*Looks at date since last Ceres update* Okay, let's hope that this doesn't become a trend. :)

Hey, everyone! I'm (finally) in college, so things might start to get pretty busy soon. Hopefully I'll be able to update this story regularly. I'm actually pretty far into the rough drafts and I'm trying to finish them as soon as possible so I can focus on other things, so don't worry about me abandoning this story entirely. :)

Anyways, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. There are some parts that I like and others that need improvement yet I don't know how to fix them. Maybe you guys can pinpoint those parts for me and offer suggestions. You know, if that's your type of thing.

Also, pretty much everyone on campus is off watching the football game here, so things are really quiet over in my dorm. I guess this is what happens when I care not at all about sports. In fact, I might even watch some smash bros tournaments on twitch instead...

And if anyone cares, the new Ace Attorney is pretty good. You'll find no objections here. :)

Review Responses:

Shimo no ko: Ninten reminds you of Sans? I'll take that as a compliment! :) Yep, I finally listed her as one of the main characters. She was never meant to be one when I first started the story, but I like her character enough that it just kind of happened. But yeah, 4 PoVs is going to be tough. Well, we'll see how Jeff develops throughout this story. Out of all of the characters, he was possibly the hardest to write because his strengths aren't very pronounced so it's hard to make him interesting and cool. And I'm glad that you liked the whole planning process; one of my writing quirks is that my characters aren't very impulsive since I'm not (I'm that person who never takes free soda when it's offered because of the sugar content). Well, thanks and I'll see you later! :)

A Fan: Yeah, I get that sometimes when I'm reviewing stories. It happens to the best of us. :) The whole Giygas thing is hard to justify, but I make a couple subtle-ish attempts. The one I'll say here is that Giygas views time in a very different way than we do. Years pass in an eyeblink. Waiting to conquer the world like this is his version of putting the alarm clock on snooze when you don't want to get up. :)

DarkFoxKit: Yeah, I miss Paula too, actually. But considering how long this story is taking and how many characters I already had... I needed to kill people off. :( And there's a little part in this chapter about Lucas, but don't expect to see him for a while. Other plot arcs are coming into the fray. :)

Wimpy Guard: Yeah, moving in went fine and I'm getting along well with my roommate, so things are going pretty well. Which is lucky, considering that I've already heard roommate horror stories. Heh, my first class starts on Monday. Three cheers for 8 am classes Monday-Friday! And I have to get up early to take chem of all things. Talk about something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy.

I'm kidding... mostlyl ;)

Anyways, most of the reason why my characters are hard on religion is that the society in general is quite atheistic. As such, people have a harsher view of religion and it pushes that religion to the extreme. You know how some atheists get really annoying and defensive about their beliefs when they really don't have to be because they feel like they're always being attacked? Paula's dad is like that but with religion. And not everyone who I portray as religious is annoying. :P I know that you didn't click with Paula, but Ana's parents had a lot of things going for them before they... yeah. So because of the world, I'm not going to talk too much about religion's positive side because my characters don't care much (with the possible exception of Ana), although I would consider Ana's position to be the negative side of being agnostic/atheist. And other characters in this fic will suffer because they don't have religious beliefs to fall back on. I'm just going to trash everything wheee.

Okay, I'll take another look at dialogue tags. Generally, I add extra because I assume that my readers aren't following the story as I do, but maybe not. :) And yep, friendly crit is nice :) But it's important to keep that friendly tone, especially online where it's easier to miscommunicate. You're probably better at that than I am. :P And yeah, it will be a long time if I ever do get something published, but I'll be sure to let you know! :)

We in Scaraba lust after Fourside almost as much as we despise it.

Despite its size, Fourside was never the capital of the Roman Empire before it went intergalactic. Indeed, before it was known as Fourside, the city was originally called Byzantium and then was renamed Constantinople.

Although Fourside's structure is exceedingly Western and commercial, it was heavily influenced by Scaraban culture and design. Fourside was the gateway from the East to the West, and my people longed to control it.

So while we hate Fourside because it houses the Eaglelish government that oppresses our people, we desire the city's power and beauty for ourselves. The love and hate that we share for Fourside brings out the worst in us

"It's a psyching shame," Tracy said to Ness. "Even now, it still seems so hard to believe. Paula was such a nice person. She always made you happy as a friend and even included me sometimes. But she's gone, isn't she?"

