Author's Note:
Pyra and Mythra are coming to Smash! Won't be much of a problem for me, since those two ladies are already in this story. Albeit in limited doses. I suppose that I could show them (and Rex and Nia) a bit more love in future chapters. Will be interesting to see how they play in Smash compared to other swordfighters. Now for the guest reviews:
"Have Sora, Riku, and Kairi had any interactions with Sephiroth yet? Now that Caroline and Justine are Mansion residents, will we see the other Velvet Room characters show up? A nod or reference to figmas? (Since a few Nintendo characters like Pit, Link, and Samus got figmas and a Gloria and Marnie figma is coming soon). A Princess Elise character redemption chapter? (Since Sonic's 30th anniversary and Sonic 2006's 15th anniversary is this year). And finally, what are your thoughts on Falcom finally porting the Trails and Ys games to the Switch?"
Sora and Riku have, but not Kairi. Other Velvet Room characters, like Elizabeth, will show up. I could do a nod to Figmas. Don't know about a Princess Elise character redemption chapter. And Falcom porting the Trails and Ys games to the Switch...it's been a long time coming. Better late than never. Another anonymous review:
"Any Mario 35th anniversary chapter?"
In due time, perhaps. Timing is key. Up next is The Reader:
"Now we got Lavenza. Margaret and Elizabeth when? And Theodore too? Maybe Marie?"
Hopefully before the end of the year. On to..Question for CG01. CG01? That's me!
"Crash 4 is coming to the Switch on March 12! And apparently, you're a "Crash" guy. So, will there be a Crash 4 chapter at March 12?"
"There will be a Crash 4 chapter on March 12. Kinda perfect timing with how the story is going along so far. Last up is El Pollo Campero:
"Hmmm don't know if I asked this or not buuuutttttt... are we ever gonna see more dragon quest characters? (4 and 8 specifically because I don't think we've really seen eight and solos crews)"
Yes! I will try and feature more of the Dragon Quest characters in the next chapter. Can't stop thinking about how greatly underutilized some of them are...
Episode 270: Eggman
It has been over three years since Dr. Eggman was last around at the mansion. The mad scientist himself has had quite a history in Smash Life, to say the least.
It all started in 2016 when Eggman built a statue of Master Hand outside the mansion, with Master Hand's approval. Hidden inside the statue was a portal to Subspace, which Dimentio discovered. When Eggman came to the mansion that day, only to see the statue destroyed and the portal gone, he was banned from ever stepping foot on the mansion premises again by Master Hand.
After that ban, Eggman had a lot of revenge on his mind. So he staged an attack on Mario and Peach during their wedding day, at the hotel that the wedding reception was supposed to take place. With the help of Team Flare and Fawful, no less. After a lengthy investigation conducted by Professor Layton and Luke Triton, Eggman returned to the mansion on his Death Egg, to wrap a bow on his revenge tour...only to be stopped by Mario and company. And later arrested.
Since then, Eggman and his associates were doing time in jail, as punishment for their crimes. Given that Eggman was in jail for a pretty long time, one might think that the mad scientist would be released from behind bars soon. And that was what Cloud was curious to see.
"Master Hand, you got a minute?" Cloud asked the giant hand as he entered his room. He spotted Master Hand playing with the five cats that appeared in the previous episode. "Just wanted to ask you a question."
"Yes, but only if I ask you a question," replied Master Hand, as Cloud was all ears. He knew that the question Master Hand was gonna ask would be silly. "Do you think that Mr. Mittens is a cute name for a cat?" And there it was...
"For a kitten, perhaps. But my question's much more important. Isn't Dr. Eggman supposed to be released from jail soon?" It was at that moment that Master Hand remembered Eggman being arrested, as well as his jail sentence.
"Yes, he's supposed to be released today if I recall!" That was a big surprise to Cloud, who didn't expect Eggman to be released so soon. "Kinda wanted him to stay in jail longer, but we all can't be choosers..."
Isabelle: Dr. Eggman was supposed to be released from jail in late 2019. However, Master Hand bribed the jail officials to keep Eggman around for another year or more. Just to "rub it in".
"That soon, huh? Good to know," responded Cloud, as he was seemingly concocting some kind of plan in his head. "You know the name of the jail that Dr. Eggman is staying at?"
"I'll give you the name, but on one condition," replied Master Hand, before picking up one of the five cats. It was an orange one. "Is this orange cat more of a male, or a female to you?"
"Shouldn't you know that yourself?" Master Hand could check out the cat's gender but probably didn't want to take that risk. "I'll just say...it's a boy."
"My thoughts exactly!" Master Hand placed the orange cat back on the floor, as he ran back to play with his fellow cat buddies. "Can you ask Mr. Game and Watch to build a playpen for these cats? I suspect that we can't keep these felines around forever."
"I'll go ask him now." On that note, Cloud left Master Hand's room, with a certain goal on his mind.
The mansion had a minor influx of new residents when Caroline and Justine were brought to the mansion by Master Hand. Being prison wardens from the Velvet Room, Caroline and Justine were pretty much a secondary buddy cop duo. But as demonstrated in the previous episode, the twins could fuse to become Lavenza. Who could then change back to Caroline and Justine whenever she felt like it.
While everyone got used to Caroline and Justine (and Lavenza) over the week, there was one person who was miffed by the new residents...and that was Joker. Given that Caroline and Justine liked to call Joker an "inmate" (with the former being more guilty), Joker was bound to be the butt of jokes in the eyes of his peers.
"Sup inmate, how's it going?" Wario sneered at Joker, whom he saw in the cafe. Joker was noodling around on his phone, doing his best to ignore Wario. "Shouldn't you be in prison?"
"I should be asking you that question..." replied Joker, before thinking of a brilliant comeback. "...flirting with an underage teenage girl is a pretty big crime, in my book." Wario gritted his teeth, knowing who Joker was referring to.
"She's not in high school anymore, okay?!" That was always Wario's go-to counter-argument whenever someone brought up or alluded to Mona. "She's got a job now, as a fashion designer!"
"A pity that her sense of fashion never rubbed off on you." Joker continued to noodle around on his phone, as Wario grunted and went to the coffee maker. Seconds later, Ryuji ran inside the cafe to speak with Joker.
"Bro, have you been using the new app on your phone?" Ryuji asked Joker, who looked up and saw his best friend pointing at his phone. "It's gotta be the best app you ever used, don't you think?"
"Are you talking about the EMMA app? It's pretty nice." Ryuji was super gung-ho about the EMMA, which he already had open on his phone.
"'It's pretty nice'? For real?! Dude, it's the best app ever! Watch this!" Ryuji cleared his throat, before asking the following into his phone: "EMMA, what's the easiest way to gain muscle?" Ryuji smiled from ear to ear, anticipating the answer.
"The easiest way is to consume one gram of protein, for every 454 grams of body weight," answered EMMA, almost instantly, as Ryuji was smiling even harder. Wario, who had just fixed his cup of coffee, looked over with an eyebrow raised.
"So that app of yours knows everything, eh?" the fatso asked Ryuji, curious to know just how much EMMA knew. That app could perhaps predict the future - and that's what Wario wanted to find out. "EMMA, how rich will I, Wario, be in five years?"
"Wario will go completely broke in five years or less." Wario did not like this answer from EMMA one bit, as Joker and Ryuji stifled their laughter. Wario was so angry that his face turned red, with steaming coming out from his ears.
"Sorry, Wario, but EMMA is mistake-free," replied Joker, as he got up from his seat. Didn't want to subject himself to Wario's wrath. "I suggest that you handle your finances better if you want to prove EMMA wrong."
"Fat chance of that ever happening!" snorted Ryuji, as he and Joker left the cafe. "C'mon Joker, let's see if EMMA knows what Greninja's personality is like!"
"So, EMMA thinks that I'm gonna go broke in five years, eh?" Wario said to himself as he scratched his chin, looking for a way to keep his net worth intact. "Guess I'll just have to show that app who it's messing with!"
Joker: To be fair, the EMMA app isn't as new as Ryuji claimed it was. It was shut down, but a new manufacturer restored it to its original function. Still works just as well when we first got it, with its extreme accuracy. Unlike the last time, however, EMMA won't be causing massive blackouts and stealing peoples' hearts. It's a long story.
Moira had visited the mansion last week, having shared a report she had written with Cloud. Falco, who witnessed Cloud speaking with Moira in the gardens, predicated that Moira would come back to the mansion for a consecutive week. Fox and Sonic shared similar sentiments, which was why they were sitting at the porch with Falco, anticipating Moira's arrival.
"First a snowstorm, now we have to deal with this stupid rain?" complained Fox, as he watched the rain pour down the front yard of the mansion. "Mother Nature must really hate this city."
"At least someone's enjoying it..." remarked Falco, who saw Bowser outside in the rain looking up at the sky with his arms outstretched. Bowser was now permitted by Master Hand to leave the mansion at free will after Lloyd helped to bail him out. "...how long has he been standing there?
"I've been keeping up the time on my phone - it's been almost twenty-five minutes," replied Sonic, glancing at his phone, as the Duck Hunt Dog came over to Bowser and peed on the Koopa King. Yet Bowser did not care.
"Sonic the Hedgehog - just the guy I wanted to see," Cloud greeted the blue hedgehog as he stepped out of the mansion and onto the porch. "I've got some big news for you; it's something to do with your arch-nemesis."
"Who, Dr. Eggman? Did he finally decide to join Weight Watchers?" Sonic laughed to himself, as the thought of Eggman being slimmer than usual delighted him. Sure would be a sight to see. "Or did he lose an actual pound? That one's more likely. Only slightly, though."
"As you know, Dr. Eggman has been in jail for that stunt he pulled a few years back, among other things. Now he's being released today." Sonic wasn't sure of how to react.
