Author's Note:
This is a chapter that has to do with two games that were released on the same day - Another Code: Recollection, Prince of Persia, Sands of Time. It turned out to be much, MUCH longer than anticipated, but I made it work. Enjoy!
Episode 409: Another
In the last episode, the former man of the mansion Link came to Phoenix Wright asking to move in with him. On paper, the thought of those two living together - a Hylian and a man who once practiced law - sounded unusual. But they were well-acquainted, so it was all good.
Phoenix knew that Link wanted to clear his reputation and return to being the man of the mansion, so he was committed to everything in his power to help the Hylian out. The former attorney had some big plans for Link, and he planned on carrying out one of those plans today - and it was something bound to take Link by surprise.
But let's forget about Link and Phoenix Wright for a brief moment. How were the mansion folks vibing without having Link around? The residents were in the dining room, enjoying breakfast while making the most of Link's absence.
"Still feels weird to not have Link around in the morning," remarked Banjo as he took a sip of orange juice, not caring that he drank from the wrong glass. "What do you guys think he's up to?"
"Probably off hunting for rupees or something," assumed Falco as the person sitting next to Banjo, Min Min, was frowning after her orange juice was contaminated by bear backwash. "Dude's always broke."
"Yeah, when is he not broke?" giggled King Dedede, who now deemed breakfast to be his favorite meal of the day since never I-No shows up. "Bet you he's homeless right now!"
"To be fair, Link did own a house...a tree house, to be exact," snorted Captain Falcon as he leaned back in his chair - leaning back so far that he fell to the floor on his back.
"I'm just bummed that he took his truck with him," lamented Leon Powalski, as Captain Falcon in the process of falling accidentally kicked his plate off the table with his left leg. "It's not nearly as fun joyriding in Jacky's car."
"What is it with you people misusing my car?!" boomed Jacky Bryant; due to Waluigi acting a fool in episode 402, Jacky was forced to get extra car insurance for his vehicle.
"I never said I misused it...it's not like I crashed your car or anything." But that didn't matter to Jacky, who was so ticked off that he stormed out of the dining room. Just as Jacky exited, Zelda entered.
"Link really needs to work on his fashion sense," Wendy Koopa critiqued Link's usual garb, as Zelda sensed the vibe in the dining room and was quickly upset. "Green tunic and tights? It's not the Middle Ages anymore!"
"Link's a medieval guy, cut him some slack!" defended Toad, one of the few individuals in the dining room who wouldn't dare to besmirch Link's name. Might score him some points with Zelda.
"Toad's right - I'm a medieval guy myself," Chrom sided with Toad, expressing some pride in his humble origins. "Nobody picks on me for how I dress."
"And who's asking you for fashion advice?" Wendy questioned Chrom, who piped down in a hurry as he resumed eating his scrambled eggs. "I rest my case..."
"So what did I miss?" Zelda sternly addressed the crowd as she folded her arms, as those who were talking junk about Link went radio silent. An awkward silence filled the air. "That's what I thought..."
Zelda: Life at the mansion without Link has been fine, for the most part - Champ is doing a superb job at filling the void. I think we'd be in much worse hands if Kazuya was in his spot instead. He would challenge people to a death battle to determine who gets to watch TV in the living room. He did it once with Yoshi and Banjo...and it didn't end well. For both Yoshi and Banjo, obviously.
"Had to resolve a small issue in the kitchen," Champion Link informed Zelda as he entered the dining room, exhaling as he put his hands on his hips. "Those buddy cops just couldn't leave that syrup in the fridge alone!"
"Told them the woman on that syrup bottle wasn't problematic...oh well," responded Zelda, as Master Hand entered the dining room trying to sneak up on Champion Link and Zelda. The plan was foiled when both Hylians turned around.
"Darn it! You two never get with the program," Master Hand seethed after he was caught, as Champion Link and Zelda both exchanged smiles. "Anyway, we have a pressing issue on our hands."
"If that is so, then why didn't you approach us seriously?" Zelda was unknowingly making Master Hand even angrier, but fortunately for her Master Hand seldom lost his temper in her presence.
"Can you let me talk? Good grief...so the pressing issue on our hands. It was brought to my attention, by Sephiroth, that a member of Dimentio's coalition is coming to the mansion."
"And we should trust Sephiroth's word because...?" inquired Champion Link, knowing from a first-hand experience two episodes ago that Sephiroth was quite the conniving one. "Sephiroth isn't exactly a beacon of trust."
"Sephiroth made a convincing case, so I had to believe him. We'll need all hands on deck to stop this evildoer from doing...evil things. Which is why..."
"You want us to find anyone who could stop them," Zelda would finish for Master Hand, before looking at Champion Link in a rueful manner. "Hate to put you on the spot Champion Link..."
"No, it's fine - I was gonna do it anyway," Champion Link admitted with a sigh, as the pancakes he was looking forward to would have to wait. "This had better be an actual threat..."
Phoenix and Trucy both lived at an apartment in Seattle, which was Phoenix's abode pretty much ever since his disbarment. There was a guest bedroom for Link to stay in, and it helped Link feel like he was at home. Link was becoming more and more used to his new home, as he was in the kitchen that morning trying to make some coffee.
"Sweet mother of Din, this is so embarrassing..." sighed Link as he was struggling with the coffee machine, pressing all the wrong buttons. He was hoping that Phoenix wouldn't catch him during his plight.
"Having trouble with the coffee machine, eh?" asked a certain former attorney, as Phoenix waltzed inside the kitchen wearing his pajamas. And a hot brew of coffee in his hand to boot. "Let me help you out."
"No thanks, Phoenix, I don't need your...help." Too late, as Phoenix rushed to the kitchen counter. Link could only watch as Phoenix pressed all the right buttons, before mashing "Start" as the coffee started brewing.
"Presto! That wasn't so hard, was it?" Phoenix was so proud of what he did, that he almost wanted to pat himself of on the back. Such a simple task was giving him a big head.
"I guess not. I'm so used to having my coffee fixed, that I forgot how to make coffee myself!" Link forgot that he was no longer at the mansion, where he would always have a readily-prepared brew. Or a five-minutes late brew, if Pit was the one fixing it.
Phoenix: It has been a full week since Link moved in, and I had to lay down a few ground rules. Nothing too drastic. Long as he lives under his roof, he is not allowed to walk around barefoot, watch TV past midnight, or even sing Apache war cries while doing house chores. *pauses* Huh, those are things that I do and then some...I oughta do a better job at policing myself. I'm a former attorney, dang it!
"How can you be a leader of man, and forget how to make coffee?" Phoenix questioned Link, as his adopted daughter Trucy entered the kitchen and opened up the fridge. "You must've really lost your touch."
"Or maybe I've just gotten complacent," Link casually shrugged, as he saw Trucy take an orange juice carton out of the fridge and placing it on the counter. "Good morning, Trucy."
"Good morning," greeted Trucy as she went to the cupboard to grab a glass...only to gasp after seemingly remembering something. "I'll be right back!" The young magician promptly left the kitchen, much to Link's bewilderment.
"What was that all about?" Link glanced at Phoenix, who tried to act all naïve as Trucy returned with a box. One that appeared to be for Link.
"Guess what, Link? I have something for you!" Trucy waved the box excitedly to Link, before handing it over with a grin. "I think you'll like it very much."
"Would've preferred that you given me via magic trick, but I won't complain..." Link was undecided on opening the box at first, but Phoenix nodded towards him giving him the green light to open the box.
"What is it?" inquired Phoenix, still acting naïve as ever as Link took out the item that was in the box. In Link's hand was a device that strongly resembled a Nintendo DS.
"A handheld gaming console?" Link examined the device he was holding, as Trucy's eyes were gleaming with excitement. "I've never seen one like this before. Thanks, Trucy...don't know what I'll do with it."
"Go on, play it!" Trucy urged Link, who wasn't taking initiative as he remained standing in place. "What are you waiting for?" Trucy had to push Link out of the kitchen, and Link was on his way as he went to his room.
"Okay, okay, I'm going!" Link went inside the guest room, closing the door behind him but only leaving it slightly creaked open. Trucy smiled, proud of what she did as Phoenix placed his arm around her.
"And now we wait..." Phoenix said to Trucy, before crinkling his nose as he a pungent coffee smell filled the air. The former attorney looked to his right and almost screamed his head off. "...the coffee machine, it's still running!"
Sonic had plenty of friends staying at Omnis Adest - Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and Silver the Hedgehog just to name a few. More recently, another member of the Sonic crew had joined the community - Blaze the Cat. Sonic had plans of hanging out with Blaze today, but first he had to pay Mario a quick visit.
"Thanks again for the tuba!" Sonic spoke with Mario outside the plumber's house, as Mario was handing the blue hedgehog his beloved tuba. Peach, Spyro, and Hunter were also outside to witness the transaction.
"Take good-a care of her," Mario pleaded to Sonic after handing over his tuba, sending Sonic off to embark on his new musical journey. "Play that tuba to your heart's-a content!"
"And play it as far away from this house as possible!" Spryo called out to Sonic, who crossed the road as he headed to Omnis Adest. Believing that life for him would be more pleasurable now going forth, Spyro happily sighed.
"Think I'm gonna miss Mario playing that tuba," Hunter quietly admitted, already feeling nostalgic as Spyro looked at the cheetah like the crazy person that he undoubtedly was. "Unified hatred is what keeps everyone going."
Mario: Peach and the fellas had to talk-a me into giving up the tuba. Tried playing a tuba solo to sway their minds, but that only gave-a them even more justification. Oh well, there's still time-a to learn how to play a new instrument. *holds up flute* No one has ever said that the flute drove-a them insane. *plays flute solo*
Sonic: Blaze asked me recently what I've been up to, which is always an awkward question if you don't have an answer. So to keep her from thinking that I've been wasting my time, I'm gonna make her believe that I've gotten into playing the tuba. It isn't much, but it's better than Lavenza's idea of "staying true" to who I am. Does she want Blaze to think that I'm boring and one-dimensional?
Just as Mario and company were about to head back inside, they were met by a small black battleship making its descent into the front yard. Everyone warily looked on as the spacecraft made its landing.
"Aliens..." Hunter angrily hissed, as a door to the battleship opened and a ramp descended from it reaching the ground. Smoke came out from the door, making Mario and the others cough and gag.
"Attention, Mario!" a voice called out to the plumber through the smoke, as Mario was able to make out two glowing red eyes. They were menacing, too. "It is I, a companion from the All-Star Manor."
"Is that...Colonel Radec?" wondered Mario, and once the smoke cleared, Mario's suspicions were correct...standing before him was Colonel Radec. Armed with his rifle and all.
"Don't even try it," Spyro whispered to Hunter, who was about to accuse Colonel Radec of being a potential alien. Talk about saving his friend from death.
"I was gonna ask where he got his contacts from...Mr. Know-It-All," Hunter whispered in retort, and Spyro was about to say something only to save his breath. It wasn't worth his time or effort.
"Yes, it's me," Colonel Radec confirmed to Mario, his current demeanor indicating that he was in no mood for making any trips. "I have brought with me a surprise. Consider it a peace offering from the manor."
"A peace offering?" inquired Peach, and that's when Colonel Radec whistled into his fingers to summon a few individuals from his battleship. Exiting the ship were Big Daddy and Little Sister...and a third individual.
"Oh wow, it's Big Daddy and Little Sister!" exclaimed Cappy, as the individual standing with the duo had everyone's eyes bugling out. "And Kratos?!"
"This had better be worth the trouble..." muttered Kratos as he, Big Daddy, and Little Sister walked down the ramp. In his hand was his key weapon, the Leviathan Axe - or at least something that resembled it.
Colonel Radec: Polygon Man entrusted Kratos with delivering Mario a Levithan Axe. Indubitably, Kratos couldn't bare to give up his precious weapon, so he crafted an imitation axe. Even then, he was unwilling to give that up as well.
"I have been tasked with delivering these...this to you," Kratos said to Mario as he reluctantly gave the plumber a handcrafted Leviathan Axe. "I am asking you from the bottom of my heart to use it wisely."
