Slap… slap… slap… went Marcus's sandals on the clay stairs. Swish… swish… swish… went his cloak. Marcus was silent and, as per usual, was ignoring his two most faithful companions and servants, Heatran and Bronzong. He looked back on his past as he climbed the many, seemingly never ending, stairs.
"Damos, it is true that you and I were as close as could possibly be," he thought, "but to side yourself with the Magical Creature who destroyed our town and want to give back that Jewel? You must be out of your mind."
Years and years ago, Marcus was chosen to be a companion for Damos. He resented the title the eldest son had. As the chief's eldest son, Damos would acquire all the power he would never have.
Marcus was Damos's best friend and chosen by their fathers to be his lifelong companion. They were inseparable. They were so close that Marcus decided to introduce his little sister, Sabina, to him when they had been friends for a year or so. Damos loved Sabina instantly and she him. Marcus could see that they would all be friends till the end of time.
And then came the day of Sabina and Damos's first kiss, when she was fourteen and he twenty-one. He had intruded on a stolen private moment between the two.
"Sabina, do you love me?" Damos had asked, holding Sabina to him.
"Oh, Damos, I love you to the edges of all dimensions," she had whispered in reply. "Do you love me?"
"We are joined at the hip. Of course I love you, my dearest."
As Marcus watched, Sabina lifted herself to her toes and Damos bent his head down a little further. He could not tear himself away yet the sight made him sick. His little sister was kissing his best friend!
'I cannot believe this!' Marcus thought, gagging slightly.
And then, two years later, Damos proposed. Marcus couldn't bear to show up to the engagement party, even though he was invited. He couldn't share in their happiness for fear he may destroy them with his anger and hurt and hate. Despite it all he tried to be a good friend, however, he withdrew quite a fair bit away from his dearest friend and little sister. Damos and Sabina noticed how things had become strained with their cornerstone, but they were like drunkards, oblivious to the world around them. They lived only for each other.
A full year after their engagement, to the day, Damos and Sabina married. There was great rejoicing in the little town for months, especially seeing as Sabina was found to be with child two months afterwards.
But Ada's birth made it all the more difficult for Marcus. He still couldn't bear to be around his friend and sister and especially his little niece. He withdrew into the forest surrounding Michina and lived the life of a hermit. During that time he met Bronzor, who had lost his whole family, his parents and sisters and brothers.
Marcus trained Bronzor and the two became good friends. On the day Ada saw the change of one full winter, he went back to the town to find everyone in great mourning and frenzy. "What's going on?" he asked a woman he hoped wouldn't recognise him.
"The chief is dying," the woman replied, stony faced. "He has asked for everyone to find Marcus, Damos's best friend." She scrutinised his face for a moment. "Why, you're the man! Hurry!"
"Why would he want to see me?"
"Look, Marcus, the chief needs you right now. Where were you all this time?"
"On a journey of self-discovery."
"Come on, follow me."
The young man followed the old woman through the town, through slippery twists and icy turns and over the frozen river. There were snowdrifts that Marcus always fell in, but the old woman seemed to just float over them. Whenever they passed under a tree whose boughs were piled with snow up to a metre high, he bore the brunt of the cold.
When they reached the Chief's house, Marcus was suddenly extremely worried about whether or not Damos was in there too. He didn't want to see his childhood friend and sister again.
The woman seemed to sense what he was thinking. "Don't worry, he's not there. He has taken Sabina and Ada up the mountain so they can pray to the Great Four Magical Creatures to grant the Chief an eternity of happiness and Damos good leadership skills."
"Who are they?" he asked.
"Arceus, the Creator; Palkia, Lord of Space; Dialga, Ruler of Time; and Giratina, Governor of the Reverse World. They maintain balance within all worlds. I can't believe you haven't heard of them."
"I've been a recluse ever since I saw Sabina and Damos share their first kiss. Of course I haven't heard of them!"
"Well then, knock on his door already!" The woman was losing her patience with this young man.
Rat-a-tat-tat.
"Come in, Marcus," wheezed a voice from inside.
Marcus opened the door and entered into the dark cottage. "Do you want me to close the door, Sir?"
"Yes please." Marcus closed the door behind him, plunging them in almost total darkness, save for some weak beams of light filtering through the thatched roof. With them, Marcus managed to find a chair to sit down in next to the Chief's bed.
"You wanted to see me, Sir?"
"Indeed, Marcus. It's about your relationship with our family."
"Sir, why must you bring this up when you are on the brink of death?"
"Because I don't want my granddaughter never knowing her uncle. I want you to promise me that you will cross this rift that you have created and come back. I've missed hearing about and correcting the mischief the three of you caused long ago. You all had so much fun! Please tell me exactly what happened between the three of you, my son."
Marcus jerked his head up to look into the Chief's faded, colourless eyes. "Even after all I've done, you consider me your son?" he choked, barely able to get the words out.
"I do, indeed. Tell me what happened all those years ago."
So Marcus told the dying Chief the story of his young life. Of being chosen to be Damos's best friend. Of the resentment he felt towards Damos's inheritance. Of the burning hate and rage he felt when he watched Damos and Sabina's first kiss. Of Sabina showing him her golden engagement ring. Of the guilt he felt when he didn't attend the engagement party or the wedding. Of the terrible feeling that came from not meeting his little niece. Of the hate that he felt toward Damos, Sabina and Ada.
