Chosen theme of 'Collision': 'Hurry' from Final Fantasy X OST
Comparing the task of breathing to the task of drowning wouldn't have produced any differences. Both tasks were one and the same, for oxygen was as heavy as steel. The air was violently cold, and the very concept of life was intensely painful to hold on to.
His heart was pounding against his chest, and it had the desperate rage of a thousand thunderstorms. His chest was drenched in a poison that shamed the poison of a cobra, and the poison was causing it to burn viciously. His body was cold-excruciatingly cold...and that made it difficult to even lift a finger. His body was taking in oxygen, but he felt as if he weren't even attached to his body-nothing felt real at the moment.
His soft breaths were the only things that could be heard. There were no voices, no winds flowing throughout the temple...the halls of the temple were completely silent, and the silence was strong enough to send a person to the brink of insanity. It was working its magic on the Altean, who was already in a dangerous position due to his fear. The task of living was horrifyingly difficult for him, since his energy was draining...his heartbeat became stronger and stronger with every passing second...
The walls of the temple were a dark, enigmatic shade of blue...and the ceiling was covered in the black obscurity of tension. The exterior of the temple was a radiant miracle, but the interior of the temple was incessantly altered in the hands of its visitors-in other words, the interior was constantly changed with every breath and footstep. In Marth's eyes, the interior of the temple was cold and dark-it was a barren, icy wasteland of desolate dreams. It was cold...unbearably cold...it was almost unfit for a human being...
His chest wouldn't stop burning...
He grabbed his Soulbond pendant and held it close to his heart, breathing heavily with fear. He fell to his knees, shivering from waves of infinite pain. Rivers of sweat soared down his forehead as he felt his pendant burn in his hand...they soared down his shivering body...as he searched for the one that gave his heart the inspiration to soar...
The pain rose higher and higher...
"Roy...Roy...where are you?"
His whispers fell into eternal silence. His angel didn't answer-his angel was no longer near him. It was as if Roy had never even existed-he had been no more than a dream, a heavenly mirage of light...
The tears just wouldn't stop...
His heart wouldn't stop bleeding...it wouldn't stop crying...
"Gods...Roy...where did you go..."
...Everything hurts...it hurts so much...
I can't breathe...
"Roy..."
"If you're looking for the Lord of Pharae, he's no longer here."
Venomous thunderbolts struck Marth's heart in an instant. The voice he had just heard didn't belong to his soul mate. The Altean's eyes widened in shock, and his tears transformed themselves into crystallized drops of starlight...as his heart plummeted into an abyss of tension. Shock kept him paralyzed for a second, then he recovered enough strength to move himself. He lifted himself from the cold white ground and looked into the face of the speaker-
An arrow shot right into his heart...and tore it in half.
His ethereal eyes became dark, solid pools of fear. The very essence of reality eliminated itself as his heart ceased its beating-the world around him became too cold to dwell in. His heart recognized the one standing before him, and the identity of the speaker didn't bring his heart a parade of bliss. His mouth became dry...his chest wouldn't stop burning...
The cold, lethal fear swiftly transformed into wrath. The Altean's eyes became violently passionate storms of fury, and the storms were powerful enough to defeat even the strongest of blades. His voice took on the same qualities-one could have easily described him as a lion that had just been torn from his mate...
"I know you. I've seen you before."
Marth's voice would have killed an average individual, but his adversary was merely impressed by the Altean's strength. Bearing a small yet devilish smile about his lips, Marth's new 'friend' placed a hand on his hip and laughed...
"I've seen you before too. I hope you remember me, Your Highness. I missed you."
The fury within Marth's eyes became even stronger.
"Where is he?"
Riev, Hadin's companion, ran a hand through his hair and released a soft sigh. The sigh was composed of contentment-and the contentment bore a strong resemblance to the ecstasy of a satisfied demon. "Ah, I see you haven't changed." he said to the furious young sovereign, who looked as if he were about to explode with anger. "You never wasted time with small talk. You always got straight to the point. You're still the same, I see."
Marth unsheathed his silvery white blade. His eyes were perilously brutal-he would have made the perfect werewolf...
