Chapter 42 - Conversation of Two
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(Toon Link)
…
(Prologue)
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"Run."
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She dashes - past ditches, and trees, basket in hand; she knows what she has to do.
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"Never turn back. Don't come back here, with that disgrace."
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It's brought on the family - shame on everyone. Everyone turns their backs, now. She's invisible. The invisible girl.
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"If I ever see his face again - oh, the things I'll do!"
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She pants for breath, her heart racing - the trees are dissolving into one, calling her. Imploring her to keep going.
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"Run. Run, girl, and when you come back, he'd better be gone!"
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She ducks under branches, throwing herself over roots, daring them to knock her down. She has to keep going. She has to.
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"Take that disgrace away - take the curse you have brought on us away!"
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The basket swings - a baby's cries fill the night. She tries to block them out. She can't be attached anymore.
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"And I tell you, if I ever see him again..."
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The letter's in there; she knows the letter is in there. But hope is slipping. Her heart races, and she gasps for air. She's so close.
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"If I ever lay my eyes upon his curséd visage..."
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A root - she notices it too soon. She tumbles to the floor, the basket flying from her hands. The crying intensifies, as her head strikes the ground.
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"You'll be sorry."
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It all swims away. All dissolves into a blur.
All she sees is blackness.
And for a grieving mother, there is never any light.
…
It would be fair to say that the Montague family stretches back a long way.
They've never moved much; every generation continuing to live in the same old houses in Montague Street. There's an old lighthearted family debate - whether they were named after the street, or the street after them, which is often the hot topic of a family gathering, especially one with copious amounts of alcohol.
Everybody continues to manage the same Montague family business. But what else is there, for the,? What else is there, other than construction? For it's a simple life, really. Wake, eat, build, eat, build, home, eat, sleep. It's always been like that - easy, a slow pace. Nothing special has ever come of the Montagues.
George Montague was no different. Having grown up alongside his brother Gerardo, he knew he wanted to continue the family work in construction from a young age. You've got such strong hands, his mother always enthused. You're so strong!
It was true - strength and muscles had always been a family trait, but George had inherited them particularly well. After all, you need strength to lift the bricks day by day, you need the dexterity to lay down the cement. George was quite proud of the muscles and the strength he had inherited, and that's what led him to competing in the First Annual Onett Weightlifting Championships, at just 18 years of age.
Now, in those days, the Onett sporting industry was just up and coming. Many were just starting to hook onto the fact that sport was actually quite interesting to watch (it certainly beat public execution) and for the 'masculine' men, it also provided a healthy alternative to theatre. Consequently, the popularity of sports were building, which is why acting mayor of the time Mr Carpainter (who later went mad and formed a cult, but that's another story) commissioned this weightlifting contest to go ahead.
This was the very first time that anyone in the Montague family had done anything exciting in years, so naturally, the whole family piled into the Topolla theatre to watch the event. It was to be a gradual match - the weights would increase, and once a contestant couldn't lift the weight, they'd be out. The last one standing would win a mystery prize, allegedly.
George won.
The prize turned out to be marriage, marriage to Electra, the daughter of the competition organiser. George gladly accepted the prize (he'd never been great at courting, after all) and within a month, the pair were happily married.
Fast forward thirteen years.
Everything was wonderful. George now owned the construction business, after the unfortunate passing of his father, and surprisingly, Electra herself had scored a pretty decent job as well, maid to the up-and-coming businessman Geldegarde Montolini. The happy couple were even planning to move out of the family street, up into one of the big city houses, to relish in their good fortune. But the icing on the cake was when George entered the Onett lottery - and he won the £100 jackpot.
It was perfect. That was just enough money to afford the move - and a little bit extra, perhaps to contribute towards a nice celebratory meal. George had the idea of a picnic, perhaps in the Western Forest - and Electra strongly agreed with that plan. And so, they roasted a succulent lamb, cut it up, baked some fresh bread, bought some tomatoes from the local market, and loaded up all up in a hamper.
…
"This was a fantastic idea," Electra glows, as they enter the forest. "Simply fantastic."
George smiles, taking in the pleasant scenery. Fresh April flowers bloom from all corners, bright rays of sunshine dazzling from above, drops of dew shimmering like diamonds on the wild grass.
"It really is splendid. Some peace is nice - after all the constant hammering of the construction."
Electra laughs, softly. "Agreed. And Geldegarde's continual orders. You know, I might quit that job. See if there's something else I can do."
"You reckon?" George cocks an eyebrow, with a steady grin. "You know, that might not be such a bad idea. We're moving up in the world, my love!"
Electra laughs, her hair flowing back. To George, she really is beautiful. The perfect woman. "We really are - hey, what's that?"
George turns to look. There on the forest floor - by a tree - it looks wholly unnatural. Could it be a fallen branch? But no; it looks too bright for that. The sun catches it - it looks woven, and as they come closer, it becomes apparent what it is. A basket.
But it's not empty.
"There's a baby in there!" Electra exclaims, hastily putting the hamper down. Maternal instinct takes over - carefully, she lifts the baby out of the basket, and in her arms, she starts rocking him. "Who on earth would leave a baby out here?"
George looks around the vicinity. "I don't see anyone - I don't see anybody out here. This is quite peculiar."
Electra glances at George, concerned. "You don't think someone left him here, do you? Left him here all alone, in the cold, to die?"
George frowns. "Who would be so cruel?"
The baby himself seems undeterred by all this. He lies happily in Electra's arms, and he makes an attempt to grab her nose, before producing a contented gurgling noise.
Electra looks sadly down at him. "We can't leave him here… It's not right. And we've been trying for a child for so long…"
George looks doubtful. "Really? Are you sure? Are we going to take in some random child we found in the forest?"
The baby makes another noise at this, flapping an arm idly in the air.
"What else can we do?" Electra asks. "Who else would come across him? It's a real stroke of luck that we did. And besides, I feel it. I feel like he's the one for us."
"Hey, what's this?" George frowns, pulling a piece of paper out of the basket. "I think it's a letter…"
Electra bobs the baby up and down. "It must be from whoever left him here. Go on - read it out!"
George clears his throat.
"If you've found him, you have a choice. Take him, or… or, k-kill him."
Electra gasps. "What!? That's horrible!"
George scans the letter with a scowl. "There's more." His brow scrunches, as he tries to decipher the handwriting. "It says… It says..."
"What does it say?"
George looks up, his eyes meeting Electra's.
"It says his name is Toon Link."
…
(Toon Link)
...
Life update: I'm standing by the edge of a river, soaking wet in my underwear, in the middle of a dark any mysterious forest, with nobody for company but my long-term crush.
So long story short, all my fantasies are coming to life at once.
"We should've thought about this," Villager moans. "Now we're soaked. And cold. On a winter's day."
I shrug. "We should've skinny dipped. If only we had more body confidence."
Villager glows a beet red, averting his eyes. He clears his throat. "I mean-"
I laugh. He's so fun to mess with.
