(3 Hours Earlier...)

"Thanks, Ness," I say. "I'll come through when we're done."

Ness reluctantly leaves, and suddenly, it's just me and Saul. The mystery man, with his pale flesh and his deceitful eyes, who claims to be my brother.

Thankfully, I'm clever enough to see through him. Because what kind of person turns up out of nowhere, appears in the middle of the forest, and tells the first person he sees that they're related? To some, it might be a good trick, an effective one, even. It tugs at the heartstrings and forces the victim to think. But I've been lied to so often that I've learnt to spot people's tells. For example, Saul's changing demeanour. His wavering kindness. The way he speaks, not to mention the fact his story is impossible. Yes, I think assuredly to myself. This falsehood is quite obvious.

"So," I say. I'm determined to keep the upper hand in whatever follows. The absence of Ness's warmth seems to have made me more ruthless. "Go on then. What's your proof?"

"Well," Saul says, leaning lazily against Claus's pillow. "You'll have to come over here to find out..."

I almost laugh. "I don't think so. I know that trick, I'll get close and you'll stab me."

"I see," Saul says, raising an eyebrow slightly. "I guess you're more experienced than you look. I'm not going to stab you, though. I can assure you of that."

"I'm not reassured."

"And that is understandable, as one should never be assured in such a wretched world." Saul swings his legs around, giving me a funny look. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you've spent time on the street. It teaches you things. Things about how the world works, how so few people can be trusted... but I assure you, I'm one of the good guys. I'm your brother."

"No, you're not," I say, feeling that anger pooling in my gut again. It's foreign, bizarrely intense. My senses swim, and I feel the psychic stone radiating against my leg. "You still haven't shown me your proof. Where is it?"

"...You are so rude to me." Saul stands, beginning to pace again. "Ever since I've arrived, you have complained and glared and huffed."

"Where is the proof."

"I'm getting there," he says, rolling his eyes at my impatience. "First, I need to tell you about the street life. Because out there, the rich get richer, and the poor get left behind. It's men like Geldegarde Monotoli, B.H Pirkle, and Porky Minch, who always win."

"I know." I've made that rather uncomplicated observation several times. "But seriously, if you don't show me your proof, I'm going to call Ness back in here-"

"Oh, don't bring back that meddling boy! Just listen, why don't you?" Saul says, and for the first time, he seems to be losing his cool. I fall quiet, a little surprised. "Good," he says. "Now, let me explain. A year or so ago, it was an ordinary night on the street. I was sleeping under a bridge, and a man approached me. At first, I thought he was creepy, and I tried to run, but then he began to talk. And suddenly, everything made sense." Saul's eyes look a little brighter, and he turns to the window, looking out at the black peaks of the forest. "He told me he was working on a solution. He promised shelter, liberation, and freedom from the endless cycle of poverty. He dreamt of a new world, a world where the people could make decisions."

I narrow my eyebrows. This person sounds suspiciously like Porky.

"And he told me about himself," Saul continues. "He took me back to this house, and there were loads of others, all interested in what he had to say. He gave us purpose, something to fight for. You may have heard of him, even. His name was Frank Fly."

Frank Fly. The name rings a bell. He's a powerful man, a political activist, infamous for leading...

"The Sharks," I realise with a scowl. "You're a member of The Sharks."

"Indeed," Saul says, faintly smiling as he sits back down again. "It was liberating. The Sharks understand the human condition. We work to bring justice."

"By blowing up buildings," I say. "Killing people. Being violent."

"Ah... but it is for the greater good, Lucas. You've lived on the street, haven't you? You've seen how bad it is. The Sharks want to make a new world. We want to change things. Improve them."

But I surge forwards, furious that this man can call himself my brother, and yet associate himself with such things. "Didn't you read the newspaper? Last Friday, one of your men, Everdred, blew up the Onett High Court! He killed innocent people, people's parents, people's friends — and he'd been used by your leaders. Coerced!"

Suddenly, Saul looks troubled, backing away from my outburst. "He did what? I didn't know, I left Onett before-"

"It's true," I say, sensing an advantage. "And it's your people that did it. Now, before I kick you out of this school, where is the proof that you're my brother?"

"Well..." Saul slowly raises his hands. "It's not proof that you're my brother, per se…"

"Then what the hell is it?"

Ever so gradually, he unfurls his jacket. He reaches a pale hand into his pocket, digging around for quite a while. I lean forward to see, and when he pulls out a little bag, filled with black powder, my blood runs cold.

Gunpowder.

"Brother of mine..." Saul begins. His smile has become pleasant, almost inviting. He dangles the bag in the air with careless abandon. "Porky Minch is within this school. The Sharks want him dead, you see... he is a great enemy to justice. And I have more where this came from — Mr Fly arms us very well!"

"You can't," I say weakly. Even in his pockets, I spot more bags of gunpowder bulging out. There are some in his trousers. There are even some under his bed. There's enough here to blow the school to pieces.

