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: Gambling, cussing, sexual themes (mostly implied/mentioned), and LGBT themes.

== Card Plight =

A Korean, representing the Southern Korea F-Zero radio station, smacked his fists down and shouted with excitement into a headset.

"And the Purring Kitten makes an astounding maneuver around the Green Panther and Fire Stingray!" The man laughed without control or humility, choking on the excitement of this thrilling Grand Prix episode. "But with such a low tank of energy and so many miles to go, will Chiya manage to fend off the two smugglers!?"

Over the metropolis of Seoul, over thirty racers fought in a contested Grand Prix match. Chiya, an F-Zero legend, found herself in a special load of trouble with Samurai Goroh—leader of the Goroh Clan smuggling ring; and Antonio Guster—leader of the 'Dixies of the East' smuggling ring. It was a free-for-all between the three, for no one had a favorable view of the other.

The Green Panther slipped by the Fire Stingray and took close pursuit of the Purring Kitten, Goroh took exceptional offense to his legendary rival picking Chiya over him to combat. Over the two decades, Antonio Guster had changed drastically. He was now equipped in light blue armor and masked with a blue face bandana. Over his left shoulder pad was the white and red Japanese battle flag that once existed over Samurai Goroh's pilot helmet. The Dixie leader had secured the battle flag from Goroh's helmet some years ago and now displayed it over his own attire—it was Guster's greatest war trophy.

The machine Guster piloted retained a similar appearance, but now carried another 300+ kg in weight. Thus, the Green Panther could be easily identified as a 'heavy machine', and therefore a combat nightmare.

The Purring Kitten remained as it was two decades ago in terms of specs. The woman even continued to wear a blue beanie hat and red scarf, along with a stunning black and blue racing suit. It could be said without doubt that Chiya was a more conservative type of racer—seeking to preserve the traditions and style that she and Earl had created so many years ago.

Chiya, Guster, and Goroh all maneuvered a sharp turn—both Guster and Chiya performed spin attacks during the turn and collided. Due to the mutual spinning, no damage was dealt to either machine. Goroh, however, snatched this opportunity to steal the lead.

The radio host made a loud whistle, "Goroh capitalizes on Chiya and Guster's sparring by taking the lead! Oh, what an unfortunate occurrence for Bendek!"

The middle-aged Mysterian lowered her brows and growled, having heard this over her radio. Then, with thinning patience, Chiya spoke into her machine's installed communication device.

"Dear, can you lend me a hand?"

Clover, piloting the Red Dove II, barred her teeth and complained, "I'd love to, but this guy's been a thorn in my side all day!"

Chiya avoided a swipe by Guster, but regardless, was not phased by the attack. "Who?"

"Roger Buster."

Clover and Buster were not in literal combat, but were acting very aggressive toward one another. Buster knew best not to toy around with the daughter of Chiya, let alone cross swords with the Galactic Space Federation. Still, Buster had an important delivery to make. The package was himself, and the destination was the finish line. The Red Dove II was of a similar build to Lieutenant Seppuku's old machine, but beared a heavy chassis instead of a light.

Through many shifts and sporadic movements behind Buster, Clover eventually found the promise land through her trickery, as Buster ended up ceding his position to the young Mysterian.

"Ha!" she boasted.

Clover wasn't the only one laughing, an arrogant Samurai Goroh laughed to himself while watching Chiya and Guster fight.

"Ho, ho!" he laughed to himself. "What's wrong, Chiya. The big Fed girl can't put off against Guster of all people? Heheh..!"

Mere seconds into saying this, a blinding blue flash appeared from the side of the two combatants. The flash of blue came straight for Goroh.

"Huh!?"

The smuggler leader made a quick reaction in the form of a spin attack—but this backfired. Twice in a row, Clover had fooled her opponent, as she had merely appeared to be going straight for Goroh, but instead, shifted to the track's center at the last second. Ultimately, Goroh was left spinning and sent back by Guster and Chiya. With Guster and Goroh pinning Chiya again, but the friendly daughter ahead, Chiya took a necessary risk and boosted forward—putting her in the red zone of her energy meter. Just like that, Chiya and Clover raced together—mother and daughter—only it was the daughter protecting her mother.

"Bloody good work, Clover."

The younger Mysterian put the two pursuing pirates into sight and asked, "How's your energy?"

"Red. And you?"

"Yellow." Clover then put herself closer to Chiya's flank and explained, "Let's stay close together—this race isn't over yet."

Just as Clover said this, both Goroh and Guster worked their way up to the rears of both Bendek ladies. Additional complexity was added as Roger Buster, Mighty Gazelle, and a next generation racer by the name of 'Hugh McDewey' came from behind.

The Korean radio host laughed, "Things are really heating up as we find ourselves seconds away from a completed race!"

Even with Goroh and Guster trailing—two declared enemies of the Lower Federation—Clover's attention was brought back on Roger Buster. Slight discomfort was discovered with his presence behind her.

"That damn Roger Buster's not going to let me off the hook today..." she whined.

Chiya frowned, "Aw. Do you want me to try talking to him? Ask him to stop being so hard on my baby girl?"

"Uh..!" Clover grunted with a humiliated face. "Don't you dare embarrass me like that, Mom..."

"Mmm, 'kay..." Chiya responded with puckered lips.

The finish line was coming up around the corner—it was literally anyone's shot to take 1st place in this one. Clover and Chiya both had the same thought; that Clover deserves the victory—which Chiya was willing to cede. This was easier said than done, however, as both Buster and McDewey boosted ahead of the two Mysterians. At almost the same time, Goroh and Guster foolishly ran into each other, thus knocking both smugglers back five positions.

"Go on, Clover. Bounce off Buster's flank and boost to victory."

Clover, with a nervous face, rushed over to Buster's machine as instructed—who did not challenge her with violence. Last moment fears were coming into her mind, though, as to whether or not this strategy would work.

"You sure?"

Chiya nodded to herself, "I'm too low on energy to boost. I'm going to just accept 4th place and not risk pissing off Buster and McDewey." The mother chuckled with pride. "Sportsmanship is a virtue all F-Zero legends are expected to live by. Unless you're Samurai Goroh..."

Without another moment to think, Clover nodded and took aim at Buster's side—ready to bounce off his side and boost to victory. The most classic of urgency tactics.

