THE DEEDLY DEES MY BELOVEDS

I gave them all outfits so they could be recognizable without their instruments

I don’t know if they all have official names yet, but I’m just going to roll with:

Electric Guitarist Waddle Dee

Keyboardist Waddle Dee

Bassist Waddle Dee

Drummer Waddle Dee

Captain N - Chapter 16: The Mayor and I

Upon entering city hall, Falco and Captain N were met with a wave of cool air emanating from the interior. The interior matched the art-deco exterior, with a large rug laid out across the polished floor of the large lobby, with small tables holding fancy lamps and weeks-old magazines for reading, in between large, cushion chairs. Above the center of the room was the largest and surely most expensive chandelier Captain N had ever seen, immaculately decorated with countless, intricately cut crystals with the light from the ceiling gently reflecting through each one. The two's presence was immediately noticed by the others waiting in the room, the formally dressed businesspeople looking up from their magazines and newspapers to subtly gawk at the casually dressed young man and the bird-person. Being the center of attention like this did make Captain N feel slightly uncomfortable, but it's preferable to confronting Dracula or one of Bowser's airships. "Can I help you two?" The receptionist asked from behind the desk. "Yeah, do you think we can meet with Mayor Pauline today?" Falco asked in return. "Captain N, tell Falco we-" Zelda suddenly spoke to him in his mind, which he waved away. "Don’t worry, we’re at city call." Captain N thought back to Zelda. Zelda didn't say anything back in return. "Unfortunately not, as she's spending all of today at the park, commemorating the recent renovations." The receptionist answered, making Captain N feel freeze in place. "Wait, the Commemorative Park?" Falco clarified, double taking. "Yes, would you like me to schedule you in tomorrow?" The receptionist politely asked, where Falco looked back at Captain N. Captain N was still frozen in place. "Did you find Mayor Pauline?" Zelda asked him in his mind, with a hint of smugness in her voice. "...I think so." Captain N awkwardly thought back, where he could sense her suppressing slight laughter. "No thanks, we're good." Falco answered the receptionist, quickly turning back to her. "Well then, have a nice day!" She bid them farewell, turning back to what she was doing.

As the two quickly exited, Captain N could feel Falco leering at him. "She knew, didn't she?" Falco asked, referring to Zelda. "She might've!" Captain N defended himself. Falco shook his head as Captain N hastily pulled the map out of his pocket and unfolded it, trying to find a route to the Commemorative Park. "Do you need help finding us?" Zelda asked him in his mind. "I think we got it under control." Captain N mentally spoke back to her as he speed-walked alongside Falco. He ended up bumping into many more businesspeople on the sidewalks as he tried to navigate through New Donk City, much to their annoyance. "Gimme the map!" Falco hissed at him, snatching it out of his grasp. Taking a quick stop to carefully look at the map, Captain N kept his head low, hoping to avoid attracting attention from the Koopa, Waddle Dees and Kremlings patrolling above. The longer the two stayed in place, the more likely it was that they get singled out. Captain N impatiently looked over Falco's shoulder at the map, hoping to find the path himself. He could feel tensions rise, with more and more businesspeople around him peering at the two outsiders as they walked by. Just as one of the Waddle Dees was beginning to notice the small commotion occurring, Falco smacked the map triumphantly and declared "Got it! Follow me!". The two then darted off, with Falco weaving through the dense crowds and navigating around the maze of roads. Captain N tried his best to keep up, often bumping into other people on the way. Realizing they could be causing even more of a scene, Captain N tugged on Falco's jacket slightly. "What's the rush, man?" He asked him, who whipped around to face him. "We can’t mess around. Time’s a-wasting!" Falco insisted, realizing he was standing on unsteady foundation. "Yeah, well, WE could be in trouble if we keep making a scene!" Captain N reminded him, hiding away from the view of the goons above. Falco was about to shoot something back, but after noticing a Kremling patrolling above, he relented. Assuming a slower, more subtle page, the two carefully followed the path leading to the Commemorative Park. Captain N ducked his head down, further obscuring him from the forces above.

Upon reaching the archway leading away from the crowded, busy streets and into the more peaceful Commemorative Park, Captain N held Falco back from entering. "What is it now?" Falco asked, turning to face him. "Shouldn't we approach this with a little more caution?" asked Captain N.

"What, you mean more than the snail's pace we were just at?"

"Yeah!"

Falco groaned in annoyance.

