Honestly, I don't have much faith in this next Chapter (which I worked my @$$ off and finished in 3.5 days, by the way) getting many replies, but, ya know, whatever.
Oh, by the way, d00ds, did you see, did you see? Gideon got in Nintendo Power magazine, as they did a section on SSBM this month and mentioned Smashboards as the overall, #1 site for Smash Bros. stuff. Pretty cool, huh?
~*~*~*~*~*
The Destinia Saga...
Quest for Destiny!
Chapter 49- In Pursuit of Truth
It was a mighty skirmish waged in unrelenting terrain. As soon as she had placed a foot on the battlefield, she knew how much danger she was in. But what choice did she have? This was her duty. She had to serve her country, no matter how sinister the situation looked.
But ****, did she REALLY not want to be here right now…
A sharp crack at her shin jolted her from her thoughts, and a devilish little laugh from a spawn of evil flooded her ears. She hissed at the little Fungiade before her that had kicked her in the leg. A stream of vulgar language dripped from the tip of her tongue, but she managed to prevent it from escaping through her grit teeth.
She shot a broadsword glare at the little devil, who snickered under his striped, red and black mushroom cap. Cirrus felt like ripping his spore-infested little head into pieces and burning it. Or maybe she’d rather smash it with a hammer, put it in a box, mail it to herself, and smash it again, THEN burn it…Or maybe she simply had anger issues. The runt had kicked her three times now, but each time, he ran off into the masses, and she was in no mood to chase down a little brat because she’d been kicked. He was—what—eight years-old, if even that?
Fortunately, one of Cirrus’ fellow employees seemed to be watching out for her and had stopped the demon before he could speed off again. Clutching him by his shoulders in a motherly way—firm but calm—she gave him a smirk with a lifted brow. The glint in her green eyes had the satisfaction in them that comes when a burglar is arrested.
“Well, well, well, Justin,” she calmly said, the smirk remaining. “It looks like someone just earned themselves a time-out.”
“I was just playin’,” he whined at the red-haired woman, who looked to be about the same age as Cirrus. “That lady scares me…” The boy stabbed a shaky finger at Cirrus, who was about five feet away.
The woman’s brows slinked downward into a frown, and she added, “And it sounds like you don’t want dessert tonight, either. Now, you’re gonna go apologize to her right now.”
“Wha--? No! I didn’t DO anything!”
“All right, buddy,” the woman threatened, her tone swept by a sudden rush of hostility. “Sounds like you won’t be getting any dessert for a WEEK.”
“B-but--!” the shin-kicker meekly muttered in defense.
“Ah-ah!” the red-haired girl in the green jacket interrupted, jabbing an index finger at him. “Go say you’re sorry, Justin.” The young mushroom-kid slumped over to Cirrus, muttered an apology barely audible, and went back to the human lady. “Now go to the room,” she firmly told him, “and don’t give them a hard time.” He huffed, crossed his arms defiantly, and stormed through the bustling room of children and to an office in the back corner.
Cirrus walked up to the girl, feeling like a fool, and shyly murmured, “Hey, uh…Thanks for the help back there…”
“Heh,” she smiled warmly and rose from her knelt position. “It’s no problem. Ya just have to know how to deal with ‘em.”
“Psh,” Cirrus looked down at her boots. “Well, I’ve got no idea—this is only my second time doin’ this.”
“Oh, really?” the human female muttered with sympathy. “It takes some getting used to,” she explained. “I’ve got more than enough experience,” she added in a mumble.
“I don’t WANT to get used to this,” Cirrus moaned, holding her head and shaking it slowly.
“It can be a real challenge,” the green-eyed young woman admitted with a light chuckle. “Believe me, I know. You think watching them is bad enough? Oh, wait until you have to CLEAN UP after them--that’s when things get ugly.”
“You clean up after them?” Cirrus muttered, wide-eyed and horrified at the thought.
“More than I’d like to,” she replied with a sigh. “By the way, the name’s Frankie.” She held out an arm to shake Cirrus’ hand, and the Yoshi-like girl eagerly took it, being careful not to hurt her with the short claws she possessed.
“I’m Cirrus,” she said with a smile. Frankie couldn’t help but notice her vampire-like canines. “Where are you from?” the winged girl wondered. “You can’t be from here—you’re human.”
Frankie grinned and laughed. “Yea, I’m a minority around here, huh?”
“You ARE,” Cirrus insisted, chuckling with her. “We don’t get very many humans around here in Star Road.”
“I noticed,” Frankie agreed, her laughs dying down prematurely. Cirrus could immediately detect disappointment in her eyes, though she hid them beneath her smile. “Uh, I’m from…--” she paused, unsure as to how to respond. “…Ehhh…Not from here…”
Cirrus was confused. Either she didn’t KNOW where she was from, or she didn’t want to discuss it—maybe both? No matter the reason, Cirrus decided to back off.
“That’s all right—doesn’t matter. What are you doing here in Star Road?”
Frankie shrugged as she turned to watch over the little army of children that romped about the indoor playground. There was a wide variety of children, from Fungiades to Goombas, Mobians to Hylians, Pokemon to Star Spirits…They bounded around with the energy and rambunctiousness that children possess, shouting, chatting, huddling, climbing, flying, running, tackling, tickling…It was like a polarized war, though Cirrus had felt it was a normal one mere minutes before.
Frankie smiled a warm smile with glazed, half-closed eyes at the sight. She wore a white T-shirt that cut off at the belly, and a green, hooded jacket over it that was open. A purple miniskirt covered her thighs, and a thin chain of metal beads hugged her hips, as well, dangling down over the skirt. She wore white socks with sneakers of blue and white, as well as a choker around her neck. The black band had a small, silver circle of metal no bigger than a thumb attached to it, with the letter ‘F’ engraved in cursive on its surface. On her ears were three earrings a piece: two gray bands on the top, and one purple pearl on the lobe. She also wore violet hairclips just above her ears. Jagged red bangs popped over her forehead, and a short, spiky ponytail jutted from the back of her head. The rest of her hair poked out behind her neck in a flat, straight mass. Her light green eyes matched her jacket, and conveyed a bittersweet satisfaction.
She was Frankie Foster, the 22 year-old granddaughter of the charming old lady who founded Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. Though she was certainly far from home, she was beginning to accept this place as her new one.
“Me?” Frankie began, snapping from her daze. “I guess the higher-ups in this place decided they wanted me to work for them,” she said with a shrug. “Not like I had anywhere ELSE to go…”
Cirrus didn’t need to ask to know that Frankie had lost friends and home to end up here. Many residents of Star Road had sacrificed something of great value to them, but had carried on. This was a quality that had helped get them into Star Road to begin with.
Cirrus placed a consoling hand on the human girl’s shoulder.
“You had here to come to,” Cirrus pointed out. “And I’ve learned that no matter what happens, you always have people here to come to.”
“Yea,” Frankie muttered, her voice starting to shake. “But it doesn’t…--” She trailed off as her glazed eyes watered slightly, and chose not to dwell on the matter. Cirrus continued to try to help this person she hardly knew forget her troubles.
“However you got here, you sure seem to know what you’re doing,” Cirrus pointed out. Shortly after, a young Pokemon—a Geodude—came their way, near bursting with tears as it hopped along.
“Frankie! Frankie!” he wailed, his voice sluggish and clumsy. “Veronix keeps picking on me…”
“Augh,” Frankie groaned. “Not HER again…” She placed her hands on her hips and said with that justice-seeking smirk, “Where is that little Vulpix?”
At about the same time the Geodude led Frankie off to solve a trouble, Cirrus could feel the baggy pants on her right leg being tugged on from behind.
She turned around to see the petrified eyes of a blonde Hylian girl. Her face paralyzed in fear, she forcefully whispered, “I haffa use da bafroom…”
Cirrus sighed in despair as she pointed a hand to the back of the room where the restrooms resided, but the girl whimpered.
