Chapter 24: Alone Aboard the Ark (Part 1)

...

(Lucas)

…

(Prologue: ?)

There's already disquiet in the group - I can sense it. We've been walking too long, without enough breaks, and it feels aimless. The same trees. The same leaves. No hills, no rivers, nothing even remotely interesting. It's growing into late afternoon already, and we're already running extremely low on the food we obtained from the carriages.

The entire walk to Onett is going to be about 6 days - which will be an immense pain to get through. Not only that, but it's pivotal that we locate some source of water, somewhere in this damned forest, or we'll die of thirst. The others are expecting me to lead, I think, which is just as well, because I think I'm the only one who knows, generally, where I'm going. I've trawled the forest before, and, my sense of direction is amazing, if I do say so myself. I'm a natural leader that way.

"This is hopeless!" Elmore complains, loudly, kicking at a pile of dead leaves. There's some nodding and muttering amongst the others.

I swoop in quickly, to save the scene. "It's not hopeless. Like I said, there's a 6 day walk to Onett. Of course we're not going to be there yet."

Caroline smiles, but it's a bit forced. "Yeah, we'll make it, we'll be fine, won't we, Tessie?"

Tessie looks up. "Oh, yes, of course-"

Reggie looks concerned, however. "We'll die of thirst if we don't find water before we arrive at Onett."

"There is a river," I assure them. "A great big river runs through this forest."

There's some more muttering, and a spatter or grumbling, but nobody says anything else. Good.

I stare up at the formidable trees. This forest truly does seem infinite - it stretches from Tazmily all the way to Onett, even to Onett Boarding School, if I remember correctly. We'll be in here for a long, long while, so we'd better get used to it.

"What if the river is miles away?" Elmore complains, and the grumbling starts right back up again. Fabulous.

Duster claps his hands together. "Oh, cheers y'selves up, m'lads! C'mon!"

"I am not listening to an old codger like you!" Elmore exclaims.

"Mother..." Ollie murmurs. "Be nice to him, please..."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Elmore snaps, huffing, and storming onwards.

Ollie shrugs at Angie, and she shrugs back. The pair walk alongside each other - I notice Caroline also giving Angie a very motherly look. I wonder… but never mind that. There's other worries we have to focus on.

I duck under a low hanging branch, pushing through a thick, evergreen branch. The forest track that we've stumbled upon is hard to follow - it was probably used by deer at some point, but there's a lot of overgrowth covering the floor, and a fair few fallen trees from the recent storm. That storm was nasty - I had to walk through it, without any cover at all. Heavens, I hope there aren't any more storms on this journey - or I'll probably be blamed somehow, and expelled from this group. I can't afford to lose the limited trust they hold in me.

Roy seems to be regaining some strength, at least. He can walk on his own, without Duster helping him out. I just don't know what happened to him though - I mean, I have theories, but he doesn't even seem to know what happened himself. From what I can tell, it seems that he was temporarily brainwashed, or tricked, or forced into becoming a guard, or something like that, because he seems to absolutely hate Porky now.

I walk alongside him for just a little bit.

"What's your name?" He asks me, after a few minutes. I sigh. He's asked me this five times already.

"I'm Steven," I continue to lie. If I told him my actual name - well, he'd definitely know who I am, and it would be revealed that I'm from Onett, and again, the limited trust the group has in me would be completely destroyed.

Roy nods, shakily. "Yes. Steven. Nice name."

"Mmm," I reply.

I examine the rest of our group. Matt seems to be sobering up. He's still tipsy, but it must've been at least a day by now since he binge drank all that alcohol at Tessie's inn. I don't think he's coping very well though - most members of our group are reluctant to talk to him, and he's reluctant to talk to them. He walks in a sullen silence.

Reggie seems to be a bit of a lone wolf as well - he's not talking to anybody either, just continuing to walk along compliantly. I get the impression he's quite smart, but also highly reserved. If it came down to a situation where only a few of us would survive, I reckon he'd almost certainly be out for exclusively himself.

Caroline and Tessie - they've been getting on, at least. Their spirit seems to be keeping us together for now, there's always some laughter coming from where they're standing, unlike Pusher's family, and their butler, Sebastian, who are walking in tense silence. But on the plus side, Ollie, Pusher's and Elmore's son, is talking with the other teenager, Angie, so that's definitely something.

Duster comes over to me. "Y' think we'll all get to Onett okay?"

I shrug. "Honestly, I don't know. I'm hoping. It's my responsibility to hope… I got everyone out of the carriages, I owe it to you all to bring you to safety."

Duster nods. "I left m' home behind for that man, Porky. Y' really think he's a bad 'un?"

I nod gravely. "Yeah, imprisonment for a number of months under that man definitely proved to me that he's no good."

Duster thinks. "But why'd he imprison you, m'chap?"

"I figured out his plan," I reply. "I know what he's up to."

Duster brings himself near, dropping onto a whisper. "What's he doin' then, hm?"

I shudder. "You really don't wanna know. But if he succeeds… it'll be the end."

Duster laughs loudly. "The end? Ahaha, I don't think so, m'fella. No pork man can overtake our world!"

A lot of people look round, and Duster diminishes quickly. I grimace. "He really could manage it. With the amount of money he has…"

Duster looks worried, suddenly. "How's he going to be stopped?"

I grin.

"Well, I know a few people."

(Lucas)

It's funny how it can all go wrong so quickly.

With my new resolve, I thought that I'd have Ness back by my side, before the end of the day. I thought I'd simply leave my room, and find Ness somewhere, and tell him that I'm not letting him distance himself from me, because I need him by my side! But it's never that simple.

"Lucas!" Toon Link cries out as soon as I leave the dorm - what's he doing in our hallway? I turn to him, in surprise.

"What's up?"

"It's Ness - Lucas, you have to come quickly!"

Dread fills me - what's happened!? I follow Toon Link, and we run - further worry fills me as I realise we're headed for the medical ward. We hurry inside, throwing the doors open. My throat constricts, my breathing accelerates to an intense rush - there he is - lying in a bed, eyes closed, blood, blood-

I gasp, with shocked horror. "Ness!"

