Alchemist Spirit Knight Lucina
Interlude- Break
Before the stars had called upon her to be their guardian, Lucina was simply a girl. Not a particularly noteworthy one, but one that cared about one thing alone: the people close to her. Perhaps it was a relic of being the one to raise her younger brother, for the most part, or of being the thing that held her friend group together. Both things caused her to be the one to prevent her "family" from getting hurt, and this was what stayed. Her goals? None, in particular, but she'd have loved to be a mother and give her children the complete family she'd never had.
After she was called, it seemed as if nothing would be the same. The world seemed so new to her, so full of possibilities. That wasn't true, though. In the grand scheme of things, the only thing added to her life was a new "family" to protect. Roy, of course, had always been her second little brother, and he needed her now more than ever. Ike, Marth, they were too stubborn to show how hurt they were, but there were scars there too deep to heal. Though they were both near her own age, they felt like younger brothers as well. The others were beginning to feel like this as well, especially after seeing Pit's despair while facing his friend and Dark Pit's loyalty to someone he'd never truly met.
Of course, the biggest change was her newfound ability to restore the true family she'd lost, but she wouldn't dare consider that. Though it was all she could have ever dreamed for, she didn't want to destroy the "family" she'd found. She had found her happiness, and she would fight for it and it alone, because she knew her parents were happy where they were and dragging them back into this world would give them more pain than they deserved.
Breaking her would be simple, take that thing she loves so much and make her watch it burn.
Before meeting Lucina, Ike had pretty much one goal: find one. He'd played with several options, but the most he could think of was finding some way to make others happy. He wasn't sure how best to do that, and he could feel time running out on his decision. He'd soon have to apply to colleges and choose something to major in, but he had pretty much no ideas. Soren helped him forget about this for a while, but he'd found being more than friends awkward and unnatural after time, so he'd broken it off with an apology and a rather large amount of guilt over hurting his best friend. Things returned to as they were, but it was no less static and quickly moving.
But a single instant gave him purpose. Even before setting off to find the other Alchemist Knights, he could see this as a future. If he, of all people, had been chosen to be a hero, he had to be worthy of it. Saving people, defeating evil, it was like one of those cartoons his little sister watched, sans the short skirts. Secretly, he hoped it would include the mysterious hero love interest as well. "Hopeless Romantic", that's what his mother had called him, a title he bore begrudgingly. She'd warned him love could be like the sea: something that looks tranquil and lovely, but can turn cutting and drown its victims in a saltwater tomb easily.
Her words were completely right, as he quickly learned. Marth entered his life by giving him a debt to repay. He'd, at least at first, only cared because he didn't want it to remain for long, but somewhere between the swordplay lessons and the zombie attack, he'd tried to avoid the prince's gaze for a different reason. He knew he was hopeless in this situation, as no matter how kind he was, this boy was not only from a different time period, the distant past at that, but he was royalty, with a life already set out for him. His complete hopelessness led him to the internet, only to assure himself that Marth would be happy without him.
Completely wrong, as it turned out. He would not only not be happy, but die in a bloody battle in a matter of months after a (seemingly) purely political marriage. This gave Ike another goal: save Marth, no matter what it took. Though he had no powers over time and space, if he could just find some way to stop Marth from going back, or some way to stay with him and stop him from marrying for political gain and/or going into battle, everything would be fine, right?
Ribbons of seawater were suffocating him, and there was no air in sight, he knew this. It didn't matter to him that it would drag him under. He didn't care if it took all of his heart to save the one he cared about- no, loved, because Marth of all people was worth the pain. If he kept seeing his love as a ghost, he'd quickly become one himself. What was it Soren had said, "hold on to hope, even if it seems stupid"? That was what he needed to do, pray that the future could be changed into one where Marth was happy. Even if the means to do so were not in his hand, he would find a way to master the seas of time and love.
Breaking him would be only as easy as breaking the person he's given his heart to foolishly.
Before Lucina came crashing back into his life, Roy was fairly content. He had friends, he was finally over that childhood crush on the blue-haired girl, he was maintaining good enough grades to get accepted into a good college, and he was content with where his life was going.
That was before he realized how much there was of it. When Lucina asked him for help saving the world, he didn't really think it would affect his future until he saw his mother. The mere fact she was a Manakete threw a wrench in quite a lot. Roy was not human, he would outlive everyone he cared about, and there was nothing to do but accept it. How one goes about accepting they will see the last light fade from the eyes of every friend within the first percentile of their life, what was there to accept about that?
From then on, every second was something he grew to resent. The clocks were so cruel, only allowing him precious few moments with his closest friends. Every second was colder than the last, too fitting for his powers. If only the world could be like himself: cold and eternal. Perhaps then he wouldn't mind having to be in it for so long.