"So, what are we going to do then?" I ask, water dripping from my hair onto the ground around me. "We can't just walk through the forest like this… Ah, such a shame, looks like we'll have to huddle for warmth."
Villager sighs exasperatedly. "Toon Link, you're such a pervert. I've not even decided if I like you like that yet, cut me some slack please-"
"Am I selling myself well?" I ask, a touch more hopefulness in my voice than I wanted.
Villager smirks. "No."
I curse loudly. "Dammit!"
He laughs, spinning over to me. "It's all in the sex appeal. Maybe I'm not into scrawny, blonde git."
"Hey!" I exclaim, deeply offended. "It's - it's all muscle, this! Whatever do you mean?"
He shrugs. "Keep telling yourself that."
"You're mean…" I whine.
"I am indeed."
"It's less fun when you admit it."
"Too bad." Villager sighs, propping himself against a branch. "We're not here to have fun. We're here to put the stop to a ruthless villain."
I roll my eyes. "Porky can wait."
"Sure, let's wait for him to kill millions."
I sigh. "I guess you're right. Come on, let's get dressed. Our clothes will dry out, eventually. We'll just have to look like we pissed ourselves, for a while."
"Fashionable," Villager deadpans, but he scoops up his clothes from the floor. "I'll go behind that oak tree, you behind that pine?"
I pick up my clothes, with a tired smile. "Sure thing."
…
When we're both all dressed up and fabulous, we reconvene by the river. I suppose there's a real sense that, yes, we really should get on with it now. No more stalling. We'll find Ness and Lucas, then Pit and Red - and then, our journey into the grand city of Onett can proceed.
"You know," Villager begins, nervously. "The ants eating all our food - that might be a bigger hit than I thought. Are we going to have to forage?"
I bite the inside of my cheeks, a nervous habit. "I don't know, mate. I don't fancy killing any animals for meat, that's for sure."
Villager shivers. "Me neither."
"Killing isn't fun."
"Well observed."
There's a morbid pause, that hangs heavy,
"Right then!" I exclaim. "Let's get walking. We'll just follow the river, yeah? Simple as that."
"Simple as that," agrees Villager. "Especially because it's getting dark already."
I look up.
He's right.
"How is it getting dark already!?" I exclaim, my voice coming out a strangled shriek. "Come on - we need to run!"
"Early winter sunsets," comments Villager. "But you're right. Come on!"
We begin running down the bank. Luckily, we're both quite fast - we should be able to make the half mile in no time. But we're only a hundred metres or so along, when Villager suddenly pulls me back.
"Watch out!"
I screech to a halt. "What!?"
"Look ahead of you - it's a massive drop! A waterfall!"
I curse. He's right - I hadn't been paying attention - if it weren't for him, I would've plummeted to my death, down what appears to be a 40 foot drop.
I bow. "Well, thank you, good sir, for saving my life. Again."
Villager lightly knocks against me. "Only returning the favour."
I study the scene. The river roars like a wild beast, plummeting incessantly down below. It's a waterfall - a rather beautiful one, no doubt even nicer from down below.
But it's in the way of our journey.
"What do we do now?" I ask, nervously.
"We'll have to go round," Villager decides.
"Round? How do we know there is a way round?"
"Well, the railway doesn't go down a 40 foot drop," Villager reasons. "And we're pretty near the railway. We just have to travel perpendicular to the river to get there, and then we can get round."
"You're smart…" I say, in awe. Villager laughs.
"I know."
I look up at the sky, which has blackened even more. "It's all dark, though... I'm not so sure about heading into the Forest at a time like this."
"Well, we have to," Villager dictates. "The others will be waiting - and there won't be anything bad in there, I'm sure."
I bite my lip. I've seen enough terrifying things in the last week to last me a lifetime.
Villager takes my hand. "I promise."
I take a deep breath.
I exhale. "Alright then. Let's go."
…
"So," Villager begins, after some time. "When we get to Onett - what are we going to do?"
I think. "Well, we're gonna stock up on bits and pieces, and then storm into New Pork City, just six friends, two of whom happen to be magical, against over ten thousand Future Humans and the most powerful man in the vicinity."
Villager kicks at a stray branch. "Loving those odds. Remind me, why are we doing this again?"
"Because," I reply. "It's the right thing to do, or something. Good morals are a curse. But, hey, think of it this way - if we win, we can write a fantastic book on everything that's happened."
"One way of looking at it."
I laugh. "It'd be a bestseller. Ness and Lucas would be the tragic, will-they-won't-they-get-together protagonists, and we'd be the funny sidekicks, who'd end up as everyone's favourite characters."
Villager grimaces, swinging under a branch. "Sidekicks? Way to underplay our true value."
"Well… isn't that, kind of, all we are?"
Villager's brow furrows. "I don't think so. We're all in this together, aren't we?"
I pout. "But they're powerful…"
"Convenient plot armour," Villager waves. "It only means they'll probably survive to the end."
"One of us will probably be killed off then," I comment, with a laugh.
"How do we avoid that, exactly?"
I shrug. "Just don't tempt fate. For example, don't confess your undying love to me right before we enter a dangerous situation."
Villager shoves me, playfully. "Shush, you. Not gonna happen, you don't have to worry about that."
"Such a shame."
"Well, anyway," Villager nudges me. "When we make it out of here, we totally should write about it all. You're right - it really would be a great book."
Suddenly, bursting out of the trees, comes a young-looking man, fully nude, painted blue.
"And with every great book," I deadpan. "There's annoying subplots - what on earth is all this?"
"Blue!" The man exclaims. "Blue!"
I point up at the sky. "That's pretty blue. It's a bit dark though, and we're in a rush. Catch you later, hm? I know some good restaurants, could we arrange a date?"
Villager elbows me. "Stop hitting on a random blue stranger, Toonie. Now, can we help, mr… blue?"
"Blue!"
Villager catches my eye. "Right. Good to know. Uh, should we just walk away-?"
The blue man edges towards us, and I shift closer to Villager. "I think that's a fantastic idea."
"BLUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Suddenly, he charges - I freeze, completely overcome with alarm, and VIllager has to yank me away, but out of the surroundings, more men, more women, all painted blue, they rush out - and there's no way to avoid it, as they grab onto us, tugging and pulling us into the undergrowth.
"Maybe they just want to give us a gift!" VIllager exclaims nervously. Unfortunately, he's immediately proven wrong, as a blue cage is opened, behind a great hawthorn tree, and we're shoved inside.
"C'mon, blue guy!" I exclaim. "I thought we were getting along swimmingly - what'S all this? Why've you gone and locked us up?"
Hordes of blue people surround the cage, gnashing their teeth, stamping their feet - but then, suddenly, they disperse, as coming into their midst…
"Well, well, well! Welcome to the cult of HappyHappyism!"
