Author's Note:

Kingdom Hearts 3 is (finally) being released soon, so I thought it was only fitting that Sora and Aerith return to their universe in this chapter. I was surprised by how long Aerith remained in this story, but I feel like now would be a perfect opportunity to send her back home. No worries, Aerith may reappear again in the future, Sora too. Guest reviews:

Will Jonathan and Charlotte from Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin show up? What about Shanoa from Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia? Has Zero mentioned Iris's death at all? Have you added a scene of Mega Man reacting to the Ruby-Spears Mega Man cartoon? And finally, will Alia, Layer, and Palette from Mega Man X8 show up? (Maybe have Alia meet X's older siblings first?)

Yeah. Her too. Zero hasn't mentioned Iris' death. (WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOR?! Had to let that out.) I'll do that reaction later. And those three Mega Man characters will appear, given the chance. Derick Lindsey has a question about the previous chapter:

"...speaking of which why did Celica not just give [Krystal] the letter Fox wrote for her)?"

You'll see where I'm going with the whole letter thing...next up is El Pollo Campero:

"Do the smashers ever do competitive melee? I think it would be an interesting chapter"

I do agree it would be an interesting chapter - competitive Melee is always fun. And great for arthritis. IgaShadHayabutaw is next in line:

"1. A Paparazzi Episode, inspired by Victorious episode "Robarazzi"
2. What Disney and Nickelodeon sitcoms did you watch?

3. Master Hand holds an online DotA/LoL/Fortnite tournament and ends with some brawlers trashtalking each other"

1. I should probably check that episode out.
2. Good question! I watched Drake and Josh, Ned's Declassified, anything Suite Life...and that's it.
3. I don't like any of those games you mentioned, so...

PinkRose4452 has come forth with suggestions, and questions:

"1. Why aren't Caeda, Olimar's wife, and Ms. Pacman living in the mansion, despite their husbands living in the mansion and that Raven moved in to the mansion recently because she got married.
2. What ever happened to Sephiroth? We hadn't see him in a long time.

3. How about having Tom Nook accidentally destroying something that Master Hand really loves, like the Lamborghini. That would really make Master Hand suffer and have a heart attack or something and at the same time, will loathe Tom Nook even more.
4. I really want to see more Petey Piranha moments like when he ate Sonic, Tom Nook and his nephews, Timmy and Tommy alive for two minutes before Isabelle came and saved them and when he gobbled Yashiro and spit him out of the meeting room because he interrupted the meeting. These moments are really funny to me and make me laugh everytime."

1. That...is a legimiately good question. Which will be solved later in the story.
2. Sephiroth is out in the world, chilling...haven't had any idea to bring him back.
3. Ooh...Tom Nook is absolutely the perfect guy to wreck Master Hand's Lamborghini. Too perfect.
4. There'll be plenty of Petey Piranha moments in the coming chapters.

Last for today, GreaterDoomerUKI:

"Idea: Mario takes all of the kids to a candy factory and pit ends up getting sugar rush and gets lost in a city. Paulutena then threatens Mario if he doesn't find out in time, he's going to be sorry"

There's plenty of chocolate factories in Seattle...Mario could take the kids to one of them. Moving on:

"Has Isabelle even got her day of appreciation? Could the resident give her a surprise birthday party?"

I think I was supposed to give Isabelle her day of appreciation...can't remember. But a surprise birthday party will do.


Episode 162: Gainsborough

For Aerith, it was always a dream of hers to go out on a date with Cloud. It seemed only fitting - she knew Cloud, and Cloud knew her. Granted, there was already a Cloud from Aerith's own universe. but the Cloud in the Smash universe was all the same.

And now, Aerith's dream would finally be realized, as the flower girl would be going on a date today with Cloud. It was something she was waiting for, for a very long time, and she demonstrated patience all the way. Nothing could possibly ruin her big day - especially since she and Sora were supposed to head back to their universe soon.

In order to be fully prepared for his date with Aerith, Cloud sought guidance from Chrom and Sora, who set up a practice date for Cloud. While the intent was half-done - Cortex took Tiki's spot as the practice date, pretending to be Aerith while wearing an Aerith mask - the effects were still there, and Cloud felt like he was ready for the date. Or at least he thought he was.

Cloud was adjusting his black suit in the mirror room, since Chrom suggested that the swordsman should dress up for the occasion. Helping Cloud adjusting his suit was a guy Cloud despised for a very long time - Sora. The Keyblade wielder certainly came through for Cloud in the previous episode.

Cloud: This is it, the big day...Aerith and Sora are heading back to their home now. And what better way for Aerith to return on a high note, then to have her last moment in town being a date with me? Seems only fitting, when you think about it. I would do something special for Sora, but the guy has irritated me to no end...but him helping me out last week really made up for his general annoyance, for over a year.

"How's the tie looking, Sora?" Cloud asked Sora, as he adjusted his red tie; the swordsman was finally starting to get along with Sora, and was actually tolerating him. Better late than never, as some may say.

"Pull it down a bit more and...there, that should do it!" Sora instructed Cloud, before giving the swordsman a thumbs up once the tie was properly adjusted. "You're looking might sharp in that suit, Cloud!"

"Thanks Sora, you're like the hundredth person that told me that today." Cloud thanking Sora?! Things really have changed between the swordsman and the Keyblade wielder, and for the better. "By the way, who does this suit belong to?"

"Chrom said that suit was his - he has a bunch of suits hanging up in his closet that he never wears. Could be because of his old-fashioned ways. Being a medieval prince must take a toll on his sense of style."

"I bet..." Cloud moved away from the mirror he was standing in front of, and walked out of the mirror room with Sora following him. "So, what are you planning on doing while I'm on my date? I'm sure you have a bucket list of things you want done before you head out."

"I dunno, but I'll think of something to occupy myself until Dr. Wily and the Professor are done. I would love to come to your date, but I don't wanna be a hindrance, you know what I'm saying?"

"Tell me about it..." Cloud saw a bunch of bad memories fly about in his head, after Sora made his remark. "I should go look for Aerith, and see if she's ready. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, okay?"

"You got it, Cloud!" Sora gave the swordsman a smile and a thumbs up, as Cloud continued on his way. Once Cloud was gone, Sora immediately turned around, and headed down the hall to Chrom's room, where he would find the prince inside.

"Is Cloud about to go on his date?" Chrom asked Sora, once he looked up and saw the Keyblade wielder. Sora nodded his head, as Chrom grinned. "In that case, we should be heading out soon..."


Aerith would feel like dressing up for her date with Cloud, but the flower girl felt like she was properly dressed already - her pink and white dress looked formal enough in her eyes. Only thing she really had to do was facial cosmetics stuff, which she took care of in her room.

"I sure hope Cloud will be on his best behavior today..." remarked Aerith as she powdered her face, expecting Cloud to be more upbeat and not his usual distant self. Aerith looked over and saw her roommate, Dr. Cortex, closing the closet door suspiciously. "What's in the closet?" Aerith asked the mad scientist.

"Wh-What closet?" stammered Cortex, as he quickly pulled his hands away from the closet door and smiled innocently, hands behind his back. "Don't know what you're talking about, Aerith...this is, uh, my secret lab, where I work on my experiments!"

"Oh really? Because I'm sure I saw a chicken suit hanging up in that 'secret lab'." Cortex blushed, as he looked down at the floor in shame. "And what about those pink briefs, with the hearts on them? Doing 'experiments' on those?"

"Thought I threw out the chicken suit and those briefs months ago..." Recollecting his dignity, Cortex looked back up at Aerith. "...for your information Aerith, I left those items in the closet, just to distract you from the fact that...it's a secret lab."

"Ah, so it really is a closet. Just as I expected." Aerith went back to powdering her face, wanting to know what Cortex was hiding in that closet. Had to be some kind of evil invention.

Cortex: Hoo boy, Tiki must be angry with me...especially after I had Uka throw her in the basement with those Rabbids. I don't hate Tiki - I was just doing her a solid! Also, it's not like she deserved to be Cloud's practice date anyways - I know more about Aerith than her. Still, I'm sure Tiki's mad with me regardless...this is what I get for being associated with Uka. This whole time, I thought our partnership was a good thing...

"Hey, Aerith, you ready to go?" Cloud asked the flower girl, poking his head through the doorway. "I kinda forgot to reserve a table for us, so we'll have to be at Canlis as soon as possible."

"I'll be ready in a minute or two," replied Aerith, as Cloud pulled away from the doorway. Cloud would come back, however, just to say something to Cortex.

"Better enjoy not being alone while it lasts, Dr. Cortex...you're gonna need it," the swordsman said to the mad scientist, getting this off his chest before going away for good. Cortex wasn't miffed by Cloud's remark...instead, he was smiling.

"Silly Mr. Strife...I won't be alone for long..." the mad scientist said quietly; what did he possibly mean by that?


The news of Cilan being on jury duty during the court trial of the Seattle Stalker was met with a mixed reaction from both the mansion, and the tower. Some felt like the connoisseur was the right man for the job, whereas others thought Cilan would fail miserably, and screw things up. A select few didn't mind Cilan as a juror, or just didn't care.

In spite of how many felt about Cilan being a juror, Master Hand and Crazy Hand saw the connoisseur's jury duty in the trial as a chance to see who the Seattle Stalker really was...and Master Hand pegged Mario and Peach to attend the trial, in person. Mario was a fine choice, as he handled much of the issues surrounding the mansion, but Peach was...quite random.

