Hey, everyone! Happy Friday! :)

So I just realized after reading though all of the interludes that the Morgan one was the only happy/light interlude of the four. Maybe I should have stuck that in the middle to give you guys a break haha. Anyways, this one's a Tracy interlude, and it's probably the least plot important of the four. Don't worry, though; it's a little shorter than the others. You won't be stuck for 7k words reading about something with no relevance whatsoever. :)

And I do think that this chapter is worth including. It goes through a lot of Tracy's problems, as well as Ness'. Also, it's part of my ongoing project to bash every style of living there is (already bashed elitist Ceres and big city Vulcan). This chapter goes over some of the downsides of a small town, especially one in a less socially developed/connected world like rural Eagleland (Eagleland is world confirmed).

Also, there's a lot of teenage angst and family-based conflict. I guess I'm taking a page out of Phoesong's book. ;)

But yeah, who else is glad that AP tests are over? :D Unless you have late tests, that is. D: I'm lucky that I don't.

And I graduate from high school in 3 weeks. That's kind of scary. :x I DON'T FEEL LIKE AN ADULT YET AHHHHHHHH

But enough about me and onto the review responses! :)

Shimo no ko: Yep, same Raven. :) Right, Morgan most certainly did not forget Ness. Protags beware. o.O Yeah, Morgan's a little flippant in general, so when things started to actually get rough... it didn't turn out so well. Nope, the kids aren't anyone in the story (yet). Yeah, that was the point of the ending. I wanted to highlight just how much Morgan changed in the past couple of years and how someone who's supposedly healthy and productive could find their life heading downward so quickly. Yep, the mushrooms are a key plot point. :) A lot of the reason for this interlude was to introduce them so that they don't seem out of place when used in a future situation... heh. Thanks and see you later! :)

PSIBoy: Yeah, it's pretty hard to study for Lang. My friends say that the grading is super arbitrary, so I don't know if it even matters much (how they know that, though, is something that I haven't pressed them about). Yeah, I was hoping to indicate that something was a little off with Mr. Agerate, but I could see why it would be easy to go the other way as well. He's pretty enigmatic, so him actually being super evil and heartless isn't that far-fetched. Yep, the starmen are still lurking around. Honestly, I just couldn't fidn a place to fit them in the Vulcan conflict. But they're more apathetic towards humanity than many in the universe believe, so again it's reasonable that they just kinda sit around and don't do much.

Yep, part of the point of this chapter was to highlight the differences between current Morgan and past Morgan. She's quite a wild card, isn't she? I'll say right now that she definitely won't sit back and act passive like the starmen did for all of the last part. Indeed, I was trying to draw a contrast between Diana's path and Morgan's. Not a parallel so much as... a perpendicular? Is that a literary term? Somehow, I don't think it is. Well, having no criticism means that I'm probably not screwing this up too badly, which is good to know. :) See you later!

crabbyTomato: Well. The fanfic website emailed me that you sent a review, but it's not showing up on the site multiple hours later. I have no idea how that works, so I guess I'll just respond to the snippet that I can see in the email?

Ooh, how were those finals? Tests for engineering classes sound especially painful. Speaking of which, I took my physics AP tests on Monday. E&M is way too hard for me. D: You wouldn't think that a 200-level equivalent class could be so hard, and it really shouldn't be, but physics just destroys me. Yep, Jeff went through grief rather quickly... partly because he's not completely done. Imminent danger has a habit of postponing those sorts of emotional struggles. :) There will be plenty of mopey Jeff stuff later (possibly too much). Eh, you can keep the scene if you want. Sometimes similar plot points just happen, especially in a genre like fantasy. Yep, Kumatora will feature in another character's interlude. :) Yeah, Morgan being a normal person was one thing that I really wanted to stress in this chapter. I agree; a lot of the arranged marriages that still happen in parts of the world today can be quite harmful.

...And that's where it cuts off. D:

A Fan: It's okay that you didn't write anything longer, because it wouldn't have shown up on the site anyway. I dunno what's wrong with it.

