Chp 40 (Lucas's POV) has been divided into 2 parts.
Part II will be released next week.
Thank you for your support.
Trigger Warning: This chapter contains disturbing themes. Approach with caution.
The second I touch the Egg of Light, everything disappears.
Disconcerted by the sudden change, my eyes water. I blink the tears from my eyes. There's only one other person here, but I'm beaten to the punch by the sound of their voice.
Or rather, the sound of my own voice.
"Welcome back."
I turn around.
It's me. Right after I pulled the Seventh Needle.
He's a lot shorter than I last remembered.
I glance around. "Where are we?"
"The Egg of Light. You've regained all your memories." My younger self slips down from an invisible ledge. It's weird, talking to myself. It reminds me how short I was before my growth spurt. "I guess what you mean to ask is when we are. We're standing in a limbo of sorts. At a fork in the road. A place not your time, but not exactly mine. Where our timelines split." He gently tugs me along by the arm. "There's not much time, and I've a lot to show you."
The world changes.
From the distance, we watch a family of four trail away from their farm, headed off to the mountain range where Alec's cabin lies in the heart of the canyon. Two parents, two twins. The twin brothers laugh without worry, poking and jabbing at each other with sticks. Lucas shrieks when Claus dangles a stickbug in his face, and when Hinawa consoles a crying Lucas in her arms, Flint intervenes, loping Claus up onto his shoulders.
It's an out-of-body experience. Like I'm viewing my life out of someone else's eyes.
"We were almost ten when the tragedy happened. Dad was busy with the sheep, so mom led us through the forest to visit grandpa. Dad never really got along with grandpa, so he said he'd visit another time. That time never came. Here was the last time our family was whole."
In the background, my mom laughs. I stop to listen. I've missed that sound.
Without thought, like a tour guide paid on the clock, Lucas moves on. After a last glimpse at the happy family, I follow.
We walk into a burning forest. We watch as tiny sopping Lucas and Claus shiver in blankets, drenched after being fished from the river, and Flint beats the ground in a broken rage.
"A Mecha-Drago caught us on our way back home. A Drago tortured into existence by Porky," my alterego says, watching a grieving Flint lash out at the nearest man. "Mom died protecting us. She pushed us into the river. Dad lost control of himself that day. The villagers put him in jail- the first person in Tazmily to have been put in jail. This was the first time we realized that our parents were only human."
The fire dissolves into rain, then into night. We watch a tiny, miserable Lucas curl up outside his house, his eyes red and puffy from crying all day. Beside him, with drooping ears, Boney whimpers at his feet, forever the loyal family sheepdog.
"In the afternoon Claus disappeared, Dad searched for him," my alter-ego says, watching the tiny Lucas shiver in his blankets. "He and Alec scoured the plateau, but found nothing save for his shoe. You knew Claus ran away to avenge mom's death. You knew you could've stopped him, but no matter how hard you wished you went in his stead, no matter how long and hard you cried, nothing you did could bring your mother and brother back. Little did we know that Claus had still been alive. He'd slipped off Drago Plateau, on his way to death when Porky's men found his broken body. This was the first time you lost faith in a god."
The scene shifts.
In Tazmily's Town Square, a burly man speaks in the exaggerated manner of a sales person, pitching his ideas under the guise of false concern. He claims he can sell happiness, and encourages the villagers to try out his "Happy Boxes." The unhappy monkey beside him dances like a jerky wind-up toy, a shock collar clacking on his neck.
"Fassad," Lucas says, and an edge of bitterness creeps into his voice. "One of Porky's henchmen. He was one of the Seven Magypsies who guarded the Seven Needles. Pulling all Seven Needles would wake the Dark Dragon... a gamble no sane person would ever take. No one knew what would happen if all Seven Needles were pulled. For all we knew, it could've destroyed everyone and everything on the island. For Porky Minch - he only saw this as a fun game he wanted to play." His lips tighten. "Fassad turned traitor to the other Magypsies, and worked as Porky's right hand man. He knew your brother was alive. He used the loss of your mother and brother as an excuse to frame your family as the black sheep of the village, and turned all the villagers against you for having the gall to grieve, for having the gall to be unhappy. Most people bought it, but some saw through his facade."
As if on cue, my alter-ego stops in place, holding me back with a hand.
The ground rumbles.
Tanks.
Under the quiet of the night, they roll into Tazmily and surround three figures in the forest. Grim-faced, Kumatora and Wess stay poised to fight, while the same monkey from earlier, now freed, huddles behind Kumatora in fright. With the Pigmask army backing him, Fassad sneers, the beginning of a command on his lips-
Then a tiny Lucas walks by, baby Drago in tow. When the Pigmasks shout and boo GET OUTTA HERE, STUPID KID, GET LOST, SHOO, STUPID KID, tiny Lucas brings his hand up for an ear-piercing whistle. With a roar that drowns out even the engine of the tanks, a mother Drago crashes through the swaying trees. The pigmasks squeal and scatter as the mother Drago crushes the tanks in rage, then tosses Fassad aside like trash.
"You saved three lives that night. Still, it was only a small victory at that, and change happened... just not overnight." All clear, Lucas tugs me along by the sleeve. The forest floor dissolves under our shoes, materializing into train tracks - newly paved, judging from their shine. Behind us, the small dot that had once been Tazmily grows, now crowded with buildings that shoot up like sprouts on fast-forward. "...Through Fassad, Porky delivered on his promise. Tazmily was modernized, and three years later in its place, New Tazmily was born. Here, you witnessed the slow death of the home you once knew."
We follow the train tracks into a dark tunnel. Our shoes clack against the rail sleepers. Amalgamations of animals screech and howl in demented pain, their voices garbled, forever tortured in their ill-fitting bodies. Unnatural fusions. A Muttshroom snarls at me, his intent to attack - without translation - obvious, and a phantom bite tingles in my right calf before Boney barks out of nowhere and tackles him off. By now, Porky's Chimeras have spread across the land.
A sudden blare deafens my ears.
I jump when the green train barrels through us, blinding us with its headlights. The rattle of the caboose and the echo of its whistle fade in the distance.
Alter-ego Lucas pauses. "Watch out for the train," he says, amusement in his voice.
To my relief, we reach the end of the tunnel to an dusty canyon. Sunlight hits the baking tracks. Magic butterflies flutter in my face, their wings as weightless as cotton candy. Lucas climbs up a ladder propped up by the nearest cliffside, and motions at me to follow. As I reach the top, hot steam hits my nose before my magic instinctively sparks around my hands.
A hot spring.
Except someone's already inside.
Relaxing at its farthest rocky edge, a flamboyant man-woman(?) brightens up at our approach, and beckons at us to join them. At my side, Lucas waves back.
A Magypsy.
One of Fassad's six brethren.
When the naked man-woman(?) blows kisses at us and makes a motion to stand, a mortified Lucas flusters and shoves me behind the nearest shrub. It's my turn to be amused as Lucas returns to his narration, fumbling over his words. "Ionia the Magypsy sensed magic bottled up inside you, and helped you unlock your PSI. Our signature move, PK Love. They taught you about the Dark Dragon, and told you that the time had come. If someone with good intentions pulls the Needles, life as we knew it would shine brightly. If someone with evil intentions pulls the Needles, their ambition would consume everything in its path. If someone with no heart pulls the Needle, life would cease to exist. So you were to pull the Seven Needles with PK Love, and wake the Dark Dragon from its slumber... even as Porky's Masked Man, a boy with no heart, sought to do the same. Here, you gained hope - hope that you could somehow make a difference."
I have to ask. "What really... is the Dark Dragon?"
"The Dark Dragon is a powerful being with the magic to reshape worlds and bend timelines- though the Tazmily Villagers considered the Dragon as a deity of sorts." Once again, Lucas dutifully tugs me along by the hand. When I glance back, the hotspring and Ionia are gone.
We flash through more memories. Sneaking Boney past the bouncers at Club Titiboo. Reuniting with a Kumatora undercover as a waitress. Watching an amnesiac Duster performing on stage.
I didn't know Duster used to play bass. He plays well.
As if flipping through the chapters of an established story, Lucas tugs me along, and from the distance, we tag behind the main party of four on their quest. More memories flit by, but when Lucas doesn't stop, I follow suit. A goodnatured Pigmask, who - as an honest man of work - found delight in Lucas working hard in his Clayman company and dubbed him "cute part timer." A red yoyo, gingerly tucked into a jewelry pillow and polished with care, trapped inside a glass case. Our shroom trip on TaneTane Island. Each Magypsy's disappearance as the Needles were pulled, one by one. Kumatora dipping her head when Ionia - the last Good Witch and Kumatora's adoptive parent - vanishes from the world.
Guilt prickles my chest. I don't think I ever asked her how she felt whenever I had to pull a Needle. It must have killed her in the inside to have lost the six adoptive parents she grew up with.