"What's the address of the courthouse again?" Peach asked Mario, as the married couple was about to leave. Mario was feeding Jennifer, making sure to do the task before he left the house.

"700 Stewart Street, if-a I recall correctly," replied Mario, feeding Jennifer through her baby bottle. Spyro would approach Mario, with a spatula in his mouth.

"Hunter literally just washed the white clothes with the colored ones in the washing machine," Spyro informed Mario, the spatula in his mouth obstructing his speaking a little, as Mario grew furious real quick. "I would stop him, but you told me to flip the patties on the stove..."

"Mama mia!" Mario handed Jennifer off to Peach as he zipped past Spyro, past the stool Spyro was standing on near the stove, and made his way to the laundry area, where Hunter was about to toss Poochy inside the washer machine. Poochy looked scared for his life!

"Sup Mario, doing your laundry just like you said!" Hunter smiled at the plumber, who was hyperventilating in anger. "Also, I'm about to wash Poochy, another thing you wanted me to do...you're right, Poochy sure is fidgety when it comes to washing him!"

"Stop it, you monster!" Mario ran towards Hunter and tackled him to the floor, as Hunter dropped Poochy. The dog landed comfortably on the floor, as he walked over to Peach, who just arrived in the laundry area.

"Now, now, Mario, you can't just hurt poor Hunter like that," Peach scolded her husband, as she went over to the washer machine and turned it off, taking out the white clothes. Peach sighed in relief, when she saw that the white clothes weren't stained.

"Well he was about-a to hurt my precious Poochy, so I had to hurt-a him myself," Mario defended himself and his actions, as he got off of Hunter. "Would you like it if our pet dog-a died in the washer machine?"

"To be fair, I didn't really feel like washing Poochy myself, so that's why I was going to toss him in the washer machine," stated Hunter as he sat up, with Mario and Pearl looking at the cheetah inquisitively. "I should have used that irrigation sprinkler outside to wash Poochy, shouldn't I?"

Master Hand: I've gotten over Cilan as a juror - the more I thought it, he's just some meaningless person in a body of meaningless people. Had Cilan been the speaker of the jury, we really would've been screwed - Cilan would suggest something stupid, like letting the Seattle Stalker live in Dubai for ten years. If he said something else, like lifetime imprisonment Ciudad Juarez or even Cleveland, then we're talking!

As Spyro went back to flipping hamburger patties on the stove, Impa entered the kitchen, watching the dragon's progress. The Sheikah was thoroughly impressed by how great of a fry cook Spyro was.

"I take it that we're having burgers for dinner today?" Impa asked Spyro, who flipped a burger patty in the air without any effort. Truly the stuff of legends.

"Nah, I'm just making some hamburgers for that Travis Touchdown guy," replied Spyro - Travis' last name was forever bugging Impa, for some reason. Cappy felt the same way, too. "Mario and Peach are dead set on feeding the guy."

"If he could survive Hylia knows how long inside that camper with limited resources, then he should be just fine." Impa walked a short distance away from Spyro, looking at her nails. "Good thing he isn't getting food from Chef Kawasaki..."

"Say, Impa, isn't today your last day in Seattle or something?" This question caught Impa off-guard, as she stopped looking at her nails and glanced at Spyro. It was almost like Spyro was trying to instigate.

"Why do you say that?" Impa walked back to Spyro, staring at the dragon with her hands on her hips. Spyro held back a little, trying not to fall off his stool.

"Nothing, nothing, I was just...asking a general question." Spyro nonchalantly flipped the hamburger patties, as Impa pulled away from the dragon feeling a bit skeptical. For a wee moment, Spyro looked a bit excited.


Alm and Celica's Couples Counseling - which was an idea conjured by Luigi, and later planned by Wolf - turned out to be a success for almost everyone involved. Granted things got a little intense, and at one point Luigi was crying, but everyone grew closer and a big lesson was learned. That lesson? Nobody knew what it was. But they learned something regardless.

One of the couples that was a part of Couples Counseling was Itsuki and Tsubasa, who just wanted to see if the politics of Star Records was tearing their love apart. Turns out the record label had no impact on their relationship, but Tsubasa did make a few confessions to Ituski here and there.

"You're still not angry with me about what I said during couples therapy, are you?" Tsubasa asked Itsuki, as the two were hanging out in the Star Records room. Itsuki, who was on his phone, chuckled ever so slightly as he looked up at Tsubasa. "About the whole toothbrush thing, and..."

"Why would I ever be angry with you?" questioned Itsuki, his Average Joe charm enough to turn Tsubasa's frown upside down. "I have to appreciate you for your honesty. Better out than in, as they always say!"

"Oh okay, I was getting a little worried...oh, and about your toothbrush, I bought you a new one. Figured it was the thought that counts. Left it in your room."

"How lovely! I could really use a new toothbrush, the old one I have is starting to chip around the edges. Brushing my teeth with that toothbrush wouldn't make me look so good."

Touma: Hehe...Tsubasa left a new toothbrush lying on Itsuki's bed... *holds up electric toothbrush* ...like she doesn't even expect me to use this thing myself... *takes electric toothbrush out of package, and brushes teeth with it* Aw yeah, that feels good...feels like an oral massaging chair.

However, not everyone from Couples Counseling felt positive after the session was over...prime example being Fox. The pilot had quite a rocky sequence of events - he left when Krystal showed up, left again when it was his turn to apologize to Krystal, and while he was reading his letter to Krystal, he punked out and left the premises, teary-eyed.

Still recovering from last week's events, Fox sat by himself in the Star Records room, against the wall as far away from Itsuki and Tsubasa as possible. The fox just sat there, hands in his pockets with a thousand mile stare, as Itsuki and Tsubasa looked at the pilot with great concern.

"Y'know Fox, you can always sulk in your bedroom," suggested Itsuki, refusing to see Fox in such a depressive state. Not a single response from Fox. "It's not the end of the world, you know..."

"I would sulk in there, but Falco's on the phone with Katt," stated Fox, while still staring into space. He looked like a guy that was recovering from a massive breakup, although he and Krystal were still intact. "He's talking too loud - could hardly hear myself think."

"Uh huh...then what on earth are you possibly thinking about?" Fox looked up at Itsuki with a rueful glare, wondering why the young man was asking him so many personal questions. "Is it about the whole conundrum with Krystal?"

"No, no it's not, I'm just...exploring...exploring myself." That kind of response made Itsuki and Tsubasa exchange dubious looks with one another. "I'm not thinking about Krystal right now, it's not healthy for my mind, you know?"

"Can you excuse us for a quick second?" Tsubasa said to Fox, as she grabbed Itsuki's hand and walked out of the Star Records room, so she could speak with her boyfriend in private. "I think Fox is still feeling some type of way with Krystal..." she said to Itsuki.

"Yeah, I thought the whole couples therapy would help Fox, but the guy still won't come around..." said Itsuki, furrowing his brow as he looked through the creaked door at Fox. "We should find a way to cheer him up."

"Cheer who up?" someone asked, as Itsuki and Tsubasa looked over and saw Yusuke approaching them, with Ryuji accompanying them. "I take someone's feeling down in the dumps today?"

"It's Fox...I believe he and Krystal are still at odds with each other. Apparently some couples therapy wasn't enough to solve their issues. Judging by how Fox acted, I believe he's in the wrong, and not Krystal."

"Fox and Krystal are still fighting, for real?!" exclaimed Ryuji, uttering his classic catchphrase. Tsubasa had to shush Ryuji, motioning to Fox sulking inside the Star Records room. "...what are you guys gonna do about it?" asked Ryuji, in a whispering voice.

"You know what we have to do...cheer up Fox McCloud," replied Itsuki, wanting to do whatever it took to make his business partner happy again. "Might take Falco, might take Slippy or Peppy. Might even take another person. I just can't stand to see Fox sad anymore..."


Dr. Wily and the Professor were down in the basement of the tower, putting on the finishing touches on their dimensional transport machine. With Sora and Aerith ready to depart, the two geniuses had to get the machine completed before the end of the day.

"Wow, so the device can transport Aerith and Sora to a separate dimension?" Pit asked Dr. Wily and the Professor, as he and Kirby stopped by to see the progress being done on the machine.

"Yes, Pit, yes it can..." answered Dr. Wily in a bored, uncaring tone as he was screwing some screws in. "...you already asked us that question two days ago. Now will you please leave us alone? We're a little busy here!"

Waluigi: Thank goodness Dr. Wily and that mole guy are gonna be done in the basement soon...their constant working on that machine has kept me awake all night, they're always so loud! Do you realize how hard it is to sleep, when every night you're constantly hearing loud screeching sounds and whatnot in your ear?! It's bad enough that I sleep on the first floor...

"The sooner you guys are done with that machine, the better," Waluigi said to Dr. Wily and the Professor, as he entered the basement. "You two have no idea how many sleepless nights I've had since you started working together!"

"Well Waluigi, in all fairness, nobody told you to stay up all night watching the Baby Channel," Dr. Wily said to the lanky man, who was looking around suspiciously. Waluigi must have a lot of interesting secrets. "You've done it to yourself!"

