Unlike Toon Link and Lucina, Dark Pit had no success in finding anyone. Granted, his methods relied a bit more on luck than theirs. Toon Link had gone to school to meet with their young friends, while Lucina took to research based on the information they brought from their time. Dark Pit, meanwhile, simply took daily walks around the city in order to people-watch.
They weren't in the best of positions to waste their time like this, but at the same time the dark-haired boy could think of no better alternative method. Furthermore, he quite liked taking walks around the city. Living with Peach, Olimar, and everyone else was not unpleasant, but he couldn't help but feel like the place got too crowded for his liking. Taking these walks was a great way to satisfy his need for privacy, whilst at the same time being somewhat productive.
The boy had by now finished his morning walk, and made his way over to the nearby park. He settled beside the trunk of an old tree, unzipping his backpack and pulling out the packed lunch Peach had prepared for him.
Just as he opened his mouth to take the first bite of his sandwich, Dark Pit froze, feeling as if something was staring at him. The boy turned around to find that this was, in fact, the case.
If it were almost anyone else, Dark Pit would've been annoyed. But at that point, his negative feelings were pushed aside at the sight of Kirby, staring at both him and the sandwich in his hand.
Of course, Dark Pit didn't really think it was a good idea to launch into an explanation immediately; after all, Kirby didn't know who he was in this timeline. Instead, he cleared his throat, and tried to act natural.
"Uh, can I help you?" He started, and Kirby nodded. Unfortunately, the batamon didn't go into detail, leaving Dark Pit with no choice but to guess what it needed help with.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, already ripping his sandwich in half. Kirby thankfully took its half and gleefully shoved the piece into its mouth, but shook its head all the same.
Irritation started creeping its way into Dark Pit's emotions, but the boy didn't let it show; he didn't want to drive Kirby away. "Are you lost?" He guessed again, feeling relief when the batamon nodded.
The feeling was short lived, as Dark Pit sighed and packed his lunch away, slinging his backpack back over his shoulder. "I guess I'll help you out, then. Do you have any idea where you're supposed to be?"
Kirby hummed in thought, then squeaked as it pointed its stubby hand to the north. The batamon began to march in that direction, and Dark Pit was quick to follow. However, it soon became evident that Kirby was not very fast on its little legs, and the boy wasn't satisfied with their slow pace. He bent down and scooped the pink puffball into his arms. "It'll be faster this way." He explained.
Kirby was not at all uncomfortable with this action; to Dark Pit's surprise, the batamon seemed to be feeling the exact opposite. It squeaked once more before pointing in a different direction, and Dark Pit began to move once more.
Their walk continued for another fifteen minutes, following the same pattern. Kirby would occasionally stop, point in a new direction, and the boy would follow.
However, Dark Pit was getting more and more irritated on their lack of progress. It felt very much like they were moving in one big circle, and the dark-haired boy did not want to waste the rest of his day in this situation.
As he was about to open his mouth to express his impatience, Kirby suddenly squealed and wiggled in Dark Pit's grasp. He placed the batamon back on the ground, and followed it as it rushed to a group of kids standing near the edge of the street. Next to them was a large school bus, the entrance blocked off by a tall blonde woman, who was busy looking over a clipboard.
Dark Pit's eyes widened. It was enough of a surprise to find Kirby, but now Rosalina was here? Today was his lucky day.
"Ah, Kirby," the woman said. "Where have you been? We were just about to leave, I was getting worried." Her flat tone contradicted her words, but Dark Pit knew her well enough to realize she was being genuine.
He wasted no time in strolling up to her. "I helped him find his way back here," he declared, Rosalina's eyes widening as she looked to Kirby for confirmation. The batamon nodded vigorously.
"I see," Rosalina mumbled, then turned to look at Dark Pit once more. "Thank you very much for your help, then. If you hadn't brought Kirby back here, we would've had to search the whole park for it."
"Don't mention it," the dark-haired boy shrugged. "But, there is something I'd like to talk to you and Kirby about for a minute." He stole a glance at the group of kids, presumably the rest of Rosalina's students. "In private, if you don't mind." Their curious stares made the winged boy uncomfortable; it was probably for the better he didn't tell his story in front of a crowd of small children.
