Mom, can you stop buying me shorts?
What's wrong with shorts, honey?
They make my legs look skinny and all weird-looking...
Weird? I think you look fine in shorts, sweetie. You're perfect the way you are.
But neither of his parents seemed to notice that the other boys in his grade are taller than him, or have muscles, or at least look like they wouldn't snap into two like a toothpick.
Ninten glanced at the plastic red playground slide. The ugly fourth-grade boy that was his reflection spoke volumes of living with health problems. On and on he could list the flaws in his physique. His limbs looked frail, his build was tinier than the average child's. His cheeks were pale, a wash of the purest white that never seemed to get any tanner from playing out in the sun, and his complexion forever resembled that of a corpse.
Bright laughter caught his ears.
With growing trepidation, Ninten shyly peered around the tree trunk to watch the object of his attention.
Swinging to a stop, Ana dangled across the monkey bars, laughing away in the afternoon breeze. The sunlight lightly kissed Ana's long hair, which glinted in an iridescent fountain of red that framed her pretty features in a fiery curtain. When Paula joined her, clambering up the playground ladder, Poo did a neat trick, flipping upside down on the monkey bars and making both girls cheer in new-found enthusiasm.
Ninten's breath hitched in his throat. He wanted to talk to her so desperately, he wanted to make her laugh like Poo did. The desire to say something other than silence ached painfully in his asthmatic ribcage, but Ninten didn't know where to start.
He'd never reached out to people, because he never learned how.
Maybe she'll speak if I talk to her. Optimism stirred in his chest, but that nasty voice in the corner of his mind quickly shot the thought down.
She has Poo. Why would Ana want to talk to a weirdo like you?
Ninten wanted to argue otherwise, that no, Ana's a nice person and she'll let me play on the monkey bars together, but deep down, he hated how that nasty voice sounded so reasonable.
Popular Poo had the brawn, the brains, and the looks.
But Ninten didn't have any of those. All he had to offer was his lame humor and weak heart. Besides, Ninten was frail. Ninten had asthma. Ninten could make things move with his mind.
Ninten was abnormal.
Ana was so much better off without him.
Don't worry, Ninten.
You look fine.
You're perfect the way you are.
Ninten squeezed his eyes shut. He might still be a kid, but he wondered why adults couldn't be honest-
Everyone is perfect the way they are... but some people are born more perfect than others.
"Hey, watcha looking at?" Ness asked, materializing with a bumbling Pokey at his side, and Ninten jumped.
"N-Nothing!"
"I bet he's talking to girls," Pokey smirked.
"No, I wasn't," Ninten cried, but his traitorous cheeks burned with warmth.
"Girls are pretty," Ness announced, making the other two stare at him for his thickheaded obliviousness. "But my dad said that if you talk to girls..." Ness's features shifted to a look of genuine fright. "You can catch cooties."
"Ninten talked to a girl in class today," Pokey gasped, blubbering his confession in terror. "I saw them together, and they were THIS close together-"
"We weren't sitting THAT close-"
"Ninten has cooties," Pokey yelled, dashing away to spread the news. "Guys, guys, guess what, You wouldn't believe it-"
"Shuddup, Pokey, I don't have cooties!"
"Course you don't," Ness laughed, dragging a frantic Ninten over to the baseball field. "You're too cool to catch cooties."
"Really really?"
"Really really."
And as his closest friend chattered at his side, Ninten couldn't help but take a last glimpse of his crush.
I'll make you laugh one day, Ana. I promise.
Ninten knew that he wasn't the strongest, nor the smartest, nor even the most normal fourth-grade boy. He was far from perfect.
But that gave him all the more reason to try.
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~Chapter Twenty-One~
Sunflowers and Illusions
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Ninten ran until his lungs burned, then stopped to catch his breath over doubled knees. Choking and coughing into the chilly air, he wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve. Ninten rarely let anything bother him. With all his optimism, he couldn't remember the last time he'd cried, and here he was now, bawling his eyes out in the snow.
"Little boy, I don't want to hurt you..."
"But if you continue to oppose me…"
"Your precious friends will pay with their lives."
The snow fell around him in soft curtains, enveloping the valley in a cozy blanket. Odd cottages dotted around him, each giving off a warm glow like a candle. Occasionally, an alien creature with stubby legs would waddle over like a penguin, nudge him with their big noses, and chirp, "ᗩᗰ ᗰᖇ. ᔕᗩTᑌᖇᑎ." Soon, a whole crowd of them had huddled up around his legs, crowding over his shoes and ankles in an attempt to keep him warm.
At another time, this comical display might've made him feel better, but that time was not today.
As the Mr. Saturn cuddled around him, poking their noses into his knees, Ninten let out a low breath. He was already so weak and frail to begin with, but now... all of his friends probably thought he was a loser, he resigned himself glumly.
Snow crunched behind him.
Upon hearing the sounds of someone approaching, the Mr. Saturns gave a collective cry of "Oᕼ ᑎO ᗯᕮ ᖴᒪᕮᕮ, ᗷOIᑎG" and scattered from Ninten's feet.
Sniffling, Ninten turned around with red-rimmed eyes to meet soft blond-tufted hair.
Lucas.
Ninten plastered a feeble smile on his face. "Hey," he croaked with feeble bravado. "I like the, uh, weather. It's like all snowy and stuff."
"Ninten-"
"Leave me alone, Lucas," he spat out, now defensive.
For several moments, they regarded each other in silence. Then to Ninten's surprise, Lucas crouched down beside him without another word. If he'd noticed that Ninten had been crying, he didn't mention it.
"The others wanted to go looking for you, but I figured you'd rather be left alone."
Despite his rattled state, Ninten couldn't help but let out a snort. "I'm surprised Claus even let you out in this weather. He's, like, your full-time babysitter-"
Lucas tensed up. "Claus might be my twin," he said carefully. "But that doesn't mean I can't make decisions on my own."
Ninten closed his mouth, catching the silent rebuke. Lucas's tone was even, but his words were enough to make Ninten feel ashamed for the shitty remark. "Sorry, my bad. I'm just not in the mood for talking," he muttered.
Lucas looked mortified at his own outburst. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say-"
"Nah, that was my fault. Don't apologize." Rubbing his bare arms, Ninten averted his gaze to the ground. "How are you holding up?" he mumbled. "I mean, you were kinda loopy the last time we actually talked..."
Lucas's features softened. "I'm doing better. Thanks for asking. But I think the question is... are you?"
Illusions of his dead friends popped into his mind, and Ninten lowered his head. "I'm afraid I'm not." The admission stung. "...I'm afraid I'm not."
"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... You enlist the Magypsy of Grapefruit Falls as your ally."
Was it true?
Was Giygas lying? Or was there really no way out save for the Magypsy's help?
