Author's Note:
Thanks to the Super Bowl, and my preparations leading up to the big game, I was a day behind writing this chapter - yet amazingly, I managed to get the chapter finished on time. Marvelous. Let's see what guest reviews we have this week...
"Will you include the rest of the Soul Calibur cast? The characters from Persona 1 and 2? Maybe the Jack bros. from the Shin Megami Tensei games? Will Corrin ever get out of his Star Wars phase? have you already included the scene of X interacting with his siblings? And finally, will you include a villain team up with the Mavericks and Pseudoroids from Megaman X and ZX?"
Probably not. Sure. Maybe. Corrin won't by getting out of his Star Wars phase anytime soon. Haven't included that X scene yet. And I'm undecided on the villain, as of right now. Another guest review:
"...in the middle of the chapter you mention CJ I believe calling palutena by ma'am. In the first chapter cloud made the same mistake and was "punished". I was wondering if that was a once off thing or an oversight due to it being over 1 000 000 words ago"
Definitely an oversight, fixed my error ASAP. Thanks for noticing. One more review, this one from Derick Lindsey:
"Will Rusev be involved in any shape or form like one of the residents mentioning Pikachu Day being a ripoff of RUSEV DAY?"
For those of you unaware, Rusev is a very talented (and naturally funny) WWE wrestler who has a day celebrated in his likeness. Rusev may not appear at all, but it would be worth having someone call out Master Hand for ripping off one of the greatest days of the year, Rusev Day. Speaking of which...HAPPY RUSEV DAY EVERYONE!
Episode 112: Reconnect
Many weeks have passed ever since Knuckles broke up with Rouge - eight weeks in total, to be exact. The breakup first started in episode 104, when Knuckles found himself in a love triangle involving Rouge and Shadow. Knuckles slowly had his doubts about Rouge's commitment to him, and his doubts would soon be realized after he and Shadow had a duel for Rouge's affection.
But as it turned out, the whole love triangle was a setup by Jakob, who wanted a "last laugh". He told Rouge to play Knuckles and Shadow like fiddles, buying them both diamonds as early Christmas gifts. Jakob would pay for his actions in the subsequent episode, at the hands of Pit, King Dedede, and many others involved.
And, now that the stench of Jakob was gone from the mansion forever, Knuckles had one thing in mind - getting back together with Rouge.
Of course, the echidna couldn't do this duty alone. He needed the help of his friends, Sonic and Tails to rebuild his relationship with Rouge. If Captain Falcon and Nowi got back together in due time, then what's stopping Knuckles?
"Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I was thinking about giving Rouge a Valentine's Day gift, to reaffirm our relationship," Knuckles discussed with Sonic and Tails, in his room. "What should we get her? I would suggest a box of chocolates, but that sounds too easy. And predictable. We gotta reach outside of the box if I wanna impress Rouge!"
"It's not all about impressing Rouge, Knuckles - it's about making her regain your trust," stated Tails, who despite never having been in a relationship before, appeared to be giving Knuckles a lot of insight. "That should be your number one objective. We could care less about getting Rouge a fancy gift."
"Tails is right - a fancy gift would be far too expensive, would be out of our budget!" added Sonic, keeping his wallet well protected. "I think twenty dollars should be our budget - not too high, and not too low. And before any of you ask, 'Sonic, what could we possibly buy that's twenty dollars?', then allow me to give you a list that I..."
"THE PLAGUE HAS RETURNED, THE PLAGUE HAS FREAKING RETURNED, EVERYONE RUN FOR COVER!" yelled Yoshi, as he ran inside the room and hid underneath his bed, shivering. Sonic and company just glanced at Yoshi, before exchanging looks of concern with one another. No doubt this had something to do with Birdo.
"Yoshi what has gotten into you, is Birdo at the mansion?" Tails asked the green dinosaur, just to make sure. Birdo would be the only explanation for Yoshi acting like the sky was falling.
"Of course she's at the mansion, you bozo! You can't tell her I'm here, she'll make my life miserable! I should just run away from the mansion, to a faraway place...a desolate place where nobody - not even Birdo - will ever find me!"
Master Hand: Yoshi has requested to me on very numerous occasions to ban Birdo from the mansion...which I don't think is necessary. Last time I checked, Birdo never conspired to destroy the mansion, or take over the world. Not to mention that Birdo has never terrorized every mansion resident to advance the plans of someone else. Birdo only terrorizes one person, and that is Yoshi...it must be nature's way of dealing karma to Yoshi, to make him pay for being the only living dinosaur in present times. Sure there might be other dinosaurs like Yoshi, living on a island somewhere, but their time of torment will come very soon.
"Why can't you just face Birdo like a man, rather than running away from your problems?" asked Sonic, appalled by how afraid Yoshi was whenever Birdo was around. "Back when Amy was a crazy stalker girlfriend, you never see me run away from her when she showed up!"
"To be fair Sonic, you did try to walk away from Amy that one time when she followed you around," Tails spoke up, bringing up Amy's stalking incident in episode 28. That gave Sonic a rush of bad memories. "And you let her follow you around and everything..."
"For your information Tails, walking away and running away are two different things - though you wouldn't know that because you're a slow-moving animal who constantly relies on flying on your tail like a propeller. I bet a three-toed sloth moves faster than you. And I only kept Amy around if it meant she wouldn't be an annoying pest. Thankfully it paid off later on, and now...
"Yeah, yeah, that's good to hear Sonic, nobody cares about that now," interjected Knuckles, cutting off the blue blur. "Rouge is the chick we're supposed to be discussing, not Amy." The echidna then turned his attention to Yoshi, still hiding underneath the bed, with his tail poking out in the air. King K. Rool would be proud of such a magnificent hiding technique. "And will you please go and hide somewhere else, Yoshi? We're trying to have a private conversation here!"
"Must not be that private, if you left the door unlocked..." mumbled Yoshi, refusing to leave until the coast was clear - or in other words, until Birdo was no longer inside or in the vicinity of the mansion. "Just let me hide for a bit longer you guys! Pretty please?"
"Group huddle!" shouted Sonic, as he, Knuckles, and Tails gathered together for a group huddle. "Okay, Yoshi is starting to drive me insane with his Birdo problems, and we can't let his issues go unresolved! What should we do?"
"Well we can't just outright ban Birdo from the mansion - and I don't think Birdo would take the ban very lightly," Tails said quietly, making sure Yoshi didn't hear him. Even if Yoshi did, he would be too paranoid about Birdo to listen attentively. "There's gotta be another way..."
"I think I have a good idea in mind, though I'm unsure if it'll be a success or not," replied Knuckles, as Sonic and Tails were all ears. "So here's the plan..." Knuckles quietly whispered to Sonic and Tails, and once he was done, the three friends broke out from the group huddle to face Yoshi. "Yoshi, may we speak with you for a second?"
"As long as you aren't Birdo, then you can tell me anything you want," replied Yoshi, not willing to move a single inch. For whatever reason, he did not trust Knuckles and company, despite never leaving the room..
"I have formulated a plan - one that would be helpful for you AND for myself. How about my buds and I drive Birdo away from the mansion for good...while you find the perfect Valentine's Day gift for Rouge?" Upon hearing this, Yoshi would remove himself from underneath his bed, as he stood up to face Knuckles and company. "Sounds like a good trade-off deal, huh?"
"Really, you guys would drive Birdo away from the mansion, just for me?" Knuckles would smile, as he gave Yoshi a comforting nod. "Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, you guys are awesome! But what about the gift? Didn't Rouge call off your relationship, Knuckles? Why should I get her a gift?"
"Actually Yoshi, it was I who called off our relationship - and now, I wanna pick up right where we left off. I'm trusting you to find the best gift you can find. Show it to me before I can give it to Rouge. I gotta get back with Rouge, it's now or never..."
Speaking of Rouge, the bat returned to the mansion, and like Knuckles she wished to restart their relationship. The past eight weeks for Rouge have been rather painful, what with her dealing with the breakup of Knuckles. What made her feel even worse was that her breakup was mostly sparked by Jakob, who had Rouge set up the love triangle that led to said breakup. Rouge simply couldn't deal with the guilt any longer, and now she was ready to make all that guilt go away.
Rouge: Sure, I could have been an item with Shadow, but in all honesty, Shadow would be a terrible person to go on a date with. What would we even talk about anyways? How miserable life is? Why being evil has its downfalls? Maria Robotnik? Loving Shadow would be like loving a rock...the blandness would overlap over the terrible, almost nonexistent communication. Still feel bad for playing Shadow for keeps, but even I was surprised he actually wanted to start a romance. Could've been a different Shadow, could've been a stunt double of his...
Rouge stood by the front door, as she rang the doorbell. Seconds later, Samus would open the door, unamused to see Rouge standing at the front step.