"Look, Pit and Her Majesty are already in there somewhere. They've found Mayor Pauline and has she told you that they're in trouble with those goons?"

"...No, she hasn't."

"Exactly. Plus, you and I both know what a GREAT disguise Zelda's got on. So, if they haven't been sniffed out yet, they won't sniff us out either."

Captain N groaned to himself, relenting to Falco's insistence.

"If that's it, then come on." Falco said, heading into the park. Captain N quickly followed behind. The park provided a nice contrast against the modern and crowded city. Here, the air was fresher, the grass and trees were more alive, and the wide area reserved for the park was lined with dirt paths to a small pond near the center. None of the three king's goons could be seen around, but Captain N was hesitant to let his guard down. Apart from the occasional light post and metal park bench, the two noticed four robots moving along the grass with their hexagonal bases. These robots also had a "platform" halfway up their spines that connects to their arms, and a rectangular head with two large, round eyes. "You ever seen robots like these before?" he asked Falco. "Nope." was the answer Falco gave. The robots didn't notice the two, and seeing that they posed no conceivable threat, the two paid the robots no mind and continued down the dirt path.

"I can see you." Spoke Zelda in Captain N's mind. Caught off guard, he stumbled back a bit, looking around for the source of the voice. "Something up?" Falco asked, noticing Captain N stumble back. "Zelda said she sees us." he answered. Falco looked around for a bit, then settling on a specific point in the distance. "Maybe she's over there?" Falco suggested, pointing to the location. Looking over, Captain N saw a fairly large crowd gathered around, where could be heard the sound of faint music being played. "It's worth a shot." he agreed. As the two walked over, the music grew louder, the crowd remaining respectfully quiet throughout. The band stood on a short metal platform, and was comprised of a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, a trumpeter and a singer. The four instrument players were men, wearing red formal jackets and pants, with a black shirt, black hat and white tie. The singer was a rather tall woman with long dark hair, wearing a formal red dress and a large red hat as she sang. The song they played was lively and energetic, the crowd enraptured by the song. Three more of the robots from before were situated behind the band. Captain N noticed Zelda and Pit near the back of the crowd, listening to the song alongside everyone else as he pointed them out to Falco. Pit noticed Captain N and Falco approaching, as did Zelda. Falco began to ask her where Mayor Pauline was, but was quickly shushed by Pit, not wanting him to disturb the song. Alongside the people of New Donk City, Captain N could finally understand the lyrics of the song.

 "Spin the wheel, take a chance"

 "Every journey starts a new romance"

 "A new world's calling out to you"

Captain N found himself getting swept up in the positive air of the song, his spirits being lifted by the joyous energy conveyed from the instruments and singing.

 "Take a turn, off the path"

 "Find a new addition to the cast"

 "You know that any captain needs a crew"

It sounds cliché to him, but Captain N felt the lyrics really speak to him.

 "Take it in stride"

 "As you move from side to side"

 "They're just different points of view"

 "Jump with me, grab coins with me"

 "Oh yeah!"

Glancing at his allies, he found Zelda surprisingly at ease, enjoying the song as well. A gentle smile graced her face, softly rocking her head in time with the beat. Pit was also entranced by the elegant yet energetic singing of the woman behind the microphone. It took him a moment to ease up, but even Falco got into enjoying the live musical performance, not that he would admit it. It was also nice for Captain N to see the townspeople enjoying the nice day, paying no mind to the forces of the three kings currently infesting the city. The song continued on, and his worries felt assuaged. He silently wished he could freeze time in these few moments, where there was only him, his teammates, nice music, a warm community and a sunny day. He could feel the beautiful notes of the song waft around him, almost entrancing him in this warm melody. But only a couple minutes of bliss later, the music faded away, the song drawing to a close. Reality came back to Captain N, along with a slight depression with the end of the lovely song. Once the band was officially done playing, the crowd of casually dressed men, women and children cheerfully applauding. Even the robots behind the makeshift stage applauded, their metal "hands" rapidly clapping together. "Wasn't that song the coolest!?" Pit excitedly goaded. "Yeah, it sure was something." Captain N agreed, smiling. “Eh, I’ve heard better.” Falco bluntly said, earning him a scowl from Zelda and Pit. Once the applause faded, the woman took the microphone in her hand. "Thank you all once again for coming today, it's more important now than ever that we maintain our New Donk spirit!" She cheered, earning some more applause. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to meet with someone important, stay safe, everyone!" She proclaimed, and after another quick round of cheering, the crowd began to disperse. He could sense the people weren’t too keen on leaving the park and going back to the city being patrolled, but they had their own lives to get back to. Once it was clear enough to get to the band from the back, Zelda made her way up to the singer, her band members packing up their instruments. "Your song was lovely, you and your band should take great pride in your talent!" She congratulated her. "Thank you, Princess. It's not often we receive such esteemed audience members!" The woman replied. "Man, we really should get you a better disguise." Falco remarked, which Zelda ignored.

