Title: Burning With Questions

Pairing(s): IkeXPit, MarthXPit, LinkXPit

Rating: M

Full Story: Pit has descended from the skies, bringing with him an unquenchable thirst for knowledge about the new world. Being one of the special few to enroll in the Super Smash Brothers competitions he's given the golden opportunity to discover the Earth's treasures, meet new acquaintances and make friends.

He has found many things that he's liked about his new surroundings, and later down the road, a certain person that he heavily admires and looks up to: the mercenary Ike. But… soon the brunet realizes that the tall, masculine man is a special case. Only his voice made him weak in the knees, only his crystal blue hues cause him to stop and stare… Could this innocent admiration possibly mean something much, much more complex for Pit to understand?

Prince Marth Lowell is among the sweet angel's circle of friends, having an almost deadly desire to become Pit's one and only bubbling within him. With his charms, petty kisses and many gifts he tries to draw Pit near him… Sadly, he only see's the young prince as a good friend. Will Marth take the time to win over Pit's heart? Or will he take it by force?

Confused Link has broken up with his longtime girlfriend Princess Zelda… The reason? His feelings towards her aren't as strong as they were in the past. Could this have something to do with the sudden arrival of Pit?

Warning: Rape in later chapters.

A/N: Thank you for bearing with me! I apologize for the un-cool lateness of this chapter. School and such has reduced me to the point where I have no life. I try to make as much time for myself as I can so I can write. C:

Now... out of the few questions that I get regarding Pit's unidentified rapist, it is these that pop up frequently.

I put them in my own words, y'know, to sum them up:

"Who in the hell is his rapist?"
"When is he going to get raped?"
"Is he even going to get raped at all?"

And I shall reply in that order:

"That's for me to know and for you to gasp over."
"It's a secret. -winks-"
"Why would I have a warning mentioning rape on the very first chapter? For shits and giggles?"

-Says with conviction-Pit is going to get raped. Some of you may totally freak over who it is and there are those who might not. But only I truly know who this satanic person is!

So hold on to your hats, you sadists (Hokage knows who you are), Pit'll be tainted fairly soon.

(You all should be ashamed of yourselves. ASHAMED, I say! -cackles-)

In addition, enjoy Chapter Seven and all of its confusion-ness. CB

-Le gasp-

Actual IkeXPitness?

Forgive the mistakes, if any. I'll edit them later.

What do angels dream of?

Peace between worlds of polar opposites which seems unattainable? Unreachable? Unfathomable?

A pure world where the forces of evil, corruption and ceaseless violence die away, overwhelmed by the power of light?

Perhaps there were few that did, few unlike the little angel Pit.

Because the sweetest thing to ever have come out of Angel Land could only dream of clouds. That's right. Fluffy, delightful, happy, white clouds! The clouds that he loved in particular were cumulus. All the other types of clouds weren't as lenient or as plump as this specific, plush buddy! They made excellent playgrounds, and he would know, for Pit often played hide-and-seek and other childish games and activities with his neighborhood and childhood friends whenever he could cut a little time out of his busy and demanding life as a captain. He blended in perfectly with his white toga, snowy wings, and faultless skin, but in most cases, his dark, unruly hair and uncontrollable giggles of anticipation would give him away in an instant.

He'd also invented a game during one of his pastimes that he titled 'Cloud Hopping'. It was unlike any other hopping game, because in Cloud Hopping, you had to hop as fast as you could to a certain distance from one cloud to the other in a certain amount of time. He'd recommend you play it on a significantly sunny day, when the "fattest" clouds are floating about for miles and miles and where you could see the holes... if you slip through one of them, you're immediately disqualified, even if you could fly. He was the fastest cloud-hopper in all the heavens and of course, he proclaimed that title upon himself. And speaking of Cloud Hopping, cumulus clouds were also very bouncy. Forget hopping up and down on a spring mattress. You haven't lived if you've never jumped on a cloud! It was the equivalent to a "trampoline on steroids", but, of course, he did not phrase it that way. Jumping on a cloud was "a jillion times better" Pit energetically explained to his earthly comrades, whom he felt a heap of sympathy for, along with the wingless.

From an earthly point of view, all clouds appeared to do was provide shade on days the moody sun was being relentless, pour water from their bosoms, feeding the plants and animals below, delight little ones with crystalline shapes of wonder, and shroud the Earth's grounds in mystery with its thick, icy haze. What was so special about that? Nothing, if you'd ask Pit, though he did love the snow. Earthlings were really missing out on a lot, in his opinion, because where he came from, clouds did more than that. Way more. They made for very nice pillows, beds and comforters... On those days that Pit could feel lonely and misunderstood, or maybe if he'd been overworked, perhaps someone hurt his feelings—intentionally or not, for who would want to see such a frown upon his face?—he'd settle his small body onto a cloud, curl into a ball and drift into his sacred dreamland. And just what would our bubbly angel dream about? The very thing he slept upon: a feathery cloud. Clouds were his most favorite things in the universe. What came second, though, or rather who—was the tall man who rushed his lifeless body to Doctor Mario's infirmary, trying simultaneously to not shake him out of his angelic slumber.

The caring mercenary whom his heart harbored strong, dormant feelings for...

Ike Greil.

He was the one questioning himself what angels dreamt about because Pit's face seemed so relaxed, as if he were simply taking a midday catnap. You wouldn't even think he'd just gotten pummeled by Bowser and Ganon only minutes ago... but just one glance at his blood-stained back told the whole, terrifying story. The crimson blood of the celestial boy's wings smeared across Ike's wrist and elbows had begun to harden and crust... It roused uncomfortable feelings and thoughts in the swordsman's mind... How could anyone do this...?

Sure, everyone gets a little blood on them during one tournament or another. They get bruises and scratches here and there and a couple bumps to the noggin, but in the end all would be well, and the teammates would shake hands with one another. No hard feelings hindered their relationships. But, during that last match, that could not be said for Pit. The malicious duo held something against him, alright.

But who in their right mind could ever have anything against this boy? He is as sweet as sugar itself—that was the only enemy Ike could think of. Sugar. What was sweeter than sugar? Pit was. By a landslide. He was loving and generous as any angel should be! He was bouncy, vivacious and happy... and could only see and would only seek for the good in all of those that surrounded him. Even the two, undeserving, hateful kings themselves, though Ike was pretty sure nothing could come of good from them. Why would they want to harm such a harmless being? Why would they want to see him shed blood and yelp with hurt and fear? For their own sadistic pleasures?

They were not playing fair. This entire competition was made to solely show good sportsmanship, respect others around you, and ultimately to boast strength. Ganondorf and Bowser simply and intentionally boasted far too much of it in a negative way, the very product of such rude, thoughtless behavior limply resting motionlessly in his arms...

I'm almost there, Pit.

Hold out for a little while longer.

------

"Alright, Lucas! Be-a careful out there!"

The little, blonde boy, proudly sporting a red and blue Band-Aid on his right knee cap, nodded and hobbled away towards the coliseum just when Doctor Mario's next patient arrived on anything but a white bed. But if Pit were conscious, he wouldn't want to have it any other way...

"Doctor, Pit needs immediate attention," pushed Ike earnestly.

Doctor Mario's cerulean eyes took one glance at the scarred boy and slapped his forehead, his parabolic reflector jiggling in response.

"Pit again?! My, my, I-a just treated this-a boy less-a than twenty-four hours ago I bet! Ahh, at-a any rate, come. Come in..." The doctor widened his wavering, white door for him, "...Careful there!"

"Thank you," Ike said, turning his body horizontally so that he could enter smoothly without any additional bumps to Pit's precious head. It wasn't as if he needed any more, anyway. The swordsman was overcome with hazardous fragrances of alcohol and irritating sound of the buzzing, fluorescent, white lights...

"So... what happened to him this-a time?" questioned Doctor Mario walking to one of his many spacious counters, shelving away bottled, cotton balls, medical instruments and bloodied utensils all ranging from dull and blunt to sharp and severely threatening. He hadn't gotten the opportunity to clean up due to the winged boy's untimely, yet expected, arrival. Pit practically lived in the clinic because of his fragile, feathery appendages.

"Uh... well, he'd just finished a team match with Captain Falcon; he was up against Ganondorf and Bowser... and... I'm guessing you know the rest."

"Ah yes... those two are-a ruthless... Ike? You can-a set him down over there. Just pull-a back the white curtain and there-a should be a bed."

"Okay. Thank you, sir."

In all truth, Ike would rather continue to carry him. He didn't want to let Pit down not even for one, hot second; he seemed to be safer in his arms. But the mercenary followed the medic's directions, and there indeed was a lengthy, hospital bed hidden behind the curtain. A small, bright grin crept onto Ike's lips as they smiled upon the cradled boy...

"Here you go..."

