Psychic dreams were strange distortions and representations of time.
Past, present and future rapidly converged together in a blur of images to produce random snippets of visions and memories. Sometimes, Ninten had hoped that his dreams would reveal questions for his next math test, but sadly, his hopes never came to fruition.
This time, Ninten was standing in gray.
Everything was gray: the sky, the clouds, the grass. Gray it was, and gray it felt. Ninten stood in front of a gravestone as the unrelenting rain soaked his worn jacket and sent shivers down his slim, too-tall frame.
Next to him was a younger lady veiled in a corset of midnight maroon, hiding her face in her handkerchief, but try as he might, Ninten couldn't turn his head to see who it was. The man he was impersonating was focused on the gravestone, and only on the gravestone alone.
His reflection stared back at him with wet brown eyes.
Furrowing his eyebrows, Ninten squinted out the intricately-carved name on the weather-beaten stone:
Maria.
19XX-19YY
Music keeps the heart alive.
Ninten could sense the man's - no, wait, in this dream he was the man - fresh surge of feeling. A wry sense of raw disbelief clouded his mind. Even in death, his grandmother had to remind him of her lullabies… lullabies he used to hate because lullabies were only for little kids, and he was a full-fledged adult…
"She's had a good run," his sister spoke up.
It wasn't English.
Ninten could tell that they were speaking in another language. Russian? Romanian?
"She died in pain. She didn't deserve this."
"She's alive in our hearts-"
"She's dead," Ninten said coldly, refusing to acknowledge her comfort. "Ma's dead, Carol. Music can't bring back the dead."
His sister lowered her head. Silence was shared.
She spoke up again. "Why didn't you contact us earlier?" First anxiety, then anger flooded her tone. "George and I've tried calling you like crazy, but you never picked up. It's been months, brother. Months. We were this close to reporting you for dead-"
"I was busy tinkering in my lab and lost track of time." Ninten watched a crimson leaf fall from the boughs above. "Carol, I don't have much time to talk. There's something else that I have to tell you. I'm working on a project. It requires me to leave town-"
"You're leaving town," she repeated.
"Yes."
"When will you return?"
"I do not know."
"Why leave? Stay-"
"I cannot. Sister, I am not related to you by blood-"
"Don't you start this again. You're still my brother, adopted or not," she said, and with a jolt, Ninten's dream self finally recognized her features – she was younger version of his own mother. "You're a part of the family."
Ninten gave a bitter laugh. "I have strange mind-controlling powers, Carol."
"...So?"
"It's not normal. I'm not normal." Ninten flickered his eyes to the side. "The longer you hang around me, the greater your risk of safety-"
His sister snorted. "Nobody cares about your powers."
"George does." Ninten's voice adopted a bitter tone. "Our relationship since my adoption has always been very... strained."
"But-"
"Do not lie. It is the truth."
She shifted in place. "You should stay," his sister said quietly. "He's not feeling so well these days-"
"The only reason he wants me to stay," Ninten said coolly. "Is because he doesn't want to lose his precious experiment."
"You haven't seen him for a while. He's changed ever since Ma died. I think he does regret doing things... to you." His sister winced at the expression on his face. "I never knew that he tried all sorts of funny tests on you in the basement. Really, if I'd known earlier, I would've-"
"Done nothing," Ninten said. "Because this doesn't concern you."
"Your health was at risk. Of course it concerns me!" His sister crossed her arms. "Stay. If George ever tries to test anything funny on you again, he'd better back off. Especially when my son has these powers now."
Ninten stirred. "How is my favorite nephew?"
"He's your only nephew."
"Very true."
His sister laughed quietly. "Ninten's a troublemaker. Already six, and making a fuss about how he wants to go into law. He might've inherited your powers, but he hasn't inherited your knack for math."
"He's an intuitive child." Ninten rubbed awkwardly at his sleeve. "Thank you for coming to see me off. I did not wish to part on a sour note."
His sister peered up at him. "Must you leave?"
"It's for the best."
"Keep in touch. Or at the very least, reconsider and stay. There's no need for you to move out permanently," she pleaded. "You could be a mentor for my son."
"...A mentor?" A strange warmth prickled his heart at the thought, and Ninten inclined his head. "We shall see."
"Of course. How fares your new project?"
"I received a new lead. We're visiting Carpainter at Twoson tonight."
"We?"
"An old colleague and I."
She made a face. "An old colleague? You mean, your hippy friend?"
"Fassad's not a hippy. He's proven himself to be a remarkably invaluable confidante, sister."
She opened her mouth, then closed it again with a sniff. "There's something fishy about that man-"
"Fassad discovered an interesting artifact in the ancient ruins: A figurine in the shape of a man. That statue's at least a thousand years old. An amazing find. I can't refuse this offer, Carol."
"You're staying overnight just to see a bazillion year-old rock?"
"That is the plan."
His sister shook her head. "You're crazy."
"Two nights. Three. I have a good feeling about this rock." Ninten gripped her shoulders. "Carol, Ninten's magic will develop with puberty. If his powers start acting up, use his poor health as an excuse to miss school. He might not like it, but if anyone saw him doing strange things… he might be taken out of your custody, or worse, someone might experiment on him-"
"We are the descendants of Maria." A proud, haughty look had entered his sister's eyes. "I won't let George experiment on my son. Worry about yourself."
