Estimated Reading Time: 21 Minute

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The Clone

The way Tracy said those last words carried a hint of flirtation, making him anxious. He shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he was just overthinking it. Then again, it could be nothing.

Nate: "Uh, y-yeah, sure."

Tracy jumped in delight, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Okay, let's go to my room!" she exclaimed, practically skipping as she dashed up the stairs.

"Wait, hold on," Nate called out, his voice sounding hesitant. Tracy paused at the top of the stairs, walking back down with a confused and slightly worried look on her face. "What?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

Nate: "Let's study here in the living room."

Tracy: "I don't wanna."

Nate: "Why not? It's nice. Plus I'm already comfortable."

Tracy: "No, mom could pop up any second."

Nate: "That's fine."

Tracy: "She's gonna bother us."

Nate: "No she won't."

Tracy: "Ugh, you don't know her like I do. She loves bothering me."

Nate: "She's gonna be too busy cookin' dinner to even care."

Tracy: "Nooo, her presence is gonna be distracting."

Nate: "Oh."

Tracy: "I get distracted easily with noise."

Nate: "That's—fair."

Tracy: "C'mon, let's go to my room!"

Nate: ["But I don't want to…"]

Tracy: "What was that?"

Nate: "I just don't feel comfortable."

Tracy: "You've been in my room many times. Why now is it weird?"

Nate: "I just… y-yeah okay. Let's go."

"Eee! Yes!" Tracy squealed, bouncing up the stairs and rushing into her room. She grabbed her backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out her homework, setting it neatly on her desk. Sliding into her chair, she pretended to study, her heart racing in anticipation as she waited for Nate to follow.

"Hey," he greeted as he stepped into her room. His voice sent a jolt through her, making her heart skip a beat. She tightened her grip on the pencil, suddenly aware of how clammy her hands had become.

She had imagined him towering over her, hands planted firmly on the desk just like in her fantasy. But instead, he simply leaned beside her, his focus entirely on the paper.

Nate: "So, whatcha need help with?"

Tracy: "Oh, uh, this question right here."

The brunet read the question aloud, then let out a sheepish chuckle. "Not gonna lie, Trace… I'm kinda dumb, haha," he admitted, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

Tracy: "Aww, what!"

Nate: "I don't get the question at all."

Tracy: "That's okay. We can figure it out together."

Nate: "I dunno. I've never been to school before, so I have no clue what to do. Hmm, how about you ask your classmates?"

Tracy: "I want you to help me."

Nate: "I wouldn't be much help. I don't get this question at all."

Tracy: "You're smart. We can figure this out together."

Tracy gave him the boost he needed. He furrowed his brow, a confident smirk forming on his lips. "You're right. Let's do this!"

The two tackled her homework together, struggling at times but relying on the internet to guide them.

When they finally cracked the problem, a wave of pride washed over Nate. Is this what it's like to do homework? To be a normal kid? That felt amazing!

Nate: "Hell yeah! We did it!"

Tracy: "Thanks, Nate. Seeee, I told ya you were smart."

Nate: "Haha! Thanks~ I feel proud of myself."

Tracy sprang up and threw her arms around Nate. He stiffened for a second before melting into the hug, wrapping his arms around her in return.

At first, it was nice—warm, familiar. But then she didn't let go.

Nate loosened his grip, chuckling nervously, yet she still clung to him. A knot formed in his stomach.

"Um, Trace?" he murmured, his voice laced with unease.

She didn't respond—just held on tighter, burying her face into his chest.

Nate's heart pounded, unease creeping up his spine. Slowly, he lifted his arms and gently pushed her away.

"S-sorry, you were squeezing too tight," he said with an awkward chuckle, hoping to lighten the moment.

Tracy: "Sorry! I'm just so happy~"

Nate: "Mhm, me too. A-anyway, I think I'm gonna play some games online with Trey."

Tracy: "You're leaving already?"

Nate: "Yes. Unless you need help with somethin' else?"

Tracy: "Um… n-no. I'm good."

Nate: "Okay! Lemme know~"

With a sigh, she watched him leave, sinking into her chair in defeat. This was her chance to make a move—but she hesitated. Frustration bubbled inside her as she pulled out her phone and started texting her friends.

[- The girls

Group Chat

Tracy: ugh I blew it

Alley: Whaaaa

Elanor: how?

Tracy: I asked him to help me study and I didnt get the chance to surprise him

Alley: Its still possible

Tracy: nooo my mom can pop up any sec

Elanor: That's unfortunate

Tracy: what should I do?

Alley: Maybe tomorrow u can try again

Tracy: but I want him now

Elanor: ya kinda missed ur chance girlie ur mom is on her way and itd be weird if u tried and ur mom just so happened to see it

Tracy: ugh youre right

Alley: Isnt this kinda exciting tho

Tracy: yeaaaaah

Alley: U guys gotta hide ur love from ur mom thats such a crazy story I love it!

Tracy: it is exciting Im ngl

Alley: U got this girl!

Tracy: thx I'll try. wish me luck

Elanor: god luck

Alley: Good luck!

…

Tracy heard the front door. She went downstairs and saw her mom. Rachel walked over to the kitchen and started preparing for dinner.

Tracy: "Hey, mom."

Rachel: "Hey, sweetie. How are you?"

Tracy: "I'm doing great!"

Rachel: "You seem to be in a good mood."

Tracy: "Yup! What's for dinner?"

Rachel: "Chicken and rice."

Tracy: "Ooooh~"

Rachel: "I'll let you guys know when it'll be done."

Tracy: "Okay!"

Tracy raced upstairs, her heart pounding as she pressed her ear against Nate's door, straining to catch any sounds from inside.

Nate: "Duuude, don't mine at night… I'm not a pussy!... Fine, I'm going!... Aww, I got ambushed by spiders. This is all your fault, hahaha!... What! You died too! We lost everything. I told you not to mine at night, dumbass~"

Her heart warmed at the sound of his voice. The pure joy in his laughter and playful banter with his friends made her smile softly to herself. She loved how he could be so carefree and fun, his natural sweetness shining through even in casual conversations. It made her feel so comfortable around him—he was just being his totally authentic, happy self.

Tracy eagerly rushed downstairs, the sounds of the family's familiar chatter filling the air as she joined them at the dinner table. Her mom smiled at them, setting the plates down as she asked, "So, what did you two get up to today?"

Nate, always quick to share, leaned forward with excitement, his eyes lighting up as he started recounting his latest Minecraft adventure with Trey. "We got ambushed by spiders! I told Trey not to not chance it, but of course, we both got wrecked. Lost all our stuff—classic mistake!" he said, his voice animated with laughter.

Tracy grinned as she listened, happy to see Nate so engaged and so joyful in his element. When he finished, she couldn't help but join in, her voice a little more bashful but still excited. "I, uh, had a pretty good day too. Nate helped me out with my homework," she began, her cheeks coloring slightly. "I couldn't figure out some of the problems, but he really helped me understand them. I feel so much better about it now!"

Their mom gave them both a proud smile, clearly happy to see them so connected and enjoying each other's company. The conversation flowed easily from there, the family catching up over dinner as the warmth of the evening settled around them.

After dinner, everyone did their own thing. Nate let out a yawn, feeling the weight of the day finally catch up with him. "I've got work tomorrow. Let's play again," he said into the mic before Trey responded, "A'ight, see ya."

He took off his headphones, brushed his teeth, and changed into his usual t-shirt and boxers. As he crawled into bed, the soft sheets welcomed him. He let out another yawn and closed his eyes, letting sleep take over, the quiet of the night wrapping around him.

The dream felt peaceful. Nate and Lucas were sitting side by side on a bench, the soft hum of passing cars blending with their quiet conversation. Lucas was animatedly explaining something about beekeeping, his eyes bright with excitement. It was a strange topic, but Nate didn't mind—there was something comforting about Lucas's passion. He listened attentively, a small smile tugging at his lips, completely at ease in the moment.

Unfortunately for Nate, the happiness didn't last long. Lucas suddenly melted into a quivering puddle of goo. Nate's breath hitched, his hands trembling as he reached out. "L-Lucas?"

Before his fingers could touch it, the slime shifted, rising into the eerie form of Gooigi. Nate's stomach dropped. His scream caught in his throat as the gooey figure lunged, knocking him flat. Cold, sticky tendrils clung to his skin, pinning him down.

"G-GET OFF ME!" Nate bellowed, thrashing beneath the gooey grip. But Gooigi didn't budge. The slimy figure pressed down harder, its cold, gelatinous form sinking into Nate's skin. Panic surged through him as he struggled, his efforts only making the goo tighten its hold.

"Oh Ness, how I missed you~"

Nate's eyes snapped open as he lifted his head, locking onto Luigi's unsettling grin. "I see you're excited to see me too~"

A chill ran down Nate's spine. Confused, he followed Luigi's gaze downward—and his breath caught. No. That didn't make sense. He hated Luigi. So why… why is he hard?

He jolted awake, his chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. Sweat clung to his forehead, and the room felt muggy and hot. He sat up, planning to crack open the window. But as soon as he did he heard something.

A sharp gasp.

Nate froze. Someone was in his room.

He reached for his lamp that was on the nightstand and switched it on to see his sister Tracy staring back at him with a terrified expression.

Nate: "What the—! T-Trace? What're you doing in my room?"

Tracy: "Uh… I-I…"

He saw her blush, and a chill of dread gripped him. His eyes fell to his boxers, and the nightmare's meaning slammed into him. His hands shook violently as he yanked the blanket over himself, heart pounding.

He gasped for air, panicking. No… no… no! His mind raced in denial. This can't be happening... this can't...

"N-Nate, I—"

"What did you do?" His voice was harsh, sharp.

"I..."

"What did you do to me?"

For a moment, Tracy felt a knot of fear tighten in her stomach. His voice was serious, and she could hear the panic in his breathing, the way he clutched at his shirt. Oh no… I fucked up! She had planned to wake him up slowly, surprise him, but he'd stirred too fast. Shit! Wait… how do I fix this? He looked angry, but maybe it was just fear—fear from being caught off guard. I know he liked it because he got hard when he was sleeping. Clearly I gotta ease him into it again.

"I can show you~" Tracy said, her voice soft as she slowly moved closer, trying to steady her racing heart.

Nate: "W-what're you doing? Tracy this is not—

Tracy grabbed the back of Nate's head, pulling him into a kiss. He shoved her away instantly, his face flushed with shock. "T-Tracy!" He wiped his lips furiously, his eyes darting away, disbelief written across his face. Fear flickered in his gaze, but to her, it looked more like shyness.

Tracy: "Aww, is someone playin' hard to get~?"

Nate: "Tracy, no! Stop this right now."

Tracy: "I know you don't want me to stop."

Tracy leaned in again, but Nate quickly raised his elbow, blocking her. "Knock it off! No!" His voice was firm, the fear now clear in his eyes, and he pulled further away, creating a painful distance between them.

Tracy: "Why're you acting like this?"

Nate: "What the hell you mean why I'm acting like this?! I feel like this is a normal response!"

Tracy: "You said you were into blondes and you've been taking me out on dates!"

Nate: "What're you talking about?!"

Tracy: "We're basically dating."

Nate: "I-I'm sorry—WHAT! Why on earth would you think that?!"

Tracy: "You've been taking me out to places everyday!"

Nate: "Yeah because I'm cheering you up! It's not because I had feelings for you! Y-you're my sister!"

Tracy: "Well technically…"

Nate: "Technically what, huh?"

Tracy: "You're not blood related to me."

Nate: "What?"

Tracy: "You're Ness's clone. We're not technically siblings."

Nate: "Wow I… wow…"

Tracy: "What? It's true."

Nate: "..."

Tracy: "So it's not wrong."

Nate: "Tracy… what you said really hurt me."

Tracy: "I'm sorry but it's the truth. You're not technically my real brother. That means we can be together."

Nate: "N-no, it doesn't mean that at all."

Tracy: "But you're not my real brother."

Nate: "Can you please stop saying that? I… I get that I'm not supposed to be here. I know I shouldn't exist. I thought… maybe just maybe—I had a place where people accepted me as me and not just Ness's clone. I thought you guys thought of me as part of the family…"

Nate could feel the tears welling up, his throat tight with the effort to hold them back. He didn't want to cry in front of Tracy, but her words echoed in his mind—you're not technically my real brother. It stung more than he expected, settling in his chest like a weight he couldn't shake.

Tracy: "C'mon, Nate don't cry. I love you; just in a different way. You're so sweet, caring, and strong~ I can't help but catch feelings for you. This is a good thing. We can be intimate with each other."

