Two: Dark and Light

POV: Robin

Red eyes were my only memories from my childhood. Six glowing red eyes piercing through the cloudiness and uncertainty of my past and into my nightmares. The screams of forgotten voices bled into my own as I violently awoke. The dreams felt so real when they were happening, but I couldn't remember why I was terrified when I woke up–only that there was fire and smoke and those six red eyes.

It was to those six red eyes that I woke up screaming on the second day of being at Final Destination. As I sat up, panting and drenched in sweat, I noticed my roommate, Shulk, frantically looking around for the source of the disturbance. A second year, I met him yesterday in the library when he was reading Advent Children (one of my favorite books, it's a masterclass in sci-fi and fantasy). As his confused eyes met mine, searching for an answer, guilt slammed into me.

"I'm sorry," I said shakily, rubbing my arms. "I had a nightmare."

He calmed down, and nodded in understanding. "I know the feeling," he said, offering a small smile. He stretched before glancing down at a digital alarm clock next to his bed. The digital numbers read 06:38 in bright red LEDs. Stifling a yawn, the blonde threw his legs over the bed. "Good thing I was planning on getting up in seven minutes anyway," he said, heading towards the bathroom.

I stared after him as he entered. Hearing the click of the lock, I rubbed my eyes and laid back down, figuring to get a couple hours of sleep before the day started. As drowsiness set in, my eyelids heavy, I felt my breath slow as I drifted. The potential for restful sleep was shattered by a banging on the door, my heart skipping a beat as I started.

I leapt out of bed, throwing on a black tee to be presentable. When I opened the door, I was greeted by the visage of an angel–more precisely, the angel shadowing the Lady Palutena during the Introduction. A bit shorter than me, he was rocking back and forth on his heels, hands behind his back. When he saw me, he grinned. It was hard to tell how old he was, him being an angel, but he looked around 16.

"Good morning!" he said, voice chipper despite the early morning. "My name's Pit. Lady Palutena sent me over. She was waiting until you woke up."

"How did-"

"You have the first guidance meeting, first thing after breakfast," he said, smile never leaving his face. I had the feeling he was experienced with being a messenger. I chalked up her knowing I was awake on her divinity, and I shuddered at what else she might know.

"Where do-"

"Her door is always open," he said. "Good luck!" He sped off down the hall, presumably to pester some other poor soul who woke up earlier than they wanted. I closed the door, rubbing my eyes in exasperation. Shulk exited the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth.

"Pit?" he asked. I nodded, and he shook his head, smiling. "Good luck," he said, reentering the bathroom. I nodded again. At this point, I was too awake to fall asleep, so I bit the bullet and meandered to my closet.

"Great start to the day," I grumbled, as my suitcase slipped off the top shelf of my closet and smacked me in the face.

—

As my fist hovered over Lucina's door, I heard a scream.

"Lucina?!" I called, trying the doorknob. Behind the locked door, I heard her whimper. Grimacing, I allowed myself to feel the familiar pull of my Mark. Grabbing the doorknob again, it began to deteriorate under my grip before falling off. I dropped it with a clatter and barged through the door. I was greeted by Lucina in a bathrobe, huddled against the wall on top of her bed. She made a noise, pointing with a trembling finger towards the bathroom door. Following her gaze, I found the source of her woes.

A beetle.

Lucina was one of the bravest people I ever met, even from when we were young. All of the adventures she'd pull Richter and myself into, fearlessly leading from the front–except when it came to bugs. Insects, arachnids, it didn't matter. If it crawled on spindly legs, it was worse than death for her.

I quickly walked over to the beetle and picked it up. Not having the heart to kill it, I walked over the window by the bed. Lucina squeaked, pushing herself against the wall. Releasing the window's latch, it flew open, and I tossed the beetle out. Closing the window, I saw Lucina relax from her curled up state with a sigh of relief.

"You're a lifesaver, Robin," she said, composing herself.

"Don't thank me yet, Lucina," I said. "You're going to need a new doorknob." Lucina peered around me at the door, noticing the deteriorated knob on the floor. She waved nonchalantly.

