So, I had this AN all typed up on the site, and then my connection died and deleted everything. D: From now on, I'm doing these ANs in word. It sucks though, because my smilies turn into "J"s when I copy paste them into the editor. And of course I can't type an AN without smilies! Smiley emoticons are one of life's necessities, along with food, water, air, and shelter. ;)

So… yeah, I don't really feel like typing up all of that AN again. Honestly, none of it was important. Oh… there was one thing. Next chapter is climax, chapter after that is aftermath/resolution.

Well, enjoy!

Review Responses:

A Fan: Well, lightning moves at 300,000,000 m/s, so I doubt that Kristen could dodge it! :P Oh, she always kinda had that gun with her. She and Duster have some of New Pork's surviving technology (besides the stuff that she stole). That's how she got the cell phone. Thanks for commenting about Boney being different than in the game! I came up with an explanation that actually makes sense (at least, I think that it does).

As for Maya… no, I don't have any plans to use her in other fanfics. I dunno how interesting she would be (considering that she doesn't have a whole lot of development left), and I don't know how she would fit into any other plots… unless I decide to write a sequel to this fanfic. And Kristen gets a lot of space this chapter, so hopefully that accounts for some of the discrepancy. :)

Phoesong:Thanks for reviewing this story! :D Well, you're not the only one who told me that they like Boney, so I don't think that it's weird. :) And I dunno why, but writing OCs never really felt hard to me. Expanding on characters with concrete personalities (like Claus and Lucas) has always been harder for me. Maybe I'm just weird. :x

PK Love Gamma:Eric?

Just A Fan:Well, I'm glad that you like where the plot is going! :) This chapter is a bit slower… next one is where the real action happens. As for Lucas… I'm going to say no, although I've never really thought about it. And yeah, Mother 3's ending was heartrending.

Silvereyer:Thanks! :) I think it helps that I don't really view my OCs as being different from my other characters. It makes it easier for them to interact. :) And the Lucas x Kuma came out of nowhere while I was trying to add more personality to Kuma. xD Glad that you like it, though! :) Ah yes, Boney is so much more fun as when he's snarky. :D

OrangeFlight of ShadowClan: Well, Kuma getting chained to a wall happened behind the scenes, so you didn't miss anything! :) And the Lucas x Kuma kinda spontaneously popped into existence. I don't know where, if anywhere, I'm going to take that.

I'm totally with you on the intimidation thing. D: Yeah… I was hoping that Duster's explanation would be less cheesy because he opposed Lucas' action on principle rather than just because of love, but I guess not. xD Hopefully Boney provided some deviation from the norm during that scene, though. Yeah… while there are a few things that I hate, hating things in general isn't really my thing. Makes me feel kinda like Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. xD

I'll be looking forward to your review! :)


Kristen sat on a lonely hill, looking at the carnage that surrounded her.

I caused this, she thought. And I will continue to cause this. My role in society is to cause this.

Something about that made her feel sick.

Kristen knew that she should drag herself off of the ground and try to do something productive, but the conversation with Kumatora had popped her bubble, allowing a venomous darkness to seep into her heart. The queen's words hadn't been intended to destroy, certainly, but destroy they did.

After all, Kumatora herself admitted that all she could do was destroy.

I should stand up and fight, Kristen thought. Sitting here doesn't help anyone, least of all me.

Yes, she understood that logically, she should forget about her conversation with Kumatora and move on.

But it wasn't that easy.

Kristen had been driven by the prospect of a better world, a world in which progress and happiness could coexist. But she realized that her reasons were not completely philanthropic. She didn't want to just create a better world, she wanted to live in a better world.

And Kumatora had revealed that history's demolitionists such as Kristen tended to die early or fade away after a crisis ended.

Kristen gritted her teeth as she gazed at the broken shards of her dream. The ideals that had spurred her for so long no longer carried meaning.

After all, why destroy when rebuilding brings no satisfaction?

The stench of blood wafted into Kristen's nose, sickening her. This is my burden, she thought. I will kill until I die.

Kristen didn't think that most people understood what Kumatora had revealed to her just a few minutes ago. People didn't understand that change-makers like her would bring down the enemy and then gain no further satisfaction out of life.

But, wait… Kristen thought. Not all demolitionists change the world for the better. In fact… most don't.

Duster popped immediately into Kristen's mind. He had many of the properties that could qualify him as a change-maker. He was quick to act, quick to take charge, and completely steadfast in his beliefs. He would make a strong leader…

But would he make a good one?

No, Kristen thought. Drake's attributes would inspire the masses, certainly. Most people admire someone who takes charge and does what they think is right, no matter what dissenters say. But his beliefs happen to be wrong.

Just like… Porky.