"You watch the Baby Channel, Waluigi?" Pit asked the lanky man in pure and utter disbelief...before raising his hand for a high five. "Me too! Glad to hear that I'm not the only one!"

"Heck yeah brother, Baby Channel for life!" exclaimed Waluigi, as he and Pit exchanged high fives with one another. Kirby facepalmed out of humiliation, before looking at the Professor.

"And that, Professor, is why I have to double up as Pit's friend and chaperone," the pink puffball said to the mole, in a very depreciating tone. "Trust me, it's harder than it looks..."

"Oh, I'm sure it is!" the Professor smiled, as he was writing away on his clipboard. "You must have a lot of patience, for putting up with that boy. Quite remarkable!" Soon Cloud arrived in the basement, grabbing everyone's attention with his suit.

"Dr. Wily, are you and the Professor still working on the machine?" the swordsman asked the robot inventor, whose gaze was fixated on Cloud's suit. Dr. Wily shook his head, to get himself out of his trance. "Aerith and I are going on a date..."

"A date with Aerith, before she heads back to her dimension, how splendid!" exclaimed Dr. Wily, who didn't believe Cloud had enough in him to ask Aerith out on a date. His view on Cloud really has changed. "We're not done yet, so you have all the time in the world to..."

"Okay, that's all I needed to know, thanks." Cloud quickly retreated back upstairs, before Dr. Wily could even finish his sentence. Dr. Wily grinned and shook his head, as he resumed working on the machine.


Upstairs in the lobby of the tower, Aerith was having a word with the Squid Sisters, Marie and Callie. The two Inklings were jealous that Aerith was going on a date with Cloud, and Aerith found their jealousy quite amusing.

"Man you're so lucky, going on a date with Cloud!" pouted Marie, acting like going on a date with Cloud was an extremely rare feat - which it kinda was, honestly, considering how Cloud operates. "How super unfair..."

"I didn't know you two found Cloud that handsome," smiled Aerith, surprised that the Squid Sisters had feelings for Cloud. Aerith desired to know how Cloud would feel about that.

"Someone thinks that I'm handsome?" questioned Cloud, as he returned from the basement; the Squid Sisters were startled by the swordsman's presence. "I mean, I kinda get that a lot...way better than being called 'emo', if you ask me."

"We...we should be going now," Callie said to Cloud and Aerith, as she and Marie walked away from the couple. Standing in the mere presence of Cloud must be too much for the Squid Sisters to bear.

Callie: Aerith will be outta town shortly after her date...which means that Cloud will be ripe for the taking!
Marie: Ripe for the taking? You don't mean to tell me that you have your eyes set on Cloud, do you?
Callie: I mean, obviously I can't let such a handsome man be single forever, it would be a a wasted opportunity! Somebody has to charm him!
Marie: And what possibly makes you believe you're better suited for Cloud?
Callie:
At least I have some semblance of personality...what do you even have?
Marie: Why you... *gets into slap fight with Callie, as Vince nonchalantly walks by*
Vince: *shaking his head* First the purse incident, and now this...such divas.

"What was that all about, why were they acting that way?" Cloud asked Aerith, noticing how nervous the Squid Sisters were. It was like the two were afraid of Cloud, and Cloud hardly thought of himself as being intimidating.

"They probably couldn't resist how great you looked in that suit," assumed Aerith, as Cloud checked out his attire. Being commended for wearing a suit was the last thing the swordsman wanted. "It really looks nice on you!"

"Hey Cloud!" greeted Isaac, as he walked over to Cloud and Aerith. "Really like that suit! I take it that you and Aerith are going on a date?" Isaac was perhaps one of the few tower residents Cloud didn't mind, partly because of the Earth Adept's friendliness.

"Promised myself I'd go out on a date with Aerith, before she leaves," replied Cloud, sugarcoating the fact that asking Aerith out on a date was Roy's idea. Had to make himself look good. "Hopefully I didn't wait until the last minute..."

"Eh, I'm sure you still have some time. I'm not gonna hold you up any longer - about to play some games with Lakitu. You two need a ride?"

"Crap, I forgot to ask for one...can you go see if Kapp'n is available?" That Cloud, super unprepared for his date...talk about a bad look. But Aerith didn't mind one bit.


After Isaac spoke with Kapp'n, and told the turtle that Cloud and Aerith needed a ride to Canlis, Kapp'n was outside preparing his taxi. Meanwhile, Link and Zelda were about to get inside Link's truck, named Epona, ready to head out.

"Tell me again why we're going on a date?" Zelda questioned her boyfriend, who was displaying clear disinterest in the date. "And at the same restaurant Cloud and Aerith are having their date, nonetheless?"

"Because we're trying to show solidarity for those two," replied Link, as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket. "Also, we're gonna set a model for dating that Cloud could adhere to, while on his own date. I doubt he even knows what to do..."

"First your behavior at Couples Counseling, and now this...something is a little off with you, Link." Link would ignore Zelda's comment, as he and Zelda got inside the truck. Link turned on the ignition, though he didn't back out of the driveway just yet.

Meanwhile, Chrom and Sora were walking with Wolf, as the mercenary was leading the two men to his Arwing. Typically, Wolf didn't use his Arwing for traveling purposes, especially when it came to passengers, but this time was an exception.

"Reason why I'm taking you boys to Canlis is because I wanna see Cloud in action," stated Wolf, once the trio reached the Arwing situated not that far from Epona. "After all, I am a bit of a romantic expert..."

"I thought that was your job, Chrom," Sora said to the prince, who was feeling quite triggered. "Robin did say you womanized all those women in the past."

"Not another word..." Chrom angrily threatened Sora through clenched teeth. Nothing angered Chrom more than being called an expert of all things romance.

Wolf: Gotta say, Cloud has recovered a lot ever since I called him a Zack Fair clone! Granted he wasn't even supposed to take what I said seriously - since my duties as a matchmaker is to make people feel stupid and insecure inside - but all that aloofness must make him a very sensitive guy. *chuckles* He's going to lose it once Aerith is gone for good...

"Being a 'romantic expert' was hardly ever in Chrom's blood," stated Wolf, as he configured some of the settings on his Arwing. "People wildly assumed that he was such an expert because of how good-looking he was. Which is kinda a myth."

"You're right Wolf, Chrom barely looks attractive when you think about it," Sora agreed with the mercenary, as Chrom looked offended and hurt. "Got no clue what Raven sees in him."

"Sora, you're not siding with Wolf over me, are you?" Chrom asked the Keyblade, prepared to feel even more hurt if Sora answered yes. His own (temporary) partner-in-crime, doing him dirty...

"Nah, I was just messin' with ya. You're the most handsome guy I know!" Wolf looked at Sora like he was crazy, before shaking his head. The mercenary was finished with the configurations, and turned on his Arwing.

"Alright boys, we're ready for liftoff!" announced Wolf, as the Arwing powered on and lifted itself up slightly off the ground. "There should be enough room inside for the three of us...if not, someone will just have to ride on one of the wings. Before we go, anyone needs a bathroom break?"

As Chrom and Sora headed back inside the mansion to relieve themselves, Mario and Peach were standing outside in their driveway, near Mario's car. The married couple was ready to head out, but was waiting on Cilan.

"Where is-a that Cilan, we're gonna be late-a for the court trial!" frowned Mario, as he glanced at his watch. Peach kept on the lookout for Cilan, as she spotted a green-haired man wearing a flat cap coming her way.

"Here he comes!" Peach notified Mario, as Cilan was advancing to the married couple. As always, the connoisseur was flashing a smile, and was showing a little pep in his step as well.

"Sorry I kept you waiting, you two - had to cook the dinner in advance," apologized Cilan, before adjusting the flat cap on his head. "Didn't want to come back home and be in a rush, you know what I'm saying?"

"That's a great enough-a excuse - thought you were-a swooning some ladies or some-a thing," stated Mario - what ladies would Cilan even swoon? Not like the connoisseur would have any luck with a gal like Samus. "Ready to go?"

"Of course I'm ready! I am ready to deliver a resounding fist of justice to the Seattle Stalker, one that will rivet him to the bone! Let's get this show on the road!"

So Mario, Peach, and Cilan all got inside Mario's car, as Mario turned on the ignition and drove off. Around the same time, Kapp'n drove off in his taxi, with Cloud and Aerith. After Kapp'n headed down the road, Link headed down the road as well, driving his truck and following closely behind Kapp'n. And once Link was gone, the Arwing took off, flying into the sky. Impa watched all of this go down, watching on the doorstep of Mario's home.

"Wonder what those blokes are up to..." wondered Impa; she knew Mario was attending the trial of the Seattle Stalker, and that Cloud was going on a date with Aerith, but she had no idea what Link and Wolf had planned.

"So, Impa, you and Lana are gonna leave soon, right?" Hunter asked the Sheikah, exiting the house while eating from a bag of potato chips. The cheetah's question made Impa furrow her brow. "'Cause Spyro and I really wanna stay in that guest room..."

"Give me that..." Impa turned around and grabbed the bag of potato chips from Hunter, before heading back inside the house. Snatched the chips out of Hunter's hand like the boss she was.

"Hey, gimme back my chips, I wasn't even done with them!" Hunter chased after Impa, after closing the front door.


