Chapter 33 - Thunder

…

(Ness)

…

Why is the world against you when you try to do the right thing?

That's what I ask, as the First Brigade of Onett load us onto their horses, without any fuss, without any hesitation. It transpires that Angie and the other group have already been found by the Brigade. The pros of that: everyone's okay. The cons of that: putting up with Elmore complaining.

"It's your fault, Steven! You should've seen these people coming! You and your magic!"

"I can summon water, I can't read the future, Elmore."

"Still!"

At least they've fed us. Well, sort of. What limited rations there are of stale meat, dry bread and oranges are cut down even further for us 'runners'. That's the name they give us.

Heaven knows where we're even going, or when we're going to arrive. I'd estimate the brigade has been travelling for a few days, but I can't be certain. I assume we're headed towards Tazmily though, so we're going to be… fighting. Not my strong point. I need a plan, but I'm running empty.

My first thought is to sneak away at night. So, when our parade stops, and we're dismounted, I take action.

"What day is it?" I ask an armour-clad man, who's supposed to be taking me to where us runners are going to be sleeping.

"Wednesday," comes the surprisingly youthful reply.

"Lovely day, Wednesday, isn't it? Wednesday always used to be my favourite day at work. Midway through the week… though, I worked weekends too…"

I can almost hear him rolling his eyes. "You talk a lot."

I smile. "I sure do."

"What's your name?"

"...Steven."

"I know you from somewhere, Steven."

Ah. I turn quickly away. "You've probably just… seen me around,"

"...Maybe…"

We stop by an oak tree, and I fold my arms. "Is this it?"

"It's alright for you. I have to stay awake and guard you all."

Biting my lip, I sit myself down. I'm pleased to see everyone unharmed, though less pleased to discover that they've chosen our location well - we're completely surrounded on all sides. I take a moment to observe, searching for a point of weakness that we may be able to escape by.

It's quite an impressive set up, really. Hordes of men guide the horses to a particular area of the camp, where they will be tied up and let to sleep. Each rider takes out a blanket from the saddle-bag around their horses necks, laying it down on the floor. Some collapse right on their blankets, falling asleep immediately, while others bustle around talking, gathering together equipment, or sneaking a bite of the rations. What looks to be two men are unsuccessfully attempting to construct a fire - I make to get up and show them how it's done, but I'm obstructed by the armour-clad man again.

"You ain't going anywhere."

"Do we get blankets too?" I ask, hopefully.

"No. We didn't bring spares. It's extra weight."

"... What's your name?" I ask, curious.

"Soldier 47."

"No - your actual name. Not your number."

"That is not of your concern."

"Gosh, okay then."

One of the fire builders swears loudly, and a group of others make their way over to try and assist. I grimace - it has its weaknesses at times, but the First Brigade is a well oiled machine, and if I don't act fast… we could become meatshields.

Roy comes around the tree. "What's the plan?"

I bite my lip. "Yes. The plan. Ah. Hm."

"Well?"

"Well, I don't have it yet, but I will, I will soon."

"We haven't got long…"

Duster comes around the other side. "Tazmily has no 'ope against all these men. Even wit' the secret weapon…"

I purse my lips. "What is the secret weapon?"

"Dunno."

"You don't know?"

"Porky just said that he 'ad a secret weapon! Ain't m' fault! Never said what it was, m'chap"

I put my hand to my forehead. "I see."

Duster sighs heavily. "Either way, we get obli'erated, or Tazmily gets obli'erated."

Soldier 47 scoffs. "Yeah, Tazmily is the enemy. Of course we're obliterating them."

"But who told you that?" I challenge.

"Newspapers did. The media. Our government. Tazmily are bad."

"What did they do, though?"

"...That information isn't made available to us."

"What, so you're all fighting, but you don't even know why?"

"Fighting for the government! For mayor B.H Pirkle!"

"Does Pirkle really seem like the kind of man to declare war?"

"Well… no…"

"Something else is going on here," I conclude. "Something suspicious."

Soldier 47 nods mockingly. "If you say so."

"Hey! I'm right!"

I swear I see him grinning. "If you say so."

I huff. "Well, enjoy getting killed then."

"It'll be an easy win."

"But it's wrong. Killing the innocent."

"I don't have a choice."

"Yes you do-! You're part of the First Brigade, you're not like the others from the city. You're here of your own accord."

He winces. "What's to say it was my choice to be part of the First Brigade?"

"Well, what, were you forced to join by a phantom or something?"

His lips grow tight, as he checks behind him in case of anyone else being present. "My Father. He signed me up."

I rub my brow. "But the application procedure, it's huge! If you didn't want to be here, you could've deliberately failed the tests."

"I didn't want to let my Father down."

"...Oh."

There's an uncomfortable silence.

"Ike."

I turn back to him. "Huh?"

He pulls off his helmet, revealing sharp features, and a mass of hair. "You asked my name earlier. It's Ike."

Roy stares in amazement. "Ike?!"

"Wait - Roy? Is that you-?"

"Yeah-"

"But - but you disappeared! Everyone assumed you were dead!"

I raise my hand. "I'm confused."

"Roy and I were friends at school," Ike explains.

Roy's voice becomes strained. "How's Marth?"

Ike kicks the dirt. "After Father drafted me into the First Brigade, and after you disappeared, Marth retreated and became a maths teacher."

Roy's eyes widen. "A maths teacher?! For real?"

"I was surprised too. Ah, I've got to send a letter to Onett that you're alive! To the newspaper!"

"Porky Minch took me," Roy explains. "He attached some kind of chip to my neck to control me. Then this lot found me."

"Porky Minch? Nah. He's funding the entire Onett Army war effort."

"I'll bet," I interject darkly.

