Troublesome Force: Chapter Seven

Troublesome Force: Chapter Seven Troublesome Force: Chapter Seven

Place: Onett, Nintendo City
In the northern suburbs, the Lee family was hiding in fear. The Starmen had attacked again, and this time were invading the houses.
"King!" Tracy called out. "Hurry!"
(I'm coming!) King barked. However, it came out as "Woof!"
King barely made it inside before a Starman's beam destroyed the eaves of their house.
"Good dog!" Tracy rubbed King's head, who barked in happiness. "I just hope Ness is doing all right..."

"Is anyone in there?" Ness cried, his plea echoing throughout the fire raging in southeastern Onett.
"This reminds me of Arima. The bandits vandalised it, leaving it in ruins," Amy commented.
"It's sad we have no water-element abilities," Ness muttered. "Paula or Poo could help us."
Suddenly wondering why he had gone to Onett, but not to Dalaam, Ness was suddenly shocked by a psychic message.
Ness! This is Paula! Gaira's already crashed into Dalaam! Don't come! I can handle it by myself!
"Paula?" Ness whispered. "Why? What happened?" But no reply came.
"Ness?" Myau asked. "Did something happen to you?"
"No, Myau," replied Ness. "It's just my PSI might be on the fritz...or someone's trying to lead me along the path they have devised for me."
"And that gives you cause for shaking, especially since a fire rages around us?"
"No, not really," Ness lied horribly.
"Guys, we're in trouble," Amy explained. "The flames have totally surround*cough*ed us."
"Agh! Thank goodness Ninten's not here!" Ness thought back to when he visited Ninten's hometown of Podunk, and Ninten had an asthma attack from nothing more than a thoughtless bonfire a short walk away, in Merrysville.

Place: Shrine of Ramma, Nintendo City
"It's amazing," Poo said. "The legendary Shrine of Ramma exists."
"Poo. Tell me about the Shrine now. What do you know of it?"
"It is a sanctuary, a sanctuary for when a great evil befalls our country. The Shrine holds the most powerful weapons and itemry, and they can only be taken by a Crown Prince, and his destined queen."
"Queen?" Jeff asked. "You're not engaged to anyone, are you?"
"I wish he was," Ani muttered.
"Shall we delve into the secrets of the Shrine of Ramma," Poo offered, "or would you wish to debate on other topics?"
"We have no other external reasons with which to dawdle, hence I concur with your suggestion that we continue," Jeff answered wordily.
"What did you just say?" Ani demanded.
"I said," Jeff said, trying to remain calm, "'There's no reason not to,' pretty much."
And as such, Jeff Andonuts, the Dalaamian Crown Prince Poo, and Ani traveled into the darkness that is, or possibly was, the Shrine of Ramma.

Place: Cave of the Pink Cloud, Nintendo City
"Can you see the exit, Ana?" Paula asked. Ana and Ecoli had become fatigued following the heated battle with the Tangoos, and the exit lay just ahead, a thin slit in the cave wall. Paula estimated the time at about an hour.
"Yes...but we're tired, and hungry, and Ana's feet hurt," Ecoli said. He'd remained silent for some time, and now chose this time to speak.

In a matter of 10 minutes, they were all totally fatigued, and settled into a deep sleep in a dark nook. The five did not hear the footsteps of the possessed Dalaamians coming up to capture them, save for Pika, who thought it but a dream.

"Siruv will be pleased! The ones who destroyed Neifirst will soon be destroyed themselves!" exclaimed a Dalaamian female.
"But what would happen should our former prince return?" A Dalaamian cried, worried.
"We will destroy him too." Poo's master grinned evilly.

Place: Onett, Nintendo City
(...Ness?) King arfed.
"What's that, King?" Tracy asked, still quivering under the table.
(I think...Ness is around here...) Mrs. Lee didn't understand, but Tracy slowly was beginning to comprehend King's cries.
"Ness? He's here? In Onett?"
"Tracy, dear," her mother asked, "are you talking to yourself?"
"No, mom, I'm talking to King."
"Tracy! I'm going to have to take you to the doctor's once all this is over."
"Mom!"
"Just kidding. I'm sure whatever King is 'telling' you, it's something to be believed."
Just then, King bolted out the door.
"King!" Tracy cried, and ran after him.
"Sometimes I wonder about my kids...not to mention my husband...the last time he came home was for Ness' birthday. He never celebrates anything with us."

