CHAPTER TEN

Pit was cornered, and he knew it. Every time he reached for a piece, Olimar's grin grew wider and wider. Pit sighed. Olimar was teaching him how to play chess, a human board game involving pieces that looked nothing like what they were called. For instance, the King and Queen pieces looked more like columns, and he remarked on this to Olimar. The little space man looked deeply offended, and so Pit decided to drop the subject there.

"No way you can win. No where you can move!" gloated Olimar, his breath fogging up his helmet. He pressed a button on his suit, and tiny wipers shot up and wiped it clear.

"Thank you, I realized that." Pit sighed and stood up, arching his back and expanding his wings to full length. "Let's play something else. Oh! I know! Paluntena's Golden Orb!"

He was met by a blank stare.

"You never played it? Oh, my Goddess! It's the best game ever!'

"Uh… okay. How do you play?"

"Okay, so what you do, is first you have to gather two teams and set off on a five week fast through the Hidden Island of Rebas, gathering weapons and gems and whatever you can find to make a sacrifice to Paluntena at the end of the fast. After you make her an altar of the gems and thing you found on the island, and you burn it. If She finds it acceptable, She sends you a vision of where she hid the Orb. It could be anywhere in the universe! So then you race against the others teams to find it first, and whoever finds it first wins!"

The look on Olimar's face was one of confusion and disbelief. "All of that and you still can't win a simple chess game?!"

"Golden Orb is a lot easier!"

"Anywhere in the universe? Yes. Extremely easy."

Pit frowned and crossed his arms. "Well, it's easier to play than explain, at least."

A beeping noise made them both jump. Turning, Pit saw R.O.B. scooting towards the Training Area, almost running over Olimar's Pikmen.

Olimar grumbled as he gently picked them up, "You know what I don't understand? Why a robot needs a room. Or a place at the dinner table. He could live in the garage! He wouldn't mind!"

"That's a really good point. Hey, I saw a door leading from the kitchens last night. Wanna see where it goes?"

"Uhm, no. Not really."

"Come on! There's nothing else to do around here!"

"Actually, yes, there is. There's a games and rec room farther down the hall there."

Pit floated quickly over to the doorway leading to the hall. He peered down it, squinting, "Really? Let's go check it out."

Olimar rolled his eyes. "You have lived here how long, and you didn't know about that room?"

Pit was about to answer when the squeals and squeaks of the Pikmen as they were knocked out of the way again but by a servant dressed in all white. The servant took no notice of the two Smashers standing looking at him. He had a huge frame under his arm, and following him was another servant, dressed in black.

The one in black stood in front of a blank wall, arms crossed. He regarded it with a calculating look.

"Yes, I think it will go here. It is where Miss April said to put it." He turned to help the servant in white with the frame, but noticed Pit and Olimar watching him curiously.

"Oh! Good morning, Masters!" He said hastily, bowing quickly. His friend turned, jumped, and bowed in the same second, still holding the frame.

"Here, do you need help with that?" Pit asked, gesturing to it.

"No, sir. We can handle it, thank you."

"What is it, anyway?"

The servant holding the large golden frame turned it gracefully. Instead of a picture, it was a large metallic screen. Messages flickered across it in bright gold every few seconds; brawls taking place today and tomorrow, and who was fighting who, where, and whether or not it counted for the Final Competition. Near the top, it said the date, and showed pictures of each stadium.

"Whoa, that's amazing!" Pit exclaimed, leaning in for a closer look.

"Yes sir, and we also have the bracket for the competition right here."

"That's really cool. Can I see who I'm fighting first?"

The servant nodded and stepped aside. Olimar and Pit crowded around it, and quickly found their names. Olimar's face was a mask, but Pit could see that his black eyes were twinkling happily. He was fighting Lucas first, and Pit himself would fight…

Snake.

Pit swallowed nervously. He knew Snake was second overall, rank wise, and he was strong, and silent, and had many advanced weapons, unlike Pit who only had Paluntena's gifts. Not that that was bad, or anything, but still…

Pit grinned, wavering slightly, and said without looking at Olimar, "Hey, I'm just gonna… ah.. head down to the Training Area, and train a bit. You know, warm up the muscles…?" He jumped around a little, but soon stopped when he realized Olimar was staring at him.

"Ahh, okay then. See you later." He walked down the hall to the Rec Room, his Pikmen following him, chattering excitedly.

Pit turned back to the servants, who kept their eyes down on the ground politely. He waved to them.

"Well, have fun, then."

They nodded, eyes still down. He walked quickly the opposite way Olimar went, trying to act casual and unworried about tomorrow. He heard the servants start discussing where to put the brackets as he walked out.

Pit was going to surprise Snake with his well-oiled attacks and defenses. He would be ready and prepared and he would most definitely win, he was almost one hundred percent sure. Almost.