Last of the Guardians
*ahem* I am pleased to announce that after talking a bit with my awesome beta reader, I've decided to change the style of how I write this a bit… not explaining how, I just am.
… with luck, this will seem less rushed and I will seem less stressed.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.
He was afraid…
That was the only thing on his mind.
Fear, pure raw fear.
It ate away at his heart, tightened every muscle in his body. He couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't breathe…
He was a great big mass of fear…
"Sol!"
Sol whirled around and swung his blade, nearly cleaving off Xavier's head in the process. Ever since the Subspace Army had shown up upon the relatively empty plains of the burnt village, he and Xavier had been hiding, trying to evade their foes as long as they could. They had just taken refuge in one of many of the burnt houses, hoping that the stench of the smoking wood would ward off the Subspace denizens.
"What is it, Xavier?" Sol demanded. His chest was heaving up and down, the adrenaline roaring through his veins at lightning speed. There was a sharp pain right in the center of it as well, only inches away from his heart. He took deep breaths, hoping that they would drive away the sharp pain and hide the fact that his facial features were already reacting to the intense ache building up in that exact spot.
"We have to get outta here and fight," Xavier growled. "It's not like we can keep hiding forever!"
"Keep your voice down!" Sol hissed. "They might hear you… then it's all over for us…"
Xavier gripped the short sword he was holding all the more tighter. "If we don't suck it up and fight, it'll be over for us either way!"
Sol shook his head in disbelief. "You… you don't understand…" he reached into his pocket and closed his hand around something hidden deep within it. "Those enemies… their power… it can absolutely destroy you… even if you… you claim to have powers that are great, there's no way in the world that your power can be greater than Subspace's…"
Xavier narrowed his eyes. "… How the Hell do you know…? How the heck do you know whether or not I have 'powers'! How the heck do you know whether or not their powers are better than mine! Just who the heck are you?"
Sol hesitated. On one hand, one part of him desperately wanted to tell this young man something that he had tried to keep hidden for the longest time. It was a secret that was never meant to be, a force that had caused him to be relentlessly hunted by Tabuu for what seemed like years and years. It was the very thing that caused the pain in his chest, the pulsing, throbbing energy that attracted every Subspace denizen for miles around. It was a secret so powerful, so horrid that Tabuu himself dedicated life and limb to get it.
But on the other hand…
"That white streak, of course," Sol said quietly. His eyes were both shining like twin flames. "There's no way that anyone would miss something like that… last night, I saw it cut through the skies, heading right towards this place…" there was a strange underscore in his voice, as if he knew exactly what was currently within Xavier's head. Truth be told, he did know. "I know for a fact that there's something going on right now… something that'll change Smashville forever…"
Xavier's eyes bored into him. "… How do you know…? How do you know that any of this can really happen…? How do you know whether or not someone like me can actually make a difference in this world? In case you have noticed…" Xavier gestured to himself. "I'm just one guy."
Sol shook his head. "You're just one guy, true, but by the looks of things, you've been entrusted with something that would cause most people to go insane…" the throbbing in his chest was back. It was horrible, cutting through him as if it were trying to rip his very skin apart.
And all the while, the dreadful Subspace Army approached even closer…
"He has to use this power!" Mima hissed. "It's the only way we'll be able to even have a chance to get outta here alive! Even you're powers won't be enough to give us a small fighting chance if this Xavier guy doesn't help!"
Mima…
She had been living within his mind for what seemed like years already. Ever since that horrible, horrible day way back then, she had been his sole companion, his only advisor in the cruel world that Tabuu had warped. She was wise, to be sure, but insane as well. It was often times that Sol would look back on that day and wonder if this Mima truly existed or if he was simply going mad…
She was a young witch with long green hair cascading down her back. Sol had met her when she first spoke up in his mind that fateful day. It had been just after he had been hit, just after the horrid item embedded itself in his chest and he was forced to leave the village he had known for so long just to protect its people from the Subspace Army…
"Please… you need to employ your powers if we're going to get out of here alive!" Sol snarled angrily. This kid was starting to irk him with his refusal in cooperating.
Xavier placed his hands together and rubbed them, closing his eyes in concentration. When he opened his hands again, a pill had appeared in them. It was an extremely large thing, not at all suitable for swallowing but perfectly balanced for throwing. However, judging by the expression on Xavier's face, Sol could tell that he was tempted to throw the thing at him.
Sol backed up a few paces. "Now see here, Xavier-"
Xavier stood up, eyes flashing angrily. "Listen, as much as I want to help you, I need to know! Why do you know so much about what's currently living in my head!"
Sol's breath caught as another spasm of pain shot through him. "I'm sorry… but I cannot say… not without…"
"Without putting me in danger?" Xavier asked bluntly. "That excuse is starting to get old, Sol."
"It's the truth!" Sol's chest was simply spazzing with pain now. This was beyond anything he had ever felt in his life. It was as if the thing in his chest was feeding off his anger, sapping away at it like a strawberry milkshake.
Xavier narrowed his eyes. "… Give me one good reason… give me just one reason why I should believe you… why should I listen to you when you haven't even shown your face properly to me yet." He gestured to how Sol's scarf covered his face completely, leaving only his bright yellow eyes.
Sol looked away. "There's a reason why I cover my face, Xavier… it's for both your and my protection…"
"And because you're a scaredy cat!" Mima laughed.
Sol made a sound that sounded a lot like a growl before turning back to Xavier. "Please… if you care at all about the future of Smashville, you just have to trust me…"
Xavier sighed and placed the pill he was holding on the ground. "… I still don't trust you… but if you claim that helping you out can help Dr. Mario and the rest finally free Smashville…" he stood up and rubbed his hands together, causing yet another pill to appear. "Then I'll do everything I can…"
BOOM!
The hut they were hiding in rocked dangerously with the impact of the explosion. From the sound of things, quite a few of the Subspace enemies had bombs. Sol and Xavier exchanged looks, knowing that it was either charge into the oncoming hoard now and risk certain death or dash over to the hut next to them and use it as a base of operations from which they could attack.
Of course, they charged.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Mima shouted angrily as Sol. A powerful looking weapon had appeared in Sol's hands, a longsword that was simply covered in blood. The blade itself was sharp enough to cut the air and it wasn't long until many of the Subspace enemies had fallen to the tip of his blade.