"Okay, why are you telling me this for? It's not like Eggman and I are best friends." If Eggman had to stay in jail a bit longer, Sonic wouldn't even be opposed to it. "Sometimes I forget that man ever existed!"
"Not friends with Eggman, yet you two raced with each other." Sonic was ready to retort, as he opened his mouth. "And played tennis with each other. I'm sure you had to carry all your tennis matches against Eggman."
"Fine, you might have a point there...but why were you so eager to tell me this for? You want me to pick up Dr. Eggman from the jail or something?"
"Exactly what I was just about to ask you." At that moment, the thought of picking up Eggman from jail suddenly disturbed Sonic greatly. "I want you to bring Eggman here, to the mansion."
Cloud: My secret project needs another brilliant mind for everything to go well. Moira has been a huge help, but I'm gonna need another genius with a different focus for the next step in the process. Quite frankly, all my choices boiled down to Dr. Eggman. Going with Eggman is a pretty huge risk, especially given his history and all, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.
"I found the jail on Google Maps," Cloud continued as he handed Sonic a map that he printed off. Sonic reluctantly accepted the map, seeing a location circled in red marker. "You can ask Tails to fly you there if his helicopter is working."
"I don't have much choice in this, do I?" Sonic asked Cloud, whose blank stare told the hedgehog all that he needed to know. Sonic sighed in exasperation as he headed inside. "Well, if Master Hand is fine with this..."
"Things with Master Hand will be sorted out shortly," Cloud assured Sonic, who waved off the swordsman as he went to go look for Tails. Cloud was about to head back inside himself before he saw Fox and Falco gawking at him. "What do you two want?"
"Need any assistance with anything, Cloud?" Fox asked the swordsman, who was fearful that the pilot might bring up his secret project. "Anything such, well I don't know...a project you might be working on?"
"Actually, there is one thing that you can do. Since I got my hands full today, I want you boys to spend some time with Aerith."
"Does it have something to do with your big secret?" inquired Falco, as Cloud glared at the avian pilot in a way that shook him down to his core. "Uh, I mean, what hobbies does Aerith like to do?"
"You lived with her long enough, you should know yourselves." Cloud had to leave right away before the Star Fox pilots grew onto him. "I'll leave you two at it - give me a shout if you have any problems."
"Having problems with Aerith? Yeah, right..." smirked Fox, as he considered Aerith one of the most easygoing folks he ever got along with. "...your girl will be safe with us, Mr. Strife." Cloud nodded his head, as he went back inside the mansion.
"Alright, man, this could potentially be our big break," an overly excited Falco said to Fox, believing that he and Fox were one step closer to finding out the truth to Cloud's big secret. "What could go wrong?"
Poor Fox and Falco had no idea what they were getting themselves into, as they were now following Aerith and Zelda the beauty salon. Both pilots tried to keep a relatively open mind.
"Over here," Zelda said to Fox and Falco after the group entered the beauty salon, as she brought everyone over to some massage beds. Fox and Falco saw the massage beds, realizing that some mistakes were made.
"Oh, I see what's going on...you're gonna give us massages," Fox said to Zelda and Aerith, followed by some very nervous chuckling. Zelda and Aerith exchange smiling faces with one another.
"No...you two are going to give us massages," stated Aerith, as the sound of Fox and Falco gulping nervously amused her. "Back massages, that is. You boys said that you would do anything for me, did you not?"
"I'm just here to receive a few fruits of my labor," clarified Zelda, who just wanted a break from being the woman of the mansion. That's she that she could really ask for. "A back massage should ease my cares away..."
Falco: Now I see why simping is seriously frowned upon in today's society. Amazes me how lifelong simps such as Bowser managed to live on for as long as they have without facing that much scrutiny. I guess the OGs tend to get a pass.
"We'll get ourselves ready, so stay tight!" Aerith said to Fox and Falco, as she and Zelda temporarily went away. Falco was growing nervous by the second, as a worrisome thought entered his mind.
"Dude, we might have to massage a naked woman's back," the avian pilot worried said to Fox, as he was looking down at his hands in fear. "Do you realize how uncomfortable that will make me feel?!"
"Speak for yourself - I have a wife," replied Fox, wondering if Krystal would be fine with him massaging another woman's back. "I'm now convinced that all the male massage therapists out there are unmarried womanizers."
"Alright, we're back," announced Zelda, as she and Aerith returned to the premises much sooner than Fox and Falco expected. To Falco's relief, both the women were still in their clothes.
"What are those things for?" inquired Fox as he pointed at a bag of hot coals that Zelda was carrying. "We're not gonna use those things, are we? Could be a fire hazard!"
"Don't be so silly, Fox...these hot coals are meant to ease the pain in our backs. And ease the muscles. But that's not important..."
"The stones were already in hot water, so they're good to go," added Aerith, as Fox and Falco were starting to contemplate their life choices. "For you two to use the stones, our backs will be uncovered..."
"So does that mean you'll be half-naked?" asked Falco, before instantly fainting; Fox, Zelda, and Aerith just stared at Falco, who was sprawled out on the floor.
"Please forgive him, he's never seen a woman's exposed back before," Fox said to Zelda and Aerith, doing his best to defend his best friend. "Well, a back of a human woman, that is..."
Link had plans for doing something special for Zelda on the 21st...and all signs pointed to the Hylian potentially proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Zelda. But Link simply couldn't wait until that Sunday - no, he wanted to propose to Zelda right away! Unsure of what to do, Link would pay a visit with Mario and ask him for some advice.
"So why did you propose to Princess Peach on the day that you did it?" Link asked Mario, who was cleaning around stuff in the attic. It has been ages since Mario was last seen in there.
"I just thought that it was the right-a time," Mario replied with a shrug, as he swept away on the attic floor with his trusty broom. "Timing is always key!"
"You know, I always thought that February 21st would be a special day..." Almost as if something very special happened on that day. "...and I just want to make it count, for once."
"You don't have to wait-a until Sunday to make your move. Heck, why not do it today? Not like some evil force-a is stopping you!"
"My mind says no...but my heart...says yes." His mind, or his heart - which one would Link choose? "A wise man once told me weeks ago to follow my heart."
"Some-a times your heart knows best." Mario stopped sweeping and dropped his broom, before walking to Link. He then patted the Hylian's chest, in a way that felt awfully suspect to Link. "Never go against-a your heart's best judgment!"
"Can you...stop touching me like that?" At the command of Link, Mario ceased. "Also, what you just said sounded kinda cheesy."
"Yup...exactly what Spyro said." Mario shook his head in dismay, grabbing his broom as he went back to sweeping the attic floor. "But you'll have a better marriage-a with Zelda, then Spyro will have with-a Elora."
"Isn't Elora a faun? Or a goat?" Elora won't be appreciating you questioning her species like that, Link. "I don't think she would vibe well with a dragon."
Mario: Men who are in love are always-a the worst when it comes-a to taking advice. It's like they're so puffed-a up, that literally any word-a of encouragement is seen as "cheesy" or irrelevant! Yet some of them-a wonder why they're stuck as boyfriends forever.
"Anyways, if I propose to Princess Zelda..." Link said to Mario, who looked at the Hylian while giving a very attentive ear. "...I want you to be there. To, you know, make the moment feel more special."
"I'll be there if you need-a me to," assured Mario, who wanted nothing more than to have Link's moment feel very special. "I remember when I proposed-a to Peach, I wanted to do it in our-a own privacy. But if you need an audience, I'll oblige..."
"Thanks, Mario, I sure do appreciate it." Link could always count on Mario to be there when he needed him the most. As the Hylian was about to exit the attic, he saw Hunter opening the attic door and looking inside.
"I heard you guys talking about proposals and stuff," the cheetah said to Mario and Link, before looking at the latter. Almost as if he was feeling jealous. "Trying to beat me to the punch, aren't you?"
"This isn't a competition, Hunter..." Link informed the cheetah as he exited the attic, making his way down the attic stairs. Hunter watched as Link made his descent, still feeling pretty jealous.
Sonic was tasked by Cloud to pick up Dr. Eggman from jail and bring him over to the mansion - and he had to rely on Tails for transportation. Tails would fly Sonic on his helicopter to the jail where Eggman was held; conveniently for the yellow fox, said jail was somewhere in the Washington state. Members of the documentary crew managed to catch up with Sonic and Tails, so they could film their exploits.
"Quick question: how are we gonna fly Eggman to the mansion?" Sonic asked Tails after the two friends landed outside the hail. He was surprised that Tails even had room in his helicopter for him. "Who knows how much fatter he's gotten!"
"Honestly, I haven't even thought that far ahead," replied Tails as he and Sonic walked to the front gate of the jail. "Eggman is probably keeping an Egg Mobile around here. He'll just have to follow us home."
"Bet you that Egg Mobile can't even support Eggman..." Sonic and Tails would soon reach the front gate, seeing that said gate had a telephone entry system. Which all jails and prisons usually had.
"Welcome to the Washington State Penitentiary," greeted the man speaking over on the telephone, sounding very unenthused about his job. And could you really blame him? "What business are you here for?"
"Good afternoon, sir, I'm Miles Powers and I'm with here with my friend, Sonic the Hedgehog," Tails introduced himself and Sonic, as Sonic was taken back at how formally cordial the yellow fox was speaking. "We just wanted to..."
"What, you think we're being invited for a fancy dinner or something? Move it, Tails!" Sonic said to the yellow fox as he gently pushed him aside, before approaching the telephone. "Hey, mister, why don't you just let us in?"
"I cannot let you in unless you are unauthorized," replied the man on the telephone, as Sonic frowned in disgust - did the man using the telephone entry system have any idea who he was speaking to? "Are you trusted personnel?"