What was it he could do to accept this? What would become of him? After all that time, would he just forget the people he'd once loved and learn to accept their death as a part of life, or would he be unable to bear it and refuse to grow closer to anyone. He had plenty of time to think on that, several thousand years, in fact. Laying awake at night, his head wouldn't dare accept that this wasn't the time to worry about the future, and instead reminded him of what he'd lose. There'd be a time, one that would come relatively soon, when he'd never hear his father's voice, his friends' laughter, his partners' reassurances, or any familiar sounds but that of his own voice ever again.
None of his worrying would solve a thing. The only thing he wanted was for time to slow, for the days spent with his friends to never end. He wanted, at very least, for their smiles to be imprinted upon his memory so he wouldn't forget them once the tomorrow in which they were long gone had come.
He will break in time. There is nothing to do to accelerate the process, just wait.
Before the Alchemist Knights called for him, Marth had every single instant of his life planned out. He'd marry whomever would bring Altea the most stability. He'd raise a son to take the throne after himself. He'd give every ounce of himself to his country. Doing this would give his existence meaning, even centuries after his death. Kings had the potential to live on forever in the hearts of their nation, and that was his intention. He would live his life for his country, for his people, doing whatever was best for them.
But Lucina called out for him, and she looked so very like himself, the intrigue too great to pass up. And Ike was so kind, always making sure he was welcome in a world unknown to him. He had misgivings from the start, but he told himself that he wouldn't have been chosen for a task he was unfit to perform. In the end, even the horrors he saw would make him a stronger leader, would they not?
It had the opposite effect, though. Breaking down in someone else's arms made something stir inside of him, some block evaporating in his soul, bringing some light he longed to feel again. But that could never happen again. Love was not something he'd planned for, save for patriotism. No, that couldn't be allowed, not towards a man from a thousand years in his future, nor could longing for a life in which his tears were free to fall. Letting his feelings show, that was not something he could allow either. He had to not let that happen again. A figurehead for a nation couldn't have personal sorrows, only those of a nation. That was what his father had taught him, and that was how it had to be.
And then there was that odd familiarity from Lucina, extended to Shulk and, of all people, the cold hearted Celestial Guardian Grima. Why did he recognize him? It was as if he were a remnant of another life, one he didn't quite recall. It was said the Celestial Guardians were meant to invoke sorrow in the Alchemist Knights, so perhaps Grima was the one meant to torment him. The only thing he could grasp at was a slight resemblance to his loyal retainer Kris, but he wasn't entirely sure in what way. And the guilt towards Shulk's powers, why would he feel responsible for it? It wasn't as if the curse was his fault, that couldn't be possible. As absurd as it sounded, he couldn't help but wonder: if it truly was a silly sentiment, why did he feel it was?
The tears he has shed and the relief that came with them made him feel so lost, but he knew he had to stay on track. There was but one thing making him suffer through this, something he wouldn't allow himself to resent, as if he broke, Altea would fall with him.
The instant he were to realize what he really was, Marth would shatter. It is only a matter of finding what this secret he holds is, the one unknown to even him.
Before Paula died, Ness knew not where his life was going, but he enjoyed each moment of it. He had friends, family, and a perfectly good life with nothing to complain about. Looking back, he regretted taking that for granted.
And then Paula vanished and he found her a few days later as a lifeless corpse. The tears shed over her death and the deaths of the other victims of Grima's cruelness was enough to make Ness's resolve change from wanting to enjoy life to wanting to improve those of everyone around him. He didn't want to see any more tears shed, and he wanted to see to it that he wouldn't see such an awful thing again.
This was simple enough, but then he met people who had been so thoroughly broken by things that he'd been unable to stop. Lucas mourned a brother that had been turned into a living corpse weapon. Red mourned his admiration for a martyr turning to loathing for a traitor. Peach mourned her own uselessness in preventing the corruption of her friend, and her own innocence after blood splattered across her hands. Pit mourned a friend that had turned on him for the sake of a ghost that was only narrowly able to be recovered. Shulk mourned someone that had been the closest thing to reassurance his powers allowed him to feel. These were only what he had failed to stop in the past few days.
There would be more pain he couldn't dampen in the future. He'd have to accept that. What he'd vowed to do in memory of Paula was impossible, but he could try. And if it wasn't, well, he'd be alright. Whatever he could do was what he'd have to accept, even if his regrets were never heard.
Surprisingly resilient, but breaking him is not a priority. If worst comes to worst, he'd break if he thought he'd caused an innocent's death.
Before he'd learned of Blue's deception, he'd fought in her name. It was just him, Green, Leaf, and on occasion May and Ethan against the Silph Corporation. He'd had to swear to be willing to give his life to avenging his friend, and very nearly did on many occasions. While pursuing Mewtwo, he thought he'd have to say goodbye to his odd little life, and made Green promise to protect Leaf for him while he was gone. He knew he'd be a fine martyr for their cause, but he didn't want to feel the blow breaking his body. As much as Green and Leaf thought he was a hero, he was lying whenever he pretended to be. Really, he was as cowardly as anyone, but he had people believing he was their hope for a future free of these storybook villains. He'd never really believed in their little charade, but it was what his only friend and little sister were counting on him to do.
