11. History: Tower
Why?
Why did Terow let himself submit to this, to get married to this girl he never loved?
He didn't know how long Theda was gone, and she'd came back just as he kissed that girl. And the bride and everyone else laughed at her. He tried to say something as soon as she saw him, an I'm sorry or forgive me or something like that, but she had already run off by then.
He had to find her. He didn't care what it was going to take.
He packed two spare outfits for himself, a rain jacket, a jar full of paper dollars and metal coins (it served as his piggy bank, in a sense), eight bottles of water, a map, and a visor (to shield himself from the sun's rays with). He put on his usual sweater, with loose jeans and his favourite sneakers, and mussed up his formerly slicked back, slate-coloured hair back to its normal state. He took off the wedding ring and threw it onto the floor before leaving.
No need to worry about his bride. He'd slipped a sleeping drug into her glass of wine when she wasn't looking, and was now snoring on the floor.
He was running out of supplies after about eleven months since he left the village he used to live in all his life. The money helped buy him more food to eat (at every town he entered, he would stay there for a while and get a job to earn more money for the journey), but he was running out of that, too. He needed money. Food. Maybe temporary shelter.
That was when he entered another town, and saw the poster taped to a phone booth.
TOURNAMENT OF CAGEMASTER ILLUSTRIA!
Featuring the Smashers of the previous Super Smash bros. Tournaments, it's a battle to the end!
New fighters, the Arcane! Magician, Hierophant, Devil, Sun, Strength, and Death!
Death? There were pictures of these 'Arcane.' He didn't recognize any of the pictures except for-
"Theda." He spoke quietly, touching the picture of her with one hand. The dark hair and her face were definitely familiar to him. "You've joined a tournament?"
"Didn't you know? It's a brand new tournament featuring the Smashers!" He turned to see a boy, about his age, walk over to him. He wore loose jeans with a dark green t-shirt. His dirty-blond hair was put up in a mullet, and a few bangs hung in front of his face. "They've got new fighters and everything, and they're literally fighting to the death! It started eleven months ago, man!"
"Really..." Terow trailed off. "I didn't think Theda, er, I mean, Death would join something...like this..."
"You know her?" The other asked. "That's so cool! I'm a fan of her! She's a really good fighter out there in the tournament!" He extended a hand towards Terow. "My name's Myde. Yours?"
"Terow." Terow responded, shaking hands with Myde. "I've been looking for her. Death, I mean. For the past eleven months. Thing is, I'm running out of supplies and stuff and..." He took a deep breath. "Can you help me?"
"Sure!" Myde responded, grinning. "Totally! Don't worry, you don't have to worry about nagging parents, it's just me in my apartment. You can move in with me for a while. That okay?"
"Sure!"
It was really weird how he met Myde, but Terow figured it was well worth it. He had a place to stay for a while, he knew where Theda/Death was (apparently the building where the tournament was held wasn't far from Myde's apartment), and he had food to eat and stuff. He didn't have a job yet (which Myde reassured him not to worry, he could probably find Terow a job as a cashier at a snack shop or something) to earn money, but besides that, things were okay.
"I need to see her. I need to talk to her." Terow spoke with Myde as the two watched a tournament match on the small TV while sitting on a small couch across from it. "I don't know why she's joined this tournament and stuff."
"Does she usually not fight and nearly kill people?" Myde asked.
Terow shook his head. "No. The Theda I knew wouldn't do that." He responded quietly.
Myde was silent for a moment, but then he snapped his fingers suddenly. "I got it!" He exclaimed, standing. "Maybe we can sneak in there as audience members in the stadium, then sneak around in the building and hopefully go unnoticed and find her!"
Terow stared at Myde with wide eyes. "Are you insane!? They probably have security in there!" He responded. "How are we supposed to waltz into the building in the first place!?"
Myde held up two tickets. "I got these from one of the Arcane passing them out yesterday on the streets, the Devil, I think. They're free passes to a tournament match. Want to go?"
"Are you sure we're going to be okay?"
Myde nodded. "Yeah." He responded. "Do you think we should split up? We both have walkie talkies, so we can talk with each other if we need to. Ready?"
Terow nodded. "Yes."
The two had already gotten into the building by now, and they had broken away from the other audience members during one of the matches to 'go to the washroom,' as Myde had lied to the security guards (Alloys) about. They both looked at a door nearby. "Where do you think that leads to?" Myde asked.
