Happy 7th birthday to Mother 3. :) Sorry for the huge break, I need my inspiration, y'know? But I digress…

Chapter Two: The Roommate

My stupid leg is asleep. Can't I do anything on my own?

Apparently not. I've been sitting in this exact position for the last fifteen minutes. I've gotten a nice (and by "nice," I mean, "At least paint drying changes a little," ) view of the sand-colored seats and the brown floor to look at. I can't even raise my head to look out the window. Would it really take so much energy?

Yes. Energy can only be used in serving Porky.

Oh, shut up. Ignore him. He's not even real.

I beg to differ. There's only one person here, you know.

Stop it, you're so annoying!

You'll just have to learn to get used to it. There's nowhere else you can go.

Yes, there is! I've still got an eye working.

And that will be remedied. It's not like that's going to help you much, in any case.

Why can my eye still work? And while I'm at that, why can't I use anything else?

This body has been salvaged for the purposes of Master Porky. Any irrelevant functions of this body are being repurposed. This includes certain neurological processes of the frontal lobe which -

Never mind, I don't really care.

It seems some areas of the nervous system will require more alteration than others.

Wait… did you just call me dumb?

Impaired basal ganglia, perhaps.

Hey! Don't call me a ganglia!

Nevertheless, your current opinions are unimportant. I am you. And you can't change that.

The limo came to a halt.

"This way, sir," offered the pig-man. Sir? What, is this the new treatment for prisoners ?

No. This is the traditional treatment for higher-ranking officials.

Well, I've always wanted to join the army.

Your wish is my command.

Great. My other half is sarcastic too.

The soldier looks onward while I – or rather, my other self – take steps out the door and onto a dark grey stone I didn't recognize.

Otherwise known as asphalt?

Hehe. You said ass.

I then moved my head up to see… I don't know if I can handle all this.

There were huge buildings. Not like the ones at home – these buildings were at least thirty times that size. And with fifty times as many windows. It looked like most of the sides were glass. And light bulbs that curved in crazy ways to make words. And they were different colors! Some purple, some red – any color! And then there was –

I don't think anyone particularly cares.

Hey, this is my story, here. And these things are incredible! I didn't know these things could even exist!

Obviously, they can. All for the great Porky's empire. This is the home of it all – New Pork City. And I shall be heading for the King himself. And there is where I shall –

HOLY CRAP, THESE STAIRS ARE MOVING!

…You truly are a simpleton, aren't you?

I'm standing still, and the stairs are moving!

You haven't even gotten to the best part yet…

…What?

Look up.

I slid my eye up to see… it. The tallest, most purple building I'll ever see. It just kept going up until it hit the clouds.

The Empire Porky building. This is where we reach our next phase, my dear Claus.

This is where you lose your humanity.

The novelty of a room that moves up a building tires really quickly when you're moving up 80 windows. And I really have to pee, so that doesn't help anything. At least I'm not in control of my bladder anyway.

I can't help but wonder… How far from Tazmily am I? It was only a 15 minute ride on the limo. But in all the stories of limos I've heard, I was never told how fast it could go. For all I know, I could be a hundred miles away from my family. From Dad. From Lucas. From…

Oh. I guess… not Mom.

…What happened? Not just with this whole "other self" thing. To everything.

First, to Dad. He never got angry. That was one thing I knew for sure about Dad – he never, ever got angry. I'd always get angry. Lucas too, every now and then. But not Dad. Then, when he found out… about Mom… He hurt people. He grabbed firewood straight from the fire – which he always told us not to do. He was thrown into the old jail cell. I always heard stories that the old jail cell was where we were supposed to put bad people. But Dad's not bad… right?

To Lucas. Since a few days ago, he hasn't done anything. At all. He used to go play with me all the time, especially when we had Fuel or someone else with us too. Pretend sword fights, tag, whatever we wanted to. We had the whole town to ourselves. Now… one time he actually slept the night next to the gravestone…

And then, what happened…

…to Mom?

"Come on, Mom! We've gotta say goodbye to the Dragos before we leave!" I didn't really think we needed to – I just wanted to start playing with them so we could stay just a little longer.

Mom let out a soft giggle. "Okay, Claus. But we need to leave right after. It's getting dark out."

"Right, sure thing, Mom!" Me and Lucas were ready. One look at him to make sure we wouldn't back out on me, and we ran off, while Mom kept a leisurely pace behind us.

We got right to the place. The Dragos looked sleepy, but not too much.

I jumped right on to the mother to let her know we were here.

The mother wasn't happy. It was a robot.

It turned its head to show its face. It's lower jaw was metal. Its left eye was normal, but the other eye… the other one was blue.

And it was looking at me.

I think I screamed. But it felt more like all the air in me suddenly wanted to leave – and did.

I… can't remember this part. But I had big claw marks on both my sides the next day, and I remember my mom coming and yelling at the monster to let go of me.

I hit the ground, and started to run. I got to where Lucas was, between the road to Grandpa's and the river.

"Run! Go to the river and jump in!" My mom pleaded with us. Her voice was shaky and fragile.

I pulled Lucas along to get to the edge of where the river was. We were right there, but I stopped. Mom needed to come too.

But instead of Mom, there was the robot Drago.

It roared at us, and I could hear Lucas next to me screaming in rushed bursts. No, not just Lucas. I heard two voices. I was there too.

Then, like out of nowhere, Mom sprinted in between us and the Drago.

Mom looked behind her at us. She looked exhausted.

"Please. Go. Now."

"M-m-Mom?" I don't know if it was me or Lucas.

"Claus… Lucas… I love you."

Then the Drago–

That was the loudest thing I had ever heard from her voice.

I never knew she could run so fast, either.

Wasteful.

…What?

You spend your time on events past, when your present stands before you. Not that it benefits you either way.

My mom was a hero. You couldn't understand. You're just a robot, you couldn't ever understand! You don't know what she was like.

I understand everything you do and more.

No. You don't. You might have all the facts, but you'll never understand how she could make us feel better with just a few words, how she could make us come running home at dinnertime everyday, how she could love so much.

"And you never will!"

The soldier looked towards me.

Did… I just say that? Did I just say that?

"Sorry… just testing my… vocal circuiting," I said, without trying.

…I just said something.

It doesn't matter.

*DING*

I'm in charge. We'll work out those few… bugs.

The elevator doors opened. It was a room full of people.

In green jars.

I'm really glad I'm not in control of my bladder.

Author's Note: Chap. 2 for ya. :) Burst of emotion there, mm? Reviews and suggestions would make me feel sexier than Ionia's latest makeup. Maybe even sexier than Ionia. But that would be impossible… *heart*