Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Act 1: Setup

The organization or assembly of objects, as in pieces for a board game.

*

“Okay, wake it up.”

What felt like a huge jolt of lightning coursed through my body. Sensations flooded me. Cold. Darkness. Pain.

Everything hurt. I felt like I had a stomach-ache, and a headache, and every other kind of ache imaginable. My entire body felt heavy, and it throbbed like one gigantic bruise. I was even sore in places I didn’t know could be sore.

My head hurt the worst. It ached and pounded, especially right at the back of my head. Coloured lights fizzled and popped in my vision. For some reason there was a weird… buzzing?... sensation.

I forced my eyes open. Everything was blurry, and my vision swam. I could make out a sea of white, and some pink blobby shapes moving around. For some reason there were a bunch of red numbers floating in the left side of my vision. They kept flickering and changing – it was really distracting, and it was bothering me.

I tried to rub my eye, but I couldn’t even lift my arms. It wasn’t like something was holding them down, although they felt as heavy and immobile as rocks. It was more like they’d fallen asleep and weren’t listening to me.

Huh, that’s… weird.

Maybe I should’ve started worrying. But with all the aches and pains, it was hard to think. It was hard to even focus. And I was so exhausted. My eyes drooped shut. I groaned softly.

I tried to remember how I’d gotten here. This sure didn’t look like home, or Grandpa Alec’s house, or anywhere else around Tazmily. The last thing I could remember was running off with Dad’s hunting knife… and then… I don’t… I can’t…

“Hey look, it’s awake – it’s blinking and moaning.”

“It’s probably just in pain. All those implants must hurt like hell.”

They were two voices I didn’t recognize. They sounded a bit strange and funny. They were also really loud, for some reason – why were they being so noisy? Couldn’t they see I was right here?

Wait – if there were voices, then that meant there were people talking. Were those pink blobby things supposed to be humans?

“Hey! Who’re you? Where am I? What’d you do to me?!” I shouted. Except it came out as “Ugh.”

“Stand back,” called a new voice. “I’m going to run his diagnostic program. Someone start copying this down.”

I heard a series of quick, soft tapping noises from behind me.

Suddenly the buzzing in my head got louder and faster. Something hummed from the back of my head. The fizzing and popping was now like a whole lightning storm.

“Commencing diagnostics. Suppressing subject control. Running systems tests… Skeletal system: Installed. Nervous system: Installed. Circulatory system: Installed. Respiratory system: Installed. Memory system: Installed. Sensory systems: Installed. All systems complete and accounted for.”

This was another new voice, one that sounded completely bored by everything. What’s weird is that the voice was coming from me.

That wasn’t right – I wasn’t even talking! I didn’t even know what all those big words meant! Worse, that wasn’t what my voice sounded like at all!

“Checking vitals... Core body temperature: Ninety-seven degrees Fahrenheit. Heart rate: Sixty beats per minute. Respiratory rate: Ten breaths per minute. Blood pressure: Eighty over sixty. Vitals complete. Status: Healthy.”

I had no idea what all those numbers were supposed to mean. Although… they seemed to match up with the weird floating red numbers. Huh. Where they… inside me, somehow? It didn’t really make sense. Nothing made sense.

“Good, very good,” said a voice. “Those are values I expected to see for his vitals – we’re keeping his baseline activity slightly lower compared to a normal subject, in order to prevent his mechanical components from overheating. It’s also a by-product of preserving his body for the reconstruction process.”

The me-that-wasn’t-me continued rattling off a bunch of random numbers and big complicated words. I was in too much pain and too tired to really notice or pay attention to them. I hoped they weren’t important.

“Assessing motor function.”

My arms started to twitch, all on their own. Then my legs. Then my fingers. My eyes flicked open and closed. I would have screamed, except that I was in too much shock, and I wasn’t sure my mouth would obey me anyways.

This continued for some time, plus some other tests where my body reacted on its own. The entire process was weird and uncomfortable, and it was freaking me out. In the background I could hear voices saying things like “Good” or “Interesting”.

“Diagnostics complete. Status: Healthy. No anomalies detected. Returning control to subject.”

The buzzing finally died down to a background hum. My entire body shuddered, as if another jolt of lightning was coursing through my body.

Stop that! I thought. It was too weird, seeing my body do all these strange things on my own. I clenched my fists. To my surprise, it worked.

Hey, that meant whatever was controlling my body must’ve stopped. That meant… I was me again. I could get some answers.

“Hey!” I yelled – or tried to yell. I pushed down with my arms as hard as I could, lifting myself up a bit. I tried to get into a sitting position - maybe that way the weird voices would finally start paying attention to me.

I yelped as I was suddenly jerked back. I fell down with a loud crash.

“Hold your horses,” a voice called. It was the same as the one who had started the weird ‘die-a-nog-sticks’ thing, and who had complimented me on my ‘vitals’ (whatever those were). “Let me disconnect you from the computer terminal first.”

There was a tug at the back of my head, and a small clicking noise.

A white shape came into view. I squinted. It was hard to make it out against the sea of white. I guess this was the person that was talking to me?

“Sorry about that,” the voice continued. “We used an uplink cable to connect your central processor to our computer – we needed a way to manually input your activation and diagnostic commands. I didn’t realize you’d be awake and moving around so soon. Sit tight – we’re going to run a few more tests, then we’ll let you go.”

“Stop talking with it like it’s a person,” one of the other voices interrupted. “You’re never this chatty with our other chimeras.”

“But he’s just a child!” the first voice interrupted. “He’s hardly nine years old!”

“Yeah, so?” said another voice. “It’s just another chimera. You’re such a big softy, Dr. Andonuts.”

Were they… talking about me? I wasn’t a ‘ki-mer-a’, I was a Claus!

“Hey! I’m not an ‘it’!” I yelled. Except it came out as a moan and a whimper.

I tried to force myself back up into a sitting position. It should have been easy enough – all I had to do was lift myself, and then the rest of my body just kinda followed through on its own. At least, that was what was supposed to happen. Instead my legs twitched feebly.

Why wasn’t my body listening to me?!

“What’s going on? Why’s it twitching and moaning like that?”

“He has an artificial nervous system – his spinal column’s fractured in several places, so without it he’s paralyzed below the neck. I’ve set it up so that his brain’s motor signals are sent to his central processor, which can then activate the necessary components to move his body. However, it looks like his mechanical and biological systems aren't fully coordinated yet, poor thing.”

“Can’t we just shock it on one of those pad things, like we do with our other mechanical chimeras?”

“I would hope not – he’s barely alive as it is, and I don’t want to stress his body any further. Besides, our… shortcuts work best for integrating simple mechanical and biological systems. The human brain is far more complex than that, and his modifications are far more extensive than with our other chimeras. To be frank, I don’t know what the outcome would be, and it would most likely backfire. It’s best to let the systems integrate on their own, without interference.”

“Hmph. Just get your examination over with, Doctor. Fassad’s going to be here any minute, and you know he hates to be kept waiting.”

There was a rattling noise, as if someone was rummaging around for just the right size of knife in the cutlery drawer. “Now that his internal diagnostics are complete, I’m going to test his sensory and motor functions. I’ll start with testing his somatosensory system – essentially, his body’s sensitivity to touch.”

I felt some kind of rod being gently jabbed into my right arm.

“Ow,” I said. It wasn’t painful, exactly, but it sure wasn’t pleasant.

Whoever it was kept doing it – now I was jabbed in the leg, and in the cheek, and in all sorts of places. Each time, a new spark would go off in my head.

“Ow. Ow. Ow.”

“Hey, it can talk!” someone said. I think it was the same person that kept saying mean things about me and that called me a ‘ki-mer-a’.

“Good, his somatosensory system appears to be working properly. Next I’ll test his reflexes.”

I felt some kind of object pressed into my hand. I grasped it instinctively. Then something bonked my knee, and it jerked in response.

“His reflexes are intact, too. He just seems to have difficulty initiating motor movements. I’m sure it’ll sort itself out, given time and practice. We can also give him physio and special instruction during his maintenance appointments, and teach him how to use his central processor to control his body.

“Now I’ll assess his visual perception.”

Something was placed over my left eye, and it plunged into inky blackness. Strangely, that seemed to clear up my vision – what I thought was a sea of white was the walls of some kind of room. The white blob was a man with funny-looking tufts of white hair, big glasses, and a white coat. The pink things were… well, I didn’t know what they were. They looked kinda like upright pigs, or maybe people dressed in puffy pink clothes and big funny hats. But neither of those made sense – pigs didn’t walk upright (or talk!), and no one from the village had pink clothes like that.

Maybe this is just a dream, I told myself. Dreams don’t have to make sense.

But… Dad said you couldn’t pinch yourself in your dreams, and I definitely felt the jabby thing. And everything hurt far too much for this to be just a dream.

I glanced down. I was lying down on some weird metal table thing that was uncomfortable and cold. Instead of my familiar shorts and t-shirt, I was dressed in weird white clothes. And – my body – no, that couldn’t be right – there were – I was – scars – covered in scars – scars everywhere.

I screamed.

“Shh.” The person with the funny hair gently lifted up my chin. “Don’t look, it’ll only upset you. You’ve had a nasty accident, and we’ve been healing you. Don’t worry, it looks much worse than it is – you’re on the road to recovery. Once we’re finished a few more tests, we’re taking you home.”

What happened to me? What was going on? Everything hurt. I wished Dad was here. He’d tell me what was going on, and reassure me that everything was okay – not some weird guy with funny hair. I missed Dad, and Lucas, and… Mom…

I whimpered. “Mom… mom’s…”

“Heh. It wants its mommy,” someone snickered.

“Oh… you can talk,” Funny Hair Guy mumbled in surprise. Louder he asked, “Can you hear me? Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I concentrated. “Y-yes… I can…” It took a lot of effort to get the words out. It wasn’t like normal talking – I had to focus and concentrate on each word.

“Good – his hearing is functional, and his comprehension abilities appear to remain intact,” Funny Hair Guy called over his shoulder. “His hearing should be better than perfect, in fact – I’d run some more tests, but I’m afraid we don’t have time.” He turned back to me. “Now we’re going to test your speech abilities. Repeat after me – ‘The quick red fox jumped over the lazy brown dog’.”

I thought for a moment. “The… quick… red… Um…” I groaned. Everything hurt. It was hard to think, and to stay focused. Everything took so much work, even the basic things I usually didn’t have to think about. I just wanted to go back home and sleep, and be out of this weird place where they did strange things to you and called you an ‘it’.

“Hmm. He retains his speech functions, but has some difficulty with articulation. I can’t tell if that’s due to fatigue of the subject, or due to some integration difficulty between his mechanical and biological systems. Make a note – I’ll want to conduct some follow-up tests once he’s rested.” Funny Hair Guy coughed. “Now, back to the optical tests. I want you to follow my finger.” He held up a finger and moved it around slowly. I followed it with my right eye, puzzled.

“Good. Now, how many fingers am I holding up?” He held up four fingers.

I steadied myself and took a breath. “Four.”

“Good. Right eye is normal.” He reached for my left eye and moved something – now my right eye was plunged into darkness, and-

The inside of my head ached like crazy. All I could see was a mosaic of colours.

“Okay, follow my finger.”

I moaned. How was I supposed to do that? I couldn’t even see!

But after a moment Funny Hair Guy said, “Good, his left eye’s tracking function is working properly.” He paused. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Was this supposed to be a trick? “Don’t… know…”

“Oh…” Funny Hair Guy sounded startled. “Hmm, that’s unexpected. Well, can you see anything at all? Is it dark?”

“No…” I struggled to describe what I was seeing. Finally I just said, “Colours… Too many… hurts…”

“Interesting.” There was the sound of someone scribbling on paper. “It looks like his brain is receiving the input from the left eye, but is unable to process it. A pity – he would have enhanced vision. Another integration difficulty, I suppose.”

Someone removed the cover over my right eye. Now I was back to the blurry image. I guess it was combining the normal stuff from my right eye with the weirdness from the left.

“I believe we’re finished here. I’ll defer his memory and cognitive tests – he should have enhanced abilities thanks to his memory storage and computation functions, but we can’t assess those until he’s able to communicate more reliably. We can conduct those as follow-up tests during his next maintenance appointment, along with further tests of his speech and sensory abilities.”

Enhanced abilities? I didn’t feel very enhanced right now – why did everything hurt so much? I’d be glad just to have normal abilities, like talking properly and having my body move like it’s supposed to.

There was a really loud banging noise, and then a blurry figure stepped into the room. I guess this was a new person – I hoped this one would be a bit nicer to me.

“I’ve got the Pork Bean waiting outside, and I’ve already loaded it with the supplies we need,” called the figure. “You two, carry the brat out – carefully. Those implants are very expensive, and we don’t want to damage our precious little delivery, nwehehehe!”

Someone tossed a blanket at me and started wrapping me up in it. “Keep it hidden,” someone hissed. “Don’t let anyone see it on the way out.”

I didn’t understand why they were wrapping me in a blanket, but at least it was comfy. I shivered – these new clothes weren’t very warm, and the room seemed to be extra chilly for some reason.

“Now, Doctor,” continued the new voice, “I trust that you’ve made my… modification?”

“I installed the chip right below his neck,” said Funny Hair Guy. “It’s designed to completely suppress his powers, as requested. I don’t believe he’s consciously aware of them, at any rate.”

“Good. That will help prevent nasty complications.”

I was lifted off the table.

“Oh my PORK, it’s heavy!” someone shouted.

“That’s thanks to his mechanical systems – they’re heavier compared to organic materials – oh, don’t jostle him so much,” Funny Hair Guy mumbled. I didn’t mind him so much, even if he did conduct weird tests – he actually talked to me sometimes, and seemed like an okay person. He was certainly much nicer than the pink guys.

“Quit complaining, solider,” snapped the new voice. This one, on the other hand, seemed rather mean. “You won’t get promoted with an attitude like that, nwehehehe!”

There was an echo of marching feet as I was carried out of the room. I couldn’t see where we were going – someone had wrapped the blanket completely around my head. I shut my eyes – I didn’t know how long they were going to carry me, so I thought I would try to get some sleep.

However, it didn’t take very long at all – soon I was gently tossed onto something soft and squishy, and the blanket was thrown off my head.

Cautiously I opened my eyes. I was somewhere new – it looked like some kind of small pink room. I was sitting on a squishy bench thing, with my head poking out from the top of the blanket. Two of the pink guys were sandwiched on either side of me. They kept shuffling me around, trying to get me sitting straight and upright. Finally one of them grunted in satisfaction, then they grabbed a black belt and started wrapping it around me. I heard it click into place beside me.

“Okay, we’ve got it secured,” they called.

“Good – set us on a course to Tazmily,” ordered the nwehehe man.

Tazmily! I felt a jolt of excitement. That was home. That meant… I was going home.

“I’m confused – why are we going to that podunk village? Wasn’t this chimera supposed to be a present for King P?”

“Hush – the brat’s listening. Don’t worry about our king, he’s getting a replacement toy. I told him we found a child that we reconstructed, and that he’d be receiving a child to play with. I never specified if it would be the same child, nwehehehe! Besides, I have plans for this particular chimera.”

I opened my mouth, asking what they were talking about. Them telling me not to listen only made me more curious.

Suddenly there was a loud rumbling noise, and my seat started vibrating. We rushed forward – I yelped as I was tossed around.

“Oh, you’re awake!” one of the pink guys beside me exclaimed loudly. “Sorry, the Pork Bean’s kind of rough. But, it’ll get you home in no time!”

Pork Bean? That was a strange name.

“Is that… something… to eat?”

“Hey, you’re forming complete sentences now, great! As to your question – a Pork Bean is a vehicle you can ride around in! It’s faster than walking, and comfier too – technology sure is amazing, isn’t it, Mr. Mechanical Chimera?”

I frowned. “What’s a… meh-can-i-cal… ki-mer-a?” I struggled to pronounce the unfamiliar words.

“Oh, it’s a bit of a technical term – you’re a robot, basically. Or maybe a cyborg. One of the two – I’m not sure of the difference, to be honest.”

“Oh… okay. Um… what’s a robot?”

“Seriously, you don’t know what a robot is?! Robots are the coolest thing ever! They’re super smart and they shoot laser beams and-”

“You there, knock it off!” said the nwehehe man. “You’re being awfully chatty – stop treating the brat like he’s a human.”

“Who cares?” a different pink guy interrupted. “We programmed a memory wipe once it falls asleep, so it’s not like it’ll remember any of this anyway.”

“Well, that’s no excuse to get all friendly, is it? Just shut up until we get to Tazmily.”

True to his word, the pink guys fell silent.

I took a closer look at my surroundings. Most of it was pink. There were two cushy seat things in front of me – the nwehehe man and another pink guy were sitting there. In between them was a large window with a blur of colours. Below that was some sort of square with a bunch of metal knobs and flashing colours. It made me dizzy to look at.

I shut my eyes again. I was so tired. I might as well try to get some sleep before we got to Tazmily.

So sleepy, so achy, everything hurt, I just wanted to go home…

*

I was suddenly jolted awake by the Pork Bean screeching to a halt.

Something clicked - the walls slid away, letting fresh air whoosh into the Pork Bean. The sky outside was pitch black – it had to be way past my bedtime. Was that why I was so tired?

The nwehehe man hopped out one of the openings. “Hurry up and get him out,” he called. “The sooner we get out of this so-called podunk village, the better.”

The pink guys on either side of me lifted their arms and made a horrible squealing noise. Then one of them pressed a red thing beside me, and the black belt fell away with a click.

The pink guys grabbed me and started carrying me out. One of them threw the blanket back over my head. “Hey,” I mumbled, but I don’t think anyone heard me.

I was carried for some time. Every so often I heard voices, muffled by the blanket: “Steady now.” “Good.” “Oof, so heavy.” “Okay, I’ll hold it while you get the door.” “Hey! There’s no doorknob!”

Suddenly a dog started barking.

“Ow!” I cried. It was so loud!

“Hey mutt, be quiet!”

“Yeah, shaddup!”

The pink men started yelling and making their horrible squeals again. But that didn’t stop the dog – it started barking even louder!

Please make it stop! I curled up my body as tight as it would go. I clapped my hands over my ears – to my surprise it worked, but my movements were stiff and jerky, as if my body had to figure out what to do at each step.

I heard a door slam open.

“What’s going on – Boney, heel – are you-“

Someone threw back the blanket.

I blinked a few times. It was too dark to see much of anything, except for a large figure silhouetted against a lighted doorway – we must be visiting someone’s house. I could see that the figure was composed mostly of brown and a splash of red, but I couldn’t make out much details.

I tried shutting my left eye. It worked – the world swam into focus. Now I could see the figure was wearing a brown cowboy hat, a red bandana, and a brown vest.

That could only be one person.

“Dad?” I called weakly.

Dad gasped. “Oh – Claus-”

The pink guys handed me off to Dad, who squeezed me tight. “Oh, Claus… dear little Claus… thank the gods, you’re alive…”

“No, thank science, nwehehehe!”

I curled up tight and snuggled closer to Dad’s chest. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.

I was with Dad. I was safe. I was home.

Dad kept holding me and rocking me back and forth like I was still a baby, murmuring things I was too tired to listen to. I could hear his heartbeat – it was pounding! He must’ve been really worried about me.

Wait… weren’t hearts supposed to be quiet? Why was it so loud? Why was everything so loud?

The nwehehe man started talking. I half-listened, thinking it might be important. “…He’ll likely have impaired memories of his accident, and of his surgery… He’ll be largely helpless for the first few weeks, much like a newborn babe… He’ll need help with feeding and other basic tasks, and will have very limited motor skills… Your poor child can’t control himself yet, but once he masters his abilities…”

Some of the pink guys walked by and dropped off some boxes. “I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a few supplies for you,” the nwehehe man explained. “A week’s worth of food – you’ll want to start him on a restricted diet with small portions, to avoid upsetting his stomach. Once his digestive system’s settled you can work him up to solid foods. Ah, and gauze and bandages – he’s had extensive surgery, and will need someone to clean and care for his scars. And here’s some medication and painkillers.

“Oh, and what’s this – here’s your child’s old clothes, soiled and ruined I’m afraid, along with your old hunting knife.” The nwehehe man took out the knife and examined it. The sharp blade gleamed in the moonlight. I shuddered.

“I must compliment your fine taste – this knife is exquisitely crafted, and well cared for. You should be more careful with it – you wouldn’t want to lose it again, nwehehe!”

Dad gripped me even tighter.

“Dad… what’s wrong?” I asked softly.

“Nothing, Claus,” Dad said quickly. “All that matters is that you’re back, and safe.”

The nwehehe man prattled on for a long time – “Dry him off completely after bathing – we don’t want anything to rust” this and “Give him exercises to build up his muscle tone” that.

“I’ll send someone in a week to assess his progress. We’ll also need to take him in for a check-up and to conduct some maintenance. Until then, I wish you all the best – I trust that the child is in very good hands. After all, you’re his own father, nwehehehe!”

I was starting to hate that laugh.

Dad grunted. “Fine. And what do you get out of this?”

“Don’t concern yourself with that right now. Once the child’s regained his strength, we can discuss ways in which you two can repay our kind generosity.” The way he said it, he didn’t sound very generous. “In fact, I was thinking of taking him along during my next speech. He could be my… ambassador, of sorts.”

“Don’t wanna,” I moaned. I just wanted to stay with Dad and sleep and have things go back to normal. Why’d I hafta help this weird guy with the horrible laugh?

“Let’s go, Claus,” Dad said loudly. “It’s time for you to go home.”

“Yeah… ‘K, Dad.”

Without another word Dad carried me inside.

It was home sweet home. A small candle flickered on the dining table. The hearth was empty, except for a few stray embers burning in the fireplace. In the dying light I could just make out all the details of home – the wood-paneled walls, the spinning wheel in the corner, the adult and kid beds side by side.

Dad carried me over to my bed. The soft sheets looked so inviting. Two pillows lay side by side – one red, one blue.

Wait – that meant-

“Dad… where’s Lucas?” He should be in bed at this hour… shouldn’t he?

“Not tonight,” Dad said gruffly. He gently placed me on the bed and started tucking me in. He’d never done that before, at least not since I was very little – Mom was the one that always tucked us in. At least, up until…

Dad kissed me on the forehead. “You must be so exhausted. Go to sleep, Claus.”

I opened my mouth, about to protest, but stopped. I was so tired. Dad was right – I needed to sleep. Things could wait until the morning.

“Thanks… Dad… Love you…”

“Love you too, Claus.”

Dad blew out the candle, plunging us into darkness.

Shortly after that I heard Dad climb into bed and rummage under the covers – he must be tired too.

I closed my eyes. With the day’s events still confusingly buzzing around my head, I drifted off to sleep.

*

…

“Subject asleep. Activating conditional command. Execute: memory_wipe.exe. Assembling instructions. Over-writing subject memories from last twenty-hour hours… Complete. Over-writing memory storage from last twenty-hour hours… Complete. Deleting file memory_wipe.exe.

“…Entering standby mode. Returning control to subject.”

Chapter Text

Three years have passed since then…

*

My eyes flashed open.

Sunlight streamed into the room. I must’ve slept in today, for once.

I checked my internal clock – sure enough, it was already 7:45 AM, far past my usual waking time.

I did a quick check. I felt tired and sore – various parts of my body ached unhappily, and I just wanted to go back to sleep. So, pretty much business as usual. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d woken up refreshed and energetic.

The retina display on my mechanical eye listed my vitals in bright red numbers. I scanned them – nothing out of the ordinary.

Go away, I thought, and the numbers faded from view. I’d learned how to control my robot parts with my thoughts – no use having red numbers floating around all the time.

I lay still and listened – I could usually pick up the smallest sounds in the environment, thanks to my enhanced hearing. But everything was quiet, apart from the sound of my own breathing.

Dad must’ve left already. He was probably doing some odd jobs around the village – sometimes he’d head to Sunshine Forest to help out Lighter with lumber stuff, other times he’d sell fleece from the sheep or the clothes that we made. I didn’t get to see him much until suppertime.

I turned over and tried to go back to sleep. But it was no use – even before the accident I’d been an early riser, and was always too excited to go back to sleep. Now, it was more like all my senses were primed and ready to go after waking up. Guess my robot parts were early risers too.

I tried to trick myself into falling asleep by doing all the boring things people said would help, like counting backwards from 100 (too easy for me) or counting sheep (didn’t work for sheep farmers like me and Dad). I even tried ones I’d developed on my own, like figuring out if 174,933 is a prime number (it’s not).

But it was no use. My mind, and my robot parts, just would not settle down.

I checked my clock again. 8:17 AM.

“Fine, I’m getting up,” I muttered. “Happy now?”

I hopped out of bed and went to the dresser. I opened the bottom drawer and pulled out some clothes for the day – my favourite blue-and-yellow t-shirt and my comfy orange shorts. I’d made them myself!

After a moment I carefully opened the top drawer. There was a red scrap of cloth from Mom’s favourite dress, along with two slightly-chewed kid’s shoes. I shut it. Too many bad memories.

I checked myself in the mirror as I changed into my clothes. A small, pale boy glanced back at me. My mechanical eye flickered red. Most of the scars were gone now - strange, I’d finally gotten used to them after so long. Now, I nearly passed as human.

Dad didn’t like it when I talked like that. He said that whatever happened, no matter what, I was still Claus. I was still his son, the same young boy that loved omelets and running around Drago Plateau. No one else seemed to think so, though – people kept calling me a 'weird robot kid' and 'freak of nature' and stuff. And those were some of the nicer names.

To distract myself, I started brushing my hair with more force than necessary. It’s funny – used to be I couldn’t wait to brush my own hair, and I’d graduated to putting on my own clothes long before Lucas. Now, I‘d give anything to have Mom be here again, and feel her gentle touch as she brushed my hair.

I glanced back. There were still two pillows lying side by side on my – our bed, even after all this time. I hoped Lucas would come back some day. But deep down, I knew he probably wouldn’t. He’d disappeared three years ago, right after my accident. I don’t know what happened – Dad didn’t like talking about it. I don’t think he wanted to admit he lost another son, one who wasn’t ‘lucky’ enough to be found by the Pigmasks.

I worried about Dad a lot – sometimes when I woke up after a nightmare, I’d hear Dad moaning in his sleep. “Claus… I’m sorry…” What was wrong? Was he sorry he couldn’t stop me – or sorry that the Pigmasks had gotten to me first? I wanted him to stop being sorry – couldn’t he see it was all my fault? I was an idiot kid who had run away from his own mom’s funeral, thinking he was strong enough to kill a Drago. There’s no way Dad could’ve stopped me.

A few coins were lying on the dresser. I counted them up. 60 DP.

Dad also left me a note. I’ll be gone for most of the day. Please get me some cheese and eggs from Caroline’s bakery. I’ll cook some omelets for you once I get home. - Dad.

I scribbled a reply. Sounds yummy! Heading out at 8:33 AM – taking Boney with me. Be back by late afternoon. Love, Claus.

With that, I slipped the coins in my pocket and headed out the door.

Sunlight flooded down as I stepped outside. I blinked a few times.

Adjusting light filter… My mechanical eye dimmed. Now everything didn’t look so washed out.

Boney was already up and about. He yipped happily when he saw me, then ran out and herded our sheep towards me.

I nodded at him, then went to open the shed where Dad kept the hay.

“Hey everyone,” I called. “Breakfast time!”

I grabbed the pitchfork lying against the shed and shoveled some hay onto our lawn. The sheep baa’d happily and started munching away. Two of them were charred black – they must’ve wandered a bit too close to last night’s thunderstorm.

There’d been so many thunderstorms over the last three years, accompanied by some nasty lightning. We used to be pretty lucky, but over the last few months our house got hit a couple times.

Dad was pretty spooked the first time it happened – he’d held me tight and wouldn’t let me go. He was so worried I’d get hurt (or worse) by a direct strike, thanks to my robot parts. But so far the lightning only did some nasty damage to our house - one storm even took out most of our barn.

Boney ran up to me.

“Hey Boney,” I said. “I’m headin’ out to town to do a few things - you wanna go out on a walk?”

Boney barked happily - I took that as a yes.

It was great to have Boney around – he kept me company while Dad was away. He’d been pretty aggressive the first few months after my accident, thanks to my unfamiliar and Pigmask-tainted scent, but now we were back to being best friends.

Boney barked and glanced back at the house.

“Hey, don’t worry. I already left a note for Dad.”

Ever since the accident, Dad didn't like me being out on my own. It was only in the last year or so that he’d finally let me go to the village on my own (as long as I took Boney!). Much as I had longed for freedom, it was actually a bit disappointing – exploring on my own was so much less fun than when I was a carefree kid. I preferred staying indoors, where I could work at the spinning wheel and people wouldn’t gawk. I avoided the village unless I absolutely couldn’t help it, like when Dad sent me to do chores.

Boney and I headed down the path to the village. Our house was perched on a bluff on the south side of Tazmily. The good news was that it was isolated and quiet, and there was a nice sea breeze most days. The bad news was that you had to travel up the south road to get anywhere, which wouldn’t be so bad, except-

“Ooh, look, it’s the cyborg!”

“Aaah, it’s so cute – yet so cool at the same time!”

“How’d they get it to look so human?”

“Stand back, give him room,” barked a Pigmask. “And no flash photography – it startles him.”

I hurried past the throng as quick as I could. Stupid tourists came from all over and kept hanging around outside our house, hoping for a glimpse of the famous ‘human chimera’.

I wished Dad was here – he could get them to go away for a few hours, if not days. But no one listened to me, or my protests – more often than not, they just found it amusing, and thought it was so cool I could talk. At least the Pigmasks helped keep people off our property, and shooed everyone away by sunset. This one had even finally stopped calling me an ‘it’.

“Hey, human chimera – over here!” yelled someone in an ‘I *heart* NP’ shirt. I didn’t know what NP stood for (Nosy Person?), but those ones were always the worst. “I’ve come all this way – can I have your autograph?”

“No!!” I shouted.

I sprinted forward. That was the last of them – I could see the village just up ahead.

There weren’t too many people around at this hour. Most of the men were out working at the factory, and a lot of people slept in nowadays or stayed inside to watch their Happy Boxes. Still, there were a few people up and about. Brenda, Jill, and Lisa were gossiping in the town square, as usual. Nan and her daughter Alle were out for a walk – Alle waved at me shyly.

Tazmily had changed a lot over the last three years. It was even more drastic than my own transformation – I barely recognized my childhood home. There were gleaming buildings everywhere. Instead of cobblestone paths, we had paved roads. Yado Inn had expanded, and added a second floor. And don’t even get me started on what happened to Mayor Pusher’s house.

In short, everything was bigger, brighter, and (supposedly) better than ever before.

And I hated it.

“Hey, Claus!”

I snapped to attention. Richie was calling me from beside her father’s store, a clean orange storefront with “Thomas Shop” displayed in cheerful white letters. (I missed when it was Thomas’s Bazaar – it was fun to browse and see all the new things he brought in every day, and maybe even barter for something. Now it was the same things on offer every day, and he only accepted DP.)

“Good to see you, Claus! I don’t see you around much anymore.” Richie paused and curtsied. “Can you believe how much beauty’s blossomed in just three years?”

“Uh-” I glanced her over. She still had her brown pigtails and her favourite orange dress, but she had certainly grown over the last three years. Most of the kids my age – Richie, her brother Nichol, Angie, my best friend Fuel – were bigger and taller than me.

Dad thought my growth got stunted because of my accident, and that I’d catch up eventually. I thought the Pigmasks screwed something up and jostled whatever part’s responsible for making me grow. I hated being small – everyone kept treating me like a child, even though I was already twelve!

No, stop! My mind had wandered – I needed to focus. 

Let's see... Richie just asked me a weird question about blossoms and beauty. Maybe she wanted to know if she was beautiful? 

Well, she was pretty... I guess. She had a nice smile at least, and some cute freckles. She certainly wasn’t beautiful, not in the way Mom had been.

Still, Mom raised me to be polite. “Um, yeah. Sure.”

Riche giggled. “Oh, did you think I was talking about me? Of course not, silly, I was talking about Tazmily!” She smiled. “I think you like me.”

Wait, no! That wasn’t what I meant at all!

I blushed. “Um – no. I was talkin’ about Tazmily too. Definitely. Uh, gotta go.”

I hurried off down the nearest path l could find, Richie still giggling behind me.

*

I ended up in west Tazmily, near the beach.

The main beach was usually crowded, especially when the weather was warm – it was set up as a tourist spot, complete with beach chairs and umbrellas. But hardly anyone came to this southern part of the shore - it was rugged and less developed, which suited me just fine.

I carefully walked around the sand, keeping an eye out for anything glinting. Sure enough, my mechanical eye detected something – after a moment of digging, I found a small white object.

Thomas said these were dolphin ossicles (a fancy word for earbones) – his wife Lisa used them to make bracelets and such to sell at the shop. (Why people’d pay more for a tiny piece of jewelry than for a nice warm shirt was beyond me.) Thomas paid me 5 DP for any I could find – it wasn’t much, but it gave me something to do while Dad was out, and I usually made enough to buy a Nut Cookie or two if I was hungry.

I glanced up at the sudden murmur of voices.

A small crowd was gathered around Reggie’s teepee, or at least the charred remains of his teepee – it must’ve got hit during that thunderstorm last night.

I felt a pang of sympathy. I didn’t know Reggie that well, beyond getting dye from him for making my clothes. Still, he was one of the few villagers to not buy into Fassad's Happy Box fad, and I respected him for that.

A few police officers were milling around in the crowd. I avoided their gaze - I wasn’t sure what police were supposed to do, but they were pretty mean and yelled at me for committing ‘petty offenses’, such as ‘running in the middle of the street’ or ‘loitering’.

Heading away from the crowd, I continued exploring the beach. Boney was at my heels, happily running through the surf.

After I’d combed the shoreline a few times, and found two more ossicles, I headed for the main beach. I usually didn’t find anything (too picked over), but it was worth a shot, and besides the view was nice.

As I climbed the path to the main beach, I heard someone call, “Well, well. If it isn’t Claus.”

I turned. It was Bob, with Dona hurrying close behind him. It looked like they were heading to the beach too – Dona was carrying a big pink inflatable tube with the words ‘HAPPY FLOAT’ on it.

Bob smirked. “Out walking your dog. You must think you’re really someone special, don’t you?”

“Hey!” I snapped. “I’m just walkin’ with Boney! D’you have a problem with that?!”

“Hmph. You don’t even work – even kids are working at the factory these days, you know. At least, the normal kids do. But I’m sure they’d be able to find a job for you somewhere, counting DP in the back room or whatever. After all, even freaks can provide valuable contributions to society.” He laughed heartily. I didn’t see what was so funny – what he said was downright mean.

“I’m not a freak! I’m Claus – I’m just a normal kid!”

“Well then, do you want special treatment or not? You’re either normal or abnormal – make up your mind, human chimera.”

“Hey – I-”

I huffed and stomped off.

When I got to the bluffs I dropped to my knees. I took several rapid, shaky breaths, trying to calm down.

Boney crouched beside me and whined.

“Yeah, I know – I shouldn’t have shouted, but-” I clenched my fists in anger. Every day, someone would go out of their way to speak to me like this.

Why didn’t anyone understand? I didn’t want to be special. I didn’t ask for any of this – if I could go back to being plain ol’ Claus, I would. Heck, I almost preferred being-

No, stop thinking like that. I had to be here for Dad. I was all he had left.

I slowly got up, and noticed someone else standing out by the cliffs – a young girl slightly older than me, looking out at the endless sea. Her pink dress and long ponytail danced in the breeze.

I saw her out here a lot. I asked Dad who she was once – he said her name was Nana. No one in the village really knew who she was, or where she came from. A lot of the people in the village avoided her, saying she was ‘weird’ or ‘creepy’. So, I liked her based on general principle.

“Wait here, Boney,” I called. Then I walked up to Nana.

She said nothing. That was another thing I liked about her – she just let me be. She was quiet and had gentle blue eyes... just like Lucas.

“You don’t want to talk to me,” she said softly. “Everyone hates me.” (I blinked – her voice even sounded kinda like Lucas.)

I almost exclaimed “You can talk?!”, but stopped myself. I knew better than anyone how rude and demeaning that was.

Instead I said, “Well, people hate me too. We can be outcasts together.”

There was another silence.

“Everyone says I talk too much. You should turn back now.”

I shook my head. “That just makes me more curious – I wanna hear what you have to say.”

Nana took a deep breath. “Okay. Do you know what a trumpet is?”

Starting phonological loop… “Okay, do you know what a trumpet is?”

That was another of my robot features – I could automatically record any conversation I overheard and follow along. I could even upload it to my memory banks if I wanted – otherwise, my buffer cleared itself every five minutes. It was handy for remembering chores and stuff, but wasn't something I liked telling people about – they got weird and upset if they thought I could record things forever (as if I wanted to record their boring conversations!), or if I started parroting things back at them word-for-word.

“I’ve been thinking of practicing the trumpet,” Nana continued before I could respond. “I wanted to learn how to play the trumpet… but I never did. That’s all. It’s not that I was bad at it or anything. That’s just how it was destined to be. My destiny didn't intersect with the destiny of trumpets, basically.

“Destiny sure is an interesting thing, now that I think about it. Today, just now, my destiny intersected with yours. Do you know what destiny is? If you do, that’s cool. But anyway, thanks to my not taking up the trumpet, I can take the time I would’ve spent practicing it and use it for other things…”

She was going a mile a minute, jumping from one topic to the next. Even with my phonological loop keeping a record of everything, I had trouble keeping up.

“…For instance, I spend a lot of time just thinking and letting my mind wander. I can learn a lot by just thinking to myself. I even noticed that none of the family members in Tazmily really look alike – isn’t that interesting? But if I spend all my time thinking, I won’t be a very interesting person. At least, that’s what I think. That’s why I want to take my time and use it to learn other things, like maybe I could practice the yanopi. Do you know what a yanopi is? It’s the proper term for a piano. I’ve never even seen a piano before, but if I see a piano I’ll be sure to call it a yanopi. My destiny hasn’t intersected with the destiny of the yanopi just yet, but nobody knows what the future holds. Not even mole crickets, water striders, or horned owls.

“…Oh, you smiled. You should smile more often. You have such a cute smile, you know? Anyway, as I was saying…”

Error: Buffer overflow. Clearing phonological loop...

“Ah!” I cried as a sharp pain cut through my head.

Nana peered at me in concern.

“Oh, it’s nothing, justa headache…”

We stared at each other in silence.

“You should have turned back when you had the chance,” Nana remarked quietly.

“Oh, it’s no bother at all. Never met anyone who could talk my ear off before.” I laughed nervously.

Nana smiled. “You know, I think I could start to like you.”

Oh no, not her too!

I flashed a nervous smile. “Yeah. Me too. You… remind me of someone I used to know.”

“Your brother, Lucas.”

I flinched. “How’d you know?”

“You two were very close… and then you both disappeared… and only you came back…” She stared into the distance. “No one ever talks to me. So, why do I know so much?”

Okay, I could see what people meant by ‘weird’ and ‘creepy’.

Luckily my stomach gurgled loudly at that moment.

“Gotta go,” I said. “Lunchtime.”

“Bye…” Nana called.

*

I checked my clock as me and Boney hurried back to Tazmily. 11:02 AM - wow, the time sure flew by fast.

My first stop was Thomas’s Shop to drop off my ossicles. I hurried through the electronic doors and past the glass display cases containing various goods.

My friend Nichol was waiting behind the counter. “My dad’s working at the factory today, so he left me in charge,” he explained in his calm, logical voice. “I feel so grown-up. Even kids can work these days… Oh, why the long face? Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” I lied, grabbing the ossicles from my pocket and laying them on the counter. “Here – these are for Lisa.”

“Hmm.” Nichol carefully examined the ossicles, adjusting his glasses. Then he checked a notebook behind the counter. “Dad pays you 5 DP each, correct?”

“Yeah.”

Nichol took out 15 DP from a box behind the counter and slid the coins to me. As I gathered them up, Nichol swept the ossicles behind the counter. “You know,” he said, “twelve of these make a Pisces bracelet – did Dad ever tell you that?”

A Pisces bracelet sold for 160 DP. Even without my robot parts, I could figure out I’d been ripped off.

“Nope,” I said.

Next was Caroline’s Bakery – I could get all of Dad’s food here, plus a Nut Bread for my lunch.

Wonderful scents filled my nose as the electronic doors slid open. There were a bunch of Nut Breads in boxes throughout the store, with more goodies kept in a glass display counter.

I waved to Fuel - he and Angie were working around the store today. Then I headed up to Caroline, beaming at me from behind the counter.

“Hey Caroline - I’d like a block of cheese and two eggs, please,” I said.

“Certainly, dear." She grabbed the items from behind the counter. “That will be 60 DP.”

I paid her. Food was so expensive nowadays – that was all of Dad’s DP! I could still buy a Nut Bread from my earnings, but…

Fuel hurried up to me. “Looks like you’re getting omelets tonight,” he said. “You must be excited – that’s your favourite!”

“Yeah.” I grabbed a bandana from my pocket and carefully wrapped up the food. “Take this home, Boney - I’ll meet you back outside in a couple minutes.”

Boney barked obediently, then he grabbed the makeshift sack in his jaws and headed out.

“He's so well-trained," Fuel said. “I wish I had a pet.”

I shrugged. “Saves an extra trip back.” The fewer times I had to walk by that gaggle of tourists, the better.

“Hey, d’you wanna have lunch together?” Fuel asked. “I’ll be on break soon – I have a few minutes off before the lunch rush. It’ll be my treat, don’t worry.”

“But-”

“We can have some of the day-olds. We throw them out by the end of the day anyway.”

Used to be we didn’t throw away food at all – everyone shared whatever extras they had.

I nodded. “Sounds good, Fuel.”

A few minutes later, the three of us found a nice shady spot over by the crossroads out of town. It used to be a plain field with a couple of paths – one to Sunshine Forest, one to Sunset Cemetery and the abandoned Osohe Castle. Now it was a bustling gathering place, with a train station, a bulletin board, benches, and landscaping. Another path led to Tazmily’s new hospital. All that was missing was Leder and the bell tower – he was a really tall man that used to stand here and keep watch over Tazmily, occasionally ringing his bell.

Fuel tore off a few pieces of Nut Bread and tossed them to Boney, who gobbled them up happily – he seemed to enjoy Nut Bread just as much as humans did.

I tore into my own Nut Bread - it was almost as good as a fresh-baked roll.

I was surprised how hungry I felt today. Usually I wasn’t that hungry, thanks to my energy-efficient robot parts, and only ate meals at Dad’s insistence.

“You like your job, Fuel?” I asked between bites.

“Yeah – I like helping out, and it earns a bit of DP for me and Dad. Plus, Angie’s really cute – she smiles at me a lot.” Fuel lowered his voice. “Do I look potato-ey to you? I heard she likes potato-shaped men.”

I shrugged. Why was everyone so girl-crazy these days?

I quickly changed the topic. “You look hurt – didya hurt your knee?”

“Yeah – got pecked by a Slitherhen a few times. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.” Fuel grinned. “Dad’s finally letting me go through Sunshine Forest all on my own, now that I can take care of myself. I feel so strong and manly now.” But then his grin slipped. “Good thing too – he has to stay behind to make repairs to the house. We got hit again in last night’s storm – can you believe it?”

“No,” I said, distracted. Fuel was right – his arms and legs were toned with muscles, and he was almost taller than some of the women in the village. He looked so grown up.

But then, he had to grow up fast. He and his dad lived out in a cabin in Sunshine Forest - Dad used to take me and Lucas to visit a lot (he and Lighter were old friends), but now that Sunshine Forest was overrun with chimeras, it wasn’t safe anymore. And poor Fuel had to walk through that every time he had to go to the village. As annoying as the tourists were, at least they didn’t bite.

“Dad still treats me like a child,” I mumbled through another bite of Nut Bread. “He won’t even let me step foot in Sunshine Forest on my own. I’m twelve years old, I can take care of myself!”

“Your dad’s probably just worried about you,” Fuel said. “You spooked everyone pretty bad when you ran off on your own three years ago, and then you got really hurt and… Anyone’d be over-protective after that. Heck, my dad wouldn’t let me leave the house on my own for a month!”

I mean, I knew that, and it wasn't not like I wanted to go to Sunshine Forest anyway after what happened there three years ago, but…

“Hey, what’re you doing after lunch?” Fuel asked.

“Um – oh.” I thought for a minute. “I’ll go to see Mom. Then I’ll probably head back home – I can work at the spinning wheel until Dad gets back, then we’ll cook some omelets together.”

“Sounds good.” Fuel finished off the last piece of his Nut Bread. “Well, my next shift starts soon. Let’s walk back together.”

I tucked rest of my Nut Bread into my pocket. “Sure thing, Fuel.”

*

We stopped by the back door of Caroline’s bakery.

“Time to get back to work,” Fuel said. “Nice seeing you, Cl-”

I flinched, picking up a sound.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Fuel asked.

Boney whined, echoing my friend’s concern.

“Someone’s talking in the town square,” I said. “I think-” I ran the speech sample against my memory banks just to be sure. I got a match right away.

I narrowed my eyes. “Fassad.”

“That no-good geezer? Back again?”

Fassad usually came to the village once a week. He’d head to the town square and prattle on about Happy Boxes and other nonsense. Most everyone else in Tazmily looked forward to his visits, saying that Fassad’s speeches made them happy. I avoided him if I could help it.

Still, he usually roped me into his little charade and made me demonstrate parlour tricks, like multiplying really large numbers in my head or memorizing an entire book and reciting a random page from memory (or at least my memory banks). Then he’d call me a ‘triumph of science’ and ‘the way of the future’, and gush about how cybernetics could allow us to transcend nature and fulfill our true potential. Sure, the townspeople cheered when he said that, and they fawned over me while Fassad was watching, but I knew how they really felt. I knew what they said about me when they didn’t think I could listen.

Fuel and I slid into position behind Caroline’s Bakery, Boney following close behind. From here, we could overhear everything in the town square while staying out of sight.

I sneaked a quick peek around the building – sure enough, a large crowd was already forming around Fassad, murmuring in excitement.

I dropped back into my hiding spot with a scowl. Listening to Fassad was sickening enough without having to watch it also.

“Happiness!” Fassad shouted. “Happiness is within reach for all of us! Let us all strive to achieve true happiness!”

Fuel made a gagging noise, then he ducked around the store and started making funny faces at Fassad.

At least Fuel could make a mockery of the situation. But I couldn’t laugh, not after being an unwilling participant in this little show over the last three years.

“Happiness! Happiness is-”

“Fassad, you little fraud! ”

I analyzed the new voice. “That’s Wess,” I said.

“Old man Wess? Really? This I gotta see.” Fuel craned his neck around the corner. “Oh, this’ll be good.”

The good news was that Wess hated Fassad almost as much as I did. The bad news was that Wess hated me almost as much as he hated Fassad.

“C’mon, Wess, put that mustached freak in his place,” muttered Fuel.

I crouched into place behind Fuel. Sure enough, Wess had stepped into the town square. He looked angry – well, more angry than usual. I zoomed in with my mechanical eye. Yep, his expression was absolutely livid.

“Fassad! I demand that you leave this instant!” Wess yelled. “Quit ruining this town any more than you already have!”

“Ruin?” Fassad wiggled his eyebrows. “Whatever do you mean? Perhaps you’re referring to our new hospital and our improved medical care – no more accidents like with poor Duster-”

I hissed. Duster was Wess’s son, and had disappeared around the time of my accident. Duster hurt his leg way back when he was a kid, and walked funny because of it – how dare Fassad mock Wess like this!

“Better than having abominations like your so-called human chimera!” Wess yelled. I grimaced – Wess’s tongue was as sharp as ever.

Fassad smoothly ignored him. “Or maybe you were talking about our enhanced prosperity? Our modern conveniences?”

“Don’t give me that bullcrap!” Wess snapped. The crowd gasped at the rude word. “You’re messing up this village in every way possible – you’re taking away all the good stuff and replacing it with soulless baubles!”

“Oh, are you talking about the Happy Boxes? That’s not some mere bauble, it’s a cornerstone of modern life! Don’t you agree, everyone?”

Right on cue, the crowd murmured in agreement.

“Lies! All lies! And you did something to Duster – and Lucas-”

I flinched. Lucas?!

I started uploading my phonological loop, storing a copy of the conversation to my memory banks.

“Lies?” said Fassad. “You’re one to talk with your wild and baseless accusations! I know you’re upset at the loss of your son and poor little Lucas, but try to see sense. It’s been three years – there’s nothing we can do. Don’t lash out at innocent townspeople.”

“Why, you-”

Suddenly a Pigmask swooped behind Wess and threw a butterfly net over him.

“You seem awfully cranky,” Fassad remarked snidely. “You must have missed your morning nap. We’ll be taking you back to the retirement home – try not to trip, get hurt, or go bald on your way home.”

The Pigmask started dragging Wess away, his protests muffled by the butterfly net.

Outraged, I leapt to my feet. I wasn’t going to stand by while Wess was treated like this – not when he knew something about Lucas!

“Claus, don’t,” Fuel pleaded.

Boney whined, pawing at my clothes.

“No, you can’t stop me! And stay back – I don’t want you gettin’ in trouble too!”

Before Fuel or Boney could protest, I ran up to the town square.

“Hey!” I yelled. “Leave Wess alone!”

I heard Wess mumble something from inside the butterfly net. Knowing him, it was probably “I don’t need your bloody help!”

Fassad turned to me. “Why, hello there, Claus,” he said, his voice as sickly sweet as syrup. “You look unhappy - are you upset that Wess called you a mean name?”

I could barely keep myself still in my anger. “I said, leave Wess alone!”

“Why, that’s not possible, Claus,” Fassad said kindly, as if reassuring a small child. I hissed – he knew full well my ‘enhanced cognitive functions’! He didn’t need to talk down to me like this! “Wess made some nasty accusations – slander is a crime, and criminals must be punished.”

“Yeah, that’s no excuse to treat him like he’s a bug!” I snapped. “You’re dragging him off like an animal, back to a – a cage!” I hoped my strong use of words might catch Fassad off-guard.

Instead he just gently patted me on the shoulder, like he was my uncle or something. “Ah, you think we’re dehumanizing him,” he said gently. “I can see how that would upset you, my little human chimera-”

I didn’t even let him finish that belittling comment – I slapped his arm away, then with my other arm I threw a punch and smacked him in the face as hard as I could. Before he could react I ran for Wess, who was almost past Yado Inn by now.

Okay, fifty feet to go… twenty… ten…

Someone grabbed my shirt – probably another Pigmask waiting as backup.

They lifted me up, grunting in surprise – everyone was so shocked at how heavy I was.

That bought me a couple of seconds – I started kicking and elbowing whoever was behind me. “Lemme go!!” I shouted.

Whoever it was gave up and dropped me. I stomped on their foot for good measure, then hurried after Wess.

“Hang on, Wess! I’m comin'!”

The Pigmask hauling Wess squealed in alarm, then grabbed Wess (butterfly net and all) and scrambled for the safety of the retirement home.

But before I could stop them, yet another Pigmask ran up and punched me in the ribs. I wavered a bit, barely staying on my feet.

In response I punched them in the gut. They didn’t even flinch. 

It was like punching a pillow – too much fat, not enough muscle. The Pigmask glanced down at me as I pounded away – I swore I could hear them chuckling. Then they threw another punch at me.

“Not too hard, you’ll break something!” Fassad warned. “Our human chimera is very expensive!”

I grit my teeth – I wasn’t expensive! I wasn’t a thing!

While I was distracted, something hit me on the back of the neck. I cried as I tumbled toward the ground.

“Revenge, brat!” a voice snarled. It must’ve been that other Pigmask that tried to grab me.

I threw my arms out in front of me, trying to minimize the damage. Dad taught me to protect my head at all costs – if my central processor got damaged, everything else would break too.

I hit the ground, grunting slightly in pain.

Fassad gasped. “Oh, my dear human chimera, are you all right? Are you hurt?”

I glanced up. Fassad was hurrying toward me, his pale face contorted in worry. Probably insincere – Fassad was a remarkably good actor.

There were some fist marks on his face, but otherwise he looked unhurt. Pity – I wanted to break his nose.

“Let me help you up, my poor child-”

“Can do it myself,” I muttered. I wasn’t helpless, and certainly wasn’t going to accept help from Fassad.

“Ah, but I insist.” He grabbed my waist and hauled me to my feet. Despite appearances, he was much stronger than he looked.

He leaned in close and hissed in my ear. “I can make allowances for you, my useful little brat. But this sort of behaviour is very unacceptable. Let’s not forget who’s responsible for maintaining your life support systems, eh?”

I said nothing, fuming with rage.

“I’ll be having a chat with your father to decide on a suitable disciplinary action. I won’t be so kind for any… subsequent incidents. There’s talk of building a new chimera exhibit, where you would continue being very useful to me while being a threat to no one. I trust you don’t want that, nwehehe!”

I was so angry, I could barely even think. “I-”

“Ah, I’m so glad you understand!” Fassad said loudly, drowning me out. “Now, I suggest you run along home, like a good little boy. You wouldn’t want your father to worry about you, nwehehehe!”

I scowled and turned to leave.

“Hey – apologize to Mister Fassad!” barked one of the Pigmasks.

I looked Fassad in the eye. “Sorry, Mister Fassad,” I said in the flattest monotone I could manage. I almost called him Fatass (a name Fuel came up with), but decided I was in enough trouble already.

I hurried back to where Boney and Fuel were waiting, my face warm with anger and embarrassment.

“You okay?” Fuel asked, eyes wide.

“Yeah. Just gimme a moment,” I said as I plopped down in the shade. Boney curled up beside me and started licking my face, comforting me in the best way he knew.

I concentrated. Run systems tests.

Letters started flashing across my retina display: Running diagnostics… All systems installed and complete. No anomalies detected.

“’Kay, Looks like my mechanical systems are working properly, and nothing got damaged.” Good – I was worried that idiot Pigmask broke something, especially since that was right where my access panel was. (That was a metal panel someone installed at the back of my head so that people could access my central processor. Sometimes they just needed to examine it, sometimes they plugged things in to install ‘upgrades’ or connect me to a computer. It was better than ripping my entire head open every time, but it still felt pretty weird and invasive.)

“Fuel, can you get me some water? I feel a bit hot.”

“Yeah – stay right here.” Fuel ran inside and got me a plastic cup of water. I drank it greedily, then splashed a bit on my forehead.

“Now I know why your dad doesn’t like you going off on your own,” Fuel said.

“Shut up," I muttered, glaring at him. “You callin’ me impulsive?!”

“I did try to stop you,” Fuel lectured me. “This is why people are afraid of you – you’re scary when you’re mad.”

“I know, but you saw how they were treatin’ Wess! And he said he knows somethin’ – he might know where to find Lucas!”

Fuel crossed his arms. “For someone who’s half-robot, you’re pretty irrational – that’s a big leap from ‘Wess mentioned Lucas’ to ‘Wess knows where Lucas is’.”

“Fuel!” I snapped. “Of course I’m not rational right now – he mentioned Lucas! My twin brother who’s been missin' for three years!”

“Whoa, Claus, calm down! I know thinking about Lucas makes you upset-”

“Upset?! He disappeared without a trace! Dad won’t even talk about it! It’s like he didn’t even exist!” I pounded the ground in frustration. Tears stung my eyes.

“Claus, try to understand. I miss Lucas too – the three of us were best friends-”

“It’s not the same! You wouldn’t understand – you’re not a twin!” I huffed. “We were inseparable! We watched out for each other! Lucas needed me after Mom died – and I ran off to kill a bloody Drago!!”

Warning: Detected sudden spike in subject activity. Checking vitals… Heart rate: 100 beats per minute. Breathing rate: 30 breaths per minute. Body temperature-

I dismissed my retina display. Not now!

“Claus-”

“Rrr-”

I dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

Boney barked in alarm.

“Claus!” Fuel shouted. “What’s wrong?!”

“Dunno – feel tired and achy,” I panted. “And hot.”

Fuel touched my forehead. “Whoa, you’re hot – and you’re sweating all over! We’d better get you to the hospital!”

“No – I’m fine – ugh-” I clenched my forehead.

“Claus, stop being so stubborn. It’s not like Fatass is ordering you to go – I’m asking ‘cause I’m worried about you.” He grabbed my hand. “Can you walk?”

I slowly lifted myself up with Fuel’s help. “Y-yeah, think so.”

“Okay - let’s take it slow.”

With Fuel’s help, I stumbled toward the hospital.

Chapter Text

The B. H. Pirkle Hospital was a large building that went up on the outskirts of town a couple of years ago. It was a place where people could go to get treated if they got hurt or injured. I wasn't sure what this B. H. Pirkle guy had to do with anything, but he must have been someone important – only important people got a bunch of letters in front of their names.

I was seated in one of the examination rooms. It was comfy enough, I suppose – I was plopped on a blue bed in a blue room with blue walls and blue curtains. Whoever designed this place must have really liked blue. (Not that I was complaining – blue was my second-favourite colour, after orange!) The window let some sunlight into the room, along with a scenic view of Sunset Cemetery. I squinted and zoomed in. No sign of Mom’s grave – my room wasn’t far enough east.

Everyone raved about how great the hospital was, but I didn’t have the greatest memories of the place – it was where I got all my maintenance appointments done. Several hours of being poked and prodded, interrogated, and doing weird tests, all while being called an ‘it’. At least it was much better than the place I used to go – that was an ugly white windowless room, and you needed a long and bumpy ride to get there. 

Soon enough the doctor came in, a young-looking woman wearing a white lab coat. She had glasses and long blond hair. She must be new – I didn’t recognize her from my previous appointments.

“Hello there,” she said, holding out her hand in a friendly gesture. I crossed my arms and stared stonily ahead.

“What brings you in today?” she asked curtly.

“I experienced aches, exhaustion, and sweating at 12:17 PM this afternoon,” I explained. “It came on all of a sudden, but I’d been yelling before that and got in a fight at 12:08 PM, so maybe that had something to do with it.”

“Hmm.” She scribbled something on her clipboard. “I must compliment you on your… precision. How are you so sure of the exact times?”

“I looked at my… um… clock.”

She frowned, but said nothing. “Are you in any pain right now?”

“No – just achy and sweaty, and I feel a bit drowsy.”

“Okay, I’ll begin my examination. First, I need to measure your vitals. I’ll start with your blood pressure – hold out your arm for me, please.”

“Blood pressure’s eighty over sixty, core temp’s one hundred and two, heartbeat’s sixty per minute, breathing’s twelve per minute.” I rattled off the readings from my retina display - anything to avoid being poked and prodded.

She stared. “Hah hah, very funny. Though I must say, you’re very good at coming up with fake vitals.”

“I’m not – I’m just readin’ out what my body tells me!”

“What–” She stopped, finally noticing my mechanical eye. “Oh, you must be the human chimera. I heard a rumour that a cyborg lived in Tazmily – it’s an honour to meet you, sir.”

“Uh – OK.” People acted pretty weird around me, but very few admired me, at least not in the creepy way that Fassad and the Pigmasks did. “Just get this over with – I hate being poked and prodded.”

“I can imagine – your cybernetic surgery cannot have been pleasant.” She grabbed a thermometer. “Based on your symptoms, it sounds like you’re running a fever. I’ll need to check your body temperature to be sure.”

“But I already told you my temperature!” I protested.

“That’s my job, not yours,” she said curtly.

“Fine.” I scowled unhappily.

She placed the thermometer on my head. After a moment she called out, “One hundred and two degrees.”

“Told you so,” I mumbled.

She did some other quick tests.

“The good news is, it looks like you don’t have any other complications,” she said happily. “A fever is usually a symptom of some other condition, such as a virus. But you seem perfectly healthy. It should go away on its own after a few days – be sure to rest up and drink plenty of fluids.” She opened the door. “You’re free to go.”

I frowned. “Aren’t you gonna ask me a billion questions about how my robot parts work, like all the other doctors here?”

She shrugged. “Ordinarily, yes – I am curious – but you seem about to bite my head off, so I’d rather not.”

I hopped off the bed and headed to the door. “Hmph. You’re not half bad, for a doctor. Seeya, I guess.”

Fuel was waiting for me outside, along with Boney.

“You look chipper,” Fuel remarked. “Feel any better?”

“Yeah – just a fever, apparently. Explains why I feel hot and achy and stuff. I probably just over-heated from getting mad at Fassad.”

“I don’t think fevers work that way… Anyway, I have to get back to work – Caroline’s going to be worried about me. You’ll be okay on your own?”

“Yep,” I said. “I’m gonna visit Mom now, then I’ll head back home.”

“OK, sounds good. See you later, Claus.”

I nodded. “Seeya, Fuel. C’mon, Boney.”

*

Boney and I walked through Sunset Cemetery, following the winding path along the silent graves. Some of them were knocked down, while others had graffiti scribbled on them. Poor Nippolyte was overworked – between his house getting struck by lightning every few months and tending to his garden, he hardly had time to care for the graves.

Speaking of which… it looked like Reggie wasn’t the only victim of last night’s thunderstorm – Nippolyte’s cabin was completely burned to the ground. All that was left was a pile of burnt beams. Nippolyte himself was hammering in a new sign: “The remains of my humble abode. NO TOURISTS!!”

I hurried past him. I didn’t want to bother him, not when he already had enough on his mind.

Mom’s grave was perched on a grassy hillside overlooking the mountains and forest. It was very quiet, peaceful, and beautiful – just like Mom. There was even a patch of sunflowers growing nearby, her favourite kind of flower. Mom would have loved it – Nippolyte picked the perfect spot for her.

I walked up to the grave. There was a bouquet of fresh blue flowers lying next to it – Dad must have stopped by earlier this morning. 

I read the words carved in the rock face, although I knew them by heart:

Hinawa. Daughter of Alec. Wife of Flint. Mother of the twins Claus and Lucas. May the beautiful Hinawa rest in peace here for all time.

I kneeled. Boney curled up beside me, lowering his head and whimpering. He missed Mom too.

I took a deep breath. “Hey, Mom,” I called softly. “Can you hear me? It’s me, Claus.” 

… “What’s it like up there? Is it… nice?”

… “Dad’s doing… okay, I guess. I’m trying to stay strong for him, but… it’s hard. I’m all he has left, but…”

… “It hurts, Mom. I’m trying to hide it from Dad, but… My body hurts. I think it knows it should be dead.”

… “I should be up there with you. I was pretty stupid, and – you can’t even punish me anymore…”

… “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so negative. It’s just… Everything’s so hard. Tazmily’s not the same anymore. Everyone used to be so close, but now… people’re so mean to each other.”

… “I hate it, Mom. It hurts inside. Sometimes I wish I could just fall asleep and… not wake up.”

… “But I can’t. Dad can’t lose me a second time. It’ll break his heart.”

… “I miss you, Mom. You could always make me smile, no matter what happened. No matter what, you always loved me and Lucas…”

… “Thanks for listening, Mom. I know it’s hard, hearing me talk like this, but… you’re the only person I can talk to. You’re the only one that can understand.”

… “Mom… Watch over Lucas for me, wherever he is… please?”

I took a shaky breath and rose to my feet. I rubbed my eyes.

Boney nuzzled my leg. I scratched him behind the ears, appreciating the comforting gesture.

“Thanks, Boney. I was just talkin’ to Mom… Ready to head back?”

*

I hurried back through the cemetery and the crossroads. 1:25 PM. Time to head back soon – I’d finished up everything I needed in town, plus I was still wasn’t feeling all that well. I was still achy and hot – I hoped a good night’s sleep would fix it.

Suddenly I heard the roar of iron. A bell started ringing beside the train platform.

I covered my ears. It was fun watching the train, but it was so noisy, especially with enhanced robot ears! How did people stand it?

A two-car train pulled into place beside the train platform. It was one of the plain red trains from the Pigmask factory – these must be the workers heading home from the early morning shift. (People at the Pigmask factory worked in shifts. Some started early in the morning, some started after lunch, and some even worked at night-time and came back at sunrise, like Bob. They called that one the ‘graveyard’ shift with a ‘skeleton crew’. Sounded ominous, but maybe Nippolyte’d approve.)

The train doors slid open, and Bronson and Jackie hopped out. They were dressed in weird orange jumpsuits, like all the factory workers. They were pretty ugly – the Pigmasks somehow managed to ruin the colour orange!

“I’m telling you, he looks just like Duster!” Jackie exclaimed.

“C’mon Jackie, get real,” huffed Bronson. “It can’t possibly be him.”

Wait, Duster?

I started another recording, Wess’s words still fresh in my mind.

“But think about it, Bronson – no one’s seen hide nor hair of Duster since he disappeared three years ago. It’s gotta be him – we should tell old man Wess!”

“Hmph, what nonsense – I think you’ve drunk one Big City Cola too many, Jackie.” Bronson patted his stomach. “Anyways, I’m starving – time to head home and eat some chow in front of the Happy Box.”

“Hey, you took the words right outta my mouth!”

Jackie walked right past me without a word, as if I was invisible. Bronson was at least nice enough to stop.

“Hey Bronson, whatcha talkin’ about?” I asked.

“Oh. Jackie was just saying how one of the DCMC members at Club Titiboo looks exactly like Duster,” Bronson explained. “He’s convinced it’s him. I only think it’s an uncanny resemblance, at best. No use bothering Wess about it and disappointing him – you know him, he gets so ornery nowadays.” He shuffled his feet. “Um, can you not stare so much? Your metal eye’s kinda creeping me out.”

I shifted my gaze to a point above Bronson’s shoulder, trying not to scowl. It’d been three years – you’d think people’d be used to me by now.

“What’s Club Titiboo?” I asked. “And what’s a DCMC?”

“Oh – Club Titiboo’s a place we like to go after working at the factory, and the DCMC is the band that plays there.” Bronson sighed. “Well, I have to get going. Nice talking to you, Claus. Tell Flint I said hi.”

“Seeya, Bronson.”

I stood for some time, thinking. So there was a Duster lookalike at this Club Titiboo place, and Wess knew something about Lucas’s disappearance… Wess didn’t get out of the retirement home very much (thanks to the ever-watchful Pigmasks), so if I offered to go find Duster, maybe he’d tell me about Lucas!

Except… Wess hated me. Most of the other villagers tolerated me (at least to my face), but Wess outright despised me. He considered me no better than a corpse, and found it suspicious that I kept hanging around Fassad and the Pigmasks all the time (as if I had a choice!). Worse, he’d be in an extra-foul mood after what happened this morning.

What should I do? I needed some advice – Mom and Boney were great listeners, but that only went so far. I couldn’t talk to Dad – he’d refuse to let me see Wess (claiming that he was ‘protecting’ me), then he’d keep a close eye on me for the next day or three. Plus, he’d be pretty angry with me once Fassad had his ‘chat’ with him. I couldn't talk with Fuel, either – he didn’t want me picking fights with Wess or the other villagers.

Well, there was one other person I could talk to…

My feet carried me to the retirement home. 

“Wait here, Boney,” I said. There were no pets allowed in the retirement home. “I’ll be out in a couple minutes.”

Boney whined a bit, but plopped down. 

I carefully stepped inside.

*

The retirement home was… well… it sucked. Everything was so run-down - the roof leaked, old newspapers clumsily patched up holes in the wall, and the light bulbs looked like they'd burn out at any moment.

I made my way upstairs, and to the leftmost door all the way down the hall. The floor creaked noisily beneath my feet.

“Hi, Grandpa Alec,” I called as I opened the door.

Alec looked up from his bed, a newspaper neatly folded on his lap. “Oh, hello, Claus! Great to see you, little scamp! How’ve you been?”

I plopped down beside him, the bed creaking loudly in protest.

“Sorry I don’t come here more often…” I mumbled apologetically. “Don’t like the village anymore…”

“I don’t blame you, when I live in a dump like this!” Alec laughed bitterly, not at all like his usually jolly laughs. “Finally had to move out of my old shack in the mountains – lightning struck my house one million times! In three years ! Can you believe it?!”

“Nope,” I said quickly. “It’s probably closer to thirty, you old joker.”

“Hmph. I confess, it was a wee bit of an exaggeration, but c’mon now… at least your dad doesn’t have to come so far to see me now. Always look on the bright side of life, I say!” He slapped my shoulder. “Well, enough about me! You look glum – how can I turn that frown upside-down?”

“I… wanted to talk to you about something.” I took a breath. “It’s about Wess. There’s… something I have to tell him.”

Alec sighed. “Well, you’ve certainly got your work cut out for you – he’s been grumpy since lunchtime. It’s been impossible to get any sleep.” He flashed a small smile. “I suggest you try your luck tomorrow.”

“But Gramps, it’s very important!” I lowered by voice. “He knows somethin’ about Lucas.”

Alec nodded. “Well, I can see why you’re raring to go! Why don’t you wait until your father comes back home, then the three of us can go together?”

“No!” I squirmed, the bed creaking with every slight movement. “Dad won’t let me! He doesn’t like me talkin’ to Wess – you know how Wess treats me! An’ Dad’ll try to talk me outta it anyway – he hates it when I ask about Lucas!”

“Well, he has been gone for three years,” shrugged Alec. He sighed. “Sorry. Your dad doesn’t like talking about Lucas – he still feels guilty about it, since he abandoned the search for Lucas in order to nurse you back to health...  And then, of course, he blames himself for not being able to save you either…” He looked at me. “Do you… blame us for what happened? For not getting to you before the Pigmasks did?”

I grimaced - Mom always told me to be nice, but to be honest too. “A bit, I guess.”

Alec nodded sadly. “I see. It’s understandable. Sometimes I wished I let Flint go alone – I only slowed him down…”

“No – it’s OK, really. You had to show Dad the way, didn’t you? You knew Drago Plateau better than he did – all my favourite places…” I trailed off. “Hey, Gramps, do you… hate me, now that I’m a chimera? And be honest – I know you’ll say I’m still Claus, but-”

“Well… I admit it’s a bit strange to see you with a metal eye and all your other doohickeys, and you gave everyone quite the shock when the Pigmasks dropped you off just as we’d given up hope on ever finding you, but – you’re still the same precious little scamp. You have the same eyes – well, eye – the same smile, that same cowlick…”

I sighed. I knew Alec wanted to cheer me up, but… was I still Claus, really? So much had changed since my accident, and I wasn’t just talking about my ‘reconstruction’. I was… more serious now. Reserved. Even bitter. And not nearly so naïve and innocent – I’d lost a lot that day three years ago.

Alec shook his head. “Well, that’s no good – I was supposed to cheer you up, and here we’re getting all gloomy again!” He made a forced smile. “That won’t do – so you wanted to see Wess? Let’s go together – I can ease him up a bit for you-”

“No,” I said quickly. “I hafta do this alone.” Wess wasn’t very talkactive at the best of times, and he’d be even less likely to spill the beans if someone else was there – even someone as friendly and trustworthy as Alec. “I can do it myself!”

“Hah, that’s the go-getter Claus I know!” Alec smiled and slapped my shoulder again. “I know you can do this – I’ll be rooting for you.”

He gave me a big hug. “Good luck, Claus. You’ll need it.”

“’K. Thanks, Gramps.”

I carefully closed Alec’s door, then walked one room over. I took a deep breath and knocked.

“I told you to leave me alone, darnit!” yelled a muffled voice. “I’m an old man, not a crumbling ruin! Stop bothering me every-”

“It’s me – Claus.”

There was a long pause.

“Fine. Come in.” The voice got even gruffer and grumpier. “Might as well get this over with.”

It was another ugly, barren room. There were a few bits of food splattered on the walls – Wess must've thrown a temper tantrum after the Pigmasks had taken him back.

Wess slammed the door behind me. “All right, you little chimera.” He snarled the word with all the hatred he could muster. “Why are you here? Did Fassad send you to humiliate me further?”

“I’m not working for Fassad! I hate him!” I snapped. “I was tryin’ to save you in the town square!”

“Hmph. Is that supposed to get me to trust you?" He glared and crossed his arms.

“I just came ‘cause you said you knew something about Lucas!”

Wess hissed. His eyes narrowed, and his face was flush with anger. “Lucas?! I’m not telling you anything about Lucas! You little spy, trying to weasel information outta me – go back to Fassad and his other cronies!”

“Hey, Lucas is my brother! Of course I wanna know where my brother is!!”

“Lies – zombies don’t have siblings! You’re nothing but a rotting corpse!”

“I’m not a corpse!!”

Wess’s hand suddenly snapped out and grabbed my wrist.

“Oh, really? Where’s your pulse?”

“I’m a mechanical chimera!” I snapped. “I have an artificial circulatory system! An’ my mechanical heart’s super-efficient, so my pulse is-”

“Lies! Fassad trained you to say that!”

“I’m not lyin’! Let go of me!!”

Wess slapped me. I flinched – he was stronger than he looked. “Get out of here – I’m not telling you anything, and you’re just wasting my time-”

“I know where to find Duster!!” I yelled desperately.

Wess froze.

“Duster… that moron…” he mumbled to himself. Then he glared at me again. “More lies! I haven’t seen hide nor hair of my idiot wayward son, and now you just happen to know where he is?! I call foul!!”

“Hey, it’s true! I overheard Bronson an’ Jackie talkin’ about it! You can ask them!”

Wess scowled. “Hmph. Jackie’s an old sellout – Bronson’s all right I suppose, better than most. Fine. Assuming you’re telling the truth, and that you didn’t just pull two names out of thin air, what did they tell you about Duster?”

I quickly accessed my memory storage, checking the record I made. “They say there’s some kinda band at this Club Titiboo place near the Pigmask factory – and one of the band members looks just like Duster! Jackie’s convinced it’s him, but Bronson doesn’t think so.”

Wess hissed. A big vein throbbed in his head. Strangely, Wess didn’t seem mad at me, but at Duster. “That shameless moron! I raised him better than to hang around at a place called Club Titty-boo all day!”

“Why? What’s wrong with the name Titiboo?” I asked curiously. It sounded a bit silly, but certainly not offensive – I couldn’t see why Wess was so upset.

“None of your concern. Anyway-” Wess’s tone clearly indicated that the name ‘Club Titiboo’ was no longer up for discussion, “so there’s a Duster-lookalike at this mystery club, eh?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Hmph. That complicates matters. I’d go myself, but Fassad and his cronies are watching over me like hawks – or rather, those horrid Squawking Sticks. Is sticking a bird’s head on a straw someone’s sick idea of a joke?!”

Wess leaned in close, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Listen – I hate this very much, but I’m relying on you. I need to find my moron son as soon as possible, and you can get in places I can’t, thanks to your… connections with Fassad.

“I’m asking you a favour – go to this Club place and see if it’s really Duster. And bring some proof with you. One of those junky souvenirs will do – just something that’ll let me judge this so-called Duster lookalike for myself. And if you do all that-” he scowled in displeasure, “I’ll tell you everything I know about Lucas.”

I gasped. “Really, Wess?”

“Not so loud! And don’t get your hopes up – it’s probably just a wild goose chase anyway. Now get out – I’m sick of your irritating chimera antics.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice – I hurried out of there. Still, I was grinning like an idiot. He was gonna tell me about Lucas!

Alec poked his head out of his door. “Looks like Wess didn’t bite your head off after all – did you get what you wanted?”

I nodded. “Sure did, Grandpa Alec.” I ran up and gave him a quick hug. “Thanks for the advice and support.”

“No, thank you for visiting, kiddo.” He patted my back. “You should probably head back soon – you don’t want your father to worry.”

2:33 PM. Alec was right – Dad would probably be back in another hour or two. But… I wanted to go out and check this Club Titiboo place! The sooner I found Duster, the sooner I could hear about Lucas!

“Actually, there’s… something I wanna check out. I might be a bit late comin’ home – can you tell Dad?”

“Well… I can certainly tell him if I see him… but why don’t you write him a note yourself, just in case?”

I hurried to Alec’s room and scribbled a quick note on his grubby notepad. Hey. Might be late. Don’t worry about me, I’ve got Boney. You can start supper without me – I have some leftover Nut Bread from lunch if I get hungry. Love, Claus.

“Ok, done.” I gave Alec another hug. “Bye, Gramps. Love you.”

I hurried outside, taking a big gulp of fresh air. It felt so good to finally get out of that stuffy retirement home.

“Hey, Boney,” I called. “Good news – Wess knows about Lucas! He’ll tell me after I find Duster – we’re gonna head out to that Club Titiboo place Bronson was talkin’ about.” I handed the note to Boney. “Can you drop this off at the house for me? I’ll meet you back at the town square in a few minutes.”

Boney yipped and ran off.

I hurried to the town square. I didn’t know where this Club Titiboo place was – but I knew someone who would.

Sure enough, Mapson was seated at his usual bench in the town square. He loved maps, and he knew every square inch in and around Tazmily. He’d know how to get to Club Titiboo for sure.

“Hey, Mapson!” I called.

“Oh, hey, Claus,” he drawled. “If you want something from the map-loving, map-owning Mapson, it must be a map, yes?” Unlike most of the other villagers, Mapson hadn’t changed at all over the last three years – he didn’t pay much attention to anything except maps and geography. As far as he was concerned, Tazmily’s massive overhaul was just an excuse to chart some new maps.

“Yeah, Mapson – I need to know where Club Titiboo is.” After a moment I added, “Oh, and maybe the Pigmask factory, too.”

“Oh, that’s no problem at all.” He pulled out a tourist map of Tazmily and area from his pocket. I was very irritated to see that our house was labelled ‘the human chimera house – come catch a glimpse of Tazmily’s famous cyborg!’

Mapson grabbed a marker from another pocket and started drawing some circles. “This here’s the factory – you’ll need to take the train to get out there. And Club Titiboo’s right over here. They’re connected by the ropeway, which is right here.” He handed the map to me. “Feel free to keep it – I’ve got plenty more.”

That was true – Mapson owned so many maps, he could make a whole wardrobe out of them.

I glanced over the map, planning out my route. So all I had to do was take the train to the factory, look around Club Titiboo for a bit, then come home. Simple.

*

“How much?!”

“That’s 2500 DP per ticket for the general public, and 50 DP for factory workers,” the uniformed man on the train platform explained. Noticing Boney, he added, “Pets are tolerated – ahem, welcome on board, provided you buy a fare for them.”

“That’s too expensive!” I protested. “I only have 15 DP!”

“Sorry, not my problem,” the man said rudely. “If you don’t like it, then I suggest walking.”

“Fine.” I stomped off the platform and hopped onto the train tracks, Boney following me.

“W-wait!” the man protested. “What are you doing?!”

“Walking to the factory,” I muttered, annoyed. He had just told me to start walking – what was his problem?

“I was being sarcastic!”

“Whatever. I’m still walking.” I needed to get to Club Titiboo, and I wasn’t about to run out and collect 500 dolphin ossicles.

“Hmph. Your funeral.”

“Is that also being sar-ka-stick?”

The man muttered something about ‘kids these days’. I ignored him and continued walking – if anything, it was the adults who were so rude these days.

We had almost gotten to the train tunnel when I heard another voice. “Wait wait waiiit!”

I turned around. A stranger was hurrying towards us – it was a man with dark skin, simple white clothes, and thick facial hair.

“Hey, kid,” he called in a gruff but concerned voice. “You look like you’re in a hurry. I dunno what reasons you got for going through this tunnel, and I know you won’t listen to me if I try and stop you, but – a word of warning. Do you know the most dangerous thing in these railway tunnels?”

I shrugged. Since I only knew it as the train tunnel… “Trains?”

The man grunted in satisfaction. “Hmph, you’re a smart kid. That’s right – it’s trains. Slitherhen pecks and Muttshroom bites heal with time. Trains, on the other hand…” He trailed off.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” I remarked cheerfully. “If I hear a train coming, I’ll just step outta the way!” Trains were so noisy – I’d have plenty of warning.

“Just be careful out there, kid. Don’t be a fool to be pitied.”

With that strange warning, the mysterious man wandered off.

I waited until he was gone, then glanced around. Looks like no one else was watching. Good.

I took a deep breath, then Boney and I plunged into the tunnel.

Chapter Text

The tunnel was long and dark, with a small point of light looming invitingly in the distance. The only sound was my own footsteps echoing on the train tracks, accompanied by Boney’s soft patter.

I jogged a bit, not wanting to tire myself out with a full run. I still wasn’t feeling that well – I felt tired and sluggish, and my body ached worse than usual. And I was hot – it felt good to be in the cool tunnel.

I squinted. It was so dark, it was hard to see where I was going. I almost wished the Pigmasks had given me night vision.

No, stop that! I was starting to think like the Pigmasks. They treated me like their toy, or even their pet. They kept trying to pressure me into getting ‘cool’ upgrades, like weapons and robot wings and other things that would’ve alienated me even further from the other villagers. I wasn’t about to ask the Pigmasks for any favours.

I was jolted from my thoughts by something rustling underfoot.

It appeared to be a rather large mushroom. Strange – I didn’t think anything could grow in these dark tunnels. But wait – mushrooms couldn’t move! That couldn’t be what was rustling!

After a curious glance, I continued jogging. But when the rustling continued, I stopped and glanced back. The mushroom had inched toward us.

I shook my head. That couldn’t be right – it must be my imagination.

I looked closer, squinting. This mushroom was definitely moving – in fact, its stem split into two tiny legs.

It was a running mushroom!

Something started scrolling across my retina display: Ramblin’ Mushroom. Type: Biological chimera. Designed to mimic a variety found in Twoson, Eagleland. Warning – not designed for human consumption.

That must be a new feature – during my last maintenance appointment, they’d stuck a cable in my central processor to upload some new data. They claimed it was a ‘chimera-encyclopedia’ to identify all the new species the Pigmasks had released into the wild. I wasn’t sure what this ‘Twoson’ was, but at least I had a name for the thing attacking me.

The Ramblin’ Mushroom started headbutting my shins. It was quite a bit larger than an ordinary, non-mobile mushroom – it was almost as big as my head!

“Hey! Stop that!” I shouted, kicking at it.

Boney growled, running up and clawing at the rogue mushroom.

The Ramblin’ Mushroom stumbled backward. It shook itself, releasing a cloud of spores.

“Get back, Boney!” I warned. “It might be poisonous!”

I pulled my shirt up over my nose, keeping myself from inhaling any spores. Boney wasn’t so lucky – he sneezed.

“Stop it, you overgrown fungus!”

I stomped on the Ramblin’ Mushroom – while it was stunned, I gave it a good swift kick and sent it flying. I didn’t look back – me and Boney took off along the tracks.

I hoped there weren’t any more of these things. I didn’t want to waste any time – I wanted to be back by sundown, so I could still get my omelets for supper.

But then a loud hissing sound pierced the air, followed by a cluck.

I stopped – another creature was lying in wait along the tracks. It had a long slender body topped with a chicken’s head. I didn’t need my retina display to know that this was a Slitherhen – Fuel told me plenty of stories about the chicken-snake hybrids that plagued Sunshine Forest.

The Slitherhen hissed and lunged, pecking at my legs. I gritted my teeth – that hurt! I quickly stepped back, dodging where I could.

I kicked myself for not bringing a proper weapon, or even just grabbing a stick from Sunshine Forest. All I had were my legs, and maybe my fists if I fought something big enough to punch. At least my robot parts put some extra weight behind my attacks.

Boney dashed behind the Slitherhen. It glanced between us, ‘braaaawk’-ing in confusion – Slitherhens were aggressive, but not very smart. Before it could decide which of us to attack, Boney sunk his jaws into its tail, then tossed it at the cavern wall. The Slitherhen sailed away with a surprised cluck, giving me and Boney the chance to escape.

I was bleeding in a few places along my leg. I’d have a hard time explaining this to Dad when I got home. And I’d be in plenty of trouble already, thanks to Fassad…

I shook my head – I could worry about that later, after I’d found Duster.

We continued up the tunnel for another twenty minutes or so. Luckily we weren’t attacked by anything – I did see another mushroom in the shadows, but Boney and I were easily able to outrun it.

Finally I saw the tunnel opening ahead. I rushed through-

Sunlight poured down. I squinted. Were we at the factory yet?

Trees stretched on either side of the train tracks. In the distance I could see another tunnel.

Not there yet. Darn.

I sighed and continued at a fast walk. No telling how much longer it would be – no use tiring myself out right at the start.

Boney and I walked along in silence for several minutes. There were a few more Slitherhens out here – they glared at us from the forest undergrowth, but they kept their distance and avoided the train tracks.

Up ahead, I saw a weird white thing sticking out of the ground. It looked small and fuzzy, not the sort of thing you’d usually find on the forest floor. I walked toward it, curious.

Suddenly it twirled out of the ground. Now that its full body was visible, I could see that it was a white bird head with a big pink beak, perched on top of a colourful striped stick. This was probably the Squawking Stick that Wess mentioned.

Sure enough, a new message appeared on my retina display: Squawking Stick. Type: Biological chimera. Comes in 37 different stick patterns. Patented for use as an alarm system.

The bird head peered at me curiously, making a series of happy, melodic chirps. Unlike the Slitherhen, I didn’t recognize the bird’s species – maybe it was some kind of parrot, like the one Scamp used to have. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem aggressive – it stayed rooted firmly in the ground, and seemed content to just chirp away. It was actually pretty cute, for a chimera.

I got a little bit closer.

Suddenly it let out an ear-piercing squawk. I covered my ears – it was painfully loud!

Instantly every Slitherhen in the area turned to face us, hissing menacingly. Then they charged.

“Run, Boney!!” I shouted. One Slitherhen was fine, but I didn’t want to fight a whole horde of them at once.

We sprinted for the next tunnel, which was fortunately only a few yards away.

Once we were a safe distance inside we stopped, panting. I glanced back – the Slitherhens were peering at us from outside, hissing and squawking. However, they didn’t follow us inside – after a few agonizing heartbeats, they slithered off.

“You okay, Boney?” I called.

Boney yipped and whined – he was startled, but unhurt.

I glanced ahead. This tunnel looked a bit shorter than the last one – I could see light up ahead.

I jogged up the tunnel. OK, just one more, I told myself. As soon as I get through this tunnel, it’ll be right there, then I can go home-

A loud hissing interrupted me from my thoughts.

Three shapes were waiting for us up ahead – three more Slitherhens. The tunnel was so narrow, there wasn't any room to dodge around them – we’d have to fight.

“Get ready, Boney,” I ordered.

Enemy detected. Initiating combat response. Increasing blood flow to muscles...

The first Slitherhen lunged. I quickly stepped aside, throwing out my leg in a kick – I had pretty fast reflexes thanks to my artificial nervous system. The Slitherhen bawked in surprise, momentarily stunned. I stomped down with my foot – there was a sickening crunch.

The other two went after Boney. He growled and swiped at them with his paws, keeping them at bay. Still, he got a few bites on his legs. Luckily Slitherhen bites weren’t poisonous, but they could still do plenty of damage.

One of the Slitherhens constricted itself around Boney’s paw, curling itself tight – Boney yipped in alarm.

“Hang on – I’m coming!” I grabbed a rock off the ground and tossed it at the Slitherhen. It squawked in pain and rage. “C’mere, you little brute!”

The Slitherhen uncoiled and lunged at me – but I was ready. I stomped down on its tail. It clucked angrily, then slunk off into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Boney slashed at the last Slitherhen. It tumbled to the ground with one final squawk.

I panted. That was all of them – I felt a bit woozy from exhaustion.

“C’mon Boney – let’s get outta here.”

We hurried away.