The Chief listened to it all, determined not to miss a word. By the end of it, both Marcus and the Chief were crying silent tears, not daring to tell the other. "Marcus," the Chief whispered weakly. "My son, my time has nearly come. I will give you one chance while I am alive to do what you must to build a bridge over the roaring river that runs between you and Damos. If you don't, I may have to haunt you until you do. I will be gone from this world by the end of the week. That should give you enough time to figure out and implement your plan."
"I will go do it now, Sir."
"That's my boy."
"Thank you… Father."
Marcus left the cottage almost immediately.
He meandered through the town again and a cold wind blew up, carrying hard and sharp ice crystals towards his face. He pulled up his cloak like a muffler and wrapped it around his head. 'I know what I am going to do,' he thought as he made his way back to his hut in the forest. 'But I'll need Bronzor's help.'
He opened the door of his hut to find Bronzor had lit a campfire in the centre where the smoke hole was and had got the kettle boiling for a cup of tea. The place was all cleaned up as well. There was fresh hay and herbs on the floor instead of dirt and there was a nest of lavender, rose petals and hay in the corner for Marcus to sleep on at night.
"Where did you get all this, Bronzor?" Marcus asked. "Try writing it with the smoke," he added.
Bronzor used Psychic to pull the smoke from the smoke hole and wrote letters with it. He spelt, "I GOT ALL THIS FROM THE MOUNTAIN WHERE DAMOS, SABINA AND ADA WENT. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT."
"Like it? I think it's absolutely wonderful! But why?"
Bronzor shrugged with his Psychic aura and spelt out "I DID IT BECAUSE YOU ARE MY TRAINER, MARCUS, AND BECAUSE YOU SAVED MY LIFE LAST YEAR."
"Thank you. Bronzor, we need to go up that mountain as soon as we can if I am to make things right with Damos."
Marcus packed a basket with enough food to last about four days. Then he left the hut. It took him half a day to get out of Michina and a further day to get to the mountain. When they got to a cave near the shrine, Marcus asked Bronzor how strong its Hypnosis was.
In answer, Bronzor used the move on a Geodude. He succeeded in making Geodude think that it was a Pidgey and so could fly. Geodude fell to its death.
They rested there for the night. When the sun rose the next morning, the two set off for the peak.
They reached the top at midday. The sun was burning down and if it hadn't been for the strong wind that threatened to make Marcus fall over the edge to his death, he would have taken his cloak and gloves off.
Damos and Sabina were in a little hut they had built themselves and were breaking from their daily prayers. Sabina was breast feeding little Ada, who was nearly weaned.
Marcus steeled himself to knock on the door. Damos opened it. "Marcus!" he cried, grabbing his friend in a bear hug. "It's so good to see you! How are you doing?"
"I'm doing fine, thanks," Marcus said as he tried pulling out of Damos's grasp. "How are you three doing?"
"We're doing alright." He let go of Marcus and invited him inside the warmth of the hut.
"Thank you. Damos, I have come for one reason and one reason only: to build a bridge over the rift I have created. Damos, can we talk outside?"
Damos looked to his wife, who said "Of course! Take all the time you need."
They went outside and walked to a cave several metres away from the hut. "Damos, I have to do something. Your father has made me come back to Michina. But I will only do that on one condition."
"And what may that be?"
"That you let me hypnotise you into believing I am just an underling, a mere servant, and not one of your closest friends."
"What?" Damos cried out in shock. "You want to make me forget the fun we had when we were younger?"
"Yes."
"I guess I don't have a choice if I want to see you in Michina again, do I?"
"No."
"Do what you must."
"I'll have to talk about this with Sabina first."
"I'll stay out here."
So Marcus went back to the hut. He knocked and went in. Sabina had just finished feeding Ada and was putting her in the crib (which was more of a Miltank manger).
"Hello, Sister," Marcus said, sitting down.
"Hello, Marcus," Sabina replied. "Why so formal?"
"Because I am about to ask permission to hypnotise your husband into believing I am just a servant. He will never remember me as we were again."
Sabina gasped. "No. No. No, no, no, no, no, NO! I won't let you do this! Marcus, I love you too much!"
"Sabby," Marcus said, using her pet name, "did you never wonder why you never saw me after yours and Damos's first kiss?"
"You saw us, didn't you?"
"I did. I've nursed this hatred inside of me and I need to find a way to let it out. This is one way. Besides, if you don't let me do this, you will never see me again. I can promise you that."
Sabina agreed and went out with Marcus, taking her little daughter with her. Five minutes later and it was done.
The years passed by and Ada grew into a beautiful little girl, ignorant of her father's hypnosis and not knowing of her uncle until it was almost too late. When Ada was six the asteroid all but destroyed Michina. Marcus was inconsolable. But then Arceus gave Damos the Jewel of Life. He saw a way for Michina Town to rise up out of the ground.
"Just a few more months now," he whispered as he reached the last stair. "Just a few more months."
Sorry this one's so long, guys. Marcus has an interesting story for me. I honestly didn't think that Marcus was merely an 'underling' of Damos's. Many friendships have been ruined by events such as this. But take courage because 'Friends never say goodbye… never say goodbye.' (The Road to El Dorado, 2000)