(Author's Note: Happy 16th Anniversary of MOTHER 3!)
"To think we would be blessed with two children at once...I bet they'll accomplish things together that they couldn't alone."
"I'm sure they'll argue a lot, too."
"And I can see them helping each other out when they need it." Mom took a long moment in thought. "Claus..."
"...and Lucas. I bet we'll mix them up a lot until they get bigger."
"Claus...and Lucas, huh..." Dad scratched his head full of brown hair. "How do you want them to grow up to be?"
"To be kind, just like you."
"Oh. I was just going to say...to be kind, just like YOU."
"Great. Then it's decided." She reached down and ruffled one baby's blonde hair. "Claus." She poked his identical twin's cheeks. "Lucas." She held her husband's hand and they smiled down on their children.
"Make us proud."
"It's been only a year, but they've already grown so much...just a week ago Claus was still crawling like Lucas." Flint watched Claus suck frosting from his fingers.
"I'm sure he'll learn soon too, he's a smart boy. He can already talk after all. Lucas, what's my name?" She pointed at herself with a smile.
"Mama!" He said happily.
She giggled. "Close enough. See, I told you he was bright. Now let's teach them how to blow out candles!" She looked to the single candle of the cake on the table.
"Hinawa, I was thinking...they don't know how to make wishes yet, so why don't we make our own wish?"
"That's a great idea. So, you breathe in like this, make a wish and..." She blew it out. "Poof!"
"What did you wish for?" Flint said.
"For my little boys to always be safe and happy."
"Oh...now I feel a little selfish." He paused, held the rim of his his cowboy hat for a long while, then sighed. "I just wished for them to be small forever."
Hinawa burst into laughter, and Lucas and Claus joined in.
"You're hilarious. I love you."
Then she gave him a kiss.
The two tots blew out two candles at two with two thoughts. Talking was no longer an obstacle for Claus, nor was walking for Lucas, though their legs and sentences were still short.
The concept of wishes eluded their ten brain cells.
"I wish to undo my previous wish. I want our boys to grow up to be big and strong...just not overnight."
"And I wish for them to keep their childish side, even after they've gotten big. Adults need to have fun too."
"...True." Flint took a bite of his much larger piece of the cake compared to what Lucas and Claus ate. "Delicious...I'm glad Caroline took the time to bake this for us."
"She's always been like a sister to me..." She looked at Lucas and Claus enjoying their meal. "You two try to make good friends too, ok?"
"'Kay!" Claus said with his mouth full, spitting frosting all over in the process. Lucas gasped.
Hinawa laughed and started wiping it with a napkin. "You silly little boys are going to be the end of me..."
They were quick to make good friends, running through the village playing hide and seek on their third birthday. The only rule was no going in buildings or outside the village.
But this was still part of the village, wasn't it? Lucas ran across the bridge to the eastern edge of Tazmily where pigs oinked near Butch's house. He and Fuel shared a glance mutually acknowledging to not spoil each other's hiding spots. He hid in a small gap between the wooden and rocky walls, with only one direction to see him from at an angle few would think to look from. Sure, it was a little smelly, but he could handle it. It wasn't like he was sitting in the mud or anything. He was good at staying quiet and hiding. He waited...and waited...
And waited...
"Ribbit!" And felt a frog settling in his hair. ("Your hair is nice, it's like a bird's nest. Not that I'm a bird, I'm a frog. So...can you sit still for a while?")
"Ok, froggy...but shhh, I'm hiding!" Lucas put a finger to his lips and kept sitting where he was.
"Hop." ("You can understand me? You're smarter than the other apes. You'll probably still forget we met, though...")
"There you are, Fuel!" Claus exclaimed happily.
Lucas frowned. "But I don't wanna forget..."
"And you too, Luke! Ha! I win!"
"Ahhh!" Lucas jumped in shock, making the frog hop away. He sulked, he'd given his location away and Claus won again. But if he was the last one found, then he sorta won too? Seeing Claus so happy made him smile again.
"Ribbit!" (Don't worry, I'll save your memory for you.")
They spent some of their fourth birthday picking sunflowers from a vast field with Mom. Some were tiny, some were as big as them, and some towered above even her, all watching the sun slowly drift over fluffy clouds in the blue sky.
"Did you know sunflowers always look at the sun? Even when the sun sets, they look back to the east and wait for it to rise again. It's beautiful, isn't it? I want you two to be like sunflowers."
"I don't wanna be a flower crown!"
"Silly Claus, I mean be optimistic!" Mom laughed and put the floral arrangement on his head. "Would you like one too, Lucas?"
"I'm Claus! And this is girl stuff, Fuel said so!"
"Mommy says it's for anyone! Mommy's never wrong." Lucas pouted.
"Now, now, don't fight...it's for anyone who likes it. If Claus doesn't, that's fine. I'm sure you can both enjoy the view, at least."
They soaked up the rays of warm sunlight streaming through the clouds just like the field of nice-smelling flowers. Warm, but not hot. The breeze rustling their clothes and the flowers was refreshing, not chilling. Having a birthday in April was nice.
"Yeah, it's pretty..." Claus said.
"That's the beauty of nature...everything exists in a balance, and everything is connected. The flowers need water and sunlight. Bees need the flowers' nectar, so they help keep them pollinated. We grow plants to make food and cute little things like this, so we water them when it doesn't rain enough. It's like how we shear the sheep so they don't get too warm in the summer and we don't get too cold in the winter. If we take care of nature, it takes care of us."
Lucas wasn't quite sure what Mom meant, but it sounded deep.
Later that day, she had another present on top of the usual clothes.
"This is called 'hair dye'. Your grandpa, my father, got it from his friends, the Magypsies. Put it in your hair, and it'll turn a different color! Exciting, isn't it?"
"Uh...but why?"
"...I'll be honest, it's still quite hard to tell you two apart. It would help if one of you used it...and don't worry, it's only temporary. It won't last forever if you change your mind. Besides, don't you want to look unique and special?"
"I like my hair..." Lucas said.
"Spe-shul? I wanna be speshul!"
"Oh, thank you, Claus...you're helping Mommy so much. So which color would you like? They're fond of magenta, but I brought them all so you can pick your favorite."
Their fifth birthday had the best present yet.
"A puppy, just like we wished for!" Claus jumped up and down disheveling his orange hair.
"He's so cute..." Lucas's eyes sparkled.
"Why don't you two try naming him? I'm sure it'll be fun like it was for your mother and I. But take your time and get to know him a little, and see what suits him best. Make sure he likes it too."
"Ok, Daddy!" Claus said. They took his advice and went out to play with their new dog for hours on end. Lucas sat down in the grass and took a moment to just breathe.
"I know what to name him...he likes meat, so Meaty!"
"But he's not that meaty, he's tiny...how about Fetchy?"
"He does other stuff too! Like running...so Runny!"
"He's not a snotty nose, dummy! Maybe Jumpy?"
"He's not a scaredy-cat..."
"Says you."
"Hey!" Lucas puffed his cheeks with a frown, then sighed. Then he held his chin in thought...
"I know! How about Boney?"
"...Crap, that's good."
Lucas sat down and smiled at the puppy. "Do you like that name, doggy?"
"Ruff!" Boney dropped the bone and barked happily.
"Yay!" Lucas hugged Boney close and got a lick to the face, laughing all the while.
"Who's a good boy? Yes, you are! You're the bestest boy ever, Boney!" Claus scratched behind his ears somehow knowing he itched there, making Boney's tail wag. "Just wish I could've named you...hey Luke, I get to name things next time, 'kay?"
"'Kay."
"Maybe we really should've called you Meaty, you're huge!" Claus looked up at Boney who just learned to stand upright on his hind legs. He stood even taller than them!
Not that that said much when they weren't even four feet. Yet.
"We'll be bigger someday, right?"
Claus nodded. "Yeah, I wanna be as big as Dad!"
"But then we won't be able to go on piggyback rides anymore..."
"But then we can reach all the stuff on the high shelves..." He grinned. "Like the cookie jar."
"Yay!" Lucas lit up, then tilted his head. "Wait, isn't that naughty?"
"Not if we don't get caught, hehehe..."
"Woof?"
"Don't worry, Boney, we didn't forget about you." Lucas shook Boney's paw. "Good boy, you learned so fast! Now try walking!" Boney put one foot forward, and another...
And quickly toppled over.
"Hey, it was a good start." Claus laughed and crouched down to pet him. "Now roll over!" He did so with much more ease.
They would learn new tricks too.
Like how to swing sticks!
Lucas swung at Claus over and over with a twig he'd picked up near the forest, but Claus batted and parried them with ease, forcing Lucas to hastily block until Claus took a step back and frowned.
"C'mon Luke, don't swing so slow! You're making this boring!"
"I d-don't wanna hurt you..."
"Relax, I'll be fiiiine. I'm your big brother, you can't hurt me!"
"Only by two minutes!" Lucas frowned, he could be strong too, right?
He used both hands this time.
"Ow!" He gasped in horror at the bruise on Claus's face, he hadn't meant to hit that hard!
Claus hit back.
Lucas tasted dirt and blood. There was a cut on his cheek from the splinters, and this awful pain...
He cried.
Claus dropped the twig in shock. "Crap, sorry, I didn't mean to-hey, wait!"
