//------------------------------//
// A Mystery 
// Story: Mother X: Father 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

After leaving Apple Kid's house, Ness led the way north into Polestar Preschool.  As they'd been told, nearly the entire first floor was a single room schoolhouse, with preschoolers walking around between desks as they drew, painted, or chatted haltingly with each other.  Watching over them was a blonde woman who was whistling happily as she worked.  "That's Paula's Mom," Moondancer told Ness, recognizing her PSI imprint from her last visit here with Niiue.

Nodding, Ness went up to the woman.  "Uh...excuse me..." he began nervously.

"If you want to talk to Paula, you should speak to my husband in the next room," the woman replied readily, gesturing to the closed door.  She tilted her head towards Moondancer.  "I heard your little friend whispering.  But you don't need to worry about Paula, she has a couple of guardian angels.  I felt them near when she was just a baby."

Moondancer tensed up.  She wasn't sure if she was more upset at discovering she and Niiue had been detected without knowing it, or realizing their presence had possibly led to this woman being somewhat blase about her daughter's safety.

Ness plainly didn't understand this anymore than Buzz Buzz did, as he simply led them through to the next room.  There, a blonde man with a mustache stood looking as tough as he could manage.  "Umm..." Ness began awkwardly.  "Is...is Paula in?"

"So you wanna see Paula?" the man demanded crossly.  "Many come to see her miraculous powers, but they're just leeches."  He spat the last word angrily, an attitude of angry frustration coloring his pose.  "So...are you from a TV station?"

Ness blinked in confusion, then turned to Moondancer in confusion.  "What's TV?" he asked quietly.

Buzz Buzz stared.  There was no way...then again, there hadn't been a TV in Ness's house anywhere, and he apparently didn't spend much time in town proper before they'd arrived...

"The box with bright lights and annoying noises in the main room of Pokey's house," Moondancer clarified.

"Oh," Ness allowed.  "...station?"

"Like on a radio, but with pictures," Buzz Buzz clarified.

"...they can do that?" Ness asked in awe.

Moondancer was almost positive Ness was messing with them.

"So you aren't from a TV station?" Paula's father asked gruffly, seeming somewhat mollified by Ness's genuine innocence.  "Still, to meet you or not to meet you can only be decided by Paula, and she has said she will only meet with a boy named Ness and a unicorn named Moondancer."  He seemed to be somewhat apologetic about that second part.  "I...try not to question the things she says even when they seem outlandish.  She does have a way to know these things..."

As Ness glanced back at Moondancer in confusion, she quickly realized what was going on.  Paula's father didn't have strong enough PSI to pierce her veil of 'perfectly normal', and likely saw her as just 'this kid's friend' with very vague details.  She focused her PSI outward, forcing herself to manifest in her natural state to the man's eyes.  "Not so outlandish," she observed dryly.

After several minutes, Paula's father finally managed to regain his composure and close his mouth.  "I...I suppose you're Ness and...Moondancer, then?" he finally managed to ask.

"Y-yes," Ness managed to stammer out.  "Is...is Paula in?"

"You're the ones Paula has dreamed will save the world!" Paula's father declared firmly.  "I'll just...just go get her, shall I?"  Turning, he raced up the stairs.

Ness and Moondancer exchanged glances.  "Why'd he react like that?" Ness asked curiously.

"I naturally have a PSI field around me that makes me seem ordinary," Moondancer explained.  "If your PSI is strong enough, you can see right through it like you do.  His isn't strong enough, so I had to amplify my PSI output to push through the veil so he could see me for what I really was."

"Do you think Paula's PSI is strong enough to see through?" Ness asked curiously.

"I'm certain of it," Moondancer confirmed.

At that moment, Paula's father came running down the stairs.  "S-she doesn't seem to be here!" he stammered out, looking somewhere between panicked and trying to stay calm.  "I wonder where she went?  I'm sorry, could you come back later?"

"We received a psychic message from Paula before we reached Twoson," Ness spoke up instantly, pushing his social awkwardness aside as he felt the danger raising its head.  "She wasn't able to get much through, but I picked up a sense of danger.  Can you tell me anywhere around town she normally hangs out?  Someone there might have some clues."

"E-Everdread over in Burglin Park might know something," Paula's father managed to say.  "Paula spends far too much time there, and I've heard rumors that his business isn't entirely on the right side of legality or morality.  Or you could ask the Runaway Five!  Paula often goes to see their shows, and they always let her backstage.  I was never really sure about letting that happen, especially since they changed the name of their band before coming here, but they always seemed so nice and Paula has such strong powers..."

"Changed their name?" Moondancer asked curiously.

"Yeah...I think it was Tornado Bros, or something like that," Paula's father confirmed.  "Tor something or other...maybe Ton..."

Moondancer's eyes widened.  "...Tonzura, by any chance?"

"Yeah...yeah, that was it!" Paula's father declared firmly.  "Kind of an odd name, don't you think?"

Moondancer went dead silent.  Ness quickly took over the conversation.  "Thank you for the information," he offered warmly.  "We'll let you know if we learn anything."

"Of course, of course," Paula's father agreed.  "I'll...I'll just keep an eye out for her."  He turned and began to pace worriedly.

Ness quickly led the trio out of the preschool.  "Okay, looks like we have two clues to go on," Ness began carefully.  "There's Everdread, or there's this band..."

"I'll go check out the band," Moondancer said immediately.  "Buzz Buzz, you watch Ness' back while he confronts Everdread."

Ness blinked in surprise.  "Are you sure-"

"I suspect something," Moondancer corrected.  "If I'm right, then they can be a good help to us but need to be approached the right way.  If I'm wrong, they still might help us, but better they only think me the fool and not you too."

Ness nodded, accepting the logic.  "Alright, just be careful."

"You too," Moondancer agreed as they went their separate ways along the street.