CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Rifts
Once Tetra's group was certain that they had seen the very last of the Moblins for the time being, they set up camp a little ways outside the city in hopes that Saya would eventually make their way to them. Mewtwo and Tetra stood watch while Batsu, Mac, Mario, and Ness talked amongst themselves, Morrigan floated lazily above the ground on (oddly) a cloud of bat-shaped shadows, and Samus paced back and forth as she fiddled with her wrist communicator.
"C'mon, c'mon…ah, dammit. Lost the frequency again."
"What do you have there, Sammy?" asked Morrigan.
"None of your business…and Sammy? Really?"
"What? I can't give you a fun little nickname?"
"Not really. I've heard that one before."
Morrigan smirked and turned over in mid-air, giving Samus an idea that wouldn't prove useful to their cause but seemed like a good idea at that moment.
"Is there something I can help you with, lady, or are you just trying to piss me off?"
"So aggressive. I'm just trying to be social, that's all."
"Then go be social with someone else. I'm not in the mood."
"I can fix that."
"Yeah, no. You can't. Beat it."
"Aw, why are you so freakishly prudish?"
"I don't know. Why are you so freakishly annoying?!"
Morrigan sighed and called the shadows onto her body, reforming her wings as she touched feet back to the ground. She crossed her arms.
"Seriously, though. What are you doing?"
"Trying to get in contact with Krystal. She said she'd try to get in contact with me after they got out of Limbo. I'm starting to get worried…keep that dirty joke to yourself. She's getting married, anyway."
Morrigan chuckled.
"I'm sure she and her boy would be fine with a little three-o-three."
"Nooooo, they probably wouldn't. Not every girl that exists is like you. Shocking, I know."
"Oh, what? Are you concerned that your own boy would be upset with it?"
"No. I don't have a boy. Please. Shut. Up."
"You don't have a boy?! With how hot you are?!"
Samus pinched the bridge of her nose and started walking away as fast as she could, tempted to ask Mewtwo to throw Morrigan over a building and greatly wishing she had asked when Morrigan kept following her.
"Sammy! Your phone watch thingy fell off your wrist…with a picture of the biggest hunk I've ever seen standing next to you! My God, who is THIS?!"
"Stupid son of a...gimme that!"
Samus spun around on her heel and reached for her communicator, having the very suspicious feeling that she hadn't accidentally dropped it like Morrigan was implying. As was to be expected, the succubus yanked it out of her reach and took a longer look at the photograph of Samus standing next to a tall man in military gear. Neither one was smiling, but one could see the pride in the man's eyes and the satisfaction in Samus' eyes.
"Hm. You had short hair at one point. You look cute with it."
"Great. Now give it back before I blast you full of holes."
"We both know you're not going to do that."
"Right, but I can still smack you upside the head. Hand it over!"
"Hold on! Who is it? Your dad? Or no! He's that boy you won't talk to me about!"
Samus finally snatched the device back and frowned at the succubus, wanting to hit her as hard as she could for being an idiot but managing to keep herself restrained.
"It wasn't like that. He was my CO."
"CO?"
"Commanding Officer. I was a soldier in the Galactic Federation when I was younger. He was just giving my military diploma."
"Heh heh. Commanding Officer. Yeah, I'll bet. So what's his name?"
"…was. His name was Adam Malkovich."
"Oh, my…what happened?"
"He went down fighting like the great man he was. Now will you please just drop it?"
We all know Morrigan better than that, but unfortunately Samus didn't, and the more Morrigan talked, the angrier Samus got. Neither were aware that their bickering had caught the attention of their allies, Batsu in particular thinking "Ah, sweet! Catfight!"
"Hoo, boy. If I had that guy 'commanding' me in a manner of speaking, I'd be so…"
Samus groaned in disgust before looking Morrigan dead in the eye with a fiery glare. She was ready to explode and wanted to make the succubus as aware of that as possible.
"Adam wasn't like that and you disgust me just by thinking he'd even think of doing a thing like that. You'll want to stop talking now before I really blow a gasket."
In hopes of taking her mind off of Adam and all the negative emotions thoughts of him made him feel, Samus started flicking through the photographs on her communicator. There were several of her with her fellow militia, one with her adopted Chozo father, and most jarring of all, one with her real mother and father. She sighed and let the happy memories fill her mind…right before Morrigan came out with the almighty topper.
"Come on, I'm sure your parents would love grandkids as tough-looking as…
"THAT'S IT! I AM GONNA SMASH YOUR GODDAMN TEETH IN!"
Samus cracked her neck and knuckles and turned to face the succubus, immediately startling her with the pure amount of hate and anger in her face.
"Whoa, take it easy, Sammy!"
"SHUT UP!"