Sol's sword- called the Masamune- wove in and out of the Shadow Bug spawned creatures, killing many of them on the spot. However, the horrid pain in Sol's chest continued to throb, burning his very flesh with every Subspace enemy that fell at his feet. This throbbing was horribly intense, almost to the point where he probably would've burned to a crisp had he been what he once was…
What he once was…
Sol saw that Xavier didn't face a problem like his. But it was the red rings around his eyes that radiated what he felt. He was angry, almost to the point of berserking. Sweat poured down his brow in torrents, soaking his clothes and brow.
For a moment, Sol considered his choices. Xavier, destroyed and broken as he was because of the deaths of his loved ones, could prove to be a powerful ally when in a berserker rage. But on the other hand, a berserker naturally attacked everyone, regardless of whether they were friend or foe. Xavier possessed the power of one of the Smashers, Sol could feel it. But what would it be like if this power was used against him…?
He had no time to choose.
Out of nowhere, a Primid appeared, swinging its Beam Sword like a club. The Masamune came up to intercept, but was easily knocked away when Sol was slammed with the power of one of the Autolances as it jabbed him with its javelin. A cut appeared on Sol's hand, but it was not at all the red substance people had come to call "blood"…
Shadow Bugs poured out of the dreaded cut, pooling at Sol's feet…
"No!" Sol desperately tried to use the tattered remains of his coat sleeve to cover the trail of Subspace parasites that leaked out of him. But he was too late. Xavier had already seen what was steadily pouring out of his arm and it was all he could do to stop the young man from getting stabbed by that same Autolance. He was forced to grab the thing by the tip of its spear, crying out in pain as the sharp weapon went right through his hand.
More Shadow Bugs hit the earth…
"Your cover's blown!" Mima groaned. "I told you to tell him the truth when you met him!"
"Quiet, Mima!" Sol snapped. With great effort he wrenched his hand off of the lance and ducked as a giant pill went flying over his head. The pill exploded upon contact with the Autolance, revealing its glowing yellow core. Another exploding pill took that out as well, finishing off one enemy and leaving still more.
"Who are you!" Xavier demanded, pulling out more pills and throwing them in all directions. "What are you!"
Sol shook his head. "Now's not the time to tell you… we're still under attack!"
The Super Sheet flew out of nowhere and took out some of the first layer of enemies advancing towards them. It was evident now to the Subspace enemies that one of the people they had cornered was a guardian. Their orders were to capture any guardians they would find and bring then straight to Tabuu. But as for those connected to these guardians…
Well, it was either kill them or take them in as slaves.
Sol saw the suddenly aroused army, realizing with a jolt that though the pills could've been mistaken for the capsules that were often used in fights during the Super Smash Brothers tournaments of old, the Super Sheet was definitely the most recognizable thing out here. Only Dr. Mario was ever powerful enough to be worthy to wield the Super Sheet.
They were caught.
"This is bad…" Sol muttered as he and Xavier were forced to go back to back. The Subspace Army, empowered by the fact that they had caught a guardian at last, was closing in. Sooner or later, the two would be in reach of their weapons, and then…
A pea green streak lit up the grey skies. For a moment, everyone could've sworn that they heard what sounded like a cackle. It shook the air and sent shivers down many spines. But what truly set this streak apart was the horrible smell it left.
It was the stench so terrible that it left everyone dizzy in its wake. It seemed to cover the area in a cloud that was thick as fog and smellier than anything ever imagined. The cackle rang through the air and filled their ears, the cloud of puce green virtually blinded them. But there was one thing that hung in the air that they knew only belonged to one man.
The rancid smell of raw garlic.
"Ugh!" Xavier recoiled as the stench wafted past him. "What have these things been eating!"
Sol shook his head. "The smell isn't coming from them…" he turned his attention to the cloud of puce green currently floating right in front of him. For a second, he could've sworn he saw a pair of eyes in this cloud. They were small and pig- like, but carried a sense of a man in deep conflict with himself.
"… You know what this means, don't you?" Mima asked. Sol didn't answer her as he was too busy staring at the cloud that had still not made a move towards him or otherwise.
Suddenly, the air was filled with song.
"ARISE, ECLIPSE! LAST OF THE GUARDIANS!"
That was when the pain truly reached untold heights. It exploded from that one spot in his chest rushing through his body and setting his blood on fire. Crying out like a wounded animal, Sol fell to his knees and clutched his chest, his vision fading in and out. He could hear Xavier cry out for him, the jitters of the Subspace Army as they observed this strange turn of events. But then he was blind, blind to everything but his own pain, death to all but his own screams…
"Please, calm down!" Mima shouted. Her voice was fading as well, as if she was worlds away. "You've never freaked out this much before!" now she sounded like she was crying. Ecl-"
Connection terminated.
Now Sol was all alone in this world of darkness. There was naught but pain and fear. Was this how he was to die? An unknown man in an unknown land?
Was he to die a liar?
"I know how you feel…" a voice whispered in the darkest crevice of his mind. This voice was nothing like the one that had cackled only a few minutes before. This voice was also nothing like the strong, powerful one that had spoken to him only seconds before this pain.
The voice was that of a spider. It was laced with a false sugary sweetness that would be used to draw unwitting little bugs to its web. It was powerful, sure, and ancient as well. But there was just something about this voice that caused Sol's blood to run cold. The voice lacked music, a sense of direction. There was no heart nor soul in it and sweet though it was, it struck fear in his heart all at once.
It was the voice of evil.
"This pain… I was forced to endure, forced to bear this pain just like you… that stupid old hand… he didn't understand a thing. He claimed that this pain was good, that it would grant me great power…" the spider's voice continued. "This pain… it is what drove me mad… it is what caused me to kill all the ones I loved… it is what made those remaining drive me out of the place I had always called home… he says that I am… that we are tainted, but what he doesn't see is that it is he that is tainted!
"Wh-wh-who-" Sol gasped as another bolt of pain surged through him. "Wh-who are y-you…?"
"They call me the Subspace Lord…" the voice answered. "The Bane of Light… I am Tabuu."
Sol gritted his teeth. "You! G-Get the Hell out of my head!"
"You interest me, young one…" the Subspace Lord hissed. "You interest me quite a lot… after all… it is the broken shard of my wing, is it not, currently ebbed in your chest…?"
