Yes! I'm done with this! First off, happy late birthday, Paradigm! Even though I said I didn't have a present for you, I wanted this update to be the present. I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish on your birthday like I originally planned, but at least I managed to get it out in a reasonable amount of time after it passed, ja? Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you enjoyed the other chapters. I know I had fun writing a certain part...if you guys know me, once you reach that part, you will definitely know which part I was talking about. And then there was a different part that I had not so much fun writing...but anyways, hope you guys enjoy, especially you, Paradigm. :3 And once again, happy birthday, man. eventhoughit'sabittoolate!

Knowledge of the Fallen

Marth opened his tired eyes when the sun's rays filtered through his window as usual. He lay in his bed for a moment, trying to remember where he was as his dream distracted him from reality. In doing so, he drove his dream away far too quickly for his liking. That fantasy in his mind was a lot nicer to reside in than the reality he found himself in at the moment. It didn't look like anything was wrong with him, but the college student definitely felt as if his world crumbled with frighteningly increasing frequency around him. He contemplated whether he should stay in bed today until he heard noises coming from outside his room. At once Marth remembered that Lucina was staying with him for a while. It wouldn't do for him to sulk in his room the whole day. He forced himself to drag his body to the bathroom.

"Good morning, Marth," he foggily registered Lucina's call to him as he stumbled out of his room. The male blunette nodded blindly in response before disappearing into another room. Marth took a slightly longer time to finish up in his daily routine, whether because of his remaining drowsiness in his mind or the heavy weight of his heart, he couldn't tell. When he finally emerged, he noticed that Lucina was patiently waiting for him at the table. Marth gave her a rueful smile while taking his seat.

"Sorry for making you wait."

His cousin quickly waved away his apology to direct much needed attention towards the food. Without another thought, the two family members then ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence. Soon afterwards Marth took on the job of cleaning since Lucina had taken care of the food. When she protested his refusal of letting her help, he immediately responded with how she was his guest and had already done more than enough with making breakfast. It took some time but he managed to convince her to relax instead of clean.

Washing the dishes alone allowed him to reminisce about the times he cleaned up with Pit. While another person might not think fondly on those types of chores, Marth did especially since Pit was with him through it all. Any time and anything spent in his young friend's presence was always something he looked back fondly on. He oddly felt that if somebody else stood by his side during such a task, he would be betraying the boy. When Marth tried to drive that thought away, other memories decided to plague him instead. Somehow he was able to through with the simple chore albeit it required Lucina to recall his mind back to the task at hand multiple times.

He honestly couldn't help his mind from wandering back to the boy he had quickly grown to love. Pit was such a sweet, innocent child…it was difficult not to love him. It was difficult not to want to stay by his side forever. However that didn't seem possible anymore. Marth's heart ached terribly at the thought of never being with Pit again. The hazy memories of their time together was not enough to heal his void. Only the real Pit could fill the emptiness he felt, not some cheap memories meant as a temporary cure. He needed to be with Pit.

Marth sighed once he placed the last dish on the rack. Always thinking about the boy couldn't possibly be good for his health, especially with the heart-wrenching emotions it brought. Perhaps a routine look at the cloud would suffice? He walked over to his comfy couch to sit on. The moment his butt touched the cushion, Lucina reappeared from her room. Thank goodness that Marth was on the last dish before his cousin left to change. Otherwise, the blunette might still be at the sink with dirty plate in one hand and sudsy sponge in other hand, his attention on neither of those things. He looked at her curiously, a look that she also returned. Her eyes traveled down and back up pointedly.

"You ready to go?"

"Go? Go where?"

"To the Warpcoin, remember? We agreed to go there to meet with everybody else."

Marth blinked once. His mind backtracked to yesterday where the event was most likely to occur. The college student recalled how they had discussed in Meta's car that they would meet up with the group tomorrow. He then nodded his head to Lucina. "Right…I remember. Just give me a minute."

"Of course."

Soon Marth found himself walking to the Warpcoin with his cousin. Throughout their trek Marth tried his best to participate in the conversation between them. He attempted to not nod to her words distractedly and actually pay attention to what Lucina had to say, a feat difficult due to how his mind was wandering a lot more than usual. Well, not exactly wandering. It was more focused on a person whose side he was usually by at this time of day. What would they have done today, just him and Pit? Would they have drawn more things despite almost running out of subjects to create art from? Would they have tried different recipes with unique yet also delicious tastes? Would they have blown bubbles using the new bubble wands Marth made for Pit?