"It's no tuba, but I'll take it," remarked Mario as he accepted the Leviathan Axe from Kratos, nearly dropping it on his toe. The plumber sheepishly giggled as Kratos began to wonder if the axe was truly left in the right hands.
"Should've given you a measly spear instead..." As Kratos expressed his disappointment in Mario, his big presence captured the attention of Arven who was passing through. Kratos saw Arven and growled at him, making him run off in fear.
"Watch it, I'm gardening here!" Olimar shouted at Arven, as he was outside tending to his garden. With some help from the Pikmin. Colonel Radec saw Olimar gardening, thinking he had seen enough.
"Time to head back," the space marine said, and just before he could take off...Mario grabbed his arm. Radec looked down at Mario, slightly enraged.
"Since-a you're here, can you do me a favor?" Mario asked Colonel Radec, knowing that he was in for a mighty sucker punch. "Link has gone-a missing, and I can't seem to..."
"You want me to find the Hylian? Deal." Colonel Radec agreed to Mario's offer, as he shook the plumber's hand off of him. "Just so you know, I won't go about it alone."
"Glad you said that..." Fortunately, Mario found the perfect traveling partner when his eyes drifted to Olimar. Colonel Radec saw Mario looking at Olimar, who was gardening, before looking at Mario as if he were crazy.
Link sat alone in the guest bedroom, suddenly enthralled with the handheld console-esque device that Trucy had given him in that box. Peeking through the doorway, Phoenix saw Link sitting on his bed looking at photos stored on the device.
"What do we have here..." said Link as he scrolled through the photos, seeing nothing but forestation in them - as well as an occasional wildlife animal or two. "...we got trees. And trees...and more trees..."
"I think he likes it so far," Trucy whispered to Phoenix, joining her foster dad at the door as Link was now scrolling through pictures of rocks. Not exactly enthralling enough to reel Link in.
"Man, this has got to be the worst Nintendo DS game I've ever played. How do I take out the cartridge?" Link looked on the device for a cartridge compartment, but couldn't seem to find one. Up, down, left right, didn't matter how he looked.
"There is no cartridge, Link," replied Phoenix as he and Trucy stepped inside the room, instantly capturing Link's attention. "What you see on that handheld device is a photo reel of an island."
"A photo reel? What is this all for?" Link now understood that the console was part of a setup, and he was waiting for Phoenix to deliver the alley-oop.
"I've got something special planned. I was thinking of, well I don't know...a boat ride to a deserted island. What do you say?"
"Dad thinks a trip to this island will help you explore yourself," added Trucy, as Link went back to looking at the photos on the handheld console. Based on what Link saw in the photos, the island looked suitable for an excursion.
"Exploring myself, eh...sure, I'm game. Do I need to pack anything?" Link did bring a suitcase with him when he went to Phoenix's apartment, but it was far removed from being one designed for travel.
"Nope! We'll just head over to the dock after noon. The boat will be ready by then." Phoenix later stepped outside the room, taking his phone out. "Let me call the captain just to confirm...he better had not forget my number."
Trucy: That handheld device is called the Dual Another System. Dad won't say how when and how he obtained it, but he claimed to have gotten it at a place that he views as being beneath him. I think he got it at one of those swap meets.
Meanwhile at Cafe Leblanc, which was opened a few minutes earlier than usual, Pit couldn't help but think about Link. The angel was lamenting the fact that he never had the chance to say goodbye to Link before he departed from the mansion. That said, Pit legitimately believed that he "cursed" Link, in a way.
"You think something bad happened to Link?" Pit asked his fellow baristas as he poured some coffee, unaware that the cup was already full. The customer sitting at counter, Vault Boy, was impatiently looking on.
"If so, I'd say it happened too soon," replied Viridi, quick to notice how nervous Pit looked. Like he accidentally flicked a booger into someone's curry and was too afraid to tell anyone. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because I forgot to tell Link goodbye!" Pit was apparently full of despair, throwing his arms over the counter and splashing Vault Boy's face with coffee in the process. Vault Boy smiled through the pain.
"Pit you didn't forget, you didn't know Link left until later," Kirby tried to tell the angel, who was left in so much anguish that he slammed his fist on the countertop repeatedly.
"Exactly - my own brain failed me! Now Link's gonna suffer great misfortune, and it'll be my fault..." Pit's anguish was quite noticeable, especially to Dovahkiin who took a seat at the counter.
"None of you will believe this, but the other day I saw a blonde man in a funny tunic get eaten alive!" Dovahkiin recounted this tale to the baristas, as Pit gasped and looked up at the Dragonborn with his face nearly pale.
"You see?! It's the curse! It's happened already!" Pit buried his face in his hands, becoming more of a drama queen by the second. "Link's dead!"
"Curse? What curse? I was talking about a worker at that Halloween Store. He was swallowed by a pumpkin that looked...awfully inflatable."
Dovahkiin: Killed the pumpkin creature with my axe...and it turned out to be some meager human in disguise. Got banned from the Halloween Store as a result. Now I have nowhere else to find new, authentic shoulder pads...
"Link is not dead, Pit," Joker reassured the angel, as he had to play emotional babysitter to Pit more times than he probably wanted to imagine. "Go ahead, ask someone."
"Vault Boy, is Link dead?" Pit asked the Vault-Tec mascot, who mulled over his answer for a brief moment before giving his smile and thumbs up. "I knew it, I just knew it!"
"If you really think Link's dead...then why don't you go look for him? See for yourself?" Talk about something that would kill two birds with one stone - Pit gets to see that his paranoia was unjustified, and the baristas get an indefinite break from Pit as well.
"So you want me to look for a dead body? Sounds morbid, but okay." Understanding his assignment, Pit took off his apron before dashing out of Cafe Leblanc. "Pit, away!"
"He could just call the guy, right?" Kirby asked his fellow baristas, before taking a look at the countertop to make sure Pit didn't leave his phone behind. He had a habit of doing that.
Cloud was standing in the middle of the hallway, and he was on the phone talking to someone. The swordsman had yet to realize it, but Sephiroth was spying on him. Obviously, Sephiroth wasn't going to beat those stalker allegations anytime soon.
"Take your time, you're in no rush," Cloud spoke into the phone, as Sephiroth stood a far distance down the hallway from Cloud keeping an ever attentive ear. "I'll be here, waiting."
"Waiting on who, I wonder..." smirked Sephiroth, who was about to receive some unwanted company when Jigglypuff drew near. Jigglypuff saw Sephiroth standing by and felt the need to greet him.
"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff greeted Sephiroth, looking at him with her innocent face, as Sephiroth was quickly startled. Sephiroth instinctively shouted as he jumped back from Jigglpuff, inadvertently capturing Cloud's attention.
"Blasted Pokemon! You're blowing my cover..." Too late for Sephiroth, as the one-winged angel was caught red-handed by Sephiroth. Cloud scowled when he saw Sephiroth, and Sephiroth returned the favor.
"Sorry about that...Sephiroth is spying on me again," Cloud apologized over the phone, forced to take his phone call elsewhere as he walked away. "Can never catch a break with that guy. You mind repeating what you said?"
"This is far from over, Cloud..." Sephiroth quietly vowed to his arch-nemesis, before looking down and sighing when he saw Jigglypuff lovingly hugging his leg. "...if only I wasn't forbidden to kill you."
Once it was afternoon, Link followed Phoenix and Trucy to the Seattle coast where there was a boat along the shoreline. Inside this boat was the captain - an elderly man with facial hair and a red backward cap. Looked to be in his eighties.
"Ahoy, fellas!" the elderly captain greeted Link and company with a warm smile, acknowledging their presence with a smile and the tip of his cap. "Cliff Fox's the name, but you can just call me Captain."
"This is the guy that will take us to the island?" Link asked Phoenix incredulously, eyeing the Captain - found the old man's friendly behavior to be off-putting, as if he was putting up a front. Those kinds of old guys are the worst.
"He's in his mid-eighties, but...he passes the vibe check," replied Phoenix, trying to remain more optimistic than Link as he approached the Captain for a handshake. "Don't think we've met in person. I'm..."
"...Phoenix Wright! The man I talked with over the phone," the Captain heartily replied, before spitting into his hand and offering it to Phoenix. "Let's shake on it, partner!" Greatly disgusted, Phoenix turned his head as he reluctantly looked at the Captain's saliva-infected hand.
"Still think he passes the vibe check?" Link asked Phoenix with a smile, interested in seeing if the former attorney might change his tune. Fearing for the worst, Phoenix closed his eyes as he slowly brought his hand closer to the Captain's.
"Ah, don't be such a wuss. Put 'er in there!" The Captain broke through Phoenix's reluctance as he gleefully shook his hand, bringing much disgust to the former attorney. Phoenix's face was scowling.
"Sucks to be you." Link found some enjoyment in the Captain shaking Phoenix's hand, only to back off when the Captain offered his hand to the Hylian. "Uh, no thank you, I'm a germaphobe."
"Then that makes you an ever bigger wuss than Phoenix. Just messing with ya!" The Captain soon recognized Trucy and was quickly enchanted by her magician attire. "Is that some tag-along kid?"
"She's my kid," Phoenix affirmed to the Captain, who exchanged looks between the former attorney and Trucy. Did it several times until his mind was finally made up.
"...eh, I won't judge." The Captain waved off Phoenix as he stepped aboard the ship, about ready to set sail. "All aboard the boat - and please watch your step. Those repairs didn't come cheap!"
"Really? Can't tell," said Link as he, Phoenix, and Trucy boarded the boat...only for Link to make one false step as his foot nearly went through the boat floor. The Hylian smiled sheepishly as the Captain turned and frowned at him.
Link:...I already have a bad feeling about this. Why do I feel like I'm gonna die before I ever reach the island?
"Prepare to set sail, lads...and ladette!" the Captain shouted as he entered the cockpit of the ship, grasping the steering wheel with determination. "We are bound for treasure and, uh...you three are looking for treasure, right?"
"Somewhat," Phoenix replied with a cheeky smile, keeping the main objective of the trip to Blood Edward Island close to his chest. "Not physical treasure, per se, but we won't know what it is until we find it."
"That works for me, I guess. No more chit-chat - let's get moving!" So with a mighty heave, the elderly captain spun the wheel and the ship lurched forward. The boat had now officially set sail, setting course for the open seas as the wind caught the sail.
"I'm already getting seasick..." a nauseous Link admitted, clinging to the railing for dear life as the boat gradually picked up speed. Phoenix, on the other hand, remained as cool as the other side of the pillow, perfectly unbothered.
"So, Captain..." Phoenix began to speak, attempting to strike up a conversation so that it wouldn't be so awkward during the voyage. "Do you have much experience navigating the seas? Ever been to Blood Edward Island?"
"I have, in fact - this will be my second time going to the island!" the Captain replied with a chuckle, his beard swaying in the ocean breeze as the boat moved even faster. Link was on the verge of vomiting. "Last time I been there, I was with a lovely girl named Ashley Robbins."
"Ashley Robbins? Why does that name sound so familiar..." Phoenix mused over the name with a finger underneath his chin, only to look alarmed when Link started to throw up. "...Link, not on the deck!"
"Yup, Ashley wanted to go there on her 14th birthday to look for her dad." As the Captain happily reminisced over his time spent with Ashley Robbins, Phoenix was busy tending to the seasick Link. "We have great conversations, the two of us."
"Uh, Cap? Link got vomit on your boat!" Phoenix was trying to inform the Captain, who was too busy taking a stroll down memory lane to heed Phoenix's cry. It was a miracle that the boat was able to stay on course despite the Captain's decreased focus.
"Hard to believe that our first encounter took place almost two decades ago. In 2005! Man, where has the time gone...?"
Back in episode 399, Rayman kindly offered his time-washing machine to E. Gadd. It was meant as somewhat of a temporary replacement for the time machine that was wrecked by Organization XIII. Now Rayman was back at E. Gadd's place, wanting his machine back.
"Why yes, Sada, I do have a foot massage at three!" Cortex was heard speaking from inside E. Gadd's mansion, as Rayman was standing at the front door. "And you are the one who will be massaging my feet. Thank you for the reminder!"
