Prologue: Headmaster Hand
Friday evening comes fast, presenting itself as an ordinary, tiring affair. The Brigade stops for the night in a rainy clearing, we prisoners are sentenced to sitting by a tree, and Ike takes his usual position by our side. I start my usual work on analysing the horses and the positions of the soldiers, but before I can get anywhere, Roy corners me.
"I know who you are."
For a moment, I'm stunned. "You do?"
"Yes." He nods firmly. "Headmaster Hand, right? Your brother was Crazy Hand."
"Erm... yes." I see no point in denying it. "That's me. I remember when you went to my school."
"Jesus." Roy shakes his head. "Of course. I'm not sure why it took me so long to recognise you, Headmaster. Why didn't you tell us who you were?"
"Even the Tazmily Villagers have heard of Crazy Hand," I say grimly. "If they found out he was my twin brother, they'd make assumptions. They'd know I'm from Onett."
"He's that well-known, huh? I suppose I can understand that..."
"Don't tell them," I say, trying not to sound as desperate as I feel. I hadn't expected to be discovered so soon. Some people are still biased against me, and provoking them wouldn't do me any good.
"I won't," Roy assures me. "Your secret's safe."
We're interrupted by the arrival of Angie and Ollie, coming over after dismounting their cream-coloured horse. Ollie looks tired, but he appears resilient as ever, Angie much the same, giving us a weak smile as she sits down.
"Another day," she says, wiping the rain from her forehead.
"Another day," I echo. Thunder rattles in the distance, mixing with the sound of the wind cutting through the trees. It's been tougher than usual today, but my resolve remains. I can't give up, not ever, not until all hope is lost.
"Angie and I, we've been thinking," Ollie says, nervously pushing his glasses up his nose. "Do you feel as if... everyone's getting complacent? As if we've all forgotten that we're going to our deaths?"
I look over. Caroline and Tessie are smiling and laughing, Elmore and Pusher bickering as usual. It's always amazing how fast humans can adapt to hard situations, but Ollie's right. It's becoming a problem.
"We've tried talking to our parents," Angie says sadly. "They didn't really listen. What are we going to do, Steven? What's the plan?"
"I don't really have one," I admit. "I've been trying to get Ike to help us, but he's so stubborn. Every day, I've been studying the Brigade for weak points, and it seems they hardly have any."
"We found the same," Ollie says, glum. He pulls out a notepad, opening it up to what looks to be a schedule. "This is what we've observed. Every post is guarded at all times on rotation. A new leader is assigned each day, but there's a sort of Captain who oversees it all - Captain Strong, we believe he's called..."
I study Ollie's notes, transfixed, but we're cut off by a shout from a nearby soldier.
"Hey! Backup needed over here!"
I whirl around. The sound of neighing rings out, and the soldier is knocked to the floor by a large, dark silhouette. Several soldiers rush over to assist, but other horses break free, tugging at their ropes, running chaos around the campsite.
"Now!" Roy calls. "Come on!"
"What?"
"It's our chance to get away!"
He's right. I jump to my feet, narrowly dodging a fearsome cream horse that barrels past us. Soldiers bark orders as pandemonium breaks out, and I grab Ike's arm, just as he's about to go over and assist.
"Come on! We're leaving!"
"What?" Ike throws me off. "No! There's a crisis, and I'm supposed to be helping."
"This is our only chance!" Roy says, grabbing his other arm. "Come on, mate. You might get killed. We've got to get out of here while we still can."
"I'm not going," Ike says firmly, drawing his spear. "And I can't let you escape either. By order of the Onett First Brigade, you must remain-"
"Ike!" Roy exclaims. "You idiot - I'm your friend. They're going to use me as a meat shield if you make me stay. Come on, we haven't got long."
"Look," Ike says, dropping his voice to a whisper. "If the government found out I'd deserted the First Brigade, they'd throw me in jail. Even if I escape, there's no hope for me. I'm on record, okay?"
"Then turn a blind eye," Roy hisses. "Please, just think about what you're saying-"
"They'll know I let you go. If I neglect my duties-"
"We'll die otherwise," I interrupt. "Tazmily has a secret weapon, and if it's what I think it is, it's going to be a massacre. Please, Ike."
"I don't even know who you are," he says, exasperated. "I have no reason to believe you."
"I'm Headmaster Hand," I say, desperately avoiding another horse. "I taught you for seven years."
"Look, Ike, we haven't got long," Roy says. "Headmaster Hand means well, okay? In life, there are moments when you have to choose your path, and this is one of them. I've seen what Porky can do, I've experienced it first-hand. If it weren't for Headmaster Hand, I'd still be one of Porky's minions - God, it makes me sick just thinking about it. It's hell. If you follow these soldiers into their silly battle, it will be hell for you too. So, please. Choose us. Choose safety." He extends his hand. "Stand with me."
"...Godammit." Ike sighs, slowly putting his spear back in its sheath. "I've always hated your enormous speeches. Fine. I'll come with you. But quickly!"
With that, we hurry over to Ollie and Angie, who have just about gathered the others together. The horses continue to run amok in the background, trampling soldiers and backpacks and who knows what else. Ollie leads us towards a little gap in the trees, hunched down, and I follow, a rushing in my ears. We dodge tents and bushes, keeping to the shadows, soaked through with rain but moving as a group. It's the first time I've felt unified in days.
We pass several hapless soldiers, most of them screaming as the horses eat their sleeping bags. Then we're at the trees, and I guide us among them, scarcely believing our fortune. Driving rain and violent neighing rings out behind us, and I come to a stop, pinching myself as though in a dream. It feels almost too good to be true.
"What now?" Elmore demands.
"Run," I suggest, but Elmore groans.
"I can't run, it's too late. I'm tired!"
"Quiet down," I say again, nervously looking behind me at the trees. "We need to be careful, because we're entering dangerous territory. If we come across any other Brigades, we'll be at risk. We need to get to Onett nice and fast, since-"
"Oh, shut it you old bore," Pusher says, laughing. "We're free, free at last!"
"Yeah!" Elmore enthuses. "About time you did something good."
