A Day On Wuhu Island
One Tuesday afternoon, Byleth was showing the Hands the Student Smashers' most recent report cards, which she seemed to be pleased about.
"They've all been doing very well lately." Byleth was saying.
"Indeed they have." agreed Master Hand. "I like what I am seeing here."
"Me too." said Crazy Hand.
"And I've been thinking of rewarding them somehow." said Byleth.
"So you shall." Master Hand replied. "Judging by how these grades look, it seems they have indeed earned a reward."
"And I know just the thing." said Crazy Hand. "How about a day at the beach on Wuhu Island?"
"Now that's an idea to end all ideas." Byleth smiled. "The weather forecast from this morning's news report did say it's going to be very warm and sunny this weekend, with temperatures reaching the mid-seventies, so I think it would be nice to take advantage of it. Thank you, sirs. The kids will be delighted."
"You're quite welcome, Byleth." said Master Hand.
The next morning, when the Student Smashers entered class, they saw Byleth with an excited smile on her face.
"Why's Miss Byleth in such a good mood today?" asked Toon Link.
"I don't know." said Young Link. "But I think we're about to find out."
The Student Smashers took their seats, and Byleth began speaking to them.
"Before we begin today's lessons, I have an announcement to make." she said.
"Ooh, are we going to be let out early?" Bowser Jr. asked.
"In a way, yes." replied Byleth. "As a matter of fact, tomorrow will be our last day of class for this week."
"How come?" asked Popo.
"Because, Popo, you and the other students have been doing very well in classes lately." Byleth explained. "And as a reward, I am treating you all to a day trip to Wuhu Island on Friday."
The Student Smashers all cheered at this announcement. Byleth then picked up a short stack of papers from her desk.
"Here are some permission slips for you to show to your caregivers, as well some copies of a packing list I put together." Byleth said. "Lucas, would you help me pass these out, please?"
"Yes, ma'am." Lucas nodded as he rose from his seat.
Lucas then passed around the other permission slips while keeping one for himself, then took his seat.
"At the end of class today, I want you all to show your caregivers your permission slips and have them sign them." Byleth went on. "Is that clear?"
The Student Smashers responded with a resounding "yes", then class officially began for the day. Later on, Byleth was in her room looking through her closet.
"What would be a good outfit for me to wear on the island?" she pondered out loud.
She spotted a black bikini on a hanger and took it out.
"Maybe I could wear this." she said before shaking her head. "No, this one's a little too inappropriate for me to be wearing around the children. Hmm...what else do we have?"
The next outfit Byleth selected as a possible option was her loungewear for the House of the Black Eagles, one of the three student houses at the Garreg Mach Monastery Officers Academy.
"This'll work." she decided with a firm nod.
Byleth placed the loungewear over the footboard of her bed, then looked back at her bikini.
"Then again, I guess I could wear this for swimming." she said. "And just change back into my loungewear when I'm done."
Byleth quickly placed the bikini into a suitcase, along with her loungewear, as well as some other beach essentials, such as sunglasses, a sun visor, and sunscreen.
"There." she said. "All packed up. At least in terms of clothing."
Just then, the dinner bell rang.
"If I think of anything else, I'll just have to take care of it later." Byleth decided as she left her room.
The next day, the Student Smashers came into class with their permission slips, and as Byleth looked them over, she was pleased to see that they had all been signed.
"Wonderful." she said with a smile. "Now, before we continue on with today's lessons, I have a reminder that tomorrow, we will be leaving the mansion for Wuhu Island."
The Student Smashers acknowledged this, and the short class period began, and soon, it was time to leave. Byleth and the kids collected their things and went outside to the gate.
"So, Miss Byleth, how are we going to get to Wuhu Island?" asked Villager.
At that moment, Byleth spotted a yellow bus with a green stripe approaching the mansion.
"There's your answer, Villager." she said, pointing.
The bus soon came to a stop. The passenger door opened, revealing a turtle wearing a bus driver's uniform in the driver's seat.
"All aboard!" the turtle called.
"Hey, look!" said Villager. "It's Isabelle's friend Kapp'n!"