"Oh, it's you again," Samus said in a very interested tone. That's no way to talk to a visitor, Miss Aran. "What do you possibly want?"
"I just came to speak with Knuckles," replied Rouge, hoping the echidna would be willing to speak with her. "He broke up with me after he and Shadow had that duel, when Shadow stole Link's beat up truck and rammed it into Knuckles and...eh, I'm sure you already knew about the breakup. Word spreads around very quickly in the mansion, or so I've heard..."
"Yeah, I heard about the breakup shortly after Knuckles announced it. Felt pretty bitter about it. Probably got over it very quickly, for all I know. But I don't really know Knuckles that well, so...you sure Knuckles would want to speak with you?"
"Knuckles would hopefully be open to sitting down with me and discussing our problems...I mean, our breakup only happened because of a misunderstanding. I was played by Jakob, and then I played Knuckles and Shadow." The transitive property, as Falco would call it. "If I can just speak with Knuckles, and talk things out, then we could reconnect and get back together again..."
"Aw, how sweet...if only I could give a crap about your stupid situation." That definitely wasn't deflating for Rouge at all. "But I can let you inside, so you can have a word with your ex-boyfriend. Come on in." Samus would let Rouge inside the mansion, taking her to a seat in the foyer. "You just wait right here, while I go see what Knuckles is up to."
As Samus left the foyer and went down the hallway, she would run into a certain princess - Princess Zelda. Samus mentioned that Zelda was her only friend, but nobody outside of Sonic (who was in Pikachu's body at the time, thanks to Manaphy) knew this.
"I just heard the doorbell ring, who was it?" Zelda asked Samus, stopping the bounty hunter during her trek. In Zelda's hands was a sandwich - the Pikachu Cheesesteak, created by CJ in the previous episode. Why Zelda even had the cheesesteak, Samus wished to know.
"Rouge the Bat - she returned to the mansion wanting to reconcile with Knuckles," answered Samus, before looking down at the cheesesteak in Zelda's possession. "Why on earth do you have that cheesesteak with you?"
"Link apparently has been working in the kitchen, making these Pikachu Cheesesteaks nonstop...I'm afraid my poor Link has hopped on the Pikachu Day bandwagon after these cheesesteak was created. He has been innovating the sandwich, and wanted me to show Master Hand his latest...innovation. This whole Pikachu Day thing has gone out of hand..."
"I'll say...once I saw the Pikachu Day t-shirts, I knew we were headed for trouble. It's bound to get even worse once Master Hand conjures even more oddball ideas. I shudder to think what the end goal of it all is. Anyways, have you seen Knuckles anywhere?"
"No I haven't...but if you like, I can track him down for you." Samus, who did not care about Rouge's situation, was happy to oblige. "Just tell me what you need Knuckles for."
Bowser's first date with Lara, believe it or not, actually went along a lot better than expected. Bowser and Lara had a very meaningful conversation with one another, with Lara telling the koopa king about her studies at the University of London, the things she liked about Seattle, and even her best friend Samantha Nishimura, whom she met while attending college. Samantha was possessed by a demon and is currently recovering in a hospital, and hearing Lara vowing to find the evil crooks responsible for Samantha's plight almost gave Bowser a change of heart.
To be fair, Bowser's date with Lara would have never happened had the koopa king drove Mario away from the mansion. And when Mario returned home and saw Bowser dating Lara, he teamed up with Gang Green - the six burly men from the previous episode - and made Bowser pay dearly. Mario felt like he was sticking up for Lara, but much to his and Peach's surprise...Lara didn't mind Bowser at all!
Lara: Bowser was...surprisingly friendly and heartfelt on our date together. Given that he was Bowser, I fully expected him to put me in a cage, and take me to his castle and adore me for the rest of my life. But instead, Bowser took the time to ask me questions about my personal life, and he desired to know me better...why he couldn't do something simple like that with Peach, I will never know. Yet he wonders why he's still single...
"Mario, boarding up the windows isn't going to keep Bowser away from your home," Lara tried to tell Mario, as she and Peach watched as Mario hammered away on a nail, boarding up all the windows in his house. The plumber had to stand on Polterpup, due to his short height. "He can just burn the house down with his flame breath, for all we know."
"Which is why I had-a the Carpenters replace the structure of the house-a with non-flammable material, to be on the safe-a side," explained Mario, before hitting the hammer on his thumb by accident. "GAAAH! Mama mia, I hit-a myself again...Peach, would-a you be a dear and fetch-a me a band aid?"
"Of course, my love!" smiled Peach, as she went to the bathroom to fetch a band aid. She would come back with a band aid in hand, giving it to Mario.
"You haven't been this concerned about Bowser until you saw him on our date," said Lara; just hearing about this made Mario furious. The plumber thought she was putting Lara's life in danger, leaving her alone with Bowser. "He wasn't as evil or malicious as I thought he would be. He could be turning around the corner - slowly, but surely."
"Bowser turning around-a the corner, now that's-a funny!" chuckled Mario, who was for whatever reason applying the band aid while still holding his hammer. It was bad enough that he didn't even bother taking his white glove off. "You can't teach an old-a dog new tricks, Lara, and Bowser is as old-a as they come..."
Eventually, Mario would drop his hammer while he applied his band aid, and instead of landing on the floor, the hammer fell upon Mario's foot. The plumber yelped in pain as he fell unto the floor, grabbing his foot, as Poochy came over to lick his face. Before Peach could check on Mario, the doorbell rang.
"I'll check on Mario, you get the door," Lara said to Peach, who made a mad dash to the front door. She opened it, and saw Lucas, timid as usual.
"Hello Lucas, what's the problem?" asked Peach, sensing how timid and afraid Lucas looked, as Lucas wrapped his arms around Peach and gave her a hug. A hug indicating that something - or someone - nearly scared the PSI whiz to death.
"Birdo...Birdo's at the mansion..." uttered Lucas, shivering with his eyes closed. Oh please, he can't be afraid of Birdo too. "Birdo scares me..." Pfft, she can't possibly be scarier than Robirdo, her robotic counterpart.
"You aren't the only one Lucas, trust me...would you like to stay over at our place until Birdo leaves?" Lucas opened his eyes and looked up at Peach, with thankful eyes, and eagerly nodded his head. "Very well then, you're welcome to stay! You can let go now...Lucas?"
"Oh, yeah, right, sorry about that," apologized Lucas, as he released his grip on Peach. Peach would close the front door, as Lucas wandered into the living room and saw Lara tending to a still downed Mario. "Princess Peach, is it true that Lara Croft has PTSD?" the teen quietly asked the princess. "Will she murder me in cold blood?"
"Keep any sharp blade away from Lara, and you'll do just fine," Peach patted Lucas on the head, as she went over to check on Mario. Lucas did not bring any blade with him...therefore he was in the clear. "Wouldn't want to be like Shulk!"
Lucas: It's February and Shulk's hand still hasn't healed yet, which means we're still forced to give...I mean, we're willingly forced to give...no, what I meant to say was, we're still giving gifts to Shulk, although we've been forced to give willingly... *freezes, then covers his mouth* ...I think I said too much...
Who exactly was Wolf O'Donnell? You might know him as a space mercenary, the leader of Star Wolf, the rival of Fox McCloud, and a self-proclaimed punchies champion. If you were a resident at the mansion, you'd understand. Today, Wolf was going to add another moniker to his name...matchmaker.
With Valentine's Day around the corner, Wolf decided that today would be the perfect day to try out his new hobby. The mercenary would be in a candlelit room, surrounded by candles, sitting down with his legs crossed as he dealt with his clients. His first clients of the day? The buddy cops, Toon Link and Young Link.
"Young Link...the girl you're destined to be with is..." Wolf said to Young Link, his eyes closed as he held the Hylian's hand. "...the girl who sells milk on Lon Lon Ranch, Mallow!" Wolf opened his eyes as he exclaimed this, as Young Link was very pleased with this result.
"Good, glad that it wasn't Princess Zelda," smiled Young Link, as his partner-in-crime Toon Link awaited his turn. "Not that I would mind having Zelda as a love interest, but that would be too predictable...I know Hylia and the hero of Hyrule are forever entwined from generation to generation, but come on..."
"What about me, Mr. O'Donnell, who will my lover be?" asked a very impatient Toon Link; unlike Young Link, he was hoping to be paired up with his Princess Zelda. Having a princess who meandered as a pirate in her alter ego would be a dream come true for him.
"Give me your hand, Toon Link, and I can see for myself," replied Wolf, as Toon Link eagerly gave his hand to Wolf, who held the Hylian's hand with his own furry hands. Wolf would close his eyes, taking a deep breath, as he seemingly gazed into the future. "Your future lover...the love of your life...will be...Maggie, of Windfall Island!"