I run to his bedside. He's lying flat, limp, he's- he's unconscious, I think, but - he looks broken, hurt, damaged - I check his pulse quickly. It's there. I breathe a short lived sigh of relief - but what did this to him?! I turn to Toon Link, the horror plain in my eyes.

"What happened?!"

Ryu suddenly steps out from the side of the room. He looks grave - very grave. "Ness was outside alone, and he was caught off-guard by one of-"

"-One of those creatures!" Toon Link interrupts frantically.

"One of those creatures," Ryu repeats, forlornly.

I examine Ness further, finding more bruises, more blood - the top of his head is a mess, a big mess - oh God, oh God - I stare intenselyat Ryu. "What did it do to him!"

Ryu grimaces. "It hit him on the head, with its metal arm, and held him, uh, quite tight, and - the school nurse reckons he's broken a rib, and we're not sure what damage has been done to his head-"

No. This can't be happening. Ness can't be hurt! Ness is strong, Ness wouldn't - Ness couldn't - I turn on Ryu. "WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP IT!" I shout. "WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP IT HURTING HIM! YOU CAN TRACK-"

Ryu silences me. "I came as quick as I could," he says, firmly. "If it wasn't for Toon Link, Ness would've been taken back to whoever's in control of the creatures, and he would've been converted, or sold, or who knows what else."

I turn to Toon Link, ignoring Ryu. "Tell me what happened. EXACTLY what happened!"

The latter shifts slightly, fear in his eyes. "W-Well, I was looking out of the window, and I saw Ness being carried by that thing - so I ran outside, and challenged it - it hit Ness on the head, and threw him on the ground - then Ryu came and got rid of it."

I tremble. "Is Ness going to be okay!?"

Toon Link twitches, glancing at Ness's form. "The nurse doesn't know."

"The nurse? Where's Doctor Mario?"

"He was called in to deal with the virus in Onett," Ryu explains.

"But Ness needs help!" I exclaims. Why doesn't anyone understand?

"Don't worry, pet," the nurse says, coming up behind me. "He'll be right as rain in a few days, just you wait and see."

I run my hands through my hair, scrunching it up with worry. "He has to be okay!"

Toon Link moves a little nearer to Ness. "D'you think - is he in some sort of coma?"

Ryu nods. "From what I can see, yes."

I look at Ness's form once again. It hurts, it hurts so much to see Ness like this, so broken, so damaged, by a damn Future Human! I can't believe it! Why would he go outside alone!? He's an idiot. He's such a goddamn idiot!

"I'm now going to have to ask you all to leave," the nurse informs us.

I stare at the nurse sharply. "I'm staying! I'm staying with him, okay?"

"But-"

"No buts!"

The nurse's eyebrows furrow angrily, but Ryu steps in. "He really should stay with him. But, I'd like a private word with Lucas first."

…

I sit down angrily in Ryu's office. This is a disaster - a complete disaster. Ness. Ness. Hurt. Badly. So badly. I could've been there - I should've watched over him, even if he didn't want me there, even if he wanted to keep me safe… He's gone and got himself damaged! It's my fault. My fault! I'm filled with sudden guilt - I'm an awful friend to have let this happen. Ness. I'm worried. I'm really worried. I keep thinking about the blood that I saw - trickling down his face - blood-

Ryu breaks the tension. "I know you're angry with me."

I glare. I'd forgotten about him. "Yes."

"You're not the angry type."

"Ness is hurt."

Ryu chuckles. "Sounds about right."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

Ryu shrugs. "Worry can do strange things to people."

I grit my teeth, trying to keep my breathing easy, trying to think rationally. He's right. I'm not an angry person. "What is it that you want to talk to me about, professor?"

Ryu leans forwards, resting his elbows on the desk. "Well. You and Ness are inseparable, so I was curious as to why on earth Ness was outside by himself?"

I sigh bitterly. "Ness has decided the person behind the Future Humans is trying to get at him. He thinks that they've been sending the creatures after me, though, in order to upset him. He decided last night, that from today, he was going to stay away from me to keep me safe."

Ryu sighs. "And he got himself badly injured in what, 3 hours of you being separated? That was really clever of him."

I see red. "Hey, don't you dare talk bad about Ness!"

Ryu holds up his hands. "Look, this is proof that you need to stick together. You're both prime targets for these creatures, and maybe you'll actually be able to stay alive if you watch out for one another."

I scrunch my eyebrows up. "That's what I tried to tell him, but he didn't listen!"

Ryu looks across the table at me. "It's vital that when he heals, you watch each other's backs. Stay in large crowds, until this is all over. Your safety is my number one priority. I'm going to try and get you both out of the Wilderness survival week as well."

"Ok."

"Now, you may leave. Watch over Ness. Because heaven knows he needs it."

"Ok."

…

I breathe. Back in the medical room, I pull up a chair besides Ness's bedside. There's some time now, without the invasivity of Ryu, maybe for me to understand, to process… this. It all feels so wrong. Ness is supposed to be the strong one. I'm supposed to be the weak and vulnerable one.

At least his face looks peaceful. But his head - oh, his head - I don't think the nurse has even made a damn effort to do anything. The nurse isn't even in the room, I notice - so, thinking fast, I sneak over to the medical supply cupboard, collecting some bandages, and I tightly bind the head wound with them. I do know some first aid, surprisingly - Red insisted we all learnt it, in case it came in useful. I guess he was right.

I want to hug Ness's weak form really badly - but that probably wouldn't do him any favours. Not if it's true, what was said about his busted rib. I hope he wakes soon - I hope he comes back - because he's in a bad, bad way. My Ness. I want to cry. I want to shrivel up and cry, until Ness gets better. But I can't freak out - I need to guard him, to stay with him, lest a Future Human come back and hurt him more! My anger at the Future Humans, for their creator, burns within me, a deep fire. They hurt Ness.

Nobody hurts Ness.

"Ness… Ness, please, please…" I mutter, running a thumb along his forehead. He will be fine. He has to be fine. I'll keep hoping. He'll be awake by this evening, I'm sure of it.

The minutes tick by.

...

Waiting for so long is going to be boring, I conclude. But I have a sudden idea - a present for when Ness wakes.

