This takes place around the same time frame as the previous chapter. This one is entirely Falcon centric, though it'll prolly be shorter than the previous one. After this, it's back to your regularly scheduled standard format until they reunite. Next chapter will have a ton of surprises...
Title is based off a non-English song again, this time a Korean one (dun dun duuuunnn). Based on Tell Me What To Do by SHINee. (RIP Jonghyun... I'm not much of a K-pop fan but when he died, I decided to search a random song to listen to out of tribute. This one was just perfect... the feels ;-; the lyrics are also perfect here)
also, on March 26, 2019, Article 13 passed, which can severely negatively impact user created content like memes, fan videos, fanart, and even fanfiction. If you live in the EU, please vote in the upcoming MEP election in late May and vote out the people who voted in favor of this overzealous copyright law. I can only do so much cause I live in America. /end random political-ish statement
and there's a couple more cameos, but since they're third party, I have to put them in this disclaimer in the start (even though one already exists as a Spirit in Ultimate). I've seen people include their own dream third party picks in their fics, so I may include cameos from some of mine.
Without further ado: KOS-MOS, Xenosaga © Bandai Namco; Shantae © WayForward.
Hiding in my Skin, Broken from Within
Chapter 12 - Tell Me What To Do
"Captain..."
Captain Falcon found himself standing on some cliffs overlooking the ocean as the sunset dyed the skies dusky hues of orange and pink. Standing a distance to him to the left was Lucina, looking at the ground in a dejected manner, her eyes barely visible beneath her bangs. Standing a distance behind them both were everyone else - Mario, Link, Kirby, Samus, Zelda, Shulk, several other familiar faces, and a few the Captain didn't recognize. Interestingly enough, Snake was there too, as were Young Link and the Ice Climbers.
"Lucina..." Falcon murmured, turning to his former training partner. "What's going on?"
"It's hopeless..." Were the only words that came out of the Ylissean's lips, her voice sounding devoid of all hope.
"What is...?" The Captain questioned, his voice sounding somewhat forlorn. It was in times like this he felt he didn't know her. He always knew her as a determined soul who never let anything discourage her, not even seeing her father defeated when they first fought. So, whenever he saw her so despondent, like back at the hospital, or when she was in Black Shadow's grasp... the sight of her feeling like she had given up on almost everything, somehow made his own soul ache too.
Looking up, Lucina told him, her smile bittersweet and sorrowful, her eyes bearing a sad but desperate look, "Everything...it's over. There's nothing either you or I can do now..."
"What are you...?" Before he could finish his sentence, Captain Falcon noticed a flash of light to his left. Looking in that direction, he saw everyone trying to either run or fight against powerful homing beams of light, ultimately failing and turning into dust.
"No matter how hard you or I try," Lucina began as the chaos unfolded before their eyes, "We just can't save anyone. This is the cruel hand fate has dealt us. It was over before it began...sometimes it's pointless to go against what destiny has planned. It's what I've learned."
"Lucina..."
Turning to him, Lucina continued with a frown, "Captain Falcon... before it all ends, I just want to say...that I'm sorry. For everything."
Turning to her, the Captain tried to console her, "There's nothing to apologize for..."
"Please," Lucina pleaded, tears streaming from her face. "I need you to accept my apology... I don't want to leave this world with any regrets."
"I..." Falcon hesitated. Almost immediately, Lucina drew closer to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Almost as if by instinct, the Captain embraced her back, surprised that it somehow came to him automatically.
"Captain, I..." Lucina murmured, only for the rest of her sentence to be muffled as Falcon looked to his right, noticing a beam of light heading to them both, growing larger and brighter.
"Luci-" He managed to utter as he quickly turned his gaze back to her before the beam of light hit...and then...nothing.
"Gwaaaaah!" Captain Falcon awoke with a shout, his heart racing, his face and torso covered in sweat. Just like that morning.
Huh...deja vu... He thought. Last time I was awoken from a nightmare like this was...just yesterday...? Looking at the date on the holographic clock close to him, his suspicions were confirmed.
"I can't believe it... it's been almost a week since she left... since I said those words to her. Those uncaring words that wounded her deeply that day...words that made me realize that I was the idiot all along." Climbing out of bed, he said to himself as he stood, "I wish I could take it all back...somehow."
As he stepped into the shower just like that morning to calm down, he thought, Even so... that was a peculiar dream, even for me. Why was Snake there? Why did those events unfold? And... He briefly remembered Lucina's words to him in the dream, as well as her embracing him before the two were vaporized, with him embracing her back.