Speaking of his gift, he still had one wand left to give to the boy. Initially he was about to include that particular wand in the set. However a moment of doubt stopped him from doing so. Pit might have been inexperienced in the ways of the outside world, but even he should know what the last wand's shape instigated, right? Now the blunette wasn't sure whether he would ever get the chance to present it to his beloved friend. He wished he had given it to Pit if that was the last day he would be seeing him.

Marth's heart froze when he had that thought. Yesterday couldn't possibly be the last time he would be seeing Pit. He couldn't fathom that idea at all. If he were to never visit the boy he had grown to love again…no, Marth wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't dare. It was as if being with Pit was the only thing that kept Marth going. A return to his former, desolate life before meeting Pit would be detrimental. Life wouldn't be worth living at all.

Was there anything he could do to see his beloved again? Perhaps he could still visit when Link wasn't present? While that was possible, Marth didn't like the idea of sneaking in. There was a chance of Link coming home early. There were few spots to hide in the house, and the safest way to escape was through one of the windows. Yet avoiding detection would also be difficult due to Link's sharp hearing. Could Marth apologize to Link? No, he answered himself immediately. He would not apologize for doing what was right. If he apologized insincerely, he doubted that Link would buy it. The older man probably wouldn't accept it even if Marth asked genuinely. They were both stubborn that way. But could Marth honestly live without Pit? No, he couldn't. As he had thought before, life wouldn't be worth living.

"Marth!"

Said person started at the violent call of his name. he looked up to see the ring of concerned expressions staring at him. Since when did they arrive at the table already? Marth swiftly racked through his memories before vaguely remembering how they finally reached their destination with everybody else already there. Introductions were in order as Zelda was with them today. Then he and Lucina sat down to join the group. The usual bantering came around while they talked with one another and caught up. It seemed like a lot had passed yet for some reason Marth couldn't exactly recall those events in great detail. Was he really that distracted that he couldn't even remember the most recent happenings?

The one who had spoken was Lucina, who also had the most anxious look in her eyes out of all of them. Seeing that they captured his attention, Lucina continued, "Are you sure you're all right? You definitely seem a lot more distracted than usual."

Marth's heart leapt when he saw their concern for him. He hadn't told them about his true feelings for Pit yet nor did he tell them about the fight he had with Link yesterday. He didn't want them to worry about him. The college student smiled wearily in a sad attempt to appease. He nodded his head. "I'm sure. Just tired, that's all."

"Really?" Ike raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Because you didn't respond at all when we asked you a question five times. Three's usually the limit. Admit it, something's bothering you. What is it?"

"It's nothing important."

"We understand if you don't want to say, but it's not good to keep it in," Zelda said. "If you tell us, it'll make you feel better."

"We're your friends, man. We'll understand whatever you have to say," Roy added his own bit.

Marth shook his head, smile still frozen on his face. "Don't worry about it."

"Regardless, just know that we will listen if you ever want to talk," Meta spoke up. "We might not be able to help, but sometimes simply talking about it is enough."

"I know. Thank you." Though his friends still seemed unconvinced, they pursued the matter no further. They were reassured that Marth would come to them with his problems. Although he had conflicts now, he felt like it wasn't the right time yet to tell his friends. Perhaps sometime in the future when it became too unbearable, then he would say. However, judging by how his mind was unhealthily wandering back to Pit, his consultation with his friends might come sooner than he thought. For now he'd try to enjoy his time with his friends.

"Hey, look. It's Robin. Hey! Robin!" Roy called as he waved to further get the albino's attention. Said person looked over to the table that had an abnormally large number of people today. His eyes flashed when he recognized a blue head that hadn't been at the table whenever he came by. However Robin took his sweet time walking over to the group. He didn't seem to be in a huge rush like the couple of days earlier. The six people watched as the newcomer approached, all curious to the business he had with them, or one in particular. When he finally came in level with their table, Roy spoke again, "So where were you this whole time? Marth actually came by some days ago."

"Sorry. I just came back yesterday from a tournament," Robin explained. He was about to say more, or possibly talk to Marth, when Lucina quickly interrupted:

"What kind of a tournament was it, if you don't mind my asking?"

