(Prologue)

It's a perfectly ordinary day in Onett city centre.

The great ships move like ghosts down the river, rocking to and fro. Seagulls call, migrating in from the distant shore, settling down on the masts. They peer down greedily at the roads, the bustling marketplace, the writhing mass of pedestrians going about their day. Fresh smells burst from ornate shops, warm bread from Felicity's bakery, greenery from the grocers, and even sugar from the little sweet shop on the corner.

A bell tolls as the S.S. Carpainter docks on the old-fashioned port. A wooden ramp is lifted, sent clattering down to the roadside, and the crew hurries toward a towering pile of barrels.

"One, two, three, lift!" A captain barks his orders, watching his men strain to roll the barrels onto the deck. The S.S. Carpainter complains under the weight, but it's built to last. The Captain built with his father after all, back in his younger days spent woodworking in The Great Forest. This ship is his pride and joy. His dream.

He's so busy reminiscing that he doesn't notice the tuffet of blonde behind the cargo.

A man appears. He's slim, dressed in a sharp-fitting suit, with a bowler hat that covers thinning threads of hair.

"Lucas!" He has a sharp, commanding voice. The ship's crew avert their eyes, fearful. "Lucas! I know you're here!"

The Captain turns to the new arrival with a frown. He doesn't know a Lucas, much less in these parts. But he spots a blonde figure quickly ducking behind a barrel. The boy rifles through his pockets, spilling coins, paper and stones over the dock.

The suited man marches past, but the Captain stops him. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Help?" He turns like a whip, regarding the Captain with contempt. "I need no help, least of all from you."

"Excuse me?" Taken aback, the Captain turns his white hat. He isn't used to being spoken to in this manner, and so he draws himself up to his full height. "May I ask why you are on my port?"

The suited man surveys the scene with a long, sweeping gaze. The boy's breathing accelerates, trembling hands vanishing as he brings his knees to his chest.

"Searching," the man says, turning back to the Captain with a cold glare. "Again, nowt that concerns you."

"You are on my land," the Captain says firmly, dropping all pretence of politeness. "Everything that happens here concerns me."

But the man ignores him, looking over his shoulder just in time to see a dash of blonde disappearing behind a barrel. His face contorts into a grin.

"Lucas! There you are!"

The boy quickly ducks, but it's too late. His heart pounds. No more, he thinks to himself. No more. But a sharp hand grips him by the hair, dragging him out of his hiding-place.

"Let me go!" Lucas yelps. "Help! Leave me alone!"

"Excuse me?" The Captain rushes forward. "What is this?"

But the man ignores him again, grinning as he observes his catch. "I told you, Lucas. You can't run from me forever. There's work to be done. Tell me where he is, and all of this ends."

"I won't!" The boy struggles. "Leave me alone!"

"Now, look here!" The Captain exclaims, firmer this time, but the suited man turns, venom in his gaze.

"You have children, don't you, Captain?"

The Captain falls short.

"In fact, you've got two of them," the man says, stepping forward. "One boy... one girl. It would be a terrible shame if they were to go missing, wouldn't it? You see, I have contacts with some of the biggest slaver ships in the industry. I have contacts in the whorehouses, the ones who don't mind hiring underage workers. I can make sure you never see your beloved children again. The name's Geldegarde Monotoli, and I'd keep out of my fucking business if I were you."

But the Captain snarls. "Your threats won't work on me, Geldegarde. You government folk are all the same — you're not wanted here! This is my port. Get out!"

"Oh, I will." Geldegarde says coolly. "But you'll regret this day." He turns to the boy, giving him his biggest, toothiest smile. "Looks like you're coming with me, Lucas. And you're going to do exactly as you're told..."

.

.

.

~~o00o~~

Chapter 40 - The Smiling Man (Part 1)

(Lucas)

~~o00o~~

.

.

.

Yet tomorrow, beyond imagining.

I stand, dizzy.

In front of us, approximately five hundred men on horseback stare us down. Their silver armour glints in the moonlight, and so do the tips of their swords. In short, we're screwed.

But my gaze is drawn to a man near the front. There's a smile on his face, a terrifying leer that sends shivers down my spine. Is that...?

My vision flickers and I stumble.

Giant's Mine. Four and Twenty feet deep.

"It's the Onett First Brigade!" Ness yelps, dragging me back to earth.

I gather myself. "What's that?

"The closest army to the government. They must be going to fight in the war!"

I gulp. "That sounds bad. Is this the part where we run? Because this feels like the part where we run."

"Children!" the leader calls. "State your names and your city of residence."

"Save the running for later," Ness whispers. "I'm Ness, from Onett! This is Lucas!"

"That's right!" I say, tearing my eyes away from the smiling man. With a shock, I recognise the leader. It's Captain Strong, chief of the Onett Police Force.

"And how old are you?" Captain Strong demands.

"Fourteen," I lie.

"Seventeen," Ness says.

"Aha!" Captain Strong draws himself up to his full height. "Ness, was it? Why aren't you fighting in the war?"

I freeze up. I'd forgotten about that. So had Ness by the looks of things, as he opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish. "Uh, I'm - I'm at the boarding school, I'm not supposed to-"

"At the boarding school, you say? Yet, you're out here in the forest? During term time?"

"It's Wilderness Survival Week," I say, desperately trying to keep calm. "We're supposed to be here."

But Captain Strong narrows his eyes. "I went to the Boarding School when I was younger, you know. On our Wilderness Survival Weeks, we had to pair up with people our own age."

"Uh-"

"And yet, there's an alleged three-year age gap between the both of you. Doesn't look good, does it?"

"I can explain," Ness says hastily.

"Don't bother. It's clear to me that you are rogues from the public school, flaunting your responsibility to fight for your city."

"The rules changed!" I exclaim.

But it's no good. "Guards, seize them!"

I grab Ness's hand in fear, but just at that moment, Claus stumbles out of the forest.

"Look!" A soldier screams, pointing at our interlocked hands, then at Claus. "This homosexual action summoned a demon!"

"Lucas - who - men?" Claus rasps, shaking the dirt out of his hair.

"Brigade!" Captain Strong orders. "Quick! Before the demon eviscera-"

"He's not a demon!" I protest. "He's my brother!"

"Take them all, all these curséd people. May God save us! Bring them to the other prisoners. They shall be cannon fodder!"

Cannon Fodder!? Ness and I exchange a terrified glance, and an understanding passes between us at once.

"RUN!"

We hurl ourselves towards the forest. I make a wild grab for Claus's hand, and there's a great thundering noise as horses give chase. The air rushes against my face as we weave past trunk after trunk, hopping boulders, dodging roots. My shoulder catches a stray branch. I wince with pain, staggering, and the thundering begins to get louder-

"Keep going!" Ness shouts.

We sidestep around a pine, brushing aside a faceful of needles. The horses have to stop and turn, and we sneak under a small gap, the soldiers having to take a much wider arc around it. The hot tang of adrenaline hits the back of my throat. We come up against a shrub, but suddenly we lurch left, just about avoiding a hole in the ground. The thundering quietens a little — we're getting away — we're getting away! We duck under another low branch, spinning around a sharp bramble. But just like that, there's a crunch; Claus careens into a thorn bush, letting out a cry.

Desperately, Ness and I twist around, trying to prise him out of it, but he struggles like an animal. Ness gives a shout, tugging at his shoulders, the horses gaining, but they have to go around the branch... Claus breaks free of the bush with a gasp, and-

Thunk.

An arrow sticks out from a nearby tree.

"Get down!" Ness exclaims. I hunch over, still hurtling ahead, dodging another trunk at the very last second. Claus swipes at the thorns on his face and I sway slightly, but the soldiers make a mistake, one horse is boxed in and collides with a tree...

"Now!" Ness bellows, and with an almighty surge, we hurtle to the right. But I see it too late, there's a ditch in the ground and my foot gets caught. A sickening crunch rings out. I collapse to the floor, the wind knocked out of me.

"Lucas!" Ness frantically grabs my hand. I take it, he hauls me upwards, but I yelp, my damaged ankle searing.

Thunk.

"Down!" Ness shouts, and as I duck, I lose balance completely. With a howl, I tumble to the floor, getting a mouthful of dirt.

"Lucas, come on!" Ness shouts. "You can do this!"

But I can't, I can't go on any longer. "Go on without me! I'll hold them off!"

"What? I'm not gonna leave you here!"

Thunk.

