A Journey Worth the Soul
Chapter 10
True Feelings
A melancholic atmosphere pervaded the smash mansion with its choking grasp, holding each of the inhabitants within its tendrils while sucking their very souls from them. Smashers wandered aimlessly throughout the halls, either by themselves or huddled in small groups, nestled together in corners and rooms as the tragedy of that day weighed heavily upon them. It had dealt the members of the smash crew from Hyrule and Crimea the heaviest blows, as both had their very close friends changed by the disaster that happened. Even neurotic villains such as Ganondorf, who himself had tried to kill Link on numerous occasions, sat nestled within the confines of a sofa in the main room, staring vacantly into the dancing flames of the fire in the hearth.
No one it seemed was exempt from the cruel devices of fate.
Almost immediately after the chaos in the teleporting room subsided, Ike had taken control of the situation and had Marth, Link and Zelda carried immediately up to the medical room in the mansion as well as sending out Snake and Samus to find the cause of the malfunction in the safety mechanisms during the battle. For several tense hours afterwards, the hallway outside the doctor's office was teeming with almost as much confusion as the operating room within. Nobody slept, as none of the smashers wanted to wake to any type of dreaded news.
Ike had managed to get a hold of one of his friends from Crimea, Rhys, who was a professional healer, and asked him if he could help. In less than an hour, which was deemed a miracle, he had shown up at the mansions doors and was escorted quickly to operating room. Several more phone calls were made as Master Hand summoned all of the assist trophies as guards in the mansion after Snake had found somebody had crept into the mansion and had hacked the security features guarding the smashers while they fought. Friends of Link, Zelda and Marth were called and told of the news. Several promised they would soon be there to find out more about their friends.
As the visitors began arriving in haste, the mansion began to grow more crowded and slightly more tense. Most of the closest friends of the injured smashers had begun arriving a mere two hours after the incident. A rare feat considering that the affected smashers all came from technologically underdeveloped countries. The hallway outside the emergency room was becoming quite packed.
"What is taking him so long?"
A woman with long blue hair paced nervously back and forth through the hall. She wore a light, cream colored short chest plate with golden designs etched into the armor and a short ruby tunic skirt that fluttered with each step she took. She stopped momentarily when she thought she heard a sound on the opposite side of the door, but sighed heavily when she found it was the soft snores of Toon Link. Even though she looked like a warrior wannabe, Shiida, if allowed into the smash competition would have been one of the more highly trained fighters in the group. As a Pegasus knight on the island kingdom of Talys, she had been born and raised in the knighthood and was used to battle, but as it was Marth who had been injured…she was on the verge on a nervous wreck.
"I know you're worried about him Shiida," a red haired woman responded who was cradling the sleeping form of Toon Link in her arms. Her orange, flame colored bangs idly hanging in front of her eyes made her appear more tired than she actually felt.
"The doctors are doing the best they can with what they have
The Pegasus knight sighed deeply as the pain from the day's news weighed heavily upon her.
"I know Malon, but…" Shiida walked over to Malon's side and leaned up against the wall, allowing her body to slide slowly to the ground, "I just can't take not knowing what is going on much longer." The knight pulled her knees up to her chest while glancing over at the ranch hand.
"I mean, every other time he has been injured, I've…I've been able to be there for him, and now…" her eyes drifted to the closed door across from them.
Malon carefully removed her arms from supporting the sleeping child laying in her lap and wrapped an arm around Shiida's shoulder, pulling her closer to her as Shiida laid her head on her friend's shoulder.
"I wish I could be in there with him. To at least know what is going on. To be there for him."
"I know how you feel," Malon replied as a light tip-tapping sound echoed from farther down the hallway. The redhead looked up to see a teenage looking girl with short, unruly blonde hair walking towards them, carrying several cups of what looked like coffee. The blonde reached the other two women , offering each a cup to which Malon gratefully accepted while Shiida politely declined.
"Thanks Ilia."