Terow shrugged. "I don't know...Darn it! There's Alloys guarding it! What are we supposed to do!?" He whispered.
Myde grinned, taking out a bottle of something. "Leave it to me. As soon as those things are gone, get through that door, got it?"
Terow nodded. "Got it. Good luck."
"Good luck."
Myde shook the bottle, ran in front of the guards and threw it at them.
Carbonated water sprayed all over the two Alloy guards, who, surprised at first, started running after Myde down the hall. Terow immediately took the opportunity to slip through the door, hoping that he would be unnoticed enough.
As soon as Terow closed the door behind him, he realized that he may have walked into the wrong place. The greenery around this place was obvious.
Was he outside the building? Wait, no...There was a metal fence around the perimeter of this place. It must be a courtyard or something. It wasn't somethign he expected; since this was a tournament of fighters, but he supposed they would need to stop and smell the roses once in a while.
He climbed into a tree as soon as he heard people coming. Two figures, a pink puffball and a brown-haired woman wearing a dress walked by, until they were out of sight. Phew. Too close. He supposed they must be fighters. That brown-haired woman was familiar though, from the poster he saw with the Arcane's faces on it.
I think that person was the Sun...hm. I guess I can't just be careful about security guards, it's the Arcane, too.
He climbed down from the tree-
Just to see a man with long, blond hair run into him.
"Oh-"
"Ah-" Both didn't know what to say. Terow put his hands up, panicked, and shouted, "I DON'T MEAN ANY HARM! DON'T KILL ME!"
"Pardon? Kill you? Goodness gracious, no!" The older man replied, his light blue eyes looking at Terow gently. "I wouldn't do that, especially to a complete stranger, it's obviously not very nice." His head tilted to the side as he pushed a strand of hair behind his ear. "Did you get lost, perhaps?"
"Uh-well-I need to see someone." He blurted out. "Death."
"Hmm..." The older man paused for a moment. "I believe she is preparing for her match, but considering you took all this time and effort to look for her, I suppose I can let you wait in my room until after the match."
"Really!?" Terow couldn't believe it. He'd been trespassing, and this guy was going to help him see Theda? "Wow, uh, thanks...Um, my name's Terow. You're one of the Arcane, right? I remember seeing your face on a poster..."
The other nodded. "I am one of the Arcane, the Magician. It's pleasant meeting you, Terow." He spoke, bowing slightly.
"Please come in." The Magician spoke, smiling as Terow entered the room. "The TV is over there, just use the remote to turn it on. Also, I can get you a cup of tea, if you wish...I've never had anyone from outside the tournament or besides the Arcane...visit me before, really."
Terow sat on a chair across from the TV before turning to the Magician. "No, I need any tea, and...why don't the other fighters visit you? I assumed they would have to communicate with you. I mean, it's a tournament..." He trailed off.
"Oh, well, I mean, the Hierophant and the other Arcane do talk to me as well as Cagemaster, but barely any of the Smashers wish to communicate with me, especially Link. Link doesn't like us Arcane very much." The Magician sighed quietly. "I can undestand why, though..."
"...Why?" Terow asked, confused.
"..." The Magician hesitated for a moment before answering. "We Arcane have killed a few of the Smashers before...Of course they would hate us. But yet, the Smasher by the name of Samus Aran approaches me...She's very kind. It would have been nice if I could find her for you so you can meet her, but I believe she has a match this morning so I cannot."
Terow looked carefully at the Magician. The older man's facial expression looked quite solemn as he spoke, quite...unhappy. For some reason, Ted couldn't help but feel bad. If the Magician was so kind and such outside battle and yet had killed a Smasher (hopefully not voluntarily, Terow hoped), of course the Smashers would despise him anyway...If the Magician really had killed a Smasher before, he probably was regretting it an awful lot, even though he was forced to do such a task.
"I need to go watch the first match personally. It's the Hierophant versus Link first, then Death versus Peach. You can watch on the TV, and stay in here. Just don't touch anything personal." The Magician spoke as he left the room. Terow nodded in response. The door closed with a soft click, and Terow turned to the TV and clicked the power button the remote.
