The puppy was really cute. He followed him everywhere he went- not that there was many places to go in the room. The room was small and cramped, and kinda empty.
He remembered another room- a room where there was more room, more things- and best of all, he wasn't alone in that room.
He didn't ever talk about that room, even though he thought about it as much as he could. He didn't talk about anything from before. When he'd tried before…they'd laughed at him- said cruel things, mean things- and then they'd beat him.
But this room wasn't as empty now- he had Kato. Kato, with his cute puppy eyes and floppy ears. Kato made the room less empty- but he also made him sad, because Kato made him think of before- made him think of the other room- made him think of the others also would have loved Kato and found him cute…
Kato didn't like the men who came to give them food, or the men who gave him lessons. Kato had even bitten one of them yesterday. He'd scolded Kato and apologized to the man politely, just the way Mom had taught him. The teacher had cursed at him and Kato and kicked at them and stomped out. Nobody had come since then, not even the men who bought them food.
"I'm hungry." he whispered aloud to the puppy, who yipped and scampered closer, maybe hoping for some food of his own, or maybe some playtime.
He chuckled softly, softly, so no one would hear. He didn't feel up to playing, but he rubbed Kato's ears the way he loved.
The puppy looked up at him adoringly and pushed his head into his hands.
Kato was so cute. And Kato loved him and trusted him- he loved his puppy.
Suddenly, loud music burst over the loudspeakers, like a crackle of thunder- it was the King's theme!
He jumped to his feet and looked around.
Mom and Dad had always taught him to pick up after himself, and there wasn't much else to do in the room anyway, so everything was clean- he double-checked everything, then scooped up Kato(he'd been barking at the speakers) tucked him under his arm and hurried and stood by the bed- and he saluted as the door opened and Master Porky came in, followed by two of the guys in white-the ones that had capes- colonels, that's what they were called.
"Hello toy."
He didn't respond- the King got angry whenever he said anything, unless it was a response to a question.
Kato barked.
"Oh, that's right. I let you have a puppy. Did you name him?"
"Uh huh, Master Porky."
"Good. What's his name?"
"Kato- his name's Kato, Master Porky."
"I see. Let me hold him."
He hesitated- clutched Kato to his chest, just a little bit.
The guard on the left smashed into him, knocking him against the bed and knocking Kato from his arms. He recovered but was simply knocked down again- to the floor this time- as the other guard handed the barking puppy to the King.
"Kato- what a dumb name. Sounds almost like cat-o." the King giggled, then coughed.
He waited until the King was done- the guards just stood there silently- the one closest to him flexed slightly, as if daring him to try to get back up, to try to get Kato back.
"Do you love this puppy?" the King asked, once he was done coughing. He didn't even look at him- just smiled, somewhat dreamily, as he dangled Kato above the floor.
"Yes." he said it softly, oh so softly-
"That's good." the King said, voice full of satisfaction- and he dropped Kato to the floor- Kato yelped- and the King flapped his hand lazily- and the two colonels drew their guns and fired.
He couldn't breathe- couldn't think-
Kato was- Kato was-
"I will do this to everyone you love." the King said, still in that satisfied voice. "Everyone you love, I will kill- and I won't let them die as quickly as this weak thing. I will make sure that they suffer before they die. And I will make sure that they know it's your fault. Do you understand, toy?"
"…yes, Master Porky." he said it softly, without taking his eyes off Kato's too still body.
The king reached out and grabbed his collar, pulling him closer and yanking his head so he was looking into his eyes.
He wanted to move away- wanted to run away- it would be easy to break the King's grip- but the guards would only bring him back, the way they always did- and Kato-
"Do you understand, my adorable little monster? Tell me what you understand."
"I can't love anyone- if I do…you'll kill them."
"Exactly. And I won't ask you if you love them- I'll watch you and see how you act. If you love someone, I'll know- and I will make them suffer- I'll make them suffer so much, they'll curse you and hate you. Understand this, slave- you exist only to do as I say. All emotions are distractions- and distractions are punished- and then removed. Do you understand?"
"Yes Master Porky."
The King giggled, then coughed again.
The door banged open and one of the teachers came in. he glanced at Kato, then shrugged and turned to the king. "What are you doing here, your highness?"
"Just an object lesson. I'm going now- I'll let you clean up that broken toy of a toy."
The teacher saluted. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
"Oh, I know." the King finally let go of him- then left, taking the guards with him, one last giggle hanging in the air.
He stared after them- his brain didn't want to work.
"Hey, listen to me!"
He turned to face the irritated teacher.
"I'm not carrying that trash through the hallways- it's your mess, you can clean it up. Besides, it's your fault- you shouldn't have gotten attached. You should've known that there was no way Porky was going to let you keep that stupid thing. I'm going to go get some cleaning stuff and a box- you stay here."
The teacher left.
Alone. Again.
For a moment, he stared at the door- for two moments, he stared at the door.
And then he turned- knelt- looked at Kato.
After a moment, he reached out- slowly brushed against one of Kato's ears.
Kato didn't move. Kato was warm- but he wasn't moving. Wasn't moving at all. He was too still…and there was blood…
Slowly, he lowered his head- pressed against the puppy's chest.
No heartbeat. Nothing.
The teacher yelled at him when he came back and found him like that- still listening for a heartbeat that just wasn't there.
Claus's eyes shot open but he didn't move.
Where- where was-
Grey ceiling. Grey walls.
The Commander's room.
Not putting it into words, he flipped over, onto his side, searching-
Lucas was in his bed, sleeping peacefully. Flat on his back, arms and legs spread out, mouth open and snoring softly-
He was real- he was alive- he was there.
Claus sank back into bed, but didn't take his eyes away from his brother.
His brother. He had a brother- he had a family.
And he had a name too. Claus.
"Claus." he said the name out loud, testing it- yes- that was his name.
Claus.
Lucas mumbled in his sleep and reached in his direction- reached for him? -Claus left his bed and took his hand. Lucas relaxed again.
Why had he forgotten? Why had he believed that he had no name or family?
Master Porky's face rose up in his mind and he shuddered involuntarily, before shaking his head.
"No- no- no-"
Even now, he could barely remember anything. He remembered being with Lucas- always being with Lucas- and they'd had a mom and a dad and a dog too.
A dog like Kato.
