"Sometimes it seems that the going is just too rough
And things go wrong no matter what I do
Now and then it seems that life is just too much
But you've got the love I need to see me through"
- Florence and The Machine - You've got the love
"THE WINNER IS, NESS AND LUCAS!"
Upon hearing the announcer stating the winners, the crowd went absolutely wild.
It was a rather close match between the PSI duo and Pit and Marth; it was a stock match and the best of three. Although Pit and Marth seemed to be doing well in the beginning, and victory was well within reach, the two boys managed to find their unique stride and pushed back the older male's aggressiveness. All hope seemed lost when Ness was knocked out of the stage and the announcer exclaimed to the crowd of his defeat... but Lucas kept his composure and managed to catch Pit in a lucky grab and threw him towards Marth, the angel flew back while the blue haired male was knocked back. And before Marth could even roll back or dodge the attack, Lucas pulled a well timed PK Fire and Marth flew off the stage, luckily, he suffered enough damage to miss the ledge by just a hair when he attempted to recover, before the imminent sound of a portal opening could be heard.
When the two teams were brought to the stage and give their love to the crowd, all four boys reappeared on the stage and did their traditional poses and waved to the audience that came to watch their match. Soon, the ominous announcer told the audience to begin leaving in a timely manner. After, the background of the stage began to turn black and the seemingly bottomless pits spawned floors that made a pathway towards a now opening door. Pit, Lucas, Ness, and Marth were all laughing while they were wiping the sweat off of their forehead and brows.
"Darn, we were so close!" Pit said casually, as he wrapped his hands behind his head while leaning back to stretch, "But nooo, Lucas just had to grab me!" Of course, his tone was light and optimistic, he walked next to the blond boy and lowered his left hand to pat Lucas on the shoulder, "But really though, nice job kid!"
Marth spoke next as he stretches his arms, "You and Lucas have been on a roll lately in team matches, and on top of that, you guys are beginning to become a crowd favorite, not that I am jealous, of course..." he looked over his shoulder at Lucas with a smile, "you have been giving it your all in matches lately, even without Ness by your side."
Quickly, Lucas, who had his hands in his pockets while looking at the ground suddenly jerked his head up in surprise and looked at Marth.
Ness' eyes darted to the side to subtly watch Lucas' response, who he has been walking next to (and closely, at that) the entire time... what he saw unnerved him. He could see it in the blond boy's reaction transitioned from the pattern he has been seeing lately: Shock, blank facial expression, and one long silent breath.
Rather quickly, a small smile appeared on the blond boy's face, "Well, there are times where I want to win too, you know..." he chuckled softly before he shakes his head too, "but really, you guys almost h-had us there...! I thought for sure we were going to lose o-our streak!"
'He did it again!' Was what shot through Lucas' mind, before he blinked twice and fist pumped the air with his left hand while he wrapped his arm around Lucas' neck, "But we're not going to stop losing now, are we?! We are unstoppable at this point!" The raven haired boy's voice echoed throughout the now empty stadium, which earned him a light laugh from all three boys. Once they finally reached the exit of the stadium... Pit and Marth already went through, which left Lucas and Ness by themselves. Ness would have unwrapped his arm around Lucas' neck... but lately, there has been something that has been pulling him towards the blond Psi user. It wasn't something like how he felt with Paula, where he felt protective and wanted to look after her... no. There was a warm feeling that traveled throughout his body whenever he would see Lucas, and he could feel his skin electrify whenever they make skin contact. Ness also started to notice more and more things about Lucas after they faced Tabuu and entered the Smash National Tournament together.
As soon as Lucas felt the familiar hold of his friend left his body after a couple of steps, he was startled, before he turned back and looked at Ness with a slightly concerned look on his face. The blond boy had no idea when these lingering intimate actions occurred, nor did he mind, and even welcomes it. "Ness, is there something wrong...?" Lucas asked, before he walked in front of his friend.
Realizing that he stopped and dwelled in his thoughts, the raven haired boy snapped back into reality and chuckled nervously, "S-Sorry about that, I was kinda in a daze there, ya'no?" When he saw a genuine smile creeping up on the other PSI user's lips, he smiled back before he places his right hand on top of Lucas' shoulder and kept it there, "But Marth's right, you have been giving it your all..."
