It's getting harder to breathe.

I guess this is my will. I don't have any ink on me, but I'm bleeding enough to write one.

Haha. I get it. Dad says I've grown a morbid sense of humor. I had to, if I wanted to stay sane. You left me big shoes to fill. They're still a loose fit, but your little brother had to grow up one day.

So. Where do I begin.

Dear Claus.

It's been a while since I last saw you.

Ironically, you were all I could think of until the very end.

When you wanted to avenge mom's death, I should have followed you. Ness told me that you slipped off a cliff while fighting the Drago that killed mom. You survived the fall, unable to call for help, your body broken beyond repair. How many days did you lie there in the dirt, bleeding away until you were found? You must have been lonely. What happened to you was cruel, but what Porky did to you was crueler. And after everything you endured, you died protecting me with your final breath. You lived brave, but bravery means nothing to me if you're dead.

It's painfully unfair. Even after all these years, I can't let you go.

A part of me wishes I died instead that day.

But somehow, I found happiness. I found friends, I found family, and I found someone who reminds me of you.

Strange. Funny. Heartrending. Master Hand has always said that a happy adventure was rare for a Smasher, so I thought I was one of the luckier ones.

I let my guard down.

Porky Minch showed up tonight. I tried, Claus. I really did. I wanted to save our grandfather, but I was too late. He's with mom now. After everything Porky decides to do with me, it'll just be dad left in this world. I know you wanted me to be strong, but I lost. I simply wasn't as strong as you.

Gomennasai.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

My head explodes with noise. Voices swim in my ears.

I take my first breath.

It's too bright.

Squirming against the painful light poking me in the eyes, fragmented memories flood back in like a save state. I'm... I was dying. My hands scrabble for my head, but I stop when something sharp digs into my wrists. Right. Strong's police cuffs. Instantly I'm on it, melting through the shackles before Porky can realize my escape-

The room comes into focus.

Then I register the hand trembling on the top of my head.

I swallow, turning to the face connected to the hand. "...Ojiisan?"

The silence breaks.

With an incoherent exclamation, he squeezes me into a hug, pressing me closer by the back of the head.

"You're safe, you're safe-" I can make out when he murmurs in a feverish prayer. He's here - meaning that we're either safe as he claims, or imprisoned together under one of Porky's elaborate plans. But my worries evaporate when my eyes flit to the exit, only to meet another familiar pair of eyes.

For the first time in his life, Ness looks struck dumb, like he doesn't know what to say.

I clear my throat. It still feels dry. "...Hi."

"You idiot," Ness bursts out, looking like he's ready to strangle the life back out of me, but it's betrayed by the fact that he's furiously blinking back tears. "You... you massive fuckwad, you impossible fucking dumbass-"

"My grandson is a dummahsu," Alec agrees.

Thankfully, Master Hand interrupts the reunion with his arrival, saving me an early death-by-Ness. "Ah, Alec! You've beaten me to an early welcome. Apologies for the unfortunate timing, but I need to steal your grandson for a second. There's a few things the doctors and I have to discuss with Lucas, but we will discharge him shortly. Is that alright?"

"Yes," gramps says graciously, squeezing my hand, but I'm still in shock. He's alive. If anything, Master Hand's presence proves that this is real. "Come Ness. We wait."

"That's right. Ness, you're not in the clear yet. Doctor Pravka is wondering where you ran off to."

Ness puffs up his cheeks. "But-"

"Out."

Puffing up his cheeks even more like a petulant hamster, Ness gives me a meaningful look, then leaves.

Master Hand clears his throat. "You must have many questions. How do you feel?"

As if of their own accord, my hands fly to chest. My arm. My leg. All my wounds are gone. I'm back in my default attire. "...I don't know. I should be dead- What happened to the Tazmily Villagers? Did they-" When I break into a coughing fit, Master Hand hands me a glass of water.

"Breathe. Minor disorientation is a common side effect of death. As for the Tazmily Villagers, they are safe and sound. Without your help and Kumatora's, I have no doubt we would've had casualties. As it turns out, there was a suspected traitor in our sister company, who purposely delayed your bodyguard requests. They are now under police custody. Naturally, I pushed the sister company for just compensation, and they agreed, signing my new Asylum Act into Law. You, the Tazmily Villagers, and your father are under 24/7 bodyguard watch, free of charge. As it should be. Life should not have a price tag."

Through the glass windows, the late afternoon sun warms the cloudless sky. Even after a drink, my throat feels drier than sandpaper. There's a metallic taste stuck in my mouth, as if I swallowed down several bars of gold. "Just how... How many hours was I out?"

"Hours? Oho. Lucas, you've been out for a month."

I choke. "One month?"

"Much has happened during your absence. You've left many people worried... even now." Master Hand tilts his head to the exit, and some hasty heads are withdrawn. He snaps his fingers, closing the door and giving us privacy from eavesdroppers. "A trial is currently underway to identify your assaulters. Ness took a huge gamble to find you. He retrieved you with the help of Rope Snake, and went against standard protocol... but I won't deny that I'm glad he did."

Ness saved me.

History repeats itself after all.

Master Hand takes my empty glass away. "For the time being, unless you have a valid reason to be outside, I want you indoors for a week to avoid hitmen. You may be fully healed, but the medical scanner in this Mansion provides me a full log of your recovered injuries. I took note of certain injuries that stood out beyond others-"

"I was shot."

"Quite. Sixteen times," Master Hand murmurs in agreement, but I can feel him staring straight through me. "I won't pressure you to tell me other details, as aggravating potential trauma is not the nature of my visit to you today. Rather, I have four points to address to you. First and foremost, I want to remind you that therapy sessions are free for anyone in the Roster. This condition will not change if you decide to take Leave, as Popo has done. Taking care of your mental health is not shameful. Do not be afraid to seek help. That goes doubly for you, as a psychic."

"Secondly, when Duster arrives at the Mansion tomorrow, he will catch you up on paperwork. The Roster has cast a final vote on last-minute edits for this year - such as passing the newly-established Asylum Act - and we have made minor changes to the meal plan - aka the first one thousand meals are free of charge. Furthermore, we will be magically renovating rooms on New Years next year in preparation for Ultimate, and request that you pack and leave all your possessions outside your dorms that day. Ness will catch you up on other current affairs."

"Thirdly, I am aware that you've discovered the MOTHER 3 cartridge." When I stiffen up, Master hand raises his hand. "Keep it. It's yours to give me. Until you are ready, I will not seize it from you and move it to the Record Room for the public eye to see. Those are three of my four points. Is there anything you'd like to ask me at this time?"

I swallow. I've known Master Hand long enough not to be fooled by the pre-emptive good news. "...What's the fourth point?"

Master Hand sighs. He almost deflates. "I warned you that your adventure was an unhappy one," he says quietly. "My brother said that you'd find out about your quest on your own, but I persisted. I believed that your amnesia came as a stroke of luck. You still had a hard life this time round, but the moment you arrived here without any knowledge of your previous history, I was relieved. I thought you could start over. Link. Samus. Shulk. Too many Smashers have already suffered long before residing here, and as young as you were, I'd hoped that the day I'd see you in this hospital bed would never come."

I stay quiet.

Master Hand reluctantly gets to his point. "...Very well. Lastly, you missed the early March deadline. Understandable, as you were absent for a valid reason, but rules are rules, and... I had to mark you as "forfeit." Considering the current state of events, I see this as a blessing in disguise. Take a break. Of course, as you are still an employee, you will be compensated during this time-"

"Does this mean-"

"Yes. You will not be participating in this year's Summer Tournament. I'm sorry, Lucas."


.

.

.

~Chapter Thirty-Eight~

An Unhealthy Obsession

(alt. The Egg of Light)

.

.

.


When Master Hand leaves, the doctors pry off my handcuffs. They handle them carefully as evidence for the trial, and ask me to fill out several forms pre-signed by my grandfather.

When all is said and done, the doctors allow visitors back into the room.

Ness and Alec don't return, but a line of people walk in with more apologies. Shulk beats himself up over his own premonition, despite my attempts to convince him otherwise. Jeff heaves a painful apology for his father's legacy with which he had played no part in. Dragged in of his own accord, a grumpy Pittoo apologizes for calling me a bat-shit crazy kid.

I wish they'd stop saying sorry. I was pitied when I lost my mom. I was pitied when I lost my brother.

I don't want to be pitied.

As I wait to be discharged, Red walks in. His attire catches me offguard. He's dressed in heavy travel gear. His bag, almost splitting at the seams, seems bulkier than usual. After hearing about his brawl with Ness, I'm surprised to see him packed and ready to go.

"If you say sorry, I'm going to jump out the window," I say seriously, and Red quirks into a smile.

He adjusts the straps on his bag. His voice is full of conviction. "...I'm taking a Leave of Absence. Going to Alola. Want to train and become the best champion I can."

Then Red hands me a plane ticket.

And explains.

The Pokemon Champion League had given him two free tickets. He knew how I fought. He said I worked well with his Pokemon, and that his Pokemon trusted me. He wanted me to come along.

But when I hesitate, he knows. I have too many obligations here to pack up my bags and leave. The Tazmily Villagers. My grandfather. Ness. No one is safe until we can finally catch Porky.

I still have a quest of my own to finish.

