Smiley Bone sat very still.

It wasn't something he usually did. He was normally quite active; a thin bundle of energy on legs. He seemed almost tireless to others; going from one task to the next with a unending supply of will and determination. But today it was different. Today his mind and body felt unusually tired; weak almost. If he didn't know the reason he might have gone to a doctor, but, for once, he did know. He was exhausted. Not that sleepy-eyed, yawning exhaustion, but that mind-numbing, shaky exhaustion; the kind where you just stare into space, seeming to see right through everything and everybody. And that was exactly what Smiley was doing. Sitting in the Big Johnson Bone Memorial Park, on an old, paint chipped bench; shoulders slumped and gazing out into nowhere, a blank sandwich grasped gently in his hands.

It was a beautiful day in Boneville. The sun was shining its golden light, glinting it off of the moist, summertime grass, making it seem to glow with an iridescent green. Little Bone children played in a field to Smiley's right, throwing a frisbee back and forth, laughing merrily. Outside the city park, and not far behind Smiley's back, the loud hustle and bustle of the city created a sort of transcending white noise to the closer sound of high, cheerful birdsong. The air was still cool from the morning, fog having lifted to reveal bright blue sky, and everything smelled of wet grass and warm asphalt. But Smiley wasn't paying attention to any of it. Trapped in his own world of thought, he didn't hear, see, smell, taste, or feel anything. And it appeared as if nothing would be able to break his concentration.

Well, almost nothing.

Bartleby gave a small hiss of concern, craning his neck to look down into the Bone's face before rubbing carefully against his friend's shoulder. The contact startled Smiley, and he jumped, very nearly dropping his blank sandwich into the grass and gravel at his feet.

"Oh! Bartleby! I'm sorry. I forgot you were there..." That didn't sound like a good excuse in the Bone's own ears, and so he added weakly, "Guess I was just thinking a little too hard." He gave a chuckle, but it was a tired, half-hearted wheeze more than anything. It did little to allay Bartleby's worry.

Smiley had been acting oddly for the last three days; ever since the two of them had returned from the camping trip with those three, nice, little Bone boys. Sure they had had a good time, and Bartleby had thoroughly enjoyed Smiley's stories of Big Johnson Bone; but things since then had't been quite...normal. Smiley was usually a very deep sleeper, but, lately, he had been tossing and turning in his sleep; when he actually managed to sleep at all. Most of the nightly hours were spent staring up at the ceiling. Bartleby knew this because he and Smiley shared a room, and the rat creature, who didn't need half as much sleep as a Bone, had witnessed Smiley's restless behavior firsthand.

"Are you well?" Bartleby hissed, his voice that familiar, reedy exhalation of air Smiley had grown so used to.

Smiley gave a laugh, and this one sounded more genuine. "Of course, Buddy; just a little occupied, that's all. I was thinking of Fone Bone and Phoney; they'll be coming home today."

Bartleby nodded his large, purple, furred head; blinking his enormous, bulbous eyes against the rising sun. Glancing over at the children playing in the field, he momentarily entertained the thought of running over and giving the kids someone to play with. The rat creature had become quite well-known throughout all of Boneville. That fact was most actively attributed to the local newspapers, which had proclaimed Bartleby a strange creature of monstrous proportions, but perfectly harmless. And while adults tended to glare at him warily, children adored the kindly rat creature. Playing with the tykes was one of Bartleby's favorite pastimes, and the prospect of letting out a little energy right then was very enticing.

But then he looked back over at Smiley, and his small, round ears drooped sadly. The Bone was right back the way he had been before; staring off into space with a nervous, almost pained look. Again the rat creature sensed that there was something far more wrong than Smiley was admitting. It kind of hurt; the fact that Smiley wasn't telling him. After all, they were best friends. That's what they were, no matter what people said. Many believed Bartleby to be some sort of pet; a beast tamed by the Bone cousins in the wild world beyond the desert. That he was nothing more than a dumb animal. They couldn't be more wrong. Smiley and he thought of each other as equals; pals; buddies. There was no master and pet. Only friendship. But perhaps there were things that couldn't even be shared with friends. If that was the case, Bartleby was very glad that Fone Bone and Phoney were returning that afternoon.

"Where did they go again? I forget." He made sure he spoke loud enough so that Smiley would startle once more. It worked.

Smiley blinked, coming back to himself. "Huh?...Oh, um, they went to meet with the Council in Upper Boneville."