The blonde woman, however, frowned, her face twisted with confusion. "Ah, I'm sorry, I can't leave my class unattended," she started, stealing a glance at the silver watch on her wrist. "And we're already running a bit behind schedule as it is; I'm assuming this talk is going to take more than a few minutes."
Dark Pit wouldn't deny the fact that the response irritated him, but he pushed his emotions aside. Rosalina was being perfectly reasonable, and it would do no one any good if he got upset. "That's alright, it's not too urgent anyways," he lied. "But it is important that we talk soon. Why don't I give you my phone number, so you can call whenever you have the time."
"That would be lovely, thank you." Rosalina smiled, handing Dark Pit her clipboard and pen. The boy quickly scribbled down the number to Peach's flower shop before handing it back to the woman. He wasn't completely sure if she'd actually call it or was just being polite in this situation, but time would eventually tell.
"Alright, I'll talk to you later, then," Dark Pit said, turning around and walking back towards the center of the park; he still had a lunch to finish.
By the time Dark Pit returned home that afternoon, Peach and Olimar had already closed the shop. Worry bubbled in his gut; they weren't supposed to close for another hour or so, and the dark-haired boy feared the worst as he locked the door behind him and made his way up the stairs.
He was thankful to find everyone gathered around the living room, but anxiety still clawed at his insides upon sensing the tension in the room.
"Oh, Dark Pit, welcome back. How was your day?" Peach smiled.
"It was nice." He shrugged off his backpack and came to sit next to Toon Link, who was situated on the floor. "I met Kirby and Rosalina today. I tried to talk to them, but they didn't have time. I just gave Rosalina our phone number instead."
Toon Link smiled, Lucina raised an eyebrow, but neither said anything. "Oh," Olimar mumbled.
Peach was the most enthusiastic of the bunch. "That's great!" She clapped her hands together, her smile growing wider. Even if she didn't know exactly who the two were, Dark Pit's choice of words was enough of an implication. "I guess we should expect a call from her soon, then! In the mean time, care for some hot chocolate?" She offered, standing up and moving to the kitchen after Dark Pit nodded.
"Actually, we were just having a talk about this." Lucina coughed up.
"About Rosalina and Kirby?" the dark-haired boy questioned, gratefully accepting the mug Peach had returned with.
The blonde moved back to her seat as Dark Pit took a swig of his drink, flinching when the hot liquid burnt his tongue. "No, about our whole situation," Lucina continued. "Toon Link's told his friends about what's been happening, and they're thinking of launching a rescue mission."
Dark Pit remained silent, busy drinking his hot chocolate in smaller, less harmful sips. "In theory, it's not a bad idea," Peach offered, crossing her arms and leaning against the cushioning of her seat. "I mean, we'll probably have strength in numbers, and who's to say we'll even have to fight anyone if the goal is to bust people out of their little hideout?"
"Maybe," Olimar spoke up. "But keep in mind this 'strength in numbers' consists of primarily children. Even if they do have powers, are they strong enough to defend themselves when put in danger like this?"
Dark Pit still didn't say anything, instead observing everyone else in the room. Toon Link had his cheeks puffed out, as if he was frustrated. Perhaps he was thinking that yes, his friends could defend themselves; but that was when he knew them in their original timeline, and the blonde now had no idea how capable his friends were in this one.
For someone both Toon Link and Dark Pit looked to as the decision-maker, Lucina was uncharacteristically quiet. She kept her arms propped up on her knees as she leaned forward in her seat, chin resting in her palms as she thought.
"He's right," Dark Pit chipped in. "These kids do have powers, but so do the people we're up against. Say we do go through with this idea; we're gonna need experience and stealth, not raw power."
Peach pursed her lips, thinking over the two's argument. "Yes, but I think we still need to give it a shot while we still can," Lucina cut in, earning the stares of her peers; Dark Pit in particular. She was so determined not to make any direct approaches at the beginning, what changed her mind?
"According to Toon Link, someone else has been taken; someone who wasn't even involved in our timeline." The bluenette continued, as no one had said anything yet. "We know they're not gonna stop until they've captured everyone they're looking for, and, well, our methods for avoiding this outcome haven't been very efficient."