Normally, Ness found it difficult to concentrate over the smell of his mother cooking steak, but now it was all too easy for Tracy's words to weigh on him like stones.

"I know," Ness said. "I wish that we had done more together. I wish that I had spent every second I was bored with her instead."

"It could have been you," Tracy said, her eyes growing wide. "You were in Dalaam with her. I could have lost you too."

"Yeah, that's what happens to psions," Ness said with a shrug. "We're trouble magnets. Thank you for actually caring about my safety this time."

Tracy shot a glare at Ness.

"I always care," she said. "Is this about the time back on Vulcan? You know, when you were visiting dad and he got killed?"

And I nearly did too, Ness thought. By all rights, I shouldn't be standing here right now.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Don't you think that I was grateful to have you come home safe?" Tracy asked.

"Well, you didn't really show it," Ness said.

"I was angry because you did nothing and leeched off of our family for several months after that happened," Tracy said. "But I never wanted you to die!"

"I'm sorry," Ness said. "You just get aggressive sometimes, so I assumed…"

"That I didn't want you to live? All I ever said was that I wanted you to help out!"

I… guess she's right, Ness thought. I was completely out of it after dad's death. Considering what mom and Tracy had to go through, it makes sense that they would be a little bitter.

"I was wrong," Ness said. "I made a mistake by assuming that you didn't care about me."

Tracy shot Ness a confused look. After all, the first rule of having siblings was to never admit that the other person was right.

"I guess I'm getting a little snappy," Tracy conceded. She was too proud to admit more than that, but Ness detected the sincere apology underneath. "I just wish none of this had happened. Then it could be you and Paula hanging out like normal teenagers while I butt in like annoying little sisters are supposed to. Wouldn't it be so nice to act normal like that?"

"Yeah," Ness said. "If Paula and dad were still alive, this universe would look a lot brighter."

"Is this how other people feel too?" Tracy asked. "Is everyone else just as hopeless when death passes by?"

"I think so."

"So much pain," Tracy whispered, hugging her arms. "How can we take it?"

"By focusing on the good times and hoping for a better future," Ness said. "It's all that we can do."

"Didn't Paula believe that we go to a utopia in the sky once we die?" Tracy asked. "That's starting to look pretty appealing right now."

"I know what you mean," Ana said, walking up to Tracy and Ness. "I want to believe that my parents are in a better place even though I… don't." She shook her head. "I'm thinking that we should head to Fourside tomorrow unless you have something else in mind."

"So soon?" Tracy asked. "We hardly got to see you!"

"I'm sure that we'll come back soon so that you can spend some more time with Ana," Ness said.

"I was talking about you, dummy," Tracy said. "It's been lonely, especially since I don't have any friends. You had better not get yourself killed out there, all right?"

"Don't worry," Ana said. "I'll do everything in my power to keep him safe."

"Ana's bailed me out of trouble plenty of times," Ness said. "I'll be safe in her hands."

"Heh, it's easy to see why you like her!" Tracy said. "She's pretty and helpful. She's basically the perfect one for you!"

"Tracy!" Ness said, his cheeks growing hot.

Ana smiled.

"Trust me, Tracy," she said. "There's plenty about me that's far less than perfect."

Really? Ness thought. Because I haven't seen any flaws yet.

"Never would have guessed," Tracy said. Her face lit up. "But who else is hungry? Let's eat!"

During dinner, Ness and Ana finalized their plan to head off to Fourside the next morning. Ana insisted on planning out every little detail from packing food to setting their alarms, which Ness was content to let her do on her own. Ness' mother was visibly disappointed when they told her their intent to leave so soon, and the fact that she pretended otherwise just made it worse. Ness wanted to spend some more time with her and make her happy, but he knew that he was making the right choice by sticking with Ana.

When Ness crawled up to his room after dinner, he plopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling for hours. What could he do, really? Ana was clever, commanding, and proficient with psionics, while Ness was none of the three. Would he forever be dead weight to her?

As Ness drifted off to sleep, his opinion of himself grew darker.

Ness found himself falling through empty space. He could still see himself, so there had to be a light source somewhere, but Ness spotted nothing but a blank eternity that sprouted in all directions.

Is this Lucas' Magicant? Ness thought. Am I back inside his mind?

