CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Illumination
Saya never expected to ever open her eyes again after what had happened, and she didn't right away, but there were two things that quickly caught her attention once she had partially regained consciousness. The first thing was the softness beneath her as she lay on her back. She clenched it with her hands, finding it to be smooth and silky as she ran it through her fingers. Grass. All the way out in the deep regions of space? This was strange enough, but the second thing was even stranger. Through her eyelids, she could see a strange golden light and as she noticed it, she heard a light whine that sounded like nothing she'd ever heard before.
When she at last open her eyes, she didn't bother to look around at where she was right away. She instead focused all her attention on the tiny creature floating in front of her as it let out the same whine she'd heard before. The creature was star-shaped and glowing bright yellow with two expressive little eyes being its only facial feature. It was floating rather closely to her, looking at her curiously before final drifting closer to her and nuzzling herself against her chest with a light squeak.
"What are you…" she started, but stopped when she felt the creature's warmth.
The creature felt almost like a heated pillow as it gently touched her and looked up into her eyes, squeaking again and finally forcing a smile out of her. She didn't know what it was, but it was so adorable that it didn't seem to matter. She slowly wrapped her arms around it and petted its head, and it responded with a mystical giggle.
"What are dese things?" mumbled a familiar voice.
Saya released the creature and looked over at her four allies, all of whom had either come to or were starting to. Hugo and Ryu simply stared at the creatures in confusion, while one of them had floated up to Poison and she was now starting to play with it.
"Aww, they're so cute!" she squealed. "And they're everywhere!"
Now Saya got the chance to look around, but describing where they were wasn't the easiest thing to do. At first glance, she assumed it was some sort of massive space station, but that was written off as too broad a term almost instantly. They were fully exposed to the airless space, but not only could they breath fine, but they didn't feel any effect of anti-gravity or low temperature. Littered through the station were several domes, two of which were on floating platforms and one of which was at the very top of the tower in the center. The five themselves stood in a grassy field, and Saya could see a star in the empty space at the center of the station.
And then her attention landed on Lucas as another star-creature approached him, squeezing its stubby arms inward and lashing them out. At first, Lucas wasn't aware of what it wanted, but he slowly recognized the stance it took and smiled.
"Oh, okay! PK THUNDER!"
The small lightning bolt launched from Lucas' head and he telekinetically spun the bolt all about in every angle possible until it finally dissipated. The creature giggled and clapped its tiny arms just as a misty voice echoed from nowhere.
"Do you like them?"
The five turned and met the gaze of a tall and lovely woman in a light-blue gown floating a few inches above the ground. A small silver crown lay on top of her head, and a fringe of her long platinum-blonde hair hung down over one of her big blue eyes. Without her feet touching the ground even for a single moment, she drifted to them and smiled.
"I'm pleased to see that you're all alright. It's very fortunate I happened to be drifting by to rescue you."
"Thank you very much, Miss…" started Ryu.
"Forgive me for not introducing myself first. My name is Rosalina, and this is the Comet Observatory. This is my home and the home of all my Luma children."
The Lumas all floated around Rosalina and some of them came close enough for her to reach out and lightly pet them. The five smiled just as someone else came around the corner, and it just so happened that this someone else was a green-clad moustachioed plumber that Saya and Lucas immediately recognized.
"Luigi?!" Saya exclaimed.
"Saya? Lucas? When did you guys get-a here?"
"We…kinda suffered the same fate you did…oh, man, I'm so happy you're okay."
Luigi smiled and scratched at the back of his head as he glanced over at Rosalina, who offered him a cheeky smile in return.
"Well, Rosalina here is-a something else. You need-a help, she's-a there before you know it…hey, you guys wouldn't happen to have-a my hat, would you?"
"No, I'm pretty sure that…Mario…"
The thought of one of their captured allies after what Juri had said to them was enough to make Saya distressed just as her eyes roamed over the Comet Observatory's edge. As the other six looked, they saw the Earth far below them. One small part of it was what really caught their attention. A massive black cloud was forming over Japan, swirling slowly and flashing with flecks of lightning every once in a while.
"Oh my God, it got this bad already?!" Poison sputtered. "We…we've gotta get back down there!"
Saya would have jumped at the oppourtunity had it not been for what had just happened. She was powerless, pure and simple. The other six seemed as prepared as any to head back down to the surface, but she knew better. She hadn't forgotten what Ganondorf had done.
