Evil had a trump card in controlling humans and animals...

The Mani Mani Statue...

During the war, when it called... You came if you wished...

Now when it calls.. you come... dead or alive....

Earthbound 1.5: The Eve of Mani Mani

Fourside

Many demons ran across the street that night from the super markets and drug stores. Young children happily skipping home in their costumes. For Fourside this was a mischievous time for children and happy celebration of their parents. But this year, the year of the calm after the storm of Giygas, the Mani Mani was still a threat to the people of earth. For you see, Giygas evil could not have merely disappeared. No, another had to take it.

12:00 A.M. The time when light and darkness change. In the museum of Fourside a display case holds a most recent piece. Many shards of gold sit there with a sign speaking to all those walking by, "Gold pieces from ancient times. Donated by Mr. Montoli." Within the graves of the cemetery bodies of loved ones rest. Now bodies of foes stir.

Onett, the next day.

Ness lay back on his bed, watching the yearly town decorations put up all around Onett as the sun begins to go down. He began to think to himself, "Man... been about a year since Giygas was defeated... hard to believe its been that long or we actually did that." He begins to think of those times, laying back onto his bed. It seemed like his mind was drifting for hours before he heard his mother's voice calling him. "Ness, you have a phone call from Paula!" "All right mom, I've got it up here!" Ness howlers back downstairs as he picks up the phone on his night stand. "Ellohey?" He says into the receiver, a grin coming upon his face. "Ness, I, I don't have much time! The zombies from Threed! They're back! I better go, I need to defend the school!" She answers hurriedly, quickly hanging up. "What the-?" Ness wonders as he races down stairs and gives a quick good bye to his mother. As soon as his feet reach the door mat outside his house he performs a PSI Teleport Alpha and is on his way.

Twoson, in front of the Polestar Preschool.

Ness lands upon the street pavement with a thud, the street light over head the only source of light in the late twilight. The only sound are the autumn leaves rustling in the wind. The streets are deserted of any living soul. Ness heads up to the door of the preschool as he tries to open the door to the now darkened building. "Dark but unlocked?" Ness wonders to himself as he heads inside. No one seems to be there except a light in the corner upon the teacher's desk. There under the desk lamp is Paula slumped over as if napping. Ness quickly heads over to her and tires to shake her awake. "Paula? Paula!?" Ness pleads as he feels her neck for a pulse. "No pulse?! What the heck is going on here?!" He exclaims, looking around. Suddenly a low but deep voice comes from the corpse. "JUsT YoUR NiGHTmaRE..." It says, its voice cracking. The body of Paula then arises as he eyes are missing of pupils. It reaches out for him with a now pale hand, slow at first but then violently grabs at the air. Ness backs away, stumbling over a small chair. "My gosh, what's going on here!?" He nearly screams as he dashes for the door and quickly heads outside. As he runs into the street he can see the citizens of Twoson coming from the alleys and streets, all dragging their limbs as they head for Ness. His own face goes pale as he quickly PSI teleports for Onett. As he ends up near the arcade a shark comes out and begins to walk towards him in the same fashion as the Twoson citizens. With him seems to come with a wave of other sharks as Ness begins to run up the street, in too much of a panic to be able to focus his PSI. "What the heck is going on!?" He screams as he runs up the street, zombies pouring out of the alleys, all coming for him in the same monotonous fashion. He heads up the hill, stumbling and tripping as he goes, taking in air like a child eating an ice cream cone. He comes up to his home as he dashes in, the light still on. "Mom, Tracey..?" He calls out as his mother enters the room from the stairs, "YeS, DeAR..?" She asks in the same cracked voice Paula had. Ness turns to run to only slam into his pupil less sister. She makes a grab for him, taking hold of his arm. Ness quickly rips away as he leaps through the window, shattering the glass and wood. As he lands outside he takes a moment to focus and teleport to Threed where he encounters the same deserted streets. "No, not again! Not like this!" He yells as he makes a run for the graveyard in time to see bodies clinging to the soil, rising from their coffins imbedded within the earth, like seeds of death planted in the world's garden. Ness turns to run the other direction but to see a man with glasses and an odd mustache holding a sign with the word hint on it. "HERre's a FREe HinT....DIe!" The forming hint salesman says, trying to glomp onto Ness who now runs down an alley, teleporting as he runs and knocks over trash cans. He steps down in front of Dr. Andout's lab in winters to see Jeff in front shooting at many former Snowwood Students with his Gaia Beam. Ness breathes a sigh of relief to see his good friend still alive. He immediately enters the battle with revived courage, causing the rest of the zombies to go up in flames with his PSI. "Good to see you Jeff!" Ness exclaims, running to his chum's side. "Same here Ness... do you have any idea what's going on?" Jeff inquires as he heads into the vacant lab. "No, I was hoping you would," Ness replies, following him. "Welp, all I know is that my Dad went out on an errand to the shop near Snowwood to pick up some yogurt as I tried to get the Sky Runner up and going and the next thing I knew I had to destroy his advancing corps," Jeff explains to Ness as he closes a panel on the Sky Runner v.3.0. "I know... I got a call from Paula and when I found her she was the same way. When I tried heading home both my mom and sister were in the same status. Whatevers going on, its going fast." Ness says while sitting down on one of the stools in the lab. "Welp, do you think Poo knows anything?" Ness then asks in hopes of some answers. "For all we know he's a zombie as well." Jeff replies, recharging his Gaia beam in one of the many machines around the lab. "Welp we might as well give it a go." Ness says as he heads into the Sky Runner. "Hey, I don't know if it works Ness!" Jeff exclaims as he heads in after but it is too late for the Sky Runner takes off just as he enters. "Well we'll test it and save time," Ness happily replies, relieved of his teleporting. As they head for Dalaam they make drop near Summers to see if it is within the same type of empty streets. As they pass by the empty town they hear a thunk but dismiss it. "Wait, was that the Sky Runner?!" Ness exclaims to Jeff. "No.... just a body...," Jeff says queasily while looking out the window.

