Alamort

(adj.) half dead of exhaustion

_._._

(NESS' POV)

_._._

As a kid, and even now, I hadn't always taken so much time to pay attention to detail. When I was younger, I didn't bother looking at the way the light filtered through the leaves in Sunshine Forest, because chasing my sister in a game of tag was so much more important. I didn't notice the tear tracks down Ninten's face when he showed up at my house early that morning. I didn't notice the small scars littering Lucas' hands, or the large one that pierced Claus' eyebrow. I didn't notice the newly healed skin along Ninten's leg when he flew through his portal and claimed PSI for his own. I didn't notice how I had never seen Pokey's eyes, and how his word's slithered in the air like snakes.

When time is slowed down in a dramatic event, you tend to notice things better. I noticed in a painfully slow way how bubbles escaped from my mouth, and how the hand that held my neck was the talon of a monster, not a boy. I noticed the black creeping into my vision as water sunk into my lungs, sloshing in my lungs as I found it harder and harder to keep conscious.

I then felt nothing at all.

I didn't feel the talons on my throat be blasted away, nor the mechanical whirling as I was torn from the hot spring. I didn't feel the crushing pressure against my chest, slamming over and over, and didn't hear Claus' frantic breathing as he tried to push air into my waterlogged lungs. I didn't sense Claus' healing PSI slowly evaporating the water clinging to my chest, and I didn't notice the way the ginger had given a relived gasp and a breathless smile when I gasped a breath of my own.

To be fair, I was rather distracted by the pain.

My ribs groaned and creaked with every breath I took, and I was heaving for air. Water tickled the inside of my throat and I only saw red. Parts of Claus' reassuring sentences fluttered into my hearing, but I barely comprehended anything. Heavy, painful coughs filled the air for a number of minutes, my ribs screaming with every breath. When I finally got control of my breathing, I found myself rolled on my side, my hands clawing into the gravel like I was holding onto a lifeline.

I promptly decided that I'd rather be dead, because everything hurt.

"Ness?" Claus asked, worried by my sudden silence. I groaned in response. "Can you sit up for me?"

"No." I whispered. The gravel was more comfortable then idea of sitting up, and my chest was already in pain from the idea of it.

"Ness, I need you to sit up." Claus said, and he gently rolled me over onto my back. I glared at him in response.

"It hurts; I don't want to sit up." I muttered, my breaths wheezing. My chest felt heavy, and I just wanted to sleep.

"Ness, I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Yes, you are." I said pathetically.

"I'm leaving then. See you." Claus stood, and I grabbed his pant leg, causing him to freeze.

"..." I paused, not sure what I was going to say. What do you say to the guy you low-key hated, but just saved your life?

"Do you need help sitting up?" Claus asked. I could hear his arm whirling and readjusting. I nodded my head, and he knelt at my side again.

Very slowly (and painfully) Claus helped me sit up. With such little exercise, I was already wheezing, and I felt an awful tickle in my throat.

"Take a deep breath for me." Claus said.

I did what he said, and promptly an explosion of coughs overtook my already shaking frame.

Stars floating in front of my eyes, Claus held me up as I grasped at my chest, my coughs sounding wet and heavy.

"We need to get you to the ship." Claus murmured. "Lucas knows healing PSI better than I do."

I was too busy coughing to respond. More of Claus' healing PSI filled the air, and I felt my coughs subdue as my throat was soothed.

"There's still water in your lungs." Claus stated. "Grab your shirt and pants, let's go."

I struggled to put on my shirt, and Claus ended up putting it on for me. We left my pants behind. Claus promptly put me into a piggy-back position, and I wasn't going to complain

Pain and water sloshed in my chest, and I was so exhausted it was hard to keep my eyes open. I wheezed with every breath, and Claus began to ask me mindless questions to keep me awake.

"Ness," Claus said, breaking the easy questions he had been asking. "Why have you been so frustrated? Ninten and the girls say you're not usually like this."

I stayed quiet.

"I'm not sure." I answered honestly.

"Why did you call Ninten 'Ken'?" Claus asked.

"That's his name." I whispered softly, coughing slightly.

"Why did he get upset?" Claus asked, his voice soft.

Even in my sluggish consciousness, I knew it probably wasn't my place to answer. I grunted when Claus stumbled for a moment.

"It's, um," I paused, thinking of a good answer. "His dad is never around, and when he is, he expects Ninten to be this p-perfect clone of him."

I could see the ship we stayed in, and my body sagged in relief. I was so exhausted.

"Why?" Claus asked.

"I dunno. Why do you care?"

"That doesn't matter." Claus said sharply. If I cared to notice, Claus's face seemed to have a blush.

I didn't bother to reply. Breathing was difficult. I was tired. The doors to the ship opened.

"Claus, there you are!" There was Lucas' sweet voice. "Who's on your back?"

"Ness." I could feel the ginger's chest vibrate when he spoke.

