the second tier's batter in the fridge. Now, all they had to do was wait for the first tier to finish baking.

Soon enough, it was. They put on oven mitts, took the first tier out of the pan and gently placed it onto the cooling rack. Then, they took the second tier's batter out of the fridge, poured it into the appropriate-sized pan and slid it into the oven.

Peach and Kirby decided to clean up the batter-related mess before getting the frosting, icing and toppings together.

"I was thinking about a nice, gold color," said Peach.

"Poyo? Poyo, poyo?"

"Pink-gold? Never heard of that color before," said Peach. "How are we going to make pink-gold?"

"Poy!" Kirby held up three bottles of food coloring. One was pink, one was a soft yellow and one was—well, the last one was flavoring, not food coloring.

"All right, Kirby," said Peach. "Show me the way."

So, he did.

By the time they were finished, the second tier was ready, so they placed it on the cooling rack before putting the third tier in the oven. Kirby still didn't know what Peach's play was, but he was determined to figure it out.

Once the first tier was cool enough, they placed it on a nice-sized cake platter and used spatulas to liberally apply the "pink-gold" frosting. Then, they covered the platter with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. After the second tier was cooled, they did the same thing. Kirby laughed. He was having so much fun!

"You're right," said Peach. "Pink-gold is a good color. I need to tell Mario about this…"

The timer went off. The third tier was done! The duo placed it on the cooling rack and then set about making the icing. "What goes with 'pink-gold'?" murmured Peach.

"Poyo?" guessed Kirby.

"Burgundy? Give it a shot."

Due to its small size, the third tier cooled relatively quickly. As soon as Kirby and Peach put the icing in the fridge, they frosted the third tier.

"Time for the fun part," said Peach.

They slid the first and second tiers out of the fridge. Peach set the first tier onto the largest platter she could find. Then, with Kirby's help, she stacked the second tier atop the first, and the third atop the second. Next, they used the remainder of the frosting to dress their creation.

Kirby fetched the icing, which they applied to the bottom and top of each tier. They also decorated the sides of the cake with stars, hearts, spirals and Mushrooms. On the very top of the cake, they placed the Smash symbol. And finally, they topped it with figurines of Master Hand and Crazy Hand.

"Thing of beauty," said Peach.

They washed their hands, and then Peach withdrew a Kodak camera and snapped a few pictures of the creation. Throwing off their aprons, they gathered enough plates and forks for everyone in the Smash Mansion, hefted the cake onto a tray, and carried it out into the Smash Lounge.

All activity stopped when they saw the cake. Peach and Kirby set the confection onto the first table they saw. The Mushroom Princess handed a knife and a cake server to the Star Warrior. "Care to do the honors?" she asked.

Kirby nodded, cut a slice from the first tier and slowly levered it out onto a plate. He took a fork and stabbed it into the slice before holding the plate out to the crowd.

Wearing a huge grin, Mario rose from his seat, crossed the room and accepted the plate. "Thank you," he said.

"Poyo," said Kirby, and the man in red saw the condition of the offer in his eyes. He took a seat at the large table where the cake sat as the puffball cut a second slice.

His divine sword bouncing against his hip, Marth strode forward to join Mario at the table, Kirby setting his slice of cake before him with a pointed look. "That looks like a delicious cake," said the bluenette. "Thank you."

Next to join in were Captain Falcon and Samus, followed by DK, Ness and Pikachu. By now, Peach was helping Kirby serve up slices.

"Pika," the Pokémon said quietly as Kirby gave him his slice.

"Poyo, poyo," Kirby said softly.

Pikachu looked down. "Pika pi," he sighed. "Pika, pika, pika."

"Poyo, poyo, poyo, poyo popoyo poyo?"

Pikachu sadly shook his head. "Pika. Pika, pika, pika pi." Then, something seemed to come to him. "Pika, pika, pika, pika!"

Kirby bit his lip. "Poy," he said.

He patted Pikachu on the back and kissed his cheek before continuing to serve slices of cake.

"Yoshi!" the green dino chortled happily as he padded into the room, followed by Ness, DK and Jigglypuff.

A Wireframe popped their head in before getting on the PA system and announcing that cake was being served in the lounge, absolutely free! And who wouldn't want free cake?

Link took a quick shower and changed into a fresh tunic before entering the lounge, with Zelda following seconds later. His younger counterpart gave Nana, Popo and Pichu a holler. Dr. Mario decided to take his lunch break early to get in on the fun. Koopa and Ganondorf exchanged a look and rolled their eyes before lumbering over for a slice. Roy accepted his slice before grabbing a seat next to Marth. Even Mewtwo couldn't resist a nice-sized slice of cake. Luigi's eyes practically lit up as he drank in the scene before him. He didn't even need to be asked; he just slid into a seat beside Mario and nodded at Kirby as he served him his slice. Mr. Game and Watch was among the last to arrive, ringing his bell after receiving his slice.

