Author's Note:
We have a new fighter in Smash...and it's Kazuya Mishima, from Tekken! I originally pined for him to appear in this chapter, but that didn't happen due to time constraints. This chapter itself seldom happened, due to time constraints. (Curse you, E3!) But yet here we are. Guest reviews:
"Doki Doki Literature Club is coming to the Switch on June 30th! You know what that means?! YES. That means you can now adapt the Gravity Falls episode titled "Soos and the Real Girl"! Monika can take the role of Giffany. What do you think?"
I'll give it a shot. Gotta find the right person to play DDLC. Another anonymous review:
"So...spoiler alert. Cloud wins the Death Battle. Does this affect anything to the story?"
No, it really shouldn't. One last anonymous review:
"Just for confirmation, Impa is from Hyrule Warriors, right? That means, she's not the Impa that Champion Link knows, a.k.a Advisor Impa."
Yes she is! Moving on to David:
"How soon will Link and Zelda's wedding chapter be? If Blanc from Neptunia shows up will her foul mouth be toned down or stay intact? (Some joked her foul language represents the toxic side of the Nintendo fanbase). A scene of Corrin reacting to season 1 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch? (Once it finishes of course). A scene of Rhea interacting with Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil 8? (Kikuko Inoue is their Japanese VA). And finally, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Streets of Rage 4 DLC?"
It will be in the fall. Blanc's foul mouth will be mostly toned down. I'll have Corrin react to The Bad Batch. Won't be any interaction with Rhea and Lady Dimitrescu. And the DLC for Streets of Rage is...interesting. New music from Tee Lopes is always a plus. Next is A JRPG Enjoyer:
"Do you think Pit would try and "ruin" Kirby and Adeleine's "relationship", like what Sonic tried to do to Tails and Coco's "relationship"?"
I can see Pit having the same energy as Sonic did. Moving on:
"How about a proper Astral Chain episode in the future, since the original episode had a lack-of-preparation?"
Yes, yes, and yes! Gotta redeem myself. Moving on:
"You know, seeing that guest's suggestion of a Doki Doki chapter gave me a brilliant idea. You know who should take the role of Soos in that episode? Lloyd Irving. That way, you might be able to properly introduce a character close to Lloyd. Colette. You see what I'm talking about?"
I might've entertained the idea of Lloyd playing DDLC a few years back...yeah, he definitely fits the role. I see where you're going with this. Last is The Reader:
"1. Will there be a Life Is Strange or a Life Is Strange: True Colors chapter? If you want to stay safe, just do the True Colors one, since Alex's ability is much simpler to show in your story than Max's ability.
2. Will there be a Monkey Ball episode? Please?
3. Will there be a Metroid Dread chapter? And do you think Samus is happy with her new game?
4. What's your favorite game showcase from E3?
5. Who do you think will be the Mii costumes that joins Kazuya?
1. There will be a Life Is Strange chapter; I'll just take your advice, and only do True Colors.
2. YES! Super Monkey Ball is super underrated. A Super Monkey Ball chapter is gonna happen.
3. Totally doing a Metroid Dread chapter. Samus should be over the moon about a new Metroid game.
4. That new Final Fantasy game, where there is chaos and the main character wants to destroy chaos but only because he hates chaos. Chaos, chaos, chaos...but in all seriousness, Metroid Dread was my favorite showcase.
5. My predictions are King, Jin, Ling Xiaoyu, Lloyd, Artorias...and Klonoa. I'll be surprised if Nintendo adds a Klonoa Mii costume.
Episode 287: BackHome
Seven weeks. For seven long weeks, Cloud stayed at the psych ward, forced to learn the error of his ways after his selfish ambitions not only ended the Aerith Revival Project...but also ruin the trust of his friends. Link most certainly came to mind.
Granted, Cloud had already learned his lesson and was showing regret over his actions. This was especially thanks to the Phantom Thieves, who went down to the Metaverse and steal the swordsman's heart. But that being said, Master Hand still didn't trust Cloud to be anywhere near the mansion residents, fearing that he could potentially pose as a threat to them.
But Cloud remained at the psych ward long enough and was raring to head back home. He appreciated Aerith for always visiting him - against Master Hand's wishes - but the swordsman, oddly enough, was feeling homesick. Today seemed like a perfect day for his homesickness to finally go away.
"Cloud Strife! Your final guest is here to see you," a nurse poked her head inside the room to inform the swordsman, who instantly perked up. Were Cloud's ears deceiving him?
"I'm sorry, did you just say, 'final guest'?" Cloud asked the nurse, just to make sure that he wasn't hearing things. The nurse smiled and nodded her head.
"Yes! Your guest will explain everything shortly. Come on in, Mario!" So the nurse stood to the side, allowing a person that Cloud hadn't seen since April to enter the room...the famous plumber himself, Mario.
"Good-a afternoon, Cloud!" Mario greeted the swordsman as he tipped his hat to him. Cloud was beyond relieved to see Mario; most other times he felt extremely neutral towards the plumber.
"Hey Mario," Cloud returned the favor, as the nurse left the room so that Mario and Cloud could get some catching up to do. Mario hopped on the bed, sitting next to Cloud. "Man, am I glad to see you again."
"Like-a wise! I could've seen-a you earlier, but Master Hand kept-a talking me out of it. Why do I still let-a him have his way with me?"
"Here I was hoping you would find out sooner than that..." The deadpan delivery when Cloud said this line caused Mario to slightly giggle. "...so, uh, how is everyone doing?"
"Peach is doing fine, and so is-a Jennifer. Spyro is same-old, same-a old. Hunter's worried to death-a about the RWBY girls, and Poochy is..."
"RWBY girls? You mean, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang?" Cloud was understandably surprised to learn that the RWBY gang was back in town.
"Yes - Dr. Wily was-a working on that device-a of his, and brought-a those four girls back to Seattle by accident. Now the device's broken-a for the time being and Wily has to get back up-a and running again."
"Interesting. But what's the deal with Hunter? Thought that he and the girls made peace." Unfortunately, that peace was mostly short-lived.
"He thinks that Wily brought-a those girls back just to antagonize him...and Spyro. Spyro doesn't give a crap, obviously."
Spyro: Hunter's resentment towards the RWBY gang has taken on new levels. The guy can't even do or use the same stuff as they do! Like if he saw Weiss drinking some Starbucks coffee or something, he'd vow to never go to Starbucks again because one of his "mortal enemies" went there. He acts like those pansies who would stop eating burgers if a politician from their least favorite political party did the same thing. Can you even imagine living your life like that?
"Anything new at the mansion?" Cloud asked Mario, hoping that he hadn't missed too much. Mario would be more than willing to fill the swordsman in. "How's Link's wedding planning coming along?"
"Link is the man-a of the mansion," replied Mario, skipping past anything involving Link and Zelda's wedding just to mention that fact. "Or at least-a during your absence. Who knows, you might-a be reinstated!"
"Fat chance of that ever happening..." Cloud looked down at the floor, knowing that the trust between him and Master Hand was severed. "...Master Hand would never want to give me back any sort of responsibility."
"Don't be so down-a on yourself." Mario patted Cloud encouragingly on the back, doing his best to cheer up the swordsman. "You can win-a back Master Hand's trust. And you can win-a back Link's trust as well!"
