A/N

Good to see you back! Hope you're well, whoever you are, and I hope you enjoy this chapter, too. 22 chapters feels like a lot - but the way it's going, there's still quite a lot more to come. I want to say we're at least halfway, I really do… but, we're not. :3

Nintendo still own the characters. (do I need to put this disclaimer in every time?)

Anyways, enjoy!


Chapter 22: The Letter.


The morning - I check out of the window. The day breaks slowly, the sky still dim, the gentle roll of the carriage wheels attempting to drag me back into the slippery arms of sleep. But I can't sleep! This morning is Escape Morning - and a steel-armoured guard is coming to our carriage, carrying a plate of what looks to be bread. Bread! That must be breakfast, which means…

It's time.

"Guys!" I whisper, and everyone rouses, rubbing their eyes sleepily, and I point frantically at the guard that's coming rigidly towards us - everyone scrambles, upon seeing him, alert, throwing coats round shoulders, gathering up bags, collecting anything on the floor… I run over the plan in my head. We jump the guard, we gather the food, we run out into the forest on the side of the road, and then do… something. I stare out at the guard. He moves so mechanically, so… automatically. I turn, and I nod at the others in the carriage - it's now or never if we're going to leave, and… then, what? I'm not sure, yet. I'll make a plan. I'm good at plans.

The carriages slow, and the guard steps up the carriage stairs, and the carriage door swings open - and I'm up! I jump at the guard, bringing them inside the carriage - I have no idea what I'm doing - Tessie takes the bread, stuffing it inside Elmore's handbag. The guard doesn't even seem to be struggling - they're just kind of, standing, in my grasp. I grab their helmet, taking it off - and it's just a normal-looking young guy. They stare at the carriage table, standing completely still - what? Why aren't they stopping us? I keep the door open, motioning to the others to start getting as I hold him still. I let go of him, steadily, trying to sneak past, beckoning to the others, but his body swings backwards, defeated by gravity, knocking into the side of the carriage - something slips off of his neck, onto the floor, some piece of… metal?

Suddenly, the guard makes a staggering gasp - I back quickly away from him, but he grabs me on the shoulder - his eyes wide, his legs swinging dizzily, his face contorted into inhuman agony-!

He shouts. "Porky!"

"Porky's not here," I reply, panicked, trying to get everyone out of the carriage. I didn't know Porky employed bloody lunatics as his guards-!

The man shakes suddenly, his legs giving way, and he falls back into a seat of the carriage. "Get me out of here!"

What the hell is going on - I shepherd Tessie out, followed by Angie and Caroline.

The guard staggers further back, causing the carriage to rock ominously. "Let me - let me go!" His whole body contorts, and he's launched further back.

I stare, horrified. "What do you mean - agh! Watch out!"

The guard stares at me suddenly, his eyes glassy and horrified. "The things he did… it's all rushing back… it's all… oh my God…"

I direct Sebastian, Elmore, Ollie and Pusher out of the carriage. "What? What do you mean?"

The guard stares intently, shaking sporadically, hands spasming in a gruesome fashion. "Wh-Where are you going!?"

Reggie and Alex leave the carriage, followed by Duster and that's everyone - I back away- "We're getting away from this madness!"

"Take me with you!"

I pause, turning in surprise.

"Take me with you, please, I have to - I can't - let me go, let me go!"

I glance back at the others, and then stare at the guard. "What?"

"I can't - I need to get away, please let me get away!" He rocks around, his hands pressed against his head in some sort of blind panic - what has Porky done to this man! I make a quick decision.

"Yeah, come with us. Quick!"

I grab his hand, and aid him out of the carriage and Elmore whips round in surprise. "You're fraternising with the- the enemy!"

"He doesn't seem to be with Porky-"

The man's legs give way, and he falls to the floor, clutching onto my trousers. "Please-"

I stand frozen - I observe the carriages,just starting to move again - but there's another guard headed this way! I grab our new accomplice hastily, and Duster helps - we carry him and ourselves into the forest on the side of the road. I think we made it. I think we actually did it-! To my delight, the carriages start picking up the pace - I peer from amongst the trees. It's just dark enough, still, for us not to be noticed by any guards, or even passengers… we've done it. We're safe. Well, assuming we're not eaten by bears or foxes in the forest. I shake off the man, who's still grabbing onto my trousers.