"M-M-Maggie?! You mean...the girl whose father calls me a sea urchin, and doesn't care about his daughter's well-being?" Wolf nodded his head, as Toon Link suddenly erupted into an explosion of tears. "NOOOO WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE ME?! WHY'D YOU CHOOSE ME HYLIA, WHY?!" Young Link could only pat Toon on the back, as the Hylian had his crying fit.
"Sorry I had to tell you that Toon Link, but sometimes the truth hurts. Better out than it, as my buddy Pigma would constantly tell me. Granted, he was talking about bodily functions, but that quote still applies to this context. Anything else I can help you boys with?"
"No thank you, you have greatly enlightened the both of us," replied Young Link, as he helped the still sobbing Toon Link up to his feet. "Well, only me, actually, don't know about Toon Link here...we'll be going on our way now."
Young Link escorted the sobbing Toon Link out of the room, and as the buddy cops exited the room, guess who came in? Kiria Kurono, of Star Records. The face she made when she entered the candlelit room indicated that she was at the wrong place.
"Crap, this isn't the relaxation room...Wario must've told me wrong," the idol singer frowned. Shame on her for taking whatever came out of Wario's mouth for granted. "So much for relaxing by myself...
"Ah, Miss Kiria, come and take a seat," smiled Wolf, albeit somewhat creepily, as he patted a spot on the floor in front of him. Kiria, with much reluctance, walked towards Wolf and sat at the spot, looking into the eyes of the mercenary.
"Alright Wolf, what's the catch...is this where you go and meditate? Or are you doing some fortune telling thing? I don't see a crystal ball anywhere, so needless to say, I'm a little cynical...and scared."
"No Kiria, it's none of those things, it's something more different. This room is where I conduct my matchmaking business. With Valentine's Day but five days away, I wanted to get a, let's say, a head start...early bird always gets the worm!"
Wolf: Of course I don't take my matchmaking business that seriously, and I don't expect my clients to take my business seriously either. It's like a fortune telling thing - I tell someone nonsensical crap they're supposed to believe in the form of a lie, and they'll believe it and hinge their entire lives around that lie until they realize they're an idiot. Less fun for them, but more fun for me!
"Aw, that's cute...now show me your matchmaking license," demanded Kiria, as Wolf was taken back by this comment. Just who did this Kiria think she was?
"You don't need a license to do matchmaking, you're out of your mind woman!" frowned Wolf, as Kiria formed a smirk on her face. She was truly relishing in the moment. "Not everything needs a license or a certificate, you know."
"Matchmaking. License. Now." Kiria held out her hand, expecting Wolf to dig into his pocket and give her a license. Wolf was about to find himself in a heap of trouble, until a knock was at the door. The door opened, and in came Cloud.
"Come on out Inklings, I know you're hiding somewhere!" the swordsman shouted out, as Kiria and Wolf exchanged looks of bewilderment, worry, and concern with one another before returning their attention to Cloud. "This is what I get for agreeing to a hide-and-seek game with those brats...repeatedly saying no couldn't bail me out this time."
"I'll be waiting for that matchmaking license, O'Donnell," Kiria smirked at Wolf one more time, standing up as she realized the perfect moment to make her exit. Wolf glared down Kiria, as the idol singer left the room while the door was still opened. Cloud looked around the room, before turning his attention to Wolf.
"Okay Wolf, what's this you got going on here?" the swordsman asked the mercenary, as he closed the door. "Also, have you seen the Inklings anywhere? They've roped me into a game of hide-and-seek, and I only agreed to do it if it meant they would leave me alone."
"I can tell you the whereabouts of the Inklings...but only for a small fee," replied Wolf, giving Cloud a very uneasy feeling. Must be Wolf's creepy smile. "Just take a seat, in front of me, and then I'll go from there." So Cloud sat on the floor, across from Wolf, feeling even more uneasy than before. "I'm doing a matchmaking thing - people come to me wanting to know who their future significant other will be, and I tell him. I also specialize in romantic advice and trust issues...and I know that you got some trust issues yourself, Cloud Strife."
"Trust issues? What are you even talking about, Wolf?" Cloud should know better than to trust Wolf when it comes to romance - after all, Wolf has never been in a romantic relationship before, and he never seemed to care about being in a relationship either. So Wolf, being a matchmaker, just seemed so...odd to Cloud.
"Your girlfriend, Aerith Gainsborough...do you truly think she loves you because she likes you? Or is it something else? Does she love you only because she reminds you of her former boyfriend...Zack Fair?" Zack was a close friend of Cloud's, who died tragically thanks in part to SOLDIER.
"Yeah, so what if Zack and I used to be similar to one another...doesn't mean a thing. What are you trying to get at, Wolf?"
"What I'm trying to get at is, Cloud, is that Aerith never liked you because of your looks, or your bravado, or your personality...if there's even anything to like about your personality. She only likes you because...you're a ZACK FAIR CLONE!"
Wolf: Is there a Zack Fair in Aerith's universe? *pauses* Presumably not, but given the weird stories Sora would tell, there is a good chance that kid had a chance encounter with Zack, and went on to slay legions of Heartless together.
(There is a Zack Fair from Sora and Aerith's universe, though it is unknown whether he is still alive or not)
"Well then...I don't think anyone has ever called me a Zack Fair clone...not even the guys from SOLDIER," remarked Cloud, scratching the back of his head. For some reason, Cloud was letting Wolf's comments get to him. "And if that's the only reason Aerith likes me, then..."
"Now that you paid your little fee, I shall tell you about the whereabouts of the Inklings," said Wolf, holding up his end of the bargain. "Those rascals should be hiding behind one of the vending machines in the vending room. That's their favorite spot to hide at, and as someone who played hide-and-seek with them, I should know...now go find them, big guy!"
"I'll go find them...I guess...I hope those Inklings are there..." Cloud awkwardly stood up, and exited the room, with Wolf's words weighing in his mind. He seriously wasn't going to let what Wolf said bother him for the rest of the day, is he?
Zelda was still on the search for Knuckles, who was off with Sonic and Tails protecting Yoshi from Birdo. Her search led her to ask others about where the echidna was, and she had to ask Diddy Kong. Why she bothered to ask the spidermonkey, the princess didn't know...she was in a hurry, okay?!
"I did see Knuckles with Sonic and Tails a while earlier, but it was only for a moment," Diddy said to Zelda, as he was chilling in the gardens eating some bananas. "I did hear them talking about Birdo, and what they plan on doing to her."
"What were they discussing in regards to Birdo?" inquired Zelda, hoping that the answer to this question would somehow lead her to Knuckles' whereabouts. "And what is this 'plan' that they're conjuring?"
"If I had a guess, they were probably tasked by Yoshi to keep Birdo away from him. You know how Yoshi loves to run away from his problems, rather than tackling them head-on. His gutless self is gonna cost him in the long run."
"Yeah, I can't see Sonic and the others bothering with Birdo if it doesn't have anything to do with Yoshi...thank you for the info, Diddy." Diddy nodded his head, gobbling another banana as Zelda left the premises.
With Zelda still looking for Knuckles, Rouge was still in the foyer, waiting for her man to show up. But she wouldn't be alone - keeping the bat company was a couple who reunited in episode 105, Captain Falcon and Nowi. The two lovebirds were cuddling together, while Nah was forced to watch. Forced to watch what she will do eventually once she's an adult...better to get some "knowledge" in while you're young.
"Man, living without you in my life was one of the hardest things I had to do," Captain Falcon said to Nowi, his arm wrapped around the half-Manakete. "Even harder than having to tell Wendy Koopa that she wasn't a size 8. Got no clue as to why Bowser made me do that. But anyways, I'm just glad to have you back, Nowi!"
"And I feel the same exact way, Falcon!" replied Nowi, giving Captain Falcon a kiss on the check. Nah could only look away in disgust. "I bet you had a very tough time coping after our ugly breakup."
"Well I start a taxi service with B.D. Joe, to keep my mindset positive. That taxi service was how I met Lara Croft, and it was also the reason why she's rooming in with Mario and Peach, to this day. Unsure about how much money I raised..."
B.D. Joe: How much money did Captain Falcon and I raise from the taxi service? Shoot I don't even know! But what I do know is that I used that money to buy myself a fancy house! It's a private home...or so it was, until Pit and Kirby trespassed upon my property on Thanksgiving last year. But that don't matter, 'cause I still got myself a house! Straight cash, homie!
"Oh yeah you did tell me about your taxi service...how could I forget?" wondered Nowi, slapping herself on the forehead, as Nah shook her head in disappointment. You can guarantee she knew the answer to her mom's question. "I can be so forgetful sometimes..." Nowi would look over, and spot Rouge sitting by herself, her arms folded, as she gave Captain Falcon and Nowi the stink eye.
