Did I say this would be posted ten days after the previous chapter? I'm sorry for the wait, but I needed more time to work on this part. Thanks for your patience.
Part Seven: The War Against Giygas
Chapter 52: Turmoil in Winters
After spending so long in the heat of Summers, Scaraba, and Deep Darkness, the cool crunch of snow underfoot almost surprised Ness. Once he'd gotten his bearings, he realized Poo's teleportation dropped them in a location he hadn't ever seen before.
They were standing in ankle-deep snow outside the gates to an enormous brick building. Boys of various ages milled around the entrance and the path to and from the gate, chatting to each other and not seeming to have noticed the sudden arrival of Ness and his friends. The boys, who all wore school uniforms identical to Jeff's, didn't appear to carry themselves with much confidence. In fact, the late evening atmosphere felt troubled, like some great tragedy was upon them.
"This isn't the right place," Jeff said. "We're definitely in Winters- this is Snow Wood, my school- but the lab is south of here."
"I've never been here," replied Poo. "PSI Teleport can be inexact if I'm unfamiliar with the destination."
"It's fine, we can get to the lab by heading down the trail to the lake. Maybe if we're lucky, Tessie will be there too. But before we go, I want to find out what's wrong here," Jeff said, stepping away from them.
It was clear he'd noticed the uneasy mood as well. He approached someone with wavy red hair and bags under his eyes, standing by the gate. The older boy had the same harrowed look as everyone else, and seeing Jeff did nothing to help that. In fact, he almost appeared more distressed.
The pair exchanged a few words out of earshot, Jeff occasionally gesturing to them. Ness overheard the name Megane once or twice, but otherwise didn't make out much of the conversation. At least, until the older student said something that made Jeff freeze. The two didn't converse for much longer, parting ways soon enough.
"What is it? Did something happen?" asked Poo.
For a moment Jeff's voice was barely audible.
"Tony. My roommate. He's gone missing."
A sudden chill coursed down Ness's spine.
"Him, your dad, Apple Kid," he murmured, "This can't be a coincidence. I bet he was kidnapped like them!"
Jeff nodded.
"There've apparently been disappearances from all over Winters. No leads on where anyone's gone, either."
"What about Stonehenge?" asked Paula. "That place gave me a creepy vibe when we first visited; maybe it has something to do with this."
Ness put the pieces together almost instantly.
"It was covered by a metal eraser, too. Do you think your teacher put it there like the pencils?"
"I'm almost certain," Jeff said. "That means we might find him or the other Commanders nearby. It wouldn't just be there for no reason."
"Let's get to the lab, then!" Ness replied, bouncing on his heels. "Apple Kid said the Eraser Eraser was done, so we can check it out!"
The four made haste down the path Jeff mentioned, kicking off their investigation. Ness had expected a tense, quiet trek toward the lake, and therefore couldn't tell if he was relieved or not when the group came under attack. As they proceeded through the woods, they were set upon by a series of red beams streaking past, exploding in the snow just behind them. Three light purple robots with pawn-shaped bodies emerged from the undergrowth, forming a triangle in their path.
They scattered to avoid being struck by additional lasers. One of the robots advanced on Ness, attempting to single him out. Its arms rapidly spun around its body for a buzz saw-like effect, and he realized their appearances were familiar. These were the same kinds of robots he'd faced back in Peaceful Rest Valley, designed by Lloyd to stop him. Aside from their new paint jobs and laser blasts, however, they didn't pose much more of a threat. Ness was able to dodge the first robot's whirling arms and smash its head off with a single swing of his bat. The other two were just as easily defeated by his friends not long after.
"Were those Mr. Megane's robots?" asked Jeff. "If they're here, maybe he is too!"
Spurred on by the possibility of bringing down one of the Commanders, they picked up the pace. More spinning robots ambushed them on the way, as well as squad after squad of the round, octopus-like machines which had accompanied Ana in the pyramid. Although the enemies were fairly weak, the sheer number of them proved disconcerting.
"I've never seen this many robots in one place," Ness said as he knocked another spinner's head off. "When did Giygas's army get here?"
"They weren't here when I left Snow Wood," Jeff replied. "Either they set up shop really quick, or they've been hiding. I don't like the thought of either."
Lake Tess came into view around fifteen minutes and two additional robot ambushes later. Tents were pitched along the shore, and Ness could see at least a dozen people hanging about them. Unlike the students they met earlier, the Tessie-Watching Club seemed carefree and cheerful when the group approached. In fact, upon noticing Jeff the members noticeably became more excited.
"You seem popular here," Poo remarked, taking note of the numerous stares in their direction.
Jeff chuckled.