"Thanks," I say dryly. "But really, we need to be quiet and get a move on-"
"Give us a break!" Pusher exclaims. "We're here, we've done what you want for so long. Can't we rest, just for a bit?"
"No!" I hiss. "Not while we're still in range of the soldiers. We have to be rational, or we'll be in danger. I promised to get you to safety, and that starts with getting us away from the Brigade."
"Oh, screw the Brigade!" Pusher bellows, stamping his foot. "We can fight them, can't we? For the glory of Tazmily! For FREEDOM!"
His shout echoes through the forest, and I stare at him in disbelief.
"Aha!" a soldier exclaims, coming out from the clearing.
There's not even time to run.
We're promptly taken back to our tree.
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~~o00o~~
Chapter 37 - Soft Truths
(Ness)
~~o00o~~
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As the last puffs of smoke dissipate, leaving me and Lucas alone, I begin to feel strangely at peace.
Without the others, there's no more chaos. Nothing's attacking us. We're just in the middle of nature, tall trees stretching for miles, the moon shimmering down from a cloudless sky. We turn away from the tracks, walking in unison into the mystical forest, and I almost find myself taking Lucas's hand.
"And so it begins," Lucas says ominously. "East towards the river, right?"
"Yep," I say. "Marth said it'll be half a mile."
"I think I'll fall asleep as soon as we arrive," Lucas decides, yawning, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "Today has gone on for too long."
I nod, unable to add much more. Everything's already been said, the horrors already discussed, the trauma relived too many times. There's only so much we can handle before we give in, and I think we're getting dangerously close to that point. We need time to reset, to process it all.
The walk continues in silence, and after a little bit of time, I find myself taking Lucas's hand anyway. "I hope it's safe out here. I don't like how dark it is."
"That's what happens when the sun goes down," Lucas says, but he still looks worried. "It can't be too bad, right? Just wild animals and stuff?" A rook caws in the distance, and Lucas looks up.
"And cold, pressing darkness," I remind him. "The imminent threat of death."
"Well, now I'm scared, thank you very much." Lucas prods me. "If something tries to eat us, I'm sacrificing you."
"Hey! Why me?"
"You're bigger," he says simply.
With that, we keep walking, our ears pricked that little bit more, eyes trailing the suspicious shadows amongst the trees. However, a pleasant watery noise fills our ears soon enough, and we come out at what looks to be a grassy bank. It's hard to make it out in the darkness, but it feels reasonably comfortable, and like the kind of place we could settle down for the night. I sit down, yawning, wincing as I feel the dew soaking my trousers.
"The river's full from the storm," Lucas notes, peering over the edge. From where I sit, I can see it frothing, splashing over the bank, much wider down here than up at the school. It looks freezing, and I find myself hoping that it doesn't flood. That would probably end in us getting swept away.
Lucas comes to sit by me, cuddling up to me, already shivering a little. I wrap him in my arms, wondering if this is a little bit gay, but honestly, a lot of the things we do together seem gay nowadays. I think I like that, though I still worry about Lucas's boundaries. I wouldn't want to take things too far.
"You ready to sleep?" Lucas murmurs.
"Yeah, but I think one of us should keep watch..." I cast a nervous eye toward the forest. "There could be Future Humans in there."
"There won't be," Lucas says, patting me on the shoulder. "Porky won't have a clue where we are right now. There's no way he'd know."
"He always knows," I say darkly, but I give in, lying on the grass, letting Lucas rest his head on my chest. It makes me feel a little giddy. We fall quiet, and I close my eyes, thinking about it for the millionth time, all this chaos. Everything that we've been through together.
Please don't take him away from me.
It's the smell of his hair that corrupts my worried thoughts. I find myself guiltily pulling him closer as sleep tries to tug me away, seemingly in the other direction.
"Goodnight," Lucas whispers.
"Goodnight," I whisper back.
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I wake to sunlight streaking through the trees, the sky bigger and bluer than seemingly possible. Throughout the night, more dew appears to have formed on my clothes, but it's a warm kind of dew, one I can probably tolerate.
"Hnngns - uwah - ahxh - hn?" Lucas says, stirring, and I laugh.
"Good morning, goof."
"...You're the goof." He rolls away from me, standing up and wiping the sleep from his eyes. In the sunlight, he somehow looks even prettier than usual. "What time is it?"
"Uh, midday," I say. It feels as if I slept for quite a while, and I feel looser than usual, able to run more than ten metres without losing my breath. I look around, my mouth falling open as I take in where we are.
"It's beautiful here," Lucas says appreciatively, and I can only nod, kind of awestruck. Where the evergreen trees around us cast shadows, crystalline white frost has formed, looking like a fresh dusting of snow. A pair of jays sing, flying gracefully over the river before settling down on a nearby branch, biting at some fragrant berries. There are even crocuses dotted along the riverbank, a vibrant range of purples and blues that feel almost summery, especially next to the glittering water.
Before the industrial revolution, the river was the centre of most Onetian cultural and religious ideologies, inspiring rich folklore of Naiads and sea snakes, water gods and drowned ships. But all that vanished when the coal deposits were discovered, when my father, Porky, and other entrepreneurs built their corporations over it, turning the river into some kind of toxic cesspit. It's a timely reminder of what we're facing, of what all this industry has led to. Humanity has evolved too quickly.
"We're all alone out here," Lucas says. "I really feel it, like there's nothing bad nearby. I've not felt like that in ages."
"About time," I say, smiling. "Your creepy premonitions were getting morbid."
He turns to me. "We just have to wait here for the others, right? I hope they take their time. I could stay here forever."
"They might need some space," I say, more hopefully than intended. "They've got a lot to talk about."
"Yeah. So do we."
"We do?"
"Probably," Lucas says, sounding weary. Something in his voice, whether intentional or not, makes me nervous. He looks out to the river again, sitting down on a nearby tree stump. "This is the kind of place I'd like to live someday," he says. "I always imagined us escaping the city, living amongst nature somewhere... maybe that's stupid, though."
"That's not stupid at all," I say. "I don't like the city, it's all dirty."
"Yeah." Lucas sounds wistful, probably thinking about Tazmily.