What...could that mean? He pondered as he drew two fingers to his lips, tracing across them. Why do these sort of things keep happening whenever I dream of her...?
"Lucina..." He murmured, looking at the ceiling as the water from the shower head drenched him and the steam billowed softly around him. "Please...tell me what to do."
After getting dressed, he decided to quickly check his emails before deciding what else to do with his day.
"I wonder if Shulk responded..." He murmured as he booted up his personal computer. "I've been keeping myself busy these past two days since I sent the email, so I haven't had a chance to see..."
Once the main interface loaded, he logged in to his Smash City email account once again. Surely enough, just yesterday, in Mute City's time, did Shulk reply.
"Okay, good," he murmured to himself. "Let's see what it says..."
The reply read:
"Hey Captain,
I understand. I'm sorry it had to happen, but I have faith that you'll bring her back home safely. If I may be frank... I had a feeling this might happen. I was surprised when she went missing that morning, but Robin and Zelda told me she had been acting strange and distant just a few days before. It seems she's going through a lot... Fiora and I consider her a dear friend of ours, and we just hope she'll be okay. I promise, I won't tell anyone else unless you tell me to, or if you tell them yourself. Just take all the time you need to think about your next course of action.
Speaking of Fiora... looks like she'll be like Chrom was last tournament... she'll fight alongside me when I use my Final Smash. However, and this is just hearsay, I'm hearing Master Hand is considering letting Chrom join while still being apart of the Robins' Final Smashes. Fiora's content with where she is now, but I know how much she deep down wanted to fight alongside us all as a fully fledged fighter. I'm hoping there's a loophole somewhere that'll enable her to join. I know it'll make her even happier than she is now...and maybe when Lucina returns, she can tell her if it happens. I'm sure it would be a welcome surprise to Lucina too.
We've begun interviewing and bringing onboard several more new faces for the next tournament, too. Two of our most recent additions were some half-human half-squid youths called the Inklings, and Princess Daisy from the Sarasaland Kingdom. We'll be bringing Samus's old nemesis, Ridley, and Donkey Kong's long time rival, King K. Rool, onboard pretty soon from what I hear. Some of us have also been sent to various worlds to interview other potential candidates as well. Mega Man was in charge of interviewing a friend Fiora met in that off-world quest she first met Lucina at; a blue-haired female android who goes by the name of KOS-MOS. I got to interview someone, too: a teenage half-genie girl named Shantae who hails from Scuttle Town. I think she's got potential, but in the end, it's up to Master Hand to make the final selection. Samus is also interviewing a young boy named Rex from the world of Alrest, who calls upon the power of a legendary life-form known as the Aegis to fight.
Finally, I can confirm Lucina is indeed safe. Last I checked, she had returned to her home world, and is currently situated in the Ylisstol kingdom. She's safe there, so you have no reason to worry. However, it is curious that she decided to return to her home world at a time like this... I just hope she's doing fine there.
I wish you luck in reaching out to her again and bringing her home. Just know that... if by any chance you're blaming yourself for what happened, know that it wasn't your fault, Captain. Just be sure to take care of yourself as well. And if you need anything, you know where to reach me.
Until then,
Shulk"
"Alright," Captain Falcon murmured to himself, "Let's try to unpack everything one at a a time..." Rereading the email starting with the first paragraph, he commented, "I remember Zelda and Robin said such things to me too the day she first went missing. And... being captured by Black Shadow and having to be rescued... that no doubt fueled her negative feelings. And... I noticed she seemed very happy and confident whenever I praised her during our training. Could it be she's going through some self-doubt...?"
Lucina... he thought. Those feelings of worthlessness and not being good enough... why do you hide it? You want me to know, but you won't tell me. You showed me a glimpse of how you felt back at the hospital, but then hid it all again...why? Was it because... after traveling with me for a while, you became too used to me...?
Moving on to the second paragraph, he commented, "I see... I asked Fiora how she would feel if she were in such a situation back when Lucina and I visited Gaur Plain..." For a moment, he recalled the time he and Lucina spent in Gaur Plain after training, her tending to his wounds and talking about various things with Fiora as well as each other. Their own experiences and lives back home... their somewhat embarrassing secrets... his vow to keep her safe... but what resounded in his mind the most was Fiora's "other half" comment.
Heh... He thought regretfully. Fiora... the fact you see me as her "other half"... could it be that... she really is...? Is that why I can't stop thinking about her, why I feel so strongly about all this...? He quickly shook his head. No... Get a grip. After Jody, it's best I not get close like that to anyone... they'll only be hurt because of me, just like Lucina ultimately was... All I have to do is patch things up with her, then bring her home...
