Picho and Pichn, the Joker and Jester
Yeah… so last chapter wasn't exactly my best work. Sorry guys… I forgot the thing about the Master Sword, but don't worry. After milling that little problem around for a bit, I thought of something! No revealies here though! XD
Let's hope this chapter's a bit better. If not, sue me.
Disclaimer: !BBSS wno ton od I
"Hey, you alright?"
Golfer opened his eyes and groaned, a great stab of pain shooting from his twice broken arm. After just barely making their escape last night, Samus and Pikachu had managed to find a small clearing in the woods nearby and hide their tracks from the Subspace denizens. Even then they were able to just barely hear the soft footsteps of the Primids on the dewey green grass, slowly fading away as they walked in the opposite direction. Not far away, Pikana was snoring, her black hoodie wrapped around her like a blanket.
A breeze brushed past, gently rustling the leaves on the trees. The footsteps of the Primids were even farther away now, but not far enough for the young man to be able to get up and move without being detected one way or another. Samus frowned as her gaze fell upon Golfer's arm, now bruised purple, blue, black, and just about every other color it could possibly be. An arm broken not one, but twice in the same weak could easily be crippled for life. A surge of concern swept through her as she thought of how her guardian might have to live with a bad arm for the rest of his life. A good doctor could easily cut it off, but it wouldn't be the same. Even robotic limbs could cause problems. What he needed right now was a good splint for his arm and of course, food.
Next to him, Pikana stirred slightly and opened her eyes. Her ears twitched slightly as the sounds of the footsteps reached them, her nose doing so as well when the horrid stench of a thousand shadow bugs wafted into the clearing. A scowl appeared on her face as she observed her conditions, her lips turned down in a frown.
"Jeez! That asylum smelled better than this place!" she commented a little too loudly.
"Pikana, not too loud," Pikachu said uneasily, "There are Primids nearby…"
"I know that," Pikana answered, lowering her voice a bit, "And they certainly don't make the air smell any better!"
Golfer let out a small chuckle. "It's good to see you awake too, Pikana…"
A smile broke out on the little pokemon's face. "Golfer! You made it to Hell too? LET'S PARTAY!!!"
"Pikana!" Pikachu yelled frantically.
Samus felt Golfer's body stiffen as Pikana's voice echoed slightly in the woods. For a single heart stopping moment, the faint footsteps of the Primids stopped. Garbled muttering could be heard as the Primids stopped and wondered what had made that noise. Pikachu saw the strange gurgling transform into words as they passed through Pikana's mind, his interest in her ability to understand the strange language of the Army of Tabuu.
"They're suspecting that the noise came from this direction," Pikana murmured out loud, "They know about the clearing we're in so they think there are some escaped slaves or fugitives hanging out around here…"
"Any specific names?" her companion asked sharply.
Pikachu watched as a few scattered garbles transformed into names within Pikana's mind. There were quite a few names amongst them, some strange and some quite common. In the midst of these names, a seemingly familiar name would occasionally pop out. "Psyche", "Mah", "Squall", "Golfer", and "Anna Star" were a few of those names. The first three were complete strangers to him, but he felt a rather unexpected kinship with the owners of those names, despite the fact that he had no idea who they were or what they looked like. He frowned slightly as Pikana repeated these names to Samus's guardian, trying to unravel the web of mystery that surrounded each and every name.
"They're planning to surround the clearing!" Pikana exclaimed suddenly, causing Pikachu to jump, "There's no time to run or hide!"
Samus's mind was on red alert, her sharp blue eyes darting everywhere around the clearing. There were bushes thick enough to shield themselves in, but since the Primids would most likely search the bushes anyways, that option was out. They could try hiding themselves in the thick shadows of the clearing, but a single movement from either of them would give away their position in no time. It was then that the huntress's gaze fell upon the trees up above.
Standing about twenty feet tall, the thick leaves of each tree could easily conceal both Golfer and Pikana. Humans, she remembered, usually didn't look up while searching for something. Though she knew that the Primids were not at all human, it was a shot worth taking. Biting her lower lip in concentration, she searched the clearing to find a tree large enough for both guardians to hide in, doing her best to ignore the ever increasing pace of Golfer's heart.
"Stay calm," she ordered, recoiling slightly as a flash of panic appeared within her guardians mind, "The more we panic, the more likely we'll make some stupid mistake nad end up getting captured."
"Easy for you to say," her guardian muttered, "You're not the one that's going to be diced up, fried, and served on a stick…"
Samus finally found the right tree just as the sounds of breaking sticks could be heard as the Primids came closer. After ordering her guardian to climb it, he repeated the instructions to Pikana, who was itching for a fight. Despite her wish to spill more Primid blood, Pikana obeyed and scrambled up the tree with the speed of a cat. Once safely hidden, she used her little foot to lower a branch so that Golfer may grab on as well.
A laugh escaped Samus as her guardian jumped up and down trying to grasp the branch with only one hand. When he finally did, he proceeded to try to hoist himself up using his one good arm, only to fall right back down.
"You'll have to use both hands," she told him gently, stifling her laughter.
"Are you kidding me!?!"
"It's either that or you can get chopped up, deep fried, and served on a stick!" the bounty huntress said cheerfully, "Your choice."
Grumbling to himself, Golfer reached out with his shattered arm, wincing as a stab of pain ran up his arm at the small movement. But nothing could prepare him for the moment when he grasped the branch with that arm. Pain beyond pain coursed through him, enough to make even Samus cry out. Tears rolled down his cheeks, but he just barely managed to bite his lip in time to stop the scream that was just waiting to come out. Samus's spiritual form writhed in pain as her guardian just barely managed to hoist himself up with the help of Pikana. The pain had her in its iron grip, never allowing the huntress to escape it no matter how much she screamed. When finally Golfer was safely sitting on a branch, the pain receded. It was still horrible and unbearable, but it was only enough to make the huntress wince.
Pikachu quivered with worry as he saw that Golfer's arm was not absolutely drenched in black and blue marks. He wondered a bit of how Samus had felt when the pain would course through her guardian, his concern for his old ally in the First Subspace War rising within him. Even higher was his concern for his own guardian as he felt her heart race in fear, panic slowly rising within her. Her rather scattered thoughts were even more scattered now as she considered taking out Chainy and jumping in for the mass Primid massacre.
"Don't do it, Pikana," he whispered.
"And why shouldn't I?" she asked as the distant shadows of the Primids could be seen slowly surrounding the clearing, "Those guys are easy enough to take down…"
"But… but you'll get hurt!" he answered, "And… and I can't lose you just like that…"
He was surprised to find that he actually meant those words, his head swimming in confusion. Despite this, Pikana took no notice of his thoughts as her hand traveled into the pocket of her hoodie for her chainsaw. Just as her hand wrapped around the handle of the chainsaw to be, an arm came from out of nowhere, cloaked in black.
Pikachu gasped in surprise as he felt this arm wrap around Pikana's little body, pinning her other arm to her side. Golfer noticed this as well and he could not do anything but look on helplessly as a hand clamped over Pikana's mouth, muffling her screams. The owner of these arms and hands was hidden in the shadows, but as soon as he got his hostage, he slowly shuffled out into the light until only his silhouette could be seen.
