Update: 10/17/15: Moved the spiel at the beginning to the end of the chapter, and replaced an entry in the Encyclopedia with an entry on the Royal Guard.

AN: Hi everyone, I hope you're all having a great weekend so far! Other than that, this chapter won't have any sort of action in this, but this introduces one of the main characters and serves as character development. At least I got one review, though I was hoping for more, as well as quotable moments. Well, I still am happy about the one review.

Review Responses Section

Guest: Thanks, glad you like it, it means a lot to me. And don't worry, I'm not planning on abandoning this anytime soon. It just takes a week or two to produce these chapters and edit them, but if I do, you'll know.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot and OCs.

Even though it was one week after the coup, the news of what happened at the castle was unknown to the majority of people. Even the larger cities only managed to deduce what happened due to the lack of response from Castle Town on the assault on Ellay. Communications were easily cut prior to the Pigmask assault, and communications outside small towns were unreliable at best, nonexistent at worst. Of course, news in small towns spread fast due to the strong community, but often can be distorted by relying solely on memory.

Lucas didn't participate in those conversations; years ago he was young, naive, and shy. Now, he distanced himself from the village. His father was in the mountains for most of the day, often getting drunk on the way back, and his mother and brother were-

Lucas shook his head, willing himself not to think of that event. It was horrifying enough to deal with it in the moment, but to live with it later on was torture. But even so, the mental images ran through his mind: Running through the forest, his mother's piercing shriek as they drifted out of night, his father's rampage, Claus's vengeful mask before he departed for the mountains.

Even his grandfather called him a fool for letting Claus go after that Mecha-Drago on his own. He later apologized, saying that he didn't mean it, but Lucas knew he was half-right: He was a fool, but he was a fool for so many other things beyond that: he was a fool for panicking when he heard that roar, he was a fool for not helping Mom escape the Mecha-Drago, he was a fool for not going back for her, he was a fool for not stopping Claus's revenge plan, and he was not a fool for having any sort of backbone. Oh yeah, he was a fool for being so damn emotional all the time when he was younger.

He probably would've called himself a fool for letting his Dad keep going into the mountains in a futile search for his brother, but gazing upon the boy on his bed dissuaded him at the moment.

"I found him unconscious, in one of the clearings close to the mountains," his Dad told him earlier. "He looked pretty beat up, so I used whatever I had as a temporary treatment. Though that blade he carried on his back...I've never seen anything like that," he mumbled as he gazed upon the sheath for the blade in question (which was almost as long as the boy in question, and pretty wide).

He took off for the mountains again not long after that intermission, and probably would get back later to make up for lost time. Lucas sighed; he was so reckless sometimes. But perhaps it was because of this quality among denial that this boy's life might be saved. The villagers hardly went deep into the forest anymore after his mother's death and often stayed inside due to the new 'Happy Boxes' spread by some wandering traveler that came in the company of several pig-men. He was one of the few who didn't subscribe to that, despite the overall positive reception. It just seemed to blare out propaganda day in and day out.

He wondered what caused this boy to sustain his wounds. Was it the Mecha-Drago that tore his family apart? Or was it another creature similar to that? At least he was safe now; Lucas would ensure of that with his life if need be. He will not turn out like his mother and Claus.

But now he had to go and feed Boney. It would do no good to have an irritable dog on his hands when he had someone else to take care of. And since recently he somehow was able to understand him, he was in no mood for his attitude. That being said, he could use a small meal himself...

Ninten groaned as his brain registered soreness, not to mention the fact that his head was spinning. It felt like the first few days of training all over again, except worse. He managed to crack his eyes open, though he closed them again with another groan. However, the next time he tried it, he was able to keep them open.

He found a wooden ceiling right above him, just an average wooden ceiling. He managed to push himself up to look around the room. Besides a few beds and dressers, there wasn't really a whole lot...well, there was a mirror, but he wasn't one to care for fashion as long as he wasn't horrible looking.

'What happened?' he briefly wondered. But a look of realization quickly crossed his face as his thoughts returned. 'Oh yeah, I was ambushed, and badly wounded. Guess I'm lucky that whoever lives in this house took care of me,' he mused as he gazed upon his bandaged hands.

