Onett
--Early Morning
"Coming..." said a voice in the house on Beak Point.
It wasn't really that long ago that something just like what's happening right now was happening at a house far up the street. There were indeed similarities. On one side of the door you had the repeated beats of a gesture that was meant to grab attention, accompanied by an air of anticipation. On the other side you had the calm approach in response, accompanied by an air of curiosity.
There were differences too. This particular knock was nowhere near as frantic as the other; it sounded calmer...more collected. Also, this particular young man was the only inhabitant of the home, having moved there from a floating island far away. Wearing a white tank-top and simple pajama bottoms, a drowsy-eyed Poo reached the door and began pulling it open. Almost immediately afterwards, his eyes were snapped out of their sleepiness.
A few locks on the back of her head shuffled a little as she looked straight ahead at his surprised face, adjusting her stance slightly.
Poo's stunned gaze remained, one of his hands still holding the doorknob as he stood, a hint of confusion now appearing.
Keeping quiet for a moment, Lauren Pierce wore a calm stare...until a slow grin began to rise from one of the corners of her mouth.
EarthBound: The Perpetual Adventures (Copyright -- Michael DePalma)
Interlude 2 -- Part One
By James
The subway station isn't terribly well-lit, but well enough that you can see the sheet of gray covering just about everything. There's exactly one person present in this station -- a little girl who's about three or four years of age, sitting quietly on the bench while staring at the tracks with her head hung low.
There are voices on the intercom, familiar ones, and the surrounding silence makes it so very easy to hear them.
A father's words fill the station. "I think it's obvious that with this...power, she has...we can't send her back to that preschool."
The girl kept staring at the tracks.
A mother's voice is heard now. "I just...didn't think she'd really use it there. I thought she understood not to, after we talked to her about it."
"She's too young to have that kind of discipline," the father continued. " 'Sooner or later she'll get in an argument and end up showing off.' Those were exactly my words. We have to move her. What if next time someone gets hurt? What if next time it's the teachers and not some kids who actually see what she can do?"
"So what are you suggesting?"
"The same as before. I'll work; you stay home and take care of her. We're just going to have to improvise her preschool education ourselves..."
The girl kept watching the tracks.
"You're serious."
"I don't see any other way right now. She just won't fit in out there. There aren't any others like her... She's different."
The last word echoed through the station. The girl looked steadily at the tracks, wondering when the train would come.
* * * *
The alarm sounded off in a dark room, and a hand slowly reached from under the covers to silence it. Paula then remained still in bed, feeling somewhat eager about what the coming day would hold...but at the same time not wanting to show her face to the world until she absolutely had to.
* * * *
She didn't step, she sprung. Lauren leapt into the doorway and landed on Poo, pushing him back a few feet as he reflexively caught her.
"Hey! What ar-- mpp..." His lips stopped moving as soon as Lauren's own came over them.
With a backward thrust of one of her legs, Lauren kicked the door closed, then wrapped that leg and the other around Poo's waist.
The kissing continued, the teens' vertical frames twirling to the other direction and beginning to stumble across the room.
Suddenly, Poo broke contact, pushing Lauren off of and away from him. "Enough," he said while catching his breath. "What are you doing?"
Of course, the smirk was up now. "Here..." she began removing the first bit of her clothing, "see if you can figure it out."
"Wait. What..." Poo's words trailed off. Lauren's jacket came undone, revealing her bare arms, shoulders, and upper torso under a tank-top of her own.
"What's the matter?" she spoke, which meant she spoke teasingly. "I know all about your reputation, you know all about mine. How has it taken so long for this to happen?"
"Hold on. This isn't--" Poo was cut off by Lauren's jacket landing over his head. When he pulled it away, he noticed her shirt was now removed and hanging around the back of her neck. Poo couldn't find any words for a moment.
"There's nothing more to discuss," she said. And then, Lauren's hands moved from the shirt and to the back of her bra, twiddling.
"Hey, hey!" Poo quickly strode over.
In a surprisingly skilled and fast motion -- almost before Poo knew it had happened -- Lauren grabbed her shirt, pushed Poo's hands behind him, and tied a knot around his wrists.