"You really think so?" Cloud looked up at Mario, who gave a bright smile that washed the swordsman's doubt away. Cloud immediately straightened up on his bed, instilled with a confidence boost from Mario.
"Oh, that reminds-a me...today is the day that you'll-a be returning to the mansion." This was the good news that Cloud expected to hear, as a huge wave of relief washed over his shoulders.
"So Master Hand finally stopped throwing money at the psych ward...good to know." Cloud hopped off of his bed, wondering if the money Master Hand used was stolen from Star Records. "I guess you'll be escorting me outside."
"Me? Escorting you out-a side? Good heavens, no!" Mario had a short laughing fit, as Cloud looked at the plumber all confused. What did Mario even come for? "I just wanted to stop by and see you."
"That's a...very typical thing for you to do." Cloud was really looking forward to taking a ride in Mario's car. So much for that. "If you won't be escorting me back home, then who will?"
"I won't say, it's a secret. You'll just have-a to find out yourself." Mario hopped off of Cloud's bed, as he advanced to the door. "The party planning committee is throwing together a party to celebrate-a your return, and they wanted-a me to get the 'essentials'. So..."
"Must've been on your way to a party store, huh? In that case, I won't take up any of your time. You can go on ahead."
"Okey dokey! Your escorts should-a be in the parking lot, so just head-a out when you're ready." Multiple escorts? That made Cloud feel somewhat wary. Phantom Thieves, perhaps?
"Alright. Guess I'll be seeing you later at the party, Mario." Cloud was not expecting a welcome back party, especially for a guy like him...but he took that as a sign that his fellow residents still appreciated him.
Link and Rex were in the dining room, sharing some lunch while also sharing some discussions about the upcoming wedding. These discussions would be peaceful...if it weren't for King Dedede and King K. Rool, who were at the dining table having some banter.
"Oh, man, I'm so tubby, I don't have a muffin top," K. Rool said to King Dedede as he proudly patted his belly. "I've got the whole bakery!"
"I'm so porky, I don't have a six-pack, I have a barrel!" exclaimed King Dedede, as he felt oddly proud to have a big stomach. Maybe having a big stomach was a trademark of his.
"Yeah, your midsection looks like someone tried to shove a grapefruit through a garden hose." K. Rool patted Dedede's stomach, as Link and Rex were doing their best to tune out the two kings.
"Yeah, your belly has more folds than an origami convention..." grumbled Rex, as K. Rool and King Dedede rushed over to the swordsman. The former grabbed Rex's arm and lifted it. "Hey, what gives?"
"Look at you, Rex - you're so weak that if you were a superhero, you'd be Boy-Man," K. Rool mocked the swordsman, laughing at his expense. "The man with the strength of a twelve-year-old boy!"
"What are you talking about?" King Dedede frowned at K. Rool, not understanding where the Kremling was coming from. K. Rool was bemused. "He's as strong as a bear...naked old lady." King Dedede and K. Rool laughed afterward, as Rex groaned in annoyance.
"Rex's got so little muscle definition, he needs a muscle dictionary." K. Rool squeezed Rex's arm, as Rex had enough of the Kremling and slapped his hand away. As he did so, Waluigi entered the dining room while admiring the swordsman.
"Yeah, Rex, the only thing you could lift with that body is my self-esteem!" the lanky man said to Rex, catching the attention of the swordsman and everyone else in the dining room. Link gave Waluigi a frown.
"Waluigi, what are you doing here?" Link asked the lanky man, who giggled nervously; if you might recall, Waluigi was not allowed to be in Link's presence, unless called for.
"Uh...bottle trick!" Waluigi took his soda bottle and flipped it on the air. The bottle landed on Rex's meal, causing it to splatter all over him and the table. "Well, at least I stuck the landing!"
"You are such a loser, Waluigi..." Rex said to the lanky man, as the soda began spewing on his face. King K. Rool and King Dedede couldn't help but laugh, as Rex shook his head. "...the only thing you probably ever won was your mother's love. Bet you didn't even get first place!"
"Oh yeah?! Well, you're such a loser, Rex, that...that the only time people miss you is when they're throwing rotten tomatoes."
"Um...thanks, I guess." Rex grabbed a few napkins off the table, cleaning himself and the table off, as Waluigi felt ignored and walked away with his head hanging low.
Rex: Waluigi, Waluigi, Waluigi...I don't understand why but every time he ribs me, I feel like he's actually broken one of my ribs.
Azurda: *pokes head out of Rex's backpack* Maybe it's because deep down, you really respect Waluigi's opinion.
Rex: *stares at Azurda, before bursting out laughing* Oh man! That...that was rich. *wipes away tear*
"You don't mind when we insult you, do you, Rex?" King Dedede asked the swordsman, as he and King K. Rool leaned in close to him. "You even do it to yourself!"
"Not exactly true, but to each their own," Rex smiled in response, hoping for K. Rool and King Dedede to back off of him. He was surprised that Link hadn't intervened yet.
"Well then maybe the problem isn't Waluigi. Maybe your problem..." King Dedede put on a pair of glasses, pulling them seemingly out of thin air. "...is your fragile ego."
"EGO CHECK TIME!" bellowed K. Rool, as he grabbed Rex and scrambled out of the dining room with King Dedede. Link was forced to watch his wedding assistant be carried away.
"Hey you two, get back here!" the Hylian called out to K. Rool and King Dedede, finally deciding to intervene. Too little too late, as the Hylian sighed once his command was ignored. "Oh, what's the point..."
So who was the group that would be escorting Cloud back to the mansion? It could be anyone. Maybe it wasn't the Phantom Thieves. It might be the Keyblade Hero 3 - Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Could be the ninja pals. Or maybe Master Hand handpicked several residents to retrieve Cloud.
Regardless, Cloud had a pretty open mind as he left the psych ward for good and ventured out into the parking lot. The swordsman tried to be optimistic about whoever his escorts were...but that optimism soon faded away when he saw some familiar faces he did not wish to see.
"Why did it have to be you guys...?" groaned Cloud when he saw four individuals in the psych ward parking lot - Zeke, Pandoria, Dingodile, and Ty. Pandoria and Ty, Cloud had no ill will towards, but the same couldn't be said for Zeke and Dingodile.
"Cloud Strife! Good tidings!" Zeke waved to the swordsman, who couldn't be any less dismayed to see the crown prince. "Good to see that you're doing well."
"We made you some meat pie," Dingodile said to Cloud, as he and Ty were holding meat pies in their hands. Cloud was uninterested in eating any food that came straight from Dingo's Diner.
Dingodile: Sadly I haven't recouped the money that was stolen from me...that bloke Professor E. Gadd had already spent it, or so I've gathered. He's able to afford his own mansion, so he wouldn't be opposed to coughing up some dough to make up for my financial losses...if I can convince him right. *sneers*
"No thanks, I'm not interested," Cloud said to Dingodile and Ty as he reluctantly walked over to the group, holding in his resentment. "So you guys are escorting me back home, huh?"
"Right you are, Cloud!" replied Zeke as he and Pandoria clenched their fist. The synchronization between Zeke and his Blade was always on point. "Unfortunately, we don't have a snazzy ride to take you in...so we'll be walking on foot!"
"Don't know if that will make my experience any more annoying, but as long as I get home..." Suddenly, Cloud heard his phone, as he answered the call. "...hello, Cloud Strife."
