Hello, and hope you all are having a good day. I apologize for the delay, but it was hard work. The battle scene is actually pretty short, contrary to my expectations. Let's just say writing a good battle scene is a lot harder than it sounds, and this one I struggled with. Oh well, so anyway, please let me know how I did. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Earthbound or the characters in this fic; only the plot (of the fic) and OCs.

Review Responses

Guest: Thanks. I appreciate to know how you like the characters and stuff.

Connor the spelling pro: Well, thanks for the good luck! In regards to the first rule, pretty much what Ninten is saying in that a fight, besides not going to extremes, there are no rules in a fight. The baseball bat was meant by Lucas as a weapon for Ninten given how he is 'weaponless' with his primary weapon damaged. And angst...there is so much out there right now in this section. I frankly hate Fassad, and will probably portray him as a more stereotypical villain, though with a twist later on...And see ya later too!

Arc 1: Resistance

Ninten leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. Despite only being at the edge of Sunshine Forest, he knew that running any farther would bring on an asthma attack; the worst case scenario at this moment. He had lost his inhaler in his trek through the wilderness, meaning his only option was to catch his breath and proceed slowly. Fortunately, the Pigmasks must still be a good distance away, but enough to set up a defense?

He pushed himself off of the tree after a brief rest, but was reduced to a speed-walk. He headed into town square, ignoring any strange looks from the few townspeople that were out at this time. He never really bothered to introduce himself to anyone, and he could sense their mistrust towards him.

Then again, from what he heard about small towns, their communities were supposed to be tightly knit. Despite the obvious advantages of that, it also made it difficult for them to meet new people, at least most of the time.

Dismissing his thoughts, Ninten reached Lucas's house in little time. Not waiting to knock, he simply opened the door. He reasoned that they would understand it if he explained about the Pigmasks.

Entering the house, he was greeted by the sight of an empty room. He glanced left and right, but still nobody was up. He headed up the stairs, and to his relief, not only was Lucas up (and trying to tame his hair), but his father was there too. He met Flint about two mornings after his arrival, and explained what happened to him and the Royal Family the best he could.

Lucas glanced over at him with surprise. "Ninten?" he asked. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I was," Ninten replied. "But I saw something on my way out. The Pigmasks are coming."

This had an immediate effect. The comb in Lucas's hand clattered on the ground as he tensed with wide eyes. Flint had a similar reaction, but he composed himself quicker. "Could you tell how many?" he asked.

"From what I saw, at least two dozen, probably more," Ninten calculated. "Listen, this area is not in a strategic area at all; it is isolated and there are far easier paths to take to the south if necessary. That means they're here for one reason: Tazmily. If their force is as large as I fear, they have business here. Why else would they send so many soldiers?"

Without a word, Flint strode over to and down the stairs, both boys trailing him. He went over to the corner of the living room, quickly wrote a note, and walked over to a bird cage. He opened it, gave the bird the letter, and let it fly out the window.

"Carrier pigeon," he explained. "This will signal the rally call for Tazmily's militia."

"Ah, smart idea," Ninten commented. "I just hope it's not too late."

"We can only hope," Flint said gravely as they headed out of the house.

While Ninten was not expecting the militia to be any sort of elite fighting force, he was not expecting this. Out of the seventy five that comprised it, he could count only thirty seven with any sort of weapon that would be classified as one under the Royal Guard's standards. Only fifteen had swords with wooden shields while another fifteen possessed spears or pikes. There were two equipped with muskets, and five bowmen. The rest had either farm equipment or their bare hands. He supposed this force was better than nothing.

Still, he could sense the hostility and distrust they placed in him as he made his way to the front as its commander, an old man named Wess, called for him during his briefing. He recalled reading somewhere that small towns had tightly knit communities. While this would make them close with each other, they simply would not trust strangers. He sighed as he figured he would have to try.

The teen cleared his throat as he began to speak. "Thank you, commander for allowing me to speak here today."

"Well, we don't have all day, so get on with it!" one of the militiamen shouted.

