Authors: Xan and Vallen
Rating: PG-13 (R later on)
Warnings: This story involves Marth and Roy in a relationship with one another, and other yaoi/slash/shounen ai themes. So if you have a problem with that, violence or torture, go read another fic. Also, we highly suggest that you read the first Fubuki no Kaen before starting this.
Disclaimer: The characters of Marth and Roy, plus "Altea," do not belong to us. We just use them for our pleasure.
Feedback: Yes. (That means we would love to hear from you and what you think.)
Notes:
Xan: *bows* I'm REALLY sorry this took a month and a half to get out, but Vallen and I were having some shit to get through and I didn't feel like typing it up, so… sorry again! Anyways, more fun Marth and Roy and Necromancer interaction, whee! Btw, Vallen starts the thankyous, then I finish them after Dark Comet, so just fyi!
Vallen: Yes, we are very very very sorry for making you wait that long, oh ye faithful readers! I'm hoping this is enough of a Christmas present to you.
Thanks to: Saikyo_Kirei262 (Oooh, such a high compliment... I don't like chocolate myself, but Xan does. I think you're crazy for reading FNOK 9 hours straight, but you are loved! 3 Thanks for reading!), rex16 (Glad you think so. The N-mancer is a very bad dude.), Evui (^_^V You guessed it!), Chibi Raven ( Well, thank you! We've been writing together for a very long time, but we always want to improve ourselves), MintyDreams7 (Yes, some chapters can have lots of emotion and sometimes make people cry... ^^;;), Nataku (Yay! Well, this story is... Well, it starts out a lot faster than the first one did and we have to pack as much STUFF in it as we can), Sinnatious (*snickers* Everything with Marth is cool... He's not HOT-headed like Roy. Tee-hee. Don't worry, we'll get back to our masterpiece... You're one of our favorite reviewers!), you know who (Hey, guess what? We don't care.), Crockgirl13 (*weeps* I'm sorry!! This story is very very sad!), Dark Comet (Rowen has become more than just their mentor, I think.. He's wonderful.), PikaPower (Xan-Vallen – the next most addictive thing after speed! ^^;; no not really. That would be bad. Oh and compliment Val-chan on the website! All hers!), Sword Master Jeff (Yes, I'm very proud of the fire-in-ice tidbit, but it wouldn't have gone anywhere if Vallen hadn't liked it too, so… hahaha! The idea of Marth and Roy yelling attacks a la Ronin Warriors makes me laugh. But they're both too serious to do something silly like that. ^^), Lil PriNCeSs Me (Don't worry about it! As long as you read stuff eventually, we're not picky!), pannybaby123 (I adore Marth and Rowan's "chemistry" in this chapter… Rowan kind of is Marth's "mother hen" and I like playing off that relationship. That and zombie-Roy is fun too. I think Vallen had TOO much fun w/ that), tikimoof (Like I said, Zombie-Roy is too fun for Val-chan! If you're in a hyper mood, ANYTHING is funny, trust me. So I can see why the chapter could be funny!), chibi fairy (Yeeeeeeeeees, we LOVE torturing our pretty boys! *cough* As if you couldn't guess from FNOK and FNOK2…), Kevin C (One thing to know about Marth is that he ALWAYS has plan. He's that kind of guy… Methodical. We really love to keep you guys guessing as to what we're doing AND we really DO try to keep it "plausible," even though it's a pure fantasy fic. Glad to hear that you think we're doing a good job!), Spryte Andolini (No seriously tell us what you think and your ideas! We love hearing about them! *eyes the glass* Whoa…), MysticalWoodElf (The Necromancer IS fun! We like having fun with our baddies, so they're always going to be deliciously evil!), Curious Dream Weaver (It IS dandy! I luv it! *feels delightfully evil* Whee, they like our language and imagery! *coughs* Sorry, I'm suddenly hyper! ^^;;), Jonathan (Aww… as cute as that mental image IS, we can't do that 'cause that's a cliché! And we can't do clichés! Thanks for reviewing and we're glad you like it!), Moiras (Mmm… we Luv their characters! And YES, Necromancer is an AWESOME word! Guess why we decided to use it? ^^), bladegryphon (Wahahaha! *nervous laugher* Gaimen and the Necromancer? What ever gave you THAT idea? That means that Marth and the Necromancer would be related, doesn't it? *gasp!*), Persian Kittie (Hahaha… we can only hope they're screwed… it would be sad if they're virgins after all this time… ^^;; Okay, enough of the perversion, Xan… Down girl…), Rayestar Ikina (*blinks and looks at Vallen* An email sent to me, what? *looks at her* We'll sort this out! And no, the Xan-Vallen email is an account that is periodically checked by both of us, but Vallen checks it more.), Jennie (We luv surprises! Can you tell? ^^), Pichu*Star (Yes, he IS very fun to write! Evil people are the best! Well, that and angst-ridden bishies! AIGH! *snatches the chibi-marth and takes him away* He's miiiiiiine… my preciiiiiiiiiiiiiious… ^^;; no not really. Gollum scares the hell out of me [blame my dad], but THANKS! ^^;; the sad thing is, now it's more like a Christmas present!), Demon Cat Fury (Wah! You switched names on us! Heh, but it's okay, we still know who you are! ^___^ aw, are we getting predictable? We'll just have to throw more curves your way! Sorry if the zombies are annoying, but they're kind of around the whole fic- sorry!)