"I'll know how that feels next year when I return an F-Zero legend!"

Clover tapped against Buster's machine, then straightened her machine out on the track to get away. Perfection—just as planned, Buster had been put in his place and Clover in the lead for inevitable victory. Or so she thought.

Having just bounced off of Buster's machine, Clover prepared to boost—right before doing so, Buster sent her a surprise delivery. Completely unexpected, Buster ran into Clover's flank and bounced off of her. Never before had she seen this tactic employed.

"What the-"

Both Clover and Buster boosted forward for the finish line—but the surprise last second bounce not only bested Clover by a quarter of a second—but it won Buster the race. The race ended with Buster taking 1st, Clover 2nd, McDewey 3rd, Chiya 4th, Mighty Gazelle 5th, and Bio Rex 6th.

The crowd cheered for Buster—even more so for Clover. This was, technically, Clover's second time finishing in 2nd place—still her personal best for any race. Regardless, unlike Chiya was in her rookie racer days, Clover was discontent with 2nd place.

Pulling off to the side, Clover threw a brief tantrum and crossed her arms.

"What happened!?" she snapped.

Chiya pulled off to her rear, the other racers continued down the track either to leave—or to go and restore energy. Clover and Chiya would both need to go and grab some more energy, but the daughter was prolonging this by stopping for a tantrum.

"Buster countered the tactic," Chiya explained.

With a glare, Clover looked back at the Purring Kitten and lectured, "But you told me-"

The lecture was intercepted, "I told you to bounce off of Buster and boost. You did everything to the letter, and now you scored 2nd place. That's really good."

"I wanted to win..." Clover slapped her hands down, "Like with cards, I play to win."

The older Mysterian sighed, "My greatest F-Zero victory was the Prix that I lost. I didn't throw a fit about it." Clover closed her eyes and sighed as well, trying to calm herself. "You played a good race, but Buster got a miracle win that wins him a mere seven more points than you in the standings. Buster is a great man—just let him have this one."

With a much calmer tone, Clover exhaled and said, "Thanks for the help, Mom."

"Blimey, I should be the one thanking you. You saved my bacon today." With a smile, Chiya raised her machine back into the air and took off down the track. "Come on, let's hit a restoration pad."

Clover looked upon her fan base with a grin, then nodded and took off with her mother. The desire for gold was a natural desire for any racer—one as young and immature as Clover would be expected to complain about tasting silver, rather than gold. Deep inside, however, Chiya knew that Clover would not only become an F-Zero champion of her own one day—but she would carry on the great morals of her mother—the still unchallenged Model Racer.

Meanwhile, in a Lower City bar, many officers of the Lower Federation cheered and drank to a mostly successful F-Zero race. This race found Clover in 2nd, and Mistress Chiya in 4th. Regardless of whether one was an F-Zero fanatic or not, any sane member of the Lower Federation would desire Chiya or Clover to win the Grand Prix. Either Bendek winning the Grand Prix would result in new perks for the Lower Federation HQ, salaries, and the Lower City in general. Four or five more Grand Prix victories, and the Lower City very well could one day find itself on par with the Upper City in terms of development. The unification of one mutually developed Mute City was a dream—but not a fantasy. Through F-Zero victories, unemployment and crime could be stricken from the Lower City at long last—this was the final great ambition for Chiya. If she could unite the Upper and Lower City into equal classes for living, she could die with a perfect life.

While most Lower Federation officers cheered alongside friends, a lone Sarah Kyoto—now a flowered officer—found herself staring at the television with a warm smile. Her heart beat with joy at the sight of a happy Clover, who was being interviewed with a very excited face.

The Mysterian daughter replied to a question, "I kinda sucked last year, I'll admit that much. But I've already stacked two good races this Prix. I feel that if I can land a third victory later this month, you can expect me to be somewhere in the Top Six by the final race."

The reporter posed a new question, "The racer chemistry between you and your mother is amazing. Do you see room for improvement in your alliance?"

For this question, Clover decided to play a cool game. "The chemistry between Mom and I is unbreakable. She was a great F-Zero teacher and a great partner on the track. Be that as it may, I don't doubt that I can win without her by my side—you know, if she were to fall behind or something."

Sarah expressed a giggle too faint to hear. Yet, the bartender came by the officer and said, "That Clover sure is a pretty racer. Very competitive, too."

A distracted nod was returned, "Clover's definitely the prettiest racer F-Zero has ever had." Clover blew a kiss to the audience and walked off stage with both hands in her pockets. Sarah smirked at the television and looked away. "And I just so happen to bear one of the most prestigious titles she can offer..." With glee, Sarah put her hands together and answered, "Her best friend."

"Sa—ara—ah!" Clover sang.

That afternoon, Clover caught Sarah in the Lower Federation HQ lobby. Clover and Chiya were off duty on this day due to the F-Zero race they had participated in. Since Clover made up half of Squad B, this acted in Sarah's favor and gave her Grand Prix breaks as well. Ordinarily, Sarah would take off to volunteer at a specific Lower City thrift store she's accustomed to; but more often, Clover would want to hang out with Sarah on these days off—and the woman couldn't turn her down.

Clover raised her purse up and chuckled, "Ready to go?"

Sarah raised her own purse up and nodded, "Ready!"

"Ahem..." Both Clover and Sarah widened their eyes, then turned to find a skeptical Chiya standing behind them. "You two look excited. Going out into town?"

Clover expressed nervousness at her mother's presence, Sarah reacted much more radically—acting gas though a lightning bolt had struck near her.

"M- Mistress Chiya. Hello, ma'am!"

Chiya hummed and offered a grateful nod, "Hello, Ms. Kyoto."

Clover, with a suspicious face, whipped her eyes left and right in swift motions. "U—uh, Sarah and I are going to go hit the Upper City up. We've got... serious shopping to do..."

"Hm, my Clover, shopping?" The suspicious look Clover was failing to hide almost made the scene awkward. "You hate shopping, Clover."

"What? Na—ah..."

Chiya closed her eyes and grinned, "Are you going to the Gambling Area?"

The daughter straightened her posture, "No."

"Hm..." Without much more to say on this matter, Chiya formed a pleasant and trusting face. "I don't know what you're up to... but I'm going to make the mistake of trusting you."