"An' I'm Duster!" Duster cuts in, breezily. "Good t' meet ya. Can you let us free now?"

Ike averts his gaze to the ground. "I can't, I'm afraid. You're just as much bound to your fate as I."

I stare back out, amongst the swathes of soldiers. Many of them are laying down, asleep now, but the ones that aren't have gathered around the fire, to sing. I have to wonder, who leads these people?

Whoever it is, I suppose that it's true what they say - the very best of men serve to die.

…

(Ness)

Onett Boarding School is weird.

My sister, Tracy, at the public school, seems to have a different experience entirely. They have to use chalk and slate, their lessons are taught with hard discipline, and a lot more punishment. There's no school lunches, and the genders are fully separated.

Their subjects are weird too - Arithmetic, Grammar, but worst of all, this year is Tracy's final year of school. After this, she is to be taught 'housewife skills' at home (I bet she'll just love them) and that will be that.

As for orphans and pauper children, who don't even go to school - I dread to imagine what happens. They're often hushed up under the carpet, locked away in the workhouses or who knows where else...

HeadMaster Hand's modernistic revolutionary values are unheard of throughout the nation. Mixed gender, provided food, (mostly) professional teaching, all strange, to outsiders, but normal to me. I am fortunate.

...

I roll out of bed, with a muffled yelp.

"Good morning," Lucas laughs from the other side of the room. I pick myself up with a blush.

"Good morning," I grumble.

"Nice exit," Lucas smirks, still cozy under his covers - Grr.

"You're looking a little too warm over there," I decide, striding purposefully over to his bed. He wraps the covers tighter around himself, but that doesn't stop me grabbing him by the feet, hauling him out onto the floor, causing an alarmed noise to come out of his mouth.

"Hey!"

I stand triumphantly. "That's what you get!"

Lucas catches me by surprise, grabbing my leg, causing me to fall down on top of him, which just makes us both giggle like complete maniacs. I ensnare him in a hug, and he obliges, wrapping his arms around me too.

Ah, he's too adorable.

"You're a goof," Lucas concludes, once we've picked ourselves up.

"You're a bigger goof!"

He prods me. "We'll see about that, after a week of wilderness survival. Gonna try lighting a fire with two pinecones again?"

"Hey, that was just one time!"

"My point stands."

I sigh. "C'mon. Let's just go to breakfast."

We messily throw the covers back on the beds. I ruffle Lucas's hair, and it's a quick walk down to the canteen hall.

"I'm gonna mix it up today," I declare proudly. "I'm gonna have porridge… with strawberry jam."

Lucas mimes throwing up. "Sounds disgusting."

"Do not rule out what you do not know! It might be the best thing ever."

"That spot is already taken."

"By what?"

"You."

I blush profusely. "Lucas, that was corny."

"So?"

I grin.

I'm buoyed by Lucas's cheerfulness today. It's a big step in the right direction, and it's reassuring to see that he's returning to his normal self again.

Though, something weighs heavily on my mind:

...What am I going to do with my life?

It's a big concept. It sounds deep, it sounds immense, but Lucas piled out the suggestions yesterday, and… none of them seemed to suit me. Nothing seems to suit me. I'm a wildcard, a jack of all trades. I don't really have… passions. Which means I don't really have a clear path ahead of me. Which means I don't really have a potential career, nor a source of income, nor, even, any hope of going to one of the big out-of-city universities.

A slight sensation of nausea reaches me. What happens when school is over? What happens!?

I shiver, trying not to worry. Maybe I'll just become a factory worker, or another farmer. Maybe I'm expected to carry on Father's coal mining business - I swallow the thought down, certain that I do not want anything to do with that.

I collect my breakfast, and sit myself on our table, breathing deeply. I don't have to worry about all of that yet. But I will! Soon! Hng, I don't feel mature enough to be thinking about adulthood, but heavens above, I'm 16 years old! A lot of boys my age have work, when they're not at school - in the factories, or they work picking fruit and vegetables in harvest time. Hell, Lucas has even ended up working on the street, while I've had it so damn easy, at home.

I shift around uncomfortably, a pressure of inadequacy starting to hang over my head. A new dam has burst - I'd been holding all those worries back, but now…

"Do you guys have jobs in the summer?" I ask, out of nowhere.

Villager shrugs. "Sometimes I fish in the big river in Onett, and sell whatever I catch. Sometimes I repair stuff for money, and I'm trying to learn how to build furniture, with what we're doing in Trades. That's sort of it, though."

"Factory work," Toon Link grumbles. "Father sends me out. Gotta make some money, they say. Gotta pay them back for- well, never mind that." He exchanges an odd look with Pit.

"I considered factory work," Lucas admits. "But the pay was too low. Trading and… stuff… worked better. Father earns next to nothing, as a coal miner"

I hang my head, knowing it's my own father who gives out the low wages. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Pit stares at his plate. "Dark Pit and I… we'd work on our family farm."

"You have a family farm?" Villager enquires.

"Yeah. It's pretty nice."

I bite my lip. So, everyone here does something in the summer. Hell, I could've even got a job at a factory, to help Lucas out! Maybe then he wouldn't have had to work on the street… My selfishness brings me a sudden wave of shame.

"What lesson have we got first?" Lucas asks me.

I think, glad for a distraction. "We have sport, then math, then double history, then art."

"Ew, sport."

"Maybe you should excuse, 'cause you're injured," I suggest, but Lucas shakes his head.

"I can manage."

"If you're sure…"

"C'mon, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Fateful last words!" Toon Link cries out.

"I'd like to skip," Villager groans. "As if I needed to see Red and Diddy Kong and all the others at the moment."

"I'll protect you!" Toon Link declares.

"That fills me with very little confidence."

