#tl;dr Paula doesn't like him romantically

[guardianoftheearth]

The ribbon girl sat alone, in the corner of the cell, hugging her teddy bear as her hands, consumed by all that use of PSI felt weak, along with her mind. She had absolutely no way of escaping now, even if she wanted to. She looked at the door, that damn door that separated her from freedom. She felt so weird. So weak. Was she even enough? She put her face between her knees, sighing, a frown creating on her lipstick covered lips.

“… maybe he’ll never come…”

As she said those words, the door of the shack opened, the rays of the sun shining behind the figure, making her cover her eyes for the bright light. Eventually, she lowered her arm, eyes staring at whoever entered. Her cheeks flushed red for a moment, her head racing at the thought that yes… maybe her guardian angel existed and was here for her! She immediately stood up, racing towards the bars of the cell, a huge smile on her face.

Once her vision cleared… she was confused. In front of her didn’t stand a knight, or a courageous hero. In front of her stood a kid. A small, chubby kid, with a round face, a red cap, striped shirt, shorts and a backpack with a baseball bat inside. The kid smiled when he saw her, skipping towards the cell. “There you are! You’re Paula, right?” He beamed, not thinking that someone could hear him right in the middle of Peaceful Rest Valley.

Taken aback by the sudden introduction, the girl fixed her bow, looking down at the kid. “Umh… yes, I’m Paula… and you are…?” she asked, tilting her head in confusion. “I’m Ness! Ness Snes Nintendo! I heard your call through my dream, and I’m here to save you!” He said, like a hero of one of those ‘Videogames’ she heard about. Wasn’t ‘Nintendo’ a company, too? As he said that name, the girl’s eyes widen, this is it! That’s the boy she dreamed about! … But he was different from what she expected. She sighed, looking at Ness, a bit lost in her thoughts. Yes, he was a kid, but he was also the only one she could rely on.

Reorganized her thoughts, she gave him a serious look, her eyes not leaving the boy’s cheerful ones. “Okay Ness, Listen. I know where the key for this stupid cell is.” Ness did his best to follow her, even if he was also a bit lost in himself. “Take the key from Carpainter. He has it hidden away somewhere. You can find him in the mansion of the village, who he kinda made into his temple, Got it?” She explained, as clear as she could, not wanting to confuse him even more than she thought he was now. The boy, after one or two seconds, nodded eagerly, gripping onto his brown backpack. “Got it!” then turned around towards the door to exit the shack.

“Ness- Ness wait a moment!” She shouted, reaching him with her hand. “Mhh?” He turned around again, tilting his head and walking towards the ribbon girl again. She sighed, searching for something in her purse. “Here, take this” she said, showing the boy a big, but very cool badge that had a certain shininess to it. The red capped boy’s eyes widen at the sight of such beautiful object, which he immediately took. It was white with black borders, an image of the Earth and a thunder at the center and a huge writing that read “MOTHER”, painted in a beautiful red color, that for a reflection of the light, could also look blue or yellow.

“That’s the Franklin badge. What it does changes from person to person, or at least... that’s what I heard.” The girl explained, straightening her posture a little bit. “What I know for sure tho, is that it has protective properties and I’m sure it will be most useful to you.” She made a little smile, watching the boy put the badge on his backpack instantly. Her smile then slowly faded, her gaze going down as she whispered something that the boy didn’t hear well. “… if I had enough power, you wouldn’t be in this situation…”.

The boy put his backpack on his shoulders, gripping it tightly. Before heading for the place, he stopped, looking back at the girl. “… Do you think I’ll make it…?” he asked, a small frown on his chubby face. Paula extended her arm to reach him again, the boy allowing her to scratch his head like a child. With a slightly more relaxed expression, she comforted him “Of course you’ll make it, and if you don’t, I’ll try to bust out of here and come for you. Just kick butt like I know you can! alright?” She reassured him, looking at his juvenile eyes, who in a moment returned cheery. “Thank you, Paula… I won’t fail you!” He said, regaining his strength and rushing out of the shack. “Bye bye!” the boy shouted, waving at her with his arm before disappearing outside. She waved back, a bit worried but still hopeful. Yes, she had to lie about coming to save him and bust out of the cage alone, but she felt like she had to for the sake of giving him power. “See you later, Ness…” She said in a small voice, sighing. Maybe he was her destiny, just not like how her parents intended.