That was true. Ever since their return from the Valley, all of Boneville had been in an uproar. Partially because Phoncible P. Bone had returned, but more because the inhabitants wanted to know where they had been and what they had done. After all, they had been thrown out of Boneville with little more than the clothes on their backs and Fone Bone's satchal, but had returned with a cow, a rat creature , a cart, and a whole slew of stuff therein. It had left the media demanding where they had managed to find such 'medieval-looking' objects; and, in truth, the cousins had been eager to tell. After over a year of dragons, princesses, kingdoms, monsters, and a long chain of one life-threatening event after another, they were very anxious to share their adventures.

But few had believed them.

Try as the cousins did, the people of Boneville were divided; the younger, more spirited souls clinging to their every word, while the older, and far larger majority of Bones felt that the tales were nothing but lies. Things had gotten hard after that. Sure, the publicity was great, but what was the point when half of the known world thought you were either a lunatic, or a compulsive liar. Smiley had found it necessary to fight for the right to keep Bartleby at all; seeing as the people thought he might be a danger to society. Thankfully, a lot of Bones trusted the tallest cousin, and he had actually managed to get some support and won ownership of the rat creature. Smiley shuddered to think what might have become of his friend had he lost.

But now it had been over a year and a half, and, while most of the average citizens had accepted the Bone Cousins' story, as either truth or fiction, the governmental system had not. Higher officials still wanted to know what had happened, refusing to believe their stories of an old Valley full of the things they described. A helicopter had even been sent to try and scope out the land in that direction, with no result; a fact that bothered the cousins to no end. So then came the meetings and conferences and interviews, all for the cause of trying to prove them wrong. They had no proof, they said; and apparently Bartleby's existence didn't count.

In the cousins' own neighborhood they were counted as friendly, but odd. Even their extended family members thought so; also divided on where they stood in relation to the tales of the Valley. The rest of the world, particularly the media and business world, didn't trust them, and that was hard for Smiley. He trusted almost anyone, and all his life he had been trusted by others. But now that relationship with people had been tarnished. So had Phoney's; not that people had trusted him in the first place. But, though he was still his old, scheming self, he had gained somewhat of a conscience after all they had been through. He was practically banned from the companies and big corporations, which was very hard on Phoney to say the least. But, thankfully, Fone Bone was there to keep him in line.

Fone Bone. He was the one taking it the hardest. After all that had happened, what with Thorn, the Lord of the Locust, and...everything; how was he supposed to handle being called a liar. The Valley was more a part of him than Boneville had ever been and, to a smaller extent, it was a part of Smiley and Phoney as well. They couldn't just forget it, and they couldn't just say none of it had ever happened, because it had. That was why Phoney and Fone Bone had gone off to the Council. Not that they had wanted to go. But when the Council of Upper Boneville called you to a meeting, you didn't refuse. Smiley had not been invited, which, whiling being a relief, was also a little...insulting. But he had had a prior engagement anyway; with the Bone Scout camping trip. But it still made the taller cousin a bit uneasy. After all, this was his fight too.

Smiley sighed, suddenly feeling even more tired. Thinking about all that had happened since their return usually upset him. He wasn't used to any of it, even after all this time. Standing up from the bench, he tossed his uneaten blank sandwich into a nearby trash bin. Dusting the crumbs from his hand, he gave a nod of his head. "Come on, Bartleby. Let's head home."

The rat creature hissed in response, already walking alongside his companion. Bartleby had really grown since they had come back to Boneville. Smiley could still picture the baby, purple fuzzball they had found in Barrelhaven; lost and hungry. Very hungry. The infant rat creature had very nearly bitten Smiley's arm off when he had offered him food. It hadn't hurt, despite the jagged teeth Bartleby had, since, even then, Bartleby had been very gentle. Smiley had to admit though; it had looked bad. Fone Bone had nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight.

But now, Bartleby had grown to his full size. Or what everyone hoped was his full size. He was easily large enough to ride. In fact, back in the Valley, they had ridden him. He had grown a little bit more since then, though not much. If he stood up on his back legs he was far taller than Smiley. It made him look quite impressive, as well as menacing. Even now, as they walked along the busy streets, Bones watched them uneasily, something both of them had become accustomed to over the last several months.

But Smiley was bothered by it a little more than usual today. Quickening his pace, the Bone took a few side streets that were a little less crowded, before the two finally arrived back home. 'Home' being an apartment in a less-than-renowned hotel. Walking swiftly through the lobby, and into an elevator, it wasn't long before their apartment door was unlocked and Smiley was assuring Bartleby inside. With an unintentional slam, Smiley closed the door behind them, leaning against it in relief. After a moment of heavy breathing, Smiley seemed to realize the odd way his friend was staring at him.