*

I felt a bit better once we’d gotten out of the tunnel - we emerged at a small clearing surrounded by cliffs. 

It was a calm meadow area, with small purple butterflies fluttering around. This area seemed so… peaceful. There wasn’t even a chimera in sight (well, apart from me, I guess).

One of the butterflies landed on my head. Instantly I felt a calm, relaxing sensation wash over me, and my earlier wooziness vanished. But before I could process what had happened, the butterfly flew away.

I held out my finger. Another butterfly landed on my finger, gently fluttering its wings. Again I felt that strange but relaxing sensation.

“Hey, that tickles!” I exclaimed.

Suddenly Boney barked loudly. He ran up to something lying on the ground, sniffing excitedly. 

I hurried over, wondering what was the matter.

It turned out to be a pile of somewhat strange clothes – a green dress and white gloves. No one in the village had clothes like that.

That’s weird – who would leave perfectly good clothes lying on the ground?

The clothes were lying right beside a ladder that led up the cliff face. I glanced up, wondering where it went. But all I could see was cliff – I couldn’t catch a glimpse of whatever was at the top.

With considerable curiosity and a touch of unease, I started climbing the ladder. Boney waited at the bottom, content to sniff at the strange clothes.

I was pleasantly surprised once I reached the top – the ladder led to a hot spring! Perfect – that would help with the exhaustion and to soothe my wounds. I might even feel human again.

I was about to leap right in, clothes and all, but stopped. Someone was already there, facing away from me – it looked like a lady with green earrings and… pink hair? Maybe this was the person those strange clothes belonged to?

“Hey!” I called. “Okay if I come in?”

The figure let out a loud shriek. “Aiiiiie – you caught me stark naked!!”

I was taken aback – that voice was shrill, but super deep at the same time. No one should have a voice like that! Plus, no one should have bright pink hair, either – this person was even less natural than I was!

The figure spun around, and gave me yet another shock. Slender cheekbones, but a thick patch of stubble just like Lighter. Broad shoulders, but slender and graceful arms. A completely flat but smooth, hairless chest. This person was like a man and a woman at the same time – it was so confusing!

“Oh my!” the figure trilled, still in that deep-yet-high-pitched voice. “I do believe we’ve met before! Aren’t you the child that came to our Magypsy party three years ago? Do you recognize me – I’m Ionia! *heart*”

“Um… no?” I mean, I was missing a lot of memories from the time around my accident, but… surely I’d remember talking to a weird boy-girl person with pink hair… right?

“Oh, really?” The figure frowned, confused. “Wasn’t that you? I remember you were talking about avenging your mother-”

I winced. “Yep, that would’ve been me.” Unless Lucas somehow followed me, even though I told him to stay behind…

I shook my head, trying to stay focused. “Sorry I don’t remember anything. I… had an accident three years ago, and my memory’s all blurry.” Luckily I could remember everything before running off from the funeral well enough, although there were some memories I’d much rather forget…

“I see. I offer you my condolences,” the figure remarked quietly, before flashing a small smile. “Well, no use dwelling on the past! Come on in, the water’s warm! Let your worries soak away – oh, don’t make that face, I won’t bite! *heart*”

I blushed with embarrassment. “Uh – but you’re a girl – boy – person-”

The figure laughed shrilly. “Oh, I’m none of those things, sweetie-pie! I’m a Magypsy – we’re wondrous creatures that live for thousands of years! We’re neither male nor female, human nor beast! *heart*”

“Um…” If anything, that made things even more confusing. How could anything live for thousands of years? If this ‘Ionia’ wasn’t a human or animal, then was Ionia a plant or something? And if Ionia was wasn't male or female – but I wasn’t about to call Ionia an ‘it’ –

“I can see from your expression that you’re lost and confused, dear – you can call us ‘she’ and ‘her’. We like to treat each other as girls, although that’s not strictly accurate. *heart*”

I nodded, grateful. “Thanks... Ionia…”

With that, I slowly climbed in, keeping my clothes on – I wasn’t about to disrobe in front of a stranger!

The water was nice and warm, maybe a bit too hot. I sighed with contentment – I could feel my aches and pains wash away, although I was still on edge from talking to this weird Magypsy person.

Then I had an idea. “Um… d’you know how much longer it is to the factory?”

“Oh, you mean that ugly building just outside Murasaki Forest? You silly humans have absolutely no taste in décor! *heart* Well, you’re halfway there, dear – this magic butterfly colony is the perfect rest stop.” Ionia held out a slender finger, and a butterfly came to roost. “I often come here to soak up and recharge my PSI. Magic butterflies can restore your PSI – did you know that?”

I shook my head. “I don’t even know what PSI is!”

Ionia tutted in surprise. “Oh, really? Aeolia awakened your PSI for you – you’d remember her, she has big poofy hair. I believe you humans call it an ‘afro’.”

Matt had poofy hair like that – I tried to imagine him with pink hair, while also being more feminine-but-also-manly-and-not-even-human-apparently. All I got were some disturbing mental images.

“Can’t say I remember her,” I remarked.

“Alas. Aeolia will be so disappointed – she considers herself very distinctive. But I digress… Anyhoo, PSI is a collection of amazing magical powers. It’s an incredibly rare gift – although we Magypsies can use it, you’re one of the few humans I’ve met who possesses it. PSI can be used for healing, or offense, or much more – the one Aeolia gave you can summon lightning.”

I perked up. Lightning?! There were big thunderstorms in Tazmily, with huge destructive blasts of lightning – was it possible to control something like that?

“I can see by the look in your eyes that I’ve piqued your interest. However…” Ionia frowned. “How strange. When I first met you, I could sense loads of psychic energy from you. It should be even stronger now, but… it’s hardly even a trickle. Did something happen to you?”

I huffed. “Yeah – the Pigmasks messed me up and made me a chimera!”

Iona gasped. “Oh, like those poor little creatures I’ve seen in Sunshine Forest? The poor dears are all mixed up. And you say the humans dressed as pigs did that? Humans do have the most curious ideas! *heart*”

“Do they ever,” I muttered.

“Hmm…” Ionia was deep in thought. “You also seem rather sweaty… do you have a fever, by any chance?”

I nodded. “Got it this morning. It came on all of a sudden, too.”

“Interesting. Fever is a sign of gaining new PSI. That’s good – it may well be possible to re-awaken your powers.” She gestured toward me. “Come here. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt, but it may feel a bit strange and uncomfortable – just for a moment, though. *heart*”

With considerable reluctance, I inched toward her.

She concentrated and lay a finger on my forehead. After a moment, her finger started glowing with a soft green light. I gasped.

“This would be how I give away a Lifeup power,” she explained. “It should awaken something inside of you… Do you feel any different, my dear?”

I blinked. “Um, no?”

“Hmm – my guess is that something is forcefully blocking your psychic energy. But, I can’t tell what – you humans have the strangest technology these days, it’s impossible to keep up. You humans sure do make the most out of your limited lifespans. *heart*”

She sighed. “Looks like I’ll have to try some of the more… strenuous techniques. Your body uses PSI as a defensive mechanism – so, putting your body under stress should speed along the awakening process.”

“Um-” This was making me very uncomfortable. “Look, Magypsy person, I really don’t like being touched-”

Suddenly she grabbed my shoulders.

“It’s okay!” she commanded. “Just endure it for a bit! Be strong!”

I struggled against her, kicking my legs and thrashing.

“Don’t struggle – it’ll be over very soon! You’re only making things more difficult! *heart*”

She tried to force my head down. I fought back, headbutting her – was she trying to drown me?!

“My dear-”

“Stop it!!” I shouted. Cool PSI powers or not, I wasn’t putting up with this – the Pigmasks poked and prodded me enough already.

Warning: Subject PSI achieving critical levels. PSI suppression mechanism overloading due to structural damage.

It was some sort of weird error message I’d never seen before. I dismissed it – I didn’t have time for this! I had to defend myself!

I raised my arm, curling my hand into a fist-

Suddenly a spark leapt to life in my palm. A tendril of lightning flew out and struck Ionia on the nose.

“Ouch!” Ionia cried shrilly, rubbing her nose. “Your PSI packs quite a punch! Why, you’re cute but deadly, my dear! *heart*”

I started at my palms in surprise. “Just now… that was PSI?”

Ionia giggled. “Yes, sugar – a PK Thunder variant, to be precise. Ooooh, I can sense a load of magical power building up – looks like we successfully awakened your PSI. Let’s see what new powers you manifest. *heart*”

I shivered. A bunch of strange sensations coursed through my body. I felt jittery, like I had butterflies fluttering in my stomach (even though most of my stomach was taken out and replaced with robot parts).

The feeling suddenly swelled up, leaving me gasping for breath – and just as suddenly it faded away, leaving a calm and relaxing stillness. I felt my muscles go limp. I also felt strangely... happy, I guess, the same sort of comforting happiness I got when Dad gave me a big hug.

“Looks like you learned a new PSI power – Lifeup, from the looks of it. Look, your wounds are closing up all on their own! *heart*”

I glanced down. Sure enough, new skin was rapidly growing over my Slitherhen bites - there wasn’t even any scarring.

I gasped – how was my body doing that?

Suddenly the jittery feeling came back. What was happening – was I getting a fever again?

“Oh?” Ionia wondered. “Another power so soon? It’s rare to get two at once – ah, I knew you were a special child from the moment I set eyes on you! *heart*”

“I’m not special,” I huffed between large gulps of breath. ‘Special’ was usually code for ‘freak’, at least from my experience.

“Oh, you’re far too humble, my dear! *heart*”

“Wait, that’s not-”

And the feeling vanished again, leaving the calm stillness.

“Hmm… looks like Healing this time. That’s for internal healing – your body can repel poisons and other nasty conditions. *heart*”

Before I had a chance to recover, the feeling came rushing back – even more violent than before. My stomach was tight in pain – I felt like I was gonna throw up. My entire body shuddered and convulsed. I splashed around, desperately trying to keep afloat.

“Oh – what’s wrong?” Ionia said. Her voice had lost its vague cheeriness. “I’ve never seen this happen – it’s far too violent to be another PSI power, and surely you’re not learning a third-”

She held out her arms, trying to keep me steady. I pushed her away – even at a time like this, I wasn’t gonna be touched by strangers.

“Dunno – mechanical failure, maybe-” That was what the Pigmasks called it when my mechanical systems acted up and didn’t respond the way they were supposed to. I’d gotten them a lot during my first year, to the point that I couldn’t even walk without considerable help, but now they were pretty much gone. Plus, my mechanical failures didn’t hurt, not like this.

And then… the feeling was gone. But instead of the calmness, I felt energized. It was the kind of wild, reckless potential I hadn’t felt in three years. There was no trace of my fever, or my earlier exhaustion.

I grinned.

“Oh… oh my… ooh la la!” Ionia mumbled in awe. “I don’t believe it… I’d never thought I’d see this day…”

“Why – what happened?”

“You just learned another power – PK Love. The rarest power of all. Not even we Magypsies can use it… and we’ve been at this for thousands of years! *heart* See, I told you that you were a special child!”

I scowled. I’d been so excited a moment before, but… “What kinda name’s PK Love?!”

What a dumb power – what was I gonna do, shoot hearts at people and make then fall in love with each other?!

Ionia chuckled, apparently amused by my reaction. “Well, think about it, my dear – what’s the strongest force in the world?”

I thought for a moment. “Lightning? Waterfalls?” After another moment, “Gravity?”

Ionia laughed. “Not quite, my child – all of those are forces of nature, all quite strong in their own way. But they’re… static, I suppose. They can only do one thing.

“Now, think deeper… Think of the drive of a parent to protect their child. Think of the sacrifices each individual in a couple makes in order to spend the rest of their lives together. Even think of friends working together, achieving greater things than what any of them could accomplish alone.

“Love is what connects those. Love is the power that drives human bonds, and it manifests in infinite and ever-changing forms.  It’s what pushes humans to do extraordinary acts… and human potential is astonishingly powerful, don’t you think? *heart*”

I slowly nodded. When Ionia put it that way, it did make sense. All the sacrifices Dad made over the last three years in order to care for me… all the times I watched out for Lucas when we were little… all the ways Mom and Dad showed their love for each other… all the fun me and Lucas and Fuel had playing together… All were memories that I treasured, and that guided and motivated me.

Maybe Love wasn’t such a stupid power, after all.

Suddenly I heard barking – poor Boney must be worried about me!

“Gotta go,” I said, scrambling out of the hot spring.

“Oh, at least tell me your name before you go, my dear child! *heart*”

I paused. “It’s Claus.”

Ionia smiled. “What a nice name! I’m sure we’ll meet again someday... Claus. *heart*”

*

I hurried back down the ladder. “Don’t worry, Boney! I’m coming!” I shouted.

I dropped to the ground and started squeezing the water out of my clothes, being careful not to get any of my robot parts wet.

Boney rushed toward me, barking like mad.

“I found a hot spring – an’ I met this strange Magypsy lady-man-person – an’ I got a special power – an’ I’m super energized right now!” I took a quick breath. “Sorry, I’m prob'ly not makin’ any sense. Let’s get movin’ again – I’ll tell you all about it on the way.”

We left the butterfly colony and plunged into the next tunnel. This looked like another long one – I couldn’t even see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I wasn’t intimidated – I felt like I could run for days.

As we went, I prattled on about what happened and my new powers. Boney said nothing, more focused on keeping up with my sudden burst of speed.

Suddenly I heard some growls and snarls up ahead.

I slowed down. “Hey, that sounds like a dog – friend of yours, Boney?” I joked.

Without warning, a large shape leaped at me. I stepped backward – a large dog-like creature pounced on where I’d been standing a moment before. It looked a lot like a light-furred, mangy version of Boney – except it had a mushroom for a tail and another mushroom growing out of its head, making it look like it was wearing a hat.

Muttshroom. Type: Biological chimera. Ramblin’ Mushroom’s best friend.

The Muttshroom hissed and growled at us, angry that we had invaded its territory. To make matters worse, another Ramblin’ Mushroom ran up, ready to join in the upcoming fight.

Luckily I had a plan.

“Stay back, Boney,” I ordered. “I wanna try somethin’.”

I concentrated. How was I supposed to use PK Love?

I thought about my loved ones. I imagined they were here and cheering me on. Dad… Mom… Grandpa Alec… Fuel… and… Lucas…

Warning: Abnormal brain activity detected. Subject activating PSI potential.

Suddenly blue light exploded from my fingertips. A spiraling vortex of energy sprung to life, lighting up the whole cavern. There was an explosion, followed by a loud bang.

It took a while to blink the spots out of my eyes. But once my vision cleared, I could see that the two chimeras were nowhere in sight. The train tracks were scorched, though, and there was a small crater in the tunnel wall.

I laughed. Wow. The power of Love really was strong, after all.

“That was awesome!!” I cheered.

Boney whined, startled by the destructive power.

“C’mon, let’s get through the rest of this tunnel. Race ya, Boney!” I shouted.

I sprinted ahead. Boney barked in alarm – he wasn’t so excited about rushing through a dark, chimera-infested tunnel. But I didn’t care. I could handle anything.

I was unstoppable.

*

It took another ten or twenty minutes to get through the rest of the tunnel. I noticed some chimeras cowering against the tunnel walls – they must’ve been frightened of my new power.

I burst out into the sunlight. We were in a red rock canyon that reminded me a lot of Drago Plateau. Craggy cliffs towered around us. The train tracks crossed a deep gorge, over a huge bridge made out of red metal stuff.

A loud buzzing sound pierced the air. I glanced up – a large black shape was zooming down toward us. It was a rodent with a propeller rotating rapidly around its head. It even had flight goggles and a jetpack strapped on it, as if that was someone’s cruel idea of a joke.

Really Flying Mouse. Type: Mechanical chimera. No, really, it’s flying!

This was another one Fuel told me about. I scoffed at the strange name – it was obvious the mouse was flying, no need to say it was really flying.

The Really Flying Mouse hovered for a moment, like an extra-large, extra-deadly mosquito. Then it swooped in and snapped its teeth.

I ducked, but not quickly enough – it bit off some of my hair. I hissed in outrage – I was proud of that cowlick!

The flying mouse swung for another pass. This time I was ready. I concentrated-

“Take THAT!”

Another wave of blue energy exploded from my hands. The flying mouse shrieked in pain. Boney howled, quickly scrambling out of the way.

Um, oops.

“Sorry, Boney!” I called. I’d have to be more careful where I aimed.

We hurried on. My feet echoed weirdly as we crossed over the big bridge.

Once we got to the other side, the ground started shaking. I stepped off the tracks, thinking it was an oncoming train. But then mounds of dirt started kicking up, and three heads poked out of the ground. They belonged to moles with the cockiest, nastiest grins I’ve ever seen. Their eyes glinted red – it looked like they had mechanical eyes, just like me. They raised their arms – no, drills , their arms were drills – and shot out of the ground.

I could only stare in horrified fascination. If the Squawking Sticks were at least cute, and the Slitherhens and Muttshrooms amusing in their own demented way, then these ones were downright sickening. Someone had taken their arms and replaced them with weapons. They walked on mechanical feet. I shuddered.

Reconstructed Mole. Type: Mechanical chimera. Its drill is strong enough to pierce the heavens.

Geez, what a bad name. I mean, at least the name Slitherhen was clever. This one was just pointing out the obvious.

The moles charged toward us, waving their drills menacingly.

No way was I letting that attack us. Fortunately I didn’t have to, thanks to my new power.

It took longer for the blue wave to form – guess I was running low on PSI energy or whatever. Still, it was enough to get the job done – Boney and I hurried into the next tunnel before another pack of moles could ambush us.

I panted. The buzz and excitement was finally starting to wear off, and I was getting tired from fending off all these chimeras. How many more of these things was I gonna have to fight?!

Luckily the next tunnel seemed super short – the light at the end seemed so close, I could reach out and touch it. I felt a surge of excitement – we were almost there, I just knew it.

We ran along. The tunnel was very narrow, and there didn’t seem to be any chimeras inside.

Huh. The light at the end seemed to be getting much closer than we were running.

I stopped. The light was still moving toward us. It was also accompanied by a loud-

“TRAIN!!” I screamed.

I grabbed Boney and lunged off the tracks.

Far too quickly for comfort, a train came roaring by. I covered my ears – I thought trains were noisy before, but now I was lying right next to one! I huddled as the train zoomed by and whipped at my hair and clothes.

Once the train was a safe distance away, I lay still for several heartbeats, catching my breath. That was way too close – Dad would’ve freaked.

Finally I got back to my feet. Close call or no, I had a job to do.

A few minutes later we emerged from the tunnel, ending up at another plateau-looking area.

The train platform was just up ahead - we’d finally arrived!

“Woo!” I shouted.

It was pretty deserted around here. In fact, all I could see were some unfamiliar chimeras – cows with snake necks and snake tails.

Cattlesnake. Type: Biological chimera. DANGER! DO NOT ENGAGE!

Wow – if these ‘Cattlesnakes’ needed a warning and all those other chimeras didn’t, these ones must be deadly.

Fortunately the Cattlesnakes seemed relatively docile, and were content to just graze – they didn’t seem to notice me or Boney.

After carefully edging our way past the Cattlesnakes, I stopped to read a small sign: We’re increasing the number of Cattlesnakes in this area. They are extremely dangerous – for your safety, please exercise caution and view them from a safe distance. P.S. DO NOT FEED THE CHIMERAS!! – Happy Chimera Care Team

Happy Chimera Care Team? What a load of nonsense – I was anything but happy in the Pigmasks’s care.

I peered a bit closer. It looked like “Happy Chimera Care Team” had been clumsily painted over something else. I could make out some faint letters: Ch----a ------tory.

That was… interesting. I made a note in my memory banks for later.

I turned and headed for the platform – the factory and Club Titiboo had to be close by. Someone had stuck a bunch of Squawking Sticks in the way – the bird heads squawked angrily as we squeezed by, staying out of pecking range.

Behind the train platform was a big white building. This had to be the factory – Ionia was right, it was pretty ugly.

I hurried up to the building. The first thing I saw was an orange-jumpsuit-ed Butch lounging outside beside a bunch of crates and steel beams. 

“I wasn’t slacking off!” he blurted out. “I was – keepin’ an eye out for people who are slacking off! Yeah, that’s right!”

I ignored him, seeing some gigantic signs up ahead – they flashed “CLUB TITIBOO” in bright lights and garish colours. It hurt my eyes to look at, but at least I knew I was going the right way.

We hurried past the signs, emerging into a clearing surrounded by purple-tinted trees – this was probably the ‘Murasaki Forest’ that Ionia mentioned. Past that was a red building with ‘Ropeway’ labelled in neon letters. It had a funny half-triangle roof, and was sending out rectangular vehicles along a thick cable.

I squirmed with excitement. This must be the ropeway to Club Titiboo! We were almost there!

I approached the uniformed man standing right outside the small building.

“Can you take me to Club Titiboo, please?” I called.

He held out his hand. “Tickets, please,” he said.

I frowned. “Huh?”

“You need a ticket to ride the ropeway,” the man explained.

“Well, then give me one!”

“I’m sorry – I don’t sell tickets, I just collect them. You’ll have to get them somewhere else.”

I scowled and stomped off. Boney followed behind me, whimpering.

Butch was still lounging outside the factory.

“That man won’t let me go to Club Titiboo!” I complained to him.

“That’s ‘cause they don’t want people slacking off – which, in case anyone asks, I am definitely not doing,” Butch explained slowly. “They give out free tickets to factory workers who worked hard during the day.”

Great, now I had to go to the factory too?! It was already 4:56 PM – I was gonna be so late! Why was everything going wrong?!

Focus, I told myself. Just get into that club and find Duster. Do it for Lucas.

Butch raised an eyebrow. “Wait… why’s a kid like you interested in Club Titiboo anyway?”

“It’s a secret!” I said. “Don’t ask me, or else I – I’ll tell ‘em you’re slacking off!!”

Butch’s eyes widened. “Oh, no! Anything but that!”

Before he could ask any more pointed questions, I hurried back to the entrance of the factory. 

Biff was standing outside – unlike his brother Butch, he was as tall and stringy as a beanpole. I was surprised that two brothers could look so different!

“Oh, hey, h-human chimera – I-I mean, Claus!” Biff called nervously. “S-surprise to see you out here!”

“I’m just here ‘cause I wanna go to Club Titiboo!”

“W-well, you’ve come to the right place – that’s why we come here too, if you know what I mean.” He shuffled his feet. “The work here’s hard, but everyone gets a free ticket to Club Titiboo at the end of their shift. They’re even letting kids work here now, so...”

“Thanks, Biff,” I said quickly, before he got suspicious like Butch did.

With that, Boney and I stepped into the factory.

Chapter Text

The factory was really noisy once I got inside, with strange machines humming away. I resisted the urge to cover my ears – all this noise was gonna give me a headache!

Isaac was standing just inside, supervising one of the machines. He was clad in an orange jumpsuit, like all the factory workers. I hoped I wouldn’t have to wear one – much as I loved orange, they were really ugly, even uglier than the stupid pig-like uniforms the Pigmasks wore.

“Oh, hey, Claus,” Isaac called slowly. “Are you gonna start working here too?”

“I guess so,” I muttered.

Isaac shrugged and pointed to a blue Pigmask seated at a desk. “Well, if you do feel like working, I’m sure they’ll hire you. Go talk to the Pigmask at the front desk – he can find something for you to do.”

That was when I noticed something wrong with Isaac’s hand. It was… metal?

“Hey, what happened to your hand?” I asked.

“Oh – I had an accident when cutting lumber. I was worried that no one would come – my cabin’s out in Sunshine Forest, you know.” Isaac lived out alone in Sunshine Forest – I don’t think he had many friends in the village. He was really close to some of the Pigmasks, though - I'd seen him at the Pigmask training ground often enough.

“Luckily some Pigmasks stopped by on patrol and rushed me to the hospital. They had to amputate my arm, but they were able to fashion a mechanical arm for me.” He clenched his fist a few times. It was so natural and fluid – not at all like the jerky movements after my own accident. He grinned. “And it’s all thanks to the Fascinating Chimera Project. The Pigmasks can sure do some amazing things with cybernetics – you should really upgrade to a robotic arm sometime.”

“Um, no thanks,” I said quickly, grimacing.

I hurried over to the front desk. The sooner I got out of this weird place, the better.

A blue Pigmask was sitting there. Unlike most Pigmasks, this one was wearing a nametag – ‘MR. BROWN’.

“Hey, suspicious fellow!” barked the Pigmask apparently named Mr. Brown. “You here to work, or you here to gawk?”

“I hafta get to Club Titiboo!” I protested.

“What’s that – you want to go to Club Titiboo? That’s a special place for the workers here to go and relieve their daily exhaustion. If you absolutely HAVE to go there, it’s simple – just do some part-time work here. We could always use some youthful energy around here.”

Youthful energy? The spurt of energy from my PSI was long gone, and I was feeling the exhaustion from running through four consecutive tunnels.

Still, I had no choice – this was my best (and only) chance of getting into Club Titiboo. “Sure, sign me up,” I said with fake cheeriness.

“Okay, kid – I’ll only say this once, so listen up.”

I started my phonological loop, recording his instructions.

“For your part-time work, you’ll be transporting Claymen. First, go all the way inside and climb down the ladder – you’ll find a bunch of Claymen working in the area below. Some of them will be almost out of energy. You’ll know them when you see them, they’ll be all mopey-looking. Now, what you need to do is bring them back up here and take them to the recharging station – that’ll be the red machine in the next room. Once you’ve finished charging, I dunno, three of them, you’re done – come back here and you’ll get your pay and ticket.” 

He cleared his throat and took out a sheet of paper from his desk. “So if you’re in agreement with all that, go ahead and sign this document here. It’s for our records and stuff.”

I glanced over the document. It had tiny text and a bunch of big words. Unfortunately the only big words I knew were from robotics and biology – they didn’t help me decipher stuff like ‘termination policy’.

I shrugged and signed it. It probably wasn’t important.

Mr. Brown nodded in satisfaction. “Okay, everything seems to be in order. Great to have you on board, kid – head down the ladder at the back to get started. Oh, one more thing...” He gestured to Boney. “We have a special work program for dogs, with special dog things to do to keep them busy. You, dog! Go on ahead and do what boss dog tells you.”

Boney whined and slunk off.

“It’s okay, Boney! I’ll see you soon!” I called with encouragement.

“All right, hop to it, kid – you have a job to do!” Mr. Brown barked.

I nodded and headed into the factory.

I found Bud and Lou in the next room, standing next to a strange red machine – I guess this was the recharge machine Mr. Brown was talking about. I also saw a bunch of strange creatures – they looked like big, human-shaped lumps of clay with red antennas sticking out of their heads. They lumbered around the room slowly, occasionally making deep moaning sounds. They didn’t look like chimeras, but they sure were creeping me out.

“Wh-what’re those?” I blurted out.

“Oh, those’re Claymen,” Bud remarked. “Surely you’ve seen them before?”

I shook my head. “First time coming here.” And the last, if I could help it.

“Claymen are… creatures, I suppose… that the Pigmasks made,” Lou explained. “It’s clay that’s been re-animated and brought to life, so to speak. They’re the workhorses of this here factory – they can go nonstop for hours, and if they ever run out of power, all it takes is a little shock on this baby to get ‘em going again. Remarkable, don’tcha think?”

Reanimated... brought to life... I shuddered.

I hurried to the next room. There was a gaping hole in the middle and a ladder leading down. At the far end of the room were some treadmills – Boney was running on one of them, seemingly enjoying himself. A few other weird machines I didn’t recognize were lined up against the walls. Some of the men from the village were bustling around, like Jonel and Paul. I wasn’t sure what they were doing, but they looked busy – it must be important.

I climbed down the ladder, which took me to a mine-like area. Several Claymen were digging away with shovels under the watchful eye of some Pigmasks. A path through the mine was marked out with white stripes.

I followed the path, heading deeper and deeper into the cavern – it sure went a long way. I passed through a second cavernous room, then a third.

At the very end was a weird-looking Clayman. It was droopy-looking, and it moved slowly – it must’ve been exhausted, just like me. I guess this was one of the Claymen I was supposed to bring back for ‘recharging’.

“Hey, Mr. Clayman, come here – I’m gonna recharge you,” I called.

The Clayman moaned, and took one stumbling step forward. Then it stopped.

Great. I was gonna have to do this myself.

I walked behind the Clayman and gave it a great big shove. It stumbled forward. I sighed – that was one step for claykind, only a billion more to go.

I kept prodding the Clayman along. The path back to the entrance seemed a lot longer than on the way in. By the time I finally got back to the entrance ladder, I was panting with exhaustion.

A Pigmask was waiting beside the ladder. “You’re taking that Clayman to be recharged, eh? Hold on a sec.” They shoved it onto some kind of red platform beside the ladder. “I use this lift to send low-energy Claymen back to the ground floor. Hop on – I’ll give you a ride, too.”

I followed the Clayman onto the platform.

The Pigmask pressed something on the wall. The platform started rising with a whirring sound, and shuddered to a stop once we were back at the factory floor. 

I sighed and started pushing the Clayman again, every step painful. Please let this be over soon… please be over…

Finally I got the Clayman back to where Bud and Lou were waiting.

“Good, you found a Clayman already,” Lou remarked. “Stand back – we’ll recharge it for you.”

Working together, Bud and Lou lifted the Clayman onto their weird red machine. Then Bud threw a switch.

Electricity coursed through the Clayman, accompanied by a loud buzzing hum. When it was over, the Clayman hopped off the machine and rushed off to the factory floor – I couldn’t believe such a big hulking figure could move so fast!

“See? One shock, and it’s all ready to go. Science sure is amazing, innit?” said Bud.

I stared at the machine. So the Pigmasks could control lightning, too... I shuddered briefly.

“You should get back to work – keep those Claymen coming!” Lou said.

I nodded – the sooner I got this done, the better.

I headed back down the ladder. Luckily I saw another wonky Clayman right away – that would be two out of three. I hauled it over to where the platform-operating Pigmask was waiting.

“Wow, you look tired,” noted the Pigmask. “You can use our Instant Revitalization Device – it’s the black capsule beside the treadmills. It’ll make you feel good as new – and ready to get back to work!”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

I pushed the Clayman back to where Bud and Lou were waiting, every muscle in my body aching in protest.

“We’ll take it from here,” Lou offered. “You go finish up.”

I nodded and hurried back to the factory floor. Sure enough, there was a weird black machine standing next to the treadmills. It had the Pigmask logo (a pink pig’s snout) proudly stamped on the front, and looked large enough to hold a big-size person like Dad. There were also a bunch of weird pipes sticking out on top. 

Okay… how was I supposed to use it?

I experimentally pressed a red button on the side. The front part swung open like a door, revealing a small chamber. I cautiously stepped inside.

The door slid shut all on its own. I felt a sudden surge of panic – the capsule seemed a lot smaller now that I was trapped inside. I wasn’t the least bit scared of the dark, but for some reason this weird enclosed space was freaking me out.

I pounded on the door. “Lemme out!” I shouted. My voice echoed – I didn’t think anyone outside could hear me.

Suddenly weird metal things slid out and clamped my hands and feet in place. I screamed.

Subject experiencing sudden onset of fear. Activating fight-flight response…

My heart started pounding, and my palms got all clammy with sweat. I recognized it as my body’s simulated ‘stress response’ – my mechanical systems were in overdrive, preparing me to fight or run away. But that didn’t help when I couldn’t even move!

A weird mechanical voice chimed, “Subject in place. Initiating revitalization process.”

There was a loud whirring sound, then a bright light shone and scanned me all over. Needles pierced my body. I thrashed against the restraints, desperately trying to escape. Being trapped in this weird dark place while weird things were happening – it was all too much! At least in my maintenance appointments I could see what they were doing to me.

Finally there was a loud ding sound. “Revitalization complete.”

The metal restraints released me with a hiss, and the door swung open.

I rushed out, breathing hard. My heart was pounding like crazy – usually it was super-quiet, to the point where even my enhanced hearing couldn’t pick it up. But right now, I could swear everyone in the factory could hear it.

I leaned against the wall, catching my breath. Finally my heart quieted, and my body stopped trembling. I quickly brought up my vitals - sure enough, they were all in the normal range.

At least the machine seemed to have done its job – there was no trace of my earlier exhaustion. It wasn’t like my earlier reckless burst of energy, but at least I didn’t feel like I was gonna collapse at any second.

I climbed back down the ladder. One more Clayman, I told myself. Just one more, and then I can leave this horrid place.

I hurried back through the mine area, trying to find another close-by Clayman I could recharge. No luck in the first room. I did find one in the second area, all the way at the bottom of a dug-out crater.

I groaned. That was still such a long way to go. I just wanted this to be over.

“C’mon, hurry up,” I muttered as I shoved the Clayman along.

Wait a minute… if the recharge machine just shot lightning…

I concentrated, trying to summon my PSI. If I could get my lightning PSI to work, I could give the Clayman a little boost of energy – then I wouldn’t have to work as hard to push it out!

I placed my hand on the Clayman. Just a little bit, I told myself. Just enough to get it moving again.

Instead my hand exploded with sparks. A massive surge of lightning poured into the Clayman.

The Clayman jerked and moaned, then suddenly took off – right into the wall.

A nearly Pigmask squealed in alarm and ran over. “Oh my PORK – what was that?!”

“Uh-”

“How’d you get the Clayman to move like that?”

Somehow I knew it wasn’t a good idea to tell the Pigmasks about my PSI. They’d ask too many questions – and then poke and prod me more to figure out how it worked.

“I… um… kicked it. And called it names.” It was the best lie I could think of – after all, that’s what I’d seen the Pigmasks do to the Claymen when they didn’t do what they wanted.

“Huh. Y’mean that actually works?! Guess I just have to try some meaner names. Like… ‘fussbucket’.” The Pigmask shook their head. “Anyway, you better get this one back to the recharging station – gotta do things properly, you know.”

The Clayman slowly pried itself off the wall, then lumbered towards me.

“C’mon, Mr. Clayman,” I called. “Follow me.”

The Clayman followed me out of the mine. It moved very slowly, hardly faster than if I was pushing it. Still, at least it was less exhausting this way.

Get to the platform – ride it up – push the Clayman to where Bud and Lou were waiting-

Finally I was done.

“Good job today, kid,” complimented Mr. Brown once I got back to the front desk, Boney in tow. “Time to get a reward for your hard work. Here’s your pay – and your ticket to Club Titiboo.”

He handed me a piece of paper, then dropped some coins into my pocket. 200 DP. I had to stop myself from yelling – I’d never seen so much at once in my entire life!

I mumbled a quick “Thanks”, then headed out.

*

I hurried back to the ropeway, clutching my ticket. It was already getting dark outside. 6:34 PM. How was it so late?!

The man in the uniform quickly glanced at the ticket, then gestured to one of the cabins waiting to be pulled up. “Everything seems to be in order. Hop in, you two.”

I shook with excitement as Boney and I climbed in. I was so close!

The ropeway car whisked us up through the purple-tinted Murasaki Forest, all the way up a cliff. I pressed my nose against the window, peering at the scenery rapidly flashing by.

“Wow,” I breathed once we reached the top. We were so high up – even higher than Mt. Oriander! I wished it was still daytime – the view would’ve been spectacular.

As we climbed out, I noticed some weird pole things arranged along the cliff. There was a sign nearby: Binoculars – 1 DP.

I shrugged. 1 DP wasn’t very much, especially when I had 215 DP on hand. Might as well…

I slid a coin into the indicated slot, then peered into the ‘binoculars’.

Whoa! Suddenly everything was big and super close - it was like I had extra-powerful mechanical eyes.

A weird, really tall building made out of red metal stuff filled my vision. For some reason, it had a big yellow ball perched at the top - and on top of that was a black pointy thing that looked kinda like the guns the Pigmasks carried.

I gasped. What a strange building! I wondered what it could possibly be for.

Suddenly everything went black. I scowled – it looked like ‘binoculars’ had a 30-second time limit.

I shook my head. I wasted enough time already – I had to go find Duster!

There was a big building a few yards away. This place had to be Club Titiboo – it was pretty ugly, actually. Gaudy lights flashed and hurt my eyes. Weird statues of cross-legged, big-eared animals with long slender noses were placed outside the door (some sort of chimera, maybe?). Jets of fire shot into the sky.

It was like the Happy Boxes – all flash, no substance. I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about.

I hurried up to the entrance, Boney at my heels. There were two burly men in red uniforms standing guard – one had big scraggy hair and a beard that covered his entire neck, while the other was completely bald with bare skin on his head.

“Hey!” yelled Neck Beard. “No dogs allowed! And no unaccompanied minors, either!”

“But I have a ticket!” I protested, waving it in the air.

Skin Head snatched it out of my hand, glanced it over, and tossed it aside. “That’s just the ticket for the ropeway,” he sneered. “Says nothin’ about us havin’ to let you in.”

Boney made an especially pathetic whine. Skin Head just snorted, clearly not impressed.

“Get outta here! Scram!” Neck Beard yelled.

Seriously?! After everything I’d been through to get here, I was not getting turned away at the door.

“Fine,” I muttered, stomping off. If these men weren’t gonna let me in, I’d just find another way inside.

Five minutes later, no such luck. There were no windows, back doors, or anything. I did find a dumpster, though.

Out of desperation, I lifted the dumpster open. I grimaced – it was so stinky!

I noticed some perfectly good clothes in there. Who threw away clothes?! Even if they were torn or too small, you could always make them into rags and use them as washcloths or something!!

Then I got an idea.

“C’mere, Boney,” I called. Pigmasks were big and mean, but not very bright. These men were probably the same – if they didn’t allow dogs, I’d just disguise Boney as a human!

I pulled out some of the clothes – a green t-shirt and a colourful red-and-white hat. I pulled the shirt over Boney, who whimpered in protest.

“It’s just until we get inside,” I reassured him, placing the hat on his head. “These guys don’t like dogs, so I’m gonna sneak you in!”

I hauled Boney to his feet, so that he was standing on his hind legs – if he was gonna be a human, he’d have to walk like one too. Then I hurried back to the entrance, Boney stumbling after me.

Skin Head cocked an eyebrow. “Hey – it’s that kid from before! And some dog-like dude.”

“Yeah. And that dog he had is gone,” remarked Neck Beard.

They glanced at each other.

“This seems awfully suspicious to me – I think he’s tryin’ to pull a fast one on us.”

“Yeah, let’s pulverize ‘em!”

I clenched my fists, ready to fight back.

Suddenly I heard a new, considerably nicer voice. “Why, if it isn’t the underage-looking Poo and the dog-smelling Wuuf! *giggle*”

I opened my mouth, about to protest at the rude names, but Boney whacked me with his paw.

Someone walked up behind the two men. It was a young woman with pink hair and a white skirted uniform. I frowned - was this supposed to be another Magypsy? This person had the same pink hair as Ionia, but otherwise wasn’t nearly so… strange.

The two men turned to face her, blushing. Huh. Even the men were so girl-crazy nowadays.

“These friends of yours, Violet?” asked Neck Beard.

“We were… welcoming them in. Yeah,” added Skin Head.

The two men waved us inside, just like that.

We followed the lady into the building. I had no idea who she was, or if she had somehow mistaken us for some other underage-looking kid and dog-smelling dude, but I didn’t care – we were finally getting into Club Titiboo!

*

The inside was just as gaudy as the exterior. We entered a big lobby area with a very bright red-and-yellow checkered carpet. Music blared from some speakers. Colourful posters were tacked on the walls.

The pink-haired lady drew me aside and hissed in my ear. “Listen up, but don’t change your expression. D’you remember me? I know I’m dressed in this crappy girl outfit, but it’s me – Kumatora! You saved me at Sunshine Forest a couple years ago, remember?”

“Uh-” Either my memory was much worse than I thought, or this lady was mistaking me for someone else. Someone like – Lucas!

I gulped nervously.

“Idiot, don’t change your expression!” she hissed. “I’ll explain everything later. The show’s about to start – go on inside and find some empty seats. Keep an eye on the bass player, he should look awfully familiar.”

Was she looking for Duster too? And what was a bass player anyway – someone with a big fish?

Suddenly she leaned away and giggled. “Enjoy the show, mister!” Then she headed toward some big double doors.

I stood there, dumbfounded. She must’ve mistaken me for Lucas.

It was an easy mistake to make, especially if she hadn't seen him in several years – we were indistinguishable apart from our hair, a fact that I’d used for plenty of fun hijinks in the past (with many apologies to Lucas afterwards!).

But then… that meant this pink-haired person knew Lucas! I decided I'd play along and pretend to be Lucas – maybe she’d tell me where the real Lucas was!

“Heya, kid!” called a man by the wall. “If you’re just gonna stand around gaping, why don’tcha come check out some of my merch!”

I shrugged. “Uh… okay. Sure.”

I signalled for Boney to stay, then hurried over. The man had a bunch of boxes of stuff – one seemed to have a bunch of t-shirts, while another had hats.

“It’s my homemade DCMC merch!” he exclaimed proudly. “I’ve got hats, t-shirts, rings, and more! And if anything breaks or rips, I’ll spend all night fixing it! Nah, just kidding, har har! I kid a lot!” He laughed heartily. “Well, anything I can get ya, kid?”

Perfect – I could get Wess’s ‘proof’ while I was here.

“D’you have anything with the band’s faces on it?” I asked.

“I sure do!” He dug in one of his boxes, pulling out some kind of booklet. “This here commemorative pamphlet has bios on all the members!”

I flipped through the pamphlet curiously. Sure enough, there were full-colour pictures of all the band members. One of them immediately leapt out at me – ‘Lucky’ the ‘bassist’ looked an awful lot like Duster, except with big poofy hair. He even had the same funny leg as Duster.

“I’ll take it,” I said quickly.

“Sure thing, kid – that’ll be 100 DP.”

100 DP?! For a piece of paper?! That was half of my factory earnings!!

Still, I forked over the DP.

“Pleasure doing business with ya, kid,” the man said, shaking my hand. “The name’s Bradley, by the way – although I wanna change it to Shimmy, after my favourite DCMC member. After all, I’m the world’s second-biggest DCMC fan!”

I frowned. “Who’s the first?”

“Trust me, you’ll know him when you see him. He’s the biggest fan around – in more ways than one, har har!” He grinned. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer – the show’s gonna start in a few minutes!”

I checked my clock. 6:54 PM. That probably meant the show would start at 7, or a bit after (people were never on time!).

“Thanks, Bradley!” I called, then Boney and I hurried through the double doors where ‘Kumatora’ (but didn’t the men call her Violet?) went.

It was a gigantic room, though unfortunately still garish. Huge tables were everywhere, filled with cheering people. I recognized a few people from the village, including Tessie and Thomas (he was wearing another orange jumpsuit – he must have come straight from the factory).

“Let’s get a seat at the front!” I hissed to Boney, wobbling on his hind legs.

Boney and I hurried to the front of the room. I made a beeline for some comfy-looking couches right in front of the stage, plopping down in an empty one. I sighed happily – it was so comfy!!

Another white-uniformed woman came up to me. “I’m sorry,” she called breezily. “Those are reserved for our VIP customers only.”

Just to prove that we were unwelcome, the person in the couch next to us started yelling too. “Yeah! You guys stink!”

I gasped – this was the largest person I‘d ever seen. He had huge arms, giant gold bracelets, and a t-shirt that proudly declared him as “The DCMC’s #1 Fan!!”. This must’ve been who Bradley was talking about.

“You’re ruining my concert!” the world’s biggest DCMC fan roared. “Get outta my face!!”

I yelped and scrambled back to the safety of the tables, Boney hurrying after me.

Geez, what a bully – someone ought to teach him a lesson. Still, I wasn’t gonna pick a fight with him, not when he was so big – and not when I had a job to do!

I passed by where Tessie was sitting - I hurried away before she could notice me, knowing she'd ask me a bunch of well-intended but pointed questions. (She was one of the nicer villagers, and used to babysit me and Lucas when we were little. I didn’t get to see her much anymore, though – she worked at Yado Inn, and all the tourists staying there kept gawking at me!)

Finally I found an empty table all the way at the back of the room. Boney leapt up in one of the chairs, grateful to get off his hind legs.

Just as we were getting settled, ‘Kumatora’ or ‘Violet’ or whatever her name was came by. “What would you like to order, mister? *giggle*”

“Excuse me?” What was she talking about? And why was she acting so weird – all serious and hush-hush one moment, all bubbly and giggly the next?

“You must be new – I’m taking drink orders, mister! *giggle*”

Then why didn’t she just say so?! And why’d she hafta make that annoying high-pitched giggle after every sentence?!

“I’ll have… milk, I guess.” After all, it was fresh, nutritious, and helped grow strong bones (or so Dad says).

She frowned. “You want… milk? *giggle* I’m sorry, mister, we don’t have milk. *giggle*”

Thomas snorted loudly from one table over. “Pfft, milk! What a bumpkin! Never mind that – Violet babe, get this young man here a Big City Cola! And get a Fizzy Soda for his tall, dark friend! It’ll be on me, the great Thomas, of course!”

“Certainly, sir – so that’s one Big City Cola instead of milk, and one Fizzy Soda. Coming right up! *giggle*”

Violetatora headed out the big double doors, then came back a few moments later with a drink tray.

“Here you go, gentlemen! *giggle*” She slid two drinks over to me and Boney. As she did so, she leaned in close and hissed in my ear. “Don’t change your expression. There’s a lot we need to chat about, so come meet me in the lobby after the show – I’ll take you somewhere private where we can talk.” Then she leaned back out again. “I hope you’re excited – the show will start any moment! *giggle*”

She hurried off to deliver drinks to the other tables.

Thomas whistled. “Heeey, Claus – you and Violet were acting awfully close! Wha’tcha talkin’ about?”

“None of your business,” I snapped. How rude – people shouldn’t eavesdrop!

Angrily I took a sip of ‘Cola’. I made a face – it was disgusting!! I forced myself not to spit it out.

I shoved the drink aside. Boney whined and batted his own drink toward me with his paw.

“Aw, thanks, Boney,” I said. 

I took a cautious sip of the ‘Soda’. It was weird and bubbly, and made my tongue feel funny. Still, at least it didn’t make me gag in disgust. I greedily gulped it down – after all the running and shoving I did today, I was thirsty!

Just then, the lights dimmed. The crowd murmured in excitement – “Oooh, it’s starting!”, “Wooo, it’s the DCMC!!”, “I love you, Baccio!”

A voice boomed, “Ladies and gentlemen… the DCMC!!!”

“Tonda Gossa!!” the crowd roared in response.

Bright lights flooded the stage. Five figures rushed out, all dressed in matching pink suits.

“Everyone, give it up for the DCMC! Iiiiit’s… Baccio, our hale and hearty drummer! Shimmy Zmizz, the keyboard master! Magic, rockin’ out on guitar! Lucky, the wildest bassist in the west! And last but not certainly not least, that’s OJ bringin’ class on that saxophone!”

Spotlights shone on each band member in turn, each of them playing a few chords on their chosen instrument. 

I zoomed in when it was Lucky’s turn. It was a bit hard to see with the bright lights flooding my vision, but he certainly looked a lot like Duster. His face matched up with my childhood memories: a big nose, shallow cheeks, and a wispy moustache. I couldn’t see his bad leg, since his instrument (a big brown thing – the bass?) was in the way. He also had the same poofy hair as in the pamphlet – that definitely wasn’t there when Duster was back in Tazmily. That was a lot of hair to grow in three years!

The entire stage lit up. One of the guys – OJ, I think? – stepped up to a black device perched on a tall pole.

“Oh my PORK, we’ve got a big crowd tonight!” he exclaimed. I flinched – whatever that black thing was, it was amplifying his voice and making it echo all around the room! “Okay, who’s excited?”

The crowd cheered.

“I can’t heaaar you! Louder!!”

I groaned. Was he deaf?! The crowd was so loud already, and it hurt – why’d he want them to yell even louder?!

The crowd started roaring enthusiastically. Some of them clapped, some of them stomped their feet – the big man at the front was even pounding his chest!

“Whoa, that’s a bit too much excitement here – tone it down, we gotta save some for the end of the show! You too, Trooper – you’re ratting our cymbals!”

Finally the crowd settled down.

“All right, everyone! We’ve got a great show in store for you tonight, so let’s dive right into things. This first number’s for all you Pigmasks in the crowd. It’s dedicated to a little guy with big dreams. That’s right, it’s… King P’s Theme!!”

King P? Was he some sort of Pigmask?

The lights dimmed. Then a single spotlight shone over Magic. He started strumming his guitar, the chords echoing throughout the room. He started going faster and faster – and then the rest of the band joined in a rushing crash of sound. 

I tumbled to the floor, clutching my head – it was so loud!!

Coloured lights started rapidly flashing, flooding the stage in a dizzying array of colours. The lights pulsed in time to the pounding, inescapable music.

I screamed. This was all too much – first the loud music, and now all these bright lights! I couldn’t focus! I couldn’t think!

Error: Excessive sensory input. Unable to process. Disabling optical input…

My mechanical eye shut down and plunged into darkness.

I screamed and ran for the doors, covering my ears all the while. Boney yelped and hurried after me.

I slammed through the doors and collapsed to the floor. I could still hear it from the lobby – the music was unbearably loud! I could swear the walls were vibrating! How’d people stand it?!

Boney curled up next to me, licking my face.

“It’s OK, Boney!” I shouted, barely able to hear myself. “Let’s get somewhere quiet!”

I got to my feet and stumbled down the nearest hallway.

There was a door with a handwritten ‘Staff Only – KEEP OUT!’ sign on it. I tried the door, desperately trying to escape the loud music. No luck – it was locked.

Just then, the pink-haired lady came back.

“Oh, done so soon? *giggle*”

I shook my head. I was so overwhelmed, I couldn’t even talk!

Abruptly she dropped her perkiness. “Whatever. Makes things simpler.”

She kicked one of the squares of carpet – it rolled off, revealing a trap door.

“In here,” she ordered, yanking it open. “It’s a secret passage – I’ll meet you on the other side. Hurry, before someone comes.”

She didn’t need to tell me twice – I leapt in the hole, Boney close behind.

The trapdoor slammed shut once we were inside. I took a deep breath – finally it was quiet.

Reboot optical system, I thought. After a moment, my mechanical eye flickered back on.

I summoned some sparks from my hand to light the way. We were in a dark tunnel that was the polar opposite of Club Titiboo – muddy floor, slimy walls, but no garish ‘décor’ anywhere.

Boney and I hurried along for a few minutes, finally arriving at a rope ladder and another trapdoor.

I climbed up, emerging into someone’s bedroom. A girl’s room, most likely – there was squishy purple carpet and striped pink walls.

The pink-haired lady was waiting for us, back to being annoyingly perky. “You finally made it, mister! This is my room – do you like it? We can talk in here! *giggle*” She carefully closed the trap door behind us.

“Now then, let’s get started…” Her eyes narrowed into a glare.

Suddenly she lunged and pinned me to the wall. I gasped – she was so strong!

She pressed a small knife against my neck.

“Who are you – and what the hell did you do with Lucas? ”

Chapter Text

I struggled in the lady’s grip. “That’s what I was gonna ask you – Lucas's my twin brother who’s been missing for three years!”

“Identical twins? Yeah, right – don’t gimme that bullcrap!” she snarled, pressing the knife a little harder against my skin. “Who the hell are you? Are the Pigbutts makin’ clones now or-” she hissed. “That eye! A mechanical chimera?! Those sick bastards, makin’ a child into a-”

While she was distracted, I focused my PSI – a few sparks leapt from my hand and shocked her.

She dropped me and stumbled back, grunting in surprise and pain. “Crap, another PSI user,” she said.

Boney snarled and charged at the lady. She muttered what was probably a bad word, then shot something from her hand.

Suddenly ice formed around Boney’s paws and froze him in place. Boney howled in alarm.

“Hey!” I shouted. “What’d you do to Boney?!”

Without another word she shot more of the stuff at me – ice formed around my arms and body, freezing me to the wall.

“Ah!” I cried. It was so cold!

The lady marched up to me, still waving the knife.

“All right, I’m only gonna repeat this once,” she snarled. “Kid, or chimera, or whatever the hell you are – what did you do to Lucas, you little impostor?!"

“I’m not an impostor! I’m just tryin’ to find my brother!” I wailed. “I came all the way out here ‘cause I wanted to find Duster so Wess would tell me about Lucas-”

“Shut up and answer my question!” She held the knife to my neck.

“I don’t know where Lucas is!! I didn’t do anythin’ to him!! That’s why I’m here – I’m tryin’ to find where-”

Suddenly Boney whined loudly.

The lady scowled and stomped over to Boney. “Look, dog – I don’t know why you’re travelin’ with this kid, or wearing those ridiculous clothes, or if he’s trapped you like that sicko Fassad did with the monkey and his girlfriend-”

“Boney’s the family dog!” I protested. “And I’m nothin’ like Fassad!”

The lady ignored me, pressing her hand to Boney’s forehead. She and Boney fell silent.

After a moment she started talking to herself. “Looks like Lucas had a twin brother after all. Huh – you do look alike.”

”Wait! What’re you doin’?!”

“Just shut up for a moment, willya?” she yelled over her shoulder. She returned to Boney, muttering under her breath. “Okay, so you’ve been living in the village your entire life…” Suddenly she whistled. “You punched Fassad?! Suddenly I don’t completely hate ya – that creepy bastard had it comin’.”

I gasped. How could she know about that?

She rose to her feet. “Hmph – according to your dog, you and Lucas are twin brothers who used to be super close. But then Lucas vanished three years ago – and after that you got turned into a chimera, courtesy of the Pigmasks. So looks like you’re tellin’ the truth, after all.” She glared at me. “But I still don’t trust ya, especially with that PSI of yours. I’m gonna ask you some questions – and you’d better be honest.”

“How’d you talk to Boney?” I interrupted.

“None of your business – I’m the one askin’ the questions, not you,” she snapped. “First off – where’d ya get your PSI?”

“A weird pink-haired lady – no, Magypsy – gave ‘em to me in a hot spring!” I blurted out, panicked. “She’s named Ionia – oh, but she said her friend Aeolia gave me my powers initially-”

“Wait,” she interrupted. “Was that three years ago?”

“Yeah – Aeolia gave them to me when I went off to fight the Drago!”

She groaned and held her head in her hand. “The Magypsies told me they once met another human with PSI – why’d they give PSI to a bloody chimera like you?!”

“That was before I was a chimera! I fought the Drago an' got really hurt, then the Pigmasks found me an' made me a chimera-”

“Shut up, you’re not makin’ any sense! Why’d you fight a Drago? And if that was three years ago, why didn’t – aw, crap.” She leaned against the wall and sighed in exasperation. She started muttering to herself again. “So Wess told Lucas to stay behind and wait for his brother… and Lucas went missing, but his brother came back, according to the dog… ugh, why’s everything so complicated…”

“Huh? What’s this about Wess? An’ Lucas was there too?!”

“I said, I’m the one askin’ the questions here!” she snapped. Then she took a breath. “Okay, so lemme get this straight. Three years ago, you ran off to fight a Drago – you must’ve been a little pipsqueak, what the hell?! – and got yourself killed like an idiot, then the Pigmasks reconstructed you into a mechanical chimera. Lucas disappeared around then too, according to your dog.

“Next question – d’you remember anything about that period? Anything at all?”

I shook my head. “I’ve tried, but – I can’t remember anythin’ between running off with Dad’s knife an’ wakin’ up back home as a chimera!”

She glared. “Are you lyin’ to me?!”

“No – I swear! I wanna do everythin’ I can to find Lucas – same as you!!”

“So you don’t remember anything. Damn.” She sighed and did the weird thing with Boney again. She was gritting her teeth. “Oh, them Pigbutts sure screwed up Tazmily while I was away...”

After a moment, she cocked an eyebrow at me. “Judging by some of your doggy's memories, you’re not exactly the biggest fan of the Pigmasks, despite bein’ one of their chimeras. What’s up with that?”

Memories? Was she somehow reading Boney’s mind?

“I hate the Pigmasks!” I shouted. “They poke and prod me and call me an ‘it’!”

“Hmph.” She turned to face me. Her glare was slightly less hostile now. “All right, kid. Looks like we’re on the same side after all – I’m after the Pigmasks and tryin’ to take ‘em down. I still don’t trust ya, but if you hate the Pigmasks… Well, I need all the help I can get. Especially if that damn Fassad’s got his claws all over Tazmily.” 

She took a deep breath. “I’ll get you outta there, then we’ll sit down and have a chat. You fill me in on what’s happenin' in Tazmily and who the hell you are, and I can explain what I’m tryin’ to do here.”

She concentrated for a moment, then a fire roared to life in her hand. “It’s PSI,” she explained. “It’ll just make a moment to melt the ice, then-” She frowned. “You’re gonna bolt for the door, aren’tcha?”

I grimaced – she must’ve caught me glancing at the door.

“Hey, you’re the one that tried to kill me!” I protested.

She blew out her fire. “Yeah – sorry ‘bout that. I kinda jumped to conclusions – none of the chimeras I’ve met have been very friendly. Look, I’ll getcha outta there and we can start over, m’kay?” 

I nodded.

The lady gestured at the door. “Look, kid, I know you wanna bolt, an’ I don’t exactly blame ya, but it’s not a very good idea. I’ve got those two chuckleheads from out front guardin’ my door. These walls are soundproofed 'cause of the concert hall, so it's not like they'll overhear us, but… Trust me, none of us wants to see what happens if they catch ya sneakin’ around my room.”

She marched to the door and carefully opened it. Sure enough, I caught a glimpse of the two burly men from the entrance to Club Titiboo.

She closed the door. “Don’t worry – I won’t bite ya or anything, now that I know you’re not some weird robot clone of Lucas. So I’ll letcha down, and we’ll have a chat together – agreed?”

I nodded slowly. The sooner I got out of this ice stuff, the better.

She started with Boney first, who barked happily once his paws were free. Then she worked on me – with her flames, the ice melted away in a matter of seconds.

I gasped. “How’re you doin’ that?!”

“Lotta practice, kid – don’t squirm so much, I don’t wanna burn ya.”

Finally we were both free – I plopped down into a sitting position, while Boney curled up at my side.

The lady sat next to us. After a moment, she held out her hand. “Hey, forgot to introduce myself – the name’s Kumatora. What’s yours, kid?”

“It’s Claus,” I muttered, shaking her hand.

“Lucas and Claus, huh…” Kumatora sighed. “Okay, tell ya what. If you can tell me what’s happened to Tazmily, I can tell you a bit about PSI and how I know Lucas.” 

I sat up, interested.

“We’ve got time to kill anyway,” Kumatora continued. “We can’t talk to Duster ‘til the concert’s over.”

“Oh, you lookin’ for Duster, too?”

“Yeah – me, him, and Wess were travelin’ together for awhile, but then we got separated. I’ve been looking for Duster ever since, and finally found him here doin’ gigs.”

“So then Lucky really is Duster, after all?”

Kumatora snorted. “I’ve worked here for two years. I’m damn sure it’s Duster – wouldn’t still be in these crappy girl clothes otherwise.” She sighed. “But that’s a whole ‘nudder story, and we don’t have time for that crap. You start – what’s happened to Tazmily? And why’re you after Duster?”

I took a deep breath. “Well… I suppose it all started three years ago. Me and Lucas… our mom got killed by a chimera… a Mecha-Drago.” I shuddered. No matter that three years had passed – remembering never got any easier. “An’… I tried to avenge her by killin’ the Drago, but… I couldn’t… I wasn’t strong enough…

“After that, the Pigmasks must’ve found me and made me a chimera, ‘cause the first thing I remember is wakin’ up back at Dad’s house an’ I was… well… like this.” I pointed at my mechanical eye, hoping she got the message.

Kumatora cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “Really? The Pigbutts found you hurt – or worse – and they healed you and dropped you off at home? Seems a bit suspicious, don’tcha think?”

I bristled at her tone. “Hey, I’m not lyin’!”

She patted Boney’s head. “I know you’re not – the dog saw ya getting dropped off. I’m just sayin’ it’s not something they’d do outta the goodness of their hearts.” She frowned. “They’re probably using you as a pawn or somethin'.”

I hissed. “Yeah! Fassad keeps showin’ me off like – like a toy! An’ he keeps callin’ me his ‘little human chimera’ and stuff!”

“So you’re basically the Pigbutts’s mascot, eh? I’m surprised all the praise doesn’t go to your head,” Kumatora joked. “They probably spoil you rotten as their special human chimera – I’m surprised you hate them so much.”

I rolled my eyes. “If you were called a ‘cool robot’ an’ had to do complicated math stuff on demand an’ had people arguin’ if you’d be better with a jetpack or laser beams for hours on end, you’d hate the Pigmasks too.”

Kumatora nodded. “Okay, so at least that explains the whole chimera business… Hey, what’re your chimera parts like anyway? I just wanna know what I’m dealing with,” she added hastily at my scowl of displeasure. “Don’t wanna be freaked out if ya suddenly start shootin’ out laser beams or somethin’.”

“Fine,” I muttered. At least it wasn’t like with the doctors or Pigmasks, who seemed very interested in intricate details of my inner workings that were – frankly – none of their business. I was a person, not their toy!

“I’m 30% human, I guess – to be strictly accurate, 34.2% biological components, 65.8% mechanical components. Most if it’s internal – they had to replace a lot of parts that got damaged during my accident.” I unconsciously fell into a flat, detached monotone, as if I was describing a Happy Box instead of my own body. It was a habit I’d developed during my maintenance appointments – I’d quickly gotten tired of answering the same questions every time, and besides my detached attitude helped make the whole thing slightly less sickening. The Pigmasks encouraged it, too – it was exactly the sort of voice they wanted for their ‘cute little robot’.

“I don’t think you really need to know about that stuff – basically I've got artificial organs, I’m heavier than I look, and I've got really fast reflexes. As for my other modifications…” I sighed and quickly rattled them off. “Enhanced hearing and vision. Memory banks for data storage. A phonological loop for recording auditory data. Enhanced processing abilities, along with various computation functions.” Please don’t ask me to demonstrate, I silently begged. The Pigmasks loved that particular feature – for some reason, making a tiny twelve-year old be their human calculator or tape recorder would entertain an entire platoon of Pigmasks for hours on end.

“Oh, and my mechanical eye’s got a retina display that gives me updates and warns me if somethin’s busted - it can even identify chimeras for me. And I’ve got a central processor – a computer that controls everything, and that responds to my thoughts.” I took a breath. “I think that’s everything – I can tell you more details about somethin’, if you like.” I only added that last part to be polite – my tone made it very clear that I’d much rather not talk about my robot parts any longer.

Kumatora nodded. “Hmph. That’s a lot – though I’m surprised the Pigmasks didn’t give ya any weapons. You’d think they’d turn ya into some kinda super-soldier - compared to some of their other chimeras, you’re practically a newborn kitten.”

I thought back to the Reconstructed Moles, their arms replaced with deadly drills. I shuddered.

“Small mercy, I guess,” I muttered.

Although… that was something I’d wondered about also. I’d asked Fassad about it once, after some Pigmasks complained that I wasn’t ‘cool’ enough without weapons. Fassad had explained that my procedure was very experimental – first they needed to develop my life support systems and make sure that I’d actually survive the process, then they prototyped a few additional enhancement functions. The process was very painstaking, with each component needing to be delicately installed and integrated with pre-existing systems – plus, they wanted me done as soon as possible in order to get me back to Dad. Simply put, there hadn’t been time to develop weapons. “And, it would’ve been such a nasty shock to you once you woke up, nwehehehe!”

I’d believed him, at the time. But later, I overheard Fassad explaining to some troops that I was a special ‘civilian model’ of chimera designed to interact with the general public and promote the Fascinating Chimera Project. As a result, I was an exception to the ‘tougher, rougher, badder’ mandate of that project (but still far ‘cooler’ than any normal human). Fassad also said that I was a ‘prototype’ designed to test how biological and mechanical components would integrate in a human subject. I’d been pretty mad when I found out – how dare Fassad make me his personal science project!

“Anyway, enough of that crap.” Kumatora’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts. “Tell me what’s happened to Tazmily.”

I took a deep breath. I explained as best I could Tazmily’s gradual transformation over the last three years. Boney yipped here and there, providing encouragement. 

I stuck mostly to the big stuff – Fassad’s weekly visits, the destruction of Wess’s house and the construction of the shoddy retirement home in its place (Kumatora hissed at that), the new hospital, the Pigmasks’s training ground. I avoided describing changes in the villagers themselves, and some other personal details – the loss of my childhood home was still painful to think about.

“So Fassad only comes once a week – my guess is he has to manage the rest of the Pigbutts in the meantime," Kumatora said.

I nodded – made sense. “Hey, why d’you call them the Pigbutts anyway?”

She shrugged. “It’s just a nickname I came up with – they’re pigs, they’re butts, and it’s rude and demeaning. What more do you want?”

Nothing wrong with that logic – that’s also how Fuel came up with Fatass.

I continued and summarized the events of the day – the scene in the town square, my fight with Fassad, my meeting with Wess, and deciding to go find Duster. After that came meeting Ionia in the hot spring, heading up the ropeway, sneaking into Club Titiboo…

“…So that’s why I’m here, lookin’ for Duster,” I finished.

“Hmph. I under-estimated ya – if Wess trusts you, then you can’t be all bad.”

I winced. “That’s the problem – Wess doesn’t trust me. The only reason he sent me is ‘cause he can’t go on his own – the Pigmasks keep watch over him. So he offered to tell me ‘bout Lucas if I could find Duster for him!”

Kumatora scowled. “Yeah, the Pigbutts would keep Wess as a glorified prisoner, after what we did to ‘em – I’ll explain later,” she added at my puzzled but excited face. “Okay, your story adds up. With Lucas and Duster gone, Fassad basically had the run of the town – people wouldn’t believe old man Wess over him, thanks to Wess’s thief background. Too bad. I was countin’ on Lucas and his – I guess, your dad for some support. But your dad can’t really act against the Pigmasks in his current situation, can he?”

“Oh – why not?” I didn’t understand – was Dad in trouble?

Kumatora made a face. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re a chimera, so you’re relying on the Pigmasks to take care of ya and maintain your mechanical systems, aren’tcha? You’re basically a hostage.”

Fassad’s voice echoed in my head. Let’s not forget who’s responsible for maintaining your life support systems, eh?

I clenched my fists so tight, my fingernails cut into my skin. Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly hate Fassad and the Pigmasks any more…

“Darn it,” I muttered, shaking with anger. Then I bolted to my feet. “Okay, that does it – let’s go find Duster and kick some pig butts!”

“Hold it,” Kumatora said. “Concert’s not over yet. I’m guessin’ you still have questions too – you told me your story, it’s only fair you get to hear mine.” She shrugged. “Whadda want to know? I can tell you about PSI, what I’m doin’ here, how I know Wess-”

“Tell me about Lucas!” I shouted.

“Yeah, I should’ve guessed…” muttered Kumatora. “Okay, I’ll tell ya about how I met Lucas. I probably can’t tell ya as much as Wess, but – maybe this’ll help you trust me after what I did to ya.”

Boney and I leaned in close, our eyes wide in curiosity.

“Okay… so Wess, Duster and I were guardin’ something important from the Pigbutts, but Duster got separated from us. Then Wess and I got into a tight spot in Sunshine Forest – we’d rescued a monkey who’d been forced to work for Fassad, but almost ended up gettin’ captured ourselves. That’s when Lucas showed up – he saved our a- um, butts!”

I gasped. “Lucas saved you?” I couldn’t believe it – it’d take a lot of courage to rescue people you didn’t even know from the big scary Pigmasks. I felt so proud of my brother – he was so much braver than I’d ever given him credit for.

“Yep, that’s right. An’ you won’t believe this – but he called in a Drago to do it!”

“Whoa – Dragos, really?!” Lucas had always been a bit shy around the Dragos, even before Mom had… But after thinking about it a bit, it suddenly made sense – the other Dragos must’ve been mad at the Pigmasks too! And Lucas had always gotten along very well with animals, and he knew the Dragos since childhood – they’d be sure to help him out!

“You should’ve seen it – Fassad got his butt whooped!” Kumatora slapped her knee and laughed at the memory. Then her face darkened. “That was three years ago. That’s the first time I ever saw Lucas – and the last.” She took a breath. “Judging from what ya told me, that would’ve been right around the time you fought the Drago. So Lucas went missing shortly after that?”

I nodded. “Y-yeah – that’s what Dad and Grandpa Alec said. I was… in-ca-pa-ci-teh-ted… for a month or so while the Pigmasks-” I scowled, “-reconstructed me, and once I woke up… Lucas was already gone…” I hung my head. “I should’ve stayed home with Lucas,” I mumbled quietly.

“I know the feeling, kid,” Kumatora said. I flinched – I didn’t think she could hear me. “But anyway, after Lucas saved us, I went and rescued monkey’s girlfriend – Fassad kidnapped her, the bastard - and sent the two monkeys to stay with a friend of mine. After that I spent a couple months causing some trouble with the Pigbutts and tracking down Duster, and finally discovered he was performing here. I went undercover as a waitress, and, well – long story short, over the last two years I got really close with the band.”

I noticed she was grimacing – judging by some of her earlier comments, she found her job every bit as unpleasant as I found my maintenance appointments.

“Enough about that," I said, deciding to change the topic. "I wanna know more about PSI, and that thing you did with Boney!”

Kumatora nodded. “First things first – how much did Ionia tell you?”

I shrugged. “Not much – she just kinda awakened my powers for me and let me go.”

“Hmph – typical. The Magypsies are good friends of mine – they’re the ones that raised me, in fact – but… they’re really not good at explainin’ things. Can’t blame ‘em – they live for thousands of years, they’ve had plenty of time to master stuff.

“But anyway, I can give you some tips on PSI. Listen closely – it’s real deadly when used improperly, so the sooner we can get your powers under control, the better.”

I leaned in close.

“I like to split PSI into three categories: offense, recovery, and assist. Offense is pretty basic – that’s spells you use for attacking. I’ve got fire, ice, and lightning powers – PK Fire, PK Freeze, and PK Thunder, respectively. Did Ionia give you anything like that?”

I nodded. “Uh-huh! I can summon lightning – watch!”

I concentrated. I felt a hum deep within my body – I recognized it as the same sensation that accompanied all my PSI attacks. Maybe this was the psychic energy thing Ionia mentioned?

I also noticed a new field on my retina display: Charging PSI... 5%... 10%... 15%...

My concentration broke – a huge bolt of lightning sprang from my hand, momentarily blinding me. When my vision cleared, I saw that I’d charred some of Kumatora’s wall.

“Aw, crap,” she said. Boney whined.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Shouldn’t she be impressed by my PSI? It was super-strong!

“PK Thunder’s one of the stronger offensive spells – and notoriously difficult to control. Lightning has a mind of its own – hell, even I struggle to aim properly sometimes.” She frowned. “It’s strange… my PK Thunder looks different from yours – mine just drops lightning on someone’s head from above. And yours seems awfully strong, considering ya just got it a couple hours ago…” She shrugged. “You’re the only other human I’ve met who can even sling offensive PSI spells around, so I dunno – maybe everyone’s PSI manifests a bit differently, even for the same spell.”

I thought of something. “Hey, Kumatora? Is there any other type of offensive PSI?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Why d’ya ask? Did Ionia give you some kinda weird PSI?”

“Um, no, of course not – I was just wondering,” I said quickly. Something told me that I shouldn’t say anything about my super-rare, super-powerful PK Love attack – Kumatora might get suspicious, or even jealous. “There’s lots of forces of nature beyond ice and fire, you know.”

She shrugged and thought for a moment. “No, don’t think there’s any other types of offensive PSI – at least, not that I know about. Ionia might know some though – she’s awfully reticent as far as offensive PSI goes.” She frowned for a moment, then shook her head. “Whatever, it’s not important for right now – we’re just covering the basics.

“Anyway, so that’s offensive PSI for ya. The next type’s pretty basic too – that’s recovery PSI. Lifeup is for wounds and bruises, Healing is for pretty much anything else that keeps you from fightin’ at your best – poison, cold, uncontrollable crying, things like that.”

I nodded. “I got both of those.”

Kumatora raised her eyebrows. “Really? A rambunctious squirt like you? Huh – wouldn’t have figured you for the healer type.” She shrugged. “I’ve got both of those too, but it took a lot of work to master – offensive PSI’s more my thing.

“Finally, we got assist PSI. At least, that’s what I call it – that’s for anything that doesn’t heal you or attack directly, but still helps out in battles. For instance, one of mine can lull enemies to sleep, while another can make ‘em weaker and take the sting out of their attacks. Did Ionia give you anything like that?”

I shook my head.

“So that’s PSI, in a nutshell,” finished Kumatora.

“But you still haven’t told me about that thing with Boney!” I interrupted.

“Crap, forgot about that... I suppose there’s technically a fourth type of PSI – telepathy, or mind reading.”

“Oh, so you were seein’ Boney’s memories!” I said. “Cool! Lemme try!”

“Well… I guess if you absolutely have to…” She gestured at Boney. “It’s easier to do with animals – they don’t get as distracted as humans do, and their thoughts tend to be more basic and easier to understand. Trust me, it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to read a human mind – their thoughts go all over the damn place.”

I placed my hand on Boney’s head and concentrated. This was so exciting! I’d get to see Boney’s thoughts!

I waited a few seconds, expecting to hear Boney start talking to me in my head. But nothing happened.

“It’s not workin'!”

“You gotta give it time," said Kumatora. "Try thinking of a question, like ‘What are you thinking about?’ – I find that helps. Be patient – and don’t get discouraged, you’ll probably just get some disjointed images and ideas.”

I focused my entire attention on Boney. I emptied my mind of all other thoughts. I even tried gathering my PSI, keeping it at a background hum in case my lightning got out of control again.

I counted off five minutes on my clock. I waited, and waited. But nothing changed – it was just me and my perfectly empty mind.

“Well? What’s your dog thinking about?”

I gave up and made a wild guess. “Dog biscuits?”

Boney whined unhappily.

Kumatora put her hand on Boney’s head. After a moment she said, “Nope – it was you. Your dog really likes you, ya know.”

I huffed. “How’re you doin’ it so easily?! I couldn’t even see anythin’!”

“I’ve honed my PSI for years, kid – you just got your powers a couple hours ago. Of course I’ll be better at it than you are – that’s practice for ya.” She shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like you’ll be able to master, or even acquire, every type of PSI there is. There’s just too many – you can’t be good at them all.”

I scowled. That made sense, but… screwing up sure didn't feel good.

“Hey – how about I try readin’ your mind. I’ll probably screw up, so that way we’ll be even.”

I thought for a moment, then nodded, giving her permission. “Just don’t touch me.”

Kumatora closed her eyes and held out her hand in my general direction. “Okay – try thinkin’ of somethin’.”

I immediately chose omelets, my favourite food in the entire world. I concentrated on omelets like my life depended on it. I even drooled a bit.

Kumatora grimaced. “Ugh, I can’t read your mind at all – it’s just a bunch of whirring and flashing. Is this what it’s like in your head all the time?”

“Pretty much,” I said. “I’ve got a lot of activity between my central processor and my brain – that’s probably what you’re seein’.” After my accident, I had to train myself to interpret the signals my brain was receiving from my central processor. It’d been a pretty long and painful process, but now it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Hmph. Readin’ a human mind is hard enough – harder still when half of it’s a computer.” She shrugged. “Funny thing about Lucas, though – he was a natural at this sort of thing.”

I bolted upright. “Lucas has PSI too?! An’ he can read minds?!”

“That’s my guess – it’d explain how he could summon the Dragos so easily. An’ he was able to carry on a whole conversation with our monkey friend in thoughts alone – I can only read a few things here and there, and I can’t transmit thoughts of my own.” She paused. “My guess is that your brother has latent PSI. It’s what you’d be like if Aeolia and Ionia hadn’t awakened your PSI – maybe you’d still able to tap into them unconsciously by healing extra fast or somethin’, but you wouldn’t reach your full potential.”

I gaped. Lucas with PSI… I couldn’t believe it.

“But then… if he’s so strong, why’d he disappear? Couldn’t he defend himself?”

“Dunno – we’ll have to ask Wess about it, once we’ve rescued Duster and dragged him back to Tazmily.” Kumatora frowned – looks like she didn’t like talking about Lucas either.

“Anyway, there’s a few more things I wanna touch on regarding PSI. First is fever – that’s a sign of a new PSI power developing, especially if it’s a sudden fever. Usually it’ll go away on its own after a few minutes, leaving a new PSI in its place.”

I nodded. “Ionia mentioned that – and that’s exactly what happened to me this morning, too.”

“Here’s another tip for you – call out your powers as you’re using them, I find that helps me focus and channel my psychic energy. Plus, you’ll want to warn your allies about what’s goin’ on so they can get outta the way.”

I thought back to the time when I’d almost hit Boney with PK Love. I nodded mutely.

“OK, we’ve still got a few minutes – the band’ll be doing their encore right about now. I wanna practice your PSI with you.”

We spent the next couple of minutes experimenting with my PSI. Mostly I ended up destroying more of her wallpaper – my lightning was really hard to control. Still, I did learn a bit more about how to draw my PSI on command, and the difference between channeling my psychic energy into a healing versus offensive spell.

“You should lay off the lightning until you get some more practice, kid,” Kumatora said once we were done. “You gotta work on your aim and your finesse, and the difference between a killing blow and a neutralizing one – your power’s fluctuating all over the place.”

I scowled at her tone. Couldn’t she see I was trying my best?!

“Anyway, concert’s over – the DCMC will be headin’ back to their dressing rooms. I’ll get them together and explain the situation – how Lucky’s really Duster, and how we need him to find the Eg- um, a certain object before the Pigbutts get their hands on it.

“Problem is, Duster’s lost all his memories – he thinks he’s Lucky the bassist. Without his memories, we’ll never find out what happened to that thing he’s supposed to be guardin’. Fortunately, you may be able to help – he may remember something if he sees you two, and that might jog the rest of his memories.”

“Okay, I’ll come with you!” I was finally gonna meet Duster! Then I could go back to Wess and hear about Lucas!

“Not so fast,” said Kumatora. “Those goons are still guardin’ my door. They’re not bad guys, but… it’ll complicate things, and that’s the last thing I wanna be dealing with right now. Luckily I have a plan – this room’s got a little secret.”

She walked up to her wall and pressed a hidden switch. One of the wall panels spun around, revealing a ladder.

“I’m gonna sneak you through the attic – that way, you’re less likely to get caught,” she explained. “Climb up this ladder, then go through the attic until you get to Lucky’s room – it’ll be the one below the spare bass. By the time you make it there, I should be done explaining things – I’ll warn them that you’re comin’, and that we had to sneak you the indirect way.”

Boney barked in concern.

I gulped – this was all so sudden. Still, once I did this, we’d find Duster – and then I could finally go home.

“Okay, let’s do it,” I called to Boney.

Chapter Text

I scrambled up the ladder and shoved open the trapdoor at the top.

I coughed - the air was dusty and stale, and there were cobwebs all along the ceiling. I didn’t think anyone had been up here in ages.

I scrambled away from the opening, leaving room for Boney to come up. After a moment he bounded up the ladder and landed beside me, then sneezed – his nose was much more sensitive than mine was.

“Okay, Boney,” I called. “Let’s find our way through this place – we’re lookin’ for a room with a bass. That’s the big thing Duster was playing back at the concert.”

I rose to my feet. Luckily the attic was pretty big, and there was plenty of room for me to stand – I'd been worried that I’d have to crawl the whole way.

I glanced around. There were assorted piles of junk and boxes everywhere. To make matters worse, a bunch of pipes and wires snaked everywhere – I’d have to be careful where I put my feet.

Then I thought of something.

“Hey, Boney – we’re about to see Duster, so we don’t need you in disguise anymore.”

Boney barked, grateful.

I tore off his clothes and left them in a pile on top of some apparently-abandoned boxes. Maybe someone else would find a use for them.

That done, I squinted and tried to find an exit. Finally I could just barely make out an empty doorway along the opposite wall – that must be where we needed to go.

I carefully made my way towards the opening, glancing down to make sure I didn’t trip over anything.

Boney followed behind, sneezing all the way - he was back on all four legs, now that he didn’t have to pass himself off as a human.

I quickly checked my clock. 9:30 PM. I gulped - it was past my bedtime!

I silently apologized to Dad – I was definitely getting a scolding once I got back. This was the first time I’d run off on my own since… Mom…

While I was lost in thought, something landed on my shoulder.

I shrieked in surprise. It was a spider – a HUGE purple spider. 

“Get off!” I yelled. I whacked it off with my hand – but not before it bit me in the neck.

I grit my teeth at the stinging sensation – that hurt!

Boney growled and snapped his jaws at the spider – it scurried away, getting the message.

Before I could relax, I got a flashing message in my retina display: Warning: Noxious substance detected in circulatory system. Potential hazard to biological components. Subject urged to seek medical attention.

I grimaced – poison, probably. Darn it.

But wait… hadn’t Ionia and Kumatora said something about curing poison?

I focused, trying to draw up my PSI. “Healing,” I whispered.

Nothing happened – I was worried I’d done something wrong. But then a soft blue light hummed from my fingertips.

I ran it along the spot where the spider had bitten me - I felt a small sting, followed by a warm fuzzy feeling.

Noxious substance removed. Checking circulatory system… Status: Healthy. No anomalies detected.

I let out a small sigh of relief - at least that was one less thing to worry about.

Boney and I continued stumbling through the attic. All the rooms were blurring together – there was so much stuff in here, it was like a maze. To make matters worse, it was so dark that I could barely see where I was going – twice I accidentally bumped into some rogue stacks of boxes.

One room was mildly interesting – there were a bunch of large squares of fabric stacked into neat piles, all with the same red-and-yellow checkered pattern as the carpet from the lobby. This must be where they kept all their spare carpet. Not a good idea – the fabric was covered in a thick coating of dust, and I could see spots of mould starting to form. Mom and Dad were never so careless when storing our homemade cloth!

Suddenly I felt a tight feeling in my chest. I stopped and leaned against some boxes, gasping for breath.

Boney barked, as if asking what was the matter.

I checked my retina display, and noticed my body temperature was slowly climbing up.

“Fever’s comin’ back,” I muttered. I touched my forehead – sure enough, it felt hot and clammy.

Darn it. What bad timing – I wanted to get out of this place, and a fever would only slow me down. But, according to Kumatora, that meant I was getting a new power! I got excited for a moment, wondering what it could be – maybe it was PK Fire, or PK Freeze.

I continued stumbling through the attic, never quite sure where I was going. Sometimes I’d even get to dead-ends blocked off by pipes or piles of junk, forcing me to backtrack.

I groaned. I was too tired to run, thanks to my fever – plus, I had to go slowly thanks to the junk in each room. All I wanted was to get out of this dusty, dark place.

The next room had a torn drum and a funky-looking but broken guitar lying on the floor – these were instruments, at the very least. Did that mean I was getting close?

A small noise made me glance back, worried that something was watching me. All I saw were the two broken instruments. Surely they weren’t about to jump up and attack…?

The instruments stayed perfectly still. But, a small head popped up from the drum’s torn covering.

It was some kind of rodent – it glared at us and hissed, baring its teeth.

It pulled itself all the way out, revealing itself as a large and rather plump mouse. For some reason, it was clutching a half-eaten piece of cheese.

Suddenly it shrieked and charged at me, scratching at the Nut Bread in my pocket.

“Hey! What’re you doin’?!” I yelled. “That’s my bread, not yours!”

I brushed it off me and focused my PSI. A moment later, a bunch of lightning bolts leapt from my palm – one went off-course and struck the ceiling, one blew another hole in the drum, and the last one finally struck the mouse. It shrieked in pain, dropping its food and scampering away.

I continued along, panting all the way thanks to my fever. How many more things was I gonna have to fight? It was so cramped in the attic, I couldn’t fight properly. I couldn’t make good use of my PSI, either – my lightning was super hard to control, and PK Love would just end up destroying everything.

Finally I stumbled into a room with a bass. Literally – I tripped over a wire someone carelessly strung across the floor.

"Ah!" I cried as I fell, jostling the bass with my knee.

I grit my teeth, rubbing my knee. It hurt! I wondered if I should try healing myself with my Lifeup power.

But then I heard a groaning sound – the bass creaked, then started to tip over.

Boney barked in alarm.

I cried out and quickly rolled over. Not a moment too soon – the bass fell with a loud crash, splintering in a few places from the impact.

I gulped – getting crushed by that thing would’ve hurt. It probably would’ve broken something, too – I wasn’t in the mood to speculate exactly what.

Suddenly I felt a weird calm feeling rush through my body. My head cleared, and my exhaustion faded away – my fever must’ve broke. I guess this would happen every time I learned a new PSI power - I wondered if I’d ever get used to the weird sensations.

Speaking of which… what kind of power did I just get?

I experimentally drew up some PSI, hoping to activate my new power. After a moment, orange light flickered from my hands. I grinned – this looked promising. After all, orange was my favourite colour!

The light slowly petered out. I felt a weird jittery feeling in my body, then – nothing.

I sighed. Looks like this new power was a bust – or maybe it was one of those assist ones that only worked on the enemy. Whatever – it wasn’t as important, or cool, as the collection of powers I already had.  At least I could summon some orange light whenever I wanted.

I fumbled around the floor, trying to find an exit. This had to be Lucky’s room down below – this was the only bass I’d seen.

After a moment, I gripped a metal handle. I grinned – must be another trapdoor.

I yanked hard, revealing a small sliver of light. The murmur of voices echoed from down below.

I took a deep breath. This was it – we’d finally arrived. I was finally, finally gonna see this ‘Lucky’ fellow.

It was time to tell if he was really Duster, once and for all.

“Ready, Boney?” I called quietly, not wanting to disturb the people below.

Boney yipped.

I yanked the trapdoor all the way, then I leapt down the opening.

*

I landed feet first and took a quick glance around. I was in another bedroom – this one was decorated with green walls and a simple bed. A gleaming bass stood proudly on a stand in the corner, a far cry from the one left to rot in the attic.

Six figures were standing in the room. One was Kumatora, and the others I recognized from the concert – the entire DCMC was here. I blinked – the one in poofy hair definitely looked like Duster, right down to his funny leg. He was either the real deal, or the best impostor I’d ever seen (or maybe a long-lost twin brother!)

Boney landed beside me with a bark, landing on all four feet. Noticing the unfamiliar humans in the room, he rose unsteadily on his hind legs, looking incredibly guilty while doing so.

“Down, doggy,” Kumatora demanded. “Your disguise’s kinda pointless – just go back to bein’ a dog, that pose looks mighty uncomfortable.”

Boney dropped back down to his haunches, letting out a yip of gratitude.

Then I noticed that everyone was staring at me. Looks like some introductions were in order.

“Hi, I’m Claus!” I said cheerfully. “And this is my dog, Boney! We came to look for Duster.”

“Alias Lucky, apparently,” remarked one of the band members. He was the blond one who’d played the saxophone and stepped up to the loud black thing. I quickly accessed my memory banks – he’d been introduced as OJ.

“Oh, you were the one who ran out just as the concert started,” ‘Lucky’ remarked. He smiled sadly. “…Was our music really that bad?”

Duster had been trained as a thief by his dad Wess – among other things, he’d need to be super observant of his environment at all times. No wonder he noticed us slipping out – he might've lost his memories, but I guess he still had his powers of observation and all his thief skills.

