(Lucas)

Let me get one thing straight: Saul is NOT my brother.

But didn't I tell Ness that he is? Did I not say, directly to his face, that the proof Saul provided was sufficient?

Well, it went a little something like this…

~~o00o~~

"Thanks, Ness, I'll come through when we're done."

I show my lover out. He goes, though reluctantly - he's worried about me, I think. He's worried about leaving me alone.

But I can't blame him. Even I've noticed that glint in Saul's eyes.

We're alone. Ness dutifully closes the door, and his warmth vanishes along with his comforting presence. I gulp, looking at the man in front of me.

"Go on them," I say, through a mask of forced angry scepticism. "What's your proof?"

"Well…" Saul leans lazily against Claus's pillow. I glower at the action, as Saul gives me an honest smile from the bed. "You'll have to come over here..."

"I don't think so!" I back away. "I know that trick - I'll get close, and you'll stab me, or something!"

"Hm." Saul inclines his head with slight approval, before swinging his legs around, and standing up. "Street kid too?"

I feel resentment pooling in my gut. "Yeah. And?"

"I can tell. It teaches you things. Teaches you things about how the world works…"

He leaves his sentence hanging, as he begins to pace again. I step forward decisively.

"Where's this proof that you're my brother, then? I can't let you stay here unless you show it."

"I've got it," Saul reassures me. "Sorry - I'm straying off topic... But street life; Lucas, you know how bad it is out there…"

"I do," I reply, stonily. "Proof, please."

"Please - let me finish. The streets - they taught me, they must've taught you, how the rich get richer, and the poor are left behind. It's men like Porky Minch, like Geldegarde Monotoli, B.H Pirkle… They're the winners, you see?"

"I do." I've made this rather uncomplicated observation many times before. "What of it?"

"One night, I was on the street - it was an ordinary night…" Saul looks distantly out of the window, scouring the black peaks of pines in the forest. "A man approached me. I thought him unusual at first, I tried to get away, but he promised freedom. He promised joy, he promised power; power for the people."

I narrow my eyes, suspicious. "Didn't you say you had adoptive parents? What were you doing on the streets?"

"I was kicked out," Saul sighs, with a great sense of remorse. "Long story - but this man, the man who approached me, you may have heard of him… his name was Frank Fly."

Frank Fly. The name rings a bell. A powerful man, leader of the street gang The Sharks, who infamously merged with…

"Onett Power." There's coldness in my voice. "You're a part of Onett Power."

Saul smiles faintly, sitting back down. "Indeed I am."

"Famed for terror attacks. Killing people. Violent protests."

"Not always…" Saul's expression becomes pained. "It's for the greater good, Lucas. You've lived on the street; don't you see? We - Onett Power - we want to make a new world. We want to make changes. Improvements."

I surge forwards, furious that this man can call himself my brother, and yet associate himself with such things. "Didn't you read the newspaper? Last Friday - one of your men, Everdred, he blew the High Court to smithereens. He killed innocents. And he'd been used - used by your leaders. Coerced!"

Saul's face visibly whitens. "He - what? I hadn't heard - I'd left Onett before…"

I advance, sensing an advantage to me. "It's true. And it's your people that did it. Now, before I kick you out of this room, where is the proof that you're my brother?"

Saul slowly raises his hands. "Well, it's not proof that you're my brother, per se…"

"Then what is it?" I demand.

Ever so gradually, Saul unfurls his jacket. He reaches a pale hand into his pocket, and he seems to be digging around for quite a while, before he pulls something out. I can't quite see it at first, but when I look a little closer… my blood runs cold.

I recognise that black powder far too well. I know the damage it can do.

Gunpowder.

Saul's grin is pleasant, as he looks up at me. "Brother of mine…" He dangles the explosive bag in the air, almost carelessly. "Porky Minch is within this building. Onett Power… We want him dead, we want him destroyed! I have more where this came from… Mr Fly arms us very well!"

I pale, staring at it. He must have bags upon bags of the stuff. Now that I look, I see more bags sticking out from under the bed.

"Don't," I say, weakly. "Don't ignite it - you'll kill us all."

Saul remains unmoved. "Is it not worth it, to kill Porky?"

I think of Ness, Toon Link, Villager, Claus, Rosalina, everyone I love, so blissfully unaware of what is happening.

"No," I say sharply, standing forwards. "No, it's not."

To my surprise, Saul sighs, tossing the bag of gunpowder onto the bed. "Ah, perhaps you're right, Lucas… Maybe damage and destruction is not the way forwards. Maybe I won't ignite the gunpowder…"

My shoulders relax. "Good."

"...On one condition."

He looks up at me. Feeling the power shifting in his direction, I have no choice but to listen. "What condition is that, then?"

He doesn't blink. There's a keen, childish expression on his face. "Let me stay. Let me stay here, out of the cold. Don't tell anyone about me - tell everyone that I'm your brother. Even your friend, Ness. Tell him, or he and everyone else will be exploded. Let me stay, or…" He suddenly draws a box of matches out of his pocket. "Everyone dies!"

.