Robin looked over at her. The slightest blush appeared on his cheeks but thankfully nobody said anything. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, just some tournament for a variety of games like LMAO."

"LMAO?"

"League Masters and Order," Zelda quickly clarified. "It's an extremely popular PC game."

Ike smirked at his girlfriend. "Of course you would know, Zel."

She stuck her tongue at him before addressing Robin. "You're part of the champion team, aren't you, Robin?" He nodded in confirmation, a slight flush of pride now coloring his face.

"My team and I had to be there to defend our title. I missed a few lectures, but it was worth it."

"I bet it was since I heard that you succeeded," Zelda hid a smile.

A sudden small cough drew everybody's attention. They looked over to Marth staring at Robin intently. The blunette tilted his head to the side. "You…wanted to give me a message?" he gently reminded.

"Oh, right, right. Sorry about getting carried away," Robin apologized. Marth waved the apology aside. Normally he wasn't this impatient for anything other than getting to Pit's house on time. However he wanted to get his mind off of Pit. Fat chance of that happening, but he might as well try. Unfortunately that was an impossible wish as Marth would never be able to get his mind off of Pit completely and with what the gamer said next. Robin took a deep breath before plunging forward:

"Nadir says to stop. He doesn't want you telling his brother stories or visiting him ever again."

Multiple eyebrows rose at that. An uncomfortable silence settled on the table at the rather blunt and rude message. Marth simply stared back at the albino with his unwavering eyes. Robin squirmed under the gaze of his peers, the receiver of his dispatch unnerving him the most. The saying "don't kill the messenger" crossed his mind.

"Wait, who's Nadir?" Lucina frowned in question.

"He's Pit's older brother," Meta explained. Before she could ask further, the shorter student continued, "Pit is a close friend of Marth's. But why would his older brother want Marth to stop? As far as we know, he wasn't doing anything bad."

Robin shrugged. "I'm just passing on the message Nadir wanted to give to Marth. It's none of my business, but Nadir was quite insistent on me telling Marth that."

"Why didn't he just email or call my cousin? Or tell him in person when Marth visits his house? It would have been a lot faster that way."

"We asked the same questions before too," Roy commented on the side.

"I really don't know. It would have been awkward asking. And Nadir doesn't live with Pit."

"…Let me talk to him," Marth who had been dwelling on Nadir's statement for the past minutes finally spoke up again. His friends looked at him in surprise. There was a strange determination in the college student's eyes. He was not going to take no for an answer. Though logic told him that Nadir had no idea about the fight he had with Link, some instinct told him that Link already told his other son. If that was the case, then Nadir would have had the opportunity to tell Robin not to rely the message. However he still wanted Marth to hear those words. The college student wondered why. Since his only connection with the mysterious brother was through Robin at the moment, he might as well try and contact Nadir now. Who knew? Perhaps Marth would be able to convince Nadir into changing his stance about him seeing his younger brother. Or at least ask him to persuade Link into forgiving him. Though that was less likely to happen seeing how Nadir was already unhappy with Marth visiting Pit to begin with.

"Excuse me. What?" Robin asked.

"Let me talk to him."

"That's…not a good idea."

"Why?"

"Well…Nadir told me not to call him throughout this whole week. Said that he had some business to do and he didn't want to be disturbed since the tournament already set him back a few days."

"…Let me talk to him."

Robin returned Marth's stare for a moment longer before sighing in resignation and pulling out his phone. He knew that he wasn't going to win this argument any time soon with Marth's stubbornness getting in the way. It was obvious that no amount of persuading or reasoning could deter the blunette from wanting to talk to Pit's older brother. He scrolled through his contacts before reaching Nadir's name. He clicked on it and handed it rather swiftly to Marth. The blunette raised an eyebrow at Robin's rush but didn't comment on it. He held the phone up to his ear, the sound of the dialing filling his head. After a few seconds, the person Marth presumed to be Nadir picked up. However the receiver wasn't like everybody who said hello in an inquiring tone.

Marth could see even his friends flinching at the loud voice coming from the phone. Not only that, Nadir's immediate swearing also made them all cringe, especially Robin:

"Fuck you, Tactician! I fucking told you not to call me this whole week! I fucking swear, if you fucking call me one more fucking time, I'm coming over there and breaking your shitty legs! You hear me, Robin?! Fuck, man!"

