Super smash brothers : Reckoning
Chapter four: Nero's heart
DISCLAMER: I only own the plot, and maybe Ruby (Y'know, the Pokemon trainer from Chapter one, Red's would-be girlfriend? Yeah, I need to develop her a bit more. I've been neglecting that plot.)
Previously, on Reckoning:
"HELP! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ME!" Nero yelled into the night. He felt Kyrie's breath slow and her skin grow colder.
"No,no, no... don't go, I love you too much, I can't lose you again Kyrie...Kyrie? KYRIE!!"
********
Hallway, Smash Mansion
Marth turned to look at Shiida on their walk back.
"Did you hear something?" He asked, puzzled.
"Yeah...." She said, looking concerned "We should probably go see what it is..."
The two dashed towards the gardens.
*********
Dante, Nero and Link's room, Smash Mansion
Dante heard Nero's yell, and immediately turned round.
"What the heaven?" He muttered "Nero? Needing help? When did that happen?"
Then he heard the last bit of Nero's cry. All the color drained from his face.
"It can't be..." he whispered. Link looked at him.
"Didn't you say that Kyrie was his..."
"KID!" Dante yelled, ripping out of the door, dragging Alastor behind him "Hold on, I'm coming!"
Link shook his head, grabbed the Master Sword and chased after him.
******
Gardens, Smash Mansion
Nero, weeping, ran towards smash mansion, the dying Kyrie in his arms. He could just make out the shape of Marth and Shiida running towards him through his tears.
"Thank hell" He breathed. He was on a state of complete collapse – the emotional trauma was almost too much for him. Marth skidded to a halt in front of him.
"Nero? What's – Oh god. I'll get ." He said, visibly shaken.
The prince tore off towards the mansion once more. Shiida managed to persuade Nero to put Kyrie down.
"Who is she, Nero?" She asked softly.
"K-Kyrie. She's been gone for six months. A-and now some BASTARD" He spat out the word with disgust "of a demon gives her back half-dead."
He collapsed into a crying fit. Shiida continued to attempt to comfort him, but nothing seemed to work. Dante, followed by Link, came soon after.
"Kid? What's -" Dante moaned "Oh god no..."
Dante clenched his fist in anger.
"Who did this?" He hissed through clenched teeth.
Nero managed to choke out one word.
"Beltazar."
*****************
Dr. Mario was in his study, talking with Mewtwo, when Marth came smashing through the door, panting. The stunned ex-plumber turned doctor stood up.
"Marth? What do I owe-a this pleasure to-a?" He asked.
"Get...tools....Nero...girl....blood....dying..." Marth panted "Gardens..."
The doctor and the psycologist exchanged looks, before grabbing 's stuff and running towards the mansion's gardens.
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"Damn it." Dante groaned "I knew he was banished too easily for something of his power..." He shook his head "Just what we need – an all-powerful greater demon of darkness in an alternate dimension."
Dante's rant was interrupted by Dr. Mario and Mewtwo sprinting and floating, respectively, over.
"Good-a lord..." The italian breathed "Everyone, stand-a back! Mewtwo, find out what-a happened."
Mewtwo nodded, and began to calmly talk to a broken Nero. The doctor leaned over the body, and moaned.
"We-a need to get-a her too the infirmary, quickly! She's lost too much-a blood." Dr. Mario reported "She-a could die in-a minutes!"
At this, Nero moaned in despair and sank to the ground, his head in his hands.
I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...
"Kid, it wasn't you're fault" Dante said calmly "Don't rip yourself up about it..."
"Has-a anyone got-a vehicle or-a something?"
Shiida brightened. She put two fingers to her mouth, and whistled. A Pegasus came swooping down from above.
"That do?" She asked Dr. Mario
"Perfect! Now-a, Link, help me tie-a her on."
Link unravelled a rope on his belt, and gently tied Kyrie to the Pegasus. Dr. Mario and Shiida, who needed to fly it, got on too. The Pegasus flew away, the trio on it's back.
"C'mon, kid, let's get moving." Dante said softly "She might still make it..."
At the sound of that slim hope, Nero got up and sprinted towards the building. Link turned to Dante.
"You two have got a lot of explaining to do..." He sighed. Dante shrugged, and chased after Nero.
