(Ness)

"My brother?" Lucas repeats the man's words, with utter disbelief. "You're - my brother?"

The man smiles, holding the lantern higher. It illuminates his face in the cold darkness. A faint trace of warmth glows in his eyes.

"You can't be - I don't have an older brother," Lucas says, uneasily. Catching his cues, I slip a hand into his.

"That's right, he doesn't."

The man sighs, stepping forwards. "It's a bit complicated. But, look, where are you from?"

"Tazmily?" Lucas replies, precariously.

"So am I. And who's your mother? And your father?"

"Flint and Hinawa," Lucas says.

"Mine too."

"But," Lucas fumbles with his words. "Anyone could say that."

"What's your name?" I demand of the man, perhaps a lot more rudely than I was intending.

"Saul," he replies.

There's an abject silence, as Lucas looks at him, square in the face. "Mother never mentioned anyone called Saul. Nor did Father."

"Well, that would make sense, considering…" Saul shivers. "Look, I'll tell you inside, alright? Assuming I can indeed come in?"

Lucas looks nervously up at the school, then at me. "I'm not so sure I should-"

But Saul is already moving forwards. "Come on. When we're inside, I'll explain everything…"

.

.

.

~~o00o~~

Chapter 51 - The Romantic Spiral

(Ness)

~~o00o~~

.

.

.

Where, oh where, is Lady Luck when I need her?

I haven't had a single piece of good fortune in days. This morning, Porky set down intensive changes to the timetable that are going to result in hours more work. Yesterday, I was stuck on the roof of a fast-moving train. The day before, I was brutally attacked with mice, and then even further back from there, I was kicked out of my own house.

When will things turn around?

Apparently, not anytime soon. When Lucas dragged me outside to act on another one of his miraculous hunches, I was hardly expecting to have to invite a stranger into our dorm, to have a jolly old chat with him. Late in the night. When I would much rather be fast asleep.

Lucas sits cross-legged on our floor, looking wholly uncomfortable. "But - how? I don't understand?"

"I'm your older brother," Saul says, pacing intently around the room. "Your parents - our parents - they gave birth to me in Tazmily, years ago. But then, as things usually happen, I had to be given away. The family wasn't making enough money."

Saul. I think over the name - I've heard it once before. In the Bible, I think. I don't think he did anything good.

"They wouldn't do that," Lucas says, stubbornly. "My mother would never do that to her son."

"They made sure it was a loving home," Saul counters, passing the bookshelf, and I don't miss the glint in his eye, as he observes some of the items. "They wouldn't have survived otherwise - not without any money. They sold me to a couple living in a Onett, who couldn't bear children of their own."

"When you were less than two years old, then?" Lucas raises an eyebrow, sceptically. "You remember all that?"

"No," Saul replies, now looking at the wardrobe. "Mother and Father - my new ones - they told me, of course. And then, there was something in the newspaper the other day, that informed me of your existence. So, I had to come and find you."

"And how did you do that, then?"

"I rowed, didn't I? Rowed a boat, up the river."

Lucas furrows his brow. I can tell he doesn't believe a word of it - and frankly, I don't either. This is clearly just some random guy, but then… who would go to all the effort, and why?

"What do you think of Porky?" I demand.

"Hate him," Saul says, savagely. "Scum of the earth. Makes it so hard for anyone to live good, decent lives…"

Lucas looks up. "Alright… Saul. You've done your research - I have a twin brother, as well. What's his name?"

Saul shrugs. "He wasn't in the newspaper. I didn't even know we had another brother."

It makes sense. Claus wasn't seen - he wasn't with us when we were with Dr Andonuts.

"Then let's go and meet him," Lucas decides, standing up, his voice hard, and brittle. "Because I'm sure he'd love to meet another member of the family."

…

Claus lets us in, quite happily. It seems he's been doing quite well for himself, inhabiting Meta Knight and Olimar's old room - the posters of women are all gone, it doesn't smell quite as bad anymore, and there's no more opium hidden in socks. He's bundled all the covers onto Olimar's old bed. He's set up the wardrobe with his clothes, and is seemingly quite happy with the independence (I suppose, despite all of the things that would have fallen behind thanks to Porky, independence would have had to be the one thing to flourish).

"Hi, Claus. This is Saul," Lucas introduces, his voice hard. "He says he's our older brother."

"Older brother?!" Claus looks at Lucas in disbelief, before extending his hand. "Hello older brother!"

Saul shakes it, politely. "Very nice to meet you, Claus."

Lucas glowers at the response, shutting the door firmly behind us. "Right, then, Saul. So, why exactly do you suggest that my parents wouldn't have told me about you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Saul looks over at Lucas, and then at Claus. "Imagine - you're a kid, and your parents tell you they gave away their last child. What would you go on to think then?"

Lucas ignores this logic, continuing to glare up at the new arrival. "You don't even look like us. You don't look like Mother. You don't look like Father."

I chip in, "To be fair, neither do you or Claus..."

