Chapter 3: Night of the Funeral

Flint sat down on a wooden chair inside of the Tazmily inn. Lighter was laid out on a bed with a cast wrapped around his head, left leg, and left hand. Thomas and Fuel were watching over them while Tessie, the Inn maid, brought supplies to them.

"It's been quite some time since it last rained in Tazmily last had rain." Tessie said. "I recommend that you get some rest Flint."

"It's a good thing you and Fuel only suffered light injuries there." Thomas said. "I could only imagine Hinawa's face if she and the boys came home to their father in a cast."

"She wouldn't have minded, I was only helping out a friend out of danger." Flint replied calmly. Rain could still be heard thumping on the roof of the inn.

"When were Hinawa and the kids supposed to be coming back?" Thomas asked. "With the forest like it is now, won't the way back be dangerous?"

"I can't exactly remember when they're coming home…" Flint replied. "They may have already gotten back."

"Flint," Lighter wheezed a little from the bed. "Did you see anything else in the fire besides those weird bugs? I'm talking about some… suspicious people with pig-like masks on."

"I did see some people like that." Flint replied.

"Those bastards… They turned the forest pitch black! And you, Flint! You wound up pitch black, too."

"Dad, please just relax and get some rest." Fuel piped in. "Let Mr. Flint go home."

"Alright...Alright…" Lighter grumbled, slumping back in the bed.

"Thank you, I should probably be heading back now." Flint tipped his hat off to them and left the room, exiting the inn. He stood under the awning on the front of the inn as Issac, a large man with a crooked face and plaid shirt and overalls with a brown stocking cap and glasses.

"Flint! Perfect timing, I heard you were resting up here." Issac said. "Uh… Mighty heavy rain isn't it? I think I'll join you under the awning for a bit. He walked up the porch area and sat down on a rocking chair." The two stood there for a couple minutes in silence as the rain continued to pour down.

"Have you seen or heard from Hinawa and the kids?" Issac asked.

"I have not." Flint replied.

"I see...Actually, I was up in the mountains earlier, picking mushrooms. I caught sight of Hinawa, so she shouldn't have been that far behind me. However, I was taking a break by the river when I heard loud roars from off in the distance. It sounded like a dragos then...I thought I heard screams...Hinawa and the kids are home right?"

"I wouldn't know… Haven't been home for the past hour or so." Flint replied. "I'll go check."

He set off down south through the town where he arrived at his own cliffside house, Boney had woken up and was now barking at a small blue bird that was fluttering around clutching something in its beak.

"Quit barking Boney." Flint said, patting the brown dog on his head. The bird fluttered down and dropped a rolled up piece of paper from its beak. Flint unraveled the paper to find a letter written from Hinawa.

Dear Flint,

Just like you said they would, the children have been running around the mountains and fields tirelessly since the moment we arrived.

Claus is as daring and full of energy as ever, while Lucas is still a bit coddled. But neither one seems tired of playing at all.

My father seems sad to say goodbye to his grandchildren after seeing them for the first time in so long, but we should be home by this evening.

I had forgotten how nice and refreshing the mountain air is. You're always covered in the smell of sheep back in Tazmily Village, so I really wish you could have been here to take in this air.

The next time we visit, let's ask one of our neighbors to tend to the sheep so we can all come up here as a family.

Claus, Lucas, and I were always thinking about you. When we get home this evening, I'll start cooking some of your favorite donuts right away.

With love, you dearest,

Hinawa

"Well...that's not good." Flint mumbled. The moon was about a quarter of the way risen, meaning that they should've been home by now. He shuddered at the thought that his family was now out in the rain somewhere, possibly injured. Dragos were usually tame creatures, but in the events of a fire, there was no telling what could've happened.

Issac walked up the pathway to his house, seeing Flint still standing over the letter in a bit of a shock made him frown.

"Oh… They're still not back?" he asked. "With all this rain, they could catch cold. They're probably taking shelter from the rain somewhere...but we should probably go find them. It's getting late after all. I'll go alert the town." Issac then ran off down the hillside.

"Alright then," Flint shook his head. "Everything's alright…" he told himself. "Nothing has happened, everything is fine."

"Woof! Woof!" Boney ran out from the dog house and jumped up, placing his brown paws on Flint's knees. (Please take me with you. I'm sure I'll be helpful.)

Flint blinked. He swore for a second that he heard Boney speak that, but he couldn't quite be so sure. "Come along now Boney."

Boney happily let out a bark and began to follow after Flint as he made his way through the empty streets of Tazmily. Except for one strangely overweight tan man looking like a gypsie who was walking towards the North towards the cemetery.