Gingerly, the swordsman placed the heavenly body upon the frigid, hard excuse for a bed. A bed was supposedly soft, warm and welcoming. This was anything but that, but Ike knew better than anyone that you had to make do with what you could. With his large, gentle hands, he straightened and positioned the little one's body as if he were about to undergo a good night's rest. But even in such a warm position, he looked as if he were so... cold. Lost, broken, depleted... Ike figured the least he could do for him was scavenge about and find a blanket or some sort of gentle cloth to comfort him. There had to be one lying around somewhere... Perhaps at one point in the time the children of the manor requested for one if they had the fever or some common, ailing cold or sickness. But the mercenary did not have the time to seek one out. After thoroughly wiping down his area with one of his thousands of nauseating disinfectants, Doctor Mario came whirling in uninvited on Ike's intimate moment with the winged boy, a metal pole that was roughly as tall as himself joining him. A clear, chilled IV pack of normal saline suspended from it, the small wheels screeching and complaining all the way to its rightful location, next to Pit's bed.

"Alright, let's-a see here..."

The medic grabbed the ear pieces of his stethoscope that clung around his nonexistent neck into his ears, lightly rolling Pit from off his side—where Ike had thought he'd feel the most comfortable on if he were conscious—and flat on his back after he had carefully retracted his wings. He set the metal piece onto his left breast, listening intensely for any troubling signs from his little heart.

"Hmm... Good. Good, good. His heart-a rate is a little slow, almost normal, but that is-a expected. How long has-a he been out?"

"I would say... for about ten minutes. Yes, I would say ten."

"Splendid. It's-a good that you've got him here on-a time."

Doctor Mario unplugged his ears, allowing the stethoscope to suspend freely from his neck once again, reaching inside of his white lab coat as he sought out his trusty ophthalmoscope (1). He flipped the switch as if he's done it a million times before (which he has, probably), a bright, bluish-white light shining through a single, glass lens. The doctor then used his fingers to pry open Pit's eye—just like Ike had done to free him of the acidic, grapefruit juice—revealing the amethyst jewel that lay hidden, protected, and undisturbed underneath the angel's eyelids. He shined the magnificent light on both of them for a thorough inspection, his thumb spinning the tiny, black wheel on the utensils, zooming out and in.

"Oh yeah... His-a pupils are-a nice and dilated."

Ike instinctively knew that couldn't have meant good news... or could it? He wasn't much of a doctor; he did know how to treat some of the basic of wounds, but don't ask him what to do when a person becomes unconscious. He couldn't help you there.

The mercenary stood back and watched Doctor Mario prepare an IV for his sleeping patient; the purple butterfly needle pricking into his skin did not even seem to wake the poor boy. Pit did not like needles... and Ike could only worry more.

"There. All-a done," the medic announced with pep in his tone, professionally taping over the needle after setting a folded, white gauge atop of it.

"...Huh?"

"All-a done. I am-a finished. Normal saline is-a all he needs."

...Really? That's all he had to do? Stick a needle in him and boom?

Finished?

Ike wasn't catching on all that well. Surely far more had to be done. What about the blood? What about the bruises and... and the bleeding scars?! Didn't he need to treat those, too? I mean, Ike could've done what he did, if given the required materials, of course.

"Uh... forgive me for questioning your work, Doctor, but... It seems to me that all you've done is put a needle into him and left it at that."

"And-a that is all I needed to do. You see, Ike, this is-a where you are-a misinformed. Do you ever wonder why Pit can-a come into my infirmary bloody and worn, and then-a leave a few hours later without a blemish on his body?"

The man took this question heedfully... Yes, he'd asked himself that whenever he was faced with a situation like that... There wasn't a single, traceable, detectable fault on his limbs, head, etc., and he'd be twice as bubbly as he had prior to his rough, merciless beating. Just recently he'd asked himself that inquiry when he said "Goodnight" to Pit that evening King Dee Dee Dee got him pretty good with his star mallet, and he was out for a good two hours with a lump buried in the depths of his chocolate locks. But when those two hours transpired, Pit was lump-free and unfazed, ready and eager to take on his next opponent. Doctor Mario swore that he did not give him any ice to reduce the swelling, or anything else for that particular matter. He gave him fluids, and that was pretty much all he needed. Why was this?

"Um... Yeah. I wonder that sometimes."

Doctor Mario pressed a few buttons on a heart monitor to the right of him. It slowly booted up, blinking the number zero, emitting that chilling "beeeep" sound, the noise you hear when someone's heart has failed... or worse yet, when someone has died. Ike internally questioned where those "sticky ends" were that stuck to the patient's chest, the medical term being electrodes, hooking them up to the machine... and soon to the sweet angel Pit.

"Pit is a special boy. He is-a not mortal like you and I, in spite of his human appearances. I've learned when-a stricken with physical pain and ruined with markings, just-a give him a few hours and he'd be as flawless as he's ever been. Maybe his-a kind regenerates much faster than-a mortals do, but who knows? He doesn't need ointment or-a other necessities. Just-a give him time, rest and fluids and he'll-a shine like new."

Doctor Mario then gently loosened the angel's toga, which was now somewhat of an off-white color and bore random, scattered splotches of his blood, to reveal his upper torso region. He carefully peeled back Pit's dark, clingy undergarment just so he could access his chest and finally stick the pair of receptors onto his body. This was the moment when a very lightly blushing Ike realized how petite and fragile Pit actually was. As his azure hues were greatly refreshed at the sight of the angel's topless figure—sure, a little disgusted at the bruises that tarred his creamy skin—he thoughtfully recorded all that had been revealed to him. Pit's collarbone jutted prominently beneath his chin like little hills... There, beneath the thin layer of his white skin, was a hint of his ribs, his upper body steadily rising and falling as he breathed... He had the cutest, little belly button, and rising and falling along with his tummy were two, bright pink nipples. They appeared to the mercenary as two, watchful eyes that socked him right in the face. He shouldn't be looking at an angel's unclothed body. It had to be a sin to do such a lewd thing... though they were beautiful creatures, were they not?

"Ahh... he's-a taken quite a beating... Those-a two ought to be ashamed of themselves... He's-a such a sweet boy..." commented the doctor, placing the two electrodes just an increment above the boy's perked nipples, giving Ike another reason to avert his wanderlust eyes.

Beep... Beep...

The men turned their heads to the screen; instead of seeing a blinking zero, the screen now read seventy-three. It fluctuated here and there in numeric range, but it did not escape the safety range of a healthy heart rate of an unconscious being. Ike breathed... he didn't know if seventy-three, eighty-nine, or ninety-one were numbers he should be concerned about, but at least it wasn't zero, which, in some cases, could be a very troubling number.

"Sixty to a hundred beats per minute... He's-a doing quite good. Well-a Ike, there is-a nothing for you to worry about! When he's-a ready, he'll be on his way to the coliseum!"

"...How long do you think it'll take for him to... wake up?"

Doctor Mario "hmm"ed, overlooking the little one's current, physical state.

"It really depends, how bad was-a this beating?"

"...Pretty bad, though I did not witness all of it. But he was beaten pretty bad... heartlessly, actually."

"Ah, then it may take a while for-a him to heal. I've-a learned that over the few times he's stumbled through those doors."

Ike's head sank for the floor.

"Oh, a-alright..." hopefully it will not take long, "...Um. I will be back shortly. Link's given Pit a bouquet and I'd like to give it to him as a little comfort gift... for when he arises."

"Aw, that is-a very thoughtful of you, Ike! What a sweet gesture! I'm sure Pit will-a feel very much loved once-a he wakes and sees those flowers!"

The blushing mercenary slowly thinned his strawberry-pink lips as he smiled, though his eyes did not appear as happy as lips were mirrored to be. He looked to the petite, placid body sprawled helplessly like a specimen on the blue, hospital bed.

I'll come back for you, Pit.

"Thank you, doctor, for all of your help."

Doctor Mario flushed over with a healthy pink tint. He slapped his cheeks with his gloved hands, plastering them onto his round, pie face.

"Ho ho! There's-a no need to thank me!" He didn't do much, but Ike was being courteous, "You're the one who should be-a thanked. And I'm-a sure Pit would be doing that as we speak... if he were conscious, of course."

And though both men were unaware of what brewed in the young angel's subconscious, he wasn't dreaming of the puffy, white companion of the infinite sky... but he was dreaming of tackling the human tree to the ground, encompassing the indigo-haired individual with his small arms, giving him many, many thanks...

And not daring to let him go.

------

"IKE! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?! HOW'S PIT?! IS HE OKAY?!"

"Please answer him, Ike," Link pleaded from his lap, "He's been giving me a friggin' headache."

The mercenary chuckled in his throat at the unsettled, wired prince and the Hylian's remark... but his chuckle was that of a nervous one. And the distraught Prince Marth could easily sense it.

"Oh how is my little angel?! Is he deathly hurt?! Is something wrong with him?!"

"I am, um, sorry for making you wait... Pit is doing well. He's alright. The doctor said all he needs is a little sleep and he should be fine," Ike turned to the Hylian who was resting his heavy, throbbing head on his thighs in the stands, "Link, do you have Pit's flowers? I'd like to leave them for him in the infirmary for when he wakes... if you do not mind."

Hell yeah I mind. Those are my freaking roses.

The blonde lifted his head, a forced smile on his parted, coral lips.

