Author's Note:

Forgot to write up an author's note last night. But here it is anyway! Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout has arrived on the Switch, and so Ryza and her pals will make their return in this chapter. I have nothing else to say, so...let's get some reviews answered, shall we? First if An NFL fan, with some major football news:

"BIG NEWS! Aaron Rodgers is being traded to the NY Jets! He's really pulling a Favre! What do you think of this? I hope Jordan Love is also pulling a Rodgers and Packers will have 3 great QBs in a row! I also hope that Fox (a Jets fan) like this news."

The trade hasn't happened yet, but I reckon that it'll happen later this off-season. As for how I would feel about the move, it would be a great one for the Jets. The Zach Wilson seems about done in New York, and the Jets really need a good enough QB to guide them so that their superb defense won't go to waste. Fox would be most happy if the trade goes down. Next is A JRPG enjoyer:

"Sad that Rixia's not here, and that there are no Rean-Lloyd interactions, but I guess you're gonna wait until Trails into Reverie's release on July 7. Maybe you're gonna have a big chapter for the Trails gang like the one you did for the Three Houses characters in the Three Hopes chapter. Again, if you're not too overwhelmed by it."

I do plan on waiting until July 7 for the Rean-Lloyd interactions. I don't think that I will be too overwhelmed writing a big Trails chapter. Moving on:

"Also, I think Ruka is the main character from that Fatal Frame game you covered last week. That guy is just wondering where's her during that chapter, or how Yuri (and Miu) got her hands on that mask."

Good to know! Since the events of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse took place in the 1980s, I didn't know how to incorporate Ruka into the story. Moving on:

"Well, it was announced that Wave 4 of Fire Emblem Engage is coming out on April 5. That's the perfect week to start introducing the Engage cast! We need more of that Alear, man. We still know nothing about him in this story! If I'm not mistaken, someone already suggested an idea where you can have them appear in groups, one by one from each kingdom (like you did for Three Houses). Firene led by Alfred, Brodia led by Diamant, Solm led by Timerra, and Elusia led by Ivy. Maybe you can also had Lueur (Fem!Alear) joined by the guys from Lythos, Lumera included (like I said, Heroes is canon, and she's in there)."

Got nothing planned for the week of April 5, so I can do something with the Engage cast then. Would be a great time to bring back Alear, and make him feel more like a part of the story. I can have the Engage cast appear in groups, although not everyone will make the cut. But we'll see. David has questions:

"Has Birdo had any appearances lately? (Since Mario Kart 8 brought her back DLC). Will you do a Scarlet and Violet DLC chapter? A Tears of The Kingdom chapter? Was Pit also a fan of Cody's Stardust character? Has Phosphora also lessened her hatred of Humans like Viridi did? (Call me slow for asking). Will Asuka of Senran Kagura dress up like the wrestler with the same name as her for the WrestleMania chapter? And finally, when Pat Mcafee leaves WWE, do you think Bayley should be his replacement? (Since Bayley loves pestering Michael Cole)."

Birdo has appeared a few times so far this year (her last appearance being chapter 373). I will most definitely do a Scarlet and Violet DLC chapter. And a Tears of the Kingdom chapter as well! Pit is a fan of Stardust. Phosphora hasn't lessened her hatred of humans any (I'll work on her real soon). Asuka will not be doing any dressing up. And I can't see Bayley replacing Pat McAfee on the announcer's table. On that note, I hope that Pat never leaves the company. (Sounds selfish, I know.) And lastly, we have a newcomer, George:

"Hey, love your story and I have finally catched to the current chapter. It's been really good, so I have one thing to say, is Smash Life ending this year?"

Ooh! What a spicy question. One may assume from the way things are going that Smash Life will end later this year. Will it, though? There is a high possibility it will. But I'll just keep you all on your toes for now. Whatever happens, will be...that's a lyric from a song by the band Toad the Wet Sprocket. (Real band name, by the way. Even named one of my starter Pokemon 'Sprocket'.)

Episode 379: Probation

As stated by Fox and Falco a few episodes ago, Star Records was operating in the red. What did that mean? The record label was in debt and desperately needed to turn its fortunes around to avoid going bankrupt. But who would be the guy that would save Star Records from going under?

That guy, amusingly enough, was the very man who started up Star Records in the first place - MC Ballyhoo. While Ballyhoo was left suffering in Subspace, Fox and Falco took charge of Star Records and built the record label into what it was today. Under the pilots' leadership, Star Records merged with Fortuna Entertainment and dabbled in areas other than music, such as online shows.

And now, Star Records was in dire straits as it needed a miracle to stay afloat. Fox and Falco entrusted Ballyhoo with turning the record label's fortunes, and they were interested in hearing the emcee's vision.

"Can I tell you a reason why most record labels fail?" Ballyhoo asked Fox and Falco, while he was having lunch with the pilots outside at Dingo's Diner. The Omnis Adest location. Fox and Falco stopped eating their sandwiches as they looked up at Ballyhoo simultaneously.

"Was that an invitation for one of us to answer?" asked Falco, wondering why Ballyhoo hadn't said anything yet - perhaps Ballyhoo was waiting for something dramatic to happen, like a car crashing through the diner.

"Yeah man, this silence is starting to bug me," Fox said to Ballyhoo, who sighed as neither pilot answered his question. Fox and Falco totally missed the cue.

"Often it's because of a lack of passion," replied Ballyhoo, speaking as if he were a seasoned owner of a record label. Or maybe he did a bunch of research on failed record labels online. "Folks are only in it for the money! Cash rules everything around them!"

"Pfft! We're not in it for the love of money, we're in it for..." Fox's mind suddenly drew a blank, as Fox looked towards Falco for backup. "...why are we in charge of Star Records again?"

"I was literally about to ask you the same question," replied Falco, much to Fox's chagrin, as Fox smacked his forehead. "Way to beat me to the punch." The pilots were looking bad right now in front of Ballyhoo.

"Wanna know another reason why record labels fail?" Ballyhoo asked Fox and Falco, sharing with them another informative tidbit that they needed to learn. "They just don't get with the times!"

"What is that supposed to mean, we're always on the latest trends," stated Fox, although he wasn't entirely confident when he made this claim. "We even innovate every now and then."

"What I mean is, record labels don't follow the new business model. They never put their talent's music on streaming services, where the demand is high!"

"Of course not, because that's too mainstream. We're trying to make buying albums still a thing." If the current financial outlook of Star Records was any indication, that business model was clearly not working.

"Imagine having to pay every month for music, when you can just buy an album and call it a day," added Falco, presenting his best argument for why he and Fox relied on album sales. How did the Star Records talent themselves think about this business model?

Kiria: The idol singers and I have stressed to Fox and Falco that we should put our songs on Spotify. It's what every big-name artist is doing right now. But they were against it since they argued that "everyone else is doing it". I understand going against the grain sometimes, but if it costs you money or even makes you look like an idiot then there's really no point. Fox and Falco, they've made that their business strategy - for better and for worse.

"But streaming services are the future!" Ballyhoo said to the pilots, who could only snort in response as they expressed their clear disagreement. "That Hop kid sold me on the fact when he showed me how Twitch worked.

"You lost me at 'that Hop kid,'" responded Falco as Leon, who was seated from a few tables away, glanced over at the avian pilot. "Had you mentioned his actually cool brother Leon, we would've heard you out."

"I know someone who isn't actually cool..." Leon said to Falco, as Falco got incensed with Leon and rise up from his chair. Fox gently sat Falco back down, as Falco continued to stare at Leon.

"Star Records can make a killing off of streaming services," argued Ballyhoo, as Falco continued to stare down at Leon for a few more seconds before returning to the ongoing conversation with Ballyhoo. "Why not put that cooking show on there?"

"We did consider it at one point," replied Fox, who was exploring different ways to feature Microwave Idol Mamorin to a broader audience. "But the simps, though..."

"And there it is! Think of the money you can make off of those posers." Ballyhoo did his best to entice Fox and Falco, but it simply wasn't enough to win over either pilot.

"No way we're relying on those dorks to get Star Records back in the green." Just then, Fox's phone rang, and he picked it up immediately after he saw that Krystal was calling him. "Sup babe...what's that? Marcus is feeling terribly sick?!"

"Marcus is sick? Not my godson!" panicked Falco, following Fox out of Dingo's Diner as Fox rushed out to go back home and see what was wrong with his son. Ballyhoo was left alone, as Fox and Falco's food was left unattended.

"Mm! That fried fish looks really tasty," said a certain lizard as he came over to Ballyhoo's table, inspecting the fried fish that was on Fox's plate as he lowered his sunglasses. "Like Isla Fisher at Matthew Lillard's house." Could it be...?

"Yeah, it's too bad that Fox wouldn't let me have..." Ballyhoo would stop speaking, as he saw the person that sat down across from him - Gex the Gecko. Gex looked at Ballyhoo, as a ate a piece of fish from Fox's plate.

"Fish tastes even better than it looks. Ah, where are my manners?" Gex extended his hand to Ballyhoo, expecting the emcee to give him a firm handshake. "Gex the Gecko, nice to meet ya."

"I've met you before!" exclaimed Big Top, looking down at Gex from atop Ballyhoo's head. He had seen Gex aplenty from when the lizard was negotiating with Star Records.

"I see that you and Big Top know each other," Ballyhoo said to Gex, astonished by the fact as he shook hands with the lizard. "Call me MC Ballyhoo!"

"Well met, good friend," responded Gex as the handshake blew his expectations out of the water. Although no expectations were actually set. "I couldn't help but eavesdrop on your conversation with Fox and Falco."

"You know them?" Indeed, Gex knew Fox and Falco, and he wasn't in the mood for telling Ballyhoo all that he knew about the pilots. "They run a record label, and it's called..."

"Yes, I know what it's called...Star Records." Gex took the time to reminiscence on the short time he spent negating with Star Records, as he rested his feet on the table. "Wanted in on their little shindig."

"Well, I'm not sure if you heard the news, but Star Records isn't doing so hot." Not surprised to hear about this, Gex ate another piece of fish - this one off of Falco's plate. Falco must be a copycat.

"Had they signed me, they wouldn't in the muck. They would be on fire. Guns blazing! But luckily for them, I know a way to turn things around."

"You do? What's your plan?" Before Gex had a chance to respond, two ladies entered Dingo's Diner - one a merchant, and the other a dancer. Their names? You might already know them - Tressa Colzione, and Primrose Azelhart.

"C'mon, Primrose, you have to give them a try!" Tressa encouraged the dancer, as she literally had to drag the dancer inside the diner. She was holding onto Primrose's arm with both of her hands.

"The dingo offends me, so I'd rather not have his food," stated Primrose, who tried to resist Tressa but to no avail. Tressa managed to bring Primrose to a chair and sat her down.

"See that dancer girl in the red?" Gex asked Ballyhoo as he pointed at Primrose, who along with Tressa was waiting to be served. "She can be Star Records' meal ticket back to relevancy."

"I can see the potential," Ballyhoo offered his two cents on Primrose after he got a good look at her. "Let's make our move!" So Ballyhoo and Gex got up and went over to Primrose and Tressa, who were approached by Ty.

"We don't have menus, so I can take your orders," Ty said to Primrose and Tressa, only for Gex to push him to the side. Gex put his hand on the table, commanding the ladies' attention.

"Don't listen to him...listen to us," Gex said to Primrose, with Ty glaring down at the lizard as he grabbed onto a table to help himself up. "How would you like an opportunity of a lifetime?"

"I'm listening..." replied Primrose, resting her chin upon her hand with her elbow on the table. She was awfully interested in what Gex and Ballyhoo had in store for her.