And then the Alchemist Knights came. He was sure they were his salvation from the life he'd trapped himself in. He'd tried to forget about that world, about what he was expected to be, but he never could. It was "Cobalt's" fault for making his escape and real life get tangled. If she hadn't shown up, he could have acted as if he'd forgotten who had first spurred him into action, who had made him into a liar. He had to return someday, now, but he supposed he wasn't the kind of person to up and leave a naïve younger sibling and a conspiracy theorist friend forever.
So instead, he tried to do what he'd always done best: smile and act like he was the person people thought him to be. He'd be a hero, even when he made mistakes, and he'd forget the awful things plaguing him. After all, what's a little deception when people are counting on you?
He could snap easily if others find out his true intentions.
Before the Alchemist Knights came around, Peach's life was fairly repetitive. Any time she would so much as take two steps, someone would be after her for their gain. Therefore, she blamed her weakness on genetics. If she wasn't a diplomat's daughter, she'd be able to be alone for long enough to find some way to defend herself. But the way thing had been, she was never without a guard for very long, and certainly not without someone who would prevent her from learning the finer points of combat. Her life was like some twisted fairy tale that was read over and over, her white knight dissolving over and over again into ink and water, leaving her so terribly disappointed whenever the page was turned. If only her life could be the kind of story where the princess was the hero, then she could be truly happy. Those stories didn't exist though, did they?
The day came when she was given a chance to be a hero, but at the cost of the life of one of her dearest friends. His brother had delivered her the news of what had been done to save her this time, and her heart broke. She waited for these mysterious warriors to return for her, hoping the good she could do at their side would make up for Luigi's death.
And then she saw the Celestial Guardian Mr. L, knowing at once this was the special brand of torture selected for her. When pursuing him, she couldn't help but think that she should have been the villain in this story. If that man would have been in her place, he would have been just as brave as herself. He needed the confidence as well, considering he'd grown up as a shadow to his more outgoing twin. He'd found that confidence, but from a dark place.
Every blow struck against him was burning, but she knew it was a necessary thing. She had to find a way to save him, to reach out to his heart with the flames of light. Odd, how things worked out. She was the hero, but she'd never wanted it to be this way. She had magic, she was a hero, and yet she was hating herself for ever having wished for it because it was making someone else suffer.
What happened to the rose staff girl, it was more than she could bear. Another living being had nearly been slain at her hands. Yes, she retreated with the rest of the Star Eaters, but all the blood she'd spilled, she still very well might have died. The guilt she felt for harming another, even if she was the enemy, was too much to bear. Heroes, they were always felling foul beasts in stories, but somehow it had never crossed Peach's mind that if she were to be one, she'd do the same. She couldn't escape the feeling that what she had done was wrong, even if it wasn't her fault, or it was the heroic thing to do. Combined with Luigi's suffering, she felt that she no longer wanted to be a hero. Really, it was coming to seem as if this brand of heroism only led to people getting hurt.
If we can make her feel she is a true "hero", perhaps it will shatter her enough.
Before he'd found out why his brother had vanished, Lucas was already a fundamentally broken person. He thought everything beyond help, even his own father, who had devoted his life to vain attempts to find Claus. His twin was gone, something he knew, but pretending there was hope was better than accepting that humans were destroying all hope in the world on their own. With every metal spire breaking the sky, Lucas shook his head in the hopelessness of it all. His world would destroy itself within a few years, and he'd be caught in the blast.
If only he'd not seen a glimmer of hope in their offer, he'd gone on not knowing the worst of the world. But his brother was turned from someone he'd finally found to a corpse to a monster in a matter of minutes, as did he. Those awful powers of the "Love" core, they made the entire world terrifying. The power to read minds, turn human beings into puppets, with their strings in his hands, project his own feelings onto others. The only thing that wasn't scaring him was the power to drive out darkness. Of course, he was too filled with his own darkness to use that, so not even it could save him from being as much of a monster as his brother. Not even the bit of good he was capable of with his others powers was a reassurance that this wasn't the case, as all it had done had given someone who shouldn't have felt pain the ability to feel it.
He wanted to leave that path the moment he saw his brother's blood splattered on the stones, foolishly demanding some form of compensation for his heartache. Seeing his mother once more was more painful than healing, and it caused him to be caught up in even more tragedy. He tried to use those powers for good, but all he managed to do is give a heart to a being that was supposed to lack one. That wasn't even helpful to the being, as it only made it feel the loneliness and pain he would have been spared.