Noticing the email mentioning Chrom, he then murmured as a bittersweet, somewhat sorrowful smile crept on his face, "Looks like you'll finally be getting your chance, Chrom... I wonder if you've put what happened that day behind you. I wonder if you even know that I was the one training your daughter... If only I had more courage, I would say I'm sorry..." He sighed in a melancholy manner.
It's funny. In a way, this all started because of that day...
Moving on to the next paragraph, he took note of the newcomers and newcomer hopefuls. One name in particular caught his eye. "Ridley...huh. Samus has told Snake and I about Ridley, all the horrible things he put her through... I just hope Master Hand knows what he's doing."
I guess... no word on if Snake came back yet...
Reading on, he saw KOS-MOS being mentioned. "She must be that android lady Fiora once mentioned. All in all, I wish every potential newcomer the best of luck..."
At last, he moved on to the most important part of the message: Lucina's current whereabouts. Upon seeing the words, "I can confirm Lucina is indeed safe", the Captain let out an audible sigh of relief. "She went to her home world...? At least... I'm glad she's safe. If that's the case, I think I'll just...leave her be for -" He sighed, resting his forehead on the palms of his hands.
Cut it out. Just... cut it out. If there's one thing Captain Falcon never does, it's run away. Screw "waiting for the right time". Just do it!
"I wish I could..." Falcon lamented in response to his innermost thoughts. "I'm not even sure what I'm afraid of. I'm just...afraid. It's not like me..."
After reading the final few sentences, the Captain felt an even greater weight on his heart. "You're too kind, Shulk. But... you're also wrong. It technically is my fault. It's because of something that I did, no doubt about it. And I feel I must take accountability for it all if I'm to have any luck with all this."
Looking at the rest of his inbox for a moment, he then decided to browse to another page as none of the other emails in his inbox were worth reading at the moment. "There's gotta be something I can do to just... not think about all this right now." After browsing for a while, he found an announcement of another racing cup. With a sigh, he said as he stood, "Welp... guess I'm gonna have to don that figurative mask again... those fake smiles, that aura of hollow confidence... none of it reflects how I really feel right now. I can't help but feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world..." Taking a deep breath, he managed to calm down a little. "It's just for an hour. You can do this, Captain Falcon. Just be strong..."
...
Just like the last cup he raced in, Captain Falcon once again came out in first place. It was somewhat of a miracle to be honest, as his concentration slipped a little a few times. On the winners' podium, however, he managed to smile and wave like usual.
Like it was nothing.
Lily Flyer had managed to score second place, and interestingly enough, Black Shadow was in third. The Captain assumed that Black Shadow had received medical attention after their last encounter, and that Lucina's attack didn't strike his vitals. He wasn't too worried about him, though, as Black Shadow had left once preparations for the champion's interview began. Falcon had bigger things to worry about.
The time was approaching for him to be interviewed by Mr. Zero on live television. The Captain merely stood behind the curtains, looking on and feeling anxiety grip his mind.
"I don't know if I can do this... everyone watching probably noticed I was a bit off today..." Taking in a deep breath, he then told himself, "Better to just get it over with... you only gotta wear the plastic smiles for a little while longer. C'mon, me, you can do this."
After calming himself down, he walked on stage where Mr. Zero was, waiting for the cameras to start rolling. Once they did, the F-ZERO TV jingle played, before the cameras focused on Captain Falcon and Mr. Zero.
Holding the microphone, Mr. Zero announced, "F-ZERO TV, who has brought you heated race after heated race, will now present an interview with the champion!"
Just keep smiling... Falcon thought. Hopefully Mr. Zero asks a mundane question like the secret to my victories or something, then I can go on with my day...
"Okay then... I'd like to ask you something," Mr. Zero said, turning to Captain Falcon with microphone in hand. As the camera panned to the Captain, he just grinned confidently.
Like always. Always showing a confident, can-do attitude to all his fans.
An attitude that contradicted how he really felt inside.
"Are you...thinking of settling down with someone in the near future...?"
That question surprised Captain Falcon so strongly, he felt as if a bag of bricks struck him in the chest and knocked the air out of his lungs.
Dammit... he just had to ask that... why, though?
Desperately trying to hide his distress, the Captain only chuckled and replied, "I...fail to see how that's relevant to my performance today, or my overall career..."
