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Within days of Bogard's arrival the two had become fast friends. They were an odd little duo, but Red, the robust kid trainer, really seemed to take a shine to the friendly street fighter. At times the two were simple friends, playing games and training together; other times Terry was carrying Red around on his shoulders, listening to the kid ramble as an affectionate dad would. Actually, no one was surprised that they grew so close in such little time.
The two had a weekly regiment that they would go through. Every Friday, the two would go to Terry's room to wrestle or have a minimatch or just read and talk. Sometimes Ken would join them, other times Leaf and Lucas would as well, but it was always a time for Terry and Red to just hang out. There was one Friday where, all of a sudden, Terry accepted a silent, tired Red into his home and got a fairly heart-wrenching crash course in the backstories of Smash, all relayed to him by the kid he'd grown so fond of.
"Most of the people who were invited to the third Smash tournament never made it there," Red started once he took his place on the edge of Terry's bed, fiddling with a Charizard figurine in his hands. "We were scattered everywhere. Uhh... Master Hand was possessed, and Tabuu didn't want us to be gathered together. I only had... Squirtle by my side." His voice became particularly hushed after each pause, and from Terry's spot next to him he could barely see Red's eyes.
"Mhm." Terry's eyes were trained on Red's hands, nothing on his face but a small frown and a listening look. "Tabuu was lonely, right? I've heard from R.O.B that that was his motivation."
"Yeah. He was kinda jealous of Master Hand, too, I think. It's kinda weird, really." The boy's fingers adjusted the Charizard's wing, then moved it back. "I met Lucas in an abandoned zoo. From what I heard he had just seen Ness become petrified. And then a while later I did too."
Despite Terry's stoic listening face Red could feel a wince rolling across his face. The boy continued. "We thought we were all doing well, honestly. We were just about to go against the Master Hand. But.... then we were frozen. It hurt a lot, honestly. Like there was something electric going up and down my arms and legs, eating them alive and leaving ice behind."
"So like sleep paralysis but worse?" Terry's hand unconsciously went up to ruffle Red's hair, the blonde fighter looking away to try and imagine the sensation the kid had described. "... And you felt all that while you were frozen."
"Yeah. That's why going through the World of Light was easier on all of us," Red mumbled, eyelids drooping as his body leaned into Terry's like he was a headboard. "We didn't feel anything while we were possessed."
Terry's lips set themselves in a straight line as he nodded in unconscious agreement; he hadn't been present for the original Galeem invasion, but some way or another a spirit had come to him and managed to take his conscience away, so he understood that. Would it have been better for Terry to realize the full force of his actions, the way he'd battered down Marth and then Kirby and then Lucas, the poor kid? He didn't want to think about it, and no doubt Red didn't want to either.
Still, he grinned after a while, full-on ruffling the trainer's hair now with a small chuckle. "Well, good thing you're here now. Safe and sound, alright? Get some rest, kid: you need it."
"Mm'kay." Red managed a very tired half smile before he just totally zoinked out, body slowly collapsing as Terry hoisted him up and gently set him in his bed.