There's a pause, and I find myself looking back out to the river. Struck by a sudden burst of inspiration, I ditch my socks and shoes, moving to the bank, letting my toes trace little currents in the water. Lucas follows my lead, grinning, sitting down beside me again. For a while, neither of us says anything, just enjoying the moment.
"This all feels like a dream," Lucas says eventually. "Like the sort of place you find in a fairytale. But it feels like it's just a gap, like... I don't know. Like some kind of mid-point. Like the last day of freedom before something big comes along and takes it away."
I gulp. "You mean Porky?"
Lucas sighs. "I don't know. That's the worst thing. On the train..." he falters, balling his hand into a fist. "I heard this voice, it was stupid, it was whatever - but, but I feel like something's coming, something big, something else. Not yet, but... coming."
"Great," I sigh. "Just when I thought the prophecies of doom were over."
"Sorry," he says, sounding small, and I pat him on the shoulder.
"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault. Hey - how about we swim for a bit? Take our minds off of everything?"
"But it's cold," Lucas says, looking at the river with trepidation. Grinning, I kick a splash of water at him.
"Now you're cold anyway. Come on! It'll be fun!"
When Lucas eventually gives in, I'm sure not to attack him with mud until he's completely in the river, just to make sure he doesn't get swept away. When I finally do, he gives a frenzied gasp, before turning and hurling a ball of pondweed at my face.
I grin. I missed this.
"Get back here!" Lucas shouts, after I retaliate with a megasplash that ruins his hair. I'm a rubbish swimmer, so it doesn't take him long to catch me, squawking about my misdemeanours and doing a lot of pouting. He dunks me under the water, and the squeal that escapes me probably shatters every glass in a ten-mile radius. I emerge, shivering and filthy.
"You're so mean to me," I whine, and Lucas folds his arms.
"I am not! You're the one who attacked first."
"You tried to drown me!"
"That's because you're a goof."
"No, you're the goof! We have clarified this many-a-time, you are the goofiest goof in all of goofville."
Lucas snorts. "Uh, I don't think so. Which one of us got tricked into going into a maths competition that didn't exist?"
"Which one of us spent days looking for a book that was in our dorm the whole time?"
"Uh, excuse me! You didn't notice the book either-"
"And we left it at school," I say, suddenly worried by this. "Dammit, we should've read it-"
"And you should've been less of a goof!" Lucas says, splashing me again. I laugh, splashing him back, getting him into a headlock.
"Who's the goof now, goof?"
"You - you fiend!"
"That the best insult you can come up with?"
"Hey!" Lucas pouts. "You know I suck at insults."
"To be fair, we both suck at insults," I say, shrugging as I release him. "Given nearly all of our insults are calling each other a goof."
Lucas laughs. "Alright, that's kind of true, but-"
I silence him with another splash of water.
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What feels like hours later, when the sun has moved across the sky and the day is warmer, we haul ourselves onto the riverbank, laughing and thoroughly pleased with ourselves. I find the leftover apples from Toon Link's haul, and I toss one to Lucas, who bites into it with a pleasant crunch. I begin working on mine, and it's delightful, having been without food for so long. Once I'm done, I toss the core into the forest, lying down and staring dreamily at the sky.
"You're right," I say. "This would be a lovely place to live."
"Well," Lucas says grimly, coming to lie beside me. "If Porky wins, it will all be destroyed."
I laugh. "Way to be a downer on the situation."
Lucas grins. "Someone has to be the cynic around here. Y'know, instead of lazing around, we should probably do something helpful. We could gather food or something."
"Or we could have that talk," I say. "The one you thought we needed to have."
"Maybe," Lucas says, quickly looking away. "Erm, how about the others? They'll be here soon, right? They're quite late."
"They probably slept in," I say. "But seriously, what is it that you want to talk about?"
"Nothing too important." Lucas averts his gaze. "I'll tell you later, okay? It isn't anything bad, I promise."
"Okay," I say, quite bewildered. We fall silent again, just watching the sky. A couple of birds stir up a fuss in the forest, but otherwise, it's quiet, completely tranquil. It's one of those perfect moments when everything feels okay, like nothing in the world could possibly end this.
One of those perfect moments.
My heart pounds.
"Y'know," I begin, sandpaper on my throat. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, too."
"Oh?" Lucas raises an eyebrow. I sit up, steadying my breathing, trying not to look like I'm extremely nervous. Which I am. Very.
"Yeah - it's, it's like you said. A thing." I'm visibly shaking. I silently curse myself.
"You look unwell." Lucas frowns. "Ness? Is everything okay?"
"Well, apart from the world ending, yeah! Fabulous. More than fabulous. Wonderful."
"You're acting weird." Lucas cocks his head to the side, but he's smirking. "You're totally acting weird."
"Am I?" I laugh nervously.
"Yeah." He's still smirking. "Any reason why?"
"Well - Lucas - you see-"
Lucas raises an eyebrow. "Something you wanna say to me? 'Cause I was going to say it to you, but if you want to bite the bullet, that's fine-"
"Lucas," I interrupt, hardly hearing him, forcing the words out of my mouth. Around us, even the birds fall silent. "We've been through so much together, and I've somehow known you for nine whole years-"
"Wow, you can count!" Lucas says.
I ignore him. "-and, they've been nine really, really amazing years, and in that time-"
Lucas snickers, covering his mouth.
"Well, excuse me!" I fold my arms. "You aren't making this easy."
"Hm?" He puts on an innocent face. "Making what easy?"
I shake my head. "Lucas, let it be known that you are a tremendous goof. What I'm trying to say is-"
"I've never heard you say tremendous before. It's a nice word, use it more often-"
"Lucas!" I laugh nervously, red-faced. "I will put you back in the river!"
"Oh, will you?" he asks craftily. I grab at his shirt, and he yelps. "Ness! Fine, fine, I'll stop - I'll be quiet!"
"Good," I huff, sitting back down. "Right then, what I was trying to say is - uhm - throughout all this chaos, throughout everything that's happened, throughout everything that Porky's done, well. I've come to learn that I really, really depend on you. Like, a lot." I look up. He's staring straight ahead. I plough on with a gulp. "And any time we've ended up in a sticky situation, you've kept me going. You've given me courage. Up that tree, running away from the Face, with the grave, underground with Crazy Hand… uh, yeah. You've been there. And..." I falter, feeling my face reddening.