"Ay, Rouge, we totally forgot you were there, hehe!" Captain Falcon nervously chuckled, feeling slightly intimidated by Rouge. "I know you're just dying to speak with Knuckles, but...we're not unnerving you with your display of public affection, are you?"
"You two are sure unnerving me..." grumbled Nah, wishing she was somewhere else right now as she facepalmed. "Why couldn't she just fall in love with someone from the Plegian army..."
With the help of Lucas...and occasionally Peach...Mario was able to board up every single window in his home, guaranteeing that Bowser would never break into the house through the windows. However, Mario was not yet done, for he wished to up the ante...
"Hurry up and install-a that security system!" Mario, eating a hot pocket, barked at X and .EXE, who were brought over to the mansion by the plumber to install a security system to Mario's home. "That system-a isn't gonna install itself!"
"Mario this is totally unnecessary, just like the windows you boarded up for some reason," remarked .EXE, as he and X worked away on the security system. .EXE installed the security cameras, whereas X took care of the rest. "Luigi doesn't have a security system for his home!"
"And that-a is why Luigi complains-a about 'scary monsters' supposedly breaking into his-a home. He's a scaredy cat who doesn't know-a any better. Now quit-a your yapping, and install that system!"
"Keep on working, I wouldn't talk back to Mario if I were you..." Lucas warned the robots, fearful about the sight of a very angry Mario. "Please do it, just for me..."
"Anything for you Lucas, I suppose," X said quietly as he kept working, not wanting to see Lucas in a crying mess if Mario went off. He would be hard to console.
Once he was done with his hot pocket, Mario tossed his crisping sleeve backwards into the trash can...only to unfortunate miss. This was unfortunate, as an already-installed security camera had a "no littering" filter, as X called it in episode 8. The camera in question caught Mario in the act of littering, and fired a tranquilizing dart at the poor plumber, striking him in the leg.
"Why...doooo I seeeeeee...buuuutteerfliiiiiieeeeessss..." wondered a now sedated Mario, his speech slurring, as he slowly fell to the floor. X and .EXE looked at Mario, smiling a little before resuming their work.
X: Usually I don't believe in karma, but I think karma played a huge part in what happened to Mario. As they always say, karma is a...bad person. A very, very bad person.
Straight Fiyah was still in a stasis from Chrom's departure, and Roy was still desperate to find a new lead singer to replace Chrom. He would constantly beg Chrom to return, but given how Chrom felt about the k-pop group beforehand, the redhead figured he shouldn't beg.
But somehow, someway, Roy found just the guy to replace Chrom. But before he could make the new lead singer official, he must first gain the approval of Fox and Falco. Like they should care.
"Fox, Falco, I have some great news!" Roy rushed inside the Star Records room to inform the pilots, who were playing a game of chess. Fox was literally one move away from winning. "It's about Straight Fiyah - I found a new lead singer."
"I'm sure you had a very long and excruciating search for the new lead, Roy," said Falco, feeling bad for whoever the new lead singer was. "So who can it be? For the sake of Yashiro, I hope the new singer isn't him..."
"The person I selected may be, well...a little 'out of the bag', but I thought he was the right guy to be Chrom's replacement. You might be mixed on the selection, but oh well. Introducing, the new lead singer of Straight Fiyah...CRASH BANDICOOT!"
Right on cue, Crash ran inside the Star Records, dressed like a prototypical k-pop star. The bandicoot had no idea what to do next, so he just spent his time posturing and flaunting his threads. Fox and Falco looked on in bewilderment, before bursting into laughter, much to the chagrin of Roy.
"What's so funny, you're hating on Crash already?" questioned Roy, as the pilots kept laughing. "Did you know that hating on someone does nothing but set them up for greatness?" Probably has never been proven. Ever. "You might think this is funny now, just wait until Crash makes it big!"
"Of all the people you could think of, and you settled in on Crash..." Fox wiped away a tear, stifling his laughter...only to laugh yet again. "Hoo boy, Roy, you must be super desperate to keep your aspirations afloat."
"But you said that k-pop singers sing in a language different to most people, and Crash's language is as different as they come! Way to make yourself look like major hypocrites, you guys!"
"Thing is, Crash speaks in a language that is virtually unintelligible - no human person can comprehend it. It's all gibberish. Starting to think you're becoming Pit 2.0, Roy...starting to scare me, bud."
"Oh yeah, well if neither of you won't believe in Crash...then I'll find someone who will!" Have fun with that. "Let's get away from these haters, Crash!" While Crash kept posturing, Roy grabbed his hand as he left the room. Once Roy and Crash were gone, Fox and Falco immediately went back to laughing. They could be laughing for the remainder of the day.
Unfortunately for Knuckles and friends, they were unable to locate Birdo, as the purple dinosaur was nowhere to be found. If the didn't find Birdo soon, it would spell more doom for Yoshi.
"All this searching is making me hungry..." remarked Sonic as he rubbed his stomach, fantasying about chili dogs. "...I wonder if Yoshi found that gift for Rouge yet."
Yoshi: Went to the store to pick out Rouge's gift. I think Rouge is gonna like it, as much as Knuckles will. Knuckles will love the gift so much, he'll be practically hoping that I draw his name during Secret Santa!
Sonic wouldn't have to wonder anymore, as Knuckles and company encountered Yoshi in the middle of the hallway. Yoshi held a grocery bag in his hand.
"Greetings, fellas - how's it coming along with Birdo?" asked Yoshi; Knuckles and company wished they could give a positive answer.
"Not so well - haven't found Birdo yet," replied Knuckles, much to Yoshi's dismay. But he knew how to brighten up the green dinosaur. "Is that the gift for Rouge, in the bag?"
"Yes, and it's a gift that you'll BOTH enjoy!" Yoshi's spirits were lifted up, as he dug into the gift bag. "I bet you'll enjoy it too, Sonic and Tails! If you can." Knuckles got all excited to see what the gift was, only for his excitement to fade away and be replaced with dismay.
"Yoshi...that's fine china," stated Tails, sharing the same amount of disappointment as Knuckles as Yoshi showed off the fine china he apparently bought. "Not sure Rouge would dig that..."
"But think of all the love puns Knuckles could come up the fine china! Here's a good one...'Girl you look fine, and I'm china get in your pants...' Huh, huh, how about that?" 3/10, as Rouge doesn't even wear pants.
"Yoshi, I know I never got the chance to tell you this, straight up...but you're a living disappointment," Knuckles said to Yoshi, making the green dinosaur tear up. How could Knuckles say such a thing, and to Yoshi? "Ditch that stupid fine china, and get out of my face."
"I was just trying to help..." Yoshi held his head low and sighed, as he turned around and walked away. As he did, Sonic and Tails glanced at Knuckles, never knowing the echidna to be that savage.
"Alright you two, let's get back to finding Birdo. She isn't gonna find herself." Knuckles turned around, expecting Sonic and Tails to follow him. They did, but not before exchanging looks of concern with one another.
Wolf continued his matchmaking duties, as he was now speaking with Heihachi Mishima. The Tekken veteran wasn't asking Wolf about his future love, oh no...he was instead asking about his grandson, Jin Kazama, and whether or not he was meant for Ling Xiaoyu.
"Jin Kazama, and Ling Xiaoyu...are a match!" exclaimed Wolf, as Heihachi let out a relieved sigh. "Jin and Ling are forever meant to be, and will be married in due time. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes, that answered my question entirely!" grinned Heihachi, as he rose up to his feet. "Was worried that Jin might be looking for other women...glad that he'll stick to Ling for a foreseeable future. Thanks for everything, Wolf!" Wolf nodded his head, as Heihachi left the room.
Heihachi: I wish nothing but the best for my grandson, Jin, and I hope that he has a beautiful and prosperous married life with Ling Xiaoyu. As for my son, Kazuya? *grimaces* Ah, screw that guy...
Shortly after Heihachi left, Bowser would enter the room, needing to speak with Wolf. The koopa king had a fairly joyous date with Lara, as he got along with the tomb raider far better than he expected. However, he needed to ask the matchmaking honcho Wolf if starting a romance with Lara was truly worth it.
"Wolf you got a minute?" Bowser asked the mercenary, closing the door behind him. "I heard that you've picked up on matchmaking today, and that you're also giving out some romantic advice...and I felt like you're the right guy that could answer the question I have in mind."
"You indeed came to the right person, my friend!" exclaimed Wolf, glad to see Bowser coming to him for advice in love. "Just take a seat, and you can just ask away! Don't mind the candles - I'll move them out of the way if you take up too much space."