Villager grips my hand, as a peculiar man walks down the passage, created by the other blue people. His hair is long and straggly, and, well, blue. He wears a blue crown embedded with sapphires, and I'm relieved to see that unlike the others, he's actually clothed, with blue robes, blue skin, blue teeth - blue everything. He's undoubtedly the leader - he's taller than all the other people, and certainly more blue, which is probably not good news.
"My name is Mr Carpainter!" The leader proclaims, gladly. "Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!"
"Welcome!" The blues chorus in unison. "Welcome!"
I take the reins. "Thank you for the pleasant introduction, my ocean-coloured friends. Uh, except for the cage, that wasn't so pleasant, but hey! Cultural differences, and all that. I'll let that one slide. What's all this about?"
Mr Carpainter stretches his hands. "Happy Happyism… It is the Meaning, it is the Way. We are Happy. We are Happy!"
"Happy! Happy!" The blues chorus.
I look around. There must be thousands of blue people here - my mind whirs.
"Happy indeed," I try to smile. "Now, it's been a pleasant visit, but-"
Villager spins, as if in a daze, cutting me off. "What is Happy Happyism?"
Mr Carpainter casts his gaze up to the heavens. "I was called upon by divinity - I was called upon by a higher power! There is one mission that must be fulfilled, one that I have been Chosen to fulfil."
"What mission is that?" I ask, frowning.
"The calling… The calling is to paint everything in this world blue!"
I catch Villager's eye. That confirms it - these people are insane.
"A noble cause," I lie. "Now, we were actually on our way to-"
"Our deity demands sacrifices!" Mr Carpainter announces. "I hope you do understand. He must feed - he delights in the scent of burning flesh!"
Oh dear.
"Oh, come on," I try for a winning smile. "Your deity won't like me. I'm all skin and bone - and so is Villager here, too."
"It is not so, my friend!" Carpainter announces, gladly. "The highest Happy Happyism advisor told us of this very moment - the black haired and the blonde haired! Our deity is very gracious. He will take your sacrifices with delight."
The blue people begin to chant. "Light the fire! Light the fire! Light the fire!"
"Fear not, I shall!"
I exchange a nervous glance with Villager. What are we going to do? What an anticlimactic way to die - being sacrificed to a blue cult in the middle of the forest?
"Ah, but forgive me, young offerings," Carpainter says. "It appears our high advisor has come to visit! I must greet him; after all, he has been appointed by the deity himself. Forgive me, great and noble power! Your sacrifice shall have to wait… thirty minutes. But other Happy Happies - continue your tasks! Reparation from the storm!"
"Blue!" Comes the great chorus - all the cultists pull out a paintbrush and a tin of blue paint, and they begin dash around, slathering paint on all the trees. Carpainter disappears behind a boulder - and suddenly, Villager and I are alone in our cage.
"Right then, smart guy, what's the plan?" Villager whispers.
I try the door. Unfortunately, it is locked.
"I'm not sure," I reply, worried. "I think we might actually be screwed."
"What?! Seriously? We can't die like this!"
I pace around. Surely there has to be a way - we should've run whilst we still could! This is so ridiculous. So nonsensical. Am I dreaming? I pinch myself.
I'm not.
"Maybe this was always how it was meant to be," I murmur.
"What do you mean?!" Villager exclaims.
I sigh.
"Nobody's even going to know where we went. We're going to die, forgotten, to some stupid blue cultists. Maybe you were right - maybe we are just the sidekicks."
"We can't give up that easily," Villager insists. "This is - this is so stupid. We escaped Porky, we can certainly escape all these people too."
"Do you have any regrets? I ask.
"Huh?"
"Well, if we're dying, might as well say our last regrets, right? So we can die with a clean conscience."
Villager gives me a stern look. "Again, not helpful."
I sit on the ground. "It never is. Nothing's ever been helpful."
Villager pauses, hanging there in remote silence.
He sits besides me. "Come on. There's always a way out - you know that."
"Yes!" I exclaim, springing up. "You're right - there is!"
"There is!?"
"Yes! Why are you always ten minutes behind, Villager? Keep up!"
"I-"
"Only thing is… we kind of have to wait thirty minutes, for the Carpainter to come back."
"Way to build dramatic tension," Villager grumbles. "Go on then - what's your plan?"
I wink.
"I think you'll have to wait and see."
Villager sighs. "Seriously? That's so counter-productive!"
"Don't you worry - I'll get us out of here, and I'll look extremely sexy whilst doing it."
"I severely doubt that."
"And in the meantime," I face him, grinning. "In the meantime, we have thirty minutes to burn, in which you can tell me all about what happened with Zelda."
Villager's face turns slowly red. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"If you want to, of course," I add, not wanting to push any boundaries here. "Y'know. Consent is important."
He rolls his eyes. "You are the nosiest person ever. You're just trying to find out if you still have competition."
I step back, in mock outrage. "Me? Nosy? Trying to find out if I have competition?"
"How about a fight to the death?" Villager suggests, innocently. "You versus Zelda. The winner gets to date me."
"No! That's a horrible idea! I would totally win! But that's a horrible idea!"
Villager smiles. "I guess so."
I look around. "You know, I actually almost forgot we're trapped in a cage, in the middle of a cult."
Villager rolls his eyes. "Well done, you dork."
"But yeah," I clap my hands together. "A plan. I do have a plan."
"...I'm guessing you're still not going to be sharing it…"
"Nope!" With a burst of confidence, I sling my arm around him. "Which means, we have thirty minutes to talk. Just you and me. My favourite person. A conversation of two."
"A conversation of two," Villager says, raising his eyebrows. "Poetic. And hey, me, your favourite person?"
I pout, sitting down, patting the space besides me. Villager fills it promptly. "Shut it, Shakespeare. How else am I meant to say that I want to tell you something important?"
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~~o00o~~
She stumbles over the doorstep, clutching her aching stomach.
"It's gone - mother, it's gone. I swear."
A stern-looking woman stands in the kitchen, rolling pin in hand. A flour-covered apron lays over her shoulders, her hair drawn back into a tight bun.
She casts her eyes away.
"Good. Perhaps now, Felicity, the gods will alleviate the curse you have brought on this family!"
Felicity shuts the front door behind her, gasping for breath. She ran so far - so, infinitely far. She can only hope that it's enough.
The stern woman takes a hit at a lump of dough, lying on the sideboard. "I trust you did what I said? Drowned him in the lake?"
"Y-Yes, mother," Felicity lies. "Drowned him in the - in the lake."
The woman narrows her eyes, picking up the dough again, turning it once, before, slapping it down. She's always had talent, as a baker. But it's never earnt much - never allowed them to move out of this mere hovel.
"You know why we named you Felicity, don't you? It means good fortune. But you go off and spoil that name, by running off with some man…"
Felicity tightens her expression. "I love him, mother."
"You're 16! Too young, too young to love! You must learn to bake, to bake, foolish child! How else do you expect to earn a living, hm? Hm?!"
"Just because of what happened with my father…" Felicity mutters under her breath.
