Chapter 34 - Lightning
…
(Lucas)
…
Morning dawns.
I don't remember falling asleep particularly, but I must've at some point, because I find myself waking up. I drag myself into a standing position, by our tree. The soldiers must have been working in shifts to guard us, as Ike is sound asleep, and a different, unfamiliar soldier is sitting in full armour, glaring aggressively at our group. Which is mildly intimidating-
Duster stretches. "Ah, g'morning m'chaps, where are we, again?"
"We got kidnapped," Elmore snaps, irritably.
"Ah, yes, tha' did happen, ah."
Ollie sits up. Poor kid is starting to look significantly worn down - his cheekbones form sharp lines on his face, his complexion has taken a greyish tinge, and his hair is dirty and bedraggled. He rubs his eyes. "Ngh... What are we going to do?"
I expect a scathing comment from Reggie, but so my surprise (and delight) he's still sleeping soundly, and even better, Pusher appears to be too. I realise that I never had a chance to check up on everyone last night - but everybody seems to be okay. Caroline and Tessie are sitting, conversing in low whispers, raw and exhausted. Caroline holds a protective arm around Angie, who struggles to break free:
"Mother, please-"
"Angie, I need to make sure you're staying safe, with all these soldiers around."
"Mother-"
Ike stirs. He stretches out an arm, and hauls himself nimbly off of the ground. He wipes the sleep out of his eyes, instantly ready for another day of travelling, without even a second thought. I take a moment to marvel at the preparation and skill of these people - they must've been trained to be fast on their feet, ready for any attack. From observation, we're likely going to start journeying soon… for other soldiers are rolling up their blankets, and a number of people are trying to control the horses, that seem to be reluctant to get moving today.
l rub the sleep out of my eyes. "Ike?"
He sighs. "Yes?"
"Can we eat, yet?"
"We do not eat, until lunchtime. The hunger gives a desire to go forth."
Roy sighs, shaking his head. "Ah, Ike, you loved your food, back at school…"
"I must follow protocol," Ike relinquishes. "I would love a nice, full Sunday roast, but…"
"Alas!" Duster cries out suddenly. "The starvation! M'chaps, I'm going to need a lot of food-"
"Duster, what are you-"
"Shush, Steven! I am fakin' a fit so that we are fed, hm?"
There's an awkward silence.
"You know, I'm sure I know you… Steven," Ike frowns at me.
"I'm sure I know you too," admits Roy. "But I don't know why. I don't know anyone named Steven."
"That's 'cause it's not his actual name," declares Duster, wisely.
I nod. "Well, yeah. It's a pseudonym."
Roy narrows his eyes. "What's your real name then?"
I shift. "I can't say. I really, really can't."
"But why not?"
I sigh. "If I do, a lot of people will know who I am, and I'd rather… not, have that. If I'm to do what I intend to do, then I have to keep a cover."
Ike grips his spear. "Exactly what do you intend to do?"
I step forwards, suddenly aware of how diminished I am. I rub my arm, out of habit. "I intend to save as many people as possible from Porky Minch."
(Lucas)
"Dammit," Ness exclaims, suddenly.
"Hm?"
"I've still got the book - The Mystery Of Magic - I've still got it in my pocket! I never handed it back to Ryu."
I sigh. "You goof. We'll be waiting in this queue a while, I guess, so you've got time to put it upstairs."
"Alright."
Ness hurries off up the stairs to our dorm. I'm not sure what's taking us so long to go into the hall, maybe they're doing some last minute rehearsing, or something? Again, I'm not sure what to expect. Maybe a lot of singing. Maybe some dancing. And who knows what Toon Link and Villager have planned... But, whatever the case, it's a completely unusual event for HeadMaster Hand to decide to hold, and I'll admit, I'm not the best with unusual things. The other problem sitting on my mind is that I hope Toon link hasn't pressured Villager into doing whatever he's thought up.
I shuffle awkwardly in place, and Nana comes up to me. "Hey Lucas, how did you find that art lesson?"
I shrug awkwardly. "Uh, I dunno. Nice, I guess?"
"Cool. You doing anything for the talent competition?"
I diminish. "Ah, no. Just... watching."
"Fair enough. I'd considered doing some painting, perhaps of a nice fruit, but… it would've exceeded the 3 minute limit," Nana explains.
I nod. "Ah, right."
"Popo is competing though…"
I bite my lip. "He is? What's he doing for it?"
Nana shrugs. "Beats me. Something crazy, no doubt."
"I… hope that goes okay," I say, feeling incredibly awkward. I wish I was better at one-to-one conversations.
A distraction comes - Ness clatters back down the dorm stairs. "LUCAS! I'VE FOUND-" he notices Nana. "Oh, hi-"
She nods politely. "Hello, Ness."
He waves her away. "Sorry, can we have some privacy-"
She stares, mildly affronted. "Of course. Goodbye then."
Once she's out of earshot, Ness grabs my arm. "Lucas, I found it."
"What did you find?" I ask.
"The book - while putting away The Mystery of Magic - I found the book - the Future Human book - Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures-"
My eyes widen. "What? In our dorm!?"
"Yeah! It was just, standing right there on the bookshelf, and-"
"Who is the author?" I ask, insistently.
"Some Italian name, no idea. But, but we can look inside, we can find out how the Future Humans work-!"
"Italian name? Must be a pseudonym of Wario's," I realise. "But - it was right there? This whole time?"
"Yeah - but ha! It might even have The Face in - and everything else! Lucas!"
I allow myself to smile, despite internally kicking myself, a lot, for not noticing the book sooner. "Yeah!"
"But how did it get there?" Ness frowns. "How did it get into our dorm?"
"You're right," I recall. "I never took it upstairs. I just read it in the library."
"Someone must've taken it upstairs!" Ness concludes.
I think. "Maybe Wario put it there, as a clue. He does love a game…"
"Ah- but, Lucas!" Ness jumps excitedly, like a small child. "I can't believe it! We gotta read it right away!"
"Everyone, we're going in," Shulk calls out. "Try to keep in a straight line, because otherwise, I'll be murdered by the headmaster."
I drop my voice down. "We should wait until after the talent contest. We should read it with the others."
"But-!"
I can't help but giggle. "Ness, I know you're excited, but we can wait an hour or two."
He pouts, stowing it away in his pocket. "Fineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."
We start walking in. The hall is lavishly decorated - a makeshift wooden stage has been constructed at the front of the room, surrounded by draping curtains, and chairs around tables fill up much of the rest of the space. Purple and gold ribbons stream out of all possible corners, and the gas lamps shine brighter and warmer than ever. A couple of students are playing ambient music on the piano and double bass as we walk in, accentuated by the continual crashes of the storm from outside.
"This is so fancy," Ness marvels. "Ribbons? Purple ribbons?"
"HeadMaster Hand must've gone all out," I shrug. "Look - he seems pretty happy."
Ness glances over, to where HeadMaster Hand is standing, beaming around at all the students as they come in, like a kid who's just gotten a good grade.
"Well, I'm not complaining," Ness says jauntily, taking my hand in his. "C'mon, let's pick a table."
We end up near the front, where Red accompanies us. I know Villager and Toon Link are likely backstage, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of Pit… poor guy. Student Isolation must be extending for quite some time. I notice the curtain shift slightly - Toon Link pops his head out, glancing around the room. Upon noticing us, he gives us an unsubtle wink, before disappearing again - I laugh.
People are slow coming in - there's a lot of space on our table. I guess there's 300 or so students across all the year groups that have to enter the room, after all… from all sorts of subjects. Most of the professors look pretty hassled - one I don't recognise rushes to split up a fight between two boys in the first year that breaks out, and another tries to organise his shouting and shoving class. Down at the public school, those kids would be caned, and made to sit away from everyone else, in disgrace. I find myself once again feeling extremely fortunate to be here - even if the means of affording it are hell.
My thoughts drift. But not to the book. Instead... I find myself angsting over my romance problem again.
Plain and simple: Father would never have wanted a homosexual son. In fact, Claus was about as straight as it got - at the young age of 7, he'd proudly proclaim that he had a new 'girlfriend' at least once a week. Not that romance at that age counts for any more than simple puppy love, but… still. Father was pleased with him. In fact, it's with wavering certainty that I believe Father expects me to be dating, right now. Though one side of me suggests that no way, he doesn't care about me at all… maybe… that could be a way to find favour, in his eyes.