"Argh…" Sol clutched at the shard. "Y-You claim… you claim great power… comes with no pain… and yet… it is your power that's causing this now…"
"It is not mine, but the hand," Tabuu countered, his voice just bordering anger. "It is the hand who you should be angry with. My shard reacts to the power of the hand… the dark power of Subspace recoils from that of the Smashers. Master Hand may have claimed you as the last guardian, but it is through my power that you were able to live through having that shard within you! We are like twin stars, you and I… Join me… join me and together we shall exterminate the guardians once and for all!"
"Never! You may claim that your power is keeping me alive, but I refuse to be in your debt! I'm joining the guardians… I'm going to help them vanquish you once and for all!" Sol cried out in pain and huddled into a ball, his body shaking with fear. "I'm nothing… nothing like you…"
"You… are a fool…" Tabuu whispered angrily. "You are nothing more than a fool… you claim to be nothing like me? Ha! Do not think that I don't remember that day, child! Being in your mind… for just the briefest time, I am able to see your memories… I can make you see your memories!"
Sol let out a cry of rage. "GET OUT!" he could feel his world spinning. He watched with widened eyes as the black void around him shimmered and waved. The faint forms of houses and streets began to appear in front of him. These surroundings were so familiar, so dear to him that it caused him even more pain than any mere throbbing in his chest to see them again.
"You claim that you wish nothing more but to help the guardians…" Tabuu growled. "But how can you possibly help them if you are so cowardly…?Out of pure cowardice and selfishness, you lied! You lied to another guardian about your own name! How can you stay true to the guardians when you can't even stay true to yourself!"
"G-Get out…" Sol hissed, tears starting to form in his eyes as a starry sky filled the soaring ceiling above him. "G-Get out…"
"… As you wish… Eclipse…"
(flashback)
"Eclipse, aren't you coming in?" the little boy asked. He stared up at the older boy with wide, innocent eyes. There was a sort of pleading quality in them, a quality that would unfortunately be lost in the years to come.
Eclipse couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I'll head inside in a bit… I just… I just kinda want to be alone right now, alright?"
The boy shrugged. "Okay!" he skipped back into the house.
Eclipse sighed and sat down, shivering slightly as a cold breeze blew past him. It was another day, another predicted meteor shower. Those things had been said to be falling across the skies of Gensokyo for months already. But all of those times, the predictions had been proved wrong. Though many now simply ignored the ramblings of the local stargazer, Eclipse still stayed outside for a bit each night in hopes that he would one day see a shooting star.
He could really use a wish right now.
The thing was, he was wise and he knew it. He had known it for quite a while now. But with this wisdom came his own insanity. Though he did his best not to show it, it was quite evident that the more he slaughtered something- mostly animals for food- the louder and more sadistic his cackle. In fact, he knew everything about the differences between life and death and it was all through slaughtering the animals he needed for food.
What he would wish for would change his life forever.
Eclipse looked up at the sky, his eyes scanning for a streak of light of any kind. For a moment, he thought he saw something and started forward excitedly. Unfortunately, it was nothing more than a particularly bright start twinkling at him from the distance. Sighing in disappointment, he turned around and started to head back into the house.
Suddenly, he felt a tingling on the back of his neck. This was soon followed by a great gust of warm wind, then a strange kind of heat that seemed to radiate from nowhere. He could suddenly feel the air all around him seem to waver and bend, the scent of the wind passing through suddenly smelled all the more sweeter.
His heart hammering in excitement, Eclipse turned around. A streak of light was flying through the skies. It lit up the world, baking it in a pure white glow. As it hurled closer to the earth, Eclipse opened his mouth to make his wish.
But then he closed it. The streak of light was coming too fast. In fact, it seemed to grow in size with every passing second. Slowly, he could make out the sharp point of something protruding from the shooting star. It was so… so… shard- like.
By now he realized that it wasn't the strange star that was growing. It was hurtling towards earth at a frightening speed, nearly burning the plant- life underneath. As he continued to watch the star growing larger and larger, something finally dawned on him…
The star was hurtling towards him.
Eclipse backed up and tried to run, tried to escape from the oncoming menace. But he was too late. The thing slammed into his chest, sending a surge of power and pain all through his body. He tried to cry out, but he had no voice to do so.
Was he dying…?
The next thing he knew, all was black.
"Mom, is he going to be alright…?"
"I don't know… this thing's buried pretty deeply in him… if we try to move it, we might actually kill him…"
"But he looks like a weirdo with that thing!" the voice protested. "Mom, you have to be able to do something! You can do anything!"
"Quiet, child… you're going to wake him up… and the poor thing's in enough pain already…"
"Ugh…" Eclipse slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he was aware of was that there was a great ache in his chest. He tried to sit up, but a huge weight fell upon him, pinning him to the sheets. "W-Wha…?"
"You're awake!" the voice was motherly, kind. "Oh, you poor thing! It's amazing you were able to survive such an impact! Why, a hit like that would destroy anyone else! You are one lucky kid!"
Eclipse sharply breathed in, another jolt of pain going through him. The thing on his chest- he could feel it- was pulsing. There was some kind of malicious power surrounding it. A power so horrid and potent that it was a wonder he was still alive.
And more or less sane.
"What… where… huh…?"
The woman clucked her tongue in response. "Now, child… you'll need some food, that's what you need… stay here and try not to move about too much while I go hustle up some soup, alright?" with that, she shuffled out, taking the little boy with her. The kid was staring curiously at Eclipse's chest, a mixture of fear and fascination etched all over his face.
Once the two were gone, Eclipse threw off his covers and quickly checked his chest. It was easy to see the thing sticking out of his chest. It had burnt a hole in his shirt, scorching the skin all around it until it looked black and dead. A strange substance- sort of like blood- poured out from all sides of the wound. However, unlike blood, this substance wasn't red…
It was black as night.
Eclipse was horrified. Never in his life had he seen such a substance. When he touched it, he felt a strange tingling sensation go through him. It wasn't at all painful, but it wasn't a very nice feeling either. For a moment, Eclipse wondered if he was going mad.
Whatever it was clung to his finger, almost affectionately. When he tried to brush it off, it only returned to the small ring pooling around the shard in his chest. Eclipse groaned in pain as he tried to get up, trying to ignore the tingling feeling that was radiating from the ring.
The shard itself was quite remarkable. It was an extremely large thing compared to the size of Eclipse's chest. It was amazing that he was still alive after the impact of such a thing. It pulsed with power and malice, seeming to taunt him as he continued to stare at it.
