Yesh! Finally. I seriously intended to upload this chapter before Christmas but I got sick and I just resumed with this chapter two days ago. Hopefully you will like this one. Not a lot of action, but if this fic had sections, this chapter would be the opening for a new and important section. Any error you encounter let me know.
Enjoy!
"W-What you want?" I asked, stuttering words.
"I want to assure everyone's safety."
He walks around the room to my left side, where coincidentally I am more exposed. "In that case, I do not see your purpose in here."
"You think I'm stupid?"
"To be honest–"
"Please," he puts his free hand on the stun rod. "Don't start."
I cringe at the lack of power I have in the situation. I hate to do it but I shut my mouth; better not risk myself before someone like Mario.
"What I meant, Lucas," he tells me. "I know you are planning your way out of here already."
"There's no such thing as an 'escape' going on… It's you going crazy."
"The problem is, whenever you are loose bad things happen. My brother, your so called friend, Ness," Ness… He's a point but I didn't mean to hurt him. The image of him on his wheelchair makes me feel depressed. "Who knows who will be next? You are just an animal looking for its next victim, and I won't let that happen."
"That's the problem, there is a reason…"
"What? Lust for violence?"
"No, something bigger threatens everyone's safety."
His eyes meet mine, his gaze locked on me for a few seconds before saying, "Look," he slightly swung the stun rod. "I really want you outta here."
I try to sit straighter to put some resistance to his menacing eyes. "I will leave when I'm done with my stuff."
"Oh, no…" he says. "As soon as you and your friends run out of excuses for you to stay and that arm gets 'better' you will leave. We won't see your face around here anymore."
"Why can't you get it?" I raise my voice. "I have to stay. There are several things to do yet. Besides, Ness and the others will talk with Master Hand about a certain issue." Mario frowns. "You can join them if you want."
"No. Just no!" He raises the stun rod and hover it inches above my leg. My eyes widen.
"Stop… Seriously."
"I'm starting to lose my patience. If it was for me, I would kill you here…" I gulp at his grim and merciless tone. "However, I shouldn't, as it is unnecessary. Soon you will be gone."
My eyes travel from him to the stun rod… It inches closer with each second.
Finally, he presses the stun rod against my leg. My nerves go crazy as sparks travel all over my body.
I try flailing, but his free arm pins me down perfectly. "Mario, dammit! Stop it!"
If I could just use PSI. Fire, fire, fire, I repeat several times in my head. Come on!
My leg continues to be charred with electricity, leaving marks of black. Mario grits his teeth with anger. The bastard is enjoying every second of this. Not for long, though.
A fade essence of fire comes to my arms with the price of the handcuffs causing a strange and painful sensation. Trying to withstand the horrible pain, I clench my right, slightly-burning fist. I make sure Mario's too busy pinning me down. Good. I swing my fist, and succesfully collides with Mario's cheek.
He stumbles backwards and supports himself with the wall opposite to the bed. After what felt like an eternity, the electricity goes away.
"I warned you," I say.
Mario shakes his head. With his free hand he touches the affected side of his face. "Can't believe I didn't see it coming."
I swear silently. Perhaps, that barely disoriented him? The PSI wasn't at its full potential, but my punch was. And to see Mario recover so quickly makes me uneasy. He notices my face and say, "Was that all your strength? In that case it's incredible you managed to take down Ness."
"Don't attempt to fake it in front of me–that almost take you down," I respond. I bend my leg to reach it with my right hand. I can't use PSI, so I rub it… as if it would make the horrible pain go away.
"Never mind, both of us know the truth," he tells me with a crushing confidence in himself. The worst part is that indeed that was all I could muster.
"You know," he starts. "I brought the stun rod just to show you… mercy."
"Mercy?" I bark.
"Yes. The stun rod was a small detail. I can do a lot more with…" He pauses, driftshis eyes to the stun rod and crushes it with a frightening strength. "My own hands."
I glance at the floor, the leftovers from the stun rod spitting sparks. My stomach seems to flutter about when he finishes his words. Something suddenly floods my nerves. Something almost unrecognizableafter all these years: Fear.
"And now?" he asks with cockiness. "Too frightened to speak?"
"No," I speak with false confidence. "I was thinking of how you will cover this!" I point at the burned leg and the mess we have done.