So Bowser would sit on the floor as he crossed his legs, or at least he tried to. Wolf moved the candles anyway, just to be on the safe side...
"The question I have in mind...is about a woman I've been infatuated with for some time," Bowser explained to Wolf, who nodded his head. Don't think the mercenary had any idea who this woman was. "She's a gal who's been living with Mario and Peach, and her name...is Lara Croft. Of course, you know her and stuff, but...do you think she's meant for me, and I'm meant for her?" Wolf, who tried to remain optimistic and vibrant, looked at Bowser rather inquisitively.
"Dude, you're a giant monster turtle, and she's only a human...YOU ARE NOT MEANT FOR LARA!" Wolf yelled this as loud as possible, so it could stick inside Bowser's head. "Have you not learned your lesson from Peach?! Why can't you just like a female koopa instead?"
"Because I don't know that many female koopas, okay?! The only one I truly know is my own daughter, Wendy Koopa, and we all know how heinous dating your own offspring would be. There's also Kylie Koopa, but she tries too hard to be trendy, which is like a cringeworthy way of attempting to be cool. I could never dig a chick like that!"
"And what do you want me to do, make a female koopa who's your type magically appear? Doesn't work that way pal...and are you sure you wanna commit to Lara? She's gotta head back to Britain soon..."
"She ain't going back to Britain because I burned her plane ticket!" Bowser shouted this at the top of his lungs, much to the shock of Wolf. Made the mercenary jump back a bit. "Look man, I've made sacrifices - both for myself, and for Lara - just so I could have a chance with my dream girl. Certainly that must mean something in the end, right? So tell me, Wolf - what must I do to fully win over Lara?" Wolf had dealt with several clients on his first day as a matchmaker...but none of those clients were anything compared to Bowser!
"All I can say is...that making sacrifices is a finesse way to prove your love towards someone. So keep on making those sacrifices, and you'll be on the right back." Wolf wanted to talk Bowser out of pursuing Lara, but probably didn't want to be roasted alive.
"Thanks a bunch Wolf, I knew I could trust you. Sacrificing is all about working hard, and I gotta work hard for Lara's love. Thanks, yet again!" Bowser left the room, as Wolf had a very easy feeling building up inside of him...
Peach: Mario is feeling very sedated, so he's in the master bedroom taking a short rest. X and .EXE are putting on the final touches on the security system as I speak. Lucas is still here, hiding from Birdo, and Lara just left the house, to take a breath of fresh air. That leaves me with nothing to do... *looks around* ...maybe I should look into doing those workout videos Mario left in the closet. Wonder why he hid them in the first place...
While X and .EXE were testing out the newly-installed security system, a knock was at the front door. With neither robot able to answer the door, Lucas had muster all the bravery inside of him, and see who was at the front door, hoping it wasn't a stranger. Much to his delight, he saw that it was Cloud.
"Hey Lucas, is Mario around?" the swordsman asked the teen, Wolf's words still weighing in his mind. Cloud wanted to hear what Mario had to say about him being a clone of Zack Fair.
"Mario got sedated, so he's in no position to speak with you," answered Lucas; Cloud wished to know how Mario got sedated in the first place, but knowing Mario, he knew it was something the plumber caused himself. "Why do you need to speak with him for?"
"Oh, nothing, just wanted to ask him a question...about whether I'm a Zack Fair clone or not." Lucas was alarmed when Cloud nervously scratched the back of his head; he never saw the swordsman that nervous before. "No biggie..."
"When did it occur to you that you were ever a clone of Zack Fair? I mean, I never met the guy, never knew hims personally, but..."
"You have seen Zack Fair before, haven't you?" Lucas nodded to Cloud's question, albeit reluctantly. "Do you think I'm a clone of his? No sugarcoating, just tell me what you think..."
"I think...I think...you should take a seat and chill out." Lucas grabbed Cloud's hand, as he guided the swordsman inside the house and sat him in the living room. Lucas went over to close the front door, as Cloud sat there, staring into space. "Peach might answer your question better than I could..."
The day went on, and Rouge had yet to speak with her ex Knuckles. The bat remained in the foyer, not moving an inch, as Alph was juggling Pikmin in an effort to keep Rouge entertained.
"For the record, I've been practicing this for many weeks," stated Alph, keeping his eye on the Pikmin. One dropped Pikmin would ruin his act. "It's crazy to learn how talented you are, when you're bored..."
"Well you do look like a fairly boring individual," remarked Rouge, as she filed her nails. Alph's juggling act wasn't enough to keep her attention. "How old are you even supposed to be?"
"I ask that very question in my sleep sometimes, and I also ask that question to my fellow residents. If they don't know, then I don't know either."
Alph: I'm Old enough to hold a position at Hocotate Freight, but not old enough to drink alcohol...think I might be a teenager. If only I wasn't so short...
Rouge: My goodness, Zelda is taking forever...where is that Knuckles?!
Knuckles was still on the hunt for Birdo with Sonic and Tails, and the trio would finally find the purple dinosaur, after looking inside the beauty salon and seeing Birdo getting her feet manicured. Never did it occur to Knuckles and company that they should look in the beauty salon...probably thought they were too manly for it.
"We found her suspect, and now we have to keep her away from Yoshi as much as possible!" said Sonic, ready to execute the next phase of the plan. "But she's already has her hands - or feet - tied with Celica, so we should stand by and keep her from leaving the salon."
"Knuckles!" Zelda's voice called out, as Knuckles and company saw the princess coming towards them. "There you are, been looking all over for you. Rouge is back, and she wants to have a word with you. Wants to rework your relationship."
"Crap, Rouge is here already?" said an alarmed Knuckles, learning that his plan was halfway done. "I've yet to gift her a gift for her...I too have been planning to rework our relationship, and I thought that getting Rouge a gift might do just enough to..."
"We don't have time to wait for your silly gift...Rouge is down in the foyer as I speak, and she has been waiting impatiently. She's not a very patient person, and if she grows even more impatient..."
"You know what, tell her I'll be there in a minute. Buy me some time so I can find Rouge the perfect gift." Knuckles knew he shouldn't have trusted Yoshi to buy a gift; that was a lesson worth learning.
"Okay, fine...I'll see if that'll work. Highly doubt it, though."
Link was super ecstatic following the Eagles' Super Bowl victory. So ecstatic, that he literally ran around the mansion, waving his arms about and shouting "FLY EAGLES FLY!" In addition, the Hylian also went on a joyride in Luigi's car, and twirled his tunic in celebration on top of the mansion, while shirtless. Fellow Eagles fans would definitely approve of Link's erratic behavior.
The adrenaline Link felt from the Super Bowl was the motivation the Hylian needed to make Pikachu Cheesesteaks in the kitchen nonstop. The cheesesteaks, which were created by CJ in the previous episode, would later be "patented" by Master Hand, meaning that Master Hand took all credit for the cheesesteaks and refuse to acknowledge CJ as the one who made the recipe. Now the Pikachu Cheesesteaks were the newest staple of Pikachu Day, and Master Hand ordered Link to make as many of them as possible. Link couldn't complete the task by himself, so he had someone work alongside him.
"Keep dicing those hot peppers Sora, and chop up that garlic!" Link ordered the Keyblade wielder, who was doing as he was told. "And make sure that granola oil is all nice and creamy - the creamier the better!"
"You got it, Link!" Sora replied as he kept dicing and chopping away, doing both tasks at the same time. Talk about being an effective chef.
Link: Taught Sora everything he needed to know about the Super Bowl, and American football in general - I mean, somebody had to teach him, and we all knew it wouldn't be Cloud. I told Sora about all the teams, and the conferences, and the best players, and the rules...and I even told him about how great the Eagles were, for good measure. Thanks to me, I've made an Eagles fan out of Sora! Once a fan, always a fan... forever.*laughs to himself*
Corrin: That Link, bringing Sora over to the dark side that is the Eagles fanbase...you may have won this round, Link, but I guarantee you, you shall feel the wrath of Palpatine coming down upon you soon...
Once Sora was done with the hot peppers and garlic, he hurled the ingredients into the skillet filled with granola oil, allowing the oil to simmer as he put on the lid. A master in the making?
"We should be done with our 34th Pikachu Cheesesteak of the day soon, Link!" Sora said to the Hylian, who was stroking his chin in thought. Link was thinking of new ways to innovate the cheesesteak, and a new idea might've entered his head. "Whaddaya thinking, Link?"
"The cheesesteak...the cheesesteak needs some melted chocolate..." uttered Link; chocolate in a cheesesteak? Yuck! What a terrible combination! "...yeah, some melted chocolate should do the trick! We must make the Pikachu Cheesesteak different from the others cheesesteaks, different from the rest of the pack, and some melted chocolate would..."
