It was dark.

Very dark.

Something lurked, but was hidden.

Phoney stood in the blackness, arms pressed against his chest and eyes shut tight. He was trying to make himself as small as possible. Trying to hide. Trying to make himself invisible. All he wanted was to be back in the light, and away from this world of fear and pain. He hoped that he was too small to be noticed, and that he could just stay low and undetected.

But it didn't work.

It saw him.

It knew he was there.

Phoney felt it turn, surrounding him with its presence like a thick, substantial shadow. It was mocking him, grinning, even though it was nothing visible. Phoney could feel its contempt and victory, and he suddenly felt very insignificant. Very weak and vulnerable. Very much an easy target.

He kept his eyes closed, scrunching their lids harder, and his arms stiffened, pressing into himself. He knew he was doomed. There was no escape. There was no hope. There was no chance. Phoney cringed as a word echoed loudly in his mind, almost as loud as a shout. From all around him. It pierced his soul, making him wince in pain, and tremble in fear. It filled him with an overwhelming urge to obey, and yet, at the same time, a terror to do so.

"...COME..."

With a jolt, Phoney awakened, hands griping the sand beneath him as the world came tilting back into focus. It was just like the night before; a dream of frightening sensation and foreboding, only, in a way, a little bit clearer. It had seemed a lot more real, and a lot stronger, as though the source had a better entry into his mind and soul. As if he hadn't really been asleep. Slowly, he realized that he was lying on his back, breathing heavily, only this time there was no Fone Bone holding him down like before. Phoney could feel the cold consistency of sand under him, his mind finally remembering where they were. Not that it was much comfort knowing one was stranded in the desert, but it was a world of a lot better than his nightmare. He closed his eyes in relief.

He was starting to despise sleep, feeling almost feverish with his fear of it. He was so tired, and yet the moment his vision closed to the world of slumber, he was haunted and hurt by the images his exhausted mind concocted. If it was even his fault. He didn't recognize any of those images as ones that he had gathered from any recent experiences. He knew what it reminded him of though. That was no mystery. It was of a force he and his cousins had fought so hard to defeat, in what felt like so very long ago. But, in truth, was not. It really hadn't been that long a time since they had quested in the Valley. But, living back in Boneville, it had seemed to make it feel like another lifetime entirely. The magic and adventure had died. And so had their spirits. Though he had once been captured by the Locust's servant, the Hooded One, and almost sacrificed, Phoney had never seen the Dark Lord himself. It had been a shadow. A presence. Nothing concrete. Phoney's mind was not supplied with an image of him; of what he was like, or any other such thing.

Then where were these dreams coming from?

It sent a shiver of fierce unease throughout his whole body. A sense of foreboding filled his mind, and yet he fought against it. He did not want to give in to harmless dreams and fears. He didn't want to assume danger where non existed. He would not let it overcome him. He started trying to calm his mind, breathing slower and slower as he forced his panic to diminish. His heart stopped its insistent pounding, and he struggled to sit up, knowing that trying to get any more sleep that night would be useless.

It was then that he realized that it was no longer the scorching heat of the day, but the cool, refreshing shadow of night that surrounded him. The wind, though warm, was strong, blowing loud against his ears as it thundered over the dunes, unobstructed by buildings or any other forms of civilization. It whipped little wisps of dust of the curling crests of the sand piles, though, luckily, not so much so that it blew in one's eyes. The desert itself was bathed in moonlight, creating a blue glow that was reflected in the very sand itself. Dark shadows dipped on the dune sides, pockets of black against a rolling, sandy sea of light, calming midnight.

Phoney glanced to his left, checking on his younger cousin. Fone Bone was sleeping peacefully enough, and for that Phoney was grateful. He knew that Fone needed his rest, but they also had to get a move on to find Smiley. Having overslept was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was bad because it meant that, while they had been resting, Smiley might have gotten even further ahead of them than before. The good thing, however, was that traveling under the darkness of night would be easier and, in the long run, less dangerous than making the trek in broad daylight. The sun's rays would have sapped them of their energy very quickly, and then they would have been in serious trouble. But by night there was no glaring sun, nor the intense heat from its power. They could walk in coolness, and, therefore, travel much further. Whether that had been Fone Bone's intention or not, Phoney didn't know. But, either way, it worked out for the best. As long as they headed out immediately.

Preparing to reach over and shake his cousin awake, Phoney suddenly froze, hand held out before him, hovering over his cousin's shoulder. His eyes grew wide, and his hearing focused with a sense of urgent panic. His heart and breathing picked back up, though he tried to suppress the sounds they made, as dark images of what it could be began assaulting his imagination viciously.