"Oh, you mean the roses you literally shoved into my chest whilst knocking the wind out of me? Yep..." he reached behind him, revealing the lively bunch of happy roses to the reddened swordsman, "...here ya go."

"...I sincerely apologize for that," he muttered bashfully to his comrade, humbly receiving the bouquet, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Ike created the most handsome smile it nearly made Link's heart swoon. Nearly. An involuntary action, for sure. The man was a charmer; he could see why Pit had subconsciously fallen for him. Ike left the swordsmen once again after shaking off a leeching, babbling Marth who suffocated him with indignant pleas to take him along.

"I've got it, Prince Marth. It'll only take me a minute. Please release my leg..."

Link didn't bother to stop him... At least it wasn't his leg he was tugging at like a two-year-old. Marth wouldn't dare do such a thing, though.

He'd get kicked square in the face.

Unlike Ike, Link actually liked Pit. And he did his best to express those developing emotions whilst, simultaneously, suppressing them to keep others from noticing. Well, he was unaware of what or how the mercenary felt about the angel... so he couldn't necessarily prove that to be a solid fact. Or maybe that's what Ike was trying to do, too... or doing. Concealing his feelings to keep others in the dark... He certainly did not exploit any type of romantic feelings for the chipper angel as much as Prince Marth did... if he harbored any. No one knew how he truly felt... only Ike knew where his thoughts for the little one lie.

And that's what frustrated the prince and Link to tears.

"The mere nerve of that man!" Marth exploded once Ike disappeared behind the entrance doors of the mansion. He deepened his perky voice to perfectly parrot that of the mercenary's, scrunching his face to best resemble his as he moaned, "'I don't think that's necessary. I'll only be a few minutes'! Hmph!I can see my angel whenever I please! Who's he to say what I can and cannot do?! I don't see him kissing his brow! Or escorting him to breakfast! Or lulling him to slee—!"

"—Marth. If you don't shut—the—hell—upI might just lose my mind and break my foot off in your non-existent, narrow ass. And if you're so angry about it then why don't you just march your non-existent, narrow ass up to the infirmary and go see him? There's nothing stopping you. It'd surely give me relief, that way I wouldn't have to continue to hear you bitch and moan over something that's totally fixable."

Link spat that in such a frightening, chilling tone, it seeped through the prince's uniform, crawled up to his back and startled the few, hidden hairs that dwelled there. The Hylian could be scary, and he could be scary as hell, but no one was the boss of Prince Marth Lowell. He was his own boss, he took orders from only himself, and that was the exact kind of attitude that got him the ruined, scarlet eye and fractured rib. Well, they say you never stop learning, so maybe he'd learn one day... But would it be by the hard way... again?

"Oh... well excuse me," Prince Marth stressed, flinging a flimsy hand in the air, "Don't take your piteous anger out on me just because Ike totally claimed your flowers. That's what you're pissed about, yes?"

"I'M NOT 'PISSED' ABOUT ANYTHING!"

Marth, satisfied with his uneasy reaction, giggled like a felon, "You're still so transparent... Well I certainly hope you're happy, Mr. Compassion. At this rate, in a few weeks Ike will be all over Pit like slime on snails thanks to all of your windows of opportunity! Sometimes, you have to be a little selfish to get what you want. That's your problem, Link. You're too nice, but I guess you're new to this. So allow me to give you a brief lesson on the basics of love..."

The noble swordsman took a seat in the stands close to the blonde, beginning to share his expertise. Link's head remained lowered as he fought the impulse that begged him to pop him right in his mouth. Whoever had problems, it was Marth. He was the one with the problems. All of Smash Manor knew that... or Link did. Everyone didn't receive the same treatment that Marth so easily and maliciously dished out at him.

"You want Pit, right?"

"...Yeah."

"And you truly, truly love him? A lot? And I'm not talking petty love. I'm talking love. That indescribable, burning desire... An everyday, insatiable lust for his flesh—"

"—I could go without the last part—very much unlike you—but yes. I'm in love with Pit."

"Oh please. Don't play the 'innocent, nice guy' role. You know what you do late at night—" Link cringed internally here, "—And no you're not in love with Pit! Not as much as you say you are, and would you, dear friend, like to know how I know that? It's fairly simple! You are willingly allowing another man to come between your goals... What you want. For example, I'll use what just happened...

...Those were your flowers! You should've stood up to Ike and said, 'No. I will take my bouquet that I personally made for Pit to Pit. Go find your own damn roses'. But nope, Pushover Link showed up and off waltzed Ike with your roses, getting all the credit once Pit awakes. And that is simply unacceptable! What, are you scared of him?! Now if you really loved someone, you'd do everything you could to keep them close to your side and away from those who might be interested."

Marth stopped there to place a hand on his chest, identifying himself, "Take Yours Truly for example. I love Pit and every brown strand on his precious, little head, but you don't see me letting every man give him combat lessons, or visit him in the hospital, or take my flowers that I've made for him to him. Ike's an exception for now; I have yet to find out how to deal with him... I may look like and give off as a complete asshole to others, but hey, in the end, I get what I want. Or, hee, I will eventually."

After soaking in the prince's surprisingly helpful advice, the blonde archer erupted with chuckles as he flung his head out of his lap, facing his comrade whom he almost saw as an equal human being... with actual feelings.

It was a horribly rare occurrence.

"Why the hell are you telling me this? I just insulted the shape of your ass minutes ago."

Marth grinned, slapping his back, "Because you're going at it all wrong, my homosexual friend! And in this game, you have to protect what's yours, especially if you're male and if the person you're after is an utter cupcake like Pitto. You have to be twice as aggressive and twice as nasty; you make no compromises for anything or anyone! But I assume since you were previously into women you're still a little too gentle in your approach..."

The Hylian eyed the gentle hand and seemingly genuine smile on his comrade's swollen lips.

"I don't know whether I should slap you first or tell you to take your hand off of me."

"Either or. It doesn't matter. But you should feel grateful. I just gave some of the most sincere advice I'd ever given, moreover, to my greatest rival. I don't trust Ike with Pit, no matter how... charming or... strangely sexy he may appear. And if I had to give my darling princess away—which will never happen, so don't get your hopes up—you would be the only one I'd trust that'd treat him right."

(A/N: Yes, you read right. "Princess".)

"You're lying to me, aren't you?"

"Correct! Now you're learning!"

Prince Marth removed his hand, the playfulness that the blonde was accustomed to returning in his aquamarines—well, his non-bloated one, he lulled the other with his dripping ice pack.

"But that advice was the honest truth. You can take it or leave it, it doesn't concern me. I have no problem keeping Pit all to myself, you know, but that doesn't mean that I'm up for sharing."

This truly was a rare happening. Link truthfully didn't know what to say... Marth was opening his heart to him—or whatever the beating piece of mass was beneath his ribcage—something he hadn't done in... months. He would say years, but he hasn't known Marth personally for that long. He was not familiar with this gentle-natured being before him. It... it felt almost like the good old days... When things were so much simpler back then, when they were such good friends...

...all three of them.

But these weren't the good old days. Oh no. Those days that reigned and sprinkled with friendship and joy twenty-four hours and seven days a week were long gone the second Pit set foot upon the Smash mansion's soil.

"Well... Just 'cause you gave me some pointers doesn't mean we're friends."

"Who said I wanted to be your goddamn friend? I just don't like seeing straight-men-turned-gay making the wrong moves. It irks me."

"I'm not homosexual, for your information."

"Oh? Then what are you?"

"That doesn't pertain to you. And I only like Pit. He's the exception. So that doesn't necessarily mean I take an interest in men—"

"—Link. Pit is a boy. He's a male. By God, he has a penis believe it or not. Therefore, you are homosexual. You do know what that is, don't you? Or must I explain that in great detail, too?"

Link smiled at the royal smart aleck, slapping his back like he'd done him, though with a lot more pressure. Nearly enough to knock him out cold, which was clearly his intention on the sly. As much as he hated to admit it, he was right.

Dead right.

Smart-ass...

"...Ihate you, Marth," Link uttered with such passion behind his words, and a feeble smile to boot.

"Awww... andI hate you, too, Link," the prince chirped, a few more "pats" to the back.

Ike returned from the infirmary a handful of minutes afterwards, and he was just about as verbal as an oak tree. "Oak trees do not talk!" you may be saying, and that's exactly what I'm aiming at. He did not speak.

At all.

He was tense... everywhere. On edge. Blank. Blanched. The man didn't even hear his name announced to fight. He seemed too preoccupied with his thoughts, with tapping his metal-plated boots—which agitated the Hylian in no time—with tormenting his lower lip with his teeth. Link was very, very stricken and bemused at his behavior at how uncanny he was being with hiding his emotions. Could it be his concern for Pit that had him reacting this way? And if so... why was he deciding to display them now? This certainly had Prince Marth and Link scratching their heads and arching their eyebrows...

There were countless other times that Pit's been hurt, so why is it now that he decides to worry?

------

On an abnormally bright and sunny day, Pit was hopping about like a little leapfrog in an endless field of cumulus—his lily pads—without a concern tainting his pure thoughts, blessed by the rays of the star. He was basking in the warming presence of his happy world, free of fear, free of anguish, free of violence... It was just him, the infinite, cerulean sky and its eternal companions—the sun and clouds—an atmosphere rich in happiness and glee.

