KID ICARUS
THE THIRD GORGON
By DarkOrbra
CHAPTER 1
DISRUPTING THE BALANCE
There was an ancient horror that lurked beneath the waves, an amphibious menace that terrorised both the inhabitants of the depths and the land. The sister of many deadly monsters, she was the daughter of the primordial sea gods, the rulers of an ancient realm of sea monsters of old. She was a deadly beauty, but she was barely surviving. Her defeat long ago left her dying body longing for the souls of young men, to feed on their life force. The sisters of this sea goddess took her onto the land to feed. Both were older than she was.
The middle sister was named Euryale. She had jet black hair, frigid pale white skin and was clad in a purple and blood red gown decorated with golden jewellery and ornaments. She had yellow and black snakes in her hair, which also had plaits. One could be forgiven for mistaking her as a young, innocent maiden as she had unspoiled youth and beauty only a mortal could ever dream of, but she was in fact millennia old as she belonged to the most ancient family of gods in the divine pantheon, the primordial family of Gaea and Pontus. The older sister was Stheno, and like Euryale, she had pale skin, but she wore a black and crimson gown. She bore a striking familial resemblance to Euryale, and was equal in beauty, but she lacked the plaits her little sister had, her hair long and flowing freely, and had red snakes in her hair. They travelled to the deep of the ocean where mere mortals would be crushed if they hadn't drowned first. They brought along with them their dying sister, the youngest of the three. She was named Medusa.
"Father will be ecstatic once he learns that his most beautiful daughter has returned to where she belongs." Euryale said as she and Medusa embraced. "Your family welcomes your return, my little sister."
"You should have never left the sea." Stheno added.
"I could never stay down here to lay down and die..." Medusa said. "I could never accept defeat."
"The war was lost long ago, my sister." Euryale said. "You need to stop fighting father's battles."
"These are not father's battles anymore, Euryale." Medusa said. "They are all of our battles."
"The Gorgon Sisters are back together again after all these years." Euryale said. "Together, we will punish the ones who have wronged you."
"You have many powerful relatives dwelling in the deep, little sister." Stheno added. "All the monsters of the ocean are still loyal to us. The Nereids will rally behind you."
"My survival must come first. Revenge will come later." The Goddess of Darkness said. "My body is decaying. I must regenerate my flesh. I must feed. I need flesh, human flesh."
"Then we will wreck the ships of humans that dare to intrude on our ocean." Euryale said. "You will feed on all those that touch the ocean."
"My body is slowly being eaten away." Medusa said. "Human flesh will only regenerate my own, but it's not enough to save me. I need to repair my body."
"What should we do, little sister?" Stheno asked.
"There is a legend that there is an enchanted Spring in the Underworld that can reverse injuries and even death." Medusa explained. "My survival depends upon it, but I must recover my strength first. Bring me human flesh. The sea will be filled with blood tonight."
"It will be done my sister." Euryale said. "The world will learn to fear your name and your face once again."
A ship was sailing to the west, carrying hundreds of passengers to their destination. War had forced many people to seek refuge from their ravaged homes. It was always the nature of humanity, but it did not make them very far removed from the gods. War was also the nature of gods.
"Captain Infaustus, the waves are calm today." The first mate of the ship said. "Lord Poseidon is merciful."
"Thank the gods for heeding my prayers, Fatalis." The Captain said. "But I hear pirates operate in these waters. Granting us safe passage also grants them safe passage."
"May Poseidon protect us!" Fatalis said.
Without warning, a violent tremor shook the entire vessel. The ship came to an abrupt halt, knocking everyone on board to their feet. Everyone began to panic.
"What in Angel Land was that?" Captain Infaustus exclaimed.
"We appear to have hit a reef, Captain!" Fatalis retorted.
"Impossible!" The Captain said. "I was assured that there were no reefs here! The maps lie. What sort of pirate trickery is this?"
"We better do something, and quickly." Fatalis inquired. "Whoever gave us the map will pay for their treachery."
"No, I think there is another force at work here." Captain Infaustus said. "There are rumours that a vengeful deity lingers here."
"May the gods have mercy on our souls!" Fatalis said, distraught.
"The gods cannot save you," a raspy, ominous, feminine voice announced. "Nothing can." Her voice sent the passengers into disarray, stampeding and scuttling around aimlessly like frightened mice.