Samus frowned as this new obstacle stepped out into their path, her temper rising. They had just evaded a whole horde of Primids and now this unknown foe was what they had to face next. She felt Golfer's jaw stiffen as his gaze fell upon this figure, his eyes narrowing in hate.
"Golfer…" the figure said lightly, his voice stirring a faint memory from deep within Golfer's mind, "It's been too long…"
"So it has," he answered, his voice cold and full of hate, "How long has it been? Four, five years?"
"Ten," the figure corrected calmly, "Ten years since we've last saw each other."
"And ten years since you've betrayed me…"
**
Yoshi shivered in fear as Mah was snatched up by the arms and forcefully blindfolded. The velvet black covering blinded both guardian and Smasher from their surroundings, creating a small stirring of fear from deep within their minds. Yoshi was able to feel as Mah's body was dragged across the floorboards of the Eye of the Apocalypse, its griminess slowly rubbing off on her exposed thighs. He felt her wince in pain as a nail passed by under them, creating what they both knew to be a horribly long and deep gash on her leg.
"I don't like that looks of this situation," Yoshi commented uneasily.
Mah was doing her best to remain optimistic, but even then Yoshi was able to watch as her fear grew with every step. "Maybe… they're planning a surprise of some kind so they blindfolded us for that reason?"
Yoshi managed a sad smile, his guardian's light heart lifting his spirits just a little. "I really wish, Mah… I really wish…"
As another lump of muck passed by under her legs, Mah's warm smile quickly transformed into a hard frown. "Ugh! This place could use some serious cleaning up. I mean, just what was that that passed under my leg?!? Gross!"
The pirate who was dragging her let out a hearty chuckle, his foul breath billowing across the young girl's face. "That there be some nice leftovers from yesterday's suppa'! Nothin' like some good rat stew, ain't it, lass?"
Mah's face paled at his words, her stomach lurching in disgust. "R-Rat… r-rat stew?!?"
"Rat stew!" the pirate confirmed, "Blinkin' good stuff that is!"
That was all too much for Yoshi's guardian. The little green dinosaur felt and cringed as whatever food was left in the young girl's stomach flew out of her mouth in large chunks, disappearing into the disgusting dump that was once a floor. She was completely covered in what was left of her breakfast and it did not help that her dress was now soaked in it as well. She cursed under her breath as she felt the horrible substance running down her leg, unable to reach down and clean it up.
With a rather rough jerk, she was then flung somewhere, her face banging on the dirty floor. Blood gushed out of her nose like a waterfall as the sound of metal against metal could be heard, as if a door had been slammed shut. She could still fear the leer of the pirate that had dragged her here, feel the foul smelling breeze of his breath as he continued to stare at her. Though still blindfolded, Mah could not help but feel a shiver run down her spine as she felt his eyes travel upon what she assumed to be her breasts. Yoshi felt this as well and anger welled up inside him at the thought of how anyone so disgusting would dare lay a hand on such a pure girl.
"You're a right pretty lass," the pirate whispered, "Right pretty indeed…"
Mah scoffed in disgust. "Don't touch me!"
She then proceeded to crawl in the direction of what she believed was to be the back of the room she was held in. But her fears were answered when she suddenly felt hard metal bars between her fingers and then the horrid body odor of the pirate reached her nostrils. Recoiling slightly, she proceeded to crawl again in the opposite direction. To her utmost horror, the face of the pirate awaited her there as well as his hot breath soon reached her. She tried every direction possible, but no matter what she did, the pirate was always there, waiting for her.
"W-Where am I?" she demanded angrily, "Why are you following me!?!?"
Her anger rose at the pirate's laugh. "Haven't figured it out yet, eh lassie? You should be a right smart lass too! Where are ya?"
"Um… a room?" Mah asked, "A room made of sticks?"
More laughter followed her answer. "Aye, lass! Ye be a close answerer! Ye be in a cage, lass! A nice little cage for a nice little lassie!"
"A cage?" Mah asked, confusion evident in her voice, "Is that bad?"
In her mind, Yoshi nodded sadly, his eyes downcast. "Yes… Mah, we're prisoners…"
"It depends, lass!" the pirate answered at the same time, "Sometimes it be good, sometimes it be bad! But being in a cage is always good for me!"
Suddenly, Yoshi felt a large, meaty hand tug at the collar of Mah's dress. He cried out at the same time Mah felt it, though she did not understand why this was happening. She read Yoshi's thoughts, all panicked and confusing. The word "rape" seemed to be most prominent in his thoughts, but her head still spun slightly in confusion.
Instinct tugged at her and it was instinct that caused her to launch an egg right at the hand. The pirate let out a cry of pain as he seemed to wrench his hand right out of the cage. Still howling, he made some rather loud and clumsy noises before the sound of a door could be heard as it slammed shut. Mah frowned in disbelief, unable to understand what had just happened. Meanwhile, Yoshi was absolutely frantic with concern for his guardian.
"Mah, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself? He didn't do anything besides just that, right?"
Mah shook her head. "I couldn't see anything, Yoshi, so I don't know… what was he trying to do?"
"A bad thing," the little green dinosaur answered, "A very, very bad thing…"
**
"Nask? Hey Nask… can you hear me?"
"Wake up, my dear… I've been so worried for you…"
"Urgh… what?" Nask asked, moaning in pain as she stirred, "Wha-"
"Calm yourself, child," a voice answered, "You're safe in my hands."
When Nask opened her eyes, her vision blurred slightly as a bright white light met her. In her mind, she was able to hear Marth gasp in pain as the light met him, unable to shield himself from it. Her vision still blurred, the young girl put up her arm to shield the light and it was then that the distorted outline of a figure appeared.
"I apologize for the light," the voice continued, "But soon enough your eyes should adjust…"
The voice was beautiful, like music in word form. Every word the voice spoke echoed slightly and every breath was rich and full. The voice itself was soft and kind, full of laughter and sadness all at once. It was the voice of a woman to be sure, a kind, gentle woman. It seemed to sing and not sing at the same time, ring with laughter and laced with mourning. As the musical tinkle met their ears, both Marth and Nask wished nothing more than to laugh, yet cry at the same time.
It did not take long for Nask's vision to adjust, but it was still quite painful to look directly into the light. The distorted outline of a figure soon settled into that shape of a woman, tall and graceful. She was the most beautiful woman either of them had ever seen, cloaked in flowing sky blue robes and possessing sparkling amber eyes. But what was the most distinct feature of this glorious woman had to be her hair, long and flowing. It was red, orange, yellow, and gold, the color of dawn itself. Her rosy mouth was upturned into a smile that was warm and inviting, yet saddening all at once. The light seemed to radiate from her and with her every step, a beautiful pink bud would appear under her feet.
"Whoa…" Marth whispered, his breath stopping short, "I think I've fallen in love all over again…"
Nask could only manage a nod as the radiant woman approached, her smile widening as her gaze fell upon the trembling soldier before her. As if by instinct, Nask's knees buckled down into a kneeling position as the woman came closer to her. Holding out a soft hand, she gently ran her slim fingers through Nask's thick red locks before removing them and smiling all the more wider.
