...and a Girl an Earthbound Fanfic.
Chapter 1: Tangled up in Blue
Disclaimer: I don't own Earthbound.
One of the preschoolers once asked Paula Polestar what Hell was. Paula, being the kind and patient young woman she was calmly explained that it was a place that bad people went when they died. She then scolded the child for swearing so casually.
If you asked her the same question in her current situation however, her answer would be completely different. Hell would be something along the lines of being abducted from your warm bed in the middle of the night, having your mouth and arms bound and gagged and being forced to traverse the wilderness in the early hours in the morning. And the icing on the cake was being shoved in a jail cell in a little wood cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Paula shuffled uncomfortably, pressing herself against the far corner of the dank cell. Three days had passed since she was safe at home. Three days of eating nothing but eggs and bananas, an odd combination but nothing was making sense to her at this point. Three days of using a beat up old teddy bear as a pillow, and a lack of a decent blanket had left her with a head cold. Three days of waiting for some boy she never met to come save her.
Three days of sharing the company of two slobs in blue robes. She sent a hateful gaze their way. The one she dubbed 'shorty' sat at a rustic wooden table that stood in the middle of the room. He was the lesser of two evils, usually kept quiet and lax in his guard duty. He was the one who usually left to fetch the food. And thanks to the other blue clad guard she dreaded every moment 'shorty' was gone.
The other man seemed to fill out his robe a bit better, Paula was unsure whether it was more fat or muscle that filled it. That had little to do with the problem at hand however.
The bulkier man liked to watch her. It didn't matter if she was sitting or pacing, sleeping or idly looking to the doors and windows or anything. Even now he stood, leaning against the small kitchen counter with his eyes glued to her. It made her shiver and cringe with fear. She really wished she didn't have the power to pick up on some of his inner thoughts. His filthy, unspeakable thoughts. She wrapped her arms around her small frame without thinking and fought the urge to cry her eyes out. Who knows how he would react if she started crying. She wasn't a girl who hated easily, but she absolutely hated this man.
In a rare moment of self pity the girl pleaded 'why me?' and blamed the whole situation on her special abilities. After all it was because of these talents that this demented group wanted her right? Thanks to the mind reading powers she did have she lived these past three days in more fear than she needed to. Sure, her powers allowed her to produce the occasional embers,sparks, or snowflakes from her hands but that wasn't going to help her much if that brute acted on his desires.
The sudden thud of the cabin's door broke her train of thought. A rather chubby, shabby boy of blond hair took one step inside and motioned to the two robed men. Paula's fear came back tenfold, was this it? Were they going to finally put her to use in whatever plot they had cooked up? Or what if they had a change of plans? If they didn't need her anymore? Would they just leave her to die? Or just set fire to the house? She almost wanted them to return to the pastime they shared for the last three days. What a disturbing thought to have.
Paula's head snapped around as a new sensation hit her. She could feel a mental energy so much like her own coming from outside the cabin walls. It was so strong, could this be Ness? The friend she had never seen or heard from? She felt a few more waves of the powerful mental energy before everything grew silent once again.
Horrible, cold silence. She waited in this silence as seconds passed like minutes. She stared at the door, the victor of the skirmish would surely arrive at the cabin soon, and judging from those psychic wave it had to of been Ness. Her fear subsided a bit.
Then again, if that shabby looking blond boy was a psychic was well she could be wrong. She bit her lip. She'd be dead wrong. The front door's knob rattled and Paula's breath was caught in her throat, she awaited the answer to her frantic questions.
She watched quietly as in strolled a boy with short, onyx hair. She took notice of his causal attire, jean shorts and a blue and yellow striped shirt. Atop his shaggy locks sat a red baseball cap that looked like he was born with it on. After glancing from corner to corner of the tiny dwelling he set down his bat, which was well used from the looks of it. Paula stood her ground in the center of her cell as he approached.
"Paula, Paula Polestar?" He was close enough now for him to touch the bars if he wanted. He looked her over. She was a very lovely young woman, although a bit disheveled from the days in this cabin no doubt. Still it didn't weigh against her too much. She reminded him of something like a queen without a crown.
"Yes?" Paula could study the boy closer now, he was pretty fit with small bulges of lean muscles on his arms and legs. He wasn't very tan but wasn't horribly pale either. Several spots on his body were marked with bruises and cuts that were in the process of healing over. And was that blue paint he had splattered on his cheek?
"It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Ness." He offered her a friendly handshake, which she stepped forward and gladly accepted.