"Worry about yourself. Ma used to say such colloquialisms-"
"For apt reasons."
"Apt in what sense?"
"You were always the studious one of the family." She sniffed. "Double majoring in Archeology and Mechanical Engineering? Please."
"I chose ambition. You chose family. Had you chased your dreams, you would have made an excellent engineer yourself... but you gave up your life for your husband." Giygas's lips curled in distaste. "A rich, bratty lawyer in an overcoat and tophat-"
"My husbando is a wonderful man."
"I do not approve of him. He is a foolish child."
"Leave him out of this, you jerk," His sister muttered. "I bet if you had a wife and kids, they'd all run away crying."
"I have twin nieces and a psychic nephew. I don't plan to settle down soon." Ninten turned towards the city. "Carol, this talk is over. The trip to Twoson awaits."
His sister gripped his hand. "Take care. Happy Happy is a village full of the Strange and Unseemly."
"Happy Happy is a misnomer. The inhabitants are insane blue-eyed cultists... just like your foolish husband."
"Greg!"
"Very well. This topic is now closed for discussion."
Another chastised rebuke rang in Ninten's ears, and the world faded into darkness once more.
.
.
.
~Chapter Twenty~
Giygas's Intimidation
.
.
.
White. Everything was white.
In the depths of unconsciousness, Ninten stirred. But he had no intention of moving. Much like his body, exhausted was his mind.
A whisper tickled his ear. "Ken…"
He only squeezed his eyes shut in response, hoping that whoever it was would stop bothering him. Yet that voice persisted.
"Ken… Wake."
Reluctantly, Ninten slowly cracked open his eyes. An endless, anti-gravity dimension stretched far out beneath his toes. Nothingness engulfed the entire plane.
"Ken."
At the third repetition of his name, Ninten whirled around in shock. "You."
"Me," Giygas said calmly, basking in an air of cold grandeur.
"What… Wh-What are you doing here?" Ninten said furiously, now getting over his shock. "Get out of my mind!"
Another chair and a desk materialized in front of him, and Giygas gestured to the empty seat. "If you are so kind to join me in a game of chess, I would be most obliged."
"I'd rather not-" Ninten began heatedly, but was cut off by Giygas's icy glare.
"Sit."
Ninten scowled, but feeling those eyes sear into his face, he complied, plopping into the empty seat with a violence that sent his chair squeaking from abuse. "How did you enter my mind?"
"I have powers beyond which any man can comprehend." A chess board materialized on the desk, and Giygas fiddled with the pieces. "Black, or white?"
"I don't care."
Giygas sighed, waving his hand. Like tiny magnets, the game pieces flew onto their respective positions, and the chess board set itself up on its own accord. "Must you be so disrespectful?"
Ninten glared back.
Giygas remained unfazed. "If you so insist, I will make the first move." His fingers slowly displaced the white knight. The beautiful glass figurine slid forward with an unearthly grace, looking dignified and proud of its role. "Your turn."
"I don't want to play!"
"Nobody plays their part because they have a choice."
"I'm still not playing."
"I thought you wanted answers."
Ninten flicked his scrawny pawn two paces forward. "There. Happy?"
Giygas studied his move, then tapped his fingers against the wooden table. One, two, three, four. "I have no idea of your whereabouts, but it seems that my powers are strong enough to breach your consciousness." Giygas's eyes flickered to his. "After all, we are related."
"You're no relative of mine," Ninten said bitterly.
"I am adopted," Gigyas agreed, placing his knight onto E5 and taking Ninten's pawn. "Related by blood we are not, but by magic - through prolonged exposure with your family - parts of my PSI must have influenced yours. We are undoubtedly related, Ken, related in ways you can't imagine."
"Joy."
"Though judging from the lack of external stimuli in your environment... you are unconscious."
As if on cue, Ninten shuddered as a stroke of hot, searing pain tore through his body. He bit his lip as his chest burned, feeling as though each of his lungs had caught fire.
Giygas hovered one hand over his King. His eyes flickered to the side. "You are ill."
"Don't be stupid, I'm asleep-"
"Your asthma is getting worse. Where's your inhaler?"
"I lost it."
"You-" Shaking his head in disbelief, Giygas let out another loud exhale, rummaging through his pockets to take out a small rectangular object the size of a lighter. "It dropped out of your pocket during your escape. Where's your spare."
"I don't have one with me, it's at home," Ninten snapped, before dissolving into another coughing fit. "But as long as another asthma attack doesn't hit me, I should be okay-"
"You'll die without this, Ken."
With a shaky breath, Ninten took a momentous effort to compose himself. Sweat shone on his brow. "A little cold won't kill me. I'm quite all right, thank you."
"Do your friends know?"
"...no, they don't," he said quietly.
"It was not my intention to hurt you-"
"Stop," Ninten said suddenly. "Stop pretending that you care."
"Don't be a fool. Your pride will get the better of you if you let the illness go untreated-"
Ninten shoved the desk aside, and the chess pieces trembled underneath his palms. "This is your problem. You kidnap everyone I care about. You lie, steal, and hurt anyone around you, and you'd do it again without second thought. Stop, Giygas. Drop the act. You say that you care for me one moment, then call me a fool the next. I'm not your chess piece. Make up your mind, because I can't take it anymore!" Ninten clenched his fists. "Go on, Giygas. Say it. Say how much you hate me!"
