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.
Additionally, it is highly recommended that you first read the Tale titled 'Clover', otherwise, the reader may become lost.
Warning, this Tale contains the following: Sexual themes (mostly implied/mentioned), mentioning and/or consumption of alcohol, pagan (but fictional) beliefs, LGBT themes, and minor cussing.
As an additional warning, I'm going to go ahead and start off admitting that this is not a particular Tale I'm proud of. It was one of those rare situations where I had a bunch of funny jokes made, but no good plot. Henceforth, it's sort of a big mess of jokes. Still, it's F-Zero: Seppuku and I need something to represent Thanksgiving with. It's not a bad Tale, just not comparable to any of the other Tales.
== Turkey Blow Up Day =
A middle-aged Chiya stood beside her desk with a mobile device up to her ear; she listened while stroking the fur of a young cat.
"Yes, Mom; we're just about ready to depart. I'm waiting on Clover to pack her things." Chiya tapped her fingers down in a rhythmic pattern, "That girl is never prepared ahead of time..."
From Mysteria, an elder Fiona rocked in her living room chair, "Mmm, does Clover have a lot to bring?"
"No," Chiya looked up and glared, Clover was drawing pictures on the office drawing board. "It's because she's pussyfooting around!"
In response, Clover puckered her lips and turned, "Look, Mom, isn't this the best drawn cat you've ever seen?"
Chiya lowered her eyebrows and smirked, "Very nice, how about you draw a picture of you and I getting in a car and leaving for Mysteria, next?"
"Kay."
"N- No..!" Chiya face palmed and proceeded to tell Fiona, "Hold on, Mom; we'll be arriving before Mysterian Afternoon."
"Very well, dear. Your sister will be arriving here shortly."
"Mhm, g'bye." Chiya practically slammed her phone down and glared at Clover, "Dammit, Clover!" This caused Clover to widen her eyes and spin around. "Get packed and let's go!"
Clover took a step back in shock, "I- I am packed!"
The Mysterian chief tapped her foot with impatience, "You don't have a bag on you."
"Blimey, Mom. We're not staying the night or anything, I don't need to pack anything."
Chiya approached Clover with both arms behind her back, nodded, and said, "In that case, I would like to leave now, please."
Clover stepped back toward the door while nodding, "Can I bring Sarah with?"
The mother almost appeared offended, "Sarah?"
"Yeah, she never celebrates Labor Thanksgiving Day with her parents, so I thought it'd be cool if she comes along with us for Mysterian Thanksgiving."
Chiya's face displayed escalating discontent, "Sarah isn't a part of the family."
Clover shrugged, "Come on, Mom. Sarah's my best friend in the world and she's very lonely." Chiya's eyes moved away from her daughter for a moment to think. "And it's not like she's a stranger, you gave her a flower patch."
"I respect your wish to bring Sarah along, she's a good person—great person. It's just that this is a family gathering..." After making a soft sigh, Chiya added, "But on the other hand, Sarah is an outstanding officer and has a modest background. Maybe she'll keep you from acting out of line at dinner... "
From within her room, a casually-dressed Sarah Kyoto stared into a mirror. She performed all sorts of small arm flexes and made a variety of facial expressions; after doing so for a few moments, she proceeded to speak aloud.
"Well, Clover, I guess you'll be leaving for Thanksgiving, again... I'm not going to lie, I'll struggle in maintaining Squad B on my own, but-" She stopped speaking to hum in discontent. Her next face suggested drama, "Ah, right, it's that time of the year, huh? Guess that means I won't be seeing you for a day. Sad, I don't feel complete without my partner with me in Squad B-"
Again, she hummed and shook negatively. She stood contemplating on a farewell line, which was without a doubt an overreaction to Clover's annual leave for Thanksgiving.
"Clover, when I look upon the flower patch your mother gave me, I think of pride, bravery, and beauty; ironically, you seem to fit all three of those-" Sarah slapped her face, "Sure, if I want to sound like some kind of obsessive fan girl..."
The young Mysterian then popped up from behind and asked, "Fan girl?"
Sarah jumped, "J- J- J- Sh- ..!"
"Who are you a fan girl of?"
The Japanese officer panicked, "Mistress Chiya!" Clover lowered her eyebrows and grunted in shock, Sarah grasped the strangeness of this and corrected herself, "I mean, you..! Uh... I am a fan of your F-Zero endeavors..!"
Sarah tilted her head and put on an unrealistic grin. Clover smacked her lips aside before chuckling, "Well, I would hope your favorite racer is also your best friend."
Just after saying this, Sarah took a step back and brought two fingers together, "Well, I guess it's that time of the year again..!"
Clover raised a brow, "What time is it?"
"Thanksgiving."
"Oh."
"Bye..!" Sarah yelped.
"What?"
Sarah lowered her eyebrows, reduced to sweat, "Uh... perhaps I should try that again..."
Rather than hearing her through, Clover grabbed the officer's hand and walked back over to her bed. It was only now that Sarah noticed the one travel bag her friend had brought with her. The Mysterian released Sarah and waved around her room.
"Pack your things, you're coming with me to Mysteria."
Sarah's eyes widened, "I am?"
"Yeah, you're coming with my mom and I."
"I... am..!?"
"To see my whole family."
Sarah gulped, "Oh God... I'm going to be sick..."
"Well, don't be. My entire family will want to meet you."
"Your 'entire' family, as in... many people?"
Clover argued, "You did say that you'd like to form a relationship with my family, didn't you?"
The woman lowered her eyebrows and looked away, "Eventually, yes..."
