DarkFoxKit: It felt like it's been a while since the last update… oh wait, that's for my other story isn't it? I apologize for the slow down lately. ^^' But hey, at least this one is still getting updated weekly.
Connor: Yeah, we all try our hardest to stick to schedule… But as some of you know from Ceres, that doesn't always happen. Fire Emblem Fates is amazing, by the way. If I miss any more updates, you can blame that game. ;)
DarkFoxKit: Wow, I've been hearing a lot of talk about that game lately. ^^' Anyways, let's get to the reviews now.
Guest/Shimo no ko: Nope, it isn't. Heck I don't think it has anything to do with time travel in-game, it's just a theory I made for this story. And I don't blame you for not being able to beat it yet, especially since your Wii U charger is lost, it's a really tough game to beat, especially the final level. I've noticed in all the Mother/EarthBound series, the end boss gets defeated by a special way rather than just trying to beat it by damaging it through normal means. This chapter was pretty dark I'll admit, but I had some sadistic fun with it. And you'll see in this chapter if what Ninten did worked.
Connor: Psst! I never beat EB Beginnings either. :D After a certain point, it just got too monotonous to be fun to me. *gets pelted*
Paula-Ana:Connor: Yeah, it's usually pretty easy to tell in most books/fics when something really bad is about to happen, huh? Yes, yes, we authors love putting our characters through insane amounts of stress, violence, and pretty much any negative quality a situation can have. Sometimes I think that all authors are sadistic or something (but they're not… because characters overcoming those challenges is the point of most of those books). Well, Ness and Ninten might need that luck to change the future… as with all stories, they're fighting a pretty uphill battle. Thanks for reviewing and see you next week! :D
DarkFoxKit: Also, that name, Paula-Ana, in my head it almost sounded like Pollyana. ^^'
Ninten64: … You know, you make a good point there. That would've been both an amazing way to end it, yet a dickish way to end it.
DarkX the Dragon Knight: Yup, and I like the dark. :P Connor's stories tend to get dark, and I don't mind using dark elements in a story either, in fact I kinda relish in some of them. ^^' Have fun with the crazy train. :3
crabbyTomato: Connor: Yes, I've learned from the first Ceres that I need to make sure that each page that I write needs to be meaningful, and making a plot that doesn't drag on forever is one of the easiest ways to do that. :) So yeah, a lot of stuff happened and those two chapters probably stick in my memory the most out of any of them. Yep, dark all around. Gotta make sure that the protags really want to change the future, just like in Chrono Trigger. Both Lucas and Claus are scary people (in the dystopian future, anyway). I wouldn't want either one of them within ten miles of me. D: And yeah, Earthbound does do that quite a bit, huh? Except that our story lingers on the darkness for a little bit longer than EB does, so a little more like M3. At least… that was the goal. Some characters in this chapter are still pretty lighthearted. See you later! :)
Claus wasn't sure what to do since Ness and Ninten disappeared. He had grown used to having Ness around, and Ness was really the only person who cared about him. He wasn't not sure what to make of Lucas or Flint, he just knows they were related to the body or boy he once was. Even though Ness and Ninten only departed a few hours ago, Claus already started to miss them.
He wanted to be alone for a while, and decided to go into the forest for some peace and quiet, and that was when he found two familiar and identical boys lying unconscious together.
"Wow," came a voice behind him. "How did they get there? I was kind of out out it when they disappeared, but I was under the impression that they disappeared."
Claus turned around to see Kumatora looking at Ness and Ninten with a frown on her face. She claimed that she felt perfectly normal after Dr. Andonuts attempted to revert the brainwashing (she claimed that they pigmasks did a rushed job, which did seem plausible), but he still didn't trust her completely.
"Have you been following me?" Claus asked.
"Not everything is about you, kiddo," Kumatora shot back with a grin. "I was just out here thinking… which is kind of rare for me, I'll admit. I guess being brainwashed made me start back at square one. I don't really trust anything that I see anymore. I'm scared of finding something to care about because I know that it could be used against me. In a way, we're not so different, Clausy."
Claus stared at her with a blank expression. He had gotten used to the name 'Claus' because everyone kept calling him that since they got back to Tazmily, but he still didn't see himself as the Claus they kept talking about.
"... What should I do with these two?" Claus asked.
"Do you even have to ask?" Kumatora said. "We do have a geezer who knows more about people, especially unconscious ones, than we do. Hm… Do you think that they would mind if I dragged them? Carrying someone is a lot of work, and I'm feeling extra lazy today."
Claus frowned at her before he said, "Dragging them like that would be ill advised. They look like they've been through a war zone. If you can't carry them, then I would suggest you get someone who can."