Ninten scowled at the blatant disrespect. His mind briefly drifted to his days in the Royal Guard, where anyone who acted out in such a manner (enlisted and officer) would be either severely punished or discharged. But he quickly set himself on track as he took a deep breath. "Earlier this morning, I was leaving the area via the mountain over there," he gestured toward that.

"It's called 'Drago Plateau' outsider," another growled.

Ninten's eye twitched, but he was able to retain his cool. "A substantial force of armed 'soldiers' of a rebel force is marching towards this town. I do not know the exact composition, but there is only one reason why they'd come here with a unit such as this...They intend to either capture or lay waste to your village."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" someone sneered.

"I received a letter from Alec right before the call was made to assemble," another chimed in. "He said it was the Pigmasks marching. This 'outsider' only means to turn us against our saviors by labeling them 'rebels'! The nerve!"

"He's just a kid! He must only be doing this to attract attention!"

Ninten opened his mouth to say something, but closed it as he realized it was hopeless. The majority of the militia was hurling curses and insults at him, and while he maintained a calm disposition, the inside was filled with a mixture of rage and pity. 'I must pity their ignorance,' he mused. 'They do not know what their true nature is like, and they will only realize when it is too late. But why are they so naive?' he thought angrily. 'Surely some of them have the sense to at least take precautions! What I wouldn't give for even three platoons of military units...'

He saw the commander trying to vainly restore order, but with no success. A few other militiamen also tried to go against the tide, but in vain. Their united mentality was just too strong to pull them away from.

However, a single person emerged from the crowd, one who wasn't even there to begin with. His eyes met Ninten's as he walked forward, and instantly Ninten stepped aside for the new arrival to take the stage.

As the militia noticed the new arrival, their stream of xenophobia gradually ceased and the square became eerily silent. Their gazes shifted from those of rage to a mixture of pity and curiosity. Ninten could see curiosity, but pity? Something must have happened to his new friend before they met...

"Your so-called 'saviors' killed my mother," Lucas spoke, each word filled with contempt. Any whisperings among the militia were silenced upon that. Even Ninten felt a shiver run down his spine. "There has been proof shown by my father and Duster that the Pigmasks were linked to what happened three years ago. Yet you all rejected this when they warned you when they came." Lucas's eyes narrowed. "You all are a pathetic excuse for 'soldiers'." With that, Lucas turned on his heel and headed toward Sunshine Forest, Ninten right on his tail.

For several seconds they walked in silence, Ninten unable to find the voice to give his thoughts. However, he did before long. "In my entire career in the Royal Guard, fighting in minor battles, being shot at, burned, slammed, and even betrayed...Nothing has shocked me more than today," he said.

Lucas didn't reply, instead holding his gaze forward. "You do realize you just insulted the entire town in your address, right?" Ninten asked warily.

"Yes."

Ninten had to admit, this kid had guts. Even though where he hailed from was quite rural, he would not have actually done what Lucas did. "So...why?"

"I was already an outcast," Lucas droned. "Making myself more of one is hardly the worst thing that can happen to me."

"Why are you one?"

Lucas sighed. "My mother was killed three years back, at the same time that Sunshine Forest was set on fire and mechanical animals, most notably a Mecha-Drago, appeared for a brief period of time. The Mecha-Drago was the one that got her..." he trailed off. "My twin brother, Claus, was so furious at this that he later tried to hunt it down with nothing more than a kitchen knife. He was never seen again.

"Before that, the villagers considered me a wimp and a crybaby, but I could live with that. They weren't constantly rubbing it into my face. But now they pity me...Pity won't bring anyone back. Not one of them has actually helped me outside Duster and Boney, and even then they don't know how to!" Lucas sighed. "I've distanced myself from them ever since, convinced that they truly do not care about me. But if they were so affected by my denunciation today..."

"...Maybe they still do and they don't know how to express it," Ninten concluded. "But there is still one thing I don't understand. Why did they call the Pigmasks 'saviors'?"