“Come on, you has ta take me…”
Cirrus paused, her brain hitting a snag, and she came to the terms with the concept that this girl wasn’t comfortable going to the bathroom alone quite yet. She couldn’t be older than six, and her brown eyes sparkled with innocent desperation.
“OK, OK,” she mumbled, and let the girl reach up to hold her hand as they proceeded to the bathrooms in the back. After a tedious task of waiting for the girl to go, being in the room but not looking, Cirrus was relieved when they exited, and the youngster dashed away as quickly as she had appeared.
With a sigh of relief, Cirrus was easily able to locate Frankie amidst the rumbling, minature masses. Carefully traversing the twenty yards or so of children between them, Cirrus caught up to Frankie, who chuckled at her efforts to swim through the lake of youth.
“Hey, we got separated there,” Frankie said in amusement.
“This is crazy,” Cirrus noted, shaking her head in agony. “I don’t know how you manage it.”
“I’ve been doing this stuff for years,” she said, firmly keeping the recent tragedies that plagued her at bay.
“Maybe you could teach me a thing or two,” Cirrus hoped. “I’m not a big fan of kids.”
“I didn’t always like them so much, either,” Frankie explained. “But…They have the wildest imaginations…They can see things that adults could never see.”
“I guess so,” Cirrus mumbled with an apathetic shrug. “So, are you here all the time?”
“I lot of the time,” Frankie answered. “It’s easier than…my old job…”
Rrr…Every question she was asked kept bringing up Foster’s Home in some way or another…
Cirrus could tell by that consistent tone that her ‘old job’ was a part of the stuff she didn’t want to think about.
“Do you ever get on Starbound?” Cirrus asked, jumping to another topic.
“Oh, yea!” Frankie replied with quick nods. “All the time.”
“You do?” Cirrus muttered, impressed. “Perfect! What’s your name?”
Frankie reached into a pocket on her jacket’s side and pulled out a small notebook and a pen. She jotted on a page and ripped it out, handing it to Cirrus.
“Cool, thanks,” the blue-skinned girl said, stuffing the piece of paper into her pocket. “I’ll add you to my buddy list tonight. Speaking of which, when do you get out of work?”
“Oh, I’m here until we send the little guys to bed at nine.”
“Oh, that’s when I’ll be getting out,” Cirrus noted. “Are you gonna be busy afterward?”
Frankie, surprised at the offer, was grateful. She had spent the past few weeks in relative solitude outside of her work.
“Uh, no, not really,” she shyly replied with intrigue.
“Oh, great,” Cirrus chimed. “You wanna go out for a meal, then?”
“Sounds good.”
“Sweet.”
~*~*~*~*~*
(It HAD to be a BUG, didn’t it? WHY? Ehhhh! I hate bugs…)
Misty was none too pleased with the escort she had received to take her from Star Road, across the seas south of Kanto and to the island where Ash currently resided. ‘None too pleased’ was a nice way of saying that she hated her predicament. Upon her arrival in Star Road by way of the Anima Train (the sister of the Animus), Misty had been brought by Twink to a magnificent office, where she had waited about a fifteen minutes. She was finally informed that an escort had been assigned, which made her rather pleased—until, that is, she discovered that it was a Spinarak, a spider Pokemon. Misty had a plaguing fear of insects, and the feeling of a Spinarak on her shoulder wasn’t very charming.
She was doing her best to hide her disgust, as she was grateful to be seeing her friends soon, but this was just a hair too much. She had to leave the Cerulean Gym on very short notice, leave her Pokemon with a family friend, and she wasn’t even able to take her little red knapsack with her, either. According to Twink, it would’ve proved to be more of a nuisance than anything.
So, here she was, walking through Star Haven, unable to enjoy any sights or sounds with this spider on her shoulder, paralyzing her mind. He would direct her verbally, his accent one from India, it seemed (though, of course, India didn’t exist on either planet). Misty wasn’t too surprised that he could speak, since EVERY Pokemon up here was talking, and she was quickly adapting to the concept of all of them speaking fluently.
“Yes, very good,” the Spinarak encouraged slowly. “Go straight ahead now, and we’ll be set.”
“Ehhhh…Ummm…Mr…Bug…?” Misty squeaked. “Do you think…you could…maybe…get off my shoulder…?”
The Pokemon stared at her, puzzled. Her eyes stayed glued ahead, not even looking his way.
“Am I really so heavy?” the bug wondered. “And by de way, you may call me Jahib.”
Misty whimpered, moving like an automated statue.
“OK, OK,” she whined. “Can you PLEASE get off of me…?”
“Ah, I see—you dislike Pokemon, hm?”
“NO! I just think BUGS are disgusting!” Misty shrieked, her arms and head still frozen in place.
“Well, now,” Jahib said indignantly. “Dat is quite rude, you know. Do you tink I find humans all dat charming myself?”
“…Ehhh…I-I don’t know…” Misty mumbled. “I’ m just afraid of bugs, OK?!” she cried out, too scared to even remove the spider from her shoulder. It was a spider of a decent size—a good foot long or so.
“Scared? Of me? Haha!” Jahib laughed. “Dat is funny. You are ten times my size. Why would I want to hurt you?”
“…” Misty took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He was right in that point. “I just…really…REALLY…don’t like bugs…” she grumbled, her eyes shut for a moment.
“Den maybe spending time wit dem will change your mind.”
“Eeeehhhh…”
~*~*~*~*~*
“So you have to keep them together, because if you don’t, the balance of energy loses stability, and the Chaos Emeralds blast each other away. They can’t stay together for very long without the Master Emerald because they’re so erratic in nature.”
“Oh, I never knew about that,” Young Link admitted, fascinated by Nana’s explanation. “So where does the energy of the Chaos Emeralds come from?”
“THAT’S the mystery,” Nana pointed out, lifting an index finger. “If we knew that, technology as we know it would be changed forever.”
“Right,” the little Hylian hero nodded.
The gang had finally pulled together and wished well enough to call forth a mysterious walkway known as Rainbow Road. Rainbow Road was, of course, exactly what it sounded like—a long, winding road of every color imaginable. It stretched out through the clouds, into space, and to Star Road. It was more like a network of highways than a single road. The group was growing weary of their travels across this seizure inducing pathway, and had recently been informed that they were halfway to their destination.
Further up in the line of journeymen was a curious Popo, who had just noticed a figure in the pack he was unfamiliar with.
“What do you mean, ‘Who is she?’” Ness grumbled incredulously.
“Who is she?” Popo repeated with impatience. “I’ve never met her before.”
“She’s been with us all day, and you never even noticed?”
“Not really,” Popo muttered with a shrug.
Ness sighed, shook his head, and revealed the girl’s identity to him.
“Her name is Saria. She’s from Hyrule—ya know, where Link lives.”
“Oh,” Popo nodded, staring at the back of her head as chatted with Jigglypuff up ahead. “Sooo…Why is she with us?”
“Her home was destroyed,” Ness grimly whispered in his ear. “She’s following Link and Zelda because she doesn’t really have any other place to go.”
“Ah,” Popo simply replied, embarrassed by his not-so-subtle questioning. Ness added another tidbit.
“Zelda told me that she believes the attacks in Hyrule are related to the ambush we had on our way out of Stellon earlier…”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that Hyrule might not have been the only place attacked,” Ness theorized. “That big bird was trying to stop us from getting out of Stellon. Why do you think that is?”
Popo shrugged, a clueless expression on his face. “Dunno.”
“Something’s going on,” Ness concluded. “And someone has it in for us…”
Near the front of the line, Fox McCloud was pondering the very same questions, puzzling about why Star Wolf would have been called all the way to Stellon. Who didn’t want them returning to their homes, and why? The logical answer he reached was that Corneria was under attack, and the source of the assault had made plans to see to it that the Star Fox team didn’t return in time to prevent it.
“I’m sure General Pepper has things under control,” Peppy assured calmly.
“You put too much hope in that old coot,” Falco disagreed. Peppy frowned and crossed his arms at the remark.
“Old coot?”
“Yea,” Falco insisted with a sly smirk.