As if to answer his question, Lucas appeared standing on a patch of grassy land that acted as a floating island in the face of otherwise infinite emptiness. Unlike before when Ness had seen him in Magicant, Lucas retained all of his facial features. Lucas jerked his hand and Ness stopped falling, floating right in front of the island. The grass at Lucas' feet swayed, but there was no wind to move it. In his right hand, Lucas held a sunflower. He used his left hand to stroke the petals as if he were feeling animal pelts. The yellow petals yielded under the pressure, letting Lucas fingers flow over them like a cascading river.

"This is all that I have left, Ness," Lucas said, his voice harsh and bitter. "My mother's memory is all that keeps me here. Which is strange, considering what happened to her."

What did happen to her? Ness wanted to ask. The words got caught in his throat.

Lucas tossed the sunflower off the patch of land. Ness watched it until it became a speck in the distance, and continued watching until he couldn't see it at all.

"That is what will happen to my mind," Lucas said. "Fall and fall… because psionics and the mind don't obey the laws of physics. Things fall without reason, without an equal force pushing back."

"Lucas!" Ness said, reaching out. "Are you all right?"

Lucas' shoulders sagged. He smiled, but Ness saw an ancient pain hidden behind those eyes. Why did that pose remind Ness so much of Lucas' twin brother Claus?

"I don't think that I'll ever be all right ever again," Lucas said. "It's been a week since Giygas captured me, Ness. He's already done this to my mind."

Lucas gestured to the emptiness around them.

"I'm sorry!" Ness said. "I tried to protect you, but I wasn't strong enough. I'll get you back, I swear!"

"Don't waste your effort."

"What?" Ness looked past Lucas' tightly drawn lips and saw the unspoken words inside. "How can you say that? You're dying on the inside. You need help."

"I need help in the same way that a patient in the final stage of cancer needs help," Lucas said. "Even psionics can't save them. Even psionics can't save me."

"I've never been good at psionics," Ness said. "I just want to be your friend."

"Friendship can't break bonds forged of steel or feed your family," Lucas said. "Without our needs taken care of, we are nothing. I am nothing."

"No you're not!" Ness said. "I'm going to help you."

"Please, do me a favor," Lucas said. "When you see me again, I'll probably be the Masked Man again. I'll try to kill you on sight." Lucas shot Ness a hard stare. "You have to do the same, all right?"

"What, try to kill you?" Ness asked. "No. I promised myself that I would never kill another human again. Did I ever tell you what I did, Lucas? How after the cultist Mr. Carpainter killed my father and his band of refugees, I gave brought their corpses back to life told them to kill Carpainter's cultists? I still don't know how much destruction I caused on that day."

"They're cultists," Lucas said. "It's like killing fascist pigmasks. It doesn't count."

"No! You can't convince yourself that killing them is okay. Every life matters, Lucas. I won't take a single one, not even if you want me to. I'm sorry."

"What if I end up killing your friends and family?" Lucas asked. "If I see you, I think that I might be able to resist Giygas' orders and freeze. You need to take that opportunity to kill me."

"I can't," Ness said, his heart heaving in his chest. "I'm sorry, but I just can't do it."

"Why did I expect this to happen?" Lucas asked, shaking his head. "Your words make no sense… But then again, maybe that's what drew me to you. Claus always made too much sense in the wrong ways."

Lucas pursed his lips, closing his eyes.

"It doesn't matter, Ness. None of it matters. Soon, I won't remember this. I won't remember you. I'll just be Giygas' output device."

"Please, don't talk like that," Ness said. "Even if you forget everything, our time together still matters!"

"I wish that I could agree." Lucas sighed. "Goodbye, Ness."

Ness started falling again. He screamed for Lucas to bring him back up, but he only continued to accelerate until he hit terminal velocity. Tears blurred Ness vision, although there wasn't anything left to see. After what felt like years, the darkness engulfed Ness and took him back to a dreamless sleep.

Ness and Ana left for Fourside the next morning. After a quick breakfast and tearful goodbyes with Tracy and his mom, Ness found himself standing along a dirt road while the morning sun shone overhead.

"It's nice to find an open road like this," Ana said. "Teleporting is a lot easier if you can get a running start. I hear that it has something to do with the kinetic energy transferring into psionic energy…" She coughed. "Sorry. I know that probably went over your head."

Well, she wasn't wrong. Still, Ness enjoyed hearing her talk. Anything to keep his mind off that meeting with Lucas.

"Here we go," Ana said. "Teleport."

She grabbed Ness' hand and ran forward. After a dozen or so strides, the world around Ness went pale for a split second before transitioning into a city of skyscrapers.

