Chapter 25: How Far We've Come

Ness blinked and looked around in a bleary-eyed daze. Where was he? How did he get there? Why did his head feel so weird?

"Oh, the mushroom's gone!" he heard Jeff say from behind him.

"Mushroom…?" he moaned. "What're you talking about?"

Paula was looking at his forehead, rubbing her fingers over it like she was trying to find something. He might have blushed if he didn't feel so strange at the moment.

"That walking mushroom threw a spore at your face," she explained. "It put you in this weird trance for a while, but getting to the Sanctuary must have taken care of it with the rest of our injuries."

"H-hold on, we made it while I was out?"

Jeff nodded, a small grin on his face.

"Yeah, she led you here by the hand. She never let you move too far from her, even during that last fight."

This time Ness fully blushed, and based on Paula suddenly clearing her throat it seemed she did too.

"I-I didn't do it all by myself!" she hastily said. "Jeff did most of the damage… I was just keeping you safe during it."

The second she said it she made a tiny squeak and covered her face with her hands. Ness, though still embarrassed himself, laughed good-naturedly.

"Well, I'm sorry I wasn't more help. I'll have to make it up to you guys sometime. By the way, did you say there was a fight? Was it the guardian?"

Paula frowned.

"Not exactly. It was Mr. Megane, Jeff's teacher. He said there was supposed to be someone waiting for us who never showed up. Instead he fought us himself… he was tough, but we beat him together. He said he couldn't defeat us all and ran away after that."

Ness looked over to Jeff and could still see traces of sadness in his eyes.

"Huh… shoot, I'd hoped if we beat him he would turn good again. We'll just have to give it another shot the next time we run into him. What else did I miss?"

Paula stepped out of the way to give him a better view of Milky Well.

"Just that. Are you gonna do the thing with the Sound Stone?"

"Oh, right. One second."

He pulled it out of his pocket and stepped closer to the cream-colored pond. Ness closed his eyes, holding it out over the water like he had for the last two Sanctuaries. For just a moment, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"…I love you, son… remember to always be a thoughtful, strong boy…"

He missed his mother. He missed his father. He missed Tracy. He missed King. He even missed Picky next door, and he wondered how he was doing. But as much as Ness wanted to go home, there was still a world to save. The Sanctuary's power flowed into the Sound Stone, and he heard another short section of a melody. After that, all was silent except for Milky Well's light rush of water.

"It's done," he announced.

Paula and Jeff joined him, each with a curious expression.

"Where to next?" the latter asked. "That's three out of eight, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I don't really know where the others are. Why don't we go back to Saturn Valley? Maybe they'll have a hint for us there, or at least those snacks they promised."

Like he even needed to ask. Paula was bouncing on her feet.

"Aha! I've found you!"

All three of them jumped at the deep growl addressing them. Inside the tunnel leading back was a pile of rust-colored soil with a pair of round, cartoony eyes glaring at the trio. A withered yellow sprout protruded from the top.

"What're you supposed to be?" Ness asked, holding his bat in case it tried to attack.

"I'm the guardian of this place, Trillionage Sprout!. The Sanctuary's mine now, and I won't let any of you get to it! I'm gonna take you down!"

He looked to Paula and Jeff with a blank expression, then back to the late arrival. Was this what Megane had been waiting for?

"We, uh, already got here. Recorded the melody and everything."

Trillionage Sprout's mouth of dirt hung half-open for a moment, then it cleared its throat.

"Oh. Well then, guess I don't need to do anything. Off you go, kids."

And so, without even trying to attack, it slunk off into the tunnel down a different path than the main route. They proceeded back through it, facing no resistance even from the hostile plants in the first clearing.

"They sure cut us a break with that," Paula hummed. "Maybe it just wasn't motivated enough to fight."

"I'm not complaining," replied Jeff. "After dealing with Belch, I'm not keen on the idea of getting any dirtier."

The Mr. Saturns were just as happy to see them as before once they returned, crowding around the trio and singing praises for no particular reason.

"YoU sTiNkY! HoT sPrInG cLeAn YoU oFf, BoInG!" several of them chanted.