Yet as I sweep my gaze around the chattering students, I find myself in a similar situation to Ness. The girls - sure, some have nice hair, or, nice assets, or, whatever else I'm supposed to like about them, but… I don't see it. I don't see me, with one of them.
Deeply troubled, I shift in my place. This shouldn't be a big deal - but, a bit late for a sexual awakening, isn't it? Maybe it's just a phase, or a coming of age, and then girls will be attractive to me, later on in life. Or something. I'm painfully aware of how I'm following exactly what Ness has been thinking throughout the last few weeks, during his own phase of self discovery. I find it hard to deny that I do not see exactly where this is going, and I find it impossible to deny that I am very, very afraid.
Because homosexuality is a no-no.
That's just how it is, in our society. It's been built up for the straight, the homosexuals locked away, or forced to hide in the dark for their whole lives. And then comes the even more pressing matter that if that's the way I lean, then, undoubtedly… that means I am head-over-heels for Ness. My saviour. My hero, without a touch of irony. Ngh - This isn't like me. Romance isn't like me. I try to think it through rationally, but it's seemingly impossible to think about a thing like this without freaking out, just a little.
"It's starting," Ness whispers, and I'm fortunately snapped out of my reverie. It appears that Mega Man must have joined our table at some point, because he's chatting animatedly with an uncomfortable looking Red. Agh - Red - that's another issue. I know something's going on with him, I know something's happened. I know something isn't okay, and I feel like I should do something about it, but… I have no idea how, or what...
…Maybe I should stop worrying, and just try to enjoy myself.
HeadMaster Hand smiles, nodding enthusiastically at everybody in the room. "Greetings! Hello! Yes, everyone, take a seat, good to see you all today. Ahh, it's good to have some positive school spirit after these dark, dark times, and-"
Crash!
He rolls his eyes. "And even this storm shall not disturb what is sure to be a great night! Today's talents include Popo, Toon Link, Villager, Samus, and many, many more. For those who don't know, a winner will be announced by our jury…" he indicates over towards Ryu, Shulk and Rosalina, who all sit with clipboards in hand. "Furthermore, a luxury dinner will be served, specially made by our chefs. But, put your hands together for our first act, Hop!"
There's a smattering of applause, as a shy dark-haired boy, maybe 13 or 14, comes out onto the stage. A sudden gasp rises up - it appears that also wandering onto the stage is a particularly large and fluffy sheep. Ness turns to me, with a confused expression and a shrug, and I shrug right back, intrigued.
"H-Hey everyone!" Hop waves. Poor kid, he's clearly nervous. "Today - today, Wooloo, here, is going to be doing some tricks, for you all."
There's a murmur of interest, and Wooloo - who's presumably the sheep - wanders up to stand next to Hop. Hop stretches out a hand, holding a tennis ball, and with a quick flick of the wrist, he throws it across the stage. Wooloo thunders after it with a bleat, causing some students near the front of the audience to move back a little in their seats. Wooloo picks the ball up with his mouth, and runs obediently right back to Hop.
There's a small amount of applause.
"Good boy, Wooloo!" Hop exclaims, before turning back to the rest of us with a cheeky smile. "Bet you thought that was it, huh? Well… Now, Wooloo…"
"Mehhhh!"
"Next up, is the rope. Erm, Vic, this is where you come in-"
Another boy bounds onto the stage, a decently long rope in hand. He chucks one end to Hop, holding the other end himself, and Wooloo stands in between them. Hop casts a hopeful smile over in the direction of the audience, before he and the other boy start swinging the rope around, in a circle, and-
To my amazement, Wooloo easily clears the rope as it comes around. Who knew sheep could skip? I join the smattering of applause, as the rope swings again and Wooloo jumps it seamlessly. Hop's cheeks turn a little red - and Wooloo keeps going-! Jump after jump after jump he bounds - until finally, he misses his footing, tumbling down to the floor with an alarmed bleat. Hop checks the sheep over, whilst the other boy takes the rope away, and claps ring out from the crowd. I'm very impressed - that will be hard to beat, for sure.
Hop swiftly leads Wooloo away, and HeadMaster Hand comes back up again. "Thank you! An excellent start. Now, please put your hands together, for our next act, Popo!"
Torn between being excited and being worried, I shift so that I'm leaning against Ness, for what is sure to be something else interesting. Popo comes out smiling broadly, dressed up in a very sparkly outfit, a dark hat over his head, making him look like a human glitterball.
I brace myself.
Popo spreads his arms wide. "I'm gonna need some volunteers!"
Pandemonium breaks out. Everyone starts pushing their friends forwards, trying to do anything to avoid being picked, and I can't help but laugh as Ness tries to raise my arm up in the air. We engage in a little tussle, before a silent agreement passes between us that neither of us should be subjected to Popo's anarchy. Popo deviously scans the hall. "Ah, c'mon, heh... let's have… Nana!"
Nana groans audibly. "Popo, this better not be anything bad, or I'm telling Mother!"
Popo laughs, clearly very much in his element, despite the continual crashes of the storm outside.
"Let's also have… Link!" he decides, causing all of Link's friends to whoop and holler madly, and causing Zelda to shake her head in disapproval. Link, obviously glad for a chance to show off, jogs easily onto the stage, to join Nana.
Popo claps with the audience. "Next… Red! You come on, you come up too, don't be shy."
To my surprise, Red stands without complaint, walking rigidly onto the stage.
"Just one more person..." Popo furrows his brow. "Is Toon Link here?"
"He's not," HeadMaster Hand explains.
"Ah, okay. Shame. Then, how about… Ness! Ness, you can come up."
Ness groans dramatically over the cheers. I move off of him, grinning. "Good luck out there."
"This is going to be terrible, and I know it."
"I'll be cheering you on!"
Ness sticks out his tongue. "Screw you."
"That's everyone we need!" Popo announces, surveying Nana, Link, Red and Ness, once they're all on the stage. Whatever this is going to be, it seems to be keeping everyone entertained… I sit up on my haunches, watching Ness.
"You might be wondering what this all is," Popo continues. "Well! This is a competition! There's gonna be 3 mini-games, and in each mini-game, one of these four will be eliminated, until there is just one winner. That winner will receive a prize. And I don't mean just Bowser's nudes! I mean a proper prize."
I shudder, disturbed by the very thought. HeadMaster Hand clears his throat in warning.
"Ahah - Sorry Headmaster," Popo grins. "Now, who wants to know the first challenge?"
The crowd shouts in assent - Ness raring to go, Nana rolling her eyes, Red standing completely still, and Link flexing his muscles. Caught up in the chaos of it all, I find myself clapping and cheering as well.
Popo raises a hand. "Alright! The first challenge is to not be the last to eat… all of these!" Dramatically, he pulls out a large table, upon which there are 4 plates of green peas. The plates are swiftly given out to the contestants on stage.
I beam. Ness has this one in the bag.
The contestants ready themselves. Popo spins grandly around. "3… 2… 1… begin!"
Ness begins to stuff as many peas into his mouth as he can, while Nana scoops the peas off of the plate with her hands. Red takes a measured approach, while Link tips his plate up into his mouth, causing the green orbs to fly all over the place.
"Any peas that fall on the ground, you still have to eat!" Popo announces, jauntily.
Link freezes mid-tip, a torrent of his peas cascading down onto the floor. The audience laughs, and even I crack a smile.
"Done!" Ness cries out soon after, and I cheer my support. Nana is soon to follow, and Red not long after that.
"Sorry Link," Popo shrugs. "Guess you're not cut out for this sort of thing."
Link casts his plate aside. "Ah, but why would I need your prize, when I have the best prize of all, my beautiful Zelda!"
Ew.
A lot of people mime being sick, as Link comes back down.
"Alright!" Popo announces. "You three have proved to be capable of eating a large amount of peas, but how will you fare in the next challenge; The Lettuce of Doom!"
3 lettuces are brought out - where on earth did those come from? Honestly, everything here seems completely crazy. I have to pinch myself, to make sure that I'm not having some sort of bizarre dream. A lettuce is handed out to each of the contestants, and I notice Ness eyeing his one hungrily.
