Discover Top Posts Tagged with #freelancecreatures

Pawns and Players Ch 2 - Skyworld Bound

An eerie silence lingers in the air. What was once a busy town now lays dormant within a giant pink crystalline pod. Trees and large roots cut through the buildings scattered about, breaking them down into unrecognizable piles. Vines and other foliage cling to whatever isn’t stone, reclaiming the material back into nature. Elevated and looking over it all stands a tall girl. She stands atop the upper floor of a building which is only being supported by the trunk of a large twisted tree. Sharing the platform with her is a large metal frame. In stark contrast to the broken and decaying structures around it, the metal is shiny and new.

She steps back from the edge of the platform and walks over to investigate the strange frame. A control panel sitting beside the frame grabs her attention. She presses one of the buttons. The metal whirs and buzzes but otherwise does nothing. She huffs and steps away again. She looks down another side of the platform. A bend of the tree trunk below her is positioned just near enough to her. She steps down and cautiously climbs down the rest of the tree, bringing her to the moss-covered road below.

She follows the road. Letting it lead her towards the apparent edge of the pink sky above her. She looks into the skeletonized buildings and among the bushes and shrubs. No signs of humans, let alone animal life are anywhere to be found.

Cutting through the silence, the sound of a stone tumbling in a nearby building grabs her attention. She takes cover behind a nearby wall fragment. She watches in the direction she heard the sound. A shape moves past an open window. She tries to follow it to the next window in an attempt to make out what it might be. Before she can get another glimpse, the sound of a large body dragging against the stone creeps behind her. She turns, seeing a large serpentine monster slithering towards her. She glances back over her shoulder, hesitant to leave the cover of the wall and expose herself to the hidden figure inside the other building.

The serpent lunges; large fangs pointed at her. Not having time to move, her arms swing up to block against the incoming attack. As she flinches a light bursts from her wrists. The creature bounces off of a panel made of a shimmery solid light. It hisses but the girl stares at the odd object emanating off her. Now in view, she notices an unfamiliar band around her wrist, a white opalescent stone embedded on it. The stone glows brightly, but as it fades her surprise shield dissolve away. The serpent rattles its tail and hisses again. The once silent landscape around her writhes with movement as more monsters appear from the shadows. They converge towards her. Their hisses and strange cries echo off the walls, making it near impossible to guess where they’re all coming from. She spots an opening in the ensuing crowd and runs. The monsters chase after.

Amongst the erupting frenzy her ears catch the sound of a staticky mass rapidly approaching the back of her head. She sidesteps just in time as a bullet of energy flies past. It hits the road ahead with a small burst of energy, singeing the impact site. More bullets fly past her head as she tries her best to step past them. As she runs she glances at bracelet on her arm. Glancing back at the monsters, she takes a deep breath. She clenches her right hand. The gem on the bracelet glows a bright white, and a jagged dagger made from solidified light forms in her hand. She digs her heel in the ground, and in one confident movement, pivots to face the group of monsters behind her. With her momentum she slices into the encroaching group, cutting through multiple monsters.

Their bodies rip apart and with a small spark they fade into nothing. The rest of the monsters are undeterred by their small loss, firing more bullets at her. She dodges most of them and blocks the ones she can’t with a light shield. She throws another dagger, taking out another monster, only for a new one to quickly takes its place.

A bullet hits her shoulder from behind, knocking her down. She throws up her hand to block a new onslaught of bullets fired at her. She sees a new wave of monsters emerge from the ruins. Before she’s fully engulfed, she throws her shield up, pushing back the masses, giving her a brief window to slip out of the onslaught.

The edge of the dome creeps into view. Greeting her at the end of the jungle-like environment is a break in the crystalline wall. Unfiltered sunlight beckons her to run faster from the never-ending barrage. She slips through the opening. The monsters all try to cram through the exit at once, slowing their chase. With the newfound opportunity, the girl gains more distance.

Outside of the dome, the girl sees nothing but open fields and the scattered remains of huts and small structures. Ahead of her, a hill stands as a lookout point. She continues to run, and the monsters start to break free from the confines of the town. The hill slows her momentum. The monsters quickly begin to close the distance she just made. She glances back, seeing the monsters all readying more attacks to fire. She looks forward and braces for an inevitable hit, but the loud shriek of a monster pulls all attention away from the chase.

She looks back to see what caused the monster to cry out, just in time to see one of them fade away. Before she can fully process the sight, an arrow made of light fires down from the clouds and takes out another monster. The hoard changes course and flies up towards their new assailant. Their attacks fly at the clouds, only to be met with more arrows. The crowd thins. The remnant hoard disappears behind the clouds. Light fights to escape the cloud cover, giving the girl just a sense of the ensuing battle.

Now free from her attackers, she makes it to the top of the hill. Nothing but field extends far into the horizon. Before she can truly think of where to go next, the hissing and shockwaves from the battle going on behind her fade into the normal ambience of nature. She looks back, watching for any movement. The sky remains still.

Seeing nothing, she sighs and takes the moment to recover from her sprint.

A shadow flies overhead. She looks up just in time to spot what appears to be an angel fly ahead of her and back into the clouds. She stares at the spot for a moment. The shadow returns, and she sees the angelic figure flying in place just below the clouds. He stares back at her, seemingly talking to himself, but she’s unable to make out the words.

He flies closer. She notices what appears to be a bow in his hand. The girl forms a blade from light and holds it ready. The angel sees her weapon and lands a distance away from her. He holds his free hand up defensively.

“Woah wait, I’m here to help!” He stands taller, “I’m Pit, servant of the Goddess of light, Lady Palutena. She had sent me out on a patrol when we noticed you needed some help!”

