Lucas

"Oh," Autor says, and sits up, blinking. The boy opens his mouth to interject, to say something--but there's nothing to say, so he returns to quietly scritch scritch scritching down notes in his journal.

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Dinah sits down next to Kumatora, legs folded in front of her on the edge of the platform as she listens, watching Leder as he speaks.

Occasionally she glances down at the chains below them.

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Kumatora glances, not really focusing on Dinah or Leder.

"Destroyed?" Duster repeats, scritching at Boney while the dog snuggles in between him and Lucas.

Leder nods. "Naturally, it was humans who destroyed it. In the back of their minds, everyone had an inkling that it would happen at some point. And then it really did happen....and so, the world is no more. Everything so far has been about the end of the world. Did you understand all of it?"

Lucas nods, wide-eyed. He reaches over Kumatora's lap to hold both her and Dinah's hands. Kumatora pulls Lucas close to her with an arm around his shoulders.

"Just before the end of the world," Leder continues with another slight dip of his head. "A White Ship came to these islands. On it were all the people of Tazmily Village. Yes. Aboard the White Ship were those few who had managed to escape the world. The people on the ship still went by their names from the previous world. This White Ship plan had been set in place before the world was destroyed. And, although they're part of the world, these Nowhere Islands are a special place. They were the one place that would remain, even if the world was lost. The one and only place where people could survive. And so the White Ship arrived at these islands. Everything so far has been about the White Ship. Did you understand all of it?"

"I...I think so," Lucas answers again. "But how'd all this happen an' nobody talks about it?"

"Yeah," Kumatora adds. "I didn't know any of this."

"Me either," Duster chimes in.

Leder holds up a hand, indicating that the answer will come but his thoughts must continue on the course they're on now.

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"Wait, what? Why just these people?" Autor says. "Was there just one ship? You can't repopulate a world with--"

At the hand, he settles down, mumbling to himself for a bit about Stories.

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Leder frowns a little, understanding where Autor is coming from better than the others of the Islands.

"Have you committed everything so far to memory, Mr. Stinkbug?"

The stinkbug hops twice in confirmation.

"The reason these islands are special is because they harbor a giant dragon nearly as large as the islands themselves. Long, long ago, people lived together with the Dragon. However, at some point in time, the people and the Dragon could no longer coexist. So, using the seven Needles, the Dragon was placed into a long, long sleep by the ancestors of the Magypsy people, who have lived here since ancient times. Ever since, the Magypsies have guarded the Needles in an effort to prevent the Dragon from being woken until its power is truly needed. Thus, until the time of its awakening, the Dragon continues to sleep as the power of the earth itself. And so, because of the tremendous energy of the Dragon hidden deep below, these islands were protected from the end of the world. Everything so far has been about the Dragon and the Magypsies. Did you understand all of it?"

It's getting more and more difficult for Lucas to nod but he does so all the same.

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a1enzo

Enzo's brow is well furrowed by this point. He wouldn't be nodding. But even if he doesn't understand it all, he can accept it.

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Leder sighs softly.

"Those who came here aboard the White Ship feared another end of the world more than anything else. They felt the world's destruction was a direct result of the way they had lived. The people of the White Ship discussed things at great length. They shared their wisdom and spoke with grave seriousness. And then they arrived at their conclusion. They decided to completely erase everyone's memories of the previous world and start their lives over with new rules and new roles."

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a1enzo

Enzo stares. "A total reformat?"

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Autor, of course, has a million and one questions: how did they erase them? Why? Wouldn't they just repeat the same things?

But telling this is Leder's role, so the boy bites his tongue, keeps his silence, and furiously scratches away at his notes, ignoring the way his stomach twists.

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Dinah squeezes Lucas' hand gently, letting him know she's there.

It makes sense, to her. In a way. Try again, from scratch, with none of the knowledge and behaviours that led to the end of the world the first time.

But she's not sure she's comfortable with it.

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"Yes," Leder says in answer to Enzo. "In short, everyone would play out the ideal 'story' that they had come up with. That is what happened. The people would restart their lives in a simple, peaceful village, in the kind of place they wished they had grown up in. They would erase their memory of everything: the world, their belongings, their rules...and then they would begin their new lives. Everyone's old memories would be reset and replaced with their newly-created 'story'. And thus the village of Tazmily came to be.

"However, it was necessary to record the fact that the memory replacement had taken place. The Hummingbird Egg was the device used to store the memories of the White Ship people. Wess and his son Duster, both playing the roles of thieves-"

Duster puts a hand on his face.

"-were set to take action should a dangerous situation occur. Remember when they went to Osohe Castle? They went there to retrieve the secret of the People of the White Ship."

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Autor stiffens. He has to take a breath or two to keep silent. It's not until after Leder finishes speaking about Osohe Castle does the boy notice that he's splotched the top part of his his notes with a large, unforgiving ink blot.

"Stories and memories," he murmurs, unable to meet Leder's eye, "and the only one aware is you."

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Leder nods once more.

"There's one other thing. Me. It was essential that one person retain memory of the previous world to sort of 'keep watch' over things. I was the only one in the village of Tazmily who wasn't given a role in the new 'story'. The sound of my bell served as a 'suggestion' to keep everyone's fabricated memories from reverting. My name Leder comes from the word 'leader'. No, no, that doesn't mean I was anyone special."

Lucas, who had opened his mouth, closes it again.

"It was just that I was particularly taller than all the others. So, upon discussion, I was selected because it would be easier for me to stand out. Being so tall, people would want to come see me, you know? And so I was given the role of revealing these secrets when the time truly called for it."

He briefly bows his head.

"Everything so far has been about those who lost everything. Although Tazmily Village exists in reality, it was originally created as part of a story. I know this may be difficult to believe, but do you understand so far?"

It takes longer for Lucas to answer this time, the boy checking to make sure Duster is all right. The thief leans on his bad leg, pensive.

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Dinah's attention is all on Lucas. While he checks that Duster is all right, she checks that he is all right.

Then she breaks that attention briefly to ask: "But why are you chained?"

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Dinah's question is sound, but Autor ignores it, turning inward. Nobody special, huh? Well. 'Leaders' aren't guaranteed roles in Stories, he thinks, folding up his notes, but 'Authors' are.

He draws his knees up to his chest and waits for the next set of parallels, rubbing his hands together to force warmth into them.

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"This knowledge is too great, too much of a threat," Leder says to Dinah. "And there is more still.

"Let me also talk about Osohe Castle. Apparently, long ago, a kingdom existed on this island, centered around the king of Osohe. However, when we arrived on the White Ship, the people of this kingdom were gone. It seems they had left the islands, fearing the Dragon's eventual awakening someday. Before boarding the White Ship, Princess Kumatora was an infant who had lost her mother and father."

Kumatora squeezes her arm around Lucas a little tighter before leaning her head on his.

"Upon coming to these islands, she was given to the Magypsies to raise, and given the role of princess of Osohe Castle. Wess and Duster being her retainers was another part of the fabricated 'story'.

"Osohe Castle is one of the few and precious relics of this island's past. We crafted our story in haste, so the people inside it have very little 'past' or 'history'. Have you noticed no one in Tazmily can talk about things from 100 or 1000 years ago? In truth, we HAD wanted to create an entire plethora of myths and legends...but our story was made in such a hurry that we weren't able to. It's a real shame.

"I'm sure that much of what I'm saying, you'd rather not hear, but it's the truth. Have you listened to everything so far?"

Lucas nods before giving Kumatora and Dinah each a squeeze of a hug.

"Have you committed everything so far to memory, Mr. Stinkbug?" Leder checks again.

The stinkbug hops his confirmation.

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"So how old are you?" Autor murmurs, not quite expecting an answer.

He unfolds his notes and starts scribbling out questions to ask when the situation is less urgent--such as what sorts of myths Leder can remember from before. Whole cultures, erased from the world at large, nestled inside his head.

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Leder chuckles, dry and brief.

"Old," he answers. "And I feel older every day.

"Truthfully, we had no idea how Tazmily Village would turn out. But things actually went rather well. The people who arrived on the White Ship had fully taken to their new identities. They believed they had always lived together peacefully. It was when a person by the name of Porky stumbled upon these islands that everything started to go amok.

"It seems he used a 'Time Distorter' machine to travel through time and space at will. However, he was apparently shut out from all other times and spaces and tumbled into this era and these islands. Even worse, he used his Time Distorter to bring many people from other eras here. The Pigmasks, as well as everyone in New Pork City, were all brought here and brainwashed by Porky. This Porky fellow seems to view these islands as his own personal toy box, with which he can do anything he wants. He would take animals apart and recombine them to make creepy new chimeras. As a child-like dictator, he began doing whatever he pleased, including building Thunder Tower and forming his own army. Porky eventually learned the White Ship secret because of a traitor among the Magypsies.

"Do you understand about the intruder known as Porky?"

Lucas doesn't say a word this time, doesn't even nod. But he meets Leder right in the eyes and Leder has his answer.