"Despite the circumstances, during your quest, you found a new home. A home with a family of four, a family you thought you'd never get to have again," Lucas says. "TaneTane Island showed us our greatest fears. It showed us we were broken in a lot of ways, but at the same time, we were whole together. You realized that you couldn't do everything on your own. Here, you rediscovered love. Your time with Duster, Kumatora, and Boney was the closest to happiness you felt after your mom's passing. And though you swore to bring Porky to justice, deep down, you knew it wasn't the real reason you embarked on this quest. You sought the Needles because they were the only times you could confront the Masked Man. I think a part of you already realized who the Masked Man was, even before the final battle..." He trails off. "A part of me, I guess."
At some point along our quest, we become a thorn in Porky's side. A flying limo shows up with a chauffeur, who rattles off his say like a paid actor. He's not a bot, but he smiles much too widely to be genuinely happy, and makes me wonder if he's high on something. A personal invitation from Master Porky to Master Lucas, he says. An invitation to New Pork city.
It's a demand. We're pretty much forced into the limo.
"Well then, Master Lucas. I'm sure I'll see you again soon... With a different look," the chauffeur says when he drops us off at New Pork City, but now understanding the context, a chill crawls down my spine. Even from this far back, Porky had already been brainwashing his subjects into mindlessly happy idiots.
New Pork City flashes like a carnival with an epileptic seizure. Filled with people laughing and screaming, with smiles stretched to the brim and eyes rolling and rattling in their sockets, Porky's city is large, over twenty times the size of Tazmily, and plastered with escalators running up and down. Blinded by the flashing lights, I shield my eyes. Even with my new-found memories, I would've gotten lost had Lucas not tugged me away from the limousine landing pad.
Then we're stumbling inside a dusty movie theatre that smells of moth balls and rancid sewage. Despite the stench, I make out four characters projected on the movie screen. Ness and his friends - Paula, Jeff, and Poo.
My stomach gives a jolt.
"Your birthday passed in New Pork City, though you forgot. You turned thirteen the day you lost Boney in the movie theatre. You, Kumatora, and Duster searched for him all over New Pork City," Lucas says, fixated on the movie, his eyes aglow in the dark like a pair of fireflies. Flickering light from the screen washes over his face. "Inside New Pork Theatre was the first time you saw Ness. Dead as he was in this timeline, you didn't know of him, but you learned that he saved the world from Porky once before. And that gave you hope that you could too. Here was the first time you felt sure of yourself in your journey."
As the backdrop of the theatre fades, a less pleasant memory resurfaces: A Porky Bot pops up in front of Lucas and co. My first confrontation with Porky himself.
"Let's be friends. I'm really just this meek little boy," he says.
He lies.
Several Porky bots ambush us. Out of sight, Porky's wheeze of delight rings in our ears.
More memories flash forward. Around us, the moth-ball drapes of the theatre blur and dissolve into darker, earthier tones of a deep cave.
The final scene. A somber setting I recognize from my own video game.
Several people gather around a fallen boy - the Masked Man, now unmasked. My throat constricting, I walk up to the only person kneeling beside him. Unable to hold back now, Lucas sheds a stream of silent tears. Claus struggles to brush them off his brother's face. He apologizes to dad. He apologizes to me.
"I'm sorry it turned out like this," Claus says. "I hope we meet again someday."
When Lucas manages a nod, Claus sighs and closes his eyes with a smile.
Beside me, alterego Lucas doesn't cry, but as he watches the scene, his voice turns quieter, if possible. It's barely a whisper. "In the end, Porky was never brought to justice. He hid himself in the Absolutely Safe Capsule. Whatever you did to break it refused to work, and you held your brother as he died in your arms. Still, you pulled the Final Needle, woke the Dragon, and kept everyone safe. Yet you learned that life wasn't fair, and that your whole quest had been a futile endeavor if you couldn't even save the people you loved most."
"What was the point of showing me all this?"
"To show you who you are."
"That's a lie. Our quest wasn't futile."
The scene suddenly flickers.
Smash City.
Surprise makes me stop in place. We're standing under the night sky, in the balcony of our apartment.
"Then it's to show you that no matter where you are, you never really left home," Lucas says frankly. "Despite all the shit you went through, you created a new home. Whether it be with Kumatora, Duster, and Boney- whether it be with others. The future can be reshaped, and we're standing in the proof of it."
A laugh breaks the conversation. Through the glass pane, I spot my dad on the couch, grandpa Alec beside him. Kumatora challenges Duster to an arm wrestling competition; Fuel and Nana take turns feeding Rope Snake animal crackers. Others relax off to the side. Friends. Samus. Lucario. Red. Other smashers. As the TV flickers with a YOU LOSE on the right side of the split screen, Ness's mom reproaches Tracy for swearing, and when she sulks, Ness tickles her sides in an attempt to cheer her up. When Tracy skips around to braid his hair, Ness catches my eye with a grin and gestures at the free pro controller on the carpet.
But instead, Lucas tugs on the back of my shirt. Reluctantly, I tear my eyes away, following his eyes to the horizon of the city. Overhead, thunderheads rumble, dark and ominous.
Perched over the highway, hunched between the skyscrapers, a spider mech watches us with its beady eyes.
Porky Minch.
Lucas speaks again, his voice bland. "It's also to show you that no matter what timeline you're in, no matter how many times you reset the world and postpone your confrontation, Porky will try to destroy your home. He'll make everyone suffer. Always. In this alternate universe, you might've already pulled the Seventh Needle and woken the Dark Dragon. You might've reset the world, joined the roster of Smashers, delayed the inevitable- but Porky won't ever rest until he has what he wants."
"He'll never rest," I say slowly. "His greed's bottomless."
"He'll never be satisfied." Lucas says, watching Porky taunt us through his glass screen. "Despite his history of abuse and neglect, Porky's proven that he's capable of atrocious crimes. He'll forever be a parasite, leeching off of whatever he can touch, wrecking havoc on the world, warping the laws of space and time to cater to his every whim. As an illegal time traveler with a stolen Phase Distorter, his alternate selves have disrupted all other timelines in a disastrous ripple effect, popping in and out of timelines in the name of fun, causing chaos, and creating abnormal alternate universes in his wake. In one timeline, he destroyed Tazmily out of spite. In another, Claus lived while you died as the Masked Man. And in another-" he pauses. "You failed your quest, leaving Porky free to continue plundering and kidnapping people from different times. He returned for Ness. He liked the sound of two masked men, liked having the only boy to ever defy him under his own control. But we're talking about your timeline... this one... where everything converges. Where Smash City exists, and the stakes are higher. In a place where timetravel exists, in a place that lies in the very heart of the universe, to a person who can abuse these privileges without remorse, it's a paradise. Nowhere will be safe from Porky's reach." Lucas turns to me. "...It's not too late. Porky might've succeeded in other timelines, but we can still stop him in this one. We have the power to save more than one life, and save this alternate universe."
"...You want me to kill Porky."
Past Lucas doesn't even bat an eye. "He can't be killed," he says plainly, pointedly. "He's time-traveled so much and lived much longer than the average person that at this point, Death would only be a mercy."
"He needs to answer for his crimes."
"He's a threat," Lucas agrees. "There are too many people like him in this world, but even by taking him down, we can make a difference." He glances at me, and nods. "I think... you have an idea of what to do now. But before you go after Porky, you have one final memory you need to unlock. There's someone who... well, he's waited a long time for you." For the first time, Lucas breaks into a smile. The wind whipping around his hair reminds me of a wayward abandoned tunnel in the SkyTrain station. "Go to him, Lucas. Go home."
.
.
.
~Chapter Forty~
Where the Heart Is
(LUCAS PART 1/2)
.
.
.
Clap. Clap.
My footsteps echo. I've lost track of any light from either end of the SkyTrain tunnel.
The adrenaline from the Black Market's fading. Every step I take with my left leg cleaves a sharp pain through my side. Despite my efforts to favor my good side, I'm forced to check on my wound. Gingerly, I test my reopened side with my fingers, prodding the bleeding injury through my jacket. Clotting, but still much slower than I would've liked.
...Yanuk.
That was the name Neckbeard had dubbed his favorite slave, right after he'd been groomed and stripped of his identity. Aside from Poo and Ninten, both of whom I've only heard about through Ness, that was the first time I met another PSI telepath - one who had fallen victim to human trafficking.
A pang of pity twists my stomach.
That could've been me.
That could've been me, had Porky gotten bored of waiting and pushed my dad too hard. Had my dad not paid off his monthly loans on time. Had my dad not been wiser, had he brought me along to Porky's consultation meetings. Had I not applied to Brawl, and gotten accepted out of luck. I would've dropped out of school, bummed around with the Sharks, gotten addicted to opiate and Happy Happy Pills, maybe even sold off as a slave to some nameless vendor. Groomed by Porky, even.
In hindsight, it's terrifying to see how lucky I was. How lucky we all were tonight.
My right sleeve between my teeth, I tie my jacket tighter around my waist to stem the flow.
The brawl was inevitable. Despite my training, my opponent was ten years my senior, and experienced in subduing psychics my age. I doubt his master wanted me dead, but from the crazed look in Yanuk's eyes, in that moment, he didn't care what his master thought. All he saw was a threat who could usurp his position as Neckbeard's right hand boy, and as proof to the point, he'd almost slipped a poisoned knife between my ribs.
He was going to kill me. Ness and Ashley had been in danger. I couldn't afford to lose.
I possessed him.
It was a silent struggle. He would've done anything to please his master - a strength that played as a weakness. Once I knew this, it was all over. He put up a good fight, sparing me just enough time to free all of Neckbeard's slaves.
Mewtwo was right. The trick to possession wasn't forcing someone into submission, but tapping the point of least resistance. It's easiest to manipulate someone into doing something if you tricked them into feeling good about it.
Looking back on it, the ease of his possession surprised me.
Up to that point, all I knew about a successful possession was that it was difficult. When I let Mewtwo possess me in training, I learned that possession took finesse, that possession pushed all mental boundaries, that possession was more than forcing upon a temporary change of eye color.
But in the heat of the moment, the only thing I'd felt was revulsion.
When I had total control over someone... I learned how addicting this power could be in the wrong hands. When Mewtwo seemingly treated Possession like a sport, I assumed it was only because he made everything look easy. So I adopted the basics for self-defense, and moved on.
But to possess someone, to have understood someone and how they thought...
I never want to do it again.
It's hard to forget the loathing in that boy's eyes. Porky aside, I think this was the first time someone genuinely wanted me dead.
He put Ness in danger, I remind myself, and grimly shove the thought out of my mind. For now. Because if everything went well, none of Neckbeard's slaves would ever have to worry about Porky again.
The unseen wind again whips around my feet.
Turn back, it seems to whisper.
I can't. Not now, when I'm so close, when I know what's at stake, when I know people who suffered under Porky's hands. Porky, who tore families apart, who killed half my family, who profited off the misery of others. I can't let those people down.
I ignore the screaming pain in my side, and stubbornly plow through.
But as time passes without any change in scenery, I start to slow. My knees buckle under my doubt. What if the Egg of Light was wrong?
Then I see it. A faint light, wisping at the end of the tunnel. A wormhole.
This is it.
It hurts to breathe, so I hold my breath, lowering one leg at a time into the pool of light. Glowing white where they touch the portal, my legs sink and melt through, dangling into what feels like open air. At least I have comfort that this portal won't lead me underwater or underground. A good sign.
It's too late to regret the lack of preparation. Better make it quick, I suppose.
I trust the Egg of Light. I don't know what awaits me on the other side, but I know I'll be okay.
Closing my eyes, I let myself fall. The floor disappears beneath me, and I plummet from the sky.
A giant sigh.
My descent slows. Magic softens the impact of my shoes like a bed of pine needles.
I land on the cliffside by the sea.
An ancient magic, sleepy and immense, raises the hairs on my neck. As if on cue, a flurry of shimmering butterflies migrate south from Sunshine Forest, sparkling like a effervescent rainbow. Ocean waves echo and lap against the sandy beach.
From up here, I spot a bare clearing at the foot of the hills. There's nothing there, not anymore, but when I blink, my previous memories color my vision. If I strain hard enough, I can almost smell the mouthwatering walnut bread wafting from Caroline's bakery, hear the sound of Bronson the Blacksmith singing throatily as he works his hammer on his anvil.
Nostalgia hits me like a freight train, and I stagger onto my feet.
This is the clearing where Tazmily Village once stood.
...Home.
Though the cliffside's just as bare, with no sign of man-made inventions or roads in sight, I lurch around, my injury forgotten in my excitement. My new memories pour in, filling up the blank spaces.
There used to be a log-house cabin on top of this cliff - a house with twin beds and a spinning wheel and a dog house- and if I close my eyes, I can imagine the sheep pen to its right, the baa of the ewes, the musty smell of sheep wool-
Dad...
Dad used to shear the sheep here.
I choke up. When I furiously wipe my eyes, I almost miss the figure waiting for me at the foot of the hill.
A shadow.
Claus.
"You're late," my brother says with a wavering smile. He looks nervous, unsure about how to react.
I tackle him with a loud yell.
Staggering backwards, my brother stumbles upright, then hugs me tight. Unlike in my last memory of him, he's my height, and has all his eyes and arms intact. So it's true - he really would've grown to my height if he lived.
My eyes sting.
Claus tries to speak, but every time, his breathy laughs interrupt himself, and he has to stop to rub at his own watery eyes. He's just as choked up as I am. When he pulls me to my feet, he manages to get the words out. "Let me lead you to the Dark Dragon. I'll explain everything along the way."
After a beat of hesitation, Claus clumsily ruffles my hair. The same way he used to do. The simple gesture means a lot.
He's proud of me.
We pass the crumbling ruins of Osohe Castle - the only sign that humans had ever set foot on this shore. It's as if the Nowhere Island's grown in the absence of humanity, wiped clean of any man-made influence like a blank slate. Even the gravestones are gone, the graveyard undug, and I only pause to forlornly glance at a hill overseeing the sunflower field- the hill where my mother's grave used to lie.
"Watch your step," Claus says, holding a branch out of the way as we trek through Sunshine Forest.
"So... this is Tazmily."
Claus looks around. "It is? Well, that makes sense. Home is where the heart is." Careful to step over a snail trailing along a fallen log, he motions at me to follow. "The Dark Dragon had to let the Nowhere Islands heal. Inside a pocket dimension. We refused to let anyone in... except for you. I mean, we had to hide from Porky somehow."
We hike up Mt Oriander. Near its peak, I look around. A Walking Bushie shuffles after me, affectionate and friendly. The lack of Dragos hits me hard. "What happened to some of the animals?"
"Misplaced in your time. But it'll be all right soon. Hey, Luke! Behold, the Dark Dragon!" Claus dangles a stick bug into my face, and cackles when I jump back.
As if wanting to postpone the inevitable, Claus doesn't bring up any more explanations about this world, and I avoid the topic of Claus's stark absence in mine. We trek up the slopes, hand in hand, only stopping the other to point out forgotten memories. The hotspring by Isaac's cabin. The rocky plateau where the Dragos once slept. Neither of us say it, but this time together- it's enough. Just being together's enough. I squeeze Claus's hand in mine, and in response, he squeezes my hand back.
I never want to let go.
But when Claus unveils the cavern leading to the Dark Dragon, my side flares up again, leaving me dizzy from blood loss. When Claus turns around in concern, his eyes widen.
"Let's fix that," he says, reaching for my side.
"Please."
The second his magic touches my skin, its resemblance to another PSI hits me like a shock of cold water. Despite its sharper shape and bluer tint, the feel of the magic's exactly the same, down to the spark. As if to prove my point, Claus's eyes glow from his magic, flickering with an undertone of purple, and my gash heals. As if he's noticed too, he withdraws his hand when the healing's done.
My conversation with Lucario echoes through my head.
"...but there are exceptions."
"...Yes. I have witnessed such a case before. Once. I met two people with the same aura... one thousand years apart."
I stare at him. "You-"
"I share the same magic as him, don't I?" Claus says quietly. "Every now and then, it happens. More often than you think. Magic changes as you grow, as you shed your old personalities. As for the color-" As if for emphasis, my brother taps his had-been-android eye. "I thought our hair was the only thing that could ever tell us apart until... well, after what Porky did to me. I never realized I had partial heterochromia in my other eye until Doctor Andonuts took it out. A mutation at childbirth. Red tint around the pupil, but it's too dark to tell unless I cast spells. You never knew, because by the time we traded blows, you always saw me with a fake eye. The more you know, huh?" Claus gives into a bitter laugh. "I've tried reaching out to you in your world, but your friend's magic was too similar. He kept intercepting all my dreams."
"In Peach's flower garden... was that-?"
"Yeah. The Dark Dragon called out to you a few times too, whenever you were stuck in Limbo between life and death. We reached out to you when you were petrified as well, but I wasn't sure if you were in any condition to hear us."
"You were the one who gave Ness all those nightmares."
"I did. And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him. I tried to keep to myself afterwards."
It cuts deeper, knowing about Ness's PTSD from Giygas. He'd suffered sleepless nights from his nightmares. "I never told him about you. I couldn't open up about you for the longest time, so when I did-" I swallow. "You don't know what he's been through. He suspected it was you, but he still waited to tell me-"
"I'm not surprised he did. I would've done the same." Claus reads the betrayed look on my face, and clears his throat to explain. "He probably wanted to double check that I was alive first. If he went ahead and told you about me the second he knew- you would've thought I was still alive, and he didn't want to crush your hopes over something he said." His voice turns quieter. "Well... he's right. I'm not alive."
"Come back with me."
"Even with the Dark Dragon borrowing my body as a vessel, I have to give my heart back. I'm on borrowed time. Mom's waiting for me- we're ready to move on."
Despite the stinging in my eyes, my throat tightens. "Do you know how long Dad searched for you? Do you know how long-" My voice breaks. No one can take hurtful words back.
Ashamed, Claus looks down at his feet. "I'm sorry I broke my promise. I thought... I thought I could've made things better if I found mom again. You wouldn't get out of bed on some days, and I was the oldest, so I had to look after you- but I didn't know what to do, or what I was doing... and I ended up hurting you instead. I was an idiot who died like an idiot, and handed you my share of the burden to bear." Claus's eyes flicker to my bloodied shirt, and he swallows again, with difficulty. "You have no idea- how much I wish I was still alive. Thanks to my heart, the Dark Dragon kept my spirit tethered here for a bit longer, but still- all I could do was watch you grow up... and wish how much I could've been a part of it. It broke me seeing what you've been through, because no matter how hard I wished, no matter how hard I wanted-" Barely audible. "I couldn't help you."
Claus's eyes turn wet. He tries to control his breathing.
"I'm happy you found people who love you. People who love you as much as I do. I don't regret saving your life... but I want to be alive too," he whispers, and for a split second, he sounds like a child who died too early. It hurts to hear. "I want to be alive with you. I could always ask you to come with me-" Claus gently pushes me back by the shoulders. "...but I want you to live well. Heroes tend to live short lives, so I want you to have fun on more quests after this one. Happy quests. Honestly, you deserve it, after all the shit you've been through."
"Well, I don't mind trading spots," I say, and Claus manages a laugh.
"I don't envy you."
"Easy for you to say. You don't have a choice."
"I wish I did." Claus turns wistful. "I'm glad you've found someone to replace me."
"No one can replace you."
Claus breaks into a wide smile, but it's genuine. He elbows me in the side, and I elbow him back.
Around the mouth of the cave, the stalactites and stalagmites glitter like teeth in a Dragon's maw. Ducking underneath a rocky overhang, we make our way deeper into the cavern.
Claus speaks again. "I guess... you deserve to know what happened now."
When I wait, he takes a deep breath and starts.
"The second you pulled the Seventh Needle, you succeeded. You woke the Dark Dragon. The Dark Dragon listened to your heart's desires. You wanted the Tazmily Villagers and the Nowhere Islands to be safe - The Dark Dragon let the land heal, and sent the villagers away as refugees to the center of the universe, the safest universe in the world. You wanted your immediate family intact - the Dark Dragon couldn't bring mom back, but brought you and dad and Boney together. But I'd just died. And deep down, despite your hardest to push aside your selfish desires to save everyone on the island... you couldn't forget me. No magic can bring back the dead, Lucas. Not even me. So the Dark Dragon searched for a timeline where "I" existed. And it found a ping. In Onett. It found Ness." Claus suppresses a helpless bout of laughter. "Don't you see? Our magic was so identical that the Dark Dragon fucked up. Thanks to Giygas, Ness's timeline was already fucked up before you entered it, so the Dark Dragon decided to fuse your timelines together and reset the world. The fusion wasn't... perfect. It gave Ness an extra cousin. It gave you and the Tazmily Villagers false memories. And despite your best intentions, there were two people who had already existed in both Ness's timeline and yours. One was Dr. Andonuts; the other, Porky Minch. Doctor Andonuts couldn't handle the memory overload. He went insane. And Porky - well, he was already insane to begin with, but I'm sure years of time traveling's fucked him up even more." Claus's expression darkens. "I won't tell you what Porky did to me, but know that he's dangerous, and that he will stop at nothing to hurt you."
I bite back the resentment on my tongue.
As if sensing this, Claus grips my shoulder. "I'm not condoning Porky. But he let his greed and hatred get the best of him, and Giygas exploited that. Don't let Porky do the same to you."
"He hurt you."
"It's okay. Porky can't hurt me anymore," Claus says softly, tapping his intact eye. "But you know... he's still out there, hurting a lot of other people."
"...He is."
As if sensing the reluctance in my voice, Claus's eyes land on my face. He turns serious. "Lucas, no matter what I want, it's ultimately your choice. I won't stop you. I can't judge you. After everything you've gone through, after knowing firsthand what Porky's capable of, grown men would've given up in your shoes. So I'm going to ask you again. Are you sure... you don't want to come with me?"
"Is mom...?"
"Safe."
I hesitate.
Then I shake my head.
Claus's shoulders relax. "The Dark Dragon's only grown this powerful because of your sacrifice. You gave up your heart once before to save the world. Now the Dragon will return your heart to you."
I feel it before I see it. The scene of the final battle. An ancient magic pulsates throughout the cave. The same magic that slowed my fall. A light pulsates, from where the Seventh Needle once rested. Where Claus died.
When Claus stops, his hand gently pulling me back, I turn around. He fixes his eyes on a scorchmark on the ground.
This is it. This is as far as he can go.
"Lucas, I... I'm sorry about all the trouble I caused you and dad. I'm sorry for all the trouble I gave your friends. Tell dad I'm sorry, will you? Because I-" He tries to smile, but his hand trembles. "I'm... I'm going to where mom is now." Mustering up his remaining courage, Claus tightens his grip. His voice turns hoarse. "I just have one more request. Can you- can you lay me down to rest? One last time?"
There's nothing to forgive him for. Not when he did nothing wrong.
Despite the feelings welling up my throat, I swallow them down with a nod. I don't trust the sore ache in my chest to speak.
It's almost eerie, how deceptively peaceful his final moment is.
Death isn't graceful. Nothing about loss is.
Claus only watches me intently as I lay him down on a bed of gemstones, still hand-in-hand. First resting his legs to a sitting position, then gently propping his head back against a rocky pillow. He's light, weightless. Almost like a child's body. It feels like my throat's on fire. My vision blurs. My chest tightens. A tear splashes against my knees. I can't stop. I can't let him go.
Then Claus's hand clenches mine. I can feel his warmth in my hand, like a glowing coal, and I press both my palms around it, tighter.
I know. He'll be okay.
Because this isn't goodbye. I'll see him again. One day, when my own time comes. In another life.
Giving me a last long look as if trying to commit my face to memory, Claus takes a final breath, and shuts his eyes. Tears leak from the corners of his eyes.
He smiles.
Thank you.
His hand slackens.
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
Lucas...
You have done well to find me.
We are the spirit of your ancient lineage. A final trial stands before you to test your mettle and courage. To complete your trial, I am going to break your legs. I shall devour them.
Do you accept this?
.
.
.
It has been done... you cannot walk, as your legs are gone. Next, I shall tear your arms off... I shall then take your arms and devour them. The taking of your arms...
Do you accept this?
.
.
.
Without legs and arms, you cannot crawl... Now, I shall rip off your ears. I shall devour your sense of hearing. No longer shall laughter or tears move you...
Do you accept this?
.
.
.
Lucas... you lie before me. No legs, no arms, and no sound... By floating words through the air, I must ask you... Do you mind if I feast on your eyes? No longer shall you hunger for color and light, for I shall steal your sight, and make it mine.
Do you accept this?
.
.
.
With two of your senses gone, your words are all that remain... Do you mind if I devour the rest of your senses? Understand... I shall tear out your tongue and steal your voice. No taste, smell, or touch...
Do you accept this?
.
.
.
Now, I can only speak in your mind. Your body a husk, your senses banished... your mind is all you have left. In the end, I shall devour your mind. Are you sad, are you lonely? If you lose your mind, you lose your feelings... all your memories of your family and friends... and give them to me to feel. Your mind and soul are mine.
Do you accept this?
.
.
.
Lucas...
You have passed my trial.
I return to you everything I have taken, and bestow on you the power that was once yours. May Lady Luck lift your wings, and your light shine forever bright...
Brilliant Young Sun.
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
Stuck in the back of a dinky white van, its floor covered with spare rope, Tracy wondered who Ness pissed off this time.
The kidnapping happened when Tracy arrived home from work. Mom had rushed over a message on the answering machine, saying she'd accidentally left her own cell behind again, and that she had to take a sick King to the vet- I'll be back later tonight, make sure to eat dinner, leftovers are in the fridge, love you!
That left Tracy home alone.
Well, not really. Ever since Porky's return, Ness had stationed several bodyguards after them - one platoon with mom, one platoon with her. All people Ness trusted. That, Tracy was cool with. She'd seen some of her brother's crazier fans before. And despite saving the world, Ness no doubt had his share of crazies who wanted to bash his head in for some reason or other. So aside from the teasing remarks from her friends, Tracy didn't mind the bodyguards too much.
Until a month ago.
A few men from her platoon had mysteriously fallen sick from something (food poisoning?), and the company had hastily sent in substitutes.
Tracy decided she didn't like one of the substitute men. She had once caught him jacking off in her closet, and despite the man's claim that he was "only standing guard, miss", he creeped her out. For the past week, she'd slept with all her doors and windows locked. Now that school was closed for spring break, Tracy decided to tell her brother about her bodyguards this weekend. Hopefully, if everything went well, Ness could even check on the substitutes himself.
The next thing Tracy knew, in the middle of her homework, one of the substitute guards had barged in, yanking her out of her room by the hair. When they stepped over several men from the platoon - all unconscious on the floor - suddenly, Tracy knew.
The substitutes had turned traitor.
They'd cuffed her to the kitchen chair, and used Mom's cell to call her brother. A perfect ruse - no one had to sacrifice their burner phones, and Ness's homesickness was almost iconic. As they called him, a part of Tracy hoped that Ness wouldn't pick up - even though a part of her knew he would.
To everyone's surprise, Ness didn't pick up.
After the third attempt, the connection cut off.
They'd forced Tracy to call her brother, but to no avail. His phone had been turned off, and Ness wouldn't answer at all.
The men turned angry. They'd screamed something about a "Boss," who sounded nothing short of displeased that Ness had refused to pick up, and Tracy swore she caught the words "Paula" and "Jeff" and "Poo" thrown into the mix. The substitutes couldn't wait inside the house forever; time was running out, and Mom was bound to be back from the vet with her share of bodyguards.
The men arrived at a decision: If Ness refused to answer their calls, then so be it. They'd negotiate with him in person.
"Get up, girlie," one of the men had said, roughly jostling her to her feet. "We're paying your brother a visit. My friend Dave here's gonna stay behind for your Momma. He's one hell of a sharpshooter, so if you scream once-"
Tracy swallowed. "She's gonna get it."
"Smart girl. Up on your feet."
Tracy had already been dressed in her outdoor clothes, so they'd dragged her out to the SkyTrain. They'd passed her off as a daughter to get past security, and the next thing Tracy knew, she was wedged inside a SkyTrain seat between two men. A private cart, with no bystanders around to sign for help.
Here, Tracy stewed over a plan.
Clearly, these people were after her brother, and planned on using her as bait to get him. Too bad they didn't know her brother at all. Ness fooled people because he appeared goodnatured to a fault, but at the end of the day, he wasn't stupid. The second Ness caught wind of what happened, he'd be out to whoop their asses, Lucas in tow. Ambush be damned, these men would be in for a nasty surprise.
Towards the end of the SkyTrain ride, a burner phone rang. Its owner almost jumped.
"Allo?" the man snapped, under the cover of the overhead SkyTrain announcements. "What?!"
Apparently, there had been a change of plans; Ness had been spotted at the SkyTrain station, heading straight for a wing planted with all their men. Perfect timing. They'd go in for a surprise attack, then coerce him into accepting their demands once they revealed Tracy's life on the line. Considering the time of day, the fewer number of eyes... this couldn't have been better luck. It was a brilliant plan.
Not if Tracy could help it.
Tracy bided her time. The second the SkyTrain landed and the doors opened, the men had dragged her across the stairs like a ragdoll, now convinced she was somewhat willing to cooperate. She'd spotted Ness by the bill of his cap - for some reason, he had been staring into a destroyed SkyTrain tunnel like a complete doofus, and Tracy wanted to scream at him to wake the fuck up.
"Steady," whispered one of the men, the one with his hand covered over her mouth. From the corner of her eye, Tracy had spotted the muzzle of a tranquilizer dart-
Taking a deep breath, Tracy had stomped as hard as she could on the man's foot.
It had worked. For a while. She'd grabbed her brother's attention, and Ness had absolutely trashed the man who'd held her captive. But her plan backfired, and she could only watch, helpless, as several men and women tasered her brother from behind.
"Erase the footage," one of the women gestured at the cameras, and two men darted off, clad in the uniforms of security personnel. They'd stuffed Ness into a large burlap bag resembling luggage, and Tracy was stuck back in square one.
Once she had been "secured" - tranq'ed in the arm - she groggily overheard the henchmen arguing and pointing at the destroyed tunnel, just before they shoved her head into another burlap bag. From the sounds of it, there'd been a miscommunication: half the men hadn't expected Lucas to be here, while the other half debated on going after him into the tunnel.
But at the end of the day, it didn't make a difference. Lucas had already gone in, but he had to come back out at some point. Even with more people bustling around during the day, several agents could blend in, taking tabs on the broken-down tunnel until he popped back out. As far as they knew, Ness was undeniably close to Lucas. And all stupid rumors be damned, whether they were fucking around in some gay closet or other, it was common knowledge that the two were practically inseparable. This information was enough to satisfy the party; Lucas would never let anyone harm Ness, much less Ness's own sister. If they'd negotiated for her life, Lucas would most likely turn himself in.
Everyone was convinced the double ransom would work.
And as much as she hated it, Tracy had to agree.
So poor Tracy was left tied up in the back of a van, moodily figuring out how to save her brother and his best friend.
Two henchmen took the front seats of the van. But as one hour dragged into two, and two dragged into several, the men in the front seats went from tense to lax to bored. So when Tracy prodded them for information, they were delighted. As far as they knew, their captive was finally talking, and it gave them the special chance to gloat. Where else could the girl go? She was tied up. She didn't have psychic powers like her brother. If she escaped from the van, she'd be caught before she could scream for help. Outside intervention was even more laughable; they were parked in a private lot, and the van had tinted windows, soundproofed.
"Finally, after all these years...!" Almost reverently, one of the men clutched his new Pigmask uniform in his hands, kissing the article like it was some sacred object. "Master Porky rewarded me real nice for your brother-"
Stubbornly wriggling in her ropes in an attempt to keep her circulation running, Tracy repeated for what felt like the hundredth time, "My brother's gonna beat you up."
The same man sniggered. Nathan - the creep who had hidden himself in her closet. "Sure. Well, I've heard the rumors. Face it, your brother's nothing but a fag."
"Takes one to know one."
Nathan turned red. Beside him, his partner in crime - Mimsy - guffawed.
"Shut up, idiot," Nathan hissed, hitting him upside the head ("Oush" Mimsy said). "Hey, keep that up, and I'll hand you directly to the boss," he threatened. "I've seen what Master Porky does to cute girls like you. You're real lucky he wants us to sell you to someone else instead."
"Oh goodie, I'm being sold to another dimwit."
"Not just to any dimwit. Father Carpainter, the High Priest of HappyHappyism. He's been looking for a blue-eyed virgin child to sacrifice as High Priestess, and lucky for you, you fit the bill. Well," Nathan added with a leer. "If you behave nicely, we might keep you instead. Let you do chores, or sew clothes, or whatever it is that girls like to do."
Tracy remained unimpressed. "Wow, what a real treat. Can you let me go now?"
Sour over the lukewarm reception, Nathan threatened her with a fist. "That's it. Another word, and I'm drugging ya."
"I dunno, Nathan. She's kinda funny awake."
"You shut your trap, Mimsy." Swelling like an angry bullfrog, Nathan turned to their bemused captive. "Your brother's gonna whoop my ass? Don't make me laugh. Your brother can't do shit. He's now property of the Great Master Porky. And once we use you to blackmail the other kid, we won't need you anymore."
"Other kid? You mean Lucas?"
"Yeah, him. But here's the thing, missy- I like you. And Mimsy likes pretty girls too." At his companion's words, Mimsy tried an encouraging smile, his yellow teeth crooked like a shark's, and Tracy gave them both a flat look. Nathan grinned. "So hows about this - you help us kidnap this Lucas kid, and I might sweeten up the deal a little. I'll let you choose which of us you wanna be sold to. Deal?"
"No thanks."
"Last offer-"
"Oh man, I'm just glad I'm not you," Tracy interrupted with a confidence she couldn't feel. "Seriously, good luck trying to bag Lucas. You're gonna need all of it."
At her tone, Mimsy's smile fell. "Whuh do you mean?"
Tracy shook her head sadly. "My brother's scary, but he's not the one you should be worried about. He's the bleeding heart."
Nathan frowned. "Isn't the other kid supposed to be a wimp? Master Porky says he cries like a bitch."
"You must've switched them around. Holy shit, I had no idea you two were so unprepared," Tracy said sweetly.
Shaken by her sudden show of confidence, Nathan snapped, "Shut the fuck up, you bitch. You're just messing with us-"
Tracy broke into a smirk reminiscent of her brother's. "Why would I mess with you? I'm just glad I'm gonna get rescued from you two idiots-"
"Nathan-" Mimsy yelped, holding his fellow co-conspirator back when Nathan struggled over the driver's seat to hit her. "Nathan, no- Master Porky said not a scratch on Ness's little sister-"
"Do I look like I give a fuck?! Just you wait, girlie, once your value drops, and Master Porky don't need you no more, I'll-"
What exactly Nathan wanted to do, no one would know. Because from the SkyTrain Station, a burst of light shot up into the Heavens, piercing the clouds true like an arrow. Humming an obscure melody, a clear sound echoed over the land, glowing rings pulsating in a series of aftershocks. Every time the rings passed over them, an unseen wind howled, flattening the shrubs and trees, their leaves shaking and rustling in fear.
The parking lot rumbled. Pebbles rattled as if from an earthquake.
A flurry of noise blasted their ears. As one, in a massive stampede, animals of all sizes trampled towards the SkyTrain in hot pursuit, as if eager to board Noah's Ark. Dragos, sparrows, fish, walking mushrooms, anything far and wide and in between-
Call of the Wild.
Caught within the midst of the stampede, the shockwaves sent the van skidding, rattling, and bouncing on its wheels like a pingpong ball-
The light grew impossibly bright, blinding their eyes-
Just as quickly, it stopped. When the light faded, the parking lot was left empty once more, save for the odd fish or two flopping on the sidewalk. With a groan of protest, the van toppled back onto its wheels. Dust slowly settled, leaving no sign of the colossal stampede.
After several minutes of silence, Mimsy dared to ask. "...Is it over?" he whimpered, his arms over his head.
Nathan muttered angrily under his breath. Yanking himself free from his cramped corner under the steering wheel, he swiped for his walkietalkie. "...'ey! Did you bozos cause that?"
"No! It wasn't us, we-" A panicked gasp broke out from the receiver. As if dropped on the other end, a spotty crackle erupted across the speakers.
Nathan hit it, but this did little to clear up the transmission. "Marv?! Quit horseplaying an' tell me what the hell's going on!"
"You don't understand! The boy, he-aARGGH!"
The line went dead.
"Marv? Hey, Marv! Talk to me!" No response. Nathan switched lines. "Eddy? Jolie? Madame? ...Hersch?! Ay, someone tell me what the fuck's going on!"
Silence.
No one responded.
Then like nitrogen gas, cold wisps of air whispered over the van in sleepy tendrils. Seeping through the vents, a thick fog enveloped the tinted glass windows. Teeth chattering, a wide-eyed Mimsy bit his nails. On the other hand, Tracy had gone quiet, like she was trying to hear someone.
Nathan had had enough. He jammed his foot against the pedal. The van aggressively revved, but refused to move.
With an unearthly sigh, frost crept up the windows, stretching over the windshield like spindly fingers.
Reaching for his gun with a swear, Nathan kicked his accomplice in the shin. "Mimsy, check if someone's outside."
"Me? Why me?!"
"Cuz I'm backup. You open the door- the second I see something, I'll shoot."
"But-"
"If you don't go, I'll fucking shoot you!" Nathan screamed, frothing at the mouth, a crazy look in his eyes. "Now are you gonna go, or do I hafta shoot you first?"
Mimsy wasn't a smart man, but he knew better than to argue with a raving lunatic spitting out threats and waving around a gun. Reluctantly, the mountain of a man squeezed himself over the front seats, and crawled to the doors of the van. His hands shaking on his own pistol, Mimsy glanced at the side windows. The fog was dense. Even at this proximity, he barely spotted Tracy in the back, hunched over on her knees, both hands over her ears.
Click.
Mimsy flinched. As if by an invisible touch, one of the child locks on the doors had unlocked themselves.
Click.
The second lock.
A pause. Mimsy's knees began knocking.
"Steady," Nathan whispered, sweat beading his forehead.
Then the nearest van door was flung open.
Terror flooding his senses, Mimsy lost it completely, blindly firing into the fog. The silencer on his gun clamped down on his shots, muffling the rattattattatta, but each bullet seemed to ricochet off some hard surface, echoing noisily in his ears as if they were trapped inside the World's Biggest Igloo.
Click, click, click.
Not daring to believe his bad luck, Mimsy stared at his empty holster.
Then a telepathic whisper crawled into their ears. "This is your last warning. Drop your firearms."
Mimsy's hands turned pale. By this point, he's done. He'd had enough of this horror movie ride. He'd kidnapped kids many times before. Difficult kids. Kids who screamed, kids who cried, kids who clawed and fought back. But this... This one's above his paygrade. Bottom lip wobbling, Mimsy stammered, "N-Nathan, maybe we should listen. I don't habba good feeling about this-"
"Don't you fucking talk back to me, Mimsy," Nathan snarled, shooting him point-blank. Insensate, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, Mimsy fell backwards into the dense fog. Somewhere outside, his body landed with a thump onto the pavement. Nathan ignored it. Unconscious or dead - it didn't make much difference. "Lucas, is it? Well, if you're out there, you'd better be real careful about your next move, or I'll shoot this girl here like I shot my friend. Am I fucking clear?"
Silence again.
Another sigh. More mist flooded in. Nathan readied his own gun.
The van lurched.
Then, stooping under the roof of the van like some eldritch abomination from the Seventh Gate of Hell, a tall, hunched figure with glowing eyes slipped inside. It was hard to believe that this was a mere boy. As if regarding Nathan, the boy slowly tilted his head. His neck cracked.
Something about those creepy eyes sent goosebumps crawling up his arms.
"Don't-" Nathan spat, his hands unsteady on his pistol. "Don't fucking move, or I'll... I'll shoot her!"
The hunched specter disappeared off to the back of the van. After the sound of thick ropes dropping against the floor, the boy returned, stalking over in a quiet hunter's tread. His pace didn't falter, as if unfazed by Nathan's previous threat. Nathan even thought he saw a golden crown resting atop the boy's head, like a prized laurel, before it blinked out of sight.
Just what was this boy?
Squinting through the fog, Nathan trained his pistol on the back, where he could barely make out the girl's foot peeking from a seat. He squeezed the trigger.
BAM BAM BAM.
Nathan expected blood, screaming, but the girl remained unscathed. Like his bullets never existed.
Except his barrel didn't lie, still smoking at the end.
Switching targets, the man aimed his pistol for the boy's chest. An easier shot than the head.
BAM. BAM.
Sparks. The bullets ricocheted off. The windshield cracked into a spiderweb.
The boy was dangerously close now. Within arm's reach.
This time, Nathan changed tactics, aiming straight for the head.
BAM.
Upon contact, a blue flicker of hexagons lit up, rippling around the boy's face. An invisible shield. It shimmered like a veil before vanishing into thin air.
Chills crawled up Nathan's spine. His legs turning into jelly, he tried to jam open the door, but somehow, couldn't force his limp arms to move. The boy's stare pinned him in place - the cold appraisal in those eyes held him hostage. Nathan watched him back in petrified horror, flattening himself against his seat as the boy loomed over him in a grotesque imitation of slenderman.
The man wanted to blink. He couldn't.
Those blue eyes haunted him.
He couldn't look away.
The girl must've uncovered her ears, because the boy finally spoke.
"Tracy." Keeping his eyes fixed on the man, the boy's voice was quiet, but he had no trouble carrying it through the van. "Wait outside by the door. I'll be with you in a second."
Tracy hesitated, then flounced out.
Had the doors not been soundproofed, she might've made out something akin to a man's scream of terror.
.
.
.
~oO0Oo~
.
.
.
After rifling through the driver's memories, the first thing I do is check on Tracy for injuries. Understandably shaken by the ordeal, she looks like she's been dragged though hell and back, but reassures me that she's not hurt. Another cursory glance confirms her account, but I still renew her wards and recast my magic shield.
Melting the snowdome around us, I round up the rest of Porky's incapacitated men, discarding their walkietalkies, flipping through each of their wallets, and pocketing their IDs. These- and Porky's van - might be useful in infiltrating his place.
Then I shove the henchmen into a dumpster. Groaning, the two men inside the van fared the worst from my encounter - one of them babbles incoherently about ghosts, while the other remains unconscious. I don't have much sympathy for them, especially after they'd kidnapped Tracy as human traffickers.
On the other hand, reading their minds confirms my worst nightmare.
They've taken Ness to Porky.
I grip tighter onto their discarded IDs, and reconsider my strategy. While a part of me blindly wants to chase after Porky's ass, I know I can't. Not right now. Tracy has to be dropped off into safe hands. The Smashers have to know what's going on. By this point, I'm not fighting Porky alone, and to run in alone is nothing short of stupid. If Porky's planted some agents here as SkyTrain personnel, I don't know how compromised the Smash police are.
There's a good reason Porky hasn't been caught yet. Paranoid at best, his schemes are as calculated as they are elaborate. Porky owns everything necessary for his trafficking operation - the Sharks, the Onett "Police", private transportation and staff, Supply and Demand- and leaves the rest to his automatons. He might be a scumbag, but he's also been nothing short of meticulous about keeping every detail about himself under wraps, even going as far as to take pictures of his fellow clients in his sex parties for blackmail. Neckbeard's memories only confirm my thoughts. I wouldn't put it past Porky to have more agents planted outside of the SkyTrain Station. I have no idea how long it'll take for Porky to realize his team's been trashed, but the second he does, anyone with two braincells would know that I'm after him. What happened at the SkyTrain Station was as unsubtle as it could get. I'm not naive enough to believe otherwise.
I'm running against the clock. Every second counts.
I'll have to improvise on the way.
I've patched up the windshield as best as I can, melting the glass with a PK Fire on my thumb, but the faint spiderweb crack remains. Hopefully no cops pull us over. Between me and him, Ness is the one with a driver's license. That aside, there wasn't really a reason for me to get one, especially if I had neither the time to drive nor the money to afford a car.
This doesn't help my trepidation behind the wheel. The only time I drove anything was a Pork Bean, and I crashed that in five seconds flat. A glance at Tracy confirms she's shell-shocked. With a resigned sigh, I call Tracy back into the van, and strap ourselves in for a rough ride. If we crash into a tree, at least I have confidence in my spells to protect her and anyone unfortunate enough to cross my path.
Careful does it.
We hit the road.
I don't know how to drive, and it shows. Tracy doesn't complain when I floor it. Even when I accidentally mistake the accel for the brakes. Or bust through several red lights. Or swerve through someone's lawn. Her stare dead, she doesn't speak much during the ride, though whether she's traumatized by her kidnapping spree or by my driving is another question entirely. Thankfully, we don't see other drivers on the road - I have a decent sense of direction, and take the emptier dirt roads whenever I can.
Note to self: Grand Theft Auto can teach you how to drive.
Just not safely.
But enough is enough, and Tracy seems to wake up from her catatonic state when I accidentally skid the van into a ditch. The emergency lights blink on. I press a button, hoping to turn them off, but instead, the windshield wipers pop out, sadly squeaking across the visor.
Squeak.
Squeeeeak.
Tracy starts. "...Lucas."
I hand her the wheel.
Tracy's recent experience commuting to Escargo pays off - she's a good driver, and I pick up hints from shadowing her. Otherwise, I work on reconciliating my memories. It's disorientating, having two sets of memories from two different lives, so I do my best to sort them, fishing out events from the confused alphabet soup of my mind.
Aside from my original powers, the Dark Dragon returned something else.
Plot armour. Nice.
I don't complain. My ultimate equips are comfortable, invisible, and - best of all - don't get in my way. At the very least, I guess I won't die looking like a fashion disaster.
Having all my powers back is a relief. Almost like welcoming an old friend home. My hand sparks, restless against my side as it struggles to adapt itself to the sudden influx of magic. I'm surprised that Master Hand's nerfs haven't acted on me yet. It's as if the sudden spike's confused the wards he's placed around his world, delaying all automated nerfs. Until I bump into Master Hand personally, I'm riding this high and milking it for what it's worth.
Even better, I feel like an RPG character boosted to Level 99. This must be how Ness felt near the end of his journey-
Ness.
I touch his empathy link. It ripples. Nothing. I can't manipulate empathy links, but if Ness were in serious pain, I'd know.
I try to ignore the what-ifs, and train my eyes on the rear-view mirror. No pursuers.
"Is this..." At the wheel, Tracy swallows, her hair frazzled. "Is this what you guys do all the time?"
"Not really."
Thanks to Tracy, we arrive at the Mansion in one piece, parking at the edge of the grounds. It's quiet and peaceful, like most mornings. With a pang, I can almost imagine the early risers - at this hour, Sonic and Lil Mac are probably out running laps around the soccer field, Wii Fit planking near the bleachers, Marth stretching in the lobby, Zelda poring over a book over by the West Wing. Shulk would be in the kitchen debating between coffee or tea, ruminating over the pattern of his ground beans or deciphering the future from the shape of his tea leaves. And if they were here, Samus would've joined Mac for his final lap, while Captain Falcon would've checked on his car - his greatest pride and joy.
From the looks of it, no one's noticed we're missing yet.
I drop Tracy off, and steal the driver's seat. A distant figure spots us. Mouth agape, and nursing a hot coffee mug, Shulk stares at us as if he's spotted a UFO. When he sprints our way, I drop my voice.
"Tracy, in a minute, Shulk will bring you inside. I know you've been through a lot, but I need you to do something for me."
Pale-faced, Tracy rubs her healed wrists. "Shoot."
"First, get Master Hand. Or if he's not here, ask for Luigi - he's Acting Hand. Tell him that the SkyTrain personnel and bodyguard company's been compromised. He should check on your mom, and make sure she's safe. Second, Porky's got a place by Marina Harbor named the Blue House-"
"The Blue House?"
"The Blue House. Tell Master Hand to round up the Smashers, and tell him that I'll meet him there. I'll turn my phone on when I arrive, so he can't miss me."
Tracy nods again.
She's strong. She can handle this.
When I release the side brake, Tracy suddenly stops me through the window.
"...It's my fault. They took him because of me." Tracy's voice sounds hollow, but her eyes look wet. Standing with her fists clenched into her shirt, she strikes a familiar chord in my memory.
She reminds me of myself. When my brother left me to fight the Drago that killed Mom.
My fingers tighten on the steering wheel. This time will be different. I'll bring her brother back.
I've never been good at consoling people, but I try to remember how my brother does it. How Ness does it. But before I can, Tracy interrupts me.
"I don't care why he was there. I don't care why he was with you. I just know that he knew the risk, and that he took it. He's so stupid." Tracy shivers, then crosses her arms. "Just... Just bring him back, okay?"
Then Shulk skids to a stop, sputtering with surprise over his coffee. "Lucas? Why are you up so early? I didn't know you could drive."
"Errands."
"Oh. Well, have you seen Ness? He was supposed to brawl against Kuro in half an hour, but no one's seen him all morning."
I avoid the question. "Sorry, have you seen Master Hand?"
"Master Hand? You just missed him. He left for the SkyTrain Station a few minutes ago."
I groan.
"Yeah, I know." Shulk shakes his head. "I'm guessing you saw it too- the bloody beam of light? Apparently, something happened at the SkyTrain Station. All matches are cancelled, we're on emergency standby until Master Hand returns-" Shulk startles at sight of Tracy. "Oh... aren't- isn't that Ness's-"
"It's a long story. Can you take Tracy inside? She needs to see Luigi."
"Yeah, sure," Shulk fumbles, sounding more bewildered by the second. He's not sold, and I wonder if he's had a premonition today.
The thought makes me uneasy.
Right after the Twelve went missing, Master Hand sent out search parties in groups of five. But when the search parties returned empty-handed, Master Hand became more concerned over potentially losing more Smashers, and placed the search parties on hold until he had hard evidence of their whereabouts. AKA, until ROB fixed the camera feed in the control room. It was only a matter of time. We could take the next course of action then - or so he determined.
Though I've got enough evidence for a tipoff, considering the sensitive nature of Porky's crimes and Ness's disappearance, I have a feeling none of the smashers would be too keen on letting me join the rescue party. I doubt they'd let anyone underage in on this mission.
But I need to be a part of this too.
The Smashers will be all right. Tracy will fill them in.
Time to leave.
Shulk opens his mouth-
With a quick thanks, I slam the accel, peeling out of the grounds.
Author's Note:
That moment when you dont write for 5 months and forget what words are \(╹◡╹;;)/
This chapter was so ducking long (23k+), so I split it into two parts: PART I and PART II. I'll look over PART II, and post that within the week. Depending on how much I write, CHP 41 (Ness's POV) might follow the same trend with two parts as well.
More specifics about Dark Dragon will be explained in later chapters.
In this fic, I saw "Dark Dragon", "Mu", then combined the two concepts together. Lucas's meeting with the Dark Dragon is supposed to be spiritual: Lucas has to give up his earthly attachments (nothingness) in order to be reborn anew, and a part of that was symbolized by accepting Claus's death and moving on. Other references to reincarnation throughout this chapter and fic more subtly reflect off Buddhist belief, but the majority of this story heavily relies on EB/Mother references.
Might be mentioned later, but I headcanon that Smash City has strict timeline laws/wards, so people from other timelines can't simply timetravel into Smash City without the SkyTrain Station (unless extremely powerful like the Dark Dragon), but people in the city can timetravel to other places (somewhat regulated, since owning time travel devices outside of the Skytrain Station is technically illegal, save for specific exceptions).
I also headcanon that Smash City automatically nerfs people as they enter the city, and that Master Hand can also nerf people manually (if need be). This keeps his world relatively in balance (albeit unfairly at times), and prevents it from being ripped apart by blackholes. [You can also tell I'm not a physics nerd because of this, but bear with me on the fantasy element]
Another note: I chose to keep Paula's last name as Polestar. I know Jones is technically her official last name, but I prefer Polestar because the writer in me likes alliteration.
See you next week :)
References:
*A refresher on some key devices in EB/MOTHER 3:
-Pork Bean: A hovercraft-like vehicle. Resembles a tiny pink/white spaceship.
-Absolutely Safe Capsule: Designed by Dr. Andonuts, Jeff's father. Made to be impenetrable. However it comes with one flaw: it seals anything or anyone inside for "eternity". At the end of MOTHER 3, Porky shuts himself inside, thwarting Lucas and co once and for all.
-Phase Distorter: A time machine. Porky uses this to escape from Ness's timeline in EarthBound, and land in Lucas's in MOTHER3. Note: this device is mentioned in this fic as the prototype for the SkyTrain, making Jeff rich and famous.
*In EARTHBOUND, Prince Poo undergoes rigorous MU Training (Mu is also known as "Place of Nothingness"). It is inspired by Buddhist values; some players speculate Mu to be based off of the Heart Sutra. According to Wikipedia, the Sanskrit name of Heart Sutra translates to "The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom."
*In EARTHBOUND, Carpainter is the head of the Happy-Happyism cult, a cult obsessed with the color blue. Their ideals based on the disbanded Japanese cult Shinrikyu Aum, the cultists' clothes are speculated to be modeled after the KKK (which explains why their sprites were slightly altered upon American release). In this fic, the mention of previous cult leaders dying from Koolaid is a reference to the Jonestown Massacre, where the leader of the People Temple cult killed all of his members with a poisoned juice (cyanide) concoction in Guayana Esquiba.
*In Chapter 5 of MOTHER 3, there's a cutscene where Lucas and co ride a pork bean, but crash it straight after. Though it's not stated who was driving (it's not Boney, let's be real), I like to headcanon Lucas was the one driving, and crashed it because he had no idea how to drive. He's a fuckin dork
*In MOTHER 3, Lucas has four ultimate equips:
-The Awesome Crown
-Mystical Stick
-The Awesome Cloak
-The Awesome Ring
In this chapter, these are the equips that the Dark Dragon returned.
*In MOTHER 3, Lucas is a fuckin tank, and boasts of a large moveset: PK Flash, (PSI) Healing, (PSI) LifeUp, PK Love, Refresh, Shield, PSI Shield, Offense Up, Defense Up.
Interestingly, when maxed up to LVL99 and compared with Ness's stats, Lucas has considerably less HP (Around ~600 HP difference) and PP (~100PP difference), but a higher IQ (108 vs. Ness's 65). I speculate it's because EB fucked up their rolling HP counter (it scrolled down relatively fast, hence the larger HP), and the changing role of IQ (in EB, some people prefer to increase Poo's IQ). Lucas has a slightly lower Defense stat, but has the ability to cast assist spells like Offense UP and Defense UP (which Ness can't do). Both characters have about the same Offense (physical) stat.
*The sex parties taking place at large house(s) (i.e. Blue House) are references to (1) Epstein's mansion on his private island, where human trafficking and orgies took place, and (2) the Sky House - one of four houses owned by Sky Williams, where he reportedly enabled cases of sexual abuse on minors housed in the competitive smash scene. Epstein also employed most if not all the staff (i.e. drivers, wait staff, pilots, etc) to keep his crimes under cover, and took photos of himself at his events with other prominent people (possibly blackmail).
Review responses:
Forestfire3470: ITS U! You have no idea how STOKED I was when you pointed out the Nuremburg Defense! This was exactly what I'd hoped to achieve :) And I agree, "Opiate of the Masses" doesn't fit the chapter title as well. It was added into my draft when HappyHappy Pills/Pixie Dust had greater importance, but I forgot to take it out. I'm too lazy to edit it, so it stays. Personally, I like to think that in this AU, Ness prefers girls, but he'll date anyone whom he can share a strong emotional connection with. Can't say I've thought much about the topic though! Good questions, keep them coming :D
Conna: AAAAAA This praise means a lot, coming from you :'D. I think all your criticisms are reasonable (I struggled with the Ness/Lucas break up scene, so I'm glad it worked overall!), and I hope this chapter cleared up a few of your points! I think I answered your question about the porky agent over DMs- but she was the same person who called the hecnhman on the SkyTrain in this chapter. :)
ReadyForTeddy: HELLO YOU :D yep, finale action! Ness dies. Maybe. Let's find in another 5 months LOL
Nyxnsu: Dude you hit all the points about the Egg of Light! You're a wizard, Nyxnsu. Also I don't blame you - this fic is crazy long. I thought I'd be done within 200k, but nope. im cursed with longfics i swear. AAAAA and thank you for your review! Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint :D
anon: Updated :) Sometimes I take my time, but I love writing too much to let these stories die. :D
grapesRgr8: Thank you for your feedback. :) AAA NO CURSING IN THIS DAMN FUCKING SACRED CHAT-
MaximizeCharisma: Your analysis made my day. And my week. And my month. I've probably read over your review at least 5 times, in case I've missed anything. Thank you. I'm also glad you read this story first over my first EB longfic, because while the ideas were there in For the Power of Love, not all the ideas succeeded in their execution (e.g. contrived/dramatic communication issues, kill me now), and I'm still revamping my chapters :)
I was immensely happy when you pointed out tidbits sprinkled throughout the chapters (i.e. Yoshi and tax fraud, etc), and will fix up grammar/spelling mistakes the best I can. Failing that, I'll be more aware of these points moving forward (i.e. adding question marks under appropriate situations). I originally started this fic in past tense, before switching to present, and still catch mistakes in tense. I'll get them all one day :) I'm also relieved that a lot of the emotional moments carried through, and that Flint's chapter (where he burns Lucas's letters) was so strongly felt. I didn't get much feedback about that particular scene, so I had doubts over its impact factor until you mentioned it.
To address your constructive crit, all points of which are valid (and posting here in case other readers have similar questions):
-The Ness/Lucas communication issue: Definitely a major weakness of the story, especially in earlier chapters, and something I would've changed looking back. If it makes you feel better, you weren't the only reader to bring this up! I may or may not have something planned to ease this issue, but no spoilers :)
-The Master Hand issue: Another loose thread you picked up! :D I'd initially planned for Master Hand's prejudice against non-canon ships to play more of a role (e.g. paralleling real world stigma against LGBTQ vs straight relationships), but dropped it in favor of Porky's entrance. While MH definitely cares about the Smashers, I see Master Hand with a CEO-like personality in this AU. SMASH is a successful, competitive tournament with benefits that mean no shortage of applicants, regardless of its dangers (which many accomplished heroes are quick to disregard), so many franchises and games would KILL to even have a place on the roster. Also in Chapter 35, all the explanations MH gave to Ness were included BECAUSE another reader pointed out the exact same thing as you :D MH is one of my weaker characters, and one I'm not too proud of. I know little about corporations and how they work, so this was also definite weakness that showed. Also another "unfortunate, coincidental" Master Hand disappearance this chapter. Boy he sure loves those ;)
-The Lack of Search Party issue: AH FUCK I THOUGHT I MENTIONED THIS BUT FORGOT ASDJKHL While writing chapter 37, I must've accidentally erased this from my drafts. I've squeezed it into this chapter, so hopefully this works.
-Ness's perfomance issues: LOL GODDAMMIT ARE YOU A MINDREADER HAHA
No spoilers :)
-Red's Arc issue: Agreed. I wish I had more time to spend on Red's arc and flesh out his relationship with Lucas, but I dropped it for the main arc :( Originally I planned to have Popo's Arc, Red's Arc, and Toon Link's Arc (where Toon's grandmother, and Toon Link's friendship with Ness are explored), but I ended up dropping the last, and much of the second.
-Claus's Arc issue: SERIOUSLY, ARE YOU A MINDREADER
Now that Claus's Arc is resolved in this chapter (so no spoilers anymore), I can safely say this: originally in the earlier chapters (during chapter 5-10ish), I'd planned to leave Claus alive. But as the story progressed, and the plot became more polished, I decided that keeping Claus dead made the most sense for this fic, and adjusted my future chapters accordingly.
-Missing References issue: Nah, I'm just lazy. That's all there it is to it hA
Seriously, if I miss any references, lemme know, and I'll add it. I forgot about adding the Silk Road references to the last chapter, but done, aaand done :)
-Tingle: He'll steal all your rupees. The ultimate villain of this story :D
Again, you (and all my readers) have an incredibly sharp eye for picking up the plot points I dropped. Thank you for reviewing :)