Lucas scowled. "They came through about two years ago, with Fassad and only a handful of Pigmasks," he began. "He convinced the townsfolk that he only wanted them to be happy and distributed these 'Happy Boxes' to achieve this. Turns out, it was only some twisted propaganda scheme that brainwashed the entire town. Even with the evidence against them, people still trusted them and hailed them as heroes."

Ninten glanced behind him. "Maybe not as many did as you thought," he said.

"Why?" he asked as he followed his gaze. There, he saw a part of the militia led by Wess, Duster, and Flint trailing behind them. About four swordsmen, six pikemen, the two musketmen, two archers, and three farmers comprised this. Lucas gaped at this. "But...How? There weren't even this many that threw their weight behind the anti-Pigmasks!

"Peer pressure is a powerful force," Ninten mused. "They might have simply been too timid to make their stance, or were neutral. But whatever their reason, I'm not complaining. At least we have a fighting chance now."

With only twenty two total soldiers, everyone knew strategy was vitally important, especially since they expected to be outnumbered three to one at least.

"I suggest we make our stand here," Wess suggested, gesturing to the narrow pathway leading to the town. "It is a narrow space, meaning that they'll have to get through us in order to get into the town. Plus, the walls are not tall enough where it is impossible to scale, but tall enough to make it very difficult, so we should have our musketmen and bowmen up there, with some swordsmen protecting them. Everyone else is in reserve."

Ninten nodded. "Agreed, that sounds like our best chance," he concurred.

However, one man (whom Ninten recalled his name was Duster) had some misgivings. "Excuse me, but can I ask something?" he asked.

"Go ahead," Ninten responded.

"It's about the mechanical animals we came across three years ago," he elaborated. "If they were the creators, could they construct them into superweapons capable of destroying our defenses? And I remember that they possessed armored vehicles. Our weapons outside Thunder Bombs will be useless against them."

"For the vehicles, I wouldn't expect a lot of them; at most a few lights," Ninten answered. "Mountainous terrain is the worst type of terrain for vehicles to operate on, and I doubt they'll waste the resources if they expect minimal resistance. For the mech animals...Me and Lucas can try to deal with them, but if there are a lot, evacuate the town. We have to get as many as we can away from the carnage. Any other questions?" No reply. "Good. Wess, brief your men and deploy them as you will. Me and Lucas will support the center."

In less than five minutes, every single soldier was in position to do battle. Their eyes gazed up the pathway towards Sunshine Forest, searching for the enemy.

Lucas wished they could've met the Pigmasks on more even footing, but because most of the town were practically brainwashed, he supposed he couldn't hope for much more. At least he and Ninten could deploy shields and support them, enabling them to hold out longer.

Lucas sensed a new emotion within him, one that he had not felt for three years. It was a mortal fear; the fear that he was about to die. The possibility was imminent, and he wondered if Claus felt the same way when he made his way up the mountain to combat the Mecha-Drago that had stolen his mother's life. This was more proof on how pathetic he was. The stories had the hero march up unafraid of death, and yet here he is nearly quivering in his shoes.

He turned towards Ninten. He deserved a much better friend than he himself could provide. Ninten was a far better person than he could ever hope to be. Still, there was one thing he at least could get off his chest before the battle began.

"Ninten, I'm...I'm sorry about what I said yesterday," Lucas began. "I was immature; I should have had the sense to listen from a veteran in that, and I didn't learn from my brother as well as I thought. I could've died from my reckless decision, just like he did." He smiled bitterly. "I'm pathetic and I don't deserve this, but can...can you forgive me?"

Lucas closed his eyes and looked away, unable to even meet his eyes as his heartbeat quickened. This was it. This was the part where Ninten would say he hated him and how he wished he never met him.

"It's not healthy for you to think like that," Ninten replied. Lucas looked back at him, confused. "You're the most biased judge of yourself, so you shouldn't be saying what you do and don't deserve. You screwed up, that's all. And I can forgive a screw up, and I can even understand what pushed you to it. I'm sorry too. I pushed you too hard for your level of experience, and that made you resentful. I should've paid attention to your feelings, but I was too obsessed with enabling you to defend yourself from danger. I'm truly sorry for that, and if we survive this, I won't let that happen again."