Popo twirls his hat around on his head. "All you have to do for this one, is take all of the individual leaves off of your lettuce, one by one, until you are just left with the middle. The last person to shed their lettuce will not be in with a chance of winning the grand prize! Now, 3, 2, 1, begin!"
Cheers break out as all three of them start tearing the leaves off of their lettuces. It's hard to tell who's winning, but Ness might be in the lead-? He's certainly got more leaves on the floor - but his fingers get stuck-
"Come on, Ness!" I shout, as loud as I can. Which is still quiet, but oh well.
Nana throws down a final tiny lettuce leaf, examining her remains. "Done!"
Ness mouths something, and - oh no, he's fallen behind, this could be the end of him! Red is definitely ahead, just a few more leaves to go, and-
Crash!
Another lightning strike causes Red to completely freeze up, and his lettuce slides to the floor. Buoyed by his good luck, Ness tears off the final leaves, holding the middle of the lettuce in the air for all to see! I clap and cheer, even though not many others do.
Popo grins. "Ah, well done Nana, and Ness. Unlucky there, Red. Got anything to say?"
But Red doesn't look too good - sudden concern hits me, his stricken face looking plain agonised. I'm reminded of earlier, when Red was apologising. He froze up then, too… but, what could be happening?
All of a sudden he's back to normal though, shaking his head with regret. "Lettuces are not satisfactory vegetables anyway."
Popo tips his hat. "Well, we are down to the final 2 contenders. My little sister, Nana-"
Nana crosses her arms. "By two minutes!"
"-and Ness, are competing for the grand prize."
"What is the prize?" Ness asks.
"If you win, you'll find out! But first of all, the contest. And this contest is big, it's bad, it's… a good old quiz! But not just any quiz. A quiz about the professors!"
Headmaster Hand narrows his eyes. "I don't remember you running this by me."
Popo brushes him off. "Ah, relax. It's all harmless."
Ness shifts in place. We've had enough run-ins with the professors at school to know them fairly well, so I have faith in Ness. Though, Nana is known to sometimes be a teacher's pet… So maybe it could go either way.
"There will be three questions," Popo declares. "First one to answer correctly gets the point. Question 1… Which professor is the tallest?"
"Professor Bowser!" Ness calls out.
"Correct! Wow, that was fast!"
I cheer, and Nana rubs her heels into the ground, disgruntled.
"Question 2," Popo resumes, adding a pause for tension. "Ness, if you get this correct, you win the prize. Nana, if you get it correct, then it could go either way. Question 2 is… Which professor used to be a street barber?"
!? A street barber?
Ness shrugs, giving in. Nana thinks. "Professor Chrom?"
Oh. I don't even know who that is.
"Correct!" Popo claps. "I suppose it all comes down to this final question then… and let's bring out the prize! Drum roll please!"
There's a bombastic drumming on the tables, as brought out from behind the curtain is…
Ooh. Ooooh. A giant chocolate cake - lavishly topped with icing, baked to perfection, a deep, rich brown, topped with an array of decorations... In fact, I don't think I've ever seen anything more delicious in my life. Ness's eyes light up. I giggle internally, knowing he'll definitely be wanting to win this.
"The final question," Popo continues quietly. "...Which professor is secretly ginger and has been dying their hair the whole time?"
There's an outbreak of gasps around the room, and Ness's eyes widen. "Uh - Professor Ryu?"
Popo turns to Nana. "What do you think?"
Nana shrugs. "Uhh - Professor Shulk?"
There's a beat of silence, as Popo's smile widens. "Ah. Aha. Well, I can reveal, the answer is…"
Come on Ness, come on Ness-
"Professor Shulk! Congratulations, Nana, you win this cake. Please, go and share it with anyone you wish! Preferably me!"
Ah, alas. Ness stares at the ground, shaking his head.
"Thank you everyone," Popo bows, to mass applause. I can't help but join in, impressed by the show that Popo managed to put on, and Ness meanwhile scurries back over to where I am.
I pat him on the back. "Bad luck."
"It looked so tasty…" Ness bemoans.
"Wasn't so bad up there in the end, was it?"
Ness shrugs. "Depends on your definition of not bad, because Popo is definitely insane."
I giggle. "Aw."
But to my surprise, Nana comes over to my table with the cake, and Popo follows along behind her. I nudge Ness, who glances over, and groans quietly. "Oh great-"
"Hey," Nana waves. "Thought I'd come over here - cause I can't eat all this cake by myself! Fancy a piece, Lucas?"
I flounder. "Oh, uh, yeah! Sure! Thanks."
"Anyone got a knife?" Nana asks.
"Ah yes, I do," Popo grins, pulling one out.
My eyes widen. "Uh, why do you have-"
"No matter!"
A large slice of cake is cut, and placed down in front of me. Ness looks affronted, clearly hoping that he'd be offered some as well. I make a mental note to give him some of mine.
Nana continues to slice up the cake, and Popo spreads his arms, grandly. "Ah, how was that? I thought it went well."
"It was great," I answer honestly. "The audience really liked it."
Popo practically jumps in his seat. "Ah - amazing! I really enjoyed hosting it… I wanna do something like that in the future, you know, as a job!"
I smile, pleased. "I'm glad you've found your passion."
"Yeah," Ness enthuses. "Competing was fun."
"A lot of vegetables," Nana notes.
I grin. "Inspiration for your next painting?"
Nana laughs. "Ah, maybe. Heh. Lucas, there's actually something I've been meaning to ask…"
"Oh, what is it?" I query.
Nana blushes. "Oh, it's actually quite embarrassing-"
Embarrassing? How am I meant to respond to that? At a loss, I look to Ness for guidance. He shrugs, though I see tension in his face… I look back at Nana. "Uh, you don't have to ask anything if you don't want to-"
"No- no, I really should," she flusters, and Popo stifles a laugh, earning himself a hit on the shoulder. "See, the thing is, Lucas, you're cool, you're pretty awesome…"
I blush, wondering where this could be headed. "Oh - thanks."
She continues. "And I wanna ask, if you want to… be my boyfriend."
…
...
I blink once. "Uh, sorry, what?"
"Do you wanna be my boyfriend? It's alright if you don't want to, that's be totally okay, it's just, you're amazing, you're arty, you're funny, you're social, you're- agh-"
I look to Ness for support, who seems to be trying as hard as possible to keep his expression neutral.
I rub my arm, shaking. "Oh - I'm - I'm sorry, Nana, I don't - I'm not, I don't - yeah."
She nods slowly. "Ah, I guess, I should've expected… um, I'm sorry for bothering you, then. I should go-"
I hang my head, feeling guilty, though I'm not entirely sure why. "I'm sorry - it's just, I - I don't know - and-"
"I get it. I'll see you around, I suppose." Just like that, she stands up, taking the cake, and she walks away to the other side of the room, Popo following behind.
I turn to Ness, feeling pale. "What was - all that?"
He shrugs. "Told you she was into you."
"I feel bad…"
Ness pats me on the back. "It's alright. You shouldn't have to be her boyfriend, if you don't feel the same as her. In fact, it probably would've been worse, if you'd accepted."
"So… I did the right thing?" I question, hopefully.
"Yeah, you bet."
I shudder in place. "But, she… likes me? That's weird to think about."
"Well, yeah, but who wouldn't?" Ness shrugs, slinging an arm round my shoulder. "Like she said, you're arty, you're funny..."
I pull a face. "She also said that I'm social."
Ness laughs. "Yeah, maybe she was off the mark with that one."
I give Ness my slice of cake. "Here, you can have this, by the way."
"Excellent!" Ness cheers, but even so, he splits the slice in half, ensuring that I have some too. Aw. He's too sweet.
Red comes back down to our table, and I wave. "What happened on stage? You ok?"
"The thunder alarmed me, and I dropped my lettuce," Red explains flatly. "Just as well, because I do not like chocolate cakes."
Ness and I exchange a glance. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes. Yes, everything is absolutely okay."
We're interrupted by HeadMaster Hand clearing his throat. "Without any further ado, our next act, Samus Aran!"
An extremely tall girl, in the year above Ness and I, strides confidently onto the stage. "Good afternoon, everybody."