Her mother turns round, sharply, the rolling pin raised. "I heard that. What happened with your father was his own fault. His own, I say. Understand?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Good. Good! Now, come, work the dough. We've had an order in, for a dozen loaves, from quite a rich family. We don't want that order to go to waste - we need to get to work. Quick!"
Felicity drags herself to where another lump of dough lies. "Yes, mother."
"And don't forget to bake an extra loaf for the gods!"
"No, mother."
Her mother rolls the dough, flat as can be. "Good. Good, child. Now, get to work."
~~o00o~~
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Villager looks at me with interested eyes. "What is it? What do you want to tell me?"
I laugh, nervously. "It's a bit dumb. Well, it's not, but, well…"
He cocks his head to the side. "I'm sure it's not dumb."
I breathe. "Our group, I've always felt, we've never been that open with each other. It's never been that personal."
"Yeah… kind of," Villager nods. "I agree."
"Like, we have a great time and that, but we're never vulnerable or honest with each other. We all have loads of secrets."
"Yeah," Villager nods again. "Definitely."
I continue. "And so, if you're going to be considering whether you like me in that way or not… I think it's only fair that you know the whole picture of me. Because, to a lot of people, I wouldn't be on the radar, because of who I am. Some of the secrets I keep. I wouldn't even be an option."
Villager crosses his legs, surprisingly relaxed. "I'm sure it can't be anything too bad."
I look out at the blue people outside, hushing my voice, afraid that even they will hear. As if they'd judge.
"Villager, I've never met my real parents."
Villager shifts. "Oh, you mean-?"
I bite back the lump in my throat. "I was found. Found in the middle of the forest, abandoned there. Left to die. The people that found me - they're the only parents I've ever known."
A shaky hand is placed on my shoulder. "That's awful."
"There's no leads on who my real parents were. Only a stupid note. Only a stupid godforsaken note, telling whoever found me that they could choose to take me in, or they could choose," my throat turns dry, emptiness entering my voice. "To kill me."
Villager turns, aghast. "Lord almighty - Toonie-"
I fold my arms, my expression dark. "Luckily, I was taken in."
"Just as well - who'd do something so awful? Who'd do that, leaving a baby to die in the forest?"
I shrug. "Heaven knows."
He pulls me close, into a bone crushing hug. "I assure you, I do not think any less of you for that. You're so strong, Toon Link. So strong."
"The stigma around being taken in… adopted…" I shake my throbbing head. "Some people - it's just another thing to keep quiet, you know?"
There's an aching bitterness to his voice. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."
"It was unusual, apparently. My adoptive parents - George and Electra Montague, those are their names. They won the lottery - they were going to go out for a picnic with some of the money, that's what they said. But that's when they ended up finding me. They found me, like in a fairytale. In a basket. With the note. George wasn't convinced at first, but Electra convinced him to take me in… Because of that, the rest of the winnings went to trying to look after my sorry ass."
"You call them by their first names," Villager notes.
I grimace. "I always have. It was George's decision - I guess he didn't want me to get too attached."
"I- that's-"
"Yeah. I know. But eventually, once we were home, well. I grew up with them. They raised me. And, well, it's a long story, but this is how it happened..."
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~~o00o~~
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"What will the neighbors think? My brother?" George hisses, as Electra carries the small, wriggling baby into the house. "And how on earth will we afford to look after him?"
"The winnings," Electra comments calmly, laying him on the double bed. "It's a gift - a miracle. Hear that, Toon Link? You're a miracle."
But George wrings his hands. "What about the plans? Our house - our big house?"
"Plans change."
George knew better than to argue, and so, it was decided.
He was to be their son.
The boy grew. He learnt to walk, and talk, and he was shyer than some, but that was okay. He grew a great tuft of blonde hair, despite being a little short for his age. He smiled a lot though, which to Electra and George, confirmed they had done the right thing.
"First day at school!" Electra chirps, brushing down his uniform. "Go on - I bet you'll make loads of friends."
"B-But…" Toon Link looks up at her, with pleading eyes. "Scary…"
"Everything will be okay," Electra promises. "The teachers will be lovely. You'll have a fantastic time."
George slips into the conversation. "And gotta start learning, to inherit the business, eh? Go on, kid. Get out there."
Toon Link looks from his parents, to the school gate. He's never known anything but the noise of construction, the singing of his mother, everything his mother cooks, and the little house in Montague Street. There, on the other side of the twisted metal barriers - other children, rushing around, screaming and shouting. Stern looking adults.
He knew from an early age that he didn't like change, and this was change.
But Electra's warm smile is enticing. It leads him in. It promises him everything will turn out okay.
It didn't.
He comes home a blubbering mess.
He rushes into Electra's arms, sobbing. "The - the others are - they're - they're mean - they were mean to me - they-!"
"You ought to have fought them back," George grumbles. "If only you'd inherited..."
Electra gives him a look, a silent reminder.
Toon Link doesn't know yet. He doesn't know he was found.
"Shhh…" Electra soothes. "It's okay. Tomorrow's another day, Toon Link."
Tomorrow comes quickly, and when Electra goes to collect Toon Link from school, fearing the worst, she's met with a very pleasant surprise.
"This is your mummy?!"
An excited, orange-haired girl rushes up to Electra, examining her, head to toe.
"She looks nice!"
Toon Link nods shyly. "That's Electra."
"Oh, hello!" Electra exclaims. "Who have we here?"
"I'm Inkling!" The girl pronounces, proudly.
"I'm Ness!" Introduces another boy, a little more shyly, but still bursting with childish excitement.
"Well, lovely to meet you!" Electra smiles. "Good to see you're making friends, Toon Link."
The boy called Ness gives Toon Link a clumsy hug, matched by a frantic one from Inkling. "See you tomorrow!"
Toon Link blushes. "Tomorrow."
And things were better from there. There was still a bit of bullying, and Toon Link was very shy, but at least he had friends now. Electra got to know Ness's mother, and Inkling's parents too. There were occasionally playdates of sorts, and whatever happened, for years the trio continued to grow together, happy as could be.
And in time, there was a fourth.
"I'm Lucas," the shy blonde mumbles, in a barely audible whisper.
"He's Lucas!" Ness repeats, enthusiastically. "He's awesome. He's part of our group now!"
"Very nice to meet you, Lucas," Electra smiles approvingly, shaking his hand.
Lucas fitted in perfectly. He gave Toon Link a run for his money with his shyness - but he got on really well with everyone. From what Electra heard from Ness's mother, Lucas was a rather lonely boy, who'd moved from a nearby village and it was a 'piece of good luck' that he'd met the others. Electra sometimes wondered why nobody ever went round to Lucas's house, but she figured things might be difficult there, and she knew it wasn't her place to pry.
But as the four of them continued to grow, the family business began to fall.