"Just… just what the Hell are you…?" he whispered.
For a moment, he could've sworn that the pulsing thing laughed at him…
(end flashback)
"So lemme get this straight… you dumped sugar in Aly's plane because she stole your coin?" Eric asked in disbelief.
"Damn right!" Mars replied. "NO ONE touches the coin!"
"Sounds like someone is a bet obsessed with his coin," Kai chuckled. "Tell me, Mars, are you aiming to become the next Two Face?"
"… Maaaaaybeeee…"
"You're both insane," Eric said, rolling his eyes. "Anyways, Mars, not only is Aly going to be pissed as soon as she figures out who did it, but I'm going to be the one that's getting the blame either way!"
"That's the point!" Mars retorted, laughing.
Eric slammed his radio down, cutting of his communication with the other pilot for the time being. They had been in the air for about an hour already and most of it had been taking up with Mars bragging to him about how he dumped sugar into Aly's gas tank. As if it didn't take him long enough to have to redo the paint job on Mars' plane every second of the day…
Today in his plane, he had chosen Kai and Chester to come along. Crystal and Sakura, meanwhile, were in Mars' plane. The two were currently having a long conversation about who knows what. Eric had been too busy arguing with Mars to really pay attention to them.
"So… you're saying that…" Chester visibly paled in fear.
Kai nodded. "There is going to be more death… I can sense it…" he gripped the staff he was holding tighter, the aura from his hands slowly engulfing its shaft. "The brighter the aura on my hands glow… it's as if it's telling me the more deaths there are going to be…I cannot say exactly how much, but…" he held up a hand, showing the almost blinding blue flames upon it. "I can tell you that there is going to be a lot…" he hesitated for a moment. "And… and I am afraid that it is very, very possible that these deaths will be the ones of guardians…"
Eric stiffened in fear. That was the one sentence that he dreaded ever since he discovered what he was. Lucario himself had told him that though the guardians were all powerful in their own right, Tabuu would always be one step ahead of them. Master Hand had told them that there was going to be death- a lot of it- but he didn't know if it would be guardian, Primid, or slave.
"Eric, you're driving at least three degrees off course," Lucario said quietly. Eric fumbled a bit with the wheel, but managed to get his Wolfen back on track. The Aura Pokemon could sense how his guardian felt, but alas could do nothing to ease the pain. It was truly a tough thing to go through, knowing that you were doing all of this to try to liberate the world, but was probably going to die anyways. Lucario couldn't help but pity him.
"Eric… I know you're worried…" Lucario whispered. "But you must take heart… if you and I were to both fall on the battlefield, our sacrifice would be for the greater good…"
Eric gripped the wheel harder. "… I know… it's just that… well, I'm kind of…"
"Afraid of death?" Kai asked, looking over his shoulder. Chester stared at Eric curiously.
Eric swallowed. "Uh… sorta…?" like many of the guardians, he was actually pretty reluctant to admit he was afraid of anything.
Kai chuckled. "Ah… humans… they all say they're not when they really are…"
Chester smiled uneasily at Eric. "If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you firsthand that death isn't too bad…"
"Chester, you've also been mistaken for someone straight out of Left4Dead," Eric pointed out. "Frankly, I'd prefer it if Aly didn't mistake me for a zombie 24/7."
Chester looked offended. "Excuuuuuuse me, Princess!"
"Cimar would find that offensive!" Kai laughed. "And maybe Rinku would as well…"
"Eric, Kai, do either of you sense anything yet?" Mars asked impatiently. "I'm getting bored here!"
The two guardians did a quick scan of the sweeping landscape below them. There was nothing to be found. They reported this negativity to Mars.
Mars groaned. "This is going to be one long day…"
"Oh, relax!" Eric rolled his eyes. "We're heading back to Base about five anyways."
"Whatever…" Mars muttered before he cut the connection.
Chester raised an eyebrow at this exchanged. "Wow… the way you two can just tell if there's a guardian or not down there…" he shrugged. "Kinda makes me feel… obsolete…"
"Sorry about that, Chester," Eric apologized, still just a bit irritated at the thought of all the work he would have to do later. "Mars and I… well, let's just say we go way back…"
Kai and Chester both raised an eyebrow. It was easy to see that their curiosity was sparked. Eric looked at them and shook his head.
"Well… that and if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be sitting in this plane right now, but moving on to another subject-"
"Aly told me that you guys weren't really aware of the situation here in Smashville until you actually chose to visit…" Kai mused. "Care to explain?"
"Er…" Eric shifted uneasily in his seat. "Well… there isn't really much to tell…"
"Well, tell anyways," Chester said, sitting back. "It would make this trip a lot more fun…" truth be told, Eric could tell that he was feeling kind of useless since he was the only one of the Wolfen that did not possess the ability to read anyone's aura.
Eric took a deep breath, smiling slightly as the memories passed in front of his eyes. "Well, where do I start…? Hm… back when Tabuu was just about to take over Smashville, some of the… non Smashers living back then weren't all that bright. Thing was, they relied way too much on the Smashers for protection, so they thought that the Smashers would be able to defeat Tabuu like they did in the first Subspace War…"
"But they were wrong…" Chester said. For some strange reason, his voice was just bordering the edge of bitterness. "When the Smashers were unable to defeat Tabuu, Smashville wasn't the only world affected…" for a moment, his bone arm clenched into a fist and shook. "Other places… places like my hometown… the wrong people gained power… those that could've saved us either disappeared or were executed…" his fist unclenched and he took a deep breath. "S-Sorry… bad memories…"
Eric raised an eyebrow. "… Are you alright, Chester…?"
Chester put on a smile that never quite reached his eyes. "I'm fine, really! Never better!"
Reluctant though he was to let this matter rest, Eric continued with his story. "So there were those in Smashville who were realistic enough to know that if there were some Smashers rumored to be disappearing, this was not going to turn out well. It's not known how they did it, but… they were able to somehow either build a ship or get their hands on one and escaped. They were the first non Smasher pilots in Smashville…" Eric paused for a moment to make sure that he was still on course. He had been so distracted in his story that he almost allowed his Wolfen to dip too low. The belly was currently skimming the trees.
"So those people... your ancestors… escaped. Where did they go? If Chester is correct in saying that pretty much all of the other worlds were affected by the Subspace takeover, where were they able to go during all of this?"
