Chapter 3- Painful Memories: Marth's POV
A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! I really appreciate all the reviews, and for that, here's chapter three. Sorry for the late update. Crappy Internet service. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy. Just to show my gratitude, here's some cookies I got from the dark side. The chocolate chips are still hot! Mmmmmm
Anyways, in this chapter, you'll get to see a little of what Marth has been dealing with, both in his present, and in his past. This shows that his life was never perfect, no matter how much he wished it was. This will all lead up to something, I'm not quite sure.
Anyways, read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did, I'd probably be living in Japan. Sadly, I'm in California, trying not to freeze. :D
Marth woke from a restless sleep the next morning, drenched in sweat. He had had a disturbing nightmare, which had left him with no energy for the day. And that was just peachy. His dream happened to be a frequently recurring nightmare. This nightmare wasn't just any ordinary nightmare either. It was a nightmare that had only just been reality a few years ago. But it had quickly turned nightmarish back then, so it was certainly nightmarish now. He shuddered again and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He checked his bedside clock. It read 5-30 in the morning, much too early for him to get ready for class. He yawned widely and tried to go back to sleep. But sleep was clearly out of the question now. All signs of sleep, no matter how tired he was, was gone. Deciding to take his morning shower, he got out of bed, shivering with the cold. He glanced over to Roy's bed to find his friend snoring away, hugging a pillow with his mouth wide open. Marth smirked and then gathered his belongings, heading to the bathroom.
When he reached the door to the bathroom, he found that the door was locked. He swore under his breath and prepared to wait. Whoever was in there better of hurry up. It was freezing out here, and the cold was making its way through Marth's clothing. He glanced about the hall. All was quiet. Snores could be heard up and down the halls. Ike and Meta Knight seemed to be having a snoring contest. It always drove everyone crazy nowadays. He spotted the thermostat. It read 48 degrees. So that's why it was so damn cold in here! He quickly crossed to the wall and turned up the heat. He didn't notice how high, however. It quickly warmed up, and he found that he had stopped shivering. Whoever had been in the bathroom was sure taking his or her time. Marth sank to the floor, and surprisingly, quickly fell asleep.
"Hey, wake up. C'mon, wake up!" Something nudged Marth. He groaned and turned over, not wanting to wake.
"Dude, c'mon, wake up! You're drooling on the floor!" Marth blinked sleepily, staring up at the figure above him. Peach stood above him, eyes twinkling and a smile plastered across her face, as if she wanted to laugh. Her face, looked, to Marth's surprise, looked bruised. She was wearing a long sleeved blue v-neck and some torn jeans. She looked quite pretty, aside from the bruises. Marth shook his head. "Wha?" Peach laughed. "You fell asleep next to the door. I was kind of curious why you were there." Marth stood. "Oh, I was just waiting for someone to get out of the shower. I woke up pretty early, and I decided to take an early shower. I didn't mean to fall asleep." Peach laughed again. "You're quite funny when you blather on in the morning," Marth stared at her, dumbfounded. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't know your name. Mine's Peach by the way." Marth shook her extended hand. "I'm Marth. It's nice to finally truly meet you." Peach smiled, and Marth smiled back. "Nice to finally meet you too." Marth gathered up his things. "Anyways, I'll catch you later okay?"
"Sure thing. Listen Marth, can I talk to you later? Maybe at lunch?" Marth nodded. "Sure thing." He stepped inside the bathroom, and she waved goodbye.
Marth showered and dressed, all the while wondering what was with Peach's happy mood. She seemed … a bit cheerier today. He pulled a black headband over his head, holding back his blue locks. He checked himself in the mirror, making sure he was presentable. He wore a blue short sleeved v-neck, which complimented his physique. Tight black skinny jeans sheathed his legs in their denim. He brushed a strand of hair behind his head. Finally, he was satisfied. He walked out of the bathroom. Everyone seemed to be awake by now, so he thought it unnecessary to be quiet. He vaguely started singing a song, letting his voice carry throughout the dorm.
