Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Claus?

L-Lucas? Why aren't you in bed?

I heard you running outside... Where are you going?

Where am I - what're you talking about? I'm not going anywhere. Go back to sleep.

Then why aren't you dressed in your pajamas? And... Is that dad's hunting knife?!

Finders, keepers.

Claus!

That drunk driver caused all of this. I'm gonna find that bad man and make him pay.

You don't even know where he lives!

Wait here, Lucas. I promise I'll be back.

What are you gonna do when you find him?

I-I don't know! I'll think of something, okay?

You'll die! Please, Claus, don't do this-

I'm not gonna die, Lucas. Just you wait, I'm gonna bring mom home before you know it-

Mom's dead!

Liar!

Don't go, I can't let you die too-

Lucas- get off! Leave me alone, you coward!

I'm not a coward!

Yes, you are! Go home, and cry at mom's grave like the useless crybaby you are!

No! Stay! I-I promise I won't cry again!

Lucas...? Lucas! Let go of my knife!

It's not yours! It's Dad's!

He doesn't care about us anymore!

Please, Claus, don't leave, I'll... I'll do anything, please please please don't go -

Lucas. LET. GO!

.

...Lucas? What's wrong?!

.

Oh no, I didn't mean to- Wake up, Lucas! I'm sorry!

.

HELP! Somebody! Anybody!

.

LUCAS!

.

.

.

~Chapter Eighteen~

Snowman

.

.

.

Claus jerked back into awareness.

Sweat dotted his clammy skin like freezing rain. Panicking, his eyes darted around in search of his twin brother-

But Claus didn't have to worry. Lucas was still leaning against his shoulder. His brother's slow, sleepy sighs tickled his bare neck.

Claus exhaled, then steadied his trembling fists. Lucas wasn't lying limp in his arms, unresponsive to his frantic yelling. It had only been a dream.

Then memories from last night trickled in. How they'd narrowly escaped from Giygas by the skin of their teeth. A quick glimpse revealed that Ninten was snoozing away in his corner, and Ness...

Claus paused in his train of thought. Where was Ness?

Something flickered faintly outside. Loud, raucous laughter caught his attention. That definitely didn't sound like Ness.

Gently laying Lucas on his side, Claus crunched his way through the snow to the source of light. A dark figure sat alone with his back turned to him, stoking the meager fire.

Ness.

That's odd. I was pretty sure he was talking with someone a second ago...

"Hey. Hey, kid, talk to us!"

"Shut it."

"Aw, you mad, bruh?" A disembodied snigger. "Oh, you wanna beat us into pulp. You wanna, dun'cha? Bring it on, fatboy!"

"I'm not fat!"

"Sure you aren't, fatboy." The pack of Chilly Dogs howled in hysterical laughter. "Come closer! It'll be nice to eat you."

Claus froze. Is Ness talking to animals?

Still oblivious to Claus's presence, Ness threw the Chilly Dogs a withering scowl. "Leave me alone."

"Woah. Take it easy, chubs." Tickled silly by their own words, the arctic predators began cackling like a pack of hyenas.

Claus had had enough. Throwing away all caution to the wind, he ambled over. As his shoes crunched into the snow, Ness stiffened up at the indication of his approach.

One of the chilly dogs caught sight of Claus. "Oh, look! Another living meat!" A whoop of glee. "Ayyy. Ay, carrot-head! Talk some sense into fatty over here, will yah-"

Claus's hands erupted into sparks of electricity. "You're barking up the wrong tree, mutt," he hissed, his icy blue eyes ablaze.

The Chilly Dogs backed off. "We were just jokin', ginger," the alpha male whimpered, flattening his ears.

"Scram!" Claus snarled, viciously kicking a rock at them.

Ice erupted in its wake. With a howl of terror, the chilly dogs fled with their tails between their legs. Then the night returned to silence once more, save for the crackle of the twisting fire.

Sullen-faced, Ness prodded another stick into the flames. "Stupid mutts."

Claus scowled. "Why the hell were you letting them talk shit about you?"

"They were trying to lure me away from the fire... and I'm not fat," Ness added sourly under his breath.

Claus had never really given it much thought, and studied him. If anything, years of baseball had melted away much of Ness's baby fat, giving Ness more of a burly, broad-shouldered physique. Stocky, perhaps, but chubby? Not really.

Out of curiosity, Claus examined his own fingers. Both he and Lucas were tall and lanky, but working on the farm and herding the sheep had made them lean even though their skinny build didn't show it. He'll never be ripped, but Claus supposed it could be a lot worse. Ninten seemed to be cursed with a frail, unhealthy figurine no matter how often he exercised.

Claus sighed, shaking the train of thought from his head. "I can't believe it. This entire journey's been insane," he muttered. "First, our calculus teacher turns out to be an evil villain, and now Chilly Dogs can talk. Damn logic."