Fourside was renowned for its massive architecture, and it wasn't hard to see why. Every way that Ness looked, he needed to crane his neck to see the tops of buildings. In the center of the city stood the intergalactic astroport, which the well-off used to travel to Ceres, the psionic capital of the universe.

Despite the city's size, Ness could breathe the air quite easily. He remembered when he needed to wear face masks to even walk around on Vulcan and shuddered. Fourside's wealth made it quite the attractive place to live, unlike many cities.

"I don't know," Ana said, looking around at all of the bustling people, "But this feels like capitalism done right."

"Really?" Ness asked. "Everyone looks stressed."

"Not everyone," Ana said. "And there's so much to do here. I would take a little stress in exchange for these opportunities any day."

Flashing neon overloaded Ness' senses, but he could see how all the chatter and chaos could be appealing.

"Although this is the leaf district of Fourside," Ana said. "The rest of the city isn't quite this nice. In the silver district, everyone's super rich and obnoxious." Ana crossed her arms over her chest. "And then there are the… less safe districts of Fourside. Every city's got to have its crime scenes, I guess."

Ana and Ness walked into a field with grass and trees that served as a reprieve from the industrialized towers that breached the skies. In the middle sat a man in casual clothing playing some sort of portable keyboard that sounded like a piano. The music put a spring in Ness' step as he followed Ana into the field.

"Only in Fourside…" Ana said, rolling her eyes. "But this guy's actually pretty good. Is it okay if I talk to him before we head over to the capitol building?"

"Sure," Ness said. "I don't mind getting away from all the bustling and shuffling."

"Yeah, I could tell," Ana said, cracking a smile. "Hopefully we won't have to stay here for too long."

Ana walked up to the man playing the keyboard and Ness followed behind. Next to the keyboard sat an open jar with coins inside. Ana took a silver coin out of her pocket and flipped it in; the man gave her an appreciative nod.

"You know," Ana said. "I bet you could land a job if you tried out somewhere. I know that piano players are as common as dirt, but you're honestly the best that I've heard."

Ness blinked. He had no idea what Ana was basing her praise off of; it just sounded like regular music to him.

"So you can tell," the man said, shooting Ana a secretive smile.

"Yeah, my parents trained me in music, so I can recognize when people are way better than me," Ana said. "It turns out that little girls with a passion for playing rough don't do well when plopped in front of a stationary instrument."

The man chuckled, although he didn't halt his tune.

"Yeah, music isn't for everyone," he said. "Even here in Fourside if you hit it big, there are always people looking to capitalize off of your success. And that's a pretty big 'if.'"

"Do you speak from personal experience?" Ana asked.

"Yes, yes… You can call me Keyboar."

"No way," Ness said. "Not like the Keyboar, right?"

"Hmm?" Ana asked. "I'm afraid that I haven't heard of you."

"American?" Keyboar asked.

"Did my accent give it away?" Ana said.

"Partially. My band does pretty well in Eagleland, but not many people know of us outside of the country."

"Really?" Ness said. "I thought that everyone knew about the Runaway Five!"

"Oh," Ana said, her eyes lighting up. "That name does ring a bell."

"Now don't go spoiling my secret, all right?" Keyboar asked, his eyes twinkling. "If everyone knew who I was, then I would never get to catch a break. Sometimes, I just need to unwind and play whatever random pieces come to mind without worrying about corporate deals or high-stakes performances."

"Then why the tip jar?" Ana asked. "Surely you don't need the money."

"It helps me blend in," Keyboar said. "And the keyboardist of a popular band doesn't make as much as you might expect. The extra money is always useful. The best part is that I don't have to worry about disappointing anyone because everyone tips what they think my music is worth."

"Which isn't that much," Ness said, looking at the bronze coins in the jar.

"Interesting, isn't it?" Keyboar said. "When people see me as a beggar, they just assume that my music is uninspiring. People judge us more based on the masks we wear than what's inside."

"True enough," Ana said.

"That's sad," Ness said. "I don't want to become a label. I don't want anyone to become a label. We're all more complex than that."

"Indeed we are," Keyboar said. "But the ability to switch masks is useful. Often, being placed in a different position leads me to form additional perspectives that enhance my thinking and get my creativity flowing."

Ness didn't really care about creativity or other benefits to "switching masks." He just wanted to show himself to the world without any smoke or mirrors.