"I won't have to cover it." He walks closer to my burned leg. I try to pull my leg away from him. Obviously this doesn't work since I'm my movement is so limited, is only my instinct working by its own.
"You won't?"
"No, because you tried to escape using your PSI." He winks. One of his hands lit up. A couple of fireballs come out from his hand aiming at the white sheets on the bed. Said sheets turn a bright red, quickly, then a charred black. I tried extinguishing the fire with my right hand. After repeated pounding on the closest blaze it goes off.
Mario approaches the door, opens it and look at his hands. Once again, his fists are lit up and he shot several fireballs, igniting walls, curtains and the rest of the decoration on the room. Mario leaves the room with commanding steps.
"N–No, Mario, come back!" I scream. Mario closes the door and his steps–along with his companions'–are heard through the silence of the night.
I curse under my breath. The room suddenly turns into a show of lights as the temperature exceeds the one a human can support in an usual scenario. This is not an "usual" situation, however. I'm hours away of my possible release and nothing will stop me.
Apparently, nothing will stop the fire, either…
I jerk my hand in an attempt to break free. No avail. Once again. It's only harming my wrist.
I had extinguished the fire running through the sheets. Legs worked just as well as hands in this case. Unfortunately, it only worsened the huge burn on my leg.
Smoke is beginning to spread into the small room. The fire was still visible through the thick forming cloud of smoke, though.
Another desperation rush makes me jerk my hand, causing harm and a nasty metal mark on my wrist. I start coughing when the clean air is overwhelmed by the smoke and my lungs search for the lasts breaths.
Minutes have gone by and I have to say Mario's–seemingly–improvised plan is working, big time. And while I don't plan dying in here, it appears to be my only desti–
"Lucas!" I hear someone shouting. The door is brought down and in the other side of the smoke a human figure moves through the doorframe, quickly crossing the smoke.
"Who…"– I cough– "Who is there?"
Marth's head peeks from the smoke. I let my shoulders drop. Yep, I'm not dying in here.
Seconds later, before I can respond, Link and Lucario come out of the smoke to my side. "Guys," I say. A tone of relief leaves my mouth. It's difficult to keep my eyes on them because of the smoke and the words on my mind telling me to hold my breath.
"Stay out, we're coming," Link shouts–to someone outside the room.
With a precise and fast swing of his sword, Marth sets me free of the handcuffs. Then, he notices my wounded leg and figures it will be difficult to me to walk by myself out of the room. He extends a hand out for me.
"Thanks," I say, inhaling more tainted air.
Marth passes his arm around my neck, and along with Link doing the same thing, they help me limp my way out of the room.
The three of us, with Lucario behind, walked out of the smoke-filled room, which was now extending to the hallway. At the moment I step out, Link is on my right… No, wait, I think I'm going crazy…
Link and Marth lead me far from the smoke. My body follows, but my eyes don't. There, near the doorway stands who looks like a younger version of... (I look to my right to see that indeed Link is still there, so what is going on?) A younger version of Link swinging an object that resembles a silver-white color wand.
When the smaller Link stops, the smoke covering the area gathers into a small tornado. The younger Link picks up a glass bottle that was on the floor and uses it to somehow catch all of the smoke.
When the strange act finishes my jaw is already hanging freely after it dropped in the middle of said act. I didn't notice it first but the swordsmen had loosened their grip on me and now looked at me with amused faces.
"I think I'm going crazy."
"Uh?" Marth muttered. Maybe I'm the only one seeing the smaller Link.
"That's right," Link says, realizing. "You haven't met Link yet… I mean, the other Link."
"You can see him, too?" I ask, almost whispering to him.
"Everyone can," Link says.
That's when Marth seems to realize what we're talking about, glances to the other Link, looks back to me and chuckles.
I can't help but watch Marth with annoyed eyes as he continues chuckling. Meanwhile, the smaller Link approaches us, which only makes Marth's chuckling turn into laughter.
"And… what's with him?" he asks the bigger Link. The latter tries to come up with an answer, but it seems that Marth's laughter is catchy enough to prevent Link to talk without cut… So I come in.
"It is just that Marth saw him in a mirror and didn't realize the 'ugly thing' as he said, was him. I figure it happens often due to his–"
"Alright, alright. Co…" Marth interrupts. Continued chuckle doesn't let him talk properly. "Come on, you gotta admit it, it was funny that you thought that young Link was a ghost or something."