"It's hopeless…" she sighed.
"What are you talking about…" Lucas started, "We can't just leave it be and expect it to get better!"
"Think, Lucas. We nearly died down there. It's over…Ganondorf won."
Lucas gritted his teeth in frustration at Saya's pessimism, but before he could speak again, a faint glimmer of light caught his eye and Saya's eye from the direction of Earth.
"What in the world…Ammy?!"
The six watched as the light grew brighter and brighter until two figures came into view. The Celestial Brush forming walkways as she swiped it, Amaterasu came galloping toward them from far below with Palutena gliding closely behind her. Now that Saya could see her performing a supernatural act clear as crystal, Amaterasu sucked in a breath.
"This is it…there is no going back now."
With a single strong bound, the celestial wolf leaped high and landed directly in front of Saya, Palutena lightly drifting into place alongside her and smiling at Rosalina standing nearby.
"Ah, Rosalina. A pleasure to see you again." said Palutena. "We can't thank you enough for picking them up."
"It was no trouble at all." Rosalina replied with a nod. "No one will die by the cold hands of space while I am here, whether they are a group of this much importance or not."
Saya ignored the conversing women and simply stared at Amaterasu, who was aware that the flames the Celestial Brush emitted were being shown in full force.
"What in the world is going on?" she asked. "Why is Ammy on fire?! And…how did you even get here?"
Amaterasu had to bring up every ounce of courage she had to say what she did. She couldn't be so selfish. Saya had been suffering for far too long because of her, and she had every right to know the truth.
"Put simply…" she started, right away amazing Saya with her ability to speak. "There is far too much you do not know of me, Saya…even when we have been together for so long."
"What? …how are you doing that?!"
Amaterasu closed her eyes, light engulfing her entire body and reforming her into a humanoid shape, and when the light faded, the greatest surprise came naturally from Saya, and of both amazement and recognition.
"Ms. Minamoto?!"
"I have been with you the entire time, my child. What I did not tell you was that I am what the people of Japan have come to know as the goddess of the sun…I am Amaterasu, one of the three Celestial Mothers in addition to Palutena, the Mother of Angels, and Rosalina, the Mother of the Stars."
"You're…a goddess? You've been looking after me for so long, and you were a goddess?!"
"Longer than you may think. It is of the utmost importance that you return to Earth and face Ganondorf. He must be stopped at all costs."
In spite of her amazement, Saya felt it slip away at the mention of Ganondorf as the thoughts of what he had done came rushing back. As she opened her mouth to speak, Amaterasu held up her hand.
"But there is another priority, and I would like to deal with it immediately. Yami's power dwelling within you, Ganondorf hunting you…and your immortality…it was all my fault."
Saya was as confused as just about everyone else there, but she was nonetheless intrigued. Who wouldn't be after such a thing took place?
"Please…tell me."
"You died far too young for your parents to accept it. A child should not die before his or her parents, and both your mother and father were nothing short of devastated when they found you dead in the Aokigahara. While your mother wept over your body, your father turned his head to the heavens and begged for you back at any cost necessary. He was willing to take his own life if he could bring you back."
Amaterasu could remember the words of Saya's father as though they had only been spoken yesterday. Time meant nothing to her or Saya. All these memories would remain fresh in their minds forever, and they had brought Saya herself centuries of torment while they were an afterthought to Amaterasu. Mortals died in the thousands every day, and to Amaterasu, the life of one person didn't compare to the other thousand. But she was different.
"Though thousands of mortals die daily and I began to grow used to it, something stirred within me when I heard your father's plea. Perhaps it was because I could see the beauty in mortal life despite how short it was or because you had died when you were only a child, but I couldn't bear to hear them suffer. Without any thought, I reached out and breathed new life into you…but only when I saw that you did not age did I learn the consequences of what I had just done. Your resurrection came not very long after I did battle with Yami, the Emperor of Eternal Darkness. Perhaps some of his power latched itself onto me in an attempt for him to thrive on, but when I gave you new life, he released himself from me and buried himself into you. And thus, he used you as a vessel to continue to cause destruction, and it was all my doing."
Saya said nothing for a moment. Now that she finally understood that her terrible power wasn't a coincidence, she wasn't sure how to react. It offered clarity, but no comfort. What could she say? And what did it matter? It was all gone now.
