Prologue: ?
The Dead Alive aren't happy about us leaving Tazmily.
They practically throw themselves at the carriages, groaning in mangled timbres, brittle fingers clawing at the windows. But Porky's steely guards produce metal batons, and they fall back, corpse-like, against the sunflowers.
Once they're passed, the carriages wind their way through field after field, until at last, we enter what Duster tells me is the Sunshine Forest. A worn dirt track leads us into serene glades, surrounded by towering sycamores.
"I don't recognise you," a stern-looking woman says, as the carriage grinds past a rock. It takes me a couple of seconds to register that she's talking to me.
"I'm Steven," I lie effortlessly. She looks unmoved. I gulp. "I travelled to Tazmily seeking refuge. Duster was kind enough to give it to me."
"That old codger?!" she barks. "We should push him out onto the road!"
"Elmore!" another woman exclaims. "Must you be so crude?" She turns to me. "I'm Caroline. Pleasure to meet you, Steven. And this is my daughter, Angie-"
"Mother, I can introduce myself," a teenage girl, presumably Angie, says. "Why isn't Fuel coming along?"
"We've discussed this," Caroline sighs, while Angie rolls her eyes. "Fuel and Lighter are staying behind to protect the village. They don't trust Porky."
"Quite right," booms a lofty man in an angular suit and tie. "I am the richest man in Tazmily, and the mayor. Porky has no right coming into my village with his impositions!"
"Then why are we going to his city, Father?" asks a bespectacled boy.
"Silence, Ollie! Sebastian, if Ollie speaks out of line again, put him in a five-minute time-out."
"Of course, mayor Pusher," Sebastian bows, wearing a traditional butler's outfit. "It will be done."
"Yes, child, we should - hic - celebrate!" A man in the corner throws his hands in the air. "We're going to be - hic - free! Woo-hoo!"
"Is Matt drunk again?" Caroline complains. "Tessie, was this your doing?"
"Sorry," Tessie looks sheepish. "He was in my inn. I could hardly turn him away-"
"You could turn him away very easily," grumbles a shirtless man in bright yellow trousers. "Perhaps then he wouldn't feel inclined to hammer down my teepee in the dead of night."
"That teepee is an eyesore, Reggie," Pusher complains. "It deserves to be hammered down!"
I survey the eclectic group with interest. Of all the people who could have fallen into my carriage to be saved, I wasn't expecting this.
"Good to meet you all," I say bracingly, preparing to make my move. "Unfortunately, you have all been brainwashed. Porky has tricked you all. There is no joy in New Pork City, and it's my job to bring you freedom."
There's instant outcry.
"Reggie disagrees," says Reggie. "I think we should stay. Porky is offering us something great."
"Does it not seem too good to be true?" I ask.
"Why would it not be true?" Ollie asks, puzzled.
"He could - oh, I don't know - enslave everyone who arrives in his city? You'll never live a free day again."
"You won't - hic - trick us!" Matt exclaims. "We don't know you!"
"If I were tricking you, I'd promise you money, wealth, happiness. Which is exactly what Porky is doing."
"Well," Tessie laughs. "You're cheery!"
"Better terrible truths than kind lies," I say darkly. The carriage sways against a boulder as I turn my head.
"How would you know?" Elmore snaps. "You're just some troublemaker. YYou don't even live in Tazmily."
"I can tell you exactly how I know," I say. "It's a very long story..."
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~~o00o~~
Chapter 20: Thinking
(Lucas)
~~o00o~~
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Every morning, the world wakes up.
In their beds, on the street, wherever. They brush themselves off, stretching, wiping the sleep from their eyes. But what they do not realise is that this could be the day. The day when something happens, something unexpected, which drastically changes their lives.
Say you wake up. It's a normal day, you go to work, you decide, why not buy yourself a lottery ticket? And by some strange chance, it wins, and all of a sudden, your life has changed.
The smallest actions could have the largest consequences. Say, last night, you forgot to extinguish the fireplace. In the morning, you wake up to find that your house is reduced to ash, and all of a sudden, your life has changed.
Yet, every morning, we wake and we breathe, and we live without fear, or knowledge, of any of the potential inevitable. One day in the future, you will wake up, and it will be the day that you die. You might not even know it. To you, it may just be an ordinary morning; you might be going out to work in the factory, but on the way to the factory gates, a bullet is shot through your skull. A serial killer has chosen that specific time and that specific place, the one where you happened to be, to commit a murder. You wouldn't have been in that place, at that time, if you decided to have one slice of bread instead of two for breakfast. If you didn't take so long to put on your shoes. If you didn't double-check whether you locked the door. If you did any of those things differently, you could have lived.
So, why don't we worry about everything we do? If every little action could inadvertently lead to our deaths, shouldn't we be extremely careful?
The truth is, no. We don't know when, or how, we will die. There is no point in being picky over every little thing. That wouldn't be self-preservation. That would be stupidity.
We should live every day as our own. We should tentatively embrace every day for what it is, for what we want it to be. Today, you start those projects, start that new idea, because today might be the day that you die, and if you die, what will you have to leave behind? If your ideas die with you? Every day, you must wake up, acknowledging it could be a day that changes your life.
One day, my life completely changed. I woke up expecting mere normality. If I hadn't been in the right place at the right time, nothing would have happened. If I hadn't performed the smallest action - staying behind at the end of Mathematics to ask a question - it wouldn't have happened.