Giygas's eyes flickered to the side.
When his uncle said nothing, Ninten sank into his chair. "Why do you keep giving me false hope?" he said quietly. "If I'm not worth anything to you, then just say so. I hate you. Three words. It's not that hard."
Something suddenly sparked in Giygas's eyes. "I don't-" He halted. For the first time, Giygas looked confused. Scared. "I don't know how I feel." As if losing their focus, his eyes rapidly flickered over to the boy in the armchair. "How do you make me feel so... small? You, a mere child? I can't-"
"-I can't indulge in such childish sentiments."
Taken aback by the sudden change in tone, Ninten stared at him in confusion.
Giygas looked just as surprised. The man clenched his mouth, then re-opened it in quiet realization. "I hurt you."
Instantly, his features contorted, twisting into an amused façade. "The plan is of utmost priority."
Ninten watched in a twisted rapture as his uncle began arguing with himself.
"Family comes first."
"Of course. That's why we must pull the Needle."
"This is not what Maria would have wanted-"
"How would she know? You have been asleep for far too long, Giygas," the man whispered, the edge of his left lip curling upwards. "Maria is gone."
Giygas clutched at his head. "No."
"Maria is dead," he sneered, a crease scrunching up his forehead.
"No, she's not! She can't be!" A sob. "She's not dead!" His eyes melting into a whirl of colors, Giygas seized a paralyzed Ninten by the shoulders. "whERe iS sHE?"
"But Maria can still be saved."
As if in agreement, Giygas lowered his voice into a murmur. "Maria can still be saved... at a small price. Everything is under control. Why, nobody is dead. Nobody is hurt. Who can say that I'm in the wrong?" With a pained grimace, Giygas closed his eyes. "...It hurts," he rasped, clawing at his heart. "It hurts... It hUrts... iT HuRtS-"
To say that Ninten was frightened was an understatement.
"G-Giygas?" he stammered. "What's going on?"
Slumped against the tabletop, his uncle only moaned in response.
Ninten stood frozen, uncertain and unsure of what to do. He gave the downed man a light prod in the arm. "Hey, uh. You need to take a breather-?"
In an alarming burst of speed, Giygas loudly slapped a quivering palm onto the table. His pupils seemed to have shrunk to two small pinpricks of obsidian. "No need to help," returned the cool voice. Righting himself onto the wooden chair, Giygas threw Ninten a calculating look. "Everything is under control."
Hesitating, Ninten watched Giygas for any sign of his... "multi-personality" disorder, but his uncle was as impassive as always. When Ninten didn't respond, Giygas raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the unfinished chess game. "Take a seat. It's your turn."
Something was clearly wrong. Ninten swallowed. "Are you feeling okay?"
A mad giggle. "Giygas is feeling worried for his nephew's welfare."
"Stop it," Ninten panicked, feeling fear trickle down his spine. "You're seriously starting to freak me out-"
Another mad giggle.
Giygas, still fixing Ninten with an unwavering gaze, slowly and deliberately flicked a chess piece over. Ninten flinched at the sharp clatter of shattering glass on wood.
"Your move," Giygas whispered. His insane grin slowly widened.
Ninten backed away. "I think I've got to go do my uh, math homework now-"
Giygas's eyes began to glow like molten lava.
All of a sudden, Ninten felt his limbs seize up. Wide-eyed, he struggled, but the telekinesis overwhelmed him, pinning him in place. Ninten could barely move his jaw. "G-Giygas-"
Giygas snapped his fingers, and Ninten's king flew into his palm. "I made the first move, and you responded to my call. All I have to do is wait until my pieces align, and then-" His fist snapped the piece cleanly into two in front of Ninten's frozen eyes. "Checkmate."
"You're not my uncle," Ninten managed to gasp.
"You're not my uncle either."
The invisible bonds disappeared. Coughing, Ninten pulled away, nursing his sore wrists.. "Who are you?"
"Who do you think I am?"
"A madman!"
"Fifty percent correct. Mad I am, but a man I am not." Giygas smiled, but the eerie look didn't quite reach his eyes. "Giygas does not wish to harm you, but I may harbor certain reservations over his judgement."
Ninten's eyes smoldered with fury. "I'm through with your irrational games. You're not hurting anyone else-"
"Then let's talk rational. Did you know that emotional pain is a subjective notion controlled by neurotransmitters? If your friends were "hurt" by my actions, how is it my fault when HERE-" Giygas pointed at his head. "-controls how you feel HERE-" Giygas pointed at his chest. "Tricking people to feel pain is as easy as tricking people that they're happy."
"Well funny story, but I don't feel particularly happy right now-"
"I have devoured a countless number of human souls for thousands of years. I have lived long before the birth of any Magpsy, long before the dawn of Adam and Eve. Humans are no different from animals. You eat. You sleep. You lust. You destroy the world with your greed. The only worthy existence you serve is to be my next meal."
"You're wrong," Ninten managed to say. "Humans can do good things too. Humans have feelings... You have feelings."
"Are you telling me that humans are special because of their capacity to feel?"
"Yeah, maybe I am!"