"Sometimes I wonder," Ana said. "It seems like we can put on a mask for anything, even if it goes against our personality. And then when people continue to mistake us for our masks, those personas slowly start to become us. Because if our true natures are hidden from everyone, even ourselves, they don't really exist, right?"

"That's quite specific," Keyboar said. "Do you speak from personal experience?"

Ana blushed.

"Maybe," she said.

"It's okay," Keyboar said. "I won't pry."

"But maybe it explains why leaders can act so violent and evil," Ness said. "Could it be that they're just acting like they think leaders are supposed to?"

"Thinking about Dalaam?" Ana asked. "I suppose that's possible, but General Kim is another brand of evil. Even the devil is too scared to touch him." She sighed. "Speaking of leaders, do you happen to know anything about the Governor of Eagleland?"

"Pirkle?" Keyboar asked. "That man is a living embodiment of a poll. He acts which way the public supports in hopes of getting reelected. There's also the lovely corruption business that most politicians get into."

"Great," Ana muttered. "We have to meet with him."

"He's a pushover," Keyboar said, playing the final notes to close his song dramatically. "Just figure out what he wants. Once you know where he stands, it's easy to play around him."

"Thanks," Ness said. "But how did you know that? Have you met him before?"

"A couple of times," Keyboar said. "But every person's the same, my boy. While we're all complicated, we all want simple things. We all act in simple ways. It's really quite easy to manipulate people, myself included." Keyboar started playing another song. "But if you have a meeting with the governor, I shouldn't stand in your way. Have a nice day, kids."

"Yeah, you too," Ana said, walking away from Keyboar. "Ugh. Now I have even more to think about."

"I've actually met Pirkle before," Ness said. "He was the mayor of Onett for a while."

"Really," Ana said. "What was he like?"

"Fake," Ness said, wrinkling his nose. "It's the only way that I can describe him."

"Well," Ana said with an encouraging smile. "I have plenty of practice at dealing with fakery."

After walking around most of the Leaf District, Ness and Ana went to the capitol building to talk with Governor Pirkle. The guards laughed them off before Ana showed them her telekinesis. After that, they were more than happy to escort the two teenagers to the governor.

Ness looked around Pirkle's office. Stacks of paper lined the shelves, categorized and then alphabetized within the categories. Ness wasn't sure how anyone could deal with that much organization.

"Sir," one of the guards said. "These are two psions who wish to meet you."

"Psions, eh?" Pirkle asked, examining Ness and Ana. "Thank you; that will be all."

The guards left the room. Pirkle continued to stare.

"Well?" Ness said.

"Well what?" Pirkle asked. "You were the ones who wanted to meet with me." Pirkle caught himself. "But let us not get ahead of ourselves. Take a seat, if you wouldn't terribly mind."

Ness and Ana sat down in chairs across from Pirkle's desk. Ness looked at the governor with a cool stare. He could hardly stand Pirkle's feigned attitude, and they were just starting the conversation.

"We are here," Ness said, "Because we wish to discuss the Eagleish occupation of Scaraba."

"Occupation?" Pirkle asked. "I think you misunderstand, Master…"

"Ness."

"Master Ness. Scaraba is an Eagleish colony."

"I assume you've heard about the revolts?" Ana asked. "People are crying for freedom."

"Revolts, revolts," Pirkle said, waving his hand dismissively. "People get mad all the time. They'll quiet down."

"I don't think you understand," Ness said. "The reason they're mad is because you keep forcing them down."

"Listen, my dear boy…"

"Cut the crap," Ness said.

"I would prefer to avoid crap altogether. Dealing with dung is not high on my to-do list." Pirkle twiddled his thumbs. "Are either of you Eagleish citizens?"

"I am," Ness said. "So I can vouch that this is an issue concerning Eagleish-"

"Excellent," Pirkle said. "You're drafted."

"What?" Ness asked, unable to bite back a sneer. "That's not funny."

"It was not supposed to be. Contrary to your beliefs, I do consider seriously what happens in Scaraba. However, I must do it carefully, as most Eagleish citizens care more about domestic issues than foreign ones. Still, they'll blame me if the Scaraban revolt succeeds, so I must take some sort of action."

"I thought I told you to cut the crap," Ness said with a snarl.

Why am I getting so angry? Ness thought. Normally I can't stand this sort of confrontation… Maybe I just want for him to tell the truth. I'm sick of wasting time reading subtle implications.