“I’m just worried about my sister,” Fox mumbled doubtfully. “She’s wanted to join the Star Fox team ever since her eighteenth birthday…”
“Jenna can handle herself, Fox,” Falco told his friend, dismissing the worries with the toss of an arm.
“I know,” Fox agreed. “She’s a good pilot, but I’m just worried she’ll do something reckless—she’s hardly seen any action yet, and training simulations aren’t the same as combat. She can’t be rash, or she’s going to get hurt.”
“And she’s pretty rash,” Peppy chuckled, reminded of the girl he had hardly known years ago.
“Say, Fox,” Slippy piped up, apathetic to the conversation. “Are you sure the Great Fox’ll be safe where we left it?”
Fox’s brows furrowed as he nodded, assuring him with an, “Of course.” He pointed out rigidly, “No turtle or mushroom is going to be getting past Rob’s security anytime soon. When we go back tomorrow, she’ll be just like we left her.”
Slippy shrugged and fretfully muttered, “If you say so, Fox.”
Peach was a few feet ahead, beside Luigi, and the two were discussing the same matter.
“So what do you think happened to Bowser?”
“I’m not sure,” Peach replied, her eyes dire, and her tone serious. “But there’s no doubt this all has something to do with why he arrived at the castle a few days ago. He was battered and bruised, as if he’d been in some street brawl of some sort. Of course,” she added irritably, raving on, “he wouldn’t breathe a word as to what had happened. Your brother didn’t care, but I was most offended. A man comes to my doorstep, expecting aid, but he has no explanation? Intolerable…” She crossed her arms stubbornly and groaned, “I don’t care what Mario says—he’s an intolerable beast.”
Pop had proceeded to try and introduce himself to Saria, while Ness had started a telepathic chat with Mewtwo.
(I assume you’re a pathetic lump of flesh like the rest of them,) Mewtwo noted dully. (Worried about the safety of your home, no doubt.)
(Sort of,) Ness replied, finding no offense, as Mewtwo was simply like that. (Actually, I’m not really worried at all. Something tells me that Onett is safe…right now, at least.)
(I’m sure that won’t last for long if all these rumors, crack pot theories, and baseless speculation turn out to be true by some twisted luck.)
(Exactly. That’s why we have to get to Star Road soon, so we can stop anything before it starts.)
“Why would anyone want to attack Flat Zone?” Game and Watch wondered, befuddled by the notion as he spoke with the good doctor behind the two psychic beings. “There’s not much there…except…lines. And buckets. And oil, too, I guess.”
“Yes, but, why would someone be trying to stop us from returning to our own worlds?” Dr. Mario retorted.
Trailing at the end, Young Link continued to ask Nana questions, amazed by her bountiful knowledge. It was almost as if her intelligence was turning him on in some strange way. Now, there was a thought he erased as soon as he could.
“I wondered that myself,” Nana said to his latest question. “I haven’t asked yet, but since we’ve gotten here, I’ve had time to ponder it, and I think I’ve got it figured out. See, this road connects Stellon to Star Road, just like Star Way, right? Because Star Road is like its own little world, it needs mana to run.”
“Mana? Oh, right, I remember.”
“Yes, yes,” Nana nodded quickly, hurrying along at a brisk pace. “It only makes sense that Rainbow Road must be filled with mana, acting as a bridge so that the two can exchange the flow of energy. It’s like how your heart pumps blood all the way out to your hand and back.”
“Yea, I get it,” Young Link muttered. He kept asking her questions and hardly talking afterward, because he’d much rather listen to her speak and learn more about the worlds around him—as well as Nana herself—than babble about slaying monsters and saving damsels in distress. “So how can we breathe up here?”
Nana smiled, getting to the main point of her theory. “We’re not breathing in air, you see—we’re breathing in mana. There’s so much on this road, that it’s like its own atmosphere.”
“That’s really cool,” Young Link commented, awed by the idea. It made sense, and he believed that she was probably right. There was a silence between them for a few moments as they pressed on, as little Link’s supply of questions was exhausted.
“Soooo…When we get there,” he offered shyly, “to Star Road, you wannaaa…I dunno, hang out…?”
Nana paused for a moment, noticing the pink spots appearing below his eyes, and she was grabbed by his innocent gesture. She had no memory of ever making a boy blush before. This was a bit flattering for her, and she was grateful. She’d never thought about this little Link as being such a sweet, caring boy, and she was glad that she was given the chance to know him. A friend was a friend, and she had too few and far in-between.
“It’s…going to be a little late by the time we get there,” she noted, beginning to become as shy as he had. “B-but I’m sure we’ll have all day tomorrow.” He sighed of relief through his nose, but she caught it. “What did you have in mind?” she wondered.
“Oh,” he fumbled with a slight grimace of embarrassment. “Anything. Anything’s fine. It doesn’t matter.”
Nana giggled at him and beamed. “OK. That sounds great.”
~*~*~*~*~*
“You cook, too? What CAN’T you do?”
As the two women carried their ice cream cones to a nearby bridge, Frankie shrugged. “Cooking didn’t come naturally, I’ll tell ya that,” she informed, licking at her chunky scoop of Cookie Mountain Crunch. “What do YOU do?”
Cirrus shook her head contritely as she bit into her Rocky Rainbow Roads, savoring its rich, sweet and sour flavor. “I do all sorts of odd jobs, I guess. I run errands, civil service…a little construction on the side.”
“Construction? You must be pretty strong,” Frankie decided, impressed.
As they reached the bridge, a metallic walkway of gold that stretched over a river of navy blue water, Cirrus nodded. “I’ve been told that I’m pretty strong for my size.”
“That’s awesome,” Frankie noted. She couldn’t help but wonder something as she stared at Cirrus’ leathery, tough wings. “So…Can you fly with those wings?”
Cirrus almost choked on some ice cream as she laughed. “Of course I can! What do you think they’re there for?”
“I’ve seen plenty of wings that don’t work right,” Frankie responded with a nervous smile. “You’d be surprised at what kids can come up with.”
As Miss Foster realized how clueless Cirrus was concerning the matter of imaginary friends, she shook her head quickly and stuck up a palm. “Never mind.”
“You wanna see how fast I can go?” Cirrus asked with a sly grin, disregarding the previous thought..
“Sure,” the red-haired human replied eagerly before she swallowed a mouthful of partially melted ice cream.
“Finish your ice cream first,” Cirrus warned devilishly.
With a perplexed brow raised up, Frankie did as instructed and hastily ate the rest of her half-frozen dessert.
“You ready?” Cirrus checked with a cautionary tone.
“Yea.”
“All right!” Cirus said with a forewarning shrug. She held out an arm and advised, “You’d better hang on tight…”
“Whoa, wait, wait…Brain freeze…”
~*~*~*~*~*
The cool, refreshing air rushed by their faces as they glided over the forest below, carefully watching the two humans that walked side by side along a pathway amidst the trees.
“What do you think they’re talking about?”
“Dunno. Wanna find out?”
“Torch, that’d be eavesdropping!”
“And isn’t this spying?”
Torch, the Charmander whose loyalty rested in Gabriel Holm, the famous trainer of Vermillion City, was riding on the back of Falco,a Pidgeotto, and one of his best friends. Ever since Ash and his friends had arrived on their island, Gabe’s Pokemon had been carefully monitoring him. Of course they were being nosy—there seemed to be a good chance at this May girl becoming a romantic interest of Gabe’s, and that was big news for his Pokemon.
“Hey, hey,” Torch said, tapping Falco’s shoulder. “Let’s go land in a tree up ahead and wait for ‘em, huh?”
She sighed, though a smile stayed stuck on her face. “OK, OK…”
She thrust her powerful wings and propelled them forward with great speed. The air was clean as evening rays poured down upon them, casting a golden glow upon the treetops. They plunged into the forest below and landed in a tree with blinding speed, perching on a branch high above the pathway. Torch slid off Falco’s back, and she ruffled her feathers a bit to sort them out as he inched closer to the tree’s trunk.
“Now, we wait, and hope we hear something good…”
Various Pokemon were waddling around, eating and the like, helping mask their presence a bit more.