.

.

~~o00o~~

Chapter 52: Not When You're in Love

(Lucas)

~~o00o~~

.

.

.

Ness's words ring bitterly through my ears.

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

Of course. Did I not see - did I not hear the signs? Did I miss something? I pull the covers over my head, trying oh-so-desperately not to cry. Have I not been good enough? Have I not been giving him the attention, the love he deserves? I don't know how to do this whole boyfriend thing. I'm doing it all wrong. All wrong.

The door bursts open behind. It'll be Ness, I know it'll be Ness, but how can I face him? When I know he's having doubts?

But it's not Ness.

"Lucas?" The calm, concerned voice of Villager echoes through the room. Rapidly, I try to pull myself together, before shakily sitting up.

"Y-Yeah?"

He frowns. "Lucas? What's wrong?"

"Nothing - u-uh, what do you need?"

"Don't worry about that," Villager quietly shuts the door behind him. "Lucas? Is it that new guy? Saul? The one who claims to be your brother?"

I remember the gunpowder, taking a deep, ragged breath. "He is my brother."

"But that's not what's wrong," Villager says perceptively, sitting down beside me. "Where's Claus?"

I look over. Claus's temporary bed is now empty. "I don't know..."

Villager looks at me plainly. "Then, what's wrong, Lucas?"

I hold back a sniffle. "It's Ness."

"Ness? What about Ness?"

My first reply is so muffled, that Villager has to ask me again.

"He - he thinks our relationship is a mistake," I explain, miserably. "I heard him telling Toon Link."

Villager's face falls.

"Maybe you misheard?" He offers, unconvincingly. "Or maybe you heard it out of context?"

But I shake my head. "In what context does that sound good?"

"Well, I don't know… but, c'mon. Ness is head-over-heels for you! I don't know why he'd say otherwise."

I merely look down at my feet in reply.

"He stares at you all the time," Villager presses. "He can't take his eyes off you. It's so obvious! You must've gotten the wrong end of the stick."

Yet the words don't go in, my thoughts still clouded with doubts. What if all this time, Ness has only been pretending to like me? What if he took me under his wing, only out of good faith, and could never get rid of me? Me, the hopeless case - the lonely kid from the forsaken village…

The door opens once more. A familiar silhouette rushes in, breathing heavily, a capped boy, familiar dark hair, familiar legs, familiar arms, torso, body, familiar everything.

His voice is a scared whisper, as he comes to a halt. "Lucas?"

"Yeah?" I reply, automatically. Villager sharply stands up.

"I'll leave you two to it-"

As Villager leaves, Ness edges forwards, still out of breath. He must've run here; I can see the faint shine of sweat on his forehead. The door swings heavily shut behind him; heavy as the Psychic Stone, still laying resolutely like a burden in my pocket.

"How much did you hear?" He sounds scared, as he comes towards me. My chest compresses at the very sight.

"Enough."

"Lucas…"

I look up. Our eyes meet. His are worried, as he comes to sit beside me, putting a little distance between us. An unfamiliar distance between us.

"I'm sorry," I murmur. "Sorry to have forced you to keep by me for so long-"

"It's not like that!" Ness yelps hurriedly, springing to life. "Lucas-"

"Ness-"

Words begin to roll like quicksilver from his tongue. "Lucas, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, because I thought, I thought you…"

"I what?"

"I only said that - because I thought you didn't want to be with me anymore-"

I'm brought to silence. My head spins. Ness thinks that? About me? My stomach sinks. Again, further proof that I haven't done enough...

"I do," I say quietly, looking down at my hands. "I do want to be with you. I'm sorry."

"I'm worried about you," Ness exclaims, his voice trembling. "Because you've - you've…"

"I've what?"

There's a pregnant pause.

"Been different," Ness mumbles eventually, as though the words are costing him years of his life. "Angrier. Surlier. More reserved. I thought you were angry at me."

"I'm sorry." I stare again at my feet. He's right - he's absolutely right. Yet I hadn't realised it at all. And Saul's arrival has only exacerbated the problem - I would tell Ness right away about the gunpowder, the threat. I would tell him the truth immediately. But Saul's threat echoes through my ears. Everyone dies.

"Are you okay?" Ness asks, plaintively. "If something's going on-"

"It's everything," I murmur. "Everything that's happening - I'm sorry - I didn't mean to hurt you - I'm not angry at you."

"Really?"

"Really. I mean it."

Ness edges closer. I can almost feel his nervousness, emanating from his body. I'm filled with a sudden urge to hurl myself at him, to hug him tight, and to tell him how much I love him, but I restrain it.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Forgive me for being an idiot?"

Ness breaks into a slight smile. "Only if you forgive me too."

There's another pause. And suddenly, we're clinging to one another like we're children; as if our very lives depend on our touch. His arms are full around my back, and mine are the same around his. I long to hold him like this forever, I long for him to understand me for the rest of our days, I long for no more quarrels.

"I think I was just overthinking our relationship," Ness admits. "Because it's so good, being with you. My mind…"

"Kairosclerosis?"

"Sorry?"