"I'll repeat my question. Where is he?"
Riev sighed once again, but this time, the sigh was composed of playful frustration. He seemed to be enjoying Marth's display of anger, but at the same time, it was causing him to feel weary. "I thought we could share a nice, quiet reunion, but since you want to skip the small talk, I'll play along. Your precious little Roy isn't anywhere near you-he isn't near me, either. He isn't near any of us, really. To tell you the truth, he's floating around somewhere, lost in the straights of oblivion..."
The legendary Falchion was at his throat in a flash.
Marth's eyes could have killed the God of the Underworld.
"Cease this meaningless prattle and give me a straight answer! Where is he?"
Any one else would have died under Marth's gaze a long time ago, but Riev was unphased by the Altean's show of power. His rival's blade was no more than a centimeter away from his throat, and his eyes were burning right through him...but he kept on his sickening, vile smile. He looked like someone enjoying a play-and that alone was about to drive Marth off the deep end.
"I don't have to answer to you. You're no longer my sovereign, remember?"
A blend of frustration, sorrow and wrath tore itself from Marth's heart, and took on the form of a battle cry. He executed a blinding move with the Falchion, but the move was countered by a quick procedure from Riev. A shaft of silver light was produced from the collision, and the force of the light drove Marth back. The Altean's face was the very picture of flawless anger, but his opponent's face was a sweet painting of triumph...
"I see you've still got what it takes, my old friend."
Marth's voice dropped to a low, perilous volume.
"Tell me what I wish to know...or I'll send my blade down your throat."
"If you kill me...you won't find what you're searching for, Your Royal Highness."
Marth sheathed his sword. Riev sheathed his blade.
The Altean kept his eyes locked on the eyes of his opponent...
"I'll tell you where your mate is. He's...well, he's with...how should I put this?"
In times of trouble, 'small talk' was at the top of Marth's 'most hated' list.
Riev knew this well, and was gaining a lot of pleasure from his rival's fury.
"He's lost. Lost in the depths of time."
"What are you saying, old friend?"
"Well...thanks to Hadin...he's...let me just say that you can't find him. I should tell you that your so-called soulbond is in danger, old friend."
The name 'Hadin' sent a million arrows of poison into the Altean's heart.
"Hadin..."
Oh gods...Hadin...not Hadin...
"That CAN'T be true...Hadin-"
"Died?"
Vibrant laughter tore itself from Riev's throat, and it was the laughter of a sadistic clown...
"I'm sorry to say this, but he's alive and well. And he set your so-called mate straight."
Hadin...Hadin...
Marth became excruciatingly dizzy.
He couldn't breathe. Breathing was just too difficult...
"His soul has been cast into the realm of nothingness. Hadin revealed the cold, hard truth...and your bedmate couldn't endure it...and so...now...he's gone."
A brilliant, exuberant ray of silver light pierced Riev's eyes, and the sound of a blade being unsheathed pierced his ears. The eyes of the Altean became savage tidal waves of unfathomable vehemence...
"You're going to pay for those words, Riev!"
-This entry was good, no? I'm sorry if this cliffhanger was abrupt-I just uncovered an idea for a RoyxMarth oneshot, and I'd like to finish the plans for it tonight! I'll have it posted soon, so stay on the lookout! The site really needs more RoyxMarth love, yes? YES IT DOES! I'D LIKE TO HELP SPREAD THAT LOVE!
This has been one big roller coaster! In the next entry, we'll meet up with Roy-and no, he wasn't killed by Hadin, he was just thrown into another dimension. Hadin is a vital piece of Marth's past, for he was a companion that betrayed him and conquered Altea. Riev isn't a true piece of Marth's past, for he was featured in the 'Sacred Stones' adventure, but in 'Angel' he'll stand as an old companion from Altea as well. I hope that you've been able to view 'Advent Children', for the tiny battle sequence was inspired by the fight scenes of that movie-and the future battle sequences are going to run at the same velocity. I hope I do a good job of describing them-battle sequences are difficult!
Thank you very much for your support! Take care, and happy reading!