His spine convulsing in a grotesque show, Giygas doubled over into his seat in an inhumane groan. "FEELINGS? They will destroy you from the inside out. I've seen it happen every single time. In the end, when all is low and hope is crushed, humans will turn on each other. That is what you call, Survival of the Fittest... no? You are as pathetic and as spineless as the humans I have devoured."
But Ninten didn't give up. "Okay, so maybe you don't give two shits about me. But how about Maria? Is she pathetic too?"
Giygas slammed his palms down onto the desk. His dark form loomed over Ninten in a dangerous shadow. "Don't mention hEr name. She's difFerEnt. But you and your friends are all pieces. Clueless little chess pieces in my grand game of games." Wild madness danced in Giygas's eyes. "You think that you're playing off the chess board, but I've already taken your king. Why, the game has barely even started, and you've already lost."
An awful sense of trepidation filled Ninten's heart. "What do you mean? We haven't lost!"
"You are trapped. The magic of the valley may hide you, but the second any of you step out, you will lead me to the Seventh Needle. All I have to do is follow. Unless..." Giygas snapped his fingers. An illusion of a swirly dome sprang in place. "You enlist the Magypsy of Grapefruit Falls as your ally."
Ninten scowled. "Listen, I'm not stupid. Why would you go out of your way to suggest someone who'd help us?"
"I dislike short games. They are boring. Take the business card."
"No!"
"Take. Blease."
When Giygas kept offering him a pink glittery business card, Ninten took it and began to read, "Do you have dragon breath? Wish all of your problems would vanish like magic? Look no farther, for Lady Locria is your- no!" Scrunching up his nose at the pink glittery card, Ninten tore it into two. "We'll find another way out of the Valley... WITHOUT your help."
"SuIt yOUrsElf. All knowledge has a price. The longer you wait, the greater you risk the destruction of your planet. Don't waste your time."
"I don't like people wasting my time either. Now spill," Ninten spat, shaky hands crackling with PSI. "What have you done to my uncle? And why are you controlling him?"
Giygas's eyelids blinked independently of each other in a wet reptilian snick, lending an inhuman look to his lopsided features. "I bring out the worst in some people and the best in others. Your uncle is a pitiful man... who can't save himself from his desires."
Giygas's eyes glowed once more.
Ninten jumped as a disembodied howl of agony ripped throughout his mindscape. Volcanic ash erupted from the ground, showering Ninten with dozens of horrible illusions. Coughing through the flakes of ash, Ninten swatted at the smoky powder and tried not to suffocate on the cloud of dust. Overhead, Giygas's awful conviction grated in his ears, devolving into a distorted groan of insanity.
"Little boy, I don't want to hurt you..."
Ana screamed shrilly as a Starman blasted her into smithereens.
"But if you continue to oppose me…"
Ness lay belly-up on his back, staring at the ceiling with glassy eyes. Blood leaked out of his mouth, staining his blue lips a dark crimson.
"Your precious friends will pay with their lives."
Lucas and Claus sat against each other, slumped back to back, both skewered through the chest by the same bloody sword. Fresh tear tracks trailed their cheeks, mixing with the gore on the glinting golden blade.
Frozen with fear, Ninten watched the nightmarish illusions with horrified eyes. His friends' tortured, dying shrieks melded and oozed into his brain into one terrible symphony of pain, tearing into his heart and ripping through his head-
"STOP MESSING WITH MY MIND," Ninten screamed, clapping his hands over his ears, but it did little to drown out the cacophonous agony.
The illusions disappeared, and the blank mindscape returned once more.
Retching on the ground, Ninten collapsed, clutching his ringing head.
"Giygas is beyond saving. His soul is mine. But if you return... if you think that your FEELINGS can conquer the insanity that is my magic..." The terrifying split of Giygas's smile sent the hairs on Ninten's neck standing on end. "I will enjoy feasting on your soul."
Giygas was mad. Insane.
Wrenching himself free, Ninten did the only thing he could.
He ran.
"Run, little fool! RUn aNd hiDE." Giygas's features looked downright savage in the crimson light. "Row, row, row your boat-"
With a hiss, a shower of boiling sparks erupted, casting shadows slanting down Giygas's face. As white-hot magma melted the rough, craggy rock into shapeless goo, Ninten sped up into a desperate sprint, dodging and darting between gasping geysers-
"-gently down the stream-"
A CRACK of thunder.
"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily-"
A twisted howl of mirth echoed against the walls. An animalistic panic seized Ninten, skewering his heart with pure terror as he fled from his demented relative.
"Life is just dream."
The unsteady mountain crumbled and collapsed, forcing Ninten stumble into the dark caverns below. Flattening himself behind a cracked boulder, Ninten doubled over, trying to calm his breathing. Despite the fictitious nature of the dreamscape, the heat of the lava felt real, scorching and sizzling whispered threats underneath Ninten's seared feet.
"Oh, little fool..." the voice sang. "Come out, come out, wherever you areee..." The voice turned into a monstrous snarl. "ShOW YOuRsELF, i WAnT To eAT YoU ALiVE!"
Shivering sweat trickling off his bangs, Ninten shrank back behind his wall of stone, praying that nothing would happe-
A bony hand clamped onto his shoulder.
His own hand to be more precise.
"DiD YoU tHiNK tHAt YOu coULD eSCape FRoM mE?" his double asked innocently.