The kids all waved to Kapp'n and greeted him, and Kapp'n returned the favor. Afterwards, he helped them load their bags into the luggage compartment on the bus. Once that was done, he reclaimed the driver's seat as Byleth and the kids boarded the bus and took their seats.
"Next stop, Wuhu Island!" Kapp'n announced as he closed the door.
With that, Kapp'n pulled away from the mansion, and soon, they were on the highway. The kids talked excitedly about their trip as the bus rolled along.
"I can't believe it, Boy!" said Inkling Girl. "We're going to Wuhu Island!"
"I know, right?" grinned Inkling Boy. "I can't wait to play in the water."
"And I can't wait to just kick off my shoes and feel the sand under my feet." Inkling Girl said. "And feel that ocean breeze blowing through my tentacles."
"Oh, yeah, those too." nodded Inkling Boy.
Ness and Lucas were looking at a brochure for Wuhu Island.
"There's so much to do on Wuhu Island." Ness said. "Archery, basketball, canoeing, cycling, and even skydiving. You can even pay for someone to fly you over the whole island."
"Wow." gasped Lucas. "Sounds like Wuhu Island definitely is a heck of a place to go for a vacation."
"Maybe we'll try some of those next time we come here." Villager suggesteed.
Byleth smiled as she listened to the kids talking about their destination.
"They sure sound excited." Byleth thought.
Soon, the bus crossed over a bridge leading to Wuhu Island, and it wasn't long before it passed a sign that said "Welcome To Wuhu Island Beach". The kids excitement grew as they saw the sign.
"We're almost there!" grinned Nana.
"I know!" replied Popo.
The bus soon pulled into the parking lot, and Byleth and the kids disembarked.
"Here be your destination, mateys." he said as he opened the door. "Enjoy your time here on Wuhu Island, and I'll be comin' back later this evenin' to pick ya up."
"Thank you, Kapp'n." said Byleth.
Byleth and the kids collected their beach bags, then waved to Kapp'n and as he drove away. they began looking for a good place to set up their beach umbrella and other things. They soon found a spot and laid out the beach blanket. Afterwards, they changed into more beach-friendly outfits, with Byleth wearing a black t-shirt dress over her swimsuit and the kids wearing regular swimsuits. Byleth took out the sunscreen she had brought out of her bag.
"Okay, kids, line up." said Byleth.
The kids did so, and Byleth applied sunscreen to every one of them, then put some on herself. After that, the kids all ran into the water while Byleth sat down on the beach blanket to read.
"Come on, Miss Byleth!" Toon Link called out. "The water's fine!"
"I'll join you later, Toon Link." said Byleth.
"Okay." nodded Toon Link.
At that moment, Toon Link got hit by a small wave of water, which was the result of Young Link, who had evidently splashed his Toon counterpart.
"Oh, you're asking for it now!" said Toon Link.
Toon Link then splashed Young Link back, and it wasn't long before all the kids began splashing one another as Byleth watched from her spot on the shore. And amused smile came upon her face.
"They sure look like they're having a good time." she said.
A while later, it was time for lunch, so Byleth set up the picnic lunch she had brought along, then called the kids back to shore. Soon, everyone was indulging in a scrumptious picnic lunch of ham and turkey club sandwiches, chips, and lemonade. After lunch, some kids, still in their swimsuits, went back into the water, this time joined by Byleth, while some decided to change out of their swimsuits and stay on the shore. Those who changed out were Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, Toon Link, and Young Link. Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl were both wearing their regular shorts and black flip-flops (for reference, think of the Black Flip-Flops from Splatoon 2) on their feet. The only difference was that Inkling Boy wore a Sailor-Stripe Tee and Inkling Girl wore a Pirate-Stripe Tee. Toon Link and Young Link both wore green t-shirts with a Triforce emblem on them with gray drawstring shorts and brown closed-toe sandals. While Toon Link and Young Link were flying a kite they had bought, the Inkling kids had a one-on-one beach tennis game.
"Thanks for taking us here, Miss Byleth." said Villager as he played in the water with Byleth and those with them.