"What on earth is wrong with him?" Rayman, who had knocked on the door (twice), cringed as he forced himself to listen to Cortex. And speaking of Cortex, the evil genius answered the door bringing Rayman's wait to an end.
"Rayman?! Why are you here?" Cortex questioned the limbless hero, while only wearing his housecoat. Better be wearing a pair of undies underneath. "Don't tell me you want a foot massage as well! Wait your turn!"
"Asking an AI robot to massage your feet...you are disgusting," Rayman shook his head in disappointment at Cortex, who thought nothing of the matter and even clutched his pearls.
"So wanting to be treated like royalty is considered disgusting? I can see why you can't stand your girlfriend." Now Rayman was the one feeling offended, as he almost felt like pulling on his hair.
"Alright doc, let's get one thing straight here. If Barbara and I were a couple, which we are not contrary to what anyone believes..." Rayman soon stopped speaking, as a certain evil genius with a bald head entered his view.
"Dr. Cortex, who goes there?" asked the bald evil genius as he drew near, revealing himself to be none other than Dr. Nitrous Brio. Also wearing a housecoat just like Cortex. "Is it someone trying to jump ahead of my foot massage appointment?"
"I do believe so," replied Cortex, as a disgusted Rayman looked to the side not liking how chummy Cortex and Brio were with each other again. "Wait your turn like everyone else, Rayman!"
"Or better yet, find your own AI robots to do your every bidding." At this point, Rayman was growing frustrated as he looked past Cortex and Brio for any signs of E. Gadd.
"Is E. Gadd? Please tell me that he's home..." Soon enough, Rayman's prayers were answered as E. Gadd was seen meandering through the foyer. And he wasn't wearing a housecoat, thank goodness. "...hey, E. Gadd, I'm here for that time washing machine!"
"Ack! I'm hearing voices again," fretted E. Gadd, seemingly having a mental breakdown of sorts as he had his hands on his head and was freaking out. "Curse you, old age!"
"You're not hearing voices; I'm standing at the front door," Rayman called out to E. Gadd, who saw the limbless hero at the doorstep and hustled to the front door. Shoved Cortex and Brio out of the way in the process.
"Hello Rayman! Maybe you can help me figure out the voices I've been hearing in my head. I heard someone asking for their time washing machine..."
"That was me...I was the one who said that." Apparently, E. Gadd was confused as he stared blankly at Rayman, leading Rayman to sigh. "I was the voice inside your head." A split second later, it all became clear for E. Gadd.
"Ha! I knew it! Knew I wasn't going crazy." Sure, E. Gadd - whatever helps you to to sleep at night and then some. "So you want your time washing machine back, yes?"
"Pretty much; I'm doing this just for Globox and Barbara. But mainly just Globox." The time washing machine came through, and now it was time for it to return to its rightful owner.
Rayman: Apparently, Globox owes some guy he met back in 1912 a hundred bucks. I'm sure the guy forget about it, but Globox feels bad so he wants to go back in time and make things right. Mind you, this dude from 1912 is just one of many. Globox's mouth wrote many checks throughout time that the rest of his body can't seem to cash.
"Well, you came at the right time - my time machine is fully repaired!" announced E. Gadd, and that meant the inventor was back in business. "All thanks to the AI professors."
"And us," Cortex said on behalf of Brio and himself, refusing to let their contributions go acknowledged. E. Gadd just plainly stared at Cortex and Brio, blinking his eyes.
"...yes, sure, you helped as well." E. Gadd quickly returned his attention to Rayman, as Cortex and Brio both felt some type of way. "Come inside, Rayman! I'll take you to my lab."
Pit desired to see what Link was up to these days, and so he was granted permission to leave the cafe by Joker. As he flew overhead through the Seattle sky, Pit looked down and spotted Link and Phoenix boarding Cliff's boat.
"...Link's still alive! He's not cursed!" Pit happily gasped as he flew down closer to the boat. As the boat rocked gently with the Captain piloting the ship, Link and Phoenix were having a conversation.
"So, Phoenix, I gotta ask you something," Link said to the former attorney, hoping that his question could be answered in the best way possible. "Have you ever dealt with a sexual harassment case before?"
"Never had a sexual harassment case - or a sexual abuse case for that matter," replied Phoenix as he leaned back against the boat's railing, soaking in the sunlight as Pit got a bit closer. "Murder trials are more of my cup of tea."
"And why is that? Because you're scared?" Taking Link's assertion as an accusation against his character, Phoenix widened his eyes as his smile faded.
"No, it's not like that at all! Murder trials are easier and less messy. Not to mention the thrill I get when I accuse the wrongdoer of killing someone. Greatest adrenaline rush ever."
"That gives you an adrenaline rush? You are one weird man..." As Link stared inquisitively at Phoenix, Pit was getting even closer to the Hylian without blowing his cover.
"What can I say, I'm a man who's a master of his craft. It's been so long since I had the opportunity to ruin someone's life...it feels like I'm going through withdrawal."
"...okay, you can stop talking now." The more Phoenix spoke, the more unnerved Link became. And neither Link nor Phoenix had yet to notice Pit.
"This is it, Pit...don't screw this up!" Pit whispered to himself, growing in excitement as he got as close to the boat as he possibly could. It was smooth sailing thus far.
But with Pit being so hyper focused on his task, he failed to notice of flock of seagulls swooping down from above. If he had the chance, he would run, he would run so far away...but frankly for the angel, he was up in the air.
"Ack!" Pit shrieked as the seagulls flew into him, causing him to tumble from the sky and crash into the water. Everyone on the boat was alarmed by the loud splash as Link, Phoenix, and Trucy looked into the water where Pit dove.
"What on earth was that?" wondered Trucy, as the flock of seagulls that flew into Pit were flying away. Phoenix was looking up in the sky for a sign, only to see the seagulls flying away.
"Those seagulls must've dropped a pretty big deuce!" surmised Phoenix after noticing the seagulls, before mulling over the plausibility of his assumption the more he thought about it. "They must've learned how to do it in sync..."
"I'm okay!" shouted Pit as he arose from the water, only for the water current to pull him back in. The boat carried on past Pit, who was seemingly on the verge of drowning, as no one on the boat heard the angel's voice. Or did they?
"Any of you guys heard Pit speaking just now?" Link asked Phoenix and Trucy, who judging by their lack of response didn't hear a thing. Hoping that he wasn't hearing voices in his head, Link kept to himself.
Speaking of someone who was (allegedly) hearing voices in his head, E. Gadd led Rayman down to his lab. Rayman was hoping to receive his time-washing machine; however, E. Gadd desired to use the time-washing machine one more time, just for old time's sake. Rayman gave E. Gadd the privilege, as long as the inventor didn't pull anything funny.
"You were right about not using this as an actual washing machine," E. Gadd said to Rayman as he adjusted the dial on the time-washing machine, setting the dial at a random interval. "Had to get my speedo from the medieval times!"
"...didn't need to hear that, but okay," responded Rayman, as AI Sada and AI Turo stood around interested in seeing who E. Gadd would summon. One of those professors had some obligations to fulfill...
"Oh, Sada! My foot massage!" Cortex called out to the AI from outside the lab after realizing that it was getting close to three o'clock. "My lovely feet are calling out to you!"
"Give me a moment, doctor!" AI Sada responded to Cortex, and when she turned back around she noticed E. Gadd looking at her. "Would you like a foot massage as well, E. Gadd?"
"No thanks, one was already enough," replied E. Gadd as he went back to tinkering with the time-washing machine; Rayman was cringing like never before. "Cortex was right about you!"
Rayman: *shakes his head in dismay* ...I'm surrounded by creeps.
After E. Gadd adjusted the dials and mashed the button, a whirring noise filled the air as the time-washing machine was activated, and a blinding flash of light engulfed the laboratory as the machine door opened and smoke came out of it.
"Put on some clothes, man..." Champion Link was heard speaking to Cortex as he soon entered the lab, being greeted by the smoke filling up the area. Everyone was in a coughing mess, and when the smoke cleared, standing before them was a shirtless Afro-Iranian man wielding a gleaming scimitar.
"W-where am I? What sorcery is this?" the man wondered, his eyes wide with disbelief as he surveyed his surroundings. When he first saw the man, E. Gadd scratched his head and adjusted his glasses with curiosity.
"Any idea as to who this man could be?" Rayman asked E. Gadd, who shrugged as the man analyzed the folks standing in his midst. Then his eyes were drawn towards Champion Link, who had just entered the lab, and he viewed the Hylian as a threat.
"Aha! I see that you too brandish a sword," the man said to Champion Link after noticing the Master Sword behind the Hylian's back. He then held out his scimitar to Champion Link. "You must be a true warrior!"
"I don't recall having a sword..." said the confused E. Gadd, before seeing who the man was referring to when he saw Champion Link. "...Champion Link! Welcome!" Champion Link was in no mood for greeting since he fully captured the focus of E. Gadd's visitor.
"Look, I didn't come here for any funny business..." Champion Link said to the man wielding the scimitar, backing away when the man drew near with his sharp blade. "...I just wanted to ask someone for a favor!"
"Surely a warrior of your stature should prove your worth," the man said, looking to take advantage of Champion Link's reluctance and strike first. But before he could land the first blow, the man was stopped by AI Turo.
"Stop," AI Turo commanded Sargon, who did as he was told as he halted in place. Champion Link, thinking of AI Turo as his guardian angel, sighed in relief. "Care to tell us who you are?"
"How reckless of me to not introduce myself...you have my apologies." The man backed up as he lowered his scimitar, and held his other hand over his chest. "I am Sargon; I am a member of the warrior clan, the Immortals."
"Where are you from, Sargon?" AI Sada asked the warrior, deeply invested in knowing Sargon's entire backstory. She had the mental capacity to know every single detail and then some.
"I hail from the Persian Empire. Right now, we are under attack by the Kushunas. As an Immortal, I must repel their efforts..." When Sargon mentioned being from the Persian Empire, an interesting thought crept into Rayman's mind.
"So you must be like the Prince of Persia!" exclaimed Rayman as he pointed at Sargon, who fancied the moniker as he cracked a smirk. The Prince of Persia sure had a nice ring to it.
"A prince I am not, quite frankly. Prince Ghassan is a man who deserves to be called as such. But I must ask, how have I ended up here?"
"I was just messing around with this time-washing machine, that's all," E. Gadd explained to Sargon, gesturing towards the contraption; Sargon approached the time-washing machine, placing his hand atop the surface.
"Time-washing machine? I do not understand." Sargon furrowed his brow as he stared skeptically at the contraption before him, no doubt thinking of it as the strangest item he had ever laid his eyes on. "Could this...machine bring me back to the Empire?"
"If you would like to return home, I can happily oblige." Just when E. Gadd was about to operate the time-washing machine, he noticed something amiss when he started turning the dial. Nothing was being activated.
"Aw phooey...the machine ran out of juice," confirmed E. Gadd, as Rayman smacked his forehead; poor Rayman was going to have to wait around for a while.
"No matter, I can stay here for as long as needed," Sargon shrugged, totally fine with hanging out with E. Gadd and the boys. But Champion Link had other plans in mind, as he grabbed Sargon's arm.
"I need you to do me a favor," Champion Link said to Sargon, viewing the warrior as the right man for stopping the coalition member. "Mind coming with me to the Smash Mansion?"
Traveling on his boat, the Captain arrived at an island that was along the Washington coast. The Captain pulled his boat up to the island dock, as Link, Phoenix, and Trucy took the time to admire the island as they stepped onto the sandy shore.
"Well, everyone, we've made it to our destination...Blood Edward Island!" the Captain announced, a flurry of memories rushing through his head as he recalled his previous experience on the island. Spent that time with a certain teen named Ashley Robbins.
"Kinda reminds me of Prince Edward Island," Link offered his first impressions of the island, as he got a good look at his new surroundings. Amused by Link's comment, Phoenix glanced at the Hylian.
"You've been to Prince Edward Island before?" Phoenix asked Link out of curiosity, as Link looked to the side while scratching the back of his head. Phoenix's smile grew wide as he waited anxiously for a response.
"...I won't say." Link felt deeply embarrassed as he gave his answer, wanting Phoenix to no longer dwell on the subject. Much to Link's delight, Phoenix turned his attention to Captain.