"But think about it," Saul says. "Porky Minch. The evilest man to ever live, destroyed. Wouldn't that be glorious?"

"You'd kill so many people," I croak, thinking of Ness, Red, Pit, even Rosalina. "It's not fair, there are children here!"

"But the greater good!" Saul sings, stuffing the gunpowder back into his pocket. "Then again... that would be a lot of lives. Perhaps damage and destruction is not the way forward..."

"It's not!" I say.

"...and yet, I am compelled..."

"Well, don't be!"

"Or maybe it should be up to you," Saul says, suddenly dropping his voice to a whisper. "It could be your choice, Lucas. I can strike you a deal."

"What's the deal?" I ask, already feeling sick.

"I need somewhere to stay. I need a roof over my head." Saul's grin widens, and he steps forward, sensing an advantage. "Let me stay here, in this school. Keep me secret. Tell everyone you're my brother, tell your little friend Ness, even." There's a keen, childish expression on his face. "Tell them all, or they'll all be exploded. Tell them the truth, Lucas... or everyone dies!"

.

.

.

~~o00o~~

Chapter 52: Not When You're in Love

(Lucas)

~~o00o~~

.

.

.

(3 hours later...)

Maybe deciding to be boyfriends was a mistake.

Ness's terrible words ring through my ears.

The covers are piled over my head. Layers upon layers of blankets separate me from that awful reality, that one I should've known all along.

I'm not good enough. Even for him.

The worst thing is, I don't even know why. Have I not been kind enough? Have I not been giving him the attention, the love he deserves? I don't know how to do this whole boyfriend thing, nobody ever told me. I've been left to figure it out on my own, and now I've utterly failed.

But then again, perhaps I should've seen this coming. I've felt angry today, more emotional, everything getting to me more than it should. Saul's right, I've been rude, cold, even snapping at Ness. That's what happens when I don't learn from my mistakes — my emotions go unprocessed, and then they spill out over everyone, in a big, childish, Lucas-sized sulk.

The door bursts open, interrupting my misery. Its rattle sounds like muffled gunfire. It'll be Ness, I know it, here to apologise, explain, and tell me everything I did wrong. But it's not Ness, it's Villager. I can tell by the way he sits beside me.

"Hey."

"Hey," I echo. I try to pull myself together, but I'm tangled in all the blankets. Great.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"That's a lie," Villager says.

I don't reply.

"Is it that new guy?" Villager asks. "The one who claims to be your brother?"

"He is my brother," I say, which makes me despair again, remembering the gunpowder.

"But that's not what's wrong," Villager says perceptively. "Is it Claus?"

"No."

"Ness?"

I don't answer, but my reply is obvious.

"What happened?" Villager asks quietly. "Did he hurt you? Did you have a fight?"

"No," I mumble. "I heard him talking to Toon Link."

"And what did he say?"

I sigh, hopeless. "He thinks our relationship is a mistake."

"...Ah." I can hear Villager's gulp. "Well, maybe you misheard? Or maybe you heard it out of context?"

"It sounds bad in every context."

"Well, maybe," Villager says, and I feel him shifting a little nearer. "But come on, Ness is head-over-heels for you. I don't know why he'd say otherwise."

"Because I'm a terrible boyfriend."

"Lucas. This isn't like you," Villager says sternly. "Being melodramatic isn't going to fix this. Ness loves you, he can't take his eyes off of you. He thinks you're pretty, he keeps rambling about it to the rest of us. You must have misunderstood somehow, I'm sure of it."

But I curl deeper into the covers, their pressing warmth surrounding me. What if Ness was only pretending to like me? What if he took me under his wing out of pity, but could never get rid of me? Me, the hopeless case, Geldegarde's plaything, the lonely boy from the forsaken village. I'm nothing, certainly not lovable. Anything but lovable.

The door opens again. This time, the rattle is muted, softer. Villager shifts, and I know that Ness is finally here.

"Lucas," Ness says. He sounds out of breath. "What are you doing under there?"

"I'll leave you to it," Villager murmurs, his rational presence disappearing. "Good luck."

I shiver, despite the fact I'm sweating. Ness is coming nearer, and he's going to tell me it's all over. The psychic stone in my pocket aches with coldness, with bitterness. I've not felt this anxious in a long time. As the covers are torn from my head, it feels like I'm going to die.

But suddenly, something quite strange happens. A blanket knocks against my pocket, and the psychic stone tumbles away. Instantly, my mind clears, filling with light. I sit up, checking myself, and the worry is almost gone. The steady anger in my gut has faded. I don't even feel that sad anymore.

There's a sheen of sweat on Ness's forehead. He looks nervous, sitting next to me on my bed.

"How much did you hear?" he asks, as though he's dreading the answer.

"Enough."

"Lucas..."

I look up. Our eyes meet. His are worried, pretty and flecked with violet. There's a distance between us. It's unfamiliar.

"I'm sorry," I murmur. "I'm sorry to have dragged you around for so long. I didn't know I was making you sad-"

"It's not like that!" Ness yelps, and suddenly he's alive, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "Lucas!"