He had heard movement.

There was no mistaking it. A soft movement, light and clumsy; the sound of sand sliding beneath the careful weight of a foot pressing down upon it. Phoney might have dismissed it as nothing but a rare bit of life in the desert, walking about as it looked for food. It could have been anything. A desert mouse, or rabbit, or even a fox. Except this was far too close for any animal. No wild creature would venture as close to them as this. The sound had been only a few yards beside them. And it had not been Fone Bone. And it was far too heavy to be anything smaller than a person. This was the sound of a someone, rather than a something.

Shifting slowly and carefully, Phoney tried to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Though the moon was out, peeking between large, thick silhouettes of clouds, it did little to effect the atmosphere of the landscape, shrouding it blearily. The dancing patterns of dim light and prominent shadows made it impossible to pick out anything clearly, both up close and in the distance.

He sat crouched, hands gripping the sand so tightly it felt like the grit was burning into his skin. His nightmare was enhancing his sensitivity, making him jumpy. He tried to rationalize the situation, slowly attempting to convince himself that it couldn't be a person, because they were out in the middle of the desert. No one would be dumb enough to be out there, excluding him, Fone, and Smiley. It couldn't have been what it sounded like. But then, just as he was beginning to settle back down, the noise sounded again. Closer. And Phoney thought he caught the slightest bit of movement, several paces to his cousin's left; where Fone's knapsack was lying coated in loose sand. Phoney stiffened at once, shaking as his mind warred over what he should do. The need to protect his family kicked hard into Phoney's heart, something that was still very new to him. He had always looked out for himself, never caring about the affairs of others. But now, he had grown very close to Fone and Smiley. Even more so than when the three cousins had been children, orphans stealing pies on the street.

Phoney, as the oldest, had always schemed and planned, in order to keep what little he had left of his family alive. It was a burden that was really too hard for him to carry alone, and yet he would never let anyone help him. Since the Valley, his instincts to provide and protect had more than doubled. While, perhaps, through less drastic measures, he still struggled to keep them all safe. And now, sitting in the desert, with the wind blowing particles of sand against its skin, a creature was creeping slowly toward Fone Bone. It seized Phoney's soul with panic, driving him up to his feet, and, with a shout, the smallest Bone cousin leaped upon the shadow.

The intruder gave a grunt of surprise as Phoney jumped forward, wrapping his short arms around its middle. Together, they staggered backward, tripping over Fone Bone's slumbering form, which brought the two slamming down to the ground, half on top of Fone, resulting in jolting the sleeping Bone into full wakefulness. His eyes snapped open, a mix of pain and surprise very easily visible in his expression.

"OUCH! Phoney! Hey, what's going on?! Hey!" Fone staggered to his feet as the two rolled away from him, the poor Bone trying to make out the tangled shadow of arms and legs in the dark. He squinted, trying to depict it from the other patches of blues and blacks and grays, the sounds of a struggle in his ears. He could her Phoney, wrestling with something, as Fone shifted back to avoid a kick in the shin. Sand was flying out, spraying in Fone's direction whenever the two rolling figures got close to him.

"Get a light! Get a light!" Phoney shouted frantically, struggling to keep the intruder down and in his grip. He was having difficulty with his adversary. Whoever he had his arms wrapped around was strong, and energetic; panic-stricken in their movements to get away. They kicked and pushed, and, though Phoney was equally desperate, he found himself weakening quite quickly. His nerves were not at their best either, still frayed from his nightmares. All kinds of images of what he might be gripping in his arms flashed in his mind. He was almost afraid to find out.

A sudden kick to his stomach made Phoney gasp, and he let go and fell to the ground with a sharp cry and a thump.

Fone grabbed his bag, hands shaking in his worry as though their very lives depended on how quickly he felt his grip close around the smooth, cylinder form of his flashlight. His fingers dug inside the sack, brushing up against it, and he pulled it out, just as he heard Phoney give a sharp inhale and a sound of pain. Fone felt his mind panic, believing he was already too late. Hurriedly, he flicked on the switch, jolting his arm and the light in the direction of the scuffle, half expecting to see some horrible monster with its claws wrapped around Phoney's neck. But, instead of some horrid beast, the beam fell upon the figure of a Bone, black tie pulled undone and crooked, a small boulder hat laying in the sand at his feet. His chest was heaving, eyes wincing in the light that suddenly flashed in his face, hand held up to shield them. Beside him, Phoney lay on his side, clutching his stomach, gasping for air with a murderous glare piercing up at his opponent.