Nate: "No! I don't want you to think of me like that! I-I don't care if we're not blood related. You're my sister. And Rachel is my mom. I wanna belong. I wanna be a part of this family."

Tracy: "But I'm in love with you!"

Nate: "This is fucking crazy… Why does shit like this always happen to me?"

Tracy: "So me loving you is such an awful thing?"

Nate: "Yes! Because I thought we were on the same page!"

Tracy: "Ya know… Siblings still get together."

Nate: "I-I don't believe you."

Tracy: "It's true. It's fucked up but it still happens."

Nate: "If it's fucked up then why do you want me?"

Tracy: "I already told you why. You're handsome, sweet, and strong. I need a guy like you."

Nate: "You don't know what you want."

Tracy: "Who are you to tell me what I want?"

Nate: "I look exactly like your brother! That should disgust you."

Tracy: "You changed your look. You don't look like him anymore."

Nate: "I still have his face."

Tracy: "Yeah, but I can differentiate you two."

Nate: "This is so disturbing."

Tracy: "Disturbing? Am I really that ugly?"

Nate: "I'm not saying that you are."

Tracy: "Then why don't you want me? I'm literally your type."

Nate: "I-is that why you asked me those questions yesterday?"

Tracy: "Yeah."

Nate: "I thought you were just trying to set me up with another girl."

Tracy: "No! I was describing me you idiot. I was givin' you hints left and right."

Nate: "Oh my god…"

Tracy: "C'mon, let's have sex. I want you so bad. I promise you'll feel good and I promise I'll be quiet so mom won't find out."

Nate covered his mouth, his body tensing as a rush of acid climbed up his throat. "S-stop…" he choked out, voice shaky. "You're making me sick." He turned his head, trying to steady his breathing, but the nausea was overwhelming.

Tracy: "Please, Nate. Just give me a chance. We don't have to tell anyone. It'll be our little secret. Doesn't that excite you in a way? It's so wrong yet so thrilling~"

Nate: "NO!"

Tracy: "Shhh, keep it down mom will hear us."

Nate: "My answer is no! I don't want you. I will never want you. You're my fucking sister! I don't care if you don't think that way—but I do! Now please… get out of my room."

Tracy: "No, I'm not leaving. I know you're scared because we're painted as siblings, but just trust me on this. We can make it work just like earlier when you helped me with my homework."

Nate: "That's not the same thing!"

Tracy: "You took that too literally. You know what I mean."

Nate: "I'm not doing this."

Without warning, Nate's powers flared, lifting Tracy effortlessly before gently tossing her out of his room. He slammed the door shut behind her, locking it with a swift motion.

She immediately began knocking, her relentless pounding driving him to the edge. His heart raced as panic set in. Desperate to escape, Nate scanned the room, then bolted for the window. He clambered out, moving quickly down the sidewalk in Onett. His fingers fumbled as he pulled out his phone, texting Ness in a frantic rush.

[- Ness

Discord

Nate: hey can we talk

Ness: Sorry. I'm a little busy.

Nate: this is really importanat

Ness: How important?

Nate: really

Ness: If it's about the hextech chests, I already know. Riot is bringing them back. Thank god.

Nate: no its not that at all

Ness: Is this a long story?

Nate: yes

Ness: Sorry, something important is happening right now. I have to go.

Nate: wat could be so imporant rn

Ness: Little Mac is getting married and I'm invited to his bachelor's party. It means a lot to him that I attend.

Nate: married? wait but dude im currently freakin out!

Ness: Don't worry. We'll talk about this later. I promise. I'm just not able to give you my full attention and the issue you're dealing with sounds important. If it's an emergency pelase call 911.

Nate: are u fuckin serious?! dude im having a mental breakdown

Nate: hello?

Nate: ness please. can we call? i know u dont like calling but please i really need to talk to u

Nate: ness?

Nate: dude its about your fucking sister! i wanted to tell u when we called but yeah she did something really bad

Nate: to me in particular. i wanna tell you wat she did in call so i feel less alone

Nate: ness please pick up

…

Fifteen more minutes passed, and still no answer. Nate's heart sank as he let the phone fall to his side. Ness doesn't care. Why would he? A bitter laugh escaped his lips. All I am to him is an annoying clone who shouldn't exist. I ruined his life… of course, he doesn't like me. Nobody does… Nobody would miss me if I'm gone.