F-ZERO RISING: REVENGX Part 6/Original Story

"I don't even remember how I got here."

  An unexpected twist at the last moment: the champions of the race were not who they seemed! The culmination of all of the blood, sweat, tears, and Gatorade out there on the tracks would all lead to this final ceremony, where the fate of existence would rest in the results of the F-ZERO Grand Prix...

  ---Music: Fight or Dancin'?---

  "Well, uh, folks!" Shy Guy announced, "As it turns out, we're going to have to disqualify the assumed winner of the Grand Prix, unfortunately, as Wrys did not actually have a partner present in the race. So, allow us a few brief moments to convene with our cameraman and reassess the situation!"
  The hosts of the event all rapidly shuffled around to try and get things situated. Lakitu flew up to them and they all analyzed the line-crossing photographs with razor sharp focus to try and find out who actually won the race.
  "Upon initial observation," Bullet Bill spoke, "It seems to be very much down to the wire. Pretty much every racer hit the line at nearly the same time!"
  As Lakitu nodded in response to the comment, Shy Guy made the next statement. "Now, gentlemen, how do we determine who won in a situation like this, especially in the case of the racers who were in separate vehicles?" he asked in a rhetorical tone to act as an audience surrogate.
  Mr. Zero answered the question as the judging continued going on intensely. "To once again clarify the pair rules of this partnered performance of a prix, teams that are in separate vehicles must both cross the finish line to be counted."
  "But Mr. Zero," Shy Guy addressed, "What about in the event that a partner is knocked out of the race? We all witness the climactic showdown in the fifth sector, and Don Genie was ripped from his vehicle completely!"
  "Well, my friend, in the event that both racers started out in the same vehicle, then as long as that vehicle crosses the finish line, that team can be considered to have finished..." Mr. Zero clarified.

  ---Music: Countdown---

  The screens around the stadium and on TVs across the stars all showed a crisp and clear picture of the final moment of the race, under the scrutiny of magnification. It seemed that the Neo Blue Falcon had cleanly finished before the Fat Shark, but as per the rules, the Fat Shark could still win. Everything was then up to where Raiden placed, which would decide which pair actually won.
  Raiden had huddled into a spin dash at the very end for one final burst of speed. Thus, it all came down to which fully crossed the finish line first: Wario's hijacked vehicle, or Raiden's compact form.
  Everyone in the audience gulped as the next several seconds were eerily quiet as the entire galaxy awaited a final decision from the judges.
  "It looks like..." Bullet Bill began with suffocating anticipation, "It looks like...!!"
  Upon the closest of inspections, Raiden had clenched his asscheeks together to pull them in just enough that his entire body crossed the line just a nanosecond before the Fat Shark's final thruster crossed the line.

  ---Music: Theme of Captain Falcon---

  "RAIDEN, AND HIS PARTNER CAPTAIN FALCON, IN THE NEO BLUE FALCON!!!!!" Bullet Bill shouted in celebration, "IN A STUNNING REPEAT VICTORY, CAPTAIN FALCON IS YET AGAIN TAKING HOME THE VICTORY!"
  The audience exploded into cheers and applauses and screams, and a few of the robotic audience members actually did explode in the thrill and excitement of the moment.
  An absurd amount of confetti rained from above, which created a one-of-a-kind visual mixture between the colorful celebratory particles which seemed to fall and weave through of the thousands of twinkles in the starry night sky above.
  As the galaxy roared for them, Captain Falcon and Raiden couldn't help but smile and wave to all of their fans in, supporting them in their moment of triumph.
  In the bliss of the moment as Shy Guy and Bullet Bill ran to the winners to shake their hands. "Congratulations! Congratulations! You two have taken the galaxy by storm and won this Grand Prix decisively!" Shy Guy cheered, excitedly shaking their hands.
  Bullet Bill was almost too awestruck to say anything, so he tried to build up the courage to do so while he took out his camera to snap plenty of potential shots for his photo scrapbook. "I'm just... I'm just so thrilled! You two, and every other racer, came together today, and brought us a spectacular show that we'll never see anything like again! From the bottom of my heart, thank you! Thank you!"
  The staff of the race all reorganized to take the giant trophy from before to reposition it near the Neo Blue Falcon.