I stand back, alarmed by how… animalistic this man seems to have become. "What's your name?"

"My name…" he stares at me, fright in his eyes, his brain almost humming with effort. "I have a name, I think, yes, yes, name…"

The carriages continue to trundle, eventually disappearing round a corner of the dirt track road. The man continues to think.

He looks up suddenly. "Got it! I'm, my name - Roy, yes. Roy. I am Roy. Roy."

I wave, nervously. "Hello- Roy, erm, what happened to you, exactly?"

He stands up in a hurry, his eyes suddenly wide and terrified. I check behind me but nothing's there - he grabs my shoulder again. "We need to go, we need to get away, Porky, Porky, Porky!"

"I'm not Porky- what has Porky done to you!"

He jabs a finger into my face accusingly. "You - who are you!"

"I'm, I'm Steven," I lie, but he screws up his face.

"No, no… you, I recognise you…"

Damn it. If he's a resident of Onett, he'll almost certainly know who I am - luckily, he seems a bit delirious right now. I'd tell everyone else who I am, right this second, but, I don't think they're in a position to trust anyone from Onett, thanks to the damn war, therefore, incognito mode it is.

"No, you don't recognise me, I'm from very far away," I say, firmly. "Come on. We should start walking."

Elmore scoffs. "What, we're just going to go and bring this crazy guy along with us?

I stare at her. "Well, of course?"

"He'll slow us down."

"Well, what do you suggest then?" I ask, coldly.

"Leave him to bloody die here. He's a guard, he's in with Porky, assuming you're actually correct about Porky being villainous-"

Caroline gasps. "What, we can't do that!"

"Yeah!" Angie agrees, firmly.

I sigh. "Besides, he has information, and he seems, well, to not be with Porky, so, he's coming with us."

"Since when were you in charge!" Elmore snaps.

"If I may, I'm in charge, as mayor of Tazmily," Pusher cuts in. "And I say we should allow this fellow to come with us."

"What!" Elmore grumbles. "That's an awful idea. Sebastian, tell him!"

Sebastian looks up. "Uh-"

Pusher folds his arms. "Wife, you are to obey me. Sebastian, tell her!"

"Sebastian, my butler," Elmore says, "Tell him we are not to bring this stranger, Roy, or I'll have you hung, drawn and quartered."

Sebastian's eyes widen. "Uh-!"

Pusher steps forwards. "Sebastian, tell her that we are to bring Roy, or I'll have you buried alive!"

Sebastian steps back. "My lord, my lady, please! Be reasonable-!"

"Mother, Father, shut up!" Ollie shouts. "Look!"

We all look - there's a guard coming back down the road, no doubt they've noticed we've gone. I look up - it's gotten lighter.

We'rei visible.

"No time to argue!" I call, "come on, quick! Follow me!"

Duster and I take both Roy's arms, and we all start to hurry, deeper into the forest...


I'm plunging through the darkness. My hands are ablaze - and I'm falling, falling so infinitely far, I'm scared, I'm scared! Behind, everything chases me - The Face, an army of Future Humans, a million floating graves-

Wait.

Floating graves? That's kind of ridiculous - it must be a dream! I turn around, and envision all of the things chasing me falling into a black hole and disappearing - I envision a floor of pillows and I collapse into it. This is just a dream. This is my place. Words from the book drift back to me:

'For psychics, dreams are important. They can give messages, ideas of the future, or of the past.'

So this dream might well be important - I suddenly realise, why am I thinking like this, in a dream? Maybe I'm… lucid dreaming. That's interesting. I lay back in the floor of pillows, staring upwards into the black void I fell from, hoping that something important might appear, something that might tell me something about all that's happening! I stare intently, trying to tell if there's something there, but there doesn't seem to be…

I stare into the void.

And I stare.

And I stare

Well, if there's nothing for me to see here, can I just wake up then, please? That'd be much appreciated… But suddenly, a great fire rises out of my hands, encircling me, alarmingly - I try and remove it, I try and imagine it away, but it's here, and it's got me, and I'm gasping for breath and- and-!