When I decline, he gives me a final nod, then places a gift on my bedside for luck.

The only pokeball in existence with a 100% catch rate.

The Master Ball.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Until now, no one had been told to sit out of a tournament.

Admittedly, my injuries had been bad, but I can still fight. I can still cast spells. Despite the hard deadline, Master Hand had granted Red an extension until his battle against Ness. He could've done the same for me.

Slowly, I start to question my own competency.

A temporary distraction subdues the nagging thought in my mind. When I walk back into the living room, Rope Snake freezes on the carpet and turns slack-jawed. He almost coils himself into several knots from overexcitement, and as I check on each of his scales, I'm relieved to find that stress hasn't affected his shedding. His new baby scales look strong and undamaged. Though I notice that Rope Snake's also gained some weight - Ness has overpampered him well in my absence. When I thank Rope Snake for saving our hides, he's quick to turn smug, boasting about his exploits and drinking in all my praise. It's well-earned. Without Rope Snake, Porky would've had both our heads.

With a happy fanfare, Alec and Ness burst into the apartment.

Even with his fading injuries, my grandfather insists on cooking dinner to celebrate my return, and vehemently refuses my offer of help no matter how many times I try.

"Go, I am okay," he insists, Ness helpfully carrying groceries in his stead. While I was getting discharged, the two of them had supposedly disappeared off to the market for fresh produce. "I am a better baker, but I cooked the meals for your mother when she was a child. I have some premade noodles and broth, so we can cook ra-" When I stand up, Alec scowls. "...What are you doing?! Get back down."

"I'm washing the-"

"I will wash the vegetables! You're sick, go sit down-"

"I'm healthy," I protest. "You're the one with a shoulder injury-"

Alec impatiently waves my concerns away. "Ness, if he moves one step from that couch, tie him down."

"Gladly," Ness says, grinning like a devil's advocate.

Apparently I don't get to have a say in dinner prep.

The two of them together threaten me again for good measure, before heading into the kitchen. For the first time I've known him, my grandfather doesn't complain about his back. I have a feeling he's refraining from his usual complaints, because he doesn't want me to worry, but I'm just relieved that he's alive.

From the couch, as I watch them prepare dinner, Ness stubbornly tries his best to follow directions and struggles with the knifework. Though I appreciate him helping my grandfather out, from the angle he's holding his knife at the chopping board, I'm afraid he's going to slice his own pinky off. I guess Grandpa notices it too, because after a while, he sneaks Ness other tasks and takes over the chopping station. Throughout dinner service, Ness gradually escalates from line cook to errand boy to free taste tester.

"Try this," Alec now says, dropping a piece of nori into Ness's mouth and intently watching his expression as if Ness were a 5 star food critic. "What do you think?"

"Mmm- eets gud-"

Alec beams as Ness clumsily tries to chew the rest of the dry seaweed, struggling to keep it from sticking on the roof of his mouth. "I keep telling Ryuka, boys must eat well," he says, pointing his ladle at me with his good arm. "You could teach my grandson a thing or two-"

"I eat too-"

"You never eat like Nessu does," Alec complains, before affectionately feeding Ness another strip of seasoned pork like a doting grandparent. After expressing his disapproval over my mother's choice of a husband and constantly asking if I've found a Japanese girlfriend yet, I hadn't expected my grandfather to warm up to Ness so enthusiastically - even as a friend. But to my relief, they get along without trouble.

This makes me feel a bit better.

At some point, I doze off, and rouse to Ness shaking me awake to three bowls of tonkatsu ramen. My first real food after a month of purgatory. The steam is delicious, and my mouth waters from a freshly reawoken memory. Everything, from the choice of the toppings down to the color of the rich pork broth, looks identical. It's obvious where my Mom got her inspiration to cook from.

Itatakimasu. Snapping our cheap supermarket chopsticks into two, we dig in.

It smells like home.

It tastes like home.

Ness's empathy link ripples with an undercurrent of anxiety.

When I glance up, I realize that no one else is eating. They're both watching me attentively like I'm about to disappear into thin air, and I can tell because their worried thoughts keep prickling against my mind. Clearing his throat, Alec dips his head and eats, pretending he hadn't been caught staring.

Ness doesn't dig in.

There's no way he's not hungry. I've known him long enough to know his appetite.

"The soup's good," I try.

Ness trains his eyes on his own plentiful bowl. "...Yeah," he says quietly.

Under the table, I gently squeeze his hand for reassurance. This does the trick, because squeezing my hand back, Ness starts to eat... rather vigorously. To Alec's delight, Ness is ravenous, demolishing his bowl like he hasn't eaten a day in his life. I can't help but notice that he's lost some weight. He normally binge eats and hurls whenever he's stressed.

After dinner, we walk Alec back to the guest apartment several floors up - Ness pulls another fast one on me and insists on washing the dishes, double teaming me with Alec on his side - and I promise to escort gramps back to Tazmily next week. I can't help but notice how firmly my grandfather grips my hands before we bid him goodnight, and my throat closes up when he speaks.

"Next week- I want you to promise, Lucas. Ignore the Villagers. Do not listen to them-"

"It's okay. I already know that they don't like me-"

His grip tightens. "No, not that. Abandon your quest for the Egg of Light. Porky is not worth your life. You are more important than that."

I swallow with difficulty.

He almost died. Only dumb luck saved him that day.

I can't bring myself to lie to his face, so instead, I squeeze his hands back. "...Goodnight, ojiisan."

Without Alec as mediator, the walk back is awkward. It feels like yesterday since I last spoke with Ness, but I know that Ness hasn't seen me in over a month. So much has happened since. Neither of us know where to start.

I talk first. "So... Master Hand put you in charge?"

Ness starts. "Temporarily. But Luigi's taking over as Acting Hand tomorrow-"

"Wow. We must've been in a real state of emergency for Master Hand to put you in charge-"

"HEY!" Ness puffs up his cheeks, and when I can't hide the grin from my face, he retaliates, elbowing me repeatedly in the side in a failed attempt to show me Who's Boss. There's not much power in the elbow. I can tell he's toned down his roughhousing, as if he's afraid that he'll break me like a porcelain doll.

"You can elbow me harder than that."

"...I know."

"Why, did you miss me?"

Beeping us into the apartment, Ness cracks a small smile. "Not really. I finally had the whole apartment to myself."

"I'm touched."

"Just kidding-" Averting his eyes and scratching the back of his neck, Ness breaks into a sheepish smile. "I... I actually missed you a lot."

My face heats up. Even after all this time, Ness's blunt honesty about his feelings still catches me off-guard. When I elbow him in the side, Ness flusters. Face red, he makes a desperate attempt to escape his mortification by diving for the sink, and when he makes a show of washing the dishes and pans in an overly noisy clatter, I silently join him, drying the dishes with the kitchen towel.

Our arms brush against each other.

Neither of us mind.

"Oh shit... I forgot. Your flower died," he adds when I place the last of his dried dishes into the cupboards, and inspect the shriveled up mess that had once been my potplant. "I tried to water it, but- I think it got depressed and wilted-"

"It was already looking sick before I left. Nothing you did could've kept it alive." As I give a silent apology to the gerbera, a sudden motion blurs in the corner of my eye-

Ness reaches for my face-

Reflexively, I catch his hand.

An awkward pause.

"Ah," I mumble, dropping his hand. "You surprised me from behind-"

"It's okay." Ness sounds choked up. My heart sinks. He's never been good at hiding his feelings. Furiously swiping at his eyes with his jacket sleeve, he turns away, tugging the bill of his cap over his face. His voice cracks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't get to you on time- and the Onett Police... and Porky-"

Another lump forms in my throat. "Don't cry, Ness-"

"No, fuck you."

Tentatively, I reach for his face. He doesn't object when I take off his prized hat, and set it on the table. When I press my hands into his face, Ness closes his eyes with a sad sigh and melts into my touch. I pour pulse after pulse of magic to quell his tears, but the tears don't stop. They keep coming.

Magic has never failed me before.

Ness stifles another stuttered sob. His frame shakes.

An ache sears my throat. Ness doesn't want magic. He wants comfort.

Slowly, I wrap my arms around his shaking shoulders, and rest my head on his. Eleven Smashers had gone missing that night. If Rope Snake hadn't been there, it could've easily been Twelve. When Ness's ache subsides into a dull throb and the shaking falters, I clumsily fumble for his hands.

They're warm.

I'm glad he's alive.

I squeeze his hands. Thanks. For coming after me that night.

In response, Ness squeezes my hands back.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

The nightmares grow worse.

I wake up several times that night in feverish sweat. Ness does too. I can tell that he's accidentally bled into some of my nightmares, because after reliving a particularly nasty memory, he ends up staggering to the bathroom to dry-heave into a trashcan. Neither of us say anything, but when Ness returns, he curls around me a little tighter. His hands are cold and clammy.

When both of us are unable to fall back asleep, I make him peppermint tea.

For a long time, I've felt like there was a darkness that followed me wherever I went. I've felt like a walking curse to the people around me. I burden my friends and family by association. I burden them by existing. And after Porky's assault, I'm drowning in a darkness with no escape - a darkness that's taken control over my life. Every time I think back to that night in Tazmily, I can't forget.

But like clockwork, the show goes on.