  ---(Music Fade Out)---

  Elsewhere near the victory circle, Wario found himself in handcuffs and thrown against the hood of the Fat Shark by Captain Bowser of the Meme Police. "You sure hid under our radar for a long time, bub. Don't think we forgot about that shit you pulled in Hell."
  "Toad, cousin, aren't ya gonna say somethin' in my defense?!" Wario snarled with frustration as if he were being betrayed. However, his mushroomy friend had at long last had enough of his shenanigans.
  Toad, who had taken a seat atop of Dante's motorcycle, crossed his arms and kicked his legs up onto the bike handles in a relaxed pose while chomping on a cigar. "Cool off in jail," he spoke without regret.

  ---Music: Enveloping Dark Clouds---

  "Wait a minute, bruddahs..." Uncle Tito spoke ominously, "The grand prize... was supposed to be a belt, wasn't it? Not a trophy?"
  "It definitely was supposed to be a belt. I had it memorized," Axel proclaimed.
  "That schtick is going to get really old, really fast, dude," Dante cautioned.
  "You're right, though, Tito," Captain Falcon nodded, "The prize has always been the champion belt. What happened to it...?"
  Upon all of the TV monitors, three different belts appeared. They all had solid gold material for the actual belts themselves, while the emblems in the center were garnished with three different colored jewels. One was ruby red, one was sapphire blue, and the third was emerald green. All of them were slightly different in design and composition from one another.
  "Bruddahs, look..." Tito spoke loudly through the radio channel with his associates, "The green one. Right there. That's Genie's goal. It has everything he needs to get the Chaos Emerald Ring as well as to revive the Sonic animated canon completely!"
  "Are you kidding me?" Raiden asked with aggressive frustration, "After all that, and Genie could still rightfully win the prize he's looking for?!"
  Starting softly, and increasing in volume, they all heard the bellowing laughter of Don Genie from a distance. He had been apprehended and tied up by Dante shortly after the race had ended, and had only just then regained consciousness. Still, he laughed as if victory were already within his grasp. "Just how, exactly, did you come to learn of my plans?"
  "You forgot to set your Facebook account to private and you've been posting about your plans for the last three weeks, bruddah," Tito explained.
  "'Tito? Is that your voice I hear?" Genie replied, as this had been the first time Tito had communicated outside of the secure US-MKJIO radio channel, "The one who kicked me out of that Shore Shack that one time for being too loud and bothering the other customers?"
  "Aloha," Tito replied.
  "You contemptible chunky kahuna, my plans will come to be no matter what you or whatever group of peons you have try to do to stop me."

  ---Music: Game Guy Minigame---

  "Now, folks, here comes the highly anticipated, fan-voted twist, brand new to the rules of this Grand Prix!" Shy Guy announced, "The inclusion of the three 'Bonus Belts!'"
  "I'd like to introduce one more guest to our panel, tonight, ladies and gentlemen!" Bullet Bill announced, "Let's hear it for one of Casino Palace's most recognizable and famous personalities, Terence Guy, the Game Guy!"
  "Hello, hello!" Terence, Shy Guy's cousin, greeted while waving wildly to the fans all around. "Great to be here, folks! Wouldn't miss this Grand Prix for the world, no sir! I'm so grateful that all of you hard workers who brought this Grand Prix back contacted me to be included. What a huge honor!"
  "The pleasure is all ours!" Mr. Zero smiled, "Why don't you tell our excited audiences just what these belts mean for the results of this race?"
  "These belts," Game Guy continued, "Are special prizes awarded to different participants in the race who achieved various accomplishments which we would like to recognize. Each belt is made from melted down gold rings, and contain a beautiful gem embedded within the center."
  "Any participants in this Grand Prix, whether they were retired early or crossed the finish, are eligible for these special rewards to recognize particular talent we saw out on the tracks tonight!"