Pit narrows his eyes. "Don't worry about that lot. You're awesome, Villager, and they don't know what you're missing."

Villager's eyes shine a little. "Aw - thank you…"

The five of us collect our sport kit - Ness and I borrowing spares from Pit and Toon Link respectively - and we begrudgingly head towards the changing rooms.

"Hey, it's the fag boys!" Diddy Kong cheers at us all, as soon as we enter. "Watch out everyone, stay away, or you might be molested!"

"You might have a fist down your throat if you don't shut up," Toon Link snarls.

"And you probably have Villager's cock down yours-"

There's some jeers and calls from the other boys, and Toon Link edges towards him. "You leave Villager alone, alright?"

Diddy Kong laughs. "Ah, don't think so! Villager is just a dumbass friendless fag, whose presence makes the lives of everyone who he hangs around an utter misery-"

Wham.

"Woah…"

"Holy-"

Lucas gasps besides me, as I try to make my way forwards, to see the damage done. But it's not Toon Link who delivered the blow - it's Pit.

"Don't you dare - say anything like that - about my friends-" Pit shakes, with pure anger, looking down at Diddy Kong, who's been knocked down to the ground. A crowd surrounds, in hushed awe, and Wii Fit Trainer strides into the changing rooms.

"You're all taking a long time - oh my, what happened here?!"

"Pit attacked me!" Diddy Kong moans dramatically.

Wii Fit Trainer hitches his breath. "Pit. With me. HeadMaster."

Pit nods slowly, still trembling. "Of course. See you later, guys."

"I-" Toon Link stammers in surprise. "See you-"

Pit is taken away, leaving us stunned. What was he thinking!? Everyone just changes in complete silence, not even daring to mention anything, or to look at Diddy Kong.

I can't help but think about how calm Pit was. And how much Diddy Kong deserved that punch. I rack my brains, completely bemused. I guess Pit was feeling defensive today? But I don't know. I finish up getting changed, around the same time as the others, and we make our way out onto the sport pitch, awaiting Wii Fit Trainer's return.

"What even was that?" Villager shakes his head.

Toon Link shrugs. "Diddy Kong was due a good beating."

"But Pit…"

"He must really like us, or something."

"I hope he doesn't get in too much trouble," Lucas mumbles.

"Ah, he'll be alright," Toon Link laughs. "It's not like we haven't gotten in fights before, ain't that right, Ness?"

I blush. "Yeah."

Lucas lightly prods me. "And it's not gonna happen again, is it?"

"No…"

There's laughter, but it's quickly dispelled as Red walks past, muttering to himself.

I take the opportunity to look around. The sports field is really just all the empty space out the back of the school. We could even run down to the lake if we wanted, though I don't particularly feel like it today… I shiver. It's another cold, winter's morning, and I fear that rain is coming - a dark mass of cloud is just starting to creep over the horizon. Doing sport out here makes me feel like I'm in some kind of giant freezer, where we're all running around to keep warm.

A rattling noise sounds next to me - I realise it's Lucas's teeth chattering, so naturally, I consume him in a giant hug. He's always been very sensitive to temperature… probably because he's so skinny. Dammit. He needs to gain a little weight, it's unhealthy to be so… thin. And small. And sickly. I wouldn't want some kind of disease to finish him off.

"How long's Wii Fit Trainer gonna take?" Toon Link complains. "I'm getting cold."

Villager snorts. "Oh, boo hoo. Is ickle Toonie getting chilly?"

"Hey!"

Lucas and I exchange a casual grin. But I glance up again - the sky heaves menacingly, threatening to upend its contents over our heads. It's come a lot closer, very quickly, and everything's notably darker now.

Wii Fit trainer eventually arrives back, a light spring in his step. "Alright, my apologies for the delay, but everyone on their feet! We've got some quality rugby work to get in today, and you need to be warmed up for it. So, everyone in pairs!"

Lucas and I naturally pair up, and so do Villager and Toon Link. To my dismay, Red goes with some popular guy.

"Okay! Let's start - running around the field - follow me…"

With muted groans, we start to run. Lucas would outpace me easily, of course, but he's gracious enough to jog, so that I can keep up with him. Toon Link and Villager meanwhile power on ahead, attempting to beat each other. They're a pretty even match, it turns out, while I… am out of breath already. Great.

I stop to catch a break, and Lucas nudges me. "You good?"

"Yeah. Just hopelessly out of shape still."

"Ness, you're average weight. You're just fine how you are."

"Can't run, though-"

"C'mon, don't make me carry you."

"Sounds - good-"

"Oh no. Definitely not carrying you while running. Not with my poor arms…"

"Oh, now they're a problem?"

"How unfortunate," Lucas shrugs, grinning.

I feel a spot of moisture on my neck - great, the rain is here. The ground is already sodden from yesterday's downpour, and it's hard to keep my balance as it is. It's also hard to resist pushing Lucas into the mud… but I decide that would be too mean.

Everyone else seems to be ahead of us now, so I grit my teeth: "Come on. Let's go."

"That's the spirit."

Steadily, we keep on running - if this is just the warm up, I'm not sure what I'll do in the actual lesson. Why's it called that, anyway? It's freezing! The rain starts driving down with more vigour, and suddenly I feel my feet taken out from under me-!

I slam down on the ground. Ow. Cursed mud. Cursed Lucas, laughing his head off. Cursed shorts, now hopelessly messy. Curse everything.

"Need a hand?" Lucas asks.

"Please-"

I take his hand, and he helps me off of the ground, but there's no traction, and my weight causes me to slip down again, pulling Lucas with me.

Lucas giggles slightly. "Ah,"

"Well, this sucks," I deadpan. It seems that even the other runners are close to catching us up, and lapping us.