"I was just wondering," Mr. Zero replied, "Since I'm sure you have a lot of female fans, and you did mention that young lady during our interview last time... Lucille...was it?"
Lucina...? The Captain could feel his heart beating anxiously in his chest, his mouth feeling dry, throat constricting slightly, vision starting to blur, and the tips of his fingers beginning to feel numb. No... I wanted a distraction to not think about her and this whole situation, and... no no no no no no no...
"I..." Falcon began, his voice starting to crack, his facial expression starting to show clear signs of distress. Unfortunately, he could not finish his sentence as the remaining words seemed to form a metaphorical lump in his throat.
"Or perhaps... a fellow racer? Kate Alen, maybe?"
Trembling where he stood, the Captain looked down, grimacing. I don't have time to deal with this bullshit... if I stay here any longer... I...
"I-I'm sorry," Falcon stammered. "I'm...afraid I'm not accepting any more questions for the day." He then briskly walked out of the studio as Mr. Zero only looked on with a stunned expression.
...
Stepping out of the building into the dark alleyway, the Captain panted nervously, clutching his chest with his right hand and trembling. His face was dripping with sweat, yet he felt an icy cold chill travel up his spine.
"Goddammit..." he muttered under his breath. "I reacted that way on live TV... and whenever I close my eyes, I...her face...I feel like I'm losing it..."
Breathe, Captain, he thought. Don't panic. Just take deep breaths...
He took a few moments to do just that, breathe in deeply through his nose, exhaling from his mouth. He did this several times until he felt himself calming down, his body no longer feeling the side effects of extreme anxiety.
"C-can't believe I was this close to having a panic attack on live TV..." he murmured with a sigh. Slumping down to the ground, he leaned back against the wall, looking at the sky. "Lucina...it's only now I realize you were the one keeping me in check. I always thought you had changed during our journey, but maybe... I was the one who changed the most. I... I don't understand why I'm feeling so strongly about you being gone, but I know this: I took you for granted. And now I just can't stop thinking about you..." Closing his eyes briefly, he first saw Lucina's tenderly smiling face flash into his mind. That lovely, heartfelt smile. Seeing her happy made him inexplicably happy as well. Within a few seconds, the image in his mind changed to Lucina's tear-streaked, rain-drenched face as she told him goodbye that day, her eyes full of pain and heartbreak.
"I...keep thinking about the fact you're not here, Lucina... and what I've done..." he lamented, tears beginning to well up in his obscured eyes. "And it hurts...it feels like...my very world is crumbling..." He silently wept there, where nobody could see him.
Where nobody could see the real Captain Falcon.
Hearing thunder booming faintly above him, he looked up and saw it was about to rain. "I should get going..." He mumbled, slowly standing up and wiping away his tears. "Thinking a nice bite will calm me down a bit more..."
...
After driving a fair distance, Falcon found himself at one of his favorite spots to unwind after a long day of either racing or bounty hunting: a quaint little sushi bar at the edge of town. Ironically, said establishment was co-owned by Falcon's rival, Samurai Goroh, but as long as Falcon was a paying customer, Goroh let bygones be bygones and served Falcon whatever he wanted, albeit somewhat begrudgingly.
As the Captain walked through the door, he was greeted by the Furikake racers Gomar and Shioh, who always partnered up wherever they went, even for part time jobs such as this. "Heh, you guys sure are inseparable, huh?" He asked them.
"Please let us know," Gomar began, followed by Shioh completing his partner's sentence with, "If you need anything!"
"Will do," Falcon replied with a chuckle. "You guys are in almost perfect sync, I see..."
Perfect sync... He thought as he walked to the main bar. I promise, Lucina... I'll fix all of this...
As he arrived at the main bar, he was surprised to see it unmanned. "Hello? Anyone here?"
"Down here!"
Peering over the counter, Falcon saw none other than Samurai Goroh's own son, Dai Goroh, behind the counter, getting up from crouching down, presumably looking for something before the Captain announced his presence.
"Aren't you a bit young to be working at a sushi bar, kid?" Falcon teased the young boy.
"Piss off!" Dai Goroh retorted. "I'm only working the counter this time cause dad's at Smash City, undergoing some interviews. Though, knowing Master Hand, dad will probably be an Assisting Fighter for what, the third time in a row?" Sighing dejectedly, he continued, "Why can't dad have something awesome happen in his life for once...?"
"Don't worry, kid," Falcon tried to reassure Dai Goroh. "I'm sure he'll get his chance some day."
Like Chrom did... the one person in Smash City I'm still afraid to face to this day...