"Welcome, Naskara Dragoon," the woman trilled, "I have been waiting for you…"
"Y-You have?" Nask asked, her awe rising.
"Have you been waiting for me too?" Marth blurted out before he could stop himself.
Just as he was breathing a sigh of relief at how thankful he was that this woman could not hear him, her bell- like laughter stopped him. "Oh yes, I have been waiting for you as well, Prince Marth!"
Another laugh escaped her when Marth gave a start of surprise. As the prince was gathering his bearings, the woman turned her attention back to his guardian, her eyes sparkling with pleasure.
"Yes, I have been waiting for you both," she said, "My name is Ashunera, Goddess of Dawn…"
"Goddess of Dawn?" Nask asked in slight confusion.
"I believe Ike mentioned her once…" Marth said distractedly, a memory stirring from deep within his mind.
Ashunera nodded. "Indeed. Part of me once traveled with him on a great journey to save the known world from getting completely destroyed and to stop another part of myself from executing the blow that would destroy that world."
Marth's thoughts swam in confusion at her words. One part of him wished nothing more than to ask the woman to tell her tale right from the beginning, never stopping until it was over and done with. But another force tugged on him, and he chose to follow the latter.
"So why have you brought us here?" he asked, restraining the urge he had to ask her about her past.
"You two are destined to help save the Smash World, correct?" Ashunera asked.
"That's right," Nask said a bit uncertainly, "That's the whole reason Marth's here in the first place, right?"
"I guess…" Marth replied, "Unless that old hand made a mistake of some sort…"
"I have brought you both here," Ashunera continued, "Because I will need you to go assist a fellow guardian and their Smasher. The Smasher has long ago won my favor and the guardian, though slightly hot headed, is as kind as kind can be. They are locked within a battle they cannot win, the tides of the duel ever shifting to their foe. Though they can hold out for a few more hours, their foe can hold out for longer. You must go to their aid and together, you shall soon find your way back to Smashville, where you belong."
"Goddess Ashunera, where might we meet this guardian?" Marth asked.
The goddess's smile was absolutely glorious now, seeming to illuminate the world. "The continent of Tellius…"
Almost at once, there was a great gust of wind. Nask's world began to spin as she felt herself spiraling downwards to earth. Faster and faster she spun, the wind whistling in her ears. Her vision swam before her eyes, the colors blurring into one. Her senses were all in a wild frenzy as they tried their best to regain themselves to no avail.
"Let me go," she groaned, "Just let me go already…"
Thud!
**
"ASHUNERA, THAT HURTS!!!"
"Calm down, Cameron! I can't concentrate hard enough with you yelling like that…"
"You're not the one who just got the skin on your right arm shredded to ribbons!" Cameron said indignantly, gesturing to his scratched up arm.
"Just calm down," the mercenary instructed, "I don't want to fight him… but I have to…"
Before Cameron could answer, Ranulf sprang again, aiming for his throat. With a quick dodge, Cameron was just barely able to escape the cat's powerful claws, shining silver in the bright sunlight. Another growl and another great leap came not long afterwards, this time catching onto Cameron's leg. A scream of pain was all it took to egg Ranulf on, tearing at Cameron's boots until one of them was ripped to shreds.
Ike could feel the guilt slowly eating away at him as he continued to open his eyes without meaning to, observing the battle. He still couldn't believe how his old ally had fallen victim to the dreaded drug of the Feral Ones. Would this have happened had he not left for the Smash Tournaments? Could he have stopped this from happening?
Ike had no time to dwell on these thoughts as he felt Cameron back step, tripping over something in the process. The form of a girl soon appeared, shaking her head in confusion. Her dark red hair was tied up in a ponytail and she wore the garb of a soldier. But strapped to her back was what Ike recognized to be a Nanginata, a scythe- like weapon. One of her arms, Ike noted, was hanging limp by her side, as if broken. It was then that he felt a force of some kind radiating off her, a raw power that could only come from someone of his world.
"Marth…?" he was interrupted by a great roar.
Ranulf's eyes glowed an insane gold as his eyes fell upon this new target, weakened from what seemed like a great battle. Crouching low, he leaped upon the girl, ripping chunks of her hair off. The girl had absolutely no time to react before his claws reached for her exposed throat. Cameron ran forward and grabbed one of Ranulf's claws in a strong grip, trying his hardest to wrench the crazed cat off. Ike knew he only had seconds until Ranulf would wizen up and aim for Cameron's throat instead. Closing his eyes, he tried concentrating again, feeling his ghostly form melt away.
Ike blinked as his vision was soon clouded over with blue cat fur. Trying his best not to sneeze, he wrenched Ranulf off the girl and drew Sigmund the Rapier, the precious blade still lighter than air in his hands. Ranulf shook his head in a daze once before flying at them again.
"Get out of the way!" Ike shouted to the girl, using Sigmund to parry Ranulf's claws.
In the same moment, he noticed how the girl's dark eyes turned ocean blue. A gasp escaped her and a voice he knew all too well passed through her lips.
"Ike!"
The Hero of Tellius whirled around in surprise, "Marth?"
Ranulf took his temporary distraction and immediately ran for the opening Ike had created, sinking his claws onto the one tender spot between his legs. Though tears jumped to Ike's eyes, he was able to hold them back so Marth would not see. Meanwhile, the Prince of Altea was in the process of unbuckling the Nanginata off his back with his guardian's one good arm, fumbling with the leather straps as he did so. Ike managed to wrench Ranulf off just as he was about to draw out blood. Ranulf landed on his feet, as all cats should, not very far away and at once he was ready to attack again. With a great leap Ranulf rushed at Ike, snapping his powerful jaws. Ike's chest heaved up and down as he just barely managed to dodge the enraged cat, his heart racing.
Marth finally unbuckled the Nanginata and rushed forward, careful to keep his weak arm away from the blue cat. Ranulf lunged for his throat, but Marth quickly blocked his sharp teeth with the pole of the Nanginata and delivered a swift kick to Ranulf's stomach. After being winded for just a moment, Ranulf wrenched his teeth away from the pole and landed on his feet once again, his eyes narrowed in hate. Ike ran up to Marth, his chest still heaving. A small smile appeared on Marth's face as he saw his old friend approach, but it quickly turned into a frown as he then whacked Ranulf on the head with the powerful flat of the scythe blade, dazing the cat.
"It's great to see you," Ike panted, giving Marth a slap on the back, "But really? A girl as your guardian? I know Roy and I used to tease you about the girl thing, but…"
"S-Shut up," Marth muttered, a light blush appearing on his cheeks, "This girl, I'll have you know, is a very able fighter and- AHHH!!!!" He rolled out of the way just as Ranulf lunged again.
Ike swiped Sigmund the Rapier at Ranulf's tail as he passed overhead, cutting off a few hairs. "Still, a girl? And I thought Pit was the only one that would have that problem…"
"Having a girl for a guardian is not a problem at all!" Marth insisted, sidestepping as the powerful blue cat came rushing back, "Besides, your second in command was a female! You told me yourself! And let's not forget that old sparring partner of yours… what's her name… Maya or something?"
