This Tale contains spoilers from the entire saga. Do not read unless the entire three part saga has been read first. This is what we consider a 'Part 4/3' Tale, taking place where the Part 3/3 Epilogue left off.

Warning, this Tale contains the following: Sexual themes (mostly implied/mentioned) and same sex ideals.

As an additional warning, this chapter is pro-LGBT. If this offends you for religious or matters pertaining to self-established morals, consider skipping this Tale.

== Clover =

The Lower Federation—once a trio of vigilantes best known to the mass as 'Team Seppuku', now an organization which hosts thousands of low income officers. With so many impoverished locations in the universe needing aid and order, including the Lower City of Mute City, a Flower's work is never done. Though the years have treated Chiya in both positive and negative ways, work has never been in deficit for the woman.

On the streets, muggers and thieves continue to riddle the Lower City. In space, Samurai Goroh and Antonio Guster wage a smuggler war that requires Federation manpower. Both in land and space Chiya must lend support—something she is well credited in doing. Chiya has amassed fame and fortune through F-Zero, but her person is well known across the galaxy for her active role in the Federation.

Chiya has become a well respected and known figure across the universe; however, it is her only daughter, Clover, who's tasked with amassing fame and fortune as well. Alas, there is a problem; for Clover is somewhat unorthodox in contrast to her mother. Around the universe, Clover is known as the heir to Chiya's F-Zero legacy, piloting the Red Dove II. But within the halls of the Lower Federation HQ, Clover is a very persuasive lure for specific women. This has, time after time, presented Chiya with issues and frustration.

Within the bedroom that once belonged to Earl Bendek and then Lieutenant Seppuku, Clover dipped her head down with a very devilish face. Her Mysterian Blue eyes ripped through whatever defense existed in the eyes of her catch—a fellow female officer.

Clover swiped her two fingers through the tie of the officer and winked, "Just try and relax. You'll find that my room is one of the most relaxing places to be in this whole facility."

The officer scratched the back of her head with a quirked mouth, "I, uh..." She rolled her eyes away from Clover, "Are you sure we're not in danger of-"

"Mom's asleep and no one's supposed to go beyond this hallway after dark. You and I, are ready for takeoff."

Clover swiped the tie off of the officer and tossed it aside, she was given a nervous nod in response, "Okay, alright."

Both women sat at the end of Clover's mint green bed, where the Mysterian grabbed the officer by both shoulders.

"Alright, just sit back and let me get this show on the road."

The officer exhaled and began to unbutton her coat, "Okay, you know what you're doing?"

Clover smirked, "Yep, don't worry, I play guitar."

In response, the officer tilted her head in confusion as Clover reached for her shirt.

"Huh?"

A much younger Chiya laughed playfully as Earl spun her around with one hand. The two lovers danced to music in Rose's living room. Rose, for once, refrained from writing or reading and instead relaxed on the couch. She watched with amusement as Chiya and Earl partied.

Earl grabbed onto Chiya's wrist and spun her around again, this time she yelped, "D- Don't drop me on accident, sweetie!"

The Korean brought her back up to his torso and laughed, "Drop you? Never."

Chiya let go of Earl and proceeded on with an independent dance alongside him, "You dropped me when we went swimming."

"Yeah, but you landed in the water..."

Rose chuckled and dipped her head down, her chuckle caught Earl's attention. Chiya continued to dance by herself, but Earl stepped forward and touched Rose by the shoulder.

"Come on, Rose. Let's dance."

The former witch grunted and gritted her teeth, "What, who, me? Dance?"

Chiya eyeballed the two and nodded, "You may have become a real bookworm these past decades, Rose. But you're still Chiya Rose; I love dancing, so I know you do to."

Rose presented Chiya with a cute smile, "Uh, yeah, but..." She rubbed her arm and swallowed, "I don't dance much..."

The woman made a pathetic sounding gasp as Earl forced her off the couch and into the center of the room. Nervous and surprised, Rose was forced onto the dance floor, where Earl led her into a similar move set as he had been performing with Chiya. Chiya beamed at the two and found somewhat humor in Rose's inability to grasp what was happening.

"Wait, hold on..." Rose requested. She looked down at her bare feet, she continued to trip over herself trying to get back into the motion of dancing. "I haven't done this in a long time... let alone with a person."

Earl denied her request, however, and spooked her by spinning her around. The woman gasped and almost screamed at times, which caused Chiya to laugh. Earl pulled Rose back towards him, where she hugged him with wide eyes of fear. After looking up at Earl, Rose nodded and followed his lead with good precision.

"There you go, Rose!" Chiya cheered.

The black-haired woman laughed while dancing with Earl, "O- Okay, I see. This is fun!"

Earl patted Rose on the back, "It's good to take a break from your hobby every now and then. Even I had to refrain from working on the Purring Kitten every now and then."

Rose held onto Earl more tightly and nodded, "I guess I fooled myself into believing that dancing was nothing but a redundant activity."

