Chapter 12: Mutants and PSI

"Lucas...my strong, young man," Hinawa said. "You look so nice."

"But...mother...I'm...I'm afraid…" Lucas replied meekly.

"It's okay…" Hinawa said. "Boney's a nice dog. He won't hurt you."

Lucas got down, nervously and extended his hand. He swiped forward and just brushed the air, pushing him back into the real world.

"I...I wanted to go with him...but he said I was too weak…" The look on his father's face still kept him awake some nights.

("Lucas? Are you feeling down?") Boney's barks intensified

"No...I'm fine Boney...thank you." Lucas stood up from his mother's grave stone overlooking the cliff. He turned to face his father, who looked at him with a satisfied, but worried expression from under his hat.

"You stay strong Lucas." he looked down at Boney and patted his head. "And you, Boney, make sure my boy can at least make it home."

("Yes sir Master Flint.") Boney barked.

"You...you stay safe too, Dad." Lucas replied. "I...I want to see you again when I get back."

Flint smiled, "I'll be sure to stay alive while looking for your brother. I know he's alive…" Flint said. "And if he isn't, I at least want to find his body so we can do a proper funeral."

Lucas hugged his father and waved goodbye as he made his way towards the train station, centered right in the middle of the crossroads, going through that large mountain that had separated Tazamily from that weird desert on the opposite end of the island.

Lucas looked into the cave, making sure that no train was going to run them over, then, he motioned to Boney as they made their way down the train tracks.

Lucas wasn't exactly afraid of the dark, and, in hindsight, it wasn't really dark given all the mineshaft lights that Thomas had described to his father.

"Cuckock." Lucas felt his body stand up as Boney growled, right in front of them, three Snakes were slithering up to them, except, Lucas felt himself wanting to vomit, their heads had been replaced by Chickens. The feathery head and sharp beak, on the slimy slithering body.

The slitherhens attempted to peck the bottom of his legs, but he quickly kicked them aside and struck one down with his stick. Boney tackled the other two, knocking them against a wall. All three of the mutant animals let out a squawk and three more snakes joined them.

"So many...where did these all come from?" Lucas wondered. "What are these Pigmasks doing? He quickly smacked two more of the mutants with his stick once again, dodging the others as they attempted to coil around his leg to hold him in place.

Boney let out a yelp as one mutant pecked his head while two more held down his legs. Thinking quickly, the blonde boy knocked the one off Boney's head and then stomped on the last two, giving them a release of his faithful dog.

All of the mutant hens let out another squawk, multiplying the amount of animals in the area.

The sudden loud ringing told Lucas it was time, he quickly grabbed Boney's collar and jumped off the train tracks, just in time to see the large train car that ran through pulverize all the mutated animals on the tracks.

Lucas breathed heavily as he examined the injuries on him and Boney. There were a few scratches and bruises from the pecks, a bit of blood on the bottom of his feet, but nothing too serious.

He continued walking, his stomach turned inside out, afraid he'd vomit up his omelettes and donuts. Dogs with mushroom heads, Rats with weird propellers jammed into their necks. Moles with their claws violently ripped off, replaced with drills and other weird things on their faces.

Perhaps the most sickening thing he saw, was a big pink mushroom with legs, which he had promptly smashed down with his stick when it tried to scatter poisonous spores on him and Boney.

Boney suddenly began barking as they exited into a valley clearing.

("Master Lucas…) Boney barked. ("Up there.")

Lucas turned to the ledge where there was a ladder, with a sign that read, Hot Springs, with an arrow point up.

Hot springs on Tazamily were a magical sight, they could cause injuries, regardless of how bad they were for some people. So it was often given as medical treatment...at least until the Pigmasks introduced more wasteful products that were now routinely dumped in the ocean.

Lucas climbed up the ladder, Boney follow close behind. He stook a step in and looked out in front of him.

He wasn't sure what this persona was. It was a male with lots of colorful makeup, and a green dress. Soaking himself in the hot spring.

The man took notice of him and Boney, and said with a singsong voice.