On the screen, he saw two fighters enter the arena. One was a young man with blond hair tucked underneath a dark green stocking cap, Link. The other was an older man with almost-shoulder-length brown hair and wearing black and red robes, the Hierophant.
As the match began, the two fighters lunged at each other. Punches and kicks were exchanged, but then suddenly Link rushed forward and stabbed the Hierophant in the torso with his sword. The Hierophant looked sick as soon as Link pulled out the blade, and after a moment he stumbled forwards and vomited all over the swordsman.
Terow just stared at the screen in shock. That was something he never expected to happen, but then he heard the Hierophant speak.
"Sorry...about ruining the floor like that. And your clothes. Didn't mean to do that." he smirked a little bit. "That look on your face is hilarious. Entertaining. Something I love to see from anyone. But I thought you would be satisfied with what you did to me."
"What?" Link hoarsely whispered, wanting to ask more, but the words were stuck in his throat as the Hierophant continued.
"Don't you want to see the blood pouring from my wounds? Don't you wish to feel the scarlet life-giving liquid all over your hands? Of course you do. Because..." The Hierophant touched Link's face with a bloodstained hand, covered with his blood. The Hierophant's own blood. "You're just as merciless as everyone else here, Link, and you keep forgetting that. Everyone is merciless. Everyone..." he slid his hand off Link's face, before punching the Hero in the face.
Link fell on his rear, not expecting the blow, and he got up quickly, brandishing his sword and ready to strike again when-
The Hierophant kicked Link in the stomach(which caused Link to drop his Master Sword) , punching him again in the face and picking him up by the tunic collar. The Hierophant smirked.
"It was a pleasure to fight you, boy. I win."
With that being said, Link was thrown against the metal fence surrounding the two and slumped to the ground, unconscious as the crowd cheered. Moments later, the Hierophant fell backwards, only to be caught in the Magician's arms, before he and Link were carried out of the arena.
Terow didn't know how to react. He turned off the TV temporarily and thought to himself a bit. ..I guess the Arcane don't like Link, either. Or at least, the Hierophant doesn't. I wonder if any matches are just as disturbing to look at as this...
Terow turned on the TV again, to see a blond-haired woman, Peach, enter the arena along with...
"Theda." He spoke her name allowed. The outfit Theda/Death wore was completely black, she had knives in her hands, and her facial expression was cold, blank. Usually he would have seen her face be full of life, of happiness at spending time with him. This was Theda, but Theda would never...she would-
Before Peach realized it, her left arm had been slashed by the blades and the wounds were dripping with blood. Peach tried to take out her frying pan, but Death grabbed it and threw it out of the way, attempting to stab her face. Peach ducked, tripping in the process and falling to the ground.
Before she could get on her knees, she was lifted up wildly into the air by some unseen force. Death just stared at Peach silently, not saying anything for a moment.
"Do you know what love is?" Peach didn't know what to say in response, but Death continued, walking around her in circles. "Have you ever experienced it? No, I don't mean the love between relatives or from your friends, I mean that romantic, close connection between husband or wife...or at least something close to that. I know I have loved someone...long ago, long before I joined this tournament. Did you?" She then stopped walking, giving a cold stare towards the princess' eyes. "Or were you like one of the fools that would play around with the emotion they call love, causing affairs and ruining the devoted love they had with another?" Death slashed her knives together several times to sharpen them, as she spoke, and at the same time, Peach was slammed against the fence, paralyzed. "I hate to admit it, but that pretty little face of yours reminds me exactly of the time that...that monster took away the man I loved. I never got to kill her, so now I'm going to kill you...and it's not going to be painless."
With that, Death stabbed into Peach's right arm and slowly cut downwards through the flesh, the princess trying her best not to let out a scream of horror. Blood flowed from the wounded flesh, dribbling onto the ground.
Terow just wanted to throw up right there, but he did his best to hold it in as the gory scene continued.
Theda would never-she couldn't-no, it can't-she can't be-she can't be hurting others! She never would!
But she was.
"This is just wonderful...amazing..." Death's face took on a look of awe, a small smile gracing her face as if she had found the most beautiful butterfly hovering in a garden. She looked up at Peach the way a daughter would look up to her father, and all Peach could do was cringe as pain and blood washed over her body. Death slowly slid one of the blades across the princess' cheek, drawing more blood. "Your blood is so warm..."