Poison was the one to speak this time.
"So Yami's power is how Saya could see memories and do that…that Super Saiyan thing we saw down there? And it's why she's immortal?"
"Close." Palutena answered. "I'm not really sure what you mean by 'Super Saiyan', but Yami was the cause of Saya's ability to see memories and 'ultraburst' as she calls it. Her immortality, however, came from another source."
"It must have. I mean, Ganondorf sucked out just about all of it, but when he went to grab the last of it, it like stung him or something."
Amaterasu nodded.
"That would be because of the tool I used to breathe new life into Saya. The tool was a sword known as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, a form-changing blade my brother Susano'o recovered from the eight-headed serpent Orochi and gave to me as a gift. When embedded with divine power, it becomes a force capable of slicing through the darkest of evils. No evil can touch it without suffering excruciating pain, and it is now at Saya's beck and call. It will appear whenever she wills it to."
Rosalina smiled.
"And in another world in another time, it went by a different name."
A blade dwelling within her…a blade that could slice through the darkest evil…why did that sound familiar?
"No way…" she muttered to herself. "…okay, so I can just summon it? Here goes nothing, then."
She closed her eyes and focused. Unleashed a call deep within her. Asking…demanding the blade to show itself. And it answered. Within her chest, she felt a growing warmth that slowly spread outward. She opened her eyes, noticing a bright light emanating from her chest, and even more amazing was the object that was emerging from the light. A brilliant sword with a blue hilt and shining blade. A sword she recognized clear as day.
It was none other than the Master Sword.
"A weapon wielded by the descendants of the legendary hero of Hyrule." said Amaterasu as Saya pulled it from her chest. "Just as it is Link's weapon, it is also yours."
Saya felt the weight of the sword in her hand as a gold and blue sheath appeared on her back. She motioned for everyone to step back a bit, and once the way was clear, she slashed once. Twice, and then a spin attack. It felt good. She stared longingly at it, marvelled that a wonderful weapon was now hers before she placed it cleanly in its sheath.
"And it would seem there still dwells some of Yami's power within you." said Rosalina, laying her hand lightly on Saya's chest. "Protected by the Master Sword, perhaps. You can certainly put it good use."
"No."
"I understand that what it has done may have scarred you, but…"
"No! I've done too many terrible things with, and if it belongs to something as evil as an 'Emperor of Eternal Darkness', then I don't want to control it! I want to get rid of it!"
And now Ryu stepped forward, unfastening his right glove.
"Saya, come here. I want to show you something."
Saya nervously approached him, frightened that he might make a punch at her to get Yami's power riled up, but instead he gently raised his wrist. On it was a strange twisting symbol she'd never seen before.
"Do you know what that is?"
"No."
"Saya, you and I are very much alike. You see, this is the mark of the Satsui no Hado, also known as the Evil Intent. It's a form of power that's rooted in the darkest parts of human instinct. Things like the domination and the will to survive. It grants a brilliant power, but at the cost of its host's humanity. It becomes active in me when I'm pushed to my absolute limit. When it happens, I become someone entirely different. Imagine Juri but even less humane. Bordering on pure insanity, I'd say."
How could anyone or anything be less humane than Juri, Saya thought. And from someone with such a strong sense of justice to boot. But Ryu wasn't finished.
"But there is a catch to it that can greatly benefit its wielder: it can be controlled because it dwells within a being that can overcome its dark influence. Evil power can be whatever you define it as, even as power for justice if its wielder realizes what you must."
Ryu laid his hand on Saya's shoulder and smiled.
"What do you desire, Saya?"
"I…I want to defeat Ganondorf. I want to save everyone from him. I want to use this power for good."
"And because that's what you want, you can make Yami obey you. He doesn't have his own form. He has you, and since he dwells within you, he must abide by your rules. You're in control of your body and spirit, not him. Take his power and use it how you see fit. Let him know that you are in control. Demand he submit to you, his wielder. Use his dark power for justice."
"It is in our darkest times that we must fight our very hardest, Saya." added Amaterasu. "This battle is for all worlds that Ganondorf would threaten. So what say you? Are you ready to give it one more try?"