Place: Shrine of Ramma, Dalaam, Nintendo City
"Ramman..." Poo was in awe.
"Ramen?" Jeff asked. "But I'm not hungry."
"Not ramen, idiot," Ani whined. "Ramman. The ancient language of Dalaam."
"What does it say?" Jeff then muttered, his cheeks turning a very bright shade of red.
"My Ramman's a little rusty," Poo said, "but I'll give it my best try."
Poo ran his fingers across the script. "Left to right, bottom to top..."
As if on command, the letters began to glow.
Ani jumped back, amazed.
Poo began to read.

In times of near-eternal strife
From which the will of evil takes our life
Summon forth the Prince, increase his power greatly
And the Queen-to-be, outcasts lately
With them, an ally from distant parts
One who has no lack of smarts
Yield the weapons found within
Restore Balance to Cartame again.

"You're the Prince, Prince Poo!" Ani cried, hugging her crush.
"But who may the wife to be be?" Poo queried, gently pushing Ani away.
"I have a very good idea..." Jeff turned to look at Ani.
"You've got to be kidding." Poo's eyes took on a pleading quality. As if to say, 'No, not her!'
Ani turned around.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Well, Ani, it happens that you just may be the *mrrph*..." Jeff began.
"The mrrph?"
"No, no, nothing at all!" Poo said hastily. "Jeff's just joking around." He tentatively took his hand from over Jeff's mouth.
"...queen-to-be in the prophecy!" Jeff spat out.
Poo paled. Ani's eyes widened, and she SHRIEKED. She jumped onto Poo, and he went crashing into the dust.
"Jeff, you idiot!"

Place: Onett, Nintendo City
"Ness!" Tracy cried, King tagging at her heels. "Where are you?"
She ran, the fire raging around her. But she knew Ness was there. Somewhere.

Ness rubbed his head. "I feel someone's calling my name... but I don't know who..."
He closed his eyes. Images of that happening now flashed by. But they were dull, non-descriptive. Two shadows, running in the flames. Three figures walking into darkness. Four bodies, yet five minds, nearing death.
Ness focused further on the shadows in the flames. He forced the deepest part of his brain to bring detail to the image. He knew he was expending too much energy, but he had to figure out who they were.
But it remained with little detail.
Why doesn't it work? Ness asked himself.
The inner reaches of his mind seemed to tell him...
<Sight acutely reflects detail>
What?! Ness demanded of himself.
<The terror rim must be left from right unfinished....>
Stop riddling me! Ness exclaimed.
<Left from right. Terror rim. Sight reflects detail.>
"Amy... Myau?" Ness asked.
"What?" Myau replied.
"Do you know what 'The terror rim must be left from right unfinished' means?"
"Why do you ask?" Amy asked.
"I was seeing images. One involved shadows running in a fire. Like this one. I tried focusing to get detail, but nothing happened. Then the inner reaches of my mind called out to me. It said 'Sight acutely reflects detail' and 'The terror rim must be left from right unfinished....'. Nothing makes sense."
"Sight acutely reflecting detail?" Myau queried. "That makes sense. The more open your eyes, the better your sight."
"But acutely reflecting eyes?" Amy countered. "Looking at something with one eye closed, but the other open, is often just as effective as looking at something with both eyes open."
"Hold on! Maybe left from right refers to the order we solve the clues in!" Ness exclaimed.
"W, what? You mean, the terror rim clue first?"
"But how do you get something legible out of 'the terror rim'?"
"If we look at the clue logically, we have to leave the terror rim from right, unfinished."
"But how can the terror rim be left unfinished? Do we have to make a terror rim, but not finish it?"
"No... it has to be from right, unfinished."
"Right, unfinished. That's puzzling me. From right, unfinished."
Amy picked up a stick. Going to the nearest organic writing surface (including mud and or sand), she quickly wrote out:

THE TERROR RIM

"We may be better off seeing it, instead of thinking it," Amy commented.
"From right, unfinished..." Myau walked around the the writing, first counterclockwise, but he could discern no sensible quote. Of course, he could read 'the terror rim', but that made no sense. Then he walked clockwise. As he began a third rotation, he stopped in his tracks.
Ness' eyes darted from right to left.
"I have it!" he cried.
He squatted down, and drew a line:

THE TERROR RIM

"Mirror!"