Thinking fast, I tug Ness to the ground. Claus tumbles down with him, and I wince as his heavy body crushes my leg. We just have to hope the soldiers will miss us. That they might not notice us in this ditch. The thundering of hooves grows louder, but it suddenly screeches to a halt...

"Where the hell did they go?" comes a gruff voice.

"Search the area, they must be hiding," Captain Strong orders. Up close, he's a boulder of a man, a ruddy colour to his pig-like face. I try to quiet my breathing, watching an arrow being notched, watching the men beginning to search. Ness clings to my middle, his breath stilled, face dirty, waiting ifor the inevitable...

"There!" a soldier exclaims, pointing at Claus's shaggy head.

I force Claus down, but it's too late. They're coming. We're done for.

Ness's grip tightens around me. I hold protectively onto him and Claus. All this, only to get captured by Onett forces? There's a sort of irony to it, really.

Captain Strong tears away the branches from over our heads. "You're coming with us."

I shiver. "No - no, please…"

"We won't hurt you," he says, though the arrows pointed at my chest suggest otherwise. "You're from Onett, you aren't the enemy. But from now, you will be prisoners of the Onett First Brigade. You will serve your duties to the City and the Onett Government."

"We can't fight!" Ness protests. "I don't know how!"

"Then, you'll be cannon fodder. Every man must have his use, boy."

"B-But-"

"It is an honour to die in the name of B.H. Pirkle and Onett City," says a soldier with an alarmingly long spear. "This is the way it's always been."

"Please, sir, we're trying to stop Porky Minch," I explain. It's my last hope. "He's causing chaos out there, it's all because of him. Can't you see it?"

But Captain Strong lets out a cry of mirth. "Porky? I suppose you're one of them jealous lowlives, then? Liberals like you are so fucking deluded. Just because Porky earnt himself some decent money doesn't mean he's evil." He shakes his head. "People like you need to learn how to work."

"He tried to kill us, please-"

"These claims are treasonous," Long-Spear says darkly. "Consider yourselves lucky we don't kill you on the spot."

"But-"

"Come with us," Captain Strong orders. "Now."

With terrified glances at one another, Ness, Claus and I slowly clamber out of the ditch. My ankle cries out in protest, but I clamp my mouth shut. We've got no choice. If we PK Fire them, that's murder. If we don't obey, they kill us on the spot. I let Ness support my leg, grateful for his comforting arms around my shoulder.

We're made to climb onto horses. Ness and I join Captain Strong, and the remaining soldiers fight over who has to take Claus. When a loser has been chosen, we start moving toward the rest of the Brigade, and Ness leans his head against mine.

'What the hell do we do?"

I wince, forgetting how much this psychic communication stings. 'Wait it out, I guess. He said there are other prisoners. Maybe it's Toon Link and Villager?'

'We'll have to run away!' Ness exclaims. 'How the hell do we do that?'

As we rejoin the Brigade, I catch another glimpse of the smiling man's leer. I gulp, keeping my head against Ness's. 'I think we might have bigger problems...'

The army stretches further back than I first thought, rows upon rows of armour-clad horses waiting patiently by the river. Captain Strong brings us to the front of the pack, and I try to follow Claus's horse as it joins, but I lose it in the darkness of the night.

"Onwards to Tazmily!" Captain Strong shouts. "The rest of the day shall not be wasted. For the Onett Empire!"

"The Onett Empire!" the soldiers call back. "Tazmily shall fall!"

I turn to face Ness, my eyes filling with fear. Tazmily. Of course, we're going to Tazmily. It's been years since I've seen those fields, the rows of beautiful sunflowers. It's been so long since I've seen Duster, Fuel, Mayor Pusher, even Boney.

Mother's grave is in Tazmily.

At once, I'm filled with a sense of urgency. If this Brigade arrives, Tazmily is doomed. There are so many people here, so much metal, so many weapons. Unless Tazmily has made a seismic shift from the farming village I remember, then it hasn't got a hope in hell. It'll be razed to the ground, the loot plundered, the women and children taken hostage. The men will be slaughtered like cattle.

Ness holds me a little tighter, sensing my fear. The horses turn left from the river, and I silently curse. I'd been hoping we'd walk past Red and Pit, but no such luck. What are they going to do, go to Onett without us? Defeat Porky single-handedly? I pray to God they don't try. If we don't manage to escape, then they'd be better off going back to school.

At least the Brigade might be able to feed us. All I've eaten today is an apple, and I can feel my logic and reasoning slipping away as a result. I steel my nerves, trying to be more confident about this. Worst comes to worst, we can PK Freeze a load of them and run. Porky proved that PK Freeze isn't deadly, it just immobilises the target in a block of ice.

But Porky was supposedly immortal, I remind myself. I don't want to do anything drastic, because much as I want to defeat Porky, I'm still terrified of hurting anyone innocent in the process. If the media is to be believed, then these people are all brainwashed... which could be an advantage, I realise. If we can convince these people about Porky...

'Lucas, look!' Ness interrupts, shouting in my mind again.

'What?'

'On that horse, over there!'

I turn. The horse in question is chestnut coloured, with two riders on its back. One looks like an ordinary armed soldier, but the other...

Headmaster Hand.

I clap a hand over my mouth. Is that Crazy Hand back in disguise? Or is it the real Headmaster? It would make sense, he ran away from the school, he could have very easily run into the Brigade... but worse thoughts trickle in. What if he's working for them? What if he's been manipulated, too?

'We need to speak to him,' Ness says. 'As soon as we stop.'

"Time to stop," Captain Strong says, drawing to a halt.

"That'd be now, then," I whisper, the headache from psychic communication getting too strong.

But it's not that easy. No sooner have we dismounted our horses than Captain Strong has assigned us guards, and we're made to stand in silence. I'm patted down rather invasively by my guard, but he doesn't find anything. Unfortunately, Ness's leftover apples are taken by his, and then our arms are tied behind our backs.

"Onwards," Captain Strong says gravely.

Our guards lead us through the crowd of soldiers and horses, me having to hop thanks to my busted ankle. Around us, the camp emerges like clockwork, some soldiers rolling out their sleeping mats and falling asleep at once, others talking as they unpack supplies. I search for gaps in the forces, but there are what look to be nightwatchmen among the group, lighting candles and sitting by trees. We pass the smiling man again, and I lurch away from him, disgusted by his hungry expression.

"Is your ankle alright?" Ness whispers.

"Not really," I admit.

"Come on, I'll help you walk. I'll give it a look once we're down for the night."

I smile, grateful. "Thanks."

I'm relieved to see Claus pushed in to join us, his hands bound also, and his expression terrified. Thankfully, he has the sense to stay quiet, so we continue our surge through the crowd in silence. We pass several men with axes, likely going to gather some wood. We pass a man taking pieces of meat from saddlebags, bagging them in filthy handkerchiefs.

"Are those our rations?" Ness asks, disgusted.

"No. You get grains," says our guard.

"What!?"

Captain Strong gives a stern cough. There's a great deal of clanking as most soldiers strip off their armour and weapons, revealing young, fresh faces, smooth skin and uncalloused hands. I frown at the sight, some of them don't look any older than me. I'd expected veterans, the Onett faithful, but this is more like a daycare. I don't have time to wonder, though, as I'm pushed roughly against an oak tree and forced to the floor.

"Watch it!" Ness hisses, landing on a bramble, but he's met with a blade to the face.

"Prisoner, remember?"

"Yes," Ness mutters, giving me an exasperated look. "Of course."

"You and your freak accomplice will stay here with the other prisoners," the guard commands, turning on me. "You will be quiet, orderly, and you will do as you're told. At night, you'll be under surveillance. By day, you'll be accompanied on horseback. When we arrive in Tazmily, you'll be expected to fight. Is that clear?"

"When do we get food?" Ness asks.

The guard whirls around, putting his spear to Ness's throat. "In due course. Is that clear, boy?"

"Yes," Ness mutters. "It's clear."

"Good."

Our guard steps a few feet away from us before taking a seat, watching. All around us, the swell of action continues: horses are tied to trees, great wooden torches are set ablaze, the camp becoming a bustling hive of activity. I try to seek out Headmaster Hand among the sea of faces, but he's nowhere to be seen. I wonder if he's part of the group returning with the logs, or if maybe he's some kind of leader. After all, he probably taught several of these men at the Boarding School.

"PK Fire," Ness whispers. There's a tiny burst of flame, and his ropes fall from his hands, smouldering on the ground. Ness hastily unties me and Claus before sitting me on a root, gently pulling off my shoe.