He paused, taking a few seconds to be stunned. It was in those few seconds that Lauren's hands had grabbed Poo's shirt, slung him around, and given him a shove. Poo fell back on the couch; Lauren had thrown herself over him in no time. The kissing began again, Lauren bringing her hands up around Poo's cheeks as she pressed her face to his.
The shirt binding his wrists was not at all what one would call strong...but that wasn't what he was struggling against. For Poo, breaking free became not a matter of strength, but of will. And as she had so many other times -- with the ones who'd actually tried to resist -- Lauren could feel that will fading. Poo's attempt to stand weakened. A moment later, he felt a smile on the lips that were kissing his.
"...top," he mumbled.
She kept kissing him.
"Stop!" Poo broke the bond around his wrists and pushed Lauren off of him, pulling away from the couch.
A few girlish giggles were heard in the room.
Poo stared down at the cocky girl, catching his breath. "...You never learn, do you? After what you did to Ness, I'd heard that you might be on the road to change...but no. This right here...this proves it. You're still the same old Lauren."
She swung one leg over the other. "And what same old Lauren would that be? I can't wait to hear it from someone who barely knows me."
"I know enough. I know that pretty much everything you do is driven by one thing: egotism."
"Is that so?"
"...Get out," said Poo.
"So soon?"
"Out. I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm not playing it with you."
Her eyes slowly left his. "I get this feeling that part of you doesn't mean that."
"Out." Poo grabbed Lauren's wrist.
In moments, the door to his home had opened again, and Lauren stumbled out onto the grass, hearing a slam behind her.
She chuckled, her long hair a bit messy, not turning around.
* * * *
"All I'm saying is, she's been outed now. People know," said that father's voice again.
The young girl, now a preteen, was still in the station, still alone, and still waiting for the train to arrive.
The mother's voice didn't follow, but her silence spoke volumes.
"It may not be as bad a thing as we'd always thought, though," he said. "Look at this." The sound of paper being unfolded was heard over the intercom. "It's an offer. They want to take our little girl big places."
"You mean they want to exploit her."
"...Well, if you look at it negatively..."
A knocking was heard.
The mother spoke under her breath with annoyance. "...It's those people from the TV station. Again. I promise, first thing tomorrow, I'm making phone calls and..."
The girl looked to her left at the dark tunnel. There was still no sign of light.
"Maybe..." said the father, "we should ask her whether or not she wants to be involved in all this."
"I've tried. She says she doesn't want to talk about it anymore. She's getting so quiet."
The girl turned away from the tunnel. She leaned forward and buried her face in her hands.
* * * *
A ringing went off in the room. Paula woke up again, finding her surroundings much brighter now.
"...Hello?"
"You'll never believe..." came Poo's reply, "what happened to me this morning."
Paula was quiet.
"You there?"
"Yeah. I'm here."
"So guess who dropped by," Poo was shaking his head a little.
After they'd shared the usual friendly exchange -- resentful reports on his end and comforting responses on hers -- Poo was feeling a little better.
"Hey," she said, "what are you doing today?"
"Not much," he replied, sensing he'd like what she'd have to say next.
"Want me to come over?"
Poo smiled.
* * * *
"Now watch..."
The computer screen faded to black for a moment, and the two brunettes facing it could see their shady reflections. Then the menu came up, and one of them read what he saw.
"So you're telling me that all you have to do now is click on 'Load Game,' and you can really play a cartridge game on the computer?" asked Ness.
The girl in the chair responded by hitting the emulator's load button. A few seconds later, a familiar company logo appeared, accompanied by its jingle.
"No way," said Ness.
"Way," Michelle countered, thoughts of a certain bohemian rhapsody following.
"So this is the whole 'rom' thing?"
"In all its 'Go to jail; do not pass the store, do not pay $200' glory."
It wasn't long before they'd gone back to the site they'd been downloading from, so that Ness could pick something new. He ended up selecting a famed title he'd always wanted to play that had never been released outside Japan.
"I cannot wait for this," he said with excitement, reaching for his cap. "I'm just running down to the store. Think it'll be done downloading by the time I get back?"