Ness threw him a look. "Haven't you noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

Ness closed his fist. "PSI boosts your mental awareness. That's why you can understand animals."

"Not the mecha-lion," Claus pointed out.

"That was a Chimaera. Not exactly an animal."

Claus threw his hands up in frustration. "Chimaera, animal... Does it make a difference?"

Ness shrugged. "Not really." He kicked more wood into the fire. Tiny embers flew from impact, snapping and popping bark into flames. Unzipping his bag, Ness dug a hand around and fished something out. "...Cup of Lifenoodles?"

"Lifenoodles?" Claus eyed the package label. "Is that what they call Ramen these days?"

Ness shrugged again. "You want some or not?"

At the thought of food, Claus's stomach growled much to his embarrassment.

"Now that you mention it, I am feeling kind of hungry," Claus admitted.

"It might attract predators," Ness warned.

"Don't care. Doubt anyone could smell anything in this snowstorm anyways."

In no time, they were brewing a cup of lifenoodles slowly over the fire. The smell of warm, steamy food spiraled into smoky wisps, tantalizing their numb noses. The merry sound of a broth cooking took center stage, bubbling away with a delighted gurgle.

"How's your leg?" Claus said abruptly, eyeing the burn. Red, inflamed skin stretched over Ness's calves. "That looks painful. You should take care of that."

"My leg's fine." Ness's gaze flickered gloomily over to the cave. "But Ninten looks like shit."

"His fever's getting worse-"

"Ninten's health is pretty damn awful to begin with. He just hides it well. I think the cold did a number on him."

Claus swallowed hard. "That doesn't sound good."

"No kidding."

"We should heal him-"

"Already did." Ness's expression turned haggard. "He's okay for now, but his fever's getting serious. I wanted to do more, but if we attract Starmen..."

"Oh, right. Shit," Claus muttered darkly.

Ness poked a stick into the fire. "How's Lucas?"

"I don't know. He's been saying all sorts of stuff in his sleep," Claus admitted, shifting uneasily. "I can't tell if he's still high or not."

"Great." Ness's voice dripped with bitterness. "That's just perfect."

Claus said nothing. There was no need to. The quivering tension spoke enough for the two of them.

Then Ness bolted to his feet. "Why the hell is this shit happening to us?" he screamed into the sky. "Dammit, is it too much to ask for a normal school year?"

Abovehead, dark thunderclouds rumbled in response to his pitiful cry.

Given no answers, a distraught Ness stood upright in rebellion, challenging the sky. "Well, screw this, I don't give a fuck-" Ness slammed his fists against the nearest snowfall, accentuating each curse with a vicious crunch. "Fuck the world. I'm so fucking tired of getting fucked over by fucking Giygas all the fucking time. FUCK." Tears started to stream down his cheeks. "Damn it," he choked out, gritting his teeth. "Damn it all..."

Claus let him rage. As Ness vented out his frustration to the world, Claus stared moodily into the flickering fire.

But Ness quickly ran out of steam. His rage extinguished, Ness flopped over onto the snow like a limp doll. "You know what? You're right, Claus." He gave into a helpess laugh. "I'm pathetic."

With a heavy sigh, Claus placed a hand against his aching head, sorely wishing for the gazillionth time that Lucas was here, because Claus sure as hell didn't feel like dealing with Ness's mood swings. "Ness," Claus said tiredly. "We're not getting into this again."

"It's all my fucking fault. If I never blabbed about this stupid facility, none of us would've gotten screwed over-"

"Ness."

"No- shut up, you're fucking right. I'm a hypocrite. Nothing's okay!" Ness cried, waving his arms around. "Ninten's dying, Lucas's turned into a complete nutjob, and I don't have a fucking idea what we're doing next!"

"Get your shit together, you moron," Claus snapped, temporarily stunning Ness out of it. "Are you trying to get us all killed? If you break down too, then we're done for!"

Ness's voice devolved into a mutter. "...Not really. What would I know? I'm just some jackass who puts everyone in danger."

Claus took a shaky breath. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you a jackass-"

"It's 'kay," Ness mumbled, slumping over to idly trace patterns into the snow with his fingers. "I deserved it anyways."

Ness's dead tone made Claus uncomfortable. Ness had always been filled with some crazy drive. Now that his spirit was crushed, Claus had no idea what to do.

"Giving up?" Claus sneered, hoping that the jibe would rile Ness up. "Talk about pathetic."

"I know," Ness said gloomily.

Damn. That didn't work either. Now at a total loss for words, Claus gave up and changed the subject. "Why the hell are you out? It's cold."

"I couldn't sleep."

"What kept you awake?"

