Lucas

Lucas peers into the door from Milliways.

Yep, still Kumatora's bathroom.

"I'll be right back," he tells Enzo and Tyler.

He steps into the bathroom and out into Kumatora's bedroom, Boney beside him. The three talk for a bit, catching up after the three years they've been separated. What to do about Duster, the Hummingbird Egg, and the Pigmask Army.

The plan is simple enough: Lucas is going to go up into the attic while Kumatora, as Violet, goes out and collects the members of DCMC. Once she's out of the room, Lucas goes back to Milliways.

"So guys, I think there might be a change of plans. I gotta sneak through the attic so the bodyguards in the hallway won't see me. Feel like coming along?"

Boney, wearing a red and white cap and a green shirt, pokes his head out and gives them a "Woof!" of greeting.

When Lucas returned to Tazmily, he was witness to one of Wess and Fassad's arguments. Wess has long since decided that things can't get any worse for him so he might as well make a stand and tell Fassad what he really thinks.

"Fassad!" the old man calls. "Stop it! Quit ruining this town any more than you already have!"

Wess steps closer and adds, "There's something not right about all this lightning, especially today's! I think you guys are behind it somehow! Leave this instant! Keep your grubby hands out of this town's affairs!"

Fassad stood face to face with Wess and replied, "Why, hello there, Mister Wess. You know, if you keep making the veins on your forehead pop out like that, happiness will only escape you. By which I mean your hair, in this case."

The townsfolk softly laughed as a Pigmask came up behind Wess.

"In any case, I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," Fassad continued. "Well, it's been fun. Please be careful not to trip, get hurt, or go bald on your way home."

The Pigmask then tossed a big net over Wess as he began to struggle.

"Cease this violence!" Wess cried as the Pigmask dragged him back to the retirement home. "I'm no bug! I'm an old man!"

Lucas ran up and was about to say something when Fassad noticed him and approached.

"Lucas!" Fassad whispered. "Quit snooping around me! Don't get in my way!" He then spoke up, "Lucas... I really wish you would put a Happy Box in your home already so you can be happy just like everyone else here. I'm always hoping for that day."

At the last part, Fassad turned back to the crowd to continue to peddle his wares. Lucas took this chance to go to the retirement home to make sure Wess was all right.

The retirement home, though being less than three years old, already looked to be in desperate need of repair. Anyone in town who was considered old, whether they could take care of themselves or not, were brought to live in the home. Lucas came here often to visit Grandpa Alec and stops by to see him as well as Wess.

"Oh Lucas. How've you been?" Alec asks as he gets a hug from his grandson. "I was dozing off just now when that really tall fellow at Cross Road appeared in my dream. Do you remember him, Lucas?"

The boy nodded, remembering the tall, mute bell ringer Leder. But it's been a long time since he's seen him around.

"I wonder what ever happened to him," Alec muses. "Where is he now?"

They talked a bit more before Alec decided to get back to his nap and Lucas went to check on Wess.

"I really embarrassed myself earlier," Wess says when Lucas comes to see him. "But curse that Fassad, treating me like a bug! ...Like a stag beetle!"

Lucas waits a moment before he brings up the rumors in town.

"Did you hear about the new band, DCMC?" he asks.

"No," Wess says, still a bit grumpy. "We don't have much here besides those accursed Happy Boxes."

"Well, I heard Mister Jackie and Mister Bronson talking about them at the train station," Lucas explains. "They said the band has a new bassist and he looks just like Duster."

"...What?" the old man asks. "A guy who looks just like Duster? Could that moron still be...?"

Wess turned around for a moment. And Lucas wasn't sure but he thought he heard the old man choke something back.

He then whipped around and said, "Lucas!! I'll now lower my voice and talk to you in a whisper!"

Wess then softly said, "I hate to ask, but could you go and see if this look-alike really is my moron or not? Fassad's cronies are on the lookout for me, so I can't go anywhere or do anything. Please. Go find that moron for me."

The old man then picked up a nearby carrier pigeon in the room and gave him to Lucas.

"If you do find Duster, send this pigeon to let me know," Wess said.

The pigeon cooed in Lucas's hands and thought to his pigeony self, "At long last, my time to be useful has come!"