"Probably."
"Okay. Please, please do not let Tracy anywhere near the computer before it finishes."
"Go. I got it covered."
"All right." He kissed Michelle's head. "Love you. Especially today. Bye." Ness left the room.
* * * *
Two people who had known each other for what now felt like a very long time came face to face.
"Hey," said a smiling Poo in the doorway.
Paula didn't say anything at first; she just stared at him very quietly. "...Hey."
Poo sensed awkwardness, and used one of the traditional methods of coping: pretending it wasn't there. "Um, come in." Just after he'd said those last two words, Poo's eyes wandered to a book he'd recently found in the old house -- a copy of Vampire: The Masquerade.
Paula stepped forth, disappearing into the room as the door slowly closed behind her.
They had sat down at a table and began talking.
"I mean, I hope you didn't mind me calling you about all that," he chuckled.
"Not at all," she replied while looking off. "I was sort of expecting it."
"It's just, I figured that with Michelle currently staying with Ness, he probably wouldn't feel like hearing about all this right now."
"You can call me with anything you want to talk about," said Paula. "I mean, you're always listening to me." Her gaze began moving back to Poo. "By now, you probably know better than anyone how I feel about...certain things."
" 'Certain things' perhaps meaning, I don't know, Ness?" he smiled.
"...You of all people understand how it's more than just a crush."
Poo's expression became a tad plainer.
"How it's not just about 'falling for someone' either..."
His eyes began to display a hint of change...looking a bit less alert.
"You know that I really care for him." Paula paused, whispering to herself. "Like no one I've ever cared for."
It seemed to Poo like her voice was getting lower.
One of her hands crossed the table and came over one of his. "And you know I really care for you too."
Now it hit him. "Paula," he said quietly, as though struggling to speak, "you said...just now...you said that you were 'expecting it'...after I'd..."
"You know that I'll always be your friend, Poo...always."
Poo felt consciousness slipping away.
A tear began to roll down Paula's calm face.
Poo sat still, his blinking eyes not following Paula as she rose.
It took her a moment to turn away from him, and another to take a deep, quiet breath before walking off.
As the door swung open, Lauren Pierce turned around, facing the small building. She spotted Paula in the doorway. Paula stared back for a few seconds, then began walking forward. She came to a brief halt, and the two girls stood side by side, facing not each other, but their respective directions.
Lauren then moved, and moments later, Paula heard the door close. More tears began to form, and Paula lowered her head, walking away in her own embrace as a breeze passed.
* * * *
The girl in the station was now a teenager. The train still hadn't come.
"She's famous," said an unfamiliar voice over the intercom. "People will probably come looking for her."
"It's a risk we'll have to take. Happy Happyism is worth it."
"But think of all the consequences we could face. People love her."
The girl immediately saw fault in this statement, just as she always had with ones that were similar. It wasn't she that people 'loved,' it was that special thing about her.
"And it's not like that's going anywhere; they'll always feel that way."
The girl was staring downward now.
A new noise became present suddenly. Faint, low, but definitely there. It grew, beginning to fill the station, gaining more and more attention from the sole occupant.
She turned...and her eyes widened. A light appeared in the distance, growing as it approached. The moment she'd been awaiting for so long was now at hand: the train was finally coming.
She stood, feeling a light breeze that began growing stronger, picking up her hair. It wasn't too long before her blonde locks fell again, and the train came to a slow stop.
One of the doors was positioned right in front of her. She watched it curiously, her lips parting a little.
And when the doors opened, she came face to face with someone for the first time -- yet someone she was very familiar with -- and he was wearing a red cap.
With a smile, he extended his hand. She walked forward, took it, and stepped on board with him. The doors closed, the train moved, and they departed the station together.
* * * *
--26 Hours Ago...
"It's simple, really."
One of the diner's ceiling fans twirled away, spinning over two blonde heads of hair.
Paula was sitting on one side of the booth, listening to the girl who sat on the other.
"We both have certain goals, and we can help each other reach them," said Lauren, who was so glad Paula had actually shown up. "Let's start with yours -- and let's not beat around the bush either -- simply put, you want Ness."