"Trusted personnel? Ha! I'm Sonic the Hedgehog - I am trusted personnel already!" The man on the telephone entry system didn't seem that impressed, much to Sonic's chagrin.
"You know what, I'll just let you and your friend inside, and we'll just verify everything for ya..." Having grown tired of Sonic, the man on the telephone entry system opened the gate, granting Sonic and Tails access. "...feel free to come in."
"That worked out a lot better than intended," Sonic said to Tals with a smirk on his face, and Tails rolled his eyes as he and Sonic stepped in through the gates and to the penitentiary.
When Caroline and Justine joined the mansion, many residents assumed that the twins would be just as bad, if not worse, than the buddy cops. But as it turned out over time, the twins were for the most part...pretty pleasant! But how did they fare with Cortex, who constantly deemed himself to be the bane of the buddy cops' existence?
"Really overdone it with your sub sandwich today, Dr. Cortex," Uka said to the evil genius, who was walking down the hallway while eating a sub sandwich. One that had every topping imaginable piled on.
"This is just the rest of the sub sandwiches, all piled on this loaf of bread," explained Cortex, after he happily took a bite out of his sub sandwich. The steak, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and ham...all of it was in perfect harmony. "They were all for the taking, so..."
"Stop it right there, inmate!" Caroline shouted at Cortex, who gasped as he came to a stop in the middle of the hallway. Cortex saw Caroline and Justine standing before him, armed with their police batons.
"Let me guess - you want to arrest me for taking all the sub sandwiches," Cortex said to Caroline and Justine, as he held his sub sandwich away from the twins like it was his most precious thing. "Or for eating unhealthy! Or for just existing in general!"
"No...we just wanted to see what you were doing," replied Justine, as she and Caroline walked past Cortex. "Carry on." Cortex had the biggest smile on his face, whereas Uka's mouth was agape in shock.
Cortex: Those warden twins are so much better than Toon Link and Young Link! Unlike those miscreants, the twins actually treat me like a respectable human being. Master Hand has really outdone himself by adding those two!
Uka: Caroline and Justine are still in their honeymoon phase, I'm sure of it. I'll give them five to six weeks tops before they start arresting Dr. Cortex on the regular.
Captain Falcon: Caroline and Justine have been surprisingly nice so far, despite their creepiness. All they ever do is just patrol the mansion, and regulate things and keep everyone in line. They don't have a weird fetish for arresting people as the buddy cops have.
Cortex arrived at his room, and there he saw his room as a jumbled mess. Not much of a surprise, given that Wario was his roommate. And speaking of Wario, the fatso had a piggy bank rested on Cortex's bed, with a hammer in his hands.
"Gonna need all the money that I can get," Wario said to himself as he lifted his hammer high. Cortex was looking on in fear. "Dr. Cortex, I sure hope you got some Benjamins in this piggy bank!"
"No, not Miss Piggy!" shrieked Cortex as he put his sub sandwich away on a nearby shelf and tackled Wario to the floor. Wario dropped his hammer in the process, as Cortex got up and grabbed his piggy bank. "It's okay, Miss Piggy, the fat ugly man's not gonna hurt you..."
"It's just a lousy piggy bank," Uka said to Cortex, who gave the floating mask an angry look. Uka would blast Cortex's piggy bank to smithereens if he had the energy to do it.
"This 'lousy' piggy bank was a gift from my grandmother, thank you very much..." Cortex soon directed his attention to Wario, who picked up his hammer. Really wanted what was inside that piggy bank. "...Wario, why are you messing with my stuff?"
"Because I'm gonna go broke in five years or less!" replied Wario, as he left Cortex relatively stunned. Cortex almost wanted to have sympathy for the fatso. "Or at least that's what Ryuji's EMMA application claimed."
"EMMA, you say? You mean the same application that claimed nobody in my family loved me, and that I will eventually die alone?!"
"It's called 'telling the truth', Cortex - something that you would never understand," Uka said to the evil genius, who refused to listen to the floating mask. Unless it was something positive. Pretty rare.
"I think that EMMA is full of itself. How can one lousy phone app possibly know every little thing?" Wario was slowly coming over to Cortex's side, as the fatso was scratching his chin in thought.
"Now that you say it...you're absolutely right! EMMA is just another one of those snazzy know-it-all phone apps. The kind that young folk choose to spend their valuable time with!"
"You know what we should do? We should find whoever created EMMA, and give him or her a piece of our minds!"
"Are you two...about to work together?" Uka asked Cortex and Wario; he was so used to seeing the evil genius and fatso constantly fighting with one another. Like disgruntled college roommates that never got along. "Never thought I would see the day..."
"Yes, Uka, Wario and I are working together...but for one day only. It was thanks to EMMA that we have become temporarily united. Whoever created that stupid app better watch out!"
Sonic and Tails were now inside the penitentiary and were waiting to see Dr. Eggman. The two friends were inside the waiting room, where Sonic was standing in front of a vending machine.
"Yo, Tails, you got a dollar?" Sonic asked the yellow fox, who was busy working on a device of his to pass the time. "Forgot to bring my wallet."
"Sorry, Sonic, but I'm too busy," replied Tails, leading Sonic to believe that he walking on eggs about not having a single dollar on him. "Also, why are you getting a snack right now?"
"Excuse me for being hungry...knew I should've grabbed a snack before we left." Sonic dug his hands in his imaginary pockets for quarters but was unable to find any. "Oh well - guess I'll just starve until Eggman show up."
"Are you and your friend waiting on Dr. Ivo Robotnik?" a receptionist from the front desk came over to ask Sonic, who nodded his head. Ivo Robotnik was Eggman's full name, in case you weren't aware. "Okay then. I just heard that he's on his way..."
"Woo-hoo! Looks like I won't be starving anymore." Sonic and Tails were about to see Eggman for the first time in over three years...should be a pretty eventful moment for the two friends. "We'll be waiting for that egghead."
"Wonder how Eggman is gonna react when he sees us," Tails said to Sonic, who ran back to his seat next to the yellow fox. He believed that Eggman would either be surprised or a little angry. "How do you think he'll react?"
"He'll think we showed up here just to get our butts kicked. But deep down, he knows that we'll be the ones kicking butt!" Tails couldn't help but smile at Sonic's confidence; it was one of the things that drew him to the blue hedgehog.
"Dr. Ivo Robotnik, you have two guests that wanted to see you," the receptionist called out to Eggman, who was likely coming down the hallway. Sonic and Tails were slowly anticipating Eggman's arrival.
"Two guests? Certainly, you don't mean Cubot and Orbot!" shouted a very disgruntled voice - definitely sounded like Eggman's voice. "If those two idiots actually found out what jail I was staying at, I'm gonna..."
Soon a certain mad scientist came bursting into the waiting room, and guess who it was? Dr. Eggman. Eggman, who was wearing his orange prison scrubs, saw Sonic and Tails looking at him. It was like a friendly reunion...sort of.
"Uh...hi, Dr. Eggman!" Tails awkwardly greeted the mad scientist, as he smiled and waved at Eggman. Sonic, who thought that Tails was being a little too friendly, just said "what's up?" with a simple head nod.
"Ah, if it isn't Sonic and Tails - my two favorite people!" exclaimed Eggman, with a big, hearty grin. Somewhere Knuckles was sitting alone, feeling unloved. "I'm especially happy to see you, Sonic."
"I'm sure you are, Dr. Eggman," replied Sonic, who made sure to keep a considerable distance from Eggman. Always important to maintain the hero-villain protocol at all times. "Surprised that you look the same as I last saw you! Were you unable to gain any more weight?"
"In all honesty, Sonic, I am flattered that you came by to see me get released from jail. I just know for a fact that you simply can't resist me!"
"Please stop saying that..." Eggman could tell that Sonic was feeling uncomfortable, and wanted to push the hedgehog's buttons. He loved doing that.
"Are you blushing? What's the matter - scared of just how much you love me? Admit it - I'm the Joker to your Batman! Always have been, always will be!"
"I hope you learned your lesson from a few years back, Dr. Eggman," Tails said to the mad scientist, who was suddenly reminded of his revenge plot against the mansion. Everything that happened from the hotel attack to the events of episodes 98 and 99...it was all coming back to Eggman.
"Truth be told, I never understood why I wanted revenge so bad...guess I was that bitter about Master Hand banning me from his mansion. He must miss me after all these years!"
Master Hand: Dr. Eggman? *snorts* I hope that Jehovah's Witnesses forever knock on that man's door. If he even has a front door.
"Well boys, are we heading out or what?" Eggman asked Sonic and Tails, as he was just inching to leave the penitentiary for good. Wanted to put his jail sentence behind him for good. "The whole world needs to know who Dr. Eggman is!"
"You can just follow us out..." replied Sonic, as he and Tails led Eggman out of the waiting room. Eggman turned around and waved at the receptionist, who waved back with a smile; Sonic noticed. "...huh, must've been pretty popular around here."
At long last, Eggman was out of the penitentiary, standing outside with Sonic and Tails. The mad scientist took in a big inhale and exhaled deeply.
"It's great to finally be a free man!" exclaimed Eggman as he ripped off his prison scrubs, revealing his normal attire underneath. Sonic and Tails were both left stunned.
"You've been waiting three years to do that, haven't you?" Tail asked Eggman, who was smiling very proudly with a nod of his head. "That was a very Eggman thing for you to do, doctor."
"Much appreciated, Tails! Now, where are we heading off to? I assume that you boys are taking me somewhere. Taking me out to lunch, I assume?"
"No, we're gonna take you to the mansion, for..." Suddenly losing his trace of thought, Tails looked towards Sonic for assistance. "...why are we bringing Dr. Eggman to the mansion again?"
"To apologize to Master Hand...for all the crap he pulled a few years back!" replied Sonic, but without that much confidence. Cloud was never that clear about what he needed Eggman for.