"How is it?" I mutter.

"Bad," Ness admits. From where I'm sitting, it all looks kind of askew, and it hurts whenever Ness touches it.

"Ouchie," Claus says.

"PK Heal," Ness whispers, touching my ankle, but nothing happens. He shrugs under my raised eyebrow. "It was worth a try."

I glance toward Claus. He seems to be okay, staring straight ahead into the forest. He doesn't even look surprised. He's completely, I realise with a jolt, desensitised to scary situations.

"Did you sleep well?" I ask him, as Ness puts my shoe back on.

"Yes," Claus says, but he looks up at me, pain returning to his eyes. "What is happen, Lucas? Why are these men here? Are they taking us away again?"

"It's the army," I say quietly. "The Onett army. We're going to Tazmily-"

"Tazmily?" His expression lights up. "We go home?"

"Not quite," I admit. "The army means harm, so we're going to need to get away."

"Oh…" Claus looks distant again. "Tazmily..."

I lay a shaky hand on his shoulder. "I know. But it's going to be okay, I promise. I'll get us out of here."

"Thank you, big brother," Claus says, but he looks expressionless again, staring down at the floor.

"So, what's the plan?" Ness asks, edging nearer. "Are we going to escape? Do you know how far away we are from Tazmily?"

"Oh, about two days," comes a familiar voice, and a tall figure steps out of the shadows. Headmaster Hand smiles down at us. "At least, by my reckoning."

There's a surprised pause.

"H-Headmaster Hand?" Ness says, mouth slightly agape. "Are you real?"

"Oh, Ness." Headmaster Hand laughs genially, sitting down beside us. "Reality is an abstract concept. I like to think I'm real, but one can never be too certain."

"But... you're not Crazy Hand?" I say. "You're not an imposter?"

"I am not. But, wait, you know him?" For a moment, Headmaster Hand looks just as amazed as Ness. "You discovered his plot?"

"Well, he sort of kidnapped us and told us his whole plan," I admit. "But we, uh, got away. Porky Minch was there too, do you know him, Headmaster?"

"Know him?" Headmaster Hand grimaces. "I've been on the run from him for almost a month. But what happened to Crazy, did he get away, too?"

"Erm," Ness says awkwardly, and I take his hand. "Porky shot him. He didn't make it, Headmaster. Sorry."

The effect is immediate and predictable. Horror flashes across Headmaster Hand's face, then sorrow, then anger, then calm. "I - I see," Headmaster Hand says. "I suppose he always had that coming, Porky does like to turn on people..." Headmaster Hand sighs, and I suspect there's more weight behind it than he's showing. "It is a shame, though."

"Wh-Who's this… man?" Claus asks, nervously looking up at him.

"Our headmaster," I explain. "He's good, don't worry."

"I do have one question," Headmaster Hand says, glancing back at me. "Why are you here in the forest? You say you escaped... in what circumstances?"

"It's Wilderness Survival Week, Headmaster," I explain. "We came here on the train after getting away from Porky."

"Ah, of course," Headmaster Hand says, nodding slowly. "But, like me, I suppose you ended up in the path of this Brigade. By the way, none of the 'Headmaster' business, please. We're outside of school, and I've been trying to keep my identity quiet."

"Of course," I say. "But how about you? What happened? How did you end up-?" I falter.

"Ah." Headmaster Hand leans back, sighing. "That is a very long tale, boys. A long and complicated tale. We might not have time for it."

Ness and I exchange a glance.

"But if you insist... I suppose it might be relevant." He props himself up against a tree. "First, I need to ask. How much do you know about Porky's plans?"

"A lot," Ness says, counting on his fingers. "He made Crazy Hand impersonate you, locked you in a cell, tried to convert the school into Future Humans, and was behind everything that went on."

"Well deduced," Headmaster Hand says, looking impressed. "There's more to it, though. You see, Porky's plans are a lot bigger than that. This whole war has been manipulated by him, he's been the one controlling the newspapers and provoking the fighting. He's been attempting to encourage migration to New Pork City, where he turns people into Future Humans or controls them with chips on their necks. But he's been in Tazmily as well. I ended up there after I escaped him, and it seems that Porky's set himself up as some kind of leader. Some Tazmiliians I've been travelling with tell me Porky promised them a secret weapon. I suspect that secret weapon is a load of Future Humans, but I can't be sure."

"So, this army is going up against Future Humans?" Ness says, appalled. "They'll be slaughtered!"

"Even worse, I think Porky's able to convert dead bodies," Headmaster Hand says grimly. "There were these creatures around Tazmily's walls which they called the Dead Alive, creatures that resembled their dead and always came back, no matter how many times they were shot down. Porky has the Tazmilians all under his thumb, he used the Dead Alive to promise that he'd save them, you see. He offered them safe passage to New Pork City."

"Did many people go?" I ask shakily.

"Yes," Headmaster Hand admits. "Not everyone, but several people did."

I let out a pained noise. Ness gives me a sympathetic look.

"I volunteered to go as well," Headmaster Hand says. "I managed to help the people in my carriage to escape. We planned to walk to Onett through the forest, but we got intercepted by the Brigade. They took us prisoner and told us we'll have to fight."

"Wait, so there are Tazmily Villagers here?" I say, shocked.

Headmaster Hand nods. "Yes, but... well. You'll see. By the way, was my clue any use in figuring everything out?

Ness and I exchange a confused glance. "Your clue?"

"The blueprints," he says. "Magical Monsters and Mythical Creatures. While I was escaping, I stole Porky's copy and put it on your bookshelf."

"It was you!" I exclaim.

"That's where it went!?" Ness cries. "Lucas found it in the library, ages ago, and then it took us two weeks to find it on our bookshelf! If you hadn't moved it, we'd have figured everything out ages ago!" Suddenly, Ness pales, as if only just remembering who we're speaking to. "I mean, sorry, no offence. It was just inconvenient."

"No matter," Headmaster Hand says, waving his apology away. "A shame, though. I am sorry. I hope Crazy Hand didn't take the opportunity to damage my school?"

I bite my lip, guilt blossoming inside me.

"I take it he did, then," Headmaster Hand says, evidently trying to keep his tone light.

"He burnt down your office," Ness admits, looking at the grass. "Then he killed Professor Wario. And Professor Ryu."

There's a horrible beat of silence.

"Wario?" Headmaster Hand says, his voice cracking. "Ryu?"

I nod.

"Well, wow." Headmaster Hand looks down to the floor. "That is... that is awful. But no point worrying about what can't be helped, I suppose." He sighs heavily, looking back up at us again. "What do you two know about magic?"

"Uh, we're psychics," I say, slightly taken aback by the abrupt question. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, good, that makes this explanation a lot easier," Headmaster Hand says. "I'm a magician too. I have ELM powers, which means I can manipulate some of the elements. That's how I escaped Porky's prison."

"That makes sense, Ryu said you were magical," Ness says. "Does that mean Crazy Hand was magic, too?"

"He was," Headmaster Hand says. "Usually, magic isn't hereditary, but in twins, it seems to be different. He used his powers for evil, though. He blew up that library."

"Erm, sorry to interrupt," I say. I've noticed a tall, lanky silhouette on the other side of the tree, and if that's who I think it is... "Those Tazmily Villagers, are they here? Can I speak to them?"

"Oh, I suppose so," Headmaster Hand says, standing again. "We're all in the same boat, after all. The others are just over here, come on... I can introduce you to them if you like."

I look to Ness, who silently nods. Claus stares expectantly at me, and I smile, suddenly quite nervous. "That would be great. Thank you."

Headmaster Hand leads us behind the giant oak into a shadowy part of the clearing. In this area, there are more guards, but huddled in a group are some faces I can't quite make out. I feel my stomach clenching; who's going to be here, who's going to be safe? My thoughts move to Fuel, Lighter, Alle, the friends I briefly had before moving, the ones I thought I'd never see again.

"First, we have Roy," Headmaster Hand says, plucking a young, red-haired adult from the group. I frown, certainly not remembering a Roy — I knew most people in Tazmily, after all. Yet, I still feel like I've heard the name before.

"Hello," Roy says. "Forgive me, but who are you?"

"Lucas," I say, sounding braver than I feel. "Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Ness," Ness says, extending a hand.

"I'm Claus!"

"Roy is from Onett," Headmaster Hand explains. "We encountered him while escaping the carriages. He was under Porky's control, but we removed the chip and he was okay."

"That's right," Roy says. "Say, you wouldn't happen to go to Onett Boarding School, would you?"