After another minute of dancing with Earl, Rose yelped again as Chiya yanked the clone away from Earl. Before Rose could properly react, she and Chiya were bouncing up and down together in fast circles. The hair of both ladies went up and down along with their bodies.

"See, Rose? This is fun!"

"This is nauseating..."

Rose and Chiya continued to spiral hop around the room together, both in very optimistic moods. At this point the two were not dancing, only jumping around the place. After another minute of jumping, Rose puckered her lips and looked away from Chiya.

"O- Okay, our boobs need a break from all this bouncing..." Rose explained.

Chiya puckered her lips as well and glanced down, "You're right, our chests are going all over the place. Bouncing works better for a male; right, Earl?" Both Chiya and Rose blinked at one another, after a few moments, Chiya turned her head and repeated, "Earl?"

The Korean was now sitting on the couch with a leg crossed over his knee, "Hm? Oh, yeah."

The time for fun had come to an abrupt end, however, as Chiya's entire inner realm echoed with the cries of her daughter—Clover. Chiya gasped with wide eyes and jumped away from Rose, Earl sprung up into action and raised his fist.

"Chiya, Clover's panicking!"

"Bollocks!"

Rose took steps back and waved her hand, "Alright, gotta eject you from the realm."

Chiya nodded with a serious face, "Do it."

Upon making the order, a 45 year old Chiya made a tight looking face, then sat up in a quick motion. Her eyes fired to life, and her ears alerted by the distressed sounds of her daughter. Without a word, Chiya tossed her blanket aside and jumped out of bed in nothing but her nightgown. She grabbed a handgun off her table and ran straight out the door.

Chiya held her gun up and gritted her teeth after looking both ways; her office door was closed but the door leading to the lobby remained somewhat open. An unusual display for an ordinary day at the HQ. Nevertheless, the panicking came from the room across from Chiya's.

With her gun ready, Chiya kicked open the bedroom door and inserted herself.

"Let go of my baby!" Chiya screamed.

Both Clover and the officer servicing her widened their eyes; the officer put her hands up and turned to face Chiya, who turned red upon spotting the woman's bare chest. Chiya covered her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"Wha- Wha- Oh for the love of-"

The officer covered herself up with a glowing face, "Uh, hello, Mistress Chiya!"

Chiya continued to cover her eyes, but her built up rage was easy to read. "Officer Sandra, is that you?"

"Yes, Mistress Chiya."

The chief made an annoyed growl, "...how the Hell did Clover already- we just recruited you- I don't-"

Clover, embarrassed, stretched her arms out and made a fake yawn, "Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm about ready for bed!" She slapped the rear of the officer and made a nervous chuckle, "Thanks for... helping me... uh..."

Chiya turned away and growled as Clover continued to fumble with her words.

"What the Hell, Mom!" The following afternoon, Clover stood before Chiya in her office with a disgruntled face. "I really liked that girl. Why'd you send her off to Big Blue!?"

Chiya, now in her Federation uniform, glared at her daughter and argued, "You really liked that girl, eh?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, what was her name?"

Clover widened her eyes for a brief moment, then looked away, "Uh... Officer—r..." Chiya's glare disappeared in place of two narrowed eyes. Clover puckered her lips and shrugged, "That doesn't even matter."

"You know, Clove'; I'm getting really fed up with this. Week after week, I have to deal with this same situation; and week after week, I have to wake up shaking off a headache knowing that you're depriving these fine ladies of-"

"They're lesbians, Mom."

Chiya struck her fist down, "They could be robots for all I care! I'm fed up with you acting like a snake! Trust me, I've been with two snakes in the past and one of them ended up chopped to pieces by Rose."

"The other..?"

"Came to his bloody senses and made one lucky Mysterian his soul mate."

Clover shrugged, "So maybe I'll follow Dad's path, who cares. I'm just going through a phase is all."

"Blimey, do you have no shame? Are you not ashamed of the fact that I always hear you?" Clover looked away and dipped her head down. "There have been billions of mothers throughout history; but I'm sure only a million or so have had to listen to the things I've heard." Chiya grasped both sides of her head and whimpered, "...the language you use..."

"Okay, fine!" Clover swiped both her hands aside, "I'll refrain for a bit. Happy?"

Again, Chiya struck her fist down, "I won't be happy until you find a woman who'll make you happy. One woman. One."

Clover half glared, "One woman?"

Chiya's eyes intensified, "Get, a, wife!"

The daughter rolled her eyes and gasped, "Why? Lynn doesn't have a husband, and she's older than me."

"That's because your cousin has more decency. She focuses on succeeding in life, making friends, helping Abby-" Clover turned away and began walking towards the door. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"My life, my decisions. Right now there's only one girl I really like, and she's straight as an arrow." Chiya continued to redden up, but finally exhaled to blow out some steam. "Is that okay with you, Mom? Can I hang out with my friend or must I marry her?"