"What's up, Cloud! It's me, Travis Touchdown," greeted the person speaking on the phone, Travis. Cloud totally forgot that he had Travis' number - he didn't even have the otaku's contact info updated on his phone! "I'm part of the party planning committee. What's your favorite cake?"
"I don't really have a favorite cake." That's not the kind of answer that Travis wanted to hear, and Cloud knew it, too. "But if I had to choose...I'm going to go with vanilla."
"A flavor that's just like your personality...I kid, I kid! We're just gonna go with strawberry since vanilla will be too basic for Cilan and Iris to work with."
"Iris? Who the heck is Iris?" Hearing Iris's name mentioned with Cilan suddenly had Cloud thinking. "You're not talking about that former champ from Unova, are you?"
"Uh, no! Might've said too much. See you soon, Cloud!" On short notice, Travis ended the call so that he wouldn't potentially spill any more beans. Cloud felt bemused as he put his phone back in his pocket.
"Huh, that was weird. So how about we start walking to the mansion? I'd really appreciate it if the walk back home is not annoying..."
"'Not Annoying' is my middle name," proclaimed Dingodile, with Cloud sighing as his escorts took him away from the psych ward. "Dingodile Not Annoying...Cortex. No, wait, it was Dr. Brio who created me..."
King K. Rool and King Dedede ran an ego check with Rex...and with all brutal honesty, it was a complete waste of Rex's time. The two kings met with Rex in the lounge, going over the "results" with the swordsman.
"Well on the plus side, we now know that you truly love yourself," King Dedede said to Rex as he went over the swordsman's "report card", adjusting his glasses ever so slightly. "But we really didn't need to see your ego smooching itself..."
"My ego was never smooching itself..." stated Rex as he had his arms folded, wishing for Link, Nia, literally anyone to save him. "...you sound quite jealous there, King Dedede."
"Better back away Dedede, he might kiss you!" King K. Rool warned the fat penguin before he and King Dedede burst into a laughing fit. Rex moaned...as Waluigi appeared from behind the couch and kissed Waluigi on his head.
"Haha, got 'em!" exclaimed Waluigi, celebrating victory as he ran out of the lounge laughing like a maniacal madman. King K. Rool and King Dedede stopped laughing, making disgusted faces as they saw Waluigi kiss Rex.
"Did...did Waluigi just kiss me?" Rex cringed, as he was literally shaking and crying. Okay, he wasn't, but it would be funny if he was. "What a bother..."
"What do you mean?" King K. Rool asked Rex, who buried his face in his hands. The amount of distress that Rex was going through was palpable.
"Not sure if you guys know, but Waluigi thinks that I'm his 'brother from another mother'. Just because I never got in Smash, just like him."
"Is that supposed to mean that you're friends with Waluigi?" inquired King Dedede, causing Rex to groan and shake his head. "You must have low standards."
"I don't want him to be my friend! He is such a tryhard. I mean, I'm lightyears ahead of Waluigi in so many ways; he can barely even hold a candle to me."
"Lightyears ahead of Waluigi, huh? And you said you never had a big ego..." King Dedede shook his head, as he adjusted Rex's "report card". Rex won't be liking that report card, provided that he had the energy to read it.
"I see what you mean," King K. Rool sympathized with Rex as he put a comforting hand on the swordsman's shoulder. "This might be a battle that Dedede and I can't fight ourselves. I should talk it out with Waluigi."
"You're right, I should just nip it in the bud," responded Rex, as he couldn't believe that he was taking sound advice from King K. Rool. Stranger things have happened...
At long last, Cloud and his escort party made it to the mansion...or at least they were halfway there. Zeke was so exhausted from walking that he got down on one knee to take a breather when the group reached a bus stop. Talk about a lack of stamina from the crown prince.
"So close...yet so far..." said a sweaty Zeke, acting all dramatic as he got down on all fours and crawled on the sidewalk as if he was in the middle of a desert. Pandoria wanted to emulate Zeke but decided against it.
"He tires out easily, huh?" Cloud asked Pandoria, wondering how the Blade was able to stomach being around Zeke all the time. The swordsman personally found it to be unadulterated torture.
"He just forgot to do some exercises before we left," replied Pandoria, as Zeke collapsed onto the pavement likely out of the breath. Ty came over to Zeke, doing his best to lift the crown prince's head.
"Looks like we got ourselves a lift," the Tasmanian tiger said to Zeke, as he pointed at a city bus driving down to the bus stop. Zeke was giddy to see the bus, all smiles as he hopped back up to his feet.
"Yes! The transportation deities have blessed us with a mode of transportation!" rejoiced Zeke, as the city bus came to a stop. The bus door opened, as Zeke pointed at the bus. "Inside the bus, you beautiful barbarians!"
"You guys coming in or what?" the bus driver asked Zeke and company, as he was understandably giving Zeke a weird look. He was trying his hardest not to judge the Crown Prince.
"Yeah, we're coming," replied Cloud, as he and the others entered the city bus. The swordsman first had to lay down the law so that his time on the bus would be at least tolerable. "Please don't embarrass us during the ride, Zeke..."
As Cloud and company entered the bus, three individuals were watching from a distance - Reno, Rude, and Elena. The three Turks saw the bus door close, as the city bus drove down the street.
"Cloud must be heading back home today...just as we suspected," smirked Reno as he folded his arms behind his head, watching the city bus drive away. "Time to make our move, eh?"
"Now is a good time," replied Rude as he looked back at the black government that the Turks rode to Seattle. "Don't want our boss to lose his patience..."
With his bedroom door off its hinges, Rex asked Mr. Game and Watch to come over and fix the door. Mr. Game and Watch did his thing, fixing the door with his trusty screwdriver.
"There! Should be good as new," the 2-D man said as he finished repairing the door, checking to see if it opened and closed properly. After Mr. Game and Watch left the door open...Waluigi returned.
"Oh, hey!" the lanky man greeted Rex and Mr. Game and Watch, causing the both of them to scream. "You fixed the door! That reminds me of that time we fixed the treehouse after Wolf almost blew it up."
"You weren't even there when we fixed the treehouse," Rex said to Waluigi, who believed that his own memory of fixing the treehouse with Rex happened. "And won't be here when this door is fixed."
"But you already fixed the..." Trying to follow Nia's lead, Rex grabbed Waluigi and tried to throw him out of the door...but the door wouldn't open. A second attempt, yet the door wouldn't budge.
"Darn it, I must've fixed it too well," said Mr. Game and Watch, realizing that he might've made the door indestructible. He really overestimated his abilities.
"That's okay, Rex wanted the door that way..." the bruised Waluigi muffled, as he pulled himself up on his feet. "...that's what best friends do."
"Okay, Waluigi, I didn't want to have to say this..." Rex said to the lanky man as he let out a deep sigh, believing that Waluigi was ready to face the facts. "...but, isn't it obvious? I mean, read between the lines."
"What do you mean there are unspoken differences between types of friends and the 'we're kind of okay' friends but not best friends?" questioned Waluigi, speaking in a fast manner that caught Rex and Mr. Game and Watch off-guard. "What do you mean this all stemmed from a narcissistic delusion brought on by my inner fear about my facing my true place in the universe? What do you mean!? You don't wanna be more than just regular friends." Waluigi sang the last sentence...as one might imagine, his singing voice was horrid.