"I don't feel like being watched today by people in the streets," he commented needlessly. Bartleby blinked. The large, glossy eyes made him look like he had as a baby, despite his size, and Smiley just had to laugh. Some of the tension within him diminished and he felt a little bit more like himself. "How about we eat some breakfast. That blank sandwich wasn't...wasn't really agreeing with me today." Despite the fact that he hadn't taken a single bite from it.

Moving over to the white refrigerator, Smiley pulled the door open, his body meeting with the cold, frosty air that swept out at him. It felt good, and for a moment he almost forgot what he had opened it for. Reaching inside he pulled out a half-eaten grinder, a bit of dry cheese, and the last two apples they had. There wasn't much else. It was a good thing Fone Bone and Phoney were coming home later that day. Grocery shopping wasn't really something Smiley enjoyed, especially now. Too many people. Too many eyes watching; judging him. Watching Bartleby like he was some sort of monster. And it wasn't like he could leave the rat creature home alone. Oh, someone would just love that. For all Smiley knew, someone might try to steal Bartleby...or worse. No. Shopping had just become a bad idea all round. And so now the refrigerator was practically empty. Fone Bone and Phoney would definitely have some serious questions for him later.

Laying the sparse meal on the counter, he divided it up between them, giving Bartleby a slightly bigger portion. Bartleby frowned. Smiley often did that, as a force of habit. A habit that often didn't settle with the rat creature very well. Back in the Valley, when they had been on the run from Brier and the Lord of the Locust, Smiley had given Bartleby his own survival rations, which had eventually led to Smiley collapsing from hunger. If Fone Bone and Thorn hadn't risked going into a Ghost Circle and had managed to find some food, Smiley very well could have died. It wasn't something the cousins talked about. In fact, Bartleby could not remember anyone ever mentioning it at all. But it was permanently burned in the rat creature's mind.

This, of course, was different. They weren't out in the middle of an ash-riddled destruction zone, or running from evil villains without food, water, or rest. But Smiley's lack of appetite was noticeable. The way he kept getting out food, the blank sandwich for instance, only to either toss it or give it to Bartleby. It was worrisome, and Bartleby once again found himself feeling grateful that the other Bone cousins would be returning shortly. Surely, they would know how to deal with Smiley.

They spent the remainder of the morning and noon sitting on the worn out, green couch in the living room, watching television. Smiley seemed to relax as time went on, leaning into Bartleby's soft fur. They watched mainly cartoons. Smiley liked that. Plus, it kept the urge to watch the news away. The news only talked about things Smiley didn't want to think about. Things that he didn't want to hear. Not right now. Not today. The cartoons were cheerful; funny. And they didn't judge. In short, they were everything the rest of the world at the moment was not. Smiley slipped into a sort of half-conscious snooze, while Bartleby remained still beside him; keeping watch.

It was sometime after 2:30 that Smiley jolted awake, startled by the sound of the front door opening, followed by a pair of loud, irritated voices.

"-Just who do they think they are?! They don't understand what we went through!"

"Phoney, we've gone over this again and again-"

That was Fone Bone's voice. It sounded strained and tired. Which wasn't surprising, seeing from where they had just come. The Council was not a fun place. It had all the charm of a haunted house, with its members little more than cranky, old sticks-in-the-mud. They were snooty, arrogant Bones, who, unfortunately, ran a good deal of Boneville. Most of it, in fact. They had been causing trouble for the Bone cousins since the very hour they had returned from the Valley. And they didn't believe a word any of them had to say. It must have been like arguing with a bunch of know-it-alls. No wonder Phoney was in such a bad mood. Smiley sat up on the couch, hands fisted in his lap, but remained where he was, listening.

"I know, I know," Phoney's voice sighed. There was a bang, and Smiley guessed his older cousin had just slammed his hand against something. "It's just so frustrating!"

"What are you complaining about? They targeted me the most."

"You didn't used to be one of them! Well, not - Oh, you know what I mean! There was a time when I was on the same level as those doddering old-"

"Phoney..."

"Those...those numskulls! I'm almost glad we ended up lost in the Valley! I might have ended up like that!"

There was a short pause, in which the two cousins seemed to realize they were home. The quiet stretched on, before Smiley heard the soft padding of two pairs of feet heading into the living room. Fone Bone stuck his head in first.

"Smiley?"

"Yeah; I'm here."

