Mother X: Father

by Tatsurou

Connected Hearts

As Ness and Moondancer shifted groggily, barely able to lift their heads, Jeff did his best to explain what had happened. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Ness's Mom-"

"Ana," Ana corrected softly. "The name's already been spoken where you can hear, so there's no longer a point to keeping it a secret. Besides..." She glanced from Ness to Moondancer to the piece of the Mani Mani Statue that froze just before the sharp point would have gouged out her right eye. "The need for secrecy has...changed."

Jeff blinked in surprise. "Ana? Father used to talk about a friend named Ana...and-"

"But other names should be saved for now," Ana offered calmly as she began setting out the picnic lunch for everyone. "Help Moondancer to drink, while I do the same for Ness. Star PSI takes a lot out of you, and is especially hard on the throat."

"Star PSI?" Jeff asked in confusion as he gently scooped up Moondancer, holding a juice bottle to her lips to help her drink as she managed to open her mouth for it.

"That's what the old records call it, according to my husband's research," Ana explained calmly as she gently poured the juice into Ness' mouth in small amounts so his throat could be eased while still letting him breathe. "It's PSI that comes from the heart rather than the mind, and syncs with the heart of a star...thus the name. Unlike other PSI, it can't be learned, only used."

"That...sounds like the emotion-driven PSI that Giygas uses," Buzz Buzz spoke nervously.

Ana sighed as she gently set Ness down as he steadied himself to hold his own drink. "There is a connection," she confirmed worriedly. "That's part of what my husband has been researching. When he learned of Star PSI, he sought to learn how it could be called...to save someone consumed by the dark side of it. He blames himself for that..."

Ness slowly set down his drink, then looked up at his mother. He couldn't find the words...but in his eyes were the horrors from Moonside where he'd been forced to face distorted images of the world, of his friends, of his home...family members wishing him to die, not knowing him, or fearing him...and the visions the madness had pulled forth from the darkness of his own mind...

Moondancer slowly sat up, feeling...lost. The place Nightmare was...that was where she came from, wasn't it? It was important, wasn't it? Then...then why did she feel nothing from it? Why was she left feeling empty? Even if she couldn't remember...shouldn't she have felt something? Or...were the words that the ponies who'd spoken to her true? Was she so isolated in her old world that...no one would have noticed her going missing? Did she...not even have a place there?

Ana gently pulled the pair into a motherly embrace. "I'd hoped to meet up with you before this happened, to try and help you face it," she whispered softly. "But all I can offer now...is more trials, and hope you're up to it...and can reach what will help you..."

"Hmm?" Ness asked curiously, not really understanding what she was saying.

"It will make sense in time," Ana promised. "For now, eat and enjoy."

Nodding, Ness, Jeff, Moondancer, and Buzz Buzz all dug into the picnic. Before long, all that was left was dessert...and Ana provided Ness with a special little cake all his own. "I'm sorry I don't have enough for everyone, but there was a shortage of ingredients..." She glanced worriedly towards Moondancer.

Ness leaned forward to take a whiff of the cake, and smiled. "I think..." Reaching into Jeff's bag, he pulled out the cupcake and took a sniff. "Thought it was familiar," he said firmly as he handed it to Moondancer. "Want some, Jeff? Buzz Buzz?"

"No thank you," Jeff avowed firmly. "I ate more than enough. Enjoy your treats."

"Too much sugar is actually bad for my physiology," Buzz Buzz explained easily. "Thank you for the offer, though."

Managing to smile, Ness and Moondancer eagerly dug in...and as the last crumb vanished, their eyes drooped and they slowly slumped over. Ana carefully braced them before laying them down on the blanket.

"What's happened?" Jeff asked nervously.

"Something important," Ana explained evasively. "And...I can't stay until he wakes up. I've done too much already. And I fear what may come if I do too much more. Look after them until they wake, please." With that, she turned and walked off.

Jeff sighed as he scooted close to the sleeping pair. "Well, this is going to be interesting," he murmured with the slightest hint of sarcasm. Opening his pack, he began to tinker. Surely he could come up with something interesting by the time they woke up.