I dash out of the medical room, to the art block. Shulk quickly looks up.

"Oh - hiya, Lucas, what's up? You seem in quite the rush, which is fairly unusual because-"

"Can I have a canvas?" I interrupt.

"A canvas? Yeah, of course. Where's your friend Ness at? Just, you two always go everywhere together-"

"He got injured," I tell him, briefly. "He's unconscious, so I thought I'd paint him something, as a gift, for when he wakes. But I need to be quick!"

"A fabulous idea, painting always relieves stress as well, so best of luck, of course you can have a canvas, and as many paints as you need-"

"Thanks professor,' I say gratefully, picking a canvas out of the selection, and grabbing some tubes of paint at random.

"Oh, and, I hope Ness gets well soon," Shulk adds.

I smile faintly. "Me too."

(Toon Link)

My mind busy as usual, I rush into the games room - it's empty. Into the upstairs lounge - empty. Where are they?! I have to find them, and quickly! They have to know what's happened! Maybe their dorm? I rush down the corridor, earning a glare from Professor Wario, and I sprint up the dorm stairs, three at a time taking the right - dammit, dammit which dorm is theirs again?! I think, maybe this one-? I burst through a door, and Villager and Red look up in alarm, from the floor.

"Toonie?" Villager stares. He's cute when he stares like tha-

No! Now is not the time to obsess over how adorable Villager is. Now is the time to tell them what is wrong! Yes. That is what I should do!

I breathe in. "Nessishurt-!"

"Can you please repeat yourself?" Red asks pompously.

I sigh frantically. "Ness! He's hurt!"

Villager stands up quickly. "What? Ness? Where is he?"

"Medical room - come on-"

Red stands too, and we quickly make our way down the stairs, past Pit-

"Pit!" I call, suddenly.

"H-Huh?" He looks at me, docile. "What's up?"

"Ness is hurt - medical room!"

"Oh no! What happened to him?"

I flap my arms uselessly. "Just - come on!"

Our group bursts into the medical room. Villager gasps instantly, rushing to Ness's side. Lucas is still here… and now he's painting?

What?

Momentarily mystified, I walk over to his canvas, and stare at the strange shapes and blobs that Lucas has applied to the white.

"What's this?" I ask.

"Painting," Lucas replies, simply.

"But - Ness-"

"It's a present for when he wakes up."

Of course. I grin internally. I ship Ness and Lucas together so much. But now isn't the time for shipping!

"What happened to him?" Red asks loudly, for once showing an emotion that isn't distaste.

I fluster. "Remember that creature - the one in the wardrobe - one of those, except bigger, angrier, it hit him in the head and crushed his ribs and - Ryu and I, we dealt with the creature, and brought him in here!"

"Wow, you hero," Villager elbows me quietly, and I blush, looking away. Lucas seems surprisingly quiet, suddenly - I mean, he's always quiet, but right now… he's especially silent. I'm not sure he's coping well. He's worrying. I know he is!

Pit turns to me, abruptly. "What did you say about - a creature?"

I gulp. I forgot, he doesn't know about them. "Okay, this is gonna sound really crazy-"

Pit stares at the ground. "Ness and Lucas are magic and can summon fire and ice, and my twin brother is dead. I really don't think anything's going to sound crazy to me right now."

I raise my eyebrows with surprise, but I speak anyway. "Well, I'm not sure what the hell they are - but they're like, people, but there's metal and stuff on them, and they - uh-"

Lucas cuts in calmly. "Someone's turning people into them, and the creatures seem to want to attack Ness and I. One got Ness and did..." He gulps. "This."

He averts his eyes. Poor Lucas. Pit meanwhile looks horrified. "Do you think that's why D-Dark Pit and I were given that invitation to the party in those passages? As a lure!? What if that's what Dark Pit has become?!"

Lucas looks away very quickly. I have a sudden suspicion that that's exactly what's happened.

"Hey, we don't know that, yet," I console Pit.

Pit rubs his eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, he's probably… not, become like that. These things sound scary, though..."

"They are," Lucas's voice tremors.

I shrug dramatically. "I don't know what the hell they are, or how the hell they're even possible!"

Villager looks down at Ness's head. "That's a lot of blood - at least the nurse bandaged him up."

"I had to do that myself," Lucas admits. "God knows where the nurse is."

"Right behind you, poppet!"

Lucas jumps in alarm, causing a blob of brown paint to smear across the canvas. The nurse turns to us, wagging a finger, sternly. It would be comical, if Ness wasn't horribly injured. The nurse points at us all in a long, sweeping arc. "You lot, get out of here. Go on, clear off."

"But Ness is our friend!" I protest.

The nurse steps forwards, hands on hips. "Does it look like I care?"

"Ryu said I have to stay," Lucas says, casually, but firmly, putting a protective hand on Ness.

The nurse turns on him. "Yes, you can stay. I ain't happy about it though. You and your... paint. But everyone else, OUT!"

The rest of us file out. I catch Lucas's eye as we leave, and I smile, gently, just to let him know that it'll be okay. That Ness will be okay. He smiles back, but it's a smile filled with sadness.

"What now?" Villager asks, distressed.

"Give it an hour, we'll go back in. Who cares what the nurse says?"

"Do you think Ness will be awake by then?"

I shift, full of nerves. "I'm… not sure. I don't know if he'll be okay."

Villager puts a hand to his mouth, in alarm. "I hope he will be."

"We all do, Villy."

It's a silent walk to our usual location of the Games Room - but I have to be calm. I can't freak out again. I keep freaking out lately. Everything has been really weird though - magic, weird creatures, that gravestone with Ness and Lucas's names on - I shiver. This term has been crazy beyond my wildest dreams. It doesn't help that all of this is making my insomnia even worse. I try not to let on, but sometimes I only manage 3 or so hours of sleep per night. All of the thoughts rushing through my head… Ngh. It's hard.

I slump down on the couch, Villager on one side of me, Pit on the other. I yawn, my eyes watering - I want to sleep here and now, but I can't, I know I can't, not while Ness is so damaged! Lucas needs support right now, and so does Pit. I gotta be there for my buddies… but I'm so tired… I subconsciously rest my head against Villager's shoulder...

