SMASH GAMES 2: CHAOS | Super Smash Bros.

19 - The Deception

Lucina 

Lucina was surprised when Peach asked to come along with her. When you were thrust into a Game where people came out of the woodwork and turned others into trophies, it was a given that you didn't really trust anyone involved. But she wasn't really surprised at Peach tagging along either: she told Lucina that she'd been traveling on her lonesome for a while, and it felt good to be paired up with someone else. Safety in numbers. 

Lucina was glad for the extra hand: it made watching a volatile prisoner like Dr. Mario easier. Lucina kept her beam sword on the Dr.'s back as they made their way through the woods, and Peach did the same with the Dr.'s own gun. Lucina was sure that he wouldn't try anything, not with those weapons locked in on him, but who knew? The people with the gold eyes and the miasma were unpredictable-just look at what had happened with Greninja and Robin. 

Lucina's heart constricted as she thought of Robin. 

"How much further?" she snapped at Dr. Mario. 

His hands were tied behind his back, and Lucina and Peach had fashioned a lead attached to his waist that kept him attached to them at all times, making it hard for him to run away. But he didn't look to be in the running mood-in fact, he looked more weary than they did. 

"Two, three miles, maybe?" he grumbled, carefully picking his way over a fallen log. 

Lucina glanced up into the sky, not liking how fast the sun seemed to be dropping from overhead. Dusk was approaching quickly-if they didn't get to where Robin was soon, they'd get overrun by the night's monsters. 

"So," Peach said conversationally as they moved through the undergrowth. "Who's this white-haired boy you're looking for? Robin, was it?" 

Lucina nodded. "He's a friend," she said. "A good friend...or so I thought." 

Peach glanced over at Lucina and seemed to catch her inner meaning-her eyes turned sympathetic. "Is he one of them?" she asked Lucina. 

She nodded, mouth tight. 

"I'm guessing that he showed his hand somewhere in the past." 

Lucina nodded again, feeling ill as she recalled the memory. "I never would have expected that he would act like that," she murmured, almost to herself. "But he did, and...someone else got hurt because of it." 

Peach heard the thick note of guilt in Lucina's voice. "It wasn't your fault," she said, refocusing her barrel on Dr. Mario's back. "Believe me, Lucina, it wasn't your fault." 

Lucina averted her eyes, glaring down at the detritus on the forest floor. Of course it was her fault! If she hadn't been so naïve...if she'd been prepared for anything, as her father had taught her...Pit wouldn't have a sparking hole in his gut. She wished she knew whether or not Pit was doing all right. Last she'd seen him, his woman friend had declared that he was alive...but how long would that last, with a wound that grievous?  

Abruptly, she was glad that she didn't know. Because if Pit was now dead, she would never, ever forgive herself. 

A few long minutes passed by. They went by the stream where Lucina and Pit had landed yesterday and continued northward, into unfamiliar territory. The undergrowth was wilder and taller here, curling up to Lucina's knees and Peach's hips-Dr. Mario's brown hair barely cleared the bramble. 

"So, what are you?" Lucina asked Peach as she cut aside a swath of dried bracken. "A cleric?" 

Peach raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? A cleric?" 

Lucina nodded. "Yes, a cleric. A troubadour. A priestess, maybe?" When Peach continued to look confused, she pointed to her nose. "You healed my nose and my rib. You must be one of those classes to have done so." She blushed, realized she was being a little discriminatory. "Well, if you come from my country, that is."