"You...how would you know anything about love?" Peach suddenly snapped. "You're only a child! You don't know that much as you think you do!" she then coughed, blood dripping out of her mouth.
Death's face twisted into a snarl. "That's IT!" she screamed, stamping her foot. "No more playing games...I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU! How dare you say that, you monster!"
The Arcane fighter stabbed into Peach's stomach again, cutting into the flesh as if she was putting brushstrokes against a canvas. Peach let out a hoarse shriek, struggling against her invisible bonds, but the efforts were truly in vain.
Death smiled at the cut-open internal organs of the princess seeping blood, and pointed a bloody dagger at Peach's chest.
"I've had enough with you, princess. Fare thee well."
And with that, four slashes across the Toadstool Princess' chest splattered blood all over the floor, all over Death's clothing and hands and face, and all over the bloody princess.
Death wasn't finished yet. She slowly put a hand to the wound on the dead princess' face and then put her hand on her cheek, spreading the blood all over her face. Her sadistic smile widened, her eyes blood-shot.
"I never realized until now that there was a warmth like this...it's almost like...almost like...as if I've fallen in love again."
Terow turned off the TV and threw the remote, the object hitting the wall and landing on the floor as he took a few deep breaths to try to calm himself down.
Gosh. No. Couldn't be, but it was to be...
The girl he loved had turned into a sadistic killer with no mercy at all.
Before he could go into a frenzy of thoughts, that was when the Magician burst into the room.
"I can't believe she...She...Did that..." Magician murmured to himself, his eyes looking completely full of worry and shock. He didn't pay any attention to Terow as he paced about the room for a moment, before turning to Terow quite suddenly. "Young Master, what are you doing in the servants' quarters? Were you looking for me?" He asked.
"Wha-uh, Magician, what are you-" Terow started, surprised at this sudden change of behaviour when the Magician shook his head a bit and bowed his head a little.
"My apologies. Old memories." The Magician spoke quietly, solemnly as before. "...Death is not available, unfortunately. She is currently with the Cagemaster, and-"
"I need to see her! Please!" Terow begged the Magician, standing up. "I have to! I don't know what's gotten into her and I need to know!"
"I can't let you."
"I LOVE HER!"
As soon as Terow shouted those words, the Magician gave an icy glare towards him, silencing him.
"So you're the one she loved? How could you...how could you let yourself be sold to marry a whore when Death did everything she could to gather up her courage and confess her love to you! How could you!" The Magician snapped back.
"I never let myself get sold to that whore! I snuck out on the wedding night and I swear I never slept with her!" Terow shouted back, his hands balling into fists. "You've got it all wrong!"
The two were silent for a moment. And then the Magician spoke six words, ever so softly and gently, but so venomous at the same time.
"Leave this place. Never. Come. Back."
Terow gladly left. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to see Theda anymore...
"I didn't come back. At least not until approximately two hours ago." Tower started to wrap up his rant. "For the past while since then, I kept wondering why...why Theda would do this, and...It was all my fault. I should have persisted and tried to communicate with her beforehand, I could have-"
Illustria shook her head. "No, child. You needed time to think through this. Seeing someone so kind turn into someone entirely different than when you last saw them can be quite jarring, and I was the main cause of her madness, as well as the other Arcane. You only wanted to see her again as what you knew her as. I can assure you Death is probably much...more rational-minded, but I think it will be a while before you two make amends. It'll have to be quite slowly, I imagine. Then again, you two appeared to be making such amends already, so...just be patient. Death is a sweet child on the inside, I'm sure she will understand as much as you soon."
Tower paused for a moment. "That's good. Thank you. But, I have a question. Why did the Magician call me 'Young Master?' That's something used for a noble's child if a servant is addressing him or her..."
"...I think you will need to speak with the Magician to find out the complete information. I only know so much, and I don't think it would be nice if I told you without his permission."
"Right." Tower stood, before looking at Illustria. "You know, even if you did warp Theda a lot, you probably took better care of her than I ever could."
Illustria hesitated before responding. "No. I don't think so. You probably could do much better than I can."
Author note: Three-thousand-seven-hundred words exactly. That's how long Terow/Tower's history is, including the last bit. I think this is my longest chapter so far...
So, I finally got it updated! Yay! :) Hope you guys liked it, and please review! Thanks!