"I know I'm already in the majority, but I think melted chocolate in a cheesesteak sounds like a very bad idea." Upon hearing this, Link would grab Sora's shoulders, and looked into his blue eyes, with an intense look.
"Do you think I should care if melted chocolate in a cheesesteak is a bad idea? Lemme tell you something, my friend...what do people mostly associate chocolate with? Black people. What do people mostly associate black people with? Dreams. Lemme tell you why...Martin Luther King Jr? He had a dream. Michael Jackson? He had a dream. The 1992 Dream Team? They all had a dream...well, save for Bird and Stockton."
"...and the point you're trying to make is...?" Sora asked this while eyeing around the kitchen, hoping someone would bail him out.
"My point is, they had a dream, and I have a dream - a dream to make the Pikachu Cheesesteak the greatest sandwich ever created. I shall carry on the legacy of CJ (although Master Hand may take all his credit) in an ongoing effort to improve Pikachu Day, a day so great it deserves to be celebrated every day! And if innovating the Pikachu Cheesesteak means chasing my dreams, then so be it!"
"Okay Link, you're starting to become obsessed, like Master Hand obsessed. I feel very worried about your overall sanity."
"Eh, it's probably just a phase I'm going through," remarked Link, as he dropped Sora unto the floor with a thud. The utter disregard for his well-being. "I can't be any worse than Master Hand, though!" Link turned around and saw Flora, holding a mop as she was looking at the Hylian. Might've seen Link's entire speech...
"I'm sorry for looking, my apologies," apologized Flora, looking down at the floor as she resumed moping. That didn't stop Link from asking the maid to complete a certain favor for him.
"Flora, can you do me a solid and get me some chocolate?" the Hylian asked Flora, who froze as she looked up at Link, with scared eyes. "Chill out, you don't have to go out or anything, I'm sure there's some chocolate lying around in the mansion..."
Link: Find me some chocolate. That's all Flora has to do. If she somehow screws that up, then her life is a complete waste, with or without her maid duties.
"Is there a particular chocolate you're looking for?" asked Flora, already fearful that she might mess up. Always setting herself up for failure...
"Nah, I don't have a preference - but just avoid dark chocolate if you can," advised Link, stressing this as much as possible. "Dark chocolate only tastes good when you're marinating it in your saliva. Otherwise, it'll taste extremely bitter. Trust me, I know..."
Unlike the tranquilizer dart fired at Meta Knight in episode 8 - the one that left the Star Warrior sedated for the entirety of the episode - the tranquilizer dart that struck Mario had less sever sedation effects, and as a result, Mario was up and running once the sedation wore off.
"Time to see if X and .EXE are done-a with that security system!" exclaimed Mario moments after he hopped out of the bed and stretched his arms. The plumber headed down the stairs, and went to the living room, seeing X and .EXE...
...and Peach, Lara, Lucas, and Cloud in the living room as well, seated around. Cloud still had a thousand yard look in his eyes, meaning that he was still reflecting on Wolf's comments.
"About time you woke up, Mario," Peach said to Mario, when she saw that her husband was there. "Come and take a seat. Cloud is going through...some motions right now." Mario took a seat on the couch, next to his wife.
"What have you been-a discussing while I was resting?" Mario asked, after he took his seat. Cloud's detachment was especially concerning to the plumber.
"Cloud apparently thinks that he's a clone of Zack Fair," explained X, catching Mario by surprise. "Wolf was the one who told him that - said Aerith only liked Cloud because of how similar he is to Zack."
"Has Aerith ever seen-a Zack before, in her own-a universe? I know the Zack Fair in ours-a died, but if Aerith is alive in-a her universe, then the Zack from-a that universe could be alive-a too..."
"I'm just a clone...just a clone..." said Cloud, as he continued to stare into the distance. Didn't take him long enough to see Mario sitting next to Peach. "Mario, do you think I'm a Zack Fair clone?"
"Not necessarily, Cloud...sure, you have the same-a fighting stance Zack did, and you have the same-a sword Zack used to wield, and you have-a spiky hair, like Zack did...granted you have traits-a similar to Zack, but that doesn't mean..."
"Just tell me the answer I need Mario, straight up. Am I Zack Fair clone or what? Don't need any fancy explanations, get straight to the point. Am I a clone of Zack Fair? Yes or no?"
"Cloud, I know this might be an insensitive question to ask, but..." Lucas spoke up, nervous about how Cloud would respond. "Have you...ever met your parents? Do you even know your parents, for that matter?"
"Well, I was raised by my mom...but I've never met my dad. Disappeared when I was young. But what if that wasn't my real mom, and my real mom was out there somewhere? Or what if I was cloned, and I was...man, this is giving me headaches..."
Cloud clutched his head, grabbing his hair as Lara patted the swordsman on the back. Wolf really messed Cloud up today...
Speaking of Wolf, the mercenary was on a roll on his first day as a matchmaker. He gave Wario some romantic tips in regards to Palutena, told Tsubasa where to buy a Valentine's Day gift for Itsuki, and even helped Isabelle file some taxes. Master Hand's taxes. That last thing wasn't romantic, but someone had to do it...
Wolf: Who knew being a matchmaker would be a breeze? I've been giving people fruitless information, and they just accept it and run away! Of course, I couldn't be positive for all my clients - still on the fence about Bowser wanting to be with Lara. But I told him what he wanted to hear, and he'll hopefully leave me alone...until he encounters another hurdle in his ongoing quest for Lara's love. Sooner or later he'll realize the huge mistake he's making.
Wolf remained in his matchmaking room, awaiting his next client. The door opened, and in came Flora; she remained at the door, meaning that she wouldn't be staying for long.
"Do you...do you have any chocolate?" Flora asked Wolf, fearing that the mercenary might yell at her. Good thing Wolf was in a charitable mood today.
"Why yes I do Flora - I've been waiting for someone to ask me that!" replied Wolf, as he reached into a sack and pulled out a box of chocolates. "Who is this for, Dark Pit? Never knew you were the one to take initiative, Flora...just so you know, the chocolate isn't assorted, so..."
"Thank you very much!" Flora ran inside the room to snatch the box of chocolates before running back out and closed the door. Another deal done with Wolf, professional matchmaker.
Yoshi sat alone in the hallway, feeling sad as he stared at his fine china. It was a gift meant for Rouge, but it was never meant to be, as Knuckles disapproved the selection. Yoshi, feeling like me screwed up big, remained depressed as Ness walked by.
"What's up with you?" the teenager asked Yoshi, who heaved a sigh. The dinosaur didn't feel like returning the fine china - a waste of his money.
"Knuckles wanted me to get a gift for his ex-girlfriend, Rouge, and I thought some fine china would do the trick..." explained Yoshi, still staring at the fine china he apparently refused to return. "...but Knuckles didn't like the gift, and he called me a disappointment. He might be telling the truth, for all I know..."
"Why would you get a gift for Rouge? That's Knuckles' business. Not yours." Just then, a brilliant idea spurred in Ness' mind. "I think you should give that fine china to Birdo."
"Are you out of your mind?!" Yoshi took great offense to this idea, which might not be brilliant on paper. "That's like a death wish waiting to happen! What are you thinking, man?!"
"How about I tell you the full details?" Ness leaned in close to Yoshi, whispering into the dinosaur's ear, as Yoshi nodded at every little bit of information. A smile strangely formed on his face...
In last week's episode, Pit lost to Sonic in a game of Tecmo Bowl, after Sonic ran all over Pit without even letting the angel have possession of the ball. This week, Pit was taking another L again, as he was on the court outside with Kirby playing some one-on-one basketball. It should be noted that Kirby was too small to dribble the basketball, but that didn't stop him from scoring buckets.
"Gonna cut into your lead right now, Kirby!" said Pit, dribbling the ball down the court towards Kirby, who was too short to guard Pit. Pit let the ball fly, shooting it out of his hands as the ball zipped into the air and past the basket...resulting in another air ball. "That was just my practice shot - nothing to sneeze at!"
"Pit, you said that for all the previous shots you've taken," stated Kirby, before leaving to fetch the ball. "Come up with something original next time, okay?" Kirby added after he returned to the court.
Pit: May have lost to Kirby in basketball, on this blessed Pikachu Day, but I shall get my revenge on the next Pikachu Day...which is tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow, which is also Pikachu Day. My revenge shall come on Pikachu Day, one way or another...
Kirby: *walking by* Spoiler alert...his revenge is never coming. It's all in his head.
Play was about to resume, until Zelda came outside to speak with Pit and Kirby. She probably saw how terrible Pit was from inside, and wanted to end the game to preserve the angel's dignity.
"Sorry to end your little basketball game...whether it was competitive or not," said the princess, knowing anything involving Pit was bereft of competition. "You do know about Wolf's matchmaking...thing, correct?"