"Uh, yeah," I reply. "Why?"

"Do you know Professor Marth?"

"He's our maths teacher," Ness says.

"Ah!" Roy's face lights up. "Sorry to be so bothersome, but he's a good friend of mine. How is he? What's he like nowadays?"

"He's sort of average, really," I say, deciding to be honest for once. "He's looking for you, though," I add, suddenly remembering where I heard Roy's name. "He saw you in a newspaper."

"Ike!" Roy calls suddenly, looking out over his shoulder. "Ike, these kids know Marth!"

"Marth?" A weary-looking soldier comes over, and I shrink back, nervous. But instead of trying to tie me up, he takes off his helmet and sits down. "You know him? But how?"

"This is Ike," Headmaster Hand says, waving toward the soldier. "He and Roy were friends at school. He's our inside man."

"I'm not your inside man," Ike says coldly. "I've told you several times: I'm not going to let you escape. I follow the Brigade's orders, and the Brigade's orders alone."

"Well, well, well." A harsh-looking woman comes over, her arms folded. "What's all this rabble about?"

That face… I definitely know that face!

"Lucas, this is Elmore," Headmaster Hand says, looking distastefully at her. "She's, well…"

"I'm what?" She squints at us. "And who are you? What's that monster thing?"

"That's my brother," I say, gulping. I definitely remember her now. As a child, I got many a scolding from her for 'playing too loudly' or 'obstructing the view'. If I remember correctly, she was also the wife of the mayor, known as-

"Pusher!" Headmaster Hand says, gesturing toward a portly man. "He ruled Tazmily before Porky came along."

"Righteously," Pusher grumbles. "That wretched man..."

"And here are Caroline and Tessie..."

Two women step out. One I don't recognise particularly well, but the other, Caroline, I'm fairly sure worked in the bakery.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Caroline says, stepping forward. "Lucas, is that you?"

"That's me," I say, feeling slightly awkward in the middle of all these people.

"Lucas? Flint's son?" The other woman, Tessie, smiles. "Well, haven't you grown! How's Flint been? And Claus?"

"Uh, they're fine," I lie. "How's the bakery, Caroline?"

"Probably getting destroyed as we speak," Caroline says cheerily. "Ah, it's lovely to see you again, Lucas! You know, I always said you'd be the perfect husband for my Angie. Perfectly quiet, well behaved…"

"Oh, uh, thanks." I blush. "I'm taken, though."

Claus gives me a strange look, and I cross my fingers, hoping that he doesn't know what taken means.

"Mother, are you talking about me again?" A girl around our age appears around a tree, her arms folded. "Oh, hey. Who are these people?"

"Angie, this is Lucas," Caroline says. "He used to live in Tazmily, do you remember?"

"Erm, sort of...?" Angie looks me up and down. "Who are the others?"

"I'm Ness," Ness says, extending his hand. She gives him a funny look, and he pulls it back, looking embarrassed. Claus stays silent, retreating.

"Well, nice to meet you," Angie says, nodding at us all. Thinking hard, I'm fairly sure I recognise her; I would've gone to school with her for a little while. I don't think she spoke to me much, though.

"Angie, what's going — oh?" A boy who's a lot more recognisable appears, and I feel my spirits lift. "By Jove! Lucas, is that you?"

"That's me," I say, smiling. It's Ollie, the mayor's son. I never really spoke to him either, but I remember he was always top of the class.

"Flint's son, yes?" Ollie peers excitedly through his thick glasses. "You were the quieter twin. How is Claus?"

"He's alright," I lie. Claus has disappeared into the shadows. I make a mental note to check on him.

"Reggie's around the back," Headmaster Hand says, rejoining the conversation. "He doesn't like us much, though. He tried to lead us, but everyone rejected him. But this is Duster!" A lanky man is encouraged forward. "It's thanks to him that I'm here, he took me in when I arrived at Tazmily."

"Duster!" I exclaim. I'd recognise that receding hairline anywhere. Duster was a family friend, he'd sometimes babysit me and Claus when our parents were out. I feel emotions welling up; he was like an uncle to me, and he'd always make an effort to treat us.

"Lucas?" Duster says, sounding just as surprised as me. "Flint an' Hinawa's son? It can't be!"

"That's me," I say, trying not to sound too emotional. I can't help but grin at his shocked expression. He's still got the accent. He looks just how I remember him.

"Well, haven't you grown!" He beams. "Heavens, m'boy, I r'member when you were just a little thing. Hinawa, God rest 'er soul, she always said you'd be tall someday. She was right!"

"This is Ness," I say, bringing him forward because it suddenly feels important that they meet. "He's my friend. We've been working together."

"Ness!" Duster vigorously shakes his hand. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you, m'chap. But, Lucas, how's it been in Onett? How's Claus, how's y' dad?"

"Well." I bite my lip. "Claus is here, actually."

Claus jumps, and I beckon him out of hiding. Duster's face falls at once.

"Cl-Claus? M'boy, good Lord, what happened t' you?"

"Porky," Claus says bleakly, leaving it at that. "He big meanie."

"Porky? Ah, that wretch!" Duster shakes his fist. "'e's been having at it in Tazmily... but enough about him. Y've grown tall, Claus. I'm not sold on the long 'air, but we all 'ave phases, I s'pose..."

"H-How is Boney?" Claus asks. "Is he big too?"

My heart almost stops.

"A-Ah," Duster rubs his face, suddenly looking guilty. "Boney, yes, I'm sorry t' say he went missing, just a year or two ago now. I think he ran away, 'm not sure why. 'e lived an 'appy life though, I'll tell ye that. 'e was a great companion."

"Boney…" Claus mumbles, staring at the floor. "Poor Boney…"

"Yeah," I say, looking down. You're going to do exactly as you're told, Lucas! Tell me where he is! "Poor Boney..."

"But, y' dad?" Duster says, looking back at me. "How'd he cope with th' move? Onett's a filthy city, they say. Nasty place."

"He became a coal miner," I say. "He hates it, though. We get by, but we miss Tazmily."

"Shame," Duster says. "An' do you still paint?"

"Yeah, I do!" I smile, surprised that he remembered. "When I can, I mean. I saved up to go to the big boarding school, and I'm studying Art there. It's really cool."

"My, my!" Duster chuckles, looking impressed. "I'm sure you've much improved, m'chap. I r'member when you'd paint anything an' everything. Hinawa would go mad, bless 'er. You painted my walls green, d'you remember that? You painted th' curtains, th' ceiling..."

"Wow." Ness laughs. "I never thought you'd be such a troublemaker."

I blush. 'Shut it, you. You got into more trouble than me."

"I guess so," Ness says, suddenly growing distant. I give his hand an apologetic squeeze, realising my mistake.

"Anyway, what are ya doin' out here?" Duster asks, frowning. "Y'er a long way from home. Did y' run away to join the circus?"

"Well, we're trying to put a stop to Porky," I explain. "You've probably heard from Headmaster Hand, but Porky's been causing chaos. Me, Ness, and some friends are going to New Pork City to try and stop him... but we got kidnapped by the Brigade."

"Ah, yes," Duster says darkly. "Like I said, that wretched man is runnin' amok in Tazmily. Steven — I mean, 'eadmaster 'and — told me all abou' his big plan."

"He's clever," I say, grimacing. "Persuasive. Likeable."

"Had me fooled, even," Duster sighs.

"Me too," Roy says.

There's a morose silence.

"So, how does the Brigade operate?" I ask everyone, deciding to be practical. "What's going to happen to us?"

"Well, we travel on horseback by day," Ike explains. "At night, we stop to rest, eat rations and socialise. Prisoners are kept guarded at all times by order of Captain Strong."

Headmaster Hand clears his throat. "Well, you could let us esca-"

"No!" Ike exclaims. "For the last time, I will not go against my superiors. I gave you one chance, and Pusher messed it up."

"I was excited!" Pusher complains.

"Nobody's looking," Headmaster Hand protests. "If you keep us here, we'll all die."

"Thanks to your escape plans, I'm not even allowed to guard prisoners anymore," Ike says. "Do you want me to report you to Captain Strong?"

"Is that his real name?" Ness asks. "Sounds like an egoist to me."

"I thought he owned a port," Roy murmurs.

"I thought he was chief of the Onett Police Force," Ike says. "But I wouldn't know, since I, unlike you, didn't have a habit of shoplifting."

"Wow, okay." Roy rolls his eyes. "We're going there? We all have flaws, man."