"...You're very direct, aren't you, Miss Pierce?"
She smirked. "I'm legendary in that regard, Miss Polestar."
"Well, there's nothing 'simple' about my feelings for Ness." Paula glanced away.
"Hmm...I can't say the same about his own feelings for me."
She eyed Lauren again.
"If I really wanted, I could have him."
"Keep telling yourself that."
"But my attention has moved elsewhere right now," said Lauren.
"Why don't we get to the part about how we're supposed to be helping each other out." An impatient Paula was growing a little tempted to get up and leave...and then she heard Lauren mention another familiar name. "What about Poo?"
"I want, shall we say, a chance with him."
"Like that's going to happen. He's too familiar with your rep by now. You're simply not his type."
"I know, but I want you to change his mind about that."
"...And how exactly would I pull that off?"
"Please. I know all about you," Lauren commented. "I know you can work a little magic on people's heads."
Paula was becoming uncomfortable now.
"All I'm asking you to do...is 'influence' Poo. Put him in some kind of trance that makes him crazy about me, even if it's just temporary."
She pondered the notion for a moment, then began shaking her head. "No. I...I can't do that to--"
"I have something," said Lauren, "something that can weaken things between Ness and Michelle."
Though she felt ashamed to admit it to herself, Paula's curiosity was definitely piqued.
"And yeah I know, next you're gonna tell me, 'She's my friend; I can't do this.' But let me ask you something: Who met him first -- you, or Michelle?"
Paula looked at the table.
"That's what I thought. So then, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume these feelings of yours probably began before the two of them ever got together."
She kept quiet.
"Did you ever even get around to making your move?"
"...No."
Lauren stared. "Probably didn't feel fair, seeing her just waltz in and get him when you'd been harboring your crush for so long."
Paula slowly looked up.
"Admit it, you've been wishing you had a second chance ever since -- in some way that wouldn't ruin your friendship with her."
"Just what are you getting at?"
"I'm offering you that chance," said Lauren. "I'm offering an opportunity to put you and Michelle back on equal ground when it comes to Ness. After that, may the best woman win."
She watched Lauren quietly.
"You know that's only fair, Paula. You know in your heart that it didn't feel right for you to never get a real chance in the first place. This is going to put all the nagging and the 'What ifs' to rest once and for all. Even if he ends up choosing her, at least you'll know there was a chance this time."
Paula liked what she was hearing...but didn't like what she was saying. "What is it you've got planned?"
"You just let me worry about that."
"No, I want to know specifically what it is you're going to do."
"And I said I'm not going to get into it, because I don't feel like having a long argument right now. You help me out, I'll help you out. That's all there is to this."
Paula suddenly went quiet...staring closely...
"Heh...girl, the second I feel you in my head, I'll walk out of here."
She lessened her concentration. Paula began to realize that Lauren was more clever than most people thought.
"So you just ask yourself: If Ness is really as precious to you as you say, are you really willing to throw this chance away over some paranoid trust issues?"
She again looked slowly at the table.
"I'm not asking you to trust me, I'm just asking you to cooperate with me," said Lauren.
About a minute passed, and finally, Paula's mouth moved again. "Poo lives on Beak Point. He's staying there temporarily while away from Dalaam."
Lauren began to smile.
"I can...affect his mind so that he'll feel a great adoration for you."
"How much adoration?"
"...I can make him pretty much do whatever you want for about six or seven hours, no longer than that."
Lauren was listening very closely.
"Afterwards, he'll be back to normal. He'll remember everything. Whether or not his 'real' feelings will have changed as a result, I can't say. It's up to him."
"...Okay," she nodded. Lauren then began writing her phone number down, preferring that over e-mail next time. They talked a bit more, working out plans for just when this would happen. "After you've made your move on Poo, I'll make mine on Ness and Michelle. Give me a call tomorrow to confirm the meeting." She extended the piece of paper.