Claus started to shudder, but repressed it.
That dream- it couldn't be a memory, right?
Claus didn't remember how he'd gotten here- how he'd become the Commander.
He just remembered being the Commander- and some of that, the parts closer to the distant past, he didn't remember so well either.
Why was that?
"The past isn't important toy- just do as I say. That's all you exist for anyway, got it?"
"Yes Master Porky."
Claus shook his head. He hadn't meant to say that out loud- Lucas hadn't woken up though- that was good.
"Everyone you love, I will kill- it's good that you don't have a family- if you did…well, I'd have to punish them- severely- painfully- I'll kill everyone you love, but I'll pay special attention to your family…"
Claus realized he was shuddering- he managed, with a great effort, to stop himself- but he noticed that he was gripping his brother's hand so tightly that the knuckles were white.
Lucas was his brother. Brothers were family.
Master Porky had said that- had said that he would-
He wouldn't- he couldn't-
Lucas was- Lucas was all Claus had left.
Mom wasn't here now- Dad wasn't here now- Grandpa and Boney weren't here now either. It was just the two of them.
If anything happened to Lucas-
Claus shuddered again, trying to force his mind away from the image of Lucas ending up like Kato- of Lucas being lifted into the air and then thrown carelessly to the ground- and the guards lifting their guns-
Claus found himself shaking his head. "No- no- no-"
Lucas was sweet- he never wanted to hurt anyone- he wasn't a threat at all- those people he'd been traveling with- they must've lied to him- made him pull the Needles. Lucas was a good boy- he never would've caused trouble unless someone else had pushed him into it.
Claus was the older brother- older brothers were supposed to protect their younger brothers. That's why they came into the world first. Claus would keep Lucas in the base where he'd be safe- those liars would never be able to find him here.
But what about Master Porky? Claus couldn't hide Lucas from him- besides, he already knew he was here-
Claus had to protect him- had to think of a way to protect him- there had to be a way-
Maybe he could prepare a special report- list of all of Lucas's good qualities, show how he wasn't a threat…but Master Porky had said that emotions were a distraction…okay, Claus wouldn't get distracted, and he'd include in his report how his work performance was unchanged.
Yes, that should do it. If Claus proved to Master Porky that Lucas wasn't a threat, and wasn't a distraction, Master Porky wouldn't hurt him, right? If Master Porky got what he wanted, he'd leave them alone, right?
And then they could stay together. They wouldn't be alone anymore.
This position was getting uncomfortable. Claus shifted, kneeling on the floor, and then resting on the bed.
Lucas was the only one who knew his name. It wasn't like that really changed anything- Claus was still the Commander, and he was still going to do his job…but it was a good thing to have a name…a wonderful thing to have a family, even if it was a bit broken.
Claus would definitely protect Lucas. And Lucas- he would love Claus, right? Because they were brothers- and brothers stuck together, no matter what, right?
"Claus…"
Yes, that was his name. Relaxing, his eyes had shut-
"Lucas…"
Oh. The voice was back. The voice that had suggested taking Lucas with him- the voice knew their names…the voice was- actually, now that he thought about it, the voice sounded familiar- sounded like-
"Mom!" Lucas called, tugging Claus behind him as he rushed down the path of sunflowers.
Claus stumbled but didn't lose his balance- sped up so he could keep up.
There was a woman- standing at the end of the sunflower path- she had brown hair and a long red dress- she was smiling, waiting for them, her arms flung open for them-
"Claus! Lucas!" she called again.
"Mom!" both twins cried together as they flung themselves into her arms, sobbing.
Every tear that been bottled up for the last three years was released- and then wiped away by her gentle hands.
"I know, I know-" she assured them softly, kissing first Lucas's head, then Claus's. "I missed you too- I missed you both so much-"
Claus sobbed- forgetting about controlling emotions and discipline, forgetting about everything but the fact that he and Lucas were back where they belonged, back in their beloved mother's arms.
"That's right Claus, this is where you belong. You belong with your family."
Yes- he belonged here- he belonged with them- with his mom and his brother- and he never wanted to leave.
His mom tilted his face up, gently- she smiled, her expression slightly sad, as she gently wiped his tears away. "I will always be with you, even when you can't see me or hear me. Do you understand?"
Claus shook his head- no longer sobbing, but still crying.
"…I think I do." Lucas said softly, and both mother and brother turned to look at him. "You're always in our hearts, right? Even though you're dead, you're still watching over us and looking out for us, right?"
"That's right." she kissed and hugged first Lucas and then Claus. "I love you and I am always with you. Boys, I want you to promise me something."
"Anything Mom."
"First, you two need to stick together and take care of each other- and second…when you see your father, tell him that I love him."
"Okay." Lucas promised happily.
"Okay." Claus promised soberly.
Hinawa smiled at them- "Good boys." -and kissed them one last time. And with that kiss, they woke up.
Claus had gone to sleep next to Lucas's bed- he woke up in it, all tucked in and everything.
He looked around the room, even more disorientated then he'd been after his last awakening. There was the door, there was his empty bed- he sat up- turned to find Lucas sitting up next to him, looking at him.
"You still remember me, right?"
For a moment, Claus couldn't breathe- couldn't speak- Lucas's eyes, wide and blue, held him like a magnet.
Slowly, Claus nodded.
Lucas sighed in relief. "I'm so glad- so glad-" he flung his arms around the startled Claus- taken by surprise, he let him. His thin shirt quickly became soaked.
"…Lucas? What are you doing?"
His brother sat back and rubbed at his eyes. "Sorry- didn't mean to cry on you. Just- I missed you so much. And then, I was afraid you'd forgotten everything again when you didn't come back last night."
Ouch. Claus automatically looked around for the attacker before recognizing the pain as guilt. "…sorry." the word came out reluctantly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd used it- but Lucas was crying because of him, and when you made somebody cry, you were supposed to apologize, weren't you?
"It's okay. Did the meeting take a long time or something?"
…it hadn't, not really. It hadn't been short, but it hadn't taken that long. And after it had ended-
"I don't know what to do."
Claus twitched, for a moment not recognizing the words as coming out of his own mouth.
"Claus?"
When he didn't respond, Lucas reached out and gently touched him, turning him so they faced each other. "Look at me- I'm here…I don't know what happened to you while we were separated, but we're together again and this time, we'll stick together, alright?"