"Really?" Mr. Game and Watch asked Waluigi, finding it sad how desperate the lanky man wished for Rex to be his homie. It was fascinating to watch, though.
"Sorry, I was thinking that," Rex said to Waluigi, knowing how deeply hurt the lanky man must feel. "Look, you're...you're just not the kind of friend that I would call for some important stuff. Like, moving a couch."
"No, I get it. I can't be your best friend, Rex. Because there can be only one."
"Yeah, but you're definitely fifth...maybe even sixth in line."
"So, if all of those other friends were gone...we'd be best friends!"
"Technically, yeah. I guess I'd just have to make do with you."
"In that case...thank you!" Waluigi shook Rex's hand, and happily left the room on good terms with his 'brother from another mother'. Rex felt a surge of relief that he had never really felt before.
"There, all's well that ends well," remarked Rex, feeling proud of himself as he folded his arms. Didn't even have to ask Pyra, Mythra, or Nia for help.
"Do you ever get that feeling in your stomach when someone tragically misinterprets something you said, in a dangerously, fundamental way?" Mr. Game and Watch asked Rex, fearing that the swordsman might've jeopardized himself. Rex thought about what Mr. GW said...only to give off a shrug.
"Nope, not really. I let bygones be bygones. And what's the worst that Waluigi can do?"
Everything was pretty tranquil at the front yard of the mansion, with Sonic and Crash playing Frisbee together with Aku spectating while Coco was sitting under a tree, noodling on her laptop. Aerith, Tifa, Barret, and Marlene were waiting outside, expecting someone...and it was obvious who it was.
"Awesome, Crash, you finally caught the Frisbee with both hands!" Sonic commended the bandicoot, who caught the Frisbee that was thrown at him. Crash returned the Frisbee to Sonic...who petted him on his head. "So proud of you, man."
"So much for not treating Crash like a dog," Aku said to Sonic, who immediately caught himself as he stopped petting Crash's head. Crash looked sad afterward; he must've enjoyed it.
"Man, what is taking them so long?" wondered Barret as he was starting to lose track of time, checking the time on his phone. "They better not have stopped somewhere to grab some lunch!"
"Maybe Cloud is just being difficult," theorized Tifa, hoping that her swordsman friend wasn't being too hard on his escort party. "I mean, considering who his escorts are, I wouldn't..."
Tifa would soon stop speaking as the city bus pulled up to the mansion premises, catching the attention of everyone outside. Everyone watched as Cloud, Zeke, Pandoria, Dingodile, and Ty exited the bus...but it was Cloud that everyone had their eyes on.
"Uh, here's a tip," Cloud said to the bus driver as he tossed a few coins at him. The bus driver grumbled, with the coins bouncing off his wrist as the bus door closed. The city bus drove away, as Cloud and company headed to the mansion...
"Cloud! Welcome back!" Sonic greeted the swordsman, as Crash happily ran up to Cloud and gave him a heartfelt hug. Cloud pushed Crash away, feeling slightly less annoyed now that he was back home.
"Hey everyone," Cloud greeted everyone outside, only for Barret to run to the swordsman and give him a big, fat hug. Crash joined in on the wholesomeness. "Figured that this would happen..."
"I'm so happy to see you, man!" Barret said to Cloud, acting as if he hadn't seen the swordsman in ages, as Tifa and the others came over. "Being at the mansion, without you around...it just didn't feel right."
"Hope you didn't miss us too much," Tifa smiled at Cloud, sensing how bothered the swordsman was by Barret and Crash embracing him. Cloud wasn't all about showing external friendliness.
"Ah, yes, a group hug! Let us have some share of the love!" gleamed Zeke as he and Pandoria approached Cloud and company with open arms. A death glare from Cloud was enough to send Zeke and Pandoria back.
"Least you tried your best, mate," Dingodile said to the now disheartened Zeke, as he patted the crown prince on his back. Better luck next time, Zeke.
Barret: When I first joined the mansion, I had my own welcoming committee...which wasn't that great, I'll say. Now I got to be the welcoming committee for my main man, Cloud! Funny how everything just comes around.
"I'd like to go to the mansion, thank you very much..." Cloud voiced his demands, as Barret and Crash finally stopped hugging the swordsman. "...thank you."
"Before you head on in, there are some people you have to see," Aerith said to Cloud as he grabbed the swordsman's arm. Nothing that Cloud could do from that point onwards. "An apology might be in order."
Fox and Falco were enamored from having Gex appearing on Microwave Idol Mamorin - even though Mamori and friends became mostly neutral about it. The pilots appreciated Gex so much, that they invited the lizard over to Fox's house for some lunch. Touma, who was highly interested in having Gex appear on his show, Force Five, stopped by Fox's house for some negotiations.
"Now who would win in a fight - Tommy Oliver, or yours truly?" Gex asked Fox, Falco, and Touma who were gathered around the lizard in Fox's dining room. "The answer to that question should be obvious."
"Gex, the answer clearly is Gex," Touma discussed with Fox and Falco, who were both nodding their heads in agreement. Gex had a giant smirk on his face, sipping some lemonade as his ego was stroked like never before.
"Sweetie, how long is Gex going to be here?" Krystal asked Fox as she entered the dining room, seeing that Fox had barely touched his lunch. His pulled pork sandwich was getting cold.
"Relax, babe, Gex is staying around for only another hour or so," Fox assured Krystal, oblivious to how much the vixen secretly resented Gex. "Plenty of time for you to immerse yourself in how cool Gex is."
"I wouldn't say he's cool, but..." A doorbell was heard, which meant that Fox and Falco had some more company. Perhaps a Gex fanboy, or fangirl. "...I'll go see who that is."
"Must be someone asking for an autograph, I hope," said Gex, as Krystal answered the door. Aerith was standing around on the doorstep, with a greeting warm smile that Krystal knew far too well.
"Hi, Krystal! Guess who finally returned from the psych ward?" Aerith asked the vixen, before grabbing Cloud and pulling him to the front door. Krystal was staring at Cloud, unable to forget the actions the swordsman had done in episode 281.
"Well then...hello, Cloud," Krystal greeted the swordsman, finding it a bit of a struggle to show any amount of kindness towards him. "Hope that your time spent at the psych ward was spent well."
"Well, put me in a bootlace and call me Nancy Kerrigan!" exclaimed Gex, having to do a double-take when he saw Cloud standing at the front door. "Is that the stylin' and profilin' Cloud Strife?!"
"Yes...that's me," answered Cloud in the most deadpan voice possible, as he styled and profiled his way inside Fox's house after following Aerith inside. Krystal kept a close eye on Cloud, who encountered Fox and company in the dining room.
"If it isn't Cloud..." remarked Falco, and Cloud could tell that the pilots were both very ticked off with him. The tension was building inside the dining room, as Touma whistled an innocent tune to ease the awkwardness.
"So, Fox, Falco...how did your trip to Midgar turn out?" Cloud asked the pilots, figuring that they were both too ticked off to answer. "I, uh, take it that everything went okay?"
"You wouldn't know, since you tried to leave us stuck in the past forever," replied Fox, as he took a rare bite out of the pulled pork sandwich that Krystal worked so hard to prepare. "Krystal told us the details."
"Yeah, man, that wasn't cool," Falco shook his head in disappointment at Cloud, hoping that the swordsman knew just how disappointed he was. "We could have been stuck with all the poor people!"