Bayonetta wolf whistles, causing some mirth. Samus winks. "I see you, Bayo. Today I'm gonna be singing for y'all, so…"
I turn away, uninterested. Whilst I'm sure she's talented, I've never been particularly into singing. I can't sing, Ness definitely can't sing, the only member of our group who can remotely sing is Villager. I notice Ness turning away from Samus too, so I boldly shift up next to him, in the slight, admittedly selfish, hope that he may put his arms around me. He does just that, and a sort of guilty pleasure tingles through my veins. What am I becoming - leeching off of Ness's affection?
Samus clears her throat. "So, yeah. Uh-"
Bayonetta applauds. "Go on, Queen!"
Samus grins. "Hold on, hold on, I'm starting!"
I lean my head against Ness's shoulder, as Samus finally begins: 'Love of mine, someday you will die. But I'll be close behind, I'll follow you, into the dark. No blinding light, or tunnels to gates of white. Just our hands, clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark.'
My mind feels hazy… what's this even supposed to be about? Too many metaphors. Love songs are dumb…
"Hey, Lucas?" Ness whispers in my ear.
"Yeah?"
"You're crushing my neck, kinda-"
I stifle a laugh, moving my head. "That better?"
"Yeah."
The room falls into a gentle lull, as Samus keeps on singing. 'If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, and illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs...'
Ness is nice and warm… I'm not sure what's come over me, but I'm liking this, this position.
'If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark.'
Okay. Fine. This song is sweet, and Samus is a good singer, I'll give her that. Ness takes me by surprise, moving his hand up into my hair - I give him a questioning glance, and he just sort of shrugs.
'In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule, I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black.'
I gulp. Images of my Father if he saw Ness and I right now flicker in front of my mind, and I'm nearly tempted to go back to my place.
But I don't.
'And I held my tongue as she told me, 'son, fear is the heart of love,' so I never went back.'
"You two okay?" Mega Man asks. I'd forgotten he was here.
"Yeah," Ness replies. "Just getting comfortable."
"That much is clear."
'You and me, we've seen everything to see. From Bangkok to Calgary, and the soles of your shoes are all worn down.'
This song is actually making me kind of sleepy. I sometimes forget how cozy Ness is… I lean back, immersed.
'The time for sleep is now, but it's nothing to cry about. 'Cause we'll hold each other soon, in the blackest of rooms'
Ness tightens his hold around me, almost responding to the lyrics. His breath on my neck is surprisingly near, and comforting. And everything feels alright.
'If there's no-one besides you, when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you, into the dark.'
My eyes close.
…
…
...
Thud.
It seems we've landed... somewhere. Alert, my ears prick for any sign of danger, and Ness quickly squeezes my hand. Uh - sensory check! We're standing - standing… somewhere… somewhere dark, somewhere… a room. But we're moving. Swaying. Swaying, swaying… come on, Lucas, come on! Gas lamps flicker on the rocking walls, and I tip to the left, letting free an alarmed squeak. I collide with a wooden, panelled wall, and Ness stumbles like a drunkard, as I try to piece together where we-
"Ship!" I exclaim. "Ship! This is a ship."
As if by magic, the crashing of waves and the howling of the winds amplifies outside, causing barrels to tumble loosely across the floor.
But - ugh, great. A ship? I don't even like sailing. Not that I've ever been anywhere close to the ocean. But I've heard all the stories - Noah's Ark, and… and all the other ocean-themed stories. Yes. All those.
"What do we do?" Ness cries out.
"Grin and bear it," I say, neither grinning nor bearing it.
"What if we capsize!?"
I rack my brains. "Uh, how about we try to find a ladder or something, up to the top deck? It's probably a pretty bad storm out there. And why are you wearing your cap?"
Ness pulls his cap off of his head. "I don't know - I haven't worn this thing for years. What's this doing here?!"
I crack open one of the barrels, suspicious. Inside appears to be a vast range of items, ranging from my blanket, to the magical books, to 5 glittering stones, to-
"What is all this?" Ness asks, chucking the cap away, before being thrown back against the side.
I snatch up some pillows and a rope that is conveniently nearby. "Come on - let's wrap ourselves up in these to avoid getting too bruised."
"Good - waAAGh - idea!"
Ness uses the rope to tie pillows around himself. I do the same, and it works wonders.
"What now?" Ness asks.
"We need to find the captain," I decide, opening a door that I'm not sure always existed. Ness follows me through, and we open out into what looks to be a cabin - except, we don't seem to be in a boat anymore, because out of the window, yellow, fluffy clouds with a variety of food items floating on top of them drift by. Perplexed, I shed my pillow-rope protection, shutting the door behind us.
"What on earth is this?" Ness queries, spinning round the captain's wheel.
"I'm not sure…" I frown, staring around at the giant anchor that rests in the corner of the room.
Ness looks outside, at a drifting apple pie. "Looks delicious, whatever it is."
"Ah - you're here!" a woman exclaims suddenly, turning around in her black, captain's chair. "Lucas - Ness, welcome! This is the Palace of Vision."
…
Oh.
Oh, oh heavens.
I-
…
It's Mother.
There's no doubting it. Mother is sitting here, right before me, in a ship's cabin, whilst colourful clouds float by. Mother, who I haven't seen in 10 years. Mother, who is long, long gone. Mother, whose face I can hardly recall, but whose presence I instinctively know. The fragrant aroma of sunflower oil. The warm smile. The way she looks at me. The way she... loves me.
Oh heavens.
I fall to my knees, bursting into tears.
Ness drops himself down, placing a steady hand on my back. "Lucas? Lucas, are you okay? Lucas, do you know who this is?"
"N-Ness," I stammer. "Ness-"
"Lucas, come," Mother stands, speaking warmly. "Come and rest. It's okay."
"Lucas…" Ness hesitates, putting the pieces together, a kind of awe spreading over his face. "Lucas, is this... your mother?"
I nod, slowly, unmoving from the ground.
Mother reaches out her hand. "Lucas, come. You must be so tired. I have so much to tell you."
But, alarmed, I flash my gaze up at her. "You can't be here. You're dead."
She nods, shimmering. She's dressed in robes of pure white, her dark hair flowing like a river behind her. Her cheeks are faintly pink, and her expression calm. Her feet are bare, and a gold ring wraps around one finger. She smiles, sadly. "I am indeed dead. But you're asleep."
Suspicious, I advance. "H-How can you be here? Has my mind… made you?"
Her face falls, replaced with sadness. "Lucas, I have come to deliver an important message. I have been commanded to come from beyond this earth, to warn you, in your dream. To warn you of what is to come, tonight."
Still doubtful, I shift. I daren't believe it. I daren't face the disappointment that could follow. "How is that possible?"
"You are psychic. Lucas, you are the most powerful psychic to have ever lived. This place, the Palace of Vision, it is yours. Because of your abilities, you are here, speaking to me."
I let out a faint noise. "So… I can come here… whenever? You're saying I can speak to the dead!?"
Mother sighs, weightily. "No, Lucas, I am afraid not. This is a unique circumstance, a matter of life, and a matter of the deaths of many. I have been permitted to bring you here, this once, to warn you."
Ness shifts by my side. "Uh, excuse me, but, how am I here, then?"
Mother smiles, brightly. "Oh, what manners have I taught you, Lucas? Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"
I stare, at a spot on the floor, completely vacant, completely out of mind. This is impossible - I am asleep, but… but…
No.
No.
It's too much- I- I can't do this! Not after so long - Not after all the shame - I turn, dashing for the door, but it's gone, gone, gone-
"Lucas, it's okay," Mother soothes.
"It's not!" My voice comes out a high pitched wail. "How can you just - how can you just turn up, and say it's all okay!"
"Lucas, listen to your mother," she commands. "You have been so, so brave. I know all that you have been through, I know. I know all the hurt you carry. I am your mother, Lucas."
I sink to the ground, balling myself up. This is insane. This is insane. This - this apparition cannot be mother. Under no circumstances, can this be mother.
"Lucas…" she trails, coming near. I feel a warm hand on my shoulder, and the scent of the sunflower oil wafts past again. "It's me, it's really me."
"I think it's her, Lucas." Ness whispers, but I know. I ball up even further. Sickness courses through me. Worry. Pain. Hurt. Agony.
Mother moves close. "Lucas, my boy. My son. My-"
"What if I don't WANT you to be here?" I explode, in her face.