Lucas didn't listen. He ran off, knowing the path despite tears blurring his sight. He ran, and cried, and ran, and cried, until he was in Mom's arms.
"Oh, sweetie...I'm so sorry you're hurting, I promise I'll make it better soon. What happened to you? Did you trip and fall?"
"N-n-no...it was..." He sniffed, then heard footsteps. "It was C-Claus, he h-h-hit me!" He pointed at Claus whose eyes widened, then looked away.
"Nuh uh...I mean...uh...ok, fine, but he hit me first!"
"Did not..."
"Did too!"
"Lucas...Claus...please don't lie." Dad sighed. When had he walked in? "Just tell me what really happened. Who hit who, and what for? Brothers shouldn't hurt each other, 'specially not on their birthdays! You're supposed to be happy today."
They both looked away in shame, Lucas letting go of Mom and wiping his eyes while Claus stared a hole in the floor.
"Listen, boys...lying won't do you no good. Might keep you from getting punished, but do it enough, and people won't trust what you say anymore. Then what if you need 'em to believe you? I'll forgive you if you tell the truth and learn your lesson."
The silence continued.
Lucas's lip quivered, and Claus clenched his teeth.
"Well, we were play fighting with sticks, but Luke kept holding back, so I told him to try harder but then he hit me and it hurt and I got mad and hit him back but I hurt him more and I'm so sorry!" Oh. He was crying too. "I'm s-sposed to protect him, but I hurt him..." It wasn't like him to be so quiet or stutter.
"Play fighting? So it was just an accident, huh? You made it sound so much worse! See, this is why y'all should always be honest."
"B-but I still hurt him..."
"And I l-lied about him hitting me first..."
"It's ok, Claus. I know you'd never mean to hurt Lucas. Come here." Mom received his hug with open arms. "I forgive you. I hope you can forgive him too, Lucas...I know it hurt, but it's not good to hold onto anger."
He managed to hug both of them at the same time. "Y-yeah, I forgive you...and I'm sorry I lied..."
"It's okay, Lucas. I just hope you both learned something today."
They had.
"You ever wonder what's out there?" Nana asked, leaning on the wooden picket fence separating Lucas's house from the south shore. "There's gotta be more in the ocean than just these islands." The light of the countless stars of the Milky Way and a half-full moon reflected off the calm ocean as if there were two skies.
"Who knows, maybe all the water spills off the edge." Fuel looked over the fence too.
"You dummy, everyone knows the earth is round!" Angie turned up her nose which shook her short brown pigtails.
"I was just kidding!" Fuel turned away too.
"C'mon, don't fight..."
"I sure hope there's more islands out there, it would be real boring if it was just home. I know, let's all go explore it someday!" Claus said.
"Yeah, that sounds awesome! I'll just have to ask Dad how to build a boat or something." Fuel said.
"That sounds too dangerous...I wouldn't mind if there's nothing else out there anyways." Lucas said.
"That's lame." Claus and Fuel said in unison, then sighed. An awkward silence followed.
"Did you know space is even bigger than the ocean?" Nana said. "It's so big we can't even explain how big it is. The sun's a million times bigger than the earth, and the distance to it is even bigger than that. The stars are just as big as the sun too, they're just soooo far away they aren't as bright, or it would be daytime all the time and we'd all go blind or something. You know what else is weird? The constellations. See, that one's Orion! But how come we know it's called that, and not who called it that? Who is that guy anyways, and how come he has a bow? And what makes the Milky Way mil-"
"Oh my god, we get it! Space is weird." Angie groaned. "I'm gonna head back home. Bye."
"It is getting kinda late..." Fuel was quick to follow her.
Nana looked down at the sea, dejected.
"Well I wanted to hear more..." Lucas said.
"Really? You won't get annoyed? Ok..." She paused. "There's something I've been wondering: do you think we're alone in the universe?"
"I don't know...but if it's really so big, there must be-"
"Someone out there, right?" Claus interrupted. "Ha, I finished your sentence again!" Lucas's reaction confirmed it and they both smiled. Just another twin thing that only they had. "I sure hope you're right, I'd love to meet some aliens."
"How would you do that, fly all the way up there?" Nana laughed, and they joined in.
Lucas smiled. Aliens or no aliens, they'd always have this beautiful view.
Lucas helped Caroline bake the cake next time. He wasn't trusted with the whole thing, of course, but he and Angie, Caroline's daughter, helped fetch the ingredients and do some stirring among other things. He'd spent enough time cooking for that at least. Sure, it was his birthday, but he liked feeling useful.
"Hey, I can help too!" Claus's face was squished up against the window.
Caroline sighed. "Claus, you burned your last two omelettes and undercooked the one before enough to give yourself food poisoning. You didn't seem to like doing it either, so why?"
"If Lucas can do it, so can I!" That explained it.
"Listen, everyone has their strengths. Maybe cooking just isn't yours. But if you're so eager, then just watch and pay attention this time."
"Doing nothing but watching is boring! I don't wanna work on my birthday anyway..." That drove him off quickly.
His mood improved later that day when he took many bites of the cake which was delicious no thanks to him, or perhaps thanks to his absence. They even baked some cookies too, and combined with Mom's Nut Bread there was enough for all the kids to eat. Alle tried to feed Boney some scraps of Nut Bread until Nichol reminded her he was allergic (so did Boney, but most people didn't understand him), but no one could be mad at her when she was so small and cute. Claus dug into the cookies until he saw how sad Richie looked when the pile grew smaller and she'd barely eaten any. Lucas enjoyed his own slice of the cake, of course.
And when everyone was done...
"Don't forget to thank me, Lucas, and Mom for our perfect baking!" Angie said smugly with her hands on her hips.
"It wasn't that perfect." Fuel countered. Angie pouted.
Lucas chuckled. He loved this village.
The next party was somehow even bigger. It was their two-digit milestone after all!
The cake was great as always, but the real difference was getting more presents than ever before. Only from some of the villagers, of course, and less for Lucas. Many believed he'd been coddled enough already when he still hadn't grown out of his sensitive phase.
Mom was different. There were shirts, sweaters, pants, even scarves, and much more than last year.
"Wow, how'd you make so many clothes?" Lucas held up a striped red and yellow T-shirt.
"But Mooom, most of 'em are way too big!" Claus flailed his sweater's sleeves that went past his hands.
"With a lot of patience and help from friends. And that's because you'll grow into them, silly! I did all this work now so I won't have to do as much later."
"See, Mom's never wrong."
"Ok, fine...but I wanna see our other presents too."
So they did. From Nana, a collection of seashells. From Fuel, some wool-padded sticks for play fighting with. From Nichol and Richie, a few neat looking rocks from their dad's bazaar. Angie considered the cookies her gift already. From Alle, a poorly-drawn but cute little sketch of her and Claus. Mapson provided yet another more updated map of the islands. What a strangely fitting name he had. Lighter, Fuel's dad, helped Dad finally fix that one creaky floorboard.
Strangely he started to miss the sound.
"What's your favorite thing, Lucas?"
"Um..." He held his chin in thought for a while. "I know it'll sound weird, but...Love."
Mom laughed. "Aw, that's sweet of you, but I meant what present."
"Oh, sorry!" Lucas blushed. "I dunno, it's hard to pick one. I'm just glad everyone was so nice."
"Mine is the sticks, duh!"
"And I'm glad you two enjoyed your birthday. You're already halfway to being adults, you're growing up so fast...so try to enjoy your childhood while it lasts."
"Hey, that rhymed!" Lucas said.
"It did, didn't it?" She smiled.
They spent a little while with their new toys and trying on the clothes before eventually changing into pajamas and going to their twin bed feeling sleepy and warm.
"Hey, Luke...what did you wish for this time?"
"I wasn't sure what to ask for, and everyone's already so nice...so I just wished for everything to stay like this forever."
"Huh, really? I wish something exciting would happen."
Lucas hugged him. "Everything's exciting with you around."
They stayed cuddled together for a while, until Claus finally started snoring. But that was ok. It never stopped Lucas from sleeping peacefully.
On his eleventh birthday, Lucas woke up alone.
He instinctively reached out and felt nothing next to him. Blurry vision showed the bed next to theirs was empty too. Mom would never wipe his tears again, and Dad had already left to look for Claus. The sunlight stung at his eyes through the windows, it was already past noon...he'd stayed up last night until exhaustion finally reintroduced him to his nightmares. He'd dreaded this day for weeks.
How could he celebrate a birthday without Claus?
Lucas groaned. He pulled the sheets back up over his face.
"Woof..." Boney whined sadly.
"Ungh...just lemme sleep..."
"Woof!" He pulled the sheets off and made blinding light hit Lucas's eyes.
"Ok, fine...you're probably right, I'd just have more nightmares." He blinked a few times until he could see as well as feel Boney cuddling up next to him. He hugged him and for an instant, smiled.
Then a crushing guilt hit him. How could he smile today when Claus was out there all alone, lost and maybe hurt or worse?
No...not worse. No matter how much logic told him otherwise, some part of him just knew Claus was alive.
Right?
"Woof..?" His vision blurred again.
Oh. He was crying.
Lucas just held his dog for a while. He had already said it was his fault they both missed Claus many times. Boney had already thought otherwise many times. Only this silent standoff remained whenever the thought came up.