Lucas nods and Wess smiles at him.

"Thanks Lucas. I'd go myself but everyone's on the lookout for me."

"It's no problem, Wess," Lucas replies. "I'll let you know as soon as I find Duster."

With that, Lucas made his way to the factory, beyond which was the club DCMC was performing at that night: Club Titiboo. Not having the money for the train, he and Boney followed the railways, carefully traversing the tunnels full of ramblin' mushrooms and Slitherhens. (Lucas had a little giggle to himself, thinking back on Lily and their confusing conversation regarding the snakes with chicken heads and her classmates at school.)

After one of the tunnels, Boney runs off and barks, sniffing at a pile of something green on the ground.

"What is it, boy?" Lucas asks, coming closer.

He finds that Boney is sniffing at a green dress and some other girlish clothes. Nearby is a ladder.

Concern is what causes Lucas to climb up the ladder, calling, "Miss? Is someone up there? Are you all right?"

When he gets to the top, he sees a sign that says, "Tunnel Hot Spring," and presumably the owner of the clothes soaking in advertised spring, her back to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he half-squeaks, covering his eyes before she can turn around.

"Aiiiieee! ♥ You caught me stark naked!" the woman squeals as she turns around.

Lucas peeks through his fingers at her face to see that she has a five o'clock shadow.

"Miss?" he asks, unsure and lowering his hands away from his face.

"Oh, aren't you that boy I met at Aeolia's house three years ago? ♥ " she asks.

"Aeolia's house?" Lucas asks, faintly remembering the name.

"Remember? You said you were going to the Drago Plateau to avenge your mother..."

"No," the boy says, shaking his head.

"Huh? That wasn't you?!"

He shakes his head again.

"Really? How odd..."

She shrugs while Lucas, who has found the water to look inviting, takes his shoes and socks off to dip his feet in.

"Anyway," the woman continues, "I'm Ionia, one of the Magypsies. ♥ "

"Magypsies?" Lucas repeats, the memories flooding back into his head.

She nods with a smile.

Well, Lucas supposes, since Grandpa Alec had said Magypsies are neither male nor female and magic to boot, indulging in the hot spring himself wouldn't be too odd. Boney, who doesn't care about nudity either way, has already jumped in and is paddling around.

"This is a Magic Butterfly colony," Ionia explains while Lucas strips down to soak as well. "I often come here to be revitalized after I've worn myself out by overusing my PSI. ♥ Are you here because you overused your PSI, too? ♥ "

"PSI?" Lucas asks as he eases himself in.

"...Oh? You've never heard of PSI?"

"No," he says. "But I'm kind of guessin' at what it is."

"...That's odd. I sense loads of magical power coming from you. ♥ "

That's kind of a shock to Lucas.

"You do? I always kind of thought I was a muggle."

"A muggle? ♥ "

"Oh, nothing," the boy says.

"Anyway," Ionia says, turning Lucas around. "...Wait. Just endure it for a little bit."

"Endure what?" Lucas asks before his head gets shoved down under the water.

"Don't struggle!" Ionia says above the water while Lucas tries to go up and get a breath. "Just endure it for a little bit."

It feels a lot like before and Lucas thrashes his arms in the water, tilting his face upward so that he might at least get a breath.

"Yeesh!" the Magypsy comments about the water splashing everywhere. "Just a little more! OK!!"

Ionia lets go and Lucas surfaces after what felt like an eternity without air.

But once he took that breath, something felt different. He could almost feel it coursing through him like blood and welling up in his heart.

"Oh! My goodness! ♥ " Ionia exclaims. "I can't believe it! You can use PK Love! Not even we Magypsies are able to use it! You sly devil, you! ♥ "

"PK Love? Is that what I feel here in my heart?" Lucas asks, his hand on his chest as he turned to face Ionia again.

She nods and then says, "I don't know where you come from or where you're going, but we might meet again. ♥ So at least tell me your name."

"I'm Lucas."

"......Lucas," she says, and Ionia smiles brightly. "Thanks. I'll remember that. ♥ Now go. I want to boil up, too. ♥ "

"Oh, sure," he says, still a little curious about what's going on but happy enough to dry off and get dressed so that he can be on his way to find Duster once again.