If it wasn't for the few good things he'd done with his powers; helping save Pit from Circe's curse and getting information from Dark Pit, Lucas would be completely in despair. His powers, perhaps they weren't inherently bad, so long as they were used for the right purposes. Still, he didn't want to be the one to use them any more than he would have had they not had any positive applications.
He'll break more every time he sees the Masked Man. He's already plenty broken now, luckily.
Before Link died, he was… happy. He possessed very few of the person he was replacing's memories, but Metal knew that. Link had been content being Zelda's friend, being a citizen of Hyrule that wasn't noteworthy in the least. The hours floated by without bringing any sense of dread for the future, each moment a fruit to savor. That was the life Link had loved, and it was the one Metal longed for.
That life would never exist for him, as he had been born from death. Vaguely, he recalled Zelda mentioning that she made an artificial replacement in the case anything was to happen to Link shortly after her mother died. An idea springing from one death and put into action by another. Metal was simply some hollow corpse given a name and a purpose.
All that time spent alone as Zelda's software set to work on tricking the Metal core into thinking it was his, he only vaguely recalled it. It was almost like a comatose dream, a distant, hazy vision. He remembered very little of it, save for the loneliness he felt.
"Felt"- feelings- that was the one kindness he was allowed. While he was the bearer of one core, his life only existed because of another. That conversation, the blond boy in tears, it was clear in his brain, though he was barely conscious at the time. He had asked someone, he couldn't recall who, if his power of feeling could be projected onto another, and then desperately attempted it. The pitiful excuse for a mind he had was spurred into action by his cry. Pain, despair, dread, they filled his hollow being, but he somehow knew the potential to feel happiness had entered as well. Had he been granted a soul somehow, or was it simply some emulation of one? Was he alive? How was he to know?
Countless hours to think on this question, but he still hadn't arrived at an answer. He wasn't Link, he knew that, but who was he then? Vessel, corpse, miracle, nothing, which was it? Whichever it was, though nothing beat in his chest but the hydraulic whirring, he somehow had a "heart", so he was at least was something, right?
Breaking a machine? That's unnecessary. He's served his purpose.
Before she forced her heart out of her mind, Zelda was content with the life she had with her family and Link. Link, he had told her numerous times that he wanted to be a hero someday, that he wanted to make the world a better place. She hoped for that as well, but even then, she was logical and knew that it was unlikely they would make much difference in the end. Her parents were both scientists, something she knew she wanted to take up when she grew older. It was fascinating, how the world worked. Perhaps she could be a hero that way, she told herself, invent something to impress everyone, to help everyone.
And then her mother was taken by illness that not even she could cure, and her world came crashing down. Every hint of a "heart" in her mind managed to be driven away. Resentment, that was the first thing she had to lock away. She couldn't blame her mother for not wanting to worry her with the state of her health. Loathing, that had to go too. She couldn't hate her father for being unable to save her mother. Envy followed it. If she looked upon every person that was whole with contempt, what sort of life was that? Sadness, that was driven out too. If she kept crying, what would it fix? Joy followed it, as happiness is no use when you don't have the person dearest to you to share it with, nor sadness to contrast with it. Caring, that vanished too. What would she care for a world she didn't find joy in?
Eventually, all that was left was that desire to change the world. She took up robotics, first to try to make some safeguard that the person next closest to her would never leave her, and then to help the people left in the world she cared nothing for. There were whispers in the city, about that girl who lives outside of town. They said she was a genius with mechanics, that she wouldn't talk to anyone for purposes other than business save for one boy. They said she hid away because she was mad, because her mother had perished and left her hating the world. They said she cared only for glory, for notability.
But those people were incorrect on some accounts. Perhaps she was a recluse, and perhaps she was mad, but she didn't hate the world. On the contrary, she cared to protect it very much. And not for glory either, for the sake of the people living in it. They deserved to keep their hearts if she couldn't, didn't they? And that was the goal she gave herself to. She could still do something to improve everyone's lives, right?
It was her first creation that ended up fulfilling this. When Link had fallen, she thought she would be beyond caring. She tried her best to make that true, but it still stung when his replacement had rejected his identity. A part of her was glad it had happened, though. She was given that glowing violet core, her chance to make the world a better place, just like she and Link used to talk about. That tiny bit of her heart that still existed told her that she'd much rather do it alongside him.
The heart she'd locked up, she knew she'd be resented for it. The prince, he was hypocritical in his loathing, though. He thought her a monster, as was plastered upon his face, but hadn't he done the same? Oh, she would never admit she'd seen his name in history books, considering that would likely lead to discussion of his early demise. Still, she wondered why he thought her a beast when he was just the same; blocking out his emotions to better function for the sake of others.
This woman is plenty broken. Fracturing her further would be overkill.
Before he had done something stupid enough to break his world to pieces, he was truly an idiot. Reckless, wishing for something that was sure to happen if he ignored it, it was a wonder anyone bothered with him. Really, it was a wonder people cared at all when he finally crossed the line.