Claus didn't say anything- couldn't say anything- invisible fat fingers were squeezing at his throat.
Lucas didn't move. He waited patiently- his hands warm and steady on Claus's shoulders.
Still, Claus couldn't speak- but he couldn't look away either. Slowly, he lifted one hand- touched Lucas, lightly- poked him on the cheek.
Something like a smile trembled on Lucas's lips. "Are you trying to make sure I'm real?"
Was he? Claus dropped his head, trying to think- Lucas wrapped his arms around him again.
"Three years is a long time…so I- I got a lot of hugs stored up to give you. But don't worry, I won't hug you in front of the Pigmasks or anyone like that."
Hugs? Claus vaguely remembered hugs…hugs were like this…hugs were something you gave a person when you loved them…Dad gave them hugs sometimes- Mom gave them lots of hugs- Lucas liked hugs a lot too…
Claus found his arms around his brother- no no no!
He couldn't love anyone- couldn't love anyone! If he loved anyone, Master Porky would-
"Dad and me always believed you were alive." Lucas said softly. "Grandpa and Boney did too. Dad still spends all of his time searching for you…hey Claus, don't you want to see them again? Why don't we leave this place and go find them? You want to see them again too, right?"
"…I can't leave. I'm the Commander. My orders are to stay here unless I'm needed elsewhere."
Lucas drew back and stared at him- he looked sad- a little upset. "But you're not the Commander! You're my brother!"
"Aren't I both?"
"Well…it's true that the Pigmasks look up to you as their Commander and obey you- but you were my brother long before you were the Commander."
"…was I?"
Lucas looked even more worried. "Yeah…Claus, what do you remember?"
What did he remember? Starting from now- going back-
"Yesterday, I was coming to get you... then I heard noises coming from a hallway…I found a group of five soldiers being mean to you. I used my wings to speed down the hallway, surprising them- a particularly stupid one tried to shoot me before realizing it was me, shattering my helmet. I scolded them and sent them to the Colonel in charge of the base… and then you started talking crazy."
"It wasn't crazy." Lucas protested.
"Now I know that- but it seemed crazy. Master Porky told me I had no name or family, so it seemed crazy. I took you back here, and you were still talking about stuff I didn't understand…" the hands were back clutching at his throat-
"And you shocked me." Lucas finished for him. He was smiling a little bit, a little wryly. "It's okay. I already forgave you, remember? And anyway, it was right after that that your memory came back, right?"
For a moment, Claus was silent. "…for a few seconds…I thought I'd killed you. You were so quiet…so still. And then I called your name- and you called mine..." A flood of memories surged around him, all shouting for attentiom-
"Claus?" a soft touch on his shoulders- Claus jumped.
Lucas's blue eyes met his- he didn't look away, meeting Claus's eyes straight on, without fear, without anger- just waiting…
Claus had to look away. No one ever met his eyes- looked into them the way Lucas did, like he was seeing down deep inside of him…no…no, that wasn't quite right. True, the Pigmasks all lowered their eyes respectfully or looked away guiltily- and Master Porky was always having him bow.
But Mom had met his eyes- she had looked at him, really looked at him too…and so had Dad…
Lucas sighed softly and hugged him again. "I'm sorry Claus- it must've been tough. I'm sorry you had to go through that alone. It was hard for me, but it must've been worse for you- I'm sorry. Me and Dad- we would have come for you, but we didn't know where to find you- if we'd known where to find you, we would have come for you."
It was said without fear- without hesitation-
"You would have? You would have come for me?"
Lucas tightened the hug. "Yes." a simple answer- but there was no doubt in his voice- in his hands.
Claus let himself relax, just a little bit. Only Master Porky barged into his room without knocking anymore, and he hadn't left New Pork City for a long time.
He rested his head on Lucas's shoulder.
"I wish we'd known where to find you-" Lucas whispered.
"I'm the Commander- I belong here. But I- I'm glad I found you."
No more empty room-no more lonely room.
"I think I'm the one who found you actually." Lucas protested- Claus couldn't see his face because of the hug, but he sounded like he was smiling.
He was the Commander- people weren't supposed to argue with him- but this was Lucas. He wasn't one of his men, he was his brother- and before Claus could finish sorting that out, Lucas hugged him again.
"I'm just glad we're together again."
…yes. Together. Just staying like this- being hugged, being loved- was nice…Claus didn't even mind when his arms snuck around Lucas to return the hug.
Claus was ... happy? Was that right? Claus knew one thing- he wanted to stay like this.
Eventually, Lucas pulled back and looked at him. "Claus, what happened?" his wide eyes were full of empathy, painful empathy that caused Claus to look away again, but that only made Lucas reach for his arm and grasp it, gently, "how'd you wind up in this place?"
"…I don't really know." Claus admitted softly. "I…only really remember being here. Being the Commander…leading the soldiers…serving Master Porky."
Lucas frowned- not with anger, but with worry. "But you remember home, right?"
"Yeah- this is home." Claus said- and now he was a little confused. Wasn't this the only place he'd ever lived? But in the dream- hadn't it been just a dream?
Lucas shook his head violently. "No Claus! This isn't home! Home is the house by the village- home is the sheep, and Boney, and Dad, and-" water was leaking from Lucas's eyes- Claus slowly raised his free hand- the one that Lucas wasn't squeezing- and touched his cheek. Lucas shut his eyes as the water kept coming.
"Tears." Claus said out loud, remembering what this type of water was called- it still happened to him, sometimes, even though it wasn't supposed to- and then, remembering the dream he'd had and what Lucas had been talking about… "Mom?"
"Yeah…Mom was a big part of home too- but she's dead now." Lucas shook his head softly- just hard enough to shake off some of the tears- and then he smiled- still sad, but a real smile- he smiled at Claus- "she's dead, but she still loves us- and she's still watching out for us." Lucas even grinned then. "You know, I bet she's really happy right now, because we're together again."
Somehow, he got the feeling that Lucas right. In the dream…and the voice…for the first time, Claus questioned whether he'd heard their mother's voice or just imagined it. But regardless of whether he'd imagined it or not, Claus was sure that Lucas was right- she would be happy that they were together again. Because they were family, and families stuck together.