A searing pain shot through Kristen's mind. Duster and Porky… surely they had little in common, right? But no… they both had extreme confidence in their righteousness, and they both took charge without a second thought. Those attributes allowed them to inspire those around them. Porky's pigmasks… the fascist propaganda… they all stemmed from Porky's catalytic properties. Porky jumped into his stupid little plans without a second thought. That lack of contemplation granted him an efficiency that allowed him to change the world in horrifying ways.

Just like Duster.

Just like Kumatora.

Just like Kristen.

No! Kristen thought, another flash of pain blinding her. I'm not the same as Porky! I can't be… please tell me that I'm not…

But they were. Kristen, just like Porky, tended to leap into action first and ask questions later. To many, this attribute seemed righteous and inspiring; to others, it seemed foolish and tyrannical. The drive that Kristen's lack of forethought granted her caused many in New Pork to look on in wonder, but caused others to throw disgusted looks in her direction. Porky's situation was no different. His followers viewed his impulsive, dedicated actions as the ultimate strength, while his enemies viewed them as the ultimate evil.

Was there anything that separated Kristen from Porky and Duster?

Yes… yes there was. Kristen's walked the path of righteousness while Porky and Duster walked the path of malice. But in the end, that difference between Kristen and those that she loathed was too close for comfort. After all, she could easily have been persuaded into following a different path.

She was the kind of person to fight for a cause without really understanding its full implications. This lack of knowledge lightened her load, but it also denied her the wisdom needed to know which side to support. This meant that she would fight for whatever beliefs were imprinted in her mind at an early age.

Oh my god! Kristen realized. That's how cultists form! They act the same as I, but they were raised in different circumstances. And that's why Drake sometimes says stuff that makes about as much sense as cultist rhetoric. He doesn't actually think about what he's saying! He's a ball of emotion. The cultists are balls of emotion. I am a ball of emotion.

We started out the same. If I had been through what Drake had, I would be the same as him.

That terrified Kristen. The fact that she could be the same as Duster if in a slightly different situation propelled her to her feet.

To hell if I let that happen! Drake… you're misguided in your ways. Just like… Porky.

Kristen gulped. If one misguided kid could nearly destroy the world, what could Drake do if nobody stopped him?

That will be my mission, Kristen thought. I will show Drake the error of his ways, and then we can change the world together, alongside Kumatora. After that, we may all fade away into oblivion…

But so long as I save someone from becoming another Porky, I think I can accept that.


Lucas ran through New Tazmily, not quite accepting the devastation around him.

No, Lucas thought, taking in with wide eyes the wreckage around him. I let this happen… These houses belonged to my people.

"Hurry up!" Duster shouted. "We need to get to Fassad!"

"How did the chimeras manage to arrive at New Tazmily?" Lucas asked hopelessly. "I worked so hard to keep them from passing…"

"Some of them must have found another way around you," Duster replied callously. "But that doesn't matter. Let's go!"

Hmph, Lucas thought. You don't know how it feels to carry the weight of an entire society on your shoulders.

"Lucas," Maya whispered. "You did all that you could to stop the chimeras from reaching this town. Do not beat yourself up for what you did. Now that they have arrived, you can only try to prevent further damage."

"But Maya," Lucas replied helplessly. "I just feel so guilty."

Maya smiled, giving light to the scene of ruin around them.

"I know what you mean. I really do, Lucas. You feel that you have to wallow in guilt because you deserve to suffer."

Ooh! Boney barked. Can I join in this self-pity session?

"I do," Lucas replied, ignoring Boney. "I have the responsibility to protect this town, and I failed. That does not weight lightly on my mind."

"And it shouldn't," Maya replied, her voice soft yet determined, "But let that weight become a strength rather than a weakness."

"How?" Lucas asked. "Whenever I look at the destruction around me, I just want to give up."

"Think about it, Lucas. The chimeras that caused this still run free. They could do this again."

Lucas gritted his teeth. As the protector of New Tazmily, Lucas could not let that happen.

"You are right, of course," he responded with a sigh. "I must keep going. I don't know why I cannot feel the determination that carried me through my quest five years ago."

"You and I are the same, Lucas," Maya whispered. "We would rather fight for a better tomorrow than to avoid a worse one."

Lucas blinked.

My idealism carried me through my journey to pull the seven needles because there was so much to gain, Lucas realized. In this neutral-lose situation, the prospect of a neutral outcome doesn't inspire me.

"Kumatora always could push through situations like this," Lucas reminisced out loud, "While I always struggled. She could see a world made of dung and slime and fight to keep it from descending further. I could never force myself to do that. I wish… that she were here with me right now."

"She really means a lot to you, huh?" Maya asked softly.

"I didn't realize it, but I guess so…"

Guys! Boney barked. I'm not usually the voice of reason, but we should probably get a move on. Duster already left a while ago and chimeras are still on the loose.