“--…deal with them myself. They can be pretty annoying, I suppose, but…It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from them.”
“You’re lucky,” May muttered dimly. “Team Rocket still bothers us all the time.”
“Don’t they know that their boss is missing…?” Gabe mumbled, a brow lifted.
“…What?” May asked quietly, confused.
“Giovanni—he used to be the Viridian Gym Leader, but after the whole Team Rocket scandal went public, he headed off for Johto. No one’s heard of him since. Team Rocket went down the tubes.”
“…I…I didn’t know that,” May grumbled irritably. “Why are they still following us, then?”
“Who knows?” Gabe shrugged. “It’s people like that that are the reason why I can’t let just anybody come here. The guys that were following me around disappeared after Giovanni went missing. I guess these two you’re talking about—Jesse and James—must be a little too ******** to realize that Team Rocket doesn’t really exist anymore.”
May sighed and nodded, dully agreeing, “That sounds like them.”
“Yea, but now’s there’s this turf war going on in Hoenn, I hear,” Gabe prattled on. “Team Aqua and Team Magma, or something like that.”
“We’ve run into THEM, too,” May moaned.
“Sounds like you guys never get any slack,” Gabe chuckled.
“It’s not funny,” May whimpered playfully, shoving Gabe over a few inches.
“Hey, you think things have been all Pechas and cream for me?” Gabe defended, washing his chuckles away. “Do you know how nerve-wracking facing the Elite Four was?”
“I have no idea,” May admitted calmly, hoping he’d detail it for her.
“It was pretty intense. First, there was Lorelei. She was…—”
Up in the branches above, a Charmander was straining to hear more, but they were too far off by now. “****it,” he grumbled. “C’mon, let’s go.” Falco spread her wings and awaited Torch to mount before falling off the branch and swooping upward to the sky. They burst through the canopy to meet the dying sun once again, and, after a few seconds of speeding under the orange and red pastel sky, passing a swarm of Beedrill and Butterfree and other various flying monsters, they steeply dove back into trees and found another branch, this one slightly lower and more off to the side than directly above.
“--…because he was always gone. I never really got to spend time with my dad, and I guess I blamed…Pokemon…in some way. Pokemon were the reason why he was always missing—training, battling, managing the gym. He never spent time at home with me or Max, so…”
“So part of you despised Pokemon as a result.”
“…Well, yea…Of course,” she hastily added, “I changed. It wouldn’t make much sense to be a Pokemon trainer if I didn’t like them, right?” she nervously concluded.
“Nope,” Gabe muttered with a nod. There was a silence between them for a few moments as they enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere the forest provided. Without consciously thinking about it, May let her hand sneak its way around Gabe’s, and she sighed peacefully. He certainly didn’t seem to mind.
“This place is so beautiful,” she murmured in awe. “I’m really glad you let us come here…” As she continued to stare in wonder at the sunbeams trickling through the canopy, she slowly worked her hand around his hip, and he acted naturally, doing the same with his own. With pink cheeks, the two young teens walked side by side through the patches of shade in the woods.
“So am I,” Gabe replied peacefully.
In a tree not too far away, a Charmander and a Pidgeotto grinned playfully at each other, elated at the sight below.
“That’s good enough for me,” Torch whispered in satisfaction, a twinkle in his sapphire eyes. “We gotta go tell the other guys,” he slyly suggested.
~*~*~*~*~*
[Starbound V7.0]
Username: ~Adopt_Imagination~
Password: **********
[Logging in…]
[Welcome, Frances. You have 3 new messages in your inbox.]
[L17713L05TS0UL has added you to his/her Buddy List.]
[Do you accept?]
[[L17713L05TS0UL has been added to your Buddy List.]
[[L17713L05TS0UL is online.]
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
Frankie!! lol wassup??
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Haha! Hey, Cirrus.
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
miss me?
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Oh, yea, for the entire ten minutes we’ve been apart.
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
ya I no
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
n e way j00 remember those questons you wre askin me?
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Yea. Wait…Joo? What’s that?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
oh sry you dont speak l33t huh?
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
…? WTF is that?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
nvm
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
i just rmembered someone who can hlp you out
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Really? Who are they?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
she hasnt been here vry long but shes ****in smart d00d
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
if nyone here cood help you ,she can
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Great, who is she?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
her, i give you her address
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
WhiteRaineDrop@brainhaven.edu
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Who is she?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
shes a new professr at da acadmy of magik
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Academy of Magic? Oh, I’ve heard of that.
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
It sounds kind of weird…
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
well im telling you, shes wickd smart
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
All right, I’ll take your word for it and mail her later.
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
So, tell mw more about your friends.
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
oh right add these to j00r buddy list too
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
Sparx343
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
o0LunarEclipse0o
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
XCryztal-MiztrezzX
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Oh, cool. Thanks. These are your friends?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
my best ones anyway
[Added Sparx343 to your Buddy List.]
[Added o0LunarEclipse0o to your Buddy List.]
[Added XCryztal-MiztrezzX to your Buddy List.]
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
you can prolly figre out whos who
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Yea. Sparkle, Luna, and Crystal, right?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
yea but…Crystals kinda…not here now
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Hm? What do you mean?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
she left star road by hrself, n we don no when shell beback
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Oh…I’m sorry.
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
I hope she turns up soon. Any idea why she left?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
yea an she has evry rite to leave
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
i kinda dont wanna talk bout it rite now
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Oh, all right. Never mind, then, sorry.
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
is ok.
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
n e way i n33d sl33p
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
and b33r
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Huh?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
lol nvm
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
i just gotta goto sleep
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Gotcha. So…
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
We’ll meet again tomorrow?
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
ohh yea! you bet
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
when r you fr33 tomrrw?
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
Well, I’ll be online on my lunch break.
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
So if you get on then, we can make plans.
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
kk
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
good nite Frankie!
[L17713L05TS0UL says:]
*huggle*
[~Adopt_Imagination~ says:]
See ya later, Cirrus.
[L17713L05TS0UL appears to be offline.]
Send to:
WhiteRaineDrop@brainhaven.edu
Subject: Question about Imaginary Friends
Hi, Professor.
My name is Frances Foster, and a friend of mine named Cirrus told me I should contact you regarding a question I have. She believed you would be able to help me out.
I just came here a couple months ago, so I’m a bit new to things here. I was brought here because things back where I used to live went…crazy.
Hopefully, you know about Imaginary Friends and how they’re created, right? I used to take care of them back at my old home, but…something strange happened.
Many of the Imaginary Friends on our world began acting hostile. There were earthquakes, and all kinds of disasters. I have no idea what happened, and I really wish I understood what was going on. If you could help at all, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks for your time.
~Frankie Foster
---
Adopt an Imaginary Friend today! Don’t let good ideas be forgotten!
~*~*~*~*~*
“Why do you look so troubled, Roll?” Iris asked in her British accent, concern pouring from her brown eyes.
“Huh?” Roll looked up from the holographic display screen before her. She hadn’t heard a single word, as she was engrossed in so many things.
“You look upset,” Iris repeated patiently. “Why? What is troubling you?”
Roll sighed and shook her head, continuing to tap away at the keys before her as she sorted out records.
“I-it’s nothing, really,” she tried to assure Iris, not wanting her burden laid upon her friend.
“Come now,” Iris rejoined. “Do you expect me to believe that? You snuck off to the pub next door last night. Something is certainly wrong.”
Roll couldn’t continue her work with the multiple conflicts within her mind, and she found some parts of her brain not responding properly. She grimaced, froze her hands, and slowly turned to the intent Reploid behind her.
“You won’t tell my brother, will you?” she whispered suspiciously.
“Of course not,” Iris insisted quietly. “You have my word.”
Roll pursed her lips with doubt for a moment, her eyes wandering, and then she asked, “Iris…Do you ever wonder…if you’re real…?”
The brunette Reploid blinked blankly for a moment or two, the question flying over her head like a fast ball by a batter.
“…Pardon…?” she meekly mumbled.
