Chapter 23: Into the murky water
(Ness)
Despite the surprising weight of Roy, we get a fair way into the forest. I hope, I pray that the guard didn't see us, but realistically, I can't be sure. I make a quick headcount: Roy, Tessie, Caroline, Angie, Ollie, Alex, Reggie, Sebastian, Pusher, Duster, Elmore - everyone's here. Good.
Roy collapses to the floor. Not good.
An hour later, Roy's sat up against a tree, Elmore's complaining about the weather, and the rest of us are working on a plan.
Tessie shrugs. "I say we head back to Tazmily. Our homes are there - everything we love!"
I shake my head. "We can't. Onett is a powerful city - they'll reduce Tazmily to ashes. It wouldn't be safe there."
"Better than starving out here!" Elmore snaps. "Are you trying to kill us?"
There's some unsettled movements from the other members of the group, and I have to quieten everyone down. "Look, right now, we're in between Tazmily and Onett, meaning troops or whatever from Onett could walk right into us any second. So, we need to go somewhere safe."
"And where would that be?" Elmore challenges.
I have a feeling that they won't like this. I try to produce a winning smile. "Onett itself."
Everyone gasps. Pusher shakes his head. "We cannot go there!"
I grimace. "We have to. It's the only safe place at the moment."
Elmore sniffs. "Yeah, safe, except for the high risk of being slaughtered-"
"Yea, they'll kill anyone from Tazmily on sight!" Tessie accentuates. "Sorry, but that's a horrible plan."
"How would they know we're from Tazmily?" I reply. "We can just say we're from Onett - simple as that. But, we need to be quick, lest we be found by Onett troops, or Porky's guards first."
"This is madness," Elmore mutters. "Utter madness. We should've stayed in the carriages."
"And get killed? I don't think so!" Pusher laughs. "The man is right. Come, wife, listen to him."
There's more disquieted muttering - but Roy stirs, so I hurry over. "Roy!"
"What's happening? Where is he- where's Porky!" Roy jumps onto his feet, shaking. I quickly hold him still by the shoulders.
"Porky isn't here. Roy, what happened to you?"
He tries to step forwards, but stumbles on a tree root. "Porky, Porky, Porky, I volunteered, I volunteered, he promised me money, but he- he did - he -" His eyes grow wide and he pushes me back suddenly. "You're working for him!"
"No I'm not," I reply, calmly. "Roy, come on. What did he do to you?! What happened? I need to know."
"He took me - torture -" his whole body convulses, and Duster rushes over to catch him as he falls.
Roy gasps for breath. "A thing - he put something on my neck - and - and -"
"And what?" I ask, insistently.
He covers his face, strained. "Darkness- I - I haven't - I ended up - here - there's snippets - snippets -"
His eyes close, and he froths at the mouth, and Duster's eyes widen. "Mister anonymous, uh, Steven, uh, he don't seem too okay, o'er here!"
Something itches at the back of my mind. Something Porky said, while I was imprisoned… Something about necks. Necks? What did Porky do? How? Roy opens his eyes again, abruptly. "Where am I!"
"The forest - the sunshine forest -" I reply.
He jumps with alarm. "What! What, no, no, where's Onett!"
"You're from Onett?" I ask, intrigued.
"Where's Marth! Is Marth okay!"
I frown. "...Marth? You know Marth?"
He grabs my shoulder again. "Marth - Marth, my best friend - are you Marth?!"
"No, I'm not," I reply. "I know Marth though - he's okay, from last I saw of him."
"Duster - is he alright?" Caroline rushes over, to help Duster with supporting Roy.
Duster shrugs. "He's a bit loopy, but otherwise-"
Roy stares dreamily up into the trees. "Pretty trees… heh."
I sigh, helping Roy to get up off the ground. "This isn't going anywhere. Duster, keep him stable, I'm going to get the others. It's time to begin our journey..."
It all happened so quickly.
So damn quickly.
Sitting outside isn't too bad. The lake can actually be quite pretty, I think. It seems that all of the ice we inflicted upon it last night has melted, already. I have a feeling the ice might just be temporary, or something. The sun - for once it's actually a nice day - glitters off the surface of the water. I wonder vaguely why nobody else ever comes out here; it's tranquil, a good place to do schoolwork. A good place to distance myself from Lucas. I refuse to let the Future Humans go after him. Why do I feel so sad?
I push Lucas out of my mind, bringing out some paper. Surprisingly, I'm caught up on homework, so I thought I might get back into… poetry.