"I know Strong," Headmaster Hand says, frowning. "I had to get him involved in a drug case up at the school. I thought he was too important for the war?"

"He probably likes the idea of killing people," Roy says. "He's a policeman, after all."

"I thought the leaders rotated," Ollie says, adjusting his spectacles. "I've studied them for several days, and that's what I've observed."

"Oh, there are two leaders," Ike explains.

"Two!?"

"One General, that's Strong. He bosses us around, assigns duties and delegates ranks. Then, there's a Day Leader, who changes each day. He's responsible for leading the horses."

Ollie produces an enormous notepad, frantically scribbling this down.

"I used to be on the Day Leader rota," Ike grumbles. "Unfortunately, smart guy Headmaster Hand got me involved in an escape plan."

"Which you're totally not bitter about," Roy says.

"I'm not! I'm just... irritated." Ike folds his arms. "I shouldn't have gone along with it, I broke my pledge to Onett City."

"Dwelling on the past is never advisable," Headmaster Hand says serenely, and Ike rolls his eyes.

"Whatever. I'll gain my ranks back, just you watch me."

"I'm sure you will," Headmaster Hand says, standing. "Until then, I daresay you have duties to be taking care of?"

"Ah, yes," Ike sighs. "I have to tend to the horses."

Roy raises an eyebrow. "By 'tend to the horses', do you mean..."

"Yes! Yes, I have to shovel the dung!"

Roy bursts out laughing. Ike grabs his spade, and with a nasty look at Headmaster Hand, he storms into the darkness.

The conversation soon disperses, and I shiver, Ness putting an arm around my middle. The coat I was wearing got destroyed by our chase, and now it's developed several sizable holes for the biting winter air to sneak into. I'm very susceptible to cold at the best of times, and on most Wilderness Survival Weeks I find myself shivering, bundled up in Ness warm arms. Now I'm freezing, wondering if my fingers will fall off.

"They're starting a campfire over there," Ness whispers to me, pointing to some a pile of logs. "Come on, let's go and warm up a bit."

"Fire?" Claus says, looking up. "But fire is bad."

"It's just a campfire," I explain. "It'll be controlled."

"But, but Mother said-"

"I don't remember what Mother said," I interrupt, sounding sterner than I intended. "But I promise you, the campfire is safe if you don't touch it."

"O-Okay," Claus whispers, and he doesn't protest further.

We stand, Ness helping me with my damaged ankle, but as soon as we do, our guard surges over.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To the campfire," I say, but he points the spear at my throat.

"No moving, remember? You are to remain here where I can see you."

"But-"

"Stay." He moves the spear a little closer, and I almost feel it touching my neck. "That's an order."

"Hey, don't hurt Lucas!" Ness exclaims, but I sigh.

"There's no point fighting it. Come on."

The guard relaxes in his spear, and I sit down again, wrapping my arms around my legs. I come to the quick conclusion that both of us are perhaps getting rather irritable, having not eaten or drunk properly in ages.

"This is bullshit," Ness grumbles, proving that notion immediately. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

"He's been manipulated by Porky," I reason. Ness huffs, but he doesn't say any more, huddling up to me again.

The fire glows brighter in the distance. Behind us, the Tazmily Villagers talk among themselves, nibbling on flatbread. I wonder if we'll be given food tonight, but I decide Ness has probably blown that with his antics. Not that I blame him of course, it's a frustrating situation, but I do wish he was better at controlling his temper.

"Lucas?" Claus says. He sounds sad again. I gulp, not sure if I'm ready to deal with any more emotions.

"Yeah?"

He sighs, mumbling into his palms, "Duster didn't - didn't know me. He thought I was monster, didn't he? He thought I was big, scary monster."

"Perhaps," I say, moving a little closer to him, almost patting him on the back, but not quite. "We'll get you cleaned up, Claus. I promise. It's going to be okay."

"Can't clean this, though," Claus says, bringing a finger to the metal plates over his cheek. The red light flashes more insistently when he does. "I will be monster forever."

"That's not true," I say, desperately looking to Ness for help. "You're still a human. You'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

"Yeah," Ness says encouragingly. "How about we start by giving you some new clothes?" He takes off his coat, handing it over to Claus. "Put this on. You'll be a lot warmer."

Claus slips into the coat, staring at Ness with what I think is awe. He looks a lot more human with it on, and he looks a lot happier, too. "Thank you, Ness."

"No problem," Ness says, even though he's now shivering in earnest. I hug him a little closer, infinitely grateful, and his smile makes it worth it. "So," he says. "What do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, we've got to escape, right? We have to make some sort of plan..."

"What's that about a plan?"

I look up. It's Ollie and Angie, the two Tazmilians around our age. They sit down next to us, Ollie getting his giant notebook back out, peering over his thick spectacles.

"Uh, hello," I say.

"Figured you'd be a good pair to speak to," Ollie says efficiently. "We've been getting nowhere with our deductions. It's getting dire."

"Dire? Eh, it's actually quite light by our standards," Ness says jauntily. "We've dealt with much worse in the past month."

"Oh, really?" Ollie stares at him.

"Yeah! Like-"

I elbow my counterpart in the ribs. "Ness, let's not show off. What were you two saying? What deductions have you made?"

"Several." Angie sits up, looking rather like Red when he's keen to answer a question. "Ollie and I have been observing the weaknesses of this brigade. We've been noting down their rotas, their systems, and the gaps in their routines."

"Indeed." Ollie turns through his notebook, which looks alarmingly full, graphs and charts covering every page. "I never go anywhere without this thing. I've always wanted to be a detective, you see."

"It's all he's talked about," Angie says.

"What is — what's that?" Claus asks.

"Uh, you mean a detective?" Ollie flinches, noticing Claus's bizarre appearance for the first time. "Uhm, it's someone who investigates things. Solves crimes."

"Being a detective sounds cool," Ness says, running a stray hand through his hair. "Are you any good?"

"Let's see." Ollie points at me. "There are scratch marks on your trousers. I'd say you've been running through a forest, possibly from the brigade. There's dirt on your face. You hid in a hole. There's a black hair on your shoulder, probably Ness's. You like physical contact. You're close, you two." He turns to Claus, studying him closely. "There's a thorn sticking out of your leg. You probably ran into brambles during that chase. You have childlike speech and a damaged appearance, so I'd say you were locked up for a number of years. Judging by the fact you've got no proper clothes yet, I'd estimate you were recently found."

He's not done. He points back at me. "You're shivering, yet you're wearing a coat. You're pale and skinny, so I'd say you're almost certainly anaemic." He moves on to Ness. "You have bad posture, so you probably spend a lot of time sitting down, possibly studying. Your family was abusive, judging by how you responded when Lucas said you got into trouble as a child. You and Lucas have known each other for some time, I think. Lucas would've been lonely after Claus got taken, and would've seen you as a replacement, perhaps. He clung to you, but soon he realised you weren't just another Claus. This would've led to whatever you have now. So, yes, I am good. Am I right?"

"Erm." I stare, open-mouthed. "Pretty much."

Ness frowns. "Wait, Lucas, you're anaemic?"

"I'm not sure what that means," I admit.

"It's an iron deficiency," Ollie says, looking pleased with himself. "That was all correct, though? I've been practising, it's a bit of a show trick, really. They're things anyone could figure out if they looked hard enough."

"Well, you weren't right about everything," I say, grinning.

"Oh? What did I miss?"

"...Ness was the clingy one."

Ness gasps. "Hey!"

"Hah." Ollie slips his hands into his pockets, giving us a good-natured smile. "There's always something. So, yeah. I want to be a detective."

"Don't you need, like, loads of qualifications?" Ness asks, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, yes. Tons." Ollie tosses his notebook in one hand. "That's not a problem for me, though."

I frown. "I didn't think Tazmily had any higher education?"

"Ah, well," Angie says, but she doesn't look happy. "Tazmily has changed quite a bit since you were last there, Lucas."

"Changed?" I say. "How so?"

Angie gives a half-smile, shuffling forward a little bit. "A lot of investment came in over the last few years. Old buildings were regenerated and new ones were constructed. Some people complained of course, but it benefited the economy massively. Now we've got factories, a college, a shopping centre, bricks, coal, steel..."

"Factories?" I feel distinctly unwell.

"I hated them," Ollie grumbles. "They destroyed the view."

"How did Tazmily afford all that?" Ness asks. "Lucas told me it was just a small village."

"Porky," I say darkly. "His way of gaining their trust, I suppose."