"Oh! I haven't introduced you to my companions yet!" Zelda suddenly realized, motioning to the three with her. "You’ve already met Pit, this is Falco Lombardi of Star Fox squadron, and Captain N of the savior's prophecy." She formally introduced them, each waving after their name was mentioned. The woman's eyes widened, turning to Zelda. "You mean 'from beyond the stars'? To come in our 'hour of greatest need'?" She asked, which Zelda answered with a nod. The woman quickly turned to Captain N, who produced the Zapper from his pocket as well as the Ice Booster. "Oh, how wonderful! Hope has finally returned!" She cheered. "My name is Pauline, I'm the mayor of this fine city as well as singer." She introduced herself, taking Captain N aback. "...You're Mayor Pauline?" Falco asked her, getting a cheerful "Why, yes I am.". Falco and Captain N shared a surprised look, which earned a laugh from Pit. "Got you guys!" He gloated. "At any rate, it's an honor to meet you, miss Mayor." Captain N said to her. "Oh, the honor is all mine! And please, call me Pauline." She replied.

"Well then, Pauline, you're the best mayor we've met thus far." Captain N remarked.

"Oh yes, New Leaf Town. I know their mayor well." Pauline remarked.

“That makes one of us.” Pit noted.

"We came to you hoping you'd know where we could find Ryu." Zelda said to her, surprising her slightly.

"Ryu? You mean the man who's about to compete in the World Warrior Tournament this weekend?"

"That's the guy." Pit confirmed.

Pauline put a finger to her chin, thinking to herself.

"Well... it's not under my job description to keep tabs on citizens of New Donk City, but I think Ryu could be found at Doc's Gym on the east end of the city." Pauline answered. Captain N got the map out and scanned the diagram for the gym. "It's at 74 Squaks Park Street, not too far from here." Pauline clarified. This helped locate the destination, approximating it to be only a few miles away from the Commemorative Park. "Thank you, Pauline." Captain N gratefully said to her, which she met with a hand wave. "You being here could mean so much to a lot of people. That horrible Bowser's had his oppressive hand down on the city for so long. The people are too scared to go out at night, fearing they'll be roughed up by his goons, if not the minions of Dedede or K. Rool.” She explained with a scowl. “Mario was... he was the best of us. Him and his six allies. With them gone, and presumably... we've almost lost all hope.” She mournfully went on, turning away slightly. “But you being here, proving the prophecy true, it could bring hope to these people." Pauline spoke, her voice rising once more at the prospect of liberation. This did little to help the pressure Captain N felt to perform, but wanting to maintain the image of the prophesied savior Yamajiro so desperately needed, he puffed up his chest. "It's the least I can do for you fine people." He boldly stated, making Falco groan a bit. "Say, if you don't mind me asking, what are the robots for?" Captain N asked, referring to the three robots currently disassembling the stage. "Oh! Those are Light-patented Robotic Operating Buddies, or R.O.B.s for short. They're a great help in renovating and performing odd jobs around the city." Pauline answered proudly. Upon hearing their names mentioned, the three R.O.B.s looked up and waved at the group, their mechanical arms moving jaggedly. He waved back awkwardly, knowing that the R.O.B.s weren't conscious of what their gesture meant. The three robots turned back to their job, and Captain N turned back to Pauline. "Thanks again, miss mayor! It's been great listening to your band!" Pit said cheerfully. "My pleasure. I wish you all well on your journeys, beyond finding Ryu." Pauline said back. "We'll be around in case those grunts cause too much trouble." Falco assured. "Indeed, you have our word that the people of New Donk City can rely on our protection." Zelda added.

"Thank you, you don't know how much that means to me." Pauline said, gratefully. "Well, I shouldn't keep Mr. Savior of Yamajiro much longer, so I'll leave you all on your way. Happy trails!" Pauline bid farewell. With the four thanking her one last time, they referred back to the map, found the route to Doc's Gym, and went on their way to hopefully find Ryu.