The blonde smiled softly.
"No problem, anything for a friend." All three women smiled, grateful for each other's support.
"Glad to see all of you helping each other out."
Shiida turned her head to see Ike watching them from across the hall. Ever since she had arrived, she had noticed whenever she glanced over at him; his eyes would always dart quickly in another direction. She shot him her best smile at the comment, happy to see him fidget slightly under her gaze.
I wonder what's up with him?
Whenever Marth had returned to Altea, he had told her of his friend from Crimea. She knew from his stories that Ike was the strong silent type, yet was still active and verbose in his own way. Whether it was simply the tragedy or some other random thing troubling him, every single time she saw him, he was shut up as tight as a clam. She noticed his eyes for a fleeting second turn towards her. She saw a momentary flush appear on his face as his eyes quickly darted back across the hall, focusing in onto another person who was leaning against the wall away from the rest of the group.
The women was beautiful, at least Shiida knew that on any other day she would be considered that. Between her body and the form fitting cerulean bodysuit that she wore, Shiida knew that she must get a lot of attention from the men around here, yet… she seemed to be surrounded by a gloomy aura, as if even getting near to her might freeze the blood and send shivers through your soul.
She wanted to talk to the women, who from Ike had learned that her name was Samus, but was afraid of the reaction she might get. Luckily for her, as she pondered the subject as to summon enough gusto to chat with her, the door to the hospital room clicked.
Before Shiida could even raise her head, a cobalt blur flashed across her vision. The speed of the person passing ruffled her hair as she pushed against the wall to get closer to the door.
"Are they alright?" Samus blurted out before she could even see anyone even standing in the open door. An uneasy chuckle came from the room as Doctor Mario stepped slowly out into the hall. His usual perfectly clean lab coat had several dark stains smeared in several places while stains from sweat appeared beneath his arm as he wiped at his brow with a handkerchief. Another person, slightly taller with ruffled blonde hair and an almost unhealthy pale complexion stepped out after him, closing the door softly as to not disturb the people within.
"I won't know for sure until a little bit of-a time passes," Dr mario responded. "Right-a now they are both in-a stable condition, which is all I can do for now. As for Zelda, it is just a matter of when she will wake-a up."
The newly acquired knowledge sunk into the minds of the people in the hall. Shiida let out a huge sigh of relief while Malon nudged Toon Link awake, waiting for his protests to end before telling him the news. Almost everyone seemed relieved at the news, almost.
Samus nodded slowly as she felt her eyes beginning to grow moist and heavy. She rubbed at her temple, secretly using the move to wipe away at the small shimmering globs appearing in her eyes. What was going on with her? The news had come like the first rays of the sun over the mountains, yet, she still felt as if she was stuck in the bleak twilight of despair.
What is going on with me…
"Thanks Doc," she mumbled, taking a few steps forward towards the small Italian. Without warning she grabbed him in a tight embrace as she tried to stifle the mysterious aching that began throbbing within her soul.
I have to get out of here.
Without waiting for the surprised doctor to respond, she darted down the hallway, leaving the rest of the group befuddled and confused.
Shiida watched the bounty hunter disappear around a corner before she found her voice again.
"What's up with her?"
She glanced around at the assembly, trying to find somebody who knew anything about the bounty hunter.
"I don't know," Ike remarked as he took a step away from the group, "But I'm going to find out."
Before the bounty hunter had left, he had caught a fleeting glimpse of her face. He had seen that face before, yet etched into another person with whom was dear to his soul. When his father had died at the hands of the infamous Black Knight, he had carried, then when the exhaustion began taking hold, dragged his father back to their camp. To his horror, one of the first people to see him, and his father, was his sister Mist.
His sister's trembling lips, her eyes, wide beyond comprehension yet as small and cold as winter's fury as she ran up to her father's cold body would haunt him until the day of his death. Her tears and despair had nagged at the corners of his mind, the constant guilt of how he could have saved his father's life dragged at his mind for weeks to come.