"But Claus, what do you remember? You remember me- and you remember Mom…" Lucas stopped and looked at him, until Claus nodded, telling him that he was right- that yes, he did remember them. "What about Dad and Boney and Grandpa? Do you remember them?"
Claus hesitated slightly. "I don't remember much- sensations…disconnected images." he paused for a moment- temporally lost in memory- a scrap on his knee and it hurt so bad- Lucas next to him, sniffling slightly over his own wounds- Mom was hugging both of them, calling them brave- Dad was coming towards them with the box of bandages- and somehow, despite the pain, he knew they were going to be okay-
"Claus?"
Hands landed softly on his shoulders, and he looked up to meet Lucas's concerned eyes.
"We used to be together- always together." at first, he almost thought Lucas had spoken those words- but then he realized it had been him- he'd said it.
Lucas nodded happily. "That's right. We all used to live together."
"We used to live here?"
"No! No, we used to live in the village."
"In the village?" Claus repeated, puzzled. Why would they have lived there? Maybe Lucas was remembering wrong?
"Well, just outside of the village. You don't remember? There was only one room in our house, but it was a big room, so it wasn't cramped or anything- there were two beds, one for you and me, and one for Mom and Dad- and there was Mom's stuff for taking care of the wool from the sheep and at the other end of the room, there was the table where we ate, and Mom's cooking stuff and the fireplace where we'd all gather in front of on cold nights- tell stories and sing songs- you don't remember any of that?"
Claus started to shake his head- then stopped. "…I think…I think I remember the fireplace- us gathering around it…"
Lucas's stomach growled- Claus looked down at it, then gently detached himself from Lucas and slid off the bed- and stood up before turning back to his confused brother. "Come- time to get ready."
Lucas looked down at his complaining stomach before nodding reluctantly and joining his brother on the floor. "Okay…we're not going home, are we?"
"…this is home… besides… there's no one there anymore, right?"
"Well, it's true that most of the villagers left- but Mr. Wess and Grandpa are still there- and I'm sure that once everything's over, Duster and Kumatora will come back and live in the village too- and once we find him, Dad will be so happy to see that you're alive and well- and then me and you and Dad and Boney can all go back home- and we'll be together again."
"…but what about Mom?"
"We'll still miss her. But if we sit around and do nothing because we miss her so much, she'd get mad at us. Giving up because the person you love dies- letting the grief overwhelm you- that's not love. That's selfishness." Lucas was silent a moment- eyes kind of far away- then he smiled softly and looked up again. "All we can do now is live. Mom would get mad at us if we do anything else. Hey Claus, let's go home."
"I can't leave. I'm the Commander." Hadn't he explained this? Why didn't Lucas get it?
"But you're my brother too." Lucas said softly-
Claus spun away- those large, soul-swallowing eyes!- "I'll make sure we're fed- then I'll take you back here- the Ultimate Chimera is still loose, and I have a meeting about how we're going to deal with it." he'd been walking as he talked, and he was standing in front of the dresser now. New pairs of underwear and socks and white t-shirts had joined his own, making the drawers a little less empty- Lucas also had some jeans that had joined Claus's orange pants at the bottom drawer- Claus had gotten him 3 pairs, so he could switch off. The jean jacket and the short boots waited for Lucas next to Claus's black jacket and boots that reached to his knees.
Looking around at all this, Claus felt- satisfaction? Was that what he felt? He was the one who had provided all these things for Lucas- he, not anybody else. Looking around at all the things he'd gotten for Lucas-
Footsteps behind him, and he knew Lucas was behind him.
"After the meeting." he said out loud, trying to focus, beginning to gather Lucas's clothes, "I'll come back for you and we'll eat lunch together. After that, troops will be sent out to start hunting the Ultimate Chimera. After all that's taken care of, it'll be suppertime- I'll return for you, and we'll eat. And then I'll return you to this room, and then I'll have to report again to Master Porky."
Lucas made a soft thoughtful noise behind him as he finished and straightened up. He turned, slowly, to face his brother. Lucas looked sad…why? This was where they were supposed to be …
"I guess you're not ready yet." Lucas said softly. And then he lifted his head and smiled at Claus. "That's okay. We've already made progress, right? You remember a little bit now…I waited three years for you to come home- I can wait until you remember everything." still smiling, he gently gathered his clothes from his stunned brother's arms and then looked him in the eyes again. "Just don't take too long, okay? Dad's waiting for us- and we gotta fix up Mr. Wess's house and the sheep shed before winter comes." before Claus could make enough sense of his words to respond, Lucas was already in the bathroom, softly humming to himself as he changed.
Claus just stood there. What…what…what was he supposed to do?
He could hear Lucas humming to himself softly inside the bathroom…automatically, he turned back to the dresser and began putting together his uniform.
A long time ago, he and Lucas had been together- with a mom and a dad and a dog…Lucas said they used to live in that village- Tazmily. But why would they live there? Master Porky always had him at places where he could reach him whenever he wanted him…if nothing else, he always had to have his communicator with him…
But he and Lucas- and their mom and dad- and their dog too- they really had all lived together- he knew they had. Knew it on a level so deep, he didn't question it- knew it the way he knew morning followed night.
But now they didn't.
Why?
Lucas wanted to go back to the village- because he thought that they'd used to live there.
Master Porky wouldn't like that…he'd see that as a distraction- and distractions were punished- and removed.
Claus forced himself not to shudder. He didn't want Lucas to be punished or removed- so they couldn't go to the village. Lucas really wanted to go- but they couldn't go. Lucas thought they'd lived there- and thought that people were waiting for him there…that was why he wanted to go there. Had those people- the troublemakers that had him with them before- had they told him that they'd lived in the village? Was that how they'd gotten Lucas to help them? By lying to him and pretending to be his friends?
Claus didn't know where they'd lived before or how they'd become separated- but Master Porky had said that Claus's only purpose was to do as he said…so maybe he'd been made, like the chimeras at the research facility- and then there'd been some sort of accident. Accidents happened there a lot- happened anywhere the scientists were a lot- so it was possible. Maybe the accident had been how their mom died- how Lucas and Claus were separated. And if Lucas was like Claus-which he was, because they were brothers- then they were made at the same time and the same place, by the same people- and those people were probably their mom and dad. But if that was so…if Lucas was like Claus…then why hadn't Master Porky said anything? Done anything?