Fone Bone's voice held no hesitation, only anger and warning. After so long a time of living beneath the threats and hate of others of his kind, he had learned not to bandy words. His questions were quick and to the point, and left hospitality to be desired. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Each word was ground out sternly, leaving no room for any other interpretation.

Lathan knew he was in trouble. He hadn't planned on getting caught. He had figured that the two Bone cousins would have been too deep in sleep to hear him, but, obviously, that had been a mistake. Now that he was discovered, it took away all possibilities for him to observe the cousins naturally. Now they would become suspicious. They already were, he could see it in their faces; see it in the way their eyes narrowed in anger and unease. The way they were standing, defensively, as though ready to fight if need be. Lathan had already seen how the Council had effected them. They were practically rivals. Enemies. They would be furious if they found out his true mission. And he would never get the publicity he had been promised if he didn't get the whole story. They had headed out into the desert, and that was a start. There had to be a reason. Treasure maybe. Or some strange secret. He had to find out where their journey was going to lead them. If he didn't, he would never get the life as a reporter he had always wanted.

Lathan had never been a liar, other than the occasional white lie from time to time. To resort to untruth now was very tempting. He could make up a story. Convince them he wasn't anyone to worry about. Get on their good side. Then he could continue his observations without them knowing or protesting. It was worth a shot. The alternative was to tell the truth, suffer their anger, go back to Boneville to the wrath of the council, and probably be kept from ever getting a job as a reporter again. He simply had nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Putting on the most apologetic expression he could, Lathan moved his body into a tight, frightened stance, making himself look as small and pathetic as he could. He rubbed his hands together in front of him, sliding them over each over in a nervous, unconscious pattern. "I just wanted some water..." he gasped, trying to appear as worn and weak as possible from his fight. Phoncible really had been stronger than he had imagined. The oldest Bone Cousin was the shortest, even Lathan beat him by a few inches, and yet his energy seemed to counteract that fact quite a bit. Though not enough. Lathan was built sturdier. Stockier. And, while Phoney had put up a good fight, he hadn't had a chance. The reporter put on his most winning smile. "I-I'm Lathan..."

Fone Bone still seemed confused, his expression of anger instantly falling into one of uncertainty. A moment ago he had been sure where he stood with this stranger. Now, he wasn't so sure. Fone glanced through the darkness, back the way they had come, then back to their unexpected visitor, eyes widening in disbelief. "You're...from Boneville?" That both shocked him and frightened him. It shocked him that any other Bone had had the guts to go out into the desert. Bones were not adventurous folk. To leave the city was practically insane. In fact, other than themselves, Fone Bone had never heard of any other Bone leaving the city since Big Johnson Bone had founded it. While that might not be completely accurate, it was certainly close to the truth. He really had never heard of anyone ever leaving the safety and comfort of civilization.

"Yes." Lathan ran with it. "I work there as a...as a banker. I was just locking up the office, when I saw you two head'n out into the desert. And, well, my curiosity got the best of me." He tried to appear as embarrassed as possible. As though it were some troublesome habit he had yet to break. "I thought maybe I'd...you know...Follow you. To see where you were going. Hoping for a bit of excitement." He gave his tie a twist, which, if he did say so himself, added a whole new level to his act of uneasiness. He jumped back as Phoney rose rather threateningly to his feet.

"Well, you've certainly found that," the Bone growled, one hand still pressed against his gut, which was throbbing from the kick he had received. The other hand lay clenched at his side, as though at the drop of a pin he would be glad to release the tension in it by smashing the newcomer's face in.

Lathan took note of it, but tried to act as innocent as possible. He spread his arms wide, giving a slight shrug. "But I haven't brought any food or water with me. And, with all this sand, I got kind of turned around." He gestured to the vast world around them. "I wanted to return to Boneville, but I could no longer remember the direction to go to do so. So I...I kept following you. When you fell asleep I crept down here and...Well, I tried to take some of your food and water. I-I'm sorry." He was. But only because he had been caught.

There wasn't a trace of anger on Fone Bone's face anymore. Just a sense of regrettable misfortune. "Well," he said slowly, "I suppose you couldn't just stay out there alone. I wish you had just come out and told us, instead of scaring Phoney and I so badly." He gave a tired smile. "But no harm done. Guess you'll be coming with us." The minute the words were out of his mouth, Fone felt a grip settle around his wrist, being pulled aside with frustrated urgency. He rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming. "Excuse us a moment."

Phoney swung Fone Bone to the side, just out of Lathan's hearing range, if they whispered. His face held disbelief and annoyance. "Are you insane?! Fone Bone, we don't know anything about this guy. He could be lying!"

Fone shrugged, already disinterested with the conversation. "He seems alright to me."