"Meh, it's been over three years...I suppose an apology is warranted. Just so you know, making apologies is an act I seldom do..."
Eggman whistled into his fingers, and a couple of seconds later, an Egg Mobile came flying down. Just as Tails predicted, Eggman had an Egg Mobile somewhere nearby, at the moment that he would be released from jail.
"You can go ahead and lead me to the mansion," Eggman said to Sonic and Tails as he hopped inside his Egg Mobile. The mad scientist almost wanted to shed a tear, being able to fly in his Egg Mobile again. "But I wouldn't mind if we stop along the way, for a bite to eat!"
"Just as long as it's not some hamburger joint," replied Sonic, who was surprised that the Egg Mobile didn't collapse from Eggman's weight. He and Tails headed over to Tails' helicopter, with Eggman following closely behind.
"We should keep a close eye on Dr. Eggman, just to be safe," Tails whispered to Sonic, who had the same line of thought as he responded with a thumbs up.
Lloyd and Pit were nearing full capacity with the food stock they needed for Lloyd's food delivery service. While Lloyd was busy accumulating food, Pit and Toad were figuring out routes around Seattle for the delivery truck. Once the two figured out what routes they would take, they showed Cloud a map of the routes outside the Pokemon Sanctuary.
"We made sure to avoid all the bad areas in town," Pit explained to Cloud, as Toad was showing Cloud a map of Seattle with marks all over it. "We could show you the route map for Olympia - if Lloyd ever feels like expanding his service into there."
"Why are there no routes leading into Belltown?" asked Cloud, furrowing his brow as he took a closer look at the map. The Belltown neighborhood was pretty much circled off. "Care to explain?"
"Akira said that Belltown is a very dangerous neighborhood. Said that he saw an elementary school kid get mugged by a..."
"Let me guess, he was mugged by a clown at a gas station." Cloud had heard the same ol' story from Akira and did not find it to be true. "What, did Akira also see some grandma steal a man's gold chains?"
"Actually, he did! Even sent me some photos of the incident, as evidence." Pit took out his phone and was going through his photo gallery. "Just gotta get through these pictures I took of Dark Pit sleeping...hehe."
"Forget it, I don't want to see the pictures." So Pit put his phone away, and Toad rolled up his map, assuming that Cloud was done looking. "Thanks for showing me that map, Toad."
"Don't mention it, Cloud!" Toad gleefully replied as he and Pit walked away, making their return to the pantry. "Lloyd's delivery service is gonna be the bomb...I guarantee it!"
"Can't wait to see the results." Cloud was hedging all his hopes on Pit and Lloyd...never thought he would see the day that would happen.
"About to head down into the sanctuary again?" someone asked Cloud, who looked over and saw Link approaching him. "You've been pretty busy down there."
"Yeah, I have. Been a lot busier these days, compared to the end of last year. So what's new with you, Link? Got something you wanna say?"
"Glad you asked..." Link looked around, before coming closer to Cloud so he could speak with his friend in private. "...I was thinking about maybe proposing to Zelda today."
"Couldn't wait until Sunday, huh? Way to deviate from the plan." Cloud knew that Link couldn't wait any longer to propose.
"I mean, I was shooting for Sunday, but I thought...why not now? Heart's been telling me to get it over with already."
"So you decided to listen to your heart. Wouldn't say whether that was your best or worst decision, but you do you, Link."
"Well, it's the decision that I made myself. Zelda could be gone before Sunday, for all we know! Best to follow your heart, and take care of things now. You know really know how much you love someone until they're gone...Cloud?"
"...oh, sorry, I was just thinking for a minute." Cloud appeared aloof as he was listening to Link, and the last sentence of Link's spiel augmented how long Cloud was out of it. "If you propose to Zelda, why not do it this evening?"
"That's what I was thinking. If I actually propose, I'll let you know." Evidently, Link wanted to have as many spectators as possible.
"Alright then. Don't go ahead with it without letting me know." So Link walked away, as Cloud entered the Pokemon sanctuary...with Link's words still weighing a bit in his mind.
Link: Am I nervous about proposing to Zelda? Not really. It's simple - just get down on one knee, and show Zelda the ring. I could do it with my eyes closed. Heck, even Waluigi could do it with his eyes closed! Then again, maybe not...not like he'll ever find a soulmate anytime soon.
Why don't we see how things are coming along with Zelda and Aerith, at the beauty salon? The two ladies were getting their backs massaged by Fox and Falco and were enjoying every single second of it. Frankly, the same couldn't be said for the pilots.
"Could you move down a bit?" Aerith made her request to Falco, who had the biggest scowl on his face as his hands down on the flower girl's back. "Ah, yes, that hits the spot..."
"For the record, I am NOT moving my hands past the waistline," Fox warned Zelda, as he was begrudgingly massaging her back. Had to lay down the law. "Don't get any sick ideas."
"However said I wanted you to move past my waistline?" asked Zelda, as Fox felt slightly more relieved. Soon Tifa showed up, as she saw Fox and Falco doing their thing. Falco noticed the martial artist right away.
"Save us..." Falco pleaded to Tifa, exaggerating his face to show how much discomfort he was in. Tifa couldn't help but smile.
"Why should I? You two look like you're having fun," remarked Tifa, believing that the pilots were doing a pretty good job as first-time massage therapists.
"If this is what you consider fun..." Falco refocused his attention on massaging Aerith, choosing to massage the flower girl for as long as his hands would permit it. "...how much longer, Aerith?"
"I'll just give you a thumbs up when I'm satisfied," replied Aerith, as Falco responded with a disgruntled moan. Tifa was unable to sympathize with Fox and Falco; she just wanted to laugh instead.
"Keep up the good work, boys!" Tifa gave this word of encouragement to Fox and Falco as she left the premises. Fox looked up at the heavens, wondering what he and Falco got themselves into.
Sonic and Tails arrived near the mansion, along with Eggman. If you might recall, Master Hand barred Eggman from being anywhere near the establishment, so Eggman's presence could very well trigger the giant hand.
"So glad to be outside with my favorite son!" gleamed Bowser, as he was playing catch with Bowser Jr. near Mario's house. Sonic, Tails, and Eggman quietly got out of their vehicles, making sure to make little noise. "Though what you did to me last week was still messed up."
"C'mon dad, it was just a harmless prank," responded Bowser Jr, who was grateful that Bowser hadn't gotten even angrier. Sonic and company tip-toed past Bowser and his son. "Have to admit, you look kinda good in all black!"
"Not a single sound, or a peep..." Tails whispered to Sonic and Eggman, trying to inch closer to Mario's house without making any noise. Suddenly, Eggman's phone rang...and yes, the ringtone was his own theme.
"Stupid phone, thought I put you on silent!" frowned Eggman as he took out his phone; Bowser and Bowser Jr. stopped playing catch, as they both saw Eggman in the flesh. "Why on earth is Cubot calling me?"
"Dr. Eggman!" Bowser shouted out the name of the mad scientist, just as Eggman declined Cubot's call. Eggman looked up, fear-stricken, as Bowser marched over to him.
"King Bowser! Been a while since I last saw you..." Eggman was laughing nervously, sweaty as ever, as Bowser confronted him. Just when it seemed like Bowser was about to punch Eggman in the face...
...the Koopa King instead held out his hand to the mad scientist, for a handshake. Eggman would look at Bowser's hand, before shaking it as his nervousness quickly evaporated.
"Bringing your Death Egg to the mansion was part of your evil plan, wasn't it?" Bowser asked Eggman, who was now grinning from ear to ear. "Gotta say, Dr. Eggman, that was a pretty nice maneuver!"
"Pleases me to know that you liked it, Bowser!" Eggman heartily replied as he and Bowser gingerly shook hands. Tails was dumbfounded, but Sonic wasn't too surprised by the exchange. "I'm willing to bet that's a highly unpopular opinion at the mansion."
"It certainly is; I can't say it out loud at the risk of being ridiculed or punished. That mansion is slowly turning into an echo chamber."
"Can you believe this, Sonic?" Tails asked the blue hedgehog, who was looking at Bowser and Eggman with his arms folded. Again, Sonic wasn't surprised.
"I mean, Bowser's a villain just like Dr. Eggman..." Sonic offered his two cents, with Bowser and Eggman cheesing it up. "...this is just their own way of real recognizing real. Call it villain PC."
Bowser: What I did out there was called setting a good example for Junior. Whenever you see a fellow villain anywhere and said villain previously committed an act of evil, you stop whatever you're doing and give that villain some props! Us villains do have standards for committing acts of evil, mind you - the buck still stops at pedophilia.
"You won't believe this, but Sonic and Tails came to visit me when I was released from jail today," Eggman told Bowser, as Sonic and Tails wished that the mad scientist hadn't mentioned that tidbit. "Sonic and Tails!"
"Yeah, I remember when Mario also tried to my BFF...didn't end too well," remarked Bowser, choosing not to remember that many details. "But, since you're out of jail, let me give ya some advice..."
"And what kind of advice are you willing to give?" Eggman raised an eyebrow, as Bowser leaned in close to the mad scientist.
"This is just me speaking from experience, but...never take your freedom for granted. Don't do stupid stuff that will take your freedom away."
"Papa, are we still playing catch or what?" Bowser Jr. asked Bowser, as he couldn't be bothered with seeing Eggman out of jail. "Wanna get a few more reps in before it starts raining again!"
"Not now, Junior, I'm in the middle of appreciating greatness!" Bowser called out to his favorite son, before redirecting his attention to Eggman and putting his hand on the mad scientist's shoulder. "Think about what I said, aight?"
"Words of advice from a fellow villain are always to be followed..." replied Eggman, as he gave Bowser a cheeky grin. Bowser clicked his fingers at Eggman as he walked away, returning to Bowser Jr.