Defeated, I stare up at the heavy clouds, rain streaming down onto my face, which is completely coated in a slick of mud. My back juts out against the ground. Water droplets slip off of my cheeks, catching my hair, that's glittering in the slight light; my shirt sodden through, clinging to my torso. Lucas shifts slightly, to my side, and the air gradually becomes still, as he slips his hand into mine.

Despite the conditions, it feels good - small, but soft, just the right amount of grip, just the exact right feeling.

Even though we're supposed to be running, even though we're supposed to be doing so much more right now, we're just lying in the mud together, beaten.

And that's when it hits me.

That's okay.

I smile, turning my face to Lucas's, and I see that he's smiling too. Of course he is. We may be stuck in the mud sometimes, we may be miserable as hell, but, despite all that, we still have each other. It sounds so corny, but it rings so true, in such unexpected ways. Ways I never even thought possible. We were made for each other - every stitch and every line, crafted perfectly. Every interest, every action, complementing one another.

Lucas, by all definitions, is my soulmate.

That doesn't have to mean romance - though, that'd be pretty amazing too. It means a lot more - It's almost harder not to believe in fate with him around, not that I do, but… I could believe that some of our atoms came from the same star, millions of years ago. A wondrous sensation spreads through me - few people can say they've met someone so infinitely close to them, who cares limitlessly, who sticks by them unconditionally.

I nudge him fondly. "Hey."

"Hey."

I make a decision, riding on elation. "I'm ready to tell you the thing-"

"Wha - you want to tell me something important, now, during a warm up, lying in the mud, in the pouring rain?"

I blush. "Couldn't think of anywhere better myself."

Lucas runs a stray hand through his hair, smiling slightly. "Alright, go on then."

I breathe in, and out again. "So, the thing is-"

Wii Fit Trainer flashes in front of my face, shattering the still. The rain drives heavily again, and the wind starts to howl, shattering my resolve completely.

"What on earth are you boys doing on the ground?"

"Slipped," I explain, sounding stupid.

"I... see. Well, come over, warm up's over. We're getting started on the actual lesson now."

We stand, caked in mud, the rain rushing like a waterfall down our sodden clothes.

"Another time," I promise, upon Lucas's inquisitive look.

"Another time."

I internally kick myself - I've missed yet another opportunity! How hard can it bloody be, to tell the goof that I'm in love with him? I shake my head, trying to ignore all of the doubts threatening to relapse into my mind. I'll tell him later. After lessons. After the talent contest. I breathe, attempting to ground myself. I won't worry about it all yet.

"Alright, so, you'll need to stay in your pairs for this exercise. We're going to be attempting passing today-"

"Bet gay boy is disappointed that it's not tackling," Diddy Kong sniggers, earning himself a glare from Villager.

"You'll need to get into pairs, and get out one of the rugby balls, and-"

"Can't we go inside? Popo complains. "It's wet."

"Yeah," shivers Link. "Please, let's do that."

"No," Wii Fit Trainer disagrees. "Real sportsmen are in the rain for most of their sporting careers."

Toon Link sticks up his hand. "We don't want to be real sportsmen though-"

"But, you need to keep active."

"I'd rather not die of hypothermia though-"

"You can disagree all you like, and I can go and report you to the HeadMaster," Wii Fit Trainer snaps irritably. "Either way, we are staying out here, and-"

Ka-Boom!

Everyone jumps in alarm, looking around for the source of the noise, before noticing the smouldering remains of the Sports Shed catching ablaze in a fiery burst.

"Lightning!" Lucas squeaks, but not many people hear him over the resulting clamour. A heavy rumble of thunder comes next, and sheets of rain lash even more violently than before at our shivering bodies.

"Please, we're in shorts and a T-shirt here," Mega Man begs. "We have to go inside, this is a storm!"

Wii Fit Trainer blows his whistle with annoyance. "I've already said, we're staying outside! Don't try my patience. Pairs, one ball each, get out onto the field!"

Lucas whimpers slightly besides me. "Did I mention that I hate storms?"

I frown. "You didn't seem to be afraid of the huge one that happened when we were in the forest."

"I was more scared of the Face, and that chimney, and the grave. And, we were under trees…" He shivers, tilting his head slightly to look at the darkened sky, a flash of lightning illuminating his dripping jawline.

I grab his hand. "If anything, you'll be fine. Lightning usually strikes tall things, after all."

"Hey!"

I grin. "Ha."

"That was mean."

"You bet. But, hm, what worries me, is the cold. What if we get hypothermia out here?"

"Then I guess I'll have to hug you a lot, to warm you up."

"I wouldn't mind that at all…"

But Lucas picks up a rugby ball instead. "Sadly, we have to do some physical activity first."

"Eurgh, what even is that?"

"C'mon. Let's see if we can find the others."

Villager and Toon Link are found tossing the rugby ball between them, while simultaneously looking like human fountains. Water trickles down the longer sections of Villager's hair, giving the impression that his head has been encased in some kind of glassy shell. He whips around upon seeing us, causing a large quantity of droplets to fly into our faces-

I grumble. "Thanks-"

"Can't believe we can't go inside!" Villager vents. "It's gonna take so long to dry off."

"He's quite annoyed," Toon Link laughs.

"Even worse, I'll have to go into the same room as Red to get a fresh change of clothes."

I wince. "I can go get them for you."

"Aw, really? I'd really appreciate that."

"It's no problem," I assure him.

Another flash of lightning breaks the momentary silence. Everyone jumps with alarm, and there's a couple high pitched squeals from the popular kids. A sudden crack follows, prior to a mighty crunch - it seems as if a nearby tree has met its fate.

"It's dangerous out here!" Villager hops, tensely. "Someone could get badly hurt! Link is like, 7 foot, he could easily get struck by a bolt, and be killed, stone dead!"