Ness uncomfortably fiddled with the brim of his hat. Claus's words seemed to have resurfaced something unpleasant. And with the Chilly Dogs no longer a distraction, Ness couldn't help but brood on the worries seeping back into his soul.

Ness thought: God, it's freezing. I wonder how Paula and the others are handling all this snow. They'd better reach home safely.

Then-

Home...

My mom probably freaked out when I never returned home from school. I bet she's worried sick. And Tracy... she'd better stay out of trouble.

Geez, I miss them. I really hope they're okay.

Ness exhaled, and his breath spiraled into the air. "Forget about it. You'd only laugh at me."

"Try me."

"I'd rather not." Ness wearily closed his eyes. "I don't want your pity."

Claus snorted. "How d'you know I'd laugh at you if you won't even give me a chance?"

"That's what you always do, in'nit?" Ness sounded bitter. "Make fun of me."

"No, I-"

"Don't deny it."

Claus groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Ness, I make fun of everyone."

"You're missing the point." Ness shook his head. "And I'm supposed to believe that you're related to Lucas..."

Claus threw him an irritated look. "Well, if I'm missing the point, then why don't you tell me, Oh Great Knower of Everything? Oh wait, that's right. I'm not Lucas. I'm Claus." He sarcastically rolled his eyes. "Pretend that I'm Lucas, then. I bet you'd tell him anything."

Ness snorted from his place in the snowpile. "Don't have to. He already knows."

Claus bolted to his feet. "You think you're being a real smartass, huh?"

"So what if I am?"

"Stop dicking around!"

"I'm not dicking around!"

"Then get to the fucking point!"

"FINE," Ness screamed, eyes blazing. "I'LL TELL YOU IF YOU STOP BOTHERING THE SHIT OUT OF ME!"

"ABOUT DAMN TIME," Claus almost screamed back.

"I'M HOMESICK!"

Claus froze, dumbstruck.

"I'm homesick, okay?" Ness repeated, screwing his eyes shut. "Does that answer your stupid question now?" he choked out. "Go ahead, Claus. Laugh at me like you always do, because I'm just so funny to you all the fucking time-" Now spent from exhaustion, Ness sank back into the snow. "You got what you wanted, Claus," he mumbled in a muffled voice. "Go away. I just wanna be a-alone..."

Piteously curled up on his side, Ness looked so miserable that Claus closed his mouth. Great, Claus thought. Way to make me feel like the biggest douchebag in the entire universe.

But instead of leaving Ness alone, Claus only scooted over so they were sitting side by side. Staring intently at the snow, Ness ignored him, but Claus stubbornly persisted.

"Hey. Listen to me. I'm not laughing now, am I?" Claus said, his voice gentler. "There's nothing fucking wrong about being homesick."

"Sure. Maybe. I don't know." His mouth suddenly dry, Ness tilted the brim of his cap over his watery eyes. "Ever since dad left, it's been so hard on m' mom, 'specially with her street food business-" His voice cracked. "I can't help it. I'm worried. I miss her a lot..."

Claus thought about his own father waiting back home. He wondered if Flint had started drinking again, and the heavy feeling in his stomach grew. "...I know."

Both boys watched the snowflakes flutter and soak the earth. The sky seemed to be crying; the air damp and the weather gloomy.

"I owe Lucas a lot."

"...Say what?"

"Your brother means a lot to me, Claus," Ness said quietly. "Because he helped me sort out my feelings towards my dad."

Claus looked stunned. "I thought you've always gotten along with your dad."

Ness laughed. "Always? Not really. It's a long story."

"We have time."

The crackling fire softened to a murmur. Even the howling wind seemed to die down in anticipation of Ness's explanation.

Ness started, "My family used to be deep in debt. When my dad started working overtime, mom got mad. She didn't like how he was neglecting our family for his job. But we were still pretty happy, see, and me and m' paps were pretty close." Ness paused. "Then my parents got divorced."

His expression darkened, and Ness poked at the campfire with a stick. "It hit me hard. I couldn't believe that dad had the gall to abandon us. It's pathetic thinking back on it, but I turned into a total wreck. My grades started slipping. I couldn't focus on baseball. Mom always looked so tired, juggling two jobs and all, and I hated that. I blamed my dad for the divorce. I know, I was as stupid and immature as fuck, but I couldn't help it. I hated him so much. Even though it wasn't his fault." Ness gave a bitter laugh. "Wouldn't you?"

Claus shifted uncomfortably. "I guess I would... but didn't your dad still call you afterwards?"

Ness snorted. "Oh yeah, he did. He'd call us, like, every week, but I didn't bother picking up the phone." Ness's expression turned pained. "You've got to understand. I wasn't thinking straight. I was really mad at my dad. I never wanted to talk to him again. But as much as I hated him- I mean, he's still my dad. What was I supposed to do? Ignore him forever? Hell, I didn't even know what to think anymore."