"It's a disaster," George groaned, pacing. "The construction is falling. Ever since Carpainter quit to form that cult, we've been stuck with Pirkle in office. He's making no bloody effort to invest. And Porky - that Porky Minch, his construction company is skyrocketing. It's turning us out of business. How he can afford to hold those low prices, I don't know…"
"It looks bleak," Electra agrees with a grimace, poring over a pile of bills and red arrows. "What are we going to do?"
George brings out a sheet of paper, placing it on the table.
"It's an offer, from Porky. He wants to buy the business, for 500 pounds. We're going have to agree to it, before we go bankrupt. No choice."
Electra rises slowly, in shock. "Agree to it? Give up everything we love?"
"The business is in decline. It's a lost cause."
"But there has to be another way!"
George hesitates, closing his eyes for a second. "There is, but you won't like it. What we need is money. More money. There's only one other option. The kid - Toon Link, he's expensive to keep around. We can send him off to a workhouse - or a children's home."
For a second, Electra remains frozen, before she violently grabs a nearby frying pan.
"Are you suggesting we give away our only son?"
George holds up a hand. "If we had enough money, we could revitalise the business. Take on more projects. Maybe even compete with Porky."
Electra's hand shakes. "H-He doesn't even know he's not ours! We're all he's ever known - we can't just abandon him!"
"We were more than kind to take him in. If it weren't for us, he'd be dead. Let him forge his own path, he's a strong kid. Think of the business - it's him, or the business, Electra."
Electra advances, trembling. "Do you know what they do to kids on the street? They're sold off and auctioned as slaves - or, or sex workers - they're tortured, beaten, how dare you suggest we subject our son to that! How dare you!"
George bites his lip. "That doesn't have to be our problem."
Electra freezes in place.
"You did not just say that."
"I… did."
…
Crash.
…
The frying pan collides with George's head, and he falls to the ground.
The frying pan falls onto the stone floor with an almighty clatter, and Electra lets out a horrified gasp.
"George! George - I'm sorry, I-"
"I'm okay," he groans, weakly. "I'm okay."
"Oh, lord, I-"
George rubs his head. "I guess - I guess we can compromise. We'll sign the deal with Porky. But, if Toon Link is to stay, he can work in a factory. We need all the money we can get."
"O-Okay," agrees the distraught Electra. "Okay."
And so it was done.
George signed the deal, and 500 pounds came into their bank account. That'd be just enough to cover them for a month - which meant that was the time limit for when George would have to find a new job, or bankruptcy would be certain. Factory work for Toon Link, on the other hand, was surprisingly easy to come by. He worked at the coal-sorting facility for two hours every evening, and he'd come home as black as a chimney sweep, but importantly, he'd come home with sixpence. Enough to buy dinner.
But to the family's immense fortune, then out of nowhere came the opportunity of a lifetime.
"The butcher's stall in the Onett Market has closed," Electra sighs glumly, placing the shopping on the side. "How are we ever going to get meat now?"
George looks up in interest. "It's closed? Gawain's stall - closed?"
"That's right," Electra sighs. "And the supermarket is so expensive. We're going to have to go vegetarian."
"Unless we open a new stall ourselves."
Toon Link listens shyly in the corner, but for once he speaks up. "We become butchers?"
George paces around the kitchen. "Think about it. Everyone needs meat - why did the old stall close?"
Electra shrugs. "Word is that Gawain wanted to move up to Orkney to be with his family. He just shut up shop, and left."
And suddenly George's eyes fill with a spark, a spark that hasn't been seen for a long time. "Then - we need to be quick. Come on! We need to appeal to Pirkle, to let us have a plot, before someone else gets it!"
"A plot?" Toon Link asks, nervously.
"A plot! And a licence - and we need a supplier, but if everything goes right…"
Electra beams. "My love, you're a genius. You're right - I'll get my coat!"
And so, the wheels were in motion. The stall was set, Electra bought and sewed a great red and white striped awning, a decently priced farm was found to supply the meat, and within a week, the stall was very much open for business. George would get up early every day to man the stall, whilst Electra quit her job as a cleaner to tirelessly pore over the paperwork and statistics. Toon Link continued working in the factory, but he didn't mind too much. So long as I'm doing my bit, he thought. He had three awesome friends, his family was making money again, what else could he possibly need?
George found himself loving life as a butcher - possibly even more than the construction! His father was long gone, so he didn't care about disappointing him anymore. He could be alone with the meat for hours, and he enjoyed engaging with the customers too. That was something that never really happened with construction work.
And so, things were happy for a few years.
Soon enough, Toon Link was in his final term at the Onett primary school, and just when things couldn't get better, George came to him with some great news.
"Son, I think we've got enough money to send you up to the boarding school, if you like."
Toon Link's little eyes light up. "The boarding school? That's where Ness and Lucas are going!"
"I don't know…" Electra murmurs. "That's a lot of time away from home…"
"Ah, he'll be fine," George smiles, clapping the blonde kid on the back. "Won't you?"
"Yeah!"
"Brilliant. I'll write out the application form as soon as I can - but first, Electra and I need to have a quick conversation."
George pulls Electra out into the garden.
"Are you really sure the boarding school is right for him?" Electra whispers, before George can even speak. "You know how shy he is…"
"He'll be with friends," George assures her. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to ask - when are we going to tell him?"
"Tell him what?"
George sighs.
"Tell him he's adopted - that we took him in."
"George…"
George wrings his hands. "He has to know. He's growing up fast - he can't live a lie his entire life. It's not right."
"How would he take it, though?" Electra agonises. "That kind of knowledge is never good for a kid to know."
"It's worse for him to be deceived."
Electra sighs. "Fine. Okay. We'll tell him - tomorrow, we'll tell him. Is that good?"
"Fine," George agrees, reluctantly. "Tomorrow. But not a day later."
.
.
.
~~o00o~~
.
.
.
My storytelling is interrupted by a bang at the cage door.
I sigh. "Can you call later? We're kind of busy here-"
"Blue!"
"That doesn't really clear things up-"
Click.
The sound of a lock being opened - I look up in hope, but we're not being brought out. In fact, a blue man is coming in.
I fold my arms. "Uh, hello? Personal space?"
"Blue!"
They hold up a thick paintbrush and a bucket of blue paint.
Villager sighs. "I think he's here to paint us."
"Blue!"
I gasp, appalled. "What! But I like this shirt!"
But there's nothing to be done, as the blue man skilfully dabs the brush in the bucket of paint, coating us head to toe in a vibrant sapphire hue.
"Blue!"
I look ruefully at my ocean-like arms. "Blue indeed."
The blue man swiftly leaves.
I look quickly at Villager, and I burst out laughing. "Wow."
"Shut it, sea monster Toon Link."
"Hey!"
He shakes his head, before lying against my shoulder. My insides crawl with excited nerves. "Ah… where were you?"
"Oh yes," I perk up. "As I was saying…"
.
.
.
~~o00o~~
.
.
.
Tomorrow quickly comes.
Electra and George collect Toon Link up, and they sit opposite him in front of the dining table.