"Relax, Villy," Toon Link soothes, wrapping Villager in a remarkably tender hug. "It'll all be alright."

Villager's breathing calms down. "You reckon?"

"Yeah, 'course."

The rain continues to rattle down. We comply, throwing the rugby ball between us, not exactly putting in as much effort as we could, but still doing just enough that we don't get yelled at by the agitated Wii Fit Trainer. It feels like hours later though, when a whistle is blown, and we're finally gathered back in the changing rooms, freezing our asses off, fingertips blue, our teeth recurrently chattering.

Villager pulls off his shirt. "Soaked through. Anyone happen to bring a towel with them?"

"I did," Toon Link declares proudly, over the tempest outside. He pulls out two.

Villager's eyes widen. "I was kidding-! Whyever would you bring a towel to Sport? Much less, two?"

"After last time, figured we might need them," Toon Link replies promptly.

"Well, I commend your organisation."

The pair dry off, and I sit down. "I'm guessing no towel for me and Lucas, then?"

"You can borrow these after we're dry," Toon Link shrugs.

"They'll be soaked through..."

Toon Link gazes at the ground. "Sorry Ness… it's the best I've got… I would've brought more, I swear, but I guess I didn't think it through enough."

Lucas hits me lightly on the shoulder, giving me a pointed look.

I backtrack. "Agh, sorry, Toonie, I didn't mean-"

"It's ok."

"..." I curl up on a bench, suddenly upset at myself again.

…

Thunder reverberates around the whole school, as we head to our next lesson. My hair is drenched, but I guess I don't mind too much. I'll survive.

There's no sign of Pit, even as we enter Maths. He must be being chewed out by HeadMaster Hand pretty hard… poor guy. Hitting Diddy Kong was a noble cause, but it's seemingly not turned out too well for him.

"Ah, good morning," Marth waves. "I'm guessing from the dampness, you had Sport first?"

I nod. "Yeah…"

"Anyways, Lucas, Ness, I'm going to have to separate you today. Sorry, but you didn't focus, last lesson, and I think you'll learn a lot better, working independently. So, Ness, take a seat next to Bayonetta there, at the front, and Lucas, please take a seat besides Red."

I gasp. "But-"

"No buts. Sorry, but you'll both benefit from it."

I grumble, as I sit down besides Bayonetta, who fortunately is happy to see me. First Marth pulls a fake Maths Competition on me, then he separates Lucas and I? That's completely unfair! Ugh. Without any distractions, my thoughts start to drift dangerously close to my doomed future again, and I-

"Ness, such a shame that you and your true love were split," Bayonetta says melodramatically.

"Sh!" I hiss, checking behind us for any keen ears. "Don't say that!"

"Oh, sorry, is that not a good thing to say?"

"No!"

"I do apologise. But, have you asked him out, yet?"

I blush in spite of myself. "Bayonetta, please, no-"

"You'd better do it quickly, or... a certain someone else might take him! I have strong eyes for romance, you know!"

I cover my face. "Please. Please, yes, do keep talking."

"Alright! Well, Nana has obviously got the hots for him, it's what everyone is saying, but Isabelle told me about you and Lucas, and-"

My eyes dart up. "She what? Did she tell anyone else? Did you tell anyone else?"

"Not a soul! I swear on my heroin addiction."

My heart pounds. Being the topic of hot gossip wouldn't do Lucas nor me any good at all.

"I have to know though," Bayonetta continues, "that trick with the monster at my party - how did you pull it off?"

I scramble for an excuse, which is made harder by the repeated groans of the thunder outside. "Uh, that's for me to know, and for you to find out."

"That is no fun at all!"

"The fun of discovering new things," I say, flatly.

"Cleaning up that thing took ages, as well, but I found a pretty cool thing inside of it."

I look up cautiously. "You did?"

She reveals a small, green, square piece of plastic, lines of metal running over it, which are attached to a large metallic rod, with a ball at the end. I frown.

Bayonetta shrugs. "I've never seen anything like it before… It's like a cool ornament, don't you think?"

"It could be," I say cluelessly.

"Ness, what did I just say?" Marth sighs.

I flounder. "Uhm- I don't know-"

"Ness, please, please try and stay focused. It's not hard."

A distinct lump rises in my throat. "Sorry, professor."

Look at you, being a failure again!

Oh no. Buttercup. Not now.

"And so, the seven circle theorems are…" Marth continues. I need to focus on him - that's what I need to do. Not Buttercup, not the storm, nor anyone else.

He drones on. "I should clarify, you'll need to know the exact wording of the theorems for the exam. They come up in written response questions, and the mark scheme is often very specific."

Ugh. Bloody mark scheme.

"So, take notes, because you'll need them."

I pull out a piece of paper and a fountain pen.

You'll be failing for your entire life. Sliding down a steep, slippery, slope to disappointment.

No, I-! No. I need to focus on Marth.

"First of all, we have the theorem that opposite angles in a cyclic quadrilateral sum to 180 degrees, and-"

You'll disappoint your Father, you'll disappoint Lucas, you'll disappoint your Mother, you'll disappoint-

Ngh-

"Meaning that the angles of the quadrilateral sum in total to-"

Failure. Failure. Hopeless case. No passions, no goals, no future. You're too messed up mentally to even dream of achieving anything.

I'm not!

"The next theorem is that-"

Nothing. You're nothing.

"The circle-"

Help-

Who will remember you?

I-

"90 degrees-"

Die.

N-No-

"And-"

Die!

"So-"

Crash.

Screams fill the room, and we're plunged into darkness - I'm shaken out of my stupor - what the hell is going on!? Someone's hand is over their forehead - the wind and the thunder from outside has gotten notably louder - where's Lucas-!?