"Well, you should certainly hang out with friends. At night, I would much rather hear you laughing with someone in your room than..." She rolled her eyes aside, "I'm sorry for shouting. Please, just be more considerate from now on. You ruined a fun night for your father and I with your activity."

Clover breathed in and nodded, then left the office. The mother Mysterian continued to stare at the door for many moments, then sighed. She reached over for her phone and dialed the Flower homestead on Mysteria, seeking an audience with her mother.

Later that day, Clover sat in a police cruiser alongside her best friend, Sarah Kyoto. Sarah was a Japanese local serving under the Lower Federation. She was attired in the standard issued officer uniform—including the visor cap—of the Lower Federation, had dark blonde hair, and brown eyes. Chiya was kind enough to make Sarah a permanent attachment to the Lower City response team, she worked every job alongside Clover in Squad B.

As Sarah drove down the Lower City, Clover continued to complain behind her mother's back.

"Get married. Mom wants me to get married at way too young of an age."

Sarah turned her head and shrugged, "It's never too early for love."

"Okay, yeah, but that's the thing. What is love? I don't love, not really, anyways." Sarah turned her head a second time and raised a brow. "I mean, I get it. I know what love is and feels like, it's when you really want to be with someone all the time to the point where you'd be willing to do that the rest of your life."

"You're not in love with anyone?"

Clover rolled her eyes, "Have you been paying attention? That's why I'm pissed. How can I form a connection with someone if my mom keeps shipping away my girlfriends to different planets?"

Sarah cleared her throat, "I would just be patient."

"Tell that to my mother, she's the impatient one."

"Mistress Chiya is a wonderful woman, I can't talk behind her back."

Clover stuck her tongue out and nodded, "Yeah, I know; she's a great leader and an even better mother. It's just..." She snapped her fingers, "Bloody Hell, can she try being more negotiable?"

"Just wait. It's not too hard meeting lesbians nowadays, I'd say one of three people are often enough closet bisexuals..." She glanced over at Clover and shrugged, "You know, those who pretend to be straight but are actually-"

"Come on, Sarah. I've never met anyone like that."

"Oh, I doubt that." She swallowed and eyeballed Clover again, "They're everywhere, don't you know? They just hide their true interests for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps they're afraid to come out, or maybe they're unsure if-"

Clover smirked, "Sarah, is this your way of coming out of the closet?"

Sarah slammed her foot on the brakes, forcing both ladies forward. Clover's eyes widened with a beating heart as she did so.

"What? Who? Me?" Sarah shut her eyes and let out a high pitched laugh, "Don't be- That's not what I'm really saying!"

Clover flapped her lips and looked out the window, "Yeah, I know."

Sarah brushed off the moment and puckered her lips, both women widened their eyes as the police radio vibrated. Both their hands reached for the radio, but Clover was the one to press down on the communication button.

"Squad B reporting," she answered.

"Calling all nearby units. We have a fire bomb throwing situation at Blossom 5. A fire bomb throwing situation at Blossom 5."

Sarah tipped her visor cap down and nodded, "Let's roll."

Clover opened up a switch on the dashboard that turned on the cruiser siren, Sarah switched the gears into racing mode—and so the two blasted down the street at half the speed of an F-Zero machine.

Within a more populated area of the Lower City, three police cruisers with flashing lights sat behind police barricades. Dark smoke raised from a crater found on the street in question, however, this was no longer where the developing situation was; a large structure was the center of attention for most officers standing by.

Assault weapons were deployed behind the barricades and siege equipment set around a foldable table; several officers of the Lower Federation assessed the situation with the commanding officer—a captain with a flower patch sewn onto his shoulder. The flower was a prestigious piece granted by Chiya to very deserving law enforcers.

The Squad B police cruiser soon made its debut into the crime scene, Clover already had a handgun ready as a precautionary action. Sarah glanced at Clover for a moment, then back at the heavy police encampment.

With caution, Clover commented, "Barricades. This must have developed into something more than a mere fire bomb situation."

"You just read my mind."

Sarah parked the cruiser in a specific way, combined with the other three cruisers they had formed a vehicular barricade. Afterwards, Clover took leave to chime into the situation; Sarah reached under her seat to grab a sidearm before following. Most officers turned their head to find the two approaching, most were interested in Clover—especially the flowered captain.

"Damn..." he muttered. "Mistress Chiya's daughter is here," he warned.

Clover walked right through the crowd of officers like some authoritative figure, but in all actuality she outranked only the newest of officers. Still, she was the daughter of Chiya Bendek—the leader—and thus enjoyed unearned respect and authority.

"Where are the bomb throwers?" she asked.

The captain stood tall and glanced back at the large structure, Clover looked up at the building and raised both eyebrows. This was the 'Robert Flower Depository', a structure established by Chiya following her very first Grand Prix victory. The point of the depository was to hold the Lower City gold reserves; though not in high supply, there was enough gold to keep the Lower City from dying once again in the event of economic collapse. Neither Clover nor Sarah had to question where the offenders had ran to, knowing what the structure's vault contained.