"Toon Link, we have something to say," Electra begins, hesitantly.
Toon Link looks up, worry filling his eyes. He knows what this is - they're going to send him away! He hasn't been good enough, and they're going to send him away!
Electra moves her chair forwards, laying a motherly hand on Toon Link's shoulder, and stillness fills the air.
"This might be quite a surprise."
Toon Link gulps.
"You're adopted," George says bluntly. "We found you in the forest."
Electra glares up at her husband. "Well, that's one way to put it. But yes, it's true. We found you in the forest, and then we decided to take you in."
Toon Link looks nervously between his parents, trying to figure out what this could mean. "I-Is that how babies are made? They're found?"
"No," Electra explains, calmly. "It means that George and I, we're not your birth parents. Your birth parents, well…" she glances quickly at George. "Well, we don't know what happened to them. But we came across you in the forest, as a baby, and we just had to take you in."
"So - y-you're not my real mother?" Toon Link yelps. "Not my real father?"
Electra comes over to hug him. "I'm afraid so. But that doesn't have to be anything bad - we still love you lots."
"But who are my real parents?"
Electra gently rubs her son's back. She can feel him trembling. "Well, we don't really know. We've tried to find out, but I'm afraid we haven't had any luck."
Without words, Toon Link gives a violent tremor, before he stands, dashing out of the room.
Electra looks nervously at George.
"That could've gone better."
…
And in the following days, the young blonde seems feverish. Distant. Almost as if he doesn't recognise George and Electra anymore.
It begins to give them an immense amount of worry.
He begins coming home later from the factory. Later home from school. It's not apparent what he's doing, but Electra figures it's not her place to meddle in his personal battles.
That resolve changes, when Toon Link dashes home one evening, during the last week of term, in a wild panic.
"Inkling! Inkling's gone missing - everyone says she's just sick - but I know she's missing!"
Electra turns in alarm from the dining table. "Missing?"
"I have to search for her!"
Toon Link grabs his coat from the coat hanger, and he dashes out of the front door.
Electra throws down the bills she was calculating, jumping onto her feet. "Hey! Toon Link! Come back!"
But the young boy is long gone.
He searches for most of the summer, for Inkling and his parents, in a state of real distress. He only comes home for sleeping and for meals, and even those he eats in silence, constantly on edge, brimming with nervous energy. He asks anyone he can for information. He begs, he pleads anyone to tell him, anything. His whole life is a lie, and it's now falling apart before him.
He finds nothing.
As the summer progresses, the changes in his demeanour are clear. He develops purpose, charisma. Desperation wins out over his shyness. He grows. Humour becomes a defense mechanism. He comes to terms with things. He even learns some jokes, in the hopes of swaying some of the strangers on the street. In his mind, they know. They're just hiding everything.
"I can't find them," he sobs, one rare night of weakness. "I can't find them anywhere. They can't be gone. They can't be!"
George and Electra exchange a glance, looking at their son's sunken eyes. How far he's fallen - he had risen so high, but now he has fallen, so, so far.
Electra blames herself.
It doesn't get any better, as the last weeks of summer drift away. Toon Link seems downright miserable, and on the night before his first day at Onett boarding school, he cries.
It's the worst night of his life.
But it's not without hopeful smiles that Electra and George stand with him on the train station, as he stands, backpack on, bags at the ready.
"Good luck out there," Electra says, hugging him. "Keep in touch - send us letters, yeah? Don't forget us?"
Toon Link nods nervously in Electra's arms. "Y-Yeah..."
The doors to the train open.
Electra gives him one last desperate kiss on the cheek. "See you at Christmas, son."
Toon Link grips his case tighter. "See you."
"I-I love you."
Toon Link looks around at her, his face showing evident surprise. His eyes almost glow.
"I-I love you too, mother."
.
.
.
~~o00o~~
.
.
.
I rub my cheek. "And the rest - well, I met you after that, didn't I?"
Villager slowly nods, one arm looped around me, the other one resting at his side. He's a good listener, always attentive, squeezing my hand at the tough bits, never interrupting, except to say that's awful every now and again.
He smiles. "And now we've landed up in a cage, painted blue. How far we've come."
I smile back, albeit weakly. "I guess."
"Did you ever find Inkling or your parents, in the end?"
I shake my head. "No. Never any sign of them. Electra - mother - reckons it was a teenage pregnancy, or something. I was ditched because they couldn't look after me. But hey, that means Electra and George chose me, right?"
"Yeah," Villager agrees, softly. "That's right."
"Pit's the only one I've told any of that to before," I blush. "And that was in brief. Now you essentially know my whole life story."
"Well, I'm honoured."
I blush.
"I think I owe it to you to tell you some stuff about me," Villager says.
"No," I protest. "You don't have to. Don't feel obligated to."
"I want to. How about what really happened with Zelda?"
That gets my attention. "Well, if you really insist… lover boy."
Villager averts his eyes with a blush. "Don't call me lover boy, ever again."
"Or what?"
"Just - shut up, and listen. I'm finally gonna tell you the truth about Zelda, who you've been pestering me about for years, so if you can't bring yourself to listen now, then God help you."
I raise my hands in defence. "Sorry, m'lord. Let's hear what happened then."
"Alright. And you'd better not laugh, by the way. So, pretty much, long story short, Zelda and I became friends in our first year because we sat together, and then in our second year I crushed on her, asked her out, and got rejected, hard."
I pat him on the back. "Aw, man… rejection sucks. Why didn't you say anything at the time?"
He gives me a signature exasperated look. "Really? You think your extremely mature 12-and-13-year-old-selves would've ever let me live that down?"
I laugh. "Good point. But, what's the problem now? Why are things still going on? Why are you still so awkward with her?"
"Well, I got over the crush fast," Villager admits. "But, Zelda didn't want to be friends anymore after that. She blanked me. I guess I've been trying to fix that."
I feel an angry heat growing in my chest. "That - how dare she! Mess you around like that?"
"And," Villager's expression shrinks significantly. In fact, he seems to shrivel into a miniature form of himself. "Because of that, I felt guilty about it."
"She made you feel guilty over a straight crush? Lord help you! No wonder you're all confused!"
Villager shoves me, but the hint of a smile curls at his mouth. "Quite possibly."
"So, was that it?" I ask. "That was your romantic life story?"
"...Mostly."
"Did you crush on Popo next?"
"No!"
I roll my eyes. "Sure. You're just in denial."
He glares at me. "No! That's it! I'm not telling you any more!"
"Hey!" I protest. "I'll stop - I promise! Butalsoyoudon'thavetosayanythingyoudon'twan-"
Villager silences me. "I'll continue. For you. As I was saying, then, my cousin, he came out to the family as homosexual. My aunt was appalled. She thought he was possessed by Satan."
I scowl. "Surely Satan has better things to be doing than giving people the hots for the same sex? Such as condemning world leaders to eternal damnation?"
