Agent S had been dealt with, but she had joined a list of many others enemies waiting in the wings. It was, in essence, the calm before the storm. Whether the coming storm was consisted of federal hit-men, my many other enemies, or a combination of both, I knew not. But it mattered not. The storm was coming.

I think now is perhaps, an appropriate time for me to make a small confession.

I should reveal that I have had a confidant.

Infrequent were our meetings, but they were vital to my general dictatorial ethos. I truly admired the ruler of the underground, Mr. Resetti.

We met occasionally for coffee, and he always offered encouragement.


Given the right occasion, he could even throw a great fancy-dress party!


But in our last conversation, he seemed dispirited.


By chance, Curt was in a blue mood too. He reminded me of time, and the way it marches relentlessly on. I was young now, but I wouldn’t always be.


Their attitudes began to rub off on me. I didn’t want to be stuck in Vilevale forever, wasting my youth fulfilling a single role like Resetti. Perhaps fatefully, Pascal visited, and had similar sentiments.


He had a point. There was not anything new left for me to do? Could I really achieve further with my regime in Vilevale? I wandered the village, engrossed in my thoughts. Cyrano seemed to read my mind.


I did know when to give up. I decided it was time.
My reign had waxed and waned, but now, the peaks felt far gone.
However, I did not want to be forgotten, and I couldn’t leave Vilevale leaderless. So I had to be proactive, and choose an appropriate successor to carry on my legacy.

An immediate choice was Mott. He was an eager, energetic and enterprising type, who was ready to learn.


Another who was impressive, if a little arrogant, was Rowan.


The two were also quite close…


A strong buddy would be good for a new leader to have. Something that I myself lacked in the early stages of my dictatorship.

So I let Mott know, in no uncertain terms, that I had picked him. He was ready and willing.


The ever-supportive Curt approved of my plan.


It was then time to let Mott take the plunge, and take charge for a day.


I was really just a formality at this stage, and there wasn’t much for Mott to do. But he was pleased to get through today nonetheless.


The next day, I gave Mott a few duties. But he took things too far. Suddenly, he was ordering me around.


Enthusiasm was good, but this was a little worrying. I turned asked Curt for advice, but he was oddly unconcerned…


Things quickly escalated. I heard Rowan speaking to Pompom in code…


Then Mott and Rowan held a secret meeting, and their new hired muscle threatened me as I passed!


This was getting out of control.
I would no longer be safe in my bed! I had to get away!

But though I begged him, Kapp’n had been recruited too and he would not secure me safe passage to the City.


I tried to find other friends that could help me. But there were none.


Things were looking desperate.
My plan for a smooth exit had gone horribly awry.
I need an escape, and fast.

I would be lying if I said it hadn’t worried me, the fact that the authorities might come knocking. But I had always kept myself isolated. There was only one bus in and out of town, and most of my trouble were private issues, and even if they extended to other towns, they were usually dealt with in Vilevale.

So how had this happened? How had the feds found out?

It was my fault. I made a mistake. A long time ago. And it was coming back to haunt me. Kid Cat, another agent. He was my first opponent when I decided to take control of this town, and I’d quickly got rid of him.

Agent S was out to nail Vilevale’s dictator once and for all. She started by asking sly questions around town.



Mott, Bob, even Marcel. It seemed all were being hounded for information.



When I passed by her, she spoke in strange metaphors. I was confounded. What mad tactics was she employing?



And then she seemed to take on a covert role. She was barely sighted over the next few days.



Then I discovered her torturing Bob with a tazer in the dead of night!



She was really letting loose! But at least she couldn’t continue while I was present.



Newer villagers like Caroline weren’t happy with what was happening.



Mott too, was turning against me, being complemented by Agent S.



But my true friends stayed loyal, and were dismayed at the lack of support I was receiving.



Curt wanted to take action.



He had resolved to take the fall for me, by confessing to my many crimes. I protested, and we argued.



But I just couldn’t have him take the blame, so I was forced to imprison him in his house.



My villagers were divided. I need some uniting force to help me.
But then there was light at the end of the tunnel. Or rather, Cyrano, from Light.



I used the new arrival to distract and hopefully dissuaded Curt from his pursuing his outrageous plan. He had heard of Cyrano.



He finally gave up on the idea, and was working out how to utilise Cyrano instead.