Many years of near-escapes had made Marth a man who slept lightly and kept his ears sharp at all times. Roy was outside his door and a few steps down the hall when Marth picked up on his mental signal and woke. He sat on the bed, Falcion resting across his lap, waiting patiently. The general stopped and stood right outside the door, opening it a little.
"He will see you now." Roy said loudly. His voice dropped to a low mutter as he commented on how much he sounded like some sort of brainless personal servant. "I suggest you get up now because I am the only one who knows the way through this maze of halls to his rooms."
Marth stood and inclined his head slightly towards Roy.
"Thank you, Roy. How's the war going?" Marth kept his tone casual, as if he were merely commenting upon the passing weather.
Roy's strangely colored eyes glittered for a moment.
"Miserably," he stated. "For you, of course. Right this way, please."
The teen was different in body as well as mind as a result of the Necromancer's enchantments. He seemed weaker, with less strength and life than ever before, his skin a very pale white and stretched thin over his face. He was worse for wear, as if the effects of the mind control were finally taking their toll upon him.
"Now… Hand me your sword. It won't do you any good to attack him, but I'd like to have it in the meantime. I'll give it back."
Marth drew Falcion and pointed it at Roy's head, the top of the blade touching the golden circlet that the younger man always wore.
"You claimed that you would never wear another collar and yet you're wearing one now." Marth turned the sword over to him and walked to the door, placing his hand on the handle. "Falcion is a weapon with powerful magic of its own. I would not recommend tampering with it. Although if it would do me no good to attack him, is there really any point in taking it from me?" He opened the door and stepped inside, leaving Falcion to Roy and Roy to his own emotions.
"You should consider yourself lucky. Usually, I'm too busy to see anyone, but you're the exception, King Marth. What do you think of my work? Did I do a good job of screwing up your life?" The Necromancer's voice floated through the darkened room like acid in the air. There was a large table visible with a lone figure sitting at the head of it. "You've done your best to hide it under that shell of yours, but I know."
"If you know my past at all, you know that I've been through much worse than this, Necromancer." Marth surveyed the figure coldly. "What do you want from me?"
"Oh, the very least you could do is flatter me before I assimilate your powers. That's the only thing I want from you, Marth – your magic. Taking your love's magic was quite refreshing and obviously part of my grand plan, seeing as you now have no effective way of destroying my soldiers, but you are much more powerful." The voice was lazy, indolent… reminiscent of another enemy who had fairly oozed arrogant confidence.
"What do you intend to use my power for if I give it to you?" Marth asked, trying to feel the Necromancer out. "Destroy me, my country and my people? If so, then tell me why in the hell would I hand them over to you willingly?"
Agitation coursed like a pumping vein throughout the room,
"Do you have an alternative? You're in the lion's den now, Marth. Did you actually come here with a plan, or were you driven purely by the letters you received? You are beginning to irritate me, young king. I didn't expect you to come willingly, but…" There was a brilliant spark of power, which seized the King of Altea by the neck in a vice-like grip. "I would like an answer."
Marth squeezed his eyes closed, forcing himself not to choke or panic. A dozen huge icicles, just as large and sharp as any sword, appeared abruptly in the air and hurtled themselves at Marth's dark-shrouded assailant. The Necromancer didn't dodge quite fast enough and Marth heard at least one of the icicles stab him, but didn't know how badly. The choking hold on his throat was released abruptly and Marth jumped back, alert and ready for the Necromancer's retaliation.
"There is your answer, Necromancer!" He spat.
The man in black yanked the sharp projectile out of his shoulder with a small grunt.
"You wish to fight me? How… sad."
Suddenly, the room brightened and the Dark Mage rose from his seat. He raised his hands and lifted the green-black hood of his cloak away from his face. The Necromancers' countenance was fair and youthful – Marth would even dare to say beautiful. Light blue-purple eyes shone with malice and determination, his face perfectly framed with beautiful golden locks. The man was by no means tall, but stood there, confident in his formidable power – a master of darkness in the height of his powers.
Marth was all-too-aware of his underdog status, but he refused to allow it to infect his mind with pessimistic thoughts. If he was going to be killed, he would damn well die fighting.
'Rowen!' He called to his mentor, wanting Rowen to help him fight this enemy. But the Dark Mage laughed bitterly and snapped his fingers, causing a sharp, intense pain to strike Marth's mind and cut off his powers of mindspeech. Marth was thrown to his knees, gripping his head in agony.