"I got to ride Tessie on my way to save Ness and Paula. Actually, I'm hoping she'll let us have another trip. If she's here, that is… oh, hey!"
Rather than a giant sea creature greeting them at the lake's edge, they were instead treated to a small monkey throwing itself at Jeff from out of nowhere. Ness reached for his bat but soon realized there was no need; the animal was hugging him around his chest and shrieking excitedly.
(Buddy! Buddy! It's you!)
It had been a while since he'd heard an animal's thoughts with his telepathy, especially because Talah Rama's monkeys could speak. This brought back memories for him, memories from… how long ago was it?
While Jeff caught up with his old friend, Ness took a moment to determine how long he'd really been on his journey for. His irregular sleep schedule, plus hopping between different time zones, made keeping track of the time difficult, but at a rough estimate he would have to say…
"Just sixteen days?! It feels like I've been away from home for months!"
Nearly seventeen. The sun was low in the sky, and soon enough night would fall. At their current rate, he would still get to enjoy the majority of his summer vacation after stopping Giygas. A nice bonus, he figured.
"Hey, guys! Come over here!" Jeff called to them. He was standing at the edge of the lake while his monkey friend- who'd been joined by another monkey with a red hair bow- shoved a wad of chewing gum into his mouth. He blew a bubble that (somehow) carried him into the air, and hovered over a distinctly dark spot of water. The Tessie-Watchers gathered around, binoculars at the ready.
Ness had seen a lot on his adventure, and while the sight of a purple, dinosaur-looking sea creature rising from beneath the surface wasn't even one of the top ten strangest experiences it was nonetheless captivating to watch. Tessie's expression could only be described as dopey, but her gentle, graceful paddling to the river bank was anything but. She came to a stop not far from where they stood, the monkey perching atop her head.
"Hi, Tessie!" said Jeff. "Remember me? Do you think you could give me and my friends a ride across the lake?"
"Mmmmm…" she grumbled.
(Climb onto my back. Any friends of Bubble Monkey are friends of mine.)
Her thoughts echoed in Ness's head, and despite the threat hanging over Winters he couldn't resist a wide grin.
"She says it's okay," he reported to his friends. Behind them, one of the Tessie-Watchers fainted from sheer awe.
The Chosen Four and Bubble Monkey's wife got onto Tessie's humped back one at a time, whereupon she started to swim away from the shore and the ecstatic club members.
"This," Paula said, "is the coolest thing ever! We're riding a dinosaur!"
"I just wish the photo guy were here to capture this," Ness added. "Whatever album he's putting together, this would definitely make a good addition."
No sooner had he finished saying that did he hear a click somewhere to their left. He turned in its direction and saw a black top hat sink below the lake's surface. The tip of a snorkel stuck up where it had been, swiftly moving away from Tessie.
Ness just took it in stride, letting himself enjoy the moment before they had to get serious again.
"Well," sighed Lloyd, straightening his suit, "it's only a matter of time now."
Ninten stood near the base's entrance with him, overseeing the final preparations for battle. Mooks rushed here and there, fortifying defenses and organizing the hideout as best as they could.
"I'm sure they'll be here soon. Are you ready?" Ninten asked.
"Yep. Everything's in order, so all I have to do is beat them."
"Do you think you can?"
Lloyd glanced over his shoulder to make sure none of the Mooks could hear them, then gave him a quick thumbs up.
"Nope. That's the best part. I'll even give you my last Teleport Bomb, so I can't use it myself."
He retrieved the spherical device from his pocket, reaching out to Ninten. As he tried to accept it, however, both of their hands felt an invisible tug downwards. They attempted the exchange a second time, then a third, but to no avail. Giygas, it seemed, had caught on to their attempt at escaping his grasp and was exerting his influence just enough to stop them.
"Crap," Lloyd sighed. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be okay. You and Ana get going, those last two Sanctuaries need to be secured."
Speaking of Ana, she emerged from deeper in the base to join them. Her expression wasn't one of hope, and when Ninten saw what was accompanying her he felt his stomach clench in concern.
"Our victory is inevitable, Commanders," it droned in its deep, metallic voice. "The children stand no chance against us."
Ninten looked to his friends, neither of whom appeared more confident than him.
"Well, I hope you and Lloyd take care of them," he said. "We're off. Hail Giygas!"
He exited the base with Ana right behind him, but felt her hand in his once they were out. Ninten gave it a squeeze in some halfhearted attempt to encourage her, then watched the metal eraser statue covering the entrance shift back into place.
"Those kids are strong enough to do anything, they'll be fine" he said in a motivational effort even he didn't quite believe. "Let's get moving; we have work to do. PSI Teleport: Alpha."