---

Ness and Moondancer felt themselves flowing over a land seeming to hover among pink clouds. Green grass and brown dirt paths led between pagodas, and a building that was somewhere between a castle and a temple sat at the very top of the paths. Somehow, they knew they were in Dalaam, a land in the far east.

Slipping into the temple/castle, they found themselves drawn through the golden halls and across red carpets to what was obviously a throne room, where a young boy their age sat in a lotus position, wearing a white gi and his head mostly shaved save for a single topknot.

Poo... Ness found himself thinking as he felt himself slipping into the boy without meaning to.

The Crown Prince... Moondancer added in her own thoughts as her essence followed Ness'.

As Poo slowly opened his eyes, he found two others gazing out at his surroundings through them with him. He blinked a few times. I was prepared for one companion within my soul on this stage of the journey, he thought formally to them. I am...uncertain what it means that there are two. And one of you...is very not of this world.

It's...a long story, Ness offered softly. You see...

With respect, even at the speed of thought I do not believe we have time to discuss this 'long story' before my Master gives me instructions, Poo interrupted gently as his eyes locked on an old man slowly approaching him, the approach even slower than normal as the mental discussion enhanced their time sense. If you trust me, and will open your minds to me, I can feel the story from both of you...with your permission.

I...don't think we'd be in here if we couldn't, Moondancer observed thoughtfully as she opened her mind, turning her thoughts back to her memories. She could feel Ness doing the same...and felt the approach of Poo's thoughts.

She'd expected a ruffling, like flipping through the pages of a book. She'd expected a stretching as her mind expanded to accommodate his intrusion. She even expected a possible Magicant dive. What she did not expect was the gentle sensation of Poo's mind touching her own, hers touching Ness', and Ness touching Poo, before all three minds pulled back. A...fascinating story, Poo observed softly. There is...much here for me to think about, and to meditate on. But that is for another time. The final test comes...and if you are here, then you two are meant to come with me.

Before Moondancer or Ness could ask what he meant, the older man spoke up. "Prince Poo," he greeted firmly yet respectfully, "the time has come for you to undertake your final trial...though it comes earlier than expected. Go to the 'Place of Emptiness' and endure this final test."

Poo nodded as he stood up from his throne, bowing to his teacher. "I shall endeavor to do my best to live up to the work you have put to training me," he avowed firmly.

His teacher nodded. "I am praying for your success in this final stage of your training."

With that, Poo turned to walk out of the palace.

Comments

[LakieLegion]

Ness touching Poo

a bit of... unfortunate wording caused no small amount of chuckles and snickering... can't wait for more

[InsanityStreak]

What the hell did they put in those cupcakes.

Jeff and Buzz might start feeling left out soon, no individual nightmare kingdom to face, no dessert and now no mystical trip through a mental construction with a foreign Prince who can read minds.

[Scygnus]

This... should be interesting.

I wonder if Ness got a better look at growing up with Gigue from that little mind-meld?

[Chrome Masquerade]

Poo... Ness found himself thinking as he felt himself slipping into the boy without meaning to.

I always called him Kai.

[Void Runner]

Ness found himself thinking as he felt himself slipping into the boy without meaning to.

INB4.

[F14m3rz]

"That's what the old records call it, according to my husband's research," Ana explained calmly as she gently poured the juice into Ness' mouth in small amounts so his throat could be eased while still letting him breathe. "It's PSI that comes from the heart rather than the mind, and syncs with the heart of a star...thus the name. Unlike other PSI, it can't be learned, only used."

{Aang: Maybe there's another way... what if I came at the boulder from another angle?
Toph: No. That's the problem. You've got to stop thinking like an airbender. There's no different angle, no clever solution, no trickety-trick that's going to move that rock. You've got to face it head on. And when I say head on, I mean like this... [Jumps up and destroys the rock with her head.]}

Ana sighed as she gently set Ness down as he steadied himself to hold his own drink. "There is a connection," she confirmed worriedly. "That's part of what my husband has been researching. When he learned of Star PSI, he sought to learn how it could be called...to save someone consumed by the dark side of it. He blames himself for that..."

