I finally got another chapter up! This one is shorter than my other ones, but it is still a chapter. ;)
With a roar of fury, Ike, weaponless, leapt and tackled the man into the ground, smashing his face into the dirt, and grabbing his neck in a choke hold. The kidnapper struggled desperately, grunting and coughing on the dirt and for lack of air.
Ike's fingers were digging into his throat and I stepped away from the tree, suddenly hoping the muscled bodyguard wouldn't resort to such cruel measures as suffocating him. Ike finally relaxed his hands slightly and the man went limp.
"You've killed him," I whispered.
"Not yet," he growled.
Snake was beside me, his hand on my arm. "What happened?"
"He grabbed me and pulled me into the…" My voice broke and I buried my face in his shoulder.
Snake didn't move, unsure of how to react, yet again, and said to Ike, "Who is he?"
"Let's see. And then he dies."
"I wouldn't kill me if I were you," said the man, suddenly speaking. His voice was quiet and I could barely hear him.
Ike got off of him and jerked him to his feet. The man's black hood covered his face in shadow and Ike, holding him with two hands, jerked his head at him. "Take it off or you die."
"You don't want to kill me," the man repeated as he reached up to pull off his hood. "I am Marth."
The hood fell away and the shine of the blue hair and the perfect face revealed by the moonlight proved his words. We all gasped and Ike released him, stumbling back, face full of mixed feelings; shock, anger, fear, joy.
"Wh…" Ike was stuttering, staring at his prince. "What did you do to your hair?"
It was the only thing he could think of, apparently, and my eyes flicked to the prince's hair. It was not neat or smooth, though still shiny and blue. It had been crudely cut by a knife, I guessed, and probably by the prince himself.
"Why on earth are you sneaking around the forest at night, dressed like a bandit, kidnapping Lucina?" Snake had found his voice.
Marth turned to him and his eyebrows knit in a slight frown. "At least acknowledge that I'm not stupid and then I will explain."
"We acknowledge," snapped Ike impatiently, taking Marth's arm firmly in his and leading him back to the clearing. Snake and I followed.
Ike picked up his sword and nodded at Marth, who gave a wry smile, and began, "I hired myself to Zelda's kidnapper."
It was enough of a statement with enough information to floor us all and Marth seemed amused by our astonishment. "Before I continue, Lucina, I wish to apologize for that rough treatment. I assure you that I cringed thinking of what you would think of me if you found out. Which," he continued drily, "you weren't supposed to do, but regardless."
"Who is her kidnapper?" exclaimed Ike, obviously dismissing the apology as too civil for the time and place we were in.
"The hand. The Master Hand."
"I knew it," said Ike quietly, nodding at Marth to continue.
March smirked at him and then folded his arms. "Master Hand is rich beyond your wildest dreams and has the means to capture a princess. He has an assassin with red eyes. A female."
Ike's jaw dropped and he blinked.
"I hired myself to him and proved useful. It is unfortunate I have to sink to being a bandit in order to save my princess, but I must."
"She's not your princess, she's mine," contradicted Snake, walking up to him and narrowing his eyes. "Where is she?"
"You can't go there without getting killed or without alerting Master Hand well prior to your arrival. Even now we are in danger of being found out."
"I want you the explain to me why Master Hand captured Zelda," I broke in.
"Demanding aren't we," returned Marth calmly. "He wants your sword Ike. I am sure of it. He didn't say so directly, but by indirect references that is the most likely of possibilities."
"What a round about way to do so," Ike growled.
"I believe I was stupid," Marth admitted. "I should have known the only reason he captured Zelda first was because he wanted me to make a foolish error in coming after her. And he knew you would follow. Zelda was easiest to get first, and he knew I would follow and he knew you would follow me, and sadly we are playing into his hands."
"He doesn't know you are his masked employee, does he?" I asked.
"No. I certainly do not think so, or else he would have tied me up."
"So what do we do?" I asked. "I mean, to save Zelda without…"
"That was why I needed to capture you," Marth said. "Mostly because Master Hand ordered it. I don't know why he did, but he wants something from Zelda, and it's more than my arrival. But I thought I could use you to help me help Zelda escape. Then I could create a distraction of some sort…" Marth trailed off and shook his head, rubbing his fingers over his forehead. "My planning didn't get very far, I admit, but…"
"Marth, I'm not letting you leave again." Ike had his arms folded, but his whole body was tensed and I knew he was ready to spring and tackle his prince for the second time that night.
Snake stepped in front of Marth, his eyes narrowed into slits, his eyebrows in a glare as he stared hard at his fellow bodyguard. "Marth will do what he wants."
I knew Snake said that because he knew Marth would do what was best to help Zelda.
Ike turned a bright red, knowing he was being mutinied against. Snake was against him, Marth was against him… He turned and looked into my eyes.
I stared back, swallowed, and stayed where I was. He turned back to the two men. "Then I am coming with you."
"No!" Marth ordered, glaring. "You would put the entire kingdom in danger by bringing your sword! That is what he wants! It has power, you know?"