Eventually he let go and got out of bed. He hadn't changed into pajamas last night, so he only had to put on shoes. He held one of Claus's old shoes too for a moment, it was all Dad had found of him. Hopefully his feet didn't hurt now. He put it back in the same spot beside Claus's end of the bed as always, then walked out the door-
Boney whined again. Lucas sighed. He remembered to cook some hard-boiled eggs for Boney, and even an omelette for himself. Not as good as Mom's, though. It went with a cup of milk for him and water in Boney's bowl.
"Thanks, boy." Lucas pet him after putting the cup away. He tried combing his hair next, but he kept seeing Mom in the mirror, combing his younger self's hair with a loving smile...
CRASH!
Thunder boomed. Lucas screamed and dropped the comb. A sheep wailed in pain. Boney yelped. "No no no no!" Lucas bolted for the door. "Please be ok please be ok please be ok please be ok please be ok-"
Smoke rose from a sheep's charred wool. "Fluffy!" Lucas ran to Fluffy's side and looked down at the downed sheep's injuries. Half the wool was burnt off and some of the skin was hot to the touch on top of causing a nasty static shock that made his hand recoil.
("I'll...live...I...think...")
"You b-better not be lying! Mom's lucky charm protected you from the lightning, right?" Lucas looked to the rusty Courage Badge near the house glowing bright yellow with electricity. "I'm so sorry you're hurting, but I promise it'll get better...just get plenty of rest, ok? Dad will be back later, he'll know how to treat it..."
He looked up. Only a few white clouds drifted through the sky, and none rained on them. It wasn't natural for lightning to strike like this. Yet it had, and this wasn't the first time.
"Lucas, are you ok? I heard thunder from over here!" A lady in an orange and white dress ran from the dirt road leading north to the rest of the village. Tessie. An employee of the Yado Inn, the village medic before then. One of Mom's friends. The one who shielded his and Claus's eyes when Dad-
"Y-yeah, but he's not!" Lucas pointed to the wounded sheep. "He's gonna be ok, right? Right?"
"Calm down, Lucas! Just give me a moment..." She crouched down and examined the sheep's injuries. "Some of his skin is seriously burnt, but he isn't bleeding, and he's still breathing. Most animals killed by lightning die instantly. I know that sounds frightening, but it means he should pull through! As long as there isn't any internal bleeding or infection..." She sighed. "There's no such thing as too safe, though. I'll call a veterinarian. Don't worry about the cost." She left in a hurry.
"R-really? Thanks..."
"Hey Lucas, what happened? Oh crap, is your sheep ok?! Those burns look nasty!" Fuel said.
"Yeah, I think so...Tessie came by and said she'd get help..."
"I know, she just ran by me. Geez, I can't believe your house got hit by lightning on your birthday! At least last time it only burned some grass..."
"I'm so sorry, Lucas...but isn't it weird for lightning to strike when there's no rain?" Nana said while running after Fuel, making her ponytail swing from side to side. She had let her hair grow out this year. "But you know what's even weirder? It's only hit the houses of people who haven't bought those Happy Boxes...you think it's a coincidence?"
"That's crazy, are you saying people are making lightning come from the sky? It's not like they're clouds." Fuel said.
"I dunno, the outsiders made a lot of weird things happen. We never used to think there could be stuff moving on screens or people talking from miles away. Everything's been strange since they showed up. Where did they even come from anyways? It's like that big city in the east just appeared overnight, and all those people came out of nowhere! I mean, into Nowhere! Why did they come here? What do they want with us? It just doesn't...make...gasp...any sense..." She was forced to breathe.
"See, Nana, this is why you need to talk less." Angie ran in more slowly since she carried a basket. A basket full of cookies. "Oh my gosh, what happened to your sheep!" She stumbled backwards making a few cookies fly out. Boney caught one in his mouth.
"He got h-hit by lightning, but he'll be ok...I hope...maybe..." Lucas frowned. "Wait, I said not to bake a cake!"
"Yeah, I know, I didn't...but I still made these. So you better not let them go to waste, ok?"
"..." He looked back to the floor. Boney looked up pleadingly. They did smell nice, but...
"It's not like we're partying, ok? Just eating some cookies. Claus wouldn't...I mean, Claus doesn't want us to mope around, right?" Fuel said.
"...Ok. But only after Fluffy is safe."
They waited for the vet to come around. Another stranger they'd never met with tools they hadn't seen, paid with currency Lucas didn't understand. But in the end, they were successful in treating the burns and relieving the pain. In fact, they were shocked how minor the injuries were and how soon the sheep might recover. Lucas didn't mention Mom's lucky charm.
Only then could Lucas eat. They tasted nice, but it was strange having the two eternally empty chairs at the table be occupied. But then they were done eating.
"You guys can go now. It's ok, you don't have to try to cheer me up..." He sniffled.
"I just wanna play like we used to..." Fuel said.
"It won't be any fun without Claus. I'm sorry, I know you guys miss him too..." Lucas said.
Angie frowned. "Sure, we miss him, but it's not like it's your fault he d-"
"YEAH IT IS!" Lucas slammed the table, then looked down in shame after seeing their shocked faces. The dam on his tears finally broke. "I'm s-sorry I let him go, I was stupid, Grandpa said so, I took him from you guys too, but Dad's looking for him, he's not d-d-dead...I think...I..." He couldn't form coherent words for some time. "I...I need to be alone...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." He buried his face in his arms on the table.
"I don't know what to say...I think your grandpa's dumb, but I hope your dad finds Claus..." Fuel said.
"Yeah...we should probably go. I thought the cookies would help, not make it worse..." Angie left tugging on Fuel's sleeve to get him to go with her.
They walked out the door.
"Maybe I should've gone with Claus..." Lucas mumbled. "If I'd gone missing instead, no one would miss me as much..."
"That's not true! I would."
"Huh?" Lucas looked up in shock. Nana stood next to his chair now.
"Barely anyone listens to me, except you. You're always so patient and sweet. I wish Claus was here too, but I'm glad you're not gone. I can't imagine what it's like...hey, do you want a hug? I heard it's scientifically proven it makes you happier, and smiling does too, even if you don't mean it, and oh sorry I'm rambling again!"
He got up and reluctantly accepted the hug. Science was right.
Eventually he let go and wiped his tears again. "T-thanks...you can go now, I'll be ok." He lied. "I just need some time alone..." That part was true.
"Okay...just let me know if you change your mind." She smiled a cute smile and walked off. Huh. He hadn't seen girls as cute last year. Too much had changed this year. Even his clothes were a little small now.
He busied himself with chores after that, waiting for the minutes to crawl by. Those tactile sensations kept him grounded in reality...but eventually he ran out of things to do, at least things he knew how to do.
"Woof?" ("I know it's strange for a dog to say this to a human, but why not take a walk?")
Lucas walked around the village. He saw the house the Pigmasks had built over the ruins of Wess's house, which lightning had destroyed like it had Grandpa's log cabin. The so-called 'Old Man's Paradise' which the Pigmasks forced Wess, Mike, and Grandpa to live in. Speaking of Wess, where was Duster now? Was he lost too? Or worse? Lucas hadn't known him very well...he was a shy man with a sleep schedule as lopsided as his gait, always in the shadow of his father's insults. What he did know is that he'd helped Dad and Kumatora, and was probably a dozen times smarter than Wess thought. He didn't know where Kumatora was either...she told him he'd done something amazing when he called the papa Drago to save her, Wess, and that monkey Salsa from Fassad's tank brigade.
He hoped they were all okay.
Lucas walked east across a now metal bridge to where Butch had sold the real pigs and let the pig-men come to stay in their place. East Tazmily Training Grounds. Like most of the village, half of it was under construction, wooden fences torn down and being replaced with metal guardrails laced with pointy wires. Men in pig masks held strange sticks that blasted targets to burnt pieces. They tested out spherical devices that detonated in fiery explosions after a delay. Bombs, they were called.
They made the same booming sounds Lucas had heard in the forest fire...
Lucas wasn't smart and he knew it. But even he couldn't believe all these things were coincidences. These strange men and their incomprehensible machines came at the same time animals started turning into half-metal monsters. Like the Drago.
Had one of these men started the fire? Had one of them made the Drago kill his mom?
He wanted to meet them. He clenched his fists wanting to hurt them.
"Oi, brat! What are you doing here? Don't loiter on government property! Scram!" Said one of the men with 'sticks'.
He didn't want to meet them. He shivered in fear of being hurt.
Lucas ran away to the north side of the village. Cross Road was now Cross Road Station, and they built a railway in the village. It led east to the also recently built factory that spewed smoke and ash like the train that raced across the tracks at incredible speeds.
Lucas stared at the tracks. How much would it hurt? How long would the pain last?
"Lucas, stay away from the tracks! The train's coming any minute now!" Said Bronson.
"Ok..." Lucas ran past the tracks quickly. He wasn't supposed to think those thoughts.
He ran north to the cemetery, and northeast to the hill Mom's grave was on. He knelt next to the gravestone...Dad had put fresh flowers there again.
[Wife of Flint. Mother of the twins Claus and Lucas. Daughter of Alec. May the beautiful Hinawa rest in peace here for all time.]
"Mom...I need to know: is Claus with you now? Should Dad stop looking?" He left out 'should Nippolyte dig another grave?'.
Mom did not answer.