"Ness?"

The words seem to roll from his tongue. "I was only saying that because I was scared, because I thought you didn't like me! I thought I'd forced you into this somehow, and you didn't like me like that, and I was upsetting you! Because you were kinda angry at me this morning, and we haven't kissed much, and I don't know whether you want to do more than kiss... I don't know anything!" His cheeks are flushed with shame, or guilt, or something else. "So, it's not like that, okay? I love you. Lots."

"I love you too," I murmur. His words have made my stomach sink — I've made him feel unwanted. Unloved. "I do still like you," I say. "I'm sorry."

"And I'm worried about you," Ness continues, his voice tremoring. "Because you've - you've..."

"I've what?"

"Been different," he mumbles, and it sounds as though the words are costing him years of his life. "You've been angrier. Surlier. More reserved. I thought it was my fault."

"I'm sorry." I stare at my feet. He's right, I've been irritable for a while now. And Saul's arrival has only made it worse. Thoughts of the gunpowder leap at me, and I nearly tell Ness everything, but Saul's threat echoes through my mind. Everyone dies.

"Are you okay?" Ness asks plaintively. "If something's going on-"

"It's everything," I murmur. "Everything that's happening — I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at everything that's happening. I hate that it's out of my control."

Ness edges closer. I can almost feel his nervousness, radiating from his body. I'm filled with a sudden urge to hurl myself at him, to hug him tight and never let go.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asks.

"Forgive me for being an idiot?"

Ness breaks into a slight smile. "Only if you forgive me too."

"Always," I say, and there's a momentary pause. Then, suddenly, we're clinging to one another like we're children, as if our very lives depend on it. His arms are full around my back, and he's saying something, but I'm too busy hugging him to take notice. I long to stay like this forever, I long for him to understand me for the rest of our days, I long for no more quarrels.

"I think I was overthinking our relationship," Ness admits, surfacing. "Because it's so good, being with you. My mind…"

"Kairosclerosis?"

"Bless you."

"No, it's - it's the moment you realize you're happy, so you try to savour the feeling, which prompts your mind to identify it, pick it apart and put it in context. Which means you're not happy anymore."

"Well, I'm happy now," Ness says, and he slips his hands down to my sides. But his eyes catch sight of the Psychic Stone, glistening on the floor. "It's that thing, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"You've been carrying it around all day. More emotionally volatile, remember? It's probably been making you sad."

"Maybe," I say, though secretly, I think it only exacerbates emotions, not creates them. "But even if it was just the stone... I'm really sorry."

"It's alright," Ness says. "All of this is scary, confusing, and kind of horrible. If you need to shout at someone, then I'm here... just, warn me first."

"I will," I say, and on instinct, I brush a kiss against his cheek. Ness reddens. He lays his hand gently on mine, and for a moment, I forget about everything that's happening. But just as he's about to kiss me back, Claus blunders into the room.

"Lucas!" he exclaims. "Come see!"

"Can it wait?" I ask, a little put out.

"No! Quick!"

I reluctantly get to my feet, shoving the psychic stone back into my pocket. Almost immediately, I feel my senses heightening, anxiety hitching my chest like a hook. Ness stands, and without a word, we follow Claus, who looks as though he's seen a ghost.

"There!" he says, once we've reached the top of the stairs. At the bottom, there's a horde of people gathered around something. I almost trip as I hurry down, pushing through the worried faces.

Someone's lying on the floor. I can't tell who. The crowd around them is too thick and too noisy to make out any details. I brush past Link, who's shouting something about ghosts.

I push through to the front, but before I can see what's happening, movement begins. As if in a trance, the figure begins to ascend — I realise with a shock that it's Villager's friend, Mega Man. But he does not rise as though he's standing, he remains completely rigid, unfolding from the carpet like a trapdoor being opened. Mega Man reaches full verticality, and his eyes hurl open, the onlookers whispering with terror. And then, he opens his mouth, and he screams.

I quickly cover my ears, and many do the same. It's the sound of gears grinding, a million knives being scraped on a chalkboard, and suddenly, a radiant purple light shines from Mega Man's eyes. Gasps and cries ring out, and I stare, Mega Man staring back at me. Then, all at once, the sound halts, the light dims, and Mega Man's limp body crashes to the floor.

It's pandemonium.

Everyone surges forward, shouting and yelling. I look around frantically for a professor, noticing Professor Byleth running down the corridor. He hurries through, parting the crowd like the red sea. When he's reached Mega Man, he takes one look, and exclaims, "Get back!"

I obey, my hand finding Ness's in the thicket of panic. Professor Byleth effortlessly lifts Mega Man from the floor, studying his unseeing eyes. I spot Villager's frightened face among the crowd.

"He is unwell," Professor Byleth says, stating the obvious. "Disperse at once. I will take him to Doctor Mario."