"All done, Eggman?" Tails asked the mad scientist, who felt like strutting his stuff. That conversation with Bowser really invigorated Eggman. "I hope you are. Because we got one thing to take care of before we head over to the mansion."
"Ooh, and what does this 'one thing' involve?" inquired Eggman, smiling as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
Mario was finished cleaning out his attic, and the plumber found some trinkets in the attic that he wanted to give away. One of those trinkets was a fan, and Mario was trying to give it away to Marth in his living room.
"You can use-a this fan to cool yourself off when-a you need to," Mario said to Marth, showing off the fan and demonstrating all the fan settings. Marth didn't look that impressed. "So, you like?"
"Why would I need a fan when my house already has air conditioning?" questioned Marth, as Mario was holding in the urge to faceplant onto the floor. "Not like that would matter anyway, living in Seattle."
"You have always-a been a hard sell, Marth..." Mario would put his fan on a sofa, next to a resting Spyro, as there was a knock at the front door "...who is it?"
"Oh, no one...just a familiar face you might know!" replied the person standing at the door, sounding like they had a deep voice but were speaking with a high-pitched tone. Mario furrowed his brow, wondering who it could it.
Then the door came down, as Eggman kicked the door off his hinges. The mad scientist then tried to enter Mario's house but found himself stuck in the doorway as his own weight was working against him.
"Give me...a second..." Eggman said to Mario and company, before finally squeezing his way inside Mario's house. He fell onto the floor, before picking himself up and adjusting his glasses.
"Look, Mario, it's Dr. Eggman!" Cappy alerted Mario, who got on the offensive along with Marth as Eggman slowly stood up and dusted himself off.
"Yes, Cappy, I can-a see...I have eyes, too," responded Mario, as Spyro looked up and wondering what all the hubbub was. He saw Eggman but didn't think that much of him.
"What's all the fuss about?" Spyro asked Mario and Marth, who were both ready to throw hands with Eggman. "All I see is some fatty with a funny nose and a mustache."
"Who are you to talk, you pipsqueak dragon?!" Eggman frowned and pointed at Spyro, getting the purple dragon all agitated. "I could eat a dragon such as your for a midnight snack!"
"Say that again, bub!" Spyro became even more agitated as he jumped off the couch, aligning himself with Mario and Marth. Soon Peach came down the stairs, with Hunter appearing from his room to investigate.
"Mario, what's going on?" Peach asked her husband as she made her way to the living room, before gasping when she saw Eggman. "Oh my goodness..."
"Good - your wife is finally here, Mario!" Eggman said to the plumber, as Peach frantically ran inside the kitchen to fetch a frying pan. "Now that everyone is here, I would like to..." Eggman wouldn't have any time to speak, as Peach whacked him on the head with a frying pan.
"Leave our house at once, you monster!" Peach whacked Eggman with her frying pan repeatedly, showing no signs of stopping. Eventually, Hunter had to step in and restrain Peach from hurting Eggman anymore.
"Lay off the guy, will ya?" Hunter said to Peach, only to be whacked on the head by Peach's frying pan himself. The cheetah yelped in pain. "Ow! Not so hard! My head is super sensitive..."
"Can't you see that I was in the middle of something?" Peach said to Hunter, as she was about to return to hitting Eggman. But before Peach could resume her beating, Sonic and Tails entered Mario's house, standing in front of Eggman.
"No, Peach, don't do it!" Sonic pleaded to the princess, giving Eggman an ample amount of time to recover. "Eggman here isn't looking for trouble. He's got something that he wants to get off his chest."
"The hedgehog boy is right," affirmed Eggman, hoping that Mario and Peach would hear him out. Mario, Peach, Marth, and even Spyro lowered their guards. "Today was the day that I got released from jail, for attempting to attack the mansion..."
"...and for that Four Seasons hotel attack," Mario would finish for Eggman, reminding the mad scientist of his dastardly deed. "You ruined-a our wedding day, man! That was messed-a up!"
"I agree wholeheartedly, that was messed up...and I wanted to stop by and apologize for it." Mario and Peach were stunned, and Marth was stunned as well. Spyro didn't know how to feel, and Hunter...
"Stop it right there buddy...I'm gonna pop some popcorn..." Hunter said to Eggman as he went inside the kitchen. "This is gonna be good..." If Hunter honestly expected Eggman to wait on him, he's gotta another thing comin'.
"Anyway, I just wanted to make an apology. If it's not too much trouble for either one of you." Mario and Peach didn't seem to trust Eggman fully but were willing to give the mad scientist his time to speak.
Tails: Sonic and I pretty much had to script Eggman's apology. Eggman wanted to use as many big vocabulary words as possible, to make his apology sound intelligent and dignified, but we simplified it enough for Mario and Peach.
"I should've known better than to mess with your wedding day," continued Eggman, wanting Mario and Peach to see how remorseful he was. "I only targeted it just to get back at Master Hand. But I should've known better..."
"But why our wedding?" asked Peach, who was slowly beginning to trust Eggman. Mario was still fairly hesitant. "Was it really because of Mario?"
"In a way, yes...he was the closest person to Master Hand, so attacking him on his wedding day was supposed to send a message. Wouldn't have the same effect had I went after someone else, like Donkey Kong or Chrom."
"Don't mind-a if I ask, but what about-a your accomplices?" Mario asked Eggman, believing that those who worked with Eggman in the past were already released from jail. "Jakob, Fawful, and-a Lysandre?"
"Fawful escaped from jail. As for Lysandre, someone from Team Flare paid for his bail. As to Jakob, some Nohrian noble paid for his bail, too...I heard his return to Nohr was short-lived. A member of the royal family found out what Jakob had done, and Jakob was kept out of the kingdom. I bet that Corrin or Kamui snitched on Jakob...it was definitely Corrin."
"Dr. Eggman felt very sorry about what he did," Tails said to Mario and Peach, with Mario slowly coming around with Eggman. "He wanted his revenge on Master Hand, but should've known better than to come after you guys."
"Is-a he telling the truth?" Mario asked Eggman, wanting to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. To Mario, Eggman's body language suggested that he was feeling pretty sorry.
"Tails meant every word that I said...and I meant every word that I said," replied Eggman, giving Mario enough confidence to trust him. "Apologizing to others isn't a thing that I like to do...so my apology has to mean something."
"I suppose-a it does. Promise to never mess-a with me and Peach ever again?" All Eggman had to do was answer yes, to gain Mario's full trust.
"I promise. In fact, I won't ruin anyone else's wedding from here on out. I'll just mess with Sonic only, from now on. I shall forever be the apple of his eye!" Eggman laughed, as Sonic deeply sighed in annoyance.
"Oh dear, I can hear Jennifer crying..." said Peach, as the sound of Jennifer's crying caused Eggman to stop laughing. Peach had to leave the premises, as mom duty was calling for her.
"Jennifer? Is she like...your child? You and Peach had a kid?!" Eggman had said this to Mario, as he was left in an extreme state of shock. "Goodness gracious, I've been in jail for such a long time..."
"Sounds like you have a lot of catching up to do, Dr. Eggman," Marth said to the mad scientist, who was more than inclined to agree. Lots for him to do in so much time. "So what are you going to do now?"
"Well, I am fresh out of jail...probably just going to take it easy for the next few weeks. Relock and reload, and get back on the right track!"
"You sure have a lot of apologies-a to make," Mario said to Eggman; Master Hand sure could use an apology right about now. Today would be a perfect day for just that.
"Right you are, Mr. Mario! Best to apologize now, than to live with the burden of regret forever. Eggman, away!" Eggman ran out of Mario's house, but only got himself stuck in the doorway. But what did he expect? "Um, a little help here, Sonic and Tails?"
"Alright guys, my popcorn's all ready!" Hunter informed Mario and company as he returned to the living room. He saw Sonic and Tails, trying to push Eggman out to the best of their ability. "Aw man, is that Eggman guy leaving already?"
"Why do I smell smoke?" Spyro sniffed the air, smelling smoke coming from the kitchen. Mario frantically ran inside his kitchen, hoping that Hunter hadn't ruined his microwave.
Whenever Yusuke was in an artsy mood, he would go to the lounge to paint his cares away. And that was what the artist did, as he was painting away on his easel board. Keeping Yusuke company was Link, who was still pondering over proposing to Zelda today or Sunday. The Hylian had made up his mind...
"I have decided...I am going to propose to Zelda tonight, during dinner," Link made his decision, after giving much thought. Yusuke appeared mildly delighted, as evidenced by him raising his eyebrows.
"So you have chosen to follow your heart..." remarked Yusuke, as Link's decision oddly caused the artist to paint with much more vigor. "...that is sometimes the most important decision to make."
"Uh...thanks for the kind words, I guess. I'm going to try and keep it a secret, so make sure not to blow my cover." Yusuke seemed like a very trustworthy fellow; Link had no second doubts trusting him.
"Your secret is as good as mine." Yusuke flashed an "OK" hand signal to Link, making his promise not to spill any beans before dinnertime. Having Yusuke's trust, Link left the lounge.
Link: No, I'm not nervous or anything - I have nothing to be nervous about. If you know what you're doing, and you're confident about it, then there's no need to worry. The worst thing you can do is overthink yourself, and be stuck in doubt. I used to doubt myself in the past, but those days are now long gone...
"EMMA, is it possible for me to finish a portrait in time for dinner?" Yusuke asked the all-knowing app as he pulled out his phone. The artist was feeling inspired, thanks to Link.
"It's possible to complete a portrait in less than an hour, with acrylic paint," replied EMMA; talk about a coincidence, as Yusuke was painting with acrylic paint right now. "May I recommend what colors you can use?"
