Lost Boy
"Claus?"
"Mom? Mom, is that you?"
He felt himself floating, darkness enveloping him. He couldn't even see his hands out in front of him. But, what was that?
Way in the distance, he saw a light. Sunlight. His mom, perfectly alive and well, was standing there with her arms wide open.
"Claus! Come here, sweetie."
He started to run towards her. His small legs kept tripping over invisible obstacles, but he kept running. His mom was there, welcoming him towards her.
But then, she started to fade.
"Mom! Wait, no, come back!"
"Claus!"
"Wake up!"
Claus felt something punch his back. His eyes opened quickly, hoping to find what had hit him and woke him up from his deep sleep.
He flipped over to his other side, wincing as he felt pain in his sides.
What happened? He thought to himself.
"Get moving, you dumb kid!"
Claus looked up, hoping to see a familiar face. But what he saw was a mask. A mask….that looked like a pig?
"That took you long enough. Get up, the master wants to see you!"
Claus glanced around. Surrounding him were three other pig-masked people, two of them in pink uniforms and one in a blue uniform. They were holding weapons, but why? From the voices, they sounded threatening….
He clenched his hands into fists.
"What do you want with me? Tell me what's going on!"
The pig-masked soldiers turned to each other and laughed, oinking and squeaking mixed into the laughter.
"And why should we tell you, boy?"
Claus felt himself get frustrated.
"If you don't, I'll go and get my dad! He'll beat you guys up, after I beat you up!"
The pig-masks' laughter continued to grow, making Claus even angrier.
"Yes, this is surely the boy the master wants!"
Claus glared into the unseen eyes of the pig people, showing no sign of fear.
"Who is your master? Take me to him!" he stated.
The pig-masks' squeals started to fade.
"You want to meet the master, boy? Well then, come with us. He's been expecting you".
The soldier in the blue uniform grabbed Claus by the arm, yanking him up and placing him between the two pink-uniformed soldiers. The blue one prodded a gun at Claus' back.
"Get moving, boy!"
The pig soldiers walked Claus around for what seemed like hours. The place they were in was all silvery and metallic, nothing like the wooden architecture of Tazmily that Claus was used to. The blue pig kept his gun to Claus' back, making sure he wouldn't try and run away.
Claus had no intention of running, at least not now. His young eyes were taking in everything that he saw, trying to form a plan of some sort to get out of here.
He was also thinking about how he got here. He remembered small bits of events that happened prior to this.
I saw Dad…and then I went walking….and then I fell? Or was I pushed? Did I fall off a cliff? Are Dad and Lucas looking for me?
Nothing made sense to him. His head hurt, as well as the sides of his body. And as he and the pig soldiers kept walking, he felt the gun digging into his back, hurting him even more. But he had to stay strong. If he looked weak, then he had no chance of escaping from, wherever this place was.
Finally, they reached their destination.
"Here we are, boy!" one of the pig people said.
The metallic doors in front of the small group opened up automatically, revealing more metal, with a long red carpet leading up to a chair.
Where did they get all this from? I haven't seen this material anywhere in Tazmily. Claus wondered to himself.
The soldiers marched Claus forward, down the red carpet to the chair. On closer inspection, it looked like a throne, like what kings in Lucas and Claus' story books would sit on when talking to their subjects. But there was no king or anybody there. Claus glanced around the room. Was there supposed to be someone in charge?
Finally, after a few minutes, somebody did come out.
Behind the group, a trumpeter, wearing the same pig masks as the soldiers surrounding Claus, blasted a rather out-of-key fanfare on his trumpet. Claus covered his ears with his small hands, trying to drown out the noises. The pig soldiers snapped at him, telling him to put his hands down and listen to the music.
When the trumpeter finished, he squealed and raised his voice.
"Bow down, to the great King P!"
After the announcement, the pig soldiers fell to their knees, their masks touching the ground. The blue one poked Claus with his gun, commanding him to bow down as well.
Claus was confused. He didn't see the king, so why were they bowing down?
