Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight

Part 15:  Troisemburg

It was still raining when they finally reached Troisemburg, and it didn't show any signs of stopping.
The group had walked for hours upon hours after exiting the abandoned tunnel, and it was now night outside. Because of the black clouds, the only indication that it was night was that it was even darker than before, pitch black. Zain and Guy had to use their flashlights just for them to be able to see.
Now that they had finally reached the town, the area was dimly lit by streetlights, and they were finally able to turn off their flashlights. Zain looked around, his aviator goggles keeping the heavy rain out of his eyes.
They were in the westernmost outskirts of Troisemburg, the outer suburbs. There was nothing here but houses, residential developments, and a few small stores. No one was out tonight; Zain didn't even see any cars out on the road.
Guy looked up at the sky, raindrops pelting his glasses. "This city is vastly different than the way I recall it," he remarked. "It is not only the rain; the town seems to have a different FEEL to it, if that makes sense."
"It makes sense, Guy," Sasha agreed. "I was only here for about a night and a morning, but the little I saw of Troisemburg didn't seem this... gloomy, several days ago."
Karen started impatiently; the weather had caused her mood to decline sharply. "Let's just get out of this rain before one of us catches pneumonia or something."
No one could argue with that.

After a short distance of walking, the four of them reached a corner gas station. They quickly got in underneath the large overhang, grateful to have the bright lights shining down on them. "This is the best light I've seen since we left that old tunnel," Zain commented as he took off his goggles and put them around his forehead again.
"That's for sure," Sasha agreed as she wrung the water out of her long hair; the effort made it unkempt and disheveled.
Guy produced a small cleaning cloth from somewhere inside his clothing, and attempted to wipe his glasses off; since the cloth was damp like everything else on him, he wasn't very successful.
There were a few cars at the gas station, which was a stark contrast to the empty roads. The customers who owned them stared at the four soaked newcomers.
"I'm hungry," said Karen. "What about you three?"
"I'm hungry too," Sasha answered.
"I am positively famished," Guy responded.
"Yeah, whatever he said," Zain agreed. "Since we're all hungry, Karen and I will go inside the convenience store and see if we can get some hot dogs or something."
"That sounds good to me," said Karen.
Sasha dug some money out of her pocket and held it out to Zain. "Here, I saved this for food," she said.
"That's okay, I have enough," said Zain. "Let's save that for later, when we buy food for the road."
Sasha nodded. "Okay."
Karen looked at Guy and Sasha. "Do either of you have any topping preferences for your hot dog?"
"Just catsup and mustard on mine," replied Sasha.
Karen stared at her. "You mean ketchup?"
"Yes, catsup," said Sasha. Then she realized what Karen meant. "Oh... Do people call it ketchup in Hawkland?"
Zain nodded, smiling. "They sure do."
Sasha blushed slightly and looked down. "I'll have mine with... ketchup... and mustard, then," she said falteringly.
Karen looked at Guy. "What about you, Guy?"
Guy looked up at them. "I wish my hot dog to have everything," he answered.
"Okay then," said Karen. "Let's go in, Zain."
Zain and Karen entered the convenience store, leaving Sasha and Guy to wait for them outside.

While they waited, Sasha sat down on the curb. "...I'm glad we made it here, Guy," she said. "Maybe now we can find my dad."
"Hopefully, we will be able to do so," said Guy. "Perhaps Mr. Maybee may be able to explain this odd weather to us. I do not know if you feel the same, but to me, this weather seems... unnatural."
"It certainly doesn't seem natural," Sasha agreed. "Any way you look, there's nothing but these black clouds in the sky, as far as you can see. They've been around since we came out of that old tunnel, and it doesn't look like they're going away at all." She looked at Guy. "Do you think there will be a flood, Guy?"
"I do not believe so," Guy answered. "The city of Troisemburg is situated on a higher elevation. The rainwater will flow south, into the southern forest; it is likely that the forest will be flooded."
"Oh," said Sasha. She changed the subject. "Are you happy to be back in this town, Guy?"
"Not particularly," Guy replied. "The Orange Enterprises base is located here."
"But isn't that where you live?"
"Maybe so," said Guy, "but it is not where I WANT to live."
Sasha took this in. "Where do you want to live, then?"
Guy paused for a moment, thinking. "...Winters."
"Winters?" she repeated. "But there's nothing there."
"There is something there," Guy corrected. "Or rather... someone."
Sasha was intrigued, but before she could inquire further, Zain and Karen came back out with four hot dogs.