Despite my long absence, I start the week like any normal week. Despite not competing this summer, I train. I surprise Duster when I show up fully recovered, and he catches me up on missed paperwork and on the new Asylum Act. Under the Asylum Act, I make my first request, renewing housing and bodyguard protection for the Tazmily Villagers for an additional month. It's approved within the week.

Duster's brow creases. Every time I stop by, he asks me if there's anything I'd like to talk about.

I check on gramps several times a day. Once, I even catch him after a moment of tea with a contemplative Chrom. I don't know the details, but it sounds like Chrom visits him for advice. Whatever they're talking about, at least Chrom doesn't glare at me like I've defiled his daughter anymore.

Alec remains concerned about my health, and I deflect any questions he asks about what happened to me that night. He's alive, and so am I. That's what's most important. When he reaches for his pipe out of stress, I gently remind him to quit smoking.

I catch up with Ness. I listen to him recount happenings on his end - Paula, the trial against Strong, Porky on the loose, and his well-earned victory against Red.

Ness has grown stronger.

He's strong without me.

He doesn't need me.

Since Ness's recent victory, Luigi seems to have gained an extra spring in his step. Despite the disastrous wedding ball on Valentine's Day, there's an unmistakable resolve in his eyes. With each day, Luigi grows into a leader, becoming more determined to find his missing brother.

My chest constricts. I couldn't stop Porky. I don't know why I ever deluded myself into thinking I could take him on alone.

No matter how much attention I give him, Ness notices my distance. He's confused when I close up, shutting myself off from his empathy link. As the last of the Twelve, he's constantly busy, and I find myself unwilling to add to the burden. He's my confidante, not a professional therapist. I know when I'm stuck on a sinking ship, and I'm not going to drag him down with me.

I'm spiraling out of control.

I meet Lucario for advice. He gives me new mental exercises to keep my thoughts at bay.

Despite my caution, it's not enough.

On the third day, there's an accident in the training rooms. My powers arc out of hand. The burst of telekinesis blows out every fuse on the floor. It shatters the mirrors of the Yoga room, and breaks Corrin's sword arm into a messy fracture.

Despite her reassurance, and a speedy recovery thanks to her Dragon half, I've cost Corrin precious training time. She's forced to rest for two days, postponing all her brawls during that time, and Master Hand gently advises me to put my training on hold.

I've become a danger to everyone around me.

Ness finds me hiding in the wreckage, stewing away in a pathetic pool of self-pity and self-hatred. I don't remember the last time I lost control in such a disastrous way.

"Hey... I heard what happened."

I hurt someone.

"I got you a free drink from the vending machine. Choco milk."

They got hurt badly.

Ness squeezes my hand. "It's okay. It happens."

I don't want to hurt you too.

"I heard you helped the medical team out. Corrin said that you have the heart of a dragon. She's not wrong. See, I knew I'd find you beating yourself up. C'mere, you." Like a therapy dog, Ness crawls under my arms, lays his head onto my lap, then presses my hand against his face. He loves so unconditionally that it hurts.

Slowly, I play with his hair.

His empathy link tingles.

The next day, I finally muster up the courage to visit my dad in the hospital. I'd planned on it, ever since gramps told me what happened. He'd said that when I went missing, dad had gone after me.

I'm still not sure how I feel about my dad.

But for the most part, I think he did the best he could, concerning the circumstances. He had his share of flaws, but whatever his flaws, he'd always put me first. Adulthood is hard. No parent is perfect.

His left arm hangs over the side of the mattress.

I clutch his hand. He doesn't look right, lying in a coma. Dad had always seemed so tough after mom died. I never could've imagined him lying prone in the hospital. My chest constricts, but I don't cry. The last thing my dad would've wanted was for me to cry in public.

None of this would've have happened if I were Claus. Claus was strong. He would've known what to do. He wouldn't have lost to Porky that night.

I bury my face into his hand, and silently count to ten.

...

...

...

I'm sorry, dad. You were right.

I'm not so strong after all.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Despite ordeal after ordeal, I know I can't stay depressed forever. Time never stands still. There's always something that needs to be done.

Ironically, facing my responsibilities becomes my saving grace. Staying busy keeps the depression at bay.

I have to grow stronger.

More importantly, I need a new teacher.

"I don't train humans," Mewtwo says irritably.

"You don't have to. I can shadow you."

"Go to Lucario."

"He's taught me all he can."

Floating up the stairs, Mewtwo flicks his tail in displeasure. "Listen, fool. I am not your baby-sitter."

Careful not to overstep his limits, I continue testing his unpredictable mood. Mewtwo's formidable skill and raw power are reason enough for me to keep asking. Famous for mastering the art of telepathy and Possession, Mewtwo's the only person here who can teach me how to fine-tune my telekinesis. Except for the occasional grab for his opponents - or for his toothbrush - and accidental levitation, Ness doesn't bother with telekinesis, and Lucario's fighting form relies too heavily on Aura as a third eye.

When I explain myself, Mewtwo narrows his eyes into slits like a suspicious siamese cat. "Why should I teach you?"

"Because. I can give you this."

When I pull the object from my pocket, the barest flicker of surprise flashes across Mewtwo's face. "Is that... the Master Ball? How?!"

I watch him weigh his options.

According to Red, only one Master Ball exists in the Pokemon World, and the scientist responsible for its creation retired years ago. Pokeballs can't be destroyed here, but if Mewtwo takes the Master Ball with him back to his home world, he can destroy it for good. Once he does, no one can catch him again with 100% certainty.

He'll be free.

It's not an easy offer to turn down.

Mewtwo hesitates. His ears twitch, lowering into an aggressive stance, and I carefully take a step backwards. I was too bold. All I've done is successfully piss him off.

He's not going to accept the bargain.

Then begrudgingly, with a whisk of his paw, the Master Ball floats away from my hands. "Tomorrow. At the break of dawn," he says, leaving me stunned on the stairs.

Come Saturday morning, after a brutal training session with Mewtwo, Ness and I meet Alec down in the lobby. When I wish Ness luck on his earliest brawl, he waves me goodbye so enthusiastically that I thought his entire hand was going to fall off.

Alec notices. "That boy must like you very much," he grins, and I groan. Ness is going to blow our cover.

The trip to Tazmily is strange, surrounded by an entourage of bodyguards. Despite my best efforts, conversation is stilted; I don't know how Master Hand talks about personal matters in the audience of silent strangers. Bodyguards make me uncomfortable - the knowledge of a stranger willing to sacrifice their life for their assigned host is a hard truth to stomach. Unsure about what to else to do but treat them kindly, I offer them water. To my surprise, they accept. None of them seems bothered that I can read minds.

Since gramps lost almost everything in the fire, I hand him my phone for the day. Even with bodyguards around, I can protect myself - Alec's better off keeping my cell in case something happens. Alec disagrees, but before he can continue, we're interrupted by birdsong.

Despite the forest fire decimating much of the forest, the sparrows have grown in number. Several greet me, chirping as they swoop over our heads, and when I whistle back in welcome, I recognize the three chicks I saved in my jacket, now fully fledged adults.

As we approach the fringes of the forest and buildings pop into sight, I grow more nervous. It's been a month since I've seen the Tazmily Villagers. Though Bayonetta had paid the past month's worth of rent for their own apartment complex nearby, it's the weekend. Many Villagers are home. I can already spot several standing inside the park.

I think of Ness's frown from last night. "Why do you want to help people who hate you?" he'd said.

I'm not sure.

But I'm sure of this: I'm not here out of some masochistic desire to prove myself. Nor am I here to perpetuate some self-serving image of matryrdom.

From the moment I forgot my memories and my quest, however involuntarily, I had abandoned the Tazmily Villagers. And while they can fend for themselves, I have to take responsibility. Although neither of us are official law officials, we're Smashers. We represent our respective worlds. And I know that if Onett needed help, regardless of who asked, Ness would be there in a flash. In a way, we were the final line of defense.

Any trepidation at returning to the Tazmily Villagers disappears when I bump into the first two men waiting outside. Resting on crutches for his broken leg, Biff elbows his brother in the belly when we arrive.

"...erm, just wanted to say- I'm sorry," Butch mumbles, uncomfortably scratching the back of his head. "We lost some of our money and livestock, but my brother knocked some sense back into me. You saved our lives. Without you, we would've died... Thank you." He offers me his hand, and gives into an uncertain smile as he waits for my response.

Fear and the Happy Happy pills had brainwashed him in that moment. Not taking the pills had returned his mental clarity. I only happened to be at the right place at the right time.

When I shake his hand, Butch's smile grows, and then he fidgets. "The fact we survived is a miracle. No wonder everyone thinks you've been blessed by the Dark-"

Alec shoots him a sharp look, and Butch hurriedly finishes, "-and if you ever bump into that demon boy with purple eyes - tell him I'm sorry too. That's it, bye-"

"Demon boy with purple eyes?" I repeat, frowning when Bill and Butch make their hasty leave. "...Oh no. What did Ness do again."

Alec only chuckles in response.

Though she was to be reinbursed by the Asylum Act, Bayonetta had been generous with her funding. She had bought the Tazmily Villagers expensive apartments for their safety, and a glance at any recreation facilities proves the lofty bill. Outside, the outdoor golf park stretches as far as the eye can see. The lawn is trimmed and kempt. The air smells like freshly mown grass and the odd waterfowl.