Flint brushed past the thought and headed west towards the prayer sanctuary. Jonel was waiting by the prayer sanctuary with Wess, who was an old man with baggy clothing and white hair that was balding in certain places. Wess and his son, who Flint could not recall a name, were thieves, though that was kind of an understatement, there was really nothing to steal in Tazmily, and they weren't wanted anywhere else. So Flint wasn't sure what the deal was there.

"Oh, there you are, Flint." Jonel said. "I asked everyone to split up and search the forest for Hinawa. You've been blessed with kind friends. That must be true happiness in some sense." Jonel then walked off into the forest.

Wess grumbled something to himself about being old as Flint and Boney walked past him. However, the old man followed after them regardless.

It became apparent immediately, that the animals had not settled down from the fire. As the second they walked into the forest, two green snakes charged up. Boney quickly charged up and tackled the snake with a headbutt. The other, attempted to bite Boney, however, Flint smacked it with his stick, knocking the snake across the forest and into a tree where it smacked into the bark and fell to the ground.

"Be on alert there Boney." Flint said. "Let me know if something is coming."

"Woof!" (Yes Master Flint!)

The two continued through the forest, immediately, two bats came swooping down from trees. One sank its teeth into Flint, however, it didn't hurt all that much. Flint shook it off and then swung the lumber he was carrying around smacking both bats into the trees of the area.

Eventually, they came to a cross in the roads, Bronson and Tessie stood gaping at a tree that was laying across the path, cleanly snapped in two.

"I don't get it." Bronson said in shock. "How could such big trees get ripped down like this?"

"I don't know." Tessie replied. "There's one thing for sure. Whatever did this, it wasn't human."

"And, no it wasn't me Flint." Bronson added.

"Did I accuse you?" Flint asked calmly. "This is hardly the time for joking around."

"Right, sorry...but what do we do now. The path is completely blocked off and Hinawa and the kids might be on the other side."

"We should try looking for another way around." Flint said. "Come along…" he turned and found that Boney wasn't even next to him. "Boney?... BONEY!?"

"Over here Flint!" Jonel's voice echoed from down the path.

Flint ran over to the other side where he found Boney pawing on the side of a cliff while Jonel examined a huge gaping footprint on one of the ledges of the mountain.

"It's just a guess, but I'd say a Drago climbed up from here." Jonel said calmly. "See those claw marks. Those most certainly belong to a Drago. But, why would a Drago claw at stuff like this, enough to leave gashes in rock, even?"

Boney continued to paw and bark at the top of the mountain.

Flint looked up as Wess approached them. He spied a hint of something red swaying from the branch of a tree.

"I think that dog of yours spotted something at the top of that cliff." Wess said. He notice Flint's expression. "By all things of hell Flint, don't tell me you intend to scale this mountain? I know how you feel, but this is taking it a step too far. Here, I know what we can do."

Wess knelt down towards Boney and took out a very dirty sock. "I need you to go get my son, his name is Duster." he tied a yellow ribbon around his collar. "Take this ribbon and he'll know exactly what's going on."

Boney sniffed the sock and whimpered. (Yipes...that's ripe alright...stupid old man)

"Now, FETCH!" Wess commanded. Boney looked up at him with an irritated stare. Making Flint facepalm.

"Go on Boney, I've got a treat for yah." he tossed a doggy biscuit to the chocolate labrador. The dog caught it in his mouth and then ran off.

It took a decent twenty minutes before Boney came running back. A few moments later, a teenager with a weird face structure, a thin brown hair and a small developing moustache limped after him. He wore a pair of sharp looking shoes that you would not want to be stepped on by. A blue overshirt and red pants. The man limped up to them.

"Duster, I hope you brought those Wall staples." Wess said in a scolding sort of voice.

"I did," Duster sighed. He looked up the side of the cliff before feeling the wall with his hand.

"Alright, this area looks scaleable. He whipped out two bars that looked like thin balancing beams and began to stick them in the wall. He continued placing bar after bar in the walls before reaching the top.

"Alright Flint!" Duster called. "It should be safe now!"

"Thanks Duster." Flint said, after he climbed up the wall staples, followed by Boney.

"I'll stick with you, but just keep in mind that I've got a slight leg handicap.

Flint looked up at the tree branch and felt his heart sink, it was a scrap of cloth, the same color as Hinawa's dress.

Boney suddenly started barking again. This time, towards the north of the mountain. Flint and Duster both looked over to see two of those Pigmask people fiddling with a machine. A caribou with metal parts on its body and head.