She paused, glancing around the room to gauge the others' emotions. "Plus, if there's people who are involved now who weren't in our timeline, they're going to be in the most danger. After all, we can't help them if we don't know who they are. We're not in the most ideal situation, but if we're going to try to stop them directly or at least slow them down, we need to do it now, while we still have the number advantage on our side."
Toon Link smiled triumphantly; it seemed the blonde had gotten the result he wanted from their discussion. Olimar just sighed in defeat. "I still can't shake the feeling something terrible is going to happen, though."
"But it's a risk we'll have to take," Peach shrugged. "After all, if we don't try, there's less of a risk of things going badly; but there's also a lot less room for us to improve our situation, yes?"
Olimar said nothing, as any responses were cut off by the shrill tone of their phone ringing throughout the house. Peach quickly stood from her seat, moving to snatch up the device and bringing it back into the living room. "Hello?" She answered.
"Ah, hello," the voice spoke, the even tone easily recognizable among Dark Pit, Toon Link, and Lucina. "I'm looking to speak with a boy I met today; did I perhaps get the wrong number?"
"No, no!" Peach was quick to respond. "He's right here. Hang on a sec," she paused, clicking a button on the phone. "Here, you're so speaker now so you can talk to all of us!"
"Oh, then, hello again." Rosalina's voice wavered ever so slightly, taken aback by Peach's spontaneous action.
"Hey," Dark Pit greeted, taking another sip of his now-cooled hot chocolate and grabbing the phone when Peach offered it to him.
Rosalina wasted little more time in the awkward small talk. "So, what is it that you wanted to tell me earlier today? I assume this involves whoever you're with, since I'm on the speaker."
"Yes, it does." Dark Pit began before launching into an explanation; how he, Lucina and Toon Link had arrived from the future, how they befriended Peach and Olimar, and the fate they wanted to stop from befalling her and Kirby. The rest of the group, sans Toon Link, would occasionally jump in with their own testimony, but Dark Pit remained the one to do the most explaining.
Rosalina stayed silent the entire time, most likely still absorbing all of the information the group had given her. "Are you still there?" The dark-haired boy asked. Perhaps the blonde woman had hung up long ago, and they were just now figuring it out.
A light hum of confirmation came from the phone's speakers. "This is a lot of information," she started, paused, then continued. "And I'm afraid you've got some things wrong."
"Huh?" Lucina blurted. How could they have possibly gotten their facts mixed up? They were the ones from the future; Rosalina wasn't.
"You see, I don't have any powers." She stated. "Based on your story, I don't think I'm in any immediate danger."
"So, you don't believe us?" Peach piped up, concern etched in her voice as she fiddled with her fingers in a nervous habit.
"If all I had was just your word for it, then no." Rosalina sighed, and her listeners' hearts sagged in defeat. "But, I think I have more proof that you might be right. You see, you were right about Kirby having powers, but there's also a friend of mine who does. Their name is Robin, and a few months ago it seemed they completely disappeared. It may not be too far of an assumption to think these people might have abducted them."
Lucina perked up. "Robin! Yes, we know about them, they were one of the first people who ended up missing. Though, by the time we got to this timeline, we were too late to prevent anything. I'm sorry, but I promise that so far we've been doing everything we can to stop all of this before it gets out of control."
"I see," Rosalina said. "It still seems far-fetched, but I suppose I can't deny that the facts line up. Don't worry, I'll believe your story."
"Thank you," Dark Pit sighed in relief. "But, the whole power mix-up is still weird. It's not the first time we've found something different about this time and ours." The dark-haired boy spared a glance at Olimar, one of the first anomalies they had encountered, before making eye contact with Lucina. The bluenette only shrugged; even if she was the time-traveler, it seemed she still had little idea of why this was happening, either.
"It's alright, but for now, I suppose there are more important things to worry about." Rosalina continued. "Really, I should be the one to thank the three of you; after all, you're the ones who've come all the way across time just to help those in danger." She gave a light chuckle. "For now, I can keep an extra eye on Kirby, but if there's anything else I can do, please let me know."
"Right. Thanks again, Ms. Rosalina."