"Everyone, please, stay calm!" Marth calls out, but only I seem to hear him - I shiver, as an icy rush of air collides with me - I look around for a clue, noticing that all of the gas lamps have gone out - before Lucas manages to reach me through the pandemonium.

"What's happenin-"

"I don't know!" I quiver. "There was a crash - then the lamps went out, and-"

"Ness! What's happening?" Red demands. "You know things about everything going on - do you know what this is?!"

"I have no idea!"

"That window is broken," Lucas observes, pointing to a large hole in the window, and I notice glass shards sprinkled around the vicinity.

"That's where all the cold must have come from!"

"Storm broke the window-" Marth manages, but everyone seems to have gone completely mad with panic.

"Everybody! It's okay!" Marth calls out again. "Please, settle! A bolt of lightning must have hit the window, or something. The gas lamps were blown out by the wind. If anyone's injured, please come to the front."

"I think everything's okay," Lucas sighs with relief. "Nothing weird."

"Nothing weird," I agree. Crisis over. I breathe.

I shouldn't have been so shaken up by just a window shattering. I'm an idiot, really, like a cat ready to be startled at any given opportunity, which is… something.

Not many people seem to be injured, besides the occasional cut from a piece of glass. We have to vacate the room, though, because it's bloody cold and despite Marth's best efforts, there's no hope of the gas lamps being re-lit.

Oh well.

At least we're missing part of maths, I think wryly, my inner cynic making a rare appearance. Because even if I have no idea what I'm doing with my life, there's one thing that I know, I am never, never, being a mathematician.

See, that's a better way to think about it, rather than whining about your own problems. Look at you with your defense mechanism! Cute.

Better than nothing though, I guess.

We end up in a strange room in the back of the school, it must be one of the few spare classrooms. Thinking about it, I've never really seen any spare classrooms, so I'm unsurprised.

The rest of the lesson passes normally, with me almost managing to fall asleep, but just about surviving.

"Lunch!" Lucas cheers, as we leave.

I pout. "That's my line!"

"Well, too bad."

"Screw you."

Lucas shoves me playfully. "As you wish."

I blush, wondering if Lucas knows the implications of what he's just said. "It better be good food today."

"Yes - not cheese and pickle."

"Pickle can go and rot in a preserved grave."

Lucas laughs, covering his hand with his mouth in a way that's remarkably cute. "Harsh."

The thunder groans once again, causing anyone in the near vicinity to sigh.

"This is the biggest storm of all time," I conclude. "Stupid thing has been moaning and groaning all morning."

"So, like you, after a rough night's sleep?" Lucas asks innocently.

I fold my arms. "That's it, I'm stealing your toes."

He snorts. "What kind of threat is that?"

"One I'm willing to carry out!"

"What on earth would you do with my toes, once you've stolen them?"

"Cook them, and eat them for dinner, of course."

"...You're strange."

"You're small."

Lucas sighs. "Are comebacks about my height all you know how to do?"

"Yes, munchkin."

Lucas sighs. "You will be the death of me."

I puff my chest out proudly. "Gnome."

"Klutz."

"Goblin."

"Hey! I am not a goblin!"

The server clears his throat. "You two, you're at the front of the queue, gonna get your food or not?"

Embarrassed, we take our lunch (it turns out to be ham sandwiches today) and we make our way over to the others. Toon Link's dressed strangely, though, for some reason he's wearing a lime green shirt, with a moss green jacket, and bottle green trousers.

"Going for the leprechaun look?" I ask, sitting down.

"Oh, haha. This was all I had left," Toon Link sulks. "I've got a better outfit for later though, fear not."

"He's got a plan, for the talent show," Villager mutters darkly. "And he's roped me in."

Toon Link winks. "Sh, no spoilers, Villager!"

"Any sign of Pit?" Lucas asks.

"Nope. Probably in student isolation."

Student isolation is where you have to spend the whole day alone, working, when you've done something especially rebellious.

Me, I've never been in Student isolation.

...So I told my father.

Lucas's shoulders tense up. "I hope he's alright. Do they feed you in Student isolation?"

"Well, I can tell you from experience," Toon Link declares grandiosely. "...They feed you gruel."

I splutter. "Gruel- ew!"

Lucas looks at me, his blue eyes bright. "Gruel isn't that bad."

I look away, praying that gruel isn't secretly his favourite food. Much as I'm head over heels for him, having to eat gruel would be a spanner in the works. I think his favourite food is omelettes though, or scrambled egg, or something along those lines. Which is certainly more edible… though not as fabulous as a good steak.

"Good day."

I look up - it's Red.

"Hello," Villager waves warily.

"Greetings. I am here to say a thing."

Villager exchanges a glance with me. "What's the thing?"

"I would like to… apologise."

It sounds like it's a difficult word for him to say.

Villager raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yes. I was wrong. Wrong about, you. Selfish. That's the word. I was selfish."

"...Well, I'm glad you've come around."

But suddenly, Red's body jerks, and a look of panic cuts into his face. "Help-"

Villager stands quickly. "Red, what's happening? Are you okay?"

He rapidly shakes his head, suddenly looking very tense.

"Red, what's going on?"

"I-"

Crash!

Another bolt of lightning catches us off guard, and all of a sudden, Red's back to normal, tension released, his face back to its regular position.

He clears his throat. "Everything's alright, I must go now, see you all later-"

"Are you sure?" I ask, nervously.

"Yes, very. Goodbye."

He runs off with remarkable speed, straight out of the hall, to who knows where, and we're left in stunned silence.

"Well, at least he's come around," Toon Link says through a mouthful of ham.

Villager stares vacantly at the exit. "But did you not see that-"

"I did," Lucas mumbles. "What was it?"