I... had a poetry phase. It was sort of ridiculous, but a couple years back I'd always write poetry about stuff, everyday stuff, normal life. Most people laughed - many people told me my poetry sucked. Fair enough - it did suck - but it was still nice to do. It was an escape, perhaps. Tracy says she's in a poetry phase at the moment, too - I think every teenager has to have some sort of phase at some point. I laugh faintly as I remember Lucas's phase of being edgy and gloomy and wearing exclusively black clothes. That was sort of ridiculous - Lucas was still just the same soft, fluffy guy that he is now, but he chose to wear a dark and mysterious exterior. It was kinda cool, actually… but Lucas shoves me anytime I mention it.
For goodness sake! I need to stop thinking about Lucas! I am distancing myself from him, for his safety. If I start reminiscing, I'll start missing him like hell, and I'll go back to him, and he'll be killed by Future Humans. It would be selfish of me to cling onto Lucas now, if my clinginess could cause him harm.
I sigh, leaning back against the damp grass. My clothes are probably going to be soaked through - and I don't have any others left, thanks to the damn fire - but I don't really mind. The clouds are nice. They're making nice shapes today… I can just make out a dragon shape, a tree… heh, that one looks a little like Lucas…. I drift off.
…
Lucas and I are running down the hallways - it's our second year at Onett Boarding School, and we've just managed to annoy Bowser - I'd only visited to ask him when the homework was due in, but my clumsy self knocked a bottle of ink to the floor. Bowser thunders behind us - Lucas grabs my hand, leading us down a side corridor and into a cupboard - he clings onto me, afraid, and I cling onto him too. We're for it now! But Bowser isn't exactly smart. Bowser walks right past our cupboard - and Lucas laughs, just a little, and soon, we're both laughing our heads off. We escaped, and it's hilarious.
The dream changes.
I'm in the darkness.
There's arms, hands, grabbing me, taking me, and there's terror, fear, fear! What- what!?
My eyes fly open, in horror, but I can still feel arms grabbing me-! What's going on! I- I- I- struggle, trying to get a look - the arms around me seem to be rotting!? There's plates of metal - oh God, oh God, it's got me- what's it going to do - it's a Future Human, ha, I was right, the Future Human is going after me instead of Lucas, now-! But - but it's got me, and I - I - I!
…
..
.
Clunk.
..
—
…
..
.
..
.
"Do you think he- he-"
"There's a pulse - there's a pulse - there's -"
"Will he be-!"
"He's a - a bloody idiot -"
…
..
..
…
"I'm staying with him, okay?"
"But-"
"No! No buts!"
..
….
…
.
"Ness… Ness, please, please… "
…
…
.
.
"Ness!"
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…
…
"Ness!"
…
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..
Where am I?
..
.
I'm floating. Floating in a pitch black void. Red seeps in - clouds of red - there's nothing around me. I'm confused - so confused -
..
…
How did I get here?
..
..
.
"Is he okay! Is he okay?!"
"He's in a bad way - a really bad way -"
..
.
What happened to me?! I was outside, I was, I was-
.
..
I don't know where I am. I'm not entirely sure who I am. All I can see is a black void, empty, devoid of anything at all. A figure appears in front of me, a ghoulish, a foul… beast. It can only be described as a beast. It grins, it's seen me… there's nothing else around but this dark, dark space, this dark emptiness… is this… real? There's a dull ache - a dull ache from above, from my head, my head…
..
..
Laughter.
..
..
It speaks. "Ness."
Yes...that's my name. Dizzily, I look up.
The beast is near, it's coming closer - what IS it?
"Ness…"
My voice comes out high, mangled. "Who are you!?"
..
..
.
How did I get here?!
..
Laughter.
.
"You give me many, many names. 'Buttercup'… the 'voice inside your head…'
I scream. Where am I - what is this place! "Where am I?"
"The beautiful palace of your mind."
"How can we be inside my mind?"
"Nasty accident you had there, wasn't it?"
…
My head stings once again, stars flashing in front of my eyes. An image, me being thrown across the grass, vomit, pain, suffering - I groan, stumbling slightly. "How can you be here? What… are you!?"
"You… demonised. You demonised me."
I give a shuddering breath, standing back, as it advances. "I don't understand!"
"You gave your negative side, your seeds of self doubt… you gave it all… form."
"I still don't - I don't-!"
"In your mind, you separated the negative thoughts off. You made them into a.. character. 'Buttercup'. You gave them a voice. It was a coping mechanism."
"So? How can you really be talking - walking - in my mind!? How can we be in my mind!"
"Heh, the thing about you being a psychic… if you do things like separating off your negative thoughts... they can manifest into dreams. Into unconsciousness. Into your subconscious. Into things like… me."