"...I hope so," Dai Goroh said with a somewhat hopeful smile, before his face bore a grumpy expression again as he then said, "So you gonna buy something, or?"
"Easy, kiddo," Falcon said. "I never come here without ordering something. For the main meal... I guess I'll have the Pink Spider Roll." He then murmured under his breath, "Really? Naming sushi rolls after F-Zero machines? Guess Goroh's not the creative type..."
"Anything to drink?" Dai Goroh asked. "Dad gave me orders not to touch the drinks though, alcoholic or not. Spade will be in charge of that."
"Understandable," The Captain said. "I suppose I'll have a mango bubble tea. Wondering what's so buzzworthy about that..."
"You got it," Dai Goroh said. "I'll need you to pay up first." The Captain did so, handing Dai Goroh his Space Credits card, receiving it back after the transaction was completed.
A few minutes passed and Dai Goroh served Falcon the sushi roll he wanted, but not without putting on a little show of slicing the ingredients up expertly with his sword and putting them all together. The Captain couldn't help but be amazed at the ten-year-old's impressive katana skills that would usually take at least a decade and a half to master. Shortly after, Spade handed Falcon a plastic cup of mango tea with some strange solid bubbles at the bottom.
"What the heck are these?" The Captain asked, pointing to the curious round objects at the bottom of the cup.
"They're tapioca pearls," Spade clarified. "They don't flavor the tea itself, but part of the reason people enjoy bubble tea is how these tapioca pearls suck up some of the tea, as well as their texture."
"Interesting..." Falcon commented before taking a single sushi roll with some chopsticks, dipping it in the small cup of soy sauce, and taking a bite. After he was done with the one small roll, he gave a thumbs up and commented, "Excellent, as usual."
"Lemme know if ya need anything, I guess," Dai Goroh said before washing his sword in the sink.
"Okay." Before taking his next bite, he momentarily thought, I kinda wish Lucina was here... She'd love this. He then slowly ate in silence, taking occasional sips of his mango bubble tea, before hearing the bell close to the entrance ring. Looking around, he saw a face he wasn't expecting to see.
"Dr. Stewart...?"
"Oh, hey, Captain," Dr. Stewart greeted the Captain. "I figured I'd find you here."
Once Dr. Stewart took a seat at the bar, the Captain broke the ice with, "You saw... didn't you...?"
"You know me too well," Dr. Stewart chuckled. "It wasn't very like you to just storm out of the F-ZERO TV studio like that..."
"I know..." Falcon sighed. "I've...been meaning to talk with you, actually."
"Hmm? Is that so?" The Doctor questioned.
"Yeah," Falcon confirmed. "Though...I'll let you order first. Don't mind me."
Once Dr. Stewart placed his order, he then turned to the Captain, and asked, "So, what's up? You'd usually consult Snake for things like this, right?"
"Yeah..." The Captain admitted, "But...Snake's currently not in Smash City, so... Since I'm here, I might as well bring you up to speed."
...
"I see," Dr. Stewart commented. "I remember seeing the broadcast that day when Black Shadow took that young woman - you said her name was Lucina? - to the Lightning area, but I had no idea what happened after..." Receiving his steak fried rice, he took a bite before continuing, "And...you said you two initially got off on the wrong foot when you first met...?"
"Yeah..." The Captain admitted. "It was only in the days before the fourth Smash tournament that I actually began to approach her, cuz I felt guilty for what I did for the longest time..."
"Damn, that duck and dog duo is a lot tougher than I'd anticipated," Captain Falcon muttered as he left the training arena and entered the waiting room. He seemed to be all alone.
"Looks like everyone's giving it their all for Lucas and Roy's return, and most importantly, the great world warrior Ryu's Smash Bros. debut." Sitting down on the couch and leaning back, he sighed, staring at the ceiling.
"I'm almost done with training for today. There's only one person I won't fight, because I told Master Hand I don't wanna fight her..."
By her, he of course meant Lucina.
"Why can't I move on...?" He murmured wistfully, holding his right hand to his chest. "I've been feeling only more and more guilty about what happened that day as the days go by..."
Yes... He thought. I was only trying to protect myself that day... her father made the first strike, and he was certainly a formidable fighter... I was starting to worry for my own safety a couple times as we fought, no joke. But... Master Hand said that of him, Lucina, Robin, and Robyn, only three could move on to be selected for the fourth tournament.
"I suppose I'll get my chance another day..." Chrom's anguished words echoed in the Captain's mind.