The captain soon answered her original question, "A misunderstanding. A small gang of thieves were on their way to the depository; an officer caught them in the act, and they responded by attempting to blow up a cruiser with what we believe to be a Molotov cocktail."

"The classic," Sarah added.

Clover rubbed her chin and nodded, "They went in anyways?"

"They couldn't get through the security entrance, so they blew their way into an emergency exit." Before Clover could speak, the man pointed back toward the siege equipment. "We're preparing for a tactical entry. There should be no civilians inside the building, given that it's a restricted area."

The Mysterian wiped her forehead with gritted teeth, "We can walk in through the front door, but that might be a bit too conspicuous..."

"Four men and a female ran inside, we have two possible entry points that they may be watching over. What I can tell you is that the offenders are not well equipped—they certainly won't make it into the vault."

"Good."

Sarah zipped up an armored police vest and switched her visor cap in exchange for a helmet and visor. Three other officers did the same; the captain soon left Clover to put on his own gear. The Mysterian, however, faced the structure again while tapping her foot.

"Clover," Sarah called. The girl nodded without turning to face her. "Come get your gear."

"Heh..." Clover crossed her arms with a cool smirk, "I don't need armor..."

Nonetheless, Sarah came from behind and forced a vest over her torso, then a helmet over her head. "Nonsense," she responded with a smile.

"Crap," complained a dark-clothed criminal.

Two men and a woman stood at the depository vault—a thick metal door with various touchscreen monitors. Each monitor contained three password inputs for a total of twelve passwords; of course, few knew each of the twelve passwords. This was to be expected, which is why the criminal band came equipped with various tools appropriate for the job—or so they thought.

The female gangster turned an anxious glare, "What?"

The man brought back a saw and shrugged, "Metal's too thick, it burned out the saw's power."

Both acquaintances gritted their teeth in shock, it was in desperation that the hacker kicked the vault. The female gangster did so as well, obviously to no avail.

"Well, that's great..." she muttered.

Stationed at the entrance door was a man with an assault rifle, prepared to hold off any police attacks. The emergency exit was being watched by the other male under the same conditions. They were in the depository; escaping, however, would be a much more difficult task.

The hacker stepped away from the door and held up a small metal device, pressing down on a button fired a red laser. The laser hit the vault but had little to no effect; not even a cutting tool of this power could break through the door. Further desperate attempts were taken in getting the vault open, but the female member flailed her arms up in agitation and walked away.

"That's it! The operation is going bust." The two men nodded in agreement. "But I'm not leaving without something."

With this being said, the woman forced a painting off the wall and took it out of its frame. She shoved the image into a bag intended for gold. One man nodded and joined her by grabbing a historical piece from a wall.

"Well, it won't get us out of the Lower City; but it'll put food on the table," the man explained.

Clover ran alongside four other armored officers, each equipped with assault weapons. This group was tackling the emergency exit. Meanwhile, Sarah tackled the entrance alongside three officers and the flowered captain. Despite being part of the same squad, the two girls parted into separate assault groups.

The captain of Sarah's group took lead as they ran up the fleet of stairs leading to the entrance.

"Lethal resolutions are restricted; tase and apprehend the offenders," he explained.

One more step after giving this instruction changed his mind, for assault rifle tracers fired out from the entrance toward the captain. He ducked and everyone else scattered for cover. Sarah was grabbed by an officer and brought against him as they hid behind a pillar. The other two officers did the same from the other side; the captain remained suppressed by gunfire.

"Lethal resolutions are unlocked! Switch to full-automatic!"

Sarah clicked her weapon's mode down to automatic and gazed at the captain. The suppressive fire ceased, and so he ran for cover as well. The first shots were taken toward the entrance by the captain, mere warning shots not intended to kill.

"Smoke the door, visor up!"

Just like in training, Sarah and each other officer plugged a smoke canister into their rifle's launcher; afterwards, they enabled a mode on their helmet visors. Their visors tinted black and displayed electronic white circles for eyes—similar to that of Captain Falcon's visor.

On the captain's command, each officer fired off their canister. Smoke immediately filled the entrance lobby as a result.

Meanwhile, the three looters turned to find smoke now filling the hallway. An immediate decision was reached by the three.

"Alright, time to go."

The female heister zipped the loot bag up and chased after her two companions, they were en route to the emergency exit—still defended by a fellow gang member.

The man defending the entrance coughed out smoke every second; he fired his assault rifle aimlessly while backing out of the smoke field. He escaped the smoke and looked toward the vault, surprised to find that the three looters had departed without warning him.

"H- Hey..!" he complained aloud.

Just after saying this, the man took a blind bullet to the chest and fell to his knees in pain. Before he could react, Sarah and the other officers sprinted out from the smoke and tackled him. Sarah held down a leg while the others pinned his arms and torso. The captain responded by stripping the man of his weaponry before cuffing him.

The three gangsters rushed closer and closer to the emergency exit, where an expecting armed man waved to them with his assault rifle.

