Chapter 39 - On the Move Again
…
(Ness)
…
(Prologue: Headmaster Hand)
On the move again, down south, up the course of this endless river.
On the move again, to absolutely goddamn nowhere.
I'm not being driven to insanity! I whisper to myself, my teeth gritted. Everything will turn out alright!
It's Saturday evening before we reach any major developments.
"There's a cliff," Ike relays to us, from his superiors. "A big waterfall, and a twenty foot vertical climb."
"A waterfall?" Roy frowns. "Here? In the middle of the forest?"
"Yes," Ike replies, pacing about like an uptight penguin. "Yes, here. And it is not the only one - according to our map, there's another one, a bigger one, a mile on."
I'm growing to resent Ike, if I'm honest. Not that I want to - it's just, being in close proximity with somebody so finickity. It's not even his fault, either. From what I gather, his family have made him like this. His influences. But that doesn't mean it annoys me any less.
"So, how are we going to get up there?" Reggie asks, making a rare appearance.
"The seniors are making a ladder," Ike informs us.
"But what about the horses?" Angie asks. "They surely can't climb up a ladder?"
"The brigade will also construct a stairway."
"Then surely the ladder is arbitrary?"
Ike gives Angie a glare. "It isn't my place to judge what the brigade decides to do."
"And what about us? What do we do?" Elmore snaps.
"You will all be expected to help. And no talk of escape - because we've proven that to be a terrible idea already."
I groan audibly. "It's night. None of us want to build a stairway at night."
Ike turns, shield bared. "You're a prisoner, so know your place."
I look up at the waterfall. It's a pitiful thing - when Ike had mentioned it, I'd expected something impressive, towering pillars of water, tumbling from a magnificent precipice. This, however, is barely a trickle, dragging over a ledge. But if Ike's right, maybe the next one will be better...
Maybe I should be glad that the waterfall is small though, because now we have to construct a stairway, which is not going to be easy, at all. And I already know that Pusher and Elmore are going to complain, complain, complain the whole way through.
Ollie looks up. "Why don't we just go around it?"
Smart kid. I breathe a sigh of relief. "Yeah," I agree. "That'd be a lot less effort."
Ike rubs his heel into the ground. "We don't know if that's possible, or not."
"Well then, find out!" Elmore snaps.
He bites his lip. "I'll ask, okay? But please, calm down."
"Sorry, I'll keep the wife subdued," Pusher chuckles genially, earning himself dirty looks from most of us in the area.
Ike walks off, to speak to one of his superiors. I, meanwhile, decide to take the time to check on how everyone is doing.
"We're alright," Caroline and Tessie say, when I ask. "It's nice, this. Travelling by horse - why didn't we think of that?"
"Well, we didn't have any horses," I reason.
"Still…"
"How about you, Reggie?" I query.
"I'm fine," Reggie grumbles.
The unresolved tension between us hangs thickly in the air.
I go for a winning smile. "Should we set aside our differences? Agree to work together, to escape?"
Reggie shakes his head. "No, never. Your leadership led to nothin' but trouble."
"I did the best I could," I protest, but Reggie isn't having any of it. In fact, he turns away and walks over to the other side of our group. For goodness sake.
"How about you? Are you alright?" I ask Duster, trying to ignore Reggie, who's looking away from me very deliberately.
Duster shakes his head. "No, m'chap. I'm hungry, thirsty, and I'm not ready to die."
"We'll get out of here soon," I assure him. "Angie, Ollie, are you two alright?"
"Yeah," Angie says, rubbing her neck. "Well, as okay as we can be."
Ollie nods his agreement. "We're still trying to come up with plans. Otherwise, we're keeping ourselves going." He smiles, honestly.
I can't help but smile back. These two are a real beacon of promise, amongst our weird herd.
"And I'm doing terribly, thanks for asking," Elmore snaps, out of nowhere. "I want to go home."
I roll my eyes, out of sight. "Well, we're going to Tazmily. Just, the long way round it seems."
Pusher nods. "Good. I can collect my wealth."
"And how about you, Roy?" I ask, deliberately.
Roy looks up. "Oh, I'm fine. Yeah. I think I'm finally fully recovered from being under Porky's control. No more headaches! No more amnesia. It's all coming back to me now."
I nod awkwardly. "That is good."
"Alright," Ike announces, coming back to us. "So, you were right. We can easily go around this waterfall. So, everyone, get on your horses."
The guards around our group come forwards, taking us over to our equine associates. I'm already pretty familiar with the horse that my guard and I share - he's apparently called Chestnut, and he's a very good boy. Very obedient, very calm. Likes a good carrot. He's much nicer than the picky horse that I had to share with Ike, before Ike got demoted and lost the privilege to defend us prisoners.
I've tried speaking to my new soldier, but he's resistant to any conversation. Though, I pity Duster's guard - Duster seems to fire a relentless stream of questions at the poor guy. I pity Elmore's guard even more, because - well. It doesn't even need saying. Nonetheless I mount Chestnut, sitting behind my soldier. Hell, I don't even know my soldier's name. I know the name of our horse, but not the man himself.
We set off. We have to ford the river first, but then it's a short journey up and around a rocky path, and within half an hour or so, we've managed to reach the top of the waterfall.
"We're going to go a little further," someone in charge announces. "And then turn in, for the night."
Good. At last. Today has been a long one - and I am honestly so sleep deprived, from last night. I woke up, with a stupid nightmare, about Onett Boarding School burning down. I mean, what kind of rubbish is that?
All the same, that means there's a final push to go tonight. Maybe tomorrow we'll finally be free from the river - it was a refreshing sight at first, but its continual noise is digging deep into my head, grating my brain down into an irritable lump of flesh.
I exchange a glance with Roy, as our procession moves further on.
It's actually quite a nice area, up here. Or, it would be, if it wasn't being trampled by about a thousand horses. But, there's crocuses, lining our side of the bank, all a range of purples and blues. The moonlight catches the water - the stars are out, as well. The trees on either side of us are calm, and waving softly in the breeze.
But suddenly, we come to a stop.
I frown. Surely we can't be finished, already? When they'd said a 'little further', I was expecting it to be more than 50 metres.
"What are we doing?" I ask my guard. He merely shrugs.
I peer ahead, and to my surprise, I make out what seems to be a pair of teenage boys, lying on the grass. And for that matter, I think that I recognise them.
But what on earth are Ness and Lucas doing out here?
(Intermission: Toon Link)
Villager and I hop off the train, and it leaves pretty swiftly, without a trace. I'm tired. Exhausted, even. After everything that's gone on today… I need about a century of sleep to process it all.
Tomorrow morning, we're gonna get up, go walk a mile or however far it is to Ness and Lucas, and then we're gonna walk another mile to Pit and Red, who are both completely incapacitated, thanks to being controlled by one of Porky's receivers. I mean, what the hell? What even is that? God, I need to stop freaking out, but…
"Alright," Villager interrupts my train of thought. "Well, now we're alone."
"One way of putting it," I squeak. "Does that mean we gotta walk? All the way down to the river?"
"Fingers crossed, it won't be a long journey," Villager reasons, looking into the forest. "Come on, Toonie. Sooner we leave, sooner we get there, right?"
"But it's so dark-"
He furrows his brow. "Since when were you so afraid of the dark?"