Young Link looked at me puzzled. "A ghost?" he asks. "Why?"
I wince. Was not it obvious? Maybe they are used to this strange kind of stuff. "You see, here is Link," I say, pointing at the bigger Link, then at the smaller one. "and here is Link."
"I still don't get it."
Perhaps, they are not the same person after all. The younger one is a bit clumsy. "I don't know you, but I have never seen to totally two persons that looked the same… Hell, I have a twin, and not even we are this similar."
"I can explain that," Link… the older Link says.
"Wait, wait!" I interrupt him. "First, what is his name?" I refer to the younger one.
"Everyone around tend to call me Young Link."
"Young Link…?" I sigh. "Don't you have another name or something?"
"Hmm, I like Young Link."
"Never mind."
The cooing silence is abruptly cut by two doors on the hall bursting open, and a crowd of Smashers hurrying through them, creating a semi-circle around both Links, Lucario, Marth and I.
"Get down," a man with a military outfit said, pointing a shotgun at my head.
"Hands behind your head!" a commanding, deep voice coming from the Smashers crowd said.
Before I can do anything, however, I'm thrown down to the floor in the middle of a blue blur, which I recognize as Sonic–once he stands to my side.
Get away from him, guys!" the military man shouted, addressing the Smashers closer to me.
Marth and Link (the younger one) gave a couple of steps away from me, but Link and Lucario stay planted at my side.
"He hasn't done anything, Snake," Lucario says with a low, growling voice as he steps to the front.
"What? Ya'll protect him, now?" Sonic asks.
"He's just saying that Lucas will cause no harm," Link says.
"We are not trying to kill him," Snake says.
"Yet!" one in the back of the crowd of Smashers adds.
"Remember, Lucas is a prisoner."
Silence reins the hall. Neither Snake nor any other Smasher has let down their guard. Lucario and Link try to stay calm, but I can feel the tension on their bodies. To my surprise someone starts moving. Some ones, I should say, move away from the center of the crowd, forming a narrow path in between them where someone is walking through.
Ness? Master Hand? Who?
"Lucario, Link, please move, we'll just relocate Lucas back in his cell. For now," Mario says, revealing himself.
He glares at me for a second, trying to not look obvious to the others.
I decide the warning has passed. I stretch my arms and begin standing up until Mario speaks again. "Lucas, stay there until we handcuff you again." He signals the man named Snake to do as he said, then speak again. "Tomorrow we'll discuss this… escape attempt."
Snake finished with the handcuffs and help me stand up. I limp when Snake slightly pushes me.
Maybe is not the best idea, but I can't let Mario get all the praise that his people think he deserves. I have to expose him. "Stop fooling around. We both know you paid me a visit earlier and caused that whole mess."
He eyes me with disgust. "Stop lying, you will make the situation worse. The Smashers know me very well enough to be aware that I wouldn't do that," he finishes with a tone that if I didn't know him I would believe his story.
"Come on! You will be–" In the mid of my sentence I get poked in the shoulder–rather rudely–by Snake.
"Shut your mouth. Better be thankful Mario hasn't done all that crap you're saying."
"Snake, Metaknight, please escort him back to a new cell with anti-psychic capacities."
A small ball-like, blue creature joins us at my left. He sports a mask, a cape and small shoes. Everything in purple tones. "Let's go," he commands with a voice even deeper than Snake's.
"You have a very deep voice for someone of your size. Funny, ah?"
"If your goal is to make me angry, you will fail."
"Oh, no, I was trying to be funny, nothing else."
"In that case… Snake." The soldier grabs me tighter for a second. Metaknight faces me and punches me in my stomach.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
They have left me in a similar cell like the last one. The last time I could see the sky it was still night. Maybe I can get some peaceful sleep in here. At least a bit since tomorrow, if everything goes as planned I will have a chance to speak with MH about what is going on.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Lucas…"
Uh? Where am I?
The last thing I remember is going to sleep inside my cell. Could this be a dream? I don't know… "It feels too real," I tell myself, looking at my hands.
And what is this place?
I look around. Left and right; up and down, everything is darkness with the exception of a small light where am standing.
This reminds me of when I released the Dragon.