In sheer terror, Ninten slashed through his copy with a sparking hand, but the illusion only laughed, melting into his uncle's twisted features.
"mARk My wORds I wIll FinD yOu, LiTTLe FoOl, oNE WaY oR aNoTHeR," Giygas promised in an awful groan. Rattling eyes rolled madly in their foaming sockets. Thick, devilish horns sprouted from his temples. "I wILL DeVOuR YoU AnD yOUr pEttY LiTtlE fRieNdSSs-"
Ninten jerked away.
Giygas's nightmarish rasp continued to assault his ears. It barely sounded human.
'
̿͆̔ͮ̚҉̶̶͔̦͕̪̠̠̰̀́
I͐ͥ̃ͥ̈́ͬ͊ͬ҉̶̷̵̭͎̙̞͔̬̳̩̙͢ť̢̢̛͚̺̪̬̝̻̙̖̲̠͍̬̐̾ͪͦ̿ͯͨͬ̇ͪ͒ͮ̓ͤ̓ͪ͠ ̣͖̫͍͉̟̠̤͇͍̥̣̼̭̀̓ͦͣ̇ͮ̑ͭ̈̽ͨͫ́͞H̸̨̧̗̙̩͚̻̜̖̞̺̯̱̘̗̺̼͔̖͊̈́̐̾ͫͩ͌̓͡ͅU̘̦͓͉͛̈́͐͐ͣͬͯ̓̀ͥͩ̒̿ͯͣͨ͒̊͢͢ͅṘ̴͉̪̗̦̟͉̹͎̝̻̖̬͈̫̳̒͒͌ͮͨͬ̍͂́͋̌ͦ̽̚͢͜͠͡Ţ̵̡̨̣̲͍̘͍͙͔̥͎̣̙ͦͥ͑̾̽S̡̡̺͇͍̯̘̣̟̙̬̯͚̩͚̱͇͇̗̪̻̍̓͋͒ͪͭ͝.̴̷͕̰̫̦͓̻̔̆͛̾ͯ͒̐.̶̯̪̗̙̙͉̳̺̟͉̺̗͔̯̉ͣ̐̑̽̔ͮ̋̓̒ͨ̍̋̀̑ͮͮ́.͖̦̻̠͇̤̥̺̫͚̞͗ͭ̊͆̀͘͘͟ͅI̴̵̢̯̲̖͔͚̪̾̑ͯ̀ͩͤ̊͒̎̒ͥ̔̊͒̄̌͂͘'̱̮̳͚͕͖̜͇̼̦̝̮̩̈̿͆̎̎͊̅ͥ̎̎̉̏ͤ͑́ͥ̚͢m͖͕̹͉̼͉̙̤̼̲͕ͥͫ̍̐̓͂̾̽̂̽̈ͤ̏͆͘͝ͅ.̴͇̮̜̖̗̝̣̖̯̳̯͎̳͖͉̲̔͑̊͛ͪ͂̅̄̍̆̀̈́̀͟͟.̵̴͈̣͖̞͇͔̜̙͂ͩ̎͛̕.̷̢̘̲̜̦̰̯̤̜̐͌̊̉̿ͩͭ̇ͨ̇̽͂̑ͯ͑̍̀̚̚͟H̶̙̟͖̙̬̣̥͚̐̏́ͮ̊̈́̏ͧͨ̌̇͛ͤͦ̚͢͠.̆͐̏̅̆̄ͨ͆̐ͨ̽͊̈́̈̚҉̯̤̺̥͕͉̻̥̪͎̱͙͚̣̠̲.̡̯̳̱̱͈̩̞̙͇̫̳̌ͮ̈̌͌͆͗̕͘͟͝.̵̷̢͎̥̯̣͇͓̹͙̮͕͙̬̦̱̬ͯͯͧ͆̈́ͭ̔̄̌̎A̷̮̦̝̞͓̤͇͓͍̩͇̲̞͉̳̩̅ͧ͐ͭ̊̿̒ͪͣ̐͡.̷̷̛̻̺̙͍̻̳̬͔̯̖͈̪̞̞̻̫̺̩̼ͤͨ̍̋̚͡.̴̧͙͓̫̱̾͛̓͊̔ͫ͒͋̈́͜͡.̢͛͛̏ͩ̐͌̎̿̚͝͠͏̱͓͕̫ͅṖ̷̸͔̠̞͍̤͓̼̫̦̫͍̦̂͌̑̃̎̐̾̓ͯ̾͐̍̉ͯ̈͒ͧ͜͜͞.̶̲͍̮̰͍͛̋̄͂̔̍̑ͫ̌͐ͨ̑̾̚͠.̡͙̠̠͕͔̰̑̾ͣ̏ͬͭͧ͐͠.̶̹̩̭̹̘͇͔͙̜͍̳̭͍̱̣͇̜̤ͮͤ̽ͣ͟͞P̵̡̛͈͕̗̜̥͚̫͓̲̠̫̌͋͐̍͂̎̈́̒ͬ̋̏̄ͥ̌͟͡.̷̀̆͌ͪͩ̄ͭ͊͆̄̃͏̢̭̲̮̟̯͈.̸̧̙̹̰̤ͭ͂̎͊ͬ͜͞.̨ͣ͋̅̔̈́̃̓ͪͦ̎ͭ̃̉͊̾ͫ̓͛͢҉̺̥̺̦̘̳̭̫ͅỴ̨̭̟̪͎̫̣̘͔̲̹ͤ̑͛̃̊̂̎̒́͋͘͞.̧̅́̑̒̾ͯ̍̊̾̔ͬ̑̈́̏͊ͫ͐ͮͨ̀͝҉̺͕̘͉̦̞̪̣̮̩͔̤̞ͅ.̶̡͂͂̾ͨͩ͌̒̑̈͌̚̚͞҉͕̘͕̗ͅ.̸̻͓̫̗̱͓̥̬̗̯ͧ͌̃̈̽̎͋̊͑́ͣͬͪͨ̄̀̕
