RML: Hi Everyone! :D Welcome to my new fanfic! *Gets Shot* WHAT? What was that for?
Lil' Fayri Grrl(LFG): I think they want you to update often…
RML: Oh…Heheheh *rubs back of head sheepishly* Well, This time, They don't have to worry about it! :D And you know why? :D
LFG: Because you're going to UPDATE? *hits RML over head*
RML: Ow! Well, yes that. But Also because I have YOU helping me! That and we're doing this together, as in trading off chapters and stuff.
LFG: Well yes *simper* I AM amazingness personified.
RML: ^^; Well…Ok. Ok, you guys are probably wondering WHY I'm doing an Earthbound fic, huh?
LFG: Yes I am.
RML: Well, TECHNICALLY, I'm doing a Mother 3 fic. And the reason for it is because I just recently finished watching an LP of it on youtube. Anyone heard of Chuggaconroy?
LFG: No. No I haven't. and I don't really CARE! Who chuggawhatsit is.
RML: Well, LFG, I was kinda directing that towards the people reading this, but ok. Anyway. It was his LP of Mother 3 that inspired the idea for this.
LFG: OOO-OOO OO-O *raises hand*
RML: Yes, LFG? You know, we're not in school, you don't have to raise your hand.
LFG: I have my own OC in this story! Yay! She's awesome!
RML: Heheh. Yes, yes you do LFG. And I have one as well. But, You readers will have to wait til the official second chapter, which will actually be chapter 3 on the chapter list.
LFG: That's when you meet my OC! She's a-
RML: *clamps hand over LFG's mouth* Hehe. Let's try NOT to give anything away. Ok?
LFG: *still has hand over mouth* Mmmph-hmmph hmphh mmph
RML: What are you- ewwwwww! You licked my hand! *scrubs hand on LFG's shirt*
LFG: *looking smug* I tried to tell you.
RML: *still has a grossed out look on face* Ok, well. Let's just end the A/N
LFG: Can I do the disclaimer?
RML: Promise not to lick my hand again?
LFG: Yeah yeah yeah. Whatever. *crosses fingers behind back*
RML: Then Ok. You may do the disclaimer.
LFG: Yay! Ok. Here goes. We don't own Mother 3. Because if we did, crazy fangirl over there would never have let Claus die.
RML: I'm Not Crazy…No Wait…I Am…Never Mind. XD Well, Enjoy the prologue guys! And Expect more to follow! :D
LFG: Starto!
Prologue
Tessie's POV
She arrived rather unexpectedly.
I was cleaning the inn when I heard crying. The wailing of a baby. Which was strange because as far as I knew we had no customers with children.
I went upstairs to the rooms and the crying was coming from behind one of the doors. Three rooms down on the left to be precise. I've never forgotten that. It's funny how we remember the small things, isn't it?
The door was slightly ajar, and through the crack I could see the white cotton curtains blowing in the breeze from the open window. I poked my head through and glanced around. Resting on the bed was a bundle wrapped in rough cloth. I padded up to it and looked.
What I saw was so strange and unfamiliar, that I didn't know quite what to think. The child was a girl and about a year old. She had even features that were pleasing to the eye. But her skin! It was the same shade of hot chocolate that we served at the inn. Her hair was a blue that seemed nearly black. Her eyes were a disturbing yet somehow calming soft red. Everything about her was…foreign.
The child continued to wail. Her cry was so forlorn that I felt my heart go out to her. So I picked her up and softly rocked her, cooing. The cries slowly subsided and her eyes fluttered open. In that moment, I saw too many worlds of hurt for someone so young.
In that moment, I fell in love.
A few days later I was in the kitchen making stew. The girl was lying on a blanket in front of the fire. I had to keep a close eye on her because she was prone to wandering off. Every few minutes she would try to toddle away and I had to leave whatever I was doing to go chase after her.
I was trying to convince her to let go of the large carving knife she had picked up when Hinawa and her boys walked in.
"Ooo-ooo!" Claus ooo-oooed as he ran up to me. "Ders a baybee!"
I finally managed to snatch the knife away from her and straightened up. "Yes, Claus," I smiled at the two and a half year old. " This is a baby."
"How'd joo get it?"
"I found her."
Claus nodded sagely. "Dee 'tork weft it, huh?"
"Well," I laughed. "I guess you could say that."
"I heard you had taken in a child. Is this her?"
I smiled at Hinawa. "Yes."
"With this new charge I suspect the last few days here have been hectic," Hinawa said.
"Ohhhhhh…"
She threw back her head and laughed, "Now you know how I feel!"