Eric smiled sadly. "Where else could they go? They were forced to run off to a deserted planet some of the astronomers knew of…it took a long while, but eventually, they were able to erect a sort of city. Up there, they trained younger generations to be pilots so that they could one day head back down to Smashville..." his tone turned sad for a moment. "I kinda wonder how everyone's doing up there… I mean, it's been a while since we three were sent out to investigate the happenings over here…" the corners of his mouth twitched. "It'd be a nice shock to them to find out that we're not dead…"
"I'm still shocked that none of us are dead yet," Chester mused. "I mean… I freaking unleashed everything I had on that stupid monkey…"
Kai nodded in understanding. "Yes… well, I suppose that's what Master Hand means when he said that we were 'chosen' for this role in life…" he looked at Eric. "So you were assigned to a group with Aly and Mars?"
Eric laughed. "Yeah, pretty much. I've really been with them ever since I tried out for a pilot's license. Those two may have their faults, but they are geniuses at flying. Anyways, yeah… we were pretty much forced to be on the same team for our missions… we didn't get along well- we still don't- but… after a while, I can't really say if it'd be the same without them…" he shrugged. "Who knows… it might just be some kind of weird phase I'm going through…"
"… Sounds like you led a pretty good life…" Kai sighed. "Something that I haven't really… really been able to do…"
Chester nodded in agreement. "This war… it's been affecting pretty much every world that's ever had a connection to it… I mean, even Halloween Town's been affected…" his tone was bitter again. "Jack… poor Jack…"
Kai looked over at him. "Chester…"
Chester shook his head, scowling slightly as if he was trying to push memories away. "Nothing…" for a moment, Eric sensed his aura pulse slightly with fear and… anger? "It's absolutely nothing…"
"Eric, you idiot!" Mars' voice crackled over the radio again, sounding angry. "HOW CAN YOU AND KAI NOT NOTICE WHAT'S BENEATH US?"
Eric jumped in his seat and grabbed the radio. "What are you talking about, Mars?"
"What are you, blind?" Mars demanded. "Look down below us, Sherlock!"
Eric looked…
And immediately dropped his radio.
Below him, the sprawling landscape had gone from the tall trees of the Smashville forest to the wastelands just outside of them. In their search for guardians today, Mars and Eric had chosen to see what they could find in the areas beyond the remnants of what was once Smashville.
And this was what they had found.
"Oh… my… God…" Eric shook in fear and disgust. "Tabuu… he's done all of this…?"
"We're going to have one Hell of a report to give to those guys when we get back…" Mars murmured darkly. Out of the corner of his eye, Eric could see his Sky Claw undulate slightly in the wind. The shining blue paint on it seemed to lack luster here as well, as if the air itself was causing it to wear away.
There was definitely something up with this place.
"Do you see anything?" he heard Chester ask. His voice was a mixture of excitement and fear.
Eric closed his eyes and concentrated on Lucario's powers. He and the Aura Pokemon had been training for a bit lately and thus far, he was able to focus and utilize his aura sensing powers for a short period of time. Currently, he could tell that Lucario was extremely troubled, but the Pokemon was still searching the ground for some sort of life force.
He was truly horrified at what he saw. Under normal circumstances, the earth below him would be brimming with different colored flames, each signaling a person's unique aura. Lucario had explained this to him and he had seen such flames back when they were flying over the forest. It was a truly beautiful sight to behold.
But this was nothing…
No matter where he looked, he could not pinpoint a single flare of aura. There were occasions when he saw little pin pricks here and there, but those quickly faded. It was as if the life of the earth itself had seeped away at the hands of Tabuu.
"… This is where he first started attacking, you know…" Chester muttered suddenly, snapping Eric out of his trance. "Back when Mario and the others were first sent out… this is where they fell…"
Eric gawked at him and almost lost control of the ship. "How do you know this?"
Chester sighed and looked at him. "… Let's just say… you learn a lot when you've been living forever…" he sighed. "I… I don't really wanna talk about it right now…"
"Hey Eric, are you still alive over there?" Mars asked. "Or did my epicness give you a heart attack?"
Eric sighed and picked up the radio. "I'm here, Mars. What is it?"
"My sensors are picking up some pretty heavy Shadow Bug activity nearby. Whatever's happening has those bugs in one heck of an excitement."
Eric bit his lip. He then started flipping switches while still talking into his radio. "Set a course for where those bugs are, then. It's possible that someone might be in trouble over there…"
"Knowing our luck, someone is," Mars muttered. "Anyways, Mars out."
This was when Lucario snapped out of his own trance. "Eric, from your frantic moving, I take it that you've found a lead on a guardian?"
Eric bit his lip. "We can only hope, Lucario… we can only hope…"
"I see them!" Sakura shouted as Mars Sky Claw zoomed over what looked like a field of purple blobs. "STOP THE PLANE!"
She waited until Mars slammed onto the brakes before wrenching the sky roof open. She had been edgy ever since she boarded this ship, mostly due to the fact that her memories had been awakened just from sitting in this thing. Peach had seen only tiny fragments of them, but Sakura could tell that they were enough to get the princess wondering.
"So... you're really from Smashville?" Peach asked as Sakura made sure that where she was landing would be safe.
Sakura bit her lip in response. "… Yes… I was sent out by my father to find and try to bring you guys back to the right side…" her face was lined with misery as she jumped down. "… I suppose… I suppose I should've researched properly what happened to you guys…"
The Primids below her looked up as she descended, the few of them that still had guns opening fire on her. Sakura reached into her pocket and pulled out a familiar object, the thing that served as both a weapon and a means to safely land for the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach's pink umbrella unfurled above her and it was using this that Sakura was able to control her landing and dodge the oncoming blasts.
Not long after she jumped, Sakura heard Crystal jump as well. The girl's chains whirled through the air as she landed, taking out a whole hoard of Primids with them. Sakura herself was able to utilize her marshal arts skills to defeat her foes.
But still, the kept rushing at her.
"We need to reach those poor guys in the middle of this mess!" Peach shouted at her as Sakura pulled a frying pan out of nowhere and sent it hurtling right into a crowd of Primids. The deadly coking implement carved a path through the Subspace Army towards the middle, where Sakura and Peach both knew that the two young men the Primids were surrounding were fighting their hardest.