"I know you can't hear me, but I can't take not knowing...I'm sorry. I'm trying to be strong like Claus, but it's too hard! Everything's so hard without you and him. Everything's changing so much too...I just wish things could be like they were before."
Lucas sat there for a while.
"I thought I might find you here, birthday boy. Wouldn't you like a present?"
"Ahh!" All his hairs stood on end when he turned to face Fassad. Then he clenched his teeth. After everything he'd already done, now he advertised at a graveyard. Was nothing sacred to him?
"Go away!"
"Someone's in a bad mood today...Ah, but it's only natural, I suppose. You've lost your mother and twin brother, and your house was even struck by lightning on your birthday! It's truly a tragedy how unlucky you are. But that's all the more reason you should strive to find happiness! I assure you it will be more than worth the price: we've gotten nothing but stellar reviews from all our customers." He said with a sickening smile before taking a bite of a Luxury Banana. Everything about Fassad set Lucas's nerves on end: he couldn't feel even a trace of thought or emotion from him, unlike every other human or animal he'd ever met. Well, except Kumatora, but she didn't give off that sinister aura.
"I don't want anything from you. You tried to hurt Kumatora and Wess...she told me how you tortured that monkey...and you framed Duster! You don't make anyone happy!"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'd never do something as lowly as murder, unless it was in self defense of course. Any accusations against me are nothing more than baseless slander. The evidence against that smelly thief, however, is quite clear! Butch told only him where he hid the money he rightfully earned, and it was stolen! The real injustice is how long he's escaped punishment for his crime. It isn't good to tell lies, Lucas..." Lucas's fists clenched at those mocking, deceitful, vile words.
"I know what I saw! And I don't want your stupid box...who do you even work for anyways? Why did you come to our village?"
"You can't seriously not know. Surely you've heard of his royal highness before, haven't you? King Porky Minch? Glorious leader of the Pigmask Empire?" He said with poorly hidden disdain. Why would the bad guys not like each other? "Are you that stupid? Nwehehehe, it's so sad it's funny! You're so far behind the times, and it's as if you don't even want to be happy!"
"I'll be happy when Claus comes back." He said with finality. Boney growled to back him up.
"When Claus comes back..? I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. I hope you and your father will listen to reason one of these days, so you can find happiness like everyone else." He walked off and tossed the peel of the Luxury Banana away, littering.
Lucas's stomach turned. He'd never felt such visceral hatred for anyone else. Except King Minch, the mastermind behind all this, but he'd never met him in person.
He walked back home. The sun set before Dad returned alone carrying the Drago Spear, which was stained with blood like his coat and hat. "Calm down, son. It's not mine." He said just as Lucas opened his mouth.
"More monsters? Did you, um..."
"Maybe. Tried to just wound 'em, and they ran away. I don't know if they survived."
"Oh..." Lucas didn't ask if Dad had found Claus. His solemn expression was the answer already, just like every day. But this day was worse. He took off the cowboy hat showing the small bald spot on the top of his head. Dad's hair had started falling out ever since Mom died and Claus went missing...
"I'm sorry I couldn't bring Claus back for his birthday."
"...Can I go with you next ti-"
"No. For the hundredth time, no. I won't lose you too."
"..."
They exchanged few words that day. Like always.
After dinner, Lucas went out and looked up at the half-empty moon and the sky full of stars...he could swear there were a few less than there used to be. He'd heard the stars were always there, the sun just outshone them during the day. Were the bright lights of the village square outshining a few of those stars? That would explain why he saw less of them when standing in the square. It was probably so much worse in the big city in the east...he couldn't imagine such a dull view.
Was there nothing the pigs couldn't take away?
Lucas frowned. It wasn't like he could do anything about it. Dad wouldn't let him help find Claus because he was too weak, he'd just get in the way.
He wanted to be strong like Claus.
Lucas swung a stick to parry Fuel's blow and knock his own padded stick from his hands, then pointed it at his chest. "I...huff...got you..."
"Fine, you win this round...phew..."
"Gotta...catch up...somehow..."
They both sat down and laid back in the grass, sweating profusely and catching their breath.
"You've gotten pretty good at this, huh..."
"Not as good as Claus..."
"Maybe...he was always the best..." Fuel sighed. "You're not enjoying it at all, though."
"Doesn't matter...if I get stronger, then Dad might let me help..."
"I dunno, dude...I doubt he'd let you even if you were as tough as a dozen guys."
"I don't know...I just wanna do something helpful."
"Hmm..." Fuel closed his eyes in thought, then opened them. "Hey, I know! Why not help me out at the bakery? I don't know why Angie asked me to work there, I don't think I've got the talent, but I know you do!"
"Really? I'm sure you'll get better if you practice enough..."
"Eh, I'd rather help Dad fix up the house some more. Maybe we'll make it fireproof so it doesn't burn down again." Fuel sighed. "He doesn't want me to, though. Says I should try out more stuff or something, 'cuz everyone should know how to cook a little. I guess we've both got bossy dads..."
"Haha, I guess..." Lucas tried not to think about the forest fire. "Ok, I'll help. Just let me put on a new shirt, this one's all dirty and sweaty now."
"Great, see you there!" Fuel leapt back into a standing position, his exhaustion forgotten, and ran off. Then gasped and walked.
Lucas walked back to the house to take off and wash his shirt. He didn't need any of those fancy laundry machines when a bucket and a bar of soap did the trick! And a clothesline where the sun's rays could dry it.
In its place he put on that same red and yellow striped shirt that finally fit him...Mom had such foresight. If only she had less, then his wardrobe wouldn't have twice as much clothing as he needed.
Half of it should have been for Claus.
The bakery smelled nice when he got there. Cookies, Peculiar Cheese, Nut Bread, Bread Rolls...all these things and more were baked here by Caroline and Angie. The latter smiled as they walked in.
"Now that Lucas is here, we might actually bake something good!"
"I think she hates me..." Fuel dejectedly whispered to Lucas, only half-serious.
"It's not that bad..." He whispered back. "Thanks, I hope so." He said to Angie in a normal voice.
They settled in and did some baking. Much of it was just like old times...some of it was not.
["Breaking News! A vast majority of workers at the Clay Factory, not to be confused with the Clayman Factory, have voted against forming a useless and disruptive union! As we all know, their jobs are perfectly safe and pay more than well enough, as long as you're not a lazy bum! Thanks to their record productivity, the economy is stronger than ever! In unrelated news, the latest upgraded batch of Mother Porkships has been completed! With them, our glorious military is more than capable of detaining any would-be heinous reb-"]
The Happy Box turned to static. Caroline sighed and pressed another button on her remote, changing it to a channel playing some neat music.
"Thanks, Mom. Ugh, I swear half of everything they say is made up!"
"Yeah, that's why me and Dad don't have one of those at home." Fuel said.
Lucas returned to baking silently. Technology had brought conveniences as well, though, like the refrigerator. Now they could store food so much longer without it spoiling. That and other things made the work easier, but one crucial change bothered him the most.
"I've been thinking..." Lucas said holding the cash as a customer walked off with a bag full of cheese. "This is gonna sound weird, but don't we all deserve to live?"
"Duh, of course." Angie said.
"Then how come we have to pay to eat?"
The room went silent.
"I don't know, Lucas...that's just how things are now." Caroline said. "That's why we have our unwritten rule." If someone came there starving, they would be fed. Period. The records didn't have to know though. "I just hope it doesn't make us go bankrupt...thank goodness Minch-Mart hasn't opened a store in Tazmily yet. They'd sell at a loss until we go out of business, then raise their prices sky-high..." She sighed.
Caroline only let them work for a few hours.
"I could totally do this for longer, you know." Angie said.
"I'm sure you could, but children should be spending their days playing, not working themselves sore. Here, you've earned this. Think of it as your allowance." She gave them each their share of DP bills, or 'Dragon Power' as it stood for...a weird name for money. Lucas shoved it in his pockets and walked out of the shop lost in thought.
"Hey Fuel...why'd you really ask me to help out? This is a weird way to cheer me up."
"Aw man, you saw right through me!" He scratched his brown hair awkwardly. "Yeah, I know it's weird. I just wanted it to be like any other day, ya know? Sorry I tried too hard last time..."
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry! You guys tried to be nice and I yelled at you..." Lucas's gaze fell to the ground.
An awkward silence grew between them.
"Do you still think it's your fault Claus di-, uh, disappeared?"
"...No..." He lied transparently.
"Well...I know it isn't." He looked away too. "Remember how your dad saved me when my house burned down? Whole thing collapsed just after he got me outta there. The smoke almost got me too. Funny how I got this name, huh? Fuel to the fire, haha..." He frowned. "He risked his life doing that, ya know. He'd do that for you too, for anyone really. But...thing is...well..." His voice wavered and trailed off.
"I don't get it...what does any of that have to do with me and Claus? What's wrong?"
"Well, after he rescued me, Flint...your dad kept looking for you, Claus, and your mom. But what if I just slowed him down? What if...what if he could've made it in time if he hadn't had to save me?" He sniffled. "Then if your mom survived, Claus wouldn't have gone off for revenge! He'd be alive too!"
Fuel didn't cry often. Neither did Claus. Neither did Lucas, not anymore. But all that went out the window today.
"What?! Fuel, that's not true...you really felt that way all this time? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Didn't wanna bother you...maybe I should've, sorry..."