"Lucas." A voice comes from the darkness, but no matter how much I walk towards it, the darkness still reigns the surroundings.
"Hello, Lucas." The mysterious voice reveals itself. A figure slowly walks out of the darkness, approaching the dim spotlight I stand on.
"You," I say, almost growling.
Porky's body came out of the shadows, showing himself wearing a tidy gray suit.
I run forward expecting to catch him, but the place we're on is endless. Each time I step forward, Porky move away one more step.
"I'm glad you are happy to see me."
"Not even your mother would be happy to see someone like you, not even in her dreams."
He glares at me for less than a second, almost unperceivable to me.
"I don't know my mother, but I would be disgusted to see her, so we're better like this. However, I am sure you mother would be happy to see you…" he pauses for a moment, tasting with delight his next words. "if she wasn't rotting below the earth."
My anger builds up inside me. I will not let him talk like that. "Argh! PK Thunder!"
Three thunders come out of my hand striking Porky in a show of sparkles.
When the sparkles are overcome by darkness and the only light is the one of my feet, Porky laughs with his typical pig-like laugh. "Oh, poor creature. This is a dream, you idiot." He laughs again.
"Is a dream, for now. And you should make the most of this time, because I will hunt you down and kill you."
He chuckles to himself. "Whatever you say. Anyway, I guess you remember my message the other day."
I'm still furious and want him gone of my dreams… His words, however, brings a slight curiosity.
"Yeah, what with that…?"
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Lucas, wake up."
My eyes open in a furious motion, as I realize I am not with Porky anymore.
"Uh, Lucas?"
My eyes drift towards the origin of the voice. Link. He seems the kind of person who enjoys visiting other people on jail… while they are sleeping. Not so nice.
"Whatever you are here for, it better be important. It feels as if I didn't sleep."
"Well, if talking with Master Hand in private is in you list of priorities, you better get up." Link casted a smile that soon turned into an amused face. "And as a suggestion, you should comb your hair, at least a bit."
"Wait, the person who uses a hat to hide his hair is criticizing my hair… It must look bad."
"You really need to leave the comedy." Link starts walking away. "A couple of Smashers will come for you in ten minutes or so."
I nod. Yesterday's night the special handcuffs were removed before Snake and the other one (whom I don't remember his name) put me in a cell. I was surprised to see them taking out the handcuffs, and I wanted to sleep comfortable, so I didn't do any abrupt movement until they locked the cell door. I noticed another one of those crystals hanging above me, stuck on the ceiling.
I don't have much to do in these ten minutes. I can only take Link's suggestion and fix my hair in a more presentable way. Without a comb or water, it's quite difficult however.
After the brief wait, I hear people entering to the room where my cell is… Apparently they are not what I would call "people".
"Ready to go?" a weird creature enters from the metal door in my cell, and as soon as I see him–I think it's a him–I wonder how much surprises are left in this strange world.
More like a weird creature, he is a fox (animal very scarce in the Nowhere Islands) wearing clothing, which I think still deserves the title of "weird". His clothing resembles the one of a pilot, his tail waves freely behind him, and his green eyes lock on mine while we examine each other. I think this is what Dr. Andonuts called a… anthropomorphic creature, that's it (quite the mouthful).
Behind him another ant… anthro… anthrop… "whatever it's called creature" enters. This one, however, looks more like a blue bird. A falcon. He sports the same style of clothing as the fox one.
Not knowing this foxy dude, I can always call him silly names (just like my brother used to do when he was a kid). "Always ready, Mr. Fox."
"How did you know my name?" Really, his name is Fox?
"I didn't… Don't tell me Mr. Falcon over there is named Falcon…" I say.
"Actually," the bird says from his spot, leaning on the metal door. "My name is Falco."
I sigh. This place needs more originality with the names.
"Never mind. We are going with MH, right?"
"Yeah, we are, Lucas. You will be able to talk about him freely," Fox answers.
"Just want to add that you will stay handcuffed for the duration of the meeting. Hopefully you won't get excited with your powers knowing this," Falco tells me.
"It doesn't make any difference." I cast a cocky smile at the bird. He puffs not caring for my words.
"Okay… Let's get this done," Fox says. "Step away from the door and don't make any sudden movements."