"Kidding, kidding," Kumatora said. Her voice dropping to a whisper, "Mostly."
Claus looked over at them and walked to Ness, picking up his body while Kumatora picked up Ninten.
"Don't hurt him," Claus said.
"I was planning to, but you just convinced me with that brilliant precautionary statement," Kumatora said sarcastically. "Why would I hurt him? Ninten's a nice guy. He even helped me make fun of Lucas. We're practically besties."
"..." Claus stared blankly at her while they left the forest.
The two soon arrived at Tazmily Village. They passed through and made their way to the outskirts.
"Do you remember what it was like being brainwashed?" Claus asked Kumatora as they walked up to the house.
"Sort of," Kumatora answered. "It felt like I was in some sort of trance. I wasn't really thinking right, and I can only catch bits and pieces of memories. Never a full event. It did feel more real than a dream though. More… consistent."
"I see…" Claus paused. "You and Duster remembered your lives when Dr. Andonuts fixed your brains. It was… unexpected."
"Don't you have some memories of who you were before the wires, knives, and white tables in the pigmask labs?" Kumatora asked.
"... Perhaps, but they're only bits and pieces. I still don't feel like the boy they call Claus," The chimera boy answered before opening the door, half hoping the house was empty.
Inside stood Lucas and Dr. Andonuts. Upon seeing Ness and Ninten, Lucas' jaw dropped.
"Wha-How?" He asked. "they disappeared just a couple hours ago. How did they manage to come back?"
"It is unknown," Claus said. "They were just lying in the middle of the forest. Beartiger lady told us to take them here where a 'geezer' could take care of them."
"Geezer!? How old do you think I am? I only have a 13 year old son!" Dr. Andonuts snapped.
"How old are you?" Kumatora asked, a smile dancing on her lips.
"... That's not important right now. Those two boys look like they've been through a lot. Why don't you set them down on the bed?" Dr. Andonuts said.
"Sure thing," Kumatora said, plopping Ninten down on the bed. "But it is weird, isn't it? I wonder how they got here."
"Yeah…" Lucas said, looking at Ninten. "I hope that they'll be okay."
Claus put Ness down next to Ninten before he said, "I'm sure they will reveal their tale to us and tell us what happened. Where's Flint?"
"He's off talking with Duster somewhere," Lucas said. "They go a ways back." Lucas' voice dropped to a whisper. "And you can call him dad."
"But 'Dad' is not his name, is it? Did you give him that nickname?" Claus asked.
Dr. Andonuts sweatdropped. "Well, this is new."
"I feel like he's messing with us," Kumatora said. "He understands humans, right? I mean, he has to know about parents."
"He does," Dr. Andonuts said. "I just never seen him messing with people like this before."
"I do not mess with people. If I did, you'd all have to take a bath every time I see you," Claus said in a serious tone.
"...He can't be serious," Kumatora muttered. "I bet this is all one big joke and he's getting the last laugh."
"Not everyone's ultimate goal in life is to make fun of people," Lucas said, biting back a poorly concealed smile.
Kumatora shot him a flat look.
"Is this payback for me calling you my knight in shining armor?" she asked.
"Maaaaybe," Lucas said, stretching out the word.
"You're her knight in shining armor?" Claus asked Lucas before studying him. "... I don't see any armor on you."
"I'm telling you!" Kumatora shouted. "He's playing us all for fools!"
"Have fun in your deluded little world," Lucas said. "How do they look, doc?"
"They're recovering pretty quickly, Ninten exhausted his mentality. Perhaps PSI overuse?" Dr. Andonuts said.
Claus looked over at Ness before he said, "Ness's heart rate is starting to speed up. He's waking up."
Right then, Ness groaned. He slowly sat up in his bed, blinking a few times. Upon seeing Claus, he let out a yelp.
"You followed me…" Ness looked around the room. His cheeks turned red. "Uh, hey everyone. How are y'all doing?"
Claus was confused to Ness's yelp when he saw him. Ness had no reason to be scared of him, right?
"Ness, what had happened to you and Ninten? You both just disappeared with the machine and reappeared in the forest," Claus said.
"Uh…" Ness said, raising a finger. "That depends on how much you're willing to believe."
"We live in a world where the dead can be brought back to life by use of technology. Animals are literally crossed with other species or things. Humans have psychic powers and can speak to animals. I have an old master that can live forever. There isn't much that would surprise me in this world," Claus said.
"Slight correction," Ness said. "You had an old master who could've live forever. He happens to be dead now. Actually, he's dead in the future. It's weird. Basically, we went back to Ninten's time, did some stuff there… And now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that he recovered some of his memories. Anyways, we ended up in the future by accident, and now we're back here."