"Oh man…" Lucas said, faking horror. "Maya, we just lost to the logic of Boney."

Maya gasped dramatically.

"I'm not sure how I can live with myself…"

Hilarious, Boney barked. Now let's go!

Lucas laughed and took off.

"Lucas!" Maya shouted, running along. "This might be a dumb question, but couldn't you just teleport us to Fassad?"

Lucas shook his head.

"I have no idea where he is. At this point, starting the search from another point in New Tazmily would yields no real benefits."

And I want to go through the center of town so that I can check on my people… Lucas thought

"Then we should split up," Maya argued. "We can cover more ground that way."

"Will you be safe?" Lucas asked.

"Boney can come with me," Maya explained. "He's tougher than I, so he can take most of the punishment while I blast from the back lines."

Thanks, Maya, Boney barked sarcastically. I just love eating attacks, preferably with a dash of pain on the side.

Lucas nodded.

"Keep her safe, Boney," Lucas ordered.

Yeah, yeah, you don't have to obsess about everyone else's safety so much, Boney barked. We do care about you, too. Be sure to come out of this alive, okay? As much as I make fun of you, I don't know what I would do if I lost you.

Lucas blinked. He hadn't expected such a heartfelt stream of words from Boney. His heart welled with joy.

Man, it really matters to have friends who truly care. Maybe the prospect of keeping the world from descending further doesn't inspire me, but the feelings of those that I care about certainly can!

"Okay," Lucas agreed, feeling for the first time in years that he truly had a reason to live.


I detect chimeras ahead, Boney barked.

"All right," Maya replied, trying not to let her anxiety show. "Should we wait here to ambush them, or…?"

Wait, there's a human up ahead, Boney barked. I can tell because it smells worse than the chimeras.

Maya snorted.

"That spells trouble."

Thanks, captain obvious.

"You're welcome!" Maya replied in fake elation. "Seriously, though, we should help."

On it, Boney barked and took off.

"PK Run!" Maya shouted and dashed past Boney.

Maya turned a corner and came face to face with a robotic lion. It growled metallically as its synthetic eyes flashed with zeal.

"AAAH!" Maya screamed, unable to do anything else in her state of terror.

Boney jumped forward and bit the mecha-lion, drawing its attention away from her. The chimera snarled and bit Boney back. Maya shivered as she saw its robotic fangs sink into Boney's flesh, and then stared in wonder as he didn't seem to be hurt at all after the lion released its grip.

A little help here? Boney barked.

"Right!" Maya shouted, awakening from her shock. "PK Freeze Beta!"

The mecha-lion growled as ice encased its body, shattering after a split second. The chimera turned its ravenous gaze over to Maya.

Oh my…

The mecha-lion swung its tail at Maya. Boney leapt in to intercept the attack, latching onto the mecha-lion's tail. The chimera then drove the tail's point into Boney's mouth.

Damn! Boney whimpered. I forgot about that tail! Stupid poison…

"Poison?" Maya asked in horror.

Fight now, talk later, Boney replied.

Maya nodded, realizing that he was right.

"PK Freeze Beta!" she shouted once more, another layer of ice appearing over the mecha-lion's body.

Boney leapt into combat once more, exchanging blows with the chimera. The two danced around each other, both trying to land attacks without creating openings in their defensive walls. Maya took this opportunity to repeatedly use PK Freeze. The mecha-lion eventually seemed to recognize that it had to deal with Maya, and leapt at her as a result. However, Boney matched its leap, both of them colliding midair. They rolled down to the ground, both of them savagely attacking the other.

Maya darted forward, hoping to provide a distraction.

No! Boney barked. Stay back!

Maya wanted to engage the chimera, but she couldn't deny Boney's expertise in the realm of combat. She jumped back, the extra power that PK Run gave her legs allowing her to bound further backwards than she had expected… and just in time to avoid the mecha-lion's fiery breath. Flames roared in the empty space that used to contain her body.

Phew! Maya thought. She could probably psionic stall and heal herself if anything bad happened… but the prospect of danger still terrified her.

Boney landed in a couple of bites on the chimera, as the mecha-lion's breath attack had left it open. At this point, both Boney and the chimera looked severely hurt.

"PK Freeze Beta!" Maya shouted yet again, hoping that the attack would be enough to finish the chimera off.

The mecha-lion took the attack in stride, turning around and spearing Boney with its tail. The dog howled in pain.

I forgot how much fighting sucks! Boney barked.

"Boney, come here!" Maya shouted, unable to keep the panic out of her voice.

Boney looked at Maya curiously.

"Just do it!"

Boney gave the equivalent of a shrug and bounded towards Maya.

"Lifeup Beta!" Maya shouted, touching Boney as her ability wove into Boney's flesh and healed his wounds.