"Link and I will explore the island ourselves," Phoenix informed the Captain, who was fine with those terms as he honestly preferred to chill at the island's small dock. "Can I trust you to watch over Trucy for me?"
"Sure can - I love kids!" the Captain replied, signifying his joy for the youth with the swing of his arm. Phoenix didn't like what he saw as he pulled Trucy aside to speak with her in private.
"If that old man ever touches you, I'm just one call away..." Phoenix whispered to Trucy, speaking with the most fatherly fervor eschewed ever since he first adopted her. Trucy nodded her head in understanding before Phoenix hugged her tightly.
"So are we going or what?" Link asked Phoenix, interrupting the father-daughter moment as he had his Master Sword out. The Hylian was already ready for some exploring.
"Of course!" Ending his hug, Phoenix stood up and rushed over to Link, before looking back at the Captain and Trucy. "We are now heading out. Hopefully, we won't be gone for long!"
"Be safe!" Trucy called out to Link to Phoenix, waving to them as the duo started their trek. As Link and Phoenix pressed forward, not a single soul noticed a hand reaching out from the water, pulling up to the surface.
"In your face, Dark Pit...told you that I could swim," said the person who emerged from the water, Pit, as he pulled himself up to the shore. The angel would lay on his back, coughing out water.
"Mind showing me a magic trick or two?" the Captain asked Trucy, who happily obliged as she led the old man back inside his boat. Seeing the Captain and Trucy made Pit raise his fist in victory.
"Awesome! Made it to the right place. And Dark Pit said that I wasn't good at..." Pit's moment of celebration was cut short, as he was forced to cough out even more water. The angel was left gagging.
With Mario's tuba in tow, Sonic was ready to knock Blaze's socks off and show the purple cat how great of a tuba player he was. He was delivering a tuba performance at Blaze's home, playing the instrument in the living room. Aside from Blaze, Amy and her friends Big and Cream were also witnesses to Sonic's...indefensible tuba solo.
"He sounds like a dying elephant," Blaze quietly critiqued Sonic's tuba skills, as the tuba sounds were enough to make Blaze and company wince repeatedly. Hard to tell who was more at fault - Sonic, or the tuba itself.
"Maybe he just forgot to warm up," suggested Big, though his face betrayed his growing doubt, while Cream was forced to cover her ears.
"Or maybe we need earplugs..." muttered Amy, doing her best to block out the noise without making it look obvious to Sonic. Didn't want to break her boyfriend's heart.
"So what do you think? Best tuba solo ever?" Sonic asked after he finally ended his performance, wiping sweat from his brow. The blue hedgehog was breathing heavily - his face had turned multiple colors during his tuba solo - but he was pleased nonetheless.
"You did your best," replied Big, trying to find the right words; the feline was just too kind-hearted to tell Sonic how he really felt. And that's where a gal like Blaze came in.
"It was very painful to listen to," admitted Blaze, not sugarcoating a thing as she crossed her arms. Sonic saw Amy and Cream silently sharing the same sentiment, and nodded in understanding.
"Alright, maybe I'm not a tuba prodigy," said Sonic, coming clean as he placed the tuba on the floor while catching his breath. "But hey, you gotta admit I gave it my all!"
Sonic: So my plan to trick Blaze into thinking I'm an expert tuba player failed. Now how else am I gonna impress Blaze? Tell her that I helped Conker fight his alcoholism? All she'll just say is that I did a good job. I mean, it was a nice thing I did, and I'm glad that I could be there for Conker, but Blaze won't care as much as I think she would.
"Not sure if you know this, Sonic caught a Pokemon while he was in Paldea," Amy informed Blaze, knowing of a show-and-tell Sonic could do that was actually worth it. Blaze was lightly intrigued as she widened her eyes.
"Wouldn't say that I caught it - Mario just offered it to me," clarified Sonic, reaching into his imaginary pocket to see if his Poke Ball was inside. "Guess he couldn't handle having two legendary Pokemon."
"Mario is the owner of two Legendary Pokemon?" asked Blaze, as Big looked out through the window and seeing a certain Smasher walking by and catching their breath. "I never would've known."
"Uh oh!" Big panicked when he saw the Smasher in question collapse to the ground. Big ran out of the townhouse to check on the Smasher, leaving Sonic and the others puzzled.
"What's going on?" wondered Amy as she and the others ran out through the open front door to investigate. Outside, they saw Robin lying on his back, seemingly passed out.
"Stand back...I will give him life!" Big got down to the ground, and gave Robin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Not even after the first breath was delivered, Robin opened his eyes and saw Big with his big mouth on his.
"Gah!" Robin shrieked as he backed away from Big, sitting on the sidewalk. The mage took a deep breath, clutching his chest as he was deeply fortunate to move away in time.
"Funny seeing you back here, Robin," remarked Sonic, with Big standing up and snapping his fingers as his chance of being a hero was dashed. "Let me guess - trying to remedy your medical condition?"
"Medical condition?" inquired Blaze, who thought of Robin as one of the most healthy individuals around. Only because she believed that whatever malady Robin had could be easily fixed with a spell.
"I would prefer if you didn't bring up my personal info like that," Robin sternly told Sonic as he attempted to stand up, only to got down on one knee. Amy and Cream came over to assist Robin. "Thank you, you two..."
"An explanation might be in order," remarked Sonic, taking note of how worried Blaze was about Robin's current condition. "Amy, Cream, you ladies help Robin inside!" So Amy and Cream escorted Robin inside Blaze's townhouse, with Sonic and Blaze following after.
"Don't sweat it, Big...you'll get your chance one day," Big assured himself, before returning to the townhouse. Shortly after Big closed the door behind him, an evil jackal descended from above...
E. Gadd and company were greeted by an unexpected visitor from the past when Persian warrior Sargon showed up at E. Gadd's machine thanks to the time-washing machine. While E. Gadd worked on getting Sargon back to his time, Champion Link brought Sargon to the mansion since there was much better company over there. Little did Sargon know that Champion Link had something in store for him later...
"I'd love to see what you have in store at this Smash Mansion, Champion Link," Sargon discussed with the Hylian as he was welcomed inside the mansion. Once he and Sargon stepped foot inside the mansion's foyer, Champion Link was greeted by a sight that had him frowning.
"What the..." said Champion Link, as he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing - a bunch of men gathered together, playing street dice indoors. Specifically Doc Louis, Knuckles, Rodin, Barret Wallace, Gerudo Ganon...and Marlene?
"Daddy needs a new pair of Jordans!" exclaimed Barret, rooting for his daughter as Marlene shook the dice in her hands. The confidence that Barret had in Marlene could not be understated.
"I'm gonna get him some Timbs instead!" said Marlene, with Barret forcing a smile as Marlene rolled the dice. The other players did not like the dice that Marlene rolled, as evidenced by their grunting.
"Dang it! We keep losing to a little girl!" frowned Rodin, forced to take matters into his own hands as he reached down and pulled out his gun. "I gotta put an end to this..."
"Um, Papa?" a wary Marlene said to Barret as she quickly noticed the gun. Barret, who gathered up all the money in the pool, also saw the gun and glared at Rodin intensely. And Barret was not the kind of man you'd want to tick off, regardless of who you are.
"Oh, I don't think so!" Barret growled at Rodin as he stood up, about to teach the demon a lesson. Time for Champion Link to live up to his man of the mansion duties, and step in.
"Hey! Hey!" Champion Link shouted at the top of his lungs, as he commanded everyone's attention. Sargon was impressed by the Hylian thus far. "Why are you guys playing dice indoors?"
"Glad you're here, Champ. This man Rodin wants to shoot up my precious Marlene!" Barret pointed accusingly at Rodin, who tried to hide the evidence as he sneakily put his gun away. But Champion Link couldn't possibly be bothered.
"Yeah, well, I could care less what he does to your kid." Upon hearing that, Rodin was slowly taking his gun back out. "Why in Hylia's name are you playing dice indoors?"
"...because you said that we couldn't play it outside?" answered Knuckles, who was the one who started the game of indoor street dice. He wasn't very good at it, but at least he enjoyed the camaraderie of his opponents.
Marlene: Rolling dice is pretty easy, I'll say. Got my first taste of it at Casino Night, and I've been on a roll ever since - no pun intended! But Papa insists that the "street version" of it is super dangerous. So dangerous, that men get killed over it! Getting killed in cold blood over rolling dice! Could you imagine if the same were applied to just flipping a coin?
"Exactly. And why are you playing, Gerudo Ganon?" Champion Link questioned the Gerudo as he turned to the demon lord, having a bigger issue with him than Marlene. Let that speak for itself. "You're not black!"
"So you're saying that only black people can roll dice?" asked Gerudo Ganon as he rose to his feet and confronted Champion Link, sending chills down the Hylian's spine. "A man of authority such as you shouldn't be making such baseless claims."
"I didn't mean it like that! I was just, uh..." Champion Link found himself in a rock and a hard place, sweating buckets as Gerudo Ganon was peering down at him. The one thing that could get him out of his predicament was the special guest he brought along, Sargon.
But when Champion Link looked over, he saw Sagron approach Barret and company where the street dice game was played. Sargon was scratching his chin as he knelt on the floor, with the other dice players giving him some space.
"May I?" Sargon asked as he pointed at the dice, with no man saying a word as they allowed Sargon to scoop the dice up with his hand. After a good shake, Sargon rolled the dice and got a pretty decent roll.
"Aw shucks, even the new guy is kicking our butts!" whined Doc Louis, as Sargon felt obligated to scoop up all the earnings in the pool. But only because no one was telling him otherwise.
"This is quite the total I've accumulated." Sargon saw all the money that was in his hands, taking a gander at the Benjamins and whatnot. "Surely this currency is as invaluable as gold."
"Say, Champ, who's your new friend?" Knuckles asked Champion Link; Sargon, who at first didn't know what to do with his earnings, ultimately decided to stuff them in his pocket. Some nice little monetary souvenirs.
"He's...he's Sargon, the Prince of Persia," replied Champion Link, regaining his confidence after Gerudo Ganon backed off of him. "He came from the very distant past."
"The Prince of Persia? Cool! I thought that the Prince of Persia was just a movie character. Didn't know that was a real thing!" Oh, Knuckles...sometimes it doesn't pay to be that ignorant.
"I was warned by Champion Link that you lot might give me a hard time," Sargon spoke to the dice players while making note of Marlene's fear as the young girl was hiding behind Barret. "But I can tell so far that you seem to be pleasant company."
"Right back at ya, Sargon!" Barret responded with a grin, as Marlene sensed how chummy her dad was and was no longer hiding behind him. "You're alright in my book!"
"But Papa, he took all our money..." Marlene said quietly to Barret, who shushed his daughter before getting down on one knee. Barret was about to lay down the law.
"Let the man be great and do what he wants. If we do that, then he won't hurt anyone..." As Barret quietly delivered these words of advice to Marlene, Sargon approached Champion Link as he took out his winnings.
"I am famished," Sargon notified Champion Link as he heard his stomach growling, wishing he had a bite to eat before being thrown into the future. "Is there a place where I could spend this currency on some grub?"
"There is no need, we have plenty of food around here," replied Champion Link, knowing that the mansion chefs would keep Sargon well-fed. Mainly Pyra and Dunban; Mythra and Palutena would give Sargon an upset stomach (or worse). "May I interest you with some pizza?"
"'Pizza'? Is that like, a fruit? I do not understand..." Sargon crinkled his nose at Champion Link, who knew for a fact that he had the Prince of Persia's full interest. Champion Link was about to blow Sargon's mind.
"Well, actually, it's microwaveable pizza. It's out of a freezer. Once you take your first bite, you'll be on cloud nine!" Wasting no time, Champion Link went behind Sargon and pushed the prince towards the front door.
"A freezer? Don't tell me that I have to eat frozen food! I did not agree to this...!" Sargon was heard yelling as Champion Link pushed him out the front door, and the dice players were left with dice...and no money.
"Anyone want to play another game?" asked a returning Gerudo Ganon as he looked around, with Barret raising his hand. "No, Barret, Marlene has to sit this one out..."