He was not alone on the lovely, shiny day. His comrade Ike was in on the cloud-hopping fun, too, chasing down the runaway angel as he leapt here and there while their race commenced.

"You cannot catch me, Ike!" the little brunet sang to his friend who wobbled a few meters behind him, the light, sweet air caressing his bare skin, "I am the reigning Cloud Hopping champion of the universe!"

Ike laughed, his chuckles echoing, "Oh yes I will! I'm coming for you, Champ!"

"Ha ha~!"

The clean, summer air became dominated with the angel's infectious giggles as his sandals left little dents in the clouds, Ike struggling to catch up to the natural flyer. From time to time Pit would peer over his shoulder, snickering at the foreseen, sluggish pace of his earthbound friend. He'd purposely slow down just to be kind when he felt he was going a little too fast... and he was in the middle of doing so, when out of the blue—literally, taking that they were miles above the Earth—he ran straight into something rough, solid and chillingly cold. He wasn't going all that fast, but he felt like he'd just ran smack-dab into a brick wall!

Pit fell back on a faithful cloud, shaking his head as locks of chocolate slapped against his face. Amethysts unveiled themselves to observe this unexpected "road block". If he did not hurry soon, Ike would beat him to the finish line! And what a disgrace that would be!

But winning was far from his simple mind once those precious jewels treaded upon the so-called road block—the breathing, frighteningly gigantic, unhappy-looking king of shadows... Ganondorf. The dark lord was so unbelievably large—reigning several hundred stories high—why, his head could rip through the fabric of the sky if he were an inch taller. Light fled from his humbling presence, as did the clouds Pit rested on, which now appeared to be solidified darkness. The brunet's once, happy, sparkly world dematerialized before his innocent eyes.

An evil smirk that would have the Devil himself shake in his boots spread onto his thin, chapped lips, complimented by that signature, throaty chuckle that Link couldn't stand. He seemed to be very pleased by the reaction of the terrified little one below. One could tell in his evil snigger...

"Heh heh heh..."

"G-Ganondorf—?"

Suddenly, there was a rather raspy growl, and out with it a blazing stream of sweltering fire that scorched the air and the pores on the boy's body.

"Eeep!"

Poor Pit could've had his heart leap out of him right then. If things couldn't get any worse for the boy, the world's favorite, unremitting reptile made his arrival known with a friendly, ear-splitting roar that sounded as if fifty billion grand finale firecrackers were fired off all at once. The angelic being slowly turned his head and was instantly eye-to-eye with the fire-breathing king, except his bloodshot eye was much, much bigger than that of the angel's. He, too, was hellishly distorted in height, and if such a word existed, Pit was clearly "out-heighted".

Bowser, with his arms held out to his sides and hands readied to rip his head clear from his scrawny shoulders, began snarling at the sight of the boy like a fat, orange cat would do a witty, grey mouse. And sure enough, Pit was that witty, grey mouse, but he was caught up in admiring his opponents glinting teeth at the moment. The kings' glares were so astonishingly great; they kept his teensy body pinned to the floor like a butterfly on display in its framed, glass grave.

W-What is happening?! Why are they here?!

A-Are they going to hurt me?

Where is...

Wh-Where is Ike?!

Where had the mercenary gone off to?! Had he abandoned him?!

"Ike?" Pit peeped like a shaken chick, and, like magic, beside him popped the swordsman from a whisk of smoke, standing to the left of him... normal height much to the angel's dismay. But just him being there granted Pit the strength to stand on his shaken knees, and even a teensy smile on his full lips.

"Ike!! Thank goodness you are here! I thought you left me... Do you know what is going on? Why is it so dark?! A-And why are they so big and we are so small?! And what happened to the clouds?! Where are we?! I am..." he whispered this, "...scared!"

The cobalt-haired individual—oddly enough with his back against him—did not in any way, shape, or form respond to him as far as the boy could see... and this vexed him.

"Ike...?" he reached for him, "Ike, did you not hear me—?"

Softly, the angel tapped his shoulder with a weak finger, and faster than his eyes could blink, from the very point his finger touched Ike, the man withered into fine dust particles. Pit small jaw dropped to his bare toes, a silent, breezeless wind, lulling the dust into its hold and spun them up into the air above his brown head. He watched in horror as the remains of his one and only hero escape from his little hands at such a speed, not even his wings would successfully carry him to the particles in time before they vanished without a provable trace.

"I-Ike?! Where did you go?! Where are you?! Ike?!"

"Don't waste your precious breath, half-pint. He's not coming to save you. Hmph... No one's coming to save you, heh heh..."

He called helplessly for his mercenary friend, snapping his head in all directions for any signs of his being. A cacophony of deep gurgles, howls and cackles totally eliminated all other audible disruptions in the celestial one's sharp hearing. They rattled all five of his senses, forcing him to his shins as grueling chuckles seem to close in on him... to bind him... to suffocate him. The air became a thick and very sensible burden on Pit's back, shoulders and lungs.

The oxygen in the black air seem to lessen...

"Stop it..." he gently pleaded to the kings, his hands acting as sound-resisting plugs, but the waves seem to have permeated through his fleshy barrier and directly into his ear canal, increasing rapidly in volume.

"Stop it... Stop laughing!"

Ganondorf and Bowser simply did not cease, or they cared not to listen to the boy's cheeps of tranquility... They caved closer, closer, closer—circling him like a pack of purposely-starved lions who pictured him as a tender, trembling sirloin steak, grilled to perfection. If this continued, it would only be a matter of time until...

Until—!

"Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it—!!"

"—STOP IT! STOP IT!!"

Pit sprang to attention with that startling screech, the electrodes popping off his body in a forceful yank. Doctor Mario—who'd dozed off at one of his counters while writing a statement—flew out of his mobile stool as if being electrocuted by an invisible herd of demented jellyfish.

"SWEET-A MACARONI!!"

His parabolic reflector grew wings, plunging into the wall which the snoozing medic fell back upon. He was lucky that it did not break.

"STOP IT! STOP IT—LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Beep!! Beep!! Beep!! Beep!!

With his eyelids seemingly stapled shut, the angel fought off an unseen enemy, his limbs acting as those of a spazzing newborn, punching the air in an aimless fashion with an expression of resentment and fear spoiling his sweet countenance. Doctor Mario sprang from the cold, white floor upon hearing the strident distress of the winged one. He straightened out his medical headgear, one leg strangling its counterpart as he reported to the bed steadfastly to see about his troubled patient.

"P-Pit! What is-a the matter?!" the doctor called after a brief, deadly tango with the curtains. The heart monitor screamed with the harshness of electricity due to the abrupt change in the angel's heart rate, but that was no comparison to his sharp shrills. He delivered a high-noted, tear-inducing cry, why professional opera singers would deem it excruciatingly loud.

"Pit! Calm-a down!"

"Stop laughing! Do not touch me!"

Doctor Mario successfully gained a grip of Pit's small, flinging wrists, but that did not stop him from defending himself with his feet. And yes, he was doing all of this with his eyes shut, raising all sorts of hell in the doctor's office. He'd have to wake him right away, before things became unbearable.

"No! Let go of me!!"

He was misconstruing real life for his dream.

"Pit!! Open your eyes!!"

The little one halted his violent assault and fanned his thick lashes, opening his eyes which were as wide as the skin-puckering electrodes dangling hopelessly from the edge of the narrow bed.

"Hu... Huh?"

Pit was returned the liberty of freely using his wrists. He yanked his head to the left of him, then the right, above him, also, and down to the exposed part his meager figure. He registered that he was within the confines of the infirmary, but many questions juggled about in his mind. With a tilt to his noggin, the angel asked himself, "The infirmary...? B-But... How?"

Doctor Mario straightened his parabolic reflector, "Ah, you are-a awake finally! I imagine you had a bad dream?"

"Bad dream...?"

Pit burrowed into deep thought, when a sudden, terrifying flash of a smiling Ganondorf and Bowser tormented his memory.

"AH! YES!! A nightmare! W-Well! It... It was not really a nightmare..."

"Really?" the medic fetched his clipboard and ink pen to begin his analysis, "How-a so?"

...Perhaps that wasn't the best possible question to ask. Pit explained to the doctor all that had happened in his dream, even shedding light on the teensiest, irrelevant details, yapping away and dulling the doctor's hearing. But he wasn't wholeheartedly listening word for word; it was fairly difficult doing two things at once when it came to inspecting Pit from his precious head to his feet, recording his findings and dodging his flapping arms. The little captain made for an excellent storyteller on the flipside, and he could not seem to tell a simple story without some jittery, physical outbursts. Nonetheless, it told Doctor Mario that his energy had definitely returned to him full throttle. A beating would never change that, for sure.

"—A-And then I opened my eyes and I saw you!"

Pit's elaborately acted-out eventually tale drew to a close.

"Ah? That's-a how it went? It sounded like a pretty scary dream!"