̢͑́͆ͮ̾͊ͦ̿̕͠͏̨̺̭͈̜̩̫̥̭̙̟͇̬̝
̵̷͍͍̭̦̼̯͈̺͈̪̫͇̞͋̑ͣͯ͂͗̊͠
̴̼̲̤̮͉̖̪̜̠̩̦̼̪͇ͮͣ̇̽͊͆ͩ̈́͟͠͠ͅ
͊̈́̑̆̎͒̋͌̍̇̆ͩͯͭ̉̄̈ͥ͏͉̘̱̟̟͈̕Ȟͣͬ̀͏̖̺̮̘̣̲̀͢.̧̡̧̣̦̣̭͈̘̠͇̞̦ͮ̔̽ͩ͐̋͋̿̀ͦ͛ͨ͊̔ͨͬͯ͞.̢͋̉͂̓̉҉̸̥͖͇̝̲̹̺̬̕ͅ.̷̡̮̥̯̝̹̲̘͔̜̦̱̗͈̊̍̋ͯ̂͆ͯͯ̋̊̏͠A̴̛͖̭͎̮͇͖̰̰̥̭̯̤͍̽ͣ̈́̔ͨ̃͑̅̈͑̇̂ͅ.̓ͧ̅̈́͘҉̸̡̖͎̟̰̥̬̱̻̗̠͕͍̳̞͙̭͡.̷̶̢̢̙͓̺̼͕͕̥̱̠̥̹̳̘̜̝͎ͦ͑͆́ͬ̌̌̀̒̑ͩ͑͂͂̎̆ͮ̏̚ͅͅ.ͯ̇̓͊̍͊̕͏̣̹͕̘̹͙̞͚͔̥̱̺̝̭̝͉͢͝͠ͅṖ̧̡͔̱͇͍̲̲͔͖̲̰͔̤͖̲̹̈́̏̆̾ͫ̍̅ͯ̏̎̔ͫ͊ͩ̓̇ͨ̔̀.̴̷̧̭͈̭̞̖̲̹͔̞̞̹̪̤̩̗͖͌͆̾͌͗̏.̨̜̞̺̱̠̯͇͙̫̥̰̱̮̬̞̣̂́͐ͦ̅ͭͬͧ͗ͬͩ͛͞ͅ.̢̤̯̣͈̗̘͇̣͍̯̝͕͈͎̄̋ͪ̓ͩ͆̎͒͆ͧ́̾ͩ́̚̚̕P̸̨ͧ͛̓͊͊̎̄̈̑͋͒͊̈͗̓̉̋ͮ͆̕͡҉̪͔̙͉̝.̸̢͉͓͖̦̩̽ͩ̆ͪ͛̽̆̕͝.̢̼̱̖͖̻͐̉̽̃ͤ̕͢͞.̡͈̙̜̦̠̻̺̥̭͈ͬ̊̐ͪ̈ͬͬ̌ͥ̈̎ͧ͡Ỵ̨̛͕̹̩͓̳̪̞̘̈́̔͗͋̔ͨ͜.̴͛̾͐̊ͩ̉ͨ̓҉͔̟̬̞͓̝̰͙̜̳̭.̴͇̱͔͖̻̯̓̏̂͊͆ͪ͑́̓ͥ̉͋̾͌ͧ̽͜.̛̯̙̝̟̯̮̭̙̆̑̀̎̽̾ͣ̕ͅ
͈̬̬̲͓͔̣̬̞͊ͥͪ̉̇̅̓̿̃͐̇̈́̇̄̂ͮͩ̄̕
̴̵̢̯̮̳͇͙̣̪̤͚̟̰͍̤͎̯̺͈̌̈́̈́͂̿͛ͨ̓͊ͧ͛͊ͣ́ͅ
̢̠̼̘̝̉ͭͣͮ̂ͧͪ̽͊̍͆̌ͩͤͣ̔̓Ì̞̥͈̊͋͊́̕͟t̵̶̜̜̤̖̮͕̩̎̓́ͬͫͩͯ͝͝͞.̡̧̱̤̤̥͔͍̾̈́̈́͐̉̎̏̔͗͑͑̾͋͞͠ͅ.̵̴̬̼̠̭̬͉͖̠̦̩̣̟̙̓ͪͮ̓̍ͭ̏̄̓͂́̕͜ͅ.̵̧̛̞̺̩̝̘̣̭͉͖͍̙ͧ̑̾̏̓ͨͦ̇̐ͮ́̂̆̑͊ͯ̀h̷̳̙̞̾ͣ̉ͤ̋ͫ̃͗̄̂̃̾̏ͥ̈̇̀͘͟ṳ̩̱͖͂ͨ̃͒̓ͫ̊͐̑ͨ̌͆̽̿͆͛́͠͞r̢̡̼̞̲͙ͬͧ͐̐ͨ̓̉̿̋ͩ͛ͮ̀̕͜ṭ̵̛̛̱̟͎̔̿̏ͦ̓ͪ̿́͜s̲̳̳̫̻͙̠̣̱̝̈́̿͒̂̂̐͛̔̿̾̚͜.̪̱̙͙͈̦̙̦͉̅͌̍̍̔̂ͣͪͩ̒̋ͭͭ̅͗̓́͜͡.̑͌ͫ̅̆̒͐ͥ̓ͫ̐̊̾̉̔̅͡҉̛͔͔̠͎͟.̷̢̨͉̝̳̟͇͖̲̱̪̼̦̮̘̻̰̘̖̝̪͙̲͑ͪ̎̅̍̒̀͐ͮͮ̒́ͤͬ͑͛͋̊̃ͨͩ̆͒͌ͯ͊̎̕̚͟͢͝
'
As Ninten stumbled backwards, recoiling from his tormentor's horrible face, the heel of his foot slipped off the rocky pavement.