"Who is that?" Fatalis said.
"In the name of Hera, it can't be her!" Infaustus exclaimed, terrified. "I saw her destroyed! I saw it with my own eyes. It's the living darkness herself."
"Then we must fight her." Fatalis said. "The Goddess of Light will be with us!"
"Look at the puny little nothings, Euryale." The voice of Stheno said. "They're so gross! Ewww!"
"Yes Stheno, they are to us what insects are to them." Euryale said. "They are pests, and like all pests they need culling."
"Away with you, demon seductresses!" Infaustas said. "The Goddess of Light will shine down upon us and defeat you."
"They have the audacity to speak her name in my presence." Medusa said. "These are the monsters that Palutena created in her shameless self-indulgence."
"You insolent, grovelling, pitiful little mortals!" Euryale said. "Your souls are in our power now. Look upon my sister's beauty if you dare. Her beauty is so beyond the comprehension of mortals that it has the power to petrify you, preserving your feeble souls in stone for all eternity. Look away, none of you are worthy of her beauty, your souls are soiled and monstrous within and can never be cleansed of your sins. My sister has the face more beautiful than you can possibly imagine, but it's also the face of your death. Ask yourselves if you are deserving of her beauty. If you are not, then gouge out your own eyes right now."
Captain Infaustas cowered behind a collection of barrels crates, but little did her know that he could not hide from the three goddesses. Two scaly, clawed hands caressed Captain Infaustas's head, delicately stroking his hair. The hissing of snakes could be heard, and the paled skinned body of a Gorgon stood behind him. She had appeared out of nowhere.
"You know my name, don't you, mortal?" Medusa asked him seductively. "Speak it, if you dare."
"Medusa." He uttered.
"Do you think I am beautiful?" Medusa asked him.
"No." He said. "Palutena turned you into a hideous monster."
At that very instant, Medusa raked him across his back with her clawed hand viciously. He fell to the floor with four gashes across his torso. Wincing in pain, he took care not to look at Medusa.
"Insult me again, human, then I'll see to it that you or nobody else will ever be able to look at your face again in more ways than one." Medusa hissed. She held out a hand mirror in front of him with her face clearly reflected in the mirror. The captain was still afraid. "The reflection is harmless. Look into the mirror and tell me if you see the face of ugliness?" He reluctantly looked into the mirror. What he saw was not what he expected. "I'll ask you again: do you think I'm beautiful?" She sneered.
"Yes." He replied meekly.
"Then why do you refuse to look upon my face?" Medusa asked him. "Only those undeserving of my beauty will be turned to stone."
"I am unworthy of your beauty." Infaustas said.
"How do you know that I'm even beautiful if you have never seen my face?" Medusa said. "Are you lying to me, human? What happened to the machismo boldness that you presented to me earlier? Look upon my face. If your conscience is clear, then you have nothing to fear."
"I dare not." Infaustas said.
"Never look upon the demon's face!" Fatalis exclaimed. "It's seductress trickery."
Medusa then appeared behind Fatalis, her hands placed fondly on his shoulders.
"Do I allure you, human?" Medusa said. "Have you ever wanted a goddess? And don't try to lie me. Mortals are very bad liars."
"You don't frighten me, and I find you no more attractive than you frighten me." Fatalis said boldly.
"Did you hear that, girls?" Medusa said. "We have a hero right here."
"We should test his manhood." Euryale said.
"Yes, I agree." Medusa said. "Does the thought of petrification not frighten you, human? It's not my eyes you should fear. Will you look upon my face?"
"Never." Fatalis said.
"So, you do fear my gaze." Medusa said. "Courage is something no human can understand. Humans are never without fear. They fear the only future they have, and that future is death."
"You're wrong." Fatalis said. "Lady Palutena will prove you wrong."
"Ah, so this false courage of yours comes from your blind faith in a divine power?" Medusa said. "Do you believe this goddess you grovel towards can protect you from my gaze? Then why will none of you look upon my face? You are a race devoid of courage."
"I'd rather blind myself than look upon a hideous being that calls itself a goddess." Fatalis said.
"Then take my dagger, prove the courage of humanity and your faith in Palutena." Medusa said, extending her hand revealing a dagger that appeared out of nowhere by her dark magic. "Remove your own eyes. Blind yourself. Show your devotion to your goddess. Free yourself forever from my hideousness."