"That's the school's problem," she said. "Do you know where to get food? I'm starving."

"My roommate told me where the cafeteria is. Breakfast is from 7:00 to 10:00." I made my way to the door. "I'll let you get dressed. I'll be in the commons."

She looked back down at her nightgown and blushed slightly. "I appreciate it," she said.

I wandered down the hall into the commons, gravitating towards the stacks of books, when I noticed the girl in blue from the night prior. She was asleep on the armchair, a storybook open on her lap. Her blonde hair was disheveled, a silver crown teetering dangerously on top. A quick glance at the book showed a picture of a hooded girl in a dark forest. I didn't know why, but I felt a draw to it, and found myself lifting the book slightly to view the title. In golden letters it read Ruby and Sapphire. I frowned, not recognizing the title.

"Robin?" Lucina called. I startled, dropping the cover in her lap. The girl moaned lightly, moving her arms. As she woke up, the picture and words disappeared from the pages. I stared, backing up slightly. Lucina walked up beside me as the girl opened her eyes, a sparkling blue that looked like a galaxy.

"I'm sorry for my friend," Lucina said, giving me a look while nudging me with her elbow.

"Yes, I am sorry," I said. "I was curious about your book. I didn't recognize it.

The girl blinked, bleary-eyed. Rubbing the sleep out, she glanced down. Her eyes opened in surprise. "Oh!" she said. "That was from my mother." She picked it up, showing a now blank cover. "It's a new story every night," she said dreamily.

"A magic book?" I said, taking the seat across from her. "I have come across several tomes, but never something like this."

"Robin," Lucina chastised. "You haven't even introduced yourself yet. I'm Lucina."

"I'm Rosalina," the girl said, smiling. "It's no problem. It's nice talking to someone besides the Lumas for a change."

Lucina looked at me, confused, so I clarified. "Lumas are starlike creatures from the satellites above the Mushroom Kingdom," I said.

Rosalina nodded. "That's where I come from," she said. "I'm like a mother to them, so they came with me."

"Where do they stay on campus?" Lucina asked.

"My room. I can't have a roommate because my little guys take up the whole room," Rosalina said with a laugh.

"Is that why you're sleep–" I started before Lucina slapped a hand over my mouth.

Rosalina laughed again. "Oh no," she said. "I fell asleep reading. Taking care of 127 Lumas can be so tiring." As she finished, she stifled a yawn. "Speaking of, I must check on them. They're probably waking up now." She floated off the couch, surprising me and Lucina. "I hope to talk to you again, Robin. You too, Lucina," she said, waving. She opened the first door in the hall to a hundred high pitched voices before disappearing into the room.

I stood up from the couch. "Ready to go?" I asked. Lucina nodded and gestured towards the hall. We followed it to the exit, being welcomed by the crisp morning air. As the door closed behind us, Lucina broke out into laughter. Taken aback, I looked at her questioningly.

She clasped her hands together below her chin and batted her eyelashes. "I hope to talk to you again, Robiepoo," she said, mimicking Rosalina's voice. I rolled my eyes and punched her in the arm. She laughed again, rubbing where I hit her. Walking towards where Shulk said the cafeteria was, I ran my fingers through my hair. Lucina caught up next to me, grinning fiendishly. "First Corrin, and now Rosalina. How many is enough, Robin?"

My face burned at the accusation. "Corrin…" I began, unsure on if I should voice my thoughts. Lucina lost the devilish look and seemed concerned.

"What's wrong, Robin?" she asked. We had made it to the entrance of the cafeteria, and the savory aroma of breakfast was wafting out.

"She might have the same curse as me," I said. Lucina's brow shot up in surprise.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"It's just a feeling," I admitted, pushing open the door and walking inside.

The cafeteria, just like the rest of campus, was massive. Rows upon rows of tables leading to a buffet-styled line. Behind the counter in a chef's hat was… an octopus. It looked like an old cartoon came to life, flat and inky. As I grabbed a tray, the octopus began tossing food onto it with sniper-like precision, and by the end of the line I had a stack of pancakes taller than me. Walking like I was on a tightrope, I managed to sit down without the stack falling.