He had just seen the same things, in her eyes. Fear, despair, guilt. It was all etched into a brief momentary glance. Her eyes had met his. And for a fleeting moment, he had seen the tiny, trembling form of his sister, holding the trembling, lifeless form of their father.
-O-
You need to go back now, the drama is over. You can't stay here forever.
The voice calling to her was warm and inviting, yet she still refused to budge from where she stood.
"I can't go back yet," she replied. This place she was in was so unlike anything she had seen before. It was like living in a dream. All around her the air was filled with a wondrous buzz of emotion and warmth that it was slightly invigorating. The place she was in was bright beyond imagination, yet she had noticed no lights, or any other object that seemed to produce it. Grass covered the earth in all direction, a lush green carpet that put Hyrule field to shame. Several creatures stood in front of her, each glowing with the brilliance of the sun, yet she didn't feel the need to squint or shy away in pain. She knew who they were, as they had helped Link many times on his journey to save Hyrule, yet she had only witnessed them once. At the moment when their help was needed the most. Like most visions she had, this one only came at a moment of great stress. She still had no clue where she was, yet felt oddly at peace, even with the information they had just given her.
We've taught you everything about what is to come. This is something you cannot hide from.
Both your destinies are now entwined. You cannot hide. You must return and lend your strength to his, as a trial to the world will be awaiting him alone if you do not return. We cannot force you, as it is against the law of the light spirits set forth by the Goddesses themselves. Only you can make that choice.
She sighed deeply, filled with conflicting emotions but already knowing her answer. If she stayed, she would be oblivious to anything back in the world, watching from a distance while slowing melding into the everlasting light. If she went back, knowing what she knew without being able to change it, she could save his soul.
She turned to face the four spirits that stood in front of her, managing a smile, even with the knowledge of what was to come.
"I need to go."
The largest of the creatures, a huge snake with a large sphere of light in its mouth nodded.
Then on your journey to save his soul you shall begin…
She closed her eyes as a shimmering wall of light enveloped her, filling her soul completely with a warm sensation of love. She hoped that she hadn't have been gone long from her friends, as her usual visions left her unmoving for minutes to sometimes hours. As the warmth and love began to fade, a new feeling of worry caught as a lump in her throat.
Would she be able to do it?
Would she be really able to save the world, with, or without him?
-O-
Ike sprinted down the halls, trying to figure out where his friend could have gone. He was fast considering his size and equipment that he carried, but was nowhere near as quick as the bounty hunter, especially when she only wore her zero suit and not her full suit of armor.
He stopped momentarily, straining his ears to hear the tiniest of sounds that could identify where she was. He didn't have to wait long as a small popping sound and a loud thud echoed through the ceiling right above him.
The training room.
-O-
"Will they be alright?"
"They should, although it was a miracle that Rhys came her like he did. His healing powers will-a dramatically shorten their recovery times. Although they still required a lot of surgery in order to get them patched up enough to heal."
The light and warmth she had felt before began to drain away as she began to be conscious of the world around her. The voices swirled into her ears in a cloudy blob making her unable to yet distinguish any of the familiar sounds.
"How about Zelda? Will she be alright?"
A friendly chuckle filled the air, making her feel slightly better as she made an attempt at opening her eyes.
"Of course, of course…she'll be fine. She just fainted, that's all. Although I'm quite surprised at how long she has been unconscious. It is almost like she is wanting to stay that way for some reason."
She heard a sigh coming from one of people talking. She thought she recognized Doctor Mario's voice, but the other few voices were unfamiliar to her.
"Thanks again Doc. You did a great job. You have all of our thanks."
"No problem."
A door shut as she finally felt enough energy flowing through her to open her eyes. At first the bright lights in the room stung her eyes like a thousand needles, yet gradually the light became less harsh as she became again accustomed to it. She slowly pushed herself up from the bed into a sitting, wondering where she was.