No sooner had she healed Boney than the mecha-lion charged forward again. With a war cry, Boney sprung forward and landed a critical bite on the chimera's face.

Now! Maya thought.

"PK Freeze Beta!"

The mecha-lion's eyes widened as ice encased it yet again. After the ice shattered, the chimera fell to the ground.

We killed it! Boney barked.

"Thanks for taking all of the attacks," Maya said, feeling her body relax as fatigue set in.

Heh, well if I let you get hurt, Lucas would get pissed.

"So… you only protected me because Lucas told you to?"

Nah, I'm teasing. I do care about you, Maya. And I have more combat experience, so it's only natural that I should take all of the attacks. You would wilt like a flower if that lion got its paws on you…

Maya wanted to shout a retort but realized that Boney's logic actually made sense. That was a first.

Do you have PK Healing? Boney barked. This poison is really irritating me.

"No, sorry…"

Well, it's not really your fault that you don't know a specific move. Maybe we should try to get to Lucas…

Suddenly, Maya heard a scream from around a corner.

"Let's go!" Maya shouted.

You don't have to tell me, Boney barked.

The two companions turned yet another corner to see a snake with a chicken's head pecking at Nyna. The chimera had drawn blood; Nyna carried multiple wounds on her abdominal area and arms. Maya locked eyes with the bully.

"Maya!" Nyna shouted. "Run! This thing looks silly, but it knocked out some of my friends… what are you waiting for? Get the hell out of here!"

Maya blinked, not quite believing what she heard. Nyna was in danger herself, and she told Maya to run? That didn't seem like something that she would normally do…

"PK Freeze Beta!" Maya yelled. The slitherhen fell dead on the spot.

Nyna's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in wonder and fear as she regarded Maya.

"You can use… PSI?" she asked stupidly.

"Astute observation," Maya replied with a smile that betrayed none of the hostility that she felt.

"I… thanks for saving me," Nyna said, still looking terrified.

"You're welcome," Maya replied, feeling some of her anger fizzle out.

She's not half as insufferable now that she isn't so damn pretentious, huh? Boney barked.

Maya agreed but gave no indication that she understood Boney's words. Nyna took a step away from Maya, holding her hands up defensively.

"Er… Maya?"

"Yes?"

"If you knew PSI, why did you let me bully you?"

"Lucas told me to avoid using PSI except in the case of an emergency."

"Still, though… weren't you bitter about what I did to you?"

"Yes," Maya answered. "I still am, actually."

Nyna's eyes widened further.

"I'm… sorry, Maya."

Maya turned away.

"Don't apologize out of fear, Nyna. It doesn't help anyone. If you want to apologize, be sincere."

Nyna raised an eyebrow.

"You would just let me walk away without an apology?" she asked incredulously.

"If I don't, I'm no better than you are," Maya replied curtly.

"I… I never looked at it that way," Nyna said. "I always thought that if other people did something, it was okay for me to follow suit."

"That's nice."

"Maya."

The sincerity of that single word caused Maya to look back. Nyna stared at her feet, biting her lip as she struggled to force words out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Maya. I really am."

Maya smiled.

"I'm not sure that I can sincerely forgive you yet," she replied. "You hurt me too much. But… I can accept you now. I don't forgive you, but I don't have to hate you, either. So long as you try to keep improving, I think that we could erase all of the hostility between us. But that healing takes time."

Nyna smiled back.

"So honest… thank you, Maya."

"You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some more chimeras to hunt down."

Maya turned away and walked off.

You handled that rather well, Boney barked.

"I think that I just had to be myself," Maya explained. "After I realized that I'm actually a somewhat likeable person, showing my true colors became far easier. After all, why should I lie about who I am? Throwing Nyna's apology back into her teeth would prove to myself that I cannot rise above my bitterness, while seeming falsely sweet in my acceptance would give her yet another reason to walk over me."

You really do sound like Lucas, Boney mused.

Maya swelled with joy at that comment. She sounded like Lucas…

There was no better compliment in the world.


Kristen felt exhausted as she walked up to Kumatora.

"Got over your internal crisis?" Kumatora asked, not unkindly.

The queen of New Tazmily regarded Kristen with concerned eyes. That made her feel uncomfortable. Nobody had really cared about her before. In New Pork, and later with Duster, Kristen had lived in a world where a person's uses trumped all else. Problems, worries, feelings… garbage, every last one of them. But then she had met Lucas and Kumatora.

Kristen hadn't consciously picked up on the fact that Lucas cared about her as a person rather than a criminal in need of arrest, but she must have noticed it on a subconscious level. That had made Kristen even madder at Lucas, although she didn't know why. Maybe it was because she wanted to be mad at him for acting the tyrant, so she became even angrier when he failed to meet her expectations.

