My hands felt empty without my bow. I felt vulnerable. I still have my shield, and I'm not alone, but I still felt defenseless without a weapon. But a surprising fact: Nobody but me has the authority to wield the holy bow, and if someone did, the bow rejects the person and hurts him or her. This was a new detail to me; maybe the new ability of fire is the reason to my bow's 'behavior'.

However, Pichu's phantom snatched it without physically touching it. He used his electricity to lift off my weapon. So if the phantom supposedly 'ran out' of electricity by any chance, that would be my time to take my bow back.

The big question is, how will the phantom run out of power?

I pulled my cloak over me. The lobby was empty and quiet now that most of my friends rested in the hospital rooms. Roy was still in his bed by the time Zelda and Lucario went to rest, but judging the time, it was the crack of dawn, and it was only appropriate that everyone was asleep.

I was tired. But I wasn't in the mood to sleep, so I sat by the window of the lobby that looked over the Polis 1. More people were making their way back to their houses. The harbor where I fought the Green Bird was calm now, but it was still deserted. I doubted the lieutenant would be there, but I caught some guards standing in front of the entrance.

Somewhere out there, the phantom is moving about, waiting for us to chase after him. I could just let the guards get at him, but there is the risk that the lieutenant would take Pichu and my bow. Once Pichu is caught, he may be taken to those shady researchers for whatever they're up to. I can't take that risk.

There was rustling in the hallway. Young Link scratched his head when he walked down to the lobby as he took notice in me. He didn't seem drowsy but wide-awake and I wondered if he'd slept at all. He gladly took the seat next to me.

"You should sleep." He nodded.

I smiled. He was a young version of Link, but he seemed so timeless. "As do you."

"I'm used to staying up. I like sleeping in the daylight."

"I heard you grow when you sleep at night so maybe that's why you're short."

Young Link puffed his cheeks and punched my shoulder. I laughed and patted the kid's head. "But you'll be tall and strong just like your older self one day. You already have your proof in front of you."

"You mean the big Link? He's not me."

"Well of course he's not you, but you'll grow up to be him someday."

Confusion spread over Young Link's face. His big blue eyes tightened as if he was analyzing what I said. "No, um. I talked to Link, the bigger one. He said he was born in a village called Ordon, and I came from the Kokiri Forest."

I scratched my head. "So… you and big Link aren't the same person?"

Young Link nodded slowly. His eyes took in a dramatic change and leered outside. I couldn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary but apparently there was, because Young Link shot one of his fire arrows that smashed into a cardboard box. The shaft, or long stem of the arrow wavered up and down from being shot and immediately lodging into the target.

The cardboard blackened and immediately caught fire from the arrowhead. Young Link set his stance down and grinned at the sight. I chuckled a bit. Everything he does seems like he's playing a game.

A panicked voice came from inside the box. "S-Squirtle, use 'Water Gun'!"

The small, but strong stream of water made a shrill hiss as it came in contact with the burning box and the flames were doused quickly. The commander wheezed and wriggled out of the box, along with a blue creature that looked equally drained and was clinging on his backpack.

I remembered his name, Red the Pokémon trainer, who captures and trains Pokémon like Lucario and the Squirtle that was still clinging onto him. "Y-You could have killed me by that! Good thing Squirtle was with me but, are you okay buddy?"

Young Link laughed and held out a hand to help Red up. "Sorry." Was all he said between his amusements. Somehow, I knew Young Link identified Red was in the box and that how Red would react this way. Just somehow. Otherwise it would be plain cruel.

The tired Squirtle crawled off his back and rolled into the lobby. The poor Pokémon reminded me of a hockey puck skidding across the floor. Young Link ushered Red inside before he could make anymore fuss about how he was going to be burnt alive. Once Red went in, Young Link poked his head back outside, scoured the atmosphere and found another cardboard box. This time I knew who it was. It was a bit larger than Red's and by first look; it looks nothing out of the ordinary.

"After you find one person in a cardboard box, you know there's got to be another one out there, eh Snake?" Young Link giggled and lifted the cardboard box to reveal Snake tightly hugging his knees with a small disappointed frown.

"This didn't go as planned."

"Nothing goes by plan with this guy around." I managed to chuckle.

