Thanks for joining me, dearies. You have stumbled into a dimension of sight, sound and mind. I've been watching too much 'Twilight Zone', bwa ha.
What we have here is the 'extension' of Nocturne, a SnakeLink production. Nocturne of Night was written off the fly, but 'Earth' was planned out in greater detail. This first bit of 'Earth' will contain similarities to Nocturne, so I'm curious to see what you'll think! Give me everything you've got on the similarities, dialogue, storyline and events. I'm all ears, lovvies! And just so you know, I've already got the outlines for the second and third chapter ready. Made them while I watched 'Lord of the Rings' with my family, so you can expect even more emotional suspense to follow this! Before you press on, pay attention to a few things. 'On Earth As In Heaven' contains boy/boy love. Yaoi. What have you. It also concerns an emotional Solid Snake. If you're allergic to boy/boy couples, a humanized Snake, or both of the above, you won't find this fic too pretty. Thanks for your consideration, though!
This project is inspired by the music of Globus (Orchard of Mines in particular), Heavenly Sword and Final Fantasy XIII cutscene. 'On Earth As In Heaven' is the name of a thrilling Globus song, and would play in the end credits of this tale if it were transformed into a film! All of this started with a Vanille/Sazh cutscene, and I'm modeling Link after the character Vanille! Bwa ha ha. By the way, Red's Jolteon is named after Vanille's Summon!
Oh! The Spira Cathedral is something from the depths of my imagination, darlings. I created it for a fic I never should have abandoned, but did so out of lack of support. I brought it back, and it honors the couple of Final Fantasy X! Enjoy its grand beauty!
Disclaimer: If I owned any fandom, there would be non stop yaoi parties.
For weeks on end, he inhaled the sweet caress of twilight.
He was lighter than a feather, floating on the moon's surface. Whenever the morning greeted him, he transformed into a timeless zephyr. And as that zephyr, he danced across the clouds, mountains and treetops. He lived, breathed and drank in the melody of daybreak, soaring over the crystal clean surface of time. He was lighter than a feather, and as a feather, he performed the waltz of love.
Mornings were filled with song. The bright, innocent song of bluejays and robins. The afternoons were quiet but enchanting, rich with childlike laughter. Night followed, and it was a bewitching combination of tranquility, purity and mischief. Happiness came in a wide array of colors, proven by the flow of time. It adopted the essence of a fox's spirit, a butterfly's energy, and the magic of sunrise.
He was alive, dancing in the rain. He was sight, he was sound, he was rapture. He was Link, and he was Hyrule's valiant guardian. As the Hero of Time, he was also a bodyguard for Hyrule's Queen. The two of them were brought together by a series of horrific nightmares, all of them starting in Link's village. The gentle hands of fate tied them together peacefully, though, and the Mothers of Hyrule would forever bless their eternal bond. He was Hyrule's hero, Queen Zelda's dearest friend, and the honored role model of a humble realm.
He had another title attached to his name: lover. That title represented the happiness he bathed in. His happiness was the result of love, which burned with a white-hot intensity. Love, over time's great river, danced with luminous beauty. It boiled inside him, consumed him, and opened his eyes to the true depth of rapture.
Everything he once believed was proven to be false. Happiness ran much deeper than he ever thought it could, sunshine was one of Heaven's greatest miracles, and dreams were more than sacred images. They were paintings of divinity, radiant and alive with sight. Sound. Emotion.
He was Link, and he was a humble soul. Rusl called him 'Cricket' because he was such a gentle, modest soul. Before he accepted a Brawler's position, he lived in Ordon Village and was beloved by all. He chopped firewood in the wintry months, and gave it to those in need of warmth. He taught Colin swordplay, worked in the markets, and kept the village safe. Adventures weren't just born in Ordon, though. Right before Peach issued his Brawl invitation, he liberated all of Hyrule from Twilight.
Once he rejoined the world of Smash, he fell into another dimension. A dimension of color, excitement and anticipation.
In all of his adventures, he never once tasted the elixir of love. He learned of love from Rusl, was completely oblivious to Ilia's feelings, and attracted people all over Hyrule (Gorons and Hyruleans alike), but not once did he submit himself to love's hypnotism. Once Solid Snake entered his life, the book of love was cast open. Its pages fluttered, each one radiant and bubbling.
He met Snake in Peach's observatory. The older Smasher kept to himself, but not out of scorn. He was a shy, fragile thing, but deathly frightened of himself, as Link discovered. He kept his eyes raised to the stars, hoping, searching for answers. Dreaming of a treasure he never thought he'd hold. Within days, the Smash newcomer opened up his heart. His heart, soul and mind were opened by a hero's warm hands, soft voice and kind words.