Before Marth could even utter a word, the line beeped its death. He blinked once before shifting his attention over to Robin. The albino shrugged a silent "sorry, but I told you so." He held out his hand for the return of his phone. However Marth hesitated in returning the device. He was still in slight astonishment at the attitude Nadir showed. It was insane that his sweet, little friend could be related to such a foul-mouthed delinquent. Perhaps he was in a horrible mood since he did warn Robin to not call him. After all, Pit did tell Marth how nice his older brother was to him. Still it was scandalous to hear those words in a voice almost identical to Pit's. He could never imagine the boy ever saying those kinds of words.

"Can I please have my phone back?" Robin inquired. Marth snapped out of his thoughts. He looked at the phone in his hand for another brief moment before handing it back to Robin. The albino took it gratefully. "Anyways, I should be going now. I'll see you guys later." The group politely waved their farewells as the student walked off. Once he disappeared they quickly turned their attention back to Marth.

"What the hell was that about?" Ike was tempted to replace one of his words with another word to emphasize his shock, but another person had already used it more times he cared to count. "What was that guy's problem?"

"Are you sure he's related to Pit?" Meta asked Marth. The blunette nodded numbly in response. The shorter student crossed his arms in thought though his mask gave little of what he was thinking to his friends.

"Well, he did tell Robin not to call him that whole week. He probably assumed that it was Robin who called him, not Marth," Lucina suggested.

"Probably," Roy agreed. "Still, that didn't give him a good excuse to curse up a storm. I thought he actually said 'fucking' after every word."

"What were you planning to ask him anyways, Marth? Did it have something to do with Pit?" Zelda questioned gently.

"…yeah," the college student admitted. His friends exchanged quick glances with each other, glances that Marth missed due to staring at the table melancholically.

"Did something happen?" Meta probed further. Marth hesitated before shaking his head. That didn't convince Meta or the others at all. Yet the blunette still refused to say anything about the matter. If they knew then they would have immediately offered some advice. Seeing how they only knew that it had something to do with Marth's mysterious friend without any full details, there was little they could say and do. Suddenly Marth stood up, his expression unreadable now.

"I think I'm going home to rest for a bit," Marth quietly said. "Lucina, you have a key to my apartment on you, right?"

"Yeah, but do you want me to go home with you?"

Marth was already shaking his head no before his cousin finished her sentence. "It's fine. Stay here. It'd be fun for you to spend time with them."

"You're not going over to Pi-?" Zelda quickly jabbed her elbow into her boyfriend's side, earning a grunt of pain. Ike looked at her indignantly, his eyes asking what he did wrong. Zelda responded angrily with her own eyes. However the damage was already done. A cold air suddenly blanketed the group and it wasn't because of Nadir's cursing. The whole table shifted uncomfortably when Marth narrowed his eyes.

"No, I'm not," he said tersely. Before anybody else could speak up to stop him, Marth quickly turned away to leave. He walked a few steps before somebody called to him.

"Marth?"

Said young man turned to see Meta stare at him solemnly. The shorter student had also stood up at this point. Marth waited for his friend to say his bit but he wasn't moving any closer. Meta let the silence stretch between them as he searched for some hidden message in Marth's eyes. Though it was difficult to see from the distance between them, the masked student could make out an extremely faint sign of something. Of what, he wasn't exactly sure. However he knew that it wasn't good if it was causing Marth to act negatively. He knew he couldn't really say much to change his friend's mind at the moment, but at least he could say, "Don't let your obsession take over."

Marth simply blinked, and Meta could see that the faint something had disappeared. "Of course," the college student said hollowly before he turned back to the road to return home.

…

Again, Link cursed himself for allowing Marth to get close to his son. Even though it had been days since the college student showed himself here, time did little to appease Link's anger concerning Marth. The first moment he laid eyes on Marth, he knew there was something weird about the blunette. He should have known better than to let an outsider into their lives, an outsider who had the upsetting potentiality to turn their whole world upside down. He should have went with his gut feeling and let the blunette go after allowing Marth to see his son like he initially promised. However the father just had to ask the college student to babysit his son for one day. Then he just had to allow Marth to visit whenever he wanted. It seemed, at first, a great decision at the time. The father could leave with less of a worry about Pit leaving the house or somebody kidnapping his son. But now look at what happened. His son, his precious, adorable son, asked to go outside after Link made it absolutely clear that the house was the safest and only place Pit should be in. And it was all Marth's fault.

