Moonlight Addict 9

Ninth Movement: Artifice

Somebody say hi to me.

Strutting down the halls of the castle, the purple haired man focused his eyes straight ahead, averting them from those who walked by him. Wearing a smug grin on his face, Mythieus could feel his black wrappings flowing and trailing behind him as he briskly strolled.

Go on, say it I want you to say it. I've been here a year after all, haven't I?

Walking past the numerous brawlers of the mansion, the man smirked as he saw the same look in each person's eyes. Recognition, acknowledgement, the look that says 'I know you'.

Recognize me. Haven't I been here a year? You know me, we're all friends, aren't we?

"Hey Mythieus!" Ike exclaimed, jogging to catch up with the brawl contestant. "How's it going?"

Ah, Ike! The first brawler I ever met here. The purple haired man was so amused he could barely contain himself. Suppressing a laugh, Mythieus turned to address his acquantiance.

"Oh you know me Ike, Just dandy!" The violette chuckled, still briskly walking.

"Excited about your brawl today?"

"You know it friend, I can hardly wait!"

"I wouldn't be so cocky. Have you ever actually fought Samus before?" The bluenette asked, scratching the back of his head.

"No, what's she like? I hear she's a real freak." The purple haired brawler giggled, his voice thick with innuendo. Licking his lips in anticipation, the man's grin seemed to grow and stretch until it was at the corners of his face.

"I guess that's a way of…putting it." Ike muttered, his face flushing slightly as he answered.

"Don't be shy Ike, everyone knows you've 'fought' with her more than once."

"I um…oh, yeah…" The mercenary began, his face bright red. "Wanna go get some breakfast?"

"That sounds like an excellent way to start the day."

--- --- ---

Climbing up the smooth black slab of marble, Pit looked up at the sunny sky looming over what seemed to be a never-ending ascent. Squinting his luminous blue eyes, the angel tried to spot the top of the summit hopelessly.

"I'll never reach the top by sundown!" The cherub cried, digging his sandals into the hands jutting from the marble beneath him, their palms easily supporting his weight.

Stretching his arm out above him the boy watched as a human arm grew out of the rock, clasping firmly onto his hand. Hoisting himself up with the assistance of the mysterious appendage, the child felt two more hands spring out of the rock beneath him, immediately supporting his soles in their palms.

Repeating the process for what the angel judged to be hours, Pit couldn't feel himself making any progress. No matter how far he climbed, the top of the pillar always extended up miles and miles into the flawless blue sky.

Looking down, the cherub watched the sections of marble beneath him shrinking downwards towards a jet-black night sky. The lower part of the pillar was lost in an inky darkness, lit sparsely by stars and a tiny sliver of moonlight.

"There it is! Down there! If I don't reach the top…" The brunette gritted his teeth and climbed faster, hooking and grappling from the phantom limbs growing out of the slab.

Racing to reach the top, the small angel furiously worked his way skywards, afraid to look down at the inky blackness that threatened to swallow the marble whole.

"I can't let it swallow me…can't…" Pit panted, feeling his strength beginning to leave him. The hands were slowly but surely starting to grow farther apart, making him struggle and stretch just to reach them. There were no longer any appendages beneath him, supporting his weight, and his arms were starting to strain just to hold him up.

Suddenly what looked to be Ike's face materialized out of the wall, same as the hands that had been helping him.

"Need a hand Pit?" The mercenary asked, smiling sweetly.

"Thank Palutena Ike! I was scared I'd fall!" The cherub exclaimed, nodding his head furiously.

"Need a hand Pit?" The face asked again, the same smile plastered on its face.

"I-Ike?" Pit stammered, feeling a hand clamp down around one of his ankles. Flailing his free limbs helplessly, he felt the hand squeeze around his ankle with an iron grip.

"There you go my love!" The bluenette's face laughed, another appendage squeezing tightly around the angel's other ankle. "All the hands you need."

"Ike!! Ike let me go, please! The night sky, it's-" The brunette was cut off as he felt a hand come out of the marble, pressing firmly against his mouth.