It is difficult, sometimes, to really notice how much time has passed.

Sometimes Lucas will wake up and wonder how much has changed in Tazmily. When exactly did the foot-worn paths become paved roads? When did the first automobile make it here? When did all of the houses start looking the same, with siding and fences and lots of paint covering it all? When did the Yado Inn get so big? When did the retirement home start getting more residents other than the forced Wess? When was the first time his house was struck by lightning and when did that become such a regular occurrence that Lucas stopped being frightened by it?

It's not what he knew before.

Sometimes Lucas will wake up and wonder how much has stayed the same. His house still has no Happy Box, no matter how much Fassad tries to give him one. Fassad is still in Tazmily, too, and has made it clear that his residence is more or less permanent. Duster, on the other hand, is still missing and Kumatora still hasn't had any luck finding him as far as Lucas knows. Dad is still mostly out searching, though he does stop by more and more frequently as the search lasts longer and longer. The dinner table still has sunflowers and the dresser still has a scrap of red cloth and a blue shoe far too small now for the boy who calls this place home. And sometimes, even though it was three years ago by now, it still feels like that awful night and that awful day.

It's not what he knew before.

“But one day,” Lucas thinks to himself in those occasional moments of hope as he wakes up to the sunrise. “It will be that again. Maybe not exactly the same but more like what I knew before.

“When this place had more love to it.”

It was a cold, peaceful Sunday and Lucas was out on a walk with Boney. All matters considered, things were going well. A roof over his head, plenty of food, and friends at Milliways and here. There's no denying that he's concerned about what's happening in Tazmily but so far the changes haven't been necessary or even necessarily bad.

And then he sees Fassad leaving Wess's house. Wess himself was at the door and didn't look too happy while Fassad was quietly laughing, "Nwehehehehe," under his breath.

"What's going on, Mister Wess?" Lucas asks as he and Boney come over.

"That Fassad is causing trouble again, Lucas. He said he's gonna tear my house down and build a rest home here."

"What?! But he can't do that. This is your house."

"That's what I told him," Wess says, clearly disgruntled. "Along with a few other choice words. But he's got that army with him. What can I do against them, assault their tanks with Duster's old socks?"

"Where are you gonna go, Mister Wess?"

"Fassad made it clear that he wants to put me in the rest home once it's done. And he might try to move your grandfather there, too."

"Army or not, he can't do that," Lucas says, frustrated by his own lack of ways to stop it from happening.

Boney contributes with a whine and a paw scratching at his eye.

"If only that moron was here we might be able to figure something out," Wess grumbles. "But Princess Kumatora still hasn't found him."

Lucas reaches up and pats Wess's arm.

"You can always stay with me, Mister Wess," he offers. "I'm sure Dad wouldn't mind."

"You're a good kid, Lucas," the older man replies, putting his hand on Lucas's head. "You been taking care of yourself?"

"Yessir. I've been learning how to cook and everything."

"Is that so? Bet it tastes better than what that moron used to make."

There's a brief lull in the conversation.

"Mister Wess?"

"Yes, Lucas?"

"Tazmily's gonna be really different from now on, isn't it? Like, more than we thought it'd be."

"I'm afraid you might be right, Lucas."

"It's more than just the buildings, isn't it?"

"You're probably right about that, too."

It's been a week since Mom died.

Lucas didn't know anything so strong could fall apart so fast.

His fears about what would happen to Claus were essentially right. Dad and Grandpa Alec came back later that day with nothing to show for their efforts but one of his brother's shoes. Seeing what remained of Claus felt like someone ripped open a barely healed wound in Lucas.

"He's not dead," Dad said that night. "I know he's not. I'm going to find him."

Flint left again in the night and Lucas has been alone since...





Their house, which once felt so small, was now uncomfortably big and lonely. Lucas found he liked staying outside more, even when it started getting cold. At least he could be with Boney and the warm sheep. He would even sleep bundled with the sheep in the stable sometimes. Anything was better than being alone.

Teaching himself to cook was odd. No matter how good bread, nut cookies, and cheese are, you get tired of the same stuff all the time. He has yet to master the omelet but he can at least do a decent scramble.

Keeping the house clean was unexpected, too. He didn't think he'd care so much but life was just easier when things were tidy. Fortunately, he didn't make too much of a mess by himself.

Perhaps the most surprising thing was doing everything Dad did to take care of the sheep. Boney and the sheep knew the feeding route; Lucas was only there to guide and to keep the sheep clean. At least he had a winter to go before he had to figure out shearing.

Life was starting to find a new 'normal' for Lucas.







He never saw the mecha-drago again. The other dragos were around and were still as kind and gentle as he remembered them. He would spend what little free time he had play-fighting with them, the little escape he could afford to have in this new way of life. He was out with them one night when he heard an altercation:

"Now then, Princess Kumatora. May I ask that you behave and do as we say?"

Lucas saw as a tank, a bunch of people in odd, porcine masks and a man in white, flowing clothes that has been around in the village (advertising something called "Happy Boxes" if he remembers it) closed in on a monkey, a girl, and Mr. Wess.

He gestured to the dragos to wait for his signal and walked down to join them.

"Who're you?!" the man in white clothes said, startled. "Get outta here, you stupid kid!"

The men in the Pigmasks started shouting the same things to Lucas.

"Get lost!"

"Stupid kid!"

Lucas then whistled for the dragos to join him. The baby drago came up first.

"OH MY PORK!!" the man in white shouted. "What's a baby drago doing here?! You! Baby drago! Get outta here!"

The Pigmasks kept shouting while the baby drago roared for his mother to come. The mother drago swiped two of the Pigmasks away with her massive tail while everyone backed up. Wess, the girl, and the monkey all joined Lucas on his side and he whistled again. The mother drago tossed aside two more Pigmasks and the rest of them ran away, including the one driving the tank, leaving only the man in white.

"Hey!" the man said. "Get back here, you!"

He then turned back to the mother drago and pleaded, "No... Stop... Stop! Don't! Please!"

"Hahaha!" the girl laughed. "Feeling better now, monkey?"

The monkey then stood on his hind legs and gave the same whistle signal Lucas had given to the dragos before.

The mother drago roared in the man's face and rammed into him, tossing him out of sight as he cried, "Whaaaaaaaaaa!"

The baby drago then jumped on top of his mother before the mother smashed the tank. After that, the mother drago hopped away with her baby.

"Lucas," Wess said when everything had calmed down. "I heard that you've done nothing but cry since the day your mother passed away, but what you did just now was wonderful."

Lucas felt a little strange hearing that. Why does it sound so odd to Wess that he would do nothing but cry since Mom died? It's only been a week. Everyone in Milliways seemed to think this was normal.

"You saved our lives," Wess continued. "Thank you, Lucas."

"Oh right," the girl added. "Gotta say hi. Hi! Nice to meetcha! And thanks! You didn't even know what was goin' on but you saved our lives. It's probably a little late for it now but you should ask this geezer about what's goin' on."

Lucas turned to the girl, curious.

Wess piped up again with, "Sure, I can fill you in on everything. Will you listen, Lucas?"

Lucas nodded and listened as Wess talked about sending Duster to Osohe Castle, his failure in obtaining what Wess sent him out for in the first place, meeting the girl Princess Kumatora of Osohe Castle, finding what Wess wanted Duster to get only for it and Duster to get lost, the man in white apparently named Fassad and his constant electric torture of the monkey, Fassad's connection with the Pigmask Army, and their search for the now-missing item that brought all of them to this confrontation.

"...And that's everything that's happened," Wess finished.

"Should I come with you to help?" Lucas asked. "What if Claus gets mixed up in this?"

"No, Lucas," Wess answered. "You stay here in Tazmily. I'm certain Claus will come back sooner or later. I'd like you and Flint and the others to work together to protect our village."

"Mister Wess?"

"Oh, I intend to help, too, of course. What little I can, at least. Princess!" Wess said, turning to Kumatora. "I leave the monkey in your hands. Oh...and the search for that moron, too."

"That moron" being Duster.

Kumatora nodded and stepped up to both the monkey and Lucas.