Clover essentially kidnapped Sarah, not even allowing her to pack for the trip. Regardless, Sarah did not combat or argue Clover on this matter—she did as her friend desired.
Not much later, Chiya, Clover, and Sarah sat within a private Federation shuttle as it traveled out of the Milky Way. The interior was almost identical to that of a train cart, but with Chiya sitting at the end—like a limousine. Clover relaxed beside her friend and indulged in sketching; though she couldn't help but sense the fear that Sarah had.
The young Mysterian lowered her sketchbook and raised a brow at the frightened officer, "Bloody Hell, Sarah; you're vibrating like a... uh..." Clover snapped her fingers, "Vibrating like an F-Zero engine." Sarah scrolled her eyes down toward Clover with chattering teeth. "You're not honestly this scared of being with my mother, are you?"
Sarah shook her head, "I've lived in Mute City all my life... I've never taken flight before." Clover raised both her eyebrows in surprise, even Chiya turned a strict looking gaze toward Sarah. "What if this ship explodes and we're sucked out into space? What if the Dixies of the East capture us?" Sarah's eyes became ever so wide, "I've heard that Antonio Guster sells prisoners as slaves to Magica; I don't want to be a slave!"
Clover opened her mouth to argue against these fears, but Chiya was the one to offers words to the officer. It was rare for Chiya to directly speak to Sarah, despite coming across her so often.
She explained, "Guster and I are not on overly violent terms with each other. He would likely open negotiations with Federation High Command and ransom me back. I would, of course, take both of you with me to the ransom deal." Sarah became stiff as a rock, offering the utmost loyalty to the Federation chief. Chiya closed her eyes and crossed her arms, "As for your original fear, ships do not explode. The only thing we have to fear are asteroids, storms, and privateers."
Again, Clover opened her mouth to speak, but Sarah quickly whipped, "Okay, Mistress Chiya! I have one hundred percent faith in your judgment..!"
Clover grinned and closed her eyes. Sarah, you bloody kiss-up...
"Just relax," Chiya insisted calmly.
Sarah gave Chiya many glances after this, it was amusing to her that the chief had gone silent and still. Her eyes remained motionless—almost robotic. This was unusual looking to Sarah, but a common sight to Clover. A blink was the one and only thing suggesting life in Chiya. She soon closed her eyes with the exact same pose.
Neither of the two young women spoke aloud as Chiya entered a meditative state of mind.
In a very warm and inviting scene, Earl stood alongside a 25 year old Chiya and helped decorate a wooden table. Both lovers, as always, lived void of clothing and took on the from of their younger selves. Fiona's house was not the only place preparing for Thanksgiving, Chiya was celebrating the event from within her inner realm as well.
"What do you have planned to eat?" asked Chiya.
Earl leaned beside the dining table and scratched his chin, "I was thinking... the obvious turkey, pie, beverages of our picking, cookies, a vegetable dish, and perhaps a steak if you're up to it."
The Mysterian's face lit up with happiness, "Yummy!"
"Just don't get too filled up on Fiona's food, save some room for Rose and I."
Chiya chuckled, "Don't worry, I take only one plate of everything at Mom's dinner. Except her pie; her pie has become somewhat... undesirable over the years." Earl nodded with a smile. "Same goes with her cake; but she doesn't need to know that."
"Can you blame her? Your mother's taste buds are not as they used to be; she probably has a bad sense of when things are under or overcooked."
With this being said, the two worked together in draping a large cloth over the table. The white cloth was patterned with hearts and flowers, a perfect fit for the romantic second dinner Chiya would be having later in the day.
A knocking came at the Bendek household just as Earl began to place silverware in three spots. Chiya was the one to rush for the door.
"I wonder who that could be," she joked.
The person at the door, of course, was Dark 'Chiya' Rose, the only other human being within Chiya's inner realm. The former witch was almost startled to find Chiya's beaming face come right against hers—their noses almost touching.
"Hi, Rose!"
Only mere minutes later, Chiya, Earl, and Rose sat around in the kitchen with nothing to do. It was established that they would not be having dinner until after Chiya's dinner with Fiona and the rest of her family. The surprise for Rose and Earl alike came with Chiya's surprise visit, no one knew that she would sleep through the shuttle ride to Mysteria.
Rose crossed a leg over her knee and raised a brow at Chiya, "How is Clover today?"
"Sitting in front of me with Sarah as we speak."
Earl knew of Sarah's presence, but this was news to Rose. "Sarah? Clover's friend?"
"I figured that she may be able to keep Clover from acting out at dinner."
Rose was still puzzled, but Earl nodded in agreement, "Aside from Lynn, Clover doesn't have anyone to keep her occupied." Chiya gazed at Earl and nodded. "Clover is like myself; she doesn't want to sit around and hear about her grandmother's strange shopping mart experience—she wants to fix stuff, gamble, drive, party... do stuff."
Chiya hummed, "Yes, this is why I will never take Clover back to church. The girl's too antsy."
Soon, silence overcame the moment. Rose scrolled her eyes around the room, back at the clock, then to Chiya.
"So, we're not eating now?"
Chiya shook negatively, "Nope."
Earl finished setting up the table, leaving only the food to prepare, "We have to cook the food, at any rate. We're just killing time."
As silence ensued, the three remained together with an exchange of glances. Soon, the blonde Mysterian snapped her fingers and clapped her hands.
"Hey, I know! Let's play charades."
Rose brought a hand up, "Uh, no."
"Make way for Chiya Bendek!" a Mysterian captain shouted. "Hero and Champion of Humanity!"