Shocked silence fills the cabin.
"I don't! I don't want this!" I continue, sobbing hoarsely into my hands. "This is - it's sudden, and, and maybe I don't want to be reminded, of everything I've- I've lost, and maybe, maybe this, this is all wrong, maybe, even though I never got to say goodbye, that's the end! That was the end, you're gone now, and that is that!"
Arms hold me. Thankfully, they're Ness's.
Mother moves back, slightly. "Lucas… Please, you at least need to listen to my message. For me."
I sigh, tensely. "Fine! Whatever."
She nods, taking a deep breath. "Lucas, tonight, tonight, Ness will be faced with an impossible choice. Tonight, you will have to be braver than you have ever been. Tonight, you both will be left with nothing. Tonight, remember, the little details. The storm. Remember the storm, Lucas."
I quake. Tonight? That's so soon. What is this? But - who cares, about some message, when the elephant in the room is still here.
I stand. If I don't face it now, I'll never have closure. Taking a nervous stance, I look to Ness for support, which he gladly offers with a squeeze of the hand. This seems to be a unique opportunity.
I breathe. "Mother, I'm sorry."
Mother frowns. "Why are you sorry, my son?"
I stare down at the floor, forcing the words up like bricks. "I'm sorry about… Claus."
Mother extends a hand. "Lucas, Claus chose his fate. Claus went out looking for me of his own choosing."
But all the bitter worries that have plagued me for years, all the trauma, everything I've thought, everything that's burnt inside starts to regurgitate out of my mouth. "I could've stopped him. I'm alone with Father, and it's my fault. I've disappointed everyone. I deserve what's come to me."
Wordlessly, Mother steps forwards, as the tears pour down my face. She puts her arms around me - and - and it's a feeling I've not felt, for so long, and I weep, I weep. I'm 6 years old again, and Claus has accidentally knocked me on the head - or I've slipped over on the grass - or I've had a bad nightmare - and I'm crying, sobbing, and I'm being told that everything's okay. Even Ness is brought into it, and it's warm, and it's surreal, and it by no means removes my problems entirely but…
It helps.
…
…
...
Minutes later, the hug breaks apart.
"Mother, this is Ness," I introduce, after a pause. "Ness, this is… Mother."
"Hey," Ness says, awkwardly, and I almost have to laugh.
Mother puts on her stern face. "Ness. I trust you've been caring for my son well, hm?"
Ness quakes under her intimidating gaze. "Absolutely ma'am."
Mother ruffles his hair. "Ah, don't worry, I know. I know. You've been through a lot too, haven't you, Ness?"
Ness nods slightly, but then points to me. "Not - not compared to Lucas."
Mother puts on her stern face again. "What you have been through is just as important, understood?"
Ness nods. "Un-Understood, ma'am."
"And none of the ma'am business, hm? You can call me Hinawa."
"Yes - Hinawa."
She smiles. "Ah, Ness. Lucas. Together, you will achieve things that you never thought possible. Ness, I couldn't think of a better person for my son to be around."
Ness blushes. "Thank you ma'a- Hinawa."
"No problem, Ness. But, my message is given, and so I must leave. I cannot stay much longer, see - see how the Palace of Vision fades?"
She's right. The wooden panels of the cabin are slowly dissolving into mist. I hang my head. I suppose I'd been expecting this.
"Am I ever going to see you again?" I ask, trying to be brave.
"I'm afraid that is unlikely," Mother sighs. "It has been wonderful though, my son." She places a gentle hand on my cheek. "Lucas, don't forget my message. But more importantly, do not forget one thing. Even if you remember nothing else of me, remember that I love you, and I that am so, so proud of you."
A bittersweet sting fills me. "G-Goodbye... I- I love you, too."
Everything fades to black.
..
..
…
I jolt awake in Ness's arms. Ness's expression instantly tells me that, yes, we just shared that dream, and, yes, it was very, very real.
Oh hell.
I try to adapt to the warmth of the main hall - and the sound of someone else, singing now. But everything keeps tumbling over itself in my head:
'Tonight, you will have to make an impossible choice.'
'It's okay.'
'Claus chose his fate.'
'I love you, Lucas.'
...
How am I supposed to react to seeing my dead mother for the first time in 10 years? Out of the blue?
…
She's proud of me.
I should probably feel good about that. So why don't I? And closure - I have closure, something that others - like Pit - could never have.
But, maybe I'd gotten over it. Maybe she's an old wound that shouldn't have been opened. Because, now, now, I'm thinking about it again. Porky killed her, with his bare hands. She died, without anyone around her, anyone to say goodbye.
It hits me what her visit might've meant, not just for me, but for herself. Confirmation that her last living son remembers her - and doesn't resent her. Hell if I know what happens after death, though. What could she be experiencing now - heaven? Some other afterlife? Could she have been reduced to a mere spirit? Something else?
All these thoughts - all these questions… I sit up, agitated, and Ness takes my hand.
"You okay?"
My voice sounds strange, and distant. "Yeah- yeah, I think so."
The guy on stage finishes his song. I've got no idea what he sang, but it must've been good, because the applause is rather loud. Or, more likely than that, the guy was just good-looking.
"Our next performance," Headmaster Hand announces, "is Robin, with his magic act."
I look up, vaguely hoping for a distraction. Magic? But, when the aforementioned Robin appears on the stage, it's clear that this 'magic' is just a load of cheap shop-bought tricks.
"How about we show them some real magic?" Ness whispers, trying to lighten the tone, indicating to the book in his pocket.
I force a laugh. "Yeah. Ha. And blow the whole school up."
Ness bumps me on the shoulder. "Sounds good to me."
I nod, not really interested, Mother's face taking the frontal position in my mind, my heart still troubled.
The acts go by before my very eyes. There's some more singing of various degrees of quality, a violinist, a couple rather odd interpretive dances, but nothing really takes my interest.
"What do you think all that about an impossible choice was?" Ness asks me.
I shift in my seat, worried. "I don't know."
"Did she say something was going to happen tonight?"
"Yeah."
Ness takes my hand. "Then we need to make sure to stick together."
I nod. "Definitely."
"And the choice - we'll choose it together," Ness proclaims.
I rub my forehead. "Yeah… and, we need to 'remember the storm,' too."
"And we'll be 'left with nothing'," Ness reminds me.
I bite my lip. "Mm. Lovely."
"Well, so long as we have each other, we don't need anything else!"
Slightly reassured, I squeeze his hand. "You bet."
"And if you want to talk about, you know, your mother, or anything- I'm here."
I try to smile. "Yeah - I know. Thank you."
"No problem."
There's a kind of awkward silence. It feels wrong to continue leaning against Ness, so I'm resigned to sitting rigidly in place, craving a distraction, craving anything that can make my new thoughts, and this sick feeling, disappear.
"It's time for a quick interval whilst the food is brought out," Headmaster Hand announces. "After that, our next act, Toon Link and Villager, can take to the stage, and show us what they've got. Also, I'd like to offer my congratulations to all the people who have performed so far, the judges have awarded your scores, which will be revealed at the end. Thank you all."
From doors around the hall, people who I assume are the kitchen staff make their way around the room, silver platters balanced masterfully in their hands. Laid down on our table are mountains of food - a towering stack of bread and butter, slices of roast beef, and chicken, and other meats that I scarcely even recognise. How on earth did the school afford all this? But that's not even all - next are bowls of vegetables, from sunshine-orange carrots, and even more peas (Ness looks faintly ill at the sight of them) to cauliflowers, and Brussels sprouts. And that's still not all - Out come swathes of roast potatoes, crisp and buttery, as well as some unfamiliar dishes, and - oh my. Omelettes.
It appears my distraction has arrived. Comfort eating is a habit that I try not to pursue, but - omelettes. Omelettes! I load the whole tray onto my plate, rationalising that I need a lot of comfort right now. Ness meanwhile stares at the array with his mouth hanging open. "Lucas, this is the impossible choice, right here. What do I choose to eat?"
I laugh freely. "Have a bit of everything."
"Mmm…" Ness moans, mesmerised. "I think that might be a very good idea."
I bite into an omelette - oh wow, it's good. I haven't had one this good, since-
Oh. Now I'm thinking about her again.
Fortunately, another distraction comes in the form of Hop, the boy with the sheep from earlier, and his friend.