Cloud was expecting a visitor today, and he didn't have an exact timetable for when this visitor would be coming over. The least the swordsman could do for now was keeping himself busy, and he did that by noodling his phone in the lounge. Specifically, he was playing a game from yesteryear...Flappy Bird.
"Who plays Flappy Bird in 2024?" Diddy Kong asked Cloud as he looked over the swordsman's shoulder, watching as the yellow bird crashed into a green pipe. "You're such a boomer, Cloud."
"Not my fault this game is still on the app store," muttered Cloud, as Sephiroth sauntered inside the lounge; surely Sephiroth had more important stuff to do than stalking another man.
"Hehehe..." Sephiroth cackled evilly as he slowly walked over to the couch that Sephiroth was sitting on. Diddy saw Sephiroth making his advance and wisely backed off for good measure.
"Not now, Sephiroth," sighed Cloud, not even looking up from his phone as he was able to detect Sephiroth's presence. His sixth sense was fully developed.
"But I insist...you have a visitor coming, do you not?" Sephiroth pressed Cloud as he moved in closer. "This visitor intrigues me."
"It's none of your business." Cloud rolled his eyes, as Sephiroth sensed an opportunity to further annoy his arch-nemesis.
"Oh, come on. I need to know." No matter what Sephiroth did, Cloud blatantly ignored him as he turned his back on the one-winged angel. "Is it one of the Turks? Reno? Rude? Tseng? Oh, the suspense is killing me!"
"It's not any of them." Cloud was getting all snappy as he moved further down the couch from Sephiroth, who was becoming more invasive than ever.
"Then who is it?" Sephiroth was undeterred as he followed Cloud like a shadow, his eyes widened. Cloud just kept on playing his Flappy Bird game.
"You really need a hobby, Sephiroth." Cloud was keeping it real, and even Sephiroth had to admit the swordsman was speaking facts.
"Tormenting you is my hobby. And I'm very dedicated." Apparently proud of his stalking ways, Sephiroth cracked an evil smirk. Then Cloud's phone buzzed, as Sephiroth's eyes gleamed with interest. "Ah, a clue!"
"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff squealed, as Sephiroth caught the balloon Pokemon standing in the lounge doorway. Sephiroth glared at Jigglypuff, who charged towards the one-winged angel reaching out for a hug.
"No! Get away, you..." Sephiroth suddenly felt awkward, as Jigglypuff latched unto his legs with her stubby arms and hugged him. Sephiroth tried to shake off Jigglypuff, but to no avail.
"Well, good talk Sephiroth." Taking advantage of Sephiroth being held up by Jigglypuff, Cloud casually got up from the couch and left. By the time Sephiroth shook off Jigglypuff, Cloud was gone.
"Hmph...maybe he's right, I do need a new hobby," Sephiroth muttered to himself; as the old saying goes, the first stop to solving a problem was admitting that you had one.
"Ain't that the truth," remarked a voice behind the couch, as Sephiroth looked behind the furniture and saw Diddy. Diddy shrieked upon being met by Sephiroth, cowering with his hands over his head as Jigglypuff came over offering a hug.
Link and Phoenix traversed through Blood Edward Island, making their way through the forestation in the hopes of finding something. Anything. Being that he was so used to doling out justice inside a courtroom, Phoenix was simply not cut out for the outdoors, as evidenced by his increased exasperation the moment he entered the wilderness.
"Ah, a dragonfly!" Phoenix panicked when a dragonfly simply landed on his hand, as the former attorney was desperately trying to shake it off. "Get it off, get it off, GET IT OFF!"
"I'd appreciate it if you stop acting like a drama queen for one second..." frowned Link, using his Master Sword to cut through the forestation. Not heeding Link, Phoenix screamed as if he was on the verge of dying.
"Link, you have to kill this dragonfly. Do it before it bites me!" His fear reaching an all-time high, Phoenix looked away from the dragonfly on his hand as Link looked crazily at the former attorney.
"Dragonflies don't bite." Following a heavy sigh, Link went back to cutting the forestation as Phoenix opened his eyes in realization. The supposedly dangerous dragonfly that was on Phoenix's hand peacefully flew away.
"Heh, I knew that...I was just testing you." Phoenix reassumed his usual confident flair, adjusting his tie as he took a few steps forward. Then his foot got in a vine, and soon enough he was hanging upside down. "Oh, come on..."
Link: Might be hard to believe, but I was bit by a dragonfly once. That dragonfly being Spyro's buddy, Sparx. I think he has some weird vendetta against me. Granted, Spyro told me that Sparx bit me as part of some stupid dare issued by Hunter, but I know what's up...
"Are you sure this is the right way, Link?" Phoenix asked the Hylian as he was hanging upside down by the vine wrapped around his foot. He could feel the blood rushing to his head already.
"I've been through jungles and forests like these countless times," replied Link, putting his experience in adventuring to good use as he maneuvered through the forestation without breaking a sweat. "Just follow my...lead."
"How can I, with this stupid vine? Don't leave me hanging!" But Link would leave Phoenix hanging, for he caught a glimpse of a ghostly figure staring at him. The figure was staring at Link as if it was silently beckoning the Hylian to draw near.
"Hold that thought...I'll be right back." Link left Phoenix alone in his predicament, as he walked over to where the ghostly figure stood. The figure started to turn and walk away, leading Link deep into the island, as Phoenix was beside himself.
"Whaddaya mean, you'll be right back?! LINK!" Left ignored, Phoenix began to whine and moan as the poor guy was completely deserted. The dragonfly that was previously on his hand returned, landing on Phoenix's face as the former attorney whined even more.
Sargon demanded to be fed, and by no means did Champion Link wish to bother Pyra and Mythra. He knew that it would be unwise to depend entirely on them for grub. So Champion Link brought Sargon to the idol singers' house, hoping that the idol singers would come through. But there was one problem that was overlooked...
"They're shooting a new episode," Tsubasa whispered to Champion Link and Sargon, standing off to the side as Mamori, Ashley, and Asuka were filming an episode of Microwave Idol Mamorin. Fox and Falco were today's guests; coincidentally, the dish for today was microwavable pizza.
"Well, it was worth a shot," remarked Sargon, choosing not to interfere with the production of Microwave Idol Mamorin as he turned. But then Champion Link placed his hand on Sargon's shoulder, keeping him in place.
"Let's wait it out, they should be done soon," Champion Link advised Sargon, willing to be patient as needed; that patience would be put to the test, however, as Fox and Falco were bantering back and forth about microwave settings.
"You seriously use the popcorn setting for microwave pizza?" Fox questioned Falco, who was owning up to his life choices as he defiantly crossed his arms. Fox was in great disbelief. "What is wrong with you?"
"It's not like I'm cooking it in the oven," retorted Falco, as Mamori and Asuka struggled to take hold of the situation. Ashley was barely even trying. "Don't knock it till you try it."
"Like I would want to try half-baked pizza. I'm not down with that."
"How can it be 'half-baked' when it goes in the microwave? You're not making sense!"
"Look who's talking..." And that was all that was needed to trigger a fight, as Fox and Falco started tussling with one another. Things were really getting out of control, as Mamori and Asuka tried to separate the pilots.
"No fighting on camera!" Mamori yelled at Fox and Falco, keeping Fox as far away as possible while Asuka was maintaining a steady hold on Falco. "This is not what this show is all about!"
"There is a first for everything," insisted Falco, managing to land a sucker punch on Fox before Asuka was forced to pull Falco to the side. Ashley was looking on, enjoying every second of the action.
Ashley: Best episode ever. *smiles*
"Acting like this as record label CEOs...embarrassing," commented Champion Link - who later panicked when he saw Sargon step into the kitchen unprovoked. "Sargon, what are you..."
"Apologies for the intrusion, gentlemen, but I cannot bear to watch you fight much longer," Sargon said to Fox and Falco, his presence bringing the fight in the kitchen to an end. Everyone was focused on Sargon, who had a confident air about him.
"Uh...who are you?" Falco asked Sargon with Mamori, Ashley, and Asuka exchanging bewildered glances, unsure of how to react to their unexpected visitor. "And how did you get in here?"
"I am Sargon, a member of the Immortals warrior clan." Could also declare that he was the Prince of Persia, but maybe he was too humble for that. "And I come looking for a meal. Specifically...microwavable pizza."
"Wh-What is this mysterious microwavable pizza that you speak of?" wondered Asuka as she quickly snatched the box of microwavable pizza off the counter, concealing it behind her back. "Who knows if such a thing exists!"
"Perhaps you are right, maybe this microwavable pizza is a myth..." Speaking of microwavable pizza, Sargon recognized the microwave in the kitchen and got a closer look at it. "...is this what you call a microwave?"
"...could be," replied Mamori, as she and Asuka were being very overprotective of the microwavable pizza. Ashley, if it were left up to her, would happily hand the pizza to Sargon at the first opportunity.
"First a time-washing machine, and a microwave..." Sargon was growing slowly acclimated to modern technology as he looked up towards Champion Link. "...your inventions are well-advanced."
"You're on live..." Champion Link nervously informed Sargon through clenched teeth, well aware that Sargon's interruption ruined the episode of Microwave Idol Mamorin. But Fox and Falco didn't mind, since they wanted to know more about their guest.
"So like, what are you?" Fox asked Sargon, inquiring about the warrior's ethnicity; Sargon's haircut had the pilot almost second-guessing. "Middle-Eastern?"
"Whatcha gonna do, throw some sand in our face?" Falco taunted Sargon, with Mamori gasping as Sargon at what was said began to scowl. "Do some funny Indian dance?"
"Are you mocking me?" Sargon interrogated Falco as he got up in the avian pilot's grill, not interested in any lunch at the moment. His focus now was teaching Falco a lesson.
"I said what I said, you bootleg Killmonger." If only Sargon knew who that was, then the insult would cut in deep. Nonetheless, the tension was growing.
"You might think that you're better than me." Sargon showed Falco what he was all about, as he lifted up his scimitar for the avian pilot to see. "But I am much more skilled...true skill comes from within."
"Does this skill come from your hair gel?" Falco got a dig in at Sargon's hairstyle, as he couldn't help but laugh. Fox and Champion Link were both beckoning Falco to stop the roasting at once.
"Ashley, do something...use your magic," Mamori quietly begged the young witch, who was unironically enjoying Falco tearing into Sargon on camera. Falco overheard Mamori's whispers and immediately came up with a new insult.
"Do you believe in magic? Are your pants magic? 'Cause they seem to be holding a lot of hot air!" Falco slapped his knee and laughed, as Sargon's frustration reached a boiling point. His frustration was shimmered, however, by the sound of a rumbling stomach.
"That reminds me...I came here for lunch," said Sargon, noticing that Asuka was still hiding the microwave pizza behind her back. Sargon went over to grab it. "I'll be taking this, thank you..."
"But we need this for our episode!" stated Asuka, caught in a tug-of-war with Sargon over the microwave pizza. Sargon ultimately won, forcefully taking the pizza out of Asuka's grasp.
"Let us go, Champion Link - lunch awaits." Sargon exited the idol singer's house, with Champion Link looking awkwardly at the others before hightailing out of there. Better hope Mamori had another microwave pizza in the freezer.
"Catch ya later, your Royal Sandiness!" Falco called out to Sargon, laughing as he got this one last jab in. Later, the avian pilot saw the others frowning at him. "Think I went too hard on him?"
Link diverted away from Phoenix, as a ghostly figure captured his attention. The Hylian couldn't help but follow after the ghost, believing that it wanted to speak with him. As he navigated the foliage that surrounded him, Link eventually came across the ghostly figure in an open area.
"Who are you?" Link called out to the ghostly figure, gripping his Master Sword just in case the individual before him pulled any funny business. But from the looks of it, the ghostly figure appeared non-confrontational.
"I am but a lost soul, forever meant to traverse this island alone," the ghostly figure, taking the appearance of a twelve-year old boy, replied as his voice was tinged with despair. "I'm Daniel Edward, but you can call me D."
"Daniel Edward...Blood Edward Island..." Link was putting the puzzle pieces together in his head, lowering his guard in the process. "...so that means you've lived on this island before." D acknowledged what Link said as truth, as he gave a nod.