The father cursed the college student's existence. Why did he have to tell Pit stories about the outside world? Was it really that difficult to just watch over him without telling him such ridiculous ideas? Now his son would have idiotic notions and dangerous ideas about said place. Those idiotic notions and dangerous ideas would only lead Pit down a troubling path. He had already made sure before that his son had no chance of straying off his designated path. Unfortunately Marth's story-telling caused Pit to question his life. There were small traces of a new route opening to the boy, a new road that the father had no intention of allowing his son to follow. Now Link had to destroy that newfound path and any other options available. He would not permit Marth's stories corrupt Pit's mind anymore. At least now Marth was out of their lives, no longer threatening their peaceful way. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't repeat that mistake. Even if Marth came crawling back asking for forgiveness and begging on his knees, Link would not accept his apology.

"Dad…"

Pit's timid voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked over to where his son was quietly rolling the peas around his plate with his fork. The man was able to get some of his cooking skills back. However the food he made was second-rate to the meals he and Pit became used to eating the past few months. Link frowned at the sorrowful expression the boy had. He ignored the awkward feeling of having only empty air where another person should have been sitting with them at the table. He didn't want to acknowledge how much of an impression Marth had left them. The sooner they forgot about him, the better.

"What is it, Pit?"

"Is…" Pit hiccupped, "is Marth com-."

"He is not allowed to come back, Pit," Link said tersely. Pit flinched from his harsh words. The boy inhaled shallowly. His heart wrestled with whether or not he should pursue the matter further. Before Marth had come into his life, the boy would have let it settle right there. Now he plunged forth in curiosity and melancholy.

"…W-why not?"

"Because he continuously broke my rules. If he can't follow the rules, then he isn't allowed in this house."

Pit hesitated. It looked like he was pondering on what to say next. "What…"

Link did not like where this was going.

"What rules did he break?

"You don't need to know. Finish your dinner." Link picked his fork back up, hoping that that would be the final word on the matter. Unfortunately his son wanted otherwise.

"What rules did he break, Dad?" Pit repeated.

The older man set down his utensils again. He looked at his son with a frown. He wasn't normally this inquisitive. Usually after Link gave him a slight explanation, the boy was content with that. "Pit, what has gotten into you?"

"I…I just want to know."

"Even if you do know what rules he broke, it won't change the fact that he is not welcome here anymore."

"But why? Marth didn't do anything wrong. All he did was take care of me and play with me."

"…"

"I miss him, Dad…can't he come back, please?"

"…no."

"Why?"

"Because I said so, Pit."

Pit shook his head. "That's not a good reason for not letting him come back, Dad."

"…good…reason?" Link asked softly. His son suddenly shrank in his seat at the strange tone the older man was using. The dad glared at the boy. "I see. This is the result of that bastard coming here. You really want to know my reason?" Pit flinched at the venom dripping from his dad's words. He could tell that he pushed his dad too far now. He was beginning to regret his decision. Link continued:

"It's because of the lies he's been telling you, the things he's been insinuating. While I don't mind him encouraging you to draw, I do have a problem with him trying to persuade you into going outside when I clearly told him that you are not to go outside. And do you know why I told him that? Because I thought I could trust him to protect you from everything that would hurt you out there. But he betrayed that trust and still encouraged you to go outside."

"But Dad. It wasn't his idea to go outside that day. It was mine! He didn't know-."

"That doesn't matter! He gave you that idea! He told you stupid things that shouldn't have been told. And because of that, you're getting silly notions of stepping foot out of the only place that guarantees your safety! Why would you disobey me now after promising me you wouldn't leave the house? You only started to want this after he came along with his lies. No matter how you look at it, it's his fault."

"But I'm the one who-!"

"I already said it doesn't matter if he didn't know or if you asked! He still encouraged you when he shouldn't have! For the last time, you are not going outside, Pit! And Marth is not allowed here anymore! Not now, not ever! Do you hear me? I don't want to hear this nonsense again!"

"But Dad!"