"Thank you, Mr. Game & Watch!" Lucina called to the octopus, sitting down next to me. The octopus, apparently one of the teachers from yesterday, waved with a beep. Lucina's plate looked similar to mine, the only difference being a cup of orange juice instead of my cup of coffee (a.k.a. the greatest gift from the gods).

"So," Lucina said, taking a large bite of egg.

I moved the berries around on my plate. I owed her an answer, but I didn't know how to voice that I knew she had the same curse as me outside of 'white hair and strange eyes." There was something deeper, some connection I had with her, but that sounded like a plot to a romance novel.

"Good morning!" Richter's voice cut in through the awkwardness. Lucina's eyes lit up, and said something approximating his name through a mouthful of pancakes. I nodded towards him, my lips imitating a small smile. Richter frowned, plopping down across from the two of us. His plate was somehow fuller than ours. "Did something happen at 4th house?" he asked.

"There's a girl–"

"It's nothing–"

Lucina and I talked over each other. We stopped, and Lucina laughed as I stared at my tray, face red.

"I'm sorry, what?" Richter said.

"There's a girl named Corrin," Lucina said. Richter's eyebrows shot up, but Lucina shook her head. "Robin thinks she might have the same curse." Richter's face became more serious, but still surprised.

"Robin, that's great!" he said. "Maybe you can find out more about it."

I nodded tiredly, taking a long drink from my coffee. My friends looked at me, concern written across their faces, but they didn't voice it. As we ate in silence, Richter occasionally stealing food from my tray, I felt dread pool in my stomach as my meeting with Palutena drew nearer. Two cups of coffee and an empty tray later, I realized my time was up.

After putting my tray away, I walked with Richter and Lucina to the exit, dragging my feet. "I have to meet with Palutena now for classes," I said. They looked at me sympathetically.

"Where's her office?" Richter asked, popping a blueberry in his mouth. The analog clock on the wall read 8:23, and I hoped that I wasn't late to any meeting, especially since I still had to find where she worked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Pit, her angel, said her door is always open," I said as we exited. The sun was higher in the sky, the warmth still pleasant when paired with the fall air.

"What does that mean?" Lucina asked. The brightness of the sun was increasing, causing me to cover my eyes. I realized it wasn't the sun, but an apparition in front of us. The shining light solidified into the shape of a door, and it opened to reveal a waiting room.

"Come in please!" a woman's voice called. I recognized it as the goddess's, and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. I waved to my friends, both standing in awe, and walked through the doorway. Another flash of bright light later, and the entrance was gone. A look around the waiting room, and there was Pit, eating a cone of vanilla ice cream in one of the large armchairs lining the wall.

"You can go in," he said, pointing at a large wooden door.

"Ice cream for breakfast?" I asked. Maybe he was ten years old instead of sixteen.

"Floor ice cream gives you health," he said, taking a big lick.

"The floor–" I started, before taking a deep breath. I shook my head and pushed open the door. Floating above a massive oak desk was Palutena, wearing a black skirt and white button-up. She was seated in a spinning chair, and she spun around every couple seconds.

"Welcome!" she said, voice almost as cheerful as her angel's. "I hope Pit didn't give you any trouble."

I wanted to punch a wall, but took a deep breath instead. "You wanted to see me?" I asked.

She pursed her lips, and turned upside down. Gravity didn't affect her clothes or her hair, and she rolled her chair across the ceiling. The walls shortened, bringing the ceiling closer to the floor, and I was face to face with Palutena.

"You are… unique, Robin," she said. "You are the first Marked person who could tap into the element of Darkness at this school."

I took a step back. "Is that a problem for the goddess of light?" I asked.

She smirked. "Not at all," she said, her tone masking a warning. "It just makes finding classes for you a bit difficult. We here at Final Destination want what's best for our students, and I am no different."

I nodded slowly. Taking a breath, I realized I was lashing out from my tiredness. "I apologize, Lady Palutena."