Lucas shoots me a dirty look. I fall instantly quiet.

"Look," Saul says, placidly. "I get it. I've just come out of nowhere - of course, you wouldn't believe me straight away…"

"It's ridiculous," Lucas says, firmly. "You're talking absolute nonsense."

"...But, whether you believe me or not, I need to stay here for a while."

Lucas folds his slender arms. "Well, you can't."

"Lucas..." Saul's expression is pleading. "It's so cold out there - it's been a disaster, my mother and father - adoptive mother and father - they couldn't afford to look after me - I had to leave... I can't live in the cold any longer..." I feel a stab of sympathy, as he continues. "This was the only hope I had left..."

Lucas looks from me, to Saul, and then back to me again. I can see the battle raging inside his head. "In that case - Ness, we need to talk. Right now."

He takes me outside.

"What is it?" I whisper, in low tones.

Lucas looks at me, frustrated. "What do you think?"

"What do we do?"

Lucas's expression is cold as ice, as he surveys the dark corridor. "We can't just let him stay. We just met him - he could be anyone, he could want to do us harm..."

"And he could be your brother," I remind him.

"He's not," Lucas says, with absolute certainty in his voice. "And even if he was - that doesn't make him any less of a potential hazard."

"I don't know…"

"Do you really think I wouldn't be able to tell if someone was my own brother?"

"Well, we thought Claus was a monster for-"

Lucas fixes me with another glare. I shut up immediately, as he begins pacing.

"We can't let him stay - what would he do? Where would he sleep?"

"We've got a spare bed," I offer.

"No," Lucas replies, firmly. "I'm not sleeping in the same room as someone who could hurt us. And plus, we're keeping all the magic items in there."

"With Claus, then?"

"I'm not putting Claus at risk."

"Claus could go with us, and Saul gets the empty room?"

But Lucas still wrings his hands. "I'd rather not…"

"He doesn't seem to mean any harm," I reason, thinking of the warmth I saw in Saul's eyes when he introduced himself. "And look, we can't just send him out tonight, to sleep in the cold. No matter who he is, he might die."

"But-"

"Just for one night?" I suggest. "Then we could decide what to do, properly, in the morning?"

Lucas is silent, for a few moments, looking down at the grey carpet, before he looks back up at me. "Fine. But he's not my brother, alright?"

"I know," I raise my hands in surrender. "Not your brother."

We go back into Claus's room, where Saul seems to be sitting down on Meta Knight's old bed. Claus looks perfectly content with this, sitting opposite him. Saul doesn't seem to be at all surprised with Claus's unusual appearance - but perhaps he doesn't want to be rude.

Saul turns on our entry, obvious childlike hopefulness in his eyes. "Well? Can I stay?"

"For one night," Lucas says, begrudgingly, but with an air of control. "Then we'll decide what to do properly, tomorrow."

Saul's expression melts into that of enormous relief. "You don't know how much that means to me. Thank you so much, bro-"

But one glare from Lucas is enough to make him stop talking.

And so, it is arranged that, for tonight, Saul will take ownership of Claus's bedroom, whilst Claus will sleep in with Lucas and I. Claus seems a little bit put out by this idea, but eventually gives in to Lucas's insistence that Saul may still be dangerous, coming in the end quite cheerily into our room.

"It's ridiculous," Lucas huffs, as soon as we're back in our dorm. "Absolutely ridiculous."

"He was nice," Claus says.

"He's not our brother, Claus," Lucas explains, firmly. "He's pretending."

"But you said-"

Lucas sighs. "Forget what I said. Let's get some sleep, okay?"

Claus looks down. "Alright…"

As my paramour turns around, practically wrenching pyjamas out the wardrobe, I feel a familiar prickle of uncertainty. Lately, I think Lucas has changed, he's toughened up a lot. But not necessarily in a good way - he's been more surly, more serious, more irritable, and I don't like it. It makes me feel unpleasant, as if I'm constantly doing him a great wrong. And yet, I don't want to bring it up, I don't want to upset him, but what sort of a relationship would that be? Can we not completely confide in one another?

This troubles me. As I change into my pyjamas (I make the others look away, obviously), I can't help but feel a strange sense of foreboding. As if bad things are coming, or perhaps as if they're already on the horizon.

I turn back to Lucas, who's now lying resolutely in bed. I come in next to him, and he instantly buries his head in my chest.

Worried, I hold him, not wanting to pry, but feeling a great sense of concern. What's this? What could be going through his mind? I pull blankets over the two of us, any animosity I was feeling towards him fastly fading. His body rises and falls - and it soon becomes apparent that he's already fallen asleep.

I exhale in the silence.

My tired mind is not sure what to make of Saul. On the one side, I agree with Lucas. He could be anyone - he could be dangerous. But then, is Porky himself not within this castle? Wouldn't he automatically be a much bigger threat on his own? And could Saul just be who he says he is?

We'll see what the others think tomorrow, I guess.

I hold Lucas closer, like a giant teddy bear, starting to drift off, into a sea of troubled dreams.

