(Wow, we're on chapter seven already? Miracles DO occur!
Just as a... whatchamacallit. A forewarning: Pit goes a bit emo this chapter. But it's not his fault, really! Blame the darkness!
Or me. Either way, leave the poor guy alone! :D
Let's begin.
All characters © Nintendo
Realm of Shadows © Me
The Great Illumination © Nintendo Nut1 and me, but mostly her)
The Temptation of Darkness
Chapter Seven: Despair
Try as they might, the forces-- now gods and goddesses of their realms-- could not control the evils that their people committed. They pleaded with The Great Illumination, begging to know the source of the strife...
The answer was disturbingly clear in The Great Illumination's eyes.
It certainly wasn't what they were expecting.
Darkness oozed from the ground itself, rising up in faint wisps of smoke; a dark amber glow illuminated the skyline, the dim light being smothered by a cloud of black shadow...
"...this is really... disconcerting," Link muttered nervously, glancing around to survey his surroundings.
"...where do we go from here?" Marth asked, unnerved by the surrounding darkness...
"Good que-- ah!"
Ike suddenly jerked forward, dragged along by whatever magic had possessed Ragnell; the holy blade shimmered with a pure, golden light, chasing away the shadows as the sword pointed north...
"Ike, what the hell is--"
"The sword-- it's-- ...it's holding itself up," the mercenary slowly responded, struggling to bring Ragnell back to his side. "I don't know why--"
The glow unexpectedly dimmed slightly; Ragnell shuddered, then collapsed to the ground, nearly dragging Ike with it.
"Gah!"
"...it's telling us where to go," Link suddenly realized as the blue-haired mercenary cautiously lifted his weapon, resting the blade on his shoulder.
"Is that what you think?" Marth queried, fingering the hilt of his own sword.
"I know this. There's no other way to explain it... it's a holy weapon, under divine guidance."
"So, what do we do?"
"What else?"
Link and Marth both turned to face Ike, whose navy eyes burned with determination.
"We follow the path that we are shown."
He lead the way, the Altean prince and Hylian hero following in his footsteps.
"...eighteen... nineteen... twenty! Ready or not, here I come!"
Pit whipped away from the wall of the mansion, his sapphire eyes searching the landscape...
An impish grin graced his pale face as he spotted a bright flash of color amongst the dark trees. Quietly, he dashed over...
"Gotcha! Nice try, Ness."
"Aw, man! I'm always the first one tagged..."
The angel chuckled at the psychic's protests.
"C'mon, help me find the others. They're no match for the two of us!"
"Yeah!" Ness cheered, quickly hurrying off to find his friends...
An unexplained chill slithered up Pit's spine.
No, he mentally scolded himself. Stop it.
He ran off to search for the other hiding children... and to escape the fear that had begun to tear at his heart.
The unseeing eye watched them, their light-suffused weapons guiding them through the forest of ebony trees...
"Let them come," the presence chuckled darkly. "Let them try to defeat me... assuming they can even avoid defeating themselves..."
"How big is this forest?"
Marth's innocent question elicited no response from Link or Ike, who continued onward under the guidance of Ragnell's holy light.
Black trees, barren and twisted by inhuman forces, reached out to the swordsmen, their sharp branches clawing at their skin and snagging their clothes. Everywhere they looked, the sight was the same; lifeless flora and the fading amber light, darkness biting at their bodies and swallowing up their feet...
"...guys?"
"Marth, if we knew how big this forest was, we would not be wasting our time walking through it; we would be wasting our time searching for a shortcut," Link retorted, his voice terse. "As that is not the case, we are instead following Ike's sword. Which makes me wonder... Ike, why is your sword telling us where to go? ...actually, scratch that; why is your sword telling us?"
"That's a great question, but I bet I have a better one," Ike growled. "Are you two going to keep bitching about this damn forest, or are you going to shut the hell up and walk?"
"...sorry."
"Sorry, Ike..."
For a time, they progressed in silence; only the sound of jagged, fallen twigs being crushed under the steps of the swordsmen dared to disturb the uneasy calm.
"...how long have we been walking for, anyways?" Link mumbled, his cerulean eyes glancing downward.
"My guess? About three hours. Can't tell without a watch or the sun..."
"That's all?!"
"Well, maybe if you stopped whining like a brat, it wouldn't seem so long," Marth snapped. "So how about you just shut up and keep walking!"