"Hurry up!"

The woman had the hardest job, given that she was shuttling the looted pieces. The two other men ran beside her with submachine guns. It was imperative to the team that they return home with anything of value; if not gold, they could at least find a black market to sell loot at.

About fifty meters from the exit, the three were almost home free. However, it was then that smoke was shot down this exit point as well. The three came to an immediate stop, the gunman fired up the stairs in response.

"Get out of here!" he warned. "Find another way out!"

Without question, the three turned into a computer room in desperate search of another way out. The gunman slowly worked his way from the smoke and toward the door that his companions had escaped through, but he was stopped by a bullet. The man's shoulder was grazed, yet he continued to shoot into the smoke. The man was dropped by a single bullet to the head only moments later. Afterwards, in came Clover and her group of officers. Everyone, including this group's captain, tackled down on the offender—only to then realize that he had died.

Clover held the corpse by the throat, then quirked her mouth with discomfort, "Uh, he's dead."

The captain stood up and sighed, "Damn. But regardless, we need to pursue the stragglers."

The three able gangsters continued to flee through random rooms and hallways, they were under chase by Sarah's group. There was no time for stopping, they could only keep moving.

"Stairway up ahead," the woman reported.

The man who had been hacking through the vault nodded and responded, "Let's get to the roof. We can find a way down and escape through the alleys."

"Sounds like a plan," she said in agreement.

They turned a corner, where all three widened their eyes in shock. The three had accidentally run into Sarah and the officers, both groups now faced each other. Both groups took aim and proceeded to exchange the same demands.

"Drop your weapon!"

"Drop it!"

"Drop your weapons or die!"

Both groups jerked their weapons forward while shouting, it was the gangsters who ultimately opened fire. One officer was shot in the shoulder, Sarah was pegged in the collarbone and sent to the floor. In response, one of the male gangsters was blown away while bullets; the remaining two managed to flee into another room.

The two officers laying down were rushed to by the remaining two officers and captain. Sarah barred her teeth in pain while holding her wound, yet she managed to raise her rifle up. All she found was a corpse, there were two more on the run.

The female gangster looked back while running; the male retained his focus to their rear, given that he was the last one holding a submachine gun; his partner was carrying the loot. Both ran to the stairway and rushed up the fleet of stairs. There was ease in doing so for the man, but difficult for the woman; carrying such a heavy bag up so many stairs was a challenge they had not prepared for.

It was while running that tragedy struck—the woman lost posture and fell backwards. The man stopped to gasp as she fell, seconds later she landed on her back and rolled down to the bottom. Regardless of the fall, the first thing on the woman's mind was to get back up and run, but was unable to. Bones had been broken upon landing.

"Help!"

The man danced around on the stairway for a moment, looking back and forth between her and the rooftop. He was conflicted on what should be done to escape with his life.

"Dammit, don't just stand there. Help me!"

He continued to bounce with a frantic mind, then snapped his fingers. The woman exhaled in relief as he took a quick trip back down. The relieved thought was to be cut short, however, for the man simply snatched the loot bag from her arms and ran back up the stairs. Shocked and distraught, the woman was left grunting.

"Wh- Wh- What the Hell! You can't leave me here, you bastard!" she screamed.

The man blocked her words from affecting him and continued up the stairway. The rooftop door was about three floors up. A heavy sweat was building over the man's forehead, he had been running ever since leaving the vault. Thirsty and out of breath, the man continued despite all things. The goal was to reach the rooftop and find a way down; afterwards, he could split into an alley and perhaps yet escape. The plan was easier said than done, of course.

He made his final turn and began to climb the final few steps, at this point he was panting. He held the bag over his shoulder for these last steps. The final step revealed a surprise.

A gasp was made, "Huh!?"

Out of the blue, Clover came flying into him with a locked fist, "Seoli Idong!"

The Korean punch was very effective, sending the remaining criminal down a floor and onto his back—he was put into a similar situation as the woman who had fallen. After holstering her weapon, Clover puckered her lips and shook in disapproval.

"You should've taken the elevator..."

Two dead, three arrested; the Lower Federation prevailed in what could rightfully be viewed as a quick and fruitful operation. Clover now found herself walking around the halls of the depository in search of further criminal activity; all seemed fine after performing two rounds of scouting. Protecting the gold depository created by Chiya in honor of her father would without a doubt make her mother happy.

Soon, Clover made her way into the security room of the structure, where most of the officers were regrouped. It was there that the Mysterian once again came across the flowered captain, Sarah was nowhere to be found.

"Yo," she greeted.

The captain acknowledged her with a nod, "Find anything?"

"No, but I'm trying to find someone." The man raised a brow at her, almost displaying disinterest. "Officer Sarah Kyoto? She around?"

An immediate response was returned in the form of a guilty face, "Officer Kyoto was shot during the assault."

Clover dropped her jaw and took a step back, "What!? Jesus!"

