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Claus gave his final breath.
Lucas stared at his brother, a dreary silence filling the damp cave air. His brother relaxed in his arms, with a peaceful smile on his face.
Lucas would be lying if he had said he wasn’t overwhelmed. The thoughts and adrenaline and PSI that was running feverishly through his mind not even an hour ago seemed to have come to a screeching halt in favor of one word. Claus. The name alone brought resurfacing memories to his mind, one after the another. The two playing and fighting each other as children. Racing each other down the stairs to have their favorite omelettes. Claus teasing a hesitant Lucas around the baby Drago. The two of them telling their dad a story after visiting Alec’s house. He remembered his smell. His voice was still ringing in his head, familiar yet deeper than he remembered how he sounded like as a child.
It all felt like so much. Too much. Too suddenly.
Lucas wanted to cry, more than anything.
His body ran cold and hot at the same time. Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes. The first in a long time.
Tears dropped below him, onto his resting brother. He could not stop them, even if he wanted to. He wanted to open his mouth to apologize but he only let out a strangled sob. He hunched over his brother, trembling and breaking down. Kumatora looked down, hiding her face. Duster looked at Flint who glanced at him for a moment with such sad eyes, before shuffling closer to his son. Boney immediately joined him and leaned his head against Lucas to comfort him, whimpering softly. Flint hugged his children and let his son cry against him.
“Lucas,” Flint eventually began. Lucas looked up at him with glossy eyes. “Thank you.” Lucas cried more. “Claus was just hasty, that’s all. You’ll forgive your hasty brother, won’t you?”
Of course he would. He already did years ago. He just wanted to see him again.
He wanted more than that, actually. He wanted to talk to him and tell him he forgives him himself. That he missed him and loves him. He wanted to tell him about all the journey he had with Duster and Kumatora and Boney. He wanted to tell him about Tazmily changing and… and how he saw Mom. He wanted to apologize to him.
It wasn’t fair. It was not fair at all.
“Lucas.” Flint started again. Lucas sniffled and nodded shakily. Flint put a gentle hand on Lucas’s shoulder and nodded as well. “Alright, this is it. … The time has come for you to pull the Dragon’s last Needle.” Lucas nodded again. “Are you ready?”
Lucas was never good at lying. “N-no.” He choked out. It was difficult to think about the Needle, even though he knew he had to. He already knew he had to pull it. The Dark Dragon would restore the entire world.
Flint smiled at his son gently and composed himself. “You’ve made it here. You’ve made it this far. You’ll be alright.” Lucas wiped at his eyes and nose with his free hand. His father was right. He’ll be alright. It’s over now. “Believe in yourself, and pull that final Needle. Nothing needs to be sealed away anymore. Let’s make the Dark Dragon sealed underground our new friend, yeah?”
Lucas couldn’t help but smile at that. He would like that. He couldn’t stop his tears, still. But it was okay. He gently laid down Claus’s body as nicely as he could, and Flint was at Claus’s side in no time. Lucas stood up and approached the final Needle.
“Pass your heart onto the Dragon!” Flint called to him. “Pray to it from the bottom of your heart. Ask it to protect all life in this world. Me, and everyone else… we all believe in you. So now you need to believe in yourself.”
Lucas looked back at his father, and then looked at Kumatora and Duster. They smiled at him and nodded. Boney barked supportively too.
“Now go. The Dragon is waiting to wake up.”
Lucas positioned himself behind the Needle and gripped its handles. Tears were still welling in his eyes. He looked at everyone. They all believe in him. He looked at Claus for a moment.
Lucas gripped the final Needle and pulled it. He knew what he wanted to ask the Dark Dragon.
The very earth shook and trembled underneath him violently, nearly topping him off of his feet. Steam erupted like a geyser from where the Needle once rested. What sounded like a massive heartbeat pounded through Lucas’s ears and rattled his head. Between the heartbeat and the screech of the geyser and the sounds of the earth and the cave tearing itself apart to make way for the Dark Dragon, it was deafening. Lucas blacked out moments later.
~~~~~
Lucas awoke to the sounds of gentle tides sighing against sand. He stirred slowly, groggily rubbing his eyes. His head was pounding and ringing, which only became slightly worse as a certain dog’s barks grew louder. Before he knew it, he felt Boney barrage him with overexcited licks and barks. Lucas immediately covered his face and giggled tiredly. “Boney, aaaah…! I’m awake!”
“(Lucas you’re okay! I was so worried about you! I’m so happy you are here and I love you very much!!)” Lucas heard Boney tell him. His vision wasn’t fully clear and yet he could still tell Boney’s tail was wagging at the speed of light.
“I’m glad you’re okay too Boney. I love you too.” Lucas told his beloved dog, sitting up and hugging him. He rubbed at his eyes once more and blinked. “Wh… where are we, Boney?” All he saw was sprawling sandbars along a clean beach and gentle tides coming in, and grassy fields beyond the beach. The sky was clear and blue and warm. He didn’t recognize this place at all.