Young Link, Red, Snake, and I sat at the waiting area, since none of us was obligated to go to sleep. Squirtle and Ivysaur slept at Red's feet soundly, along with Charizard, who was too big to be out of his Pokéball. We spoke quietly for the Pokémon.

Snake stroked his chin like he was trying to remember something. He reached for a cigarette in his pockets, but Young Link gave him an eye. Snake just chuckled and gingerly placed his box back into his pockets for him to see he wasn't going to smoke. "Haha, this reminds of the good times. I could only smoke in the balcony because of all these kids."

"You could quit smoking." Young Link deadpanned.

"I could. But when I'm combatting with you guys… a 'brawl', was it, I don't feel like taking one at all. It's my antidrug."

Young Link tilted his head, "Beating people up is your antidrug?"

"W-Well, you know what I mean. You're a smart kid." Snake sputtered. "I meant as in practicing and interacting with the different people."

"Oh? That doesn't change the fact you blew me away with a baseball bat at the last second in one of them 'brawls'."

Red's face lit up. "I remember that one. Hey, it was us four in that brawl too, what a coincidence!" I flinched when Red patted my shoulders. I felt bad that I couldn't remember this at all. Red continued to talk about that certain brawl and how Snake won the overall fight. But the more Red talked about it, the more it sounded like a memory of someone else other than me.

I noticed I was looking down when I looked up to see everyone staring at me. My eyes wandered around. "Um, s-sorry. I wish I could remember but…"

"That's alright, it was a long time ago. But I remembered something. It bothered me since that brawl started." Snake said as he leaned a little bit forward. "When we were picking our colors, Red offered you your black clothes, and you seemed pretty, upset about that."

I blinked. "My black clothes?"

We all had different colors of our original clothes. I remember I liked the yellow one when it was in the sun and the cloth shimmered like gold. I do recall having a black toga, that even painted my wings black, but I never was upset about it. Nevertheless, apparently, the three who were participating in the brawl remembered this event very well. Why don't I remember?

"You kind of went ballistic. You slapped them away like if the clothes were about to attack you or something." Red pursed his lips. I could tell he was being careful with his words, but I wasn't offended or embarrassed or anything.

I can't remember it.

"…I'm sorry. I really can't remember it. And um, I'm sorry if I scared anyone. It's hard to keep a stable peace of mind in this godforsaken cave."

Snake placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair around. He probably wasn't used to it because my laurels tilted and almost landed in my eyes, but that didn't stop him from trying to reassure me. "It's alright kid. You aren't alone."

I nodded. I'm not alone, for now.

I ended up falling asleep (after all) on the sofa, not for more than a couple hours since I woke up from the sound of others coming back into the lobby. I wasn't very tired, surprisingly. Really surprisingly, I've been through fighting the Green Bird, the lieutenant, and saving my friends. Maybe meeting up with my friends really served up as a remedy.

Morning came, and everyone except for Roy was in the lobby. The room was still dark, but it felt like morning with all the sleepyheads yawning and scratching their eyes. My clock read a quarter past eight in the morning.

Lucas came up to me with his fingers laced and his head dipped low. "Um, leader."

"What's up, Lucas." I smiled and looked into his eyes. When he met mine, he smiled and took a breath of relief.

"Um, we want you to give us the 'hope' light."

I looked around. Most everyone that I didn't give the white light to had a worried frown. But that was a good amount of people. And since the battle against Young Link's phantom, I knew that when I start getting tired, the light dispenses less. If I could give my light to all of them at the same time…

Dr. Mario poked his head from the office. "Leader, you should use the basement level from the stairs. All that light might attract those guards like a lighthouse. I'll keep watching Roy so when you're done, can you pick me up?"

"Yeah. Thanks, doctor." I replied. Dr. Mario nodded and turned back to a still unconscious Roy. It's been hours since I've heard a peep from him but his breathing was steady and big. He should wake up anytime now.

I took the lead down the stairs with Link, Lucas, Ness, Kirby, Lucario (I've healed him before but I can heal his wounds), Snake, and Red along with his three Pokémon. I felt like a mother duck again with my ducklings following me closely. When I mentioned that, Ness starting mimicking a squawk like a duck and Lucas joined in joyfully. Kirby joined in on the song of ducks and I heard Lucario chuckle.

"These kids…" Snake muttered.