He remembered. He remembered what it was like, diving into his first kiss. He remembered the smile on Snake's face, bright and brimming with the warmest adoration. They were inside one of Peach's gardens, enveloped in a world of pink blossoms. Petals danced in the cool, fragrant air, as sunshine played amidst the treetops.
Snake was close, snuggling against him. There were words, soft words, coming from his lips. Petals draped themselves over him as he spoke, his eyes glistening with light. He remembered how his heart fluttered, anxious at the thought of his angel's touch. He remembered Snake's hands, clamped over his rump. He was happy, perfectly happy with the world, happy with himself and with the way things were going.
The kiss. The kiss couldn't have been sweeter. Softer. He remembered its texture, and the lingering essence of Dragonite tea. That kiss embodied every last one of their mornings. Their afternoons. Their evenings. Their moments. And now their moments were endangered, threatened by nightmares.
Nayru's love did not exist without darkness. Darkness swept up their happiness with a vengeance, wreaking havoc on both of their lives. Snake suffered from nightmares, but at one point, those nightmares burst into fullblown explosions. Those explosions were threatening to erase everything. One particular explosion swept Snake out of his arms, and into Spira's Cathedral.
The Cathedral. The Cathedral was one of their special places. It was a monument to love, and the happiness it brought. It was once a place of joy, but at that moment, it was a place of sorrow. Zelda's hero was in one of the doorways, panting as a dehydrated dog. Heart pounding, he looked upon the one that usually made his heart flutter. Snake was sitting in the Cathedral's heart, head bowed and seemingly lifeless. Deep within his heart, the Hero of Time knew something was deathly wrong.
Fear carried Link towards his lover. Panting, he knelt at the other's side. The other hero remained in silence, and never lifted his head. Hyrule's hero used his fingers to lift Snake's chin, and two pairs of blue eyes met. Silence drifted between them for another moment. "Leaflet," the younger male whispered, his voice softer than a zephyr.
"Ike and Snow told me you were here. Why didn't you come to me?"
Snake didn't look into Link's eyes. He knew he couldn't. It would have been too painful to do so. "This is special to me," he muttered, voice hoarse and faint. Link's eyes widened.
"This place. It's special."
Dew filled the Hyrulean's eyes. "I know it is," he said, barely ignoring the urge to sob. "It's special to me too. But why are you here? What brought you here, Leaflet? Why didn't you come to me?"
"Couldn't. Can't go to you anymore."
"But wh-"
"Just can't."
Link peered straight into the other Smasher's eyes. "Snake, I can protect you," he said, his voice firm but laden with moonlight. "I can help you. Just tell me what happened. What did you see?"
The older male said nothing for a short while, trying to decide if he should say anything or not. He then lifted his head, eyes pouring into the Hero of Time's soul.
"He's coming for me. And I told him I'd go."
The Hero of Time was akin to a frightened mother, one that had to witness the fear of an overly rattled child. "Go? Go where? What are you talking about?"
"I'm not immortal, baby," Snake replied instantly, shaking his head. "Can't last forever. This can't go on forever. And it shouldn't. I don't want it to. Don't want to torture you anymore. I'm not being fair."
Link didn't know whether to raise his voice, continue at a soft volume, or burst into sobs. He spent several seconds trying to choose one of those options, but ended up hovering between all three. "You aren't torturing me! You aren't torturing anyone! Now, please...tell me! What's wrong? Who did you talk to?"
"Mantis. He came to me. Told me...told me everything I've always knwon. Told me...I don't belong here. I'm...I can't be here."
Zelda's bodyguard squeezed Snake's shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak, but the legend from another world cut him off. "There were screens, screens all around," he said, his voice distant. Emotionless.
"Screens. There were screens, showing me everything. My battles...the people I killed-"
"Snake-!"
"Their bodies. Their mangled, bloodied bodies. Their arms, their legs, their chests. I killed them all. Tore them all apart. They all cried out because of me. They saw me. They knew I was a monster."
One name sprang unbidden from Link's throat, hoarse and tearful. "Snake!"
"I killed them. And once I killed them, I went on killing. Couldn't stop killing. I tried to stop it, but I wouldn't listen. I killed and laughed, then killed some more. That's what I am, baby. A killer."
Hyrule's hero was hopelessly lost. As far as Link was concerned, Snake might as well have been speaking in Pikachu's language. Nothing was making any sense! "He held me down, babe," the older Smasher said, laughing. Smiling.
"Kept me tied down. Tried to stop him and everything else, but it didn't work. And I felt everything I did to those people. Every wound, every bullet...everything. I bled. I smelled the stench of my own blood. At the end, Mantis made a proposition. He told me...if I remained here, with you, you would take my place. You would be tied down, and I'd kill you."
Noticing Link's epidemic of confusion, Snake launched into an explanation. "He controls the mind," he said, laughing. "He manipulates men. He pushes them against their will. He told me I'd be half conscious while killing you, so I'll be aware of everything. I'll see myself torturing you."