"It was a little scary; I felt scared when Ike left me all alone, too. But I will not feel that way anymore! Because I am going to get much stronger! Then that way I will be capable of defeating anyone that will cross my path! Ike is going to train me also! So I will be extra strong on top of that!"

Doctor Mario sheathed his ink pen in the pocket protector of his lab coat. Pit was so very entertaining. He was like a breath of fresh air that could not be directed by anyone or anything. A walking, breathing, flying optimist. That was something to admire tremendously; not everyone possesses a spirit such as his.

And they wouldn't.

Because Pit is an angel. The purest of the pure.

"That's-a the ticket, Pit! I believe in you!"

"You do?!"

"Yes! One-hundred percent! And since we are-a entering positive territory, I-a have some great news to tell you! Despite your... previous condition, I should say, you have-a bounced back health-wise over two-hundred percent! You are-a lucky that Ike brought you in when he did!"

Pit fixed his body posture, nearly springing off the hospital bed like a little rocket.

"Ike?! He brought me here?!"

The young angel took a necessary, momentous pause to rewind back to the last, recallable seconds of consciousness before he'd entered his unnatural realm of nightmares. That's when that harmonic, fuzzy presence manifested itself to him...

"You're an excellent captain, Pit..."

It struck him; he remembered! He recalled the gentle smile and his velvet, husky voice... the soft hand in his hair that felt so good... It gave him the warm "fuzzies" recollecting such things, and of course, he could not explain why.

"Oh, yes. I... remember now."

He smiled to himself...

Maybe that is why I dreamed of him.

"Uh huh! He-a came and made-a sure you were treated. He stopped in to check on you a few times after he-a left, along with some of the others. He was even so kind enough as to drop off your—"

"—MY ROSES!"

Pit ripped his bouquet from the medic as if he carried some virus that would become a threat to his flowers, snuggling them and breathing in their crisp, outdoorsy aroma. He fed them his sweet carbon dioxide whether he knew it or not, till he was pink in the face.

"My pretty, pretty flowers!! I am so happy to see you! And you are unharmed! I must go to the coliseum and thank Ike immediately!"

"W-Wait Pit—"

"—Thank you for taking care of me, Doctor Mario! Enjoy the rest of your day!"

"But-a Pit—!"

He could not get a single word in for anything in the world. The boy hauled out of that white-walled room with the speed of a jack rabbit and with the spirit of the sun. The only hindrance with his plan was... the matches were over, and it was dinnertime. Meaning that it was very, very dark outside, and Pit had slept for hours and hours, despite how seemingly short his dream felt. Doctor Mario's infirmary did not have any windows to peer out of, so of course he would not have known this.

But Pit would soon find out.

He would.

------

Meals were consumed in silence... a mourning silence for the absence of the mansion's most valuable treasure. Suppertime in the Smash manor was not the same without the boisterous Pit there to dazzle its crystal walls. Or—since it was suppertime—to scarf down the entire dessert table all by himself, delighting nearly all that watched him in astonishment, and sickening a few others. Where did he put it all, the residents wondered, his stomach had to have the capacity of an orange judging solely on his petite body!

Link was looking forward to his angelic crush's comeback as the tournaments carried on. He looked forward to laughing hysterically at his poor yet dazzling attempts of charming him with his recently-learned jokes, his cute, cocky remarks when successfully triumphing over an opponent, his sweet, thoughtfully-created cheers that could easily be identified above all others whenever Link was out on the battlefield, giving it his all:

"Link! Link! He is our man! If he cannot do it, then—um—nobody will!"

...No one had the heart to tell him that that was not how the phrase went—he was simply too adorable—but the Hylian looked forward to all of it.

The angel never returned; Doctor Mario allowed zero hospital visits after a specified time. Why was beyond him, but he respected the doctor's wishes as did all the others, disregarding how utterly absurd it was. Marth was on the very brink of the brink of breaking that timely rule, wearing his fiery emotions on his face, something he rarely did. His hateful, blue eyes drilled into the cold-hearted Ganondorf's head, his arms and long legs crossed, his foot tapping away beneath the extensive table. Ganon paid him no mind like he did all the others, but he surely felt those puncturing eyes. And every Pit-less second that wasted away, Marth had a more than likely chance of leaping out of his chair and plunge for the dark lord, happily giving him a good beating. And Link would not have to be asked twice to jump in and join him.

Because he wouldn't, and watching Marth get beaten to death would lighten the heavy mood that poisoned them. But Link did not give up hope in spite of how dismal things were looking, he did not succumb to the noxious thoughts and feelings that the others were tormented with. Instead of anticipating bad news, he prepared for the angel's return by rounding up as many treats as possible, without making it too obvious. Tonight they were serving gourmet chocolate éclairs for dessert, one of Pit's many favorite desserts because of the buttery-sweet cream that spontaneously oozed from its flaky insides onto his fingers whenever he bit into them. Link also favored that sweet treat for that very reason...

Again, with the sinful thoughts.

Ike on the opposite side of the fence could not detect anything other than what was swimming around in his head like befuddled goldfish. He dragged his silverware around in his thick, onion soup, distorting his reflection in the broth. Link eyed him closely as he had been doing all day, sipping slowly on his tea.

He's been like this since he's come back from the infirmary...

If only he could somehow jump into his mind and read his thoughts. It would save him so much trouble...

"I am worried for him," the mercenary finally spoke, as if he could read Link's own private thoughts or feel his eyes in the roots of his hair. What devastation that would be!

"I can see that," Link smoothly replied to the man adjacent to him.

"Ah... it shows?"

"You look pathetic, man."

Ike chuckled bashfully, scratching his head, though it did not itch, "I... I did not mean for my emotions to get the best of my appearances. It's... it's just... seeing him like that... And holding his body in my arms... and... and he has not returned since. Who could do that to an angel? One would naturally express their feelings if concerned. Why you don't seem to be fazed the least bit."

Those last, couple words muttered from the taller individual paralyzed the Hylian. Now Link didn't know about anyone else, but to him, he was getting the vibe that Ike was being smart with him. Was he saying because he wasn't totally looking pathetic like he was that he didn't really care about Pit's current state? Luckily, he did not have a "dog-cat" relationship like he had with the prince—and Ike and Link had a "dog-mouse" one—but regardless... What did he mean by that? Or did he not have a hidden meaning, and Link was just being on the offensive like he was ninety-five percent of the time?

Link slightly swirled spoon about in his glass cup, enjoying the refreshing sound of the cubes of ice against the crystalline walls as they followed the flow of maroon-colored whirlpool he created...

"Maybe I do seem unfazed. But I have faith in Pit. I have faith in his strength and his bravery. The last thing he wants other people to think of him being is weak and frail. But he's not. He's a strong boy. He'll overcome whatever's ailing him with a fist of iron steel, like he does with every other challenge that faces him. Pit's no stranger to danger. He pushes for success and does not settle for anything lesser than that. He'll make it through, I assure you... Why I believe he'll come bustling into the dining hall any minute now. So no," Link smiled at the stunned Ike, "I'm not worried at all—"

"—FRIENDS?!"

And just as Link prophesied, the spoken one appeared from between the two, large, slammed-open doors, his roses nestled in his right arm. Every gasped, firstly in shock at the sudden noise, but then in surprise for the joyous reunion of their bubbly one.

Prince Marth had the strength to overturn the long table and its entirety over thrice, his hate for Ganondorf forgotten... momentarily. He scrambled out of his chair at the sight of Pit, his mouth agape and his eyes resembling runny, sunny side up eggs. With outstretched arms, the monarch launched out of his chair, his feet becoming such a blur he appeared to be flying instead of running.

"PIIIIIT!"

The never-ceasing, moist sparkles resurfaced in his amethyst irises at the sight of his biggest fan...

"Prince Marth!!"

Thankfully and surprisingly, the two collided softly, the overjoyed prince scooping the boy up into the hot air and spinning him like a little, white dreidel (2). The Smashers hopped to their aching feet, clapping like hot, fat grease from a sizzling pan, all except for the "guilty ones".

"DON'T YOU EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN, YOU!" the prince sobbed, kissing his cheeks innumerable times. Pit roughly choked on his childish laughter, a result from being spun so carelessly.

"Tee hee! Prince Marth! I am very happy to see you, too!! But you are making me dizzzzzzzy!!" cheeped the small brunet, eventually set upon his feet once more, free to walk on his own... or stumble. He was not given long to rest, unfortunately. Princess Peach—and just about everyone else—plucked him from his sandals and shoved him into their bosoms, clamoring him with tender love and praises. The women did, mind you. The men simply pat him on his little back. Ike tried to get to him, but at each attempt, someone would shove him out of the way in order to get their two cents, hugs and/or kisses in.

"We were so worried about you, Pit!"

"Are you alright? How do you feel?"

"Is there anything that you need?"

Pit answered each question as truthfully as he could with very much buoyancy; he was fully energized and everyone was actually interested in his response. The boy could never recall any other moment in his happy, short life such as this one... A time where he felt so... cherished. Treasured. And a tremendous amount of friendly warmth from people he's only known closely for a few months...