Ness laughed. It was a softer laugh. "Then Lucas convinced me to call my dad again. Said that not talking would only hurt both of us in the long run. So I did." Ness stuffed his hands into his pockets. "He was right," he admitted. "It took me a while, but I'm glad I did. Apparently my dad missed talking to me too." Ness threw Claus a look. "So maybe you should give your own dad a chance."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Claus said defensively.

Ness rolled his eyes. "Okay, Claus. Whatever you say."

Of course, Ness wouldn't be fooled. Claus groaned. "I can't believe it. Sold out by my own twin-"

"Hey, Lucas was high. Cut him some slack."

"Of course, you'd say that. You're his best friend!"

"And you're his brother."

"So?"

Ness smirked. "Don't act stupid. Admit it, Claus. You got jealous whenever Lucas hung out with me-"

"I was not!"

"Sure," Ness laughed. "Hell, even Lucas knows how annoyingly overprotective you are. He's just too nice to say it."

Claus's face turned the same scarlet shade as his hair. "He always puts everyone else before himself," he muttered sullenly. "Someone has to look out for him."

"That's what we're here for."

"Mm."

"...Don't tell me. That was sappy."

"Yeah, it was."

Ness shoved him in the shoulder. "You're such a prick, you know that?"

"If you haven't noticed, Ninten says that to my face all the time."

"No shit. You really are an overprotective bastard."

Claus laughed. "An overprotective bastard, huh?" His blue eyes softened. "Well, let me tell you something, Ness. I didn't use to be so uptight all the time."

Ness rolled his eyes. "Uhuh."

"No. Really." Claus turned quiet. "After my mom died... well, my dad wasn't the most supportive person. Emotionally. He started binge-drinking. If he wasn't slaving away on the field and working with the sheep, then he was knocked out in the kitchen." Claus sounded immensely bitter. "You know the rest- you heard Lucas. I argue with my dad all the time."

Ness shot him an uncertain look. "But your dad never, you know..." he hesitantly mimed hitting the air with his fist.

Claus shook his head. "He never abused us, but he never talked to us either. I guess he pretty much broke down in front of our eyes. And Lucas... Lucas used to cry every single day. Nothing I tried made him happy again. It tore me apart." Claus swallowed. "One day, I couldn't handle it anymore. I ran away from home."

Ness looked stunned. "You ran away? How old were you?"

"I was seven."

"Seven?" Ness blurted out, horrified. "Claus, what the hell were you thinking?"

Claus snorted. "That's the point. I wasn't. I wasn't thinking at all." His fists tightened. "All I wanted to do was find the drunkard who killed my mom and avenge her death. Somehow. I don't remember what I was thinking, to be honest."

"What happened next?"

Claus's eyes involuntarily flickered behind their backs.

"Lucas caught me running off with dad's hunting knife," Claus said softly, watching his brother breathe deeply in slumber. His eyes seemed to lose focus. "...We got into a huge fight. When I refused to stay, Lucas got desperate and wrestled the hunting knife away. I tried to yank it free, but instead, I..." Claus swallowed hard. "I-I..."

Suddenly, Claus buried his face in his hands, muffling his anguished confession. "...I accidentally stabbed him."

Ness's eyes flew open. "You what?!"

"It wasn't on purpose!" Claus's voice sounded pained. "That was the worst moment in my life, Ness. I thought I'd killed him... and it happened right after mom died too-" He fisted his hair into twisted knots. "When Lucas collapsed, I tried shaking him. That didn't work, so I was yelling and shouting and screaming all sorts of stuff into his face, but he wouldn't wake up..." Claus drew in several dry rib-racking sobs that rattled and ripped through his skinny frame. "Lucas w-wouldn't w-wake up..."

Ness hesitantly reached out a hand to pat Claus on the back, then thought better of it. "Spoiler alert," he pointed out gently. "He's alive."

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Claus gave a shaky laugh. "Lucas is only alive today because of dumb luck. I'd only knocked him unconscious with the blunt handle of the knife. If it'd been the blade..." He shuddered. "I was terrified, Ness. I didn't know how Lucas was gonna react to seeing me again, and if Lucas decided to hate me for the rest of my life... I don't know what I'd do with myself. So all I could do was wait until he woke up...

"Lucas?" Claus asked anxiously, watching his twin brother stir from the hospital bed.

Lucas let out a groan, then grimaced, clutching his throbbing injury. "Ow... My head hurts..."

"Lucas!" Claus nearly wept with relief. "You're awake!"

Lucas blinked, not completely believing his eyes, because CLAUS was there, and brave, I've-never-shed-a-tear-in-my-life Claus was, well, CRYING his eyes out. "Claus?"