"She's being tended to over there," he said pointing left.

The girl spun around with wide eyes. Through a small crowd of officers, Sarah could be seen near the corner of the room standing in a very static position. She had someone checking her over. Clover pushed the captain aside and ran past the many officers. Sarah was remaining still with no movement at all, but turned her attention onto an approaching Clover.

"Sarah, jeez, what happened?" Clover asked while still approaching.

The man disinfecting her open wound paid no attention to Clover; Sarah closed her eyes and shivered as a cold alcoholic substance entered the hole. Now up close to Sarah, Clover brought on a scared face; as if a member of her own family had been wounded in combat.

"Sarah, come on, don't die!"

This request made the girl chuckle a small bit, "...I only got hit in the left clavicle..." she whispered.

A fairly minor wound in this day in age, but still frightening to Clover; who looked up to Sarah so much as a friend. Shaking her head in shock, Clover reached up for Sarah's head.

"Come on, let's get that helmet off of you-"

The doctor glared at Clover as she removed Sarah's helmet, "D- Don't... please, refrain from touching the patient."

Sarah's hair was revealed for the first time of the day. She opened her eyes and gave Clover a very brief glance.

"...So, wanna hang out tonight..?" she asked whispering.

The following afternoon, the inhabitants of the Lower Federation HQ massed together in the third floor of the tower, in a room reserved for presentations. Clover stood alongside Sarah and the other officers who took part in the depository's defense. Sarah was still equipped in her uniform and hat, she also stood tall. A bullet to the clavicle wasn't enough to put the lady down; Clover had unlimited respect for this strength.

As moments went by, Chiya approached a podium to the side of the stage. The crowd and officers onstage clapped their feet together for Mistress Chiya, whom was treated much like royalty. Sarah was especially obedient to Chiya to the point where her eyes would not move. Clover stood in a much more relaxed way, understanding that she had some form of immunity.

"Good afternoon," Chiya greeted. "Today, I and this selection of justice guardians stand before you following a major success in deterring a robbery of the Robert Flower Depository. No wealth had been seized by the criminals; sadly, two of the five offenders died in a firefight with our enforcers."

Clover turned her head and scanned Sarah's person, it would appear as though the officer had become a statue. After a day of touring the Lower City for crime, Clover was aspiring to set aside her badge and do her own things—not stand around an award ceremony.

The elder Mysterian opened up a brown case containing awards, "On this day, I would like to offer my gratitude to the officers who took part in the operation. I offer my gratitude to all, and some awards to specific individuals for outstanding performance."

At that moment, Clover shoved Sarah with puckered lips, "You're getting a purple heart."

Sarah only blinked, but displayed slight irritation as Clover shoved her a second time in an attempt to secure some attention. Chiya was now approaching each individual officer and offering gratitude and awards to some. The officer who had been shot in the shoulder received a Law Enforcement Purple Heart; this did evoke a gulp from Sarah, as this indicated that Chiya would be giving a specific offer of gratitude to her.

The younger and more energetic Mysterian tugged on Sarah's arm, "I heard two guys were killed in there. Did you nail one of them?"

Sarah responded by taking a quick swipe at Clover's hand; it was to her misfortune that Chiya had approached at this very moment. Sarah was lucky to have found that Chiya did not mind the sight of Clover being swiped at.

"Ms. Kyoto."

The officer stood tall while fighting the urge to tremble. Chiya was much shorter than Sarah, but her somewhat intimidating face countered this. Sarah gritted her teeth and nodded at the leader before making a slight kowtow.

"Mistress Chiya."

Chiya bit her lip and nodded at the girl, "Sarah Kyoto of Squad B; I and the Galactic Space Federation respect your active role in the organization. I offer my gratitude to you for aiding in the defense of the depository."

Sarah nodded with quivering eyes of fear while Chiya dug into the case of awards. Clover raised an eyebrow, anxious to see her friend receive a medal.

"You are one of two officers to have taken damage on this mission. Thus, you have met the criteria to receive the Law Enforcement Purple Heart."

Chiya picked out a shiny purple medal and pinned it over Sarah's left breast. Clover peered over her shoulder in a very obnoxious way, intrigued by the small honor. The award was shiny and painted with great care.

"Additionally," Chiya added. Both Clover and Sarah widened their eyes in shock. "You have no questionable misdemeanors while living in the HQ, have shown much care for your fellow officer, follow orders to the letter, send in your weekly reports on time, and perform volunteer work each month at our local thrift store." Chiya pulled out a yellow flower patch and placed it in Sarah's hand. "I award you the 'Flower Patch' for your loyalty and good deeds. Congratulations."

Sarah's eyes widened as she took the flower patch into both hands; she had been officially 'Flowered'.

"Thank you, Mistress Chiya."

"Mhm," she responded. "And do keep my daughter in check, she's a troublemaker."

Clover glared for a moment, then reached her hand out, "Did I win an award?"

Chiya walked by Clover with a happy face, "You certainly did."