Fone Bone and Phoney entered the room, one looking concerned and the other still very upset. But even Phoney seemed to calm down at the sight of his other, much taller cousin. Fone Bone looked apologetic. "Sorry we were so loud. Did we wake you?" He asked because Smiley looked so tired, like he had just awoken from a less than restful sleep.

Smiley shook his head, remaining seated; slouched. "No." He looked between the two before stating, "I take it it didn't go well."

"That," Phoney growled, "Is an understatement."

"They still don't believe us," Fone interrupted quickly before Phoney could go off on another tirade. "They think we're lying, but that we're hiding something from them. It was...it was a hard meeting to get through."

"So what's the next step?"

"They said if we won't 'tell the truth', they'll discover it on their own. What I really think they'd like to do is either throw us in jail, or put us away in a nuthouse somewhere." Fone Bone noticed the frightened expression that flashed across Smiley's face and quickly backpedaled. "But, of course, they can't do that. They have nothing against us as proof, just like they claim we have none to prove that what we are saying is true." He shrugged, suddenly feeling disgusted with the whole subject. "But we'll talk more about that after we've calmed down a bit. How was the camping trip, Smiley?"

"Oh...It was nice. The boys were fun, after Bartleby and I got them to liven up a little. I told them some stories."

Phoney seemed to tense a little. "About the Valley?"

"Well...yeah."

Phoney through his hands up in the air above his head. "Great! That's just perfect! Why don't we just go around with signs on our back that say 'Take a good look, people; we're lunatics'!"

"Phoney, don't be mean! Smiley hasn't done anything wrong! The entire world knows our story anyway, it's not like Smiley let out a secret!"

Phoney crossed his arms over his small chest angrily. "That's beside the point! We never should have told anyone about where we were and what we did! All it's done is get us in trouble! We should have just forgotten about the whole, stupid adventure!"

Silence followed, in which all three Bones wished fervently that that had been possible. But how could it have been? They had been on a journey so fantastic; so magical; so crucial, that it had left a permanent mark on them. Even if they had never said a word about the Valley, their characters alone would have aroused suspicion. Smiley was no longer the town fool he once was; evidenced by his contemplative nature and organized will. Fone Bone had become more vocal; standing up against things that he would have simply let lie before. And Phoney, though he still managed to get into trouble on a regular basis, actually seemed to be thinking things through a little more clearly. His consideration for others was improving; though, certainly, no where near perfect. These changes alone in the cousins would have led to questions. And questions would have led to, eventually, the truth. They would have ended up right where they were now; just, maybe several weeks further behind.

Smiley was still sitting on the worn couch, staring down at his hands fisted in his lap. He wanted to jump to his feet; assure his cousins that everything would be alright, but, for some reason, he couldn't. It was like he didn't even have the energy. It was like, as each day went on, more and more of his life force; what made him who he was, was slowly draining away. He loved Boneville; and yet, he hated it. He kept thinking of the Valley; longing to go back. And Smiley knew that Fone Bone and Phoney were feeling the same way. But then, there were the dreams...

A sense of sickening panic took hold of Smiley; and not for the first time that day. He had become a master at hiding it. The dreams had started two weeks prior, shortly before he had left for the camping trip. It had been tolerable then; almost dismissable. But now, it had grown. Smiley felt as though he were being crushed on all sides. Why was he the only one who seemed to notice? Couldn't anyone else feel it? It had robbed him of sleep for nights. And he didn't know how much longer he could take it.

Fone Bone gave a loud, frustrated sigh. "Well, we can't really do anything about it now. We opened our big mouths, and now we're paying for it."

"Heh," Phoney snorted bad-temperedly. "Since when do people pay for telling the truth?"

Fone sent him a warning look, signalling that the discussion was over, before turning his eyes back to Smiley. His brow furrowed as he took in his taller cousin; the way Smiley seemed so tense and rigid. Smiley was staring off into space, in their direction; making it hard to tell how long he had actually been listening. His hands were fisted tightly in front of him, creating a knot of fingers on his lap, intertwined so tightly they shook. Suddenly very concerned, Fone Bone took a step forward, reaching out a hand to brush Smiley's shoulder.

"Smiley? Are you ok?"

At Fone Bone's touch, Smiley jolted visibly; eyes widening and snapping back to reality. Bartleby almost sighed in relief. He had been afraid that by the time Fone Bone and Phoney had returned, Smiley would no longer be acting strangely. His fears were diminished now, at least in that respect. It would have been hard to explain what had been happening to the two cousins, especially since neither seemed to be able to understand his hissing voice as well as Smiley. It was almost a relief that Smiley was still behaving oddly; that way Fone and Phoney would be able to experience it first hand. Surely they could figure out what was wrong.