Chrom... I hope you're at least feeling better about all this. I'm sorry it had to end up that way... I hope... you can forgive -
His train of thought was interrupted by a young woman's sigh. Entering the waiting room was the only other person who refused to spar against Lucina - her own mother, Robyn.
"Robyn...?" He said, turning his head to her.
"Hello, Captain," Robyn said, taking a seat next to him as she looked through the pile of magazines nearby. The two spent several minutes in silence, not looking at each other. All of a sudden, Robyn broke the silence with, "I couldn't help but notice...you also requested to be matched up against everyone except my daughter...?"
"Ah..." The Captain gasped faintly. "I just...still, to this day, feel horrible about how the events that day transpired. Call it a sense of honor, or repentance, if you want, but... I can't face her like this right now. Not until I atone..." Sighing, he continued, "I even feel a bit remorseful talking to you right now... I don't deserve to talk to you so openly like this after what I put your husband through..."
"Captain..." Robyn said, sounding somewhat melancholy. "I've long since moved on. I'm sure my daughter has, too."
"You think so...?" Falcon questioned.
"I think... the fact you're even trying to make strides to make things better with her, shows that your heart is in the right place," Robyn commented. "I know it must sound corny to hear this, but...it's true. I noticed you wanted to help her up after Sonic wiped the floor with her, but you hesitated... Don't. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"If you say so..." the Captain conceded with a shrug. All of a sudden, they could both hear Lucina's pained cry in the direction of the sparring room. Captain Falcon and Robyn left the waiting room and got a glimpse of what happened. They both saw Lucina sitting on the mat, clutching her wrist.
"Oooh, that Palutena...!" Robyn fumed. "I don't care if she's a goddess, I'm going to have a word with her for using such a dirty tactic...!"
Gulping for a moment at seeing Robyn going into "mama bear" mode, afraid she would be doing that to him if he had actually hurt Lucina that day, Captain Falcon asked Robyn, "H-how did you know?"
"Palutena was Lucina's next match up after Mewtwo," Robyn clarified. "And I knew the goddess would do something like that. She tried to disarm me by smacking my wrist with her staff too, but I managed to block it with my tome."
"Can you blame her, though?" The Captain asked. "Everyone wants to be at their very best when it comes to facing against Ryu... nobody's gonna hold back. Hell, I sure didn't when sparring against everyone else. It's...also why I refused to fight Lucina, y'know?"
"I...never saw it like that," Robyn confessed. "And yes... I've been giving it my all, too. It's another reason why I didn't want to fight my own daughter." Turning to the Captain, she commented, "You're so insightful, Captain."
"Don't mention it..." Falcon said, waving his left hand in front of his face somewhat bashfully. "Anyway, just stay there. I'm gonna get some medicine and a bottle of water for her...and I'll give it to her myself."
"Good luck."
Within a few seconds, Captain Falcon returned with a bottle of water purchased from the vending machine, and a small two-pill pack of painkiller pills. He stood by the entrance to the sparring room, hesitating.
Why can't I bring myself to...?
"Captain?" Robyn questioned. "Is something wrong?"
"N-no," Captain Falcon stammered. "I'm fine. I can do this..."
"That's the spirit," Robyn cheered the Captain on as he walked slowly to Lucina, hiding the water bottle and medicine behind his back. Unexpectedly, Lucina turned her gaze in the Captain's general direction with a somewhat puzzled look on her face. Startled at her making eye contact with him, he immediately backed away.
"Captain...?" Robyn asked.
"S-she made eye contact with me...and she looked confused..." Falcon sighed, looking down. "I'm only human... I don't feel ready to face her even now. If you could please give them to her for me..." He silently handed Robyn the medicine and bottle of water.
Looking remorseful for a moment, Robyn then said, "...I understand. I appreciate the thought... maybe someday, you'll be able to patch things up with her. Know that you're welcome to talk to me anytime, Captain."
"Thank you, Robyn," the Captain thanked her. "I think I'm done with training today, actually. Hope you have a great day, Robyn."
"Same to you," Robyn said, bowing at the Captain as he waved at her before he walked off.
One thing's for sure... He thought as he walked off. I can't do this alone... I, the 'great' Captain Falcon, have encountered a situation where I actually, for once, need guidance...
"...and then, that night, I messaged Snake about my situation, and everything unfolded as I told you," the Captain explained. "And now... even though Lucina is safe in her home world, I can't let time slip by and let this all fester... but I'm afraid."
"Afraid of what, exactly?" Dr. Stewart questioned.