Villager chuckles. "Sleepy, huh?"

I snap to attention and blush, sitting up rapidly, looking away. Dammit! Pit glances my way - there's a hint of curiosity in his eyes - dammit, dammit, dammit!

I wonder if Villager knows. I mean, I've not exactly been subtle with my comments and casual flirtatious attitude around him… but I do think Villager is a little oblivious. Especially if he's still into Zelda. He claims he never liked her, but, well, to anyone who knew him, it was obvious. I rub my head, sighing.

"What do we do?" I moan.

"Like you said," Pit replies. "We wait. We try relax in the meantime, I suppose."

"Relax? How are we supposed to do that?!"

Pit speaks with an even tone. "Well, it's out of our power now. There's nothing we can do about it, so we shouldn't worry."

"But…" I whine, feebly.

"We should talk about something else."

"..."

There's a pause.

"So, you saved Ness's life," Villager comments, wryly. I blush yet again.

"And?"

"Are we going to have to put up with you going on about how you're a hero now?"

"You bet."

Villager groans. "Please, spare us all."

I observe that Red seems to be oddly quiet. I notice him glancing over at Pit every few seconds - did something happen between them?

I frown. "Hey, uh, Red - why d'you keep looking over at Pit like that?"

Pit quickly looks over to Red. "Hm?"

"I was not looking over at Pit!" Red sniffs, affronted.

"You were doing it just then," Villager reveals. "Is something up?"

Red glares daggers at me. "Nothing is up."

Pit shifts nervously. "I-Is something up? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"How about you tell me?" Red shoots back.

Villager puts a hand on Red's shoulder. "Red, buddy, what's going on? This isn't like you."

"Ask Pit," Red grumbles.

Pit looks back and forth at Red and I, evidently panicking. "Did I - did I do something that I wasn't supposed to? What - what is the problem?"

"No, you're all good," I assure him, patting his back. "I'm not sure what Red is talking about."

Red moves his feet along the floor, rigidly. "Of course you're not sure what I'm talking about. How convenient."

"Just what is your problem?" I snap back at Red, sensing Pit's tension.

Red scowls. "Pit is the problem."

Pit stands up suddenly, trembling. "I- Okay - I should go. I should definitely go. I'm sorry."

I turn. "Pit, no, wait!"

But it's too late, as Pit speeds out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

I groan, standing, glaring at Red. "Nice one, buddy."

"I-"

He'll probably have gone upstairs. I follow as quickly as I can, throwing open the door, and rushing out into the hall. For goodness sake! Why did he have to go and say something stupid like that? Doesn't he know Pit is grieving, as well? Those kinds of comments can mess people up, play with all sorts of insecurities! I don't know what Red's sudden issue with him is, but it's not okay. It's sure as hell not okay. I sprint up the stairs, and luckily, I catch up to Pit, right in the dorm corridor.

"Hey, Pit! Where are you going?"

"Hey," Pit replies, flatly. "Just, away."

I place a hand on his shoulder, but he flinches, so I remove it. "Come to my dorm, it's nice in there. We can talk."

"But-"

"Don't worry about Red. C'mon."

"...Okay."

Reluctantly, Pit follows me, and I sit down on my bed, Pit following suit.

He buries his head into his hands. "I knew it was going too well. I knew everything was too perfect. I knew I couldn't be making friends that easily. I don't know what I did. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you," I assure him. "I think that Red just really hates change, and you're new to the group, so…"

Pit sighs. "I'm sorry."

"What? Why are you sorry?"

"You were all a happy little family, before I came along, all upset, intruding on your presence…"

I wince. "Pit, don't say that. It's okay for you to be upset about what's happened."

"...I'm causing problems, everywhere I go. I'm just upsetting everyone..."

I face him, sternly, "Pit, please. You're not causing anyone any problems."

He curls in on himself. "I'm nothing without Dark Pit. Nobody cares about me."

I hesitate. "Well, there's a poem I know, and one line says this: 'Nothing is only a thing you can be if you hold your failures tight.' You're not nothing, Pit. And people do care - I care. You're really cool."

He gulps. "...Dark Pit and I swore we'd do everything together. Everything."

I nearly sling a comforting arm around him, before remembering that he doesn't like physical contact. "Well, you've got us now, too. We're up for all sorts."

"...Except Red hates me."

"He doesn't hate you. He'll come around."

Pit sighs. "I just worry that I'm a big fat burden. I worry that you all just feel sorry for me, or something. That's why I'm kept around."

I feel a sting of recognition. "I get that. I relate. But I promise you, you're awesome. You're funny. You're kind. You fit right in."

Pit smiles, weakly. "Thanks, Toon Link."

"But, yeah," I concede. "Maybe give Red a little bit of space, for a short while. It's his problem, not yours."

Pit nods. "Yeah… I will."

There's a pause, as Pit stares at the floor.

"...Do you think I'll ever get over what's happened?"

"It'll take time," I predict. "A lot of time. You were close, and it's understandable that you're grieving."

He nods, sadly. "Yeah. I know. It's just so weird, knowing that I'll never see him again. Ever."

I glance out of the window, unsure what to say. There's a pretty large oak tree outside, and it seems today that a bunch of squirrels have taken residence in it. Pit follows my gaze, and his eyes flicker, grateful for a distraction. "That's a lot of squirrels."

Keen to hang onto a less emotional conversation thread, I stand over to the window, to have a look. Pit comes up beside me. Below the oak tree, Bowser seems to be stomping rather angrily, looking behind him every so often… It's actually a little suspicious. Where's he going? I glance at Pit, who shrugs.

All of a sudden, a squirrel drops an acorn, and it hits Bowser square on the head. Bowser looks up with rage, shouting, and all of a sudden, a bombardment of acorns begins, as the squirrels begin to scamper around all over the branches, throwing down every acorn they can! Bowser roars with fury, and Pit and I catch one another's eyes, and we suddenly burst out laughing. Serve Bowser right! I think we've both had our fair share of canings and beatings from him - I don't think I've had a day where my ass hasn't been sore. Bowser growls below, as the bombardment continues, and he waves his arms frantically, trying to brush off all the acorns, creating a frantically ridiculous scene. I'm in stitches. Pit's in stitches. The squirrels bound about with delight, continuing the bombardment - and suddenly, Bowser gives a great roar, and he stomps foolishly into the forest. We collapse back down onto the bed, laughing spectacularly - Pit's smiling so wide, Pit's actually smiling and laughing!