"...I like the level of detail in that description," Kumatora said.
"You're looking rather not brainwashed yourself," Ness said. "Congrats."
"Did you really bash my skull over and over again with a baseball bat?" Kumatora asked.
"Yeah."
"Well, thanks. It turned out that I needed some sense knocked into me."
"Well, that's what friends are for, right?" Ness asked. "Even though we're not really friends. That's what random strangers are for, right?"
"Wait, wait, wait, what do you mean you went into Ninten's time?" Dr. Andonuts asked. "Ninten isn't from this timeline?"
"Ness, perhaps you should start from the beginning. What happened after you and Ninten disappeared?" Claus asked patiently.
"There's not much more to it," Ness said, shying away slightly. "Ninten and I awoke some time in either the past or the future. We met some people who he knew, including his girlfriend and parents…"
"He has a girlfriend?" Lucas asked.
"Apparently," Ness said. "I suppose that we need to make fun of him for that, since I don't think that any of us are in romantic relationships. So yeah, Porky tried to kill us, we survived, and then we accidentally travelled to the future where Porky just kind of died. I'm still not sure how that happened. It's been a busy day."
"Master Porky… died?" Claus asked. "But how?"
Ness shrugged. Claus knew that Master Porky was immortal. Was Ness lying? … No, there was no sense of dishonesty.
"What about Ninten?" Dr. Andonuts asked. "Why is he still out cold? What did he do and how did you two even make it back here if you did end up in the future?"
"He used some sort of PSI to bring us back," Ness said. "That's why the time machine isn't with us. By the way, that weird device was a time machine."
"Yeah, Claus told us," Lucas said.
"Well you two seem to be fine, other than the exhaustion. Ninten will be back on his feet after a few hours of rest," Claus said. "Will you be needing anything, Ness?"
"What?" Ness asked, blinking rapidly. "Er… nope! I mean…" Ness sighed. "I guess all of this is a little hard to process. I think that I just need some time to work things out."
"Then take as much time as you need," Claus said. "I would like… some alone time too."
Ness looked at Claus carefully.
"...Okay," Ness said. "But remember that I'll always be there for you, all right? If you want to talk to me about anything, I'm free."
"I'll… be sure to take you up on your offer, Ness," Claus said. "And… be sure to give this Ninten when he wakes up. He left it behind when you both went time traveling."
Claus threw a red hat over to Ness.
"Thanks," Ness said, catching it. "I also have something to give you as well. It's technically Ninten's, but he probably won't notice that I borrowed it."
Ness tossed a small object over to Claus. It looked like a small badge with a lightning bolt symbol drawn on.
"It's a Franklin Badge," Ness said. "It will protect you from electricity attacks. Just make sure to wear it close to your heart."
Claus looked at the Franklin Badge, it was pretty small but made with strange materials. Can this tiny thing really protect one from electricity? Although Claus himself used electrical PSI more than any other elements, he is ironically vulnerable to that very same element due to his half mechanical state.
"Are you sure you should give this to me? Logically it would be best to let Ninten keep it or give it to someone else. Kumatora could use PK Thunder, but I myself specialize in that element," Claus said. "I'm not saying I'd use it on anyone without reason, but maybe you shouldn't trust me with it."
"Why wouldn't I trust you with it?" Ness said. "And I don't think that Ninten will mind. If he does, I'll apologize later."
Claus didn't understand why Ness would give it to him of all people, but then again he never really understood humans and their weird way of thinking, must be an emotional thing.
"Then I thank you for it," Claus said.
"You're welcome!" Ness said. "Try to have fun during your alone time, all right?"
Claus didn't know how one could 'have fun' in their alone time, as he just use it for thinking without distraction. The boy just decided to leave the house, closing the door behind him.
Ness couldn't see Lucas and Claus in the same way. He sighed inwardly when Claus left, trying to push the sadistic smile of the masked man out of his mind. He looked at Lucas, but he kept seeing sparks flying from the blonde's small body. He imagined Lucas' eyes flashing with sheer terror and had to convince himself that it wasn't real. Even seeing Kumatora reminded him of unpleasant thoughts.
In short, Ness was suffocating in his memories. But he couldn't let it show. Not while Claus still needed him.
"How's Ninten doing?" Lucas asked, fiddling with his hands. "He'll be alright, won't he?"
As if on cue, Ninten himself began to stir in the bed.
"Ah, he lives!" Dr. Andonuts announced.
"It's alive!" Ness shouted, mimicking the older Frankenstein movies.
Ninten groggily blinked open his eyes and tried to sit up from the bed, but groaned as he rubbed the temples of his head.