"Look, that's not...we were way up in the mountains, ok? D-dad couldn't have reached us with just a few more minutes. And even if he could, he'd just..." Lucas swallowed a lump in his throat. He tried not to imagine Dad bitten to death by the Drago instead. Or even both him and Mom. "It's not your fault, really!"
"I don't know...still feels like it..."
"I know, but it's not. I really wish Claus was back too, but I'm glad you're not gone." He paused. "Hey, do you need a hug? I heard it's scientifically proven they make you feel better."
Fuel quietly nodded and accepted it. Nana was proven right again. Eventually, he let go.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, ok? I mean, you had to grow up without your mom for way longer..."
"Yeah, but that's different! I never really lost her, since I can't remember her, I was just three...she didn't get killed either, she just got sick...so you have it way worse."
"I don't know...it's not a competition..." Lucas wasn't sure what to say.
"Sorry...I was supposed to be helping you feel better, not the other way around. But thanks, I really needed to get that off my chest..." He sniffled again.
"It's ok, I'm glad I could help...you can go now. I'll be fine." He turned and wiped his tears. "Ok, not really, but I'll be better tomorrow."
"Ok..."
Lucas walked off through the village for the next few minutes. Lighter...Fuel's dad...he didn't remember him acting like Dad did now. Never so quiet, never so physically and emotionally distant. He didn't remember being three, maybe Lighter had been real depressed back then...but he'd healed. He'd made time for his son. Why couldn't Dad? Lucas shook his head, he knew it was different. Fuel's mom hadn't been murdered. Fuel didn't have a missing brother. But still...
He sighed.
"Hey Lucas, can I take another photo of you? Pleeeeaase?" A nine year old girl withheld up her camera and gave him pleading eyes. Alle.
"Ok, ok! Just give me a moment." Lucas forced a toothy smile. "There."
"Say cheeeeese!" The camera flashed and he blinked.
"I didn't ruin the photo again, did I?"
She squinted at the printed out photo, then showed it to him. "Nope." He wasn't blinking and actually looked happy. She handed it over and made another copy for herself, then put it in her pocket.
"Phew..." He said.
"Um...I got a present for you." She reached into her other pocket and pulled out a whole collection of photos. "Thanks for dyeing your hair the other week. My old drawings were so bad, but when you did that, it's like he's still here..."
Lucas took the pictures of him that looked just like Claus.
"C-Claus is coming back, right?" Alle's eyes watered.
"Y-yeah...I'll find him someday. I promise." His shaky hand put them into his pocket.
"You better!" She burst into tears and ran away.
"Um...thanks for the present..." He tried not to do the same. Alle was a crybaby sometimes, but nobody minded because she was a girl, and a kid. He was almost a teenager, he was supposed to be tougher now.
Thankfully his tears for the day had already dried up and turned to that same old numbness.
Lucas went home and stored the pictures carefully in the first drawer of the cupboard next to the mirror. His hair was back to its usual blonde by now, but his eyes were a little red and had bags under them. If only cameras had existed when Mom was still alive. That wouldn't stop him from always remembering her face, though. His memory was pretty good for better or worse.
He visited Mom's grave as he did every day.
"I love you, Mom. Claus too...I wish I'd said it more when you were both still here." He paused. "But I'm gonna find him. Then I'll tell him as much as I want, and I'll give him so many hugs. He's got two whole years to make up for..."
Unlike every day, he visited another grave as well.
[Wife of Lighter. Mother of Fuel. May the beautiful Amy rest in peace here for all time.]
"I'm sorry you got sick and passed away...I wish you could see Fuel now, he's really cool. Don't worry, he's doing fine. Uh, and Lighter too!"
All this talking at graves was depressing and made him look crazy. He needed a distraction.
Like wasting his money!
Lucas made his way past the train tracks again and back to the village square, then walked over to Thomas's Bazaar. Thomas's Bazaar, which had no actual Thomas. Instead Thomas's two brunette kids sat behind the counter. The boy with the glasses was Nichol, and the girl with hair buns was Richie.
"What are you doing here, Lucas? It's not like you to go shopping." Nichol said.
"Happy birthday!" Richie said, then frowned seeing his dejected face. "No, wait, sorry! I know it's not happy without Claus..." She blinked back tears, she was the sensitive type too. She'd bawled her eyes out during Mom's funeral even though she wasn't her mom. But it was ok, because she was a girl.
"Calm down, it's fine, really! And uh..." Lucas looked back at Nichol, then the wares on the shelves. "I got some money at the bakery, so I figured I might as well spend it." There were shirts, hats, and other clothes, some his size, paper fans, antidotes and other things in glass bottles, and even a so-called 'Sprinting Bomb'. "Holy crap, there's explosives on sale?!"
"They're not on sale, they're full price." He adjusted his shiny glasses. "But yes, the Pigmasks buy them sometimes. They're 200 DP each."
"Uh, I think I'll pass..." He kept looking. A shiny blue bracelet, a tough-looking wooden stick, an Alarm Cicada..."How about the stick? What's it made of?"
"Solid redwood. That stuff's built to last, and it's light too. And it's only 75 DP."
"What about the bracelet?"
"You mean the Pisces Bracelet?" Richie said. "I heard it's a good luck charm, so it's good if you're superstitious. Pretty too! It's 160 DP though..."
Lucas fished out the money in his pocket. 200 DP. He briefly counted on his fingers. "Oh...I can't afford both of those."
"Then you're in luck, the Pisces Bracelet just happens to be on a one day sale!" Suddenly there was an '50% Off!' placard next to it that definitely hadn't been there before. "Don't question it, let's call this your birthday present..." Nichol whispered.
"Lucky me." He bought them. The bracelet thankfully fit on his wrist, though he didn't feel any luckier. The stick was light to wield though, maybe it would be a good weapon. Wait...was he really thinking about fighting the pig guys? There was no way he could. "So how's your dad doing? Kinda seems like he should be the one running the shop, no offense..."
"Same as always." Richie said. "Dad's working in the factory, so we have to manage it while he's away. Then he'll go to Club Titiboo, then he'll be tired once he's finally home..."
"Hehehe, it sounds like 'Club Tits and Boobs'." Nichol snickered.
"D-don't say that out loud!" Richie blushed and so did Lucas. Then she got back on topic.
"Um, so about Dad...did you hear the news about the union?" Lucas nodded. "It's all lies. Most of the workers there were gonna vote yes like Dad, but the boss hired these guys called the Porkertons to break it up. They bribed some of them and threatened others, and the guy who came up with the idea got arrested...it's just awful!"
"Yeah, I know..." Nichol continued the train of thought. "The cops accused him of all kinds of nasty stuff like treason and sedition, whatever the heck that means, but Dad says they've got no proof except the stuff they planted on him. Not like actual plants, I mean they framed him, ok? And now they're probably gonna force him to work in prison for nothing. Well, they say it's not nothing, but it's 5 DP an hour, and you have to pay to call anyone from in there. I read that that's called slavery, and it's really messed up. But uh...don't tell anyone I said any of this."
"..." Lucas took a moment to take in how they were living under fascism.
"Oh no, I'm sorry to talk about something so depressing! You're having such a bad day already..."
"...I'm gonna go take a walk." Lucas left the store and walked through the streets, east across the river bridge, and north through the grass until he reached the 'Old Man's Paradise'.
That stranger wasn't the only one whose freedom the Pigmasks had taken away. They'd done the same to the three old men of the village including Grandpa, even if they didn't call this place a jail. At least jails weren't so run-down. Probably. Water dripped from the ceiling once every half minute, the floor creaked, and it smelled like old geezer and fast food among other things.
"Oh, it's Lucas! Are you here to visit your grandpa again?" Nan said. She looked just like a grown-up version of Nana, hair clip and all. Which made sense since she was Nana and Alle's mother.
He nodded.
"He's right this way." Linda opened the leftmost of the three doors, revealing Alec's room. Cold metal walls, a rickety floor, a small table and a desk with a Happy Box, some chairs, an uncomfortable looking bed, a bland cupboard, and a poorly placed window...it was hardly appealing. Poor Grandpa.
"Lucas? I didn't think you'd come visit today, considering it's your birthday..." Grandpa said after shutting off the Happy Box.
"..."
"I know I've said this before, but I think today's a day when I should say it again: I'm sorry I was so hard on you."
"..."
"Maybe letting Claus go wasn't the smartest thing, but...well, that goes twice as much for me. I should've been keeping an eye on him, making sure he didn't do anything reckless."
"..."
"Hinawa...your mother...she was my daughter too. She was everything to me, especially after I lost your grandma. I just couldn't imagine outliving her..."
"..."
"But that's no excuse, I suppose. Now I've outlived a grandson too since I'm such a senile old foo-"
"He's still alive! I can't explain it, I just know somehow...I think..." Lucas frowned. "You were right, though. Claus is out there all alone somewhere 'cuz I was stupid. But I'm gonna find him."
"Whatever you say, Lucas...just please don't do anything reckless. It's dangerous out there, even for your father."
"I know..."
"You probably came to ask how I'm doing, right? Don't worry about me. Yes, I miss the old cabin, but I'll get by. Worry about yourself instead."
"Ok..." Lucas walked to the door, opened it again, then looked back. "Thanks, Grandpa." Then he left and closed it. He started to walk to the exit...