Sonic had just about enough of Shadow, with the edgy hedgehog constantly annoying the blue blur about the Seattle Stalker. Sonic tried to get away from Shadow last week, by going to a flower shop with Amy and Aerith, but this week, the hedgehog opted to get away from Shadow...by playing with fire. Not literally, though, that's quite dangerous. But what Sonic planned on doing was just as dangerous, if not more.

"Sure you wanna go through with his, Sonic?" Tails asked his friend out of concern, as he and Sonic were walking through the hallway. Tails was concerned because Sonic was wearing a Los Angeles Rams jersey - and the Rams were bitter rivals of the hometown Seahawks.

"Yeah Tails, this is my one-time ticket to getting away from Shadow for good!" replied Sonic, with an assuring smile. Ever since Sunday, Master Hand restricted everyone living in the mansion from rooting for the Rams in the Super Bowl against the Patriots. Which meant everyone had to root for the Patriots...bleck!

Shadow: That Seattle Stalker loser is contacting to me, with his dumb notes and messages. Hopefully once he gets put to justice, I won't have to deal with that creep ever again. Cilan better come through, or else I'll...Why do I reach out to Sonic about the stalker? It's...it's because we're...good friends, despite being rivals. We're...friends. It's a Red and Blue type situation. Why can't I reach out to Crazy Hand instead? He never pays me any attention...every minute he's laughing at something, whether it's Guile's stupid haircut, or the painting of Lakitu hanging on the wall. He's gonna get a major dose of Chaos Control if he ever laughs at me...

"I don't think this is a really good idea Sonic, Master Hand takes this thing seriously," Tails said to Sonic, who scoffed as the two friends arrived at Corrin and Kamui's bedroom door. "I know you've had many near-death instances with Master Hand, but still..."

"If it means not having to put up with Shadow, then so be it," responded Sonic, before knocking on the bedroom door. Seconds later, Kamui would answer the door, with Sonic proudly smirking.

"Hello Sonic and Tails!" the princess of Nohr calmly greeted the two friends, before checking out the jersey Sonic was wearing. "Um...very interesting apparel you're wearing, Sonic. Very interesting indeed..."

"Only the greatest jersey in town, bar none!" flaunted Sonic, as he turned around and pointed at the number thirty on the back of his jersey. The hedgehog should totally walk into a Seattle bar and say what he just said, that would go well. "So, is your twin brother around?"

"Yes he is; he's apparently doing some 'housecleaning' in his shrine." Kamui turned her head around at Corrin, who was in the closet tidying up some things. "Oh, brother, Sonic would like to speak with you!"

"He dares to interrupt me while I'm refining the shrine of Emperor Palpatine?" frowned Corrin, as he stood up and dropped his small broom unto the ground. He approached Sonic and Tails, analyzing the former's jersey. "Ah, I see that you're an adversary of Emperor Palpatine..."

"Me, an adversary of that old cuck?" snorted Sonic, as Corrin felt animosity building inside of him. Sonic loved to toy around with the prince when it came to Palpatine and Star Wars fandom...and the Patriots. "That old, overrated loser ain't that good!"

"Isn't that good? ISN'T THAT GOOD?!" Fearing for her safety, Kamui cautiously backed away from Corrin, whose animosity reached a boiling point. "Must I remind you that Emperor Palpatine has hoisted the Lombardi trophy five times, and is one of the winningest coaches in football history? His sheer and utter dominance on the National Football League knows no bounds..."

"He's talking about the Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick," Tails whispered in Sonic's ear, giving the hedgehog a heads up. Like Sonic even needed one anyways.

"I know that already Tails, I'm not dumb..." Sonic whispered back to the yellow fox, before maintaining his focus on Corrin. "So, I see that you're still a Pats fan, huh? Well rather than coming to a truce for the big game, I want you to do me a huge favor..."

"Thanks, but no thanks Sonic - I refuse to deal with horrid scum like yourself," replied Corrin, returning to his closet...or rather, his shrine. Owning that closet completely like it was his. "Adversaries of Emperor Palpatine receive no consent from me!"

"But Corrin, you know that Sonic won't leave you alone until you comply to his wishes!" Kamui convinced her brother, but Corrin wouldn't budge, as he resumed tidying up his stupid little shrine.

"No matter, the forces of the Imperial Army will take care of Sonic. Palpatine will take the best and biggest soldiers from New England, and teach Sonic a lesson in respect. Then one day, that hedgehog will finally be on our side!"

"Corrin..." Kamui said in an exasperated tone, before smiling faintly and returning to Sonic and Tails. "Sorry Corrin refuses to come around. But I'm sure he'll be back to normal, after the big game."

"Bump that, I need Corrin right now, in the state that he's in," stated Sonic, establishing Corrin being as an essential part of his plan. "It's a long story, but I gotta get Shadow to stop..."

"You can just come back another time." Kamui kindly said to Sonic, before closing the door on him and Tails. Sonic snapped his fingers in bitter defeat.


Cloud: First time going on a date, and it's with Aerith. All the preparation I've done has paid off, I hope. If not, then Chrom is gonna hear an earful from me. Sora will be heading back to his home, so he'll just consider himself lucky...
Aerith: *calling out to Cloud* Cloud, are you coming or not?
Cloud: That must be Aerith...gotta go.

Cloud retreated to where Aerith was, standing at the entrance, as the swordsman and the flower girl entered the Canlis restaurant - a venue recommended to Cloud by Mario. Once inside, Cloud and Aerith saw a waiter standing at the front.

"Hello sir, a table for two please," Cloud said to the water, showing off his charm and affability to Aerith. Had to leave a good lasting impression on the flower girl.

"A table for two..." the waiter wrote down this information on a clipboard, scribbling furiously. "...would you mind telling me your names, so we can keep a record?"

"Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough. This is kinda our first date together." For some reason, the waiter's eyes lit up when he heard Cloud and Aerith's names, like he was expecting the couple to show up at Canlis.

"Ah, Cloud and Aerith, I've been told that you'd be here soon!" This made Cloud and Aerith curious, as they exchanged questionable looks with one another.

"That's weird, because it wasn't like I reserved a table or anything...which I forgot to do, sadly. Let me guess, Mario told you about my date, didn't he? He was the one who recommended this restaurant to me..."

"Actually, no - haven't spoken with Mario ever since he and his friends showed up last week." This made Cloud and Aerith even more curious. "That Travis Touchdown guy sure knows how to spike a restaurant bill..."

"But if Mario never told you that I was coming, then who did?" Suddenly, Cloud had a hunch for who the culprit, or culprits, were. "It was a spiky-haired guy with brown hair, wasn't it? Or some dude with blue hair?"

"Why don't you two just follow me to your table, and I'll show you who it is?" So Cloud and Aerith followed the waiter to their table...

...and to their surprise, they saw Link and Zelda seated at the table, sitting across from one another. Zelda had her face hidden by a menu she was holding up, whereas Link was tinkering with his silverware.

"Master Link, the others have arrived," the waiter informed the Hylian, who stopped playing with the eating utensils instantly. Being called "Master Link" made Link feel cocky, as he flashed a smile and chuckled.

"Hehe, Master Link...I love the sound of..." Link started as he turned in his seat, only to stop speaking when he saw Cloud and Aerith - the former furrowing his brow. "Cloud and Aerith! About time you guys made it!"

"Going on a date too, huh Link?" Cloud asked his best friend, who smiled even harder as he folded his arms behind his head and rested the heels of his feet on the table. Link was acting like he was at the top of the world.

"Please keep your feet off the table, sir," the waiter informed Link, who quickly did as he was told. Cloud and Aerith took a seat at the table, with Cloud sitting next to Link, and Aerith sitting next to Zelda. Cloud glared at Link, who flashed a Cheshire Cat grin.

"Trust me, I really don't want to be here..." Zelda whispered to Aerith, looking at the flower girl with her menu still concealing her face. Aerith hardly blamed the princess one bit.

Link: Beat Kapp'n to the restaurant before he could, so I did Cloud a favor and reserved him a table for him. Or should I say, the four of us. *grins* Wonder what Kapp'n's gonna do, since he has to wait on Cloud and Aerith's date to finish...but I know what he's got planned for today. *grins*


Situated outside the Canlis restaurant was Chrom, Sora, and Wolf, spying on Cloud through a window. The three were surprised that Link and Zelda were on a date, and that Link had reserved a table for Cloud and Aerith.

"Is it too much to just go inside the freaking restaurant?" questioned Wolf, who didn't like being outside. He saw an old lady pass by inside Canlis; the old lady spotted Wolf, who growled his teeth, and ran away shrieking.

"We could if we had a table to sit at," replied Chrom, as Wolf angrily mumbled to himself. "The farthest we could get would be in the lobby area of the restaurant."

"Well why don't you get us a table? We could just eat up all the grub in that restaurant - they can just feed us plate after plate! Special treatment, you know what I'm saying? Know what I'm talking about, Sora?" Wolf nudged the Keyblade wielder.

"I don't think that would be fair to the other customers..." replied Sora, as Wolf growled at the Keyblade wielder. All of a sudden, a certain turtle popped up between Wolf and Sora...it was Kapp'n.

"Sorry if I'm in your way," Kapp'n apologized to both Wolf and Sora, as he was wielding a notepad and pencil in his hands. Said materials quickly drew Chrom's intrigue and attention.

