Lathan Bone was an average, everyday reporter, though he certainly didn't see himself as such. In his own mind, he was a genius, a once in a lifetime prodigy that anyone would have to be a fool to refuse. Ever since he was no older than five, he had striven and pushed and climbed his way to the top, his dream ahead of him, and nothing able to stand in his way. In school, he had made himself the president of the school paper. But he was also the editor, and often edited out every other student's stories but his own. In college, he had started a News Club, again controlling it to the excessive. In both cases, he soon found himself alone, with no friends and no paper to call his own. He eventually opened up his own business, though, as of yet, he still had no employees. Not that he cared. A reporter didn't need friends. A reporter didn't need supporters, other than their readers. He struggled to share his skill with all, working around the clock as publisher, editor, reporter, and any other job his occupation entailed. He was a one man show.

Or, at least, he had been.

The medium height Bone sat uncomfortably in a stiff, upright position. The high backed chair dwarfed him, as did the enormous office in which he now waited. The air conditioning made it overly chilly, so much so that his skin felt as though it were crawling. His chair was made of black leather, which squeaked loudly whenever he moved, breaking the quiet so obnoxiously that he convinced his body to stay utterly still. It was dark in the room, not only because the heavy drapes were closed over the large city-view windows, but because it was the middle of the night. Not one particle of light could get through those immense curtains. The only source of relief from the dark came from a short, squatty lamp on the great mahogany desk before him. It lit only just enough to see by, and only of that area, where various papers lay strewn upon its surface. The room's towering walls hid the ceiling in total darkness, too high above for the lamplight to reach. The floor was thickly carpeted, seeming to absorb all sound in the chamber, making it uneasily quiet. It was as though the entire room had been created to make a person feel small, alone, and uncomfortable. Which was exactly how Lathan felt.

He jumped when a door to his right opened in the dark wall, causing a stream of pale light to cast through the door and unto the floor, coming toward him in a warped rectangle of yellow glow. Three, various sized Bones entered through, only silhouettes until the door had shut and they had moved forward into the light by the desk. The tallest of the three, an older Bone, elegant and with thick eyebrows, seated himself behind the desk, facing Lathan with a look of contempt, his Councilmen standing on either side of him attentively.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence, in which the elder gazed sternly at the reporter with a calculating air. Finally, when his stare had managed to bore into the visitor's very soul, the Chairman spoke, his voice low and soft, almost a grating rumble in his throat. "You are Lathan Baldwin Bone, correct?" he asked stiffly, shuffling a few papers on the desk without so much as giving him a glance.

Lathan suddenly felt even more uneasy. He didn't even know why he was here. His mind raced frantically, trying to remember if he had done anything wrong. If he had broken any laws, or done something worthy of being summoned by the Council of Upper Boneville. "Y-Yes, Yer Honor." He wasn't even sure how to address these higher uppity-ups. He felt his cheeks redden as the Chairman gave him a look that told him 'Yer Honor' wasn't quite the right term. But the matter, whether important or no, was dropped. The Chairman continued.

"It has been brought to our attention that you are a reporter." He lifted a paper from the stack, adjusting his spectacles to better see the print. His eyes scanned the parchment, before glancing up to receive his answer. "Is that also accurate?"

Lathan smiled proudly, puffing out his small chest. For him, he and his business, unsuccessful though it may be, was his favorite subject. "That's right! The best doggone reporter this side of th-"

"That's all very interesting, Mr. Lathan," the shortest Councilman spoke up, yawning with obvious boredom. Lathan did his best not to visibly sneer. "But we really must stick with the point."

Lathan frowned, annoyed. "And, if you'll enlighten me, what is the point?" He internally flinched when he realized how disrespectful that had sounded. But he wasn't about to apologize. Not to these guys. Not to anyone. He had said what he had intended to say, and he would stick to it. He almost lost his resolve when the Chairman launched himself out of his seat, leaning sternly against the desk, all in a very fluid movement, and his hands braced on its dark surface.

