Waiting In The Rain

Story Two- Unknown Replacement

The dark sky spilled all over the empty road in front of the bus stop. It seemed the day his best friend had prayed for was only seconds away at any given time, even if it should have arrived several hours ago.

It just so happened that this was a day Ike had been dreading for a very long time. Roy, he held the title of Marth's closest friend long before he did, and if they were both there, well, Ike knew he could never compete with his predecessor.

Marth, who was standing anxiously beside him, seemed completely unaware of Ike's selfish misgivings, thankfully. Ever since he'd heard Roy would be returning, he'd bore a huge grin without stop. Ike could sincerely say he'd never seen him that happy, which somehow made him bitter with the thought that he was unable to make him smile like that.

Dear Yune, he was being petty about this. Friends were supposed to always be happy for their friend's happiness, no matter what, right? So, he was really just proving his own point the more he resented Roy and how happy he could make Marth. If he couldn't put aside his own worries and just be happy that the person he'd fought beside for so long was happy, then what kind of friend was he?

Biting the inside of his lip, he waited impatiently for the bus to arrive, rain pounding down on their group. Robin gave a small chuckle and began singing something about waiting on the bus in the rain, which Ike had no clue why it made Shulk smile like it did, but he supposed that they were all very bored by then, and any entertainment was welcome. However, said entertainment was brief, as Lucina silenced the tactician with a swift jab to the stomach.

Time seemed to pass like molasses, asking Ike to savor every last second of his status as Marth's best friend before the one it rightfully belonged to reclaimed it for good. But he couldn't talk to him. He couldn't even try, because any time he opened his mouth, it was something about Roy and how excited he was for them to all meet him. Second best to Roy even before he arrived, and no matter how much Marth acted like they'd all be best friends, Ike knew the only thing that Roy would ever be towards him was bitter. After all, a cheap replacement would never be liked by the original.

Faintly, he began to hear something approaching them. The odd groaning of the bus and its bright lights grew closer and closer, until it was staring him right in the face. As it suddenly halted and its doors whirred open, a vaguely familiar figure emerged, one Ike had only ever seen in photographs. He looked older than he had in those portraits, and looked around at them in bewilderment. He didn't believe he had returned any more than the eyes fixated on him did.

After what seemed like an eternity, Marth rushed towards the red-haired boy and flung himself upon him. Given how adverse to physical contact the prince usually was, seeing Marth hug someone was an odd sight, but despite Ike's dread, it still made him smile. If nothing else, at least someone was happy about this.

Lucas emerged next, and Ike would be lying if he said he wasn't glad to see the young psychic. The poor kid had left so suddenly, something must have been wrong at home or something, but the joy on his face suggested whatever it had been had passed. However, he couldn't bring himself to tear his attention away from Marth and Roy long enough to even greet him.

"I-I can't believe you're actually here!", cried Marth, wiping away a tear. "I just- I'm so happy to finally see you again! You've gotten taller, haven't you?"

Roy gave a bright laugh, making it a bit difficult for Ike to think of him as an enemy. He supposed, though, he'd never been anything close to that. "I guess I have," replied his replacement. "You look different too, but I can't place how or why."

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter, not anymore. You're here now, and I can finally fight alongside all the people I care most about," Marth said somewhere between a laugh and a sob, stressing the "all" part a rather lot.

Someone else emerged from the bus before it drove off, but Ike only vaguely registered his presence. He couldn't recognize the man at all, though he somehow made him a bit uneasy. Even still, he zoned out of whatever was happening with him before he could even catch the man's name. It was far too interesting seeing the person who'd stood beside him since he arrived there himself ages ago drifting away to look away, after all.

After a moment, someone loudly told them that they should be headed back, giving Ike a chance to focus on something other than his own selfish misgivings. Roy, however, seemed to take the initiative to make this nigh-impossible by deciding to try to introduce himself. "You're Ike, right?"

Casting a sideways look as he walked alongside the red-haired swordsman, he nodded. "Yeah. So?"

Roy looked a bit confused for a moment before continuing. "It's great to finally meet you! Marth's told me all about you!"