  ---Music: Enveloping Dark Clouds---

  Don Genie smirked with evil intent. "So, as you can see, Tito, you or your officers have no right to take me away until seeing this competition through. That belt will rightfully be mine, and at that point it won't matter what kind of restraints you try to keep me by."
  Tito, uncharacteristically, scowled, despite Don Genie not being able to see it. "Well, neither of us even know which belt will be awarded for which reasons."
  "I suppose it's all up to fate, now, isn't it, my old nemesis," Don Genie cackled.
  The agents and affiliates all wanted to protest, but the awards ceremony was set to continue regardless, so they all turned their attention back to the events soon to transpire.

  ---Music: Tekken Tag Team Opening Music---

  "Alright, Game Guy," Mr. Zero spoke proudly, "Care to introduce us to our first Bonus Belt?"
  "My pleasure, Mr. Zero!" the charismatic game show host agreed. The first belt was shown on the screens, and it was the red one. "Here we are, folks! Our opening act will be the 'Best Times Belt!' Though this Grand Prix was all technically one track, we wanted to recognize the most overall impressive performances from sector to sector. This one goes to the team that had the best 'lap' times going from area to area!"

  ---\*\*\*Drumroll\*\*\*---

  "The team with the best average clear time for each sector was... CAPTAIN FALCON AND RAIDEN!!" Game Guy Cheered.

  ---Music: Captain Falcon Victory Theme---

  The reception from the audience was just as warm and celebratory as for the victory itself earlier. The pair was handed the gold belt with stunning ruby gem in the center which looked like a red power star.
  "Next up, we have Bonus Belt number two!" Game Guy moved on, "Here we have the cool blue 'Most Rules Broken Belt!' which will go to the team that caused the most infractions! The winner of this belt, is none other than..."

  ---\*\*\*Drumroll\*\*\*---

  "WALUIGI AND DANTE!! For taking a huge shortcut and skipping two sectors of the race! And also for not being officially registered, or licensed to drive!"

  ---Music: Trophy Celebration - Waluigi---

  "Oh, uh... my bad," Waluigi apologized, scratching his head.
  The gold belt with a blue, star shaped sapphire was awarded to the duo, much to their surprise. "Congratulations for almost ruining things for everybody!" Game Guy told them as he handed them the belt.
  Dante took the belt and didn't really do anything else fancy. He kinda had a bit of stage fright being in front of so many millions of people.

  ---Music: Tekken Tag Team Opening Music---

  "And, finally, we have one last belt to award! This mean and green belt is the 'Most Knock-Outs Belt!' for the team which eliminated the most enemies! This has been a fast, aggressive, and dangerous race today, folks, so we want to acknowledge the passion and skill which went into so many duels out there on the circuit!
  This gold belt also had a colored, star-shaped gem within it, but, even within the center of the gem, there appeared to be a smaller gem embedded within.

  ---Music: Theme of Don Genie---

  Don Genie immediately burst into a fit of uproarious laughter. "Hahahaha! That's right! The one belt I need to win is right here, and they're practically handing it to me! I've crushed and destroyed countless other F-ZEROs and racers today! Of course I'll win this one!"
  Tito grit his teeth. He had seen first hand that Genie and Wariod had taking out dozens of racers, and their boast held water. They did seem to be likely contenders to take this category home. The worst possible outcome was soon to arrive, and Don Genie would get the tools he needed to achieve perfection and conquer the cosmos.
  This was it. It would all come down to this. All they could do is cross their fingers, wait, and hope.

  ---(Music End)---

  "The winner of our third, and final, Bonus Belt, is none other than..." Game Guy began, looking into the letter within the envelop he held which listed the winners. "Oh my... oh dear. It seems that the Bonus Belt for Most Knock-Outs is... is... IS..."

  ---\*\*\*Drumroll\*\*\*---

  "LITTLE MAC AND DOC LOUIS!"

  ---Music: Little Mac Victory Theme---

  "These boisterous boxer buddies single-handedly beat the fuck out of somewhere between six hundred and seven hundred bees!" Game Guy clapped, handing them the belt. Doc Louis wrapped it around Little Mac's waist while the audience roared for the unexpected tag team.