Dalaam, 11:00 PM

As the Sky Runner Lands in front of the palace Ness and Jeff hurry inside, taking no notice to the town. They dash into the throne room to see they're comrade Poo meditating. "Yo, Poo, Do you know what's going on?" An exhausted Ness asks the Prince of Dalaam. "I do Ness...It's simple...the Mani Mani is calling us...so simple..." Poo says, his voice seeming strained. He then stands and walks over to the two friends, his eyelids remaining shut. "You....alright?" Jeff asks the prince. "I...DO fEEL FINe!" Poo exclaims, releasing his now true voice. He leaps for Jeff, pouncing on him and sending him to the floor. Poo then leaps at Jeff, going straight for his jugular. Ness stands there in pure shock in terror, only till after blood flies everywhere does he realize what's going on. With tears goind down his face he runs outside to the Sky Runner and takes off for Fourside. "Paula...Jeff...Poo....you won't go in vane!" Ness says, falling to his knees as the Sky Runner runs on autopilot. Suddenly a shadow moves in the cockpit, a resident of Dalaam, now pale and decaying, leaps for Ness. He rolls to the side as he falls into one of the control panels causing the Sky Runner to crash into the ground below, which happens to be the outskirts of Fourside. Ness makes a mad dash for the town, destroying all obstacles with a PSI Rockin Omega. He blows out the west wall of the museum as he heads inside, facing the exhibits. He dashes through, his eyes scanning for the new exhibit he read about being donated by Montoli that was all over the news about a year ago. He soon finds it within the more recent exhibits and stares down at it. "Because of this...these rocks...I've lost so much..." Ness says, standing there with his anger clenching his fists. He smashes the glass with his fists as he uses every kind of PSI he knows to destroy the rocks. He continues to attack what is now mere dust, a crater forming around him. Ness then collapses to his knees, his eyes going up to the ceiling. He then collapses in his anguish, the world becoming a dark swirl.

Onett, October 31, 5 A.M.

Ness awakens within his bed, cold sweat going down his face. He quickly and quietly gets out of bed and heads to his sister's room and then his parent's, to make sure what he just experienced was nothing but a dream. He then heads back to his room and looks out the window, giving a heavy sigh of relief as he hops back into bed awaiting the Halloween day.

Fin-