And then there was Kumatora. Kristen had never liked the queen of Tazmily, and Kumatora had returned those feelings without reservation. Neither of them really wanted to be around the other, and both of them knew it.

And yet Kumatora still cared about Kristen. That felt strange in ways that Kristen hadn't thought possible.

"Yeah," Kristen replied. "I feel fine now."

"I'm sorry for breaking that to you," Kumatora said sincerely. "I think that you would have been happier in ignorance."

Kristen pursed her lips and closed her eyes.

"No," she replied after a pause. "No, you were right to tell me what you did. It devastated me, true, but it would have devastated me more if I had found out after our crisis."

Kumatora nodded curtly.

"That takes a certain level of strength to admit," the queen complimented, looking out at the sunrise on the horizon. "It is difficult to overcome ourselves, no?"

A few minutes ago, Kristen wouldn't have known what that meant. But now, the truth of those words produced a weary sigh from her taxed body.

"Do you think that it's possible to overcome our natural role in society?" Kristen asked. "Do you think that we could thrive in a peaceful civilization if we tried hard enough?"

Kumatora looked at Kristen in an expression of mild surprise.

"You ask me, knowing how brutally honest I can be?"

"I want to hear your true thoughts, Kumatora."

Kumatora nodded, seeming to understand the irrational drive to find the truth.

"To an extent, yes," Kumatora answered. "I don't think that we'll ever be likeable and progressive like Lucas, but we can definitely live happily in a constructive society if we want to. Our greatest challenge… is to overcome our fixed notions of how the world should be."

"What do you mean?"

"You have a specific idea of the world that you want to craft," Kumatora responded. It was not a question.

"I… yes," Kristen admitted.

Looking at it, her view of the perfect world was cold and impersonal. That… didn't seem like it would fit everyone. However, the thought of accepting anything else made Kristen feel uncomfortable.

"Even if we win, the world isn't going to be like how you envision it," Kumatora continued. "People like Lucas will create societies that are frankly better than the ones that we have planned in our minds. That makes us bitter."

Kristen nodded. She could see that… how after she had averted a crisis, things still wouldn't be how she wanted them to be. Regular people would go on with their lives, but catalysts like Kristen would remain stuck in their unfulfilled ideas.

"Nothing is ever good enough for us," Kristen realized out loud. "The reason that we try to propagate change is that we want more, but even after that, satisfaction will elude us."

Kumatora nodded sadly.

"Even after we rebuild, things aren't as good as they could be," she picked up, "But of course we don't want to destroy the society that we ourselves created. So we just… fade away in our bitterness."

"Wow," Kristen whispered.

"We are perfectionists by nature," Kumatora explained. "That gives us the drive to fight against the imperfect, but it never allows us to be satisfied with society's current state."

"So to exist in a peaceful civilization, we have to drop our perfectionist nature?" Kristen asked.

"Yes," Kumatora affirmed. "To destroy, we have to aim higher than we will ever be able to reach. After all, if we only wanted to make things better rather than making them perfect, we would find smaller ways to improve the world. To make a large impact, we have to reach for the stars. Then we fall short and hit the moon. Still a miraculous achievement… but it isn't enough for us. We wanted to grasp the stars. At that point, we have to accept our loss and realize that our perfect little societies will never exist."

"How in the world did you come up with all of this?" Kristen asked.

"I told you," Kumatora answered with a smirk. "Lucas corrupted me with his thinking."

Kristen matched Kumatora's smile. It felt good to talk to someone who truly understood how she felt.

"Kumatora, are you done talking?" a man asked.

Kristen turned around, noticing him for the first time. He wore a cowboy hat, a vest, and boots that made all him look gruff. His calm, deadpan face only added to the effect. He seemed like someone with a long fuse but a large explosion radius.

"Oh, hello, Flint," Kumatora answered.

"Flint?" Kristen asked. "You're Lucas' father?"

Flint nodded.

"But blood relationships don't mean all that much. After all, I don't want to be remembered as just a father of a hero."

His mouth twitched upwards to form an amused smile. That seemed like a monumental display of emotion from someone like him. Even after only knowing him for a few seconds, Flint seemed rather… stoic.

"Flint here is a strong leader who understands people," Kumatora explained. "To be honest, he should probably be the one in charge of this village."

"You undervalue yourself, Kumatora," Flint responded. "Between you and Lucas, this town does quite well."

Well, until now, Kristen thought.

"Whatever," Kumatora responded with a shrug. "I guess I should get to the point, huh? Flint here leads the villagers."

Kumatora pointed to the group of people huddled in the distance.

"Many of those people are discouraged, and rightfully so," Kumatora continued. "After all, a few of them lost limbs and more chimeras will come."

"Can… PSI restore broken limbs?" Kristen asked.

Kumatora sighed.