I wake up, gasping for breath, in blind panic, grabbing onto Ness - but he's not there! My eyes shoot open in fright - where's he gone! The room is light - Pit is asleep - is anything on fire?! No. No, it's all good but - where's Ness! My throat constricts, and I suddenly remember yesterday's events.

Ness doesn't want to be my best friend anymore.

Maybe that's a dramatic way of putting it. He's 'distancing himself from me for my safety' - curse me, for working out that whoever is behind this is after Ness, not me. It makes perfect sense - to get at the person you hate, you destroy the people close to them. And, in Ness's case, that's me. That makes me feel slightly warm - but it's replaced with coldness. I haven't lived a day without Ness being by my side, being with me, even with distance between us, since we first met. Now, Ness wants to be alone. He thinks that if he stays apart from me, the Future Humans will stop going after me, and they'll go after him instead.

A nagging feeling at the back of my mind stings me. I can't help but just think that my safety isn't the only reason Ness is going to stay away from me. I can't help but feel that maybe I wasn't good enough at helping him out through his problems, that I wasn't understanding enough, that I'm not… what Ness needs. My eyes sting, slightly. Today isn't going to be a good day. Today is going to be a horrible day. I bury my face into my pillow. Toon Link and Villager and Red are probably still angry at us - me. Ness isn't here. Does this mean I suddenly have… nobody left? The realisation hits me horribly, and my eyes well up-

No. I have... Pit. I have… Popo, great… Maybe it's time for me to finally talk to Popo. Maybe it's time for me to actually develop some kind of independence - maybe that's it! My clinginess, my dependence on Ness probably annoyed him.

I sniffle. I'm an idiot. A colossal idiot. I don't want to get out of bed. I can't face the day without my best friend by my side. Is he going to move out of our dorm? He'd probably move out. He wouldn't want to sleep in the same room as me. I knew I shouldn't have offered to share a bed with him! Talk about weird, talk about creepy. Ugh… I stare onto the floor of the dorm. I don't want to get up. I can't.

I make myself.

Once dressed, I make my way down the dorm corridor, and down the stairs to the main hallway, alone - ngh, even the littlest things are getting to me now! Ness and I always walk down these stairs together, to go through the day, together. I knew I needed him, but I didn't expect to feel so, so hollow, without him... I sigh, making my way into the canteen, which is finally back open after the fire damage. Toon Link waves from a table - what? I thought he was mad at Ness and I? Puzzled, I get myself a bowl of cereal, and I join him and the others. Ness is nowhere to be seen.

"Hi - uh, sorry," I rub my face awkwardly, remembering Pit's advice about apologising. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," Toon Link assures me. "Ness and I already talked about all that. I'm sorry, uh, too. Yeah."

I nod. "Oh - good. Okay. Uh, did uh, Ness say anything… else?"

Toon Link nods, pulling a face. "Yeah, uh, he did. He did say some more things."

"What things were those?" Red barges in, and Toon Link turns in surprise.

"Well," I sigh, "Ness has decided to stop hanging around with, specifically, me."

Villager gasps. "What! I thought you were like, inseparable!"

"It's a long story," I grimace. "The creature we saw in Toon Link's room - there's more of them, and they're after me. Someone is turning people into these creatures. Now, that person hates Ness for some reason, and so they're attacking me to upset him. Ness thinks that by keeping himself away from me, I'll be safe."

"Is this to do with all of the magic stuff?" Toon Link asks.

I look in mild surprise. "What do you know about the magic?"

"Ness told me everything - about the 5 stones, and some journals, and then also about the time stone that might send people back in time except it's been missing for hundreds of years, and then about the fire and ice and telepathy - and it's all crazy, and it's all mad."

I nod. "Yeah, about right. I don't know if these attacks are related to the magic - I don't know… much. About what's going on. I miss Ness."

"He'll come around," Villager assures me, and I eat a mouthful of cereal, quietly.

"Where do you think he is?" I mutter.

"He grabbed his food, and left the canteen," Red informs us.

I sigh. "Right."

"Is Pit - uh - yeah, how's Pit?" Toon Link asks, changing the subject.