"So how are you doing? Is everything alright?" Ness asked as he freed himself of his yellow backpack.
"I'm fine, I guess. Better now that those two stooges aren't here anymore." Paula felt a little awkward talking to Ness in person for the first time.
Ness chuckled at her jeer. Grabbing the cell door he gave it a few good jerks. It was sturdy all right. "What about your powers? Any luck opening the doors with them?"
Rather than talk Paula pointed two fingers at the young boy and concentrated. Small, bright sparks sizzled and cackled from her finger tips. It was impressive to watch but had little use in this situation.
"I see..." Ness' hopes for an easy answer had been crushed.
"What about you? You must have some pretty strong tricks, I could feel you using them just a little while ago." Paula grasped the bars excitedly, freedom seemingly within her reach.
"I don't think that will work. I've never caused any physical damage with my psychic attacks to inanimate objects, only things with minds." Ness grimly explained. "Plus it's not like you can get out of the line of fire."
Before Paula's spirits sunk too far she chirped up again. "Well you couldn't of made it here alone right?" Maybe Ness brought along someone who could get her out of here.
"Nope I came all by myself." Her hopes sank before she could be impressed with Ness' ability to make it here by himself.
"Well... what about a key? Did either of those two psychos you beat drop a key?" Paula felt stupid after asking the question, for the answer was obvious.
"If they did I would of used it already." Feeling defeated and stupid Paula sank to her knees. She fought a losing battle with the flood of tears overcoming her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of someone she just met, but it was just so unfair to go through these last few days only to have her wishes nearly granted and then taken away again. Ness joined his new friend on the floor and removed his cap.
"It'll be alright Paula, tomorrow I'm gonna storm their headquarters and I'll force their leader to let you out." Ness reached out for the young girl's shoulder, only to have it slapped away.
"Yeah I'm sure you'll just fly in like Superman and take out anyone in your way without a sweat right?
You're just a kid Ness! You'll probably take one look at how many are there and desert me!" Paula choked out in anger and frustration. She was running low on hope and wasn't ready to place it all on the boy before her.
Ness paused, swallowing hard before speaking. "I have no idea how many cultist are out there, or if I'm even strong enough to stand up against their leader. But I'm not leaving without trying first." Paula could tell he was a bit nervous, but it didn't matter as long as she stopped any more false hope from coming her way.
"Why? You hardly even know me!" Her sobbing had died down by now.
"You're right, I don't really know you. There are plenty of people in Twoson who do though. I can't let them, or you, down."
Paula wiped her eyes and looked Ness eye to eye. She had no reason to believe him but for whatever reason looking into his deep green eyes forced her to put that little bit of faith she had left into him. Without her anger trusting him felt right.
"I'm sorry about all that Ness. It's been a really bad couple of days, I didn't mean to yell like that." Her lips curled into a little smile until a throbbing pain in her head caused her to wince.
"What's a matter?" Ness questioned the disappearance of his reward.
"My kidnappers weren't very hospitable and I've been fighting off a cold since yesterday." Paula tried to grin again through the pain.
"A cold huh?" Ness threaded his hands through the metal bars and outstretched his hands on both sides of the young blond's head.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Paula flinched back a bit hoping Ness wasn't getting weird on her.
"Trust me, just look into my eyes and focus alright?" Paula nodded and gingerly followed his orders. As Ness began to focus deeper and deeper into their gaze Paula could feel her headache die down and even her sinuses clear up. Taking a deep breath from her nose she sighed in relief.
"Pretty cool huh?" Ness boasted.
"Yeah! How did you learn to do that?"
"I can't really explain it myself. I just noticed once day that if I focused my energy and thoughts on getting better the healing process sped up. The more I used it the quicker it happened." He explained, running a hand through his dark head of hair. "It takes a bit out of me however, which is why I'm going to get a full nights sleep before hopefully getting that key tomorrow. "
"So you're leaving?" Paula didn't take to the thought of being alone again.
"I was going to stay if you needed some friendly company for the night."
"Well it's not like you have much of a choice." Paula deduced from the size of his backpack that he didn't carry camping gear.
"Actually I explored the town a bit before I found this cabin, there are a few other places I can stay. It's up to you really." Ness wasn't willing to stay if Paula wanted her privacy.
Paula thought a bit, she really didn't want to be alone and left to worry and wonder again. If she tried they might even have a little fun tonight. "Of course you can stay Ness." Nodding he got into a more comfortable sitting position.
Paula did the same on her side. "So what do we do now?"