An astounding crowd of Mysterian citizens flocked to the New Edinburgh starport as though a god were present. Cheering, thrown money, crying; everything was present in the crowd—everything but hatred. It was no secret to anyone that Chiya held the support needed to assume control of Mysteria if she so wished. With a single action, Chiya could betray the Galactic Space Federation and hold up the crown of Mysteria—to restore the monarchy of the proletariat. Her fame and political experience alone made Chiya this powerful on her planet.
Like an empress, Chiya took slow steps down a path leading to a well-protected limousine. The face of the F-Zero legend suggested disinterest, but also respect for her people. Clover had become used to this; she couldn't take a single step on Mysterian soil with her mother without turning it into some kind of ceremony. Sarah, however, was beyond frightened—reduced into a puddle. She both wanted to stay close to Chiya in order to protect her, but on the other hand, wanted to keep her distance—as this would take her out of the line of sight.
Though no longer an authoritarian planet, Chiya was still escorted by many robed guards—they were fashioned in similar attire found in the Napoleonic era of history.
While walking, Sarah moved up to Clover and asked, "This is insane. With all due respect, Mistress Chiya does not receive such recognition in Japan…"
"That is because Mom is a hero on this planet."
"She is a literal hero to Earth," Sarah argued.
The young Mysterian thought about this, but shrugged. Even though Chiya had stopped Black Shadow from destroying Earth, and perhaps the universe with it, her reputation on Earth remained normal in terms of F-Zero celebrity status. On Mysteria, Chiya was essentially viewed as superior to all.
Chiya, Clover, and Sarah entered the limousine; after blowing a kiss to her people, Chiya snapped her fingers at the driver.
"There's a turkey near ready and we're running late," she explained. "Deliver us to the Flower homestead, please."
As requested, the car took off—with many charging after the limousine like zombies. Chiya, again, positioned herself at the end of the limousine, as she did in the shuttle. Sarah stuck to Clover's side like glue, having not realized what she was in for. This was not a simple trip to Grandma's House; it was a process that involved being beside one of the most powerful figures in the Galactic Space Federation—third or fourth from Jody Summer, the commander.
"Clover," Chiya spoke.
"Yeah?"
Moments of silence ensued as Chiya fiddled with her fingers, soon after, she looked up at her daughter with somewhat cold eyes. "Please don't act out of line tonight. This is the one time a year we all come together and I'd prefer some professionalism out of my own flesh and blood."
Clover rolled her eyes, "You act like I always act out at dinner…"
Chiya chuckled, "That is because you do act out at dinner..!"
Offended and under fire, Clover turned to Sarah and quipped, "Sarah, do I act out in public?"
"N- No, please don't make me-"
Sarah caught the gaze of both Chiya and Clover—quite literally the worst situation for her. She either had to take a loss of respect from her best friend, or her mother—whom she looks up to quite a bit. Searching desperately for damage control, Sarah attempted to sneak away from the question.
With a distressed chuckle, Sarah responded, "W- Well, I doubt anyone acts out in public as much as Lieutenant Seppuku—if the stories I've heard are correct."
Clover couldn't comment on this, but the escape attempt succeeded with Chiya, who proceeded to groan and face palm.
"Bloody Hell, that's right…" She cupped a fist over her mouth and widened her eyes, "Clover is the very last person I should be worrying about, given that Seppuku will be at this meal…"
Clover shook her head in response, "Come on, Mom. The man's in his sixties. Do you really think he's going to act the way he used to?"
Chiya looked back and forth between Sarah and Clover, then made a heavy exhale, "I pray that he doesn't act out of line…"
Following an explosion, Fiona jumped up, trembled, and swung her body around. A completely smoked former lieutenant walked out of the kitchen with bits of turkey all over him. Blinking in astonishment, Fiona grasped her forehead and asked.
"What the bloody Hell did you do, dear!?"
Seppuku shrugged, "The bird exploded."
"What!?"
"You told me to check its temperature. I did, and I found that it could be hotter. So, I just tossed some gasoline onto the oven and-"
Fiona gently pushed Seppuku aside with a glare, "From now on, I will do all of the cooking, dear."
The Man of Darkness narrowed his eyes at the woman, "Wasn't my fault, blame science for it blowing up."
Fiona stationed herself in the kitchen, putting out fires and ultimately preparing another turkey; likewise, Seppuku had returned to his usual station—a reclining chair. He grumbled and stretched around in the chair, taking on the role of the stereotypical sour geezer. The man's red eyes darted to the left and caught the television screen as it displayed the news.
"In a more recent polling," the anchorman spoke. "Seventy-one percent of the eastern hemisphere voted in favor of severing ties once again with the Galactic Space Federation and to restore the imperial crown once again." Seppuku enlisted his interest, as did Fiona from the kitchen. "The most popular candidate for a restored monarchic crown is Chiya Bendek, native to Mysteria and Chief of the Lower Federation."
It was at this moment that Chiya's limousine stopped in front of the Flower homestead, only Seppuku took note of Chiya's presence. He stood up in preparation to answer the ensuing knocking on the door, but retained interest in the news broadcast.
"Chiya is a legendary figure to the Mysterian people; an Anglo-Mysterian best known for her F-Zero career and ambitions, wife of the Hero of Humanity—Earl Bendek, and a positive political showing. She is the older sister of Abigail Flower, Mysterian ambassador."
Fiona stepped into the living room with a somewhat concerned face; having been born into a communist monarchy, later a radical socialist one, Fiona knew best that the Mysterian crown was best left in the gutter.