"Don't worry Pit, you'll have all the hands you need." Ike assured, his face now melted back into the pillar.

Slowly the boy felt hands coming out of the pillar from all directions, pinning his squirming limbs down to the cold rock. Trying to scream out, the teen was helpless as dozens and dozens of them rendered him immobile.

Squealing and screaming, the cherub's muffled yell were barely even audible to him. Slowly he watched as three hands emerged out of the black slab in front of his face. His eyes going wide in terror, the boy watched as two of the hands clapped down on his ears, deafening him. Moving towards the brown haired angel's face, the final hand gently slid itself over his eyes, blinding him as well.

Stuck in an inky, silent blackness, the boy cried silently, waiting to be swallowed by the moon and stars below.

--- --- ---

"Pit! Pit! Buddy!" Pit heard Ike exclaim, shaking the boy's lithe frame vigorously.

"Huh!?" The cherub yelped, bolting upright as he was jolted from his dream.

"You okay guy? You were…tossing a little, whimpering and stuff too." Shaking and trying to catch his breath, the angel hugged his chest, drawing his wings in close to his body.

"Oh, yeah…I was just having a nightmare."

"What was it about?" Ike asked, sliding into bed next to the boy and ruffling his hair.

"I uh…I dunno what it was about…can't remember." The angel lied, resting his head on the man's shoulder. The brunette could distinctly remember all of it. The pillar, the hands, the sky. He could ever make out every feature on the face coming out of the pillar. It had been Ike's face, and Ike's voice, no doubt about it. The boy did not, however, want the man to know.

"That's a shame, I can never remember my dreams either." The bluenette chuckled, rubbing his friends shoulder. "You're okay now though, right?"

"Oh yes Ike! I'm fine!" The cherub bubbled, butterflies in his stomach from the simple contact.

"Good, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me and some friends of mine today."

"I'd love to! Who's coming?" The brunette asked curiously, bouncing off of the bed. Running over to the dresser, the angel grabbed some 'casual clothes', as Ike had called them. Dropping his pajama pants and pulling off his shirt his shirt, the boy stood in only his boxers, trying to remember which way you were supposed to put jeans on.

Studying the angel's frail frame, Ike couldn't help but let his eyes wander over the boy, taking in all of his body. From the cherub's skinny legs, his flat stomach, and his tiny little arms, the mercenary couldn't get enough of him. All of its smooth too…does he shave? No, no way he shaves, I guess angels just…don't…would he have hair down there? I wonder…

"Ike, you put these on with the zipper in front right" THe angel asked, still facing away from his friend. Snapping out of his daydreams, the bluenette looked away and answered.

"Yeah, the zipper goes in the front."

"Good, thank you." Bending over, Pit slowly slid one leg into the pants, then another in as well, giving Ike a perfect view of his backside. Staring the teen's rear dead on, the mercenary could already feel a tightness in his groin. Oh man…Pit….

"I like these causal clothes, they're easy to move in. They're heavier than angel's robes though." The boy thought aloud, zipping up the fly of the jeans and buttoning them. Grabbing for the sweater he'd laid out, the angel pulled the baggy top over his arms, slipping his wings through the carefully cut holes in the back. Wiggling into the sleeves of the navy and red striped shirt, the boy turned to face Ike. "How's it look?"

"It looks very cute Pit." The mercenary assured, smiling.

"So which friends are we having a meet with?"

"We're not 'having a meet' Pit. We're hanging out. Just call it hanging out."

"Are there any formalities I should know?"

"No, no formalities." The bluenette chuckled.

"So who's going again?"

"Oh, just Link, Snake, Marth, and Roy."

--- --- ---

Be cool Roy, be cool. Don't cry, don't yell, just be calm… The redhead though, buttoning up a crisp white dress shirt, his boyfriend slipping on a pair of canvas shoes behind him. This is good, you're happy…just don't lose it. I don't know how I'm back, I don't care how I'm back, I'm back. Let's just go back…just go back to how things were.