A guilt-ridden Paula straightened her jacket. "Fine. Oh and one more thing." Paula grabbed Lauren's hand and yanked her close, leaning in herself. She began to whisper. "If you, in any way, harm Poo while he's under my influence..." Lauren began to feel a sudden heat from Paula's hand. "I don't care where you are. I can find you..." Paula's other hand formed a fist, crackling with lightning inches beneath Lauren's chin, "...and I can hurt you." Paula shoved Lauren back, snatching the slip of paper up as she exited the diner.
A moment later, Lauren adjusted her clothing, another smirk appearing as she stood.
* * * *
--The Present
She kissed him -- and he kissed her. There was no fighting back this time -- no questions, objections, or physical resistance. He didn't know why, but he felt an incredible fondness for this girl he was with, Lauren. That wasn't all he was feeling. For maybe the first time in his life, Poo Mishinta felt utter, unrestrained freedom in the presence of a young woman. For so long, it was something he hadn't been allowed to feel -- all in the name of appearances and traditions -- and it was something that part of him had been aching to explore for quite some time.
It had always been frustrating, knowing that there were so many who'd been willing to explore this sensation with him. Right now he'd come across one, and not just any one, but perhaps the one. He still didn't know why...and he found he didn't care either. Between the telepathic influence and his natural bottled-up feelings, neither Paula or Lauren could know just how much joy they'd unleashed in him.
Slowly, Lauren pulled away, facing Poo with a grin. Poo was smiling back, traces of wonder and faint confusion present.
"Lauren..." he savored her name while staring at her.
She nodded. "That's me," she said playfully.
"D...Don't leave," he grinned as she moved away. "Stay with me."
"There's something I need to do, but don't worry, you can tag along."
"...All right."
About 10 minutes later, they'd walked to Lauren's apartment. Poo waited outside -- just as she'd instructed him to. Another 10 minutes passed, and she came out with a couple of bags that had been packed the night before. She locked up, getting a good look at the place.
"Okay, Poo. I'm all set. Let's teleport to Dalaam," said Lauren, who'd been doing some research lately. "Before we go, though...there's something I want to ask you."
* * * *
Poo may not have known just what Lauren had been doing during her brief time inside, but unfortunately, two other people were about to find out.
Paula was sitting at a computer in the Onett library, having gone there in a failed attempt to take her mind off things. She finally decided to try getting online, at which point she'd opted to check her e-mail. Up the street, Michelle was doing the same, taking a break from browsing roms.
Both girls found a similar message from Lauren.
Paula opened it. Michelle deleted it.
It was nearly a minute later, however, that curiosity got the better of the latter, considering the fact that the message had an attachment. Rolling her eyes, Michelle opened her trash folder.
Paula immediately stood, the chair rolling back and her jaw dropping as her gaze became glued to the screen. She saw the same thing Michelle was going to see in about three seconds. She saw something else too: text that read, "Consider my part done."
Michelle Walker got the shock of her life. Her reaction, however, was much different than Paula's. It almost seemed like there was no reaction at all. She didn't jolt up, and she didn't say anything. She just sat very still, her hand clasped to the mouse as her lips opened a tad. Everything was kept inside...and inside, her heart quietly said it all: First Paula, now this.
"So then," called Ness as he appeared behind her in the doorway, "how did it..." He never finished the sentence. On the screen, he could see what Michelle was seeing -- something he'd hoped he'd never see again, and even more so, something he'd hoped she'd never see at all.
He'd remembered Lauren's words carefully...and then realized how she'd conveyed those words carefully: "Those are all of the originals; there aren't any other copies," she'd said, referring to the physical ones she'd handed him. And while there may indeed have been no other physicals in existence, what Lauren had failed to mention was that she still had the digital copies on her computer as backups, even though her friends didn't. And of course, what Lauren had referred to was the image of she and Ness sharing a bed, on the day that he'd been lured to and placed on it in an unconscious state.
Naturally, that last detail wasn't apparent in the actual picture, as evidenced by the way a certain brunette was now reacting.
"Michelle! Wait, wait, wait! Wait!" Sheer horror and utter panic tore through Ness as he dashed into the room. The girl he was speaking to was ignoring him, walking by while grabbing her small purse. "Michelle! Hold on! This isn't what it looks like." Ness' words followed her down the stairs and out just beyond the front yard.