Slinging his legs over the side and carefully standing up, Ninten realized he wasn't wearing his old clothes. Due to laws passed shortly after the foundation of the Confederation, PSI users in the military would have to wear casual clothing on top instead of the average military uniform so that they can be identified (it wasn't the Royal Family who passed this; in fact it was by their protest that they gave PSI users permission to wear more light armor than before), which Ninten saw more as painting a bull's-eye on your back, but he had to follow the rules too.

As such, his red, white, and blue stripped t-shirt was replaced by one that was yellow and orange stripped, and even though he could tell the shorts were different, they were the same navy blue as his old pair was.

In fact, there were his old clothes; with numerous cuts and pieces of fabric torn off. They were no longer usable in their state. But for some reason, his red baseball cap, bandanna, and brown leather gauntlets made it through without a scratch. He glanced at his Giant Knife's sheath against the wall and frowned. Despite the fact that it was inanimate and not actually alive, he was saddened to see it no longer operable. With the crack, chances are it will break before long, and if he was lucky he could get it repaired soon.

At least he still had 4th-D Slip, Shield Alpha, Defense Up Alpha, and Healing Alpha to work with, though he would prefer having Lifeup as well. At least it was better than nothing.

'I should probably find out where I am first, unless I want to blind myself,' Ninten concluded. He spotted the stairs on the other side of the room and proceeded to carefully step down them.

Evidently, someone must have heard because he heard quick footsteps while he was only halfway down them. After clearing the rest, he noticed a blonde boy walking towards him. For some reason, there was some sort of feeling that was nagging at him, but he couldn't recognize it.

"Oh, you're up," the boy commented. "Are you feeling alright?"

"No," he replied. "My ankle is shattered, my arm is dislocated, and my head is upside down. I am definitely not okay."

"You know you could just say so..."

"Sorry, I am renowned for my sarcasm from where I come from."

"You certainly looked in bad shape," the boy said. "I had to bandage you up when Dad brought you in; you were bleeding from several locations."

"That bad, huh?"

"...You still don't sound very concerned."

"Believe me; I've been through worse; a lot worse."

"Okay then, I'll take your word for it," the boy conceded.

"So what's your name?" Ninten asked.

"I'm Lucas," the boy replied. "And what's yours?"

"Ninten," the teen answered. "By the way, I must thank you for looking after me while I was out."

"Oh, it's no problem," Lucas brushed away his thanks. "It was no big deal."

"No really, I would much prefer waking up bandaged than in a pool of blood, even though I can take care of myself."

Lucas snorted at his remark. "Well, if you're hungry, I have some leftovers from lunch for you to eat."

"Yes please," Ninten said. Lucas gestured to some food on the table. Upon catching sight of a certain item however, Ninten paled. "Blueberries?" he gaped.

"Yeah," Lucas replied. "What's wrong? You don't like blueberries?"

Ninten nearly gagged. "I hate blueberries. When I eat them, I feel like I'm about to throw up when I swallow one. I'm not exactly sure why, though."

"Okay, you don't have to eat the blueberries," Lucas replied. "I'll eat them myself, and you'll have the rest of the food there."

Ninten sighed in relief. "Thank you." With that, he and Lucas sat down and either began to eat or finish off their meal.

As Ninten chewed on some corn, Lucas asked, "Hey Ninten? Why were you injured in the first place?"

Ninten scowled. "I ran across a patrol of some rebels trying to hunt me down. I managed to take them down, but not before I was injured," he replied, carefully choosing his words.

However, Lucas's eyes narrowed. Ninten realized that he must suspect something. "Why were they after you in the first place?"

"They were after me because-Wait, have you heard about what recently happened?" Ninten said in utter disbelief.

"Wait, what happened?" Lucas questioned.

"You haven't heard?" Ninten gaped, but quickly regained his composure. "I'm sorry, I forgot that communication is not reliable nowadays. What happened was...The monarchy was overthrown in a coup."

"A what?" Lucas asked, apparently ignorant of the definition of the word he used.

"A coup," Ninten answered. "It's a quick and sudden seizure of power. In other words; they have been driven out of power."

Lucas gasped. Ninten knew it was a big shock for everyone. Heck, he himself still couldn't believe what happened.

"Why?" he asked, and was alarmed that his voice was practically a squeak.