Lucas looked away. "But what I said...It made you nearly leave didn't it?"

"Yes and no," Ninten admitted. "Yes, because your words reminded me of something that I lost sight of in my obsession. It wasn't the fact that I was a bad person. I've killed before, and people just can't remain the same after that...but that's a discussion for another time. While training you, I had left the Confederation to fend for itself against a usurper. And if there's one thing I cannot stand its the feeling that I abandoned someone or something. It's the one thing that always throws me into a pit of self-doubt about my character, though I typically can pull myself out quickly. That's why I decided to leave; I had to go back and fight. While I don't think I can change the course of the war alone, my powers can at least save numerous lives."

"I'm so sorry Ninten, I didn't know-"

"I didn't expect you to, so no apology is necessary, but thank you anyway," Ninten smiled. But then it evaporated quickly as he refocused his gaze in front. Lucas turned his head as well as he picked up on the sound of a multitude of boots marching. He looked at Ninten.

"They're here," was all he said.

The militiamen tensed at the sound. They knew that battle was imminent, as was possible death. Sure enough, the front row of Pigmasks entered view, spearheaded by one in green clothing. Another few seconds brought the lines closer, but then the green Pigmask signaled for a halt. The Pigmasks immediately ceased movement as they remained in formation, as did the militiamen. The staring contest continued for a full minute before the green Pigmask (the commander apparently) waved a blue flag.

"Parley," Ninten whispered to Lucas. "They want to know what the heck's going on."

The commander of the Pigmasks marched forward, flanked by two regular ones from the first row. In response, Wess took Duster and Lighter with him to meet them in the center of the standoff. However, their words could be heard by the nearest combatants.

"What is the meaning of this? Blocking our passage into this town?" the commander growled. "Is it too much to ask for a simple visit?"

"Given you have seen fit to bring dozens of soldiers into our fair village, we doubt that you are here to sightsee!" Wess retorted. "Last time you 'visited' it was only Fassad with a single platoon!"

"So you'll stake the lives of everyone here out of paranoia?" the commander asked.

"And you'll answer my questions by asking questions?" Wess questioned.

"If we wanted you dead, I could easily have my men pour their guns into you and your 'barbarian' force, followed by burning down your town," the commander threatened. "Don't make it come down to that."

"I have a feeling that's gonna happen whether we yield or not, unless you only bring in one platoon into the village and the rest stay in the forest," Wess offered.

"Unacceptable!" a new voice barked as he emerged from the ranks and walked towards the parties. "We have every right to be here as you, so let us in now, or else we will make you stand down," Fassad commanded.

"Not even attempts to negotiate? Well, that shows real good restoration," Ninten observed as he and Lucas made their way forward as well.

Fassad's eyes widened in recognition. "You..." he muttered. "I thought I killed you two weeks ago."

"You did not, and now you will reap the results of your arrogance," Ninten said.

Fassad grinned. "Oh really? And tell me, what do you plan to do without your PSI boy?"

Ninten clenched his fist, which was glowing in PSI energy. "You didn't take it all," he countered. "That's how I was able to slip away last time. I don't know how you did, but rest assured you will pay the price for that."

"We shall see," Fassad sneered.

"Yes, we will," Lucas announced. "Removing Ninten from the battle will not swing the tide, because I too can use PSI."

Fassad grin faltered slightly. "That may be, but you are weak and inexperienced. Your friend might be weak, but at least he is a challenge. Without him, your pathetic excuse for an army will be annihilated."

"You showed that arrogance in our first encounter, and now again? You never learn, do you?" Ninten scoffed as he deployed a shield over the militia.

"I'll show you!" Fassad barked. "Pigmasks, attack!"

Upon Fassad's order, the battle begun, most of the leaders falling back to their troops; the militia marching forward under the protection of Lucas and Ninten's shields while the Pigmasks fired on them. Because of the shields, the initial volley did little damage, and they were blown away by a PK Love almost immediately.

However, unlike the others, Ninten and Fassad did not return to their lines. Instead, Fassad had leapt with a PSI Jump to the top of one of the plateaus, Ninten following in pursuit after kicking away a Pigmask foolish enough to try to tackle him and swiped the rifle he dropped.