The girl looks at him with suspicion. “Guess I got lucky then. Thanks.”

The blade disappears from her hand, catching Pit’s attention. “How’d you do that?”

“What, this?” She says, forming a new one. She shrugs, “I really couldn’t tell you. I wasn’t able to do it an hour ago, but I found myself here and then I could. Probably related to this thing-“ She turns her wrist to show off the bracelet’s gemstone.

Palutena speaks directly to Pit telepathically, “I sensed something powerful in that area. I thought it was just the monsters but it’s that girl… Ask her where she got it. No human should have something that powerful!”

Just as Pit is about to speak the girl cuts him off, “Wait, you might know. I’m completely lost. One moment I was walking home, and the next I found myself in that… Thing.” She says, pointing to the ruins behind her. Can you help me find my way back home?”

“There’s nothing around here. Where are you from?” Pit asks.

The girl thinks for a moment, she scoffs, “It’s weird… I know where I’m from but I just can’t think of the name…” She shrugs, “I won’t waste your time then. I’m probably better off trying to mess with that weird frame back in the town.”

“’Weird frame’? Follow her. It was strange enough to have Underworld monsters appear in such an obscure location. I don’t like the idea that they were after something important.”

As Palutena speaks, the girl begins walking back down the hill and towards the town. Pit catches up with her, “Hey wait! I’ll come with you. Lady Palutena wants me to check out the ‘frame’ too.”

“I won’t complain. I’d appreciate someone to watch my back if there’s more monsters.” The girl shrugs.

As they walk back towards the dome Palutena speaks to Pit again, “It’s strange. I can see you and the girl but I can’t see what’s directly in front of you…What are you walking towards down there?”

“It’s one of Viridi’s reset bombs. What do you mean you can’t see it?” Pit responds

The girl looks at him, confused at his sudden statement. “What did you say?”

“Oh I was talking to Lady Palutena.” He looks forward at the ruined town. “She’s able to see anywhere on the surface but can’t see this place…”

They reach the threshold of the town. The girl peeks inside, looking for any movement, but it’s still.

“My blind spot seems to be the size of the reset bomb. Be careful, I won’t be able to alert you to anything inside.”

”Got it!“ Pit exclaims as they both step into the opening.

”And Pit, protect the human from any-“

As they pass the threshold, Palutena’s voice fades out. Feeling their connection severed Pit stops. “Lady Palutena?”

The girl stops, hearing the concern in his voice. “Something wrong?”

Pit steps outside the opening, and then back inside. “I’m completely cut off from her in here…”

“I’m guessing that’s… bad?”

“Yeah, only other gods have been able to block her out before.”

A mass shifts near them. With a battle cry more monsters begin pouring out of the surrounding ruins. Pit fires his bow, taking some out but the fallen are quickly replaced. The girl also assists, throwing daggers and blocking incoming attacks. Monsters converge in on them from all sides. While they keep most back, some creep in closer. The girl hears a shift behind them, and looks just in time to see a monster lunging at Pit. With a quick swing of her arm, she throws a shield of light behind him, and blocks the monster. The attack brings Pit’s attention to the monster. He separates his bow into two blades and slices the beast in half.

“Thanks for the block!” He cheers.

The girl smiles and gives a small nod. A creature lunges at her, but Pit rushes over and stabs through it.

“Back at you.” She responds.

They both look up at the ever-increasing hoard of monsters.

“Where’s the portal? We’re going to be here all day if we try to fight all of them!” Pit commands.

“This way-“ The girl responds.

They run through the root bound streets, firing arrows and throwing daggers to keep the encroaching monsters at bay. The familiar twisted tree comes into view.

The girl points to it, “There! On top of that tree”

They run faster, trying to gain any distance they can from the monsters. At the base of the tree, the girl tries to gauge the best way back up. Pit takes no time at all to start climbing. The girl follows his path, making it to the top just as he does.

Pit readies his bow as the monsters reach the tree, assuming an oncoming attack. Though, as the monsters reach the edge of the platform they simply stop.

“Why’d they stop? They’re just… Staring?” The girl observes.

Pit breaks his attention away from the monsters and glances over at the portal frame. “Aren’t they after this thing?”

One by one, the monsters back down and disperse back into the ruins. Pit steps to the edge of the platform, watching them go.

“I’ve never seen Underworld monsters leave like that. Nothing in this place is making any sense!”

He walks back over to the portal. The girl tries once again to get it to do anything. She gestures a hand to the console. “You’re welcome to take a shot at it if you want. I haven’t been able to get it to do anything.”

Pit walks up to the console. He tries pressing a button, but the portal does nothing.

“Lady Palutena? Can you hear me?”

He waits for a moment then sighs.

“Still can’t talk to your goddess?”

“No…Is this thing blocking her? Is this what made the monsters go away?”

“I guess they didn’t attack me before I left this building. So, maybe?”

Both press the buttons on the panel some more, but the portal remains dormant.

“Lady Palutena would know what to do if she could see it.”

The girl forms a blade and wedges it into a seam in the metal. She pushes the blade against the seam, causing the metal to lift very slightly.

“What are you doing?”

“If the buttons don’t turn it off or do anything then lets take a look inside. It’s starting to give so-“

The panel pops up, revealing the internals. The energy around them changes and they step back. Pit glances up at the sky. The middle of the frame fills with a purple light.

“There, it’s doing something now-“ The girl remarks.

Just as Pit is about to speak a burst of energy hits him in the back. The girl turns just in time to block another.