"Yes, I... I have been." Lucas' eyes started to squint, and it was rather hard for Ness to make out to what Lucas has been feeling lately. Normally, Ness could guess accurately to what his best friend has been feeling... his emotions so clearly painted on Lucas' face, that almost anyone could tell when he was genuinely mad, sad, or happy. But then, something happened... and although no one has picked up on it, Ness had, and it has been bugging him to no end. "Is there something wrong with that?" Normally, the blond boy would reply in a more diplomatic tone, but at the moment, he seems assertive... but it seemed as if he is forcing himself.
"No, no! I mean like, it's great that you have been. Before, you weren't into the whole brawling stuff, but I'm glad you're seeing the fun in it sometimes! Heck, it was hard enough to try and get you to be my partner for Team Battles." Ness looked back at Lucas with a assuring smile on his face, yet, he could not help but feel that his friend as been a little bit... unbalanced. "You're my best friend... and you're the only person here who would... you know... make me feel not so alone?" As soon as he said that, he could see signs of emotion beginning to surface onto Lucas' face, his beautiful pair of blue eyes sparkling, a sight that Ness missed for so long. He could not help but hold Lucas' shoulder more firmly, and although he knew he was terrible at expressing his feelings, he placed his heart on the table without even realizing it. "You've been so distant lately, it's like... you're shutting me out. I don't like it, and I bet y-you don't either..." His voice was starting to tremble, pleading even, "what happened to you...?"
And just like that, what Ness saw before his eyes shocked him to the very core. Immediately, Lucas blinked away his emotions, his sparkling blue eyes turning dull again, while he no longer looked back into Ness' eyes, and simply looked passed him. What followed was the most hollowest smile the raven haired boy has ever seen on Lucas' lips...
"I'm fine." Was all Lucas said, before he moved his shoulder away from Ness' grip, before he turned his back on Ness and simply walked forward saying, "I'll be in our dorm room, this match made me super tired...!" Although the blue eyed boy sounded happy... Ness could hear something else entirely. With each 'happy' word was accompanied by someone who has the weight of the world burdened on his shoulders... although the same could be said about everyone in the Smash Tournament, Ness could feel something different about Lucas.
When Ness saw his friend walking into the white light that the exit provided... he couldn't help but grit his teeth in frustration when he held his own arms out of sadness. The way Lucas saw passed him, that was a moment he will never forget. Reluctantly, he walked through the shining light that the exit provided...
The light transported Ness and Lucas back into the mansion that housed all participants of the National Smash Tournament. Even when a hero, character, or villain, is no longer in the roster in the new branches and tournaments, the Keepers of the Smash Universe, Master and Crazy Hand, allowed the ex participants to stay in the mansion to their leisure, so long as they provide a good show for the audience if they demand them.
Ness and Lucas found themselves back into the lobby, and were greeted by the friendly faces they came to know and care for. People such as Peach, Young and Toon Link, and the Ice Climbers, approached Lucas and Ness. They congratulated them for a job well done... and although Lucas and Ness were inseparable, even when Ness noticed a sudden change in his friend's personality, it was odd for the blond boy to slip off from their friend's conversation and make his way up the stairs to their dorm room. Although the others noticed Lucas' absence, they simply shrugged it off and invited Ness if he wanted to eat dinner with them. However, the raven haired boy politely declined their invitation and pretended that he was tired.
As Ness made his way up the stairs and walked through the familiar hallways that made it feel like home... he could recall the memories of when he first met Lucas.
Being one of the original participants of the Smash Tournaments had its perks, you get to know who you're dealing with and what the challenges are like. You get to act all superior like when you meet the new contestants, and even show a rookie a thing or two! Although he met the younger counterpart of the Hero of Time, Link, they were friends, but not close enough to actually spend the entire day together. Ness had a good thing going for him, and although he at times, he felt home sick, it was good enough for him to travel to new lands and dimensions. Yet somehow, he felt alone... being the only kid that had psychic powers is a little unnerving. Ness knew that Zelda had her way with ancient magic, and everyone else had their special abilities, there was an unspoken need for companionship. Although he could go back home to solve this homesickness, there was something about that solution that did not seem so appealing...