"The point, Mr. Lathan," he spat, "Is the Bone Cousins." He watched as a look of interest spread into the young reporter's expression. The taller Bone gave a half smile, not in a terribly pleasant way, happy that he had finally gained the shorter fellow's full attention. "You've heard of them?"

"Heard of them?" Lathan cried. His eyes were wide, and he had scooted forward in his chair with great passion. "They're the greatest source of media material Boneville's had in years!" He paused, giving the Chairman a suddenly suspicious look. "What's that got to do with me?" He didn't like the gleam that was forming in the other fellow's dark eyes. He couldn't place it. Lathan was pretty sure it wasn't directed at him, and of that he was grateful. Whoever it was for would be in for a very unpleasant surprise. That calm and collected facade was only a thin layer over something more...dangerous. Lathan could sense it. He had always been a very good judge of character.

The taller, more intimidating Bone folded his hands behind his back, reigning in that sinister gleam. "First, tell me what you know of these cousins. What do you, in your job as a reporter, have in knowledge of their backgrounds and life?" He slowly came out from behind the desk, making his way around it and closer to Lathan as the reporter began his answer, confused and hesitant.

"Uh, well, we know they were orphans," he began, scratching the bad of his neck, a hint of sympathy in his voice. "Parents died when they were very young. Which, if you think of it, is quite odd. They're cousins, and the likelihood of all three of them being orphaned, at relatively the same time, is either a miraculous form of fate or a cursing wave of misfortune." He had always thought so. What were the odds?

The Chairman seemed less impressed by the coincidence. "Go on."

Lathan settled back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap with a slight hum."Hmm, yes. They lived on the streets for years, scraping food where they could get it. Pinching pies from windowsills and such. As they grew, Phoncible P. Bone began to exercise his natural skill for business. He started working, and earning a pay. Smiley Bone, in contrast, seemed to enjoy his life as a tramp. He was a friend to all, but never worked, often living off of Phoney's pay when he could get it. On some occasions, Phoney allowed his cousin to partner up with him in his schemes. Fone Bone, on the other hand, was somewhere in between, working when he needed to, and well liked by all. Considered a right fine gentleman by most. None of the three a particularly bad sort."

The Chairman released a huff, exchanging a haughty glance with his Councilmen."You might also find interesting, Mr. Lathan, that Phoncible P. Bone, for years, tried to get into this council as a member. Most persistently. He was not well liked here, in any way, shape, or form."

Lathan blinked, interested. "Is that so? Well, what do you know about that. I take it he didn't make it in."

The three Council Bones gave wry chuckles. "He was working on it," the Chairman informed him, "And, given the circumstances, he might have succeeded. If not for his 'election scheme'."

"Ah, yes. His crazy idea of becoming mayor. 'Phoncible P. Bone will get your vote', if I recall correctly."

The smile faded from the elder's face. "You do." His voice was bitter and hateful. Again, Lathan found he was grateful that he was not on the opposite end of these feelings. "Tell us, Mr. Lathan, a little more on this horrendous event."

Lathan was going on second hand information now. He had never met any of the cousins personally, and hadn't gone to Phoncible's picnic/campaign that day. Thank goodness for that. He had heard stories of the result of the bad prune danishes that had been served there. "Well, Phoncible tried to run for mayor, hoping to win a powerful position in our community. He might have succeeded, if not for an incident with a large, inflatable balloon of himself. It's actually quite funny." Lathan chuckled, but the merriment died on his lips when he looked up into the solemn faces of the Council.

"Hmm," the Chairman looked far from pleased. "I would not call the schemes of that Bone 'funny'. He has been a thorn in our side for years. We have long since had our fill of his nonsense." That gleam was back, and Lathan realized that a certain amount of hostility existed between the Council and Phoncible. He vaguely wondered if the craftier Bone Cousin was aware of that fact.