I shook my head. “No, your music wasn’t bad,” I mumbled apologetically. “Just… really loud.”

“You always were the observant one, Lucky,” one of his bandmates quipped, grinning widely. He was the other blond guy, the one with dark glasses who’d played the drums – he’d been introduced as ‘Baccio’. “As for me, I wasn’t even lookin’ at the crowd – I get lost in the music, bro.”

“Hey… your eye’s flickering,” noted another band member. He was wearing another pair of dark glasses, but also had funky hair with long braids and white beads. This must be Shimmy Zmizz, the keyboard player – what a strange name!

“Oh, crickey!” Shimmy exclaimed. “You’re a cyborg!”

“You must be that ‘human chimera’ kid the Pigmasks keep talkin’ about,” called the last guy. He had brown spiky hair in a thick stripe from forehead to neck, but was completely bald everywhere else. This must be Magic, the guitar player. “I thought they were just makin’ stuff up!”

“He’s a bit… famous around Tazmily,” Kumatora said carefully. “That’s why I had him sneak through the attic – woulda been talk if someone had seen us together.”

Baccio whistled. “So the human chimera’s got a crush on you, eh? I can see it on the front page of Pork Inquirer: ‘Spunky Waitress Violet and the Human Chimera, an Item?! Popular Club Titiboo Waitress Finally Gets Boyfriend’.”

I felt myself blush with embarrassment – I hated that kind of mushy stuff!

Kumatora went bright red. “He’s NOT my boyfriend!! What the hell, Baccio – he’s ten!"

“Hey, I’m twelve!" I snapped back.

“Don’t joke about that sort of thing, Baccio – you know Violet hates that kind of talk,” Duster said sternly. Then he turned to me. “Violet told me about you – so you’re one of the kids from Tazmily, eh? Violet thought I might recognize you.” He frowned, deep in concentration.

“I would’ve been a bit shorter,” I added helpfully. “And not a robot.”

Finally Duster shook his head sadly. “Can’t say I recognize you.”

“Shoot, that’s a bust – well, what’s the first thing you can remember?” Kumatora pressed.

Duster thought for a minute. “It’s funny... none of us can really remember our lives before joining the DCMC. But, the very first thing I can remember was being in this dark valley I didn’t recognize. There were some mossy cliffs and purple trees – I remember thinking how odd it was. I also remember that I had no idea who I was, where I came from, or what I was doing.

“The strangest thing, though, was that I was clutching this egg thing really close to my chest. Not the kind of egg that you eat-” he added at Magic’s confused expression, “but a sculpture shaped like a giant egg. It was no ordinary egg, either – it looked really valuable and ornate. Somehow I knew I had to protect it – I was holding it really tight, as if it was my own child."

I frowned - an egg? That was what Kumatora and Duster had been guarding?!

“I eventually found a hiding place for it – I buried it inside an old clay mound in a hard-to-reach spot further down the valley. After that, I sort of wandered around for a while, trying to figure out how to get home, or if I even had a home. I eventually stumbled into Club Titiboo, and, well – the rest is history.”

“We adopted him as one of the gang!” OJ remarked proudly. “Good thing too – he’s one mean hand with the bass!”

Duster sighed deeply. “And ever since then… I’ve been wondering what was up with that egg. I dream about it, sometimes.”

Kumatora thought for a moment. “That place you described… it sounds like Unknown Valley.” She slapped her hands together in excitement. “That must be where you hid that egg! That’s the thing we’ve been protectin’ from the Pigmasks for the last three years!”

Magic whistled. “Undercover waitresses, mysterious artifacts, lost memories, robot kids dropping from the ceiling… it’s like we stumbled into a spy novel!”

“Let’s go, Duster!” Kumatora said urgently. “We have to get that egg!”

Boney yipped in excitement.

Duster was deep in thought. “But… am I really Duster? And if I am, would I have to leave the band?” He sighed heavily. “What should I do? If I go with Violet, then what'll happen to the DCMC? But if I stay here, I’ll never find out what was up with that egg thing...” He glanced at his bandmates. “Well, you’re my teammates, and the best pals I could ask for… What’s your advice?”

“Stick with us,” Baccio said immediately. “We’ve rocked this club for three years straight, no use quittin’ now.”

“Plus, we’d never find another bass player as good as you – you’re incredible, Lucky,” Magic added. He glanced at Kumatora and shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, Violet – our Lucky’s not cut out for this spy stuff.”

I opened my mouth, about to protest – this egg thing sounded really important, and we needed to protect it from the Pigmasks! Plus, this Lucky business was all a lie – he was supposed to be Duster!

Kumatora shushed me. “We can’t force him to go,” she hissed quietly. “It’s their decision – let the band decide among themselves.”

I huffed and rocked on my feet, but said nothing.

“I dunno,” Shimmy Zmizz said cautiously. “This egg thing seems really important. Lucky, you sounded like you were pretty desperate to protect that egg – the least you can do is check if it’s still there.”

“You’re right, Shimmy,” Duster said slowly. “It wouldn’t hurt just to check on the egg, would it? And if it turns out to be nothing after all,” he shrugged, “I’ll go back to being Lucky the bassist for all my days.”

“So that’s two votes for Lucky staying, and two against,” Magic summarized. He grinned and turned to OJ. “Well, whaddya think, OJ? You’re our leader – only right that you get the deciding vote.”

OJ chuckled nervously. “Sometimes I hate being the leader – I’m always the one that has to make the tough calls,” he admitted. “So we got an even split here, eh? I think that’s a sign from destiny – I say we let destiny decide.”

“But how’re you gonna do that?” I interrupted. “Destiny isn’t a person!”

OJ smiled. “Same way we always decide things – you know what I’m talkin’ about, boys?”

“Ooooh!” Baccio and Shimmy Zmizz exclaimed.

“Yeah – Stone-Sheet-Clippers!” Magic quipped.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s the game we play when we can’t decide on something,” OJ explained. “Here’s how it works. First, each player makes a sign with their hand. There are three to choose from: Sheet, which is like a handshake; Stone, which is like a fist; and Clippers, which is like a sideways victory sign. That’s why we call it Stone-Sheet-Clippers.” He demonstrated each sign to me. “So what happens is each player chooses one of the signs, then they throw them at the same time. Then we look at the matchup and decides who wins based on some predetermined rules: Sheet beats Stone, because you can wrap the stone in the sheet; Clippers beats Sheet, because you can use the clippers to cut the sheet; and-”

“Stone beats Clippers, because – uh – you use the stone to blunt the clippers!” I finished. “But what happens if two players play the same thing?”

“That’s a tie – neither player wins. In that case, we’d have the players throw again.” OJ cleared his throat. “Okay, so that’s how to play Stone-Sheet-Clippers. I know it’s a lot to take in – you got all that?”

“Yep,” I said, not seeing what was so complicated.

“This is important, so I wanna make sure you understand the rules. Next I’ll demonstrate a sample game – Shimmy, you’re up.”

Shimmy walked up to OJ and faced him. The two of them pumped their arms three times while the other band members chanted “Stone – Sheet – Clippers!”

At ‘Clippers’ both players threw out their hands – Shimmy made a fist, while OJ made a handshake.

“OJ just played Sheet, and Shimmy played Stone,” I narrated. “So OJ wins, since Sheet beats Stone!”

“You got it, kid,” OJ said proudly. “So what I’m gonna have one of you do-” he pointed to me and Kumatora, “-is challenge each of us to a match of Stone-Sheet-Clippers. If you beat all five of us, ‘Duster’ will go with you to track down this egg thing. But if you lose even once, then ‘Lucky’ will stay with us and rock out with the DCMC.” He held out his hand. “Sound good?”

My central processor automatically whizzed with calculations. Let’s say there’s an equal chance of winning or losing each match. So that’s a 50% chance of winning. Now, if we gotta do that five times, then that’s-

3.125% , my retina display reported with grim precision.

I took a deep breath and shook OJ’s hand.

“So which of you will be our challenger?” OJ asked.

“You do it, Claus,” Kumatora ordered. “I work with these guys, so that way there won’t be… hard feelings, either way.” She awkwardly shuffled her feet.

Duster nodded. “I understand.”

“Okay, guess I’ll do it.” I gulped – this was a big responsibility. I had to win, for Kumatora – and Duster!

OJ cleared his throat. “All right, let’s get started. You can challenge us in any order you like – except for me, I’m going last,” he added hastily. “After all, I am the band leader. Oh, and feel free to chat with everyone first. Take as long as you need – show’s over and we’re all night owls, so we’re in no hurry.”

I frowned. That seemed like an odd thing to say. Was he up to something?

Regardless, I took his advice and made my way around the room, starting with Kumatora and Boney.

“Good luck, kid – you’ll need it,” she said curtly. “Odds are against us – guess we gotta hope in destiny.”

I decided not to tell her we only had a 3.125% chance of winning.

Boney barked, offering me his support. I returned the favour by scratching him behind the ears.

I moved to the band members next. Shimmy was closest, so I started with him.

“Whenever we play Stone-Sheet-Clippers, everyone tends to play the same sign most of the time,” he explained. “We each have our own favourite – I’m partial to Stone, myself. It’s up to you whether or not to believe that, though.”

I gaped. Did he… just tell me how to win? He’d been in favour of Duster’s departure, so of course he’d want me to win, but...

Next was Duster, who offered me some simple words of encouragement. “Is it best if I win...? No, I’ll leave it up to destiny. You do your best, Claus. We’ll all do our best too!” He paused. “I seem to recall that whenever me, Magic, and OJ do three-player Stone-Sheet-Clippers, we always end up in a tie – that’s when everyone plays three different signs, so they all cancel out.”

The other band members offered me some advice, too, telling me who tended to win and lose in different matchups. They weren’t telling me outright what to do, but using everyone’s comments together, I could deduce who liked to play what – assuming everyone’s telling the truth, I corrected myself. Maybe they were lying, and wanted me to follow their hints – and then I would end up playing the wrong thing.

I shook my head. People were too complicated!

I took a breath and walked up to Duster – it seemed appropriate to start with him.

“You ready, kiddo?” he asked quietly.

I nodded. If I did my deductions correctly, he’d be throwing Clippers – that meant I’d need to throw Stone to beat him. (Fuel liked to joke that robots were calm, logical, rational, and emotionless – and that I was none of those things. I’d show him!)

But… if Duster was lying, then maybe he wanted me to throw Stone so that he could beat it with a Sheet. That meant I needed to play Clippers!

The other band members hurried over. “Ready? Stone… Sheet… Clippers!” they chorused.

At the word ‘Clippers’, Duster and I threw our signs – and they were both Clippers!

“It’s a tie!” OJ bellowed. “Gotta go again!”

Okay, if we both threw Clippers… Duster was probably gonna think I’d throw Clippers again, so he’d throw out a Stone… which meant I had to play Sheet!

“Stone… Sheet… Clippers!”

We threw out our signs. My heart sunk – Duster’s Clippers were poised opposite my Sheet.

Oh no! I’d lost the very first match-

“Ah… ACHOO!”

Suddenly Duster sneezed loudly – so loudly, his hair fell off!

“Ah!” I cried as an unexpected pile of hair tumbled into my face.

“Oh, Lucky wears an afro,” Baccio remarked. “He’s a bit sensitive about his hairline… Looks like we’ll have to glue it on harder next show – if there is a next time,” he added sheepishly.

Duster grabbed the ‘afro’ and popped it back on his head.

“Sorry about that,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance to see what you played, so… how about a do-over, kiddo?”

I frowned. Sneeze or no, I knew Duster had quick reflexes – he should’ve noticed right away what I played, and that I’d lost. So, did he want me to win…?

I shook my head – I was overthinking this! “Y-yeah – let’s do it!”

“Stone… Sheet… Clippers!”

This time I played Stone. Sure enough, Duster stuck to Clippers again.

“Good job, kid,” Duster said quietly.

Kumatora and Boney cheered from the sidelines.

“All right – one down, four to go!” announced OJ.

I made my way through the next three matches. This time I stuck to what my deductions told me, and won each of them easily. Something was a bit odd, though – none of the band members seemed disappointed at losing, and almost seemed like they expected to lose. But shouldn’t they be trying to win, so that their friend Lucky could stay with them?

“Looks like it’s my turn,” OJ called once I’d finished. “The buck stops here – this one’s for all the marbles. You ready, Claus?”

I nodded, taking a deep breath – just one more to go.

“Here we go, Claus – destiny’s riding on this.” OJ leaned in close and whispered something. “I want you to throw Clippers – I’m going to throw Sheet.” Then he leaned back out. “Tonda Gossa! All right, repeat after me – ready, set, GO!"

Wait – now he was just flat-out telling me how to win! I didn’t understand – this had to be a trick!

But before I could think it over, the other band members started bellowing.

“Stone… Sheet… CLIPPERS!"

I panicked and threw Clippers. Sure enough, OJ played Sheet.

“Well, that’s that,” OJ remarked calmly. “Good news, Violet – destiny’s telling Lucky to head out with you guys.”

“You’re a natural at this, kid!” Magic quipped. “You must be psychic!”

“Oh, c’mon Magic – he’s a robot, not a psychic!” Baccio countered. “A robot with psychic powers? That’s just silly!”

But I was a robot with psychic powers! Still, I kept my mouth shut – telling the DCMC about PSI would be one shock too many.

“Hey, Lucky! Don’t worry about the band – or anything else! Just go!” OJ ordered. He sighed. “Lucky… no, Duster… you were the greatest bass player ever. I’m gonna miss you, man.”

With that, the band members filed out one by one, offering their good-byes to Duster and Kumatora.

“Bye – thanks for everything, guys,” Kumatora called after them. Then she turned to us. “Well, no use hangin’ around here any longer – time to finally get outta these girly clothes!” She said this last part with relish. “Duster, kid, doggy – I’ll meet ya outside.”

She hurried out the door. As it shut behind her, I heard her shout, “Hey – get the hell outta my way!”

There were some mumbles of protest, followed by some smacking and a bright flash. Looks like Kumatora was every bit as hasty and impatient as I was.

Duster shrugged. “Well, I’m still not quite sure what’s going on, but – looks like I’m joining you two.”

“Uh-” Me and Kumatora weren’t exactly travelling together – we’d come here independently to find Duster. Still, now I was super curious about this egg thing and why Kumatora wanted to protect it so badly – and maybe we could team up to stop the Pigmasks, too! Besides, the only way down was the ropeway, so we might as well stick together for a little while longer.

“Yeah, sure,” I said lightly. “Great to have you on board, Duster.”

Boney barked, welcoming him.

Duster sighed. “So I’m really Duster after all, eh? It’ll take a while to get used to – everyone around here calls me Lucky.”

We headed out the door. The two guards from outside Kumatora’s room were lying on the ground and moaning. Kumatora herself was standing over them, a large grin on her face.

She was wearing a new outfit – it was a blue sweater, except it went down to her knees like a dress. She also had orange gloves and big red boots. Instead of her neatly tied-up hairdo, she had wild spiky hair. I liked it!

She clenched her fists. “All right, I took care of the guards – time to get outta here!” she commanded. “The sooner we get that egg, the better!”

We followed her out, wandering along the now-abandoned corridors of Club Titiboo. I checked my clock – it was almost midnight! Dad would be freaking out – I left a note, but still wasn’t home! This was exactly what happened the night that Mom… Mom -

Suddenly I heard slow, mournful music echoing down the halls.

“You hear that?” I asked.

Duster nodded. “I recognize that melody – that’s ‘Bon Voyage Amigo’. We don’t – didn’t get to play it that often, since the crowd prefers our more upbeat songs. But it’s always been one of my favourites.” He stopped. “Wait… does that mean…?”

He hurried down the corridor to the lobby. We followed after him.

The music was much louder here. That’s when I realized what was going on – the other band members had gathered on the stage and were playing Duster’s favourite song as a farewell!

Duster had his hand placed on the double doors to the concert hall. He had a faraway look in his eyes – he must be picturing himself on stage with his bandmates. He bowed his head solemnly, mouthing along to the music. Not even his ridiculous poofy hair could ruin the mood.

Kumatora pointed at the front door, mouthing something. Boney and I followed her, puzzled.

“Let him have a moment alone,” Kumatora said once we were outside. There was a cool breeze, and the sky was pitch-black apart from a sliver of moonlight. "He needs some time to say good-bye.”

I nodded. Those other DCMC guys must be his best friends – I tried to picture what it would be like to say good-bye to Fuel and Nichol and Richie and Angie before moving away forever.

Duster came out a few minutes later, sans afro. “Sorry for the hold-up,” he said quietly. “Let’s get going.”

The four of us headed to the ropeway, where a uniformed man was locking some things up.

“You’re too late,” he said briskly as we hurried up to him. “I’m just about to turn in for the night.”

“C’mon, just one more ride!” Kumatora pleaded. “It’s very important!”

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to wait until morn- oh my PORK, it’s Lucky!” he exclaimed, pointing at Duster. “Almost didn’t recognize you without your afro! Well, I can’t say no to a member of the DCMC, can I?! Hop on board, everyone – it’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.” He smiled apologetically.

The four of us climbed into the waiting vehicle. A few minutes later machinery roared to life, jerking us forward and whisking us toward the valley floor.

*

And so our four heroes finally assembled, preparing to confront the fierce Pigmask army.

An amnesiac bass player, seeking his true identity.

A tough tomboy, gifted with mysterious PSI.

A loyal dog, as smart and capable as any human.

And, a child turned into a chimera, yet to face his true destiny.

The four of them steeled themselves for the challenges facing them ahead, each occupied with their own thoughts.

“I want to help others…”

It was the first time Claus truly began to have such feelings…

…

End Act 1

Chapter Text

Act 2: Skirmish

A minor or preliminary conflict, as in an opening gambit in chess or another game.

*

The cabin jostled, starting its journey to the ropeway station below.

“Listen up,” Kumatora called. “We got a few minutes of privacy during the ride down, let’s make the most of it.”

Duster and I nodded, while Boney barked in agreement.

She cleared her throat. “Based on what you told us, Duster – or Lucky, if ya prefer – I think you hid the egg at Unknown Valley. I know where that is, but I haven’t been there in years. Doria – that’s one of the folks who raised me – took me there once when I was little,” she explained.

“Okay, so how do we get there?” asked Duster.

Kumatora thought for a moment. “I remember there was a big waterfall on the way there, and there was a big cliff we had to climb up. But we can figure that stuff out later – first, let’s figure out what to do with you. ” She pointed at me.

“That’s easy – I’m goin’ straight home!” I said. “Dad’ll be so worried about me!”

“Wait, weren’t you two travelling together?” Duster wondered.

“Nope,” me and Kumatora remarked simultaneously. Then Kumatora scoffed loudly, crossing her arms. “Yeah, right – kid, there’s no way in hell you’re goin’ back to Tazmily at this hour.”

I huffed. “Why not?! I can take care of myself!”

“Well, for starters, the train’s shut down, and we’re not lettin’ a little squirt like you run on the tracks.”

“I’m twelve!” I snapped. “An’ I’ll be fine on the tracks – that’s how me and Boney got here in the first place!”

“Yeah, and didn’t ya see – it was overrun with chimeras! And it’ll be even worse after dark – that’s when the nasty ones come out to hunt.”

“But-” I protested.

“Look, kid – we gotta get that egg as soon as possible. We don’t have time to babysit you and take you home to Daddy.” She shot me a glare that said, And I still don’t trust you.

“Both of you, calm down,” cautioned Duster. “Kumatora’s right – we should find the egg first and make sure it’s safe. Plus, it’s too dark and dangerous for a kiddo like you to wander around on your own.” He squinted out the window. “In fact, it might be too dark to search for the egg at all. We can travel to this Unknown Valley at least, but keep an eye out for a place to stop and rest. We can start searching for the egg – and decide what to do about Claus – once it’s light out.”

“Fine,” I said, but scowled to show my displeasure. Dad would want me home as soon as possible! Didn’t they understand what I was going through – how hard it was for Dad to wait all alone in the middle of the night, and hope I was safe?

At that moment, the cabin shuddered to a stop – we must’ve made it to the bottom.

“Okay, I know Caeribe Falls is nearby,” Kumatora said. “We can start our search there – we’ll see if Duster or I recognize anything.”

We hopped out of the cabin. The uniformed man at the bottom looked at us a bit strangely, not expecting passengers so late at night.

“We’re on special DCMC business,” improvised Duster.

The man nodded, apparently satisfied.

We hurried down the hill where the ropeway station was perched.

“The trail to Caeribe Falls should be just to the left!” barked Kumatora. “We hafta – what the hell is that?!”

Something was growing out of the ground. It was a plant – except all the flowers were pig heads!

The heads snorted a yellow cloud of gas at us – pollen, maybe?

Boney barked in alarm, while Duster gasped. “Is that a chimera?!”

Pigtunia. Type: Biological chimera. The result of a failed experiment to make bacon-flavoured veggies.

Suddenly I had an idea. Query: Weaknesses, I thought to myself.

To my surprise, it worked. Additional information scrolled across my retina display: Weak to fire. Stationary.

“Don’t worry! It’s stationary – it won’t follow us!” I cried.

I ran back. All three heads thrashed and snorted angrily, but I was safely out of reach.

“How’d you know that?” Duster asked.

“It’s a chimera thing,” Kumatora cut in quickly. “He has a computer in his head or somethin’ – it can identify chimeras for him. Anyway, looks like we don’t hafta fight that thing, after all – let’s get outta here.”

We hurried after her, the Pigtunia snorting in rage.

*

I heard the waterfall before we saw it.

“I hear rushing water,” I called. “How much longer d’you think it is, Kumatora?”

“Yeah, I hear it too,” Kumatora said quickly. “We should be gettin’ close.”

A few minutes later, we came to a big river and what had to be Caeribe Falls – a huge waterfall tumbled over a cliff, the water gushing and roaring.

I squinted, trying to make out the details of the cliff beside the waterfall. There was a bit of moonlight to light our way, but it was still really hard to see in the dark.

Suddenly Kumatora shouted and pointed at something. “This is the right place – look, Duster! There’s your Wall Staples!”

There were a bunch of glinting things sticking out of the cliff – they looked like the rungs of a ladder, minus the support beams on either side.

“Wall Staples?" said Duster. "Never heard of those. You’re saying I did that?”

Kumatora laughed with a hint of bitterness. “You really did forgot everything, didn’t you, Duster? Look, didya have any strange items on you when you got to Club Titiboo?”

Duster nodded. “As a matter of fact, I did. I’ve kept them ever since – I have no idea what they are, but I can’t help but feel they’re important somehow.” He reached into his pants and pulled out a pouch wrapped around his waist. One by one he removed its contents and showed them to us: a demon-shaped mask; what looked like a feather duster; a metal beetle; a red snake, snoozing away; a golden pendulum on a chain; various small objects I didn’t recognize; and some oversize staples, just like the ones sticking out of the cliff.

Kumatora gasped. “Those’re your Mystical Thief Tools! And Rope Snake, too!” She pointed back at the cliff. “D’you still know how to use ‘em? Some of the staples fell out – you’ll have to re-scale that cliff for us with your Thief Arts.”

Duster grabbed some staples from the pouch. “I can certainly try… even if I don’t remember learning these ‘Thief Arts’, my body might. That’s what my bandmates said – thanks to muscle memory, you never truly forget an instrument once you’ve learned it…”

He walked up to the cliff, clutching a staple in each hand. He paused and took a deep breath.

Suddenly he spun around and slammed the staples into the cliff. He scrambled up the new rungs, then placed two new staples above him.

“You got this, Duster!” Kumatora cheered.

Duster quickly rose up the cliff, inserting new staples as necessary. In no time at all he was standing on top, beckoning the rest of us up.

Kumatora went first, charging up the makeshift ladder. She certainly was fearless – she must really want that egg thing back.

I stepped up, about to take my turn. The climb wouldn’t have been a problem in the daylight, but doing it in the dark was a whole other matter – I was worried about slipping and missing a step, and the inevitable fall.

Boney barked encouragingly.

“Yeah, you’re right!” I said. “I can’t give up now!”

I hurried up as fast as I dared. Boney followed after me – if anything, he’d be having even more trouble than I was.

Finally all of us were at the top, safe and sound. The waterfall roared beside us – my ears would be ringing for a long time afterward.

We continued on in silence, following the river.

I stopped when I noticed a huge concrete pillar.

I gasped and glanced up - there was a huge bridge thing towering above us, except it didn’t look like it was for people. There were small lights moving back and forth, and big bulky shadows – I guessed these were ‘cars’, like the ones I'd seen around Tazmily.

“What’s that?!" I exclaimed.

“That’s a highway,” Kumatora explained. “The Pigmasks built ‘em everywhere – it’s to move their vehicles around.” She shrugged when I gave her a curious look. “You spend enough time plottin’ against and sabotaging the Pigmasks, you learn somethin’ about how their army works.”

We hurried on for a few yards, reaching a large cliff. There was a large crack in the middle, forming a cave.

“You three stay here,” Kumatora ordered. “I’m gonna check it out – I have more combat experience than any of you, especially since Duster forgot it all.”

She ducked inside. After a minute or two she came back out, unscathed.

“It’s a nice small cave, and it looks like it pops out into some kinda valley. This cave’ll be the perfect rest spot – it’s roomy and sheltered, and it even has a hot spring. We can start searching in the morning.”

Duster nodded. “I remember jumping down a hole in the middle of a big field – I don’t want to fool around with that, when I can barely see where I’m putting my own feet.” 

“Then let's rest for a couple hours," said Kumatora. "We'll start searching the moment the sun comes up.”

With that, we headed inside the cave. Kumatora dabbed her hands in the hot spring and washed up a bit, while Duster plopped against the cave wall and was sound asleep within half a minute.

I checked my clock. 12:48 AM. I yawned – it had been such a long day, and I was completely exhausted.

I felt along the ground, trying to find a good spot to lie down. The ground was uncomfortable and cold, but better than nothing, especially when I was stuck with two strangers in the middle of nowhere.

Boney didn’t mind – he plopped to the ground and curled up tight, ready to sleep.

“Okay if I use you as a pillow, Boney?” I called quietly.

Boney yipped in response – I took that as a yes.

I lay my head on Boney – his body was so soft and warm. I soon found myself drifting off to sleep.

*

My eyes flashed open.

It took me a moment to realize where I was, and why I was feeling scratchy ground instead of my comfy bed.

I blinked. There was a small sliver of sunlight filtering into the cave - it must just be daybreak.

6:07 AM. Sunrise.

I slowly rose to my feet. Kumatora and Duster were still snoring, fast asleep – despite what Kumatora said last night, it looked like we weren’t getting an early start. I wondered whether or not to wake them.

I decided to let them be, at least for a few more minutes. That way, I got a bit of time to myself. (I was always an early riser, just like Mom and Dad. It was nice to get some quality time with Mom before Lucas got up and hogged all her attention – talk about a mama’s boy!)

Boney moaned – I must’ve roused him when I got up. “Stay here, Boney,” I whispered to him. “I’m gonna take a quick walk – be right back.”

I poked my head out of the cave. There were streaks of pink in the sky. A few birds – bird-sounding creatures, I corrected – were chirping in the distance.

The first thing I saw was the ‘highway’ from last night. It was a big tall structure of gray concrete, with a few colourful cars roaring overhead.

I hurried below it and wandered beside the river. Now that it was light out, I could see I was in a plateau-like area, kind of like the one near Grandpa Alec’s old place.

Finally I reached the falls. I whistled – they were beautiful in the early morning light. Water endlessly crashed into the valley below, with its purple-tinted trees catching the first rays of sunlight. There were even a few glints of a rainbow reflected in the water.

I glanced at the Wall Staple ladder, wondering if I should climb down for a better look. That’s how I noticed some bulky pink figures moving around in the valley below.

Funny, they looked kind of like-

I froze. Pigmasks.

I zoomed in with my mechanical eye – sure enough, there were two of them marching by the river, carrying flashlights. They looked like they were searching for something – Me?

I crouched down low, trying to keep out of sight. I did not want the Pigmasks to catch me wandering around on my own in chimera-infested territory – I’d land in even bigger trouble with Dad than I already was!

Another Pigmask came by, dragging a Muttshroom on a leash – they were probably using it to track someone’s scent. Unfortunately for the Pigmasks, the Muttshroom seemed more interested in tugging at its leash and growling at its handler instead of doing its job.

I leaned down and tugged at the nearest Wall Staple. Sooner or later the Pigmasks would notice this ladder, and climb up – removing the top rung or two would at least slow them down a bit. But the Wall Staple held firm.

I got to my feet and scrambled away, rushing back toward our cave – I needed to warn the others.

“Pigmasks!!” I yelled as I burst into the cave.

Boney immediately leapt to his feet, startled by the loud noise.

Kumatora growled – looks like I’d managed to wake her. “Geez, kid, keep it down – Pigmasks?!" She snapped alert. “Aw, crap. Where’s Duster?”

Duster just snored away.

“Double crap,” muttered Kumatora. “How’d such a heavy sleeper manage to survive as a thief anyway?!”

She grabbed Duster's arm and started dragging him out. “C’mon kid, move out – there’s no time to waste!”

I hurried after her. “Duster, wake up!” I yelled desperately. “There’s Pigmasks!”

“Hmrmm?” Duster blinked a few times, then glanced around in confusion. “This isn’t Club Titiboo. What’s going on?”

“Pigmasks!!” Kumatora and I shouted.

Fortunately Duster was quick on the update. “Oh,” he mumbled, and rose to his feet. Then he started running – even though he had a distinctive limp, his bad leg didn’t slow him down at all.

We ran, not really caring where we ended up. Even the egg was an afterthought – all we cared about was putting as much distance between us and the Pigmasks as possible.

“How’d the Pigbutts go after us so damn fast?!” bellowed Kumatora.

“I am a member of the mega-popular DCMC,” Duster remarked dryly.

“Yeah, but you only left a couple hours ago, and Club Titiboo’s closed off until this evening! No one outside the DCMC should even know you’re gone – unless someone’s a spy.” I could feel her glaring daggers at me.

“For the last time, I’m not workin’ for the Pigmasks! I hate them!!” I snapped. “If I wanted the Pigmasks to capture you, why’d I just warn you, huh?!”

“That could just be a ploy to get us to trust you!” Kumatora snapped back. “You’ll get nice and close to us, then once we find the egg you’ll swoop in and-”

“If you don’t trust me, then why’d you drag me along?!”

“Because you’re a PSI user, and a chimera besides, and I’d prefer you somewhere I can keep an eye on ya,” Kumatora cut in. “Just shut up and run, okay?! I don’t have time to deal with this crap – I’ll sort you out later.”

I suspected the Pigmasks were more after me than Kumatora or Duster, thanks to being their precious little science project, but I kept my mouth shut. Kumatora was suspicious enough of me as it was, and it’d only give her an excuse to dump me to the Pigmasks (or some especially nasty chimeras) the first chance she got.

Suddenly a weird chimera leapt out at us. I gasped in horror – it was a lion’s head strapped onto a bunch of metal tentacles. It stared at us with glassy eyes.

Boney whimpered, while Kumatora and Duster made faces of pure disgust. Poor Duster was getting quite a shock with all these chimeras – it’d have been better if he first saw one of the less horrifying ones, like the Squawking Stick.

Reconstructed Lion. Type: Mechanical chimera. Regular lions suck, so we made ours cooler. Has tentacles and breathes fire.

“Watch out – it shoots fire!” I blurted out.

Just in time – the lion roared and released a jet of flames from its mouth.

“Ah!” We quickly dropped to the ground – the fire roared harmlessly over us.

“…the hell?!” muttered Kumatora. “They got ones with PSI now?!”

Duster just gaped.

Query: Weaknesses. We needed a way to defeat this thing as soon as possible – the Pigmasks were after us!

Weak to lightning, my retina display flashed back.

“It’s weak to lightning!” I shouted.

“Hmph. Worth a shot,” Kumatora muttered. She raised her hand. “PK Thunder!”

A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and struck the Reconstructed Lion on the head. It roared in pain, and its tentacles writhed.

“Now run!” Kumatora shouted.

I scrambled away – she didn’t need to tell me twice!

“What’d you just do?” Duster asked hurriedly.

“No time to explain!” shot Kumatora. “It’s special powers me an’ Claus have!”

We ran and ran, desperate to get away.

Suddenly Duster threw out his hand, signalling us to stop.

“This is the place – look, there’s the hole in the ground. Except…” Duster’s voice trailed off.

I scanned the surroundings, quickly seeing the source of the problem – we were at a field dotted with nine different holes!

“There was only one hole when I was here,” Duster murmured apologetically.

“Well, just pick one!” Kumatora shouted. “Those Pigbutts’ll catch up any minute!” With that, she leapt down the nearest hole.

I gasped – and people called me reckless!

Still, she was right – we needed to get away! I leapt in after Kumatora, while Duster and Boney followed close behind.

I landed in a crouch, quickly scanning my surroundings. We had landed in a big winding cavern – kinda like the mine at the factory, except this one was deserted and seemed to be a completely natural formation. Small gaps of light shone down from above – those must be the other holes.

Duster looked up. “Looks like all the holes lead to this same place anyway,” he commented. “My guess is that some sort of animal dug them out.”

“Thanks for that mental image, Duster – must’ve been somethin’ huge, to leave a person-sized hole behind,” muttered Kumatora. “Some nasty breed of chimera, I bet.”

I squinted, taking a closer look at the pattern of holes on the ceiling. “No, I think you’re wrong about the holes, Duster. Look at that one.” I pointed at a small spot of light visible in the cavern roof. “It drops down onto the cliff over there.”

“Doesn’t matter – Duster can just Wall Staple his way up there,” said Kumatora.

Duster frowned. “I’m still not used to being called Duster…” He walked up to the cliff, pulled out some Wall Staples, and experimentally prodded them against the cavern wall.

“It’s no good,” he called. “It’s too hard, I can’t get a firm hold.”

“Damn. Well, just keep walkin’ – we gotta find a way outta here.”

Suddenly a creature roared.

“Look out – it’s a chimera!” I shouted.

A large creature bounded out of the darkness. I gasped – it was a combination of two creatures I’d never seen before. Its upper half looked like a fish – It had a large gray head with eyes that bulged on each end, and floppy fins for arms. But it was standing on furry brown legs, and it had a long pointed tail. The weirdest thing about it, though, was that it had a pouch on its belly, with a baby version of itself perched inside. How strange – I’d never seen an animal with pockets before!

Parental Kangashark. Type: Biological chimera. Can live on both land and water. Will do anything to protect its child. Weak to ice.

Huh – my retina display was now automatically uploading weaknesses. Guess my robot parts were ‘learning’ by adapting themselves based on my needs and preferences – ‘an organic brain-computer interface’, as Fassad put it.

“Try PK Freeze!” I yelled to Kumatora.

She grunted and threw out her hand. “PK Freeze!”

A cold breeze rushed through the cavern. Small specks of ice sparkled to life and floated around Kumatora’s hand – they hardened into icicles, then shot forward and struck the Parental Kangashark in the face. It howled in pain.

“I’ll help!” I readied myself, trying to summon some PSI.

“Kid – don’t,” Kumatora ordered. “Your only offensive PSI is your lightning, and I already told ya to lay it off until you can control yourself. Besides, I’ve got this!” She threw out another blast of PK Freeze. The creature howled, shielding its arm-fins over its baby.

“Now run – let the Pigbutts deal with it!”

We hurried further into the cavern, the Kangashark roaring in fury after us.

After stumbling around in the dark for a bit, we eventually found a path that led us toward a fresh breeze and a gaping hole of light.

I blinked. We were back at the field full of holes.

“Well, at least we can keep trying until we get it right,” Duster commented.

“Pick one, before the Pigbutts get here!” Kumatora said urgently.

“Hang on – I wanna try somethin’,” I interrupted.

Calculations whirred through my central processor. So if I had seen the correct hole from down there… and if that hole over there was where we had jumped down…

“It’s that one – the one closest to us and all the way to the left.” I pointed.

Kumatora scoffed. “How’d you know that? Intuition?”

“No – I did the math based on where we went down an’ where that hole over the cliff was-”

“Whatever, doesn’t matter. Let’s see if you’re right, wonder boy."

I scowled – as if ‘human chimera’ wasn’t bad enough.

We leapt down the hole I indicated. Sure enough, we landed on the big cliff we couldn’t get to before.

“See? Told you.” I stuck out my tongue.

“Hmph. Doin’ maths, shootin’ lightning, readin’ up on chimeras… what’s next, a flashlight? Doin’ laundry?”

“Not if the Pigmasks have anythin’ to say about it,” I muttered. “That’s far too practical, and not ‘cool’ enough.”

“Save the sob story for later – let’s get outta here.”

We wandered along the cliff, which lined the edge of the cavern – there were some more Kangasharks hopping around below, but no chimeras ambushed us on our level.

Finally we emerged back into daylight.

Kumatora glanced around. “Yep, this is Unknown Valley, all right.”

Rugged cliffs rose on either side, draped in moss and vines. A small stream trickled through the valley floor, which was lined with lush undergrowth. Everything was peaceful and undisturbed – it looked like no one had been this way in a long time.

Duster narrowed his eyes, deep in concentration. “I’m certainly getting a sense of déjà vu from this place… oh, look! There’s the clay mound I used – yeah, this is the place after all!”

He ran forward in excitement, the rest of us scrambling to keep up.

Duster crouched down beside the clay mound. It was huge and covered in bluish-green moss.

That’s funny… if I squinted, I could make out some sort of face. But this was a clay mound out in the middle of nowhere – It shouldn’t have a face! It must be my imagination.

But, that part there looked like legs… and that part there looked like arms…

I gasped. “It’s a Clayman!”

“Huh, you’re right,” Kumatora remarked. “Must’ve been one of their earliest models – it’s been sittin’ out here for years.”

Duster frowned. “Hmm? What’s a Clayman?”

“We’ll explain later,” Kumatora said quickly. “You just get the egg!”

Duster nodded and climbed toward the figure. He carefully ran his hand along its belly. “I hid the egg right here,” he explained. Then he took out a knife from his tool pouch and started chipping away at the clay.

After a moment he whistled. “Good – it’s still here. See these white bits I uncovered? That’s the egg.”

“All right!” Kumatora cheered, while Boney yipped happily.

I grinned. Looks like I could get home by lunchtime!

“So all that’s left is to dig the egg outta there,” Kumatora said. “We’ll help – the dog can dig, and I’ll chip in with my trusty hunting knife.” She pulled out the small knife she’d threatened me with.

Suddenly a huge lightning bolt dropped down from out of nowhere. I yelped and dived for the ground – thanks to Dad’s warnings, I was scared of lightning and desperate to protect myself.

After a moment I carefully glanced up. Kumatora and Boney were unhurt, being far enough back from the blast. Duster had been knocked backward – he looked a bit singed, but otherwise okay. The Clayman, however, took a direct hit – its shoulder was charred black.

“What the hell was that?!” Kumatora shouted. “Duster, you all right?!”

“Ouch,” said Duster, rubbing his shoulder and grimacing. Then he nodded at us, indicating he was fine.

Duster slowly got to his feet. “Whew, that was close… Talk about a bolt out of the blue – there isn’t even a cloud in the sky!”

We glanced up. The last streaks of pink had vanished from the sky, leaving a clear morning blue. Duster was right – the sky was completely clear.

I frowned – that was weird. Lightning and thunder came from clouds in the sky, according to Dad. So where did that big bolt come from, if not the sky? And did it have anything to do with the big lightning storms in the village?

Duster shrugged, “Well, I’ll just try this again. That egg isn’t prying itself out, after all.”

Something moaned.

We glanced at each other.

“Wasn’t me,” I protested. “Um… maybe it’s some kinda chimera?”

Whatever it was moaned again – louder this time.

“It’s comin’ from the Clayman!” I gasped in disbelief.

The Clayman slowly rose to its feet.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. That Clayman had been as still and lifeless as a doorknob – did that lightning just recharge it?

The Clayman shuddered and vibrated, then started running in place. It quickly built up speed – it had been recharged, all right.

Suddenly it sprinted forward and smashed into the valley wall, then crashed into the opposite side on the rebound. Then it took off down the valley – running backward all the while.

None of us said anything, too shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Then Duster glanced down, and noticed his hands were empty. Realization dawned on his face.

“Hey – it took off with the egg!”

Chapter Text

The four of us bolted to our feet and took off down the valley.

That Clayman might be fast, but it was old and worn out, not to mention wonky - sooner or later its burst of energy would run out, and we’d catch up to it… right?

We ran through the valley – but there was no Clayman in sight! There were a bunch of large footprints going every which way, though.

Following the footprints, we ran and ran - until I saw something that made me stop in my tracks.

“Look at that building!” I exclaimed. “That’s the one I saw from Club Titiboo!”

Indeed, that tall red building from before was rising up from Murasaki Forest. It was so tall – ever taller than Leder’s old bell tower!

Duster nodded. “I’ve seen that tower from Club Titiboo, too. No idea what it’s for, though.”

I also noticed a large metal sign nearby - The Tower of Love and Peace – STAY AWAY!! Again, it looked like the letters had been hastily painted over something.

Before I could investigate further, Kumatora interrupted with, “We don’t have time for this crap – the Clayman’s gettin’ away!”

“Right,” I muttered, and took off.

Soon the valley sloped down – up ahead I could see the Clayman hobbling along at top speed, bumping into the valley walls and various chimeras.

How could a stupid Clayman move so fast?!

“After it!” I shouted.

We tore down the valley, hot in pursuit.

I charged ahead, desperate to catch up. I went so fast, I wasn’t looking at where I was going – suddenly I tripped over a chimera!

“Ah!” I cried as I tumbled to the ground.

I glanced up – a large turtle stared back at me curiously. It was wearing a metal hat, and its legs had been replaced with tank treads. Still, it didn’t seem that hostile, for a chimera.

Mecha-Turtle. Type: Mechanical chimera. Slow but powerful – perfect for artillery.

The others hurried up behind the turtle.

“You okay?” Duster called, while Boney barked in concern.

“Y-yeah! I’m fine!” I said, scrambling back to my feet.

“Idiot, don’t run off like-” Kumatora stopped mid-sentence.

I was about to snap that I was just trying to catch the Clayman, but the look on Kumatora’s face made me stop. I gulped – I’d never seen her frightened before.

“Holy shit!” she shouted.

The turle moaned.

Suddenly there was a loud bang – the turtle jerked forward as a bunch of rockets and stuff fired out of its back.

The others screamed and dived for cover.

Too late, my retina display updated: Packed with weapons in its shell. Cannons, a BB gun, and more! After another moment: Weak to thunder.

I instinctively shot some PSI – a large bolt of lightning leapt from my hands and struck the turtle head-on.

While it was distracted, the others rushed past me.

Kumatora grabbed my arm. “Idiot – don’t provoke it! Hurry up and get away!”

“I was just fightin’ back!” I snapped. Why’d she hafta criticize every single thing I did?!

“You can’t fight somethin’ like that! It’s loaded down with weapons!”

We ran away – fortunately the turtle was super slow, treads or no.

Unfortunately two more turtles were waiting up ahead. They slowly spun around, revealing their weapons.

“Shit!” Kumatora yelled.

And then a Reconstructed Lion charged out of nowhere, waving its tentacles at us.

“Argh!” Duster screamed, while Boney howled in alarm.

Too many enemies! My retina display blurred, trying to process too many things at once.

Panicking, I threw out my hands and summoned the first PSI I could think of.

Blue energy exploded from my hands. The enemies howled in pain, vanishing under the tidal wave of my power.

Slowly the blue energy faded - the chimeras were nowhere in sight.

I panted.

No one said anything. Duster was gaping in horror. As for Kumatora-

“What… in the hell… was THAT?!”

I grinned nervously. “My PSI?”

Kumatora narrowed her eyes. “And you didn’t tell me about this because…?”

“It’s my super-special power! Not even the Magypsies can use it! I thought you were gonna be jealous!”

“Look, kid, I don’t care a damn about what powers you have or not – but I do care if you can’t control ‘em properly,” she snarled. “I thought your lightning was bad enough – and this one’s even worse!”

There she went again, criticizing me.

“You’re just jealous ‘cause I’m stronger than you!!” I blurted out.

Kumatora snarled. “Why, you little snothead-”

Boney whined, protectively leaping between me and Kumatora.

“We are being chased, you know,” Duster remarked dryly.

Kumatora scowled. “Fine. Let’s just get outta here.” She shot me a glare that went, We’re not done here.

I glared right back, standing up on my tippy-toes. Then I bolted down the valley, not daring to look back in case the Pigmasks were already catching up.

I passed by a Mecha-Turtle dozing in the early morning sun. Fuming with rage, I kicked it.

I kept running - I rounded a bend, ending up beside a huge building surrounded by a big wall. It looked a lot like the Pigmask factory – but why would they need another one all the way out here?

At that moment, the others caught up.

Kumatora scoffed loudly. “These piggy bastards are putting their crap wherever they damn well please, huh.”

“Yeah!” I said angrily. I wasn’t quite sure what all those words meant, but I shared her feelings – the Pigmasks were messing everything up! First the village, now the wilderness!

“There’s no sign of our Clayman – guess it went inside the building,” commented Duster.

“Well, what’re we waitin’ for?” Kumatora snapped. “Let’s get inside before the Pigbutts catch up!”

“Hang on,” Duster cautioned. “We need a plan – this looks like a high-clearance area, and I don’t think ‘we’re lost’ will cut muster.”

“We don’t have time! We can improvise somethin’ once we’re inside – those Pigbutts'll be here any minute!”

“Well, there’ll be even more, er, Pigbutts waiting inside-”

While Kumatora and Duster were arguing (Boney glancing between them and getting increasingly agitated), my enhanced hearing picked up some voices. My auditory processor refined the speech signal: “They went this way – hurry, we can still catch ‘em before they get to the-”

I gulped – the Pigmasks were here.

My central processor started doing some calculations – based on the speed of sound, the decibel level, and my range of hearing, I could calculate how far away they were. I forcefully aborted the process – I already knew they were far too close for comfort!

“Hurry! They’re comin’!” I yelled, then bolted through the factory doors.

The inside had a similar layout as the other factory, but the furnishings were different. There was a large conveyor belt that shot out Clayman into a crowded pen, with the setup perfectly mirrored on the other side. A metal balcony hung up above, leading to a panel with lots of flashing lights and buttons. A large archway led into the rest of the factory, with three Pigmasks standing in front of it and talking loudly.

“…Oh, so THAT’S why I could never hang my helmet in the bathroom!” one of the Pigmasks was saying. “They should really put up a sign or something. How inconsiderate.”

“You’re such an idiot!” another one shot back. “That bathroom hook’s obviously for umbrellas and stuff. How stupid are you?!”

“Hey, I’m not stupid! You’re the stupid one, if you think I’m stupid!!”

“That’s too stupid for me to even understand, stupid!”

“Hey, you know what? You’re BOTH stupid!” yelled the third Pigmask.

“I know you are – but what am I?!”

“STUPID!!”

Wow. Even for Pigmasks, these guys were pretty dumb and ob-nock-shus.

The three Pigmasks finally glanced up and noticed me.

Helmet Trouble was the first to react - they cried out “Aah, he’s – !", then scrambled for the corner and cowered behind a Clayman.

Meanwhile, the other two Pigmasks took up positions on either side of the archway, doing their stupid Pigmask salute. (Was it supposed to be intimidating? It was just some guy in a stupid pig costume waving their arm in the air and squealing like a pig!) I noticed their legs were trembling.

Huh. These guys were terrified of me.

I slowly grinned. This kind of behaviour I didn’t mind from Pigmasks. Heck, I could get used to this – these ones wouldn’t be so quick to make me their toy or call me an ‘it’!

That was when the others ran up behind me.

“You stupid idiot!” Kumatora didn’t mince words, as usual. Geez, why was she so grumpy all the time?

I was about to snap a reply when I heard a new voice – “Hey, what’s with all the ruckus?!”

A blue Pigmask strode into the room. From their walk, I could tell they were very full of themselves.

“All right, what in blazes are you –” They stopped when they caught sight of me, and immediately changed their tune. “M-my apologies, sir! I wasn’t aware you would be here today, c-commander! I-It’s an honour to have you here, sir!” They saluted like their life depended on it.

I grinned even wider. So apparently this Pigmask mistook me for ‘the commander’ – time to make the most of it.

“That’s right!” I improvised, puffing out my chest. “I’m here on super-duper top secret commander business!!” And, because I was in a hurry, “Get outta my way!!”

“Uh-”

“I said-”

And then Duster clamped his hand over my mouth. “Mmph!” I yelled in protest.

“I’ll handle this,” Duster hissed in my ear. Then he addressed the Pigmask, still keeping his hand in place. “My apologies – the commander is very excitable today.”

“Hmph. I don’t recognize you. Are you supposed to be his new attendants or something?”

“Yes,” Duster said quickly.

“Well – you and the commander should get on. But change into some proper uniforms first – no one’ll take any of you seriously with getups like that. Where in the world did the commander even find such a shabby outfit anyway?”

I squirmed and hissed. How dare they call my favourite outfit shabby!!

The Pigmask led us down some corridors.

“What’s your rank, solider?” they asked Duster.

“Oh, nothing special – we’re just privates,” Duster said.

“Really? Lowly privates, assigned to escort the commander?”

“Yes, but we were hand-picked by the Trooper,” Duster added quickly.

“Oooh, the Trooper! Well, if the Trooper likes you, then you can’t be half-bad.” They paused. “Hey, you look familiar… aren’t you-”

“Lucky from the DCMC? Oh, I get that a lot,” Duster said smoothly. “No, I’m not him. Wouldn’t be working here otherwise, eh?”

We continued on for a bit.

“All right, here’s the uniform room – go find your sizes. I’ll go get some suitable clothes for the commander – we need to store his outfits separately, since he’s so small.” The blue Pigmask did a quick salute, then ran off.

We threw open the door – uniforms and helmets were hanging everywhere. Pink ones, blue ones, green ones, even white ones with capes! Boney wandered around, curiously sniffing at the uniforms.

Duster released his hand – I gasped for breath.

“That was slick, Duster!” Kumatora remarked approvingly.

Duster shrugged. “When you perform in front of a packed crowd every night, you learn to be cool under pressure.”

Finally I got my breath back.

“HEY!!” I bellowed loudly. “What’d you do that for?! I was doin’ so well!”

“No you weren’t,” Kumatora muttered. “'Super-duper top secret commander business' my ass – you could’ve gotten us captured or killed!”

“I was doin’ the best I could – no one warned me I was gonna be mistaken for a commander!” And it had felt so good – I wanted the Pigmasks to respect me for once!

“Claus – try to understand,” Duster said gently. “We’ve just had a very fortunate opportunity, and we need to make the most of it. It looks like there’s been a misunderstanding – the Pigmasks must’ve mistaken you for someone else, someone that probably doesn’t say things like-”

“Super-duper top secret, I know.” I rolled my eyes. C’mon, like they could’ve come up with something better!

“Just understand that not everyone in the Pigmask army is a complete moron.” Duster sighed heavily. “Let’s get dressed. If we’re lucky, we can shake off those pursuers while getting a lead on where that Clayman went. Oh, and be sure to get the pink uniforms – those are for the privates.”

Kumatora grabbed the smallest uniform she could find – which was still plenty big. The pants alone would’ve gone up to my head!

Kumatora frowned. “Wait – the privates are the lowly guys, right? Shouldn’t you have picked some higher-ups to accompany the hoity-toity commander?”

“No one cares about the privates, so no one will notice an extra one or two hanging around. Colonels, on the other hand…” Duster pointed to the white outfits – they were a lot fancier than the other uniforms, and were even decorated with gold trim on the sleeves. “There’s only a handful of them in the entire Pigmask army. People’d wonder why two of them suddenly showed up at this factory.”

I nodded - that'd explain why I'd never seen Pigmasks in those fancy white outfits wandering around Tazmily. (I'd seen a lot of the pink guys, a small handful of blue ones, and maybe one or two dressed in green. I guess the different colours were supposed to correspond to different ranks of Pigmasks, but I didn't really care - they were all equally annoying and bossy!)

Kumatora raised her eyebrows. “How do you know so much about Pigmask ranks?”

Duster shrugged. “Many of the Pigmasks are huge DCMC fans. In fact, one of our biggest fans is the Fierce Pork Trooper – or at least, that’s what everyone calls him, or Trooper for short. He’s supposed to be one of the higher-ups in the army – all his men respect and fear him.”

Just then, the blue Pigmask came back, dropping off a small pile of clothes (Duster clamping his hand back over my mouth despite my muffled protests). “Here’s the commander’s outfit,” the Pigmask said hurriedly, doing yet another salute.

Once the Pigmask was gone, I grabbed my new outfit and started throwing it on. These clothes actually looked pretty cool – at least I wasn’t stuck wearing an ugly pig costume.

First were some orange pants, which I pulled up over my shorts. (I grinned – they were my favourite shade of orange!) Next was a gray collared shirt – I pulled it over my head and stuffed my arms through the sleeves.

Kumatora scrambled into her uniform, muttering all the way. Despite being the smallest size, her uniform hung loose – the Pigmasks were so big! (They liked to joke that I needed to put on a lot more weight before I could join their army – as if I’d ever want to join them!!).

Duster climbed into his own uniform, but stopped. He hurried over to me and started tugging on my shirt, shaking out some of the creases.

“Hey! What’re you doin?!” I shouted.

“Helping you get dressed,” he said smoothly, buttoning up the collar on my shirt. I chafed at the tight feeling on my neck – I liked my clothes loose!

“I’m twelve years old!!” I snapped. “I can get dressed all by myself!!”

“Not without being sloppy you can’t,” Duster muttered, tucking the shirt into my pants. (I hated that – it wasn’t comfy!!) “You’re supposed to be a commander, put some effort into your appearance.”

I sighed loudly and made the biggest scowl I could.

“He’s right, you know,” Kumatora cut in, shoving her helmet on. “If you’re gonna be our commander, you’d better start acting like one. For starters, let us do the talking – once we get out there, you stay quiet.”

“Hey! Stop bossin’ me around!!”

“She’s right, Claus,” Duster said, helping me into a black jacket – it was heavier than the clothes I usually liked, but still pretty comfy. “We can’t afford to get caught. Did you notice that Pigmask captain? You startled him based on how you spoke – the commander probably doesn’t talk informally like that. It’s best just to stay silent – we can always say your time’s far too valuable to explain things to some underling.”

“But that’s what I was doing!” I protested.

“Calling something super-duper top secret is the worst way of keeping something secret, kiddo.” Duster grabbed a belt and adjusted it around my waist. I noticed the buckle was shaped like a pig’s snout – and so was the one on Duster’s belt.

Wow, these guys must really like pigs.

“Look, kid,” Kumatora said gruffly. “If the Pigbutts catch us, Fassad’s gonna hear about it, and he’ll be pissed. You think the Pigmasks treat you badly? Just wait ‘til Fassad catches you struttin’ around a secure compound an’ impersonating the commander. I know how he treats people he doesn’t like – trust me, your life will get very unpleasant. So just shut up and play along, willya?!”

“Fine,” I muttered darkly. First I didn’t get enough sleep, then I got yelled at for using my PK Love power… now I couldn’t even talk?! They were almost as bossy as the Pigmasks!

“Incidentally, that’s a good commander glare – no one will mess with you,” Duster said, clearly trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.

We quickly got the rest of our outfits ready. Duster helped lace up my huge boots (they went on right over my shoes!). Meanwhile, Kumatora stuck a yellow Pigmask helmet on Boney, who whined unhappily. “I know it’s stinky – it’s just until we get the egg,” she hissed.

We slipped out the door and hurried through the factory. There were huge machines everywhere, and conveyor belts carrying lots of lumps of clay. I thought back to the pen full of Claymen back at the first room – maybe this was the place where the Pigmasks made the Claymen I‘d seen at the factory?

I shuddered. If this was how the Pigmasks made their Claymen, I did not want to find out how they made their chimeras!!

We also passed by a whole bunch of Pigmasks standing around – they looked like they were supervising the various machines and stuff. Luckily none of them tried to stop us – I kept my eyes narrowed and tried to look intimidating, so I guess I was scaring them off.

Finally we got to the other end of the factory. There was a door propped open to the outside, and a Pigmask lounging beside it.

“Still no hide nor hair of our Clayman,” Duster remarked. “Let’s ask one of the Pigmasks if they’ve seen it go by – how about that fellow by the door?”

We walked up to the Pigmask guarding the exit.

Kumatora shoved me behind her. I huffed – I was the commander! I should be the one calling the shots!!

“Excuse me,” Duster announced. “The commander needs to know if a Clayman passed this way.”

“Oh, you talkin’ about the wonky-looking one that came by a few moments ago?” the Pigmask drawled. “Yep, that sure was an out-of-control Clayman if I ever saw one – couldn’t even go in a straight line. Had enough sense to drag itself to the dump, at least... kinda sad if you think about it. Yep.”

“Just tell us where it went,” snapped Kumatora.

The Pigmask pointed out the door. “Oh, it just went to the dump truck parked out there. Not sure what anyone’d want with a defunct Clayman, but you can probably catch it, if you hurry.”

We ran out the door before they could finish.

There was a big car (no – truck) with a yellow box on its back parked outside. A blue Pigmask wearing a yellow vest was shoving something big and lumpy inside the box – I caught a glimpse of dark clay and bits of moss.

I gasped – that was our Clayman!!

Before we could stop them, the Pigmask slammed the lid shut and hopped into the truck – after a moment, it rumbled to life and rolled forward.

“Wait!” I shouted.

But already the truck was speeding off.

“Aw, crap!” Kumatora exclaimed loudly.

“After it!!” I yelled.

I sprinted for the speeding truck, my feet pounding against the hard road stuff.

Up ahead, the truck plunged into a big tunnel. I pushed myself as hard as I could go – my mechanical systems pumped blood to my legs and increased my oxygen intake.

My lungs burned, and my legs ached. But it was no use – not even my enhanced robot body could catch up!

Finally the truck pulled away, out of sight.

I sunk to my knees in disappointment and exhaustion, gasping for breath.

The others finally caught up. Dimly I realized Duster and Kumatora would be having much more trouble running than I was, thanks to those bulky outfits.

Boney plopped down at my side, whining unhappily and licking my face in sympathy.

“You IDIOT!!” Kumatora shouted. “Don’t go runnin’ off like that!”

“But the truck was gettin’ away!!” I protested.

“You can’t catch a speedin’ truck, idiot! Use that robot brain of yours – you coulda ordered some Pigmasks to flag it down for ya! You’re the freakin’ commander!”

“You’re the one that told me not to talk!!” I snapped back.

“Well, maybe if you weren’t so damn impulsive-”

“Don’t call me impulsive!!”

Kumatora swung her fist at me – I quickly ducked.

“Can’t you wait to fight until after we get the egg?” Duster sighed.

We both turned to yell at Duster.

That was when some chimeras rolled up – they were boar’s heads perched on colourful striped balls, and had little silver knobs slowly turning on their heads. They drooled slightly, and their eyes were glazed over. They were pretty fierce-looking, but luckily they seemed more curious than aggressive.

Wound-Up Road Hog. Type: Mechanical chimera. A wind-up toy designed to amuse King P. Has a face only a mother could love.

“What’re you lookin’ at?!” Kumatora snarled with fury.

The chimeras flinched and squealed in alarm. Their balls screeched as they frantically rolled backward – Kumatora was scary when she was mad.

“Yeah, back off!” I added.

A few stray sparks started dancing on my hand. I clenched my fist, hoping Kumatora didn’t see – if she knew my PSI was going off all on its own, she’d get even madder at me.

Suddenly a big pink thing pulled up, stopping just inches from us.

I gasped – I had never seen anything like it. It reminded me a lot of a car, except it had no wheels and was floating a few inches off the ground. I guessed that it was some kind of Pigmask thing – it even looked kinda like a pig, if you squinted.

A door slid open on the side, and a Pigmask hopped out. “Hey! Get the hell off the road, you little – oh, m-my apologies, commander!!” They snapped to attention, saluting nervously. “Y-you look especially ang- er, I mean, determined today, commander! And in such a hurry, too! Um – here, why don’t you take my Pork Bean? It’ll take you wherever you’re going – preferably anywhere but here! N-not that there’s a problem with that or anything!!”

They were talking very fast in a high-pitched voice – they must’ve been really frightened of me. Maybe my fierce glare was scaring them?

“Sure,” Duster said quickly.

I nodded, being too out of breath to argue.

“Y-you go first, commander!” the Pigmask shouted.

I hopped into the Pork Bean. Despite myself, I was a bit excited – I’d seen vehicles aplenty in Tazmily, but never got to ride around in one before! (I mean, there were all those times I had to ride to my maintenance appointments before the hospital went up, but those didn’t count because I was blindfolded the entire time!)

The Pork Bean was pretty cramped inside (and pink! ). The front wall had a huge window where you could see the road – below that was a panel with all sorts of screens and flashing buttons. Aside from that, there were two rows of pink cushy seats and nothing else. Even the Pork Tank was better than this! (One time some of the nicer, actually-treat-me-like-a-human Pigmasks let me climb into one of their Pork Tanks and honk the horn – it made a funny ‘OINK’ sound! But then some other Pigmasks had to ruin it by setting up some targets and forcing me to fire the artillery, just to see how ‘awesome’ my trajectory analyses and other targeting abilities were.)

All in all, pretty disappointing. Still, at least this thing would probably be faster than walking.

I could hear the others talking outside. The Pigmask was whispering, evidently not wanting me to overhear (but my robot ears did anyway). “Shouldn’t the commander be wearing his helmet?”

“That’s what we’re looking for – and why we’re in such a big hurry,” Duster added quickly. I nodded in approval – good thinking!

“Oh, I see – that must be why he’s so agitated.” The Pigmask took a big sigh of relief. (I hissed – I wasn’t agitated! I didn’t need to be coddled! ) 

The others started climbing into the Pork Bean. Once everyone was inside, Duster pressed a small button on the wall, causing a panel to slide in and close the gap to the outside. Meanwhile, Boney leapt onto one of the seats beside me, barking happily. 

“So who’s driving?” I asked.

Duster shrugged. “I’ve never driven one of these before, so…”

“I’ll do it – we’re not lettin’ the kid touch this thing,” Kumatora said quickly.

I scowled. “Why do you get to do everythin’?!”

“I have more experience, and you’re impulsive as hell,” Kumatora responded. She climbed into the front seat and started mashing random buttons on the panel. The Pork Bean jerked around a few times, then started forward.

“Hey, lemme try!” I said.

“No, kid - I barely got this thing under control as it is, no way I’m lettin’ you mess around with it.” She swerved and accidentally bumped into a Wound-Up Road Hog.

“Claus, you’ve gotten us into enough trouble already,” added Duster.

“But-”

“Who put all these damn robots here?! ”

I glanced out the front window – up ahead were a bunch of yellow-painted robots lying on the road. They looked in pretty bad shape – most of them were missing arms or legs, and the few still on their feet were wobbling around like newborn sheep.

“Oh, screw this.” Kumatora slammed her foot against a black petal on the floor. The Pork Bean rushed forward, smacking into the pile of robots and sending them flying.

“Hey!” I protested. “Stop jerking around so much!”

“Shut up, I’m tryin’ to concentrate – drivin’s harder than it looks, kid.”

“It’s Claus! ”

“Kid, I said-”

Suddenly there was a horrible screeching sound. The Pork Bean spun around wildly.

“What’s goin’ on?!” I yelled.

“Dunno – this piece of crap is-”

The next few minutes were a blur – there was a loud crunching noise, and my body went flying.

After a moment I hit the ground face-first. I groaned – I hurt all over!

“Ugh,” I said. 

Then I blacked out.

Chapter Text

“Commander!! Are you all right?!”

I groaned. My head pounded, and I hurt all over. For some reason, I was lying face-down on the road.

Why was that voice so loud? Who was the commander?

Oh, right, that’s me.

I got up to my knees, clutching my head. My mechanical eye ached – I must’ve jostled it slightly when I hit the ground.

Run systems tests, I ordered to myself. I didn’t relax until I saw the familiar No anomalies detected message scroll by.

“Good – you’re awake, commander!”

I glanced up, blinking. The world was a bit out of focus – my mechanical eye must still be adjusting after that fall.

There also appeared to be a giant two-legged bull glancing down at me. 

I frowned – that couldn’t be right.

I shut my left eye, hoping that would clear things up. It worked – a few details started to come into view.

The figure was definitely human – what I thought was a bull’s head was actually a Pigmask helmet with bull-like horns sticking out the side. He was wearing a big pink shirt, with the sleeves ripped off to make room for his bulging muscles. He also had a belt adorned with a giant pig’s snout, and huge arms with gold bracelets-

A memory flickered to life – I recognized this guy! He was that big meanie in the front-row seat at Club Titiboo!

He was acting much friendlier now, though – I guess I technically outranked him now! Maybe I could make him do jumping jacks or give me a piggy-back ride or something – that'd teach him to disrespect underage kids!

I quickly glanced around. Kumatora and Duster were slowly getting to their feet, while Boney was already up on all fours. Luckily none of them looked too hurt.

The Pork Bean, on the other hand… It was just a smouldering heap of scrap metal now. Parts of it were smoking and crackling with sparks, and it had a huge hole torn in the side.

I gulped - we were really lucky to emerge unscathed from a crash like that!

The DCMC’s #1 fan snorted. “That damn Fassad’s been leaving banana peels lying around everywhere – that must be why your Pork Bean slipped and crashed.” Now that he mentioned it, I noticed there were a bunch of banana peels dotted all along the highway.

“Here – why don’t you take my Pork Bean, commander?” he offered, gesturing to another of the pink things hovering a few yards away.

I leapt to my feet – he didn’t need to tell me twice! We needed to catch that truck quick!

As the big guy turned and walked away, I hurried toward his Pork Bean.

Suddenly the huge figure froze and took a step back. “Wait a minute,” he muttered darkly.

He marched over to me, blocking my way. Then he leaned over me and took a big breath.

I stiffened – did he just sniff me?!

“I recognize that kid and dog smell – you’re that impudent little kid from Club Titiboo!” he bellowed, pounding his fists together in fury. “You sneaky brat, pretending to be our commander! I‘ll pound you like one of Baccio’s drum solos!”

I gulped, my mind racing. I was still reeling from that crash, and the others wouldn’t be much better. None of us would be very good in a fight, especially against someone like Angry McHugePants!

Time to take a page out of Duster’s book, and stay cool under pressure.

“That’s ‘cause I was sneaking in here to give you... um...” I shuffled through my pockets, trying to find something I could use as a distraction – all I had was the tourist map Mapson gave me (useless – I let it drop to the ground), some Nut Bread, and the DCMC pamphlet I bought for Wess.

I scowled at the pamphlet – it was all crumpled, and just a piece of paper anyway.

It’d have to do.

“An authentic DCMC pamphlet!” I remarked cheerfully, holding it out with a smile.

The big guy snorted loudly. “DCMC?! Give me that.”

He snatched the pamphlet right out of my hands, then delicately smoothed out all the creases and started to leaf through it.

Instantly his entire mood changed. “Oh wow, here’s bios on all the band members! And a set list, too! Oooh, and an exclusive interview with OJ!!” He was literally squealing with excitement.

“Quick - now’s our chance!” I hissed.

The four of us sprinted for the Pork Bean – Boney and I dived into the back row of seats, while Duster and Kumatora climbed into the front.

Not a moment too soon – we had just climbed in when I heard a roar of fury. “Hey – COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE-”

Duster quickly pushed the button to close the Pork Bean.

At the same time Kumatora jammed some buttons on the front screen, and the Pork Bean rushed forward.

I sighed in relief – we had gotten away! But before we could celebrate our escape, loud music started blaring!

“Ow!” I cried, clapping my hands over my ears. It was so loud, it hurt! 

Boney whined unhappily.

“Turn it off!” Kumatora screamed. I could barely hear her over the pounding music.

Duster seemed unaffected – he bobbed his head in time to the music. He stopped once he noticed our distress, and experimentally jabbed some buttons. Finally one of them seemed to work – the music cut off abruptly, plunging us into silence.

I breathed a small sigh of relief.

“You call that music?!” Kumatora muttered. “More like a torture device!”

Duster winced. “Didn’t you recognize it? That was ‘Time Vortex Crash’, our latest single. It shouldn’t be out on CD yet, but we prepared an advance copy for a certain dedicated fan...” He sighed. “Was it really that bad?”

“Music shouldn’t hurt!!” I shot back.

Duster sighed again, then turned to face me. “In any case, that was good thinking back there. That was the Fierce Pork Trooper – I’ve heard rumours about his nasty temper, but he has a soft spot for all things DCMC. You did good, Claus.”

I grinned – nice to get complimented for once.

Kumatora was muttering to herself in the front, barely keeping the Pork Bean under control. “Damn that Fassad and his bananas,” I overheard. “Next time I see him, I’ll shove one up his-”

“Nose,” Duster said quickly. “She means nose.”

I frowned – how’d you fit a banana up there?!

The Pork Bean hovered along. We passed through more tunnels and more cliff-looking areas. It got pretty boring after the first few minutes.

“Hey – can I drive now?” I pleaded.

“Answer’s still no, kid,” Kumatora said. “We already wrecked one Pork Bean today, and I don’t think we’ll luck into another one.”

I crossed my arms and scowled. “Spoilsport,” I muttered.

I perked up a bit once we crossed a big bridge – at least it was something new to look at. Things were finally looking up.

So of course that's when things started going wrong.

“Hey – why’s that red light flashing?” I asked.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” said Kumatora.

Then the Pork Bean started slowing down. A bunch of buttons started flashing, and a really annoying shrill tone blared from somewhere.

Boney whined loudly.

“Kumatora, what’s happening?” asked Duster.

“Hell if I know – speed up, you worthless piece of shit!” She started whacking the front screen.

It didn’t work – soon the Pork Bean slowed to a complete stop.

“I think we’re-” Duster started.

All the lights in the Pork Bean suddenly went out.

“Out of power. Damn,” Kumatora finished.

Duster forced the door open, and we all climbed out.

“What now?” I asked. “Do you wanna flag someone down and use my commander powers, or – oh, I know!”

I grinned as a sudden idea occurred to me – if the Pork Bean was out of power, maybe I could just recharge it with my lightning PSI! It worked for the Clayman, right?!

“Whatever you’re doing – don't,” Kumatora warned.

I scowled – she didn’t even give me a chance!

“Hey, let the kid try,” Duster suggested gently.

“Yeah, you don’t know him.”

I snarled under my breath – like she knew me?!

Ignoring them, I placed my hands on the Pork Bean and concentrated. My hands danced with sparks.

Subject charging PSI... 5%… 10%…

The Pork Bean started humming back to life. A few lights flickered on the front. I grinned – it was working! I was controlling my PSI!

I turned and flashed a smirk at Kumatora – that would show her!

“Claus." Her voice was hard – it was the same tone of voice Dad used when I was about to do something that would land me in big trouble.

I glared at her, then poured even more of my PSI into the Pork Bean.

15%… 30%… 60%…

Whoa – that was a big jump-

Suddenly my hands shot out a gigantic bolt of lightning. My power tumbled out as fast and fierce as a waterfall – I couldn’t stop it!

There was a big flash and a loud CRACK noise. I screamed as I was flung backward.

I blinked my eyes in a daze. When I came to, I saw that the Pork Bean was charred completely black, and the metal door had been blown off. The whole thing was still sparking.

I observed the wreckage. Our earlier Pork Bean accident had been a minor dent compared to this mess. Even the sleeves on my new jacket had gotten singed.

I grinned apologetically. “Um... oops?”

Kumatora stomped up to me. I thought she was gonna help me up. Instead she slapped me.

“You IDIOT – that bolt could’ve killed someone!” she screamed.

“Who cares?!” I shot back. “It’s just some stupid Pigmask thing!”

“Yeah – and what if me and Duster and doggy hadn’t gotten outta the way in time? We woulda been fried bacon!”

Boney barked angrily. I winced – it was the second time I’d nearly killed him in as many days.

Even Duster was losing patience. “You really need to work on your finesse, kiddo,” he murmured.

Yep, I was in big trouble, all right.

“I lost my concentration!” I snapped. “It’s not my fault – I only got these powers yesterday! How’m I supposed to use ‘em without practicing?!”

“Maybe by not starting with your deadliest PSI attack! ” Kumatora slapped me again – I must’ve made her really mad. “Claus – this shit is dangerous. I had to wait years before the Magypsies let me use a lick of PSI – I had to prove I was mature enough to handle it. And here you are, throwing your PSI around like it’s a cool toy!”

A toy. I hissed – was she comparing me to the Pigmasks?! I was nothing like them!!

“I’m not playin’ with it!” I snapped. “I was tryin’ to help! I wanted to use my lightning PSI to recharge the Pork Bean! Just like I saw ‘em do with the Claymen!”

Kumatora face contorted with fury. “Do you have any idea-” she stopped mid-sentence, taking a deep breath. Her voice got a lot quieter – unfortunately she got a lot angrier too. “You don’t, do you? You’re just treatin’ this like some kind of game. You’re runnin’ around playin’ at bein’ the hero, and then you’ll head home and be all cozy with the Pigbutts. This is all fun and games to you – and you don’t care who gets hurt.”

“That’s not true!” I shouted. “I’m not tryin’ to be a hero! All I wanted was to find Duster for old man Wess, and then you dragged me out to find this egg thing, and then we chased after that stupid Clayman and-”

“Oh, so now everything’s my fault, huh?!” Kumatora snarled. “Why, you little-”

A whole lotta stuff happened – Kumatora lunged at me, Duster desperately holding her back. I leapt to my feet, ready to defend myself, but suddenly Boney tackled me to the ground. He yelped in distress.

“Both of you – calm down!” ordered Duster. “We have to work together!”

“I can’t!” I yelled. “Everyone’s yellin’ at me and – an'-” I couldn’t get any words out – my breath got all caught in my throat.

Fat lot of good it’d do me anyway, I thought bitterly. No one listened to me, no matter how much I tried to explain. No one took me seriously – I was either a hot-headed, snot-nosed kid, or a cool robot science project.

No one understood me.

Not since... Mom - and Lucas-

My vision blurred. My mechanical eye pixelated, and my retina display filled up with a bunch of gibberish – same as whenever I got really upset.

And then a new message popped up in my retina display: Subject experiencing emotional outburst. Speech functions compromised. Subject encouraged to engage in relaxation exercises.

I dismissed the message with a scowl – even my robot parts were mad at me.

“-lay it off, Kumatora. The kid’s crying,”  I overheard Duster saying.

“I’m not cryin’!” I snapped. “I-”

I tried to scramble to my feet, Boney still pinning me down. I had to get away – I wasn’t gonna let anyone see me like this.

I was the strong twin. I wasn’t a crybaby – not like… like... Lucas!

My breath came in short, huffy gasps. I buried my face in Boney’s fur, my whole body shuddering. Tears stung my biological eye.

I could hear Duster and Kumatora talking. I ignored them – they were probably criticizing me again.

Why’d it have to be like this? All I wanted was to help Wess so he would tell me about Lucas – but now I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with two people mad at me!

I stayed curled up with Boney for a long time. He whined and licked away my tears. I smiled weakly – at least he accepted me for who I was.

Finally someone hauled me to my feet.

“Can you walk, kid?” It was Kumatora – she still sounded gruff, but the anger was gone from her voice.

I nodded, tears still in my eyes. I didn’t trust myself to speak.

“Good. We gotta find that damned truck.”

I took a deep breath and started running down the road. Running – I could do that. It would help take my mind off things – all I had to do was focus on moving my body.

We ran on in silence, our feet echoing against the metal bridge.

*

We came to another tunnel. I checked my clock – it was 9:16 AM, and the sun already felt hot thanks to all the concrete everywhere and my black jacket. It felt nice to get into the shady tunnel.

Electric lamps hummed overhead, lining the ceiling of the tunnel. There were also some weird things standing in the middle of the road – they looked like metal signs, but they had eyes and hands! Were they chimeras?!

Road Block. Type: Mechanical enemy. We’re going for the world record!

“Screw this,” Kumatora muttered, and ran right past them. The Road Blocks glared at her and waved their hands, but made no move to stop her. Guess these guys were stationary, too.

Duster and I followed after her, Boney at our heels. There were a whole bunch of Road Blocks lined up on the road, but it was really easy to just step around them. If they were supposed to be blocking off the road, they weren’t doing a very good job.

Finally we burst out of the tunnel. I quickly took everything in – reddish-orange cliffs, more highway, a building labeled ‘P CAFE’ with a bunch of cars parked outside, and-

I gasped. “That’s our truck!”

Indeed, the yellow-backed truck was parked outside the building. The Pigmask in the yellow vest was just climbing back inside – I guess they needed to take a breakfast (or bathroom!) break.

Looks like we finally had a stroke of luck.

“Catch it!” Kumatora shouted.

We ran after the truck, which was just pulling out and speeding away.

The truck plunged into yet another tunnel – by the time we hurried in after it, the truck was already out of sight!

Something else was waiting for us in the tunnel, though – a rocket with a weird horned animal head.

The head made a grunting noise, then charged straight at us!

Rhinocerocket. Type: Mechanical chimera. Because everything’s cooler with rockets and explosives!

I gasped – that thing was almost on top of us!!

But before I could react, Duster whipped his bad leg and smacked the rocket chimera off-course – it swerved through the air for a bit before crashing into the tunnel wall and exploding.

Duster glanced down at his leg as if it had suddenly turned bright pink.

“What did I just do?” he mumbled in surprise. He seemed almost as shocked as I was – I knew Duster was fast, but I couldn’t believe how fast!

“Don’t think Lucky the bassist knows those kinda moves,” remarked Kumatora. "Don’t ya see? You're not Lucky – you’re Duster! It’s all starting to come back to ya! You’re Duster, trained in the Thief Arts with kickass skills – literally!”

Duster shrugged. “You think so? I think I just got lucky...”

Kumatora sighed. “Never mind – it’s not important for right now. We’re wastin’ time – let’s go get that egg before somethin’ else comes after us!”

We charged down the tunnel. I pushed myself, even though I was already exhausted – we spent all day running from or after things, and it was only 9:25 AM!

Finally we hurried out of the tunnel, bursting back into the sunlight.

I took it all in – a big green sign proudly declared this area was a ‘dump’. Piles of random scrap metal and other junk were scattered around, including what looked like a broken Instant Revitalization Device.

I saw our truck, too – the yellow box dumped our mossy Clayman into a big crater in the ground.

“’Bout time,” Kumatora muttered.

The truck pulled away and rolled down the highway, disappearing into yet another tunnel. But I didn’t care – finally we’d caught up to the Clayman!

I hopped into the crater, gritting my teeth as the shock went through my legs. A lot more junk had been tossed in here, too – there was even another Clayman lying on the ground.

Ignoring the piles of assorted junk, I hurried over to our mossy Clayman. It stayed perfectly still – looks like its charge had finally run out.

Kumatora hopped down beside me, while Duster and Boney climbed down a nearby ladder.

“Okay Duster, you’re up – get that egg out,” Kumatora ordered.

Duster nodded and crouched beside the Clayman. “Yep, the egg’s still here – just give me a moment, and I’ll have it out.”

Something moaned.

“You gotta be kiddin’ me!” I exclaimed.

“Damn it – hurry up and get that egg out!” said Kumatora.

Duster muttered something under his breath, then he tore off his bulky Pigmask gloves and started clawing away at the clay with his bare hands.

I kept watch over him – and the Clayman, in case it started moving again. But it stayed as still as a statue.

So if the Clayman wasn’t the one doing the moaning… who (or what) was?!

Suddenly an empty can sailed out of nowhere and whacked Duster on the shoulder.

“Ow!” he said, turning around. He froze. “Um… guys… I really think you should take a look at this…”

I slowly turned around – and gasped.

That other abandoned Clayman was rising to its feet. It looked in really bad shape – pieces of junk had sunk into its body, and it had a makeshift arm made out of thick steel rods. Its face had melted and twisted into a horrifying, disgusting expression.

I gulped – it was a junk-and-Clayman chimera!

“Um, I hate to ask, but – can you keep it distracted while I get the egg?” Duster called.

The Clayman (if you could still call it that) moaned loudly, tore off a sheet of metal from a car lying in the ditch, and tossed it at Duster – he dived to the ground, the sheet passing just inches over his helmet.

“Guess not – he’s awfully cranky in the mornings, isn’t he?” remarked Duster.

“Crap, that thing's dangerous – looks like we gotta take it out before Duster can do his thing,” said Kumatora. “Chimera boy, you do your scanning thing.”

“It’s Claus,” I muttered.

My retina display was already scrolling by: Error: No data.

“Got nothin’,” I called.

“Crap – well, time for Plan B. Let’s brute-force it – I’ll throw out some PSI and see what sticks.” She held out her hand. “PK Thunder!”

A bolt of lightning dropped from the sky and hit the Clayman. It didn’t even flinch.

“Damn – not very effective. Let’s see how it likes the cold, then – PK Freeze!”

Ice crystals formed on the Clayman’s body, but they just shattered to pieces.

“Well, let’s try some PK Fire!”

She shot some fire from her hands, which rippled across the junk Clayman. This time it moaned in pain.

The Clayman lifted up some scrap metal from the junk heap, preparing to toss it at us-

“Look out!” shouted Duster.

He sprinted up to the Clayman, then suddenly leapt into the air and whipped his leg, smacking the Clayman right in the head. It moaned, momentarily knocked off-balance – its load flew through the air and harmlessly smacked into the craggy cliff behind us.

Duster winced as he hit the ground. “He’s a heavy one – it’s like kicking a slag heap.”

Kumatora kept throwing some PK Fire at the junk Clayman, Duster adding some kicks in between. I reached to the ground and grabbed some rocks – I wasn’t gonna be left out!

I started chucking them at the Clayman – but they just sunk into its ‘skin’!

Meanwhile, Boney ran up to Duster and yipped rapidly.

Duster hopped back from the Clayman. “What’s that – you want to join in?” he asked.

“No, Boney, stay back – it’s dangerous!” I yelled. Boney was the family dog – I was not gonna lose him!

Boney whined loudly.

That’s right – he didn’t wanna be left out, either!

“Here.” Duster dug into his pouch and dropped some small colourful balls by Boney’s feet. “Try these – I don’t know what they are, but I suspect they’re bombs of some kind.” He paused. “But why would a musician be carrying bombs?’

“That’s what I keep telling ya – you’re not a musician, you’re Duster the thief!” called Kumatora.

Boney batted one of the balls with his paw. It rolled and smacked into the Clayman’s foot – after a moment it exploded. The Clayman moaned, wavering on its feet.

“Hey kid!” Kumatora shouted. “Those rocks won’t do much good – and neither will your lightning! Ya got any assist PSI?”

“No!” I protested.

Kumatora grunted and shot out some orange light. The Clayman moaned and drooped slightly. “That Offense Down’ll take some sting outta its attacks,” she explained.

Wait a minute… orange light?

I suddenly remembered that weird orange light I’d summoned in the attic – maybe it was supposed to be some kind of assist PSI?

I focused my PSI. Okay, I want that orange light again…

Some orange sparks gently leapt to life on my hand. I could feel my muscles clench.

PSI amplifying strength… Subject strength increased.

Kumatora whistled. “Looks like Offense Up!”

I grinned - I felt so strong!

I grabbed an iron bar off the ground and started whacking away at the Clayman. It didn’t feel heavy at all!

But then the Clayman moaned and smacked me right back. I tumbled backward, grunting in pain.

“Damn, that thing’s tough,” Kumatora muttered. “Kid, I’m gonna regret this, but – use that blue PSI of yours on that thing! We gotta end this – we need all the help we can get!”

Despite the tense situation, I grinned. Finally I got to show off what I could do!

“Stand back, everybody!” I warned.

Duster and Boney scrambled out of the way, while Kumatora stepped behind me. “Steady, kid,” she cautioned.

The Clayman moaned and stumbled towards me, raising its fist.  I gulped – that was gonna be one powerful (and painful!) punch!

I held out my hands in front of me. I closed my eyes, picturing Dad and Fuel and Lucas cheering me on.

“PK Love!” I shouted.

My power rushed out of me. I cracked my eyes open – a blue wave of light smacked right into the Clayman, knocking it clean off its feet. I whistled – I was so strong.

A warning flashed on my retina display: PSI energy at 19% of maximum. Subject urged to refrain from using PSI until PSI energy can recharge.

I grimaced. That wasn’t very much – maybe it was enough for one more PK Love?

As the Clayman moaned and tried to get back to its feet, Duster and Boney leapt back into the fray.

All four of us piled onto the Clayman while it was still stunned. Duster kicked, muttering a bit in his bulky outfit; Kumatora threw punches, occasionally accompanied by a blast of fire; Boney rammed into it and slashed with his claws; and I pounded away with my makeshift club.

Finally the Clayman let out a deep, long moan. I could sense it was about to collapse any second-

Uh oh – did that mean…

I stopped and did a quick trajectory analysis – that thing was gonna land right on top of Kumatora!

There was no time to think – relying on my lightning-fast reflexes, I sprinted forward and shoved Kumatora out of the way. A second later I dived for the ground, bracing for impact.

“What the hell are ya-”

And then a huge load fell on my legs. I winced and gritted my teeth – that hurt!

Duster and Boney ran over – poor Boney was barking in alarm.

“Are you okay?!” called Duster.

“Yep, I’m fine,” I said automatically. (My skeleton was reinforced in a lot of places – partly to repair broken bones and cartilage, and partly to bear the weight of my other mechanical components. Much as I hated being a mechanical chimera, my reconstructed body was strong – it could take a lot of punishment!)

Just to make sure, I ran a quick diagnostic test. Sure enough, my retina display reported that there was no detectable structural damage.

“Um, can you get this thing offa me?” I called.

Working together, Kumatora, Duster and Boney hauled the Clayman off my legs.

Some updates scrolled by on my retina display: Pressure removed from leg region. Redirecting blood flow to legs…

“Hey kid, need a hand?” Kumatora’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts.

I nodded mutely – it was the first time she’d offered to do something nice for me.

Kumatora grabbed my hand and hauled me to my feet.

“Thanks – Claus,” she said stiffly. “You saved me - wouldn’t have been half as lucky as you if I’d been crushed by that thing.”

I said nothing. I still hadn’t forgiven her for yelling at me so much, but… she’d finally used my name as a compliment.

Finally I mumbled, “You’re welcome.” After all, Mom raised me to be polite.

“Anyway, enough of that crap – let’s finally grab that egg.”

“Sure thing.” Duster crouched in place beside the mossy Clayman, working at the clay with his hands – after a few minutes, he dug out a large white sculpture shaped like an egg.

I hurried in for a closer look. It was smooth and unblemished, apart from a few clay pieces stuck here and there. It had an interesting design on the front – some pink circles around a central dot. The most curious feature, though, was the two wings sticking out of the side – why did an egg have wings?!

“Wow!” I gasped. It was actually pretty majestic… you know, for an egg.

Something flashed on my retina display: Egg of Light. Legendary artifact wanted by Pigmask Army. Subject urged to report discovery to nearest Pigmask officer.

I quickly dismissed it. I definitely didn’t want Kumatora knowing about this - what other alerts had the Pigmasks installed in there?!

Instead I piped up, “Um – what’re we gonna do with it?!”