"Why, you're welcome." Byleth replied with a smile.
Back on shore, Young Link, Toon Link, and the Inking Kids suddenly heard music.
"Hey, do you guys hear that?" asked Young Link.
"I do." said Toon Link. "It sounds like music."
"Where is it coming from?" asked Inkling Boy.
"I don't know." said Inkling Girl. "But there's only one way to know for sure."
"Yeah, let's go check it out." agreed Inkling Boy.
"But shouldn't we let Miss Byleth know where we're going?" asked Toon Link.
"I'm sure she won't mind." said Inkling Boy. "After all, she seems to busy having fun with the others in the water to notice."
"Fair enough." said Toon Link. "Still, I think I might tell her anyway, just so she knows."
With that, Toon Link removed his sandals and waded over to Byleth, then told her what he, Young Link, and the Inklings were going to do. Byleth nodded in response.
"Go ahead." she said.
"Thanks." said Toon Link.
Toon Link then rejoined Young Link and the Inklings, who then decided to take off their sandals as well. Then, the four friends set off barefoot to trace the source of the mysterious melody. They soon came to a group of people gathered around the stage, on which famed pop/rock group The Kings Of Peace was performing. While the members of the band retained their usual jeans and slip-on shoes, rather than their trademark sweaters, they were all wearing aloha shirts in their respective signature colors, although lead guitarist James Roman still wore his trademark red stocking cap. The group was currently singing "Help Me Rhonda" by The Beach Boys, with rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Edward Gresley singing lead vocals. Inkling Girl's eyes lit up when she saw the band.
"Oh my gosh!" she squealed. "The Kings of Peace!"
The band soon finished their song, and the crowd clapped and cheered.
"Thank you, thank you!" said Jimmy. "Thank you, you're too kind!"
"We'll be here all day, people!" said Culdee Richards, the bassist. "But for right now, we're gonna have a break."
"But be sure to be back for when the tunes comes back!" added Stepney Angelis, the drummer, as he stood up from behind his drum kit.
With that, the small crowd started to disperse while the Kings huddled together and conversed with one another while James jotted something down on a notepad. Finally, he left the stage, and it was then that the other four members noticed that only Toon Link, Young Link, and the Inklings still remained.
"What are you kids still doing here?" asked Edward.
"Well, we heard your music, and we just thought we'd swing on over." explained Inkling Boy.
"Plus, I really like your music." said Inkling Girl. "And to finally see you guys up close and personal like this is like a dream come true!"
"Then on behalf of myself and my bandmates, thanks for saying that." Jimmy said.
"Say, would you guys mind if we stayed around a little bit and talked with you?" asked Young Link.
"Not at all." said Culdee. "In fact, we have all the time in the world right now, seeing as we're actually on vacation right now."
"Well, that's surprising." said Young Link.
"I can see where you're coming from with that." said Stepney. "What with the stage and all that."
"See, even when we're on tour or on vacation, we still like to entertain others with our music." added Edward. "Being a musician doesn't always have to be a job someone does six days a week. It can also be a hobby."
At this moment, James returned, carrying a cardboard tray that had five hot dogs with ketchup and mustard packets, five orders of fries, and five cans of root beer. As the boys began eating, they spoke to their visitors.
"So, what brings you kids to Wuhu Island today?" asked James as he took a bite of his hot dog.
Young Link explained to the Kings how Byleth had brought him and the other Student Smashers to Wuhu Island as a reward for doing well in class.
"Ooh, nice." said Culdee. "As for us, we actually have a villa on the other side of the island that we use as a vacation home in the warmer months."
"Of course, for right now, we just decided to take advantage of the sunshine for the weekend." Jimmy pointed out. "For right now, we're staying in the penthouse suite at the Wuhu Island Grand Hotel."
"Sounds cool." said Inkling Girl.
As the kids continued talking with the Kings, Byleth came over to them. Byleth was surprised to discover who the kids had encountered, and readily introduced herself to the band.
"I hope the children aren't disturbing your lunch." she said.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, ma'am." said Edward.