Ryu had inspired Saya. He must have been in control of the Satsui no Hado, otherwise he'd probably be changing into a bloodthirsty monster left and right. Could she do the same? Perhaps…he was right, and so was Amaterasu. She saw everyone looking at her hopefully and felt the eagerness. They were ready to go back and stop Ganondorf once and for all, and in a way, so was she. Having a three-foot piece of evil-slaying metal on her back kind of helped in that department.
"Just one thing." she finally said, turning back to Amaterasu. "Why didn't you tell me? We've known each other for so long and you never told me what you were. Why?"
Amaterasu closed her eyes and lowered her head. She felt guilt start to creep over her even though she knew full well that Saya would have asked the question anyway. There was no getting around it. She had to know.
"It was for probably the most selfish reason imaginable. I watched over you out of pity when your mother and father left you alone in the world. I have been with you for all that time and taken many different forms so that you would never feel like there was no purpose for you in the world, and I began to feel like you were my own child, and I felt the truth would squander everything. You see, Saya, I did not tell you who or what I was because…I was afraid that if I did, you would treat me as something to be worshipped or feared and not as simply your friend. I never meant to cause you any sort of pain, and for everything…I am sorry."
Amaterasu then looked away, preparing for Saya to begin berating her on how much trouble she could have saved all of them if she hadn't kept her identity hidden this entire time. It certainly made sense for such a thing to happen, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw a smile creep across Saya's face and her hand reaching toward her until it finally laid itself on her shoulder. The goddess turned and looked into Saya's soft and kind eyes, knowing that everything had truly worked out for the best this time.
"If that was all you ever wanted, there's no way I couldn't forgive you."
Her mind finally at peace, Amaterasu smiled and reached forward to pull Saya into an embrace when…
"Ah, such a touching reunion. I always have to force myself not to cry at such displays."
"Jedah!"
Standing behind them and mockingly clapping his hands was none other than Jedah, smiling sadistically and still looking like the pieces were falling into place in the precise way he wanted them to.
"Lady Palutena, I presume." he said, looking over at Palutena. "Hades has told me quite a bit about you."
"How much of it involved him calling me names or making weird sexual innuendos?"
"Quite a bit, actually. I haven't heard of your other companion, however."
Rosalina sneered.
"Rightfully so. I'm not sure I'd want to associate with someone like you."
"Oh, come now. That's no way to treat a guest."
"It is if that guest is both uninvited and completely insane. Leave my home at once."
"I apologize, my lovely little space flower, but I cannot do that. I have business with one of your passengers.
Saya raised one hand and drew the Master Sword, Jedah scowling at it.
"Yes, Ganondorf suspected that may have been what else dwelled within you. Did your Celestial Mothers tell you that taking the blade out of your body would render you mortal?"
"Did your parents ever tell you that you shouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong?" Saya spat. "Get down here and fight!"
"No, no, I'm afraid I haven't any time for games. None of us do. You were supposed to be dead, Saya Kusanagi. For too long you have been a thorn in the side of not only me but Ganondorf, as well. And since we no longer have any need of you…"
With a snap of his fingers, three spheres of light appeared on the nearby stone terrace, one considerably larger than the other two. As the lights faded, the figures within faded into view. The smallest was Lilith, the larger one was the still-corrupted Takamaru, but it was the largest one that truly caught their attention.
"Bowser?!" Saya exclaimed.
It certainly looked like Bowser, but it looked like they had taken him and dumped nuclear waste all over him. The first glaring difference was that he was at least three times bigger than he had been before. His tail was also significantly longer, and his shell was now a turquoise colour with its spikes longer and more dulled. His hair was spikier, and his eyes made him look like he was on the verge of complete insanity.
"What have you done to him?!" Lucas shouted.
"Oh, just a few minor alterations to make him a bit more of a competent servant. I must commend him for what he did for the two of you, though. Standing up to an entire horde of ReDeads is no easy task."
Saya gritted her teeth and clenched her grip on the sword. Jedah had toyed with her for the last time.
"Damn you, you black-hearted piece of garbage."
"How threatening. Oh, and just to ensure that there won't be any unnecessary interference…"
He took aim at the three Celestial Mothers and snapped his fingers, right away summoning giant shadowy hands to seize the three and hold them firmly. They struggled and bucked about in the hands' grips, but there was no escaping them for the time being.
"It seems this one demon is more powerful than we thought…" Rosalina growled.