Could the Magypsy even be trusted?
Lucas shifted slightly besides him in a rustle of snow.
No... I'm doubting myself. This is what Giygas wants. Sick of standing in the cold, Ninten crouched down with a shiver and rubbed his frozen palms, but that didn't seem to give him an answer either.
Still Lucas waited.
After a minute of silence, Ninten broke into speech.
"Do you ever get the feeling that we're like, specks in the universe? Like, nothing we do on this planet matters in the end?" Angry now, Ninten kicked a stone across the ground. "Why bother if we're all gonna die in the end?"
Sad blue eyes so different from his uncle's flickered to his face. "We care, because it gives our lives purpose."
Ninten laughed bitterly, sitting down to flop onto the ground on his back. "Well, that's dumb. What's the point? It hurts to care. I don't want to care anymore. Game over. The end."
"Things will get better."
"That's what you think-"
"That's when you have to keep pushing. If you can't push through all the bad things that happen to you, then you've failed at life."
Ninten sat up with a sniff, wiping away his frozen tears with his sleeve. "And I thought Claus was brutally honest."
Lucas gave into a quiet laugh. "If it makes you feel better, you take in bad news better than I do."
"Really?"
"Really." Lucas took another deep breath before exhaling into the cold atmosphere. His breath spiraled into the falling snow like smoke. "Several years ago, I blamed myself for my mom's death. She died to save me and my brother. My mom pushed us out of the way of a truck. I was closest to the point of impact. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be sitting here today."
"You saw her die?"
"I did."
"...I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I don't remember too much. Just a few vivid flashes."
"Life's unfair," Ninten agreed.
Lucas gave another quiet laugh. "Ninten... Maybe you're right. Maybe life's unfair. Maybe life's just a crazy way of saying Hey look, I'm not dead yet." He paused to trace swirly patterns in the snow. "But if it makes you feel better, at least you're not grueling it out alone."
"..."
"So..." Lucas slowly offered him his right hand. "Feel like giving another shot at life?"
Ninten stared at the offered hand. "You're crazy, Lucas." But he grasped it anyways, feeling his own lips slowly curve upwards into a small smile. "We're not alone, aren't we?""
"Definitely not."
"Then what the heck, why not? Let's resume the save point."
Lucas looked satisfied, if his low hum was any indication. "I like those odds."
"And you know what they say about odds?"
For the first time during their dialogue, Lucas looked confused. "What?"
"Don't ask me. I don't even know! Geddit? Because-"
"Ninten," Lucas groaned.
"Hey, what can I say? Bad puns are awesome."
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~oO0Oo~
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"Claus, stop fidgeting. They're probably fine."
"I'm not worried."
Knowing not to fight a losing battle, Ness anxiously checked his watch. "It's been twenty minutes... Do you think Ninten knocked himself out again?"
Stiff-shouldered, Claus paced back and forth on the threshold, stopping only to peer through the closed window. "I hope not."
Both of them jumped when the door swung open and a pair of wet sneakers squeaked into the house. Two snow-clad boys entered the cottage, shivering violently against the cold.
It was as if they'd flicked on a switch.
Leaping to his feet, Ness wrestled the door shut against the howling blizzard while Claus ushered the two dunderheads inside.
"What the hell were you thinking, taking off like that, Ninten?" Claus started, angrily wrapping his jacket around the younger teen's shoulders. "Do you have a fucking death wish?"
"Waddibidu."
Before Claus could edge in another rant, Lucas gave into a sheepish grin, interrupting his brother to hand Ninten a spare blanket. "Sorry, Claus. We just lost track of time-"
"Lost track of time? It's snowing like Mother Nature fucking hates us-"
Looking quite miffed himself, Ninten opened his mouth to retort, but froze unexpectedly. A funny expression adorned his face, but before any of them could comment on it, he sneezed. A soft, high-pitched eschew escaped from his lips.
Claus raised his eyebrows.
Ness did his best not to laugh.
"Bless you," Lucas said politely - as was the proper response to a sneeze.
"'danks, noocas." Ninten rolled his eyes at the other two heathens. "Geez, calm your shit, Claus-"
But Claus only crossed his arms. "I want an explanation." His eyes roamed over them. "But first, I think you owe me an explanation yourself, Lucas."
Lucas blinked. "An explanation?"
"An explanation? About what? Did I miss something?" Ninten glanced around as if suddenly aware of the foreign setting for the first time. Surprise dawned on his features. "...Where are we?"
Without taking his eyes off his brother, Claus spoke, "Saturn Valley."
"Where's that?"
"Dunno. Lucas hasn't told us how he met the Mr. Saturn." Noticing Lucas's betrayed expression, Ness raised his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I mean, you did promise to tell us," he added with a frown. "And I'm kinda surprised you didn't."
"I forgot, sorry," Lucas admitted, the back of his neck turning red.
"You forgot that you met a stubby, two-foot tall bouncy ball whose entire body is literally its head," Claus repeated, completely unconvinced.
Catching onto his expression, Lucas winced. "Does it matter how I met them?"
"Not really. We were just curious-"
"I still want to know," Claus cut Ness off.
Feeling three sets of eyes on him, Lucas felt his palms sweat. This was not how he'd planned on telling Claus his death defying stunt. "So uh, remember that time I went missing when you chased after the Mecha-lion?"
Everyone grimaced.
"Yeah. But way to guilt-trip us," Ness winced.
"No, I mean-" Lucas flushed in embarrassment. "I, I kind of stumbled into a Mr. Saturn because I saved it-" He mumbled the rest of the sentence under his breath. "-ahmayormaynothafclimedovraiff."
Ninten blinked. "I didn't catch that. You said something about a cliff-"
"YOU CLIMBED OVER A CLIFF?!" Brotherly senses kicking in, Claus marched over to pat Lucas down with his hands. "Where does it hurt? How many fingers am I holding? Are you feeling ill?" Worried, Claus felt his brother's forehead. "You do feel a little hot-"
"I'm not sick," Lucas protested, trying to push him off. "See, I didn't want to talk about it because I knew you'd fuss over me-"
Claus looked at him as if he were crazy. "WELL, OF COURSE I WOULD."
"It's not worth fussing over-"
"YOU CLIMBED OVER A FUCKING CLIFF! How can I NOT freak out?"
"I swear, it only took like, two seconds!"
"I've shared the bathroom long enough to know that YOUR two seconds actually means twenty min-"
Lucas groaned, "Claus."
Clearly indignant over how flippantly Lucas was treating his own health, Claus puffed up his cheeks. "See, this is why I can't let you out of my sight. The moment I step away, you're either getting high, saving weirdos from cliffs, or... or throwing yourself in front of drunk drivers-"
"What? Hey, that last one doesn't count-"
"Hold up." Ness looked at Lucas in horror. "Is that what actually happened? Did you throw yourself in front of MOVING CAR?"