"No, thank you...I already have a few colors in mind." Yusuke closed the EMMA app and put his phone away, as he continued his painting. Soon Wario and Cortex entered the lounge, needing to speak with Yusuke.
"Yusuke, you need to help us, man!" Wario said to the artist, who couldn't even be bothered to help with Wario and Cortex's plight. "It's about that stupid phone app, EMMA! It's awful!"
"Indeed, it is awful!" Cortex agreed with Wario, as he showered his disdain towards EMMA on an uncaring Yusuke. "EMMA said that nobody in my family loved me, and I would die alone!"
"And EMMA said that I will go broke in five years or less. That EMMA doesn't even know what it's talking about!"
"It's just a nonsensical AI app pretending to be smart! It just makes random predictions to mess with our brains!"
"The folks who use EMMA refuse to help us out, so you're our last hope, Yusuke! First, we gotta ask you a few questions..."
"The person who created this app, what is their name?"
"Where does this person live at, so we can beat them up?"
"Why did this person choose to revive the app, rather than letting it stay dormant?"
"Where does this person's significant other live, so we can beat them up as well?"
"Why are you including their significant other in this?" Cortex asked Wario, who only shrugged in response.
"Just seems like the right thing to do. They could've done something to prevent EMMA from ever existing."
"EMMA knows all..." remarked Yusuke, speaking with a sage-like vibe as he kept his eyes focused on his easel board. "...it's pretty bloody accurate. I should know, from experience."
"No, it's not, it lies on purpose. There is absolutely no way that I will go broke in the future!"
"As I said, EMMA knows all. Might want to start a career as an e-boy...that's an easy way to make money these days."
Yusuke: I've always imagined that an e-boy could be a potential trailblazer in the social media industry, but the more I think about it, the less practical it would seem. Lonely women aren't nearly as desperate and needy for attention as lonely men are. So the cash flow would be extremely different.
"But, if you are that concerned...then perhaps I could lend a helping hand," continued Yusuke, as he got Wario and Cortex all excited. "Luckily, I have the contact info of the woman who created EMMA!"
"Give us this contact info at once!" Cortex demanded from Yusuke, who dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone and an ink pen. All he needed now was something to write on.
"Any one of you have a piece of paper?" Wario would fulfill Yusuke's request, as he dug into his pocket and pulled out...a candy wrapper paper, which Yusuke reluctantly attempted. "Not much, but this will do..."
"That lady is gonna wish her app hadn't talked crap about us..." Wario whispered to Cortex as he pounded his fist into the palm of his hand. After writing the EMMA creator's phone number on the wrapping paper, Yusuke handed the wrapping paper back to Wario.
"Don't do anything reckless," Yusuke advised Wario and Cortex, as they left the lounge. With Wario and Cortex gone, Yusuke could resume his painting. "Time to put on the finishing touches, before I get started on my next masterpiece. But first..."
Master Hand figured out the genders of the five cats, and all we had to do now was to give them names. His mind was blank, so he invited Sora, Dark Pit, and Lucas to his room for some name suggestions.
"I suck when it comes to coming up with names," confessed Dark Pit, as he was holding the orange cat; Master Hand backhanded the doppelganger. "Ow! Am I not allowed to be honest anymore?!"
"Some help you're supposed to be..." grumbled Master Hand, before turning his attention to Sora and Lucas...who were both more preoccupied with playing around with the cats. "...Sora, Lucas, you got any suggestions?"
"Chirithy sounds like a pretty unique name for a cat," answered Sora; the name was mostly inspired by a cat-like creature Sora had met once. "Wouldn't you think so, Lucas?"
"That sounds like a name for some Heartless," Lucas offered his two cents, as he was not feeling the "Chirithy" name. "Or maybe a Nobody." Master Hand groaned, seeing that Lucas and company were no help whatsoever.
"Oh, Master Hand, you have a special guest that wants to see you!" Tails called out to giant hand from outside the room, as he knocked on the bedroom door. Any special guest was always a delight to Master Hand, especially if they wanted to see him.
"A special guest? Who wants to see me? Say no more! Let them in!" Master Hand kept his excitement high, as Tails slowly opened the door...
...and in came Dr. Eggman, who stepped inside Master Hand's room with some bravado and flair. (Had a better time fitting through Master Hand's door than through Mario's.) He had his arms out wide, a huge smile plastered on his face, as those in Master Hand's room were left perplexed.
"Dr. Eggman?!" Master Hand uttered the name of the mad scientist, as Sora, Dark Pit, and Lucas quickly drew out their weapons. "But how? Why?"
"Surprised to see me, Master Hand?" Eggman grinned at the giant hand, who was nearly left at a loss for words. "After spending three years in jail, I am back at your precious mansion!"
"You think that because you got out of jail today, you can just waltz in here like it's free real estate? Have you forgotten about your ban?!"
"No, I haven't forgotten about my ban...but I have come here to discuss it with you. Spending my time in jail, I've been mulling over some things..."
"Well, I don't wanna hear it! Tails, where are you?" At Master Hand's command, Tails entered Master Hand's room, along with Sonic. "Tails, why did you bring this despicable man inside my mansion?"
"Dr. Eggman is actually showing some remorse," Sonic explained to Master Hand as he answered for Tails. But Master Hand found that laughable. "He already apologized to Mario, for ruining his wedding day. And now he wants to..."
"Ha! You're just saying that to make Eggman look all sympathetic. But I know better. You and Tails should know better. Why did you bring this fool in here?"
"Ah, there you are, Dr. Eggman," said Cloud as he came inside Master Hand's room. Master Hand was more than happy to see the swordsman. "I see that you and Master Hand are making amends."
"Not quite..." Tails whispered to Cloud, who sensed that Master Hand hadn't allowed Eggman to apologize for what he had done more than three years ago.
"Cloud, you're just on time!" Master Hand said to Cloud, knowing (and hoping) that the swordsman would kick Eggman out of the mansion. "Show that foul Eggman out the door!"
"Uh, sure thing, Master Hand," replied Cloud, as he grabbed Eggman and pulled him away. "Come with me, doctor..." The swordsman would lead Eggman out of Master Hand's room.
"We should see where Cloud is taking Dr. Eggman to," Sonic whispered to Tails, who nodded as the two friends departed from Master Hand's room.
Now that they acquired the contact info from Yusuke, Wario and Cortex went back to their room to call the woman who created EMMA. The two were sitting on Wario's bed, with Uka peering over them.
"This better be the right phone number," said Wario, as he dialed in the number that Yusuke gave him into his phone. The fatso hit the call button, and the dial tone sounded afterward.
"Hello, who is this?" asked the person speaking on the phone, with a female voice. Sounded very peppy and exuberant.
"Hi, is this..." Wario looked at the name inscribed on the candy wrapping paper, making sure that he got the name right. "...is this Kuon Ichinose?"
"Yes, that's me - IT expert, Kuon Ichinose!" Wario and Cortex exchanged a quick high-five, as they were one step closer to...well, whatever those two were trying to accomplish. "What can I help you with?"
"You're the lady that created EMMA, is that correct?" Cortex asked Kuon, with Uka wondering if the person Wario and Cortex were speaking to was legit. "So you know everything about the app."
"That's right! Created EMMA all by myself. I provide some assistance if you need any." That line from Kuon only raised Uka's growing doubts.
"Good, 'cause we got some complaints about your precious little app!" shouted Wario, and Kuon was very sorry to hear that. "EMMA claimed that I will go broke in five years or less."
"It also predicted that I will die alone," added Cortex, letting Kuon know how incensed he and Wario were. "How can such a phone app say such blatant lies?!"
"Oh my...EMMA isn't supposed to be that accurate," remarked Kuon, under the assumption that EMMA was taking on a mind of its own. "Not the first time that's happened. Tell you what - I'll have Madicce work out all the kinks in EMMA."
"Maddice? Why does that sound like a name for some crazy witch hag?" asked Wario, as he did not want a witch solving his problems. "You're gonna fix your phone app through some stupid witchcraft?!"
"No...Maddice is the name of the IT company that helped developed EMMA. The developers over there can fix EMMA, and prevent it from giving out completely inaccurate results and predictions."
"Superb! That's all we needed to know," replied Cortex, as Uka was left shaking his head; Uka felt that something fishy was going on. "Thank you for your assistance, Miss Ichinose - have a great day!"
"You're welcome! You do the same!" And with that, Wario ended the phone call, with him and Cortex feeling validated.
"This is great! Now I don't feel so salty anymore," remarked Wario, as he and Cortex hopped off of his bed. "Now EMMA will start keeping it real, all the time!"
"That's what it should've done, from the very beginning," Cortex said to Wario as the two roommates left the room. Uka remained where he was, still having some doubts.
"Why do I hear noises from the closet?" the floating mask wondered, hearing a few sounds from Wario and Cortex's closet. The closet door suddenly opened, and out came Futaba, who saw Uka floating before her.
"Are they gone?" Futaba asked Uka, before taking a few seconds to realize that Wario and Cortex had already left. "Sure hope they didn't hear my voice coming from the closet..."
"Let me guess, you were posing as that Kuon Ichinose lady." A smile from Futaba was all Uka needed to know, as the floating mask's doubts were confirmed. "Should've known that woman wasn't legit..."
Yusuke: Believe it or not, I don't have Miss Ichinose's number on my phone...the number I gave to Wario and Cortex was actually Futaba's. Which neither of those two have. (Futaba doesn't believe in giving out her phone number to others unless it's a friend.) I asked Futaba to pose as Ichinose and tell Wario and Cortex what they wanted to hear. Mind you, Kuon Ichinose is real...just like how whatever the EMMA app says is real. But she had nothing to do witH the newest version of EMMA.
Joker: My friends and I used to have our issues with EMMA in the past, but the new developers restarted EMMA and made the app less...problematic if you will. Which means no more going to Jails. *pauses* Again, a long story.