"Yeah, we're actually enjoying the company." added James. "It's not often that we get to have friendly chats like this with our fans."
"So any time Mr. Opportunity comes knocking with this offer, we always accept." finished Stepney as he sipped his drink.
"I can actually see why you'd think that way." said Byleth. "You are musicians, after all, so you must know firsthand how busy that lifestyle can be."
Byleth then remembered something, and looked at the kids.
"I came to ask if you kids would like some ice cream." she said.
The four kids agreed. Jimmy, who had overheard, then spoke up.
"We were thinking of having ice cream after our lunch ourselves." he said. "If you want, we can pay for your ice cream as well as our own."
Byleth was surprised when she heard this.
"You don't have to do this." she said. "You really don't."
"Aren't famous musicians such as us allowed to do good deeds every now and then?" James asked in a harmlessly teasing voice.
Byleth laughed at James' amusing comment and agreed to let the Kings pay for the ice cream. Soon, everyone was gathered around the ice cream stand, where the Kings purchased five hot fudge sundaes for themselves, a Choco Taco for Byleth, two soft-serve chocolate/vanilla twist cones for Popo and Nana, a twin-scoop chocolate cone with chocolate sprinkles for Bowser Jr., a soft-serve vanilla cone for Toon Link, a soft-serve chocolate cone for Young Link, an M&M's ice cream sandwich for Villager, two Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches for the Inklings, and two fudge pops for Lucas and Ness. The kids thanked the Kings for paying for their ice cream as the band went back to their stage. As the kids ate their ice cream, Inkling Girl noticed some paddleboats beached on the shoreline.
"Those look like fun." she thought out loud. "Maybe we can ride those after we have our ice cream."
When she and the other kids finished their ice cream, Inkling Girl told her friends of her idea, then they asked Byleth for permission, which she willingly gave.
"Just make sure you stay where the lifeguard can see you." Byleth said. "And that you be careful when boating close to each other."
"Thanks, Miss Byleth." said Young Link.
With that, the kids raced to the boats and pushed five of them into the water, then got into the boats, two kids in each one, with Toon Link and Young Link in the first boat, the Inklings in the second boat, Lucas and Ness in the third boat, Popo and Nana in the fourth boat, and Bowser Jr. and Villager in the fifth boat. Byleth smiled as she watched the kids pedal around on the water.
"They sure are having fun." she said.
Suddenly, Byleth felt something inside her.
"Nature's calling." she said. "Better answer it."
With that, Byleth rose from the deck chair she had been sitting in and went over to a small building that housed the bathrooms. She did her business and soon went back to her seat. As she was, she noticed the kids had made it back to shore and put their boats back. They were also cheering.
"What's all the excitement about?" she asked.
"We had a paddleboat race, and me and Inkling Boy won!" grinned Inkling Girl.
"Well, congratulations to the both of you." Byleth said.
"Thanks!" said Inkling Boy.
Just then, Byleth noticed that the sun was starting to set.
"We better get our things together." she said. "Kapp'n will be back soon to pick us up and take us home."
The kis were too excited about talking about their day at the beach with their caregivers to be disappointed about it coming to an end. They changed out of their beach clothes and back into their regular clothes, collected their beach things, and went back to the parking lot to wait for Kapp'n. Soon, Kapp'n arrived in his bus, and it wasn't long before they were on the road back home to Smash Mansion. The kids talked excitedly about the fun they had.
"I still can't believe I got to see my favorite band in person!" Inkling Girl squealed. "And I didn't even have to buy a ticket!"
"It really was nice of them to pay for our ice cream." Inkling Boy went on. "They really do seem like nice guys."
"If you ask me, I think the whole day was fun." said Toon Link. "I can't wait to go to Wuhu Island again at some point."
"You said it." said Young Link.
"Say, I wonder if we will be going there again at some point." Ness put in.
"I hope so." said Lucas. "Those activities you mentioned earlier do sound like fun."
As Kapp'n's bus continued to roll down the road, the Student Smashers continued to chat enthusiastically about their day wt Wuhu Island and looked forward to the next.
The End