"Pfft!" Clover bumped into Sarah and wrapped an arm around her. "Sarah and I are just gonna hang in the Upper City. Seriously."

Chiya continued past the two and moved toward the hallway, "Well, be safe and have fun."

Clover closed one eye and looked up at Sarah with a sneaky grin—which caused Sarah to bob her head up in surprise. With Chiya away, Clover guided her friend into the garage.

"That was a close one."

Sarah exhaled and laughed, "Mistress Chiya thought you were going to go gambling..."

Once inside the garage, Clover stopped and eyed Sarah again, "Huh? Oh, no. We're going to gamble, I assure you."

"What? But I thought we were-"

"Sarah," Clover lectured. "The Gambling Area exists for a reason. Gambling is a sport, way of life, and a source of income. This is why you and I are fans."

While Clover worked on opening the Red Dove II, Sarah shook and rebuttaled, "I am not a fan of gambling! I cannot wrap my brain around something as simple as blackjack." From the other side of the machine, the cockpit window raised up, which revealed a frowning Clover. Sarah thus grunted and corrected herself. "B- But I love watching you gamble! So I'd love to tag along after we're done in the Upper City..."

A short time later, Clover and Sarah found themselves standing behind the counter of a jewelry store in the Upper City. Clover was very accustomed to Upper City life, and while Sarah had in fact been born here—she had quite well forgotten how much more lively it was in contrast to the Lower City.

The two were on a legitimate mission to the Upper City, however. Clover only brought Sarah along as a friend and for a second opinion on a matter. Sarah was somewhat startled by the very occasional photos being taken of the two; such was the drawback of having an F-Zero racer as a best friend.

The jewelry store clerk returned to the counter after a brief wait and revealed a long black case. The credit exchange had been made before Clover could even touch the box—all Sarah knew was that this was a very expensive purchase—at least for a Lower City citizen.

"Can I get you anything more, ma'am?"

Clover shook her head, "Nope."

Still, without checking the contents of the box, Clover and Sarah walked out onto the sidewalk. An umbrella table with three chairs was conveniently nearby, and it was here where the two ladies sat with the box.

Without a word from either of the two, the Mysterian popped open the black box and reached inside. Very carefully, she brought up an expensive piece which made Sarah's eyes widen.

"Whoa!" the officer slapped her own cheek.

In Clover's hand was a qualitative necklace made of jewels. The jewels were cut and connected in a style that formed a large-headed cat. Clover had made this purchase all on her own, and it was quite possibly the most expensive one she had made to date.

"Isn't it magnificent?" asked Clover. "I was in the Falcon House recently and Bart Lemming told me all about this cat necklace. When I heard of it, I just knew I had to have it."

The Mysterian brought the necklace up to her chest and looked down, Sarah beamed and leaned her direction.

"What a great purchase. You look so beautiful with that necklace."

Clover looked back up with a cute smile, but Sarah had already turned her head away in a shy nature. Though Sarah found that this necklace complimented Clover's personality well—both a lover of cats and creativity—she was misunderstanding the situation.

"Wow, thanks!" Clover put the necklace back in its case. "But this isn't for me, it's for Mom."

Sarah grunted and faced Clover again, "Oh?" Clover's stare was both happy, yet serious. This was a legitimate present for her already rich mother. "Oh. Clover. Mistress Chiya will love the gift, especially since it's coming from her daughter."

"Just don't go telling people about this!" Clover demanded. "I can't have people thinking that I'm a mama's girl... I mean, I kind of am, but..." Rather than finishing her sentence, Clover closed off the necklace and looked Sarah in the eyes. "Now, let's see how much of this money I can get back through the Art of Gamble."

Casino Palace—many recognized this enormous structure for its recurring F-Zero track. A better known fact to Earthlings was that Casino Palace also contained a gambler's paradise that is only rivaled by Las Vegas. Like father, like daughter; both Earl and Clover frequented this location and treated gambling as a legitimate source of income. The main difference between Clover and Earl being that Earl often enough found himself beat by disgruntled gamblers. Clover, an attractive Mysterian female, held the benefit of stealing victory from male gamblers without risk of harm. It was also worth mentioning that Clover had met some of her past girlfriends through Casino Palace. Another interesting fact would be that Chiya also frequents Casino Palace, as Earl had turned her into an avid gambler in this day and age.

Marching through the front entrance like royalty, Clover made her debut in the massive palace. Sarah followed from behind with a quirked mouth. Casino Palace was a familiar site to Clover—a second home. As for Sarah, not so much.

"A'ight, Sarah." Clover looked back at her companion and held out a stack of credits. "I know you hate gambling, so go try your hand at the simple stuff. Slot machines might favor you today."

The money was rejected, and thus provoked an offended brow from Clover. Sarah explained, "I don't hate gambling, I'm just not good at it. Besides, gambling can get out of hand. I've heard of people who go bankrupt because of gambling."

Clover pushed the money forward again, "They go bankrupt because they lose."

"I don't want to lose your money," Sarah insisted, pushing the credits away again.

A little more effort was put into getting Sarah to play, but in the end, Clover shrugged and dropped the money back into her purse.

"In that case, I'll have you stand by me." Clover winked and explained, "You're kind of like a good luck charm."

The officer giggled, "A good luck charm? Me?"

"Let's go!"

Not even fifteen minutes later, Clover slapped her hand of cards down for all to see. In her hand were three matching cards.

"Three Magican Royals and I guessed correctly that you had two Big Blue Oysters." A balding man sitting at a round table grunted at Clover in disbelief. "You inherit my three Royals, keep your two Oysters, and have to draw two more cards."

"Wh- What the Hell!" he complained.

Indeed, the man was forced to add five cards to his hand—the goal being to end up empty-handed. This put him at thirteen cards in his hand, and Clover at four. The monitoring Casino Palace official nodded in agreement with Clover's call.

"Player 2 is correct," the official affirmed. "Additionally, each other player draws another card, unless in total, there are three Magican Royals present on the table that do not belong to Player 2."

The other two players revealed their cards, but came up short one Magican Royal—only two being present in total. As a result, these two men had to draw a card. Clover did not brag about the damage she was dealing, but did reveal a smirk.