He grins at me. "Okay, that was hilarious."

I grin back, more tentatively. "Agreed. He totally deserved it."

Pit breathes out. "Ah, maybe that's what I needed. I feel a little better now."

I smile, pleased. "Great!"

He winks. "So, on another note, uh, what about you and Villager, Mr-no-defining-character-traits, then?"

I go on the defensive. "What do you mean? What about me and Villager?"

"Oh come on… you're not exactly subtle…"

I blush furiously. "I don't know what you mean."

"You have the hots for him. I know it!"

I panic slightly. "Keep your voice down! How did you figure it out!?"

Pit brings his voice lower. "Well, all the comments, you almost falling asleep on his shoulder… and in the pool, you were totally perving on him."

I cover my face with my hands. "You've been in our group for 2 days and you noticed already. But you're… alright with that, with, uh, homosexuality?"

"Yeah, totally."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Not many people are cool with it, at all. That means a lot. I keep it really, really quiet. But - damn - I need to be more subtle then, hm?"

Pit shrugs. "Hey, at least you're not as obvious as Ness and Lucas."

I laugh. "Oh my God, those two…"

"They claim they're not actually dating," Pit informs me. "But, they definitely like each other. It's extremely clear. Dark Pit and I..." his expression goes a little distant, but he soon comes back to earth. "Uh, Dark Pit and I even had an inside joke, where we'd say 'That's very Ness and Lucas,' when something was really obvious."

I think, chortling. "Well, I think Ness definitely, definitely is into Lucas. Whether Lucas feels the same…" I snort slightly. "I think Lucas would be far too naïve to even know if he liked someone."

"He's sweet though," Pit ponders. "Even if he's secretly super-powerful…"

I laugh again. "Don't even get me started on all that - the 5 stones, plus a weird time-stone, a load of spells and types of psychic - I'm so glad I'm not magical."

Pit sighs, slightly. "Y'know, I feel bad for them."

"So do I," I agree. "They've got it rough."

"Have you known them long?" Pit asks.

I think back. "Well, we were friends in primary school, us three and a girl called Inkling…" I gulp, worrying again about where she could be. "But, yeah. I actually used to be really shy, shyer than even Lucas."

Pit scoffs. "No. No way were you ever shy. You are the king of Comic Relief."

I fold my arms. "Hey! I was! But, I sorta just taught myself to be more confident before coming to this school."

"How did you manage that?"

"I went out on the street, I spoke to people, I learned a bunch of jokes… and the rest came naturally with growing up," I shrug. "It's weird, really."

Pit thinks. "That's kinda cool."

I try to work it out in my mind. "Though, it sometimes feels like, nowadays, that I have, well two sides. One side is, like, well, this confident, annoying side, and the other is that quiet, weak, and overly sensitive side, from before."

Pit frowns. "I don't think you're annoying. You're funny. And there's nothing wrong with being weak."

I pause, taking his words in. "Well, I don't know. I just worry that both these sides of me just annoy everyone in one way or another, and that nobody, well, genuinely likes me. When I'm quiet, I'm nothing, when I'm not, I'm too much. You know?"

"Well…" Pit thinks. "Someone once told me the lyrics to a song: 'Nothing is only a thing you can be if you hold your failures tight.'

I prod him, teasingly, and he jolts, alarmed. I realise my mistake. "Sorry - sorry-"

He shivers. "No, I'm sorry. I never said. I just don't like physical touch."

"And I'm way too affectionate," I admit.

"For real though," Pit says, looking at me. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you. I think you're all good as you are."

I smile, trying to believe it. "Yeah. I'm all good."

I have a problem. Often, when people compliment me, or say anything nice to me, I have great difficulty believing that it's true. It just goes over my head - and I cancel out the compliment by just concluding that they don't know the full me. They don't know my flaws yet. I have quite a few secrets. Some I've never told anyone. A couple I won't admit to even myself. I'm a mess, really. Inside, I simply just don't like myself. I don't like the way I am. I didn't like myself when I was quiet, and I don't like myself now, when I'm loud. It feels like I'm a con, like I'm a fake, but I think it's all become part of who I am, now. I don't even know.

I lean back, trying to appear more relaxed than I am. "I think I've just, well, had bad experiences with both sides of myself. I was, uh, bullied a lot, in primary school-"

"Ugh, bullies," Pit sticks out his tongue. "Wish we could send the squirrel brigade after them. Then the squirrels can bombard them with acorns too."

I laugh. "The squirrel squadron, fighting for justice in the world!"

Pit salutes. "All hail the Squirrel Fleet, defending the earth."

We fall into fits of laughter once more - whenever we make eye contact, it just sets us off once more, and whenever we look out the window at the squirrels, it sets us going again. I haven't laughed like this in so long - what with this crazy term - it feels so good! So good.

Pit chuckles. "I'm just imagining all of the squirrels going into battle, with little helmets, carrying little butter knives-"

I snort with amusement, and it takes me a very, very long time to settle down again.

When we're finally calm again, we lean back against the wall. Pit grins. "Ah, I haven't laughed like that in days."

I smile. "Squirrels are powerful things."

Pit chuckles. "Hey, anyways, random point, but what's your family like?"

I exhale sharply. "My family?"

"Yeah, what are they like?"

I think carefully. This isn't a subject I like to talk about. "Well, my mother and father are... alright, I guess. They'll hit me if I do anything wrong, but most parents do. I uh, have an annoying little brother. You?"

Pit nods. "Uh, my parents are fine, I guess. There's not much to say about them. They're normal, really. What does your father do for work?"

"Well, he owns the butcher's stall in Onett," I reply, cautiously.

Pit nods. "That's cool. My Father works in the Onett government."

"The government? That's quite a high status."

Pit laughs slightly. "I guess, yeah. He doesn't do much though."

I shrug, "Shame. He could improve this place a bit."

"If only."