"I'm sorry, Lucas, I-I didn't mean to, i t was an accident," Claus spewed out. Forcing himself to stop, he swallowed down the lump in his throat. H is own words sounded horribly lame, even to himself. "...I wouldn't."

When his brother didn't respond, Claus felt his heart sink. "Lucas," he almost begged. "Say something."

But Lucas had still yet to speak.

Feeling Lucas's shocked stare prickle his skin, Claus averted his eyes, scuffing the white hospital tiles with his shoe. "Look, I... I won't blame you if you hate me, but I wanted to say that I'm really sor-"

The next thing Claus knew, Lucas was squeezing the life out of him as if Claus had almost died instead.

"L-Lucas?" Claus said stupidly, arms lying uselessly at his sides. "What-"

"Please don't leave." Claus could feel Lucas's hot tears stream into his shoulder. "Don't leave! I-I... I promise I won't cry again-"

"You dolt, I don't care about THAT, " Claus cried, making Lucas dumbstruck from shock. "Do you know how worried I was? You could've DIED. You could've died, like mom! "

Of course, that made Lucas cry even harder.

"Stop crying!" Claus stomped his foot angrily into the ground, even though he had no idea why he was angry and tears were flowing down his face too. "Geez, you're such a crybaby-"

" I don't care," Lucas sobbed, clinging onto his shirt tightly in a death grip. "I don't care if I'm a crybaby, just don't leave, Claus, please don't leave-"

Stifling a hiccup, Claus closed his overflowing eyes in relief. "You're so silly, Lucas."

"Stay, Claus, please stay..."

"I swear- I'll never run away again." Claus let out a choked sob, then buried his face into his brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lucas... I'm so sorry..."

"I was stupid. I was selfish. I had been so caught up trying to avenge my mom that I almost ended up killing my own brother. How pathetic is that?" Claus laughed bitterly. "You see why I'm such an overprotective bastard now, Ness? I can't let anyone hurt Lucas, because I did. Lucas doesn't need more shit in his life." Claus exhaled shakily. "And you call yourself the hypocrite. Well, look no further, because the real hypocrite is sitting right here in front of you."

Ness looked stunned. "Claus... I never knew-"

"Well, now you do. Lucas still gets these nightmares of me running away. It's gotten a lot better with time..." Claus stared into the crackling campfire. "But nothing's really been the same ever since."

An impressive silence stretched between them. Ness was lost for words. In comparison to the twins' lives, his parents' divorce had seemed a walk in the park. Mulling over it, Ness had to wonder how long Claus had lived bearing that guilt.

But Claus had always been there for Lucas. Hell, Ness had to be blind not to notice how much Claus had cared for his younger twin. As an older brother himself, Ness only felt his respect for him grow.

Claus seemed to be zoning off in his own thoughts, so Ness glanced at his sleeping companions. Looking slightly better than before, Ninten muttered something about expired Oreos, then rolled over on his side, smacking his lips in content. Beside him, Lucas trembled and thrashed in the throes of another unpleasant nightmare - a growing frown creased his forehead.

That alone seemed to wake Claus out of his reverie. Gently, he brushed the sweaty bangs out of his brother's face, then mentally swept away the dreadful dream. His expression looked so tender and heartfelt that Ness averted his eyes to give them privacy.

"S'okay," Claus murmured, squeezing his brother's hand in a soothing gesture. "'M here."

Lucas sighed, then relaxed. "...Claus," he breathed in relief. His eyelids fluttered weakly, trapped in a delirious haze. "C-Claus..."

Claus's eyes softened. "We're safe. Sleep."

Lucas didn't need to be told twice. As if he had heard him, the blond closed his heavy eyes. In no time, Lucas fell back into deep slumber, evidenced by his heavy breathing.

Deeming it safe to look again, Ness watched them both from afar. "He'll be fine. Quit worrying, you prat."

"I can't help it. I don't want to lose him again."

"You can't protect him forever, Claus. Lucas will have to learn how to fend for himself eventually," Ness said softly.

"I know. That's why I..." Claus's eyes latched themselves onto him. "Ness. Promise me something."

Ness was taken aback by Claus's tone of urgency. "Yeah?"

"If something goes wrong in this stupid quest... a-and I'm not there..." Claus swallowed. "Keep an eye out for Lucas for me. Not at the cost of your life, obviously, but-"

"What the hell," Ness sputtered. "Claus, I know we screwed up big time, but d'you really think we'd be stupid enough to screw up again?"

"You never know. Shit happens. Listen-" Claus threw him a look when Ness looked more than ready to interrupt. "Lucas isn't dense, but you've got to admit that he can be pretty naive. If he does something stupid and gets himself killed... I don't think I could ever forgive myself."