That's a really good point about Jeff throwing rocks if nothing else. Even if Jeff isn't really that useful, he can at least try. It makes for a more compelling story than a guy cowering in a corner. It's like how in M3, it's hard not to like Fuel when he supports Flint because even though he doesn't do a whole lot, he's trying his hardest to help out. I'll take that into account in future chapters. And in this universe, Jeff doesn't have combat technology like that (yet... :D) because there's no real reason that he should logically need it (he expects to live in an academic setting, after all). So yeah, just like what you said. :)

See you later! :)

One and a half years ago:

"Happy birthday, Tracy!"

Tracy turned around, greeting her friend with a smile. Nobody knew the boy's real name; everyone took to calling him the "Apple Kid." Tracy looked at the piece of fruit in his hand and couldn't help but feel intrigued.

"Is that for me?" she asked.

Apple Kid nodded, holding out the fruit.

"It's called a peach," he said. "They're originally from Dalaam, but I got this one from a Scaraban trader. Persia, err… Old Scaraba produces a lot of them, but traders don't make their way up to northern Eagleland every day, you know?"

"Thank you," Tracy said, accepting the peach. "Huh. It's fuzzy."

"I know. But apparently, they taste exotic."

"We're getting more and more exposure to the exotic, huh?" Tracy asked. "If we were born a hundred years ago, I don't think that either of us would know anything outside of our little towns. We wouldn't even know each other, since you live in Twoson." Tracy sighed. "Divine rulers, I hate Onett."

"Why?" Apple Kid asked. "Everyone else loves it."

"There's nothing to do," Tracy said. "I spend most of my days staring at fields of wheat. I'm at the age where people talk with their friends and exclude everyone else. And I'm pretty much always part of the 'everyone else'."

"I… see," Apple Kid said, twiddling his thumbs. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Tracy said. "It's not your fault. Psych, you walked a couple miles from Twoson just to see me. Thank you for that, by the way. Nobody else has even acknowledged my birthday today."

"Oh, you're welcome." Apple Kid blushed. "But I think I know why people in Onett don't like you."

"Hmm?"

"Your family used to be pretty well off, right?"

Used to be. Those words left Tracy with a lingering sense of rage.

"Yeah," Tracy said. "So what?"

"People are jealous of wealth," Apple Kid said. "Especially since they view your family as 'bad'."

"Why would they say that?" Tracy asked. "Our family was fine!"

"I agree, but…"

"But what?"

Apple Kid sighed.

"But your father was hardly ever home. Do you even remember what he looked like?"

Of course she did! Tracy searched her mind for an image of him and…

Oh, psych.

Tracy remembered a few details about him. She remembered his black hair and eyes that contrasted so vividly with her own blond and blue. She remembered him dressed in purple robes, looking like a nobleman from the days of the empire. But besides that, she wouldn't be able to distinguish him from an older-looking Ness.

"Why does it matter if I remember?" Tracy huffed. "That's not his fault."

"People thought it was weird how your dad was never really close to you and Ness," Apple Kid said. "They hated your family because your dad made lots of money instead of spending time with his children. They probably think that he had it coming."

"That's crazy!"

"They feel that way about my family as well. Both of my parents work as managers on Vulcan. Whenever I go out and walk around, people always go out of their way to avoid me."

"I thought that everyone just hated me, but this is worse," Tracy whispered. "My dad died working so that we could live a comfortable life. He was going to send us to college in Fourside. And they're psyching glad?"

"Uh… Tracy?" Apple Kid asked. "Your peach."

Tracy gasped, realizing only then that she had been squeezing the peach so tightly that her fingers dug into the fruit's flesh. Juice trickled down Tracy's arm.

"Psych it!" Tracy shouted. "I'm… I'm sorry, Apple Kid."

"It's fine," Apple Kid said. "Really, don't worry about it."

"No, it's not fine at all. You walked all the way over here just to wish me a happy birthday and I ruined your present. Why can't I do anything right?"

In that moment, Tracy let out all of the thoughts that she had pushed to the back of her mind. Her father was dead. She would never see him laugh or smile ever again, and she didn't even remember what his face looked like. If only she had spent more time with him. If only she had let him in instead of cutting him out of her life because of her bitterness. If only… The list went on and on.