Maybe this triggers another memory, because Alec sighs. "Ahhh... it is a lovely day. Not rainy like yesterday. Did you know you were born on a rainy day? Lots of thunderstorms. Kurausu was okay, but you were born so frail and sickly... Your mother worried that we'd lose you," Alec reminisces, peering at the lake over the rim of his glasses. I listen to him recount memory after memory, trying but failing to hide a smile.

But the conversation takes a sharp turn when one of the Tazmily girls walks near us.

"I've been working on my English puns lately," Alec says proudly as we try not to trip over the ducks. Several yellow ducklings chirp frantically after their mother. "For example, I saw a bird. It - oh Nana! Have you met my grandson? He is single and very hand-"

"Thank you, grandfather," I interrupt by pushing him in the other direction, my cheeks hot when the Tazmily girl named Nana stifles a laugh at his antics.

"Stop advertising me to every village girl my age," I complain when we're out of earshot. "I told you, I'm taken-"

In a rare show of defiance, Alec throws me a skeptical look and crosses his arms. "I don't believe you," he declares.

"Why not?"

"How can I? I've never seen your girlfriend. You never bring your girlfriend along. I think she only exists in your head."

I sputter. "Why would I bluff about being taken? Ojiisan, we almost died. A girlfriend's the last thing on my mind-"

"Ah, so you admit it!"

I make a face.

Alec raises an eyebrow. From the looks of his knowing smile, I know he's waiting for an answer.

"I'm not lying. I really am taken," I mumble, shuffling my feet. "I wasn't interested in a relationship, but... it kind of happened."

"Why don't you bring him over for dinner? I'm sure he is very sweet if he makes you happy."

I stare at him.

He takes out his pipe. "He was thoughtful, agreeing to let me talk to you about him first. But I'd rather wait until you are ready." Without breaking his smile, Alec pats me in the back. "Now go speak with the Village children your age - you were all once friends too in another life. I leave to drink tea with Wess."

"How-"

"And remember, Ryuka, you are your own person. Don't let any Fate, god, or Dark Dragon dictate that."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

I check on each Villager, following up on their injuries.

To my growing bewilderment, as if they'd dropped any of their previous resentment towards me and Duster over the month, I'm accepted with open arms. A few are still wary over my telepathic powers, but at least they seem convinced that I won't hold it against them.

Initially I thought that their trust would've made my search easier, but despite the overwhelmingly positive reception, none of the villagers are willing to talk about Porky Minch, any word about the Dark Dragon, or the Egg of Light. It seems like they've taken Alec's warning seriously. While I appreciate my grandfather for trying to protect me, all his precautions do is make my life harder.

Leder is the last adult I encounter.

He's so tall that the pigeons have mistaken him for a post. They perch along his shoulders and on top of the gray hat on his head.

"I know you don't speak," I say wearily.

Leder blinks.

With a sigh, I sit by his feet. "...But I've got to try. Do you know anything about the Egg of Light?"

Silence. As expected.

"I need answers. And I know you have some." I take a deep breath. "Please."

Crickets chirp.

Leder's determined not to answer.

Mentally crossing his name out of my list, I get up to leave-

A hand stops me.

I halt in my tracks, but Leder doesn't speak. Instead, he stoops to my level, and then slowly, shakes his head.

Suddenly, I understand.

He can't speak. He's bound by an Oath. I'm not sure how I know, but the purposeful look in his eyes grabs my attention. Leder can only speak when the time is right, and that time isn't now.

But he's given me permission to read his mind.

It's now or never.

The second our eyes connect, I'm sucked into a whirlpool of words, memories, impressions. Oftentimes, the hardest part of reading minds is knowing what to filter, but with Leder, it's not the case. His mind is too orderly, almost too semantic to be human.

Photographic memory.

Giant encyclopedias the size of cathedrals slide and slither from bookcase to bookcase, suck in an infinite loop of organization and reorganization. Histories of timelines and countries that no longer exist make up the flapping pages, countless sentences droning on like an perpetually-typing keyboard.

Leder's mind is a neverending library.

Lucas.

Catching the undertone of warning, his voice clears my focus. Another encyclopedia - The People of the White Ship - flaps past me. If I stay here too long, I'll get lost. I might never find my way back to my body. Already, the Oath of Silence he's taken has begun creeping back over the bookcases like a blanket of fog. Inch after inch, bookcase after bookcase sinks into the cool mist, melting knowledge out of sight. I glance around, but to my dismay, he doesn't have any information on Porky that I can use.

Focus.

Prioritize.

Where is the Egg of Light?

Its covers flapping of its own accord, an encyclopedia swims to my hands and opens itself to the Egg of Light. How it was made, who made it, who discovered it, paragraph after paragraph blurs past my eyes-

Already, cold mist sneaks up my toes.

There's no time.

I flip the book to the back, hoping that something of use will catch my eye. Everything's in chronological order. I don't need the entire biography of the Egg, I need to know how I can find it-

A flash-

There's a picture-

The book snaps shut.

I resurface to sunlight. Staggering to my feet, I give Leder my thanks as he waves back in goodbye. He doesn't know where the Egg of Light is, but he knows what it looks like. That's a start.

After a full afternoon of questioning adult after adult, I find Nana by the lake feeding ducks corn.

Feeling like I owe her an apology, I greet her. "Sorry about earlier. Alec was just teasing-"

"It's allright. I'm glad you're slowly regaining your memory. Alec missed you by the way. He spent the month rewatching all your matches."

Lucario pops into mind. "I was told that my memory was erased-"

"But you remembered Kumatora's name. Weird how the brain works, huh? Maybe no memory is forever lost. Anyways, you really shouldn't talk to me. You'll regret it. The adults say I talk too much."

Nana tosses more corn into the pond. The ducks quack and squabble with each other over the portions. She's wearing pink, but the similarities end there. Where Iceclimber Nana is assertive and bold, Tazmily Nana's intriguing and introspective. Her hair's as yellow as her corn.

They'd get along well.

I wonder why the villagers treat her like an outcast.

"...I'm a halfie too," Nana confesses. "My mom's white, and my dad's a Tazmily native. If you look closely, a lot of the kids in the village are pretty mixed too. I still think it's odd that a lot of kids have different hair colors. Maybe Tazmily Genetics is weird. Most of us are blond too. Go figure, right? I read that blond hair is a recessive trait. You know what's not genetic? Language. Anyone can learn a new language. You've noticed that a lot of us are bilingual, even though the adults prefer to stick to one language over the other. Usually it's Japanese. I wonder why." Nana cuts off her hurried speech, and appraises me. She's right - she's talkative, but the way she speaks reminds me of a hyper Ness. "...Still wanna stay now?"

When I don't budge, Nana takes it as an affirmative. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Nana offers me her corn to feed the ducks. "Anyways, you saved us. Some of the villagers grumbled about you after the rescue, but they had one month to stew over it. They know how much you've helped out since you found us. You missed Kumatora by the way. She works on weekends, but Duster let her know you were alive. Me? I'm honestly glad you still helped us. We treated you terribly, but I have all my organs intact, thanks to you. It could've been a lot worse. If you didn't help out, we would've been goners. Porky Minch would've burned the entire place down and sold us for slaves. You know, it's funny because I think everyone is secretly a little racist inside, but the difference between extremists and normal people is knowing where that line is. People like us would never go out of our way to shoot up a school because we know it's wrong. So maybe Porky lacks empathy. Except if he can manipulate and guilt-trip people, doesn't that mean he knows what empathy is? He uses it as a weapon to hoodwink people. It's pretty psychotic, huh? I told the Villagers that the Happy Happy Pills seemed shady, but they ignored me. Everyone ignores me. Except your grandfather. And you. But I'm not surprised. You were always a patient person. You have a cute smile by the way-"

Nana takes a deep gulp of air. I'm amazed that she has the lung capacity to speak so many words in one go.

"I haven't regained all my memories yet," I admit. "Were we close?"

"Depends on your definition of close. I liked talking to you. You were the only one who ever listened. The Tazmily village kids all knew each other, but the boys tended to band together. If I had to guess, aside from your brother... the person you knew you best was probably Fuel."

"Fuel?"

"He's got hair like a super saiyan. I think he inherited it from his dad. It's hard to miss. See, he's right there." Nana says, pointing at a figure waving at us in the distance. "Your dad rescued him from the forest fire. I guess the blood of a hero runs through your veins. You know, your grandfather doesn't want us to burden you with more serious stuff, but I'll talk. Tazmily had a turbulent history. Long ago, when settlers from the White Ship landed in Tazmily, they co-existed with the natives, but there was still a lot of fighting between races. So in a way, you represent hope. Not just because you saved us, but because of what you stand for. Some of the older Villagers are super religious and believe that you're some heavenly savior blessed by the Dark Dragon, but to most of us, you stand for an Era of Peace. Anyways, I'm telling you all this because you're not stupid, and anyone would be stupid not to feel the pressure that we're placing on you. Whatever our reasons, know that we'll be rooting for you until the very end. Anyways, I'm done here. Now go talk to Fuel."

Nana stands up, brushing dirt off her dress, and heads indoors, a line of ducks waddling after her. Alit against the rippling reflection of the pond, her voice suddenly resurfaces another memory.

I'm Nana. I like the Ocean.