Unfortunately, I catch a sudden stray tear rolling down my cheek.

Pit it notices too - oh great. He frowns. "Hey, what's up? You all good there?"

I look away swiftly. "Yeah, why?"

He softens his tone. "...Is family a bad topic?"

I nod slowly.

Pit averts his gaze. "Hey, it's okay if you don't wanna talk about it."

I wipe my eyes. "No - I'm being silly - sorry-"

"Do you wanna talk it through? Dark Pit and I always used to talk things through if something was wrong."

A further lump of guilt settles in my throat. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Talking. Yes."

Pit kind of looks at me, expectantly.

"So. The thing is," I begin. "Well, I've never really told anyone this before-"

Pit's pupils dilate slightly. I hope I'm not making him uncomfortable.

I continue. "So, the people that I live with, my parents, well… they aren't really my, well, my real parents."

Pit frowns. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I mean," I blush, feeling stupid. And guilty. I bite my lip, forcing myself to get it over with. "I was found. They found me in the forest, in a basket, and they took me in."

Pit's expression is tender. "They-?"

The door suddenly bursts open, and Link stands there, looking as white as a sheet.

A sickening lurch of panic rips through me, and I jump up, horrified. "W-What are you doing? How much did you hear?!"

Link steps forwards slowly, closing the door behind him. This is odd - this isn't like him at all! He looks at me as if he's never seen me before.

"Well?!" I exclaim.

Words fly out of his mouth. "You were found - too? You were found?"

I hastily prepare a defensive response, but then I frown. "Wait, t-too?"

Link and I eye each other carefully. Pit watches us, in confusion.

"You were eavesdropping!" I accuse Link suddenly. "You're mocking me! This is a joke, isn't it!"

He backs away, holding his hands up. "No- No, I'm not mocking you! I was found by my parents too."

I stare in amazement. I'd never known this. I'd always thought Link had a perfect life, but I guess not.

"Any other secrets you're planning on sharing?" Pit asks, trying to cut the tension.

Link opens his mouth like a goldfish. "I'm actually 20 years old, but I've voluntarily been held up 4 years, because Zelda had to be held back 4 years as she didn't pass her exams-"

Pit gasps with surprise. "Wha- you're 20?!"

Link moves around me as if I'm a deadly spider of some sort, completely ignoring Pit. "I actually came here to say I'm moving out-"

It's my turn to gasp. "Moving out?"

"I'm moving in with Zelda," he explains, faintly. "Her roommate went missing, so there's a vacant space. Not a word to the professors though, yeah, mate?"

"Uh - yeah, sure," I reply, still in shock.

Link nods, and Pit and I have to watch awkwardly for ten minutes in silence as Link packs up his things and exits the room, leaving it bare. Surprisingly bare. Of course, the moment when Link actually shows some semblance of humanity, he's moving out of the room. Just my luck. Link leaves with a peculiar gaze at me, and he shuts the door behind him.

Pit turns to me. "Well, that wasn't unusual at all."

I frown, still unsure. "H-He is unusual..."

"What were you saying?" he prompts, after an awkward pause.

"Ah, yeah," I gulp. "Uh, I was saying…" I glance nervously at the door. "My 'mother' was out on a walk, where she found me in a basket, in the Onett forest. She took me home to her husband, my dad, and I guess they sort of raised me."

Pit nods. "Oh. Why didn't you tell anyone this before?"

I almost laugh. "You're kidding me? I don't really want it known that I was abandoned in the forest, that I wasn't wanted by my real parents. As if I need more reason to be unpopular? Besides, it's frowned upon to be... adopted."

Pit stares at me. "Toon Link, it's okay."

I continue, rambling on a tangent now. "Left in the basket was a letter - I've, uh, I've got it, I'll get it out-"

Pit doesn't object. He watches patiently I dig deep into one of my drawers, trying to find the little framed piece of paper. It's all I have left of whoever my real parents were - I read it often, far more often than I should. It's not exactly the nicest thing ever. But I bring it everywhere, hidden, and so, I bring it out, and I show Pit. This feels so weird, so surreal - not even Ness or Lucas or Villager know this about me, and they've known me forever. I read over the words for what must be the hundredth time.

His name is Toon Link. If you find him, take him, or kill him. Your choice,

My stomach sinks with vulnerability. I look at Pit, for approval, for recognition that I'm not crazily obsessed with some piece of paper. For recognition that I'm not mad for letting these words change the course of my life so much. My eyes sting.

Pit thinks for a moment, his eyes glistening over, before he strangely, and very surprisingly, hugs me. I cautiously wrap my arms around him, very much taken aback. "I thought you didn't like-?"

"I can make exceptions," he mumbles. "Toon Link. Toon Link. It's - it's okay. Your new parents chose you. Th-They wanted you. Despite the note. Never mind your biological parents. Your adopted mother - your real mother, she could've left you there, upon finding that note, but she took you in. She loves you, right? Your biological parents... they don't deserve you."

I smile weakly, having tried and failed to convince myself of the same for years. "I-I guess you're right... Just, please don't spread any of this around?"

"I'd never do that," Pit assures me.

I don't want to talk about it anymore. "Sorry for being all... deep and dark, suddenly."

"It's okay."

There's a slight pause, before I speak again, craving a subject change.

"Hey, Pit."

"Yeah?"

"Since Link's moving out, there's space in my room, now."

Pit beams. "You mean-?"

"Yeah."

The clock suddenly chimes for lunch. We stand up simultaneously.

"Well, this has been really good," Pit smiles. "Thank you, Toon Link."

"Hey, it's no worry," I reassure him. "I'm glad you're feeling somewhat better now. And I'm glad that you suddenly know about half of my darkest secrets now, too..."

"You have even more?" Pit asks, incredulously.

I chuckle. "Yeah. I'm sure you do too."

He rubs his arm slightly, eyeing the ground. "...Yeah."

We make our way into the canteen. I'm hoping that Villager's talked to Red about Red's problem with Pit, and I'm hoping that this lunchtime, it can all be resolved. And speak of the devil - I notice the pair ahead of us in the queue.

But Pit catches my gaze, and sort of, shrivels in on himself. "I'm not sure I should sit with you guys."