“Dunno,” Kumatora said. “Back when we first found the egg, we didn’t have much time to make a plan – the Pigbutts were almost on top of us, and by the time we’d ditched them Duster had gotten separated from us.” She shrugged. “Our best bet is taking it back to old man Wess – it was his idea to get the egg in the first place, and he’ll be glad to see his son’s still in one piece. Oh, and I guess Claus can do his thing and ask him about Lucas.”

I gulped. In all the excitement of the last hour or two, I’d completely forgotten about my mission for Wess – and about Dad! He was gonna be so mad!

“Hang on,” interrupted Duster. “This Wess fellow… are you saying he’s my father?”

“That’s right,” said Kumatora. “Patchy white hair, perpetually grumpy, called you ‘moron’ a lot… ring any bells?”

Duster shook his head. “Like I said, I don’t remember anything before hiding the egg.” He held the egg close to his chest. “Speaking of which, this sure is one weird-looking egg – I wonder what it does?”

“Maybe it makes the world’s yummiest omelet?” I suggested.

“Say, this design on the front looks an awful lot like a button," Duster said. "Maybe that activates it?”

He started poking at the pink dot.

“Don’t-” Kumatora warned.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light.  Boney yelped.

I blinked the spots out of my eyes. Luckily Duster was still standing in one piece.

“Don’t you know not to touch weird mysterious artifacts?” lectured Kumatora. “Those things are always booby-trapped.”

“As we all found out,” Duster said dryly. “You were rather hasty when we first found the egg, Princess. Don’t you remember?”

“’Course I remember, ya dolt – that’s what started this whole mess. And don’t call me Prin-” Kumatora stopped and crossed her arms, making an accusatory glare. “Wait – how’d you remember that? You just said you couldn’t remember a thing!”

“Dunno – suddenly it came rushing back. I also remember falling into that waterway, and Wess apologizing for calling me a moron, and-” Duster stopped. “Wait – these are Duster’s memories, aren’t they? Then… I’m really Duster, after all.”

Duster handed the egg off to Kumatora and tore off his helmet. There were tears running down his face.

“I’m Duster! It’s me, Duster!” He pointed at each of us in turn. “You’re Claus, the little scamp that kept getting into trouble! And you’re Boney, Flint’s dog – you and Lucas loved playing with him! And you’re Princess Kumatora!”

“You’re finally back, Duster!” Kumatora cheered. “Duster! Duster! I’ll say it as many times as ya need! It’s really you, Duster!!”

“W-wait!” I blurted out. Something didn’t make sense – “Kumatora’s a princess?!”

Mom used to tell me and Lucas bedtime stories, and some of them featured beautiful princesses living in far-off castles. But the princesses in the stories were nothing like Kumatora – for one thing, she was a whole lot cooler.

Kumatora spun to face me. “Seriously?! Duster regained all his memories in a blink of an eye from a magical egg, and that’s what’s bothering ya?!”

“You never told me you were a princess!”

Kumatora shrugged. “I, uh, forgot to mention it. Didn’t think it was important.” (I think she was lying – if I was a prince, that’d be the first thing I told people!)

“Anyway, I rule over Osohe Castle – not that there’s much to rule. You ever been, kid?”

“Nope,” I said. “I always wanted to explore, but Dad never let me – he said it was dangerous inside!”

Kumatora shrugged. “Funny – the Magypsies didn’t like me leavin’ the castle either, except they said it was dangerous outside. That’s parents for ya.”

“Why, if it isn’t our commander – NOT!! ” a loud voice jeered.

I glanced up – a Pigmask dressed in a fancy white uniform and cape was glaring down at us. A bunch of green Pigmasks were waiting beside them, guns at the ready.

“You, fake commander and accomplices – you’re under arrest!!”

Chapter Text

The next few minutes were a blur.

A whole bunch of green-suited Pigmasks poured into the crater with us. Somehow I knew these guys were gonna be a lot tougher and meaner than the bumbling Pigmasks that hung around Tazmily.

A whole bunch of them started swarming me. Two of them grabbed my arms and pinned me to the side of the crater – I screamed and kicked, but they were too strong.

The noises of battles echoed all around me. Kumatora’s cries of “PK Fire!”, the grunts of various Pigmasks, Boney’s snarls – abruptly cut off by a gunshot and a whimper.

“Listen up!” one of the Pigmasks barked at me, waving a gun around. “Master Fassad is very angry with you, but wants you unharmed – surrender, if you know what’s good for you!”

I grit my teeth. So Fassad was behind this?!

“Never!!” I shouted. No way was I letting myself get dragged back to Fassad!

I dredged up the last of my PSI, preparing to unleash another PK Love-

But then another Pigmask hurried up, carrying–

“Boney!”

Poor Boney had all four of his paws cuffed! My stomach dropped.

I glanced around – and immediately saw that Duster had gotten captured too! Some Pigmasks had slapped some handcuffs on him and were hauling him back to the ladder.

Even Kumatora was having trouble. She was tossing out PSI and throwing punches left and right, but to no avail – when one Pigmask went down, another popped up in their place. One of the Pigmasks had even managed to grab the egg from her, and was stuffing it inside a small steel box.

I squirmed, desperately trying to escape.

“You’re awfully uncooperative for Fassad’s little pet,” the Pigmask with the gun continued snidely. I just knew they were smirking under that helmet.

“I’m not his pet!” I snapped. “An’ leave the others out of this!”

The Pigmask carrying Boney snorted loudly. “You’re really not in any position to make demands, kid.”

A Pigmask had trapped Kumatora in a headlock, while another swooped in to snap some cuffs on her wrists. These ones were different – I noticed a small red gem embedded in them. Kumatora reached out her hands and tried another blast of PSI – but nothing happened. The Pigmasks laughed.

“How d’you like our PSI suppression cuffs?” I overheard one of the green Pigmasks saying. “It’s one of many anti-PSI devices we’ve developed under the orders of King P.”

Looks like the Pigmasks really didn’t like PSI. Now I was extra glad I hadn’t told the Pigmasks about my PSI!

“Well? We’re waiting,” the Pigmask with the gun snapped, jabbing their gun at Boney’s exposed belly.

I gulped. Much as I hated Fassad, being stubborn and pig-headed would just land everyone into even more trouble.

“Fine,” I muttered. “I surrender – take me to Fassad.”

One of the Pigmasks stepped up and slapped yet another pair of handcuffs on me. This one didn’t have the special red markings like Kumatora’s did.

I kept my face blank – the Pigmasks must not know about my PSI! I still had 19% power – enough for one more PK Love, or maybe a good lightning storm. I’d have to make it count.

“Okay, we’ve secured everyone,” one of the Pigmasks called to the white one waiting up top. “Prepare for departure.”

Some of the Pigmasks grabbed me and hauled me out of the crater. Then, they started patting me all over.

“Hey! Why’re you doin’ that?!” I protested.

The Pigmasks said nothing. One of them reached into my pockets and pulled out my Nut Bread.

“No weapons, just bread,” the Pigmask called.

“Let it keep it – what can it do with bread? ” one of the other Pigmasks snorted.

“I dunno…” another one piped up. “What if it’s a disguised bomb or something?”

The Pigmask shrugged, then tossed the bread into the dump, handkerchief and all.

“Hey!” I shouted. (I mean, the bread would be all crusty by now, but still edible – and that was my favourite bandana!)

I glanced around – Kumatora and Duster were getting the same rough pat-down treatment (Boney apparently didn’t count). I saw one of them grab Duster’s pouch – but not before something red flashed up his sleeve. (Was it that snake from before? Why did Duster have a snake in there?) Then, all three of them were shoved inside a waiting Pork Bean.

The Pigmasks marched me towards a second Pork Bean.

“Hey!” I protested. “Why’m I goin’ separately?”

“You should be honoured,” the white Pigmask remarked snidely. “You’re Fassad’s precious human chimera – we’re keeping you in the high-security car with the Egg of Light. Besides, we don’t want you plotting anything with your friends, now, do we?” They snickered.

Some Pigmasks lifted me into the Pork Bean and buckled me in. Green Pigmasks climbed in on either side, weapons drawn. Another one was sitting in the front seat, carrying the box containing our egg.

The white Pigmask climbed into the driver’s seat. After a moment, the Pork Bean rushed forward.

“So this is a human chimera like the commander, right, colonel?” remarked one of the Pigmasks sitting beside me. “It does look a lot like the commander, except cyborg style – and a lot chattier.”

“Shut up, major – you’re revealing information to the enemy,” the white Pigmask snapped. “It can record everything you say.”

“Hey! I’m right here! ” I snapped. “And I am not an ‘it’! I’m Cla-”

“That goes for you too, brat,” the white Pigmask called. “Take a note from our commander – he never talks.”

“Maybe it has a ‘mute’ button?” The ‘major’ started poking me all over. “I can’t find one – oh, maybe this metal thing is its control panel-”

“Don’t touch that!” I yelled, headbutting them away from my access panel. “And I do not have a ‘mute’ button! I’m not some battery-operated toy!!”

“How about this? ” The Pigmask on the other side of me pressed their gun to my head.

I immediately fell silent – a blow to my central processor would do a lot of damage.

The Pork Bean continued on for a while. I was worried about Boney and the others – were they going to a different place? Would I see them again?

Finally the Pork Bean slowed to a halt, and I was escorted outside.

I found myself in another of the highway tunnels. Unlike the others, this one ended at a huge grayish-blue structure with big steel doors. I gulped – was this the base of that big tower?

The white Pigmask took out a small black device (a transceiver, according to my memory banks) and started speaking into it. “Okay, Trooper, we’ve secured the Egg of Light and the rogue commander… He stole your Pork Bean? Ouch… Is Fassad here yet? … No? Then what are your orders – shall we escort the prisoner to the cells, or… Oh? … Okay, I understand.”

They clicked off the transceiver and shoved it back in their belt. “We’re taking you to the Trooper,” they said crisply. “Apparently he has some… unfinished business with you.”

I gulped. That big guy with the Pork Bean we stole – um, borrowed? He was gonna be so mad at us! I almost preferred seeing Fassad – at least he couldn’t pound me to a pulp.

“But-”

“No buts.” The white Pigmask pulled out a gun and pressed it to my head.

One of the green Pigmasks stepped up and pressed a button beside the doors, which swished open. I was marched into the small chamber beyond.

The doors slid shut behind us, and the floor started rising – this must be an el-e-veh-tor, like the ones to get to the upper floors of the hospital. (I didn’t like them – they were noisy and slow, and sometimes the air was stale. What was so bad about taking the stairs?)

Finally the doors slid open.

I found myself in a long, metallic corridor. Duster and Kumatora and Boney were waiting for us, still in cuffs and with a bunch more green Pigmasks guarding them.

“March,” the white Pigmask ordered.

The four of us stepped down the corridor, Pigmasks breathing down our necks all the while. Strange, Happy Box-like machines hummed along the walls.

What kind of place was this? It certainly wasn’t like anything I’d seen in Tazmily – even the hospital wasn’t as weird and metallic as this place! At least the strange surroundings helped take my mind off the fact that we’d be facing Fassad at the end, along with Angry McHugePants.

Suddenly Duster turned to me and winked. I frowned – he must be signaling to me. That meant Duster had a plan, and needed me to do something. But what?

Duster leaned slightly on his bad leg, grimacing a bit. Just for a moment, though – I’d have missed it if I hadn’t been watching Duster intently. So… I think he wanted to me to fall down or something. But why?

Oh – he needed me to distract the Pigmasks for a bit, so he could pull off his plan!

I grinned. Yep, I could distract them, all right.

I stiffened my entire body, then fell in the most exaggerated, distracting way possible.

“Help! Mechanical failure! I can’t move my arms and legs!” I shouted.

As expected, half the Pigmasks gathered around me to see what was the matter. Typical – guess I was their most important prisoner, after all.

“Get up,” one of the Pigmasks barked.

“I can’t!” I twitched my legs feebly. For extra emphasis, I moaned pathetically.

“Yeah, right – it’s probably bellyaching.”

One of the Pigmasks walked up to me and swung a kick at my exposed belly. I instinctively curled up my legs, protecting my artificial organs.

“See?” the Pigmask said as they kicked me several times. “It can move – it’s just being uncooperative. We’ll punish it later – you two, carry it away.”

Suddenly everyone fell silent. 

I looked up – several of the Pigmasks were knocked down. Duster was just kicking another off their feet – he held the egg box between his cuffed arms. Kumatora was next to him, cuffs off.

She shot out some ice stuff, freezing the nearest Pigmasks to the ground. Then she, Duster and Boney started running down the hall.

“Hurry, Claus!” Duster called.

My central processor whirred like crazy. How’d Kumatora get the cuffs off? Should I fight? Should I run? There were at least twenty Pigmasks in the narrow corridor, all armed with guns – and all it’d take was a couple of lucky shots to bring me down.

Besides, Fassad wanted me back at all costs. I wasn’t gonna get away - I probably couldn’t get two feet (or even two steps! ) without getting dogpiled by the Pigmasks.

But maybe I could let the others escape. After all, that egg thing was more important than any of us… right?

“Go!” I yelled at Duster. “I – I’ll buy you some time!”

Duster paused for just a moment, then nodded and took off down the corridor.

“Don’t just stand there – after them!!” the white Pigmask barked.

The Pigmasks not currently knocked over or frozen stormed down the corridor.

The white Pigmask crossed their arms and glared down at me. “As for you…” they snarled.

I glared right back.

“We gave you your chance – if you’d just cooperated, we’d have been nice to you. But since you rejected our fine generosity…” They snapped their fingers. “Get the restraints. We’re not giving it the dignity of acting like a human.”

Some Pigmasks rose to their feet and hurried down the hall.

I tried to put on a tough face. “Yeah, do your worst – none of you even treat me like a human anyway!!”

The white Pigmask leaned down and hissed in my ear. “You insolent brat – if you want mercy, I suggest you keep your mouth shut, chimera.” Then they held their gun to my leg and pulled the trigger.

I bit my lip – I wasn’t gonna give them the satisfaction of an “ow”.

“You two, hold it down,” the white Pigmask continued.

Two of the green Pigmasks bent down and pressed my head and legs to the ground. I squirmed and struggled, but they were too strong.

After a moment, I heard footsteps echoing loudly down the corridor – those must be the guys sent for the ‘restraints’. I twisted my head, trying to get a better look at whoever was coming – I saw a flash of chains, then my head was forced back to the ground.

“Stay still, you little brat,” someone hissed.

I squirmed again, just to spite them. Another shot to the leg made me stop.

One of the Pigmasks squatted down and started putting on my ‘restraints’. First was a metal chain that wrapped around my belly, pinning my arms to my sides. I grit my teeth – it felt really uncomfortable, especially with the handcuffs! The next one was even worse – a metal collar around my neck! Last was another pair of cuffs on my ankles.

Once everything was in place, someone hauled me to my feet.

“Walk,” ordered the white Pigmask, tugging on a chain dangling down my back. A leash, I realized. They put me on a leash.

I stumbled into a march – between the fall and being shot, my legs felt really unsteady. Still, I held my head up, defiant.

We marched for a long time. At one point I tripped, falling to my knees.

“Get up, chimera,” someone hissed.

I tried to lift myself up, but I couldn’t – my legs hurt too much. I moaned.

I hated this! It was just like the first year after my accident – my body wouldn’t listen to me! I hated being helpless!

“On second thought, leave it there,” said the white Pigmask. “It seems to like being on the ground. Let’s drag it all the way to Fassad – that’ll teach it a lesson.”

*

And so that’s how I was dragged through the rest of the Pigmask base.

We passed through more rooms and corridors. Some Pigmasks were working away at what looked like big gray Happy Boxes – they glanced at me, murmuring in surprise. I did my best to ignore them.

I glared up at the ceiling, willing myself not to cry. Stay strong, I told myself. I’m the strong twin. I won’t cry. I’m not gonna give them the satisfaction.

Finally I was tossed onto a big platform. The Trooper guy was there, except that he was in a big blue metal suit. Fassad was there, too – he raised an eyebrow and grinned nastily when he saw me all wrapped up in chains. 

I glared right back at him, hissing in pain and anger and fear.

“That collar looks good on you, my little human chimera,” Fassad remarked, twirling his moustache.

“Lemme pound him!” the Trooper bellowed. “He’s the one that stole my Pork Bean!”

“Not so fast – we need to interrogate the prisoners, remember?” Fassad waved idly at the Pigmasks escorting me. “So you brought me the human chimera, as ordered. But where are the other prisoners?”

“Escaped, sir,” mumbled one of the Pigmasks.

Fassad cast an eye over me, noticing my ripped pants. He bent down and started rolling them back.

“Hey!” I shouted. “Don’t touch-”

He slapped me.

“Hmph. I believe I told you idiots to bring the human chimera to me unharmed? ” He pointed accusingly at an exposed bruise on my leg.

“It – he resisted capture, sir!” added the Pigmask, sounding a bit fearful.

“Hmph – you’re supposed to be the cream of the crop, yet your lack of competence astounds me.” Fassad’s pale face contorted in fury. “Get out of my sight – and track down those prisoners!”

“Y-yes, sir!” The troop of Pigmasks nervously saluted and hurried out.

Once they were gone, I glanced around at my surroundings. I was in a big, multi-level room – my level had a bunch of DCMC posters plastered all over the walls and a ladder leading upward. Down below was a strange machine with big wires and a tank – for some reason a bunch of ugly-looking fish were swimming around inside.

“Well, well,” Fassad said after a long pause. I gulped – I didn’t like his tone of voice at all. “This is quite the stunt you’ve pulled, my dear human chimera. Whatever shall I do with you, hmm?”

“I’m not scared!” I blurted out. “I-”

The Trooper pounded his fists together. Metal banged on metal – the noise echoed all around the room.

“I…” My voice broke.

“Much better.” Fassad’s voice was icy calm. “Now, I have yet to decide on your punishment, given the nature of this infraction and your… special circumstances.” He grinned nastily. “I shall ask you some questions. I suggest you humour me and play along – if I’m in a good mood, I may well forgive you. And if not… nwehehehe!!”

“Hey, can I punch ‘im if he acts shifty?” called the Trooper.

“Not too hard,” Fassad replied. “He’s very valuable – we don’t want to have to re-reconstruct him, now, do we?”

I clenched my fists, my breath getting all huffy. Stay strong, I reminded myself. Don’t cry.

Fassad strolled around me, casually folding his arms behind his back. “So… you seem to have found the company of a stinky bum and a pretty pink-haired lady. I do wonder why you’re travelling together – do you know these people well, Claus?”

“N-no! I only met ‘em yesterday, and then they just dragged me along with them!”

“How curious,” Fassad hissed. “Did they tell you anything about themselves?”

“No, nothing! Duster I know from the village, but Kuma-” I gasped, “I-I mean, that pink-haired lady, she didn’t trust me, so she didn’t tell me anything!”

“He’s lyin’!” the Trooper barked.

“Indeed he is. But let’s not punish the child – yet.” Fassad leaned in. “I urge you to be more truthful, Claus. Let’s try this again – I know you don’t like strangers, and your father certainly doesn’t either. Surely you wouldn’t willingly run off with strangers, now, would you?”

I tried to keep my face blank.

Fassad grinned nastily. “Something must have compelled you to run off to Club Titiboo to find a stinky thief and a pretty waitress, when you’ve hardly stepped foot out of Tazmily for the last three years. There must be something very important the three of you are after.”

I desperately shook my head.

“Let me jog your memory – perhaps it’s something egg-shaped? ” 

I gulped. But, Fassad would already know about that egg we found, since he sent the Pigmasks to capture us… right?

“Y-yeah… we were lookin’ for this egg thing!” I admitted. “An’ we found it, but you guys took it from us!”

“Hmph. And what did you want with this… ‘egg thing’?”

I paused. All I knew was that Kumatora really wanted to protect it from the Pigmasks. I didn’t even know what it was supposed to do, apart from somehow restoring all of Duster’s memories.

But I wasn’t gonna tell Fassad any of that!

“We wanted it because – we were gonna make an omelet!” I forced myself to grin.

“Insolence,” Fassad spat. “Hit him.”

The Trooper stepped up to me, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. Then he threw a punch right in my gut.

I tumbled onto my back, gasping for breath – the air was sucked right out of my lungs!

Fassad hauled me back into a kneeling position. “I suggest you refrain from any more amusing responses,” he snarled. “My patience wears thin. Now, what did you want with the Egg? ”

“I don’t know!” I blurted out. “We were just tryin’ to get to it before the Pigmasks did! But Duster activated it by accident, and he got all his memories back!”

“What?!” Fassad snarled in surprise, but after a moment he regained his composure. “Hmph, interesting. At least you’ve presented me with some new information. But, I do believe that you’re not being entirely truthful, Claus.”

“H-hey! I’m not lyin’!”

“Ah, but you are equivocating – you’re telling the truth, but not the whole truth, nwehehe!” He leaned in close, directly in my face. “Surely you didn’t go to Club Titiboo and meet your new companions on a whim. Something must have led you there…

“Now, tell me – why did you leave Tazmily, Claus?”

I bared my teeth. “No way I’m tellin’ you! I don’t care how many times you hit me!” I wasn’t telling him about Wess – or Lucas!

Fassad laughed. “You’re so adorable with that brave face, my human chimera – so fierce. It must’ve been something personal and dear to you, to get you all riled up like this.” He grinned. “A family member, perhaps?”

I bit my lip.

“Hmph. You need to work on your composure – I saw you flinch. Clearly I’ve just hit the mark, nwehehe!” He jabbed his finger at me. “Who told you about Lucas?”

“Who said this was about Lucas?!” I yelled.

Fassad grinned – he was toying with me! “Someone told you to go to Club Titiboo – perhaps in exchange for information about your dear little brother. Who did this?”

I kept my mouth shut.

“Tell me.”

I gulped and shook my head, too terrified to even speak – that’s the scariest I’d ever seen Fassad.

The Trooper threw another punch, knocking me right into the wall. A warning flashed in my retina display, but nothing was broken – yet.

A second punch, and a third – I felt blood trickle down my face. But I kept my mouth shut.

“Enough,” Fassad ordered. “The damn brat’s being stubborn. He’ll never give in to force, not where his little brother’s concerned. How honourable.”

He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and started dabbing at the blood on my cheek. Suddenly he dropped into the kindly, belittling voice that he used when speaking to me in public. “There, there – don’t be so stubborn, Claus. It’s not like you’ll be hurting dear little Lucas – all you have to do is tell me a name. Tell me the name of the person who sent you to Club Titiboo, and promised you information about Lucas.”

I stared ahead in stony silence. I didn’t trust Fassad – he only acted like this when he wanted something from me, or was tricking the villagers into thinking the Pigmasks cared about me.

“Whoever did this is probably tricking you, Claus – Lucas has been gone for three years, why would he turn up now? Face it – they’re selfishly exploiting you and your feelings to get something they want.”

”Same as you,” I muttered.

He slapped me again. “You are acting very selfish, Claus – after everything the Pigmasks have done for you, this is how you repay us?! Evading search parties, joining the enemy, impersonating our commander, destroying our property? Why, what would you father say?”

I flinched – Dad! It was 11:17 AM – I’d been gone for nearly a whole day! He’d be worried sick!

“Your father will be so disappointed in you. First the scene in the town square, and now this. And surely I don’t need to tell you how worried he’ll be right now?” He sighed. “But, I can make all your problems with your father go away. Just cooperate with us, and we’ll take you home to your dear father.”

“Leave Dad out of this,” I mumbled, tears stinging my eye.

Fassad gripped my shoulders and glared at me. “If you don’t tell me in the next thirty seconds, I will personally see to it that you never see your father again.”

I gulped – I had to protect Dad, but I couldn’t put Wess and Lucas in danger either! I needed to make up a name, and fast!!

“It… it was…”

That was when the others burst in. They had their cuffs off – Boney and Kumatora were running like mad, while Duster was clutching the egg box in his arms.

“Damn it, another dead end!” Kumatora yelled. “Hurry, we can still – aw crap, he’s got Claus!”

“Surrender, or the ginger gets it!” bellowed the Trooper, grabbing me and lifting me up in a big bear hug.

“Ah, I recognize that voice – we really need to stop meeting like this, Princess Kumatora,” Fassad drawled. “Now, I suggest that the three of you come up here for a nice chat – and bring the Egg of Light with you. Otherwise, I’m afraid I can’t guarantee the human chimera’s safety, nwehehehe!”

“You’re bluffing!” Kumatora snapped. “You’re not gonna hurt your precious human chimera!”

The Trooper grunted and started squeezing me tight, putting pressure on my arms and legs. I gulped – reinforced skeleton or no, he could break my limbs very, very easily.

“Oh, really?” drawled Fassad. “Do you want to take that risk? While it’s true that I want him alive, he is repairable. He would look very fashionable with a mechanical arm, don’t you think?”

My stomach churned at the thought.

“He’s messin’ with you!” I shouted. “Get outta here! I’ll-”

The Trooper clamped his hand over my mouth.

“MMPH!” I screamed and squirmed, but it was no use.

The Trooper started squeezing me even tighter – a warning about reduced air intake flashed in my retina display.

Poor Boney was whining and snarling.

Kumatora and Duster glanced at each other, Duster’s face etched with concern.

“Fine,” muttered Kumatora. “We’ll do it – let the kid go.”

The three of them climbed up onto our platform.

Boney snarled and charged at the Trooper – one kick and he was sprawled on the ground, whimpering. His helmet had even been knocked off!

“No tricks,” Fassad warned. “We’ll trade the chimera for the Egg.”

Duster carefully handed the egg box to Fassad. 

At Fassad’s signal, the Trooper tossed me to the floor.

“Are you okay?” Duster called.

With some effort, I shuffled back onto my knees. “Y-Yeah,” I mumbled.

Suddenly Fassad grabbed my chain and yanked hard. My collar pressed uncomfortably tight against my neck – no wonder Boney always refused to wear a collar!

“I’ll keep the chimera on his leash,” Fassad said snidely. “After all, we don’t want any nasty surprises, nwehehehe!”

“You lying bastard!” Kumatora spat.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” smirked Fassad as he tossed the egg box to the Trooper. “Now, you do the honours.”

The Trooper caught the box and popped it open. He carefully lifted out the egg – and crushed it flat.

I gasped.

“Why, you little –!” Kumatora snarled.

“What’d you do that for?” Duster exclaimed.

Fassad laughed. “While it’s true that King P wanted the Egg for some… amusements, I believe it’s far better to tie up this little loose end. After all, ‘Lucky’ has regained his memories – and we don’t want any more accidents to happen, do we?”

“So you were the ones that wiped Duster’s memories!” I blurted out. And then something else clicked. “Didya tamper with my memories too?!”

All this time I couldn’t remember the period right before my accident – I’d been told it was due to brain trauma, but… was there something the Pigmasks didn’t want me remembering?

Fassad said nothing. Then he grinned and started gently patting me on the head. “Well done, Claus – you’re a very clever boy,” he drawled. "I can see you're making good use out of the cognitive enhancements we gave you, nwehehehe!"

Suddenly something brown tackled him – Boney snarled and hissed at Fassad.

“Get off him, you creepy bastard!” Kumatora roared.

Fassad shoved Boney off him, then scoffed and gestured to the Trooper. “Meddlesome pests – you, deal with them. I need to speak with the chimera.”

“Sure thing, boss,” called the Trooper. “Want me to pulverize ‘em?”

Fassad sighed. “If you must – I want them alive for questioning, but King P expressed no preference.”

“Run,” Duster hissed to Kumatora and Boney. “I’ve heard the stories about his combat armour – we can’t win.”

Duster leapt off the platform, Kumatora and Boney close behind. The Trooper ran in hot pursuit, banging his fists and roaring loudly.

Fassad turned me around so I couldn’t see the ensuing fight – all I could see was his horrible smile. “Now, where was I? Ah, yes… there is still the matter of your infraction, and punishment, to attend to.”

I squirmed and struggled, although it wasn’t much use with all the chains.

Fassad grabbed my shoulders. “Don’t struggle, Claus, it’s pointless,” he hissed, then he sighed deeply. “Truth be told, I am not quite sure what to do with you. Any punishment would surely be a demeaning waste of your talents, yet I cannot ignore an infraction of this magnitude.”

Despite myself, I was curious. What was he up to…?

“Now, when I first heard of your disappearance and subsequent impersonation, I was very angry. But, when the soldiers I sent to collect you started reporting on your progress, a rather different emotion emerged...”

He grinned. “I admire you, Claus. You were able to locate the Egg of Light and the troublesome princess within a matter of hours of leaving Tazmily – both tasks that have eluded the entire Pigmask Army over the last three years. You possess courage, cunning, and curiosity, matched with advanced processing abilities… you are a perfect meld of human and machine qualities, my little human chimera. You are capable of great things, and your potential will only grow as your brain and body develop.”

What was he getting at? When he started speaking like this, it never led anywhere good.

I risked a glance over my shoulder. Kumatora and Duster were still on their feet – barely. Boney was sticking to the wall, keeping out of danger. For some reason the Trooper had his back to the big tank thing – maybe he was guarding it?

I decided the first chance I got, I’d destroy it with the last of my PSI.

“Now, there’s no need to be so bashful – look here,” Fassad ordered. He placed his hand to my face and gently pushed, forcing me to face him. “Your so-called friends are of no concern to you – I can offer you so much more.”

I shivered – I didn’t like Fassad’s tone at all.

“I can offer you a new life, one that’s far better suited to your abilities. I’ve miscalculated – being cooped up in Tazmily for three years must have been so stifling. It’s no wonder you acted out in the town square yesterday – you were under-stimulated.”

I hissed. That had nothing to do with it – Fassad had been abusing Wess!

“Now, don’t be like that, Claus. I am making a very generous offer – I can provide you with learning and enrichment, along with a more suitable environment for you to exercise your many wonderful abilities. Would you like that?”

“N-no!” I shouted.

“Are you sure, Claus? The townspeople are not terribly supportive of you, hmm? It’s not a conducive learning environment – why, you fear and resent your own enhancements, when anyone should be grateful for such an opportunity!”

I trembled.

“Even your own father seems content to treat you like a small child. How unfortunate that he keeps pretending you’re human, instead of the glorious chimera you were meant to be.”

I choked back a sob. “S-stop this…”

“Shh.” Fassad grabbed another handkerchief and started wiping away my tears. “Things don’t have to be this way, Claus. I can give you what you always wanted – and what you would never have dreamed of. You’ll have the respect you deserve – no one will ever call you mean names ever again. They won’t even call you an ‘it’.” He saw me flinch, and he grinned. “We’ll even get rid of those nasty maintenance appointments. Wouldn’t you like that, Claus?”

I wanted to believe him so badly. I wanted to trust him…

“You’ll receive a wonderful education. You’ll be duly compensated, as well – no more need for your father to complete menial labour jobs to keep you fed and happy. In fact, you’ll get to see your father whenever you want – wouldn’t you like that? 

“You’ll even get your own room, and servants to attend you if you so choose. Oh, and you’ll also get to meet the ones responsible for your reconstruction – I’m sure you have many questions about the process. Especially once you discover your intended purpose, nwehehehe!”

My whole body shook. No, this had to be a trick… he was toying with all my insecurities…

I whimpered.

“Ah, it seems like your friends are at their wit’s end,” Fassad said idly. He clapped both hands to my head, preventing me from seeing. “I would urge you to accept my generous offer, my human chimera. Indeed, I am rewarding you for your infraction. And if that is not enough – think of Lucas.”

I gasped, and Fassad grinned. “With your intelligence and abilities, combined with the resources I can provide you, we can find your brother and bring him home. Isn’t that what you always wanted?... Isn’t that what drove you from Tazmily and let you finally embrace your full potential, my human chimera?… Isn’t that what let you finally accept who you are?”

Tears blurred my vision. My breath came in short, huffy gasps. 

I wanted to accept – I wanted Lucas back, more than anything. I’d even join the Pigmasks, if I could just have him back!!

My robot parts urged me to accept, acting on cool logic – Fassad’s offer was the best possible outcome, especially considering all the damage I’d ended up causing to the Pigmask Army. Besides, if I acted nice and compliant, maybe I could even convince Fassad to let the others go.

But my human parts were screaming at me – this had to be a trick. I knew from my own experience that Fassad could spin fine tales and play the kindly peddler – and not mean a word of it.

I took a shaky breath, making my decision. “If I go with you… will you take off these chains?”

Fassad smiled kindly. “Why, of course, my dear Claus – that will be the first thing we do. You’ll be our honoured guest, not a prisoner.”

That was all the proof I needed – just for a moment, I’d seen Fassad sneer. He knew he wasn’t taking off those chains – at least, not until I was secure in some other imprisonment.

For all his pretty words, Fassad still considered me a tool.

My central processor whirred as I rapidly formed a plan. I needed to act quickly, while Fassad still trusted me. I had one chance to pull this off – I needed all the help from my robot parts that I could get.

Simulate mechanical failure, I ordered to myself.

“I… I’ll do it… ah!” 

My entire body twitched and shuddered, and I fell over.

Fassad gasped. “My dear human chimera, are you all right?”

I had a second or so while Fassad fussed over me. I turned my head to face Boney and the others – still standing, thank goodness – and winked. Then I turned back to Fassad.

“Y-yeah… mechanical failure…” I moaned.

He raised an eyebrow. “Really? My reports haven’t indicated any of those in the last year… Well, I suppose it’s just stress – it’s been a long day for you. I’m sure you’ll feel much better once you’re settled at your new home.”

I nodded, though my stomach churned at the thought.

Fassad hauled me to my feet. Then he took out a small black device (another transceiver, probably) and started speaking into it. “Prepare the Pork Ship for arrival… we’ll be transporting three prisoners, and my special guest…”

While he was distracted, I glanced back at the generator. Calculating distance…

“…Is the commander on board? Good. Have him on standby, prepared to subdue the prisoners if necessary… Good.” He hung up.

Fassad started barking orders at the Trooper. “You, hurry up and get those prisoners restrained – properly this time!” Then he grinned at me. “It’s time for you to say good-bye to your so-called friends – you’ll be travelling separately with me.”

“W-wait! You’re taking Boney?!”

“Of course, my dear Claus. That wasn’t part of our agreement, nwehehehe!”

“But he’s the family dog!” I blurted out. “I can’t lose him!”

“Oh, don’t act so upset,” Fassad reassured me. “It’s just a dog. You can select a new pet for your living quarters – we have many wonderful chimera breeds available.” He sighed. “Now, I’m afraid that I’ll have to keep you in your restraints for a little while longer. Just until you’re settled in the Pork Ship and safely on the way to your new home – we don’t want any accidents, now, do we?” He giggled nastily.

I hissed. “You liar!!”

Ignoring me, Fassad started shouting to the others down below. “You, prisoners! The chimera’s chosen to travel with me – we’ll be taking very good care of him, and teaching him what he’s meant for. A very wise decision, nwehehehehe!”

“You idiot!!” Kumatora bellowed. She and Duster and Boney were pressed up against the back wall. I was grateful – I wanted them away from the tank.

Fassad turned to me, still holding my chain. “This is your last time being a human, Claus – from now on, we’ll be treating you like the glorious cyborg you’re meant to be. Any last words, my human chimera?”

I took a deep breath – this was it.

“PK… Thunder!!”

I raised my hands and fired the last of my PSI.

A bolt of lightning struck the tank head-on. There was a loud explosion, followed by the rush of water.

My entire body was covered in sparks – Fassad yelped and dropped the chain. I grinned – metal conducted electricity, everyone knew that! Serves him right, if he thinks I’ll be his obedient little pet.

“Why, you –!” Fassad snarled. “You little brat – how did you regain your PSI?!”

While the Trooper was distracted by the exploding tank, Boney and the others sprinted for the platform.

“Hurry!” I yelled, dropping and rolling out of Fassad’s reach. “There’s an escape ladder up here!”

Kumatora yelled something as she ran up to my side. Then she turned and shot some ice at Fassad, freezing him to the ground.

“Look out, Claus!” called Duster. He threw something to the ground – a second later, a big pile of smoke started billowing throughout the room. I coughed.

Someone grabbed my chain and started hauling me up. “Ah!” I cried in alarm.

“It’s okay, Claus – we’ve got you!” called Duster’s voice.

Before I knew it, I was lifted up through a hole and into the outside air.

*

I found myself on some sort of metal platform, with a metal hatch leading below. 

Red beams rose up all around us – this must be the outside of that big red tower. I made the mistake of glancing down – Murasaki Forest was far below, and there was no guard rail.

Kumatora slammed the hatch and froze it over. “That’ll hold ‘em for a while,” she muttered. Then she coughed. “Crap, runnin’ low on PSI.”

Boney yipped happily, glad to see I was safe.

“W-what just happened?!” I blurted out.

“Shh – first things first, let’s get you out of those chains.” Duster lifted beneath his uniform and took out his tool pouch.

“W-wait! How’d you – the Pigmasks stole that, didn’t they?”

Duster grinned as he took out a small metal file. “Wouldn’t be much of a thief if I couldn’t steal back my own Thief Tools, now, would I?”

Duster started picking at the locks on my chains. I gasped – he was so quick! First was my handcuffs, then the belly chain, then the ankle cuffs. Last was the horrible collar and chain, which fell to the floor with a satisfying CLUNK.

“All right!” I cheered, leaping to my feet and stretching out my sore limbs. Then I grabbed Boney and hugged him tight – we were both safe!

Kumatora tore off her uniform and chucked it off the side of the platform. “Our disguises are pretty much useless,” she muttered.

“Good idea.” Duster removed his own outfit.

I tore off my commander outfit with relish. No way was I gonna stay in those Pigmask clothes one second longer! Not after what Fassad just did to me!

“Hurry!” said Kumatora. “We gotta get movin’ – that hatch won’t hold ‘em forever.”

Duster scanned the surroundings, then he shrugged and pointed at some metal stairs. “Well, nowhere to go but up.”

Chapter Text

We hurried up the red metal steps, our footsteps clanging and echoing.

I glanced up – seemingly endless sets of staircases rose above us. Just how tall was this tower?!

While we were climbing, Duster suddenly asked, “Hey, Claus – what did Fassad want with you?”

I scowled, “He was actin’ really weird – threatening me one moment, acting all syrupy and talkin’ about what a wonderful chimera I was the next. He was tryin’ to convince me to join the Pigmask Army or somethin’.”

“Well, did it work?” Kumatora interrupted.

“No!!” I snapped. “You saw him, he was obviously lyin’ – he’d pro’bly have stuck me in a cage or somethin’!” My breath got all huffy, and my face felt hot and ached. “Look, I really don’t wanna talk about this!!”

“Well, we gotta know if you’re gonna betray us,” said Kumatora.

I hissed. “D’you seriously think I’m workin’ for that… ugly, no-good… butt after all this?! How dare you!!”

Kumatora sighed loudly. “C’mon, can’t you take a joke? You blew up that tank for us and helped us escape – there’s no way in hell you’re workin’ for him.”

I took a deep breath, trying to hold back my anger. “If that’s your idea of a joke… it’s not funny.”

I turned and stomped off.

At least all the climbing gave me something to focus on – I took the steps two at a time. 

Despite my pounding footsteps, my enhanced hearing picked up voices from below:

“-tora, you’ll make the kiddo cry again.”

“I was tryin’ to help! It was obvious I didn’t mean it!”

“Your sense of humour’s rather dark – and I think he missed the sarcasm.”

Finally I saw the end – a ladder and pipe leading upward. I stopped for a quick rest, panting.

The others eventually caught up - Boney ran to my side and nuzzled my leg.

“Yeah, I’m okay, Boney,” I mumbled, lost in my own thoughts.

“Hey – sorry, kid,” Kumatora called.

I frowned. Had she ever apologized to me before?

“I shouldn’t have made light of what Fassad did to ya – that sicko put you on a leash.” She sighed. “You did good back there, kid. You finally gave that bastard a taste of his own medicine – see how he likes being the one shocked.” Her voice was bitter.

“Thanks,” I mumbled in reply.

After a moment of silence, Duster asked, “Ready to go up?”

Kumatora and I nodded, then the four of us scrambled up the ladder.

*

“Wow!” I gasped.

We emerged into a colourful room filled with all sorts of toys. Big squiggles were all over the wall, as if a child drew them with a giant crayon. A star-shaped tub was plopped right in the middle of the room. Whatever I was expecting, it certainly wasn’t this.

Boney yipped and stared sniffing around curiously.

“W-what is this place?” I exclaimed.

“THIS IS KING P’S PLAYROOM.”

I flinched at the new voice – it was harsh and robotic, but still feminine-sounding.

A figure zoomed up to us. It – she appeared to be a robot wearing a frilly blue dress and with golden, hair-like mounds on her head. She reminded me a lot of Tessie, for some reason.

Kumatora immediately dropped into a combative stance. “Who the hell are you?!” she snarled.

“I AM L’IL MISS MARSHMALLOW,” the robot replied.

She didn’t make a move – she just stared at us with her blue robotic eyes. Idly I wondered if she was reading something off a retina display.

Duster frowned. “Well, are you going to attack us, or…?”

“NEGATIVE. MY COMBAT MODULE IS CURRENTLY INACTIVE.” She paused. “QUERY: ARE YOU FRIENDS OF KING P?”

“Yes,” Duster said quickly.

Kumatora shot a glare at him. But before she could respond, L’il Miss Marshmallow started speaking. “FRIENDS OF KING P: AFFIRMATIVE. ENGAGE FRIENDLINESS MODULE.” She somehow seemed to perk up. “WELCOME TO KING P’S PLAYROOM. PLEASE USE THIS ROOM AS YOU WISH. IF YOU REQUIRE MY SERVICES, PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO SPEAK TO ME. THANK YOU, AND HAVE A NICE DAY.” She zoomed off to a corner of the room and started dusting off some of the toys.

We all stared at each other.

Finally Kumatora shrugged. “If no one else is gonna use that hot spring…”

She hopped in, clothes and all. After a moment she waved to us. “It’ll help heal your aches and pains, and make you feel alive again. You too, Claus – it can even restore a bit of PSI power.”

My reading held at 0%. I shrugged – worth a try.

I carefully climbed in after the others, making sure to keep my head above the water – otherwise I’d have to dry off my robot parts, and that was always such a pain.

Soon enough, my retina display updated: Subject entering relaxation state. Subject PSI power regenerating… 2%... 3%...

Duster lounged on the edge of the tub, while Kumatora sighed in contentment. Meanwhile, Boney was playing with a little yellow duck toy someone left floating in the tub.

Idly I scanned the room, zooming in to take in all the details. There was a thin coating of dust on the various wrapped presents and toys – it looked like no one else had been here in a while. (But who would leave presents unopened for such a long time? Didn’t they want to know what was inside?)

“So this is King P’s private room, eh?” said Duster. “We should try to get a bit of information while we’re here.”

Kumatora snorted. “Yeah, right. I’m just here to recharge some PSI for whatever’s waiting for us up the tower – King P can wait.”

I frowned in recognition. “Fassad mentioned King P, too. It sounded like he was Fassad’s boss or something.” I thought of something else, and quickly accessed my memory storage. “Duster… that song you played was ‘King P’s Theme’, wasn’t it?”

Duster nodded. “Yeah, that’s right – the DCMC got a commission from one of the Pigmask higher-ups, and they told us to write a song named after ‘King P’. I didn’t think much of it at the time – I just assumed it was a nickname or something.” He turned to Kumatora. “I really think we should take this chance to find out about the Pigmask leadership – and we need every advantage we can get, considering we’re pretty much their number one enemy right now.”

Kumatora rolled her eyes. “Fine. Just don’t come cryin’ to me if the Pigbutts capture us again.”

Duster cleared his throat, then called, “Excuse me, Miss… er, Marshmallow?”

Miss Marshmallow glanced up, busy dusting off a teddy bear just like the one Scamp used to have. 

She dropped her duster and zoomed over to us. I noticed her feet had built-in wheels – she was so fast!

“YES, FRIENDS OF KING P? HOW MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE?”

“We were wondering if you could tell us about King P,” Duster said.

“CERTAINLY, FRIENDS OF KING P. KING P IS MY MASTER.” She paused. “I FIND IT CURIOUS THAT FRIENDS OF KING P WOULD NEED TO INQUIRE ABOUT KING P.”

“We just wanted to hear about what a wonderful person King P is,” Duster lied.

“CERTAINLY, FRIENDS OF KING P. KING P IS A VERY WONDERFUL PERSON INDEED. I ENJOY MY SERVICE TO HIM VERY MUCH. I HAVE A LIST OF ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT REASONS TO LIKE KING P, AND COUNTING. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO ENUMERATE THEM?”

I hissed. Making something like a mindless Clayman do boring labour jobs for you was one thing. Programming them to like it was quite another – especially for a robot designed to look just like a person! Who would do something like that?! Not even Fassad would be that cruel… would he?

Kumatora made a face – she must’ve hated Miss Marshmallow’s tone, too.

“Please don’t,” Duster said to Miss Marshmallow, noticing our discomfort. “We just want to know who King P is.”

“KING P IS MY MASTER.”

Kumatora groaned.

Miss Marshmallow made a mechanical gasping noise. “OH, DEAR – MY SCANNING MODULE INDICATES THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNS OF DISTRESS, FRIENDS OF KING P. MY PROGRAMMING ABHORS THE THOUGHT – MY PURPOSE IS TO MAKE KING P AND HIS GUESTS HAPPY. HOW CAN I MAKE THINGS BETTER, FRIENDS OF KING P?”

Duster sighed. “Could you not be so – er, polite and formal? All this ‘friends of King P’ stuff is embarrassing us.”

“I AM VERY SORRY, FRIENDS OF KING P. IT IS PART OF MY FRIENDLINESS MODULE – I AM DESIGNED TO TREAT GUESTS WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT.”

“She means she was programmed to act like this,” I translated.

“Why’re you callin’ it a ‘she’?” Kumatora demanded. “It’s just a robot.”

“’Cause it’s rude to call someone an ‘it’!” I snapped back. “Maybe she’s not human, but she’s certainly not just a thing! ”

Miss Marshmallow spun on her waist, turning to face me. A red light shone from her eyes and scanned me.

“OH, MY!” she exclaimed in a high-pitched mechanical voice. “MY SCAN HAS DETECTED THE PRESENCE OF MECHANICAL COMPONENTS, YET YOU APPEAR REMARKABLY LIFELIKE. ARE YOU A MORE ADVANCED MODEL OF ROBOT, FRIEND OF KING P?”

Got off-guard, I mumbled, “I-I’m a cyborg – a mechanical chimera.”

“OH, FASCINATING! KING P IS VERY FOND OF ROBOTS AND CHIMERAS. HE ALWAYS HAS SUCH WONDERFUL IDEAS FOR NEW ONES. KING P MUST LIKE YOU VERY MUCH, YES?”

“Uh-” This ‘King P’ sounded like the exact opposite of who’d I want to like me – I did not want to meet him.

“This is a waste of time,” Kumatora muttered, climbing out of the tub. “C’mon, let’s get outta here.”

Duster and I followed after her – my PSI power was only at 37%, but it was better than nothing.

Boney scrambled out - he trotted into a corner of the room, then shook himself out.

“WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TOWELS, FRIENDS OF KING P?”

Kumatora suggested a rather rude place where Miss Marshmallow could put her towels.

“CHEESE POPSICLE ERROR: TOWELS TOO LARGE FOR RECEPTACLE INDICATED.”

Something clicked – Miss Marshmallow must take things very ‘literally’, same as I did sometimes. Maybe the reason we weren’t getting very good answers was because we weren’t asking her the right questions.

“Lemme handle this,” I offered, turning to Miss Marshmallow. “Query: Give us a physical description of King P.”

“OF COURSE, FRIEND OF KING P. ALTHOUGH… MY LOGIC MODULE EXPRESSES DOUBT THAT A FRIEND OF KING P WOULD REQUIRE A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF KING P.”

“That’s because King P sent us to do – um – a maintenance appointment,” I said quickly. “We need to see if all your functions are working properly.”

Miss Marshmallow seemed to perk up at this, for some reason. “OH, I SEE! KING P IS SO CARING ABOUT MY HEALTH. I WILL BE HAPPY TO COMPLY – I HOPE THAT I PERFORM TO HIS HIGH STANDARDS.”

Kumatora snorted. “Yeah, right – I bet King P doesn’t give a pig’s ass about-”

Duster shushed her.

“EXECUTE: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF KING P. KING P IS-” Miss Marshmallow fell into a long, technical description filled with way more details than any of us needed to know. Still, I stored a copy of the description with the help of my phonological loop, just in case we possibly needed King P’s calf measurements or something.

“Okay, so King P’s short but kinda chubby, has gray hair and wrinkles but otherwise looks around thirteen, wears a faded pair of blue overalls, and goes everywhere in a mechanical walker thing,” I summarized. “Did I get that right?”

“THAT IS AN ADEQUATE SUMMARY, YES. KING P IS WONDERFULLY PARADOXICAL – HE IS BOTH AN OLD MAN AND A YOUNG CHILD AT HEART. IT IS ONE OF HIS MANY FINE QUALITIES.”

“So King P’s a child at heart, eh?” Duster remarked, gesturing to the various toys scattered around the room. “Guess it explains all this, then.”

“Query: Where is King P’s current location?” I continued.

“AWAY – I CANNOT GIVE A MORE PRECISE LOCATION AT THIS TIME. IT HAS BEEN SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR DAYS TWO HOURS THREE MINUTES TWENTY-NINE SECONDS SINCE HIS LAST VISIT. I MISS HIM.” She paused. “THANK YOU FOR COMING, FRIENDS OF KING P. IT HAS BEEN ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO DAYS SINCE I LAST HAD VISITORS. CURRENT STATUS: ‘LONELY’.”

Great – so not only did King P design her to be super obedient and worshipy, he didn’t even go visit her!!

I took a breath to calm myself – much as I’d rather not learn just how ‘wonderful’ King P was, I had a job to do.

“Query: Give a description of King P’s job.”

“CERTAINLY. KING P IS THE SUPREME RULER OF THESE ISLANDS. THEY ARE HIS TO DO AS HE WISHES.”

Kumatora made a very loud, very rude noise. “Are you shittin’ me?!”

“First I heard of a supreme ruler of the Nowhere Islands,” Duster remarked dryly.

I hissed in outrage. “So you’re sayin’ King P’s the one that’s been makin’ all the chimeras and messin’ up Tazmily? How dare he!! Who said he could mess up my home?!”

“GENERATING SIMULATION OF KING P’S MOST LIKELY RESPONSE… ‘BECAUSE I SAID SO. SPANKETY SPANKETY.’”

I scowled, taking another breath. “Query: What role does King P play in the Pigmask Army?”

“THE PIGMASK ARMY EXISTS TO SERVE KING P. KING P GIVES THE PIGMASK ARMY DIRECTIVES AND TASKS, BUT PLAYS NO FUNCTIONAL ROLE IN ITS OPERATION. IN HIS WORDS, ‘I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO’.”

“Query: Name the major authority figures in the Pigmask Army.”

“OUT OF PORK CHOPS ERROR: I DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION. IT IS IRRELEVANT TO MY PURPOSE.”

“Query: What is your purpose?”

“I AM PART OF THE M-ROB LINE DESIGNED TO PERSONALLY ATTEND TO KING P. I AM ASSIGNED TO KING P’S PLAYROOM – I TEND TO KING P DURING HIS VISITS HERE. MY SECONDARY PURPOSE IS TO GUARD KING P’S VERY PRECIOUS ‘FRIEND’S YO-YO’.”

She pointed to a glass display case in the far corner of the room. It was just like the ones from Thomas’s shop, except a lot fancier – it had gold trim along the sides, and a top frame shaped like a crown.

I zoomed in - the display case contained a small red object delicately lying on a soft-looking pillow. The ‘yo-yo’ had a central groove with a long piece of string wrapped around it. It didn’t look anything special – it was certainly very plain and out-of-place compared to some of the other toys lying around.

“Thanks for answering all my questions, Miss Marshmallow,” I added. “You’re doing a great job.”

Duster and Kumatora looked at me funny. I ignored them – they didn’t know what it was like to be treated like a thing.

“YOU’RE VERY WELCOME, FRIEND OF KING P.”

“Query: Give a full description of the friend this yo-yo belongs to.”

“HE IS KING P’S VERY SPECIAL FRIEND. KING P TALKS ABOUT HIM VERY MUCH. HIS NAME IS-”

Suddenly there were noises from below.

“Crap, it’s the Pigbutts!” Kumatora yelled. She, Duster, and Boney hurried to the ladder at the far end of the room.

“Uh, gotta go!” I said to Miss Marshmallow. “Thanks for everything!”

“WAIT!” she called. “WHERE ARE YOU GOING, FRIENDS OF KING P?”

“Some guys are chasin’ after us – and they really don’t like us.”

“THEY ARE AFTER KING P’S FRIENDS?” Her eyes started flashing red. “IF THEY ARE AFTER KING P’S FRIENDS, I WILL BE MAD! MAD, MAD, MAD!!”

That was when the first Pigmask popped into the playroom.

Suddenly Miss Marshmallow zoomed over to them – and bopped them on the head.

I gasped – Miss Marshmallow was trying to protect us?!

I shook my head – I didn’t have time for this! I had to get out of here!

I hurried to the ladder and scrambled up as quickly as I could. “Hang on, guys – I’m comin’!” I called.

“BYE, FRIEND OF KING P,” Miss Marshmallow called after me. “I HOPE WE SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN – I ENJOYED YOUR COMPANY.”

“Bye, Miss Marshmallow,” I called, then scrambled up the last rung.

*

I popped out in an enclosed metal area, a huge coiled machine humming in the centre of the room. Ignoring it, I hurried along as quickly as I could – the others were nowhere in sight.

My enhanced hearing picked up lots of screaming and mechanical whirring noises from below. I grinned – whatever Miss Marshmallow was doing, it was sure effective. (After all, didn’t she mention having a combat module?)

Finally I caught up to the others beside yet another ladder.

“What took you so long?” Kumatora demanded. “We thought you’d gotten captured again!”

I shrugged. “Miss Marshmallow seemed to really like me – she’s fightin’ off the Pigmasks for us.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re joking.”

A loud scream echoed from below.

Kumatora scowled. “Okay, what the hell did you do?!”

“Dunno. One minute I was sayin’ goodbye, the next she got all hostile and hit some Pigmasks!”

“Whatever, I’ll take it. Hurry – and keep up this time, kid.”

We hurried on, climbing even more ladders as we went. Eventually we emerged into a huge room with another of the big coil machines.

Duster pointed to a door visible at the far end of the room. “There’s the exit – hopefully we can find an emergency ladder or some scaffolding to climb down.”

Suddenly red lights started flashing, accompanied by a really annoying alarm sound.

Boney barked and growled, trying to locate the source of the noise.

“WARNING: INTRUDERS DETECTED IN GENERATOR ROOM. ACTIVATING DEFENSE SYSTEM. ALL NON-INTRUDERS, IT’D BE NICE IF YOU EVACUATE!”

A panel opened up on the coil machine – a golden humanoid robot sprung out, blue lightning flashing from its steel hands. It turned its head back and forth, scanning the surroundings.

Finally it fixed its gaze on us. “TARGET DETECTED,” it announced, its eyes flashing red.

Some text scrolled by on my retina display. Mr. Genetor. Type: Robot. Installed as a security system for Thunder Tower. CLASSIFIED.

Well, that didn’t help! Query: Weaknesses.

CLASSIFIED.

“Don’t just stand there!!” Kumatora grabbed my shirt and hauled me back – a second later, ‘Mr. Genetor’ swung its (his?) arms, nearly hitting me. I gulped – getting punched was bad enough, but this guy could e-lek-chro-kute me too!

I threw out some PSI, which formed into a lightning bolt. Robots didn’t like electricity because it made them short-circuit… right?

The lightning struck Mr. Genetor right in the head – and didn’t do anything!

“Idiot!” Kumatora yelled. “It’s a generator – it stores electricity! You’re just feeding it!”

“Well, d’you have any better ideas?” I shot back.

Duster swung his leg, blocking another of Mr. Genetor’s chops. There was a CLUNK as they collided, then Duster yelped. “Careful – it’ll shock you!” he called, gritting his teeth.

We scrambled back.

“COME BACK HERE,” Mr. Genetor ordered.

“Screw you,” said Kumatora. She concentrated for a moment, then shot out some fire and ice. Meanwhile, Duster tossed a bomb.

“Stay back, Boney!” I warned. “I don’t want you getting’ hurt!”

Suddenly Mr. Genetor went completely still. Even his eyes stopped blinking.

“Did we break it?” wondered Duster.

“Dunno – looks a bit like a mechanical failure to me.”

That was when Mr. Genetor announced, “RELEASING DISCHARGE.”

Mr. Genetor raised his arms, his entire body erupting with blue sparks. A bright flash filled the room.

I yelped as the wave of lightning hit me. Pain coursed through my entire body. My vision flashed and flickered.

I collapsed to the ground, my legs and arms twitching.

I lay still, waiting for the pain to fade. Then I carefully opened my eyes – Mr. Genetor was drooping, motionless. I couldn’t see any of the others – I hoped they weren’t as hurt by the blast as I was.

“You okay, Claus?” That was Duster.

“Y-yeah…” I called weakly. “Just… gimme a minute.”

Subject suffered electrical damage. Recalibrating systems…

My body started twitching, all on its own. My head turned, my eyes flipped open and closed, my arms bent, and so on – my central processor was checking that my body responded properly. I’d gotten used to it over the last three years, having to do a recalibration check at all my maintenance appointments, but it was as freaky as always.

Calibration complete. Returning control to subject…

I blinked a few times, letting myself return to my body. I could hear shouting and pounding on metal – the others must be attacking Mr. Genetor while he was immobile.

I rose to my feet, ready to join the fray-

“BONEY!!”

I gasped – poor Boney was sprawled on the ground, moaning weakly.

I rushed over to my dog.

No! I couldn’t lose him - !

Without even thinking, PSI flowed to life. Green sparkles hovered around Boney – gradually his cuts healed, and his breathing went back to normal. Finally he leapt his feet, barking happily – good as new.

I rushed over to Duster and Kumatora, busy pounding on the helpless Mr. Genetor.

“This one’s for Boney, scrap heap!” I threw a big punch at Mr. Genetor’s head, leaving a big dent. 

“CHARGING BATTERY… 66.66%.”

I gulped and redoubled my efforts. “Take that! And that! And-”

I punched until I panted with exhaustion.

“CHARGING BATTERY… 100%. CHARGING COMPLETE.”

Mr. Genetor’s eyes blinked back on, and he whirred himself back into an upright position.

“Get back!” Kumatora yelled. “It’ll probably shock us again!”

We all leapt backward. Sure enough, Mr. Genetor swung his arms out, his prongs glowing with deadly blue electricity.

“Why can’t you just reprogram it, like whatever the hell you did to that robot maid?!”

“Her name’s Miss Marshmallow! An’ I didn’t do anything to her – she just acted on her own! I think she likes me!”

“Likes you?! It’s a robot – they don’t even have emotions!”

“Hey! I resent-” I shut my mouth and rolled away from another of Mr. Genetor’s chops.

We continued like this for a while – the four of us dodging Mr. Genetor’s swipes, Kumatora and Duster tossing PSI and bombs when they could.

And then Mr. Genetor went still again.

“Aw crap, another discharge!” yelled Kumatora.

Boney hurried off to the side and braced himself.

“Stand back – I’m gonna try PK Love!” I shouted.

I raised my hands, focusing. Charging PSI…

I focused on Mom and Dad and Lucas and Boney and Duster and Kumatora…

“RELEASING DISCHARGE.”

“PK Love!!”

The lightning and PSI collided in a huge explosion. I grinned – the PSI blocked the discharge, and none of us got so much as a shock!

“Hell yeah!” Kumatora shouted. “Take that, you rusty bucket of bolts!”

Mr. Genetor slumped, all out of energy.

“Now’s our chance – let’s pound him!” I yelled.

We rushed forward and wailed on the helpless security bot. Boney sunk his jaws into Mr. Genetor’s arms, snapping some wires. Meanwhile, Duster worked on his other arm, leaving huge dents with his kicks.

Finally Kumatora threw a big punch, sending Mr. Genetor’s head flying.

“SECURITY SYSTEM BUSTED… SELF-DESTRUCT MECHANISM ACTIVATED… ALL PERSONNEL, IT’D BE NICE… IF YOU… EVA… CU… A…” The voice broke off with a burst of static.

The loud alarm started up again, and the generator sizzled.

“Sounds like it’s going to blow – let’s get out of here!” warned Duster.

And then Fassad rushed into the room, accompanied by some blue Pigmasks. The Pigmasks’ uniforms were torn, though Fassad himself was unscathed. I scoffed – coward.

“Well, well,” said Fassad. “Destroyed our generator, did you? You’re a very naughty boy, Claus.”

“What’d you do with Miss Marshmallow?!” I shot back.

“Oh, are you fond of her? Does the cyborg like the pretty robot maid? Alas, we had to… decommission her, nwehehehe!”

I hissed in anger. “Why, you-!”

Duster grabbed me and dragged me toward the exit, while Kumatora quickly froze the floor in front of Fassad.

We popped out on the big yellow ball – but we were stuck on a teeny-tiny ledge! We couldn’t get down!

“Keep climbin’ up,” Kumatora ordered. “I’m all outta PSI, and that skating rink won’t hold ‘em for long.”

We hurried to some rungs on the side of the ball and started scrambling up.

I gasped once we reached the top – we were right next to that big gun thing! It was huge!

“What’s that for?!” I shouted.

“That’s our little enforcer, nwehehehe!”

I gasped and spun around - Fassad was strutting up to us, grinning nastily.

“Enforcer? Wait… you sayin’ you’re the ones responsible for the lightning in Tazmily?!” I yelled.

“Exactly right, Claus!” Fassad grinned. “It’s our little way of encouraging those without Happy Boxes to get with the program, nwehehehe!”

I shook with anger. So Fassad was the reason Fuel and Lighter’s house kept burning down… not to mention Grandpa Alec’s and Nippolyte’s and Reggie’s, too!!

But then something else clicked. 

“But what about my house?” After all, me and Dad had always refused to get a Happy Box (Fassad had finally given up when I’d wrecked three of them in one week!). So why… 

“Ah, yes…” Fassad drawled. “We gave you and your father parlay for not having a Happy Box, since it was not in our interest to associate our little human chimera with those nasty, unhappy pariahs. That is, until your father decided to stop playing along and insisted that you weren’t our little puppet – why, it’s as if he thinks you’re a human! Of course, a bit of lightning quickly put a stop to that, nwehehehe!”

I hissed in anger – so that’s why the lightning had suddenly struck our house over the last few months!

“Unfortunately you broke our generator, so that’s it for Thunder Tower. But don’t be sad – you’ll be going down with it!” Fassad grinned nastily. “Admittedly, it’s a bit much for three rats and their dog, but our king loves being flashy. Now, any last words, my troublesome pests?”

“W-wait – you’re gonna kill us?” I protested.

Fassad scoffed. “Well, not personally, but unless you grow wings or can otherwise survive a fall off a 500-foot tower…”

“Y-you can’t do this! Dad’s waitin’ for me!!”

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought of that before traipsing along with your friends and destroying valuable Pigmask technology, nwehehehe!”

Fassad pulled out a banana and started eating it, leering at us all the while.

We backed up right against the gun. I gulped – we had nowhere to go!

“W-what do we do now, Kumatora?” I called.

Kumatora just sighed. “Sorry, kid – I don’t think we’re gettin’ out of this one.”

Fassad tossed his half-eaten banana aside, then grinned nastily at me. “Oh, my – are you scared, Claus?”

Despite myself, I gasped. My eyes started to water. “Ah… ah…”

“Stop it – of course he’s scared, he’s twelve! ” Kumatora snapped.

Boney snarled angrily.

Fassad just sneered. “Claus – this is your last chance. Much as I’d love to see you get blown to smithereens, it’d be such a waste of the millions of DP we invested in your cybernetics. Come with me – I’m sure we can find some use for you, nwehehehe!”

I didn’t hesitate this time.

“I’d rather die than go with you!!” I snarled, grabbing Kumatora and Duster’s hands.

“Fine. Then perish with your so-called friends.” Fassad let out an exaggerated sigh, then mockingly wiped away a fake tear. “Stubborn child, you could have been so much more… Oh look, my ride’s here.”

A big silver thing pulled up in the sky. I gasped – it was floating all on its own!

There was a big door propped open on the side – someone from inside tossed out a ladder, which danced in the slight breeze.

Fassad pulled out his transceiver. “I’m all set. Destroy Thunder Tower.”

After a moment, the tower started shaking. Explosions echoed from below.

I squeezed Duster and Kumatora’s hands tightly. This was it – this was the end. I could feel their pulses pounding, though mine remained as quiet as ever.

I closed my eyes, willing myself not to cry.

I’m sorry I couldn’t see you before the end, Lucas.

I‘m sorry I didn’t listen to you, Dad.

I… I’m coming, Mom…

There was a violent shake, making me release my grip and jar open my eyes.

I yelped as I went sliding, thrown off-balance. Luckily Duster grabbed my shirt before I could fall off the ball – it was a long way down!

Fassad wasn’t so lucky – he slipped on his banana peel!

“Waaaaaaaah-” he yelled as he sailed through the air and flew out of sight.

Kumatora scooted down for a closer look, whistling. “Serves him right, the cocky bastard,” she muttered.

The big ship came a bit closer to us. A blue Pigmask peeked out the door – and squealed in alarm, realizing Fassad was gone.

They hurried back inside – a moment later, the ship slowly started moving away.

“Holy hell!” Kumatora shouted. “Grab that ladder!”

In a flash, Duster threw out his arm – that red snake from before shot out his sleeve and latched onto the nearest rung. The rest of us dogpiled onto him – Kumatora grabbed one leg, I grabbed the other, and Boney hitched a ride on my shorts.

We lifted off the ground.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I couldn’t believe it – we were alive! We were flying!

The wind whipped at our faces, and my eye watered. I squeezed Duster’s leg as tight as I could, trying not to look down.

Suddenly Kumatora gasped.

I looked up – a small figure was outlined against the ship doorway, glancing down at us. I could only make out a few details - orange pants, a brown jacket, and a big gray helmet covering their entire head (that had to be hot and uncomfortable!). They were also really short – they couldn’t be much bigger than I was.

What was a kid like that doing in a Pigmask ship?

“Is that…?” Kumatora’s voice wavered.

“The real commander? Yes, I would certainly say so,” Duster responded.

I heard a faint voice call from inside the ship – I couldn’t hear what they were saying over the roar of engines and the wind.

The weird kid glanced back, then disappeared inside the ship.

“Hey, wait!” I called desperately. Just who was that kid?!

Suddenly the ship jerked. I yelped.

“They’re trying to shake us off!” Duster yelled. “Hang on, everybody!”

The ship trashed and weaved erratically through the sky, causing our ladder to jerk every which way. But still, we hung on.

That was when I heard another voice.

“Hey, Duster? It’s me, Rope Snake. I know this isn’t the best time to chat, but there’s something I really have to tell you.”

I gasped, while Duster grunted in surprise. Was I hearing things? Snakes weren’t supposed to talk! (Then again, until yesterday I hadn’t thought psychic powers were real, either!)

“Anyway, I’ve got good news for me and bad news for you. The good news is, I’m finally a main character in the story I’m finally seeing some use after three years. The bad news is… well… I’ll be blunt: I’m not up for this sort of thing. Turns out my jaw can’t support the weight of three people and a dog. In fact, it’s literally… jaw-dropping!!”

I looked down – and immediately regretted it. Those trees down there were as small as my pillow!

Rope Snake let go, and we went tumbling into free fall.

I gaped in shock, not believing what was happening. Then I screamed…

*

The masked boy glanced down from the airship.

“See, there’s no one there,” the colonel attending him said, gesturing at the empty sky. “They’re gone now.”

The colonel bent down and carefully retrieved the ladder.

The boy said nothing, still staring outside. His mouth was twisted into a small frown.

“Oh, what’s wrong, commander?”

The boy made a small whine.

“Are you thinking about that boy you saw? ...No, don’t think about that, commander. He’s gone.”

The colonel slammed the door closed, then turned back to the boy. “Come, commander – I’ll be taking you back to your seat. We still have a while to go until New Pork City.”

The boy growled quietly, briefly baring his fangs.

“Come,” the colonel repeated firmly, putting their arm around the boy’s shoulders.

The boy turned and started toward the back of the ship and the passenger seats. The watching Pigmasks visibly relaxed.

The boy shot one final look at the door. Beneath his helmet, there was a look of longing in his eyes…

*

A tower of thunder. A standing army. Vehicles that rush along highways, and ships that fly through the sky.

The enemy that Claus and his allies must face is well-entrenched, and has grown to an enormous scale.

But, against all odds, they have scored victory. Thunder Tower, once a tool of fear and oppression, is now an empty husk. The Fierce Pork Trooper has been humiliated, and Fassad has suffered far more than yet another wound to his pride.

And yet, our heroes have suffered their own setbacks and losses. The Egg of Light is destroyed, its true purpose still unknown. And now the four of them tumble from the sky, threatening to be scattered once more.

Above it all stands a small boy dressed in soldier’s clothes, his emotions obscured by his mask...

There are promises of fierce battles ahead, as the pieces gather on each side and the skirmish threatens to extend into warfare…

…

End Act 2

Chapter Text

The first thing I felt was a gentle breeze.

I raised my head, blinking. Yellow filled my vision.

Sunflowers. Beautiful golden flowers, as far as the eye could see.

I shook my head. That couldn’t be right. There’s no way I could’ve survived that fall from the big flying ship thing – I should be dead, not lying in some random sunflower field.

But maybe… I was dead, and this was the afterlife?

I rubbed my eyes. If this was what death was like, it wasn’t too bad. In fact, it was almost… comforting.

I frowned. Something seemed off, somehow. Then it hit me – my retina display was gone. My mechanical eye constantly superimposed red text over my vision to provide status updates and warnings – but not a single red letter was in sight.

I didn’t feel any pain in my body, either – pain had been an ever-present companion for the last three years, thanks to my robot parts. But now it was gone, just like that.

Wait… no, it couldn’t be… I wasn’t a chimera anymore?

I pinched myself, frowning. This couldn’t be real – this had to be a cruel joke. My robot parts couldn’t have just vanished on their own, no matter how badly I wanted them gone. But no – I definitely felt my skin being squeezed beneath my fingers. Wherever this place was, I was awake – you couldn’t pinch yourself in your dreams!

This was real.

I bolted to my feet. “I’m Claus!” I exclaimed. “I’m really Claus!!”

Somehow, this strange place had magically undone all the changes from the past three years. No more painful achy robot parts! No more being called mean names! I was just Claus!!

I ran and skipped through the sunflowers, laughing to myself. The flowers brushed aside at my slightest touch – they tickled!

I continued like that for a long time – it was like all the sadness and pain from the last three years had been replaced with pure joy.

But something was nagging me from the back of my mind – where was everyone? What happened to Boney and Duster and Kumatora? They’d fallen from the Pigmask’s big flying ship, same as me. If I ended up in this strange place, shouldn’t the others be here, too?

I stopped and glanced around. Sunflowers, sunflowers everywhere. There was a great blue sky overhead, and fluffy white clouds. Everything was quiet and peaceful – it looked like I was the only one around.

I hurried on. I travelled a long way, but I didn’t get tired at all. Time didn’t seem to pass, either – the sun was still high in the sky. It took me half a moment to realize I couldn’t check the time using the clock on my retina display – and felt guilty that I missed it.

I continued along until-

“Claus.”

I stopped. That voice… it was so strange. I didn’t exactly hear it – it was more like it was calling from… inside me, somehow?

I glanced around, trying to find the source of the voice. But no one else was around. It was just me and the endless sunflowers.

That was when I heard a bark.

This one I recognized. “Boney!” I cried.

I hurried towards the direction of the sound. Sure enough, it was Boney, barely visible through the sunflowers.

Suddenly Boney whined.

I stopped in my tracks. “Hey… what’s wrong, Boney?”

And then I saw it – the golden field of sunflowers abruptly ended. In its place stretched a brown plateau, all the way to the horizon.

I crept to the edge of the sunflowers, curious. Boney followed behind me, sniffing and growling softly.

I carefully set one foot on the brown stuff. My foot sunk a bit – maybe this was supposed to be mud.

I sniffed - there was a strange smell in the air, one I’d encountered often enough back in Tazmily. It was the smell of charred earth, of something struck by – lightning.

My heart pounded. I gasped – my own heartbeat sounded strange and unfamiliar.

My skin prickled as I carefully took a few more steps into the brown stuff. Something felt very wrong.

Boney followed me, the fur on his hackles standing on end - he must've felt it, too.

I glanced down – and gasped. It was a pile of churned dirt, covered by a bed of dead sunflowers. Some were wilted, while others were scorched black. My heart panged in worry and fear.

I desperately glanced around, panicking. What happened – why did all the sunflowers die? Was it safe here? Should I go back to the sunflower field?

Boney barked – a figure was just visible on the horizon. I couldn’t see any details from here (with a pang I realized I missed my mechanical eye and its zoom-in function). All I could see was a splash of red.

My breath caught in my throat. Was that…

“M…Mom?”

But the figure just walked away, and soon vanished from sight.

“W-wait! Come back!”

I sprinted across the dead field, Boney running like mad to keep up.

We passed hundreds and hundreds of dead sunflowers. And we passed some areas without flowers at all – just bare, rocky patches of ground. 

One patch made me stop – there were a set of deep claw markings etched in the ground.

My breath got all huffy. No… it couldn’t be… please…. No…

And then the voice returned. “It’s all right, my strong one… Be free from your fears…”

I gulped. Everyone always called me the strong twin, but only one person called me ‘strong one’… only one person could make the words ‘strong one’ sound so gentle and comforting…

Suddenly there was a flash of yellow at the edge of my vision. I glanced around, curious. The brown field stretched on all sides – but then I saw it.

A single golden sunflower poked out on top of a little dirt mound.

I stared. I couldn’t believe it – but there it was, a single surviving sunflower. It was droopy and most of its petals had fallen off, but that didn’t matter – it was alive. Something had managed to grow in this bleak, dead landscape.

I carefully crouched down beside the sunflower, rubbing its petals in wonder. Then I poked its brown centre, just as I used to do as a kid. I flinched – still as prickly as ever.

I gestured to Boney. Together we continued through the field, following after where the figure had vanished.

The field wasn’t as bleak and lifeless as I’d first imagined – we passed another golden sunflower sticking out of the ground, then another. Then I spotted some clumps of two or three. There were even some with two flowers splitting off from a single stem – like twins! They paled in comparison to the great golden field from before, but each of them made me happy – I was overjoyed to see new life taking root in this place. Maybe one day this too would be an endless field of sunflowers.

Finally the brown field ended – up ahead was a row of small sunflowers. They must’ve been freshly planted – they were tiny, hardly up to my ankles.

The tiny sunflowers stretched out into a whole garden. Someone had set up a cobblestone path winding between them, so that people didn’t trample on the growing flowers.

And – there she was again, standing on the cobblestones and watching the sky. Her long brown hair danced in the slight breeze.

“Mom?” I repeated.

She said nothing. She took a step away from me – and vanished into thin air.

“No – Mom! Come back!”

I hurried down the cobblestone path, being careful not to step on any of the flowers.

“No – please!” I yelled to the empty air. “Don’t leave me again! I – I can’t lose you!”

I reached out, hoping to catch a strand of hair or a scrap of cloth – anything that would tell me Mom was real, and alive, and waiting for me. But I only grabbed at air.

The cobblestone path ended at a pleasant field of puffy green grass, where someone had built a bunch of wooden planters – some grew tomatoes, some had green beans, some even had colourful tulips! Each planter was divided into several plots, all labeled with some hand-written signs. I recognized several names from the village: ‘Abbot & Abbey’, ‘Lighter’, ‘Reggie Garden’, ‘Bronson’, ‘Nippolyte’s Humble Little Omelets Patch’ (that one was just a pile of dirt), ‘RitCHiE’, ‘NicHoL’, ‘FUEL!’.

I gulped. It was just like the ‘community garden’ Tazmily used to have, although it had long fallen into disrepair and ruin. No one tended to it anymore, not since… Mom …

Past the garden was a little wooden house. It looked a lot like our house, but… slightly off. It was smaller, and it was missing our sheep pen. However, there was a doghouse outside that looked just like the one Dad had built for Boney – he ran over to it, sniffing and barking in excitement.

There was another planter right outside the house. This one was filled with sunflowers. I gasped – they were so tall! Some were even as tall as Leder!

This planter had some signs too, each adorned with neat handwriting: ‘Father’, ‘Dear Flint’, ‘Dearest Hinawa’ (I gulped – that one had Dad’s handwriting), ‘Lucas’, ‘Claus’. There was even one for Boney!

This had to be Mom’s house – she loved sunflowers, so it made sense she was living in this weird sunflower place. But if this was her house… why did it look like ours, but slightly different?

I walked over to the door. Taking a deep breath, I knocked. “Mom?”

No answer.

I carefully pushed open the door – it swung open easily.

The inside was just as eerily familiar – the layout was similar to our home, except smaller and a lot emptier. There was a vase with a single sunflower perched on a small table, and a large bed off to one side. Apart from that, the only furnishings were two cradles, side by side.

My throat got all tight. 

I moved closer and peeked in the cradles. They were empty.

“Claus.”

I gasped – there was the voice again!

I ran out of the house. Sure enough, Mom was back – she was watering the sunflowers.

She held a small metal watering can with a blue ribbon tied around its nozzle. I gasped – that one was mine! It was part of a matching set Bronson made for me and Lucas! 

But it wasn’t possible – I’d broken that can years ago, during an especially wild game with Lucas and Fuel. So how did Mom…?

“Mom?” I called.

She turned and smiled at me.

“Is… Lucas here too?” I asked softly.

She shook her head sadly. Then she put down the watering can and beckoned to me.

I nodded. “Okay – I’m coming!”

I ran up to Mom and threw out my arms in a big hug – but I only passed through air.

No – that couldn’t be right… I stared at my hands in shock and horror. Was I-

I pinched myself – yep, I was still as solid as ever. So why…

“Mom… what’s happening? Am I dead? Why are you…?”

Mom hung her head sadly.

“What is this place?”

“…”

“Tell me!!” I shouted. Why wasn’t she answering me?!

She turned away. Her head was lowered, and her shoulders were hunched. I recognized that pose from Lucas – she must be crying, and didn’t want me to see.

“Mom… what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“Claus… promise me you’ll be strong.”

I gulped – her voice sounded so sad.

“No!” I shouted. “Let me stay here!” I trembled and clenched my fists. “Don’t leave me again!”

“…”

“I don’t want to be strong! I tried to be strong an’ fight the Drago, an’…” I huffed. “Just let me stay here and take care of me, like… like Lucas!”

Mom took a few steps away from me.

“Yours is a tough path. It is not the path I would have wished upon you, or Lucas. But you can do this. I believe in you, Claus. Know that I am always watching over you. I love you… my strong one.”

I started crying. “Mom – don’t–”

“Your father and I love you dearly. We’re extremely proud of you – we treasure you. Promise me you’ll remember… You’re our son, as you’ll forever be.”

“Mom… why are you…”

Behind the house, the field fell away to a large cliff. Mom walked out to its very edge.

“Do you remember the lullaby I would sing for you and Lucas? ‘Give light to the small one, who walks his path alone…’ ”

The small one? “...Lucas?”

Mom nodded slightly.

I gasped. “Mom – you know where Lucas is?!”

She bowed her head. Then, she stepped right over the cliff – she was walking right along the clouds.

I hurried toward the cliff. Boney barked rapidly – I ignored him.

“Where’s Lucas?! Tell me!!” I pleaded.

Mom turned around and smiled sadly.

“Please… find the small one, and lead him home.”

“No! I can’t! Don’t make me do this!” I was sobbing now, harder than I had in three years. “I’m happy here – I’m finally happy! Just let me stay here – don’t make me go back!!”

I ran right up to the cliff’s edge. I held out my arms, trying desperately to reach Mom. But all I could touch was air – she floated out of reach.

“Mom! Come back! Don’t leave me!!”

She floated out among the clouds, sadder than I’d ever seen her.

No – I couldn’t lose her again – I couldn’t go back–

I crouched, then took a flying leap.

“Mom! I’m coming!”

I flew through the air – I clawed at the air, hoping to catch Mom.

“Mom! MOM!!”

I sunk into the clouds.

“Mom…” I whimpered. “Why…”

I felt myself falling…

And then everything was white.

Chapter Text

Act 3: Campaign

A series of military operations designed to achieve a particular objective, as in collecting resources in a war game.

*

...

Subject entering waking state. Rebooting mechanical systems…

Everything hurt.

I groaned. My head pounded. My eyelids felt so heavy.

Images danced in my head. Sunflowers… sky… Mom… MOM!!

I forced my eyes open. The first thing I saw was the flickering red text of my retina display.

I moaned. So I was back to my wretched chimera body…

Was it a dream? It had felt so real… did I die, and get re-reconstructed?

My head felt foggy – it was hard to think. And I was tired. I just wanted to go back to sleep – maybe I could go back to the sunflower place and see Mom again. Or maybe… I’d never wake up at all…

Through blurry, half-focused eyes, I peered around the room. It was blue.

Wait… maybe this was the hospital? Did someone bring me here?

I glanced to my left. There was an end-table packed with what looked like get-well cards. The nearest one read ‘Get Well Soon Claus!!’ in Fuel’s messy scrawl. Another said ‘Get well soon, human chimera! – From the Pigmasks’, with a bunch of badly-drawn chimeras added in crayon. One was I think a Slitherhen, but there were several others I didn’t recognize – a dog’s head on a fish; a long-necked bird whose body was the head from the weird floppy-eared statues outside Club Titiboo; a pig with a brain in a jar on its head.

To my right was an IV stand and drip filled with a dark-coloured liquid - that was the special fluid used by my circulatory system, which acted as both blood and oil for my robot parts. The whole thing led to a big needle sticking out of my arm.

I slowly became aware of an array of mechanical beeps around me, and of a bunch of sensors stuck all over my body – I must be hooked up to some monitoring and life support systems.

I glanced down, though I felt nauseous from the effort. I was lying in a hospital bed with a too-thin blanket draped over my legs, and dressed in one of those weird hospital gowns.

“Ugh,” I groaned.

“Oh, good – you’re awake!”

I glanced up – a nurse was now hovering at my bedside.

“Try not to move around – you need to rest,” she continued. “But, I’m so glad you’re finally awake! I’ll call in a doctor to do a check-up on you – and of course, I’ll let your grandfather know.”

I immediately perked up. “Grandpa Alec’s here?!”

She smiled. “Of course – he and your father have been checking in on you every day!”

Every day? But I’d just woken up! How long was I…?

I checked my clock. It was 12:48 PM… but the date was wrong! It was three days late!

“I’ve been unconscious for three days?!” I exclaimed.

“I know – it’s simply astonishing. We all expected you’d be out for at least a week, with a nasty fall like that. But then, you are the famous human chimera – you’re full of surprises! ... Oh, don’t make that face.” She paused. “Would you like to see your grandfather now?”

“Do I ever!!” I said.

“Sounds good. Sit tight – I’ll let him know you’re awake and ready for visitors.”

She hurried out.

I busied myself by looking around the room. It was pretty sparse, apart from a door off to the side and two chairs standing in the far corner of the room. One chair had a neatly-folded pile of clothes lying on it – even without zooming in, I recognized those orange shorts and that blue-and-yellow striped shirt. They looked clean and fresh, as if they’d just come off the laundry line.

I grinned. Dad or Grandpa Alec must’ve brought those from home – at least I’d have a nice set of clothes to change into! (All my shirts and shorts were the same colour – I liked orange and blue, so why bother with anything else?)

After a few minutes I heard the nurse murmuring from outside: “He’s recovering remarkably fast, and already awake and coherent - frankly, we’re amazed. We’ll let you visit him for a bit – he needs to rest, and we’ll need to do some tests before we discharge him.”

The door creaked open.

“Grandpa!!” I yelled.

“Great to see you, little scamp!” said Alec, hurrying to my bedside. He threw out his arms, about to give me a big hug, but stopped when he noticed the big needle sticking out of my arm. Instead he ruffled my hair.

“I’m so glad you’re safe – we were so worried about you!”

“Sorry I ran off,” I mumbled.

“Hush, it’s all right – you’re safe, that’s the important thing. Boney’s in tip-top shape, too – your dad’s taking care of him.”

Alec started picking something out of my hair. It was… hay?

Noticing my puzzled expression, he explained, “You fell out of the sky near the Pigmask training grounds - your father built a big pile of hay to catch you."

I frowned. “Why’d-” How’d Dad know where I’d fall?

“That’s the strangest thing - he said my daughter appeared to him in a dream, and was building a pile of hay in that spot. And he said it wasn’t an ordinary dream, either - somehow he knew she was leaving a message for him...” He paused. “Your mother must be watching out for you, Claus - wherever she is.”

Mom! My eyes watered.

“Mom…” I mumbled. “Mom… I saw Mom, too…”

“Oh,” Alec murmured in surprise. “Do you… want to talk about it?”

I slowly shook my head.

“That’s perfectly all right – whatever makes you comfortable, Claus.” He gently patted my shoulder, then gestured to the nurse. “You must be starving - let’s get some food in you!”

My stomach growled. Alec was right – I was so hungry!

The nurse nodded. “We’ll get a hot meal ready for him right away,” she said, then hurried out.

Once she was gone, Alec grabbed the empty chair from the corner of the room and placed it beside my bed. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

Finally Alec made a forced smile. “So, how are you feeling, Claus?”

I sighed. “Tired, mostly. And I hurt all over.”

“Oh - you’re in pain?” Alec’s eyes widened behind his glasses. “We should let the staff know – do you want some painkillers?”

“No, it’s fine – I’ll deal with it,” I said quickly. I almost added “I’m used to it,” but stopped just in time – I didn’t want anyone to know how painful my body was every single day.

Instead I said, “I just wanna get out of here.”

Alec bowed his head. “I understand – you don’t have very happy memories of this place, do you, kiddo?”

I shook my head.

At that moment the nurse came back, carrying a tray of something that smelled really good – in fact, it smelled like-

“Omelets!” I cheered.

I zoomed in – there were two omelets on the tray, neatly folded in half. I noticed streaks of cheese, little pieces of ham, and even a few bits of green vegetables. I grinned.

The nurse smiled. “That’s right – our staff cooked them for you special. Your father mentioned you loved omelets – and we’d do anything for the human chimera!”

The nurse tilted the bed up, then carefully placed the tray on my lap. “Don’t move your right arm until we get that needle out,” she cautioned as she handed me a fork.

I immediately got to work on the omelets, gobbling them up greedily.

Alec helped wipe up my face once I was done. “Well, I have to get back to the retirement home soon, little scamp. I’ll go tell your dad you’re up and about – he’ll pick you up once you’re ready to go.” He gave me one last hair ruffle, then added, “It was good to see you, Claus.”

After Alec left, some doctors and nurses came in and did a bunch of tests on me. Once they’d gotten their fill of poking and prodding me, they started disconnecting me from all the machines and sensors, one by one. They finished by yanking out the IV needle.

Finally I was free – I grabbed the extra pair of clothes and changed behind a privacy curtain (blue, of course).