"That's just it," Captain Falcon said with a sigh. "I'm just...afraid. I dunno how to explain it. If I had to pinpoint what it was, though... I'd say I'm afraid of the many 'what if's. What if she doesn't accept my apology? What if...something bad happens to her...or me?"
"You can't be worrying about the 'what if's," Dr. Stewart tried to encourage the Captain. "The fact Lucina even agreed to train with you in the first place is a result of you ignoring the 'what if's, and being courageous and taking that first step. You remember what I told you when you were recovering in the hospital after the Horrific Grand Finale?"
"Yeah..." Falcon answered him. "That no matter how bleak things look, to never give up on anything it is that I do? To not let past bad experiences deter me?"
"You remember after all," Dr. Stewart said. "It applies even more so now. Just put aside any fears, but also plan what you're going to do and say when you see her again. I know you can do it... you seem to really care about her."
"You could tell...?" The Captain asked. Taking the last bite of his sushi and taking another sip of his bubble tea, he confessed, "Y'know... I think that is the case... I've been missing her dearly. I've been dreaming about her a lot, thinking about her a lot... it's amazing, really."
"What is?"
"How close I got to her in such a short time..." Looking up, Falcon continued, "We were two lonely souls drifting through life, but after I spoke to her at the hospital...after we agreed to train together...it felt like we weren't lonely anymore. There's no denying that we bonded a lot... I know she felt as happy as I did to be able to connect with someone we once thought we'd never be able to relate to. And... I'm not exaggerating when I say her smile really brightened up even the coldest of days for me... For crying out loud, I even gave a shoutout on F-ZERO TV to her specifically that day." Holding his left hand to his chest, he uttered, "What could this all mean? In what way, exactly, do I care for her...?"
"I'm afraid you'll have to figure the answer to that question out for yourself," Dr. Stewart told him. "But you at least have a reason to work toward your goal. Only you can take that first step." Placing his hand on the Captain's left shoulder in an encouraging manner, he told Falcon, "I have faith in you that you'll find a way to make things fall into place. You're the great Captain Falcon, after all."
"Heh, you're very right," The Captain agreed, standing up. "I'll keep it all in mind. Thanks, Doc."
I don't think I should tell him about how she learned about Blood Falcon, though...that should stay between me and her. When I see her again, I'll explain everything.
"Anytime," Dr. Stewart replied, waving as Falcon left. Falcon waved back before walking out the door as he called out, "Later."
"See you around," Dr. Stewart called to him.
The sun set over the clear sky, the remnants of a rainbow fading among the clouds. As the Captain hopped into his Blue Falcon and drove back to his private quarters, he thought, I promise, Lucina... even if everything but us fades away... I'll find my way back to you, no matter how long that road may be. Just, please... wait for me.
...
Before heading to bed, he decided to boot up his computer once again.
I figure... I can finally tell Samus what I'm up to, and put her worries at ease. She's a good friend of mine... I shouldn't make her worry anymore, especially since I know what I must do.
Once the email page loaded, he immediately began composing a new email to Samus. He wrote, without hesitation:
"Hey Samus, I'm afraid something has come up, so Lucina and I may be gone a little while longer. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'll do my best to make sure she's fine too. I don't doubt her ability to take care of herself, but after what happened between us, I want to make sure she's alright. Just...hold tight until then, yeah? Take care of yourself. - Captain Falcon"
I won't back down now. Captain Falcon never backs down.
With the same determination he possessed when composing the message, he immediately hit Send without a moment's hesitation.
I hope this message finds you well, He thought. Now... I just gotta plan what I'm gonna do within the next few days. Hopefully... she'll be waiting for me...
Four days later...
"Ugh..." Falcon mumbled as he awoke. Glancing at his alarm, he saw he had once again overslept - it was precisely 11 AM.
I've gotta try to stop oversleeping, He thought. Why do I keep doing this...? Noticing the date, he remarked, "Been a week and a whole day, huh..."
I won't hesitate anymore. After some days to think, I know what I must do now...
After getting ready and having his breakfast, he heard his landline holo-phone going off. "Who could be calling at a time like this...?" He wondered out loud, before ultimately going over and picking it up.
"Captain Falcon?" A familiar young female's voice asked. When the holo-phone's projection revealed the face of the caller, it became known who was calling him.
"Miss Flyer...?"
"You can just call me Lily, Captain. A lot of my superiors do that," She gently corrected him. "Anyway, could you meet me by the electronics store at 1200 hours? There's...something I need to show you."
"12 noon. Got it." He hung up the call.
...