"We're all very happy that you're alright, darling. I was so worried about yooou~!" Marth commented for the third time, scooping the boy into his embrace like a dollop of vanilla ice cream, Pit chortling sweeter than ever.

Palutena, all of these people care so much about me!

I like this special attention... I feel really happy.

"Pit?"

Ike, who had been trampled over by the multi-colored tsunami of comrades when he unsuccessfully tried to approach him, called for the angel. The crowd formed somewhat of a circle around Pit as they overloaded his brain with their tiring questions. But the attention-grabbing boom in Ike's base-filled voice, slightly dissolved the strong bond of that elliptical formation. Mr. Game & Watch, Captain Falcon, Luigi, Ness and Red stepped aside, revealing the precious, priceless jewel that they concealed away from the mercenary. Marth didn't know why, but that voice made him place Pit right on the floor.

It was exceptionally quiet now, but Pit could recognize that beautiful voice even in the loudest of rooms. It spoke to his trembled heart, immediately seizing his undivided attention with a zero percent failure rate.

Purple, widened eyes peered hopefully into the faraway, magnificent blues, and a smile greater than that of a psychotic killer graced his luscious lips.

"IKE!!"

And in two, long seconds, Pit sprinted an amazing six yards, leapt off his feet and into the air, tackling the fair-haired male with his feather-light frame. He stuck to him like a spider monkey coated in super glue and suction cups. Ike had the wind knocked out of him briefly even when he'd braced himself for the impact, but he was okay.

Because Pit was all right.

His skin wasn't translucent anymore. It returned to its healthy, slightly-pink complexion. He did not bear any visible traces of nasty scars or bruises and there wasn't an ounce of blood leaking from him.

It was just as Doctor Mario said...

He shined like new.

Like a pretty, porcelain doll whose smile charmed all.

And for this, Ike was happy.

No.

"Happy" was not the word for it.

He was... ecstatic.

There. That's it. Ecstatic.

Link flinched a bit upon painfully realizing that he could've been the one being so happily encompassed in those sweet, ginger arms... A very bad taste settled on the back of his tongue.

"Ike... Thank you so much for saving my roses...! I am very, very grateful!"

"You're still more troubled about those roses? Pit...! Your life is more important than some silly flowers! You were unconscious. For hours. You put fear in all of us...!" Ike began in a stern, fatherly tone, startling the one clinging to his torso. But his hard expression softened, and so did his hard touch, finishing with, "...They had no right to do that to you. No right, at all."

Pit overheated, now rivaling a full-blown cherry blossom. That spicy scent that leaked from every pore of his body drugged the young one, that familiar, dazing, drowsiness taking hold of him. That's when he realized that not everybody possessed the warmth Ike did.

No no, his warmth was far different than anything he's ever felt... It was consoling, mild and sweet. Pit squeezed him a little tighter as if more of the fragrance would come oozing out.

Why, Pit could keep dinner and go straight to sleep just like this... and he would if he continued to be latched onto Ike like he was currently.

"I am sorry that I worried you, Ike. Sorry, sorry."

The mercenary, who was all smiles, ruffled his unruly hair, the angel giggling with radiance.

"It's alright. I'm thrilled that you're safe..."

Ike's mesmerizing lips created the upmost hunkiest grin, gelatinizing all that was within the celestial one. Link, his arms folded, felt a surge of worthlessness and uneasiness in his gut, oddly. A strange contradiction, it was. Just by watching those two from where he and the cooing crowd stood, he couldn't help feeling bitten by a spirit of jealously.

It was just as Prince Marth said—why was he right all the time?!—Ike in the end would receive all of the credit for his doing, his work, which was the equivalent of cheating, no? Those were his roses! So where was his tackle-hug? Where was his smile? His giggles of light?

To the left of him, not too far from sight, were the tossed, yellow flowers, lying forgotten and Pit-less. That's precisely what the blonde Hylian felt just about then...

Forgotten.

"It sickens you, doesn't it?"

Prince Marth snuck up behind him, his arms, too, performing that pretzel formation... "It sickens me. That could've been you, you know—"

Marth, in a split second, became caught and crumpled in Link's ferocious grasp, his cerulean eyes peering deeply into the eyes of a blonde demon, "—Spit another goddamn word, and I swear to God I will single-handedly yank your tongue out o' the hole in your face from that useless hole in your ass!!"

Pit broke form Ike's arms upon hearing this ruckus; those amethysts immediately knew where to look.

Huh?

Link threw the prince's limp frame onto the floor, stomping off with clenched fists at his sides in a fix of confusion while numerous pairs of eyes faithfully followed him out the door. The little one caught this... which soiled his positive attitude.

He did not get the chance to celebrate his return with him yet.

"What the hell is your problem?! You are going to stop treating me like some rag doll, you hear me, Link?!" Marth retorted in anger and partial embarrassment, a tingling sensation jolting his injured ribcage.

Pit spread his magnificent feathers to take flight and flew to the thrown prince, screeching, "PRINCE MARTH!" while Ike ran close behind.

Once by his side, Pit made himself of service to his good friend, voluntarily using himself as a crutch to help him off the uncomfortable, itchy carpet. Ike helpfully pitched in too, but Marth only shone his whites to the brunet, pecking his dry cheeks...

"Are you alright...? Does your rib hurt?!" the celestial one gently asked with a tremor in his nasally, baby voice. Marth tenderly held his head in his warm palms, uttering a tasteless, overused line.

"I am, now that you're here. And don't worry, love, my ribs feel fine. They're all there."

"On a more serious note," Ike interrupted, folding his muscular arms, "What business did Link have pushing you to the floor?"

"YES! That is just what I was about to ask you."

Prince Marth swore he was ten seconds away from his pent-up rage for Ganon upon the smart-mouthed mercenary instead.

He certainly knew how to ruin a mood.

"Link? Eh, he's being sensitive as always. Nothing new, really; I think he has hormone imbalances."

"But what happened to your 'friend contract'? Or was that all for show?" Ike pressed on.

"I thought you two were friends as well... were you... were you lying to me, Prince Marth?"

And just then, the prince looked as though he had been slapped with a wet glove. His heart dropped like a rock to see such an expression fall upon his beloved's round visage.

"How dare you even imagine such a thing? That... Just hearing you say something like that just breaks my heart, Pit. You should already know that I would never, ever lie to you, honey, nor would I do anything that I know would bring harm unto you. I do everything for your happiness, Pit. Everything I do is done all for you. Lying is out of the question, and I don't ever want to hear you say that ever again. Do you have that?"

Pit nodded, peering sweetly into his eyes... "Yes. I am sorry, Prince Marth."

And like the hopeless romantic he was, the monarch swept him up into his merciful embrace.

"I won't doubt you ever again...!" Pit added.

"That's right."

Pit pulled away, "But... I am also worried about Link. I want to see if he is alright—"

"—You can do that later, Pit. You've been unconscious for a great amount of time, meaning you have not eaten for hours. You need something in your stomach," Ike intruded once again, as he overheard the little one peep.

Pit could say that he was a bit famished; he was right. He hadn't eaten breakfast since that morning, and he had a relatively high metabolism. But he was hoping that he could celebrate his awakening with every last one of his friends. Link included.

But one of the rules in life that he had yet to learn was one could not have his or her way all of the time, though the omniscient presence of the comedic Hylian would've been nice to lift the positive mood even higher into the air. It would've been nice to hear his supportive cheers as Pit scarfed down eleven éclairs—which others were slightly upset—Prince Marth worrying him profusely about ruining his petite figure by indulging in sweets. For Pit's own health, and, of course, the prince's sinful pleasures.

The monarch did not have to fret for a second about Pit becoming an irreversible glutton. The angel lost an interest in the frosty desserts.

He nibbled on them, and slurped his hearty soup, and bit off pieces of his buttery bread... But he was not as vocal, and everyone loved to hear that chipper voice that rocked their hearts. The prince caught onto his angel's unfitting sadness, tapping into his upbeat persona to lighten his attitude.

"My, Pit! Those éclairs look pretty yummy!" he commented enthusiastically.

"Yes... Pretty yummy," Pit retorted, uninterested.

"Is there something wrong with them? You seem to not be eating them."

"No. There is nothing wrong with them."

Another boring response.

"...You are worried about Link?"

"...Yes. I want to see him... I want to talk to him...! I want to make sure that he is okay... learning that Link is troubled bothers me. It makes me so sad. I am his friend... I want to help him."

And Prince Marth could sense this.

Pit picked up one éclair and began nibbling it—he wasn't really eating anything for that matter, which is extremely unhealthy. And everybody knows that Pit has a bottomless crevasse for a stomach. Those adorable, pouty lips sagged unattractively, and there wasn't a splotch of pink to be discovered on his pale, round face. An unnatural sight.

It now become the prince's ambition—his duty—as his self-proclaimed lover, his number one fan to snatch him from the claws of pessimism and bring him back into the light from which he came.

"Don't you worry your pretty, little head, Pit. Link will—"

"—Link'll be fine, Pit. The only one who's not going to be feeling as well is you if you don't eat. Now how am I supposed to build a healthy, strong soldier if he isn't getting proper nourishment?" Ike unceremoniously intruded, a small smile rousing his lips as he crossed his arms.