"What's with the notepad, Kapp'n - trying to take some notes?" inquired Chrom, as Kapp'n got all nervous and hid the notepad. "Don't hide that notepad away from me...I know what you're after...you just want some dating tips."

"Uh...yes, that's exactly why I'm here, to gain some pointers from Cloud and Aerith. You are a hundred percent correct, Chrom." Wolf didn't buy Kapp'n's reply one bit, as he looked at the turtle inquisitively.


Itsuki and Tsubasa were determined to make Fox happy again, and doing whatever it took to turn the pilot's frown upside down. The two met with Falco, Little Mac, Knuckles, Ribbon Girl, and Joker outside the Star Records room, so they could discuss their plan.

"So, does anyone have any great ideas for making Fox happy?" Itsuki kicked things off - alright, so the plan didn't really have a foundation yet, but this was the group's chance to have one established.

"I've got some jokes that can make everyone laugh," stated Falco, wanting to show off his comedic prowess. "Everyone except for college students, that is...told a few jokes at a college in Seattle, and got booed off the stage. Not that hard to tell where those students' intentions lie!"

"Pretty sure you just told crappy jokes in general." Falco gave Itsuki a very distasteful look, as Itsuki shifted his focus to Ribbon Girl. "Ribbon Girl, what can you to lift up Fox's spirits?"

"I could sing a song or two for Fox..." mused Ribbon Girl, as she stroked her chin with her giant hand. "...but I don't know if Fox is in the singing mood."

"Well he better get into the singing mood, he's not gonna sit against that wall and mope forever." The elevator door down the hallway opened, and exiting from the elevator was Makoto.

"Something you wish to show me, Makoto?" Joker asked the brunette, as she came walking over to him. Makoto pulled out her phone, revealing a bunch of messages she had received.

"Mario is practically live-tweeting the trial of the Seattle Stalker as I speak," replied Makoto, as Joker took a closer look at the brunette's phone. "From what I've heard, they wouldn't let the camera crew inside the..."

"How are those tweets, they're all text messages..." Joker interrupted Makoto as he furrowed his brow. "You do know what Twitter is, don't you Makoto?"

"Oh, I do...but evidently Mario doesn't. See? He literally just sent a text message, wondering why nobody was liking his 'tweets'. And I still have no clue why he's texting me, of all people. I never even got his contact info yet!"

Cappy: *outside the courtroom* Been forced to wait outside the courtroom, with you guys. *sighs* All because I nearly gave one of the jurors a heart attack, when she saw me on Mario's head. I was just trying to check out some dude's pot belly that Peach was whispering about! I think it was a dude...sorry if I'm being rude.

"If Mario says something noteworthy, don't hesitate to tell me about it," Joker said to Makoto, who nodded her head. "Though I highly doubt he'll say anything of value at all, until the end of the trial..."

"I'll do my best to keep you posted," Makoto responded as she walked away, before returning just so she could ask Joker a question. "By the way, why are you and the others gathered outside the Star Records room?"

"Because Fox is in there being a sad sappy sap over Krystal," replied Little Mac, telling it exactly how it was. But the boxer left out some necessary details, which made Makoto very curious.

"So you can't be in the room...because Fox is ruining the atmosphere or something? Has his whole depression over Krystal been that big of an impact?"

"We're doing our best to make Fox his happy, usual self again." Way to go, Little Mac - now Makoto isn't as curious anymore. However, the brunette didn't think Little Mac and company had what it took to relieve Fox.

"How about I go in there, and talk some sense into Fox," Makoto proposed to the others, hoping they would buy her idea. "What do you guys think?" Itsuki and Tsubasa looked at one another, musing over Makoto's plea and all their available options.

"I don't see nothing wrong with it," replied Tsubasa, as Itsuki momentarily peered inside the Star Records room; Fox was now in a fetal position. "A good talking to might turn things around for Fox."

"As a good friend of Fox, I completely give my unwavering support to Makoto," said Falco, before pointing at the brunette in question. "Don't let me down, woman!"

"Okay Falco...but don't act all surprised if I have to ask you for backup," Makoto told the avian pilot, as she stepped inside the Star Records room. Could Makoto be the one to turn things around for Fox?


Things were going well so far for Cloud, as the swordsman was enjoying his date with Aerith. He would've preferred if Link - the guy sitting next to him - and Zelda weren't around, sitting at their table, but at least his date with Aerith was finally taking place.

"Mm, this steak is much better than the one they offer at Hollow Bastion!" remarked Aerith as she took a bite from her steak. Throwing some shade at whoever cooked food in her home world. "How are you liking your salad, Cloud?"

"I'd say it's fairly decent, nothing spectacular," replied Cloud - count the swordsman along with Mario as the only dudes who would eat salad at a fancy restaurant such as Canlis. As Cloud ate his salad, he slid the note card he received from Sora out of his left pocket.

"What's that note card for?" Link whispered loudly, as he was eating his chicken. The Hylian tried to make out the words scribbled on the card, squinting as hard as he possibly could.

"None of your business, now shut up..." Cloud fired back, before looking at the note card which he held underneath the table. What line should Cloud use? "So Aerith, what are you most looking forward to when you return home?"

"Glad you asked that, Cloud - mainly, I'm just looking forward to seeing my friends again," smiled Aerith, as memories of her friends flooded her head. "Tifa, Leon, and even Scrooge McDuck!" Cloud tried not to cringe upon hearing Scrooge's name; he has heard about enough Disney characters.

"Psst, Cloud, can I see that card, I wanna give it a try," Link whispered to Cloud, albeit in a much quieter tone. Didn't want Cloud snapping on him again.

"Keep your hands away from me..." Cloud threatened Link, who cautiously pulled his hands away from the note card. Aerith looked at Cloud in an inquisitive manner, before Cloud regained his composure. "...I heard they sell sea salt ice cream at where you live, is that correct?"

"Oh yes, sea salt ice cream is one of our specialties! Scrooge McDuck usually makes the ice cream - I think he gave Marth a sample when he came to Hollow Bastion, to take me to Luigi's wedding.

Cloud: Scrooge McDuck, giving sea salt ice cream to Marth. Just gonna pretend I never heard that...

"No wonder Marth had brain freeze walking down the aisle," remarked Zelda, remembering Marth walking down the aisle with Wario from episode 24. The princess was looking out the window...she totally didn't wanna be here.

"It was only a small sample," stated Aerith, as Zelda looked one window over and saw Chrom, Sora, Wolf, and Kapp'n huddled together at the window. Zelda furrowed her brow at Chrom and company, as the four men moved out of the princess' sight.

"I'll be right back..." Zelda informed Link and the others, getting up as Aerith moved out of the way so Zelda could leave.


Sonic, wearing his Rams jersey, was determined to grab Master Hand's attention and wind up in the giant hand's doghouse - just so he could get further away from Shadow. The hedgehog would find Master Hand in the ballroom, with Pac-Man and Tom Nook.

"I must say, Pac-Man, you've done a bang up job with Aerith and Sora's going away party!" Master Hand commended the eater of ghosts, hoping neither Aerith nor Sora pulled a Lara and not show up for the party. At least the two can return whenever they want, once Dr. Wily and the Professor were finished.

"You say almost the same thing for every party you force me to set up..." murmured Pac-Man, leading Master Hand to grumble at the eater of ghosts with fury. Pac-Man shivered in fright. "...I mean, thanks for the kind words, Master Hand!"

"What a very thoughtful gesture from you, Master Hand, having this going away party," Tom Nook said to the giant hand, who desired to flick the tanuki out of the mansion and out of Seattle. "Deep down you've always had a heart of gold!"

"One more peep out of you, and I'm feeding you to Petey Piranha...and I'll make sure he digests you this time." Pac-Man looked at Master Hand, raising an eyebrow. "By this time, I mean...I was talking about someone else!"

"Likely story, Master hand, very likely story..." scoffed Pac-Man, as Sonic was about to step inside the ballroom and grab Master Hand's attention. The hedgehog only got one foot inside the ballroom, when...

"HANDS IN THE AIR, HEDGEHOG!" shouted Toon Link, as he and Young Link had their bows and arrows pointed at Sonic. Sonic slowly held up his hands, and turned around slowly, as he faced the buddy cops.

"Aight, you got me, fair and square," Sonic fessed up, though he wasn't interested in being arrested by the buddy cops. "Can you do me a favor, and turn me in to Master Hand, so he can put me out of misery and keep me away from Shadow?"

"Have you forgotten the rules around here, hedgehog?" frowned Young Link, completely ignoring Sonic's request. "Nobody is allowed to wear any Rams apparel during Super Bowl week. Therefore, you are under arrest for..."

"But the Super Bowl isn't even till February, how is this Super Bowl week?! We are like, nine days away!" The buddy cops refused to listen to Sonic, as they still had their arrows pointed at the hedgehog.

"Around here, every week is Super Bowl week..." stated Toon Link, in a very menacing tone, before looking at Young Link. "Cuff him up Hutch!" Young Link did as he was told, running towards Sonic and sending him to the floor.

"You are under arrest, for disrespecting Master Hand, Seattle, and the entire state of Washington!" Young Link informed Sonic, as he handcuffed the hedgehog. "You have the right to remain silent; you also have a right to a lawyer."