The hot dogs disappeared rather quickly, since the four of them were very hungry.
After wiping her mouth with a napkin, Sasha noticed that Zain was carrying a plastic bag. "What's in that bag, Zain?" she asked.
"Well," Zain replied, "Karen and I decided that as long as it's going to keep raining like this, we might as well get some umbrellas." He took two travel-size expanding umbrellas out of the bag, and handed one to Sasha and one to Karen. "Since Guy and I have the flashlights, you two will get these."
Karen nodded in agreement. "That's fair enough."
Zain nodded back, and then he turned to Sasha and smiled. "I also bought this. A gift for you."
He handed Sasha a hairbrush. Upon seeing it, Sasha smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Zain..." she said gratefully. "That's really thoughtful of you." She took it out of the package and started to brush out her hair, which the rain had not helped.
Karen looked off in the distance. "So, what's our next destination?" she asked.
"We have to find my dad," Sasha answered. "I haven't been able to reach him on the phone; he needs to know that I'm okay."
"I agree," said Guy. "Mr. Maybee might be able to help us. We should locate his hotel and find him."
"Okay," Zain concurred. "We need all the help we can get."
After opening the umbrellas, the group left the gas station and ventured out into the rain once again.

They walked onward for about another hour, with Zain and Sasha under one umbrella and Guy and Karen under the other. Soon enough, the four of them reached the downtown area of Troisemburg.
Here, there were actually cars on the roads, albeit very few. One car drove too close to the sidewalk where the group was standing and sprayed water all over them.
Karen sighed, water dripping from her clothes. "That's just great," she said sarcastically, staring angrily after the car.
"Don't get so angry about it," said Zain. "We're already soaked anyway."
Guy checked his Equalizer gun. "I hope that my weapons have not been damaged by all of this water," he said. "If they have been, then I will be unarmed."
Suddenly Sasha saw something, a building not far from their location. She pointed. "There it is!" she cried. "That's Dad's hotel!"
Zain grinned. "We finally made it," he said, his spirits lifting. "Let's go there and see if we can find him."
With sighs of relief, the group headed quickly for the hotel, glad that their long walk was finally over.

In the hotel lobby, Zain looked at the clock on the wall, which read 12:40 AM. Have we really been walking that long? he thought, incredulous.
Sasha spoke to the man behind the desk. "Is there a Mr. Samuel Maybee at this hotel?" she asked.
The man checked a computer for a moment, and then he turned back to Sasha and nodded. "Yes, there is."
Sasha sighed in relief. "Could you please call his room and tell him that his daughter is in the lobby?"
"Of course, miss. Give me one moment."
The man picked up a phone receiver and dialed the number. He then waited for several moments, and then hung up, looking at Sasha with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, miss," he said. "There's no response. He must not be in yet."
Upon hearing this, Sasha hung her head dejectedly. "Okay... Thank you, sir." She turned back to the group.
Zain looked at her, opening his mouth to try and cheer her up. The look of severe disappointment on her face made him stop. She looked up and met his gaze, and Zain knew that some of the water on her face was not rain. "He's... He's not here..." she said, sounding small and alone.
Impulsively Zain stepped up and hugged her. "Don't worry," he told her. "He's still living at this hotel, so he has to come back sooner or later. We'll find him, don't worry."
Sasha lifted her head and looked at him, her sky-blue eyes filled with tears. "Zain..."
"We'll find him," Zain repeated.
Guy and Karen stepped away from them and sat down in some chairs, making the chairs damp in the process. "I believe that we can help her feel better if we simply leave them alone for now," Guy observed.
"No kidding," Karen agreed. Looking at them reminded her of Neil, and she closed her eyes sadly.
Taking off his glasses, Guy once again attempted to clean them with the damp cloth. "We are all friends, the four of us," he remarked, "but their friendship seems slightly different."
Karen looked at him. "She completely trusts him."
Before she could say more, the hotel doors opened up and a man entered the lobby from outside. Guy turned to see who it was, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Mr. Maybee!"
Upon hearing the name, everyone turned to see him. Zain and Karen saw Sasha's father for the first time. He was a middle-aged man with brown hair and sky-blue eyes, and he wore a black trenchcoat with a high collar. It's easy to see the family resemblance, Zain thought.
When she saw him, Sasha ran to him and threw her arms around him. "Dad!"
Samuel Maybee returned the embrace, surprised. "Sasha?" he said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
He looked at the other three. "Guy? Why are you here...? And who are these other two?"
Letting go of him, Sasha looked over at Karen. "That's Karen," she introduced. "She's my friend." And then her gaze settled on Zain. "And that's Zain Maximillian." She smiled warmly as she said his name. "He's the boy from my dream."
Her father's jaw dropped in shock, and it was a while before they could get anything out of him.