Magolor remained in his jail cell, as he had been for weeks. The alien was currently napping, fast asleep as he rested his head on the prison floor. (The buddy cops refused to lend him a pillow.) Little did he know that his nap would be interrupted, as Mario and Master Hand crept inside the police station.

"He's asleep...as usual," Mario whispered to Master Hand as he and the giant hand got close to Magolor's jail cell. Magolor was catching some Z's, sleeping peacefully but only for a few more seconds.

"Do it...shout 'WHAT UP HOMES!' into his ear," Master Hand quietly encouraged Mario as he giggled, interested in seeing what sort of reaction Magolor would give. But Mario wasn't down for that, not today.

"I'd need-a my durag to pull that one off." Fortunately, Mario came prepared as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a clown horn - one that he borrowed from Cortex after Charles's birthday festivities. Mario squeezed the horn, emitting a loud sound that woke Magolor up.

"No, not the buttermilk pancakes, those are my dear friends!" exclaimed Magolor as he was awakened from his nap, hyperventilating as he looked around at his current surroundings. He calmed down as he realized that he was still in his jail cell.

"Magolor...we meet again," Master Hand greeted the alien, who saw Master Hand through the prison bars and screamed once more. But only this time, he sounded more like a girl.

Toon Link: Magolor was open to visitors, but hardly anyone visited him. Sonic, Pit and Kirby were the only folks who wanted to see him. Everyone else shunned the guy. Probably because they feared that Magolor would eat their brains, or anal probe them. All that Hollywood alien propaganda over the years has worked its charm.

Young Link: Lavenza let us down in a big way when she admitted to not knowing who tore off the yellow tape. It was because of her ignorance that we had to relieve her of her duties. We would put the blame on Kirby since he was the last person to speak with Magolor, but you know what they say...always watch out for the cute ones. You falsely accuse Kirby of something, and the next thing you know he'll murder you ruthlessly in your sleep.

"Oh no, not another interrogation!" screamed Magolor, fearing for his lie as he ran away from Master Hand. Magolor tried to escape the jail cell by climbing up the wall behind him, and as one can only imagine, this escape plan didn't work.

"Take it easy, we're not going to interrogate you!" Master Hand assured Magolor, who was scared out of his wits as he struggled to scale the wall. "We were thinking...about letting you out."

"Y-You're going to let me out?" That was major news to Magolor, who stopped what he was doing as he slowly looked back at Master Hand in disbelief. Magolor ran back to Master Hand, holding onto the prison bars as he looked at Master Hand with renewed hope. "Am I going on parole again?"

"Again? Since when did you go on..." Master Hand would save his question for another time, as he sighed and went back to the subject at hand. "...well, no. This is more of a probation."

"So what's the difference?" Apparently, Master Hand didn't have a good enough explanation for Magolor, so he looked toward Mario to bail him out.

"Parole is when you serve-a time in the community, and return-a to imprisonment," Mario explained to Magolor, who never did any sort of community work during his so-called parole with Sonic and Layton. "Probation is...is, um...it's..."

"...It's basically an alternative to incarceration," Cappy would answer for Mario, causing Magolor to gasp; Magolor gasped as well, but rather out of shock as he flicked Cappy off of Mario's head.

"Don't listen to him!" Master Hand encouraged Magolor, doing his best to quell the alien's fears as Mario ran off to retrieve Cappy. "The probation we'll be giving out is much different from whatever crap definition Magolor gave you."

"How does your version of probation work?" inquired Magolor, as Mario placed Cappy back on his head and returned to the jail cell. Cappy's eyes were dazed, likely signaling a head injury. Who knew that talking hats could get those?

"What we do is let you out, and we...just let you do what you want." That sounded nice to Magolor, but it was much similar to the experience he had before.

"So it's just like parole, but with no supervision." Magolor wouldn't know how to handle himself without any supervision - he just might even kill a man! (If he actually knew how to.)

"Oh, there will be supervision. You just won't see it. Isn't that right, Mario?" Confirming as such with a nod of his head, Mario let Magolor know that he wouldn't have too much freedom.

"We will be the ones..." Mario was about to inform Magolor, only for Master Hand to cover his mouth with his index finger. Mario was making muffled sounds with his mouth as Master Hand had him silenced.

"As I said, there will be supervision. Go about your day and pretend that you aren't being spied upon." Once he was done speaking, Master Hand took his finger away from Mario right when the plumber had mumbled his entire piece.

"Master Hand!" Toon Link called out to the giant hand as the buddy cops entered the police station, blessed to be in the presence of Master Hand himself. "We've caught Dante with one of your Fully Clothed Women magazines. You can thank us later."

"Nice work, gentlemen. Now that you're here, I want you to release Magolor." Release Magolor? The buddy cops couldn't stomach doing that, as they responded by looking at Master Hand with shocked faces.

"B-But Magolor is evil!" stated Young Link, who had plenty of reasons to back up his claim aside from the fact that Magolor worked under Dimentio. "He's a brain eater and an anal prober!"

"I should know...Magolor ate a part of my brain overnight," stated Toon Link, taking off his hat to reveal a scalp cut closed off with staples. Young Link looked at Master Hand as he pointed at the scalp cut, hoping that Master Hand saw the evidence.

"Mario, investigate..." commanded Master Hand, as Mario inspected the surgical staples applied to Toon Link's head. Mario took a staple off, as Toon Link yelped in pain.

"It's 100% glue," confirmed Mario as he held the staple up to Master Hand, bringing attention to the hot glue residue that was at the bottom. Toon Link was 100% foiled, as he massaged the part of his head where the staple was.

"Alright boys, release the Magolor!" Left with no other choice, the buddy cops decide to open Magolor's cell door as Toon Link took out his prison keys. They even glared at Master Hand as Toon Link unlocked the door.

"You will regret this..." Young Link guaranteed to Master Hand, as Toon Link slowly - and reluctantly - opened the cell door. Magolor was now a free man, as he stepped out of the cell and took a deep inhale and exhale.

"I'm a free man...again!" rejoiced Magolor, already enjoying his freedom as he ran out of the police station and into the hallway. Ganondorf was walking down the hallway, licking from an ice cream cone.

"New ice cream flavor isn't so bad," remarked Ganondorf after he took a few licks from his ice cream cone, which was one of the Ice Climbers' new flavors. "Spinach ice cream does work!"

Nana: Popo perfected the spinach ice cream flavor not just for everyone...but also for himself. He genuinely believes that if he eats a lot of spinach ice cream, then he'll grow muscles like Popeye. I'll give him until the end of the year to find out how flawed his theory is.

"Look, Ganon - I'm free!" Magolor exclaimed to the demon lord when he came near, as Ganondorf came to a stop. Ganondorf looked at the exuberant Magolor as he was hardly impressed.

"Tell that to Guile...or anyone else who would care," Ganondorf plainly replied as he walked away from Magolor, continuing to lick his ice cream cone. Magolor hoped to acquire such a cone soon.

"WHEEEEEEEE! FREEDOM!" Magolor ran down the hallway, before accidentally running into a table and knocking down a flower pot during his moment of euphoria. Magolor went to the table to readjust the flower pot.

"You think this is such a good-a idea?" Mario asked Master Hand, as he and the giant hand exited the police station. Mario never envisioned Master Hand having such a change of heart for Magolor.

"He's been cooped up for so long...he deserves it," replied Master Hand, as Magolor returned to taking off down the hallway after he fixed the flower pot. Mario and Master Hand chased after the alien. "Magolor, wait up for us!"

Heihachi was at Cafe Leblanc, having a bowl of curry fixed for him by Joker. As Heihachi waited at the counter, he couldn't help but glare intensely at Kazuya, who was drinking his coffee and minding his own business.

"Japanese chicken curry for Heihachi Mishima," announced Joker as he placed the curry in front of Heihachi, who was barely even paying attention as his eyes were fixated on Kazuya. "Heihachi?"

"Not now...I'm quite busy," Heihmachi muttered to Joker while waiting for Kazuya to acknowledge his presence. Kazuya sipped his coffee and checked the news on his phone, seemingly ignoring Heihachi.

"He's gonna chokeslam him, calling it now," Pit whispered to Joker, keeping it ambiguous as to which Mishima would chokeslam who. The angel just wanted to see some carnage.

"Just got this countertop done, so I hope not," Joker whispered back, as he liked how mostly tranquil it was between Heihachi and Kazuya - Heihachi's endless glaring aside. Roy pulled up to the counter, right in front of Heihachi.

"Hate to bother you, but my coffee's cold," Roy said to the baristas as he held up coffee, expecting one of them to warm up his coffee. Preferably Incineroar. Heihachi growled angrily at Roy, much to the swordsman's confusion.

"DANG IT ROY!" Heihachi angrily shouted as he grabbed Roy by the neck, and choke slammed him unto the countertop. Pit was unbelievably hyped. "I was in the middle of glaring at my idiot son."

"Woah! That was AWESOME!" squealed Pit, although Joker thought otherwise as he inspected his counter for damages. Overhearing Heihachi, Kazuya looked at his father and frowned.

"That's strange, I don't see Lars anywhere," Kazuya said to Heihachi, who was staring at his son as the two Mishimas were caught in yet another intense staring contest. "If you're going to eat here, then I must leave..."

"Don't bother - I was planning on leaving anyway," responded Heihachi as he grabbed his bowl of chicken curry and left the cafe. Roy was left in pain, his back aching as he slid down from the counter and slumped unto the floor.

"Let it be known that family grudges are never meant to be broken," Kazuya gave these words of "wisdom" to Cloud, who was sitting next to the business just chilling. Not drinking coffee or eating curry...just chilling.

"Good thing that I don't have a family then," responded Cloud, as being Denzel's caretaker was the one familial semblance that the swordsman had. Although he did have a mom, who was a single mother.

Cloud: Yeah, I have a mom...or at least I had a mom. Thanks, Sephiroth. But that's something that Mario can't say, funnily enough. She did a good job raising me by herself since my dad had died. I guess you could say that she did a good job. I tend not to mention my mom too much, because then I'll get props for "making it out of the hood". Tell me how that isn't remotely racist.

Cloud was about to resume chilling, but he was drawn to a guest that was sitting at a table - Mai Natsume. Mai was looking pretty bummed out, her chin resting in the palm of her hands, as Terry was standing next to her.

"If I were you, I'd call the police!" Terry offered a suggestion to Mai, as Cloud was hooked to the conversation in almost an instant. No longer in a chilling mood, Cloud pulled away from the counter.

"Police getting involved would make things worse, I just know it," responded Mai, overwhelmed by pessimism as Cloud went over to the table to find out why Mai was feeling so bothered.

"Couldn't help but notice your face," Cloud said to Mai, hoping that he wasn't being nosy by inquiring about her business. "Something happened?"

"Something's been happening. My friends are fighting with each other." With Cloud mainly focused on Mai, the swordsman failed to notice Champion Link entering the cafe.

"They've been at it for a while, she says," Terry explained to Cloud with his arms folded, as Champion Link took sight of Cloud and laid low. Champion Link slunk to the back where Cloud wouldn't spot him.

"Well, I do have experience when it comes to breaking up fights," Cloud told Mai, under the assumption that two of Mai's lady friends were fighting. The swordsman might be in for a rude awakening.

"So do I - breaking up fights is my bread and butter!" Terry was more of a braggart, as he grinned and pointed his thumb at himself. "Cloud and I, we can handle these friends of yours."