"Leave it alone, Hutch...no lawyer from this state will represent such a traitorous fiend like Sonic. That hedgehog will just have to venture outside the city. Now, stand him up!" Young Link stood Sonic up on his feet, with the hedgehog not at all concerned.

"After you guys are through with me, you're gonna turn me in to Master Hand, right?" Sonic asked the buddy cops, as they escorted him to their office. Safe to say Sonic feared Master Hand more than the buddy cops...as anyone should.

Master Hand: Am I mean and unjust, for preventing everyone living in the mansion from rooting for the Rams? I mean, I can't think of a single Rams fan living underneath this roof, so it's not like I'm being terribly insensitive. The main goal from this is to encourage everyone to embrace the Emerald City, and everything it stands for! The Seahawks, grunge music, fish cuisine...and yes, even those Microsoft tech nerds.


After being spotted by Zelda, Chrom and company moved away from the window they were situated at, and moved to the back of the Canlis restaurant. They hoped that Zelda wouldn't find them there.

"Great, now we can't see how Cloud's handling things with his date!" frowned Chrom, as he let out a sigh. "Knew we should've picked a better hiding spot..."

"And I can't take notes on Link and how well he's doing with Zelda!" started Kapp'n, before Chrom, Sora, and Wolf looked at the turtle. Kapp'n was about to reveal some very juicy information. "Whoops, did I say too much?"

"I thought you said you just wanted some dating pointers," said Sora, as sweat started running down Kapp'n's face. Suddenly, Wolf saw someone drawing near, as he quickly grabbed Chrom and company and took them to the nearby recycling bins, which the men hid behind.

"Chrom come out, I know you and your friends are hiding somewhere!" Zelda called out the prince's name, showing up at the scene. The princess looked around for Chrom and the others, only to frown when they were nowhere in sight.

"The trash from the recycling bin is really hurting my nostrils..." grimaced Kapp'n, as he held his nose...or at least covered his nostrils. Not even that could rid himself of the putrid smell.

"Pipe down, you Hylian stalker..." Wolf whispered to Kapp'n, before looking up at Zelda and expecting the princess to go away. "Why can't that dumb princess just leave already? What's taking her so long?"

"Eh, they're gonna show up eventually..." Giving up on her search, Zelda walked away from the premises. Once the coast was clear, Wolf and company emerged from their hiding spot, away from the smell.

"Guys, I think we should just head on inside..." suggested Wolf, as he found himself coughing from the smell he had to endure. "Who's got their wallet on 'em?"


Makoto continued to speak with Fox in the Star Records room, with the Phantom Thief kneeling on the floor next to the pilot. Fox still had his thousand mile stare on, while his best friend Falco stood behind Makoto.

"You know, the longer you keep your feelings inside of you, the worse you'll end up being in the long run," Makoto offered these words of encouragement to Fox, who didn't look like was paying much attention. "Are you even listening to me?"

"What would you know, you've never been at odds with your significant other before..." mumbled Fox, looking to the side. Tried not to look at Makoto. "...you're just some girl trying to win Joker's approval."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Makoto was taken back by Fox's response, but shook it off pretty quickly. "You can't sulk like this all day and expect things to get better. It's not how it works."

"Maybe it works differently for other people. It's not like I'm grieving or anything. I'm not gonna refuse to shave my face like Krystal and I are breaking up. We're still pretty tight with one another..."

"If you were as tight as you claimed to be, then maybe you shouldn't be avoiding Krystal at all costs." This made Fox ponder for a minute, as he looked up in sudden realization. He was clearly in the wrong.

"Yeah what she said, Makoto speaks the truth!" Falco followed up Makoto, who gave a dubious look at avian pilot. "What, what did I even say?"

"Can you say anything substantial, other than agreeing with every single thing that I say? Your mindless agreements isn't going to cheer up your best friend..."

"What can I say, I'm a terrible hype man." Hype man? HYPE MAN?! Makoto rolled her eyes at Falco's response. "It's a hit-or-miss job, you don't know what it's like!"

"Excuse me, is Fox still here?" asked Ema Skye, as she entered the Star Records room, spotting Fox in the far corner. "Oh, there you are Fox!" Fox sighed when his name was mentioned.

Ema: I've dealt with a myriad of Fox's personal problems before - heck, I even served as his "moral compass" when he was crying on the phone with Krystal, over some secret he shared with King Dedede. Mainly about Krystal having an eating disorder - happened last year. So, dealing with Fox in the state he's in should be easy work for me...

"Ah, came to the pity party, I see..." grumbled Fox, as Ema came over to the pilot. Fox looked up at Ema with a glare. "Wanna rain down on my sad little parade?"

"Fox, do you know what this is?" asked Ema, as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, unraveling it for Fox to see. "Does it ring a bell to ya?"

"Of course, that's the dumb apology letter that I wrote for..." Having examined the paper in Ema's hands, Fox quickly sprung up off the floor, grabbing the letter from the forensics expert. "...how did you get this?" Fox questioned Ema, looking and feeling pretty nervous.

"Funny story - Guile asked Celica for the letter and he was about to give it to Krystal...but he left it the gaming room while he was doing an arm wrestling match with Heihachi. And that's pretty much where I found it!"

"You didn't show it to Krystal, did you?" Oddly enough, Fox was breathing heavily, and trembling like he was having social anxiety. Which he didn't even have...

"I might've shown her the letter...or maybe I didn't. But why do you care?"

"Stop playing with me woman - did you show Krystal the letter?" Fox clutched his heart, as he was sweating for no reason. Ema, Falco, and Makoto were concerned.

"You're not looking that well, Fox...do I need to turn down the AC for you?"

"I'm gonna ask you this one last time - did you show Krystal the letter?" Fox looked like he was feeling very dizzy and lightheaded, like he was ready to faint.

"Yes, yes I did, I did show Krystal the letter. Showed her everything." At that moment, Fox's world came crashing down.

"Ah, dang it...now you've done it." Fox walked away from Ema, having heard enough. The pilot was still clutching his heart, as he was huffing and puffing.

"Bruh, Fox, where you going man?" Falco called out to his best friend, who stormed out of the Star Records room. Fox passed by Itsuki and Tsubasa, who were patiently waiting by in the hallway.

"Fox, what's the matter with you?" Itsuki asked the pilot, as he and Tsubasa chased after him. Fox could tell Itsuki and Tsubasa were hot on his heels, so he picked up the pace.

"Leave me the heck alone..." Fox fired back at Itsuki, frantically climbing down the stairs. Where on earth was that fox running off to?!


"...and then, I brought his hand down to the table, like THIS!" Heihachi demonstrated to Meta Knight, as the fighter was bragging about his arm wrestling victory over Guile to the Star Warrior in the arcade room. "Left Guile crying!"

"I highly doubt that..." remarked Meta Knight, as Heihachi viciously glared at the Star Warrior. "...about Guile crying over his loss, I mean. He only has one facial expression, and he never shows any emotion. He literally has the personality of a brick."

"Now, now, Meta Knight, you don't have to offend bricks like that...I'm sure Guile was sad about his loss, he just didn't want to show his emotions. That's why he keeps it all underneath that rock-solid face of his!"

Guile: I might've lost to Heihachi in arm wrestling, but I didn't take it seriously. Wasn't crying like a baby. I can't even bring myself to cry over anything. Except funerals. And maybe the Grand Canyon.

Heihachi was about to brag even more, until Fox ran inside the arcade room. The pilot stood in the doorway, as he was catching his breath.

"Hold up, this isn't Leia's office..." observed Fox, still huffing and puffing and feeling sweaty and lightheaded. His presence grabbed the attention of Heihachi and Meta Knight. "...what are you guys looking at?"

"Everything alright with you, Fox?" questioned Meta Knight, who from the get-go knew something was up with Fox. The pilot was looking and acting like he was on his last breath, ready to meet his end.

"Yeah, I'm alright, I'm just...looking for the fitness center, that's all." Fox sat on the floor, hoping that doing so would let him catch his breath. "Looking for Leia..."

"You're...not having a panic attack, are you Fox?" Fox refused to answer Meta Knight's question...instead, the pilot fell to the floor, on his back, as he was huffing and puffing even harder. Itsuki and Tsubasa arrived at the scene, seeing Fox on the floor.

"What are you two looking for, the man needs some help!" Itsuki called out to Heihachi and Meta Knight, who quickly came over to Fox's aid.


Cloud's date with Aerith was still going swell, as both Cloud and Aerith were having a great time. Link was having a great time as well, on his date, though the same couldn't be said for Zelda.

"There's a Sephiroth in your own universe, isn't that right Aerith?" Cloud asked the flower girl, as the date was about to wind down. "He's pretty strong, isn't he?"

"Oh yes he is - he has defeated Sora on many occasions," replied Aerith; Cloud didn't find that hard to believe. "Last time I saw him, he was involved in a very intense fight...with the Cloud from my universe."

"Yeah, the Cloud in your own universe...the reason Sora's been telling me so many weird tales. Really explains a lot. How come you never told Sora the truth? Could've saved me some trouble!"

"I would have...but I really didn't want to burst his bubble. The truth wouldn't been to hard for him...to handle."

Aerith would trail off, for she saw Sora in the distance, walking with Chrom, Wolf, and Kapp'n. The waiter walked the four to their table, as Aerith and the others were keeping watch.

"Wow, I wonder what those four are doing here..." Zelda said sardonically, as Link hid his face behind his menu...only to realize his menu was no longer here. The waiter had taken it up.