Pit blank, then looked to his cold soup, and suddenly broke out in hysterics, brought on by an unpredictable spasm. Marth felt like scratching the mercenary's eyeballs out of their very sockets.

"AH! NO, PLEASE TEACH ME! SEE—WATCH! I AM EATING!"

Pit picked up his spoon and dived into his frigid broth. It was a little bitter, rather distasteful, "UM—IT IS A LITTLE COLD! B-BUT I AM STILL GOING TO EAT IT!"

He pitied his taste buds for a minute here and there, but he quickly suppressed his dislike and spooned more into his mouth. Ike—amused greatly—propped an arm onto the long table, his aquamarines observing him as he consumed his cold meal, seeing many things... Characteristics of the angel, if you will.

He saw determination. Strength. Empathy. Persistence—though this could be both good or bad, but of course, Pit exercises this in a positive manner. It was in his sweet, little spirit that everyone wanted a piece of. Ike's lips did not cease to exploit their wondrous smile.

He actually found it very difficult to do.

And he wondered why.

------

Prince Marth was on to something when he hypothesized that Link had hormone imbalances. Now it was either that, or Pit's influence on his life had totally turned his world topsy-turvy.

How so, you say?

For one, he "became" gay.

He pleasured himself frequently as he thought of the little one in twilight.

His blood boiled when others—namely Marth and Ike—were too close to him.

And lastly, he was too cowardly to pronounce his love. But... who wouldn't be?

Those pouty, soft-looking lips. Those magnificent wings and that golden laurel of holiness. His fragile, aesthetic body whom Link was having urges of snuggling to death...

His smile... That beautiful, beautiful, angel smile. He was too precious. Too precious to be owned by one person... or even anyone. A precious little lamb with no shepherd to guide him, leaving him to a world full of coyotes.

Frankly, Link was dangerously obsessed, and as much as he defied this, he, too, was a coyote.

As the blonde one showered, he thought back on those last, five minutes he spent in the dining hall. Now that he thought over it, what he did to Marth was completely and utterly stupid. He wasn't even angry with him for once in a blue moon! He was angry with himself—in fact, he wanted to rip his own tongue out of his own mouth through his own asshole because he was a pansy he couldn't afford to say something as simple as "no".

A rare thought of apologizing to the prince emerged from oblivion it seemed; Link was surely losing his mind. He'd rather chew all his fingers and toes raw if given the choice to apologize to Ganondorf.

Sleep, he figured, I need sleep. Tomorrow will sort itself out... Hopefully.

The Hylian's seven-minute, military-style shower ended, the blonde drying himself, slipping on the shorts from the other night and crawling into his warm sheets, not bothering to look for a top. And the minute he did so, there was a feeble round of soft-hearted knocks at his door. And as if his heart had eyes with the power to permeate through it, he knew that it had to be Pit standing behind it. That sweet, little boy was the last person he wanted to see.

There was a chirp at the wooden door, "Link? Link, are you awake? You are in here, yes?"

The Hylian shivered betwixt his sheets with anticipation.

What the hell is he doing here...?!

Should he answer the door? Should he wait until the angel had given up and walked away? But that would be terribly malevolent on his part, and it would fracture that genuine, crystal heart of gold into fractions. And—a couple or not—that is something he refused to do. Ever.

"If you are not sleeping, then... please come to the door. I really, really want to talk to you."

...I can't, Pit.

A solid, never-ending sixty seconds loomed over them.

"Link... Um... Are you... mad at me?" the discouraged angel questioned with a disheartening, heart-brokenness in his feather-light voice, "If you are, then... I am sorry—"

Unsuspectingly, the door poured open before the little one, and he suddenly found himself lifted from the floor and caught—or held hostage—in the warming, tight embrace of the blonde. Link linked his arms about Pit's small waist, his nose stabbing him in his bosom. Pit blinked, perplexed at first, but was soon at ease with the thought of Link not being upset with him, and the fact that he felt... he felt...

...He could not explain it.

But Link knew that the sensation of having the boy's hot, gentle cheeks against his bare flesh and his frail arms tied about his own midsection felt wondrous. All his insecurities were thrown into a black hole—oblivion—at the mere sickeningly-sweet touch of the little lamb before him. He felt unchaste touching such a pure individual...

Pit pulled away to bore his innocent, glassy amethysts into the tired, hopeless blues with an endearing smile that filled Link's heart to the very brim of the brim with a consoling light.

"Y... You are not angry with me?"

"Never, Pit. Never. I will never be angry with you," the Hylian replied gently stroking his stained cheek, "I want you to remember that."

Pit's grin augmented, "I will!!"

Link's heart soared as he lured him into his chest once more. Never had he felt such a pleasant warmth—one greater than that of light. He wanted to relish in this blissful sensation, and Pit—nearly bursting with questions—wanted the same.

------

Link guided the young one inside his dormitory, clothing his upper half so that he would be deemed decent. The young one trotted to his friend's bed, leisurely kicking his feet at its edges as he waited patiently for his comrade. Once the blonde's body was fully clothed, he placed himself next to the angel...

"Alright. So I hear that there's something that you're wantin' to talk to me about."

Pit flushed with coral, "Oh! Yes! Um... I... I just wanted to know if... if everything is okay with you and Prince Marth? I saw you push him to the floor—I was so worried; his rib is till hurt. And... you seemed very angry. I thought you and Prince Marth were... friends?"

"Pit... I'm... I'm sorry to make you worry. What I did to Marth... That was very wrong of me."

"So you two are still friends?" the young one inquired with a hopeful glint in his circular, purple irises.

Link snickered malevolently, "Hey, I said I'd try to be his friend, "and it's a rather difficult thing to do. But even friends fight."

"But friends are supposed to be kind to one another! Friends are supposed to help one another! Friends do not fight! Me and my friends never fought!" Pit exclaimed with fervent emotion, clenching his fists. Link felt the need to suddenly back away a degree.

"Yes, Pit. Yes. Your friends may have never fought. But... friends do fight, Pit. They do—"

"—But they do not hurt each other!"

...Link slapped his forehead.

"You have yet so much to learn..."

"Then teach me!" moaned the desperate, angelic one with a pout on his lips, grasping both of the Hylian's warm palms and pressing them, "Help me understand your earthly ways! I am terribly confused!"

His death grip slackened gradually as his head lowered, his brunet locks gracefully shielding his shadowy expression. This was a significant occurrence. Never had the blonde witnessed such a melancholic gesture from the boy.

"...Pit?"

"You mortals are strange. You have it in all of your hearts—you have kindness, you have the power of light. It is there. I can see it. And yet you still have these wars. Yet you still judge, you still hate, you still kill. It makes me sad, because I believe in you. All of you. I believe in Earth and the dark and the light, because there is great good in everyone. My heavenly comrades... they ask me why I would bother with such a destructive race. 'You are above them' they tell me, 'Let them dwell in their idiocracy and continue to destroy their own kind'. But... coming to Earth has always been a very passionate dream of mine! The taste of the food, the colors, the people, the mysteries—it is such an interesting place! And if there is one thing I wish to bring to this world, it is love. Love that is not limited..."

Pit peered into the vacant eyes of Link, "...I wish to make this world a happy place. That is why I descended from this sky. I wish to create a second heaven—a second Skyworld! Some say I cannot do it, that I will not succeed, that it is impossible. And... when I see you and Prince Marth fight, it reminds me why I am here. To repair this unhappy world one mortal at a time. That is my dream; and it may be difficult, but I will not give up!!"

Link's eyes were not at all sparked like Pit hoped they would've been. He did not seem to be at all moved. The boy was bemused be this, and then, abruptly and rudely, Link cackled.

"P-Pit...!" Link started, settling down after a steady roll of hooting, "...You have... so much to understand about this world. Earth, Pit, is a helpless thing. I know this. It is dangerous, hellish, cold, and—most of all—irreversible. No matter how strong the power of light, dark will always find some way to smother its very existence. The same applies for humans—"

"—But you all have the ability to change—!"

"—As we have the choice to change," Link finished, "We are flawed, Pit. We are imperfect. That is what you must understand. We are a stubborn kind. Therefore there will always be hate. There will always be darkness in the world. And even the greatest amount of light will never sate its hunger for corruption. We are not like your angelic friends, Pit. We will never be."

An awkward silence befell them; Pit was especially quiet.

Unusually quiet.

...Uncomfortably quiet.

Link felt Pit's hands trembling in his own... Was something the matter?

His head lifted—Link's soul shattered into billions of glittering shards.

Just as Pit's bubbling eyes leaked unmistakable tears. The boy's expression nearly caused the archer's head to explode.

"So... you are telling me that my efforts are meaningless...? Th-That my dreams will not come true...? A-And... And that... you do not believe in me?" dribbled the little one with a heart as heavy as stone.

Link was... flabbergasted. He was stunned, immobile... Those were real tears. Water droplets. He was really crying... over something that he said?