But one day, when the feeling was so overbearing that he could just drown in it, Ness simply entered a room of the Mansion that linked all of the Dimensions together. Ness made sure he had the item that would open a portal back that links to the Mansion, before he into a portal that he thought was his own world... but little did Ness knew, that he jumped into his own world, but at the wrong timeline.
When Ness noticed the error, he knew he could simply find a portal back. But when he realized where he was at, he found himself in a theme park that was similar to his nemesis' egotistical mind, Porky. Suddenly, Ness heard a scream in a distance. His instincts took over and ran towards the distress cry, and what he saw was a large statue of Porky chasing after a blond boy. However, the distance between the terrified boy and himself was so great, he only hoped that the kid would get away in time for Ness to try and push back the giant statue of Porky. But what Ness made him shocked, 'The blond kid's a Psy user!' With no time to lose, the raven haired boy sprinted towards the scene, and just within a stroke of time, Ness was within range to use his Psi Ability to reveal that Porky was hidden inside of the statue all along.
What Ness saw was a terrified boy with so much potential, but with a kind and confident heart, he prompted Lucas to stand up and take on his fears. They both fought well together and even took down their common enemy... and that was when they introduced themselves. Ness could never forget when he heard Lucas' voice for the first time. It was soft-spoken, yet wise and full of mystery. While his blue eyes, so beautiful that one could get lost in them, and yet, they seem so jaded and sad. But their introduction was short lived when Wario came in and captured Ness, who sacrificed himself for a complete stranger.
After the battle with Tabuu, Crazy and Master Hand gave the newcomers a special invitation into their organization, in commemoration for their help against a galactic threat. When Ness found out that Lucas accepted the invitation, and when Master and Crazy Hand gave the newcomers the option to choose their seniors, Ness was even happier to find Lucas making his way towards him shyly and that they are the same age. With a happy smile on his face, Ness taught Lucas everything he knows... and what the raven haired boy felt was an immediate connection. After Ness showed the blond child around the entire mansion, he asked if it was possible if the two of them could even share rooms. Although the baseball fanatic preferred his own space, he couldn't deny Lucas, not after when he has found someone that stirred up feelings that he has never felt before.
By the time Lucas had his things settled inside of Ness' room, the two boys made simple ground rules that was typical and respectful. They can share almost anything but toothbrushes, underwear, and other extremely personal necessities. For Ness, Lucas agreed to not touch or move his bats. While for Lucas, Ness agreed to let Lucas turn on a small source of light to sleep. However... there was one rule that both Psi users agreed upon that ultimately defined complete trust and friendship. They agreed that neither of them would read each others minds... and that they would be completely honest with each other. Over time, their friendship only grew. There were as open as a book, and often, they would share a bed just for the sake of having someone beside them when either of them felt just a little bit scared; but it was mostly Lucas who would enter Ness' bed in the middle of the night.
Their friendship was something that Ness longed for... when times were harsh, he went to Lucas for comfort and support, and Lucas would do the same. They talked about their struggles. Ness, he talked about his adventures and his encounter with Giygas. While Lucas talked about what he had to go through with a heavy heart, yet strangely, did not delve too much on his past. It was as if they depended on each other...
Once the raven haired boy arrived at their shared dorm room, Ness could already see something wrong. Although Lucas claimed that he was tired, he did not see any light underneath the opening of the doorway. At first, Ness thought that his friend lied to him, but just to be sure, he opened the door as quietly as he could. The room was dark... yet he could see Lucas underneath his covers sleeping, yet not at peace. The first thing that caught on to Lucas' sudden change was how he stopped sleeping in the dark and how the blond boy's request to sleep together on the same bed. Although he wouldn't stay in the room alone in the dark, he would turn off the lights when he and Ness slept. But this is an entirely different story. For the first time, Lucas was alone...
To not wake up his friend, Ness sighed softly and turned on a night light. But what his vision saw first was tears rolling down Lucas' cheeks while he was curled up underneath his blanket.