"You can't be real!"
"You created me," Buttercup grins.
..
…
…
"Why - why here! Why are you here, right now?"
"Just took a little knock on the head… You're unconscious, Ness. You're in a bad way."
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Punish."
My eyes widen, I cough, choking on my saliva. "For what!"
"Ness. You're a disgrace. You're crushing on your best friend, you're selfish, a mess, unpleasant to be around… You deserve a lot of punishment."
I don't understand. I don't know how this can be happening! I want to wake up - I want to wake up!
…
…
I'm tied down - to the floor of my mind - Buttercup looms.
"How many people have you hurt? Upset?"
"I don't know - I don't know -"
Images flash past. My Father - shouting at me, for my grades. My sister, shouting because I got to be the boy - Lucas, hurt when I'm emotional - Toon Link, angry at me for not telling him about the magic-
"Make it stop! Make it stop!
The images stop. "You've hurt so many people, Ness."
"I'm sorry."
"Not good enough."
"Just stop! Let me wake up!"
"It's not me that's keeping you asleep. It's you."
My breathing accelerates.
..
…
…
Everything fades again.
..
.
.
Voices from outside permeate my mind.
..
"I'm just going to stay with him for a little - in case he wakes -"
"Okay."
..
.
I can feel, I can almost feel my body, again. I think I'm lying down somewhere, but my eyes are shut tight - I don't know where I am. I'm unconscious - something must've happened, but what - I can only see the dark, the dark and the cold, but my hand - someone takes my hand. They squeeze it, just slightly, and I want to squeeze it back, but I can't, I can't move myself at all. My head - my chest - they're in agony, they hurt, so bad, so, so bad-
.
What happened to me?!
..
"Ness? Ness, I don't know if you can hear me…"
Lucas. It's Lucas's voice. It sounds like it's coming from miles away - and it's full of panic.
"Ness, wake up, please…"
I want to - I want to wake up, so badly, but I can't open my eyes. I'm scared. I'm so damn scared. They're shut tight - I can't see, I panic, I feel my chest compressing, my breathing accelerating -
..
It all goes dark again.
..
..
..
A memory plays, in my mind. The day I met Lucas.
I run towards the bullies. "Hey! Leave him alone!" They turn towards me, laughing, and I lose it - I completely lose it. I swing - I get one of them with a busted lip, another one falls to the floor-!
I turn towards the blonde kid, grinning toothily.
"Hey, I'm Ness, come sit with us, if you like."
He blushes, and I help him up off the floor. His eyes widen slightly. "Sorry - Sorry, I-"
Bemused, I point to our table. "It's just over there - why are you apologising?"
"I'm - I'm Lucas," he says. He's nervous - really nervous, I can tell. I guess, with how many people seem to hurt him… it's hard for him to trust a new face. I glower with inner anger at the bullies.
Lucas stares sadly at his tuna sandwiches, on the floor now. I get a bright idea. "Hey - c'mon, you can have some of my food if you like, come sit with us."
I can see the idea playing on his mind. He's tempted - he's definitely tempted. He smiles shyly.
"Okay."
He sits down next to me. Toon Link gives a slightly confused look, but Inkling smiles happily. "Who's this!"
"Oh - this is Lucas," I explain.
Inkling shakes his hand vigorously. Poor Lucas looks a little flustered. Inkling beams. "I'm Inkling! Really nice to meet you!"
"H-Hi- I'm Lucas-"
Inkling laughs. "Yeah, we know!"
I indicate towards Toon Link. "This is Toon Link."
Toon Link waves nervously, and Lucas waves nervously back.
Inkling turns to me. "Ness, that was crazy! You beat those bullies up good and proper - never thought you'd do anything like that!"
I blush. "Yeah, just, sorta, felt like I had to do something."
Lucas blushes too. "Sorry - you really didn't have to -"
I grin unapologetically. "Nonsense. You're cool, you don't deserve all that from the bullies."
"You'll be put on the anger management course…" Toon Link says, doubtfully.
My face falls. "Ah, screw that! Oh well, worth it."
I think back to last night. Father cornering Tracy and I, holding a rolling pin, drunk, shouting, the fear filling me again-
I know how it feels to be bullied.
"...Isn't that right, Ness?" Inkling says.
I'm brought back to reality. "What - sorry?"
I notice Lucas giving me a peculiar look out of the corner of my eye, but Inkling speaks first. "Isn't mashed potato the worst food ever?"
I nod vigorously. "Absolutely!"
Lucas smiles a little. "I agree."