"Far more than you would like to believe, I imagine." Jedah responded, looking over his shoulder at Saya one last time. "I would greatly appreciate it if I do not see you again after this. LILITH! TAKAMARU! BOWSER! KILL THEM ALL!"
He vanished, and Giga Bowser unleashed a mighty roar. The numerous Lumas quickly fled the area while Saya and Lucas stood at the ready. With a crack of knuckles and lightly tightening his headband, Ryu sank into a ready stance alongside them.
"This could be fun." he said. "Poison! Hugo!"
"Right behind you!" Poison called as she cracked her whip.
"Let's do dis!" Hugo bellowed.
With Lucas providing her a quick smirk, Saya was empowered and readier than ever.
"Alright! Come get some!"
Takamaru lunged head-on at Saya, who also lunged and blocked just in time. She didn't dare to counterattack with the blade, instead opting for a punch to his stomach. He stumbled for a moment before stabbing at her again, barely whiffing the attack. Lucas meanwhile kept her back covered from Lilith, launching out several blasts of PK Fire to keep the flying succubus at bay.
The two were forced to leap away anyway once Giga Bowser opened his maw and let out a torrential downpour of flames. Ryu rolled forward just in time to slip underneath him, plowing his fist into the giant reptilian beast's jaw with a powerful Shoryuken. As Giga Bowser stumbled backward, Hugo ran forward and bowled him over with a powerful dropkick.
"Atta boy, Hugo!" Poison cheered.
"Poison!" Saya shouted. "Behind you!"
Poison spun around just in time to lash her whip across Lilith's face as the latter charged with a Shadow Blade. The succubus went crashing to the ground, feeling at the bruise on her face and looking up at her attacker with angry tears streaming down her face.
"When I try to kill you, you're supposed to die!" she shouted.
"Where's the fun in that, sweetie?" Poison replied with a smirk.
"I HATE YOU!"
"Well, I'm not too fond of you, either."
Lilith lunged again, and…
"PK FREEZE!"
The little succubus collapsed onto the ground as her steadily chilling wings stopped beating just as Saya flipped backward over her to dodge a massive slash from Takamaru. Meanwhile, Ryu and Hugo were still dealing with Giga Bowser, who slashed with his claws, snapped his jaw at them, swung his tail, and spat fire everywhere.
"Heads up, guys!" Luigi hollered.
With one quick jump into the air, he scrunched himself into a ball before suddenly laying his body flat with his arms pinned to his sides. This somehow launched him forward at lighting speed, slamming his head against Giga Bowser's forehead. The monster stumbled back long enough for Hugo to give Ryu a giant boost upward.
"TATSUMAKI SENPUU KICK!"
Ryu's foot plowed into the side of Giga Bowser's face, sending the latter stumbling backward again while the former landed in a crouched position with not even a scratch on him. Even after such a harsh strike, Giga Bowser was stable again in a matter of seconds, snarling down at Ryu with his razor-sharp teeth bared.
"Damn. How much abuse can this guy take?"
Even with her phenomenal sword-fighting, Saya couldn't prevent Takamaru from just barely nicking her shoulder. The thin cut trickled with blood as Saya let out a small grunt of pain, and she countered with a strong kick to her opponent's chest.
"Come on, Maru-kun. I know you're in there somewhere." she muttered.
It certainly didn't look like it, but it did look like she'd have to handle him alone for a while with Poison and Lucas busy trying to get Lilith down onto the ground after her wings had thawed out. As her wings shifted into ropes and she sent them after the two, they dodged in whatever way they could until Lucas tripped over his own feet and one rope wrapped around his ankle.
"Aw, crap!" he shouted as Lilith dragged him high into the air.
The succubus dangled Lucas in front of him and gave him a dirty look.
"Umm…sorry for freezing your wings?"
"It's not that…okay, that's sort of it, but don't you like me?"
"Uhh…well, you're cute."
Lilith smiled and pulled him into a very tight hug.
"Yay! Does that mean you'll stay with me forever?"
"What? No!"
She pushed him away before crossing her arm, and with a loud "Hmph!", she tossed him away and over the side of Comet Observatory. Of course, she hadn't counted on him having any sort of trick up his sleeve.
"PK THUNDER!"