…

"Good morning!" Toon Link says cheerily from outside our dorm, when Lucas, Claus and I emerge, early the next day.

"Toon Link?" I rub my eyes, blearily, as I step out. "What are you-"

"You've got a letter," Villager says importantly, coming into view. "And I think you might be quite keen to read it."

I take the slip of paper from Villager's outstretched hand. I unfold it, curiously, reading the neat, slanted writing:

Dear Ness,

This isn't a love letter, I swear. Although it may seem like one. But, it's not. Anyway, you probably don't know me, but I was looking over at you during the Feast on Friday (I admit - that's a little weird) and I realised, we bear a striking resemblance.

Is that worth writing a letter to someone for? Well, not usually, no, but then I looked a little harder.

You're powerful. Like me. That might not make any sense - but you see, I have what are known as SFI powers, or, diplomatic powers, if you please. Incidentally, Professor Ryu had the same powers, before his untimely death. He was the one who told me who I was - about what I can do - before the Wilderness Survival Week. I was quite surprised when I found out!

So, if you want to correspond in any way, that'd be pretty cool. I don't know much about this whole power thing, and it'd be great to speak to someone else about it. If you think I'm a nutcase, oh well, fair enough.

I won't sign my name properly, just to reduce the chance of me being mercilessly bullied. But if you fancy responding, just leave the letter under the pool table - in the games room. I'll pick it up. Thanks!

~ 910.

"Where did you get this?" I ask, looking up. "Is this some sort of a joke?"

"You missed breakfast," Toon Link explains. "It arrived in the mail."

I read the letter again, showing it to Lucas, as he appears over my shoulder. The blonde frowns, looking at it.

"Ryu had multiple heroes on the go then, huh? To deal with Porky?"

I laugh. "I don't think we can say that."

"He said we were the only ones who were powerful," Lucas says, ruefully, handing the letter back to me. "Unbelieveable…"

"To be fair, he didn't tell us about Headmaster Hand..."

"Well, true." Lucas shrugs, evidently in a better mood now, after a night of rest. "Who do you think it is?"

"No idea. They signed their name with numbers."

"Cryptic. But anyway," Lucas looks back up at the others. "We have someone more interesting to show you..."

...

When we walk in on Saul, he's still sleeping. Villager frowns, looking at the dark-haired man - and so do I, for in the daylight, I realise he looks unusually pale. Not like the usual kind of pale - but a ghostly white, making him look almost deceased.

"Who's this, then?" Pit asks. "Some random student?"

"A corpse?" Toon Link suggests.

Lucas's expression is back to displeasure. "Well, he claims to be my brother."

"What?! How did you meet?"

We tell them.

Villager frowns. "Well, I think he could be... His story could make sense..."

"I don't know," Toon Link frowns. "It's a bit far fetched, isn't it?"

"We told him we'd let him stay for one night," Lucas explains. "Then decide what to do in the morning..."

Saul stirs. We watch anxiously, as the pale man turns over in bed, his long, dark, hair flopping over his face. He jolts up suddenly, looking momentarily fearful - and then he relaxes, noticing us. He waves, weakly. "'Morning."

"Hello," Lucas says.

"Hey," Toon Link says, awkwardly.

Saul stares at Toon Link, and Villager.

"Our friends," I explain. "Uh - sleep well?"

"Not really…" Saul hauls himself up, rubbing his head with his hands. "Unpleasant beds, these…"

"Hopefully better than sleeping in the field," Lucas says with some coldness, turning back to the others again.

"Oh - sorry! I'm not ungrateful!" Saul exclaims, quickly jumping out of bed. "Dear me - I didn't mean-"

"It's alright," Lucas says, quickly. "And, sorry for being so rude last night."

It's oddly rare to hear Lucas apologise verbally. Usually, his apologies come in the form of actions - like hugs, or extra portions of dinner. Hearing him speak out like this is highly unusual.

"Like I said," Saul says, looking tired, if a little pleased to be on better terms with Lucas. "I did sort of come up out of nowhere… it's only fair."

"I still don't think you're my brother," Lucas says, hurriedly.

"Again… fair."

I turn to Toon Link, a thought coming to me. "Did we miss assembly then? What did Porky say?"

Toon Link's face falls, and he swears loudly. "I forgot! Assembly! It's happening now!"

"Dammit-" Lucas sighs, frustratedly coming towards the door. "We've got to go - Saul, stay there with Claus, and we'll decide what to do, later-"

"Alright."

We rush out of the room, and down the stairs, praying that we won't be punished too harshly for our tardiness. We crash through a set of doors, and down the corridor, piling as quickly as we can into the main hall.

At the front, Porky grins, as we arrive. "Aha. Late to assembly? That'll be another session of cleaning the toilets, Ness!"

Inwardly cursing, I sit down with the rest of our year group, Lucas, Toon Link and Villager following suit. Porky waits patiently until the collective attention of the school returns to him.

He looms merrily over the lectern. "As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted… it's still the weekend! Hooray! I hope everyone's been enjoying the free time?"

Grumbling rings out. It seems people haven't been enjoying the free time.

"Tut tut!" Porky wags a thick finger. "That's not the right kind of attitude to have! Let's try again: I hope everyone's been enjoying the free time?"

"Yes, Headmaster," rings the muted response. It satisfies Porky enough, and he straightens himself out, his expression turning malevolent.

"Well then, it seems one of you has enjoying the free time far too much! Overnight, a certain piece of graffiti appeared by the library, slandering my name… now, we all know that's not allowed in the school policy, don't we?"

Muttering breaks out. I look to Lucas in confusion, and he shrugs.

"So, punishments will be dealt out!" Porky grins, brightly. "Until the perpetrator comes forwards - there will be no access to the swimming pool, no access to the lounges, and no access to the common rooms!"

There's mass outcry. Some students even stand up, but Porky reprimands them with a sharp whistle.

"ENOUGH! Silence during assembly! Listen to me!"

The grumbling subsides.

Porky smiles genially. "Now, with that matter resolved… I think it's time to resume our story from yesterday!"

Nobody dares disagree.

"So!" Porky begins to pace, as he talks. He opens up his comically large storybook, pretending to peer into it. "When we left off, our good friend Peter was just beginning to realise how bad his world was. See, his world was different to ours - it had progressed in ways it shouldn't have, moved by means that it shouldn't have moved. So he, naturally, had to make changes. But one doesn't make changes by being poor, no! Peter, clever as he was, had to gain the finances."

"He set up a stall, a stall selling conkers. They didn't sell very well, so instead, he sold chocolate. That sold amazingly! And so, despite his humble beginnings, he grew. His stall expanded. Move visitors came. Money grew…"

"And with that money, he began to invest. He began to grow, both by name and by nature, living in a better way. By making a name for himself, he rose up the ranks. He became great. He became powerful. And…" Porky once more slams the storybook closed, a look of great relish upon his face. "And that is all for now. You are dismissed."

Everyone scrambles to get up and out of the hall. I grip Lucas's hand - all too keen to leave, and to see this strange graffiti that has allegedly arrived. To be frank, I don't particularly care about the pool's closure, or even the lounge closures - not when there are far more important things waiting upstairs.

Saul.

I sigh. I still can't wrap my head around it. I can't wrap my head around his story - much as I want to believe the guy, much as I want to trust him, my instincts scream no. And Lucas's distress concerns me; even as we go back up the stairs, his hand starts to tremor in mine. Whoever this man is - and let's be real, he is a man, he claims to be nineteen after all - he is creating a lot of disruption.

When we walk in on him, he's just as he was before. Sitting on the spare bed, his expression set perfectly neutral. A sense of unease fills me, as I look over at him, and he looks back, smiling.

"How was your assembly?"

Lucas ignores the question. "Where's Claus?"

"He went back to your room," Saul explains. "Had to get dressed. He didn't return."

"Didn't return?"

"Didn't return," Saul says calmly, before standing back up again. "Hey - Lucas, can we talk? In private?"

I start. "No!"

Lucas gives Saul a cold glare. "Anything you can say to me, you can say to Ness."

Saul's expression wavers. "Not this. Lucas - it's proof, proof that I am who I say I am. And I'd rather not show..."

I fold my arms. "I'm not leaving you alone with him."

"Lucas?"

Saul gives Lucas a pleading look - not unlike ones that Lucas gives himself. Lucas stares back for a moment, before he looks at me.

"Ness, can you go check on Claus?"

"Lucas, no-"

He takes my hand. "Please. For me."

"But-"

"I'll be fine."

There's a certainty in his expression - one I can't counter. I give a reluctant sigh. "Fine. But you…" I eye Saul closely. "You'd better not hurt him."

He doesn't blink, as he replies. "I won't. I promise."

Lucas gives a serious nod, even opening the door for me. "Thanks, Ness. I'll come through when we're done."

…

Claus seems to be doing okay. When I enter my room, I see him lying down happily, reading one of the books from Ryu; Psychic Control and Balance, I see written in gold, on the purple cover.

I sigh wretchedly, slumping down in my bed, my thoughts consumed with the man next door. Who is he? His proof - what will that be? And as I stretch my legs in agitation, I feel my feet make contact with something flat.

I pull it out. The letter from this morning.

I find a slight intrigue growing in my mind. Another person with powers? Someone else; like us? Though not a psychic of course, but… why didn't Ryu ever tell us? Why didn't he ever mention this other powerful person? Could it even be a bluff from Porky? The last idea hits me with chills.

My eyes rake the neat handwriting. 'We bear a striking resemblance,' it had said. My thoughts drift immediately to Popo, but that idea quickly fades, as I realise he wouldn't write with such verbosity. In that case, it must be a stranger, I reason, there are many boys in our year, but yet, there are many I do not know still. Many who could well 'bear a great resemblance' to me.

There's only one way to find out. With a feeling of slight excitement, I pull out a sheet of paper, rapidly writing a response:

Hello,

This is Ness. I received your letter this morning, although my friends ended up getting it for me; they know about everything though, so don't worry.

I know about my powers. According to a book, my powers are called 'PSI' powers - my friend Lucas has them too, although his are stronger than mine. But Professor Ryu never mentioned anybody else possessing powers in the school, in fact, he explicitly stated the opposite, so I'm surprised to hear about you. And given you have those powers - is there anyone else with power here?

And what's your name? It'd be nice to meet you somewhere, just so I know this isn't a prank or something.

~ Ness

I smile, pleased with myself. Plenty loquaciousness, even to match the mysterious stranger's. And I used a semicolon too - that's sure to look good. I fold the letter up - leave it under the pool table, the writer had said. I'd better hope nobody else finds it first - but what reason would anybody have for looking there?

"I'll see you in a bit," I tell Claus.

Claus continues reading his book. "Okay!"

Hurrying into the games room, I realise the school site is pleasingly empty. What with Porky's new measures, people must've started retreating to their dorms - I remember the graffiti he mentioned, and am suddenly keen to take a look. Anything to pile hate upon Porky is good in my books.

This new plan in mind, I slide the letter under the pool table, picking up a stray newspaper to check later, before hurrying out to the main hallway.

The library, Porky had said. I go there at once - and it's not hard to miss it.

Porky is an elitist, it reads, in bright magenta painted letters, followed by a long string of obscenities.

I grin.

"Ness!"

Jumping, I turn - but I see it's only Professor Rosalina, striding speedily out of the library, with a thick book in her hand. I force a smile.

"Good morning, Professor-"

"I'd been looking for you! How convenient?"

"Yeah, very-"

"Anyway," she takes a stern tone, coming close. "This graffiti here on the wall - I understand, that this business with Porky is greatly stressful, Ness, that it must be very taxing - but I don't think we should be resorting to such crude methods of protesting, no?"

It takes me a few seconds to realise what she's implying, and my mouth falls open in surprise. "I didn't do this!"

"Now, Ness," Rosalina's expression remains stern. "I'll have you know you were seen painting it. You can drop the pretence."

"Seen?" I look at her, utterly perplexed. "Professor, I was asleep-"

"Ness, I'm not angry with you-"

"It wasn't me!"

Rosalina folds her arms. She looks from the graffiti, to me. "Well, you can choose to continue with that stance, if you wish. But…"

"Who said it was me?" I ask, hotly. "Because if it was Porky, or Bowser-"

"Professor Marth," Rosalina explains, stiffly. "A Professor with no vendetta against you, therefore one who would only give an unbiased response."

"He made up an entire maths competition, just because I guessed an answer right!"

"But Ness, that was in the past. You must understand-"

"Can we talk about something else?" I huff, frustratedly. This is ridiculous, so unimportant, especially given it wasn't me. I feel a sense of heightened animosity growing towards Professor Marth, for spreading such a lie.

"Alright," Rosalina relents. "I also wanted to ask - have you and Lucas begun honing your powers yet?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "No."

"Then, you must begin at once. Ryu spoke in his will; he said it was of the utmost importance, Ness. He said you must be disciplined, practising day by day."

"He said that to us too," I grumble,

"Good, good. Then I take it you will begin this afternoon?"

"Well, we're a bit busy-"

Rosalina's expression sharpens. "Ness. Ryu wouldn't have told you to do it if it weren't important. You must!"

"But - where?"

"Outside. On the field. Will you promise me that you and Lucas will train, Ness?"

There's no arguing the case. I look down reluctantly at the floor. "We will."

"Great!" Rosalina beams. "Then, that is all I have to say for now - see you around!"

"See you, Professor."

She walks back off into the library - I notice there's considerable tiredness that returns to her figure, when she thinks she's out of sight. But I spot Porky coming in the other direction; I speed away - time to return to my dorm, I think. I hurry past a boy and a girl kissing, past two people standing almost like statues up the dorm stairs, but suddenly, my legs give way, and I clatter headlong to the floor-!

"Ough - oh, sorry!"

I look up. It's Jeff. The blonde's glasses fell too - I hastily apologise, handing them back.

"You okay?" Jeff asks, worriedly. "In a rush?"

I pick myself off the floor, brushing myself off. "I'm fine - you?"

"Yeah, alright…"

There's a strange transfixion in his voice, as he continues down the stairs, and I continue up towards my dorm. But just as I'm about to turn the handle, there's a loud BANG and several people scream.

I rapidly turn. Jeff's glasses have fallen off of his face again with shock, and he looks at me in alarm. "What was that?!"

"It was in my dorm - I'd better-" I get a horrible feeling, as I hurry inside - and I see Claus looking frightenedly at a burning wardrobe.

"PK FREEZE!" I bellow, thrusting my hands forwards. A great volley of ice soars from my palms, quenching the bright flames, leaving a great hiss of steam to rise into the air. Rushing over, I throw open the window, before rushing over to the now-shaking Claus.

"What happened?!"

He stammers. "I - I said - I said-"

I pick up the book still lying on his bed - open to a page.

PK Thunder - Cast a bolt of lightning down from the sky.

I show it to Claus. "Did you say this?"

He rapidly nods. "Am sorry-"

I hurry over to the wardrobe, throwing it open. Luckily the contents are unscathed - Lucas's red and yellow striped jumper, the golden egg, the bolted trapdoor…

"It's okay - just, uh, maybe don't say the commands out loud in future-"

Claus nods glumly. "Will not."

"Good…"

I fall back down on my bed, pulling out the newspaper I'd found. It's always worth it to have a check on what's going on in the world...

Onett Power threatens 'Justice and Consequences'

Onett Power is on the rise once more. Following Everdred's arrest yesterday, after he was found to have exploded the Onett High Court, protests from Onett Power have increased 'tenfold.' 'Everdred is becoming a figurehead, and a role-model,' says Geldegarde Monotoli. His son was killed in the explosion.

Frank Fly, leader of Onett Power, gave a speech at the Pavilion on Saturday evening. Mr Fly declared that Headmaster Hand's arrest was a 'travesty of justice,' claiming that Everdred had been reporting the events of the trial to him throughout the night. Mr Fly also declared his dislike towards Porky Minch, great businessman and benefactor of the Onett Financial Sector, calling Mr Minch an 'Old Pig' and a 'Merchant of Greed'.

'The old pig's wallet's getting bigger,' he said. 'Justice must be served - and consequences must be followed.'

Procedure has been put into place to ensure the protection of the city's most historical buildings, lest a similar attack occurs. Though, Mayor B.H Pirkle noted, Onett Power's attacks remain diverse and unpredictable. Therefore, if anybody notices anything suspicious, they should report immediately to the Onett Police Station.

I sigh. A typical political maelstrom… All these groups; will they ever realise that it's no good? If I cared about these sorts of events - which I suppose I may have to, now that Politics is mandatory - I'd be hooked, three big powers, Geldegarde, Porky, Onett Power, all alike in their hatred for one another. Though, I think darkly to myself, only one of those powers can claim they have a city.

Onett Troops on the move!

The First Brigade of Onett is recorded to be only hours away from reaching Tazmily. The preliminary attack is scheduled to occur at 8 am tomorrow morning, with reinforcements of the Second and Third Brigades on their way to arrive in the afternoon. Scouts have said the village is 'swarming with civilians' - of all shapes and sizes. Pray for Onett - and we shall take the victory!

I gulp. I won't be showing that article to Lucas, that's for sure. I can only hope that by some miracle, the attack will fail…

Speak of the devil, Lucas appears through the door.

I hastily stuff the newspaper under my bed. "How'd it go?"

Lucas walks stiffly forwards, sitting down beside me, before saying with absolute certainty: "He's my brother."

I gape. "What?"

He fixes his eyes resolutely on the floor. "It's true. He is exactly who he says he is."

"Did he prove it, then?"

"He did."

"What was his proof?"

"Well…" Lucas falters, looking to me, before glancing hastily away again. "I probably shouldn't say. It was personal."

Claus looks up from the book again. "What happen?"

"He's our brother," Lucas says, with a smile that appears rather forced. "Saul is our brother."

Claus freezes momentarily. "But you said-"

Lucas looks away. "I was wrong."

"Oh. Okay."

Claus goes back to reading, as if nothing happened.

"What happens with him now, then?" I ask, a little unnerved at how suddenly Lucas has had this change of heart. "Does he stay?"

"He has to." Lucas sighs, and I sense some reluctance there. "But in the other room - just because he's my brother, doesn't mean I trust him yet."

"Is he - was he - what about school?"

"He'll just stay upstairs," Lucas shrugs. "He can't go to lessons - but we can't tell anyone about him, alright?"

"Alright," I agree, still a little concerned. "Why not?"

"They'll kick him out - and I'd rather not have him getting hypothermia."

"Right," I say.

"Now - why is the wardrobe charred?"

"Oh," I laugh, in spite of myself. "Claus said PK Thunder, and-"

BANG. A great bolt of thunder plummets from the sky, setting the wardrobe ablaze once again.

"PK FREEZE!" Lucas cries, hastily. The flames are extinguished. "Ness!"

"Sorry…" I grin, sheepishly. "But yeah - that happened. Those books seem to have a lot of, uh, powers in them…"

"Yeah…" Lucas looks over at the looming pile. "A lot."

"Rosalina says we need to practice."

"Even Claus needs to practice," Lucas adds. "Since he - y'know…"

"Agreed."

The door swings open. Toon Link hurries inside, flanked by Villager. "I head explosions! What's going on?!"

"Nothing much," I say. "Merely starting some fires…"

Villager looks worriedly at the wardrobe. "Aren't you supposed to be practising your magic, y'know, outside?"

"Well, yeah," Lucas says. "But Ness said PK Thu-"

I clap a hand over my boyfriend's mouth. "We accidentally summoned lightning."

"And that is why you need to hone those powers," Villager reprimands, tossing PK Power Manual in our direction. "C'mon Toonie - let's get back to-"

I notice Toon Link's face turning distinctly pink, as Villager leads him out of the room. I laugh to myself, before lying back down.

"Maybe he's right…" Lucas sighs, looking down at PK Power Manual, which has opened on a page about stones. "Look - here's a bit on the Psychic Stone, maybe that'll help…"

I lean over next to him, reading the words on the page:

The Stone of Psychic Power, colloquially known as the 'Psychic Stone' is a legendary artefact, renowned amongst those with powers. It is part of the primary quintuplet of powerful stones; the Diplomatic Stone, the Light Stone, the Elemental Stone and the Creation Stone. Whilst there is documented evidence of these stones appearing throughout history, it is worth mentioning the even more elusive stone - the Time Stone. This stone was allegedly created by Joaquim - the first man to possess the CRN powers. It is said that touching it takes one back in time, however, its very existence is heavily contested by magical experts.

To quote The Psychic Manual:

'It is not known what these stones do, but they appeared to kickstart a sudden influx of people being born with magical powers. It is suggested that the five stones are the 'roots' of the five branches of powers - their existence enables more people to be born with powers, and they enable them to use those powers too.'

However, modern research has unearthed further theories about these stones that have not been previously published. The Psychic Stone for instance - it is suggested that in proximity to the Stone, the potency of psychic powers increases. Philosophers have suggested the Stone forms a kind of bond with its holder, that enhances their abilities both temporally, and in magnitude. However, the cost of this is greater emotional volatility.

At the time of publishing, the Psychic Stone's location is unknown. Ness and Lucas-

We both look up in alarm; this is the second time we've been mentioned in a book.

-are the two most recent born psychics. However, they are not believed to be in possession of the Psychic Stone.

The section ends.

"I guess that's why Ryu wanted us to keep it then," Lucas mutters. "But more emotionally volatile - I don't like the sound of that."

"Me neither…"

We glance at one other; we both know about what we've been through; our tendencies towards anxiety. In the moment, I feel a strange rush of connection with him.

Unfortunately, the clocktower decides that minute to ring for lunch.

"We'll have to get food for Saul," Lucas says importantly, standing up. "Since he can't really come and join us."

I frown. "But - Claus can join us, why not him?"

"Saul is a full-grown man. People will notice."

"And Claus has metal in his face!"

Lucas gives me a sharp glare, affronted, and I fall silent, an uncomfortable feeling wriggling in my gut.

We find the others waiting in the queue. I remember, vaguely, that students will be cooking the meals from now on; luckily, they seem to have played it safe today, with some good old chicken sandwiches. I take mine hungrily, sitting down at the usual table.

"I sort of want lessons to begin again," Toon Link sighs, taking a bite out of his sandwiches. "Oh - these are good - but, yeah… it's a bit dull, doing nothing."

Villager rolls his eyes. "We spend a whole morning together - and it's a 'bit dull', nice to know that it's working out between"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Toon Link bestows a small, brave kiss on Villager's cheek, and the latter blushes.

"Of course not."

I glance at Lucas, who is moodily eating his food.

"Afternoon plans?" Pit asks, breezily.

"Training, for these two," Villager glares at me and Lucas. "Meanwhile, we others, we should start spreading the word about Porky."

"Good plan," Red agrees, for once not being a contrarian. "Spread the word!"

I look up at the professor's table; Porky is strangely absent. He must be down to business in New Pork City…

"Sports day tomorrow," Toon Link reminds us. There's a collective groan. "A sign-up sheet appeared in the hall… everyone has to pick themselves a sport."

Villager raises an eyebrow. "And what did you go for?"

"Weightlifting, of course," Toon Link flexes his skinny arms, with a laugh. "No - I took the last javelin spot. Shame I couldn't do some wrestling… against Villager..."

Villager blushes profusely. "Shush."

I glance to Lucas again, who continues to stare at his plate.

"Are there teams for the day?" I ask, worriedly.

"Red team, Yellow team, Blue team, Green team," Toon Link recites. "Villager, Pit and I are Green - Lucas, I think you're Yellow, Red, you're, conveniently, Red, and Ness, you're Blue."

I feel a slight stab of disappointment at not being with any of the others - but oh well.

"What sports are left?" I ask nervously, thinking of the dreaded cross country.

"Most things," Toon Link waves a hand. "You'll be fine."

But as it turns out, when I go to look at the sheet after lunch (Lucas disappears off to bring food to Saul), only a few blank spots remain. I check my team list as well - Tony, I notice, amongst the ranks, and Paula as well. At least I won't be completely alone.

Seeing as both of them have signed up for the long jump, I figure I might as well too. Nice and easy, right? Only jumping into some sand?