Toon Link frowns. "I really like potatoes. All vegetables are nice."
"Well," I ruffle his hair, "You're wrong."
Inkling laughs. I turn to Lucas. "Hey, your hair is really cool."
Lucas blushes - but it is cool! It's all sorta bouncy, and curly at the front, and really, really blonde. He rubs his face a little. "Thanks - your, your cap is really nice, too."
I smile, feeling the bill of my cap, before taking it off and putting it on his head instead. He jumps a little with surprise, but he smiles nonetheless.
Inkling grins "Hey, it suits you, Lucas! Much better than it suits Ness."
"Hey!" I complain. "It suits me too!"
Inkling chuckles, tucking into her sandwiches. I'm reminded that I was going to give Lucas some of my food, so I take out my lunch, and offer a sandwich to Lucas. Lucas stares at it for what feels like a whole minute, before looking at me, uncertainly, as if not believing that I can possibly be offering him food.
"Your food fell on the floor," I explain. "Have a sandwich."
"I don't - it's okay-" Lucas mumbles hurriedly.
"Nonsense! It's tuna."
"...I like tuna," Lucas mumbles, but he still doesn't take the sandwich. I sigh, and place it into his hands.
"C'mon, buddy, eat it, it's alright, really."
Lucas blushes again, and stammers a thank-you, before taking a small bite. I don't think I've ever met anyone more shy than him - but I like him. He's cool. I bet he's really funny inside of his head…
Inside his head… Like me. Inside my head! The thought echoes in my mind, as the memory fades to black, and I'm brought back to darkness again…
…
..
.
I'm back to that semi-conscious state. The hand is gone from mine - as far as I can tell, I'm alone. My eyes are still shut tight - my mind flashes back, and images of Buttercup, appearing as that beast flash before me-! My heart beats intensely. Is it here! Is it real? How can it be real? It had to have been a nightmare. It couldn't - it can't have been real. I move my thoughts to the memory instead - I'd forgotten that cap that I wore. I haven't worn it for ages. Wearing caps went away with my poetry phase when I was 14. Inkling… I twitch a little, nervously. What happened to her? Where is she now? I hope, I hope she's okay. She has to be okay!
...Lucas was so nervous, that day. I know now that the day before, his twin brother, Claus had run away from home, and disappeared. Claus hasn't shown up since. I can't help but feel a little angry with Claus - why the hell would he disappear like that! I can only imagine what Lucas must've felt. I'd been sort of nervous too. I kept zoning out, because of the night before - ugh, that's an awful memory. Such an awful memory. Father, bearing down on me and my sister, and I can't even remember what we did wrong-
I shudder.
But why did that memory come to me? I don't quite understand-
My head pounds with sudden agony again.
..
…
..
What happened to me?
.
How did I get like- like this?
...
.
"Ness? Are you - are you there? Did you just - move!?"
A voice from the outside - Lucas! I try to open my eyes to see him, to tell him I'm okay, that I can hear him but I can't, I can't open my eyes! What's he doing here, though?! I need to stay away from him, to keep him safe from the Future Humans! Panic overdrives through me -
He takes my hand again, and squeezes it. "You'll be okay, Ness."
His voice sounds like he's underwater - or far away, so far away..
He squeezes my hand again, and I feel a droplet of something warm splash onto my face - what is it? It rolls down my cheek, and onto my lips, just touching my tongue. It's salty, a little bit salty.
It's a tear.
A tear - but I don't think it's mine. Lucas.
A wave of sorrow passes directly through me.
He squeezes my hand again, and I try to muster all I have to squeeze back, to tell him I'm okay, to tell him not to cry, that I'm here, that I'm an idiot, that I love him, that I… love him. I love him. But I can't. I can't squeeze his hand. I can't do it. My hand won't move. Lucas releases it - want him to come back! Where's he going?!
His voice drifts from across the other side of the room. "It hurt you. It broke you, Ness. You'll heal - you have to heal. I miss you. Please- please, wake up."
It broke me?
What broke me? What happened to me!? Why does my head ache so much - why does my chest ache, so damn much?
I try again, I try so hard to wake up, but I can't. It's impossible. Lucas takes my other hand, and squeezes it again, and I try, I try so hard, and- and-
I squeeze his hand back.
..
..
..
Suddenly I'm yanked back into the dark void of my mind - what!? Where am I - where am I going - I'm taken, and there's laughter, there's malicious cackling, there's awful sounds, screams, horror, terror- I land on some sort of slab, perhaps - I can't see - but Buttercup's monstrous form appears out of the shadows again. No… no, no, why, why is it back… I writhe in terror on the slab, as Buttercup laughs.