"Not yet. I know that Lucas is working on a way…"

"Wouldn't it be easier to use prosthetic limbs?" Kristen asked. "That's what Duster does."

"Easier, yes. But people here in New Tazmily are terrified of technology."

"You have to understand that New Pork's technology ravaged us," Flint added. "On the day that money was introduced, the people of this town lost a little bit of their liveliness."

Money isn't inherently bad, Kristen thought but remained silent.

"I… just don't see how PSI advancements are any safer than technological ones," Kristen said softly, feeling worried that she would anger Flint.

"You sounded just like Lucas there," Flint replied. "He always talked with me about big issues like that."

"He talked about that with me as well," Kumatora added.

Huh… Lucas seems to truly understand the dangers of the power that he possesses.

Kristen wasn't sure why that surprised her so much.

"I think that we've let ourselves wander off of track again," Kumatora spoke up. "So I'll try to stick with the program. Basically, we want all of the weapons that you have in that backpack for the townspeople to use. Flint will lead the people who want to fight into battle. Fassad hasn't appeared yet, so we can only assume that more chimeras will come."

"…Oh."

Kristen didn't know what else to say. She felt a certain attachment to the goods that she stolen, but the lives of innocent people obviously took precedence…

"Please, be reasonable with this one," Flint said. "We need proper weapons if we want to defend ourselves."

"…All right," Kristen agreed reluctantly. Why was that so hard for her?

"Thanks," Kumatora said. "I know how hard it can be to swallow stubborn pride."

Was that it? Did stubborn pride cause her to resist? …Kristen supposed that it did. She opened the bag and started pulling out all of the weapons that they could find, mostly guns that the pigmasks used.

"It impresses me that some of the people here want to fight the chimeras," Kristen said.

Kumatora snorted.

"It's not really impressive," she replied in contempt. "Most of them are stubborn men that are so aghast at the fact that their queen fights that they feel pressured to do the same."

"That's not totally fair, Kumatora," Flint responded without malice. "Many of them truly want to see New Tazmily protected."

"No, it's that they couldn't take the guilt if they saw it fall without trying to do anything. I'm not judging them for that; I fight partly for the same reasons that they do. I just don't think that it's impressive in any way."

Flint shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter."

"Agreed," Kumatora responded instantly. "In war, we are all statistics. We are all tools. Reasons lose their edge."

"So bitter…" Flint mused.

"Not bitterness so much as… acceptance," Kumatora countered. "Lucas agrees. He said that in war, we as humans can't afford to bear the pain of looking at each individual death, so we… stop caring as much as we should and look at deaths from a larger scale as a result."

That's pretty scary, Kristen thought.

But it made sense. One death was horrifying. A thousand deaths were more horrifying… but not a thousand times as horrifying.

"Hmm…" Kristen mused. "It seems that style of thinking reveals a fundamental error in the workings of our mind. If war really is so terrible, shouldn't we have been created to recognize that?"

Kumatora shrugged.

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter why we don't understand the atrocities that we commit. We just do."

"So now that we've heard a plethora of ways to interpret your cynicism about war," Flint cut in, "Would you mind handing over those weapons?"

Kristen nodded and looked at all of the guns that she had pulled out and set on the ground.

"Uh… there are a lot of these. Would you mind just having people come over here and pick them up?"

"No problem."

"Always the soldier, Flint," Kumatora said. "You can't let us have our nerdy conversation in peace?"

"I don't know why you would want to act nerdy in the first place," Flint countered.

Kumatora sighed.

"That phrase isn't an insult anymore. Just like it's okay for women to fight."

Where did that come from? Kristen wondered.

"Kumatora, you know how I feel about that issue," Flint replied. "It's okay for you to fight because of your PSI, but most women are frankly most useful doing other jobs."

"Hmph," Kumatora huffed. "Whatever. Most of the women here are a bunch of cowards anyway. I just fear that you can't accept new ideas."

Flint smiled.

"You know, you put up much less of a fight about that than Lucas. His stance on gender roles is even more liberal than yours, Kumatora."

"Yeah… he convinced me of a bunch of egalitarian crap. Lucas can make anything sound reasonable."

Flint smiled.

"That's my son… I don't know where he got his persuasiveness from."

"Still though," Kristen piped in, "I feel like adding more women to combat could be feasible with these guns. They don't require much strength to use."

"I think that the patriarchal sentiments ingrained in this conservative culture propose a larger barrier," Kumatora explained.

Flint nodded.

"I think that most men in this town would consider it to be an affront to their pride if they were forced to fight next to a woman."

"Basically, they're a bunch of stubborn assholes," Kumatora said.

Flint shrugged.

"However you choose to look at it, aggravating those people right now would not yield positive results."

Ah, Kristen thought. He's not actually sexist; he just worries about angering those that are.