"He has been acting this way for days," Bartleby supplied, edging closer to his friend as he spoke.

Smiley, now thoroughly freed from whatever had snatched his attention so fully, turned dull eyes back to Fone Bone. Somehow, he felt even more drained and tired than he had felt a few moments ago. Fone and Phoney both looked worried by this point; Fone Bone having now seated himself on the couch beside his cousin.

"Are you sick?"

Smiley shook his head, groggily. "No...Just tired."

Phoney raised his brow. "Then why don't you go get some sle-"

"No!"

The shout rang through the sudden quiet like the sound of shattering glass. Fone Bone, Phoney, and Bartleby flinched back at the unexpected yell; from Smiley of all people. Smiley hardly ever raised his voice. Almost never. He had only done so once or twice that any of them could remember; one being the time that Rock Jaw had tried to take Bartleby from him. Since then, none of them had seen Smiley so upset...until now.

"N-no..." Smiley seemed lost. His hands clenched tighter, as a slight tremble took hold of him. "I-I can't sleep...I-I can't..." He choked on the words, closing his eyes as if in pain. He was trying not to lay anything more on his cousins shoulders. After all, they were fighting their own battles. They had been through so much. It wouldn't be fair to give them more to worry about when they were already practically at their limit. It wouldn't be right.

But Smiley couldn't hold it alone anymore. The sleepless nights were getting to him. Even when he managed to drift of, his mind raced in his slumber with images that he could never quite decipher or remember, but knew frightened him more than anything he had ever felt.

A hand gently lay against his back, and Smiley knew it was Fone Bone. It felt warm there; comforting. Something that he had sorely needed for the past week, but had been unable to get.

When Fone Bone spoke, his voice was gentle, but also very concerned. He sent Phoney a look, finding that his own emotions were being reflected in his older cousin's face as well. He gazed back to the shivering Bone beside him. "Smiley...What's happening? Why can't you sleep?"

For a long moment, there was no answer; and it seemed as if they were never going to get one. But then, slowly, Smiley's eyes rose to meet those of his friends; his family. He was visibly trying to get a hold of himself, with limited success. Whatever was wrong, Fone Bone realized, had hit Smiley hard. He could see it in his eyes; the way he struggled to find the right words.

"Fone Bone..." He took a deep breath, but the trembling didn't stop. It was as though he had to fight to get the words out. "R-remember...back in the V-Valley...the dreams?"

For a moment, Fone Bone looked confused. But then an understanding flickered into his expression. "You mean the ones that Thorn and I would have? That came from the Dreaming? Yes, I remember." A sickening feeling began to creep into Fone's being; a sense of uneasiness around him that he had been far too upset about the Council to notice before. Even Phoney, who was now beside him, seemed tense; as though he could now feel it too.

A presence. A dark, dangerous feeling; like a cloud. Familiar, and yet they couldn't seem to place it. As they became aware of it, it seemed to grow stronger, until it was as if it were standing right before them; clear as day. And yet nothing was. Had they had hair, it would have been standing on end. Bartleby had enough for all of them, and it bushed out around him as though he had stuck his tail in a light socket. Even the rat creature now seemed conscious to it; letting out a hiss of warning. The three Bones and the rat creature pressed into one another, suddenly feeling trapped.

Smiley gulped, trying to finish what he had intended to say.

"Some...Something's w-wrong..."

And suddenly, everything went dark.

Alright, this has actually been in my Doc Manager for quite some time. I'm very nervous about writing this story, since I see more than one person has attempted to write a good Bone story. I thank you for any positive feedback, but also, feel free if you have any dislikes. I hope that the characters won't be out of character; but they will be slightly. The reason for that (in my mind) is that, in the comics, they really did change quite a bit. Smiley went from being a village idiot, basically, to being quite a strategist in the battle again the Lord of the Locust. Fone Bone was affected by their adventure too; what with his love of Thorn and the responsibilities he had been forced to handle at that time. Phoney...well, Phoney didn't change a whole lot, but there are hints in the comics that suggest that he has a deeper personality than he seems too. And there were very subtle changes in him as well.

So, in my story, I'm trying to create the characters again, starting were the comics left off. Their characters have come a long way, and after returning home I'm sure they developed further. And so, as I try to write another adventure for them, I hope that their continued character development will be alright; especially in the eyes of fellow Bone fans. :)