Ness rolled his eyes. "Dramatic much? Sometimes I think hanging around Ninten really rubs off on you. Give Lucas some credit, Claus. He's like, the last person to do something stupid-"

"-that's why I'm worried."

Ness exhaled. "I don't know, Claus..."

"We don't have to tell him. He won't ever have to find out," Claus pleaded. "It can just stay between us."

Ness grimaced. "Oh man, if Lucas ever finds out, he's not gonna be happy. What if he thinks we're coddling him because we don't trust him to handle things on his own? Haven't you thought about that? I'd be pissed if I were him-"

"But with Giygas targeting both of us-" Claus's eyes blazed with desperation. "For crying out loud, do I really have to explain? You're his best friend!"

"Dammit Claus. Stop guilt-tripping me. We're all gonna look out for each other-"

"Answer me."

Ness sighed. "You know what I'm going to say."

"I'm waiting."

A suspenseful silence. A dull crackle of fire.

Finally, Ness caved in. "Okay, I swear I'll keep him safe. Satisfied?"

All the tension seemed to flee from his shoulders. Claus noticeably relaxed. "Very."

Ness threw him an exasperated look. "Was that necessary? You know I'd never let anything happen to him."

"I still wanted to hear it from you," Claus admitted.

The older boy threw him a look. "But under one condition: you'll tell him everything in the end."

"But-"

"No buts. Lucas deserves to know."

"Fine," Claus grunted. "Later."

"What the fuck, it can't be that hard-"

"Easy for you to say. Lucas isn't your brother."

Ness dragged a palm down his face. "You can't be ser- All right, fine, it's a secret. For now. But the guilt's gonna eat me alive-"

Claus suddenly winced. "-Ow."

"What? What's wrong?"

Claus grimaced, rubbing at his throbbing bruise. "My jaw hurts like heck."

Ness threw him a guilty look. "I punched you pretty hard, didn't I?"

Claus snorted. "I kicked you in the ribs. We're even."

"Yeah." Ness winced as well. "Now that you mention it, breathing's gonna be a pain..."

Claus smirked. "You sissy. I didn't kick you that hard."

Ness rolled his eyes. "I never said that it hurt, it's just kinda sore. I can take on an amateur like you anytime."

"That's what you'd like to think, noob."

"Look who's talking!"

The sound of vigorous bubbling interrupted their bickering. Ness's eyebrows shot up. "The Lifenoodles! Shit!" Ness desperately dived forward, trying to save their meal from the mercy of the fire, and clutching his own stomach, Claus burst into a cackle.

"Dude, you are such a noob-"

"I'm not a noob!" Still laughing, Claus ducked as Ness hurled a pair of wooden chopsticks at his head. "Shut up and eat, gingersnaps."

"You suck at cooking-"

"Ah, but it's not cooking if this stuff's pre-packaged."

All conversation halted as they devoured what was a meager meal. Slurping their noodles and struggling with their chopsticks through numb fingers, the only noise was the sound of ravenous eating.

Five minutes later, Claus made a face. "Ugh, this tastes disgusting."

"Oh, you don't know disgusting until you hear this." Ness's grin widened. "Last year, Ninten and I went to O-Mart with Teddy, and dude, you wouldn't believe what happened..."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

It was a dawn of yet another nameless day. Whether it was Monday or Friday, the fact never changed.

His sons were missing.

Flint could feel an emptiness at home. A heavy silence weighed in the dwelling, unbroken by Claus's excited footsteps or Lucas's happy laugh.

He was alone.

Must be a taste of my own medicine, Flint thought dryly. During the past six years, he hadn't been there for his sons. Perhaps this was how withdrawn little third grade Lucas had felt when Hinawa died, or maybe how angry Claus had been at the world for taking everything away from his life. Perhaps this was life finally teaching him a lesson.

It was a miracle that he hadn't spiraled back to drinking. The withdrawal symptoms were still there, aching inside like a deep hunger unable to be sated, and Flint was painfully aware of it. His thirst for drink clawed at his blood, scratching at his skin like an itch that refused to leave.

On the day the police came to report Lucas and Claus missing, he'd popped open a casket of wine and allowed himself one drink - just one to numb the pain. But no matter how much his body had screamed for more, Flint had stopped. He could feel Claus's simmering disapproval and Lucas's quiet melancholic gaze directed at him from the empty dining table.

You promised, He could hear Claus's disappointed voice say.

For the first time since Hinawa had died, Flint had cried. Gathering the vats of alcohol into his arms, he'd tossed them outside into a pit of dirt, then set the devilish substance ablaze. He'd watched the burning bonfire for hours until the inferno died down into ashes.

This time, Flint wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. He'd sworn to uphold a promise, and he was going to keep it.