He entered the kitchen to find Roy, fully dressed and drinking a cup of coffee. "Well, look who's peppy this morning." Marth chuckled and poured himself a cup of tea. "I just feel a bit happier. My headache finally left, so I'm alright now." Roy rolled his eyes. "Is that really it? I have a feeling it's not." Marth blushed. "It is, really." Roy narrowed his eyes. "You're lying to me Marth. You can't lie to me bro." Marth stuck out his tongue childishly. "It's nothing, really. I just feel … feel at peace with the world." Roy snorted. "At peace with the world? Your seriously starting to worry me Marth. I think you need to see the psychiatrist."
"I do not!" Marth protested loudly. "Yes you do. You're a freaking perfectionist for goddess's sakes! That's not right to me at all. Being perfect is a curse, a curse I tell you." Marth snorted with laughter. "Look who's saying that I need help. Your about as superstitious as I am. And believe me, I can be superstitious when I want to."
"True, so true. Anyways," He stood up. "I've got to go."
"Where you heading?" Marth asked, sitting at the table to drink his tea. "Have to go to the main office. I lost my Calculus book, so I couldn't do my homework." Marth rolled his eyes. He knew very well that Roy had not lost his textbook. He always pulled out this excuse whenever they focused on a lesson that he didn't understand. Roy bid him a farewell and Marth was left in a silent kitchen. Marth facepalmed. Putting on an act of happiness was far harder than it looked, especially when you had Roy as a best friend. Marth was far from happy right now. He thought the kitchen was quiet, but it wasn't silent for long.
"Lalalala lalalala, Pit's World!" said boy danced into the room, not taking notice of Marth at first. He poured himself a cup of Sunny-D and continued dancing. "Pit loves his Sunny-D, his Oreos too! IT'S PIIIIIT'S WORLD!" He gave a rather adorable twirl before sitting down at the table. He finally noticed Marth, who had fallen out of his chair, filled to the bursting with laughter. "What … was … that?" Marth managed to choke out between his bursts of laughter. Pit frowned, a confused look crossing his face. "It's my morning song. I sing it every morning. Why, what's so funny?" Marth, finally being able to talk coherently, stood. "Nothing," he wiped his streaming eyes and picked up his cup of tea. "Nothing at all, Pit. It's just, in Dorm 3, we never see people singing a little kids' tune in the morning." Pit laughed. "Oh, okay! I used to really like that show when I was little, so the song always stuck with me." Marth nodded. "Ah, I understand. Anyways, I've got to-"
"What the HELL!" someone yelled from the hall. A loud thud was heard. Marth and Pit bolted from the kitchen and down the hall, where they found Ike sprawled out on the floor in front of the bathroom. "What happened?" Pit asked, concerned. "Someone left water on the floor and I slipped." Ike growled. "I'm gonna kill whoever left that out. Can't a man walk down the hall without fearing for his life?"
"Well …" Pit began.
"That was rhetorical, Pit." He heaved himself off the ground. "I need some coffee." He stomped down the hall, grumbling to himself. Pit turned to Marth and was surprised to find Marth snickering. "What's with you?"
"Sorry Pit. I've got … to go. Got classes in a few minutes." Marth ran down the hall and apparently out of the dorm. Pit waved, heading back to the kitchen for his Sunny-D and some Oreos.
The morning passed by quickly, and Marth found himself anxiously waiting for lunch to arrive. He didn't know why, but he was rather anxious to have that talk with Peach. She had seemed rather intent on talking to him this morning, so he couldn't wait to find out what it was she wanted.
"Marth? Marth, are you even listening to me?" Zelda prodded him in the shoulder, drawing Marth out of a daydream. He shook his head. "Sorry, what?"
"I said did you know that Samus just passed by and put a white flower in your hair?" Marth blinked. "Wait what!" He looked up, and sure enough, a white flower was placed in his hair, above his right ear. He stared at it for a minute before making a move to remove it. "Wait don't!" Zelda grabbed his hand as he attempted to get rid of the incriminating evidence. "You look really cute with the flower." Link snickered. "Yeah, real manly." Marth blushed. "Shut it Link. I'm not the one wearing a skirt."