"Me and my family lived on this island. My uncle, Thomas Edward, choose to live here after World War II. My father, an aspiring writer, fought in the war too, but he choose not to live here because he needed assistance for because of his missing arm."
"And what of you? How did you end up as a ghost? Did you and your family die or something?" Link didn't meant to come off as insensitive with his questions, but he was just that curious in D's tale.
"Sadly, my family was plagued by many unfortunate events...and I was a victim of one. I had a heart condition, and my dad struggled to pay for my medical bills while caring for my dying mom. He wanted my grandpa's inheritance all for himself. He and my uncle were fighting over the family's wealth, and it...didn't end so well for everyone."
"Let me guess...there was a gun involved." Link found D's tale to be fascinating, if not very tragic, and he couldn't help but hearken to every word that came out of D's mouth.
"My uncle killed my dad out of self-defense. Having witnessed the entire conflict, I fled from the scene, and my uncle chased after me. Somewhere along the way, he shot me by accident..."
"...and that's how you ended up as a ghost, meant to wander this place." Link could tell how much the series of tragic events affected D, as he paid close attention to the ghostly figure's visage. "Then how I am able to see you?"
"It's funny - usually adults can't see me because they lack purity in their hearts. But you...you are an enigma. I can tell that you have a pure heart. Just like Ashley Robbins."
"Ashley Robbins! That's the girl the Captain spoke of." Link knowing who Ashley Robbins and the Captain brought much intrigue to D, whose eyes went wide.
"The Captain? I know him. I assume that he was the one who brought you to Blood Edward Island. But why?"
"So I could...explore myself, I guess. Long story short, I stepped down from my position of power, and I moved in with a former attorney and his kid."
"I see. Hmm...I may not have what you're looking for, but perhaps I could show you the way you need to go. Just follow me!"
"Should I be following after a ghost?" Link wondered out loud, as D turned and went into the wilderness. Link made up his mind, shrugging. "Well, Link, if you've been following him up to this point..."
Feeling well-fed after a hearty meal (a microwave pizza that wasn't microwaved), Sargon returned to the mansion wanting something to sink into. A hobby that would keep him entertained until he needed to carry out Champion Link's "favor". Fortunately for him, Champion Link knew just the thing that would pique Sargon's interest...table tennis.
"You ready, Champion Link?" Sargon asked as he eyed his opponent across the table, paddle in hand. Due to being the way more experienced player, obviously, Champion Link had the first serve.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Champion Link confidently replied, his grip tightening on the paddle as he bounced the ball on the table. Then with a flick of the wrist, Champion Link served the ball and sent it flying past the unsuspecting Sargon when the warrior wasn't looking. "First point."
"Ah...well played." Sargon was unable to wipe the giant smirk of his face, as he went to the back of the room to retrieve the ball. "For an elf boy, you aren't so bad at this table tennis sport."
"You say that it's supposed to be a bad thing." As Champion Link waited for Sargon to serve the ball, he looked outside the room and saw King K. Rool smirking at him through the doorway. "Don't even try it, K. Rool..."
"ELF BOY!" K. Rool belted at the top of his lungs, angering Champion Link in the process. Taking advantage of the distraction, Sargon served the ball over the net with Champion Link noticing at the last minute.
"Looks like I have evened the score.." Sargon felt great about getting one against Champion Link, as the table tennis match was at an even score. K. Rool peeked inside the room and saw Champion Link's table tennis opponent, taking a gander at Sargon.
"Are you losing to a Arabian Killmonger? That's tough," K. Rool said to Champion Link as he expressed his sympathy to the Hylian, as the overhearing Sargon became enraged with K. Rool in a hurry.
"Arabian Killmonger? What even is a Killmonger? Is that meant to be a derogatory term? A racial slur?" Taking issue with K. Rool like he did with Falco, Sargon dropped his paddle to the floor and whipped out his scimitars. Sargon wielding both scimitars meant that K. Rool was absolutely gonna get it.
"He wasn't calling you anything, he was just complimenting your good looks!" Champion Link did his best to hold Sargon back from K. Rool, who calmly stood his ground while Sargon was shouting at him. Sargon was putting up quite a fight, but it wasn't anything Champion Link couldn't handle.
King K. Rool: You said that guy's name was Sargon, right? And he's from the ancient Persian empire? Based on his haircut, was he the original Black Panther? The first Black Panther was Persian all along?!
"I'm sorry, it's just that your hair is too hard not to notice," K. Rool apologized to Sargon, saving him some trouble as he left the table tennis room. Sargon backed off after K. Rool departed, albeit still frowning.
"So I take it that bird fiend was complimenting me as well..." Sargon surmised as he returned to the tennis table, grabbing his paddle. Champion Link sheepishly smiled, wanting to get the table tennis match over with before another distraction took place.
The bird fiend that Sargon spoke of was Falco, who's roast of the warrior had the Microwave Idol Mamorin hosts embarrassed. Fox stood outside the table tennis room looking at Sargon, as he was accompanied by Falco and Tsubasa.
"Aight, Falco, we didn't bring you out here just for you to not make amends," Fox said to the avian pilot, who was acting defiant as he had his arms folded. "Go in there, and tell our guest that you're sorry."
"No thanks, I'm not in the business of telling lies," responded Falco, electing not to be the bigger man as he walked away from Fox and Tsubasa. The former was most exasperated.
"I'll handle this," Tsubasa said to Fox, who just stood there in brutal disappointment as Tsubasa took off after Falco. "Falco, wait up! Why are you walking so fast all of a sudden...?"
Colonel Radec had pinpointed Link's location to Blood Edwards Island and was currently searching for the Hylian. The army commander was cutting through the thickness of the forestation with his blade as he pressed toward his goal. Let it be known that Radec didn't come to the island alone...
"Are you sure this is the right way, Colonel?" Olimar asked as he looked up at Colonel Radec, fearing that he and the colonel were going around in circles. "This rainforest all looks the same to me. It's like we'restuck inside a Hanna-Barbera cartoon."
"Shut up, you..." replied Colonel Radec, perhaps too chicken to admit that Olimar was speaking the truth. No way a guy like him would submit to a puny alien astronaut that he could crush with his foot. "...just keeping pushing forward."
"Man, I'm hungry - I could go for a burger right now." Olimar felt his stomach grumbling, as Colonel Radec ignored the astronaut's concerns and and sliced thorugh the vines with his knife. "Why didn't I eat before we made the trip?"
"Sounds like a personal problem. I suggest keeping that to yourself." After cutting thorugh the vines, Colonel Radec scanned the canopy, muttering to himself. "This place is like a maze..."
"That's why I've been saying this whole time!" Finally, Olimar was getting some validation, but an angry growl from Colonel Radec brought the astronaut's moment of joy to an abrupt end.
"Why can't this place be more straightforward?" Colonel Radec wasn't looking for an answer, but he seemed to find one when he heard Olimar chuckling. "What are you chuckling about?"
"What was I thinking? Heck, I haven't been thinking the whole time!" Olimar did what he did best as he plucked Pikmin out from the ground, as a baffled Colonel Radec looked on. "The Pikmin will show us the way."
Colonel Radec: This island is a farce. There is no valid explanation for how that big-nosed cretin is able to pull Pikmin out of the ground on this abandoned island. An entire alien species. What's next, he's going to pull the Pikmin out from his butt? *pauses* Please don't answer that...
Colonel Radec was forced to hold off on exploration, as the Pikmin were out and about doing their recon work. After the recon was finished, one of the Pikmin approached Olimar.
"Look, Colonel! The Pikmin are showing us the way," Olimar said to the still baffled colonel, as a Red Pikmin tugged at his leg and pointed in a certain direction. Colonel Radec kept silent, unsure of trusting a small alien creature.
"It can show us any way it wants, we are not following its...lead," stated Colonel Radec, trying to put his foot down, only to trail off when Olimar followed after the Pikmin. "I'm not doing this."
"Then I'll just tell Mario that you got left behind. Got dibs on your spaceship!" After hearing that last sentence from Olimar, Colonel Radec quickly skedaddled as he followed the Pikmin's lead. He had many doubts that the Pikmin would lead anyone anywhere...
...but would you know it, the Pikmin led the group through a thicket and emerged into a clearing. A mansion covered in moss was up ahead, and though it was far away, it was at a reachable distance.
"Well, I'll be," Radec remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice - while also taking the opportune moment to give out some props. "Those Pikmin were good for something. Much more useful than you are."
"I've taught my Pikmin well," beamed Olimar, feeling like a proud papa as he patted the Red Pikmin on its head. Colonel Radec looked on, trying his hardest not to judge, only to look at his radar and saw a blinking red dot. It was moving in closer to where he and Olimar stood.
"No time to waste. Link is on his way here." Colonel Radec put his radar away, focusing on the task at hand. "Time to make our move."
Phoenix was beside himself, as Link had completely deserted him and left him to die on the island. Or at least that's what Phoenix believed Link's intention was. Nevertheless, the former attorney was left to go look for Link, as the island's primal nature was slowly taking a toll on him.
"The nerve of Link, to leave a guy like me behind..." muttered Phoenix as he stumbled through the underbrush, swatting at insects and dodging low-hanging vines along his path. "Once I get my grubby hands on him I'm gonna...I'm gonna..."
Phoenix was unable to finish his sentence, tripping over a protruding root and fell face-first into the mud. Groaning, he pushed himself up and sat on the ground, looking around in exasperation.
"Great. Just great," Phoenix remarked sarcastically, his face full of mud as his iconic blue suit was a muddied mess. Nothing that the dry cleaners could fix. "Could this possibly get any worse?"
"Phoenix! Is that you?" a voice called out to the former attorney, and sounded an awful lot like Pit. In fact, it was Pit, as the angel showed up at the scene. "Here I am!"
"Pit?" Phoenix blinked in surprise at the angel in question, getting his suit even dirtier as he used his right sleeve to rub the mud off his face. "You've come to save me? Oh no..."
"You're darn right I'm here to save you!" Pit looked up to the sky with his hands on his hips, oblivious to how dismayed Phoenix was. "Save you from, um, uh...what am I saving you from?"
"From me going insane..." Forced to accept his fate, Phoenix extended his hand to Pit, and Pit accepted the hand as he pulled Phoenix up to his feet. "...had no idea angels did search and rescue."
"They don't call me a guardian angel for nothing!" Pit brushed off as much mud off Phoenix as he could, hoping that he was proving his worth to the former attorney in doing so. "Well, no one ever really calls me that...not yet, I'm sure."
Pit: I applied to a job for being a guardian angel once. Thought that it would make me good money. Just go around the globe, save people from trouble, and be paid for it in return! Clearly I must've done something wrong, 'cause I somehow got roped into working as a door-to-door sales rep instead. It was all fun and games until some old grandma mistook me for an Uber driver who wanted to seduce her. I was almost a goner when she pulled out the rifle...ha! Just kidding. Angels don't die.
"Should I bother even asking why you're here?" Phoenix asked Pit, uncomfortable with the idea of the angel being a stalker. Then again, he was always uncomfortable whenever he was around Pit.
"I left my job to go look for Link, and I happened to follow you guys to this island," explained Pit, choosing to spare a few details since it would only make him look bad. "Also, I saw your daughter hanging around at the pier with some old man. She's cute."
"Did you just call Trucy...cute?" Phoenix stared at Pit in utter disbelief, his left eye twitching as he wanted to slap Pit silly. "Pit, she's thirteen years old!"
"Like I said, your daughter's cute. But I wouldn't say she's hot, because I don't know the age gap between her and I..." Pit cautiously looked over his shoulder, like he feared Viridi magically appearing or something. "...also, you should consider a wardrobe change."
"Thanks for mentioning that..." Phoenix reassumed his dignified attorney persona as he adjusted his tie, checking his suit for any more signs of dirt. "...since we're both looking for Link, how about we team together?"
Falco refused to feel bad about how they treated Sargon back at the idol singers' house and Fox really wanted his friend to apologize. That was why Falco required some convincing, not only from his best friend but from Tsubasa as well.
"You can't let this go unresolved, you know," Fox stressed to Falco, as he and Tsubasa had the avian pilot cornered in the hallway. "You gotta do what's right!"