"That's enough of that, I believe. I've listened in on your little conversations with your weak mentor before, but I won't have that going on any longer. You are in my castle and under my power now, Marth, so you will do what I say, when I say. You can't go crying to Rowen Wyndburne anymore." He taunted Marth, his voice silky and acrid.
"I'm not going to let you win," Marth growled. "If you want to control me, you'll have to kill me."
He formed another icicle blade and lunged at the Necromancer, the strange sword in his hand blazing the exact shade of blue as his eyes were. He swept it down upon his foe, aiming for the smooth, pale throat.
The Necromancer looked at the oncoming killing edge calmly, not making a move as Marth came at him.
"You wouldn't want everyone in Altea, Pharae and Jorn to die right along with me, would you?" He asked smoothly.
The King of Altea turned the blade away at the last second and fell back, landing lightly on the balls of his feet.
"No." He glared at the beautiful mage. "May I be excused for now? I wish to return to my room."
As the Necromancer turned away, Marth noticed that the tips of his ears were pointed, like those of the Elven folk.
"You have three more hours to contemplate your decision, Marth. But then, your powers are mine. I did not spend over fifty years sealed away to fail now," he told Marth, waving a hand to dismiss him. "I'll have Roy escort you. Leave now."
Marth turned and did leave, dissipating the ice as he did so. He waited outside the door for Roy to appear and lead him once again. His face was blank and his eyes empty of everything except purpose. There was nothing for him to contemplate. He had come to this castle for one reason and one reason only – to reclaim Roy from that son of a bitch in the other room. Nothing would stop him from completing this mission and nothing would make him submit to the Dark Mage's power.
The only problem was that Roy didn't remember who he was, or who Marth was either. Marth knew that he had to make Roy remember, or else all was lost.
'I cannot win this war without you, Roy,' he thought. 'The army will not follow me as they would him and he is the only other mage left besides me and Rowen.'
"Did you think about what I said about your collar?" Marth asked as Roy approached.
The teen looked irritated, to say the least. He walked up to Marth, and then turned around, beckoning for him to follow. They were soon back outside of Marth's room.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Roy growled, opening the door to Marth's pseudo-prison and going inside. He placed Falcion on the bed, then studied Marth's eyes intently. It was unclear whether he was trying to remember something, or if he was just plain angry.
Marth looked right back into his former lovers' eyes.
"What do you see, Roy? Are you being a bad Pet and not remembering who I am?" Marth perfectly imitated Trave's cold, drawling snarl, wondering if it would break through to Roy. It wasn't a pleasant memory, and certainly not the one Marth wanted Roy to remember first, but it may just be strong enough to force him to remember his past.
Roy froze and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, a feeling of déjà vu enveloping his senses. He shivered and took a step back, his mis-colored eyes wide.
"No! I'm a good Pet, I promise!" He heard himself say, pleading. A deep, unknown pain struck his head and he fell to his knees, looking up at Marth in bewilderment. "Who are you?!"
The King of Altea shoved Roy roughly against the wall, pinning him there.
"You are being a bad Pet – you don't remember me. Who am I Roy?" He still spoke with Trave's slimy tongue, mentally begging Roy to remember something… anything.
Roy grasped Marth's hands tightly, digging his nails into them in an effort to force him off.
"Get off of me! I swear I don't know who you are!" He let out a yell of pain as the circlet around his head started to burn painfully. He could feel it trying to get him back under control. The teen reached up with one hand to try to remove it from his head, but found he could not.
Marth didn't let go of Roy, refusing to give up. He would free Roy, even if it mean turning into his enemy to stay his friend.
"If you don't remember, I'll just have to punish you and your little friend Marth," he hissed, grabbing the circlet. Evil power slammed into him, electrifying his senses. It hurt, but he did not let go until he had wrenched it off Roy's head and flung it as far away as he could. It hit the wall with a sharp clang and fell to the floor, harmless.
The auburn-haired teen blacked out for a moment, but opened his eyes again to find himself sitting in a crumpled position against the wall. He stared blankly up with a dazed expression at the man leaning over him.
"You're not Trave…" He stammered. "Who are you? Why do you sound so familiar?"
"My name is
Marth." The young man nearly collapsed
on top of Roy, but caught himself on the wall.
"You know the way out of his miserable castle. You're going to get us out, understand?
To Be Continued…
Xan: The Necromancer is sooo pretty… Yum. ^^;; makes me wanna write fanfiction of my own fanfics. Has anybody else ever wanted to do that? *laughs* Hey, I challenge all you to write FNOK fanfiction! Seriously, I wanna see what you'd do.
Vallen: ^^;;; She's so weird. And ah, yes... The Necromancer resembles/is based off another SSBM character, appearance-wise. Kudos to you if you know which one.