I shrug. "Fine. Still in bed." I decide not to tell them about Pit's late-night crying.

Popo suddenly slouches into Ness's place. I remeber that this is a chance to actually talk to him at last, and to make a good impression on him.

I wave. "Hi Popo - how are you?"

Popo laughs alarmingly loudly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm absolutely brilliant."

"Hi, Popo," Villager sighs. Toon Link merely nods in recognition.

Popo grins. "Say, Toonie - you're looking a little tired."

Toon Link grits his teeth. "Yes, thank you very much, mon copain,I had a rough night."

Villager pats Toon Link on the shoulder. "That's one of the problems of sharing a room with Link."

Link looks over. "Did one of the kids mention my name?"

"No, go away," Toon Link chucks a spoon at him.

Zelda gasps. "How disrespectful!"

Toon Link scoffs. "Okay then."

Link stands up, and comes over, dramatically. "Is that a challenge!"

Popo laughs. "Oh wow, Link, it's you, the guy whose ego is bigger than even his-"

Link cuts him off. "Popo! I challenge you to a duel!"

Zelda pulls a raging Link down. "Much as I want to beat that swine to a pulp too, you can't duel in the canteen, Link-y!"

Toon Link elbows Villager. "To think you crushed on her once."

Villager elbows him back. "Shut up! No I didn't!"

Popo laughs towards Link. "Yeah, 'Link-y'! Listen to your bird."

Link grumbles, but Zelda makes sure he stays in place. Popo laughs again, mildly unpleasantly.

I breathe in and out, trying to get the conversation back on track. "Anyway, what are your plans for today, Popo?"

Popo picks up a spoon. "Not much, not much, maybe tail Link and annoy him some more."

"...Right," I reply. "Good luck with that-"

Popo turns to Toon Link. "What about you!" He strikes Toon Link in the crotch with the spoon.

"O-OW-!"

Many people in the room look over.

Toon Link screws his eyes tight shut in agony. "Popo! Please don't do that-! ow, ow-"

Popo laughs hysterically. I come to a conclusion - Popo is just an ass. Nana comes over, looking stern.

"I heard a lot of noise, and I was right to assume you were the cause, Popo-"

Popo sighs. "Oh no, why are you here…"

"To tell you not to hit people with spoons!"

"Oh, shut u-"

Nana folds his arms. "I'll tell mother!"

Popo backtracks rapidly. "Right you are! I won't hit anyone else with spoons."

Toon Link gets up, still wincing, but brandishing a spoonful of jam. "And now, my revenge-"

Popo's eyes widen, and he dashes up and away, but Toon Link follows, and they're suddenly engaged in a dramatic chase around the room-!

Villager facepalms. "Toon Link, no!" He gets up and chases after Toon Link as well, causing quite the procession - the other students in the room cheer and whoop, enjoying the spectacle.

"Absolutely ridiculous!" Red huffs. "They need to calm down."

Nana turns to me. "That brother of mine, I swear, he will be the death of me, if not himself first."

I watch as Toon Link almost collides with a chair, and I laugh. "Yeah."

Nana smiles at me, raising her voice over the chaos. "So, anyways, painted any good landscapes lately, Lucas?"

I glance towards her, a little confused. "Oh, uh, only the ones in class. Painted any good fruit and veg lately?"

She smiles again, nodding. "Yeah, quite a few."

I pull my chair in as Popo dashes right past me. "May I ask - what is it with the fruit and veg? Do they have a deeper meaning?"

"Yeah, it's about the fragility of life - POPO! Sit back down!"

Villager finally catches Toon Link, attempting to bring him back to his seat.

Nana sighs. "Sorry, Lucas, I should get Popo, and stop him." She smiles at me again, blushing just a little, before standing up. "See you around, yeah?"

"Yeah," I answer, as she walks off to Popo.

"Get off me!" Toon Link says, as Villager attempts to take him back to the table. The rest of the room laughs - heck, I'm surprised the teachers aren't doing anything about all this!

"No, you're coming with me," Villager commands Toonie, but he's met with Toon Link smearing the spoonful of jam over his face. The crowd gasps, some people laughing still, but Villager laughs as well. "I'll get my revenge, don't worry."