Sonic and Tails did their best to stay behind Cloud and Eggman, as they followed the two to the Pokemon sanctuary. The two friends were lost for the time being, but eventually found their way when Tails heard something.
"I hear some voices coming from down there," Tails whispered to Sonic as he pointed down a hallway in the sanctuary. Sonic and Tails went down the hallway and to a clearing, where they saw Cloud, Eggman, and Moira gathered together.
"I guarantee you will be a vital asset, Dr. Eggman," Moira said to the mad scientist, who was skimming through a report that Moira wrote herself. Sonic and Tails found a hiding spot, as they were now eavesdropping.
"What does this...ARP mean?" inquired Eggman, as he saw the initials inscribed at the top of the report that he was reading. The mad scientist suddenly got all giddy for no reason. "Are we making a destructive weapon?!"
"No, we're not," replied Cloud, as Eggman moaned in sadness; no way Cloud would let a weapon of mass destruction be developed under his watch. "ARP is just the initials for the project."
"The Aerith Revival Project," Moira spelled out the initials for Eggman, who suddenly looked intrigued. Sonic and Tails were just as intrigued, if not more.
"Aerith Revival Project, huh?" whispered Sonic as he stroked his chin in thought. "Should've known that some form of Aerith was involved."
"Oh! Bringing Aerith Gainsborough back from the dead now, aren't we?" said Eggman as he scratched his chin, wondering what his role in the project was. "Alternate universe Aerith not good enough for you, Cloud?"
"I just thought that it'd be better to have this universe's Aerith around," replied Cloud - you can't say that you blame the swordsman for his line of thought. "Didn't want to keep bringing the Aerith living here to and fro from her own universe. Also, how did you know..."
"...that Aerith was from an alternate universe? C'mon Cloud, I'm not an idiot...when I saw her at Sonic's sweet sixteen, my suspicions grew!"
"Why did he call my birthday party a sweet sixteen?" frowned Sonic, having been tortured by Eggman's remarks throughout the day. "Only preppy teenage girls do that sweet sixteen crap!"
"Cloud called Professor Elvin Gadd, and E. Gadd recommended that you would be a major help," Moira explained to Eggman, who knew the name E. Gadd very well. As any fellow scientist would. "It was E. Gadd who gave Cloud the green light to start this project!"
"Talked with him about it, and he gave me his full confidence," Cloud said to Eggman, who didn't expect Cloud and E. Gadd to be that tight with one another. "He's helped me with the project ever since."
"I see...but I must ask, what role will I play?" Eggman asked Cloud and Moira, as Tails noticed Sonic pulling out his phone and typing out a text message.
"We need a machine to revive Aerith. Moira is handling all the DNA aspect of the project, but we need a machine to revive Aerith with."
"If that's the case, then E. Gadd has recommended the right guy!" Eggman smiled as he flexed his fingers, ready to get to work. "E. Gadd sure has an eye for talent...whenever he decides to use it, that is."
"Let's go, Tails..." Sonic whispered to the yellow, having heard enough as he left the premises. Tails, who wanted to eavesdrop a bit more, reluctantly followed Sonic out of the sanctuary.
"So, I must ask - what have the residents done, regarding this big project?" asked Eggman, unaware that none of the residents knew about the project. The ones who did learned about it only after Cloud begrudgingly told them.
"E. Gadd said that the residents should spend time with the alternate universe Aerith," replied Cloud, implying that alternate universe Aerith's presence at the mansion was required for the project to be a success. "He never really specified why. But Fox and Falco have done their part, I assume..."
Indeed, Fox and Falco have done their part, after they gave Aerith (and Zelda) their massages. The pilots stood around in the beauty salon after the therapy sessions were over with, and both men felt uncomfortable.
"I am never touching another woman's body ever again," vowed Falco - will be interesting to see how long the avian pilot's vow will hold up.
"Katt Monroe is gonna be the only exception, right?" asked Fox, as Falco shrugged; all that back massaging actually broke Falco. Zelda and Aerith approached the pilots, wanting to thank them.
"Thank you for the back massages, you two," Zelda thanked Fox and Falco, feeling bad after seeing how much discomfort was on the pilots' faces. "We appreciated it...even though you both didn't."
Zelda: Male Wii Fit Trainer usually does the back massages around here, but he was very busy today. So...yeah. Fox and Falco really picked the wrong day to be gentlemen.
"You ladies owe us one," Fox said to Zelda and Aerith, now expecting a back massage as recompense for the torture that he and Falco suffered through. Zelda smiled and went on her way, while Aerith stayed behind to speak with Falco.
"You're actually a pretty good massagist, Falco," the flower girl said to the avian pilot, hoping that her words made Falco feel better. Aerith then walked away, as Falco cracked a smile.
"Heh...looks like I've discovered a new talent," remarked Falco, completely forgetting what he had vowed not to do a couple of seconds ago. Fox pulled out his phone to check his notifications and saw a text message sent from Sonic.
"Shoot, I got a text message from Sonic," the pilot alerted Fox, as he pulled up the text message on his phone and read it. "Think he wants us to meet him and Tails at Master Hand's room."
So Fox and Falco went to Master Hand's room, where they saw Sonic and Tails speaking with Master Hand. The former was spilling some beans about Cloud's project to the giant hand.
"Cloud wants to resurrect Aerith?" Master Hand asked Sonic and Tails, learning about the Aerith Revival Project for the first time. "I know that Cloud misses her a lot, but..."
"We got here as soon as we could," Fox said to Master Hand and company, as he made his and Falco's presence known to the others. "What's this I hear about resurrecting Aerith and junk?"
"Master Hand, the orange cat just defecated on your floor," Isabelle informed the giant hand, as the Shih Tzu was in the room monitoring the five cats. "Now would be a good time to find a litter!"
"That's Mr. Mittens to you, Isabelle!" Master Hand corrected the Shih Tzu; evidently, Sora, Dark Pit, and Lucas were no help when it came to coming up with cat names. "And clean up the feces yourself, I'm having an important conversation here!"
"Is Cloud trying to bring Aerith back from the dead?" Falco asked Sonic and Falco, trying to make sense of why Moira was involved. "He's that thirsty to see his lady friend again, huh?"
"We assume so; he sounded like he wants his revival project to be a success," replied Tails, as Falco was left stroking his beak in thought. "Professor E. Gadd has a hand in the project, too."
"This is...this is kind of messed up," Master Hand expressed his inner thoughts on the project. "Marlene growing older was suspect to me, but this is..."
"Master Hand, you got a...minute?" asked Cloud as he returned to Master Hand's room, only to freeze momentarily when he saw the crowd inside. That gave the swordsman an uneasy feeling.
"Cloud, would you mind telling us about the Aerith Revival Project?" Master Hand asked the swordsman, expecting to receive some answers. Cloud didn't want to answer, as he was more ticked off than anything.
"Alright, which one of you guys told Master Hand my secret?" the swordsman frowned at the pilots and Sonic, as Sonic pointed at Tails. Tails would fire right back and point at Sonic.
"A secret?! You wanted to keep the project a secret? What would you want to keep secrets from me?" Master Hand was feeling left out, as Cloud sighed.
"I kinda wanted to surprise everyone, but it seems that won't be the case much longer...guess that means the cat's out of the bag now."
"No, no, you can still keep it a secret...I just wanted to know why you didn't want to share it with me. I mean, we are joined at the hip, aren't we?"
"I...suppose so, but I just didn't know how you would feel about the project. Figured that maybe you would've given some pause."
"I would've given some pause, yes. But is this really what you want to do? Reviving Aerith? Isn't reviving people immoral?"
"But embezzling money from a record label to fund your 'dream car' isn't?" Isabelle asked Master Hand, as she was forcing herself to clean up Mr. Mitten's feces. Master Hand had no retort for that.
"Okay...you got me there, Isabelle. But is this what you want to do, Cloud? Are you not satisfied with alternate universe Aerith?"
"I am, but...she belongs in her own universe," replied Cloud, hoping that Master Hand understood where he was coming from. "Link mentioned something about following your heart...and that's basically what I'm doing now."
"So you really care that much about Aerith to the point where you would resurrect her, huh? In that case...you have my full support with your project, Cloud. Just don't hide any important stuff from me, mmkay?"
"Cloud, can I please come in now?" Eggman called out to the swordsman from the hallway, as Master Hand got angry real quick. "Robin and Ness won't stop giving me the stink eye!"
"Yuck! Why is Dr. Eggman still here? Cloud, I thought that you showed that obese oaf out the door!"
"I can explain, Master Hand," replied Cloud as he went out of the room, before bringing Eggman inside. Eggman looked relieved to not be standing around in the hallway any longer. "Dr. Eggman has something he wants to say. Right, Eggman?"
"I do?" Eggman raised an eyebrow at Cloud, who gave the mad scientist a quick nudge. "Oh, yeah, that's right..." Eggman would face the bitter Master Hand, clearing his throat and standing upright.
"Lemme guess -you want to show me some 'remorse,'" Master Hand said to Eggman, as he was ready to flick the mad scientist away like he had done back in episode 34. "Well, I'm not here for your fake apology!"
"Right you are, Master Hand - I am here to show some remorse." At that moment, a surprised Master Hand shut up and allowed Eggman to speak. "My apology is genuine and sincere. I would like to apologize for including a portal to Subspace inside that statue I built in your likeness. And also for trying to get my revenge by wanting to attack the mansion. I mulled over my actions while I was in jail, and just wanted to make a few amends. Don't know if Jakob, Lysandre, and Fawful feel sorry...but I wanted to share my feelings with you."
"Is this man telling the truth?" Master Hand asked Cloud, Sonic, and Tails for confirmation, and all three of them nodded their heads. The giant hand was slowly convinced.