"Cute, huh? I love kids." Link added.

The basement level had a large ballroom with a kitchen in the back. A cafeteria. Although having a cafeteria underground would mean bad air passages from the smell of food, but this whole city is underground anyway. Plus the cafeteria had everything but food. All of the tables and chairs were abandoned, as they were when they were last used.

"So do we sit in a circle like one of those uh, rituals?" Red suggested.

"Not a bad idea. I actually don't know so let's try that."

Some of the tables were shoved aside so we could all sit. Lucas gripped my hand tightly and consecutive hands linked together in a circle. Everyone closed their eyes and waited. I felt the familiar warm feeling inside me, but I wasn't glowing or anything. I could feel the same sensation as when I'm glowing that soft radiance but it didn't appear as an entity.

"…Does anyone feel any different?" Link whispered and peeked an eye. Everyone else muttered their 'no's and shrugged.

I picked up Lucas much to his surprise. He sputtered with a red face since I was holding him up like a baby. "Hold still, okay?"

The kid acquiesced. When I hugged him, the white light burst from me like fireworks. I felt the jolt of energy similar to when I take my first ascension to the sky with my wings. Lucas gasped and when we opened our eyes, our surroundings were a soft, almost milky white. Lucas' bouncy blond hair was full of energy and his red and yellow striped shirt was painted with a vibrant color scheme.

"Group hug!" Link called and rammed into Lucas and I into a full-on bear hug. Lucas was giggling but I noticed Link's appearance began to take in brighter colors also.

Kirby and Ness joined the group hug seconds after Link. Lucario placed his arms around me with an amused smile on his face. But it took time to persuade Red and Snake into an all-male group hug. After inviting calls after another, the two finally defeated their embarrassment and joined in for the hug.

The light gradually dimmed and Kirby pouted, "Aww, it's over."

"Alright, it's over." Red said quickly.

Snake and Red let go with Kirby's displeased announcement. Lucario let go calmly. But for some reason, the rest still had their arms tightly around me. Lucas made a mock retching sound and laughed.

"Link, it's over." I croaked.

"It's been a while since I've hugged anyone."

"You have all the time to hug your princess…"

Link pouted with slightly red cheeks. He muttered something like it was vulgar to hug a princess or how he and Zelda aren't like that and whatever, but at least he let go of his iron grip. Ness and Kirby both jumped off and admired their new, vibrant colors. Lucario took off his bondages and longed. The wounds were spotless as if they were never there in the first place.

I sighed from the relief but Lucas was still clinging onto me. He curled his small arms around my neck and buried his face in my shoulder. He was shaking a little. I pulled the kid tighter and higher up to my ear.

His voice was barely a whisper. "Thank you."

"Are you going to be okay?"

I patted his back for a while and Lucas lifted his face slowly. "I-I feel a lot better. Like, confident. Like I could go defeat that 'Plasma Creature' you were talking about!"

"Good." I grinned. "But don't think of going on by yourself. We all need to stick together for this."

Lucas nodded and then blushed ten different shades of red when Ness added an "Awww!"

The group of us came back up to the first level lobby to see everyone else crowded up to the windows. There was a faint commotion going on outside the hospital wing. When I got to a window, I saw the warm lights that illuminated the orange city turned back on. The noise I heard was the guards forming a speech and speaking into the microphone in the central square. Many of the guards were there and spectators that were curious to see what it was about.

"I'll go listen again. Can I, leader?" Young Link asked. I told him to be careful and let Lucario go with him when the Pokémon volunteered to go also.

Captain Falcon crossed his arms and grumbled, "I bet those guards are talking about how they're gonna catch us."

"Not just us." I replied. I guess my tone sounded serious since many pairs of eyes were onto me now. "Lieutenant Blackwood's prize is getting the 'Plasma Creature', or Pichu's phantom. He probably won't care if the phantom or any one of us turns out dead. We can't let him have either."

"I like where this is going." Snake agreed contentedly.

Young Link and Lucario came back quick, telling us that the guards are going to scour the entire Polis 1 for any sign of us and the creature, as predicted. The one making the speech was a very upset Lieutenant Blackwood with bondage tape wrapped around his injured head in a turban. Link snickered since he was the one that smashed the lieutenant's head with his metal shield.