It was the last straw for the raven haired boy, 'I'm sorry, Lucas... but I just can't wait for you to tell me, not when you're like this!' He walked up to Lucas' bed and went down on his knees. Ness looked down and saw how deep in despair Lucas was. With a sad look on his face, the PSI raven haired boy wiped away his friend's tear, before he lowered his head and closed his eyes. After three short breaths, Ness began to open up his mind and started to feel the area around his, his senses heightened to unimaginable lengths, thanks to his Psychic abilities. Slowly, his focus shifted towards Lucas, more specifically, entering his friend's mind. Although Ness would rarely probe into the minds of others, he felt that he was adept to it... he would often seep into the minds of his fellow comrades in arms out of boredom. Yet, there was something that was something him... at first, Ness thought that it was more difficult to penetrate the mind of another Psychic... yet it felt as if Lucas was pushing him out somehow.
After some time, Ness finally tapped the surface of Lucas' mind, that's when he felt an internal shock going through his body. It was painful! Yet, he had to keep his mind focused, because one little slip would have Ness go back all the way to square one. At first, the shocks were difficult to keep focused, the jolts running through his body proved difficult, but he kept his composure. Yet, as Ness started to breach through the surface... that is when he saw his friend's memories. They were happy ones. Like a slideshow, he saw little clips of Lucas' family, and a twin that Lucas talks about extremely rarely; from what Lucas told him... Claus and his mother died. While Ness watched, he could no longer feel the shocks that would pain and distract him so, and was immediately replaced with feeling warm and comforted. Surrounding his etheral state was pure light... however, the happy moments quickly turned sour as the color surrounding him turned black, and he could hear in his mind a screech. The pitch was so loud, it nearly deafened him... his body started to feel cold, it was like experiencing Giygas all over again.
However... Ness had to push on, he needed to. Slowly, the greatest of his fears were thrown into his face, almost as if Lucas's mind was pushing him how with all of his might... for Ness, it didn't make any sense- why would his own fears be thrown at his face? But the revelation dawned upon him, it was Lucas' defense against Ness, in case if he were to go back on his word. Emotionally, it wounded him greatly that Lucas would go through great lengths just to keep him out... and yet, it only made him more curious as to why his own friend would just push him out.
With every fear, Ness vanquished. With every pain, Ness endured.
Although he knew that his mind wouldn't be able to keep focus for much longer, his determination to see what changed in his friend was what kept him going. There were nights when Ness would scream out in horror, always remembering the hopelessness that Giygas alone provided. The fear, the terror... it was horrifying for him. Yet Lucas was there, the blond boy would bring him into a loving embrace as they slept together on Ness' bed.
He would sing softly,
"In a distant town, as the dark grows deep,
Unfamiliar words resound, whispered and weak,
Let me heal the pain, drive away despair,
Lead this child whos lost his way; help him prepare.
While apart, understand,
I will live my life for you wherever I am.
Its my greatest wish, to provide for you,
Tender moments, sweetest dreams, love, warm and true.
As I close my eyes, even now I see,
On his face, that little child smiles just for me,
If I call, if he hears,
He will turn towards me, free from his fears.
Shine on one dear child, one so very small,
One who carries on alone, strong after all,
Shine on one dear child, one so very small,
One who carries on alone, strong after all."
The lullaby soothed him to the point where his nightmares no longer consumed him in the worst of times. He had Lucas to thank... and Ness loved him for it.
'Love?'
The thought of love swept across Ness' mind. Sure, he loves his family and his friends... but when he says love with the implication of Lucas, it felt unique, right. With new found vigor, Ness practically smashed through every barrier his friend pulled up. It went on and on like this... until finally... Ness broke through to finally see Lucas' mind for what it was.
What Ness saw was the complete opposite of Lucas' exterior. Within Lucas' mind, Ness was standing in a field full of dirt and dead plants... off in a distance, he could see Lucas on his knees, crying. Ness' own heart was practically in pain for just hearing the blond boy cry out like that, it was surreal. Letting instinct take over him for the second time... he ran across the field. What the baseball fanatic smelled was death. Strangely enough, however, it did not smell like rotting corpses or blood... but what you would smell when incense is being burned. As Ness got closer, he started to realize that Lucas was holding onto someone while in front of a gravestone. The closer he got, the more obvious the blond boy's despair was... the sky in Lucas' mind was bleak, there was no room for light or the sun that he so much enjoys. As soon as Ness was only five feet away, that's when he realized the source of Lucas' pain.