"No," Lucas said, exasperated. "It's... complicated."
Catching the stubborn look on Ness's face, Claus sighed, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Here's the sixty-second version of the accident. Drunk driver was driving. Lucas saw me standing on the road. Lucas climbed over the school fence. Lucas got hit-"
"Wait a minute." Ness knitted his eyebrows together. "Okay, my memory sucks... but Claus, weren't you like, playing baseball with us that day? I'm pretty sure you were, because I remember you and Fuel getting into a spat-"
"EXACTLY." Claus snapped his fingers. "That's the point. Lucas's memories of that day are different from mine. For some reason, Lucas remembers me standing on the road. And I know what you're thinking," Claus said hurriedly when Ness looked ready to interrupt him. "It could've been amnesia, it could've been a thousand other things, but with Giygas chasing after us now, I'm starting to wonder... what if... what if Lucas's memories were magically TAMPERED WITH because he saw something he wasn't supposed to? What if Giygas tried to kill Lucas off with the drunk driver, and in failing to do so, tampered with Lucas's memories?"
"Thanks for plagiarizing. That was my theory from the very start, but did any of you listen? No," Ninten said grumpily. "At least give it the proper credit, you ingrate-"
"Is that even possible?" Ness whispered in horror.
Lucas rubbed the side of his head. "I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. The accident could have messed up my memories without magical interference," he said quietly. "I don't remember anything about that day, but if something DID happen earlier that day... something about Giygas-"
"-then we might know the extent of Giygas's powers," Ness concluded glumly. "I'm REALLY hoping that he didn't mess with your memory, because that would seriously suck for us."
Lucas scrunched his eyes shut. "I just wish there was a way for me to remember-"
"You can," Ninten said suddenly.
Claus snapped his head up. "How?"
"Telepathy. If Lucas shares his memory with us, we might be able to pin down what felt out of place."
Lucas's breath hitched in his throat. "Can you really do that?"
"Of course. We're psychic." Ninten began to warm up, cracking his knuckles and stretching his back. "Man, it's been a while since I've done this-"
"But how would it work?" Claus asked impatiently. "We've all been able to speak telepathically. How is sharing memories any different?"
"It isn't," Ninten said, now twisting his back to release several popping sounds (much to Claus's own disgust) before relaxing back into an upright position. "You've just never tried before. I guess it works the same way as speaking. You just... let it go."
Claus slow-clapped. "That's some five-star advice right there."
"I will punch you."
"What's next? You gonna tell us to take a deep breath and let the magic flow?"
"No, stupid. This isn't yoga - this is MAGIC," Ninten said irritably. "Telepathy is the art of syncing."
"Sinking? Like, sinking into despair?" Ness repeated.
"Syncing with a C, not a K," Ninten corrected. He cracked a mischievous smirk. "Heh. See what I did there? A K? Uh-kay? OKAY?"
Ness roared with laughter, and Claus threw them both equally exasperated looks. "Can we stop fooling around and hop to it?"
"Yes, your majesty," Ninten muttered under his breath, but upon catching sight of Claus's irritated expression, hastily moved on. "So yeah, to sync with someone, you have to get intimate."
Lucas looked rather uncomfortable. "Get intimate?"
Glancing at Ninten, Claus wrinkled his nose. "With you? Ew, no. Pass."
"Not like that, you dolt," Ninten said loudly, turning beet red. "I mean, for starters, it's easier the closer you are to someone-"
"Physically?" Claus asked warily.
"Emotionally, psychologically, yadah yadah yadah, but yeah, direct contact is best. It helps if you're also related to each other." Ninten indicated towards his forehead and winced. "Well... I guess it'd be kinda hard for us to touch temples at the same time, so we should hold hands instead."
Claus rolled his eyes. "Ninten, what the fuck. You don't have to lie, just say it."
"I-" Ninten paused in disbelief. "Say what?"
"Seriously, like, don't cook up some cock-and-bull story just to tell us that you're a poof-"
"Damn it, Claus, I'm not a poof!" Ninten yelled indignantly, his ears a bright red.
"There's nothing wrong with it-"
"Not when I'm not!"
"You said holding hands works fine-"
"You know what I meant!"
Claus smirked. "Don't deny it, you just want to hold hands with someone cause you never stood a chance with Ana."
It was a low blow. Lucas internally winced at his friend's hurt expression.
"Claus," Ness intervened, furrowing his eyebrows at the asshole move. "Not cool."
"I was kidding, Ness. Loosen up." However, Claus spouted a sly smirk before cupping his hands over his mouth to announce, "Ninten's gaaay-"
Looking extremely pissed off, Ninten looked about two seconds away from punching Claus in the face, but Ness hastily intervened before the "let's-sock-Claus-in-the-face" tally could rise to two.
"Let's get this over with," Ness interrupted, throwing Lucas a pleading look.
Thankfully, Lucas got the gist. "So, uh, is there a special way we need to hold hands?"
"No." Shooting Claus a last glower, Ninten spoke through gritted teeth. "WE. JUST. HOLD. HANDS."
"Which is cool," Lucas added, shooting Claus a silent warning.
Rolling his eyes, Claus ignored him. "Oh, goodie. Let's hold hands around a campfire and sing Kum-ba-yah-"
"If you don't want to join, then sod off," Ninten snapped testily. "I'm serious, Claus. Visual Telepathy is extremely sensitive, because sharing memories is much harder than speaking. We can't disrupt Lucas's concentration with stupid thoughts, so if you're gonna act stupid, then butt out-"
"I know, I'm not. I'm sorry, okay," Claus crouched down sullenly.
"You're forgiven." Ninten closed his eyes, settling into his domain. "No more talking. Okay... Breathe in. Breathe out. Good. Now, hold hands with the people sitting next to you."
With Ness on his right and Claus on his left, Lucas intertwined his numb fingers with theirs, trying to ignore how stupid he felt.
As if set off by some unsaid psychic trigger, Ninten gave them a curt nod. "We're good. Lucas, whenever you're ready."
Lucas closed his eyes.
At first, he saw nothing except for the ocular vein pulsating beneath his eyelid. But then, there was something else in the corner of his mind - a glowing door that had yet to be explored. Open me, it seemed to whisper.
Without second thought, Lucas tugged it open.
Like a curious crowd, a rush of foreign thoughts flooded in, and Lucas strained not to lose himself in the babble of voices.
This feels so weird, Claus commented as soon as he slid into Lucas's mind like an empty movie theater. It's like we're talking... but not talking at the same time.
I know what you mean, Ness agreed.