Samus aimed a brutal roundhouse kick at Morrigan's head, forcing the succubus to swerve out of the way but only succeeding in gaining her a bit of distance before Samus attacked again. The bounty hunter swung madly, spouting out a random curse every time she did so including "C'mon, you little bitch! You gonna fight?! Those were fighting words!"
Mewtwo lowered his face into his palm at this ridiculous and petty display, looking over his shoulder to notice Tetra squirming with delight while trying not to turn around. The Pokémon smirked.
"Go on and watch. I'll stand guard."
Everyone watched the "catfight" as Batsu so lovingly called it, all releasing a collective "oooh" (as well as a well-deserved "Mamma mia!" from Mario) when Morrigan finally counterattacked and gave a hard shot Samus in the jaw. The bounty hunter let out one furious growl before tackling the succubus to the ground.
"Good God!" Ness exclaimed. "Ammy, aren't you gonna do something about this? …Ammy?"
It only just occurred to him that the celestial wolf was not among them, but he still felt her aura nearby…somehow stronger than he remembered it. Then there came a sound that he could barely here over the growls and shrieks of the fight still going on: Amaterasu's howl from somewhere nearby. He made sure no one was watching and then slipped away, focusing all his PSI energy into locating her. The aura got stronger as he heard the howl break out again, followed by a small burst of light in the direction he was heading.
He brushed his way through a tall patch of grass and found himself in front of a small lake, standing under a tree rather close to the shoreline. The moonlight glistened brilliantly on the water's surface, but what glistened even more brilliantly was the woman seated with her legs dipped into the lake. Her lovely white hair hung behind her like a cape with orange streaks running through it, two wolf-like ears poking out of the top of her head. There was also a long, bushy, and very well-groomed tail, and keeping the woman warm was the brilliant white-and-orange kimono she wore.
"No way…" Ness thought. "Is that…"
His suspicions were confirmed when the woman looked up the moon, gazing at it in all of its splendor and smiling softly before opening her mouth wide. Then from her throat came a haunting howl piercing the night and shaking Ness to his core. It was that same howl he'd heard several times from Amaterasu before, but never had it been clearer or more pronounced than now. It sounded like a song, and a very beautiful one at that.
At last, Amaterasu let her howl subside and smiled
"Wow…I never truly appreciated how beautiful the moon is." she said to herself before turning her head with a warm smile. "Do you not think so as well, Ness?"
Ness jumped at the call of his name and the desire to move closer was diminished in a second, but thankfully, Amaterasu's face in this form was gorgeous enough to convince him otherwise. Her bright shining eyes and skin and her motherly smile steadily drew him in until she gently pulled him into a sit next to her.
"So…um…what are you doing out here all by yourself?"
"I am speaking with my son on the Celestial Plain. I promised I would speak with him every night so neither of us gets lonely."
"You have a son?"
"Yes. Chibiterasu. He's such a darling little thing. You would have to see him for yourself to believe me, but he is wonderful."
"Wow…so who's the father?"
Her ears pricked up.
"Father? Oh, no. Chibiterasu does not have a father. There just came a time when I desired to have my own child, so I shaped him from a piece of sunlight. In truth, I have been married once, but…let us just say that it did not end well."
"Check."
"I thought you had an expertise in Shinto knowledge. You do not know of my former husband or my son?"
"No…why? Are you asking me out?"
Amaterasu let out a hearty laugh as Ness flushed bright red. Why was she laughing?
"You are too funny, Ness." she said, draping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him closer to her. "I like you."
"Yeah, I, uh…I could tell…um, can you let me go now?"
"Why? I like holding you like this."
"But you're holding me right up against your…y'know…"
"Oh? But are you not of age?"
"Umm….no. I'm only thirteen."
"I meant are you of age here. Thirteen is considered the age of adulthood here."
Ness' cheeks flushed even more as Amaterasu started to giggle, and he finally wrenched himself free of her grasp in sheer terror.
"Jeez, lady, I'm a human being!"
"Oh, do not be so prudish." Amaterasu whined, sticking her bottom lip out in a fake-pout. "I am beginning to not like you as much."
"Sorry, just…don't do that."
"Apology accepted, but I am owed compensation."
Her smile returned and she lowered her head onto Ness' lap. The young boy had no idea what she planning until she spoke, and even that didn't serve to help his confusion.
"Could you perhaps pet me?"
"Whoa, whoa, what?! Are you on ecstasy or something?!"
"No. I simply would like attention that a pure-bred canine such as myself needs. Besides, you own your own dog and treat him with the same sort of affection, do you not?"
"Yeah, but…no, but…ah, dammit. Fine…thank God Morrigan's caught up in a catfight."
"Pardon?"
"Morrigan pissed Samus off and now they're fighting…like punches and everything. Why, did you want to do something about it?"