"Ow… It feels like… ten trucks hit my head…" Ninten groaned.
"Well, only eight of them actually hit your head," Ness joked. "The other two veered off into a ditch. You got lucky."
"Ninten!" Lucas exclaimed, walking up to the bed. "I'm so glad that you're okay!"
"Aw great," Kumatora said. "Are we going to have one of these really sappy moments?"
Ninten flinched from the loud voice before he looked up at Lucas. Then Ninten did what Ness pretty much did when he awoke to Claus earlier; he yelped and jumped back a bit.
The room silenced. Ninten smiled nervously.
"... Uh… Hi Lucas! Long time no see…?" Ninten said sheepishly.
"Ninten?" Lucas asked softly. "...Is everything okay?"
"Meaning," Kumatora said. "What's wrong with both of you? I thought that Ness was just a little slow on the uptake, but you both had the exact same reaction. What gives?"
...I feel so flattered, Ness thought.
"Huh? Kumatora, you're not brainwashed anymore!" Ninten gave a forced smile. "That's great! I thought we lost you and Duster back there!" It was pretty clear he was trying to steer away from the subject.
"You're really bad at this, aren't you?" Ness asked telepathically.
"Oh shut up, Ness. I was put on the spot, okay?" Ninten grumbled.
Ness forced himself not to laugh.
Ninten cleared his throat before he said, "So uh… anyways… I take it Ness told you what happened to us?"
"More or less," Kumatora said. "Actually, scratch that. He told us none of the 'more' and all of the 'less.' It seemed like he didn't even know what was happening to him the entire time."
Ninten looked at Ness. "Apparently you're not so good with storytelling."
"In my defense," Ness said. "I really didn't know what was happening to me the entire time."
Kumatora snorted; Lucas offered a shy smile.
"I don't really care," Lucas said. "I'm just glad that you're safe. Ness did tell me that you recovered some of your memories, though. I'm so happy for you!"
After seeing him from the future… Ness thought. It's hard to believe that someone so sweet could turn into that.
"Some of my memories?" Ninten blinked before a look of realization hit him. "Oh, right… I never told Ness…"
"Never told me what?" Ness asked.
Ninten just gave Ness a smile, "Oh, nothing. Anyways, Lucas… where's uh… Claus?"
Ninten gave a slight shiver, most likely remembering the sadistic Claus they just got away from.
"Seriously," Kumatora said. "What's wrong with you two? Do we all have the flu or something?"
"Nothing's wrong, we just… saw some… things in the future…" Ninten hesitated. "Um… how are you and Claus getting along anyways, Lucas? Does Claus leave often? He hadn't tried to kill anyo-THING has he?"
"Subtlety factor drops to zero, huh?" Ness asked telepathically.
Instead of a telepathic reply, Ness just felt a headache. Did Ninten just slap his mind with PSI?
"Rude," Ness said, assuming that was the case.
"He's a little confused, but I think that he's okay," Lucas said. "Why? Is something bothering you?"
Ninten just gave a sheepish grin before taking a deep breath, most likely trying to calm down. "I just… want to make sure he's… you know, not… reverting back to being a robot is all. So uh, Lucas, do you have any plans?"
"Well, finding some way to get you two back here was kind of the plan," Lucas said. "But since you're here… I don't know. I mean, what can we really do? Ness said that Porky's dead, but I still think that Fassad and his army of pigmasks will be too much for us to handle. What do we do when they find us?"
Oh yeah, Ness thought. Pigmasks. I totally forgot about them.
"Ness, didn't future Claus say that Fassad was gone too? He never said what happened to him," Ninten telepathically said. "Maybe Lucas had something to do with it?"
"Maybe," Ness said. "Do you want to ask this Lucas about that, or…?"
"I don't know if I should… what if he doesn't believe me? And if he does, it might make him bitter…"
"That's where this thing called 'subtlety' comes in," Ness said. "I distinctly recall that it's something that you need to work on anyway."
"And are you going to try to talk to Claus about this?" Ninten grumbled.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I wouldn't worry too much about Fassad or the Pigmasks. Without their master, it probably won't be long before they fall apart and disband," Ninten said to Lucas.
"I hope so," Lucas said. "Maybe then we can go back to living normal lives…" he sighed, shaking his head sadly. "I suppose that's too much to hope for, isn't it? I don't think that life will ever be the same again."
"Maybe not," Ness said. "So what's your plan? If the world around you starts to disintegrate, you can't really control it. You can only control how you adapt."
"I don't know," Lucas whispered. "I've been so busy thinking about the pigmasks that I'm not sure what will happen afterwards."