He shrugs. "As may be, but after that, my mother, she told me quite plainly, that if I told her I liked guys, I'd be out on the street."
"She didn't!" I cry out, in horror.
"Yeah…" Villager rubs his neck. "And at the same time, a guy moved in next door, and he was really attractive, and I started having those feelings for him, and it was the first time I'd ever thought that about a guy, and- sorry, I'm rambling. Uh-"
"He can't have been that attractive," I sulk.
"Oh, he was."
"Do we know him?"
Villager's eyes suddenly dart away. "Uh, possibly-"
I shuffle up to him, a devilish grin taking form on my face. "Ooooooh! Who was it?"
"...Mega Man."
"Mega Man? Really?"
"How do you think him and I became friends? We're neighbours. Well, anyway. I never asked him out in the end, after what happened with Zelda. I think I quickly got over him, but I still felt guilty about it all, so I kept it quiet, you know?"
I nod, suddenly overcome with familiarity. "Yeah."
He sighs. "And so, I don't know where I stand, really. I've crushed on a guy and a girl, and if I like guys, I'll be kicked out the house."
"Well," I reason. "You don't necessarily have to tell your mother anything-"
"But I can't just - not!"
"-Until you've moved out. Until you're no longer dependent on her for money, or for your livelihood. You can tell her when you're free of her grasp."
His forehead creases. "But then what?"
"Well, you can live a happy life with whoever you choose, and, if she doesn't accept you, well, that's her loss."
But he buries his face in his hands. "Toonie, I-I don't know what to do!"
My stomach sinks. I pause for a second, before spreading my arms.
"Come here."
"H-Huh?"
"Come on."
He comes over, and I wrap my arms tightly around him. "I promise you, it's okay. I'm here for you - our whole group is, no matter what, yeah? You can like who you want."
He sniffles, burying his face into my chest. "Th-Thank you. You're so - You've always been so nice to me, Toonie-"
"Well, yeah," I smile ruefully, a warm feeling flowing through me. "I have been crushing on you for a while. But that's not important - what is important is that, no matter if you like me like that or not, I just want you to be happy, yeah? You're awesome. You're always there for anyone, never showing any signs of weakness. It takes a lot of strength to do that. You make everyone else happy - you deserve to be happy too."
Suddenly, he wraps his arms around me as well. "Really? Thank you - thank you, so much - that's all, all I've ever wanted. To make others happy."
"You do a stellar job."
He looks up at me, a smile adorning his face. "Sorry - sorry for getting so emotional."
"It's okay to be weak sometimes," I assure him. "Really. Especially given how long you've been holding all this in."
"You're incredible, Toonie. People don't tell you that enough - but you've been through so much, and here you are, comforting me."
I turn. "Shush. You're pretty incredible too."
He grins. "You're just saying that, so I'll date you."
I fold my arms. "No! You genuinely are incredible."
"Not as incredible as you."
I blush, possibly more than I've ever blushed before, redness covering my entire face. "Shut up."
But Villager stirs, unnerved. "Don't get too comfy - look, here comes captain blue again…"
I jump up. Sure enough, Carpainter is coming towards us.
But he's not alone.
He's accompanied by Porky.
I curse. "Well, good to know that we got rid of all that emotional baggage, before our inevitable deaths."
"What do you mean?" Villager stands, before noticing Porky too, and letting out an alarmed noise.
Carpainter comes into earshot. "See, noble advisor of the HappyHappy deity? The blonde and the black haired boys - just as you prophesied!"
Porky studies us, and his eyes flash with recognition, before a surge of anger hits his eyes.
"Can you repeat the prophecy again to me, Carpainter?"
"Advisor, are you not pleased? Is the deity not pleased?"
"Repeat it!"
Carpainter trembles.
"U-Uh-
'When the sky is dark, and the trees are blue,
Across the forest will travel two.
Blonde hair and black hair, children of power,
Must be sacrificed to the deity, on the hour.'"
Porky narrows his eyes at us. "These are insignificant people! Look!" He grabs Villager roughly through the cage bars. "Brown hair, not black! And the prophecy states, quite plainly, that the boys would be powerful. Do these earthlings look powerful to you?"
Carpainter shifts nervously in place. "I-Is there a way to tell, oh adviser?"
"The deity has told me that they are not," Porky snaps, roughly throwing Villager back again. "The deity is displeased. Go and sit in the naughty corner!"
Carpainter hangs his head in shame. "I will do as the deity wishes." He walks away into the darkness, and Porky's face turns to us, beady eyes vicious.
"Well… Interesting… very interesting. What have we got here? Friends of Lucas? Friends of Ness?"
I grab Villager's hand, cold anger surging through me. "So, you're behind all this!"
"Oh, no," Porky smiles. "I merely arrived, and claimed to have been sent by their deity. And I invented a nice prophecy, too, with the hopes of catching two certain PSI users. Ah, it's such fun!"
I snarl. "I see you survived your underground hideout collapsing onto your head, then."
"No thanks to your troublesome meddling," Porky grins. "HA! But what have we here? Whatever are you doing in a place like this?"
I grin right back, despite Villager's attempts to pull me back. "You expected Ness and Lucas, huh? Well, too bad. You've landed with us here instead!"
"Yes… their little minions. Pathetic. It is no matter of concern! I have so many other traps prepared. They will not evade them all."
I breathe out, heavily. "Well, thanks for the free information. Now we'll know to take an alternative route."
"You know," Porky croons, walking around the outside of the cage, running his fingers along each bar with a hungry grin. "I wonder what Ness and Lucas would do, if they were here. Do you think they would let you die?"
"No," Villager replies, plainly.
"Yeah," I add. "It's called being friends. You should try having some of those."
Porky cackles, shaking his head. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. You know what they think of you, right? They only care about each other. You're just mere conveniences, to them."
"That's not true," I argue.
"How pitiful," Porky croons, with another laugh. "Oh, you really think they care? Is that why they kept so many secrets from you?"
Villager scowls. "Just us go! You're wasting our time and yours."
"Now, why would I do a thing like that? I have some secrets to tell you."
"Huh?"
His smile widens, creating the impression of a particularly large and wide-mouthed pig. "That's right! You'll finally get to be important. Hey, I bet Ness and Lucas will be really impressed if you tell them my secrets."
"We don't need to impress them," I maintain, angrily.
"Don't you want to know what the secrets are?"
"Not really," Villager sighs.
"You'll have to come closer… Wouldn't want any of the blue boys to overhear… But it's so important. Like, super important."
I fold my arms. "If it's so important, why would you tell us?"
Porky stops, spinning on one heel, before attempting to push his face between two of the bars. "Because you can't stop me! Plus, I might be slightly mad. Just a teensy bit. Ah, that's what working tirelessly to cultivate Future Humans does to you…"
I push his face out of the cage. "If you have something to say, just say it, you dirty old prick."
"Ooh, naughty!" He grins. "Fine then. Come on. Really close."
I look to Villager, who nods as if to say go ahead.