Waves of monsters pour from the surrounding buildings, all racing toward them. An onslaught of bullets and attacks fly at them. Larger than anything they’ve faced yet. The girl holds her arms up, putting up a barrier around the two of them. Pit glances back at the portal which is glowing brighter.

“That doesn’t look good! And there’s too many monsters for us to fight like this!”

The girl glances back to the portal and then back to the monsters. Her shield now starting to crack from all the attacks. It nearly breaks but she focuses harder on the shield.

“Pit? Can you hear me? Something happened and the blind spot is gone1. I’m pulling both of you out, that thing is charging a massive amount of energy and it’s throwing the monsters into a frenzy!”

“Wait, both of us? You mean-“ Pit starts, confused.

”I can’t risk whatever that human has being captured by the Underworld army. I wouldn’t normally do this but I’d much rather contain her up here than leave her on the surface.”

Light shimmers around them. The girl feels herself getting lighter.

“Wait what’s happening?” The girl starts.

Her break in focus allows the monster’s attacks start to chip through her shield, but before they can break through the two of them are whisked into the sky.

The monsters continue to converge on the portal. It’s purple light increasing in intensity, taking on a white hue. The metal sparks and pops back into it’s original place. The light in the center bursts out, engulfing the area in white light. The monsters hiss and scream as their bodies rip apart and fade into nothing.

The ruins fall silent.

~~~~~

The girl stares at her sudden new surroundings. Old and broken bricks 1replaced by gleaming white stone. She stands in a long entryway. The walls curve into obscured hallways. Large imposing doors loom on each end of the room. In the middle of it all stands a tall woman.

“Lady Palutena I presume?” The girl asks.

Palutena nods, “Yes. It’s been centuries since a human has been in my palace, but these are… odd circumstances.”

“You’re telling me. One moment I was walking home, and then the next I was here fighting off monsters.” The girl huffs. She crosses her arms and looks away. “I didn’t ask for any of this…”

“Where is your home?” Palutena asks.

The girl thinks. “I’m not sure why, but I still can’t remember. I can picture it, but whenever I try to think of more details I just draw a blank.”

“If you’re suffering some sort of amnesia I can use my power to see past it-“ Palutena responds, raising an arm towards the girl.

“As long as that’s all you look for.”

Palutena’s eyes glow slightly, her hand still outstretched towards the girl. She holds the pose for a moment before she tilts her head, a puzzled look on her face. “Strange… It’s not amnesia. Memories of your home and family are blocked by some sort of power.”

“What would do that?” The girl asks.

“There could be a lot of possibilities. It’s impossible to tell what did it with what I can see.”

The girl sighs, “So what now?”

“I would like to keep you here until I get a better idea of what’s going on. Too many odd things are happening at once for me to ignore. I’ll have a room prepared for you. In the meantime Pit can lead you to the healing chamber for your injuries.”

“ I don’t have any other options, do I?” The girl mumbles. “Fine. I do appreciate at least having somewhere safe to stay.”

Pit leads her deeper into the palace. Palutena stays behind, watching them go.

~~~~~

The blue sky begins to swirl with golden hues as light bounces off the sea of clouds. The girl steps out of the palace through its giant back doors. Fresh from Skyworld’s healing chamber, she steps outside, looking over her arms and legs for scratches that are no longer there. She walks to the edge of the platform and gazes over the surrounding island. Below her expands a garden. Blue flowers and vines cling to the stone pillars that hold up wooden trellises. Fruits and vegetables fight the ornamental plants for the limited soil. A handful of centurions tend to the plants. They inspect the garden for anything ripe, picking it and placing it in a small basket before heading back into the palace.

Past the garden is the edge of the island. She follows the paved path, meanders through the garden, and stops at the edge. She leans over and looks down to the clouds. She cranes her neck, straining to catch a glimpse of the underside of the island. She then looks out towards the rest of the sky. Past the main island smaller islands dot the sky. In contrast to the large, impressive palace on the mainland, the rest of the archipelago is littered with ruins in various states of decay.

She looks at the bracelet around her wrist. The pearlescent gemstone embedded in the metal gleams in the sunlight. She forms a small shield from her wrist. She tries to reshape it, the light bending with her thoughts. She picks up the shield with her opposite hand and it melts into a refined disk shape. She spins it between her fingers, and its edges sharpen into a series of points. She smiles and releases it, causing it to fade into nothing. She then forms a small dagger. With a swipe she reforms it into a long, sturdy sword. She swings her body into a throwing motion and throws it towards a nearby pillar. The sword splits into three small spears and pierces the stone. She sets her hand on her hip and chuckles, looking over the bracelet again. The spears disappear as she steps past them, facing the palace. She lets out a relaxed sigh.

“There you are!” She hears Pit call out.

He hurries over to her, “Lady Palutena said your room is ready, she’d like you to stay there for the night.”

“Oh, thanks.” The girl replies.

She looks out back towards the archipelago. “I wanted to get a sense of where I was. I didn’t realize I was on a floating island.”

“Skyworld has it’s name for a reason.” Pit shrugs. “Lady Palutena’s power keeps everything running here.”

“I see.”

She holds out her hand, “My name’s Marie, by the way. I figure if I’m staying here you should be able to get to know me too.”

Pit shakes her hand, “Right.”

Marie stretches. “That healing pod did wonders for my sore legs but the morning is starting to catch up with me. I’d be happy to settle in for the night.”

“Follow me!” Pit announces enthusiastically as he leads her back towards the palace.