And because of that, her family could never afford to send her off to school. Her mom worked as a laundress, washing clothes until her hands were raw. Even with all of her mom's hard work, Tracy still went to bed hungry on some nights. Every day, Tracy wondered how much longer they would last.

And just because of some stupid grudge, the people of Onett were leaving them to fight for economic survival. Tracy knew in the back of her mind that she wouldn't want their assistance anyway, but that didn't stop her from hating every single person in Onett, except for her family.

She wasn't even sure about not hating her family. Ever since their father died, Ness had been an absolute wreck. Tracy didn't mind taking on the responsibilities of an adult, but when Ness couldn't even fix himself something to eat in the morning… It just didn't seem fair.

"We're being choked," Tracy whispered. "We can't possibly last another five or ten years. Not like this. And I can't even take care of the one present that I got for my birthday."

Tracy started crying. She knew that she was weak, that she was pathetic, but that only increased the volume of her tears.

"Tracy," Apple Kid said. "Please don't feel bad. I don't mind, really."

This isn't about you! Tracy wanted to shout. I've never done anything right. I couldn't save dad. I couldn't make money to help out mom. I can't even make any friends.

"I'm sorry," Tracy said. "I'm sorry."

"No, you don't have to feel sorry!"

"Can we… talk later?" she asked. "I need to be by myself for a while."

"If you really want to, but-"

"Thanks," Tracy interrupted. "Goodbye. And… I'm sorry again."

Wiping her eyes, Tracy turned away to face the lonely, dirt roads of Onett. Looking at the lonely town that she lived in made her heart heave with regret. If Tracy's dad were still alive, she could run and play again without thinking about copper coins or psionic crystals. Ness would finally return to his old self. That fantasy was so close that she could almost touch it.

Tracy hunched her shoulders and walked away.

Tracy ate her peach as she walked back to her house. It was one of the best things that she had ever tasted, but it didn't help dampen her mood. She threw out the pit before walking in her house. Her mom would go on and on about how lucky Tracy was to get a present if she saw, and Tracy wasn't in the mood to deal with a talkative parent.

Tracy opened the door, stepped inside her house, and took off her shoes. The television blazed in the background. Of course Ness was watching that stupid thing instead of getting anything done. Didn't he know how expensive the psionic crystals that powered that piece of junk were?

Tracy's mom walked up to greet her with a haggard smile on her face. Her hunched back and bloodshot eyes made Tracy think of the empty-eyed beggars on the streets of Fourside. Her mouth tightened. Their family would not fall that far.

"Tracy," her mom said. "How are you doing, sweetie?"

"Fine," Tracy muttered.

"Come on, cheer up! It's your birthday!"

How can you say that? Tracy wanted to ask. How can you tell me to cheer up when our family is falling further and further into poverty?

"Tracy, don't look at me like that," her mom said. "I know that it's tough, but we need to stay strong."

For what? Life isn't going to get better anytime soon.

"I'm exhausted," Tracy's mom said, shaking her head. "Would you mind doing the dishes?"

"Oh, of course it's me who has to do the dishes," Tracy said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't take that tone with me, young woman," Her mom said, pointing a finger at Tracy. "I work as hard as I can to keep us together."

"I know that," Tracy said. "But Ness has done nothing useful for the past six months. Maybe he should do something to help out for once in his life."

Ness inhaled sharply from the next room over. For some reason, that made Tracy want to scream at him even more.

"Tracy," her mom said. "Take that back! Ness saw his dad die in front of his own eyes. He faced a crowd of cultists thinking that he was going to die. He stood up to Apollo Carpainter, the symbol of evil in today's society. I think that gives him an excuse to take some time and recover."

"It's been six months!" Tracy shouted. "Yeah, I was fine with it for a month. Maybe even two or three. But six?"

"Different people recover at different rates."

"Why do you always have to take his side?" Tracy yelled. Turning away, "Today's my birthday, mom. Can't he do something instead of me for at least one day out of the year?"

"I'm sorry," Tracy's mom said, "But Ness just can't do it."

"Oh?" Tracy asked, turning back to face her mom as her heart pounded in rage. "And only he matters, right? What I can or can't do doesn't mean anything to you. When I said that I couldn't go on after losing dad, you told me to pick myself off the floor. When Ness does the same thing, you say that I should feel bad for him. Tell me how that is psyching fair!"