Nana catches Popo, and takes him out of the room, and Villager finally sits down with Toon Link, both of them laughing hysterically.

"What was that all about!?" Red scolds. "That was dangerous!"

Toon Link ruffles Red's hair in response.

Villager wipes some of the jam off his face. "Toon Link - your uh, yeah, you feeling all alright now?"

Toon Link shrugs. "Mmm, still hurts like hell. You might have to kiss it better."

Villager smothers Toon Link's face with the butter.

I grin at the scene, but I can't help but think, Ness would've been laughing so much at all this chaos. Ness. He should be here. My thoughts drift towards gloominess again.

Shulk suddenly comes over, and he gives out some mail - I don't think I've ever received a single piece of mail during my time at school. Villager gets a letter from his Father, and Red receives sweets from someone in his family. I sigh. But to my amazement, Shulk comes over to me - there's a letter for me. For me! I wonder who it could be from, and I take it gingerly.

"Thanks, Professor."

He nods. "No problem! I mean, it's just my job that HeadMaster Hand assigned to me today, but yes, enjoy your letter. Oh, by the way! Training for the Wilderness Survival Week - for the whole year - is being done by Ryu and I, on Monday and Tuesday evenings, uh, see you there!"

I nod, smiling politely. "See you there, Professor."

Shulk moves on, and my attention is instantly drawn back to the letter - I'm kind of excited. I wonder who it could be from though? Hopefully someone good.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Villager asks, after I've stared for it for a full minute. I nod, slightly, tearing the envelope open, and pulling out the letter within. I unfold it, and I'm instantly drawn to the bottom of the letter. My eyes widen in shock, when I see who it's from.

"It's from - my father!"

This wouldn't be a big deal - but my Father never writes. He prefers to forget about my existence. To bad-mouth me to relatives, and to ignore me if I ever speak to him. So whatever this is… it must be very important. A nervous feeling suddenly rises within me.

"What does it say?" Red asks.

"Is he turning over a new leaf?" Toon Link adds.

I frown. "I haven't got a clue."

I read:

This letter might be surprising. It's about your mother.

In the Onett paper, there was an article that said that a policeman has been prosecuted for withholding information on the death of Hinawa - your mother. It was another attempt to discredit Tazmily and its police, I think. But, anyway, apparently, there was a big payout, to this policeman, to keep his mouth shut, and lie about her death.

What this means is, this policeman got paid a lot of money to report that Hinawa had died of 'heatstroke'. The person paying the policeman meanwhile murdered her.

They killed my wife, your mother. We've been lied to. The policeman reportedly killed themselves before being willing to reveal who killed her. Clearly, whatever this murderer would do to them for telling would be worse than death itself.

I think I know who killed her - only one man has enough money to keep that policeman quiet.

Porky Minch.

Porky killed her.

~ Flint.

I stare at it, not comprehending. I reread the letter. My entire body sinks. I read over the words, once again, nausea rising up within me - what the hell - what the hell! Porky. Porky killed my mother. Why - why! No wonder Father - Flint - wrote. There's only one person he hates more than me, and that's Porky. Porky, that disgusting man, that revolting - I can envision him, standing over her body, laughing - what the hell - what the hell! Tears streaming down my face, I stand, running as fast as I can, away, just, away - up the stairs, into the dorm, under the covers, no-

Father has to be playing a cruel trick. He has to be. Porky couldn't - what would Porky have been doing in Tazmily! Doesn't he live in Onett? And why her - why my mother! I know Porky would rob, would swindle us to our wits end, claiming to havevfalse information on Claus - but I never thought he'd murder anyone!

A sudden thought slams into me. What if Claus knew?

What if Claus found out that someone had killed Mother, and he went out, seeking revenge, seeking closure, something like that, and that's why he left, on that night! And then - what if he was killed by Porky too-! But… that's absurd. That's absurd.

But I know I'm right.

I'm sick. I feel sick - I'm, I'm shaking, I'm sobbing, this is wrong, this is all wrong. Porky. Porky. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him! I sob harder. And Ness hates me. Ness isn't here. Sickness and bitterness fills me - and it hurts again, she's died, again, I'm grieving, again. Mother. Mother. I want my mother!