"Also, we grabbed these." Young Link pulled out flashlights and batteries from his (magical, never-ending) back pocket. The flashlights were all different, but all of them provided good rays of light.

"Yeah, we can use these. Where did you get them?" I asked.

It was a slight difference, but I saw Lucario stiffen by a fraction. Young Link laughed and scratched the back of his head. I didn't need their explanation. I sighed. "Seriously, we need to stop adding more to our growing list of crimes."

Roy was still unconscious. He had no injuries that might inflict that, except for the bondage wrapped around his arm, where the researcher injected him with a liquid. When I asked Dr. Mario what it might be, he showed me the syringe he used to take out the liquid.

"I have no idea what it is… but it's been keeping Roy from consciousness."

The dark-purple liquid was smooth, and I couldn't see any frothy residue or anything mixed with it. It was pure liquid. When I shook it around, the purple highlighted inside the solution, but when it settled, it returned back to the black liquid. I had a bad feeling about it.

"Did you need some alone time with Roy? Calling out to someone unconscious can help them achieve consciousness." Dr. Mario suggested.

"Uh, sure."

Dr. Mario nodded and left the room. The lobby was a bit noisy since I asked everyone to be separated in groups of two or three for when we go back into the city. When the door closed, the room was quiet and I could hear any more commotion.

Roy's oxygen mask clouded as he exhaled. He was breathing. I carefully placed the syringe back on the tray and leaned over to Roy. He slept still as a statue except for his steady clouding and un-clouding of his mask.

"Roy," I called. Nothing happened.

I called out again and I think I saw his eyebrows twitch. It might have been my imagination, but when I called his name for the third time, he made a groan. He's almost there.

"Come on Roy, wake up wake up. Roy, follow my voooice. Man, I could have done this yesterday." I continued to call. It was a bit fun like teaching a dog a new trick. If I told him that after he woke up, he'd probably punch me. After all, he is a noble.

Finally, after the umpteenth call, Roy's eyes began to flutter open.

"Mmph my head…" he groaned, closing his eyes again. I helped him pull off the oxygen mask when he was trying to sit up.

"We were just about to go after the 'Plasma Creature'." I informed him, "You won't believe it, and it's actually…"

Roy looked away. "Pichu's phantom?"

I paused. I wonder if unconscious people can listen in on conversations even if they're in that state. Or maybe he guessed right. There weren't many choices thinking that the creature can conduct electricity. I continued, "Yeah, um. It's Pichu. Oh while you were asleep, we met with Snake, Red, and…"

"Dr. Mario, I know."

"Uh, yes. He helped you while you were out."

"He really did." Roy chuckled. There was obvious sarcasm in his tone. Was he not grateful at all? I frowned. This wasn't like him. Did that black liquid change his personality into a jerk?

When Roy turned around to me, I felt my blood turn cold.

He had the red, glowering eyes of the phantom. But everything else was still Roy. He eyed the syringe and cackled. "He really did help me! Help me get back to my body! Haha… hahahahahah!"

The syringe. I finally understood why the liquid was so pure, free of Roy's bodily fluids. Dr. Mario didn't take out the liquid. He was injecting them. After all this time, while Roy was unconscious I left the doctor alone with him. He had all the time to inject the liquid. I can't believe he would do such a thing.

And the liquid, the ink, 'despair' in a form of a substance, is inside Roy. Not caked onto him but inside. How in the world am I supposed to free him now?

The phantom glowed orange. I didn't have time to step back when he ignited in a blindingly white flare. I felt my throat dry out and I made an unearthly squeak. The next thing I knew, I was blown away and shoved down to the floor with Roy sitting on my arms and wings. Air punched out of my lungs from the impact.

When I tried to gasp, the phantom made a shrill sound that was somewhere between a bawl and a scream. He doubled back, gagged, and scratched the inside of his mouth hysterically until drops of blood dropped on my toga.

The ink broke off where he scratched inside his mouth. He shook his head like a wet dog and I met Roy's blue eyes full of tears. He began to scratch at his hair and mutter nonsense. His screams were even more miserable and it didn't sound human. "Help me, oh, I'm going… to, d-dd-die! Dear god, please help me! …GET OUT!"

