"PIIIIKKKKEEEEE!!!"

The enraged shriek erupted through the still quiet of the morning, followed almost immediately by a loud pair of laughter and deafening crashes followed by running and more screaming throughout the halls.

"PIKE, ROY! GET BACK HEREEE!!" Marth screamed, chasing after the two in question with murder in his eyes.

Roy, nearing hysterics, almost smashed into the wall as Pike took a sharp turn in an attempt to outrun he prince. "You'll have to be faster than that!!" He jeered back to the blue swordsman, finding it hard to form the sentence without bursting into laughter again in the middle.

"Roy! Don't do that!" Pike called back, fear showing through his eyes despite the wavering smile on his face betraying enjoyment, "He get's faster when he gets angrier!"

Roy showed a thoughtful expression and quickened his pace, easily overtaking the angelic youngster, "Then you'll be the first one he catches, won't you??"

Pike's face instantly turned to horror as Roy's laughter got louder, both running for their lives, and over the beating of his heart which the angel could swear was in his ears now, he could hear the running behind him and could almost feel the arms trying to grab a hold of his tunic.

"DAAAD!! " Pike screamed as he smashed through a door before being snagged from behind, letting out a wail of fear.

The elder blue haired man looked up in shock from the book he'd been attempting to read. He was going pretty well in his own room, silently progressing, before the redhead had barreled in, followed by his son.

The redheaded boy in question had once again burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching at his sides upon the sight of the prince's face.

"Rooooyyyy…." Marth growled, hands tightening in the fabric of Pike's top, the boy wiggling and whimpering and squirming in the grasp.

"What on earth happened this time?" Ike sighed, closing the book and running an agitated hand through his hair before noticing something was…noticeably odd about the usually regal and composed man.

"I can bet Pike's life that Roy put him up to it!" Marth snapped, instantly jumping to the chase, "But why Pike would ever do such a thing I wouldn't know!"

"It was fun!" Roy replied, snickering behind his hand as he tried to calm himself down, "He got a kick out of it, just like me, I swear he did!"

Pike just moaned in dismay, clamping his eyes shut.

"Well, you'll definitely get a kick back from me for this!" Marth hissed back at the short swordsman, who returned with a sheepish grin and an odd laugh which was smothered into a snort.

"…Pike, did Roy really put you up to this?" Ike asked, still a little startled from the whole escapade.

Pike furiously nodded his head, "He did! He did! I swear it! But I didn't know! Honesttt!!" He cried.

"You did TOO know!" Roy retorted, "I even told you that it was some dye I found in Peach's room!"

"LIIIIEEESSS!" Pike protested. "YOU JUST TOLD ME TO PUT IT IN THE SHAMPOO BOTTLE!"

"Enough!" Marth yelled, shutting the two boys up.

"…Why were you in Peach's room?" Ike asked, despite himself.

Roy pursed his lips, hiding a smile, "I was looking for something fun."

"This is not fun!" Marth roared, finally releasing the angel who immediately ran to his father and leaped into his lap, "This is just humiliating! Honestly Roy!"

Roy grinned once again, "But Pink suits you very much, Marth."

Marth flushed a deep red in absolute, unhindered rage. "YOU HAD BETTER PRAY TO THE GODS THAT THIS ISN'T PERMANENT ROY!"

"Yes, I don't think a pink haired prince would be at all respectable." Ike responded weakly, hiding a smirk.

Roy poked out a tongue, "Well, he's my pink haired prince, and I don't mind at all."

Marth gaped his mouth soundlessly a few times, desperately trying to think of a comeback before he let out a high-pitched yell and stormed off.

Roy was feeling decidedly smug before 'I WON'T MARRY YOU FOR THIS!!' flittered to his ears.

Ike chuckled as he watched the alarmed captain rush out of the room, screaming for forgiveness and that 'it might wash out!!'

With a content sigh, Ike looked down to the quivering angel and tried his best to force a frown. "Pike." He acknowledged in a calm, stern tone. The angel flinched before wide cerulean eyes sought out the elders.

"It really was all Roy's idea." The boy attempted in a weak voice.

Ike couldn't help himself and his face quickly erupted into a smile, trying to hold laughter at bay which resulted in snickers that shook his whole body.

"By the gods, why would Roy test his luck now of all times?" Ike asked between his laughter, Pike weakly smiled back.

After Ike felt a little in control of himself, though the smile felt like it was plastered on his face, he turned his attention back to the small boy in his arms and sternly repeated, "Pike…"

Pike gulped and almost instantly broke under the pressure of the dark blue eyes.

"I didn't know that was what he wanted me to do I swear! He told me he'd give me candy and play games with me but then we went to Marth's room and he told me to put this strange liquid into one of the bottles so I did and then we waited and then Marth was screaming at us and we were running!!"