  ---Music: Punch-Out Game Over---

  Doc Louis lifted up his student's fist into the air triumphantly, and the bashful battler couldn't help but smile and wave at all of his cheering fans. "Haha, yeah! You sure showed them what the buzz was about, Mac, baby!"
  Don Genie's jaw had dropped.

  ---Music: Grand Prix Ending (Guitar Arrange)---

  Tito slid on a pair of sunglasses himself and his face lit up with his signature big grin. "Aloha to that."
  "*Damn you, Tito!*" Genie shouted angrily, "*You haven't seen the last of me! I will rise from defeat and return even stronger and more dangerous-*"
  Toad waddled up to Don Genie, who was at least four times taller than the small lad, and leaped high enough up to slap the mobster in the face. "We're sick of your shit dude."
  Waluigi grabbed the large green gem Don Genie wore and ripped it off of his shirt. "So, this is one of the Chaos Emeralds, right, boss?"
  "Yep. Mission accomplished. I'm proud of all of you! Don Genie has done plenty of nasty crimes over the years, but we've fortunately stopped his latest and most terrible one. So let's make sure to put him behind bars for a very long time. So, all's well that ends well, bruddahs."
  "What about Wario, boss?" Waluigi asked with heavy skepticism.
  "What about him, bruddah?" Tito replied.
  "I mean, he's caused all of us so many problems now..." Waluigi pointed out.
  Tito laughed heartily. "The seagull that flies a crooked path has a hard time flying home, but this home will always be here waiting for him whenever he's ready. For now, I wanna make sure the rest of you bruddahs are ok, first. Report back to HQ for a debriefing."
  "We'll join you later, Tito," Raiden declined, "Captain and I have a few loose ends to tie up here."
  "Understood," Tito confirmed, "I want to thank you, Raiden. You really tied the team together with your experience and support."
  "Thank you," Raiden smiled, "I'm just happy to do what I was hired for."
  "Well, I hired you to be a bad ass," Tito laughed, "So good job. You two have done us a great service today. Enjoy the party, bruddahs."
  For Captain Falcon, something still didn't feel just right, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He sighed a bit while attempting a smile. "Well, I'll certainly try," he responded.
  Tito could instantly read the mood just by hearing the pilot's voice. "Captain. Part of the reason I gave you this opportunity is because I've been aware of all that's been going on with you from the start. I just want to leave you a little wisdom, moving forward. The Ancient Hawaiians have a saying for you. The most important races are won in the ocean of the soul. Just think on that, bruddah."
  "Heh," Falcon chuckled, "Thanks, Uncle Tito. I will."
  Raiden patted his partner on the shoulder. "They'll probably want to give us an interview or something. Let's get going."
  As the rest of the agents and associates left the scene with Genie is tow, the two victors of the race fist bumped.

  ---Music: F-ZERO TV---

  The victory venue was a large arena with stadium seating surrounding a massive area and holding hundreds of thousands of cheering fans who had their attentions all focused onto a single, circular platform within the dead center of the stadium. The platform had dozens of TV screens stacked together like the display window of a street store, and their presence forced a kind of background wall behind Mr. Zero, Captain Falcon, and Raiden, who stood in front of the displays and faced the dutiful Lakitu who focused his camera lens on both of them, and would shift his view back and forth depending on who would be speaking.
  Mr. Zero smiled and held his microphone to his mouth. "From the special F-ZERO GP venue, we're broadcasting an interview with the Grand Prix Champions, Captain Falcon and Raiden."
  The two of them waved happily to all who had their eyes on this historical event. "Ok, then," Mr. Zero began, "I'd like to ask you something."
  He went to his smart phone to check which questions he would be asking.
  "Congratulations on your stunning victory!" Mr. Zero cheered, and then immediately held his microphone towards Captain Falcon as if expecting a response.
  "That, uh... wasn't a question."
  Mr. Zero pulled his mic back to himself. "Thank you for the interview."
  He then positioned his mic towards Raiden. "Next question. Do you prefer the Genesis or the Saturn version of Sonic 3D Blast?"
  "I genuinely don't know what that is," Raiden nodded with a confused smile.
  "Thanks for your words of enthusiasm, champ," Mr. Zero continued briefly, before mumbling, "Who wrote these questions..." to himself, and then raising his voice once more. "Ok, new plan. As a cherry on top to this crowd-funded wonderpalooza of a Grand Prix, I'd like to offer all of you fans out there, both in the stadium and at home, a chance to ask your own questions! Just post to the official F-ZERO social media community with the hashtag, '#NintendoPleaseReviveThisFranchise,' and we'll tally votes on the most popular questions! We'll give it a few minutes for votes to come in. In the mean time, please enjoy this musical intermission from Crush 40!"