I just hope that we can change the future, Ness thought, So that what I think will happen afterwards doesn't become reality for Lucas and Claus.
"What about your brother, Lucas?" Ninten asked. "It doesn't seem like he's… you know, the brother you once knew. What're you going to do about him?"
"I don't know about that, either," Lucas said. "I don't know what I can do about that."
"Well… Claus is still your brother, no matter how much of himself he's buried," Ninten said. "If you truly want him back… well, only you can help him remember who he once was, Lucas. Ness can't really help him there since he didn't know him before."
"...Okay," Lucas said. "I'll try. I really shouldn't trust something like that to Ness, anyways."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ness asked.
"It means that I saw you attack all of us with PK Rockin, try to beat Kumatora's brains out, and nearly knock out Ninten," Lucas said. "And I understand that you had good reasons for doing all of those, but it still makes me a bit skeptical. What would you do if you thought that there was something wrong with Claus that couldn't be fixed? I don't think that you'd hesitate to turn your PSI against him!"
...Fair enough, Ness thought, pursing his lips.
Ninten sighed and said, "Well I guess while we're here, we might as well enjoy some peace. I'd like to see if Duster is really okay too myself and- …" Ninten was looking at Ness, or rather what he was holding. "... Ness, when did you get a spare hat?"
"Oh, this?" Ness asked. "It's yours. Here, take it."
Ness gave Ninten the hat. The scarf wearing boy looked at it and smiled, "Wow, it's in good condition!"
When Ninten put on the hat, he was beaming. "I felt almost naked without my hat! It's good to have it back."
"It's just a hat, Ninten," Lucas said with a quiet smile.
Huh, Ness said. He feels super uncomfortable around me but Ninten seems to cheer him up. I wonder what Lucas likes so much about Ninten.
"JUST a hat? It's not just a hat, Lucas! It's a very special family heirloom!" Ninten said all dramatic-like. "... Nah, I'm just kidding about that, but it's something I've had ever since I can remember, so it just means a lot to me."
"I actually thought you were serious for a sec," Ness said, "Because you had amnesia so you wouldn't have known until recently anyways. Imagine how many more jokes you can make now!"
"Had amnesia?" Dr. Andonuts spoke up, apparently listening to the conversation of three boys. "What did you forget?"
"... My whole life," Ninten answered sheepishly.
"How did that happen?" Dr. Andonuts asked. "It would take a lot for a memory of one's life to just disappear."
Ninten was looking a little uncomfortable with being diagnose by a doctor. "Well… uh… bad operation?"
"Oh right, you wouldn't know… hmmm…" Dr. Andonuts was looking at Ninten with a very curious expression.
"Wouldn't know what?" Lucas asked.
"You know what? It's getting kinda cramped and stuffy in here, why don't we go out for some fresh air?" Ninten quickly said.
"Aw, don't you want to hear what Dr. Andonuts has to say?" Ness asked. "It's almost like he's begging us to care about the thing that he knows and we don't."
Ninten was blushing and trying to hide his face by looking down. "N-no, it's… really not necessary, Ness!"
"I think… yeah, I remember seeing you… or was it Ness? On the Pork Ship that day…" Dr. Andonuts said. "You were talking to Porky and Fassad, but then you just-"
"You sure we can't just go walking in the forest with the nice chimeras?" Ninten interrupted.
"I mean, if you really want to…" Lucas said.
"I do kind of want to hear what you're hiding from us, Ninten," Ness said, looking into Nitnen's uneasy eyes. "Because it's pretty obvious that you're doing a really bad job of trying to steer the topic away from something… secretive. It could be harmless yet embarrassing, but I get the feeling that isn't the case."
Ninten frowned as he looked over at Lucas.
"It's okay, Ninten," Lucas whispered. "I won't judge."
"Well anyways…" Dr. Andonuts continued. "I remember seeing one of you two…" he pointed at Ness and Ninten. "In the Pork Ship talking with Porky and Fassad. I only remember a few words they were talking about… something about the future, the safe capsule and needles… but I didn't understand much about it. And one of you just kind of disappeared an hour later."
"That was not me," Ness said. "I'm pretty sure that I would remember something like that, and it's clear that Ninten does remember something like that."
"Stop picking on him!" Lucas snapped. "He can have his secrets if he wants to."
Everyone looked at Lucas, surprised that he was defending Ninten, even Ninten himself.
Ninten gave a small smile and said, "Thanks, Lucas… But I don't remember talking to Porky or Fassad on a Pork Ship, at least nothing like that. I only remember trying to escape from him and the Pigmasks… Dr. Andonuts, are you sure that was me you saw?"