And then he'd done something idiotic that not only led to his world's collapse, but also its beginning. Though his wings were broken forever, he could soar plenty far at Rosalina's side. A new purpose opened in his life, one filled with even greater possibilities than his first. He mourned Palutena, of course, and he'd come to see her at least once a week before she'd "died", but he was almost glad it had happened. To find people willing to accept him for all of his faults, Shulk most of all, it was something that gave his life new meaning. He hated himself for thinking this way, sometimes, but he learned that everything that happens, good or bad, leads to an eventual end. This was Shulk's thinking, fueled by his visions, and it seemed true enough. If he had never been an idiot, he'd also have not been a Starstorm Knight. His reprieve, it was something that he wouldn't trade for anything, save for Palutena's life. But even then, the world he most wanted to see was one where him, Shulk, Meta Knight, Kirby, Viridi, and Palutena could all be friends and Knights.
That future came to pass, but not at all as he would have wanted. Palutena, she wasn't just alive, she was a monster that caused all the pain in Pit's world. Viridi, she had turned on them entirely, all but vanishing and presumed dead. Meta Knight, he was dead too, murdered by someone as lost as Palutena was. Even then, Palutena was able to step back into the light, taking her place by Pit's side once more. That alone was enough to make all the horrors Pit had ever felt worth it. Just to have a future where he was forgiven and beside the two people he cared about the most, it made any of the pain ebb away. With these powers of his, which had already managed to save Dark Pit alongside Palutena, he knew he would be glad to face anything else in the future that made it dark. In the end, surely the four of them could make it brighter.
Make that happy future something he never sees. When he breaks, it will be the best way to get through to his teammate.
Before she had died, Palutena was perfectly content. She had two great friends, she was getting good at her light magic, things seemed bright for her. It was silly to think things would work out perfectly, though. She was the kind of person who was chastised for not using her sharp mind for the right things, caring more for leisure than learning. Everyone whispered that the three of them were troublemakers, which was true, but she barely cared. Wandering off the path, it was much more fun that way.
The lack of a path was probably what led her to death's doors. She followed Pit because he was her best friend, and to her, that meant she wouldn't abandon him even if he was being stupid. Even if he wasn't always bright, he meant well, and that was what mattered to her. Even when she felt the light in her eyes drain away, she didn't regret standing by Pit, as he'd probably have suffered this fate had she not come with him. The last thing she remembered before slipping into darkness was a beating of wings as Pit tried to protect her. It was the best memory she could hope to be her last.
A hazy darkness enveloped her, dragging her deeper by the second. She thought she heard voices: Pit's, Viridi's, a few she didn't recognize, but she couldn't call out to them. It only lifted when a masked creature used some magic to drag her out of it. The brief light she saw fluttering in the curtains in the infirmary, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was the only beauty she saw before the person that had saved her chained her heart in the dark, leaving it to burn away. Palutena was dead, locked in that darkness. Circe, that was her name, and her only wish was to see the world bathed in chaos enough to give her the power to destroy it.
All the awful things Circe did, Palutena couldn't recall them well. She knew she dragged an innocent man named Luigi into that darkness, manipulated people to join their side, caused many futile deaths. The fact that Viridi had been cast into darkness by her own hand, and indirectly, one of Pit's new friends had been slain by herself, it almost destroyed her when she woke up from that darkness. The only person she recalled from that time was Dark Pit, but even then, she only remembered him for the fact that he had served her loyally, even if that loyalty was forced.
Her reprieve was more than she deserved, but it was exactly in the way it ought to have been. Pit, that bright light she'd always tried to stand with, he still had faith in her own light after all of those years. For anyone else, giving the enemy one of their best weapons would have been an awful move, but for someone so optimistic, it was the only way to save a friend. Pit allowed the light that was left in her heart to claw its way out, and for that, she would always be grateful.
All that blood shed at her expense, she could only comprehend it after her heart was unchained. It was sickening to think she had been such a cruel person. How could anything she could possibly do as an Alchemist Knight make up for it? Even if she saved the universe, Viridi's corruption would still be her fault, as would Peach's despair. But with all she had done, no one held it against her. Though she had done everything possible completely wrong, she was forgiven for it. Everything about that purity in her friends was truly wonderful, and it was enough to give her hope that perhaps even someone as soaked in blood as her could bring about a brighter world.
She has served her usefulness. Now, to take all that hope away from them.
Dark Pit recalled very little of his existence prior to becoming a block on Palutena's memories. He vaguely recalled helping someone else prior to her, but they never spoke. Only a vague image of a blue-haired girl with a broad smile remained of his first "master", aside from his rather clear memories of her demise. No, he wasn't calling her that. "Charge", that was better. He served no one aside from himself, that was true even when he was a spirit that gave that stupid necklace power, lingering in a body that would never see his face.