Ike's jaw stiffened. "Her name was Mia… M- I- A…"
Marth gave a rather distracted nod as he continued to nimbly dodge Ranulf's many attacks. Ike noticed how his chest too seemed to heave in and out, sensing how the energy seemed to drain from his guardian's body by the ton. He sensed his own energy draining away as well, knowing that once his well of energy went out both he and Cameron were doomed. Ranulf seemed to never tire, the crazed gleam in his eyes never wavering. There was only one way out of this fight and it was a way that Ike had hoped to never have to do, especially to an old friend.
Ranulf's feet kicked up dust from the ground, his jaws foaming profusely. Ike tightened his grip on Sigmund, ready to strike when needed. Crouching low to the ground, Ranulf let out the smallest of all growls before leaping at his foe. Sigmund flashed through the air, casting a silver gleam upon all who stood near it. Marth lunged forward at the same time, but he was too far away and too slow to do anything. Using the last of his strength, Ike thrust his sword arm forward, his heart already sinking in guilt and misery. The deadly point of the powerful weapon was three inches, two inches, away from its destination. Tears stung his eyes as the Hero of Tellius thrust his sword deep into Ranulf's kind and loyal heart.
**
Pit and Psyche both watched with widened eyes as the chaos unfolded all around them. One moment, they saw a calm young woman awaiting her time to be hanged. The next, the woman had changed her appearance just like that and was now on a blood lusted rampage.
"Jeez… are you sure it was a good idea letting her go like that?" Psyche asked uncertainly, wincing slightly as a bone rattling cackle filled the air.
A muscle in Pit's jawbone twitched at the thought of him making such a fatal mistake. But he quickly pushed these thoughts aside before his guardian could read them and shrugged.
"Even if we made a mistake, she's pretty weak by the looks of it," he remarked, gesturing to the woman's sluggish movements and how she swayed a bit as she walked, "And that metal leg and arm of hers might be able to pack some serious punch, but look how they're slowing her down… stop worrying so much!"
Before Psyche could answer, a Primid head flew from out of nowhere and slammed against the trunk of a nearby tree, oozing Shadow Bugs. Pit felt the glare of his guardian upon him, almost feeling her as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. A light blush appeared on his cheeks as he realized his mistake of releasing such a terror upon the world, but he remained silent.
"Oh yeah…" Psyche said, slurring her words sarcastically, "She's a real weakling to be sure!"
Pit had no time to answer as a blast of light suddenly appeared from nowhere, sending a few more random Primid body parts their way. The young woman was stooped low to the ground, sipping the Shadows Bugs as they flowed from the severed parts of the dead and dying Primids. Her cackling filled the air, chilling Pit's heart to the core. For a brief moment, fear gripped him in an iron hard grasp. But he took a few deep breaths and the fear subsided for the moment. Psyche meanwhile, was too annoyed to be fearful.
Both watched as Primid upon Primid rushed at her, assuming she was weak because of her slow movements. As they placed their hands upon her, the woman's eyes glowed deep red and she used the nails on her metal right arm to rip the green coverings right off the Primids that came at her and throw them somewhere else.
Pit's eyes traveled to the balcony where he had seen Tabuu standing. Not to his surprise, the blue man had left the place, possibly to go run and cower behind his precious army. In spite of himself, Pit smirked. Tabuu was such a coward.
"Here comes backup!" Psyche yelled, snapping Pit from his thoughts.
Pit looked up at the courtyard of the Smash Mansion once again. The first thing he saw was how the woman's chest heaved up and down, as if she had exhausted herself greatly through her sluggish, yet powerful fighting moves. Indeed as Shadow Bugs dripped from her lips, he saw that her eyes no longer held as much as the energetically insane spark he had noticed when she first transformed into this person. She was wobbling, on the verge of collapsing when they appeared.
Three Smashers, all of them quite powerful, appeared to the Primid's aid. Samus, Metaknight, and Link took up their stance and faced the completely drained young woman, ready to strike. Her pained cries ripped through the air as Metaknight tore at her skin with his sword, Samus blasted away with her powerful gun, and Link used all the tools he seemed to keep in his hat to weaken and eventually pulverize her.
Though he sensed the fear of the young woman still deep within him, something tugged at Pit's conscience, telling him that he needed to help the woman before she was obliterated. Frowning in confusion, he began wondering just why he should help the woman if her bloodlust rampage had been so horrible and terrifying. She was a scourge to the Smash World, a threat who could get in the way of both the guardians and Tabuu. She needed to be destroyed for all these reasons, yet Pit somehow felt that he needed to jump in and save her. He squatted there, unable to decide while Psyche seemed to pace back and forth within his mind. A single familiar phrase sparked Pit's decision, stirring him into action. He grabbed his bow and leaped out into the light as the single phrase still echoed in his ears.
"What's the matter, scared?"
**
"Are you sure you'll be alright fighting those three?" Heather asked worriedly, "You aren't used to my body yet and they're all quite powerful Smashers…"
Wolf smirked, tossing Heather's black and red hair over one shoulder as he prepared himself for attack. "Heather Wolfon, if there's one thing you should know about me it's this… Wolf O' Donnell is always ready for anything!"
Metaknight drilled towards him at lightning speed, transforming into a giant blur as he approached. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, Wolf began calculating in his head the speed of the Star Warrior's attack as well as the trajectory and the precision. Though Heather's confused thoughts occasionally got in the way, he finally got his numbers and using Heather's metal clad right arm, he lunged forward and grabbed a point at the very center of the spinning mass of black and silver.
Galaxia appeared in his hand. Wolf saw the knight's unblinking yellow eyes widen in surprise at this sudden turn of events, his smirk only widening as he saw this. Using his advantage, Wolf hurled the Star Warrior towards the gallows where Heather had once been hung. Just as he was about to crash into the strong wooden poles, Metaknight unfurled his wings just in time and used them to cushion his landing.
"Not too bad," Heather commented, a tiny hint of impressiveness in her voice.
Wolf grinned in response. "You're not a bad fighter yourse-"
He was interrupted by a quick succession of missiles from Samus, followed by a whole flurry of arrows from Link's bow. Wolf prepared himself for a quick dodge and just as the missiles and arrows were about to touch him, he jumped sideways, hoping to dodge the weapons with a lightning fast speed like he was used to in his own body. But he was too slow. Though he was able to dodge the missiles, the arrows were another thing entirely. The heads of the arrows bit as his skin, occasionally sailing over his head or straight at his heart. Though most of the fatal arrows bounced of his metal arm and leg, the others found places such as exposed parts of his other arm to attack. He cursed himself in his mind for allowing this to happen. Heather's body was not built for speed as his once was. She was more built for defense if anything else.
"Wolf, are you alright?!?" Heather asked, trying her best to keep calm in this time of chaos.
"I'm fine!" Wolf grunted, struggling to get up only to be hit by another volley of arrows, "Just fine…"
Then he heard it. The dreaded sound of Metaknight's battle cry as he attacked. Wolf had been so distracted with Link's arrows that he did not notice as Metaknight rushed forward with his powerful drill attack, ready to slice both Smasher and guardian right in half. He had no time to make the calculations in his head, to even dodge as he saw the horrible shape approaching at the speed of light. His life flashed before his eyes, his heart racing at the speed of sound. He had no time to dodge, no time to stop the impending death that was thrusting itself upon him. He closed his eyes and awaited the final blow.