Kristen blinked as she suddenly realized that she was holding some kind of… tooth in her hand. It looked like it belonged to a dinosaur.

"What do you have there?" Flint asked, his hard tone causing Kristen to flinch.

"I… don't know," Kristen answered, showing Flint the tooth.

"That's… a drago fang," Flint said sadly.

Kumatora gasped.

"A what?" Kristen asked.

"A drago fang," Flint repeated. "Dragos are dinosaur-like reptiles who are normally peaceful, but…"

"But what?"

"But one of them killed my wife," Flint said, turning away. "It wasn't in a proper state of mind, but to this day, I cannot stop myself from hating them."

"I'm… sorry," Kristen offered.

Flint shook his head.

"It's okay. It happened eight years ago, after all."

"But the tertiary effects carry to this day," Kumatora added. "Lucas is still devastated by that… and Claus…" a single tear came to each of Kumatora's eyes.

"Oh man… I didn't know," Kristen said.

"It's fine," Flint reassured. "Life goes on."

"So… I assume that you don't want the fang?" Kristen asked.

Flint nodded.

"You keep it."

Kristen, Flint, and Kumatora stood there in an awkward silence.

"I'm thinking about trying to hunt down Fassad," Kumatora suddenly announced. "Do you think that my idea holds merit, Flint?"

"Hm… I suppose that you could… I guess I don't see why not, so long as you understand the potential consequences."

"Thanks," Kumatora replied with a smile. "It's nice to get confirmation from either you or Lucas to make sure I'm not doing anything particularly stupid."

"I want to come with you," Kristen announced without thinking.

"I'm not going to say no," Kumatora replied after a pause, "But Fassad is dangerous. I can't promise that I'll always be there to heal you. I'm an impulsive idiot, and even I wouldn't go with me-"

"I want to come with you," Kristen repeated.

"…All right," Kumatora conceded. "Let's go."

Kristen blinked.

"You're not going to try to fight me on this one? Duster always…"

"I'm not Duster," Kumatora responded. "I think that you're an idiot, but even idiots have the right to make their own decisions. Just don't blame me if die."

Kristen sighed in relief. Not having to fight back on this issue was quite refreshing.

"Why don't more people think like that?" Kristen asked.

"I don't know," Kumatora replied. "Honestly, I didn't until Lucas taught me to."

Lucas… that kid sure gets around.

"Good luck," Flint said, waving as Kristen and Kumatora headed out to search for Fassad. "And try to come back in one piece, all right?"

"You always have the perfect words to calm our nerves, Flint!" Kumatora shouted back sarcastically.

"All right," Kristen said, her resolve turning to iron. "Let's do this."

Kumatora shot Kristen the smile of a huntress as a response.


"So… what should we do?" Maya asked.

Well, we could sit here accomplishing nothing like we've been doing for the past few minutes, Boney barked. That sounds rather productive.

Maya sighed.

"There just doesn't seem to be anything to do."

Yeah, so we should wait here and accomplish nothing.

"You are the laziest dog I've ever met; do you know that?" May asked, unable to keep a grin from spreading on her face.

Well, not all of us can be so stinking perfect and hardworking. I prefer to think of myself as… discerning in my endeavors.

Maya snorted.

"That's just a fancy way of saying 'lazy.'"

All depends on how you look at it.

"No, it really doesn't."

Maya, I thought that you were supposed to be open-minded! Isn't my interpretation of those words as good as yours?

Maya laughed.

"You have so many excuses for your laziness!"

Boney sniffed.

You two just don't understand the meaning of "discerning in my endeavors."

"I think that the problem is that we understand it too well and you know it."

…Maybe.

Maya stuck her tongue out in victory.

Stop acting so smug, Boney barked.

"Sorry," Maya said unapologetically. "I wasn't trying to be smug. To put it in terms that you would understand, I was just… expressing my correctness with the appropriate gesture."

Boney snorted in derision.

"Still," Maya said. "What should we do?"

Maybe I'll think if you stop nagging me.

Maya rolled her eyes.

What? Boney barked. At least I'm actually thinking; you just complain.

"I shudder at the realization that you just said that to me rather than the other way around."

But you're not shuddering.

Maya sighed.

"It's an expression, okay?"

No, it really isn't, Boney barked.

"Whatever. The point is-"

I get the point, Boney barked. It's hilarious. Now will you be quiet and let me think?

"No."

Boney shot Maya a flat look. She couldn't help but break into laughter.

This was your idea, I might add, Boney barked.

"Yeah, whatever," Maya replied offhandedly.

That's a confession.

"Huh? No it isn't."

When people say "whatever" like that, it means that they know that they erred but they're too stubborn to admit it.

Maya blinked as she realized that Boney was actually right.

"You aren't as dumb as you act, huh?" Maya asked playfully.

