A/N: Sorry for the late update, and sorry for updating it late in the night too. I'm still trying to find the time to work on my fanfictions. Everything is getting way busy...

Starting with this chapter, Meta and Ganondorf's dialogue will be in parentheses when they are speaking in Gerudo. This way, I hope to make it easier to know when the other characters in the story are able to understand and when they are not.

Introducing more characters now…who will be the next ones to appear?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They all belong to their respected owners.

-Chapter 3: The Lucario's Prophecy-

Jigglypuff gazed at herself through the reflection in the mirror of Zelda's shop, letting her new dress flow gently behind her. She had tried on the dress the seamstress had labored to make and surprisingly, she liked it. Although it was rather plain and had few decorations without fancy lace and intricate embroidery, the simplicity of it seemed to bring out her features better.

"Do you like it?" Zelda asked her as the dark haired seamstress appeared in the mirror's reflection behind her. "I can always redo it if you want."

"It's…beautiful. I like it," Jigglypuff said, which she said truthfully.

She really did like it, compared to her old dress which was now at the bottom of a trashcan. It was considerably lighter and did not nearly look as ridiculous on her. Its creamy yellow was more favorable to her than the dark green of her old dress.

Peach entered the shop, panting slighting as if she had been running. She looked up for a brief moment to admire Zelda's fine work before turning to the seamstress.

"You won't believe who I ran into on the way back here," Peach gasped out.

"Who?" Zelda asked in concern, listing off the names of as many Nintendoans she could.

"Those police officers, Marth and Ike. The shop nearby yours was broken into and robbed! There's a small crowd forming there. Come take a look!"

They all immediately left Zelda's shop and almost upon stepping out into the street, they heard the chatter before they spotted the said crowd. There were not many people there, but the curious and shocked emotions in the air could have matched the power of feelings made by a hundred. Most of them appeared to have been merely passing by on errands when they came across the shattered windows of the small shop on the corner, some with baskets balanced on their heads and bags of groceries in their hands. The majority of the mass were Goombas and Koopa Troopas and Jigglypuff thought she recognized a few, though she could not be certain. To her, all of them looked the exact same with no two distinguishable from the other.

Just as they arrived at the front windows to peer inside, two uniformed figures emerged out of the darkness, heavy boots cracking the broken glass into small bits.

"See? We were too late! We probably could have caught them if you hadn't been patrolling the wrong street!"

"Wrong street? You were the one on the wrong street! You were supposed to be watching over this street while I was at the Central Square!"

Jigglypuff looked over the two men. Dressed in identical black police officer uniforms, they looked similar, even standing at the same height. Squinting to see the small badges on their jackets, Jigglypuff made out the words 'OFFICER MARTH' and 'OFFICER IKE' on them. Officer Marth had long strands of blue hair held back in a gold band. Jigglypuff caught the long glance that he and Zelda looked at each other with.

Officer Ike had serious, dark eyes that seemed like ice shards. His spiky hair was tied back with a long strip of black fabric. A large, golden sword with a steel gray hilt hung at his belt, tapping against the ground. His arms were crossed as he looked back at the robbed shop.

Marth turned to the crowd, holding his hands up.

"Everything's under control here. Just ignore Ike. Just move along now."

He herded the people away from the shop before exhaustedly leaning against the wood door that barely hung on its hinges. Ike turned back to his co-worker, giving him an unfriendly glance.

"Do you feel any better now that you lied to those people?"

"Ike, shut up."

Ike threw his hands into the hair, kicking a large piece of smashed wood hard. He muttered something under his breath as he walked back into the glooms of the shop.

"Just wait till the shop owner comes to see their place, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see that we've done such a great job of keeping it safe!"

Zelda came up to Marth, looking at him with concern.

"Marth, is everything alright?"

"Alright? Does this look alright to you?" Ike called out from inside the shop.

Marth slowly let out his breath.

"We couldn't get here in time…the thieves got away again…"

"Maybe you'll catch them next time," Zelda said hopefully.

Ike came out of the shop again, looking down at Marth.