Her face was reddening and her eyes were growing damper. Her stern expression hadn't changed though.
"Michelle, listen! Listen." He pulled her around by one of her arms, which she yanked away from him defiantly.
"Don't you dare...and I mean don't you dare try to tell me that photo was taken before we met."
"Michelle, this is what happened: That whole thing, was a set-up. I got a call from Lauren; she said that Chester was still hurt from that stupid fight we had that night at the dance. I went over there to try and help. One of her friends zapped my neck with a stun gun and I passed out. That's how that picture came to be. You know that I would never, ever cheat on you with Lauren... Ever!"
She stared him straight in the eye.
"Michelle..." Ness caught his breath, "if I was cheating on you, why would I just sit there while pictures were being taken? I was unconscious during that whole thing."
Her stare didn't waver.
"Come on, Michelle...you've got to have more faith in me than this."
Her eyebrows flinched. "Did you really just say that to me?"
"What?"
"How come you never told me about this?"
"Because I..."
She waited.
"Okay. Okay, you're right. I should've said something."
"And that's not all, is it?" A light breeze picked up the locks around her face. ""This is why you broke up with me that day, isn't it? This is why everything that..." She held her head, swinging away a bit and closing her eyes as it all came together. "This is why you were so distant a couple months ago. Oh, boy, Ness."
"Look, I...you don't know what I was going through then. You have to understand how tough that was."
"You want to make excuses now?" She didn't enjoy saying that.
"Michelle, it's just...almost everything I went through back then, I went through for you."
Her head swung to Ness, giving him a look.
"No, no, wait. I'm not saying it's your fault. But at the same time it's not my fault either. I didn't ask to be used like that. I'm only accountable for maybe reacting to it the wrong way."
"Yeah. Maybe."
"Well what would you have done in my place?"
"I would've trusted you with the truth."
"It's real easy to say that, but..."
She stared at him. "Two months, Ness. Two months you've been hiding this every time you've been around me. Do you know how that makes me feel when I look back at all the good moments we've had during that time?"
"Michelle--"
"And you figured our relationship wasn't strong enough to survive this coming out, so you just ended it."
"No, it wasn't like that. I was... Where are you going?"
She watched him with shaky eyes. "I guess it's my turn to say to you what you said to me -- I need some space." As Michelle turned, she got another surprise suddenly.
Paula had run up the road, and was now catching her breath as she watched and heard the two. It was unclear how long she'd been there.
Michelle locked eyes with her, and then quietly walked by without a word, heading down the road.
Though she didn't look back, Paula's eyes moved toward her shoulder, tempted to follow Michelle's departure. However, she was now feeling too guilty to do even that. In time, she managed to look up at Ness, whose gaze moved back and forth between the two girls. Ness lifted an eyebrow as the one closest to him crumpled to the ground, her breathing still heavy as she stared back.
* * * *
All of Dalaam -- and all of it was a little larger than it seemed -- was in a hectic state of frantic shuffles and quickly made phone calls. This was due to the delivery of big news with short notice: the prince was getting married -- today. That also meant that he'd finally inherit the throne.
And so it went. Baked goods were being hastily made right this moment, and decorations were being dragged out and set up by teams of men, with female event coordinators busily moving back and forth, folders in one hand and cell phones in the other. Youngsters from some of the better-off families were being dressed in elegant formal wear, matching that of their parents. These kinds of families were few in number right now; Dalaam was facing some difficult times economically.
The wedding was happening so soon because the bride -- after having her proposal accepted -- had demanded that she and her fianc� get things done within the next five hours.
Of course, once Poo had returned home unexpectedly and announced his engagement to this foreign beauty, the matter of his arranged one to Mai had been brought up. Poo had responded by telling his father that while he'd always planned on going through with that marriage, all of that had changed suddenly once Lauren had entered the picture. With her, he'd found a long-buried feeling rising to passionate life, and she made him happier than he was ever going to be with his other fianc�. He couldn't explain why, but he could say this: If a son's happiness mattered more to his father than tradition, then Poo would have his blessing on this. Poo knew he was going to go through with it, with or without the blessing, and if not in Dalaam, then elsewhere. Somehow, his newfound feelings for Lauren were that strong.