"A-And?" Lucas says, blushing.
"And... well," I say. "Lucas, what I'm trying to tell you... is that I really, really, really-"
"-like you," Lucas blurts.
My mouth falls open.
"Yeah, I know," he says breathlessly. "Because you're stupidly obvious - and because, well, I've been thinking about the whole romance thing. Like, about not finding girls that attractive, and about how you went through the same process - how you ended up as gay." He pauses, embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. "And I was thinking, yeah, guys are kind of pretty, and then I realised that it's - well. It's you! Of course it is! I really like you, Ness."
"Like - uh-" I fall short. "You like like me?"
"More than friends," Lucas says, grinning at my incredulous expression.
"Best friends?" I say weakly.
"... I hate you." Lucas sighs, but he comes near, touching my cheek with a smile. "I presume you feel the same, then? Since you're not freaking out, and all."
"Of course," I say, kind of awestruck, because it's suddenly hit me that this is really happening. Lucas likes me. Lucas likes me!
"So, I like you, you like me," Lucas continues. "What does that make us?"
"I don't know," I bluster. "What - What do you want that to make us?"
"Boyfriends?" Lucas suggests, and I almost pass out.
"Yeah! Yeah, that's good. That's totally good. You - boyfriend. Lucas, my boyfriend."
"And Ness, my boyfriend," Lucas says, his hand still on my cheek. "You're - you're special, Ness. I mean it, I really do like you a lot. You're, like, the best - oh, for goodness' sake, this is so sappy!" He pushes at me, his face pink. "We're boyfriends. That's that."
"Boyfriends," I agree, still staring at him like an idiot. Lucas - is gay. Lucas - likes me. "I never thought you'd like me back!" I exclaim, the words all tumbling out.
"I wish I could say the same," Lucas says, smirking again. "You were so obvious - when you nearly told me in that rugby lesson, when you nearly told me at the party. You had this really dreamy look that you got whenever you stared at me, and you were so, so jealous of Nana."
"Well, yeah," I say, reddening again. "But I was right! She liked you!"
"But I liked you," Lucas says, and something in the way he says it makes me melt. "And - look, cheesiness incoming - but I want to say that even if this makes Porky attack us more, even if this means we have to hide from everyone, I honestly do not care. If it's okay with you, I want to stay together through thick and thin, and - erm - you're worth it. To me."
"Through thick and thin," I mumble. "I'd like that." My face is totally red, and I know it. So is Lucas's, but less so. Of course. Trust him to have everything under control.
"So," Lucas says, sweeping his hair to the side. He smiles, and that smile is all for me. "When did you figure it out? That you liked me?"
I blush. "I - I dunno, really. A while after I figured out I'm into guys, I guess. How about you?"
It's his turn to blush. "I'm not really sure. It just sort of happened - like, I considered it, and then I thought 'yeah, that's right'."
"Wild," I say, and we fall quiet, sort of just looking at each other. "Well - uh, what now?"
Lucas thinks. "Erm, I think we're supposed to kiss."
"Kiss?" I yelp, butterflies beginning to perform an Irish jig in my stomach. "Lucas - I've never kissed anyone before!"
"Neither have I," Lucas admits. "We don't have to if you don't want to - sorry-"
"No - no, I do! I just, I'll probably be terrible at it."
"Me too," he says softly, and he takes my hands in his. There's a funny jolt in my stomach, and Lucas smiles. "Well, uh, how do you want to do this, then?"
"Erm." I move nearer. Our faces are just inches away. "What do you mean, how?"
"Like... what technique do we use?" He lets out a weak laugh, and suddenly everything feels hilarious.
"Technique?" I say, chortling, my eyes flying to his lips. They're kind of small, in a polite sort of way. I suddenly regret my habit of biting mine. "There aren't techniques for kissing, are there?"
"Link and Zelda kiss in loads of different ways," Lucas says seriously, and I snort. He looks up. "Really, they do. They sat in front of me in Science last term."
"Then if you're the expert," I say, prodding him. "...You decide our technique."
He inches a little bit closer. "Why is this becoming such a big deal?"
"Because it is a big deal!" I say, exasperated. Here I am, with Lucas suddenly my boyfriend, and I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be monumental. Or perhaps this was inevitable, or something stupid like that. Either way, I can't keep from grinning.
"Right then," Lucas says. He crosses his legs, bringing a hand to my shoulder. "I'm gonna count down. You'd better be ready."
"Alright," I say faintly.
"Three..."
I stare at his lips.
"Two..."
I close my eyes.
"One."
Having heard so much about kissing from books, I honestly would've expected better from my first. We come together in a mess of lips and saliva, and I'm pretty sure my teeth get involved at some point. It's kind of a mess, all fleshy and weird, until Lucas pulls us apart, his eyebrows raised.
And he bursts into giggles.
"You weren't kidding!" Lucas says, laughing at my appalled face. "You're really bad at that."
I feel my heart sinking. "I'm sorry-"
"It's okay," he says, wiping his tears of mirth. His chest is actually shaking with the force of it, and I feel incredibly stupid all of a sudden. "Look," he says, regaining his composure and putting a hand on my shoulder. "Let's try again. Maybe - I go for your top lip, you go for my bottom lip?"
"Alright," I say, trying not to sound as embarrassed as I feel.
Again, Lucas moves near. I can feel my heart pounding, like something out of a terrible romance novel. This time, I keep my eyes open, trying to focus on Lucas's bottom lip, which I'm mostly used to seeing in one of Lucas's signature pouts. Then, I'm surging forward, and-
Contact.
It's hard to describe. It's not electric, like some people say. It's not full of fireworks and passion, like I've been told that it should be. Instead, it's quiet, and there's something totally Lucas about it. It's just - Lucas. In a good way. It feels like it lasts for ages, and there's a kind of awkward moment where we're not quite sure if we should break away, but then we do, and I'm pretty sure I'm blushing again. I've been dreaming about this moment for what feels like months, and now that it's here, it doesn't feel quite as groundbreaking as I'd imagined it. It feels real, like something we've always done. Lucas reaches out to take my hand, a kind of lopsided smile on his face.