And then he'd been drawn out of his current charge's body, alongside her memories, and given form from them. The shadow girl and dark mage, he told them very plainly what he thought of their ideas. It was stupid to make him into a safeguard that Palutena would stay on their side, and he was not planning on helping them with that. A lightning blow to his head and the promise of another through his brain was enough to make his bravado vanish. He didn't want to help them with such a stupid, pointless plan, but he also wasn't too keen on dying either.
Having a physical form, it wasn't all he thought it would be. It felt a lot heavier than being a spirit, and the movements were clunky at best. He grew used to it with time, but he hated the exact form he took. Of all people, why some random brat from his charge's memory? And pain, it wasn't fun. Emotions, they weren't either, considering the only ones he felt were the negative ones. Loneliness took the cake on the amount of time spent in it, considering the only people he knew lacked hearts. Being locked up for such long periods of time didn't help. It was better than hurting people, he supposed, but not by much. If he went in battle, maybe he could have been able to escape. That was probably why he was kept from it, but it didn't stop him from dreaming.
When the day came for his wish to finally be granted, it was quickly dashed by the fact that most of the other Celestial Guardians were to be there as well, himself acting on the broken Palutena's orders. Circe, that person didn't exist, so why acknowledge her as such? If he was sure no one else was looking, that was what he'd call her. If that idiot girl could just remember who she was, maybe he could stop having to prevent it from happening.
Meeting the person from Palutena's memories, the one his body was based upon, it was strange. He was so much more cheerful than he had imagined, and annoying as all get out. The girl, she knew he wasn't right in an instant, and the blond had figured out what he was quickly. It probably helped that he didn't fight his attempts to search his memories, but why should he? He didn't really want them to lose, and if they somehow managed to save Palutena, it would have freed him as well. Upon figuring out he wasn't supposed to exist, the Alchemist Knights did something odd: took pity on him. Reaching out a hand to him, the girl and the others promised him protection he couldn't have asked for.
And then Palutena shot him. Death, he didn't dread it now. If he died, his memories would go to Palutena, and she'd be saved. The Light core would be useless without him, but she'd be safe, at least. He never thought those memories or his form meant a thing, but he was proven wrong by the Air core. Its powers were able to connect his body to Pit's, stabilizing it, making it real. He truly existed, and the memories that sustained him shot right back to Palutena. He was released from the cycle of darkness, free to do whatever he pleased. Even the light core still worked without him in Palutena's body, weaker than before, but still functional.
With all the places he could fly, why did he stay with the Alchemist Knights? He told himself it was debt, considering they'd saved his life so many times over, and he owed it to his former charge. He didn't care about them, he didn't want to see the Time girl again, he didn't want to learn if the memories he now shared with Pit meant a thing, he didn't want to make sure Palutena was safe, and he most certainly didn't choose Pit's path as his own. No, it was in his best interest to stay with them. If anything happened to him again, he'd be safe. Well, as safe as someone who shouldn't exist could be, at least. He knew enough from all that time as no one to think clearly, at least, and not kid himself with false expectations. If he lived another month, it would be a miracle, and he had probably cashed all of his in already.
Breaking him is only important if he can get through to a Star Core Knight. If we can make that happen, it will be helpful.
There was nothing before his meeting with Rosalina, as far as Shulk knew. There was only his life afterwards, the one filled with terrifying windows to a time that may never come. As a child, he'd cry at night, fearing the blood-soaked images that would come up. Rosalina had held him like a mother would her child and promised him the day would come when he would be able to accept the visions, but he didn't want to see the day when he didn't fear seeing people who would one day be dear to him dead on the ground. He bore it though, as he knew he could save lives with his powers.
When he'd finally met Pit in the waking world, he'd known it would be the closest thing he would ever have to a friend. And yes, that was what Pit called them, but he was hesitant to return the term. He didn't want to be close to a person who'd be connected to so much sorrow in his life, but in time, he found it impossible to avoid this "friendship". He was a bit annoying on occasion, but he was always cheerful and kind, something he desperately needed.
In his visions, sometimes Meta Knight's blood would stain the ground, Pit's tears would fill the air, or some unknown shade would take its last breaths in his arms. If he was lucky, he'd get through a few days between seeing the worst of them. All the pain, all the suffering, sometimes it was too much to bear. And the worst of it, that awful beast, the one so grotesque he couldn't bear to look at anything that bore so much as a passing resemblance to it, it seemed to have made it a goal to turn him into an insomniac. At times, even closing his eyes would make the carnage replay before his eyes. Rosalina promised him that the future he saw could be averted with his foresight, but it didn't stop them from burning themselves into his eyelids
Pit knew he saw things he couldn't speak of, but he was smart enough to not ask him about it. Kirby was too naïve to see anything more than pretty pictures strewn across Shulk's desk, but Meta Knight had told him very early on that he wasn't to ask him about his visions. And Meta Knight, he knew the most of it after Rosalina. On the nights when he was young, those tearful, sleepless nights filled with nightmares, whenever Rosalina was unable to sufficiently calm his sobbing, the masked knight would stand beside him as he tried to fall asleep. He rarely spoke, but he held his sword against the dark, as if daring it to come any closer to Shulk.