So at the crack of dawn, Flint was off to the marketplace to buy the bleating sheep sufficient feed for the winter. The trip to the marketplace went as planned. He stepped inside the store, bought some grain, then returned home.

Or at least, he would've returned home, had he not caught a pleasant whiff of grilled steak wafting from a nearby street food stand. His stomach grumbled in protest, and it was then Flint realized that he hadn't eaten in days. If he was famished, then he might as well pick up a quick bite to eat... regain some energy before searching again for his missing sons. He sidled closer to the source of the delicious cooking.

The street food stand was covered with a white - now faded dusty gray - canvas that hung over him like the roof of a tent over several plastic chairs and a makeshift kitchen in the back. There seemed to be only one woman working here, clad in a black dress. The chef. A clatter of dishes and sluggish spray of water hit his ears.

Flint caught the chef's attention, and - to his own irony - ended up ordering a steak-filled omelet. While she cooked up his order, Flint peered around the street food stand. The interior of the canvas was clipped with several posters asking for the whereabouts of a missing black-haired teen. The teen looked familiar, but in the darkness of dawn, Flint couldn't tell.

But his stomach plummeted. The missing posters had reminded him of his lost sons.

"...Order number 102."

The woman's voice jolted him out of his reverie.

Thankful for the distraction, Flint stood up from a chair and grabbed his order. Curious now, he tasted the omelet. Surprisingly, it tasted just like Hinawa's, maybe a hint saltier, but the fluffy texture still reminded him of better times and warmed his heart.

A distressed sniffle caught his ear.

Flint lifted his head.

The chef was crying silently, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cooked another batch of omelets onto the stove.

Flint hesitated, then stooped over to the counter, leaving his meal forgotten. He lowered the brim of his hat. "Excuse me, miss. Are you all right?"

The woman jumped, before hastily wiping her tears away with a napkin. Flint wordlessly reached into his vest, pulling out Hinawa's white handkerchief. She took it, dabbing her eyes.

"Oh, thank you. Yes, I'm all right..." Her watery eyes glazed over - the perfect picture of worry. "...But I'm afraid I can't say the same for my son. He went missing from school along with a few of his friends." The chef waved aimlessly at the missing posters around them. "That's him. Ever since I divorced his father, it's been very hard on my son, but he's been nothing but a huge help. Running after school to help me with grocery errands and deliveries..."

Flint nodded silently, a lump forming in his throat. Within the chef's miserable speech, he could pick out a tone of pride. She had every right - not many teenage boys would probably be willing to help out their parents in hardship. Flint felt an odd mix of sympathy and guilt: sympathy for the chef's loss, guilt that he hadn't been there for his sons after Hinawa had passed away.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm in the same boat."

The chef looked up startled. "Your sons...?"

"Twins."

The woman flinched so violently that she almost burned her hands on the stove. "It can't be... Lucas and Claus?" she stammered.

Flint stared at her in dawning incomprehension. "Yes. But how-"

The woman laughed, but this time there was no trace of bitterness. "Ness talks about them all the time. Claus sometimes tags along with him on his grocery errands, and Lucas taught me his homemade recipe for his omelets last year." She smiled sadly, reminiscing pleasant memories. "Your sons are very conscientious. You must be proud of them."

Ness.

The name clicked into place. The image of a confident, black-haired teen sprung up into mind. "Ness is a smart lad," Flint finally said. "I'm sure that he can keep himself safe."

Looking at her more closely, Flint realized that the woman was quite pretty - her eyes laughed and crinkled the same way Hinawa's had. His heart twinged with a pang of remorse.

The woman sighed. "We can only hope for the best. Elpis. the very last thing trapped in Pandora's Pithos..." She stared into the distance. "The only thing left in the hands of mankind."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"Wake up!"

Claus registered someone roughly shaking his shoulders, and thoroughly disgruntled, feebly swatted off the annoying hands. "Eurgh- Cut it out. Wanna sleep..."

"Claus, I need your help-"

Wait... this voice sounds familiar... His brain caught up to his sleep-induced state, and Claus jolted awake. "...Lucas?!" he sputtered.

True to his word, his brother's worried face swam in his vision.

Lucas looked immensely relieved. "You're awake! Good. Listen, when I woke up I... Guys?"

Claus and Ness were both eyeing him strangely. Their blank stares were starting to make him increasingly nervous, so Lucas threw them both an anxious look. "...Is there something on my face?"

Suddenly, Claus let loose a loud laugh of relief, then pulled his startled brother into a crushing bear-hug. "You're back!"

Caught by a surge of bewildered confusion, Lucas hesitantly patted Claus on the back. "I'm... back," Lucas agreed dumbly. He frowned. "Wait, back from where?"

Ness popped up at his side with a grin. "You were high as fuck."

Catching sight of their amused smiles, Lucas groaned. "Let me guess- I did something stupid."