Guys, keep it down, Ninten whispered. You're doing great, Lucas. Relax a little. You're tensing up too much.
Lucas corrected his stance, then breathed in. "Here goes nothing."
A spark of blue.
Then the world melted and transformed around them.
Memories blurred past them in a swirl of indistinguishable colors and sounds. Like a rollercoaster, they tumbled through the mental highway of thoughts, their ears catching onto random snatches of Lucas's past.
"You must make a choice..."
"I love you," Hinawa said.
"Stay safe," Flint said.
"Oreos," Ninten said.
Finally, the background solidified. The school building erected itself brick by brick in a flurry of flying particles. Students materialized in a shower of thought matter. Then all four boys blinked, standing in the memory of that fateful day.
Two boys caught their attention by the fence.
Pokey and Lucas.
Staring at the illusion of his former friend, Ness gripped his fists. Likewise next to him, his companions looked none too happy to be reliving the memory. Ninten narrowed his eyes into sharp slits.
"You were playing dodgeball with Pokey?" Claus hissed in disbelief, burning holes into the memory!Pokey.
"I guess I was," Lucas said, watching the film in surprise.
Ninten chewed on his lip. "Can we could rewind the memory any earlier?"
Closing his eyes, Lucas strained his mind. Nothing happened. Miserable, he shook his head. "That's the earliest I can go on that day."
Ness shook his head. "That sucks. I guess your memory's been corrupted."
"Whatever happened, you MUST have walked into something important earlier on," Ninten claimed, furrowing his eyebrows. "We came up with several theories over your accident. Pokey was working for Giygas, so I have a feeling that you accidentally walked in on them plotting something suspicious. Giygas must have gotten Pokey to lead you off their tail. But I don't get where Claus comes in..."
They returned their attention to the unfolding memory.
Lucas's past self looked awfully flushed, although that could be attributed to the fact that he just had run several meters with a dodgeball in hand.
"PSI fever," Lucas clarified quietly, making all of his friends jump in surprise.
"No wonder you were in critical condition," Ninten said, pointing at Lucas's exhausted double. "It looks like your fever hiked up."
"And Pokey keeps staring over your shoulder," Ness suddenly said.
At his words, they turned around. Ness was right; every now and then from their game of catch, Pokey would glance surreptitiously over Lucas's shoulder at the road. Lucas, with his back to the fence, didn't seem to have noticed Pokey's antics.
"Hey, dweeb," Pokey broke out, pointing at the road. "Isn't that your brother?"
Lucas's past self turned around. "Claus?"
"No way," Claus breathed. He looked lost for words, staring stupidly at his replica, which was waving at them from the middle of the road.
Ninten looked equally horrified. "No... it can't be. He wouldn't-"
But when Lucas's past self began to speak, they immediately quieted down.
"Claus!"
"What?" the doppelganger asked, flashing them a horrifyingly accurate likeness of Claus's mischievous smirk. "Ness hit a home run over the fence-"
"You're going to get in trouble," Lucas hissed, anxiously glancing to the side. "Hurry back over before Coach notices-"
"I know, I know." The illusion waved him off impatiently, then peered into a nearby shrub before wandering out onto the road. "I won't take long. Once I find the damn ball, we'll be good-"
"Please, Claus," Lucas begged. "There's too many cars around. We'll get the ball back another time. Climb back!"
"Why don't you make me?"
Without missing a beat, Pokey quickly jumped into the conversation. "Lucas, go get your idiot brother out of the road before he gets himself rolled over." The chubby boy snatched the dodgeball from Lucas's hands. "I'll stay here and keep an eye out for Coach Strong."
Filled with growing trepidation, the four of them watched as Lucas's past self dragged himself over the fence, all the while sending desperate pleas to his twin, which "Claus" promptly ignored.
But as soon as Lucas's feet grazed the sidewalk on the other side, they caught sight of a flash of red down the corner of the street.
A wayward truck.
To their collective horror, the shrill noise grew into a grating roar. The truck touched down the harsh cement in a deafening squeal of rubber tires, barging towards Claus's doppelganger.
"Claus, behind you!" Lucas screamed, bolting towards him.
The doppelganger only laughed, his form illuminated by the headlights of the car. "Nice try, Lucas. I'm not falling for it."
None of them needed watch what happened next.
Desperate, Lucas's hand snatched out, ready to pull the doppleganger aside by the shirt, only for his fingers to sail straight through the illusion. His eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend what had happened, but in that split second of awareness, Lucas registered his fatal mistake.
Then with an awful screech of rubber wheels, the fender of the car buried itself into his side.
The impact knocked him into the air like a rag doll.
Lucas winced as he watched his body crunch straight onto the windshield before noisily tumbling off the roof of the truck. Watching the drunk driver stumble out of his truck to flee in panic, Lucas spoke up. "I think this is where the memory ends." He turned around. "Should we get... oh."
His voice died at his brother's expression.
Claus's face was sickly pale.
Lucas followed his twin's blank stare, then winced again. He'd known how bad his injuries had been from Claus's second hand accounts, but up close, the wounds seemed much worse. His own battered body had caved in at the point of impact. Both legs had twisted underneath his form in grotesque angles. Worst of all, his eyes were still open, gazing into the sky with an awfully blank look.
Lucas looked dead.
Alarmed, Lucas lost concentration, cutting the unnerving memory short. Colors flew and swirled around them in a roar of confusion, then blinking in disorientation, they were back underneath the starry cottage roof of Saturn Valley.
Claus carried the expression of someone whose arm had been bitten off by a bloodthirsty Drago. Next to him, Ninten didn't fare any better, looking as if someone had tried to bash in his skull with a porcelain lamp. Even Ness seemed disturbed; his eyes flickered back and forth as if he had just witnessed his worst nightmare.
Registering their distraught emotions, Lucas's expression softened. "Guys," he said gently. "It's only a memory-"
"You have no idea, Lucas. You-" Ness gave a shaky laugh and a gulp. "You were knocked out. It might've just been a memory to you, but with the ambulance arriving on scene and all... you gave us a big scare that day."
"Oh." Lucas swallowed. "...Sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" Claus finally spoke. His voice sounded unusually subdued. "Don't be."
"To be honest, I snuck into the hospital alone several times to heal your injuries," Ness spoke quietly. "Ninten told me that he did the same, but-"
"Most of your critical wounds were already gone. Your body must've healed itself," Ninten finished. "You were extremely lucky, Lucas. There's a reason magicians have a high mortality rate. Many of us die during our Awakening."
Lucas paled. "Why?"
"PSI fever. Can't be healed by any means, magical or otherwise." Ninten shifted uneasily. "If you didn't recover from your other injuries in time, then there was a pretty good chance that you might've even died."
"Dude, don't scare him," Ness said, noting Lucas's blank expression. "So, uh... can we talk about the memory now? Like, what was up with that illusion?"