"Okay then, but don't say I didn't warn you," Mai said to Cloud and Terry, hoping that the two understood what they might be up against. Champion Link, having soaked in the entire conversation, pulled away from the cafe entrance.

"This can be my big chance..." the Hylian said to himself, as he saw a great opportunity to remedy the situation involving Mai's friends and prove his worth.

Omnis Adest was growing a lot each passing week, as new attractions were added to the community to give it new life. The newest fad at Omnis Adest was a carousel, and Sonic and his friends - Tails, Knuckles, Crash, and Conker - were giving it a try.

"Got no clue why this carousel is even a thing, and I don't care!" exclaimed Sonic, cheering as he rode on a horse on the carousel. Big the Cat watched Sonic and his friends on the carousel, upset that there was no available space for him.

"It's okay, Big, you'll get on there one day!" Amy Rose assured the purple cat as she led him away, before muttering under her breath: "Maybe when it raises its weight limit..."

"I'm having the time of my life!" yelled Knuckles, despite the fact that the carousel was moving at a snail's pace. It was also amusing to see Knuckles on the carousel given how girly it looked.

"Yeah, me too, so much fun..." cheered Conker, but he was cheering in a very depressed tone that left a mark on Sonic. Sonic looked at the squirrel out of concern.

"Conker, you good?" asked Sonic, as he expected an obvious answer from his squirrel friend. Conker let out a sigh to indicate just how depressed he was.

"Thinking about my late girlfriend Berri, that's all." And that's when Sonic remembered his quest to revive Berri, with the aid of Samus. Of course, such a quest obviously required Samus's willingness and participation.

"Look, Sonic! It's Moira," Tails called out to the blue hedgehog, as he made out Moira O'Deorian in the distance speaking with Samus - just the woman that Sonic wanted to speak with.

"Hold my spot, Tails...I'll be right back!" Sonic said to the yellow tails as he hopped down from the horse jumper he was riding upon. Tails didn't bother to watch Sonic's seat, as Aku occupied the horse jumper that Sonic was riding upon.

"Oh yes, I feel like a kid again!" rejoiced Aku as he was "riding" the horse jumper, as he was having the most fun of his life. He was feeling it now.

Aku: Back when I was a mere human, we didn't ride on carousels. All we had to ride on were pigs that ran at almost superhuman speed. You couldn't possibly ride on one without falling off and getting seriously hurt. Or even critically hurt. We lost dozens of members from our tribe as a result.

"Talon is looking into building their own watchpoint along the Pacific coastline," Moira spoke with Samus, who was at Omnis Adest to install a security system in the community. "Widowmaker says that she refuses to be outdone by Overwatch when it comes to..."

"I can tell you one thing, stopping Organization XIII isn't exactly a competition," Samus responded as she cut off Moira, unaware of Sonic sneaking up on her and Moira. Moira noticed Sonic but decided not to give the blue hedgehog away.

"I'm aware of that, but I'm afraid that the decision is soon to be set in stone. Akande had the final say after Widowmaker talked him into it."

"Yo, Samus!" Sonic shouted the bounty hunter's name as he finally showed up, causing Samus to sigh. Sonic then looked at Moira, as his happiness died down a bit. "And, uh, hi Moira..."

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite errand boy." Moira smiled at Sonic, as she recalled the numerous times the blue hedgehog got her a glass of water. "Came to give me a glass of water, for old time's sake?"

"Fat chance." Sonic devoted all of his attention to Samus, as that was the woman that he desired to speak with the most. "So Samus, do you remember when you promised to revive Berri? Conker's girlfriend?"

"Probably," replied Samus, wishing that Sonic hadn't bothered her at a time like this. Nonetheless, the talk of reviving Berri piqued Moira's interest.

"Reviving people now, are we?" Moira asked out of curiosity, which was the last thing that Sonic wanted her to do. "Have you not learned your lesson from the Aerith Revival Project, Sonic?"

"This isn't about you, Moira..." Sonic said to the geneticist, trying to put her in her place, before returning his attention to the apathetic Samus. "... so anyway, Samus, you and Mercy were working on an arm cannon that would revive Berri. How did that go?"

"Uh, not so good," replied Samus as she eyed around, forced to come up with a believable make-believe story on the fly. "Arm cannon failed, and Mercy quit on the project."

"Mercy quit on the project? That sounds so unlike her..." Sonic looked disappointed with Mercy, as Moira could tell just how committed Sonic was to his goal of reviving Berri. And that's when she had an idea.

"I have a suggestion if you don't mind," Moira stated to Sonic, who was all ears as he designated Moira as his last hope. Only because Mercy let him down. "During the beginnings of the Aerith Revival Project, Professor E. Gadd said that he had Cloud gather some materials."

"Gather materials? For what?" Being as often impatient as he was, Sonic was dying for Moira to give him an answer.

"Those materials had to be synthesized so that they could power Dr. N. Tropy's Rift Generator. If you find those items, synthesize them, and give them to N. Tropy...perhaps he can use them to revive this Berri person."

"Cool beans! This might be the big breakthrough I need." Sonic found Moira's plan to be simple in execution, though that only was dependent on what materials he had to find. "Thanks for nothing, Samus."

"You're welcome," Samus sarcastically responded, beyond glad that Sonic no longer had to depend on her. Moira took out a small piece of paper and wrote a list of items on it.

"Here are the items that you will need." After she was done jotting down the list, Moira handed the list over to Sonic. "You may need someone to help you find them. Someone who's good at alchemy..."

"And who could that..." Sonic was about to ask, only to see four friends in the far distance walking together - and those four were new members of Omnis Adest. Lent Marslink, Tao Montgarten, Klaudia Valentz, and their faithful leader Ryza Stout.

"The girl in front will show you the way..." Moira leaned in close to Sonic as she whispered in the blue hedgehog's ear, speaking specifically about Ryza.

"Is it just me, or does she have more curves than before? Eh, no biggie. Thanks for the tip, Moira!" So Sonic ran from Moira and Samus and sped off toward Ryza and her group of friends.

"That ought to keep him distracted," Moira said to Samus, as she had been insincere while she was speaking with Sonic. "You can thank me later, Miss Aran."

Moira: You'd think that Sonic wouldn't be so gung-ho about reviving someone, after seeing all the dangers that come with it. But, I can forgive him since he was in a different universe. He never quite saw Cloud going off on the deep end up close.

"Where do you guys think we should eat?" Ryza asked her friends, leading them down a concrete pathway while Sonic was quietly drawing near. "I was thinking maybe Dingo's Diner."

"That's too popular of a choice," argued Klaudia, who wanted to eat at a food joint that was more lowkey. Dingo's Diner was always bustling with customers. "Why not The Roost?"

"But that's at the museum," stated Tao, not in the mood for doing much walking; just going down the concrete pathway was already starting to make him tuckered out. "No way are we walking all the way other there."

"Speak for yourself," grinned Lent, a free spirit who couldn't care less about what food joint his friends wanted to go to. "I can go for some pigeon milk."

"Just the pigeon milk?" Ryza questioned Lent, as Tao and Klaudia found themselves laughing. Lent was about to defend himself, until...

"Ryza Stout!" shouted Sonic, making his move as he jumped in front of the alchemist in question and held out his hand. "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog. You may know me from somewhere."

"Yeah, you're the hedgehog who stole Fi from me." Not the kind of memory that Sonic wished to relieve, but he had to roll with the punches. "For the record, he's at home resting."

"And for the record, his real name is Mr. Fluffles. Ah, I'm just kidding! So, Ryza, I hear that you're good at synthesizing materials and stuff."

"Why yes, I am." Ryza was flattered that Sonic knew that factoid about her, as she smiled and twirled her hair. Meanwhile, Lent looked to his right and saw a golf cart within walking distance.

"Woah! Cool!" exclaimed Lent as he walked over to the golf cart and hopped inside. Klaudia saw Lent get inside the golf cart but had no time to dissuade him as she noticed at the last minute.

"You see, I need to find these items and have them synthesized." Sonic handed the list of items to Ryza, who skimmed through it as Lent took off in the golf cart. Klaudia felt powerless in the process.

"Hmm...this is manageable." Ryza was game, as she handed the list back to Sonic. "We can get started whenever you're ready." Little did Ryza know that Sonic was ready to start now.

"I'll have ya know - ready's my middle name! Let's go!" So Sonic sped off, before skidding to a halt as he knew he couldn't leave Ryza behind. Ryza turned around to Tao and Klaudia, unaware that Lent was gone.

"Me and Sonic and going on a scavenger hunt - I hope we'll be done soon!" After waving to her friends, Ryza ran off after Sonic. Sonic ran at a modest pace so that Ryza wouldn't be left behind in the dust.

"She left us for Sonic, just like that..." remarked Tao, surprised that Ryza was so trusting of Sonic after that whole Fi incident. Soon enough, he realized that someone was missing. "...hey, where's Lent?"

"Apparently doing his own version of grand theft," replied Klaudia, holding her hand over her eyes as she looked out into the distance for Lent. As Klaudia looked for Lent, some rustling was heard from a nearby bush.

"Huh?" Tao looked at the bush, which stopped rustling when Tao turned his head. Tao turned his head back around, and then a lizard leaped out from the bush. It was Gex.

"You're coming with me, buddy boy!" Gex said to Tao, muffling the bookworm with his hand as if he was mugging him. The lizard brought Tao with him as he hid back in the bush.

"Lent is broke, so he better not crash that..." Klaudia said to Tao, only to sense that Tao was no longer in her presence. Klaudia looked at her Tao once stood, and gasped. "...Tao? You're gone, too. Am I all alone?!"

Magolor was on his "probation", allowed to freely explore the mansion without any supervision (or so he was told). There was one place that Magolor desired to be at, and that place was the arcade. The alien was playing Space Invaders with Geno.

"After we're done with this game, can we play Turkey Shoot?" Magolor asked Geno, while he was sucking terribly at Space Invaders. His spaceship was destroyed in an instant, while Geno kept on firing away at the alien forces.

"That is a seasonal game," replied Geno, which was bad news for Magolor since he wanted to redeem himself from episode 310. "Arcade Bunny only brings it out for Thanksgiving."

"Well, they do Christmas in July...why not Thanksgiving in March?! Huh, huh?" Magolor did his best to entice Geno, but it didn't work as Geno kept on playing the game. Geno was on his way to beating his previous high score.

Magolor: I find it ironic that I played Space Invaders, with me shooting up all those alien ships. *pauses, then gasps* That means I was killing my own kind! I'm a monster...

"Hello, I see that you have lost," Steve said to Magolor, as he approached the alien looking for a worthy player two to play with. Magolor met the criteria. "Would you like to play Marvel Super Heroes 2 with me?"

"You can definitely cream him," Geno said to Magolor, confident that the alien could easily prevail over Steve. "Steve has blocky hands and no fingers."

"But I don't have any fingers myself," stated Magolor as he looked at his small hands, before looking up at Steve. Steve waited for Magolor's decision. "Sure, I can take you on, buddy."

"Excellent. Do you need any tokens?" Steve asked Magolor, who dug into his imaginary pockets only to be left with goose eggs. All that he had was small pieces of lint. "Let me get you some, then."

"No thanks, I can do it." So Magolor went to the token machine, to fill his pockets up with some tokens. Steve stood where he was, as he watched Geno play Space Invaders.

Suddenly, a dark corridor appeared in Steve's midst, and an Organization XIII member stepped out of it. That Organization member was Xemnas, and Steve saw him as he turned his head.

"Good afternoon, kind stranger, would you like to..." Steve was about to ask Xemnas, who walked up to the craftsman and held him by the neck. Xemnas lifted Steve off his feet, holding him in the air.