"Is there space here?" Hop asks, and I nod. Pleased, the pair take a seat.
"Ah, you might want to watch out," Mega Man warns them.
Hop frowns. "Why's that?"
Mega Man lowers his voice, pointing to a plate of meat. "I think that's lamb, there."
Hop covers Wooloo's eyes. "I don't get how people eat meat..."
"It's delicious," Ness says, through a mouthful of chicken.
I sigh. "Sorry. Ignore Ness."
"Y'er performance was good," Ness expresses, still chewing. "Impressive stuff."
"Thanks!" Hop chirps, handing Wooloo a piece of cauliflower, that the sheep devours in one bite. "Sadly, Wooloo isn't mine. Headmaster Hand managed to convince a local farmer to let me borrow his sheep for the last few days… I managed to train him pretty quickly in that time. We've got sheep and a lot of other animals back at home, so I've had practice! This one though, he was pretty easy to work with. Nice and docile."
"Mehhhh," Wooloo protests.
Hop pats him on the head. "Shame I'll have to give him back, but oh well. I'll always be able to pop down to his field at the weekend, it's not too far from here."
"Hey, can someone pass the omelettes?" Hop's friend asks, and I shift nervously, putting the last piece of omelette inside my mouth.
"Ah, they're all gone," Ness notices, giving me a subtle grin.
"What are your plans for later?" Red asks us suddenly, disrupting the flow of the conversation completely.
Surprised, I rub my arm. "Uh, not much."
Red sniffs. "Shame."
"Why - do you have something planned?"
"Not really. It's a bit too stormy outside, after all."
His point is accentuated by a crash of thunder outside.
"It's been going all day, that storm," Hop complains. "Wooloo doesn't like it, he keeps rolling up in a ball, or trying to run away."
"It's weird,' Hop's friend murmurs. "Storms don't usually last this long."
'...Remember the storm.'
I shiver. "Yeah, it's kinda scary."
"Vic, stop worrying," Hop consoles his friend. "It's just a storm. Not like anything weird could come of it."
"I recognise you both," Red abruptly accuses the pair again, being unaware of the conversation's flow. "I believe I have seen you somewhere before."
But he's interrupted, as HeadMaster Hand fronts the stage again. "It's time for the most… unique act of the night. Please put your hands together, for Toon Link and Villager!"
There's a fair bit of applause, as Ness and I exchange a glance. Time to find out whatever Toon Link has been planning all this time…
But there's an awkward silence, as nobody seems to come out onto the stage. Hm. But all of a sudden, the curtain shifts and Toon Link steps out, and-
Oh
My
GOODNESS
WHAT THE-
He's dressed from head to toe in drag.
Full-on drag.
A pink, glittering dress highlights all of his curves, a bushy blonde wig explodes from his head, pink lipstick, eyeshadow, high heels-
What the hell is he thinking?!
But to my astonishment, wild applause, and cheers break out - seemingly everyone's clapping - even Diddy Kong, even all the others - there's wolf whistles, too! Toon Link takes a bow, and Villager comes walking out next - dressed in more normal attire. There's whoops, but they're not unpleasant. People are… enjoying this? I cast an eye to Ness, who's laughing his head off, and I can't help but laugh as well. Only Toon Link, only Toon Link would have the nerve to do something so bloody audacious!
Villager comes, and stands next to him, as he strikes a pose. And after a moment - all of a sudden, Villager opens his mouth - looking as if he's trying very hard not to laugh - and - to everyone's surprise, he begins to sing-
...
"A pity she does not exist, A shame he's not a fag."
...
The crowd explodes into laughter. But again - it's not unpleasant, everyone is genuinely, and completely enthralled. If my eyes can get any wider, I'm sure they have.
...
"The only girl I ever loved, was Toon Link in drag."
...
Toon Link strikes another pose, and the cheers intensify. Villager breaks into a nervous smile, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.
...
"There is no hope of love for me, from here on I'm a stag."
...
Even the professors are laughing - even Sebastian Tute has to appreciate this level of musical satire.
...
"The only girl I'll ever love is Toon Link in drag."
...
Ness grabs my hand, yanking me up - and suddenly we're standing! And so is the entire school - this is just the peak of what has been the weirdest, weirdest competition of all time. Suddenly - Villager breaks into chorus, and Toon Link blows a kiss into the crowd.
...
"Toon Link in drag! Toon Link in drag! Toon Link in drag, yeah!"
...
Getting into the swing, Villager finally uproots himself from his spot, and completes a turn.
...
"I don't know why I'm even here, It's really not my bag. Just thought it might be funny to see, Toon Link in drag."
...
Another pose shift - the audience holler their assent, starting to clap along in rhythm. Villager loosens up a little more, shaking his hips.
...
"The moment he walked on the stage, my heart began to drag. Drag me into a little pool of love, for Toon Link in drag."
...
Wooloo bleats his undying support for the performance, and Ness spins me around, to my alarm - but everyone's starting to dance! In euphoria, I spin Ness the other way, and we share a secret smile.
...
"Toon Link in drag, Toon Link in drag, Toon Link in drag, Yeah!"
...
It's genius - countering the rumours by embracing them, doing the gayest thing that is physically possible. By both ridiculing the rumours, and ridiculing themselves at the same time, suddenly, they've made it… cool.
...
"So stick him in a dress and he's the only boy I'd shag. The only boy I'd anything is Toon Link in drag"
...
A lot of wolf whistles arrive after that line, and Villager, gaining confidence, moves around the stage with ease, putting some emphasis on his words
...
"I'll never see that girl again, he did it as a gag. I'll pine away forevermore for Toon Link in drag!"
...
Villager spreads his arms in finale, and Toon Link strikes a dramatic pose - and the largest standing ovation that could ever be possible breaks out across the room. They're mad! They're completely mad. And I love it.
Ness beams at me. "We should do that together some time."
I blush, deeply. Fun though it seems, I could never, never be that confident. Villager and Toon Link give a bow, to intense applause, relishing in the joy, before swiftly disappearing behind the stage.
It takes a long time for everyone to calm down, and when Headmaster Hand eventually walks out again, beaming, we all have to be shushed and made to sit back in their seats. Because, wow. Wow. I don't think I'll ever see anything like that again.
Headmaster Hand laughs. "That was quite something! I am glad you all enjoyed it. Now, I have unfortunately heard some information from Ryu that means I am going to have to be leaving you all, for a bit. But, do carry on! Enjoy the food, enjoy yourselves!"
HeadMaster Hand hurries out of the room - I wonder momentarily where on earth he could be heading, but that's not important right now. Ness beams at me. I beam right back. Toon Link - now back in normal clothes - and Villager rush over to our table, their faces alight with unrestrained joy.
"That went better than I could ever have dreamed of!" Toon Link gushes. "That was- wow. Yeah."
"I can't believe you made me do that," Villager laughs. "I can't believe you."
"Worth it, though?"
"...Absolutely."
The pair collapse into laughter, and Hop watches in awe. "That was… surprising. Hah!"
"Mehhh!" Wooloo agrees, eating another carrot. I laugh, my spirits through the roof.
Toon Link chuckles. "Ahh, Villager, you know I looked fabulous in drag."
Villager snorts. "More like a sight for sore eyes."
"Ye of little faith. Ah, and you're a great singer, too!"
"Nah," blushes Villager. "I'm really not…"
"You nailed all those high notes though!"
"Spur of the moment," Villager shrugs.
Toon Link grins. "...Okay, so, like, this might make everything really awkward now, but… well, uh, there's something that I really wanna say. And I'm not sure how to do this, so please don't laugh at me-"
"Oh? What is it?" Villager asks joyously.
Ness and I exchange a quick look of excitement, suddenly aware that this might be a very, very pivotal occasion.
Toon Link grins, the nerves starting to shine through. "Villager, I just kinda wanted to know… if you'd do me the honour of… being my boyfriend."
…
…
…
...
Dead silence falls over our table, and to my crushing dismay, Villager's face falls. "Oh - uh…"
Dammit. Toon Link backtracks, crestfallen. "Oh - oh no, oh no I'm sorry, I, forget I said anything, it's okay, I can get over it-"
"No…" Villager mumbles, the remnants of his smile slipping away. "Agh, Toonie, I really wanna say yes!"