Amaterasu feigned deep thought before shaking her head.
"No. I am sure they can settle it themselves. Morrigan and Samus are too useful as allies for them to kill each other. Now, then. Just a little scratch behind my ears to start, if you please."
Ness cursed his own hormones over and over again before finally albeit reluctantly reaching behind Amaterasu's pricked ear and lightly scratching his fingernail against her scalp. She immediately let out a contented sigh and squirmed lightly in his lap as he increased the pressure and steadily moved down her head.
"O-okay…I think that should do it."
"Nonsense. My back, now."
"Your back?"
"Well, if you would prefer my chest, I'd be more than happy to…"
"Nonononono that's okay. Back it is, then."
"Wonderful!"
Amaterasu turned over and exposed her back, keeping her head tilted to the side so one eye could remain fixed on her companion's face as he slowly began massaging her back. He kept thinking that she was going to do something out of the ordinary at any given moment, but she didn't.
"So, um…" Ness started. "Is Chibiterasu your only family?"
"No. I have two brothers, Tskuyomi and Susano'o. There is also my father Izanagi-oh my!"
"Easy there!"
"I must apologize, but my goodness, Ness! Your petting technique is simply divine!"
"…that sounded way more sensual than it should have been."
Amaterasu laughed again and nestled back into Ness' lap.
"Why do you ask?"
"I dunno…it just seems like you have a really strong bond with Saya. You're not…you know…her mother in disguise, are you?"
"No, I am not. However, I have been looking after her for a good long while as both an animal companion and a parental guardian."
"Huh. Okay…it just really seems like everyone is suffering from parental troubles except me."
"How do you mean?"
"Mewtwo was made in a lab, Mario's parents died when he was in his teens, Samus' parents were killed by a freakin' space dragon, and Morrigan doesn't even remember her real parents. Sure, my dad's on the road a lot, but he and my mom are still really close."
Amaterasu's smile faded.
"I see…my mother was never there for me. She died in childbirth after she and my father created the fire god, and when my father went to the underworld to retrieve her soul, she embedded the land with a terrible curse. Every day, one thousand human beings die of natural causes because of her curse, but thanks to my father's blessings, one thousand and five hundred people are born a day to counter her curse."
"So you made Chibiterasu to basically…"
"Give the motherly love I never received. Hope I can be a better mother than my own."
Ness found himself smiling. They all had their sufferings, but they also all had bright spots. For him, it was his friends and all the hijinks they'd gotten into on their long adventure together. For Morrigan, it was all the guys she had to share herself with. For Mario, it was his brother and Princess Peach, and for Amaterasu, the almighty goddess of the sun, it was her one and only child.
"You are. You've been a great mother to Saya, that much I can say. And then there's that beloved mother to us all thing, you being a goddess and all."
Amaterasu smile returned and she turned her body over again to make perfect eye contact.
"You have my thanks, but I am not so grand. I am merely doing what I was created to do. I am Amaterasu, and Amaterasu is all that I am."
"I guess that's all you need to be. Everyone seems to love it."
"Mm-hm-hm…Ness?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you like games?"
"Uhh, sure, I guess…why?"
All of a sudden, she was back in her wolf form, on all fours and hunched over, a mischievous smile on her face and a growl in her throat.
"Let us play tag. I am it. You have a ten-second head start."
"WHAT?!"
"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven…"
Ness stopped questioning her and started running, and as soon as the seconds were up, the goddess dashed after him. She barked loudly and laughed shortly afterward, teasingly nipping at his ankles as he ran as fast as his legs could take him. His lungs were close to bursting as the celestial wolf chased him all over the field and nearly drove him into the lake.
"NONONO NO! STOP IT, AMMY! STOP! BAD DOGGY! DOWN!"
"Not a chance, child! Look out! Here I come!"
"YOU'RE INSANE, YOU KNOW THAT, AMMY?!"
"Oh, come now!" Amaterasu laughed. "You are having fun, are you not?"
She leapt at him and just barely missed. He started to stumble but kept on running until he finally couldn't take it anymore and Amaterasu suddenly jumped him and bowled him to the ground, relentlessly and affectionately licking his face.
"This goddess is trying to kill me…"
The land in which Saya and Ganondorf had done battle. The land in which Takamaru had died and eight of Saya's close allies were turned to lifeless statues. That land was steadily becoming more and more corrupted. Dark tendrils reached everywhere, Moblins patrolled the entire perimeter, great birds called Kargarocs flew overhead with one particularly large one perched at the top of a hill, ReDeads stood slumped over feigning lifelessness…
…and one of the statues began to glow before finally regaining his colour and motion.
"Phew!" Pit breathed as he finally regained control of his body. "Close call. Took long enough to pull my soul back, though…oh, crud."