That helpless, heartbroken expression was one that branded itself on his heart like molten iron on skin. And because of his severe state of shock, he was not given an opportunity to respond to the winged one's question. Pit interpreted this action into something that was far from actuality. That something was, "Yes—that is exactly correct! What you're doing is useless!! You will never heal Earth, you will never heal humans, and Prince Marth and I are destined to be enemies!! Forever! (A/N: Evil cackle here. -laughs-)"

This boiled his immortal blood. It was an unfamiliar feeling to him; he could not describe it in words. But this feeling—one unlike any other that he has ever felt—caused his veins to bulged. It took over him; it rose from his stomach, hurled up his esophagus and poured out into the cool air, birthing a strong statement that perplexed the Hylian.

"Friends may fight, but friends do not hurt their friends' feelings, and they do not make them cry, and they believe in their dreams, and they most certainly love them!"

And with that final cry—by far his loudest and strongest—Pit leapt to his unsteady feet and bolted for the door, blubbering hysterically.

And when I say "bolted", that's precisely what he did.

He bolted like hell. Within two seconds, he was out of the Hylian's dorm and into the hallway, those cries of gibberish bouncing off the walls and into the unsuspecting ears of the wallowing Smashers.

Link finally came to at this, "PIT!! I DID NOT SAY THAT!! PIT—WAIT!! DON'T LEAVE—COME BACK!!" the Hylian boomed throatily, scrambling from his bed, to the floor and out into the corridors.

"PIT!! PIT, I LOVE YOU!!"

The boy did not hear this confession, for his echoed squeals filled his and everyone else's ears. He'd turned the corner, too, if that reduced the sound of Link's voice in any way.

...Link fell upon his knees, gaping as though he had been stuck with an iron rod in the cranium.

One rule. He had made one rule that he promised himself he'd never, ever break. And he broke it in a mere, five seconds.

He broke Pit's heart.

Poor little Pitto. All he wants to do is make this godforsaken world a better place, then Link goes on an' shoots down his dreams... Maybe a certain someone will cheer him up?

Hokage's (meaningless) Points:

(1): An ophthalmoscope is an instrument doctors and eye doctors use strictly for the eyes. I figured Doctor Mario would have one... since he's a doctor and all. All doctors have those! One could say that he could've used an otoscope—an instrument that doctors use to examine the inner ear and the ear canal—but hey. I like ophthalmoscope better. It's more fun to say. Op-thal-mo-scope... Yes... Embrace the funness.

(2): Basically, a dreidel is a cute, little, wooden toy that's sort of like a spinning top. It has four sides, each representing a Hebrew word, and to make a long story short, it's a gambling game. It's played during Hanukkah. There's more to it, of course (and you can look that up yourself xD) but when you put it into the context, Marth's basically spinning Pit around, much like a dreidel does. C:

Speaking of Doctor Mario...

He seems to be pretty "close" to Pit. I mean, having Pit sleep in his hospital bed for hours, not to mention leaving him all by himself almost every week? Who wouldn't take advantage of him then? (Do not deny it. You know you would). Lots could happen, and I'm not implying that he is the rapist, though feel free to add him to your "Suspect List" if you deem it necessary.

Hm... But could he be a potential rapist though? And who said that there was only going to be one?

And I shall leave it at that.

-images surface-

Poor Pit. Poor Baby.

Reviews...

The Mad Joker: JOKER-CHAN! :DDD -Is happy- Fu fu... And the guessing continues, I suppose (and trust me, you're going to hate me forever once you find out who it is. Which shall be fairly soon. C:) Is it Marth? Is it Link? Is it Ike? Is it Olimar? (And I am telling you right now that it is ABOLSUTELY NOT Olimar. Just the mere IMAGE makes me want to clear that up. Dx) But you shall see! And waiting for Pit to get raped is only natural. He's so sweet, so he must be tainted. Something so sweet cannot exist in a tainted world. It cannot. D& -hangs head- I am such a sadist... lD Um... YES! How dare Ganon and Boswer hurt Marth's little angel?! Or Link's little angel?! Or Ike's little angel?! (Pit is—unknowingly—a... a... "manwhore" isn't he? O.o)

NinjaSheik: Gladly, Pit was okay. C: I don't have the heart to kill him. Yet I do have the heart to traumatize him by allowing BLANK to rape him. D: Ah, and 358/2 Days came out, and my little brother and sister have it. I on the other hand, have to wait until Christmas. lD But I'm getting Super Mario Brothers Wii! :D And maybe Spirit Tracks (Toon Link! -heart-)

Tearless: I'm glad you returned! (I hope you returned to this again. xD) Ike will always be there for little Pitto. And if not him, then Marth. And then Link if he's not acting like a hormonal-ass. - 3 -

Me-la Kenzu Chan: Snake is beast. Period. But I hate his Smash. I can't evade that thing for my LIFE—or for Peach's life, or whosever character I choose. xD SHOTA = AGE GAPS = LOVE. Shota is my favoritest genre in yaoi. It's... so damn cute!! And Ike and Pit—GAAAH. -explodes- I wrote this merely for that reason. I think I've read all the shota mangas there has ever been. If not then, THAT IS MY DREAM! I'm glad I established Link's smartass-ness well! Because that's exactly what he is here. Ahh, so you think Marth is the potential rapist here, hm? Fu fu, all shall be made clear fairly soon. I am, who wouldn't go gay for Pit? He's adorable! :D (Same goes for Link... and Ike... and Marth...) Ah, Sonic and the Black Knight? My brother finished it in less than a week. It's graphics were... orgasmic. lD But it was so short. D: But the final boss's theme is AW-SUM!!

LittleFoxDemon: Why thank you. -bows- I give my all. :D And IS Ike falling for Pit? ;)

Invader Aqua: Aww. I promise that when Pit gets his innocence taken, it won't be a horrible experien—no. Scratch that. I can't promise anything right now. Because—if I have it my way, which I do, heh—Pit's going to go through hell. HELL. :D Hmm, and who knows? Maybe Pit and Ike will be together in the end? You'll have to wait and see!

Artist-Writer-Lover-Fighter: Yes... I'm not notorious for taking a long-ass time to update. But I got things situated with my studies, so I shall update much faster! YAY! And YES! Whoever has the balls to rape Pit will be found out for sure, and will be pummeled by nearly everyone in the mansion (and I can't tell ya who gets pummeled because that would ALSO be telling you who's NOT the rapist. ;D) And I'm glad you liked the battle scene (although poor Pit got the snot beaten out of 'im), there probably will be another. And I'm REALLY lookin' forward to that. Dx

riceandXDs: Rice-Chan! :D I'm glad you find it humorous. Although Pit's going to get raped. What's the humor in that? I ask myself. I do my best! I don't half-ass stuff (and perhaps I do, considering my spelling and all). I love writing! It makes me happy when I am sad (and that's kinda an elementary schooler's reply xD), and it's where I can escape, ya know? It's wonderful. Plus I can't draw, so. Writing makes up for that, ah ha ha. And what other couple's would you like to see? :3 I'm always open for opinions!!

Lunar Guardian: Ike is slipping, sadly. I'll just say that right now. Lunar-Chan. C: C'est bon, oui? (This is good, yes?)

DragonSorceror: And I updated again!! :DDD Happiness all around! Ahh, and "personal experiences", you say? Whatever could that mean... xD Hokage has no experience. Or does she? Ha. Like I'd say that on the internet. xD I SHALL LEAVE YOU GUESSING. You sadists! (Who am I to talk?) You are all sadists?! Why would you want to see poor little Pit squirm in unfathomable pain by some jerk-off?! xD

Sparky: Pika-Chan!! -drops to the floor- Aw, I am so glad that you like it. I wasn't sure how this would be taken, but... so far there are only positive things said about it. I would like to continue going in that direction! Thank you so much for your nice comments thus far! I look forward to your reviews. x3

Ti: Oh, Ti-Chan that was beautiful! :D I love it! -squee- But it was so sad. D; Now it makes me feel bad for having those meanies beat Pit into a pulp. 'Tis sad. Ike = twenty-something, Pit = well... young. That's some shota right there. And Hokage loves her some shota. lD Ahh! You are a new reviewer, yes?! -hands chocolate chip cookie- Thanks so much for the review—and the fitting lyric piece! :)

Mistress -Freak: I updated, finally. School drains you, I swear it! But when you're motivated, you're likely to get something done. :3 I hope you liked this chapter. :D

Midnight - Queen of Link x Pit: GODDESS. -BOWS- I apologize, O wise, great one, for I have been slacking on your work. I do not deserve such mercy. -BOW- Midnight-dono will always love LinkXPit. As I will always love IkeXLink. Perhaps there is a way Link can be equally severed so that both Pit may have a piece and Ike may have a piece. :D Or maybe Pit can have sexy, Dark Link? -bows- Whatever you say goes!!

Finished.

I am awfully sorry about the amount of slack in my updating. But I hope that the awesomeness of the chapter makes up greatly for it. -smiles-

I appreciate your comments! I continue to write for that very reason!

Now, I'm off to purchase more shounen-ai.

See you next time~!

-bow-

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru