A/N: This is a birthday present I wrote for my best friend Durotos! Sorry it's so late. I really wanted to post this earlier. Anyway, happy birthday, and here it is! Hope you enjoy it! Oh, and as of today, I've managed to write fics for all three of the Earthbound/Mother games!

The first thing the puppy knew and felt was...warmth.

He didn't know what this sensation was, but he loved it right away. The warmth of soft fur against his own. The wetness of a lapping tongue drying his soaked fur. Soft whines, squeaks, and moans. Nourishment filling his stomach when he happened upon a teat. Other bodies snuggled up against him. He feels something else against the fur. Something making a soft, subtle thumping sound. It's vague, but he hears it loud and clear. The only noises the puppy could make were squeaks, sounds nobody else around him could interpret, save for the other bodies near him.

But he didn't mind at all. The world was new, and so was he.

Gradually, the puppy learned what was around him. His mother, who had birthed him. His siblings, other puppies just like him. The soft blanket underneath him and all the other dogs, bright pink and blue. Smells and sights he didn't recognize. But the puppy just knew that he was safe. At one point, the puppy let out a shaky breath as he snuggled against his mother's abdomen, savoring the feeling of her tongue smoothing out his fur.

The puppy's eyes opened, and the newness of the world around him overcame him once more. His legs grew longer and stronger, now able to carry his weight when he walked. His ears stood up, allowing him to hear things he hadn't been able to before. He saw that he was in a little room that didn't have much except him and his brood, and they were nestled in a big, rectangle-shaped cardboard carrier usually reserved for holding a large amount of small plants. Sometimes, something could come in and give his mother food on a dirty plate. His mother would devour the food faster than she could chew it.

The puppy didn't know what this...two-legged thing was. Only that it would come in, give them food, take his mother out from time to time, leave, and the process would repeat. The two-legged thing didn't have fur all over its body like he and his family did, only on its head. But the puppy didn't really care too much. The room was safe, his family was here, and he was well nourished. He did sometimes wonder if there was anything beyond the bare little room he was in.

He would get his answer, but not in the way he had imagined.

At one point, voices awoke the puppy from his slumber. Curious, the white bundle of fur walked up to the door with the glass window on it. He couldn't reach it, nor could he see what was out there, but he could vaguely make out the shapes of two people. The two-legged creatures from before. It was dark, and the night cloaked them in shadow, making their features impossible to figure out. The puppy understood nothing of what was being said, but he could vaguely hear hushed voices.

"We can't use her anymore. These new puppies are so scrawny, they don't look like they'll last. Especially that pure white runt."

"What did you expect? We's been breedin' her for years. Of course she'd be drained dry by now. I told you this was a bad idea. Besides, the police is gonna be on our tail if this gets out."

"Alright, alright. I'll get rid of them first thing tomorrow."

Satisfied with what he heard, the puppy trotted back to his mother and fell asleep, unaware of what was to come.

It had happened while he was deep in dreamland. Something cradled him and lifted him up, and not long after, he felt himself being laid on something hard. Not like the warm blanket he and his family shared. Sounds he didn't recognize inundated his ears. When he woke up, the light blinded him. The puppy looked down, away from whatever was blinding him, and saw and felt something underneath his paws. Something green and scratchy. He looked up, and saw a vast expanse of blue sky that went on forever. A cool breeze brushed against his fur.

But...where was his mother? His brothers and sisters? The puppy stood on his wobbly legs and looked around, letting out a worried whine as he examined the area around him. Where were they? They weren't here. What was this place? The puppy had no idea where he was. This wasn't the little room he and his family lived in. There was no box and no blanket. No door with the window on it.

He was all alone.

Life outside the little room was far different from how the puppy thought it'd be. He could go wherever he wanted and nothing could stop him. But there was no one to give him any food. The puppy had to venture out just to find some. Most of the time, he went into trash cans that had been knocked over, rummaging through them to mostly find half-eaten hamburgers or scraps of whatever else he could find. Sometimes, large people would see him and scare him away by yelling or slamming the trash can with something, like their hands or long, hard objects. The combination of loud noises was always enough for the puppy to run with his tail between his legs. But the food was at least worth it.

Other dogs, far bigger and more fearsome than he, would see him and bark at him when he passed by, howling at him and demanding that he leave their territory. Not wanting to draw their ire more than he already did, the puppy would always run. The world outside the room was much more dangerous than he thought. Gradually, the blue sky began to turn orange, adopting swaths of pink and purple. The day was coming to an end. The puppy's legs burned from so much running and walking, and fatigued weighed heavy on his small frame. But where could he sleep? The box and blanket he knew so well weren't around, and he had no idea where his mother and siblings were, nor any way to track them down.