"You're not sitting on your own," I dictate.

"Red-"

"Villager will have talked to him. Hopefully. Villager's smart and clever, and awesome, like that."

Pit grins slightly, and I glare. "Shush. Not a word."

"I'd never dream of it."

We collect our food - bread and soup again - and we tremulously take our places on our table. Red and Pit eye each other up, nervously. I glance at Villager, who nods back as if to say that yes, he did talk to Red, and I nod back, indicating that I talked to Pit, too.

"So, lovely day outside, isn't it?" I say bracingly, just before the sound of heavy rain on the windows fills the room.

"Absolutely delightful," Red grumbles.

"Hey-" Pit pipes up, looking over at Red. "I know you don't like me being here, because I'm new, and I'm different, but I promise, I don't bite."

Red looks away, arms folded.

"Red, we talked about this," Villager chides.

Red turns back to Pit. "Fine. Okay. But you better not hurt any of my friends."

Pit grins, relief washing over his features. "I'd never, Red."

"Then, that is good," Red nods firmly, consuming his soup. Excellent!

However to my dismay, Popo chooses that moment to find us, and he sits down next to Villager. As one problem is solved, a new one arrives to take its place.

"Popo, is this really the best time?" Villager asks, through a strained smile.

Popo laughs. "Every time is a good time, my best buddies. How are you all doing? Pit, have you stopped moping around yet?"

Pit gloomily averts his gaze, towards the table. I glare across at Popo. "Why are you here?"

"Because you're all my best friends!" He raises a spoon to hit me in the crotch again, but this time I'm ready, and I dodge.

"Can you please not maim us?" Villager protests.

"Fiiiiiine. You're all so boring. Where's Ness and Lucas, anyways?"

"Sick," I reply, bluntly.

"I must immediately visit them in the medical room then!" Popo declares.

We all exchange worried glances. Letting Popo loose on Lucas is something that we all know that the latter doesn't need to deal with.

"We'll come too," I decide, and there's nodding around the table.

"Fabulous," Popo grins, flicking soup at me. "It seems I will see you there."

(Lucas)

The others come back after lunchtime. They bring food!

"Thanks," I say gratefully, taking a bowl of soup and a nice bit of bread. Ness hasn't stirred at all. It's been a couple of hours now. I've been checking his heart rate every 5 minutes or so, and I've kept a sort of table, and I'm plotting a graph, like the true science nerd that I am. It's important, though. I need to make sure he's getting better.

The nurse has kept themselves to themselves, so fortunately I've not been interrupted. From my graph, it appears that Ness's heartbeat seems to be increasing very slightly in rate for each measurement I've taken. I have no idea if that's a good thing or not - but I'm holding out hope. Otherwise, no changes seem to be occurring. I've tried to check his ribs for damage, but I feel like if I remove Ness's shirt, it would be a huge invasion of his privacy. I don't want to do that.

I've also written to Ness's family. I know their address well enough by now, and I figured they should know what's going on. Aside from all that though, I've mostly been working on my painting, trying not to worry, trying not to cry, and trying to stay strong for Ness, my best friend in the world.

"Yo!" Popo exclaims - oh great, what's he doing here? He whistles, looking down at Ness.

"Too much rough sex?" He asks me, plainly.

"Sorry - what?!" I'm very taken aback.

He studies my painting. "What are all those blobs doing there?"

I grit my teeth. "The painting isn't finished yet. It's a gift for Ness."

"I hope Ness likes weird alien balls, then."

Toon Link turns to Pit. "Shall we call the squirrel brigade?"

Pit bursts out laughing - I look over, frowning, very confused. At least Pit's in high spirits though! Much better than him crying, like last night. Villager, meanwhile, takes the opportunity to come over to me.

"How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess," I reply, heavily. "He'll be okay. I don't know if he's dreaming or what right now, but he'll be okay."

Villager pats me on the back. "That's the spirit!"

Unfortunately, the nurse storms over. "Alright, you lot, what are you all doing back here?"

"Visiting our friend," Toon Link retorts.

"Go on. Get out, you horrible lot."

"I'm going to stay with him," I mumble to the others, when they ask if I'm coming with them.

"Okay."

...

All things considered, after the others have gone, the rest of the afternoon passes in a kind of blur. I paint, I keep checking Ness's heart rate. It levels out at around at 60 bpm at 3pm. That's quite low, I worry, but it's certainly survivable.

Also throughout the afternoon, various people visit. I have to consistently recite the fake story that he 'fell'. There's a particularly unpleasant visit from Meta Knight and Olimar though, who jeer nastily at Ness's form.

Some people bring cards for Ness, and there's even a couple of presents, to my surprise. Toon Link and Villager both visit plenty - sometimes alone, sometimes with others, and both, quite late into the evening, bringing along a neatly wrapped parcel each.

"Where did you get those from?" I ask, mystified.

"Shulk," they say, vaguely, before the Nurse kicks them back out of the room.

Even Ryu checks in occasionally to make sure I'm doing okay, and to check how Ness is doing.

"How are things?" He asks, one one such visit.

"They're fine," I reply.

"Remember, keep together. Has anything strange happened, since we last spoke?"

"No, Professor."

He frowns. I'm not sure what he's expecting.

"Well, good day. Farewell." He nods, and leaves.

The cards and the visits pile up throughout the remainder of the evening. I eventually have to call it a day on the painting, once the room grows dark, and I'm instead drawn to reading over the books on psychics and magic again. I find out nothing new - aside from the bits we read, it's all been rubbish like the Clone Potion repeated over and over and over and over.

Soon enough, it's late. It's very dark. I realise the entire day has vanished before me. It must be almost 11pm, but I can't quite make out the hands on the clock anymore. I think the nurse has gone to bed, so that just leaves me, and my broken Ness.

But as if in a horror novel, the door to the medical room swings open dramatically - I turn and gasp in horror - I can't see who it is, I can't see! Who would be here at this time of night!?

"Lucas."

Oh, thank goodness. It's just Headmaster Hand. What the hell is he doing here, at this time of night?

He looks regretfully at Ness. "I heard the news. I thought I'd come to check up on you."