"Well we're going to be traveling together for a while, how about we just get to know each other?"
Paula looked to him for explanation. The two of them? Traveling together? Ness couldn't help but to smile at her confused state.
"I guess I should do some explaining first..." Ness stretched, this could take a while. "Well, did you hear about the meteor that fell in Onett? " Paula quietly nodded.
"Well one of my neighbors lost his little brother while they were checking it out, so we went up there together to look for him. Sure enough we found him near the meteor when we noticed what we thought was a bee buzzing about."
"So, was it a bee?" Paula seemed unimpressed.
"No, it's hard to believe but it was actually a messenger from the future! His name was Buzz Buzz. He came all this way to tell me about the horrible future that awaits us all."
"Horrible future?" Paula sounded like she only followed half of what Ness had told her.
"Over the course of ten years the Earth and all it's people will be corrupted and destroyed by the great cosmic destroyer, Giygas" Ness explained rather grimly.
Paula scoffed, it honestly sounded like Ness had spent too much time watching bad horror movies.
"It's true! Giygas is influencing people and animals and even plants!"
"Plants Ness? Really?" Paula assumed this blue cult was just a group of nuts, not influenced by some sort of alien.
"It's true, you have no idea of what I've gone through to get here."
"Like stepping on demonic flowers?" Paula asked with a sarcastic tone.
"Like this." Ness laid his right leg out for Paula. Along the width of his leg, right over the middle of his calf was a large thin scar that nearly wrapped around his entire leg.
"What happened?" Paula winced at the sight of the jagged pink mark.
"Buzz Buzz said that in order to stop Giygas I'd have to visit eight sanctuaries. Well the guardian of the first sanctuary got me pretty good." Ness ran his hand over the scar, remembering how much he panicked when his leg was bleeding profusely.
"And whats the point of visiting these places?"
Ness stood up and retrieved his backpack. Rummaging through it he removed a few items, a jacket, a few food items which Paula silently coveted, and a hand held radio with headphones. Reaching in deeper he finally seemed to find the object he was searching for, he quickly pulled it out and offered it to Paula. A smooth blue stone, but she could tell there was something odd about it. Was it the subtle glow it gave off despite the lack of light in her cell? Didn't it feel a bit heavier than she expected for a small stone?
"Touch it to your forehead." Ness suggested.
Paula did as she was told. She could feel something fill her head, and if she concentrated hard enough she swore she could hear music. Soft, gentle notes like the kind a music box would play. Only a few seconds pass and the music stopped, the quite song fading into silence again.
"Buzz Buzz said I had to visit each place and record their piece of the melody into that sound stone. After I completed it the Earth will amplify my abilities enough so we stand a chance against Giygas."
"And what makes you think I should come with you?"
"Well Buzz Buzz said the world would be saved by 3 boys and a girl, when I heard that you had power like I did I figured you were the one."
Before Paula could ask anymore questions her stomach groaned loud enough for the pair to be interrupted. She could still she the bounty of non-banana, non-egg food from the corner of her eyes. Ness seemed to pick up on her thoughts as he grabbed the small feast.
"Want some?" He kindly offered.
"If you don't mind." Her hasty hands juxtaposed her polite demeanor. She grabbed a burger and what seemed to be a croissant wrapped in some sort of wax paper. She happily bit into the burger, while it wasn't exactly what she'd call fresh it was the best she had in the last few days. Ness rummaged through he bag once more, this time retrieving a single can of juice.
"I only have one of these, you don't mind sharing do you?"
Paula shook her head. Even if she were still young enough to be concerned about cooties, which she grew out of quicker then most kids in Twoson, this was a special case. The two finished off their rations of choice along with the juice and slumped comfortably next to each other. The sun had begun to set and orange light poured into the room.
"So what's it like living in a preschool? Do you like it?" Ness hoped his friend wasn't ready for bed yet.
"Sure, it's great! I really love helping my parents look after the kids. Lucky for us we don't get any really rowdy kids. I'm always keeping them out of trouble and stopping them from getting hurt." Paula smiled from the thought of it, being away for so long she had really grown to miss all of them. Even if it was only a few days time.
The two were quiet again and Paula yawned. She was tired and as hard as Ness tried to deny it he was too. The coming morning frightened him to no end. Tomorrow he would go up against his greatest challenge yet. This time not only did his life possibly lay on the line but Paula's freedom as well. He slowly began to drift away in thought as his fears and anxieties got the best of him. He could already see himself all bloody, beaten black and blue. Probably more blue than normal.