"Despite the dwindling support for Mysteria to remain a democratic planet under Federation rule, more than eighty percent of the eastern hemisphere only supports such a revolution under the circumstance that Mysteria avoids war with the Federation as an initial consequence."
The two elders exchanged glances, both expressing some degree of fear over the matter. Mysterian dissent derived from patriotism and power—Mysteria was as of this day the most powerful planetary asset of the Galactic Space Federation—the Federation would not allow such an asset to break away yet again; if Chiya was the queen behind the revolution, her name would almost immediately be viewed as the definition of 'belligerence'. A failed war against the Federation could result in Chiya being imprisoned by Jody Summer.
"Whether or not Mysteria secedes and Chiya assumes the new crown, both the Federation and Mysterian loyalist government will need to work through a headache to ease the threat of yet another revolution."
Fiona raised both her brows and asked, "Dear, you don't think my Chiya would actually consider this, do you?"
The former lieutenant blinked at the television, lost in his thoughts. His concentration had been disrupted as a knocking had finally been heard at the door. He thus made his way to the door, but offered his thoughts while moving.
"As I remember Chiya, she does not give into temptation, nor does she let power go to her head."
This was the only sentence he had to offer on the topic of Chiya assuming control of Mysteria. Fiona offered no rebuttal, simply hoping that such a scenario would remain nothing but a concept. There was more to gain for Chiya, at any rate, by staying Chief of the Lower Federation. The Galactic Space Federation high command already had a chief commander, but with Jody still to live for likely another two decades or so, nothing was stopping Chiya from snatching the title 'Chief Commander of the Galactic Space Federation'. If she were to succeed in doing so, Chiya could very well one day become the commander of it all; essentially, an 'empress'.
Seppuku kicked open the door, sending Clover and Sarah wide eyes—Chiya didn't react in the slightest.
"Chiya," Seppuku chuckled.
Chiya smirked and grabbed his left arm, then shook his hand with her free hand. "Hi, Seppuku."
Fiona looked past Seppuku's shoulder and lowered her eyebrows, "You'll have to excuse me, dear. We need to remake a turkey; Seppuku blew up another meal…"
The Man of Darkness turned and glared, "Ha, 'another' meal. You make it sound like I do this all the time. You and I both know that it is a 'rarity', at best, that I blow up a meal."
"Uncommon," Fiona argued.
As the three travelers entered the household, Seppuku caught sight of Sarah; his eyes scrolled toward Clover. "You've brought a… 'friend'?"
Sarah's face flushed as Clover then squeezed her with full might, "My best friend!"
While sitting around the living room, Chiya later chuckled in response to a question and shook her head in disapproval.
"If the Mysterian people are so willing to crown me as their supreme leader, they will also be willing to accept my word that they are in better care with the Galactic Space Federation." Chiya turned her head toward Fiona and reasserted, "With what political power I do have as a Federation chief, I will work to ensure that the imperial days of Mysteria remain never return."
Fiona appeared very pleased with this news, but Clover demanded everyone's attention as she proceeded to make a power yawn. She fell down onto the couch beside Sarah and stomped her feet down in a childlike way.
"Bo—oring! Mom's not old enough to be a queen, anyway."
"What do you mean?" an offended mother asked.
Clover explained, "Queens are old. You're in your forties, that's not so old."
Chiya lowered her eyebrows, "Dear, there have been infant queens throughout history."
Fiona sat with a finger over her lip, but was alerted by a loud ding from the kitchen. "Oh! The turkey..!" She grabbed the bottom of her pink dress and scurried off toward the kitchen.
Everyone but Sarah watched the elder Mysterian take leave; Sarah was somewhat petrified to be surrounded by members of another family—Mistress Chiya's family, no less. Seppuku paid the most attention to Fiona, for it was when she went out of sight that Seppuku popped the question to Chiya.
"Flower- err… Bendek."
Chiya straightened her back and nodded, "Yes, Seppuku."
The Man of Darkness stood up with a grin, "I've been waiting decades for a rematch…"
Chiya gritted her teeth, "A rematch?" She looked back at Clover, who shrugged in mutual confusion. Sarah was no help, either. "A rematch. What do you mean?"
Seppuku brought the Mysterian chief up by the shoulders, "You and I exchanged blows over Black Shadow's ship. It was a glorious battle, but not a true demonstration of strength on the grounds that I had unmatched power surging through my blood."
"Of course," it was after saying this that Chiya widened her eyes, "Wait… rematch!?"
"Neither of us have much power to exert over the other, but regardless, we both share similar blood." He cracked his knuckles and chuckled, "Let's have a friendly exchange of kicks and punches."
Sarah scratched her head, "Friendly kicks and punches..?"
Chiya smirked and waved her index finger in disapproval, "Now, Seppuku. That's just the beer talking…"
"Dammit, woman. I haven't had a lick of beer all day!"
"Wow, for real?"
Seppuku smirked, "It's alright, I understand that the Federation struggles in teaching how to fight." Chiya gave him a half glare, then smacked her lips aside. "A Fed could never deliver an effective blow to a serious combatant; you are a peaceful organization, as I understand."
Chiya smacked her lips to the other side, then had Clover cheer, "Come on, Mom. I want to see some Thanksgiving action!"
"Hm…" Chiya curved her index and middle fingers, but did not spread her legs. "Alright, then. Just tell me when you're experiencing slight pain and I'll stop."
Seppuku's red eyes widened for a moment along with a somewhat insane grin, "Those are definitely fighting words…"
"They are if you want them to be, old chap."