The player she had just dealt the most damage to raised his hands up in rage, "Screw this. I'm drowning with cards, I lost. I've got better things to do, anyway!"

As soon as said player got out of his seat, the official raised his hand up and said, "Player 1 forfeits."

Despite this being a free-for-all, there was a clear line drawn between Clover and the two remaining opponents. With Clover perhaps one or two rounds away from victory, both men would need to combine their efforts to level the playing field. The fierce looks both men were giving Clover made their indirect alliance clear.

Sarah, who was sitting beside Clover as a spectator, whispered to her companion, "I think you've made those two angry."

With a slight grin, Clover glanced down at her hand and nodded, "If you think they're mad now, get ready for this doomsday counter-offensive... I know exactly what's about to happen..."

At that moment, one man raised his hand up to his nose while giving Clover a dark face, "I'm betting you have two Big Blue Oysters. You have to," he claimed. Following this, the man laid down three Magican Royals. "Three Royals should do you in..."

Clover responded with a mocking grunt, then slapped down three cards almost robotically. "Three Magican Royals."

Both men gasped. "Bull!"

"My Monarchs beat your Royals, plus, you were wrong, I have only one Oyster, and with that, I am allowed to discard my remaining Oyster." Clover pushed her four cards into the center of the table and cracked her knuckles. "I do believe I've won."

Sarah clapped her hands with a cute smile, but stopped as the irate man stood up with a simple accusation, "Cheater!"

Clover narrowed her eyes, "I'll have you know, I play for the sport—not the cash. I wouldn't cheat."

"So we can have our money back?"

"Hey, I regard it as a sport, but money's always good."

The Casino Palace official took the wagered money and converted it into a single credit chip through a device. The exchange was made with Clover, who then dropped the money into her purse and walked off with Sarah. Both men were left angry over the massive defeat. There was no close match in this one, Clover simply dominated each of the three opponents without a struggle. Even in Clover's standards, this was an unusually simple match.

"Damn, this is bull. I was going to go and buy an expensive meal in the Upper City if I won."

The other man grinned while staring at the departing Clover. "If I won, I was gonna bribe her to take her top off."

After a victory of that proportion, naturally, Clover was feeling smug and overconfident in her abilities. Even Sarah was amazed, but not just by this victory, but also by her other victories. Taking a breather from cards, Clover and Sarah took a relaxing walk throughout the palace of gambling.

Still chocked, Sarah beamed at her friend, "Four wins and one loss. You're on fire today!"

Clover raised a finger and objected, "I hardly count that one a loss. They didn't shuffle the pile at that one table, which is kind of crap."

Sarah shrugged, "It's of no consequence. You've still made a lot of credits."

With an even more smug look, Clover looked down into her purse. Surrounding the cat necklace box were four green credit chips containing the money she had won.

"I've already won back about one-fifth of the money I spent on that necklace."

The two girls stopped near a card games section of the palace, where Sarah proceeded to ask, "Are we heading home, then?"

"Hm..." Clover scratched her chin, thinking this over. "I've had a prosperous day of cards. We could just go home and call this a perfect day..."

"Sounds like a plan."

They turned toward the entrance of the structure, but while turning, Clover had caught glance of an interesting figure. Sarah went walking toward the entrance, but Clover stayed back to examine the figure in question.

"Wait, wait, Sarah."

Sarah stepped back into place alongside Clover, both girls gazed upon a specific gambling table. To their right sat a lone man in black and purple who had seemingly annexed a card table for himself. The man's mere appearance struck Clover as off-putting. A black and suit, black and purple top hat, black oval sunglasses, white gloves, and a purple cape. The man had a pencil thin body and smug look of his own.

"Oh," Sarah responded. "That guy's got an interesting gimmick, eh?"

Clover closed her lips while grinding her teeth, then answered, "Something's ticking me off about that man. He's gambler bait, I can just tell..."

And just as she claimed, Clover—a gambler—found herself moving toward the table. It wasn't until seeing her companion make the move that she realized the potential threat this man may pose. One thing Sarah lacked any knowledge on was 'gambler rivalry', but she had a good feeling that rivalries were best avoided. Without even knowing the name of this man, Clover's response to his presence suggested that she demanded a challenge.

Sarah, fearing for her friend, pursued her and pleaded, "Clover, wait! Maybe we should just head home!"

The Mysterian grabbed the attention of the man as she approached the table with both arms down. Before she could speak, even more interest had been enlisted upon looking down. Present beside the man was a collection of antiques and other valuables on display. Looking up once more, Clover caught a mysterious grin from the man.

"How do you do, my lovely gal?"

Clover puckered her lips and hummed with many questions. Sarah joined her friend, but was insistent on leaving Casino Palace. Present at the table was a Casino Palace official, like with every table, who would act as both a referee and holder of bets.

"You a gambler?" Clover asked.

The man made a devilish snicker, "Lest you inquire my person, allow me to introduce myself." The man put a hand behind his cape and bowed, "I am the 'Man in Purple', or the 'Purple Card'." Clover raised a brow at the man and nodded. "I am, what you may call, an 'Ace'. I do not deal in currency, but rather, fine art."

Sarah puckered her lips, "Fine art?"

"Ace?" a tempered Clover asked.

"Fine missie, I don't lose often. As I command a fine deal of respect, I expect to be addressed as an 'Ace'."

What a bloody wanker...

Sarah gasped and pointed toward his pile of goods, "Is that diamond real!?"

Everyone gazed down at the pile. Sarah was directing them to a glistening stone of great size. "Heh, I mustn't wager that fine piece unless chanced at acquiring something of equal value."

"Through?" asked Clover.

The man held up a Mysterian Monarch, "Cards, of course."

"Hm," Clover shifted her attention elsewhere. "With all due respect, 'Ace'. Gambling in objects over money seems a bit out of the norm."

Before the Man in Purple could respond, Sarah swatted Clover's arm, "Look at that cat ceramic."

"Wha- Ceramic cat?"

Clover scanned the various goods that the Man in Purple had on display. Amongst the many jewels, plates, and even artifacts, there was a black ceramic figurine in the shape of a cat. The neck and torso of the cat was raised very hide. The tall man smirked at Clover as she locked her attention onto the expensive piece of art.