Lucas stared at his hands. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't think I was hallucinating. I don't remember eating anything funny that day-"
"I think it was Giygas."
All eyes flew to the youngest teen.
"Are you sure?" Ness pressed. "I mean, we didn't get to SEE the actual proof-"
"When I was unconscious, Giygas talked to me. He-" Ninten swallowed, looking slightly nauseous. "He can create illusions."
Claus stiffened up. "No way."
"I think he's on the brink of insanity. When he was talking to me... it wasn't like it was him at all. It was like he was possessed, like his mind was unraveling. I don't know what's messing with his mind, but for some reason, he's dead-set on believing that my dead great grandmother's not, well... dead."
Ness threw him an undertain look. "Maybe it's an act to throw you off-"
"It wasn't an act. Trust me, Ness. I'm sure."
Lucas swallowed. He hadn't really though much about it, but after replaying the memory... There had been, in fact, two unfortunate victims at the scene of crime. The drunk driver just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Giygas had only used him as a means to an end. Lucas couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the poor man.
Hearing his thoughts, Claus clenched his fists. Clearly, he didn't share the same sentiment. "Stupid driver shouldn't have been drunk anyway," he muttered. "You saw him, Lucas. He was driving on the wrong side of the road at a ridiculous speed. I bet he would've plowed into someone else even if he hadn't hit you."
"It sucks that we weren't able to see what Lucas ACTUALLY walked into, but from my dream and from Lucas's memory... it's pretty clear. Whatever the reason, Giygas wants both of you badly," Ninten said, turning towards the twins.
Claus exchanged a troubled look with his brother. "How badly?"
"I would say that on a scale from one to ten? Out of the ball park."
"Damn it," Claus said through clenched teeth. "Why won't he leave us alone?"
Disturbed, Lucas lowered his head. "Then you guys should go home. Giygas wants us, not you-"
"We're not starting this again," Ness suddenly shouted, leaping to his feet. "I have PK Rockin'. It's strong enough to fend anyone off. If Giygas finds us, then I can buy you all enough time to sneak back to the city and hang low-"
"You against him? Forget it. Giygas is too powerful," Ninten said in a hollow voice. "Anyways, Giygas is my uncle. If you lead the twins home, then I could try to reason with him-"
"Reasoning with an insane loony won't get you anywhere. If Giygas wants a magician with PK Love, then fine, I'll turn myself in," Claus said, suddenly bolting to his feet.
Ninten and Ness furiously wrestled him.
"NO! Claus, that's exactly what Giygas wants you to think-"
"You're insane if you think that we're gonna let you leave the village-"
A sharp crackle of blue light drew their attention.
The squabble ceased.
Lucas stood in the center of the room, a halo of glowing blue hexagons shimmering in his right palm. The light illuminated his pale features, reflecting against his bright baby-blue eyes.
"Claus is right. Giygas wants someone with PK Love." Lucas's eyes shone in despair. "But you haven't been able to use PK Love, Claus... I have."
"Shut up, Lucas! I can too use PK Love," Claus countered angrily.
Lucas stared at him with an unusually strained expression. "Prove it."
With the silent challenge having been uttered, all eyes fell upon the eldest twin.
"Y-Yeah, fine! I will." Swallowing down his trepidation, Claus raised his hands, but despite his best efforts, his fingers began shaking in uncontrollable spasms. "PK Love."
A shower of blue sparks flickered feebly in his fingers before dying out with a puff of smoke.
"NO, SHUT UP, I can do it," Claus shouted, staving off his dread. "PK Love!"
Nothing happened.
"THAT ONE DIDN'T COUNT. PK Love!"
Still nothing.
"PK LOVE!"
Not even a spark.
"I SAID, PK LOVE, GODDAMMIT!" Claus screamed. "PK LO-"
"Stop it, Claus!" Lucas choked horribly on his own twisted guilt. "It's my fault. It's because of me. I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, guys, I really am-"
All of them opened their mouths to argue, but Claus beat them to it.
"Don't say it." Claus clenched his jaw. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SAY-"
"Claus," Lucas strained in a weak voice. "As long as I stay here, I'm putting you all in danger-"
"SHUT UP. You're staying, and it's final!"
"But what if it's the only way-"
Claus advanced on him with a murderous expression on his face. "Lucas, don't make me angry," he warned in a dangerously low tone. His voice quickly escalated into a deafening clamor. "DON'T FORCE ME TO MAKE YOU STAY!"
"THEN MAKE ME," Lucas burst out angrily, looking extremely defiant as he stared up into his brother's furious face. "I'm just as capable of protecting everyone, Claus! So why is it only okay for you to sacrifice yourself? Why won't you let me do the same for you?"
Claus stared at him.
Then a frustrated howl of agony escaped from his cracked lips.
Breaking down completely, Claus let loose a deafening cry like a tortured animal, all reason lost, then sent his fist sailing towards his brother's head. Lucas flinched, but at the very last minute, the palm sailed around him by a wide arc and slammed against the wall. The wall noisily caved in at the point of impact with a nasty crunch, shattering the crisp plaster into a shocking webbed crater.
The eldest twin finally exploded.
"Damn it, Lucas, Why do you keep doing this to me?" Claus screamed, tearing viciously at his hair. He whipped his head around, and they were shocked to see angry tear tracks trailing down his face. "WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN?"
Lucas froze.
No one dared speak a word.
Then a snarky voice interrupted the proceedings. "Go fix the past, they said. It'll be easy, they said."
Time unfroze.
As one, they whipped around.
Clearly agitated himself, BuzzBuzz stared back at them. "Man... You guys are a mess."
They lowered their heads in shame. Lucas averted his eyes to the ground; Claus scowled, but said nothing more, angrily wiping away tears from his face.
Only Ninten looked up in confusion. "Who's that funny bloke?"
Realizing that the two had not been introduced to each other yet, Ness gave a half-hearted wave between them. "Oh, he's our, uh-"
"Fairy godmother," BuzzBuzz answered sarcastically. "Oh, don't mind me, I'm just your local bodyguard sent ten years into the past to make sure you guys don't screw up the world again. I couldn't care less about your lives."
"Really?" Ninten asked innocently. "Couldn't have guessed it myself."
BuzzBuzz sighed, flickering back and forth. "Listen. At this point, it's safer if you all stay together. Yes, I know-" he said in exasperation, cutting Ninten off before the latter could speak. "I know that Giygas is your uncle. I know that Giygas is after you two-" he pointed at Lucas and Claus. "Great glorps, did you think I couldn't hear you panicking like a herd of stampeding sheep? How did you even stay alive for this long?"
"Thanks, BuzzBuzz," Ness muttered.