Creeping up behind his boyfriend, the bluenette wound up his hand and firmly smacked Roy on the rear though his pants. Squealing at the sudden motion, the teen felt his composure break as his concentration drifted, a single tear of joy slipping out of his eye and running down his cheek.

"M-Marth!?" The redhead cried, a sob caught in his throat. Quickly swiping a tear out of his eyes and reigning his emotions in, the boy turned to face the prince, forcing a smile. "You…rascal you!"

"Sorry Roy, it's just that ass of yours, I can't help it." Marth grinned, pulling his lover into a long, passionate kiss. Rubbing and teasing the bluenette's tongue with his own, the read headed teen felt like he could start crying all over again.

Wrapping his arms around the prince, the redhead buried his face in the man's chest, nuzzling him. Wrapping his own arm's around his boyfriend, the blue haired royalty looked down perplexed at his boyfriend.

"Is something wrong baby? You've been acting weird all morning…"

"No, nothings wrong." Roy assured, sighing contently. "Everything's better than it's ever been."

"Well okay mister sunshine, but we need to go meet the rest of the guys in the lobby."

--- --- ---

Standing against a pillar in the lobby of the Smash castle, Link tapped his foot against the stone tiles of the foyer. Checking his watch again, the blonde let out a long, exasperated breath of defeat, having expected no less of his friends.

That'll be the day, the day everyone is on time. Ike's got an excuse, he's dealing with the new kid. And that pansy Marth'll probably make Roy late so…here I am, as usual…waiting.

"Hey Link, sorry we're late, I was-" Ike started, jogging down the stairs, Pit following closely behind.

"Don't listen to him Link, I slept in, it's my fault." The brunette giggled, bouncing down the stairwell and onto the ground.

"Yeah, don't worry about it Pit, the woods aren't going anywhere. And we'll be waiting on Roy's girlfriend for a while anyways."

"Link!" Roy called, making the Hylian whip around, surprised.

"Hey, Roy! Did the princess keep you waiting?" The blonde joked, as Marth made his way down the stairs behind his lover.

"It's nice to see you too Link." Marth muttered.

"No it was me I got…well, I was just a little slow I guess." The redhead apologized, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You guy's mind if I maybe join in?" Mythieus meekly spoke up, peeking out from behind a pillar. Smiling he strode over to the group of his 'long time friends', his black wrapping billowed behind him majestically. "Unless of course it's invite only."

"Not at all man, not at all. You should hang out with us more often." Ike smiled, wrapping his arm around the man's shoulder. Smiling and internally cackling, the violette wrapped his own arm around the mercenaries shoulder. So friendly…and we've only just met…

"Well as long as I'm not a bother, I suppose I'll tag along."

Staring wide eyed at the purple haired male, Roy forced a lump down his throat. Feeling a cold sweat ravaging his whole body, the redhead blinked his eyes shut, his features going immediately placid.

"Didn't expect to see you today." Roy interjected flatly.

"Why? Oh- the match! Yeah, that was postponed, tomorrow at four they're saying."

"You must be excited…" The fighter continued, prying. Though he couldn't finger the reason, Roy wanted desperately to trip the violette up, get him to spill the beans. You did this…you did something. You're up to something, I can just feel it!

"Why would I be? Nothing new right?"

"True that! I've seen your moves in the ring man, spooky shit." Link commented, joining into the conversation.

"Oh it's nothing, now shall we get going?" The black clad man offered.

"We can't go Mythieus, we're waiting for Snake." Pit chimed in weakly, hugging onto Ike's waist. Slightly jealous of the bluenette's physical gesture towards another, the small angel craved direct contact of his own.

"Oh him, I think he thought we were meeting outside. He's been just sitting on the lawn for a while now."

"That lunk head." Marth chuckled, starting down the lobby towards the massive front doors. "Lets go get him."

"Ah, what would I ever do without you guys?" Mythieus thought aloud, striding down the foyer behind Marth. Turning and looking over his shoulder, the violette gave Roy a subtle nod before swinging his head back, laughing to himself.

And may we have many more adventures…

Movement 9- Done