"And I knew he was up to something," Ollie says, sighing. "I knew he was bad. I told Mother, I told Father, but they just didn't listen. Nobody did."

There's an unpleasant silence. Claus gives a noticeable shiver.

"How about we get back on topic?" Angie suggests. "We need to decide how to escape. Ollie, show them the grid."

"Ah, yes." Ollie turns to a page on which he's drawn a very long and detailed table. "So, I've drafted this chart of how many of each role there are, and who performs each of those roles. There are ration managers, storage managers, wood gatherers, Ike the poop scooper — essentially, the list goes on. The important bit is when the roles change."

"But there are over five hundred men here," I say, looking out at the bustling campsite. "How did you do all this?"

"I identify them by their distinctive features," Ollie says. "Besides, there's nothing better to do."

"We haven't let on to Headmaster Hand," Angie adds, leaning forwards. "We reckon he's a bit…"

"Mad?" Ness suggests.

"He's a control freak," Ollie says calmly. "He means well, but he's prone to mistakes and misjudgements, especially of other people. We tried to keep quiet around him and keep our work out of sight, lest he attempted to take control. We prefer working with more cooperative people."

"Right," I say, still kind of bemused.

"So," Angie continues. "With Ollie's draft, we can see where the gaps are and when people rotate their roles. We know when posts aren't guarded. We've concluded that the best times to escape are either when we're getting ready to travel, or when we're settling in for the night."

"But the problem is, we need help," Ollie says. "We've hit a brick wall. There's no way to escape, at least not with everyone else. No gap is big enough for us not to be seen."

"So… why not try a distraction?" Ness suggests.

"That's what Headmaster Hand reckons," Angie says, grimacing. "And to be fair to him, it might work, but we've tried it already. We secretly set the horses off, we threw a stick into their midst, but we were caught thanks to Ollie's dad."

"Pusher," I recall. "Right."

"Yeah… so, we're not entirely sure what to do. We could run away, just us, but I'd feel bad leaving our parents behind. It's not their fault they're so stupid."

"Hmm..."

We fall into thought, and I frown, shivering again. Ness slings a casual arm over my shoulder, pulling me near, but I give him a look. We can't be too obvious, or Ollie might pick up on exactly how close we are, which would probably lead to our execution.

"I wish we could be over by that fire," Ness bemoans, hearing the soldiers beginning to sing around it. "It'd be so much warmer."

"We could start a fire here," I suggest. "That could even be a distraction."

But Ollie shakes his head. "I thought of that one, too. These guards would probably just leave us to burn in it."

"Eurgh, what a horrible thought!" Angie exclaims.

I shiver. "Sounds painful. At least it'd be quick..."

A stray rook caws from above, and I shift a little, suddenly uneasy. The rooks should be sleeping. Why are they always making so much noise?

'Oh, Danny was a fine young chap,' the soldiers sing, slightly out of tune. 'He mined all night and day...'

The rock calls again, its dark wings billowing in the wind. I watch it soar, silhouetted in the moonlight. It's circling.

'You're on edge,' Ness says into my mind. 'What's up?'

"Something's off," I mutter, the psychic communication clouding my thoughts. "Sensory check. Quick."

'Danny boy, he swung his pick, for coal, for coal, for coal!'

But it's hard to think over all that noise!

Yet tomorrow, beyond imagining.

Shut up, brain. I grip my head in my hands. Tonight has already been unimaginable. We've been captured. We found Claus. We had an argument while dreaming. There can't be anything else. We haven't even been together for a whole day — not even half of one! It seems like centuries ago that Ness confessed his feelings.

'Danny boy, he swung the pick into the Captain's head...'

"Bit morbid," Ness whispers, but I shush him. There's something. I can feel something, something awful.

'Oh, the mighty captain, he did end up quite dead!'

I stand abruptly.

"Is something wrong?" Ollie asks.

"Yes," I say, absolutely certain.

"What? What is it?"

I freeze, glancing around at the group of prisoners. Everyone is still here, just talking or lying down, resting. What is wrong with me? Why am I so damn oversensitive?

"Look!" Angie exclaims sharply, pointing to the campfire.

I turn sharply. It looks like a normal fire, burning high, great plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. But...

"What is it?" Ollie asks.

"There, that guy," Angie says. "He's not singing. He's just standing there, staring in the other direction."

I squint through the darkness. I can just about make out a figure silhouetted against the flames, standing stock still. He's looking out into the distance, almost as if he's waiting for someone.

My stomach lurches. The smiling man.

'Danny Boy was sent to jail for forty days and forty nights...'

"Everyone, look away!" Ollie hisses.

"What? Why?"

"If he sees us staring, he'll know we've seen him!"

"Maybe he's just tired?" Ness suggests. "Maybe he zoned out? Not everything has to be weird."

'But he beat the prison guard like mad, and Danny Boy ran for his life...'

"He's up to something," I say, certain of it. "What can you hear? What can you see?"

"Awful singing?" Ness suggests. "The fire? Birds? I don't know, Lucas."

"That is a lot of rooks," Angie observes, frowning.

"None of that!" I say, suddenly feeling unbelievably tense. "There's something else. Can't you hear it? There's something else!"

"Lucas, you're freaking out," Angie says kindly, laying a hand on my shoulder. "You need to calm down, okay? You just-"

"He's right," Ness says abruptly. "Something's wrong. I can feel it, I can hear it..."

"Feel it? There's no such thing as premonitions," Angie says, looking worriedly between us. "I think you should take a break, just sit down, and-"

"There!" Ollie exclaims, and we all fall silent. "Tapping," he says. "Can't you hear the tapping?"

I strain my ears. Under the singing, under the wind, there's a tiny rhythm. Tap Tap, Tap Tap Tap. Tap Tap Tap…

"Maybe they're drumming to the music," Angie says. "Come on, Ollie, this isn't like you, there's nothing-"

"It's Morse!" Ollie exclaims suddenly, wildly turning the pages of his notebook. "Come on, I've got it here somewhere..."

"Morse?" Ness says.

"Morse code! Here it is, here it is... Listen, everybody, listen!"

We fall quiet, even Angie, whose eyes widen as she finally hears the noise. Tap Taaap Tap, Tap, Tap Taaap...

"Q..." Ollie mutters. "No, I. I... S... I, again... Uh, T? T..."

I close my eyes, trying desperately to block out Ollie's ramblings.

"...R? I think. E… or U? No, E... A, D… uhh, X? Is that an X?"

"Shush!" Angie says.

"It's repeating," Ollie realises. "Is it readx...? Ready, maybe?"

"Ollie-"

"Is it ready?" Ness repeats. "Is what ready?"

We look around at one another, lost.

"Watch the other guy," Angie says suddenly. I look over at the smiling man, who shifts, moving his fingers out of dark pockets. They catch the firelight, resting against his hip.

Taaap tap taaap taaap...

I squint, looking closer.

Tap. Tap tap tap.

"Y, E, S," Angie deciphers. "Yes. It's ready."

Ollie curses under his breath. "They're up to something. I knew it!"

"But, hold on," Angie says, raising a hand. "Lucas just had a feeling. Are we really going to go on that?"

"I trust Lucas's feelings with my life," Ness says sharply, taking me by surprise. "Besides, you saw them. They're planning something!"

At once, the smiling man moves purposefully away from the fire, into the shadow. My breath hitches — he's coming toward us. He must have noticed us looking.

"Get Ike," Ollie says suddenly, noticing. "Quick!"

"I'm here!" Ike rushes over, his armour clanking. "What's happening?"

"There's someone coming for us," Angie says, sounding panicked. "There was morse code and premonitions, and now he's coming!"

Ike folds his arms. "Is this some elaborate plan to escape?"

"No!" I exclaim. "Something's going on!" The man breaks into a run. "He's nearly here!"

"What's happening?" Headmaster Hand demands, surging in. "Did you say someone's coming?"

"No, you can't come through," says a guard. "They're prisoners."

The man flashes a piece of paper. "Strong's orders."

The guard moves aside. Ike runs forward, but the man elbows past him, headed straight for me—

"Excuse me!" Headmaster Hand exclaims, suddenly stepping between us. "Can we help you?"

"Oh, I daresay you can," the man snarls, his smile long gone. But I freeze. I know that voice. That awful, awful voice...

"What do you want?" Ness demands.

There's a quick snarl, and Headmaster Hand is thrown back against a tree. "What the fuck did you see?"