The bed she was sitting on was comfortable, yet durable enough where it didn't sag the least under her slight weight. Several curtains were drawn around the bedside, shielding her view of where she was, although she had a very good guess.
Flipping her legs over the side of the bed, she lightly dropped to the floor, barely making a sound as she carefully pushed the curtains aside.
She smiled as she saw Doctor Mario standing against a desk with his back to her, humming an invigorating tune as he studiously worked on some paperwork in front of him. She walked silently over to him, careful not to make a sound as she tiptoed right behind him.
"Good-a try there Zelda, but you made-a too much noise when you got out of your bed."
"How did you…" she announced. "I didn't even make a sound?"
The doctor smiled as he used his pencil to point towards a mirror right in front of him. Over his head she could see herself standing right behind the doctor, as well as the rest of the room as well.
"It allows me to keep up with my patients better. I put it in after Bowser had tried to sneak around stealing all of the cotton balls from my reserve."
Zelda's mind began to spin.
"What was he trying to do with cotton balls?" she wondered, perplexed at hearing the latest scheme and how a creature that large could even attempt sneaking past a deaf rock let alone the doctor.
The doctors let out his trademark chuckle as he turned around.
"Apparently Sonic and Captain Falcon had played a trick on him by impaling all of his pillows onto his spikes. He wanted to refill his pillows as most of the stuffing had been disgorged by him trying to get them off."
"Why didn't he just ask?"
The doctor shrugged.
"He just wanted to steal them. It doesn't help though when-a you are as big and noisy as he is though. By the way," the doctor added as he hopped off the stool he was sitting on, still almost a foot shorter than the Hylian princess, "I'm a glad that you are awake. You almost had me worried there."
Her response was muted as the memory of her vision returned to her, flooding through her memories. For several moments she simply stared through the doctor, her eyes not focusing on anything, yet on everything at the same time.
"Are you ok princess?"
Zelda jolted awake, her face becoming slightly flush as she realized what she had been doing.
"Yes, yes I'm ok," she stuttered, "I was just…thinking."
His penetrating glance made her a bit nervous as he watched her a bit more closely than she felt comfortable with.
"Are you sure? You were out for almost 9 hours. Not even the smelling salts woke you up. Was it something"
"Where is Link and Marth?"
The question came out quickly as she tried to change the subject. She noticed that Doctor Mario still had questions he wanted answered, but decided on not pursuing the subject. If Zelda said she was fine, then what could he do about that. With a quick wave of his hand he motioned her towards the opposite end of the room that was blocked halfway by a large curtain that hung from the floor to ceiling.
"If-a you don't want to go in, then I wouldn't stop you," the doctor managed as he gripped the curtain tightly.
Zelda nodded her head as the doctor glanced back at the curtain. She was used to the violence and harsh realities of battles and wars and everything that hung around them like unwanted baggage. She had sent soldiers to battle, knowing that many would never come home again, leaving widows and orphans in their wake. When Hyrule was invaded, she was allowed by Zant to watch as his minions ripped her personal guards to pieces, even after they had surrendered. She had seen their pain, witnessed the gore, heard the shrill cries of pain as one by one her guards…her friends, had been cruelly and hideously murdered in front of her eyes. If she was able to handle that, then by all means she should be able to handle whatever had happened to the two swordsmen.
She stepped the curtains, pushing at them lightly with her gloved hand. For a split second, a soft, radiant, golden glow appeared on her hand, pulsating with a vibrant energy. She stopped, watching the glowing triangle for a moment before the light from it dissipated before her eyes. The triforce she held was a curious object. With the triforce of courage that Link held, it gave him more determination, more courage to keep on battling whatever the odds. Ganondorf was granted immeasurable power, and as a result, could measure the strength of those around him with ease. Hers, hers was a different animal, not comparable to the others.
Wisdom.
Wisdom, not knowledge was given to her. And with that wisdom came countless other blessings from the goddesses that she still was finding out on an almost day to day basis. Magic was one of the greatest abilities, as she knew exactly how to control it while her visions were another.