I grab his arm. "Since it turned out there were a lot of evil things out to get us!"
"Toonie…"
I look down. "Sorry. Being overdramatic. I'm a homosexual theatre kid, what do you expect?"
Villager snorts. "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't expect any less."
"Hey! Wait - hey!"
Villager folds his arms, but he smiles sympathetically. "Come on. If it means anything at all, there's no way for Porky to know we're here. And, at least we're not alone."
"Alright, fine," I cave. "Let's get on with it, and do this."
"That's the spirit!"
It turns out just to be a couple hundred metres, before we're through the pillars of trees, and we're at some sort of bank, besides the river, that roars menacingly at us. It's decent enough though, so I sit myself down, I set my food items down on a large, flat rock, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
"We did it," I cheer, weakly. "We survived."
"Told you," says Villager, smugly, opposite me.
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. We'll see who's laughing when we're now killed in our sleep."
"Neither of us, because we'll be dead."
"Hilarious," I sigh. "But, for real, we won't be killed, will we?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," Villager mutters, darkly.
I run a hand through my hair. "Man, it can't just be me thinking-"
"-that all of this is crazy? Like some big dream?" Villager finishes. "Yeah. I think all that too."
"I mean," I count on my fingers. "Pit turning out to be controlled, Red turning out to be controlled, the big Future Human thing trying to get into the train…"
Villager shudders. "I thought we were for it then."
"And when we were underground, too… I've never been quite that scared, in my entire life," I admit. I'm not sure where this sudden openness has come from.
"You got us out though," Villager whispers.
I force a grin. "Yeah, guess I did do that, didn't I? Looks like I'll have to go on and on and on about that, for a very long time."
"Please no. Have mercy."
I laugh. "Never."
Villager shifts, leaning back in his place. "I'm really worried about Ness, and Lucas, though. What does Porky want with them? What is that all about?"
"Hell knows," I shiver. "I'm glad not to be them."
"Yeah… same."
"Y'know, they'd better get together, during this," I add. "Alone, in the woods, with nobody but each other… I mean, surely they'll figure it out."
Villager laughs. "Well, hopefully. But Lucas is the most oblivious person, of all time. So who knows."
"And hopefully we'll get together too,' I add, daringly.
But Villager tenses. "I already said, Toonie… I don't know, yet. I don't know what I am."
"Yeah, that's cool," I say hastily, backtracking. "I know. But, well, I'm with you every step of the way, yeah? If you wanna talk about anything..."
He looks up, eyes glowing. "Aw - for real?"
"Yeah!" I beam. "Sexuality is hard. Trying to deal with all that chaos alone is a nightmare."
Villager shifts in place, smiling, almost nervously. "That… really means a lot, actually."
"It's no problem," I assure him. "A problem shared is a problem halved, or whatever they say."
He laughs. "Yeah. But agreed, Ness and Lucas better get together."
"Or we'll have to make them!" I proclaim.
"Maybe not," pales Villager. "Anyway, we'll have to wait until tomorrow. When we meet up with them."
"It better not be a long walk," I grumble.
Villager shrugs. "Who knows… but, speaking of tomorrow, I'm really tired. After everything today…"
"So am I," I admit. "But, I don't think I'll be sleeping soon. My mind is going too fast. Too many thoughts, y'know?"
"Pff. You don't say. But yeah, I'm gonna try and rest, at least a little bit."
"Are you gonna be warm enough?" I ask.
He shrugs. "I'll be alright. I could ask you the same - you're the skinny one."
"Hey!" I exclaim. "You're skinny too!"
He pulls a face. "Nope. I'm pretty much average in every way."
I raise an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"
He flushes, deeply embarrassed. "N-No! No! That's not what I meant! Not like that! Stop thinking that, right now!"
I roll my eyes. "You really need to stop saying such explicit stuff, honestly Villager-"
He goes brick red. "N-No! It's you, you and your dirty mind!"
I laugh. I kinda love it when he's all flustered. "What were you saying?"
"I was saying," he grumbles, still bright pink. "That I'm going to try and sleep."
"Well, have fun with that."
"Yeah. I'll try."
I salute. "Good luck, and goodnight."
He merely shakes his head, with exasperation. "Goodnight, Toonie."
Villager curls up a few feet away from me. I decide to lay myself down, curling up on the wet grass. It's not the most comfortable sleeping location ever, I can certainly feel some small stones attempting to puncture my skin, but that's life. It's not like removing them would actually help me sleep in the slightest, because, heavens above, what the hell has today been? A day-long storm? (Thanks heavens it's stopped now.) Being trapped underground? Dressing in drag? (I have no idea how Villager agreed to that one.) And that's not even to mention all the antics on the train.
But… hell. Ryu. Ryu, dying as a sacrifice, so Ness and Lucas could use some of their crazy fire powers to blow all the big metal monsters to bits.
I didn't know the guy well. Not by any means - I'm not sure if ever had a 1-1 conversation with him. But, he was a damn good teacher, and...
Well, I've never seen anyone die before.
Is it stupid? That whenever I close my eyes, it just repeats? His brave face. Swallowed up by a surge of flame. His life. Taken from his very eyes. His body, reduced to mere ashes.
It's sickening. It's scary. What if that were Villager? Or Pit? Or another friend? I'd lose it. I'd lose it completely. Death is terrifying - so weird, and so unknown!
Curse my late night mind. And curse my insomnia too. And Porky. Whoever he is, he deserves a lot of curses, for pretending to be our headmaster, and then trying to convert everyone into big metal men. And curse his giant high-speed underground railway, connecting everything up! Like, what the hell is that? How can that exist? Does it run on coal? Oil? Something else? Humans remains!?
A soft snore tells me that Villager is asleep. Good. But, he's cute when he's sleeping - I can't help but stare, as he moves up and down, completely at peace.
He deserves some peace. He's had it just as rough as me today, and he doesn't deserve any of that. I half have a desire to go and snuggle up to him… but, I don't want to do anything like that, unsolicited. Villager might not mind a hug or two, but me going that far… yeah, he might not be so keen.
This crush is becoming crazy, dammit. It's mixing with all my thoughts about who the hell I am. (Which is still a mess that I need to figure out.) It's getting hard to focus on much other than kissing him, when he's around. Not that I know how kissing him would be, but… I've imagined it, many times. Agh.
Me and my stupid mind.
(Ness)
Loud-mouthed good for nothing.
About as useful as a legless chair.
Ungrateful freeloader.
Waste of space.
Directionless, beyond any helping.
Irrelevant ball of flesh.
Idiot.
Lousy.
Selfish.
Stupid.
Thanks, Father.
As if he ever loved me. All his claims have always been false.
I'm doing what's best for you.
The life you want.
After all I've done for you?
And now, I'm dating a guy. Something he'd never dream of accepting.
Homosexuality is the root of evil.
Men and women, the ideal match.
A crime worse than death.
Sexual delusion, the work of Satan.
Revolting.
Fun.
Lucas thinks I'm asleep right now, but my mind just caught this. Just hit this snag, as I was about to catch a break from my emotions. All these thoughts decided to start tormenting me.
And that's not all - Claus. Claus is here now. Claus, who speaks like a child, but is apparently Lucas's brother, as well as being The Face. He seems perfectly nice, but, and I feel selfish for wondering: will he slow us down? He certainly can't walk too quickly. And he certainly isn't inconspicuous.
But, he's Lucas's brother. His twin brother. Who's been through so much - hell, I can't even begin to consider how goddamn tragic his story is. Not that he seems to know. He speaks more as though it's all just fact. Just as simple as if he were saying he went out to the market.
It's deeply unnerving.
And it's damn messed up. For someone to end up like this… it gives me shivers. But at least he's safe! He's alive! Which is good news - I hope. Assuming it's not a trick. Because anything could be a trick. But, Lucas says it's really him, and I trust his instincts. Above my own, definitely.
Something makes contact with my back - I sleepily open my eyes - but it's just Lucas.
"Hey," I smile, sleepily. But his face is serious.
"Are you okay?"
I rub my cheek. "Uh, define okay."
"I thought I'd check on you - but I came over, and the psychic link… you're thinking about things, aren't you?"
I bite my lip. "Perhaps."
"What's up?"
I shift. "Am I allowed to say that I don't wanna talk about it?"
"Well, yeah…" Lucas smiles sweetly. "But I am your boyfriend."
I roll my eyes. "Fine. I'm just worrying about Claus."
He averts his eyes. "Yeah. Sorry. Because, you hardly know him? And it's kinda weird? I get it's kinda weird, for you."
"Weirder for you," I reason.
"Potentially."
I lean back again. "It's just… well, he seems, so inhuman. Childish."
"Yep," Lucas says, flatly.
"And whatever Porky did - it's so messed up, Lucas."
"I know."
"He - Claus - honestly, makes me a little nervous," I admit.
Lucas slowly nods. "Yeah. Yeah, I get that, too. He unnerves me, a little. Seems so... wrong, you know?"
"Yeah."
He continues. "But now it's sunk in a little… I'm glad."
I hug him. "I'm glad that you're glad."
He buries his face into my shoulder. "I'm glad you're glad I'm glad."
I snort. "You goof."
"Oh, look at this," Lucas says suddenly.
I turn, tensing. "Huh?"
He picks a large slab of slate off of the floor. "Interesting."
I roll my eyes. "Lucas, that's a big piece of stone. I never knew you were such a keen geologist"
He flips it over. There's writing.
My eyes widen. "Oh, now that is interesting."
Wake up, Ness.
I shiver. "What the-? Why is this here?"
"Someone must know we're here," Lucas stands, alarmed. "Someone knows."
I look up at him. "Huh?"
"Someone must've put that there! When we weren't looking! To scare us, or something! We need to leave, right now."
I take the slate in my hands, reading over the words. They're written in plain white chalk, in very neat handwriting. Wake up, Ness. What is that supposed to mean? But all of a sudden, I'm filled with a burst of energy, and I throw the slate against a tree, and it explodes into shards, with a mighty crash.
"Ness!" Lucas exclaims.
I hug him. "Now it's not a problem."
"What the - that was so reckless!"
"Moving somewhere else won't do us any good," I reason. "If someone knows where we are, that's that. They'll follow."
"But-"
"Forget the slate was ever here."
He sighs. "What did it mean, though?"
"Like you said - some trick, to make us worry," I declare. "See? I'm getting into Porky's head."
"But, I'm just worried, because-"
I hug him. "Well, I'll stop you right there. No worrying."
He hugs me back, but he is trembling. "On the train, I had a dream. One I didn't tell you about, yet."
I frown. "Oh yeah?"
"I was in this big desert. It kept switching between a pitch black night, and a bright day. With a giant sun."
"A giant sun? Sounds unusual."
"I guess," Lucas shrugs. "The weirdest bits though - the birds. There were a load of birds, calling out. I remember in the dream, I got really scared. Really fearful, for no reason."
I cuddle him. "Aw. Wish I'd been there with you, in the dream."
"It got weirder. There was a disembodied voice," Lucas continues. "It said: Tonight will be awful, yet tomorrow, unimaginable. And - oh, it's dumb, but those words have been stuck in my head. And now, I can't help but wonder..."
"If tonight is going to be unimaginable?" I question. "Because yesterday night was awful?"
"Well," reasons Lucas. "Yeah. But I hope that's already come true, with Claus showing up. So, I dunno. Maybe you're right. Maybe we shouldn't worry?"
"Hmm…" I frown. "Well, if you say so."
Yet tomorrow, unimaginable.
Why do those words give me the chills?
"Speaking of Claus," I begin, nervously. "He won't slow us down, will he?"
Lucas recoils, quite suddenly. "What the - Ness?! How could you say something like that!"
Oh no.
"I didn't mean it badly!" I backtrack, realising my error. "It's just, if we're gonna get to Onett quickly, and get to New Pork City-"
"Well, we're not goddamn leaving him behind!" Lucas's eyes flare angrily.
I raise my hands. "Lucas, I never said we-"
"You did, though! What the hell, Ness? I - that's messed up!"
I stare, in bemusement. What's got him so worked up, all of a sudden? "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that, okay?"
"Then how the hell did you mean it?"
I rub my cheek. "I - I dunno? Not like-"
"Screw you."
"Gosh, I'm sor-"
"No, screw you!" He stands, shaking, growing red in the face. "He's my brother! I don't give a damn if it takes us 10 years to get to Onett, he's coming! And you're going to have to put up with that!"
"Lucas, calm down, please! It's alright, I know, I never said we shouldn't-"
He turns away sharply, cutting me off. "Save it. I'm going to go check on him. You stay here, and keep watch."
I retreat. "O-oh. Okay,"
"Bye."
He leaves me feeling miserable.
Wow! I just mentioned it in passing! He doesn't need to get so unreasonably defensive over it! And, it's a valid problem - ugh, but I feel guilty. In fact, really guilty, all of a sudden.
Why did I have to open my mouth? Why did I have to say something so stupid? So hurtful? So insensitive?
Messed up.
Screw you!
How could you?
You've really done it this time, Ness.
Get out of my head, Buttercup! I fall face down on the grass - Lucas never gets mad. Not ever. But now…
All sorts of horrible thoughts go quickly through my mind. What if he never forgives me? What if him and Claus run away and leave me here? Alone? Forever?!
I try so hard not to cry. That'd just be the peak of this, crying over it. Like a miserable, whiny child. It's just an argument. It'll be okay, right?
I can taste dirt and grass, from my position on the floor. I spit it out, but it still leaves some kind of awful earthy taste in my mouth. This feeling is hell. The worst feeling ever.
I close my eyes, willing it all to go away.
~~o00o~~
A dark void - floating through it, no, swimming through it. I'm alone - I think, there's just a gliding sensation, as I careen through the darkness. There's no light - just pure unbridled blackness.
"Hello," speaks a man's voice, in my mind, and I almost jump out of my skin.
"He-Hello?" I whisper, nervously,
"Welcome to Layers."
"L-Layers?"
"I am your guide. Please, take advantage of our leisure facilities."
"I don't understand," I protest. "What is this? It's just a big, dark space. Who are you?"
There's a clapping noise, and suddenly, I'm in a giant room. There's pure white walls, a pure white floor and ceiling - and a giant glass window, revealing a beaming blue sky. There's furniture too - all polished - tables, chairs, couches, paintings, all sorts. What catches my eye, though are all the people; all different colours of the rainbow - a blue man, a yellow woman, a red child, all going about the room as if it's all regular.
"Where is this?" I say aloud, again.
The voice speaks. "This is Layers. Please enjoy your stay."
"I don't understand."
"Good day."
I sigh. "Come on, you have to tell me where this is!"
But there's no response.
I suppose I'm going to have to do my own exploring, then. There don't seem to be any doors in this place - or exits, which raises the question of how on earth everyone got in. I notice vaguely that all the coloured people are wearing clothes, all exactly the same shade as themselves. It's distinctly unnerving - but I decide that I should go and speak to someone. Perhaps they'll know more than me.
I approach the blue man first. "Hello?"
"Hello," they reply, quite simply.
"Where is this?"
"Layers."
"What is Layers?"
"Layers, is Layers."
I sigh, frustratedly. Right. The people are utterly useless.
"You are asleep," the yellow woman observes, suddenly.
I check over myself - of course, she must be right! This is pretty plainly a dream. Well, that explains all this nonsense then. All I need to do is wake up.
"Enjoy your stay," the yellow woman nods, gravely.
I ignore her. Right - well, to wake up, I'm going to need to give myself a fright of some sort. I pinch myself gently - to my surprise, it actually hurts. But, I remain asleep, and it does no good.
Lucas is angry at me.
The fact suddenly comes thudding back to me - perhaps I don't want to wake up! If that is what awaits me?
So, I walk to the edge of the room, intent on exploring this place just a little more. To my delight, there's a buffet - a whole range of treats, and even chocolate! I break off a piece, putting it in my mouth. It's delicious, just as delicious as it was, the one time I had it at home, ages ago. Ah.
But, home. Father.
Anger.
I shudder.
"Good afternoon!" An orange man greets right next to me, causing me to drop the rest of the chocolate on the floor with alarm.
"H-Hello?" I stammer
He smiles politely. "I trust you are settling in well?"
"Yes, it's lovely," I lie.
"That is delightful news. However, now you must wake."
"Good to hear," I say, confused by the bizarreness of all this. What a strange dream.
There's a sudden clapping noise…
...and I open my eyes, lying down on the grass.
I must've drifted off - ugh. My head stings - Lucas. He's still mad. I should go find him. Resolve our argument.
It's still night, though. I can't have slept for long, fortunately - right. Okay. I sit up. I need to go and find Lucas, and apologise. Forget about the nonsense dream, all that, I'm going to sort this out.
Mildly dizzy, I walk into the forest, around where Claus went to sleep, but to my dismay, the area is completely empty. Nobody is here, at all - so where have they gone? Fear prickles at me - surely they haven't actually wandered off?
I ignore the newfound chill in the air. Perhaps they went down to the river? I leave the forest, walking down to the churning currents. It's again beautiful tonight, but… no Lucas. No Claus.
Looks like you're on your own.
Thanks a lot, Buttercup.
"Lucas!" I call out, holding onto hope. 'Lucas, you here?"
The silence echoes.
"Lucas, c'mon, I'm sorry. Don't be mad - come out, I'm really sorry!"
But there's not even a peep.
I shiver, pulling my coat a little more around myself. What's going on here? Why would Lucas wander off? Unless…
Unless something's happened.
A rook calls out - loudly, suddenly. The words flash in my ears again.
'Tonight, unimaginable.'
"Hello," says a voice, behind me. My heart leaps - but it's not Lucas's voice. I turn around, hoping to find the speaker, but to my confusion, I find nothing.
"Hello?" I reply, unnerved. "Who is there?"
To my immense surprise, the orange man from the dream rises out of the river.
I step back, in alarm. "Who - what - how?! I just - I just dreamt about you!"
"Well, you still are dreaming."
I frown. "Uh, no I'm not. I just woke up, and this is pretty real, thank you very much."
"I hope you are enjoying your stay, at Layers."
"Look," I say, growing angry. "I don't know who or what you are - or if you're a vision or something, but please, go away. Have you got my friend?"
"Your friend is enjoying his stay."
"Where is he!" I demand.
But the orange man only smiles - and all of a sudden, I feel really, really tired… I stagger to the side, trying to keep the orange man in my vision - trying to keep focus - but - but… I'm falling asleep! No! I grab onto a nearby tree trunk, but, it's no good, it's no good, and I slip away… away...
I'm back in the white room! But this time, it's different. On the walls, there's paintings now. Weird paintings…
But never mind them! What the hell was that? The orange man? And - and did he put me to sleep?! This is weird. This is getting weird.
Unimaginable.
Well, I suppose that I need to wake up again! But this place feels oddly real, now? My heart's beating - there's the coloured people milling around, and, there's-
I take a look at the paintings on the wall, but I realise with a sickening throb that they're of my father. Of all the people to paint, why would anyone paint him? Eurgh!
Idiot.
Lousy.
Selfish.
Stupid.
My head stings.
Alright, back on track, I need to wake up again. But how? I know! I go over to the buffet table. I can't even count the amount of dreams I've had, where I've just been about to eat a good steak, and then I've woken up. And to my fortune - there's a steak here! I cut a good piece of it off, bringing it up to my mouth, and-
My eyes fly open, by my tree. I rapidly stagger back, from the orange man, who raises his orange eyebrows in slight surprise.
"Well, welcome back. Was the buffet not to your tastes?"
"Who are you?" I demand. "Where's Lucas?"
The orange man only smiles, pleasantly. "It is my job to ensure your comfort in Layers."
"But, but, we're here, in the normal world!" I protest. "What do you mean - Layers? What is that? I'm just looking for my friend!."
"Ah, well, are we in the normal world?"
"Yes!" I gesture wildly around. "Look! Everything's here - all this detail! Trees! Birds! And I woke up - I felt myself wake up!"
He nods. "I'm afraid that you are wrong. Good day."
The orange man vanishes. Dammit! Cursing, I make my way back towards the forest - where on earth has Lucas gotten to? And what the hell is all this about? Does it tie in with Porky, somehow? Like the golden dream egg, perhaps? But, no. I touched no weird objects. I fell asleep, after Lucas got angry, and now I'm awake.
Aren't I?
But then, where is Lucas? And Claus?
Rubbing my eyes, I stumble back over to the river. There's one way to sort this - if I jump in the river, I'll be cold. And, if I'm still sleeping, or whatever, I'll wake up. If I don't wake up, then I'll be right. Cold and wet, but right.
Gathering myself together, I take a run up, the wind rushing against my face, billowing into my face, and I take a mighty leap, into the current and-
Suddenly my face is inches away from a giant hedge! I'm standing - I step back hastily - what on Earth this, now?! I must've still been sleeping, then! But now I've woken up… here? I survey the scene. It would appear I'm at the bottom of a great valley civilisation - little houses of all sorts jut out from across grassy slopes, multicoloured crystals and passageways illuminating the far end, and a giant castle stands in the middle of the densest cluster of buildings.
Huh?
So, I'm in another dream. Still asleep? I assume? But in that case, it looks like waking up isn't doing me any good. It's just landing me in more and more places! So, what? What do I do? How do I get back to Lucas, and out of this stupid dreamception? Layers… that's what the orange man called it?
Well, then I need to find out more. Perhaps someone here can help? Deciding I have no better options, I step around the hedge, joining onto one of the paths. Looking ahead, I can determine that it probably ends up at the castle, but heaven knows at this point.
I'm swift in my movements, agilely slipping around strange rocks and boulders, making my way uphill. Physical exercise - still not my forté. Maybe one day, it will be. But for now...
All of a sudden, a mole pops out of the ground, a grin on its face, and a small mound of dirt on its head. "'Ello! Can I help ye?"
I nod, ignoring the fact that it's a literal talking mole. "Yes, where am I?"
He beams. "'Tis Layers, friend. This is the land where my kind chose to inhabit."
"What - other moles?"
"Yes," the mole nods sincerely, causing the dirt on its head to tumble down into a pile.
I lean in, unnerved. "What is this? Layers?"
He frowns. "Hm. Hard one, friend! Some call it the Network. The passages. The infinite maze."
I wring my hands. That doesn't sound good, at all. "How do I leave?"
The mole laughs, heartily. "That's not in my control, friend! Layers, it decides for you. The coloured people, they work for Layers. I am a mere passenger."
"So," I rub my head. "What, this Layers thing, it's to do with dreams, is it? Is that what it is?"
The mole grins. "You got it! Layers of dreams. You can go through the Layers, enjoying the facilities."
I stare around. "What the - that makes no sense!"
"No, it doesn't. But, that is how it is!"
I bite my lip. "Well, whatever, I want to leave, this Layers thing. I was with my friend. How do I leave?"
"You must have something to resolve!" The mole chirps. "Only then, may Layers permit you to leave."
"Resolve?" I rack my brains. "What do you mean?"
"Anyone who ends up here has something to resolve. Trauma, perhaps. An emotional struggle!"
"What have you got to resolve, then?" I ask.
He laughs. "Ah, an argument with my wife! But I'm right, and she's wrong, friend, so I've been here 50 years. Me and my kind, we set up a bit of an underground system, where we live."
I frown. "How can I have come here, though? Who put me here? Who runs this?"
"Layers is as Layers does, friend!"
A female voice comes from below me. "Monty, come on, please, just let's forgive, and go back to normal again!'
Monty, evidently the mole, pales. "It's my wife. That is my cue to leave! Good luck with your unresolved business, friend!"
"You too," I wave in a daze, as the mole ducks below the earth again.
I have infinite questions.
Vexed, I decide to keep heading up the winding track, ascending the steepening precipice of the valley. I wonder faintly what happens if I die in one of these dreams, and I decide that maybe, maybe I shouldn't try it out.
Should I be freaking out? Probably. Everything feels so real, from all the little details of birds, blades of grass, smells, sounds… but I shouldn't be here. I should be awake! I don't know how much time is passing in the real world, but every second is valuable. And plus - I need to talk to Lucas! Heaven knows why he got so mad, but I need to go and work all this out. Because I'm an idiot.
I reach the castle, effortlessly pushing open the door. I enter a red-carpeted room, surrounded with purple banners, golden thrones, beams, arches, all sorts of sculptures and pillars, with a giant tiled mosaic in the centre. Pretty, but… honestly, a little overkill.
On the plus side, there's the fresh aroma of baked bread floating in from all around - delicious! And surprising, because I can't imagine why anyone would bake bread in a castle, but honestly, that's not my criticism to make. I can't see anybody else here, but judging by what the mole said, there must be someone - they're just probably underground.
But this theory is proven wrong by the arrival of a woman, dressed in royal robes, walking elegantly into the room. She stops upon seeing me, turning in surprise.
"Hello?"
"Hello," I reply, uncertainly.
"How did you get in?"
"The door wasn't locked."
The woman sighs. "Heavens above. When will that man learn? Lock the door, or anyone could come in. Honestly. Some people…"
"Uh, who are you?" I ask, trying to be polite.
"I am The Shadow Queen! Ruler of Rogueport."
"Nice to meet you, uh, your majesty," I bow. "Do you know how I can wake up?" I ask.
The Shadow Queen regards me with cold eyes. "What do you mean? Is this place not good enough for you? Is my kingdom not beautiful enough?"
"I was with my friend," I explain, shrinking back under her fierce gaze. "I'm asleep, you see. This isn't real. But I'm stuck in some sort of cycle of dreams. Layers."
Her tone remains brittle. "We are all here, in Layers. But who are you?"
"Ness, ma'am," I say, nervously.
She thinks. "I see. Oh, yes, yes, they said you'd be coming. But why would you want to leave my kingdom?"
I fidget. "Well, in my world, there's a war, a big villain, and I had an argument with my best friend. I want to go and sort that all out."
"After everything that's been done for you? In Layers?"
"Uh, yes," I say, meekly. "Sorry."
The woman turns sharply. "Sorry isn't good enough!"
I shrink back, reminded suddenly of my Father. "I - I'll, I'll be going then, sorry to disturb-"
She surges forwards. "You're going nowhere, Ness. You're an idiot. Lousy. Selfish. Stupid!"
I panic, opening the door, quickly dashing out of the castle, and I turn and run as fast as I can. But just as I do, I'm thrown off my feet - a rock! And my face tumbles into the ground, and-
I open my eyes, in a strange room. Huh!? Unresolved adrenaline surges through me - red curtains surround wherever I've ended up - I rapidly draw one back, but to my surprise, there's nothing there. Just a plain wall.
I turn around me, panting.
It looks like I've entered another dream. Another layer of… Layers. Oh, thank goodness! I got away from the Shadow Queen! I take a breather, leaning against the wall, pleased with my luck.
Suddenly, a voice speaks. "You should've stood up to her."
I turn in surprise, to see a veiled person, sitting at a table that definitely wasn't there before
I frown, bemused. "Sorry?"
They do not move an inch. "The Shadow Queen. You should've stood up to her. She had no right to treat you that way."
"Uh, I'm ok, thanks."
"I see."
There's a strange stillness in the air.
"Who are you?" I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.
They remain unmoved. "Good question. Why didn't you stand up to her?"
I roll my eyes. I see how it's going to be - I peel back another curtain, revealing another empty wall. "She would've hurt me."
"She was all bark, and no bite."
I rub my forehead, trying and failing to appear disinterested. "Standing up to her wouldn't have done any good. Who are you?"
They ignore my question. "Standing up to her could mean she doesn't hurt anyone else."
I sigh, tensely. "Why are you lecturing me?"
"Self improvement only comes through awareness."
I shift, agitated. "I don't like this."
"It is fact."
"But she's not real," I protest, throwing away all pretence of indifference. Whoever this is, they're starting to get on my nerves. "This is just some crazy dream that my brain has thought up."
"That is true," they reply, clipped.
I take a hold of their table, leaning over it. "So what's your point?"
The veiled figure turns their head, finally facing me. "There are people like her. People that you know."
"Who?!"
They suck in a breath. "You know who."
I recede. I do know. Father. But I'm not going to say that, to whoever this is.
"So?" I challenge. "So what?"
"So, learn."
"Learn!?" I snap. "What kind of nonsense is this?"
They regard me for a moment. "Well, then. It would appear you're not ready."
"Not ready for what?!"
But they merely clap. A surge of dizziness overtakes me - no! No! Not again! I grab onto a curtain, but, but, but I feel myself slipping away - slipping into…
...the white room. The white walls, the buffet, the coloured people!
No! What is this!? What did the veiled guy mean!? I'm not ready? Whatever he means, I'm insulted. Whatever it is, I am ready! I'm ready to leave, that's for sure.
Ugh. I'd better move on.
I shake myself off, the steak apparently still in my hand. Distressed, I put it down - what would Lucas do, in this situation? How would Lucas go about waking up? But what good is thinking about that, when he's angry at me? For goodness sake!
The yellow woman taps me on the shoulder.
I turn, tired of all these people, but she's smiling politely, so the least I can do is see what she wants.
I try not to look infinitely annoyed. "Uh, hi?"
She indicates to the buffet table. "Are those ribs going spare?"
"I'm not sure if they're spare ribs," I frown. "Sorry."
"No - I meant, are they available?"
"Oh, yes," I reply, feeling foolish.
"Thanks." She smiles, and puts the rack of them on her plate. But all of a sudden, she collapses down to the floor, coughing and spluttering.
I jump with alarm. "Help!" I exclaim. "This woman needs help!"
Many coloured people rush over to the yellow woman on the floor, who's writhing on the floor with utter agony - I look around quickly for a medical kit, but I come out short, so I duck down to check her breathing, but I'm pulled away by the others-
"I know first aid! Let me help!" I argue, but a large lime man blocks my path. Frustrated, I try to push around another way, but all of a sudden, the yellow woman stops shaking.
"Yellow?" A purple man asks. "You ok?"
Yellow opens her mouth suddenly, smiling like a child. "Yeah! Everything is very, very okay!"
The coloured people exchange worried glances.
"Yellow?"
Yellow claps her hands together. "I want to play!"
I suddenly stagger back. Oh no - not again! Dizzily, I try to stay standing, but, but I'm falling asleep, again - frustration builds, I don't want to! I'll fight! I'll fight it! I grip onto the buffet table, focusing on it, focusing on the senses, on the metal, how it's cold in some places, hot in other places. I'll be okay, I just have to-
-I open my eyes, back in the forest. No!
But I'm lying in the grass - where I was before. When Lucas and I argued. When I was awake.
Is it over?
No - I have to doubt. I can't be sure - how can I be sure? Have I resolved whatever I'm meant to resolve? Like the mole said? Or was the whole thing all really just another stupid dream, that my brain thought up? Honestly. I was thinking about father, and then that happened… I feel the air. It certainly feels real. The grass feels real. The dirt seems real. Hm...
I sit up, stretching. It's still dark, but if I'm awake, then Lucas could be around here somewhere - good. I can fix all this with him.
But my buoyant expression fades, when I notice a large piece of slate, face down next to me.
I pick it up - and sure enough, it's the same slate from before. The same words, in chalk - Ness, wake up. And that's a problem.
I throw the slate against a tree, shattering it.
Dammit! This slate is still in one piece! How can my luck be this bad? So, I must still be dreaming, because in reality, that slate is in a million pieces. A million stupid pieces. I'm still trapped. Still trapped!
"Good day, Ness. Are you enjoying the facilities of Layers?"
I turn, to see the orange man, standing serenely in the river.
I see red, frustration reaching a maximum. "No! I hate this place!"
"Calm yourself. The facilities are built for you."
"I don't care! This is just some stupid dream, and I want to wake up!"
The orange man smiles pleasantly. "You will."
I shake. "When? How!?"
"When you have reached a resolution."
I take a deep breath, trying to control my anger. "Well - what does that mean? How? What resolution!?"
"I cannot tell."
"Why not?!" I exclaim. "Who is in control of this?"
"Layers is, as Layers does."
I fold my arms, angrily. "That's not an answer!"
"There is no answer," the Orange Man says, without emotion.
I bury my head in my hands. This is useless. Completely useless. I have no reason to be so worked up, but, if I'm not allowed to wake up until I've reached a 'resolution,' I'm screwed!
My breathing stutters, and I have to catch myself on a rock. I ground myself.
"What do I have to do?"
"That's for me to know, and you to find out."
The orange man disappears, and I shout with frustration. How long can this last? I just want to go back!
You're not going to get anywhere by being angry.
I suppose that is true. I need to calm down - put away my hot headed side. I need to think about this rationally, to decide how to go about fixing it. Yes. I breathe.
I run over everything in my head. Reach a resolution. That must mean I have a problem to solve, right? So, I need to figure out what that is. Then, I need to get to somewhere where I can solve it. And how do I get to places? Through sequences of waking up, and falling asleep. I grab a sharp stone. I need to map out my journey.
I first fell asleep in the forest, with Lucas. I ended up in the white room. Then, I woke up in a different forest. The dream forest. This one. I fell asleep there, and ended up back in the white room. Then I woke up, back in the dream forest.
Okay.
Let me get this straight.
The dream forest and the white room are connected. I can easily get between the two. Got it.
So then, I woke up in the valley, after jumping in the river. Then, I fell over there, and woke up in the curtained room, where I fell asleep, and ended up in the white room again. Then I fell asleep once more, and ended up back here.
Okay, that's a lot more complicated. I draw it out, on a nearby tree stump, with my sharp rock, my head hurting slightly. But to get out, out of all of this, maybe I need to progress? To find a clue? To what I need to resolve?
In each location, I have two options. To wake myself up, or fall asleep. Each option will lead me somewhere different. Except in the white room, where, regardless of which option I choose, I end up here. When I'm here, though, I can fall asleep again to enter the white room, or wake myself up, to get into the valley. And then... I haven't tried falling asleep in the valley yet.
Alright! So that's what I need to do! Hoping I'm right, and hoping I'm not confusing myself too much, I ready myself, deciding to throw myself into to the river, because that woke me up before, right? Dammit, I wish I had Lucas by my side, to sort all this with me. He'd understand it all.
But, I ready myself. I have a plan now, an aim.
3… 2… 1…
I jump into the river…
…and I'm thrown awake, outside of the castle.
I jump up with alarm, upon seeing Shadow Queen standing over me. This isn't what I need! I didn't plan for this!
"NO RIGHT!" she shouts. "NO RIGHT TO WANT TO LEAVE MY KINGDOM! EVERYTHING IS PERFECTLY LAID OUT FOR YOU HERE-"
I tense up, making to run, but she grabs my shoulder, and I completely freeze.
"YOU'RE UNGRATEFUL, AN INSOLENT LITTLE CHILD-"
I shut my eyes tight. What had the veiled person said?!
'She's all Bark and No Bite.'
So…
"Let go of me!" I exclaim, throwing her arm off of my shoulder. "Leave me alone!"
Her face grows red with fury. "DON'T YOU DARE DISRESPECT THE QUEEN OF-"
"You're wrong!" I interrupt. "I don't want to leave this place because it's not nice, I want to leave because you're a horrible leader!"
She gasps with shock. "HOW DARE YOU-"
I look around frantically for a way to fall asleep. I hadn't thought about that, either! But as soon as I start to think about it, I feel my eyes grow heavy, and the world starts to swim, and I let it, and, and the woman's face disappears into black...
I wake, standing in a hospital ward.
Or what looks like one - medical instruments are spread all around, there's a calendar on the wall, and there's a sink… okay! This is new! But why am I here?
I look over. Lying in a hospital bed - Claus.
I freeze up.
But he looks okay, here - he looks exactly how I imagine he would've looked, before everything happened to him. Before Porky happened. But his eyes are shut tight. With pain. Tight with agony.
I shudder. I have to do something!
"Claus!" I exclaim. "Can you hear me?"
To my concern, he doesn't react - and suddenly, a large man walks by, as if I'm not here at all.
"Hey!" I say, loudly. "Hey, you, what's going on here?"
But again, I'm ignored. Or maybe, he can't hear me at all… hm. I duck around the bed, trying to figure out what's going on, trying to figure out whether this might be the resolution, but it's no good. There's not a sign of anything! I look up again, sighing, but I notice something new, written across Claus's face:
Hero.
…
Huh?
Suddenly, the man presses a button, and everything springs to life - in rapid motion, the calendar flickers through the months, through the years, hospital plants grow all around, the carpet beneath my feet fading, the curtains rippling - but most obviously, Claus's hair grows rapidly, tangling, his face stiffens, his body widening, broadening, writhing around, and before my very eyes, on comes the dirt, the mess, the pain, all visible. So visible.
It's how he is now.
Suddenly it all stops, and new writing on his forehead becomes clear:
'?'
"The mind of a child, in the body of a teenager," grins the man, acknowledging my presence for the first time. "Look upon my works."
I don't understand. What is this? What is this supposed to represent? Why am I seeing this?!
I stagger. I grip onto the table - feeling my eyes growing heavy, the familiar feeling, stiffness, confusion, so tired, so, so tired...
...I wake, back in the curtained room.
Oh no. Oh no, not here - I tense up, all the curtains are back in place, and sitting behind the table, him. The deeply irritating veiled person.
"Greetings," they whisper. "You have reached one resolution."
"What's that, then?" I ask, with more venom than intended.
"You stood up to the Shadow Queen."
"Oh?"
"That is one resolution."
My hope rises. "Does that mean can I leave?"
"You have two more resolutions to reach."
I groan, with utter frustration. What the hell!
"What was that? With Claus?" I question, pained.
"A clue."
I find my irritation starting to swell again. "A clue? And who are you? Where is this, anyway?"
The veiled person stands. "The front desk."
"You make all this sound like a hotel," I observe.
"It is a hotel of the mind."
For goodness sake. None of this makes any SENSE!
I grip the curtain, trying to keep myself from completely erupting. Because I am at my wit's end with this. With my stupid brain for creating everything here. All these horrible sights. I'm trapped in my own mind. Literally!
I want to scream. My throat is so damn tight. My chest feels like it's going to burst.
I grit my teeth. "Just tell me how I can leave. How I can reach an exit. Exactly what to do."
"I cannot."
That does it. That absolutely does it.
I tear the veil from the person's face, revealing the orange man, which infuriates me even further. "WHY THE HELL NOT?"
"It is the rules."
I want to hit him, so bad. Hit him, in his stupid, punchable face. I don't care about the consequences! I want to LEAVE! I want to GODDAMN LEAVE! I want Lucas, I want to stop wasting time, being tortured and confused by everything here, I don't want this! I don't! I hate this! I cover my eyes, suddenly aware that tears are spilling out of them.
"Why are you crying?" The orange man asks.
"S-Screw you!"
"It is a simple question."
"And it is a simple response!" I shout, and it rips through me.
The orange man stands. "Your shouting does not affect me. You are nothing. Nothing!"
Tears stream down my face. "No, I'm not!"
"You're not important. You never have been!"
"I - I am! I'm important!"
"Who needs you?"
I curl in on myself. "Why are you d-doing this!? L-Lucas! Lucas needs me! He says so!"
His face becomes sceptical. "Do you really think that you're valuable?"
"Yes!"
"Special?"
"Yes!"
"Loved?"
"Y-YES!"
The orange man steps back. Then, to my sickened surprise, he smiles. "You have reached another resolution."
"Wh-what?!" I stammer, through my tears.
"You heard."
I look to the floor, emotions exhausted.
The orange man steps forth, with more life than he's shown so far. "You have more to do here. More time to spend."
I ball up my fists, blinking rapidly. "W-What if I refuse?"
"Then you're stuck here, forever."
"Who are you!?"
"Goodbye, Ness."
The world dissolves around me - and I find myself blinking in the white room again. No! No! I pound on the wall. I don't want to do this anymore! I want to go home. I want Mother. I want Lucas! This is endless! Endless!
The yellow woman is still down on the floor - I feel a growing resentment towards her, towards everything here, in this complex. This stupid dream-verse. The dreamception. These Layers.
"Is anyone a doctor here?" A violet man asks, nervously.
I've been left with nothing - no instructions! No reason! Where the hell am I supposed to go - how the hell do I wake up?!
Maybe that's the wrong question to be asking.
The yellow woman claps, delightedly. "Is this my birthday party?"
The violet man bites his lip. "It's like she's a child, in an adult's body,"
What is this place trying to bloody tell me?!
I feel it coming over me, again. The tiredness. Hopelessness. The familiar sensation, in this never ending cycle.
Help me!
Predictably, I wake in the forest. Something in the air eases me, just a little. At least I'm alone here. No people. Telling me what to do. What to think. There's actually some damn peace and quiet.
I take a deep breath.
I lie back, eyes shut tight. Maybe I don't need to explore all the places in this dream-verse. Maybe I don't need instructions - maybe I don't need to go further. Maybe I need to consider what I already know. Because this place isn't a prison - there's no way this is a prison. The point of this isn't to escape - it's to learn!
The realisation comes over me. I have to learn, for to leave. My mind has clearly gone and done… this. But why? What do I need to learn? What more do I need to learn? Is it to do with my argument with Lucas, or something?
But, I'd have to guess it's more emotional based. More my brain… righting itself. The resolutions so far: standing up to the Shadow Queen. And then, standing up for my self-worth. So, so, my brain wants me to fix that? What, was my emotional capacity full, or something? What kind of mind can create a whole place, just like this?
A psychic one.
So, I'm worldbuilding, inside a subconsciously lucid dream? It's like saying my brain has an independent conscience, and it's trying to sort me out. Which is mental. Probably some big disorder. Because that's stupid.
So, I guess I need to keep my mind happy by finding the third resolution. And what kind of sentence is that? But either way…
Everything must be relevant. The yellow woman. Claus. But, how?
Tensely, I stride into the forest. The answer has to lie around here somewhere. I'm close. I can feel it! Yet, I'm still, so far away!
Something tugs at my shirt.
I look down.
"Hello!" a young Claus beams. "What's your name?"
My eyes widen in surprise.
"I-I'm Ness," I stammer. "Are you Claus?"
He nods proudly. "That's me!"
"Hey," I say, quietly. "What are you doing out here?"
He jumps up and down, in place. He's clearly a very energetic kid. "Have you seen my little brother Lucas? I'm looking for him!"
I frown. "I thought you were twins?"
"Well, mummy says I was born first!" Claus exclaims, pleased with himself.
"Wow," I smile. "That's impressive! But, why are you looking for Lucas out here?"
He shrugs. "I dunno! Have you seen him?"
"I haven't, sorry."