"Wait a moment, Lucas!" Wess looked through the window of the middle door. "Have you seen my moron?"
"His name's Duster. And no." Lucas said with disdain.
"That's a shame. Er, not that I'm worried about him." Lucas rolled his eyes and started to walk off again...
"Hey, kid! Can you talk to me for just a minute? I'm lonely, my grandkids never visit..." Mike said through the third door's window. Lucas groaned and looked back at him.
"It's not never...and they'd visit more if they weren't stuck running their dad's...I mean, your son's shop."
"Not my fault he's working all day in the factory while I'm stuck here. He said they hardly pay for how dangerous it is...it's tough making ends meet these days!" He held his chin. "Then again, he gets to visit Club Titiboo after, so he's a lucky man. I heard it's full of hot waitresses, so I'd love to check them out in his place! Nyahahaha!"
"Sorry Mike, that's called sexual harassment nowadays." Linda said.
"We live in a hard world." Mike said.
Lucas ran out the door, exhausted.
"Hey, wait, I still had more to sa-"
And closed it.
He returned home and made dinner for himself and Dad, who came home before sunset. As usual, without Claus. As usual, neither of them knew what to say.
But something told him this status quo couldn't last forever. Something had to give.
CRASH!
Lightning detonated the sheep shed in a rain of splinters and ash.
Lucas screamed and ran outside. "No no no not again not again please be ok please be ok come on-!"
All the sheep were outside the collapsed shed.
"FLUFFY!"
All except one.
Lucas pulled off one burnt piece of lumber after another, but there was too much. "No, please, you can't die! I'll get you out of there! I don't get it, why didn't Mom's lucky charm work?!" The Courage Badge glowed brightly, yet the shed was still in ruins. "Just hold on, it'll be ok! Ugh, come on...this is too heavy!" Lucas hesitated, then got up and cupped his hands around his mouth to yell louder. "SOMEONE, ANYONE, HELP!"
Others came to help. But they were too late.
They cleared the shed's remains and found a sheep's corpse, crushed and bleeding. The lightning hadn't been what got him, but that only meant it wasn't instant and painless. The splinters and broken bones cut into him until he stopped breathing. Lucas had felt him die. Just like he had felt Mom die.
He cried for a long time.
"Lucas, I'm so sorry...I don't know what to say. At least when lightning blew up my house, no one got hurt...h-hey, do you need a hug? Someone told me it's proven they make you feel better."
Lucas wordlessly accepted Fuel's shoulder to cry on.
Eventually, he let go.
"This can't be a coincidence..." Nana seethed. "I know they're causing this somehow! Those jerks made lightning strike on your birthday twice! It's not fair...you had it so hard already! How could anyone hate you so much? You never did anything wrong!"
"Y-yeah I did! I didn't buy a Happy Box...if I did, Fluffy would still be alive! Mom...Claus...now him...all I do is screw up and get people hurt..."
"Come on, you know that's not true! You didn't turn the Drago into a monster. You didn't make it hurt your mom or Claus. You didn't make this stupid lightning come down. You're probably the sweetest boy in town, you don't even step on Mole Crickets...it's those Pigmasks who hurt people!"
She gave him a hug. And when she let go, she was the one crying.
Lucas's tears stopped. He glared up at the sky in the direction the lightning came from, still shaking with another emotion. His fists and teeth clenched.
"Yeah, you're right. They're the ones hurting people, I just didn't stop them. And one of them really hates me...it's Fassad. He's still mad he lost back then."
He took a breath.
"WELL I HATE YOU TOO, YOU FUCKING PIG!"
Fassad, no, Locria was dead. Thunder Tower was a pile of rubble. Porky was sealed in the Absolutely Safe Capsule. Lucas shared his heart with the Dark Dragon so the world could be reborn. The Magypsies said if someone with a good heart awakened the Dragon, the fate of all evil would be washed away, and all life could shine brightly...
If only it had been that simple. He and the Dragon did what they could to fix the devastated Earth. Leder had told him how the destruction started gradually from humanity's exploitation of 'fossil fuels' and came to an explosive climax thanks to nations using weapons of unimaginable power known as 'nukes' in a global war which lasted only days and had no winners. But Leder also told him it was not the choice of all humanity to destroy each other and the world, only the few who ruled over the masses tyrannically just as Porky had with Nowhere.
So Lucas chose to love the world that took everything from him. He awakened the Dragon and spread its power over the entire planet. They cleansed the globe of the poisons plaguing it, grew forests in the place of barren wastelands and abandoned cities, and even cured the brainwashing Porky had forced on so many humans and animals, causing a revolution nearly overnight with the king gone and his puppet strings cut...
Things had changed. Things were still changing. Tazmily could never be just like it once was, but they were trying to make a better future. A future where people didn't starve or get sick while food and medicine spoiled on shelves. Where people didn't shiver on the streets while empty houses stood under armed guard. Where all the new technology made work easier instead of harder. Where people actually cared about each other.
But all that change came at a cost.
[Son of Flint and Hinawa.
Twin brother of Lucas.
Savior of the Earth.
May the brave Claus rest in peace here for all time.]
"Happy birthday, Claus. It's been a crazy year...I guess that's an understatement, haha." He laughed bitterly. "I made some new friends, and they helped me a lot. Wish I could tell you all about it, but I know you can't hear me. I think. You better not be sticking around as a ghost like Mom, you goofball...things are better now, so you don't have to worry. I'm fine now...well, I'll be fine. I just wish we could celebrate together again. I love you."
Lucas smiled sadly and let his tears water the sunflowers.
Then he stopped smiling. Kumatora once said she couldn't have remained sane as a waitress without going somewhere alone and letting out her emotions from under the happy facade every once in a while. Having what she called an 'ugly cry'. Or punching something. Or both.
"T-they call me a hero now, you know. They say I saved the world. Everyone's gonna give me gifts and praise and stuff. But I don't want that! You should've been the hero, you were always the brave one!" He choked on his words. "N-no, wait, forget I said that, I wouldn't want you to go through what I did either...but it's not fair. How come I get to have everyone being so nice to me while you're down there in the dirt? I know it's just your body, I know you're with Mom now..." The words caught in his throat as he sobbed. "But I still miss you...I thought I felt better after all this time, but I don't. It feels like you took part of me with you when you d-died..." He sniffled. "You were the one who made me want to be strong in the first place. You and Mom. I know you said it's your job to protect me, but just once I wanted to be the one to protect you. Just once!"
He screamed into the empty cemetery. No one answered.
He took a moment to breathe.
"Everyone tells me it's not my fault. They say I did my best and the grown-ups messed up worse by not helping me or you enough. I guess I believe 'em now, but so what? It still won't bring you or Mom back. Not any of Kumatora's parents either. And it's all 'cuz Porky came to our islands! I still don't get why he did it...but I don't care. I fucking hate him. I'll never forgive him for everything he did to you and everyone else. And he got away with it! He said he'd live forever and wait until everyone who won't like him is gone, and now he can in that stupid capsule. I don't care if being alone forever is worse, I wish I could tear that tin can open." He sighed. "Fassad got what he wanted too...I mean Locria. Whatever. Sure, he died, but he must've gotten sick of living, or else he wouldn't have told Porky about the Needles in the first place...and thanks to him, the other Magypsies are gone...thanks to me, too. You pulled some Needles, but you didn't have a choice, you were being controlled...I chose it. I killed Kumatora's parents...I'm a murderer, and everyone calls me a hero! Heroes are supposed to get happy endings. I couldn't even bring you or Mom back with the Dragon's power..."
His hoarse voice broke into wordless sobs. He lost track of his surroundings. This was a mistake. He'd let the dam of his emotions break and it all came out in a flood. He was drowning.
A moment of clarity came for just a few seconds. He couldn't handle this.
"K-Kuma, can you come over? P-please..."
Not alone.
"Lucas?! Oh fuck...say no more, I'll be right there."
Only twenty seconds after the telepathic message, Kumatora leapt out of a blue portal with a pajamas-wearing Duster right behind her, sliding across the dirt at a spot without flowers. Good thing she knew PK Teleport.
"Y-you're here already? Wait, I forgot to say where I wa-whoa!" Her bear hug squeezed the air from his lungs.
"Woman's intuition. And telepathy. You're not exactly subtle with your emotions, kiddo."
Kumatora had taught him how to conjure fire, ice, lightning, and even meteors with his hands. But most importantly she had taught him how to ask for help.
"Thanks...lemme go...can't breathe..." He gasped. "I didn't say to wake up Duster too..."
"I'll manage." He stifled a yawn to not look insensitive. "Just looking at you, I'm glad she did...what's troubling you, Lucas?" He glanced at the graves, then back at Lucas sheepishly. "Wait, I'm being stupid, that should be obvious, but...uh...sorry, my brain ain't woken up yet...Kumatora, you mind?" Kumatora blasted a wave of cold air in his face. "Guh, c-c-cold! T-thanks." He said, his teeth chattering. "Just tell us what's on your mind and we'll lend an ear."
Lucas bit his lip.
"Same stuff as usual, just worse..." He gasped, his voice was still hoarse. So he switched to telepathy. "I keep thinking, why do you guys still like me? Kuma, I pulled the Needles...I k-killed half the Magypsies. So what if they told me to? So what if I had to save the world? Ionia was like your mom! I can't forgive Porky for killing my mom, so why..."