"Pit!" Link slammed his fist on the table, making the plates fly into the sky before they crashed back down. Pit jumped in his seat at the sudden violence, his heart leaping like their meal. His mouth was slightly open but not even a horrified cry could be heard. Link inhaled sharply to calm himself. He saw the petrified look on his son's face and guilt stabbed at his heart. He sighed in resignation as he rubbed his eyes. "Pit…I'm only doing this for your own good. You have to understand that…" When his son didn't respond, Link sighed again. "…finish your dinner, Pit." The meal continued on in a silence tenser than before. Only the sounds of forks scratching the plate echoed in the kitchen. When they finally finished, Link told Pit to go upstairs to get ready for bed while he cleaned up. His son obeyed without a word, silently leaving the room. The dad listened to the disappearing footsteps before focusing his attention on the dishes.

When he finished and went upstairs to Pit's room, Link saw how his son was already in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin. His cobalt eyes met Pit's sapphire ones and Link gave his son a small, tired smile. However Pit sat up in bed and slid his eyes away from his dad's gaze. Link tried to ignore that as he walked over to the boy. The green-clad man gently grasped Pit's shoulder with one hand while the other touched under Pit's chin. He tilted Pit's head up so they met eyes again. Before the younger could ask with confused words, the older answered with a soothing kiss.

Pit moaned slightly when he felt his dad message his shoulder. He instinctively reached out to wrap his own arms around Link's neck. The boy gasped slightly when Link shifted to bite the side of his neck. Then Pit felt the familiar sensation of his skin being sucked. He tightened his grip around Link's neck.

However his dad ended the session a bit earlier than he expected. Pit looked at Link in confusion as the older man pulled away. Link simply pushed Pit back to lay on his bed. Then he pulled the covers back up comfortably. He patted his son's head softly, as if to urge Pit to go to sleep.

"Pit, I have to go back to my workplace for a little bit. So we won't be able to comfort each other tonight, all right?"

"Yes, Dad."

Link gave another smile as he leaned in to give one last kiss. Pit responded with his own kiss. When they parted again, Link patted Pit's cheek. "Good night, Pit."

"Good night, Dad." The older man nodded as he walked away from the bed. Pit watched his dad open the door to leave. However Link paused there for a moment in deep thought. After a while, he finally looked back at Pit again.

"…I love you, Son."

"I love you too, Dad," Pit replied. Link lingered at the door for a few more seconds before turning away. He closed the door silently with only the click of the lock as a sound. Despite being shut in, Pit could hear his father's footsteps walking away. As soon as they stepped out of range, the boy leapt from his covers to head to his window. He reached for the lock but hesitated once he touched it. Remembering Marth's stories, Pit steeled himself and unlocked the window. Yet his fingers again remained frozen, not yet pushing the panel up. His heart pounded a million miles per second at what he did. The blood rushing to his head pulsed in tune with his heart. Was he really going to do this? At night when his father told him it was the most dangerous time of all? What if a kidnapper broke in right now to steal him away? Or a gun suddenly pointed at his head to take his life? Surely not! He would be crazy to do something against Link's will. Even Nadir warned him about the different terrors the darkness brought.

However he remembered the various stories Marth told him, especially about how some people occasionally celebrated holidays at night. Perhaps nighttime wasn't at all that bad then if other people would venture out. He certainly hoped that was the case. Pit took a deep breath before he cracked his window up for the smallest of breeze to filter through. He waited a tense moment to see what would happen next. Two, five, twelve, twenty, thirty seconds passed and nothing happened. No shadowy figure climbing through the opening. No frightening banshee screeching his ears dry. Nothing. Just the wind gently beckoning him to open up a bit further. He shifted his hands, thinking that he moved the window up a little bit when in reality he didn't. The boy froze again. He waited until he heard the front door of his house opening.

Pit searched the streets for some signs of his father. He wondered what could be keeping the older man when a small spark moving down the street caught his attention. The little fire lit up just a part of Link's face, but Pit knew that that was his dad. He realized that Link had stayed by the door to light his cigarette before continuing his way to his workplace. The boy watched the spark disappear around the corner. The moment he lost his target, Pit sprang from his bed towards his wardrobe.