"Aw. Maybe he's somewhere else!"
"Yeah," I nod. "Maybe."
He looks up at me. "I'll be as old as you, soon! Soon, I'll be older than my Father!"
I look around, awkwardly, trying to smile, like you're supposed to, when a kid talks nonsense. "Well, you sure are tall, for your age."
"Not as tall as you…" Claus looks up in wonder, at my height. "One day, I'm gonna be a math-math-emat-ician!" He has to sound the word out. "Mummy says if I work really hard, and study, I can be one, like in the big universities!"
Images of Claus, destroyed, bedraggled, and empty shoot through my mind.
"Y-Yeah," I choke, trying to smile. "Yeah, you do that."
"I will! I'm gonna be the best one, ever!"
I ruffle his hair. "You go for it, buddy."
He looks up, eyes shining with confusion. "But, why do you sound so sad, mister? Don't you think I can do it?"
My hands shake. "Y-Yeah, you can! It's just - hayfever-"
"Oh!" Claus chirps. "I hope it gets better soon!"
"I-I hope so - I hope so too."
He pauses, briefly, before perking up again. "Well, I'm gonna go find Lucas, now!"
All of a sudden, he hugs me, and I hug him back, sniffling. This isn't fair. He's so small. He's so innocent. He has no idea what's coming.
"Goodbye!" Claus beams, letting me go. He turns on his heel, flashing a last smile, running off into the woods.
"Stay safe!" I call, in desperation, but I'm not sure if he hears.
Oh God.
I think I get it now.
…
I eventually manage to make my way back to the curtained room, welling up all the way. He was just a kid. Claus was just a little kid. With dreams. Hopes. A future.
All stolen.
All gone.
That's why Lucas got so angry at me. Because it hurts him too - he knew Claus. Claus was his hero. His rock. But now, he's empty.
It must be killing him.
I pull miserably at a curtain.
"I think you've reached your third resolution," the orange man says, quietly.
I stare at him, through wet eyes, and I realise something.
"Buttercup."
He nods, smiling just a little. "Yes."
"Why-"
The demon of my mind merely smiles at me. "It's time to go."
"But-"
Buttercup looks at me, orange eyes bright. "It's time to wake up."
Everything flashes. All of a sudden, there's a tearing noise, and all of the curtains drag themselves down, dissolving into a red mist. The walls collapse, eviscerated into rubble, winds pick up, swirling around me, catching up Buttercup, who storms into a plume of orange smoke. Light comes next, filling the space, rising me higher, and higher, and higher, and higher, until-
I open my eyes. I'm lying down in the grass, birds singing through the midnight. Hastily I sit up - shards of the slate lay scattered over the ground, trees stand tall all around me, the river flowing peacefully into the distance.
I'm back.
I take a deep breath.
"Lucas!" I shout, running into the forest like a small child. "Lucas, I'm sorry!"
"Ness!" comes a voice - and I have never been happier to see my blonde counterpart, running towards me, hair swept back in an awesome wave. We meet, tumbling into each other's arms, grinning.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, into his hair. "I get it now. Claus - we need to help him. To give him hope. To give him the childhood he lost."
"Sorry for getting so angry," Lucas mumbles. "Ah, man-"
"It's my fault," I admit. "But that's alright. I'm gonna say a lot of dumb things, y'know? You're probably gonna have to put up with that."
We pull apart, and Lucas looks up at me. "I can put up with that. I can love that."
I look down. "I'm really, really sorry."
He lays his palms against mine. "I forgive you."
I stare into his eyes, for just a moment, before blushing. "Y'know, I had this crazy, crazy dream-"
"Oh yeah?"
"I was stuck in a big loop. It was like, dreamception."
Lucas raises his eyebrows. "And?"
"And I couldn't get out. It felt like I was stuck in there for hours."
"Aw…"
I hug him tight. "And I missed you."
He blushes. "Oh, you sentimental goof."
"You goof."
"Us goofs."
We glance at each other, and burst into laughter.
I shiver, butterflies running through me. "So, we're okay again?"
He smiles. "Absolutely."
I hug him again, and warmth ripples through my body. "I love you."
"I love you."
But I frown, as we pull apart again. Something still feels wrong. Something missing - I'm missing something. It's pulling at my mind. Just teasing. But…
"Where's Claus?" Lucas asks, suddenly.
I look sharply over to where he was laying before - and his spot is empty. Oh no. Oh no.
Chills dart up my spine. "Wh-What?! Where could he have gone?"
But Lucas looks a little closer at the grass. "It's… odd. It looks like he was never here. None of the grass is bent. Or damaged. But…"
I frown, holding onto Lucas's hand. "But… he was there."
"What did that slate say, again?" Lucas asks, tremulously.
I shrug. "Just, Ness, wake up."
"Hm…"
I slap a hand to my forehead. "Oh my goodness, I'm such an idiot."
Lucas looks at me curiously. "Huh?"
"We're asleep. I'm still asleep! That's why Claus isn't here. We're sharing a dream, again! This has all been another layer. That's what the slate is about! It's telling me to wake up!"
Lucas checks himself. "Ness - you're right! Wow, I hadn't even noticed!"
I grab his hand. "So, we need to wake up! Immediately!"
"How do we do that?"
I smile a little bit, blushing. "Well… I know what the cheesiest method is…"
"Huh?"
I hold him near, and our eyes meet. In a brief moment, his eyes widen, and his cheeks pinken, and all of a sudden, I pull him into a kiss.
Everything fades to black.
~~o00o~~
I wake up.
Again. For real, this time.
I sit up, on the grass. There's no slate, anywhere to be seen. I can make out Claus's silhouette, moving raggedly up and down as he snores in the distance.
Lucas runs towards me, from the river, and he tumbles into my arms, beaming.
"Only we could dream up a whole argument," he whispers.
And a whole lot more, I think, wryly, but Lucas doesn't need to know about all of that.
I hold him near. "We're the biggest goofs of all time."
"We are," he smiles, leaning his head against my chest.
Definitely," I agree, bundling him to the floor, with a giggle. He laughs, turning me over, getting me all covered in grass, but I don't mind.
"Oh no - we've got a problem," his face falls, as he looks over my shoulder.
I tense, rolling up off the grass. "A problem? What now?"
It's only then that I notice about 500 armoured men on horses looking at us from across the river.
"Certain death," Lucas deadpans. "What fun."
A/N
That chapter, wow. Took a lot out of me. A lot of redrafting.
It was kind of experimental, hope that's okay! I like trying out some new things every now and again. We'll be back to the same old next time, though!
Also, sorry for the triple prologues. This is actually going to be the last Headmaster Hand/Tazmily Villager prologue, for at least a while! Toon Link and Villager are going to be getting the prologue spots instead, as well as the Lucas-staying-with-Ness prologue, every other chapter.
I promise, it'll explain itself soon.
I really hope you enjoyed this! I've actually got some of the next chapter done already, as I'm writing this, so that's pretty cool.
Also, I only added it after uploading the last chapter, but I've made a twitter, for updates about this fic, sneak previews, and some other things! It's just called ReadyforTeddy, so feel free to follow, if you like.
Notes:
Shadow Queen is from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, as is the location, Rogueport
Monty Mole is another Mario character.
See you next time!
~ReadyForTeddy
