RE-tuned
Prologue Chapter 1: The world that was and wasn't
By: Amaryuu-no-Reichi
AN: Thank you to Nano Carp and Ryuu-kun for looking this over for me.
"~*~"
Death, why is it always death? Why did the people he loved have to die?
Lucas wants to cry as his brother embraces him one final time. Tears gather in his eyes as the familiar scent of his brother enters his nostrils. Holding his brother close, Lucas begins to cry softly. Claus gives a racking cough that Lucas is sure was meant to be a chuckle at his expense.
"Come on Luc, don't cry. I'm sorry all of this happened. But… I'm happy that you could be here at the end. Thank you, little brother, and I'm so sorry. I should've listened to you. I'm… I'm going to be with mother now Lucas. Goodbye and thank you." Claus whispers softly light of life leaving his eyes as they slowly slid shut. Lucas gently lowers his failing body to the ground. Claus manages a final smile before he is gone. Lucas lets out another tiny sob.
"Claus…" He whispers softly as their father stands over them Lucas's pain reflected in his eyes.
"Lucas… thank you. For bringing him back to himself and please forgive your brother for all that he has done." Flint whispers kneeling next to the body of his second son resting a gentle hand on Lucas's head.
"It's time, Lucas, time to end this. Are you ready to pull the final needle?" Flint asks soothingly, Lucas nods, his eyes still leaking tears.
"Be strong Lucas, Your mother and Claus have entrusted you with our destiny, believe in yourself for them. There's nothing that needs to be sealed away anymore. Let's make that dragon, sleeping deep underground our new ally and friend. Let him see your spirit, ask him with all your heart to protect all things. I and everyone else believe you can do it; you just need to believe. The dragon is waiting." Flint murmurs helping his boy stand. Lucas gives his father a shaky smile before he steps gingerly around the prone form of his twin and towards the final needle.
As he take it in hand, he imagines all the pain and suffering that has been caused by these seven seemingly insignificant needles. He imagines all the lives lost and the families destroyed and he asks the dragon as he grips the needle tightly to make the world a better place, a place where no one had to suffer as he and his family had. And, he yanks the needle free. The needle disappears in a column of light and the ground begins to shake. The ground where the needle stood erupts in a geyser of steam and his world vanishes in a white array of light.
"*~*"
Lucas opens his eyes and sees an endless sea of white. Confused he tries to remember what he'd been doing before he woke here. After a few moments of vainly trying to jog his memory, he gives up frustrated. A childish giggle sounds behind him. Startled and frustrated that someone was laughing at his misfortune, he turns to glare in the direction of the sound. There is no one there, but the giggling intensifies.
"Oh scary!" the voice titters clearly amused and Lucas huffs softly offended at its teasing.
"Aw! Don't pout! If you don't, I'll tell you who I am!" the voice wheedles and Lucas sighs letting the petulant expression fall. It wasn't as if it was having an effect anyway.
"Much better. My name is !%&&!." The voice murmurs. Lucas frowns not quite catching the being's name. Opening his mouth, he went to ask it to repeat what it had said but to his shock, he found he could not speak.
"No time for question. No that's a lie; there is plenty of time and so, so little. Now is not the time for questions or answers. You're still not ready yet even after all you've been through." The child like voice explains and Lucas feels something embrace him tightly.
"Remember my voice Lucas, we will meet again. Now, it's time for you to wake up. So, wake up Lucas." The child-like voice whispers in his ear as the white world around him begins to fade.
'~*~'
Lucas feels the arms around him move to his shoulder and the sensation of being shaken causes his eyes to snap open in confusion.
"Wake up Lucas, Snap out of it!" it was Kumatora and she was shaking him like a ragdoll.
"I'm—mm-m A-awake- ku-mu" Lucas stutters words interrupted by the frantic shaking.
"Kuma, you're going to make him pass out again." Duster murmurs resting a hand on the girls shoulder snapping her out of her worried tirade. Lucas collapses in an undignified heap after he was abruptly let go by the excitable tomboyish princess.
"Glad to see you too." Lucas grumbles into the dirt softly as she helps him up apologizing quickly.
"My bad. I'm sorry Lucas but, we couldn't wake you, we were worried." Kumatora murmurs explaining her rather abrupt actions.
"Couldn't wake me? How long was I out?" Lucas asks confused.
"Just a few moments, we were about to carry you out of here when you woke up on your own." Duster explains as the ground shakes violently.
"Let's continue this conversation outside!" Flint grunts lifting Lucas into his arms. He then proceeds to carry him out of the collapsing cavern, Duster, Kumatora and Boney scrambling to keep up behind him. Lucas notices as they flee for their lives, that Duster is carrying Claus's body and he feels something warm inside his heart.
"~*~"
They barely manage to make it out of the caverns underneath the Empire Porky building alive. And, it comes to no little surprise to the group when they realize that it wasn't just the caverns that were falling apart. They look on with dismay as parts of the world around them vanish before their eyes.
"What...What the hell is this?" Kumatora asks voice soundless with horror eyes wide her bravado gone for once.
"It looks like the world is falling apart." Flint mutters eyes shaded by his hat as he sets Lucas down. Kumatora looks at him with something akin to anger and despair in her eyes.
"WHY? We worked so hard to save this world! Lucas pulled the final needle! LUCAS! So why then is our world dying?" She yells angrily, tears falling from her eyes.
"I don't know." Flint mutters looking away. Lucas, Bony, and Duster can only watch in horrified silence, as New Pork City vanishes bit by bit, not sure if what they're seeing is real or not.
'Why is this happening? I pulled more needles than Claus did. Didn't Ionia say if I did this world would be saved?' Lucas asks himself, aghast and wondering if this was in some way his fault.
'The dragon… Hates being confused.' A child-like voice whispers softly into his mind and Lucas recognizes it as the voice from his vision.
'Confused?' He asks faintly wondering why this person keeps contacting him.
'The dragon is confused… it hates being confused; and so, it is angry. I think.' The voice answers sounding unsure.
'You think?' Lucas asks warily.
'I know it is angry; but, I'm not sure why… the one watching might know better than me. But, even I cannot contact her.' The voice explains and Lucas nods face falling in dismay.
'So I wasn't able to stop this destruction. This is my fault.' Lucas thinks sadly
'Yes and no. The blame really lies with Claus but even then, it really isn't his fault. Pokey is the one who would destroy our world; and so, the blame really lies with him.' The voice soothed.
'But I couldn't stop this.' Lucas argues eyes filling with tears. The voice remains silent for a long time.
'No, you couldn't but… I'm not sure if you ever could have.' The voice whispers sadly and Lucas feels its presence leave his mind. Lucas falls to his knees sobbing softly. Duster who had laid Claus on the ground next to him looks over from where he was trying to comfort Kumatora eyes sad.
"Lucas." He whispers sadly though he is glad to see Flint go to his son.
"I'm so sorry." Lucas whispers sobbing softly Flint kneels next to him and wraps his arms around the boy's shoulders. Boney whimpers softly at their side
"I'm so sorry…" Lucas sobs as his father holds him watching as the city below them disappears. Soon all that's left is the perimeter of the building and it is diminishing quickly.
"I WON'T LET YOU! I won't let them die!" a voice Lucas doesn't recognize shouts from the darkness of the empty world surrounding them startling the five beneath the building before their world fades to black.
'~*~'
An: So yeah, I'm starting a new story. WAOTBBW is still in redevelopment. I'm not sure where I'm going with it anymore and I'm currently re-planning it. Now can anyone guess who that was at the end? They speak twice during this chapter.