"Y-Yes, Sir."

The Chairman came even closer. "Now tell us something of their current fame, Mr. Lathan."

"They disappeared for almost two years, run out of Boneville into the desert after the...incident." He paused, hoping that he would not be corrected again. He wasn't, and continued. "Then, all at once, they show back up, on a cart pulled by a cow of all things. A strange animal accompanied them, and still lives with them like some kind of pet. They claim to have been on an adventure in a land across the wasteland, called the Valley, where they helped save its people and, possibly, all the world." He couldn't help the scoff in his voice. As interested as he had been in this story, he had never put any stock in it.

"And what do you think of this statement?"

Lathan shrugged carelessly. "I think it's just a bunch of hooey, personally. Either for attention or to cover up something else. Facts show that there is nothing beyond the desert to support what they said. Nothing but trees, and no sign of life. No great, ancient cities; no dragons; no nothing."

For the first time since their appearance, the Chairman and the Councilmen looked very pleased. "Good. Very good. We would hate to have hired a man who sympathizes with these menaces." His eyes gleamed dangerously.

"Hire?"

The Chairman broke off to go back to his seat behind the desk, lowering into it slowly before steepling his hands upon the desktop."Yes, hire. Mr. Lathan, we have reason to believe that these Bone Cousins are a threat to our society. Their stories and strange ideas have created a great controversy in our city. Trouble seems to follow them wherever they go...And that's what we want you to do."

"Do what?"

"Follow them," the Chairman clarified. "Everywhere. Consider this your greatest opportunity in being a reporter. It's not everyday that someone is given lawful permission to investigate such an important, sought after bit of news. It would be foolish to refuse." He read the hesitation in Lathan's eyes. "You can have all the publicity to yourself," he prompted, "As long as everything you observe is reported to us first."

"Wait..." Lathan held up his hands in a 'slow down' gesture. "You want me to spy? Is that...you know, legal?"

The Chairman stiffened. "We are the highest form of government in Boneville. We will make it legal."

"Heh, I guess that wouldn't be too bad." Lathan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think it over. He raised an eyebrow at the three Bones. "Full publicity, right?"

"The fullest."

That would certainly help his business. Probably make him the most known reporter in Boneville, once everything was well and over. It couldn't hurt. If things proved too boring with the Cousins, he could always 'polish' it up a bit. No one would be the wiser. Slowly, Lathan gave a deciding nod of his head. "Well, alright." It certainly couldn't hurt. "When do I start?"

"Immediately."

Lathan shook hands with the Councilmen and the Chairman, still feeling oddly betraying. But he pushed those thoughts aside. This was his chance to be what he had always craved and striven to be. He couldn't give that up for a couple of goody-two-shoe morals. He wouldn't give it up.

"Yes, Sir. I'll get right on it. Thank you, Sir."

Dawn broke over Boneville, immersing its city in the darkness of a chilly, rainy morning. Drops pattered on the rooftops, chinking of the metal piping, and rolling down the glass panes of hundreds of windows. The smell of wet pavement wafted in the air, along with the sounds of an awaking culture. Horns blared on the busy streets, jolting every sleeping soul awake.

Except three, who were already wide awake.

Fone Bone sat on the worn, fabric couch, a cousin on either side of him. Smiley and Phoney had latched onto him during the long, sleepless night, and he had not pushed either of them away. Smiley, thankfully, had managed to fall into an uneasy slumber; too exhausted to stay awake any longer. Phoney, on the other hand, was still badly shaken from his nightmare. Fone had tried to calm him down, get him to talk about it, but Phoney had locked up like a hinged box. He refused to discuss it, and yet his grip on Fone Bone's arm was tight, as if he were afraid that, if he let go, Fone Bone would fade away forever. His eyes flitted about, as though, at any moment, he expected to be confronted with his own, deepest fears. It was an unnerving situation, pulling Fone's two relatives so far from their usual characters. Smiley was always with it. He was always happy, and...well, Smiley. And Phoney was always so untouchable. He believed he was capable of taking care of himself, as well as taking care of them all. To see him like this, pressing into Fone's side, seemed...wrong.