Just before she follows him inside, she takes a look back at the island. She sighs and closes the doors behind her.

~~~~~

Night falls over Skyworld. Marie rolls over in the large bed provided to her. The room given to her is comfortable, if a bit on the smaller side. Her room sits within the temple, and as such, lacks any windows to the outside. It’s instead lit with an array of magic torches on the wall, illuminating the room with a gentle blue hue. Unable to fully relax, Marie listens to the frequent movement of centurions outside, who are carrying out their various duties through the night. She tries to fall asleep, hopping in and out of consciousness. She wakes up from a bout of sleep. Unsure of what time it is, she turns over in bed once again. Just as she fades back into sleep a knock rings on her door. She rolls back over to glance in the direction of the door. The muffled voice of a centurion calls out.

“Lady Palutena requests you ready yourself and meet her in the main hall.”

“Mmm, okay…” Marie calls back groggily.

She sits up and rubs her eyes. She notices on the small table next to her bed a warm arrangement of food is waiting for her. She quickly eats, tidies herself up from the night and steps out of her room. She makes her way back into the main hall where Palutena and Pit are already waiting for her.

“There you are Marie! Now that you’re well rested I would like to send you and Pit back to the surface. I’m still able to see the frame, so now I have the opportunity to observe how it reacts.” Palutena explains

Marie crosses her arms, “But what about all the monsters? They almost got us last time.”

“I’m not sensing any more monsters in the area. It would appear the energy the frame expelled killed them all off.” Palutena gestures to Marie, “That same energy felt very similar to your own. I highly doubt that’s coincidence.”

Pit chimes in, “Wait, how will Marie get back to the surface?”

Palutena looks to the door at the far end of the room, “I can place the two of you directly outside the city.”

The doors open, leading back into the familiar scene of crumbling buildings.

“That works for me!” Pit states, he turns to Marie, “Let’s go!”

He runs ahead towards the door. Not expecting the sudden sprint, Marie pushes herself to catch up. They both run through the door, stopping at the edge of the done. Marie looks back only to see miles of prairie behind them.

“We traveled just like that, huh.” Marie remarks.

“Now time to figure out what this thing does-“ Pit says confidently, stepping through the threshold.

In stark contrast to their previous trek, the city sits completely still. They both watch through the windows of the buildings, ready for any stray monster that may jump out at them. As they walk Marie really takes in the state of the ruins.

She looks to Pit, “You know, I didn’t really question it until now, but what happened to this place? What’s this weird pink stuff?”

Pit looks around too, “Oh yeah, this place was blown up by one of Viridi’s reset bombs.” He points up at the pink filtered sky above them, “That’s the explosion.”

“And Viridi is?”

“She’s the goddess of Nature. She doesn’t like humans and tried wiping them out while we were also fighting the Underworld army.”

“Noted.”

The elevated platform the frame sits upon comes into view. Climbing up the supporting tree is a breeze for the two of them without an army of monsters at their backs. They hop back up onto the platform and approach the portal.

“What should we do, Lady Palutena?” Pit asks, attempting to press a button. The frame doesn’t respond.

“See if it reacts to Marie’s power.” Palutena instructs to Pit.

Pit turns to Marie, “Have you tried using your powers on it? Powers that aren’t driving a knife into it.”

Marie chuckles, “Good point, no.”

She steps up to the control panel.

“What should I do exactly? All I’ve figured out so far is just making weapons.” She hums.

She holds her hand over the buttons, “I’ll follow Palutena’s lead, maybe if I-“

Her palm starts to glow over the buttons. Pit watches, “What are you doing?”

“I don’t really know. I just pictured myself using my power and this is what I got.”

The portal buzzes slightly, but does nothing past that. Marie pulls her hand back and rubs it slightly. “That’s enough of that. I feel like I should stop.”

They both stare at the panel a moment. From Skyworld, Palutena also thinks of what else to try.

“It might be worth trying to bring it back up here. I’d like to take a look myself. See if you can separate it from the stone.”

“Let’s see if we can take it back to Skyworld.” Pit relays.

“What, see if we can get it off this platform? Alright, I got nothing better in mind.” Marie shrugs.

She forms a wide end blade and tries to shove it under the metal base. Just as Pit is about to summon a tool of his own, the portal buzzes and fills with a bright white light. The two of them jump back.

“I didn’t damage it this time, I swear!” Marie shouts.

“Lady Palutena?!” Pit calls out.

“It’s not sending out a shockwave. I can sense a rift in space, something’s coming through! Be prepared for anything.

Pit glances over to Marie, “Get ready, anything could be coming through!”

Marie creates a shield that sits in front of the two of them, also forming a dagger in her hand. Pit raises his arm to the sky and his signature golden bow lands in his palm.

The portal expands slightly, a shadow stepping through the light. The figure lurches through. No longer obscured by the overpowering gleam of the frame, Pit and Marie see a young girl supporting a man on her shoulder.

Pit lowers his weapon. Marie glances over to him, and seeing him relax, does the same. He walks towards them, and Marie follows.

“Link?” He asks, visibly confused.

Link struggles to hold his head up to look. Hazel speaks up before he can, “Can you help us? He’s hurt badly!”

“That girl has powers similar to Marie. I can’t determine where they’re getting their powers, or what world they might be coming from…”

She pauses. Then light shines down around the four. “Just when I was hoping to figure some things out something new drops in my lap.”

The light whisks them all into the sky.

~~~~~

Link wakes up. His head no longer clouded by a concussion. A golden glow surrounds him as he lays on one of Skyworlds many healing chambers. He sits up, causing the glow to dissipate. He inspects his body for any lingering wounds, and to his delight he doesn’t see or feel any. Link makes his way from the med bay and back to the main hall of Palutena’s palace. As he nears, he hears Palutena talking to Marie and Hazel. He steps out from the hallway and sees the three of them. Palutena has multiple screens of light floating around her, studying different aspects of the girls. As Link approaches, Palutena dissipates the screens. Hazel hears him walking over and lights up.