With a slow smile and a tone that became more and more acceptant, Poo's father informed his son that he'd contact the other family to tell them that the arranged marriage was now cancelled, and if possible, they'd compensate in some other way.
There were, however, other traditions surrounding marriages in the royal family that even Poo would not be able to dodge.
* * * *
Three more hours had passed. Dalaam was about as ready as it was going to get. It was an outdoor ceremony, and chairs were set up everywhere; anyone not sitting in one of them was looking on from outside a distant home. That meant most of Dalaam's population -- people who didn't have enough money to look very presentable, but had enough honor to decide they should distance themselves from the ceremony.
Younger children were held up by parents. Teenage boys watched with looks of growing interest. Many of the on-looking teenage girls watched quietly, each realizing that there was one more dream in life that they could give up on.
Standing near the center of the gathering were Omar and Poo's father. Standing right between them was the groom himself. He'd wanted to contact three close friends beforehand, but his fianc� had, with noticeable tension, wished against it. In his current state, her wishes had become his commands. For a moment, Poo seemed to frown a little, as though lost and wondering what was going on. Then the tune began, and his attention moved up the carpet right along with his smile. It was a simple foreign tune that Dalaam had adopted, named after what was happening as it played.
The bride appeared in the palace doorway, and made her approach down the curved aisle. Lauren Pierce was sporting three notable things: a beautiful white dress, a lovely bouquet, and a barely controlled look of nervousness, wishing so much that she had a watch. Everyone present chalked the expression up to pre-wedding jitters.
Upon reaching the podium, she let out a small huff as she faced Poo with a smile, listening as the minister began. Right, right, come on, let's go... was what her expression seemed to say as the man dragged the words out, her face switching to the grin every time Poo's eyes met hers. She'd never felt this tense in her life.
That thought suddenly stuck.
Her life.
She went over it.
A nice, comfortable upbringing that was suddenly shattered by what she perceived as her mother's selfishness. An attempt on her part to strike back at the center of that selfishness -- the man behind her mom's affair. A humiliating moment in which she'd been rejected by that same man, and then rejected, too, by her own mother it seemed. A resulting overeagerness to prove that no one else could reject her, during which her ego had grown as much as her body. And the subsequent reputation among peers that this behavior had brought about, leading people to see nothing more than what was on the surface, which eventually led her to begin questioning whether or not there was anything left beneath as well.
The easy answer, the fun one, was no -- because giving herself that answer was how she was able to so effectively wield her power.
And that was what it had all become about for Lauren Pierce at this stage. Power, ego, doing things just to prove she could do them. That was what had brought her to Paula, that was what had brought her to Dalaam, and that was what had finally brought her to this moment, in which a minister was asking her a simple question.
But just before she could get to that one, though, once again she had to ask herself the aforementioned one that always arose during moments like this. Once again, it came down to choosing between the harder answer, and the easy one. And once again, Lauren Pierce seemed for a second or two as though she might really be giving it some thought...but ultimately, couldn't find the courage to bother.
Her hair shuffled as she adjusted her stance a bit, and a slow grin began to rise from one of the corners of her mouth. "I do."
* * * *
A glass shattered against the wall in the royal bedroom. Nearly two hours had passed, night had fallen, and everyone had gone home, including Lauren and Poo -- the latter now being himself again...and utterly enraged.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" asked the young man who had finally become king.
Lauren was sitting at a mirror, admiring her ring. "Actually I do."
"Oh you think this is funny? I..." He strode towards her with angry intent, but stopped himself.
Lauren hadn't turned to him. "I've been doing my research. The rules, traditions, of the Dalaam royal family explicitly state that divorce is not an option among kings. It'd be sacrilege, it'd be dishonorable. If you divorce me, you'll not only be stripped of your title, but thrown out of Dalaam." She began combing her hair. "From what I've read, that one's so sacred that even your father wouldn't dare break it -- not even for you."
Poo's fury was obvious. It looked like Starstorm could erupt from him at any moment.
Lauren put the brush down and stood. "So then," she turned to him and began removing her dress, "shall we finish what we started earlier?"