Tears swallowed the Hyrulean's eyes, heart and soul. So many reactions swamped his mind, but none of them were executed. He could only bury himself in tears-the tears of his own heart. He wanted to tell Snake he'd protect him, keep him safe from Mantis, but then Snake would take offense. He never wanted to be patronized. Never wanted to be coddled. To be treated like an infant, frightened of the Boogeyman.
Meanwhile, Snake was on another planet. Distant. Cold. Sorrowful...but smiling.
"Time for me to go, angel."
"Leaflet, sit down. Don't get up. Let me take you back to bed. We'll go back to bed, and I'll keep you safe. I won't let Mantis get to you. Just come back with me-!"
"We're done, Link. This was never meant to happen in the first place."
Sorrow was raw. Immeasurable. "Don't say that! I love you, and you love me!"
"I'm nothing more than a putrid, withering roach. Ugly. Hideous. I've done nothing but stain your heart, and your body."
"Stop it! Just stop it! Just come back with me! PLEASE!"
The Cathedral's radiance covered Solid Snake's body. The tales of Tidus and Yuna, lovingly wrapped up in the sweet embrace of stained glass, blessed his existence with unfathomable light. He continued to smile, seemingly unmoved by his lover's weeping, but broken. "The morning's gone," he said. "There aren't any more sunrises. There isn't any more sun. I am a stinking pile of human flesh, blocking out the sun's light. Once I'm gone, you'll be able to see it again."
Link, tears pouring from his eyes, shot to his feet. "Once you're gone, there won't be any sun! The sun will leave me forever! Don't you understand? Don't you get it? I'll be left in darkness, and I don't want that! I want our sunshine! I want you!"
"You can't have me, Link. I'm a puny little roach, whining, crying out for you, and you can't have me!"
Zelda's right-hand man froze. Teardrops silently raced down his cheeks, but the horror on his face spoke a million volumes. Something was amiss, and he knew it. Snake's voice had become strangely shrill! "I don't want to leave you, but I must, or else I'll tear you apart," his lover cackled, hands patting his chest. And then there were his movements. They were odd, almost as if he-
Wait a minute. The Hero of Time's hands shot to his cheeks. Were there...strings?
"I can't have you, I can't have you! La la la la laaaa!"
Link's heart jolted violently. Nausea erupted and began to boil inside the pit of his stomach. Dizziness throttled his skull, choked his heart, and threatened to drag him to his knees. He must've been in a nightmare. Had to be in a nightmare. There wasn't any laughing. There weren't any strings. Snake wasn't moving like a puppet. Snake didn't say any of those horrible things. None of it happened.
We're still in bed. He's still in my arms. He's still with me. None of this is happening. It can't be happening. Morning will come, and he'll be there, smiling.
"Look at me, Link! Look at me! Don't you love me? Don't you?"
Hands gripping the sides of his head, Link tried to whisper wishes into reality. "You aren't here. You aren't here. You can't be here. We're in Tidus and Yuna's home. The home of love. Our newborn love. You aren't here!"
"Don't abandon me, baby! I love you! I want yooou!"
"Stop it! Just stop iiiiiit!"
Lightning consumed the Cathedral. Link's own cry threatened to tear out his eardrums, resonant throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. The Cathedral's stained glass windows shattered, broken by the night's cries.
When the bolt of lightning faded, and the remnants of Link's cry ebbed away with it, a beast was revealed in Snake's place.
The Hero of Time's heart shot out of his chest. "You...you're Mantis, aren't you?"
"Got that right, sweetheart. My, you're a bright one!"
"What have you done with him? Where is my Snake?"
"He's keeping his end of the bargain, dear hero. Keeping you safe!"
In his humble, tranquil life, Link was never consumed by hatred. Not even while facing Ganondorf, on the many occassions they were brought together. The only element he ever held in Ganondorf's presence was excitement. Now, facing the one called Psycho Mantis, he felt the greatest rage. White-hot, burning, screaming rage.
"You...you...bastard! What have you done? Did you fill Snake's head with all of that garbage?"
"What garbage? Why, it's all true, sweetness. I paid him a visit, and he sealed himself for delivery. I'm taking him home, and you'll be able to live the rest of your life in-"
A cry tore itself from the Hero of Time's throat, cutting off the rest of Mantis' words. The flames of fury carried him towards the cackling beast, blade at the ready. Hyrule's sacred blade met a pair of tentacles, the cry of a heartbroken wolf pierced the cold night air, and Mantis continued to laugh. Mantis laughed even when he forced his young opponent away, thrusting him off his person with a burst of energy. Link struck the wall as a ragdoll and slid down, half conscious. Anger continued to blind him, but nauseating dizziness was the result of immense sorrow. He was bogged down, unable to move, and Mantis loomed over him.