Her gaze softened. "I should be the one apologizing. I did get you up rather early." She rotated herself vertically, the chair resting on the floor as the room returned to normal. She stood up and walked behind her desk, pulling out a leather binder. Snapping her finger, the chair teleported behind the desk, and she sat back down. Another chair, similar to the ones from the lobby, appeared behind me. She gestured towards it before opening the binder. I sat down to be polite. The armchair was a little too soft for me, but I kept that to myself. Palutena pulled out a yellow form and laid it on the desk. With a flick of her hand, a quill popped into existence and began scratching against the paper, producing its own ink as it wrote.

"Due to the unique state of our school," she said, placing her hands on her knee as she looked at me, "the classes taught depend on a mixture of student interest, general education, and combat. The goal is to take five classes a term, though that is a flexible number."

I nodded. I intended to take as many classes as possible, and there was one subject in particular I was interested in divulging.

"First thing's first," she said, "your curse."

If I was drinking, I would have spit it out. "I'm sorry," I said, almost sputtering, "how do you–"

"Goddess," she said, flipping her hair as a halo of blue light flashed briefly behind her. "Luckily for you, you aren't alone. Mr. Mishima, one of our staff, will help you explore your curse alongside another classmate. I think you know who, right Robin?"

I was dumbstruck, the words stuck in my brain. I could only nod for her to continue.

"As for Dark magic, that is much harder to find a teacher for. There is another student that is interested, so we will do our best– Oh!" Palutena was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in, Dean Dragmire!" she called. I looked behind in surprise as the giant of a man opened the oak door, his head barely grazing the frame.

"I hope I am not interrupting, Lady Palutena," he said with a small bow.

"Nonsense," she said. "I am meeting with that first year we talked about." I raised my eyebrows at this. I was getting uncomfortable with how much the staff seemed to know about me.

"That's precisely why I'm here," he said, closing the door behind me. Standing next to Palutena, he faced me. "Due to the increased number of students interested in dark magic, I will personally teach the class twice a week, Monday and Wednesday."

Palutena's face lit up in surprise. "That's wonderful news, Ganondorf. We really appreciate this."

After a moment of silence, I cleared my throat. "Yes," I said. "Thank you Dean Dragmire." He nodded, and turned to leave before stopping. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an envelope and handed it to the goddess.

"We have much to discuss when classes begin," he said. Palutena nodded, placing the envelope in a drawer. Ganondorf walked to the door, and with a final glance at me, left.

"Well, that's wonderful," Palutena repeated. "Now, your final three classes will be filled up after that. General combat, Ylissian literature and history, and pre-calculus are mandatory, and fit nicely into your schedule." She hummed to herself as the quill dotted the page before lying down on the table. "Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"

"Can I take a light magic course?" I asked. "I want to expand my horizons."

"Oh!" she said, her quill reanimating and scribbling furiously. "You already have a full plate, and light magic…" She rubbed her chin.

"I welcome the challenge," I said, feeling my confidence soar.

"In that case," she said, the quill laying down once more. "I can make room for you in my class." She reached her hand across the table. "I look forward to seeing you there," she said.

I took her hand and shook it firmly. "Can't wait."

—

Lucina was abducted by Palutena after our meeting, and Richter was trying out the gym with Incineroar, a Pokemon with the Pokeball Mark, allowing it to communicate with humans. Seeing as both of my friends were busy, I decided to take the time to get to know my roommate a bit better.

I found him in a metal shop on the other side of campus. He was hunched over a massive red sword, muttering to himself as he tinkered with the blade. Not wanting to surprise him while he was working with dangerous equipment, I looked around the shop. There was a plethora of gadgets and machines, parts to vehicles strewn about and walls upon walls of tools.

Tucked away in the corner was a capsule with the letters 'R.O.B.' printed on the bottom. Inside was an old looking robot just taller than me. It had a hexagonal base, a cylindrical body that rose like a tree trunk, and a square bust with two arms. Its hands were primitive, resembling claws. Its head was rectangular with two sensory eyes and a red LED light in between.