"Lucas!"

"Who's there!" I shout in sudden alarm - I didn't hear anyone come in!

"Lucas! Chill, it's me, Pit! Pit!"

"Pit-? What are you-?"

"I never got up for breakfast, and you ran in here sobbing-! What's up?!"

"Nothing," I lie.

"Well, that's a lie. Lucas, come on… Come out from under all those covers."

"Go away."

Pit sighs. "Fine. Sulk here forever."

He leaves the room, and I sigh, with momentary relief - but then I remember, Porky killed my mother! Guilt suddenly crushes me too - I've upset Pit - and Claus, I could've gone with Claus, I could've kept him safe- I- I-

Father wrote. Father actually wrote to me. He didn't bother to sign the letter with Father, though, just his name. Flint. He didn't say dear Lucas. None of that. He doesn't care about me. Resentment fills me - he was never there for me when Mother died! When Claus left! He's not been there for me for years. He's left me to fend for myself - and I've been selling and trading for what? For what! For him? For someone who doesn't care about me for anything? A father who talks bad about me to our relatives?! I sob harder, the realisation filling me. I've always taken it as fact that my Father may one day notice me, may one day love me if I just do the right thing. But the truth is, never, never will he care. Never will anyone ever care about me again! Mother cared - she's gone. Claus cared - he's gone. Father doesn't care. Ness cared - I messed it up. He's gone.

Maybe that was another reason why Claus left too - he thought there was a better life out there, avenging Mother, a better life than putting up with his clingy twin brother… His annoying, crybaby brother... I sob.

Suddenly, I realise that I know exactly how Pit feels. We've both lost our twin. Why hadn't I realised that already? I suddenly feel another sting - I told Pit to go away. He's probably feeling pretty hurt, right now. What is wrong with me- ngh- I don't know! I suddenly want Ness here, Ness with me, Ness by my side, right this minute. I need him!

...Porky killed Mother.

How did I get to thinking about Ness again!? Porky killed Mother!

...9 years ago.

There's nothing I can do, now. That negative side inside my head screams for revenge, but I refuse. I will not seek revenge. I hate Porky, but revenge is for children. Revenge is his area of expertise. Besides, he probably doesn't even remember killing her! He's busy in his new city. Doing whatever. My thoughts drift to Tazmily suddenly. The troops have to be arriving there any day soon! I know it's a long walk from Onett to Tazmily - I've taken that walk. It's about as far from Onett to school as it is from Onett to Tazmily. It's ironically closer from Tazmily to school than Onett to school.

...What the hell am I thinking about now? I cry, emptily, into my pillow. My thoughts are so muddled-! I pull all of the covers around myself. I'm not sure what to think, what to feel. I know what I need, though. A hug, preferably from Ness. I still feel sickened - 9 years, I've thought Mother was killed by heatstroke, but it was murder. Murder by Porky's hands, of course it was bloody Porky. Porky tore our family apart. No. No, I can't think like that… I'm suddenly overcome with memories-

5 years old - Tazmily primary school, Mother picking Claus and I up, happily going home, happily playing. Claus and I sharing a room - competing to see who could fall asleep last. Mother cooking us omelettes for breakfast at the weekend - a special treat. The smell of the sunflowers on a spring morning…

No. No! I don't want to think about all that right now. I don't need to be drowned in nostalgia.

...So what should I do?! What do I do with this information - heck, why did Father even feel the need to tell me? Is he expecting something of me?

I check over the letter again - looking at the back. There's more words-! But just a sentence, just a line- oh. Oh. Oh no.

Avenge her, Lucas.

I can't. I can't avenge her. That's not what I do. That goes against all of my morals. But maybe… it's the only way that Father will ever love me again. A horrible feeling rises in my throat suddenly - Father wants me to do what, exactly? Kill Porky? Is that it? I can't. I wouldn't know where to damn find him! I wouldn't be able to kill him. I'd never be able to kill anyone! Similar to Ness, blades and weapons and knives scare me; they scare me to hell and back. I can't kill him. I won't. Even if it means Father will love me. I will not kill a soul. And what kind of father would try to get his own son to kill! That's not on. That's awful. Why can't he do it himself, anyways?!