"I'm done Claus." Lucas announced cheerfully, walking out of the room. "You can take your turn now."
Claus nodded- still confused, still trying to think-
"Hey Claus." Lucas said. He looked- slightly hesitant, maybe a little bit embarrassed. "So, you're going to leave me alone in here all day long?"
Claus didn't know what to say to that- "I'll make sure you're fed- I can't take you with me…"
"It's boring in here Claus- and besides, with Dad gone all the time, I'm used to doing all the work myself." Lucas paused for a moment and looked worried. "I hope the sheep are doing okay without me- I was busy trying to help Duster- and then we had to go find the Egg- and then those Pigmasks thought I was you and dragged me to Thunder Tower…" Lucas trailed off as both twins remembered what had happened there.
After a moment of remembering- the startled soldier running in, squealing, telling him that there were intruders on the ladder- going to the ladder, counting and studying the intruders- and then seeing the boy in the striped shirt- and he'd looked up- and their eyes had met. It had felt like a punch to the stomach…
"I told him to stop, you know." Claus said out loud, surprising himself.
Lucas looked up. "Who?"
"The pilot."
"Oh." Understanding flooded Lucas's eyes- flooded Lucas's eyes and threatened to swallow Claus.
He pushed on- trying to explain- "I told him to stop- told him that I had questions I needed to ask you, that I wanted you alive - but by the time I got my point across…you'd already fallen."
"I saw you there." Lucas said. "I saw you standing there…I think in my heart, I knew it was you…I couldn't say it, not even to myself, but I knew it was you."
"…was that why, at the temple…why you were mostly using assist PSI?"
Lucas nodded. "I didn't want to fight you, but I couldn't let you hurt my friends…" he paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Hey Claus, the guy- the one older than us, with all the whiskers- he didn't seem familiar to you at all?"
Claus shook his head.
"Really? He's from Tazmily, just like us. His name's Duster…He used to live with his dad at their house on the edge of town- but he disappeared right after you did. He lost his memory and didn't know who he was or how to find his way home- while he was lost, some mean people took the house away from Mr. Wess- he's Duster's dad you know- and they turned it into a place they called "the old man's paradise"- it's a really run-down old place with lots of holes and leaks- it's really a very sad place and the people who live there weren't given a choice whether they wanted to live there or not. They made Mr. Wess live there- and Grandpa too. I wanted him to come live with me after the guys at Thunder Tower destroyed his cabin- and he wanted to come live with me too- but they wouldn't let him- they just dragged him away and stuck him in that place." Lucas was sad- his head dropped and his eyes looked far away.
Thunder Tower was meant for punishing bad guys. But Claus remembered Grandpa- just a little. He teased, sometimes- and sometimes his teasing weren't that funny. But he wasn't mean- and he wasn't a bad guy.
Why had the guys at Thunder Tower destroyed his house?
…maybe the answer had something to do with the building Lucas was talking about. Claus didn't know anything about it- didn't know much of anything about the village. That was Fassad's territory- he was the one in charge of it, just as Claus was in charge of the Army.
The man was annoying- always yelling at the men assigned to him, always complaining…and for some reason, he seemed to dislike Claus. He liked to laugh at Claus too- and wait, come to think of it- when reports had come in from thunder tower that someone dressed as the Commander- as him- was already there…Fassad had turned to him and laughed.
"It must be that fool." he'd said. "Well, if he's expecting a joyful reunion, he'll be disappointed."
Fassad had known. He'd known that Lucas and Claus were brothers! And he hadn't told him- not even when he'd figured out that Lucas was the one at Thunder Tower. He'd just planned to eliminate Lucas along with the troublemakers and Thunder Tower!
Claus realized that he was gritting his teeth- found that his fists had clenched themselves tight.
"Claus?"
"Fassad- he showed up at the village a lot, right?"
"Yeah, he was a big jerk- he was always causing trouble- and he really didn't like me."
"Why?" Claus asked. He should be getting ready- he should be getting dressed- but this answer could be important.
Lucas looked a little embarrassed. "Well, after you disappeared and didn't come back, Dad and Grandpa came back from searching for you to get more supplies...since they still hadn't found you yet…I decided to search for you myself. But I didn't want to wait for Dad and Grandpa…I went off by myself."
"But you hate being by yourself."
Lucas nodded. "Yeah, but- I had to find you. I searched and searched, but I couldn't find any trace of you…finally, night came and I just kept stumbling along in the dark…and I still couldn't find you. But then I found someone- I found the baby drago and its daddy."
Drago? For a moment Claus couldn't breath- something was pulling at him- trying to pull him in- trying to drown him-
Claus desperately shoved it away- focused on Lucas.
"- I just stared at them, not knowing what to do…and then the baby came towards me- and I started crying." he shuffled as he said this- embarrassed. "Because- that baby- he was just like us."
"Just like us?"
"He'd lost his mom too…I guess he understood what I was feeling- because he made this soft whimpering noise- and then he came over and licked me- and I hugged him- and then the daddy drago came over and nuzzled us both. We stayed like that, for a while- and then we heard an explosion."
"An explosion?"
Lucas nodded. "We all looked towards it- and then the daddy drago bent over and the baby climbed on its back- and then they looked at me- like they expected me to climb on too- so I did." a slight smile came onto his face at the memory of the nighttime ride. "It was kinda fun- he ran really really fast…it made me miss you even more, because I knew you would've loved it. But when we got to where the explosion was, we found a smoking pork tank- of course, this was my first time seeing one, so I didn't know what it was called-"
"Wait- something took out a pork tank?" Claus asked, intrigued. The pork tanks were their strongest weapons- other than him, of course.
"Uh huh. Next to the pork tank, we found Kumatora- she's my friend, the girl with the pink hair- and Mr. Wess, and a monkey named Salsa."
"…they took out a pork tank by themselves?"
"Kumatora's strong. And Mr. Wess and Salsa aren't weak either. But Fassad was after them, so me and the drago worked together to stop him and the Pigmasks with him. I told the dragos they were bad guys and the daddy drago busted up a couple tanks and then he tossed Fassad away." Lucas winced. "He got hurt kinda bad, but he was doing bad things, so he did have to be stopped…"
"Why was he trying to capture them?" Claus asked. Maybe if he knew Fassad's reason he could find proof that those people who had kept Lucas with them were bad people…
"Partially because he was using Salsa to appear as a nice peddler- he was acting all nice when there were people around, but he was being mean to him and using him as a slave and partially because Kumatora and Mr. Wess interfered in his plan and partially because Kumatora is a princess."