They were guided back to the cough syrup-looking spring. Hesitant as Ness was to step into the stuff, he felt the odd creatures could be trusted and changed into the one bathing suit he packed behind a bush, while Jeff admitted that he didn't know how to swim and was content to dip his feet into the hot spring. Paula returned in a bathing suit of her own and plunged in headfirst. She came back up rubbing her forehead.

"Oww… okay, it's not as deep as it looks…"

Grinning, Ness joined her. They splashed each other (and Jeff, on occasion) for a bit until the Mr. Saturns returned bearing various snack foods and three cups of what they referred to as coffee. Ness had never drank it before, but he was fairly certain it wasn't supposed to be gray in color. Still, not wanting to be rude to their hosts, he took a sip of the warm liquid.

He felt himself go numb. The world blurred around him until he could see nothing but a gentle blue light pulsing before his eyes, and in that moment he knew peace.

You've traveled very far from home…

Do you remember how your long and winding adventure began with someone pounding at your door?

It was Pokey Minch, the worst person in your neighborhood, who knocked that fateful night. Destiny called, and you answered despite your own fears.

Along your way, you have walked, thought, and fought. While you have experienced the pain of battle time and time again, you have always kept your courage. Through your many experiences, you have steadily grown stronger in more ways than you might understand.

The fate of the world rests on your shoulders, but you no longer carry it alone. Paula, who is steadfast, kind, and even pretty, has been by your side. She has maintained trust in you no matter the situation, keeping you motivated in dire times.

Jeff is with you as well. Although he can be timid, he came to your rescue from a distant land. He put his faith in the hands of two complete strangers, knowing that he could rely on you and that you could rely on him.

Ness… as you certainly know by now, you are more than a regular young man. You have an awesome destiny to fulfill. Giygas, your enemy, remains at large, and should you fail to defeat him, all hope will be lost. Your journey to stop his sinister plans will be long and only become more difficult the further you go. Yet I know that somehow, you can find a way to succeed. When good battles evil, which side do you believe wins? Do you have faith that good is triumphant?

You must never lose your courage. If you truly believe in yourself and your friends, then no goal is beyond your reach. There are many trials ahead, but each of you must keep your senses of humor and enjoy your time together.

When you finish this cup of coffee, your quest will resume. The next destination is the big city of Fourside, beyond the desert to the east of Threed. Go forth, and continue your adventure with your spirits held high.

Ness…

Paula…

Jeff…

…

I wish you luck…

The Teleport Bomb brought Mr. Megane somewhere far from Threed, to the forward command center of the invasion force. He was greeted at the underground base's entrance by a slimy red creature with three eyes, one just above its toothy grin and the others on two long stalks sprouting from its head. It walked on a set of tentacles, slithering aside to grant him entry.

"Welcome back, Commander," it hissed. "You appear to have taken significant damage…"

He ignored it and walked past, proceeding deeper into the base. The whir of machinery filled the air, drowning out the constant whispers in his own head… the voices never stopped instructing him, telling him where to go, what to build, what to destroy… how long had it been like this? He didn't remember. All he could feel was the incessant migraine, and the anger radiating from its source.

Continuing on, he passed by more henchmen busy at work. They were putting the finishing touches on the base, and clearly they enjoyed the task. Very few even shot him a glance, not that it mattered much to the man. He made it to the deepest chamber, where the remains of a Junior-Class Starman were laid out on a table and overseen by a trio of the slimy creatures. More importantly, the only two people he was interested in seeing were there.

"You look terrible," one of them, a blonde woman dressed in black, noted upon seeing his ruined suit. "What happened?"

"Those kids are no pushovers," he grumbled. "Plus, they have a new member of their team. Jeff Andonuts, that student of mine I told you about."

"You're not getting sentimental, are you?" asked the other person he'd come to see, standing in the corner of the room with his arms folded.

He was roughly the same age as both of them, only a few years into adulthood. Unlike them, he didn't wear black clothing but rather a simple blue tee-shirt with light cargo shorts. The man's manner of dress was astonishingly casual compared to his professional suit and even their third friend's neat dress shirt. His eyes, partly hidden behind strands of his messy black hair, were just as red as theirs.