"I command you to tell me where Magolor is," Xemnas commanded Steve, who was showing no visible concern as Xemnas clutched his neck. Perhaps Steve was too manly to eschew fear.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to play Marvel Super Heroes 2 with me after I destroy Magolor. But seeing that you are choking me, you have lost your privilege, kind sir.

"I could care less about your silly superhero game. What matters is that I find Magolor; I have tracked his scent to this very location."

"You can track his scent?" asked an overhearing Geno, who was too engrossed with Space Invaders to pay any sort of attention to Xemnas. "That sounds super creepy."

"Stay out of this, unless you wish to end up as this cretin," Xemnas warned Geno, who kept on playing Space Invaders while Steve remained in peril.

"Due to my lack of a neck, you cannot possibly suffocate me," Steve informed Xemnas, as the chokehold that the Nobody had him in had no effect. The craftsman looked awfully serene while held up in the air.

"Hey buddy, the token machine broke so I got..." Magolor was about to say to Steve, coming forth with his hands full of tokens, only to drop those tokens to the floor when he saw Xemnas. The alien gasped, as Xemnas heard him and turned his head around.

"It's you..." Xemnas was now hyper-focused on Magolor, dropping Steve to the floor like he was hot garbage. It was only Magolor that he cared about now. "...I have a message that I must relay to you."

"HEEEEELLLLP!" Magolor cried out for help, expecting either one of Mario or Master Hand to arrive and teach Xemnas a lesson. But neither individual was apparently around to save Magolor.

"Don't worry, Magolor, we're coming!" Master Hand called out to the alien from the hallway, as Xemnas turned towards the arcade entrance and angrily clenched his teeth. No point in Xemans dealing with Magolor if he was going to get some unwanted company.

"I will speak with you later..." Xemnas vowed to Magolor, before summoning a dark corridor and backing up into it. By the time the dark corridor went away, Mario and Master Hand arrived.

"Beat my new high score!" celebrated Geno, who had his ship destroyed in Space Invaders but nonetheless beat his previous high score. And he had also beaten Magolor, so it was a double victory for him. "Knuckles can't possibly give me crap now."

"Got here soon as we could," Mario said to Magolor, as he and Master Hand desired to know why the alien was screeching for help. Surely they had a good enough reason for their absence.

"Stupid Mario here wanted to show me a moose that was in the front yard," Master Hand explained to Mario, who furrowed his brow and looked at the giant hand as if he was capping hard. "Okay, that was my doing, but Mario never talked me out of it."

"Can we go somewhere else?" Magolor made his request known to Mario and Master Hand, as he no longer felt safe in the arcade. Mario looked down at the floor and saw Steve lying on his side.

"I got choked out by a man," Steve stated matter-of-factly as if he had unironically enjoyed being choked out by Xemnas. Steve being a masochist would be truly something to behold.

"We can take-a you to the gaming room if you like," Mario offered to Magolor, who was fine with those items - provided that Xemnas didn't show up there. "Can-a you give us a moment?"

"Sure thing, I'll be waiting," replied Magolor, as Mario was given the green light to pull Master Hand to a corner of the arcade to speak with him in private.

"We have to do a better job-a at supervising Magolor," Mario whispered to Master Hand, before looking at Magolor and seeing the alien at peace. "It's clear that he's scared out of his wits."

"Okay then, no more distractions!" vowed Master Hand, being too loud as the few folks in the arcade gave the giant hand weird looks. "I'll just close all the window curtains, for my own sake."

Mai took Cloud and Terry to Omnis Adest, with a curious Champion Link tagging closely behind. Mai took the two Smashers to the tennis court, where a heated verbal exchange was taking place.

"There they are, right there," Mai said to Cloud and Terry as she pointed at two men quarreling with each other on the tennis court - Ragna the Bloodege and Jin Kisaragi. The two brothers were having another one of their brotherly disputes.

"No word in the dictionary can describe how much I hate you!" Ragna shouted at Jin, as he and his brother were up in each other's grill. Neither could hide the animosity they held toward the other.

"However much you hate me, I hate you even more!" Jin clapped back at Ragna, using his might to overpower his brother. Ragna returned the favor, refusing to let Jin back him down.

"Oh yeah, well I hate you times one thousand!"

"Well, I hate you infinity!"

"Infinity? Who's Infinity?!"

"How long has this been going on?" Cloud asked Mai, as Ragna and Jin kept shouting in each other's faces. The verbal fighting was entertaining to watch, Cloud had to admit.

"Since early morning, after seven o'clock," replied Mai, who was quite amazed that human beings were able to argue with each other for so long. "They have woken up a lot of people."

"I bet..." commented Terry, partly astonished that none of the Omnis Adest folks bothered to tell Ragna and Jin to stop fighting. They probably didn't want the smoke, and no one would blame them.

Mai: Master Hand was aware of Ragna and Jin's blood feud, and was hesitant to invite them to Omnis Adest for that very reason. He was open to letting bona fide terrorists stay here just because they helped "solve racism", but quarreling siblings was where he crossed the line.

"Here comes Link and Zelda," said Cloud, as he spotted the Hylian couple in question showing up on the other side of Ragna and Jin. With them was one of Primrose and Tressa's contemporaries - Cyrus Albright.

"Go and do your thing," Link encouraged Cyrus, who possessed the ability to Scrutinize; Cyrus would use his ability on Ragna and Jin, while the brothers carried on with their quarreling.

"These brothers...I can detect tons of animosity between them," analyzed Cyrus, merely stating the obvious, but the obvious wasn't what Link and Zelda were looking for. They wanted substance.

"What else can you detect?" Zelda asked Cyrus, who scrutinized Ragna and Jin even harder to get more details. Most of the bad mojo came from Jin.

"It seems that most of the negative energy is coming from this Jin Kisaragi fellow. Jin appears to be possessed by something...something telling him that Ragna will destroy the world."

"I mean, Ragna does fit the vibe," stated Link, not helping at all with his comments as Zelda slapped her husband's arm. As Cyrus continued to scrutinize Ragna and Jin, a golf cart was heading into the open area...

"How do you stop this thing?!" said the person riding the golf cart, Lent, as he was unable to stop the vehicle. Champion Link was the first to see the golf cart heading down.

"Look out!" Champion Link shouted at Ragna and Jin, making his presence known to everyone. Ragna and Jin didn't heed Champion Link's warning, and they were almost ambushed as the golf cart toppled over.

"Stupid golf cart..." seethed Ragna, fortunate that he wasn't run over as the golf cart toppled over on its side. "...I should use it to crush your head in!"

"Woah, settle down, it was an accident!" Lent said to Ragna as he safely emerged from the golf cart, unaware that Ragna was speaking to Jin. Amazingly, there wasn't a single scratch on Lent's body.

"Funny coincidence - I had planned on doing the same to you," Jin clapped back at Ragna, as Lent's run-in didn't do much to break the tension between the two brothers. Tensions were running high, as Mai was growing distressed.

"Why can't you two just get along?" an exasperated Mai asked Ragna and Jin, the tone of her voice indicating how sick and tired she was of the brotherly friction. And that's when Champion Link, who saw the golf cart, had an idea...

"I know, how about a game of golf?" suggested Champion Link, making his presence known to everyone a second time. "That ought to mend some bridges."

"Is it really worth it, though?" questioned Cloud, always the cynic as you can never expect him to be behind any idea. "Also, how long have you been..."

"A game of golf sounds fantastic!" exclaimed Terry, far more optimistic than Cloud ever was and could ever hope to be. The distance was pretty huge. "Playing golf with Andy allows us to grow closer together as brothers."

"No point in growing closer with Jin, he is the bane of my existence," stated Ragna, refusing to do any activity with Jin as he folded his arms and looked the other way. Jin would do the same.

"Then it is settled - we'll have a game of golf to help these brothers get along," announced Zelda, as Ragna and Jin both looked at the princess out of disbelief. Champion Link was feeling good inside. "Since Lent wanted to ride in in the golf cart, he'll be the caddie."

"Cloud and I will be the co-caddies!" exclaimed Terry as he wrapped his arm around Cloud, naming him as his partner-in-crime on the golf course.

"Never agreed to do that..." muttered Cloud before looking at Champion Link, slightly hating on the Hylian for the unwanted "fate" bestowed upon him. "...thanks for nothing, Champion Link."

"I can scrutinize the brothers and see if they are growing any closer," Cyrus offered to Link and Zelda, certain that his work was far from over. "This will be a most worthy experiment."

As a suggestion from Moira, Sonic went on a mission to have some materials synthesized that would help with having Berri revived. The synthesizing would be done by Ryza, and Sonic asked the alchemist to accompany him during his quest. The first items that Sonic and Ryza set off to look for were fertile soil and a bitter root.

"This is a good place to find some fertile soil!" said Sonic as he brought Ryza to the Yiga Clan hideout entrance, where there was plenty of fertile soil to be had. Ryza grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and inspected it.

"Soil doesn't seem that fertile to me," observed Ryza as the soil clumps fell out of her hand, not finding the soil to be sustainable for plant life. Maybe a bitter root or two could be found in the area.

"Pfft, that's just the dirt! Hopefully, we can get the soil before the..." Sonic would speak too soon, as a horde of Yiga clansmen appeared via smoke bomb and had Sonic and Ryza surrounded. "...Yiga Clan shows up."

"Hands up in the air!" one of the Yiga clansmen commanded, holding his sickle out, as Sonic and Ryza both held their hands up in the air. "Now shake it like you just don't care!"

"Shake what like they just don't care?" asked a second Yiga clansman, as it took the first clansman a moment to realize that he botched something. "They have to shake their body?

"The correct saying is 'throw your hands in the air and wave 'em like you just don't care,'" replied as third Yiga clansman, as he inherently made the first clansman feel like an uncultured stupid idiot. "We'll never show trespassers how hip we are if we keep botching our lines..."

"Wouldn't mind if that girl with the hips shook it like she didn't care," remarked a fourth Yiga clansman, as he was undoubtedly looking at Ryza. And Ryza knew it too, as she was feeling awfully uncomfortable.

"Sonic, these guys are creeping me out..." Ryza whispered to the blue hedgehog, fearing that the Yiga clansmen would do unspeakable acts to her. Imagine how their leader, Master Kohga, would react to seeing Ryza.

"I hear that you boys flubbed your lines yet again," Master Kohga said to the Yiga clansmen, sending fear down his underling's spines as he made his appearance. Once he saw Ryza, he was easily entranced. "Ooh! Sonic, who's your human girlfriend?"

"She is NOT my girlfriend," affirmed Sonic, speaking with the same energy of a certain bear-cat-rabbit who was approached by another bear-cat-rabbit. His name rhymed with powder.

Sonic: Kiss a human girl once, and everyone and their mom thinks that you have a thing for human chicks. Does it look like that I'm remotely into bestiality? *pauses* Tails might secretly be into that kind of stuff, which would explain a lot of things.

"We're looking for some fertile soil...and a bitter root," Ryza stated to Master Kohga, growing uncomfortable from the surrounding Yiga clansmen. She feared that one of them might make their move on her.

"Fertile soil and a bitter root?" inquired Master Kohga, who knew where to find those items and how to obtain them. "I'll be right back, Sonic's-girlfriend-whom-Sonic-is-in-denial-about!"

"You better not tell Amy Rose about this," Sonic threatened the Yiga clansman, as Kohga darted off to do Ryza a solid. Imagine Kohga's energy if he was doing a solid for Sonic only instead.