"Well, I don't think it was Ness. The boy was wearing a scarf, like you are. And he didn't seem to be a clone or a robot," Dr. Andonuts said.
"Ninten…" Ness said. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's cool, but it's not hard to tell by your response that you do remember at least some of that."
Ninten sighed, before he gave a sheepish grin, "Guess I shouldn't try to hide it, huh? … Ness, while we were back in my timeline, I actually remembered… I remembered my life. It was when Ana was singing that song… the Eight Melody song. It was the only thing that defeated Giegue when we faced him, we couldn't even scratch him otherwise. But yeah, I remember everything now. However, my memory of how I lost my… well, memories, didn't add up to Dr. Andonuts' story. I do remember being on the Pork Ship, but as their prisoner."
"You implied that you regained all of your memories earlier," Ness said, "So I already knew that. But your explanation still doesn't add up with your discomfort. And yes, I get that any mention of Porky or the pigmasks is a little uncomfortable… but I don't think that's it."
Ninten frowned a bit, "... Huh… you know, I don't know why either. I just felt really uncomfortable about it. There's really no reason for me to. Maybe… I didn't get all of my memory back as I thought?"
...Do I trust him? Ness thought. He does legitimately look confused.
"Ness, if I were lying to you, you'd know right away. I'm not a very good liar, remember?" Ninten sent telepathically.
"..."
Was Ness being too cynical?
"Can that happen, Dr. Andonuts?" Lucas asked. "Can someone feel like they got all of their memory back but still be missing a few memories here and there?"
"It's very easy to make a mistake when it comes to memory. After all, memories can easily get distorted and fade over time," Dr. Andonuts explained. "If someone wanted to implant false memory, then the person could easily just accept that as a fact. Like with your… brother… he was implanted with memories of just being born as a chimera while his true ones remain deep in the darkness of his subconscious mind. It's not easy to get those back, especially if the person believes the implanted memory is true."
"What would Porky gain of implanting a false memory in me?" Ninten asked.
"I don't know myself, Ninten. Perhaps you and Porky did something together?" Dr. Andonuts suggested.
Ninten frowned but just kept looking puzzled.
"He did hold your family hostage," Ness pointed out. "There seems to be more than he let on between the two of you. And do you remember his last words? He said that he met you before but not in the way that you thought. I don't know what's going on, but he's trying to manipulate you, even after death. To what ends, though?"
"I don't know, Ness. You two were the ones who shared history, not me." Ninten frowned.
"But…" Dr. Andonuts spoke up. "How did you two come back to this timeline again? You didn't have the machine with you anymore."
Ninten paused before he said, "... I used the 4th D Slip Reverse, in gamma level."
"And what does that do?" The balding doctor asked.
"It makes me go back in time. The higher the level, the further back in time I can go. Alpha allows me to go back between a minute to a day for example. Omega allows me to go back in years, centuries even, if I wanted to," Ninten explained. "Of course, if I go too far or use it too much… well… I could end up shutting down my own brain."
"Really?" Lucas asked, his eyes widening. "So could you go back in time and try to change the past to alter the future?"
That's exactly what we're trying to do, Chrono Trigger style, Ness thought.
Ninten chuckled sheepishly, "Basically yes. I can also go into the future with it as you've experienced it yourself a few times."
"So you can time travel with your own PSI," Dr. Andonuts said, sounding fascinated.
"...I see where this is going," Ness said. "It's possible that a future Ninten went back in time and talked to Porky like you saw, right? That would fit Porky's little riddle about them meeting but not in the way that Ninten believed."
"Yes, the possibility is there indeed," Dr. Andonuts said. "But the question is why, what reason would Ninten have to go back and talk to them? The keywords being the future, the capsule and the needles, but we don't know much about them without any context."
"Maybe Ninten wanted to change the past," Lucas whispered. "Maybe we failed to stop Porky and he wanted to go back. Maybe we're living in an altered universe."
"Porky did say that something different happened in this timeline," Ninten admitted. "But we don't know what it was or why I was involved. I don't think we'll figure it out right now, especially if it happens in the future or… past… or in a timeline that no longer exists. Why don't we just stop thinking too much about it and relax? My head is still pounding."
"Agreed," Ness said. "I want to talk to Duster about something. Do you want to see if we can find him, Ninten?"
"Yeah, I helped Duster before, so I'm worried about him," Ninten said. "And I just realized why Kumatora's been so quiet… she's not here anymore… when did she leave?"
"About an hour ago, she doesn't like staying in one place too long," Dr. Andonuts answered.
"An hour?" Ness asked. "But we've only been talking for about 10 or 20 minutes. Are you sure that your time senses aren't out of whack?"
Dr. Andonuts held up a watch. "Time flies when you're focussed on something."