"Got you."
I cry out. "No- no!"
"Oh, Ness… don't you know that if you wake up, everyone will still hate you? It won't have changed… nobody wants you out there."
"Lucas wants me!"
…
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.
Laughter echoes once again. "No. You have simply made yourself believe that you are wanted. You're not."
I sob into my hands, as a roaring sound rushes through my ears, as the taste of blood fills my mouth. "I hate this."
"Good."
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…
.
Falling.
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.
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Darkness.
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.
It takes a while, but Lucas finishes the sandwich, just before the bell rings to signify the beginning of the next lessons. Lucas smiles nervously, again. "Thank you…"
I beam at him. "It was really nice having you join us! See you again tomorrow, yeah?"
Lucas blushes. "Yeah. See you."
He walks off, a little spring in his step, and I feel happy, so happy, suddenly. I turn to Inkling and Toon Link, smiling ridiculously widely. "Isn't he awesome?"
"He's sweet!" Inkling agrees. "Can he eat with us every lunchtime?"
Toon Link nods. "He seemed really nice."
Lucas hurries back suddenly, looking embarrassed. "I'm really sorry!" He takes my cap off his head, and puts it back on mine. I blush - I'd forgotten the cap too. But I don't mind. Lucas runs off again, intending to go to his next lesson, and I find my gaze lingering for a little while, upon my new friend.
..
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.
Is this memory trying to tell me something?
.
.
Suddenly, I'm standing by the mouth of a cave. Where am I? The sun is out, I'm on a… beach, of some sort. I've only ever been to a beach once, one summer, where Father took us out on an 'apology trip'. The cave is.. strange, but I'm curious. I enter it, keen to explore. I find it going further and further downwards, down, down, down-
.
.
I'm back to my semi-conscious state again. What happened to me! What's happening to me right now? I don't understand how any of this is happening - how this can be. My name is… Ness. I'm 16. I live in Onett. My best friend is called Lucas. I'm - I- I can feel more now - I can feel the ear-splitting headache, I can feel the fire in my chest, I can feel… my toes. My hands. My stomach. But I can't move anything. I'm stuck, rigid as a board, frozen. Is anymore here with me? A man's voice surprises me:
"Ness."
It's Ryu. Ryu? What's Ryu doing here?
"Ness, we nearly lost you. Come on. Be strong."
What? Nearly… lost me? An icy chill runs through my body.
"I'm fairly sure that you can hear me. I know that you won't be able to move, so don't try to. I'm not sure if you remember what happened. You were, foolishly, outside, alone - you drifted off, and a Future Human... found you.
What?
"Ness, you need to stay with Lucas, as much as you possibly can. It seems both of you have become major targets for the Future Humans-"
No. No, I'm the target. Just me. I've always been the target. He's wrong.
"I've heard that you've got the idea to separate off from him. That is the worst thing that you can do. You're at huge danger from those creatures when you're alone."
And why does Ryu want us to live anyways? He said it himself - so he can use us to fight them. Resentment trickles through me.
"I'll leave you now. Get well soon, Ness."
..
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I'm scared. I'm so scared. I'm trapped here.
…
.
…
I want to cry.
.
.
...I can't.
.
...
.
I'm on a… boat. Where am I? I'm drifting down some kind of river, I think. I'm alone. The image disappears.
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I find myself back in the dark void again. What happened to me!? Here, I can cry. Here, in the void, j can move. It's more comfortable here…I kneel down on the floor, drawing my knees up to my chest, burying my head in them. I let the tears flow. Rawness, bitterness, emptiness fills me, why, why, why! I want to wake up. I want this to stop. I'm scared. I'm confused.
Images of the Future Human flash violently through my mind, it reaches, I scream, there's laughter - cackling - it got me, it got me - I fell asleep for a while, out there, outside, and it got me. It…
What had Lucas said?
'It hurt you. It broke you, Ness.'
...Broke me?
Fear trickles down my spine. Exactly what did it do? I feel the dull ache of my head, the stabbing pain of my chest, threatens to pull me back under the currents, back into the murky waters of this place I find myself in-
I know that I'm unconscious. I know whatever happened, whatever happened to me, it's left me unconscious, and I'm… physically, my body is somewhere. I don't know where I am - somewhere in school, perhaps? The medical ward? If I could only open my eyes, if I could just see, if I could just wake up… Frustration builds in me, and it hurts. I want to know what happened!
..
...
..
Oh no.
I have an awful, awful thought.