"That was better, I think."
"I think so," I say, grinning. "You tasted like an apple."
"Probably because we just ate apples," Lucas says, laughing. "I guess that makes us official, then?"
"Yeah," I say, feeling myself trembling a little bit. In a weird way, I'm suddenly more nervous around Lucas than I think I ever have been, but it's a good kind of nervous. Perhaps it's shock, shock that something so amazing could happen, just like that. "I'm gonna wake up," I murmur. "I'm gonna wake up and realise this is all some kind of wonderful dream."
"If so, I hope we're sharing that dream," Lucas says, and I laugh.
"That'd be weird. But this feels very, very real, I think."
"Yeah." Lucas grins, prodding me. "Boyfriend."
"Lucas!" I yelp. "You can't just say that! Please, have mercy."
"Never. I will never have mercy on you."
"I know where you're most ticklish," I say warningly, and Lucas holds up his hands.
"Okay! I'll stop. Please, anything but the tickling."
There's a slight pause before the both of us burst out laughing again.
"This is crazy," I say, flapping my hands about. "I dunno how many times I'm gonna say that, but this is crazy."
"So crazy, that we're technically criminals now," Lucas says, grinning at me. "But to be honest, we already acted like we were dating. Everyone always thought so."
"They didn't! Well, Pit did. And Bayonetta. And Meta Knight-"
"Exactly," Lucas laughs. "But, uh, on that note, do you think we should tell the others about us?"
"Definitely," I say, nodding. "They'll be awesome about it. Toon Link already knew I liked you, anyway. And Red thinks gay people are scientifically valid, or something."
"But what about everyone else?" Lucas's expression has suddenly become a lot more serious. "You know, passers-by. Our parents. We can't really..." He trails off. I know what he means.
"We'll keep it secret," I say, a couple of seconds too late. "Can't be too hard."
"Yeah," Lucas agrees. "Can't be too hard."
But I have a funny feeling that's a bridge we'll have to cross in the future. Even if the idea of forbidden love is kind of exhilarating to me, I don't take any enjoyment from being thrown in jail and executed. Even if we keep behind locked doors, unwanted powers have a funny knack for finding the key. We'll have to be vigilant.
"Speaking of the others, they really should be here by now," Lucas says, frowning. I listen, half expecting to hear the crescendo of Toon Link and Villager bickering in the distance, but there's only silence. I look up at the sky, darkening slightly, hearing a brief scurry of bats in the distance. We must've been swimming for longer than we thought.
"They'll be okay," I say, but it's hard to believe it, because Lucas is right. They should be here by now. It's, what, half a mile separating us? And all they have to do is follow the river. Even I could walk half a mile in less than thirty minutes. I begin to worry that they might've gone the wrong way, or run into trouble.
"Do you think we should go down there?" Lucas asks, peering down the waterway. "We could meet them in the middle."
"That might cause more harm than good," I reason. "Besides, it's nice here. We can watch the sunset."
But Lucas stands, nervously wringing his hands. "How about Pit and Red? They'll be waiting, won't they? Should we walk to where they are, and wait for Toon Link and Villager there?"
"I don't think we should confuse things," I say. "We should just stay where we are."
"Are you sure?" Lucas looks pained. "We'd stay along the river, it'd be fine, they wouldn't walk past-"
"I dunno," I say, biting my lip. "I just... get a bad feeling about it."
"If you say so," Lucas says reluctantly. "But, I feel guilty, just staying here, doing nothing. What if they're in trouble?"
"Look," I reason. "How about we give it until it's night, then if Toon Link and Villager don't show up, we go out and look for them? It's not as late as it seems. Early nights in winter, right?"
"I guess so." Lucas takes my hand, but he still looks uncertain. "...Alright. Let's do that. And what was that about watching the sunset?"
"Well, in a bit." I look back up at the sun, disappearing below the treeline. "It's not dark enough yet."
"What should we do in the meantime, then?"
"Erm." I feel my face reddening again. "We could... cuddle? If you like? Do you like cuddling?"
"Only with you," Lucas says, and my head explodes.
So, we awkwardly arrange ourselves by a tree, Lucas with his head on my chest, me wrapping my arms around his torso. He places his hands over mine, smiling broadly, leaning into me in a way that feels more insistent than before. Like he'd been reserved with all his touches until this point. It gives me the bizarre urge to giggle, to kiss him all over, to hold him forever and ever. At least, until he pokes me in the side.
"You're kind of crushing my leg," he says.
"Ah - sorry!" I jolt in place, freeing his leg from under mine. He sighs, and I bite my lip. "I'm really bad at this stuff, Lucas. If I ever hurt you during this relationship, please let me know."
"I will," Lucas promises. "Only if you do too."
"I will," I say. "And if anyone else hurts you, tell me - and I promise, I'll keep you safe. I'll keep you safe from all of this."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Lucas chides, but he snuggles a little bit closer to me. "I appreciate the sentiment."
"I can protect you, easy!" I pout. "I'm not letting my boyfriend get hurt."
"You don't need to be chivalrous," Lucas says, embarrassed. "Some things are going to be out of our control, okay? If bad things happen, they happen. If something forces us apart, then it forces us apart."
"Don't say that," I say, feeling a little sickened by the thought. "Don't leave me. Please."
"I won't if I can help it," Lucas says, smiling again, and I immediately feel relieved. It's as if no matter what happens, Lucas has suddenly become some kind of constant. Though, I'd be foolish to believe that everything will suddenly become perfect. There will still be hardships and challenges, of course there will, but they feel miles away right now. I breathe deeply, still barely taking it in.
This is fucking awesome.
"The sun's setting now," Lucas says, looking up at the sky. "How do you plan for us to watch it?"
"Up a tree," I say, bouncing up. "We can sit on a branch together, and make a wish."
But Lucas looks pale. "A tree? Don't you remember what happened the last time we climbed a tree?"
Ah, yes. I think back to the school forest, being what felt like hundreds of feet in the air, clinging on for dear life.
"It'll be fine," I say, waving a hand. "These trees are much shorter here."
"We thought the other one was short, and then we nearly died."