"You know - the moment you realize that you're happy - so you try to savour the feeling - which prompts your mind to identify it, pick it apart and put it in context, where it will slowly dissolve, until it's little more than an aftertaste..."

Ness laughs a little, concerned. "That's quite bleak."

"I'm not even sure if it's a real word."

Ness slips his hands down to my sides, but his fingers meet the solid lump of the psychic stone. He draws it delicately out of my pocket. "It's this thing, isn't it?"

"I - what?" I'm caught aback, as we come apart.

"More emotionally volatile - it said in the book. It's probably causing all these problems."

"I guess you're right…" I mull it over. Even as it's gone, I feel more level-headed, more rational. "Look - Ness, I'm really sorry-"

He hugs me again. "It's alright, in all this madness, it's scary, it's confusing, it's horrible."

On instinct, I brush a delicate kiss against his cheek. "It's not that scary. Not when you're in love."

Ness colours. He lays his hand gently in mine, and for a moment, I forget about everything that's happening. But of course; tranquility is fast destroyed.

Claus blunders into the room. Ness and I burst apart, before I remember that it's alright, Claus knows about us. But I frown - he looks worried, really worried.

"What's up?"

"Lucas!" Claus cries out. "Come see!"

Troubled, I get to my feet, slipping the Psychic Stone back into my pocket. Almost immediately, I feel my senses heighten, and yet my balance shifts. Ness follows me, as we hurtle out into the hallway.

Claus stops by the great stone staircase. He points down it; there at the bottom is a huddle of people.

I nearly trip on the carpet as I tumble down. The crowd is seemingly gathered around something, though I know not what it is. I push through, trying for once to be assertive, making out a figure of some description lying prostrate on the carpet.

"What's going on?" Ness asks over the rabble, but nobody seems to hear.

Movement begins. As if in a trance, the figure begins to rise - I realise with a shock that it's Villager's friend, Mega Man. But he does not rise in the normal sense; he rises stiffly, as if he is an old board being unfolded. He reaches full verticality, and his eyes hurl open; noises of concern being made by the onlookers. And then, his mouth opens dramatically, and from it, a great screeching begins.

I quickly cover my ears, as many do the same. It's the sound of gears grinding, a million knives being scraped on a chalkboard, and suddenly there begins to emit a strange, purplish light from his eyes. Gasps ring from other students, before suddenly, the sound halts, the light dims, Mega Man's body turns limp, and he crashes to the ground.

Everyone surges forwards, crying out in alarm. I look around frantically for a teacher, spotting Professor Byleth and calling him over. The blue-haired man hurries over at once, pushing through everybody - he takes one look at the unconscious Mega Man on the floor, and the purple glow, before crying out: "Get back!"

I obey, my hand finding Ness's in the thicket of people. The tension in the corridor hangs thick and heavy, as Professor Byleth sharply lifts Mega Man off the floor. The purple glow continues to emanate from him, Mega Man's face still wholly blank and unresponsive. I spot Villager's frightened face amongst the crowd.

"He is unwell," Professor Byleth says, stating the obvious. "Disperse - at once. I will take him to Doctor Mario!"

With a surprisingly agile sweep of his long, black cloak, Byleth hurries down the hall, Mega Man in his arms. Mutters and whispers break out, but Ness swiftly pulls me away.

"What on Earth was that?!"

"I don't know," I reply, worried.

"Porky, perhaps?"

I shake my head. "He's not magical - it can't be him…" My mind lingers momentarily on the mysterious letter-sender, the Other magical student. I push the thought out of my mind.

"I hope Mega Man is alright…"

Professor Byleth reappears as quickly as he left, now striding empty-handed from the other end of the corridor. He spots us immediately, and waves us towards his office.

Ness and I exchange an alarmed look. Byleth waves again; I send Villager off as he tries to come towards us, remembering that Ryu hired Byleth; he should be alright.

Ness and I hurry after him, into the ovular room.

The first thing I notice is that Byleth has redecorated. The office, which once stood as Ryu's, adorned with familiar decor and the giant bronze globe, has now been painted a pale blue. On shelves where there were once innumerable books, there now stands a bizarre and disorganised range of clocks - from a little carriage clock at once end, to a mighty wooden cuckoo clock at the other. Ignoring this strange sight and the ticking noise that emerges from it, I spot that two comfortable chairs have been placed opposite Byleth; not wanting to be rude, I quickly sit down.

Professor Byleth leans over his cluttered desk. Masked by his casual expression, there's a heaviness in his eyes that I hadn't noticed from afar, like some kind of deep-set misery. His hair is similar to Professor Marth's, yet somehow it's more striking against Byleth's face. He carries a sort of experienced ruggedness in his demeanour, one that suggests he has seen worlds themselves crumble and fall. It clashes sharply with his youthful looks.

"Good afternoon. Good to finally catch you. We haven't spoken before," Byleth says easily, as if we have spoken many times, and are old acquaintances. "Ness, Lucas, it is fabulous to meet you. Ryu told me a lot about this situation we are in - I am an old friend of his - though, that is irrelevant, uh… let me just find..." He sets about arranging some of the unkempt papers before Ness, who gulps.