Not that much work needed to be done. Cyrano was naturally empathetic, plus he was ignorant of what was transpiring, so he talked of me in a kind manner. As ever, all the other villagers were keen to converse with a new face.



Soon, the tide began to reverse. I was getting back on side with my villagers!



But Agent S, who had been working tirelessly to pin down some evidence against me, was fraying under the pressure.



It seemed my time was up. She had finally cracked.



I was frogmarched back to her house for interrogation. I had to think quickly… I could tell she was inexperienced in interrogation, and generally stressed by the situation.



So feigning defeat, I took on the role of the angry and defiant criminal. I shouted abuse, and threw in probing questions about her work. I asked if she had an issues.



I had touched a nerve. She started to reveal a weakness. She was overly competitive with fellow agents Kid Cat and Big Top, and wanted build her own reputation.



Plus, her extended reconnaissance was taking a toll on the agency’s budget.



I managed to move the conversation outside, where she continued to complain.



She was desperate and volatile, not to mention in a government agent, so something had to be done. I made a run for it, and quickly found Curt, who was shocked that I was still alive.



We hunkered down at his place for the night. By the morning, we had formed a plan.



It was a stop-gap solution at best, but I was sure it would work, and at least by me some time.
This village was a place of self-sufficiency, of written correspondence. Technology was the weakness of my villagers. I’d seen even my closest allies fall prey to it’s follies. Knowing Agent S’ temperament, it was clear what had to be done.

When I next saw Agent S, it was clear that the plan had worked a treat.

After the unexpected death of a villager, I was determined to be more watchful. So when Curt showed signs of an illness, I was immediately concerned.

Over the next few days, he didn’t improving. He refused visitors. Eventually, I had to force my way in.



I was getting quite worried… But then, a few nights later, he was out and about looking fit as a fiddle.



This was strange behaviour… The next night…



He was the same!



I was starting to get a little freaked out. Then…

Villagers began dropping hints….

Finally, concrete evidence. Fearsome footprints!



I had to be related to Curt’s illness… He was fit as a fiddle when the moon was full, but when moon waned, so did his health… He must be some kind of… A-a-a Were-Bear! No, surely not. That was a ludicrous idea!

I tossed these thoughts around in my mind for a few days, but in this time, Curt became sick as a dog again, and I snapped into action!



Something had to be done! Curt couldn’t go on like this, regardless of what supernatural wizardry was at play. He needed more than just medicine, so I had a hospital constructed post-haste!



It had top class care and research facilities.



While Curt was hospitalised, I had to take over some of the duties in the Bear Mafia.



Pinky was in charge while Curt was recuperating. She worried that the Don’s sickness would make the group vulnerable. She wanted to stay on top.



I suggested that we searched for a new member, just to help take the load, and in the future, expand the ‘family business.’ She agreed.



I headed to the city. But the bears there were all either simple or soft.

I was dejected. But Pinky had a new and improved plan!



She wanted to diversify… She wanted a secret set of eyes and ears outside of the bear fraternity. So the search began… But nobody was fitting. Villagers were either too nice, to nosy, or too neurotic.



Finally, she clarified her preference.



Fishy? I knew who she was suggesting… Marina! I hurriedly arranged a meeting.



And when we met, I didn’t beat about the bush!


I told Marina to keep it quiet, and she understood.


Maple was happy with the new recruit.


Soon enough, Curt was well enough to return home. He was grateful of my care.


But he knew, that I knew, he was hiding something.

I thought it was all a bit similar to the ‘Apollo incident,’ which Curt and I experienced together first-hand. Perhaps Curt had used that as a source of inspiration and had been conducting his own experiments… But I decided to respected his privacy… For the time being…

But then all of a sudden, the mood changed. Curt advised me to keep well clear of the Bear’s business from now on. He started spouting bullshit about me being better suited to a righteous path, and that I needed look after the “good folks” of Vilevale.

If that wasn’t enough, Maple just upped and left town.

Closely followed by a scared and angry Pinky. She just suddenly snapped during a morning coffee!

I couldn’t figure what the hell was going on! Why did the group seem to be disbanding?

Then it became obvious.

The fucking feds were in town!

What happened?
Was I dead?
I wasn’t sure.
Time passed.





Time past. Time Present. Time future.