"This traitor was Locria, the seventh Magypsy and the only one you haven't met yet. After Locria joined forces with Porky, Porky learned about the White Ship people and the secret of the sleeping Dragon. Porky decided to pull the Needles to wake the Dragon, so he could use the power for himself. The Dragon is the power of the very earth itself, you see. It's said that whoever pulls the sealing Needles will become the Dragon's master. However, only a very select few are capable of pulling the Dragon's Needles. Apparently, neither the Magypies nor Porky have that capability. Yet, the Needles are being pulled now. That means Porky is somehow controlling someone who can control the Dragon's power!"

Leder leans forward slightly, urgently pressing on.

"We have to put a stop to Porky's antics. If we don't, the world will be completely destroyed again and it will spell the true end for everything. For Porky, that might be the ultimate pleasure, but we can't allow it to happen. We, the last handful of people there are, absolutely can't allow it to happen.

"Lucas. It seems you're a chosen one, with the ability to pull the Needles sealing the Dragon away. You MUST pull the Dark Dragon's Needle with your own hands and pass your heart on to the Dragon. Let this be my one and only order to you as your 'leader'.

"Do you understand everything about the Dragon's Awakening?"

Lucas moves again, Leder's command spurring him to nod once more.

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a1enzo

"Crashing right we do!" Enzo agrees. That much, he understands perfectly.

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"Wait, the seventh...?" Autor says, blinking. "Lucas, I think the Magypsies' names are musically based. I brushed off Ionia, but this is too much of a coincidence."

He adjusts his glasses. "In music, a Locrian mode is a diminished minor of the diatonic scale, commonly known as the evil mode. People describe it as the 'Diabolus in Musica,' or the 'Devil in Music', because its tone is so dissonant."

The music student opens his mouth to continue, but Leder's next statements blow any thoughts of the intersection of music and narrative straight out of his head. "'Pass your heart on'? What does that even mean?"

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Whatever it means, it doesn't sounds like something good. Dinah turns directly to Lucas.

"Lucas?"

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"When a Needle's pulled," Lucas starts. "Part of th' heart a'the person who pulled it goes to th' Dragon. An' he'll do what that person's heart wants."

He pulls himself to stand up, Duster, Boney, and Kumatora following.

Leder gives another firm nod. "I hear six of the Dragon's Needles have already been pulled. Deep in the earth, the Dragon is likely beginning to stir from its sleep now. Supposedly, the last Needle is somewhere here in New Pork City. Porky has been gathering everything that lives on these islands into New Pork City to prepare for the final Needle's pulling. It's possible that he's planning to hold one final, twisted party. But now is our chance to change this looming crisis into a golden opportunity. All things may come to an end...or new and bountiful things may begin. Wouldn't you like to help that happen?

"Lucas. You were once a weak, fragile boy, but now you've been given a tremendous role to fulfill. Now that you know everything, including everything I'm sure you'd rather not know, the time has come for you to save the future of all life as we know it."

He takes a moment, reaching out and gently putting a hand on Lucas's shoulder.

"'God won't make you bear more than you can carry.' I'm sure you've heard that phrase before. Know that you aren't fighting alone. Everyone-"

Leder looks at the assembled group, meeting his eyes to all the others.

"-and I do mean everyone, will lend you their support."

The extremely tall man takes his hand back.

"That was a long story, but that is the end of everything I have to tell you. Did you understand all of it?"

Lucas gives him one last nod.

"Only the Magypsies really know the Needles' locations, so I don't know where to find them. But, from the way Porky and the others have been acting, I would say they're now very close to reaching the seventh Needle. Please, Lucas. Be the one who pulls the final Needle.

"Porky issues his orders from the 100th floor of the Empire Porky Building. Start by jumping into the fray and storming the building. After that, you can start looking for clues."

Leder then gives a great, heavy sigh.

"It's been such a long time since I've spoken to anyone. And now I'm exhausted. This stinkbug should remember everything I've just said. Take him with you. That way, if you happen to forget anything I've said here, you can ask him to repeat it. Will you go with them, Mr. Stinkbug?"

The stinkbug hops a final confirmation and then hops his way over, deciding the best person to stick with would be Autor.

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"Oh! Um," Autor says to Mr. Stinkbug. He tucks his notes away in his pocket and crouches down, holding out his hands.

Then he looks to the party at large. "Sounds like we have a job to do. Back through the sewers?" he asks, and then hesitates before nodding at the tall man. "Goodbye, Leder."

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a1enzo

Enzo stands straight and tall and salutes smartly. "Thank you, sir."

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