"And have a good night!" Peach chipped in as they hung up.
"Hey."
Link jumped in his seat, looking up. Upon making eye contact with his friend, he relaxed his guard.
Zelda gave him a sheepish smile, pulling out the chair across from the table and taking a seat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she said, pulling out a book and a journal from her backpack and setting them down. "How's your arm?"
The blonde smiled back, giving her a small thumbs up. True to his word, the soreness he'd been feeling in his arm had long since faded away, and his stitches would more or less be ready to come out by next week.
"I'm glad to see you're doing better," Zelda nodded, taking out a pencil and opening up her journal.
For a long while, they sat in comfortable silence, the only noise around them was the background sounds of the library and the occasional shuffling of papers.
Link was almost finished with his reading when Zelda decided to speak up once more. "Hey, Link." The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Is it true that you and your friends have been going out at night to look for suspicious activity?"
She had lowered her voice, which only confused Link. His friend was treating this fact like a rumor, but Link would openly admit to the odd habit of he and his friends.
"Because if it is," Zelda continued, "I want in."
Link's mouth dropped into a solid O-formation. His friend's proclamation had completely thrown him off-guard. Not necessarily because he thought it was too dangerous for her, but because he thought she didn't approve of such actions. Sneaking out at night over an idea with as much credibility as a conspiracy theory was extremely reckless, and he knew Zelda was certainly not the type of person to do reckless things.
Still, who was he to deny his friend? Link shrugged, then nodded. Zelda smiled, closing her journal and packing up the rest of her belongings. "Great," she said, "Then give me a call next time you guys go out, and I'll see you then."
She slung her backpack back over her shoulder, taking care to scoot her chair back in before taking her leave.
Despite having an entire household to look after, Samus never really considered herself a motherly person. It's not that she never tried, but smothering her kids with hugs, kisses, or "I love you"s was never really a habit she could grasp. Instead, her acts of love came through subtly, and she was always grateful that they understood and appreciated her for who she was.
However, as Robin relayed the details of their newest prisoner, Samus felt as if she was turning into the very definition of the "mother bear" idiom. Fists clenched, breath shortened, teeth gritted. Anger boiled dangerously in her chest, threatening to lash out at Robin, but she knew they were not to blame.
Instead, Samus turned around and bolted out of the room, rushing through the halls until she found who she was looking for.
Even if Ganondorf was a head taller than her, she didn't hesitate to grab a handful of his collar and yank him down so they were face-to-face. "You asshole!" She growled, thankful that she was no longer required to wear her power suit in the house; Samus now had free reign to punch him in the face, if she so pleased.
"Excuse me?" Ganondorf's face remained impassive.
"Where's Shulk?" Samus hissed. She didn't bother asking about what they'd done to him; she knew he was most likely receiving the same treatment she had gotten when she was first captured.
Her fists shook with anger. In the back of her mind, she had been aware of the danger. They were after people with powers; it was a very real possibility that Shulk and Pikachu were going to face the same fate as her. Perhaps even R.O.B and Rock were, too, if they considered robots to be a valuable resource.
Still, she hadn't expected it to happen so suddenly, and Samus inwardly cursed at her own helplessness and inability to stop it from happening.
"I'll take you to see him," Ganondorf offered, gently taking Samus' fist in his own and removing it from his collar. Now back to his full height, he turned around and started walking down the hall. The man seemed completely unperturbed by her rage, which only served to intensify her feelings.
Regardless, she drew in a shaky breath and followed him through the halls, making sure to memorize as much of the route as she could. Eventually, they stopped in front of a plain door, and Ganondorf withdrew a key from his pocket.
As soon as he unlocked the door and opened it, Samus marched into the room.
Upon looking up and seeing her, Shulk's eyes widened. His mouth dropped. "Samus?" He gasped as she approached him, taking a seat on his bed. She held a firm, but gentle grip on his shoulders as she inspected him for any injuries.
"Are you alright?" Samus asked as Ganondorf made his appearance in the doorway. He kept a respectful distance, but his stare still left the two slightly uncomfortable.