"Hey Cloud, can I see that note card really quick?" the Hylian asked his best friend, out of desperation. Cloud dug into his pocket, pulling out the note card.

"Just take it, I don't really need it anymore," replied Cloud, handing the note card to Link. The swordsman didn't need some lousy note card - he already had things in the bag.

Zelda: Kapp'n was present when Link and I were at the cocktails party, and he was present again during our "date"...something fishy is going on.

"We don't need any menus, but thanks anyways," Chrom said to the now befuddled waiter, while Link was reading from his note card to make it seem like he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings.

"So you four just came in to...okay, whatever," the waiter responded, throwing his arms up in the air as he walked away. "Enjoy your stay in the restaurant!"

"Wow, I'm surprised that even worked...we totally wasted Kapp'n's money for nothing." Suddenly, Chrom's cellphone went off, emitting a ringtone loud enough for everyone to hear. The prince frantically pulled out his phone, as Cloud looked over.

"Chrom, you can't have your cellphone on in a restaurant like that, it's rude," the swordsman called out to the prince, before looking at Aerith and flashing a faint smile. Aerith would smile right back.

"Nicely played, my man..." Link grinned at Cloud, holding out his fist for a fist bump but was unfortunately left hanging. Zelda looked at Link, spotting the note card the Hylian was "reading" from.

"Let me see that..." the princess snatched the note card from Link, only to furrow her brow when she read the title. "'Talking Points with Aerith Gainsborough'? What on earth..." Aerith found herself befuddled by the title.

"Uh, it's a long story." Zelda refused to believe this, as she tossed the note card unto the floor. Good thing Cloud didn't need it anymore.


Sonic remained inside his "jail cell", at the buddy cops' make-believe police station. He was still wearing his Rams jersey, and was looking for a way to get out.

"Someone's gotta bust me outta here..." said Sonic, looking through the prison bars of his cell hoping for someone to pass by. Fortunately for Sonic, someone did pass by in the hallway...and it was Corrin.

"Well Corrin, you really outdid yourself...that Emperor Palpatine shrine looks top notch!" the prince of Nohr said to himself, proud of his own work. "The Galactic Federation will be most proud!"

"Yo, bandwagoner, over here!" Sonic called out to Corrin, who stormed inside the police station. Didn't take that bandwagoner remark too well. "Just the guy I needed to see!"

"What did you call me just now? A bandwagoner?! Like you're the one to talk; you're only rooting against the Patriots because it makes you feel powerful, and defiant! Oh how I hate your kind..."

"Or maybe I'm rooting for the Rams for an entirely different reason." Corrin cooled off when Sonic made his remark, now left interested in the hedgehog's intentions.

"Wait, so you're NOT rebelling against the rule of the Patriots, or the Galactic Federation? You're just rooting for the Rams, because of free spirit and the freedom of choice? Is that what it is?"

"...if that's how you put it, then yeah, definitely, one hundred percent." Sonic and Corrin were seemingly on the same page - a remarkable feat, considering the different teams they were rooting for.

Sonic: Even despite my big plan, I'm still rooting for the Rams to win regardless. Like I said before, it would be a very sad look for football if some geezer like Brady won another Super Bowl.

"In that case, I fully respect your decision," said Corrin, acting very much unlike an unruly Patriots fan. And most Boston sports fans in general. "Tell me, what has propelled you to root for the Rams?"

"I can tell ya if you want...but first, you gotta do me a huge favor," replied Sonic, leaning in close to Corrin only to realize that the prison bars where in his way. "Provided you bust me outta here."


Spyro was supposed to deliver the food he cooked to Travis Touchdown, but after the dragon stopped by Travis' camper...Travis followed Spyro back to Mario's house, and ate his food there. Quite strange.

"Personally, I give this burger a ten out of ten!" Travis offered his critique, while he was devouring burgers left and right in the kitchen. Impa and Spyro looked on, as Travis did his thing.

"Guess he didn't want to stay in his camper forever!" Spyro smiled at Impa, who looked up at the heavens and shook her head. The doorbell suddenly rang, meaning that Mario and Peach must've made it back home.

"I'll get it," Impa said to Spyro, as he hustled her way to the front door and opened it. Standing on the doorstep was Mario and Peach...and Cilan. "About time you made it back...so how was it?"

"It was absolutely WONDERFUL!" exclaimed Cilan, twirling his way inside Mario's house. Mario and Peach entered inside, with the front door left open. No screen door; keep that in mind. "To be on the right side of justice, felt great!"

"Yes, Cilan did a solid-a job, Master Hand and Crazy Hand had-a no reason to panic," stated Mario, who along with Peach knew that Cilan would get the job done. "Didn't really have-a to do much."

"That's nice...so, you all saw the Seattle Stalker in person, did you not?" Mario, Peach, and Cilan all nodded their heads, ready for the million dollar question. "Who is the Seattle Stalker?"

Mario was about to answer, until a tranquilizer dart was fired at the plumber's neck, sending him to the floor unconscious. Everyone panicked, as Impa and Peach knelt down at Mario's side.

"Oh no, Mario's been attacked!" fretted Peach, as she saw the tranquilizer dart in Mario's neck. Mere seconds later, another dart was fired, this one nailing Cilan in the neck as well. The connoisseur fell to the floor, falling unconscious too.

"Cilan's down for the count as well!" panicked Cappy, as he came over to check on Cilan...only for a tranquilizer dart to nail him. Another dart was fired, this one at Peach, and sent the princess into a state of unconsciousness as she fell atop Mario.

"Did everyone just get tranquilized just now?" questioned Spyro, finally showing up at the scene. Travis was still eating his burgers. Impa looked out through the open front door, scowling. "The heck is going on?!"

"It seems as if we're being watched..." replied Impa, as she quickly closed the front door. What if the Seattle Stalker was spying on Mario from afar...and tranquilized him and Peach to keep their identity a secret?


Isabelle was with Master Hand in his room, keeping the giant hand posted on important things. Things such as the party, that Master Hand expected Sora and Aerith to show up to.

"Cloud called me and said that he and Aerith are returning from their date soon," stated Isabelle, much to Master Hand's delight. "Said he's going to take Aerith around town for a bit, before heading back."

"Excellent! Tell Cloud to hurry up, we can't wait on Aerith forever!" Master Hand said to Isabelle, hoping to surprise Aerith with the party. Especially since he couldn't surprise Lara, because reasons. "Oh boy, the look on Aerith's face will be..."

"Master Hand, we have a major crisis on our hands!" alerted Corrin, barging inside the room while bringing Sonic with him. "There's a Rams fan among us!" Corrin revealed Sonic to Master Hand, displaying the hedgehog's Rams jersey.

Corrin: I have no clue whether what I'm doing is right or not...but for what it's worth, Sonic did say that I'll be pleasing Emperor Palpatine. So with that in mind, what do I even have to fear?

"Yeah, that's right, I'm cheering for the Rams in the big game!" Sonic bragged to Master Hand, showing off his Rams jersey. The hedgehog expected the giant hand to react harshly...

...but instead, Master Hand just floated there, like nothing was wrong. This confused Sonic and Corrin, the former even more so.

"I mean, I only enforced that whole mandate, just to encourage everyone to support the city," Master Hand plainly stated, surprising Sonic by how chill he was. "To create a sense of solidarity, while a rival team tries to steal the city's thunder. So I respect your choice...although I may not like it."

"Looks like I have to kick off Plan B..." sighed Sonic as he took off his Rams jersey - revealing a referee shirt underneath, with black and white stripes. The moment Master Hand saw the shirt, he started breathing heavily, with fury.

"Master Hand, is that shirt triggering you?" Isabelle cautiously asked the giant hand, who was unable to perceive what he was seeing. All that unbridled anger couldn't be held in any longer.

"THOSE DUMB REFEREES, THEY'RE THE REASON WHY THOSE STINKING RAMS ARE IN THE SUPER BOWL IN THE FIRST PLACE!" boomed Master Hand; Isabelle and Corrin were scared, but Sonic was smiling, for his mission was complete. "HOW I HATE THOSE MISCREANTS, I HATE THEM SO MUCH!"

"So does that mean you'll keep me in the doghouse for the time being?" Sonic asked Master Hand, who was too furious to even answer the hedgehog's question


Impa sat Mario, Peach, and Cilan on Mario's couch, allowing the three (and Cappy, seated atop Mario's lap) to regain their consciousness. They would all wake up eventually, having regained their senses.

"Why does my neck-a feel sore?" wondered Mario, grabbing his neck, as Peach and Cilan experienced a much similar feeling. Cappy, who had no neck, was feeling pretty left out.

"You were all hit by tranquilizer darts," replied Impa, who was watching over Mario and company with Lana, Spyro, and Hunter. Travis had already left...shows you how much he cared. "But you should be fine now. The Seattle Stalker, who was it?"

"Ah, yes, the Seattle Stalker, it was..." Mario was about to provide an answer, but instead frowned, like he felt a headache coming. "...weird, I can't seem-a to remember the person's name!"

"Funny you should say that, because I can't remember either!" stated Peach, much to the chagrin - and concern - of Impa and the others. "Everything about the court trial has been forgotten!"