"Think the boss will be satisfied with this one?" One person in the mask snorted. He looked up and saw the three of them standing there.

"Aw pork shit!" he quickly tapped a button on the weird machine. A bolt of electricity struck the metal caribou before he grabbed his partner, who wasn't even paying attention and ran off.

"What's going on?" Duster asked.

All of a sudden, the Robot Caribou jumped up from the pad and charged into Flint, Smacking him into the wall of the mountain.

"Grr…" Flint stood up and bashed the creature over the head with his lumber log. Boney also jumped in and bit the creature on it's non metal leg.

The Robo-Caribou let out a giant burst of steam before charging at Duster bracing his horn. Duster quickly jumped over the creature and did a backflip before kicking the creature over the head. The Caribou skidded to halt over the mountain edge before turning back around and charging at Boney.

Flint once again bashed his lumber over the creature's head, which gave off an electrical spark that hurled him backwards. He coughed out a bit of smoke as he stood up, clutching his arm a little bit. He quickly rolled out of the way as the Reconstructed caribou tried to stab him with its horn.

Duster quickly threw a few wall staples, three staples landed on the caribou and pinned it against the wall of the mountain. The caribou let off another intense blast of steam. Blinding Flint partially as he tried to smack the creature again with his log of lumber.

Boney let off a growl and bit the creature's tail end. The caribou kicked and squirmed as if it was trying to break free from the wall staples as Duster jumped in and kicked the creature's head once again.

The caribou let off an automated roar as it tore the wall staples off itself in a blind rampage of fury. Before anyone did anything however, it stopped, frozen in place, then, it fell to the ground and let off a tiny explosion.

Duster and Flint both let out a sigh of relief.

"What was that thing?" Duster asked.

"I have no idea." Flint replied.

"FLINT!" They heard a loud shout from down the mountain. The three of them quickly hurried down the wall staple ladder and ran over to the other path.

"We found Lucas and Claus floating down the river." Wess said calmly. "Still no sign of Hinawa through...I take care of Boney, you go see them."

To Flint's relief, he saw Lucas and Claus, both boys were wrapped in blankets by the side of a campfire. He quickly ran over to them and gave them both tight hugs.

"You both are okay, right?" he asked.

"Yes...Yes…" Lucas managed to squeak out, his face seemed a little pale, almost as if he was horrified by something.

"Where's your mother? Where's Hinawa?"

"Dad…" Claus whispered. "Mom...Mom...she…" tears started to form in the orange haired boys eyes. Lucas just looked like he was ready to collapse.

"Um...Flint." he looked up as Bronson came from behind a path. "I've uh...I've got news…I uh...I found this Drago fang...I'm sure it'll be useful as a weapon or something...but uh...um…"

"What is it?" Flint asked, confused by everyone's scared and nervous looks.

"It was well...um...pierced through Hinawa's chest."

Flint stared at him, he just stood there in shock. How...that was impossible...how could...no...that had to be a lie...Hinawa was dead. He looked at the fang Bronson was holding, sure enough, there was blood stained on it.

"Flint...please...understand that this probably means that Hinawa sacrificed herself to save Lucas and Claus please don't freak-"

Flint grabbed a stick from the burning fire and hurled at Bronson, who had to jump out of the way.

"DAD NO!" he heard Lucas shout.

He felt some hands on his back, trying to restrict his arm movement, he flailed his arms around ruthlessly, forcing the pair off him before turning and smacking someone in the head. He had never felt the way he did before. What was this...this raw extra power? Where had it come from? What was causing him to feel so negative and hateful inside? He grabbed another stick from the fire and swung it around, just like that Caribou had flailed about.

"FLINT! STOP THIS!"

"FLINT! NOT IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN!"

He heard a large thump and felt a head stinging pain as everything cut to black.

That's all for today's chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. I think this year is going to go great. I've seen the Mother Project book trailer and I'm hoping that there's more Earthbound content on the way. I'd personally like to see a trilogy pack released with all three games either ported or remade. I think that's asking for a bit much, but it would be awesome.

Mother 3 is honestly a very beautiful game. It's story is probably one of the greatest in videogame history. I think that it's a shame that I haven't seen to many fan interpretations of the series, which is why I decided to do my own. I guess it would be hard to try and show a game justice in story form. But my hope is that I can do this game proud with my story writing abilities. Hopefully you all stick around as these uploads continue to stay slow and steady.

Any thoughts you have are always greatly appreciated, or maybe just saying Nice chapter works as well. I'll see you all, next month.