"I'm getting to it," Pirkle said. "We need to maintain order in Scaraba. You've likely heard what happened in Dalaam."

"Yeah," Ana muttered. "Kim's a psyching monster."

"General Kim is dead," Pirkle said. "Assassinated by an unknown faction. Dalaam has descended into pure chaos. I will not let the same happen to Scaraba."

Ness reminded himself that Poo was in Dalaam, likely pulling strings behind the scenes. Was he responsible for General Kim's death? Ness just hoped that he would stay safe.

"Therefore," Pirkle continued, "I am sending in the Eagleish Army to deal with the Scaraban rebels. I am sympathetic to their pleas, but we cannot afford to let them sow chaos, not with President Carpainter dead and Dalaam in ruins."

"Lair," Ness said. "You don't care about Scaraba. You don't care about anything except for your own reelection!"

"Even so, what are you going to do about it?" Pirkle asked. "To dodge the draft is an offense punishable by a lengthy prison sense. I can call down psions from Ceres to sniff you out when you run. It's easier for both of us if you play along, Master Ness."

"I refuse!" Ness said, clenching his fists. "I can't believe that you're trying to get me involved with this stupid plan of yours. Do I have to remind you of what psions can do?"

"I have a compromise," Ana said, her steely voice and piercing eyes directed at Pirkle. "Trust me, you don't want a disgruntled psion on your hands. If you piss us off, we'll find ways to sabotage your little operation before it begins."

"That's a felony!" Pirkle protested.

"Ah, but nobody will be able to prove that it's us," Ana said. "And the courts are corrupt enough that they probably wouldn't convict a psion even with overwhelming evidence. So trust me, you do not want to make us angry!"

Pirkle gulped.

"On the other hand, we are quite interested in seeing what is happening in Scaraba," Ana said. "This is where the compromise comes in. We will travel alongside your military, but we will not be a part of it. We may help you, but only when we feel like it. That way you keep us from blowing up your ships out of anger while still getting access to a pair of psions. How does that sound?"

"I… suppose that is satisfactory," Pirkle said.

"I should hope that it's more than satisfactory," Ana said with a snort. "You have no real power over us, Pirkle. Our offer is exceedingly generous. I'm only wasting my time here because fighting a legal battle with you sounds like a pain. We'll win it, but it will still be a pain. So you had better damn well appreciate this offer!"

"Yes, yes," Pirkle said, breaking out into a cold sweat. "Thank you, Miss…"

"Aniah," Ana said. "Is this plan all right with you, Ness? I know that you loathe to deal with this slime of a man."

"Um… yeah," Ness said, shrinking. "Sure."

Ana nodded curtly.

"Governor Pirkle, when is this military of yours leaving?" she asked.

"A couple of days, but…"

"We shall meet up with you then. Now, if you'll excuse us, we must take our leave."

Ana held her head high as she walked out of the room, leaving Pirkle stuttering and protesting. Ness followed her out, breathing a sigh of relief once he exited. Ana closed the door behind him, and her iron face melted away. She smiled at him, which for some reason made his heart soar.

"I'm sorry if I gave you a scare there," Ana said, leading Ness out of the building. "I just wanted to put my foot down before he could dig further under your skin."

"Sorry," Ness muttered, lowering his head in shame. "I messed that up, didn't I?"

"You didn't do badly," Ana said. "My parents trained me for a good deal of my life for how to deal with political situations like that. And then President Carpainter taught me how to control people." Ana's face darkened for a split second before going back to normal. "I had a busy childhood."

"So what do we do for two days?" Ness asked. "I mean, I don't want to force you into anything, but…"

"You want to spend some more time with your family?" Ana said.

"How did you know?" Ness asked.

"I'm your girlfriend," Ana said, kissing Ness on the cheek. "It's my job to know things about you. Sure, let's head back to Onett. Even if Pirkle wants to say something else to us, we make a statement by meeting him at our convenience."

Ness smiled. Yet again, Ana had come through with the miracle solution to solve his problems. But something about her conversation with Keyboar worried Ness. She had nearly admitted that she adopted a persona that started to take over her real personality. Could it be possible that Ana was only so nice and sunny because that's what her persona dictated?

Don't think that way about her, Ness scolded himself. You have no reason to believe that her motives are anything but pure.

Still, Ness worried. Ana mentioned more than once that under her sociable exterior lurked a part of her that she loathed.

What else could she be hiding?