"The rebels believed that our current form of government will only continue humanity's mistakes, and they intend to replace it with one of their own; a King that has absolute power. He has the power to create laws on a whim or prosecute people because they got on his nerves yesterday. And he wants to unify the various city-states via war."

"What?"

"I know it's a lot to process, but that's what happened," Ninten said, both boys having lost their appetites at this point. "We cannot handle another war like the one they envision right now; it would doom humanity, or at the very least set it back decades."

"So what do we do?"

"I'm trying to get help so that we can overthrow this usurper as quickly as possible, with as little bloodshed as possible. However, I'm worried that my actions might lead to the very war I'm trying to prevent, but it's either possible war or certain war."

"I'll help," Lucas volunteered, standing up.

"I can't let you," Ninen growled. "I can tell you don't have any real combat experience or training. A real battle cannot be described until you participate in one; I eventually learned how to cope, but you have not. And if you leave with me we'll wind up in a lot. The last thing we need is for you to get yourself killed while distracted by your actions."

"You can train me," Lucas retorted, feeling offended by Ninten's bluntness.

"I don't have time; I have to keep moving."

"You have to rest for some time before you can continue," Lucas pointed out. "Besides, they're probably on the lookout for you, so you need to lay low for a bit."

Ninten thought this through for a moment. On one hand, there was no way he could come with him; he didn't have a good excuse for risking his life, and with him untrained he would prove more of a liability than an asset, no offense to him.

On the other hand, a brief training exercise couldn't hurt: It would definitely help him resist any possible abductors like those going around now. And he finally identified what that nagging feeling was; he was sensing PSI energy from this boy. This boy from the middle of nowhere; was it really possible?

Apparently it was, since he was right in front of him.

Ninten decided to compromise. "Okay, I'll train you for a few days," Ninten said. "But I need more time to decide whether or not I'll bring you along."

"Okay," Lucas said, happy he got his point across.

Before that day three years ago, he was regarded as the town wimp, the shadow to the polar opposite Claus. People always praised Claus, and tended to ignore him, except his closest friends and family members.

Now, they regarded him with pity. Pity for what tragedy had befallen him and his family. But he didn't need their pity: He just wanted someone who sympathized with him. No one in Tazmily history had suffered such a death like that that he knew; there were ones who fell from illness, sure, but at least they had time to bid farewell. Mom couldn't even do more than an agonized scream in her last moments.

The cowardly, wimpy boy from three years was gone. His only two friends noticed his change, but weren't sure what to make of it. Duster had tried his best to adapt, but Fuel still tried to treat him like he was the old Lucas, resulting in their friendship becoming strained. People kept asking if he needed help, if he wanted this, or if he desired that...He was on his own for three years! He should be fine.

Yet Ninten...he was different. He didn't know, but for some reason, he was opening up against his will. Heck, his sarcasm made him chuckle on more than one occasion; that was an accomplishment. That look in his eye...It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, but for some reason, Lucas respected him almost instantly.

That was probably why he was currently asking about him, as the duo plus Boney, Lucas's dog, were walking through town square to give Ninten a little tour, and do something else along the way, something that Lucas didn't think he would do with a stranger. They were headed north, since Lucas already described what was in the east and west.

"So what do you like to do?" Lucas asked.

"Personally, I like to read, be with my friend, and play baseball," Ninten answered. "What do you like to do?"

"Nothing much, just give attention to Boney, walk around in Sunshine Forest, and relax on the cliff...When no one is there," Lucas elaborated.

"The cliff sounds really nice," Ninten said.

Lucas nodded his agreement. "It is. I was planning on showing it to you, but only a few other people than myself actually go there, and the breeze is really nice, and the sight of the sea is majestic."

"I think I would really like it there."

"So what do you do typically?"

"I serve in the Royal Guard as the personal bodyguard of the Princess herself."

"What? No way!" Lucas gasped.

"Yes way," Ninten responded.

"But...How...You're not even eighteen!"

Ninten scowled. "I was a...special case. I'm fifteen by the way."

Lucas wisely decided to back off from the topic. Despite his declining social skills, he could still tell when something was best left alone.

"That's a lot more exciting than what we do at least," Boney barked. "All we do is eat, herd the animals, eat some more, sleep, eat some more, play, sleep again, and then repeat."

"You mean that's what you do?" Lucas deadpanned.