One of the nurses beamed at me once I stepped out. “You’re looking handsome! Are you ready to go? Will you be okay to walk?”

“Yes,” I said firmly.

I hurried out of my room and down the hallway, the nurse tutting after me all the while.

*

The elevators opened to the lobby with a ding.

I headed to the waiting room. Abbot was there, rubbing his leg and grimacing (Abbey fussing over him, as usual). There were a few others I didn’t recognize, and-

“Dad!”

I hurried over to him – he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

“Dad, I-”

I froze once I saw his face. His jaw was clenched tight, and his hat was down so low I couldn’t see his eyes.

I gulped – that’s what he did whenever I was in big trouble.

“Dad – I’m sorry-”

“We’re going home,” he said firmly.

He led me out of the hospital. Boney was waiting for us outside, head low as he whimpered in sympathy – he hated when me and Lucas got in trouble.

Dad pulled me aside. “Why did you run off?” he demanded.

I bowed my head, not daring to meet his eyes. I couldn’t lie to Dad, I just couldn’t, but…

“I… I can’t tell you… Look, I’m sorry I ran off, but I promise I won’t-”

“Claus, I’m very disappointed in you. I heard about what happened in the town square – you can’t act out against Fassad, you know that.”

“I lost my temper,” I mumbled automatically. That scuffle in the town square seemed so long ago.

“And then you ran off – I was worried sick about you.” He looked me in the eye. “Explain to me why you did this.”

I gulped – I couldn’t put it off any longer, not when Dad was already so mad at me.

“I wanted… I thought I could find Lucas.”

Dad said nothing for a moment. Then he sighed deeply. "He’s gone, Claus. You need to accept that, and move on. You cannot act out like this. Do you understand?”

I nodded mutely.

Dad sighed again. “I’ll be taking you home where we’ll discuss this further, along with your punishment.”

We walked through the crossroads, then the town square. Boney slunk after us, tail between his legs.

Suddenly I stopped. “I hear something – sounds like a big crowd.” I frowned in concentration, trying to pin down the direction of the sound.

“It’s comin’ from the east side of town!” I exclaimed. “What’s happenin’?!”

The only things on the east side of Tazmily were the retirement home, the Pigmask training ground, and a few houses – it was hardly ever crowded! Something strange had to be going on!

“No – we’re going straight home,” Dad said.

But then Boney barked and ran off – he must’ve caught a whiff of a familiar scent.

“Hey! Come back!” I yelled.

Dad turned and followed after Boney. I trailed after him, not wanting to cause any more trouble.

A large crowd was gathered on the bridge to east Tazmily, packed together like sheep squeezed into a too-small pen. All sorts of voices blurred together as the crowd murmured in excitement – I heard someone ask “Is that a man or a woman?”

“What’s going on here?” Dad demanded.

The crowd stepped aside, letting us through. Now I could see a pink-haired figure lying sideways on the bridge, all tied up. Boney was crouched next to them, sniffing curiously.

I gasped and ran over. That was either Kumatora, or-

“Ionia!” I dropped to her side. “Are you okay? What happened?!”

“Mmph,” she mumbled – someone had shoved a gag in her mouth!

But then she grimaced and spit the gag out. “See – all I had to do was wiggle my face a bit, and it’s all gone! *heart*” Then she glanced up, finally noticing me.

“Oh, hello, Claus!” she remarked cheerfully, seemingly not bothered by the fact that she was still tied up. “I told you we would meet again someday! *heart* Oh, and you brought your father with you – long time no see, sweetheart! *heart*”

I heard Dad gasp from behind me.

“Wait – you know Dad?!”

“That’s right! *heart*” Ionia said. “He and our friend Alec popped into our Magypsy party three years ago, looking for you. Ah, I do see the resemblance – you have the same lovely blue eyes. *heart*”

I spun to face Dad. “You knew ‘bout the Magypsies and you didn’t tell me?!”

“Not now, Claus,” Dad said sternly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” I pressed. “You don’t tell me anythin’! You treat me like a child and won’t let me go anywhere-”

“Claus,” Dad warned.

“Oh, could one of you dears help me up?" Ionia interrupted. "This is faintly embarrassing. *heart*”

Without another word, Dad grabbed her and effortlessly hauled her to her feet.

“Thank you kindly, my dear! *heart*” Ionia said.

“What happened to you?” I asked her. “Why’re you all tied up? Who did this?”

“Oh, that’s the problem – someone inelegantly coshed me on the head while I was putting on my makeup for the day. What an unfabulous time to be attacked – it was like they’d caught me stark-naked! And when I came to – why, I was all tied up like this! *heart*” Suddenly she grimaced. “Oh, dear – I fear that nasty ruffian shall go after my fellow Magypsies as well! Poor Aeolia, she’s closest – they’ll probably go after her next!”

“Aeolia?!” My interest perked up – she was the one that gave me my PSI! 

“Oh, I know – me an’ Dad an’ Boney can go with you!” I suggested. “They won’t try anythin’ with Dad around!” Besides, I was curious about what kind of person (Magypsy?) Aeolia was!

“No,” Dad interrupted.

“But-”

“You’re going home,” he said flatly.

“But Aeolia might be in trouble! An’ Ionia’s my friend – we should help her!”

Boney paced beside us, whining unhappily.

“Come, Claus – you’re making a scene.”

“You never let me go anywhere or do anythin’!!” I shouted. “I can take care of myself! I’ll go out on my own if I hafta – out to Aeolia’s house in – er-”

“Sunshine Forest, my dear! *heart*” Ionia added cheerfully.

“Yeah… her house in Sunshine…” My voice trailed off – Dad looked absolutely furious.

Dad crossed his arms. “You are not going to Sunshine Forest.”

“But Dad-”

“You’re going home,” Dad repeated.

“I can do this!” I pressed. “I’m strong now!”

“Claus-”

“I’m twelve! Stop treatin’ me like a baby!” I lashed out. “I went to the train tracks an’ Club Titiboo all on my own, an’ then I went all the way to Thunder – ah!” I quickly clammed up.

Too late – Dad grabbed my arm.

“What did you say?!”

My retina display went all wonky for a moment.

“I… I…”

Suddenly Dad’s eyes widened – he gently let go.

He took several deep breaths, calming himself. “I’m sorry, Claus – I lost my temper. But please understand – your behaviour was unacceptable, as is this present behaviour in public. I need you to listen to me – we need to go home and discuss what happened.” He sighed. “I appreciate your concern for others, but your father is more important than any of your…” he glanced at Ionia, “…friends.”

“But Dad, this is important!” I insisted. “Aeolia might be in trouble! An' I – I trust Ionia!”

“I don’t,” Dad said flatly. He turned and walked away, expecting me to follow.

Boney whined, then slunk off after Dad.

“Hold on, Flinty sweetie!” Ionia called. “These two nice gentlemen would like to speak to you! *heart*”

Dad stopped and slowly turned back.

Two men were standing beside Ionia. They had matching blue-and-white striped shirts and orange pants – my retina display was still too pixelated to make out much more than that.

“Yeah!” the tall one said. “We, like, have nooo idea what’s going on right now – but if you’re worried about Sunshine Forest being unsafe for your son, you can take our boat!”

“Yeah!” echoed the stout one. “We’re Tazmily’s boat club – we’d love to give you our first-ever boat ride, now that we finally have a boat!”

“And Aeolia’s house is right beside the river, so it’ll all work out splendidly! *heart*” added Ionia.

Dad was silent for a long time.

“Fine,” he said. “But after this, we’re going straight home – do you understand?”

I nodded – then gave him a quick hug.

“Thank you,” I mumbled quietly. “I… I love you…”

“Love you too, Claus,” Dad murmured back.

*

We climbed into a long canoe with a cheerful blue-and-white striped canopy. The tall one (Padl) got in front, followed by me, Dad, Boney, and Ionia, while the stout one (Rowe) took the back.

“Heave-ho!” shouted Padl and Rowe.

Together they started rowing – our boat flew over the water.

“Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!” Padl and Rowe chanted.

I watched the scenery roll by while Dad held me tight. It only took us a few minutes to reach Sunshine Forest – soon, Padl and Rowe pulled the canoe up beside a bank.

Ionia, Dad, Boney, and I stepped out. “Wait here, would you kindly?” Ionia called to the rowers. “We’ll only take a moment – five minutes, tops! *heart*”

Sure enough, the four of us soon came to something that took my breath away – a house shaped like a giant pink seashell! And it was right in the middle of a pond – you needed big pink stepping stones to get there!

“That’s Aeolia’s house?!” I exclaimed.

“That’s right, Clausie! *heart*” Ionia delicately hopped over the stepping stones and paused beside a cute little door. She let out a small gasp. “Oh dear - I’m all tied up, and can’t knock on the door! Could one of you dears untie me, please? *heart*”

Dad grunted and hurried over to Ionia. In no time at all, he untied all of the ropes binding Ionia and tossed them aside.

“Oh, you’re such a sweetie-pie! *heart*” Ionia curtsied to Dad, then knocked on the door. “Oh Aeolia - it’s me, Ionia! I’m just checking in on you! *heart*”

After a moment, the door swung open. Someone poked their head out – it was a person (no, Magypsy ) with a huge poofy ‘afro’ of pink hair and a chin covered with thick stubble. This had to be Aeolia!

“Why, I’m lovely as always, Ionia! *heart*” the figure said – she had a very deep but shrill voice, just like Ionia. Then her eyes widened. “Oh, my! Why don’t you have your makeup on, Ionia?”

“Some rude person coshed me on the head this morning!” Ionia said indignantly, putting her hands on her hips. But after a moment, her irritation completely passed. “I rushed over here, fearing you might have met the same unfabulous fate. Oh, and I brought some friends along, too! *heart*”

“Hmph,” said Aeolia, glancing us over. “I recognize you, cowboy – you were the serious one that came with Alec to our Magypsy party three years ago, asking about your missing son. Do tell Alec I send him my regards – we miss him dearly. *heart* Oh, and here’s the rambunctious squirt himself – and a dog. Do come in, everyone! *heart*”

Aeolia stepped aside and held the door open for us.

Ionia skipped inside, humming to herself. After a moment, me and Dad and Boney trailed in after her.

It was very pink and cozy inside. There was a fluffy white bed with canopy, a mirror and accompanying end-table cluttered with small colourful tubes, a big table decorated with a white cloth and a teapot, a big poofy chair…

Aeolia plopped into the chair and crossed her legs – unlike Ionia, her legs were so hairy! Aeolia was also wearing a weird red dress and fuzzy pink slippers – she looked like she was dressed for bed!

“Hello!” she said. “Make yourselves at home! *heart*"

“I’ll go borrow some of your makeup,” Ionia called. “Claus, Flinty sweetie, feel free to visit with Aeolia - she’s very warm-hearted and sociable. *heart*” With that, she sauntered over to Aeolia’s end-table and started grabbing a bunch of the tubes.

Aeolia waved at me. “Come here, child,” she commanded.

I nervously stepped up to her, Dad and Boney following behind. Dad protectively placed his hands on my shoulders - I nodded, appreciating the support.

“Hmph. You have the same determined eyes from three years ago… but not the anger. Did you avenge your mother, my dear? *heart*”

“No,” Dad said quickly. His grip became tight.

“I don’t want to talk about it!” I blurted out.

“He got really hurt – that’s why his eye looks weird. *heart*” added Ionia.

“What – oh! Oh, my! I must have come across as quite rude, darling. I extend my deepest apologies. *heart*” Aeolia flipped her legs and crossed them in the other direction. “Now, are you at least making good use out of the PSI I gave you? I can sense loads of magical power coming from you – and you must be so experienced, after three years of practice. *heart*”

“Uh-” My hand started sparkling involuntarily – I shoved it in my pocket. “Not really – they got blocked for some reason. Ionia only re-awakened them for me a couple days ago.”

“That’s right! *heart*” Ionia chimed in. She was busy applying some of the tubes to her face, humming happily. “He forgot all about our Magypsy party three years ago, too! Can you believe it? *heart*”

I glanced up at Dad – his face was white.

“What’s wrong, Dad?”

“Since when has my son awakened his PSI? ” Dad said darkly.

I gasped – Dad knew about my PSI?!

“Oh, about five days,” Ionia remarked airily. “Does it really matter? Five days, three years… it’s all a blink of an eye to us Magypsies. *heart*”

Dad crossed his arms and glared at me. “So you met a Magypsy and regained your PSI. What else haven’t you told me?”

“Hey! You’re keepin’ secrets from me too!! Why didn’t you tell me about the Magypsies – or my PSI?!”

“You didn’t need to know,” Dad said flatly.

Boney whined and leapt to my side.

“Boney, heel,” Dad ordered. 

Boney dropped to his haunches with a whine – much as he loved me and Lucas, he wouldn’t dare disobey an order from Dad.

“Claus, you’re being unreasonable,” Dad continued. “It was for your own good. I wanted to protect you.”

“I don’t need protectin’! I’m twelve!”

“You were nine. You were barely alive. You couldn’t walk. You could barely talk. You couldn’t control, or even understand, your mechanical systems. And if you had to deal with your PSI on top of that…” Dad sighed. “The Pigmasks sealed your PSI for a reason.”

My eyes bugged out. “What?! They sealed my PSI? And you knew this – and didn’t stop them?!” What else had the Pigmasks tampered with? What else wasn’t Dad telling me?

“Claus – the Pigmasks are the only ones that can treat you if something goes wrong. We have to cooperate with them, for your own safety – you know that.” Dad sighed. “Fassad gave me an ultimatum – he told me he had your PSI sealed, and that if I ever told you about your PSI or tried to re-awaken your powers, they’d take you away.”

I gulped – so Dad was protecting me, after all. But then I was filled with rage. “So you trusted Fassad instead of me?!”

“Claus, I had no choice. And he’s right – with your PSI on top of your enhancements, you’re a danger to others. You’re-”

“Angry? Impulsive? Not perfectly obedient to Fassad?!” I snarled. My hands started sparking again.

Dad growled. “Claus – stop this. You aren’t in control of yourself.” He took a breath. “Stop, before I lose my temper.”

“Dad… I…” I took a breath, about to yell “I hate you!!”

“Aaaallll done! *heart*” Ionia chorused. She skipped over to us and gently pushed us apart. “Now, you two use your inside voices and smiley faces – you’re acting like very ungrateful guests! *heart*”

I took some shaky breaths. Ionia was right – we couldn’t fight, not right in front of Aeolia.

“Oh, that reminds me – thank you for the makeup, Aeolia! *heart*” Ionia said.

“Ick,” muttered Aeolia. “You can keep it – indirect kisses with girls aren’t my kind of thing. Or with anyone, for that matter.” She wrinkled her nose.

Suddenly Ionia gasped. “Oh, my! I’ve just had the most curious feeling – something big is about to happen…” Her voice got all shrill – “What could it be? What could it beeee?!”

Aeolia cocked an eyebrow. “Could it be… ‘The Time’?”

Ionia tutted. “Oh, it could very well be! Clausie here knows PK Love – perhaps he’s the one we’ve been waiting for over millennia? *heart*”

Aeolia laughed shrilly. “A rambunctious squirt like him? Don’t be ridiculous – surely fate would pick someone more quiet and reserved! *heart*”

“Hey, I’m right here!” I snapped. “Wha’tcha talkin’ about anyway?!”

“Claus, we’ve wasted enough time here,” Dad interrupted. “I’m taking you home.”

“But Dad-”

Suddenly there was a bright flash from outside.

Aeolia and Ionia both shrieked. “Oh, my!! *heart*”

“What’s that?!” I exclaimed, while Boney whined. Even Dad grunted in surprise.

And then the ground started shaking.

“Ah!” I cried, struggling to keep my balance.

This continued for a minute or two, accompanied by more bright flashes of colour from outside. I could swear I heard a loud thump-thump noise, too – like a steady heartbeat.

Finally there was a blinding flash – and everything went back to being calm and normal.

Aeolia tutted and crossed her legs. “Well, well! Unexpected visitors and a light show – this is the most excitement I’ve had in decades! *heart*”

“W-what just happened?” I demanded.

“Oh, I’m not quite sure myself! *heart*” Ionia said. But then she gasped. “Oh my - Aeolia dear, you’ve suddenly gone transparent!”

Ionia was right – Aeolia’s entire body was flickering like a Happy Box!

Aeolia glanced down. “Oh, my!” she shrieked. “Could it be – the Needle I’ve been guarding in Osohe Castle – !”

“Ooh la la – so someone who can pull the Needles has finally appeared!” Ionia exclaimed. “Perhaps it is ‘The Time’, after all! *heart*”

Aeolia waved her gloved, flickering hand in front of her face. “Oh, dear – looks like I don’t have much longer before I vanish from this world. Whoever pulled my Needle should have asked me first, how inconsiderate. *heart*”

She closed her eyes. Suddenly the big white table rose up into the air.

I gasped.

“Oh – that’s Aeolia’s PSI!” Ionia cried. “Don’t strain yourself, dear, you’re hardly corporal! *heart*”

The table hovered a few feet, then gently plopped back to the ground – not a single drop of tea got spilt!

In its place was a hole and ladder in the middle of Aeolia’s floor – it was a secret passage, just like the one in Club Titiboo!

“That’s a shortcut to Osohe Castle – do check on my Needle, would you, dears?” Aeolia called. “A pure heart or a dark one – that will make all the difference. *heart*”

With those mysterious words, Aeolia blew some kisses at us. “My strength’s fading fast – bye-byeee, Ionia, Cowboy, What’s-Your-Face, and Doggy! *heart*” Then, with an extra flourish, “Au revoir! *heart*”

Aeolia shrunk into a single ball of light, which gently dissolved into a shower of sparkles. Then, something dropped into Aeolia’s now-vacant chair - a razor and a small tube like the one Ionia used.

“Wait – did she just turn into makeup?!” I exclaimed in disbelief.

“Farewell, Aeolia. You were an open-hearted person – that’s how we got along so well,” Ionia murmured quietly. Then she turned to me, still smiling cheerfully. (I didn’t understand the Magypsies – they didn’t seem troubled by anything, and just acted vaguely cheerful all the time. They were even less emotional than I was, and I was half-robot!)

“Oh, that’s Aeolia’s Memento,” Ionia explained. “It’s said that we Magypsies will leave behind our most treasured possession when we pass on during ‘The Time’ – but I scarcely believed it myself. But then, I scarcely believed I would see the day that someone could wield the power of PK Love, either! *heart*”

She sighed dreamily and spun around. “Now, there’s no time to waste – we need to check on Aeolia’s Needle. You two and doggy can head down that secret passage – I’ll go tell those lovely boat gentlemen that we don’t need a ride back, after all. Oh, and do grab Aeolia’s Memento on your way out, Claus. *heart*”

I frowned. “Are you sure?” I mean, I’d basically just met her, and I wasn’t entirely sure that she didn’t just turn into the makeup and razor – it’d be pretty embarrassing to shove her in my pockets!

"Of course, Claus – she’d want you to have it. She must like you – she wouldn’t give PSI to just anyone.” She paused. “Or maybe she would. After all, a human with the gift of PSI is such a momentous and exciting occasion. *heart*”

I sighed – guess I had no choice, then.

I stepped up to Aeolia’s big chair and carefully pocketed the razor and lipstick.

Ionia nodded in satisfaction, then she skipped out the door. “Bye for now, you two – carry on! *heart*”

Dad and I just stared at each other, while Boney whined in concern.

“W-what’s goin’ on?!” I finally stammered.

Dad sighed. “I don’t know, Claus… but I don’t have a good feeling about this. We should hurry and check the Needle they were talking about.”

Huh? Hadn’t Dad wanted to drag me home a moment before? Why did he change his mind?

“Dad…?”

“Not now,” Dad said gruffly.

Before I could press him further, Ionia swooped back inside. “Oh, still inside? I gave you permission to go – we must set off to Aeolia’s Needle at once! *heart*”

Chapter Text

After scrambling down Aeolia’s ladder, I found myself in a red-bricked corridor. It smelled pretty musky, and water dripped from overhead. 

“What is this place?” I piped up as the others climbed down.

“Oh, these are the catacombs under Osohe Castle,” Ionia explained. “It’s an escape route the Osohe royal family built long ago, in case they needed a clandestine escape from assassins and other nasty baddies. But nowadays, it’s more often used as an occasional shortcut for sweet little Kumatora and the dearly departed Aeolia to visit each other. And it’s a marvellous spot for hide-and-go-seek! *heart*”

Kumatora! My breath suddenly got all huffy. How could I have forgotten about her - and Duster too?! 

Were they still alive? If I’d managed to survive the fall off of that flying ship thing, they could too… right? But Dad had been there to save me, thanks to Mom - had they gotten lucky, too? Where could they be now? Would I ever see them again?

I shook my head - no, I couldn’t think about that right now, not when I already had so many mysteries to deal with.

We wandered through the corridors for some time, all of us silent and lost in our own thoughts. It looked like no one had been this way in a long time – there were thick cobwebs dangling on the ceiling, and everything was really dusty. Boney even sneezed a few times.

Finally we climbed up another ladder and emerged into the sunlight.

I gasped – we were in a grass-filled courtyard surrounded by towering castle walls. The centre had some bricks arranged in a circle around a small hole in the ground – small wisps of purple smoke drifted out.

“Wow!” I said, running right up to the circle of bricks. “What’s that?”

The others followed after me – Boney whined at the weird smoke, while Dad just grunted.

Ionia stroked her chin of stubble, deep in thought. “Looks like the Needle was pulled, after all,” she mused.

“Wait – so there was a needle sticking out of the ground here?” I blurted out. (I immediately thought of the poky needles that doctors used – why would that be sticking out of the ground?) “But now there’s purple smoke? That doesn’t make any sense!!”

Ionia frowned in confusion, then gasped. “Oh, that’s right – I’ve hardly explained anything to you at all! No wonder you two look so confused – I’ve left you completely in the dark! *heart*” She sighed dreamily. “Now that the Needle’s gone, there’s no hurry, so I’ll fill you in on everything. Sit back – this will take a while. *heart*”

She took a deep breath, then started speaking in a clear singsong voice, as if reading from a story:

“First, you need to know the secret of these islands. The Nowhere Islands are protected by a special power – the power of the Dark Dragon.”

“A dragon? What’s that?” I interrupted. I knew what a Drago was, but I’d never heard of a dragon!

“Oh, you’ve never heard of a dragon? Your imagination must be so impoverished, my dear child! *heart* Well, imagine one of your Dragos, but with huge bat-like wings. Dragons are big and fierce – some of them breathe fire, too! *heart*”

I shuddered. A Drago that could breathe fire and fly? Three years ago I’d have thought that was the coolest thing ever, but that was before… Mecha-Drago… and Mom…

“What does your fairy tale have to do with the Needles?” Dad demanded.

“Oh, I’m getting to that, dear. Humans are so impatient! *heart* Now, long, long ago, people used to live in harmony with the Dragon. This was long before anyone in your village was born – not even old Alecy-poo. Why, not even me! *heart* 

“But, the Dragon was powerful, and it couldn’t be controlled. Soon, the people came to fear the Dragon.

“And so, my Magypsy ancestors sealed the Dragon away under the Nowhere Islands. Combining their powers, they summoned seven Needles and used them to force the Dragon into a deep slumber.”

“Wait – so there’s a giant dragon sleepin' under my house?!” I shouted. “I don’t believe you!!”

“Well, when you put it like that, it does sound a tad absurd,” Ionia admitted. “I could prove it to you if I had the Needle to show you, but obviously it’s gone. *heart*” She thought for a moment. “Hmm… Back at Aeolia’s house, when there was all that flashing, did you hear or see anything odd?”

“That whole thing was odd!” I said. “But… I remember there being a big thump-thump noise, like a heartbeat… you sayin’ that’s what happens whenever someone pulls a Needle?”

“Precisely, Claus! *heart*” said Ionia. “That sound you heard might have been the Dragon thrashing in its sleep, or even its heartbeat! *heart* But anyhoo, to prevent people from re-awakening the Dragon, my Magypsy ancestors guarded the seven Needles – one for each Magypsy. And so did their descendants, and their own descendants, and so on and so forth, until you get to little old me! *heart*”

“W-wait!” I interrupted.  “So if your ancestors guarded the Needles, and so do your descendants, d’you… have kids, or…?”

Ionia laughed shrilly. “Not quite, Clausie. It’s more like… reincarnation, I suppose. Being reborn in a different body, with different memories… It’s quite a bit more complicated than that, but that’s about as close as you can get in unsophisticated human terms. *heart*” She took a breath. “Anyhoo, it’s been told that in a time of crisis, someone will appear to awaken the Dragon. We Magypsies call this ‘The Time’, when a chosen one will pull the Needles and pass their heart to the Dark Dragon, thus harnessing its power.

“Now, here’s where it gets interesting: if the Dragon is awakened by someone with a nasty, evil heart, the Dragon will use its power for evil as well – even going as far to destroy the entire world to fulfill a selfish wish. But, if someone with a pure and good heart pulls the Needles, then the world shall be recreated into a place of goodness. All evil shall wash away, and all life shall shine brightly. *heart*

“And here’s the most important part – each Needle is tied to the Magypsy guarding it. So, once a Needle is pulled, its Magypsy guardian will cease to exist. After all, there’s nothing left for us to guard! *heart*”

“So that’s what happened to Aeolia!” I said. “So then… is Aeolia dead?”

“Not quite, my dear. It’s not death in the human sense – merely the absence of existence.” She sighed dreamily. “We Magypsies pass on once our Needle is pulled, and our purpose fulfilled. Isn’t that simply romantic of us? *heart*”

“Um, no?” How could you call death romantic?!

I glanced at Dad – he just stared straight ahead, stone faced. Was he in shock, or…?

“Oh, one last thing…” continued Ionia. “There’s one other legend that says the chosen one will wield a power unknown to even the Magypsies, and that it is this power that gives them the ability to pull the Needles… Claus, you possess the power of PK Love, such an ability. I think you may well be this chosen one… I just knew there was something special about you three years ago, and again that other day in the hot spring! *heart*”

“But I didn’t pull this Needle!” I protested. “Someone else must’ve – Ionia, d’you know anything?”

“I confess I’m just as perplexed as you are! *heart*” Ionia rubbed her chin. “Well, this is certainly curious and curiouser. I never thought I’d live to see the day when anyone had the power to pull the Needles, but two people at once? Why, this must be quite the crisis the world is in! *heart*”

I glanced up – it was a clear day, with the sun shining high in the sky. Blue birds were nesting in cracks along the castle walls, chirping away. The whole courtyard was peaceful and beautiful, in sharp contrast to the rest of Tazmily. It was a strange place to announce that the entire world was in crisis.

“Oh, I’ve just had the most marvellous idea! *heart*” Ionia said. “I should be able to sense the heart of the person that pulled the Needle! A good heart, or an evil heart – perhaps that shall give us a clue! *heart*”

“You can do that?!” I exclaimed.

“Why, of course, sweetie – it’s a Magypsy thing! *heart*”

She skipped over to the hole, frowning in concentration.

After a moment, she shook her head. “Why, this is most peculiar… I don’t sense a heart of good or evil. In fact, I can’t sense anything at all! *heart*” She daintily scratched her chin. “I can’t see how that’s possible, unless – oh, what if nothing was passed to the Dragon at all?! Is that possible – could there be people in this world without hearts?”

“Uh… I have a mechanical heart...”

“Oh, oh no – I don’t mean that in the literal sense! *heart* I suppose it’s closer to your human concept of a ‘soul’. A person’s dreams, wishes, and desires… their memories, their loved ones, perhaps even their favourite colour… all of these tie into the essence of a person, their ‘heart’. Just as a biological heart is at the centre of the body, so is this ‘heart’ the core of a person, the very essence of who they are. *heart*”

“A person without a heart…” Dad’s deep voice rumbled, making me flinch – I’d almost forgotten he and Boney were here. “Is it possible to destroy someone’s heart?”

Ionia thought for a moment. “Well… it’s horrible to contemplate such a thing, to destroy the very essence of a person, but I suppose it could be done…” She chuckled nervously. “I do hope I’m wrong – surely not even humans could be so cruel.”

Dad just grunted.

I quickly changed the topic. “But you still haven’t explained what a Needle is! I don’t even know what they look like!”

“Oh dear – you’re right! *heart* Well… it’s long and thin, and looks like this.” Ionia used her shoe to trace something in the ground – it looked a bit like a miniature sword. 

I let out a small sigh of relief – so it wasn’t a poky needle after all!

“So where’s the other Needles?!” I demanded. “Tell me – we gotta get to ‘em before that other person does!”

Ionia chuckled. “Oh, I’m afraid I can’t do that, Clausie.”

“Why not?! You said it yourself – you want a good person to pull the Needles!!” Did she want this weird heartless person to pull all the Needles?!

Ionia sighed. “Well, it is true that we Magypsies hope that someone with a good heart pulls the Needles. Not an evil person, and certainly not a heartless one. I’m not sure what would happen if the Dragon awoke without a heart passed on at all, but I suspect it would be… unpleasant. After all, godlike beings do tend to take things so literally – the Dark Dragon would have no wishes to act upon, and may well turn the world into an empty void. *heart*”

I grimaced – how could she sound so cheerful when she said that?!

“But, here’s the problem – it is forbidden for us Magypsies to interfere with ‘The Time’. After all, the Needles were intended to one day be released, and we cannot interfere with that.” She sighed. “Even if that were not the case… each Magypsy is responsible for guarding their own Needle, and ensuring that only someone worthy will pull it. If I aided you in any way to access my fellow Magypsies’ Needles – why, I’d be betraying their trust! *heart*” She smiled sadly. “I’m afraid you’ll have to find the Needles on your own, and convince my fellow Magypsies you are worthy.”

I scowled.

Ionia tutted unhappily. “Oh, you look so disappointed, Clausie. While I’m afraid I can’t be of much help to you, I can tell you where to find Doria, the nearest Magypsy. She lives in Murasaki Forest over by an ugly building – oh, not that ugly building you were asking about the other day, the other ugly one. I think it’s called the Ki-something?”

Okay, so it couldn’t be that factory place, but it sounded like another Pigmask building – but what? What else did the Pigmasks need?

Wait... Ki-something? That sounded like-

“Chimera?” I suggested.

Ionia smiled. “Ah, yes, that’s it – it was the Chimera something!”

That certainly sounded familiar – hadn’t I seen that somewhere before?

I quickly accessed my memory banks – sure enough, I had noticed the letters Chi---a ------tory on that one sign by the Cattlesnakes. That first word had to be ‘Chimera’, but what was that second word supposed to be?

“Chimera observatory? Chimera factory?” I wondered.

I shuddered at that second one – of course the chimeras had to be made somewhere, but… the whole process was too sickening to think about.

“Hm, yes, something like that,” Ionia said vaguely. “Anyhoo, I do have to get going – I’m going to go check on my own Needle. Bye-byeeee! *heart*”

She waved – and suddenly went flying through the air, going all flat like a sheet of paper!

I stared at her retreating form, my jaw dropping in disbelief – every time I thought I’d finally figured out Ionia, she kept pulling out something new and different!

It was just me and Dad and Boney. Purple smoke continued puffing out of the small hole.

“Dad…?” I didn’t know what to say. Was he still mad at me? Thinking about that heartless person? Confused about Ionia?

“Claus.” His voice was firm but calm. I gulped – he didn’t seem mad, but…

Dad placed his hands on my shoulders, looking me in the eye. “Claus – I need you to listen. I’m about to tell you something very, very important.”

I frowned – Dad was acting super weird.

“Now, I am not letting you off for running away, or the way you acted in public today. But this Needle business changes everything. I’m counting on you, Claus – the entire world is at stake.”

Come to think of it, he’d acted weird ever since all that flashing at Aeolia's place. He’d gotten pretty upset at Ionia’s mention of a heartless person, too. What was going on?

“Claus, you have to pull the Needles. We cannot let them fall into the wrong hands.”

“Wait – you sayin’ the Pigmasks are after the Needles?”

“Look.” Dad pointed at the ground – I could just make out a bunch of faint, boot-shaped prints all around the courtyard. They were really hard to see – if it wasn’t for Dad’s really good tracking skills, we’d likely have never noticed them.

I ran a quick analysis – sure enough, they matched the prints made from standardized Pigmask boots. I’d certainly seen prints like these at the Pigmask training ground often enough.

So the Pigmasks were involved! I seethed in anger.

There was also a smaller set of bootprints that went right up to the circle of bricks – these must've belonged to whoever pulled the Needle.

They were way too small for Pigmask boots, so who-

I gulped. That kid from the flying ship?

But immediately I shook my head – no, that couldn’t be right. It was too much of a coincidence – that kid couldn’t just happen to be heartless and have the ultra-rare power to pull the Needles… right?

“Claus,” Dad called, bringing me out of my thoughts. “I don’t know why the Pigmasks are after the Needles, but we can’t let them succeed – and you might be the only one that can stop them.”

“Dad… why’re you doin’ this? Why now?” For the last three years he’d treated me like a little kid who could barely keep himself from tripping over his own feet. And now he wanted me to go out on a big risky adventure…?

Dad sighed deeply. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I should’ve put more trust in you, all these years. I can’t change the past… but I can change the present.” He dug through his pockets and took out a small, worn badge. “This is something I should’ve given you years ago. My father gave it to me when I was a young’un, as did his father before him.”

He bent down and carefully pinned the badge to my shirt. It glinted slightly – just for a moment, there was a flash of gold instead of dull bronze.

“It’s called a Courage Badge,” Dad said. “It’s supposed to be a good luck charm that protects the user – frankly I don’t usually believe in hodunk like that, but I must admit I’ve had good fortune with the farm over the years.” He patted my shoulder. “Treasure it, Claus – may it keep you safe.”

I fingered the badge, my head bowed low. I’d rushed headlong into a train tunnel based on a remote chance of getting Lucas back – if there was one thing I needed, it certainly wasn’t courage.

Still, this was a present from Dad, and it sounded like it was really important to him. It meant a lot if he gave it to me – and it was a sign that he trusted me.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

“One more thing, Claus…” Dad's voice was full of concern. “This Chimera place… that’s probably where the Pigmasks reconstructed you. They may not take kindly to you wandering around there – or maybe they’ll be all too happy for the return of their human chimera.” He threw his arms around me and squeezed me tight. “I can’t lose you again, Claus.”

I nodded. “Don’t worry, Dad – I’ll be careful. And I’ll have Boney with me.”

Boney let out a loud bark.

Dad nodded. “I’ll take you back to the village, then we’ll go our separate ways – I need to tend to the sheep, and I’ll help keep the village Pigmasks off your tail.”

I tilted my head. "Wait... you sayin' - you want me to go on my own?!" I finally blurted out.

Dad sighed. "I've raised enough sheep to know that even the most helpless newborn can grow into a strong, healthy member of the flock. And every animal in the wild learns when it's time to let their young go - you can't fuss over them forever, else they'll never learn how to survive on their own." A tiny smile emerged on his rugged face. "Claus... you're ready for this. I trust you."

Boney yipped in agreement.

I hugged Dad tight. “Thanks for everything, Dad. I… I love you.”

Dad gently ruffled through my hair. “I love you as always, Claus.”

*

The three of us hurried back through some more catacombs, then through various abandoned rooms of Osohe Castle. They were pretty dusty and dreary – I couldn’t believe Kumatora used to live here!

Finally we burst out into Sunset Cemetery.

Dad turned to me. “Would you like to visit Mom before you go?”

I nodded eagerly, while Boney barked.

We slowly walked up the familiar path, passing by the ruins of Nippolyte’s house (he’d pitched up a tent). I grimaced – Thunder Tower was no more, but plenty of damage had already been done.

We emerged over the hill to Mom’s peaceful little plot. Some fresh flowers were lying beside her grave – Dad must’ve already stopped by this morning.

I dropped down beside the grave and closed my eyes.

“Thanks, Mom,” I mumbled under my breath. “Thanks for saving me…”

I took a breath. “I’m gonna go on another adventure. I hafta pull these things called Needles before the Pigmasks do – Dad and Ionia are counting on me. And I’ll look out for Lucas, too… I’ll try and make you proud.

“I… I’ll be strong for you.”

I slowly opened my eyes and rose to my feet.

Dad was still kneeling by the grave. He always spent a really long time at Mom’s grave, even though he came to visit every day – he and Mom must have a lot to talk about.

I signalled to Boney, and we hurried down the path – I’d let Dad have a quiet moment with Mom, and besides we needed to get going.

My clock read 4:37 PM as we headed into the village. I made my way to Caroline’s bakery – I was still full from the omelets, but I figured I should get some food for later, especially since it sounded like Doria’s place was a long way from Tazmily.

“Oh, you just missed Fuel,” Angie piped up as I hurried through the doors. “Too bad – he’s really worried about you. He and Lighter even rented a room at Yado Inn, so they could keep an eye on you and your dad.”

“Tell Fuel I’m doin’ great,” I said quickly. “But… I’ll be gone for the next few days.”

“Oh my!” Caroline remarked from where she was stacking boxes. “But you just got discharged from the hospital – it was the talk of the town when you were up and about after only three days! Whatever is so important that you have to leave now?”

I was about to say “It’s a secret”, but stopped. Duster was right – saying something was secret only made people more curious.

“I’m… gonna be hangin’ out with the Pigmasks at their base for the next few days. I thought I’d get out of the village until things quiet down – don’t need people fussing over me and insisting I need bed rest.” That part was true, at least.

Angie went all wide-eyed. “But don’t you hate the Pigmasks? You say they’re big and mean and-”

“Oh my – what would kindly old Fassad say if he heard that kind of talk?” Caroline tutted. “I’m sure Claus was just joking with you – the Pigmasks are simply wonderful. They guard the village and protect us from those nasty chimeras – oh, not you, Claus dear, the other kind,” she added hastily.

“But-” Angie pressed.

“Hush, dear,” said Caroline. “The Pigmasks even helped build our new bakery – now we can provide food to the village and run a business! Why, everyone’s happy!”

I forced myself to keep my face blank. What would Caroline say if she knew Fassad’s happiness program was all a sham? Would she be nearly so happy with Fassad and the Pigmasks if she knew they were the ones responsible for the lightning that burned down her old bakery?

I took a breath. “Hey, Angie – can you get me some Nut Bread?”

“Sure thing, Claus!” she said happily. “I’ll get our freshest one, just for you!”

Angie took out a loaf from a nearby box and hurried over to the counter.

I paid her, whispering to her as I did so: “I’m lyin’ – I’m not stayin’ with the Pigmasks. Everything I’ve said about them is true – except they’re worse. I’m actually goin’ out on a mission to try and stop them. But keep it a secret for me, OK?”

Angie nodded.

I broke the Nut Bread into two halves, and stuck one in each pocket.

“Great, all set!” I said happily. “Seeya later – tell Fuel I said hi!”

Angie and Caroline waved as I left.

*

I took a deep breath, then hurried toward the bridge to east Tazmily. Boney trotted behind me, whining in confusion.

I was about to do something distasteful and possibly stupid. I needed a way to quickly get to Doria’s place in Murasaki Forest, and running on the tracks wasn’t gonna cut it – no need to risk getting hit by a train again. I still couldn’t afford those expensive train tickets either, leaving…

The Pigmask training ground came into view. Four pink-clad Pigmasks were marching to an anthem blaring out of some speakers, while two more (one blue, one green) supervised the proceedings.

“Hey, human chimera!” the green one shouted, hurrying over to me. “Glad to see you’re all better – you gave the entire squad a shock when you fell out of the sky!”

The pink Pigmasks turned to face us, then started rushing toward me.

I scowled – the new recruits were always excited to meet the ‘human chimera’. They were gonna mob me!

Luckily the green Pigmask came to the rescue. “Back to your training exercises, you overgrown piglets!”

The recruits squealed in alarm and scampered back to the speakers.

“Sorry about that,” the green Pigmask said. “We got a fresh batch of recruits from the big city this week. None of them really wanted to do village duty, but once they heard that they’d get to meet the human chimera…”

I hissed quietly. So Fassad had used me as a tool, all these years…

“Come to think of it, Fassad was supposed to take you to see the new recruits – but I haven’t heard word from him in days! Do you know anything about what Fassad’s up to?”

I quickly shook my head. Looks like these guys were out of the loop – I guess the Tazmily squad was less informed than the rest of the Pigmask Army. Good thing, too – I needed a favour from these guys, and the last thing I wanted was for them to try and arrest me.

“Anyway, what’s up, human chimera? Didya want to hang out with us, or-”

“I came to ask a favour,” I interrupted.

“Sure thing! Anything you want, human chimera – within reason, of course!”

I took a deep breath, forcing my next words out: “I… want to learn more about the chimeras, and how they’re made.”

The Pigmask was shocked into silence. Then they laughed heartily. “Well, well – looks like we’ve got a budding chimera researcher on our hands!” They leaned in and lowered their voice. “So you wanna go to the Chimera Laboratory, eh?”

I nodded, even though my stomach clenched tight.

“You even brought your own materials!” they said, pointing at Boney. “Is that gonna be your first project?”

I hissed in outrage. “Boney’s the family dog – I’m not gonna reconstruct him!!” I didn’t care if I blew my cover – how dare they suggest such a horrible thing!!

Boney was angry, too – he snarled and lunged at the Pigmask.

“Down, Boney!” I called hurriedly.

Boney reluctantly dropped to his haunches, growling in displeasure.

The Pigmask laughed – luckily they seemed more amused than angry. “Oh, I see – your dad gave you a watchdog!” They coughed. “Forgive me for my rudeness, human chimera! Um, don’t tell your dad about this, willya – truth be told, he’s scarier than any chimera!”

I just glared at them. (Dad was respected, and feared, by all the Pigmasks – they all knew the story of how Dad single-handedly fought off the Mecha-Drago when he went looking for me at the Drago Plateau. But that didn’t stop them from picking on me and making me their pet!!)

“Just get me to the Chimera Laboratory,” I ordered in my best commander voice.

“S-sure thing, human chimera! We’ll prepare a Pork Bean right away!” They did a quick salute. “And if you don’t come back with a cool upgrade or two, I’ll be very disappointed!”

I said nothing, fuming with rage. Still, let them think I wanted ‘cool’ upgrades – I didn’t care, so long as it got me to the Chimera Laboratory (and Doria’s house!).

The green Pigmask waved to the blue one. “Hey! I’m escorting the human chimera – keep watch while I’m gone,” they ordered.

The green Pigmask marched me and Boney through Tazmily. Luckily we didn’t bump into anyone – the tourists were gone by now, most of the men were still at the factory, and everyone else would be busy preparing for supper.

We finally stopped in Sunset Cemetery beside an unmarked grave.

“Watch this, human chimera – here’s a cool trick!” The Pigmask took out a transceiver and pressed a button.

Suddenly the grave whirred open, revealing a set of stairs leading downward. I gaped in disbelief – how many secret passageways and trapdoors were there in Tazmily?!

The Pigmask led me down the stairs. After a moment, we emerged into a wide underground tunnel with a bunch of Pork Tanks and Pork Beans parked along the sides.

“This tunnel is part of our highway system,” the Pigmask explained. “It helps us move around a lot easier without disturbing the villagers – especially when we need to go somewhere classified, like the Chimera Lab.”

I nodded – now that I thought of it, this was probably how they brought me to my old maintenance appointments, too.

The Pigmask led me and Boney to one of the Pork Beans. I scowled in displeasure – I’d be happy to never ride (or see) a Pork Bean again!

We rode for a long time. The green Pigmask kept trying to talk to me as they drove (“Hey! What’s your favourite chimera – and don’t say yourself!” “What’cha gonna do once you’re there?”), but I just stared ahead in stony silence.

Finally the Pork Bean slowed to a halt. “We’re here, human chimera!”

I carefully stepped out of the Pork Bean.

A huge building rose up in front of me. What immediately drew my attention was the horned… lion?... creature looming over the front door. I gulped – was that thing supposed to be alive, or…?

Even worse was the door. I really hoped those weren’t teeth decorated around the frame – who would design a door to look like a mouth?! I didn’t want to be eaten!!

This place was horrible – it was making me ill, and I haven’t even gone inside!

Boney snarled at the horrible building, his fur rising along his hackles.

“Even the building itself looks like a chimera!” said the green Pigmask. “Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“Well, step inside – you won’t learn anything about chimera research just standing out here!”

“But-” I just needed a shortcut to get to Doria’s place – plus, I really didn’t like the looks of this place!

“Aww, don’t tell me you’ve chickened out! C’mon, it’ll be fun!” The Pigmask shoved me toward the door. “You’ll get to find out all about your reconstruction and everything!”

But I don’t want to find out about my reconstruction! Still, Fassad had gotten me horribly curious, in the same way that you absolutely had to listen to the very end of a scary story.

I took some shaky steps towards the door, then entered the belly of the beast.

Chapter Text

I expected to be immediately confronted by the stink of blood and the twisted bodies of various chimeras.

Instead I emerged into a clean lobby area. It reminded me a lot of the hospital, but even more stark and metallic. I also noticed a security camera hanging off the ceiling and panning around the room. (I hated them – people gawked at me enough as it was! I didn’t want to show up on someone’s Happy Box, too!)

A blue Pigmask was guarding a door straight ahead, while another was standing beside a sign listing showtimes for something called “Chimera Report – A film sponsored by P-Corp”.

“Hey, you!” barked the blue Pigmask beside the sign. “We don’t let unaccompanied kids and their pets wander around here! Get out!!”

Boney growled. I scowled, too – it was a repeat of those two red-clad meanies from Club Titiboo!

But before I could say anything, the green Pigmask hurried up behind me. “This is the human chimera from Tazmily – he’s interested in working here,” they explained.

The blue Pigmask saluted – I guess green outranked blue. “Consider it done, sir!” They bent down a bit to face me. “It’s great that you’re interested in chimera research at such a young age. You’re so precocious – but then, you are a chimera yourself! A well-crafted one too, judging from that mechanical eye!”

I frowned – pre-ko-shus? Was that an insult?

“Anyway, we’ll get a tour set up for you - we’ll take you through the different departments and see what perks your interest. You can go ahead and wait in the theatre - we’ve got an awesome chimera movie!” They turned to the green Pigmask. “So this chimera’s just been hanging out at Tazmily?”

“Pretty much – all the town squad loves him,” the green one responded. “Look at him – he's so cute! And he’s got this cool feature that-”

I scowled and gestured to Boney – the two of us hurried into the theatre while they were distracted.

We emerged into a dark room with a bunch of seats facing a black screen – a big Happy Box, maybe? There was also a small stage up front with a sliver of light peeking out at the side.

That was weird - why was there light? Did someone put a lamp there or something?

Curious, and not about to sit through a ‘chimera movie’ (whatever that was), I hurried up onto the stage. Boney trailed after me, letting out a yip of concern.

The light was coming from the bottom of a door at the side of the stage.

I grabbed the doorknob. I had no idea what was behind this door, but I didn’t care - anything would be better than getting stuck on a tour of this place!

Luckily the door was unlocked - it creaked open, revealing a small, closet-like room.

I carefully stepped inside and glanced around. There were a bunch of spare Pigmask uniforms and helmets lying around, along with some tall steel boxes lined up along the wall.

I paused, wondering what to do next. All I wanted was to get out of here – the Pigmasks would be after Doria’s Needle at any moment, and besides this place was giving me the creeps! But I couldn’t go out through the lobby, not when the green Pigmask was still there – they'd get suspicious and wonder why I wasn’t on the tour! I needed to find another way out.

All those helmets lying around gave me an idea.

“Here, Boney.” I grabbed a small yellow Pigmask helmet and strapped it onto Boney’s head. “Now people’ll think you’re workin’ for the Pigmasks – and won’t try turnin’ you into a chimera!”

Boney whined and shuddered.

I plopped a pink Pigmask helmet onto my own head. I needed a disguise - my mechanical eye was a dead giveaway that I was a chimera, and I wasn't in the mood to have anyone else gawk at me.

Bad idea – you could barely see in those things! I stumbled around the room, throwing out my arms to keep myself steady. It didn't work - I banged into one of the tall steel box things, which clanged loudly.

“Hey, Boney – why don’t you take the lead this time?” Dad said dogs relied on their sense of smell, while humans relied on their sight instead – Boney wouldn’t have nearly as much trouble with his helmet as I was!

Boney yipped. I stumbled after him, following the sound of his paws echoing on the metallic floor.

I wandered through some other rooms, then climbed some stairs. I ended up in a room filled with a bunch of shelves jam-packed with books and stuff - must be some kind of storage room.

That was when I heard some voices.

I gulped and ducked behind a nearby shelf - I did not want to get caught, not when I’d ditched the tour!

“-don’t have time for this, you idiot part-timer!" said one of the voices. "You're late, so I'll make this snappy - there’s these two dumb monkeys running around and causing a ruckus, and the higher-ups are pissed and want them captured. Now go join the search, you waste of pork chops!”

That was the last thing I'd expected to hear - why were there monkeys running around in here? It sounded like the Pigmasks were pretty mad about it, too!

“I know - let's guard all the exits!” said a second voice.

“You really are an idiot part-timer – we already did that! We’re a secure facility, not a showhome!”

“Well, how about I-”

The first voice groaned loudly, followed by the sound of footsteps marching away - they must've gotten frustrated and stomped off.

I mulled over the strange conversation I'd just overheard. Well, if I was trying to find a way out anyway, maybe I could keep an eye out for these monkeys and help them escape. Anything that made the Pigmask higher-ups angry was good in my books!

Once everything got quiet and I was sure the voices were gone, I carefully stepped out from behind the shelf and exited through a door.

I scanned my new surroundings – I was in a long corridor. Right in front of me was a door and a glass window into another room – I could see a bunch of tables and chairs inside. Maybe it was a break room or something?

I shrugged and opened the door – might as well start the search here.

There wasn’t much inside, apart from a machine holding a bunch of colourful cans and a Pigmask lounging in a chair. A gray Happy Box was installed on the wall – guess this was a break room, after all.

“Stupid monkeys,” the Pigmask muttered loudly. “I was all set to finish work, then they lock us inside and put us all on overtime to catch some blasted monkeys.” They had a mug beside them – it was probably some of that ‘coffee’ stuff the adults liked.

“So… shouldn’t you be looking for the monkeys?” I wondered.

“I am,” said the Pigmask. “I’m keeping watch over this break room in case they come in here, see? It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.” They pulled up a newspaper lying on the table and started leafing through it.

I couldn’t believe this guy – they were just like Butch!

Then I shook my head. No, stop thinking like that! I wasn’t gonna treat the Pigmasks like people – not after what they’d done to me!!

Besides, I had a job to do - I hurried back down the corridor, Boney at my heels.

We eventually came to a door right at the end. Carefully creaking it open, I saw another corridor – and a funny-looking head poking out of a trash can.

My immediate reaction was confusion. I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream – was this supposed to be a chimera?!

The figure yelped and almost leapt right out of the trash can. It was definitely a human – an old guy with funny-looking puffs of hair, thick glasses, and a lab coat.

But before I could recover, or even process what had happened, the human-and-trash-can chimera started frantically hopping down the corridor.

“Hey! Come back!” I yelled.

Fortunately the figure didn’t move very fast, being in a trash can and all – I easily caught up within a few strides and cornered him against the wall.

“Who’re you?!” I demanded.

The head poked back out. “Oh, my – you’ve grown!” the old man exclaimed. “Your skin’s looking much healthier too, but still a bit pale. Oh, and the scars from your surgery have healed up nicely.” But then he frowned. “And it seems you’ve become a Pigmask.”

“I’m not a Pigmask!!” I snapped. “I’m just wearin’ this helmet ‘cause-”

I stopped mid-sentence, finally processing everything the old man had said. 

“W-wait – how’d you – who’re-” How did this weird old man in a trash can know who I was?!

"Why, I’d recognize those scars anywhere - after all, I'm the one that made them! I’m more surprised that you don’t recognize me." But then the strange man shook his head. “No… on second thought, I suppose you wouldn’t. They probably wiped your memory when they carried you out – it’d be the kind of thing Master Fassad would do.”

“What’re you talkin’-” And then it clicked. “You’re the one that reconstructed me?!”

The old man smiled weakly. “That is correct. My name is Dr. Andonuts. I’m being forced to conduct various kinds of research for a certain man. Among other things, I’m responsible for designing and making almost all of the chimeras… including you.”

My jaw dropped. I’d always wondered what kind of person was responsible for the chimeras – someone who was twisted enough to make Pigtunias and Slitherhens and me. But I certainly didn’t expect an old man with funny hair hiding in a trash can!

“I’m concealing myself at present for certain reasons,” Dr. Andonuts continued. “You see, there’s some simians running around, and I’m afraid they’ve managed to release some of my latest chimeras.”

Right on cue, a loud thumping noise started echoing up the hallway.

I gulped, while Boney yipped in alarm. A chimera?!

I braced myself, readying some PSI as the clomping footsteps came closer.

And then something came into view – a tall but slim figure made entirely out of metal, with a triangular head and long thin limbs. It made big, exaggerated strides down the hallway, swinging its arms as it did so. I had never seen anything like it!

I checked my retina display – all it said was Error: No data.

“W-what is that thing?” I shouted.

Suddenly the figure bent over backward and froze in place, forming a makeshift bridge in the middle of the hallway.

I gaped in surprise – it certainly didn’t seem dangerous or aggressive, but…

“Oh, good – it’s just making some poses,” Dr. Andonuts said. “Don’t worry, it’s harmless.”

“Chimeras are never harmless!” I snapped back.

Dr. Andonuts chuckled. “I am the chimera expert here… That there’s a Nice Poser – my client wanted a chimera immune to PSI, and I succeeded, but…” He sighed. “Truth be told, I am not sure what to make of it.”

The Nice Poser rose to its feet. Then, it stood on one leg and started doing some stretches.

Suddenly some footsteps echoed down the corridor. Pigmasks, I thought automatically.

The Nice Poser glanced around, clearly panicked. Failing to find a place to hide, it leaned against the wall and tried to imitate a hat stand.

That was when the Pigmasks arrived. They weren’t fooled for one second – they grabbed the Nice Poser and hurried away. They hadn’t even noticed us.

Dr. Andonuts sighed once the Pigmasks were out of sight. “I’m afraid you’ve come at a bad time, human chimera. I don’t have much time to speak to you – King P has eyes and ears everywhere.”

I frowned – there was that name again! King P was everywhere!

“I suggest you get out of here as fast as you can,” Dr. Andonuts continued. “If my colleagues find out about the return of the prototype human chimera…” His voice trailed off.

“But I still have questions!” I pressed. “What is this place? Why’d you reconstruct me? Why’re you-”

“I’m afraid you won’t like the answers,” Dr. Andonuts said, then lowered himself back into the trash can.

“Hey!” I yelled, angrily banging the trash can. “Come back out! Why’d you do this to me?! And whaddya mean, a prototype-”

What did that even mean - were they planning on making more human chimeras?!

Suddenly Boney yipped in alarm.

I glanced around, wondering what was wrong – and gasped in horror.

A huge chimera was charging down the hallway. It had a horse’s head, wide-eyed and foaming at the mouth, but the body of a HUGE pink spider and eight horse’s legs, all scrambling furiously.

Some noises and flashes of light echoed behind it – that must be Pigmasks firing their guns.

“Run, Boney!” I shouted. That thing was almost on top of us, and I didn’t want to get caught in the Pigmasks’ cross-fire either!

I sprinted down the corridor, Boney at my heels. I barged through the door at the other end – as soon as Boney was through, I slammed it shut and braced my body against it.

Something crashed into the door – there was a loud whinny-scream, followed by the sound of shots from the Pigmasks’s guns, then a loud THUMP.

I shuddered. That Dr. Andonuts guy was right – I didn’t want to stay in this creepy place crawling with Pigmasks and chimeras one second longer!

But… what about those monkeys? Should I get them out first?

No - exit first. But I'd keep an eye out for the monkeys in the meantime.

I checked the first door down the hall. Inside was a small lab space with a bunch of tubes filled with colourful liquids.

I took a quick glance around – no exits, no monkeys. I moved on.

The second room surprised me – it was a bathroom, complete with showers and a huge tub. I was tempted to climb in, but stopped myself – I didn’t have time for this!

Soon the rooms started blurring together – some were lab-like spaces, while others held a bunch of strange machines. All of them gave me the creeps and made me shudder – why did they need all these rooms? What was up with those machines? Had I been subjected to any of these things?

At one point Boney and I passed some elevators. I avoided them – I didn’t like them at the best of times, and besides there might be Pigmasks waiting to ambush me at the other side or something.

We passed by a staircase, too. I almost went down – after all, the ground floor would be closer to the exit. But that was before I heard some snarls and screams echoing up the stairwell. Pigmasks and chimeras must be fighting down there – I couldn’t tell who was winning, and I didn’t really care (they were both horrible!). All I knew was that I wanted to stay away from those blood-curdling shrieks and screams.

Finally I came to yet another door at the end of the corridor. 

I shoved it open, ending up in a red-carpeted room filled with a bunch of skeletons. They all seemed to be chimeras – a long-necked Cattlesnake, one that looked a bit like a dog (a Muttshroom?), a skinny Slitherhen…

I tensed up for a moment, already on edge from that horse-spider chimera. But the skeletons stayed completely still - scary as they looked, they were harmless.

My retina display started retrieving some chimera data from memory storage – apparently the skeleton versions could still trigger the Chimera-pedia. I did my best to ignore it, and scanned the room.

Right in front of me was-

The Drago roared, a big metal tube sticking out of its mouth.

“Run!” Mom urged, shoving me and Lucas into the bushes. 

The Drago charged-

The Drago skeleton was huge, much bigger than I remembered. I hadn’t even seen a Drago in three years, but my childhood memories were still so fresh.

“You did it, Lucas!” I cheered as my brother rammed into his first Drago-

It tore its fangs into Mom. Lucas screamed and clung to me. I stared – I was terrified and sick to my stomach, but I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t look away-

Why – why was there a Drago skeleton here? Was it a trophy? Were they trying to make… another… a Mecha-…

The Drago turned toward us. There was no time to think – I shoved Lucas into the river and leapt in after him.

The current swiftly carried us away – the last thing I saw was the Drago against the dying sunlight, blood on its fangs, its eye flickering red-

Everything was rushing back – I was back to being a helpless, frightened child.

My breath got all huffy – I had to get out of here! But my body wouldn’t listen – my legs were frozen, and my whole body shook.

I-

“I’m strong!” I shouted to the empty house, waving around Dad’s favourite hunting knife. “I’m strong enough to kill the Drago!” Then I ran out the door, and-

I woke up in bed, Dad sitting next to me. “You’ve had an accident, and some people rescued you,” he said gently. “They had to perform some surgery to save you. Don’t worry – you may look a bit different on the outside, but you’re still Claus.”

“What… happened…?”

Dad handed me a mirror. I screamed – my body was covered in scars, and my eye flickered red-

I… I…

Warning: Subject experiencing signs of distress. Heightened brain activity detected. Diagnosis: Subject recalling traumatic experience. Subject urged to leave area with noxious stimulus.

The red text snapped me back to reality. I scanned the room, looking for an exit.

There-

I sprinted for the door, Boney hurrying after me.

Boney whined and curled up close once we were safely inside.

“Yeah… I’ll be okay, Boney…” I took a few breaths, squeezing Boney tight. “…What is this place?”

We were in another red-carpeted room, except this one was filled with jars – big ones, small ones, all crammed along wooden tables. They were filled with green liquid, and unidentified blobs floating inside.

I looked away – those things were gonna make me sick. Instead I focused on some posters along the wall. One had a big chart, one of them had a grid and a lot of notes scribbled on it, and one-

I gulped – it was a diagram of the human body, one of those horrible ones where half of it was skin and the other half showed all the internal organs. What was that doing here? Did they use it to reconstruct me?

Looking away, my eyes immediately fell upon one of the large jars. I almost recognized the thing inside… it kinda looked like-

I bolted from the room as fast as I could.

I collapsed to my knees in a corner of the skeleton room - I barely had time to tear off my helmet before I started puking. I heaved and heaved, until nothing more came out.

There goes my omelets, I thought bitterly.

I hugged Boney tight as I waited for my body to stop trembling. That thing in the jar… what kind of sick person would preserve something like that?!

Suddenly I felt a calm feeling settle in my body. Red text scrolled by on my retina display: Abnormal brain activity detected. Diagnosis: Biological components generating PSI as part of stress response.

Strange… did that message mean I just learned a new PSI power?

I tried drawing up some PSI. Sure enough, small blue sparks started dancing from my hand.

Huh… it looked a lot like that ‘Offense Up’ power, except with blue sparks instead of orange… was this a defensive version?

I summoned some orange sparks from my other hand. Strength coursed through my body. I grinned – it was my two favourite colours!

With that, I strapped the helmet back onto my head, then rose to my feet. “C’mon, Boney – let’s get outta this horrible place.”

Boney barked in agreement.

Noticing a second exit from the skeleton room, I headed toward it. Much as I wanted to get out of this place, I needed to find those monkeys. I wanted to rescue them more than ever – even if it meant searching every inch of this horrid place!

The exit led to a room filled with a bunch of stuffed chimeras. I gulped – they looked so lifelike! But at least they didn’t make me sick to my stomach.

I hurried through the room and flung open the far door.

It was another lab-like room filled with jars – except this time, brains were floating in the jars. In the back of the room were a bunch of tubes filled with long and skinny branch-like formations. Unfortunately I recognized them – those were spinal columns.

I immediately felt ill, and heaved – I would’ve puked some more, if my stomach wasn’t completely empty.

And then something squeaked – very quietly.

I stopped and scanned the room. There – something brown was hiding behind one of the tables.

That had to be the monkeys!

“Hey!” I called, stepping toward the tables. “I’m here to rescue you!”

There was a loud screech, and then two blurry brown shapes bolted out the door. I just had time to catch glimpses of the monkeys – one had a pink ribbon, while the other had a blue collar. A girl and boy monkey, maybe?

“Wait! Come back!” I yelled.

I rushed into the stuffed chimera room, but the monkeys were already long gone.

Then something hit me – they probably thought I was a Pigmask, thanks to my helmet! No wonder they’d been spooked!

Looks like I’d have to track them down again, and be more careful next time.

Boney barked and hurried to the far door, nose to the ground. I grinned – now that we’d found the monkeys, Boney could track their scent!

I flung open the door – and was greeted by a large metallic lion thing, dropped in a hunting crouch.

Almost Mecha-Lion. Type: Mechanical chimera. 98% mechanical. Currently in beta testing.

The mostly robot lion roared. I grabbed Boney and lunged out of the way – sure enough, it shot out a big breath of fire. (I’d never seen a real lion before, but I’d heard about them from Mom’s stories. They weren’t supposed to breathe fire – nothing was, except maybe dragons!)

The chimera snarled, ready for another attack.

Boney and I ducked behind the Drago skeleton - the lion crashed into it, bones clattering everywhere. Then it slashed with its tail – the bones hissed, corroding away.

I gulped – looks like it was poisonous, too!

“Look out, Boney!” Instinctively I shot out some sparks – orange ones, then blue. “These’ll make you stronger!!”

The lion roared and pounded toward me.

I grabbed a Drago bone and tossed it at the lion’s head. It broke in two on the lion’s metallic armour.

I scowled – this guy was gonna be tough to beat, and I didn’t have Kumatora’s PSI to help!

I’d have to make do.

“PK Thunder!” I yelled, pointing my fingers – a big bolt of lightning shot out directly at the lion, striking it on its exposed face. Despite the tense situation, I grinned – my lightning was finally getting under control!

The lion howled in pain – while it was stunned, Boney ran up and clawed at its exposed face. 

“No, Boney!” I didn’t want him getting hurt!

The lion growled, focusing its mechanical eye on me. Then it dropped into a crouch. 

I gulped – it was gonna pounce on me!

Panicking, I readied a blast of PK Love.

Too late – the lion took a flying leap, claws outstretched.

I closed my eyes, preparing to feel the rake of claws at any moment-

Clink.

Huh – that was sure a weird sound. Claws didn’t sound like that!

I slowly creaked my eyes open – and gasped. Instead of my usual PK Love attack, the blue energy had formed into a shimmering wall. The lion was clawing away at it, snarling all the while, but it held firm.

I gaped in shock – my PSI could do that?!

Something Ionia said came back to me: Love manifests in infinite and ever-changing forms…

No way… so PK Love itself could change…?

I didn’t have any more time to think about it, though – with one final strike the shield shattered. It exploded into pieces, knocking the lion backward.

While it was distracted, I launched another lightning attack, slamming the lion into the cattlesnake skeleton.

I held my breath - the lion tumbled over, then went completely still.

"Phew," I said. Then I hurried over to Boney – he was crouched in the corner, trying to stay out of harm’s way.

“You all right, boy?”

Boney yipped and ran up to me – luckily he looked unharmed.

“I think I’ve stopped that thing – let’s get outta here!”

But then I heard a low growl.

I spun around – the lion had climbed back to its feet and was stalking toward us, tail swinging. There were some scratches all over its armour, and its biological eye was bleeding and clawed out, but it looked as deadly as ever.

I gulped – this thing was tougher than that junk Clayman and Mr. Genetor combined!

But then a huge gray shape came flying out of nowhere and smacked into the lion.

The chimera crashed into the wall, then collapsed to the ground, motionless – somehow I knew it was knocked out for good this time.

The gray shape moaned.

I gasped in recognition. “T-thanks, Mr. Clayman!”

Two more Claymen lumbered in and dragged the lion out of the room. Then a squad of five Pigmasks burst into the room, led by a blue Pigmask. 

“You all right there, kid?” the blue one called.

I nodded. “Yeah – thanks to that Clayman!”

“You’re lucky, if you only got off with a few scratches from our Almost Mecha-Lion,” said a pink Pigmask. “Hey, nice scars, by the way. Where’d you get them?”

“Uh… thanks?” I backed off – I really didn’t like the way they were staring at the faint scars all over my arms and legs.

The rest of the squad were busy talking with each other. “So we’ve rounded up the Almost Mecha-Lion and all the Zombidillos… so all that’s left is…”

There was a long pause.

“Oh, THAT one,” one of the Pigmasks said. “Aw, fried pork.”

Several of the Pigmasks flinched. I decided I didn’t want to know what ‘THAT’ chimera was.

“Well, standing around won’t solve anything!” yelled the blue Pigmask. “Move out!”

The rest of the Pigmasks squealed, did their salute, and headed out.

The blue one stayed behind with me, along with the Clayman. “Look, kid, this is a job for the professionals – pork fat’s really about to hit the pan. I suggest getting the hell out of here as fast as you can. If you can’t run, then at least hide. And if you happen to see a big red thing with pointy teeth,” they shuddered, “hide and hope it doesn’t find you.”

I gulped. “So that’s the escaped chimera…?”

“Trust me – it’s much deadlier than that thing that just tried to maul you. We call it the Ultimate Chimera for a reason.”

Suddenly another Pigmask burst into the room.

“Boss – thank Pork I found you!” they shouted. “Spread the word – there’s another chimera on the loose!”

The blue Pigmask scoffed. “Ignore it – we don’t have time for small fry. It’s probably Ultimate Chimera chow by now anyway.”

“No, boss, you don’t understand – it’s a human chimera!”

My blood went cold. Oh no…

The blue Pigmask flinched. “You mean the comm-”

“No, boss – a different one. Apparently one was just hanging out in that Tazmily place and showed up around here today. The lab guys are talking about how it’s an escaped specimen from three years ago – and they’re offering a huge bonus for whoever brings it to them alive.”

(‘Specimen’?! That was an even worse name than ‘it’!)

“Oh, for crying out loud – first the monkeys, then the escaped chimeras, and now this?!”

“Yeah. It’s supposed to be real deadly, too – word is that it’s the same kid that blew up Thunder Tower.”

“You got that, kid? There’s two monsters running around here now!” the blue Pigmask barked at me, as Boney and I inched toward the door. Then they turned to the other Pigmask. “Okay, I’ll keep an eye out. What’s it look like?”

“Short kid with ginger hair, some scuffed-up shorts and a t-shirt, a mechanical eye, lots of scars, and… a dog…”

Both of them were staring at us.

The blue Pigmask sighed. “Sorry, kid, but we’re gonna capture you now.”

Chapter Text

“Get ‘em!” the Pigmasks yelled.

The Clayman lumbered toward me, moaning ominously.

I gulped – if it could take out that robot lion in one kick, and it went after me…

Luckily I knew just what to do to put a Clayman out of commission.

“Look out, Boney!” I shouted.

I raised my arms and threw some lightning at the Clayman. It stopped in its tracks and started shaking, overloaded with electric energy.

While the Pigmasks were distracted (and about to be attacked by an out-of-control Clayman), Boney and I bolted for the exit.

I rushed down the nearest stairwell, taking the steps two or three at a time – I needed to put as much distance between me and those Pigmasks as possible!

As soon as I got to the bottom, I heard a blood-curdling roar echo down the hall-

The Drago roared, and a blue light fired out of the tube in its mouth. It struck Mom in the chest, and she cried as she fell-

Then I heard loud footsteps – something big and heavy was coming up the hall.

It was the sound from my nightmares. I was running, and the Mecha-Drago was chasing me, the Mecha-Drago was coming-

I screamed and ran for the nearest door – I had to get away!

It led to a huge room lined with ugly green walls. There was a large table in the middle, with thick leather straps dangling on the sides.

I gulped – this was the biggest operating table I’d ever seen, big enough to hold a Dra-

I looked away, only to see a bunch of saws and other weird tools, just like the ones Dad and Lighter used to cut up lumb-

No – stop it-

Desperately I glanced around the room. There – two doors off to the side. One was labelled ‘To other operating theatres (small to medium animals)’, while the other was labelled ‘Storage’.

I ran for the storage door, Boney at my heels – I wasn’t about to look at more operating theatres! (Was one of those where I got reconstructed?!)

This door led to a room filled with a bunch of shelves, crammed with all sorts of books and files.

I took a moment to catch my breath, then yanked off me and Boney’s helmets and tossed them aside – they were useless now that our cover was blown. I blinked a few times – strange, I’d finally gotten used to the limited vision.

Suddenly Boney barked.

“What’s wrong – oh,” I said once he started sniffing the ground. “Didya find the monkeys’ scent?”

Boney yipped – I took that as a yes.

I followed Boney to a door labelled ‘Chimera Storage’.

I carefully opened it – and was drowned in the shrieks and roars of various animals.

Cages lined the walls – they were tiny and cramped. One held three Slitherhens, while another had a Muttshroom. There was even one holding a Pigtunia in a pot, and one with the Nice Poser folded up into a cube. All the chimeras were trembling and acting really frightened – were they scared of that ‘Ultimate Chimera’ thing?

I wandered along the rows of cages, stopping once I heard the screech of monkeys. I gulped and glanced up – the two monkeys from before were locked up in one of the cages!

A lock mechanism was installed on the front of the cage – it had a bunch of buttons labelled with numbers, plus a small screen with room to display four digits.

Okay, so it looked like I needed to enter a four-digit code... how about-

I did some calculations with my central processor, then punched in the resulting numeric code – 7675, or PORK.

To no one’s surprise, the cage swung open.

“I’m not with them!” I whispered to the monkeys. “Get outta here – but watch out for a big red chimera!”

The monkeys streaked right past me – I don’t know if they heard me.

Suddenly I heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

The monkeys froze, then bolted behind some cages.

I gulped – Pigmasks must be coming. I needed a place to hide, and quick!

Noticing an empty cage on the bottom row, I carefully squeezed myself inside, Boney following after me. I reached for the door and swung it closed, being careful not to lock it – the last thing I wanted to do was trap myself inside!!

Just in time – I heard a door bang open, and then two Pigmasks burst into the room. All I could see were their legs and boots.

I curled up tight, Boney on top of me. I grimaced – this cage was so cramped!

“Looks clear,” one of the Pigmasks announced.

Their partner snorted. “Why’d it come in here? The human chimera’s trying to avoid capture – it’s not gonna just curl up in a cage for us!”

“Idiot – we’re checking every location! D’you want that bonus or not?”

“What I want is some peace and quiet! We’ve spent all day chasing monkeys and chimeras – why couldn’t we just call in the commander to round them up for us?”

“You double idiot - that’s like sending in the Ultimate Chimera for a rodent problem! I’d rather face ten Horselantulas than be locked up in this place with that… that little freak!!”

I gulped – this commander guy sure sounded scary. I didn’t want to meet him!

But wait… didn’t that other Pigmask from upstairs call him a human chimera?

I checked my memory banks – some Pigmasks had said the same thing back when I’d gotten captured at Thunder Tower, too! (Except they’d called me a ‘cyborg style’ human chimera – did that mean this guy wasn’t a mechanical chimera?)

I thought back to the weird kid from the airship – was that supposed to be the commander? Was he a human chimera like me? Was I just a prototype for him?

The Pigmasks continued arguing while I was lost in thought. Finally they stomped off.

I waited a few more moments, just to make sure no one else was coming in. All I heard was the growls of various chimeras, and the soft patter of scampering feet – that must be the monkeys getting away.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Boney and I climbed out of the cage.

Now that the monkeys were free, we could finally get out of this place. All I had to do was get back to the lobby, and slip out the exit.

I hurried back to the big operating room – and froze.

Those two Pigmasks from before were sprawled on the ground, motionless. Their helmets were cracked and dented, and their uniforms were torn. I couldn’t see any blood… but they weren’t breathing, either. What happened?!

I shook my head – I didn’t have time for this! I had to get out of here!

I hurried out into the hallway, and immediately saw the monkeys - they screeched and bolted down the corridor.

“Hey!” I yelled. “I’m tryin’ to help you!”

I chased them down the corridor, eventually coming into a big room. There was a long conveyor belt, and more chimeras in cages. These ones were a lot bigger – why did these ones get fancy cages?

I cornered the monkeys against the back wall.

“Look,” I said, “I’m tryin’ to get outta here, same as you. Just follow me and we’ll be out in no time, okay?”

The monkeys just trembled.

I turned to Boney. “Maybe they don’t speak human?”

Suddenly there was a loud roar, followed by pounding footsteps. I gulped – whatever that thing was, it was close!

I watched in horror as the door was knocked right off its hinges and a huge red creature burst into the room. It looked like a giant cat, except with tiny purple wings on its back and a little yellow bird riding on its head. But that wasn’t what caught my attention – the creature had gleaming yellow eyes and the largest mouth I’d ever seen, lined with sharp pointy teeth.

I screamed – not even the Mecha-Drago was as terrifying as this monster.

The creature roared – its mouth was huge!!

Just then, the trash can guy – no, Dr. Andonuts – hopped in behind the monster. “I mustered up the courage to come here – I know this chimera’s weakness!” he shouted.

The creature lunged for us. I grabbed Boney and dived to the ground.

Just in time - the chimera sailed over our heads and crashed into the wall.

Boney and I scrambled back to our feet.

“It’s battery-operated!” Dr. Andonuts continued. “You have to-”

But the chimera had already recovered - it turned to face us, snarling.

“RUN!” Dr. Andonuts yelled.

Boney and I sprinted for the exit, Dr. Andonuts frantically hopping after us.

Fortunately the chimera was big and slow – we were able to outpace it at a fast jog.

“The button on its back is connected to its power source!” Dr. Andonuts shouted. “Pressing it will deactivate it!”

“But how’re we gonna get past all those teeth?!”

“Use the dog as bait!” suggested Dr. Andonuts.

Boney stopped in his tracks and snarled loudly.

“No way!!” I yelled in outrage. I already lost my mom and my brother – I was not gonna lose my dog!!

My hands started sparking – a stray bolt flew out and shocked Dr. Andonuts, making his hair puff out.

“Ouch!” he yelped. “What was that for?”

“I-”

That was when the creature caught up to us. It let out another roar, exposing its horrible teeth.

My legs shook. I didn’t even try to use PSI, or fight, or even run away - somehow I knew that no matter what I did, the creature would be too fast for me and would gobble me up.

Mom… Dad… I’m sorry… 

I failed you both…

The creature pounced.

The world seemed to slow down. I counted off the seconds on my retina display, desperately hoping it would be over quickly-

And then the chimera just stopped in midair, as if it was floating. It hung motionless for a moment, then its entire body crashed to the ground. Even the little bird on its head toppled off.

I gasped – one of the monkeys was perched on its back, right on top of a white button.

“You… you saved us,” I mumbled in awe. “Monkey… thank you.”

The monkey chittered at me.

Boney yipped – maybe he was giving thanks, too. It was times like these I wished I could talk to animals like Kumatora could.

Dr. Andonuts coughed. “Well, that certainly took off a few years of my life… By the way, I was, er, kidding about using the dog as bait. You’ll forgive a frightened old man, won’t you?”

Boney snarled and slashed at the trash can, while I just glared.

“C’mon, monkey,” I said. “Let’s find your friend and get out of here.”

*

Luckily no other chimeras or Pigmasks ambushed us on the way out. Still, I didn’t relax until we had left the lab far behind. 

Me and Boney and the monkeys walked through the now-dark Murasaki Forest, eventually reaching a small lake.

“What now?” I said, mostly to myself.

The two monkeys chattered for a bit. Then, the one with a pink bow scurried up a faint path around the lake.

We followed it (her?), ending up at a really weird stone wall. It had a series of crude white figures painted on it, all doing a bunch of funny-looking poses.

I laughed – after everything I’d just been through, it was a relief to see something so absurd.

“That’s certainly an interesting landmark,” I said. “But what d’you want me to do about it?”

The monkey with a blue collar around its neck (my stomach clenched in sympathy) hopped up to the wall. Suddenly he (I assumed this one was a boy monkey) got up and started dancing!

“Wha-”

The bow monkey chattered at me – I didn’t know if she was mad or amused.

The collar monkey kept doing his dance - he finished by spinning in place, then pointing his paws in the air.

The wall rumbled, then slowly sunk into the ground.

“W-wait… you opened it by dancing?!” I exclaimed in disbelief.

The monkeys ignored me, hopping through the now-open archway.

I turned to Boney and shrugged. Might as well…

Beyond the wall was a little field surrounded by towering cliffs – this dance-protected door was the only way in or out. There was also a big pond, plus an empty crater. But what immediately caught my attention was the pink seashell house – this must be where Doria lived!

I hurried up to the house and threw open the door.

Sure enough, I immediately saw a strange figure standing in a purple-decorated room with lots of knitted clothes and blankets lying everywhere. Not only that, she was talking with-

“Kumatora!” I gasped.

She nodded at me. “Glad to see you survived too, kid." Then she dropped into a crouch to greet the two monkeys scampering up to her. “Hey there, Salsa! Good to see you too, Love Monkey!”

The strange figure ran up to me - she was dressed in purple shorts with straps over her shoulders, a hat, a long pink ponytail, and dark glasses.

“Clausie-poo!” she exclaimed. “I remember you – you were so adorable at our Magypsy party three years ago! Oh my, you’ve grown – you humans grow up far too fast! *heart*”

“Uh-” It was so strange having these total strangers recognize me when I couldn’t remember a thing. Thanks to the Pigmasks, I thought bitterly.

I took a few steps back – the figure was scaring me a bit.

Noticing my distress, Boney growled and leapt protectively to my side.

“Careful, Doria – he doesn’t like being fussed over,” Kumatora called.

“Oh!” Doria said, hurrying backwards. “I am so sorry, Clausie-poo! I hope I didn’t frighten you! *heart*”

“Anyway, guess I should make some introductions,” Kumatora said. “Doria, this is Claus. We travelled together for a bit – he’s a reckless little squirt, but he helped me out of some tough spots. And that’s his dog – er-”

“Boney,” I said.

Kumatora nodded at me, grateful. “Claus, this is Doria, one of the Magypsies – he saved me after we all fell off that ship.”

I frowned. “’He’? But aren’t the Magypsies-”

“Oh, I’m fine with both ‘he’ and ‘she’,” Doria said cheerfully. “Human pronouns are so silly and arbitrary anyway! *heart*”

I shook my head in confusion – I would never understand the Magypsies.

“What’cha doin’ here, Claus?” Kumatora asked. “And d’you know where Duster is?”

I shook my head. “I ended up in Tazmily, and just woke up this morning - I didn’t see Duster anywhere.” I took a breath. “I came here ‘cause I met up with Aeolia an’ Ionia, and Ionia told me to…”

My voice trailed off. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, not with Doria peering at me so curiously. What was I supposed to do, say “I’m here to pull the Needle that’ll kill you and turn you into makeup”?!

“…It’s a long story,” I finished lamely.

Kumatora frowned, but said nothing.

She started doing her mind reading thing with the monkeys, then suddenly hissed. “You two broke into the Chimera Lab again?! I told ya not to do that while I was away at Club Titiboo!”

The monkeys screeched in protest.

“Yeah, I’m all for raisin’ hell with the Pigbutts and savin' animals from being reconstructed, but I wasn’t there to protect ya! You two could’ve gotten captured or killed – or reconstructed!!” She bowed her head. “I already lost some friends. I don’t wanna lose you guys, too.”

I gulped – if Kumatora already considered me and Boney and Duster friends, she was not gonna like the news about Aeolia.

“What’s wrong, Clausie-poo?” Doria trilled. “You suddenly turned so glum.”

I sighed – no use putting it off any longer, or trying to lie. “Something bad’s happenin’ – Ionia was talkin’ about ‘The Time’, and Aeolia… she…”

I reached into my pockets and pulled out Aeolia’s Memento.

“She’s gone,” I said dully.

Kumatora and Doria stared at me with stunned silence.

“You’re lying,” Kumatora snapped.

I shook my head. “I’m not, I swear! I saw it with my own eyes – she started flickering, and then completely disappeared! Her Needle at Osohe Castle’s gone, too!”

Doria delicately picked up the razor and lipstick. “Why, this is Aeolia’s Memento, all right - that’s her favourite lipstick, and her personal razor. She wouldn’t give them up for anything. Why, it’d be a sacrilege – not to mention unsanitary! *heart*”

I zoomed in – sure enough, ‘Aeolia’ was neatly etched along the razor handle.

Kumatora stared blankly at the razor and lipstick. She must be in shock, just like I was when I found out that… Mom…

"That's why I came to warn you – whoever pulled Aeolia’s Needle might try comin’ after yours, too.”

Doria laughed shrilly. “Don’t worry, Clausie-poo! Mine’s behind that lovely little door guarded by an ancient dance – and that’s not the only security measure I have in place!” She pointed out the window. ”See that pond, Clausie-poo? My Needle’s under there – whoever wants to pull it better be part mermaid! *heart*”

I glanced out the window, zooming in. Sure enough, I noticed a weird golden glint in the water – that must be the Needle shining from below.

“Who the hell pulled Aeolia’s Needle?!” Kumatora suddenly demanded.

I sighed. Kumatora really wasn’t gonna like this.

“I didn’t see who pulled it, but... I’m pretty sure the Pigmasks are behind it. And that’s not the worst part…”

I explained everything that had happened at the courtyard, including Ionia’s musings about a heartless person.

“A heart of neither good nor evil? Oh, my – how peculiar! *heart*”

“It’s that kid from the airship,” Kumatora said. “He’s a pipsqueak and he hangs out with the Pigmasks – fits the evidence.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too," I said. "But isn't it a bit strange that the Pigmasks just happen to have someone who can pull the Needles? I mean, Ionia said only those with a special power can pull the Needles-”

“I know that, dingus,” Kumatora interrupted. “The Magypsies raised me, remember?”

“That’s right – we used to tell her the legend of the Needles as a bedtime story! *heart*” said Doria.

“So then… that’d mean that kid knows PK Love, like me… right?” I made a small scowl - PK Love was supposed to be my super-special power!

“Frankly, I don’t give a damn – what matters is the Pigbutts have someone who can pull the Needles,” Kumatora shot back.

Doria gasped. “Oh – you know PK Love, Clausie-poo? Let me see – I’ve heard of it, but never got to see it! Oooh, this’ll be so exciting! *heart*”

I sighed, but decided I couldn't let her down – she just sounded so excited!

I concentrated, then slowly released a wave of blue energy. It shimmered in the air for a moment as a hexagon shape, then exploded with a loud BANG.

Boney whined.

“Oooh! Aaaah!” Doria cheered, grinning and clapping.

“Huh – your finesse’s a lot better, kid,” Kumatora remarked. “You been practicing?”

I shook my head. “Um, Doria… there’s one other thing…” I shuffled my feet, then took a big breath. “Ionia said… thanks to PK Love… I might be able to pull the Needles…”

Doria folded her arms. “Well, I don’t see a problem with that! You two seem so desperate to protect the Needles from these ‘Pigmask’ fellows – but this way you can just pull them instead, and ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands! *heart*”

“But – you’ll die!” I blurted out.

Doria just laughed shrilly. “Clausie-poo, I’m supposed to vanish once my Needle is gone – I’ll have nothing left to guard! *heart*” She adjusted her glasses. “Besides, I’ve lived a long and happy life, and I’ve been blessed with the company of Kumatora and her monkey friends at my last hour – it’s the best farewell I could ask for! *heart*”

“Not so fast,” said Kumatora. “Doria, I know you Magypsies take a different view of things, but… we humans ain’t exactly comfortable with death. We’ll need time to adjust.” She paused. “Besides, we can’t even pull the Needle right now – not unless Claus comes with a scuba mode.”

“I do not have a scuba mode!”

“Oh, my – that does pose a problem," Doria said. "Hmm, let's see... Oh, I know! Perhaps they have some junk at that laboratory place we could use – a pump or something. We can dump all that pond water into that lovely crater I made! *heart*”

The monkeys shrieked in alarm.

“No way!” I snapped. “I’m not goin’ back to that horrible place!!”

“I don’t blame ya – them Pigbutts are sure screwed-up bastards,” said Kumatora. “I’ve helped the monkeys break in there a few times to raise some hell, but…” She grimaced for a moment, then her expression hardened. “But we don’t have a choice. This pond water’s not movin’ by itself, and there’s no time to waste – the Pigbutts will go after the other Needles, too.”

“But what’re we gonna do, just walk in and ask for a pump?” I shot back.

“Can’t you pull some strings as the human chimera?” Kumatora suggested.

“The Pigmasks hate me now! They were tryin’ to capture me back there, too!! They were callin’ me an escaped specimen an’-” I stopped when a sudden thought occurred to me. “Wait… I met this scientist guy, and your monkey friend saved us from a really nasty chimera… I guess I could ask him for a favour in return…”

I grimaced as I said it. I didn’t have a very high opinion of Dr. Andonuts - I still couldn’t believe how he was the one responsible for all my advanced mechanical systems!

“Well, there ya go,” said Kumatora. “We’ll just whip in there, find this scientist guy, threaten him if necessary-” she summoned a small flame, hovering above her finger.

“Ah, not so fast, Kumatora sweetheart!” Doria interrupted. “Death threats are so unbecoming of a princess – we raised you better than that! *heart*” She swished her ponytail. “No, I think I’ll accompany Clausie-poo – I want to get to know him better, and that’ll give you some time to rest. After all, it’s only been three days since you landed in my pond. *heart*”

“What’re you – oh, I understand. Thanks, Doria,” Kumatora mumbled, glancing at the ground.

I frowned – that was completely unlike Kumatora. Was there something Doria wasn’t telling me…?

“Come along, Clausie-poo – we’re going on an adventure! *heart*”

With that, Doria swung her arm around my shoulder and led me out the door, Boney barking in alarm as he rushed after me.