"Yeah I came to Wolf for some love advice, but he kicked me out as soon as he saw me," replied Pit, feeling and sounding salty. "What about Wolf's matchmaking?"
Rouge, waiting for an eternity, was now fast asleep in the foyer, as Cloud entered the mansion returning from Mario's home. Around this time, Zelda appeared in the foyer, and Cloud came to her immediately.
"Zelda, do you think I'm a Zack Fair clone?" Cloud asked the princess, understandably puzzled by this question. "Wolf said that I was. Said that Aerith only liked me because I'm a Zack Fair clone. Now I'm starting to have doubts that my mom isn't my birth mom...what do you think?"
"I think you should go to your room and truly think about what you've heard," replied Zelda, as she guided Cloud out of the foyer. "The fact that you believed something Wolf told you is astounding." Zelda shook her head once Cloud left, before turning her attention to an asleep Rouge. A simple tug of her wing was enough to wake the bat up.
"I'm awake, I'm awake!" shouted Rouge, as she awakened from her slumber. She looked up, and saw a smiling Zelda. "Oh, it's you again...whatever it is, it better be about Knuckles."
"Yes, it is about Knuckles...he's ready to speak with you." This was news to Rouge's ears, as she sprung up and got on her feet. "First we need a private place for you to met up, but I got that taken care of...hopefully."
In episode 109, Lucina made a promise to Chrom that she would bail him and his Fire Emblem buddies out of Roy's Straight Fiyah hullabaloo, and ever since she explained her plan to Fox and Falco, there was hardly any mention of her plan. But Lucina would be seemingly planting the seeds for her master plan, as she was speaking with Raven on the phone.
"Yeah, Father walked out on Straight Fiyah, can't say I blame him..." Lucina spoke with Raven, in the lounge. "However, his walkout has put a damper on my plans...our plans rather. I'll have to do some improvisation."
Lucina: Figured that someone was bound to walk out on Roy's silly k-pop group, but I did not expect Father to be the one to walk out. I'll just have to wait on whoever the new member will be before I resume my plan. I'd be afraid if Roy recruited the Black Knight.
"Remember to take your time, rushing things will only screw you up," advised Raven. "Got any predictions for who this new member might be?" Before Lucina could answer, the princess saw Roy walk by the lounge, with a hip Crash Bandicoot walking at his side, and it left her speechless. "...Lucina, you still there?"
"Hold on, I need to speak with Roy for a sec..." Lucina put her phone down, as she left the lounge to speak with Roy. "Roy, what are you doing with Crash?" Lucina questioned the swordsman, as Roy and Crash turned around.
"I'm showing Crash the ropes, in regards to being a k-pop star!" explained Roy, as Lucina cringed hard. "Yes, he will be our new lead singer, and he'll be a better singer than your worthless...um, worthy father, Chrom! Totally not worthless!"
"No one else was available for the taking, huh?" Clearly that was the case, as Roy held his head in shame. "Not that anyone would ever willingly join your stupid group. Forcing people to be a part of your delusions is never a good thing, Roy."
"Oh yeah, well you'll be eating your words once Straight Fiyah makes it to the top and becomes world famous! I repeat, WORLD, FAMOUS!" Lucina scoffed and rolled her eyes, as she turned around and walked away. "Keep on walking Lucina, one day you'll see. One day!" Once Lucina was far away from Roy, she pulled out her phone.
"Sorry, but I'm gonna have to call you another time...apparently Roy picked Crash freaking Bandicoot to be the new lead singer. That furball can't even sing...I'll call you later once I give you an update on the plan."
"Sounds good - talk to you later," replied Raven, as Lucina promptly ended the call. The princess walked past an open bedroom door, before peering through said door and seeing Coco on her bad, fiddling away on her laptop. Lucina knocked on the door, to grab Coco's attention.
"Hello, who is it?" asked Coco, momentarily looking up from her laptop screen, as she saw Lucina enter her room. "Oh, hi Lucina. Say, have you seen Aku anywhere? Saw him being chewed up by the Duck Hunt dog, and later saw him in the washing machine. Bet he's stuck in a vending machine now."
"Unfortunately, I don't know where Aku is..." responded Lucina, as she closed the door behind her and locked it. That really grabbed Coco's attention. "...but I do have an offer to give to you..."
"An offer? What kind of offer is it? It's not anything mutant related, is it? Please don't let be anything to do with mutants..."
Back to Wolf, who was waiting for another client before he could call it a day. In came Pit and Kirby, the former "banned: by Wolf.
"Thought I told you good not to come to me for romantic advice ever again!" Wolf snapped on Pit, only for Pit to aggressively grab the mercenary and fling him out of the room. With Wolf gone, Pit blew out the candles (except one) and moved them out of the way, allowing Kirby to spit out a table and two chairs in the center of the room.
"One lit candle oughta be enough," said Pit placing the lone lit candle in the center of the table, before looking out through the door, with Wolf lying on the floor grumbling to himself. Pit saw Knuckles from far away and gave him a thumbs up, giving the echidna the initiative to come to the room.
Knuckles: Because Yoshi simply cannot be trusted to buy anyone a gift ever again, I had to find a gift for Rouge on my own, with Sonic and Tails coming along. Just for the trip, totally not like they helped pick out a gift or anything...but regardless, I have selected a gift for Rouge, and I got it ready for Rouge to see!
"Here's hoping all goes well," said Knuckles as he entered the room and took a seat at the table, as Pit and Kirby made their exit. Fortunately for Knuckles he didn't have to wait long for Rouge, for the bat arrived along with Zelda.
"There he is, dying to speak with you..." Zelda whispered to Rouge as the two stood at the door, with Zelda pointing at Knuckles. "Well, now's your opportunity - don't try and screw this up, okay?"
"Not to fear, Princess Zelda, I've learned my lesson already," assured Rouge, as she stepped inside the room and trotted her way to Knuckles. Knuckles looked up and was delighted to see his ex, smiling intently. "Missed me?" Rouge asked the echidna.
"Guess you can say that again, haven't been quite the same since that whole fiasco," replied Knuckles, holding the gift bag that contained his gift. "Why don't you take a seat, so we can...work some stuff out?"
"With pleasure..." smiled Rouge, as she took a seat in her chair. Her gaze soon became fixated on Knuckles' gift bag, which left her smiling even more. "Say, Knuckles, what's in the bag? Care to explain?"
"Not until later, it's a surprise...let's just have a conversation for a while. It's been weeks since we last talked to each other...eight weeks, if I recall correctly. All because of that love triangle shenanigans..."
"Yeah, about that...before we continue our conversation, I want to apologize for what I did to you and Knuckles. Shouldn't have listened to Jakob. But I will admit, he was very convincing..."
"Jakob was very convincing to us when he was vying to be the butler of the Smash Mansion. You'd never expect him to be secretly working for Dr. Eggman the whole time. Kinda used that to his advantage, and almost got away with it...almost."
"Well Jakob is in the past, so no need to dwell upon him any longer. Good riddance to that man...on to other things. I take it that you've been living in turmoil while embellishing your single status? Your friends must've given you a hard time!"
"If you're talking about Sonic and Tails...then I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken. They never poked fun at me ever since our breakup. Sonic might've said a thing or two, but it wasn't anything I'd punch him in the face for."
As Knuckles and Rouge continued to talk with one another and reconnect, Zelda, Pit, and Kirby watched attentively through the door. And every time Wolf got up from the floor to take back the room, Kirby would throw him back down each and every time.
"Did Knuckles ever tell you about the gift he purchased for Rouge?" Zelda asked Pit and Kirby; the faces they made indicated that the gift wasn't a good one.
"It's a Valentine's Day-themed snow globe, apparently," replied Kirby, as Zelda made a questionable face. "If it makes you feel any better, Knuckles said Sonic picked it out! So all the blame goes to him..."
Tails: Sonic, what possibly made you think that a snow globe for Rouge would be a great gift for her? Not that it's any better than fine china...but what were you thinking?!
Sonic: Oh, so it's MY fault Knuckles didn't have a gameplan before we went shopping...I just grabbed the first thing I saw. Like you could've done any better!
Tails: That teddy bear we saw could've sufficed.
Sonic: What do you think Rouge is, a little child? She's like, twenty years old... *pause* ...which means she's older than Knuckles! Man, no wonder Knuckles used to have a tough time in that relationship...
"Why did Knuckles agree upon the snow globe for?" asked Zelda, as Pit shrugged. "Why did Knuckles even bother looking for a gift in the first place? If Rouge sees that snow globe, she might be one unhappy camper..."
Suddenly, there was crying heard from afar, crying loud enough to grab the attention of Zelda and company. Knuckles and Rouge also heard the crying, as they stopped their conversation, only pausing for a brief moment before continuing.
