A/N: Aaaand here we go! :) Some of these next few chapters will start with a flashback of Lucina's journey through the Outrealm Gate, just so you don't get confused ^^ Also, there's a reference in this chapter to a scene from a classical Disney animation (well, there's two kind of, though I wouldn't count the second as a classic yet xD). Cookies to you if you get it ;D Also, we're getting closer to actually getting the main quest of this story started! YES! As much as I love Skyworld, I'd like to start getting into the different worlds of the Nintendo-verse. Without further ado...
Whiteness engulfed Lucina when she stepped through the Outrealm Gate. Unlike the last time, it didn't fade out; she seemed stuck in between, walking through an endless empty space with nothing but white in all directions. She panicked at the unfamiliarity, fearing that something had gone wrong. However, such fears were forgotten as a shape materialized as if through a fog.
Muscular in build, Lucina immediately took it for a man. Two swords hung from either side of his hips, and as more of his features became apparent she could see the long white ponytail held above his pinched face. Lucina realized that she had caught a glimpse of this man before—in one of the most important battles of the Valmese War.
"Yen'fay?" she cautiously asked.
The swordsman didn't acknowledge her inquiry. Peering at her through squinted eyes, he asked her, "What is it you are so afraid of?"
Lucina knitted her brows together. What was going on? Why was Yen'fay here, and why was he asking her such a strange question? After some puzzling, she remembered: Anna had warned her of this; she was to be asked three questions which she had to answer honestly. Perhaps this was all just part of the test. Yen'fay, whether or not he was real, seemed to be waiting patiently for the answer, his posture relaxed. Lucina sensed that she had time to ponder her response thoroughly.
"Losing the ones I love," she finally concluded, eyeing the once-enemy general closely.
Yen'fay nodded grimly. "I once failed to protect the ones that mattered most to me. Truly, there is no pain greater… For all the shame I felt, in time I began to realize—whether or not our loved ones are with us in the flesh, they will always be in our hearts. You must honor their memory…"
The white fog shifted, and the Chon'sin general disappeared from her sight, leaving the princess to ponder his cryptic message.
"So, er, sorry if things are a bit dusty," Pit apologized as he opened the double doors that led to the guest chambers. "We haven't had a guest since… Actually, now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time we had a guest."
Lucina said nothing as she stepped inside. Like every other part of the temple, the room was blindingly white. Flawless marble framed the circular room, interrupted every so often by ribbed columns and golden sconces promising to hold fire when evening fell. A massive bed graced the far end, hidden by an excessive amount of silk curtains. Several more curtains billowed out around a glass door that seemed to lead to a furnished balcony.
Pit watched her anxiously, wondering what she thought. He found that even without the mask on, he had trouble reading her. Not that he was ever good at reading people; he didn't exactly have the practice for that, being cooped up in Skyworld with Centurions for eons. Was that why he was so gullible? Ah, he was getting off topic. At any rate, Lucina didn't look completely disgusted with the furnishings, so… that was good.
"There's some extra clothes in the closet, I think… If you need any, that is," said Pit, stepping in behind her. Remembering his manners, he quickly added, "Your highness."
"Lucina," she replied shortly. "Please, just Lucina."
"O…kay?" That confused Pit a little. Didn't Palutena say she was a princess? Truthfully, she didn't exactly act like one—going around wearing masks and beating things up with a big sword and the like. But what did he know? The only experience he had with them was through games, where they were always being kidnapped or throwing fancy parties. She was a Fire Emblem character, though. They were a little different.
He relaxed a little, relieved that he didn't have to worry about all that protocol. First name basis was best basis in his book, pardoning the Lady.
"If you ever need something while you're staying here," he continued, "there's a bell over there that'll summon one of the Centurions. There's also… Oh! Oh! Lemme show you the hot springs!"
"The wha—?" Before Lucina could begin to frame her question, Pit grabbed her wrist and yanked her across the room, making a beeline to one of the side rooms. The air grew noticeably humid before the short hallway spat that out into yet another circular room. This one, however, sported one thing and one thing only: a golden pool of steaming water.