"Who's Amy Rose?" a Yiga clansman asked one of his fellow men, who shrugged; moments later, Kohga returned with a clump of soil in one hand, and a bitter root in the other.

"One clump of soil and a bitter root for the human girlfriend!" exclaimed Kohga as he gave the items to Ryza, leaving Sonic empty-handed. "I don't know if the root is truly bitter or not, but you can taste it for yourself."

"We'd rather not," Sonic kindly stated, with Ryza placing the items into her parcel. "Now can we go, please?" The Yiga clansmen would provide an open path for Sonic and Ryza, as several of them moved to the side.

"Go on...with your bad selves." Cringing mightily at Kohga's newfound lingo, Sonic guided Ryza from the clansmen to continue their ongoing quest. "You boys have to admit, that was perfect verbal execution."

MC Ballyhoo followed the advice of Gex and discovered a way that could help turn around Star Records' fortunes. The emcee met with the lizard outside Fox's house, with a third individual who will go unnamed. We shall consider them Star Records' newest talent.

"She looks beautiful...absolutely beautiful," Gex had this to say about the unnamed talent, blowing several kisses to show how much he was in favor of them. "She will take the whole world by storm!"

"You think it'll be worth it?" Ballyhoo asked Gex, knowing that there was no turning back; he and Gex were going to present this new talent to Fox and Falco, and it was going to be major make-it-or-break-it time.

"Oh, it's gonna be worth it. More worth it than that British girl group whose name escapes me. This new talent will far outdo them in popularity, sales, Google searches, Saturday Night Live mentions, EVERYTHING!"

"If you have that much confidence in her, then I'll let you handle the introduction. I can happily take care of the rest."

Fox had to rush back home, for Krystal had called him and informed him that his son Marcus had a medical emergency. Marcus was dealing with a nagging sinus infection. Fox was able to nip the problem in the bud, as he applied a warm compress to Marcus's face.

"That's right, Marcus, let the warmth soothe you," Fox said to his son as was applying the warm compress to Marcus in the living room. Krystal was standing by watching her husband do his thing.

"Honestly the warm compress idea didn't dawn on me until now," admitted Krystal, as Falco entered the living room from the kitchen with a tall glass of apple juice. But the apple juice wasn't for him.

"Even as a mother, you lack intuition," Falco threw shade at Krystal, greatly incensing the vixen as he offered the glass of apple juice to Fox. "Here, have Marcus drink this - it'll flush out the mucus."

"Why are you even here? You're not his uncle." Krystal watched as Fox accepted the apple juice from Falco and had Marcus sip from it. If Krystal was in Fox's shoes, she'd pour the apple juice out.

"Correction: I'm his godfather." As Marcus was sipping the apple juice, Fox heard the doorbell ring. "And that is no way for a mom to treat her son's godfather. Way to be a role model."

"Come in, the door's open," Fox shouted to whoever was outside, as he brought the glass of apple juice away from Marcus. Soon the front door was opened...by Gex, who had roundhouse kicked the door open.

"Heeerrrrrreee's Johnny!" exclaimed Gex as he stepped inside Fox's house, effectively commanding everyone's attention. Gex expected some fanfare, but all he got were surprised faces.

"Oh snap, it's Gex!" shouted Fox, as bad memories of dealing with Gex two years ago played out in the pilot's mind. "Quick, Krystal, call the cops!"

"Is Gex worth calling the cops on?" questioned Krystal, who failed to see the fascination with Gex before and even after Fox's sycophancy.

"That's besides the point. Quick, Falco, call the cops!" Since Krystal wasn't showing any urgency in contacting the authorities, Fox depended on Falco to have Gex removed from his house.

"I got you, fam," Falco said to Fox as he took out his phone; Falco was mere moments away from hitting the dial button, so Gex had to act fast.

"Wait a moment! I have a special surprise for you," Gex said to Fox and Falco, who both didn't care as Falco was seconds away from calling the police. "I have for you a game changer."

"You're not a game changer, Gex," stated Fox, as Falco had dialed a number and was about to make a call. Gex ran over to Falco and swatted the phone out of the avian pilot's hand.

"Before you do that, you must first meet the gal that will turn our company around. Give it up, for the one and only...Primrose Azelhart!"

Gex did some applause, as Primrose was escorted inside Fox's house by MC Ballyhoo. It perplexed Fox and Falco to see Ballyhoo holding hands with Primrose, almost arm-in-arm even.

"And also introducing...Primrose's valet, Tao Montgarten!" shouted Ballyhoo as he looked at the front door, waiting for an individual to enter the house. But the wait was longer than intended. "Where are you, kid?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" replied Tao as he ran inside Fox's house, oddly wearing a black tuxedo that Gex likely threw on him. It was in fact a spare tuxedo that Gex owned.

"Isn't being a valet a women's job?" Falco asked Fox, who didn't know whether or not to laugh at Tao. Although Gex being in his house made him think twice about laughing.

Primrose: The lizard and his friend said that they would give me the opportunity of a lifetime - to perform for the whole world to see. Long as I'm not performing for deprived men, I think that I would be fine with those terms.

"Ballyhoo, what is this?" Fox questioned the emcee, as the disappointment that he and Falco felt was incredibly nigh. "Why would you work with Gex?"

"For real, all that guy cares about is himself," stated Falco, knowing well from experience that there nothing good can ever come out of working with Gex. "This may be no different."

"All I care about is myself, huh..." snorted Gex as he looked to the side in disbelief, running his hand down his face. "...so that's the narrative that you want to spin. You wanna know something, Fox and Falco?"

"No thanks," replied Fox, but his answer wouldn't stop Gex from speaking anyway. After all, Gex sure loved to talk, talk, talk.

"I'm a changed man. A changed lizard. My duties as Cloud's guardian angel in Arcadia Bay shaped me into the man that I am today. So I'm not looking out for my own interests...I look out for everyone else's."

"That is so much cap," Falco responded as he shook his head, not buying a single word that came out from Gex's mouth. Gex knew that he would have to show the pilots through actions, rather than words.

"...so do you want me to fill you in on Primrose Azelhart?" Ballyhoo asked Fox and Falco, as Primrose was to meant be the main focus and not Gex. "Or should I say,, the newest streaming newest star?"

"A stream star? You can get outta here with that," said a dismissive Fox, whose disdain for live streaming was even bigger than imagined. He must treat that service like the plague.

"But they claimed that the whole world will get to see me perform," stated Primrose, recalling the details that Gex and Ballyhoo shared with her. The pilots had a lot of sympathy for Primrose right now.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." With how gung-ho Gex and Ballyhoo were, Fox had no choice but to give the two an inch. "Falco, go take Primrose to Star Records and tell Itsuki about this stupid idea."

"It's not a stupid idea unless you put it into action!" proclaimed Gex, as Falco took Primrose and was about to escort her out of the house. "We'll go with you," Gex said to Falco when he was close to the front door.

"I'll only take Ballyhoo," responded Falco as he guided Primrose out of the house, with Tao, Ballyhoo, and Gex following after the avian pilot. "I literally said that I didn't want you, Gex..."

"You seem very against Gex - not that I don't blame you," Krystal said to Fox, who heard his phone ringing; Fox took out his phone, as Sonic's caller ID was visible.

"Hold that thought," Fox told Krystal as he answered the call, with his hand in his pocket. "Sup Sonic? Yeah, Mario isn't home. Why do you ask?"

Magolor was spooked upon seeing Xemnas in the arcade, so Magolor asked Mario and Master Hand to take him to the gaming room. Mario and Master Hand happily obliged, as they let Magolor have his fun while they watched outside from the entrance.

"Just look at him..." Master Hand said to Mario, watching Magolor on the floor and being put in a headlock by King K. Rool through the gaming room entrance. "...this is the happiest I've ever seen him!"

"Looks-a like he's having the time of his life," Mario agreed with Master Hand, while K. Rool put all his body weight on Magolor and squashed the poor alien. "Hey, wanna grab a snack-a from the vending machine?"

"Long as it's those caramel onion rings, I'm game." So Master Hand and Mario went to the vending machine room, hoping to return to their post soon. Why don't we go inside the gaming room, and see why Magolor was getting beat up by K. Rool?

"This is the most violent game of punchies I have ever played!" Magolor shouted in pain, as K. Rool had his big fat butt in the alien and was showing no signs of moving anytime soon. "It'll be my first and only time..."

"It better not be your only time!" K. Rool shouted at Magolor, moving his butt around a bit to apply more pressure to Magolor. Magolor was screaming in pain, as he waited for someone in the gaming room to rescue him.

"King K. Rool, get off of him this instant," Wii Fit Trainer commanded the Kremling, who defied the fitness trainer as he smiled and twisted his body. Magolor moaned in pain.

"Or else what?" K. Rool dared Wii Fit, whose attention was brought to the crown that K. Rool had on a pool table. Wii Fit picked up the crown, and that's when K. Rool finally got up. "Okay, okay, I'm moving!"

Wii Fit Trainer: K. Rool has a strong tendency to play simple games...with added aggression. Challenge him to a game of rock-paper-scissors, and he'll throw literal rocks at you. Play him at thumb wrestling, and he'll bust out actual wrestling moves against you - just to break your thumb! I can faintly recall when he gave Ryu a concussion during a "manly" game of duck, duck, goose. Oh, and don't even get me started on musical chairs - he'll have everyone in a body bag in a heartbeat!

"Body...aching...all over...pain..." Magolor wheezed in pain, as Wii Fit came over to check on him. Wii Fit grabbed Magolor and placed him on his feet while cracking any bones back in place. Provided that Magolor even had any bones.

"I'll get you back in tip-top shape!" Wii Fit said to Magolor as she cracked several bones in Magolor's body. Meanwhile, away from Wii Fit and Magolor, Yosuke was practicing his swordsmanship with his ninja blade.

"Hiyah!" shouted Yosuke as he sliced the air in front of him with his ninja sword, hoping that the others were watching his fly sword skills. But the only folks watching were Banjo and Kazooie.

"What an amateur," snorted Kazooie, as she and Banjo shared a laugh together. Banjo would stop laughing, however, when he saw a dark corridor forming in the corner.

"Um, Kazooie..." Banjo tried to warn Kazooie, who soon saw the dark corridor as Xemnas exited from it. Figuring that Xemnas was a bad guy, Banjo made a mad dash towards the Nobody, only for Xemnas to stunt the bear's progress when he grabbed his face.

"You understand nothing," Xemnas said to Banjo in an almost taunting manner, before tossing the bear to the side. Banjo landed on the floor at Travis's feet, as Travis looked up and saw Xemnas.

"Picked a fight with the wrong bear..." Travis frowned at Xemnas, fighting for Banjo's honor as he took out his sword and leaped at Xemnas. Just when Travis was about to strike, Xemans grabbed his sword.

"Is this your sword? How pathetic..." Xemnas was holding onto Travis's sword with one hand, as Travis attempted to outmuscle the Nobody. Yosuke, who was still swinging his sword in the air, saw Xemnas and saw a potential opening.

"Don't worry Travis, I got you!" shouted Yosuke as he charged at Xemnas with his ninja sword, making a rallying cry...only for Xemnas to grab his sword with his other hand.

"This sword is even more piteous." At least Xemnas accredited Travis for wielding a real sword; Yosuke's sword looked like something you would get from a low-rent pawn shop.

"There! All better?" Wii Fit asked Magolor after she was done cracking all the supposed bones in Magolor's body. Magolor felt like a new man again, as the pains and aches were all gone.

"Much better!" Magolor happily replied, before seeing Xemnas in the gaming room and quietly shrieking. The alien hid behind Wii Fit as he shivered in fear.