"The only thing we would have to eat would've been dirt sandwiches! I can barely even swallow a freaking Brussell sprout, you know how much torture we could've found ourselves in?"
"And don't get me started on the hygiene, that junk was nonexistent in the slums. Our cleanliness would suck just like everyone else in the..."
"Alright you two, that's enough," Cloud shouted at Fox and Falco, using the same kind of authority that he best exhibited months ago. Fox and Falco were both silenced in a jiffy. "I'm sorry for putting you guys through that stuff."
"Sorry for what? For leaving us behind in the slums?" Fox asked Cloud - the pilot was not fully accustomed to Cloud being that apologetic. "I'd understand if you ever experienced living in that filth yourself."
"Not just for that, but everything else. I never should've enlisted you in the project." Cloud was showing a lot of regret over his actions, and it was hard for Fox and Falco to take in.
"Funny you should mention that...we regretted joining the project back when we were stuck in the slums! Glad to see that we're all on the same consensus."
"So I guess reviving Aerith won't be on your radar anymore," Krystal said to Cloud, who turned his head to Aerith. Aerith, as she usually did, responded with a warm smile.
"Nope...already got the Aerith that I need right here," replied Cloud, who could wrap his arm around Aerith if he really wanted to. Too bad that the swordsman wasn't that smooth.
"You know, this is a very wholesome moment," remarked Gex, feeling the need to insert himself into the conversation. His ego called for it. "This is like playing bingo at..."
"Nobody cares." Cloud instantly shut Gex down, as everyone in the dining room except for Gex (and Cloud) shared a laugh. Soon Marcus came crawling to Krystal, who picked her infant son up.
"Looks like we got what we wanted," remarked Aerith, as she saw Krystal playing around with Marcus holding him in her arm. Dingodile poked his head through the open door, spotting Cloud and Aerith.
"You lovebirds done yet?" the mutant asked Cloud and Aerith, as he rested his hands on his hips. "We got some stuff to do, you know...and by we, I mean the escort party."
"Promise you won't hurt them?" Aerith asked Cloud, expecting the swordsman to go easy on Zeke and Dingodile. Cloud sighed as he looked up at Dingodile, who was growing impatient.
"...I'll try my best not to," grumbled Cloud, leaving Aerith behind as he followed Dingodile out of Fox's house. "...let's get this over with."
Lloyd had big plans for his proposed sauna and was scouting around the beauty salon for the right place to put his sauna at. He had a few guys with him to help him with the scoping - Geno, Spring Man, Shovel Knight, and Shadow.
"I was thinking about building my sauna here," Lloyd explained to his fellow men, as Waluigi showed up wearing sunglasses and an oversized coat. "The only problem that we would have is the plumbing..."
"My fellow brothers from another mother!" Waluigi greeted Lloyd and company, greeting them as he had his arms out wide. "My fallen brethren! I have come before you with a very humble request."
"Not this 'brother from another mother' crap..." facepalmed Shadow, showing that Rex wasn't the only person who suffered from Waluigi's brotherly nonsense.
"You look like you're selling knockoff handbags," Geno said to Waluigi, who was smirking evilly as he rubbed his hands together. "Or are you in the business of selling some knives?"
"No, there can only be one...ONE FRIEND!" responded Waluigi, laughing maniacally as he stretched his hands out to his fallen brethren. The lanky man was giggling his fingers, laughing away as Lloyd and company just stood there.
"Is something supposed to happen?" Lloyd asked Waluigi, who was too busy 'absorbing' the powers of his fallen brethren to answer. "Just give us a cue..."
"Yes! Give me the power of your friendship! The friendening empowers me! Muahahaha! There can only be one..."
Along with his escort crew, Cloud went inside the mansion, entering the establishment for the first time since April 30th. To the surprise of the swordsman and everyone else, Dr. Eggman was inside the foyer speaking with Pit, Lloyd, and Toad...and the mad scientist was offering some money!
"Is this the money that we raised from our food delivery service?" Lloyd asked Eggman after he received several stacks of cash from the mad scientist. "Say it isn't so!"
"That's the money, alright...well, sort of," replied Eggman, scratching the back of his head as Cloud and company kept watch. "Used the money to buy some machine parts, but my machine broke so...I turned the broken machine in for a bit of fortune."
"Wow, this is so awesome!" exclaimed Pit as he and Lloyd were looking at the money together. Toad couldn't be any happier for the two, after all that hard work they did a few months ago. "Thank you so much, Dr. Eggman!"
"Yeah, that was a very kind gesture," Toad commended Eggman, amazed that the mad scientist had the cajones to return the money to the boys who rightfully earned it. "You just might be an alright guy after all!"
"Would've personally preferred 'awesome', 'excellent' or even 'outstanding', but 'alright' will do I suppose." Eggman turned his head and saw Cloud standing around near the front door. Almost flinched upon sight.
"Very noble thing for you to do, Eggman," Cloud said to the mad scientist, before looking up and seeing a giant hole in the ceiling. "Good to know where that hole in the ceiling came from..."
Eggman: Could I have used that money to start my own swimwear line, as I promised myself I would do? Yes, yes I could've. But that was Pit and Lloyd's money, not mine. I'd rather make money through my own diabolically evil methods, like racketeering or even streaming as a fake e-boy. There's an untapped audience right there!
"Where's my piece of the pie?" Dingodile confronted Eggman, as he held his hand out. The mutant had some unfinished business. "Some of my money was stolen for Cloud's 'cause'..."
"I haven't forgotten about you, Mr. Dingodile!" replied Eggman, pulling out a stack of cash and placing it in Dingodile's hand. Just like that, Dingodile was now fully satisfied. "E. Gadd made sure to tell me to give you back the money that was stolen."
"That was awfully nice of him. Now I won't have to burn his precious little mansion down in revenge." As Dingodile happily stroked the dollar bills in his hands, Eggman went over to Cloud.
"Just so we're clear...the Aerith Revival Project is done with for good, right?" Eggman asked Cloud, with a slight hint of worry in his voice. Probably worried about Sephiroth kicking his behind again.
"It's no more," Cloud assured Eggman, who let out a sigh of relief. Eggman didn't want to risk Sephiroth visiting him at his lair a second time. "I've learned my lesson."
"Oh, thank goodness...the last thing I want is for Sephiroth to put me in a body bag!" Eggman had spoken too soon, as Sephiroth crept up on the mad scientist and breathed down his neck to frighten him.
"How about we put you in a body bag now?" Sephiroth asked Eggman with an evil smirk, as Eggman was frozen to the core in fear. Only a villain like Sephiroth could make other villains wet their pants.
"Okay, have to go now, nice speaking with you, Cloud!" Eggman quickly shook Cloud's hand, before hightailing out of the mansion hoping that Sephiroth wouldn't chase him down. Fortunately for him, Sephiroth chose to stay put.
"Cloud, look! We got our money back!" Pit happily said to the swordsman, as he and Lloyd came over to show off their money. "Dr. Eggman came through!"
"Now we can build that sauna that I've always wanted!" cheered Lloyd, as he planned on building his proposed sauna next to the beauty salon. "What do you plan to do with the money, Pit?"
"Well, I already have my very own wrestling belt..." replied Pit as he took the time to think to himself for a bit, unsure of what to spend his share of the money on. "...perhaps a new electric toothbrush is in order."
