//------------------------------// // I'm Useless, But Not For Long // Story: Mother X: Father // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// The group of four readily made their way back through the caves to Happy Happy Village, only to stop as Ness hesitated at the exit. "What's wrong?" Paula asked worriedly. "The entire village is under Carpainter's sway," Ness pointed out calmly. "If they see you walking free, what are they going to think? How are we going to get to Carpainter without being mobbed by the entire village trying to kill us?" "Oh," Paula murmured worriedly. "I...I hadn't really thought of that. I was so excited about getting to go with you..." "If they're under mental domination, then the vast majority of them will have limited recognition skills," Buzz Buzz pointed out. "If a situation 'looks right', they are unlikely to notice anything out of place about it." "How could we make escaping with Paula 'look right'?" Ness demanded in confusion. "Well, they were planning to sacrifice her," Moondancer pointed out. "So wouldn't they consider it normal if two robed cultists were escorting her into the central building that looks like a cross between a church and a town hall?" "That is where everyone gathers," Paula agreed thoughtfully. "So if we dress the part, they won't notice that one cultist is really short and the other has four legs?" Ness clarified. "Highly likely," Buzz Buzz confirmed. "And where are we supposed to get-" "The cultists Paula set on fire climbed out of their robes to get away from the fire," Moondancer pointed out, pulling the robes out of her pocket space. "If we paint over the burnt parts, we should pass muster." She hauled out one of their cans of blue paint as well. Ness stared at this in disbelief. "You really think this will work?" he asked Buzz Buzz. "If it doesn't, it'll at least give us a grace period as people try to make sense of it," Buzz Buzz pointed out. "The cave to the Sanctuary is close enough we could duck in there before they chase us if that happens. Then we can come up with a different plan." Ness sighed ruefully. "This is the silliest thing ever..." he grumbled. "What's the back up plan? Dress us all up in red and white stripes and say we're from Mach Pizza?" "Delivery people travel alone," Paula pointed out. "But we could paint the one robe, and I could sit on your shoulders while Moondancer sat on mine?" Ness groaned, but got to work. I think I'd have preferred the pizza plan, Ness thought to himself as he walked through town chanting "Blue...blue..." Paula walked behind him, head down and her hands bound with one of her hair ribbons, looking forlorn and bedraggled. Moondancer marched behind her, also chanting "Blue...Blue..." He and Moondancer were dressed in the blue robes and masks, and he held the paint can and brush. To his bemusement, no one looked twice at them as they walked calmly through town and into the central building. The entirety of the building's inside was painted bright blue, and filled with cultists in the blue robes and masks marching in place or in circles as they chanted "Blue...blue..." The overall choral effect seemed to give the words power, making the chant weigh heavily on the mind. Buzz Buzz flew into Ness' mask. "I can feel a strong PSI amplifier present," he whispered softly, "and the thrum of Giygas Madness. Something here is providing a direct link to Giygas...but it isn't at full strength. Be very careful." Ness nodded as he continued to chant, slowly making his way through the crowd. Those that noticed the trio parted for them so they could make their way towards the stairs. One or two looked at them oddly, but seemed to be unwilling to break the group chant by calling attention to anything odd there. Despite the strangeness of the plan, they made it all the way to the stairs. The stairs led out into another blue chamber with a tall platform with stairs leading up to it. At the top of those stairs was a man dressed in blue, with a goatee and sideburns also dyed blue. Behind him was a golden statue of a devil standing tall with its arms crossed. As Ness stared at the statue, its eyes seemed to track him, a faint red glow briefly visible within. He knew this was the amplifier Buzz Buzz had mentioned. The man smiled down at the group. "Ah, so you bring the sacrifice...but aren't you a little short to be a cultist...Ness?" Sighing, Ness pulled the hood off. "I'm genuinely surprised we made it this far," he allowed ruefully. "I'm surprised you didn't try delivering a pizza," the man replied. "That was plan B, Mr. Carpainter," Paula pointed out as she pulled the ribbon from around her wrists and fixed her hair. "I was going to sit on Ness' shoulders." "I take it you have no interest in helping me make the world blue and create a happy, peaceful society, then?" Mr. Carpainter asked sorrowfully. "It's too bad, Ness...as strong as you are, I would have wanted you at my side as my right hand man." "And here I thought that's where Pokey stood," Ness suggested, slipping his hand into his pack and readying himself. "Well my left hand would have worked just as well," Carpainter allowed...then grinned and thrust one finger forward. "Die!" he roared out as lightning flashed towards the group. Ness pulled out the Franklin Badge and stuck it to the top of the PSI Bat before holding it up. The metal of the bat drew the lightning, which deflected off the Franklin Badge. "What?" Carpainter gasped in shock. Before he could react, Ness, Paula, and Moondancer all charged forward. Paula swung her Magic Fry Pan at his stomach. Moondancer kicked out at his knees. Ness swung at his head, trusting to the PSI Bat to not deliver lethal damage. SMAAAASH!! All three hits connected strongly, causing Carpainter to collapse to his knees, his eyes going starry as he staggered. "Well...that was anti-climactic," Buzz Buzz observed idly(1). Carpainter staggered as he got back to his feet, the overpowering mental pressure fading as the statue's glitter faded. "T...thank you," he managed to say. "Do...do you see the Mani Mani statue behind me?" "Hard to miss," Moondancer observed drolly. "Since I got the statue, I've been doing...peculiar things," he allowed. "Please forgive me if you can...I just wanted to have a normal life..." "It's not your fault," Ness offered quickly. "The statue...it's connected to something...unseated. That's what made you act like you did." "My thanks," Carpainter offered gratefully. He turned to Paula. "Paula, I..." "If I held this against you, I'd have set you on fire," Paula offered brightly. "All forgiven!" "Uh...thank you," Carpainter agreed uncertainly. "I'll...stay here and make things go back to normal...and dispose of the statue. Good luck on your journey." Smiling, Ness turned to lead the way outside. (1) But game accurate. Based on the attack power of the PSI Bat, the Magic Fry Pan, the way damage is calculated, and the Guts boost the weapons give, one regular hit from all three of them would have been enough to deplete Carpainter's HP in game. Having them all SMAAAASH!! was honestly overkill.