He placed a finger over the ceramic and explained, "Why, that is an antique Egyptian ceramic feline figurine. I acquired it on my recent visit to Syria."

A drastic change in attitude had occurred as Clover discovered this piece. To present her mother with an expensive feline necklace was prestigious enough; but to walk home with two objects of such value would be an easy way to cement Clover's love for her mother. For a gambler of Clover's talent, this was a situation that required little thought.

"Alright, you got me," she stated.

Sarah expressed surprise as Clover sat herself down at the table and pulled out all of the credits she had won on this day. The Man in Purple tipped his top hat up and beamed.

"You're on, purple guy. I'll wager all of the credits I've scored today in exchange for that figurine."

To this, Sarah had to object. The young officer grabbed her friend by the arm and lectured, "Clover, don't risk this. You said it yourself, we could just walk home and call this a perfect day."

The Mysterian returned a prideful smirk, "It could have been perfect. But now it won't be perfect unless I get my hands on that cat." With this being said, Clover stacked the credits up and pushed them toward the man. "Come off it. Let's play."

The Man in Purple continued to beam almost robotically, as he then explained, "An exhilarating offer, missie. I regret to inform you, however, that I only wager items of equal value. Thus how I expand on this here collection."

Sarah exhaled in relief, "Well, darn. Looks like we'll be heading home-"

Just as Sarah had feared, Clover proceeded to pull out the black box containing Chiya's necklace. Before Clover could even suggest such an offer, Sarah held her hand down in objection—disallowing her to do anything with the box.

"Sarah-"

"Clover, don't do this. Don't wager something this valuable to you."

The Mysterian raised her argument, "Sarah, please. This game is easily won when against a single opponent. Plus, might I remind you that my win/loss ratio for the day is four to one?"

The box was opened, and the Man in Purple took to examining the necklace right away. With a grin, he nodded, willing to accept such a gamble. Sarah was unwilling to cede this argument, however.

"If you lose, you won't have anything to bring your mother. You'll have worked so hard saving up for that necklace, all for nothing."

This was an argument Clover was willing to consider. With lowered eyelids, she looked back at Sarah and asked, "You don't think it's worth trying to get two cat pieces for Mom?"

"First of all, Mistress Chiya has enough cat merchandise. Secondly, even if you do have very good odds of winning, let's just take the surefire way of winning—by going home now with what we already have."

Clover lowered her eyelids even more, seeing truth in this. Given her track record, there was almost a guarantee that she would win. Be that as it may, there is always a risk of losing, and in this case, ensuring that Chiya gets at least one gift could be made by leaving now. Grabbing the cat ceramic was overextending and unnecessary.

With a decision made, Clover nodded and stood back up. "We'll be leaving."

Just as Clover turned around with Sarah, the Man in Purple chuckled and said, "Wise choice. Only an ace can defeat another ace, anyway."

This comment sent Clover to a complete stop, spin, and back into her seat with an irate face.

"Okay! No offense, but I'm not going to let a guy in a cape and top hat kick me in the chin like that!"

Within no more than a minute, the Casino Palace official collected both the necklace and cat ceramic. Like it or not, there was no turning back now. Now that she wagered her possession, taking it back after losing would be a felony on the same ground as stealing. The cat ceramic was worth more, however, the Man in Purple felt that the necklace had to rank somewhere close in price.

Both Clover and the Man in Purple drew their cards with poker faces. Sarah was left trembling in her seat, but her companion was as cool-headed as could be. Even with her mother's present on the line, she was optimistic and prepared to humiliate this man.

The Man in Purple raised his hand up and proceeded to perform a card trick—he did so with the same poker face. Clover paid little attention to his game, but Sarah was taken back by how fast he could swap cards around in his hand. After flipping through each one like a book, he nodded to his competitor.

"You go first, missie."

Clover raised an eyebrow. He wants me to go first? That's unusual... To start the game off, Clover smirked and put down three cards.

"Three Magican Royals," she gloated.

Sarah winked at Clover, "You always get pairs of three, don't you?"

"Maybe."

The Man in Purple, with little emotion, surprised Clover by tossing down all of the same. "Three Royals."

Clover grunted and widened her eyes, "What? Oh..."

"I say, we've met with a draw. We will each discard three cards."

The Mysterian was still gazing down at his three cards in disbelief—baffled by the fact that he had the exact same draw. Soon, she returned to her strict face and nodded.

"Yeah, I know the rules. My father practically invented them, don't you know?"

Both competitors tossed out their three cards, leaving both with only two cards. The man looked down at his remaining cards and hummed, then placed a card down.

"A Magican Royal."

Clover gasped and looked back up at him, "What? B- But that would imply that you had four Royals that last round. Why wouldn't you-"

"Do you have a Monarch or no?"

Sarah closed her eyes and breathed in, Clover bit on her lip with somewhat of a sweat building over her. "Uh..." In her hand were two Big Blue Oysters—which she could not use to defeat a Royal with. "I... don't-"

"In that case, you inherit the card I've placed down, putting you at three, and I at one."

With wide eyes, Clover did as instructed by the man. "Uh..."

"Your move. Best be careful, I have one card left."

"I know that!" Clover panicked.

What Clover was left with were two Oysters and a Royal. She knew that his final card wasn't a Royal, as this would imply that all five of his cards were Royals—which would make little sense, as he could have used all five in the beginning of the game for an immediate victory. Alternatively, he may have a Mysterian Monarch—which her two Oysters would beat. Lastly, he could have an Oyster, which her Royal could beat. All in all, a bad start, but an obvious comeback was looming with this round. She went with the safest route.

"Two Oysters," she announced in relief.

The Man in Purple tapped his chin while staring at her two cards, then with a shrug, played his card.

"Magican Royal."

"What!? That's impossible!"

"Hm..." The man took both cat items into his collection, then concluded the match with a shrug. "I've bested you in cards. A decent game, at best."

Sarah was looking away, refusing to respond on this matter. Clover struck both her fists down in full fury, not accepting this as a final legitimate loss.

"There's no way your entire hand was comprised of Royals, you would've used all five off the bat to win. You cheated!"

The man's sunglasses shined as he looked up, "Missie, I'm an honest folk. Unless you have irrefutable evidence of game tampering, I suggest you leave and save yourself further humiliation."