"How long have you been here?" I asked, not expecting an answer. The red LED lit up, and its eyes came to life with a green hue. The capsule opened with a sigh, forcing me to step back. It moved forward, its base hovering forward with a small whir. It beeped at me, rotating its chest and pumping its arms above its head.

"Good morning, Rob!" said a voice from behind me. I looked back to find Shulk, grinning with a face smeared with grease, a pair of eye protection on his head. He patted my shoulder with a thick insulated glove. The robot beeped again, tilting its head around like it was stretching. As he did, I noticed what looked like a mark on its neck.

"Shulk," I said, looking closer, "does the robot have a Mark?"

"Yeah," he said, kneeling beside me. He traced the outline, and I saw it was in the shape of a gyro. "He is 'living machinery'. He is just as alive as you and me."

Rob beeped again, extending one of his arms towards me. After a moment, I grabbed his hand and shook it. "It's a pleasure," I said, and he made a chirping sound.

Shulk stood up. "We found him last year. It was my first field mission." He walked back to his table with the sword, and Rob began hovering in the air, small flames jetting from his base. He flew slowly to a suspended platform, and disappeared from sight.

"How often do you go on field missions?" I asked.

"Whenever someone needs something," he said, grabbing a face shield. "The most powerful kids in history all in one place is awfully convenient for any king or queen who needs a job done." I nodded, Shulk's cynicism surprising me a bit.

"It's going to be pretty loud in here," he said, grabbing a grinder, "so how about we talk back in the room?"

"Sure thing," I said, drowned out by the sounds of machinery.

I headed back to my room, ducking under a large artillery gun (why did we need that at a school?) and exiting the workshop. 4th House was across campus, and as I made the long walk I ruminated more and more, the events of the day spinning around in my head. When I made it to the dorms, I glanced at a nearby analog clock. It read 5:40, meaning it was too early to sleep. I wanted to be done with the day, but I decided to fight off the restlessness in the library.

I walked down the hall to the commons, tracing my finger against the wall and over doors. When I arrived, Rosalina was sitting at the piano, playing what sounded like a lullaby. Surrounding her were twelve of the one hundred twenty seven lumas, each lounging around her like cats. When they saw me, they perked up, bouncing up and swarming me.

The sudden weight caused me to crash onto a sofa. The music stopped as Rosalina came to the rescue. "You know that's not how we treat guests," she scolded, pulling them off and setting them gently on the opposite armchair. "I'm so sorry, Robin," she said, getting the last luma off of me.

"It's fine," I said. Surprisingly, it was fine. The funk I was in disappeared, and I felt a smile grow on my face. "They're just kids, afterall."

Rosalina beamed at this, her tired eyes lighting up. "I was just putting the last of them to bed," she said, returning to the piano. "It's their favorite lullaby."

"What's it called?" I asked, moving from the sofa to a stool closer to the piano.

"I don't know," she said. A small bit of darkness had returned to her. "My mother would sing it to me. It's one of my only memories of my parents."

I nodded solemnly. "I don't remember my parents at all," I admitted. "So I can relate to that."

We shared a small smile before she closed her eyes and allowed her fingers to glide over the keys, picking up from where she paused. I rocked my head to the music, my mind clearing. I didn't remember falling asleep, but when I next opened my eyes, the sun had set and the commons was dimly lit. The lumas were gone, with Rosalina sitting in the armchair with her magic book.

I stood up, an apology on my lips, and a blanket fell off my shoulders. I picked it up and walked to the sofa. Rosalina looked up from her book and smiled.

"Good morning," she said. I chuckled.

"Must be a magic lullaby as well," I said. I lifted up the blanket. "Thank you."

She nodded. She suddenly got up and sat next to me. "Would you like to read tonight's story with me?" she asked, flipping the pages back to the beginning.

My face got red from the proximity, but the tiredness that plagued me all day had vanished. "I would love to."

Author's Note: I posted this story a year ago, so upon revisiting it, I made slight changes to chapter one. It was mostly grammar, and the only change of substance is that the concept of 'trophies' is no longer in the story. My plans for the story have also changed, but I am excited to return. I hope to finish two more chapters by the end of the month. It will depend on willpower, but I am excited to return to writing.