The blue pig pointed his gun harder into Claus' back, telling him to bow down immediately or else he would be shot. Claus continued to not move. Fed up with his behavior, the blue pig shoved Claus forward. Claus fell to his knees, his face smacking against the carpet.
"That's what you get, boy, for disobeying a direct order!"
The pink pig-masks squealed, telling the blue pig-mask to be quiet and bow down quickly before King P arrived.
Claus decided not to risk lifting his face to get a good look at the king. As long as he followed the instructions, he could get out quickly and get back home to Tazmily.
A strange noise, one that Claus had never heard before, filled the room. It sounded like a Drago's roar and something else, but Claus couldn't figure out what it was. The room quaked a little, the pig-masks snorting and squealing in response to the shaking and the noise.
Then, as quickly as the rumbling and roaring had begun, it stopped.
A human voice shouted above the heads of the bowing soldiers and Claus.
"Stand up, you dumbasses!"
The pigs got up immediately.
"You too, boy!"
One of the soldiers grabbed on to the back of Claus' shirt, tugging him to his feet.
Now that Claus' face was not melded to the carpet, he got his first glimpse at the "great King P" and "master" that the pig soldiers all feared.
It took all of his strength to not laugh out loud in front of everybody. The king, the master, the one that all these soldiers feared and revered above all else, was a fat kid.
The fat kid in question sat on a plush throne, a gold crown on his white-haired head and a red cape draped over his shoulders. He wore a white shirt with a pair of food-stained blue overalls that were obviously too small for his large body. His eyes couldn't be seen under the white hair, but the king's nose and mouth were round and definitely pig-like. Claus wouldn't be surprised if there was a curly tail poking out from the king's behind.
The mental image almost made Claus giggle, but he restrained himself. He could at least keep the image in his head and tell Lucas about this King P when he got back home.
Home…
"Boy, respond to His Majesty!"
Claus was snapped out of his trance by one of the pig soldiers prodding him in the side. Claus glared at the king, making what he hoped was eye contact.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that. What did you say, fatty?"
The pigs all squealed in horror, turning their masks towards each other with a sense of fear. Claus realized what he said and silently wished his freedom goodbye. He had just insulted the king to his face, and from what he had read in his storybooks, that was a death wish.
But the king was not angry. In fact, he was….smiling?
It was definitely not a happy smile, but more of a smirk, if anything.
The pudgy boy then started to laugh, his head thrown back as if nothing had happened.
Confused, Claus and the pigs stared in silence at King P, anticipating his response.
When the king had finished laughing, he coughed loudly, some of his spit landing on Claus.
"Damn, you've got guts, kid! I like you!"
He looked around at the soldiers enclosing Claus, who had all snorted a sigh of relief.
"I want to speak to the kid alone. Get out of here!"
The pig soldiers saluted, squealing out a "Yes, Your Majesty!" before marching out of the room.
When the metallic doors closed and the pigs were gone, it was just the king and Claus left in the giant metallic room with the red carpet.
"Hilarious. They do whatever the hell I tell them to do, even if it means losing their dumb lives. What a bunch of idiots," the king whispered under his breath. He turned his face to the red-headed boy, who was the only one standing before him.
"What's your name, kid?"
Claus gulped. His parents had told him not to talk to strangers, but if he didn't tell the king his name, he could get into more trouble.
"Claus, Your Majesty."
The king laughed again.
"God, no need to be formal. Just call me Porky".
After their introductions, Porky called for a soldier to bring food for Claus.
"What do you like to eat, Claus?"
Claus thought for a little bit.
"Steak, fries, and….lobster," he told Porky.
Porky ordered Claus' food, as well as an ice cream sundae for himself.
The king stayed on his throne, while Claus was given a table and chair to sit at. They chatted for a little bit, with Porky asking Claus about himself, his family, and his town. Claus told Porky everything, about how he lived with his father Flint, his mother Hinawa, his twin brother Lucas, and their dog Boney. They lived in a wooden house in Tazmily, taking care of sheep and running errands in town.