"This has been the twenty sixth time this season. Face it Marth, we're lousy police officers. Chief Falcon is going to wring our necks. Great job, Marth."

Marth stood up, facing Ike directly.

"You know, Ike? You really need to start getting a grip on yourself. There's not much we can do now. They got away, we're going to have to try harder next time."

Ike laughed out grimly.

"Next time? I don't think so. There's not going to be a next time. Might as well toss your uniform into the trash because the Chief is going to fire us!"

"And also, this wasn't my fault that we let the thieves get away! Why do keep blaming me?"

"Blaming you? I'm only telling you the truth."

"Ike, shut up."

"You shut up yourself."

"Hey, guys, please," Peach said, standing between them. "Fighting is not going to catch those crooks."

"Doing nothing's not going to get us far either," Ike said.

"But doing nothing is better than fighting," Peach said, turning to him.

"Not when my job is at stake!"

Peach had to duck out of the way as Marth and Ike began fighting again, raising their voices to near shouts.

The girls left, giving up on trying keeping the two police officers from fighting. Their angry remarks followed them until they took a turn at the bend and they could no longer hear the fight. Zelda turned back towards the street, sadly turning back to the road ahead.

Ganondorf strode through the streets of Nintendon, shadow falling across the quivering figures of Nintendoans as Meta trailed behind him. The Gerudo liked the feeling of power. No one in the land dared say something against him in fear of losing everything they had from their jobs to their homes. Even the Ancient Minister, Nintendon's governor, did not have as much say and power as he did.

("M…Master…")

Ganondorf stopped, looking at his slave in agitation. He immediately replied back in Gerudo.

("What?")

("I d…don't think this is a good idea…I sense blood will be drawn…")

("Since when did I ever ask for your opinion? I know that Wolf doesn't take me seriously and the only way he ever will is if his own blood is spilled.")

He watched Meta shiver slightly, pulling the ends of his cape tighter around him.

Stupid idiot. Does he really think that his thoughts and feelings count? Wolf didn't even consider getting started, letting my prize slip away. If need be, I'll beat it into his thick skull that I expect tasks to completed on time…

He stole another glance at Meta.

Wouldn't it have been nice if the world was as mindless as him? Everyone would be the same—no disobeying, no back talking, no complaining, no preferences, no nothing. Everything would be easier to deal with…

He yanked the chains forwards, forcing Meta to quicken his pace. The slave made a dog-like whine that Ganondorf ignored.

His expression returned back to its usual dead-serious feel, receiving the usual response from the Nintendoans: keeping away from him. Like a wave of silence, all quiet conversing ceased as the Gerudo passed. Any faint smiles faded away and some of the faces of the people, especially the ones in heavy debt to Ganondorf, drained away of all of its color.

The two slipped away from the quiet street and into a narrow alley, shrouded in the shadows of the buildings. The stone ground was unlevel, pools of dark water covering parts of it. Ganondorf closed his eyes, feeling energy well up in him. With a wide sweep of his hand, a glowing orb formed into the still air, illuminating the alley with a pale, ghostly light.

His heavy boots advanced towards the rusty iron door at the far end of the alley. Each step sent vibrations rippling silently in the pools of water. Behind Ganondorf, Meta carefully walked around them, the bell on his collar making the only sounds. Its small tinkling now made pitiful pleas to turn back.

They stopped at the iron doors. Meta shuffled behind Ganondorf and without even needing to speak; his master could already hear what the slave was going to beg for. Raising his hand to the door, Ganondorf traced ancient words along his tongue, saying them slowly as his glove began to glow a rich purple.

Meta flinched back as the scraping of metal sounded. The entire door, once strong and mighty, ripped off its hinges. It crumpled, bending and twisting before it was thrust to the side. The entry way now stood bare, revealing the black void of the darkness within. Ganondorf opened his eyes, energy swirling around him. His mind probed through the building, searching for all sources of movement.