He began to run, Ana on his heels, south of the base's entrance. They picked up speed and vanished in a blue vortex, leaving behind Winters, Lloyd, and the impending battle.
Tessie's ride came to an end just as the sun began to set. She let Ness and his friends off at the other end of the lake before swimming away with the two monkeys still on her back.
"The lab's not far," said Jeff. "We just have to go through a short tunnel system and we'll be there. Actually, this is the same tunnel you went through to reach that Sanctuary."
Although he seemed confident in his knowledge of the geography, Jeff had a confused look when they came to a narrow path around a cliff bordering the lake.
"That's weird, there used to be one of those metal pencil statues here. You guys didn't come this way and erase it while looking for Rainy Circle, did you?"
Ness shook his head.
"I didn't get the Pencil Eraser back until after we reached the Sanctuary. If they're Lloyd's creations, maybe he took this one away? He might have a way to shrink them down."
Whatever the case, it just meant their path forwards was easier. They traveled further south and reached the aforementioned cave, thankfully not encountering any more robots. An unsubtle heaviness hung in the air, like some dark force was blanketing the entire region. It was the same thing Ness felt when he first went to Stonehenge, and he knew they were getting close.
The four scaled a rope at the far end of the tunnel, and soon enough the exit was in sight, as well as the path to Rainy Circle. There was nothing else waiting for them that way, with the only notable detail being the absence of Starman Junior's wrecked body. They'd left it in such a condition that it couldn't possibly have gone anywhere on its own, so someone else must have collected its remains. Ness had a feeling that he hadn't seen the last of the robot. With nothing else of interest, they proceeded out of the tunnel and found themselves not far from Stonehenge.
"Do you feel that…?" asked Poo, sounding unnerved.
"The darkness is still here," said Paula. "No, it's worse this time. I can't explain it, but something evil is definitely in the area."
Jeff shuddered.
"I don't even have PSI, but I'm getting the creeps too…"
Like their first visit, the iron eraser was still smack in the middle of the stone arches.
"Apple Kid said he finished modifying his device to get rid of this, so let's see if it's still in the lab," Ness said. "We don't have much to go on, anyway."
All was quiet on the walk south. The door to Dr. Andonuts's lab was wide open, but the gently falling snow had long since covered up any tracks there may have been leading to or from it. That was to be expected given the location; what Ness hadn't seen coming was just how neat the lab's interior was. None of the tables were overturned, nothing was broken, there wasn't so much as a test tube knocked over. It seemed the only thing out of place was the Phase Distorter, which was nowhere to be seen.
The telephone Apple Kid had used just before his kidnapping sat in the middle of the table, beside the modified Pencil Eraser. In fact, the device was so conspicuous it seemed like it had been presented there for Ness.
"Someone wanted us to find this," he said. "If they really wanted to stop us they wouldn't have just left it here."
Though uneasy with the knowledge that Stonehenge's iron eraser could have been hiding a trap, he pocketed Apple Kid's device.
"Just hang on, we're coming to save you…"
They each took a turn in Dr. Andonuts's Instant Revitalizing Machine to be ready for whatever would come next. As they exited the lab, however, Jeff still looked anything but prepared. His head hung down, and he shuffled his feet halfheartedly through the snow.
Ness fell into step beside him.
"Hey. You're worried about your dad and Tony, aren't you?"
It was less of a question, more of a statement. An obvious one that Jeff didn't even try to deny. He just nodded, still not quite raising his eyes from the ground.
"We're going to save them. Whatever happened, we'll get to the bottom of it. All right?"
Jeff finally looked up, his expression taking on a hint of determination. Ness couldn't resist a grin; seeing his friends motivated made him more confident in turn.
His enthusiasm was immediately put to the test. The rest of the trek back to Stonehenge was quiet, but anticipation hung thick in the air. As they approached the rocky arches, the feeling of dread settled in once more. It was even worse this time, as if every step toward their destination whittled down his confidence bit by bit.
Seeing the iron eraser in the center of the stones, he pulled out Apple Kid's device. It retained its eraser shape, but now had a switch to toggle between "Pencil Eraser" and "Eraser Eraser" for added versatility (of course, it was still possibly the most situational item he'd ever laid eyes on). Ness flipped the switch to the appropriate setting and pushed the start button.
Like with the pencil statue back in Twoson, the eraser vanished in a blink of light. Its placement was revealed to be no coincidence; beneath it was a deep, dark hole with a ladder leading into the unknown. Uncovering it caused Ness's sense of foreboding to triple, but he couldn't afford to lose face.
"Well… h-here we go. I'll head in first."
He took a deep breath and began to descend the ladder, the unnerving sensation weighing heavier on him by the second.