"Now I've seen everything," Lucina muttered, sound baffled and amused at the same time.
Pit took in a deep breath, drinking in the warm vapor. The springs looked so inviting, he couldn't help himself. The angel took the last few steps separating him from watery pleasure and jumped in. Lucina recoiled sharply to avoid getting splashed.
"Ah," the angel sighed dreamily when he surfaced, indifferent to the fact that his clothes were now completely soaked. "Nothing like a good quick healing in the hot springs!" Grinning up at the staring young woman, he waved, "Come on in, the water's great!"
She made no move to join him, instead shooting him a rather annoyed look that instantly made the angel uncomfortable. "I think I will pass," she said in a dry undertone.
"Are you sure? These hot springs are magic, you know, and they'll heal—Whoa! What's wrong with your eye?"
Out of reflex, Lucina turned away, shielding the left side of her face. Rather tersely, she snapped, "There is nothing 'wrong' with my eye. I thank you for your assistance, but I believe I can take things from here."
Pit frowned. Was she… dismissing him? "But… I had some questions about your game and—"
"I do not play games, nor would I have the desire to. Now would you kindly leave?"
Feeling like a child that just received a harsh scolding, Pit abashedly rose out of the water. Muttering an apology, he took his leave, dripping water all over the floor as he retreated.
Looking at the puddles he left behind, Lucina sighed. "Gods… What have I gotten myself into?"
"So then I said, 'You know what your problem is, Arceus? You got your da—'," the dragon cut off short as a rather dejected angel joined them in the kitchen. "Oh, hey chicken wings. Something got your Gogoat?"
Palutena glanced up from mixing something in a bowl, looking surprised before her expression creased in worry. "Pit? Is everything okay? …Why are you soaking wet?"
Pit collapsed onto a kitchen stool with a harrumph. Dealing with Lucina, he decided, was a lot like dealing with Viridi or any of the other women he had met on this crazy world (in fact, now that he thought about it, he seemed to surrounded by them). Somehow they all left him feeling frustrated and confused, no matter what he did to please them.
The angel chose to summarize all his problems in one short statement: "I don't understand girls!"
Palkia snorted in her usual cynical tone. "That's a shocker."
Setting her spoon aside, Palutena put a hand on her hip. "What did you do?"
"Nothing!" the angel lifted his hands defensively.
The goddess of light continued to scrutinize him through narrowed eyes.
Pit squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. "I don't know! I was just showing her around and—"
"You jumped into the hot spring, didn't you?"
"It was a hot spring! How could I not jump in?"
The goddess heaved a weary sigh before returning to her mixing. "We really need to work on your etiquette, Pit."
"Particularly about how to act around a lady, it seems," Palkia grinned toothily.
"Hey, it's not like—wait…" Pit dropped the conversation completely, taking note of what his goddess was doing. "Are you… cooking?"
"Of course I am," she stabbed her spoon into the mystery substance in the bowl, which for some reason had an unusual green tint. "What kind of a host doesn't cook for her guests?"
The angel involuntarily winced. "Yeah, but maybe you should let Louis—"
"Nonsense. I'm perfectly capable of preparing a meal. It's simple! All you do is follow the recipe."
Palutena's general gave the mess scattered before his goddess dubiously, suddenly losing his appetite. The goddess of light had many talents and powers, but cooking was not one of them. The last time she had tried cooking, Skyworld nearly fell to a carrot apocalypse… Unfortunately, once she was bent on doing something, there was no talking her out of it. The angel could only pray that lunch would turn out. Somehow.
Scanning the recipe displayed on her mirror shield, Palutena read, "Okay, next it says to fold eggs in gently…"
The goddess turned to the ingredients scattered across the table, scanning over them twice before spotting the ivory ovals. She picked them up and studied them before shrugging, "Oh well!", and placed them straight into the bowl—shells and all. Humming pleasantly, she manually folded the dough over the eggs. Pit cringed when he heard the shells crack under her hands.
Lord Zeus Almighty.
Pit cleared his throat. "Uh… How about I make the tea, Lady Palutena?"
It took some convincing, but Palutena eventually consented to let Pit prepare the tea. Thus the brave warrior was barely able to salvage their lunch. He couldn't make tea on the same level the Centurion cook Louis could, but at the very least they had something consumable by the time everyone was summoned to the table.
With the latest disaster averted, Pit realized he had another problem coming: eating lunch with their new guest. He shot a fleeting glance at the dining area entrance, wondering if Lucina was still upset at him. Such worries frustrated him, as he believed that he had done nothing wrong. Did jumping into someone else's hot spring really spell the end of the world? It wasn't like that had been a problem before—there had been countless times the angel had helped himself to the magical spas: the Reaper Fortress, the Space Pirate's Ship… heck, even the Underworld! No one had objected then, not even Medusa!
…Was it something he said, maybe? He had been trying to be friendly, and maybe get to know her a little better. Was that so wrong? No, maybe he had been wrong about Lucina. Maybe all princesses were stuck-up, snobby, miserable little—
"Princess Lucina!" Palutena warmly greeted. Pit's eyes shot back to the doorway, where the blue-haired young woman was being led into the room by a tiny Centurion. The grime of battle had been washed from her face and hair, and she had exchanged her blue battle duds for a clean set of white and green robes. She seemed slightly uncomfortable in the unfamiliar Grecian garb, but at least they had had something for her to wear. Hopefully, the servant Centurions would be working on cleaning her original uniform.
Palutena waved at the table before her, saying, "Please, take a seat."
Lucina nodded at the invitation and made her way to the table, purposely (Pit was sure) avoiding the angel's gaze. She took her seat next to Palkia, who had somehow shrunk down to human size so she could sit at Palutena's elegant white table. After the goddess excused the servant Centurions, their modest lunch affair began. The table had been spread with fresh fruits and vegetables, which had been another suggestion made by Pit (so at least some of the food was edible). Palutena's creation—spinach puffs, supposedly—were left untouched by all except Palkia, who downed them with great gusto.
Between all her bites of… whatever it was… Palkia dominated the conversation. Even though her stature had changed, she had no less amount of volume behind her voice. Which was weird to Pit, since she didn't even use her mouth to talk. …How did that work, anyway?
Lucina was mostly quiet during their meal. She would answer the occasional question Palutena would pose, but in the fewest amount of words possible. Despite her silence, the princess seemed to be making an honest effort to follow the conversation, though ultimately failing.
In time, the tea and food disappeared. Palutena dabbed at her lips with her napkin before setting her plate aside, her liveliness dampening into seriousness.
"Palkia, I believe we should start answering questions now," she said.
"Right," the dragon grunted. "We'll start with Lucina's, since they're bound to be the only intelligent ones."
"Hey!" objected Pit.
He was, of course, ignored. The deity of space concentrated on the princess as she began, "You asked us what was going on in this world—well, it's the same thing that's going on in all the worlds: the Heartless."
"Heartless?" Lucina furrowed her brows.
"Those creatures you just fought," Palutena explained. "They are beings of darkness created when a person loses their heart."
"And we don't mean the organ that pumps blood," added Palkia. "We're talking about the center of our emotions and memories."
"It's both physical and metaphysical," the goddess nodded.
"That's… confusing," Pit put in his two cents, even if they were muddled.
The blue-haired princess stayed silent, mentally chewing through the new information. Her culture had supported the belief of the metaphysical heart, and knew enough of the physical, but it seemed there was more to the heart than she previously gave credit.
"The Heartless are driven by an insatiable hunger," Palutena continued. "They continually search for more hearts to consume. Since almost all hearts contain darkness, no one is safe from them."
"They're like a disease," Palkia sneered, narrowing her eyes. "Once they infect a planet, they'll grow and grow until they find the cornucopia of hearts… The heart of the world."
"Worlds have hearts?" piped Pit, leaning over the table to get closer to the conversation.
The dragon snorted in contempt. "That's what I just said, ain't it?"
"But you only—"
"What happens when the Heartless consume the heart of a world?" Lucina interrupted, wanting to stay on topic.