"You do?" Toon Link exclaims, his voice going high.
Villager nods, "I do, I really do, but… ugh, with what everyone's been saying, all the teasing… and, given it's… well, illegal… I'm not sure I could do something like that in secret. And - I don't even know how I feel! I don't know, at all. I'm sorry, Toon Link. I'll - I'll have to hold out on answering."
"So there's a chance?" Toon Link asks, hopefully.
"...Yes," Villager looks up. "Yes, there is."
Toon Link punches the air. "Yes! Ah, I can't believe it!"
"But, you'll have to wait," Villager measures. "So, don't, don't get your hopes up, please."
Toon Link laughs. "Oh, man, it feels good to get that out there. I hope this doesn't make everything weird-"
Villager grins. "It only has to make things weird if you say it does, Toonie."
"Ah - well, that's good then, I suppose? We carry on as normal?"
"Yeah," Villager agrees, placing a hand on Toon Link's shoulder. "Normal."
Ness and I exchange a shrug - I guess that's better than nothing. A better response than Nana got from me, anyways - and there's still a good chance for them! Red doesn't seem to have moved throughout the whole interaction though - I have to wonder, if he doesn't approve… but, he'd said, he definitely said, when the pair were out on the field, and we were in the games room, he'd said that he hoped they'd get together. But I suppose it's still awkward between him and Villager. Of course it would be, they weren't speaking for a couple days, it's not going to all go back to normal, but...
"Well, Villager," Mega Man grins slyly. "First time getting asked out - how did it feel?"
Villager blushes. "Mega Man, please-"
"Since when were you here!" Toon Link jumps, turning. "And you two-" he points at Hop and Vic. "Erase the last few minutes from your minds!"
Vic nudges Hop with a grin. "Hey, c'mon, we should go find Gloria. Maybe you could ask her out."
Hop flushes, mumbling something unintelligible. No doubt Gloria is some girl in his year group - I miss those days, where romance didn't mean so much, and it was all just kind of silly. But now, I remain torn over Ness. Of course. Because growing up is so, so fun like that!
"Ah, we really should go though," Hop excuses, standing. "Gloria really will be wondering where we are… and she'll want to congratulate Wooloo too."
Ness waves. "See ya."
They leave, Wooloo following obediently behind, and Toon Link leans back. "Where's Pit at?"
"Student isolation still," Ness explains.
But Toon Link frowns. "No - student isolation is only until the end of lessons. He should be here somewhere…"
Ness takes my hand. "On a brighter note, Lucas got asked out by Nana, and Lucas said no."
Toon Link laughs. "Wow, Lucas the ladykiller! Poor Nana."
I bite my lip. "I still feel kinda guilty about it."
"Ah, don't worry," Toon Link waves. "It's alright."
"Never mind that, though," I continue, hesitating. "Uhm- sorry to break the joyous occasion, but we've got... news."
Toon Link rolls his eyes. "Ah, news! tell us that we're all gonna die already."
Villager hits him. "What's the news?" But I glance between Villager and Mega Man - we don't want Mega Man to overhear any of this and freak out. Villager catches my gesture, and he bites his lip. "Uh, Mega Man, sorry to be rude, but can you uh, go, for a bit-"
"Oh, sure." He quickly gets up, and leaves.
I lean forwards. "So, we found the book - Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures. The original copy. It was in our bookshelf."
Toon Link raises his eyebrows. "What - it was there the whole time?!"
"We don't know. But that's not all," I press, nervously. Ness and I had a dream, where," I gulp, "a - uh - woman told us that tonight is going to be extremely dangerous, that Ness will have to make an impossible decision, and that we will have to be braver than we've ever been."
"Ah!" Toon Link claps. "So we are all going to die. Yippee."
Villager hits him again, his voice taking a worried tone. "Tonight - did you say, tonight?"
I tremble slightly. "...Yeah."
The atmosphere lowers, and I can almost feel shivers trailing up my spine. Toon Link's expression falls away. "That's… worrying. Tonight - tonight, that's so... soon."
"Yeah," I agree, glumly.
He sits up. "Then we'll stick by you - we'll stay as a group, whatever is going on."
"Absolutely," agrees Villager.
"Yeah," Red confirms.
"Ah, we-" Toon Link hesitates. "Uh-"
I frown. "Is something wrong?"
Headmaster Hand clears his throat behind me. "I'm sorry to interrupt your night, but I think that you'll need to see this."
...
Oh no.
Ness grips my hand tighter. "What is it?"
"I'm afraid that something rather serious has happened," Headmaster Hand explains gravely. "It might be quite a shock."
"What is it? What's happened?" Ness pushes.
Headmaster Hand's tone takes an urgent turn. "It's… Pit. Your friend Pit. Come, Ness, Lucas, out to the main corridor."
Toon Link stands, all of us silently aware that this could be the very event that Mother foreshadowed. "We're coming too."
"Yeah - yeah, sure. Yes."
Headmaster Hand seems troubled. Really troubled - and the worst thoughts start to race through my mind. What's happened? Have we, through our ignorance, allowed something bad to happen to Pit? We never checked if he was actually in Student Isolation - oh no, oh no, oh no- Ness shudders, holding my hand, as we follow the Headmaster. Ryu notices our procession, and standing from his judging panel, he makes a quick jog over to us.
"What's going on?"
"Ah, Ryu," Headmaster Hand mutters. "It's about… the concerns we had earlier."
Ryu shifts. "Oh - oh no. Is he-"
"You'll see."
We make it out to the corridor. I tremor, my fear mounting. Toon Link's face is pasty, Villager looks like he's going to be sick, and Red continues to look blankly at the wall. The gas lamps flicker forebodingly, and the thunderstorm seems to be louder than ever.
"Earlier," Headmaster Hand begins. "Earlier, during the talent competition, I discovered that Pit has not been seen since I spoke to him, following the incident with Diddy Kong. As you know, Professor Ryu, I decided to make a search. But, in Pit's bedroom, I found this note.
He unfurls a piece of paper from his pocket, and we lean in to read:
Dark Pit is alive. Come down to the room where you saw him last. I await you.
My blood runs cold. "He's - he's gone down into the passages, back to that room?!"
"Quite possibly," HeadMaster Hand continues, darkly. "Wario must've left this note - most likely as a trap - to lure Pit down into that room which you described."
"We need to go down there, right now!" Toon Link exclaims. "We need to go and help him - quick!"
Headmaster Hand turns sharply. "Absolutely not! You're students, you can't go down there. I can't let you put yourselves in danger like that. I'm going to assemble a team of staff members, and they will go down there, as soon as possible."
"If you don't let us - we'll go down ourselves anyway!" Red exclaims, with alarming vigour.
Headmaster Hand holds his ground. "No. You cannot. Ryu, please, escort them back into the main hall."
But Ryu stands still. "...Headmaster, Pit is their friend. And, they are very capable - you know of Ness and Lucas's powers."
"But they're kids!" Headmaster Hand argues. "You can't possibly expect them to-"
"They're all 16 or older, practically adults. I believe it should be their choice," Ryu declares simply.
"I- that's- that's, but they don't understand the risk-"
"We've been down there a lot," Ness grimaces. "We know what we're getting ourselves into."
Headmaster Hand sighs deeply. "Well, fine. Okay. If you are really sure that you would like to do this, then we shall go. We shall go, right now, down into this… place."
Ryu takes a step forward. "I'll come as well."
"Then, you will have to lead the way - I don't know… the route."
"The quickest way is down the chimney outside," I pipe up. "Ness and I found it in the forest - it leads directly down to the room. And it would give Wario a surprise."
Headmaster Hand shakes. "Okay - Lucas, Ness, please, lead the way, to this... chimney."
…
Soon, we're trudging through the towering forest, buckets of rain pouring down onto our heads. I think I know the way - it was up past the gravestone, and then there was a clearing, and it was to the right of that. The chimney made a loud hissing noise as well - we'll hear it, even if we don't see it.
But those rational thoughts are just a distraction.
Ness falls back to join me as we walk. "So, this is probably… all the stuff your mother warned us of."
I shiver, cold water dripping down my neck. "...Yeah."
There's a beat of silence, before Ness whispers: "We could turn back. Not face it at all."