I was young, naïve. I walked into the lunch hall at exactly the right moment to encounter the regular bullies, at exactly the right position in the cafeteria; in view of a certain dark-haired boy. Those bullies chose that day to knock my sandwiches to the ground.
Ness chose that day to be my hero.
I didn't know him. I'd never spoken to this boy. I knew he was in some of my classes, but he usually stuck with Toon Link and Inkling. Suddenly, he was standing by my side, the bullies crying on the floor, and I was invited to his table. And so, my life was changed...
...I open my eyes. I should've studied philosophy, darn it; this is what happens if I'm alone with my thoughts for too long. Since Ness unexpectedly disappeared during dinner, I've been worried sick about him. I cooped myself up - a bad habit, I know - in a cupboard upstairs, but I need to think. I need to be alone.
Recently, Ness has fallen into a spiral of decline. Everything keeps happening, and it's all piling on top of him, weighing him down, making him gloomy. He hasn't laughed as much throughout this last week. He's not jumping for joy when he sees me; he's starting to hide himself away, and he's often in another world of his own.
I want to blame myself. I really want to blame myself, but for once, I know this isn't my fault. Sure, there's a ton of stuff after me, trying to bring me to an untimely demise, and Ness is worried about that, but I didn't choose to be a magnet for unrelenting evil. It's just one of those things. The bad luck of Lucas, I call it, inside my mind.
Despite my innocence, it is absolutely my responsibility to keep him safe. If these horrors are after me, Ness could very well be caught in the crossfire. We need to watch each other's backs, so the very last thing we need is to distance ourselves from each other.
Plus, we're both psychic. I feel a small tingle thinking about it; me, magical? It's hard, so hard to believe, but although it desecrates science, it makes perfect sense. I'm slightly excited, but mostly nervous - if the cost of magical power is being attacked by Future Humans, weird people harassing me in the shower, and The Face following us around, then I don't think it's a particularly good deal.
The Face. That bothers me. The Face simply doesn't fit in with everything else. We know that someone is behind the Future Humans, and that same person was the 'Dreamlord' who imprisoned Ness, as well as the person who tried to burn Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures. We know that this one person, someone inside of the school, is behind most of these things. I think The Face is an exception to that.
Ness and I theorised that Future Humans used to be actual people, or even reanimated corpses from long ago. But I think they're broken. Whatever the Dreamlord is trying to do with them, it hasn't worked. I don't think they're supposed to speak Latin. I don't think they're supposed to tick, or cry, or walk so slowly. I think in the conversion process, something goes wrong. That's why as we see more and more, they're different, better, stronger.
Which means soon, they'll be unstoppable.
I shiver violently. I badly, so badly want to be wrong. And then there's the grave, which I'm even less certain about. I ball myself up in my cupboard - Toon Link and Villager and Red are probably having a great time out there, but I lock myself away when I'm scared.
I'm really scared.
I'm just me, I'm just Lucas. I can't fight against all of this horror that's coming for me. One day, I'll wake up, and it will seem like an ordinary day, but it will be the day that they catch me. The day I lose. The day the Future Humans are strong enough to claim me for themselves. I think of the Cloak. The Cloak, throughout Ness's dream. It always came for him, it never gave up. Constantly moving, never-ending.
I can't evade the end forever. They will eventually win. The thought hangs heavy on my shoulders. Is this how Ness feels? Hopeless?
Standing, I make my resolve. I can't stay in this cupboard forever. I've given Ness enough time to himself - I have to go and find him.
It turns out he's taken refuge in our dorm, as I expected. He's buried himself deep under all the covers. I can just see one of his feet sticking out… he must be roasting under there! So I stride over, pulling off all of the blankets.
But to my surprise, he's happily reading a book.
"Ness?" I say tentatively.
"Hey," Ness says. He looks slightly uncomfortable. It's only then that I notice he's lying on the golden egg.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"I'm incubating the egg," Ness says, shifting it back undernearth him. "Like a chicken does, you know? I'm trying to get it to hatch."
...I bust into laughter. He's lost it. He's gone completely insane. I pull the egg from beneath him, giving him a well-earned poke.
"You goof. That's not going to work!"
"Hey!" Ness exclaims, but he's cracking up as well. "I thought it was a good idea!"
"It's probably the worst idea you've had yet! Honestly, what did you think it would do? It's made of metal!"
"I don't know," Ness blushes, still laughing. "Don't come at me, okay? I don't see you thinking of anything better."
"Well, whatever. You're in a good mood," I note, coming to lie beside him. He smiles.
"Yeah. I've come to terms with a few things, I guess. We're magical. I'm homosexual. That's just how it is."
I throw him into a hug, grinning like a maniac. At last. At long, long last.
"Mmf - Lucas!" Ness hugs back, slightly alarmed.
"I'm really sorry you were going through so much, Ness."
Ness nuzzles me. "It's not your fault, Luke."
Luke. He's not called me that in forever. For once, I decide not to reprimand him for it.
"Are you feeling better, then?"
"Yeah," Ness says. "Loads better!"
"That's great!"
I beam at him. I know he won't be completely okay, not yet, but this is a great start. It's looking up! I poke him, and he pokes me back, and we burst into fits of laughter - oh, it's such a relief to have happy Ness back, even if this may only be temporary. He starts to tickle me as well, causing me to fall to the floor, laughing hysterically - curse him! I drag him down with me, and Ness yelps as he tumbles down.