The Man of Darkness held a fist up and began, "Then let me demonstrate what-" Before he could finish, Chiya snagged him across the face with a swift punch. The attack sent Seppuku back a meter, had Clover and Sarah both gasping, and the Man of Darkness left in respecting awe. "Nice."
Seppuku responded to her with a strong punch, which she blocked with an amazing upward kick. Everyone in the room gasped in amazement at the extreme acrobatic talent Chiya possessed. The block, however, was meaningless as a second punch made its way to Chiya's chin. The Mysterian was sent back into the reclining chair, having had the wind knocked out of her. After flexing her chin, Chiya stood back up and soared at Seppuku with quick feet.
Clover brought her feet up onto the couch with wide eyes, "J- Jesus..!" she panicked as the two entered supernatural combat. Sarah was just as dumbfounded.
Much like their legendary duel over Mute City two decades ago, Chiya's foot whipped around the area at a speed that could never be matched by any ordinary human. Likewise, Seppuku sent many loaded punches her way. One of four attempted attacks would normally be blocked, leaving the majority of each kick and punch successful. Seppuku took much abuse from Chiya's sharp and speedy kicks, while the Mysterian suffered stomach and face blows. This went on until Fiona soon returned, in which she responded with a loud gasp.
"Goodness gracious!" she screamed.
Seppuku didn't turn his head, he continued fighting, "Relax, Fiona. We're only fooling around."
Fiona rushed over to the two and broke up the fight, "Bloody Hell! Is this what you two used to do with each other!?"
Chiya shook negatively, "No, our daily routine usually had me being yelled at, then some comical situation ensuing."
Seppuku grinned, "But this is pretty comical." He sighed and shrugged, "But let's go ahead and stop, can't have either of us breaking our back."
Coming in from behind was a snickering Abigail, suited in blue expensive fabric. Everyone turned to find Abigail, Azhul, and Lynn entering the living room. Chiya smiled and waved to her sister's family.
"Ah, Abigail," Fiona greeted.
Abigail stopped behind the couch and closed her eyes, "Chiya and Seppuku fighting. This is exactly why we cannot have the paparazzi trespassing here."
Chiya puckered her lips, "Oh, Seppuku and I are only pussyfooting around."
Fiona, Chiya, Seppuku, Azhul, and Abigail convened to catch up. Lynn, the daughter of Abigail and Azhul, took position on the couch by Clover and Sarah. In appearance, Lynn was a black-haired girl with a darker skin color—almost identical to that of a Native American. Considering Azhul was one of the very first black humans to live on Mysteria and breed with a native Anglo-Mysterian, this makes Lynn the oldest living Mysterian of such color. She favored a type of western apparel, in that she wore brown cowboy boots, an orange ribbed leather jacket, and brown cargo pants.
Clover smacked Lynn's palm and said, "Hey, kid. How's things?"
Lynn took one look at the gathered family, then made a stretched hum, "Mom's trying to drag me with her to a diplomatic mission on Big Blue. Says that it'll give me more experience away from Mysteria."
"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Clover. "Traveling the many lands of the universe; isn't that what an adventurer strives for?"
"Yes, but, not with my mom…"
Clover smirked, "I feel that."
In a conversation with Abigail, Chiya felt her sister's shoulder and asked, "Does Princia Ramode still speak of me?"
"Of course. In fact, as I recall, Princia has prepared a priceless family heirloom to hand over to you as a gift." Chiya raised both her brows. "Some finely-crafted cat vase."
This news was welcomed and surprising to Chiya, but given the unmatched wealth she had amassed over the decades, even a priceless heirloom was of lesser value to her. The thought of the gift was what struck her interest.
"Interesting," she remarked. "I imagine it is more so of a 'state gift' than that of friendship."
Abigail nodded, "Despite my many attempts, relations between Magica and the Federation remain…" the ambassador clicked her tongue and closed one eye as she thought. "Unhinged..?"
"We will one day acquire Magica as another satellite of the Federation, one way or another."
"Princia does, however, view you on a positive note."
Chiya grinned and explained, "Try reasoning with Princia on the terms that I want to install Lower Federation reserves on her planet. Getting Lower Federation boots on Magican sand is the first step toward… diplomatic annexation."
Fiona crossed her arms and looked over at the two sisters along with Seppuku, "Girls, this is no time for politics," she lectured.
"Yeah," Seppuku added. "It's time to rip through the flesh of a helpless dead bird. Talks of Federation imperialism can wait."
Chiya narrowed one eyebrow, "Federation 'imperialism'?"
"Can it and let's eat."
Azhul remained isolated from the political talks, though he would side with his wife and sister-in-law if he had to. With a swift glance to the window, the man caught sight of a massive orange vehicle now parked outside. It was none other than the Wild Boar—a reincarnation of the original machine.
"Hand me a knife," Seppuku ordered.
Situated in the kitchen, a somewhat long table had been put out for everyone—though the table could hardly fit in the room. Fiona and Seppuku were situated across the table as the hosts, everyone else sat to the side. On the left side sat Abigail, Azhul, and Lynn—along with Michael Chain. The right side contained Chiya, Clover, and visiting Sarah. Of the nine present at the table, Seppuku, Chain, and Sarah were of no blood relation to the Flower/Bendek dynasties.
With her frail body, Fiona leaned over the table and stretched over for the pan containing the turkey. She lifted the lid up, and thus the fresh aroma of a fried bird filled the room. The very heart of the turkey touched everyone, as though they were in a sauna.
Chain licked his lips and said, "That's a fine looking turkey!"