"Mario and Peach already accepted Eggman's apology, for what happened on their wedding day," Sonic explained to Master Hand, who was shocked that Mario and Peach heard Eggman out. "So you ought to do the same!"
"People do crazy things when they're feeling vengeful," remarked Eggman, who was anxiously awaiting what Master Hand had to say. "Being that upset over a silly ban...I should've known better. That portal to Subspace, I never should've inserted it inside that statue. Joining forces with Tabuu would've been fruitless, anyway."
"Okay, Dr. Eggman, if you're really as sorry as you say you are..." replied Master Hand, as Eggman anticipated the giant hand's answer with his fingers crossed. "...I suppose I could end your ban."
"YIPPEE!" cheered Eggman, shaking his fists with great joy; the mad scientist was about to hug Cloud, but Cloud instinctively pushed him away. "Thank you so much, Master Hand! Knew you'd come around!"
Cloud: I didn't want to bring Dr. Eggman to the mansion just for the project. I also wanted to know if he had any regret about his past actions - which he did. Also wanted to see if Master Hand would forgive Eggman. Master Hand might be a jerk sometimes, but deep down I know that he's got some forgiveness inside of him.
Eggman: Phew! Who knew that apologizing would be so hard? It's no wonder that I chose to live the life of a villain! *laughs evilly*
"From now on, I will leave the mansion and its residents out of my future evil plans," vowed Eggman, not wanting to risk spending time in jail. "I will spend more time focusing on my favorite hedgehog, Sonic! The two of us will forever be inseparable."
"Don't say that, it just sounds weird," Sonic frowned at Eggman, wishing for the mad scientist to shut up for the rest of the day.
To show everyone that Eggman was remorseful, Cloud invited Eggman over for dinner that evening. Some of the residents resented Eggman's presence at first, but eventually, they came around.
"Would you like some another orange paratha?" Pyra asked Eggman, as she approached him with a plate of flatbread. Pyra and Mythra were put in charge of cooking dinner by Master Hand; both blades had ample cooking experience.
"Still not sure what that is, but I'll take another one!" replied Eggman, holding up his plate as Pyra placed an orange paratha on it. Pyra would walk away, as Mythra approached Eggman.
"How about some fried rice?" Mythra asked Eggman, holding up a bowl of fried rice...that was overcooked. Mythra saw Eggman's look of disgust when he looked at the rice, as she frowned and walked away. "It's almost as if nobody here likes my cooking...what am I doing wrong?
Pyra: Some good news - Master Hand told me and Mythra on Wednesday that we will be the next fighters to join Smash! He wanted to congratulate us...by having us cook dinner for the next few days. Sounds kind of backwards to me.
Mythra: I highly suggest that you leave Rex alone. He's been feeling pretty bitter lately...but he'll get over it.
Rex: *pouting, with his arms folded* Yeah...I'm straight up not having a good time.
"Wario will still go broke in five years or less," stated EMMA, after Wario borrowed Ryuji phone to speak to the app. Ryuji and Yusuke were both giggling, as a frowning Wario handed the phone back to Ryuji.
"Meh, that stupid app probably hasn't been updated yet," assumed Wario as he resumed eating his dinner. Wait until that fatso finds out that no changes to EMMA would ever happen.
"Ryuji, did Mario respond?" Link came over to speak with the delinquent, whom he asked to text Mario. "Is he coming or what?"
"He said he's on his way," replied Ryuji, as Link nodded and walked away. Yusuke knew what was about to happen soon, as his eyes lit up.
"Now's the time to bring out my masterpiece!" the artist exclaimed as he left his seat; when Yusuke was one, Ryuji looked around before taking a bite from Yusuke's portions.
"Zelda, can you come with me?" Lavenza asked the princess, as she took her hand. Zelda looked pretty doubtful for the moment. "I promise it'll be quick..."
Lavenza brought Zelda to the foyer, which was littered to the brim with candles. Something very special was obviously going to happen.
"Sure got a lot of candles in here," remarked Zelda, who couldn't complain - the candles had a very swell scent to them. "Are these...Rinea's candles?"
"Rinea's husband was very elated about how many candles were given up," replied Lavenza; that Berkut was probably on cloud nine, as Rinea's candle collection had dwindled. "Or so I've been told."
"Good evening, princess," Link greeted Zelda as he entered the foyer, looking all happy and preppy. Zelda could tell that Link had a surprise for her. "So, you like this setup?"
"I see you really enjoyed smelling those candles of Rinea's," replied Zelda, with Link coming over to the princess as Lavenza stood to the side. "How did I not see all these candles in the foyer?"
"That is a question to answer another time." Link was now standing face-to-face with Zelda, ready for the big moment. "But now, I'm going to do something...that I probably should've done a long time ago."
"And what would that be?" Zelda didn't know what to think next, as she saw Link get down on one knee. "Um, Link...what are you doing?"
"I just...couldn't wait much longer." Link into his pocket and took out a jewelry box, and opened said jewelry box to reveal...a ring! "Princess Zelda...will you marry me?"
"Oh my goodness..." Zelda was getting emotional, as she held her hands over her mouth. At that time, the front door opened, and Mario came inside the mansion soaking wet.
"Was I late? The stupid rain almost stopped-a me from..." the plumber said, before shutting up in a hurry when he saw Link proposing to Zelda. Mario placed his raincoat on the coat rack, as he gently closed the door.
"Well, princess, what do you say?" Link asked Zelda, who was getting all giddy and excited. You know what she was gonna say.
"Yes!" exclaimed Zelda, as Link stood up and embraced Zelda. The two Hylians were kissing each other and junk...only to be interrupted by a slow clap. And it didn't come from Mario, either.
"Congratulations, you two," Cloud congratulated Link and Zelda as he entered the foyer, having seen the proposal from the sidelines. In his hand was a candle lighter. Behind Cloud was Yusuke, who entered the foyer with a portrait.
"And now a portrait, for the momentous occasion..." the artist said as he revealed a portrait of Link and Zelda together, with a heart above them. Zelda liked the portrait a lot, as evidenced by her smile.
"Was this supposed to be a secret?" Zelda asked Link regarding the proposal, thinking that the Hylian wanted to keep things confidential.
"I might've had an audience in mind," replied Link as he looked towards Mario, who was standing at the front door. Mario smiled at Link and Zelda, as he tipped his hat to the now engaged couple.
"Come-a with me, you two," Mario said to Link and Zelda, as he led them out of the foyer. "We have an announcement-a to make!" Cloud and Lavenza would follow after Mario, whereas Yusuke stayed behind.
"Wait, who is going to blow out the candles?" the artist asked, looking around at the candles in the foyer, before heaving a sigh. "Guess I'll have to blow them out myself..."
Back at the dining room, there were mixed feelings about the dinner that Pyra and Mythra had prepared. While the residents enjoyed Pyra's cooking, the same couldn't be said for Mythra's. Master Hand ought to enlist Pyra into the mansion's chef rotation.
"Attention everyone, I have-a an announcement," announced Mario, as the plumber entered the dining room holding both Link and Zelda's hand. Something that made both Hylians uncomfortable. The chatter in the dining room ceased, as everyone focused their attention on Mario and the Hylians.
"Is it an important announcement?" asked Master Hand, who was busy surveying the dining room scene. He didn't do it that often.
"Yes, it's an important announcement. In case you couldn't tell, it has to do with-a Link and Zelda. Link did something..." Mario had to pause, as he was getting choked up. Cloud stood behind Mario, facepalming. "...Link did some-a thing that I was hoping he would do."
"Did he finally decide to dress like a real man?" asked Ryu, as a teary-eyed Mario shook his head no. "If that's not the case...then that means..."
"Link finally proposed to Princess Zelda!" squealed Yoshi, getting it right while Ryu did not. Talk about a bad look for Ryu. "Link and Zelda are engaged, they're getting married!"
"That's-a right," confirmed Mario, as everyone responded with an uproar of cheers and applause. Which was to be expected. "Everyone, this is a day that will live-a in infamy. Because today, is the day that Link and-a Zelda become one."
"I literally just proposed to Zelda like a minute ago," stated Link, wondering why Mario was all emotional. The plumber was more emotional than Link and Zelda were!
"I love-a you guys, so much..." Mario would give Link a hug, and Link just stood there feeling awkward.
"Okay...this is weird." Link eyed around the dining room, as the hug continued. When he was done hugging Link, Mario went over to hug Zelda.
"Think I hear the phone ringing, it must be for me," Zelda said to Mario, using an imaginary phone as an excuse to get out of the hug...but Mario would still hug the princess anyway, making her feel awkward.
"No, princess, let 'em ring." Mario ended the hug, leaving Zelda to sigh in relief. "Let the bells-a of the Smash Mansion chime out your love. Because this is..." Mario was starting to well up, about to break down in tears. "...really good, this is really good. My heart-a soars with the eagle's nest."
Ganondorf: I still don't see it. I think they both could do better.
Master Hand: It's not a surprise to me. Link and Zelda getting engaged was naturally bound to happen very soon. That was why I never bothered wasting a shotgun wedding on them.
Junpei: Link's finally off the market. Guess who's about to become the best-looking unmarried guy in the mansion? *clicks fingers at the camera*
Link: I dunno...I just felt like now was the right time to make my move. Mario made his move, Luigi made his move, Fox made his move, Chrom made his move...albeit in secret, and now it was my turn. I know that Zelda was waiting - couldn't let her wait much longer.
"Can't believe I forced myself to listen to some marriage announcement..." grumbled Eggman, as a few residents (all of them male) were now giving Link props for manning up and proposing to Zelda. "...oh well. I suppose getting married is a great feeling."
And so is the feeling of freedom. Here's hoping that Eggman would keep his promise, and not interfere with Link and Zelda's wedding.