"Professor Byleth, out there-"

Byleth glances sharply back up at us. I am not immediately filled with trust for him, it feels as though he is evaluating us, as he says, "I am sure you know what that was?"

"No," I say, feeling immediately stupid.

"Good," Byleth looks relieved, bringing his papers to an untidy stack, and pushing them aside. "There we go. Neither do I. However, it's probably possible to find out."

"Is he okay?" Ness interrupts fearfully. "What was it, did someone do that to him? Was it a curse or something? A spell?"

"Quite possibly…" Byleth glances up the one book that remains on the shelf; An Anthology of Spells by Wiz. Ard. As interested as I am that Wiz. Ard wrote multiple books, I decide to mention the obvious instead:

"You know about magic, then?"

"Absolutely," Byleth says, as if it is common sense. "Why else would Ryu hire me? He wanted me to, I believe his wording was, guide you in your teachings..."

Ness and I exchange a significant look.

"He wrote a lot about training," Byleth says casually, picking up a rather crinkled piece of paper from the pile, with apparent interest. "Yes, this was it - ask them to train, mention the risk of death - etcetera…"

"Risk of death?!" Ness exclaims.

"He didn't really say much else," Byleth says, as though we are discussing something as mundane as the weather. "Always was a vague man, Ryu."

"You can say that again!" Ness gives me another worried look, as Byleth stands back up.

"Well then. That is all for now, it's been a pleasure to meet you both. I do believe that I'm supposed to be preparing some lessons… so, remember - train. Or we'll all be doomed. See you around..."

He leaves the room.

Ness and I file out after him, not wanting to intrude in his office for too long. I'm left feeling quite confused by the interaction with Ryu's strange friend. I can't begin to imagine what 'guiding us in our teachings' may entail.

"Odd man," Ness comments as we reascend the stairs. "I wonder what that was, though? With the light and the noise?"

Villager immediately accosts us, when we reach the dorm hall. "What's going on? What happened to Mega Man?"

"No idea," Ness shrugs. "I've never seen anything like it - he's alive, though…"

"Isn't there anything in those books that Ryu left you?"

"We'll have to have a look," I say quickly, before Ness evokes another lecture about training. "I might've seen something…"

"He's in the Medical Ward," Villager nervously slots his fingers together. "Unconscious. He's not glowing anymore - he's got a pulse - but… could someone have done that to him? Deliberately?"

"Who'd have a vendetta against Mega Man?"

"Me," Toon Link grins, coming out from his hallway. "Villager's attention is mine, and no-one else's!"

We freeze. We all stare at him in absolute shock. Toon Link did this? No - this is fantastical, this is ridiculous-

He frowns. "Guys? What's going on?"

Villager snaps out of stasis. "Mega Man - he started glowing, and fell unconscious - are you saying you did that?"

"What? No-"

"But you said-"

"I've been in my room," Toon Link explains, hastily. "And, I don't know how to make people glow. I was kidding - is he okay?"

We quickly explain the situation to him. His forehead creases as he takes the information in.

"Well," he mutters. "It looks like we have another mystery on our hands…"

…

Throughout the afternoon, news of the incident spreads like wildfire. Soon, everyone's talking about glowing purple auras, and awful screeching noises, with a sense of hushed awe.

"Well, I think it's witches!" A younger girl declares to her friend, as we pass by. "Mother always said-"

"It's just a rumour, it can't be true!" A boy argues back. "Magic isn't real, magic doesn't exist-"

"It must be! Loads of people saw it, and I headed Penelope say-"

"Well, Penelope's wrong then, isn't she? This is all a big trick!"

As Ness, Toon Link, Villager and I file into the games room, I can still hear the pair debating noisily outside. I wearily shut the door behind us.

Red and Pit greet us with grim faces; it seems they've heard the news too. I spot Ness sneaking a glance under the pool table - his face lights up when he sees a small envelope there. He snatches it into his hands, and I see his name emblazoned upon it.

I stare at it in confusion. "What's that?"

"It's from that stranger - the other magician!" Ness enthuses. "I wrote back this morning."

But Ness hastily stuffs it away, as Link bursts into the room, looking mutinous. He casts one glance at Toon Link, before advancing on him with a pool cue.

"Alright! What did you do to her?"

Toon Link blinks, surprised. "I'm sorry? To who?"

"Zelda! You made her stop talking to me - I know it!"

"I've never spoken to Zelda!" Toon Link exclaims, outraged. "What are you on about?"

"Well, it had to be someone!" Link falls into a brooding pace around the room. "Someone put her off me, quite suddenly! Normally when we argue…"

"Go and see the school counsellor," Toon Link sighs. "I cannot help you and your silly lover's quarrel."

Link glares at him, before tossing the pool cue down on the table, and leaving without a word.

"Weird," comments Pit, as the door closes behind him. "As usual."

Villager shoots a sharp glare at Ness and I. "And why are you two here? Aren't you supposed to be training?"

"We know!" Ness cries out, exasperated. "Everyone keeps telling us that!"

"So why aren't you-"

"Claus is busy," I explain, tiredly. I have to agree with Ness, I am starting to feel quite harassed. "We need to train with him, so we're all on the same-"

Claus cheerily enters. "Hello!"

I sigh, as Villager grins. I suppose there's no getting out of it now.

…

It's still light outside, even though the sun is beginning to set, sending its glorious orange ribbons across the skyline. The scene would be quite romantic, if it weren't for Claus repeatedly sending fireballs into the lake.

"PK Fire!" Claus exclaims, happily. A magnificent volley of flame erupts from his weathered palms, practically boiling the lake in the distance. "Easy!"

"PK Thunder!" I shout. A bolt of lightning thunders from the sky, setting a nearby bush ablaze.

Ness thrusts his hands forwards. "PK Flash!" Immediately, there's a blinding burst of light, and I stagger, blinking, spots appearing in my vision.

"What's that one?" I ask, trying to regain my balance.

Ness looks down at the book, An Anthology of Spells, that we've laid on a nearby rock. We have it open to the psychic section; the list it reveals is numerous. Think of any word you like, scream PK before it, and something will probably happen.

"Watch this - PK STARSTORM!"

There's a distant rumble. Then, in the distance, specks of white light appear in the sky, before suddenly, miniature comets begin to rain down. I duck instinctively as the grass near me explodes into mud - but eventually, the onslaught stops.

Ness collapses down against the rock. "Wow - that's a tiring one-"

"Our stamina will probably improve," I reason. Though, I can't help but notice Claus's onslaught of fire doesn't seem to be anywhere close to ending. It makes me wonder if he's inadvertently used these powers before.

"I wonder if Saul is powerful too?" Ness wonders aloud. "Since he is your brother…"

I wince at the thought. The lie still burns in my stomach, but I know it's for Ness's good. "Maybe," I reply, unconvincingly.

"Though, it doesn't seem to be hereditary…" Ness frowns. "But that's a thing - howcome the book mentions us, and not Claus?"

"No idea. Maybe they didn't know about him?"

"How do they know about us, for that matter?"

I shrug. "Probably some people with powers like Ryu - you know, how they can see when people have powers…"

"Ah…"

The discussion continues a while longer. I manage to shoot a few more beams of ice and fire into the water, but pretty soon, I'm just as tired out as Ness. We watch the sunset for a while, before heading back inside. I'm not entirely sure what we achieved with all that, it doesn't seem to me that practising makes the magic more powerful… And I have no idea if having the psychic stone in my pocket helped me or not, but Ryu said to keep it with me at all times. I don't have much choice but to obey.

Whilst Ness and Claus head back to our dorm, I decide I might as well make sure Saul isn't blowing anything up. Fortunately, when I walk in on him, he's lying neutrally on his bed, reading a book.

He sits up immediately upon seeing me. "Lucas! Little brother!"

I ignore him. "Where did you get that book?"

"The library. I snuck down, when you were all busy.."

"What's it about?"

He looks at it vaguely. "The fossil record of the U.K. over the last millennium."

"Fascinating," I deadpan.

Saul doesn't look up from the Geological Lithology of the South Downs. "So, have you told Ness that I'm your brother, then?"

I grit my teeth. "Yes."

He smiles to himself. "Thanks! That means a lot. And, is dinner soon?"

"After we've had assembly."

"Excellent, I'm hungry. I look forward to it! Oh - and please, bring a knife and fork this time… I don't want to eat with my hands. The soup got rather sticky at lunch!"

I glower. I want to tell him exactly where he can stick his knife and fork, but I keep my mouth shut. "Of course."

He looks up at me, so casually that it's irritating. "So Lucas, what's up? Did you need something?"

I stand stoutly in place. "No. I'm just making sure you're behaving..." I spot one of the little bags of grey out of the corner of my eye - I have half a mind to grab it here and now, but I'm pretty sure that wouldn't go unnoticed.

"And am I behaving?"

"For now."

He waves an idle hand. "Then, I'll see you around!"

I glower for a few seconds, before deciding I might as well just go.

I leave as quickly as I can.

"Look at this!" Ness thrusts a letter in my face, as soon as I return back to the dorm. "It's crazy!"

I take it, hoping suddenly that it's from granddad Alec - but no, it's the letter from the mysterious Other Person with Powers:

Good afternoon, Ness!

I'm really glad you decided to write back. I was starting to get a little worried.

There's another one of you? PSI Powers?! So much information! According to a book Ryu gave me, Psychic powers are extremely rare! Are you good with them? Have you (as they say) mastered them?

Funny, Ryu never mentioned you guys either, which strikes me as a little weird. And as for my Diplomatics powers, it's difficult, it's not like people have a certain aura, or a certain glow, if they are magical. I have to actively look at someone and think it, and then, the knowledge arrives instinctively. That's how I figured out about you, since I had noticed that we look so similar… and you remember the rest!

As for my name, I'd rather keep that quiet, just in case anyone else reads this letter. Perhaps we should get to know one another first?

~910

"And here's my reply," Ness brandishes another letter in my face. "Please check my grammar-"

Good afternoon, mysterious person!

I wouldn't say Lucas and I have mastered our powers, but we're trying our best. It's a big mess. Now, this is a long shot, but have you heard of something called a Future Human? If you haven't, don't worry about it at all, if you have, that'd be really helpful.

That's interesting about your powers. I suppose all the different 'branches' of power must have their own mechanisms - the creation branch for example, to me, that sounds extremely overpowered. There must be some sort of limitation there, otherwise I'd imagine we'd be in a utopia. Ryu didn't say much about how the powers work - have you heard about the powerful stones?

It's understandable if you want to stay anonymous. After all, our kind is subject to a lot of hunting or slave trading. But are you a student at least? Just so long as I'm not talking to Bowser here…

And, what do you want to know? I'll ask you first - what's your favourite book?

~ Ness

"Is it alright?" Ness asks, anxiously.

"Your grammar is correct," I declare serenely, before dropping my voice. "I'm not sure we should be mentioning the Future Humans to a stranger, though…"

Ness frowns. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"It could fall into the wrong hands…"

"Yeah, but they already know that we know about the Future Humans. It wouldn't be news to them."

"Hmmmm... I guess you're right... But-"

A mad ringing noise suddenly fills the room. I cover my ears instinctively, and Ness jumps up.

"Lockdown drill!"

"What - oh yeah! I forgot! Quick!"

"What do we do?!"

"Shut the door!"

I obey, hastily slamming it shut, turning the lock

"What do we do now?"

"Hide under the bed?"

Claus looks around worriedly from the other end of the room. "What happening?"

"Lockdown drill!" Ness exclaims, again. "It means we need to hide!"

"There's nothing dangerous," I say, upon seeing Claus's terrified expression. "It's just a practice."

"Wait," Ness pauses suddenly, having to raise his voice over the deafening chimes. "Porky orchestrated this. What are we doing, following his rules?"

"Being safe!" I reply, checking that the trapdoor in the wardrobe is still sealed. "He must be up to something!"

"How do we know when the lockdown is over?"

"Clock rings a second time - c'mon, let's hide!"

I just about manage to squeeze under my bed. Ness follows suit, throwing himself down on the floor, and I pull him underneath. There's an audible creak as Claus lies down, and slides himself under the opposite bed. I pull Ness close.

"This is a bit odd," Ness whispers. "Why are we doing this again?"

"Because," I whisper back. "Think about it - he's making everyone hide away, it's the perfect opportunity for him to come up here and finish us off!"

Ness pales. "I hadn't thought of that…"

"What?" Claus asks loudly, from across the room. Ness and I quickly make shushing motions, and he falls quiet.

The clocktower finally stops ringing.

"-Absolutely ridiculous," comes an abrupt voice from outside the door. Shulk. "I don't see why-"

"Just do what he says." Marth. Toon Link's possible father, I'm reminded. The voices fade, as the professors make their way down the stairs.

My breath hitches in my throat. I am convinced, almost certain, that Porky will be on his way here. I pull Ness instinctively closer, imagining Porky's vast figure coming up the stairs… perhaps with his hand on the doorknob…

Ness yawns. "This is boring."

"Shh!"

"Lucas, nothing's happening-"

"Be quiet!"

"But-"

"Silence!"

Ness reluctantly gives in. I look out at the floor as best I can from my position - there's a tiny gap under the door, and I begin to imagine shadows out there, moving around, cast by footsteps, someone on their way…

"Scared…" Claus whimpers. I give him an apologetic look, before throwing Ness's teddy bear across the floor at him. It seems to help, as he hugs it tight.

"Lucas, we're fine," Ness says again. "We can talk-"

I prod him, hard. "If you're not quiet, I'll remove all your vital organs. That's Porky doesn't do it first."

"Ow! Porky isn't here, Lucas, he's probably in his office, and-"

His voice falls short. It soon becomes apparent why, as the door handle sharply rattles.

Ness and I exchange a terrified look.

The door handle rattles again. Whoever it is seems remarkably keen to get in...

"I know you're in there!" The gleeful voice of Porky calls out; my stomach drops. I was right!

"No we're not!" Claus calls back, his face frightened.

"Oho! Lucas, your voice sounds a little more gravelly than usual…"

I panic, banging my head on the underside of the bed. Porky can't find out about Claus, under any circumstances.

"Leave us alone!" Ness calls. "We don't want you here!"

Porky's wheezy laugh sounds from outside the door. "I'm not coming in. I'm just making sure you're following the lockdown procedure! Which you are not - so, it'll be another session of cleaning the toilets for you, Ness. And, a round of caning with Bowser, I think!"

"Hey! That's not fair!"

"All's fair in love and war!" There's the noise of rustling. "Behave yourselves!" Porky calls out. "Or else!"

Footsteps echo as he leaves. Ness breathes a sigh of relief, rolling out from under the bed. I follow suit, covering my face with my hands.

"Creep," Ness grumbles. "At least the lock works."