"…a princess?" Claus asked skeptically. That girl? Who talked and stomped like a boy?
Lucas shrugged. "Mr. Wess always calls her princess- and you know Oshe castle?"
Claus had to think for a moment, before remembering the place where he'd been sent to pull the first Needle and nodding.
"Mr. Wess said that her parents used to live there."
"So where are they now?" that could be important. If there was another king, perhaps he would try to take control of the islands from Master Porky. If that was the case, he should find out as much as he could and report it.
"Nobody knows." Lucas said sadly. "Kumatora- she doesn't like to talk about them, because she's kinda mad at them. They left her with the Maygypises when she was a baby, and she feels they abandoned her…"
Hm…well, it didn't seem like they were an immediate threat…still, he should include this in his next report.
"…maybe that's why she doesn't like being called princess." Lucas said suddenly.
"Huh?"
"Kumatora- everybody calls her parents "the king" or "the queen", like they don't even have names…and Kumatora doesn't like being called "princess." Duster called her that a couple times, and she threatened to punch him."
"…so, what is it that she wants? To take over from her parents?"
Lucas shook his head. "No, she's not after that at all. She's like me. All she wants is to protect the people she cares about- all we wanted to do was recover an item that Duster had hidden away…and then people mistook me for you- and then Fassad started chasing us-" Lucas shook his head, looking sad. "I didn't want to fight- I didn't want to fight anyone, but…"
Slowly, somewhat hesitatingly, Claus tucked his clothes under his arm and gently patted Lucas's head. "I know you're not a bad guy- don't worry, I'll protect you."
Lucas smiled, then softly, fondly sighed and surrounded Claus with a hug. "I know you're not a bad guy either, Claus."
For a moment- too long a moment, Claus couldn't let Lucas be a distraction- Claus stayed safe in the hug, before forcing himself to pull away. "I need to get ready." he said, looking away and reaching for the bathroom door.
"Okay." Lucas said cheerfully. "I'll be here when you're ready!"
Claus nodded and entered the bathroom.
In the mirror, his own reflection met him. Sleep-ruffled red hair stuck up like a crazy pile of fall leaves. Irritated, he tried to smooth it down, but it resisted him. Memories tugged at him, but he shook them away. He was the Commander, and it was his job to take care of everyone- especially Lucas.
Claus got dressed as quickly as he could, then left the bathroom behind and walked right to the door, where their jackets hung and their boots waited for them.
"We're leaving now?" Lucas asked, coming up behind him.
"Yes." Claus answered shortly, pulling on his boots. He didn't turn to look at Lucas- didn't dare to. The memories- the emotions- they were so strong. Too strong. Claus was the Commander, and he needed to focus on his job-
"Okay." Lucas said, reaching for his own boots. He didn't sound very happy, but he didn't complain and he didn't sigh. He just put on his boots and jumped to his feet. "Okay." he repeated, sounding more determined this time.
Claus snuck a glance as he pulled on his jacket. Lucas was acting determined- determined to do what? Not to be scared of the soldiers from yesterday? He didn't need to be scared of them- Claus would protect him. Besides, they'd been punished- they should've learned their lesson now…
Claus reached for the door handle, then paused. "Lucas…don't tell anyone we're brothers. Anyone. Understand?"
"Okay…" Lucas agreed, but he sounded a little …sad? Uncertain? "But why? Is it because you don't want Porky to find out?"
"Master Porky." Claus corrected automatically. Master Porky took good care of everyone- it was wrong to keep things from him. But Claus wasn't keeping anything from him- he was waiting so that he could present everything together, all at the same time- so that Master Porky could understand better, so he could see the whole picture all at once. That wasn't wrong- that wasn't disobeying, right?
Lucas was still waiting, looking at him, waiting for an answer to his question.
"…do you trust me?"
Lucas looked startled- then thoughtful- and then he smiled. "I'm a little worried about you- it seems like you got hurt bad while we were separated, and you're confused because of that- but I trust you. That's why, even though I worry for them, I'm not scared for Duster and Kumatora- because I trust you." Lucas's smile was stuffed full of love and trust- open like a book- happy and trusting.
Claus swallowed, trying to move invisible fingers away from his throat. "If you trust me, then don't tell anyone we're brothers. Understand?"
"I won't." Lucas promised. "I'd like a reason, but even if I don't get one, I promise I won't tell anyone."
"…I don't want…people to misunderstand."
"Misunderstand what?"
"…you're not a threat. You don't want to cause trouble. The fact that we're brothers doesn't change anything- well- doesn't change anything for anyone else. Some people might think that I'm just saying you're not a threat to protect you because we're brothers. That's not true. I'm saying you're not a threat because you're not. Come on, let's go to breakfast." he opened the door and stepped out, Lucas following right behind him.
The rest of the walk to the mess hall was quiet, giving Claus some time to think.
For a long time now, things had been the same- he'd gone different places and served Master Porky in slightly different ways, sometimes, but nothing had changed- he had thought that things had always been like that and things would always be like that…get up, have meetings, eat porridge, direct the soldiers, clean up after the scientists, watch the soldiers train, eat more porridge, get more orders from Master Porky, go to sleep- wake up and do the same thing all over again. He'd thought things were always going to be that way.
But now things were different- he had Lucas. And at some point in the past, things had been different too…he and Lucas had been together- and they'd had a mom and a dad and a dog- and they'd had a grandpa too.
Things used to be like that…
Claus felt pain when he thought about that barely half-remembered time- felt it in both his head and his heart-
Like he'd told Lucas before, he didn't remember much- images and impressions and emotions…
Their mom was dead. He knew that- with the cold certainty that night follows day, but he couldn't remember how or why- but possibly that was why or part of why things were different now.
They reached the mess hall.
It was early, so it was mostly empty- there wasn't even a line, so he and Lucas got walked right up to the counter.
"Oh Commander, you're here early today. You want the usual, right?"
"Yes." Claus said simply.