...I'm pretty sure that the minute hand has only moved 90 degrees, tops, Ness thought. Dr. Andonuts is officially crazy.
Ninten smiled at Lucas, though a little more timid than usual. "Hey Lucas… would you mind helping us find Duster or your dad? I'd like to talk to one of them."
"I can just tell you where they are," Lucas said. "They're over by my mom's grave. I think that I'm going to talk with Claus, if that's all right."
"Of course. I hope you're able to help your brother recover." Ninten smiled at him.
"All right," Lucas said. "Thanks for understanding, Ninten. I'll go right now. See you!"
"We should probably head off too," Ness said. "It's not like we have anything better to do, after all."
"Yeah, let's go," Ninten nodded.
As soon as the boys left the house and went to their destination, Ness sighed in relief
"Do you think we should tell them? About… their future selves?" Ninten whispered softly to Ness.
"Would they believe us?" Ness asked back.
"Probably not, but… shouldn't we, you know, do something about it?" Ninten said before smiling sheepishly. "If we figure out what to do?"
"That's the trouble, isn't it?" Ness asked. "We don't really know what to do. I think that we have to get Claus connected with Lucas somehow, though. He sees me as a friend, but he needs something more. If he can hold onto his past with Lucas, I don't think that he'll end up like that."
"He said it started because he grew tired and bored, and killed someone." Ninten frowned. "How are we going to keep him from doing that?"
"Make sure he has people to connect with," Ness said. "Nothing fuels boredom and desperation like isolation. I think that I can keep him from turning into the Masked Man if I'm around, but I don't really trust my ability to survive for an extended period of time. That's why I want to reforge the bond between Claus and Lucas."
By then, Ness and Ninten had arrived at Hinawa's grave. Flint and Duster stood in front of it, talking to each other. Ness wasn't sure how much he trusted either of them to remain stable, but they looked normal to him.
"Uh… hi," Ness said. "In case you haven't heard, we're back."
The two men looked at them.
"Ninten, you're okay!" Duster said in relief. "I heard what happened with you and Ness. You sure you're both okay?"
"We're fine, Duster," Ninten said. "What about you? You were brainwashed last time we saw you."
"Kumatora and I are fine, we hope… there doesn't seem to be any big side effects, but it does feel like the world could just turn against you." Duster frowned.
"And how are you doing, Flint?" Ness asked. "Everything holding up alright?"
"Things have been… odd lately," Flint answered. "The Pigmasks started moving out of the village and to a place called New Pork City. And well… Claus has been really distant since he and Lucas came back. Call it a father's instincts, but I'm worried something bad is going to happen to him."
"That's an understatement," Ninten mumbled.
"I guess taking out Porky made the pigmasks a little more cautious," Ness said. "Duster, you're a thief, right? Or was that just Fassad's slander?"
Duster sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I am a thief, actually. My… my father was training me before, though I don't know how good I am since I'm apparently always a moron who doesn't know what he's doing."
"You seemed pretty good with stealth and using tools effectively," Ninten said.
"But I don't know if that's what really makes me a good thief," Duster sighed. "And anyways, we don't steal from other people, we only steal what's important and stuff that nobody really owns if you know what I mean. It's complicated."
"That's actually perfect," Ness said. "Because I have something along those lines that I need us to steal. I'm still ironing out the details, but it's not something that we want to pass up. Do you remember the lab where you were brainwashed?"
Duster nodded and cringed, "I remember that place all too well actually. Is there something in that lab you want?"
"...You could say that," Ness said. "I'm trying to work with Claus right now, but I'll probably ask you to come with me to the pigmask lab sometime over the course of the next week. Is that alright?"
"Okay. You'll probably find me in the retirement house with my dad," Duster said.
"Ness…" Flint said. "You were the one who saved my son from those Pigmasks, aren't you?"
"I guess you could put it that way," Ness said. "Although Claus was the one who had to do the heavy lifting to free his mind, not me."
"But you still helped him, and for that I thank you," Flint said, before turning his attention to Ninten. "And you gave Lucas something that he hadn't had in a long time; a friend. I thank you for taking care of Lucas when I didn't."
"O-oh, it's nothing, really! Lucas was the one who took care of me," Ninten said sheepishly.
Really? Ness thought. Because it seems like Lucas isn't really stable enough to take care of anyone.
"I wonder if it's fate," Duster mused. "That you two were watching over both of Flint's boys?"
"I don't really believe in fate," Ness said with a shrug. "But I guess it could be. I think that she had some role in this, though."
"Her, huh?" Ninten gave a small smile to the grave.