"What's the matter?" Wii Fit soon saw what the matter was, as Magolor pointed at Xemnas in the distance. Recognizing Xemnas, Wii Fit took out a soccer ball and was ready to serve.

"You're gonna play soccer? At a time like this?!" Magolor shuddered in fear, as Wii Fit threw the ball up in the air and served it in Xemnas's direction. Xemnas, seeing the ball flying towards him, threw Travis and Yosuke off of him as he knocked the ball away.

"I have been compromised yet again..." stated Xemnas as he summoned a dark corridor behind him, forced to escape from the gaming room. "...I will be back for you, Magolor." As he made these parting words, Xemnas went through the dark corridor before it closed.

"Save some of those potato chips for me," Master Hand said to Mario, who was eating from a bag of chips as he and Master Hand returned to the gaming room. Soon as Mari stepped foot in the room, Magolor ran up to him and gave him a hug.

"Um, yes, I love-a you too Magolor," Mario said to Magolor, feeling awkward as he gently patted the alien's back. Magolor slowly looked up at Mario like how a child would look up at their parent asking for candy.

"Can we go somewhere else?" Magolor asked Mario, and this was his second instance of wanting to go to a different locale in the mansion. It was a concerning pattern for Mario and Master Hand.

"Let's-a try the living room." So Mario and Master Hand took Magolor (who was still hugging Mario for dear life) out of the gaming room. Mario looked towards Master Hand, and whispered, "This time let's actually supervise-a him..."

"Mario, wait..." Wii Fit was about to say to Mario, but she was already too late as Mario had exited the gaming room with Magolor. "...oh well, I can just wait until later."

"So who even was that guy?" Travis asked Yosuke concerning Xemnas, as Banjo hopped up to his feet after Xemnas had given him the business.

"Bro, that was Organization XIII..." Yosuke responded in a low voice - a voice that was obviously full of fear, and that's when Travis knew that there was a situation on the mansion's hands.

Tensions were running high between Ragna and Jin, as both brothers wanted to destroy each other. Literally. But Champion Link offered to intervene and find a way to get Ragna and Jin on the same page. And he would die trying to get it done.

"One thing that gets me in the right mood is mini-golf," Champion Link said to Ragna and Jin, as he had taken the brothers to a mini-golf course. Lent was the caddie, while Link, Zelda, Mai, and Cyrus were observing from afar.

"I refuse to play golf," stated Ragna, already acting defiant as he threw his golf club to the ground. No way was he gonna play with Jin and get along. "I want to be the caddie."

"That's too bad. Now, why don't you pick the golf club back up, so that we can get this golf game over with?"

"Screw you, I want to be the caddie!" Jin shouted in Ragna's face, as the two brothers were back in being each other's grill. Champion Link sighed as he did his best to break up the brothers.

"There they go with the fighting..." groaned Mai, as Link was able to break Ragna and Jin apart. Even with Champion Link holding them back, Ragna and Jin were staring down at each other.

"None of you get to be the caddie," Cloud said to Ragna and Jin, forced to sit in the backseat of the golf cart with Terry as he showed no signs of moving anytime soon. "Play some golf, and get all the rage out of your system."

"Very well then...I shall go first," volunteered Jin, taking his golf club as he walked up to the golf tee. Jin had to practice his swing first, getting a feel for what golf swing he would do.

"Hurry up and swing, you idiot!" Ragna shouted at Jin, causing him to lose his concentration; a vein pulsated in Jin's forehead, as Jin angrily clenched his teeth and gripped his golf club.

"I'm practicing my swing, idiot!" Doing his best to ignore his brother, Jin would continue to practice his swing as Ragna was losing his patience. Ragna would show it too, as he threw his golf club on the ground in anger.

"Break that golf stick and you're disqualified," Lent warned Ragna, showing how unculture he was with his interesting terminology. Ragna glared at Lent. "Sorry if I used the wrong words!"

"I assume that you both received complaints about Ragna and Jin's behavior," Mai spoke with Link and Zelda, while Cyrus was keeping to himself and scrutinized away.

"More than we got concerning the Vault Hunters," responded Zelda; every day the princess secretly wished that the Vault Hunters would be removed from the Omnis Adest premises. "How's it coming along, Cyrus?"

"I have been unable to detect any progress," reported Cyrus, while Jin kept on swinging the golf club during his endless practice swings. At this point, Ragna had enough.

"If you don't swing in the next minute..." Ragna threatened Jin, who was finally done practicing as he hit the ball with his golf club. The ball sailed in the air, only to land in the bunker, as Ragna laughed.

"Drat..." Jin clenched his teeth, as Ragna laughed at his brother's failure. Taking offense to Ragna laughing, Jin marched over to the swordsman to smack him with his golf club.

"There will be no fighting!" shouted Champion Link as he jumped in between Ragna and Jin, keeping the two separated. Even while separated, Ragna and Jin were staring each other down.

"Better stay out of our way...if you know what's good for you," Ragna warned Jin, as the two brothers separated; it was now Ragna's turn to golf, as Ragna went up to the tee.

Champion Link: What those brothers need is a common enemy. I can be that for them. *makes a nervous face*

The next items for Sonic and Ryza to find on their list of materials had to do with dragons - a dragon wing and a dragon egg. The best option was to acquire said items from the dragon Pokemon at the Pokemon sanctuary, but Sonic wished to go down an...easier path.

"Open up, Princess Peach!" Sonic called out to the princess from outside Mario's house, as he knocked on the front door. Peach soon opened the door and was greeted by Sonic and Ryza.

"Sonic! You and your friend are just in time," gleamed Peach, as an interesting tea aroma exited from Mario's house and uncomfortably found its way into Sonic and Ryza's nostrils. "I was testing out a few exotic tea flavors, and I need a new taste taster."

"Nah, we're good." Holding his nose, Sonic took Ryza's hand as he guided the alchemist past Peach and inside the house. Sonic saw tea boiling in the kitchen, - as well as Hunter lying on the floor unconscious with Spyro standing next to him.

"I think he's in a coma," Spyro assumed to Sparx, taking note of how lifeless Hunter's body looked. Hunter looked more lifeless than a tiger skin rug. "He did say that the tea was super strong."

"Bzzzt bzzzt bzzzt?" Sparx asked Spyro, speaking in a dragonfly language that only Spyro could understand. Whatever Sparx said to Spyro was enough to make the purple dragon furrow his brow.

"No way am I drinking Peach's tea! Do I look like I want to fall asleep and never wake up again?" On that note, Spyro truly believed that a kiss of love could wake Hunter up from his supposed coma.

Spyro: Peach has been working on making her own homemade tea, and it has seen varying results. By results, I really mean side effects. One tea flavor gave Mario the hives. Marth tried Peach's tea the other day, and he complained about nonstop urinating right after. Word has it that no one has seen Marth in three days, not even his own wife!

"Hey, Spyro!" Sonic greeted the purple dragon, whom Ryza was smiling at as she started to tap her fingertips together. "Not often that we get to chat."

"Yeah, it's no surprise since you're always hogging...my best friend, Crash," responded Spyro, only to suddenly trail off when he saw how Ryza smiling at him. "Why is she looking at me like that...?"

"You don't remember her?" Slightly disappointed by Spyro's supposed ignorance, Sonic was more than happy to fill the purple dragon in. "This is Ryza Stout. Her hips should've caught your eye."

"Yes, I've already seen her, but why is she looking at me like that?" Spyro was feeling uncomfortable as he backed away, only to trip over Hunter's body and fall backward.

"Totally not like she wants a dragon wing from you. And a dragon egg. So how about you lay an egg first before we get to the wing?"

"What do I look like to you, Yoshi? Male dragons can't lay eggs!" Sure they didn't, but just for today Sonic and Ryza looked to make a biological impossibility come true.

"Then explain how you claim to have so many dragon eggs in the Dragon Realms, despite a lack of female dragons." Sonic looked for Spyro to present his best argument but sadly for Spyro, he didn't have one.

"I dunno, the elder dragons never tell me that kind of stuff! Why can't you just have a dragon Pokemon lay some eggs for you, and call it a day?!"

"Oh yes, that is a great method," said an interjecting Peach, chiming in on the conversation as if she was an expert on Pokemon breeding and eggs. "That is how I get the flavor for my tea. Pokemon dragon eggs!"

"...pretty sure that's illegal somehow," remarked Sonic; Professor Elm would be beyond devastated if he knew what Peach was doing with Pokemon eggs. How Peach even used such eggs to brew tea also begged the question.

"Do you have any dragon...Pokemon dragon eggs that we can borrow?" Ryza asked Peach, thinking that it was horrible and wrong to use Pokemon eggs as synthesis materials. "Also need dragon wings as well."

"I have dragon Pokemon scales if that works for you," offered Peach, as she went inside the kitchen to access her secret cupboard. It was a cupboard so secret, Peach had it locked for good measure.

"No wonder Peach's tea tasted so suspect," said Spyro, as Hunter slowly awoke from his coma. Or nap. Pick whichever one worked best for your narrative.

"Ugh..." Hunter moaned in his stupor, holding his head as he saw Spyro next to him. The cheetah felt like he had woken up from a crazy hangover. "...what happened?"

"You drank tea that was made from a Pokemon egg," explained Spyro - and the mere fact alone was enough to make Hunter faint. "Sweet dreams, buddy...sweet dreams."

Falco brought Primrose and her "valet" Tao to the Star Records room, to show to Itsuki the new talent that Ballyhoo wanted to be signed to Star Records. Gex wasn't allowed inside the room, so he waited outside.

"We never had a dancer signed to us," remarked Itsuki, who took the time to consider all the pros and cons of having Primrose under the Star Records label. "Signing a dancer to a record label does sound unprecedented."

"But get this - MC Ballyhoo specifically wants Primrose to be a streaming star," Falco stressed to Itsuki, unnerving the avian pilot when he failed to understand why that was such a big deal. "He wants us to make money off of losers!"

"Brilliant name-calling you got going on. And what about him, what's his deal?" Itsuki pointed at Tao, curious as to why the bookworm was associated with Primrose. Tao felt unworthy of being in Primrose's presence, as he tried not to look at the dancer inappropriately.

"I'm...I'm her valet," Tao sheepishly admitted to Itsuki, knowing that he was a poor fit for the valet job. Falco knew it too, as he covered his beak to stifle his laughter.

"He's essentially Primrose's promoter, in a sense," Ballyhoo explained to Ituski, who could tell by the look on Tao's face that the bookworm was nowhere close to ready for the job.

"Riiiiight..." responded Itsuki as he eyed to the side, finding Tao's role to be incredibly superfluous. "...how does Fox feel about this? I need his input first before we make a decision."

Klaudia was abandoned by her friends, as the young lady was left all alone with nobody to turn to. Rather than wallow in her newfound loneliness, Klaudia ventured out of Omnis Adest to find out where her friends ran off. She would come across Captain Falcon, who was doing his jog around the mansion.

"You mean the girl with the curvy body and tight-fitting clothes?" Captain Falcon asked Klaudia while jogging in place after he was asked about Ryza's whereabouts. Klaudia nodded her head, hoping that Captain Falcon had an answer. "Sorry, but I haven't seen her."

"Aw, phooey..." moaned Klaudia as she looked at the ground, finding it hopeless to ever find her friends. She clearly hated being by herself. "...do you have a general idea of where she might've gone?"

"Look, little miss, I've been out and about, so you're asking the wrong guy. Why not ask Poo, I bet you he'd find Ryza for you in less than a heartbeat!"