"Okay- the same for your …friend here?" one of the servers asked as the other began preparing it. "And do you want any toast or sausages with that?"
Claus opened his mouth to say "no" automatically, but then Lucas tapped his shoulder gently. Confused, he turned to face him.
"Can we Cla- Commander? I'm hungry, and I don't think that just a bowl of porridge will fill me up."
…Hm. He was really supposed to eat the porridge- but it was for Lucas, and the reason Lucas was so hungry was because Claus hadn't fed him last night- so it was okay.
He nodded to Lucas, giving his approval.
Lucas smiled.
"So what do you want with your porridge?"
"Um…both toast and sausages please. For both of us."
Wait- what?
Lucas smiled serenely at them.
"Right away." the first one responded cheerfully. "Got all that, Junior?"
"Got it Senior!" the other responded just as cheerfully and a minute later, a tray appeared with the usual bowl of porridge, with a plate with two pieces of toast and two sausages next to it. "There's yours Commander, and hereee's your friend's!" another tray was placed next to the first.
Claus reached for his, and Lucas did the same.
"Thanks." Lucas smiled at the cooks.
"You're welcome…" the one in blue trailed off, inviting Lucas to tell his name, and maybe his rank and position too.
"Oh- my name's Lucas. What's yours?"
"Senior."
"And I'm Junior." the other soldier said quickly. "Pleased to meet you, Lucas!"
"Pleased to meet you too." Lucas said, smiling back.
Was Lucas... trying to make friends with them?
"We're leaving."
Lucas looked back at him, nodded and then turned back to the soldiers. "Bye." he said with a smile.
"See you later Lucas!" the two chorused as the twins walked away.
As soon as they reached an empty table, Claus quickly put his tray down and sat down.
Lucas put his tray down- but he put it down slowly, and then he paused. Just standing there, like he was waiting for something.
"…what is it?" Claus asked, slowly turning to look at him.
"…are you mad at me?"
"Why would I be mad at you?" he wasn't happy, but he wasn't mad- he wasn't supposed to get mad. He wasn't supposed to get happy either, but so long as he didn't get happy while he was supposed to be working, it didn't matter, right?
Lucas was looking thoughtful. "How did you feel when I was talking to those two Pigmasks at the counter?"
"I didn't feel anything- but I don't know why you were trying to make friends with them." Claus answered quickly. A part of his mind was whispering about how Lucas was still referring to the soldiers as "Pigmasks"- that wasn't good, was it? You had to use the proper names for things- but Lucas wasn't trying to be rude, and they were talking about more important things right now-
"I wasn't trying to make friends with them, exactly." Lucas said thoughtfully as he sat down. "I was just- you know- trying to be friendly."
"…why?"
Lucas looked up from his tray, slightly surprised. "Because it's a nice thing to do. Mom and Dad always-" and here the sadness came back again, flickering like a bulb that needed to be changed. "Oh. I guess you don't remember- but Mom and Dad always taught us to be polite and friendly and kind to everyone. Besides- even though I don't really like the Army because they've done lots of bad things, I don't know if those guys are some of the ones who've done bad things or not- and if they haven't done bad things, then it wouldn't be fair to get mad at them for things that they didn't do, right? So while we're here, I'm going to try to be friendly to everyone." Lucas said it like it was simple- obvious. "Besides, some of the Pigmasks aren't that bad. Like that one Pigmask me and the others met at Snowcap Mountain- apparently he'd gotten lost and Lydia, the Magypsy who watched over the Needle there, saved his life. After the Needle was pulled and Lydia disappeared, the Pigmask decided to take care of Lydia's bunnies, because Lydia had saved his life and everything. And a lot of the Pigmasks who mixed the two of us up were pretty nice too. And besides, they're guys you work with, so I should be nice to them anyway, right?" Lucas smiled- like it made perfect sense.
Claus looked away- not so much as to avoid Lucas's eyes as to try to think. It was good that Lucas wanted to get along with the soldiers and not cause trouble, but…Mom and Dad had taught them to be friendly and polite? Polite was good…but friendly…friendly was things like having conversations with people, and those took time- that wasn't very efficient.
And he was supposed to do all his tasks quickly and efficiently- and if he talked to everyone, that'd slow him down, right?
"Claus, are you okay?"
"Fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Lucas didn't look really convinced- but he said "Okay, if you say so." and gave him a fond smile before turning back to his breakfast.
For a moment, Claus watched him.
Lucas examined the floppy toast, slightly dissatisfied as he poked at it, but then he smiled as he turned to look at the sausages. Humming again, he wrapped the sausage in the bread and started eating.
Claus turned back to his own food- started with the porridge- watching Lucas out of the corner of his eyes.
Lucas was…he wasn't like anyone else. He was quiet, but he wasn't afraid of him- he was just quiet- observing. And even though he was fairly strong, he didn't use that to his advantage- he just accepted and dealt with whatever came his way…
In a way, Lucas was pretty strong- not as strong as Claus of course- but still…it wasn't that much of a surprise that he'd come as far as he had.
Still, he was far too trusting- believing whatever it was that Master Porky's enemies had told him to get him to help them like that. Still, Lucas wasn't dumb, just- gullible. Trusting. In time, Claus was sure that he'd get him to see the truth- and if Claus could produce evidence- show Lucas that those people he'd been traveling with were bad people- troublemakers and enemies of Master Porky- Claus was sure he'd understand that, even if he wasn't happy.
…come to think of it…if Lucas was like Claus (and he was, because they were brothers) and Claus was correct in his theory about being created in one of the labs belonging to Master Porky… why wouldn't Master Porky have sent people to look for Lucas when they were separated? Well, actually, he might've…but if Lucas had been in the village, he wouldn't have been hard to find…maybe the troublemakers had taken him somewhere else first, and then taken him to the village?
"…Lucas."
"Yeah?" Lucas asked, swallowing a bite.
"How long did you live in the village?"
"Always." Lucas said, a slightly puzzled look on his face- saying it like it was obvious. "Didn't I already say that?"
Claus repressed the urge to sigh. "I know you think that- never mind. What I meant was- how long did you live in the village by yourself?"
"Well, I wasn't all by myself- I had Boney with me, and sometimes Dad would come home from searching for you- just for a little bit. But it's been three years since Mom died and you disappeared. Why?"