She knew what awaited her beyond the curtain.
She had seen it herself.
Even before she had awoke a few minutes before.
She felt a warm, tingling vibration pulsate from her hand, down her arm and through the rest of her body as she slowly pushed away the curtain.
-O-
He sprinted towards the stairs, crashing into the door with such force that it smashed into the wall in the stairwell leaving a large, gaping hole in the wall where the doorknob slammed into it; quite a feat for a wall made from concrete. The stairs groaned under the pounding of his feet as he rocketed up the stairs, easily taking three at a time as he made his way to the second floor landing. In his haste, he bolted for the door, forgetting which direction it opened. As he grabbed the handle and pushed, the door didn't move, but his body was moving so fast that he couldn't stop it. His body hit the door full force, sending a tremor through the wall as a small amount of dust floated down on top of him as he stumbled backwards from the door.
Muttering to himself, he carefully pulled at the door handle, cursing his stupidity as the door opened inward without a problem. As soon as the door was shut behind him, he bolted down the hallway, ignoring the angry stares and words coming from a bewildered Falco, who Ike had almost ran over as he turned the final corner towards the training room. He slowed as he approached the door, hoping to catch his breath before, hopefully, finding Samus.
Another crash, several times louder than before came from the inside of the room as Ike silently opened the door. He opened it a crack, barely enough to look inside, but enough where he could make out the perpetrator of all the noise. What he saw surprised him.
Samus stood in the middle of the room, her back to the door while all around her on the floor were the broken remains of battle dummies. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she let out a anguished cry, rending the air with its beauty, and concealed rage.
A dummy popped up out of the ground to her left and began to spin towards her, its arms acting as weapons. Without hesitating, Samus whirled around, sending her leg crashing into the dummies head, ripping the seams from the body and sent it tumbling across the floor. Several more dummies popped out of the floor in random spots, each with its own varied attack. Two of them met the same as the first, while a third suddenly sprung up directly behind her. As its mechanical arms tried to grab her from behind, her hand turned into a blur at her hip as she jumped into the air, back flipping over attacking puppet. The dummy froze in place as a loud hum filled the air. Several seconds passed before Ike could notice the top half of the mannequin fell to the floor with a dull thud. What came next surprised him even more than before.
Her whip, which she was almost never seen without, dropped to the ground with a loud thud. Her legs began to visible tremble as her arms dropped to her sides. Her legs finally gave way as she tumbled to her knees, her fists pounding the padded floor as her body became parallel to the floor. Her golden hair which usually hung in a ponytail had somehow lost the tie holding it in place and now lay tangled across her shoulders and back.
The rhythm of her fist pounding the floor slowed, and then stopped as she used one arm holding herself up with the other covered her eyes. Her body began to slowly rock back and forth as quiet sobs began flooding from her.
Ike watched in a mix of curiosity and awe. He had always known Samus as one of the bravest smashers in the mansion, even though he had only known her for a couple of months. He didn't know anyone who could compare to her determination and drive, her abilities and strengths. Yet during all that time, he had only seen a few emotions escape her. A couple of laughs here and there, a sly smile every blue moon, as well as her anger, which since Snake had joined had become legendary.
No wonder why he was having trouble believing what he was seeing now.
The stoic bounty hunter, the terror of countless space pirates, a beacon of strength and courage….
Was crying.
Whew, first half done. Haha! Now I have you with a cliffhanger. BWAHAHAHAHAHAH! Also, for those who offer good reviews of the story, such as helpful advice or have noticed mistakes in my writing, they get the chance to help the story along. By pm'ing me with a requested scene. I'm not doing this because I want reviews...I want this story to be the best it can be, and can only do that with help from readers.
So go ahead, look for mistakes, offer advice, and you could see a scene (within reason people) that you would like to see in the story.
So with that, onto the next chapter.