"I'm ready to read the how-to-do-psychic-stuff book now," he says, once we've calmed down, and I'm suddenly very glad. I've hidden it well, but I'm burning with curiosity. I need to know how to use these powers, before they explode out of me all at once. Ness takes the book off of the shelf, opening it up to the first page. "Let's try not to destroy anything, okay?"
"Yeah," I laugh, and Ness takes my hand.
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'The PSI (psychic) branch of abilities is simultaneously the oldest and the rarest form of magic. The earliest account of this magicianship was penned in 400 BC by a magician named Ninten, who lived in Onett, which at that time was a considerably spiritual farming town. Despite not knowing what he was experiencing, Ninten's records (known as the Journals of Ninten) describe many traits of the Psychic branch, thus theorists citing him as the first magician.
Practising magic was and is an illegal act, and was considered to be blasphemous against the Tree and River gods of Onett. Although Ninten was martyred at the stake for his abilities, his journals were left in his roundhouse, which remained uninhabited for several years.
Over one hundred years later, a visiting family moved in. They were short of money, desperate for a place to stay, and the best that could be offered was this house on a hill. By this time, Ninten's legacy had dissolved into writing, and the townsfolk had long forgotten the secrets that this house contained. On one particular night, the two children of this family (named Bedwyr and Bryn) discovered the journals of Ninten on an ancient shelf, beyond a long since rusted lock. They attempted to recreate what they had read, and this was enough for Bedwyr to discover the powers that he possessed: LYT (Light). Bedwyr eventually added to the journals with his own words: These texts are to be buried, he wrote. I have to run.
It is unclear what became of Bedwyr and his family beyond this point. Experts have suggested that he may have created light so bright it could be seen from the town, and that he was driven out to meet a similar fate to Ninten. Whatever the case, the journals remained beneath the soil for several years.
Eventually, the journals were discovered by a woman named Erin. Erin was a farmer; she did not have any recorded magical powers of her own, but she kept the journals on her shelf as a trinket—the idea of magic and the LYT & PSI abilities amused her. However, one night, Erin's house was robbed by a man named Eoghan Williams. Eoghan was a distant descendant of Bedwyr, and he also happened to have shown signs of magical power. He had already mastered the ELM (elemental) powers, which he used to rob Erin of several valuables, including the journals. He read them, and subsequently, he documented his abilities.
A friend of Eoghan visited, whom Eoghan had entrusted with information about his magic. This unnamed friend demonstrated the DPL (diplomatics) powers, and information about this branch was added to the records. Eoghan then locked the journals in a large chest and arranged for them to be taken up the local mountain, Giant's Precipice, to be guarded by a ferocious pack of wolves. However, on the way to the top of the mountain, Eoghan was arrested for the robbery he committed on Erin. Erin, therefore, inherited the chest, leaving it in a room of her house until her untimely death. The chest's key had since been lost, so the chest was sold in the town's auction house.
The winner of the auction was a very rich man called Artur. Artur, it is written, had made his fortune due to his CRN (creation) powers, which allowed him to manifest solid gold. Artur stored the chest in his bedchamber, using his powers to fashion a key to unlock it. Artur read the journals, and upon adding his CRN powers to them, used his CRN abilities to form six magical stones, one representing each of the powers, and an additional stone representing a power he had theorised—the power of Time. No powers of Time have yet been discovered, although several magical theorists suspect Artur to have had exterior knowledge, or to have had an unrecorded friend with Time abilities.
Artur hid his stones upon Giant's Precipice, guarded by the wolves. It is not known what these stones did, but they appeared to initiate a sudden influx of magicians throughout Onett and the surrounding farmlands. It is suggested that the stones are the 'roots' of the five branches of powers; their existence centralises the force of magic, enabling more people to be born into the magical community. Therefore, Artur used his CRN powers to create multiple copies of Ninten's journals, selling them in secret to those who needed help with their newfound abilities.
Meanwhile, the expression of magic appeared to be entirely localised within Onett, where all of this had taken place. This only changed when the Roman Empire invaded—The Romans stole all but the stone of Time; the stone of Time had unusually disappeared. As they took and sold these stones, people with magical powers started to be born throughout the entirety of Europe. Experts suggest proximity to the stones somehow influenced the genetic structure of certain individuals to 'make them magical.'
The Romans eventually fell, and many of the stones disappeared from record, lost to the mists of time. Many therefore believe them to be mythical, or non-existent, despite Artur's writings. Magical experts have, in secret, studied the psychology and the characteristics of the stones, and all five branches of magic. Statisticians have analysed magical communities to interpret the influence of the Stones, for example, only six people with PSI powers, including Ninten, have been discovered. The most recent Psychics were Onett dwellers, Ness and Lucas-'
...
We look at each other in alarm.
...
'...And several books and journals have been written since Ninten's which discern the intricacies of the specific branches of powers. For example, the first people to possess each of the different branches (Ninten, Bedwyr, Eoghan, Eoghans's friend, and Artur) appear to have been the most powerful of their kind, notable since they existed before the stones. An example is that since Artur, not one magician mastering the CRN powers has been able to create gold.
The Stones meanwhile have been distributed across the globe, with the exception of the Time Stone. Amongst its believers, it is thought that the Time Stone sends its bearers into the past itself.
This book will now outline how to use the PSI powers.'
..
"About time," Ness says, swating the pages. "The big magical fairytale was nice and all, but it's not gonna help us defy science."
...
The powers of PSI are unique as they vary significantly between individuals. There exists a selection of defining characteristics for Psychics, however, individual magicians may only possess a certain quantity of them. Ninten was unique in that he possessed them all. The characteristics are:
Elementalisms: Emittance of Fire, Ice and Thunder.
Emotion: Higher emotional volatility.
Empathisms: Reflecting the emotions of other magicians.
Premonitions: Notions and Ideas concerning subsequent events.
Telepathy: The ability to silently communicate with other Psychic users.
...
"Pretty sure I've got that one covered," Ness says, pointing to the Emotion section, but I study the characteristics, perplexed.
"Ness, I think I have them all. We've set things ablaze in dreams, I get premonitions, and if Telepathy is possible…"
"Ryu did say you were extra-powerful," Ness reminds me. "Show-off."
"Yeah, Ness," I say sarcastically. "I'm the first psychic since Ninten to possess all five branches of psychic power. Of course I'm going to show off."
"This is so ridiculous," Ness sighs. "It's more pretentious than Shulk."
"Pretentious? You should fear my magic, child! Watch your step, or I'll turn you into a frog!"
"You wouldn't," Ness says, rolling his eyes.
"Really? You would defy me, his Most Magical Highness? I'll have you know I can emit thunder!"
"Oh, really? Well, it's a shame you'd feel too guilty to hurt me."
"Curses!" I exclaim, feeling my face grow warm. "My secret weakness!"
...
Usage of Psychic Magic
Control of PSI magic requires verbal, physical and mental action. To cast a spell is to centralise the forces of magic, harnessing them to produce the desired result. With practice, focus, and discipline, the effectiveness and potency of magic can improve.
Verbal Action
Perhaps the simplest form of spellcasting, verbal action requires the user to shout a phrase to channel their magic. Examples include 'PK Fire', and 'PK Freeze.'
Mental Action
Control of conscious and subconscious lines of thought influences Empathisms and Premonitions. Whilst both are usually subconscious, perceiving the environment can catalyse their usage.
Physical Action
Physical Action can either alter the effects of magic or enable its usage entirely. In the case of verbal spells, directing magical force by the hands controls the velocity of the spell. In the case of Telepathy, a physical connection of the foreheads is required...
...
"Intimate," Ness says, and I feel myself going red.
"Want to try it?"
"Only if you do." He grins, pulling me close. "Or, we could try that fire stuff. We could burn down the school."
"Maybe we should burn down the school tomorrow." I scan the page, trying to understand how this is supposed to work. Amongst all the frilly language, it's irritatingly vague. "I want to try out this telepathy first. Imagine, we could talk bad about Bowser, right in front of his face.."
"That sounds great." Ness takes my hands in his, a nervous expression on his face. "But, uh, how do we-?"
I experimentally put my forehead against his, our eyes just inches apart, our lips just inches apart… I shiver, unsure why that fact is making me feel so weird.
"Hello?" I probe, closing my eyes. I'm met with resounding silence.
All at once, Ness's voice appears alarmingly loudly. It sounds like it comes from all directions, and yet from no direction at all. It's as if I'm talking to myself, except, it's not me. I know it's not me.
"Lucas? Was that you?"
"Yeah, Ness, it's me!"
"Hold on, Lucas, I'm gonna test something. Uh, hold up three fingers."
I hold up three fingers.
"It's working!" He sounds excited, and I dare to open my eyes again. He beams. "I'm not just talking to myself!"
Pain shoots through my skull. All at once, I break the connection, pushing back against the mattress. My head pulses with a sudden ache, my ears ringing as if someone has just screamed. Ness frowns, concerned, and I rub my temple, hard.
"Sorry, it's just, kinda weird, is your head hurting too-?"
"A bit, I guess." He touches his head lightly, still looking at me with concern. "We should, uh. Talk out loud. That's better, I think."
"I agree." I let go of his hands. "But that was-"
"Weird?"
"Weird."
We sit in silence for a few seconds, before I relax, leaning back against the bed.
"We've got magical powers," Ness whispers.
"Yeah." I grin. "We do."
"You've got better magical powers."
"You bet. I've also got a ton of evil forces coming to kill me. Wanna trade?"
"No thanks." Ness holds up his hands. "Although, maybe I would, because I'd rather that you be safe-"
"You sap-"
"Yeah." He rests his head on my shoulder, grinning. "I know."
I smile, but I recall something.
"Pit is going to be sleeping in our room, until further notice."
"Good idea," Ness says. "Is it because sleeping in the same room as Dark Pit used to still hurts and he'd rather escape from all of that pressure?"
"Well - yeah." Ness is sometimes a lot more perceptive than I give him credit for. "We'll have to share a bed again, is that okay?"
"Of course it is," Ness says, "If you don't hog the blankets."
Somehow, we've ended up sharing a bed on multiple occasions this term, but that's alright. We're no strangers to sharing, since we have to share whenever I stay over at Ness's bungalow. It's admittedly surprising that Ness's father lets me into his home, but I'm not going to complain about it.
"We should find the others," I say. "But the magic should stay a secret."
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We find them, predictably, in the games room.
"Oh, there you are!" Toon Link gets up from the couch to greet us. "Wow, it's been so long, you've aged about… thirty years, by the looks of it?"
"Toon Link," Villager pulls him back down. "Give them a break. They were probably having a deep conversation."
"Well, whatever. You've both interrupted my great story about what happened with Bowser, a wooden spoon, and a fish, which is quite frankly unacceptable."
Ness grins. "Go on then, tell us."
"Well," Toon Link begins dramatically, but he's cut off by Red sitting himself down next to Villager.
"Alright?"
Toon Link sighs. "Come on, can't a guy tell a story around here?"
"Go on," Red says. "Please resume today's spiel of falsehood."
"Excuse me, munchkin! I'll have you know-"
"You're the smaller one," Villager says, giving Toon Link a prod.
"Hey!" Toon Link folds his arms. "Shut up. Let me continue. It's a true story-"
"Sure," Ness says.
"It is! Anyway, so. After you lot left the dining hall, I realised that I'd left my jumper behind. I went back in, and I saw Bowser harassing the cooking staff for more food. They started chasing him around the hall, and they were all holding utensils, and one was holding a fish-"
"Like I said," Red interrupts. "A spiel of falsehood!"
"Hey!" Toon Link protests.
"C'mon, Toonie," Villager says. "That's a load of rubbish, and you know it."
"Whatever." He pouts. "It made you laugh."
Speaking of the devil, I notice Bowser walking down the corridor. But something about it heightens my curiosity. The way he's moving, perhaps? His shifty manner?
"There he is," Villager says. "What's he up to?"
"We should follow him," I decide.
Luckily, the others seem to be up for this, so we quickly creep out of the games room. Bowser's lumbering along quite slowly, and anyone normal would think he's just heading to his office… but it's one of those premonitions again. I get the strong feeling that he's up to something.
"Come on!" I whisper.
"I would," Toon Link sighs, "But Villager keeps staring at my ass."
"I do not!"
"Guys, shut up!" I fix them with a glare.
We keep on going, and Bowser enters his newly repaired office. But before we can investigate, Rosalina appears, knocking at his door. Bowser's groan is audible, however, Rosalina is let inside, the door slamming shut behind her.
"What do you want, woman?" Bowser snarls.
"You hurt Lucas." Rosalina's tone is remarkably threatening.
I blush deeply - so that's what this is about? I hadn't expected her to follow up on her threat. The caning still stings - I'll be sleeping on my front tonight, that's for sure.
"So what if I did?" A loud noise comes from within, presumably Bowser shoving something to the floor. "He deserved punishment!"
"He did nothing wrong," Rosalina argues.
"He snuck out of my class!"
"It was for good reason," Rosalina says, and I can envision her folding her arms. "Ness was upset."
"Upset?" Bowser growls. "Boohoo. Good. Let him suffer!"
"How could you say that?" Rosalina exclaims. Toon Link bites back a laugh, and Villager has to shush him. "You know, you are the most heartless piece of-"
"At least I'm not a WOMAN!" Bowser yells suddenly. "You're only here because the headmaster owes you! You're not fit to work!"
"Oh?" Rosalina says, staying remarkably calm. "Howcome my entire science class passed their last set of exams? Meanwhile, your English class, if I recall, failed on every paper?"
"Well-"
I think we've heard enough. Fun as it is to hear Bowser getting verbally destroyed, I don't think it's anything important. A little perturbed, I beckon the others back into the games room.
"Well, what was the point of that?" Toon Link asks as soon as we sit back down.
"It was funny," Villager shrugs. "And Bowser did look suspicious. Rosalina probably cut him off from committing whatever mass genocide he had planned."
"I bet he's behind everything," Toon Link says darkly, pacing around the pool table. He brandishes a cue. "It's exactly the sort of thing he'd do."
"Nonsense." Red waves a dismissive hand. "He is too foolish. He does not know what a verb is."
They're right, of course, but only to an extent… I narrow my eyes, wondering if anyone could truly be that stupid. Could it be an elaborate act? How long could this endeavour have been planned? And he certainly hates Ness…
"Villager, have you seen Mega Man recently?" Ness cuts off my train of thought.
"Yeah, why?" Villager frowns. "He's been in all my Trades classes."
"Just, the disappearances…"
There is a pause, and Pit chooses that moment to quietly enter the room. He smiles at me, sitting a little way away, and my thoughts drift back to earlier. The smallest actions, the largest consequences…
"There you are!" Popo exclaims suddenly, manifesting through a doorway. "My best buddies in the world!" He sandwiches himself in between Toon Link and Villager, throwing an ostentatious arm around them both.
"Hello," Red deadpans. "Why are you here?"
"Because you're my favourite people, why else?" Popo grins, oblivious to Villager's sickened expression.
"We're not your best buddies," Red says. "We don't actually like you-"
"Red!" Ness exclaims. "That's not true!"
"Pit, my guy!" Popo appears unfazed, his gaze drawn to the other side of the room. "Didn't see you there, where's your partner in crime?"
Pit's eyes glaze over. "Not here."
"Oh no! That sucks, given you don't have a significant personality of your own."
"Thanks." Pit grits his teeth.
"Leave him alone," Villager says, his knuckles white with tension.
"So rude!" Popo gasps. "Did that touch a nerve? Do you relate, Villager? You got a problem with me, bro?"
"Yes," he replies. "Everyone knows what's happened, and it's not nice to rub it in."
"Not nice? Ha!" Popo stands, nearly throttling Villager in the process. "Why should I listen to you? You're titchy."
"Because you should have some respect for death, and-"
He's cut off by Meta Knight and Olimar storming in. I move closer to Ness, worry seeping through me. This is becoming quite an unpleasant gathering.
"Pit!" Meta Knight crows, rubbing his hands together in glee. "Just the person we were looking for. Still sobbing over your deadbeat brother?"
"Leave me alone," Pit mutters, drawing his knees up to his chest.
Olimar snickers, advancing with menace. Toon Link stands abruptly, and Villager attempts to sit him back down.
"Aw, look at his ickle face. He's been crying!"
"You leave him alone!" Toon Link escapes Villager's grip, surging over to Olimar and shoving him hard.
"Toon Link!" Villager exclaims. "No! You got in a fight yesterday, don't get in another one!"
Olimar laughs - why does this always happen? I stand up as well, shaking with the injustice of it all. Not this time, you bastards.
"Go away!"
"I don't think so," Meta Knight snarls, turning on me, and I can see Olimar shoving Toon Link behind him. "Payment must be given out to those who've wronged us."
"Why do you do this? Why do you waste your time on being cruel?"
"Revenge, of course." Meta Knight laughs.
"For what? What has he ever done to you?"
"He got us in trouble with Rosalina! And so did you, now I come to think of it." All at once he surges over, and I brace myself for the shove.
"When?"
"Telling her we're behind those disappearances," Meta Knight snarls.
"You said you had business to attend to!" I push back against the pool table, groping for a cue. "It was a reasonable assumption-"
"What did we say about that business?" Meta Knight brings his face nastily close to mine. "We said not to mention it to anyone, or you'd end up in the medical ward for a month. So, what do you say? Do we break one of your legs, or two?"
But before he can attack me, I find my target, and chaos reigns.
I slam the cue into his chest. He falls back, stuttering, but before he can retaliate, Ness is on him like a vice. Olimar bellows something in the background, but Toon Link and Villager are there, sending him sprawling to the floor. Popo takes the opportunity to sit on Meta Knight's face, and Red cackles, throwing billiard balls in his direction.
"Thought you'd have learned by now," Ness says menacingly, fiercely holding down Meta Knight's legs. "Don't threaten Lucas. There's six of us, and two of you."
Olimar growls. "But Pit-"
"You don't mock Pit." Toon Link pins Olimar's shoulders to the floor, looking downright vicious. "Especially not for that. How would you feel if Meta Knight went missing?"
Meta Knight splutters from beneath Popo's rear. It's a sight that, despite it all, nearly makes me burst out laughing.
"What business are you up to?" Red asks sharply, withdrawing a clipboard from who-knows-where. "If it is illegal, I will be forced to tell the headmaster."
"Good question!" Popo finally relinquishes, and Meta Knight gasps for air, looking green.
"It's nothing to do with your damned disappearances! Let me go!"
"Only if you promise to leave us alone," Ness says, and Meta Knight growls with indignation.
"Fine!"
Once they're finally gone, I find myself breathing easier. That should show them, at least for now. No doubt an act of revenge will be due, but I reckon we could face them off.
"Popo?" A female voice drifts in from the corridor. "Are you in here?"
"Nana! Uh - I'm not fighting!" He hastily dusts himself off, adjusting his shirt so it looks slightly less bedraggled. "Gotta dash, gang. She wants to write to Mother about my misbehaviour!"
He disappears in a wild flurry.
Ness fusses over me for as long as I allow him, whilst Villager collapses disapprovingly on the nearest couch. I don't know why this has to happen so regularly - the conflict, chaos, and constant violence. Especially from those two, could they be any more stereotypical if they tried?
Toon Link sits by Pit, who's still visibly shaken up. I feel something foreign pool in my gut, because it's not fair. I don't usually feel anger or hatred. I always say that I don't hate people, I just hate their actions, but it's hard to live by such a principle when Meta Knight and Olimar exist to challenge it. It's ingrained into human nature, our old survival instincts - dislike of others is a drive to compete, to get the best food in order to survive. Dislike of something incomprehensible is the same, the risk that something confusing could be a deadly poison. It allows me to strongly dislike the pair, at the very least. Because I don't get their cruelty. I don't understand it.
"It's alright to cry, it really is. Don't listen to what they were saying..." Toon Link hugs Pit with surprising tenderness, and Pit shudders.
"Thank you, Toon Link, I just, I just…"
"See, Toon Link?" Ness smiles across the room. "Your soft side is still here."
"Maybe," Toon Link says quietly. "But that's not important right now."
"Thank you." Pit brushes the loose strands of hair from his eyes. "For everything. I just - sorry..."
"Hey, it's no problem at all, okay?"
Toon Link sits down next to him, and Pit brings himself forwards, integrating himself into our little circle. I can practically sense his nerves; all the confidence he had when he was with Dark Pit has vanished completely. I think, especially after that confrontation with the neighbourhood bullies, Pit is going to become a permanent fixture in our group. I reckon that's going to be a very good thing. For Toon Link as well, since I know he worries because Red and Villager are a duo, and so are Ness and I. I know that can't sit well on his mind, and I know he sometimes feels like the lonely one, which is why it's so important that we let Pit join us. I'm reminded strikingly of losing everything when Claus left, and then being welcomed so suddenly into Ness's inner circle. The smallest action had the biggest and bestest consequence.
It'll take him time to heal, and we'll do our best to help him through it. Inviting Pit into our bedroom wasn't just an excuse to keep sharing a bed with Ness, though, I guess it's an extra benefit. I sleep a lot better when Ness is there. I think he sleeps better too. It might be a psychic thing, perhaps…
"We should do something," Toon Link says bracingly, standing. "We should hit the pool, it's always nice when it's dark."
We do exactly that.
It's a nice escape, if only for a while. The water is pretty, though the earth has moved too far for mine and Ness's constellation, Amici Optimi, to be visible. Toon Link proposes races, and Pit surprisingly wins every time, grinning boyishly as he does so. We're therefore quick to move to goofing around in the pool for another hour, and when we finally take our leave, we're all laughing hysterically, even Red and Pit, and it feels amazing after the chaos of the day to relax, to have fun, to play like we're young again.
Pit grins, the many fireplaces illuminating his face in a warm orange glow. "Are you guys always this crazy?"
"Yes," Toon Link says honestly. "But hey, you fit right in."
"Seriously, thanks for this," Pit rubs his neck, somewhat shyly. "It helps to take my mind off… well. Yeah." Toon Link bumps him cheerily on the shoulder.
"Anyday."
An hour or two after talking later, Pit takes his leave to move a few things to my room, leaving just the five of us behind. A sort of silence falls, and then my greatest fear becomes a reality.
"Are we going to have to deal with him for the rest of the term?"
My heart sinks.
Red looks around at us all, as if expecting us to share the same sentiment. I knew he wouldn't approve - it took him long enough to get to grips with joining the group himself, and it was only after substantial coercion from Villager that he did so.
But Villager puts a hand on Red's shoulder. "I know you aren't keen on change, but he means well, okay? He's a nice guy."
"Yeah, I think he's awesome," Toon Link agrees somewhat defensively. "What's your issue with him?"
"He doesn't like me," Red says. "And, he's weird."
"We're all weird," Ness replies, scratching his head. "Why do you think he doesn't like you?"
"He didn't speak to me. Not a word!"
"Did you speak to him?" Villager asks.
"No, but-"
"Well, there you go."
"Starting conversations is hard for me," Red admits, looking uncharacteristically tense. "I don't know what to say. He's talkative, he's loud. Why would I speak first?"
"He's going through a lot," Villager says. "He just needs time to find himself again. At least give him that."
"I suppose." Red mulls it over, picking at his ornately crisp trousers. Even after a messy time swimming, his hair is just how he wants it. That's how he operates; everything goes according to his plan. This is not his plan.
"Well," Ness yawns, stretching vastly. "It's been fun. Blonde boy and I should head up to bed."
"Should we?" I ogle him with surprise. Ness is usually a night owl.
"We should make sure Pit settles in," he says, standing up. I follow him, suspicions brewing.
When we're out of earshot of the others, I take Ness aside. "You've got another idea. You want to do something."
"...Alright, you caught me." Ness rubs his face. "Lucas, I can't wait. I wanna try out the ice and the fire powers. We might not get another chance until tomorrow, and I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight, because I kinda wanna learn how to control them, so they don't happen accidentally? What if I say, you know, the PK words. In my sleep. Boom?"
He has a point. I take him by the hand. "Okay, that's cool, let's do it... But Ness, you didn't have to lie to the others."
"I know." Ness looks down, sheepish. "But they'd be freaked out by our powers."
"Just say, 'Lucas and I have gotta go do something', something like that, because I feel really bad lying to our friends."
"I understand. I'm sorry, Lucas."
"It's okay." I hug him. "Come on, let's uh, go do some magic."
The night is chilly, but not wholly unpleasant. The grassy stretch down to the school's lake is flecked with glistening teardrops of dew. Only a few clouds hurry by, which means the sky is lit with a twinkling array of stars, bright and inviting outside of the polluted city. We're so far away here, on land so untouched, but Headmaster Hand has always wanted to do things differently. Co-ed classes, a female professor, a literal swimming pool inside of the school… A secret revolution of his own, started with the blessings of the government. The irony is not lost on me.
The lake glistens ephemerally in the moonlight, and with Ness beside me, I feel entirely powerful.
Ness looks expectant. Feeling foolish, I thrust my hands towards the lake.
"PK Freeze!"
What happens next makes me gasp. The wind suddenly picks up, and a thrill of something fleeting passes through my body, before shards themselves seem to erupt from my hands. I watch the magic arc, shining in light blue hues, when all at once it plunges into the seething water, solidifying it in an instant.
Ness stares at me, just as surprised as I am. He readies himself, attempting to copy my motion, thrusting his hands forwards, and with a mighty cry-
"PK FREEZE!"
Nothing happens. Ness blushes.
"Uhm, maybe another try - uh - PK Freeze?"
This time, a small ribbon of icy magic flies from his hands, freezing a modest patch of the lake to ice.
"Aw, man! Is that all I can do?"
I resist the temptation to laugh. He looks so put out that it's almost funny, and I grab his hand.
"Come on, let's try it simultaneously. Remember that dream? We summoned the fire at the same time, and it destroyed the forest. We should try that with the ice."
"Won't it freeze, like, the whole school?"
"Not if we direct it correctly. Three, two, one…"
"PK FREEZE!"
The force that courses through me almost knocks me to the floor. The wind screams, my hair frenzied and immense. For an inexplicable moment, our bodies are one, and I can feel it - raw energy, surging between us, his thoughts, his feelings, his memories, but they disappear in a split second. From our palms, two whirling streaks erupt, twisting together in glacial spirals, bright magic electrifying the sky itself, and then it dives, headfirst, and in a transient moment, it's all over.
The lake is frozen solid.
The whole thing.
I gasp for air, the wind dying down, the swirling storm around us reducing to mere billows. I fall to my knees, overcome by the power, the potency. Everything that's just come out of me, and everything that's taken its place.
"I guess you're not the most powerful psychic after all," Ness says faintly. "We're the most powerful psychic."
I laugh, peeling my eyes away from the frosted lake.
"That's cheesy."
"We just froze a whole lake using the power of friendship," Ness says. "If that's not cheesy, I don't know what is."
He laughs, and my eyes linger on him just long enough that I have to turn away and blush. I hastily turn back to the lake, releasing his hand.
"PK FIRE!"
This time, the feeling is warm, like a hot blanket or a summer's day, shone in blue and yellow. Magic glows, mellow and hot, and all at once a volley of flame arches skyward, casting the sky in amber. The maelstrom torpedoes, melting a section of the ice into a steaming ring.
"That seems dangerous." I study the hole, the wind whipping my hair up into my face.
"I agree," Ness says, readying his attempt.
"PK FIRE!"
Again, a slightly smaller burst of flame erupts from his palm, the volley creating a considerably smaller circle on the ice.
"I'd say we should try that together," I say. "But I think that might lead to the end of the world."
"Agreed." Ness laughs softly.
He instead lies back on the grass, and I follow suit, ignoring the dew that soaks into my last remaining shirt. The stars are quite something tonight, a mirror of our immense display of power, glistening with more intensity than I've ever seen. From this angle, our constellation is visible, and my fingers brush lightly against Ness's.
Some good remains in the world.
The moon disappears behind a small torrent of clouds, and the sky dims.
"Placet Auxilium!"
I leap up, my heart pounding like a machine. The darkness shrouds our oasis in midnight. Of course we'd be found, of course it's here - when is it not? Ticking sounds from all directions in the gloom, and I wildly grope for Ness's hand. He's there. The figure emerges, lumbering from the midst of the shadow.
"Placet Auxilium!"
It's new. Steel grips its legs, clutching to the wood like skin. The cogs in its midriff click with menace, sharp blades jutting from where hands once were. Its face is shrouded in the murk, protected by the night.
"Placet Auxilium!"
It's fast. This one's much faster than the other ones. I dash, my eyes widening, but it's coming. It doesn't slow down. The moonlight reappears, a gust of wind blowing my hair down into my face. I fall back against the ivy-coated wall, Ness by my side, and suddenly there is nowhere left to run. It's today, the day that I'm caught, the day that everything ends. I sweep the hair from my face, taking one last look at the thing that will destroy me.
The smallest actions. Pit brandishing an invitation, his brother jumping excitedly beside him.
The largest consequences.
Dark Pit's mangled face stares back at me.
A/N
Oops, I left you on a cliffhanger. My fingers must have slipped. Such a shame!
Ah, I had a ton of fun writing the lore and the intricacies of all of the magic powers this time. Luckily, you don't have to remember all those historical names! I'm aware there were about a billion new things this time around, what with all of those Tazmily villagers in the prologue as well.
I thought I'd finally mention that Olimar and Meta Knight are up to something, given it was, what, Chapter 2 that they'd claimed to have 'business' to attend to. Another thing that was long overdue a return was definitely Popo, and also Mega Man, two characters that I have sadly neglected.
Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will hopefully be… soon, whenever soon may be.
Notes:
Tessie, Pusher's family, Caroline, Angie, Matt, and Reggie are all canon villagers from Mother 3. I'm going to aim to keep them a little bit in character, what with the limited info there is on them in the game. All the jobs that they have are indeed the jobs they have in the game. I hope you hardcore Mother fans enjoy their presence.
Ninten is the protagonist of Earthbound beginnings. He's not someone who wrote journals about magic in the game, though, I just thought it'd be nice to name-drop him. All of the other people in the Lore of the Magic had names originating in Celtic traditions.
The PK Freeze and PK Fire powers are tributes to those abilities in Smash Bros Ultimate. Other aspects of the magic are deviations from canon.
Reviews:
A review arrived just as I was about to finish uploading this (yay, my wordcount goes up!):
"Lovely fic you got here. I spent the last couple nights binge reading it since I've got tons of time in my hands these days lol. It's a nice story, really and I love how Lucas and Ness are so affectionate together. Smol beans are in love but they don't know it fully yet. Some terms are a little anachronistic for the 1800s like emoticons in the mail or "gay" to describe homosexuality. The word meant "very happy" until the 1960s, and gay people were called homosexuals, q*** or perhaps more pejoratively, sodomites. It wasn't an accepting era, sadly. Also the Latin. I lol'd at "Dolor in asinum" because it meant "sadness in Donkey". Maybe "cruciatus in culo" would be a closer translation to pain in the butt :) Speaking of which, I wonder who's that guy who spoke to Duster and crashed Porky's show. Could it be...? Hmm. I think it's best if I just wait and see :D please keep up the great work! Cheers."
First off, thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying my fic! Second of all, oh no! My Latin skills are hopeless. Curse you, Google Translate.
As for the anachronistic language, I decided to modernise the dialogue. Sadly I am not a skilled enough writer to make everyone speak like they did in the 1800s. Therefore, I hope the modern language doesn't negatively impact the fic!
Having said that, I'll definitely fix my Latin. I am literally facepalming at that calamity.
Anyway, thanks for reading, all you readers! See you next time!
~ ReadyForTeddy