"Fone Bone, he just snuck into our camp to steal our food and water! He kicked me in the stomach for cry'n out loud!"

"Well, you did kind of jump out at him," Fone pointed out. Phoney gave his cousin a glare that showed he was not amused. Fone gave a frustrated huff. "Oh, come on, Phoney. You're just sore because he bested you in a fight. He's harmless. Besides, we can't just leave him out here alone, without any food or water. You remember what that was like. Regardless of what we feel, we can't just ignore him and send him away. It's what's right."

"Fone Bone, I-"

"We don't have time to argue, Phoney. We've wasted enough time." He turned away, walking back to their guest. "We have to get to Smiley Bone before...before something else does."

Phoney opened his mouth to give a sharp retort, but then shut it like a box. Fone Bone would not be persuaded when he was like this. Besides, it wasn't like he had a concrete reason for mistrusting the odd fellow. Bankers did dress like that, and Phoney would know; he had devoted most of his life to the economic systems of his home government. But something about this Bone made him uneasy. Nervous even. But there was nothing he could do. Fone Bone had made his decision, and nothing short of a miracle would change it.

With a sigh of resignation, Phoney rejoined the two other Bones.

Fone gave Lathan a genuine smile, his decision reinforced by his determination to prove Phoney wrong. He picked up his knapsack, opening it up and handing the Bone their canteen. Lathan took it gratefully, popping off the cap and taking a quick swallow before handing it back. Fone took it and placed it back in the sack. He dusted off the sand from the pouch before settling it on his back. "Alright, Lathan, It looks like the vote is final." He sent Phoney a warning glance. "Follow us." He started off at a purposeful stroll, Lathan and Phoney trailing swiftly behind.

Lathan smiled, falling into step. "Believe me. I am." He tried to ignore the frown of intense disapproval that Phoncible sent his way.

Lathan mopped a hand across his sweating brow, blinking the salt from his eyes as they stung against the sun's rays. They had been walking for hours now, from the cool of night to the middle of the heated day. The sun's great orb hung high above the three travelers, beating down on them mercilessly. Lathan could never remember feeling so hot. He felt as though he were baking, like his skin would virtually cook on his body, exposed out in the blistering sun. He breathed heavily, not being used to all this moving about. His exercise usually consisted of walking up a few flights of stairs a day. He wasn't overweight for a Bone, but he was certainly out of shape. Shading his eyes against the glare, he squinted into the distance. "Whew...It's hot."

"It's the desert. Not the arctic."

Fone sent his cousin a reproaching glance. "Knock it off, Phoney." He had been listening to Phoney's dry remarks all morning, the shorter Bone being very vocal of his dislike of Lathan's company. Fone could understand Phoney's reluctance to trust the stranger. It had seemed like forever when they had felt welcomed by any of there own kind. Oh, there was always an occasional individual from time to time that would give them an encouraging smile, but, for the most part, the Bone Cousins had no support. Phoney had not taken it well; none of them had. But, out of the three of them, it was Phoney's trust that had been hurt the most. What with how the Council had treated him. Everything and everyone he had ever depended on had suddenly turned their back on him. And Fone Bone understood that, but it didn't mean that he could give a perfectly harmless individual the cold shoulder.

Lathan gave a grunt, sending Phoney a look of annoyance before ignoring him completely. "I've never been out into the desert before," he informed their assumed leader. "I've never even been out of the city before. My work keeps me running from place to place well enough, but out here there's nothing. No cars, no people; not even any animal life. How did you make it through this desert the first time?" It was a question of which he truly was curious.

Fone kept marching ahead, answering without keeping his eyes off the horizon. "The first time?"

Lathan quickened his pace, partially to get closer to Fone, but also to put some distance between him and Phoncible. "Yeah. The first time you made it through the desert to this 'Valley' you've all spoken of so much. How did you do it? You had no food or water or...anything."

Fone Bone gave a tired sigh. He was so sick of defending a story that was as much a part of him and his cousins as it was a history of the world. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Stories," Lathan shrugged. "You three Bones have become very well known."

From behind them, Phoney snorted. "Tell me about it."

Fone sent him yet another warning glance, a little more intense this time. "Phoney." He turned to Lathan, giving the Bone his full attention for the first time in hours. "Well, those stories might be a little exaggerated. We had some water, a full canteen, actually. But, the trip into the desert hadn't been really something we had thought through, and we soon ran out. Smiley drank the rest of the water." He said the last part with a smirk. It hadn't been funny then, but now, for some reason, it was.

"What did you do after that?"