"THE FIGHT IS ON!!!"
The sound of metal against metal could be heard as Wolf shook slightly with fear. When the sounds of Metaknight's battle cry was stopped, he opened his eyes, wondering what had happened. Metaknight was dueling someone, his moves as quick as his sword. Amazingly, the person was able to block his many moves while dealing some of their own in between.
The person was a girl, a young teen by the looks of her. She was extremely thin, not at all in fighting shape and clothed in ill- fitting rags. Her long brown hair flew wild all around her, her bare feet were covered in grime and muck. In her hands she held twin gold blades, using them to fight and block as necessary. But what was her most prominent feature had to be her eyes, colored a stunning bright blue despite her dark looks. She grunted as she fought, her blows weakening ever so slightly under Metaknight's powerful attacks.
A volley of arrows loosed themselves from Link's bow. A few more missiles were fired from Samus. But the girl was too busy fighting with Metaknight to take notice.
"You have to help her!" Heather shouted, worry filling her every word.
As if by instinct, Wolf propelled himself forward and threw himself between the arrows and missiles. He heard the girl gasp in surprise as he thudded to the ground, arrows sticking out of him like porcupine needles. Though he was thankful that Heather's body was quite durable, the pain was unbearable.
"Are you alright?" the girl asked, a male voice resonating from her vocal chords.
Wolf knew that voice. "P-Pit?"
"That's me!" Pit said quickly before blocking a few more of Metaknight's blows, "The one and only!"
Pit ducked as another few thousand arrows appeared from nowhere, allowing them to hit the Star Warrior. Though most bounced off his mask, a few managed to lodge themselves into the chinks of Metaknight's mask and a few even found his eyes. With a roar of pain, the blinded Star Warrior spiraled out of control, headed right for Link and Samus.
Pit stooped down and grabbed Wolf, buckling slightly as his guardian lacked strength in her arms. "It's good to see you again… you're stuck with a girl too?"
"Hey!" Psyche said indignantly.
Under normal circumstances, Wolf would have not allowed himself to be held in this fashion, as it made him seem weak. But he allowed the angel to drag his body out of the way as the fight between the blinded Metaknight and the two Smashers unfolded. Pit had enough energy left in him to just barely drag Wolf into a clearing hidden within the woods before he collapsed onto the soft grass and closed his eyes.
"That was very brave of you," Heather said as Wolf too collapsed onto the grass, "Sacrificing yourself for her and all of that…"
Wolf could feel his consciousness slipping, but he held on just long enough to talk to his guardian just a bit more. Taking a deep breath, he staggered to his feet and walked over to a tree and began grabbing the leaves off of it, using them to wipe off the blood that covered Heather's body. He then noticed three deep gashes on her left arm, all of them oozing blood.
"Looks like you have three new scars," he remarked quietly, still mopping up the blood.
In his mind, he could practically see Heather give him a sad smile. "Yes… I suppose so…"
"So on the subject of how brave I was…" he began lightly.
Heather nodded. "Yes. You could've let her take all those arrows, yet you came in and threw yourself in front of her. I don't care what the legends say about you… you're such a selfless person…"
Wolf threw away the leaf he was using and sighed again, gazing up into the sky. "Yeah, well… don't expect it to happen again. I am a bad guy after all…"
Deep within his mind, Heather shook her head though he did not notice. He did not notice as well when she spoke one last time, right before he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to embrace him.
"Wolf O' Donnell, just because you're a bad guy doesn't mean you can do some good for the world…"
**
"What!?! You dare defy me!?!?"
Though his father's voice was loud enough to scare anyone, Rinku was juts barely able to keep him from flinching at the sharply accented voice of his father. "Defy? Nay, father. You gave me a choice and I chose to let him live…"
Though Link was impressed at how calmly his guardian was able to handle the situation, he feared for him as well. Sorius looked just about ready to draw his sword and kill his son on the spot. Link frowned as he saw the corrupted Master Sword sticking out of Sorius's sheathe, wondering how on earth a heart as evil as the Usurper King's was able to touch the Blade of Evil's Bane. Though he wished nothing more than to wonder some more about these thoughts, he knew he had to concentrate on that later and turned his attention back to the Usurper King.
"He was attempting to murder you!" Sorius shouted angrily, his face beet red, "To kill you! To rid Hyrule of its one and only heir to the throne! Does none of this matter to you!?!"
Rinku blinked once at the sharp way his father had said this, but soon regained his composure and faced his father head on. "He was not in any attempt to murder me, I assure you. I he wished to murder me, he would have done it the old fashioned way. Poison in a cup is a good way to kill someone, I heard…"
"Like how you 'accidentally' murdered your own mother?" Sorius sneered, "And then you end up running away! What kind of cowardly prince are you? Hyrule shall rot under your reign unless you toughen up and learn that bloodshed is necessary when you must rule over a great kingdom."
Link felt Rinku's teeth clench together at the mention of how his mother had died. For the briefest moment, melancholy seeped its way into Rinku's mind, reminding him of his horrible crime against the goddesses. Sorius seemed to notice this as well as he deep yellow eyes narrowed into slits of delight and he leaned forward, his deep voice slowly working its way into Rinku's heart.
"Indeed," he whispered, "Had it not been for me stepping in, you would have the goddesses hounding you about your poor mother for the rest of your life… do you not see how much I've done for you and what little I ask in return? A mere life for penance is all it takes. Did King Daphnes ever do this? No! He merely sat back and watched as many went about their lives without the penance they needed. He damned many innocent, pure souls to the very pits of Din's Fire because he never offered any form of penance…"
Link sensed Sorius's words leaking their way into Rinku's mind, slowly corrupting it once again. The Chosen Hero did his best to beat back a few words, but they simply kept seeping in, darkening the corridors of his mind. Link tried desperately to help his guardian, to make him see the light. Rinku, he knew, was desperately fighting as well, but it was as if Sorius had sprinkled a magical spell in his words as they simply kept coming and coming. Their influence was slowly taking over and before Link's eyes, all the hard work he had done to get his guardian's mind back where it belonged slowly began to decay.
"This can't end like this!" he shouted angrily, using his fists to beat back the influence of Sorius, "Not after what Cimar risked to get him back… not after those hours upon hours of convincing… not after so many lives were lost! It can't… RINKU!!!!"
Then he felt it, a gentle pulse in his left hand. The pulse was rhythmic and soothing, yet it filled him with power beyond his dreams. Link's quickly depleting courage was born anew and filled him, seeping into all the cracks of his mind. He saw a golden light seeping into Rinku's mind, the dark shadows of Sorius's influence slowly melting away as the light approached. With a small cry of effort, Link pushed the shadows back from whence they came, watching as Rinku's mind was rendered pure once more. He then watched as the golden light seemed to seep its way into his guardian's veins, filling him and giving him power beyond all imagination.
"No!" Rinku shouted sharply, "No, no, NO!!!"