Ike groaned, sticking Ragnell's blade into the ground before turning to watch the scene unfold.
"Me, quit whining?" Link hissed, clenching his fists. "Sure! After you stop complaining about how big this forest is! 'How long does this go on, how long does this go on'-- it doesn't get any damn shorter when you say that!"
"Shut up, elf-ears!"
"Princess Martha!"
"Fairy-face!"
"Tiara-top!"
Their voices rose to deafening levels, tension building, threatening to boil over into violence--
"...w-wait-- where's Ike?"
The insults halted as Link and Marth suddenly looked around, noticing for the first time that the mercenary-- and Ragnell-- were nowhere to be seen...
"...did you hear him leave?"
"...no..."
Fear instantly replaced the anger; Link and Marth huddled close together, searching for any sign of Ike...
"...hey, Marth?"
"Y-yeah?"
"...if we die here... you know I didn't really mean any of that, right?"
"D-don't be silly!" the prince scolded lightly. "We're not going to die here! ...but... just in case... y-yeah. I know. And... you know too, right? That I didn't mean what I said?"
"O-of course I know."
"Alright."
For a few minutes, they sat in fearful silence, waiting... waiting...
"...okay. This is ridiculous."
Marth stepped away from Link, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
"We're fighters. We can fend for ourselves! So, why are we standing here like frightened children?"
"...yeah, you're right!" the Hylian nodded, confidence returning to his blue eyes. "C'mon, let's go an--"
The crackling sound of breaking wood cut him off...
"Wh... what was tha--"
"So, you two patch things up yet?"
Link and Marth sighed with relief as Ike reappeared, stepping out from amongst the trees, Ragnell resting over his shoulder.
"Yeah," the Altean prince nodded, rubbing his eyes slowly. "...where'd you go?"
"I went to see if there was tree that would support my weight when I climbed it," the mercenary shrugged. "I thought maybe I'd try to see if we were close to the other side... but everything's so dark anyways, it would have been pointless... no sense in worrying about it now, though. Let's keep going."
"...sorry for starting a bitch-fight and slowing us all down," Link and Marth simultaneously apologized as the three swordsmen continued their march.
"Don't lose sleep over it," Ike replied offhandedly. "It was going to happen eventually; better now than later, I guess."
"...how could you be so certain?" Marth asked.
"Can't you feel it? A force... like something is trying to antagonize us, trying to turn us against each other... probably whatever it is that reigns here. ...let's keep moving, before we lose patience again. We can't really afford to be sidetracked again."
Silence fell upon the group once again.
Pit couldn't eat.
A tired sigh escaped his lips as he slowly stirred his salad with his fork, a forlorn expression in his sapphire eyes...
"Pit, cheer up. You know they'll come back soon."
The angel glanced up to look at Zelda, who sat calmly next to him-- the only one who had chosen to join him outside for lunch this day.
"That's what I've been saying since they left... it's what I've been told since they left," he muttered, choosing to stare at the untouched food on his plate. "But... all the time, I have these... these dreams, these visions... that they're in danger... that Ike's dying, Link's missing, and Marth is suffering at the hands of the darkness... and--"
A soft gasp escaped Pit's lips as the Hylian princess pulled him close, holding him in a loose hug.
"Hush... don't worry," she murmured, gently stroking the young angel's dark locks of hair.
"...it's just... s-so hard, staying positive with all this... this sadness," he responded, his voice catching in his throat as tears slowly welled in his eyes. "And... I-I just... I want these images t-to go away, b-but they... they don't... they only g-get worse, always w-worse..."
"Shh..." Zelda hushed, comforting Pit as the tears fell down his pale cheeks. "I know... I know what it's like, to have visions like that... but you can't let yourself fall to despair."
"...but... wh-what if they c-can't do it?" the angel hiccuped, unable to stop his crying. "Wh-what if--"
"Pit... be silent, and listen to me."
He slowly looked up, staring at the princess with glimmering sapphire eyes.
"They will return," she began. "They will be successful. Ike cares about you too much to let anything happen, Link is far too stubborn to admit defeat, and Marth is too quick to not help find a way out of whatever situation they may find themselves in. You know this is true, yes?"
"...y-yeah..."
Zelda continued to stroke Pit's limp hair as he pondered over the young woman's words.
"...th... thank you, Zelda..."
The princess smiled briefly.