Time is a funny thing…

A funny thing indeed…
The Island Dictatorship is back!


I was back. Alive. Somehow. I felt like I had been away a while. What had happened to me? What had happened while I was… er, wherever I was? I headed outside in search of answers.




Maple was very glad to see me…


But she seemed to be keeping a close eye on me… And the suit…


Of course! This must have something to do with the old Bear Mafia.
So sought a word with the Don… But Curt was aloof. He seemed tired.


I did however have an excellent relationship with another member of the Bear Mafia.


She began to confirm my suspicions…


So I returned to Curt, and finally, got the full run down…


The Bear Mafia had staged an attack on me. For all intents and purposes, I was dead. This meant that my enemies were no longer beseeching me. But to make it convincing, I had to be locked away in an induced coma for some months. In that time, Astrid had been taken away… A nice long ride on the bus with Capp’n.

Curt was satisfied with the plan’s execution.


For the moment I was now safe from the balloons, Apollo, Astrid, and whoever else wanted my head, I spent the next few days catching up on what had transpired in my absence.

My birthday had been and gone, and many had wished me well…


There were also new arrivals, including the world-renowned pinball champion, Anchovy.


All in all, things had gone well in my absence. Things seemed ship-shape.
But in my wanderings around town, it felt quieter. It felt less vibrant.
I noticed something odd…


What!? A body!? Had I dug up a grave?!


But who?

When?

I hastily returned the remains to the earth. Maple was nearby. She consoled me, and finally broke the news…


The body was that of Tangy. She had died by her own hand. Apparently she was good friends with Astrid, and her split allegiances left her confused and conflicted. In hindsight, I realised that there had been signs…


Even cries for help… That I didn’t pay attention to.

I felt awful. The location of the grave was self explanatory: She was buried near the Able Sisters’, her favourite place to shop and gossip. I felt the need to pay my own respects, so I organised the planting of an orange flower garden for the the village to remember our friend by.


Daily gossiping in Vilevale would never be the same without Tangy…


I vowed to keep a closer eye on my villagers. I couldn’t let tragedies happen without me knowing, to friends or foes. This reminded me of how tired Curt had seemed when I saw him earlier… So I went to visit him again. Things weren’t looking good…

My meteoric rise in Vilevale’s newly thriving fashion world had been abruptly cut short by a freak ‘accident.’ But with the help of alternative therapies, I was soon on the road to recovery.


When I was well enough to venture out, I discovered that the scene had changed. My villagers were trying to cash in on my absence by selling their shoddy advice to unwitting souls.


I needed to get back to my former fashionable glory. I needed bold new looks.


While I was incapacitated, Astrid hadn’t slowed up. She was holding a small competition. This was an opportunity for me to make a comeback.


It was time for me to strut my stuff.
Strutting music?

I was the best in Astrid’s eyes, becasue Tank and Curt just lacked a theme. (And yes, they were wearing the exact same thing. Fools.)


Curt was gracious in defeat.


Tank however, was not.


As a result, Tank became jealous, and started making suggestions to me in an attempt to prove his worth. I had to admit, he was thinking big. I like his ambition.


But Astrid had a warning.


She was right. With everybody watching my every move…


…my creativity really was being compromised!

And besides, I didn’t like the influence that fashion was having on the village. Particularly the youth.


I decided to get out of the game. I would sell out to those who had bigger ideas.


But Astrid was working against me. She wouldn’t hear of selling the business. She ignored the vision that Tank had.


I couldn’t afford to lose this deal, so negotiations took place in secret.


Then, the very next morning, Astrid asked me to deliver something…


What was in the package?
Had she changed her tune and also sold her share of the business to Tank?
Or was it an assassination plot? Was it truly meant for Tank, or did she intend for me to open it?

Just what was her endgame?

I pondered for a long time. Nightfall was approaching.
I couldn’t ask, couldn’t trust, anyone else.
It had to be me. I had to open it.


Was I, the dictatorial manipulator of Vilevale, about to risk it all?

After a string of residents coming-and-going, culminating in the departure of Fang, I had resolved to stop pursuing my enemies for a while. I decided that I should attempt to bond with my townsfolk, and make the community more cohesive.

But bonding proved difficult: Many of my villagers are idiotic. They only make me see red.