“Do you ever wonder if you’re real?” Roll asked again, slower and clearer this time.
Now that she knew where the ball was going, Iris had to swing the bat.
“…I…Of course I’m real,” she replied shakily. “I am…a Reploid, model 2GML-473. I was created to help serve and protect—”
“Yes,” Roll moaned, clenching her fists in frustration, “but do you question your own identity?”
Iris shook her head, her brows slanted with worry and confusion.
“My…identity? I don’t believe my programming encourages me to question what I am—I know what I am.”
“Iris,” Roll firmly whispered, grasping the metallic shoulders of her friend. “Are you a ‘what,’ or are you a ‘who?’” Her solemn eyes glared at Iris with a determination for the truth.
“I-I…” Iris’ voice was terribly shaky and quiet now, as if she’d been dealt a blow to the head. “I am…a Reploid,” she solidly replied, staring at the ground. “I am not wholly human, and not wholly machine.”
“Are you a PERSON?” Roll inquired darkly, letting her arms drop. “Are you even alive?” Iris was paralyzed as her mind calculated a response.
“…I…I do not…know…” she muttered fearfully. “…I am…No, I cannot be a person…” she concluded. “I am…a creation…” She stared up at Roll as she took a few steps away. “I am merely a creation,” she snapped quietly. With wet eyes and quivering hands, she looked at her own reactions and thought, (I was designed to react this way when confronted with such a question…)
“This is what has made you upset,” she realized. “I now understand,” she murmured with a nod. “But…I-it is not our right to question our own creation,” she whispered.
“Why not?” Roll asked, her arms spread apart. “What is the point in living if we have no choice as to what we do? If we are not people, then we are machines, and if we are machines, then we cannot make choices.”
“…I see your dilemma,” Iris moaned, holding the side of her head and sighing heavily. “But you are not like me…You are not a Reploid…”
Roll lifted a brow at the remark and stepped closer to Iris, demanding, “If I’m not a Reploid, what am I?”
“…I am…unsure,” Iris whimpered. “But you and I…we are not the same…You are more complex…”
“…More complex?” Roll grumbled, shaking her head in denial. “Iris, we are still similar. A subtle difference in model is like a subtle different in ethnicity. I…I want to know the truth. I want to know why I am here, and whether or not I am a person.”
Iris reached out her arms and embraced the frustrated girl for a moment.
“Roll Y, humans ask these same questions. Does it matter if you are not human?”
“If I’m not a real person, what do my emotions or thoughts amount to?” Roll choked out.
“Roll,” Iris explained warmly, “Whether or not your emotions are triggered by electrical impulses in circuits, or neural impulses in a brain, they are still your emotions, and no one else’s.”
“…But am I REAL…?” Roll repeated as the two bodies broke apart.
“…Roll…We are…real ENOUGH…aren’t we? Are we not real enough to be considered people?”
“…Real enough…” Roll murmured thoughtfully. “Yes…”
“You shouldn’t question yourself so seriously,” Iris advised. “We may not be human, but does that matter? I think we were designed to make our own choices. I believe we were designed to become individual beings. Perhaps we were modeled after the human race, but we are still a people of some sort—we have personality.”
“…” Roll sniffled and crossed her arms over her stomach as she tried to find peace with herself.
“Perhaps I am wrong,” Iris admitted. “But does it really matter? Sometimes, ignorance is bliss, Roll. The truth doesn’t always make us happy, and, I think, there is no absolute truth to our existence. As long as we do what we think is right…Isn’t that what matters? Isn’t that why we’re here—to protect others?”
“…Whether we’re real or not, we’re real enough to save others,” Roll agreed. Though Iris had made her realize that her questions were ones that may never be answered, there were still some she knew there was truth to—who was Dr. Light? Why had he created X? Why had he created HER? Perhaps there was no purpose to her existence, but there had to be a reason behind her beginnings.
~*~*~*~*~*
[Frances,]
[You have received 1 message from:]
[WhiteRaineDrop@brainhaven.edu]
Subject: Re: Question about Imaginary Friends
Good evening, Ms./Mrs. Foster.
I’m flattered that you brought your question to me, and I will try to answer it to the best of my ability. However, in order to produce a concrete hypothesis, I require more details.
I have heard of you, believe it or not, and I have heard of the tragedy that befell your planet. You have my deepest apologies for your loss. I only wish our powers at Star Road had been great enough to prevent such a horrible fate, but, alas, they are not.
You said that you’re new here, but don’t let that discourage you—so am I. It’s possible that you arrived here shortly before I did myself, as a matter of fact. However, you didn’t come here by choice, I take it, and you arrived under dire circumstance.
Now, your question…It’s very vague, though I don’t blame you for this. Regardless, it would be much easier to answer your question if I knew precisely what it is you wish to know. My knowledge of your planet in rather minimal, I will admit, but I can tell you that, from what I understand, your world was doomed for some time.
I would enjoy meeting you in person very soon so that we can reach the bottom of this matter together. If you have time tomorrow, let me know, and I will be sure that I schedule an appointment for you so that we may discuss this topic in further detail.
I apologize for the delay, but meeting face-to-face would be much more convenient for both of us.
Tell me when you are not constrained by your duties, and we will meet then.
Forever in pursuit of truth,
Professor Raine Sage
---
---
Send to:
WhiteRaineDrop@brainhaven.edu
Subject: Re:Re: Question about Imaginary Friends
I understand, Professor Sage. Sorry about the confusion. By the way, you can just call me Frankie. I don’t want to waste any more of your time, so I’ll just tell you that I’ll be free tomorrow morning until about noon. If it’s no trouble, I’d be glad to meet you then.
~Frankie Foster
---
Adopt an Imaginary Friend today! Don’t let good ideas be forgotten!
~*~*~*~*~*
“See? Even GABE is on the ball,” Sandyr the Sandshrew chuckled. “Don’t ya think YOU two should be gettin’ it on, too?” He howled with laughter as he made some erotic gestures in jest before elbowing Torch in the ribs.
Torch glared at him with dull hatred for a moment, embarrassed and disgusted at the way he was being ridiculed.
“Sandyr, leave him alone!” Thunder scolded, slapping him upside the head. “Torch isn’t a horny little pervert like you are,” she pointed out bluntly, her eyes half closed. The Pikachu turned to Torch and advised him, “Don’t listen to him, Torch—you and Falco should hook up when you’re both ready. Don’t rush.”
“Thanks,” Torch replied, “But I know better than to listen to him.”
The relationship between Torch and Falco was an interesting one. They both liked each other, and all of their friends knew it, but they hadn’t quite committed themselves to each other just yet. When Falco was ready, Torch wasn’t, and when Torch was ready, Falco wasn’t. Everyone knew they’d be an item sooner or later.
“Oh, come on, I’m just joking around!” Sandyr defended, sticking out his tongue.
“That’s the problem,” Thunder dryly explained. “We never know when you’re joking or when you’re serious.”
The sly Sandshrew agreed, “I make a point of that.”
“Anyway, I’m glad that Gabe’s getting some action,” Thunder noted, “But I kinda wanna spend some time with him myself, ya know? We all need to do a bit of sparring if we’re going back on the road soon.”
Torch nodded. “We still got it,” he declared with confidence.
“I dunno,” Thunder disagree with doubt, jabbing at Sandyr’s pudgy stomach. “I don’t remember this tubby being so fat.”
“Gaining weight at a steady rate is an ART, my friend,” the chubby ground-Pokemon proudly announced.
The Pikachu flexed her arm and stretched it a bit as she said, “Keeping your muscles at a steady strength is more difficult.”
“Ah, whatever,” Sandyr huffed, tossing his arms.
“Hey, guys!” called a distant voice from the waters behind the trio of Pokemon. It was Brock, swimming around with Ash in the bay that rested at the island’s eastern edge. “Could you pass us the beach ball?” He pointed to an inflatable Master Ball that was sitting in the sand nearby.
“Got it!” Thunder cried out, lunging for the plastic ball of air. She charged at it with full force and gave it a fierce head butt, blasting it out to the water.