Instantly, everything came to him as he opened his mind to the surroundings. He could feel the stirring of spiders on their webs, one of them encasing an unfortunate insect into wisps of white thread. He heard the scurrying of rats among the rafters, sniffing around the carcass of a once breathing creature. Feeling his way forward, Ganondorf finally could hear the violent laughter of men, somewhere far within the building.

Lowering his hand, Ganondorf entered the building. The glowing orb trailed in, filling the cracks in the floor boards with its light. Just as he was about to take another step forward, Meta's chain which was secured around the Gerudo's belt pulled him back. Looking behind him, he could see that the chain was taut. His gloves shuddered with agitation as he turned to face Meta who had planted his feet at the base of the door, both hands pressed firmly against the door frame. The slave's entire body was shaking.

Ganondorf took the chain in both hands and pulled hard on it. He gasped out with the powerful resistance Meta put up against him. The doorframe creaked and groaned as the struggle continued. Finally, Ganondorf stopped.

("I'm tired of such nonsense. Get yourself in here now.")

Meta shook his head, the bell wildly jangling.

("N…no! I don't want to go in!")

Ganondorf lifted his hand into the air, directly towards Meta. Muttering a few words, Meta watched in horror as he no longer could control his own body. His hands let go of the doorframe and he began walking towards his master mechanically. He dropped on to his hands, Ganondorf stepping down on the dark blue puffball's back as he released his power over Meta.

Bending his head closer to his slave, Ganondorf hissed,

("When I give you an order, you follow it without hesitation or question.")

Meta did not say anything but by the vertical movement under his boot, Ganondorf could tell it was a weak nod. He turned back to the room, standing upright again. Meta stood up, lowering his gaze to the wooden boards. Inside, he held all of his fears in silence. Glimpses of blood splattering across the walls, pooling on to the floors filled his visions.

His gold eyes watched as he involuntarily followed his master, the horrors of what lay ahead, directly beyond the closed door with the light shining below it and the deep voices of the pirates.

Inside, Wario, Bowser and many of the other pirates were seated around a large, plain table, gambling. As they rolled the dice to their game, they drank heavily, exchanging jokes, some making the entire room boom with laughter.

Wario stood up, holding his dice in his gloves.

"I'd wager that…what's his face…Lord Ganon be a sittin' around in his livin' room, waitin' fer nothin'! Hah! Probably goin' to be a waitin' fer another two seasons, collectin' cobwebs before he realizes!"

The approved laughs from his comrades suddenly died, almost constricting in their throats. Looking around him, Wario found that all of their eyes were on a figure behind him. The heavy stride of boots said it all of who was behind him.

"M…my master says…he…he is not humored…by your joke," Meta said, translating Ganondorf's words which were lined with an icy poison.

Wario turned to face the Gerudo, trying to casually raising his beaker of grog in the air , while his free hand fingered his pistol. Ganondorf's eyes fell upon the gun, narrowing.

Wario gasped as his pistol's barrel suddenly emptied, the bullets clattering to the ground before rolling their way into the holes of the floorboards, forever disappearing into the darkness. He stared at the pistol that now was lifted into the air, crumpling before his eyes like paper.

The pirates of the room stood up, watching the sorcerer dismiss the scrap metal to the rubbish pile at the other end of the room. Ganondorf turned to look at them all. Meta came forward slightly from behind his master's cape as his master muttered something to his slave.

"M…my master wishes to know w…where Capt. Wolf is at this moment…"

No one moved. No one spoke. Everything was deathly still.

"L…Lord Ganondorf would like to r…remind him of his ever important duty…"

"Wha do ya' mean?" Wario said, trying to force a calm grin on his face. "Capt. Wolf knows what he be doin'. He be a getting' yer tr-"

Wario choked out as he was suddenly thrust in the air, Ganondorf no longer able to contain his impatience and anger. He kicked out, struggling to breathe as blood streamed down the side of his mouth under the intense power of the sorcerer. Ganondorf leaned forward, Meta translating what he said to the pirate.

"M…my master asks again, where is Capt. Wolf?"

"Tavern…gambling…won't…come back…soon," Wario choked out.

