That's me getting on the bus. What does it say about me if I'm riding the short school bus? I try not to think about that. I have enough on my mind.
The bus driver is Kapp'n. I recognize him. He's the one who brought me to Vale where I once was the Mayor. It's the place I'm trying to escape from. The problems there were numerous. Crooked shopkeepers and black market dealers looking to kill one another and anyone who got in their way. A crazy penguin starting bomb threats everywhere. Things went in the crapper very fast. I had to get out. Plus, my house wasn't even close to the museum and Blathers.
So, I'm starting over and starting fresh. Kapp'n pipes up. He recognizes me. Wants to know my destination. I tell him. Beanerville. He's surprised it isn't Vale. I don't reply. He gets it. I'm getting away from the trouble. We don't speak until we pull up to Beanerville.
As I'm getting off the bus, he lets me know something. I haven't escaped anything. The business war. It's happening here too. It's happening in every town and village across the land. Tom Nook and Crazy Redd have declared and neither side is going to stop until the other is oblitered and wiped out of existance.
That's what running does. You may get away from your troubles for awhile but you don't get rid of them. All you do is tire yourself out. You tire yourself out and they still catch up to you. And now you can't fight them because you're exhausted. I thank Kapp'n for the ride and then I find myself a place to live and think. And think. And think.
I decide. I'm going to take a stand. No more running. I'm going to stay here and face my troubles whatever the result may be. I run for mayor and get elected. This time, I will handle my responsibility. I send out coded messages to Tom Nook and Crazy Redd saying I want to make a deal to hand control of Beanerville over to them. The plan works. They both respond and agree to meet with me. Once I'm sure that both have arrived in town, I go to Booker.
I watch as the last busload of people come into town and Kapp'n drives off unsure of what our situation will be when he finally returns. I make sure Booker locks the gate and then take the key from him. Now, no one will get in or out until this situation is resolved. I watch as a Penguin goes off into town. He came on that last bus into town and something about him seems to strike a nerve in my brain but I can't figure out why.
I inform the villagers of our situation. Tom Nook and Crazy Redd are here and we can rise up and stop them or be brought to our knees. That's it. There's no going back now. I walk home. Suddenly, the ground beneath starts to shake. Is this it already? Has my fate been decided so soon? Then up from the ground comes a terrifying figure like Death himself. With a deep roar, he cries out:
Trembling, I stare in awe at this awesome visage. What do you want, I ask. He responds:
You reset everything. You think this is a game? Well, OK...it is a game. But games got rules, and rules got consequences. No two ways about it! It was deliberate! A calculated, cold-blooded act of villainy by a punk! If that's how you wanna play, then that's how we'll play. All right...what to do? They don't exactly cover hoodlums like you in the reset-prevention manual. Somethin' funny to you? What am I doin' over here, stand-up? You see an APPLAUSE sign up in here? Listen you get this whole reset thing started, and you'll NEVER stop. I seen it a million times. Well, if that's what you're really lookin' for, lemme help you out. Yeah, no problem! I'll hit RESET for you. Everythin' that you've done so far? All that you've worked for? Forget about it. That's right. It's all going bye-bye. No more forgive-and-forget Resetti for you, pal. Oh, no. Until you show me some real regret, I ain't leavin'!
And with that he went back into the ground. I tried to figure what he meant but I got bored by all the dialogue. I knew it was about my running away but that was all I knew. And then suddenly it hit me. The Penguin I saw earlier. Vale. He was the one we suspected behind all the bomb scares. And now he's here also. But why? Looks like my past has caught up to me again. When it rains, it pours. But this time, I'm going to weather it out.