"You wanker!"

"Bye, bye, now."

Not much later, inside a Casino Palace restroom, Clover frightened Sarah by punching at a concrete wall. Her knuckles reddened as a result.

"Clover, calm down. I can help you save up for a new present. It'll take two months at maximum."

The raging Mysteria then kicked the wall, again scaring Sarah. "I'll kill that bastard! Hang him by the neck for all to see! I hate him!"

Sarah closed her eyes and raised two fingers, "Let's... calm down. We're law enforcers, mind you. The man got lucky, from what I understand."

"Luck had nothing to do with that! He cheated through and through!" Clover turned to face her friend, then with blazing eyes, interrogated her. "Were you watching him between rounds? He must've been switching out his hand every round!"

"I was watching you."

"Exactly! There you go. Evidence that he was cheating."

The taller officer grabbed Clover by both shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "I'm not going to spew redundant lectures here. Some people devote their entire life to F-Zero, some to playing cards. Cheat or not, it's obvious that this guy knows his cards well." Clover ceased barring her teeth, though Sarah's words were not very calming. "Let's just cut our losses. We still made a lot of money today. Like I said, we'll scout out a new present for Mistress Chiya, work together to get it, and everything will be fine."

"Speak for yourself," Clover hissed. "That man humiliated me and stole my necklace. This isn't over..."

Turning around, Clover marched out of the restroom alongside Sarah.

Not long after, from a hidden distance, Clover and Sarah observed the Man in Purple as he played another victim at a table. Both girls were watching their game through Sarah's cellphone, as this allowed for them to zoom in on the cards. The game had just begun, which allowed for them to get a full analysis of the match.

Clover scratched her head while watching, "She pulled out two cards..."

After a few moments of studying the situation, the Man in Purple played two cards of his own. Sarah knew not the significance of this, but Clover saw something odd in this. As she had somewhat guessed, the start of this game went the exact same way—both opponents lost a mutual amount of cards.

"They both have three cards, now," Sarah reported.

"Watch his hand, watch his hand..!"

They zoomed in on the Man in Purple just in time to catch something. Indeed, just as his opponent looked down at her deck, the man brushed his hand of cards past sleeve. He did so in a very fast motion. This hardly brought about evidence, but to Clover, it was enough.

"This guy knows how to switch our cards through his sleeve. I just know it." Clover looked onto Sarah's phone once more. "But let's just see again..."

As predicted, this round found the Man in Purple sending some of his cards into the opponent's hand. And again, his hand brushed by his sleeve for about a second.

"Oh, that's it!" Clover shouted.

"Clover, wait! I'm sure if we peacefully confront the man about this, he'll just give us back-"

Sarah's attempt to calm Clover was useless, as the Mysterian had already begun her trip across the palace again.

The game between the Man in Purple had ended—another victory on his part. The opponent was forced to cede her possession to him, but wasn't nearly as agitated as Clover. Returning to a calm friendly personality, the man awaited his next opponent—eager to win more treasures.

"Hey, you!" Clover shouted.

Without turning his head, the Man in Purple spotted Clover coming at the table like a bullet. Fearful of what she wanted, the man pointed at the Casino Palace official.

"Good sir, please watch my things. I must go for a stroll for a time."

With this said, the Man in Purple took off from the table. He only made it to the center of the card section of Casino Palace before Clover came crashing into his rear.

"Hey!" she shouted.

With a tall stature, the man spun around to face her and took a bow, "Always a pleasure, missie."

"You cheated. I want my bloody necklace back!"

"Hm... necklace... necklace..." With puckered lips, he shrugged. "Don't recall a necklace. And I certainly don't recall cheating none."

In response, Clover grabbed the man by the arm and shook it down. Just as she wanted to see, almost ten playing cards fell from under his sleeve and onto the floor. Clover did not grunt or express shock to this. As an avid card player, she knew when a loss was too powerful and coincidental to be true from the start. Sarah and the Man in Purple, on the other hand, were both surprised.

"You did cheat!" Sarah gasped.

Clover narrowed her eyes, "I want you to return my necklace, then never show your face around here again, scum."

The man had an almost supernatural talent of picking up cards. He pocketed them and shrugged. "So I went ahead and 'modified' the game a tad. So what? I daresay, you will not be able to prove such to the officials." He brought the rim of his top hat down and asserted, "You're not getting your precious item back, sorry to say."

Clover, defiant, crossed her arms and insisted, "Then we'll be obliged to stay posted at your table all day and keep watch of games you play. To ensure no 'modifying' occurs."

"Must you?" he whined. Sarah joined in with the defiance, to which the man then groaned. "Alright, I'll make you an offer..."

"My necklace," Clover demanded.

"You and I shall have a rematch of sort. No cheating. If you win, I shall return your necklace and present you with the ceramic cat." The two girls exchanged skeptical glances. "But if I win, you are banned from the table I've rented out."

Clover raised a finger, "But we could still accuse you of cheating."

"Like it or not, missie, but I am a great player with or without cheating. There will be no cheating from this point onward. No valid evidence to find."

The two gamblers stood adjacent from one another, then with his sly grin, the Man in Purple reached forward for a handshake.

"What say you, missie? A second shot at walking home with two items. Win and you're good to go, lose and you'll be a sad little girl."

The Mysterian straight up refused the handshake. As far as she was concerned, she was dealing with a crook.

"You won't win this time..." Clover insisted.

The man cracked a slight grin and lowered his hand back to his waist.

And so the two found themselves once more situated across from one another at a table. Five cards each, and this time Sarah had her eyes cemented onto the Man in Purple's hand. If there was anything that suggested foul play, Sarah was going to report it on the spot.

With a smile, the man nodded, "You may start, missie-"

"You start!" she snapped.

"Oh." He dropped his smile and put on a poker face. "Very well, then." To initiate the fight, he placed down two Big Blue Oysters.

Clover met these with a Magican Royal, to which she slapped over the two Oysters.

"You inherit my card, plus take back your two."

"Hm..."

This put Clover at four cards, the Man in Purple at six—already a fair start. Then, to imitate the next strike, Clover slapped down two Mysterian Monarchs. This was met with two Monarchs as well. Clover looked up with a raised brow, then nodded. A fast match, Clover lost two more cards, as did the Man in Purple. Now it was a 2-4 card game, with Clover perhaps able to seal victory with one more decisive round.