"Alright," I sigh. The fear in his voice makes me give in at once. "I shouldn't have suggested it. It's fine, we can watch the sunset from down here."
But it turns out we can't. The trees are too tall, too in the way. Lucas walks over to the nearest one, looking worried.
"Looks like there's no other option."
"What?" I raise an eyebrow. "That was a quick change of heart."
"I'm climbing it for you," Lucas says. "First day benefits, Ness. Consider yourself lucky."
"Consider yourself lucky I don't throw you in the river," I grumble, but I smile as I follow Lucas to the base of the trunk. I weigh it up, picking out the nooks I can use as footholds, the hefty branches we can sit on nearer the top.
Lucas looks at me. "You first, boyfriend."
"Agh!" My heart enters my mouth. "Lucasssss, don't do that!"
He smiles. "Okay, boyfriend."
"Lucas!" I fold my arms. "That's it, I'm reporting you for bullying when we're back at school."
"Oh, really? Then I'll tell Bayonetta you have a crush on her."
"You're such a child!" I swat him, pouting. "Okay, fine. I'll go first. Don't fall, okay? Funeral suits are expensive."
With that, I scramble up the trunk. It's a small tree, maybe fifteen feet tall, but it's also a little slippery, some of my footholds still sodden and mossy from yesterday's storm. Nonetheless, I easily glide upwards, bending my knee to lift my leg over a particularly sizable branch, stepping up into a bundle of leafy twigs. I check behind me, giving Lucas an encouraging smile, scrambling over branches which twist like some kind of spiral staircase. Soon enough, we're at the top, and Lucas joins me, looking a little scared, but mostly relieved.
We sit on the largest branch, after I've tested that it holds my weight. Our legs dangle ominously down below, but the sunset more than makes up for it, stretching majestically over the horizon. Yellow and orange ribbons form bows with purple and pink streaks, colouring the treetops with a warm amber glow, only interrupted by little jagged clouds, which look like scars in the vista above. The sun itself is a kaleidoscopic orb, scattering bursts of light all across the darkening sky.
"It's beautiful," Lucas says softly. "I've never seen anything like this."
"You bet." I smile. "Worth the climb?"
"Just about..." Lucas nervously looks at the ground below. "It was kind of scary."
I wrap an arm around him. "I'm glad you didn't die."
"So am I." He wraps an arm around me too, and there's silence.
I turn back to the sunset. It remains stunning - it's kind of crazy to me how something so beautiful can exist in the real world, just there. The light reflects off of Lucas's hair, and I find myself touching it, running through my fingers. Lucas's hair has always been soft, but now I feel like I can appreciate it more. Now that we're together. I don't think about it enough, but this world is amazing. It's seriously amazing.
But it's under threat. That's why we need to finish Porky off. For good, this time.
We sit there for a little while, just enjoying each other's company, enjoying the darkness as it unfolds before us. Lucas leans his head on my shoulder, and I smile, thinking about how lucky I am to be taking in this pocket of perfection with him.
"It makes me sad," Lucas mumbles after a while.
"Sad?" I frown. "Why?"
"For all the people that aren't here. For all the people who don't get to enjoy the little things." He pauses. "For all the lonely people, the ones who don't have anyone to sit and watch this with."
"Well, those people won't be alone forever, right?" I take his hand. "They might not have anyone at the moment, but they'll meet new people. There's loads of hope. Love can come from anywhere."
"You are such a sap," Lucas says, rolling his eyes. "I agree, though."
"You do?"
"Well, yeah." Lucas rubs his knuckles together. "I mean, I... guess I was lonely, before meeting you. You sort of popped out of nowhere."
"I think I was lonely too," I say, only now realising this. "Like, I had Toon Link and Inkling - they were good friends, but we only really joked around. We never talked about anything personal."
"Aw… that sucks."
"We were so lucky to meet when we were young," I say. "But I'm sort of glad we didn't meet until we were eight. That would've been weird."
"We'd probably have run away together," Lucas says.
"Oh, God. We'd have been killed!"
"Even worse, you'd have been so clingy," Lucas says, smirking. "People would've had to separate us. You'd have tried to hug me during naptime, or something."
"Wait." I hold up my hands. "You had naptime in Tazmily?"
"Yeah, didn't you?"
"No? Jesus, no wonder you turned out so good..."
"We can have naptime in the future," Lucas decides. "When we're making loads of money selling our art, and doing science. When all this is over."
"Yeah," I agree. "When all this is over."
There's a comfortable silence. For miles, all I can see is greenery, and the distant stretch of the river. All across it, pairs will be sitting together, perhaps settling down for the night, best friends, lovers, or maybe just polite acquaintances. Sometimes, everything feels like it concerns me, like I'm at the centre of this massive black hole, but maybe that's not right at all. So many other people exist in their little worlds, with all their worries, all the battles they fight. Maybe I'm not even the only gay in the school. Perhaps there'll be others, others who won't mind if I hold Lucas's hand in public, or kiss him on the forehead. The thought is hopeful, if surreal. And kind of cheesy.
"Relationships are cliché," I decide.
Lucas laughs. "You're cliché."
"You want cliché? I'll show you cliché!" I turn to face him, grinning. "Lucas, you're the most wonderful person in the entire world. Your very presence fills me with butterflies, and I'd die for you in an instant. You're as warm as a summer's day, cool like the breath of winter, as beautiful as-"
"Shut up," Lucas says, prodding me. "Or I will smite you down."
"Oh, but you already have!" I perform an overdramatic swoon, falling onto his shoulder. "I am smitten with you already, Lucas! I don't know what I shall do in your absence, I-"
"Ness, we've been together for literally half an hour. Please stop, or I'm breaking up with you."
"But Lucas! It's been the best half an hour of my life!"
"Ness!" Lucas groans, covering his face. "This is horrendous. You are literally made of cheese."
"Yeah?" I raise an eyebrow. "Because I'm brielliant?"
"Oh God, please no-"
"What's wrong? You camembert my jokes?"
"Ness-"
"That's so mean, I think they're really gouda-"
"Ness-"
"So anyway, when did you figure out you were into guys?"