After he had mentioned this, the food arrived. Claus was amazed at all the food he had, which his family couldn't afford back in Tazmily. Oh, Lucas would be so jealous right now. As Porky and Claus gobbled down their food (Claus especially since he hadn't eaten in days), they would have bits of conversation between bites. When all the food was gone, and the two boys' stomachs full, Porky addressed Claus directly.
"Claus, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. She must have been wonderful".
Claus glanced up. Did he tell Porky about the death of his mom? He honestly couldn't remember.
"You must miss her so much," Porky said.
The red-headed boy nodded. Although he had been so strong holding back his emotions, he still couldn't believe that his mom, his sweet and loving mom, was dead. He felt himself start to cry.
Porky, noticing that his guest was tearing up, got off of his throne and patted Claus on the shoulder.
"It's okay, Claus, I know you miss her".
Claus kept crying, Porky continuing to try and soothe the young boy.
"Claus, what if I told you there was a way to bring back your mom?"
Claus' head shot up to look at Porky. Had he heard that correctly?
"What do you mean, Porky?" he sniffled.
Porky moved in front of Claus.
"I've got a lot of high-tech stuff here, Claus. Anything is possible. I've done this on a few of my best soldiers and they were on their feet immediately after they were brought back. Think about it Claus, you could have your mom back and you can go back to your dad, your brother, and your dog in Tazmily and live happily".
Claus was confused. How could his mom be brought back? She was dead. He and Lucas had watched her bleed to death after being attacked by the Mecha-Drago. There was no way this could happen.
But if what Porky said was true, especially since he had a lot of technology that Claus had never heard of or seen in his short life, then he could have his mom back. His dad would be happy, Lucas would be happy, he would be happy, even Boney would be happy to have Hinawa alive and well again. It was like what Porky had said.
"How can I trust you?" Claus asked Porky.
Porky smiled.
"Oh, of course. I should show you. The proof is in the pudding, right?"
The king went back to his throne and pushed what Claus assumed was a button. Again, the rumbling and roaring from earlier happened. A hole opened up in the metallic floor, with something rising from within.
When the noise ceased, there was a glass tank. Inside the tank, there was a person. A person wearing a pink dress, with a noticeable amount missing from the bottom, as if the dress had snagged on something.
Claus went up to the tank. It couldn't be. This couldn't be real.
The person in the tank turned around, revealing a young, womanly face. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and pink lips. Claus' eyes met with the woman's, and after studying each other's faces for a few seconds, both lit up with joy. Through the glass, Claus could not hear what she was saying, but he could read her lips.
"Claus?!"
He put his small hands on the glass tank.
"Mom?!"
Hinawa smiled through the glass as Claus felt himself start to tear up again.
"Mom, I can't believe it's you!"
Through his tears, he saw Hinawa start to cry as well. Claus turned to Porky.
"Why is she in there?"
Porky grinned.
"Ahh yeah. She still needs to recover a bit. Also, I don't think it's fair for me to give you something unless you do something for me in return".
Suddenly, the noises that had occurred when the tank with Hinawa was brought up in the first place started to happen again. Claus watched in fear as the tank went back down into the hole where it had come from. Hinawa waved to Claus, tears on her face, saying "Claus, I love you" through the glass.
When the rumbling stopped, Claus turned to Porky, a look of determination on his face.
"What do I have to do in order to get Mom back?"
As soon as the words had come out of Claus' mouth, Porky smirked.
"Oh, it won't be hard. Just a small task in exchange for your mom".
"What is it? I'll do anything!"
Porky clapped his hands together.
"Good. Now, Claus, have you ever heard about the Seven Needles?"
Claus shook his head. He didn't remember reading anything about the Seven Needles in his books or hearing about them from his mom's bedtime stories.
"Basically, only people with a special ability can pull the needles. The person who pulls all seven needles gets a wish granted. And you, dear Claus, are the only one who can pull the needles".
The boy raised his eyebrows. What made him so special to pull the needles?
"So, you just want me to pull the needles and I'll get a wish? That's not hard. I'll get it done".