"...I'd rather not take any chances with him." Klaudia would recall the moment in time when Poo fell head over heels for Ryza, personally offended that Poo genuinely believed that he ever had a chance.

Poo: Learning that Ryza Stout has joined Omnis Adest is now my new highlight of the week. Before the news was brought to me today, my previous highlight was eating a slice of pizza out of a DVR. Now that Ryza's here, I can finally tell her what her most significant feature is...her bubbly personality. What, did you think that I was going to say something else?

"Next on our list is a lucky clover," Ryza spoke with Sonic, as the alchemist and blue hedgehog exited Mario's house. Sonic was holding a Pokemon egg, while Ryza peeked at the list in the hedgehog's hand. "Where can we find that one?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," replied Sonic, who found the Pokemon egg to be heavier than it looked. Klaudia saw Ryza and was beyond glad.

"Hey, Ryza!" Klaudia came over to speak with her alchemist friend, as she wasn't feeling so lonely anymore. "Almost done with your fetch quest? Lent and Tao both deserted me."

"A few more items, then we'll be done," replied Ryza; she couldn't stick around to chat, as she and Sonic were already on the move. "We'll be finished sooner than you know it!"

"Wait up, I wasn't done...talking." Klaudia watched as Ryza and Sonic left her, looking to find all the items on the list before the end of the day. The young lady let out a sigh, as a certain vixen saw her from Fox's porch.

"Looking for your friends?" Krystal asked from the porch, walking down to Klaudia as she brought a healthy Marcus along with her. "Heard you mention a boy named Tao. I may know where he is."

"You do?" Klaudia looked at Krystal with renewed hope, hoping to be reconnected with her friends. Or at least one of them.

Magolor was scared out of his mind, as he had seen Xemnas at both the arcade and the gaming room. Left with no other choice, Magolor asked Mario and Master Hand to take him somewhere else. So Mario took Magolor to the living room, where he simply had the alien watch TV.

"This time, we won't leave him out of her sight," Mario said to Master Hand, certain that Magolor wouldn't be spooked again if his "supervisors" kept watch of him. So far, Magolor was at peace as he watched TV on the couch, sandwiched between Dante and Min Min.

"Ah, yes...I feel safe and secure here," remarked a relieved Magolor, as he was watching some nature show involving animals and whatnot. A slice of pizza was held out in front of Magolor, who looked up at Dante.

"Care for a slice of pizza?" Dante asked Magolor, as he was offering the pizza to Magolor. Magolor happily accepted the pizza and devoured it whole, and he didn't need to eat it in private either.

"Dante, can we change the channel already?" Min Min asked the vigilante, disturbed by the image that was on the television screen - two zebras mating with each other. "This nature program is starting to frighten me."

"I was literally waiting for you to say something," replied Dante as he grabbed the TV remote and tossed it abruptly to Min Min, who caught it with one hand. "Nice catch." Dismissing Dante's compliment - due to the fact that the remote was thrown in her face - Min Min promptly changed the channel.

"This is the footage that I wanted to show you guys," X said to Coco and Mechanica at a table in the living room, showing them a video on a laptop - the one that was stolen from the mansion. "Futaba has already seen it, and so has Fuuka."

"So I see Giovanni, Gnasty Gnorc, and Zant," said Coco as she and Mechanica watched the video, while a dark corridor appeared in the far corner of the living room. Any guess who it was? "And that's Dimentio wearing a hood."

"I can't tell who the other hooded guy is," stated X, as none other than Xemnas emerged from the dark corridor. "Got some bad vibes from him, though."

"Wonder how this kind of footage got on this laptop in the first place," wondered Mechanica, as Xemnas crept up on the brunette and the others. Xemnas silently stood behind X and company, watching the video play.

"Yes, it is quite the mystery isn't it?" asked Xemnas, as his deep voice made his presence felt. X and company turned around and saw Xemnas.

"It's Xemnas!" shouted X, as Xemnas reached over the pacifist robot to grab the laptop. X reached for the laptop, only for Xemnas to move out of the way as X crashed unto the floor.

"This video appears to have been recorded at our base. I'd wager that one of Dimentio's men was responsible for putting this on film."

"Samus, can you hurry to the living room?" X spoke into his wrist while lying on the floor, making an impromptu call to Samus. "Organization XIII is here."

"Good to know - I'll send in one of my closest confidants," Samus responded from X's wrist, as the lack of urgency in her voice bothered X. Leave it to Samsu to let somebody else do her dirty work.

"One of your closest confidants? You don't mean..." A click sound was heard, as Samus ended her call with X. X grunted, as Xemnas continued to hold the laptop.

"Give up that laptop!" Coco demanded Xemnas, delivering a flying karate kick to the Nobody. Sensing Coco's attack, Xemnas grabbed the blonde bandicoot's leg with his hand.

"I do not plan on conceding anytime soon," Xemnas informed Coco, who tried to fight out of Xemnas's grip but to no avail. Xemnas then tossed Coco away, sending her flying into X.

"Coco!" Mechanica screamed the bandicoot's name, as she remained sitting in her sitting fearing that she might be next. Best to play it safe.

"That poser should really put a shirt on," commented Master Hand as he, Mario, and everyone on the living room couch were watching a cheesy low-budget martial arts film on the TV. Mario broke away from the TV and gasped when he saw Xemnas.

"Master Hand, I think-a we have a problem..." Mario alerted Master Hand, bringing the giant hand's attention to Xemnas. Recognizing Xemnas as Organization XIII, Master Hand became irate.

"You! Xemnas! Leave my mansion at once!" Master Hand commanded the Nobody, who broke away from the laptop as he looked up at Master Hand.

"If it isn't Master Hand..." smirked Xemnas, as Magolor saw the Nobody from the couch and instantly panicked. "...I believe that this is our first formal meeting with each other."

Master Hand: My fondest memory of Xemnas is him getting run over by my Lamborghini. And him getting Superman punched by a pixelated wrestler while up in the city skyline. Not a very good look for a former Organization leader - even if that Organization was a "fake" one. (Shout-out to Sora for the lore.)

"Uh oh, I hear action!" exclaimed Dante, leaping into action as he jumped off the couch and whipped out his sword. Min Min would follow suit as she wielded her ARMS.

"Bear in mind that I am not here for a fight," stated Xemnas as he was coming in peace, although no one in the living room was buying it. "I have come to speak with a traitor."

"Tr-Traitor? Who could that be?" wondered Magolor; hearing Magolor speak, Xemnas brought the laptop with him as he went over to the couch.

"Don't come any closer!' shouted Min Min as she fired one of her ARMS at Xemnas, who dodged the ARM by moving his head. Xemnas then took out a blade - an Ethereal Blade - and knocked Min Min out of the way with it.

"Cool blade," complimented Dante, as he looked to do battle with Xemans, but that battle never came to be as Xemnas knocked the vigilante out of his way with his blade. En route to Magolor, who was shivering in fright more than ever.

"What do you even want from me?!" Magolor questioned Xemnas, as Master Hand pushed Mario forward wanting him to deal with Xemnas. But seeing how quickly Dante and Min Min were handled, Mario had other plans.

"Did you record this video?" Xemans asked Magolor as he held the laptop in front of the alien, playing the video. After watching the video play out, Magolor was visibly shaking as if he had something to say...

"YES, IT WAS ME, I RECORDED THE VIDEO!" Magolor broke down in tears with Coco gasping at the alien as she and X watched from afar. The guilt that Magolor felt was unreal.

"Guilty as charged..." Xemnas closed the laptop lid, as he allowed Magolor to cry his eyes out. Master Hand Mario, oddly enough, couldn't help but feel bad for Magolor in this given moment.

"But you don't understand! This was a set-up, one of the guys made me record that video. I didn't know how to speak up for myself!"

"And it is your failure to speak up that makes you an also-ran. Which is why the decision was made by Dimentio in advance to cut you out of his group."

"You...you what?" That was a big shock to Magolor, who never would've expected Dimentio and his boys to make such a big decision while he was away.

"You were already on thin ice, but this will make Dimentio's decision all the more justifiable. Dimentio had a hunch that you were the one who recorded the..."

Before Xemnas had a chance to finish his sentence, a beam of biotic energy was fired in his face. Blindsided by this beam, Xemnas tried to resist as he held his arm up in front of him.

"Who...dares to attack me?" questioned Xemnas, and he would get his answer as Moira ventured inside the living room, firing the biotic energy from her hands. Her beam held Xemnas in check.

"I suggest that you take the laptop, Mario," Moira suggested to the plumber, who saw Xemnas holding the laptop in his other hand. Rushing into action, Mario snatched the laptop from Xemnas and ran for cover.

"Enough!" shouted Xemnas, slicing the beam of biotic energy with his Ethereal Blade as Moira ceased her attack. Xemans looked at his other hand, wondering where the laptop went.

"Looking for this?" Mario asked Xemnas as he was standing on top of the giving room table, jumping up and down while holding up the laptop. "You snooze-a you lose!"

"Mario get your feet off of my..." Mario was about to shout at the plumber, only to save his breath as he let Mario have his moment. "...ah, forget it."

"That is no matter; I have said my piece," stated Xemnas, no longer caring about the laptop as he did what he came here to do. Xemnas turned to Magolor, who was at peace with Dimentio's decision.

"Yeah, well, I don't really care if I'm in Dimentio's coalition or not," Magolor said to Xemnas concerning the decision that was made. "I feel more respected here anyway."

"The mansion has only kept you merely as an obligation. I doubt that anyone here would ever give you a single iota of affection."

"That's what you think, buddy. Guys like you don't know what affection is like, so who are you to talk?!" Magolor was getting snappy with Xemnas, as it was quite a sight to behold.

"Spoken like a true also-ran..." Xemnas summoned a dark corridor, as he looked to make his leave. Preferably before Moira attacked him again. "...be aware that we are looking for your replacement. And he'll be far more worthy than you can ever hope to be."

"Leaving so soon?" Moira asked Xemnas, as she had another Coalescence to dish out upon the Nobody. Xemnas glared at Moira as he entered the dark corridor, as he was gone for good.

"Much appreciated for the save," X came over to speak with Moira, extending his thanks to the geneticist as Mario got down from the living room table. "Samus had me worried that..."

"You can be assured that Samus has a Talon confidant other than Sombra," Moira informed X, finding the robot's fears about Sombra saving the day to be totally understandable. Moira wouldn't depend on Sombra to save her life.

The mini golf game involving Champion Link, Ragna, and Jin was going smoothly so far, minus Ragna and Jin throwing verbal jabs at each other. No hands were thrown as of yet, and that was an accomplishment in itself.

"Next hole wins," announced Champion Link, as Ragna was up next to golf; Ragna, Jin, and Champoin Link were all in a three-way tie, so whoever got the next hole would win the game.

"Move aside! Let me take this," Jin shouted at Ragna, caring about nothing but achieving victory as he pushed Ragna to the side. Ragna obviously took offense to Jin, as he pushed him right back when he got into golfing position.

"You bozo, you already had your turn," Ragna barked in Jin's face, getting droplets of saliva in his brother's face as he was pointing at him. "Wait your turn like everyone else!"

"Like everyone else? There are only three of us playing. If anyone is the bozo here, it's YOU!" It didn't take long for Ragna and Jin to revert back to their quarreling ways, as a golf game had to be finished.

"Boys, boys! Save the arguing till after the game," Lent shouted at Ragna and Jin, who were too busy arguing with each other to listen to anyone. Taking advantage of the quarreling brothers, Champion Link went up to the tee and hit the ball.

Or at least he pretended to hit the ball. With Ragna and Jin not paying attention, Champion Link grabbed the ball and dropped it in the nearest hole.