Sakura leaped up and kicked a few Primids around the head before picking up the gun of one and firing. Unfortunately, this gun was built for the arms of a Primid, not a human. This gun soon became too hard for her to use, so it became a bludgeon weapon instead.
Suddenly, the Super Sheet flared out from where the two were. The one holding the sheet swept it all around him in a circle, hitting the Primids that were quickly closing in. Meanwhile, the guy in the goat was batting the Primids with what looked like a long sword of some sort. It was extremely thin and light, but by the looks of things, was hard as a rock. It sliced easily through the Subspace denizens like they were paper and its tip was simply covered in dead and dying Shadow Bugs.
"HYAH!" Sakura swung her new weapon around and took out a few Primids that were about to sneak up on her. At the same time, the young man with the Super Sheet swung it outwards and caught a few more in its deadly grasp. Just as quickly, the guy in the coat sliced up those Primids that surrounded him before quickly leaping back to his stance. By this time, the combined efforts of the other guardians had taken out about 1/3 of the army.
But that still left another 2/3 to wipe them out…
"Excuse me, but who are you?" the guy with the Super Sheet demanded as he swept it all over the surrounding army.
Sakura smiled at him. "I'm Sakura Smash, Guardian of Princess Peach. Don't panic, we're here to try to help you…" she grabbed an oncoming Primid in a headlock and kicked it to its comrades, who scattered upon sight of him.
The boy looked surprise. "Your last name's Smash? As in-"
"Uh guys? Less talk, more stabbing Primids?" the guy with the sword demanded.
The other young man scowled. "Whatever you say then, Sol…" he nodded at Sakura. "I'm Xavier, by the way… nice to meet you…" he swung his Super Sheet again before proceeding to throw giant pills.
For a moment, Sakura could've sworn that the cloaked guy- Sol- gripped his sword tighter. Something flashed across his yellow eyes, a mixture of anger and remorse. Like Peach, she was a kind soul and was tempted to ask Sol what was wrong. But there was just something about the look he gave her that set her off and instead, she simply dropped the gun and proceeded to throw turnips at the oncoming hoard.
"Sakura, we won't be able to last much longer!" Peach cried. "Your energy store's depleting pretty fast!" the princess covered her mouth in worry. "I don't want you to get yourself hurt…"
"Peach, getting hurt's part of the guardian job description," Sakura answered as she roundhouse kicked a Primid to the floor.
Peach bit her lip. "Sakura… just don't exhaust yourself…" she wrung her hands. "I've watched Mario go on without me, but I'm worried for him too… but if you get hurt, then he'll start worrying about us and then this whole mess will become nothing but people worrying about others…"
For a moment, Sakura faltered. A couple of Primids managed to sneak some punches to her stomach. But then, Xavier rushed in with his Super Sheet and took them all out. As his pills flew through the air, Sakura took a deep breath and allowed her body to fall into a natural flow and rhythm as more and more Primids fell at her fists.
But all the while, a memory was the only thing that she could see.
(flashback)
The little girl kneeled down at the grave, placing flowers upon the tiny patch of grass in front of it. Despite the horrible times for humans, she bore the look of one who was raised well. Though it was true that she was thin and colorless, as all of the other slaves were, there was just that tiny spark of color in her eyes that truly set her apart from the others.
The little white daisies she had placed on the grave fluttered gently at her in the breeze. Such a plant was rare these days, which was a surprise since they were said to once be abundant all over Smashville. But it was these precious flowers that her father had said were her mother's favorite, so the girl had spent the entire year carefully searching the fields and meadows in what little free time she had just to find the tiny bundle she had now.
A tall man placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, it's time to go…" he smiled sadly at her. "Break time is over…"
"Okay, Papa," Sakura replied. "… Can I just say goodbye to Mama?"
Her father looked over his shoulder nervously for a moment. When he saw that there was no one around, he turned back to the girl and nodded.
"… Alright…"
(end flashback)
Sol was in pain.
Just about anyone could tell that.
Sakura snapped out of her trance at the moment his scream of pain cut through her consciousness. The memory of her past was nothing to her now that she could see that there was someone in obvious pain. Giving the Primids she was facing one last kick, she rushed over to Sol and left Xavier and the rest deal with what remained of the Subspace denizens. By this time, the Autolances had stopped trying to attack the ships that were flying through the air and were now on their way to attacking the young humans that had fallen out of them.
"Sol, are you alright?" Sakura asked as she knelt down next to him. Sol was doubled over and clutching his stomach, moaning in pain with every breath.
Also, he smelled bad.
Like garlic…
Sol's breathing was coming out in tiny, garlic smelling pants. "M-My… M-My name… i-is… not… S-Sol…." that came out as nothing more than a mere whisper. Sakura had to strain her ears to hear it.
"… Your name… isn't Sol…?" she asked. She tried her best not to recoil from the stench of garlic that was currently wafting off of him.
"M-My name… is… Eclipse…" he managed to breathe. "S-Sorry… S-Sorry I l-lied…"
Sakura bit her lip. "Well… I don't really mind that you lied… but-"
"X-Xavier…?" Eclipse choked. "T-Tell him… sorry…"
Sakura checked him. There didn't seem to be any wounds on him, except the light one on his arm. However, this one was pretty well bandaged and wasn't bleeding at all. Whatever was happening to Eclipse seemed to be coming from inside of him. Thing was, she didn't know surgery.
"Eclipse, calm down… we have some healers back at Base…" Sakura whispered. "Just hold on…"
"Sakura…" Eclipse grabbed onto her. "I… won't make it…" his hand was simply covered in sweat and a strange film seemed to cover his glowing yellow eyes.
Sakura could feel them boring into her, as if he was looking right at her soul. There was a strange kind of emotion in those eyes, something that was in between madness and pure insanity. It sent shivers down her spine to see such a thing behind his eyes and it wasn't long before she noticed that he was breathing very, very heavily.
"I-I can f-feel it…" Eclipse whispered. "I-It's bubbling… it's bubbling up in me…" his breath smelled even worse now. "I can't control it… soon… it'll happen… everything… everything will be gone…"
"Hold on!" Sakura shook him. "Just hold on!" she looked up towards the sky, where Eric and Mars were both battling with the flying Subspace enemies. Sakura was tempted to bolt when she saw the ghost-like enemies among them, but she held her ground. Eclipse's skin had turned red hot and it was a struggle for her to even keep a grip on him. "ERIC! MARS! HELP!"