...Because he's a coward. My father is just as scared as me - always a diminishing man, one to pass on his problems… Mother faced her problems, though. I got those genes. I face every single one of my problems. This, this is a problem that I will face. I will not murder Porky. I am not even able to murder Porky. To my father I say, go to hell.

I feel… empowered. But weird. Definitely weird. All this is too heavy. I prefer soft, and fluffy stuff a lot more. Ness. Ness, I prefer Ness.

There's a knock at the door. "Hello?"

"Hello?" I reply, sleepily.

The door opens - it's Toon Link. I feel suddenly guilty for being disappointed - I guess I'd hoped for it to be Ness, coming back. Toon Link comes over and sits by my bundled up self.

He rubs his cheek, urgently, twitching with nervous energy. "What's going on? What was the letter about?"

I don't think Toon Link even knows that my mother is dead. "I… don't want to talk about it," I explain, flatly.

Toon Link nods. "That's fine. And uh, if it means anything, I think Ness is being a bit of an idiot."

I nod, slightly, still covered by multiple blankets. "I can't help but think… that it's me, it's me too, I've done something wrong, that, that… I don't know. I don't know!"

"Lucas, it's not your fault!" Toon Link assures me. "You need him, and he needs you."

"What if he doesn't even like me anymore?"

"He does like you. He likes you so much that he's willing to do anything to keep you safe. Even this. He's just… missing the bigger picture."

"The bigger picture," I repeat, emptily.

"He doesn't get it - I don't think even you quite get it, yet," Toon Link says.

"Get what?"

Toon Link just smiles. "One day, I think, you'll both finally understand. Brighter days are coming."

I have no idea what he's talking about. "Toon Link, if you really think he doesn't completely hate me now, can you talk to him, can you convince him… Convince him he's wrong! Tell him I need him."

Toon Link nods. "I will. If I can find him. He's very good at hiding…"

I grimace. "Yeah."

Toon Link nods, somewhat awkwardly, and he leaves the room.

What now? I really don't have much to do, and I really don't want to continue brooding. Definitely not. I will keep Mother and Ness out of my mind. Yet, I certainly don't feel like leaving the dorm at the moment. I suppose I have some homework to do.

But an hour of homework later, I still feel no better. I need to do something, anything. Maybe I should just explore the big mystery further, yeah, sure, whatever… Sleepily, I take the book on magic, The mystery of magic, off the shelf, and I flick through it. I briefly read the contents - the sections on Dreams and How to know if you have magical powers, Ness and I read previously, but there seems to be an introduction to the book, too, and another few sections…

I read over the introduction, but I am dismayed to find it's actually, quite strangely, written in the most crass, informal way possible - 'are you ready to learn about the wonders of magic!' 'magic is super cool!' and I'm confused. I'm sure the sections we'd read were a lot more formal, and well written… A thought hits me. They must've written the introduction like this to deter people from stumbling into the book by accident. I feel quite clever, suddenly. If the introduction sounds ridiculous, people will take the book with a pinch of salt, and they won't therefore execute the reader for reading about magic. I turn to the next section - 'Potions and Spells.' It's equally ridiculous -

'Clone potion - drink this potion to become the spitting image of someone else!

Love potion - Give to another and they'll fall in looooooove!'

I think Ness mentioned reading about this section of the book, about the clone potion or the love potion, at some point. I close the book to look at the author - Wiz. Ard. Okay, a fake name. I guess that way the author won't be prosecuted - but why does there have to be all this prejudice surrounding magic? Frustrated, I wring my hands. It's not fair - I hadn't quite considered it before now; I knew that magic was taboo, but I didn't think, I never thought. All that sort of applies to me now. I close the book, and I sigh, miserably. The fact that they had to hide away the actual magical information at the back whereof the book, nobody would think to look, is saddening. I'd always thought magic as so ridiculous - but real people have been hurt for having magical abilities. Real people like me, like Ness…

Ness. Agh, all day, all my thoughts, they all end up drifting back to Ness again! Frustrated, I close my eyes. What am I like? I slump forwards into the pillow...