I glance to Lucas, to see what he's going to pick, before remembering he's still upstairs. He was going to come back - but he's been there for quite some time.

Worry begins once more to prickle at my mind, and I realise with a jolt that he didn't even speak once during lunch. What's been going on with him?

He probably hates you.

What is this new phase? Is it me - have I not been good enough recently? Has someone been hurting him?

He doesn't love you anymore.

I command Buttercup to silence. The reappearance of that negative disembodied voice in my head can only be a bad sign… but, no, Lucas does still care about me - doesn't he?

But maybe he was expecting more from this relationship. Maybe I was supposed to do more. After all, what's changed? We've kissed maybe once, twice, what else? It's just been the same as it has been for years.

My stomach sinks. I need to talk to the others.

…

Toon Link's sitting, unusually, alone in his room, looking vaguely at something in a frame. Upon seeing me, he stuffs it under his pillow, before putting on a smile.

"Ness! What's up?"

I enter. "Where's Villager?"

"I think Professor Steve wanted a word - you know, because the Trades course has been removed..."

I feel a small stab of guilt for our friend. I hadn't realised, but of course, his dreams of being a builder may be in jeopardy, thanks to these changes.

Toon Link frowns. "But what's up with you? You look as if you've eaten twenty pancakes, and thrown them back up again."

I groan at the memory. Pancake day, three years ago. It had been a bad time. But I sit down next to him, taking a deep breath.

"I'm worried about Lucas."

"Lucas?"

"Yeah…"

There's a pause. Toon Link runs an agitated hand through his hair. "He's been a bit quiet lately, hasn't he?"

"You can say that again…"

"He's been a bit quiet lately, hasn't he?"

"I didn't mean that literally-"

Toon Link laughs, but upon seeing my worried face, he falls silent. "What's up with him, then?"

I stare at the floor, my insides feeling unpleasant. "I don't know. He just seems irritable - and angry - I don't know if it's because of that Saul guy, or something else, or maybe if it's me…"

"It can't be you," Toon Link declares adamantly. "You two are made for each other. No way could it be your fault."

"I don't know about that…"

"Well, I do."

"But then, what now?" I feel a weight building in my chest.. "What do I do?"

Toon Link thinks. "Well, do you still like him? Do you still want to be with him?"

"Of course!"

"Then, ask him what's up. Simple as that."

I'm moved to silence. That does seem like the simplest solution, but…

"I don't want to upset him," I sigh, miserably. "Or pressure him into telling me anything he doesn't want to."

"You have to be open in a relationship," Toon Link says wisely, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "C'mon mate. Chances are, he's having the exact same conversation with Villager right now."

Yet still, my stomach churns. "Or perhaps he's telling Villager that he doesn't like me anymore."

"Ness!" Toon Link exclaims, appalled. "Look - that's a crazy idea. I've never seen Lucas happier, than when he's with you. You're literally drawn to each other, by magic, and he never ever leaves your side. Of course he still likes you!"

"People can grow apart…"

"Not you two!" Toon Link shakes his head, frantically. "You're nuts, you are, if you think he doesn't like you anymore. Maybe something bad did happen between you two - but it'd only be a short-term thing!"

"How do you know?"

Toon Link laughs, in complete disbelief. "How do I know? Ness - throughout the entirety of primary school, I watched you two get closer together. When you were with each other, you'd disappear off into your own world - whilst Inkling and I watched from the sidelines. A connection like that doesn't just disappear! It's because you've moved into a new relationship - it's natural to doubt whether the other actually likes you. I doubt whether Villager likes me all the time! But that's all they are - doubts. It's not true. He likes - no, he loves you, Ness, and you'd be a fool to think otherwise."

I'm stunned into silence. This is why I came to Toon Link - he's so smart. Such a good friend.

"So - what about our relationship?" I ask.

Toon Link shrugs. "I can't say much there. But it's going well, isn't it?"

"I don't know, it's basically the same as before," I admit. "Like - we kissed a couple of times, but hardly anything else has changed… except, well, everything seems to be more stressful, and more complicated."

"Hmmm… Maybe it'll take time to get used to it?"

"You and Villager didn't take time to get used to it."

Toon Link's cheeks colour. "That's different. We're different people. For you and Lucas - it's like the whole 'boyfriend' thing is just a title, really. An affirmation. Y'know? Since you were already so close."

I rub my cheek. "I wonder if deciding to be more than friends was a mistake."

"Well, maybe. Though even if it was-" but Toon Link falls short, looking fearfully over my shoulder.

I turn.

Just in time to see a flash of blonde disappearing through the doorway.

A/N

This chapter wasn't originally supposed to have relationship drama.

This chapter ended up having relationship drama.

Fun!

As you can see from the current description of this fic, I'm making some updates to old chapters. It's going well! Lots of fairly sizable changes are being made.

Meanwhile, exams are a nightmare. Revising magnetic fields is an even bigger nightmare. Expect delays…

As always, thanks for reading,

~ ReadyForTeddy