EarthBound: Time of Shadows

Fanfic by

Malachyte

Chapter 1: Pokey's Return

Not a star was visible in the sky above the city of Fourside. Even the moon was obscured

by the dark clouds that lingered above. The warm wind that blew across the town somehow chilled the few people still on the streets. Atop the skyscraper known as the Montoli Building, a familiar group could be seen. Four young kids, only in their early teens. Though almost everybody knew who they were, nobody knew why they were there.

Light illuminated the face of one boy, reflected from some of the buildings below by the ornate sword he held in his hands. There was a look of intense focus in his eyes as he stared into the sky; stern acceptance on his face as if he knew what was to come. This was Poo, crown prince and ruler of the remote heights of the kingdom of Dalaam. He, like the others by him, was known to the world because he had helped defeat the futuristic evil force known as Giygas.

To his right was another one young boy, unique even among this group due to his inability to use the mysterious power known as PSI. However, this was easily offset by his skill with technology and the arsenal of homemade weapons at his disposal. As he shifted his glasses, Jeff Andonuts wondered briefly why he was one of the chosen ones who had fought Giygas. But he pushed those thought from his mind as he rechecked the dim power gauge on his Gaia Beam.

At the right end of the small group was the only girl among them. She held a golden and slightly dented frying pan in her hand and wore a shimmering ribbon in her blonde hair. She sighed as her gaze shifted from the black sky above to the darkened town below, wondering what would happen to the people this time. She jumped slightly as a car alarm began to go off on a nearby street. Even after facing the horror that was Giygas, there was something unnerving about this night. When the boy to her right said, “Don’t worry, Paula…” the voice seemed to come from another world.

“Pokey’s not running this time. You have the Warp Jammer, right Jeff?” The boy who spoke slid his red baseball cap back slightly as he turned to Jeff for his answer. As Jeff nodded, the boy tightened his grip on the baseball bat he held. The name Ness could be seen engraved in the side of the bat. “Good… I don’t know what Pokey thought he could accomplish with that threat… but he won’t escape this time.”

As Ness finished speaking, an odd machine fell through the clouds. It hovered inches above the rooftop, then set itself down perfectly on its four legs. Through the glass cockpit, the boy known as Pokey could be seen. “So, Ness, you actually had the guts to show up?” Ness met Pokey’s eyes. “I’m glad,” Pokey continued. “I thought you might be too scared to come, since you know you can’t beat me.”

“You’re delusional, Pokey,” Jeff said. Ness merely sighed, and Paula and Poo shifted slightly, ready to attack. Jeff continued, “This time, you can’t hide behind Giygas.” He pulled out a flat metal disc and pressed a button on it, then tossed it behind him. “And you can’t run, either.” The Warp Jammer sparked slightly, then began to hum as it emitted an odd energy field. Pokey merely laughed.

“Run? I’m not going to run. Once I take your PSI power for myself, you’ll be helpless!” Pokey pressed a button on his machine, and an odd blue beam shot out, striking Ness. He felt no pain, and started to move towards Pokey. Before he could reach his foe, however, he collapsed, unconscious. Pokey turned to Poo and fired the beam again, and then again at Paula after Poo fell. Jeff tried to wake Ness, but to no avail, as Pokey turned towards him. “You see? You can’t stop me. Especially not with that little gadget of yours.” The cockpit of Pokey’s machine slid open, and he pointed at the Warp Jammer. A bolt of lightning shot from his finger and the box exploded in a shower of sparks.

“I can’t beat him…” Jeff tried to fight the fear that was filling him as Pokey laughed. “I don’t have PSI power… and he does… I can’t beat him alone. But… If I don’t fight…” Jeff never even noticed when the blue beam hit him. Not until Pokey spoke again did he again realize where he was.

“Hmph. You never even had PSI powers? Well… I guess that just saves me some trouble. And since there’s no need for me to stick around…” Pokey closed his cockpit, firing a white ray at Jeff. As Jeff collapsed, he could see Pokey flying into the sky above Fourside and disappearing through the clouds…