"You're welcome, Pit... why don't you go and try to get some rest? If you need anything, I'll be waiting here."
"A-alright..."
The young angel slowly pulled away from Zelda, rubbing the tears out of his eyes as he trudged off to his room...
A single white feather fell from his wings.
"...we're close. I can feel it. The trees are thinning... we'll reach the other side in about two hours, if we hurry."
"But we've been walking for so long... can't we just rest for a little while? At least until we get some of our energy back..."
"Let's stop, Ike. We won't be able to do much if we're exhausted."
"Alright."
With an exaggerated sigh, Link collapsed onto the ground, closing his eyes as the black fog on the ground danced over his limbs, casting a pall over his normally flushed skin. Marth shook his head in hopelessness as he slowly sat down cross-legged on the shadowy floor; Ike stuck Ragnell into the ground before falling, leaning against the holy blade for support.
"That can't be good for your sword," Link frowned.
"If Ashera wanted someone to take care of her sword, she should not have left it in a mercenary's hands. As it is, she will just have to grin and bear it."
A soft chuckle from all three men filled them with a slight sense of hope...
"Hey, Ike?" Marth began.
"Yeah?"
"Why does your sword glow so brightly, anyways?"
"Yeah," Link suddenly agreed. "I mean, even the Master Sword doesn't shine that brightly. Look--"
With a quick flourish, the Hylian brandished his sacred weapon; its white gleam looked small and feeble in comparison to the golden aura that emanated from Ragnell.
"Hm... well, Pit said that Ragnell was pointed at him when his light was stolen, and that it started glowing black," Ike shrugged. "Maybe it senses the darkness? You know... one of those magical things that none of us know anything about, where a bond is formed between the evil and its stolen weapon?"
"...or... something like that," Marth grinned.
"You've got some crazy ideas in your head, Ike," Link snickered, resting the Master Sword at his side for a light source.
"You're one to talk, Sir Locks-Himself-in-the-Stages-at-Night."
"That was one time!"
Laughter rang throughout the black void...
"...I wonder how we defeat the darkness, anyways," Marth wondered, the smile slowly fading from his lips.
"We go and resort to needlessly excessive violence, of course," Link grinned. "It's a policy that's only failed me... three times."
"Well, it'll fail you a fourth," Ike sighed, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Reyson told me a more accurate version of the story Master Hand told us... and he said that the darkness can't be killed because it has no heart..."
"...that would have been nice to know before we came here and got this far..."
"Oh, shut up," the mercenary scolded lightly. "He didn't even tell me until after you two were gone already. But.. there had to be a loophole somewhere... a way to get around that... now, I think I know what it is."
"Well, let's hear it!"
For a short while, there was an expectant silence...
"...when we encounter the darkness, I'll... I'll let it take over my body," Ike began. "Then, one of y-"
"No."
Link immediately sat upright, the light of the Master Sword revealing the stubborn refusal burning in his cerulean eyes.
"I will not be responsible for your death," he hissed vehemently.
"Neither will I," Marth agreed. "Ike, what are you thinking?"
"If the darkness takes over either of you... it would just destroy you, since you both have strong affinities with light," Ike explained calmly, unshaken by his friends' refusal. "However, I have a natural affinity for the darkness... at the very least, I would survive long enough for you to destroy the heart of the darkness."
"...Ike, may I be the first of us to say that you have some seriously fucked-up logic..."
"Well, I don't hear you coming up with anything better."
Silence...
"...fine," Link grumbled, still clearly displeased with the idea. "I'll... I'll do it. But if something goes wrong... I'm never going to forgive you for it."
"Fine. ...thank you, Link."
"Mm."
"...we should rest while we can," Marth spoke softly, his voice filled with frustration and fear.
"Sounds like a good idea to me. G'night, you guys."
"G'night, Link."
The Hylian closed his eyes, quickly dropping off to sleep despite the complex emotions plaguing his mind.
"...gods damn you, Ike, you really are a thoughtless fool."
Ike couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
"Get some rest, Marth."
The Altean prince sighed, reluctantly taking the mercenary's advice...
Ike stayed awake, the slight apprehension he felt quietly burning in his heart.
(End chapter seven.
I think this is the longest chapter yet. At any rate, it certainly is the one filled with the most emotions.
Ike's nickname is based off of Nintendo Nut1's "Super Smash League" ...two? Is it the second one? I think so. She's written like, four of those, so...
Please review!)