"Uh, what?" Lucas laughs, raising his eyebrows. "That was sudden. But, hm. I'm not entirely sure. I mean, both of us knew we weren't really into girls, right? I guess when Nana asked me out… ugh, it's silly." He shakes his head. "I suppose that kind of confirmed what I always knew, that I'd never really be satisfied with a girl. And then, I realised, that's exactly what you were going through. And you turned out gay. And you had a thing for me, so..."
"So you decided to give it a try?"
Lucas nods. "I did."
"And you decided that guys were preferable to girls?"
"It would seem that way, yes."
"So... would it be fair to suggest that, in your opinion, men are cheddar than women?"
Lucas's mouth falls open. There's a silence, in which he probably contemplates my death. But I elbow him, grinning, and then we're laughing again, shoving at each other, forgetting the precarious drop below our feet. We settle down as the sun descends, and we spend a little more time watching it, smiling as some darker purples enter the mix, stars appearing one by one as the night progresses. The stars are so huge, so far away, yet their light reaches us, making that incredibly long journey to our little planet. We're tiny, compared to everything else - perhaps this isn't just bigger than me, my struggles, but it's bigger than all the other people's worlds as well. Maybe there are other planets, other beings, other gods that they believe in.
"Look, Amici Optimi, our constellation," I whisper. I'm not sure why I'm whispering, but it feels like the right thing to do. "It's bright tonight."
"It's an outdated name,' Lucas whispers back. "It meant best friends, didn't it?
"Ah, yes. Do you know the Latin for boyfriends?"
"Perhaps the Latin for tremendous goofs would be more fitting."
"Wait," I say seriously. "If the plural of 'hoof' is 'hooves', and the plural of 'roof' is 'rooves'... does that mean the plural of goof is actually... gooves?"
"...I hate this world," Lucas says. "That is an awful, dreadful thing to say. Forgive me, for I cannot go on. Goodbye, Ness."
He slips down through the tree, and I laugh, following suit, tumbling down onto the grass. I grapple at him, and he fights back, sort of rolling us onto the bank, the stars gleaming above us. Some of the names come back to me - I'm sure Lucas told me about the North Star, or something along those lines. He remembers them all, knows them like the back of his hand. His brain is seemingly limitless.
"You know," Lucas says, falling still and lying next to me. "I've been thinking about some other things, too."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Well, uh." Lucas looks down. "Sorry for killing the mood, but… Ryu. Dark Pit. Even Meta Knight and Olimar. Everyone that's gone."
I feel a lump rising in my throat. "Oh."
"...They didn't deserve what happened to them."
I try not to close my eyes, to again see Ryu falling in front of us, jumping in front of the lightning. He saved me. He did it all to save me.
"It's not fair," Lucas continues. "That's why we need to make sure it happens to nobody else. I keep having to remind myself of that."
"Me too," I say, nodding. It's true, possibly one of the only things stopping me from running away, making a new life elsewhere with Lucas. "Hopefully, they're somewhere better now, if that's possible."
Lucas looks up into the stars. "Yeah. Somewhere."
"It'll be okay," I say, gently taking his hand. "They'll be okay, I promise."
"Of course." His expression softens. "We'll make things right."
"Death is weird. It's just, like... It's strange, how someone can suddenly be gone."
"Yeah," Lucas says quietly.
"I mean, like, we spoke to Ryu, and all of sudden, there is no Ryu. He's no longer here. Is that weird?"
"Not at all," Lucas says. "That's just, kind of, how death feels. We don't see it as the other person's experience, or their pain - and we never really experience our own deaths, not properly. We only really notice the dying of others, the way it affects our lives. It's the lack, the loss, the grief, that's what we feel, and that's normal. It's okay to be sad about it, Ness."
"...You're wise," I say. He gives a wry smile.
"It's not my first time going through this, Ness."
"Of course." I wince. "Yeah. Sorry. I should've... I don't know. Sorry."
"It's alright."
I feel Lucas's head coming down against my shoulder, and I wrap my arms around him. A sombre mood falls upon us, and we sit in silence for just a while longer, just until the last streaks of colour fade, replaced with the dark night sky, the cold air on our skin.
.
.
.
.
.
"So, we just go south, along the river?"
"Yep," Lucas says. "We'll eventually reach the place where they were dropped off, and hopefully, we'll find them there."
"You know, I bet they got distracted with kissing," I say, because it's a much better thought than the alternative. "Love is in the air. What if they got together, at long last?"
"I mean, Villager wanted to wait," Lucas says, shrugging. "It's unlikely."
"I'm glad you didn't want to wait."
"Yeah, well, I know what I want," he says, and I grin.
"You know, I feel like some kind of jungle explorer," I say, pushing past a large branch hanging over the river, the bank slowly thinning as we advance. "It's like we're trying to find a really rare species, or something."
"You'd be a terrible jungle explorer," Lucas says. "You're too loud, you'd scare everything off."
"I'm not that loud!" I exclaim. Lucas laughs.
We plough on upstream. I'm hungry again, hoping that we'll find Toon Link not just for his comedic presence, but for his excellent supply of rations. We're driven a little bit into the forest by the bank becoming unpleasantly boggy, which isn't ideal, since the night is starting to look exceptionally murky. Thankfully, the forest is quiet, and Lucas's hand grounds me, even if his face is becoming increasingly muddied by the darkness. Everything is still, except for our crunching footsteps, the gentle movement of the river, and the occasional hoot from an owl.
"I hope they're okay," Lucas says for the umpteenth time. "What do you think happened?"
"I'm sure we'll find out soon," I assure him, and I'm quickly proven right. A little way on, the rushing noise of the river begins to rise in an ominous crescendo, and then, as the stars begin to disappear behind a dark peak, it becomes apparent what we're faced with.
A giant waterfall. It must be a hundred feet tall, water spurting like arrows over a great vertical precipice, plummeting from above like cannonballs. I have to crane my neck to look at the sheer magnitude of the thing - shimmering water droplets flying up into the sky, momentarily sparkling like silver tears in the moonlight. We're awestruck, at first by the waterfall itself, but then by what we see behind it - a cave of sorts, wide and alarmingly deep, looking like something out of a fantasy.
"It's huge," Lucas whispers. "What's this doing in the middle of the forest?"