The pain in my chest - almost as if my chest has been… Replaced. The pain in my head, almost as if it's been… tampered with.
Oh no. Oh no no no.
I feel sick, I feel… Broken.
'It broke you, Ness."
…
I think that I've been... converted.
Into a Future Human.
…
..
..
I'm silent.
I'm completely still.
Crack.
The sound that echoes through my mind, when I try to think back. Images of metal, of struggling, and… Toon Link. Toon Link? Toon Link running out of the school, towards me…
Crack.
Darkness had swallowed me. Now, here, I'm, I'm lying down, somewhere...
..
..
A line of thought, a line of consciousness is hard to grasp, I can't think, not properly, not without a haze… it's such effort, to stay awake, to keep fighting this. This place. This darkness…
Maybe this is… it. Maybe this is whatever, whoever is controlling the Future Humans taking over my mind.
…
…
Oh lord, I'm scared.
I'm so scared.
..
.
Help me.
.
.
.
..
"Ness…"
.
..
"He's slipping away…"
..
"It's not looking good, Lucas."
...
Sobbing.
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Emptiness.
I drift in and out of consciousness. Sometimes there's voices, sometimes there's contact, sometimes there's feeling, but the rest is noise, rushing noises in my head, a storm inside of my mind.
..
.
A blanket is put on me, it's warm, and sort of comforting.
..
.
A memory.
"Ness!" Lucas waves, happily. I run and hug him, pleased to see him - it's been a long summer. Writing letters was nice, but it wasn't the same, it wasn't the same as it could've been. Lucas came over to my house when he could, but Father seems to be stricter than usual this year. I had to study most days of the week. Mother convinced Father to let me invite Lucas round though, just a few times, which was better than nothing. Now it's September though, which means the start of the school year - and the longest term; September all the way up to Christmas.
"I missed you," Lucas says, and I hug my agreement. I missed him too.
"I'm not ready for the new school year," I admit. "I can't take another second with Bowser."
"Our penultimate year," Lucas mumbles. "What happens after all this?"
I shrug. "We'll see, I guess. C'mon, we should get to the station, we don't wanna miss the train."
Lucas smiles happily, picking up his bag. "Yeah, let's go."
..
.
.
The darkness swims back into focus. Last September seems so long ago, now that it's mid-January and everything's gone to heck. That term had ended up being a pretty normal one. If only we'd known what the second term of the year would be involving…
.
…
.
I'm alone with my thoughts, in the semi-conscious state. I don't think that's a good thing. It's lonely, being unable to open my eyes and actually interact with the people around me.
I feel a thumb pressing into my forehead slightly - it stings a little, I want to tell them to stop, but I can't.
A woman's voice sounds. "Al'ight, pet. You'll be bett'r soon, m'kay?"
I think it's the school nurse - great. She removes her hand from my head, which is a relief. I breathe heavily, the pain in my head seems to be getting stronger, heavier - what does this mean-? But - ow. ow- the pain pushes me back underneath..
.
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.
.
Converted.
…
.
"You deserve the pain, Ness."
...I'm gaining strength back. Buttercup won't walk all over me. "Be quiet. Build me up, buttercup, don't knock me down."
"I'm the only company you have. I am a part of you, after all."
I sigh, miserably. "You don't make sense."
"I don't understand anything either. All I know is what I've seen. You're an awful person."
..
.
.
"You named me Buttercup. Such a terrible name."
"You're not powerful."
"I can hurt you."
"You're a part of my imagination. You can't physically hurt me."
"I wouldn't be so… self destructive. I can mentally hurt you, though."
"I know."
I'm getting stronger again. Mentally, perhaps. I can feel it - I can feel the dull ache of my head becoming sharper, more focused. I won't let the Future Humans win! I won't be like them - I can't be like them!
"Does anyone love you, Ness?"
I stand right up to Buttercup. Buttercup diminishes slightly. I shrug at it. "What would you know? You're just a voice in my head. You're just my negative side, that's simply separated off somehow. That's all you are. So, you are not powerful."
..
.
Screeching.
..
.
Buttercup vanishes, and I am alone, in the dark void inside my head. I drift back into semi-consciousness again, feeling my arms, my legs, my body rested on this… bed. I can assume I'm in the medical room of the school, now - what with the nurse's presence earlier. I must've been taken here, after-
.
.
My head stabs with pain as images of the Future Human bringing its metal arm down on my head fill me. Images of my mangled body, cogs in my chest, limp, in a coffin, people mourning -
No.
No!