"A new electric toothbrush? Alright man, you do you. Let's put this money somewhere where nobody can steal it!" So Pit and Lloyd both left the foyer, as the latter turned around at Lloyd and gave him a wink.
"A sauna in the mansion!" exclaimed Zeke, as he apparently dreamed of stopping by the mansion just to use the sauna. Cloud refused to let that happen on his watch. "I'd love to check it out one day."
"Good luck with that," replied Cloud, as he turned his attention to Sephiroth. For some reason, Cloud didn't resent the one-winged angel's presence as much as he usually would before. "Nice seeing you again, Sephiroth...I guess."
"Likewise..." snarled Sephiroth, before walking away as Cloud finally took the time to acknowledge his presence. "...even though you're a changed man, Cloud, I will always be watching you."
"Sheesh...what a stalker that bloke is," Ty remarked after Sephiroth had left; he wasn't dumb enough to put his life in danger and make his remark when the one-winged angel was around.
"Tell me about it," responded Cloud, who remembered that he would eventually have to see Sephiroth again later. He was his roommate, after all. "So, where are we off to next?"
Having stolen the powers of his brothers from another mother, Waluigi went to the tower to pay his roommate, Ashley, a visit. The lanky man barged inside his room, where he saw Ashley brushing her hair.
"Ah, yes, my sister from another mother!" cackled Waluigi when he saw Ashley, who began to worry about the lanky man's sanity. As she had done plenty of times before. "Lend me one of your potions from the shelf!"
"Those potions don't work anymore," Ashley warned Waluigi, who ignored the young witch's warning as he grabbed a few potions, drank them at once, and wiped his mouth off before running out of the room. "Weirdo..."
Pit and Lloyd found the perfect place to hide their money until it was all spent...Cafe Leblanc, where Pit was working right now. Pit had the money hidden underneath the counter, while he and Joker served coffee. And curry. The Phantom Thieves were all present in the cafe, as Sans was around to annoy them with some jokes.
"and then he said to the female ghost, 'hey there boo-tiful, how about you shake your boo-ty,'" Sans told his...joke to the Phantom Thieves, who all collectively groaned in annoyance. Pit slightly giggled, earning a frown from Ann. "aw, come on guys, i'm just trying to lift some spirits."
"Why haven't you banned this guy yet from the cafe?" Morgana asked Joker, resting atop the counter as he pointed his paw at Sans. Joker glanced at Sans, before looking down and shaking his head.
"He's my best customer..." the young man replied ruefully, as he fixed a bowl of curry for Sans. Turning down your best customer was definitely no bueno.
"just so you guys know, i only come to this cafe for the boos," Sans confessed to the Phantom Thieves, as Ryuji moaned and rested his head against the counter. Soon Cloud entered the cafe with the escort crew, amazed by how everything looked.
"This is the new cafe, Cafe Leblanc," Dingodile explained to Cloud, as the Phantom Thieves (save for Ryuji) had their eyes on Cloud. "And look, the whole gang is here! Say hello to Cloud, mates!"
"Cloud's back?! For real?!" questioned Ryuji as he lifted his head from the counter, staring at Cloud as if he were a ghost. Whereas the other Phantom Thieves had more chill reactions.
"At last...the prodigal son has returned," celebrated Yusuke, as he gave a toast with his cup of coffee. Could've toasted with some wine, but he didn't have any at the moment, so...
"Hey," Cloud casually greeted the Phantom Thieves as he walked over to the counter. The swordsman looked down at the counter and saw a bowl of piping hot red curry. "This isn't a bowl of curry, is it?"
"Made it myself!" Pit proudly proclaimed; Cloud gave Pit a shocked look, left wondering what other skills Pit learned other than making curry during his psych ward stay. "Wanna give it a try?"
"It looks pretty hot, so...maybe later." Cloud gently pushed the bowl of curry away, as he moved over to Joker and the Phantom Thieves. "But I'm sure that you did a bang-up job making it, Pit."
Pit: Been doing a lot of experimentation with my curry the past couple of weeks. I even tried to use my own urine as an ingredient, yet Joker discouraged me. Which I don't get. Urine has salt, and salt is good for you...so somehow urine isn't good for you?
"Welcome back, Mr. Strife," Joker greeted Cloud, able to speak with the swordsman without him resenting his existence. "You like what my friends and I have done to the place?"
"So this is Cafe Leblanc, huh?" asked Cloud asked he looked around at the cafe, sensing that the Phantom Thieves stayed faithful and true to the Cafe Leblanc they frequented back in Tokyo. "Thought I rejected this being built in the mansion..."
"You did, but Link didn't. So far, it's been a huge hit." Joker grabbed a cup of coffee next to him and took a big sip. "Day in, and day out, I get plenty of customers."
"such as yours truly," Sans said to Cloud and Joker as he pointed his thumbs at himself. Makoto threw a coffee cup at Sans' head, which Sans did not appreciate in the slightest.
"Even better, I have a fellow barista to share the duties with." Joker brought Cloud's attention to Pit, who was making another bowl of curry. "Gotta say, Pit has come around nicely since I hired him."
"And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Viridi!" exclaimed Pit, crediting his girlfriend as he accidentally spilled his curry over his apron. The angel was howling in pain as he hopped over the counter and ran out of the cafe.
"I see that Pit is still a dork, even with the barista job," observed Cloud, as he heard Pit screaming down the hallway. "I guess some things will never change."
"His dorkiness is part of the status quo," Joker responded with a shrug, and there was not a word that Cloud could say to refute the young man's claim. "Anything else that you want to say, Cloud?"
"Well, there is one thing...I never gave you guys a proper thank you." Cloud thanking the Phantom Thieves? Joker and company were definitely all ears. "Thank you for, uh...stealing my heart, I guess."
"You're most welcome, Cloud," replied Kasumi, as she could tell that Cloud had really learned his lesson. The look of regret on Cloud's face was very apparent. "We thought that it was the right thing to do."
"I thought you guys were acting weird, but it turns out...you were just looking out for me. I kinda let my own selfishness take control...and it spiraled out of hand right when you guys saved me."
"We hope that you learned your lesson," Makoto said to Cloud, and she hoped that the other residents learned from Cloud's mistakes. "You really screwed over a lot of people!"
"Yeah, don't go around reviving people again, like Zack Fair," Ryuji advised Cloud, while in his head thinking about how cool it would be to actually meet Zack Fair in person. "Just let him..stay dead, or something."
"Oh, I've learned my lesson alright - and it was all thanks to you," Cloud said to the Phantom Thieves, appreciating them for giving him a change of heart. That change of heart was an evident sign that the Phantom Thieves had done their job.
Sora: So as it turns out, the Phantom Thieves don't actually steal people's hearts. They just go to some metaverse or whatever, and change people's convictions! And to think that I was gonna ask them if they knew anything about the Keyblade...
Riku: Why does Sora assume that anyone associated with hearts has any Keyblade knowledge? *sighs* Man, he is embarrassing...
"CLOUD STRIFE!" boomed Master Hand as he appeared inside Cafe Leblanc, greeting Cloud by yelling in his face. "How are you just going to pop up back at the mansion, and not greet yours truly?"