“(I don’t know. Doesn’t smell like Tazmily. I’ll tell others now that you’re here!!)” Boney yapped happily, wagging his tail and panting happily.
“Hey, wait for me too!” Lucas tried to call out, but Boney was already darting off into the distance. He sighed and glanced down at himself. His clothes were dirtied and caked in earth, sand, and dried blood. Was… he alive? What happened? All he could remember was… pulling the final Needle and passing out right afterwards. He couldn’t remember anything after that. Everything after that was a blank.
He tried to pull himself to his feet but he collapsed almost immediately. His body ached and he just felt… so very tired. Seeing as he had nothing else to do, he stayed where he was and focused on the sound of the ocean waves.
Eventually the sound of footsteps on sand brought his attention forward and he recognized the people following Boney towards him. His father Flint, Lighter, Thomas, and Tessie and more. Lucas was less surprised to see them and more relieved that everybody seemed to turn out okay, even those in New Pork City. Flint walked forward and hugged Lucas tight.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Flint said quietly. Lucas barely hugged him back.
“I’m glad you are too, Dad. What happened…? I think I passed out.”
“Heh, you sure did. ‘Ere, lemme show ya somethin.” Flint put an arm under Lucas and helped him up. They began walking slowly towards the field at a pace Lucas could keep up with. “How are you feelin’, Lucas?”
“I’m okay, I’m just… really tired. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m alright. ‘Turns out that everybody was fine after the Dragon woke up, thank goodness. I ain’t ever seen whole islands disappear before.” Flint paused for a moment, going quiet. “Why don’t we take today to just rest and take a breather?”
Lucas nodded slowly, as one by one, the villagers greeted Lucas and expressed how relieved they were to see him. Which felt… a little bit odd to him, in a way. He wasn’t used to getting attention like this from the villagers, especially in recent years. He returned the sentiments nonetheless and smiled patiently at everyone, despite his fatigue. One of the ladies threw a towel around his shoulders to dry him off from the nearby sea spray. Lucas asked his father where Kumatora and Duster were, and Flint told him that they were recovering from the Dark Dragon’s awakening like he was, but, they were okay too, to Lucas’s relief.
Flint eventually took Lucas to a nearby hill, overlooking the beach and ocean. He gently helped Lucas sit down again. “Lucas.” Flint began. Lucas looked up at Flint for a moment before gazing at the ocean ahead of him. He watched the villagers run along the beach and Boney tag along with a few of them. “Would you mind waiting here for a few minutes? There’s someone else I’d like to bring here too.”
Lucas didn’t even think about it. “Sure.” He really needed to sleep. But staring at the sparkling ocean was calming and relaxing enough for him now. If he stared far enough into the ocean horizon, he could’ve sworn he could see bits and pieces of a faraway island… maybe. As Flint tipped his hat and hustled off to to find that person, Lucas took a moment to recollect his thoughts, piece by piece.
He remembered Leder’s story. He remembered his village, the Magypsies’ tale of the Dragon. The Magypsies themselves, all the chimeras, the New Porkers. It was all crystal clear in his memory. It seems he has not forgotten a single thing, despite having begun a new life. He wished it was one that is hopeful and peaceful. ...Despite all of this, there is still a part of him that is aching. A part of him that wishes badly that he could show this new world and share this with--
“Lucas…?”
Lucas looked around and blinked confusedly. He knew whose voice that was but he wasn’t sure if it was real or just--
“Lucas… behind you?”
Lucas turned around.
Ah.
He found himself staring into a pair of very familiar green eyes. And a face just like his. Who stared back at Lucas. Flint smiled between the two and patted the other one’s shoulder gently. Both seemed to stare at one another in disbelief and shock.
Lucas was the first to break the silence. “... ...Claus…?”
Claus took a wobbly step forward and nearly fell over. Flint caught him just in time and helped him over to Lucas. Lucas looked him over and noticed a few things. He was still in his commander uniform, now tattered beyond repair, but his limbs, his eye…. They were not robotic. He had organic limbs and natural eyes. His brain could barely process this but it didn’t matter as his twin made his way over to him. Without thinking, Lucas pulled him into a tight hug.
“Claus…!” Lucas suddenly wailed, tears welling up in his eyes. “You’re…! You’re okay! You’re okay!” Claus’s body was warm this time.
Claus hugged him back as tight as he could then, which wasn’t much. He couldn’t help but let tears brim at his eyes as well. “I’m okay…! Are, are you okay Lucas? I don’t, I don’t know what happened after I… after I… y-you know. Guh, my head hurts bad…”
Lucas sniffled. “I’m okay, I’m just tired…! Oh gosh, you must be so exhausted if I’m tired…”
Claus paused. “I-- … …Yeah. Yeah.” Was all he could get out as tears brimming at his eyes streamed down his face. His body trembled again and hugged Lucas tighter as he began to break down next. His twin held him and let him cry against him. He rubbed his back while murmuring to him that everything’s okay now. It was difficult for either of them to believe this was truly happening, but… Lucas smiled a bit amongst his tears.
Thank you, Dark Dragon, he thought.