I don't blame him; if I got called an insect by a passive-aggressive alien, I'd sing a song too.

Ness slowly set down his drink, then looked up at his mother. He couldn't find the words...but in his eyes were the horrors from Moonside where he'd been forced to face distorted images of the world, of his friends, of his home...family members wishing him to die, not knowing him, or fearing him...and the visions the madness had pulled forth from the darkness of his own mind...

{Lucas: I know that feel...
i.pinimg.com/originals/b2/98/b2/b298b28eff0a32cf5325efa7dbf5fd74.png }

Managing to smile, Ness and Moondancer eagerly dug in...and as the last crumb vanished, their eyes drooped and they slowly slumped over. Ana carefully braced them before laying them down on the blanket.

"What's happened?" Jeff asked nervously.

"Something important," Ana explained evasively. "And...I can't stay until he wakes up. I've done too much already. And I fear what may come if I do too much more.

{Ana: Club Stoic has a trademark on Magic Cake. If I give any more to outsiders, they'll terminate my membership and every New Age Retro Hippie for miles will come after us.
Jeff: Don't they already do that, though?
Ana: That was after I'd already made the one.
Jeff: Gulp}

Jeff sighed as he scooted close to the sleeping pair. "Well, this is going to be interesting," he murmured with the slightest hint of sarcasm. Opening his pack, he began to tinker. Surely he could come up with something interesting by the time they woke up.

Hope it's not a chainsaw yo-yo.

She'd expected a ruffling, like flipping through the pages of a book. She'd expected a stretching as her mind expanded to accommodate his intrusion. She even expected a possible Magicant dive. What she did not expect was the gentle sensation of Poo's mind touching her own, hers touching Ness', and Ness touching Poo, before all three minds pulled back. A...fascinating story, Poo observed softly. There is...much here for me to think about, and to meditate on. But that is for another time. The final test comes...and if you are here, then you two are meant to come with me.

So instead of joke-y Samurai Jack, it's regular Samurai Jack.

[FTKnight]

I always wondered what accent was needed to make Poo name not be as crude a joke.... does anyone know?

[Emtu]

8934014
In Japanese it's just Pū (プー). I don't know why they chose that spelling, but just "Pu" would have been better. All the other party members' names were basically English to begin with, and just transliterated into Japanese.

[F14m3rz]

8934034
Yeah...
Except “Pū (プー)” is still pronounced “Poo”. But let’s see what Tomato has to say about it...

Huh, while I don’t see a reason why, it turns out that the name for Dalaam was originally... Ranma (chaotic/reckless horse)...
myanimelist.cdn-dena.com/images/characters/13/136843.jpg
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/earthbound/images/5/53/Poo_clay.png/revision/latest?cb=20140219055640
Of course, it all makes sense now!!

[Chrome Masquerade]

8934014 Mokona's.

http://transdimensional-manjuu.tumblr.com/image/34321703725

[Emtu]

8934215
I've seen Ranma most often translated as "wild horse".

[Philosophysics]

This is from Dorkly.

Earthbound is cheating, and there's many to choose from, but my favorite always was the two sesames.

You've just hitchhiked with a jazz band, whose music drove away the ghosts that blocked the tunnel. You're stranded in the desert. You can explore it, but it's hard; you may end up with sunstroke, or... homesickness. At least there's a pharmacy by the roadside; they sell wet towels for sunstroke, and have a phone to call mom.

The wide, harsh desert has a bunch of stuff to do, and between enemies and npc's it takes a really good eye to notice the black sesame--a single black pixel. Talk to them, and they says they're kinda down ever since fighting with the white sesame. Now of course you hunt for a white pixel, with considerable difficulty. The white sesame asks you to tell black that white got over it, and will always love them. You go back to black, tell them the message, and they cry.

And that's it. You don't get anything, no item, no (argh) achievement unlocked; only the feeling of having provided emotional support for two pixels. You never see them again.