"Did she talk your ears off?" Fuel asks nervously when I meet him, and I have to stifle a grin. Nana's right. He's got brown Super-saiyan hair.

I shake my head.

"Then you got lucky. Once, I got stuck sitting next to her for hours," Fuel says in horror. "I thought she was never gonna shut up-"

"She says a lot of interesting things."

"I mean yeah. Her dad was a sailor who never came back home. She only lives with her mom, like I only live with my dad." Fuel kicks his legs over, sliding onto a free bench. I sit next to him. "You know... your dad saved my life. Twice, from a forest fire. He's in the hospital across from here. Dad and I visited him, but I mean-" Fuel gives into a helpless shrug.

"You're okay though?"

"Me? Yeah. I only got a few burns, but my dad got carbon monoxide poisoning. Your dad came in time. He's okay now."

There's not much either of us can say.

Fuel turns quiet. "Claus was my best friend."

"What was he like?"

"Claus? Uh, loud. Reckless. We did a lot of stupid shit together and got into trouble. Sledding in summer. Trying to two-man a bike seat. Sometimes we'd rope you into the mess, and you'd try to be damage control. Not that it made much difference. We all got grounded anyway." Fuel's eyes turn bright, and I start to share his grin. "Anyways, what really brings you here? I mean, okay sure. You wanna check up on us and all, but I saw you asking around about something earlier."

"I'm looking for the Egg of Light."

Fuel frowns. "The hell's that?"

"It can return all our memories."

Fuel hmms. "Well... if you're looking for something, Leder might know. The super tall guy."

"I already tried. He doesn't know."

"Then yeah, you're out of luck."

Fuel might be wrong there. I think of Pittoo's advice from months ago. I might be able to find the Egg. There's still one more person in the Mansion I need to talk to.

Still, I only nod in response. "There's also something else."

"Shoot."

"Someone told me you got a tattoo." Picking up a short stick, I draw three circles into the dirt to resemble a pig's snout - a symbol burned into my mind from Strong's thoughts. "Is this a popular tattoo around here?"

Fuel frowns at the strange question. "Nope. Kumatora has a few tattoos too, but we go to the same artist. I know some gangs get tattoos, but gangs are like, nonexistent here. Is this tied to Porky? Maybe check out Onett or Fourside. They have a lot of famous tattoo artists- wait." Fuel hesitates, now faltering at my expression. "Uh oh. You have that Claus look on your face again. Are you about to do something stupid?"

"..."

"Lucas? Oh man, I-" Panicking, Fuel glances around, but Alec isn't here. "You like- you just got shot by the Onett cops because you interfered in Porky's drug trade. You can't seriously think you're gonna track down his trafficking gig and expect nothing else to happen-"

"I don't."

"Smash police is working on the case, aren't they? Not all adults are incapable. And- And Nana said our memories are returning over time-"

"I don't have that time. Porky's already got a target on my back, and the Egg of Light is the only way I can get all our memories back. I might find Porky's weakness along the way-"

"Might?" Fuel clenches his fists. "Oh, so you're gonna run off like Claus and get yourself killed in a suicide mission-"

"I'm not Claus."

"Well you sure are acting like him now-"

Someone claps us on the shoulders. "What are you two bozos arguing about?" Kumatora says, and we freeze. She frowns at our faces, and takes off her motorbike helmet to reveal her pink pixie cut. "Well don't just stand there and gawk at me, it's not like I know the answer to my own question."

Fuel's the first to burst out, "I thought you were at work?!"

"Yeah, not today. I rescheduled my shift last night. Heard a certain someone was up." Kumatora ruffles my hair. "Anyways, what were you two bickering about?"

"Tattoos."

"Suicide."

"Aren't you two a jolly pair," Kumatora deadpans. Crossing his arms, Fuel scowls, but says nothing.

"On the day of the attack, I saw this tattoo in Strong's mind. I think Porky's related to it somehow." I sketch the figure again, and Kumatora takes a serious look.

"Wait, that looks like a pig's snout."

"I think it is."

"Hey, you know what gang this reminds me of?" Kumatora snaps her fingers. "...The Sharks of Onett. Frank Fly was telling me about it the other day... I think it was Frank Fly? Yeah, I get all my Onett tattoo recs from him. Anyways, he told me that the Sharks started tattooing pretty recently, like about a few years back. Funny you ask- Frank warned me that there's supposed to be a group of Sharks coming to the city. He tried to pry, but they refused to tell him anything. Kinda suspicious, huh?"

"Here?"

"Yeah. Here. At least Frank was able to rec them to the bar I work at tonight." Kumatora lowers her voice. "Hey, you think they're trying to expand their drug trade? Maybe they're here to recruit people."

Odd. The Sharks have no reason to leave Onett, not when Ness is here. I wonder if Frank Fly had tried to contact Ness first, but gave up when the call refused to connect. Ness had changed his number recently.

I kick dirt back over the sketch. "Thanks, Kuma-"

Her hand tightens on my shoulder. "Not so fast, squirt. In exchange for telling you all this-" Kumatora smiles wide. "We're paying the Sharks a visit."

I groan. I hadn't planned on getting anyone else involved tonight.

Kuma catches the thought, and cheerfully tosses it back into my face. "Yep too late, pal. I'm already involved." Flicking her helmet on, Kumatora jabs her thumb at her bike. "Get on. I'm abducting you."

I glance at my bodyguards waiting outside. "Good luck with that."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"Why did you abduct me," I gasp when Kumatora finally lets me go.

"What do you mean? This is the best idea I had all day-"

"My bodyguards think you actually kidnapped me!"

"That was the plan- Well, how about that?" Kumatora says in satisfaction. "Man, for smashers, your bodyguards suck. No offense. Okay, so yeah, there was that one guy with the freaky water powers who almost nabbed us with his tornado, but did you see my sick drift?! Ha, you should've seen the look on that sucker's face! Anyways, turn off your phone or they'll track us."

I reach for my pocket. "...oh. I left my phone with gramps."

"Even better!"

"This is a bad idea, Kuma. The entire Mansion's going to be after you-"

"Yeah yeah-" With a snort, Kumatora kicks off her bike and drags me along. "Then we'd better finish our business and return you before they worry their heads about where their Young Master Lucas went. Now skadoosh!"

"Let me borrow your phone first," I plead as Kumatora drags me into the back room. "Master Hand's going to kill your career with a criminal charge-"

"Sheesh, Lucas. You're such a worrywart. Allright, here." Kumatora tosses me her phone. Catching it, I waste no time to text Ness.

UNKNOWN NUMBER 7:26PM
Hi, it's me
Sorry Gramps has my phone

Ness wastes no time to call back. "What's up?"

"Can you tell Master Hand not to raise the alarm when my bodyguards call? They probably think I got abducted by a crazy biker-"

"Woah, what? Lucas, where are you?"

I hesitate, looking around. "Good question. I think we're in the Red District-"

Kumatora rolls her eyes. "We're at the titty bar!"

"In the Red District though?! Lucas, that place is... wait, was that Kumatora?"

"Yeah. I won't take long. We're following a lead about Porky-"

Ness's voice turns uncertain. "Okay then... when will you be back?"

I glance at Kumatora for a rough estimate for the time, but she shrugs. Neither of us know if the Sharks are coming, much less when, why, and how long.

"I'm not sure," I admit. When Ness's empathy link ripples with worry, I add, "We'll stay safe. If you come, it might draw too much attention."

Ness slowly breathes out. I can tell he's resisting the urge to panic and teleport out. "Midnight," he finally says. "If I don't hear back from you before curfew, I'm teleporting out to get you."

"Thanks."

"Goddammit Luke."

The call clicks off.

"That the boyfriend?" she asks, raising her eyebrows. "He sounds pissed."

"He's worried."

"I can relate." Then all conversation is dropped when the waitresses flood into the back room for shift change, and Kumatora responds vibrantly to her coworkers' exclamations.

The night passes slowly.

It's almost late at night, a little past eleven O when the Sharks saunter in, reeking of weed. The party's small, only four members. I recognize them by their mismatching sports jerseys - Sharks are notorious for wearing random pieces of sports gear. Splotched with different colors like unfashionable Splatoon warriors, they're impossible to miss. I've heard of gangs that were civil to all of its members, but the Sharks had not been one of those gangs. When Frank Fly had been in charge, he'd maintained a vicious pecking order.

As the group saunters in our direction for a table, I dig my nails into my arm. Instinct tells me to bolt. I ignore it.

When the Sharks settle for a booth two tables away from us, Kumatora and I exchange a look. "Damn, we're lucky. This is gonna be a piece of cake," she whispers, eyeing them impatiently gesture for the nearest waitress. "Once they get drunk, we can wheedle some answers out-"

"They look our age."

Kumatora snorts. "Yeah so? They just ordered drinks. We're in the red district, pal. This is the place people get their kidneys stolen after a one night stand with the wrong girl. No one checks for IDs in this block. Besides, a little drink loosens the lips. If we get them tipsy enough, you'd be able to read their thoughts, easy as pie." Catching the look on my face, Kumatora rolls her eyes. "We're not gonna kill them with booze, Lucas. I don't have the money to afford that many bottles."

"How do we get them drunk?"