"I'm sorry, Master Hand, these annoying ticks...and Pandoria and Ty...were just showing me around," Cloud apologized to the giant hand, as Zeke and Dingodile both gave the swordsman angry stares.
"I'll have you know that I personally asked those 'annoying ticks' to bring you back. I thought they were the right fit." While Master Hand had the best intentions, he only made Cloud dislike Zeke and Dingodile a bit more.
"How dare you call the Crown Prince of Tantal a tick!" Zeke frowned at Cloud as he shook his fist at the swordsman; rather than copying Zeke, Pandoria was restraining the crown prince from laying a finger on Cloud.
"Enough, Zeke...let it rest," Master Hand said to the crown prince, soothing him as Pandoria eventually released her hold. "Cloud, I want you to make your confession to everyone later at the lecture hall, concerning your project. Then we'll have your welcome back party!"
"This welcome back party better be worth all that time I had to spend at the psych ward. Not that I minded, but...seven weeks was too much."
"To tell you the truth, Cloud..." Master Hand hovered close to Cloud, wanting to share this moment privately with the swordsman. "...I didn't do that just to protect the others from you. I wanted to protect you...from yourself."
"Is that so? Well, thanks for looking out for me, Master Hand. I always knew that you cared about me...even in a haphazard kind of way."
"I was only doing what I felt was right - not just for everyone else, but also for you. Thankfully, my investment has paid off..."
Now that he made peace with Waluigi, Rex returned to the dining room to finish some things with Link. Nia and Dromarch provided some company, just in case Waluigi tried to come around again.
"You guys smell something?" Nia asked Rex and the others, as a foul stench reached her nose. The Gormotti looked towards the dining room entrance and groaned when she saw Waluigi standing by. "You again, Waluigi?"
"Rex! I have defeated all of your friends but one!" Waluigi pointed at the swordsman, as an irritated Nia got up from her chair. "I've defeated your fellow brothers from another mother, and now it's time to..." Waluigi wouldn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as Nia closed the dining room door on him.
"Seems he got the wrong end of the stick," chuckled Rex as Nia returned to her seat...only to stop and turn around when she heard Waluigi beating the dining room door down. The door fell, as Waluigi was seen wielding Shovel Knight's shovel.
Shovel Knight: I kindly asked Waluigi to stop with his "friendening", and he agreed to stop unless I gave up my shovel. I hope that he'll give my shovel back before the end of the day...can't cut my fingernails without it!
"Sorry, Nia! But there can be only one," Waluigi said to the Gormotti, as he was staring her down rather intently. "I've absorbed the powers of Rex's friends. Now I'm going to absorb the power of his girlfriend! Surrender to your doom, Nia!"
"Seriously?!" frowned Nia, as Waluigi chased the Gormotti to the nearby living room. Waluigi was a man unhinged, as he chased down Nia with Shovel Knight's shovel raised high.
"My lady!" Dromarch called out to Dromarch as he, Rex, and Link ran to the living room to save Nia. They saw Nia cornered near the living room couch, throwing DVD cases at Waluigi who dodged each one thrown at him.
"Good thing he's not attempting the Matrix," remarked Link, impressed by Waluigi's dodging skills - and the fact that Waluigi hadn't broken his back. Nia soon ran out of DVD cases to throw at Waluigi, as Waluigi...held his hand towards the Gormotti. "What are you doing?"
"I'm using Shadow's powers to irradiate her," explained Waluigi as he thrust his hand towards Nia...only for nothing to happen. "Chaos...CONTROL!" Another try - and still nothing happened. "It's gonna take a while. This would be easier if I had the Chaos Emerald."
"Okay, can you hurry this up already?" Nia asked Waluigi, as she couldn't believe that she allowed the lanky man to intimidate her like that. "I've got a life to live, you know."
"Well, I was gonna use Spring Man's powers but turns out that stretching your arms out to punch people doesn't work when you don't have a mask. But Geno, on the other hand..."
"Waluigi! Enough is enough!" Rex shouted at the lanky man, having seen enough out of him as he confronted his "brother from another mother". Link and Dromarch took the time to head over to Nia, to see if she was okay...as if Waluigi would actually hurt her.
"You alright?" Link asked Nia, who nodded her head; as Dromarch moved, he caused the living room couch to fall on Link's legs, as Link was sent to the floor. "Ow! Why me?"
"No, Rex, you can't make me stop," Waluigi said to the swordsman as he let out a diabolical laugh. "I am number one!"
"No, you're not!" retorted Rex, not caring that Link was pinned down by the living room couch. "That is not how friendship works. You do not get friend points by harassing others. And you didn't really steal their powers."
"I know...it was all made up." Waluigi let out a sigh as he dropped Shovel Knight's shovel on the floor. Nia tried to lift the couch off of Link's legs, with some assistance from Dromarch but to no avail.
"Look, it doesn't really matter if we are best friends. Because you can be a good friend, Waluigi. And...good is good, right?"
"I know. I'm sorry. I just wanted more and, I did get a bit...you know." Waluigi chuckled sheepishly, as Rex chuckled along with him.
"Yeah. It was pretty much out there. Almost felt like my life was endangered! So, how about you give me a hand with that couch?"
"Yeah, I'm a good friend, but not the kind of friend you call to move a couch. But I'll see you around." Waluigi walked away, winking at Rex as he strutted away cooly. Rex looked on, oddly satisfied.
"Hmm. Fair enough." Rex nodded his head as he looked at Link, who was left writhing in some pain. "It's fair enough."
"Wedding rings should be coming in by..." Zelda discussed with Impa as she entered the living room...only to see her fiance trapped by the couch. "...Link, how do you find yourself in these predicaments?"
"This was mostly Waluigi's fault," replied Link, as Zelda and Impa both made amused faces that ticked Link off greatly. "It's not funny, okay? Stop that..."
That evening, everyone - the mansion residents, the tower denizens, and the neighbors - was gathered in the lecture hall, as Cloud had to make his apology to everyone for his actions during the Aerith Revival Project. Sitting in the front row were Link and Zelda, along with Mario and Peach.
"What do you think we're here for?" Mario asked Link, as he sat next to the Hylian. Link could only shrug in response, trying to keep an open mind.
"I just hope that this isn't some lousy product plug," replied Link, as Master Hand appeared at the lecture hall stage. "Looks like we're about to begin..."
"Good evening, everyone," Master Hand addressed the crowd, expecting a collective "Good evening!" in return but had zero faith in everyone saying it. "So I know a few of you are aware, but a friendly face has finally returned to..."
"Oh my goodness, has Professor Sonia returned?!" squealed Slippy, who apparently had a crush on Sonia - and just about every remotely attractive woman to have ever existed, perhaps. "This is a dream come true!"
"No, Slippy...keep your baseless simping at a minimum. The friendly face is not a woman, but rather a man...a former man of the mansion. Cloud Strife."
"HA! Called-a it," exclaimed Mario, as Link had a surprised look on his face. Mario didn't really call anything, since he already knew about Cloud's return. Link, on the other hand...
"Did you know about this?" Link whispered to Zelda regarding Cloud's return, as Zelda shook her head. Both the Hylians were left out of the loop.
Master Hand: Could've told Link and Zelda about Cloud returning, but I decided not to. Even told the others not to inform the Hylians. I want to see Link's genuine reaction.