  ---Music: Revvin' Up---

  The ensuing wait gave the two champions ample time to dwell on their thoughts, as well as talk a bit. "So, Captain," Raiden began, "You look a little down. What are you thinking?"
  "Well... I'm thinking that taking down all of the villains we defeated today was great. Yet, somehow, I'm standing here in the first place spot, and I feel like I haven't learned why I'm here quite yet. I don't know what I'm doing standing in the same place I did fifteen years later like nothing has changed."
  As Captain Falcon waited, he observed his surroundings. All of the other participants of the Grand Prix were seated in the front rows of the audience, very close to the pedestal he and his partner stood at. Their various emotional responses to the situation were as varied as they were unique. Some were angry, others proud. Some disappointed, others loud. In particular, he saw Samurai Goroh and Karate Joe. He had always known his old rival to carry a face of pure fury and an attitude fowl enough to teach at a Retroville city school. But this time was different. Goroh looked genuinely sad.
  "Well, I'm curious," Raiden started to ask, "Did you want things to change?"
  "You know, Raiden... I think I did," Captain Falcon admitted.
  The cyborg saw where Captain Falcon had looked, and got most of the picture of what was going through his partner's head. "Well, Captain. If you want to change things yourself, now is your chance."
  After a brief moment of inner conflict, Captain Falcon finally acted. He approached Mr. Zero and got his attention.
  "Is something the matter, Captain?" the host asked with concern.
  "I was thinking, Mr. Zero... about those Bonus Belts. The one you awarded us feels kind of redundant. Of course we would have had the best times if we won. I think we should change the award to some other criteria."
  The host held his chin in consideration of the request. "You raise a good point. But what other criteria could we honor?"
  The bounty hunter thought it over for a moment, then whispered his answer into Mr. Zero's ear. The announcer smiled and nodded his head. "Sounds good!"
  The host of the event immediately gathered the attention of everyone viewing the event. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have one last twist to this event before the final interview questions! We are going to change one of the previous Bonus Belts, as the Best Times Belt has been deemed redundant. In it's place, we are going to award this ruby red belt to a new recipient. This belt will now be the 'Red Space Belt!' And it will be awarded to the team that landed on the most red spaces!"
  This revelation shocked the audience and sent them into a gossipy frenzy of predictions of who could possibly win that category, and how.
  As per Mr. Zero's request, Lakitu pulled up camera footage from earlier in the race, around the point in time when Raiden, Goroh, Falcon, and Joe were beating the hell out of each other. Lakitu zoomed and enhanced the footage to show all of the blood that rained upon the vehicles during the brawl, and pointed out several points where Samurai Goroh and Karate Joe stepped into the red splatters on the ground. "The winners of the Red Space Belt, are none other than... SAMURAI GOROH AND KARATE JOE!!"