"No-Nothing!" Headmaster Hand squeaks, gasping for air. "W-What do you mean, I didn't see any-"

"Ha." The man shoves him again, and Headmaster Hand doubles over, wincing. He turns on us, a bowler hat obscuring his face. "And you lot! Just kids... Dear me, so young..."

"Stop right there!" Ollie says, boldly stepping forward. "We caught you red-handed. Whatever you and your friend are doing, we know about it!"

But the man only laughs. "Really? What makes you say that, then?"

"The Morse code," Ollie declares. "You said something is ready."

"Oh, aren't you smart," the man sneers. "But you listen here, and you'd better listen good. What I'm doing needn't concern you. It may benefit you, even. There's no need for any of you to get hurt tonight."

"Why should we believe you?" Angie demands.

"Because if you tell a fucking soul, I'll rip your throat out," the man says pleasantly. He looks up, his eyes meeting mine, and I stare back with horror. It's him. It's him.

"You're just some guy!" Ness says. "If you rip our throats out, Captain Strong will arrest you!"

But the man just laughs again. "Some guy, am I, Ness? Oh yes, I know who you are. I can make your lives hell, easily, even from here. Hell. You'd know, wouldn't you, Lukey?"

"No," I whisper, backing frantically away. "No. No." Don't be sick. Don't be sick.

"I'll be leaving now," he says, giving us one last smirk. He swaggers toward the guard, and I gasp for breath, collapsing to the floor. It's him. It's really him.

He's back.

Geldegarde is back.

.

.

.

.

.

I'm stood by Giant's mine. An eighty-foot drop looms before me, the rocks below consumed by shadow. I shake, the wind blasting against my face, my hands tied behind my back.

"Tell me where he is."

"P-Please," I whisper. "Please, don't-"

"Tell me, Lucas!"

"No," I beg. "No more, no more, please-"

"This can all stop, Lucas. You just have to tell me... You just have to be a good boy, come on..."

"I - I can't! I won't! Leave me alone!"

"You leave me no choice, Lucas."

Geldegarde leans out over the mine, holding out the bundle. I beg, pleading, grabbing for it, but it's too far out of reach.

"Please - please - don't - j-just don't!"

"Remember, Lucas. You made me do this. This is all your fault."

The bundle falls. I scream, sobbing, and a piercing howl tears through the night.

"We'll continue again tomorrow."

.

.

.

.

.

"Lucas?" Ness is saying, crouched down by my side. "Lucas, are you with us?"

"Ness," I whimper, holding him close, clutching his shirt. "Ness."

"Lucas, what's wrong? What did he do, did he hurt you?"

I'm lost for words, just shaking. Headmaster Hand watches on, Ollie and Angie staring at me with disbelief. Claus looks upset, and for his sake, I try to pull myself together.

"That man broke protocol," Ike says, pacing. "Instructions from Captain Strong my arse. I should report him, but I don't know his name..."

"Geldegarde," I choke out. "Geldergarde Monotoli."

Ness curses under his breath, and I feel him holding me tighter. "If that's Geldegarde, we're in deep. He's high up in the Onett government."

"And what the hell is he planning?" Angie says nervously. "We have to stop him, whatever it is."

"Don't," I say, suddenly standing. "Don't mess with him. Just walk away, please. I can't — we can't. Not him."

"But he could be doing something dangerous," Angie protests.

"He'll kill you," Ollie murmurs. "That man, he's killed before. He's planning to kill again tonight. There's going to be a murder."

"A murder?!"

"It was the way he said it," Ollie says, beginning to pace. "He said you don't need to be hurt tonight, as if someone else will be. The way he walked, it was confident, like he's the sort of man who gets what he wants. That threat was effortless, too, like he's made many threats before. And on the collar of his coat, I wasn't sure at first, but now I am. Gunpowder."

There's a shocked pause.

"He's gonna blow us all to pieces," Angie whispers.

"Wait, but why?" Ike frowns. "Is he working for Tazmily or something? I thought Geldegarde worked for the Onett Government."

"I don't know," Ollie says. "But for the love of God, Ike, don't tell Captain Strong. If he finds out we snitched, Geldegarde will kill us all."

"But we have to do something!" Angie stares at him in distress. "There are so many people here, we can't let them die."

"Indeed," Ollie says. "We just have to do it alone, that's all."

"Alone?" Ness yelps.

Ollie raises an eyebrow. "I thought that wouldn't be a problem? You said you'd faced much worse."

"Yeah, but the stakes are higher now," I mumble, still sounding sort of incoherent. Geldegarde's face threatens to topple me again, and I take a deep breath. "You're right, though. We can't just sit back and let it all happen."

"So, what do we do?"

We fall into another silence, thinking. I can practically hear Ness's mind humming beside me. I can't think of much other than just, Geldegarde. Here. It's making memories surface, awful, dark memories that I thought I'd buried for good. The presence of others is the only thing that seems to keep them at bay.

"Guy Fawkes used gunpowder," Claus says, appearing out of nowhere. "He used it on November 5th, 1605."

"Erm." I turn to him in surprise. "Why do you know the exact date of the gunpowder plot?"

"We did it in class," Claus says blankly.

"Retentive memory," Ollie mutters, fiddling with his notebook. "Clinging onto old memories to block out the new."

"Right," I say, disturbed. "So, uh, the gunpowder must be hidden somewhere, right? We need to destroy it somehow — or throw it away, ruin it. Something like that."

"How about water? That'll stop it from exploding," Ollie says, quickly scribbling it down. He turns to the rest of us, standing. "That would work, actually. In that case, we have no time to lose. Angie and I will try to find the other signaller. Ness, Lucas, Claus, look for the gunpowder. Meet us back here in thirty minutes." Without waiting for a reply, he strides away, Angie in tow.

...I collapse against our tree.

"Lucas?" Ness crouches next to me.

"Sorry, I'll be okay," I mutter. "It's just a lot. Besides, I can't really walk."

"That's okay." Ness pats my head, and I look at him, feeling slightly patronised. "Sorry. Erm, those two were... kind of intense, don't you think? How did Ollie know all that about us?"

"I guess he's observant," I say. "You should take a leaf out of his book."

"Oh, shut up. Let's focus on the fact that we're suddenly involved in a murder plot, perhaps?"

"Another sidequest on the endless mission to beat Porky. The night remains unimaginable."

"Unimaginable," Claus repeats, shuddering.

"It'll be fine," Ness assures him. "We should probably start looking for that gunpowder. But, uh, Lucas, do you want to talk about-?"

His eyes say the rest.

"Later," I say, averting my eyes. A lot later.

Ness helps me up, and Claus follows clumsily behind. We decide there'd be no harm in filling Headmaster Hand in on our deductions; he seems more trustworthy than Ollie and Angie, at least. Headmaster Hand agrees to help us convince our guard to let us search beyond the tree.

"For the last time, no leaving the prisoner!" Our guard snarls when we ask. "How many times do I need to tell you?"

"But we're in mortal danger!" Ness protests. "We'll be blown to a million pieces!"

The guard barges Ness with the hilt of his spear. "Go and sit down, or I will call Captain Strong to deal with you personally. They say he frequents the teenage brothels, would you like to find out why?"

"Uh, no," Ness says, paling. "We're good."

Headmaster Hand leaves to try and convince Ike, leaving me, Claus, Lucas to look for the gunpowder from our tree, which is almost impossible in the darkness. I wonder vaguely if there even is any gunpowder, if Ollie's mad deductions were wrong somehow, but I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry. I've seen what Geldegarde can do, and if there's anyone I'd bank on being more ruthless than Porky, it's him.

Even the thought of him makes me feel sick. It brings back the tang of flesh, the dust that lined the bitter red alleyway. The memories start bubbling up again, and I quickly have to grab Ness to keep them at bay.

"You okay?" Ness mutters.

"Yeah, just. Give me a hug. Please."

"Aw," Ness says, smiling a little. He obliges at once. "My hugs make you feel better? See, I knew it. This relationship thing is easy."

I make a tiny noise, letting him run his hands i through my hair. He does make me feel better, it's true, maybe shamefully so. When I was younger, I often worried I was becoming dependent on him. After the events of the last two weeks, that worry has started to return.

"Lucas?" Claus says, looking at us with curiosity. My heart skips a beat. I'd almost forgotten he was there. "Did - Did you say... Relationship?"

"Uh, C-Claus!" Ness stammers, not sure whether to let go of me not. He flaps his arms around. "Uh, yes, but not between me and Lucas! No, Lucas has been looking for advice, especially concerning... hugging."

"Hugging," Claus repeats.

