//------------------------------// // Will Set Us Free // Story: Mother X: Father // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Once Moondancer explained what the new PSI ability Paula had developed meant - and Ness and Jeff had stopped staring at Paula in awe - Ness led the group further into the maze, continuing to follow the right hand wall as they climbed back to the upper level. When they were confronted by the lesser monsters, Paula unleashed far more of her PSI than she had before, only to slip into meditation every so often before unleashing it just as much afterwards. This resulted in nothing they encountered as they made their way through being a genuine threat to them...save the Mad Ducks. Every so often they would do...something. It was impossible to explain or describe what they were doing, exactly, but it sometimes left Ness, Paula, Moondancer, or Buzz Buzz unable to concentrate enough to use PSI. It faded over time, but it was still disturbing...so much so that Moondancer had taken to zapping the ducks on sight with one of her few combative magic spells, a laser from her horn. While her magic was potent for combat, it took more out of her than her PSI, and she wasn't as practiced with it. Still, for single targets - especially weaker ones - it was supremely effective. Eventually, they came across another large blue mole. "I'm really the third strongest mole!" he declared in a frenzy as he charged them. "I'll destroy you now!" He immediately lunged forward with his claws, only for them to get caught on the limbs of Jeff's Robo-Pack. "Wait, what-" "Power-Freeze!" Five seconds later, the frozen structure of the mole fell away, revealing another smaller mole that fled in terror. "Nice combo!" Ness praised Jeff and Paula. "Can I get the next one, though?" "They have PSI Power-Shields up," Buzz Buzz pointed out. "They're like the shields of light you've learned to make, but extra strong. The energy deflected from incoming strikes rebound on the one performing the strike, rather than simply being neutralized." "...it can do that?" Ness asked in shock, mentally already trying to rearrange his own mental form of the 'shield of light' to do that. "Something tells me this is going to go fast," Moondancer murmured thoughtfully. After a time, a third mole appeared. "My strength falls between the second and fourth strongest masters!" he declared proudly as he approached. "Do you wanna test-wait, are you charging your attack while I'm monologuing?" "Power-Freeze!" Paula shouted, freezing the mole solid and once again making it collapse to reveal the tiny mole within. "Yes," she told it as it ran off. The next mole proved to be a bit smarter. Digging into the ground at its feet, it chucked a massive chunk of rock at the group to scatter them before speaking. "I am truly the third strongest master of this hole!" it declared as it lunged straight for Paula. "I'll demonstrate the power of being third to you!" It lashed angrily out with its claws...only for the claws to bounce back off a tiny plane of light that appeared in front of Paula, causing it to smack itself in the head. "OW! Seriously, what the-" By that point, Paula had finished powering up. "Power-Freeze!" Eventually the group located the final large mole. It looked at the group...but did not attack immediately. "You've fought the strongest master, the second strongest master, the fourth strongest master, and the weakest master of this hole," it observed calmly. "I am truly the third strongest master...but did you ever stop to wonder why being 'third strongest' is of such importance to us?" Ness paused as the group braced for combat. "Well...kinda?" "The strongest has only his muscles," the mole observed calmly. "The weakest only ambition. The second strongest is ever envious of the strongest, seeking to topple him. The second weakest is ever protective of his position, fearing to become the weakest. But he who stands in the middle looks back and forward. He plots. He schemes. He plans. The power of the Third is wisdom. And my wisdom has given me the strategy that shall enable me to overcome the adversity you bring into our hole, one that none of you will possibly anticipate." "And...what's that?" Paula asked nervously as she gathered her PSI. "Fuck this shit, I'm out!" the mole declared as it turned around and proceeded to dig its way through the rock, collapsing its new tunnel behind it to prevent pursuit. With its departure, the other crazed creatures that had infested the hole lost their madness, and withdrew from such a noisy, human place. "...I must admit, I did not see that coming," Jeff observed calmly. "Well, let's go tell the miner that everything's alright," Ness concluded. "And..." He paused. "Should we go back and get a Secret Herb to treat Mondo Mole, or should we head back to Fourside?" he asked thoughtfully. "Time is kind of on the line, and without a way to get back and forth quickly, backtracking that far would take a long time..." "Compromise," Buzz Buzz suggested. "Head back for Fourside now. If we can't find anything we can do there to move forward - or find your Mom doing her shopping - we take the bus back to Threed. We'll be close enough to Saturn Valley there that Moondancer would be able to teleport herself there, get a Secret Herb, and rejoin us. Then we take a bus back to Twoson. It'd be a bit of a stretch, but Moondancer could get the group to Peaceful Rest Valley in one jump with a bit of PSI support." "That works," Ness concluded happily, glad they had a plan of action. The miner had been overjoyed to learn the hole was monster free, and immediately set to work planning the dig. As it was closer than trekking back to a bus stop, the group decided to walk across the bridge back to Fourside and enjoy the breeze. They were halfway across the bridge when an excavator pulled up to them, and one of the miners got out. "Ness!" he called out happily as he approached. "I'm George, Gerardo Montague's brother-" Seeing Ness's confusion, he smiled. "My bro never introduced himself when you fed him, huh?" At Ness's nod, George chuckled. "Well anyway, he's back in the mine. He hasn't found any gold or buried treasure yet, but that hasn't stopped him. We did find a Diamond, though, and he wanted you to have it." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a glittering sphere about the size of an apple. "Here you go." Plopping it into Ness's hand, he hopped back into the excavator and drove back towards the mine. Paula and Jeff both stared at the gem in awe. Moondancer looked it over in fascination. Buzz Buzz whistled appreciatively. "So...think this'll pay off the Runaway Five's debt?" Ness asked curiously.