I do as told. Fox nods and Falco takes out a small hexagonal artifact; he inserts it in a small hole in the wall with the same shape of the artifact. The metal bars respond instantly withdrawing toward opposite corners and disappearing into the wall. The reinforced glass that was in my first cell is in here as well. It slides down into a special slot in the floor.
"Now you can step out."
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
To my surprise they never put anything on my eyes at any moment of the way to MH's study. We walked through more hallways than I can remember, and at the end we halted in the front of a double wooden door.
Fox veers the doorknob and pushes it slightly, before saying, "We will stay here, you go in. Master Hand and other Smashers are waiting for you."
I nod, glanced at Falco, who looked away, and then walk in the study.
"You have arrived, Lucas," the commanding voice of MH welcomes me.
"Yep."
The study is not as big as I expected, Master Hand "sits" behind a large oak desk. Behind him a pair of bookcases filled with books that he probably hasn't read… Two large windows at my right let the sun enter freely. At my left several Smashers are sitting, whom some I recognize as Marth, Ike, Sonic, Falcon and a guy around my age probably, wearing a red cap and red shirt.
Lucario, Link and Ness are sitting the closest to me.
"I was informed by a Smasher that your assault on Luigi wasn't how we think it was. There was another reason, right? And not because it was Luigi."
"Ness has already explained you what is going on?" I ask. MH nods in respond, so I continue. "It's an enemy, we, Ness and I, have in common. He took control of Luigi's body and let himself get beaten up, probably foreseeing this whole mess."
"Pokey, right? Yeah, back when Ness joined us I did some research," he says. "However, the end doesn't justify the means, you should know that."
I nod, and then say, "He's a very dangerous person, though. And even if 'the end doesn't justify the means', it was the correct thing, I want to believe."
"I can't say I'm happy with the 'means', but I do realize he's a threat. So… let's say I release you; do you have any plan?"
"The Dr. Andonuts, the person that helped me with my brother–"
"He knows him," Ness interrupts me. Apparently he's already brought MH up to date. "Also, I have told him about your brother… at least the important things."
"Okay…" I tell him. I don't like people knowing about the problems my brother and I have. "He, Andonuts may be able to help me locate my brother; from there I will go to my" –I think about how MH or any other Smasher would say it– "homeworld and search for Pokey."
"I have various opinions about this. First, it seems too much for one person, don't you think?" It is a rhetorical question, so MH continues without pausing. "And it's too much freedom for someone that, to a certain extent, is still a prisoner."
I remain silent. Thankfully, Lucario speaks for me. "We could go with him."
"You three are friends of him, I hate to say it, but it's almost the same as Lucas going by himself."
"We are his friends," Link starts. "as much as we are Smashers. We know what our job is. We've tried to stop Lucas before, remember."
"Besides, Master Hand," Ness joins the conversation. "You know Pokey escaped, and I want to finish what he started."
"Look, am not against you three doing what you got to do, but I can't let Lucas free as if he didn't do nothing," Master Hand admits, and I hate to say it, but he's right, I can't deny what he said.
"At this point it's about trusting in us," Ness says.
MH sighs. Good. I smirk.
"I'll let you go Lucas…" Ness and Link mutter a "yeah", while Lucario simply nods in agreement. I continue smirking victoriously. "However, when you are done, I will have to ask Lucas to come back to receive some kind of punishment."
"You make it sound scary," Ness interrupts.
"That's the right thing for Luigi."
"OK, it's fair."
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Our little meeting continued for quite some time. We reviewed the terms for my release, Ness and I explained more backstory about Porky/Pokey, and I added details–I think are important–about me and Claus.
Claus… Oh, how I miss him. Hopefully, with the help of Dr. Andonuts I can locate him.
Just now, the meeting finished 20 or so minutes ago. I was sent back to my old room with Ness, but I haven't unpacked yet, though. I just want to rest.
Someone knocks the door. It must be Ness. I open it and go back to sit in the bed.
"Hey," he greets, his voice still carries pain. Our battle at the city must still be on his mind.
"Hello, Ness." My mouth curves into a smile, then into a surprised expression when I notice Ness walking with just a pair of crutches. "Wait, you shouldn't be out of your wheelchair yet.
"Why? Because your attack is that powerful?" his words go with a small chuckle. It makes me sad, though, remembering what I did to him.