As the bolt of lightning appeared, Lucas telepathically navigated it around and struck it against his backside. Miraculously and to Lilith's surprise, this launched him forward like a rocket and back onto safe ground. Saya had a rather different approach to this after defending Ryu from Giga Bowser had gotten her thrown high into the air. She was just over Giga Bowser's head, and with Ryu and Hugo thankfully doing a fair bit of damage to him, one single and powerful strike could be all she needed to bring him down until they could reverse the damage Jedah had done.
There was only one such source of power, though. If what Ryu had said was true…could the remainder of Yami's power within her be controlled? She had to at least try.
"Listen…listen to me now."
She heard wind blowing from inside of her head. Yami still seemed to harbour some form of conscience. He was trying to resist her, so she pressed harder.
"This is my body. My body, my choice. You are nothing without me. Now listen to me."
The wind blew louder from within her mind. She had one last chance. She was starting to lose ascension.
"LISTEN TO ME!" she finally hollered.
The resistance stopped and she clenched her free hand. It spurted blue energy that tightly encircled her arm , letting her get a feel for the kind of power she had summoned from within her. It felt good, and she was going to use it…now!
With a single battle cry, she plummeted back down toward Giga Bowser's head, slamming her fist against it as hard as she could. The power descended from her arm and added further weight to the impact, and when Giga Bowser felt the blow, he stumbled about dizzily before finally falling over, forcing Hugo and Ryu to jump out of the way. As she leapt off of the reptilian beast's head, she very quickly felt at his neck, thankfully getting a pulse.
"Good. He's okay. Just unconscious."
She was far more relieved than anyone could have probably guessed. Had he been his normal size without the thicker layer of bone, the blow likely would have killed him instantly. It would certainly kill a human being with ease…perhaps even a powerful demon.
She didn't have time to plan for Jedah's murder, however. Takamaru raised his blade with the full intention of impaling Hugo, but it seemed Saya wasn't the only one on top of her game now.
"Not a chance, pal!" Ryu shouted as he crouched down.
The first punch connected, propelling the two into the air.
"SHIN…"
The second punch connected and propelled them further.
"SHOR…"
And the third and final punch connected, knocking Takamaru back down to the ground in an unconscious heap.
"YUKEN!"
"Hugo! Catch him!" Saya pleaded.
Hugo obeyed, running forward and catching the unconscious Takamaru in his gigantic arms and showing him to Saya. He was 100% unconscious and Ryu's Shin Shoryuken had left quite a mark on him, but at least he was okay.
"Oh, thank God…Maru-kun…"
"Saya, look out!" Poison shouted.
Saya turned just in time to see Lilith charging headlong at her with her Shadow Blade ready.
"Jedah wants you dead, and I'm gonna make sure you die!"
Saya furrowed her brow.
"Don't count on it, bitch!"
As Lilith was just about to stab inward and finish the job, Saya deflected the blow just in time with the Master Sword and slammed her palm against Lilith's chest as she flew by. Her palm released a strong telekinetic pulse, knocking Lilith upward and leaving her completely defenseless as Saya vaulted herself upward and seized her around the middle. Thus, they plummeted to the ground and Saya made sure that Lilith's head hit the ground hard while she planted her hands down just in time to catch herself. Lilith, dazed and unable to comprehend what had just happened, summoned all of her strength in a vain attempt to push herself back to her feet, only for Ryu to slam his foot down on her back and keep her pinned down.
"That's enough out of you."
"Uh, guys?!" Luigi called in a nervous tone. "We better get-a Bowser back to normal 'cause he's-a wakin' up!"
Giga Bowser had sure enough breathed lightly out of his nostrils, provoking a hint of fear at the thought of him continuing to wreak his special kind of havoc. With a similar pulse to the one she had used on Lilith, Saya quickly freed the Celestial Mothers from the grips of the shadow hands, Rosalina gently laying her hand on Giga Bowser's head and closing her eyes. She began to mumble several words in some language none of them recognized, a beautiful light steadily beginning to emanate from her hands as she did so. The light steadily encircled Giga Bowser's body before it enveloped him entirely. Several grunts could be heard from inside the light, and Rosalina at last uttered a few more words.
"Return to your true self. Let the darkness vanquish itself from you, and become who you really are once again."
A shrill sound echoed through the air and the mass within the light shrank and shrank until the light finally vanished, and there, steadily sitting up and shaking out his dizziness, was a fully restored Bowser.
"Oh, man, that's a splitting headache right there…where am I?" he mumbled before he turned his head. "Saya? …oh, it's you again."