"Of course not," he shot back. "Even if I was, Master's orders can't be disobeyed. Speaking of which, that's why you called us here, isn't it? Has he decided to finally clue us in onto what he wants next?"

"We can only hope," his friend said. "Hold on, I feel him coming…"

His eyes squeezed shut and a cringe passed over him. The skin on his face turned a pale blue in color, as if he'd been stuck in the cold for hours. When he spoke, his voice was completely different to the soft tone beforehand

"My… aaargh… huuuurts… everything hurts…"

"Master Giygas, are you okay?" Megane asked. "Your mentality's been in poor condition lately, do you need our help?"

"No… NO…" he groaned through the body he was temporarily possessing from afar. "You… cannot come near me again… I-I know you will cause unneeded complications, one way or another. The D-Devil's Machine is keeping me safe from harm, but it requires maintenance… have you completed your work on the parts I requested?"

He nodded.

"I have. They've been sent to you through your minor henchmen, like usual. Are you sure I can't personally oversee the repairs of-"

Megane lurched back as he felt a strong blow to his stomach. The attack had come from nowhere, being telekinetic in nature, and while nothing had technically hit him it still left a sharp pain.

"NO. You will not ask me again."

"Y-yes, Master. What of the children trying to stop you? I wasn't able to defeat them all together."

"Aaaaaargh! M-my head… the memories, they keep reappearing…"

He bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything. Commander or not, if he stepped out of line he could easily have wound up dead.

"I… believe they're heading for Fourside next," he continued once Giygas's anguished moans had died down. "What do you have in mind for them?"

"My loyal s-s-servant is already there, preparing for their arrival… he informs me that his plan will undoubtedly crush their morale, and I have great confidence in his abilities."

Another bite to his tongue. Not that he would ever speak out against his master, but frankly he thought the servant being referenced was the most incompetent, obnoxious person in the world. He wouldn't have trusted that boy to deliver a morning newspaper, let alone orchestrate the downfall of their greatest enemies. He himself and his two friends were each leagues beyond him as far as experience went, so he simply couldn't understand the appeal.

"…however…" Giygas continued, "As a precaution, w-we must take further steps to defend the Sanctuary there. Ana."

The blonde woman stepped closer to their friend being used as a mouthpiece. She had a cold, determined look in her eyes.

"Here, sir."

"Proceed to Fourside and watch over Magnet Hill in addition to the local creatures. My s-s-servant tells me the only way to access it is via a trail through the sewers… you and the guardian will monitor this entryway at all times… understood?"

"What about us, Master?" Megane asked.

"You two…" his voice cracked and grumbled. "The pair of you are to remain in your current location to assist with the creation of our army. Your technical knowledge and his PSI abilities are invaluable for our purposes. Dismissed…"

The fellow Commander's voice lost its raspy edge, and his face's color returned. He looked between them with a frown.

"Sometimes I just don't understand his thought process."

"You're the one he communes with," Megane retorted. "If anyone here should know what he's on about, it's you."

Ana was briskly stepping away from them, giving a halfhearted wave behind her back.

"I'm off to see what this Sanctuary guardian I'm working with is. If it's really in a sewer, I can already tell this'll be great."

"At least you aren't cooped up in here this time!" their friend yelled after her. "Well, let's get to work. We have to keep doing our part to ensure victory."

Megane could feel something in his head once again trying to convince him to stop, that this wasn't right, that he didn't really want to help Giygas. Although he wholeheartedly agreed, he wasn't given much of a choice, and the urge to rebel was crushed under another wave of malice.

"Jeff Andonuts and his friends, following in our footsteps…"

Those three had come a long way on their journey, and he and his two partners even further, but perhaps not in the right direction.

End of Part Three

Author's Note: Fun fact, the Saturn Valley coffee break may be my favorite individual moment in the entire game. I can only hope I did it justice here, while also expanding on it a little (because you know how I roll!).

This story's come far too, hasn't it? I'm hoping I'll continue to entertain you, dear readers, as the adventure forges onward. Thank you for your continued support, and I'll see you next time when we begin Part Four!