Azhul nodded, "I can't wait to dive into it."
Clover licked her lips with a dreamy smile, "I forgot how much I love this holiday…"
"Hand me a knife."
Chiya made a deeply-toned giggle and sucked on her finger for a moment, "Try as I may, I'll never be able to cook a turkey like Mom does."
Clover smirked at Chiya, "Well, figure it out; Thanksgiving won't be the same without the spirit of Grandma's turkey to eat."
Fiona covered her lips, flattered, "My goodness, dears. I do not have a secret ingredient or anything; perhaps our oven is simply special."
"Hand me a knife."
Sarah, in a very soft and delicate voice, pointed out, "That meat seems a bit red; is the turkey from Earth?"
Fiona responded, "No, it is from Magica. Magican turkey meat is thicker and healthier."
Lynn hummed with interest, "Magican turkey, eh? Sounds exotic."
Abigail winked at her daughter, "Magica has for long been locked down to visitors. There is much for non-Magicans to discover."
The aspiring adventurer beamed, "Think there's any artifacts to uncover in the unexplored hemisphere of Magica?"
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"Hand me the damn knife…" Seppuku growled.
Fiona crossed her arms and explained to both Sarah and Lynn, "Magica and Mysteria may have lifted their respective embargoes, but goods are still horridly expensive." She gave Chiya a respectful nod, "I couldn't possibly afford a Mysterian turkey without either investing, or being subsidized by my daughter."
Chiya closed her eyes in appreciation, "Oh, it's the very least I can do." She looked down at the turkey and laughed, "I mean, just look at that! It's so good looking!"
"Very good looking," Chain added.
Azhul rubbed his hands together, "I can't believe how good-"
Seppuku struck both his hands down and stood up, "Hand me the damn knife so that I can cut the dead bird and eat before I become very angry! Hand me the God damn knife!" The room became silent, including Seppuku, who then reached his hand out and added, "Please?"
Being the closest to the knife, Clover swiped the sharp and large blade into her hand, then held it up like a switchblade. Seppuku's eyes met with Clover's, thankful that someone he viewed as 'competent' held the blade.
"Yo, Seppuku, catch!"
Everyone widened their eyes and gasped as Clover tossed the knife at Seppuku; the man hardly reacted as he caught it with no struggle. The two smirked at each other.
"Nice catch!"
"Nice throw…"
Chiya slammed her fists down and lectured, "Clover! What the Hell!"
The young Mysterian shrugged, "I knew Seppuku would catch it."
"You don't throw knives at people!"
"I would only throw a knife at Seppuku."
"You don't throw knives at anyone!"
The Man of Darkness sat down with the knife and began cutting the turkey, "Relax, Bendek. She was correct in trusting that I would catch it."
Chiya glared, "D- Don't encourage her..!"
Lynn beamed and brought her hands together, "That was cool!"
Both Abigail and Azhul lectured, "Lynn..."
The visiting Japanese officer had a beating heart, caught off guard by what kind of insane situations Seppuku could provoke. More so, she couldn't believe that her dear friend Clover was the one who initiated the action. Chain and Fiona were the only two not responding to the knife throwing; both were well aware of what Seppuku was capable of—whether it be from the days of the Lower City gang war, or perhaps the day he prevented Dark Rose from assassinating Fiona.
Seppuku held a hand out toward Chiya and insisted, "Chiya, just be cool…"
"Oh, I can be cool all I want; get a board game going and I'll be the coolest cat in this club…" She closed her eyes and exhaled, "But I'm not going to stand by and watch my daughter murder someone... over turkey, for God's sake!"
Sarah bumped Clover's shoulder and offered a concerned face; the young Mysterian took in her frightened look and found sympathy. With an accepting nod, Clover rubbed her hand over Chiya's palm and made an offer of apology.
"I apologize, Mom."
Chiya nodded, "Very good, but I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." She gave Seppuku a finger, "Seppuku's the one you should be apologizing to."
Seppuku chuckled, "Nah, no apology needed; it was funny."
"Wanker! I said don't encourage her!"
The meal carried on with various conversations across the table. Some were decent, some were funny, others were offensive—just as Chiya feared. The crowd had calmed over time and thus dropped the topic of Clover's knife throwing incident, the young Mysterian remained obedient from there on out. Like an anxious child, though, it was only a matter of time before Clover would kick off the shame of her recent doing and resume acting out. The right conversation or event had yet to come that could provoke her.
Fiona set down a fork, wiped her hands, then gave Sarah an almost automatic gaze, "Young woman."
Sarah glanced up for a split second, this was all she needed to discover Fiona's Mysterian Blue eyes. Nervous beyond comprehension, the officer nodded while pretending to inspect her plate.
"Yes, ma'am?"
The grandmother tilted her head and asked, "What relation do you have with Clover and Chiya, again?"
Sarah opened her lips to speak, but Chiya—to her great relief—intervened with an answer of her own, "Officer Sarah Kyoto is the only quality friend my daughter has."
Clover's eyes launched open, "Uh... sting!"
"She is also a possessor of the Flower Patch—a prestigious award given to only the most deserving of officers." With an almost disinterested gaze, Chiya turned her head toward Sarah and continued, "Did you know, Officer Kyoto, that this also puts you in a position to one day serve the upper branch of the Federation as a 'Guard'?"
"I- I did not..." Sarah dropped her lips in shock as she thought about this. "A Federation Guard, my goodness..."
Chiya nodded, "Continue working as you do, and I'll be the key to your success."