"Lucas," she said, "Dunno why but I somehow get the feeling I'll be seein' you again. Take care of yourself!"

Lucas nodded to her.

Kumatora then said, "Okay, monkey! Let's go!"

The monkey did a backflip and he and Kumatora left, Lucas watching as they did.

As he walked home that night, he felt something new. Something that wasn't the sadness he has been and is still mired in. This wasn't even fear for what's to come. This was something that was closer to hope but a little rougher in shape, something whispering about how Wess is right and how he wants to protect Tazmily.

This was determination.

“DAD!”

Lucas held onto his father when he came back to the village.

The boys had been sitting by a fire that had been built, warming up in some dry blankets while their clothes hung on a line. Flint had just been told the boys had been found and went to see them.

“Mom's...” Lucas tried to say. “Mom's...”

“Flint!”

Dad was called away while Tessie watched the boys.

Lucas couldn't see who was talking to Dad but he heard there was good news and bad news. He was hopeful up until he heard “heart.”

Fang...

Fang...found...heart...

His wife's heart...

Mom's heart...

A drago fang in Mom's heart...

The drago...

The drago had...

“Mom...” Lucas whispered to himself, tears welling in his eyes.

Tessie held the boys while Lucas heard the sounds of punches connecting with the ground and with people. Then the sound of lumber hitting a body and people talking about putting Dad in jail.

He just hung onto Tessie and cried.



Lucas could barely remember the funeral. He remembers standing there and watching but he doesn't remember how long it took to bury his mother or for everyone to say their goodbyes to her. He remembers the tombstone being set up and what it said:

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

All he remembers after that is lying down next to the grave and crying.

Lucas got out of bed when he heard Claus shouting, though he couldn't really catch all of it. Something about cute dragos being outside. Whatever it was, it was enough for him to wake up. He ran downstairs without thinking about getting dressed. He stopped to say good morning to his mom first.

"Good morning, Mr. Sleepyhead Lucas," she tells him, giving him a kiss. "Claus has been up for a while playing with the dragos."

He then moved to go outside but Hinawa stopped him again.

"Are you planning to play in your pajamas?" she asks. "Scoot upstairs and change your clothes."

He grinned a little sheepishly and headed back upstairs to change and brush his hair. Once he was back downstairs, he tackled his mother from behind in her chair.

"Owww! I surrender! I surrender!" she says, handing him a slice of buttered nut bread for breakfast.

Lucas took it, gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, and then ran outside to join Claus. He saw Grandpa Alec outside and decided to greet him with a good morning as well.

"Oh, you're up sleepyhead," Grandpa said affectionately. "Well, today's the day you head back home. I'm gonna miss you guys."

He gave Grandpa a nice tight hug and the assurance that they'll come visit again real soon.

Lucas spent a bit of time playing with the different animals nearby. He saw the pigs, the chickens, the cow, the nearby wild frogs, and even a big group of ants returning to their anthill. It was refreshing out here at Grandpa's. Milliways was nice and all but there's so much stuff there, all of these new things to wrap his head around. But he knew this place, these animals, and it felt so good to get back to it all.

He went over to where he heard Claus's shouts of delight as he charged over and over into the dragos. After a really good one, Claus came over to his brother, his hands on his knees as he bent over to catch his breath.

"Whew, I'm beat," he said. "I've been play-fighting with the dragos all morning. You should play, too, Lucas."

"Sure!" Lucas said, excited.

Claus moved out of the way and said, "Here, try ramming into a drago."

"Claus! Lucas still doesn't know how to ram into things yet." Grandpa Alec called as he came up.

Grandpa then took Lucas aside and taught him the special dashing technique he taught Claus. Then he called over Claus to give an example. Then it was Lucas's turn.

"You'll never succeed with such a sullen look on your face," Grandpa said as Lucas set his face into a battle glare. "That holds true for anything. Just relax!"

Lucas had to smile at that and then dashed with all of his might to ram into the drago.

"The harder you run into them, the more the dragos like it," Claus said.

All of a sudden, at their feet, a new voice popped up.

"Move it! Outta the way! Make way for the great Mole Cricket!"