"What?" I could hear Lucas run to our side. I opened my eyes to look at him, and saw a blur of blond.

"Ness, can you hear me?"

I wheezed in response.

"What happened? Actually, no- first let's go to the medical room. Tell me on the way."

"Claus? Lucas?" I heard Paula's voice from the distance. I did not want her to see me now! This was totally unmanly, not to mention painful. "Did you find Ness?"

"Yes." Claus said. "Can you start supper? We're gonna be busy."

"Uh, sure? But why? What happened?"

"Ness drowned."

"What?!" Paula yelled. Darn, now she was running over here.

"He's fine. Am I right, Ness?" Claus said. I shot a lazy thumbs up, too tired to move any more.

Her footsteps stopped. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," said Lucas, catching onto the lie. "We're just going to make sure there's no extra water in his lungs."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No." Claus said quickly. I felt light headed, and very sick.

"Thank you, though." Lucas added.

Everything was spinning and was way to loud.

Lucas' healing PSI started to stitch together my ribs, and I passed out, exhausted.

When I woke up, I was in a white, rather hospital looking room I had never seen. My ribs felt infinitely better, and I was no longer struggling to breathe. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I saw Lucas asleep at my side. A couple empty cups of coffee sat on the side table, and I vaguely wondered how long he'd been here.

I debated waking him, when a small alarm from his watch went off. He bolted awake, and I jumped at the sudden movement. Lucas stared at me with half awake eyes, blinking heavily.

"Good morning." I said. My throat didn't hurt at all. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have morning voice either.

"Morning." Lucas said groggily. He had dark circles under his eyes, which were briefly covered as he rubbed the sleep from them. He paused, and then looked at me in amazement, suddenly more awake.

"Good morning! You're awake?"

"That's why I said good morning." I replied.

"How are you feeling?" Lucas asked cautiously.

"Really good!" I said cheerfully. "My ribs and throats feel great for someone who was just drowned."

Lucas looked a little guilty.

"Ah, that's because you've have a constant flow of my healing PSI."

I looked at him with concern. Can he undo my healing?

"And healing PSI drains me-" Lucas guestured to the coffee. "-and now that you're awake I can cut the PSI off. Is that okay?"

"No." I said. "I rather not hurt, but go for it." He looked much more exhausted then I felt, and I was sure it wouldn't last for long.

"Alright, I'm cutting it off now-"

"Wait." Claus stood at the doorway. "I have a question first."

"Good morning." I mumbled.

"Who drowned you?"

"What makes you think someone drowned me?"

"The ring of bruises around your neck."

"Oh." I hadn't noticed they were there.

"Who did it?" Claus asked again.

"A kid named Pokey. He said it was in the name of Gigas? Giygas? Gigue? Something like that. He went totally mental."

The memory of Pokey's hands around my neck was much to recent to be comfortable.

"G-Giygas?" I had never seen anyone pale as fast as Lucas. The dark circles under his eyes stood out like blood on a white floor. Claus let out a shaky sigh, seeming to try and catch his breath.

"Ness," Claus started, speaking very slowly. "Have you noticed a change in psychic behaviour since you woke up?"

"No." I got frustrated that psychic powers were at discussion again. Just because I wasn't an esper doesn't mean they had to run it in all the time.

"I see." Claus said. "Then I'm sorry for this."

"What?"

Lightning rippled at Claus' mechanical fingertips, and panic settled at my gut. What was he doing? With a quick movement of his arm, the lightning was sent- right at me. Lucas gave a shout of surprise as I threw my hands up in front of my face, closing my eyes and bracing myself for the shocking result.

A busting, tingling sensation filled my body, mostly focused in my chest. Is this what being electrocuted felt like? It didn't feel painful at all really. It felt kind of nice. I was kind of pissed that Claus would throw a joke lighting at me. I lowered my arms, ready to yell at him, only to see Claus and Lucas staring at me, both equally as shocked.

"Oh," Lucas finally said. "Oh, this is not good."

"What?" I said. Raising a shaking arm, Lucas let off a small blast of PSI. It hit some sort of red barrier, and fizzled out.

"Why are you so shocked?" I asked. "It's your barrier."

"No," Lucas said. "Ness, this is your doing. Whatever Giygas did to you..."

Claus picked up where Lucas left off.

"Whatever Giygas did to you, it gave you psychic powers when you should've never had them. You're, somehow, an Esper."

The barrier shattered.

-.-.-.-

Heeeeeey long time no see am I right. Sorry for the crappy chapter. I didn't get the job at the Indoor pool, but I am working as a volunteer there. I am also working as many hours as possible to buy a Cintiq, so I've been jam packed busy. I've been writing in my spare time, which is little to none. I already have part of the next chapter written. I'm trying to speed this fic up a lot, but my writing has become increasingly worse as I kind of loose focus on where I want to go. I also started a new ask blog, but there is nothin on there.

www. .com is my main blog, however!

See you in a bit my dudes.

Corie