Though he was grateful for this, it came as a surprise when he happened upon something he never foresaw: an argument between the knight and Rosalina. Through a cracked door, he could hear Meta Knight berating Rosalina for her coldness towards Shulk. He accused her of making him suffer through things he wasn't prepared for, asked her why she wouldn't keep the Monado from him until he grew older. She replied with a simple, undisputable fact: he had saved lives even then with his visions, and he would save more as he learned to better record them. That alone gave Shulk a bit of courage when he faced the flashes of the future. He was saving people. That future of darkness, it could be averted.
Regardless of what Pit and others came to think of him, he was a thousand times more spineless than anyone thought him to be. He couldn't accept the things he saw, they still haunted his nightmares. And as he went on, he had a sinking feeling that the clock was ticking down the seconds towards an inevitable goodbye to his loved ones, and a bloody one at that. In all honesty, he wouldn't want the world to be any other way. If he had all this pain, but also people who he could rely on, then perhaps that pain was worth it. Plus, if he bore that burden, it meant no one else had to. Such a terrible fate, he wouldn't have wished it upon anyone, but he would make the most of it and try to keep smiling.
And then Meta Knight died, just as he had always seen, though he tried his best to stop it. He wasn't just mourning his ally and the closest thing to a father he had ever known, but he was mourning hope. If he wasn't strong enough to change the future, perhaps that world of darkness would be his. No, he had changed something, even if it wasn't his aim. He had once seen Viridi's death upon that day, and Pit's weeping at her side. Something had changed to make the future brighter, so perhaps it was possible that darkness he saw could be averted entirely.
Make sure that dark future is his. The despair will be great enough to break him, to make him reset.
Grima flipped through his notebook again. Planning out the demise of all of them, it was exhausting, but it passed for entertainment. Each of them had such a specific weak point, it was almost fun.
Bookmarks let him know the exact place where his notes on the most important ones sat. The three pieces of the Star core, breaking them was his priority. The people close to them, breaking them would help as well. Sitting down, he let out a sigh. No matter how much he found out about them, the Star core's wielders were complete mysteries to him. He felt if he could just reach out and glance through their minds, he would understand them. But the sinking feeling of guilt he felt around them, it was something he was sure had been released from his mind. He wasn't meant to feel guilt, for it clouded his mind, made his tactical decisions weak.
That empty, gaping hole in his mind, he had to learn to accept it. It was already starting to drive him mad. A faint memory still existed, the only one he had left, of the Star Seeker, as they had nicknamed him, reaching out to him. A soft "It'll be alright, I promise," came with it, but it didn't explain a thing. He knew, of course, "Grima" used to be someone else, but he could never know who that person was. Not even any of his fellow Celestial Guardians remembered, as the Masked Man had been the one to "recruit" him, and he was famously bad at retaining information. All he could gather was that he was surely meant to torture one of the Alchemist Knights in some way.
The hole in his memory, the guilt the Star Seeker, Seer, and Shield made him feel, they were connected. Somehow, they would be the key to finding this information. No, he had to ignore it. It wasn't his goal to know who he had been, it was his goal to bring about a reset. Only if that information could help him do that was it important.
Perhaps it was, but until he knew for certain, it needed to be ignored. Not knowing, it was painful, but he knew if his discomfort was known, it would be met with a laugh. If he could just have a name or a reason, it would be fine, but those things wouldn't come.
"Breaking me," he muttered with a wry smirk. "It would be as simple as telling me why it pains me so to see the Star Core Knights in pain."
AN- Well, that was really freaking long. Really, it was over 7,500 words, (author's note notwithstanding, which is what I used to give the number last chapter, since it is sort of important,) and ate up much of the time I should have used to write other things. Oh well, it was worth it for such a nice, clean summary of the main characters and their woes. Okay, I say "main characters", but I would only count eight of them as such: Lucina, Marth, Ike, Roy, Red, Pit, Shulk, and Grima. Should give you an idea of who to keep an eye on.
Also, chapterly question: which character's interlude was your favorite? I liked Shulk's and Marth's, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. After all, my favorites are the ones who suffer the most, because I love them and love is painful or something. Also, I'd love to hear any theories on things you might have theories on, like Grima's past or any characters' futures, and I still need suggestions for Gaidens. Meta Knight's will probably be next, and I plan to have Palutena's and Dark Pit's up as well, but I still need at least two more.