Then, Ganondorf muttered a few more words, a blood hand print appearing in the air above Wario. It drifted towards the wall pealing with old paint, the other pirates drawing away as words began to write themselves in dark red.

Hear me, Wolf…

I have no more patience to be ignored

You know what you need to do…

Finished, Ganondorf waved his hand and Wario collapsed, smashing through the wood table. Without another word, he turned towards the door and left the room, Meta dragging behind him like a stiff board.

Jigglypuff walked along with Peach and Zelda, the two shop owners quietly talking as they walked through the empty street.

"What about our shops? They could be the next to be robbed. I'm on the very line of losing everything I have, Peach. I don't know if I'd be able to make up for the loss…" Zelda murmured.

"Well, that shop was just asking to be robbed, it's on the wealthy side of Nintendon where they sell everything that no one can afford…" Peach replied. "I don't think your fabrics are at any danger."

"But no one is doing anything about it! People are just letting these crooks get away with it. By the time these robbers are caught and hanged, all of Nintendon will be on the streets!"

Jigglypuff was not listening to their conversation, already bored hearing other's misfortunes. She needed to focus on her own problems. Peach and Zelda were strong enough to handle the situation by themselves.

It had been disheartening to once again, not see one puffball-like Nintendoan. She was completely sure that no one else could possibly help her get back home, and after that, she would never have to think about Nintendon again. Glancing up and down the streets, she could not see anyone.

Strange…maybe they're all still crowded around that shop…

Peach and Zelda took a turn straight to the Central Square where a few other Nintendoans were about. The Central Square, though large and surrounded by stores and other buildings, was dwarfed in size by the towering building at the far end, overlooking the entire town like a tree in a field of grass.

The stone was different here too. Instead of the dark rock that trailed through all the other streets of Nintendon, the Central Square was floored with pale tiles patterned with rich red tiles that curved around them in intricate lines. A stone fountain stood at the center, its structure covered in furry green moss. She could make out the once impressive figures of heroes of the land, some holding their swords high in the air while others held arrows and spears in their hands. The clear water of the fountain flowed around the figures, making small ripples in the otherwise still water.

Street lamps suddenly flickered on as the bell tower on the Eastern side of Nintendon's bells tolled out the hour. The bells boomed out across the land, making the ground vibrate under its power.

Peach and Zelda walked up the steps to the large building, Jigglypuff following. The wooden doors were wide open with the voices of many within. Jigglypuff realized that a lot of the Nintendoans had come here straight after hearing about the break in.

The high ceilinged room that they walked into was bathed in a warm, welcoming light. Making their way past rows of marble columns, they started down a long aisle between hundreds of wooden benches.

This looks like a church…

Jigglypuff came to a stop to stare in awe at the sight before her. Directly before her, shining in its full splendor was the largest stained glass window Jigglypuff had ever seen in her life. She had to bend her head back to see its very top which could faintly be seen in the darkness at the room's far ceiling.

The window depicted an elegant figure, a woman, holding a globe of the planet in her hands, silvery white hair flowing at her sides. Her eyes were gentle but god-like, full of strength and power. Her right glove, portrayed as floating in the air, drifted above the Earth, while her left glove hung below it.

"Who is she?" Jigglypuff asked.

"Hmm? Oh, that's the Goddess," Peach explained. "Most of the Nintendoans believe in her to be the creator and destroyer of life."

"They say she has thousands of names, one name from each species of life she creates." Zelda added. "We humans simply call her the Goddess, though I'm not sure what the others here may call her."

"So why does she have no arms? Did the artists of the window forget to make them?"

"No, for some reason, they never portray her with arms…"

"All she has are Master Hand and Crazy Hand," Peach said. "Master Hand is the creator while Crazy Hand is the destroyer. Together, they form the circle of life."

"Why Crazy Hand? Isn't that an odd name to give to a goddess's hand?"

"The name of the Goddess's left hand was translated from the old language as 'Crazy Hand'. I'm not sure exactly why but it's the way it is." Zelda said, shrugging.