Palutena's expression grew grim. "The world disappears."
Lucina and Pit were taken aback. "D-disappear? What do you mean by that?" asked the angel.
The goddess sadly shook her head. "I mean, it fades from existence. The darkness released by the Heartless destroys it completely."
"I've seen it one too many times," Palkia sighed. "Stars winking out. Skies darkening. Worlds here for one moment; gone the next."
The space deity's gruffness dropped completely, showing for the first time signs of her uphill battle. Her shoulders and wings drooped; her eyes were hooded, peering at the world with weariness. Pit wondered how long the dragon had tried to keep the Heartless at bay alone. Perhaps it was a good thing after all that she had popped into their world, even if she nearly shredded the winged teenager to pieces.
"What happens to the inhabitants of those worlds?" Lucina asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Gone," was her answer. "Lost to darkness…"
The lunch room became painfully quiet.
Pit clenched his fists, a sudden passion seizing him. People were losing their homes—losing their lives—even as they stood there talking about it. With that knowledge, he couldn't just stand by. Looking at his goddess and the dragon Pokémon with fierce determination, he said, "How can we stop them?"
The same look was in Lucina's own eyes. She followed the angel's gaze with no less fortitude, just as eager for a reply. Although their courage was admirable, Palkia's face twisted into a scowl.
"There's not much we can do," said the dragon.
Pit didn't care for that answer. Slamming his fists on the table, rattling the dinnerware, he exclaimed, "There's gotta be something!"
Lucina, on the other hand, caught the Pokémon's strange tone. "If not us… is there someone who can?" she inquired, watching Palkia closely.
The deities exchanged looks, looking hesitant to reply.
Frustrated by their reluctance, Pit said, "Please, if you know something, tell us!"
"There… is a way," Palutena began. "But…"
Palkia pushed herself out from her chair, rising to her feet. Looking straight at the young warriors, she explained, "In the universe the Heartless came from, there is a special weapon known as the Keyblade."
"Keyblade?" Pit furrowed his brows, while Lucina frowned.
"Yep. Keyblade. It's a nifty, magical weapon that can lock or unlock anything—and it is the only thing that can vanquish a Heartless for good."
This time, it was Lucina and Pit's turn to exchange looks.
"But Falchion and the Kingdom Bow got rid of them," noted Pit.
"Hate to say it, but… they didn't. Not really. All they did is temporarily destroy their physical forms. Give 'em a few days of smoldering in the darkness, and they'll be back."
Despair washed over Pit. The Heartless would return? The humans would be in danger again! After he had told them they would be okay…
Different thoughts seemed to go through Lucina's mind. After staring at the end of the table a while, she asked, "How were we able to affect them at all? The weapons of those men back at the village slipped right through the creatures as if they were made of nothing."
Palutena stepped up to answer that question. "Weapons of light or magic can prove somewhat effective against them. I created Pit's bow and infused it with some of my light. If I recall, your blade was created from Naga's tooth and blessed with her power, was it not?"
"But only the Keyblade can release the captured hearts from the Heartless and defeat them for good," Palkia finished. "But that's not even the most important thing it can do. A Keyblade's useful for lockin' the Keyhole to a world's heart, keeping the Heartless from finding it in the first place."
Pit's head was spinning with all this new vocabulary he was learning today. First the Heartless… then the Keyblade… Now Keyholes? "Wait… what's a Keyhole?"
"You need to get your ears checked or something? A Keyhole is like the door to a world's heart. Keep up, chicken wings."
While Pit scowled at the dragon, Lucina divined where the conversation was going. "So if we find this Keyblade, we will be able to protect the worlds?"
"…In theory," said Palutena.
Palkia grinned approvingly. "I like this one. She's sharp. …Unlike a certain angel I could mention…"
Ignoring her jab, Pit asked, "So where can we find a Keyblade?"
Both deities clammed up; Palutena bit her lip while Palkia twitched her claws uncomfortably. "We don't know," the goddess of light finally replied.
A/N: Why does Palkia have to pick on Pit so much? Hmm, probably because she's still sore about getting beat by him xD