Sorius was taken aback by the boy's sudden outburst, but he quickly regained himself. "No? Do you not seek penance, my son?"
"Penance?" Rinku spat, "So I repent for killing a perso-"
"Your mother!" Sorius growled emphatically, "Your own flesh and blood!"
"For killing my mother!" Rinku corrected, his eyes shining with hate, "For killing my mother by killing another person?"
Before Sorius could answer, Izia walked in, wringing his hands and smiling gleefully. After bowing to both the King and Prince, he snapped his fingers and a guard came in dragging something using chains. The thing on the other end seemed to refuse to cooperate, but the sound of a whip could be heard before two little boys were forced in, both with these chains wrapped securely around their wrists.
Link gasped in surprise and disgust at how these boys were treated. Both seemed to be about the same age, eight at least, and identical in many ways. Both had short black hair and wide brown eyes, almond shaped and filled with both fear and defiance. One of them wore a blue earring on one ear as well as a red and blue glitter covered shirt and tight black pants. The other one, who did not possess an earring, wore a red and green glitter covered shirt and tight black pants. Both of their bodies were absolutely covered in deep scars and the boy who did not wear an earring also had numerous tattoos of various things all over his body.
Izia smiled malevolently before taking out a scroll of paper and unfurling it. "My Lord Sorius and Prince Rinku, I have brought before you today two entertainers for your enjoyment."
Sorius leaned back on his throne, gesturing to the throne next to him for Rinku to sit in. Link's guardian recoiled in disgust at the seat of power he knew he did not deserve and instead chose to take a seat on the floor, far away from his father. If either Sorius or Izia noticed his behavior, they did not show any signs. Izia cleared his throat.
"These are two twin boys who possess great entertainment methods, captured from Kakariko Village and brought here before you! This one," he said, gesturing to the boy with the blue earring, "Is named Pichn! The other is named Picho! Should either of them fail to please you, merely give the word and they will both be burned at the stake!"
Link noticed that for a brief moment, he saw fear flash behind the boys' eyes. But this fear soon gave way to nothing but pure defiance as the twins gazed upon Sorius with utter hate. For a moment, the eyes of Pichn flickered towards Rinku and deep within them there seemed to be a plea for help from him. But he soon focused his gaze back on the man before him, his anger radiating off of him in waves. Picho remained focused on the Usurper King his hands curled up into fists.
Sorius smiled, revealing his dirty yellow teeth. "Excellent, Izia… yes, those boys would make lovely entertainment…"
Izia bowed before backing away, shooting a dark glare at Rinku as he went. Rinku's anger rose, but it was through Link's intervention that he did not spring up and attack the horrid man right then and there. He decided to deal with him later.
Sorius leaned forward in his seat, leering at the two boys who did not even flinch under his gaze. "So boys… what kind of entertainment do you bring to me today?"
"How about your face shoved into some goat crap and covered in red ants?" Picho spat.
"Or maybe your precious little treasure trove burned to cinders?" Pichn added, once again flashing a tiny pleading look at Hyrule's Prince.
Link winced slightly as Sorius's bone chilling laughter filled the air, rattling the young man's every bone. He watched in horror and disgust as the Usurper King snapped his finger at a guard standing near the boys. Quick as lightning, a whip lashed out, catching both boys across their shoulders. Fear bubbled up from deep within the Hylian as he watched the horrible leather object flick up and down, lashing itself upon the two entertainers.
They fell to their knees with screams of pain erupting from their throats, unable to stop the unbearable pain that this weapon of destruction brought. Blood began pouring down the twins' shoulders, soaking the ground in the horrifying crimson fluid. Picho threw himself over Pichn, shielding his brother from the whip with his own back as he took the pain of every single lashing.
Neither Link nor his guardian could take it anymore. Leaping to his feet, Rinku immediately dashed up to the guard and tore the whip from his hands throwing it away. The guard gave a cry of surprise as his lash was taken away, taking a few steps back. Rinku's breath came in small, pained puffs as he saw how the two boys raised their heads to look at him, as if thanking him for freeing them from their torment.
"Enough!" Rinku panted, "They've had enough!"
Rather than being angered at his son's outburst, Sorius seemed quite pleased with it, as if he had been waiting for that to happen. "Very well. If the boys merely take the time to entertain the two of us, they shall not need to feel the sting of the whip across their backs. However, should they fail, they shall receive a punishment worse, much worse than a mere whipping…"
**
He was horrified. Being nothing more than a mere clump of pink gas, he was absolutely powerless to stop the horrible whip as it lashed out onto the shoulders of the two boys in front of him. Next to him, the small cloud of yellow gas that had been his companion for the long journey to this land known as Hyrule shuddered as every lashing drew more blood from the boys' shoulders.
"I-It's… it's so… so cruel…" he whispered, shuddering some more as the cries of the boys filled the hall, "So, so cruel…"
"Ness, are you alright?" the pink gas asked with concern.
Ness's cloud of smoke bobbed up and down, as if the little PSI master was nodding. "Y-Yeah… I guess…"
The pink smoke frowned as he saw the whip flick up and down, each time flinging flecks of blood up in the air. "That looks painful…"
"Painful? Of course it's painful!" Ness said indignantly, "I don't know what it was like over in Dreamland, Kirby, but being whipped is probably the most painful punishment you can receive from anyone!"
Kirby's frown only deepened as his confusion rose. "So… does that mean you'll get whipped if you don't cook tasty food?"
Ness rolled his eyes. "If you're really that cruel, then yes."
"Sounds like my kind of punishment…" Kirby mumbled. After catching the strange look Ness was giving him, he quickly corrected his mistake. "But it would only be my kind of punishment if I was… if I was King Dedede! Yeah! But since I'm not King Dedede, I won't give that punishment out to anyone!"
Before Ness could react to this comment, a sudden movement caught his eye. A young man he had not noticed before had sprung to his feet and dashed over to the guard who held the whip, ripping it out of his hand. After flinging it in a random direction he began to shout angrily at the dark man who sat on the throne, his voice filled with hate. Though this sudden outburst was quite interesting to Ness, Kirby had instead turned his attention to the two boys.
They were both identical twins in many ways as they were both scar covered and had the exact same facial features. The few differences between them were that they wore different colored clothes and one of them had tattoos while the other wore a single blue earring. Kirby felt a surge of pity and concern as the twin with the tattoos gently lifted himself off of his brother, as he had been shielding him during the whipping. His brother, meanwhile, was using a torn cloth he got from somewhere unknown to wipe off the blood that flowed in torrents off of his sibling's back.
"Hey Ness… check those two out…" the pink puffball said distractedly, gesturing to the two boys, "Look at how they help each other out and everything…"
Ness shifted his attention to the two boys, watching as they cleaned themselves up and stood at attention as the dark man on the throne spoke to them. "By the looks of things, they've been through a lot together…"
"Mm…" Kirby agreed, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Ness raised a single eyebrow, but before he could answer, Kirby was gone. Frowning in confusion, he proceeded to follow the pink trail of smoke the puffball had become. He watched as Kirby floated right up to the boy with the blue earring and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Blinking in surprise, Ness whirled around to look for the puffball to no avail. Kirby had disappeared.