"Do you at least know the gender of the stalker, or what they look like?" questioned Lana; those tranquilizer darts must've been pretty potent.

"No, we can't remember a single thing - we only know the moniker!" responded Cilan, before frantically pulling on his hair. "It's almost like the information was literally seeped out of our brains!"

"It must've been those tranquilizer darts Impa spoke of," theorized Cappy, as the darts in question were resting on a living room table. "Someone clearly doesn't want us to know about someone! Not good, not good at all..."

"Impa, does this mean what I think it means?" Lana asked the Sheikah, who had her arms folded as she thought over the situation in her head. Her mind was seemingly made up.

"Our work here is not yet done..." replied Impa, with Spyro and Hunter suddenly fearing for the worst. "...looks like we'll have to remain in this city a bit longer."

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Hunter wailed, as he fell unto his knees. Spyro would console the cheetah, as Impa scoffed at his behavior. So much for staying in that guest room.

Peach: Weird...literally everything after the judge struck his gavel has left my memory banks. Sure hope I didn't forget anything important on the way back home...

Cilan: Oh dear, what if Master Hand and Crazy Hand ask me about the trial? I WIL BE UNABLE TO TELL THEM A SINGLE THING BECAUSE I FORGOT EVERYTHING! I'm so done for...


The Professor and Dr. Wily were done with their machine, ready to transport Sora and Aerith back to their universe. All there was left to do now as to wait on Sora and Aerith to make it back home.

"Master Hand is throwing a going-away party for Sora and Aerith in the ballroom," Pit informed The Professor and Dr. Wily, reading a text message he got from Viridi. He and Kirby remained in the basement of the tower, to see the machine's progress.

"In that case, why don't we invite a few guests from Sora's universe?" the Professor suggested, which got Dr. Wily stroking his chin. "What do you think, Dr. Wily..."

"I believe I have the perfect guest in mind..." smiled Dr. Wily, before looking at the switch on the machine. "...someone that will make Sora look like an utter fool!"

"You want to make Sora look stupid in front of everyone? Wow Dr. Wily, that's low, even for a guy like you!" Yeah, because wanting to rule the world with powerful robots didn't make Wily low enough already.

"It'll pay off Pit, just you wait and see...the look on Sora's face will say it all!"


Fox suddenly woke up, taking a deep breath as he observed his surroundings. No longer was the pilot in the arcade room...he was now in Leia's office, resting on the patient bed. Leia was present, looking through the cabinets of her office.

"Leia, what am I doing here, what happened?" Fox questioned the nurse, left with more questions than answers.

"About time you woke up," responded Leia, as she closed the cabinet door. "What happened? You were having a panic attack!" Fox looked at Leia, before bursting into laughter as he slapped his knee.

"Me, having a panic attack? I wasn't having a panic attack...my heart was just, acting funny. It was playing mind games with me." Fox would stop laughing, before looking at Leia once more. "Did I really have a panic attack?"

"That's what everyone's been saying - Falco, Ema, Meta Knight, and everyone else who's seen you. Krystal even came by, while you were asleep."

"She did?! Man, I still can't believe Ema had the gall to show Krystal that letter...like, what was she even thinking?"

"Better out than in," Leia smirked, as she walked out of her office. Fox looked on with a furrowed brow, wondering where he heard that from today...


When Sora and Aerith returned to the mansion, it was time for the going-away party to begin. Everyone was gathered in the ballroom, with many folks saying their goodbyes to Sora and Aerith (albeit by force). While Cilan was trying to explain the Seattle Stalker trial to the best of his ability to the giant hands, Sora and Aerith were chilling out at the front of the ballroom, together.

"This is a pretty neat sendoff for the both of us, if I do say so myself," remarked Sora, greatly surprised by the turnout. Master Hand didn't play when it came to "mandatory" parties. "But you know what would make this party even better?!"

"Oh, Sora, we've got one more party guest for you!" announced Dr. Wily, showing up at the ballroom. Sora looked up at the robot inventor, wondering what the big surprise was...

...only to be completely floored when a certain blonde swordsman entered the ballroom. It was a swordsman everyone recognized, especially Sora.

"Cloud, you finally made it!" gleamed Sora, as he ran up the swordsman. Cloud didn't look like he wanted to be here, but he had to support his girl, Aerith. "Had a feeling you would come!"

"Uh, sure, glad I could make it," responded Cloud, happy that Sora wasn't excitable enough to hug him. "This party saved me from dealing with Sephiroth, so I can always appreciate that..."

"That's weird...because I'm sure you were on a date with Aerith prior to the party." This confused Cloud, evidenced by his bewildered facial expression. "Got amnesia or something?"

"No I don't - I was fighting Sephiroth to the death, and then I magically ended up here. Actually, at the tower next door. What's it called again?"

"Okay, I'm pretty sure there's something funny going on here..." Sora was smiling, trying to piece things together the best he could. "...anyone here know what's up with Cloud? Anyone?"

"Perhaps I can provide an answer for your troubles, Sora."

Sora looked to his right...and BOOM! Cloud emerged out of the shadows, to a deafening silence. Sora's deafening silence.

"TWO Clouds?!" exclaimed Sora, trying to process all this information. The Keyblade wielder was hoping he wouldn't have a headache. "But how, how's it possible?"

"That Cloud could be the one from this universe...and I'm the Cloud from your universe," the Cloud standing next to Sora put it perfectly, telling it how it was. That's when Sora realized he made a very damning error, this whole time.

Dr. Wily: Used the transport machine to bring Cloud from Sora's universe into the fray. Could've brought in some Disney folk, to prove to Cloud that Sora was right, but I felt like Sora needed to be put in his place more.

"Oh...so you're a different Cloud," Sora said as he pointed at Cloud - the one living in the mansion. Cloud was starting to feel relieved, just like everyone else who had to put up with Sora's shenanigans.

"Thought that was obvious the moment you showed up..." grumbled Cloud, grateful that Sora finally learned the truth. "Aerith was supposed to tell you, but she was too chicken to do it."

"I just didn't want to hurt your feelings," Aerith said to Sora, in a very apologetic tone. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

"Nah, it's fine, it's my fault for not realizing things myself." Sora looked towards the Cloud - the one he has harassed for many, many episodes. "Sorry about everything...Cloud. For all those things I told you, all the stories..."

"At least we're now both on the same page," responded Cloud, patting Sora on the shoulder. Sora grinned, as he and Cloud were now pretty tight with one another. "About time you realized your mistake."

"Yeah, I didn't know what I was thinking...got all excited the moment I saw you, with Aerith. I guess that's when I really started going off the rails..."

"Would you care to stick around a bit longer, alternate universe Cloud?" Master Hand asked...well, alternate universe Cloud, giving Cilan a break from being verbally blasted beyond relief.

"I'd love to, but I got some business to take care of in Hollow Bastion...so I can't stay as long," replied Cloud, as he looked around the ballroom and saw everyone. "I will say, this isn't the strangest universe in existence..."


Once the party was over, it was time for Cloud to say his goodbyes. Everyone else said goodbye to Sora and Aerith, including the Mario Bros, Yuffie, Spyro, Hunter, and even the chicks from Hyrule. And now, it was Cloud's turn.

"Guess this might be the last time I'll see you guys..." Cloud said to Sora and Aerith, with the portal activated behind the two. Alternate universe Cloud was standing near the portal, ready to go. "...barring the Christmas party, of course."

"You know Master Hand will drag us back to the city just for that party," stated Sora, already envisioning himself and Aerith hanging out at some Christmas party. "He sure loves to invite people!"

"Ain't that the truth..." Cloud walked up to Sora, and in an act that never would've been done in a previous episode...the swordsman shook the Keyblade wielder's hand. Letting bygones be bygones. "Take care, okay?"

"You bet! See ya!" Sora gave Cloud the two-finger salute, as he headed inside the portal. That left Aerith...and also, alternate universe Cloud, still ready to go.

"I really enjoyed my lengthy stay at the mansion," Aerith said to Cloud, as she held the swordsman's hands. "You really made it all the more worthwhile."

"What can I say, that's what best friends do," stated Cloud. "Mansion's not going to be the same without you."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find someone to replace me...which I highly doubt. But we'll see each other again, right?"

"That's what I'm hoping for - I know for a fact you won't be gone forever. I know you'll be back sooner or later."

"Aerith I don't mean to ruin the mood, but are you ready to go?" alternate universe Cloud implored the flower girl; he couldn't wait any longer.

"Goodbye Cloud!" Aerith bid her farewell to Cloud...before giving the swordsman a surprise kiss on his cheek. Caught him by surprise.

"Goodbye to you too, Aerith," Cloud said to the flower girl, as she backed away into the portal. "Till we see each other again..."

"I will never forget you!" On that remark, Aerith blew a kiss to Cloud, before stepping inside the portal. Alternate universe Cloud could finally go now.

"Thanks for taking good care of her, man," alternate universe Cloud said to regular Cloud, before stepping inside the portal. Soon the portal shut off, with Sora and Aerith now back in their own universe.

"Such a shame Aerith had to go..." sighed Dr. Wily, after turning off the portal, as he stood at Cloud's side and rested a hand on the swordsman's shoulder. "...and you and Sora were just getting along, too!"

"Yea, but I know I'll see their faces again..." remarked Cloud, as he quietly shed a tear...

...a tear for Aerith Gainsborough.