"Hold up, isn't that cheating?" whispered Terry, as he and Lent were not a fan of what Champion Link had done. Cloud didn't share in their sentiments.

"Honestly, I would have done the same thing," admitted Cloud, who had done something similar while playing golf in episode 332. Much to Aerith and Tifa's chagrin.

"YES! I won!" celebrated Champion Link, acting as if he won the golf game as he raised his arms in the air. Ragna and Jin ceased their arguing, as they both stared at Champion Link - angrily.

"YOU IDIOT, I WAS GOING TO WIN!" Ragna and Jin shouted at Champion Link simultaneously, showing a kind of brotherly synergy that Mai hadn't seen that much of before. "YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!"

"We can always run it back..." Champion Link had done what he intended to do, as he made himself a common enemy of Ragna and Jin. Ahd the Hylian would pay the price for it, as Ragna and Jin ganged up on him.

"Please tell me there's a noticeable change," Mai pleaded to Cyrus, who was scrutinizing Ragna and Jin while they were beating the crap out of Champion Link. The look of disappointment on Cyrus's face could only mean one thing...

"...they still clearly hate each other," Cyrus gave his diagnosis, as Mai sighed and facepalmed - not even a common enemy could make Ragna and Jin stop hating each other for just a moment or two.

"Some things just are meant to stay the same..." remarked Link, seeing that Ragna and Jin were a lost cause. Champion Link was learning that the hard way.

Moira felt excellent about owning Xemnas and causing the Nobody to retreat. It was something worth bragging about to Reaper and her other Talon associates. The geneticist felt so good about what she did, that she stopped by the workshop to tell Samus about her deed.

"For such a well-spoken man, Xemnas had a strong tendency to leave when the going got tough," Moira said to Samus, who was working hard in the workshop with Pikachu keeping her company. Moira was one company that Samus didn't mind.

"That's the thing with the Organization," stated Samus, who obviously had plenty of history with Organization XIII and knew of their tendencies. "Show 'em who's boss, and they leave with their tail between their legs."

"This victory of mine will bode well for Talon's new base. I hope that the other high-ranking members won't have any resentful feelings of jealousy."

"Done, and done!" announced Sonic, as he and Ryza entered the workshop having found all the items on the list. Sonic showed the Pokemon egg to Moira, while Ryza revealed the other items in her parcel.

"Superb work, you two. Go and place the items in this sack." Moira took out a brown sack and opened it, as Sonic and Ryza placed the items inside. "I will let Dr. N. Tropy know how hard you worked."

"It wasn't that hard," admitted Ryza, as Moira closed up the sack and tied a string around it to close it shut. "Glad that I could be of assistance, Sonic."

"Sure thing," responded Sonic, who believed to be one step closer to reviving Berri after today. Emphasis on "believed". "Wanna join me at the cafe? I'll pay for your curry."

"Definitely got a yes from me for that one!" So Ryza followed Sonic out of the workshop, with Samus sightly happy that Sonic was gone.

Sonic: Ryza once hated me because I allegedly kidnapped Mr. Fluff...I mean, Fi. Now we're friends, somewhat. Did Ryza hate me over that incident? She seemed so.

Knuckles: Sonic never returned to the carousel after he ran off to see Moira. I imagine that he's stuck with that woman and giving her an endless supply of water. *snorts*
Tails: Speaking of the carousel, why were you riding on it, Knuckles? Since you care so much about looking "hard".
Knuckles: I WAS HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE, OKAY?! LEAVE ME ALONE!

"I will hold on to these items for as long as needed," Moira said to Samus as she held up the sack, planning to hold onto it for a foreseeable future. "No longer will you have to worry about dealing with Sonic."

MC Ballyhoo and Gex were allowed inside the Star Records room, for Fox, Falco, and Itsuki had a final decision to make on Primrose. It was a final decision that Gex believe would change the fate of Star Records forever.

"Amazing, isn't it?" asked Gex, speaking specifically to Fox and Falco while taking a brief trip down memory lane. "Two years ago, I was kicked to the curb because you didn't want me. And now, here I am, helping your record label as I should have done from the..."

"We kicked you to the curb because you were a two-faced liar," stated Fox, whose view of the lizard was forever shattered ever since the fateful moments of episode 293's climax. "Don't get it twisted."

"And you threatened to kill someone," added Falco; to this day the avian pilot still wondered how Gex was able to acquire a gun. "Ironically, MC Ballyhoo did the same thing."

"Which must mean that our partnership was meant to be," Gex said proudly as he wrapped his arm around Ballyhoo, embracing the emcee as his main man. Made Fox and Falco sick to the core.

"Whatever, let's get this over with," said Fox, wanting to get things done quickly so that Gex would vamoose. "So the three of us have made our decision..."

"Fox? Are you in there?" Krystal called out to the pilot, who perked up as he heard footsteps down the hallway. Gex snapped his fingers in disgust, as he didn't want any possible distractions.

"Of course, it would be her..." the lizard muttered under his breath, as Krystal showed up at the Star Records room with Marcus. Little did anyone know that Krystal had more company with her.

"Hello, sorry if I'm interrupting. Brought with me a visitor." That visitor happened to be Klaudia, whom Krystal let inside the Star Records room. Klaudia saw Tao and ran over to greet him.

"Tao!" said Klaudia as she met up with the bookworm, before taking note of his ensemble. She knew that it didn't fit him in any sort f way. "Why are you wearing a tuxedo...?"

"Because...I'm her valet," Tao sheepishly replied as he pointed at Primrose; Klaudia exchanged looks between Tao and Primrose, having many questions about how the two were paired up in the first place.

"Oh no, no no, this just won't do." Klaudia unbuttoned Tao's tuxedo, before placing the garment gently on the Star Records desk. "You are clearly not cut out for this kind of stuff."

"Ma'am, what do you think you're doing?" Gex questioned Klaudia, who took Tao's hand as she was about to take the bookworm with her. "How else can Primrose make money off of lonely men without her valet at her side?"

"I beg your pardon?" Primrose asked Gex, who covered his mouth as he had said a little too much. "Did you say, lonely men?" Gex shook his head, but Primrose knew what she heard.

"He didn't really mean it," Ballyhoo said to Primrose, in an effort to save Gex's hide. But the damage was already done, as Primrose made up her mind.

"I'm sorry, but I refuse to appeal to such a demographic." Primrose, no longer interested in working for Star Records in any capacity, would turn to Fox, Falco, and Itsuki. "My sincerest apologies for wasting your time."

"You're good, it's all good," Fox said to Primrose, letting the dancer know that she had nothing to apologize for. Primrose would leave the Star Records room with Klaudia and Tao, as Krystal stood at the doorway.

"I'll be waiting for you at home," Krystal delivered this message to Fox, leaving the premises with Marcus as she returned home. With Primrose gone, Fox and Falco turned their ire to Gex.

"Guess there are some lessons that I still have to learn," Gex said to Fox and Falco, laughingly sheepishly as he backed away from the pilots before hightailing out of the room altogether. "Gex, away!"

"Quick FYI - do not work with that man," Falco warned Ballyhoo about Gex, still not buying the idea that Gex was a truly changed man. "He is a menace."

Dimentio was somewhere in the city with Xemnas, chatting it up with the Nobody. Xemnas filled Dimentio in on how he broke the news to Magolor, and Dimentio commended him for a job well done.

"I will meet you back at the base," Dimentio informed Xemnas, who nodded his head as he went through a dark corridor. Once the dark corridor vanished, Dimentio made a whistling sound. "Oh, Sho!"

"You called?" inquired Sho Minazuki, as he emerged from the tree with a conniving smile on his face. What was he smiling about? "Our secret plan worked to perfection, huh?"

"Absolutely did! Magolor was set up splendidly. The 'also-ran' will now be formally removed from the coalition."

"Ha, also-ran, what a funny little name! But I gotta ask though...why did you have me give Magolor that camera to record?"

"Magolor had to be removed from the equation somehow. His association with Kirby would've proven to be problematic. Fortunately, I already have a worthy replacement for him in mind..."

Ryza was with Sonic at the cafe, and the alchemist was holding out hope that she would be reunited with her friends soon. Preferably at the cafe, since it would be much easier on her. Sans saw Ryza's world-famous thighs and felt the need to crack a pun.

"i take it that your favorite country is thailand," Sans said to Ryza in an obviously joking manner, as the baristas groaned at the skeleton. Ryza took Sans's joke as a sign that he was trying to flirt.

"Not really, I don't really know what that is," Ryza responded with a smile, as Bowser glanced over at the alchemist from his table and began to question her overall intelligence. "I'm not seeing anyone, by the way."

"the only thing i can see is your pretty face." Sans would be ignored by Ryza, who turned away from the skeleton and resumed eating her curry. Bowser would continue to stare at Ryza, shaking his head.

"How can she not know what Thailand is?" Bowser asked Ness, Paula, and Poo, who were all sitting at the table that Bowser was that. Poo got out of his chair, as Paula saw what he was about to do.

"Don't you even dare..." Paula whispered threateningly to Poo, as she grabbed the martial artist and sat him back down.

"I just wanted to tell her that I loved her personality!" Poo confessed to Paula, who wasn't buying it as she had Poo remained seated.

"Turns out I'm alright as a caddie! Whatever that means," Lent spoke with Klaudia and Tao, sharing with them what Terry told him as the friends entered the cafe. Ryza brightened up.

"Guys, over here!" Ryza called out to her friends, waving her hand to garner their attention. Klaudia, Tao, and Lent went over to the counter, as Sonic got up to make an available seat.

"You can take it," Sonic offered to Tao, allowing the bookworm to take his seat. Tao sat on the barstool, as Sonic looked for another spot to sit at.

"Why are you still here, Kazuya?" Pit asked the businessman, who had barely moved from the counter except when he had to use the bathroom. Kazuya must be trying to beat the record for the longest-staying Cafe Leblanc patron.

"Because I wish to keep away from my father," replied Kazuya, as two swordsmen took the barstools next to him...Cloud and Champion Link. Kazuya was looking at Champion Link, who had a black eye and some bruises.

"You were right...family grudges are never meant to be broken," Cloud said to Kazuya, before looking at Champion Link patting the Hylian on his back. Champion Link winced in pain. "Champ here figured it out.

Mai: Even with the golf game over, Ragna and Jin had to argue about which brother laid the bigger beating on Champion Link. It may get to the point where those two will have to live in separate apartments. Whose bright idea was it to put them together?

"Sure you don't wanna stick-a around?" Mario asked Magolor, as he and Master Hand were speaking with the alien at a table. The conversation caught Sonic's interest.

"I don't feel like I deserve it - gotta prove my worth to you guys somehow," Magolor frankly admitted as Sonic was standing by to eavesdrop. Kirby joined Sonic, as he wanted to eavesdrop as well.

"Then we'll let you run free and do as you please," Master Hand said to Magolor, ending the conversation as Magolor and Mario got out of their seats. Poor Master Hand had no seat to get out of. "We hope to see you again."

"Likewise." Magolor pushed his chair in and turned around, suddenly encountering Sonic and Kirby. "Thanks for everything, you guys." Magolor would leave the cafe, on his own terms, as Pit joined Sonic and Kirby.

"They grow up so fast..." Pit sighed happily as he wrapped his arm around Sonic and Kirby (but mainly Sonic since Kirby was so short). Not appreciating how touchy Pit was, Sonic took the angel's arm away.

No longer a part of Dimentio's faction, Magolor now looked to prove his worth to the mansion...how he would do it, only time will tell.