“Nice hit! Thanks!” yelled Ash from the ocean’s waters.
As Thunder strutted back to her friends, Sandyr asked her, “Aren’t you a little too eager?”
“No, you’re just lazy,” she retorted, flicking her ears slightly.
~*~*~*~*~*
The scent of blood clung to every brick of the mighty castle of Pherae, and the fear of death tugged at every heart that served to protect the country from this abomination that threatened its safety. The purple warriors had struck mercilessly and without warning. It was as if they had appeared out of nowhere, and had quickly swept over the countryside of Pherae. If this mighty kingdom could fall within a single day, all of Lycia was doomed. The ravenous battles had been raging since morning, and had lasted into the wee hours of the night. Souls grew weary, hearts grew heavy, and hopes grew dim.
Lords Roy and Marth had not returned, and it seemed that this otherworldly enemy was going to take advantage of that fact. Many had grown tired of the struggle, but Rebecca was determined to boot. Pherae would not fall—not while she was around.
Rebecca was strong-spirited woman who had helped Roy’s father, Lord Eliwood, save the land of Lycia years ago. After the conflict was over, she had become Eliwood’s most trusted retainer, and, with her childhood friend, Wil, she had started a family and had served Pherae as loyally as anyone could. Her son had even traveled with Lord Roy to vanquish evil a year before. The boy shared the same warm, sunshine-like smile of his mother. Rebecca, though coming of age, was still a fair wildflower with radiant jade eyes and locks of green hair that came from out of her red bandana. Before the passing away of Roy’s father, Rebecca had been placed as one of Pherae’s leading generals.
Though she was a middle-aged woman now, Rebecca had just as much spirit in her as she had years ago when she had taken up the bow. Her skills in archery were unmatched throughout the kingdom, if not all of Lycia, but this ferocious feud was taking its toll on her as well as the entire kingdom. The enemy was relentless—they seemed to be keep coming and coming, with no end in sight. Led by a titanic beast with horns and a shell of a spines, the opposing army (whose name wasn’t even known) crushed Pherae’s forces and had only the castle to conquer.
Legions of purple, faceless beings flooded the fields surrounding the fortress, swiftly devouring any resistance they came upon as if it were a midnight snack. The clouded beams of moonlight shone down upon the horrific battlefield. There was hardly any grass to be seen, as the land was littered with corpses, a speckled mass of red and purple.
Rebecca had played her role as a sniper, staying at the front of the castle on its roof, raining arrows down below with frightening accuracy. For hours she had been picking off the enemy one by one, even in the dark of night. However, fatigue was slowly creeping on her, and a towering monster was showing himself on the horizon.
She hadn’t heard a single breath’s worth of words for a good hour now, unless the screaming of dying warriors counted. These tenacious beasts weren’t the most clever, or the most powerful, but their supply seemed endless.
“General Rebecca!” The green-haired archer immediately spun around and took cover behind the sandbags she had set up as protection. He was thin but swift, and his eyes were always covered by the masses of light green hair that covered them. His face was wrinkled a bit, always in a solemn expression.
“Lowen!” Rebecca called out to the messy-haired knight. He saluted her firmly before speaking.
“Our forces at the gate are weakening. At this rate, they’ll breach our walls in a matter of minutes. What are your orders?”
“What of Marcus?”
Lowen’s already solemn demeanor turned even more dire. “General Marcus is dead.”
Rebecca frowned in contrite desperation at the loss. “My husband?”
“Wil and your son are on the front lines.”
“The front lines?!” Rebecca cried out, severely displeased. “He told me he would stay at a distance, where an archer belongs.”
“All of our forces are either defending the main gates or at the front lines.”
“Then I’ll have to get there myself,” Rebecca concluded. (**** you, Wil—your stubborn courage will be the death of me.) “Come, Lowen,” she called, grasping her bow in one arm, her arrow quiver over the opposite shoulder. She dashed into the tower she had been residing upon and sped down the winding stairs with great haste, the loyal knight in hot pursuit. When they came upon any stray soldiers, Rebecca would summon them to follow her. After a decent while of making her way through the castle, the main entrance grew near, her forces at a mere ten soldiers. Unfortunately, they came to discover that the main doors had already fallen, as the mysterious purple beasts were storming the halls like a flood, their numbers far greater than expected at the time.
“Give them no quarter!” Rebecca commanded in a roar, firing arrow upon arrow into the monsters.
“Follow me!” Lowen advised to Rebecca, covering her as they forced their way through the wave of wired beings. Rebecca would split heads meters away, while Lowen speared the foes from the sides. After slaying a good fifty of them or so, they had made their way through the front doors. These bizarre creatures fought with weapons unlike any they knew—strange purple blades of energy. It was supernatural to them, as was the goliath that was approaching their lands. He was an enormous and satanic animal unknown to the land of Pherae, but known to others as Giga Bowser.
The wave of beasts they had just overcome seemed to ignore them, continuing straight into the heart of the castle. The violent clashes of weapons never let down on their exit, and remained in their ears constantly.
“General, their forces are going to overtake us!” Lowen bellowed to her as she pressed onward, blood dripping down her leg from a gash she had received in the conflict. She pushed herself over dead bodies in what felt like the eye of the storm. The next wave was still a fair distance away, but coming upon them, nonetheless.
“We have no choice but to leave Pherae and seek help from Ostia!” Rebecca growled, holding back the winces she wished to let out. The men she had rallied earlier were no doubt dead by now, and if they weren’t, they would be soon, as none seemed to have made it out alive. Rebecca cursed her own tactical skills, feeling that their deaths could have been prevented somehow if she had approached the situation with greater care.
“Then we can only hope that they haven’t struck Ostia first,” Lowen grimly stated. “What are these beings?”
“I don’t know,” the aching archer replied, “But I’m not going to let them win. I’m going to destroy them, or die trying.”
As they passed over dead bodies, Lowen scooped up a fine sword and a barely used spear, and helped Rebecca replenish her arrow supply. Arrows flew over their heads, Pegasus Knights swooped down, attacked, and fly back up, while others were struck down by flaming arrows. Explosions rang out from the distance up ahead, but Rebecca nor Lowen could distinguish what they were—whether magical or physical. Shouts, screams, and the constant ringing of war in their ears did not leave them for an instant. They would rarely come upon a pocket of the brutal monsters they were against, but their combined efforts easily took it down. A half hour of traveling had passed when they had happened to come upon two old friends.
“Rebecca!” squealed a pink-haired priest as she came rushing to aid the wounded warrior. Rebecca was astounded by the sight—it was Lady Serra from Ostia. She was about the same age as Rebecca, but more delicately framed and graceful in appearance. Her bright blue eyes and soft pink hair—two pigtails, just as she had many years ago—complimented her pure skin and gentle physique. She wore a pure, silk cloak with baggy sleeves, and carried a tall, heavenly staff.
“What…? What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded in shock as the powerful priest healed her wounds with a wave of her staff.
“Isn’t THAT a polite way to say thank you,” Serra snapped with a tinge of playfulness. “We were on our way to Pherae to warn Lord Roy and Lord Marth of the attacks we’ve suffered from these strange warriors…but it seems that we’re a little late. From what we can gather, both Ostia and Pherae are in grave danger…”
“We are powerless against these merciless vermin,” grunted Erk, a strong mage that had been with Serra. “I’ve devoted my entire life to magic, and yet, with all my knowledge, I can’t do a thing to stop them.” Erk was a slender man with bitter eyes of violet. He had a scraggly purple goatee, and his hair was untamed and crawled to his shoulders beneath the hood of his red cloak, which was littered with symbols and circles of all sorts. His face was just as rigid and sour as it ever was.
“We have saved lives,” Serra disagreed tartly.
“We haven’t saved anyone!” Erk bellowed angrily. “We are merely prolonging death. Don’t you see? All is lost—out efforts are futile.”
Serra glared at him with disgust. “What’s lost is your hope. When we are born, it is our fate to die. Preventing death is futile—is it futile to live?”