"Something's wrong. Something's definitely wrong."

Toon Link finishes his sandwiches. "Ah, relax. He's just a bit strange,"

"More than a bit."

The clock chimes for our next lesson - ew, double history. At least we're all together in this one - and Red too, so we can keep an eye on him. Just in case…

I try to shake the worried feelings from my mind. I can enjoy History, even if Ryu is a perpetually weird man.

"This is a miracle!" Ryu announces, as Lucas and I enter through the door. "You have managed to arrive on time."

I nod politely. "That we have, Professor."

"For the first time this term!"

"Well, there haven't been any strange goings on today."

"Let's hope it stays that way. Ah, do take a seat."

We obey, sitting at the back of the room, while Toon Link and Villager take their seats nearer the front. The storm continues to rattle and rage outside though, and I cast a nervous look over at the windows…

Ryu clears his throat. "Good afternoon, students. Today, in our Ancient History topic, we're going to be investigating the evidence as to whether Magic exists or not."

I raise an eyebrow, and Ryu casts a casual wink over at Lucas and I.

"It's a double lesson, which doesn't just mean an extra hour of boredom, it means we can get more content in, which is always good. So, first of all, as usual, I've found a number of sources that might be intriguing. For example I have found a number of old books that appear to relate to magic."

He pulls out copies of a book that I certainly recognise - The Mystery Of Magic, by Wiz. Ard. But what is Ryu playing at?! Magic is supposed to be taboo - but then again, looking around the room, everyone appears to be uninterested.

"I've also found some colourful stones that may or may not be magical, as well as this 'magic wand.'" Ryu pulls out a stick, and some painted stones.

There's instantly complaints:

'Obviously magic isn't real-'

'That's clearly just a stick-'

Ryu folds his arms. "Ahem! Please, can somebody read out, from this book, The Mystery Of Magic, the first few lines? Just to get a feel for the kind of thing inside it?"

Nana volunteers. "It starts with… Potions. Uh, okay. Clone potion - drink this potion to become the splitting image of someone else… Uh, Love potion - Give to another and they'll fall in - fall in 'looooooove'? What? What is this?"

"Make of that what you will," Ryu says ominously. "Have a look through the rest of the book too, piece together any evidence you can. Good luck."

Most students snort with laughter, ready for an easy lesson, but I throw my hand in the air like there's no tomorrow, because, what is going on?

Ryu comes over. "Everything okay?"

"No - what is all this?"

He shrugs. "It's on the curriculum."

"Where did you find so many copies of that book?" Lucas whispers.

"My good friend, Wiz. Ard, the author, sent them to me."

My eyes widen. "Wiz. Ard. is his actual name?"

"Well, it's Wizelda Ardridge, but he's quite a humorous man, so…"

I can't even tell if he's being serious. "But, why did he send them?"

"He wanted me to test if they were non-magic-person-proof. Come to think of it, we really need a better name than 'non-magic-person.'

"What about those colourful stones?" I challenge. "Are they - you know, the magic stones?!"

"Ha - no, the magic stones and the time stone have been lost to magical legend for millennia. They're some pebbles I found in the forest that I painted."

I shake my head, bemused. "Okay?"

Ryu laughs slightly. "I assure you, not everything you see and hear is suspicious. Shame though, that the one lesson you're on time, it's the one where you know all of the content already."

I nod awkwardly. "...Yeah."

"Well, I'll leave you to get on."

"Thank you, Professor," Lucas and I say, in canon.

The continual rattling of the rain on the window luckily blocks out any chance of our conversation having been overheard by someone unpleasant.

"Shame it's not the Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures book," Lucas whispers.

I wrinkle my nose. "That means Wario technically wrote a book. He must have been secretly a lot smarter than he let on."

Lucas laughs. "Something like that. But he'll be dealt with soon."

I place an elbow on the table, leaning against it. "Do you think Ryu is acting a bit odd, though?"

"...Possibly," Lucas mumbles, uncertain. "He's always odd, though."

"I can't believe he and Father were ever friends."

"Your Father seems," Lucas shivers, "like the complete opposite of Ryu."

"I wonder what happened between them?" I muse, for what must be the millionth time.

"Probably had an argument or something. Your Father does like to antagonise himself."

"True…"

"My Father doesn't like yours, at all."

I look down at the table. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault… All my Father says is that he doesn't treat his workers well. He doesn't pay them much."

"So it's my family's fault that you're all poor?" I realise, hollow.

"...I guess."

I wring my hands, troubled. "I should get a proper job, to help you all out. To pay you back for what my Father does."

"Ness, you really don't have to-"

"I should, though. Instead of sitting around. Or, I could sell some of my stuff! I owe you, after all."

Lucas slowly wraps an arm around himself, a nervous tic. "You don't owe me anything. Please, you don't have to do anything like that for me. Don't get mixed up in the street life."

I glance in front of us, checking that nobody is listening in. "I could handle it."

"Ness… Please, just, don't even consider it. Please."

"But, but you need money..."

"Ness-"

"It's really no trouble, I can quite easily just-"

"Ness-"

"I'm strong, I can fight anyone off-"

"Ness-"

"And I can protect you too-"

"Ness! No! It's ruthless, ruthless out there. You'd be hurt, swindled, abused, forced to do all sorts of things, you'd possibly even be killed, especially as the son of someone like your Father!"

I realise, too late, that I've pushed his boundaries too far. "I'm sorry-"

"You know what I've dealt with out there, and if you think for even a second that I'm going to sit back and let the same happen to you…"

I shrink back on myself.

He turns to me sharply, his eyes ablaze. "So much has happened to me on the streets. Some stuff that I haven't even told you yet. I have so many horrible memories, Ness, and you know what I do with them? I push them down, I shove them away, until they burn, until they turn into determination, determination that I will never, never, let anything like that happen to the people that I love."