"Oh sorry," he mutters. "Anyway, I have a little surprise."
My–still–regretful eyes drift towards his.
He leans his crutches on the wall and sits beside me. He reaches inside his pocket and takes out… "The thunder sword," I gasp loudly.
"I figured you'd like to have it."
I look at the shaft of the sword. I can't express in words what I feel. "You know how much this means for me…"
"I do. It's your brother's sword." He puts his hand in my shoulder. "And am sure he will be happy to know that you took good care of it."
I felt melancholic. For a normal person this would seem stupid. My reaction towards having the sword back. It's much more than just a sword, however. "How… how you…"
He chuckled. "Before we left the city in the Falcon Flyer"– I suppose he's referring to the same day they captured me–"Samus found it, and decided to keep it until you could have it back."
I take a moment to thank Samus in my mind. "Thanks." I couldn't stop smiling so I look downwards at my sword, at least until I remembered something. "Wait, and your wheelchair. Are you sure you're okay?"
Ness rolls his eyes, slightly amused. "Yes, yes, mom."
I laugh briefly. "I just wanted to make sure." I force myself to stop my ridiculous giggling to speak. "By the way, why wasn't Mario today at MH's?"
"You missed him?" He sighed. "Luigi has been quite unstable lately. Mario wanted to make him some company."
I take one hand to my mouth. Will I have to add one more person to my death count? No, no! That won't happen! "Oh, hell…"
"Remember it's not your fault." He locks his gaze on mine. "I would have done the same."
I understand why he sympathizes with me so easily. I'm happy someone can truly understand. "It must be hard for the others to understand us."
"Yeah, but I don't want to talk about that," when he finishes, I notice his fists were clenched with such force that his knuckles turned white. "Also…" I cast him a "what now?" face. He ignored it, though. "I know you don't want more bad news but…"
"What is it?" I ask, not expecting his next words.
"Dr. Andonuts…" My eyes widen. Please, let him be alive… "He dissapeared some days ago."
"Andonuts. Gone? Any idea where is he?"
"Not the slightest."
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Again? Just like last night, my dreams are replaced by this infinite void, where the only light is below me, marking my steps. Is he here?
"Someone in here?" I called, hoping to be wrong, and hopefully be alone in this strange place. I walk through the darkness, creating a small path of light in front, while the light behind is consumed by the darkness. "I feel so loney."
"Not for much." The disgusting figure of Porky comes out from behind. I sharply turn around meeting his blood-hungry eyes not far from me.
"I knew you were coming."
He laughed and put a hand on his mouth faking surprise. "My, my, look who were excited to see me."
"Not really. I figured that this strange place came from your twisted mind."
Twisted m-mind?" he stutters before he breaking into a laughter. "Who killed a dozen persons like a mindless killer. Luigi, Ness... And that's just in this wor–"
"S-Shut up!" I screamed, shutting my eyes tight, and then opening again when he stopped. "I didn't... didn't want to. I-I am not like you..."
"What you mean by 'like you'?"
"Evil… and, and that just lives to seek destruction and death–"
He blows his hair away from his eyes. Not caring for my words he interrupts, "In sum, I'm the bad guy?" he asks, his mouth curving into a smirk.
"Yeah, if you can't understand: what you do is not the right thing."
"And who says that what you do is the right one." He points me with his chubby finger. "You have killed men and women that had a family. My army used to fight for what we believe, and you destroyed our beliefs… That doesn't make you the good guy."
"Is not the same. You killed my family, my friends. Then, you turned my brother into a machine made to satisfy your selfish goals."
"Poor victim. You destroyed my dream of cleansing your world from the biggest plague: the human."
"I fight for what is right. Something you would never know how to do."
He shakes his head in disagreement. As if I'm missing the most obvious thing in the world. "You know what. Let's prove your decision-making." He walked in a circle, hands behind his back. "If you're a good person, you would do your best to prevent purposeless deaths."
"Continue…"
"I want you to meet me at the boundaries of the city, between the Mansion and said city. I don't want anything to do with this group of retards that call themselves heroes. I just want you…" His words make me tremble in the inside. A huge weight is suddenly put over my shoulders.
"If I do that, you shall stay away from the Mansion and the city?"
"Yes." He raises a finger. "But, if you do not meet me, I will come and crush this world"–he slams his fist in his opened hand–"until every soul is suffering in hell."