“Peace, you two!” Rebecca demanded. “All is not yet lost.”
“Is it?” Erk’s hostile tongue lashed out. “What do you suggest we do?”
“I don’t know what we can do,” Rebecca growled, marching through the bloody grass. “But I refuse to give up on my country, and I will NOT let my child die before I do…”
Serra and Erk waited a moment, watching the determined General struggle through the fields, and they saw the impending doom before them. Where there was not blood, there was fire. Where there was not fire, there was combat. Where there was not combat, there were corpses. They both, deep in their hearts knew that they were going to die today, and there was nothing they could do about it. With that weight upon them, they carried themselves on and pursued the unmatched sniper as she grew closer to her family. There was something strange about it—they were sure of death, but it was almost as if every inch they grew closer to their demise lifted strife from their souls.
It wasn’t long before they came upon what seemed to be the last main battalion of Pherae’s forces.
“Perhaps our Lords have already been slain,” theorized Isadora, a loyal knight with long, blue hair and a solemn face.
“Nay! Nay!” cried out Sain in disagreement, sweat dripping from his face. “Don’t speak such foolishness!” Sain was a clumsy warrior who rode on horseback. Through all these years, he had stayed relatively foolish, and his love for flirting remained undaunted. His cheery, brown eyes hadn’t changed a bit, though his green armor had evolved, and he had acquired a mighty shield. His face had aged, and his body had grown firmer, his olive hair a bit paler, but his eyes and his smile were just as childish as they had been twenty years ago. “Oh, dear Rebecca!” he shouted with excitement, pointing her out to his allies.
As Rebecca came jogging to the group, Sain immediately began, “Ah, the wildflower has shown herself. You wish to grace our efforts with your beauty--?”
“Not now, Sain!” Rebecca snapped furiously, not even giving him a glance. “Where’s my family?”
The dire, cut face of a strong man with slightly spiked hair of a reddish-brown tint emerged from the pack, bruises littering his body. He was muscular and medium build, wearing leather gauntlets and a brown jacket. He was a reliable, strong man whose eyes displayed a desire for justice.
“Rebecca?”
Rebecca ran up to Wil and was severely tempted to nail him in the jaw, but dismissed the idea and crushed him in a desperate hug. “You said you would stay at a distance…” she growled, half crying.
“They needed our aid up here,” Wil insisted.
“And no one told me!” Rebecca rejoined. She felt as if she’d somehow dishonored her fellow warriors, defending a fortress when everyone else was fighting head-on.
“What?” Sain yelped. “Ostia has already fallen?”
“Not quite,” Serra corrected as she tended to his injuries. “Don’t put words into my mouth. We were on our way to Pherae to check up on Lord Roy’s…illness…”
“However, a Pegasus Knight caught us this morning,” Erk informed. “She told us that Ostia was under siege and that we were to come aid Pherae as best we could.”
“It seems we’re a bit late to do any good,” Serra concluded with a somber tone as she went to Wil and began to mend his damages.
“You’re doing plenty good right now,” Sain assured, acting as the gentlemen he tried to be. “Your hopeful smile, your determined eyes...The presence of old friends such of you two is aid enough.”
Serra, who had dropped her snooty attitude like luggage when overcome by the situation, managed to smile at Sain’s comment, which, for once, had a genuine charm to it that struck a chord with everyone present.
“Are you saying that Ostia has already fallen to these forces?” demanded Wil, his heart sinking like a rock.
Erk’s shadowy eyes stared at the slowly advancing troops that came upon them.
“No. Ostia has not yet fallen to these disgusting monsters,” he assured with solid resolve. “But…It can be said that Pherae has not yet fallen, either.”
“May the Gods have mercy on our doomed souls,” Serra grimly entreated. The weight of her entire kingdom, as well as this one, all falling victim by such a swift defeat disheartened her. Her arrogance had been purified by death.
“Stop it!” Rebecca growled, her eyes wet, wild, and full of despair. “You’re talking as if we’re already dead!”
“We may as well be,” Erk groaned, readying himself for the onslaught to soon occur, the shadow of the titan turtle creeping ever closer.
“Maybe so,” Sain agreed, continuing vehemently, “But, nay! ‘Tis no excuse to shirk our duties. You may be a dead man walking, but I say, let them come hither. If we are destined to be slain, let us slay them back with the force of fifty men a piece.” Sain raised his gallant sword, and it glistened in the moonlight with an eerie twinkle of gritty courage.
“Indeed,” Lowen agreed, taking a stance beside his old companion.
As Rebecca watched her boy fire an arrow into a distant, faceless head, she wiped a tear from her face. He was only a boy—he still had so much before him in life…It was in that moment that she truly appreciated the efforts Lord Eliwood and his allies had taken to ensure that she had survived their trials all those years ago. She couldn’t have been much older than him at all, and Eliwood’s small army had nurtured her like family.
The pain of knowing her son would die here, today, in this manner…It was unbearable. There would be great hell to pay before his life was ever paid, she was sure of that.
“Perhaps there is a reason for this that we don’t yet understand,” Serra muttered, almost to herself, as if she was trying to convince herself of it. “Maybe we have sinned too greatly, or…--”
“They’re coming,” Wil announced to the group in the rear of the pack that had not yet noticed. He stared at his wife’s bewildered, hopeless eyes. He only wished he could see her bright, beaming smile one last time, but he was sure this would not come to pass. “Rebecca,” he cried, shaking her shoulders, snapping her to their reality. “Are you ready?”
Rebecca stared at him for a moment, water dripping down her dirtied cheeks. Without a single word, she lunged forth, squeezed her husband within her arms, and pressed her cold lips against his own, tributaries trickling down her face all the while. She managed to whisper out to him, and he replied with the same quiet, quivering tone.
“I love you, Wil.”
“I will always love you, Rebecca.”
As the two forced themselves up again, Serra felt her heart grow weak, and she spun around to Erk, who stared at the clear, starry sky, his expression an omen in and of itself. She darted to him, dropped her staff to the ground, and hugged him from the side, her head pressing into his chest.
“Tell you me you love me, Erk,” she pleaded desperately. “Tell me, and I won’t care what happens…”
Erk’s face turned as red as a tomato, but he couldn’t deny her wish. They had been planning to marry within the year, as Erk’s feelings for Serra were an unwelcome distraction to his studies, and Serra had somehow convinced him to move to Ostia and live with her. Even in a time like this, even with Death’s scythe about to reap them, Serra was still, undeniably, herself, and Erk was, undeniably, glad.
“I love you Serra…” he muttered. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”
“Oh, and I love YOU, Erk!” Serra squealed, tears flying from her face. She had broken down, for sure. Erk knew she could put on the saintly attitude for only so long. She had changed, but not THAT much. “…If we could only have one last night together, I would—”
Serra froze as Erk lifted her head lightly by the chin, drawing it a mere inch away from his own bruised face.
“You talk too much,” he concluded, kissing her fervently, their tongues entwining, as opposite as they may have been, becoming one.
Their bittersweet moment over, Erk grasped his staff tightly in his hand, and Serra scooped hers up from the grass.
“For Ostia, Pherae, Caelin…” Erk murmured, bowing his head in honor to the many lives of his land.
“For all weary and hopeless souls of Lycia!” Serra shouted. “We fight in your name!”
There was a unifying battle cry of resolute accord before the end began.
As the cavaliers charged headstrong into the throng of purple invaders, Rebecca’s family continued to pound them down with unrelenting force, their archery unequaled in strength, speed, and accuracy. They began to put distance between themselves, reducing their risks of being noticed and destroyed as easily.
Not long into the fighting, another familiar face made himself apparent, seeming to have snuck upon them from behind like an assassin—which he was.
“General Rebecca!” he cried, jarring her from her mind. She spun around to see the grinning, bearded face of Matthew, a man who led the spy network of Ostia. His golden hair was as disheveled as could be, but it was hidden well beneath a black hood, and his scarred eye twinkled with a somber enthusiasm.