Bartleby watched from the side of the couch, noticing the foul weather outside with a hissing sigh. He could sense the tension in the room, and wished with all his might to relieve it. It was cold for a summer morning, and he detected that the three Bones had begun to shiver from the chill in the apartment, even though he couldn't feel it himself through his thick fur. Racing from the living room, the rat creature returned with a few blankets from the bedrooms. Fone Bone accepted them gratefully.

"Thanks, Bartleby."

He spread the woolen cloth over his closest relatives, making sure they were well covered. He needn't have bothered. Barely had he completed the task, than a huge clap of thunder nearly shook the building to its core. All three of the Bones leaped to their feet, eyes wide and breath catching as they stood, ready and waiting, to defend themselves against whatever may appear. Hearts racing, it felt as though all the world were out to get them.

"It's just thunder," Fone Bone soothed gently, taking hold of Smiley's wrist, trying to convince himself that everything truly was alright. He was surprised at the speed at which his cousin's pulse beat beneath his fingers. "It can't hurt us." He turned to Phoney next, expecting him to be his usual self and deny the fact that he had been startled. But Phoney did nothing of the kind.

"This n-needs to stop," Phoney stuttered, his shaking voice making him seem terribly vulnerable. "We can't j-just stay in here, hiding."

Fone Bone agreed. The fears of last night had faded to him somewhat, and he wasn't sure if it hadn't all been just some really odd, disturbing dream. But they couldn't have shared a nightmare. It had happened. And no manner of thinking it through logically could change it. Bartleby moved up to stand beside Smiley, allowing the Bone to lean against him slightly. It seemed to be the only thing that eased Smiley's anxiety. Fone left the rat creature to handle the taller cousin, turning his attention fully to Phoney. "It's morning now. Things might seem a little clearer now. We can talk."

"What is there to talk about?!" Phoney cried out, his voice slightly strained. His nerves were still on edge, and Fone Bone wasn't quite sure how to help him. "We're all going nuts!"

Fone grabbed a hold of his shoulders, giving the slightly smaller Bone a shake before looking him straight in the eyes. Phoney's gaze was unfocused, and filled with exhaustion. No sleep had given these eyes a rest for many long hours. "We're not going nuts, Phoney! For goodness sake, why would you say something like that?" He frowned even more when Phoney shook his hands off from his shoulders, and stepped back a few paces.

"Because what we're thinking can't be true!" He cringed, his expression changing again from one of anger to one of fear. His tone became almost pleading, as though he wanted Fone to tell him everything was going to be fine, even though he knew it would not. "Fone Bone, the Lord of the Locust is defeated. He's dead. He can't hurt anyone anymore...And yet, last night..." He shivered, closing his eyes tightly, images and emotions from his dream still haunting him. Hurting him. "It...It just doesn't make sense!"

Fone resisted the urge to gently take hold of his cousin once more, knowing that Phoney had already made it clear that he didn't want to be touched. He just wanted to be reassured, and that was something that, even if he wasn't sure of it himself, Fone Bone was willing to give. "It's alright," he said soothingly. "It's alright. Here, let's have some breakfast and calm down. We'll talk more about it when we all feel a little less..."

"Crazy? Hysterical?" Phoney spat the words out aggressively, all at once angry again.

Fone gave him a look. "Tense."