"Awesome!"

The mother leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, "The prestige and glory of a mother's kiss is unmatched."

The room began to erupt with silent laughter, including Sarah. Clover's eyes were spinning in humility as her mother continued forth to reward the remaining officers. Sarah chuckled while looking down at her flower patch with watery eyes. Not only did she receive one of the most prestigious Lower Federation awards, but she also gained additional respect from Clover's mother—something she much desired.

One other officer received the Flower Patch award, soon after, Chiya returned to the podium to conclude the meeting.

"Let all officers of the Lower Federation take these fine men and ladies as models for a golden era of law enforcement. I am very proud of each and every one of you on this fine day." Chiya then puckered her lips and faced the officers, "Especially..." She folded her hands together and offered a huge smile, "My little girl, Clover! I'm such a happy mother right now!"

Clover grunted and stood stiff, another round of laughter erupted.

"M- Mo—om..!"

Later that night, Clover and Sarah sat around together in the young Mysterian's bedroom. Finally, Sarah was clothed in more casual attire. She sat on the floor sitting against Clover's bed in a blue shirt and black shorts. Clover was sitting beside her eating and drinking. The two were watching F-Zero TV, as a relevant topic for conversation was on.

An F-Zero TV anchorman waved his arm at a photo of Clover and Antonio Guster, "The predicament, as of right now, comes with the fact that we're entering the third race of the Grand Prix, and Clover Bendek remains tied in points with Antonio Guster. Considering the rivalry between the Dixies of the East and Federation, this could bring about some extra hostility toward Clover."

Clover crossed her arms and snickered, "Guster, I'm not scared of him."

Sarah offered a negative response, "You should be, the man's got all the dirtiest moves. Please pay attention to him while driving."

"I can't help that the Red Dove II is equipped with low standard parts. If I only had a better machine, I'd be sure to stay away from him."

"No modifications you can make?"

"Not without Dad's guidance. He'd know what needs to be done to make my machine better."

Sarah scratched her chin in puzzlement, "Hm, how about Bart?"

"What about Bart?"

"Maybe he can fit you with some appropriate parts."

This idea caused Clover to think in silence for several moments. Sarah reached in for Clover's bag of chips, meanwhile, the Mysterian nodded in approval.

"Bart seems to know a lot about F-Zero, I'd bet he has the connections to get me fitted with an optimal machine."

Sarah smiled and nodded, "You're so smart."

Clover acknowledged the compliment with a smile, "Thank you- Hey, wait a minute." She faced Sarah and grabbed her by the shirt, "Show me your wound."

The officer widened her eyes for a moment, "Oh, my wound?"

"Yeah show me it; is it really red and all that?"

Sarah reached for the collar of her shirt and nodded, "Uh, yes, okay. Let's see here..."

She tugged down in search of the scar, but fabric was too thick to be pulled. The officer stuck her tongue out in frustration while searching for an open spot. Clover dug into her food again and ate before rolling her eyes.

"Just lift your shirt up."

Sarah gulped and looked up, "Lift my... shirt?"

"Yeah, I want to see it."

"Oh," she bloated her cheeks and nodded, "Alright..."

She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and began to raise it up, but before reaching the top of her belly, the bedroom door had opened. Both girls widened their eyes and sat back in their usual spots. A happy Chiya turned herself into the room with a food bowl.

"I made chocolate mix!" she announced.

Clover beamed and jumped up to acquire the food; she pecked Chiya on the cheek after grabbing the chocolate treats. Sarah made a happy smile upon seeing this.

"Thanks, Mommy."

"Okay, enjoy your sleepover, girls." Chiya then opened her eyes into slits and grinned, "Now, I have a romantic date with your father to get to..."

Clover waved farewell before closing the door behind her. After returning to the bed, the two girls ate from the bowl of chocolates and continued watching television. Sarah glanced back and forth between the door and television, then turned her head to speak.

"You have an awesome mother."

"Yeah, Mom's awesome... usually..." She shook her head and corrected this, "My mother is a great person, I love her very much."

Sarah repositioned her body by stretching her legs out and sinking down to her back. The now-flowered officer lost herself to television, but Clover began to drown herself in worrisome thoughts about Chiya. The thought of losing her mother was an unbearable concept; despite how tough Clover tried to act, she was still a strong mother's girl.

After many moments of thinking, Clover turned her head with a sad look, "Sarah, can you go bring me my pajamas?"

"Bedtime already?" she asked in disappointment.

"I dunno," she responded with a shrug. "Maybe. I just want to get into something more comfortable. Pajamas make me happy."

Sarah stood up with a loyal nod to her friend, "Alright, which drawer?"

"Top-left drawer."

The officer approached the drawers and opened the top-left one. The contents of the drawer left Sarah with wide eyes, "O- Oh my..!"

Clover raised a brow and looked back, then cleared her throat, "Sorry, I meant the top-right."