The blond boy was cradling the dead body of Claus, clinging and cradling him desperately, while the tombstone clearly read, "Hinawa."
"Lucas?" Was all Ness could say, before he saw Lucas stopping completely.
Slowly, the blue eyed PSI user looked over his shoulder, and his eyes widened in shock, anger, and full of sadness. "Why... why are you here?" Was all Lucas said, before he turned his body to face his intruder properly, "Get out..."
However, Ness shook his head while he started to take a few steps forward, "No... n-not until you tell me what's wro-"
"I SAID GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"
With each word, Ness only went closer and closer, before he too went down on his knees and grabbed onto Lucas' consciousness, "I'm not leaving, dammit!" It was rare for Ness to swear, he knew it, and so did Lucas. But Ness was desperate... so desperate to know what in God's name is going on, "Not until you tell me what the Hell this all is!"
Clinging onto Claus tightly, Lucas broke down completely, burying his face into his twin's neck while whispering out his and his mother's name. All Ness could do was watch, before he started to cry to.
"Tell me..." Ness asked with a heavy heart, "Don't turn me away, not when we've come this far... not when we're starting to drift apart."
"I killed them."
Lucas' words were short and straight to the open, and Ness' eyes widened in shock... however, Ness raised his right hand and placed it on top of Lucas' shoulder, "What... w-what do you mean?"
And like an overflowing dam, Lucas told every single detail of his sorrow. From how he felt that it was his fault for his mother's death on protecting them, to how he felt the impeding guilt that he killed his brother not once, but twice. Lucas admitted that he thought he moved on, that he moved past the despair... yet all of that changed when he met Ness. At first, the raven haired boy was taken aback, but he did not pull his grasp away. Lucas explained that over time... there was a feeling that he has missed, the sensation of loving, and to be loved, and how he admitted these feelings rests into Ness.
"I love you..." Lucas said, while lowering his head, his blue eyes shut, "But the feeling of it... oh God... e-everyone that I loved was taken from me... and I didn't want... I don't w-want to go back. If I lost you... I just couldn't think of it." His hold on Claus was tighter now more than ever, and if Lucas was doing this in real life, his hands would have bled to how tight he his holding the ethereal body of Claus. "I... the love I felt to you... it was different, something different from my family. But if you knew- if you knew, and you hated me-!" His wails and cries reached to a crescendo. Lucas was nearing the state of a panic attack, trying his best to complete his words, but the only thing that left his mouth was, "I wanted to join them."
Something deep within Ness' mind snapped. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Lucas' neck and brought him into a loving embrace... although they were in Lucas' mind, the two boys could feel the comforting sensation that soothed their troubled souls.
"You've went through so much..." Ness said softly, "but you can't let yourself be consumed by your guilt..." the young boy paused, almost feeling a sense of De'ja'vu. However, he continued, "Your mother and your brother... you loved them, didn't you...?" When he felt Lucas' head nod, he smiled and continued, "You've lost'em so early... but that doesn't mean they're gone completely." he moved his head to the side and kissed the blond boy's head, "None of this was your fault, what happened... happened. But if you don't want to think that way... you just gotta learn how to forgive yourself..."
There were no longer any whimpers or cries... just the eerie silence. At first, Ness thought that he didn't get through to Lucas. But it all changed when he felt the body that Lucas was holding onto started to fade away. The two boys pulled back from each other, and they found themselves looking into each others eyes. The bleak clouds then started to rain... it was quick, as was the dead fields returning to life. Sunflowers started to grow and filled the entire fields, while the sun greeted Lucas' mind with its warm kiss...
Their lingering looks lasted only for a while longer, before Lucas and Ness woke up.
There they were, in their dimly lit room... Ness was kneeling while Lucas looked to his longtime friend with a grateful look in his blue eyes. A smile grew on each other's lips, before the unthinkable happened to Lucas.
Boldly, Ness leaned forward and pressed his lips against Lucas'... the kiss was soft, short, and sweet. Yet the lingering emotions that festered says otherwise. When the raven haired boy pulled back slightly, a huge blush crept on his face while he looked into the blond boy's eyes, "I love you too."