The crowd clamours, but with an agile sweep of his cloak, Byleth rushes down the hall, Mega Man in his arms. Immense discourse breaks out, and Ness swiftly pulls me away.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know-"

"Could it be Porky? Did someone put a spell on him?"

"Porky's not magical, he can't be..." I scrunch my brow, trying to commit everything to memory, but the Psychic Stone is interrupting my thoughts. My mind lingers on the mysterious letter-sender, the other magical student. I push the idea from my mind.

"I hope Mega Man's okay," Ness murmurs. "That didn't look good..."

But suddenly, Professor Byleth reappears as quickly as he left, now empty-handed. He spots me and Ness immediately, waving us over.

We exchange an alarmed look. Byleth waves again, and I have to send Villager off as he comes toward us, reminding myself that Ryu chose Byleth specifically. He should be alright. We hurry over to him, and he opens a door, leading us into Ryu's old office.

The first thing I notice is that he's redecorated. The desk, once adorned with martial arts trophies and the giant bronze globe, has been painted a pale blue. On shelves where there were once innumerable books, there is now a bizarre and disorganised range of clocks. They range from a little carriage clock at one end to a mighty wooden cuckoo clock at the other. Ignoring this strange sight and the ticking noise that emerges from it, I spot two comfortable chairs opposite Byleth's desk. Not wanting to be rude, I swiftly sit down.

Professor Byleth descends opposite us. Masked by his casual expression, there's a heaviness in his eyes that I hadn't noticed from afar, like some kind of deep-set regret. His hair is similar to Professor Marth's, though it's more striking against Byleth's sharper face. He carries a sort of experienced ruggedness in his demeanour, one that suggests he has seen worlds themselves crumble and fall. It clashes sharply with his youthful eyes.

"Good afternoon, Ness, Lucas. We haven't spoken before," Byleth says, as though we have spoken many times and are old acquaintances. He shuffles his papers around a little bit, seemingly trying to organise them. "Now, Ryu told me a lot about this situation we are in, and I am an old friend of his... though, I suspect Rosalina let you know who I am."

"Yeah," Ness says. "Professor, out there..."

"Indeed. Did you know what that was?" Byleth asks. I'm not immediately filled with trust — it feels as though we're being evaluated.

"No," I say, feeling stupid.

"Good." Byleth brings his papers to an untidy stack, pushing them aside. "Neither do I. However, I expect we can figure it out."

"Is he okay?" Ness asks fearfully. "What was it, did someone do that to him? Was it a curse? A spell?"

"Quite possibly…" Byleth glances up at the one book that remains on his shelf; An Anthology of Spells by Wiz. Ard.

"You know about magic," I say, noticing this. "Are you a magician?"

"Indeed," Byleth says. "That's why Ryu hired me. He wanted me to, I believe his wording was, guide you in your teachings..."

Ness and I exchange a significant look.

"He wrote a lot about training," Byleth says, picking up a rather crinkled piece of paper from his pile. "Yes, this was it — ask them to train, mention the risk of death... etcetera. Quite dramatic, that Ryu."

"Risk of death?!" Ness exclaims.

"He didn't really say much else," Byleth tells us, as though we're discussing something as mundane as the weather. "Always was a vague man. Often wrongly assumed the knowledge of others."

"Yeah, he did," Ness says.

"But his death was obviously tragic... I have heard accounts, of course, of what happened down there." He gives me a piercing look, and I feel as though I'm being accused of something. "However, let's not be maudlin. More pressingly, that boy's collapse... I presume you're already suspecting our dear friend Porky."

"Yeah," I say. "He's evil."

"Indeed. But, as with all matters such as this, things may not be as concrete as they appear. I would advise keeping your minds open. Usually, there is more than one force for evil in this world, and quite often, they are at odds with one another..." He trails off a little bit. "But I digress. For now, I merely wanted to speak to you, not bombard you with philosophy. I suspect we shall be meeting again soon... but until then, I have some lessons to prepare." He awkwardly stands. "It has been illuminating to meet you both. You're rather infamous among magicians, after all."

"We are?"

"Oh, naturally. You're the first psychics in over a thousand years. But this is not a concern," Byleth says, waving us off. "For now, remember to train, or as Ryu said... we'll all be doomed."

"Alright," I say. "Thanks, Professor."

With that, I follow Ness out of the office, leaving Byleth to wrangle his towering paperwork. I'm not sure what to make of Ryu's strange friend, other than his words being kind of bemusing. Guiding us in our teachings fills me with unease.

"Odd man," Ness comments as we ascend the stairs. "I bet the purple glow was magic, though. Mega Man was defying physics."

"Magic?" Villager says, swooping down on us. It appears he'd been waiting. "Is that what happened? Are you sure? Did Byleth say he was okay?"

"He didn't tell us," I admit.

"Shit. Shit..." Villager looks a little frantic. "Isn't there anything in those books Ryu left you?"

"We'll have to have a look," I say, before Ness invokes another lecture about training.