"Fatalis, no, this is insanity!" Infaustas said. "Tell her you take back what you said, that you're sorry!"
"Did you hear the snivelling worm, my sister?" Euryale said. "I can sense the fear in the humans. It makes me feel... so delightful!"
"Yes Euryale, humans no nothing but fear and betrayal." Medusa said. "They have lost their right to exist."
"What would happen if I refuse?" Fatalis asked.
"A mortal should never challenge a goddess." Medusa said. "If you fail to adhere to your challenge, I will take away from you much more than just your eyes. Yes, I sense there are others that you care for more than yourself. You cannot hide anything from me. Honour your challenge, or your loved ones will be punished for your cowardice."
"You're bluffing... You don't have the power to do that." Fatalis said.
"Do you see those images I created in your mind?" Medusa said. "I can see through into your heart to find what will torment you the most. I can make these visions the future."
"You... You're a sadist!" Fatalis said. "You're pure evil!"
"I can also be merciful." Medusa said. "All I ask for is your eyes, not your life. One little sacrifice and those images will remain just images."
Fatalis took the dagger from Medusa's hand, and then did the deed.
Later that day, on Skyworld...
Pit was preparing for battle. Word had reached Skyworld that there had been a disturbance in the sea. Palutena waited to brief Pit at her temple, and also to pick his weapon.
"Sorry to keep you waiting... again." Pit said.
"We always seem to be a little late to the party, don't we?" Palutena said. "But better late than never."
"I've been farming hearts." Pit said. "Playing the same stage over and over again is rather tedious."
"Well, we've got a whole new stock of interesting weapons!" Palutena said. "I'm afraid we missed the summer sale, though. But we better not break the fourth wall too much, Pit: I heard this story is supposed to be more serious tone."
"Lady Palutena, I have a question." Pit said. "Why do I have to buy my weapons from you? And why do Underworld monsters turn into hurts when I defeat them?"
"Are you questioning the logic of this universe?" Palutena asked.
"I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately." Pit said. "And the more I think, the more my head hurts."
"The powers that be say I can't just give these weapons to you." Palutena said. "You have to earn hearts by defeating monsters to prove your courage."
"Seems like everyone tries to cash in when I'm trying to save the world. Even in the first game." Pit said.
"Just think of it this way: every time you buy a weapon, the economy of Skyworld grows. We've only just come out of a recession and you're our only source of income." Palutena said. "You can carry on using the First Blade I gave you if you want to."
"What happened to my colossal stash of weapons from the last game?" Pit asked.
"Oh, well, um, I sold them." Palutena said. "Like I said, the recession. I needed the money."
"What were you thinking?" Pit said.
"I didn't think you'd need them anymore." Palutena said.
"Can't I use the Great Sacred Treasure cannon?" Pit said.
"Don't you remember how long it takes to charge that thing up? It's not exactly practical." Palutena said.
"Okay, so what weapons can I actually afford that don't suck?" Pit asked.
"Well you see the thing is Pit, because of inflation, all the hearts you collected in the last game aren't worth anything." Palutena said. "So I'm afraid you're going to have to stick to the First Blade now."
"Terrific." Pit said.
"Don't worry, I've made some adjustments to the First Blade." Palutena said. "Just remember sometimes it's better to let rip charged shots rather than blasting everything on the screen."
"Alright, fine, we're wasting time. I better get going." Pit responded.
As Pit soared over the ocean, Palutena guided him to the ship beached on the reef.
"This does not look natural." Palutena concluded. "These reefs shouldn't exist. Somebody planned this."
"Ships are usually full of people or cargo, aren't they?" Pit said. "It seems like a ghost ship. What happened to all the crew? My money is on pirates – ghost pirates."
"I don't detect anything." Palutena said. "Anything living, that is. Not even a lingering soul."
"I better go down for a closer look, can you get me down there, Lady Palutena?" Pit said.
"Easiest thing in the world." Palutena said.
"I've got a real bad feeling about this, Lady Palutena." Pit said as he landed. "Hey, a thought just popped into my head."
"Oh no, not another one." Palutena said worriedly.
"How do I get off this ship now that I've landed?" Pit said.
"I'll just extract you like always, silly!" Palutena said teasingly.