I'm tempted. I'm really tempted. But I know, for Pit's life, that this is important. He could be - he could be being converted down there. Anything could be happening!
"We can't," I whisper back. "We need to rescue him.."
Ness quakes. "What do you think we'll find down there? In the room?"
I grimace. "Future Humans. We can PK fire them, I suppose."
"Yeah… ah, Lucas, can I admit something?"
I nod. "What is it?"
"...I'm really scared."
I pull him near to me. "So am I."
"We were just - enjoying the talent competition, and now suddenly, we're out h-here, and I'm gonna have to make an impossible decision, and - and, I was hoping that 'tonight' meant later, but- but-!"
"I know, Ness, I know," I moan.
Ness sniffles. "If we don't make it out of this… I love you."
A warm feeling spreads through my chest. That's the third time he's said that. "I love you too, Ness. But, we will make it out of this. I promise."
Ness smiles delicately. "You better keep that promise then."
"You bet I will."
We continue to walk. The forest is still horrible at night - I find myself twitching at even the slightest of noises, trembling at the memory of The Face, looming in the darkness. The trees stretch out like claws from the ground, leafless and barren - whereas the trees around the chimney were evergreen, dammit, which means we're not in the right place.
Crash!
The thunder is much louder out here. I huddle closer to Ness, who holds my hand tighter than he's ever held it before. I notice Villager and Toon Link's hands are interlocked too, which brings me momentary happiness, until Mother's words run through my head for the thousandth time.
...How did I get here?
3 weeks ago, I was just a normal boy. A normal boy, with worries and troubles like any other, into art, into music, nothing special. Magic didn't exist in my mind. Never would I dream of doing a thing like this - never. And to think that this morning I'd thought this was all over, that Wario had already lost - but now he's taken someone I care about, and suddenly he's winning again. Everything is unfolding into a nightmare.
Unfortunately, Villager notices a clearing, and so we start to walk over to where I know, deep down, the chimney is. Ryu and Headmaster take the front and back of our parade respectively as we move, as a silent unit.
...
How the hell did I get here?
Is it wicked, selfish, to be so afraid? Afraid of doing what I know is the right thing? Is it terrible of me to hope that we might turn back? Yet I worry, fear tingles down my body. Pit. Pit, our friend. Our friend could be hurt, or dead, and here I am, being selfish as always! Longing for the fun to be continuing - well, that's not going to happen, because that simply doesn't happen to me!
Deeply distressed, I look up, and we've arrived.
The chimney hisses, jutting up like a blister out of the ground, strange metal parts dangling out from bricks, a deep central hole yawning ominously. Down there is hell. Down there is worry. Doubt comes as I survey - we should've brought more people with us - there's just 7 - 7!
"Once we slide down there, there isn't any way back up," Headmaster Hand notices. Great.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Ryu decides. "But, Lucas, Toon Link, Villager, Ness, Red, you need to be certain now, you need to know that this is incredibly dangerous."
Am I certain? But, I waver for the last time, as determination comes rushing in. Of course I'm certain. Because, despite the fear, doing the right thing is embedded deep into my moral code.
"Who'll go down first?" Villager asks tremulously.
Headmaster Hand steps forwards. "I will. We're gonna need to be quick - come on, after me, everyone follow." Without hesitation, he steps forwards, easing himself into the chimney like it's a slide - and he slips away, vanishing into the darkness, before landing with a thunk on the ground.
Toon Link steps forwards next, since he's closest to Pit, and Villager helps him scramble into the chimney, before following himself. Muffled noises come from the bottom, suggesting that they've made it down - tension binds me as I realise that it'll be my turn soon, and then, who knows what?
Red enters next. He falls with less grace, and there's a muffled yelp as he makes his landing.
Finally, Ryu nods to Ness and I. "See you down there." He too, descends-
…
I turn to Ness, terrified. "It's our turn to go down, now."
Ness pulls me near, into a tight hug. "I'll keep you safe, yeah? I promise you, you will make it out of this."
I bury my face into his chest. "..."
Ness runs a hand through my hair. "...We can turn back, if you want. Let the others deal with it."
I stand back. "We can't do that."
"Then let's go down. We got this, Lucas"
I nod, resigning myself. "We got this."
Ness squeezes himself in first, and I follow after.
It's not difficult for me; though the bricks feel snug against my hips, it's probably worse for the others.
My head dips beneath the brick, into the darkness. I'm not sure how far down this is - but I sure as hell can't turn back now. I try once again to ready myself for what will be down there, I try once again not to be the weak, crybaby Lucas that I'm known for. I try to ease my breathing.
All of a sudden - Thunk.
I've landed.
This is it.
…
...
The first thing to hit me is the smell. Pure, rotting flesh. It snakes up my nostrils, and I double over, my eyes watering from how putrid it is. The next thing I register is the room itself - large, musty, tables and chairs littered about the place, what looks to be machinery, barely illuminated in the limited light. Comfort grounds me, as Ness slips his hand into mine.
My eyes rake the scene for any figures - and, bound to the wall - Pit!
But my elation is short lived. Pit stares at us in abject horror, opening his mouth, sealing our fate in three quick words.
…
"I-It's a trap!"
…
…
…
…
"Yes," says Headmaster Hand, a malicious grin taking form on his face. "Yes, I'm rather afraid it is."
...
…
…
...
A/N
heh
hehe
TOLD YOU you wouldn't wanna miss this chapter! I am very sorry for leaving you with the meanest cliffhanger of all time. But not only that - they found the book, there was more romance drama than an episode of Friends, there were cameos from all sorts of characters, what's not to love? Also, this chapter is immense, but I fear the next one will be even bigger…
Not only that though, but this fic has been doing really well on the numbers lately! The reviews section for this chapter is huge! Thank you everyone!
Notes:
Hop is a rival from Pokemon Sword & Shield. Though Wooloo was a normal sheep for this fic, I thought it'd be fun to bring him in. His friend Vic is Victor from the games, and the same for Gloria too, who also featured.
Samus and Robin also got brief cameos, thanks to a request and an inside joke.
The song Villager sang was a parody of Andrew in Drag by The Magnetic Fields. I'D BEEN PLANNING THIS FOR SO LONG THOUGH YOU HAVE NO IDEA LMAO, we stan Toon Link in drag so much.
The song Samus sang was 'I'll follow you into the dark' by Death Cab For Cutie. It's quite nice (though death cab do have better songs, such as Soul Meets Body-)
Ah, Hinawa, Lucas's mother, such a bittersweet appearance for her. I referenced a couple of her quotes… I'll leave them for you to discover.
Reviews (Feel free to skip this section, as it's gonna be longggg)
DrugsRUs: 'I love this fanfic, but my only problem is the wait between chapter... sad.'
I'll take this as a compliment, I like to think I'm fairly quick though hah, writing these chapters takes timeeeee ;-;
Puph_17: (this review was left on the AO3 upload of the fic, also it was really long so if you wanna read it for some reason, head on over there)
Thank you Puph for the positive feedback! And the constructive criticism is much appreciated too, describing appearances is something I'm working on in my early chapter overhaul..
Speaking of which, that early chapter overhaul is gonna have a couple focal points. For one, more description, but also Ness's self discovery is going to be changed a little, and there's going to be more hints added in about what's gone on in Lucas's past.
Sunbored: (this is one of many reviews they left, aaaa thanks so much) Good job dude I never had a sleep schedule anyways, so thanks for letting me read this super early in the morning lol
Thank you! And also thank you for hitting me up on discord! By the way, to everyone else, Sunbored is starting their own fic - check it out, it's pretty cool!
SmashBrosOddysey, thank you for the reviews as well! I responded to them in the smash prose discord, so I won't repeat myself lol. Just know that I appreciate the support :))
Alright, sorry for boring you to death with all those reviews, now I gotta plug a couple things… First, if anyone ever wants to hit me up, my discord is Redtedmelonface#7175! Also, are you looking for a server dedicated to Smash Bros Fanfiction? Well, I have the place for you. If you're a writer, you can get your own channel to promote your stuff to 90+ other members, and if you're a reader, you can be the first to get updates from some of your favourite writers! Here's the link: /rtDMscH
With all that rambling out of the way, thank you so much for reading and for the support, I'll catch you next time where, well, things are gonna get interesting. I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve…
~ReadyForTeddy