"Please do," Villager says anxiously. "I tried to look for him, but Dr Mario didn't let me into the Medical Ward. Did someone do this deliberately? Was it Porky? Was it someone else?"

"But who'd try to hurt Mega Man?"

"Me," Toon Link says, proudly coming out of his dorm. "Villager's attention is mine and no-one else's."

We turn, and I raise my eyebrows with surprise.

"Guys?" Toon Link frowns. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because Mega Man just started glowing!" Villager looks at him in disbelief. "Are you saying it was you?"

"What? No! I've been in my dorm," Toon Link says. "And I don't know how to make people glow. I was kidding, I didn't know — is he okay?"

"We're not sure," Ness says. "He collapsed, and Byleth took him away."

"Poor guy," Toon Link murmurs. "I hope he's alright."

"I hope so too," Villager says. "I wish there was something we could do..."

But nothing seems to work. When we try to get into the medical ward, Dr Mario stops us with a firm shake of his head, locking the ominous white door behind him. Even calling Mega Man's name does nothing, and by the time we've given up, everyone in the school seems to know about the incident. Most conversations we pass seem to be about glowing purple lights and awful screeching noises.

"Well, I think it's witches!" a younger girl insistently tells her friend. "Mother says there are loads of witches still in the country-"

"Witches aren't real," a boy scoffs back. "Magic isn't real, magic doesn't exist-"

"But it must be! Loads of people saw it, and I headed Penelope say-"

"Well, Penelope's wrong, isn't she? This is all a big trick, I'm sure of it!"

As Ness, Toon Link, Villager and I file into the games room, I can still hear the pair arguing outside. I wearily shut the door behind us, nodding at Red and Pit, who greet us with grim faces. I spot Ness sneaking a glance under the pool table, and his face lights up when he sees a small envelope. He draws it out, and I see his name written neatly on it.

"What's that?" I ask, puzzled.

"It's from that stranger, the other magician!" Ness enthuses. "I wrote back this morning."

But before Ness can open it, Link storms into the room, looking mutinous. He takes one glance at Toon Link, then he grabs a pool cue, pointing it at him like a lance.

"Midget! What did you do to her?"

"To who?" Toon Link asks, his eyebrows raised.

"To Zelda! I know it was you, you were always jealous of me! You made her stop talking to me!"

"Jealous of you?" Toon Link laughs. "I don't think so."

"Well — it had to be someone!" Link blusters. "Something's put her off me! What about the rest of you?" He looks around at us, pointing the cue at each of us in turn. "Who did it?"

"Nobody's done anything," Villager says calmly, but Link narrows his eyes, suddenly advancing on him.

"It was you, wasn't it? Zelda told me all about how you asked her out-"

"Five years ago!"

"Yeah, but you sat next to her in History recently, and-"

"Leave him alone!" Toon Link exclaims. "Please, Link, we've got nothing to do with your lovers' quarrel. I swear on our non-existent parents. Go and speak to the school counsellor-"

"Why should I?" Link says, rounding back on him. "I need to get Zelda back. If I don't have her, I'll die!"

"Link, look at yourself," Toon Link says firmly. "You're a confident guy, okay? You've got a lot going for yourself. Why are you so desperate?"

"I'm not desperate! I just - I love her very much, alright?" Link throws the pool cue onto the table. "Not that you'd understand. You get to keep all the people you love! Your precious Villager. Your precious friends..."

"Look, Link, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to help-"

"I know!" Link says, storming toward the door. "There's nothing anyone can do! All my friends, they've suddenly turned away from me. Now that I'm single, they see me as competition!"

"Then, you need to get better friends-"

"I have tried!" He turns the handle, disappearing away. "But to no avail!"

He marches off, slamming the door behind him, and his stomps echo down the corridor until he's gone, probably to cry in his dorm. None of us are quite sure what to say, kind of just looking around at one another. Toon Link shakes his head. Ness loops an arm around my back.

"Mad," Pit says. "As usual."

"Yeah," Villager says, but he looks at me and Ness. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be training?"

"Probably," I sigh, wondering if this hassling will ever stop. "Everyone keeps telling us that."

"So, why aren't you doing it?"

"Because Claus is busy," I say. "We need to train with him, so we're all on the same page."

"Hello!" Claus says, entering. "What happening?"

Villager beams, and I grimace. There are no more excuses. So, the others bid us farewell, and we drag ourselves away. Ness grabs the pile of psychic books, and I check the psychic stone in my pocket. With the others peering at us out the window, we reluctantly step into the cold evening air.

It's still light, though the sun is beginning to set, sending its glorious orange ribbons through the sky. There's a chilly breeze that ruffles my hair, pinkening my cheeks. A distant fog is descending over the lake, obscuring the rows of snowdrops across the bank. The scene would be quite romantic if Claus hadn't started sending fireballs into the water.

"PK Fire!" he exclaims. A volley of flame bursts from his palms, practically boiling the lake in the distance. "This is fun!"

"PK Thunder!" I shout. A magnificent bolt of lightning darts down, setting a nearby bush ablaze.

"PK Flash!" Ness thrusts his hands forwards. Immediately, there's a blinding burst of light, and I stagger, spots appearing in my vision.

"What the hell was that?"

"A bad idea," Ness says, looking down at An Anthology of Spells, which we've laid on a nearby rock. "But watch this, PK STARSTORM!"

I look up. There's a distant rumble. Then, in the distance, flecks of white light appear in the sky, gradually getting bigger, until quite suddenly, they're rushing toward us, and they're huge, and I scream-

But the bolts miss us, striking the ground. They noisily explode the grass into mud. It takes a while for the onslaught to stop, and when it does, Ness collapses down against a rock, actually having to gasp for breath.

"That's - a tiring one - wow-"

"I think our stamina will improve," I reason, though I can't help but notice Claus's onslaught of fireballs hasn't slowed one bit. It makes me wonder if he's had to use these powers before.

"I wonder if Saul is powerful too?" Ness murses. "Since he's your brother…"

"I don't know," I say unconvincingly. Thoughts of Saul make me anxious, and they make the psychic stone burn in my pocket.

"Though, it only seems to be hereditary in twins..." Ness continues. "But that's a thing, howcome Byleth only said we were famous? Why are we the first psychics in over a thousand years, why not Claus?"

"Maybe they didn't know about him?" I say. It's not a very convincing excuse, Ness has made an alarmingly good point.

"And how do they know about us, for that matter? Ryu wouldn't have told everyone..."

"Maybe some other Diplomatics users detected us." Yet another terrible excuse.

"I guess that would make sense," Ness says. "But... I'm not sure."

I'm not sure either.

Our training session continues a while longer, and I manage to shoot a few more barrages of ice and fire into the water, but pretty soon, I'm just as tired as Ness. I've got no idea if the Psychic Stone helped us somehow, or if the training taught us anything new, but hey, nobody can pester us anymore. We watch the sunset for a while before heading inside, but with Claus there, it doesn't feel quite as nice as it could.

While Ness and Claus head back to our dorm, I decide I may as well make sure Saul isn't blowing anything up. Fortunately, when I walk in on him, he's reading a book.

He throws it down immediately upon seeing me. "Lucas! Little brother!"

I ignore him. "Where did you get that book?"

"The library. I snuck down while you were busy."

"...What's it about?"

"The fossil record of Onett over the last millennium," Saul says. "It's truly fascinating."

"I see."

He doesn't look up from Cliffsides and Crustaceans. "So, have you told Ness that I'm your brother?"

"Yes," I say, gritting my teeth. His smug expression is making anger swell in my chest again. "I told him, and he believed me, so you'd better keep your end of the deal."

"Oh, I intend to," Saul says lightly. "No explosions. But, dearest Lucas, is dinner soon? I'm getting rather hungry."

"It's after our assembly."

"Oh, spectacular." Saul beams. "And please bring me a knife and fork, I wouldn't want to get sticky."

I almost tell him exactly where he can shove his knife and fork, but I hold my temper. "Of course."

"Thank you, most kind..." Saul leans back, actually having the audacity to fan himself with his book like some obscene Roman emperor. "Will that be all, Lucas? Or did you need something?"

"I just wanted to check on you," I say stonily. "Since you can't be trusted, I had to make sure you were behaving."

"And am I behaving?"

"For now. But I'm watching. One wrong move and I'll report you to the professors."

"I look forward to it," Saul says, smiling, and even his expression makes me feel kind of hopeless. The fact is, there is no way I'm winning this. Saul can either stay here forever, sapping at my energy like a big, dark secret, or I can tell the truth about him and he explodes the school.

Which means I'll have to come up with something else.

I bid Saul goodbye, giving a last decisive nod, and I purposefully return to my dorm. Ness is there, reading with Claus, and I'm comforted when he smiles at me. They're poring over The Psychic Manual again, and I join them, shoving Saul out of my mind for now.

"The mystery magician wrote again," Ness tells me. "He says that Ryu didn't tell him about us either. But he wants to get to know me, apparently. Looks like you've got competition!"

I scowl. "Did he tell you who he is?"

"No, he only signed it with 910... I asked him if he'd heard of a Future Human, though. And I mentioned the Psychic Stones."

"You did what?" Suddenly, I'm worried. "What if it's Bowser or Porky?"

"Porky already knows about the Future Humans," Ness reasons, shrugging away my concerns. "And Bowser can't even read, it's probably not him..."

I fall silent, my mind coming up with a million more reasons to worry, but my thoughts are interrupted.

RING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-

"Lockdown!" Ness exclaims.

"Not again!"

-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-

"What do we do?"

"Shut the door!"

-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-

"What now?"

"Get under the bed!"

-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-

I scramble onto the carpet, rolling under my wooden bed. Ness follows, after checking the trapdoor is still locked. Claus dives under the other bed, his clumsy form unkempt and nervous. The rings echo in the distance. I wait with bated breath, finding Ness's hand in the darkness and closing my eyes.