Almost as soon as his feet hit the ground, he was forced to strafe to one side to avoid a PK Thunder Beta.

"You are a persistent one, aren't you?" Fassad growled. "You were lucky last time; this time I won't make the same mistake. I'll make sure you're dead and then obliterate your corpse."

One of the musketmen opened fire on Fassad. He sneered as it bounced off his shield and back at him. He fell over, dead from his own bullet. Ninten signaled the other militiamen to fall back. This was his fight.

Fassad dashed forward, unsheathing his scimitars. He slashed repeatedly at the teen, but the veteran warrior was not intimidated. He simply leapt back from the onslaught and occasionally parried with a blade made out of PSI energy. He could've used the rifle, but unfortunately, he was not deemed old enough to learn how to operate firearms, so he was reluctant to risk trying to figure it out. It was not as important as someone trying to cut you to ribbons.

"Hold still and let me cut you to pieces!" Fassad snarled.

Ninten stopped his retreat, which was the last thing Fassad expected even though he told him to do precisely that. But then Ninten snapped his leg up into a swift kick, one that moved like lightning. Fassad stumbled back, wind knocked out of him. Ninten saw his blades fall to the ground, and dashed over to the nearest one. He swiftly snatched it up as Fassad recovered enough to seize the other.

Fassad glowered at him. "How dare you sully my weapon with your filthy hands," he snarled. "Do all servants of the corrupt Royal Family treat us with the same lack of respect as you do?"

Ninten smirked. "So what are you gonna do about it?" he asked, twirling the weapon around in his hands.

Fassad snarled as he swung, both scimitars meeting in the air with a mighty 'clang'!

Unlike his friend who was in a one on one, Lucas was in the middle of everything, in the midst of the Pigmasks tearing them apart from the inside while the pikemen take care of his rear. Needless to say, the Pigmasks were losing a lot of soldiers. But despite their efforts, it was obvious that the militia was faltering. The Pigmasks had managed to get soldiers up to the plateaus where they were dueling the swordsmen, but the covering fire had ceased as they were forced to focus on the more imminent threat in front of them. Reserves had yet to be committed, but it wouldn't be long before they had to, given that two pikemen were either wounded or dead, and the situation on the plateaus was unknown.

Lucas roared as he punched a Pigmask Captain right in his face, knocking him out. Another Pigmask took his place, but Lucas stomped on his knee and backhanded him, taking him out. There were too many of them! Damn the militia that refused to fight! They were going to doom everybody, and several were already dead from the battle.

Then, he felt a massive weight on his back and was but face-first into the dirt. He struggled as much as he could, but his foe was in a better position, unable to be budged. He could practically feel his grin as he no doubt was preparing to kill him.

But then the weight left, and a pair of strong arms lifted him off the ground. Whirling around, he saw his father dragging him back behind the now three man crew of pikemen, beginning to fall back towards the town. The swordsmen on the plateaus were already quite a distance back, and it was fortunate that the Pigmasks were so caught up in this that they didn't circle around to their rear.

"I'm sorry son, but the battle is lost," Flint said. "Go to the village and try to evacuate it while we hold them off.

"No!" Lucas protested. "I can still fight! I'll handle this while you and the others get them away!"

"Even with your powers, you can't hold them off all on your own, especially with your inexperience," Flint countered. "You are the hope of the future, as well as your friend. If you two don't survive, I'm afraid our sacrifice would be in vain. Sometimes, the most courageous are the ones that can admit defeat."

Lucas was about to open his mouth to retort when a horn blew. It sliced through the air, causing all those not engaged in a fight to turn towards its origin.

The rest of the Tazmily militia had remained in the square, unsure of what to do. Some simply walked off without a word. But when the fighting broke out, the forty remaining militiamen had watched the battle, and now when their brethren were faltering, they charged into the fray.