The two made their way towards the large platform where many of the Nintendoans stood, bowing their heads as they prayed for good fortune. Jigglypuff watched them for a minute but soon became bored as the minutes wore on. She wandered around the room, searching for something of interest. She looked back at the great window, gazing up at the Goddess.

A disfigured stump of a rock made her turn back to the ground. She stood over it, looking at it curiously. She turned to a Nintendoan who was standing nearby.

"What's this?"

The man turned to her and then to the rock base.

"Not sure exactly. I think I heard from someone that used to be the base of a statue. Maybe it's just a story people make up. I don't think anyone's ever seen the statue itself."

The man's wife examined the stone base as well.

"I've heard that the statue used to measure the balance of light and darkness in Nintendon. Can't imagine how a stone rock could do such a thing though…"

This seemed to spark the other Nintendoans nearby to debate over the stone base. Jigglypuff decided that she should stay out of the discussion. Slipping past a few other shop keepers she did not recognize, she headed towards an empty channel along the back wall.

Now with less people in the way, Jigglypuff could feel the cool air against her face. Her dress lifted off the ground, sweeping like a paintbrush on canvas behind her as she made her way forward.

She turned to see a family of Nintendoans, consisting of a mother, father, a young boy, and girl. Flashes of her own family appeared before her eyes. Jigglypuff found herself shaking, but unable to turn away.

A figure in a black satin cape, leaning against the shadowy side of the marble columns suddenly appeared in the corner of her eyes. Pulling back the hood, Jigglypuff watched as the jackal-like creature revealed itself. It uncrossed its arms from its furry, yellow chest where a large spike protruded out and stood up straight. A fluffy blue tail poked out from under the cape behind its slender black legs. The figure's red eyes looked down to Jigglypuff.

"You cared deeply about your family…I give you my sorrow for your loss."

Jigglypuff gasped out. The figure had not even opened its mouth, yet the words came clearly to her. It sounded as if he was speaking into her mind.

"H…how did y-"

"Your mind screams it, giving much pain to the Psychic."

"Psychic?"

"It is the name given to my kind, Lucarios."

"Th…that's impossible…no one can read minds…" Jigglypuff stammered.

"Do you really believe so? Do you believe that I cannot see the emotions that you yourself cannot express?" The Lucario said through her mind. "You are full of impatience, want, and frustration, yet under all those, sadness runs deeply through you. You're lonely. You desperately want love."

The Lucario paused, as if in deep thought as he continued to reach into Jigglypuff's thoughts.

"You're unsure of yourself. You feel isolated. You're unhappy with your life. And you say that I cannot see this? Your entire body radiates with these emotions."

Jigglypuff stopped. If this Lucario could truly read everything about her from her emotions to her thoughts, did he know how to help her? Before she could even ask, the Lucario shook his head.

"Your destination is a long way from this land. You cannot return to the land of clouds for you still have your destiny to fulfill."

Then, the Lucario closed its eyes and clacked the spike on his right hand to the spike on its chest, which Jigglypuff guessed was some sign of respect Lucarios showed.

"May your path among the stars follow the light."

With that, the Lucario pulled the hood back over his head and disappeared into the shadows without another word. Jigglypuff was left standing, blinking.

Destiny? Path? What is he talking about? All I want is to go home!

She hurried away, not wanting to think about what the Lucario had said.

The Lucario watched from the shadows as Jigglypuff disappeared out the door before leaning back against the column he stood by. He closed his eyes, words tracing themselves in his mind.

"The Keeper has come, to fulfill thy destiny. Find the slave without memory. Be persistent, for he knows the answers…"

The Lucario turned to look back at the doors once last time before he added.

"Nintendon is tainted by an unknown evil, slowly shrouding it in shadows. Walk the true path guided by the Goddess, for the final sands of time are falling and the land is drawing to eternal night…"

Jigglypuff stepped outside, walking back down the steps and onto the Central Square. Looking around her, the sky was a night blue, white stars glimmering far above her. It was not that late, but already, half the night sky was sparkling above, teasing her.