“You’re okay!” She says, relieved.

He smiles at her then turns to Palutena. “Thank you for taking us in. It’s an honor to be here.”

“I don’t normally allow humans here in Skyworld, but strange things are happening.” She turns to Hazel. “Where did you find her?”

“I found her in the Skyview ruins. Bowser was trying to kidnap her.” Link responds.

Palutena reacts at the mention of Bowser but dismisses it. “She has a power similar to Marie. Who we had found her being attacked by Underworld monsters. I have a feeling their circumstances are connected somehow.”

“It would seem like it.” Marie mumbles to Hazel. Hazel shrugs in return.

“My goal was to help Hazel get home. If I could ask for your assistance I’d be incredibly grateful.” Link asks Palutena.

“I’d first need to pinpoint what world they’re coming from.” She turns to the two of them. “I’ve been trying to figure them out all day… I’ve seen beings from different worlds before, but nothing is quite like the two of them.”

With a wave of her hand she forms a screen of light. A figure representing the two girls is on the screen.

“It’s their souls.” she continues.

A figure representing herself, Link, and Pit appear on the screen as well.

“Every living thing I’ve come across up to this point has had a defined soul.”

A light appears in the three’s figures.

“While some souls are more powerful than others, they’re able to exist independently from their host. They’re a completely separate energy from the rest of the body.”

The figures representing Marie and Hazel glow with a nonconforming shape.

“Those two, their souls exist completely within their bodies. It’s intertwined with their bodies in such a way I have to believe one could not exist without the other.”

On the screen a bright glow where Hazel’s pendant and Marie’s bracelet are appears. “However both of them are wearing something that seems to be…. For lack of a better phrase, concentrating their souls.”

She turns more fully to the girls. “With how differently your bodies function I suspect that without those objects you wouldn’t be able to survive in this world.”

The girls think on the words. Hazel looks down at her pendant, and Marie glances at her bracelet. Hazel looks back up at Palutena, “Is that why I couldn’t take this off? I tried but it felt like everything in my body stopped.”

“I was correct then-“ Palutena responds.

“I’m glad I didn’t try to take mine off.” Marie also responds.

Palutena dissipates all the screens and fully addresses the girls. “Something brought the two of you here. Whatever it was not only gave you the ability to survive, but it gave the two of you powers that would rival that of gods. I understand the two of you want to get home, but until I can figure out what is happening I must keep you both up here. If the Underworld army is stirring again I can’t risk either of you being captured.”

Marie crosses her arms, and Hazel has a look of shock. “Any idea how long that’ll take?” Marie asks solemnly.

“No. I’m sorry.” Palutena responds.

“Guess there’s nothing that can be done about it then.” Marie says under her breath.

Hazel just sighs and looks to the floor. “Guess not…”

Palutena turns to Link, “I will allow you to stay here in the meantime as well. Considering you came through that portal and I don’t have a way to send you back yet.”

“I understand, thank you.” He replies.

Palutena extends her arm, summoning two centurions to the side of the three humans.

“I’ve had rooms put together rooms for the two of you. My centurions will take you to them.”

Hazel steps over to one of them. “Right this way miss!” He announces, leading her down one of the various hallways.

“Allow me to escort you as well, sir.” The other addresses to Link.

Link turns back to Palutena, “Could I have a quick word with you?”

~~~~~

Hazel sits down on her bed. Marie stands in the doorway.

She speaks up, “I’m glad I’m not alone here. How are you feeling about all of this?”

Hazel shrugs, “I don’t really know… Scared? I was more scared yesterday but now that I know I’m stuck here I guess I’m just more curious why I’m here.”

“That makes sense.” Marie steps more into the room. “Do you remember how you got here? I can’t seem to even remember where I came from, or my family.”

“No, I can’t remember anything. I can picture it, but if I try to think about anything specific I lose it.”

Marie huffs, “So your memories are blocked too, huh. Palutena tried looking through my head but I guess she couldn’t get through, however that works.”

The two are quiet for a moment. Hazel shifts over on her bed and gestures Marie over. Marie takes a seat beside her. “What was your first day here like?” Hazel asks.

“Oh you know, I woke up in a blown up town and got chased by monsters. Pit saved me and brought me here. You?”

“I woke up in a temple and got chased by Bowser. He was trying to take me somewhere until Link fought him and helped me escape.”

“And I’m just supposed to know who ‘Bowser’ is?” Marie smirks.

“Oh yeah, he’s a big turtle guy that breathes fire.” Hazel responds.

“Makes about as much sense as anything else” Marie chuckles.

Marie sighs and lays back on the bed. “I just wish I knew why I was roped into all of this. As soon as I can get out of here I will.”

Hazel turns more to face her. “Oh…. Yeah-“

“Still, this is a pretty nice place to be in the meantime. Giant palace in the sky, cool powers, I couldn’t ask for much else.”

She stretches and then rolls to a stand. “I’m gonna go walk around the garden and clear my head. Nice talk.”

“Alright.” Hazel replies.

Marie steps out the door.

~~~~~

Outside, Link strolls through the garden. A woven basket is held under his arm, already filled with a variety of herbs and vegetables. He looks out towards the rest of Skyworld. While age has worn away at the stone structures he can’t help but notice the alarmingly recent battle scars hidden amongst the usual wear. He spots a free floating arena tethered to the main island with a simple rope bridge. Seeing movement and the flashes of magic-based weapons he makes his way over.