"Wait," Ness says suddenly. "What are we doing? Why are we following Porky's rules?"

"Because we're being safe!"

"But why?" The clock falls silent just as Ness speaks, leaving my ears ringing. "What's the point?"

"Think about it," I whisper. "Porky's making everyone hide. It's the perfect time to murder someone, maybe even us."

"Murder?" Claus yelps, and I have to shush him, wincing. The silence feels awfully quiet, and it feels terribly cramped underneath this bed. My chest stings with a sudden wave of fear, and I grip tighter onto Ness's hand.

"-Absolutely ridiculous," comes an abrupt voice from outside the door. "I don't see why-"

"Just do what he says," says Professor Marth. "It's better for all of us..."

"But I'm supposed to be teaching art, not hiding!"

"I know, but you know what Porky's capable of..."

The voices fade as the professors make their way down the stairs, and I shudder. Now I'm almost certain. Porky's somehow sent our protection away, and now he'll be coming up the stairs, his heavy footsteps echoing outside our corridor. His hand will be on the door, ready to come in and hurt us. I feel like a child hiding from an abusive parent, like a fly caught in a spider's web.

"This is boring," Ness proclaims, and I grip his hand tighter in alarm.

"Shush!"

"But it is! There's no point to any of this-"

"Ness!"

"What?" he protests, and I can almost hear Porky accelerating outside.

"Just be quiet!"

Ness falls silent, albeit reluctantly. I look across the carpet, checking for feet under our door, but I begin to imagine shadows, moving around, cast by footsteps, someone standing outside...

"Scared…" Claus whimpers, and I throw him Ness's teddy bear, which has fallen down the side of the bed. It seems to console him, but suddenly, I'm on edge, my skin prickling, my hairs standing on end. Something's coming.

Something's here.

Rattle. Rattle.

The door handle. I force myself to be quiet, desperately trying to still my breathing. We have to hope the lock is strong enough. There's nothing else we can do.

Rattle. Rattle. "I know you're in there!" Porky calls. Rattle. Rattle.

"N-No we're not!" Claus calls back, and my stomach sinks.

"Oho, Lucas!" The rattling intensifies. "You sound a bit older than usual!"

"Go away!" I blurt, desperately hoping he doesn't put the pieces together. "Or we'll freeze you!"

But Porky laughs. It echoes around me, filling me with fear. "Such temperament, Lucas... dear me. Insolence must be punished! How about a round of spankings in my office?"

"Y-You're disgusting!" My voice quakes horribly. "We'll tell the professors!"

"But I'm just making sure you're obeying the lockdown," Porky says sweetly. "I'm not doing you any harm... I'm your headmaster, after all! I'm here to do good works."

Ness growls suddenly. "You call raping kids good works?"

For a moment, Porky is stunned into silence. Yet, he laughs again, giving one last rattle of our door. "Defamatory accusations, dear Ness... jealousy is ugly, remember that. Farewell!"

His footsteps saunter away. I'm not sure if the accusation was what made Porky leave, or if it was something else, but either way, I don't feel like we lost that battle. But then, I see a note on the floor, and that crushing sense of despair returns.

.

.

He looked better with long hair.

.

.

"Fuck," Ness whispers, and I can only nod, nausea rising in my belly.

I should've been more careful.

Porky knows about Claus.

Panic starts to fill me. He's going to take him away again. Claus is going to be tortured. What the hell was I thinking, bringing him here? What am I going to do? How the hell will I keep him safe? It was selfish of me to bring him here — I'm stupid! So, so stupid!

"Look," Ness murmurs, and I frantically look beneath his bed, where Claus has curled into a shaking ball. Once again, Porky has terrified him. I'm reminded of Flint forcing me down Giant's Mine. Is that what I've become? Making Claus face his worst nightmare, acting like I know what's best for him?

Shuddering, I steel myself. I refuse to be like Flint. I'll be stronger, more comforting. It's my turn to be the older brother.

"Claus?" I whisper. "You okay?"

At first, he doesn't reply. His whole body vibrates, almost as if it's overloaded with information. Even the red light embedded in his cheek is flashing faster. Then, his voice quivers, raspy and dry, "Por... ky..."

I duck down under the bed, putting a hand on his quivering shoulder. "It's okay now, Claus. He's gone."

"Porky..." he croaks again. "It hurts..."

"What hurts?" I ask. "Did something happen?"

"No... more…" Claus murmurs hoarsely, lifting a trembling hand to his head. I try to get a look at his eyes, but they're rigidly fixed on the ground. I try to give him a little tug, to get him out from under the bed, but he's surprisingly heavy.

"He doesn't know you're here," I promise, biting back the guilt the lie gives me. "You're safe. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Yeah, Lucas is right," Ness says, gently coming down on the other side of him. "We'll protect you. He can't hurt you anymore."