"Easy. Like this." Kumatora winks at a passing waitress, who blushes. "Hey there sugar, can you put this on my tab? Free vodka shots for Table Five. Say it's from a Secret Admirer."

"She likes you," I note, the flustering waitress's thoughts as clear as day.

"Does she? Damn, now I feel kinda bad for flirting."

The drinks rain down on the table. Unsuspecting of that their good fortune is about to change for the worse, the Sharks seem wary by the free drinks, but after listening to whatever the waitress says, they take it into stride. Keeping up our guise as customers, Kumatora and I take turns keeping an eye on the table. We're lucky that they're light weights, because a third round of free drinks wasn't needed. Taking off her leather jacket, Kumatora puffs up her clothes, about to put on some lipstick for the confrontation when I stop her.

"Allow me."

Kumatora studies me, then puts her makeup away. "Good point. We don't wanna scare them off."

I turn around, pretending to adjust my seat. The chair squeaks.

Instinctively, the nearest Shark turns around-

And I look up.

The eye contact only lasts for a split second, barely a passing glance, but it's all I need to give him a slight nudge. The suggestion has been planted. We wait with bated breath.

Shark 1 belches, slamming down his drink. "Come to think about it, I haven't seen Johnny since the year he got his tat."

Shark 2 rolls her eyes. "Which tat, dingus. We got two."

"You know what I mean, the new tat. Not the... yknow. Cool one."

"What, the dolphin?" Shark 3 frowns.

Snapping his fingers for the elusive memory, Shark 1 loses his patience. "No, the fish one. The one we're named after, you idgit!"

"Dolphin's a fish."

"Dumbass. This is why you failed biology and flunked school, Sterns."

"I think dolphins are cool," Shark 3 sulks.

"Fuck off with your dolphins, Sterns. But yeah, the new tattoo. Piers has it. Show us, Piers."

Shark 4, noticeably the youngest of the four, nervously tugs up his sleeve. The other three fall silent. By now, I can see Kumatora straining her ears, so silently, I relay the conversation to her. She's right. Drink does loosen the tongue. I can hear what they think before the words come out of their mouths.

Shark 1 continues pressuring Shark 4. "So what did Porky make you do this time, Piers? Clean the dishes?"

"Nothing. He just gave me the money."

"Bullshit."

"Okay, he might have told me to cosplay," Shark 4 confesses.

"Cosplay? Like, that gay dress up game for adults?"

"I dunno. He told me to wear this baseball cap, and took a few pictures. He said it was for an ad."

"...You know, I don't care if some of our parents like him. No matter what angle you look at it, that's fucking creepy-"

"It is not! You're just jealous about the cash-"

Shark 2 cuts in. "Look, Piers. You need the money. We geddit. I'm always outta money. Boss has high expectations - I didn't steal enough bills for his Happy Happy pills this week. But I've been with the Sharks for three years. My cousins joined when they were kids. They were like, listen, we do shitty work, but Frank's an honest man. Our new boss aint. I'm telling you, that tattoo's bad luck. It's like a weird lottery. Everyone with that tattoo starts off getting a lotta franklins from the boss, then gets fucking disappeared. Like, nobody's seen Jacob since October, and Terry's been fucking disappeared for over a year."

Shark 4 turns pale. "...you think the boss is gonna find out we snitched?"

Even while under influence, the Sharks nervously glance around. Kumatora and I pretend to make idle conversation.

"Well I heard..." Shark 2 breathes in, then continues. "I heard the only person who ever defeated our new Boss-" She leans in. "-is this devil named Ness."

They all shudder.

"Not this again."

"That's why we're here, aint it? To see Ness."

"Don't say his fucking name," Shark 3 complains.

"Nessss."

"God! Fucking stop it, Angelica. My brother still has nightmares about his eyes-"

"You're crazy if you think one us is gonna go searching for that devil kid. I don't care how much the new boss hates him, aint nobody gonna be telling Ness nuthin. We've been mugging everyone plenty, he'd trash us before we can sneeze achoo-"

"I can relay a message for you," I say, and the Sharks swivel around.

Shark 1 hiccups. "Who are you? Imma stab you with my knife, you motherfuckin' eavesdropper-"

When my eyes casually flare up with magic, a flicker of fear betrays the Shark's face. "We know Ness. We can help. Now talk."

The Sharks glance at each other.

Then they spill.

Shark 1 leads the pack. "Boss doesn't show up often. He's big. He likes everything big. He likes his women big too. Big busty blondes with skinny waists and-"

"Yeah we get it. You like big boobies," Shark 2 snickers.

Flushing, Shark 1 stands up and yells back, "Shuddup, hoe! I'm tryin to tell these bitches a story!"

"Make me, stupid-"

"About the tattoo?" I interrupt.

Shooting Shark 2 what is supposed to be a warning look (which fails spectacularly), Shark 1 clears his throat. "The tats? Those happened when I joined. A few years ago. Our new boss makes us get these fish tattoos, see? And a few of us get that pig tat on Pier's arm. Like, one in ten? I was friends with a lotta new recruits, so it's hard not to fucking notice how many of them had that tatt-" he hiccups, now relishing in the attention. "Cuz see, everyone who disappeared themself was always one of them younger recruits with that new pig tatt. It sucks, but Boss favors those kids, see."

"In what way."

"Well, he gives them lotsa special treatment and asks them to do some shit for him. And he gives them cash. It's not fair-" he scowls, and Shark 4 shrinks in his seat. "If you ask me, I think our boss got a weird fucking fetish. He made Piers do some crazy shit last month. Harmless shit. Gave him a boatload of cash, but man were those tasks fucking weird-"

"What kind of tasks."

"For the girls? I dunno know what the Boss makes the girls do, cuz I don't smoke with them. Well, whatever. Uh... for the boys with that pig tat-" Shark 1 frowns, counting down on his fingers. "It's usually the same ol' shit. Boss makes them play pretend. He wants them to call him their best friend. He makes them hold his "special" baseball bat. He's got a stupid striped shirt he wants them to wear, and paid Piers double if he went shirtless-"

"I wore contacts," Shark 4 pipes up, and Shark 1 nods.

"Yeah, in Boss's favorite color. But I mean, he paid them good, so none of us didn't worry. But one day, you realize they're not here no more. Boss says it's becuz he took them off the streets, but that's bull. I think Boss is lying. I think they get themself "disappeared." That's what happened to Johnny. He was my neighbor. His parents tried reporting him missing to the Onett Police, like where the fuck else would he go? But all the cops did was spout some bullshit, and you never see the kid again. And it's not like any of us can go up and ask the popo, yknow cuz we're in a gang. Aint no bitch wanna serve juvie just for asking questions. Still gotta wonder where Johnny went though. Who knows, maybe Boss dumped his body into a lake somewhere." Terrified, Shark 4 starts to sob, and Shark 1 consoles him by patting him in the back. "It s'okay, Piers, maybe he does take you off the streets. But it's weird... aint it? Maybe it's me, but I could've sworn all them missing boys were black hair like Piers too."

The Shark pauses. Then he laughs.

"Ya know... If I dint know better, I'd say our boss gots the hots for Ness."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"Oh, you're back! Sheesh, give me a heads up next time before you fuck off into wander over yonder-"

.

"-anyways, you guys sounded like you found an important lead. What was it? Did you find any more dirt on Porky? Good, because Jeff's found more skeletons in the closet. Porky's probably learned how to manufacture several illegal drugs thanks to Dr. Andonuts, because we found a fucked-up case study on over a hundred human test subjects in his lab book. Poor Jeff. We think that Porky's prostitutes are actually brainwashed victims-"

.

"Hey... You don't look so good. Did something happen?"

.

"...Lucas?"

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"So that's what it looks like? The-" Ashley pauses, then pops her gum, taking in the telepathic image I've shared with her from my memories. "Egg of Light."

"Yes."

"Looks familiar. Give me a week or two. Then we'll discuss your payment," she says, leaving with a purring Cereza rubbing against her leg.

Two weeks pass since my outing with Kumatora.

Neither of us had any love for the Sharks, but the four Sharks had come here of their own will. They had ratted out important information. They were right to be nervous. If Porky caught wind of any news of them here, there was a good chance all four might go "missing."

Unlike the Onett Police, Kumatora and I had greater trust in the Smash Police, but Strong's custody here complicated matters. It would only take one person snitching for the Sharks to lose security. If we asked the Smash Police to keep the four Sharks safe, we might as well hand them over to Porky on a silver platter. Porky had insiders everywhere. Even here, his influence was too great to ignore.

Worse still, Kumatora didn't have the space nor the time to babysit them, and something about the gleam in their eyes tells me that pick-pocketing is one of their hobbies.

Out of options, I reluctantly take them to the Mansion. My best hope is that Master Hand keeps his word on the new Asylum Act. To keep things simple, if a Smasher vouches for a threatened party, the threatened party can seek asylum nearby and gain 24/7 bodyguard watch for a month. The only problem was that I'd already spent my card on the Tazmily Villagers and my dad. I wasn't sure if Master Hand was willing to accept another request, and if so, how quickly the process would take to approve. After breaking curfew multiple times and destroying property, I haven't exactly been in his good books.

Thankfully, Rosalina had been passing by. She had been more than delighted to vouch for them in her stead. The Sharks would stay hidden for a month. Bodyguard protection would ensure their safety, and keep them out of trouble.