I swallow, unsure what to say. "...Oh."

He breathes heavily. "Don't put yourself on the line for me. I don't think I could live with myself if you did."

"I-I won't," I stammer.

"Good."

We don't speak for the rest of the lesson.

…

"So, what, old Ryu was trialling the book on our class?"

an outraged Toon Link grumbles, as we make our way to our next lesson. That's Art for me and Lucas, and probably theatre for him.

"Looks like it," I shrug. "Pretty much everyone decided magic didn't exist, though."

"Alas, they didn't know that there were two psychics in their midst."

"The book is pretty ridiculous though," Villager frowns. "Why would anyone believe a thing like that?"

"The real information is at the back," I explain. "Mr Wiz. Ard. invented all the potions and stuff to try and deter any non-magical-people."

"Smart."

"Sad, though," Toon Link comments.

"Yeah."

Lucas and I head into class, Lucas still resoundingly silent, but Shulk greets us cheerily.

"Alright? Straight on with it today - by the way, I'm supposed to bring you lot directly to the talent show, after the lesson. Unless you're participating, then you're supposed to go 30 minutes early… are you boys participating?"

"No," Lucas replies.

"Ah, shame, your painting would be a fine talent… nevertheless, I'll let you get on with the lesson now."

As is routine, we head over to the table of newspaper headlines, hoping that we'll get lucky, and it'll be some good news, but…

Mandatory age for going to war reduced to 16+!

I almost scream - I, That's us, this can't be right! I- I-!

"L-Lucas, have you seen this?"

Lucas's eyes widen as he reads the headline, but his expression becomes troubled as he reads the article. "This is so messed up."

Panicking, I read the article myself:

In a compromise with more persistent members of the Onett government, B.H Pirkle has agreed to lower the age for mandatory war participation to 16. However, this is not to apply to current members of Onett Boarding School, as the private school students are destined to be more crucial members of the Onett society in future.

"What the hell?!" I freak, a sick feeling rising up. "That's - that's, what the hell! That's unfair!"

"Inequality at its finest," Lucas grimaces.

"We have to do something!"

"We can't. People that protest get killed, and impaled on poles. I've seen it firsthand."

"What about the Onett Power group?"

"Just as bad. They use terror as their weapon."

I shake my head. "But this isn't okay! We have to do something, we have to tell someone! Or, those people…"

Lucas's lip quivers. "Ness, we are powerless."

"But- but!"

"I know."

Suddenly all my problems seem so insignificant, when there's innocents being sent to war, when Onett is so messed up… I glance back at the headlines, hoping for some good news. Hoping that article is merely out of date, and it's been revoked.

Restrictions for New Disease to increase.

The virus plaguing Onett - now named Disease 4 - has been estimated to have killed 263 so far. Geldegarde, on behalf of Pirkle, has issued a statement, saying that from tomorrow (Saturday) all people must remain indoors, at all times, for the near future. Therefore, it is recommended for people to purchase food today. Onett Power has criticised this, saying that poorer people and business owners will not be able to get by.

I curse. If Lucas's father can't go out to work, then what would that mean for him?

"I'm sorry about earlier, in History," I blurt.

"It's fine," Lucas mumbles.

"I just, really want to help you, and I don't want you to suffer alone, and-"

"Ness, it's alright. I get it."

"And I don't know how you even get through all of that, but you must be incredibly brave, and incredibly strong-"

"Ness."

"Sorry," I wither. "I'll shut up now."

Almost nervously, Lucas wraps an arm around me. "It's alright, Ness. C'mon. Let's go paint."

"Yeah- painting- let's do that."

We collect canvases and palettes, and soon enough, we're ready to go. I'm still painting a scene of an arrow embedded in a tree, and it's going… alright. As landscapes go, anyways.

A thought comes to mind. "Are you gonna be able to paint today, given your arms-?"

"They're better," Lucas reassures me. "I'll tell you if there's a problem."

Glad, I set about laying out some of the fine details of my landscape. Lucas can just tap the brush on the page, and the paint shapes itself into intricately formed leaves, but I have to paint them on one by one, because when I try Lucas's method… it just ends up as a lot of green blobs.

Ah, well, how bad can it be?

…

Lucas and I finish our paintings almost simultaneously. I'm relatively pleased with the results! It's definitely better than my last painting. Meanwhile, Lucas's is unsurprisingly a masterpiece, because it's him, and he's ridiculously talented.

Shulk clears his throat. "Alright, everyone, uh, pack up, because I'm supposed to be bringing you to the main hall now."

"What kind of things do you think people will do, for this?" I ask Lucas.

"Ah, probably some… singing, or music. And Toon Link's got that plan, too…"

I bite my lip. "I wonder what that plan could entail."

"Who knows. I'm glad we're not performing, though."

"So am I."

A nasty crash of thunder sounds outside - the storm is still going?! Heaven knows how or why. But regardless, Lucas and I follow Shulk, and we start to make our way to the hall.

…

A/N

I love a good storm, they're pretty exciting! Writing them is slightly more hard, though. Anyways, I finished this chapter quicker than the last two, so hopefully that's good news for some people. The next chapter is actually gonna be quite an exciting one… you really won't want to miss it. Sorry if this felt like another filer chapter, I promise, a lot of things that happened in this chapter were actually pretty important to the overarching plot…

Also, I know I've already gone back and fixed past chapters for typos, I've finished that, but I'm going to start actively improving them now too. There's some scenes that I really don't like (Lucas cries too much early on imo) and a couple inconsistencies that I want to tidy up a little.

So, yeah! Thank you as always for reading, and I'll catch you soon.

~ ReadyforTeddy