"Tracy!" her mom shouted. "Watch your language."

"I don't give a psych!" Tracy shouted. "Psych, psych, psych. You can't stop me any longer, mom."

Tracy walked into the adjacent room where Ness was sitting. She glanced at the TV screen and scoffed.

"Ceresian news?" she asked, turning towards Ness. "Why watch that station?"

Ness shied back.

"Answer me," Tracy hissed, leaning up to Ness.

Ness' eyes bugged wide open. He scrambled backwards, curling his body up to look vulnerable. He looked at Tracy as if she were a monster with jaws that were about to devour him.

"Stop playing the victim!" Tracy shouted. "Say something to me, psych it!"

Ness stood up in one, stiff motion. He walked upstairs quickly enough to irritate Tracy further.

"Go ahead!" Tracy shouted. "Just keep running away so that you don't have to do anything hard! Eventually, life is going to bite you in the ass."

"Tracy!" her mother shouted, storming into the room. "Look what you did!"

Tracy couldn't help but feel vindicated by her mother's intense glare. She should have stood up and expressed her true feelings a long time ago.

"At least I can turn the TV off," Tracy muttered. "You waste too much money on the psionic crystals that power that thing, mom. Ness can learn to live without his dramas or whatever he watches on that piece of junk."

"Do you feel no shame?" Tracy's mom demanded, her eyes narrowed in disgust. "Look at what you did to him! He's terrified of you."

And I'm terrified of you, Tracy thought, putting on a confident smile. But unlike him, I'm proving that I can face my fears. I won't give in this time!

Still, Tracy had been conditioned from a young age to fear her mom. She started to feel more and more like a caged animal.

No, Tracy thought. I need to overcome my fear. If I lash out again then I'll feel guilty for days. I need to prove to myself that I'm the real adult here.

"Listen," Tracy said. "You've been prioritizing energy for the TV over food. Ness has enough crystals to watch TV nonstop, which he basically does, but you won't buy milk because you say that it's too expensive. Isn't there something wrong with that?"

"So you terrorize Ness like a bully?"

"Yeah, just like you terrorize me!"

In the back of Tracy's mind, she realized that her mom was changing the subject and that she should keep her cool while steering the conversation back on course, but she was too scared to listen to that side of her. For Tracy, it was fight or flight. Negotiation and analytics were options for non-emergencies.

"I can't believe that I hear the words coming out of your mouth," Tracy's mom said. "You were such a sweet child, you know. Always eager to make people happy. What lead you to become like this?"

"I'm angry," Tracy said. "Angry that I lost my dad, brother, and mom in one day! I still remember Ness as the brother who would play baseball and practice swordplay with me, but that person is dead! And you're so busy earning money that I never see you anymore. I just want us to be one big happy family again. But that will never happen." Tracy's vision blurred with tears. "Everything's gone."

"Emergency announcement!" a reporter on the television announced, his face ghostly pale. "The planet of Aphrodite was assaulted by a large number of nuclear weapons. Bombs struck every known city, village, and town on the entire planet. This is not a joke. It appears that the entire 150 million people on Aphrodite were killed in one fell swoop. It has not been confirmed, but the government of Ceres hypothesizes that the starmen are to blame…"

"Divine Rulers!" Tracy's mom said. "They're… not serious, are they?"

"They said it's not a joke," Tracy said. "It's... real."

Tracy tried to muster up compassion for those lost on Aphrodite and only found a numbness that protected her from further pain. Perhaps her body realized that she already worried too much.

"As much as everyone probably wishes that things would go back to the way that they were," Tracy whispered, looking at the television screen. "That will never happen."

Tracy pictured a nuclear bomb falling on Aphrodite, only in her imagination the rest of her family was also taken out by the explosion. It wouldn't be much different from what actually happened to them. Tracy whipped around and ran out of the house before her mother could protest. She looked back at her house with all of its empty windows and lonely bricks. Why did she always dread coming home more than anything else? Was there no power left in the word "family?"

"Everything's gone," Tracy said. "Even Ness. Even mom. I'm the only one left."

She had never before felt so alone.