She frowned, remembering how close the stars had seemed from home. Here, they felt so far away. Jigglypuff shivered, feeling isolated and helpless.

The faint sounds of her light footsteps reached her ears, sounding lonely in the quiet street of the Central Square.

I…I want to go home…

She slowly sat down on the wide rim, looking up at the glowing sky. Tears trickled down her face.

Why do I keep crying? This is so immature! What would mother thi-"

She stopped, thinking about home again. She covered her face with her gloves, muffling her sobs.

Suddenly, but softly, she heard music. Looking up, she turned to see a lone figure, standing at the streetlight, holding a violin in his hand. She wiped her tears away, enchanted by the sweet melody. Its notes were delicate but beautiful, everything around them receding to silence.

Wait…this is from the same musician from the other night! Who could be the one that plays so beautifully?"

Getting off the fountain edge, she hesitantly made her way towards the string player.

He looked up, abruptly stopping, gold eyes looking into her eyes before he suddenly turned his gaze to the ground. He lowered the violin in his hand. Jigglypuff's eyes widened as she looked him over.

He was a puffball, like her, but of a rich dark blue. He wore a steel gray mask where his eyes shone from a wide V-shaped slit. His black cape was lined in a bright silver that flowed behind him.

He bowed his head, shaking slightly.

"F…forgive me…I'll choose a different location if my music is bothering you…"

"What?" Jigglypuff asked, confused. "It's not bothering me. You play beautifully."

The figure relaxed slightly, standing up a little straighter.

"T…the other day, someone threw a brick at me for playing outside…"

Do I really care? Go ask him now, ask him how to get back home!

"Pardon me, uh…sir," She started, trying to find words to address him correctly. "I desperately need help getting back home. I don't belong here and…you see…I washed up here a day ago and seeing that…you're of my kind, do you know how I can get back to the Sky Empire?"

The figure's shoulders seemed to sag slightly.

"N…no one ever comes to me unless they want something…" He said quietly.

"So, uh…do you know how I can get back?" She pressed, not letting him get away from her question.

He looked at her, eyes confused.

"I…I've never been anywhere but Nintendon and the desert regions…I have never heard of the Sky Empire…"

Jigglypuff was at a loss for words. How could he not know? Wasn't he of her race? Didn't he have relatives or at least friends from the Sky Empire?

He tucked the violin under his arm and a sudden wind swept around them, his cape fluttering open. It was at that moment that Jigglypuff gasped, raising a hand over her mouth.

Before, he had wrapped his cape around himself and Jigglypuff did not see the golden bell on his collar and the chains binding his wrists, marking him as a slave.

"Slaves…" She remembered her mother scoff. "Slaves aren't even people—they're things, possessions. Jigglypuff, stay away from them, don't talk to them…you never know what disease they might carry…"

How quickly had she gone from relief that she had a savior to despair that her 'savior' was nothing more than a slave!

The figure turned to look at her, catching her staring at his chains. From under his mask, he frowned.

"I…I guess you won't need me…not if you have a preference of who helps you…" He said quietly as he turned, walking away.

Jigglypuff watched as he left the Central Square, disappearing like a shadow with only the faint jangling of the bell on his collar.

A/N: Meta and Jigglypuff have finally met, neither of them knowing the other's name yet. I have also introduced Nintendon's main religion: the belief in the Goddess. I have incorporated Master Hand and Crazy Hand as the Goddess's right and left hands, Master Hand being the creator of life while Crazy Hand is the destroyer. I don't know. Having the two hands be part of divine force seemed interesting.

Marth and Ike have been brought in to the story as the two police men of Nintendon. Chief Falcon is the head of police and he is on the verge of firing the two.

Jigglypuff has also met Lucario, who in this story is never given a name but is just called 'the Lucario'. The Lucario in the story kind of has the role of a prophet who can foretell all the events that are to occur.

Poor Meta, I would seriously punch the person that threw a brick at him. He's left the Central Square and Jigglypuff is unwilling to get help from a slave. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon!

Please review!