But alas, anger and negativity wasn’t get me anywhere. I needed a distraction… What my villagers might deem ‘entertainment.’ Astrid’s magazines sounded promising…


Indeed, Nintendique was interesting. Fashion was clearly a money-maker, judging by the way chicks roos like Astrid lapped it up… But what was fashion game in Vilevale?

I had never been consciously aware of fashion trends in Vilevale, but when I went out and about, deliberately searching, I immediately noticed a trend. Leaves were the in thing.


But who decided leafy heads were cool? After some investigation, it appeared to be Astrid herself. She was the guru in Vilevale. She was respected widely, appealing to most demographics, because she was hip fashionista as well as a parent.

However, she was also lonely.


Our chats became more regular. I managed to gain favour with her. We had private meetings…


…and she discussed many things with me. Including her deepest secrets!


She trusted me, so I was the first to receive new fashion tips…


I was able to interpret Astrid’s advice for the masses, and quickly spread the trends around town.


I was becoming well know. The villagers knew that my source, Astrid, was the best. They were hanging on my every word!

Astrid and I had a business running: I posted our style file on the Bulletin Board weekly…


Soon, my villagers were seeking my styling approval and advice on their outfits.


But this was a dirty business. People were spying.


And spreading rumours.


And just as things were really starting to take off, disaster struck. I was injured my morning gardening routine.


Maybe I had been sabotaged, but regardless, I couldn’t be taken seriously looking like this. I needed to lay low and recover.

I could no longer trust Snake. He was causing way to much havoc, which was meant to be my job. It had reached the point where his behaviour could no longer be tolerated. I had hired him, and now I had to do away with him.


I had support from my villagers, and Astrid even offered me financial support.


I needed a plan, and I decided to be classical, and go with poison.
I captured some bees, and harvested their venom.


Snake knew I was up to something…


Tortimer seemed to have gotten wind of my idea too, and must’ve feared I was after him.


All I needed now, was a way to administer the poison… I wandered about town searching for inspiration…


Mmm, pudding. Ah! That was it! I knew Snake had a sweet tooth. It was the oldest trick in the book, one that Snake would never expect. Luckily Astrid was an excellent cook…


I delivered the cake…


The following day he was deceased. Derwin had been with him on his deathbed, and described Snake’s pain.


I began to feel a little guilty. I took flowers to his grave…


These quickly multiplied. I blamed the bees… Hopefully it would not bring me unstuck.


Astrid however, oblivious to the tulips, showed no remorse.


And she didn’t have to wait long.


Peggy’s arrival was yet another example of Vilevale’s high turnover of residents, and it seemed that this trend was set to continue.


Of course, Fang had been planning his departure for quite a while. But this time, it was really happening.


My most loyal, trustworthy friend was leaving. Tomorrow, Vilevale would be a very different place.

[cue] Sad montage music [/cue]

Farewell, Fang. [sniff]

It felt like Vilevale was on a knife edge. There was tension in the air. Tension so thick that you could cut it with, uh, a knife edge…

Snake was causing further unrest. I had to keep my deal with him a secret, as I did not want to lose face by admitting to hiring him as bodyguard. So I was effectively paying him to keep his mouth shut, which he plainly wasn’t.


Fang was still lost in his future plans.


And in my frustration and anxiety, I began to avoid meeting with him. This put a strain our relationship.


All the while, the balloons kept drifting on over…


Causing some strange effects.


I wandered aimlessly. I was growing evermore worried and confused. But finally, I was brought to my senses by Alfonso.


Tangy put it even more bluntly.



She was right! I had to confront my enemies. I needed answers. Sputnik was the place to go.

I took Curt with me for security, just in case some old Bear Mafia connections were needed.


I was perhaps overly keen to find answers, but Curt kept me level headed.


Not that searching needed to be done. There was immediately something strange.
Footprints. Everywhere.


My instincts made me think of crazy experiments and that sort of science fiction stuff. Boone was passing by, and offered a pathetic reason that only served to confirm my suspicions.


Meanwhile, Curt had found some interesting things about Nook. Perhaps there is more to Nooks past hidden here in Sputnik…


And it seemed that he had been targeted, drugged, while his shop was pilfered.


Somebody had to be behind all this. It wasn’t hard to find out who. My insticts were right.


Whoever it was, was hiding away, building all sorts of contraptions from stolen goods, and terrorising me from afar.