That will not be me. I can't have been converted! It's - it's reversible, surely! I have to wake, I have to be strong. I've escaped the rockfall in the passages, I've outwitted Porky multiple times, I've survived my father's abuse, I've been through a lot. I will not let whatever this is end me.
...The end. That's a scary thought.
..
.
.
Pain.
Please help.
Please help.
...
Placet Auxilium.
.
.
.
.
.
.
In, and out, in and out of consciousness.
..
.
"He'll be okay. I promise you."
"What if- what if-!"
..
.
.
"Sometimes he moves - sometimes he twitches, just a little-"
..
.
"Hope."
.
.
"Keep on hoping."
..
..
"I will hold on hope."
.
..
"Hope."
..
"There's always hope."
..
..
.
"Ness, I'm going to try something."
I'm brought to vague semi-consciousness - someone is talking. Talking to me. I can just about make out the voice, though it's murky - it's Lucas. I try to open my eyes, try to move my hand, I try to do anything to let him know that I'm here, that I can hear him, but there's no luck. I feel him take one of my hands into his - his palm is warm, comforting. His forehead just about makes contact with mine - and suddenly, I'm floating in the void again, and there's someone there, stepping out of the darkness-
Lucas.
He runs towards me. "Ness!"
The dark void lights up all of a sudden, a brilliant white, all of the darkness eradicated to the corners of somewhere else.
I run towards him, in bewilderment. "Lucas?"
It's him - it's Lucas! He's here, somehow! He reaches me, and yanks me into a hug. "I thought I'd try our telepathy - nobody's around - and - and, Ness, what is this? Where are we?"
"I think this is… sort of, my mind…"
"Your mind?"
I rub my cheek. "Yeah. Sorta empty, heh."
He buries his face into my chest. "You're such a goof."
I laugh, my spirits soaring, and he looks up at me, grinning, but I notice his eyes are a little wet. "This place is super weird."
I shrug. "I don't understand it, really. But, but, Lucas, what happened to me - what's been done to me! Have I been - did it- did it-!? What's going on!"
Lucas pulls away from me, his eyes glistening with tears. "Ness, Ness, you're in a… bad way. You're in a coma, of some sorts, I think."
I gulp. That doesn't sound good. "I've been trying to wake up," I say, hurriedly. "I've been trying and trying - but I can't. I can't move."
Lucas pulls me near again. "Keep trying, Ness. What's it… like, here, being stuck like this?"
I think, but my head hurts, making it a little more difficult. "Sometimes I'm, I feel like I'm there, in the real world, but I can't move, or open my eyes. Semi-conscious. Sometimes I feel like I'm here, in this big space, like we are right now. Sometimes there's memories… images… but mostly, there's just sleep, unconsciousness. It's horrible. I want to get out of here."
Lucas continues to hold me close. Oh lord - I think he's crying - are my... damages… that bad? I hear sniffles, and muted sobs. I suddenly feel extremely guilty. I swallow down the lump in my throat. Lucas looks up at me, shaking just a little. "Ness - please, I'm- I'm scared for you. Stay - strong, Ness."
"Sometimes I feel - I feel myself slipping away-" I mumble.
Lucas hugs me tighter. "Please- please don't- please don't - just, please, hold onto yourself, please, wake up- I have to go now, but, Ness, please… I miss you."
"I miss you too."
..
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.
..
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Sobbing.
..
..
I'm… I've been converted. I'm almost certain now. The pain is sharper. The pain is so much sharper, and its torture. I feel so heavy. Existing is heavy. Living is heavy.
..
..
..
It's hard to feel much, to think about much, in this state. Once again, I don't know if anyone's there. All I can see is blackness, all I can feel is the dull ache, the dull throbbing in my head, my chest. I focus on it, and it seems to sharpen just a bit more, very slightly. I feel… sick. I feel ill. I feel useless. I'm broken. I feel myself slipping under again - no! This time, it won't happen. This time, I'll stay! My name is Ness. Ness. I'm 16. I'm wanted. I'm needed. I'm - I live in Onett. Lucas is my best friend. There's a ton of awful stuff going on - and I should be staying away from Lucas, to keep him safe!
..
.
.
Fear prickles at my mind. What if Lucas is being taken, or killed, or converted into a Future Human, right now! It would be my fault - if it wasn't for my stupidity, if it wasn't for me…
How did this happen?
…
.
..
A flicker. A light. It all comes back, all of a sudden, the horror, the memory of what happened, it starts to play, in my mind - oh lord-
I struggle, trying to get a look - the arms around me seem to be rotting!? There's plates of metal - oh God, oh God, it's got me- what's it going to do - it's a Future Human, ha, I was right, the Future Human is going after me instead of Lucas, now-! But - but it's got me, and I - I - I!