"Isn't that what you do too?"

"No, I get up, I get dressed, I feed you, I eat, I help you herd the animals, I do whatever I want, I feed you, I eat, I do whatever I want again, I feed you again, I eat, I play with you, I get ready to turn in, then repeat."

"Looks like he got you beat, doggie," Ninten commented.

"That's Boney to you!"

Ninten turned to Lucas. "Your dog has more attitude than the Princess on a bad hair day," he commented.

"Excuse me?"

"Really? The Princess is like Boney when her hair is messy?" he gaped.

Ninten smiled slightly. "Yeah," he replied. "Regardless of birth, at the end of the day she is like us; only human. I imagine you two have a lot in common that you don't realize." He frowned. "Still, I can't help but worry...I know she's resourceful, but she's also inexperienced. I just have to hope she's okay."

"I hope so too," Lucas sighed. But then he stopped. "Why don't you go explore? I have something to take care of right now."

"Okay..." Ninten trailed off, knowing something was up but unwilling to pry. He just decided to head west, toward that cliff Lucas talked about.

When he was out of sight, Lucas sighed and continued up the hill with Boney. There on the top was the grave of his mother.

"What do you mean you won't let me train now? I feel just fine!"

Lucas sighed. "Ninten, you only woke up less than five hours ago, and you were knocked out due to injuries," he pointed out. Ninten obviously intended to start training him ASAP, but Lucas argued that Ninten needed more rest.

"Come on! These are just scratches!" Ninten scoffed.

"Why do they need bandages then?"

"...Touche," Ninten conceded. "But we need to start it as soon as possible. They'll be stupid to wait for long for their next move, whatever it may be."

"I know you're worried about the Pigmasks, but they won't attack the day that you arrived here, I'm sure."

"Have you heard of the recent abductions?"

"What?" Lucas asked, confused.

"Lately, people have been abducted from all the city states, and in many small towns, which men matching the description of a Pigmask would drag away the victim, and I've heard accounts of them tearing down buildings or burning towns to the ground in their search efforts. The main targets seem to be teenagers, around our ages. They also are PSI users."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Because...You yourself are at risk," he told Lucas gravely.

"What? But...why?" he gasped. "I can't use PSI! Why would I be in danger of abduction over powers that are nonexistent in me?"

"That is where you are wrong," Ninten told him. "You do have PSI: It's just dormant. I could tell because I could sense power, and you talking with your dog confirmed it."

"But why haven't I been able to learn anything then?" Lucas asked.

"PSI is typically awakened sometime between ten and fifteen. It is not uncommon for people your age to not have PSI yet. However, I posses the necessary means to awakening it: I just need your permission."

"Of course, but-"

"I'm not finished," Ninten cut in. "While I can awaken it, I must warn you that PSI is more than just a simple power; it's a weapon, an asset at times, but a liability the rest. As soon as you become a confirmed user, people will become prejudiced. The governments would want to use you to their own advantage while average citizens will be terrified of you, or judge you because of your powers. People forget that it is not PSI, but the person who uses it is the one who is the threat. Many laws have passed that predate the Confederation setting rules and restrictions on PSI users.

"What I'm saying is that you must think carefully about this; once you get it, you'll have it for life. It can never be taken away from you, but the prejudice will follow you everywhere. I am not saying this to dissuade you; I'm saying this to warn you of the dangers you will face when your PSI awakens, and of the responsibility you face upon its awakening. Do you want to get it over with, or do you want some more freedom before it does?" Ninten stood up. "I won't ask for an answer now; you need more time to think about this. I'll be upstairs to meditate for a bit if that's okay with you."

"That's fine, go ahead."

Ninten nodded in acknowledgement before he turned to head upstairs.

Lucas sighed. This was a lot of new information to take in. He never realized how tough PSI users had it; they didn't have a choice in whether or not they have it, and yet they become prejudiced. But he'll get it eventually, right? Mind as well train in the arts while he could and then be able to help Ninten as much as he could. Afterward...he'll figure it out.

Fassad knelt before the monitor, bowing in reverence. "Oh high lord and master, how may I be of service?"

"I want a report on how well things are going," the 'master' spoke, before entering a coughing fit.