The realization that he would probably be alone for the rest of his life hurt more than everything else combined. The puppy managed to find an empty, if wet, cardboard box to sleep in, but the air was cold, and there was nothing to warm him. Knowing that he'd never see his mother again, the puppy cried himself to sleep.

He would never again feel her warmth and love.

Slowly, the puppy settled on a routine. Wake up, find food, get chased by dogs or two-legged creatures—humans, as he heard one dog refer to them as such—hide from predators, and find a place to sleep. The puppy didn't know where he was going, as all he was doing was living day by day. Sometimes he'd find food to eat, other times he would go to sleep with his stomach growling after a fruitless search. Most of his days consisted of the latter. The white puppy sometimes found himself wondering if this was how his life was going to be forever. He had no time how much time had passed. All he knew was that he was getting bigger, yet scrawnier. His legs grew thin, and his fur matted and dirty.

One day, hunger had overtaken him, and he collapsed in the middle of a park, surrounded by green grass everywhere. He had found nothing to eat, and spent most of the day being chased by a fox. He managed to get away, but was too tired to continue on. His eyes closed, and he saw only darkness. But his growing ears did catch a sound that he hadn't heard for a while.

Voices.

"Look, Mommy! It's a puppy!"

"My goodness! The poor thing. I wonder if it was abandoned?"

"Mommy, can we keep it?"

"I don't know, kids. But let's take it to the vet. We're not going to leave it out here to die."

Something cradled the puppy and lifted him up. The sensation was enough to wake him up. It was warm and soft. Not like his mother's fur, but it was smooth and felt nice. Before long, he found himself in another place, a shiny room where a woman in a white coat looked him over and poked him with a needle. Strangely, the puppy didn't mind. The needle pinched a little, but the sensation didn't feel as bad as he thought it'd be.

"This little guy's been out in the wilderness for weeks. I have no idea how he managed to survive," The woman looking him over said. "I'll take care of him here for the time being. Once he's healthy enough, there's a rescue nearby we can take him to, and they'll put him up for adoption."

"Mommy! Can we adopt him? Please?" One of the kids, a young boy with black hair, tugged on his mother's shirt, begging and pleading. "Tracy and I will take super good care of him!"

"We promise we will!" The second child, a little girl with blonde girls, added, echoing her brother's statement.

"Let's think about it first. We'll let the nice vet make him all better first, then we can talk about it," Their mother told them.

The puppy noticed the boy walking over to him, slowly stroking his fur with one hand. The puppy melted under the sensation, sliding down on the steel table and closed his eyes, savoring the comforting hand smoothing his head. It reminded him of his mother, and his gentle motions were enough to send warmth throughout his body.

"Don't worry, little guy," The boy said. "I'll convince Mommy to let us keep you, and we'll treat you like a king!"

King...the boy's eyes widened. "That'll be his name! King!"

The boy's mother smiled, as did the vet. "I think that's a wonderful name, Ness."

That was how the little white puppy came to be known as King.

King wasn't sure how long he was at the vet, but every day, he got better and better. His body began to fill out, so his legs didn't look as spindly and scrawny as they did before. The nice people always took him outside whenever he needed to do his business, and gave him food when he was hungry. He even got to see other dogs who, thankfully, were also in their own designated spaces and wouldn't hurt him. The ones he was allowed to interact with were thankfully very nice, greeting him by sniffing his butt, as is typical of dogs, and going about their way. The vet techs even gave King baths, washing him down with cool water and dousing his body in this stuff called shampoo that made him smell clean, like flowers under the sun.

It was here that he realized that this kind of life was much better than the one he had before. He wondered if the nice family who saved him would come back. He hoped they did, as he really liked them. Sometimes, when someone would carry him down the hall, he would pass by a window and look for just a second to see if they were there. They usually weren't, but King always tried to find a moment to look outside. Even when the vet techs would take him outside to do his business, he would always look around, marveling at the new surroundings, but also seeing if the nice family would show up.

Miracles had a funny way of happening when someone least expected them.

One day, one of the vet techs took him out from his cage. He thought he was going outside to pee like he usually did, but when they got to the front lobby, King looked up and saw the blonde woman who saved him. He reached his paws out to try and touch her. Seeing the gesture, the woman smiled and took his paws into her hands.

"Guess what, King? You're coming home with me!" The woman exclaimed.