Gravity took place.
With a yell, Ninten plummeted down and sank into the blazing pits of liquid fire. Hungry lava devoured his shoes, sucking him down into an endless vortex of black...
"No," Ninten shrieked, but the gurgling flames licked up his neck-
He gave one final scream before twin pits of fire melted through his sockets.
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
"Ninten!"
"Hey, hey. Tin-ten, wake up."
"Goddamnit, Ness. It's been a solid ten minutes. I'm getting a bucket of snow-"
"Claus."
"Geez, I was just joking, Lucas. Don't give me that look." An impatient pause. "OI. LAWYER BOY. If you don't wake up in the next five seconds, I'm eating all your snacks!"
As if on cue, Ninten's brown eyes flashed open. "NOO," he yelled.
At his side, Claus cracked up. "Holy shit, that actually worked."
Ninten wildly scanned his surroundings when colors and shapes bombarded his vision. Strange alien furniture decorated the capacious house, resembling the standard interior of a tiny cottage.
…Or is it?
Ninten began to sweat.
What if this is one giant illusion?
What if Giygas is still messing around with my mind?
Lucas noticed the horrified look on his friend's face and sobered up. "Ninten, how are you fee-"
Suddenly, Ninten slapped both his hands on Claus's cheeks, and began to slide them down with a glazed expression on his face.
Claus's eyes widened in wordless shock.
Lucas looked equally dumbstruck. "Uh… at least he's awake," he started uncertainly.
Ness threw Ninten an extremely concerned expression. "Awake? I think the fever addled his brains."
Claus narrowed his eyes into a squint and lowered his voice into a dangerous tone. "Hey, it's great that you're back, but can you get your hands off my face?"
There was no denying that the soft flesh underneath his palms was real.
Quickly, Ninten removed his hands from Claus's less-than-amused face. "R-Right," he stammered, now poking and pinching himself in the arm. "Just checking."
Claus closed his mouth, throwing Ninten a surprised look. Clearly, he'd expected Ninten to retort with a witty one-liner, but had been taken aback when that hadn't been the case.
"...What the hell is wrong with you?" Claus said flatly.
As if on cue, Ninten's shoulders began to shake. In front of their alarmed faces, Ninten began to laugh and cry at the same time. Tears dribbled down his cheeks from the thrill of fright, but he couldn't help but laugh harder because the fact that all his friends were all alive was so surreal-
"What's going on? Are you hurt?" Shocked, Ness reached out to help, but Ninten slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch me!"
All of his friends stared at him.
Backing away, Ninten fumbled for the doorknob behind his back. "G-Give me a minute. I n-need some fresh air-"
"Ninten, not now," Lucas said, eyes darting to the window. "It's starting to snow out-"
The door slammed shut, leaving three boys to stare at each other in bewildered silence.
Author's Note:
Heya guys!
Uhhhh, so... Remember when I said I was splitting Chapter 19 into two chapters because it was so long?
Make that three.
In all honesty, I wanted to post everything in one clean swoop, but there's still too much information to be stuffed into one chapter (~15,000 words) - it would definitely mess with the pacing. I apologize for the sudden structure change DX
I'm gonna go afk for a while. On Wednesday, I have my first midterm, but if anything, I'll post the third section of Chapter 19 on Friday. There's a particularly intricate dialogue at the end, and I want to look over it one more time.
Enjoy this quick-uploading(?) schedule when you can, because I might not update some of the next chapters for a while (schooo). Also, after Chapter 21, we won't be seeing our fav, four protags again until Chapter 24. Chapters 22 and 23 should be refreshing changes in POV...once I get around to posting them. Oops :x
But yeah, here's a heaping serving of pure, pretty plot. Thank you for your support, and as always, Happy Reading ~
FalconerET: Ahhh you flatter me. :) Writing's hard haha. XD But yeah, I had a LOT of fun writing last chapter...it was just a really dramatic chapter in general. And I'm glad you enjoy the flashbacks; I try to tie them into the plot of the story, but sometimes I thought they might've been boring. DX Oh, I didn't know this was the first story that used BuzzBuzz; but I'll make sure to make it the best. ;D And wait, I mentioned E#, but Lucas was supposed to sing E instead. I'm not sure how that would change the scale of the song though...Sorry, I'm not educated enough in music. XD
ConnorTheSpelingPro: Yeah, my chapters are horribly long...which is why I have to split them all the time XD And thanks, I need that luck for my ochem midterm. :) But I totally understand; I like writing about fictional characters too, because of the whole "characterization" and "world building" scenarios they offer. And as for the corruption present in the flashback...almost everything emotional in this story is based off of something in my life. I went to a public high school, and went to school with several people of high political status. Some of them were nice, but others...not quite so.