*******************
Infirmary, three hours later.
Dr. Mario still hadn't come out of the operating room. Thankfully, Kyrie was universal recipient, so finding blood hadn't been a problem. The only problem was, she had lost consciousness and several of her wounds had actually started to become infected. Nero, along with Dante, sat outside the room, hands clasped behind their backs. Link, Marth and Shiida had left to tell Master Hand of the situation, and also to give the two demon hunters – especially Nero – some space. Then, Doctor Mario came out of the O.R.
"We have-a problem." He started slowly "She's-a been poisoned. We-a don't know what by or-a what the antidote is. I'm-a sorry Nero."
"Wait" A dry voice came from the doorway. Altair stepped in. "I was an Assassin – heck, I still am – I might be able to recognize it. Then, if you could keep her stable, make an Antidote."
"All-a right." Dr. Mario said reluctantly "It-a might be her-a only chance."
Altair nodded seriously. "I'll do my best."
The two walked into the O.R.
*****************
"Impossible" Altair whispered "That's incredibly rare..."
"What? You've found it?"
Altair snapped his head up and stuck it around the door.
"Nero, I kneed crushed rose petals, white wine, salt, and a small amount of arsenic. Get it now!" He yelled.
The demonhunter jumped to his feet and ran outside. Altair turned to Dr. Mario.
"She should be dead..." Altair said "This poison kills in seconds – she must be incredibly strong-willed. Either that, or something held it back by means unknown."
"like-a magic?"
"Probably, but I don't know much about it." Altair said softly "I had to use this poison – Orpheus, we called it – once, against a slave trader. He died nearly instantly. "
He looked sadly at Kyrie's body.
"There's one problem. After we administer the Antidote, she'll be in a coma – it's one of the side effects. There's nothing else we can do from then on, but hope."
Nero came back with the ingredients in a small bottle. Altair pulled the lid off, and poured it down Kyrie's throat, before soaking a cloth in the liquid and applying it to the main stab wound in her stomach.
"Keep the pressure there!" He ordered Dr. Mario frantically "Because if you don't, she's as good as dead."
********************
"It'll be okay, kid...Altair and Dr. Mario know what they're doing..." Dante said calmly. Nero turned to him, his face red and covered in tears.
"Six months ago...when she went missing...I was going to propose." He said softly "And now...I might never get the chance...At least then there was the possibility she'd just run away, not that she was DYING in the room next DOOR to you!" Nero's voice raised at the end of the sentence, then dropped again.
"I can't lose her too..." Nero moaned "First the Order...everything I believed in, false before my eyes...They raised me...Then Kyrie's brother...Credo saved my life, treated me as if I was his own family...Not her too, Dante...I can't loose her too..."
Dante looked at his nephew sympathetically.
"I know." he said softly. "I know. And that's why you won't."
"Nero?" Altair called.
The demon hunter turned as fast as lightning.
"Yes?"
"The good news is...She'll live. The antidote was administered in time." He said.
Nero let out a cry of relief and sank onto his chair.
"And the bad news...?" Dante asked slowly.
"I'm sorry Nero..." Altair said softly "She's in a coma. She might never wake up."
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AUTHORS NOTES: I AM EVIL!
God, my characters must hate me after what I'm going to put them through over the course of this...
Thanks to my reviewers, you're support is valuable! Even if there are now only two of you! Thanks for helping me hold the fort!
Also, my first set of dares on Reckoning does Truth or Dare is up. Enjoy it...
Here's a preiveiw of the next chapter:
I am coming, Nero.
You cannot stop me.
If you're father, the previous wielder of yamato, couldn't then you can't.
If you're friends get in my way, they shall die.
For my name....
Is Beltazar.
For my master....
Is Sanctus.
Devil May cry 4 fans, yes, that is the Sanctus from the Order...
Here's a bit more:
"Red...I think I'm in love with you..." Ruby said softly.
Red blinked. That wasn't what he was expecting to hear. What Ruby did next really shocked him.
She kissed him.
It felt as though the gods themselves had blessed his lips – but Ruby felt his shock, and thinking it wasn't what he wanted to hear, pulled off.
"I'm sorry" She whispered "I shouldn't have said or done that", before running away.
Red just stared after her, and touched his lips. Still warm.