"I'm not gonna lie: We're in a bit of a fuzzy pickle," BuzzBuzz continued matter-of-factly. "I know it's scary. I know you're far away from home. But if you stick together, you can survive. Even though you are, admittedly, oversensitive teenagers sharing a pathetic excuse of a brain cell-"
Ninten looked hurt. "Oversensitive teenagers?"
"Pathetic excuse of a brain cell?" Claus said indignantly. "Who the hell do you think you are-"
BuzzBuzz gave him a look. Because he was so tiny, it was hard to make out his expression, but Claus caught the gist.
"…Right," Claus muttered, slumping back over. "Time-traveling fairy godmother."
With a slow breath, BuzzBuzz took off his minuscule helmet, his tiny fingers fiddling with his kerchief. "Look, I appreciate your noble acts of selflessness, but there's no need for a suicidal sacrifice. That's exactly what Giygas wants," he said gently. "Stick together. Safety in numbers. Trust me. By now, all of you are formidable foes. You might be rusty with your powers, but unlike last month, you've all grown into them after constant use. Giygas would need to think twice before messing with you."
Then as if to counteract this boost of confidence, BuzzBuzz's features knitted themselves into a scowl. "That doesn't mean we're guaranteed a happy ending," he snapped. "Knowing all of you, someone's going to get butthurt - LIKE RIGHT NOW - and get us all killed. "
He glared pointedly at the twins.
"No, we aren't!" Came the simultaneous protest. Lucas and Claus whipped around, staring at each other in shock before reluctantly turning away.
Up close, Ninten studied BuzzBuzz, drawing in to squint at the fairy-like person. "Are you sure we've never met? You look really familiar..."
"Irrelevant," BuzzBuzz grunted. "Now before I lose my sanity, do we have any new leads on Giygas?"
They all shared a doubtful glance.
BuzzBuzz sighed. "Look, I know you don't trust me, and that's fine. But I can't exactly save your necks if I'm in the dark. My timeline diverged from yours a while back. Fill me in."
Reluctantly, Ninten fished out a crumpled piece of paper. "I found this at the facility. It's a part of Giygas's journal."
Snatching the wrinkled paper into his hands, BuzzBuzz smoothed it out, and studied it with a frown.
"The disease is resistant to PSI. Any attempts to heal the suffering victim with PSI Life UP or PSI Healing is temporary. Death is inevitable..."
"...She is growing weaker by the day. I can feel it. Every night, I sit by her bedside, clutching her hand, and her pulse grows ever weaker. She is dying, and there is nothing I can do to stop it..."
"...Seven Needles. The Shaman mentioned that the tremendous power needed to pull a Needle stems straight from the heart, which explains why only PK Love users are destined for such a task..."
"...under New Pork City..."
"George confirmed my suspicions. My nephew, Ninten, can also use PSI. This is it. This is the moment the Shaman had been speaking of. I must find a job to blend in, to keep a closer eye on this remarkable generation of people in the city..."
BuzzBuzz halted, his gaze glued to the bottom of the page. "This is bad. Hell, this is a bigger problem than I thought."
"Why? What's-"
When BuzzBuzz shoved the piece of paper back into the bewildered boy's hands, a startled Ninten looked up into a pair of surprisingly warm brown eyes.
Something seemed to click between them.
The time traveler suddenly turned away with a pained grimace. "Stupid future-past alterations giving me headaches... Damn it, what the hell did you all do now, Ninten?"
"Giygas isn't thinking straight," Ninten said quietly. "He might even be innocent."
BuzzBuzz scowled. "I can't tell. It's too soon to say. My brain needs time to catch up to the aftermath of your events, because damn it, in the first five seconds I've met you, all of you are already making my job extremely complicated!"
"What's going on?" Ness asked, feeling very lost.
"You wanna know what's going on, Ness? Five words." BuzzBuzz counted off with his fingers. "I. HAVE. NO. FUCKING. IDEA."
"Well, that's mighty helpful of you," Claus said, his sarcasm returning.
"Can it, gingersnaps." BuzzBuzz paced around. "I need time for all of your stupid time alterations to catch up to my brain, but it looks like Giygas is getting desperate-"
"Desperate for what?"
"...and if he manages to pull the Seventh Needle, then it's Game Over for all of us," BuzzBuzz muttered, ignoring him completely. But snapping his head up, BuzzBuzz jabbed a finger towards the window. "I'm changing the subject, it's turning stale. Do you all see that waterfall in the distance?"
Ness cocked an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with-"
"Answer the question!"
"...Yeah?"
"That's Grapefruit Falls."
Ninten's face blanched. "Then..."
BuzzBuzz crossed his arms. "While you four have been screaming it out, I've been talking to the Mr. Saturn about our location. Apparently, above that waterfall lives a rather strange man the Mr. Saturn fear. His name is..." BuzzBuzz's eyes flickered to Ninten's. "The Shaman."
All four teens reacted at once.
"He's the Shaman? Like, The Shaman?" Ninten stammered, glancing at the piece of paper in his own hands. "Then-"
"Great! According to this journal entry, he knows what's going on." Ness's eyes lit up. When none of them responded, he waved his arms around. "What are we all waiting for? Let's plan out a route to Grapefruit Falls and ask for-"
"No."
"But he knows the answers to everything! The quicker we consult him, the better," Ness said indignantly.
"Haven't your parents taught you anything?" BuzzBuzz jabbed a finger in his direction. "Don't talk to strangers. This isn't some middle class trip to the mall - this is a serious excursion that could spell LIFE or DEATH. Are you going to invest your trust into a man that you've never even met before?"
"You're one to talk," Ness said hotly. "You haven't told us anything since you've arrived. How can we trust you? We don't even know you!"
BuzzBuzz waved away his words. "Well then, you're wrong, because I know you very well. There, point moot. Geezus," BuzzBuzz grunted, fisting his own hair into knots. "If you're going to debate, at least make your claims reasonable. But whatever, I'm giving you four the bottom line: No one is trekking up to see this Shaman until I give the say so. I have a bad feeling about him, and I'd rather not wake up one morning to save your sorry hides."
"But-"
"NO."
"BuzzBuzz, I talked to Giygas in my dream. We're trapped in Saturn Valley. It might sound like a bad idea, but if we manage to convince the Shaman to help us escape-" Ninten started desperately.
"'If we manage to convince the Shaman'? One word, Ninten: NO. We will not go see the Shaman until I figure out his true motives." BuzzBuzz glared at them. "End of story. You want me to say it again? NO. Now, does anyone else have a problem with this decision?"
Everyone did look like they had a problem with it, but glancing at BuzzBuzz's intimidating scowl, the four teens reluctantly settled down into simmering silence. Who knew that a miniature speck of a man could be so intimidating?