“Matthew…”
“It’s as they say,” Matthew chuckled in delirious amusement. “I didn’t believe it—Pherare falling in a single day. And yet, here you are, your castle breached. It seems you’ve been slacking while your Lords are away, hm?” Rebecca knew he was only being humorous, but she had no time for humor.
“Matthew, it’s good to see another old face, but I advise you to run. Take cover in the woods—with your stealth, they’d never find you.”
“Indeed,” the ninja-like man agreed, drawing his jagged blades from beneath his cloak with a flick of the wrists. “They’re as daft as bricks—very ravenous, but daft as bricks. I think I’d enjoy mocking their strength--and intelligence--far more than hiding. Until we meet again,” he gave her a sly wink, and she sighed before continuing her sniping. After a moment’s thought, she turned her head, beginning to call him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“We shall meet again…” Rebecca muttered. (In the afterlife…)
The forces up ahead had already encountered the ferocious beast that was Giga Bowser. Drowned in flames, many of them were, by his fiery breath that scorched the landscape. The few Pegasus Knights that remained tossed javelins and spears at the godly monster to no avail, and Rebecca decided to take action against the fiend himself.
Using a few seconds’ worth of time, Rebecca took great care to ensure that her shot reached its mark, and she let her arrow fly. A couple moments later, it reached its designated destination: the brute’s left eye. He growled and rubbed at his eye irritably, the damage hardly noticeable, but Rebecca was sure that if she was to strike anywhere, his eye was the place to aim for. Arrow after arrow landed in his pupil, infuriating him to no end, until he recognized her as the assailant of his irritation. She had helped delay time for the others by distracting them, and she was about to pay for it.
The monster, ignoring the blades being inserted into his toes, summoned a mighty ball of flames, and Rebecca immediately noticed that his piercing eyes were glued upon her. Adrenaline swarmed her body, and began to force her to run in hopes of escaping the ball of fire. As it flew at her, zipping at incredible speed, she was agile enough to roll out of its way by a mere few feet, feeling the intense heat lash at her legs. As she struggled back up to her feet, the ballistic purple warriors now upon her, she was forced to defend herself by thrashing them with her bow and ripping them apart at close range with her arrows, sometimes shooting through two or three with a single one.
She sustained a few injuries through the skirmish, though she was quick enough to avoid most of their attacks. However, she failed to notice the gigantic purple needle that was headed her way, courtesy of the titanic reptile. Having just dispatched a good thirty of these wire-framed monsters with melee tactics, Rebecca was paralyzed on the spot as she felt her body get jolted into the air and to the ground. Confused, Rebecca was suddenly overcome by a surge of pain so strong, what tears she had left instantly began to pour from her eyes, and she screamed in agony. Her hands had jumped down to her stomach, where the pain came from, and had grasped a strange, sharp object. It was cylindrical, about half a foot in diameter, and a dark purple. Its surface was black and sticky, a toxin of some kind covering it entirely, but Rebecca was horrified to see and feel a thick, warm pool of blood—HER blood—growing around her. Choking and sputtering, Rebecca desperately struggled to her knees, her arms wobbling to keep her up, their strength quickly leaving them. She violently coughed out blood that had been darkened by this poison, and soon slipped and fell into the puddle of maroon liquid, unable to raise an arm to support herself.
She couldn’t see the petrified blue eyes of Serra—quivering with fear at the sight--whose once white robes were covered with dirt and blood, and only reddened more as she flipped Rebecca from her stomach onto her back, praying that she was powerful enough to undo such a deed.
“Rebecca,” she cried out in a whimper, “Please stay with me.” Serra wasn’t sure which could prove more harmful—removing the giant needle and letting her bleed even more, or letting it stay and giving the poison more time to destroy her from the inside. It was a horrendous choice, and Serra chose to let it remain, hoping that she could cure the poison and somehow mend the wounds enough for Rebecca to survive. Serra was sure that Rebecca was doomed in this situation, but at least she could buy time so that the mother could say goodbye. Serra had sent off Erk to retrieve the woman’s family as soon as she had seen the archer fall, and she hoped that Rebecca would last long enough.
Rebecca found herself unable to speak for a few minutes, the pain unforgiving. Serra used her magic to prolong Rebecca’s suffering, and, in turn, prolong her life, and after about five minutes of constant prayer, the general’s family was seconds away. Serra squeezed Rebecca’s hand and told her with admiration, “You’re strong, Rebecca…” Just watching this passionate woman die made Serra wish that she had gotten to know her better.
“Wolt,” Rebecca whimpered out, agony bursting from her eyes. “Wolt…Wil…Wh…where…?”
“They’re here, Rebecca,” Serra whispered, staying by the archer’s side as her son and husband drew near.
Rebecca’s pain was put at ease as she saw their faces above, the pale blue skies a perfect frame for their horrified expressions. Their faces were quite similar, in fact
Wolt—blue tunic, white pants, and dimly green hair, he was an archer to boot, his skills given to him by his parents. Wolt could say no words as he stared at the bloodied body of his mother.
“Rebecca,” Wil murmured, his face pale and his eyes wide with terror. He sunk to his knees and cradled her in his arms, while Wolt stood speechless.
Wil stared at Serra for a moment, desperation lashing out at her through his quivering eyes. Serra shook her head with contrite sorrow, and Wil knew that she had done everything she could.
Rebecca’s glazed eyes, the pupils dilated, were slowly closing, but she smiled a warm, compassionate smile for her family. Wil’s last wish had been fulfilled by that smile, and Rebecca’s had been fulfilled, as well.
There was nothing more for her in this world.
Her destiny lay in another world.
Unable to say farewell, Rebecca’s soul slithered from its body and into the dark abyss, shadows enveloping her and dragging her away from Lycia, tearing her with vicious persistence from her home and her people.
~*~*~*~*~*
[Frances,]
[You have received 1 message from:]
[WhiteRaineDrop@brainhaven.edu]
Subject: Re:Re:Re: Question about Imaginary Friends
Splendid, Ms. Foster. I have some time tomorrow morning from the hours of nine to eleven. Come to my office then, and we can talk. If you don’t know where to find me, just ask my younger brother, Genis. He should be in the main lobby of the Academy of Magic tomorrow morning. Ask around—I’m sure someone will help you. I’d seek you out myself, but, alas, I have far too much work binding me to leave the office.
Again, I apologize for your loss, and I hope that I can help bring some closure to your grief.
Forever in pursuit of truth,
Professor Raine Sage
~*~*~*~*~*
Dark. It was infinitely dark. She didn’t know how long she had been here, or why, or how, or ANYTHING. She didn’t know…anything…except that it was so terribly cold and lonely here.
For some uncounted amount of time, she sat in the frigid cold of this desolate blackness until, like a beam of light, an arm shot forth from the darkness, gripping her shoulder tightly. Rebecca’s form—thirty years younger in appearance—was jolted by the arm, and she stumbled back, scared to life by it.
A sinister-looking figure had emerged from the black beyond, his eyes sharp and keen, and his arm slender and tenacious. It lurched for her again, and she flinched before she felt it rest on her shoulder. It was the warmest thing she had ever felt in this state of ‘living’ thus far—which was a mere few hours old.
“It seems you’ve met a terrible fate, child…”
“Wh-who’re you…?” she whispered with ferocity. “What do you want?”
A solemn, shifty tone replied with stern resolve, “I am Shadow. You, brave and compassionate warrior, have been called upon by the Spirits of Star Road. You have been given a second chance.”
“…Second chance…? At…at what…?”
“At living.”
Rebecca trembled for a few moments, then let the furry, spiky-headed man help her to her feet, slowly and hesitantly.
“You seek the truth,” Shadow noted calmly. “And the truth, it has been said, will set you free.”
~*~*~*~*~*
Any fans of FE should immediately notice how I’ve changed the story, having Marth and Roy as brothers, but, I assure you, I have some FE plot currently planned revolving around the characters from the first US Fire Emblem, and, possibly, even a few from Sacred Stones. I won’t say anything for now, but suffice it to say it’ll be different, if anything.