I move hesitantly near, and Porky brings his disgusting mouth to my ear.
"I'm gonna be the new Headmaster of your school!"
I step back, in alarm. "What? Who let you do that!?"
He wags his finger. "Nuh-uh. Come back. I haven't finished telling you my secrets yet. There's more!"
Reluctantly, I come back over.
"Half these blue people have been converted already."
"What!?"
"Not done! Get back here!" He grabs me forcibly by the sleeves, and I yelp.
"What?! What is it?"
"You're going to be the next ones to be converted."
I turn round, in horror.
He smiles, gleefully rubbing his hands together. "Isn't that fun? Our little secret!"
Villager grabs my hand, warily. "What is it? What did he tell you?"
I step back in haste, stumbling over the floor. "He said - he said that half of the Happy Happy cult has been converted into future humans- and- and-"
"And?"
"...We're next."
"Oh, fantastic. Pretty good time for you to bring out that plan of yours-"
"It only would've worked on Carpainter! I didn't expect this!"
Porky comes round to the entrance of the cage, bringing out a large, golden key, still grinning like a maniac. "Imagine their faces… Imagine Ness's face, when he finds out what happened to his friends. And how it was all his fault - letting you fight his battles for him." He looks up at us, false pity in his eyes. "Really, you deserve better."
"Then why are you going to convert us?!
"Conversion is better. You'll become stronger, elite. So much better than the feeble beings you are."
"The other blue people don't look converted!" Villager challenges, stepping back, as Porky pushes the door open.
"Oh, yeah. I finally perfected the design! All the metal is now perfectly hidden under ordinary, human clothes. The faces look just the same!"
"How is that possible?"
He smiles, stepping inside, and closing the cage behind him. "I am very clever."
"Get away from Villager!" I warn. "Don't you lay a single, filthy finger on him!"
He walks forwards, without hesitating. "Kneel to me."
I rise to the challenge, affronted. "Why should w-"
He produces a knife. "Kneel, vermin."
I hastily get down on my knees, feeling my airways constrict. Villager follows, staying as close to me as possible. He slips his hand in mine.
Porky flips the knife in his hands. "Good… oh, it does feel fantastic to have Ness and Lucas's little friends. I could do whatever I like to you."
I speak through gritted teeth. "You could leave us alone, perhaps."
"I could kill you. I could torture you. I could dismember you. I could rape you. I could do all sorts of lovely things. All before popping some lovely bits of metal inside of you, and making you mine."
Horrible chills course down my spine.
"It's not like anyone would notice you were gone. You're not the heroes, after all."
Villager whimpers.
In one sudden movement, Porky barrages me to the floor. Dirt flies into my lungs, as he brings his lips back uncomfortably close to my ears. "I am the hero. Not Ness. Not Lucas. I am saving the world from what it could become. Foolish children - you don't know what's at stake!"
On the last word, he stamps his foot. He brandishes his blade again, storming over to Villager.
I panic, trying to right myself. "If you want to save the world - and do the right thing or whatever - then let us go!"
Porky turns to grin at me. "Ah, I see you're appealing to my better nature. Unfortunately for you, I do not have one." He advances further towards Villager.
Villager shrinks back into the corner. "We're unarmed! Please - you can relax!"
He leans forwards, a victorious smile playing on his lips. Villager screws his eyes tight shut. "I'm always armed. You may not."
"T-Toonie-" Villager whimpers, Porky edging closer, bringing the blade nearer, and nearer, and I-
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"
I launch myself up, slamming Porky against the bars. The older man releases a loud grunt, as I grab Villager's hand, yanking the key from his pocket. Villager clings on tight, pulling himself up, just as Porky turns again, but with his free hand, Villager swings a fist into his nose.
"OW!"
"Quick!" I exclaim. I dash forwards, Villager's hand in mine - I throw open the door of the cage, and I launch myself out, tumbling onto the floor. Villager snatches the key from my hand, and, he slams the cage door shut. There's a click as he locks it tight - I dare to look upwards, where I see Villager standing victoriously, Porky locked unceremoniously inside the cage.
Porky tries for a winning smile. "I jest. I will let you go, out of my good faith and mercy."
I laugh. "That's what you get! Never underestimate the sidekicks!"
He turns away from us, muttering something, before he leers from behind the bars. "Alright. Fine then. Run. The happyhappy cult will not trouble you. Go on. But when you run, tell Ness, tell Lucas, to give up. Tell them that I will steal their hope, I will burn it, like fire burns wood. I will incinerate it. You may have gotten lucky this time - you may have won that battle, but I have won the war!"
I laugh scornfully, at the silly little man in a cage. "Sure."
He grabs furiously onto the bars. "Tell them that I will be merciful to them, if they give in! Be kind to them - tell them they're fighting a losing battle! Tell them it's not worth it, to fight me. Be kind! They're fighting their own silly little internal battles as it is - and I say this with genuine sincerity, Villager, Toon Link! Be kind. Don't let them fight the one battle that they can't win!"
I look up in disgust. "Why the hell would I be kind?"
Porky raises his eyebrows, in obvious surprise.
I stand, my hands shaking with barely suppressed anger. "Why would I be kind? I will be brutal, and I will be relentless, and I will ride into every single one of their battles, alongside them. And I tell you - I tell you, there is nothing, nothing that anyone can do to stop me! They may be powerful. They may be the heroes. But I'm strong too. I've been through a hell of a lot, and I'm stronger than I have ever been before, and if you know, if you are as clever as you claim to be, you will run. I am coming, and I will never, never take the hope of my friends away, and I won't let you do that either! Not when they need it the most."
Porky looks quite taken aback. Even Villager does.
Eventually, he sneers. "I admire your courage. I always admire courage. But you will come around, eventually. Now, go. Run."
"I-"
"Run!"
Villager grabs my hand. "For once, he's right. Let's go."
I give one last look at Porky, all locked up in the cage. No doubt he'll be let out soon, ranting and raving like he is, and no doubt he'll be angry.
But there's nothing he can do yet, and that thought brings me a wild smile.
And so, it's with our hands intertwined, and our heads in a daze, that we run into the night.
A/N: 10 days beats a whole 3 months! I'm improving! Though, exams are coming up, so the next chapter may be a while away...
Notes:
Time for a long list of characters, and who they are in canon:
George Montague: Along with his brother Gerardo, he is a construction worker.
Electra: Maid to Geldegarde. I decided to have her and George be the ones to adopt Toon Link.
Carpainter: Leader of the HappyHappy cult, whose primary goal is to paint everybody blue. In this, I decided to have them be residing in the forest. I also added the part about him being a past mayor.
Topolla Theatre: A location in Onett.
Felicity and her mother are meanwhile probably the first here. I don't expect them to feature again.
Gonna be a pest, and say please leave a review if you're enjoying this fic! It's all been a bit quiet lately, are you guys still alive? ;-;
Thank you for reading, catch you later.
~ReadyForTeddy.