"Kirby?" he called, his voice shaking with worry, "Hey, where are ya, buddy?"
When no answer came, he turned back to the two boys. The Denizen of Dreamland had disappeared when he floated up to the ear of the boy with the blue earring. His ghostly form shook with nervousness as he approached the ear of the boy with the tattoos upon him, fear welling up inside him. Ever so slowly, he inched closer and closer to the boy's ear, his tension rising with every passing second. Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled in, as if the boy's ear had become a vacuum. Though he struggled against this unexpected force, he was sucked straight into the boy's ear, traveling through deep dark corridors until he was finally pushed out right into the heart of the boy's mind.
The first thing he saw as he entered was the giant joke book. Standing what seemed like hundreds of feet tall, its pages were filled with a great many jokes and pranks. What was more, he saw a great many things that one would only find in a joke shop. Firecrackers and flying saucers flew through the air in the mind of this boy, fake dog poop and shaving cream littered the floor. Just from looking at the joke book, Ness was able to discover one thing about his new guardian: he was a major joker.
Meanwhile, Kirby was having the time of his life in his guardian's mind. Aside from the many guns that lined the walls of his mind, there was one and only one thing that truly caught the pink puffball's attention: the food. In the very center of the boy's mind, there was a great table simply heaped with food. It didn't take the puffball long to open his ghostly mouth to suck up this food with the force of a great vacuum, never allowing a single crumb to escape him. When the table was emptied, it refilled itself and the process began again. However, it also didn't take long for the owner of the mind he inhabited to realize what was happening.
With a slight flinch of surprise, the boy struggled to keep his words from shaking with fear as he spoke. "Wh- Who… Who are you…?"
Kirby was caught off guard, causing him to choke a bit on a piece of food. After spitting it out, he cleared his throat and smiled. "Hello! I'm Kirby!"
The boy crinkled his brow in confusion. "Kirby? What a Kirby?"
He did not notice the strange look his brother was giving him as he spoke, being too absorbed in this strange event to pay attention. He even ignored the small conversation Sorius and Prince Rinku were having at the moment.
"I'm Kirby!" the puffball said cheerfully, "That's my name!"
The boy's frown deepened as he registered this. "Kirby's your name? What does it mean?"
In his mind, the Dreamland Warrior shrugged. "Dunno… what's you name?"
"I… I'm Pichn…" he said uncertainly, "Have you always lived… up there?"
"Nope!" Kirby replied, "I just got in here about a minute ago. You have really good food up here in your mind!"
Pichn raised a confused eyebrow, but chose not to question the puffball. "Uh… thanks? I like food…"
"So do I!" Kirby exclaimed, "I have the feeling that we're going to get along just great!"
For the first time in a long time, Pichn smiled. "Yeah! I bet we're going to make an awesome team!"
At the same time, Ness chose to strike up a conversation with his guardian, choosing his words with care. "Um… hi…"
His guardian jumped about a foot in the air in surprise at the sound of the small voice in his head. "Who's there?"
"The name's Ness," the boy with PSI powers said conversationally, "I'm a former Smasher and denizen of Onette."
The boy's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I'm… I'm Picho, also known as Joker on stage…"
"On stage?"
"I'm an entertainer," he explained, "My bro, Pichn, and I used to travel around Hyrule entertaining people and such… that is, until we got captured by a bunch of guards and brought here."
Before Ness could reply, Sorius's cold voice broke through, chilling everyone to the very bone. "If you two boys are finished mumbling to yourselves, it is time that you entertain me, my son, and of course, the rest of the court."
As if on cue, the great oak doors burst open at the very back of the throne room and many lords and ladies entered, all of them haughty looking and possessing cruel, sharp features. The ladies all had beak like noses and were dressed in the gaudiest fashions, all of them sniffing in disgust as they passed the boys. The gentlemen were just as bad, if not worse. All of them were quite over dressed and ignored the boys as if they were nothing more than mere specks of dust. Once the entire court had gathered, Sorius clapped his hand together and announced that they were to be entertained by two boys who claimed to be the greatest entertainers in the land. A cruel laugh bubbled up from all the mouths of those in the audience at these words, followed by sneers and jeers.
Ness's blood boiled at these insults, as did Picho's. But they were just barely able to restrain themselves from leaping at the nearest lady and seeing just how much they could dirty her horribly tacky dress. Kirby and Picho, on the other hand, ignored all of this and noticed that Prince Rinku seemed to step deep into the shadows, with only his sharp blue eyes glittering in the light.
"What are you two waiting for?" Sorius asked, his eyes shining maliciously, "Entertain us, boys!"
Sweat poured down the boys' foreheads at these words, their hearts hammering in fear. They both knew that if they failed to entertain these people, it could mean a fate much worse than a beating for them. Picho caught his brother's eye and he knew that he was the one that was to start this dangerous show. Ness quickly glanced at the large joke book in his guardian's mind and randomly chose a joke from out of it.
"The chicken one!" he said, "Do the chicken one!"
"The chicken one's stupid," Picho hissed back, his knees shaking slightly.
"Well?" one of the posh gentlemen asked, sniffing disdainfully, "We're waiting you two!"
Picho cleared his throat and put on a fake smile, unable to contain his fear. "Uh… um… why did the chicken cross the road?"
"To get fed, plucked, slaughtered, chopped up, and served in my dinner," a lady replied, "Such a pathetic excuse for an opening act, if you ask me."
While the court murmured their agreement, Ness continued to search through the joke book. "Do… do the puppy one?"
"Why did the puppy go to the hair salon?"
"To get shaved, slaughtered, boiled, fried, baked, then served for lunch," another lady sniffed, "This 'entertainment' of which you speak of is nothing more than some pathetic dirt off the street! I am surprised at you, King Sorius!"
Sorius's malicious smile only widened as the crowd murmured their assent, his hand already moving towards the sword in his sheathe. Picho shot a desperate look at his brother, whose mind immediately began racing. Kirby pitched forth an idea of his own, which caused him to leave the mind of Pichn for a brief moment to relate this to Ness, who then told Picho. Clearing his throat, Pichn stepped forward and faced the crowd.
"I, Pichn, shall now like to present to you our real act!" he said.
"Are you sure you're up to this?" Kirby asked.
"I shall now jump through… the ring of fire!" Pichn announced, ignoring Kirby's question.
When nothing happened, he shot a small glare at his brother, who was lost in his own thoughts. Upon seeing the glare, Picho jumped up a bit and readied his hands. Pichn turned back to the crowd and repeated what he had said.
"THE RING OF FIRE!!!"
"What do I say?" Picho mumbled to Ness.
"PK FIRE!!!"
"PK FIRE!!!!" the boy shouted, his eyes widening in awe as a blast of fire shot out of his hand, forming a ring in the center of the room.
The crowd had only seconds to be impressed by this spectacle as Pichn then dashed forward and flipped right through the ring, landing on both feet. A few lords and ladies clapped as the boy bowed and grinned. The two boys proceeded to then amaze the crowd with a great number of tricks, each one more wonder than the last. After Picho used PK Freeze to create a beautiful ice sculpture of the Triforce, Sorius suddenly shot up, his face filled with rage.