"What if you can't?" Pit said. "I don't remember if I ever learnt to swim."
"Well, I'm pretty sure with all those feathers in your wings will keep you afloat. Would you like to test that theory out?" Palutena said. "It's never too late to learn to swim, after all."
"Act your age, Lady Palutena." The ominous voice of Poseidon said.
"Oh, Lord Poseidon, I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect." Palutena said.
"Do you believe me unfit to rule my own ocean?" Poseidon said.
"Of course not, Lord Poseidon." Palutena replied.
"Then why have you intruded into my domain?" Poseidon said. "Skyworld is where you belong."
"My Lord, it is my duty to protect humanity." Palutena said. "Human lives have been lost here."
"Then why do you act so flippantly about it?" Poseidon said. "A child like yourself knows that whenever a human soul trespasses in my realm then their fate is out of your hands. Go home and mind your own affairs before interfering with those of others."
"Geez, Poseidon seems more grumpy than ever." Pit said. "It's like as if he sat down and got his trident stuck up his..."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Poseidon exclaimed. "I do not care for the humans, but nonetheless, out of mercy, I saved one. Will you please take him with you?"
"Can you at least tell us what happened out here?" Palutena said. "I can't detect any human life forces. Not even residual soul energy. Even if all the people on this boat died, I would have felt their souls lingering here."
"If you want to discover the truth, then simply look for the missing people." Poseidon said. "All the people aren't missing at all, you just refuse to see them."
"Do you mind elaborating?" Palutena said.
"Well, it seems our friend Pit has found one of your missing persons already." Poseidon said. "In fact, I can clarify that he's actually stood on the poor soul."
Reacting to Poseidon's comment, Pit lifted his foot to discover a sticky residual substance attached to his boot. He looked down and discovered the skeletal remains of one of the passengers.
"You see, you found the passengers without any real effort." Poseidon said.
"By the goddess, what did this?" Pit said aghast.
"They've been eaten." Palutena said. "Not just their flesh. Their souls have been devoured, too."
"What has happened here is your fault, Lady Palutena." Poseidon said. "You created the monster that did this."
"And you did nothing to stop it?" Palutena replied angrily.
"There are greater powers at work here." Poseidon said. "The old gods of the sea are returning. I was told not to interfere. But I have told you too much already."
Without another word, Poseidon had left them. The motionless body of the human he had saved materialized and was floating in the ocean. Pit spotted him almost immediately.
"Yes, I'm thinking the same thing." Palutena said. "He's still alive, but barely. We better be quick."
"Did I mention I really don't like water?" Pit said.
"Oh Pit, this isn't the time to..."
"Don't tell me the cute little angel that single-handedly slew gods is scared of getting his feathers wet?" A manic, teenage voice said. Even before the voice had finished the sentence, a flash of blue and white struck down from the heavens to the waters like a bolt of lightning in the water and fished the man out and vanished without a trace. Then appearing before Pit was Phosphora the Lightning Flash, holding in her arms the lifeless human as she levitated above the ocean. "Like omigosh, me and water don't mix!" She said. "Water conducts electricity, you know. If I get wet, not only will it mess up my make-up, but it also makes my lightning go all haywire! Getting struck by your own lightning is bad you know: its bad for the complexion and it guarantees a bad hair day."
"Phosphora?" Pit said.
"Good going, genius!" Phosphora said. "Anyway, I think this guy's in a pretty bad way. You better call an ambulance."
"What's an ambulance?" Pit said in confusion.
"What she means is that we better get him some medical attention." Palutena said, face-palming.
"Oh Pit, you're so dim, it's cute!" Phosphora said. "Anyway, I'll leave you two to babysit him. Ciao!"
Phosphora gently let the man down onto the wreckage of the ship, and then she vanished into the horizon at the speed of light. Pit looked down upon the man, and when he saw his face, he was immediately repulsed. Both his eyes had been gouged out.
"Lady Palutena! His eyes!" Pit exclaimed in horror. "What sort of monster did this?"
"I think he did it to himself, Pit." Palutena answered. "There must have been some great evil that made him do it." After she finished that sentence, a sense of trepidation tingled down her spinal cord. She shivered in fear.
"Lady Palutena, are you all right?" Pit asked her.
"I just got a real bad feeling about this, Pit." Palutena said. "I have the feeling that something terrible is about to happen."