Home? With her? What did that mean? King didn't know what those words meant, but having wanted to see her for so long, he didn't care. His tail wagged back and forth as the woman cradled him into her arms. She took a moment to sign some paperwork, but once that was done, she put King in the front seat of the car and drove away. It wasn't long before they came upon a little white house with three windows, a purple rooftop, and a small awning over the front door. Some colorful flowers lined a stone path that led to the front door, and trees dotted the area outside the fence.

King looked up when he saw the two kids standing excitedly out front. As soon as the woman picked him up and walked out of the car with him, he wriggled out from her grasp, fell to the ground, and sprinted over to the kids, tail wagging behind him.

"King!" Both Ness and Tracy hugged the excited puppy, their joy bubbling over like soda fizz as King showered them with kisses. "Welcome to your new home!" Ness cajoled.

"We're gonna be your brand new family!" Tracy chimed in, stroking his back.

"Now now, kids. Let's go inside first, then we can play with King," Their mother advised.

A family...somehow, King knew in his heart that this was his home. The place where he knew he'd be safe forever. He could just feel it in his bones that these nice people would always love him, not dump him on the side of the road like those other people did. Here, he wouldn't have to feel scared or worry that he wouldn't have enough to eat, or that he might get attacked by some predator.

This house, just outside the town of Onett, would be his forever home.

Of all the people in the little house, King was closest with the oldest son, Ness. The boy always managed to find time to play with King, whether it be showing him how to play with his puppy toys, chasing him around the backyard, or snuggling together on his bed. Sometimes, Ness would have a bad day at school and come home sulking, walking into his room and falling onto his bed the second he walked in. King instinctively knew what Ness needed. King would hop on the bed next to Ness and shower him with kisses, which would always bring a smile to his face. But sometimes, King also knew that just being next to him was enough. Ness would smile at him with red, puffy eyes and stroke his head.

"Thanks, King. You always know how to make me feel better," Ness would tell him.

King took an uncharacteristic pride in this fact. He was never one to be boastful, but the dog liked that Ness trusted him to brighten his day whenever he was sad. It made him feel like he was special to Ness. Granted, he still loved everybody else in the family, but he liked Ness the best.

Ever since King had been taken into that house, his life improved drastically. No longer did he have to fear predators or hunger, nor try to find food himself and go to sleep hungry. Food and water was always given to him, King slept in a nice dog house during the warmer days, and in a crate in the house when it was cold, and everyone in the family showered him with love and affection. Every day was spent in relative peace, just like how it was back with his mother and siblings. Sometimes, Ness and his parents would take King for long walks in the park just outside of Onett. All the new smells and sights were always overwhelming at first, but with his family there to keep him safe, King accepted it all with gusto.

Things changed one day, out of nowhere.

King didn't know how, but something in the air felt...off. There was a distinct, almost unearthly heaviness in the atmosphere. King had no idea what it was, but he didn't like it one bit. He couldn't do much about it except whine, and everyone just assumed he was just upset by something he saw outside. The next morning, when the sun still hadn't risen, Ness approached King.

"Hey, boy. Want to come with me to the hilltop?" Ness asked, stroking his friend's white ears and flashing his warm smile like he always did. "I'll feel a little safer with you around."

Although King dreaded the idea of going further than his safe house, he accompanied Ness all the way to the top of the hill. But the more time King spent out there, the more he yearned to return to his abode. Seeing the glowing meteor and the bright light that shot out of it was enough to make King sprint back to the house. Ness didn't stop him, and King was thankful that he didn't force him to stay, as his experiences in the wilderness previously had changed him so that he feared the unknown.

That being said, King did sleep in his doghouse that night, ears lowered and tail hanging in shame. King hated that he was such a coward. But when the morning sun came, Ness petted his white head again, with that same smile.

"It's okay, boy. I know you were scared. Don't feel bad," Ness said reassuringly.

King gave a big sigh, his body relaxing in tune with his exhalation.

"By the way...I should let you know...I'm leaving after this."

Leaving? The unfamiliar word made King's ears perk up. Why? King lifted his head ever so slightly.

"Something weird's going on, and I've been...chosen to put a stop to it. I don't really get it," Ness explained. "I probably won't be back for a long while. Maybe months. So you stay here and take care of Mom and Tracy. Okay?"

Months? Ness was leaving? King shot up on all fours, leaping onto Ness and rubbing his head underneath his chin, as if to convince him to stay. Ness laughed from the gesture, rubbing the gray spot on King's back in that soft, gentle way that he always liked.

"I know, I know, King. I'll miss you too!" Ness put him back down before walking down the dirt path that led to Onett.