"And so, without further ado, give it up...for Cloud Strife," announced Master Hand moving out of the way as Cloud appeared on the stage. The swordsman was greeted by applause, which he did not expect. Zelda found herself clapping...while Link did not.
"Uh...hi," Cloud awkwardly greeted the crowd, not sure about where to start with his speech. Or if he was even going to deliver a speech. "Good to see you all again. Well, some of you..."
"I know you missed me, Cloud, don't try and hide it!" Wario called out to the swordsman, before piping down when Master Hand pointed his index finger at him in a threatening manner.
"Thank you, Wario. So I know that most of you knew about this or heard it from someone, but I had this project...the Aerith Revival Project. And the goal of this project was to revive Aerith Gainsborough."
"But Aerith was already alive," stated Knuckles, before realizing after figuring out that Cloud was referring to this universe's Aerith. "Oh, right..."
"Yeah, I wanted her back, since I didn't think that alternate universe would be able to stay that long. Everything was going well..."
"Are we too late?" Moira asked Reaper, as the two Talon operatives entered the lecture hall and saw Cloud speaking to the crowd.
"No...looks like we made it just in time," replied Reaper, chilling with Moira in the back of the lecture hall as he soaked in everything Cloud said.
"With all the scientific minds in tow, and Fox and Falco going to retrieve Aerith's DNA sample, I thought the project would be a success. But little did I know, that my selfishness was growing over time. And when a time-traveling snafu happened...my selfishness took over."
"This would be a great book to write about," Yoshi whispered to Samus, who rolled her eyes at the green dinosaur's thinking. It was questionable at times.
"Had the Phantom Thieves not gone down to Mementos and steal my heart, I never would've realized how selfish I became. During that stay at the psych ward, after I was rescued from being in an alternate timeline...that's when the realization hit."
"The Change of Heart..." Yusuke uttered the name of the process that Cloud underwent, as he and the other Phantom Thieves saw that the Change of Heart had done its intended effect.
"All that being said, I'm sorry for what I did, and I want to ask for your forgiveness. I know that I could ask forgiveness from certain individuals...but I just wanted to address things with everyone here, since I left you in the dark. Oh, and the Aerith Revival Project is..."
"WAIT! I have a confession-a to make!"
Cloud stopped speaking, as everyone turned their attention to Luigi. Luigi stood up from his seat and scrambled to the lecture hall stage, shoving Cloud to the side as there were murmurings in the lecture hall.
"Reviving Aerith wasn't originally Cloud's idea...it was-a MY idea!" Luigi confessed to the crowd, as there was a collective gasp in the lecture hall. Lots of shocked faces all around. "It was all-a me..."
"Guilty as charged," smirked Tails, sitting next to Coco, as the yellow fox and blonde bandicoot bumped fists. Those two must've done some convincing.
Coco: Tails and I suspected that Luigi was the man that E. Gadd referred to. It kinda made sense the more we thought about it. I mean, who else would E. Gadd confide stuff with? King Boo?
"The reason why Aerith is even here was because-a of me," added Luigi, as the crowd whispered and murmured among themselves. "I brought-a her to the universe, just to make Cloud happy. And after Aerith went-a back to her universe, I wanted to make-a Cloud happy again. That's when I suggested that he did-a that resurrection thing."
"It's true - Luigi here led me on," confirmed Cloud, as Luigi was wearing a lot of guilt on his face. Luigi was taking the fall for what he transpired. "I took his suggestion to E. Gadd, and...everything was a go."
"So yes, everyone, this-a was all my fault. I'm truly sorry for any trouble I have-a caused. I've said my piece...do as you may." With the monkey off his back, Luigi left the stage and returned to his seat.
"Well then...that was a surprising turn of events," Master Hand addressed the crowd as he reappeared on the stage. "Anyone who chooses to forgive Cloud will have to do so later tonight. Besides, we have a welcome back party to get to! Now, who wants some cake?"
"That was a great-a confessional if I do say-a so myself," remarked Mario, as several residents were getting real giddy at the sound of cake and...well, cake. "What do you think, Link?"
"It wasn't that bad," Link offered his two cents as he looked up at Cloud, his eyes almost locking with his. "Wasn't that bad at all..."
"Knew he had it in him," Reaper said to Moira, as he got what he came for - to see Cloud confess and apologize to everyone. Sephiroth came over to Reaper and Moira, garnering their attention. "Not trying to take my credit, are you?" Reaper asked Sephiroth.
"I've been keeping tabs on Cloud longer than you have," replied Sephiroth, in an almost bragging kind of way. "But, I will acknowledge the joint effort..."
Cloud and several residents were down in the living room at Cloud's welcome back party, which was organized by the party planning committee. The cake that Cilan and Iris worked together on was in the center of the living room, as a few partygoers had a slice. Or two.
"So do you like our cake?" Iris asked Zeke and Dingodile, who were both sampling the cake, as the former champion stood next to Cilan. Dingodile was impressed, and so was Zeke.
"Splendid cake, yes indeed!" exclaimed Zeke, smiling from ear to ear as he patted his stomach. "However, this cake is no better than the one that Dingodile baked for Pyra and Mythra..."
"Eh, I'd say this cake is ten times better," said Dingodile; Zeke looked at the mutant with his mouth agape, as he dropped his plate to the floor.
Zeke: That scoundrel! How could he have so little faith in his own culinary ability? The nerve of him...I don't think I'll be asking him for any food-related favors anymore.
"Nice job with the cake, you two," Cloud said to Cilan and Iris, before turning his attention to the latter. "Had no idea you were such a good baker."
"I've made tasty grub for my Pokemon, so I'm no stranger to tasty food," admitted Iris, her confidence boosted from hearing that Cloud liked the cake. "Though I did learn a few tricks..."
"Cloud..." Link uttered the swordsman's name, as he and Zelda approached Cloud. Cilan took a few steps back, and Iris did the same, allowing Cloud to have his moment with the Hylians.
"Link...Princess Zelda..." Cloud said to the Hylian couple, as he acknowledged their presence. The tension wasn't that high, as there was a sense of calmness in the air. "...it's been a while."
"Yes, it has. Look, Zelda and I heard your speech, and we were sitting at the front, and we took everything that you said into mind and..."
"...we forgive you," Zelda would finish for Link, who let out a sigh of relief since he was speaking too fast near the end. The emotions must've gotten to him.
"Wow, that...means a lot, coming from you guys," Cloud said to Link and Zelda, fearing that the Hylians would hold out on forgiving him. "I appreciate it."
"Just don't take advice from Luigi ever again," Link advised Cloud, causing Zelda to giggle. Cloud smirked, and Link smiled in return...a sign that the best friends were back on the same page.
Outside the mansion looking through the window were Reno and Rude, who were spying on Cloud speaking with Link and Zelda. The Turks would be joined by Elena, who had a phone in her hand.
"The Aerith Revival Project is done," Elena informed Reno and Rude, who pulled away from the window. "Cloud made his confession; I sneaked my way inside the lecture hall."
"Yeah, we figured that much..." responded Reno as the Turks walked to their car...which was parked a far distance from the mansion. "...so I guess that chapter's done."
"Appears so. We should go and tell our boss the news. Said he would be pleased to hear the news."
"I better hope he's pleased...having us wait around and junk." The Turks got in the car, and once everyone got in, the car took off down the road.
It sounded like the Turks' boss wanted to hear the news about Cloud...but why?