"I know," returned Ike stubbornly. "Check mate, prince."
Marth threw up his hands. "You can't do that to me!"
"Maybe not, but it's not like you are supposed to be restraining your bodyguard from following you and going off on your own on some… adventure."
Marth folded his arms. "I don't know what to say to you. You won't let me leave without you and you won't…"
"We'll go on together," said Ike. "Besides, perhaps my sword will destroy the hand."
"Or destroy us," retorted Marth. "We'll go together and if we perish, we perish."
"So profound," snapped Ike.
"Are you still sore at me for having you constrained?"
"Of course I am!" Ike retorted, rising up to his full height, his face flaming with anger.
Marth shook his head. "As your king, stop dwelling on the past." He suddenly gave a very amiable smile, making him appear to suddenly be the nicest person in the world. "I admit it is good to be among friends again."
Ike didn't smile back, but I saw a small grin appear and disappear on Snake's face.
"Two hours of rest and then we go on," said Marth, slipping into his 'king' mode.
I smiled, curtsied, and curled up in a ball on the ground. But it was a long time before I finally fell asleep and a short time before Snake touched my shoulder and woke me.
"So soon?" I murmured sleepily. I sat up and saw Ike looking at me through narrowed eyes.
Scrambling to my feet I stood, straight and tall, staring back until he looked away.
Marth was standing, his cape blowing out in the slight breeze. His eyes were fierce but when he spotted me he gave a small smile, walked over, and bowed. "How was your sleep, Lucina?"
"It was… You're so nice." I blushed and glanced at the ground, but his chuckle made me raise my head.
"Am I?"
"Marth, shouldn't we best be moving on?" asked Ike, staring hard at us.
"Yes."
As we walked along Marth answered all questions tossed at him. And there were a lot.
"Is it any more dangerous now that you're here?"
"Yes, Ike. And it's your fault."
Ike glared. "No… Well, it's your fault too!"
Marth smirked. "If anyone sees me as the prince and tell's the Hand, then I will probably die, but otherwise I'm sure we can handle him." He knit his eyebrows. "Zelda is being held on the second floor. Lucina, you might need to be a decoy of some sort. I will bring you in with me as a prisoner, also informing Master Hand about Ike being close, but not as close as he will really be. Snake, you will be a valuable asset, because…" Marth paused and Snake drily finished his sentence.
"Because I don't have a special sword and if I die you lose nothing. I am not fighting anyone until I am sure Zelda will be perfectly safe. And if at all possible, I am going to rescue her first, before attacking any large, floating hand."
"Of course her safety is top priority," answered Marth, brow furrowed. "But if we rescue her and the Hand gets the sword… No one will be safe."
"She's more important to me than any sword!" snapped Snake. "If that sword is more important to you, fine, but my main objective is not that golden weapon."
"The real question is, why on earth would this Hand want Zelda?" I stated. "What a backwards plan."
"Unless she's more important than we know," said Marth soberly. "She has a gem on her crown. In fact, from what I gather, that gem is half the reason the Red King's food was poisoned. Master Hand wanted that gem. Combined with the sword… I don't know what would happen."
"The Red King!" I exclaimed. "You mean to say that Master Hand killed King Mario, Zelda's father?"
"Sadly, yes," answered Marth. He shuddered. "I hate to think… You see it is extremely important that the sword be handed willingly over. Same with the gem, I assume. If Ike doesn't give the sword to the Hand, it has no power…"
"Then why are we so frightened?" I exclaimed, frowning. "Ike would never do such a thing." I glanced at him and he glanced back, his eyes briefly twinkling.
"Well, that was where the Hand so brilliantly used threats to get Zelda and I engaged and from there it was easy to threaten Ike and I and… Really, if I am found out as Marth…"
"Lights off for everyone," growled Snake.
"If they haven't pulled off your hood yet, I think we're safe," muttered Ike. An instant later he had tackled Marth to the ground and the two rolled over and over in the ground as Snake did the same to me. I hit the ground with a dull thud, Snake's hand briefly saving my head from a nasty bruise or cut.
He rolled off of me and leapt to his feet, kicking out with his foot to give a man with red eyes a hard kick in the head.
I leapt up, yanking my dagger from my belt, and leapt forward, unaware of how foolish my actions were, as I attempted to stab the assassin in the back. With a quick smack of a hand I was sent reeling back. He and Snake continued their battle and I got to my feet and turned to see a giant white hand shoot down from the sky, the fingers outstretched as it hurtled towards me.
I screamed and brought up my dagger, knowing I would wound him while he crushed me.
My breath shot from my mouth with a grunt as I was grabbed around the waist and pushed away.
I found myself again on the ground, staring up into the blue eyes of Link as the Hand slammed down on the ground, his pinky finger inches from my boots. Link had saved my life.
I'm sorry, but don't expect another chapter for some time. Any thoughts, constructive criticism, and even ideas of what might happen would be welcome. R&R. Thanks!