Ike composed himself and tried his very, very best to force his face into a stern glare. "Why did you do it? Roy claimed that you knew what you were doing?"

Pike groaned and buried his face into his father's chest, "Okay maybe I did know what we were doing but I didn't think that would happen-"

"If you knew what you were doing, you should have known what would happen." Ike cut off the boy. The cerulean eyes snapped up to his and wavered.

"…Okayokayokayalright!" Pike moaned, screwing his eyes shut again, "I thought it would be fun, and well, it kind of was, but then it got scary and Marth really wanted to hurt us for it and then it wasn't so fun anymore. I learned my lesson!" He whimpered.

"Oh? And what lesson was that?" Ike asked, amused.

Pike slumped in his father's arms. "Never ever listen to Roy. "

"Or do anything he says." Ike added.

"I thought you and Marth and Uncle Link were just making that up. You always said it so often, and then you'd keep me away from him. But now I know why you said it." Pike silently admitted.

Ike sighed and pet the boy's head lightly. "Only now?" He asked. Perhaps a little reminding was in order.

"What about the time Roy asked you to 'borrow' Link's hookshot? Perhaps when he told you to help him fill water balloons and then made you help him as he threw them at anyone you came across will remind you of something? Or maybe that time when he made you join him as he ambushed Marth and I last winter? I still remember you complaining when he turned his back on you and assaulted you with the snowballs too-"

"Alright, enough with the guilt trip dad." Pike pleaded with a weak smile. "I get it."

"Well, if you feel like you got the point, perhaps you should go apologize to Marth." Ike suggested.

"DAD! That's suicide!" Pike wailed, shooting up in his arms. Ike laughed lightly.

"Not now of course, but later. After Marth's beaten Roy a little." Ike nodded once, curtly. And that was final.

Pike slid off his father's lap with a feeble groan. There was no point pressing Ike about it, and no doubt he wouldn't be allowed near Roy for a while, once again. "Alright, I'll apologize to Marth. Later." He agreed, shoulders slumped as he retreated from the room.

-------------------

My name is Pike, but you already know that. As you can see…Well, I get into a lot of trouble. But it's Roy's fault, all of it!

I'm actually very shy, I'd never think of doing something like that to Uncle Marth. But like dad says, Roy is just the word for trouble, he's always telling me not to get caught up with him, but…Roy is fun, it's actually quite boring half the time.

Roy's been telling me that Marth is too calm about everything, and that's why he picks on him. He also says that this will probably be the last time he can target him for a while, he says that Marth will try to make him more 'gentlemanly'. I think that would be a nice change. Sometimes.

I'm going to be ten years old this year. Dad is all excited because it's double digits. He also says I may be able to see my other dad this year. Dad wants me to call him Mum though, so I probably should.

Mum hasn't been around while I was growing up. Dad says it's because he went to a faraway place, but we get to see him every now and again. Apparently Mum is going to visit soon to teach me how to fly- I already know a bit, but I'm really excited to see him again!

Dad sometimes gets sad though, because Mum isn't here. He'll hug me tight and tell me that I look exactly like him.

I never ever felt weird knowing I had two fathers, never ever ever ever! Because they both love me, and that's what parents should do! And I just thought you should know that, because I always tell Dad! All the time! Then he smiles and says I'm a good boy. I love it when Dad smiles.

Oh, speaking of parents and fathers- Dad says that Roy is REALLY pushing his luck. I don't understand why he would ever do these horrible things to Marth, especially if he loves him. Just last spring, he proposed to him. Isn't that sweet! But now Marth threatens that he won't love him anymore if he keeps picking on him, and Roy always takes back everything he's done and tries to make it better.

Dad also told me a little while ago that Uncle Link is in love. I wonder with whom though, Dad won't tell me. He only says 'it's someone you don't know.' But he's let slip that it was a close friend of his from a long time ago. I want to meet him, and I know Link does too because he's always sighing and all lovey-dovey towards everyone.

I like Uncle Link, he tells me things. He's usually so quiet, but he says he talks to me the most- I don't believe him or he would have told me he loved someone sooner! But he was the first person to tell me about Mum, and why she can't see me that often. But then Dad got angry at him…Perhaps that's why he doesn't talk to me much anymore.

I sometimes ask about Mum. But Dad doesn't tell me, and he always gets so sad when I ask, so I don't ask anymore. Marth and Roy are the same too, they have that look like they want to tell me, but they can't. But I don't mind. Mum promised that one day he would tell me everything, when I was older.

Oh- goodness me! Look how much I've rambled! I should really get onto the important things! But I've run out of corridor and now I have to apologize to Marth. I don't know why I'm telling you this, Dad says it's not healthy to talk to yourself, but I don't know, sometimes I just feel like you're there watching me, something anyway. And I think you might be lonely, always following me, so I'll talk to you. Just don't trip me and I'll be happy!

…Marth doesn't look too mad…oh well, here goes.