Rosalina smirked.
"That's all you have to say to me? Don't I deserve some sort of apology?"
"What for? …oooooooh, yeah. That…umm…sorry."
"Apology accepted."
"So can you, uh, explain what happened to me?"
As Rosalina and Luigi explained the situation to the Koopa King, Amaterasu had laid the still-unconscious Takamaru on her lap and laid her hands on his forehead. She too whispered words that Saya couldn't quite make out, but was clear was the final bit.
"Return to us, Takamaru. Return to us…"
The prominent scar on Takamaru's chest faded, taking the vile blackness of the veins around it with it. His skin regained some of its colour, and he stirred and finally opened his eyes, staring about in a curious and confused manner.
"What…what have I been doing?"
He sat up and Saya almost immediately threw her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. He returned it after several moments of pulling his thoughts back to him.
"Saya…I feel like I just woke up from a nightmare."
"You did…thank God you're back."
After listening to all Rosalina had to say, Bowser furrowed his brow and slammed his fist into his open hand.
"I thought it was him. I guess me and that freak have a score to settle, huh?"
"Wait…I attacked all of you?!" Takamaru exclaimed. "…Lucas, how badly did I injure you?"
Lucas hesitated in turning around since he didn't need Takamaru flipping out over what he'd done, but he turned and exposed the brutal scar. Takamaru lowered his gaze to the ground and got down on one knee.
"I am so sorry…to both you and Saya. I don't understand how Jedah was able to turn me against all of you, but I take full responsibility for me actions."
"Don't." said Lucas. "Jedah's a conniving monster. He's always got one more evil trick up his sleeve, but I can bet that he's not going to expect this."
Takamaru stood as Saya gently brushed his arm with her fingertips and offered him a warm smile. He felt his guilt wash away in an instant and grasped her hand tightly.
"It doesn't matter what you did. All that matters now is you're you again."
Takamaru smiled, but every single one of them stood at the ready as Lilith bucked herself free from beneath Ryu's foot, morphing her wing into a Shadow Blade and pointing it at Saya. Takamaru laid his hand on his blade and Lucas began to spark his hands again, but Saya stepped in front of both.
"Don't. Let me handle this."
"But, Saya…" Lucas started.
"Just trust me."
Saya turned to Lilith. She saw that Lilith was tired and gasping for breath after what she had gone through minutes ago, and she was rather nervous to approach her, thinking that she'd lash out at any second.
"Lilith, I want you to tell me exactly why you're doing what Jedah tells you."
Lilith seemed surprised. Why had Saya started talking to her rather than attack her? What was she trying to do here? Maybe it was some kind of sneak attack…no, it couldn't be.
"Why?" she asked.
"I just want to know."
"…no tricks?"
"No tricks."
"…because Jedah gives me freedom. Morrigan just wants me to do whatever she wants."
"I see…wait, what about Morrigan? What did Jedah do with her?"
"What do I care? I don't need her."
"What. Did Jedah. Do with her?!"
Saya's sudden change in tone startled Lilith enough that she blurted out an answer.
"He…he's going to kill her."
"And you don't care? She's your sister. They're going to kill her and you don't care?!"
"NO, I DON'T!"
The Shadow Blade grew larger once Lilith had shouted and her gaze became fiery. Saya became even more worried that she was going to lash out at her and the others clearly were, as well. Lucas was about to take a step forward, but fearing this would only further provoke Lilith, Saya held her arm back and signalled him to stop.
"Lilith." Saya said sternly. "Listen to me. Jedah is trying to turn you into something you're not. You may think you're living freely, but in reality, he's bending you to his will and turning you into a monster and justifying by saying that it's what you want. And you know it, don't you?"
Lilith didn't lower her blade, but thankfully didn't advance. She stood anxiously without a single thought of what to do. She had stabbed her own sister to keep her from imprisoning her in a place she'd never escape from, but at what cost? The lives of everyone on the planet? Was staying alive worth it if she was all alone? And Saya was right. She knew Jedah was just bending her to his will. She had no say in what she did…she was a prisoner either way.
"If Jedah gets his way, he and Ganondorf are going to destroy everything." Saya begged. "Please…do the right thing."
"You don't understand! Morrigan should be taken away! Don't you know what she wants to do to me?! She wants to lock me away inside of her! She wants to put me to sleep forever!"