"I didn't do anything wrong," Falco expressed his innocence, thinking of himself as an underrated comedic genius. "It isn't a crime to be funny. I was just ribbing the dude."
"What would your girlfriend Katt think of you making fun of Sargon?" Tsubasa asked Falco, whose eyes went wide as he softened up a bit and pulled away from the wall.
"Only doing this because you made a good point..." Falco grumbled at Tsubasa, before heading down the hallway. "...let's move, Fox." So Fox tagged along with Falco, as Tsubasa looked on smiling.
Tsubasa: I've noticed that the easiest way to get Falco to fall in line is by bringing up his girlfriend. Simply mention Katt, and he'll turn into a big softie. *snorts*
Fox and Falco went through the halls of the mansion, with Falco grumbling all the way. The pilots eventually encountered Sargon when they found him at the library, with Sargon glossing through a book.
"My word, this is such a magnificent scroll!" marveled Sargon as he flipped through the pages of the book - a novel written by Stephen King - as an annoyed Futaba was looking on. "Tell me, what kind of scroll is this?"
"...it's a book," Futaba plainly replied, keeping her behavior cordial knowing that Sargon was from a time long past. "Can I have it back, please?"
"Never have I've seen literature written in this fashion." Sargon was so fascinated with Futaba's book, that he was looking at it sideways. Futaba was doing her best to keep her cool. "Surely the author of this piece is..."
"Hey, Sargon!" Fox called out to the warrior, his voice echoing in the library much to Gil's chagrin. "Got a minute?" When Gil shushed at Fox, Fox shushed the de facto librarian right back only to notice Falco taking a step forward.
"No...I got this," Falco offered to Fox, who gave his best friend the floor as he humbly stepped to the side. Taking matters into his own hands, Falco bravely approached Sargon.
"Falco, that's your name, right?" Sargon asked the avian pilot, his demeanor unshaken as he placed the Stephen King book on the bookshelf. "Back for another round?"
"Look, about what I said earlier...I didn't mean to disrespect you or anything." Falco shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head as an increasingly annoyed Futaba grabbed her book. "It was just trash talk, you know?"
"You jerk! You lost my page!" Futaba frowned at Sargon, before groaning as she stormed off. It was awkward in the library, and after the silence settled in, Sargon decided to speak.
"Trash talk, you say?" Sargon raised his eyebrow at Falco, who eventually found the courage to look the warrior in the eye. "And you honestly believe this excuses your behavior?"
"Okay, fine! I'm sorry, alright?" Who knew that apologizing to a warrior from Persia would be so difficult? Falco was making it harder than it looked. "I didn't mean to offend you. You're a pretty good warrior, I respect that. I just wanted to be funny."
"Appreciate the sincere apology." Sargon, being the bigger man, made amends with Falco as he shook the avian pilot's hand. "Though I could've asked for more..."
"What, you wanted me to fight you to the death to prove I'm sorry?" Falco's eyes widened in disbelief, struggling to think of anything else to get on Sargon's good side.
"Excuse me, but there'll be no fighting to the death," Gil said to Falco and Sargon as he put his foot down, not affording to let the library become a battlefield. "Not in this library."
"Oh, just like how we can't drink in the library either? What's that in your hand?" Falco questioned Gil, who looked down at his hand and fretted when he saw a bottle of Gatorade. Gil tried to hide it, but it was no use.
"Yeah, what do you have to say now Mr. Rulebreaker?" asked Sargon, joining in on the fun; unable to take the heat, Gil drank the rest of his Gatorade and scurried from the front desk as Sargon chuckled. "Ah, feels nice to not be the one being ribbed..."
"Sargon! There you are," shouted Champion Link as he ran inside the library, approaching Sargon and nearly out of breath. "Care to do me a favor? We have an unwanted intruder in our..."
"Say no more - just tell me where they are." Sargon took out his scimitars, as he looked at Fox and Falco. "You boys care to come along?" Fox and Falco exchanged looks...with Falco bumping fists with Fox.
Robin was taking it easy inside Blaze's home, as he was sitting on a couch watching some TV. Amy came over to Robin, offering him a water bottle.
"Thank you, Amy," Robin thanked the pink hedgehog, accepting the water bottle as Amy smiled. Meanwhile, Sonic was speaking with Blaze in private, keeping an eye on Robin.
"So that's why he's all tired and sluggish," Sonic spoke with Blaze, who watched as Robin was unsuccessful in unscrewing the water bottle cap. "He has hypothyroidism."
"Hypo-what now?" inquired Big as he joined the conversation, looking perplexed as he scratched his head. Sonic and Blaze both shushed the feline.
"Can someone open this bottle for me?" Robin called out, and Big came to the rescue as he opened the water bottle. "Thank you, Big," Robin thanked the feline, who walked away no doubt feeling proud.
Big: Finally, I can call myself a hero. *flexes his arms* I'll take what I can get these days.
"Already told Amy, Cream, and Big about it," Sonic continued, bemused that Big forgot about Robin's condition so easily. "Apparently, he's on medication. I've been doing my best to keep him going."
"Would explain why he looked so tired when we took him in," remarked Blaze, as Cream came over to Robin offering some apple slices she prepared for him. "Why was he outside in the first place?"
"Poor guy thinks lots of exercise will make his symptoms go away. Can't remember the last time he took a day off!"
"He sure could use some guidance..." After looking at Robin, looking fatigued while sitting on the couch, Blaze couldn't resist looking away. "...that's why I want to help."
"You wha...?" Sonic was taken aback by Blaze, who placed her hand on Sonic's shoulder. Somebody at Omnis Adest was taking initiative today.
"You're helping Robin get his endurance back, right? I would like to do my part. Count me in..."
As they walked through the rainforest, Pit led the way with an ease, navigating the terrain and avoiding whatever got on his way. Phoenix, on the other hand, continued to struggle within the wild environment. He could not wait to get back home; the outdoors was just not for him.
"So, Pit..." said Phoenix, trying to make conversation with the angel while swatting away a cricket off his shoulder. A 50/50 chance Phoenix feared that the cricket would bite him. "...why do you wanna see Link so bad?"
"I dunno - I just miss him, I guess," Pit shrugged in response, pleased to know that Link was alive and wouldn't end up having his face on a milk carton. "Always sucks when someone is absent the mansion."
"I can only imagine. You mansion folk are like a tight-knit family over there! Just one big happy family living under the same roof."
"Yeah. And for what it's worth, the guys at the tower often forget that Waluigi is gone. So they're definitely not family."
"No love lost over there, I bet." As Phoenix laughed, he was eventually brought to a stop when Pit held his arm in front of him. "What's up?"
"Do you hear that?" Pit looked around, scanning the area as his ears were picking up something. Phoenix, meanwhile, couldn't hear a thing.
"Hear what?" Phoenix strained his ears, hearing nothing but the sounds of the rainforest. Just then, Pit pointed at Colonel Radec and Olimar up ahead, with the former trying to barge down the front door of the abandoned mansion with his gun.
"Look! We got company!" Pit watched as Colonel Radec broke the door down, as he and Olimar rushed inside. The Pikmin followed after the two, crossing over the fallen front door.
"I never thought I'd be so happy to see other people...competent people." Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief, ecstatic that he would no longer have to be stuck with Pit. Pit did serve as good company...and that was about it.
Trouble was afoot at the mansion, as a member of Dimentio's coalition was reportedly spotted in the mansion. Champion Link was put up to the task of stopping the intruder, and he had someone to assist him in Sargon. Fox and Falco agreed to team up with Sargon, and bring the coalition member to justice.
"I hear voices," Sargon whispered to Champion Link and the pilots as they were outside - outside was where the coalition member was, according to X. As Sargon and company crept around the corner...they saw Cloud chilling at the patio with someone.
"Oh no..." uttered Champion Link, fearing for the worst when he saw Cloud sitting at the patio table...with Rufus Shinra. The Hylian's mind was left to wonder.
"What do you know about Giovanni?" Cloud asked Rufus, sitting at the table while Champion Link, Fox, Falco, and Sargon cautiously looked on. "I remember you had plenty to share about him."
"Ah, Giovanni. Now it's all coming back to me," Rufus replied with a smile, crossing his arms as his memory was being jogged. His memory was still there. "What is it about him that you want to know?"
"Well, you did say that he was up to something. Implied that he was planning something crooked behind everyone's backs."
"Giovanni is always plotting something. I suspect that he has an evil plot that not even Dimentio or anybody else in the coalition is aware of."
"An evil plot like what?" Cloud was all ears, and so were the trio of Fox, Falco, and Sargon as they did everything they could to keep themselves conspicuous.
"Not sure if you're somehow aware about this, but the coalition has a weapon of mass destruction in their hands. An ultimate weapon, if you will. But get this...it was nothing built from the ground up. It was stolen!"
"And Giovanni had much to do with that." A nod from Rufus confirmed that to be such, as Cloud began to view Giovanni as a snake in the grass.
"Giovanni put Dimentio up to it, and Dimentio agreed. That said, I wonder why he wanted that weapon in the first place...what is his endgame?"
"Power. Control. The usual. Guys like him are always feigning for that kind of stuff. He's no different from any other mob boss."
"You sound almost motivated, Cloud...what's in it for you?" Rufus was smirking at Cloud, his eyes gleaming with amusement. Cloud sighed, indicating that his answer might be a bit personal.
"I know what unchecked ambition can do. Take it from me...I'm no different." That's when Rufus remembered Cloud's behavior during the whole Aerith Revival Project fiasco, which he knew about from the intel the Turks provided him.
"Fair enough..." Rufus nodded slowly, as his smirk faded into a more contemplative expression. "...I suppose that your personal experience gives you perspective. And while I'm no hero, I do have a vested interest in maintaining stability."
"So does that mean you'll help?" asked Cloud, slightly interested in having Rufus on board. Rufus and the Turks were no longer affiliated with the coalition, so maybe there was a chance.
"No, Cloud! Don't trust him!" Falco shouted at the swordsman, dang near blowing his compadres' cover. Fox and company were forced to stifle Falco's mouth, while Cloud and Rufus looked around wondering where that sudden outburst came from.
"Let's just say...I'm curious," Rufus shrugged, as Fox and Sargon were now focused on keeping Falco from lunging at Rufus. "I could lend a hand if it means keeping Giovanni in check. But nonetheless, we are not friends...just allies."
"Why do you insist on following me?!" shouted a certain one-winged angel, as Sephiroth came out of his hiding spot trying to shake Jigglypuff off his leg. Sephiroth easily accrued Cloud and Rufus's attention.
"Sephiroth?" an annoyed Cloud frowned, as Sephiroth was able to shake off Jigglypuff. Jigglypuff flew over Cloud and Rufus and landed on the other side...where Champion Link and the others were.
"...hey," Champion Link awkwardly greeted Cloud and Rufus, who were now looking at the Hylian and the others. "So...false alarm?" Champion Link gestured to Rufus, who couldn't help but smile.
"You could say that," replied Cloud, as Rufus got up from his seat adjusting his long coat as he approached Champion Link. "Rufus here wants to be an ally."
"No longer am I member of the coalition," confirmed Rufus as he shook the hand of Champion Link, who was bewildered by this sudden development. "Call me if you need anything."
"Uh...happy to...have you on board?" responded Champion Link, before glancing at an equally bewildered Fox and Falco. Surely a long explanation would smooth things out.
"Is this the 'favor' that you asked me to do?" Sargon asked Champion Link, slightly disappointed; he was really hoping to use his scimitars. "So much for a fight...guess I can go back home now."
Colonel Radec and Olimar had infiltrated the abandoned mansion, looking around for any signs of Link. According to Radec's radar, the red dot signifying Link was at the very mansion. Only one step closer to finding the Hylian.
"This place gives me the creeps..." muttered a nervous Olimar, as the halls echoed with the visitors' footsteps. Olimar's Pikmin huddled close to him, their tiny bodies trembling.
"Stay focused," Colonel Radec assured Olimar, opening up and/or breaking several windows to shed some light in the mansion's interior. "We're in the ballpark; there's no turning back now."