It was his turn to be confused. "He told you about me?", he questioned. Marth was just seeing him for the first time in several years, right? So how had he already told him anything? "When?"

"In his letters," explained Roy. "Always had something nice to say about you and what a good friend you were. Honestly, I've got to thank you for that. Marth hardly talked to anyone other than me back in Melee, so I was a bit worried about him when I had to leave. I'm glad he-"

"So you don't hate me?" Ike let the question slip out of his brain and into his mouth by accident.

The redhead gave a small chuckle. "Of course I don't! Why would I hate you, I barely know you?"

An obvious answer to him, but not at all to Roy? Was his resentment really not shared in the least? "Because I replaced you as Marth's friend?"

"People can have more than one friend, you know," Roy flatly stated. "Even Marth, as impossible as it might sound." An awkward pause in which neither of them could find their words followed, but Roy finally managed to come up with something. "Did you really not know we kept in touch?"

"No, he never mentioned it."

Another voice suddenly entered their conversation. "I suppose I didn't," Marth remarked, almost apologetically. "I just thought you would have figured it out, considering how many letters I write."

Vague memories of letters sealed with the same crest on Marth's cape surfaced. "Oh, yeah. I think I just figured you were writing someone back home or something."

"That… seems reasonable." Marth almost sounded guilty as he said it, like he was slowly realizing that he'd messed up. "I had no idea you thought I only saw you as Roy's replacement."

"Never even crossed your mind?" Somehow, Ike found that hard to believe. For Ashera's sake, he had the same locker number as Roy, what else could Ike have been?

The prince gave a deep sigh. "Ike, I knew you were coming before Roy even received word he was needed in Pherae! You weren't Roy's replacement, that was just how things worked out. Roy even agreed to you sharing our room whenever you arrived."

Years of a creeping feeling that he was completely unneeded except as a proxy for someone who was absent were blown to pieces. "You know, it would have been nice to know that a few years ago," he muttered.

"Well, it's behind us now," Roy declared cheerily. "Can we just put this behind us and be friends?"

Ike was about to shake his hand, but was interrupted by Lucina. "Um, Lord Roy?", she hesitantly began. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt you, but I-"

"Don't tell me," Roy smiled slightly as he met eyes with Marth's descendant. "Lucina, right? Marth told me a lot about you." Extending his hand, he said "It's nice to meet you!"

Lucina's cheeks burned crimson as she shook it. "Nice to meet you as well."

Shulk was now walking alongside them as well. "You're Roy, right? Wow, Pit's going to be excited to meet you, I bet. I've heard a lot about you from Rob-"

"So if she's Lucina, that would make you Robin, right?" Roy extended his hand to the annoyed-looking seer.

"No, actually, I'm Shulk." With an embarrassed cry, Roy looked away in an instant. Despite any animosity he might have had for him being gone, Ike still found his distress rather hilarious. "Robin's over there, if you want to meet him."

Robin, who was a good few paces in front of them, turned back and called "Nah, I'll leave you guys to it. The missus and the ex; I'd much rather watch this than get involved."

It took a good ten seconds before anyone realized what exactly Robin had said. And then, all at once, it seemed realization hit them. Marth turned bright red, Roy groaned, Lucina cried "Robin, you can't make fun of the Hero King!", and Shulk simply laughed his head off. Ike, however, found that was a rather fitting analogy, right up until he realized why everyone else was reacting so violently to it.

AN- Did it feel corny and melodramatic? Sure, but it was inevitable that such a thing would be written, and I might as well do it while I have the chance. I just wanted to see how Ike would react to meeting the person he replaced, that's all. In my defense, I meant for it to be pretty clear Ike's fears were a bit overblown and unfounded. It felt like a bad IkexMarth fic in places, though; a bit more than I intended, even, but it can be interpreted however you like. Robin, however, is a troll and also a complete dork, hence why he makes stupid reference jokes that only Shulk finds funny. Now if only I'd put Dark Pit in here, then I would have represented all of my OTPs. Ryu's arrival story tomorrow, with a focus on friendship between Megaman and Shulk because I know nothing of Street Fighter. So, thanks for reading! –Twilight Joltik