"Y-Yeah! Because don't tell anyone, but he likes this girl," Ness says, ignoring my horrified expression. "He likes her a lot, but he's really shy, you see. He's been asking me for tips."

"L-Lucas likes a girl?" Claus's face lights up. "What is her name?"

"Uh, Bayonetta!" Ness blunders. "She goes to our school."

'Bayonetta!?' I mouth, appalled.

Ness rubs his neck, turning red. "It's going really, really well for them."

"Really well? Yay!" Claus claps his hands together. "Lucas is in love!"

"How delightful," I say, just about resisting the temptation to slap Ness to another planet. Ness withers under my piercing gaze.

"Should we - should we keep searching for the gunpowder?" he asks.

"What a great idea."

We squint through the gloom. There's nothing by the logs, nothing by the horses. I can't make out any barrels, packs, or even any blatant piles of the stuff. I sigh into my hands.

"What if it's by our tree?" Ness suggests.

"No, Geldegarde-" I shudder as I say his name. "-said that we don't need to get hurt. I'd say the blast radius of the gunpowder is 10 meters, depending on how much there is, so-"

"Lucas, stop," Ness interrupts. "There are enough geniuses around here already."

"Oh, your poor, fragile ego."

Ness socks me in the arm. "I'm not egotistical!"

"Quite the opposite," I agree. "And we're gonna fix that."

Ness pouts. "You're bullying me."

"Bullying is bad," Claus agrees.

"You bully me more often. Can you see any gunpowder by the fire?" I ask.

"Nope, just a load of guys singing," Ness sighs. "There aren't even any women to impress, why do they do this to themselves?"

"Singing was fun," Claus says flatly.

I turn, frowning. "I don't remember you being into singing?"

"I did singing." I catch the tiniest glimpse of a blush on his face, and it fills me with hope when he smiles. "It was a secret."

We keep looking, but it feels utterly futile. Instead, I find myself watching the singing, jealous of the heat of that fire. The spirit of the camp is remarkable, even in wartime; several men have arms slung over each other's shoulders, and are swaying to a mournful melody.

This whole Brigade is still impressive to me, honestly. Ness tells me how it's the biggest Brigade of four, each one consisting of lower-class soldiers as they move down the ranks. The Government funds the First Brigade and usually has a greater say in its actions, which are, according to Ness, typically non-actions. The lower Brigades do the dirty work, even though they're essentially funded by scraps from the Blacksmith. Then again, I don't suppose Onett goes to war very often.

"There's no gunpowder," Ness concludes eventually. "We'll have to wait until our guard lets us out, or we can send Ike."

"I guess we'll wait," I say. "And hopefully, we can get some sleep."

"Ooh," Ness shivers again. "Dreams. I'm not sure about those."

I think back to my dream with the rooks in the desert, and I decide that maybe, just maybe, I'm not sure about dreams either.

We lean back again. Ness rests his head against my shoulder, and it's a welcome relief to have his warm body snuggled back up to mine. Unfortunately, Claus takes this as a sign to do the same on the other side, and all of a sudden, I have to wriggle free because claustrophobia, and I'm cold again. Ness pouts. I pout back.

"Alright, m'chaps?" Duster asks, appearing out of nowhere.

"Duster!" Claus says keenly.

"Hey, champ!" Duster ruffles Claus's mane. "Really got long this, didn't it?"

Claus nods. "Very, very long."

"Ah, well. Y'll be all tidied in no time. Keep on grinnin', you'll be alrigh'."

I smile, a little warmed by those words myself.

"An' you, Lucas." Duster shuffles over to the two of us, crouching down. "Y' look after him, okay? Whatever that Porky did to him, it looks nasty. It's been a long while since I saw ye both, but I 'member how Claus looked after you when you was sad, or you'd had a fall. You keep him safe, m'kay?"

"We will," I say. "I promise."

"Good boy, Lucas. Oh, an', y' wouldn't mind givin' uncle Duster one o' your more recent paintings, would ya?" He grins. "The one on m' wall is a little out of date."

"Of course," I say. "Uh, do you like landscapes?"

"Anythin' will do," Duster says heartily. "Y' got a bright future ahead of you, m'chap."

I try to smile as he leaves, walking back to talk to Roy. When he's out of sight, I plunge my face into Ness's shoulder again.

"I don't know how to look after people."

"You do a pretty good job of looking after me," Ness says, patting me on the back. "And hey, who says you have to look after him alone?"

"Erm, I'm not sure-"

"Besides, it's good practice for when we have kids," Ness adds chirpily, making me choke on my own saliva.

"Ness, it's not even been one day!"

"And?"

"And, in case you'd forgotten basic biology-"

"Aha, but that's what you think!" Ness says dramatically. "May I introduce you to the wonderful world of Adoption?"

"Yes, adoption, which is totally legal for gay people."

Ness pouts, looking genuinely sad. "But how am I supposed to raise Ness Junior?"

"Look at porn?" I suggest, and it's Ness's turn to choke.

"Did you just make a fucking dick joke?"

"Yes," I say matter-of-factly, "Because it's better people think you have erectile dysfunction than the homo virus."

"You don't want people knowing our forbidden secret?" Ness says slyly. I blush, suddenly flustered.

"Aha!" Ollie strides into our midst, and Ness and I practically explode apart. "Excellent, you're back on time," Ollie says, mercifully not accusing us of sodomy. "Did you find the gunpowder?"

"No," I admit. "Did you find the other signaller?"

"No," Angie sighs, appearing. "The only people back there are Reggie, sulking again, and a load of guards. They must've made a sharp exit."

"Could it be someone external?" I suggest.

"I considered that." Ollie scribbles something down. "But, more importantly, that man who came over, Geldegarde. Who was he?"

"Erm." I shift uncomfortably, feeling numbness come over my body. "Someone."

"What was he like? What did he do to you? I saw it in the way you looked at him, you were scared. He hurt you, didn't he?"

The memories leap, greedily seizing their chance. I force my eyes shut, feeling my breathing quickening. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter," Ollie says flatly. "You're both here. That might not be a coincidence."

Dust. Flesh. "I - I don't wanna talk about it," I stammer.

"Come on, Lucas! What's so bad about one man?" Ollie impatiently twirls his pencil, and suddenly, the nausea is too much — I stagger, Ness catches me, everything spinning as if in a carnival.

"He said he didn't want to talk about it," I hear Ness saying, his voice stern. "Look what you've done!"

"But - But we need to solve this! This is just preposterous!"

"Lay off him, Ollie," Angie orders. "I know it might be important, but it sounds like it was traumatic. This won't help us find the gunpowder, okay?"

"... Fine," Ollie sighs. "Sorry, Lucas, I only meant-"

"It's okay," I whisper, but it isn't okay, was never okay. The memories roar and bound, emerging from the mud and the mire. Voices scream. Images flash before me. It's real, it's all too real.

The alley. The violence. The choking, the sour taste at the back of my throat.

I gasp for breath, clawing for something, but there's nothing there. I'm distantly aware of arms around me, but they writhe, twisting into foreign, sickening limbs.

Hands. Men. Touching. Blades.

I grab onto Ness, my vision swimming, flooding—

Sinking. Drowning. Dying.

"Lucas? Lucas, are you okay?" Angie's voice comes from afar, her voice sliding in and out of focus like a detuned orchestra.

My head striking the pavement. Pain. The copper tang of blood. Fists.

"Lucas? Lucas!? Come on, are you with us?"

Heavy breathing. Rapid, ragged breaths. Running. Running as far as I can. Home, but that's no good. The forest, but he's there as well.

Hands grip my shoulders. They touch my face. They touch my hair.

The ringing in my ears. Geldegarde barking orders. I have to obey, or he hurts. He hurts so bad.

"Come on, pick him up, I'm not sure what's happening—"

Sobbing into a pillow. The next day, the same. Keep going, for him. More touching. More sobbing.

"D-DON'T TOUCH ME!" I scream. "LET GO! LET GO!"

"Lucas, please, it's-"

"NO! IT HURTS! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

His face. His smile. His breath.

I collapse into a heap, voices floating like daggers towards me.

"Lucas, Lucas, are you there? Are you okay?!"

'How could you forget Boney?'

"Lucas, come on, can you hear me?"

'I.. moved on.'

I screw up my eyes. No. No.

The lie.

"Lucas, Lucas, it's me, it's Ness, please-"

"I'm sorry," I croak.

"I did it to save you."

.

.

.

.

.

~ReadyForTeddy