"Well, things sort of came to their own conclusions." Fone looked back toward the front, eyes scanning their surrounding, but in a way that gave the impression he was seeing the desert of the past, when he had last traveled that way. "And to tell you the truth, I don't really remember it very clearly. We were chased by...a swarm of insects. We got separated. And...it was a long time before we saw each other again."

"Insects?"

"Locusts," Phoney supplied, with the smallest hint of a shiver. He had lost his angry expression, also seeming lost in thought like his cousin. Lathan looked between the two, unsure as to what was the big deal. Insects weren't that scary. If they were even telling the truth about that. The Chairman had warned him to beware of the Bone Cousins' lies. This could very well be one of them.

Lathan scratched his head, trying to appear open about the whole thing. "That's odd. I mean, this is the desert. Where did they even come from?"

"The Valley."

"Right." Despite his best try, Lathan could not keep the slight scoff from his voice. He managed to disguise it with a cough, looking around them as though the desert had suddenly become very interesting. "Getting kind of windy, isn't it?" he observed. In fact, it was. Sand was starting to roll over the dunes in little swirling clouds, and the breeze that carried it pushed against the Bones, throwing off their balance a bit.

All at once, Fone Bone's eyes, which had been squintingly scanning ahead, widened. "Hey, look! Out there!" His tone was tense and excited, prompting Phoney to push past Lathan to reach his side and follow Fone's pointing finger. His eyes also opened wide, blinking against the growing wind.

"It's Smiley! And Bartleby!"

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Fone gave the loudest holler he could. "SMILEY! BARTLEBY! OVER HERE!"

Lathan chuckled, relieved that the lost cousin had been found, so that they could head back for Boneville. He was quickly realizing that this outdoor life was not for him. He wished for the comfort of his warm, soft bed, and the sound of his hand-operated press. Old as it was, it was something he treasured, and, at the moment, deeply missed. "He hears you!" His smile faded as he noticed the far off figure stumble, and almost fall. "He doesn't look so good."

Fone Bone bit his lip. The wind was picking up even more, and they had to shield their faces against a sudden gust carrying dust crystals and silt. "Shoot." Fone had been afraid of this. Smiley hadn't brought any supplies with him. He had never been one for thinking ahead. But it was proving to be a very dangerous flaw at the moment. Fone snatched his knapsack from his back, working on opening it as he suddenly started running toward his cousin. "We have to hurry! He probably needs water pretty badly by now!"

"Whoa! Hey!" Lathan struggled to keep up as Phoney roughly grabbed his wrist, pulling him down the side of a steep dune as both cousins took off at an all out run. The sand was slipping from under his feet in a mini avalanche, creating a river-like path of sand sliding behind them, filling in the holes their feet had made. Lathan was already tired from walking all night and morning, and he was greatly irritated by Phoncible's tight hold on him. Twisting his wrist, he managed to free himself.

Phoncible only looked back for a moment, barely interested. "Come on!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm-" Lathan's words all at once died in his throat. His eyes opened wider than any as of yet, his mouth going momentarily slack before finally being able to speak. "H-hey...Hey guys!...W-What's that?!" He was still running forward, coming to a halt just behind Phoney as he too came to a sudden stop. Several yards ahead, Fone Bone froze as well. All eyes fixed on the wall of brown and grey sweeping toward them across the desert.

"Ohmygosh...It's a sandstorm!"

Fone Bone started running again; faster than he had ever run in his life, waving his arms and yelling at the top of his lungs. "SMILEY! RUN! RUN, SMILEY!" He could see Smiley and Bartleby more clearly now, down over the next dune. Fone rocketed down into the valley-like wave of sand, before struggling to the top of the second. Smiley was looking up at him, an expression of exhaustion and surprise on his face. He wasn't running, not yet aware of the towering cloud of sand at his back, thundering closer every moment. It was all like it was in slow motion. Fone felt his heart stop, or at least, it felt like it did. His mind was in a blind panic. He knew that right behind him Phoney and Lathan were following close, and his concern for them as well caused him to be torn. He couldn't turn back for them without abandoning Smiley, nor the other way around. But the storm was almost upon them, and Smiley was closest to it. Somehow, that took priority in Fone's mind. He pushed his short legs harder, watching with wide eyes as Smiley suddenly seemed to realize something was wrong. The tallest Bone glanced over his shoulder, startling at the sight he beheld. He started stumbling forward at a run, Bartleby trying to nudge him alone faster.

"SMILEY!" Fone leaped, almost falling as he reached the same stretch of sand as his cousin. He closed the remaining distance between them in seconds, ramming into Smiley so forcibly they almost fell. He ran into his cousin's arms, his panic still high and sharp. He knew there was nothing they could do but brace themselves. "Smiley! Hang on, it-"

The storm hit.