"I wish that turning back was an option..." A wind swept through the hallway, and it sent shivers down Olimar's spine. Olimar stood frozen, his legs shaking as his fear deeply upsetted Colonel Radec.
"Just look at you! An astronaut who's been to more planets than anyone could name, and you're acting like this..." Colonel Radec suddenly stopped speaking, as he heard Link's voice up ahead. "...I think we're getting close."
Putting his fear aside, Olimar followed after Colonel Radec as the sound of Link's voice was getting close. After turning the corner, Colonel Radec and Olimar arrived at a room where Link was speaking with D.
"Freeze!" Colonel Radec shouted at Link and D, his rifle pointed at the latter individual. Olimar questioned the logistics of what Radec was attempting to do.
"He does realize that he's a ghost, right?" Olimar asked his Pikmin, able to identify D's ghostly body as see-through. A single bullet could pass through D without much trouble.
"Olimar? Why are you with Colonel Radec of all people?" Link asked the astronaut, forced to address the elephant in the room. The stark contrast between Olimar and Radec made the pairing amusing to look at.
"Let me do the talking," Colonel Radec said to Link, who wisely kept his mouth shut as Radec kept his rifle trained on D. In the face of danger, D appeared almost nonchalant. "State your business, spirit!"
"I can assure you that I'm not a threat," D pleaded his innocence; Colonel Radec was thinking otherwise, believing that D's childlike appearance was a front for a monstrous second form. "I am just a ghost meant to haunt this island forever."
"Maybe we should just go..." Olimar advised Colonel Radec, desiring to leave the mansion - and the island altogether - before shots were fired. "We already found Link, so let's just bid the ghost farewell and..."
"We're not leaving just yet," affirmed Colonel Radec, as Olimar gulped nervously with the tension rising ever so slightly. "I suspect that this ghost isn't telling the full story..."
Before D could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps approached as a door came swinging wide open. Phoenix burst into the room, panting and disheveled before he started freaking out.
"How many are there?!" Phoenix shouted at Pit, who wasn't that far behind the former attorney as he arrived at the room seconds later. Phoenix was frantically dusting himself off. "Get them off me!"
"Relax, they're just dust bunnies!" Pit told Phoenix as helped the former attorney with dusting off his suit. "Dust bunnies don't bite!" A few moments later, Phoenix was calmed down as his suit was spotless.
Phoenix: Being on this island has driven me crazy...I've become paranoid! I could really use Maya right now...she can be an awesome comfort animal when the situation calls for it. Pit sucks at being one, though.
"Pit? Why are you here?" Link crinkled his nose at the angel, curious as to why two fellow Smashers came to the island looking for him. "And what are you doing with Phoenix?" The moment he heard his name, Phoenix became irate.
"YOU!" Phoenix growled at Link, getting all up in the Hylian's grill and pointing in his face. The former attorney was hotter than a volcano. "Why did you abandon me like that?"
"I didn't mean to abandon you, I was just..." Link was unable to defend himself, for Phoenix was losing his mind - exhibited by him aggressively pulling on his hair. Colonel Radec lowered his gun as he took in Phoenix's temper tantrum.
"You were just what?! How could you leave me alone, and be forced to travel through the island with HIM?!" Phoenix pointed back at Pit with heavy contempt, while Pit was idly standing by.
"Hi, Link!" Pit waved to the Hylian, happy to see him in the flesh. He considered his mission a success for that alone. "Also, I'm no longer 'Him'...but I think Owain still is."
"Hold on, everyone," D spoke up, holding up his hands as all the attention in the room was focused on him. "This is all just a misunderstanding."
"Oh yeah? What do you have to say for yourself, ghost kid?" Phoenix interrogated D, willing to him punch in the face - if not for obvious reasons. Only Phoenix would want to punch a harmless ghost because of his emotions.
"I didn't intend to keep Link away from you for long. Truth of the matter is, I was attracted to Link because he possesses a pure heart."
"Are you saying that you have a crush on Link?" Pit foolishly asked D, as Link angrily shushed the angel so that D could finish telling his story.
"It is only because of his pure heart that I am able to see him. That, in combination with his ability to trust people, makes him all the more apparent."
"Well, I certainly don't have a 'pure heart,'" stated Colonel Radec, acknowledging that he was too ruthless and bloodthirsty to have a pure bone in his body. "So how am I able to see you?"
"Perhaps Link's pure heart is rubbing off on us," theorized Olimar, believing that Link's very presence at the island had something to do with it. Colonel Radec was inclined to believe that may somehow be the case.
"I see..." Colonel Radec lowered his rifle, looking slightly disappointed as he later found D to no longer be a threat. "...hmph. I was hoping for a fight."
"Oh man, I'm so glad that you're still alive!" Pit said happily to Link as he ran over to the Hylian and hugged him. His arms were wrapped around Link like a boa constrictor.
"Happy to see you too, Pit," said Link as he pushed Pit away from him, giving him some space. That's when Pit took out his phone, snapping a picture of with him and Link in the frame. "What was that for?"
"Nothing wrong with some photo evidence." Pit edited the selfie he took (which had him holding bunny fingers behind Link's head), before adding the pic to his photo gallery. "So! When are you heading back home?"
"I can't say for sure. But Phoenix was kind enough to take me in." Link looked towards Phoenix, who was still angry with the Hylian as he looked in the opposite direction. "I think we're growing closer than ever before."
"Does this mean...you'll be gone forever?!"
"Not forever...just temporarily. I'll be back."
"Cool. I'm just happy that you're still alive!" Pit hugged Link a second time, as Link looked around for someone to free him. His best bet was Colonel Radec, who was raring to leave.
"Guess my work here is done," remarked Colonel Radec as he left the premises; Olimar was left behind as he looked back at Link.
"Uh, nice seeing you, Link!" Olimar waved to the Hylian before hightailing out of the room, with his Pikmin following after him.
"My work here is done too," D said to Link; Pit would've hugged D for keeping Link safe, if he wasn't a ghost. "You found what you were looking for."
"Heh...I guess I did," smirked Link while looking at Pit, accepting Pit's hug as time went on. He even returned the favor, wrapping his arm around Pit.
Robin felt better after taking it easy at Blaze's place, and felt well enough to return to the mansion. The mage was leaving Blaze's house as Sonic and Blaze were seeing him off.
"Thank you again for taking me in!" Robin thanked Sonic and Blaze, who were both waving to the mage from the doorway. Robin was able to walk down the sidewalk comfortably, without any trouble.
"Don't mention it!" responded Sonic, and after Robin was out of sight, Sonic turned to Blaze resting his hand against the doorframe. "So you're serious about helping Robin, eh?"
"Seems like the right thing to do," shrugged Blaze, as Sonic liked what he was hearing; meanwhile, Infinite appeared, spying on Sonic and Blaze carefully from the side of Blaze's house.
Infinite: So Sonic's friend enlisted herself in recuperating Robin...quite the interesting development, I'll say. And speakign of Sonic, he has something that I...no, we, need...
Their work finished, Link and Phoenix returned to the Blood Edward Island pier where Trucy and the Captain awaited. With Phoenix still in a bad mood, he wanted to get back home ASAP.
"You boys done at the island? Found any treasure?" the Captain asked Link and Phoenix; with Phoenix still angry with Link, Link was forced to answer.
"No, but we did find a ghost," replied Link, as the Captain raised his eyebrows aware of who this ghost was. "D was his name. You know him?"
"I do! Met when when I was at the island with Ashley. Told Trucy here many stories about that lovely girl. What are you fellas waiting for, hop aboard!"
D: I suppose you don't have to have a pure heart to see me - you just need an open mind about the supernatural. The man with the red eyes looked like the evilest man I've ever seen, and he saw me just fine.
As Link and Phoenix boarded the Captain's boat, a certain jester appeared...it was Dimentio! Dimentio appeared a far-off distance from the pier, watching as the Captain was making preparations to leave.
"So, Link has a 'pure heart', hm?" mused Dimentio, implying that he had been spying on Link while he was on the island. A very scary thought. "That changes my thinking...another trip back in time is required!"
With the help of AI Sada and AI Turo, E. Gadd not only repaired his time machine but repaired Rayman's time-washing machine as well. And now it was time for Sargon to return home.
"Thanks for everything," Champion Link said to Sargon down in E. Gadd's lab, as he shook hands with the warrior. "May we meet again."
"Likewise, Champ," smiled Sargon, and once the handshake was over Sargon approached E. Gadd who was waiting at the time-washing machine. "Take me back home." As E. Gadd got the time-washing machine started, Champion Link left the lab...
...and guess who he saw waiting around the corner? Sephiroth. Champion Link was startled to see Sephiroth, who was smirking evilly.
"Surprised to see me?" Sephiroth asked Champion Link, delighted with how afraid Champion Link initially was. Made him feel warm and fuzzy.
"Sephiroth! Hate to say it, but you were right," Champion Link said to the one-winged angel, as he gave him some credit. "Although the threat...wasn't much of a threat."
"I will admit, the coalition member did come in peace. But, as I've told others, my stalking does serve a purpose."
"Okay...not sure what that has to do with the situation, but uh...keep doing your thing, Sephiroth."
While Colonel Radec was off searching for Link, Mario was putting his Leviathan Axe (an imitation of the real one) to good use. The man who gave Mario the axe, Kratos, was left behind in Seattle, forced to stay at Mario's abode.
"You fool! The Leviathan Axe is not a kitchen knife!" Kratos boomed at Mario, who used the Leviathan Axe to cut some fruit and vegetables. The very act unnerved Kratos immensely.
"I present-a my counterargument," Mario presented the cut fruit and veggies to Kratos on his cutting board, letting out a giggle. "Don't worry, I'll use this axe as intended only when necessary."
"Giving that axe to you was a waste..." Suddenly the doorbell rang, and Kratos ran to the door hoping that it was Colonel Radec. When he opened the door, much to his dismay...he only saw Cloud.
"Hey," Cloud greeted Kratos, who was undecided on strangling the swordsman or leaving him alone. "Just so you know, I didn't come alone." Cloud moved to the side, revealing Colonel Radec approaching.
"Colonel! Never have I been so happy to see you," Kratos said to Colonel Radec, relieved to be free from Mario. If Kratos saw Mario use the Leviathan Axe to cut open his mail, he would've lost it.
"Keep that to yourself," responded Colonel Radec, looking past Kratos and seeing Mario using the Leviathan Axe in his kitchen. "Mario, I have returned. About Link, he's in good hands. He's living with that blasted attorney, Phoenix Wright."
"Oh really? So he's still-a in town then," said Mario as he held his axe up high, nearly losing his balance in the process. "So much for him going on a cross-a country trip."
"That is all." Having delivered his piece, Colonel Radec turned to Kratos who was raring to go. "Let's go." Without even saying goodbye, Colonel Radec and Kratos left Mario's home as they went to Radec's ship.
"Safe travels," Cloud said to Colonel Radec and Kratos, showing some courtesy before stepping inside Mario's house and approaching Mario. "Some good news - Rufus Shinra dropped out of the coalition."
"That's big," remarked Mario, free to slice up some potatoes without having to hear Kratos's mouth. Got his potatoes lined up on the kitchen counter. "Did he ever say why?"
"Spoke with him today - he said that he's on to Giovanni. That was his incentive to leave. Said that he wants to be a small ally to..."
"Mario! Open up, it's me!" Pit shouted to Mario from outside, banging on the back screen door. Mario ran to the screen door and opened it, as Pit rushed inside. "Guess what, Mario, I saw Link!"
"About-a that..." replied Mario, only to hear a noise behind him; Mario turned his head at Cloud, who beckoned the plumber to hear Pit out. "...uh, never mind. You saw Link, eh? Tell us more!"
"Oh boy, where do I start! So there I was, on this island...you listening too, Cloud?"
Mario: Pleases-a me to know that Link is doing well. With a friend of the Smash Mansion, no less! Phoenix Wright is great-a company to have. We should go visit him, huh Cloud? *nudges Cloud*
Cloud: Mario, sometimes you make me feel bad that I really want to say no.
Pit: Aw man, I goofed up! I probably wasn't supposed to tell Mario and Cloud where Link was. Link is definitely gonna be cursed now!