*

“You’re probably wondering what all that was about,” Doria remarked as the stone wall slid shut behind us.

“Well… yeah,” I mumbled. It was rude to pry, but…

“I wanted Kumatora to have some time alone – after all, it’s almost my ‘Time’.” Doria sighed. “Kumatora’s always been such a headstrong lass – she certainly doesn’t put her heart on her sleeve! *heart*”

“So then… she doesn’t want you to know she’s upset?”

“Exactly right, Clausie-poo! That’s why I want to give her some space – but not admit that’s what I’m doing, if you know what I mean. After all, children can be so stubborn toward their parents! *heart*” She was almost certainly winking at me behind those dark glasses.

I mulled it over – it certainly made sense. I hated when people fretted over me like I was a helpless little kid - and for all her tough talk and attitude, it seemed Kumatora was exactly the same way.

Something else occurred to me. “Hey, Doria… once I pull your Needle… you’ll disappear, right?”

“Of course, Clausie-poo! *heart*”

“But… are you really okay with that? I mean, you’ll die…” I took a gulp of air, then forced my next words out. “Ionia said it’d be romantic and stuff, but – I don’t see how you can be so cheerful about it!”

Doria laughed and slapped my shoulder. I flinched – it reminded me a lot of Alec. “You humans are so preoccupied with death! Though I suppose with your limited lifespans, death is always just around the corner. *heart*” She swished her hair. “Now, we Magypsies live life to the fullest – we relax and take each day as it comes. Though we live for thousands of years, we treat each day as if it’s our last – after all, we never know when someone will come along and pull our Needles! *heart*”

I thought of Aeolia, caught completely off-guard.

“That’s why I’m ready to accept my ‘Time’, and will welcome it with open arms – I have no regrets. *heart* Besides, I’ll get to spend my last moments in this world with darling Kumatora, her charming monkey friends - and of course you, cutie-pie!” She squealed a bit. “You were so adorable with your fierce face and your knife and-”

“Don’t talk about that!!” I snapped, glaring at her.

Boney growled.

Doria yelped. “Oh, dear! I’m so sorry, Clausie-poo – I didn’t mean to offend you! *heart*”

“And don’t call me cutie-pie,” I muttered.

At that moment, the Chimera Lab came into view. Strangely enough, Dr. Andonuts was waiting outside – Boney growled at him.

“Oh – you’ve come back, human chimera!” Dr. Andonuts exclaimed. “Things have calmed down a bit, but I still suggest getting away from here.”

Before I could respond, Doria skipped up to him. “Excuse me, Mr. Gentleman!” she trilled. “We are in urgent need of a pump!”

To his credit, Dr. Andonuts didn’t bat an eye at Doria’s bizarre appearance. (I guess when you made chimeras all day long, everything else seemed tame by comparison!) “You need a pump, you say? Very well - I’ll see if I can help you. Hang on…”

He hurried back into the lab, and came out a few minutes later with some funny-looking chimeras trailing after him. “Here’s some of our friendlier chimeras – perhaps one of them will be of use to you.”

One was a big blue creature with a huge flexible tube for a nose – it snorted at Doria, blowing her hat off.

“Ooooh, a feisty one! I like him! *heart*” Doria trilled.

“That’s the Dryguy – it can dry anything in a matter of minutes! Even afros, mullets, or bathing suits!” Dr. Andonuts said proudly.

The second was a pair of tiny humanoid figures, both carrying buckets – they were even smaller than me!

“These are the Bucket Bros – combining Clayman technology, dough, and teamwork!”

“Oooh, let’s pick them!” Doria suggested. “They can work together to empty our pond!”

But the third one was what caught my eye – a four-legged creature covered in red-and-yellow stripes. (I gulped – just like Lucas!)

“And this one’s... er... Mr. Pump,” Dr. Andonuts said lamely. “I’m not sure why I made it, to be blunt - it really shouldn’t exist on this earth... er... I’m not sure what else to say...  simply put, it’s extraordinarily ordinary, and is really only useful for moving water from one place to another.”

“We’ll take it,” I said quickly.

Dr. Andonuts coughed, clearly surprised. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure! We need a pump, and he’s perfect for the job – even his name’s Mr. Pump!”

Dr. Andonuts sighed. “Very well…”

Mr. Pump trotted up to us, whistling - me and Boney and Doria walked him back to the dancing wall.

“Watch this,” Doria said, snapping her gloved fingers. “Kumatora and I know the dance for this door, but my PSI’s a nice shortcut - I’m sure you don’t want to see an old woman like me embarrass herself. *heart*”

There was a small flash, then the stone wall obediently dropped open.

Kumatora was waiting for us beside the pond – she glared at Mr. Pump. “What the hell is that?! You were supposed to get a pump, not a pet!”

Mr. Pump strutted up to the pond. His long and slim… nose? mouth?... dropped down and greedily slurped up the pond water, the yellow bulb on his head bobbing all the while.

“Look at him go!” Doria cheered.

I gasped – the water was vanishing before my eyes! In less than a minute, it was all gone!

The now-empty pond had a muddy bottom with a long, thin object sticking out in the centre. It flashed and gleamed – I’d never seen anything quite like it before.

I gaped in awe. This had to be the Needle!

A loud BLORP sound brought my attention back to Mr. Pump – he was releasing all the water from his tail! Doria’s crater rapidly filled with water, forming a new pond.

It wasn’t even five minutes, and Mr. Pump’s job was complete. With a final whistle, he marched back toward the Chimera Lab.

“Oooh, what a fine stranger! Such poise, such grace! What a casanova!!” Doria cooed.

“Bye, Mr. Pump,” I said. How strange – he was certainly an odd-looking fellow, but a gentle and friendly one. Maybe not all chimeras were bad, after all.

Doria cleared her throat. “Now, before we pull the Needle, there’s one last thing I have to do. Wait here, you two! *heart*”

She hurried into her house, and came out carrying some knitted orange gloves.

“Here, I made these for you.” Doria handed Kumatora the gloves. “These are made with love and a bit of Magypsy magic – they’ll help boost your PSI. *heart*”

Kumatora grimaced a bit at all the little hearts on the back, but slipped them on with a grin.

“Now Clausie-poo, are you ready to pull the Needle? *heart*”

I shrugged. “Uh… I guess so.”

Kumatora and Doria marched me toward the crater, while Boney trailed behind. Even the monkeys came to watch.

There were some small notches carved into the side of the crater, like a makeshift ladder.

I carefully climbed down, then stood beside the Needle. It was a lot taller up close – it nearly went up to my chin!

Doria and Kumatora joined me, while Boney curled up beside the monkeys on the lip of the crater.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking – ‘Why can’t any old human pull this Needle?’” Doria said.

Kumatora shrugged. “Well, I was thinking that the ‘chosen one’ business and needing a special power was pretty bullshit…”

Doria giggled. “Well – watch this! *heart*”

Doria reached out her hand, about to grab the hilt – only to pass right through it!

“See? The Needles are finicky – they only let the chosen ones pull them. For anyone else, it’s practically a ghost! *heart*”

Kumatora reached out her own hand, frowning. Despite her best efforts, the Needle refused to solidify.

“Huh,” she muttered.

I carefully reached out a finger and tapped against the hilt. It made a satisfying ‘clink’ sound.

“It’s workin’ for me,” I said.

Suddenly the hilt glowed and shot up into the sky.

“Oooh, it’s starting! *heart*” said Doria. “I’m so excited, my heart is going poundy-poundy! Quick, Clausie-poo, grab onto it!”

My left hand snapped out and grabbed the Needle. It felt cold to the touch, like a steel rod.

Kumatora gasped. “He’s grabbin’ the light – he’s holdin’ it!!”

Huh? It felt solid enough to me.

I glanced down – and gasped. Sure enough, now that the hilt was gone, all that was left was a long beam of pure light.

That couldn’t be possible… could it?

And then the beam expanded. I felt a huge pressure build up, similar to my PSI.

Without thinking, just somehow knowing it was what I had to do, I raised my arm to the sky.

The light followed, shooting up all the way into the clouds. The pillar of light shone for a moment, then dissolved into a shower of sparkles.

I slowly lowered my arm.

The Needle was gone - all that was left was a small pinprick in the ground.

That’s it?... That’s what the Magypsies have been waiting for over thousands of years?

But suddenly the ground started shaking and rumbling.

I tried to gasp in surprise, but couldn't. I found myself frozen in place – I couldn’t even move my mouth!

I

“Lucas!”

I bent down and scooped up a big handful of water, splashing it all over Lucas. “C’mon! It’s not too cold to swim!”

Lucas flinched at the unexpected cold shower. “But… Mom and Dad said… we shouldn’t swim unsupervised…”

“That’s why we’ve got Boney with us!”

I tore off my shirt and shoes, then dived head-first into the inlet. I bobbed in the water, waving frantically at Lucas. “C’mon! Hurry up! We can play the krakens game! Or, um, that mermaid one you like.”

Lucas frowned, thinking. After a moment, he carefully took off his own shirt and shoes, then climbed up a nearby knoll overlooking the water. He crouched and dived in.

“Ah!” I cried as the water splashed me. As soon as Lucas bobbed back to the surface, I flicked some water right back at him.

Both of us burst into giggles, and started having a little splash fight.

I

I blinked, feeling disoriented. One minute I’d been standing by the Needle, the next I was reliving a favourite childhood memory. It had felt so real, too – I could’ve sworn I’d gotten splashed!

“W-what just happened?!” I exclaimed.

“You tell me!” Kumatora shot back. “You were just gazin’ off into space and didn’t even flinch when a big geyser of smoke sprung up in front of ya-”

A loud gasp from Doria made me spin to face her – she was flickering.

“Well done, Claus!” she cheered. “I could hear the Dragon thrashing in its sleep! *heart* Oooh, and I felt a big load of PSI – you’re stronger now, Clausie-poo! Try your PK Love again!”

I frowned, but obediently summoned some PSI and aimed at the air. A bunch of blue hexagons spun in the air – but to my surprise, some sparkles of pink were mixed in as well.

“Good luck with the other Needles, Claus – oooh, I can feel your lovely pure heart coming up from the earth. *heart*” Then, with a final “Bye-byyyeee! *heart*“, she vanished.

I held out my hand – sure enough, a razor and lipstick tumbled out of nowhere. This lipstick was coloured blue, and the razor was labelled ‘Doria’.

For a moment, I thought I heard Doria’s deep but shrill voice: “Think of me sometimes, m’kay? *heart*”

I handed off the razor and lipstick to Kumatora, not meeting her eyes. Then I trooped out of the crater.

I plopped down next to Boney – he made a small whine, while the two monkeys bowed their heads.

“Yeah… I know… She’s gone." I stroked Boney's fur, my hands trembling slightly.

So many thoughts buzzed around my head. How could Doria just vanish before my eyes like that? Had I really done the right thing, pulling the Needle? Was my heart pure?

Then I heard footsteps.

“What’re you gonna do now?” asked Kumatora. She didn’t sound shocked or anything – as if Doria hadn’t vanished right in front of her.

“Dunno. Search for the other Needles, I guess.” I fingered at the Courage Badge pinned to my shirt. “Ionia told me the Needles were super important and stuff, and so did Dad, but…”

“Well, it’s better than havin’ the Pigbutts do it.”

“Yeah, I know, but… Doria was so nice to me, even though I barely met her, and… it’s like…” I almost said ‘I killed her’, but stopped myself. “She said she was gonna accept her ‘Time’ with open arms, but… did she, really? I mean, no one wants to die…” No normal person, I thought darkly.

Kumatora was silent for a long time. Finally she sighed and said, “Look – I’m no good at this mushy sort of stuff. But you’ve gotta understand – even though they look like us, the Magypsies aren’t human. They see things differently from us - to them, the end isn’t somethin’ to fear, but a celebration.”

“Well, if you say so…” I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. After Mom died, the entire village had been consumed with grief, and the scars were still visible three years later. Dad never really got over it – and I guess I hadn’t, either.

Death was associated with pain and loss and sadness. How could anyone be cheerful about that?

I took a breath, changing the topic. “Hey… Kumatora… What was Doria like? I barely got to meet her, and…”

Kumatora thought for a moment. “Well... Doria’s the one I stayed with most, after Ionia and Aeolia. He always really liked animals – he took care of Salsa and Love Monkey after I rescued them from the Pigbutts. And I stayed here whenever I needed to lie low for a bit, or when I was gonna sabotage the Chimera Lab.” She sighed. “He really liked knitting, too. He even taught me how to make clothes, though I’m pretty shoddy at it.”

She paused, putting her arm around my shoulder. “You should stay here for the night – you’ll need to rest up before goin’ after the other Needles, and ya really don’t wanna meet the chimeras that hunt here at night.”

It was certainly getting late – the sky was dark, and it was already 8:31 PM.

But... “Are you sure? Should we really be using Doria’s house, after… she…”

“Trust me – Doria would want us to use his house. The Magypsies are hospitable to a fault, and they abhor waste.”

I nodded – made sense.

Then I dug out my pieces of bread. “Hey… speaking of hospitality, you hungry? I brought these from the village, but… I’m not hungry.” I still felt ill from the Chimera Lab.

Kumatora nodded and took one half, while Boney and the monkeys happily gobbled up the other.

“Hey, kid?” Kumatora said once she was finished. “I’m goin’ with ya in the morning.”

“But - I hafta do this alone!" I protested. "An’ the Magypsies – they’re your family, right?”

“Yep – and that’s why I wanna stop the Pigbutts from pullin’ their Needles. Besides, you’ll need someone to point you towards the Needles – and I can help convince the other Magypsies that you're trustworthy." She sighed. "And maybe I’ll find a lead to where Duster went, too.”

We chatted a bit more about Doria and the other Magypsies, and what the Pigmasks might be up to. Occasionally she fell silent, and sometimes she’d share a memory with the monkeys.

Finally it was time for bed. Boney and I curled up on Doria’s rug, pulling one of her knitted blankets over us.

I lay awake for a long time, with Pigmasks and chimeras and Doria and monkeys and Dr. Andonuts dancing in my thoughts. With one last yawn, I finally drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

I got up a bit before six, blinking sleep out of my eyes. Bits and pieces of my dreams danced in my head – wandering through the nightmarish Chimera Lab, the roars of the Mecha-Drago and Ultimate Chimera, chasing after Mom and Lucas in a field of sunflowers.

I carefully rose to my feet, trying not to disturb anyone else. In the dark, I could just make out everyone’s sleeping forms - Boney was curled up on the floor, the monkeys were dozing in Doria’s twin chairs, and Kumatora was in Doria’s big fluffy bed.

Tiptoeing to the door, I slipped outside and made my way to the crater. I crouched down, watching purple smoke puff up from the Needle hole.

Thoughts buzzed around my head. Needles made of light, a heartless person, Magypsies vanishing and leaving behind makeup… It was all so strange. I felt way in over my head!

And despite all that, I’m still no closer to finding Lucas, I thought with a pang of guilt.

My retina display read 6:34 when Kumatora came out.

“You’re up early,” she remarked.

I nodded. “I’m always up early – I’m used to gettin’ up and helping Dad with the sheep.”

“So you’re a farmer’s boy, eh? Wouldn’t have figured it for a rambunctious squirt like you.”

“I’m not a squirt – I’m twelve!” I snapped back – but I saw Kumatora was grinning.

“Geez, you have no sense of humour whatsoever, do ya? You’re such a sensitive little pipsqueak.”

Despite myself, I grinned too – for a moment, she’d reminded me of Fuel.

After a moment, Kumatora's expression hardened. “You ready to go?”

I shrugged. “Guess so.”

“D’you wanna get somethin’ to eat first? I’m boiling a pot of tea inside-”

“No,” I said automatically. But then I thought better of it – after all, I needed to keep my strength up, efficient robot parts or no. “Eh… guess I’ll try some.”

I followed Kumatora back into Doria’s house. The others were finally up – Boney peered at us curiously, while the monkeys were just chittering away.

Kumatora had set up a pot of tea on Doria’s table – a tiny flame was burning underneath it. I grinned – she must’ve used some PSI.

I plopped into one of Doria’s chairs. The cushions sunk under me with a quiet hiss – I couldn’t believe how soft and squishy they were!

After a few minutes, the tea was ready. Kumatora set up two cups with saucers, then poured out some tea.

“This is a special blend – the Magypsies call it Ener-Tea. It’s supposed to give ya extra strength – I carry a vial of it wherever I go, for emergencies.”

I gulped down the tea as fast as I could. It was like having a glass of really hot water, except with a vague peppermint flavour.

After that, we got ready to go – Boney hurried to my side, while Kumatora did one last mind read with the monkeys.

“So where we goin’?” I finally piped up once the dancing wall slid shut behind us.

“East, mostly,” Kumatora said. “Lydia’s Needle should be closest – she lives up on Snowcap Mountain, and that’s to the east of here.”

I followed her in silence, Boney at my heels. Everything was quiet, apart from the crunch of grass beneath our feet. Guess even the chimeras were asleep at this hour.

We marched along the lake, then through the woods, and finally ended up near the ropeway.

“Best to hurry along, kid,” said Kumatora. “I don’t think they’ll be too happy to see us – as far as they’re concerned, we’re the ones that kidnapped Lucky and forced the DCMC to disband.”

That was when I heard a tiny but angry-sounding voice. “Hey! It’s YOU!”

I glanced around, wondering where the voice was coming from.

“Down here, you overgrown lotus root!”

I crouched down. Sure enough, there was a bug-like creature on the ground, glaring at me (or at least my shoes).

A sudden flash of recognition hit me – this was a mole cricket, maybe even that same one from three years ago!

Every detail of that day was seared into my memory – waiting impatiently for Lucas to wake up, teaching him a new game where we rammed into the Dragos, having a final lunch of omelets with Grandpa Alec before heading home, and then… Mom…

I also remembered a cocky mole cricket challenging me and Lucas to a fight that day – and I’d stomped it (or him?) flat!

But then… did that mean this guy had been waiting for me, all this time? I didn’t even know bugs could live that long!

“So you finally showed your face for our rematch, eh?” continued the mole cricket.

Kumatora frowned. “What’s this about a rematch?”

“Oh, this mole cricket challenged me when I was a kid, and I beat ‘im,” I explained. “Guess he wants revenge or somethin’.”

Kumatora scoffed. “Look, Mr. Mole Cricket, we don’t have time for this crap – we’re kinda in a hurry here.” She stomped right past the mole cricket. “C’mon, Claus – let him take his excess machismo and wounded ego elsewhere.”

“Oh, so you’re afraid,” taunted the mole cricket.

I bristled. “’Course I’m not afraid!! I’ve taken down chimeras two hundred times your size!”

“Then what’re you waitin’ for? We’ll settle this at the Mole Cricket Hole Stadium – get ready to have your butt whooped!”

*

We followed the mole cricket to Caeribe Falls – Kumatora scowled the entire way, while Boney just whined in confusion.

The mole cricket stopped by a person-sized hole in the ground – that certainly wasn’t there when we passed this way a few days ago! (Was it really only a few days since we went to Unknown Valley? It seemed like ages!)

“In here! And don’t you dare cicada out now!” shouted the mole cricket as he scurried into the hole.

We followed him down, ending up in a winding dirt tunnel with glowing moss on the walls. It was pretty cramped inside – Boney could walk along just fine, but Kumatora had to get down on hands and knees. I was just short enough that I only had to stoop over a bit, but I still hated this place – these walls were far too close together!

Finally we came to a large cavern with a bunch of red rocks arranged in a circle on the ground. This must be that Mole Cricket Hole Stadium he was talking about!

Sure enough, the mole cricket was waiting for us inside the circle, while another cricket was sitting on a nearby scrap of cloth.

“This here’s the mole cricket elder – he’ll be judging our match!” my challenger exclaimed.

While my challenger prattled on about the rules of our match, I zoomed in to the ‘elder’. He had thick gray eyebrows and a beard. How strange – I didn’t know insects could grow hair!

“And you two overgrown lotus roots aren’t allowed to interfere!” my challenger bellowed. “This fight’s between me and Blue Exoskeleton!”

Blue Exoskeleton? What kind of nickname was that?!

Then it hit me – he must be looking at my blue shoes. Compared to the mole crickets, I was as tall as Leder!

“Ready when you are!” I called, stepping into the ring.

“W-wait!” exclaimed the elder – he had a creaky but clear voice. His mouth pieces snapped anxiously. “You’re truly, seriously going to fight him? He’s our strongest warrior – he’s been training relentlessly for the last three years! He’s undefeated! None of my brethren can so much as scratch him!” The elder took a shaky breath. “Heed my advice: sometimes, the bravest – and wisest – thing to do is to run away.”

“Yeah, bring it on!” I shouted. “I’m not scared! Not even one itty little bit!”

Still, I was starting to get a little worried. Just how strong was this mole cricket?!

With a cry, the mole cricket sprang – and started aggressively biting my shoes.

“Hey! Get off there! Those’re my favourite shoes!” I yelled, using my other foot to scrape him off.

Once I’d gotten him back on the ground, I stomped once – then heard a voice squeak, “Ow! I surrender!”

“You kiddin’ me?!” shouted Kumatora, while Boney whined in shock.

I just gaped – our match hadn’t even lasted five seconds!!

Truth be told, I was disappointed – I wanted to show off how much stronger I was after three years!

“Oh… oh my…” the elder mumbled in shock. “To think that our mightiest mole cricket warrior could be so easily defeated… Perhaps we mole crickets are far weaker than we thought. I shall ponder upon what this means at a later time. In the meantime, I declare this match over, and Blue Exoskeleton the winner.” He sighed. “We shall accept our loss gracefully, and part on good terms. But before you go, is there anything you wish from us?”

“Actually, yeah,” said Kumatora. “We’re lookin’ for these things called Needles.” 

I nodded – good thinking! The mole crickets must’ve explored all over the Nowhere Islands, if one had managed to end up all the way at Grandpa Alec’s house. Maybe they’d know where the rest of the Needles were!

“They look like thin beams of light, and go up about this high.” Kumatora held her hand near her chest. (I scowled – she was so much taller than me! The Needles almost went up to my head!) “We’re also lookin’ for a human – or overgrown lotus root, I guess – named Duster. Oh, and info about the Dark Dragon – according to legend, it’s a big dragon snoozin’ under these islands.”

The elder cricket hummed, deep in thought. Finally he shook his tiny head. “Despite my long life, I’m afraid I know nothing about these Needles, nor the Dark Dragon of which you speak… not even this human named Duster. But... call it a mole cricket’s hunch, but I suspect you might find a clue to what you seek at the mountain on the other end of this mole cricket hole.”

“Wait – is it a snowy mountain?” Kumatora interrupted.

“Yes, that is correct... It is a cold and desolate mountain, such that it is thick with snow even in summer. Few mole crickets have ever dared to set foot on it.”

Kumatora gasped. “That has to be Snowcap Mountain! Perfect – we can use this tunnel as a shortcut!”

The elder nodded. “Yes, that is most wise of you. However, I must caution that circumnavigation of this hole can be quite difficult. Heed my advice: be sure to turn whenever you see a turn.”

“Oh, and you can take my l’il bro with you!” suggested my challenger. “If you get lost, he’ll lead you right back to this spot!”

“Um, no thanks,” I said quickly. I had enough of mole crickets to last me a lifetime!

After making our farewells, me and Boney and Kumatora started back down the tunnels. They were dark and uncomfortably narrow, with only a few patches of glowing moss to guide our way. I kept bumping my head on the ceiling, too! (So did Kumatora, judging by the bad words she kept muttering.)

We walked for a long time, mole crickets scurrying around us all the while. It felt like we’d been walking for hours (but my retina display said it was only forty-two minutes). The entire time I held my hand along the left wall and didn’t let go, just like Grandpa Alec taught me - it was a trick that let you navigate any maze and find the exit... eventually.

Finally the cavern widened considerably, and a cold breeze wafted through.

“Are we gettin’ close?” I wondered.

“Sure as hell hope so,” Kumatora muttered.

I walked forward a few more paces-

I shut my eyes as we suddenly plunged into sunlight.

After a few seconds, I carefully opened my eyes. We were surrounded by white snow, with a big mountain path sloping upward before us. Clear blue sky stretched overhead – the clouds were so close, I swore I could reach out and touch them!

Kumatora whistled. “Yep, this is Snowcap, all right.”

Suddenly a big figure came rushing down the mountain - a huge shaggy creature riding on a plank of wood!

It sailed over our heads, spinning in midair – it landed and slowly skidded to a halt, kicking up a big dusting of snow. Then, it grabbed its makeshift board and lumbered back up the mountain, paying us no mind.

“What was that?!” I gasped.

Boney scrunched his nose and whined – apparently our unexpected guest was stinky.

“Dunno – maybe it’s the abominable snowman?” Kumatora suggested.

“How rude!” a new voice snapped. “I am certainly not abominable!”

I glanced around – where was that voice coming from? Was it another talking insect?

All I could see was a snowman. I stared at it – surely snowmen weren’t talking now… right?

“It’s rude to stare,” continued the voice. “Honestly, kids these days… haven’t you ever seen a talking snowman before?”

“No!” I said. All the Tazmily kids used to compete to make the biggest snowman every winter - but none of ours had talked!

“Hmph. You are so uneducated. But, what can you expect from an unsophisticated human?”

“Now who’s bein’ rude, huh?!” I snapped back.

Kumatora frowned. “That almost sounds like something Missy or Phyrigia would say… did Lydia make you, by any chance?”

Something seemed to change in the snowman’s cold manner. “At least you seem to be a well-educated young lady. That is correct – Lydia built us snowmen to keep her company.”

Kumatora nodded. “Makes sense – must be awfully lonely up on this mountain.” She paused. “Hey, d’you know how to get to Lydia’s house? We really need to see her, but it’s been a while since I last came this way.”

The snowman laughed. “Why, that’s no problem at all. Just keep climbing up this path – you’ll find Lydia’s house beside a hot spring. Do tell her I said hi.”

“Will do,” said Kumatora. “Oh, and sorry for calling ya ‘abominable’. It was a misunderstanding – I was referring to that big creature that came down a moment ago.”

“Oh, that’s not an abominable snowman, either – that’s a Ten-Yeti. They live for the thrill of adventure, and are always coming up with new ways to pass the time. Just don’t get in their way as they’re sliding down, and they’ll treat you just fine. Now, Chilly Dogs, on the other hand…”

“Hey, we’ll be okay,” remarked Kumatora. “Thanks for all your help, but we really gotta get goin’.”

“No, thank you for taking the time to talk to a little insignificant snowman like me – it was so very kind of you,” responded the snowman. “Perhaps you kids these days aren’t so rude, after all.”

*

We started climbing up the mountain. It was slow going, thanks to the big snowdrifts everywhere and needing to watch our footing. My mechanical eye ached from the cold – I grit my teeth and tried to ignore the pain, as usual.

At one point we passed some wolf-like creatures made out of ice - Chilly Dogs, maybe? They snarled at us (and Boney snarled back), but Kumatora scared them off with some blasts of PK Fire.

We passed a bunch of other snowmen, too. They had some quips for us, but weren’t nearly so chatty.

Finally we came to a snow-covered clearing with a large hot spring – the warm waters looked so inviting! There was also a yellow-clad figure standing with some bunnies – that had to be Lydia!

“Hey!” I shouted, running up to the figure.

The bunnies flinched and scurried off.

“Oh, dear me – you’ve scared off my little bunnies,” murmured the figure. She was clad in a puffy yellow coat, thick yellow leggings – and high heels.

She was also completely bald, except for some patches of pink hair behind her ears - that had to be cold!

“Why, I’ve forgotten my manners – hello, dears! I’m Lydia! *heart*” Her voice was a bit more shrill than the other Magypsies. “This is quite a surprise – I haven’t had visitors for quite some time, you see. *heart*” She paused, glancing us over. “Oh, it’s you, Kumatora – long time no see, darling. And I vaguely recognize your short friend – oh, he was that rambunctious child that barged into our Magypsy party three years ago. I remember it well – it was the most excitement I’ve had in centuries! *heart*”

I scowled – why did the Magypsies always have to bring that up?

“Oh, and a doggy, too.” Lydia cleared her throat. “You three must be cold. Do come inside and warm up. *heart*”

“Yeah - my ass is freezing.” Kumatora’s teeth were chattering – looks like I wasn’t the only one suffering from the cold.

Lydia tutted. “That’s a rather crude way of putting it, but I understand – do step inside. *heart*”

We followed her a few paces to her house – it was a pink seashell just like Aeolia’s and Doria’s, except covered in snow and icicles.

Once we were inside, I puffed on my hands.

Lydia hurried over to an end-table and started fussing with some makeup. “Oh, I have to freshen myself up for my visitors! *heart*”

Suddenly Boney stiffened and started barking.

“Why the hell is there a Pigbutt on your bed?!” Kumatora shouted.

Sure enough, a blue Pigmask was lying on Lydia’s bed, their chest gently rising and falling.

Lydia shrugged. “Oh, I found them lying unconscious in the snow, so I decided to take care of them. They must’ve gotten lost from their friends, poor thing.”

“Why’re you caring for a Pigbutt?!” Kumatora snarled. “Those bastards don’t deserve a thing!”

“Yeah! They’re the ones that made all the chimeras and messed up my home!” I added.

Lydia sighed. “‘Do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?’ Every creature deserves love and respect. These ‘Pigbutts’ are just humans in a silly costume – you humans are so cruel to your own kind, alas. *heart*”

“Those bastards terrorized me over the last three years – and Claus, too!” Kumatora growled. “Besides, if the Pigbutts are here, we don’t have much time.”

Kumatora and I quickly filled in Lydia about how the Pigmasks were after the Needles, and how we were trying to stop them. Boney added some barks of urgency as he paced around the room.

Lydia nodded. “I see… so it is my ‘Time’. I never thought this day would come to pass… Still, I shall accept it with open arms. After all, it is our fate as Magypsies to disappear when our Needles are pulled. *heart* 

“But…” She sighed heavily. “I’m worried about my guest – who will care for them after I’m gone? And what will happen to my precious bunnies?” She sighed again. “It’s wrong of me to be so unprepared, and to worry so much about earthly concerns… I’m such a mess, a horrible Magypsy.” But then she spun around, putting a smile on her face. “No – I must trust that everything shall work itself out. After all, we Magypsies are forbidden to interfere with ‘The Time’.” 

She walked over to her back door and unlocked it. “My Needle’s located just behind the house. I trust you’ll do a good job pulling it, Claus. *heart*”

Suddenly there were loud noises from outside.

Lydia made a face halfway between worry and puzzlement. “Oh – is that what it sounds like when it’s ‘The Time’?”

“Hell no – that’s the Pigbutts!” yelled Kumatora. “Hurry, Claus – pull it before they do!”

I was already rushing out the door, Boney at my heels.

I blinked as I burst outside, my eyes adjusting to the light and snow.

Two silver vehicles decorated with pig-like snouts were perched on the ground. A whole bunch of green Pigmasks were wandering around, too. Behind them, I saw something glowing – the Needle!

Before I could get a closer look, a bunch of the Pigmasks charged at me, guns drawn. “Oh my PORK – they’re here, commander!” one of them squealed.

“Outta my way!!” I shouted.

I unleashed a PK Love – the Pigmasks were knocked back by a barrage of pink and blue sparkles.

I dashed past the crowd of groaning Pigmasks, Kumatora and Boney hurrying to my side.

The Needle was sticking out of the snow a few feet away. A small figure was standing beside it, their back to us.

I instantly recognized him – he still had that big helmet on his head, and he had the same uniform from the airship. But now I noticed a few more details - he had something blue wrapped around his neck (a collar? Why’d he be wearing a collar?!), and a small brown tail like Boney’s poked out from under his jacket.

I gulped - a tail? Was he some sort of biological chimera?!

Ignoring us, he raised his hand, about to grab the Needle.

“Stop right there!” Kumatora shouted. “We’re not lettin’ a heartless freak like you touch it!”

The masked figure dropped his hand, then slowly turned around. He marched up to us.

I zoomed in on his face - his mouth was twisted into a vague frown, and a thick visor covered his eyes.

So this was supposed to be the Pigmasks’ commander? He was just a short little kid!!

Even Kumatora was left speechless.

Suddenly I heard shots.

My reflexes saved me – I dived forward, knocking the masked boy to the ground.

Kumatora wasn’t so lucky – there was a crunch of snow as she fell to the ground.

“We’ll handle the intruders!” barked a voice. “You get that Needle, commander!”

The boy under me snarled – I saw a flash of fangs.

I gulped – that was not the sort of sound a kid should make! In fact, he sounded closer to the Ultimate Chimera than a human!

I scrambled off him, then rushed for the Needle. I reached out my hand-

Suddenly something crashed into me from behind. I tumbled to the ground, yelping at the cold sensation against my skin.

All I could hear was a bunch of snarling and whining. And then I felt the rake of claws across my back. I winced - that hurt!

“Boney?!” I exclaimed in disbelief.

My beloved dog was clawing at me, though he howled in pain.

“Boney – what’s wrong?!”

“Bastard’s a PSI user!” I heard Kumatora shout. “He’s makin’ doggy go feral!”

I craned my neck - Kumatora was trying to pin the kid to the ground, who was snarling and clawing at her.

I hissed in anger - but I couldn’t do anything, not when my own dog was attacking me!

Kumatora raised her hand, dancing with sparks. “Look, brat, you can stay still or-”

There was a flash of light, and Kumatora fell – did this kid know offensive PSI, too?!

Luckily it seemed to break his hold on Boney - just for a moment, Boney hesitated.

That was all I needed - I grabbed a clump of snow and tossed it at the masked kid’s exposed face. “Hey - quit hurtin’ Boney!!”

I must’ve broken his concentration for good this time, because Boney finally dropped to the ground, whimpering.

I leapt to my feet with a cry of rage - I was ready to clobber this kid!

The masked boy rose to his feet and met my eyes, snow dripping off his face.

I glared at him behind his visor-

And suddenly my anger completely faded. Instead, a strange calm washed over me. I shut out the outside world – Boney’s growls, the Pigmasks’s yells, Kumatora shouting at me for some reason…

Warning: Abnormal brain activity detected. Diagnosis: Subject targeted by external PSI. Subject urged to monitor any unexpected changes in mental state.

That snapped me out of it – was he trying to mind-control me too?!

The masked boy had turned away and taken a step toward the Needle – but then he stopped and turned back, meeting my gaze.

My stomach plummeted and went all topsy-turvy. It wasn’t another PSI attack thing (at least, not that my retina display detected), but… I didn’t know what it was. All I knew is that I really wanted to know more about this masked boy.

Suddenly there was a stinging sensation in my leg.

I dropped to one knee, gritting my teeth – some Pigmask must’ve shot me.

“Ignore the kid – just pull the stupid Needle, commander!” barked a Pigmask.

“Claus, what the hell are you doin’?!” added Kumatora.

The masked boy took one last glance at me, then turned to the Needle. He raised his hand, about to grab the hilt.

It was as if the world was in slow motion. I watched in fascination as he reached for the Needle-

Stop it!! I told myself. He works for the Pigmasks! We’ve gotta stop him!

I threw out my hand and launched some lightning at the boy.

The masked kid yelped and dropped to the ground. Just in time – his fingers had been inches from the Needle.

I sprang to my feet, about to pounce for the Needle-

“Oh NO you don’t!”

Someone grabbed me from behind and held a gun to my head.

I winced - I’d forgotten about the Pigmasks!

“All right, we’ve got the brat secured – commander, pull the Needle!” 

The masked kid was still curled up on the ground. He was whimpering quietly – even my enhanced hearing could barely pick it up.

I frowned – I was sure I’d used a weak blast of PSI, just enough to distract him for a bit… My power hadn’t gotten outta control again, had it?

And then a big stomping sound filled the clearing.

The Pigmask holding me screamed and dropped their gun. “Oh sweet and sour PORK – he was supposed to keep it under control until after securing the Needle!”

Several of the other Pigmasks squealed and ran for the safety of their pig-shaped vehicles.

A second later, I saw why they were so alarmed – a giant gorilla stepped into the clearing, towering over me. It wasn’t like the ones from Mom’s stories, either - it had antennae on either side of its head and giant steel balls for hands. Even its chest was made of metal!

Steel Mechorilla. Type: Mechanical chimera. Designed to demolish the old Chimera Lab, and repurposed for other projects. Weak to lightning.

Well, at least I had a good strategy to handle this thing, deadly-looking as it was.

“What the hell?!” yelled Kumatora, while Boney yipped in alarm.

The gorilla roared and smacked one of its steel balls right into my stomach.

I yelped as I went flying and tumbled all the way back to Lydia’s house.

“Dammit!” Kumatora yelled. “You okay, Claus?”

I nodded, scrambling back to my feet – I needed to get the Needle, quick!

But then my heart sunk – the masked boy had finally gotten to his feet and was standing right in front of the Needle. Worse, that giant gorilla was in the way!

I sprinted forward, hoping against hope I could still catch him-

But something made me glance back – only to see the gorilla stomping toward Kumatora and Boney. Meanwhile, I heard the roar of engines – those Pigmask ships must've just took off.

There was too much going on – should I stop the Pigmasks? The masked kid? The gorilla?

I made a snap judgement.

“Look out!” I shouted, throwing out some lightning.

The gorilla stopped and shrieked, sparks dancing all over its body.

I hurried over to Kumatora and Boney. “You okay?”

Kumatora just grunted and threw out her hand – orange light wafted over the gorilla, shimmering over its body.

“That Offense Down’ll take away some of the sting,” she muttered, then she turned to me. “I’m fine, apart from this damn gorilla!”

A shimmering sound pierced the air - a moment later, the ground started shaking.

I gulped – the masked kid must’ve just pulled the Needle.

“I’m sorry!” I blurted out. “I-”

“Apologize later – just focus on not gettin’ yourself killed!”

The gorilla roared and swung its fist again.

This time I was ready. I concentrated, hoping I could summon that shield thing from my fight with the mecha lion. Luckily it worked - a blue shield formed over me, and the gorilla’s steel balls harmlessly clinked against the wall of energy.

Kumatora whistled. “Good – ya got shields now! Throw some over us too!”

I nodded and focused. A blue light formed over Boney, then Kumatora.

“It’s weak to lightning!” I added.

Kumatora grunted, then summoned a PK Thunder. Following her lead, I launched some lightning of my own.

The gorilla froze and shuddered, mid-punch.

“All right!” I cheered. “We beat it!”

“Not so fast,” Kumatora cut in. “Keep your guard up – chimeras never go down easy.”

At that moment, a bright light flashed and filled the clearing - that must be from the Needle!

And then the gorilla let out a roar of rage.

It ran around the clearing, smashing everything – it was going berserk! No wonder the Pigmasks had wanted to get away!

“What the hell?!” Kumatora shouted.

“What’s happenin’?” I yelled in confusion. But then I noticed the sparks dancing all over its body.

“It’s a cyborg!” I gasped. “We must’ve short-circuited it!”

We spent the next few moments desperately dodging the gorilla’s rampage – we had no time to throw in our own attacks!

“Wait – where’s Boney?!” I shouted. I’d been so focused on protecting myself, I’d completely forgotten about poor Boney!

I quickly glanced around. There – Boney was perched on some nearby crags, safely out of the way.

Except… he was posed in a hunting crouch. He was about to pounce!

“Boney! Don’t!” He couldn’t pounce on a gorilla!!

But Boney ignored me – he growled and leapt for the gorilla’s head, then started clawing at its eyes. The gorilla thrashed wildly and roared in anger – but somehow Boney hung on.

“Kid – as soon as doggy’s clear, throw all the lightning you can,” Kumatora ordered. “We gotta end this!”

I nodded.

At that moment, Boney dropped to the ground and rushed to the safety of the crags.

Immediately Kumatora and I blasted our lightning PSI – hers dropping from above, mine striking the metal plates on its chest. I threw out every ounce of PSI I could, until the reading on my retina display fell to 0%.

Finally the gorilla moaned and collapsed to the ground, a few last sparks bursting on its head.

The masked boy was still standing by the former site of the Needle. He gazed at us silently, small puffs of purple smoke snaking around his boots.

I squinted at him. He was the enemy, but I couldn’t help but be fascinated by him. He was a lot like me - a short little kid, a human chimera, a PSI user...

“Who’re you?” I managed to mumble.

The masked boy stared at me in silence. Then, black metallic wings sprung out of his back, and he slowly rose off the ground.

“Wait!” I cried out.

I ran toward him, but tripped in the snow. I grunted in frustration as I fell to my feet.

The boy rapidly rose through the sky – soon, he was out of sight.

Kumatora and I panted, being in no condition to talk. Boney curled up next to us, whining unhappily.

Then I heard a shrill voice. “Oh, my! *heart*”

I glanced back – Lydia was hurrying up to us, her entire body flickering.

“Why, that was almost too much for my dear little heart!” she trilled. “Is ‘The Time’ always this exciting?”

Kumatora just scowled.

I bowed my head. “Sorry we didn’t get the Needle-”

But Lydia headed right past us, stopping beside the former site of the Needle.

Lydia stroked her chin, deep in thought. “Oh, I don’t feel anything coming up at all – I suppose you two were right about a heartless person.” She sighed, then turned to us. “Claus dear, I would strongly urge you to pull the rest of the Needles. The outcome won’t matter to us Magypsies, but I’m sure you humans would rather have a new world than an empty one. *heart*”

She spun around. “I suppose this is farewell, Claus, Kumatora, and little doggy. You can leave by riding the white box I’ve parked at the very top of this mountain. Oh, and do ask my blue friend what they’d like to do next.” Lydia blew a quick kiss at us, then shouted, “Bye-byyyyye! *heart*”

She vanished in a flash of light – a moment later, a razor and tube of lipstick fell lightly on the snow. 

I went and scooped them up, then pocketed them alongside Aeolia’s Memento.

“So… what’re we gonna do now?” I asked dully, not meeting Kumatora’s eyes.

Kumatora scoffed. “That’s easy – pull the rest of them Needles before the Pigbutts do!”

I paused, then glanced at Lydia’s door. “Let’s at least check on that Pigmask guy first.”

“Be my guest,” Kumatora muttered. “I couldn’t care less about some stinkin’ Pigbutt.”

I turned and threw open Lydia’s door.

To my surprise, the Pigmask was up and about, and there were a bunch of bunnies scampering around his feet. He had his helmet off, too – a chubby face with short, puffy brown hair glanced back at me. He looked a lot like Butch!

“Hey,” the Pigmask said. “So you’re that kid that can pull the Needles, eh? You’re a lot less scary-looking than my superiors made you out to be.”

I said nothing, keeping myself tense and ready to fight. He certainly didn’t sound aggressive, but he was a Pigmask – the enemy!

“I saw the whole thing,” he continued. “You did well to take out our Steel Mechorilla. We left it here as an ambush for you guys, you know.”

I hissed – how dare they treat their chimeras like things!!

“Hey, don’t act so hostile – I don’t wanna fight you.” He raised his hands, showing he was unarmed.

“Me neither,” I muttered. “I’m just here ‘cause Lydia told me to check on you.”

“Oh, is that the pink-haired person who cared for me?” The Pigmask shrugged. “Guess I’ll stay here for awhile. That guy cared for me when my own platoon didn’t even bother coming back for me. Least I can do is stay and take care of his bunnies. In fact, I think I’ll call it quits from the Pigmask Army.”

He grabbed a transceiver clipped to his belt and tossed it at me. “You and me are supposed to be enemies, but you can have this – I won’t be needing it. Mine doesn’t have communication functions, but it can still activate our secret passages and stuff.”

I thought back to that one hidden passage in the graveyard, and nodded.

“Good luck,” I muttered, then headed out.

Kumatora and Boney were waiting for me outside.

“Ready to go?” I said.

At Kumatora’s nod, we marched up the mountain.

*

After a short but steep climb, we found ourselves standing by a large white box perched on the mountain top.

“Guess this is it – Lydia wasn’t kiddin’ when she said we’d ride down in a white box,” Kumatora said.

A flash of recognition hit me. “Oh, I know what this is – it’s one of Fassad’s happiness gadgets." (Abbot and Abbey collected those things like I would collect dolphin ossicles!) "This one's called a Happy Cooling Box - it keeps food from going rotten and stuff.”

“Huh – how’d one of Fassad’s pieces of crap get all the way up here?”

“Dunno.” I popped open the door of the white box – and gulped. It’d be pretty tight for one person in there, never mind three!

I stepped back, shaking my head.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” said Kumatora.

“I’m not goin’ in there!”

“C’mon, after traipsing through the freakin’ Chimera Lab, you’re scared by this?!”

“Last time I went inside somethin’, it locked me in an’ poked me with needles!!”

Kumatora scoffed and stepped inside. “It’s just a box. It’s harmless.”

I desperately shook my head. The Instant Revitalizing Device had seemed harmless, too!

Kumatora crossed her arms. “Look – you wanna traipse all the way back down the mountain and that mole cricket hellhole, be my guest. Meanwhile, that heartless freak’s gonna be after more of the Needles – and I’m not about to lose another Needle ‘cause of some phobia.”

I was about to snap a reply, but stopped. Much as I hated to admit it, Kumatora was right - there was no time to waste!

I took a breath, steeling my nerves. With one last scowl, I joined Kumatora inside the white box.

Boney hurried in after me. I clutched him tight, being comforted by the touch of his soft fur. At least I’d have some company this time!

“Good job, kid,” Kumatora muttered quietly. “Look, if tight spaces really bother ya that much, just shut your eyes and pretend you’re in bed or somethin’. Now, let’s get off this mountain.”

Kumatora grabbed the door and slammed it closed.

I shut my eyes tight, then felt our makeshift vehicle tumble its way down the mountain.

Chapter Text

Our journey down was just like a nightmare – it was dark, I couldn’t escape, it went on far too long, and once it finally ended I was all sweaty and shaky and wanted to throw up.

And so that’s how we stumbled out of the white box and into Tazmily’s graveyard.

I took big gulps of fresh air, glad to be out of that white prison. I was panting a bit, and my skin felt hot.

“Oh, I recognize this place,” said Kumatora. “This is the graveyard outside Osohe Castle, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I said quietly.

She frowned for a moment, then pulled out Doria’s Memento from her sweater pocket. “Hey… d’you mind if I ask ya for a small favour?”

It took me a moment to realize what she was getting at. “Oh – you wanna make a grave for the Magypsies?”

She nodded.

I bowed my head, while Boney whimpered. The Magypsies were basically Kumatora’s family… it made sense why she’d want a nice resting place for them, just like how Nippolyte made one for Mom.

“Okay.” I dug into my pockets and handed her Aeolia and Lydia’s Mementos. “Wait here – I’ll go ask Nippolyte for some help.”

After stopping by Nippolyte’s tent for a few minutes, I came back with a box and two shovels. Nippolyte showed us an unused spot, and under his supervision (and with Boney's help!) we dug a small hole in the graveyard. Kumatora and I placed the three Mementos in the box, then carefully buried it in the hole.

Once Nippolyte left, the three of us stood by our makeshift grave. We didn't say anything for a bit, lost in our own thoughts.

Finally I broke the silence. “Um… while we’re here... d’you wanna visit my mom?”

Kumatora shrugged. “Sure.”

I took her to Mom’s grave on the hill.

“Those’re sunflowers – they were her favourite,” I said. “And that’s a bouquet my dad left – he comes to visit every day.”

“Your dad must love her a lot,” Kumatora said.

“Yeah – they were really close. Dad misses her a lot.” I took a breath. “I do, too.”

Boney curled up beside the grave and whined quietly.

We stared at the grave in silence, bowing our heads.

Kumatora took a breath. “…Hey, Claus? What was your mom like?”

I glanced at her in surprise. Her voice had gotten all quiet, and she had a faraway look in her eyes.

Guess Doria was right – she did have a soft side, after all.

I crouched down by Mom’s grave, while Kumatora sat cross-legged beside me.

“Well… she was nice, I guess,” I said after a long pause. “I don’t mean that in a bad way, but… I just don’t know what else to say.” I gulped. “The whole village loved her. She was beautiful, and made the world’s best omelets. She always had a smile on her face, too. And… she never got mad. Not even once.”

“Really? Not even once?” Kumatora said. “C’mon, ya gotta be kiddin’, especially with a rambunctious squirt like you. Hell, I’ve even seen Ionia lose her temper.”

I shook my head. “No – she was always so calm and kind.”

“Huh. Guess sometimes the apple does fall far from the tree.”

I frowned. “What do apples hafta do with this?”

“It’s just an expression – I’m sayin’ you don’t resemble your mom at all.” Kumatora paused. “I’m just askin’ ‘cause I wanted to know what it’s like to have one. I never got to meet my own mom – both my parents died when I was just a baby, and the Magypsies have been takin’ care of me ever since.” She had a strange look of longing in her eyes.

“But… isn’t that kinda like having seven moms?”

Kumatora snorted. “More like six. I haven’t met Locria – the others say she hasn’t shown her face for centuries. As for the others…” She shook her head. “Well, it just ain’t the same.”

“But the Magypsies love you, don’t they? I mean, Doria even knitted you gloves and everything!”

Kumatora was silent for a long time. Finally she said, “Well… I guess they treat me more like an obligation, once ya get down to it. I’m not gonna be around nearly as long as the Magypsies, so it’s like they’re just puttin’ up with me in the meantime, ya know?” She sighed. “That’s how the Magypsies treat us humans – we’re just curiosities to them, at best. Even you and I, with our PSI… we’re just like an extra-colourful bird or butterfly to them – they don’t really care about us.”

I grimaced. “That’s… harsh.”

She grunted. “The Pigbutts just killed Lydia and sicced a bloody gorilla on us. Excuse me if I’m bein’ cynical – I’m not exactly seein’ the bright side of life right now.”

“Not to mention you’re stuck dragging a rambunctious squirt like me around.”

She spun and stared at me – and noticed I was grinning. “Wait – didya just crack a joke at yourself?!”

I just shrugged.

“Huh. Guess even chimeras have a sense of humour.”

She started chuckling - soon I did too. Even Boney barked happily.

Kumatora rose to her feet. “We should really get goin’ – them Pigbutts will be at the next Needle any minute.”

I paused. “Um… is it okay if I stay for another minute or two? I… need a moment alone with Mom.”

To my surprise, she nodded. “I’ll be waitin’ in the graveyard.”

Once she left, I turned my attention back to Mom’s grave.

“Hey, Mom… that was Kumatora. She’s been travelin’ with me for a bit. I didn’t like her at first – she was mean an’ bossy an’ kept accusin’ me of bein’ a spy for the Pigmasks.

“But we’ve saved each other a few times, an’ she trusts me now, so we’re… friends, I guess. Maybe not like how Fuel and I are friends, but… we’re in this together.

“…She’s a lot like me, actually. She’s reckless, she’s got these cool PSI powers, and… deep down, I think she’s vulnerable, and hurting… just like me.

“…We’re tryin’ to get the Needles before the Pigmasks do. I’ve pulled one of them already, but… I let another one get away today. I’m sorry – I wasn’t strong enough, Mom.

“…The Pigmasks have this weird masked kid pulling the Needles. I should hate him, but… I felt a really strange longing when I saw him today, for some reason. He… he makes me feel all funny, too. I don’t know why – I guess I just wanna find out who he is? 

“…I don't know how else to put it. He just feels so… familiar, like I know him from somewhere. But that can't be possible... can it? I mean, I only saw him once before, when he was on the Pigmasks' flying ship thing...

“…No, I shouldn’t worry about that right now. I’ll just focus on pullin’ the rest of the Needles, then I can try to find out who that kid is.

“…Thanks for listening, Mom. Watch over Dad for me… and,” I gulped, “an’ Lucas… wherever he is…”

I took a deep breath, then rose to my feet.

“Ready to go, Boney?” I asked.

Boney yipped.

*

We headed back to the graveyard, where Kumatora was waiting for us.

“Look what I found,” she said, holding up a small bottle. “Someone’s left a note for us.”

She popped open the cork and shook out a small, neatly-folded scrap of paper. She opened it up – and scowled.

“You look at it,” she muttered, tossing it at me. “It’s so messy – I can’t make heads or tails of it.”

I glanced over the paper – it was filled with an untidy scrawl. (And I thought my handwriting was bad!) Luckily I could just make out what it was saying: “tHis wAy. zOOm zOOm!”

“It just says ‘This way’,” I explained. “Was it next to a sign or somethin’?”

“No – I just found it lyin’ over here.” Kumatora pointed at one of the graves.

I gasped in recognition – that was the same one the green Pigmask had used to get me to the Chimera Lab!

“That’s a secret passage for the Pigmasks – there must be someone down there waitin’ for us!”

“Of course the Pigmasks stuck a secret passage in the graveyard – those bastards just keep stoopin’ to new lows,” Kumatora muttered darkly. Then she turned to me, frowning. “Yeah, not sure about that, kid – sounds like a Pigmask trap to me.”

“No, I don’t think it’s a trap,” I said. “Look at this handwriting – it’s all messy, kinda like a kid did it. None of the Pigmasks would write like that.”

“Well, if ya say so…” She didn’t sound very convinced, but shrugged. “Okay, so how d’you open this thing?”

I grabbed the transceiver from my pocket. “The Pigmask at Lydia’s place gave this to me. One of these buttons should open it…”

I jabbed at the buttons. One let out a burst of static, one played a few notes of music, but luckily the third one worked – the tombstone rumbled and slid open, revealing the secret passage.

The three of us ran down the stairs. The tunnel was oddly deserted – there wasn’t a single tank or Pork Bean in sight! Where did they all go?

“Guess we keep walkin’ until we find whoever wrote that note?”

Kumatora just shrugged.

We hurried along the deserted corridor, until Boney suddenly yipped and started sniffing the ground.

“He must’ve caught a weird scent!” I exclaimed.

Boney dashed off, barking in excitement – Kumatora and I rushed after him.

But then I saw something that made me stop in my tracks – there was a… a thing! standing against the wall!

I stared and stared – I couldn’t figure out if it was supposed to be a vehicle, a table, or even a chimera! Whatever it was, it had four legs, a large flat body with a small nub jutting out at the front (a nose, maybe?), and a long pointed tail with a red bow.

Meanwhile, Boney was sniffing at some boxes stacked up beside the weird... table?... thing. I also heard something move – very lightly, so light that even my enhanced hearing barely picked it up.

I inched toward the box. “Is someone there?” I called. Then, remembering my lesson from the monkeys, “It’s okay – we’re not with the Pigmasks. We won’t hurt you.”

Everything was quiet. Then, a small creature shuffled out from behind the box.

It was the strangest creature I’d ever seen – it was covered with a thin coat of fuzzy, peach-coloured fur, and had a big nose, droopy whiskers, and tiny black eyes. A single crooked hair with a red ribbon tied to it stuck out on top of its head. The strangest thing about it, though, was that it was just a blob perched on two little stubby toes (or maybe arms?).

I gasped – this creature was somehow even weirder than the table thing!

“hi HI Hi!” it said. “mE mR. saTuRn, BoinG!”

It spoke with a squeaky, childlike voice. What’s strange is that I couldn’t see its mouth moving – in fact, I couldn’t see a mouth at all!

“aTTaCKeD. vERy BaD,” it (or he?) continued. “cOMe tO tHUnDeR aREA. taKe tUnneL tO hOMe. wE aLL sAVeD aT yOU. tHanKs ThaNKs.”

“Wait – someone attacked you?!” I blurted out. “And you want us to go stop them?”

Mr. Saturn nodded, his nose bobbing up and down. “yES yEs. iT iS gOOd.”

“Who did this?” Kumatora demanded.

Mr. Saturn hummed. “bAD PiGGy. bRiNG yELLiNG maCHiNe. sCaRy. wE aLL nO KaY-O.” He bowed his head and trembled.

Kumatora and I shared a glance. Pigmasks!!

“PiG sToLE fRiEnDs,” Mr. Saturn continued. “StinKy CHeeSe mAn aNd sNaKey. DinG.”

“Wait!” gasped Kumatora. “That sounds like Duster – c’mere, Mr. Saturn, I wanna try somethin’.”

Mr. Saturn hopped up to Kumatora. She bent down and held her hand near Mr. Saturn’s head – she must be doing her mind-reading thing!

She grimaced right away. “Yep, the Pigmasks attacked his friends, all right – and they’ve got Duster, too!”

Duster?! How’d Duster end up with this weird Mr. Saturn guy?

But after a moment I shook my head. All that mattered was that Duster was alive - and needed our help!

“All right, let’s go rescue your friends – and Duster!” I said.

Suddenly the table thing shook and… started whinnying like a horse?

“iS RiDE,” Mr. Saturn explained. “HOrsEy pOWeR. zOOm zOOm!”

“I think he’s sayin’ we can ride on that table thing!” I translated.

Kumatora grabbed Mr. Saturn and placed him on the nub of the table, then hopped on herself. Boney and I scrambled up after her.

As soon as the four of us were on, the table pawed at the ground and let out another whinny. Then, it suddenly took off down the tunnel!

“Whoa!” I exclaimed in shock. I could swear we were going even faster than a Pork Bean!

We zoomed through a bunch of tunnels, the table going at a rapid gallop.

At one point we passed through a big glass tunnel, with evergreen trees stretching out on either side. I frowned – this didn’t look like Sunshine or Murasaki Forest! Where were we?!

After going through some more dark tunnels, we burst out onto the highway near that Clayman factory.

I giggled in exhilaration – zooming around like this was so much fun!

After galloping across some more stretches of highway, the table-horse thing charged up a dirt ramp and plunged into a tunnel. I didn’t recognize this one – maybe it was a shortcut to Thunder Tower?

A whole row of Road Blocks was positioned up ahead, completely blocking the tunnel – there wasn’t even room to walk around them!

Undeterred, our riding table charged forward – and smacked the nearest Road Block aside.

“Take that!” Kumatora yelled, while Boney yipped happily.

Even Mr. Saturn was enjoying the ride – “fUn fUn FuN!” he cheered, whiskers twitching.

We continued past the garbage dump, then the elevator at the base of Thunder Tower – but instead of stopping, we plunged down yet another new tunnel. This one went a long way, but finally stopped at a dead end filled with construction equipment and some non-sentient road blocks.

Kumatora slid off the table. “Well, guess we hafta walk from here,” she remarked, pointing to a dirt tunnel jutting off behind a bulldozer.

Boney and I hopped off, then I grabbed Mr. Saturn and placed him on the ground.

“tHaNKs aT YoU,” he said. “nOt faR. sHOrT hOpPitY-sOmeTHinG, zOOm!”

We hurried up the dirt tunnel, Mr. Saturn hopping after us. It was pretty grimy – I saw some roaches lurking in the shadows. Still, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the mole cricket tunnel, and there weren’t any hostile chimeras like in the train tunnel, either.

Suddenly I saw a creature lying on the ground up ahead – it looked exactly like Mr. Saturn!

I gasped and ran up to it. “You okay?!”

People didn’t just lie on the ground in the middle of random tunnels! Was this guy hurt?

“WaTcHinG cEiLiNG,” said the figure. This guy had the same squeaky voice as Mr. Saturn, and seemed completely calm.

I breathed a sigh of relief - guess he was okay, after all.

“Friend of yours?” Kumatora asked Mr. Saturn.

“yEs yEs – mR. sATuRN!”

I frowned. “Wait – so he’s called Mr. Saturn, too?”

“wE aLL mR. SaTURn, BOiNg!”

“But isn’t that confusing?” I wondered. “I mean, how d’you tell each other apart?”

“I’m sure they’ve got it figured out,” Kumatora interrupted. “We can figure out the multiple Mr. Saturn thing later - right now we’ve gotta stop the Pigbutts!”

I nodded and dashed down the tunnel, Boney at my heels.

*

We popped out at an open valley surrounded by tall cliffs. Below us was a large pond surrounded by some strange-looking houses with brown, cone-shaped roofs, all topped with a weather vane shaped like Mr. Saturn’s ribbon. What’s stranger is that each house was hardly bigger than an outhouse!

However, what immediately caught my attention was the blue Pigmasks patrolling the valley, and the silver pig-snout ships parked on the ground.

“Pigmasks!” I yelled.

As we marched down the path winding down into the valley, two of the Pigmasks hurried to block our way.

“No intruders allowed! Dakota!” the first one yelled.

“Yeah!” added their partner. “We’ve taken over this nonsensical village! It’s still nonsensical, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re high and mighty! Boing!”

Mr. Saturn huddled behind us. “sCaRY PiGs! DinG!”

“Leave!” yelled the first Pigmask. “And give that little runt back to us, ding!”

“No way!” I shouted.

“Fine – then we’ll just make you leave!” The Pigmasks reached for the guns tucked in their belts.

Kumatora, Boney and I rushed forward – with a few swift punches and kicks we knocked the first Pigmask to the ground, who groaned in defeat.

Kumatora shot me a grin, clenching her fists. I grinned right back – after fighting off a whole squad of elite Pigmasks back at Thunder Tower, these guys were kinda pathetic. We didn’t have to use PSI!

The remaining Pigmask glanced between us – then they squealed loudly and fled for the safety of the pig-snout ships.

Kumatora snorted. “Well, that takes care of them. But there’s probably more crawlin’ in those houses!”

I nodded. “Let’s go!”

The four of us rushed to the nearest house and threw the door open.

We entered a small but cozy white room – all sorts of strange furniture was packed inside, each topped with a red ribbon. 

Two blue Pigmasks had cornered five more of Mr. Saturn’s friends against the wall. A tiny gray machine stood between them - another weird Pigmask thing, maybe?

“Listen up, you weakling, stinkling Mr. Saturns!” barked one of the Pigmasks. (So all these guys were called Mr. Saturn, after all!) “Enough of this ‘boing zoom ding’ nonsense – hurry up and tell us where the Needle is!!”

The Mr. Saturns huddled in silence. Finally one of them squeaked, “D… DakOtA?”

“That does it!” yelled the Pigmask. “See how you like another round with the Frightbot!”

“OKAY, THIS NEXT ONE’S GONNA BE REEEEAL SCARY!!” screeched a new voice.

I flinched – that voice was so painful! It felt like it was clawing at my ears – and my enhanced hearing made it even worse!

That was when Mr. Saturn hopped in front of us.

“fRieNDs!” he said happily. “wEnT tO oUT. FiNd fRieNdS tO HeLP, DinG!”

The two Pigmasks spun around, as did their machine – it turned out to be a tiny robot with a big mouth and the goofiest pair of eyes I’d ever seen.

“OH MY PORK! NOT MR. SATURNS!” the robot shrieked.

“Get ‘em!” yelled the Pigmasks.

The Pigmasks reached for their weapons, but Kumatora and I were ready. We launched a combined PK Love and PK Fire, knocking the Pigmasks and their weird robot off their feet.

The Pigmasks scrambled to their feet and dashed for the door – Pigmasks were sure cowardly when they weren’t in a big group!

But the robot just lay there, its feet uselessly kicking the air.

Kumatora, Boney, and I headed up to the robot, while Mr. Saturn hopped off to join his friends.

“What the hell is this thing - some kind of torture device?” Kumatora wondered, tapping it with her boot.

“...AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!” screamed the robot. “OOPS, I ACCIDENTALLY TOLD A HAPPY STORY BY MISTA-”

I couldn’t stand that screechy voice one second longer – I stomped as hard as I could, crushing the robot flat.

There was a brief moment of silence, then all the Mr. Saturns started chattering with excitement. “tHanKs tHAnKS. sAVeD!” “wE aRe FuLGRaTe!” “sLEeP aT eLeVEn, DinG!”

“You’re welcome, I think!” I replied.

“Let’s go – we hafta save the other houses!” Kumatora said.

We hurried to the next house – this one only had a single robot, and no Pigmasks. It seemed to be effective, though – four more Mr. Saturns were cowering in fear.

“IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT!” shrieked the robot. “A LONE TRAVELER WAS-”

“Blah blah blah, then he was eaten by zombies or somethin’,” Kumatora muttered loudly.

The robot spun around to face her. “HEY! YOU SPOILED THE ENDING! NOW IT’S NOT SCARY ANYMORE!!”

“Look, crapbot – I’ve hung out at a haunted castle all my life, and chatted up every damn ghost in the place. I know all the scary stories.”

“…EVEN THE ONE WITH THE DIABOLICAL BOX?”

“All of them.”

“WHAT ABOUT THE ONE WITH THE UNIVERSAL COSMIC DESTROY-”

While it was distracted, Boney and I stomped it flat.

The next house was pretty much the same, except this time there were two robots to deal with. I crushed one, and let Kumatora and Boney handle the other.

“Okay, last one,” Kumatora said as we marched up to the fourth house. “I have a feelin’ they’ve got their competent guys in there. You ready?”

Boney and I nodded, then Kumatora flung open the door.

This house immediately stood out. For one, two green Pigmasks and yet another of their robots were inside. For another, there was a weird totem pole thing and Mr. Saturns dangling from a clothesline, pushpins clamping their ribbons. Duster’s red snake was dangling off there, too. But last and not least-

I gulped – Duster was tied to the base of the totem pole. He looked in pretty bad shape – he was slumped over, eyes closed. He must’ve been interrogated for hours, if not days!

“SHRRRRK!” went the robot. I covered my ears – somehow that voice managed to be even more painful!

“There’s more where that came from! Zoom!” barked one of the Pigmasks. “Tell us where the next Needle is!”

“dO nOT KnOw,” squeaked one of the Mr. Saturns hanging on the clothes line.

“Don’t lie to us! You lied to us yesterday, too! Ding ding!” the second Pigmask bellowed.

“Get the hell away from Duster!!” Kumatora interrupted.

The two Pigmasks spun to face us.

“Aw, fried pork – d’you think these are the ones-”

“Just get ‘em!!”

We quickly fell into a fight – the house was pretty cramped, and there wasn’t much room to dodge. I didn't want to risk using PK Love, either - not with the Mr. Saturns dangling in the way!

The first Pigmask charged and wrestled me to the ground. After some kicks and blasts of lightning I got them off me – and before they could recover, Boney rammed into them!

Kumatora was holding her own, too – she blasted the second Pigmask with a PK Freeze.

Finally both Pigmasks lay groaning on the floor, soundly defeated. With a good blast of lightning, their robot was dismantled, too.

“Yep, these are definitely the ones the higher-ups wanted,” one of the Pigmasks panted. “We have to warn Master Fassad, and quick! Zoom!”

“Fassad?!” I exclaimed in disbelief.

“He’s supposed to be a mustachioed pancake!” added Kumatora.

But the Pigmasks had already leapt to their feet and bolted out the door.

I raced after them – but by the time I got outside, I could hear the roar of engines. A moment later, the last of the pig-snout ships rose into the air - they were getting away!

“Leave them,” Kumatora ordered from behind me. “Let the cowards run – let’s go rescue Duster!”

“But they mentioned Fassad!” I pressed. “We saw him fall off Thunder Tower! There’s no way he could’ve survived… right?”

But Kumatora had already disappeared back inside.

I scowled at the retreating ships for a bit, then joined Kumatora inside the house. Together we got to work undoing Duster’s bindings.

Still, my mind raced. Fassad had said it himself – no one could survive a fall off of a 50-foot tower (the four of us notwithstanding!)...

I gulped as a horrible idea came to me. Could it be… did the Pigmasks find his body, and reconstruct him?

They certainly had the capability and lack of moral scruples to do so – I was proof enough of that. But… my reconstruction had taken over a month, and it had only been four days since the incident at Thunder Tower!

I shook my head. I couldn’t figure this out right now – it had been such a long day, and I was exhausted!

Soon Duster was free. “Hrmm?” he mumbled, slowly getting to his feet. He blinked his eyes a few times, as if he just woke up from a nap.

“Wait – didya just sleep through all that?!” Kumatora demanded.

Duster shrugged. “When you’re a thief, you learn to take a catnap any chance you can get. Besides, the Pigmasks have been at us nonstop for the last day or two – I needed to sleep some time.” He glanced between us. “But never mind that – I’m glad to see the three of you safe and sound! You must have quite the story to tell, eh?”

“As do you,” Kumatora replied, glancing at the Mr. Saturns. “But never mind that – we have somethin’ really important to tell ya. It’s about that Needle thing the Pigbutts were jabberin’ about.”

Duster shrugged. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t be much help there – I had no idea what they were talking about.” He paused. “But, I’d be happy to join back up with you guys. We made a pretty good team back at Thunder Tower – no use changing that up.”

Kumatora and I nodded eagerly. 

“Great to have you back, Duster!” Kumatora said. “So about the Needles-”

“PLeAsE tO LeT dOWn,” piped up one of the Mr. Saturns.

“Yeah – what he said!” added Duster’s red snake.

Duster smiled sheepishly. “First, let’s get these fellers down.”

*

A few moments later, all the Mr. Saturns were free. Several of them hopped out the door, while three of them stayed inside, hovering around us. They seemed super curious and interested in us – clearly we were just as strange and fascinating to them as they were to us!

Duster, Kumatora, and I sat cross-legged on the floor, while Boney curled up beside us. 

We quickly filled in Duster about the Needles, and how we were trying to get to them before the Pigmasks did.

Duster nodded. “It’s certainly a lot to take in, but I want to help out in any way I can.” He sighed, deep in thought. “Judging by the Pigmasks’ occupation of this place, there must be a Needle very close by.”

One of the Mr. Saturns suddenly started humming. “dO kNOw. dOOO kNoW. dO dO kNoW!” he said happily.

Kumatora gasped and scooted over to him. “Tell us – we’re tryin’ to stop those pigs with the scary robots!” she said.

“HmM. tHiNK tHinK… yEs! gO FaR THaT WaY. vOLcAnO. hOt, BoiNG!”

“’That way’ is the way his nose is pointing – he’s saying it’s at a volcano to the north,” Duster translated.

“Didya meet a Magypsy, too?” Kumatora asked. “Ya can’t miss ‘em – they look like us humans, but with pink hair, bright clothes, and lots of facial hair.”

“yEs yEs. mEt! DinG DiNG!” said Mr. Saturn. After a moment, he added, “sLEePY ORanGe.”

“That’ll be Phyrigia,” Kumatora remarked, then frowned slightly. “Be careful when you meet her, Claus. She… doesn’t like humans.”

Huh? That didn’t make sense – the four Magypsies I’d met already had been so friendly and cheerful!

“Maybe that’s too strong of a word,” Kumatora corrected. “She’s… snobbish, I guess. She thinks just ‘cause we humans have limited lifespans, we’re insignificant and inferior.”

I nodded. That sounded kind of like Elmore, Mayor Pusher’s wife – she hated me and Fuel just because our families didn’t make as much DP as everyone else. (I didn’t care one bit – DP was stupid, anyway! Whatever happened to just trading things?)

Duster frowned. “What’s a Magypsy? You saying they’re not human?”

“It’s a long story – we’ll explain later,” Kumatora said. “Besides, you wouldn’t believe me if I told ya – it’s better just to meet ‘em in person. But basically they’re the ones guardin’ the Needles.”

“There’s another thing – Fassad’s back,” I blurted out.

Duster raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Well, this is unexpected but unwelcome news. I wonder how he survived the fall off that tower… Is he back as a zombie, perhaps?”

“I hope not – the Pigbutts are bad enough without throwin’ zombies in the mix,” Kumatora muttered.

“Um… about that…” I took a breath. “I’m thinkin’ maybe… they made him a chimera… like me.”

Kumatora and Duster stared at me, shocked into silence, while Boney whined.

Finally Kumatora said, “Well… I guess it makes sense. I mean, they were able to reconstruct ya three years ago, and their technology’s probably improved a lot since then… but that doesn’t explain how Fassad came back so damn fast. You needed a whole month, didn’tcha?”

I nodded.

“It’s getting late,” Duster remarked – sure enough, the sun was setting outside. “It’s not a good idea to travel around this unfamiliar area after dark, especially if there’s chimeras about… We’ll need all our strength, too, if the Pigmasks are after the Needle. Why don’t we rest here for the night? 

Kumatora nodded. “Fine. But let’s set out early – the Pigbutts already stole one Needle from us.”

We stayed up for a few more hours – we filled in Duster on our latest adventures, while he talked a bit about his time with the Mr. Saturns. In the meantime the Mr. Saturns laid out some supper for us (some weird squishy pink stuff with chunks of strawberries inside) and gathered some blankets and pillows.

By 8:30 PM I was absolutely exhausted – I curled up on one of the blankets and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

“DinG DinG! sUN RiSe-O. wAKeY-sOMeTHiNG!”

I blinked my eyes open, and immediately noticed the bright light streaming in from under the door.

I checked my clock. 6:47 AM.

That’s odd… usually I was up with the sunrise.

I didn’t pay it much mind, though – after all, things had been pretty crazy over the last week, so it made sense that my sleep would be out of whack.

Duster, Kumatora, and Boney were getting up too. “I didn’t ask for a wake-up call,” mumbled Duster.

After eating some breakfast the Mr. Saturns prepared for us (more of the squishy pink strawberry stuff), the four of us got ready to go. We headed out of the Mr. Saturn house and gathered by the central pond.

“To go north, we’ll have to go through that tunnel,” Duster said, pointing to a cave in the cliffs surrounding the valley.

We headed toward the cave, passing by a little wooden sign (topped with a red ribbon, just like everything else in Saturn Valley): “fiRe MoUnTaiN tHiS wAy, BoiNG!”

I was just about to step inside the cave when I heard some soft footsteps.

I turned – a whole bunch of Mr. Saturns had gathered to see us off!

“wE aRe fULgRaTe... iS MiStAkE,” one of them announced. “wE aRe GrAteFul!”

“You’re welcome!” Duster and I called, while Boney barked.

“See ya soon!” Kumatora added.

“bYe, cHeeSE mAn,” one of the Mr. Saturns said to Duster – he blushed slightly.

We turned and hurried through the cave. There were more Mr. Saturns wandering around inside – some of them were even stacked on top of each other!

"What're they doing?" I wondered.

"Oh, that's one of the games they like to play," Duster replied. "They're... 'ladder'-ing."

The Mr. Saturns were swaying slightly in their little tower, making squeaky little giggles - looks like they were having fun.

After emerging from the other side of the tunnel, we headed along a dusty red plateau – until our way was blocked by a large, rocky cliff.

“What gives?!” I huffed. This path was supposed to go all the way to the volcano! The sign said so!

“Here, I’ll try scaling it with my Wall Staples.” Duster took out a Wall Staple from his tool pouch and prodded against the cliff face. After a moment, he grunted in frustration. “No good, it’s too hard here.”

Just then, a Mr. Saturn hopped up to us. “Hi hO! HaViNG pRoBLeM hERe, DinG?”

“That’s correct - we need to get up this cliff in order to visit the volcano,” Duster explained. “Could you and your friends help?”

“HmM... BoiNG! LiGHt BuLB. iTTy BiTTy WaiT bEfORe GOinG Up.”

The Mr. Saturn wandered off – a few minutes later he returned, four of his friends following behind.

I frowned – how were they going to help us up the cliff?

One Mr. Saturn hopped up right against the cliff – and then the next Mr. Saturn climbed up onto their head! And then the next one climbed onto their head, too!

Soon, there was a pile of five Mr. Saturns in front of us.

Duster glanced up – the pile was just a bit taller than him (thanks to the final Mr. Saturn’s ribbon!)

“Well, that’s a start, but there’s still a long way to go,” Duster pointed out.

“uP tO FivE CaN LaddER,” the top Mr. Saturn said sadly. “MOrE WiLL MaKE uS FaLL.”

Duster thought for a moment, mumbling to himself. “Well... that cliff up there looks promising... worth a shot...”

He climbed up the pile of Mr. Saturns, who mumbled things like “SHoE PriNTs iN FaCE. BoiNG.”

Once Duster was perched on top, he tried prodding the cliff with his Wall Staples again – and grinned.

He spun around and slammed some Wall Staples into the cliff, then climbed up the newly-placed rungs. He quickly rose up the cliff – soon he was back on solid ground, leaving a ladder of Wall Staples in his wake.

“All right!” Kumatora cheered.

I scrambled up the pile of Mr. Saturns - “Sorry!” I called. Then I climbed up the Wall Staples – it was way easier in daytime!

Finally the four of us were gathered on top of the cliff.

“FaLL dOWn, DinG!” said the Mr. Saturns.

With that, their makeshift tower tumbled down, the Mr. Saturns giggling with glee the entire time.

I grinned for a moment – they reminded me of the times Lucas, Fuel and I would play together. Then I turned and hurried to catch up with the others.

Soon the ground turned the colour of ash, and we emerged at a stark, craggy area. Yet another Magypsy house loomed in front of us, too – this one was surrounded by a pool of lava!

“Let me go first,” offered Kumatora. “She should be a bit more friendly to me – she’s not particularly fond of humans, least of all noisy little kids.”

“Hey,” I muttered, but she just ignored me and crossed the stepping-stones to Phrygia’s house.

Kumatora knocked on the door. “Hello? Anyone home?” she called.

No answer.

Kumatora shrugged. “She’s probably napping. It’s rude, but we’re gonna barge in – we gotta beat the Pigbutts to the Needle!”

With that, she threw open the door and stepped inside.

I dashed after her, and found myself in yet another cozy Magypsy room – this one was decorated in orange!

Just as Kumatora predicted, a figure in an orange dress and matching hat was curled up on a fluffy bed, snoring away. (The Magypsies could even do that deep-but-shrill thing in their snores!) Other than that, the only thing of note was a letter laid out on a nearby table.

I zoomed in, scanning it over: “You Can Do It! I Believe In You!” The text was neatly spelled out in curly black letters, with not a single splotch of ink out of place. It was way fancier and cleaner than my own writing!

“Well, at least she’s okay – and that means her Needle hasn’t been pulled,” said Kumatora.

“She’s awake, too. *heart*”

I jumped at the unexpected voice. “W-who’s there?!”

The figure on the bed slowly stirred and opened her eyes.

“It’s me, Phrygia,” continued the figure. She snorted in a rather inelegant manner. “You barged into my house uninvited and roused me from my slumber, and you have the nerve to ask me ‘Who’s there’? In my very own house? Why, humans are so rude.”

I grimaced. Kumatora was right – Phrygia seemed pretty snobbish and rude. She was certainly a big contrast from Ionia and Doria, who were nice to a fault!

Phrygia glanced us over. “Oh, it’s you, Kumatora. You’ve made some… interesting company.” Her gaze fell on me. “And you must be that child who can pull the Needles.”

“Oh – did Ionia tell you ‘bout us?” I wondered.

Phrygia sniffed. “Of course not. I did my own research – I’m more serious and meticulous than the other Magypsies. *heart* I’m still surprised that a rambunctious child like you – and one so careless about throwing away his own insignificant life, at that – was chosen by destiny.” She yawned. “I’m ready for my ‘Time’. To get to my Needle, head out the door, then follow the cavern deeper into the volcano to a lake of magma. And be sure to grab those Encouraging Words before you go – you’ll need them to get past my defense system. *heart*”

I went to grab the letter off the table.

“But what’re you gonna do?” Kumatora pressed. “We’ll be pullin’ your Needle, and-”

“Why, I’ll just sleep through it – passing ‘The Time’ peacefully in your sleep is so romantic, don’t you think? *heart*”

Without another word, Phrygia yawned and closed her eyes. Before I knew it, she was snoring again.

The four of us glanced at each other. I scowled – why’d the orange Magypsy hafta be the rudest Magypsy?!

No – I don’t have time for this, I thought. We have to pull that Needle!

I hurried out of Phrygia’s house, the others trailing after me. Soon we came to a pass through the craggy cliffs – but it was blocked off by a huge boulder!

I immediately tried to scramble up the boulder – but I kept slipping! I couldn’t get a firm handhold (or even foothold!).

My PSI didn't work, either - my lightning just fizzled out, and PK Love didn't leave so much as a scratch. Not even Duster’s Wall Staples were effective.

“Stupid boulder!” I yelled, kicking it in frustration.

Boney whined.

“Look, kid – though the Magypsies don’t look like it, they’re powerful magical beings,” Kumatora said. “If Phrygia designed this boulder to protect her Needle, it’s damn well not gonna budge, or let you climb over it. Use those Encouraging Words she gave us.”

I held the sheet of paper in front of me, frowning. “So… do I just read them out, or…?”

Kumatora shrugged. “That’s what I’d do.”

I read off the words, feeling a bit silly. “You can do it. I believe in you.”

The boulder didn’t move an inch.

“I think you need more enthusiasm,” Duster suggested.

He was right – I’d fallen into my flat monotone again.

I took a breath and tried again. This time I closed my eyes and pretended I was cheering on Lucas: “You can do it! I believe in you!”

“You can do it!” Duster chimed in.

“Yeah, what he said!” added Kumatora.

Even Boney joined in, yipping with encouragement.

Soon I heard a rumbling sound. I creaked open my eyes – sure enough, the boulder was slowly rolling out of the way. At the same time, the Encouraging Words glowed, then vanished into a shower of sparkles.

I grinned – we did it!

We hurried up the newly unblocked path.

Suddenly I heard someone talking up ahead. I threw out my arm, signalling the others to stop.

“What’s-” started Duster.

“Shh!” I hissed, then concentrated. My enhanced hearing picked up some voices: “Man, these jetpacks are so useful – whoever left that boulder was so inconsiderate.”

“Yeah. Fassad wants us to secure that Needle ASAP.”

“Pigmasks,” I hissed to the others.

“Wait – Master Fassad’s back?” exclaimed the first Pigmask.

“Yeah – and he’s got a HUGE makeover! He’s got these big horns and everything!”

“Horns? Y’mean like the Trooper’s horns?”

“No, they’re-”

Looks like they were too busy with their conversation to notice us. I signalled to the others – this was our chance to ambush them!

The four of us charged – sure enough, two blue Pigmasks were standing on the path up ahead. 

“Oh my PORK!!” yelled the Pigmasks.

I closed my eyes, preparing a PK Love-

But then I heard a whirring noise.

My eyes flashed open – the Pigmasks were shooting up into the air.

I gasped – they were flying, just like that masked kid!

“We need to warn Master Fassad!” one of the Pigmasks squealed as they sailed over our heads.

I grit my teeth – we had to stop them!

I raised my hand and concentrated – my lightning struck one of the Pigmasks and knocked them to the ground. But the other was already out of range!

“Leave them,” Kumatora ordered. “Just get to the Needle before they do!”

I nodded, then sprinted up the path.

*

We hurried through the volcanic caverns as quickly as we could, knowing the Pigmasks and that masked kid would be at the Needle any minute.

A warning flashed in my retina display: Excessive heat detected in external environment. Subject overheating. Mechanical components may be compromised.

I ignored the heat as best I could. I pushed myself hard – I had to get to the Needle!

Finally I noticed a glinting object sticking out of a peninsula surrounded by bubbling lava. A single point of light shone down from above – that must be from the opening of the volcano!

“There’s the Needle!” I shouted.

I waited for the others to catch up. Not that I was complaining – I needed a moment to catch my breath.

Suddenly there was a loud whirring noise from overhead.

I gasped and glanced up. “What’s that?!”

A figure flew down and hovered in front of us, blocking the way to the Needle.

For a moment, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“Fassad?!” Kumatora exclaimed in shock, while Boney snarled and growled.

Fassad was almost unrecognizable. He still had his moustache, his vest, and his funny veil-hat, but the similarities stopped there. Gigantic musical horns were plastered on his face. A strange thing was strapped to his back, emitting streams of fire (what had the Pigmasks called it? Oh right, a jetpack). Shiny knobs poked out from his hat.

And then the other details leapt out to me, and turned my blood cold. A metallic nose. Metal hunks for feet. A mechanical eye glinted red, leering at me.

“Y…you’re a chimera?!” I exclaimed. (So the Pigmasks had reconstructed him, after all!)

“How’d they make him even uglier?!” Kumatora blurted out. She sounded tough, but her voice wavered a bit – Fassad’s mechanical appearance must be frightening her just as much as me.

I shook my head – I had to pull the Needle! If the Pigmasks and Fassad were here, that masked kid wouldn’t be far behind!

But… I couldn’t move. I found myself rooted to the spot, just gazing in horror at Fassad.

And then something else came flying down from the sky – a small silver robot with tiny knobs for hands, fake glasses and hair, and bright red lips.

“What-” I cried out.

But Fassad interrupted me with… music. There was no other word for it – he just blasted out a whole bunch of sounds from his nose-horns. It actually sounded really nice and melodic… you know, for something coming out of Fassad’s nose.

“Greetings,” said the new robot. It (she?) had a tinny but feminine-sounding voice. “I am Master Fassad’s interpreter. He just said, ‘Welcome, my meddlesome pests. Because of you, I have suffered much pain and humiliation, but have also been given a chance at a makeover. I now feel more beautiful and wonderful than ever before, but I will not thank you.’”

“Beautiful?!” I blurted out. “But – you’re a chimera!!” How could anyone want to be a chimera?!

Fassad played a bunch of high-pitched notes.

“Fassad is laughing. He says, ‘Unlike you, my troublesome human chimera, I have embraced my new chimera body, nwehehehehehe!’”

“Ignore him,” Kumatora said. “Bastard’s messin’ with ya – just grab the Needle!”

I nodded, about to dash forward – but stopped. Doria’s Needle had completely immobilized me, so this one probably would too! No way was I gonna make myself a sitting duck with Fassad around! Besides, the others – no, my friends – might need my help!

Fassad let out another burst of music.

“‘It is time to repay the favour in full for the pain and humiliation I suffered mightily at Thunder Tower,’ is what Fassad says,” continued the interpreter robot. “’Thanks to my makeover, I do not believe I will lose to the likes of you again. So allow me to demonstrate my terribleness. It is a very mature and grown-up terribleness.’” Fassad leered at us, and emitted a final series of notes. “’Here I come, nwehehehehe.’”

Fassad suddenly flew at us head-first – he was a human (chimera) battering ram!

“Ah!” I cried out, diving to the ground. Just in time – Fassad zoomed just inches over my head.

“Careful – he might fly by for another pass!” warned Kumatora.

I scrambled back to my feet. Fassad had spun around, and was leering at us. But instead of diving at us again, he pressed a button on his jetpack thing.

A whole bunch of beams of light shot out of his horns and rained down on us.

I dashed around, trying to dodge the beams. One grazed my arm. I grit my teeth – it stung!

My retina display was no help: Error: No data.

“Coward!” Kumatora bellowed at Fassad. She dodged another beam.

She had a point – we didn’t even have a second to cast our PSI!

“Let me try something!” called Duster. He reached into his pouch and withdrew one of his colourful balls – a bomb!

Dodging yet another set of beams, he tossed it at Fassad – it exploded right in his face!

“That’ll buy us a few seconds,” Duster said.

Kumatora grunted, not having time to thank him properly. “PK Thunder!” she called.

A bolt of lightning fell from above and struck Fassad on his knobby head. He flinched, briefly flashing a grimace – cyborgs didn’t like lightning, thanks to all that metal!

I threw out a bolt of lightning of my own, then prepared a blast of PK Love.

Not fast enough – at that moment Fassad regained his composure, then launched another beam attack.

I just had time to raise my arms, hoping my blue wave of energy could double as a shield. It worked – a blue wall formed in front of me, absorbing Fassad’s beams.

But Fassad just grinned – and started blasting a bunch of really loud music from his horns!

I yelped and covered my ears. I couldn’t concentrate – his music was so loud and painful!

“Look out, Claus!” Duster bellowed, while Boney barked urgently.

Too late – Fassad swooped down and rammed right into me.