Standing in the entrance to the arena, he watches Pit using various weapons against a projection of a monster. Gleefully talking to Palutena with their telepathic connection. As he trains, the weapons in his hand switch out in a flash of light. As he charges up a large arm cannon, he notices Link in the doorway. He blasts the monster projection, causing it to fade. He lowers the cannon and turns to Link.

“I don’t mean to interrupt-“ Link starts, taking a few steps into the arena. “I just had a question for you.”

“What is it?” Pit replies, sending the cannon away in a flash of light.

“Is this place safe for Hazel and Marie?”

“What do you mean? Lady Palutena-“

Link holds his free hand up, cutting off Pit’s response, “I know Lady Palutena is fully capable of protecting them, as well as yourself, but you’ve told me the foes you’ve been up against. Would anyone be trying to attack this place?”

“Not anymore! We sent the Underworld army back to where they came from.” Pit replies proudly.

“I’ll take your word for it then. Thank you.”

Link turns and walks out. Pit looks to the basket he’s carrying. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll make myself useful until I can get back to my own world. It’s the least I can do”

He starts across the bridge, back towards the palace.

~~~~~

The hours start to tick away. Marie replaces Link in the garden, staring out at the ever-changing shape of the clouds. Pit wraps up his training and returns to the palace. Hazel continues to lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She holds up her pendant, staring at the crystal.

The image of Bowser, impaled by ice and staring coldly back at her flash in her mind. She groans and rolls onto her side, holding her hands close to her chest. She holds them open and stares into her palm. With a thought, her pendant glows and a flurry forms between her fingers. She clasps her hands together again and the light fades. She sighs and closes her eyes.

Her attempt to fall asleep is interrupted by a pleasant smell taking over the room.

She sits up and sniffs the air. The smell of something cooking intriguing her. She gets off her bed and steps into the hall. She follows the scent through the palace, eventually ending up in the dining hall. Marie and Pit wander in as well, equally drawn by the scent. A long table lined with chairs splits the room in half. From the other side, Link enters carrying a large pot. He sets it on the table, revealing the contents to be a fish and vegetable soup.

Link addresses all of them, “If we’ll be staying here a while, I feel we should get to know one another properly.”

“That smells really good-“ Pit exclaims, taking his spot at the table.

The girls follow his lead quickly. Link sets bowls and utensils besides the pot. The four of them take a portion and dig in.

Link smiles, “It’s a recipe an old yeti taught me. It’s even better with the proper ingredients from Hyrule, but this will do.”

“A…. Yeti?” Hazel questions.

Marie chuckles, “It’s like every new thing I learn here gets weirder and weirder.” She pauses, her face softening, “So, who are you two anyways? Running headlong into monsters and saving the day.”

Link glances over at Pit, but seeing his mouth full of soup he starts, “I had never wanted to be a part of anything grand. When a race known as the Twili kidnapped children from my village I chased after them, only to find myself captured as well. With the help of princess Zelda and many others we saved Hyrule from the Twilight, and freed the Twili from the control of Ganondorf.”

Hazel tilts her head, “Who are the Twili?”

“They’re a race that live in the Twilight Realm. They had been corrupted by an evil king, who gained power through Ganondorf.” Link gestures to Pit, “From what you’ve told me in the past, the Twilight Realm is similar to the Underworld. It’s been used to seal away dark magic, and powerful entities. Though the Twili race is overall peaceful today.”

“I take it Ganondorf is a real bad guy if he’s oppressing them, then.” Marie states matter-of-fact.

Link nods. “He had been banished to the Twilight Realm decades earlier from an attempt to conquer Hyrule himself.”

Link sips a spoonful of soup. “It’s been some years since I fought him, and I’m grateful he hasn’t come back.”

“How long have you been exploring ruins then?” Hazel asks.

“I’ve been on my own journey for nearly seventeen years now. I’ve been to every corner of Hyrule and beyond.”

Pit chimes in, “Why travel for that long? Are you looking for something?”

Link thinks for a moment. “I’ve been researching ancient artifacts. As well as ancient magic. Much of it has been lost to time, so I took it upon myself to recover what I can.”

A silence lingers. Just as Pit is about to speak Link cuts in, “It’s been a few years since we fought in that tournament. Has anything happened here in that time?”

The sudden shift causes Pit to process the question for a moment. “Oh yeah, a lot has happened.” His usual energy returns, “Medusa came back with the rest of the Underworld army. We defeated them no problem, but it turns out they were brought back by Hades, the true ruler of the Underworld.” Pit leans on the table and sounds more proud, “He was no match for us either.”

“Those monsters we fought earlier… You said they were from the Underworld army, right?” Marie asks.

“Yeah. They must’ve been a few I missed. There’s no way Hades or anyone else could be back.”

“What’s the tournament you keep talking about?” Hazel asks.

Link takes the lead “I can’t explain their origin. They’re orchestrated by a strange entity known as Master Hand. He gathers up notable people from a variety of worlds for them to fight each other.”

“It felt more like a dream.” Pit interjects. “We didn’t actually go anywhere. Master Hand created trophies in our likeness and we took control over them. I don’t know how it worked. Lady Palutena didn’t even realize anything happened to me, I just woke up with memories from the tournament.”

Hazel stirs her soup, “So that trophy Bowser was using… That was from the tournament too?”

Link nods. “The benefit of the trophies is that they could take a lot of hits. We still felt pain, but at least for myself it was more muted than actual combat.” He frowns, “I’m… Worried about how Bowser got control over his trophy again.”