I struggle as hard as it can, but it's lifted me off the ground, it's taking me, it's carrying me - it's taking me to make me into one of them! I'm suddenly sure of it, and I convulse. I won't - I refuse! I won't let it win - I - I kick and struggle, but a gruesome hand clamps itself over my arms - I scream! Panic consumes me - someone has to hear, somebody has to come and rescue me-! There's a horrific clang - the clang of metal against a skull - oh - oh. My skull. It's… hit me... ow… Colours flash before me, pretty colours, I try to grab them, heh,
A voice cries out. "Ness!"
My mind swims. Toon Link?! How did he get here? He's running, out of the school doors, he's running towards me- I laugh a little, before remembering where I am - but I'm slipping away, yes, yes, I should let the current of sleep pull me down, yes...
"Toon Link!" I cry out, just before the Future Human clamps a disgusting hand over my mouth. Something's dripping down my face, pooling on my lip, it tastes metallic. It tastes of… blood… funny, how did that get there? My head pounds again, and I twitch, and my chest compresses as I'm pulled close to the rotting creatures harder and harder - I'm - something's going to break - I - I can't - breath - there's a hand around my neck, my head… hurt… I can hardly see, my vision is just pools of red, but it's… heh… funny, so funny, I'm so.. dizzy… I can sleep… forever…
Crack.
Toon Link's eyes widen with fear, but he runs towards the Future Human nonetheless. "Leave him alone!"
It roars. "Placet Auxilium!"
I'm slammed back into reality, and my heart races - I can't breathe, I can't breathe! I'm going to die - it's going to kill me - so much pain - so much - it's - it's -
Toon Link launches himself at it, and it throws me like a rag doll - I collide uselessly with the floor, I shake horribly, I'm, I- there's blood - and so much pain - my head - my chest - they're going to split - I - I gasp, I gasp for breath, Toon Link shoves at the creature, and it seems to be fighting back-!
I paint the grass with vomit, hurling up my insides - it hurts, it hurts, I sob, I laugh, I can't see - I can't see -
"Watch out!" Is - is that Ryu here now? My vision obscures completely, as Ryu launches some sort of beam from his hands that causes the Future Human to- to vanish!? No - no, Ryu said, Ryu said he can teleport them away somewhere, yeah, yeah, that's right - dizzily, I rub my head… it's sticky- heh- heh- it's all blurry, and painful, all I can see is just… emptiness… I'm picked up, picked up by Ryu and Toon Link - and - and -
It all happened so quickly.
…
The memory ends.
.
.
Oh.
…
.
.
I've not been converted.
I've not been converted into one of them! But the injuries - oh no - how bad are they? How bad!? But, I've not been converted. Toon Link and Ryu saved my bloody life - I well up, just a little.
Suddenly, I'm feeling something.
I drift into my semi-conscious state. I think I'm - getting closer! I can feel a twitching in my hands - I can feel the pain in my head sharpening, just slightly, I can feel something rushing inside of me, some kind of warmth, some kind of acceleration, perhaps. A drive to keep going. A drive that I will be okay. Lucas's visit into my mind - confirmation that I haven't been converted - maybe they were just the little pushes I needed. Lucas is rooting for me - maybe there's people out there, right now, people watching me! People watching me try to wake up-
The thought is actually sort of embarrassing - I feel a slight blush settling onto my face. A blush! My mind is so busy suddenly - so active, so… alive. I can feel warmth, I can feel my hands, my feet, I can hear, clearer, I can feel - oh, so much pain, my damaged skull, my broken rib, it's so real, it's so real - my hand, I can move it, just slightly. My toes! My toes, I can wiggle them! My legs, my arms, they, they're - oh, my mind, my mind, it's overloading-
My eyes fly open, and light flies in.
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A/N
Woah! That ended up being the most abstract and experimental chapter I've written-
I hope you enjoyed it though, it would be much appreciated if you could tell me what you thought in the reviews!
It was certainly a very different writing experience (and all the dots have caused the document to lag a ton, I'm typing about 1 letter every 5 seconds, plz help me-)
I'm sorry. I completely baited you out into thinking Ness had been converted. I feel really bad - originally, that wasn't the case, but I read back, and realised it kinda seemed like that had been what happened, so I just… exaggerated that suggestion a little.
But anyways, thanks for reading, see you next time!
Notes:
Into the Murky Water is the name of a (great) album by the Leisure Society.
I decided to reference the song 'build me up buttercup' too, just because I could-
~ReadyForTeddy