"Thanks Headmaster, but it's 11pm-"

He nods with recognition. "I do apologise for that. I'd have come earlier, but I was bogged down by an influx of work. I'd have therefore waited for tomorrow, but I just had an alarming conversation with Ryu where he suggested that you and Ness miss the next week of school, and the Wilderness Survival Week?"

"Oh?" I feign innocence.

He looks sternly upon me. "I'm here to tell you that you, Lucas, and Ness if he is able, will be attending all of your classes and that you will be attending the Wilderness Survival Week. This includes tomorrow's classes."

My eyes widen. "But I need to stay and look after Ness!"

"He'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen to him if you leave him."

That's what you think, I think, bitterly, but I keep my mouth shut. It's just an unfortunate hitch in the plan.

Full of sudden, alarming anger, I turn on Headmaster Hand. "By the way, what are you doing regarding the disappearances?"

He sighs, wearily. "As I have told many people, many, many times, I am looking into them. I would send everyone home right now if it wasn't for the virus in Onett city."

"Are you writing home to the parents of the students that have disappeared?"

"Of course I am!"

I grimace. "No you're not. Or it would've been in the news - the parents would've told the newspapers."

He groans, frustrated. "Alright, fine, we didn't tell the parents. We can't."

"Why not?"

"Think of all the problems that would cause!"

I stare, affronted. "So, you're going to allow people to disappear one by one, until nobody is left?"

"That's not what I said."

"It might as well have been."

Headmaster Hand looks sternly upon me. "Lucas, do not speak to me like this. Keep a civil tongue when talking to an adult."

I see red. All of the anger that's been building up, all day, at everything, at the Future Humans, at their creator, forms on my tongue in two simple words.

"Fuck off."

The words escape my lips before I can even retract them.

I glare at the man in front of me, furious. "Fuck off, Headmaster! My best friend is hurt, because you've done nothing about this, because you've not investigated this, at all!"

He looks me over, an expression of utmost surprise on his face. I'm in for it now - I brace myself-

"Well, I don't know what to say! No student has ever spoken to me like that before."

"Don't expel me!" I plead, suddenly changing tack.

He raises his vision slightly. "I won't expel you. I can understand why you're angry - it is righteous anger. Your best friend is badly hurt, and for that, I apologise. But I promise, I am doing all I can to fix this, Lucas." He puts a hand on my shoulder. "Trust me."

I stare at the floor. "Sorry."

"It's okay, Lucas. Now, before I go, it's worth mentioning, they say people in a coma can hear you, when you talk to them."

"Th-Thank you..."

He swiftly leaves the room, leaving me kicking myself inside. It's not like me to be so… angry. I never swear! For goodness sake, it's not Headmaster Hand's fault. I bury my head in my hands.

Slowly but surely, I'm losing hope. I've not been admitting it to myself, but I'm losing hope that Ness is ever going to wake. I'm worrying that he's slipping away - I don't know what to do! I'm not sleeping tonight. I'm going to stand guard, because I am his best friend. I will not let him down.

I remember what Headmaster Hand said, and I feel Ness's hand, gently. "Ness? Ness, I don't know if you can hear me…"

There's silence. He doesn't move.

"Ness, wake up, please…" I plead.

Another silence.

I sigh, and measure his heart-rate, and to my surprise, it's gone up, just a little bit. Hm. I stare down at him like a protective mother.

My mind wanders. Late at night, alone in a dark, creepy medical room with an unconscious Ness, fear starts to fill me. I swear, the shadows are moving, I swear the clock is moving way too fast, I swear, that if I look out of the window, and away from him, he will disappear, or be taken, or something. He needs to wake up soon - or I'll lose my mind!

But there's a sudden flash of movement that catches my eye.

Ness.

"Ness? Are you - are you there? Did you just - move!?"

There's no response at all.

I take his hand and I squeeze it, hoping for a sign of some sort, anything. "You'll be okay, Ness. I promise."

But there's no reply. I sniffle. I curse my sensitivity, but it hurts so much to feel my best friend's hand, so limp, so empty - a teardrop falls suddenly from my eye, splashing onto Ness's cheek.

No! I won't cry, I won't cry! I wipe my eyes, squeeze his hand just once again, before letting go, with a sob, walking over the other side of the room. I need to be brave. I need to be strong, for Ness. I desperately dry my tears, but more keep coming!

"I-It hurt you. It broke you, Ness," I fumble over my words. "You'll heal - you have to heal. I miss you. Please- please, wake up."

Ness doesn't move - of course he doesn't move. A last resort - I shakily take his other hand in mine, and I squeeze it once, so deliberately, praying that he feels it. That he just feels it. Come on, Ness. Come on! Tears stream down my face, as all as I can feel is limp flesh, greying, dying flesh. But just as I'm about to let go…

I feel him squeeze back.

A/N

Another slightly different chapter, I do apologise. Or not, if you enjoyed it!

I just wrote 6000 words in one day after procrastinating for 4 days before then… I'm really sorry!

I got big writer's block, so I overcame it by changing things up, and suddenly writing from Toon Link's perspective, for a bit. Better than Infinite Sad Lucas.

I actually really enjoyed writing for Toon Link!

Also, this is indeed, a two, or possibly three part chapter. Next chapter will be Lucas/Toon Link focus again, and then we'll be back to the normal schedule, and there will be no more Toon Link perspective. Probably.

I've been wanting Link and Toon Link to find some common ground for a while, and finally, I got a decent chance to do so! Hooray-

Notes:

Link was canonically found in a forest as a young baby.

The song lyrics are from a song called "Sleepwalking" by Tunng. It's a brilliant song.

The title of the chapter is from another album by The Leisure Society. The chapter pairs continue!

Fence (if u know u know)

Reviews:

Ness is wake! I hope he's better now and will he and Lucas become friends again? Or will they still be fighting? I hope they see eye to eye soon D:

Hmm, well, sadly this chapter didn't answer any of those questions, sorry, thanks to Ness being asleep for the entire chapter, but er, anyways, lmao, I'm not sure I'd say they were ever really properly fighting? But I hope they do become non-distanced friends again soon :D

Thanks for reading, everyone!

~ReadyForTeddy