"Not bad," he admitted. Then, with a grin, he laid out two Oysters again. "Go for it."

Clover looked down at the Oysters with lowered brows. Sarah gulped and looked at Clover, who was thinking with much care. Then, with a choice in mind, she played out a specific card that would, essentially, tie the round.

Two cards were discarded from the Man in Purple's hand, as was one with Clover's. This left the game at 1-2. Both opponents were beginning to sweat over this ordeal. Clover had a chance at winning everything back, and the Man in Purple had much at stake.

With wide eyes and a slow draw of her card, she closed her eyes and put down her final card—a Magican Royal. The Man in Purple made a very loud gasp upon spotting the type of card she drew. Both Clover and Sarah returned surprised faces upon hearing his gasps. Then, with a swift motion, he slapped down two Mysterian Monarchs.

"Ha, ha, ha! That was a close one!" he gloated.

"Wh- Wh-" Clover covered her mouth in absolute shock.

Sarah took a moment to breath in, then exhaled. This match was much closer than the original duel, but in the end, the Man in Purple found victory through luck and nothing but. With a frown, Sarah looked over at the black box containing Chiya's necklace. The next thing she knew, Clover had run off.

"O- Oh my..!" Sarah jumped out of her seat and looked around. "Clover, hey, wait up!"

As minutes went by, Sarah Kyoto searched high and low for Clover. Ironic, as she was a fast racer, and also a fast sprinter. Sarah had much reason for fretting over Clover after such a crushing defeat. First reason being that Clover is her best friend, second being that Clover was her only ride home.

Sarah stopped in the center of the entire palace and groaned. Lights were flashing around her and citizens walking around in crowds.

"Damn," she cussed. "She's not in the restroom and not in a parking lot. Where does one go when-" Sarah snapped her fingers with a hum, having taken a shot in the dirt as to where her friend could have run off to.

Just across from the card tables, Clover sat at one of the farthest slot machines—weeping over her loss. Sarah soon discovered her and rushed over to comfort her friend.

"Clover, I'm here..."

The Mysterian had her face buried into her arms, face down against the dashboard of the slot machine. She was crying, something no one but Sarah ever got to witness. Not even Chiya, her own mother, had seen Clover's adult tears many times. And as always, Clover was weeping over the mother she loves so much.

"I just want the necklace back..." Clover cried.

Sarah pulled up a stool and sat beside her, "Mistress Chiya doesn't even know that you had a necklace for her. It'll be just as surprising when we save up for something new."

"But today was going so well. A good race, a necklace, and some gambling wins. The one time I really need to win a fair game, I lose!"

A sad Sarah shook her head, "That's... that's how life works. We don't always win." She touched Clover's back while conjuring up watery eyes of her own. "As I understand it, Mistress Chiya didn't win her first Grand Prix for more than half a decade, and she still doesn't win every year, despite having won so many times now."

"Just leave me be, Sarah. I shouldn't be seen crying. I hate crying, but I really need to right now..."

"But-"

"We'll leave in a little while."

With a sigh, Sarah turned to face one of the slot machines. In this situation, she felt utterly useless. Unable to gamble, not strong in psychology, and far away from home. All she could do outside of Squad B is act as somewhat of a sidekick to Clover. It was while staring into the spinning wheels of the slot machine that Sarah bit her lip and stood up.

Clover paid no attention to Sarah as she walked off. If Clover had to suffer, Sarah wanted to suffer with her. As Chiya and Earl once desired to 'die together', Sarah desired to 'suffer and enjoy together' with Clover.

The Man in Purple, still seated at his table, offered a somewhat sorrow-filled chuckle. "You again? Missie, you and your friend should cut your losses before you lose everything that has meaning to you."

This time, it was Sarah Kyoto who sat before the man. Unlike Clover, Sarah came with a truly calm face—one that only the most humble of people could display in such a situation. To this man, he saw a poker face—but this was merely Sarah's 'down to business' expression.

"With all due respect, sir. You've caused my Clover so much pain today. Win or lose, I wish not to let her suffer your torment alone."

He chuckled, "You've come to gamble?"

"I have little experience with this game. I can hardly get through a round without Clover guiding me. Be that as it may, I have enough knowledge on the game to at least try and beat you."

"Missie," he chuckled. "Contrary to what you may believe, I do not take pleasure in the seizing of your possessions. I implore you turn away now, especially since you lack experience."

Sarah blinked without emotion, "I wish for similar terms. If I win, I receive both the necklace and ceramic."

The gambler quirked his mouth, "And what if I win? I will not be content walking off with nothing two times in a row. I desire a reward for defeating you."

With lowered eyelids, Sarah quirked her mouth left and right, then closed her eyes. Reaching into her breast pocket, she took out one of her most precious possessions—her Flower Patch.

"Oh? But that's a mere fabric sticker..."

"Within the ranks of the Galactic Space Federation, Lower Federation branch, this award is worth far more than gold." She held the patch up with glossy eyes. "It is a symbol of gratitude from Mistress Chiya—perhaps a God among humanity—for the continued servicing of mankind in its entirety."

The Man in Purple laughed, "Sounds valuable. I'll take it!"

The Flower Patch, boxed necklace, and ceramic cat were placed in the contested loot area. The official marked the start of the card game.

"Alright, missie. You sta-" The man lowered his eyebrows and grunted. Sarah was already making two mistakes, and they had not even started. "Alright, now, listen here, missie. First of all, you've got seven cards—you only draw five."

Sarah gasped, "O—oh!"

"Put back two cards."

She puckered her lips, "Any two?"

"Yeah. Hurry on now."

Sarah took a few seconds to pick two cards to discard back onto the deck. She then bowed to him with respect.

"Secondly, you're holding the cards upside down."

"I am?"

"...yes, you really are."

The officer corrected this mistake as well. At this point, both the Man in Purple and palace official exchanged skeptical glances.

"Alright, look, I'll start..." he insisted. The man placed down two Mysterian Monarchs, then looked up at her. "You... know what to do now, correct?"

"Yes. No. Maybe..?"

Sarah placed down one Big Blue Oyster—a complete mistake. Regardless, the training wheels were off, so the man took it.