Boney stiffened. His normally vibrant face turned downcast, and his head drooped as if it held a sack of boulders.

What? Maya thought in worry. Did I say something wrong…?

"Is everything all right?" Maya asked.

Yes, Boney barked icily.

He sure didn't seem all right.

"Boney…"

What? Boney snapped.

"What did I say to offend you?"

Boney turned away.

"Boney, please…"

It's not your fault, Maya, Boney barked. It's just something that I get sensitive about.

"Please explain, Boney," Maya begged.

Silence.

"Please, let me in!"

Why do you care? Boney asked.

"Why do I care? You probably saved my life a dozen times when we fought the mecha-lion! And even if you hadn't… I still care about how you feel."

I swear, Lucas must have said those exact words to me…

Even the part about the mecha-lion? Maya wanted to ask but bit her tongue.

Boney turned around and looked at Maya with pained eyes.

My struggles… will seem trivial to you.

"I don't think that they will," Maya replied, more determination than she expected flowing into her words. "You're talking to someone who almost attempted suicide multiple times for being bullied."

You… did?

"Yeah, and it seems dumb now. So please, tell me what you went through. If you really don't want to then I won't pressure you further, but I think that it will feel better if you get it out."

Boney's head rose a bit.

…All right. I started out as a hunting dog.

Boney looked up to Maya, who motioned for him to continue.

Flint was a good master, for the most part, but he said some… hurtful things that he didn't think that I would understand. He kept calling me stupid, saying how I was the runt of the litter and that he should have picked another dog to use for hunting… he didn't mean those words seriously, and he didn't intend to hurt me. Like I said, he had no idea that I could understand him. But still… his words still wounded me. So… I reacted acutely when you called me stupid because you sounded too much like him. See, my problems are silly, aren't they?

"No," Maya whispered.

What?

"They're not silly. I know exactly what you mean."

…You do? Boney barked.

"Yeah… how you want to love Flint, but he's hurting you and he doesn't even know it. You know that you shouldn't feel so bad about his words, but they still sting. This makes you feel guilty, like you're at fault. Because if Flint means well, then the problem must be you, right? And then you feel horrible about yourself because you're the problem and you want to talk about it with Flint but you can't because he hurts you. You feel trapped and helpless, like your only way out is to hurt yourself."

Maya… you do get it, Boney barked. Maya detected both sorrow and joy in his voice. How did you know?

"I… have similar issues with my parents," Maya admitted.

I guess we came from quite similar backgrounds, then. But… we differ in how we deal with our self-hatred. You tried to hurt yourself; I tried to become someone who I'm not. I tried to get smarter. I tried to work harder. But it was never enough. In the end, I guess that I just… gave up.

Maya's eyes widened.

"And after you gave up… you acted lazy and illogical because you figured that it must be true! You figured that if you tried your hardest and didn't achieve results, you really were as dumb as they all said. That's why you blurt out illogical phrases upon whim! After being beaten down for trying to be smart and work hard, you tried to make the best out of being lazy and stupid."

Boney looked at Maya in wonder.

I didn't even realize all of that until now, he barked. How did you pick up on all of that?

Maya blushed.

"I… guess Lucas must have rubbed off on me."

Boney snorted.

You sure it's not the other way around? Lucas almost got out a notebook to write down your tips when you dealt with Duster.

Maya blushed further. Something about Lucas taking tips from her seemed surreal… and wonderful.

Regardless, Boney barked, You are right. My… act that I put on results from my failure to attain approval. I'm a sad excuse for an dog, aren't I?

"Boney," Maya said. "I don't know if you realize this, but your general attitude is awesome."

Boney blinked.

…That's not funny, Maya.

"Who's laughing?"

That doesn't mean anything. Most people don't laugh at their own jokes in the first place.

"Yeah, well, that wasn't a joke! I think that you're a wonderful friend, Boney. Even if I don't show it, your snarky attitude makes me smile on the inside."

…Really?

"Yes! Ask Lucas! As much as we roll our eyes, we really appreciate who you are. You tend to lighten the situation when it needs to happen. Hearing you spout off humorous, half-serious criticisms of Duster gave me the courage to approach him for the final time and tell him how much he meant to me… which prevented Duster from further attacking Lucas. It all stems from you!"

I never knew, Boney barked wistfully. I… thanks, Maya. I really needed that. Lucas talked to me about that, but I figured that he was just being nice. You… really do like me as a friend. That means so much to me…

Maya bent down and hugged Boney.

"I understand how you felt, Boney. And I still understand how you feel. It feels awesome to realize that you don't have to hate yourself. And as someone who went through this myself, I can tell you honestly that it will get even better."

Geez, Maya, Boney barked. No need to be so sappy! You're ruining my image… even if nobody currently watches us.

Maya laughed. Never before had she felt so happy to see Boney act his normal self.