"Progress is on schedule; the barrier will be ready to deploy within days, despite the fact that Castle Town has some dissidents that won't go home. I will try diplomacy, but if that falls through I'll terrify them into obedience. Our soldiers have isolated the city of Ellay, though we did let a few escape to spread the word, as per your instructions."

"Excellent," the master wheezed. "Once they hear of what is happening, the other cities will rush to the rescue...and then we'll crush their armies in our trap! They'll capitulate to my demands after they see their armies disintegrate." He disintegrated into another coughing fit briefly, before continuing. "Is my pet in position to spring it?"

"Oh yes," Fassad chuckled. "Though if we do find more than one PSI user in different locations, can he be delegated to that duty for a bit?"

"As long as the Confederation's forces are not on my army's doorstep or he dies, I care not what he does."

"Very well, I'll move our scouts further out to detect incoming armies."

"Do not fail me, Fassad," the master warned.

"Of course not, your majesty," Fassad said.

With that, the transmission was cut, and Fassad stood up. He had business to take care of: Business that he could not entrust the incompetent grunts that made up the army to do.

However, he and his master were not aware of an eavesdropper, who had some doubts. She wasn't entirely sure that end result of the trap would be what they hoped. The Confederation could mobilize more than one army, so the loss of one won't cow them into obedience so quickly. She wondered if they were really as intelligent as they believed themselves to be.

The origin of the PSI Wars is widely debated to this day. But most historians can agree that it was set in motion when a young couple discovered an alien infant lying on their porch step. They did not know how this alien got there, but they took him in regardless, and raised him as if he were their own child. The alien was highly intelligent despite its young age, given that he remembered his name was Giegue. He loved his adopted parents, and they too. For about a decade, they lived in happiness, though Giegue was not allowed outside often except night because people would freak out.

However, one day the aliens came for the child, who was the descendant of their most decorated commanders. The couple willingly gave Giegue to the care of the aliens, and with a tearful goodbye, and neither would lay eyes upon each other for five decades.

Over the next decades, Giegue grew, trained, and quickly became one of their most feared and respected commanders. However, he was tragically manipulated by his kin to believe humans were evil and wished to exterminate his kind, despite the couple's willingness to raise him. He was ordered to exterminate all evidence of humanity, and thus led a force of one million troops (infantry to pilots, mechs to spaceships, Starmen to Mooks), and landed on the fiftieth anniversary of his initial arrival to Earth.

AN: Well, that's the second part of the prologue. I am very happy with how this chapter turned out after I rewrote it real briefly, better than the first prologue in my opinion. No action scenes here; just character development and introducing Lucas as well as the unknown eavesdropper (only a brief cameo: We'll meet her later). I originally intended to put another scene in, but I felt that it would be best left for another chapter.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and have a good day.

PSI Encyclopedia

Castle Town: A town that was constructed around the Confederacy of Eagleland's castle so that it wouldn't be in the middle of nowhere. It is mostly made out of stone and some wood, but serves as the capital of the Confederacy, despite its name being completely unoriginal.

Drago: Typically, Dragos are quite peaceful creatures despite their dinosaur-like appearances. For an unknown reason, they were discovered shortly after the PSI Wars, inhabiting mountainous regions. As a pastime, children like to bash into them to try and knock them down. Scientists debate on their intelligence since they like to fall down after a one second delay. Several think they find amusement in watching children attempt to topple them.

Mecha-Drago: A kind of Drago that only came into existence during the past five years. The cause of this half machine beast is unknown, but despite their rarity, they are far more hostile than Dragos. Unlike other Dragos who travel in packs, these are nomadic lone wolves, meaning they can be found anywhere, though outside of mountains they are traveling. To date, no one has killed a Mecha-Drago my conventional means. No one.

Tazmily Village: A small, remote village somewhere in former southern California. To the north lies mountains, the left a forest, the right several rivers, and the south ocean. It's no wonder they are so isolated with that geography. Yet despite this, they continue to survive and be themselves, and weary travelers are often amazed at their community despite their…primitive technology. Though the Pigmasks marched through there recently and distributed Happy Boxes that run on the Pigmask Network since all the satellites were destroyed during the war.

Royal Guard: A select number of individuals who personally serve the Royal Family. They are among the most powerful and skilled soldiers that their army can boast. It is a prestigious honor to be elected to be one of them, but only a few mishaps and you're out. It's that strict.