Staring with a mixture of disbelief and rage, Poo turned away and left the room, the sound of its door echoing through the halls. The sound of him teleporting would soon follow outside.
Lauren chuckled. Her gaze moved to the balcony that had recently been installed. She slipped off the dress, leaving her in only a one-piece garment of white lingerie, then grabbed her nearby crown, kicking off her shoes as she sprinted outdoors. On the balcony, she sat and slung her feet over the railing, crossing her legs as she put on the crown and looked down at the kingdom. "Lauren Mishinta, Queen of Dalaam," she said with crossed arms. "I'm loving this already."
* * * *
The phone rang for the fourth time in a room at the Walker residence. The answering machine beeped seconds later.
"Michelle?" said Paula's voice.
The girl by that name -- who'd managed to come home on an evening when her father wasn't in -- was present, but didn't answer.
"Isn't it time we...look, can we just talk?"
More silence.
"I know you're upset about earli... Well, I know you're upset. I need to talk to you about something. I can't get into it over the phone."
Michelle kept lying on her stomach with her head under the pillow.
"...I'll call back."
The beep came. Michelle stirred a little.
* * * *
A large boom sounded off at the front of the palace as the two big doors, heavy as they appeared, were easily slammed open. Guards reacted immediately, charging towards a boy named Ness, and just as easily as he'd handled the doors, Ness's arms pushed back the group tackle, sending the men down. Unrelenting, he stomped his way into the throne room, where another group of guards quickly stood between him and the throne's lone occupant.
"I was wondering how long this would take," Lauren smirked.
The points of long, sharp blades were held before Ness, a few of the men barking orders in a language he didn't understand.
"You should be kneeling," Lauren spoke again. "You're in the presence of royalty."
Ness' voice was deep and angry. "You think...that this is so funny." His voice rose. "You think that you can just mess with all of our lives like this and that it's all a big game."
"I'm through playing games," she wore a superior expression for a second.
"No, no you're not. The only reason you do this kind of thing..." Ness chuckled, "the only reason you ever do anything is to satisfy your own ego. To prove that you can."
"I guess you know me pretty well," she smiled.
"...What will it take?" asked Ness. "What will it take for you to let Poo out of this marriage?"
"He and I can't get divor--"
"You're wrong. Dalaam's traditions state that natives can't dishonor the throne, but a queen can if she's a foreigner, without any consequences to the king."
"Hmm...do I sense an offer?"
"What will it take?" Ness growled. The guards from earlier appeared behind him.
"Well, I don't know, Ness." She smirked again. "Maybe I'll use this opportunity to get you once and for all. Or maybe I'll just stay here as queen...forever," she winked.
"Like I'll let that happen." He turned, beginning to leave.
"...Maybe you don't know me that well at all."
Ness stopped.
"You're thinking you can challenge me somehow? Come on, who wins every time we play that one?"
Ness' fists began tightening.
"You still don't get it, do you?" said Lauren. "You and your friends can use your minds to conjure up fire, thunder, and whatever else...but I use my mind to conjure up power of another sort." Her hands moved over the royal chair's arms. "So we can go ahead and do battle again, but tell me, Ness...whose mind is really the more formidable going in?"
Not saying anything, Ness shoved his way out of the room moments later.
Lauren grinned while calling after him. "If you see my husband again tell him to come on home."
* * * *
She needed to be alone.
Paula was sitting on the front steps of her home, looking at the stars. All she could think about was how upset and hurt Poo had just sounded, how quiet Michelle was being, and how distraught Ness had seemed earlier. Too much damage, all in one day. She also knew it was only a matter of time before Ness would learn from Poo just how the whole marriage to Lauren had come about -- if he hadn't already.
She buried her head in her hands, tears held back...for as long as she could manage. It was then that the impending presence of someone familiar was made known to her mind. Not Poo -- though she certainly wished he would come back -- but someone else.
Paula stood, a hint of surprise present as she turned her head.
"...Michelle."
The girl spoken to came to a stop. "...Hey."
The two girls were still, several yards between them as they stood facing each other.
PART 2