I was speechless. Seeing my best friend turn absolutely, senselessly out of his mind made me want to cry. But somehow, I knew exactly what to do. Like my body moved with the conscious of someone else. I twisted my torso, catching the phantom off balance. Roy was gone again and the red eyes twitched to see me standing. He sneered and grabbed my ankles. I was about to fall on my face had not the phantom let go of them so quick, yelping.

This part was review. I remembered at the harbor, with the Green Bird behind me and I confronted the guards. I healed one guard by placing my hand on his shot wound and the bullet lifted off him.

Just as I placed my hand over Roy's mouth, the phantom muttered, "No, oh this is the end… Forgive me mother, for I have sinned…"

I grabbed something invisible and lifted it from Roy's mouth. The ink peeled off and followed the movement of my arm. It was a slow, tedious process and it hurt to hear Roy gag painfully.

He grabbed my toga like his life depended on it. When I was thinking of reassuring words for him, again, my mouth just moved with the conscious of someone else.

"Exhale slowly, that would make the process easier. Do not make anything tense. Loosen every muscle."

Tears streamed down Roy's cheeks when he heard me speak. And just as I said 'Loosen every muscle', he did, but he loosened his consciousness also. The last of the ink slipped out of his mouth and I gripped the black, floating substance tightly into a small ball. It became a hard, glass-like sphere the size of a gumball you can buy with a coin at a store.

Roy immediately shot up, gasping desperately. We were both breathing hard, the medical equipment scattered on the floor, and Roy still had streams of blood from his mouth from scratching the ink. We stared at each other unable to speak after what happened. When I grinned, Roy's face crushed into a horrible sob and tackled me to the ground once again.

"Good… god! I th-tho-thought I was going t-to die, I… I…" Roy choked. He shook me around and I was so light-headed from the process, my world started to spin.

"You're welcome." I managed to say.

Roy started to babble nonsense through a bloody mouth. "Until death separates us, we will be best friends. Brothers. I don't even mind us being lovers. I love you so much!"

"Alright, alright. I'm honored to be all of them. Well maybe not a lover."

Roy proceeded to kiss me on the cheek with a bloody mouth. I wiped it off, and Roy punched me on the shoulder and laughed. Finally back to normal.

When the two of us stepped outside, we were bombarded with everyone at the door. They explained Dr. Mario just walked out and disappeared, and heard Roy screaming inside his room. The room was locked and nobody has access in until we came out. Which was a weird fact since I opened the door without having to unlock it.

"Perhaps it's Dr. Mario's ability." Ike supposed. I didn't get where he was going with that but everyone else seemed to agree.

Wario raised his voice, "Yeah, when we met Pichu that Dr. Mario said he couldn't hear anything or feel anything. That shouldn't be right, all the computers and stuff were ruined except for Roy's room. And the phantom things have special powers, right?"

"Maybe he's associated with sound, or defense…" Lucario mused.

Everyone else muttered their agreement, and suggested new "powers" Dr. Mario could possess. It wouldn't have made sense if I hadn't witnessed Roy still maintaining his appearance, but having a diabolical interior.

Roy and I shared what happened in the hospital room. How Roy's insides were painted with the ink, how I performed the removing process (I still don't know how I did it, but nevertheless I knew it and I did it).

"So you suggest that Dr. Mario is a phantom that has his ink inside his body like Roy?" Zelda commented.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw Marth shudder. He pursed his lips. "If that's true, then he was excellent at hiding his identity."

I agreed. "All of the other phantoms aren't so good at keeping their cool, on behalf of my experience. And Dr. Mario tended to us when we first met with him. Well, I can't wait to see what he's like when he goes ballistic…"

Only Young Link laughed at my sarcasm, but when he noticed everyone around him had grave, worried expressions, he bit his lips.

I got the syringe with the swirling ink and the black ball Roy's ink produced. I was careful to place a cover and a stopper for the syringe so none of the ink spilled, but nobody wanted to touch it anyway. Despite the effects this liquid can do, the purple coloring churning inside the black ink was somewhat aesthetically pleasing.

Roy came back from washing his mouth. He sat next to me and eyed the black ball he produced. I was fiddling with it like one of those rubber balls. He reached for it, and I recoiled instinctively. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"I want to see it."

I had to grip it tightly and move away because Roy was beginning to pry open my hand. "What? Did you forget what we had to go through? This is the, uh, your ink ball! What if you turn back into a phantom again?"