Clover, disturbed and scared, looked at Chiya with a trembling fake smile, "But Sarah wants to remain working in Squad B with me..." She gave Sarah a desperate look, "Right?"
Sarah became lost on the spot while looking into Clover's eyes—she saw both intimidation and sorrow in Clover; she was like a mother wolf who had just lost a child. The idea of becoming a Federation Guard—a protectorate of figures such as Jody Summer—meant striking rich. Regardless, the officer felt emotionally tied to Clover, who could never follow Sarah in such a path.
"With all due respect, Mistress Chiya; the opportunity to become a Guard is wonderful and promising, but I am morally obligated to aid the citizens of the Lower City in Squad B."
Clover placed a thankful hand over her shoulder, in which Chiya nodded to the officer and said, "Virtue is its own reward."
Not too long after this, the table was clean of food and the seats vacant. The festivities had moved all around the house, primarily the living room. A game of American football caught the eyes of Seppuku, Chain, and Azhul; meanwhile, Clover, Sarah, and Lynn walked the halls of the house together. Lastly, the two sisters, Chiya and Abigail, spoke with one another in the kitchen. Fiona was present cleaning dishes after a great feast.
A well-formed complete pass was made in the football game, in which the three viewing men erupted in loud cheers or disapproving shouts. Seppuku sided with the winning team.
"Nice," he concluded.
To this, Chain whined, "That was bull!" Seppuku sent the businessman an annoyed stare. "That was a sack; the quarterback was pretty much down when he threw it."
"Don't cry, Chain," Seppuku teased.
"I aint crying, I'm just saying it as it is..." The Man of Darkness' stare became more aggressive. "It's our ball."
"It's your ball?"
"Yeah."
Seppuku launched up and unrolled his sleeves, "Those are fighting words if I ever heard any..."
The bodybuilder stood up and cracked his knuckles; his body cast an intimidating shadow over Seppuku—but this sent no fear into the man, who looked Chain straight in the eyes. Chain remained the boss of the Bloody Chain, but the days of the gang lifestyle was decades gone. He led a very successful company going after the same name , 'Bloody Chain', which produced automobile and F-Zero parts. Even so, the former gang leader stayed in extreme physical shape.
The elder Seppuku continued to stare at Chain, who also stood without fear. Still, Chain stood doing nothing—Seppuku was the aggressor, Chain the defender. Seppuku's heated attitude came to an abrupt stop, however, as Azhul pointed at the screen with gritted teeth.
"Topless streaker," he pointed out.
Both Seppuku and Chain turned their heads to the screen, greeted by the sight of a topless young woman running across the field.
"Whoa!" Seppuku sat back down and tilted his head.
Chain sat as well and muttered, "Huh..."
Moments after the streaker had been taken off camera, Seppuku shook his head and asked, "What were we doing?"
Azhul smirked, "Watching football."
"Oh yeah," he acknowledged.
From across the room, Chiya shook her head at Seppuku and looked back onto Abigail, "So, anyways. Clover has been enlisting some degree of interest in studying machinery."
The younger sister bobbed her head up, "Machinery? I can see that; Clover is a crafty individual and must be a good mechanic."
"She is," Chiya said in agreement.
The two walked together through the living room, soon coming up to a window. Both looked outside and spotted the three younger women, now walking around outside. Both Chiya and Abigail expressed happiness in seeing their grown flesh and blood walking as adults; however, Abigail had slight fear hiding behind her smile.
"I only fear that Lynn has raised her expectations as an adventurer a bit too high."
Lynn appeared to be talking to Sarah with Clover looking over the two. They exchanged laughs, though it was anyone's guess as to what they may have been humoring each other with. Chiya, meanwhile, raised a brow at her sister.
"Lynn is a brilliant child, what could go wrong?"
"The concept of 'adventuring' is both dangerous and difficult. Like any adventurer, she aspires to acquire wealth through her travels, but God knows that might be problematic for her. We don't live in a time where she could make money by transporting cattle and such for quick cash, she may find that the adventuring lifestyle involves a lot of..." Abigail closed one eye and turned a concerned look onto Chiya. "Paperwork, janitorial tasks-"
Chiya chuckled, "Lynn will be fine. As long as she doesn't become a privateer or anything of that sort, which she will not do."
Abigail hummed, "I just hope she gets what she wants out of adventuring quickly so that she can return and go to college."
The two looked out the window again; looking at Clover, Chiya explained, "If anyone should be worrying, it should be me. Clover has the intention of going to college, and while I'm proud of her incentive to do so, Clover isn't really..." she smacked her lips aside and squinted, "The school type..."
Clover held up a sharp rake and brought it to Sarah, "Hey, Sarah! Throw this rake at me and let's see if I can catch it!"
"Oh God."
The Mysterian was approached by Lynn, who pushed the rake down with two fingers. "Nah..."
Sarah was instant on agreeing, "Yes, let's not do that."
In response, Clover smashed her fists together and proposed, "Then, let's play some tackle football. Go get the guys."
Both Lynn and Sarah widened their eyes, the thought of playing tackle football with Seppuku and Chain was a painful thought in its own. The nervous flowered officer had no intention of getting to know the men, thus she had not a spark of interest in playing with them.
"Uh, no thank you... I don't much like football..." Sarah explained.
Clover crossed her arms in discontent at Sarah's unwillingness to play, "Then, what should we do?"
"I don't know," Sarah admitted. "Perhaps something... gentler?"
"B12," said Fiona.
Placing a chip over his bingo card, Seppuku eyed Clover and nodded. "Little Bendek, let's get an alliance going."
"An alliance?"