With that, King's precious person was gone. King did take some consolation in that he promised to be back. Still, the house would be without him.

But more than that, King wished he could tell him thanks. For noticing him when he was close to dying. For convincing his mother to save him.

The house was, indeed, empty without Ness. Ness's mother and Tracy were here, sure, and Ness's father stopped by on occasion. But King would sometimes go into Ness's room and check to see if he was there. He wasn't. When King felt especially lonely, he would sleep on Ness's bed when the door wasn't closed. Right at the foot of the bed, as if Ness were still sleeping in it. The heaviness in the air was still there, and although King had gotten used to it, that didn't mean he wasn't still scared of it. Months did pass, and King did his best to keep Tracy and her mother company as often as he could. He still had them to rely on, and they relied on him.

One night, when the sky was dark and crowned with a myriad of stars, Ness's mother woke up. It was just after midnight, and King could hear her footsteps skulking about the living room. On impulse, he made his way to the living room, finding Ness's mother at the window overlooking the yard. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, and her face had a pained, pinched expression. King gave a confused whine as he approached her, feeling the uneasiness that emanated from her being.

"King...are you worried about Ness, too?" She kneeled down to rub one of King's ears. Her voice was wistful and melancholy. "Me too, boy. Me too."

"Mom!" Their quiet moment was interrupted when Tracy walked inside. "You're awake, too?"

Her mother didn't say anything. She flapped her fingers up and down, gesturing for her daughter to approach. In her silence, Tracy did so. The trio snuggled together against the window, praying for one thing.

The safety of Ness and his friends.

The three of them didn't know why they prayed. But they felt something in their bodies telling them that they needed to do so. Before long, there was light. Morning came.

And the heaviness in the air was...gone.

King was the first to notice. He bolted around the house, tail wagging, barking up a storm, happy as can be. The oppression he felt in the atmosphere had dissipated, like whatever was there went away. Everyone else seemed to notice as well. A few hours later, when Tracy and her mother were outside watering the flowers, King was in his dog house, sleeping the morning away.

His long ears caught the sound of footsteps. They weren't Tracy's or her mother's. A familiar scent caressed his nostrils. Was that…? King sprang up on all fours. A red baseball cap came into view. Then a striped shirt, blue shorts, and the warm, friendly smile that King had fallen in love with years ago.

Ness had returned!

"I'm back!" Ness ran down the dirt road, greeting his family with a wave.

King made a beeline towards him, literally jumping on him. The force from the impact made Ness fall to the ground, and the boy broke into laughter as King showered him with slobbery kisses. "I'm happy to see you too, King! Sorry I was gone for so long."

Ness was back! King could only bark and run around like a mad dog, unable to do anything else to convey the joy that was literally exploding out of him. Ness kept his word and returned, just like he promised! King always knew he would, and seeing him back at home put the planets back into alignment. The family welcomed him back with open arms, and his mother set about making him some scrambled eggs for breakfast, just the way he liked it. King didn't leave Ness's side the entire time. Even at the dining room table, King sat by Ness's leg, fearing that he might leave again. For now, he was completely relaxed, leaning against Ness's leg as his ears caught the cacophony of cheery, light-hearted conversation.

Later that day, King sat at the foot of Ness's bed. The boy walked in and hung his baseball cap on one of the hooks on his wall. "Have you been waiting for me, King?" Ness asked, sitting down next to him. "You know I can read your thoughts, right?"

King's ears perked up. He could?

"Yeah, I know. I can use telepathy somehow. It's probably because of Giygas' powers or something. I don't know," Ness told him sheepishly, brushing his black bangs back with one hand.

Read his thoughts...was that a kind of communication? Could Ness figure out what he was saying? If that was the case...King crawled onto Ness's lap. He couldn't say it with words, like humans could, but in that moment, he had one thought on his mind, one that had always been unspoken on his tongue.

'Ness. I want to thank you and your family for saving me back then. I would have died if not for you. I've wanted to express my gratitude for so long.'

Ness gave a low gasp. King wondered if he was reading his thoughts like he said. Nevertheless, a smile returned to Ness's face, and the boy rubbed his hand across King's back in that same, familiar, rhythmic motion the dog loved so much. King gave a contented sigh, his legs stretching outward, tail wagging back and forth, tongue dangling from his mouth.

"You're welcome, boy. I'm glad we saved you, too."

For the first time since he was born, King felt truly, categorically safe beyond all measure. Every day, Ness reminded King that he is loved no matter what, sometimes with words, sometimes with his gestures of affection. In this moment, where King was in absolute bliss, he decided he will do the exact same thing for him for as long as time will allow.