The king rubbed his hands, rather gleefully.
"Excellent. Now, are we at an agreement? Your mom for the Seven Needles?"
Porky held out a fat hand, ready for a handshake to seal the deal.
Claus glanced at the hand being offered to him, then to his own hand. He could still escape now and leave all this behind. Why should he trust Porky, anyway? He just met him. He also seemed to have a rather menacing appearance that could be dangerous.
But then again, this was a chance to get his mom back and return home, a hero in the eyes of his dad and his brother. They could be a complete family, and he and Lucas could continue to have happy memories with his mom.
He put his small hand into Porky's larger one, shaking it. He had made his decision.
As their hands shook, Claus was overcome with something. A memory of his mom telling a bedtime story to him and Lucas.
This story is about special needles that are in the ground throughout the world. Long ago, a dragon ruled over the world. Worried about the power it contained, seven beautiful and magical spirits called Magypsies sealed away the dragon under the ground at seven different spots. Each spot contained a needle, holding the dragon in place, with a Magypsy to guard and protect the needle. Only those with a special ability could remove the needles. If one with a good heart pulled all the needles, the dragon would be freed and fulfill the remover's good wishes. However, if one with a bad heart pulled all the needles, the dragon would respond to evil wishes. If one without a heart pulled the needles, the world would cease to exist. And that's the story of the Seven Needles.
Suddenly, a maniacal and shrill laugh broke Claus out of his memory of the past.
"Congrats, you idiot! You've got yourself a deal!"
Porky snapped his tubby fingers. Three pig-soldiers came in from the front door that had led into the throne room. They saluted the king as he addressed them.
"Take this dumbass to the Chimera Lab. We've got work to do!"
Claus grabbed his hand out of Porky's.
"No, you can't do this! You can't do this, Porky! I don't want to do this anymore! You're putting the world in danger!"
"Too late, kid, you made a deal. And now you're going to fulfill your part of the agreement. Also, it's King P, you insignificant fool".
The boy tried to make a dash out of the door, hoping to escape from this place. Two of the pig soldiers grabbed him by the arms and knocked him out with the butt of a gun. They took him out of the throne room to the lab where King P had instructed.
The third pig-mask looked at the king.
"Sir, you said you could bring back that kid's mom. Can you actually do that?"
Porky chuckled loudly, tears streaming down his face from laughter.
"Hell no. I may be King P, but even I can't bring back those who died from my Mecha-Drago. At least, not back to their human form," he responded.
"But then, how did you get her in that tank?"
"That was just a chimera I made of her. Now, stop questioning me and go and tell the generals that they need to be prepared for the next few days. We're finally gonna go get those needles!"
The soldier saluted, leaving the room quickly.
All that was left in the throne room was Porky atop his royal throne.
"Now," he said as he clapped his hands together, "what to do with my new puppet…"
"He's complete, Master!"
"Bring him to me now!"
Porky sat on his throne, waiting for his pig soldiers to bring his new toy. Everything was running smoothly, and soon he would have the power of the Seven Needles.
The door to the throne room opened up, with four soldiers walking in. Three of the soldiers were pig-masks, and they were encircling the last soldier as they stepped toward the king's throne. This last soldier looked more human, although some of the parts were more robotic. The soldier wore orange pants, a black jacket, and a helmet that covered its face.
All four soldiers reached the throne and bowed down to their master. Porky commanded the three pig-masks to go and get ready to leave and search for the first of the Seven Needles. They were dismissed, saluting and squealing as they left the throne room.
That left the mysterious soldier with the king.
Porky got up from his throne and went up to the soldier.
"Soldier, can you hear me?"
The soldier nodded.
The king grinned as he whispered to the figure.
"Claus, can you hear me?"
The soldier did not respond, staring blankly.
"Good. You are dismissed, Masked Man".
The masked man saluted to his king, turned around, and headed out the door to prepare for the journey to find the first needle.
Porky went back to his throne and sat down again. This lost boy that he had found was now his "adorable little monster", ready to do anything that he said. Everything was going according to his plan.