Nephew of the Forgotten One: Chapter 1
Nephew of the Forgotten One: Chapter 1



Introduction:
Picky Minch and Tracy Lee were walking home from Onett Elementary one supposedly fine summer day. School was ending for the summer, and even though on the outside it looked fine, they were soon to discover it was far from it.
It had been about four years since Ness, Tracy's brother, and his friends Paula, Jeff, Poo had saved the entire world from Giygas, the cosmic destroyer. Since then, Chommo, Foggyland and Eagleland had all existed in total peace.
It was thought that maybe, just maybe, the people were safe from evil's wrath. It was thought... wrong.

Unaware to all around it, from the ruins of Monotoli's helicopter, crashed in Deep Darkness, arose a creature...like Giygas, but not Giygas.
What was it? Who was it? What was it planning?

Picky
"Tracy!" I cried. "What's that?" Ahead of the two of us stood a small capsule, no more than five metres tall, or so I estimated.
"What do you mean, Picky?" Tracy asked, turning to face me.
I pointed towards the capsule.
"Oh," she replied solemnly. "I have no idea what that thing is."
"Nor do I."
Now, the capsule began to fade away, revealing a shape I thought I knew. My mind flashed back to the night the meteorite crashed. The night I ran into an alien creature. An alien creature called the "Starman Junior".
"No.." I muttered. "Not another of these..."
"Another one of what?" Tracy inquired.
"Back when Ness began his adventure," I began, "he, I, and Pokey ran into this mysterious humanoid creature. He was called the Starman Junior. There was one thing that defeated him: a being named Buzz Buzz."
"But he's not around anymore, is he?"
"No. And I really think we should go back to school." I'd recently noticed the Starman Junior-like creature had begun to near us.
"Back to school? Are you crazy?"
"Would you rather get burnt and frozen?"
"Ignore my last statement."
We ran. Ran farther than we normally could have lasted. Fear brings out a certain energy in people, as you might have noticed.

Miss Ringo, our teacher for this year, was pulling out of the school's parking lot on her moped. She was to leave for Twoson next year. Twoson Senior High.
It was never truly explained why this was happening. She just told our class, a few days before school broke for summer, that she would be leaving...
"Miss Ringo! Miss Ringo!" we cried.
The moped screeched to a halt. Miss Ringo took off her helmet.
"Pickford? Tracy? What are you doing here?"
Don't call me Pickford, I hissed in my thoughts. Call me Picky.
We started gasping for air.
"Miss... Ringo..." Tracy said, trying to get as much air as she could into her lungs.
"Something's... coming after us."
"What?" she asked, with all the air of a caring adult.
"You probably don't know what I'm talking about," I said, my chest heaving, "but a Starman Junior."
I could have sworn there was a slight tugging at her lips.
"Get on," she said, tossing us each a helmet. Mysteriously, mine fit. Perfectly. Like she was expecting this to happen.
"Hold onto my back, Pickford, and Tracy, hold onto Pickford's."
When will she get the hint? I don't want to be called Pickford.
But I didn't have time to complain. Miss Ringo slammed down on the accelerator. My body flew off the moped, making me glad for my... seatbelt of sorts.

"We've escaped him!" Tracy cried, not long later.
<Foolish human. None can escape me.>
"Noo!!" Tracy cried. He was right in front of us.
<I am a Starman Junior Mark II. I am greatly improved on the inferior version, Starman Junior. I am an...>
"Idiot!" I laughed.
"Pickford, Tracy..." Miss Ringo said. "Get ready to run. I'll hold him off."
Stop with the Pickford! I cried.
"You can't!" Tracy cried. "Let me help you!"
"Tracy.... you're destined for a greater fate. If you fight now, and get killed, it has all been for naught."
"But you could be killed!" Tracy cried.
"It's better if I'm killed. I've served my purpose. You have yet to serve yours."
I placed a hand on Tracy's shoulder. "She's right. We're young. There's something we could do in the future."
Then, an explosion!
"Miss Ringo!" Tracy cried.
When the brightness, dust, and debris cleared, there was nothing left. No moped, no Miss Ringo, no Starman Junior Mark II.
"I knew it!" Tracy cried. "She got killed because she refused to let us help fight!"
"Tracy! There's nothing you could have done! You would have been killed just the same!"
"I could have done something!"
"What? Be an idiot?"
I guess that was the final straw. Tracy leapt at me, screaming.
And then... time froze. Partially.
I could breathe. I could see motion. But I couldn't move.
And it looked like the same was happening to Tracy, but I can't vouch for that. She still looked angry.
<Children of light...> a voice said.
"Who are you?" I asked, then tried to jump back, shocked I could talk.
<I am the Apple of Enlightenment. I come to send you on a journey.>
"The Apple... of Enlightenment?" Tracy queried, clearly surprised. "But I can't go on a journey!"
<No. You can go on a journey. And you have to! Fate dictates that you will.>
"Why have you frozen us?" I inquired.
<I expected your fright would entice you to flee. So, I have ensured that you will not flee while I tell you what I must.
<A year ago, Ness Lee and a group of three friends saved the world from Giygas, the cosmic destroyer. It was thought that there would be peace..
<But... it was discovered that Giygas had a sister, Giogamel. When she learned of the death of her brother... what you would call her heart couldn't take the stress. And she died.>
"But wouldn't that be the end of our troubles with that family?"
<When she died, Pick... Picky, she had just given birth.>
Why'd the Apple hesitate when naming me? I wondered.
"Given birth?"
<Yes. Her "heart" was weakened as a result of that, too. His name is Giogas, named after the beginning of his mom's name, and the end of his uncle's.>
"But why do you need us?" Tracy cried.
<I've been watching the two of you. You exhibited the powers, but the threat never arose until now.>
"What powers?" I demanded.
<You may remember Buzz Buzz using one such ability. PSI.>
"PSI?" Tracy asked.
<But PSI isn't the only power needed. You have to obtain, how shall I put it, the energy of the eight elements of the universe: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Darkness, Thunder and Life.>
"How would we obtain them?" I inquired.
I saw Tracy's body right itself, and alight on the ground.
<I will unfreeze time for you now,> the Apple announced. <I must give you the Power Crystal. It will let you obtain the elements' energies. You find the energies in Your Sanctuaries. But remember... Giogas will dog you at every twist of your path.>
I could move my arms!
Then... a crystal appeared in my hands.
<That is the Power Crystal. Keep it safe, as without it, the world will be destroyed at Giogas' hands.>
The Apple began to disappear.
"Wait!" Tracy reached a hand out. "Do you know where Miss Ringo went?"
<Be patient. You'll learn in time.>
And with that, the Apple of Enlightenment was gone.