I went flying, then skidded across the ground, stopping just inches from the lava. I gulped – I did not want to fall in there!

While I was still stunned, Fassad aimed another round of beams right at me! I gulped - I didn’t even have the time (or concentration!) to prepare a PK Love shield!

Suddenly Kumatora leapt in front of me – she shielded me from the blasts, gritting her teeth in pain.

I gasped, scrambling to my feet. “You OK?!”

Kumatora said nothing, summoning some green sparkles to heal herself.

“Thanks,” I murmured quietly.

“We need ya alive to pull the Needle!” she shot back.

I nodded – so that’s why Fassad was targeting me! Not to mention that he’d have a huge grudge after what I did to him at Thunder Tower.

Fassad fired yet another volley of beams at us. This time I was ready – I summoned another shield, using it to protect the four of us.

But then something weird happened – the beams bounced off and flew right back at Fassad!

“W-what just happened?!” I blurted out. Did PK Love just change again ?

“Who cares – get him while he’s stunned!” yelled Kumatora.

I nodded – time to go on the offensive.

Lightning bolts flew from my hands and struck Fassad’s metallic face horns. He flinched, wobbling a bit in midair.

“Yeah!” Kumatora yelled, dropping a PK Thunder of her own.

Suddenly Fassad grinned – he pressed some buttons.

A hidden compartment in his jetpack opened up – and launched a bunch of bombs straight at us!

“Ah!” I cried. Those things were gonna hurt!

I braced my arms in front of my face. Explosions rocked the peninsula.

Once I was sure all the bombs had gone off, I raced toward the others, throwing out some Lifeups. But by the time we had recovered, Fassad was doing his beam attack again!

“Claus! We need to end this!” Duster shouted. “I’ve got a plan – run to the Needle!”

“But then Fassad’ll get me!” I protested.

“You have to trust me!” Duster said. “Just do it – you need to distract Fassad!”

I hesitated just for a moment – then nodded, running for the Needle.

“Hey, Fatass, over here!” I yelled, waving my arms.

Sure enough, Fassad’s engines roared loudly, and he launched himself at me – there was his ramming attack again!

I kept running to the Needle, knowing I wasn’t gonna make it – and that Fassad would knock me into the lava!

But at the last possible moment, Duster lunged out of nowhere and hauled me out of the way. As Fassad came whooshing by, Duster dropped another of his bombs – this one released a huge cloud of smoke all over Fassad!

Fassad swerved erratically through the air, making off-key trumpet sounds. I grinned – those giant horn-nostrils would’ve inhaled a lot of smoke!

“All right!” I cheered.

“Now’s our chance!” Duster yelled.

We threw everything we had at Fassad – Duster and Boney launched bombs, while me and Kumatora threw out some more lightning.

Finally there was a loud explosion. Fassad hung limply in the air – we’d managed to bust one of his jetpack engine things.

He made some mournful, squeaky trumpet sounds.

“’You have bested me this time, meddlesome pests,’ is what Fassad says,” said the weird interpreter robot. (In the frantic fight, I’d completely forgotten about her!) “Fassad says this with an intense emotion. I believe it is an anger-filled emotion. Fassad also says, ‘I must retreat for now. But rest assured, I shall return to enact my sweet, grown-up, much terrible revenge, nwehehehe!’”

With that, Fassad jetpacked right out of the volcano.

“Well, this concludes my interpretation session. Goodbye,” said the robot, then she flew off after Fassad.

The four of us didn’t say anything for a while, panting after that fierce battle. Idly I cast a Lifeup on myself.

Finally Kumatora said, “Hey, Claus – grab that Needle before any other freaks try to stop us.”

I nodded, stepping toward the Needle.

“So you’ve pulled these things before – what happens?” Duster asked curiously.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told ya – just sit back and watch,” Kumatora responded.

I took a breath, placing my hand on the winged hilt. Just like before, it glowed and shot off into the sky.

I went through the motions puppet-like – first I grabbed the beam of light, then I raised my arm and released it to the sky.

Soon the ground rumbled. Duster grunted, struggling to stay on his feet. I heard a distant rumble, and what sounded like a loud, steady heartbeat.

I tried to call out to the others, but again I found myself frozen, unable to move or speak.

I

“Hah!” I shouted. “I win – Lucas, it’s your turn to help Dad shear the sheep!”

Lucas sighed quietly. Much as he loved animals, he didn’t like sheep shearing – he was scared of accidentally hurting them, and besides the wool got all over your clothes!

“So you’ve settled it, sons?” Dad said. “Claus, go grab some hay while I get Lucas settled with the shears.”

“Sure thing, Dad!” I ran off and grabbed the pitchfork lying against our shed. I panted – it was noon in summer, and it was really hot out.

I opened the shed and started shovelling out some hay , panting the entire time. I quickly got tired – farm work was hard work! I almost regretted not volunteering for shearing duty.

“Lucas, can you go ask Mom for some buckets to put the wool in?” I overheard Dad call.

“Okay,” Lucas said.

I closed the shed doors and carefully replaced the pitchfork. I then hurried over to Dad, eager to help – but then Lucas bumped into me!

“Hey!” I yelled. “That hurt!”

I shoved Lucas right back – he cried out and tumbled to the ground.

Dad came over to us. “Claus, don’t hit your brother,” he said sternly.

“He hit me first!” I shot back.

“It was an accident,” Dad responded, calm but firm. “I know you don’t like being bumped, but that’s no excuse to hit your brother. And a shove is even more painful than a bump.”

“Yeah – well – I was-”

And then I heard the sniffling.

“I… I-” I couldn’t handle this – I hated it when Lucas cried!

I spun and ran off, a few tears running down my

I blinked, surprised to find myself standing in a volcano instead of our familiar sheep pasture.

Where had that come from? It was one of my clearest (but painful) childhood memories, but… why’d I hafta remember one of the times I hurt Lucas?

I scanned the surroundings, trying to clear my thoughts. Purple smoke was puffing out of the Needle hole. Lava bubbled all around me, letting off big waves of heat. Kumatora, Duster, and Boney were staring at me, looks of concern on their faces.

“Good – you’re back,” Kumatora remarked. “You were just starin’ off into space again.”

“We were worried about you,” added Duster.

Boney ran up to me, barking urgently. I bent down, letting him lick at my face while I scratched him behind the ears.

And then I heard someone clapping.

I glanced up, curious – Phrygia was here now, standing behind Kumatora and Duster.

“Well done! *heart*” Phrygia trilled. “So much excitement – I’m glad I roused myself from my slumber to watch my Needle being pulled, after all.” She sighed dreamily. “Such a pure and wonderful heart rising from the earth, too. *heart*”

I frowned – she was acting a lot different from when we first met her. I’d almost call it nice.

Phrygia tilted her head. “Why the long face? – Oh, I do apologize for my earlier behaviour, I get so cranky when my nap is interrupted. *heart*” Suddenly she gasped as her whole body flickered. “Looks like it is almost my ‘Time’. Anyhoo, I came here to share the locations of the remaining Needles. I’m very detail-oriented, you see. *heart*”

She cleared her throat. “At present, four Needles have been pulled – those of Aeolia, Doria, Lydia, and of course dear old me. *heart* That leaves three more: Mixolydia’s can be found on Tanetane Island to the south of Tazmily, while Ionia’s is hidden at Chupichupyoi Temple in the depths of the Oriander Mountains.”

I frowned – I’d never heard of this ‘Tanetane’ place, but I didn’t want to go after Ionia’s Needle next, either!

“Now, that leaves Locria’s Needle. But… I haven’t the foggiest idea where it could be – or Locria herself, for that matter. This is quite distressing for a detail-oriented person like myself, you see. *heart*” (She said it in the Magypsies’s usual cheery tone – she certainly didn’t sound distressed!)

Phrygia tutted, waving her rapidly-flickering hands in front of her face. “Oh dear, I do seem to be fading fast. Come here, child – I have something to give you.”

I hurried up to her, curious – could it be…?

Sure enough, she took out two small objects from her dress pockets – a small tube, and a gleaming razor. She carefully placed them in my outstretched hands.

“This is my Memento,” she explained. “Naturally it’d remain behind after I vanish from this world, but I wanted to make sure you got it – I’m very meticulous, you see. *heart* Please take good care of it.” 

I nodded, carefully placing the Memento in my pocket. 

Phrygia let out a shrill “Bye-byeeee! *heart*”, then vanished in a small shower of sparkles.

The four of us were silent for a moment.

“Well, that was certainly… something,” Duster mumbled. “Er… are all the Magypsies like that?”

“Sorta,” said Kumatora. “They’re a bit… detached from us humans. You’ll like Ionia well enough, though – she’s got a soft spot for us humans.”

I shrugged – Ionia certainly seemed the nicest and most friendly of the Magypsies (except for Doria, I guess).

“Let’s get goin’,” I called. I wanted to get out of this hot place – I didn’t want to be cooked like an omelet!

*

The trip out of the volcano was uneventful. We didn’t see any sign of the Pigmasks – guess Fassad must’ve ordered a retreat.

We did see something different on the path back to Saturn Valley, though – a Mr. Saturn was lying on the ground, watching the sky.

“How did you get up here?” Duster wondered.

That’s right – we needed the Mr. Saturn ladder to get up the first time, and…

“CaME Up HerE,” said the Mr. Saturn. “eAsY eAsY. LaDDer THeRe.”

I hurried to the edge of the cliff – sure enough, someone had installed a gleaming metal ladder.

“BUiLDeD LaDDer,” explained the Mr. Saturn. “cHeeSe MaN gO hOMe fROm fiRE mOUnTaiN.”

“I see,” said Duster. “Thank you.”

“wELCoMe aT yOU. BoiNG.”

We scrambled down the newly-built ladder and continued to Saturn Valley. We had just emerged from the cave back into the valley when I heard a loud BANG noise.

Seeing a flash of light in the distance, I zoomed in – and immediately saw a huge pile of rubble tumbling down over the tunnel back to the highway.

Someone had just collapsed the tunnel! Worse, I saw a Pigmask ship flying off – the Pigmasks had trapped us in Saturn Valley!!

“They blew up the tunnel!” I shouted.

“Shit!” yelled Kumatora, while Boney whined unhappily.

Several Mr. Saturns hurried up to us, curious by the commotion. “nO KaY-O?” one of them asked, ribbon bobbing.

“Very much no kay-o,” Duster responded. “The bad pigs destroyed the tunnel, and we need a way to quickly get home.”

“hMM… cALL fRiENdS. HeaD tO tOtem hOUse. BiG tHOUgHts, DinG!”

“He’s saying to go into that house with the totem – there’ll be a town meeting,” Duster translated.

The four of us followed him into the house with the totem pole thing. One by one, some Mr. Saturns came in to join us, whispering “zOOm!” and “BoiNG!” in excitement.

Finally one of the Mr. Saturns made a squeaking sound, as if clearing his throat. “tUnneL brOKE. ManTis. fRiENds NeeD wAy Out, zOOm!”

Duster nodded.

The Mr. Saturn hummed, deep in thought. “hMM. hAVe PLaN. fLyinG VeHiCLe. CatCH BirDieS. LooooTs oF BirDieS.” His nose bobbed up and down. “WAit iN hOt sPRinG. waSH eXHauST oFF. sMooTH sMooTH aFTer BatH!”

“Wouldn’t say no to a good soak right now,” Kumatora admitted.

“Follow me,” said Duster.

He led us back through the cave. Soon we exited back outside, popping out at a small sunny plateau with what had to be the hot spring. A Mr. Saturn was already soaking inside, humming in contentment.

I frowned – the water here was pink, and smelled faintly of roses. Was it safe to swim in?

Duster went in first, clothes and all. “It looks funny, but it’s completely safe,” he reassured us. “This is where I crash-landed after that airship ride.”

Kumatora and Boney hopped in after him, and were soon sighing happily. Seeing that they were completely fine, I carefully stepped in.

The water was refreshing and pleasantly warm – a nice change from the inescapable, stifling heat of the volcano.

“HavE cOffEE iNsiDE hOt sPRinG?” asked the Mr. Saturn bathing with us. (Sure enough, there were several small tea cups arranged along the edge of the hot spring.)

“Um, no thanks,” I said quickly. Coffee was this new drink a lot of the villagers were crazy about – Dad and I tried some once, but neither of us could see what the fuss was about. It actually tasted pretty gross (but not as bad as that awful cola!).

We spent a long time just relaxing in the hot spring. It felt great – it was the first time in days I finally got a break from running all over the Nowhere Islands. We soaked in there so long, we got all wrinkly.

Finally another Mr. Saturn hopped over from the cave. His hair was more crooked than the other Mr. Saturns.

I gasped in recognition.  “Hey - weren’t you the one who travelled all the way to Tazmily to find us?”

The Mr. Saturn nodded eagerly. “yEs yEs! LiKE tO eXpLoRE LoTS. PoTEnTiaL!” He hummed. “tAKe tHinGy aNd PoLiSH iNtO sHinY sParKLe tHiNG?”

“Y’mean this?” I fingered Dad’s Courage Badge, frowning. “I mean, it’d be nice to have it all polished, I guess… but it was a gift from someone very important to me! I don’t wanna lose it!”

Mr. Saturn hummed louder. “yEs. dO NoT wOrrY. aFTer MaKe sParKLy, I FinD yOU aNd ReTUrn sParKLe tHiNG. eVen iF gO fAR, mR. saTUrN FoLLow aLWaYS, DinG!”

“You can trust him, Claus,” Duster reassured me. “If there’s one thing I learned from my brief and unexpected stay in this village, it’s that a Mr. Saturn always keeps his word. They’re sincere little fellows.”

I thought it over for a moment. Then, I carefully unpinned the Courage Badge and placed it on Mr. Saturn’s nose.

“tAKe gOOd cARe oF sParKLe tHinG. mAKe sHinY. pOTenTiaL!” With that, the Mr. Saturn hopped off, whiskers bobbing frantically.

Kumatora climbed out of the hot spring shortly after that. “Let’s see if they’re ready – the sooner we’re outta here, the better.”

*

We hurried back to the village. To my surprise, a big cage filled with red birds was proudly standing beside the main house (the cage topped with a red ribbon, as usual). Not only that, but a bunch of Mr. Saturns were lying on the ground with balloons tied to their noses! The balloons glinted for some reason – when I zoomed in, I saw fish hooks dangling off the balloons! How strange!

“What’s happening?” Duster asked.

“fiSHinG fOr BirDiES,” said one of the Mr. Saturns lying on the ground. “cAtCHeD LOtS. BuT nOt ENouGH BirDiES yEt. MayBE nEEd OnE mORe, BoiNG!”

“Hmm.” Duster thought for a moment, then nodded. “I recall a flock of birds that like hanging out at the tunnel entrance – let’s go see if we can catch one.”

We hurried up to the highway tunnel – it was blocked off, all right, with huge stones in the way. But just as Duster said, there were a few red birds hopping about on the ground.

I dashed up to one – this would be easy, just like rounding up Grandpa Alec’s chickens! All I had to do was corner them against the cliff, then I could grab them!

The bird squawked in alarm, then flew off.

I skidded to a halt. Darn it – I forgot chickens couldn’t fly (or at least not very far or high)!

Judging by her bad words, Kumatora wasn’t having much luck, either – she kept trying to sneak up on the birds, but they’d fly off at the last possible moment. Even Boney was having trouble – whenever he tried to herd them, he’d end up spooking the whole flock, sending them flying in a flurry of feathers.

Finally we’d scared all the birds off.

“Darn it,” I muttered.

And then someone coughed.

I spun around – Duster was holding a bird in his arms.

“Hmph. Guess we should’ve just asked the thief,” said Kumatora.

Bird in tow, we hurried back to where the Mr. Saturns were waiting.

Duster carefully opened the big cage and let our bird hop inside. It peered around at its new surroundings, chirping curiously.

“DinG DinG! CoMPLeTe,” one of the Mr. Saturns said happily. “CoLLeCT aLL BirDiES. fLYinG VeHiCLe dONe.”

“So we just grab onto this thing and fly out?” ssaid Kumatora, cocking an eyebrow at the cage – clearly she wasn’t convinced.

“BoiNG! GRaBBy rOPe. zOOm iN AiR!”

“He says we need to attach a rope to the bottom,” said Duster.

“A rope?! Wait one gosh-darned minute!!”

I flinched and spun around at the new voice.

It was Duster’s red snake, swishing into the clearing.

“A dinky little rope won’t do the job!” exclaimed the snake. “It’ll snap before you can say ‘piece of cake’! You need a specialist for this job – you need me, Rope Snake!”

Kumatora snorted. “Yeah, right – last time we almost fell to our deaths because of you. I’ll stick with the rope, thanks.”

“C’mon, I’m sorry! It was a mistake!” pleaded the snake. “I’ll do better! I promise! Please – just gimme another chance!”

“I-” I was about to echo Kumatora’s comment, but stopped. He had a point. After all, I’d been given another chance after making a stupid, reckless mistake. Much as I hated the Pigmasks, it was thanks to them I’d been able to recover from my accident and keep living in Tazmily. 

It was only fair to give someone else that same chance… right?

“Okay, we’ll take Rope Snake,” I said.

“W-what? Really?!” exclaimed the snake. “Oh, gosh – thank you!!”

“hErE GoES nO sOMeTHinG,” said one of the Mr. Saturns.

Right on cue, the birds started flapping – before our eyes, the cage slowly lifted off the ground.

Duster grabbed Rope Snake, who snapped out his jaw and latched onto the cage. At the same time me and Kumatora leapt onto Duster, while Boney grabbed my shorts in his jaws.

Soon the four of us were rising through the sky – we went all the way up into the clouds!

I clutched Duster’s leg tightly, not daring to look down.

“Urugh… gah!” grunted Rope Snake, clearly doing his best to hang on.

“Just a bit farther!” Duster called. “I can see Club Titiboo!”

“Grr… grgrgh…”

“Okay, there’s Sunshine Forest – now lose altitude!” said Duster.

“Ghh… I’m… sorry…”

And then Rope Snake let go.

“Not that faaaast!” screamed Duster.

We plummeted through the sky – before I knew what was happening, I smacked head-first into a wall of water.

Chapter Text

My body started sinking into the water.

I desperately splashed, trying to keep myself afloat. I needed to keep my head above the water – water and robot parts didn’t mix, and salt water would be even worse!

What was happening? Why was my body so heavy? Why was swimming so hard? Then it hit me – my robot parts were super heavy!

“There’s land!” Kumatora shouted from behind me.

“Is it Tazmily?!” Duster yelled.

“I don’t care – just swim for it!”

That was when my arms gave out – in my panic, I’d uselessly splashed around and wasted precious energy.

I closed my eyes as my head hit the water, trying to protect my mechanical eye.

I could feel my body sinking like a stone. My body was so heavy – even kicking my arms and legs took so much effort!

Finally someone grabbed my shirt and hauled me up.

I gasped for air as I broke the surface of the water.

Boney was barking like mad – he was so worried about me!

“You okay?” Duster asked, holding my shirt, while Kumatora pressed, “Can’t you swim?”

I shook my head. “My robot parts are too heavy! It’s all I can do just to stay above water!”

A memory flashed before my eyes - Dad wouldn’t let me go swimming with Fuel and the other kids after my accident, even though I was one of Tazmily’s best swimmers as a kid. Now I finally understood – my robot parts weren’t designed for swimming!

“Hang in there,” Kumatora said. “We’ll tow ya to shore. Just try to keep yourself afloat – don’t die on us, ya hear?”

*

Duster and Kumatora took turns hauling me as they flailed-swam toward the shore Kumatora spotted, Boney bumping me from behind all the while. By the time we finally made it to the shore (a sandy beach), we were all completely exhausted.

The four of us sprawled on the beach. I lay on the warm sand, panting, while Boney whimpered in exhaustion beside me.

“This sure doesn’t look like Tazmily,” Duster said, frowning at the strange, lush plants encircling the beach. “D’you think this is the Tanetane place that Phrygia fellow mentioned?”

Kumatora sighed. “Dunno – I’ve never been to Missy’s place. But I think you’re right – she must live somewhere tropical, with a tan like that.” She panted. “Crap – it’s sunset already. We need to find a place to spend the night.”

Sure enough, there were pink streaks in the sky. It would’ve been beautiful, if we weren’t absolutely exhausted and stranded in the middle of nowhere.

“Well, look on the bright side – at least we have a shortcut to the next Needle…” Duster said.

And then his stomach gurgled loudly.

“Crap – now I’m hungry too,” Kumatora muttered.

Even I was getting hungry.

And then Duster started glancing around frantically. "Wait - where's Rope Snake?"

I patted my pockets, worried that I'd lost something too. Phrygia's Memento was still there, but the transceiver was gone - it must've gotten washed away!

"Never mind Rope Snake - we're barely alive as it is," Kumatora snapped. "Let's go find somethin' to eat, then we can worry about lookin' for your snake."

We slowly crawled up the beach – all of us were too weak to stand. Just up past the beach were some thick patches of stringy grass, lots of mud – and some bright purple mushrooms.

Boney whined loudly – clearly the mushrooms smelled just as unappetizing as they looked.

The rest of us glanced at each other.

“Well… at least it’s something to eat…” I mumbled.

“Didn’t your dad tell ya not to eat funky-lookin’ mushrooms?” Kumatora shot back. “Those things can be deadly poisonous. I’ll take my chances with starvin’ to death, thanks.”

Duster sighed. “Truth be told, none of us are doing so well right now – we won’t last long if we don't eat, and I don’t know if we’ll find anything else edible before nightfall.” He coughed. “I’ll take a bit of the mushrooms – that way, we’ll test if there’s any ill effects.

“Really?” Kumatora muttered. “You’ll put your life on the line, just like that?”

Duster grimaced, but said nothing. He slowly made his way to the mushroom patch and plucked off one of the caps. He munched it carefully, then swallowed. Cautiously he took another bite, then another.

I counted off five minutes on my retina display – and Duster seemed to be as fine as ever.

“Well? Any ill effects?” Kumatora pressed.

Duster shook his head. “Not as far as I can tell… I remember from my Dad’s survival training that most poisonous mushrooms act within a few minutes, so I’m thinking we’ll be all right.”

Kumatora scowled, clearly not convinced.

But that wasn’t gonna stop me – I was starving!!

I grabbed some mushrooms and scoffed them down. I gagged a bit – they tasted terrible!

Kumatora frowned, but eventually gave in, eating a handful of mushrooms.

Boney just curled up and whined.

"C’mon, Boney - they’re fine!” I pressed.

That was when Duster hiccupped loudly – and then he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.

“Urf – don’t feel so good,” he gasped between loud coughs and gags. “I think – they’re bad-”

Too late – I’d gone through a good five mushrooms.

“Shit,” Kumatora muttered loudly.

I didn’t have much time to worry about it, though – suddenly a massive headache came on, and the world felt like it was spinning.

I collapsed, groaning in pain. I barely had time to shut my eyes before I passed out.

*

I wasn’t sure what time it was when I woke up – my retina display read 7:X!. I wasn’t worried about it, though – I felt like I’d finally had a good night’s sleep. In fact, I felt pretty great!

I leapt to my feet, grinning.

After a moment, I noticed something was wrong – my retina display had a green display filter up. It shouldn’t be doing that – obviously those trees were supposed to be bright pink!

Maybe it got busted? I remembered going for a swim before my nap, and that I had eaten some yummy mushrooms… I think. I couldn’t exactly remember. Whatever – it probably wasn’t important.

I glanced around at the others - Duster was staring at the ground, looking mopey; Kumatora was gaping at all the trees; and Boney was running around me, barking like crazy.

“Look, Boney!” I yelled. “The sky is yellow! And all the clouds are changing colour! Whee!”

Warning: Subject experiencing erratic brain patterns. Activity of biological components highly compromised. Subject urged to-

Where did that come from?! Why were there a bunch of words in my head? Was someone talking to me? Why were they being so bossy?

“Stop ruining my fun!!” I yelled.

“Who you talkin’ to?” someone asked – I think it was Kumatora.

“There’s a voice in my head! An’ it’s a robot!” I yelled. “I’ve got a robot in my head!”

“Don’t we all, kid,” Kumatora responded, then laughed – but I didn’t see what was so funny!

Boney barked loudly, and started pawing at my legs.

“Hey – what’s wrong?” I called.

And then Boney ran on ahead.

“Whoa – wait for me!!”

I chased after him – but then stopped in my tracks.

“D-Dad?!” I yelled in disbelief. “W-what’re you doin’ here?!”

Dad was just standing in the middle of the forest – Boney was snarling and growling at him.

“Hey – calm down, boy! It’s just Dad!” Why was Boney being so loud? He was gonna hurt my ears!

“Are you lost?” Dad said.

I frowned – that was an odd thing to say. If anything, I should be the one asking that – this sure was a long way from Tazmily!

Then again, he had a point – I wasn’t entirely sure where this place was. (Tanetane Island, said something at the back of my head. How strange – were you supposed to have voices in your head?) There certainly weren’t any pink forests anywhere near Tazmily!

“Y-yeah, I guess so,” I mumbled. “D’you know how to get home?”

Suddenly Dad roared in rage.

“You’re lost!!” he bellowed. “I lost you at Drago Plateau! You’re lost, you’re lost!”

He rushed forward and swung his fist at me.

“Hey!” I yelled, barely ducking out of the way. “Calm down! What’s wrong, Dad?”

“I lost you I lost you you’re lost you’re lost I’m lost you’re lost-“

Dad started stomping his feet, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust.

I coughed – that dust smelled yucky!

Zombieshroom. Type: Biological chimera. Careful, it’s poisonous!

Hey, there was that voice in my head again! Except… no, that wasn’t right! That voice was lying to me – my dad wasn’t a mushroom!!

“Stop it, Aeolia!” I heard Kumatora yell. “I don’t want to put on makeup!”

“Wess – no – I promise I’ll do better next time-” Duster pleaded.

Wait – who were they talking to?! Wess and Aeolia weren’t anywhere around here!

Dad swung another fist at me – I stepped back just in time.

I raised my own fists to defend myself – and froze. I couldn’t hit my own dad, I just couldn’t!!

Suddenly Boney ran up and headbutted Dad.

“LOOOOOST!!” shrieked Dad as he tumbled to the ground.

His face started melting and dripping – he shrunk rapidly, and his skin started getting all wrinkly.

Soon I saw a shrivelled old… mushroom?... standing in front of me. It had Dad’s cowboy hat in place of a mushroom cap, and Dad’s mustache – it was freaky!!

It charged at me, screaming “YOOOOU’RE LOOOOOST!!” and flailing its shrimpy little arms.

This time I didn’t hesitate.

“Stop it!” I yelled. I kicked it – then once it was distracted, I shocked it with some lightning.

The mushroom dissolved into a pile of ash – then vanished.

“What the hell was that?!” yelled Kumatora. “Aeolia just turned into an ugly mushroom!”

“So did my dad,” mumbled Duster.

I glanced around – it was just the four of us and the pink trees. Duster and Kumatora looked okay, if a bit pale and frightened. But Boney was running around us, yapping his head off.

“What’s wrong, Boney?!” I pressed. “Kumatora, can you try talking to him?”

“Talk? Animals don’t talk! You’re so funny, Claus!” Kumatora laughed.

“Hey!” I yelled. “It’s not funny! Besides, I was talkin’ about your mind-read thing!”

“Mind-reading? Now that’s even sillier!”

Suddenly Boney turned and scampered off into the trees.

“Hey! Come back!” I yelled.

“Maybe he wants us to follow?” wondered Duster.

“Like a scavenger hunt! Ha, ha!” cackled Kumatora.

The three of us hurried after Boney. Soon we came to another familiar face – Wess!

“It’s my fault,” Wess muttered. He looked and sounded exactly like Wess, but something seemed off. He wasn’t nearly as cranky as normal – in fact, he sounded downright apologetic.

“It’s my fault,” he repeated dully. “Duster broke his leg, the princess’s gone, Lucas is gone… it’s my fault…”

“Dad – no!” Duster said. “It was an accident! I got reckless and pushed myself too hard!” He frowned. “At least, I think so…” He sure didn’t sound convinced.

“It’s my fault,” repeated Wess. “Make it stop. It’s my fault… Let’s go home.”

Duster slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry, Dad, but I can’t. I have to help my friends find… something. It was very important – I wish I could remember.”

Suddenly Wess’s face contorted with fury. “Begone, you ungrateful child!!”

I dropped into a crouch, ready to fight back if Wess turned into another hostile mushroom.

But then Wess just… vanished. He was gone, just like that!

“W-whoa – Dad, where’d you go?” Duster frantically waved his hand in the spot where Wess had vanished.

“Hey – who you talkin’ to?” Kumatora interrupted.

“It… it was my dad,” Duster mumbled, “but – he’s gone.”

“So he’s invisible now? Helloooo there, invisible dad!” Kumatora laughed and laughed.

“Let’s… just get out of here,” Duster said. He sounded rattled – someone vanishing before your eyes was somehow even more disturbing than them turning into a mushroom.

We hurried down a path marked with colourful dots – Boney was leaving a trail of footprints for us! (I never remembered him doing that before – Boney sure was an amazing dog!)

Soon we came to something cool – a mailbox!

“Wow! A mailbox!” I shouted. I hadn’t seen one of those in ages – used to be every household in Tazmily had their own mailbox, but a lot of them got torn down when people made bigger and bigger houses. Now no one could send mail to each other – but no one really talked to each other either, so I guess it was okay. What was I doing, again?

Oh right, the mailbox.

“Mailbox, mailbox – open it and see what’s inside!” Kumatora giggled in a singsong voice.

“I dunno…” said Duster, doubt creeping into his voice. “Something seems odd… why is there a mailbox in the middle of the forest?”

“Because someone lives here, dummy,” said Kumatora.

“But… shouldn’t mailboxes be closer to… c-c-civil… the word with all the people around and round and round,” Duster mumbled, giving up.

Kumatora suddenly snarled in anger. “You’re worried ‘bout that, and not the bright pink trees?!”

Ignoring them, I pried open the mailbox.

A whole bunch of postcards tumbled out and fell to the ground.

I grinned – postcards, just like the ones the tourists would collect!

Curious, I bent down and picked up one of the postcards. It had a picture of a boy and his dog running along Tazmily’s train tracks. It was so cool – the picture moved!  

I was so fascinated, it took me a moment to realize the boy in the picture was me.

“Hey!” I yelled. How’d they take my picture?!

“The boy named Claus ran away from home.”

I gasped and glanced around. Who said that?!

But all I saw was Kumatora and Duster and Boney. Kumatora and Duster were arguing loudly while Boney paced between them, whining unhappily and looking agitated.

“…Well, I’m worried about all the bright pink trees!” Kumatora was yelling. She pointed at her mop of hair. “What if you talk to a tree and think it’s me? What if I turn into a tree?!”

“Now, calm down, I’m sure you won’t turn into a tree…” Duster mumbled.

I looked back at the postcard – and it had changed. Now it was a picture of me running around Sunshine Forest and blasting PK Love everywhere, as chimeras howled in pain.

I frowned – I couldn’t remember that happening.

“The boy named Claus learned some bad magic.”

That voice was back! Where… who…

And then came another voice: Subject urged to move away from swamp. Potential hazard to biological components.

Wait – what-

And for a moment, the entire world changed: all the trees were green, I was crouching in some mud, and some red letters were flashing at the corner of my vision. I was also holding my arms up in the air, as if grasping something invisible.

And then everything flashed and went back to normal – but the picture changed again. Now I was crouched beside Mom’s grave, except that all the sunflowers surrounding it were wilted and diseased.

“The boy named Claus is thinking bad thoughts at his mother’s grave.”

That voice! It sounded so familiar, but… not familiar, at the same time? Could that be possible?

I glanced around again. Duster and Kumatora were still arguing.

“I could be a tree right now and you wouldn’t even know it!” shouted Kumatora.

“Well, you’re talking, for one thing…”

“Yeah, right – have you seen every damn tree in the world? Are you sure there aren’t any that talk?!”

Duster gasped, then started mumbling to himself. “Do trees talk? ...Do trees exist? ...Do I exist?” He started glancing at his hands. “Am I going to disappear, just like Dad?”

The postcard flashed brightly, grabbing my attention. The scene had changed to me hurrying through the volcano – with a flash it changed to that snowy mountain – and then it shifted to me walking along the cliff by Club Titiboo - and then-

I gulped – I recognized the next scene all too well. A bunch of sand-coloured cliffs rose up everywhere. A small boy was dashing along, orange hair all tangled, a small knife clutched tightly in his hand.

“The boy named Claus is getting into trouble in the mountains.”

The picture changed again – it was another one of me as a kid, except I was stomping on a mole cricket while Lucas grimaced. Then there was one of me hitting Boney with PK Love, laughing as I did so. Then there was one of me surrounded by a pile of dead chimeras, blasting their carcasses with PSI, then grabbing a Squawking Stick and using it to whack at the chimeras.

Soon the picture faded to black. But then a faint picture of Lucas started to form – he was crying.

“The boy named Claus is bullying animals.”

The images started flashing rapidly now, all blurring together. I could only catch a few glimpses, each more horrible than the last: me stabbing Dragos with a knife; me dressed in a white lab coat at the Chimera Lab, standing over Boney strapped to an operating table; me flying in a big ship with Fassad as Thunder Tower exploded beneath us; me lying at the bottom of a cliff, my body bleeding and broken.

“The boy named Claus… the boy named Claus… the boy named Claus…”

I gulped – I finally recognized that voice.

It was Lucas.

And then the mailbox let out a loud scream. It went on and on – it rose to a wail, then a shriek, then a long moan, and finally silence.

The postcard crumbled to ash in my hands – then it reformed into a tiny Clayman, which hopped off and bounded away into the forest.

I just stood there, stunned into silence.

Duster, Kumatora, and Boney hurried up to me.

“You okay?” Duster asked.

“Yeah… I… I’m fine,” I lied.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Then I charged ahead into the jungle – the sooner we got out of this place, the better!

But then Boney ran ahead, snarling at some bushes.

“Hey… what’s wrong?” I wondered.

There was some rustling in the nearby bushes (pink, of course).

“I’m scared,” mumbled a voice.

I gasped. I recognized that voice – it was Lucas! Lucas was here!!

I hurried to the bushes. “Don’t worry – it’s me, Claus!” I called.

The bushes shook, and a small boy carefully stepped out.

I gulped - it was Lucas, all right. But something was wrong – he was too small! Way smaller than I was! He should be bigger after three years… right?

Boney was barking wildly. I ignored him – he must be startled by smelling Lucas’s scent again after so long. Or maybe he was just excited to see Lucas!

My eyes were drawn to a big scar on Lucas’s right arm. I gulped – he’d gotten that when we were escaping from the Mecha-Drago. It should’ve healed long before now, but it still looked so fresh.

So then… was this Lucas from three years ago? How was that possible?

“I’m scared,” Lucas repeated, voice barely above a whisper. “Let me go with you.” He sniffed, clearly on the verge of tears.

My first instinct was to run up and hug him, finally seeing him after so long. But something made me hesitate. The pink trees were normal, and so was the screaming mailbox I guess… but how could Lucas still be nine years old? It didn’t make sense!

“Lucas – what happened? Why are you here? How-"

“Claus – take me with you!” Lucas suddenly blurted out. “Let me fight the Drago too! I want to be strong – like you!”

I gulped – I knew those words all too well, even without the help of my memory storage. They were the last words I’d ever heard Lucas say – the very last words I could remember hearing before my reconstruction.

“Lucas, no!” I snapped back. Without thinking, I parroted my response from three years ago - “I hafta do this alone! It’s too dangerous!” Then, regaining control of myself, “I can’t lose you again!”

Dad can’t lose us again!

Lucas sniffed, then started wailing. “Why?! Why won’t you let me join you?! Why – WHY-”

He roared and lunged at me.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. His body grew and twisted, until he was a perfect mirror of the Ultimate Chimera – except yellow instead of red.

He pounced on me, pining me to the ground. Then he sunk his jaws into my arm – I cried out in pain.

Luckily Boney came to the rescue – Boney bit the chimera’s leg. The creature howled, releasing its grip on my arm.

That was my chance – I released a bunch of lightning PSI, striking the creature’s belly.

The creature started shrinking, whimpering all the while. Soon it morphed into a tiny bird, hardly bigger than my palm – then it exploded.

I panted.

Wait… where were the others? 

I glanced around in a panic. Kumatora was gone… Duster was gone… even Boney was gone!

They couldn’t have just abandoned me… could they?

I leapt to my feet and followed the faint trail of polka-dots floating slightly above the ground. I had to find the others – I didn’t want to be alone in this strange place!

I ran and ran and ran – and bumped into someone.

I gasped – it was the very last person I’d expected to see here.

“I BEG YOUR PARDON,” Miss Marshmallow chimed. “I APPEAR TO BE LOST, AND REQUIRE ASSISTANCE. QUERY: HAVE YOU SEEN ME ANYWHERE?”

“M-Miss Marshmallow?” How was it possible – Fassad said she… she was…

“INDEED, THAT IS MY NAME. QUERY: ARE YOU THE ONE THAT HID ME?”

I tilted my head. “No?”

Her eyes started flashing red. “INVALID RESPONSE. I AM MAD MAD MAD IN THIS MAD WORLD OF BROKEN PORK CHOPS THAT ARE MAD!!”

A whole bunch of sharp tools sprang out of her back, as if she were the world’s deadliest spider. I gulped – those were the same tools from the operating table at the Chimera Lab!

She charged at me. “SUBJECT IS ERROR. REQUIRES URGENT RECONSTRUCTION BANANA PORK CHOPS!”

I unleashed a bunch of lightning in self-defense.

Miss Marshmallow stopped in her tracks, sparks coursing all over her metallic body. She jerked wildly, then crashed to the ground.

“I AM SO SEW BROKEN,” she moaned mechanically. “FATAL ERROR: OUT OF PORK CHOPS. INITIATE TERMINATION SEQUENCE. FROM EAST TO WEST IT GOES...”

Her eyes blinked off, lifeless. Then her head cracked open, and a mailbox sprang out.

I grimaced in disgust – but then my curiosity overcame me. I walked over and carefully creaked the mailbox open.

To my suprise, there were a bunch of sunflowers growing inside. I frowned – that wasn’t right! Plants needed sunlight to grow - they couldn’t survive while shut up in a random mailbox!

One of the sunflowers burped. I gasped – they had faces!

And then all the sunflowers just started screaming at me, except ‘screaming’ wasn’t quite the right word – no sound was coming out. Instead, big blue letters flew out of their mouths. 

The letters swirled in a vortex around me, mixing into all sorts of rude words, before spiralling off into the sky.

Before I could recover, a bunch of darkness came pouring out of the mailbox – thick, soupy darkness. It tumbled out and oozed all over the ground.

I tried to shove the mailbox closed, but couldn’t – it was like trying to stop a waterfall!

More and more darkness came rushing out, pooling into a thick pile around my shoes. Poor Miss Marshmallow was completely covered by darkness. From deep inside the mailbox, I could hear what sounded like crying.

I shut my eyes, covered my ears, and ran off as fast as I could. I didn’t stop until my lungs burned and my legs wouldn’t go any farther. 

I took some greedy gulps of air, then slowly opened my eyes. Fortunately the darkness hadn’t followed me, but the mailbox seemed to - another one was sticking out of the ground.

Despite everything, I opened this one, too.

This one was a pleasant surprise compared to that last one – I saw myself inside!

How strange… maybe this was some kind of mirror?

I waved my hand, and the figure on the other side waved back. But when I tried winking, the figure didn’t – instead, the other me started making some faces. And when I looked closer, I saw that they had two blue eyes – they didn’t have my mechanical eye!

“Hey! Who’re you?!” I shouted. My voice echoed down the mailbox.

The figure grinned back at me – far wider than any human should be able to grin. “I’m Claus! I’m the Claus that Lucas can’t see!” Their smile grew even wider. “Bye, freak that isn’t me!”

The other Claus slammed their mailbox shut, leaving me staring at darkness.

I was left with my thoughts. A freak… I wasn’t a freak! I just wasn’t, no matter what the Pigmasks did to me, and no matter what the villagers said… right?

I shook my head – it sure didn’t sound convincing, not even in my own mind.

And then a figure skipped up to me.

I gasped – it was Kumatora! But she was in that waitress outfit! Didn’t she hate it…?

What was going on?! Nothing made sense in this place! (Except for the pink trees. Those were perfectly normal.)

“Hey there, sweetie-pie!” she called. “Come here – there’s noooothing to worry about! *giggle*”

I grimaced – that was nothing like the Kumatora I knew!

The waitress person (I refused to call her Kumatora) came closer. She drew out a small knife.

“Just close your eyes and go to sleep,” she giggled. “Don’t do aaaanything. It’ll be over very soon. It’ll be soooo much fun… ohohohoho!!”

She cornered me right up against a tree and pressed the knife to my neck.

Fortunately I was a lot stronger than last time – I blasted a PK Love, knocking her aside.

“Go to sleep… in absolute darkness…” she mumbled as she melted into a pile of goo. “Blackness… nooooothing…”

I scowled in disgust and ran off.

But then I got cornered yet again – this time by another copy of me!

“Everyone’s waitin' for you,” the other Claus called in a sing-song voice.

“Huh?” I said. “What’re you talkin’ about?” Was he talking about Kumatora and the others?

But the Claus went on singing. “Everyone’s waitin’ for you ~ They’re waitin’ to throw rocks an’ spit at you an’ call you names ~ They’re waitin’ to make your life hell.” They grinned, dropping the sing-song voice. “Who’s everyone? Everyone you love. Ha, ha!!”

The other Claus’s shadow started rising from the ground, then split off into a bunch of formless blobs – all of them were grinning and making horrible giggling noises, just like Fassad’s old laugh.

I gulped – I couldn’t fight off so many!

I turned and ran away, the shadow’s shrieks and laughs echoing after me. 

Stones started raining from the sky, pelting my body like hail.

“Running away won’t solve anythin’ ~ They’ll come for you an’ beat you an’ lock you in a cage ~ They’ll come and gawk at you ~ Everyone you love. Ha, ha!!” The other Claus’s singsong taunts echoed through the trees.

Finally the rain of rocks stopped. I ducked into the trees and huddled, casting a quick Lifeup on myself.

And then someone else walked up to me.

I flinched – Fassad! Except he wasn’t a chimera anymore – he was back to being the kindly, belittling peddler I knew all too well.

This was starting to get ridiculous! People that were supposed to be dead, people who were supposed to be in Tazmily, people who were supposed to be chimeras… What was up with this place?!

Fassad smiled and gently patted my shoulder. He slipped into his syrupy voice: “It’s all right, Claus. Come with me.”

I shoved him off me. “No way!!”

Fassad just continued smiling. “Everyone’s waiting for you, my little human chimera.”

“Stop it – we beat you at the volcano!!” I yelled. “Just leave me alone!!”

Fassad ignored me – as usual. “Come – your mother is waiting. She’s waiting with fresh-made omelets, just for you.”

My blood froze. How’d… how’d he know about Mom…?

“Mom… mom’s…” I shook my head. “S-stop it!! I’m not goin’ with you! Not ever!!”

“She’s waiting… SHE’S WAITING FOR YOU!!”

And then Fassad’s grin – no, his entire face – flew off. It rushed right at me, breathing little wisps of fire.

“Ah!” I yelled, ducking.

Fassad’s face started chasing me around, cackling “Nwehehehe!” the entire time.

“Stop it!” I repeated.

I spun around and threw a big punch right on his nose. The face grimaced, then shattered like glass.

The rest of Fassad’s body was still standing in the middle of the clearing. His face was completely blank and featureless, like a bald head.

Before I could do anything, his body crumpled up like a sheet of paper and drifted off into the sky.

I shook my head – the sooner I got out of this crazy place, the better!

I marched through the pink swampy ground, trying to find a way out of this forest.

But then something grabbed my attention - there was a garbage can standing in the middle of a pink clearing! (That’s strange… maybe it belonged to the same person who owned all those mailboxes?)

I knocked on the side, half expecting Dr. Andonuts to pop out.

Instead Grandpa Alec came out, the trash can lid balanced on his hat.

“Grandpa!” I yelled. “Help me – everythin’s weird!”

“You haven’t eaten?” said Alec.

“Hey!” I protested. What did that have to do with anything?!

And then my tummy growled.

“Well, I ate some mushrooms, but I guess I’m still hungry…” I mumbled.

“You haven’t eaten?” Alec repeated.

“I’ll be fine – my robot parts’ll-”

“You haven’t eaten?”

“Hey - stop that!” I yelled.

“You haven’t eaten? You haven’t eaten?”

“Gramps – what’s wrong? Why’re you acting like this?!”

“You haven’t eaten? You haven’t eaten? You haven’t eaten?”

For an instant, the world changed again – all the trees turned green. And I was staring at absolutely nothing.

And then everything went back to normal – no, not normal, just whatever this place was.

I grabbed the lid and slammed it down, trapping Alec inside the trash can. Then I turned and ran off - somehow I knew that thing wasn’t Grandpa Alec, and I wasn’t gonna stick around to see what horrible things it’d do next.

I could feel tears running down my face, but I didn’t stop. I kept running, not looking back, until-

“Lucas!” I shouted.

There he was, all full grown this time. He exactly matched my height, just as he did on every single one of our birthdays… until…

Maybe I should’ve been more suspicious. But I didn’t care – I’d finally, finally found my brother.

“Lucas!” I ran up to him, about to give him a big hug. “You’re alive! C’mere – let’s get outta this crazy place and find Dad an’-”

But then Lucas started talking – but it sure didn’t sound like his normal voice!

“Let’s switch places… let’s switch places…”

I stopped. “Uh, okay… I can go stand over there, and you can come here.” Whatever made Lucas happy!

Lucas shook his head. “No, Claus… let’s switch places.” He stared at me - I swore he could see right through me and all my robot parts. “You’re more… You’re more…”

I gulped – more what? And what did he mean, “Let’s switch places”?... Like that game we’d do as kids where we pretended to be each other? Or did he want to take my place… to be the one the Pigmasks found and brought home to Tazmily?

A bunch of memories flashed through my head – some from only a few days ago, some much older. Me running off with Dad’s knife; me stumbling around our house like a newborn baby; me lying helpless while a person in a white coat prodded me all over; me moments away from being eaten by a giant red chimera; me falling through the sky; me wrapped up in chains at the mercy of Fassad.

I shook my head. I couldn’t… I couldn’t inflict any of it on poor Lucas. Whatever he had been through these last three years, it couldn’t possibly be worse than this.

“Lucas - no!” I cried. “I won’t do it! You don’t… I can’t do this to you!!”

“You’re more…” Lucas whispered, then faded.

Shaken, I hurried on.

Soon I found another trash can. This time, Dr. Andonuts popped out – except there was a Mr. Saturn growing out of his head!

“Issss theeere ssssssssomething onnnnnnnn myyyyyyyyyyyyyyy f-f-f-faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace?” slurred Dr. Andonuts.

“sCaRY,” said the Mr. Saturn. “tOO sCaRY. cHiMerA hUMaN tOO tOOOOO sCaRY. nO kAy-O.”

Then the Dr.-Andonuts-and-Mr.Saturn chimera sank back into the trash can. The lid slammed shut all on its own.

“Hey!” I shouted, banging on the trash can. “Come back – what was that about? What’s even happenin’ with this place?!” It wasn’t like I expected to get any answers, but…

The trash can remained silent.

Finally I got frustrated and stomped off.

I worked my way through the jungle until I found another mailbox. This one smelled – bad.

I pinched my nose and carefully popped it open – what could possibly smell this bad?

The mailbox was stuffed with putrid, rotten omelets.

Gagging, I slammed the mailbox shut. How disgusting – I didn’t even know omelets could go bad (they never lasted long when I was around!).

And then I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. I spun around in surprise.

I gasped – it was my dad! Two of him! There were two Dads!!

“Come, Claus, it’s time for supper,” said the Dad on the right. “Mom made you omelets.”

“M-mom?!” But that was impossible! “She… she’s dead!”

Dad shook his head. “Claus, no - it’s time for supper,” he repeated, as if denying it would bring Mom back. But it wouldn’t – it certainly hadn’t for me.

The second Dad froze, staring at me in stony silence. He lowered his hat – then ripped a branch off the nearest tree.

“You’re a bad boy,” he said flatly. He stomped toward me, swinging his branch around. “I’m gonna beat you, boy. Daddy’s gonna beat you…”

The first Dad ran out in front of me, arms wide – he was protecting me!

The angry Dad swung his branch, smacking it into the other Dad’s chest. There was a sickening crunch as the protective Dad collapsed to the ground.

The world swam before me as Dad got closer. For a moment, the scene changed again: first it was me standing in a green forest, staring at nothing; then it was me huddled by a campfire, with crackling flames and the whiff of smoke, and the smacking of wood.

And then it was back to Dad, raising his branch to strike.

I shook my head – somehow I knew this wasn’t real!! (That’s why Boney was barking – everything here was fake!)

“PK Love!” I shouted.

A blue light exploded from my hands and washed over Dad. He dropped his branch as he groaned in pain – and then he just disappeared!

“Stop this!” I yelled to the empty air. “Why’re you doin’ this to me?!” Why was this place messing with all my worst memories?!

No answer.

I hurried away, coming to a sign – “Hot Spring this way! Tee-hee!” Except all the letters kept dancing and squirming. And were bright pink.

I shrugged and followed the sign. Hot springs were good… right?

There were two figures waiting for me just past the sign. One was that masked boy, and the other was – Boney!!

“Boney!” I shouted, running up to him. “I was so worried about you! Are you OK?”

“Yeah,” said Boney.

“Good,” I said. Then I gasped. “Wait – you can talk?!”

“Of course I can talk,” Boney replied. “I can talk forever and ever about how it’s your fault I wound up in trouble, and got really hurt, and nearly got killed.”

Memories rushed through my head: Boney lying in a crumpled heap by Mr. Genetor. Boney almost getting killed by my blast of PK love way back at the train tracks. Boney being held at gunpoint by the Pigmasks.

“Claus did it. Claus did it. Claus did it.”

Tears stung my eye. “No – Boney – I – I’m sorry-”

“I can talk and talk and talk on and on and on-”

But then I heard barking in the distance. It was unmistakeable – I’d recognize Boney’s bark anywhere!

So then… that meant this wasn’t the real Boney! It was just an imposter – just like how everything here was mean and fake! (Except the pink trees. Maybe.)

“You’re not Boney!” I snapped.

The fake Boney let out a snarl, then faded. 

That left the masked boy – he stared at me with his usual silence. Then, he too spoke: “Who are you?” Except that he said it in a low growl, and sounded closer to an animal than a human.

I turned and bolted toward the direction of Boney’s barks, not daring to look back.

“Whooooo are yoooou?”

And then I came to the hot spring! It was a super fancy one, too – there were trays of fruit on the side and everything! It was like the Mayor Pusher’s house of hot springs.

Even better, Kumatora and Duster were there, sticking their feet in. So was Boney, except he was huddled a few feet back and whining.

“Hey, kid!” Kumatora called. “Fancy seein’ you here!”

“We found a shortcut,” added Duster.

“Yeah – I’m a tree now, so they just let us through!”

“Come on in – the water’s warm,” Duster said.

I was about to join them, but stopped. After all, this place had already made mean fakes out of Dad, and Boney, and even Miss Marshmallow. I wasn’t getting any closer until I knew they were the real Duster and Kumatora!

“Hey, Kumatora? What’s my mom’s favourite flower?”

Kumatora thought for a moment. “Uh, those yellow ones – funshowers. No, sunflowers!”

“An’ Duster, what’s your favourite food?”

“Cheese,” he said without skipping a beat. (Everyone in the village knew cheese was his favourite food – Duster always smelled faintly of cheese!)

I nodded – looks like these were the real Duster and Kumatora.

Unless… this place was tricking me, and making them sound real based on what I knew.

Then I had an idea – I’d ask them something I knew, but they wouldn’t!

“Hey – what’s 1,249,787 times 233,476?” (Somehow I knew the answer was 291,795,269,612, but I couldn’t figure out how I’d gotten it, and so quickly too – maybe I was just really good at math?)

They stared at me.

“Aw, hell - twenty gazillion?” suggested Kumatora.

“I think it ends with a 2... does that help?” added Duster.

“Nope!” I said. I told them the answer.

“That’s too big – numbers shouldn’t go that high!” Kumatora protested. Then she started giggling again – what was so funny?

“Why all the trivia questions?” asked Duster.

I grimaced. “I got attacked by a bunch of fakes on the way here. I had to check it was the real you.”

“Oh, that happened to us, too,” Duster said.

“Yeah! Violet and the DCMC attacked us! And there were two Shimmy Zmisses! Ha, ha!”

I sighed in relief – they were certainly a lot less mean than all the fakes. I decided to trust them.

I inched closer to the hot spring.

Suddenly Boney grabbed my shirt in his jaws, keeping me from going in. He whined loudly in protest.

“Hey! What’s wrong, boy?”

“I dunno – he didn’t like us going in, either,” said Duster.

And the world suddenly changed again – instead of a hot spring, Duster and Kumatora were sitting in a big pile of sludge!!

I gagged – no wonder Boney hadn’t wanted to go in! It just reeked!

“C’mon,” I said loudly. “Let’s get goin’!”

Duster frowned. “But don’t you want to-”

“There’s no time! We gotta get movin’ before those fakes come back!” I needed Kumatora and Duster out of there – that couldn’t be sanitary!

Kumatora and Duster reluctantly climbed out (they stank!!), then the four of us hurried back into the pink forest.

Soon we came to two figures: yet another fake Dad, and me as a little kid.

“Hey, it’s you!” said Kumatora. “And a cowboy, too! Is that your dad?”

“No!!” I shouted. “It’s fake – everything here is fake!” (Maybe even the trees? Now that I thought about it, maybe trees weren’t supposed to be bright pink.)

Kumatora shrugged. “Well, if ya say so…” Then she waved at the fake Dad. “Excuse me, fake Dad! We’re lookin’ for somethin’ – it’s… um… what were we lookin’ for, again?”

“I don’t know!” I shot back. (Something at the back of my mind said Mixolydia’s Needle, but I didn’t trust it – maybe that was fake too, like everything else here!) “I’m just tryin’ to get outta here!”

“It was a Needle,” said Duster. “We were pulling a big long Needle hidden in a haystack… I think.”

Kumatora chuckled. “Yeah, what he said!”

“What? A Needle?” the fake Dad suddenly demanded. “Pulling the Needle? Are you the Needle? I ought to pull you!”

“Yeah! Pull my Needle!” said Kumatora, sticking up a finger and laughing.

“Look! It’s me!” shouted the fake Claus. “Touch my heart! It’s beatin’ in and out!”

Just for a moment, the fake Claus turned transparent – I could see his bones, muscles, and all his organs. He had an oversize pulsing heart, which puffed up like a balloon.

“See?” said the fake Claus once he went back to normal. “It’s me! I have a heart! There’s noooothing to worry about now! Just have a heart!”

And then both figures charged at us.

Luckily I was ready – I swung my fist, knocking the imposter Dad to the ground.

“What’d you punch Flint for?” Duster wondered.

“They’re fake – fight ‘em off!” I yelled.

“Oh, they’re enemies? Well, we’ll show ‘em!” shouted Kumatora. She raised her hands and called, “PK Fire!”

Flames roared to life along the pink forest floor. The fake Dad and Claus cried out in pain, then dissolved into smoke.

Kumatora used a PK Freeze to snuff out the flames, then we continued through the forest.

Suddenly Kumatora stopped and swatted at the air. “Get off me, you creep!” she screamed.

Duster flailed at the air too, as if trying to smack an invisible mosquito. “Stop licking me - I’m not ice cream!” he moaned.

Even Boney was going crazy, running around and barking.

Huh? What was going on?

“What’re you yellin’ at?” I wondered.

Kumatora just scowled. “Can’t you see? The creep is right there! ”

Oh – she must be seeing another fake!

I concentrated, forcing the world to shift again. Now I saw green trees, and a small red creature flying around - it was lashing its tongue at Duster and Kumatora.

“Hang on!” I cried.

I launched a bolt of lightning – the creature was fast, but my aim was true. It shrieked in pain and fluttered off.

“You guys OK?” I asked.

Duster and Kumatora nodded, while Boney barked.

We started walking again, only to come across a fake Ionia.

I shook my head – these fakes were just getting ridiculous!

“Oh hohoho ohohoh ho!” giggled the Ionia figure. “Kumatora isn’t a princess. Why, she’s like a stick that nobody loves! *heart*”

Kumatora just stopped in her tracks. “Why, you-” she snarled, but then her face fell. “Ionia – why-”

“Don’t worry – just ignore her!” I said. “She’s fake – this place is lyin’ to you!”

Kumatora’s lip trembled – the fake Ionia must be making her really upset.

“Try askin’ her somethin’ only the real Ionia knows!” I added, then waved at the fake Ionia. “Hey! What’s that super special PSI power you gave me?”

“Oh ho ho oh oh ho!” laughed Ionia. “We’d never give PSI to a filthy short-lived human like you!”

“See – she’s lyin’!”

Kumatora frowned – but then nodded. “Yeah – the real Ionia would never say somethin’ like that!” She spun and faced the imposter head-on. “Take this, you lyin’ bastard!”

She fired a huge blast of ice at the fake Ionia – with one last “Oh ho!”, the figure shattered.

“Hey… you OK?” I asked Kumatora. Those fakes were sure mean!

Kumatora nodded. “Yeah – now that I know it’s all fake.”

We hurried on, until our way was blocked by a huge cliff. Some vines dangled on the cliff face, acting like makeshift ladders.

“Should we really be climbing this?” Duster asked, sounding doubtful.

I nodded. “We gotta get out of this crazy place!”

I grabbed the vines and started climbing up. Once I was safely on top, I waved to the others to join me – Kumatora came up first, while Duster grabbed Boney and did the same.

Another fake was waiting for us – this one was another of Grandpa Alec.

“Lies are truths, truths are lies,” mumbled the fake Gramps. “You’re all lies… YOU’RE ALL LIES!!”

We shared a quick glance.

“Even I’m not fooled,” said Duster.

“You’re the liar, asshole!” Kumatora yelled at the fake Alec.

“Get ‘em!” I cried.

We all charged at the Alec. His eyes widened behind his glasses – he just had time to shout “Lies!” before he vanished into thin air.

I skidded to a halt, scowling. (I didn’t even get the satisfaction of beating up one last faker!)

Safe for the moment, the four of us looked around at our new surroundings. To our left was a bright green seashell house in the middle of an orange pond. (Luckily there were stepping stones – after the fake hot spring, I didn’t trust that pond water one little bit!) To the right was an absurdly large gate and padlock, blocking off access to anywhere else.

I shrugged. I wasn’t about to climb back down those vines into crazy pink tree land, so…

I crossed the stepping stones to the green house, then carefully opened the door.

Chapter Text

The inside of the house was small and cozy, if garishly pink. (I scowled – between the Pigmasks and all those pink trees, I’d had enough of pink!)

What’s strange is that this house seemed oddly familiar, and I just couldn’t put my finger on why.

And then I saw something that made my jaw drop.

“Fuel?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

My best friend was standing in the middle of the room – except he was wearing a funny black hat, just like the uniformed men at Tazmily’s train station did.

“Fuel – what-”

Fuel wiggled back and forth. “That’s Mixolydia over there,” he said, pointing at something I couldn’t see (I was too busy staring at him!). “Isn’t she pretty?”

Mixolydia? That name sounded familiar… but I was pretty sure Fuel wouldn’t know that name! No one in Tazmily had a crazy name like that!

“Fuel – w-what’s goin’ on?” I finally managed to stammer. “Why aren’t you at Tazmily?”

Fuel waved his arms, as if doing a funky dance. “Talk to Mixolydia – she can clear everything up for you.”

I turned toward where he was pointing. My breath caught in my throat.

“M… m…”

I couldn’t believe it – this couldn’t… it wasn’t possible…

“M-mom?” I finally choked out.

Mom turned to face us. “Oh, me, oh, my! Visitors!” she exclaimed musically.

I gulped – something about her voice didn’t sound quite right.

No - this couldn’t - not another fake - please, no…

“I haven’t been called Mom in – well, ever!” the figure continued with a shrill laugh. “I’m afraid you’re a bit confused, my dear… Oh, you’re all hopped up on mushrooms. Why, that explains it! *heart*”

I frowned – that definitely wasn’t something Mom would say, but it wasn’t mean enough to be one of those horrid fakes, either. So who…?

The Mom-who-wasn’t-Mom waved at me. “Come here – I’ll get you silly humans back to normal. Oh, don’t worry, your doggy’s perfectly fine, he must have more sense.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “…You people stink.”

Now that she mentioned it, the air just reeked! It smelled worse than a week’s worth of sheep poop!

I sniffed my arm – it smelled okay. So where was that awful smell coming from?

Then I remembered Duster and Kumatora had been bathing in that sludge pond - no wonder they stank!

“Anyhoo, come line up in front of me, please. *heart*”

Confused, but wanting the craziness to stop, I stepped up to her.

Kumatora and Duster were just standing around and gaping. After a bit of waving and “Yoo-hoo! Over here, please! *heart*”-ing from not-Mom, they eventually lined up next to me.

“Okay, now turn around and close your eyes. *heart*”

I did exactly what she said. A moment later, I felt a light tap on the back of my head, followed by a weird tingling sensation throughout my body.

“There. Just a pinch of PSI, and you’re all better! *heart*”

I wavered on my feet a bit - once I steadied myself, I slowly opened my eyes.

The world had changed, hopefully for the last time. I was in a light blue room with a bed, a table, and matching chairs. Clay pots and sculptures were neatly lined up along the walls.

I also noticed some red text floating in midair – I had to remind myself that this part was perfectly normal.

What wasn’t normal was that the time kept flickering in my retina display. I tried to ignore it - I told myself it was probably just recalibrating.

Boney hurried to my side, barking happily.

“Whoa,” I heard Duster mumble – guess he and Kumatora were back to normal now, too.

Brain activity returning to normal patterns. Rebooting systems… checking for damage…

Whirring and buzzing went off in my head. I groaned, feeling more than a bit ill.

After a few moments, a new message flashed in my retina display.

Warning: Sustained damage to optical input. Diagnosis: Water damage, circuit overactivation. Subject urged to seek mechanical attention.

I shook my head. No – that couldn’t be right – not this, not now -

“Ugh,” Kumatora said. “Claus, Duster, you guys okay?”

“Uh-huh,” murmured Duster.

“Y…yeah,” I lied.

Trying to ignore the flashing light in my retina display, I glanced around the room – and immediately had another shock.

“An octopus?!”

“That’s Ocho, my dear, *heart*” said a really deep voice from behind me.

I gasped and spun around. “Wha-”

I found myself face-to-face with a pink-haired figure wearing a light blue dress and with stubble all over their chin. Another Magypsy?

“Oh, me, oh, my,” sighed the figure – unlike the other Magypsies, her voice was much more deep than shrill. “You dears look so confused. I sense some explanations are in order. *heart*”

Kumatora, Duster, Boney and I gathered around her.

“My name’s Mixolydia – Missy to my friends. I’m the Magypsy of Tanetane Island. That fellow over there is Ocho, my dear assistant.”

“Hello!” said the octopus. He was bright red, and was wearing the same black hat as Fuel.

I grimaced – how had I managed to mistake an octopus for Fuel?!

Mixolydia let out a dreamy sigh. “You three were quite out of it when you entered my humble little home. Did you eat any mushrooms, by chance?”

“Yeah!” I said. “These purple ones with white spots! They were pretty gross, too!”

Mixolydia’s half-lidded eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, me, oh, my. That is a particularly nasty species of fungi – just ingesting a small mouthful will result in terrible hallucinations that tear at your weaknesses and the very scars of your heart.” She sighed, then smiled slightly. “Frankly, I’m amazed you were even able to get this far after eating those horrid things… but then, you were accompanied by darling Princess Kumatora. *heart*”

Kumatora blushed slightly.

“Now, I suppose you dears didn’t come to visit me on a whim? After all, it is oh-so-hard to get to Tanetane if you’re stuck walking on land like a human. *heart*”

“Yeah – we’re pullin’ the Needles!” said Kumatora.

“Oh?” Mixolydia tutted. “Hmm… I did get the most peculiar feeling the other day. Does that mean it’s ‘the Time’?”

“Yeah! Aeolia an’ Doria an’ Lydia an’ Phrygia are already gone!” I said.

“Oh – then I’m practically the only one left! *heart* That leaves me and Ionia and Locria…” Mixolydia hurried over to one of her big clay pots. After digging around inside for a bit, she pulled out a small jar filled with a bunch of green things.

I tried zooming in. Instead of the smooth transition I was used to, my entire vision pixelated for a bit before displaying the enlarged image. I grit my teeth – so not only was my mechanical eye damaged, my zoom-in function was going all wonky too!

Still, at least it worked (this time!). Now I could see a bunch of pickles floating around in the jar.

“I assume you’ll be visiting Ionia next. Do give her these pickles when you see her -  they’re fresh from my garden! *heart*” Mixolydia said as she handed the jar to Kumatora. “These pickles are her absolute favourite. I give her some every time I see her.”

Kumatora nodded, then tucked the jar inside her sweater pocket.

“Now, whenever you dears are ready, you can go ahead and pull my Needle… assuming you can get past the special defense I set up to protect it, of course. *heart*”

“You can’t miss it – it’s through the cave and up on top of the bluffs,” Ocho added. “It’s very distinctive.”

I frowned – distinctive? That seemed an odd thing to say… weren’t the Needles themselves already distinctive?

“Take your time,” said Mixolydia. “You’ll want to rest up after eating those awful mushrooms. *heart*”

“No way!” exclaimed Kumatora. “”We have to get the Needle as soon as possible – we wasted enough time thanks to those bloody-ass mushrooms!”

“Yeah!” I agreed.

Duster nodded, while Boney yipped in agreement.

Mixolydia chuckled. “You humans are so impatient – how typical. *heart* I do suppose the only good to come from those mushrooms is that they’ll keep you awake and energized for several hours.”

She was right – I felt like I was buzzing with energy.

“Okay, let’s go!” I called.

*

I had a surprise once we left Mixolydia’s house - all the grass was lush and green, and the sky was a pleasing shade of blue. Looks like the mushrooms had really messed up all my senses!

A less pleasant surprise was that the sun was already high in the sky. I couldn’t believe it was morning already - we must’ve wandered around all night after eating those mushrooms!

The ridiculously large gate from before was gone, too – in its place was a towering cliff with a cave.

"Guess that's the cave Ocho was talking about," Duster said.

"Let's go!" called Kumatora.

The four of us hurried through the cave – it was long and narrow, and lined with stalagmites and stalactites (I could never remember which was which!).

Once we popped out the other side, I almost got blown off my feet – the wind was so strong here!

“Whoa!” I cried, throwing my arm in front of my face. The wind whipped at my hair – I was worried it was gonna blow right off my head!

“Is this the defense she was talking about?” Duster bellowed. I could barely hear him over the roaring wind.

We slowly made our way up the bluff, the wind buffeting us all the while. 

Finally we made it to the top.

The first thing I noticed was that the air was completely calm and still.

The second thing was the glow of what had to be Mixolydia’s Needle.

The third was the giant purple guys.

“Ah!” I gasped in shock.

I dropped into a combative stance and readied a blast of PK Love. But the figures stayed completely still.

I zoomed in (my vision going all wonky again for a moment). From up close, I could see that they were blocky human-like figures sculpted from clay - they looked a lot like Claymen, except purple and more goofy-looking. They were all bunched up too, forming a triangle position around the Needle - there wasn’t even room for Boney to squeeze past!

Duster cocked an eyebrow. “I suppose this is the ‘defense system’ that Missy fellow mentioned?”

Kumatora nodded. “It’s comin’ back to me now – Missy used to brag about this awesome defense system she made. She called ‘em the Barrier Trio.”

The name made sense – there were three of them, and they were sure doing a good job at blocking the Needle.

“Um… so how d’you tell them apart?” I asked.

Kumatora shrugged. “Same way ya do with everything – give ‘em nicknames. Okay, how ‘bout we call that one in front Barrier Man,” she pointed to the one with extra blocky arms that looked like muscles. “Then the one on the right can be Barrier Gal,” she pointed to the one with a curvier shape than the others, “and the last one can be, uh, Barrier Dude.” This one had their arm raised in the air for some reason.

“I’m more concerned about activating them,” said Duster. “Are they supposed to come out and attack us, or…?”

“Dunno,” said Kumatora. “Missy said the Barrier Trio’s the strongest defense the Magypsies got, but…”

I ran over to Barrier Man and tried climbing over them – maybe I could try getting to the Needle from above!

I had just managed to climb up to Barrier Man’s elbow when I heard a low moaning sound echo across the bluff – kinda like the ones the Claymen made, except a lot deeper.

Boney yelped in fright.

“I think you’ve woken them up,” said Duster.

“Aw, crap – get offa there, Claus!” Kumatora yelled.

Sure enough, the clay figure beneath me started shaking.

“Ah!” I was so shocked, I lost my grip.

I tumbled to the ground, then quickly rolled out of the way. Not a moment too soon - Barrier Man’s foot was rising off the ground! I didn’t want to be stomped!

Once I was a safe distance away, I scrambled back to my feet. I gaped in shock at the scene unfolding before my eyes: Barrier Gal was swinging their hips from side to side; Barrier Man was stomping their feet and stretching their arms; and Barrier Dude was doing some kind of wacky-looking pose, as if imitating the Nice Poser.

Boney whined and scrambled away from the figures.

“How’re we s’posed to fight ‘em?” I blurted out.

My retina display started flashing. Error: No data. df/s… Then it just started filling up with a bunch of gibberish.

I gulped – my mechanical eye was sure busted, all right. But I didn’t have time to worry about that now – we were in for a tough fight!

The Barrier Trio marched up to us, forming a line. Then all three of them clapped their hands together and made a loud, unearthly rumbling noise, as if doing some kind of strange cheer.

“Are they… posing?” Duster mumbled in surprise.

Kumatora snorted. “Show-offs.” Then she raised her arms and cried, “PK Fire!”

A ribbon of fire roared to life above her hands and flew toward the Barrier Trio. The fire rippled over the Barrier Trio, who writhed their bodies in an exaggerated manner.

“All right – let’s do it again!” she said.

But while she was building up a second PK Fire, one of the statues (Barrier Dude, I think?) made a weird moaning sound. It wasn’t like the Claymen’s sad moans, it was more like… a shout, I guess?

And then all three of the figures shot their arms into the air and curled their hands into fists. (I grimaced – they looked pretty strange!)

At that moment, Kumatora’s fire reached the Barrier Trio. There was a bright flash – then the flames were gone! The Barrier Trio were completely unscathed!

Kumatora gasped. “What the hell?”

“Maybe lightning’ll work?” I suggested.

I concentrated – a moment later, a lightning bolt flew out of my hand and struck Barrier Dude in the chest.

It worked, all right – the Barrier Trio buckled at the knees, all three of them moaning and trembling.

“Hell yeah!” Kumatora grinned and dropped a PK Thunder of her own.

Even Duster joined in – he grabbed a small red ball from his pouch and tossed it at the Barrier Trio. A moment later, it exploded in a shower of sparks – a bomb!

With one last moan, the Barrier Trio sunk to their knees, dogpiling onto each other.

Boney yipped happily.

“Yeah!” I shouted, pumping my fist into the air. But then Duster and Kumatora stared at me funny.

“It’s over – right?” I said.

Kumatora scoffed. “The Magypsies could make a freakin’ boulder into a decent defense system. There’s no way in hell their so-called ultimate defense is goin’ down that easily.”

Sure enough, one of the Barrier Trio – Barrier Man this time – let out a loud shout.

On cue, the Barrier Trio rose back to their feet, then clapped their arms above their heads and froze in place.

Before I could recover from that goofy-looking pose, all three of them hummed and started shaking their hips. A ring of fire roared to life around the three purple figures.

As the Barrier Trio shook their bodies faster and faster, the flames grew bigger and larger. With a final “UH!” sound the Barrier Trio stomped in union, sending the fire toward us.

“Oh no!” I cried.

I just had time to throw out a PK Love shield, forming a pink wall of energy.

The fire rippled toward us, hitting the shield. Most of it got absorbed, but a few stray embers managed to seep through.

I winced as the flames licked against my skin. They weren’t hot enough to burn, but they sure hurt! (It reminded me of all the times I’d be a bit too hasty and touch our frying pan before it had finished cooling down. I couldn’t help it – I wanted my omelets!)

But then something weird happened – some of the flames bounced off and went right back at the Barrier Trio. How strange – was it a counter shield, but for PSI?

I didn’t have much time to think about it, though – the Barrier Trio were already preparing their next attack!

Barrier Gal curtsied, then did what I think was an air kiss.

A miniature blizzard flew out from Barrier Gal’s outstretched hand and struck Kumatora. She dropped to one knee, gritting her teeth in pain.

I had to help her! The Barrier Trio were tough – we needed her PSI to help break them down!

“Hang on, Kumatora!” I called.

I launched a quick bolt of lightning to distract the Barrier Trio, then hurried to Kumatora.

“You OK?” I asked as I cast a Lifeup on her.

She rose to her feet. “Yeah,” she grunted.

I glanced back at the Barrier Trio – and gasped in dismay. With a flash, my lightning vanished, just like Kumatora’s flames had!

“Hey – what gives?!” I shouted angrily. It had worked before!

“Are they switching what attacks they’re weak to?” Duster wondered.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Kumatora snapped.

I frowned – anything was possible with the Magypsies, but… they couldn’t just switch their weaknesses around like that… could they…

But then it hit me – there were three of them, and three main elements of PSI! And it looked like there was a leader during each PSI attack - Barrier Man had done that shout and pose just before their fire dance attack, while Barrier Gal was the one that summoned the ice blizzard. So maybe each was responsible for one element of PSI - and weak to that element too!

I yelped and dived away from another of Barrier Gal’s ice attacks.

“Try – uh – PK Fire!” I called to Kumatora. If I was right, Barrier Man was the fire one - and was weak to fire!

“What the hell are ya thinkin’ – it did crap all last time!”

“Just trust me!” I pressed. “I think Duster’s right!”

Kumatora scowled for a moment, then she sighed. “Okay – I hope ya know what you’re doin’, Claus, ‘cause I’m gonna trust ya.”

She closed her eyes in concentration, then launched another PK Fire.

I held my breath as the flames rolled toward the Barrier Trio. This better work!

It struck Barrier Man in the chest – as the flames dissipated, Barrier Man made what sounded like a gasp of surprise, then sunk to their knees.

I grinned – it worked!

Kumatora unleashed another PK Fire, grinning in triumph, while Duster and Boney took turns tossing bombs.

I charged forward, about to launch a PK Love, but stopped. I couldn’t afford to waste any of my PSI, not during such a tough fight  - I might need it for some Lifeups, or another shield!

The others kept attacking the Barrier Trio – finally the purple figures collapsed to the ground again. 

But almost immediately Barrier Gal let out one of those weird shout-moans. The Barrier Trio climbed back to their feet – this time, they posed by planting their hands on their hips.

“Guess they’re weak to ice this time, eh?” Duster said.

Kumatora was already summoning a PK Freeze. Ice crystals shimmered in the air above her hands, then rushed out and smacked into Barrier Gal.

As if in retaliation, Barrier Dude started pumping their fist in the air.

A giant lightning bolt flew out and struck me - I cried out in pain as I tumbled to the ground. My vision went completely black for a moment, then started flickering like a broken Happy Box.

I shut my left eye – it was super busted now!

My whole body started twitching. At first I thought it was a calibration check, but the movements were far too jerky and random.

“You OK?” I could hear Duster and Kumatora’s voices, and Boney’s barks – and some bursts of static.

Now my hearing was going wonky, too!

“Y-yeah! I’m fine!” I lied.

Somehow I managed to roll to my knees. Still keeping my left eye shut, I focused on the Barrier Trio. Luckily they looked pretty worn out, too - a whole bunch of cracks were forming in the clay.

The three purple statues moaned, then bowed on their knees.

“Third time’s the charm?” wondered Duster.

Please let this be over, I silently begged. My whole body would start malfunctioning at this rate – I needed a maintenance appointment, and fast! (And I thought I’d never look forward to one of those!)

The Barrier Trio let out a series of long, low rumbles, as if chanting.

“Holy hell!” cried Kumatora. “They’re buildin’ up PSI!!”

“Oh, so all those other attacks were just a warm-up?” Duster said with a grimace.

“Claus, get some shields up, quick!” urged Kumatora.

I nodded. “Okay – gather here, everyone!”

Kumatora, Duster and Boney rushed to my side.

“Let me know when they start attacking,” I said. I concentrated – I’d need every last ounce of PSI.

The Barrier Trio slowly raised their arms to the sky. Their whole bodies glowed with a soft blue light.

Something shone high in the air.

“Shit – get those shields up now!” yelled Kumatora.

I raised my arms, launching a miniature PK Love. It grew in the air, forming a protective umbrella shining with pink sparkles.

Not a moment too soon – that was when it started.

I couldn’t believe it – stars were falling from the sky!

The first one hit my shield – so hard, my knees buckled. It bounced off and went hurtling back at the Barrier Trio, smacking Barrier Dude in the head.

“Hell yeah – they’re hurtin’ themselves!” shouted Kumatora.

I grimaced – there were still a lot more stars to go!

A second one bounced off my shield, then a third. I grit my teeth.

The fourth one shattered the shield completely.

I collapsed to the ground - I didn’t even have the energy to groan. 

I shut my eyes tight. I could hear the stars thump against the ground, and the others’ cries of pain. I was vaguely aware of something smacking into my stomach, but was just too exhausted to feel any pain.

Finally everything was silent.

I carefully opened my eyes. Kumatora and Duster and Boney were in pretty bad shape, and were sprawled on the ground.

The Barrier Trio were hurt bad, too. They were scarred and burnt all over, and even had gaping holes in their bodies where the clay was blown off completely. Chunks of meteors were sticking out of their heads and chests.

The Barrier Trio let out another low moan, then bowed their heads in concentration.

Kumatora let out a whole stream of bad words. I gulped – there was no way I could block another round of that crazy star attack!

The Barrier Trio slowly raised their arms to the sky – then groaned in surprise.

“Outta PSI, you bastards,” spat Kumatora.

With one last moan, the Barrier Trio rose to their feet.

They finished off with a really ridiculous looking pose – Barrier Man and Barrier Dude lifted up Barrier Gal, who did this crazy headstand.

It was… really something, I guess.

And then the Barrier Trio started glowing – their whole bodies were bathed with a blinding white light. A moment later, the light dissolved in a shower of sparkles.

I could hardly believe it… the Barrier Trio were gone, just like that. There wasn’t a single speck of purple clay left in sight!

All that was left was the Needle, and the sea below.

I panted. Every part of my body ached.

“You OK?” Duster asked.

I shook my head. “Not really.”

“Can you get up?” pressed Kumatora. “We gotta get that Needle!”

I grunted and tried to lift myself up, but my legs gave out.

“Not good – think I’ve got a mechanical failure,” I muttered.

Duster hurried over and helped pull me to my feet, while Boney supported my legs from behind.

I blinked a few times, struggling to focus. 

“Not feelin’ so good,” I managed to mumble. “Kumatora, can you cast a Lifeup for me?”

Kumatora shook her head. “All outta PSI - can’t even make a spark right now.”

I grimaced and made a shaky step toward the Needle. Kumatora was right – now that the Barrier Trio was gone, the Needle was exposed!

And then I heard the whirr of engines overhead.

“Shit – Pigbutts,” Kumatora muttered.

Boney snarled and growled at the unwelcome noise.

I sprinted for the Needle – I managed two long strides, then fell to my knees.

I grit my teeth, then started crawling for the Needle – no way was I gonna give up, not when the Needle was so close!

Something heavy plopped to the ground, followed by the sound of marching footsteps on grass – the Pigmasks must’ve just landed.

Kumatora rushed to my side, then she and Duster hauled me back to my feet. Exhausted as they were, they dragged my unresponsive robot body toward the Needle.

Twenty feet to go… ten… five…

And then Duster and Kumatora just stopped in their tracks.

“What’s-” I said.

An eerie calm washed over my body – my protests died away, just like that.

With some effort, I turned my head. I immediately saw six Pigmasks dressed in green, lined up in two neat columns along a red carpet. Standing across from me was that masked boy, metal wings slowly retracting.

The boy strode up the carpet toward me.

What caught my attention was the blue metal collar on his neck. I shuddered – putting a collar on a pet was cruel enough, but for a human...

But before I could ponder it further, the masked boy pulled out a sword and held it at his side, gazing at me all the while.

The whole world fell away – it was just me and the boy.

And then the strangest thing happened – somehow, there was another presence in my head. I didn’t know how else to describe it – something (or someone) was sharing space with my thoughts, just like how my robot parts would run quietly in the background.

Hello? I thought to myself. Is anyone there?

The presence said nothing, just quietly observing my thoughts. It should’ve felt invasive, but instead it felt… warm, even comforting, like I’d found an old friend.

“Hey, make ‘im use his own PSI!”

I bristled for a moment, the barking voice jolting me out of my thoughts.

But a moment later, all my focus was back on the presence sharing my head. I could feel it poking around in my memories about my PSI.

Huh? My PSI? I wondered. You’re curious about my PSI?

The masked boy made a tiny motion of his head, nodding.

And then the strange presence spoke, except that it wasn’t speaking so much as broadcasting the words directly to my head.  …That power? PK Love? 

It was so weird, hearing thoughts in my head that weren’t my own. Was this what telepathy felt like?

That masked kid had to be doing this… right? He and Kumatora were the only other psychics here, and she was all out of PSI… but why would the masked kid be talking to me in my head? It didn’t make sense - we were enemies!

Still, I didn’t care - that presence was so calming and soothing.

Yeah, I thought back.

Puppet-like, I raised my arm.

I watched as I summoned a tiny PK Love from my palm. My muscles screamed in protest - I was dredging up the very last of my PSI, pushing my body harder than it was supposed to go.

I have healing PSI, too, I continued. And I can use PK Love to make shields.

The boy tilted his head, as if curious. His tail wagged slightly.

And offensive PSI, too - I can control lightning!

The boy said nothing, face blank. Then he suddenly bared his teeth and raised his sword.

My body completely lost control – I would’ve cried out, except my mouth stopped listening to me too.

I could only watch in horror as I raised my arms and let out a huge blast of lightning, knocking Boney, Duster and Kumatora to the ground.

What’s happening?! Sometimes my robot parts would take control of my body, but they’d never used my PSI before!

But before I could react, I dropped some lightning on my own head!

I yelped as my body went flying. I hit the ground hard, crumpling into a heap.

My retina display flashed one more garbled warning – then my left eye went completely black.

I shut my eyes tight, being in too much pain to handle any kind of stimulation. I couldn’t even think!

I lay there for what felt like hours, waiting for the pain to die down and the pounding in my head to stop. In the distance I could hear cheering and clapping. 

Finally I risked opening my eyes.

The masked boy was marching up to the Needle, sword tucked back in his belt. 

He stopped beside the Needle for a moment, tail swishing. Then, he reached out his hands and carefully grabbed the Needle.

Despite myself, I felt a pang of curiosity. What was that masked kid feeling as he pulled the Needle? Was he excited? Worried? Completely bored?

There was a brief flash as the hilt flew off, then the masked boy raised his arms to the sky and released the Needle.

A bright flash of light filled the bluff, reflecting off his helmet and metal collar.

At that moment my body let out some jerky convulsions – tiny sparks danced all over my body.

My poor robot body must’ve short-circuited from all those lightning attacks! It was going out of control!!

With a groan of panic, I passed out.

Chapter Text

“Hey! Just how long are you going to lie there? *heart*”

I groaned, slowly opening my eyes. I was greeted by a sideways view of Mixolydia’s feet, flickering away.

Mixolydia tutted disapprovingly. “That was very disappointing, Claus. You didn’t pass your heart to the Dark Dragon – that heartless person in the strange headgear did.”

“Yeah, ‘cause Claus started spacin’ out and getting mind-controlled like a moron-” came Kumatora’s voice.

“Enough,” said Mixolydia. Her voice was hard, very unlike the Magypsies’ usual cheery tones. But after a moment, her voice softened. “Settle it amongst yourselves later – I don’t have much time left, you see.” Sure enough, her feet were rapidly blinking in and out of existence – she wouldn’t last much longer.

She took an airy breath. “Now, I hardly need to tell you that you must pull the remaining Needles. I’ve told Ocho to wait for you at the beach – he’ll take you back to the mainland. Oh, and be sure to give Ionia those yummy pickles when you go visit her at her home in Argilla Pass. *heart*”

Kumatora nodded, patting her sweater pocket. “I’ve got the pickles safe in here.”

“Good,” said Mixolydia. Then with a final “Bye-bye! *heart*”, she vanished into light.

A moment later, I heard something thump against the ground - that must be Mixolydia’s Memento. Kumatora bent down to pick it up.

I tried getting up, but yelped in pain. My arms twitched feebly, and my legs didn’t move at all – my body wasn’t cooperating! It wasn’t working!

“What’s wrong, Claus?” Duster called, worry in his voice.

“Mechanical failure,” I moaned.

“Well, can you walk?” said Kumatora.

“I think I can... but I need help gettin’ to my feet.”

Without another word, Kumatora and Duster grabbed my arms and hauled me up. I wavered a bit, but was able to stay on my feet. I breathed a sigh of relief – at least my reinforced skeleton and other internal parts seemed to be working properly. If those got busted…

Trying to put that out of my head, I took a small step, then another. My legs shook and trembled, but at least they still worked.

“What the hell happened back there?” Kumatora demanded as we walked.

I bowed my head. “That kid controlled me… couldn’t stop it…”

“I think that’s what happened to us, too,” Duster added. “Remember how we just stopped when we were taking him to the Needle? I knew at the back of my head that I shouldn’t, but something in my head was telling me to do it… and controlling my body…”

I nodded – that’s exactly what happened to me.

“Let’s… get back to Tazmily…” I said. “Need help…”

The four of us slowly made our way back down the bluff, not helped by the strong winds whipping at us. I could manage a few steps on my own, but occasionally I’d jerk a bit or collapse completely, and Duster and Kumatora would have to help me back up again.

It took so long just to get back to Mixolydia’s house - it was horrible! I hated being helpless!

I gulped once we reached the edge of the cliff leading to the rest of the island. “How’m...” 

Even on a good day I wasn’t exactly happy about climbing down vines – certainly not when I could barely control my own body!

“Here – I’ll carry you on my back,” said Duster.

I carefully wrapped my arms around his neck. He grunted, then started climbing down the vine, me dangling on his back like a monkey.

Once everyone had safely made their way down the cliff, I let go and carefully slid off Duster’s back. He panted – poor Duster, I was so heavy!

After that, we started trudging our way through the jungle (now without pink trees).

“Hey, there’s a hot spring sign,” Kumatora said after a long silence. “Let’s go wash up - that’ll help ease the aches and pains, too.”

“Yeah – you guys kinda stink,” I said.

Kumatora glared at me, while Duster grimaced. “I was wondering what that awful smell was…”

We followed the sign. Immediately we passed by a huge sludge pond - Kumatora gagged.