But Claus buries his face in his hands, and I feel my resolve slipping. I don't even believe what we're saying. What's going to stop Porky from hurting him? Certainly not me — I can't even keep myself safe, that's how useless I've been lately. Porky had me unconscious within four hours of being here. I even upset my own boyfriend! In truth, I've always been terrible at making people happy, much less looking after them.

"Hey," Ness says gently. "How about you come out from under there?"

Claus obediently goes slack, allowing me and Ness to slide him out onto the carpet. Out of the shadows, he looks a wreck, shuddering and mumbling vague words to himself. Ness helps me lift him onto his bed, where he moves fitfully, grabbing at Ness's pillow.

"Please..." he murmurs again. "No more..."

"He's gone," I promise again, giving him the teddy bear, but it's futile.

"We hide," Claus croaks. "Inkling and me... we hide under bed..."

I can only listen.

"We hide from Porky... Porky scary, evil, angry..." He screws his face up as if the memory is giving him physical pain.

"Did he find you?" Ness asks softly.

Claus shakes his head, a big tear dripping down his metal cheek. "Always," he croaks. "He always found us."

I pull him into a hug, feeling sick again. Claus hugs back, silently weeping, and I fight back my own tears, knowing that he needs me to be strong. I need to be his rock, like he used to be for me. I need to support him until we're equal again, until everything goes back to normal again. Because it has to — this can't continue. I won't let it.

"Porky… bad," Claus rasps again, sounding utterly defeated. "So bad."

"I know," I whisper. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry."

But Claus's body goes limp in my arms. I look up at him, wondering if he's just passed out from exhaustion, or if he's given up completely. The red light on his cheek shines bright. His eyes are glassy, lifeless.

"We are rising."

The voice cuts through me. My heart plummets. The voice is not his own, yet it comes from his mouth.

"We are coming."

"Claus?" I croak, though I know it's not him. Ness tries to pull me away, but I only grip my brother tighter, longing for all of this to stop. Why can't the people I love just be happy?

"Time is running out."

"Who's speaking?" Ness demands. "What have you done with Claus?!"

"Time is running out!"

With one final shake, Claus tumbles back against the bed. His eyes swim. His pupils dilate. For a second, his body is rigid, but then it goes limp, Claus beginning to snore.

"Check his pulse!" Ness exclaims, and I'm shaken from my stupor. I press a hand to Claus's heart, feeling the regular beat of his pulse against my palm. His chest rises and falls as he breathes. The red light on his cheek has stopped flashing.

He's okay.

"Who's coming?" Ness asks me, his hands shaking as he tucks Claus under a blanket. "What was he saying — did he mean Porky?"

But I ignore him, because it doesn't even matter. Once again, something's happened to Claus under my nose, and I barely understand it.

And once again, it feels like it's all my fault.

.

.

.

.

.

"It's very creepy," Pit agrees, when we tell the others about Claus and the ominous letter. "Do you think Porky did that deliberately?"

"It's kind of like what happened to Mega Man," Villager says darkly. "Losing control of his own body, something else taking over…"

"You don't think Porky can possess people, do you?" Toon Link asks, and I shake my head, even though I'd believe anything at the moment. The psychic stone burns against my leg, and I know it's doing this, filling me with anxiety, but I have to do what Ryu said. I have to keep it.

"Maybe he put one of those chips on his necks," Red reasons. "Like what happened to me."

"I checked," Ness says. "He didn't."

I have to close my eyes, their voices shooting pain through my head. My senses are like a myriad of different frequencies, all screaming over each other.

"Everyone's talking about Mega Man," Toon Link murmurs. "There hasn't been this much drama since everyone thought Ryu and Rosalina were dating. A lot of people think it's to do with magic..."

"...So, you'd better be careful," Red tells us. "If anyone sees your magic, you'll be prime suspects."

"So, now we shouldn't train?" Ness says in disbelief.

"No, you just have to train out of sight of anyone," Villager says. "As a matter of fact, I think a certain other magician is to blame... did you find out who sent you that letter, Ness?"

Ness frowns. "No, but I like them. They seem nice."

"Or Saul?" Toon Link suggests. "Since both Lucas and Claus are magical… perhaps it's a family thing..."

"Saul was in his room," I say, though suddenly, I remember what he said about visiting the library. My suspicions heighten.

"Did you find out if he was your brother?" Red asks, and I'm forced to nod.

"He showed me proof. It was very convincing."

"Wow," Toon Link says, raising his eyebrows. "And are you happy about that?"

"No," I admit. "I don't trust him."

"Do you think he's behind this, then?"

I close my eyes. I want to blame him, he's the perfect scapegoat, something I can blame all my current problems on. But as much as I want to, my senses tell me otherwise. He can't be magical, because he's not my brother.

"No," I say eventually. "But anything's possible. It could be anyone in this school, some other hidden magician. It's like Byleth said... we need to keep our minds open." Suddenly, I feel a little more purposeful. If I'm going to keep Claus safe, if I'm going to get rid of Saul, I'm going to need to be proactive. "So, let's get to work. Let's get this mystery solved, okay?"