"Seize them!" he bellowed, "For they are users of witchcraft!"
The effect of his words was immediate. All in one movement, the guards stationed around the hall had rushed upon the two boys, grabbing them both by the shoulders. Cries of surprise escaped them as both were dragged away. Deeper and deeper into the castle they were dragged until they were finally thrown into what they knew to be a dungeon cell, the hard stone floor reopening gashes they had received not long ago.
"Are you okay?" Kirby shouted, his eyes widening in fear as blood poured out of Pichn's nose.
"That was harsh!" Ness exclaimed, wincing as the cell door clanged shut.
Picho grabbed the bars with both hands and shook them, trying to see if they would fall out in his hands. Though extremely rusty, the hard iron bars held strong and the boy collapsed in exhaustion a few minutes later. Pichn used his shirt to clean up the blood that flowed freely out of his nose as he huddled closer to his brother, worry filling his eyes.
"What's going to happen to us, Picho?" he asked his brother fearfully, unable to keep his voice from shaking.
Picho shook his head in shame, tears pricking his eyes. "I… I dunno… but accusing us of witchcraft… nothing good ever comes from that…"
"Do you think they'll burn us at the stake?"
"I don't know, bro… I just don't know…"
**
Cimar frowned in confusion as he fingered the pure white robe he had been forced to put on. As a Disciple of Order, he had read about a great many things happening to those who were caught sneaking into Hyrule Castle under suspicious circumstances. Hanging, for example, had occurred many times over the years. Another punishment for sneaking around the castle could be a week in the torture chamber. If the king was in a good mood, the offender would get several months of cleaning up the trash that littered the Zora River. Under Sorius's reign thus far, the punishments had gone as far as being skinned alive. But being given a comfortable white robe to wear and being placed in a luxurious wing of the castle was not part of the usual repertoire.
A soft knock on his door announced the arrival of a servant. Cimar ignored this knock and collapsed on the bed that was placed in the room for him, still confused as to why he was placed in this situation.
"I was caught sneaking… wasn't I?" he asked, "I thought punishments were a lot more… harsh than this…"
"Indeed, they're supposed to be," Zelda replied, "Back in my day, my father would hang anyone who dared sneak around the castle, unless they had a valid enough reason…"
Before Cimar could answer, another knock sounded, this time much more rapt and urgent. After standing up, Cimar answered the door to reveal the figure of a rather small little man with accented features. He jittered a great deal in his presence and Zelda's guardian could've sworn that once or twice he would cackle to himself as he bustled around. Following this man was a maid who carried a silver tray with a single golden goblet upon it. The goblet was wrought from the finest gold, inlaid with large sapphires. The goblet only increased the confusion swimming in Cimar's mind, but he said nothing.
"Cimar of Turalis?" the little man asked, locking his deep black eyes with Cimar's sky blue ones.
"That is correct," he answered, wondering why he was unable to pull his eyes away from the man's.
His eyes seemed to hold some sort of hypnotic power, a strange force that made anyone who looked in it unable to look away. Cimar's eyes were drawn to the deep black color and once he was locked in the man's gaze, he was rendered completely unable to pull away. He felt as if his very mind was being surrounded in darkness, clouding his reasoning and his logical thinking.
Within his mind, Zelda struggled to keep control of her senses, the black influence of the man's eyes seeping its way into Cimar's mind. But the darkness was too strong and it did not take long for it to engulf the Hylian princess. She was reduced to a mere flicker in the blackness, a tiny flame in the vast oblivion.
"Cimar! Cimar, don't give in!" she begged, her voice no louder than a whisper in his mind.
"You have been a very naughty boy," the man said, a smiling curling at the corners of his lips.
Cimar suddenly felt the urge to agree with him as he continued to gaze into the blackness of his eyes. Though something deep within him, perhaps the voice of a woman, told him not to, the voice was so faint, so very, very faint…
"Indeed…" he said, still unable to tears his gaze away.
"A very, very naughty boy," the man chided, "And do you know what naughty boys need? A naughty punishment…"
"Cimar…" Zelda whispered, her form refusing to give up, "Cimar… wake up! WAKE UP!!!"
She felt him pushing her away, as if she were a mere thought. But then she realized that that was what she was at the moment: a mere thought. He easily pushed her away. The darkness wrapped around the princess like a veil, causing her to shiver and weaken. She felt her very essence begin to fade as the influence of those strange and horrifying eyes slowly took over the mind of her guardian.
"Cimar…" she whispered, buckling under the weight of the darkness, "Cimar… please…"
"So I'm going to give you a naughty punishment," the man said, "Is that okay with you?"
Cimar nodded absentmindedly, still unable to tear his gaze from the man's eyes. "Yes…"
A smile broke out on the man's thin face as he heard these words. With a quick gesture to the maid, he brought forward the chalice he had brought with him and held it up to the young man's face.
"Drink up, naughty boy!" he ordered maliciously, "Drink up, drink up!"
As if by instinct, Cimar took this drink in his hand and raised it to his lips, ready to take the first sip. But he hesitated as the cold metal of the goblet touched his lips, as if there was a voice telling him not to do it. It was very, very faint, almost inaudible. Frowning in confusion, he lowered the goblet for his a second before raising it up again, all worry vanished from his mind. He raised the cup as if in a toast and brought it to his lips.
"Cimar! Cimar…" Zelda croaked weakly, her form shimmering.
But it was to no avail as much of her guardian's mind had been taken by the shadows of mesmerism, so dark that there was almost no way to get it back. But she knew she had to get it back or Hyrule would fall. In a final effort, she called upon her hero, the man who would give his life to fulfill her wishes. Summoning her voice one last time, she called for him.
"L-Link… Link… we need you…"
**
Cold hearted. They called him cold hearted because of his aloofness. He set himself apart from most of the other Smashers and they called him cold hearted. If only they understood.
He had never truly understood why he would separate himself from social gatherings in general. They never interested him and they were only an excuse for him to completely embarrass himself in front of thousands of people. But these past hundred years made him yearn for gatherings such as these, wish he could turn back time and change everything.
It had been a lonely hundred years. Even in his jar he never spoke to anyone, being too ashamed to find his voice. When his little rival would ask him a question, he would ignore it completely and simply sit there. Even when close friends, such as a certain bounty huntress, would talk to him, he remained aloof.
But it was because he was ashamed. He had been one of the first to fall under Tabuu's might. He, one of the most feared fighters, had been swatted aside like a fly when he went up against the Lord of Subspace. His very form shook with anger as he remembered that fateful day, the day when he experienced his greatest loss by a man he had sworn never to lose to.
As this trail of navy blue smoke flew over familiar scenery, he could not help but wish he could turn back time. He had left this world, in a way, without truly opening up to the citizens of Smashville. When they saw him on one side of the street, they would immediately cross over to the other side. He was alone.
Smash Mansion appeared in the distance. The Smasher set his jaw and narrowed his eyes as he saw this spectacle, now warped into a palace fit for Tabuu. He was home.
Wow… it's amazing what can happen when you wake up one Saturday morning and just sit in bed and play darts. That thing with Cimar did not go as I planned it to be… but I love it! :D
Bye bye! Seeya next chappie!