And thanks. :) There's a reason for BuzzBuzz's strong personality which we will delve into at...some point (~Chap 24-25?). And yes, glad to see you're liking the little details I add here and there. ;) And interesting idea you have about the whole *I troll everyone and Claus actually lives* theory...but as you know, we'll see. And I agree; crying is cathartic to a certain level. But I think I'm making everyone cry too much in this story, so yeah...oops. :x And I appreciate the criticism; I'll try to see what I can do about fixing character POV consistency, but as you know, Fanfic writing for me is a hobby, and unfortunately, that's the way my style goes. D: But sure! I'll fix the Mr. Saturn speech (lol sorry I killed your eyes)
NoOneSpecial:Bruh, your name is a misnomer. ;D But seriously, all joking aside, I really REALLY appreciate your consideration. Like really. Gosh dang it why are all my readers so conscientious asdfghj- But I can say that I'm one lucky cookie. :) And heh, who knows? Claus might not die, and I might be trolling everyone...or am I? ;D IT'S A MYSTERY
Surprisingly, I love chess. I was on a chess team when I was like, really young, so it wasn't anything legit, but yeah, bottom line: it was fun. XD But hey, checkers sounds pretty awesome too! *Sits down and starts playing with you*
Angel-Woof: AHHHH *Flips out* Nice to see you too, friend! :D Yeah, I know what you mean; the chapter feels incomplete, and unfortunately, it still is until next chapter. DX Sorryyyyyy But yeah, I LOVE surprising my readers. ;) Of course, I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that my surprises can actually tie back to the plot so I'm not surprising you with meaningless, incoherent snippets of text haha
Yeah; I can visualize the boys having fun writing on Lucas's cast - especially Ninten, that goofball. XD And as for why he "doesn't wanna play chess"...we'll see. ;D And as for the title of the song Lucas was singing...I actually didn't choose one. XD But if it helps, I was listening to Carrie Underwood's "Just a Dream" when writing that segment. Yeah, wow I sound like a hippy XD I listen to different kinds of music to catch the tone and mood of the story haha. And Mr. Saturns FTW! Thank you for the well-wishes, by the way. :) Congrats for actually surviving through ochem haha xD
DarkFoxKit:Hehehe...I wonder what Claus has in store for Ninten too... ;D And thanks; I tend to be an emotional writer (I think that's bad lol), but I'm glad you liked it. :) And oh man, who doesn't love those lines? XD Forgive your hasty brother...and likewise, as one writer to another, I appreciate your support. :) Happy writing~
Guest: Don't worry, I caught a few more Z's this weekend. :) And lol, it's okay if you laugh at the references; I actually giggled myself when I put in the Forgive your hasty brother because as wonderful as the line is, it was so...cheesy as heck. Like, cheddar-cheese cheesy. And yeah, I probably exaggerated Orange Kid's personality to make it fit better for the story, but hey, that's English. XD And yes, BuzzBuzz is a he. At least, he is in this story. XD We'll find out why he's the way he is in...~Chapter 24-25? And hehe what subtle hints? ;D Me? Kill off Claus? We'll have to wait and see. ;D And yeah, Claus, how you gonna wake up Ninten-
And bruh, if anything, I should be thanking you for reading this fic. xD Toodles~
Plushiepaw:YES 16 HOURS XD I'm a weirdo haha. But thank you~ But seriously, I didn't know many fics here didn't use BuzzBuzz...gosh dang it I wish I had more time to read Fanfiction T_T And yeah, with the way things are going, I don't think the boys can catch a break...or will they? ;D But yeah, you have a point; the road's only going to get tougher from here *Apologizes profusely to the characters*.
And curious, very curious conjecture you have there about the red herring. Haha can I say that like the way you try to justify it with evidence from earlier chapters (reminds me of my AP English class XD)? I don't know, maybe it's just my sleep-deprived state starting to get to me. But as always, who knows? ;D I ain't spoilin' nothin' until it happens~
B33BeepBeepMeow: I kno, righ'? NINTEN CHESS IS AWESOME-
...Or is it? ;D
CrankySky: Hmmm Ninten why you say you don't like chess? XD And BuzzBuzz WHY YOU NO ANSWER THE QUESTION-
But yeah, thanks for your consideration. :) I'm afraid that my updating might not be too consistent anymore...but as one writer to another, I really appreciate it. Thank you.
ReaderGirl23: Ahh stahp it, you. XD BuzzBuzz was so fun to write haha! But I know what you mean; his appearance is supposed to cause confusion because it's so random. :) But if you start feeling confused later on in the story, then yeah...please let me know. I'd be doing somethin' wrong. :(
[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]