“Maybe Master Hand gave it to him. I thought they were working together in Subspace.” Pit replies.

Link frowns more, “I don’t like the idea of the Subspace army escaping their confines. It would explain a lot of strange things I’ve seen; but the implications past that concern me..”

Link sighs and sits back in his chair. He addresses Pit, “When we were traveling together you described Lady Palutena as all knowing. I’m worried at the fact that even she is confused about what’s happening. It feels like something big is lurking right out of sight.”

“She’ll figure it out, she always does!” Pit confidently exclaims.

“I hope you’re right-“ Marie mutters to herself.

“I don’t have a reason to doubt you or her.” Link states.

The four continue to eat. Hazel, not being particularly chatty finishes her bowl first. With nobody else talking, she tries playing with her powers. Marie, who’s sitting next to her, glances over. “What’cha doing there?”

Hazel shrugs, “Trying to get a feel for my powers…”

“Oh right, you had powers too.” Pit adds in, “Marie was able to help me fend off monsters earlier, but what can you do?”

“She fought Giga Bowser. I’m still impressed you were able to take him out when I was incapacitated.” Link compliments.

Hazel shrinks back, “I didn’t really know what I was doing… I didn’t want to hurt him like that.”

“What did you do?” Pit asks.

She lays her arms on the table and sets her chin down. “I stabbed him with a giant ice spike…” she replies, slightly muffled by her arms. “That look he gave me before he turned back into trophy is bothering me.”

“Oh come on, Bowser’s been through way worse. Don’t let it bug you. He’s probably forgotten by now.” Pit replies, trying to lighten the mood.

Link sighs, “I admire that you care, Hazel. You did what you had to do, so don’t let it hold you back from protecting yourself in the future. Pit’s right, Bowser will hardly give it a second thought. His trophy would’ve blocked out any pain.”

“If you say so” She mumbles deeper into her arms. She lifts her head up, “Can we go back to your adventures?”

“I don’t have much more to say about mine. Pit can go ahead.” Link replies.

“I didn’t even explain my origin story!” Pit exclaims.

“Almost 30 years ago Medusa invaded Skyworld. In the ambush some monsters took me hostage right before she turned the rest of Skyworld’s army to stone, and trapped Lady Palutena inside her own palace. While I was in an Underworld jail, Lady Palutena managed to break me free. I-“

“Wait, stop. You said this all happened 30 years ago?” Marie cuts in.

“Yeah. Why?”

Marie stares at him a moment. “How old are you?”

“42.”

She nods, “You know, I don’t know why I was expecting anything different. Continue”

Pit resumes his more enthusiastic tone, “Anyways I was able to climb up out of the Underworld. Along the way I saved centurions that had been turned to stone. I beat a few bosses, found the Three Sacred Treasures, and flew back up to Skyworld. Medusa was no match for me, and I freed Lady Palutena! Afterwards she trained me more, and I became commander for her army.”

“Impressive.” Marie reacts. “So you basically run this place with her.”

“Sure do!”

Hazel lets out a small hum. “Going on some grand adventure does sound fun. I wouldn’t want to be fighting anyone, but I’ve always wanted to go out on my own and explore…”

“I’m sure we’ll end up back on the surface before the two of you can go back home.” Link starts. He turns to Pit, “I would be interested in learning about your world’s magic and artifacts if we get the chance. You could come with me, Hazel, if you’d like.”

Hazel nods with a smile, “Just as long as we don’t face any more people like Bowser.” She responds sheepishly.

Marie finishes her soup and sits back. She adjusts her bracelet. “You two can do that. I’d prefer to stay out of whatever’s happening here. At least as much as I can. I just want to get home and back to the life I wish I could remember.”

The others just eat, letting a short silence linger. Marie’s face lowers slightly. “I’ve been trying to remember where I came from... I keep feeling small details slip through but when I try to remember I just can’t.”

Link turns to her, “What do you remember currently?”

“I’m struggling to recall their names, or even their faces, but I can feel my family. My parents, my little sister and two older brothers.”

She frowns, “When I think of them I feel… I don’t know… Anxious? Like I was meant to do something and all this got in the way…”

“I can understand how that’s frustrating.” Link replies.

Marie turns to Hazel, “What about you? You got anything new?”

Hazel thinks for a bit, “I don’t really have much of a family to remember. It’s just me and my parents.”

She’s quiet for a moment. She sips a spoonful of soup and lowers her head slightly. “I just remember they aren’t around much. I’m starting to see it, that I was out running an errand for them and then, well, next memory is here.”

Marie thinks some more. “Hmm… I can see myself walking down the street. My brother… No wait, I think my sister is with me. I can see her walk into a store and I keep going. I turn down an alley and then I’m here…”

She mulls over her own words for a moment, “I wonder what that looked like from the outside. Did I just disappear or-“ She sighs, “I need to get back home as soon as possible. They have to be so worried…”

Hazel rests her chin on her palm. “I don’t think my parents would even notice I’m gone…” She mumbles.

Once again a silence falls over the group. Neither Link or Pit can think of what to say in response. Marie frowns and shakes her head, as if she’s shaking a thought out of her head. “But what good does moping about it do?!”

Her sudden tone shift perks Hazel back up. Marie continues, “I mean, look at where we are, and we’re with good company. We’ll do what we can to get back, but in the meantime we might as well enjoy what we have.”

“Yeah.” Hazel replies.

“I promise we’ll do whatever we can to help get you two back home.” Link adds.

“Right!” Pit exclaims.

~~~~~

Evening starts to fall over Skyworld once again. The four separate from the dining hall and head back to their respective rooms. The activity of the centurions slowly dies down, and as the moon rises above the clouds the palace falls silent.