Apollo! Now the crater paper message made even more sense…
I considered contacting him directly, to let him know the game was up. But Curt discouraged me…


He was right. There were others involved. Perhaps many more. I couldn’t forget Nana, who was enjoying herself a little too much.


I made my way back toward the gate. Boone blocked the way. The only thing that seemed to stop Boone from pummelling me was my relationship with G…


Alas. G. He was notable by his absence this night.
I took my leave, armed now with knowledge instead of suspicion. But there were certainly further questions to be asked, and action to be taken in the near future.

As I recovered from the gyroid attack, I recalled the unhelpful gift that arrived in the balloon.
I began to ponder this mysterious balloon…
It was green one…


And nor was it the first…
The last one had passed over just before Nana’s evil Snowman had come to life:



This warranted investigation! But I was no P.I.
Fang warned me to be subtle.


But as much a I like Fang, I disagree. He should know that’s not my style.


I went in search of answers.
Like all balloons, the green ones simply floated over the town from somewhere above the sheer eastern or western cliff walls…


Balloons, walls, east, west… This was sounding like a certain 80’s protest song…
My mind was wandering, as there was little to be found in Vilevale.

So I headed to the city, where I found a the best detective in the business: Cousteau!


He gave me a few prods in the right direction…


So… It appeared that my attacker was rich and well resourced, from Sputnik. They were holed up in the abandoned building, and were either forcing or bribing Phine…

My attention was suddenly stolen.


EUNICE! Alas, she did not recognised me in my current getup, and I lacked the courage anyway…
I slunk away, and returned to the comfort of Kapp’n’s rambling on the bus home.

Eunice had brought back a lot of memories…
In amongst these memories, the inevitable; another balloon.
Uncannily untimely as usual…


At least the anonymous attacker was not without humour…


As I took stock of this latest wry threat, I realised that I had never been alone in my rule, and I couldn’t afford to be.
Eunice, and now Fang: the dear friend I would soon lose…
I needed someone else who was equally loyal, to balance out the many enemies that I had gained…

Luckily, as the season began to turn, that someone arrived.


Like all new residents, he was struggling financially.


And again, like all new residents, he had errands to run on behalf of Tom Nook.


I offered him a confidential arrangement. Payment, in exchange for his observations and protection.


I hoped my dealings would run smoothly, but Fang had already seen some unsettling behaviour. Snake was already making his presence felt…

The army of gyroids continued to grow, as the blaggards flooded through my gate. It seemed I was finally getting my comeuppance for past discretions…

*cue flashback*


The gyroid army marched toward me!


I had no means of destroying them.


Thankfully, somebody, somewhere, had sympathised with my dire plight. The sight of balloon gave me hope…


Until I saw what the package contained!


Soon, the gyroids had me trapped.


There seemed to be only one choice left: Jump or be pushed?
Until it suddenly occurred to me… Earlier when I was running… The gyroids didn’t quite follow me…

No… They had avoided the carpet!


Yes! I began to drive them back.


I made my way home, and promptly donned suitable battle attire.


I charged to the bus stop, and to the source of the trouble…


King Lloyd Gyroid himself. At first he was stubborn, and refused to halt his troops. I was enraged.


But then I calmly explained my trump card; my knowledge of the gyroid’s weakness to red carpet.


A deal was reached.

Since Fang had his dreams shattered by the arrival of king derp himself, I expected him to be a little disheartened, even angry. But he seemed just as determined as ever to find himself a special someone.


And it happened quicker than he anticipated. He a Sahara seemed quite close…


Quite close…


Really quite very close indeed!!!


But alas, Sahara was always travelling, and there are issues with long distance relationships. It seemed Fang wanted to hit the road too.


But he and Derwin had a rivalry brewing, and that appeared to be his immediate priority, at least in the hide and seek stakes.


But the first real pawn in their Chess game was none other than…


Akiyo! Both were vying for is affections.


Actually, Derwin seemed to be vying for anybody’s affections!


There really was far to much lovin’ innuendo in Vilevale.


Even Pelly was lusting after is banished lover.


Gah! Too much namby-pamby. I retired early, but slept fitfully that night.

In the morning, I awoke to the sound of alarms.
There was a disturbance at my town gate.
I sought refuge behind a tree and chanced a glance.