The ReDeads opened their mouths to shriek, the Kargarocs began swooping in toward him, and the Moblins charged with their spears raised when of all things, a heavenly light rained down from the sky and immobilized each one. Pit smiled skyward.
"Guess you've got my back all the way, huh, Lady Palutena?"
To his delight, he received a warm reply, and to his disappointment, he also received a colder one following that.
"Always, Pit."
"Get a room, you two…or planet, realm, dimension. Something other than here where everyone can hear you, for goodness sake. It's not that difficult, really."
Pit gritted his teeth.
"Hades! What did you do?!"
"What? This? Not a thing, Pitty Pat. It's all Ganondorf's doing."
"Wait…what?! He can do all this WITHOUT Saya's power?!"
"Um, yes? I thought you knew that already."
Palutena groaned in concern.
"Pit, whatever the cost, you must stop Ganondorf before he has the chance to extract Saya's power again. If a man that powerful were to gain abilities as nightmarish as Saya's, the result would be…an abomination."
"A bit of lackluster term, if I do say so myself." spoke up Hades. "There's 'monolith of death' or 'apocalyptic monster'. I'm chock-full of these if you need them, dear Pally."
"…Pally? Really?"
"Yes, really. Would 'Heavenly Bitch' be better?"
"Did you just call me a bitch?!"
"I rest my case."
Pit rolled his eyes and rose off the ground, flying away as fast as his wings could take him. The mighty bird on the hill watched him go but didn't bother to follow him. It would never catch up to him at that speed and it wasn't sure he was worth the chase, anyway.
As Pit flew away, though, he sensed something terrible as did Palutena from her spot in the sky.
"Lady Palutena…do you feel that?"
"Yes. Six dark beings created from memories of Saya's allies. Poltergeists…and one of them is nearby. Approaching Tokyo. "
Pit gripped his bow and prayed for Saya's safety when one word popped into his head. A name. A name that meant something terrible to a certain ally of Saya's. It represented hatred, the loss of numerous loved ones, and of course, fear.
"Ridley."
Feel free to cue up his epic boss theme in advance if you like.
SOUNDTRACK SO FAR
Saya, Ness, and Lucas- "Pollyanna" from Earthbound (SSBM)
Marth to the rescue- "Together We Ride" from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (SSBM)
X and Zero versus Kirby and Meta Knight- "Meta Knight's Revenge" from Kirby Super Star (SSBB)
Link versus Morrigan- Morrigan's theme from Marvel versus Capcom 3
Link versus Dante- "Never Surrender" from DmC: Devil May Cry
Krystal and Trish versus the Moblin horde- "Lock and Load" from Devil May Cry 1
Krystal versus Mewtwo- "Poké Floats" from Super Smash Bros. Melee
Saya versus Ghirahim- Ghirahim's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Frank versus Ghirahim- "On a Mission" from Dead Rising
Courthouse caving in- "No Redemption" from DmC: Devil May Cry
Samus escapes- Metroid Prime main theme
Chun-Li versus Samus- Chun-Li's theme from Street Fighter IV
Standoff on Mount Fuji- "Douchuumen" from The Mysterious Murasame Castle (go on Youtube and look for a version by a group called ysk1210)
Saya and Lucas- "Love" from Mother 3
"LET'S ROCK!"- "Devils Never Cry" from Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
The Devil Trigger- "How Old is Your Soul?" from DmC: Devil May Cry
Ryu and Ken versus Juri- Ryu's theme from Street Fighter IV
Jedah's assault on the airship- Airship theme from Super Mario Bros. 3 (SSBB)
S.I.N. versus B.S.A.A.- "Ride on Sea" from Resident Evil: Revelations (or Biohazard: Revelations if you live in Japan)
Ike to the rescue- "Eternal Bond" from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Saya's sorrow- "Kinder Days" from Sin and Punishment: Star Successor (known as Successor of the Skies in Europe and Australia)
An army of twenty-one- Main menu theme from Super Smash Bros. Melee
Dante versus Dante- "Empty" from DmC: Devil May Cry
Saya's rage- Tabuu's theme from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tetra's pirates- "The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Lagiacrus- "Sea and Land Tremble" from Monster Hunter 3
The Ancient Mother- "Shenandoah" from Endless Ocean
Vergil versus Lilith- "Super Ultra Violet" from Devil May Cry 1
Moblin attack on Tokyo- "Taiyo High School Rooftop" from Rival Schools: United by Fate
Mac and Batsu to the rescue- "Minor Circuit" from Punch-Out! Wii
Star Fox reunited- Star Fox: Command's ending theme
Amaterasu's "little game"- "Humoresque of a Little Dog" from Earthbound (SSBB)