At the lack of a response, BuzzBuzz relaxed. "Good. Ness, heal that godawful burn on your leg," BuzzBuzz grunted, turning around. "Now everyone, off to bed. Get some sleep. You all need it."
As they trudged out of the living room, Claus halted in place when a telekinetic hand clamped onto his shoulder.
"Not you."
Claus quirked a bemused eyebrow in response.
As if not sure of what to say, BuzzBuzz ran a thin hand through his black hair. "Come with me," he finally said. "We need to talk."
Without awaiting his response, the tiny pixie-man floated through the now-open window.
After a moment of hesitation, Claus reluctantly followed suit.
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
The blizzard seemed to have passed. Soft snowflakes floated down and melted at their feet in a frozen puddle. Shutting the door, Claus shivered and hugged himself in warmth.
BuzzBuzz breathed in deeply. "I've forgotten how beautiful the starry night looks. Everything is so goddamn black and red in the future," he sighed fondly.
"Are you dragging me out to tell me about your hippy love for nature?" Claus said sullenly, clearly not in the mood. "Go talk to someone else."
BuzzBuzz's eyebrows scrunched into a deep frown. "You really want to make this difficult for me, don't you?"
Claus said nothing.
"Fine, I'll get to the point," BuzzBuzz said flatly. "You wanna know something, Claus? You're an asshole."
"Gee, thanks, I know," Claus snarled, crossing his arms. "Save the lecture, I'm going to bed-"
"Will you let me finish?"
Claus shut up.
"Good. Now as I was saying, you're an asshole." BuzzBuzz raised his eyebrows, daring Claus to interrupt, but Claus only fumed off to the side. "Yet, you like to remind us that you have a soft heart for your brother in the most inconvenient times of danger and destruction-"
"Thanks."
"-WHICH IS BAD," BuzzBuzz bellowed, making Claus jump from the sudden volume. The time traveler crossed his arms in a disapproving scowl. "Look, Claus, we're in a war. In a war, do you know what gets you killed? NOT THINKING. And unfortunately, you tend to do a whole ton of that whenever your twin's stuck in peril."
Claus whirled around in fury. "I GET IT, OKAY. Lucas gets into trouble, and I'm shitty at protecting him! What's your point?"
"Think, Claus. THINK. Once Giygas realized your potential, he blackmailed you by strangling your brother. Then at the research facility... need I explain? There's a pattern here, Claus. A really obvious pattern. Giygas sees it. Do you?"
"...Lucas is accident prone?"
"GODDAMNIT CLAUS, THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE," BuzzBuzz exploded, blowing his top. "Giygas wants to rattle you!"
"I don't get it," Claus said blankly.
"What don't you get?"
"Why would Giygas want to rattle me?"
"Giygas is a madman. He will take absolute pleasure in inflicting any sort of pain onto the four of you. THAT MEANS YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE HIM THE SATISFACTION OF LETTING HIM TOY WITH YOUR FEELINGS," BuzzBuzz bellowed, jabbing a finger into the teen's chest. "Once Lucas is in danger, ZIP - your mind goes blank and your brain flies out the window. That makes you vulnerable to his whims."
"Oh, is that a problem now?" Claus gave into a sarcastic laugh. "Well, I'm sorry for actually caring about the one person who doesn't think that I'm an asshole. Here, why don't we waltz back into the house right now AND TURN HIM IN."
"DAMN WRONG," BuzzBuzz shrieked, all patience lost. "BRAIN OVER HEART, CLAUS! BRAIN OVER HEART. If you want to protect your brother, then you can't let your feelings control you!"
"I CAN CONTROL MY GODDAMN FEELINGS PERFECTLY FINE WITHOUT YOU!" Claus screamed back, clenching his fists.
"OH YEAH? YOU CALL THIS CONTROL? FINE," BuzzBuzz spat, trembling in pure rage. "Then tell me, Claus. Why the hell do you suck ass at PK Love? HUH?"
"Lucas knew it longer-"
"WRONG, AND DEAD WRONG AGAIN," BuzzBuzz screamed, jabbing a finger in his direction. "It's because PK Love is extremely shit-sensitive to your petty, insignificant feelings! UNLIKE YOU, Lucas knows how to control his emotions. He accepts them and learns from them. YOU on the other hand, either push them away or LET THEM CONTROL YOU, EXACTLY LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW! And if you're too butthurt to admit that, THEN HELL, YOUR BROTHER'S CORPSE MIGHT BE THE PRICE OF YOUR OWN STUPIDITY!"
Claus's blanched. All the color rapidly fled from his face.
"I... Look, Claus-" Breathing deeply, BuzzBuzz turned away, scrunching his eyes shut and pressing a hand into his forehead. "Meeting adjourned. I'm taking watch. Go back to the house, and think about what I've said."
Without another word, BuzzBuzz activated his psionic jetpack and lifted off into the starry twilight.
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
"Claus?"
"..."
Muffled voices filtered through the bedroom door before someone walked inside. Lucas's footsteps tentatively resounded closer. "Claus, I-I'm... I'm sorry." His voice cracked. "I knew that you were worried, but I didn't know you were that worried about me."
"..."
"I don't blame you for being upset. You have every right to be upset. I was being really inconsiderate of your feelings, and I guess I blew it this time, huh..."
"..."
The sound of feet shuffling on the carpet. "But I wanted to say... I want to say that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be upset at you... and I didn't mean to yell at you either."
"..."
"Claus, are you sleeping?"
"..."
Crestfallen disappointment. "O-Oh. I didn't know you were asleep. I guess I'll talk to you in the morning. Good night..."
The door gently swung shut with a soft click, enshrouding a wide-awake Claus in total darkness.
Heya guys!
As promised, here's the last part of Chapter 19. :) I'm sorry it's like an hour past midnight, so technically I posted this a day late (sorry :x), but aside from the god-awful wi-fi, I also got caught up in an interesting conversation with my roomies about silly horror movies. Apparently there's one about a possessed tire killing people. It's called Rubber. I'm not joking. Like seriously whyyy
Sorry, I'm getting off-track. Here's the next chapter. I'll cut this A/N short, but as always, thanks for your support. :) If I have weird time gaps between posting each chapter, it's probably because I'm working my butt off in school. Or maybe it's because I got murdered by a possessed tire. Oh, the horror.
Yeah, I think I should get some sleep. Cutting to the reviews :)
The-Great-Me-sama: Context? What context? ;D Yeah, and I agree; Chapter 20 was a strange shift from chapter 19. I hope it wasn't too jarring haha
Guest: Thanks. :) I'll do my best to keep it up!