"What are you talking about?"
Lilith gave herself a moment to catch her breath and calm down before she said anything more.
"I'm not Morrigan's sister. I'm a part of her soul. From what Jedah told me, Morrigan was too powerful for her own good when she was young, so her father Belial separated her soul into three pieces. I was one of those pieces. Morrigan doesn't care about how I feel. She doesn't care that I want to have my own experiences. I…I don't want to go back in the darkness! I don't want to disappear!"
Lilith finally dropped her blade and started to cry, and now the tension in the air faded into pity. Was that the reason she had been serving Jedah for all this time? Out of fear of Morrigan? Fear of being put into a never-ending sleep. As if there wasn't already a thousand reasons to dislike Morrigan…
Now Lucas stepped forward, getting close enough to Lilith to reach out and touch her. Lilith recoiled for a second thinking that he might have the intention of attacking her, but as soon as she realized it was a gesture of kindness, she let him gently take her hand.
"I know you're afraid. We all are. Trust me when I say Morrigan's done some pretty asinine things while she's been helping us, but we can't leave her hanging. Her or anyone else down there. We don't know if we can stop Ganondorf now that he's got so much power, but we have to try, and we need as much help as we can get. If you help us, we'll keep you safe from Morrigan."
Lilith stared at him for several moments before that same creepy yet charming smile came back and she leaned closer to him…almost a little too close.
"Promise?"
"I've made enough of those to last a lifetime, but I promise…um, you're a little too close."
She got even closer. She pulled him into a rather tight hug, to be exact.
"Okay! I trust you…but Jedah's gonna be really mad."
"Oh, trust me." Bowser growled. "That sucker's gonna be more than mad once I'm done with him."
Saya let out a soft breath.
"So it's that time, huh?"
She looked at the small group. They weren't much, but they might be enough to get back the allies they'd lost to Ganondorf. She looked down at her hand and felt the power coursing through her, then looked over her shoulder at the Master Sword in its hilt. She was ready. She didn't really have a choice in the matter, but she was ready. The question was if they are.
Thankfully, everyone had a good response for her.
"Now then," started Rosalina. "Shall we clean up the mess down there?"
"We're ready when you are, honey." said Poison.
"Let's get goin'." Bowser grunted. "I wanna get down there and give that demon bastard a beating he ain't gonna forget."
"If you're ready to use your power for good, then I'm right behind you all the way." said Ryu.
And Lucas said perhaps the most inspiring thing anyone could have said in that moment.
"It's gonna be tough, but if there's anyone I trust to lead us right now, it's you…I mean, you took down a thirty-foot tall reptilian monster by punching it in the head. That was awesome!"
"Uhh…that 'reptilian monster' was me, y'know…" said Bowser.
"Oh...right. Umm, sorry…"
Saya smiled. They were ready. She turned back to Earth and stared at the steadily growing shadow over Japan. She felt her anger flare up again, but now she was in control. Ganondorf and Jedah may have thought that they were in the clear for the time being, but soon enough, they were going to know just what it felt like to have the tables turn against them.
"Alright, everybody! Back to Earth!"
Well, it's sadly that time of year again. By that, I mean I'm going away on vacation for a little while, during which I won't have any Internet access. Thankfully, because I won't have Internet, that means there won't be any ridiculous distractions that'll keep me from getting work done, so I should have a ton of stuff for you once I get back...y'know...unless I take part in the infamous tradition of procrastination. Here's hoping I don't.
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)
Halberd going down- "Crisis" from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Samus versus Ridley- Ridley's theme (any variation you choose but my pick is the one from Other M)
X versus Ridley- "Dr. Wily's Castle" from Mega Man 2 (look for the version by SongeLeReveur)
Captain Falcon to the rescue- "Mute City" from F-Zero (SSBB)
Wild Pokemon to the rescue- Pokemon Red and Blue theme
Attack of the Shadow Queen- "Shadow Queen stage 2" from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Sheik to the rescue- "Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (SSBM)
Attack on Aokigahara- "You Will Know Our Names" from Xenoblade Chronicles
Their last chance at escape- "Justified" from Dead Rising
Amaterasu's confession- "Luma" from Super Mario Galaxy
Saya and company versus Takamaru, Lilith, and Giga Bowser- "Final Destination" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Feel free to throw in that epic jingle when you get the Master Sword, too.