Her cries were lost to the battle. The more the Primids screeched their dying screeches, the louder it became. If there was ever a word to describe the screams of the Primids and the shouts of the guardians as they fought desperately to stay alive, it was chaotic.
And here she was in the middle of all of it.
Eclipse groaned in pain. "I… can't… hold… back…"
Sakura shook him. "What's wrong, Eclipse? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"The pressure…" Eclipse whispered, his voice cracking with fear. "it's building up in me… the walls of my very stomach are contracting… I feel as if my skin is going to be ripped right off of me… but at the same time, I feel as if I'm being crushed under a rock… pressure building… I feel so… so… hot…"
Eclipse was vibrating like a leaf in a storm. There was definitely something inside him that was causing this, but it was impossible for Sakura to discern what. Something told her that if she valued whatever small shreds of sanity she had left, she should step away. But he was in trouble…
Eclipse shook even harder now. "G-Get away… g-get away…"
Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but she closed it upon seeing Eclipse's glare. Once again, she could see the two worlds of madness and insanity seem to bridge together behind those eyes, sending a shiver of fear down her spine. She stepped back, her face lined with fear.
She watched helplessly as Eclipse got down on the ground and curled into a little ball, totally at the mercy of the Primids. She could just imagine him frothing at the mouth, his yellow eyes glowing even brighter than before. For a moment, she was tempted to take a step closer, but…
BOOM!
Mushroom cloud.
Chester smiled slightly at the memory of it.
It was a huge mushroom cloud, puce green against the bleak gray sky and smelling horribly of hundred year old beans.
And he was one of the ones that just barely escaped it.
At this moment in time, all he wanted was some breathing room. Sakura and those that had been close to Eclipse when the mushroom cloud appeared were forced to all go take a shower. Chester wasn't surprised that he could still hear the water running even now. It had been a few hours already…
It really didn't take long for anyone to figure out whose guardian Eclipse was. For one thing, he smelled like Wario. For another, that mushroom cloud fart said everything.
The Last of the Guardians was here.
"Chester, shouldn't you go inside?" Pichu asked. "It's scary out here…"
Truth be told, to any other person, it was. The moon had long ago sunk beneath the clouds, shielding its gentle silvery glow from the earth. As a result, the shadows of the trees seemed longer and their branches were like bony fingers reaching out in the gloom. The wind seemed to howl all around him like a ghost, singing a mournful song of untold misery. The air all around him seemed to open up into a deep dark void and even the sounds of the rolling pebbles in the wind sounded like clattering bones in the graveyard.
To Chester, that was his home.
"I grew up around these sounds, Pichu," Chester murmured sadly. "To me… it's home…"
"You grew up in scariness?" Pichu asked in disbelief. His guardian chuckled at his innocence.
"Well, yes, yes I did," Chester replied. "I grew up in Halloween Town… while it was still under the rule of Jack Skellington… a century ago…" his tone was laced with sadness.
"You're… you're a hundred years old?" the little Pokemon trembled in fear. The oldest Pokemon he knew of was only about eighty last time he checked. It was an old Metapod in the Viridian Forest that never truly evolved…
"Yes… I'm a hundred years, give or take…" Chester muttered, staring out into the world. "I… I've seen an awful lot… heard an awful lot… sometimes, I kind of wonder if I've seen and heard too much…"
"What do you mean, Chester…?"
Chester sighed. "I-" he jumped. "What was that?"
Pichu jumped as well. "What was what? Is there a monster attacking?" he started crying. "I don't wanna get eaten by a monster!"
Chester froze for a moment, straining his ears for a sound. For just that moment, he could've sworn that he saw something… or someone move about. He was so sure he had seen the silvery flash of a long sword and heard the pattering of feet. But no matter how hard he stained, he was unable to pick up a thing.
"… Spark…" he muttered, wincing as pain shot through his palm. He had taken this risk of lighting up a small bit of electricity in his palm so that he could have a little more light with which to look around. But even with this little spark in his hand, he could barely see five feet in front of him.
And still, he couldn't see or hear a thing.
"Chester… let's go inside… I'm scared…"
Chester could almost feel Pichu shaking in his head, but he didn't move. "Pichu… there's someone out here… sh…" he crouched even lower to the ground and strained his ears all the more harder.
For a moment, all he could hear was the mournful howling of the wind. But when he strained past it, he heard something else. It was very light, very shallow. But at the same time, it was rhythmic as well. It was very even and very rhythmic, so much, in fact, that it could only be one thing.
Someone was breathing.
Chester clenched his fist, his breath catching slightly as the electricity he was generating shot pain throughout his body. He knew he only had one shot at this. By the sound of things, that person was fast. All he needed to do was take careful aim at where the breathing was coming from, and…
"CHESTER!"
"AH!" Chester released the bolt of energy into the sky, lighting up the area for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something dark disappear into a nearby bush, but it was so fast that it could've been a trick of light.
Sam was standing in front of him. "Chester, Master Hand says that he wants all of the guardians in the meeting room right away! He said he's got things to give us!"
Chester's chest heaved up and down. "Geez, Sam! You nearly… you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Sam grinned. "Sorry…" he pointed to the base. "Anyways, go ahead and go in. I have to look for a few more people."
Chester nodded shakily. "I-I'll do that…" he turned around to go in.
"Oh yeah, Chester?" Sam asked. Chester paused for a moment to look at his fellow guardian. "… You haven't… you haven't seen Joe, Cam, Chi, or Drake have you…?"
Chester shook his head. "Sorry, Sam…" he shrugged. "Have you checked the Arwings?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah… frankly, I can't find them anywhere…"
Chester frowned. "… You… you can't…?" for a moment, he wondered if the breathing he had heard earlier was truly Sam's.
Sam shook his head. "No… it's like-"
"Hey, are you two going in anytime soon?" a voice behind them asked. Chester turned around to find himself face to face with Psyche. "Master Hand's getting pretty impatient!"
Sam laughed. "Sorry, Psy. I have to go round up some more guardians…"
Chester nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming in. Sorry to keep you guys waiting…"
The girl shook her head. "No worries. But come on!"
Chester started walking in, hesitating for a bit just before entering the base. The thought of hearing someone breathing in the middle of the night, whether it was Sam's or someone else's, unnerved him. He was typically used to unusual happenings, since he grew up in Halloween Town, but that was abnormal, even for this world.