Shulk shook his head. "I'm fine. But, I don't understand," he sputtered. "Is this where you've been the entire time? Why didn't you ever call us, to tell us you were alright?" Shulk drew in another breath. "Are you actually working for these people?"
Samus was quiet, but eventually she spoke up. "Yes, and no," she sighed, sparing a glance at Ganondorf. She could barely make out the small smirk plastered on his face, and she now realized why he was smiling. He hadn't suddenly allowed her to see Shulk out of the kindness of his heart, or because her anger persuaded him; the man had brought her here because he needed someone to convince Shulk to join them.
And Samus had no choice but to do so, because if Shulk kept denying Ganondorf's offer, he'd only end up in the same situation as herself. Shame twisted her gut at the idea that she'd be doing exactly what that man wanted, but she was not going to see her son strapped into a power suit if she had anything to say about it.
"I'm just as trapped as you are," Samus said, refusing to make eye contact with Shulk. The homs swallowed thickly, waiting for her to continue. "This whole organization is shit," she glared at Ganondorf, "but we're in no situation to be defying anybody. You need to agree to work with them."
Her son remained silent, looking away from her. "I don't know if I can," she could hear the anxiousness in his voice. "I was never even told what it is I'm supposed to do, or what these people want. Why are you so afraid of them? What's the worst that's going to happen if I tell them no?" The homs redirected his gaze towards Ganondorf. "Are you going to kill me?"
The man only let out a light chuckle. "No. When we founded this organization, we made a promise to refrain from bringing severe harm to any members or potential members. I'm not breaking that promise." Shulk flinched at his last sentence, but Ganondorf paid little attention. He crossed the room, picking up the glasses Shulk had abandoned on the dresser to examine them.
"But of course, Samus is right. You aren't in any position to defy us." He continued. "If you continue to do so, we'll have to give you a power suit, like the one she has. Needless to say, it's not a pleasant experience."
Shulk's face dropped, his fists clenched. The homs could do nothing but come to terms with his helplessness. Samus tentatively grabbed one of his hands and gave it a light squeeze, as if to say, "I'm sorry."
"Of course, we only have so much xenoite with us," Ganondorf's mouth curved into a wicked smile. "It may be a waste to try and make another power suit." He turned the glasses over in his hand, humming in thought. "Perhaps we could find a way to modify these, and give them the same autopilot functions as the power suit. Of course, then we'd have to find a way to keep these glasses permanently attached."
The homs paled, looking between his mother and Ganondorf. "I... okay." He swallowed. "I understand your point. I'll work with you."
"Good." Ganondorf was still smiling, handing the glasses out to Shulk. "Now, how about giving these a try? I'd like to know what these visions of yours can tell me."
Samus could only watch as her son gently picked up the object, slowly slipping them on. His face slackened, eyes growing wide and glowing in an ethereal blue. The homs stayed still for a solid minute, and terror edged it's way into her heart. Shulk's visions usually never lasted this long.
Finally, he gasped, the blue glow fading from his eyes. Shulk was quick to remove the glasses once more, dropping them onto the bed.
"What did you see?" Ganondorf asked.
He didn't answer right away, taking a moment to gather himself. "I... there were seven people. One of them was some sort of, ah, it looked like a koopa? It was being attacked by the other five, and I think they were winning the fight."
"What did these people look like?" Ganondorf pressed.
"One of them was a batamon, for sure. I think two of them were hylian, and the other three were human." Shulk rubbed his temples, concentrating. Samus was honestly surprised that he'd managed to remember so many details so quickly; it must have been the xenoite. Her son often described visions as being dreamlike when watching them, but having opposite aftereffects. While people who dream usually remember details right after they wake up, then forgot once they spent a few minutes conscious, visions started blurry and only became more detailed when the event was close to happening.
Ganondorf nodded in understanding. "I see. Thank you, then." He turned around, heading for the door. "I'll keep the door unlocked now, and let you wander around the house. But don't think that means you have a greater chance of escaping. Welcome to our group." With that, he left.
The other two spent a few minutes in silence, before Samus decided to speak up again. "I'm so sorry, Shulk."
Her son shook his head. "It's not your fault." His voice still shook.
Sorry for the delayed update, but thank you for your patience, and thank you for reading!