Then, Kirby and Peach served a slice for themselves before sitting at the table, smiling at the Smashers who'd joined them.

"Listen, Kirby," said Marth after a while, "about what happened that morning, I—I was just…"

"Poyo," Kirby said to him.

"I'm sorry," Marth said regretfully. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Poyo poy," replied Kirby.

Marth nodded. It was better than a "no".

Kirby's low-tier status was all-but forgotten, his sense of joy, friendship, cuteness and plucky attitude winning everyone back over. For the first time in days, Smashers old and new sat together, chatting and joking heartily over cake. The Mario Bros looked on proudly as Peach helped Kirby reunify those he'd come to see as his friends.

"That was a very generous gesture, Princess," Mario said softly.

"You're number one!" added Luigi.

"I had to do something," Peach told them. "After what happened yesterday, I knew that this was getting out of hand."

Zelda finished her slice and then transformed into Sheik. Kirby noticed and offered a slice to the ninja, who accepted with a solemn nod.

And so, there they were, the Super Smash Brothers, talking animatedly as they enjoyed cake. Once again, a sweet treat brought a room back together—well, most of it.

Thirty minutes into the get-together, the door to the lounge slammed open.

"What's up, people?" crowed Fox.

"Oh, yeah! Make way for the money team!" whooped Falco.

The other Smashers glared at them.

"What? No cake for us?" asked Falco. "C'mon, Princess, we know you're better than that."

Peach smiled tightly. "Maybe I'll give you a slice if you ask me nicely," she said in a dangerously syrupy voice.

"What are you doing with him, anyway?" snorted Fox, indicating Kirby. "Wanna hang with us, your fellow high-tiers?"

"No, thank you," said Peach.

"Fox," Luigi asked simply, "what gives you the right to come in here and harass us like this?"

"I believe I have the right to use this lounge as much as you," said Fox.

"Not if you're here for the sole purpose of humiliating Kirby—again," Link chimed in.

"Humiliating? No," said Fox. "Toughening, yes? You see, Kirby's just a little kid, so we need to ease him on over to the real world."

"By beating him to a bloody pulp?" snapped Young Link.

"I said I was sorry," said Fox.

"Poyo, poyo, poyo, poyo," grumbled Kirby.

"What do you mean, I didn't sound like it? I know what I did was wrong, but you chose to escalate the situation."

"Don't blame him," warned Jigglypuff.

"Nobody's blaming anybody," Falco jumped in. "Things got a little out of hand, last night, that's true, but Kirby could've just walked away or ignored Fox."

"Poyo poy!" snapped Kirby.

"You know what? I'm not arguing with you over this," said Fox.

"As a matter of fact, why don't we get off the subject?" offered Peach. "Are you sure you don't want any cake? There's enough for seconds."

"Then have your stupid cake! I have better things to do than stuff like that!" scoffed Fox. "We just wanted you all to know that Falco and I are throwing a huge party tonight. And you're not invited!" he finished, pointing at Kirby. "C'mon, Falco. Let's get something to eat."

The two pilots strolled toward the counter and ordered their food. While they were waiting, Falco wandered over to the other Smashers' table.

"May I—please take a slice to go?" he asked tentatively.

"You get a big slice for asking me so nicely," said Peach, cutting a slice and putting it on a plate for the avian.

Falco grinned. "Thanks, Princess."

He went to rejoin Fox, but as he passed Kirby, he pretended to fumble with his slice.

"Whoops!"

SPLAT!

Everyone gasped as Falco shoved his slice into Kirby's face.

Fox burst out laughing. "Well played, buddy!"

Falco snickered. "Better your face than the floor, huh? Don't wanna waste good cake."

Peach clenched her fists.

"Hey," said Mario, resting a hand on her arm. "He's not worth it."

Peach nodded, took a deep breath and went to help comfort Kirby.

Luigi glared hard at Fox and Falco as they sat at another table with their food, chatting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. They just had to ruin things, didn't they? Just as Kirby was feeling better, the two of them undid the healing. Who were they to try and blame Kirby for flying off the handle? And Falco, using Kirby's favorite food against him! That was lower than low!

He shook his head and turned his attention back to Kirby, helping to wipe the last of the cake from him.

But the damage was already done. The cake was no longer appetizing to Kirby. The puffball pushed the plate away and left the room as his friends sadly looked on.

"Proud of yourselves?" Luigi spat at Fox and Falco as he rose and stormed out.