Wide awake and hard at work is Palutena. She’s alone in her giant library. Her halo illuminates the room as she pages through various documents. Books are opened and scattered about. Where there’s no floor or shelf space, texts hover mid-air, held up by Palutena’s power. As she scans through the lot, her energy pages through whatever’s nearby.

Through her focus, she detects a presence behind her in the room. Still paging through a book, she calls back. “Is that you Pit? Are the humans finally in their rooms for the night? I’m looking through everything I have and nothing talks about a world anything close to what the two girls may have come from-“ she turns, seeing nothing but an empty room.

In an instant she uses her power to shut the books and scrolls cluttering the room. They fly toward the walls, making way for her to step to the center of the room. Despite there not being anywhere for someone to hide, she looks around, trying to make sense of what she felt.

“Pit are you awake?” She calls out to him.

A slightly groggy voice replies, “Hm? No?”

Palutena walks towards the door to the library. As she reaches for the handle, she feels a presence behind her. Her fist clenches and her staff forms in her hand, the top glowing brightly. In one swift motion she turns and fires a light bullet to the room behind her. Pages fly and books fall to the ground, but nobody is there.

She keeps her guard up, staff aglow with power. “Who’s there?!”

The room stays silent.

She steps towards the center of the room again and observes the damage she caused. She sighs and the light from her staff fades. Her power swarms around the books, bunching them back together and placing them on a free shelf.

“All your knowledge and here you are, confused by the presence of two human children.” A voice suddenly jeers behind her.

She readies her staff again and turns, but again, nobody is there.

“Show yourself” She commands.

An amused hum rings in the air. “You won’t find the information you seek unless I allow you too.”

“How did you get in here?!” She commands again.

“I am here for the girls. We will get aquatinted very soon.”

Palutena tenses. Her voice pierces into the minds of everyone in Skyworld, “Everyone report to me now, and protect the humans, there’s an intruder!”

Pit is immediately up and ready. Link isn’t far behind. Marie quickly gets up and goes to Hazel’s room. Hazel is just getting to her door as Marie reaches her.

“There’s an intruder?” Hazel asks her.

“Guess so-“ Maire answers.

Centurions take guard around them, weapons ready. “For your safety, Lady Palutena requests you join her in the main hall.”

The girls are escorted back into the main hall where Palutena and the others are already waiting. Centurions who are ready for battle dot the room, watching every inch for the intruder. Tension hangs in the air as everyone waits for something to move, or for a new face to appear. Palutena’s halo fends off the creeping moonlight, making it impossible for an intruder to hide in the shadows.

“I appreciate you gathering everyone here in one place.” A voice cuts through.

Everyone turns to look. Standing tall in front of the giant palace doors is a man dressed in gray. His yellow eyes shining through the night. The centurions all aim their weapons at the man, waiting for the order to shoot. He steps towards the group. With a silent affirmation from Palutena, Pit charges at the man. A bladed weapon warps into his hand. He stabs the weapon through the man’s shoulder.

He doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t bleed. His piercing yellow eyes simply stare down at the angel.

Pit’s stance falters, shaken by the complete lack of reaction from the man. “What? How-“

The man calmly grabs the weapon and forces it out of his skin, pushing Pit back a step in the process. Not even a tear in his jacket is left behind.

He continues to walk towards the rest of the group. Stopping in the space between them and Pit.

“I would like to borrow Hazel and Marie for a short while. I’m sure they have many questions, and I am the one with answers.” He states. His tone of voice not offering any readable emotion.

Palutena steps forward, her staff and halo glowing intensely. “You will tell me who you are, and how you got in here!”

“I am Xen. I am the one who brought Hazel and Marie here, and I’d like to give them their proper introductions.”

Marie steps out from behind Palutena’s defensive stance, “Wait you brought us here?”

Hazel chimes in as well, “But why?”

Xen raises his arm and snaps his fingers. On the opposite side of the room a frame forms in place and a portal opens. Palutena steps to the side and looks at the portal with the rest. Xen speaks up, “If the two of you would step through, I can explain everything to you.”

The girls start to drift towards the portal. Link puts a worried hand on Hazel’s shoulder, “This could be a trap!”

“He says he has answers. Why can’t I trust him?” She responds.

Marie juts in, “Trusting in people I’ve just met has turned out good so far.”

She walks over to the portal. Xen begins to walk towards it as well, the Skyworld forces uncharacteristically letting him proceed. He passes Hazel who lingers by Link. As he passes Marie she follows him to the portal.

Hazel steps away and follows as well. As she reaches the edge of the portal’s light Palutena speaks up.

“I don’t trust this. I can’t get a read on him, and anything could be through that portal.” She warns.

Xen gives a sharp exhale, causing Hazel to turn to him. While his face is overall neutral, she noticed the inkling of a smirk. He turns and walks through the portal. Marie lingers at the light, but a moment latter follows him through. Hazel gives once final glance back towards the others before also stepping through the light.

~~~~~

On the other side, the girls step into a clean and bright building. Xen stands ahead of them facing forward. His posture feeling much more inviting in the bright sunlight coming in through the large windows.

“Right this way-“ Xen invites as he turns away from the girls. His tone even seeming friendlier than moments before.

He turns his head, waiting to hear them step forward. The girls exchange a glance before catching up to him.

They all walk forward down the long hallway. Giant windows make up the walls. Marie glances out to see a gleaming city scape. She steps over to the window, surprise in her eyes.

“Wait, we’re back home! You took us home?” She exclaims.

Hazel steps over to the window too. Xen, still a few steps ahead follows their lead. “I have. I much prefer to explain what’s going on in a place you two are comfortable.”

The girls look down at the city below.

#freelancecreatures

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#freelancecreatures