Tracy
"Your Sanctuaries?" Picky asked. "What are those? I seem to remember someone talking about them, downstairs in my house a long time ago... around the time of the meteorite."
"But who was in your house then?" I inquired.
"My mom... Pokey, wherever he is.... my dad... Ness... Buzz Buzz.. I think."
"OK. Your dad and Pokey are gone. No idea where they are. Your mom would probably rather get that out of her memory. Buzz Buzz is long dead," I said, recounting what we knew and supposed.
"That leaves Ness," Picky said.
"But he's still at school..."
"What for?"
"Summer baseball tryouts."
"Why there?" Picky inquired.
"I don't know." "Why don't we meet him there, and ask him about Your Sanctuaries?"
"Good idea." And we walked to Onett Senior High.

"No one under 13 is permitted to attend the tryouts," the guard said.
"But couldn't you make just this one exception? My brother is out there, and I want to cheer for him."
"The Onett Sports Organisation has strict rules: no persons under or above the age limit, other than Organisation members, are permitted to view the tryouts. If you wish, you may return at the conclusion of the tryouts in two hours."
I looked at Picky. His eyes glimmered.
"We're really 17. We're just very small for our age."
The guard eyed us. "No. You're lying."
He showed us the Onett Senior High yearbook for this year. "If you really were 17, you'd be in here."
He gratefully escorted us home, then told my Mom to watch us.

"Tracy? Picky? What are you doing, getting guards to escort you home?" Mom asked.
"Well..." I began.
"We needed to talk to Ness about his journey a year ago, but he won't be out for another two hours," Picky finished.
"Why not call Ness?"
Picky and I looked at each other. I assume I looked as stupefied as Picky was.
I picked up the receiver to our phone. Quickly dialing the number of Ness' Receiver phone, I listened to the connection try to make its way through.
A few minutes later, Ness picked up.
"Hello, this is Ness." "Ness!" I cried.
"T, Tracy?" he asked, seemingly abashed. "What are you calling me for?"
"I need to know the locations of Your Sanctuaries."
"Your Sanctuaries?" A slight delay... "I'll change, and be right home!"
The connection broken, I hung up.
I got some fruit juice out of the fridge, and handed one to Picky. "Ness tends to take his time. We should relax."

Sure enough... two hours later...
"Ness... where have you been?" I demanded angrily.
"Finishing up baseball tryouts. I made the team: I'm cleanup, and shortstop. Our first game is against the Fourside Enrichs, in two days."
I knew it. He took his time getting changed, already. He stayed until the team was announced, then changed, I thought poisonously.
"You needed to know about the Your Sanctuaries, right?" Ness asked.
"Yes," Picky said.
"You may want to write down these places."
"Picky?" I asked.
Picky brought out a small notepad. I tossed him a pencil.
"First Your Sanctuary, Giant Step, Onett. Second, Lilliput Steps, Happy Happy Village. Third, Milky Well, Saturn Valley. Fourth, Rainy Circle, Winters. The fifth is Magnet Hill in Fourside. The next three, as well as Rainy Circle, are hard to get to, so I suggest tackling the first three first, then contacting me when you're ready to go to Rainy Circle.
"The sixth is the Pink Cloud. It's found in Dalaam. The next two go hand in hand. Lumine Hall, just outside the Tenda Village, and Fire Springs, found in a cave in the most distant parts of the Lost Underworld. But once you get Lumine Hall, unless you know PSI Teleport, you're trapped in the Lost Underworld.
"Take my ATM card. There's about $29848 in my account. My number is *whisper*.
"Also, beware of enemies in the dungeons leading to the Sanctuaries. If you're weak, they can beat you with a single attack. So buy weapons and defensive items in the drugstore. Tracy, I understand you already have a Frypan? That should do for some time, but if ever you find a stronger item, buy that."
"Thanks, Ness!" Picky cried, running out the door to the library, to find the location of Giant Step.
I soon followed behind.