"Uh, okay..." He pushed the three cards toward Sarah, thus putting the game at 7-3. "Your turn."

With a calm expression, Sarah raised a brow and hummed, "Let's try this." She placed down the same Oyster she had used the last round.

The Man in Purple rolled his eyes and smirked, "Alright, I put down an Oyster as well. Draw. We both discard."

Now the score was 6-2. The man, now feeling assured of an easy victory, sat back comfortably and placed down a Mysterian Monarch.

"I need to match that or do better?"

"M—hm."

With a puzzled face, Sarah shrugged and put down a Monarch of her own. This caused him to raise his brows in surprise.

"Was that a good call?"

"Oh... well, then..."

Having let his guard down, Sarah now found herself knocking out a card from both hands. Now the score was 5-1.

"It's of no consequence," he claimed. "Your move."

"Hm..." With a careful guess, she shrugged and placed down two cards. "Two... Monarchs?"

This, however, caused the man to jump up. "Huh!?"

With two Monarchs on the field against him, he was forced to use his remaining card—another Monarch. This would also go in Sarah's favor, and thus tie the game 3-3. With barred teeth, the man became serious.

"Alright, little missie. This ends here, I'm afraid." He slapped out his three cards—each of which were Monarchs. "What do you have to say about that?"

With a raised brow, Sarah hummed and put her entire hand down as well—three Monarchs.

Everyone but Sarah gasped—a literal tie that would put the score at 0-0. The Man in Purple smashed his fist down.

"What is this? Who won?"

He turned toward the official, who explained, "In the event of a tie, the winner is decided by a single draw from the deck. Player with the superior card, wins."

The Man in Purple growled, "That is a load of manure!"

Sarah's eyes quivered in shock, she was made even more alert as a hand came crashing down over her shoulder. The next thing she knew, Clover stationed herself beside her friend.

"Clover, you're-"

"Oh, Sarah... We're such soul mates."

The Man in Purple responded to Clover's presence with anger, "Didn't I make myself clear? You're banned from the table."

The official raised a finger, "Banned from participating at the table."

"This deal keeps getting worse all the time..!"

With a cute grin, Clover spoke, "If I heard correctly, there's a tiebreaker to settle here."

"Correct," the official affirmed. "Draw your card, each of you."

With great drama and hesitation, Sarah and the Man in Purple took a single card into hand. A 1-1 fight that would end with a winner, unless the same cards were drawn, in which case, a redraw would occur. After gulping, Sarah placed her card down—a Mysterian Monarch. Everyone looked at the Main in Purple, who was still holding his card up to his nose. With a quivering lip, he hesitated to reveal it.

"U—uh..." He grasped onto the card with his entire palm, then laughed, "I got a Big Blue Oyster. I guess I win..!"

Sarah gasped with great sorrow, but Clover saw through this, leaned over the table, and smashed his hand down onto the table with immense strength. With his hand forced down, it was revealed that he indeed had a Magican Royal—weaker than the Monarch.

"Ha!" Clover gloated.

The Main in Purple flipped the table in rage. "It's not fair! A tie!? What kind of crap is that? This is such a horrifyingly disorganized game with so many holes!"

"Amen to that."

About an hour later, through a miraculous win by the inexperienced Sarah, the two girls came walking toward Chiya's office with two pricey feline-based objects in hand. Before reaching the door, Clover stopped to face her companion—who fortunately escaped Casino Palace with her beloved Flower Patch.

"Sarah, I can't thank you enough for helping me today."

The officer beamed, "Anytime, Clover!"

The Mysterian closed her eyes and beamed back, "But next time, please try and talk me out of making stupid bets."

Like a record player coming to a stop, Sarah froze with a discontent face, "Wh- Wh- I was the one who-"

"You'll always be in the very center of my heart—my best friend," she said before giving Sarah a hug. "I love ya, girlfrie—end!"

Immediately after, Clover departed into Chiya's office. Officer Kyoto remained still with a dropped jaw.

"...center of my heart... ...love y-" She stopped herself here and spun around. "I must write about this experience!"

"Mom!"

Chiya, busy at work behind her desk, looked up at her daughter. "Clover, are you alright?"

With an excited face, yet cool, Clover went around the desk and placed both the box and ceramic cat on her desk. Of course, the first thing Chiya reacted to was the Egyptian cat ceramic.

"Oo—oh!"

"Sarah and I were out getting you presents."

With a dropped jaw, Chiya gasped, "Clover..." Her eyes then narrowed, "Is Officer Kyoto trying to get a promotion? The manual says in black and white. 'Gifts to the Mistress which pertain to felines will not draw in extra points'."

"Nah, nah, nah. I saved up for the necklace, as a bonus, we won the ceramic piece."

More interest developed, "Necklace!?"

Chiya dug straight into the black box and, again, gasped. She pulled out the expensive necklace and began to laugh with happiness.

"Oh, Clover! This is amazing! I have the greatest daughter in the universe!" She closed the box again with a very cheerful face. "Unfortunately, I cannot wear this, for it'll make me look like some crazy cat woman. But! I will put it on display in the lobby at once!"

"Ha!" Clover chuckled, "Everybody already thinks you're a crazy cat woman."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, the expensive necklace will compliment the already beautiful headquarters well!"

With puckered lips, Chiya nodded, "That's what I thought you said."

A moment of silence crossed between the two. Chiya continued to examine the ceramic cat figurine with expanding excitement. She was putting as much of it in sight as possible, so that Earl and Rose could see it in its glory.

"Wow! So, where did you get this piece, then?"

Clover's lip dropped, having not planned for this question. "U—uh... it was on discount..?"

Chiya sniffed the piece and hummed, "Wait a minute..." A skeptical eye came onto Clover, "Did... you win this in a bet?"

"No."

"Were you out gambling?"

"No."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No!"

With an exhale of relief, Chiya sat back with her beloved gifts and chuckled. Clover chuckled as well and leaned against her desk. In the end, Clover had a fruitful day—even if it did bring about a roller coaster of emotions. All in all, Chiya was happy, Sarah was happy, and Clover was happy. Overall, a happy ending to a good day.

"Oh, I also brought home about fifty thousand credits!"

"Alright. You were gambling."