Despite the gloomy and frightened atmosphere that seemed to have made permanent residence in their apartment, Fone Bone refused to let it bother him, nor deter him from trying to cheer up his cousins. He went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, keeping one eye always watching Smiley and Phoney. Fone was glad to have Bartleby with them, seeing as it made the whole situation easier. It helped Smiley too, who slowly started to recover from their sleepless night. Even in his solemn state, he still glowed with his usual personality, dull as it was at the moment. Soon, he was helping Fone Bone mix up some scrambled eggs. Phoney moved into the kitchen as well, still slightly out of it. He kept staring into space, as though he could see something they couldn't. But Fone refused to let Phoney sink lower into what ever this was, and assigned him by the toaster to darken some slices of bread. It worked, and soon Phoney was preoccupied in making sure the toast didn't burn.

Fone Bone became more of the supervisor, ensuring that both his cousins were working, getting both their minds off of the events of the night before. Soon the smell of eggs sizzled and tugged at their prominent noses. The warmth from the stove seemed to sap away the cold darkness that still tried to grip their hearts. But it began to melt under the cheer of kitchen lights and the aroma of a home cooked meal. Though the world outside of the building was wet and dreary, inside was slowly becoming far less so.

Soon, breakfast was finished and the Cousins sat down to their meal. Though, as much fun as it had been to make, did little to entice the appetite once it was in front of them. Fone Bone, who, honestly, wasn't hungry in the least, had been planning to eat anyway. But he stopped short when he saw that neither Phoney nor Smiley had taken a bite.

"Aw, come on, guys..." he pushed gently, picking up his own fork with a scrap of egg balancing on its prongs. "You must be hungry. Phoney, I haven't seen you eat more than a bite since yesterday. Come on."

Phoney gazed down at the meal sadly. "I'm not really all that hungry." He pushed the plate away from himself with a tinge of regret.

Smiley did the same. "Me neither."

Fone Bone looked back down at his own plate, allowing his fork to slowly lower back to his food. The gloom that he had dispelled had now returned with a thicker depression than before. "A-Alright." He tried not to sound shaken. "That's OK. I'll save it for later when you are." But then he remembered that cold eggs weren't any good, even when re-heated, and so he slid the contents of their platters into Bartleby's bowl. The rat creature didn't seem half as excited as he usually was, but still bent to the task of eating the leftovers dutifully.

The Bones all sat in silence, staring at the stained wood of the tabletop, as if all the answers might be found there. Each was left with his own, dark thoughts. The only sound was of the rain hitting the roof, and an occasional rumble of far off thunder. They might have stayed that way all morning, if not at that particular moment there were several, loud knocks upon the outside of the apartment door. The cousins stiffened, looking up frightfully, and half standing from their chairs. Smiley and Phoney looked just about ready to bolt, but somehow managed to stay calm enough to keep from doing so. Or maybe they were just scared stiff. Fone Bone looked from the door and back to his cousins, motioning soothingly for them to sit back down. They did so, but only partially, braced for whatever stood beyond their sight. Fone Bone got to his feet, walking to the door just as their visitor knocked again. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

There stood a young, thin Bone, a postman by the looks of him, looking quite impatient. In his hands he held a letter, crisp and new. "Mr. Fone Bone?"

Fone Bone felt too relieved to be curious yet. "Yes?"

The postman held out the envelope to him, stiffly. It was a manner that the cousins had gotten quite used to since their return from the Valley. Just by watching him, Fone Bone could see where the boy stood in relation to their stories. He didn't believe them. In fact, he seemed a little leery of them. "Letter for you, Sir," he intoned, very business-like. "Signed urgent."

Fone took it, bringing it up to his face for closer inspection. "Urgent? What could be so urgent to come so early in the morning?"

The postman stood at stiff attention, every muscle just as ready to run as Phoney and Smiley had been. "I wouldn't know, Sir." He held out an empty hand, clearly expecting something to be given to him.

Fone Bone blinked, unsure, at first, what he wanted. "Oh," he gasped slightly, rummaging in a wallet that resided by the door. He pulled out four coins, checking and finding two to be some of Phoney's false coins from the Valley. They held no value in Boneville, just as they had held no value in Atheia. Fone Bone quickly put them back, handing the few quarters that he had found out to the postman. "Right. Sorry. Here you go."