He nodded, "It's strategy. If we stick together, we'll win."
Clover smirked, "But there's nothing to gain from being allies in Bingo. How would we help each other?"
"Hm..."
Chiya turned her head and smiled, "I'll join you two in an alliance."
Sarah had a distressed look on her face as she gazed upon her Bingo card, "...why do I have two B12s on my card..?"
Azhul titled his head and complained, "My card is in Chinese..?"
Fiona nodded, "Abigail, share your card with Azhul."
To this, Abigail shrugged, "I still think we should play a board game."
Seppuku scoffed, "I'm not playing a 'bored' game."
"You're too funny," Chiya said with sarcasm.
"Thanks."
"C9," said Fiona.
Lynn raised her hand and beamed, "I want to play a board game, now."
"I don't," Seppuku insisted.
Chiya gave her daughter a challenging face, "Something that involves gambling."
Clover shot back a look, "Yeah, a gambling-based board game."
"B7."
Chain offered opposing words, "No gambling, Chiya and Clover are too talented at that."
Abigail raised a finger, "I propose a family-oriented board game."
With full force and anger, Seppuku brought both his fists down, "Nonsense. Board games are boring, I'd prefer we keep playing this."
"Bingo?" asked Chiya.
This simple question caused Seppuku to look down at the game in question, most eyes were put onto the Man of Darkness—stubborn as usual. In this case, however, he found sudden reason to switch sides with his argument.
"Fine, let's play a board game. But it better be a damn good one."
Fiona exhaled in relief, "Thank the lord. Bingo was a tad bit too much for me to handle..."
Mere minutes later the two former rivals, Seppuku and Chain, found themselves sitting in the living room once more, this time with somewhat bored faces. Everyone else indulged in a roleplaying game. With a sigh, Chain turned to Seppuku, who was watching the weather.
"Too bad football's off, eh?" Seppuku responded only with a mouth quirk. "You sure you don't want to jump in their game?"
Seppuku turned his head at a very slow pace, "I'd sooner go bald than I would play 'KittyQuest'. No offense."
Chiya and Clover both had very concentrated faces as they moved two plastic cat figurines down a castle hall. Chiya and Clover were the only two playing, everyone else acted as spectators, with the exception of Abigail, who told the story with the help of a booklet.
Abigail wiggled her fingers and read, "Upon moving past the litter boxes, your party is ambushed by two skeleton dogs!"
"Oh no!" Chiya panicked.
Sarah shouldered Clover and whispered, "What will you do?"
Like a tactician, Clover wiped her forehead before licking her lips, "I have a plan..."
Lynn scratched her chin, "What kind of plan?"
"Aunt Abby, I would like to attack."
Abigail handed her niece a dice, "You 'love', not attack."
With pride, Clover snatched the dice into her palm and answered, "Uh, yeah."
Chiya gave Clover a serious nod, "You gotta roll a six or three to successfully love them."
"I understand the odds."
After spinning the dice around between her fingers, Clover positioned her wrist a certain way in preparation to toss it. All eyes were on the dice as she released it; it rolled past the plastic pieces and stopped at the end of the table.
"Two," said Fiona.
Abigail held up the book and nodded, "Your cats are somehow captured and put in a kennel. Game over."
Clover snapped her fingers and gave Chiya a desperate face, "I can't believe the wrist flick move didn't work."
The remainder of the day brought about conversation until darkness overtook Mysteria; with an evening now beginning, it was time to pack up and go for all parties. Seppuku remained in his chair ever since the board game fiasco.
Clover looked over Seppuku's shoulder and asked, "Need anything before I go."
Seppuku's red eyes whipped toward her, "Yeah, give me a damn hug and get the Hell out."
Instead of a hug, Clover just slapped Seppuku's back with a smirk. "Stop by Mute City, soon."
The man chuckled, "Oh, I'll be back... preferably in a few months."
Chiya and Abigail stood by the door, with Sarah staying near her. There, Abigail continued to have a talk with Chiya about a previous issue.
"I trust that you'll help Mysterian interests, Chiya. Our people are becoming more supportive of restoring the crown each day that passes, you and I both know that the old Mysterian Empire must not resurrect."
The older sister nodded, "Tell Mysterian leadership that I will not be assuming a crown and rebel banner. It doesn't matter how badly our people want a Queen Bendek I, I will not support such an idea."
Abigail opened the door for Lynn and Azhul, and with a nod, took a step outside as well. "Very well, Chiya. You're a good sister and an even better politician; I have faith you'll settle much of the growing dissent."
Chiya nodded with a grin, "Alright, have a safe trip home."
A nod was returned, and so Abigail and her family left. Turning around, Chiya faced Sarah and Clover with the face of a mother.
"It's time to go. Let's stop for food and head on home."
Sarah's hand was clamped by Clover's, who forced her to the door and said, "More food!"
"Yeah!" Chiya cheered.
The three went out the door, leaving only Seppuku and Fiona with themselves in the living room. With a dimly lit room, the two convened around the television and resumed their ordinary lives. Seppuku changed the channel and sighed.
"Well, that was awful."
Fiona smirked, "Oh, come on, dear. So this wasn't an action-packed day full of drama and adventure; at least you can relax now."
The Man of Darkness slowly turned his head and sighed, "Nope, we still have to do Christmas."
Fiona dipped her head down with a forced look of cheer, "...oh, I'm confident that Christmas will be better."
"It better be... or the Wisconsinite gets it..."
Happy... Thanksgiving..!..?
(I'm never doing a Thanksgiving special for any story ever again... XD)