The remainder of the day was all it took for Kirby's renewed good feelings to go down the drain. Even the matches he managed to win were cold comfort, as the spectators either deemed him "unworthy" of victory or accused him of cheating. By dinnertime, Kirby was sick and tired of it, choosing to eat his meal alone. The sight of him picking at his food wrenched Luigi's heart. He'd never felt so helpless since two years ago, when he was subjected to that crap and trying to soldier on. He wanted to go over there and reassure him, but he was running out of things to say—they were starting to sound like a broken record.

He saw Ganondorf casually stride over to the puffball, tray of food in hand. "Mhmm—I don't want this anymore," the Gerudo King said before dumping the contents of the tray onto Kirby.

Fox and Falco howled with laughter. Several others followed suit.

Kirby leaped out of his seat. "POYO!" he roared before sprinting toward the exit.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Fox and Falco gave chase and then hoisted Kirby up by his arms, dragging him back inside.

"Let go of him!" yelled Luigi, lunging toward them, but Fox simply brushed him aside.

Kirby's few remaining friends begged the antagonists to stop, but their voices were drowned out by the jeers of everyone else. Falco and Fox marched Kirby over to the nearest waste bin and jammed him inside. Each time Kirby tried to escape, they'd force him deeper in.

"Low-tier trash! Low-tier trash!" chanted the hounds as Kirby whimpered and sobbed beneath the mounds of garbage.

Wearing a defiant glare, Luigi walked over to the trash bin and freed the puffball as the bullies booed and hissed.

"Thanks for spoiling the fun, Luigi!" a voice snottily said.

Kirby muttered a "poyo" in thanks before fleeing the cafeteria.

Master Hand threw up his fingers in frustration. "You're just not getting it, are you? I've referred you to the Lylat Council—what more will it take for you to realize that I don't condone this behavior?"

Fox and Falco stared sullenly at the floor.

"We made a mistake," Fox said dully. "It will never happen again."

"You said that last time," said MH. "Do I need to take away your Multi-Man Melee privileges as well? Ban you from Adventure Mode? Will it get to the point that I'll have to give you the boot? Because I don't want to do that!"

"Neither do we, Master Hand," said Falco.

"Then go apologize to Kirby. Sincerely. And from now on, I'll be watching you very closely. If I so much as sense you looking at Kirby in a manner which makes me suspicious, then I will bring you down, baby. I will bring you down to Toad Town. Are we clear?"

"Yes," Fox and Falco said in unison.

"Good," said MH. "You are dismissed."

As promised, the two Star Fox pilots threw a giant party in Fox's room, escaping from their problems. Ganondorf, Koopa, Marth, Roy and Sheik were among the attendees. There was plenty of food and alcohol to go around, and party music played full blast on the sound system. The room was crowded with people who barely had a clue of what Smash was; they only knew that Fox and Falco were important and popular. There were also a lot of Fox and Falco mains in attendance, those who knew that the two of them were viable fighters and could care less about the rest of the roster. As everyone else tried to sleep, Fox and Falco blasted their music and entertained their guests, enticing them to get blind drunk. Wireframes knocked on the door, warning them to keep the noise down, but these warnings went unheeded.

Kirby lay wide awake in his bed, listening to the sounds of hard-core partying. What were they celebrating? What was there to celebrate? The fact that they were making his life a living Hell? Just as peace of mind was within reach, they yanked it away from him. They graduated from dumping food on him to dumping him into a trash can. High-schoolers did that, not adults, and especially not pilots who had people looking up to them! He sighed heavily as he continued to listen in on the party he'd been shut out from. That wasn't his kind of party, anyway, as things were slowly getting rowdy in there. Hmph! They could keep their food and their alcohol—he was far from the drinking age to begin with! He didn't need any of that to throw a good party!

He could really use a party right now. A nice, big, splashy party with lots of cakes and ice-cream and cocktail wieners and croissant sandwiches and deviled eggs and soda pop and pizza and music and games and—

Kirby rolled onto his side with a painful sob. Who would he invite to this party? Who would want to party with a filthy casual like him? He was no good! He was low-tier trash! He was a stupid, childish pink ball of fluff! Nobody would go to his party. He wouldn't go to his party.

Still sobbing, Kirby reached over to his dresser and took out the shard of glass. This time, he didn't hesitate as he pressed the shard against his upper arm and dragged it up to his shoulder. And then he made a parallel cut right next to it. Followed by a line of smaller cuts lower on his arm and then on the other arm. He watched, transfixed, as the blood slowly dribbled from the parted flesh, and he could swear that the little drops of blood resembled tears.

These monsters were bleeding him dry, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Please R&R.