I was unable to find an immediate solution to the problem of Nana, who was in the process of destroying my empire, so I did the decent, respectable thing…

I ran away.


Ahhh, Sputnik. Where the hair is as big…


…as the profits. I enjoyed the irony of being such a capitalist in a town called Sputnik.


But Nana was one step ahead, she knew already…


I could not escape her, she followed me!


Her mind games continued…


She would soon take control of this town too! Sputnik’s villagers were too friendly… They would approach her, chat, and be consumed! I needed to help them. I had a brainwave. Spread an infection.


It worked like a charm! Sputnik’s residents were safe indoors.


I was soon forced to return home though, as Boone wanted to rumble. We hadn’t reconciled our past disagreements.


Things were looking worse on the homefront. My snow spies were acting most suspiciously.


The had also been equipped to move on their own! The were no longer under my control.


Soon they had me trapped in my own town.


I had no other choice. I had to silence Nana once and for all.


But my barrage of attacks were not enough. I needed support from a higher level…


…Tortimer was most discreet.

Now that I had embarked on the path of improving the town, (albeit for my own personal gain,) my residents were becoming insatiable. They were under the false impression that I was an approachable fellow. It seems that I have gone soft recently… Problems were arising…

Villagers had the cheek to questioning me!


And neglect their duties to the town!


The news of my slackening regime was obviously spreading, and I had a feeling…


That I was being followed…


Sure enough, Nana arrived.


She waltzed into town, full of arrogance.


Her dislike for me was immediately apparent!


She began telling me what to do, with blatant disregard for the ‘fourth wall.’


I needed spies… Eyes and ears around the town… To find out what she was up to…


This was effective immediately!


And I soon discovered her true motive…


Ah, yes she was from Irongate, where fossils were plentiful…


Thwarted of archaeological success in Irongate, she had come steal the credit for my growing fossil collection!


Thankfully, my eyes were better than hers, for the moment…


But her horrible personality was spreading…


…and spreading fast!


My community was falling apart!


I needed some time to think, and formulate a plan…

It seemed I was stuck as a bear, at least until I was able to find a way to be rid of the furry burden. At least there was one advantage: warmth. Now extra important, as winter’s icy clutches slowly took hold of Vilevale…


Though the biggest difference was my inception into, a sort of club…


I seemed to be part of an elite bear group… Like a Mafia, of which Curt was the Don.


He had business that need doing…


I had to prove my worth to the group…


Before being assigned more important missions…


…Deadly missions!


And secret rendezvous!


Eventually though, I gained his full confidence.


But there was constant tension in the group. I was not happy in beardom, as Maple well knew, and as such, her and I were not getting along.


Kurt soon grew tiresome of my presence, and my lack of loyalty to fellow bears like Maple.


I needed advice…


… and guidance…


Hmm.
Yeah.
Well…
Regardless, I wanted out.

There were no surgeons in Vilevale. So I headed to the city.


There was but one hope for a remedy.


It worked almost perfectly, with only a minor side effect.


I managed avoid Curt’s rage, buy performing one last favour… (Even if I did steal it in the first place…)


I was glad to finally be rid of my bearness. But it had allowed me to connect with some people on a new level… The was one new friend I would miss…

After being ditched dumped and abandoned by Eunice, I was morose. I poured her final letter to me…


I remembered where she’d gone… Off with that Akiyo fellow… So I went straight to Irongate to assinate the fiend… But he was fast!


I went in for the kill again, while he was distracted by a butterfly. But after numerous attempts I was still unable to behead him.


Akiyo grew weary of my persistent attempts to murder him, so he imprisoned me!


I then realised that Eunice was not, as I suspected, in Irongate…


Full of remorse, I apologised, and we reached a truce.


He could see how sad I was, so we tried to lighten up a little.


But even this charming fellow had his secrets…


And I even caught him without his face momentarily unmasked!


Felling awkward, I headed home, feeling as unhappy as ever.


Upon my return, I was again bombarded with sympathy. There was a feast awaiting me!


Another friend popped in to check it out…


And we went a bit wild…


A bit too wild. Something went seriously wrong…


Everything faded to darkness. I was unconscious… I had terrible dreams…


When I finally awoke, I was at Mable’s house. She had obviously been caring for me. How jolly kind of her.


Upon removing my dressings however, I discovered she had made a grave mistake… About my species!!!