"Look, we've been over this...you know it's not your fault. It's Locria's for being a fucking snitch. Hah, he actually did get stitches, didn't he?" She laughed bitterly, then shook her head. "You didn't choose to have PK Love, ok? Look...if I could go back and make it so I was the one who had it, I would. Even if it would've fucking killed me to pull the Needles myself. You're just a kid, you never should've had to fight. At least I'm technically an adult."
"Yeah, but...I wanted to. I couldn't take being useless anymore."
"I know, kid, I know...I felt like that too. And trust me, you weren't. You saved me more times than I can count, and I don't just mean in the fights. Whenever...whenever a Needle got pulled, you'd always check on me first. No matter how much it tore you up inside too. 'Cause you knew what it was like to lose someone...if I'm any good at helping you when you're feeling down now, it's because you taught me how."
"I don't know..." Lucas frowned, then looked to Duster. "What about you? You were having the time of your life with the band after you forgot everything, then I made you remember all the crap your dad put you through..."
Duster sighed. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, remembering was my choice. You and Kumatora didn't force me to come with you and find that Egg of Light, and you told me about my past. What you knew about it, at least. I knew what I was getting into, and I don't regret it one bit. I won't pretend it didn't hurt, no...but you didn't take away the good times I had either. OJ, Magic, Baccio, and Shimmy...they taught me how to have fun. They taught me I was talented."
He took a moment in thought.
"Besides, I couldn't learn from my past without remembering it. It gave me my thief skills back, sure, but more than that. How do I put it...it taught me how not to treat a kid. Traveling with you two helped me more than I can express. Helped me realize your folks treated you right, and my old man didn't. Except your dad, Lucas...he should've been there for you after you lost your mom and brother."
"Yeah, well...he's there now. And maybe...maybe Dad couldn't learn from the past either. Leder said all the adults wiped their memories from before they came to Nowhere, right? I get why they did, though...it must've hurt so much losing their whole world."
Mom and Claus had been his world.
"I'm sure it did...but you know they didn't wipe their memories, just changed 'em. And there was a lot of truth mixed in with the lies, too...I'd know." Duster fell silent. He was one of them, after all, a kid around Lucas's age at the time. He would've rather chosen to forget some things entirely instead of just changing their context. Like how on one drunken night, his dad blamed him for his mother dying in childbirth, hit him, called him a mistake, then never spoke of it again. Even denied saying so the one time Kid Duster dared bring it up. It hadn't been easy for Duster to open up about that.
Lucas wrapped his arms around Duster's back and buried his face into his chest. He was so tall, it made him forget who was supposed to be comforting who.
"This isn't really about us, is it?" Duster said while returning his hug.
Lucas didn't answer for a little bit. He let go of Duster and looked back at Claus and Mom's graves.
"N-no. I just..." He tried to go on, but the words got all jumbled in his head. "I just thought I'd be ready this time. It's been three times..."
"But this time's different." Kumatora put a hand on his shoulder. "This time you went through a really shitty year. This time you know he's gone..."
Lucas sobbed again. "Y-yeah...he even said sorry after he...you know...I thought he'd be mad at me! He was suffering for three years all because I didn't stop him from going! He wasn't even mad he had to d-die, all 'cause I was too weak to beat him...and then Dad asked me to forgive Claus for being hasty!" Lucas sank to the floor on weak knees, sitting down in front of the graves.
"Oh, kiddo..." Kumatora crouched down next to him and gently put an arm around his side. "You didn't make him do that, ok? He just chose to protect you. And he said sorry because he loved you. Just like my parents loved me. They never got mad when a Needle got pulled...they didn't want me to be sad when they went or feel like it was my fault. God, I wish I got to know your brother better...but I'm sure he felt the same way. He wanted you to live and be happy..."
Her tears watered the grass too. He remembered a time when she never would've cried in front of him, certainly not without shame...
Lucas didn't say anything for a while, just leaned into her shoulder. His voice started to recover. She was right, of course. He had forgiven Claus, and Claus had forgiven him. He just wished it was as easy to forgive himself.
"I know today's real hard for you..." Duster said. "I don't wanna force ya to celebrate. We can always just save the cake and presents for some other ti-"
"N-no, you guys planned this for weeks!" Then he winced. "Sorry I yelled...but Kuma's right, Claus would want me to be happy. He'd want me to have enough fun for the both of us...so I want today to be special." Claus wouldn't want him to go a fourth year in a row without celebrating.
"If that's how you want it, ok...just take it one step at a time, alright? It won't be a huge celebration or nothing, just some friends hanging out. And remember, today's about you. Don't worry about us or our plans, those can change."
"Ok..." He got up and spared one last glance at the graves. Somehow all the crying made him feel better. Then he turned back to the village and walked. One step at a time.
Course, he wasn't a fan of crowds. So when he neared the town square and got some stares, he just ran and PK Teleported home. He slid across the grass and once again thanked Ness for teaching him that in that strange inter-dimensional tournament. The sheep shed was repaired as good as new in the past year with Lighter and Fuel's help. He went inside for a glass of water, finally parching his sore throat. Then he made the bone by Boney's bowl float into his hands with his telekinesis.
"Come on, boy, let's play fetch!"
"Woof!" Boney barked happily and ran outside with Lucas where they started their game of fetch. Over and over, he'd toss the bone out for Boney to catch, and he'd run and jump and catch it, weaving his way around the bleating sheep, all of whom were sheared by this time of year. But with the thought of being a year older in his mind, Lucas noticed Boney had gotten slower since their adventure...and there was one less sheep, too. Not Fluffy, but an old ewe named Ruffly had passed away since then. Sheep didn't live as long as humans, and he could live with that.
But neither did dogs.
"Woof?" Boney dropped the bone he kept waiting for Lucas to take from his mouth.
"Sorry, Boney, it's nothing..." He picked it up and threw it again. He'd known Boney since some of his earliest memories at five, so he was nine now. But that was quite old in dog years, especially for a large breed like him. How long did he have left? Three years? Four, if he was lucky? He wasn't ready to lose his best friend...
Lucas closed his eyes and took a breath. He focused on the now, and on the happy memories they'd made before. He and Claus loved this dog so much. They'd had so much fun. Surely Boney wanted him to spend his remaining years with him having some more instead of dreading the inevitable. So he tried.
"Hey, try standing up again!" Boney did so. Lucas shook his paw like he had so long ago.
"Woof?" ("Am I getting a belly rub?")
"Of course you are. I don't care how old you are, you're still the bestest boy ever!" Lucas knelt down and rubbed Boney's belly when he rolled over. He stayed there petting him for a while. Boney was here, now, and his fur was still so soft. Eventually though, it was time to revisit some other memories.
"Hey Fuel, can you meet me at my house? I was thinking we could go another round play fighting with the sticks. Um, if you're ok with it!" Ah, telepathy. Convenient instant communication for a backwater farmboy who just refused to get with the times.
"Sure thing, it's your birthday! Just gimme a few minutes."
And ten minutes later, he was there. Lucas tossed out one stick for Fuel to catch and wielded the other himself. The padded ones, of course, not the sturdy sticks and bats he'd used to destroy fascism.
"Ok, same rules as always. First one to drop their weapon or give up loses, and no powers for you. Ready when you are!" Lucas nodded and used everything he'd learned.
When it ended, Fuel was disarmed and covered in sweat. Lucas was not.
"You almost had me there."
"Dude, are you kidding? I didn't stand a chance! You totally destroyed me once you stopped holding back. You're even better than Claus was, you know. He'd be so proud of you."
"...I hope so."
"Shit, I shouldn't have said that..."
"No, it's fine, really. If I've gotten strong at all, it's because so many people taught me. Claus, you, Kuma, Duster, Ness, Red, and the other people from Smash too. Just wish I could've been better at this fighting thing sooner..." He sighed. He could easily defeat a Mecha-Drago now. He wondered...could he have non-lethally subdued the brainwashed Claus in his current state? So he wouldn't have to...do that?
"You did your best, man..." Fuel wiped the sweat on his forehead, not sure what to say. "Hey, uh, the cake should be almost done. If you still want it. We can always put it in the fridge if you don't wanna eat with everyo-"
"I'll go. Relax." And he did. He walked inside and sat down at his house's dinner table, where they had to bring a few folding chairs so everyone could sit down. Lucas, Kumatora, Duster, Fuel, and Nana...Dad showed himself out feeling he'd ruin the festive mood. Perhaps accurately so considering those funny looks Kumatora kept giving him.
"Hey, do you remember me and Claus's eighth birthday? You know, when we were wondering what's out there?" He said to Nana and Fuel.
"Not really, but now that you mention it...I guess there was a whole big world out there, huh? Too bad it's all in ruins and stuff." Fuel said.
"I'm sure there's at least some people out there..." Nana said. "Plus it's a whole lot more livable now thanks to Lucas! Maybe we'll be able to go meet 'em someday!"
Lucas blushed and scratched his head. "Thanks, but that was all the Dragon, haha..." To think she'd once said he was the one with a cute smile. But she was just a friend and this was just his teen hormones acting up. No need to make it weird. "You were right about the aliens too! Didn't think they'd be so small and fuzzy though..." The Mr Saturns had thankfully come in peace and helped him more than a few times. Even if sometimes he wished they'd never fixed his Franklin Badge or made that invincible hamster wheel.