"It's not a skirt, it's a tunic dammit!" Zelda ignored both of them and took out her cell. She quickly took a picture of Marth, who didn't notice. She then proceeded to send it to everyone in the dorm. Marth and Link continued to bicker, and Roy seemed to materialize out of nowhere, unnoticed by the bickering pair.
"Where've you been?" Zelda asked. Roy sighed heavily. "I almost got detension. I tried putting a pin in Ms. Kolt's chair when she wasn't looking, but she caught me. I managed to get out by saying I was taking it off her chair. It was really hard convincing her though." Marth looked over at his friend. "You're honestly looking to get expelled this year, aren't you?" Roy grinned. "No, but it's really fun playing pranks on the teachers." Marth sighed. What he was going to do with his friend, he didn't know. Link suddenly stopped fussing over his skirt, (Err, I mean tunic), and pointed. "Hey, that Peach girl is coming over. I wonder what she wants." Marth looked up expectantly. He hadn't told his friends that he was meeting with Peach, at lunch. She walked over, and Marth was not really surprised to see that her face looked perfectly fine. She approached, looking a bit nervous.
"Err, hi Marth." She smiled shyly at Marth, and he found himself smiling back. "Hey Peach. Meet my friends. This is Roy, Linka, and Zelda."
"Hey!" Link protested, while Roy and Zelda burst out laughing.
"Oh, I remember you guys. Hi guy and girls." Marth joined Roy and Zelda, roaring with laughter while Link tried hiding under the table. Peach looked at the ground, shyness overcoming her. "Nice to meet you guys. Ready to go, Marth?" Marth nodded. "Sure. Listen, I'll see you guys later, 'kay?" His friends nodded, all lost for words. 'Explain later' , He mouthed to them. They quickly composed themselves and nodded. Marth turned and left, with Peach at his side.
"So, how're classes going for you?" Marth ventured after they had been walking in silence for a few minutes. "They're okay, I guess." Peach was talking to the ground. "I like some of them, Choir being one of my favorites, apart from English Lit. and Advanced Algebra." Marth nodded. "Those are my favorites too." He laughed lightly at Peach's surprised face. "Really?"
"Yep."
"That's cool." They continued walking, eventually ending up in the university's gardens. They sat down on a stone bench, both appreciating the sun's warmth. Eventually, Marth turned to Peach and asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?" Peach seemed to jump, then shook her head. Her golden locks bounced around, and Marth laughed again. Her hair seemed to glow in the sun, and he thought it quite a cute look on her. "Oh, I just wanted … wanted to tell you thanks … for trying to help me. You know, when those girls … beat me up the other day." Her voice shook slightly towards the end. Marth nodded. He did remember the other day. Hell, it had been yesterday! "It's okay." He waited for a moment. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" She shook her head. "No, that was it." Marth looked at her, confused. "That's it? Really?" Peach finally looked at him. She nodded. "That was really it." Marth looked away, for the first time in a week feeling frustrated. If that's all she had wanted to tell him, then why hadn't she told him this this morning! It only took ten minutes! They both said nothing, sitting in complete silence. Finally, Peach spoke. "You seem … upset. Is everything okay?"
"What? Oh, I'm fine. No, nothing's bothering me."
"Oh, okay." More silence as birds chirped and Peach fidgeted with the strap of her book bag. "Oh God, I'm late!" Marth looked up, blinking in confusion. "For what?" Peach was looking at her watch, a look of panic on her face. "N … nothing. Listen Marth, I'll see you later." Without waiting for a response, she took off, leaving him befuddled. He stared after her for a moment before standing and stamping his foot. He didn't care that he looked like a girl when he did this. He had been waiting for this all morning, and all he had gotten from her was that? He headed off, not realizing where he was headed until he got to his dorm. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was met with a blast of air that seemed to have come from the inferno itself. He stepped inside, squinting through the steam, trying to see what was going on. When he saw no signs of a fire, he walked further into the dorm. The more steps he took, the hotter it seemed to get. He finally made it to the hall, where he saw the thermostat. It currently read 180 degrees. He made a quick move and lunged for the thermostat. He wrenched it from the wall, smashing it against the wall. He then dragged himself, sweating and all, to open every window and door he could find. Today was just not his day.