But beyond that was a nice hot spring. Kumatora, Boney and Duster climbed in for a few minutes, while I stayed out – I wasn’t about to mess up my robot parts even more!

We continued on, finally reaching the beach where we’d washed up.

Ocho burst out of the water. “You’re here,” he noted. “Hang on tight, everyone – I’ll take you back to Tazmily.”

Kumatora and Duster got on first, then helped pull me up. Boney leapt on after me.

Ocho let out a toot just like the train in Tazmily, then he started swimming through the water.

*

I spent most of the trip back moaning as my robot parts ached. The bobbing of the waves didn’t help, either.

Boney took the chance to take a quick catnap (dognap?), while Kumatora and Duster just stared ahead with weary eyes.

Luckily the trip was pretty quick – Ocho glided through the water just as easily as humans walked on land.

Soon Ocho called, “We’re here – this is Tazmily’s beach!”

Tazmily!! I was so happy to be back, even though I’d only been gone for a few days.

More importantly, I could get help!!

Boney leapt onto the sand, barking happily. Duster and Kumatora hopped off after him, then caught me as I slid off Ocho’s back.

I looked around - something was bothering me.

“Where… is everyone…?”

It was well after lunchtime, judging by the sun high in the sky. The main beach should’ve been crowded by now, especially on such a warm day – but it was deserted!

“What now?” wondered Duster.

“There’s two Needles left – Ionia’s and Locria’s,” said Kumatora. “We don’t have a lead for Locria’s, so let’s aim for Ionia’s place in Argilla Pass.” She grimaced, clearly not looking forward to pulling Ionia’s Needle.

“But first, we need to get help for Claus –  you’re stumbling all over the place!” Sure enough, I was having trouble keeping my balance on the sand. “Ya can hardly pull the Needles in your current state!”

“There’s… a hospital… over by where… the graveyard is…” Everything hurt – I could barely focus, and it took so much effort to force the words out.

“Okay, let’s get you to that hospital,” said Duster. He swung his arm around my waist, while Kumatora maneuvered my arm around her shoulder. Together, we slowly made our way up the beach.

I stumbled my way through the sand - it kept slipping beneath my shoes, and with every step I was afraid I’d collapse to the ground again.

I was so relieved when we finally reached the paved road leading to the town square.

Duster glanced around, frowning at all the really big, colourful houses. “Tazmily has sure changed…”

That’s right – this was his first time being back in Tazmily since he disappeared three years ago.

“Ya can blame the Pigmasks for that – Fassad had the run of the place,” Kumatora said bitterly. “They even tore down old man Wess’s house!”

Duster let out a gasp. “Dad! Is he okay?”

“Barely. According to Claus, he’s been moved to a shitty retirement home.”

I gulped – Wess! I’d completely forgotten about my promise to him! So much had happened since then – I’d met Duster and Kumatora, blew up Thunder Tower, did the whole Needle thing… hard to believe it was all because of trying to get Wess to tell me about Lucas!

Lucas… I felt a pang of guilt. No matter how far I travelled over these islands, it seemed I was no closer to finding my brother.

Not only that… I promised Mom I’d find Lucas, and bring him home!

Mom, I’m sorry…

“Let’s… go see Wess… now that Duster’s back…”

“But we need to get ya to the hospital!” said Kumatora.

I shook my head. “Need to see Wess… I promised him… I’d find Duster…”

Kumatora nodded. Without another word, she and Duster helped me up the road to Tazmily.

*

We had just passed the ruins of Reggie’s tent when we found the last person I’d expected to meet – Mapson!

“Oh, you’re back, Duster,” he remarked. “If you need something from Mapson, it must be a map, yes?” (Good old Mapson – not even Duster’s sudden reappearance could surprise him!)

“Actually, yes,” said Duster. “We need to get to a place called Argilla Pass.”

“Hmm.” Mapson thought for a moment, then scribbled something on yet another of his tourist maps.

“It’s over in the Oriander Mountains,” he said as he handed the map to us. “You’ll need to travel through Sunshine Forest – watch out for chimeras.”

I grimaced – normally Slitherhens and the other chimeras of Sunshine Forest wouldn’t be a problem thanks to me and Kumatora’s PSI, but considering my current state…

“Hey… Mapson… why aren’t… you at… the square?” I asked. After all, wasn’t that his favourite spot?

Mapson let out a long sigh. “It’s just been too sad in the town square these last few days. Everyone’s been packing up and leaving – Linda, Paul, and Bateau left this morning, along with Jackie and Betsy. Ed and his family left, too – I can’t believe how much I miss little Alle’s smile.”

I gulped – even Mapson was noticing how deserted Tazmily was.

Why was everyone leaving? What was going on? Were the Pigmasks behind this?

“Where’d they all go?” Duster pressed.

Mapson just shook his head. “I do not know – it is the single missing gap in my knowledge as a cartographer. They just mentioned going to a ‘big city’.”

I frowned – a big city? Was that where all the tourists kept coming from?

“Thanks for your help, Mapson,” said Duster, “but we need to get going.”

The four of us hobbled our way to Tazmily’s town square. 

I blinked in disbelief. The square looked so… empty. Jill, Brenda, and Linda were gone – the square was eerily quiet without their cheerful gossip. No one was milling about the shops, either. Yado Inn even had a big ‘CLOSED’ sign hanging outside.

Somehow, it was even more heartbreaking than the gradual loss of my childhood home.

I took a breath, looking away from the barren square. “Let’s… go see… Wess…”

“You sure?” Duster said. “The sooner you get help, the better.”

I shook my head. “No… you should… see Wess… please…”

Duster nodded, then we headed toward the bridge to east Tazmily.

“Careful… the Pigmasks… their training ground’s… to the south…”

Duster stopped in his tracks, making a small gasp of surprise. “Pigmasks? In town?”

“Yeah… over by… Biff and Butch’s place…”

East Tazmily was deserted, too. The retirement home stood all alone on its hill, somehow looking even more sad and run-down than usual.

“This the place?” Duster asked.

“Yeah…” I said.

“Wait here. I’ll go get Wess - I don’t want you to push yourself any harder than necessary.” Before I could protest, Duster braced me against Kumatora and limped to the retirement home. 

Duster knocked a few times against the door. When no one answered, he tried picking the lock using something from his tool belt – only for the doorknob to fall off.

Duster pushed open the door and went inside. After a few minutes he popped back out, eyes wide.

It was the first time I’d ever seen Duster’s calm shattered. His hands shook slightly, and he was biting at his lip.

“It’s empty,” he said, voice wavering slightly. “All the lights are off, and there’s no one inside… everyone’s gone.”

Wait… if no one was inside…

“…Alec’s… gone?”

Duster bowed his head.

“No… no… NO!!” I couldn’t lose Alec – not when I already lost Mom and Lucas!

Not when-

“What if Dad’s gone, too?!” I blurted in panic. I jerked up straight, throwing me off-balance - I would’ve fallen to the ground if Kumatora hadn’t caught me.

“We hafta check on Dad!!” I flailed my arms in a panic.

Kumatora and Duster helped me back to the main square, then down toward Dad’s house. They were practically dragging me at this point – my legs kept jerking around and not responding properly. Did my underlying mechanical components get damaged, too?

The path to our house was completely deserted – not a single tourist was in sight. Normally that’d make me overjoyed, but it only made me even more uneasy. Where did everyone go?!

There was a big lump in my throat as we rounded the bend and the big beams of our house came into view. Dad has to be here, I told myself. He has to… he promised he’d keep watch over Tazmily…!

But… he wasn’t there. Even with our sheep wandering around, the yard looked so empty without him.

“No… NO!!” I shouted. “He can’t be gone!!”

“Maybe he’s in the house?” Duster didn’t sound convinced – his voice wavered, sounding like it was about to crack.

We made our way to the front door. Duster swung it open, revealing an empty house.

I cried out.

Somehow I managed to stumble my way to the dresser. My hands shook as I brushed the top of the dresser, looking for a note that wasn’t there.

Where did Dad go? He couldn’t have just abandoned me… he couldn’t have!!

Impulsively I yanked open the dresser and grabbed the scrap from Mom’s dress, clutching it tight. My vision blurred from tears.

I’m sorry, Dad… I had to take it with me. It was the only piece I had left of Mom – I couldn’t lose her, too. I couldn’t bear to leave her behind in this vacant place.

The four of us made our way back to the town square in silence, then to the crossroads. It was just as deserted as everywhere else – the only people around were Fuel and Lighter, standing on the train platform with bowed heads and hunched shoulders.

Fuel turned at the sound of our footsteps, then gasped and hurried over to us. 

“Claus! What’s wrong?!” After a moment he added, “Whoa, why’s Duster here? And who’s the pink-haired lady?”

“Dad…” I mumbled. “He’s…”

“Back off!” Kumatora snapped at Fuel. “We’re not tellin’ you any-”

“Kumatora, it’s all right – this is Fuel, Claus’s best friend,” Duster explained calmly. He sighed. “It’s a long story, but Claus is hurt – we need to get him to the hospital.”

“D’you know… where Dad is…?” I pressed.

Lighter was Dad's best friend, just like me and Fuel - if anyone knew where Dad was, it would be him... right?

But Lighter just slowly shook his head. 

“Where did… everyone go…?” 

“Seems the Pigmasks are corralling everyone over to some ‘big city’,” Lighter explained. "They... might've taken Flint, too..." He bowed his head.

“We were just deciding what to do next, when you guys came,” added Fuel. “Everyone's been leaving over the last few days, and now we're almost the only ones left... Even the hospital’s closed!”

I gasped. “No-!”

“Then we’ll have to press on,” Kumatora said gruffly. “Can you make it to Argilla Pass, Claus?”

I gulped. “Y…yeah.”

Fuel grimaced. “You always were a terrible liar, Claus.”

“Here, it’ll be no good dragging around Claus everywhere,” Lighter cut in. “I can tell you four are on a mission – you have the same eyes as when Flint set out during the fire three years ago. And we’re going to help.”

“Yeah! That’s what friends are for!” Fuel agreed.

“But what’re-” started Duster.

“Can you spare a few minutes?” Lighter said. “I have an idea, but we’ll need the lumber back at our cabin.”

Kumatora and Duster thought for a moment.

“Fine,” said Kumatora firmly. “Anything that’ll help Claus. But make it snappy – there’s no time to waste.”

*

The six of us passed the Prayer Sanctuary on the outskirts of town (every bit as mysterious and imposing as usual), then made our way through Sunshine Forest.

It was eerie – the only living things we passed were Slitherhens, which squawked in alarm and slithered away into the undergrowth. It was such a big difference from the lively forest of my childhood - so much had changed when I was last here three years ago, when I…

I shook my head - no, I wouldn’t think about that. Thinking about my accident would only make me miss Dad even more.

Duster made a small grunt. “Do you think Isaac can-”

That's right - Isaac lived out here in Sunshine Forest, just like Fuel and Lighter. He was the closest Tazmily had to a doctor before the Pigmasks came, and he had mechanical arm now too - maybe he would know how to help me with my robot parts?

But Lighter said, “No good - he was one of the first to leave for the city.”

A few minutes later Lighter and Fuel’s cabin came into view. Most of the roof was blown off - Thanks to Thunder Tower, I thought bitterly.

“Wait here,” said Lighter.

I settled on a nearby tree stump, groaning in pain – my robot parts were getting worse and harder to control by the minute!

Lighter quickly got to work. He gathered some of his logs, then used a big saw to cut them into planks of wood. Another, and another – he was so fast!

Fuel ran inside the cabin to grab some rope, then again to get a hammer and a pail of nails. He started sanding down the pile of planks, making them nice and smooth.

Once the planks were finished, Lighter and Fuel worked in a blur of movement. In no time at all, a wooden sled was standing between them, a rope dangling off the front.

“Not the fanciest one out there, but it’ll get the job done,” said Lighter.

Despite everything, I grinned. “Looks great!”

Together, Lighter and Fuel lifted me onto the sled.

After making our good-byes to Lighter and Fuel, the four of us set off through Sunshine Forest. Duster, Kumatora and Boney took turns pulling me along.

Duster took out Mapson’s map. “Okay, first we need to get to Mt. Oriander, then we’ll look for a pass on the left,” he explained.

“It’s only… a bit farther…” I piped up. “This is the way… to Grandpa Alec’s… we’d always…”

“Shh – don’t talk,” Kumatora ordered. “Save your strength.”

We continued a bit farther, until we reached a fork at the sandy cliffs of Mt. Oriander. While the right path was the familiar trail to Grandpa Alec’s cabin, there was a smaller, rougher trail to the left. That must be Argilla Pass!

Kumatora gasped. “Oh, I recognize this area.” She nodded to herself. “Yeah, Ionia’s house is to the north of here!”

She tugged my sled through the pass, while Duster checked a small wooden sign someone made (Mapson, perhaps?).

“’Argilla Pass – also known as Stumble Pass’,” Duster read out. “Better be careful – the ground looks rough up ahead.”

Sure enough, there were a bunch of loose stones lying everywhere. The sled uncomfortably bounced its way over them, making my teeth rattle.

Kumatora just scoffed. “Yeah, right – I’ve spent three years fendin’ for myself. I’m not worried about a-”

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by a yelp as a stone slid out from under her boot. She went flying – yanking the sled with her!

I sailed through the air, landing with a crash and skidding along the ground.

Judging by Boney’s yip and Duster’s grunt, they’d tripped too.

“Everyone OK?” Duster called.

There was a chorus of groans.

“Yeah,” Kumatora grunted, getting to her feet. Then she started frantically patting at her sweater-dress. “Crap – the pickles’re gone!”

Duster gasped, but quickly regained his composure. “Well, they can’t have gone far. Everyone, start searching!”

Boney yipped and hurried off, while Duster and Kumatora started examining the ground and small shrubs nearby.

While the others were searching for the lost pickles, I carefully hauled myself back on the sled. It was hard – my arms ached, and my legs were numb and felt like they’d fallen asleep. But I didn’t care – I didn’t need someone to help me on! I could do it myself!!

Once safely back on the sled, I scanned the surroundings, hoping to see the pickle jar. No luck.

I muttered under my breath. This would’ve been easy if my mechanical eye was working properly! I hated being useless – and helpless!

Luckily Boney barked in triumph a few minutes later – Kumatora hurried over to him, and came back clutching the jar of pickles.

“It’s not even scratched,” Duster remarked in amazement. Then he noticed I was back on the sled. “Oh, don’t push yourself, Claus - you need to save your strength.”

After a quick moment to regroup (Kumatora tucking the pickles back in her pocket), we continued on. Soon we came to another fork.

“Well, Mapson got us to Argilla Pass, but now we’re on our own,” Duster said. “Kumatora, which way d’you think we should go?”

Kumatora thought for a moment. “It’s to the right. It’s comin’ back now – Ionia took me this way once or twice when I was a kid.”

Kumatora and Duster hurried up the switchbacking cliffside, while Boney tugged me along after them. A few leafless trees stood by the path.

Suddenly Kumatora shouted something – it sounded like “What the hell?”

I gasped in surprise – one of the trees was moving! It was crawling with its roots like a spider!

As it got closer, I gasped in horror - this tree had a face! It had leering eyes, a sawed-off branch for a nose, and a toothy grin.

Something Dad and Grandpa Alec told me came rushing back. They’d gone out to try and rescue me when I ran off, but along the way, the trees themselves had attacked them – and they’d seen the weird metal pad things the Pigmasks used on their mechanical chimeras! Somehow the Pigmasks could bring the trees to life!

“They’re corruptin’ the trees now?!” Kumatora bellowed.

The tree flailed its branches at us. Kumatora, Boney and Duster flanked it and attacked with kicks and punches, trying to keep it away from me.

 I grit my teeth – I wasn’t gonna be left out!

I weakly raised my hand. Luckily my PSI still worked fine – sparks of lightning leapt at my command and lunged at the tree. Combined with Duster’s kicks and Kumatora’s blasts of fire, the tree grimaced in pain.

And then it started trembling violently.

“I think it’s going to blow!” cried Duster.

Kumatora gaped in confusion, but quickly took action – she dashed toward me and threw her arms out, shielding me. Boney and Duster dived to the ground.

Not a moment too soon – the tree shook, then suddenly burst into flames. 

Bits of bark went flying everywhere - Kumatora threw her arms over her face, shielding her eyes from the incoming debris.

We panted while the tree burnt out. Soon all that was left was a few stray ashes.

“…A bomb,” Duster mumbled in disbelief. “They made it into a bomb.”

Kumatora just muttered something and shook her head.

After another few moments to get over our shock, we set out again, quickly climbing the cliffside path. Although I flinched at the sight of every tree, none of them moved – or exploded.

At last we came to the gaping mouth of a cave. Water dripped on our heads as we made our way inside.

Kumatora grunted in frustration. I quickly saw the problem – up ahead was a sheer cliff-face, with a few footholds cut into the rock. It was barely taller than Duster, so normally climbing it wouldn’t be a problem, but…

“I remember we had to climb that, ‘cause I had to haul myself up like it was a ladder,” Kumatora said. “But – how’re we gonna get Claus and the sled up there?”

Duster thought for a moment, then nodded. “Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

First, he and Kumatora lifted me up and gently tossed me onto the cliff, panting the entire time. Then Duster held up the sled and tossed the rope to me.

As the others scrambled up the cliff, I used the rope to haul up the sled – it was just like reeling in a fishing pole (even if the sled was heavier than any fish!).

Once everyone was safely up, Duster set me back onto the sled.

“What next, Kumatora?” Duster asked. We were facing yet another fork – two cave entrances jutted out on either side of us.

Kumatora scrunched her face, deep in thought. “Crap, my memory’s all foggy - it’s been years since I last came here…” Then her face lit up. “Oh yeah, we go right here - I remember ‘cause Ionia said everyone avoids the left. Somethin’ about an annoyin’ yellow-”

But before she could continue, the ground started rumbling.

I cried out in panic – what was that?

And then three furry brown shapes popped out of the ground.

“Not again!” I exclaimed.

Sure enough, these were more reconstructed moles, although they looked a bit different. They still had metal feet, but no drill-hands or mechanical eyes – instead, each of them had a single drill jutting out in place of a nose, and a small red thing perched on top of their heads (a hat, maybe?)

“Keep them away from Claus!” Kumatora shouted.

Boney and Duster were already on it – they kicked at the moles, knocking them away.

Suddenly one of the mole’s red things started flashing – a loud, shrill noise echoed through the cavern.

That wasn’t a hat – it was some kind of alarm!

The ground rumbled as even more mechanical moles popped out, coming to the help of their friends.

“Run!” Duster bellowed.

Duster grabbed the rope and pulled me toward the right cave entrance, kicking moles out of the way. Kumatora and Boney took the rear – once we were through into the next cavern, Kumatora spun and froze the ground behind us.

A few of the moles hopped after us, sirens flashing angrily – but they squeaked in alarm, sliding helplessly on Kumatora’s sheet of ice. Metal feet were sure slippery!

Ignoring them, I glanced around at our new surroundings. We were in a large cavern, with water gurgling below (some kind of stream, maybe?). Two more caves yawned on either side of us.

“Now which way?” Duster asked Kumatora.

“Well… I remember there bein’ water nearby…” Kumatora squinted through the darkness. “Crap, I can’t remember, it’s been so long.”

“Well, why don’t we start with one path?” suggested Duster. “If it doesn’t look familiar, or if it hits a dead-end, then we’ll backtrack to this spot.” He bent down and knocked one of his Wall Staples into the ground.

Without another word, Kumatora pointed at the left cave. “Let’s start there.”

The left path sloped down toward an underground river. I could barely make out another cave entrance poking out by the river’s shore – this place was just caves within caves!

Kumatora frowned. “Well… there’s water, all right… but somethin’ seems off. I don’t recognize this place… but I can’t be sure, it’s just been so long…”

While Duster and Kumatora were pondering, Boney barked in alarm.

I glanced around, wondering what was the matter – and saw a weird red creature wobbling toward us. It was a strange, snowman-shaped blob with twig-like limbs and red balls for hands. It grinned widely, its single eye leering at us.

I managed to cry out a warning - Duster hurried out of the way, as did Boney.

Kumatora wasn’t so lucky. Before she could move, the creature locked its arms around her, as if giving her a big hug – but somehow I knew it had much nastier intentions in mind.

“Get off, you bastard!” Kumatora snarled, thrashing in the creature’s grip. But the red creature just grinned wider.

“Three...” it whispered.

I gulped – a countdown? That did not sound good – we had to get that thing off her, and fast!

“Don’t struggle!” Duster warned, hurrying to Kumatora’s side.

“Hell no!” yelled Kumatora, futilely kicking her legs. “Not when this stupid-ass-”

“Just stay calm!” Duster ordered. “I’ll get you out of there before you can say ‘piece of cake’!”

“More like ‘piece of crap’,” Kumatora muttered – but nevertheless she went still.

“Two...” whispered the creature.

Duster quickly got to work – he took out two Wall Staples from his pouch, then carefully slid them under the creature’s arms. With a grunt, he pulled the staples toward him, forcefully prying apart the creature’s grip.

Now free, Kumatora spun around and punched the creature in the face.

It stumbled backward, toppling right over the edge of the path.

“One.”

Suddenly it glowed with a harsh light, then exploded – the whole cavern lit up, and the earth shook. I yelped as I nearly tumbled off the sled.

None of us said anything, gaping in shock and blinking stars out of our eyes.

Finally Kumatora made a forced smile. “You just saved my life. Duster, you’re no moron – you’re a master thief.”

Duster blushed slightly.

“Um...” I interrupted. Two more of the creatures were inching up the path, grinning and leering.

“How ‘bout we not go that way?” Kumatora said.

No one objected.

Duster and Boney dashed back to the cavern marked with Duster’s Wall Staple, Kumatora dragging me along after them.

“To the south!” Duster shouted. “Before those bombs catch up!”

Luckily the deadly red creatures were slow and plodding, so we were easily able to outrun them. Still, we kept rushing through the caverns – until we saw something that made everyone stop in their tracks.

“What’s that?” Duster exclaimed, while Boney yipped in alarm.

‘That’ appeared to be a misshapen purple man with a skinny body and gigantic head, completely naked except for a red loincloth. Even though it (he?) was clutching its head like it had the world’s biggest headache, it didn’t appear to be in any pain. In fact, it was grinning and scampering along backwards, banging its noggin against everything.

Unfortunately, this included us.

“Is that… another chimera?!” I exclaimed as Duster narrowly pulled me out of the way.

“I don’t know!” Kumatora yelled. “Looks like somethin’ the Magypsies would dream up -  maybe it’s a prototype for the Barrier Trio?!”

We hurried through the cave, dodging headbutts all the way. We passed a second purple guy, then a third.

Finally we came to an opening cloaked with sunlight. Outside was a rocky plateau with small patches of grass, all surrounded by smooth red cliffs.

I took a big gulp of fresh air as Kumatora pulled me outside – it felt so good to get out of that dark, damp cave.

“This is the place - Ionia’s house should be right around the corner!” Kumatora said triumphantly. She seemed to gain a burst of energy, effortlessly pulling the sled along.

Good thing too - the sun was starting to set.

Soon a pink seashell house came into view – it sat in the moat-filled crater of a mini-volcano, the base surrounded by a meadow of impossibly green grass.

There was only one problem – you had to climb a rope ladder to get to Ionia’s house.

“Shit!” Kumatora muttered loudly.

As luck would have it, Ionia stepped out of her house at that exact moment.

“Oh, my, I recognize that voice – hello, Princess Kumatora! *heart*” Ionia called, standing at the head of the rope ladder. “Oh, and here’s Clausie, too - it’s so good to see you again! *heart* You must be here to pull the Needle, correct?”

“Yeah,” Kumatora said quickly, “so if you can just point us toward your Needle, we’ll pull it before the Pigbutts-”

Ionia tutted, wagging a gloved finger at us. “Not so fast, my dears – the four of you look absolutely exhausted! Do come up for a rest! *heart* Oh, and don’t worry,” Ionia cut in before Kumatora could reply, “my Needle’s nice and secure – the ‘Pigbutts’ are nowhere near. *heart*”

“Well, if ya say so…” said Kumatora. “But even if we wanted to stop, we can’t – Claus is hurt, and he can’t get up that ladder.”

Ionia chuckled. “Why, that’s not trouble at all! Just wait a moment, Clausie, and everything will resolve itself. *heart*”

With a snap of her fingers, my sled started rising through the air.

I gasped – she must be lifting it with her PSI, just like Aeolia did with her table!

Ionia set me down beside the stepping stones to her house – the landing was so smooth!

Duster, Kumatora and Boney scrambled up the ladder. Duster picked me up, then Ionia led the four of us into her house.

“Sit,” Ionia commanded.

Duster dropped me off on a funky-looking green couch, then he and Kumatora took seats beside me. Boney curled up by our feet with a happy yip.

“Here,” Kumatora said to Ionia, reaching into her sweater pocket. “Missy told us to give these to you.”

Ionia gasped lightly as Kumatora pulled out the pickle jar. “Ooh! Fabulous! Missy’s pickles - my absolute favorite! *heart* You brought them all the way here for me? Why, thank you! *heart*”

Ionia took the jar of pickles and carefully set it on her table. Then she turned back to us, smiling slightly.

“You’ve finally, finally come,” she began. “Claus. You’ve come such a long way – I can tell by the look in your eyes, and the friends by your side. Three years ago you were such a rambunctious, reckless, perhaps even selfish child. But your face has softened since then. I can tell you’ve grown so strong – and kind. *heart*”

I felt my face go all hot – I must be as red as a tomato!

Ionia bent down to face Boney. “And here’s your doggy – Boney, was it?” She smiled at him. “You must be so loyal, and strong, and smart, to follow Clausie for all this time. You truly deserve the title ‘Man’s Best Friend’. *heart*”

Boney yipped happily, and even let Ionia pet him.

Next, Ionia turned to Duster. “Ah, a slightly plain-looking fellow who smells faintly of cheese… you look like the sort to know some unexpected, helpful skills.”

Duster coughed nervously. “Oh, my name’s Duster. I do have some handy skills, thanks to my Thief Arts training, but I have no idea how you could’ve guessed.”

“Oh, call it a Magypsy’s intuition, sweetie! *heart* It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duster. You must have your hands full with chaperoning Claus and dear Kumatora.”

For once Duster lost his cool – his face went beet red.

“And last but certainly not least, darling Princess Kumatora.” Ionia clutched her hands together and curtsied. “I’ve watched over you since you were little, but it’s been so long since I last saw you (ah! Even though it feels like a blink of an eye to a Magypsy!). You’ve grown even more beautiful – you’re absolutely fabulous now. 

“Oh, I’ll know you say ‘Cut that crap out!’-” judging by Kumatora’s scowl, that’s exactly what she’d been about to say, “but it’s the truth. *heart* And I just know you’ve grown so much stronger, too. Strength and beauty – truly becoming of a princess. *heart*”

Kumatora made a weird grimace, and the faintest of blushes came to her cheeks. Guess even she could get flustered and embarrassed sometimes.

Ionia took a breath. “Now, there’s no need for you to explain anything. Five of the Needles have already been pulled – those of Aeolia, Doria, Lydia, Phrygia, and Mixolydia. That leaves my Needle in Chupichupyoi Temple and Locria’s missing needle - and it seems it is already my ‘Time’. *heart*”

She paused. “I can see that the four of you are quite agitated and eager to go after the Needle, even though you’re clearly exhausted. You humans are so impatient! *heart* Ah-” she added before Kumatora could interrupt, “let me put your minds at ease. After dear Aeolia had her Needle pulled, I added an extra security measure to my own Needle. My Needle is quite safe now. *heart*”

“That’s what Missy said!” Kumatora snapped. “We did all the work of beatin’ the Barrier Trio, and the Pigbutts stole the Needle from us!”

Ionia raised her eyebrows. “You defeated the Barrier Trio? My, how remarkable. But it seems these ‘Pigbutts’ were able to ambush you and take the Needle once it was vulnerable.” She frowned slightly, not nearly so confident in the security of her Needle.

“Now, similar to Missy’s Barrier Trio, my Needle is quite inaccessible until the defense is disabled – although unlike hers, my defense is entirely passive. It’s essentially a magical ‘lock’ that requires a very special ‘key’ to open.”

She reached for something hanging around her neck, holding it up for us. It was a simple string with a small vial dangling off it, holding what looked like water.

“And the ‘key’ is right here – a few drops of the ‘Waters of Time’,” Ionia explained. “This is no ordinary water. I’ve created some powerful plant magic, rather like that Briar Rose story you humans are so fond of - I’ve frozen some vines in time, and this water is the only way past it.

“But anyhoo, I digress – once the ‘lock’ is open, my Needle will be just as vulnerable as Aeolia’s, where anyone could come along and pull it. So, there would appear to be two courses of action – either we release the vines and get Clausie to the Needle before the Pigbutts even think of getting here (troublesome, as we don’t know their present location)… or we wait for them to arrive, and ambush them.”

Kumatora nodded. “We can give the Pigbutts a taste of their own medicine!”

Ionia clapped her hands. “Ah, but you can’t do either of those in your present state!”

“But-” I protested.

“No buts – I insist you get some rest first! *heart* And don’t worry – I’ll keep watch over Chupichupyoi Temple. If the Pigbutts come anywhere near, I’ll rouse you. *heart*”

“She’s right,” said Duster. “We can’t fight off the full force of the Pigmasks in our present state, especially with Claus’s current condition. And don’t forget, their commander can manipulate us.”

With little choice in the matter, I was tucked into Ionia’s bed – “Claus needs it the most,” said Kumatora.

I yawned. Ionia was right – I was exhausted. And maybe my robot parts’ll be better after a good nap, I thought hopefully, though I doubted it.

My eyes drooped shut – in no time at all, I was drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

I woke up with a start.

Light was streaming into the room – it must be long past daybreak.

How long had I been sleeping?!

I tried checking my retina display, only to be met with darkness where my left eye should’ve been.

I groaned – still broken.

Without much hope, I tried moving my legs. There wasn’t so much as a feeble twitch.

With some effort, I raised my head and glanced around the room. The others were just getting up - Kumatora was sprawled on Ionia’s couch, while Duster and Boney were lying on Ionia’s cozy carpeted floor.

I noticed something else – someone had left out three cups of tea on Ionia’s table, along with what looked like a plateful of pastries.

Duster limped up to the table. He picked up a note, making a small gasp of surprise.

“Ionia’s left us breakfast,” he said, then read aloud the note for us. “’Do eat up, dears – you’ll need your strength. Don’t worry, those pig-dressed humans haven’t arrived yet. I’ll come get you as soon as I catch sight of them. Heart.’”

Duster helped carry me to the table. Good thing Ionia left us breakfast – I was so hungry!

Once Duster slipped me into a chair, I worked on gobbling up some pastries, my arms shaking with the effort. I then downed one of the cups of tea (more Ener-Tea, judging from that peppermint taste) in a few greedy gulps.

Soon Duster and Kumatora settled down to breakfast, too. I tossed a few pastries to Boney.

“You feeling any better?” Duster asked me.

“Not... really... think it’s... gettin’ worse,” I replied.

And then a green form came flying in from one of the windows - I yelped in surprise, and got a further shock when the shape thickened and grew before my eyes. Soon Ionia stood before us, smiling slightly. (It was her paper-thin flying trick in reverse!)

“Hello!” Ionia said cheerfully. “Good morning – I’m glad to see all of you up and about! *heart*” Her smile faded. “Now, with the pleasantries out of the way, I urge you to hurry. My ‘Time’ is approaching – and so are the humans dressed as pigs.”

Kumatora leapt to her feet. “Those bastards! Are they attacking the Needle?”

Ionia made a tutting noise. “Why, that’s the most peculiar thing – they’re just standing around! They’ve come all this way, surely they’re not just here to sightsee? Humans are so peculiar! *heart* …Perhaps they’re waiting for someone to arrive?”

“That masked kid!” Kumatora blurted out. “We’ve gotta hurry before he-”

Ionia shook her head. “I’m afraid ‘that masked kid’ has already arrived. Just a small human child dressed in the most strange headgear. And I can sense loads of magical energy coming from him – why, he must be the other user of PK Love! *heart*”

Kumatora swore loudly.

“The Pigmasks are throwing their strongest forces at us,” Duster said quietly. “But, we can't give up now- we can do this.”

“Yeah... I can still... use my PSI...” I tried to grin.

Boney let out an encouraging bark.

“Good luck, my dears! *heart*” Ionia said. “As for myself, I’ll stay behind and snack on the delicious pickles you kindly delivered for me. They’ll be the last thing I eat before I vanish – what a lovely treat.” She hummed to herself. “I can sense my ‘Time’ is drawing near – will it be Claus or that heartless child that pulls my Needle? Such excitement – two conflicting states, just like that fellow’s cat. *heart*”

*

Once Kumatora and Duster lifted me back onto the sled waiting outside, Ionia used her magic to lower me down again. 

Kumatora, Duster, and Boney scrambled down Ionia’s ladder to join me, then the four of us set off on the path through the canyons, Duster tugging me along.

We had just left Ionia’s house behind when I heard a small voice. “Hey! Stop right there!!”

That voice seemed so familiar – was it…?

I glanced on the path up ahead. Even without my mechanical eye, I could make out a small black dot scurrying up to us.

“It’s you!” I gasped.

“That’s right!” called my mole cricket challenger. “But don’t worry, I’m not here to challenge ya – I’m not ‘bout to get my butt whooped a third time! I’m just here to give the big guy directions!”

“Big guy?” I wondered, but quickly got my answer.

A small creature hopped out from behind a crag on the path. It was another unexpected but familiar face, this one wrapped up in a red hood.

“Mr. Saturn?” Duster exclaimed in surprise.

“hi HI hi!” squeaked Mr. Saturn. “sEaRCH fOr FRiENdS. aSK cRicKey mOLe fOr DiREcTiONs, DinG!”

“Me and my clan were keepin’ an eye out for you guys!” the mole cricket explained. “We’d recognize those ridiculously coloured exoskeletons anywhere!”

“Exoskeletons?” Duster wondered. “Why-”

“Long story,” Kumatora cut him off.

“CaME tO BRinG BacK sPArKLe tHinG,” Mr. Saturn said. “pOLiSHeD. sHiNy sHiNiES.”

He shook – something shiny tumbled out of his hood and landed on his nose.

I gasped - Dad’s Courage Badge was almost unrecognizable. It gleamed brightly, now a shimmering gold colour instead of dull bronze. So many new details leapt out at me – the lightning bolt design in the middle, the words ‘Franklin Badge’ etched along the edge.

“nO WoRRiES. I GivE BaCk aT yOu, DinG!”

Mr. Saturn hopped up to my sled. I carefully grabbed the badge off his nose, and with a bit of fumbling I pinned it to my shirt.

“POtenTiAL!” squeaked Mr. Saturn.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

“Sorry for the interruption, but we hafta get goin’,” Kumatora said to the two creatures. “There’s some Pigbutts that need a beatin’.”

“A fight?!” remarked the mole cricket. “Blue Exoskeleton's gonna whoop their butts! If he can take out this mighty mole cricket warrior, he can beat anybody!”

Surprisingly, that made Kumatora crack a smile. “Cocky to the end, huh,” she said.

“gOOd LUcK!” added Mr. Saturn. “pOtenTiAL!”

We waved goodbye to the friendly creatures, then continued on. Soon the rocky path was replaced with lush green grass underfoot.

Suddenly Boney snarled.

I grit my teeth - the Pigmasks must be close.

This was it – it’d be a fight over the second-last Needle. Somehow, we’d have to beat the Pigmasks here – and again at the final Needle.

Don’t think about failure, I told myself, even though my legs ached and I was so tired. We have to win this, for Ionia – no, for everyone.

For the entire world!

We rounded the corner – and a huge building rose up in front of us, all covered in vines. It looked so old and imposing, just like the Prayer Sanctuary.

A bunch of Pigmasks were standing in front of the vine-blocked doors, clearly waiting for us. Six in green, one in white – and the masked boy. Two Claymen were waiting too, as still as statues - those must be for barging into the temple by force.

What was going on? Why weren’t the Pigmasks trying to break in and get the Needle?

One of the green Pigmasks snorted loudly. “Took you long enough to get here.”

“Bastards!” Kumatora spat. “Insult us again and I’ll shova-”

“Enough,” called the white Pigmask. “We’re here to talk.”

I certainly wasn’t expecting this. “Wh… wha-”

Even Kumatora was left speechless.

The Pigmask slowly held up their arms, showing they were unarmed. “We hope to resolve this peacefully. I promise we won’t attack – please, just hear us out.”

Kumatora just crossed her arms and scowled. “No way I’m trustin’ a Pigmask – especially with your mind-controllin’ attack dog over there.”

The Pigmask bowed their head. “You have to trust us. The commander is ordered not to attack – I swear it on my life.”

I won’t interfere.

I gasped – there was that strange presence in my head!

“Fine,” said Duster, managing to keep his voice even. “Assuming you’re telling the truth, what do you want?”

“Your human chimera’s hurt. He’ll never get to the final Needle in his current condition.” They didn’t say it in the expected jeering tone – they sounded sad and disappointed, as if they were secretly rooting for me this entire time. “He needs urgent care – if you push him any harder, not even the great Dr. Andonuts may be able to save him.”

“Get on with it, before I wipe off the smirk under that helmet,” Kumatora growled.

The Pigmask sighed. “We want you to surrender the human chimera.”

My jaw dropped.

“Hell no!” Kumatora snapped. “He’s the only one that can stop you bastards!”

“Please,” pressed the Pigmask. “It’s the best outcome. You won’t make it to the final Needle – and you won’t get this Needle, either.” Several of the green Pigmasks reached for their guns – but at the white one’s signal, they froze in place.

“I swear upon King P, and my own life – we won’t harm a hair of the boy’s head. We’ll-”

Boney snarled and charged at the white Pigmask. The masked kid raised his hand – Boney stopped in his tracks with a small whimper.

“Please, don’t fight,” the white Pigmask begged quietly. “We’ll have no choice but to retaliate.”

Duster turned to me. “Let’s leave it up to Claus – it’s his decision. He’s the one that can pull the Needles, and the one they’re after.”

“You’re puttin’ the fate of the entire world on him?!”  Kumatora protested. “Look at him - he’s a mess!”

Duster sighed. “He’s carried much bigger burdens that you or me – I can tell, even in the short time I’ve known him. We can trust him to make the right choice – I’d put my life in his hands, just as he’d do the same for us.”

Kumatora nodded. “Fine,” she said, though her glare and scowl showed she wasn’t the least bit pleased.

I could feel the eyes of everyone on me, as piercing and judging as the villagers oogling the human chimera. Duster’s look of concern, the silent stares of the Pigmasks, Boney’s desperate eyes – and the unreadable gaze of the masked kid.

I clenched my fists in rage. I wanted to rant and yell about how Fassad had given me the same flimsy promises, but knew I didn’t have the strength.

Instead I poured all my anger and hatred into a single word:

“Never!!”

Gasps echoed around the field.

Even the masked kid lost his grip on Boney – Boney bounded forward a few paces, barking in confusion.

“Are – are you-” mumbled the white Pigmask.

“I won’t! Not ever!!” I snarled.

The Pigmask slowly shook their head. “Then it’s settled. We wished to avoid… unpleasantness, but I’m afraid we have no choice. King P ordered that no one was to interfere at the temple.”

At some unspoken signal, the masked kid raised his hand.

I sensed the others freeze beside me – Kumatora and Duster’s indignant replies dying on their lips, Boney turning as still as a statue. Just in case I had any doubt, the strange presence was hovering at the back of my mind.

The masked kid had trapped us – again.

“I beg you to reconsider, human chimera,” the white Pigmask continued, a note of fear creeping into their calm tone. “I understand if you can’t forgive us after what we’ve done, but surely… Surely you wouldn’t just throw your life away-!”

Some things are worse than death, I thought darkly. But I said nothing, staring ahead in cold defiance.

Puppet-like, my arm rose in the air, crackling with sparks.

Please.

There was the presence again, a faint voice pleading with me in my mind.

In that moment, I knew the masked kid was gazing at me sadly behind his helmet. I didn’t know how I knew – or why the thought hurt me so much.

Just for a moment, my resolve wavered. There was something about the masked boy that made me want to know more, to forget everything and run after him. Was it because he was a human chimera like me?

No – stop it!! That kid didn’t matter – the entire world was on the line!

I’d been tempted by Fassad twice before, and faced him down. I wasn’t about to give up now!

“This is your last warning – surrender, or perish,” called the Pigmask. “Another blow of lightning will short out your mechanical systems – and kill you.”

I’d lost count of the number of times I’d faced down death – but this time, I wasn’t afraid at all. I didn’t feel much of anything, actually – just calm acceptance.

Was this what Mom felt when she protected me and Lucas from the Mecha-Drago, knowing she’d die?

Mom… I’ll be strong for you…

I’ll be strong for everyone.

“Do it – cowards!” I spat.

The masked kid made an inhuman snarl.

At his command, I launched my PSI.

*

The world seemed to slow down.

I watched as the bolt escaped from my hand and rose into the air, almost like it had a mind of its own. It arced through the air for a moment, then raced back toward my body.

I braced myself, expecting to feel the pain of yet another lightning strike – the last thing I’d ever feel.

But something weird happened – the lightning gently curled away and danced along my Franklin Badge. Instead of the expected painful jolt, all I felt was a faint, funny tingling all over my body.

How was the lightning doing that? Was Dad’s badge… protecting me, somehow?

And then something even stranger happened – the lightning went shooting off my body, as if it had hit one of my counter shields. 

I could only watch in a sort of horrible fascination as the lightning coursed across the field – and hit the masked kid.

He let out a loud, pained yelp, then crumpled to the ground.

Everyone gasped.

“Wha-” mumbled Duster.

I held up my hands in front of my face, gaping in shock and horror. What… what just happened? The badge had just deflected the attack, protecting me… so why’d it feel like I was the one who struck down the masked kid?

Why did it hurt so much?

And then the masked kid snarled and leapt back to his feet.

“Get ‘em, commander!” the Pigmasks hooted and hollered.

The masked boy raised his hands. Blue light flowed between his fingers.

“Is that-” warned Kumatora.

Suddenly the blue energy grew and spiralled across the field, rushing at the four of us.

Before I knew what was happening, I was blown clean off the sled and skidding along the grass.

I screamed in pain – what felt like a thousand burns throbbed against my arms and legs.

Wait – THAT’s what PK Love feels like?!

“Crap!” I heard Kumatora yell. “Protect Claus!”

I groaned and slowly opened my eyes.

The world was spinning - through blurry, half-focused eyes I saw Kumatora, Duster and Boney rush up and surround me. All of them were burnt – they must’ve been really hurt by that blast of PK Love, same as me.

I grit my teeth – the others were hurt, but they were still trying to protect me!

A loud snarl pierced the air.

I forced myself to raise my head - the masked kid was bounding toward us like a Drago, his sword drawn at his side.

With one pounce, he knocked Kumatora to the ground, then turned and swiped his sword at Duster.

I grimaced – he was so fast!!

“Keep distracting him – we can’t let him get off another PK Love!” Kumatora grunted, scrambling back to her feet.

Duster swung out his leg, keeping the kid at bay.

But then Boney clawed at Duster’s back.

I hissed – the masked kid must be controlling Boney again!

How dare he force Boney to hurt us!!

“Quit hurtin’ my friends!!” I shouted. Sparks danced over my clenched fists.

I concentrated. I knew I only had one shot at this – if I made one small miscalculation, I’d hurt my friends instead.

There – the masked kid kicked away Duster, leaving me a clear shot.

I lifted my arms, panted, and fired my PSI.

My lightning shot out as a thin blade of light, striking the masked kid.

The boy let out a loud yelp of pain – then fell to the ground. His sword clattered out of his hand.

I expected him to just leap back to his feet, same as the first time. Instead he just lay there, trembling a bit, tail curled up tight around him. I swore I heard him whimper.

Suddenly the masked kid’s entire body shuddered.

“Idiot – you’re supposed to attack them!” one of the green Pigmasks screamed.

The masked kid scrambled back to his feet, picking up his sword. He made another flying leap toward us, and smacked aside the others with some PSI and swings of his sword.

He turned to face me – and completely froze. His hand trembled slightly, making his sword quiver. His tail drooped between his legs – same as Boney did whenever he was really frightened or upset.

What was going on? Did he… not want to fight?

No – that couldn’t be right. My central processor must be playing tricks on me, just like how the rest of my robot parts were going all wonky.

And then Kumatora was back on her feet – she threw a punch at the masked boy’s exposed chin.

The boy stumbled backward, yelping in surprise and pain.

“No!” I blurted out.

“Huh?” Kumatora snapped back.

“S-stop it! S…someth-thin’s wrong! He – he’s-” I panted – getting the words out was so hard.

“Finish this!” Kumatora called to Duster. “We’re losin’ Claus!”

The masked kid suddenly convulsed and dropped to the ground.

“Kill them!!” screeched the green Pigmasks.

But the boy just curled up tighter on the ground. He clutched at the collar on his neck.

The squad of green Pigmasks closed in on us, yanking their guns out of their belts. “Fine – we’ll just do the job ourselves!”

“They’re gonna shoot!” yelled Kumatora. “Protect Claus!”

Duster hurried over and pushed me flat to the ground. “Stay still – we’ll draw their fire,” he said in hushed tones.

I managed to inch my head through a nod.

And then the shots started - yelps of pain from Duster and Kumatora, pained whines from Boney.

I grit my teeth – here I was, completely helpless, while my friends were risking their lives for me!!

I glanced around, trying to see through the forest of legs. Where did what white Pigmask go? Was the masked kid still down?

The others were trying to fight back – Kumatora crying “PK Freeze!”, Duster swinging his legs and tossing some bombs. But the shots kept coming.

No – there had to be something I could do! I had to protect my friends!!

I concentrated. A blue bubble slowly formed around the four of us – but it kept flickering.

No! Not even my PSI was working!!

“You idiot – save your strength!” Kumatora yelled.

Then I heard some low moans, followed by stomps that shook the ground – those Claymen were gonna join in, too!

Duster scooped me out of the way of a Clayman’s incoming foot – only to get knocked back by a bomb tossed by one of the Pigmasks.

I yelped as I fell to the ground head-first, my limbs flopping everywhere.

“Duster - Kumatora - help!” I cried.

And then I felt a gun pressed to my head.

“Say goodnight, brat,” barked a voice.

This was it – one shot, and my central processor would be fried.

Click.

I didn’t even have time to flinch before I felt a stinging, burning sensation at the side of my head.

I closed my eyes – any moment now, my central processor would shut down for good, and then I’d only have a few minutes (if that!) before my artificial heart stopped beating.

This wasn’t how I wanted to die! Not when I was as helpless as a baby!

But suddenly my pocket got all warm, then a tingling sensation seeped through my body.

I blinked a few times. A soft light was shining faintly all over my body. My aches and pains slowly faded, starting with the burn at the side of my head, and my mind seemed to clear.

It was so strange – one moment I’d been seconds from death, the next I felt like I’d just stepped out of an Instant Revitalization Device. I wasn’t completely healed by any means – my mechanical eye was still dead, and my legs were as limp and uncooperative as ever. But now, I was ready to fight back.

I’d give the Pigmasks everything I got – they weren’t gonna take this Needle from us, if it was the last thing I did!

I rose to my knees.

The Pigmask next to me yelped and dropped their gun in surprise. “H-he’s… how’d – m-m-magic?!”

I wasn’t the only one who benefited from that strange healing sensation. The Pigmasks were gasping in shock and awe at me - and letting their guard down!

Duster swung his leg, kicking a Pigmask flat. Boney tackled another Pigmask, while Kumatora blasted some lightning.

“Get ‘em!” I cheered.

I raised my hands and bathed my friends in a Lifeup sparkle shower. Even my PSI had been renewed – it felt like a big geyser of bottomless psychic energy had just sprung up in me.

Kumatora grinned, only for it to be replaced by shock a moment later. “Claus – how-”

“Later!” I shouted. I didn’t care where the random surge of energy had come from – right now, we had to deal with the Pigmasks! We had to end this!

“Stop him!” yelled the Pigmasks.

Two of the Pigmasks charged at me, guns drawn - I blasted them with a PK Love.

And then my body trembled - I barely managed to stay up. Whatever this rush of energy was, it wouldn’t last forever.

“Surrender, you bastards!” snarled Kumatora.

“Never!” spat one of the Pigmasks. “We’ll kill the lot of you!”

The Claymen marched toward us. I threw out a big bolt of lightning, blowing them into smooshy piles of clay.

That seemed to finally give the Pigmasks the message. 

“Oh my PORK! He’s… he’s invincible!” one of them yelled.

“Retreat!” barked another Pigmask.

The six green Pigmasks ran off.

The masked boy was still lying on the ground, the white Pigmask at his side. The boy rose unsteadily to his feet, sword arm trembling – then his legs gave out. He tumbled back to the ground, grunting slightly.

I gulped – he must’ve got really hurt during our fight.

Boney ran protectively to my side, while Kumatora and Duster approached the helpless boy.

“What should we…” Duster began.

“Easy – we kill him,” Kumatora said. “Bastard’s already pulled three of the Needles – but we can finally stop him for good.”

I gasped. “But-”

“He’s a child!” Duster protested.

“Didn’t stop the Pigbutts from tryin’ to kill Claus,” Kumatora spat. 

“Kuma-” I took a breath. “No-” 

I couldn’t believe it – we couldn’t do this!

“That’s not a child,” Kumatora snarled. “They made him into a monster - there’s probably no human left in him.”

I shook my head.

“No, Kuma… please… don’t do this…” My breath got all huffy. “He’s… he’s a chimera, like me… he didn’t ask for this… for the Pigmasks to do this to ‘im...”

Kumatora glared at me – her face was torn between anger and concern.

“Please…” It was so hard to explain, especially when I hated my own chimera body. But… I just couldn’t bear seeing that kid in pain.

The chimeras hadn’t asked for this, to be all twisted together.

But they hadn’t asked to be killed, either.

“Leave him… I…” Tears ran down my face.

Kumatora sighed and turned back to the masked kid. He raised his head, whining.

“Go,” she said flatly. “But next time you fight us – next time you try hurtin’ him-” she pointed at me, “I’ll kill you.”

The masked kid rose to his feet - together, he and the white Pigmask marched away, neither of them meeting our eyes.

“Kuma… tora...” I mumbled, caught up between wanting to thank her and wanting to apologize.

“We gave him his chance – we’ll see if he’s human, or just a mindless pawn.” She sighed. “Look, I don’t wanna think about the Pigbutts anymore. Let’s get ya to the Needle.”

I nodded – then yelped as I suddenly fell face-first to the ground.

Footsteps thudded toward me – Duster scooped me up and gently placed me back on the sled. “You okay?” he asked.

I managed a weak nod.

“That light… what happened to you?” Duster asked.

“Dunno…” I said dully. “The Pigmask shot me… an’ then… there was this warm feelin’… think it came from my pocket…”

I tried patting my pockets – and gasped.

I dug through them just to be sure. I pulled out one set of a lipstick and razor (both in a light blue that matched Mixolydia’s dress), but-

“Phrygia’s Memento’s gone!”

Duster and Kumatora cried out in shock.

“So then – did the Memento heal Claus?” wondered Kumatora.

“That’s correct, my dear. *heart*” Ionia’s airy voice drifted through the clearing.

With some effort, I craned my neck – sure enough, Ionia was skipping toward the vine-covered temple.

“The Mementos are our most treasured possessions for a reason,” Ionia explained. “They’re imbued with Magypsy magic – healing magic, to be precise. Magic strong enough to heal fatal wounds – at the cost of the Memento itself, of course. *heart*”

I frowned. “But… why’d it only activate now?” I thought back to our fight at the Tanetane Needle, and how the masked kid had knocked me out with my own lightning. Why hadn’t the Mementos healed me back then?

But Ionia just chuckled. “Why, each Memento is only used in a time of dire need, for truly life-threatening injuries. It fades away after one use, so it needs to count! *heart*” She paused. “But anyhoo, it seems you’ve driven off the ‘Pigbutts’ quite splendidly, and I’ve finished off every last one of Missy’s delicious pickles. There’s nothing left to hold us back. 

“It’s time… Kumatora dear, would you do the honours? *heart*”

After Kumatora nodded, Ionia carefully took off her vial necklace and handed it to Kumatora.

“Good. Sprinkle these Waters of Time on those vines over there – that will make time flow for the vines again. *heart*”

Kumatora popped off the cork, then stepped up to the temple and carefully dripped the water onto the nearest vines. (At least, that’s what it looked like from here – I missed my zoom-in function!)

What happened next was unbelievable. The vines glowed with a soft green light - and suddenly orange flowers exploded into bloom everywhere.

I barely had time to admire them before the flowers shrivelled up - they were gone, just like that!

“That’s the beauty of the Waters of Time,” said Ionia dreamily. “The waters contain the power of life itself – the same power seen in a Lifeup spell, except far more potent. Once enriched with these waters, any living thing will experience tremendous growth - a whole year can pass in a blink of an eye. It’s a small glimpse of what life looks like to us millennia-old beings. *heart*”

With that, the vines drooped and crumpled up, exposing the gaping entrance of the temple.

I shivered – darkness loomed before me.

Kumatora and Boney stepped into the temple. Duster dragged me in on the sled, while Ionia trailed after us like a shadow.

The temple was even more impressive inside. Soaring columns towered all around us. Intricate carvings were everywhere, looking like faces in the dim light.

The Needle stood on a raised platform, casting a soft glow over everything. Beside it were two small pillars puffing out colourful clouds of smoke – one green, one blue.

Our footsteps echoed as we walked – the whole room was so big and cavernous!

“Impressive, isn’t it?” said Ionia. “This temple was built long ago by the very first humans to come to this island. It was here that my Magypsy ancestors summoned the Needles and lulled the Dragon into its great slumber – and where my Needle still stands to this day. Why, I couldn’t have picked a better spot myself! *heart*”

Soon we came to a stop by the raised altar.

Duster lifted me off the sled, then climbed the steps to the altar and gently set me down beside the Needle. The others followed after us, gathering around the shimmering Needle.

Thanks to the light of the Needle, I could just make out a big mural along the back wall of the temple. It had seven figures holding big swords - or were those the Needles? Maybe the mural was depicting Ionia’s Magypsy ancestors sealing away the dragon?

“The Magypsies have guarded the Needles for many generations,” Ionia explained, her voice almost otherworldly with all the echoes. “But now, the time has come for the Needles to be pulled. And then something big will happen – a great power will awaken, strong enough to recreate the entire world...

“Clausie dear, I want you to be the one who awakens the Dark Dragon. *heart*”

I flinched. “But - I don’t – my heart-”

Ionia chuckled. “Why, don’t act so bashful – you have a nice and wonderful pure heart! I don’t need to see your heart coming from the earth to know that – I can tell by the friends at your side.”

I knew Ionia was trying to reassure me, but I just couldn’t accept it – was my heart pure?

Lucas should be the one here – not me. My brother was filled with so much compassion for all creatures, from the biggest Drago to the smallest mole cricket. And Mom… she sacrificed her life to protect both of us.

There was no way my heart was as pure as either of theirs. I was filled with too much anger from the Pigmasks’s treatment of me over the last three years – and the last few days.

I looked around – and caught Duster and Kumatora’s smiles of encouragement.

“Y…y’think so, too?” I mumbled. “Y’think… I have a good heart?”

They just nodded.

Kumatora… we’d come such a long way from when she held a knife to my neck. And it was hard to believe I’d started this journey just to find Duster for Wess. But now, both Duster and Kumatora were fighting at my side - as my friends.

Boney yipped in encouragement, too - he’d been supporting me every step of the way!

“Oh, your face still has so much doubt, my dear,” Ionia murmured. “You can do this, Claus. Anyone would want to be as strong, and kind, as you. *heart*” A small smile creased her face. “You’ve changed so much since the day you barged into our Magypsy party – why, even from our meeting at the hot spring! You’ve grown from a reckless, selfish child into a strong yet kind young man, with good friends at your side. *heart*

“And if that is not enough, remember that the other Magypsies had faith in you, and deemed you worthy of pulling their Needles.”

The other Magypsies…?

Memories flashed before my eyes. Doria cheering me on and squealing over my ‘lovely pure heart’. Me visiting a chubby Pigmask surrounded by bunnies to fulfill Lydia’s last wish. Phrygia carefully handing me her Memento. Mixolydia and Ocho helping free us from those awful hallucinations.

Other memories came, too. Me and Dad visiting Mom’s grave. Me and Kumatora rushing along the highway to rescue the Mr. Saturns. Me helping some monkeys escape from a cage. Me throwing up PSI shields against the Barrier Trio’s attacks. And – still fresh and painful – me pleading with Kumatora to stop hurting that masked kid.

Everyone always called me the strong twin, while Lucas was the kind twin - but maybe I was kind too, just like how Lucas was strong in his own way.

Maybe… just maybe… I had a pure heart worthy of Mom and Lucas.

“Much better," said Ionia. "I can see a small smile growing on your face. Oooh, and a blush, too – no need to be so embarrassed! *heart* Your every action is imbued with strength and compassion - and that’s why I want you to be the one to awaken the Dark Dragon. You have the power to create a truly wonderful world. You can’t lose or give in, no matter what - though I hardly need to say that to someone as strong-willed and stubborn as yourself, my dear! *heart*”

My face went all hot.

“Duster… Boney… Princess Kumatora… Claus needs the help of his friends more than ever, if he is to fulfill this monumental task. Promise me you’ll always support him and stay at his side, even after I’m gone.”

All three of them nodded.

Ionia took a sharp breath. “Kumatora - I never meant to teach you this PSI. It’s extremely dangerous, and absolutely destructive in the wrong hands. I wouldn’t even think of merely mentioning it to any other human… but you are more than worthy of this power.

“Princess Kumatora – I entrust you with the ultimate PSI, the strongest technique known by the Magypsies.” She raised her hands and cried, “PK… Starstorm!!”

Her hands glowed with a harsh blue light – a bright flash filled the temple, blinding us.

I blinked – and saw Kumatora get blasted right off the altar. Her clothes smoked a bit as she skidded along the ancient temple floor.

“Kumatora!” I cried, while Boney whined loudly.

“You okay?!” Duster bellowed.

For an agonizing heartbeat, Kumatora lay still. Then she slowly rose to her feet – with a huge grin plastered across her face.

“Oh, hell yes,” she said. “Thanks, Ionia!”

Ionia chuckled for a moment, then her face turned serious. “It’s not to be taken lightly, my dear. The power to summon the heavens itself… Use it wisely.”

“Y’mean, like the Barrier Trio did?” Kumatora wondered.

“Precisely. Missy entrusted this PSI to her guardians – there’s a very good reason she called them the Magypsies’ ultimate defense. *heart* But anyhoo, it’s time – gather around, everyone.”

Kumatora hurried back up the steps, while the rest of us inched closer to the Needle.

Suddenly I fell forward – my head almost bonked the Needle.

“Claus-” shouted Duster.

“I’m okay,” I muttered, getting back into position with some effort.

I resisted the urge to groan – my head was pounding again, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

“Crap, he’s gettin’ worse,” Kumatora muttered. Louder she called, “Can ya still pull the Needle?”

I nodded. 

Before my body could falter again, I grabbed the Needle.

The hilt flew off, and the entire Needle glowed with a pale light. It throbbed in my hand - steely cold one moment, red hot the next.

For the third time I raised my arm, releasing the Needle.

I hardly had time to catch my breath before the shaking started. It was so rough and violent, too – poor Duster almost got knocked off his feet!

Another tremor, and my body toppled to the ground - in a flash of panic, I realized my arms had stopped working, too.

My eyes snapped shut as I hit the ground, as if falling asleep.

I tried calling out for help, but no sound came out.

I

“C’mon, Mom!”

I tugged on Mom’s dress, while Lucas pushed her from behind.

Mom giggled slightly – her voice was as pure and gentle as the morning breeze. “What’s got you so excited, boys?”

We half-dragged her to the Drago Plateau, all the way to a patch of grass covered in colourful flowers.

“Look!” I cried. “Sunflowers!” I pointed excitedly at the small yellow flowers poking out of the ground.

Mon laughed lightly. “Oh, Claus, those aren’t sunflowers – these ones have round petals. Sunflowers have pointed petals, and a big brown centre. And,” a twinkle came to her eyes, “they’re late bloomers, and only come out mid-summer - it’s not quite time for them to be out.” 

I felt my cheeks go slightly warm.

Lucas tugged on Mom’s dress. “What’s this one?” he asked, pointing at a small white flower.

Mom bent down beside Lucas, examining the flower. “Let me see – oh, it’s a daisy .”

“And this one?” Lucas pointed at a tiny blue flower.

“That one’s a bluebell!”

“What about this one?” I shouted, pointing to a cool orange flower.

But Mom was too busy fussing over Lucas.

I huffed and crossed my arms. This always happened – the only way I got Mom to myself was by getting up before Lucas (and even then she preferred Dad instead!)

Fine – I’d just make up my own game.

I ran and stomped around, pretending to be a Drago. 

Suddenly something caught my eye - I skidded to a halt, then crouched down.

It was a yellow flower.

I peered closer – it was tiny, and had little pointed petals. I poked its brown centre, and winced – it was so prickly!

Wait – a sunflower? But Mom said they weren’t growing yet!

“Mom!” I yelled. Mom needed to see this!

But Mom was too busy picking flowers with Lucas, stringing them together into flower crowns.

“Mom!” I repeated, running up and ramming into her.

“Ow! I surrender!” she said with a smile. She handed Lucas the rest of the flowers, then turned to me. “What is it, Claus?”

“I found a sunflower! A real one this time!”

I rushed back to the sunflower, eager to show it off.

Mom gasped, then strolled over to me. Lucas trailed after her, blue eyes wide in wonder.

I pointed to the flower, grinning in triumph.

“Oh… that’s…” Mom bent down and carefully examined the flower, her brown eyes wide. “I don’t believe it – a baby sunflower! This one’s come out early!”

“Here – I’ll pick it for you!” It would look perfect on a flower crown for Mom!

“No,” Mom said before I even reached out my hand. Her denial wasn’t firm like Dad’s was, but I didn’t dare disobey.

“But why?” I wondered. “They’re your favourite!”

“This is a very special flower. Look how small it is – it must’ve just sprouted. We need to leave it, and let it grow. One day it will grow nice and tall.”

That’s right – Mom always said sunflowers grew super tall!

“Will it get as tall as me?” I asked. “Or as tall as Leder?”

Mom laughed as she shook her head. “I’m afraid they don’t get quite as tall as Leder, my strong one.” She smiled and patted my head. “Thank you for showing me this, Claus. It made me very happy.”

My face went warm again.

“Come, boys – we’ve had a great adventure today, but it’s almost time for supper. You boys were running around a lot today – you must be so hungry.”

Sure enough, Lucas’s stomach gurgled loudly, echoed by my own a second later.

The three of us burst into happy laughter, ringing all the way down the canyon.

Suddenly I tumbled backward. I expected to feel the soft blanket of grass – instead I got hard, rocky ground.

I thought I heard some voices – was that Mom and Lucas? Were they worried about me?

Wait – what was going on? Why did I suddenly feel so tired?

I closed my eyes. I decided I’d curl up here and take a quick nap… just for a few minutes… then I’d go with Mom and Lucas, and get some nice fresh omelets-

“Claus!! Get up, you – you little pipsqueak!!”

Someone was shaking me.

My eyes snapped open in shock. It took me a moment to realize where I was, not helped by the fact that I was curled up on my side.

“Huh?” I mumbled. Even that was difficult to get out – my head was all foggy, and my whole body ached.

“You scared the shit outta me!” yelled Kumatora. “After pullin’ the Needle, you just collapsed on the ground! And you were out cold - I thought you were dead!!”

I craned my neck (my body was so broken, I could barely move my head now!). In my blurry, sideways vision I saw Ionia hurry up to me.

“Well done, Claus!” she trilled. But then she frowned slightly. “Only one Needle remains… Oh! Just for a moment, I thought I sensed Locria… Yes, I can sense her rapidly approaching her own Needle.”

“Never mind Locria – where’s the last Needle?” Kumatora demanded.

“Hmm.” Ionia shut her eyes in concentration. “Oh dear… I’m afraid I’m having trouble pinpointing its location… this is rather inconvenient, even unfortunate… Oh! My heart senses an intense disturbance - that must be the Needle! Let me see… it’s coming from a lively, filthy place…” She wrinkled her nose in disgust, which promptly vanished.

“No – you’re-” Kumatora cried.

“Yes, I’m afraid it’s my ‘Time’.” Sure enough, Ionia was rapidly blinking in and out of existence. “I’m about to disappear – and just when I was about to sense where the Needle is, alas…” She gave another of her flutterly laughs, then skipped up to Kumatora. “Princess Kumatora, I entrust this to you. Take good care of it – and think of me sometimes, m’kay? *heart*”

There was a soft glow of green light, then a lipstick and razor appeared in Kumatora’s hands – Ionia’s Memento!

“Clausie dear… sweet little Boney… adorable Duster… Princess Kumatora… I entrust the final fate of the world to you. *heart*”

With a final curtsy and “Bye-byeeee! *heart*”, Ionia vanished in a small shower of sparkles.

Kumatora bowed her head.

I felt myself well up with emotion. Not only had I seen another Magypsy vanish (die!) before my very eyes, we’d lost yet another ally – I could hardly bear it after Dad…

But then something caught my attention.

“Hey…” My voice was barely above a whisper. “D’you… hear music…?”

I swore I heard music in the distance. Some pretty strange, lively music, too – it wasn’t bad, but it sounded nothing like the music anyone in Tazmily would play.

Was it just playing in my head? …Maybe this was what music in the afterlife sounded like?

“Crap – Claus, stay with us! Don’t die on us now!”

The last thing I heard was Duster mumbling “No, I hear it too,” and then blackness washed over me.

*

“…Master Claus, I presume.”

A voice? Was someone talking to me?

I opened my eyes, though it felt more like lifting big heavy rocks. The first thing I saw was the back of Duster’s head.

I craned my neck. Behind Duster’s head was a weird white car – a really long one. It went on and on – it stretched beyond my field of vision. Maybe it even went on forever.

Wait… hadn’t we been at that temple place? Why was there a car now? Was I dead?

No… that couldn’t be right. This felt nothing like the sunflower place – and if I was dead, Duster shouldn’t be here too.

“Ah-hem.”

There was a coughing noise, and then a figure dressed in black stepped in front of me (or Duster, I guess).

“Greetings, Master Claus,” said the figure. “By the request of the great Master Porky, the new king of the entire world, you are hereby cordially invited to attend him at New Pork City, the greatest city in the world. Please, allow me to escort you there in his private limousine.”

I groaned in exhaustion – I didn’t even understand most of those words. Apparently this guy wanted to take me somewhere?

“Are you… taking me… to where… Mom is?”

“Why, Master Claus-” For half a moment, I mistook the figure’s voice for Fassad’s – he spoke in the same syrupy, belittling tone.

“-Is having none of your bullshit,” Kumatora’s voice snapped. “As for your ‘great’ Master Porky, you can tell ‘im to take his limo and shove it up his-”

“I’m afraid that where Master Porky is concerned, there is no ‘no’,” responded the figure. He coughed. “My lady, I assure you Master Claus will be treated with the utmost care and respect. After all, he’ll be Master Porky’s very special guest.”

“He’s dyin’!”

“Yes, and Master Porky sent his best medical care.”

At that moment, one of the doors on the long white car opened, and a white figure stepped out. 

I squinted - it was hard to make them out against the car. All I could see was a bunch of white – white clothes, white glasses, white hair…

Wait – I recognized this guy! He was that scientist that reconstructed me! What was his name, again…?

“Funny… hair guy…” I mumbled. “Help…”

“Who the hell is this?” Kumatora shouted, while Boney snarled.

“I am Dr. Andonuts. Could you please bring me the human - oh. Oh, my…” The white figure hurried over to me, filling my whole vision. He started poking me all over – I moaned a bit, but I was too tired and in too much pain to really care.

“I heard the human chimera was hurt, but this is far worse than I anticipated - he’s showing signs of severe mechanical failure. Oh, dear, this is not good at all…”

“We figured as such,” Duster said dryly.

“Is he-” pressed Kumatora.

Dr. Andonuts sighed. “He’s alive – barely. He’ll need extensive repairs and maintenance – but that’s what I’m here for. After all, I’m Master Porky’s chief engineer.”

“Wha-” Duster shook his head. “No – this has to be a trap. Why’d they send someone as important as you for Claus?”

Dr. Andonuts coughed. “Master Porky is very… eager to meet your human chimera.”

Duster backed off, jostling me slightly. “I do not like the sound of that – hurry, we need to get Claus out of here!”

“Wait,” interrupted Kumatora.

Boney whined, while Duster grunted in protest.

“Look – it’s sure as hell a trap. But we don’t have a choice – Claus needs help now.”

“Then it’s settled?” said the black-dressed figure.

“Yeah.” Kumatora said it with all the displeasure she could muster. “And if Claus doesn’t… if you hurt him - !”

Dr. Andonuts coughed. “Then let’s get started. Lift him in the limo – I’ve got an operating table all ready. Careful now…”

My body was passed around a lot.

What was going on? Was he going to re-reconstruct me?

I knew I should be worried, but… I just couldn’t. It was so much effort just to stay awake, I couldn’t focus on anything else.

Even that was no use – finally the pounding in my head and all the aches and pains everywhere got too much.

I closed my eyes, not knowing if I’d ever wake back up.

*

…

End Act 3

Chapter Text

Act 4: Endgame

The final stage of a game, especially chess, after most of the pieces have been removed from the board and the kings come into play.

*

...

Subject undergoing maintenance. Checking systems… All systems accounted for.

Updating systems… Updates complete.

Rebooting…

I groaned – everything hurt.

Except it wasn’t nearly as bad as before – now, it was just the normal aches and pains. All things considered, I actually felt pretty great, almost like I’d finally had a good night’s sleep.

Red text flashed in the corner of my eye. Strange - I hadn’t realized how much I missed my retina display. Seeing it again was almost… comforting.

Dr. Andonuts's head popped into view. “I trust you’re feeling much better?”

That’s right – that big white car had pulled up, and Dr. Andonuts had shown up to do some emergency maintenance and repairs.

“Yeah – I feel great!” The words flowed out easily, just like they’re supposed to.

I let myself adjust to my new surroundings. I was lying on some kind of table thing, with a gray ceiling overhead – wherever this place was, I didn’t recognize it. I could hear the roar of engines or something in the background.

I tried to scoot myself into a sitting position to get a better look at everything.

“Careful – I don’t want you moving around too much,” Dr. Andonuts warned. “Not until I can test that you’re fully recovered.”

“Oh - he’s awake!”

I gasped – that was Duster’s voice!

Sure enough, Duster and Kumatora were looking down on me with relieved expressions. I could also hear Boney’s excited yips.

Dr. Andonuts turned to the others. “Yes – you’ll be pleased to know the repairs were a success, and that the human chi- er, your friend is in good health. However, I’ll need to keep him for a few more minutes while I run some tests.” 

He coughed, then turned back to me. “Would you mind running a diagnostic check for me? I installed a new battery and mechanical eye, and made some repairs to your access panel and aural sensors – I want to make sure everything’s installed and working properly.” (A new eye? Ick – that must’ve been gross to watch!)

“Okay,” I said. Run systems tests, I ordered to myself.

Everything went smoothly, or as smooth as it can get when your body jerks everywhere and you mumble big words and lots of numbers. I breathed a sigh of relief when the familiar No anomalies detected message scrolled by.

“Everythin’s okay,” I said.

Dr. Andonuts nodded. “Good. You’re free to move around now. I’d like you to test out your mechanical eye for me, then I’ll let you go.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice – I pulled myself in a sitting position and eagerly glanced around.

I could hardly believe my eyes. The floor was plush brown carpet. A bunch of windows and cushy-looking chairs lined the walls, while pink chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

What was even more incredible was how long the room was - this was the lengthiest room I’d ever seen! Way at the other end I could just see someone wearing a hat sitting in another of the chairs, facing away from us. The rest of the room was packed with a whole bunch of stuff – a weird-looking stage, a green table with colourful balls on top, even a golden bathtub!

“Wow!” I exclaimed. What was this place?!

Wait… just before I had collapsed, that big white car had pulled up. Did that mean we were inside?

“Are we in a car?!” I blurted out. “This sure doesn’t look like one!”

Dr. Andonuts chuckled. “I see that your optical input is working perfectly. Could you check your zoom function for me?”

I zoomed in toward the nearest window. (My vision was so sharp and clear now! Was it because I had a new mechanical eye with all the latest upgrades?)

I gasped. “Those’re clouds! We’re flyin’?!”

“That’s right. We’re in King P’s flying limousine - he’s spared no expense in delivering his-” Dr. Andonuts coughed, “special guest.”

My mood instantly soured. “What’s that s’posed to mean?!”

I remembered my conversation with Miss Marshmallow all too well. Even without meeting King P, I already hated him – he did not sound like a nice guy!

“Don’tcha remember?” Kumatora cut in. She and the others were sitting in some of the cushy chairs, keeping an eye on me. “The bastards held ya hostage!”

“We have to go to New Pork City and meet King P in exchange for your repairs,” Duster explained.

I grit my teeth. I could remember bits and pieces after the big white car came - something about Master Porky and being ‘invited’ to New Pork City…

“Those jerks!” I yelled. How dare they - I was tired of being a pawn for the Pigmasks!!

Dr. Andonuts sighed. “If it’s any consolation, I find this situation equally deplorable. King P is a very powerful man – and I am as trapped as you are.” He paused, forcing himself to smile. “Now, we should be arriving at New Pork City in a few minutes. In the meantime, why don’t you go explore the limousine? I’m sure you’re eager to stretch your legs.”

“So I’m free to go?” I asked eagerly.

He just nodded.

I practically leapt right off the table.

My muscles hummed with energy – after being helpless for so long, it felt great to be moving again!

I stretched for a bit, just to make sure everything was working properly. Then I bounded up the carpet of the car – it felt good just to run around like a carefree kid!

Soon I came to the green table thing - I stopped to take a look.

Several colourful balls were arranged haphazardly around the table. There were also a bunch of pockets along the edge – maybe you were supposed to knock the balls into the pockets?

My curiosity piqued, I tried poking one of the colourful balls – but it didn’t even budge.

I tried another of the balls just to be sure. I even tried picking up the big stick lying on the table. All of them were stuck fast to the table.

“What gives?” I huffed. What a stupid table – why were all the balls stuck in place?!

That was when the others came up to me – Boney was barking happily, glad to see me up and about.

“This table’s stupid!” I complained.

“Yeah, this limo’s a piece of crap,” said Kumatora. “Everything’s fake.”

I cringed. “Y’mean, like Tanetane?”

“Don’t worry, not Tanetane fake, just… useless fake,” Duster reassured me. “It’s all designed to look functional, but it’s not.”

Really? That seemed so pointless and stupid - who’d do something like that?!

I ran up to the colourful stage and tried climbing on it. Instead my foot ended up going right through the floor of the stage – the whole thing was just flimsy cardboard!

That made me mad, so I kicked it in frustration.

The person at the front coughed. He was wearing a bug fancy hat, and was seated behind some kind of wheel thing.

“You are Master Porky’s very special guest, and of course allowed to use this limousine as you wish… but nevertheless, I’m afraid you’re bothering me,” he announced. “I politely suggest that you refrain from doing any further damage to this limousine’s amenities.”

A-men-i-tees? What were those?

“Ya call all this fake crap amenities?” Kumatora snapped back.

The hat guy just coughed and ignored her. I took a strong disliking to him – he was just as snide and pushy as Fassad!

Well, if I couldn’t run around and kick things, I’d just find some other way to pass the time.

Noticing an empty seat next to the hat guy, I walked over and sat down.

The view out the front windows was amazing. Clouds rushed by – we were going so fast!

I stared in wonder, my mouth hanging open - I still couldn’t get over how we were flying!

A few minutes later the hat guy coughed again, interrupting my idle daydreams.

“We’ve arrived, Master Claus and guests,” he said.

Right on cue, a huge building covered in spikes emerged from the clouds.

Something about it made me very unsettled – I just knew it was some kind of Pigmask building. The sky had gotten dark all of a sudden, too – was a thunderstorm coming in?

The car started sinking gently through the sky. Soon we landed on a large metal platform thing with a giant pink pig’s snout painted on it.

The hat guy opened the door and stepped outside.

I immediately ran out after him – I wasn’t gonna stay in this weird car thing one second longer!

That seemed to rattle the hat guy. “You were supposed to wait for me to open the door for you, Master Claus,” he said with a distinct note of disapproval.

I scoffed – I could get out of doors just fine all by myself! I wasn’t like Mayor Pusher and Elmore, who needed to hire a butler to do all the basic tasks like cooking, cleaning and opening the door for them!!

The hat guy turned and walked down to the far door of the car. He held it open as Duster, Boney and Kumatora stepped out.

I glanced around at my new surroundings. This had to be New Pork City – it was nothing like Tazmily, or the various Pigmask facilities, or even the Magypsies’s houses!

Huge towering buildings crowded the skyline, each as tall as Thunder Tower. Metal platforms went every which way. Everything was covered with lights that flickered on and off. Above it all was the big spiky building, seemingly every inch covered with windows.

It was all too much! I had to cover up my mechanical eye – there was so much stuff, it hurt to look at!

Luckily Boney came to my side and brushed up against me, offering his comforting support.

The hat guy cleared his throat. “Lady and gentlemen… allow me to welcome you to New Pork City, home of our great ruler Master Porky.”

Duster whistled, while Kumatora just said “Huh”. They seemed a lot less overwhelmed than I was!

“Our great city can be quite intimidating to navigate for new arrivals, so Master Porky has kindly provided a map for your use.” Fancy Hat Guy reached into his coat pocket and handed a neatly-folded map to Duster. (I wondered how many maps he had in there – he couldn't possibly have as many as Mapson!)

“As for Master Claus, he has a copy installed to his – ah, ‘memory banks’. It’s one of several upgrades Master Porky requested to be added during your maintenance.”

I hissed – how dare they mess around with my robot parts without my permission! That unexpected Egg of Light alert was bad enough – I didn’t want more weird features going off!

Still, at least an extra map wasn’t too bad. I decided to test it out - Run… uh, map?

Instantly a new overlay went up on my retina display – a map of the city! I could move it around and zoom in and out, too! I could even check floor plans of the different buildings.

I whistled. Even I had to admit this new feature was pretty cool.

Meanwhile, Fancy Hat Guy was still droning on. “Master Porky has kindly prepared rooms for you and your guests during your stay, Master Claus.”

“Hey!” I snapped. “I’m not stayin’-”

Duster shushed me. “We’re in the Pigmasks’ home territory now, we can’t afford to make them mad - just play along for now,” he whispered in my ear, then turned back to Fancy Hat Guy. “We’re very grateful for your generous hospitality,” he said.

Fancy Hat Guy nodded. “Check-in is at three o’clock – report to the receptionist on the ground floor of the Empire Porky Building.” (According to my retina display, right now it was 1:17 PM.) “In the meantime, you are free to explore the city as you wish, apart from the 100th floor of the Empire Porky Building.”

“Why’s that?” I piped up.

“It’s restricted for Master Porky’s private use,” Fancy Hat Guy said dismissively. “Now, I do hope you avail yourselves of the various sights and attractions New Pork City has to offer. Master Porky heartily recommends visiting the theatre, or attending Beauty & Tasty for fine cuisine.”

I shrugged – I wasn’t hungry at all, thanks to my robot parts and the Ener-Tea from this morning. (Was it really just this morning when we had tea at Ionia’s house? It seemed so long ago!)

“I shall make my leave. Until we meet again… under a different guise.”

With that, Fancy Hat Guy finally stepped back into the 'limousine'. The four of us watched in silence as it soared back into the sky, slowly becoming a tiny speck.

Kumatora broke the silence - she didn’t mince words, as usual. “What the absolute hell?!”

“Yeah! This place is weird!” I agreed. “I don’t like it one bit – and I don’t like King P, either!”

Boney growled at my side, as if protecting me from this unseen threat.

Duster just sighed. “I don’t like this any better than you two – be sure to stay on your guard. But I’m afraid we’re stuck here, unless we find another flying vehicle. Besides,” he shrugged, “surely there’s no harm in looking around?”

I was about to snap a reply, but stopped. He had a point – we could use this opportunity to look for clues, just like we did in Miss Marshmallow’s room.

Besides, this had to be that ‘lively, filthy’ place Ionia mentioned – which meant the Needle was somewhere nearby!

“Yeah! We can look for clues to the next Needle!” I said.

Kumatora scowled, but eventually nodded. “Fine. Standin’ around won’t get us to the Needle – let’s go see what this ‘King P’ asshole has in store for us.”

“So where d’you wanna start?” I asked.

Duster unfolded the map, then scanned it over with a furrowed brow. “There’s certainly a lot of buildings here… oh, there’s that theatre the chauffeur mentioned… and here’s that ‘Beauty & Tasty’ place… Oh, looks like the Empire Porky Building is that big spiky one we saw when we were landing.”

“Of course he named the place after himself,” Kumatora muttered. “Hmph - that must be the Pigmasks’ headquarters. Screw this ‘3 o’clock check-in’ crap – let’s head over there and kick King P’s ass!”

I couldn’t help but grin – I felt so energized right now, like I could take on the entire Pigmask Army!

But Duster frowned. “Is that wise? It must be well-guarded-”

“We’ll have to face King P sooner than later - may as well take the fight to him,” Kumatora reasoned. 

Duster shrugged, but didn’t raise any further objections.

“All right, let’s go find that tower!” I called.

*

We hurried down a long metal platform leading into the city.

I thought I was overwhelmed before, but the city itself was even worse. Giant gaudy signs lined the pathways, flashing like particularly annoying Happy Boxes. Loud music blared. People bustled in every direction.

“Ah!” I cried, clapping my hands over my ears.

It was too loud! Everything was too bright! There were too many people! It was horrible!

“What’s wrong?” Duster asked, while Boney whined.

“It’s too loud!” I screamed.

I charged down the street and shoved my way through a whole crowd of people. It was rude, but I didn’t care – I couldn't take it anymore! I had to get away!

There – a building! I could go inside for a bit and calm down.

I rushed over to it, only to do a double-take – it was just a piece of cardboard! It was every bit as fake as the ‘a-men-i-tees’ from the limo!

Desperately I glanced around – luckily I saw a real building a few yards away. It had an awful pink colour and a too-bright sign and flashing checkerboard pillars, but it’d have to do.

Mike from the retirement home was standing outside - his eyes widened when he saw me. “Why, it’s Claus! Even the robot freak is here-”

Ignoring him, I plunged through the doors.

I blinked at my new surroundings, not daring to uncover my ears. This place had a bunch of strange machines lined up against the walls - all of them were going blip-blip with high-pitched, annoying, painful noises.

I started to wail – it was even louder in here! (It smelt, too!)

Warning: Excessive optical and auditory input. Subject urged to seek environment with lower levels of stimulation.

“It’s okay, Claus!” That was Kumatora – she wrapped an arm around me. “Let’s get ya outta here!”

Boney was at my side, brushing against my legs.

That snapped me back to attention – with their help, I stumbled back out of the noisy building.

“Somethin’s wrong with Claus!” Kumatora called to Duster. “We gotta get him somewhere quiet!”

There was the sound of paper unfolding. “Here, the theatre’s down this road.”

By now my eyes were shut as tight as they would go, and my hands were pressing so hard against my ears that my arms ached – but everything was still too painful!

Kumatora and Duster half-dragged me down the street. I opened my eyes just long enough to keep myself on track, catching brief flashes of scenery – more cardboard buildings, more flashing lights.

Finally we burst through some doors.

I slowly uncovered my ears – and was met with silence.

I breathed a sigh of relief – at least this building was nice and quiet.

“I’ll be okay in a bit,” I said to the others. 

Duster nodded, while Kumatora just scowled. “This city sucks,” she muttered.

I crouched down next to Boney and ran my hands through his fur, trying to calm down and stop shaking.

Once I felt steady, I glanced around. This building had soft purple carpet and blue walls, with one wall taken up with a large set of doors leading somewhere. The room also had a large counter labelled ‘Tickets’, manned by two ladies in frilly white uniforms.

That’s funny… why did you need tickets if you could just walk into this place? And why did they need such a large counter here, anyway?

I noticed a sign above the counter listing a bunch of different items, along with numbers that I assumed stood for the cost in DP. (There was a “Hometown Hero Bat” that was really expensive and had more 0s than I'd ever seen in my entire life - and I thought 2500 DP for train tickets was bad!)

Was this place supposed to be a shop? Or maybe a place to buy tickets for a train or ropeway or something? I was so confused!

“Excuse me!” I called as I stepped up to the counter. “What is this place?”

The ladies glanced up at me. “Why, you must be Master Claus!” one of them said.

I flinched. “Hey! How’d you know my name?!” I said indignantly.

The lady just giggled. “Why, you’re Master Porky’s very special guest! Everyone in the city knows about you – it’s the first time he’s ever invited anyone! He’s very eager to meet you.” She burst into another fit of giggles. “I’m not surprised, with a cutie like you!”

“Hey!” I yelled, feeling my cheeks go warm. ‘Cutie’ was almost as bad as ‘it’ – I hated that sort of mushy stuff!

“Oh, that reminds me – Master Porky requested that we deliver a package for you,” the second lady piped up. She ducked behind the counter, returning with a white box neatly wrapped with a red ribbon. (Something clicked in my memory banks – it looked the same as all those unwrapped presents back at Miss Marshmallow's room in Thunder Tower!)

“It’s compliments of Master Porky – I hope you like it,” she said as she slid the box across the counter.

“Don’t touch that!” Kumatora ordered. “It’s probably a bomb or somethin’!”

I spun around in surprise – the others had come up to the counter, too.

The two ladies dropped their jaws in horror.

“Why, Master Porky would never do something like that!” the one on the left protested. “He specifically ordered that Master Claus was to be treated with the utmost courtesy and respect! Here, I’ll unwrap it for you.”

The lady took back the package and daintily untied the bow. (I would’ve just torn the thing open!)

She lifted off the lid, then showed the box to me. Inside was a funny-looking hat – it was a red cap, except that the brim was blue.

“Go ahead, put it on,” the ladies encouraged.

I lifted out the hat, carefully turning it around and examining it from all angles. Once I was satisfied it wasn’t actually a bomb in disguise or anything like that, I plopped it on.

To my surprise, it fit nice and snug on my head – a perfect fit!

“Looking handsome!” said one of the ladies.

The other one pulled out a small handheld mirror so I could see. I looked so weird with a hat on – and without my cowlick!

“Now, are you and your guests ready to see the movie, Master Claus?”

Duster tilted his head in surprise. “A movie?”

“This theatre is showing a wonderful adventure movie personally selected by Master Porky,” the lady at the counter explained. “He specifically requested that you were to watch it, Master Claus. And admission is free!”

Huh – Fancy Hat Guy had encouraged us to go to the theatre, too. This movie thing must be important.

Even though it had to be a trap, my curiosity nagged at me - why did Porky want us to watch a movie? Was it gonna be like that ‘chimera movie’ from the Chimera Lab?

“Sure thing,” I said. “Where do we go?”

“The theatre is just through those doors to the right.”