"I just want to see it. I have an idea." Roy insisted, now pulling my palm open one finger after another. I tried shoving him but I keep forgetting how strong he is compared to his appearance.

"What if," Ness began, striding over to us, "Roy touches that black ball, and he can turn into a phantom and back as much as he wants?"

Roy was convinced now. He pulled off my last finger and grabbed the black ball. It's hard to describe what happened. Some sort of black light manifested Roy in a gaseous form. When the light diminished away, Roy was on his knees, covered in the ink. We all tensed, unable to predict the horrors he could bring. I couldn't believe him. After all we went through, and he touches the ink?

But the phantom's behavior was over our heads.

"H-How do I look?" The phantom patted his cheeks, smiling widely.

I stared at him. He wasn't cackling, nor he wasn't strangling me. He was admiring his hands and arms and giggling. I feared the worst… no, I feared for the best idea. My mouth quivered, "R-Roy?"

"Yes?"

Ness' face lit up. "See! I told you! That black ball can turn Roy into a phantom without being all, uhh, crazy-like!"

"Wha-but-but why?" I sputtered. During that time, Roy, painted in ink, continued to rub his pitch-black arms and skipped over to the mirror to admire his red eyes.

Lucario clapped once and explained, "This is all hypothesis, but, when you removed the ink from Roy's body, you condensed it into a small ball. And the phantom said that 'this is the end'. So perhaps you removed the phantom's conscience, and left his appearance and abilities into that condensed ball."

"O… Okay…? I guess that's cool?" I replied. I honestly didn't know what to think of this. Other than this gets me really good ideas on how to chase Pichu and Dr. Mario's phantoms.

Roy skipped to me. I tensed a bit because he looked no different than the other phantoms. "Hey, hey! I can do what my phantom could do! Watch this." He said as he levitated off the ground with ease. With a grunt, he started to glow in a white brilliance.

"Wait! Roy, s-stop! You're going to attract the guards with all that light!" I exclaimed, grabbing at his ankles. He stopped glowing at my cries and came back down to the ground with shame.

"Oh. Oh yeah. I'm sorry. I got carried away… but isn't this great?" He grinned. He would've looked really happy if it wasn't for the menacing red eyes and black ink.

Everyone admired his new ability and touched at the ink. The only person who wasn't pleased with the whole event was Young Link, who puffed his cheeks and looked up at me. "What about me?"

Young Link's phantom was the sadistic lava monster, and I'd rather not see him ever again. But I couldn't help but feel sorry for him and his big blue eyes. "I don't know how I'd make it, though. You need to be covered in ink again, I really don't want to risk that."

Just as I said that, he handed me the syringe with the ink inside, and patted my arm. "The material's all here. And we probably shouldn't risk carrying it in this syringe. It might fall into the wrong hands, or maybe even break and catch on someone. So, what do you say?"

I sighed. He was right, I had to admit. And there was very little to worry about. Maybe it's the fact that I hated his phantom that held me back. I took off the cap and placed my hand just above the needle. Instantly, the liquid inside swirled and travelled upwards, out of the syringe. I grabbed something I couldn't see, and continued to pull on the ink. I wish I knew what this process was and how I became to know this, but for now, it was a useful thing I could do so I didn't argue.

"Okay, I'll need to get used to the drooling." He said as he wiped another portion of lava from his mouth. Shivers went down my spine just seeing Roy and Young Link in their phantom forms but there was something amusing about them laughing and skipping around in joy.

I crossed my arms and announced, "So are we quite ready to go find Pichu and Dr. Mario, while sneaking around the guards?"

"You betchabbb!" Young Link exclaimed, drowning in his lava drool.

Author's Note: This portion turned out longer than I thought. The story is nearing the end of it's first season, probably dramatically. Next chapter will start off with the chase and chased in Polis 1!

Pandamonium- Yes, all of the playable characters will appear in the story. And yes, I did base some parts of the story from Subspace Emissary. Actually, the cave portion in the middle of the story is the baseline of "Heaven's Door". Thank you!

Mystical- The 'Plasma Creature' is Pichu, yep. I'm glad you have strong opinions on the lieutenant. That's the good part about creating a villain. Thank you again!