I exhale. "He could easily send in a Future Human to knock it down..."

"Thanks for that morale boost."

I allow myself a slight smile. "Someone has to be the realist round here."

But Ness frowns, looking under his bed. "Claus? Are you okay?"

My heart stops. I duck down. There Claus is - his legs drawn up to his chest, lying completely immobile.

"Claus?" I try. "You okay?"

His voice quivers, a dry husk. His whole body seems to be shaking, on overdrive. Even the red light, embedded in the metal patch on his cheek, is flashing. "Por… ky…"

My worries increase. I duck down under the bed, putting an arm around my twin. "It's okay now, Claus. He's gone."

His voice creaks and groans. "It hurts…"

I hold him a little tighter. "What hurts? Did something happen?"

"Por… ky…" Claus lifts a trembling hand to his head. His eyes are fixed on the ground. I try to give him a little tug, to get him to come out, but he doesn't budge.

"He's gone now," I promise. "We'll get rid of him, okay? He doesn't know you're here. He can't hurt you anymore."

Ness gently comes down the other side of him. "It's okay, Claus. Lucas - Lucas and I - we'll keep you safe."

"Por… ky… Hurt..."

"Come on out," I try. "Come on out from under there - it's okay now, come on…"

He goes slack in my grip, allowing me to move him. Gently, I try to pull him free, over the dark grey carpet, and out from under the shadows. Ness helps me lift him up and onto the bed, where he lies still, shivering.

"Porky… Bad…"

"We know," I soothe, handing him Ness's teddy bear again. Claus grips it like a vice.

"He can't hurt you now," Ness says softly, looking over Claus's troubled face. "We won't let him."

"We hide…" Claus croaks, clinging tightly onto the stuffed animal in his arms. "Inkling and me… We hide… under bed."

I continue to hold him close, allowing him to speak.

"When Porky come…" He balls his fists, falling into his pillow. "We hide."

"Did it work?" Ness whispers.

There's a pause, before Claus shakes his head. A large tear drips down his face. "Never."

The moment breaks my heart. A pang of agony floods through my body. I fight back the urge to cry, pulling my traumatised brother into my arms. I need to be strong for him. I need to be his rock, like he used to be for me.

"Porky… bad," Claus rasps again, sounding utterly defeated. "So bad."

"I know," I moan, holding him near. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, sorry."

But suddenly, Claus's body goes limp in my arms. I look up, with a mixture of fear and sadness. The red light on his cheek shines bright, and his eyes are glassy.

"We rise."

The voice cuts through me. It is not his own, and yet it comes out of his mouth, reverberating around the walls.

"We grow."

"Claus?" I shake him, desperately. "Claus? What's going on?"

"We are coming."

"Claus?" Ness rushes forwards. "Claus, is that you?"

"We are coming!"

His body jerks. I grip it tightly, as his eyes swim in his head. His lips part, before closing again, his body rigid as a board. His pupils dilate, before suddenly, his eyes close, and he falls flat against the bed.

Rapidly, I check his pulse. It beats steadily. I check his breathing - his chest rises and falls. The red light on his cheek is firmly switched off. I stare at him with panic - what was that? What happened?

"Who's coming?" Ness asks, frightened. "What was he saying - who's coming!?"

I ignore him. I need to make sure Claus is okay. His electrical components whir contentedly - as they normally do. His skin is warm. His arms and legs are limp, as though he were sleeping.

I step back, my heart pounding. "I think he's okay."

"Lucas - what was-"

I stop him. Something catches my eye on the floor - something white, and curled up. I hurry over, reading Porky's scrawled handwriting:

'Dearest Lukey,

Fantastic to see that a family reunion has occurred! Simply spectacular, to see your dear brother at lunch time. I do hope he's doing well? I noticed you did not come to my office for a chat, following my last invitation! This makes me very sad. Please come tonight? I'll make you a double chocolate cake?

Hugs and Kisses,

Porky-Worky.'

I glower. I have never hated a man more in my life. I thrust open the window, throwing the letter out to join the sunflowers.

…

"It's very creepy," Toon Link agrees, when we tell the others about Claus, and Porky's letter. "Prime villainy. Could Porky have caused that to happen?"

"It's like what happened to Mega Man," Villager says, darkly. "Losing control of his own body, something else taking over…"

"You don't think Porky can possess people, do you?" Pit's voice is high, as he looks at us.

"Or maybe he put one of those chips on their necks?"

"He didn't," I grimace. "I checked - both of them, I couldn't see one."

"Everyone's talking about it," Toon Link murmurs. "I haven't heard so much drama since everyone thought Ryu and Rosalina were dating…"

Ness and I share a glance. We obviously know better.

"Well, I think it's another magical person," Red declares. "How about the one who sent you the letter?"

Ness quickly shakes his head. "No. They seem nice, I like them."

"Or Saul?" Toon Link suggests. "Since both you and Claus are magical… perhaps it's a family thing..."

I sigh. "Saul wasn't anywhere near the situation."

"Did you find out if he's your brother, by the way?"

