Episode 10: I Feel it Burden me. I Feel it Burden You.

"How is she doing...?"

"She hasn't gotten better."

Robin stood awkwardly, Palutena on the wooden bench slumped back. Robin had just gotten back from Ylisse and couldn't be there a few days before when Daisy was brought to the hospital, but hey at least he's here now.

"Where's everyone else?" Robin asked.

"Picking up some snacks. We can't go into Daisy's room right now so... you know, just killing time."

Robin nodded awkwardly as a painfully awkward silence came between them. Talking with one another was always sort of awkward, but having to be alone together was horrid.

"How have you been lately?" Robin asked, desperate to break the ice.

"Uh, fine? Why are you asking?" Palutena asked confusedly.

"Just... asking a friend."

Friend.

Palutena would try not to contemplate whether or not they were there yet.

"How have you been?" Pat asked in return.

"Fine, I guess."

This hurt.

Until they heard frantic footsteps running out of the hospital.

The two turned their heads to see a tall man with a lab coat running out the building.

They couldn't quite make out his face.

But he was rushing to his car. An ugly tan brown car.

"Wait."

"What."

"That's..."

Robin was already slowly taking out his keys.

"Oh shit—"

"Are we driving."

"Yes let's go."

The two rushed to Robin's car, Robin hopping in the drivers seat as Palutena hopped in beside him.

"Follow him?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Robin started the car, seconds later taking off. "Why?"

"The staff was looking for him."

"Why?"

"No idea but they seemed really frantic on it."

"And you're sure this is who they're looking for?"

"Yes!"

"Pat—"

"He's gonna get away!"

Robin sighed to himself as he went on, in pursuit of the car not too far ahead of them.

The male wasn't sure if he should be even be doing this anyway. Besides, he knew the girl next to him was ever so paranoid, sometimes she would have episodes whether it be in public or even just with friends. And to be chasing a whole car down could've been a part of this.

But unfortunately for Robin, an unwanted gut feeling told him to keep going.

••••••

"Hey come on let's go!" Peach exclaimed as she led the group back to the hospital. Zelda and Link were sort of behind everyone just to make sure Roy or whoever would slow down while getting lost in thought or something like that.

"Can I have a bite of the sandwich we go—"

"No, that's for Palutena."

"We didn't even get shit for Robin!"

"He's on some weird diet crap right now I didn't want to ask a million questions to see which sandwich would be okay."

The group kept bickering amongst one another. Normally, Marth would be all ears for moments like these, but instead, he turned to Ike and whispered,

"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to leave Robin and Pat together, huh..."

"It's not like they're gonna kill each other or something. They're adults, they can act that way for an hour."

Marth grinned at the last sentence as he nodded.

••••••

"Can we go back now—"

"No! Something has to be happening over there!"

"Pat, we're parked on a roadside in between littered trash and dead bushes while we should be back at the hospital with Daisy."

Robin groaned as he rested his head against the steering wheel. Pat looked on into the small run down building.

The car had parked in front of the old church, along with a big red truck on the side of it.

"It's probably for building renovations." Robin declared out of annoyance.

"You're a bad stalking partner."

"I seriously can't believe your normalizing this right now."

"I'm sorry? That I can actually be finding something out that's really important right now?"

"Are you sure this isn't paranoia...?"

"Robin, I have no fucking clue."

Robin shifted, leaning back in his seat.

"Look, Rumours are spreading that Richter's grandpa bought the church to revive it or whatever. This is probably a meeting for that."

"Richter's grandpa?"

"..."

"Robin answer me."

"Yes."

"I-"

"And no, we're not going to harass Richter to tell us everything. I'm pretty sure his grandpa is putting him under a lot of stress right now."

"How do you know that?"

" Pit told me."

"Huh?"

"Yeah."

"Huh."

"What?"

"No, just surprised he didn't let me in on that. Usually we talk about things like that."

"Well that doesn't change how we're not going to go give Richter an unwanted visit. Come on let's drive back."

Palutena sighed. "Fine."

The two drove in silence for a while. The sun was setting and casting an orange glow onto the town. They were currently taking a short cut that was a bit odd road due to traffic right now.

Everything was going fine until the car made loud low coughing sounds as it slowed.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck."

"Robin!" Palutena exclaimed. Not for the swearing, but for the car.

"Well gee Pat. I couldn't exactly fill up the gas tank before we went now could I?!"

The car finally stopped in a woody area, the orange sunset shine through the tall dark trees.

Robin hit his head against the steering wheel as he yelled "call one of the others."

Incoherent mumbling.

"What?!"

"My phone is dead."

Robin glared at Palutena for a good five seconds as he pulled his own phone out, waiting for it to restart.

Palutena huffed and stared out the window.

Robin had finally managed to text Ike to come help them. Five minutes has passed and it was completely silent between them.

Robin turned to Pat. She was still staring out the window. She seemed to have her gaze fixated on something. Robin tried to pinpoint what exactly it was.

He was barely able to make out a lone bench on the cliff side. The orange sky shone down on that small area.

Then he recognized it.

"Hey."

Pat said nothing.

"I'm gonna step out real quick."

Before Robin could protest, Pat was already out the car, making her way to the small area on the cliff side. Robin then trailed out behind her.

When robin has finally made it, he found Palutena sitting on the bench. The right side of it to be more specific.

The girl was looking into the left side of the bench, as of expecting someone there next to her.

"Pat."

"Just for a few minutes."

Silence.

Robin has knew that this was the place where... well quite a few things happened. Where Dark Link was killed, where they had found Palutena, and to his knowledge, where she had found out what had been done to Lucina.

But clearly Palutena was seeing another memory right now.

It felt like a calmer memory. Almost like one she cherished not too long ago. Her hand that was reading on the middle of the bench tapped nervously.

Finally, she had said something.

Robin could barely make it out, but he heard it.

"I kissed her here."

Robin didn't know what to say to that.

Pat jumped. "I'm sorry I didn't realize I was talking out loud oh god."

"It's okay."

The silence has become more painful.

"I'm sorry for making you do this." She sighed.

"It's fine, Pat."

"I'm crazy."

"Pat."

"Please sit."

Robin awkwardly sat on the other side of the bench.

"Were you two ever..." Palutena asked.

"Uhm. Sort of. But I kind of screwed something up a long time before... so the entirety of our... whatever you call it... was kind of rebuilding that."

"She still loved you."

Robin looked over at Palutena.

"Before everything between us. Like the week of, she still felt that way."

Robin stayed silent.

"The way her face looked when you texted her... the way she smiled at you..."

"I'm sorry." Robin said. It was all he could say. It was out of place, but it was all he could say.

Palutena finally faced him.

"I'm sorry."