Laughing.
"Poor thing. Falling in love with a wicked doll! I promised him I'd keep you alive, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun!"
Link lifted his head, and his heart stopped. Time stopped. Mantis was shrieking, tentacles sprang out at him, and-
"Cool off, jerk!"
It was hard to keep track of things. Hyrule's lifeguard gasped as Mantis' tentacles froze, wrapped up in crystal blue ribbons of ice. Psycho Mantis reeled away from his prey, shrieking not in glee but in horror. Before either one of them could make sense of anything, though, another attack was made on the night's intruder.
"All right, Hecaton! Give 'em a taste of your Spiral!"
Link recognized 'Hecaton'. The Hecaton was a Jolteon, and that Jolteon belonged to a friend! A friend by the name of 'Red Hanabishi'!
The electric fox unleashed a storm of golden ribbons. The fierce synergy struck home, sending Mantis into a frenzied tantrum. Red's Poke companion gave a smile to two icy blue maidens, and then all three creatures looked to their masters. Their friends. "What now?" the trainer of Pallet Town asked, perfectly nonchalant despite Mantis' wild shrieking. Link observed the newly assembled band of rescuers, eyes wide from both relief and anticipation. "Let's send our guest home," one of the rescuers said, giving Red a thumbs-up. "He's had enough fun!"
"All right, Hecaton. You heard Snow! Send Mantis packing with your Rondo!"
"One last dance, girls! You know what to do!"
Combining his efforts with those of the Shiva Sisters, Hecaton the Jolteon performed his assigned dance. And from that dance came a whirlpool of the greatest lightning! Ribbons of lightning united with tides of ice, and both forces made direct contact. Red and Snow exchanged a high five as Mantis clasped the sides of his head, shrieking at the top of his lungs.
The fury of the night died down. Hecaton returned to Red's side, and the Shiva Sisters blew their master a kiss. Snow returned the kiss, and with that, both maidens vanished into the crystal blue night.
Only three opponents stood before Mantis. All three were heroes, but none of them knew which way to turn. Or even how to turn. They were helpless as the night went on, manipulated by their wicked tormentor. "You may have brought an end to our waltz," the beast snarled, staring at all three soldiers.
"But our ball has barely begun."
"Wait! Waaaait!"
Lightning stole Mantis away. Link continued to cry out the word 'wait', but his cries weren't heard. He cried it even after he lost the ability to understand words. He lost the ability to comprehend sight or sound, but he continued to cry. His word became sobs once a pair of arms drew him into an embrace, though, and sobs were buried into a chest. The remnants of his mind recognized the chest as Red's, since it wasn't sinewy and burly.
He kept on sobbing. He sobbed even when his body began to burn. He sobbed even when he believed his eyes would bleed. His sobs eventually ebbed away, but he kept his head buried in the Hanabishi's chest. A hand was running through his head, he felt lighter than a feather, and everything hurt. Everything was just...so painful. Too painful to handle.
"There doesn't seem to be any more trouble. We should be fine for the night."
"Thanks for coming with me, Snow."
The Villiers' voice, although filled with its usual warmth, was sad. "Ah, no problem. I'll do anything for a friend. Too bad we weren't able to get here sooner, though."
"Would you mind carrying Link back to the Manor? We've got to get him out of here, and as much as I'd love to carry him myself, he's clawing the living daylights out of me! And you're a teensy bit stronger than I am!"
The Hero of Time said something. Hecaton tilted his head, trying to make sense of his words. "What?" the Pokemon Trainer asked, his eyes drenched in worry. Snow rushed to his side, joining in the support for Hyrule's guardian.
"I'm still asleep. I'm sleeping. I'm having a nightmare. None of this is real. It can't be real. It's not real."
"Come on. Come on, Link. I'll take you back home."
"NO! Get away from me!"
The young Hyrulean tore himself out of Snow and Red's arms. Lightning lit up his frame as he bolted away from them, hands wrenching out his hair. "None of this is real," he shouted above the storm. "It's not real! He's still with me! He would tell me if someone was after him! He'd tell me! He would be here! He would-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
Snow Villiers, Red Hanabishi and Hecaton rushed to Link's side. The Villiers caught him before he could crash to his knees, and he wept. Hyrule's destined guardian wept, gripping Snow's coat. The stallion caressed the top of his head, whispering 'sssh' and rocking him.
As Snow cradled Link, Red and Hecaton wandered through the Cathedral. Pallet Town's youngest hero picked up a piece of stained glass, eyes filled with tears as lightning filled the night. The piece of glass was a fragment of Yuna's face, a face brimming with happiness.
The Hanabishi stared at it. Rain spilled onto the glass, and thunder rattled the holy grounds.