Zelda and the two other boys found their friend, three hours later, sprawled out on the ground, unconscious. It took a few cups of ice water to revive him. He gasped, sitting up with a groan. "What happened?" Link asked, before Marth could get a word out. "I … forgot … to … turn … off … the … heater. I turned … it … up … too … high." Marth said all whilst panting. Roy entered the room, handing his friend a cup of water. "How the hell do you forget something like that?" Samus asked, walking into the room. She waved a hand and turned on the air conditioner. "I forget when I'm really tired and it's 48 degrees in the morning."
"Oh wow Marth. Real smart move." Roy helped his panting friend up. "You know what Roy?"
"What?"
"Shut up." Marth wiped a hand across his forehead. Zelda started opening all the doors, trying to get some fresh air into the heated dorm.
"So, why'd you skip class Marth? It's not like you." Roy teased, adding a I-don't-approve-of-your-actions voice. "You have never shown any sign of forgetting about your studies. I am very disappointed in you." Zelda giggled, making Marth blush with embarrassment. "It was only the first time. I … I wasn't feeling well." He lied. He wasn't really in the mood to tell his friends what had happened with Peach. Zelda seemed to catch his mood, however. "C'mon guys, let's get Link out of the freezer. I think he stuck himself in there." They left, leaving Marth with his thoughts.
Marth sat on one of the couches, his thoughts reeling from today's events. He summed it up for it being such a crappy day because of his lack of sleep. If only that dream would leave him. But it wouldn't. It just kept coming back …
~Marth's Dream~
Castle walls crumbled as flames licked their way up the foundation. Marth watched with horror as the only home he could call home burned to the ground. He was still waiting, watching for the moment when his mother and father would stumble from the flames. They would be hurt, but alive and healthy. Marth watched as women and children were rescued from the burning town. For it was true. Not only was his home burning, but his kingdom. It had all burst into flames on his coming of age party. Every one from man to child had gathered at the kingdom's center and castle, celebrating the young prince's arrival into manhood. And now that it had happened, everything was burning. During the festivities, a sniper had been launched into the celebrations, hurting many and setting the place ablaze. The flames had then spread quickly. Luckily, he and his elder sister were able to escape the burning wreckage. Now, they were only waiting for their parents to emerge.
Suddenly, Marth felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and was met with his sister's tearstained face. "Marth, they're not coming back. They're never coming back." At first, Marth didn't understand. Then, a sinking feeling arose, and he stepped forward, burying his face in his sister's shoulder. Her arms enfolded him in a comforting embrace. They stood there for a while, and even turned to look as the last stones collapsed into the fire.
Neither sibling said anything. They stood there, hugging each other for comfort. Marth no longer felt like a man. He felt small, a child, enveloped in his sister's arms. He was merely 14, the turning point of his life, and his parents were dead. Finally, Ellis pulled away from her brother. "You have to leave Marth. You have to run, and never turn back. You are no longer welcome here, as much as I am." Her face looked down at him, no trace of her usual humor visible. She started to pull away, but Marth clutched at her frantically. No, he tried to say. Take me with you. Ellis seemed to understand. She shook her head. "No, my brother. Our paths must separate here. We must each remain safe, for the sakes of our parents." She kissed his cheek. "I will try to find you. I love you, and never forget that. Do you understand?" Marth nodded. Words were beyond him. Ellis embraced him one final time, and then, with a great swish of her dress, she was gone.
Marth was alone.
~End dream~
"Marth, wake up!" Marth bolted upright, gasping in terror. Pit stood before him, a look of concern upon his face. "Are you okay? You were muttering in your sleep and twitching quite a lot." Marth nodded, rubbing sleep and tears from his eyes. "Uh … yeah, I'm okay pit. Thanks for asking." Pit studied him for a moment. Finally, he decided. "You look like you could use some tea and some comfort food. C'mon, follow me." Without waiting for a response, Pit turned and headed to the kitchen. Marth gratefully followed, unsure of what was to follow.
A/N: Next chapter! We'll hear from Pit as Marth relays his horrifying nightmare, and we also find out a little about Pit and Peach's relationship. Please R&R! Next chapter will be up soon. I don't promise. I never do. :D
~FE