There was definitely something up.
"Ah, Chester," Master Hand greeted as he entered. "Welcome. Please, have a seat…"
Chester took the seat nearest to the door where he could keep a careful eye on the world outside. He noticed that most of the guardians were already here, with the exception of the few Sam had stated as well as JB and for some very strange reason, Green. Green was almost never late to anything. He was glad to see that Sakura and the ones caught in the giant fart by Eclipse had showered and smelled a lot better now. Eclipse himself had refused to take off his coat and hat and thus was standing towards the back of the ground, yellow eyes glowing menacingly from the shadows.
Master Hand's gaze swept over the empty chairs. "… That tranquilizer we used on my brother isn't going to last much longer… how many guardians are still missing?"
Heather, who was sitting in between Psyche and Teal counted. "Six, Master Hand. Seven if you count Sam." Chester noticed that there seemed something… off about her expression. It was as if she had sensed what he thought he sensed earlier…
"Ah well," Master Hand spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I suppose we'll have to make due without them. If any of you see them sometime later, kindly tell them what they missed and ask them to come see me as soon as possible."
The small rabble of the guardians talking amongst themselves quieted at this. Every single one of them leaned forward to listen. Even Eclipse, who had made a point to keep himself away from the group sat up straighter. Chester stared curiously at Master Hand, but his gaze was immediately diverted by a sharp movement in the corner of his eye. A chill ran down his spine as he whirled and faced the door.
There was nothing.
Chester blinked in confusion, wondering what in the world could've caused such alarm in him. Though he turned back to listen to Master Hand speak, there was something in his gut that told him something was not right. By the movements of the other guardians, only the older ones such as Heather, Sakura, and Cimar seemed about as antsy as he was.
Master Hand cleared his "throat". "Now guardians, as you know, after so much time, we finally have all of you here in one place. In celebration of this, I believe it is time for you all to know what is to happen when the final battle comes…"
The air in the room changed from interest to fear. There was a stirring among the younger guardians as they realized just how far they had come. They had gone on many adventures, risking life and limb to protect themselves and their loved ones. And now this was it, the moment when they knew it was either life or death. Chester leaned forward expectantly, his adrenaline pumping in excitement.
Wait a minute… Was that the silver flash from earlier at the window…?
Master Hand took a deep breath. "Guardians, as you know, the final battle approaches swiftly. How soon it shall come, I do not know. But what I do know is that as soon as Tabuu gets wind of Eclipse being here. So as a precaution, I shall give you these now…" Master Hand snapped his fingers. A large crate appeared in front of him.
The crate itself was uninteresting in looks, being one of the simple ones the Smashers once used to throw at each other during matches. However, it was what seemed to be inside the crate that sparked everyone's interest. The crate was vibrating quite fast, as if the thing locked inside was trying desperately to break out. What was more, the crate was glowing brighter than anything anyone had ever seen. The sheer power that radiated from this crate awed every person in the room.
Eventually, Master Hand opened the crate and removed its contents one by one. They all looked exactly like the shards that a few of them had carried around with them for so long with but one exception.
They were large spheres.
There were 40 of them in all, one for each guardian. Each of them, though not nearly as large nor as powerful as the Smashball that had appeared to them the day when they finally entered Mount Smash, pulsed with a power and energy none of them had felt in a long time. From the moment each guardian was handed their Smashball, a strange feeling that was almost like hope settled within them.
"Guardians… these Smashballs can only be used once," Master Hand said solemnly, his voice filled with sorrow. "Forgive me, I cannot make any more. I had very little of the substance that makes them left and was only able to create just enough to make Smashballs for each of you. Even then, these are not nearly as powerful as they used to be…"
Chester held his in the palm of his hands, reveling in the glow. It was a truly beautifully made thing, a small force of pure energy in the world of corruption. But there was still something gnawing at him, something that seemed to dim the warmth of the Smashball. It was a strange feeling, especially since that though he knew he had had this feeling ever since the meeting started, he had forgotten the reason for this right when the Smashballs were unveiled.
Wait a minute…
BAM!
The door flew across the room, slamming into the opposite wall. It was cracked neatly in two. As it slid down, every head in the room turned towards the source.
Cam was leaning against the door frame, gasping in pain. His hair was matted beyond all belief. Blood flowed freely through large gashes on his body. Even Sigmund the Rapier was only sparkling weakly with electricity.
He looked like he had gone through Hell.
Chester was the first person up. "Cam!" he ran over and managed to grab Cam just in time to stop him from falling. "What happened to you?"
Cam was barely breathing, whatever parts of his skin that could be see through his clothes were pale as could be. "S-She came… a-attacked… o-others… t-t-taken… e-escaped… o-only… one…"
Heavy footsteps next to him. Chester looked up to see Heather, her face white as a ghost. Heather knelt down next to Cam, careful not to worsen any of his wounds on accident. Her gaze was steady, but there was a strange emotion behind her eyes that Chester couldn't make out.
"Cam…" Heather said lowly, "Cam, do you know who it was that attacked you…?"
Cam looked at her uncomprehendingly. Chester could see that the shock of what had happened to him tonight was interfering with his ability to remember. What was more, the blood he lost was also taking a toll. If they didn't have Xavier look at him quickly, he would die.
"Cam… I need to know…" Heather said quietly. "Can you tell me? Can you remember? Do you know who attacked you…?"
"… G-Gerudo… woman…" Cam managed finally. "G-Gerudo…"
Heather turned white. "… Thank you, Cam…" she stood up. "Xavier-"
"Got it," Xavier said, rushing forward. Chester saw that he already had a first aid kit in his hands. Without needing to be told, Chester set Ike's guardian down on the ground.
One look at Heather told him that nothing was right. Her face was white as a ghost and though her expression was calm, there was something that was close to anger behind that mask. Every so often, her hand would drift down to where her sword was and grasp its hilt.
"Heather…" Chester said quietly. "Heather… what did he mean…?"
Heather took a deep breath. "We need to gather a group of guardians as quickly as possible. We can't have anymore delays."
Chester nodded. "Right…" he turned around to go get them, but he hesitated for just one moment more. "… Just one question…" when Heather didn't turn on him, he continued. "… What will happen if we rescue them too late…?"
"Every single one of them will die…"