In the center, the remaining pikemen were relieved to see several spearmen take over their work, with other villagers supporting with everything they could. On the plateaus, the Pigmasks were outnumbered and their advance was not only brought to a complete halt, but now their lines disintegrated, the survivors fleeing as fast as they could, some getting picked off by the remaining musketmen and bowmen. Both flanks circled around and slid down the plateau walls, cutting off their only escape. It was now a fight to the death for the Pigmasks, and they fought desperately to try to break out, but to no avail.

As Lucas observed the carnage with his father, he suddenly noted the conspicuous absense of two people. Where were Fassad and Ninten?

Ninten slashed after another parry, but Fassad had already retreated. The battle had been raging for what seemed like hours, but was only minutes in reality. Despite Ninten's inexperience with the scimitar, Fassad was unable to take advantage of that. With only one scimitar, his options were more limited since he relied on two, so he resorted to throwing in PSI attacks with erratic swings. Neither combatant had scored a major hit at this point though, with only minor wounds. Both knew however that one would eventually slip up and leave an opening.

Fassad again slashed repeatedly, twirling it around wildly. Ninten tried to parry, but his movements were too erratic and he was forced to give ground. He took note that he was edging closer and closer to a cliff wall. Fassad kept pressing his attacks, and it wasn't long until Ninten could not go back any further.

Fassad roared as he made one final slash with his scimitar, but Ninten had no intentions of dying here on that day. He had parried the blow, then seized Fassad by his collar and slammed him into the wall.

Fassad tried to escape, but Ninten wasn't making it easy for him. Ninten drew one hand back, preparing to stab his adversary with his own weapon, but Fassad roared as a shield suddenly burst into existence and slammed into the teen, causing him to stumble back.

Ninten quickly recovered from the blow, only to be met with a PK Thunder Omega.

Ninten cried out in pain as the bolts danced all over his body, his strength being sapped by the pain. Fortunately, it only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough that he was forced onto one knee as he panted heavily. He dearly wished he still had Lifeup Alpha right now; he could at least recover from this partially. Now he was virtually incapacitated.

At least Fassad couldn't participate in the main fight, and hopefully this stand was not in vain. That was all he could think of as his adversary approached.

However, neither expected to hear a sudden cry, coordinated with a PK Love bowling Fassad over and sending him into the cliff wall for the second time within less than thirty seconds.

Ninten turned to face its origin, Lucas. The remnants of the PK Love faded away as he advanced, gaze ice cold and merciless. "It's over Fassad," Lucas growled as the man in question was getting back on his feet, somehow still conscious. "Your force is encircled, with the rest either dead or alone. Surrender."

Fassad stared at Lucas incredulously for a moment. Then, he began to chuckle. Lucas stepped back as it evolved into a mad cackle as he stood up. "Surrender?" he sneered as he settled down. "You act like the war was decided with this battle! It is far from over, even with my force gone. We can just get more cannon fodder to serve under us."

"You don't even care about your own soldiers?" Ninten spat. "You're despicable, just treating them like toys!"

"The Royal Family is no better; they have ignored our pleas for help, and they must pay the price," Fassad retorted. "But I'm afraid I cannot stay any longer. We'll meet again, boy."

"Hey, wait! Coward!" Lucas roared as Fassad disappeared in a flash of light. "Gah!"

"Hold your hand steady...keep focused..." Ninten instructed. "...Just one more second...and its good." The glow around Lucas's hands ceased as the villager examined where it used to be in amazement. "Perfect," Ninten complimented.

The villager looked at Lucas with a bright smile. "Thanks kid," he said. "I don't know what we'd do without you around." With those words, he stood up and opened the flap to the medical tent, exiting into the sunny weather.

Ninten held his gaze on the flap for a moment. "That was the last of them," he said as Lucas lay down from exhaustion. "You did well in the battle and healing the wounded," he said. "Using your PSI powers are draining at first, but you'll get used to it."

"Okay," Lucas murmured, masking the emotions swelling up within him.

Evidently, he had not done a good enough job because Ninten looked at him rather pointedly. "What's wrong?"

Lucas sighed. "It's...It's...It's hard to explain."

"We have time. It isn't even afternoon, and I have to go right now to someplace called 'nowhere'."