I'm left without words. I stand there, frozen. A chill sent by his words penetrates my body making me shiver slightly. "I… I…"
His body disappears in a ghastly motion.
Three full heartbeats pass until I feel cold breath in my neck. I turn around to meet the origin of the cold breath. Porky's distorted–with gray, ghastly skin–face flashes me a wicked smile… just mere centimeters away from my face. I stumble and fall in my back. Porky moves with a ghostly body towards me. His face is the only "normal" feature. There's no body, just what you would call a "ghost's body". A black and red twirling smoke moves forward. In an instant his face comes to centimeters from mine, again. "You will do what I order you to do. Otherwise, you will all die, and the other PK Love wielder will be mine," he says in a monstrous tone.
His mouth opens widely, and in a twisted combination, my mom, Claus and my screams come out of it. The same screams that echoed trough the sunshine forest during the chimera-drago first's attack… that resulted into my mother's death.
"Will you come with me?" he screamed into my face.
I can't do more than scream back in a horror symphony, as someone wants to drill into my mind.
"Do you hear me, Lucas?" he repeats the same several times. "Do you hear me, Lucas?"
"G-Get away… I–"
"What, Lucas? You won't come with me, even though that's the correct thing to do? You will save tons of people!"
"But, b-but…"
"But what? You're only thinking on yourself, right?" A ghostly hand made of twirling smoke appeared from thin air, and then it poked me in the head. "You're not the hero you claim to be–"
"I am not a he–" I try to point he's wrong, but he doesn't let me talk.
"But you think of yourself as one. You're not, however."
"Please… Let me go."
"It hurts, Lucas? Don't you hate this? How someone enters in your mind, and doesn't care what you want… but what he wants…"
"Yes, it hurts!" I cry so loudly my voice breaks.
As I finish my response to Porky's twisted question, a light appears behind Porky's ghostly figure.
The light blinds me for a second. Then, it fades down to a small spotlight, just like the one that's below me. Porky eyes the owner of said light and screeches, "You!"
"Ness…" I mutter.
He notices my horrified, mentally-tired expression, then looks at Porky–or Pokey, how he calls him.
"What are you doing here?" Porky's voice distorts as he speaks.
"I noticed something was wrong with Lucas, but I gotta accept I didn't expect to see you here. Not after so much."
Pokey glanced at me, then back at Ness. He seems to be unable to decide who he really wants to "attack". "How you entered? I created this place," he asks Ness.
"Just like you did; through Lucas' mind…" Ness trails off walking towards me–and Porky, too. He doesn't hesitate to close the distance between himself and the monstrous Porky, but his eyes show a fear originating on his memories, nonetheless.
"Leave us!" Porky screams, stretching out a ghost-like claw aiming at Ness' neck.
He closes his eyes tightly, as the claw comes for him. When the claw collides with Ness' body it vanishes on touch. Ness opens his eyes, along with a smirk forming in his face. "I entered Lucas' mind by myself, which makes you powerless against me."
Porky let out a cry, and pierces me with red eyes. "You better do what's right." He rockets himself up high, and dives down into my body; Porky's ghostly figure vanishes when it collides with me.
The void disappears in the blink of an eye.
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
My eyes open in a hurry, meeting Ness'. "Your nose…" he hands me a napkin.
I take my hand to my nose to find that it's bleeding. "Thanks," I say.
Ness halts me as I try to sit up. "You should stay there and sleep."
"Glad you arrived just in time."
"Yeah…" he muttered. "By the way, why did Porky tell you to do 'what's right'?"
I clean the rest of the blood coming out from my nose, turn to my side–looking away from Ness–, and before closing my eyes I say: "I don't want to talk about that…"
Wordlessly, Ness switched off the night-table lamp and sighed audibly. "Okay," he mutters, going back to his bed and throwing his sheet over his body.
"You better do what's right," I recall Porky's haunting words. I should do what's right… For everyone's safety… But I can't.
"...if she wasn't rotting below earth." Phew, that hurt to write. I gotta say I enjoyed writting the whole 'void' part. The 'Smashing song of Praise' in G major is quite good to put the mood, along with 'Enmity of the Dark Lord' from Binding of Isaac.
Anyway... Happy New Year, everyone :D