The second day. Yesterday, I met a strange boy called Ness. Today, I walk into school with some hope. Ness said he'd see me again today - I hope he remembers! I shiver as I think what the other, meaner kids might tell him about me. They could easily put him off me forever.

His friends were nice too - Toon Link, and I think Inkling was the other. Toon Link was quite shy, Inkling was definitely not. She intimidated me just a little, but I think she means well. Ness is sort of shy, but sort of not at the same time. He had moments, moments of being louder and happier, but I noticed he also sometimes looked a little sad. Maybe he's lonely? I'm lonely. Heh. My mind drifts back to Claus again. He'll come back! It's been 2 days - whatever he's doing must be very important. He'll come right back, and Father won't be angry with me anymore. That's what will happen.

I put on my brave face.

Onett Primary School isn't a very nice place. Most of the kids are mean, from my experience, or they ignore me. Heh, Ness is the first friend I've even made here. I miss Tazmily school - at least I did have one friend there, a boy called Fuel. But, because Mother died, we had to come here, to this dirty great city. It's disgusting, I hate it, I hate it so much.

Claus hated it too.

I enter the school gates, preparing to be caned, as usual, for having dirty hands, and being scruffy and ugly and not clever enough. Every day, our class is made to assemble in the main hall, to be checked over for neatness. I don't think I've ever passed.

Today, I wait in the queue to be checked, and I try to make out Ness along the line - I can't quite see him, though. The boy behind me flicks my ear, and I turn, and notice that it's Captain Falcon - the biggest bully of them all. Of course.

"You're ugly."

I sigh. "Okay."

He shoves me. "Aren't you gonna insult me back?"

I look away. "I can't think of any good ones."

I'm shoved again. "Coward."

Suddenly out of nowhere, someone shoves Captain Falcon-! What!? Nobody ever shoves Captain Falcon.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Ness, my hero, stands by me, surprisingly protectively.

"Wha-?" Captain Falcon stares in surprise. "Grrr!"

A Professor comes over. "What's going on over here?"

"Captain Falcon was starting a fight," Ness explains.

"Yeah!" Inkling appears out of nowhere, backing up Ness. Toon Link peeks out behind her, and nods too.

"Captain Falcon, with me," the professor commands, and Captain Falcon is taken away in disgrace. I turn to Ness in surprise.

"Uh- uh, thank you-!"

He pats me on the back. "No problem! He's mean."

I frown, slightly. "I've been thinking though - why help me? You could get in trouble."

Ness shrugs. "I dunno - they bully Toon Link too, and plus, you're cool."

I blush. Nobody has ever called me cool before. "Well, thank you, but, you don't have to!"

"Nah, you're one of the group now. We stick by each other." Ness slings an arm around my shoulders, and I blush even more.

"Thank you-"

I wake up again, suddenly, feeling warmer, happier. I must've drifted off - and dreamt about that memory. Hm. To this day, I still don't really know what Ness did see in me to stick up for me like that… but I owe him. I remember something:

'For psychics, dreams are important. They can give messages, ideas of the future, or of the past.'

The message is loud and clear, in this dream.

I stand up, with sudden determination running through me.

I'm going to get my best friend back.

A/N

Sorry this chapter was kind of late, I've not been feeling too good recently, partially physically but mostly mentally. Life sucks, heh.

I hope this chapter wasn't too dull! I promise there will at least be a smidge of action in the next chapter, if all goes to plan on my end.

I'm actually really liking writing the opening sections with the Tazmily villagers and the carriages, you may have noticed the sections got longer. Hopefully you like them too.

Notes:

- Roy is here! But how on earth did he become a guard for Porky?

- Mon Copain is French for 'my friend.'

Reviews

"No not Dark Pit! Poor Pit he's not going to get over his loss so quickly U-U Ness I don't think keeping your distance from Lucas is going to improve anything, but we'll have to see what happens in the next chapters! Thank you for your story"

Hey, thank you for reading! And yeah, Ness, smh, such a fool, he really gotta stop doing these foolish things. And poor Pitttttt, I feel so bad!

I hope you all enjoyed, see you next time!

~ReadyForTeddy