"No need to fret young man, I'm not going to hurt you, come on in. My name's Ionia,"

Lucas shrugged, he had shared hot springs with strangers before. He just took a moment to relax in the bubbly warmth of the spring, feeling his bruises and cuts vanish.

(All refreshed Lucas! Let's keep going!") Boney said.

"Ah, your name is Lucas?!" Ionia asked, startling the blond boy.

"You...you heard my dog?" Lucas asked.

"Of course I can, I have PSI powers just as you."

Lucas blinked, "P...PSI?" he asked, confusion in his voice.

The man smiled and scooted over to him. "Hmm...you haven't unlocked them yet?" he asked.

"PSI Powers...What are they?"

"Oh, they're magical powers passed down by generations!" Ionia sung. "It would take hours to tell you everything that you could do with them. But they give you great power that could help rid the world of evil."

Lucas blinked. "Well...if I have them...how do I? Use them?"

"Hmm...well...it may take a moment, but, you seem like a good kid with good intentions, how about I help you out."

"Really?! Tha-" Before he knew what was coming, the man dunked his head under the water. Lucas attempted to push himself up, but he couldn't do so, it was just him in the watery heat, hearing the muffled barks of Boney.

However, he wasn't exactly struggling to breath, in fact, he felt more feverish. The heat kept getting hotter, and hotter, until it felt like his face was on fire. Then, he felt some chains break in his head, as words started to flow into his brain.

"Lifeup α!"

"Healing α!"

"Offense up α!"

"Defense up α!"

"PK Love α!"

Lucas felt himself get lifted out of the water as Ionia gleamed down at him.

"Ooo La La. You can use PK Love?!" She asked. "That's not a power I've seen anyone use before?"

"So...how do...I?" Lucas started.

"Ah, yes, well, to use your PSI powers, you must concentrate on your thoughts, and say the power you wish to use, direct your fingers towards the person you wish to cast an effect, heal up, or attack, and you'll be all set!"

"Thank you," Lucas said, giving his head a bowing stance. "I'll make sure I put them to good use." he climbed out of the hot spring before Ionia called over.

"If you see any butterflies if you're ever feeling exhausted from the use of your powers, give them a touch! Farewell Lucas!"

From a top of the hill, a boy wearing a dirty green suit with flaxen blond hair and glasses covering some black pupil's eyes leered down as Lucas and Boney disappeared into the mountain.

"So, people like Ness do exist here." he pondered. "Maybe he could be the one to free us from this awful curse that we've been set to. He just needs to get stronger."

A stinging pain shot through his head as he was hit with visions of a ghastly red face of agony.

"You can't escape...You'll never escape...You'll never be Happy. Never Again!"

"Please…" the blond boy whispered. "Someone help us."

From within the cave, Lucas could've sworn he heard something, but shrugged it off and kept walking.

Another Month, Another Chapter, pretty straightforward, wouldn't you agree? Hehe, I say that as if this will come out on time, if it does, good for me, I've probably recovered from some family problems I had last week and found time in between all of the school projects I was assigned. Good thing I have most of these planned in advance eh?

When you think about it, Mother 3 is pretty messed up isn't it? I mean, EarthBound and it's enemies are one thing. But all the mutant animals and Chimeras and all of the implied twisted jokes really show the impact of Porky and Fassad going into Tazamilly. Flint is just kind of...abandoning Lucas all the time. Death, Destruction, Greed, the place becomes a mess. It's really sad when you think about it.

Either way, I've been working hard to keep pace and keep this story running, that way you all don't just bail out before this takes my first priority where it gets updated maybe weekly or biweekly, I still need to close out Black Dawn, then I'll start up it's sequel, but since the sequel is for a currently ongoing series not finished as of now, I'll have to pace myself, meaning this will become my first priority.

Anyway, that's all for today's chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. You can leave a review, tell me what you liked or make predictions, or even just saying "Nice Chapter" it all helps keep an author motivated...Wow...I really sound like a YouTuber, and I don't get paid to make this content for you all. Hahaha.

See you all, Next Time.