"HEY NESS." Paula shouted, sounding a bit peeved. This shout was more then enough to snap Ness out of it.
"Huh? Oh...sorry." Ness smiled shyly. "What's up?"
"I said I think I'm ready for bed." Paula was nearly laying down already. Propped up on her elbow she reached for the only other object in her cell, a teddy bear she used as a pillow.
"Oh, well here take this then." Ness grabbed his jacket and held it out to Paula. "You should probably take this so you don't get sick again."
Paula's cheeks grew a deeper pink. She wasn't exactly used to being cared for. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah I can get rid of my own colds easily. I don't want you to getting sick tomorrow."
"Thank you Ness." She did her best to cover herself. Her favorite pink dress didn't bode her well with the unheated cabin after all. Ness moved to lied on his back and tried his best to get cozy, which was much harder on his side of the bars.
"Goodnight Ness." Paula chimed.
"Night Paula."
Forty five minutes passed in silence and Paula had no luck catching any sleep. As soon as her eyelids slid shut everything felt like it did before Ness arrived. As soon as she escaped into the darkness of her mind she saw that blue clad creep again. Watching, drooling, lusting over her. It sent the same horrible shivers up her spine as before. When it became too much she would open her eyes only to see the boy who slept outside her bars.
Ness seemed fast asleep, the journey here must of taken a lot out of him. Not to mention all the fighting he had done. His arm was outstretched towards her, almost reaching all the way into her cell, making her feel like the cage wasn't as confining as it once was.
She gazed at his hand. She couldn't explain it but the hand seemed so much friendlier then the cultist's hands who pushed and dragged her all the way here. Hands were hands after all right? An idea popped into her weary head. He helped her so much already, he wouldn't mind doing it one more time tonight. Plus he probably wouldn't even know about it.
As slowly and gently as she could, she snuck her hand beneath his, blushing as if someone had already caught her in the sneaky, little act. The warmth of his hand did comfort her a good deal. Just knowing he was here and real did wonders. The warm feelings soon dissipated however, when she looked up and saw Ness' eyes open, looking to her in the moonlight.
Paula's heart began to beat wildly, and she shamefully looked away like a child who was caught stealing. She softly tried pulling her hand away only to have Ness' fingers tighten. Once again his gesture wasn't forceful, it was kind. As if he was willing to lend himself in anyway as long as it helped her.
His eyes were somewhat of a different story. It was hard to tell in the sparse moonlight but he seemed to look a bit confused. Any words of explanation lost themselves in Paula's throat. She could only squeeze his hand back and try to get back to sleep. She hoped he knew that, in the end, this didn't mean anything. She just needed his help again, nothing romantic.
By the time the morning sun's rays crept itself inside their bond had broken. In actuality Ness had been awake for sometime. He was all ready to go, just wanting to talk to Paula before leaving. Although he in no way wanted to go out looking for more fights he knew he had to.
"Paula...Paula?" He reached through the bars and gently shook her.
"Wha... What is it Ness?" She sleepily sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"I'm leaving now, to go get the key to free you. I'm leaving my radio and my extra food here for you, just in case things don't go as smoothly as planned. The radio should help pass some time while I'm gone." He put on a smile as he spoke, despite the torrent of anxiety within him.
"I'm sorry I can't be more help to you. Are you sure you wont need your food?" Paula did her best to wake up in a hurry.
"I can grab some of those bananas or eggs I saw on the way here." Ness swore Paula face grew a little green at the thought. "I'll be back in a flash, alright?" as he turned to the door Paula stopped him.
"Ness come here, I think I can help a little bit." As he returned she motioned for him to come closer. Digging through her pocket she fished out something no bigger then a quarter. Carefully she tugged at his shirt and pinned it to it. Ness looked down at it and then back to her, confused.
"It's not much but it's my Franklin badge. It's my good luck charm." She smiled, encouraging him to do his best.
Without another word he was gone. Out to risk death in exchange for her freedom. As she grabbed the small radio she couldn't help wondering about her possible adventure with him. Maybe she would be doing the same soon. Not only for Ness though, for her Preschoolers, for Twoson and of course for the World.
A/N: Hey everyone. After a recent play though of Earthbound I decided to finally get some story ideas I had down on paper. I was also saddened by the small amount of Ness and Paula fic here so I'm throwing in my hat. Just to make it clear most chapters wont tell a straight, linear story, but rather each chapter picking up on different parts of their journey. All chapters will still be in chronic-logical order however. Please Review if you enjoyed reading it! Thanks for looking!