Lucas briefly rolled his eyes briefly amused, but quickly became serious again. "Over a hundred Pigmasks came in today," Lucas began, turning his head towards the side. "Most of them are dead, along with fifteen militiamen. All of them met premature deaths that were horrible. And I participated in the killings. I didn't even feel guilt or even think about it as I did." Lucas trembled slightly as he looked at his hands. "Am I...Am I a monster?"

"Everybody's a monster in war," Ninten replied. "War brings out the worst in people, killing and atrocity...All belligerents are guilty of those things. It's kill or be killed out there, and this war is the first major one ever since the PSI Wars. Oh, people claim that it's been peaceful since then, but the Pigmasks weren't alone in their ideology. I've talked to veterans about events, and learned that for the past thirty years there has been simmering dissent that comes in spikes. In fact, three years ago I lost a friend putting down a revolt in Summers." He closed his eyes. "You may think of me as cold or callous, but emotion on the battlefield is the worst thing you can do in battle. It's fine to think about everything when it's over, but in the middle of things, what matters is yourself, your allies, and your enemies. That's all."

"But...How can killing others be justified? It's horrible!"

"It is, but in a life and death situation you cannot think like that. Your enemies won't let that stop them, and if you stop they'll kill you."

"But isn't taking away a life the worst crime that can be committed?"

"In most cases, yes, but there are the ones who honestly deserve to die. And it seems that throughout history they are the ones that manage to get into power and cause wars. It's the reason why I do not believe world peace is possible; The wrong people keep getting up top and instigate conflicts that lead to war."

"But would killing them make it so much better? What if they see something that you cannot?"

Ninten scowled. "Perhaps, but this is a debate for another time. I just gave my point of view on it. For now, get some rest," he suggested as he stood up. "But if anything, remember this:

"Everyone copes with war differently. There are ones that distract themselves from it, and there are ones that can't cope and go insane. Then, there's the middle. It's up to you which path you wish to take. War is hell, and people forget that. It's natural; memories fade over time, like how the history before the PSI Wars is fading." Ninten's gaze softened for a moment. "Just remember that, and what you make of it is up to you."

Ninten lifted the flap up and walked out into the late morning sun, leaving a Lucas who was pondering his words.

And that's a wrap. So I guess this was mainly about discussions of war, which was I guess one of the driving inspirations of this fic. War is brutal and full of atrocities on every side, but since it is waged there has to be some justification behind it. This fic is just exploring when war can be justified, if it can. It will get more into depth later on.

Oh, and before I forget, yes Ninten does share some views on war with me, but not all, and there will be other perspectives that come in later. And Lucas was only seeking answers; not a debate with Ninten. That's why he didn't craft such arguments like him.

So how did you all like it? Please post reviews if you have anything to say. I will welcome all advice and constructive criticism you have to offer. Have a great day!

PSI Encyclopedia

PSI Jump: This basic technique requires concentrating enough PSI energy around the feet, which results in giving a PSI user the ability to jump to extreme heights that normal people would not be able to do. It can even be used in midair in an emergency, or simply for extra mobility. It is very useful for getting behind enemies.

PSI Blades: A special technique that allows the user to concentrate PSI energy and convert it into a solid form. Typically it is used as a sword or another sort of bladed weapon, hence its name. However, it creates a constant drain on a PSI user's reserves and thus can only be used for a limited time, and why real weapons are preferred over this.

PSI Shield Wall: Typically shields are used for defense, but that is not their only application. Using telekinesis, a PSI user can shove a shield into their foes, knocking them back and leaving them temporarily vulnerable. It is not easy to master and typically requires hours upon hours of training to master. But all the great masters of PSI agree that this technique is one of the most essential to master.

Summers: A small city-state on the Pacific coast in what used to be southern Washington State. It is famous throughout Eagleland for its beaches and warm temperatures. However, the poor live in the areas further from that. The wealthy tend to inhabit the beaches and this results in ludicrous prices as a result, and Summers' government is too corrupt to take action. This results in a breeding ground of unrest that occasionally sparks.