Only one month.

I have a narrow window to act.

From eavesdropping on Smash Police, I learned that tattoos by trafficking kingpins don't last permanently. Once Porky realizes that I've linked him to the Pigsnout tattoo, he'll rebrand his trafficking victims with a different tattoo. If I can catch Porky in the act before then and show irrefutable proof that the two crimes were linked, regardless of any insiders in their department, Smash Police could track him down.

Rich traffickers like Porky make business through sex parties. Despite Porky lying low for his trial, he might still be hosting.

It only takes one. Porky would be finished.

After some deliberation, I let Ness know about the four Shark refugees in the city. Ness is from Onett. As a representative of his dimension, much less his own home town, he has the right to know this much. Word of Rosalina's voucher was sure to go around. There's little to gain from hiding the truth. So that same night, I set Ness aside, and tell him what Kumatora and I found.

I omit the more explicit details. The important thing was the general overview. That four Sharks had snitched on Porky, that Porky had been actively using the Sharks as both a part of his drug and human trafficking trade, that the four Sharks would've been in danger if we hadn't given them asylum.

Ness grips my hand tighter. "...Where are they now?"

Under the cover of darkness, we meet the Sharks in their apartment three blocks away. In contrast to their loud behavior in the bar, they've sobered up somewhat. They're more wary now, and unwilling to talk until Porky is caught.

Despite their initial misgivings about Ness, their relief upon seeing him is palpable. Shark 1 even catches us off-guard by turning red-faced, and mutters for Ness's autograph.

When we leave, Ness's frown deepens. He's troubled. Aside from the youngest of the four, the Sharks had all been around our age. We both wanted to call the Smash Police on the case, but as competent as they were, Smash Police can't investigate crime in other worlds. If they wanted to investigate Porky's crimes in Onett, they would have to ask for a Travel Pass to Onett, and by then, Onett Police and government officials could quickly tip Porky off. It was too risky. Porky could easily cut off his losses, switch tattoos, and weasel himself out of any offending cases, none the wiser.

We live in a world where adults exploit the same children they had sworn to protect. Where the powerful are free to prey on the weak, and dine on countless lives for the sake of profit.

And we're so fucking tired of it.

We want change.

Porky's obsession with Ness hasn't exactly been a huge secret, but I'd underestimated the sheer size of the target drawn on Ness's back. However capricious, Porky had (reluctantly) yielded to Ness's demands under pressure. I'd thought that their past history was sufficient enough to ensure Ness's safety. I'd thought that I could distract Porky's ire long enough for him not to become a serious threat to Ness.

But when Ness tells me about the night I disappeared, and the hitmen that went after his mother and sister, a chill crawls down my spine. Along with retrieving the Egg of Light, this is one mission I have to embark on my own.

I can't involve Ness against Porky anymore.

I need to keep him safe.

Despite various attempts to reconnect, our distance grows. During stressful situations, I'm so used to keeping my feelings at arm's length that it's starting to damage our relationship. Frustrated, Ness prods me, persuading me to tell him what's on my mind, but I struggle to open up. I have so much on my mind that I don't know where to start. I don't want to overwhelm him. I'm afraid that I'll overwhelm him. Above all, I'm afraid that he'll succeed, and that I'll come undone. Once the feelings flood out, it's impossible to shut them back in.

I don't want Ness to continue asking me what happened the night I disappeared. I don't want to see Ness cry over me again. I don't want Ness to worry anymore. I just want Ness to be happy.

And he hasn't been happy lately because of me.

I'm weighing him down.

The pressure rests heavier than before on my shoulders. I know the right thing to do. I think I've known for a while, ever since I reunited with the Tazmily Villagers.

There just is never a good time for a breakup.

But when my priorities have shifted, it's unfair to put Ness on hold. There's no doubt behind our mutual trust, but we simply entered a relationship for the right reasons at the wrong time. Porky's re-appearance has suddenly separated us into two different lanes in life. Ness has already finished his quest, while I'm slowly picking mine back up. The road's only going to get more dangerous from here.

Last month showed how badly everything could've ended. My dad fell into a coma. My grandfather got shot. The Tazmily Villagers could've died. Ness's family could've gotten kidnapped for ransom, or worse, killed.

If it hadn't been for Rope Snake, I don't want to imagine what could've happened to Ness.

I don't want him to end up like Claus.

To complicate matters, towards the end of the second week, Ashley confirms her suspicions with a picture. She's spotted the Egg of Light in the Black Market. I'm torn, but the Egg of Light is key to remembering how I defeated Porky last time. This puts my search for Porky's sex parties on hold. It's only been two weeks - I'll just have to hope that Porky hasn't been tipped off about his tattoo yet.

"The vendor's a Human Man named Neckbeard. Gray hair. He trades all sorts of artifacts and illegal goods from different worlds. His stall's in the more dangerous side of the Market. Good riddance too. I never step foot in that part of the Market."

"And you know this because...?"

Ashley impatiently pops her gum. "Well duh, I go to the Market for potions ingredients-"

"You said you never go to the dangerous parts of the Market."

"The other witches tell me everything. We love gossip. We love to consume. Words. Goods. Greed, as you call it...? It's one of the Seven Deadly Sins. When they told me about the Egg and about how valuable it looked, naturally, I had to check it out. Not many goods there are as valuable as organs or Pixie Dust. Mind you, I don't use human organs, but some of the older Witches do. Human liver's apparently a delicacy." Ashley taps her staff against the side of her red velvet dress. "So. I can lead you to the Egg of Light... on one condition."

I internally groan. I should've known that her foster father Wario would've influenced her through his various money-making schemes. "...Let me guess: you want money."

"Nope. I want you to take Neckbeard down."

I give her a look. I'm not getting us mobbed.

"Hear me out. First, the Witches Association hates his guts. Neckbeard's been ripping off our goods and stealing our business. But we can't interfere-" Her expression turns sour. "Because Neckbeard's got a powerful telepath of his own. Witches like me don't stand a chance."

I think of Bayonetta, and catching the look, Ashley rolls her eyes. "I wish. I know, I'm great, but we're not all witches like Bayonetta - she's literally the only witch of her kind. Most of us are common garden witches. All we do is brew potions and cast a few spells. We'd have to think of spells first to cast them, and we can't lob potions at him either. Neckbeard's too crafty to let any of us near his store. Bayonetta's gone missing, and Mewtwo's out of the question, which means that you're the next best bet. You're a psychic, meaning you're more resistant to magic. Neckbeard might get curious. It'll draw him out. That might be enough reason for him to take us into his store, where we can knock him out, swipe the Egg of Light, and then make a quick getaway."

"So you want us to bait him in by using me as a good, then shoplift the store. In the Black Market, of all places. You're not exactly convincing me here."

"Then this will. Second-" Ashley crosses her arms. "From what what I've heard, that Egg of Light, you're looking for? That Hummingbird's Egg, or whatever it's called - it's not for sale. It's reserved for a customer to pick up tomorrow. So we're gonna have to steal it either way."

"Nevermind. I'll find another way-"

"You don't get it, Lucas. That customer I'm talking about? Neckbeard's reserved the Egg for Porky Minch. If Porky gets his hands on that Egg, well- good luck trying to get it back." Cocking her head, Ashley smiles. It's a sweet smile. "If it makes you feel better, Neckbeard's not exactly a saint. He buys human slaves. Men and children, apparently. I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of Porky's biggest customers. Despicable what some humans do in the name of God, don't you think?"

When I stay silent, her smile widens.

"If we get caught, we'll probably suffer a fate worse than death. So if you have any goodbyes you want to say, you'd better say them tonight. I'll see you later."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Ashley meets me in the lounge at two in the morning.

"You told Ness?"

I don't want to talk about it.

It's the first fight we've had in our relationship.

All couples start off happy. There's a reason why people call it a Honeymoon phase. It won't work out in the end. But no matter how hard I try to justify myself, the excuses wring me out, leaving me empty and hollow. Just when I had a taste of happiness, I realized that this happiness was never mine to begin with.

The attack on Tazmily proved Porky right. I'm too dangerous to be loved. With Porky in my sights and other dangers waiting ahead, Ness is no exception. If I want to keep Ness happy, I have to let him go. It'd be too selfish for me to ask him to stay. There is no happiness to be found at my side.

Ness saved my life twice. It's now my turn to save his.

My throat constricts.

"Suit yourself," Ashley says when I respond with a shake of my head. We peer over the balcony. By the Security lane in front of the Main Doors, Tinkle tries and fails to cover a yawn at his desk. "We need to get past Tinkle. We need to disguise ourselves and slip past him, or else he's gonna assign us bodyguards. And that's be a problem."

"I can persuade him-"

"But your powers can't disguise us, right? I don't want any witnesses catching us in the act. Too bad too. If I had it my way, I'd hex him into a newt. We'd be flying outta here-"

"Master Hand's wards don't let people fly in, but they let you fly out."

In realization, Ashley claps her hands. "...Wait. You're right. Well, that makes things easier. Let's go to the 3rd floor."

When we sneak into the nearest balcony in the library, avoiding curfew the best we can, I fling open the window. Fumbling inside the pockets of her dress, Ashley tosses me a green potion the color of a granny smith, and pops open her own. "Invisibility potion. I hope you're not vegan, because this stuff's made of brewed Witherwings. Now drink up."