"Probably some groovy glacial movements," I say, shrugging, but I bite my lip. "No doubt this is what held up the others."
"Definitely," Lucas says. "It's beautiful, though. I hope we get to see it by day."
We marvel at the sight a little longer. The waterfall plunges into the depths of a diamond-blue pool, trance-like and enchanting. I long to run and jump right in, but unfortunately, we still have work to do.
"So, how do we get around this thing?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips.
"We can walk up to the railway," Lucas says. "Given it doesn't have a vertical drop, this cliff must level out somewhere to the west. We can follow it and walk around."
"But what if we miss the others?" I ask. "Maybe we should head back."
"I don't think so." Lucas puts his hands in his pockets. "Come on, they'll take the same route as us. We'll probably meet them in the middle."
"I'm not sure we should go in there," I say, nervously glancing at the forest. All of a sudden, it seems enormous, leering at me like an angry, shadowy beast.
"We'll be okay," Lucas promises, taking my hand again. "Porky has no way of knowing we're here, remember?"
"I guess..." I swallow down the persistent lump in my throat. "Come on, then. But you'd better not leave my side, it's scary in there."
"Fear is a funny thing," Lucas says, and it sounds more ominous than he probably intended.
We step into the forest. More than ever before, I tremble at how the trees stretch out their boughs like guardians, blocking the path. It's almost as if we're unwanted in these parts, as if the trees are whispering about us, hiding something secret. I move a little closer to Lucas, sick with unease, pressing forward. I think I'm just being stupid - at least, I sincerely hope I'm just being stupid.
Damp clumps of moss coat the thick wooden trunks, the waterfall's noise diminishing as we move further into the darkness. I can only hear the reverberations of my heartbeat, the rustling of evergreen branches, the crunching of our footsteps and the constant buzz of nearby wildlife. Something scurries beneath my feet, and there's a tiny hiss before it disappears back into the undergrowth.
"Are you sure about this?" I ask, my voice quavering.
"I - I don't think so," Lucas says, his voice fearful. He falls still, breathing heavily, and my heart sinks.
Crunch.
I freeze.
"Just an animal, right?"
"No," Lucas says, desperately looking around. "Something's coming. We have to run!"
But we're too slow. Out of the midnight steps a familiar figure, fists raised, teeth bared. I see it all, straggled hair, entangled like ropes around its head. Sunken eyes, hollow windows into the abyss. It's covered in wounds, blood, dirt, so much filth - and the stench -
The Face. It extends a ragged hand.
"Lucas."
"RUN!"
I whirl around, my heart thundering. Lucas leads, darting back the way we came, and I'm immediately thrown back to that night in the forest, the one where we found the chimney. The Face cries out, giving chase, and I yell, blasting through the foliage, stumbling over roots and stones. The night seems impossibly dark, the trees impossibly thick, but we burst back out to the waterfall, and I make a split-second decision.
"In here!" I cry, hurling myself towards the cave. Lucas shouts something, but I don't hear him, the familiar echo of terror thrumming in my ears. We plunge through the waterfall, feeling the furious icy blast of the water on our heads, but then we're free, standing on some kind of platform. I sharply turn, feeling nausea rise as the Face approaches, gripped with that familiar terror, that raw sense of wrongness, the fear of the unknown.
But it stops. The waterfall roars, forming a glistening curtain between us, raging and storming in the moonlight. The Face reaches out, its image blurred behind the water, and it shouts, a wheezing, empty shout.
"We're trapped!" Lucas hisses. "Ness!"
"It can't come through," I say. "Look - it's got electrical parts." I point to a flashing red light on its cheek. "If it comes through, then it explodes."
"But we can't get out," Lucas says, looking desperately behind him. The cave doesn't go far, partially obstructed by a rockfall. "We'll be stuck here forever!"
I turn to face the waterfall, steeling my nerve. The Face shouts again, sounding agonised, mangled hair flying like a beacon behind its head. It trembles, falling quiet, just watching, just standing.
I step forward.
"You know who we are," I say, loudly and clearly. The Face jumps to attention, and for the first time, I get a decent view of it. Its body is humanoid, built like a man's, but coated with dirt, filth and electronics.
"Lucas?" it rasps.
"If you hurt us, I will splash you with water," I say, trying to sound assertive, like my father. "So, don't come any closer. I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?"
It nods a little bit, with a thick jerk of its head. It steps forward, but I splash a little bit of water forward, just to its toes. It jumps back, looking alarmed.
"You've been following us," I say. The Face looks at me, as though slightly surprised. Slowly, it nods.
"What do you want?" Lucas asks, stepping to my side. The Face looks at him, and there's almost a pang of longing on its features.
"L-Lucas," it says. Its voice is gravelly, a strained croak.
"You can't have him," I say, my expression darkening. "What do you want with him?"
There's a pause, before the creature shakes its head, unruly hair flying everywhere. "N-Not. Not what - Not what meant."
"Not what you meant?"
It nods stiffly.
"...Hm." I frown, studying it, feeling my terror begin to slip away. It doesn't look evil, or scary. If anything, it looks sad. "Are you human?"
It nods again, wincing. It looks at the metal on its arm with a strange sense of remorse. A shiver begins to creep down my spine.
"Someone hurt you," I realise. "What happened?"
It looks up at me, and the pain in its eyes almost makes me stumble. There's something about its presence that feels powerful, like a force that doesn't have anywhere to go. I hastily grab for Lucas's hand, trying to ground myself over the roar of the waterfall.
"Are you a Future Human?" Lucas asks bravely. "Are you working for Porky?"
"Porky," it rasps abruptly, flinching. It - no, he - drags a hand to its mouth, once again looking at Lucas. "Can - Can you hear?"
"Hear... what?" Lucas stares at it, but the Face shakes its head, making a tiny sound. Driven by curiosity, I move forward a little, though I don't dare to edge past the waterfall's mighty column.
"L-Lucas," it croaks again. "I - L-Lucas -"
"What about him?" I ask.
"It - It's... me!"
Lucas steps forward suddenly, his grip on my hand tightening. I look between them, utterly bewildered, and the Face steps forward.
"It's... it's..."
"What?" I say, utterly lost. "Who are you?"
"It's Claus!"