"Don't forget there's a whole multiverse out there! I wouldn't believe half the stuff you said about that tournament if it wasn't you saying it." Fuel said. "And the telepathy. That helped too."
"I'm glad I went there, even if I really regretted it at first..." Lucas had joined the Super Smash Brothers tournament two months after the end of his journey. That got him involved in another absurdly high-stakes adventure, but in the end he made some friends who helped him out of a very dark place. Literally and figuratively. "Claus would've loved it..." Adventure and competition had always been his thing.
Lucas looked down at the table.
"I don't know about that. If Claus hadn't..." Kumatora stared through the table too with her green eyes. "If he had made it, I don't know if he'd want to fight anymore. Not after all the crap they put him through..."
Lucas's eyes widened. Suddenly he remembered he'd barely gotten to know the teenage Claus except for a few heartbreaking moments. Perhaps he was no longer that energetic, reckless boy just as Lucas was no longer that coddled crybaby. But how much of his quiet demeanor was the brainwashing and how much was him changing? Lucas couldn't know. Claus hadn't gotten the chance to grow up and decide how he wanted to act.
"Maybe you're right...I just wish he'd gotten a chance to choose."
A tense silence filled the air.
"Woof woof!" ("I smell some cake coming our way!") Boney barked looking up from his food bowl. Lucas sniffed, he couldn't smell it yet. He could, however, sense some approaching mental presences when he closed his eyes and focused. It wasn't long before Caroline and Angie arrived with the cake and other food, all of which smelled delicious. They helped them set everything up and arranged some chairs so they could sit down. Even Lucas pitched in despite some insisting he should take it easy today. He wasn't nine anymore, but he still wanted to be useful. Besides, the work distracted him...
And then it was ready.
"Alright kiddo, it's time to wish on some stars!" Kumatora snapped her fingers and lit the fourteen candles on the cake Lucas helped bake.
Lucas blew them out, then snapped his fingers and lit them again with his own PK Fire. Thanks to Kumatora he would never be cold again.
She laughed. "What are you doing, you dork?"
"If I blow them out twice, I get two wishes, right? Claus deserves one too." He knew wishes weren't real, but...
"Then go right ahead, Lucas." Duster said.
He blew them out once more.
"Soooo...what did you wish for?" Nana said from the chair next to his.
"Just for everyone to be happy. So uh, no more apocalypses."
"God, I hope so." Kumatora said.
"And what's your other wish? Or does that count as two? I doubt anyone would be happy if the world ended, right? So that's a condition of the first wish, not a separate wish entire-"
"Oh my god, we get it..." Angie told Nana while facepalming.
Lucas held his chin while staring at the chocolate cake.
"That's Claus's wish...and I think he wishes for me to be happy." Claus would probably rather wish himself back to life and cheer him up himself, but that was impossible.
"Aww..." Caroline said as she prepared to remove the candles and cut up the cake into enough slices for everyone here and then some. It was while she did that that Lucas remembered something important.
If part of him died with Claus, then part of Claus lived on through him.
He had to keep that part alive. That's why, when it was ready, he took two pieces of cake instead of one. Claus had always been such a glutton. He had to keep those memories alive too. So after some chewing and swallowing, he put down his fork and asked something.
"Um...what do you guys remember about Claus?" Suddenly people stopped eating and everyone stared.
"I'd schay, but I dun wanna make you upschet or sumfing..." Fuel said with his mouth full.
"Finish chewing, you idiot!" Angie said. "But yeah, what he said..."
"It's ok, you don't have to walk on eggshells or anything. I just don't want to forget anything about him..." He sighed. "What about the stuff you guys remember about him that I don't? Like when I wasn't there?"
"Hmm..." Duster stroked his mustache. "There was this one time he tried to get me to teach him the guitar..." Duster went on to explain how ten-year-old Claus played so poorly yet kept trying. Duster had a passion for music even before DCMC, just one Wess discouraged as a distraction from his training. Unfortunately, Claus never had enough time to get any good at it. Others shared stories too. Fuel recalled one particularly fun snowball fight. Nana remembered when he tried to see who could swim the farthest, only to get dragged back to shore by a very exasperated Ed and later scolded about swimming safety. Angie explained one of his rare successes at baking. Caroline brought up the toddler days none of the kids could remember, including some embarrassing details Lucas had to insist she stop sharing.
By the end of the meal, Lucas was full and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He settled on helping with the cleanup instead.
Then it was time for the presents.
They were all already here, of course, just still inside their boxes covered in colorful wrapping left in the corner of the room. He started tearing off the wrapping of the long rectangular box first, having a good idea what it was...
"You really got me an electric guitar, Duster?! And it's signed by Magic too? That's so cool!" He held it up admiring the design with blue and gold colors like PK Love. He tried plucking a string but of course it sounded awful. This would take some learning...
"Then it's a good gift for the world's coolest kid." Duster said.
Lucas became a blushing mess. "C'mon, you're flattering me..."
"I mean, you did save the world, so he kind of has a point." Nana said. "You're still a dork though, don't worry."
The rest of the gifts didn't help his embarrassment. The other members besides Duster had sent more DCMC merch including a hat, t-shirt, sunglasses, and a bunch of sheet music for all their songs. Kumatora got him a bicycle and the required helmet even though he had survived far, far worse than a tumble. Fuel provided a baseball bat, glove, and baseball. Nana gave him some strange device called a 'music player' with its 'head phones' which could apparently let him listen to whatever music he wanted. Alle compiled her photo collection into a cute little scrapbook now in chronological order. Dad and Grandpa mostly just gave him the usual clothes, which some other people had given him as well...a few stood out though, like the newest striped T-shirt and two non-striped T-shirts with cute drawings of Boney and the Baby Drago respectively. Angie just sent more cookies for him to put in the cookie jar. Richie and Nichol got him a Gemini Bracelet, which was very fitting even though that was not his sign, thus proving astrology was fake. There were even a few gifts and letters from people he'd only met once or twice...that was the price of fame.
It was all a little overwhelming. Getting all this love and attention was somehow both heartwarming and heartbreaking. So after a while of opening presents and thanking everyone, he eventually showed himself out for a breath of fresh air.
He leaned back against Boney's doghouse and watched the horizon. The waves were calm, but large clouds approached slowly. It would rain later. That was fine, though, plants needed water after all. A gentle breeze picked up, ruffling the grass and his clothes. He could sense Dad nearby, and he knew Dad had heard him too, even though neither had line of sight. Neither of them moved to see each other either. Lucas just let a few minutes pass in silence.
"Hey, Dad."
He turned the corner to see Dad feeding the sheep in the shed. He'd hung up his cowboy hat...the top of his head was bald as a bean. Only the sides had brown hair with a few gray ones.
"Lucas..? Is this about the cake? It wasn't overcooked, was it?"
"It was fine, but this isn't about that." He took a few steps closer.
"Then...what is it about?" That same quiet tension came over his face. "This is about Claus, isn't it."
"...Sort of."
"I'm sorry you can't spend your birthday with him. If I hadn't lost control that night, then maybe..." Maybe Claus would've learned by example to control his anger. Maybe Dad could've kept him from running off if he hadn't become the first ever occupant of the Tazmily jail.
"Maybe. Maybe not, I don't know. But it's ok." He took a breath. This was difficult to say, to put it lightly. But it felt like now was the right time after nearly a year.
"I forgive you."
"What?" Dad was dumbstruck. "But...why? I don't deserve it."
It still wasn't easy for them to open up to each other. The wall Dad built between them over three years couldn't come down in one. So they'd chipped away at it, brick by brick. It was waist-high now, low enough to see each other but not effortless to cross. But neither of them looked quite the same. Flint's son had grown up when he wasn't looking, and Lucas's father had grown old and tired.
"Dad, I..." The words caught in his throat, so he cleared it. "Look, I'm not saying you didn't do anything wrong. You kinda did a lot. I'm not saying I'm not upset or it didn't hurt me either. I really am. It really did. But, well..." He sighed. "I know you've been trying to be better ever since...you know. And I just don't wanna hold on to all this anger forever. Mom said I shouldn't do that, and Mom's never wrong."
Dad wasn't sure what to say again.
"I can't help thinking she was, just this once. When she said that, it was about Claus, and he'd only hurt you by accident. I knew what I was doing...I just kept lying to myself saying the next day would be the one when I found him." He trailed off. "I know I've said this before...but I would have looked for you if you had gone missing instead, even if that would've been a mistake. I've always loved you just as much as Claus." He frowned. "But I didn't say that in those days, and you were too afraid to ask. And not saying the truth can be as bad as lying."
"I know...that's what you taught me."
"...You've become so kind, just like your mother."
"..."
"..."
"I think we're supposed to hug now."
"Are we?"
Lucas hugged his dad and felt warm. He didn't seem as big as he once did, even if he was still almost a foot taller. Maybe that would change once Lucas got his teenage growth spurt. He hoped he didn't take too much after his dad, though...
He let go.
"I'll let all that slide, but I won't forgive you if your genes make me bald as a bean."
Dad laughed for the first time in a while. And Lucas made a genuine smile. Despite everything, he was glad he was born.
"Lucas...you've made us so proud."