When I take a swig, my hand vanishes around the bottle. I tentatively raise my arm, but see nothing but a slight shimmer along the edges.

Invisible herself, Ashley clumsily tugs me onto her broom. "C'mon, the effects only last up to five minutes."

Then we're soaring into the night.

Behind us, the open window turns into a speck in the distance.

I don't have a fear of heights, but the dizzying vertigo forces me to clutch onto the broom handle tighter. With only Moonlight guiding our way, I'm aware of how high up we are.

Riding a broomstick is nothing like Ness's magic teleportation. From time to time, the broom bucks like a bull, before swerving left or right. It swoops into a dive just as quickly as it soars over chimney tops.

Suddenly, a low-hanging cloud buffets my face. When I blink my eyes open, I can see moisture clinging onto the outline of my arms.

"Shit," Ashley whispers, her outline now visible from condensation. "I hope no one's tailing us right now, because if they squint, we're sitting ducks."

But no one tails after us. As our invisibility wears off, Ashley steers the broom towards a street with four street lamps. We jump off, lightly landing on our feet, and when the broomstick transforms back into Red - the name she gives her winged demon companion - Ashley stows him away into her pocket.

"There are Four entrances to the Market. They shift every week, but today, we're lucky this one's so close by. We better hurry though- your eyes might give us away." Under the cover of darkness, I stumble when Ashley pulls me under a bridge. We press ourselves against the wall as I sweep the area for people, and dart into an abandoned wine shop. Before we do, I catch the street names at the nearest intersection under the dim flicker of the streetlight.

Silk Road.

Fourth Place.

Ashley drags me along by the arm up the marble staircase. Our foosteps echo up the stairwell.

We stop, catching our breath at the fourth floor. I pause, scanning the area a second time, but there's no one else here. Tapping her foot impatiently, Ashley checks her phone, as if waiting for something.

"...looks like we have exactly 3 minutes 55 seconds." Ashley stares at her phone, watching the seconds tick down. "It's funny. I've never talked with you outside of our makeup sessions. We might as well get to know each other now before we die a gruesome death. What do you want to talk about?"

I don't know. I don't have much to say.

Lost for words, I awkwardly glance at the glow of her staff. "...How did you become a witch?"

"That's a complicated question for 3 minutes. There's different types of witches. But I'll give it a shot." Ashley presses her hand to her chin in thought. "All witches are female. The more powerful witches like Bayonetta are often born with powers. Kinda like you. Common garden witches like me though- I have to make a deal with the Devil. He takes my soul. In return, he gives me a handful of magic to play with, and grants one wish within his powers. I can ask him for anything. Whatever I want..." Ashley pauses. Her eyes reflect the seconds ticking on her phone screen. "...I asked for a friend. So the Devil became my friend." Ashley grins when I look around. "Don't worry, he's not here. He only pops up when I'm lonely. One minute twenty. My turn. Are you an only child?"

"No. I had a twin brother."

"Knew it. What's his name?"

"Claus."

Ashley tries out the name. "Huh. Past tense...? Is he-"

"Dead."

"Ah. I'd like to say I've seen him before, but I doubt I'll find him burning in Hell. I don't think it'd give you much consolation if I did, either. You believe in God?"

"No."

"Me neither. Oh, there we go. Thirty more seconds." As her phone ticks down to 2:20AM, Ashley rests her right foot against the fourth stair from the floor, and tells me to do the same.

"...Are you sure this is the way into the Black Market?"

Ashley laughs. "The Black Market? Is that what everyone calls the Market these days? You're lucky the Head of Witches isn't here to hear you. Arachne would be disappointed in both of us. She created the place after all. Wait inside the Fourth building of Fourth Place. Rest your foot on the fourth step of the fourth floor. And at the every fourth minute of the clock-" A summoning circle glows faint yellow underneath our shoes. "We enter."

In my ears, the bodyless whisper and incantation of an ancient hymn sets my magic on end. Like a Ring of Fire, the Sigil of Baphomet erupts from the fourth stair, spinning like a quarter. When the circle burns itself out, an open doorway materializes before us, covered in colorful silk curtains. Beyond its depths, reminiscent of a scene of Spirited Away, magical lights dot the sky, Chinese lanterns floating like willow-the-wisps over rows of festive stalls.

Twirling her staff with a grin, Ashley slides the silk curtains aside.

"Welcome to the Dark Web."


Author's Note:

Welcome back! aaa I've missed writing

This fic gets unbelievably darker the longer I write
One of my readers asked me if this fic will have a happy ending, but we're too close to the end for me to answer that question. Sorry, no spoilers :)

Happy reading!


*In Greek Mythology, Arachne was turned into a spider after boasting of her weaving talent to Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

*Some human traffickers brand their victims like chattel. Because some victims are tattooed in tattoo shops, tattoo artists are learning to spot any customers that could be potential trafficking victims.

*Reminder: In Mother 3,The Egg of Light - or the Hummingbird's Egg - contains the memories of the Tazmily Villagers among other "secrets of the world."

*In Mother 3, the backstory of Tazmily Village is explained to Lucas and co by Leder. This is what the players are given:
-There was a calamity that destroyed the world
-Some people escaped this calamity by taking The White Ship, NOAH'S ARC style, to the Nowhere Islands
-These people became the Tazmily Villagers
-To start anew, Everyone stored their memories in the Egg of Light... except for Leder, who was chosen to remember everything.
-Leder doesn't speak to Lucas and co. until near the end of the game.
The game doesn't give much info (and has a lot of gaps), so I elaborated on these points in this fic. I find it hard to believe that there were no native animals/people already on the Nowhere Islands (i.e. the existence of the Osohe people(?), along with other reasons outside the scope of this fic).

*In Mother 3, Nana and Fuel are two village children in Tazmily. Judging from their similar sprite heights, they look about Lucas's age. Though unsaid in-game, in the original N64 Mother 3 game, it was revealed that Nana's father was a Seaman, who never returned home.

*In Mother 3, if you speak to Nana at some point in the game, she says, "I'm Nana. I like the Ocean."

*In WarioWare, Ashley is a (15 year old?) witch who lives in a haunted mansion. Accompanied by her winged alien/demon companion Red, she can cast spells and make potions. Despite her quick temper and cruel/entitled nature, she's known for secretly longing for friends. In this fic, she's the foster daughter of Wario.

*Bayonetta is the last Umbra Witch of her kind.

*In Pokemon, The Masterball is given in a game only once (that I know of). The only way to gain more masterballs ingame is to trade them over from other games, or glitch copies. EDIT (3/8/20): In most Pokemon games (except gen 1 and V as of now), if you win the Pokemon ID lottery, where the ID of your pokemon matches the ID given to you in the Pokemon Lottery Corner, you can receive the Masterball. Thank you for the correction, Nyxnsu!

*In Pokemon, the player can challenge Red in the Alola region. I used this as the reason to justify Red's absence from Sm4sh, in parallel to Nana and Popo's Leave in an earlier chapter.


Nyxnsu: AAA IT YOU! Nothing beats seeing a familiar reader enjoy my chapters :D Thank you - I had too much fun writing that final battle with Red! I think he's a clever battler, so it was an enjoyable challenge to write. Wishing you luck on your classes this year!

Forestfire34720: I'm relieved that you like my portrayal of Alec - I made him a bit OoC from the games, so writing him makes me nervous! To answer your questions: (1) Ness catches up with Paula and Jeff earlier in the last chapter (as they wait for Master Hand in the Hospital Ward) and (2) You're right! Ultimate hasn't been released in this world yet, but I like to think that the Smashers were informed of the basic plot and shenanigans in Chapter 32 (they had to sign consent forms for including certain characters as spirits ingame, etc.). Thank you for the questions! They keep me on my toes :D

epicturtley: It's okay - at the pace I'm writing these chapters, this fic probably won't end until after several months :D You gud, fam

your mean: HEY HOW AM I MEAN WHAT DID I DO (jkjk I hope this chapter sated your curiosity :D). But bRUH. if you want cliffhangers, Conna has a whole bunch in his fic, To the Future. He added cliffhangers three chapters in a row once, and I wanted to scream into my pillow LMAO. So painful, but well worth the wait :D

Conna: Well luckily for the protags in this fic, I like to imagine that the Smash Police have a higher bar for integrity. The Onett Police - Strong and his men - did kinda tresspass into Smash City and got caught doing crime, so naturally the obvious choice was to keep them in custody :) And I agree- in the mother series, all the fat people are evil LMFAO. I hesitated in writing that line at first, but just shrugged and put it in. Any blow to Porky's ego in this fic is a win.
I'm glad you liked the Ness/Paula interaction the most! ...because it the part I felt most self-conscious about. XD I felt like Paula was written too selfishly there - in my opinion, she would've waited until Lucas got better before dropping the bomb on Ness, but after writing it in, I decided to attribute it to her immaturity. All the characters in this fic are teens after all, and no character is perfect :)

Readyforteddy: AAAAA thank you ;-; I'm glad this fic helped in some manner! Sexuality is complicated. Don't feel like you have to figure things out right away - it'll click, one way or another :)

cavesongs: AND YOUU
I know I responded to your review on Ao3 - but thank you again for your constructive criticism! oh no i actually have to make quality content now aaaaaaa