FalconerET: Aahhh, thank you, Falconer. :) Writing descriptively is actually my weakness; every time I post a chapter, I have to comb through it to remove unnecessary phrases because it might detract focus from the story haha. All of my English teachers say that I have this problem. XD And yes, chapter 19-21 were supposed to be one chapter, but I ended up separating them, which slightly re-arranged the structure of my story. No biggie though. :) And yeah, Chapters 22-23 are going to be...interesting. As always, thanks for the well-wishes; likewise, I wish you luck in school. :)
ConnorTheSpeling: Oops, yeah, I'll get around to fixing the mistakes and modifying the text sometime (including the Mr. Saturn speech format). :x And yes, cliched scene is cliche. The chess scene was originally not the nightmare I was going to add, but I couldn't resist. Plus throw in illusions and things get much more complicated. ;) But you're right, Giygas does have a tough life...Man, Ninten, your entire family's messed up *apologizes profusely* Haha yes, I snuck in knowledge from my mobio class (it helps me review lol). And hmmm...maybe there is a traitor, maybe there's not. Oh man, I love writing about psychological manipulation! *Gets shot*
And sorry, I should've rephrased the author's note; most of the emotional scenes derive from situations in my daily life, but thankfully not all of them. :) For one my mom's alive, my dad's certainly not a drunkard, and my bullying experiences were more psychological than physical (thank gods). But Claus's resentment towards his own father, Ness's parents arguing over their financial situation, and Lucas's bullies calling him a crybaby are a few of many scenes based on past memories. But seriously, I'm not trying to make you feel bad about me lol; there are way more people who have it worse than I do. At least I have a supportive family. That's more than many people can say.
I appreciate the praise, but you flatter me. :) I do prefer cartooning over writing, but we shall see in the future. *Dons sunglasses*
PSIBoy: Bruh, it's okay. :) If anything, thanks for going out of your way to write a review. Of course, if it makes you feel better, I suck at giving reviews, but hey, I try my best to make them sound less sucky haha! And yeah, I really did up the ante in horror last chapter, didn't I? D: Poor Ninten. Oh, and is there really a traitor? ;D I'm not spoiling anything~
By the way, intriguing theory there...but as for what really happened to Giygas and who's behind all this, we'll just have to wait and see. ;) And thanks, your praise means a lot haha. Characterization is something I'm trying to practice, so it does mean a lot that you pointed it out. I'm just hoping that none of the characters start acting OoC. *crosses fingers* And ahhhh, I really appreciate your consideration. :) But a promise is a promise (although I did technically post this like an hour before midnight lol), and don't worry; I'm planning to get more sleep this weekend. :)
B33BeepBeepMeow: Nightmare fuel is the best kind of fuel. ;) And wow that's one convoluted dream you had O_O I'm still trying to figure out how Pokemon plushies would fit in with Metal Gear Solid...'tis a mystery that may never be solved. XD
CrankySky: Yeah, poor Ninten. We'll see if he feels okay... D: And huh, maybe Claus might eat Ninten's Oreos. Maybe the sword IS the Masked Man's sword. Or maybe I'm just writing random things. ;) Who knows?
DarkFoxKit: Holy crap, you were listening to Giygas's OST? O_O That's some creepy shiz haha. After reading your review, I tried reading last chapter with the music on like you did and...*puts headphones down* That's enough creepy music for one day. And who knows, perhaps Giygas was lying...maybe there really wasn't a traitor to begin with. Or maybe there is. We may never find out...DX But thank you for the well-wishes! And yeah, I might be busy as heck, but hey, so is everyone else. :) But I'll definitely do my best to upload whenever time permits~
Angel-Woof: IT'S OKAY THIS IS THE LAST PART OF THE CHAPTER WOOO-
Thank you. :) And btw, I really appreciate your dedication to review. :) But really, if you're busy, it's okay to miss a review every once in a while. We're all busy people, and I totally understand if stuff happens. Like school. And a science (labs WHYYYY)
Yeah, you pretty much nailed the reason why Ninten won't play chess anymore. XD Psychological trauma hooray. And hey, I didn't know you liked Ninten; well, this chapter hopes to explore a flashback from him, so I hope you enjoy that. :) And if it makes your day, all the characters that you have mentioned in your review will make a debut in the story. As for when and for what circumstances...I'm not saying. ;D I totes understand why you'd like the characters you picked as your favorites for each game...but oh man I can't choose I like all the characters - *Starts sobbing dramatically in the corner*
As for Eight Melodies...I think it might play a minor cameo (I'm still adjusting a few things in that particular chapter), but we'll see how that goes. No promises. But I'll see what I can do. :)
A Fan: Thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you caught up on the last chapter; I was worried that you thought I was ignoring you or something haha. Trust me: I answer ALL reviews. :) It might seem like a hassle, but hey, I think it's a fun way to interact with my readers, even though 99% of the things I say are probably boring or irrelevant haha
Man, you readers and your interesting theories! Both of your predictions are pretty mind-boggling, but as usual, I ain't spoilin' nothin' yet. ;D Not knowing is half the fun~
And yes, my friend, the mind games are real *dons sunglasses* As a person who's never played Xenoblade Chronicles, I can't say that the entire dream sequence reminded me of anything, but hey, I might play it...when I'M REALLY FEELING IT *Sorry-not-sorry-okay I'm sorry, Shulk* And haha I lol'ed at the whole "Stan Gan" situation. XD Oh life, you work in mysterious ways.
Plushiepaw: I know what you mean. :) I'm also a fan of long chapters, but yeah, chapter 19 had too many different subjects involved. And thanks; I appreciate your consideration! I'll definitely do my best to keep up with the story whenever I can. Don't worry; I shouldn't be ever quitting this story. If I ever do, I'll let y'all know, but even if it takes me another year, I'm 99.99999% sure that I'm finishing this fic (...I already have the conclusion written down lol)
As for whether or not Giygas's schemes will mess with the way Ninten's going to act...we shall see. :) And who knows if there really is a traitor? No one knowwwwws O_O By the way, I'm glad about your enthusiasm for the next two chapters; I was afraid that the sudden change in POVs might be off-putting for some people, but it's nice to know that many of you are looking forward to it! And hey, that's what I love about writing this story; it entertains many different POVs, so it encourages more imagination about what might happen next. B) Or maybe that's just wishful thinking haha
And no, telling you about my fic length isn't a huge spoiler. :) So initially, I outlined my plot into separate chapters. First, this fic was only supposed to be 15 chapters long. Then 26. Now...idk. I would shoot for 26-30, but again, it really depends on my writing. As you probably know, I have a bad tendency to milk out emotions, which slows down the plot and forces me to split chapters. So far, I had to split Chapter 10, Chapter 14, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, and Chapter 19. So to answer your question, no, this story isn't ending anytime soon...I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing haha. Probably both? Anyways, Rock on. B)
[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]