Claus smirked. "A magician never reveals his secrets."

But this response was enough. Burying his flushing face into his hands, Lucas groaned, "Oh no. Don't tell me. I don't wanna know..."

Ness laughed. "You called me dad."

If possible, Lucas's face turned an even brighter red. "I-I did not!"

Claus clapped a hand on Ness's back. "True story. I can attest."

As his brother and best friend grinned at him like a pair of silly loons, Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Wait, what's up with you two...?" Lucas started, his gaze lingering on their suspicious bruises. "Did something happen?"

"What d'you mean?" Claus grinned.

"You two don't usually... nevermind. We can talk later." Lucas's face dissolved into worry. "Ninten looks ill."

That wiped the smile off their faces.

"Is he awake?" Ness asked.

Lucas nodded.

Without missing a beat, Ness sprinted over. "Hey, Ninten-"

A sickly smell hung over the air.

Ninten's face was flushed. Perspiration dripped from his black bangs. A feverish haze clouded over his wet eyes. Ninten uttered another weak moan before stirring awake. "Hey."

Lucas placed a hand on his head before yanking it away. "He's burning up."

"Duh, Lucas." Ninten said, cracking a feeble grin. "I'm hot stuff. Geddit? Hot stuff?"

"...I can't believe you." Even in such a distraught state, Claus couldn't help but roll his eyes. "And you wonder why your pick-up lines never work for Ana."

Ness materialized beside him. "Does he need his inhaler?"

"I-I'm fine," Ninten gasped, cursing his weakness for the millionth time. With a small shake of the head and a grimace, Ninten forced himself upright, wobbling onto his unsteady knees. "Now let's get ready to go-"

His knees buckled underneath him. Without warning, Ninten pitched forward. Lucas cried out in alarm, but before Ninten could slam face-first into the ground, something yanked him back by the arm.

"And where the hell do you think you're going?" Claus snorted, hefting a pitiful-looking Ninten back onto his feet like a kitten. But it did no good; his exhaustion simply too much to handle, Ninten flopped back onto the ground like a fish out of water.

"Ninten?" Lucas's worried face swam next to his brother's. "Can you stand?"

It was a question that quickly answered for itself. Ninten grunted before trying again and failing. If he wasn't already flushed from fever, then he was now from humiliation.

All in all, Ninten felt awful. Every inch of him was screaming in pain like he was being broiled alive. His stomach twisted from lack of food, and Ninten groaned again because talking only made it worse. "Shit. I really can't stand."

Ness looked torn. "But we have to keep moving, or the Starmen will find us-"

"I can crawl," Ninten rasped, dragging himself along the ground like a zombie in search of brains. "It's not a big d-deal..."

"You're not going anywhere," Ness immediately countered, his own eyebrows furrowed. "Ninten, your health-"

"There's nothing wrong with my health! I'm perfectly fine," Ninten snapped angrily.

"Sure you are," Claus said sarcastically. "Listen, you're in no condition to fight, much less walk three centimeters in front of your nose."

"Oh yeah? I can handle it!" Ninten protested, struggling to his feet. "Just watch me! I can... I can-" His eyes rolling up into the back of his head, Ninten slumped over into an unconscious heap.

"Ninten!"

Claus caught him by the shoulders. "Dammit, stop over-exerting yourself!"

Ninten shuddered. Hot tears streamed down from his pale cheeks. "Water," Ninten croaked. "Want... water..."

"We could melt the snow..." Lucas trailed off.

"Won't help, unless you wanna give him hypothermia." Ness raised his voice above Ninten's pathetic cries. "He needs medical treatment."

"W-Water..."

"Use PK Healing then," Claus cut in, exasperated. He gestured at Ninten's limp, moaning form. "I mean, look at him. He's already half-dead, Ness! Do you really think he could last another day alive?"

"I know, but we need to find a safe place to rest and recover. If we keep moving around in the cold, Ninten might get worse, or one of us might end up getting sick too-"

A place to rest and recover.

Lucas's breath hitched in his throat. I don't know if they can help us, but it can't hurt to try.

Claus's impatient voice cut into his thoughts. "-Lucas? Oi, don't zone out on us again-" But when Lucas turned around, Claus caught the determined spark in his brother's eyes. "Got an idea?"

"Yeah," Lucas said quietly. He stared at Ninten slowly suffering on the rocky floor, and the cold whistle seemed to weigh heavier in his pocket. "I think I know what to do."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Lucas blew the Silver Dragonfly. A reedy, exotic note echoed from his lips.

One minute.

Two.

More minutes ticked past.

But Lucas refused to lose hope. Come on... Please.

.

.

.

.

.

Then-

"What the hell," Ness sputtered, peering into the snow. "Is that a flying coffee table?!"