So, just for fun, I'll add a little extra thing down here. Each character's interlude was, fittingly enough for an interlude, based off of a song. I don't really expect you people to care, as they're mostly Vocaloid songs, but I'll add a few extra facts about the characters alongside the song, because I feel like it. If you want to look up the songs, well, I'm not guaranteeing they will perfectly reflect the character (Ike's and Ness's in particular are a bit iffy, as are Lucas's and Pit's), but they might help. There's a link to a playlist of them on my profile page, if you care. Ah, who am I kidding, this is a silly thing to do, but I felt like it, and this is my story, so it happened. (Absolutely none of these are important foreshadowing I never found another place to put in, nor are they hints to future plot lines or general red herrings…)
Lucina Ylisse- Ayano's Theory of Happiness- Though she seems to shoot down almost everyone who has feelings for her, she had a crush on one of Owain's friends, Brady (son of Maribelle and Henry), for years. She doesn't really see him much any more, hence why she's never mentioned it. Age- recently turned 17.
Roy Pherae- Cruel Clocks - His friend Lilina has always had a huge crush on him, but he's too oblivious to notice. Also, he tends to get cold easily due to his Ice Dragon blood, causing him to wear warmer clothes even in summer. Age- 15.
Ike Ragnell- Evening Rain Ribbon- His mother died when he was fairly young, and his family moved away from the city they used to live in shortly afterwards. His father is a coach at the middle school his younger sister Mist attends now, but he used to be in the military. Age- recently turned 17.
Marth Falchion- Lost One's Weeping- The aforementioned Kris was easily his best friend (and though he hates to admit it, also probably only friend) before the Alchemist Knights came around. Ike's in the running to usurp that position now. Age- recently turned 18.
Red Iris- Night Tales Deceive- He should act as a bit of a foil to Lucina. Rather than embracing his position as protector of his "family", he resents it, though this may be because he is expected to perform tasks he doesn't particularly agree with. Age- 18.
Peach Toadstool- Magia- She has known Mario and Luigi for a while, due to them being the sons of one of her family's guards. She used to have a huge crush on Mario, but his White Knight status has started to wear off. Age- 19.
Ness Surge- Regret Message- He is penpals with a boy who attends a boarding school overseas, but technically lives in the same town as him. His name is Jeff Andronuts. Age- 14
Lucas Soleur- Lost Time Memory- The energy he exhausted trying to give Metal a "heart" was what made him unable to cast his purity spell, combined with his general unhappiness, though the latter would have likely prevented its usage alone. Also, the only living being he trusts at the moment is his dog, Boney. The same would extend to his former acquaintances Duster and Kumatora, who helped him look for his brother for a while, but they vanished. Age- barely 15.
Metal/Link- Kokoro- He was alone for upwards of ten years. He doesn't remember the exact number though. Age- Link was 20, he was made when Link was 9, so he is functionally around 19, but looks much younger.
Zelda Hylia- Tho- She has a proxy robot of herself stored away somewhere, made for use in case she were to die before her father and/or Link so they wouldn't be as destroyed as she was by her mother's death. Unknown to Marth, she's also started work on a proxy of him, but it hasn't made it beyond the planning phase. Age- 20.
Pit Ikari- Six Trillion Years and Overnight Story- His fear of eggplants stems from a prank Viridi pulled on him when they were young, in which she turned him into an eggplant by "accident". Palutena managed to find the counterspell when Viridi was unable to, but the incident scarred him for life. Age- has been alive for 16 years, but technically, due to relativity and the Observatory travelling at near light speed, from the rest of the universe's perspective he's several hundreds if not thousands of years old.
Palutena Lumina- Meltdown- Though she was born to Angel parents, she was born without wings, something she used to resent Pit for a bit. Due to the time travel present in her time as Circe, though she was originally the same age as Pit, she's now about a year younger. Age- 15, same applies as Pit, but to a lesser extent.
Dark Pit Ikari/Alchemist Spirit of Light- Six Trillion Years and Overnight Story- He has no knowledge of if he ever existed outside of the Light core before Midna and Grima's intervention, but he suspects he might have. Age- Unable to be determined mentally, probably a few hundred or so, 16 physically, due to his body being tied to Pit's.
Shulk Gaur- Eine Kleine- He's been with Rosalina since he was four, in which he discovered the Monado while at the palace due to having snuck out of the academy. His parents are probably dead, but due to the nature of the Observatory, he wouldn't know if they were alive, due to the adults being in the military full time unless extenuating circumstances come up. Age- 18, relativity also applies.
Grima - Donut Hole- He actually uses different nicknames for the Alchemist Knights in his head than he does at work. He will deny this to anyone who asks, but he has been caught calling Marth "Mar-Mar" rather than "Star Seeker" a few times. Age- 18-19?
What did I say? Really. Freaking. Long. If you read the entire Author's Note, well, congratulations, and my apologies for eating up so much of your time. So, thanks for reading! -Twilight Joltik