"Thank you, Sir," was the hurried reply. And then the lad was gone, having performed his task. Fone didn't give the boy a second thought, instead closing the door as he stared at the letter, turning it forward and back in an attempt to figure out who it was from. It held little information, other than their address. The only other thing on its surface was a stamp. Tearing the top of the envelope, he freed the letter and held it up to the light.

Smiley's curiosity got the better of him. "What is it?"

Fone frowned as his eyes moved back and forth over the writing. He didn't seem at all pleased. "It's another call for Phoney and I to go before the Council."

"Again?!" Phoney exclaimed, his face becoming slightly panicked. He did not feel ready to face those Bones again, especially after last night. "W-When?"

"As soon as possible." Fone Bone sighed. "I tell you, Phoney, if they ask me so much as one more question about the Valley, I'm gonna...gonna...I suppose it's against the law to punch out a Chairman, huh?"

Phoney gave a nervous chuckle, forcing himself to stay calm. "F-Fone Bone, I really don't want to go back there."

Fone gave his cousin an apologetic look. He hated this just as much as Phoney did. He hated being questioned and re-questioned, as if their word wasn't good enough for their own people. Fone hated how prying the inquires could get. And he especially hated when they attacked Phoney directly. The shortest Bone seemed to be their favorite target. Probably had something to do with the fact that Phoney had once striven to be like the Council. The Council had been at Phoney's 'election' and had been subjected to the chaos that had ensued there. Fone Bone couldn't blame Phoney for being reluctant to go. Yesterday he had been angry, but now Phoney seemed frightened to face them. "I know, Phoney. But they're the government here, and as much as we hate it, we have to obey. As long as it's just asking questions and they're not doing any real harm."

Phoney nodded, averting his eyes, trying to act like he didn't care now either way. His eyes settled on their taller cousin. "What about Smiley?"

"The, um, letter didn't say anything about him coming. Again." Fone Bone looked up from the now crinkled paper. "I'm sorry, Smiley."

The tall Bone shrugged. "That's just fine by me. I'd rather stay here than go before the Council. I guess they don't count me as much of a threat." He chuckled, but the sense of hurt was still there. It was odd. He didn't want to go, but anything would have been better than being ignored. No one ever remembered Smiley.

"That's just because they don't know you," Fone Bone huffed, resisting the urge to crumble the letter up in contempt. "They don't know the amazing things you've done." His spirits dropped further. "That we've all done." He shook his head with a sigh. To their own home and people, they were considered liars. There was no use fighting it. "You sure you'll be alright staying here, Smiley?" he asked, gathering a few things that he might need for the visit with the Council.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Besides, it's daytime. It's...It's safer during the daytime. You know?" He hesitated, stroking Bartleby's purple fur. "Bartleby will be here with me. We'll watch some cartoons together or something. Right, buddy?"

The rat creature grinned, showing every one of his razor sharp teeth. "Right, Smiley!"

Fone Bone nodded, leading the way out the door with Phoney reluctantly following. "Alright...As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"Okay...We should be back by later this afternoon."

With that, the door closed, leaving Smiley standing on the kitchen tiles with Bartleby beside them. Something didn't feel right about all this, but Smiley had held his tongue. He would be fine. Of course he would. But that didn't stop him from being cautious. He moved forward, firmly locking the door, then moved on to every window in the apartment, locking them securely. Bartleby followed in curious worry. Finally, when all avenues of entree had been eradicated, Smiley returned to the living room. He stood a moment, surveying his work, before he sat down on the sofa, turning on the television and patting beside him for his friend to join him.

"Come on, Bartleby. Let's see what's on."

There we go, sorry it took so long. I finally came up with the entire story for this. I didn't quite know where I was going with it until now. Now I'm REALLY excited! ;)