"Yes. I have a newfound respect for you, Hinawa" I chuckled.
Lucas crept out from behind his mothers skirts and stared up at me with big blue eyes. "Waff's er name?"
"She doesn't have one yet."
"But evee baybee need a name."
You're right-"
Our conversation was cut off by the sound of giggling and all three of us turned to see what it was coming from.
Claus had managed to corner the little girl and was poking her leg with a look of great concentration on his face. Every time his finger touched her she would gurgle with laughter. After a few more seconds of this, Claus turned around with a big grin on his face. "Can wee keep er?" he shouted.
"Claus, we can't-" Hinawa started to say.
"Pwetty pwease? Wiff suger own tops!"
I knelt down to Claus's level and placed my hand on his shoulder, "But I want to keep her. I love her."
Claus shuffled his feet, "Ohhh, tay."
"Inari!"
I squinted at Claus, "What did you say?"
"Din't fay nuffin'."
"Inari!" the girl shouted. "Inari!"
And so she was named.
Over the years Inari grew older. She was a slender girl and a little short for her age, but she was only 7. Her skin became darker from working out in the sun, something she did often. Her hair grew to shoulder length and got a little bit lighter. She was strong for a girl and wasn't afraid.
But the thing I think that scared the towns folk the most were her eyes. They remained a soft red…most of the time. They changed shades. When she was happy they were soft and bright, but when she was sad or frightened the turned a light shade of pink. They were scariest when she was mad, though. They deepened to a dark red that mirrored blood. Thankfully, she didn't get mad easily.
The towns folk had a hard time accepting her at first, but after a while she won them over with her happy attitude. Only a few were unable to overlook her strange complexion.
One day I sent Inari out to the store to buy some things that I needed. She tripped out of the house carrying a wicker basket.
"Be back before sunset!" I shouted after her.
"Alright, Tessie!"
Only she wasn't. Sunset came and went but Inari didn't. I started to worry. Where could she be? It didn't take that long to get a few fish and some fabric. She should be back by now!
I was just getting ready to go out and search for her when I heard footsteps coming down the path. I ran to the door and saw Inari shuffling down the path supporting Claus.
I grabbed the lantern from the table and practically flew down the path towards the two.
"Inari, Claus!" I shouted. "What happened? Oh my God, Claus, you're hurt!"
The 8 year old shrugged off my concern, "I'm fine. It's nuthin'."
It clearly wasn't "nuthin' ". Claus had a black eye and cracked lips. There were bruises dotting his arms and legs. He had to lean on Inari to stand.
"Young man, this is not nothing," I lectured. "You two get inside and I'll bandage you up while Inari makes hot chocolate. And then you will tell me just what happened."
And so, while Inari heated water and I bandaged Claus's wounds the story slowly came out.
'Well, you see, Tessie. I ran into Claus on the way to the store. He challenged me to a race," Inari started to explain.
"Which I totally would've won, by the way," Claus interrupted.
"Oh whatever. I was sooo winning!"
"Liar!"
I sighed, "You're getting sidetracked."
Inari blushed, "Oh, right. Sorry."
"Anyway," Claus continued for her, "Inari and me were running when she bumped into Howard."
I shook my head. Howard was one of the people who hadn't been able to see past Inari's looks.
"He started talkin' trash to her. Sayn' stuff like 'You don't belong here. Go back to where you came from.' And callin' her a dark-skinned freak. It pissed me off."
The water had finished boiling and Inari poured it into mugs filled with cocoa powder. She handed them out to us. "I don't really mind," she said. "I just ignore it."
"Well I do mind!" Claus erupted. "I hate it when people talk to you like that! You belong here just as much as the rest of us."
"So, I'm guessing that you got into a fight with Howard?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"You shoulda seen him, Tessie! He sure taught Howard a lesson," Inari giggled.
Claus grinned. "He won't be comin' back for more."
A little while later Flint came to pick him up. Just as Claus was walking through the door he turned and pulled Inari into a hug.
I heard him whisper in her ear, "I'll always protect you, Inari."
Four years later, when Inari was 11 everything changed.
I guess it all started with the fire that burned down the entire forest just north of us. Inari was out picking berries that day. It was the season for strawberries.
I remember looking out the window and seeing most of the men from the town running down the street.
I poked my head out the window and called to Thomas, "What's wrong?"
"Fire, Tessie!" he shouted before disappearing into the crowd of people.
Fire? I shoved my way out of the inn and looked skyward. Smoke. From the forest. The forest where Inari was. Oh my God. No. No no no no NO!