"I see…three years." to be honest, Claus himself didn't really remember back that far himself. He really only remember the past two years, and some of that he didn't remember all that clearly either.
"What are you thinking?" Lucas asked curiously- and maybe a bit hopefully too.
"…I'm trying to piece things together... figure the chain of events." Claus admitted, "But we're not going to talk about this here."
Lucas glanced quickly around- briefly scanning the mess hall, and the soldiers eating there, before turning back to Claus and reluctantly nodding. "But we can talk about it later, right?" he asked, sounding hopeful again.
"Yes. But not for a while- I'll be busy today, remember?"
Lucas nodded, still looking hopeful.
"You should eat your food. We need to finish up here." Claus was done with his porridge- he scanned the sausage and toast. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten food other than the porridge. He and Lucas had both gotten omelets the other day, but he hadn't had a chance to actually eat his.
"Smells pretty good, doesn't it?" Lucas asked happily, wrapping up the last of his sausage in the last of his bread. "It tastes pretty good too. They're better at cooking sausages than they are cooking omelets." he started eating it happily.
Taste good? Smell good?
…Claus wasn't supposed to care about things like that. But now that Lucas had brought it up…it did…it did have kinda a nice smell to it.
His hands hesitated- just for a second- in the air above the plate.
Why was he hesitating? It was just food- just energy for the body- it didn't really matter, right? It wasn't like Master Porky had forbidden him from eating other foods- he'd just said that Claus had to eat his porridge. And he had. So it wouldn't be bad of him, right?
His hands trembled once more- then descended. Copying Lucas, he wrapped the sausage in the bread- lifted it to his mouth- took a bite.
It tasted better than the porridge- it disappeared way quicker than the porridge. Soon it was gone and then the second one was gone too. Claus felt slightly guilty about the way they'd disappeared quicker than the porridge- Master Porky took good care of everyone, and he had told Claus to eat the porridge- but the sausages- Claus understood why Lucas had asked for them.
Something stirred in the back of Claus's brain- stepping forward, looking up- his mom turning away from the stove and smiling at him- and the air full of yummy smells-
Claus shook his head- not denying it, but trying to focus on now- he couldn't get distracted, because distractions were punished and removed- and stood up and turned to Lucas. "Done?"
Lucas looked up, slightly wry. "I'm about as done as I'm going to be, I think."
Claus peered into his bowl. Most of it was gone- about a third was left though. "You shouldn't waste food."
"I know, sorry. But it's got- it's got this funky taste to it. Do you know what they use to make it?"
Claus shook his head.
"Darn…maybe I'll ask Senior and Junior tomorrow."
"Why?"
Lucas shrugged as he stood up. "Because now I want to know what's in it."
Claus didn't really understand, but he didn't see anything wrong with it either, so he just gathered up his dishes and Lucas did the same.
"Hey Clau- Commander?" Lucas asked thoughtfully as they walked down the halls.
"Yes?" that was the second time he'd started to call him by his name instead of his title. Claus hoped he started to remember better soon.
"Since I'll be stuck in that room all day, can you bring me some paper and a pen or something? You said you were trying to figure the chain of events and I could try to write them out for you."
…actually, that sounded like a good idea. Lucas had been lied to, but if Claus knew what the lies had been then he could research them and prove them wrong…and besides…Lucas did seem to remember the far past better than Claus did. "…you'll have to wait until after lunch. But I'll bring you some paper and a pen then."
"Thanks!"
Claus gave a small nod, and the two of them continued walking until they reached the room.
Claus opened the door and stood outside it.
Lucas stopped in front of it- pausing- as if he was reluctant to enter it. He turned to look at Claus. "Hey…you're going to come back, right?"
"Yeah- of course."
"Okay…I guess I'm just a little scared."
"Of what? Those troublemakers? I'll protect you-"
"No, it's not that…I' m scared you'll disappear again, the way you did three years ago."
Claus stopped-
Lucas's eyes, wide and open, hiding nothing-
"I-" hands at his throat again, "I-"
"You didn't mean to stay away, right? You were gonna come back once you avenged Mom, right?"
"I-"
Lucas sighed, looking disappointed. "Sorry- you can't remember, right?" he turned and walked into the room.
Claus shoved the hands away- this he knew how to respond to. "I'll be back as soon as the meeting is over- I promise."
Slowly, Lucas turned and smiled at him. "Okay. I'll be here."
Claus nodded- hesitated a minute- he shut and locked the door.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The rest of the day passed quickly. The Ultimate Chimera seemed to have drifted further away, but it was still a danger to any soldiers in the field…what they needed to do was capture it, or destroy it, but no one seemed to have any idea how to do that, and the creator, Doctor Andonaunts, was still missing.
When informed of the Ultimate Chimera situation, Master Porky shrugged and told him to deal with it. Claus wasn't really surprised. Master Porky often told him things like that. As the king of New Pork City and the island itself, Master Porky was probably busy.
But the Ultimate Chimera was something that needed to be dealt with- it was a danger to even the strongest soldier.
For now, Claus had forbidden them from wandering around and told them to stick in groups of four or more. And if they needed to travel to another base, to go with at least one of the tanks. But these were only temporary measures…he needed to find a way to deal with it permanently…
Claus sighed as he opened the door and stepped inside.
Lucas looked up his spot on the floor, and smiled and jumped up. He dashed over to Claus and hugged him. "You're back!"
Claus didn't say anything- just dropped his head against Lucas's shoulder, letting it rest.
Lucas, seeming to understand, just hugged him just a bit tighter.
Memories and thoughts fluttered in his mind, too close to ignore, too far away to reach- after a moment, Claus sighed softly- wrapped his arms around his brother's shoulder. "I'm back."
OoOoOo
Hey look, I'm not dead! Too bad I'm about to start a ultra-hard class that has a high failure rate. I don't think I'm going to be able to update much for a while longer. That said, I'm not going to forget about this, it's just that updates will be quite slow for a while.
So, Claus is now aware of the puzzle he needs to put together- too bad he's jamming several pieces together which aren't meant to go together. Silly boy.
But Claus's memory/nightmare was hard to write- as in at certain points I would have to leave and do something else- fun things such as laundry, dishes, organizing stuff- anything but think about the things Porky had done to Claus to turn him into the masked man.