He pulled out the attire he had set aside long ago for the day he would finally step foot outside. The boy changed quickly into the shirt and pants, slipping on the jacket usually reserved for colder nights. He reached into the jacket pocket to pull out the drawing he had stored. Pit's heart leapt when he recognized the markings of Marth's apartment. Perhaps he would be able to find the place his beloved friend lived in. Surely it couldn't that far from his own home, right? Pit figured that he would have time to visit Marth for a brief moment before sprinting back home. By then it wouldn't be as scary since Marth might also accompany the boy home. He also grabbed the flashlight he had stored with his other equipment. For a while Pit considered whether he should bring along Marth's gift. After a moment of struggling with himself, he finally relented with pocketing the yellow, plus-shaped bubble wand since it was the brightest out of all of them.

After gathering everything he deemed necessary for his journey, Pit slowly creaked his door open. His fearful, sapphire orbs registered only darkness and nothing else. He waited for something to appear when nothing would. His scouting of the area finished, Pit tip-toed out of his room. He immediately flipped the flashlight on for the small bright circle to lead his way. A strange thrill ran down the boy's spine. Though the terror was clearly there, his heart also pulsed with excitement. He couldn't exactly explain it but he wasn't complaining about it either. If only fear resided in his heart at the moment, then he wouldn't be here. Pit steadily stepped down the stairs.

Once he reached the living room Pit headed towards the foyer. He shivered from the freezing temperatures of the house. For some reason his once comfortable house transformed into a desolate, creepy place. Everywhere he shined his light, his heart leapt in fear before his mind could register the familiar sight. The rabid bear hibernated as the sofa, the snapping alligator flattened further into a table, and the smirking dragon towered like their potted plant. Pit had to take several deep breaths before he could continue. It took a lot of his willpower to resist the almost overwhelming desire to race back up the stairs into his room and under his covers. Each time he would be plagued by that temptation, the boy would remind himself about what Marth told him. Simply remembering Marth's kind voice enabled him to overcome those urges. He continued onward.

Soon Pit came face-to-face with the magical door. He stared at it with wide eyes, his circle bathing it in spotlight. This was it. This was finally his chance to step into the forbidden realm of the outside world, the world that both his father and brother discouraged him from entering. A small voice in his head whispered that he wouldn't dare. He shouldn't be doing this. Why was he doing this? He could be safe in his bed right now, dreaming of happiness. He would not be in any of the dangers that his father warned him about, being kidnapped and stabbed and burned and drowned. And what would Link think of his actions? After all these years of discouraging him from going outside, how would his dad react? Judging from Link's reactions the past few days and especially tonight, he would not take it so lightly. Pit would definitely be punished for this disobedience after his dad already reemphasized his ban. In fact tonight's fight was almost enough to stop Pit from continuing. The thought of what Link might do to him almost coaxed him back to his room.

Yet a different thought stopped him from listening blindly. Marth had taught him that the world he feared so much was not without its positivity. While there were bad things, his dear friend encouraged him not to forsake the good things simply because the bad exist. After all Marth himself came from the outside world. He brought with him stories, fun, food, and warmth, all from the forbidden place. So it couldn't possibly be all that bad, could it? Pit felt in his pocket for the bubble wand. He held it close to his chest in reminder of his friend. Though it was a poor substitute to Marth's loving warmth, it still gave the boy courage and reinvigorated his purpose. He would simply go out for a while and return, just enough so nothing bad of the sort could happen to him.

Pit held his breath as he turned the knob.

Well...wasn't that exciting? If you guys haven't figured it out, I had fun writing Nadir's part. Sorry if you guys felt uncomfortable with so much swearing in one speech, but I can't deny how much fun I had writing it. My cousin laughed when she read that part. But let's get to the questions:

1) What are your thoughts on Nadir now? Still think Pit's version of him is accurate?

2) How do you like to spend time with your friends? (Whenever we hang out at a friend's house, one of us makes sure to bring the Wii U, Smash, and two GameCube controller adapters. And our 3DS for Streetpass, of course.)

3) What do you usually want to bring when you're going out or traveling? (My phone, headphones, 3DS, and flash drive, to name a few.)

4) What do you think would happen to Pit as he tries to explore the outside world for the first time?

And that's pretty much it! Again, sorry I couldn't get this present out on time, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same, Paradigm. See you guys next time! Oh...next time...MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Poor Pit.