I ran as fast as I could in the same direction the towns people were heading in. Praying that Inari was alive. Alive. The word became the rhythm of my running. My breathing, My heartbeat. My very existence. Alive.
I stopped when I reached the wall of fire. Blazing to the tree tops. When I saw it I lost all hope. There was no way Inari could survive that.
I fell to my knees and cried. My baby. My only love. Was gone. Dead. I threw my head back and screamed my curses to the sky.
I stared at the flames that had taken Inari from me. Why is it every thing I love leaves me? Inari filled the hole that my dead husband left. And now that she's gone that hole is bigger than ever.
No. I wouldn't let this happen. The least I can do is find her body. There was no way I was going to let the fire use it as fuel to burn more.
I got to my feet and walked towards the burning. The heat burned the tears from my face. It peeled my skin and curled my hair. I felt hands holding me back, but they might as well have been no more than mere leaves pressing against me. The flames reached out to me, eager for more things to eat. The shouts of people didn't fill my head. I barely heard them. With a few more steps I walked into the fire.
It was like being inside a furnace. I was being baked alive. But I refused to turn around. Instead, I walked in the direction of Inari's favorite strawberry patch. Even though the forest was burning, I knew it like the back of my hand. I crossed the stream, and ducked under the log. I walked through the bramble patch and felt the husks of burned clover crunch under my feet. Following the path that I could barely see.
And there she was. Lying down, her basket of berries tipped over beside her. I ran up to her dead body. Knelt down and saw my tears splash onto her face.
"Inari," I sobbed. "Why?"
"T…Tessie…?"
I could've sworn that my heart stopped beating right then. "Are you alive? Inari, speak to me!"
"Tessie, I'm scared."
"Oh baby. It's okay. I'll get you home. Just hold on."
I picked her up and hugged her to my chest. Holding her like this, I stumbled as fast as I could to where I knew everyone was. The embers on the ground burned my feet. My clothes were reduced to ashes, and my eyes were watering so hard I could barely see. Finally, I looked ahead and saw a patch of stars. I fought my way through the burning forest. A few yards and I would be free. But then, a branch came crashing down. I screamed, sure I would die. I felt a hand yank me forward, out of the way of the falling limb. More hands latched onto me and pulled me further. I heard voices, telling me I was crazy, what was I thinking?, you found Inari?, and, she's alive!
Alive.
That's when I passed out.
I woke up to whispering.
"But, you can't!" the first voice whispered.
"I have to. Don't you understand?"
The voices sounded like Inari and Claus.
"No! I don't understand! We need you here. I need you here."
"Inari…I have to find the Drago that did this."
It was them.
"You think you can defeat a Drago with that knife? Are you CRAZY?"
Laughter, "Maybe."
"Claus. This is serious."
"I know Inari."
"I don't want you to go."
"I'm sorry Inari. But this is just something that I have to do."
"...Then let me come with you! I can help!"
"NO!"
There was a pause before he continued again.
"...No. It's too dangerous. I promised that I'd protect you and I'm going to keep that promise. And the only way to keep you safe is for you to stay here."
"But Claus, You don't stand a chance against that thing by yourself…"
"Inari, I'm sorry, but I have to do this."
"…Then promise me you'll come back."
I didn't hear an answer from Claus.
"PROMISE ME! You Need To Promise Me, Claus! Please…"
"I'll come back, Inari. I promise."
Then I heard a door close. I opened my eyes and raised my head from the pillow. Inari was sitting on a bed across from mine. She was crying.
"Inari, what's wrong? What happened?"
Inari looked up, "Oh! Tessie, you're awake."
"What's this about a Drago?"
"You heard that?" she looked nervous.
I nodded.
"Tessie…I have some really bad news."
After that day, everything changed.
LFG: Wow… I did a good job on this prologue…
RML: Well, it took us forever to get this chapter put together. But! It came out amazingly! You did a very, very good job on the prologue. Though there were a few changes a made to a few things. But, It Was All You!
LFG: Bla bla bla! You talk to mu- wait! It was all me, wasn't it!
RML: Other than the few changes, Yes. It Was All You. J
LFG: This is a long prologue. The fire scene was really intense… I LOVE it!
RML: Yes, I have to admit, I was eating every word of it into my being. But! My Personal favorite part was when Baby Claus came in! I just loved the Toddler Talk!
LFG: Yeah. That was a good part…Uh-Oh! Looks like we have to sign off of here!
RML: *Looks at time* Oh Man! You're right! Ok, So You Guys Know The Drill!
LFG: If You Liked This Part-
RML: Then Please Review!
LFG: And! If You Review AND Suscribe, Then We Will Give You Cyber Cookies! =D