Standing outside the electronics store, Captain Falcon mumbled, "She should be here by now..."
"Captain!" Lily's voice called out. Turning in the direction of the voice, Falcon saw the young soldier girl running to him, along with...
"Wait a sec, you're..." Falcon muttered upon seeing what Lily wanted to show him. Or rather, who.
"Are you... Captain Falcon?" A young boy asked. The Captain recognized this boy.
"You're... Lucina's little brother..." The Captain murmured, dumbfounded.
"Yup," Morgan confirmed with a nod. "Name's Morgan. I remember you came to visit Lucina in the hospital that day..."
"You...did?" The Captain held his right hand to his lips in surprise. Regaining his composure, he continued, "So...what brings you here?"
"I..." Hesitating for a moment, Morgan continued, "I need you to help bring Lucina home. She's... left Ylisstol."
"She...what...?" The Captain was a bit shocked. "Last I checked, she seemed to be just fine over there..."
"I don't know what's gotten into Sis either," Morgan replied. "When I ran into her at Ylisstol after arriving there from Smash City, all seemed well with her, but then... she said she needed to clear her head for a bit, and left..."
"I can believe it," Lily commented. "When I took her back to Mute City that day, she seemed... so despondent. I tried to change her mind, but... There was no stopping her. I found the umbrella I gave her by the Dollars Lounge just a few hours after I last saw her..."
"She was the same way with me that day..." The Captain said. "Right before she left...she seemed so resigned to what she believed was the outcome. She believed everything was over for her, despite her best efforts. It seems she has a tendency to take things out on herself when they don't go the way she hopes, and it's so strange...in all the time I knew her, she wasn't like that until recently."
It was like you were silently screaming, Lucina...
"I'll never forget how she tried to fend off Black Shadow and save all those people in the Dollars Casino that day," Lily remarked. "It was the bravest thing I've ever seen anyone do. I just wish I could have noticed the potential spy, who I heard was possibly Don Genie, and prevented all of this..."
"You did the best you could," Falcon consoled Lily. "And...speaking of Black Shadow, you should have been more careful, Morgan. If Black Shadow knew you were related to Lucina... She managed to wound him during our last encounter, but it seems he recovered, and if he sees her again, or learns you're her brother... who knows what he'll do."
"Really...?" Morgan gulped. He and Lily then looked at each other in a melancholy manner, as if they wanted to say something. Something they both knew, but decided it was best for Lucina to tell him herself.
"Something wrong, you two?" Falcon asked the two youths.
"...Nothing," Lily said. "I think you should perhaps escort Morgan back to Smash City and ascertain Lucina's current whereabouts."
"Fair enough," The Captain conceded. "Thank you, Lily."
"Glad to be of service," Lily said, giving Captain Falcon a salute as he walked off with Morgan to the off world teleporter.
...
"Alright, Morgan," Falcon began, "Before I let you go...do you remember where she was headed last?"
"I... I went back to Smash City real quick, and found out she was in Green Greens, on Planet Popstar," Morgan explained. "Please, Captain...please bring Sis back..."
"Don't worry, little one," the Captain comforted Morgan, placing his right hand on the youth's shoulder. "I'll bring your big sister home safe and sound, no matter what it takes..."
"Thanks," Morgan said before stepping onto the teleporter's platform, inputting the coordinates to Smash City, and teleporting away.
"Alright," Falcon murmured, stepping onto the platform himself. "Green Greens it is..."
The minute he input the coordinates, however, something strange happened. Lights began to flash and the information panel's image became garbled as yellow sparks shot from everywhere.
"What is this...?!" The Captain gasped, before a bright yellow light enveloped him.
"G-Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
so, that email Falcon sends Samus? If you've read Don't go away, I will stay for you, it's the same one. I decided to throw in a few other newcomer mentions in Shulk's email just because, even though the only newcomers mentioned in that fic are the Inklings.
I know also I was gonna write a follow up to that Snakus oneshot...maybe I'll do it soon. I hope the whole lapses of time thing is believable.
Also, don't get wrong. I don't hate Palutena... I actually like her. It's just... and I know this is a VERY unpopular opinion in the Smash fandom, but I don't like her shipped with Lucina. At all. I feel it's a little too prevalent and I'm honestly sick of it. If you like it, though, more power to you. Just don't expect me to write Palucina any time soon. (Or Nesscas, for that matter. Not really fond of that ship either, myself.)
Finally, next chapter is gonna have a few more biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig surprise cameos, including one I may or may not have been hinting at for a while