That night, Clover and Sarah slept together in the same bed. Sarah was fast asleep, a typical scenario; Clover, however, remained blinking in bed with a conflicted face. Even when as old as she was, Clover couldn't help but feel guilt for causing her mother so much stress. While Chiya did express much joy having Clover in her life, there was no doubting that some of the 'antics' she partook in brought additional stress to Chiya's life. No one would ever want Chiya to feel discomfort, especially not her daughter.

The Mysterian rolled onto her back and sighed while holding onto the back of her head. I just want Mom to be happy as can be; but, I want to be happy, too... The primary struggle floating around Clover's head was, again, the situation she had gotten into the previous day. Clover enjoyed living a carefree life, that of which included the occasional night of thrills. Chiya was opposed to this, instead holding onto the idea that she may find true love.

On this note, Clover found herself glancing at the sleeping Sarah, then rolled her eyes back toward the ceiling. The people, or person, Clover liked was straight; the people she found who were homosexual would often be sent away to another location by Chiya after jumping into evening activities too early. Of course, gender preference wasn't the reason Chiya sent these ladies away; she did so in hopes of deterring Clover away from the lifestyle of a common snake. This was a frustrating predicament for the young Mysterian, but no matter what, Clover would always fall victim to family love. She loved her mother too much and wanted to keep her happy.

Bloody Hell, I wish I were asexual, or something... Clover threw a pillow over her face as she continued to groan in frustration.

The following morning, Clover found herself taking after her father in the garage. The Red Dove II had an open panel which she was looking inside of. The woman was lost, distracted, and frustrated.

"Bloody Hell, what's wrong with it..?" she growled.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Chiya walked around the F-Zero machine and hummed, "Need a hand?"

Clover gave her mother a helpless frown, "I can't get the reactor to sync up with the dashboard screen."

"Hm..." Chiya placed a hand over the machine's cockpit and looked inside. "I had a similar issue with the Purring Kitten in Grand Prix XX."

The younger Mysterian turned her head up and smirked, "The Prix where Zoda forgot to turn on his machine?"

"That's the one."

Clover scratched her head and sighed, "I think it has to do with the heating coil..."

"Correct." Clover turned to her mother for help. "Carefully remove the coil and grab one from the toolbox." Chiya sighed after saying this, "Believe it or not, these are the same coils your father bought before I met him. No rust on them."

The daughter dropped her head down and nodded; she removed the coil and placed it into her palm. She sighed without looking up at Chiya.

"You know, Mom... yesterday got me thinking. Seeing Sarah get that flower patch made me realize how bad of a person I am."

Chiya gasped with a glare, "Clover! Where- Why would you ever think like that? That's a terrible thought to have."

"I don't know. I wish I could be more like the daughter you wanted."

"Clover!" Chiya snapped. "I never 'wanted' any kind of daughter; I admired the mystery of what kind of child I'd have."

The daughter's eyes proceeded to water up a bit, "But I'm not making you proud enough. Sarah took a bullet for your organization and does all these things for society; meanwhile, I just fix stuff and do F-Zero." Chiya crossed her arms with the same disapproving face. "I haven't honored our family, and it hurts more knowing that you want me to get married, when I know that's probably not going to happen."

Chiya scratched her eyebrow, "What about Sarah?"

"She's straight, Mom; I've told you this."

"Oh."

Chiya and Clover remained together through a moment of silence, Chiya soon knelt down by her and shook her head.

"Oh, Clover. There are things you do that I do not approve of; that being said, there were many more things I did that your grandma didn't approve of."

Clover crossed her arms and pouted, "Yeah, well... you want me to get married, and I want to please you. Sadly, I'm not getting married. It can't happen."

"Oh, get over it. You're in your fresh twenties." Clover raised her eyebrows at Chiya. "If you aspire to get married, you'll get married one day. Until then, I just want you to keep doing what you're doing." Clover looked away from Chiya with bloated cheeks after saying this, Chiya sighed and rolled her eyes, "Well, most of what you're doing, at any rate."

"Fine," Clover said after exhaling. "And thank you for giving my friend the Flower Patch; it means a lot to her."

Chiya grinned and stood back up, "I didn't give it to her, she earned it."

"And she deserved it," Clover added.

"Indeed." With this being said, Chiya tossed up the key to the Purring Kitten and proposed, "How about you and I go strike up some bloke at a game of cards; the Gambling Area."

Clover grinned and stood up, "Morning gambling? Sounds like a plan!"

Chiya chuckled, "You make your father so proud..."

And so the mother and daughter left to partake in gambling. Clover was the offspring of a Chiya Flower and Earl Bendek; an interesting individual, to say the least. The young Mysterian carried on many of the same attributes that Chiya and Earl had, along with some new ones—such as a lustful trait. Regardless of the less desirable traits, Chiya loved her daughter. Chiya was proud of her for being an F-Zero pilot, polite woman, and loyal officer. Earl was proud of her for being a mechanic, gambler, and tough figure.

...Lieutenant Seppuku could be proud of her lustful trait...