The Mole Cricket moved all the way up to the mother drago and said, "I can't just sit idly by when I hear someone's play-fighting! I'm gonna wipe the floor with all of you! Get in my way and you're in for a world of pain!"

The Mole Cricket then launched itself at Claus and Lucas, who won the fight handily.

"I see you have more of a spine than I thought," the defeated Mole Cricket said. "If you'd like, I could train you personally sometime. Next time we meet, it'll be at the big Mole Cricket Hole Stadium! I look forward to seein' you there!...Bro."

And with that, the Mole Cricket left.

Hinawa came up a short time later.

"I stepped on a mole cricket," she said, turning in the direction she came from. "I hope it's all right..." Then she turned back to the boys and said, "Lunch is ready, everyone. I made you your favorite, boys. Omelets!"

Lucas and Claus both excitedly started running back, Claus going, "Ooh! Lunch, lunch! Omelets!!"

Hinawa turned to Grandpa Alec, who was lagging behind, and said, "You too, Dad."

Grandpa Alec then started to run, saying, "Hey! Wait for me! You saved me some omelets, too, I hope?!"

As they sat at the table for lunch, Claus turned to Hinawa.

"What's your favorite food, Mom?" he asked.

Mom, who had her mouth full, gestured to the meal on her plate.

"Oh? Omelets?" Claus said. "Then your favorite is the same as ours?"

She nodded.

"We make a good match!" he then said.

Lucas smiled as he ate, reaching for the pepper for his omelet. Claus is really funny sometimes.

"After we're done eating, we need to get ready to go home," Hinawa said when she was able to talk. "We have to go through the forest to get back, so we'll need to leave early."

"Don't be silly," Grandpa Alec said, returning after excusing himself from the table. "I bet the kids could make it there on their own, it's that safe. I bet even you could handle it, Lucas!" he said, laughing.

Lucas blushed a little at that, trying to focus on eating. He knew Grandpa loved him but that teasing is a little bothersome.

Hinawa then went outside to send a note by pigeon to Flint, letting him know they would be home soon. She was the only one who heard the odd noise and saw the odd shadow being cast on the ground as something new flew by overhead.

"Happy birthday dear Claus and Lucas, happy birthday to you!" Hinawa and Flint sang.

As soon as they hit the last note, the boys blow the candles out on their cake together and their mother cheers.

"And now for your present," their father says as the cake is being served.

"What'd we get?" Claus asks excitedly, Lucas already digging into his slice of cake.

"Well, you know how it's been a while since we've paid your Grandpa Alec a visit?" Hinawa asks.

"Uh-huh," the boys say in unison, eating their cake and nodding.

"We had a talk with Grandpa and you're all going to give him a visit," Flint tells them, getting his own plate of cake.

The boys look at each other, excitement lighting up their eyes.

"We get to see Grandpa?" Lucas asks.

"We certainly do," Hinawa says, leaning to give him and Claus their birthday kisses. "You boys will have to start packing soon, so pick your favorite clothes to bring. We're going to spend a week at Grandpa's."

“Is that my silly hair monster?”

“Mom, no! Stop!”

“Oh no! I'm gonna get my silly hair monster!”

There was the thumping of footsteps, a slight pause for maneuvering around furniture, and, before long, the triumphant cry of “Gotcha!”

Lucas shouted and laughed, wriggling in his mother's arms as she brought him to stand in front of the mirror.

“You don't want your hair to get all tangled while you play, do you?” Hinawa asked.

Lucas shook his head no.

“I didn't think so.”

Hinawa took the brush off the dresser, smiled at Lucas in the mirror, and got to work brushing his hair.

Lucas stood still as his mother worked. Mom always knew how to be soft with the brush and, while he might never admit all of this to her since it's one of those things boys don't admit, having her brush his hair was always his favorite part of getting dressed. Unfortunately, since Hinawa kept the boys' hair short, it was always over so quickly.

“There we are,” Hinawa said, putting the brush down.

“Lookin' handsome?” Lucas asked.

“Lookin' handsome,” Hinawa agreed. “Now get to the table. It's time for breakfast and I made omelets. We better get there before Dad and Claus eat them all.”

“Oh boy! Omelets!” Lucas said.

But he waited to take his mother's hand and walk with her to breakfast.