"But I'm worried for my sons," Flint said. "I just think something's going to happen to both of them and it's not good. I hate feeling powerless to do anything about it."
"Well… they aren't… all that close as they used to be, so… maybe that's what's wrong?" Ninten suggested hesitantly.
"Thanks, captain obvious," Ness said telepathically.
Ninten promptly ignored him.
"Boys, what will you do?" Flint asked them seriously. "Will you return to your homes or are you going to live here?"
"I think that I'm going to return home once this all blows over," Ness said. "But I don't know when that will be. Still… I feel guilty thinking about how much my family must be worrying about me. I've never been a great son or brother, but my mom and sister do care about me. I think I'll at least take a visit sooner rather than later, assuming that Ninten is willing to take me there."
"Ninten?" Flint looked at the look alike. "How would he take you home?"
"His home is… a place that only I can take him to," Ninten answered. "At least from here."
"Alright, but if you could… please help my sons," Flint said softly.
"Can do!" Ness said. "I'm planning on doing that right now, actually. I think that Ninten can help Lucas as well. Lucas… Maybe I'm getting the wrong idea, but he kinda seems on the edge."
Ninten frowned as he sighed, "Yeah, I want to see if I can help."
"We should probably go now," Ness said. "It's not like we have anything better to do. See you two. And… see you too, Hinawa. I don't know if you're listening, but… we're trying."
There was a soft hum, though Ness isn't sure if that was necessarily Hinawa's spirit or not.
Ninten followed behind Ness as they left the graveyard. Ninten, Ness noticed, seemed a little more… somber than he used to be.
"Do you really think… we could even help them?" Ninten asked, doubt laced in with his tone.
"Yeah," Ness said. "All of the experts and people with fancy degrees say that maintaining social connection is one of the best ways to avoid becoming bitter and stuff. So long as we're here for them, they shouldn't turn into the people who we saw in the future… although it's disturbing that they have the potential to become those people. I don't want to think that the future Lucas and Claus are real, but they are, even if we manage to help them. That potential is encoded in our DNA."
"That's a scary thought…" Ninten frowned. "I don't know if we can help them though. They've been like this for years, and they've only known us for, what? Less than a month? People can change, but… this is deeply rooted. How did things turn out that way? Why? How different was it supposed to be if we never came into the picture? Is it our fault this entire thing is even happening? That Claus becomes that sadistic monster? That Lucas become so paranoid he's willing to attack people he once considered friends? Would we have been better off never knowing any of this happened and stayed in our own timelines?"
By the end of Ninten's little rant, sparks of PK Beam was shining in his fists. The boy calmed himself down to dissipate it.
"Maybe," Ness said. "But remember, that wasn't really our fault. If your fears are true, then it's Porky's fault for bringing us in and messing things up. It's our job to fix the problems that he created."
"... I don't know if it's all of Porky's fault," Ninten said. "He did say he had some help after all. But I guess now isn't the time for that, huh?"
"You guess correctly," came a hard voice from behind Ness.
Ness jumped, letting out a yelp. Upon turning around, his eyes widened in shock. He blinked, trying to make reality warp around him.
No… He thought. It can't be... not so soon.
"Aww, what's the matter Ness? Not so happy to see your old friend?" Came the voice that sent a shiver down Ness' spine.
It was Claus, but he had the scar on his left eye and the sadistic smile on his face. This was the Claus from the dark future.
"H-How did you get here?" Ness asked, unable to stop his body from shaking.
This can't be happening.
"You know, I'm surprised that you're asking me such a question rather than saying hello. Aren't we friends, Ness?" Claus said, the sadistic smile never leaving his face. "Heh, even Porky couldn't make you shake this much, I'm hurt, Ness."
"...Teleport!" Ness shouted, before remembering how Claus had disabled his teleportation skills in the future without saying if the effects were permanent.
Please work…
Ness dashed forward, grabbing Ninten and warping off into the distance. The two of them appeared right in front of Lucas' house, not a mile away from the Masked Man.
Ness exchanged a horrified glance with Ninten.
"What do we do now?" he whispered.
"Wow, you must be pretty shaken up if you're not the one coming up with ideas," Ninten said. "I would say we could try to beat and kill him, but I don't think that would work out so well. I mean, if Claus is destined to become like that, it would just happen all over again anyways. If we want to prevent that, we should do what we were planning to do; help reconnect Claus to his humanity and family."
"We don't have time for that!" Ness shouted. "And I do have a plan, but I wasn't expecting to have to use it this quickly!" Ness' voice dropped to a whisper. "If we don't kill him now, then he'll destroy everything in this world too. He'll destroy everything…"
Ness' mind couldn't comprehend the scale of such destruction.