I swallow, remembering the gunpowder. "Yes," I lie, convincingly. "It turns out he is."

"Wow!" Toon Link raises his eyebrows. "Are you happy about that?"

"Not one bit."

There's a little bit of laughter, and it's freeing, to a degree.

"Have you been training, then?" Villager asks us, sharply. "I saw you outside…"

"Yeah," Ness nods. "We fired some magic at the lake. Great fun."

"Anything cool?" Pit asks, hopefully.

"There's a lot of stuff in that book," I say. "But it was all pretty cool. I suppose we need to find out what's good in what situation… tests the boundaries of the powers, and all that…"

Villager smiles. "Absolutely."

"And build stamina," Ness adds, wearily. "Using those powers - it takes a lot out of me."

Professor Rosalina's head appears briefly around the door. "Evening assembly, everyone! Come on!"

Red groans, standing up. "And then I have to cook dinner, it's my turn on the rota…"

We file into the main hall. Porky's piggy eyes narrow as we arrive; evidently he's displeased that he cannot punish Ness further, and I take great relish in that as we sit down. Pit ends up next to the rather flustered-looking Paula, which makes Toon Link laugh, but then Bayonetta arrives with a vindictive expression, and Pit quickly makes space.

There's chatter all around us, whilst the hordes of students file in. I hear mentions of Mega Man amongst the conversations, a lot of curiosity in their tones, and not a lot of fear. I think that's a good thing, the resilience of the school has always been surprisingly high. After the fire that happened a few weeks ago, hardly anyone seemed fazed. After the attack of a Future Human at Bayonetta's party, nobody was bothered. (Although, they might all have been too drunk to notice.)

"Leadership!" Porky bellows, taking the lectern so suddenly that a number of students jump round in surprise. "Good afternoon - sit down - sit down - leadership! Today's assembly will be about leadership!"

Silence falls. The audience listens more intently than ever before - no doubt they're hoping for some information regarding Mega Man.

"But first…" Porky grins vindictively, at all the hopeful faces before him. "I do believe some events unfolded earlier today!"

Whispers break out, and Porky raises a stubby hand for quiet.

"One event in particular: Some more graffiti appeared, slandering my name!"

There are groans, and I participate in them. For goodness sake.

"Which means, more sanctions!" Porky is positively beaming, at the front of the room. Even the other Professors have thin lips at the sight.

Porky leans over the lectern. "Not only are the pool and the common rooms now closed, but until the perpetrator of this vandalism comes forwards, everyone must run a daily lap around the lake."

Cries of outrage ring out.

I fold my arms. It seems Porky has dropped the pretence of being nice, in preference of wielding his power. A lap around the lake - for me, that's fine, but for Ness…

"I'm doomed!" Ness whispers to me, hysterically. "I'll collapse after a hundred metres!"

"Silence!" Porky calls out. "Now - leadership. It is time to begin the assembly!"

He begins to pace. "Leadership... is a powerful tool. A leader has the tools to command a certain group of people, as they wish. A leader can do great things! A leader can do terrible things. Sometimes both… However, with leadership, there always comes a degree of power."

"Power fluctuates, as we all know! Power can be gained, power can be lost. Power is a valuable asset, to any man. Many of you would do well to remember this. But how can power be maximised? How can leadership be maximised?"

"Take Onett's government. Mr B.H Pirkle is our current mayor. But would you declare him a powerful leader? No, I do not think you would. To be a true leader, one must grip the reins of power, of control… which brings me to continuing the story of Peter!"

"As you may recall, Peter was rising through the ranks in business. But was he a leader? No, he was not. Could he change his rotten world? No, Peter could not. But that was subject to change. See, to make change, you need connections, to the powerful, the people that can have an influence… in order to exert oneself at first, you see, you must do it via proxy."

"Peter made connections. These connections integrated him further, and his poor mother and father were so incredibly proud. Peter rose through the ranks of his society, like Morphy, in '58! That's a chess reference, for those who are wondering..."

"And so, Peter had employees, he had CEOs, board directors, managers, all under his belt. Peter was a leader. He was powerful, and he controlled all he surveyed. Nobody dared challenge Peter's authority. Peter took charge, he made manoeuvres, and he let nobody best him. And that…" Porky dramatically closes the great book again. "Is how to be a great leader. You are all dismissed!"

A/N

I'll admit, there was no real good cut-off point for this chapter, but I decided to choose here anyway.

School is still crazy for me right now! Final exams are all over the place, I'm supposed to be revising astrophysics right now, but yet, here I am, writing a gay 1800s AU. Oh well.

The next chapter I have planned ought to be a little bit experimental (as I sometimes like them to be.) I'm hoping it'll be experimental in a good way!

Also, any canon purists: Saul is officially unconfirmed as Lucas's brother now. Things are getting interesting…

Notes:

Would that be enough gunpowder to blow up the school? I don't know, but let's assume it is…

I felt like my writing style changed slightly in this chapter, which I find to be strange.

Old Chapter Edits are complete up to chapter 11 now!

Thanks for reading!

~ReadyForTeddy