  ---Music: Distant Day's Promise---

  The spotlights in the stadium all focused on the two unexpecting pilots in their seats in the audience, who turned their heads back and forth in stunned surprise as applause and cheers engulfed the stadium. Shy Guy and Bullet Bill, approached the two of them and lead them onto the stage to join the others. Samurai Goroh and Captain Falcon stood face to face and looked one another in the eyes for a few tense moments, until Captain Falcon held out the Bonus Belt to his rival in one hand, and extended his other hand out to invite a handshake.
  Karate Joe smiled and placed his hand on Goroh's shoulder, while Mr. Zero and Raiden clapped their hands in celebration. "You were a pretty tough guy to duel," Raiden complimented, "You've definitely earned these cheers."
  "I hope they sound just as great as you had always hoped they would, old friend," Captain Falcon spoke kindly.
  Under Goroh's circular sunglasses, a single tear dripped down. They shook hands while Goroh tried to think of what to say. "Hey, uh, man... I appreciate this. Really. Next time, let's have a real race, without any chuckleschmuck evil villains trying to get in the way."
  "I look forward to it," Captain Falcon smirked.
  "Alright, everyone!" Mr. Zero shouted with infectious enthusiasm, "The results are in! It seems one question in particular received the overwhelming majority of votes! So, I'll ask this one question to both of our champions."
  The host straightened his tie and held his microphone out towards the two companions. "Captain Falcon, Raiden... what is the most important requirement for an F-ZERO racer?"
  "Haha, I'm not even a racer, technically," Raiden laughed, "This one is all yours."
  Mr. Zero held his mic to Captain Falcon, and the whole galaxy waited to hear his response.
  "Well, Mr. Zero... as I stand here, surrounded by my fans, my friends, and those I consider family... I realize, without a doubt, that the most import requirement for a racer, as well as for anyone out there trying to make a difference... is heart!"
  Mr. Zero couldn't help but show a gleaming smile on his face. "You know, I recall asking you this same question a very long time ago. I'm surprised to hear your answer hasn't changed."
  The bounty hunter laughed. "I suppose it's me who has changed. And if there's only one thing about myself I've kept, I'm glad it's that answer."
  "I see!" Mr. Zero replied, sounding very impressed, "And I can't say I disagree with that answer, myself! A fittingly deep gesture from our returning champion!"
  "Come up here, guys!" Raiden yelled with eager excitement, waving his arms to call up all of the others who had helped them during their long and challenging journey. All of the US-MKJIO agents and affiliates gathered around while Raiden organized everyone's positions and prompted Lakitu to take a group photo.
  Mr. Zero couldn't be more thrilled. "That's it, everyone! This has been a speed crazy dream extravaganza episode of F-ZERO TV! We'll see you at the next Grand Prix!"

  ---Music: Azure Blue World---

  Off on a sandy beach in front of an unforgettably beautiful sunset, Shy Guy and Bullet Bill gazed across a sparkling orange ocean while reclining in their beach chairs and enjoying sips of their favorite drinks.
  "Man... I can't believe we got to live the dream, dude," Bullet Bill mused.
  "Yeah, for real. This was great!" Shy Guy chuckled, "I'm so glad we got invited to take part in this whole thing."
  "Absolutely. Once in a lifetime event. I'll never forget it."
  "I couldn't agree more."
  "I'm so glad we took pictures."
  "Say, Bill... you knew about the Chaos Emerald in the Bonus Belt, right?"
  "Of course I did. Why?"
  "I was just asking since you didn't say anything about it. And I know you're a big fan of Sonic stuff so I thought you would have recognized it."
  "I definitely did. Chaos Ring from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. It's powerless though because it only works on Mobius, and that place is noncanon to the continuity."
  "Ah. Ok. Yeah, I was just curious."
  "Good catch though. Glad you recognize that I'm a leading expert on Sonic canon and trivia. Did you know that a few of the actual video games do take design and conceptual keys from the animated Sonic series'? Like Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, for instance."
  "Oh, hey, that's one of my favorite classics," Shy Guy agreed, taking a long sip from the straw to his drink. "I used to play that game and Sonic Spinball a ton back in the day."
  "Spinball, eh? That one's a classic, alright."
  "Yep. It's one of my favorite Genesis games."
  There was an extended period of silence, until Bill couldn't withhold from comment any longer. "Actually, if we're being honest, the Game Gear version of Spinball is a lot better, objectively."

  ---Music: Fist Bump---

  Another period of long silence.
  Shy Guy silently turned his drink upside down and poured it out onto the sand. He hopped up from his chair and walked away.
  "Hey, Frank, don't be like that! Just hear me out!" Bill pleaded, leaping from his chair to follow his roommate and continue pressing the subject until they were both out of sight, "The Game Gear version has a totally different feel to it, a better soundtrack, it's portable..."

  *The End.*