"You two stay right here, I'll go see where that crying is coming from," Zelda said to Pit and Kirby, as the princess left the two alone.
The crying would be coming from Flora, who was seated in the hallway sobbing with her sister Felicia comforting her. In front of Flora was the box of chocolates she got from Wolf.
"I'm such a failure, I can't be trusted to do anything..." sobbed Flora, as Felicia comfortingly patted her shoulder. "Can't even do a simple task correctly..." Zelda would arrive at the scene, seeing Flora in her time of despair.
"Great, what is Flora crying over this time?" Zelda asked Felicia, wishing Flora wasn't always so down on herself.
"Flora was supposed to get Link some chocolate or something, and she gave him that box of chocolates on the floor," explained Felicia, as she pointed at the box in question. "However, it was nothing but dark chocolate, and Link kinda put Flora on blast for it...he was really out of his element."
"The chocolate must be for that stupid Pikachu Cheesesteak...I'm so going to have a very long talk with Link about that sandwich of his." Zelda picked up the box of chocolates, and looked at it curiously. "Mind if I borrow this?" she asked the maids.
"Why bother, it didn't do me any good so what good would it do for you..." replied Flora, in-between her sobs, as she wiped away her tears. "...but go ahead, take that box, see what I care..."
Birdo: Finished up a wonderful day at the beauty salon - got my nails done, and my feet manicured! It was all thanks to Celica, who did every procedure for me and then some. Saw her washing her hands profusely after she was done my with feet - must be a hardcore germaphobe. After all, I'm too pretty to have smelly feet...it's just all in Celica's head.
While Birdo had a great time at the beauty salon - the same couldn't be said for Celica, however - the dinosaur's day wouldn't be complete without seeing her man, Yoshi. She hadn't seen Yoshi all day, and she refused to leave until she got the chance to speak with her man.
Birdo's chance would soon come sooner than expected, when she stepped outside the beauty salon, and saw guess who? Yoshi, standing with his arms behind his back. You bet Birdo was super delighted.
"About time you showed up, my love!" exclaimed Birdo, batting her eyelashes as Yoshi remained unfettered. "How'd you know I was in the beauty salon? Ah, someone probably told you. Are you holding something behind your back?"
"It's a gift I hand-picked specifically for you," answered Yoshi, making Birdo squeal with joy. "Come closer, and I'll show you what it is..." So Birdo crept towards Yoshi, as Yoshi held out the fine china he originally purchased for Birdo. "You like?"
"Ooh, exquisite fine china! Yoshi, you know me too well. Especially for a man who's strongly in denial about his love. About time you finally came around...does this mean what I think it means?"
"Why yes it does...for there is a question I've been too afraid to ask you." The anticipation was building, as Birdo's heart was fluttering away. "Birdo...do you wish to take me as your loving boyfriend?" You know what happened next.
"Yes, yes, yes I do take you as my loving boyfriend! Yoshi, I've been waiting for you to admit that you are truly mine! I'm so happy, I can't hide it! We must commemorate this moment!"
"Good thing I know just the way..." Yoshi took out a bottle, and two teacups of the fine china set, as he poured the contents of the bottle into the two teacups. One cup for Birdo, and one cup for himself. "Shall we toast, m'lady?"
"Toast we shall!" Birdo took her teacup, and Yoshi took his, as the two toasted their cups. Birdo would drink her teacup first...and seconds later, she fell to the floor with a thud. Yoshi did not drink his cup, however, as Ness appeared once Birdo was knocked out.
"So how did it go?" Ness asked Yoshi, who pointed at the unconscious Birdo, on the floor next to her teacup. "Sweet, it went exactly how I planned! That should keep Birdo destabilized."
Ness: The drink we gave to Birdo is called Everclear, and it's 95% alcohol. Cilan "enhanced" the drink, allowing it to render whoever drinks it unconscious. Was having Birdo drink the Everclear immoral? Sure. Was Birdo stalking Yoshi uncomfortably and unwillingly immoral? Certainly. So it kinda evens out.
"Feels weird having the upper hand on Birdo...usually it's me who takes the fall," remarked Yoshi. The dinosaur finally took care of his problems head on, rather than running away from there. He was coming along nicely. "What do we do with Birdo now?"
"Cilan said that the effects of the enhanced Everclear last indefinitely, until whoever drinks it wakes up," answered Ness, stroking his chin. "I'd say we just throw her in the basement and lock her in. Master Hand would approve of that."
The conversation between Knuckles and Rouge was going along fairly swell, as the reconnecting lovebirds were now talking about trust issues, commitment, sacrifices, and all that good stuff. The kind of stuff that made Pit and Kirby sick to their stomach. With the conversation drawing to a close, it was time for the moment of truth...
"Still waiting to see what's in the bag, Knuckles," said Rouge, as she eyed the gift bag. Knuckles smiled sheepishly, as he held the gift bag. "The gift inside is for me, correct?"
"Of course it is - otherwise I wouldn't bring it with me," replied Knuckles, peering into the bag and seeing the snow globe. Why did he trust Sonic's judgement? "You're not gonna...freak out, once I show you the gift, will you?"
"Eh, as long as it's a good gift, I won't do any harm. Better not be a piece of crap. You gonna give me the gift or what?"
"Well I would give it to you...but I'm still afraid about your reaction. Like, what if you become so delighted, that you scream and break every window in the mansion? Given where we are, that would be impossible, yet plausible at the same time."
"Quit stalling Knuckles, and show me what's in the bag. If you loved me so much that you bought me a gift, then show it to me!"
"Before I do, I just want to say that picking this gift was hard...hard in that I nearly spent my allowance on it. That's how hard it was. You know I can be a stingy person sometimes - tossing a coin into a fountain makes me feel uneasy!"
As Knuckles stalled an unamused Rouge, Zelda finally returned to Pit and Kirby with the box of chocolates. Couldn't have came at a more opportune time.
"Sorry I was late - had to go reprimand Link," apologized Zelda; her reprimanding was all in the name of Flora's honor. "Not done yet though, I'll have a long talk with Link later. What did I miss?"
"Nothing much, Knuckles and Rouge appear to be almost back together again," replied Pit, despite Rouge's frustration with Knuckles increasing. "Rouge is just dying to see that snow globe...uh, I mean gift."
"Good thing I came just in time then..." Zelda handed the box of chocolates to Kirby. "Can you switch that snow globe out with this? Try not to grab Rouge's attention!"
"I'll be as quiet as a Waddle Dee," replied Kirby, as he scurried inside the room. Rouge's patience with Knuckles was suddenly dwindling.
"Get on with it Knuckles, I'm not waiting forever ya know," demanded Rouge, slamming her fist on the table. "Show me the gift, or I'm leaving!"
"Okay woman, don't hurt me...let me just say this," said Knuckles, bracing himself. "It may not be the greatest gift in the world, but it's always the thought...that counts?" Instead of pulling out a snow globe, the echidna pulled out a box of chocolates instead. He placed it on the table, with a strange look, as Kirby scurried away with the snow globe.
"Ooh, a box of chocolates, just for me!" gleamed Rouge, as she opened the box and ate one of the chocolates. Her eyes widened instantly. "And it's dark chocolate too?! My favorite! Aw, Knuckles, you shouldn't have. This is like Valentine's Day, five days early!"
"Yup, box of chocolates, totally what I had in mind..." Knuckles chuckled, as he look towards the door and saw Zelda and company, with Pit giving a thumbs up. "My 'buddies' helped pick out the chocolates, for sure. Don't know what I would do without them..."
And then, for the final moment of truth...Rouge lunged over the table, leaping into the arms of Knuckles, as the lovebirds fell unto the floor and kissed one another. Zelda looked on in amazement; Pit covered Kirby's eyes, while Kirby tried to cover Pit's, although he couldn't reach.
Pit: So to be clear...when Viridi wants to kiss me, I should allow her to lunge at me and fall to the floor? Or should it be the other way around? I mean, I have wings, which would decrease the room for error if things go wrong...nah, I should just let Viridi do whatever she pleases.
Once she was done kissing Knuckles, Rouge got up off the floor, leaving Knuckles in a state of trance. Safe to say that Knuckles x Rouge was back on, especially after that kiss.
"Talk to you later, my precious boyfriend..." smiled Rouge, kissing her two fingers and planting the kiss on Knuckles' cheek, before exiting the room. Knuckles remained on the floor, looking up at the ceiling, as he smiled to himself.
"Hehehe...that crazy chick still digs me," the echidna chuckled. Zelda, Pit, and Kirby all left Knuckles where he was, as they all walked away and left him alone to ponder over how "crazy" Rouge was.
It was probably for the best anyways.