"So," said Samuel, in his hotel room, after the group had finished explaining everything, "you met the one from your dream, along with Guy and... Karen, was it?"
Sasha nodded. "It's just like you said, Dad," she told him. "He's my salvation." Zain looked away, embarrassed.
Her father turned to Zain and smiled warmly. "Thank you, young man. Thank you for protecting my daughter. I truly appreciate what you've done."
Zain's face reddened a bit, and he meekly met the older man's eyes, which were so exactly like his daughter's. "I, um..."
Samuel turned to Guy and Karen. "And thank you also, Guy. You did exactly what I asked you to, and kept Sasha safe."
"I had made a promise to you, Mr. Maybee," Guy replied, having finally managed to clean off his glasses. "I only regret that I was not able to do much for her."
"Nonsense," said Samuel. "I'm sure you did more than you think. You are an honorable young man, Guy... You and Zain both."
Then he turned to Karen. "And thank you too, Karen. You helped keep Sasha safe."
Karen blushed and looked away from him. "I... I didn't really do anything," she said softly.
Looking at her father, Sasha finally asked the question she had been wondering about for so long. "Dad... I tried to call you so many times! Why couldn't I reach you?"
Samuel looked down sheepishly. "...I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I... haven't been around the hotel room lately; Mr. Orangere ordered me to go out and attempt to solve the mystery behind this strange weather we've been having."
At Sasha's puzzled expression, he continued. "You've always been asking me what my job in Orange Enterprises is, Sasha. Maybe it's time I finally told you."
Upon hearing this, Guy leaned forward, interested; he had always wondered about this as well. Zain and Karen also paid close attention, sensing that this was important.
After making sure that they were listening, Samuel began. "14 years ago, a strange event happened in Twoson, Eagleland... Orangeman Orangere's home town. Two people were killed, a husband and wife. Although no evidence was ever found as to the identity of the killers, a few witnesses claimed that strange alien robots had done it... And at the scene of the murder, it looked as if a large battle had been fought."
He cleared his throat. "Naturally, the tabloids ate it up. They went on about it for months. Most people dismissed it as nonsense, but Orangeman Orangere knew better. He remembered the war against Giygas, and he knew that an alien attack was indeed possible, even though Giygas had been defeated. He started to become afraid that another attack would occur and jeopardize the corporation."
"That is exactly like him," Guy remarked coldly. "Never caring about anything or anyone but himself."
Samuel nodded, and continued. "Orangere decided to hire someone to look into paranormal activities that occurred near the bases of the corporation. To deal with the paranormal, the person Orangere hired had to be somewhat versed in the paranormal himself."
Karen spoke up. "So in other words, the person he hired had to have PSI."
"Right," Samuel agreed with a slight smile. "He searched around, and eventually, he hired ME."
Sasha gasped. "So that means you're the--"
"My job title is Inspector of Supernatural/Paranormal Activities," said her father. "Orangere hired me 13 years ago. To sum it up, I'm a corporate secret agent who investigates paranormal activities and anomalies. None of the Orange Enterprises workers are allowed to know what I do, and I have almost unlimited access to corporate funds for carrying out my duties. I also have heavy influence, and I'm allowed to use it almost however I want, as you've seen, Sasha."
Sasha nodded, realizing that that was how her father had managed to take her out of school and bring her to Hawkland. "So why have you been HERE so long, Dad?" she asked.
Her father grinned. "Why do you think I've been here so long?"
Zain figured it out. "The Madness. That seems pretty paranormal to me."
"Exactly," replied Samuel. "The first outbreaks of the Madness occurred in Hawkland, a few months ago. As soon as Orangere heard about it, he sent me over here to investigate. I haven't figured it out yet, which is why I'm still here. But it seems that you have it pretty well figured out, if the Madness really IS caused by the influence of some 'new evil' like Giygas; now we just have to figure out how to stop it."
"There is only one way to stop it," said Guy solemnly. "We must defeat the one called Giaguo... The one whom Mister P was working for. It is up to us to do this."
Samuel nodded. "Yes, the Chosen Eight you were telling me about. Are you really sure that my daughter is one of those eight?"
"She is," said Zain. "The first Sanctuary was for her." Sasha nodded in agreement.
Her father sighed. "I guess there's nothing that can be done about that, then. It's just a father's worry, that's all. But you're the boy from her dream; I'm sure that nothing will happen to her as long as she's with you."
Zain looked uncomfortable in the face of such trust.
Sasha had another question for her father. "Dad," she said, "before I found you again, I've been having these feelings... I have them whenever something terrible is about to happen, almost as if I know what's coming. Zain thinks that maybe my Premonition is still working, somehow. Is that possible?"
Samuel thought for a moment. "It could be," he said.
"But I don't understand," said Sasha, confused. "I thought my Premonition was sealed."
"That doesn't mean it's been sealed all the way," Samuel replied. "I don't know for sure. I was only taught how to perform the pseal, not how it works."
"Oh," said Sasha. She sat and thought, wondering if she would ever know.
Finally, Samuel Maybee looked at all four of them: his daughter, and the three friends she had made. "So, what are you planning to do now?" he asked.
"We need to find the other Sanctuaries," Zain answered without hesitation.
Samuel looked at him. "I may be able to help with that."
"You can?" said Karen.
"There is a place north of Troisemburg, somewhere out in the forest," Samuel told them. "Not very many people know about it, but the ones that do know call it the 'Tranquil Zone,' and an old man once referred to it as a 'sanctuary' against evil."
"A Sanctuary!" Zain repeated, brightening up.
"Do you know its location?" Guy inquired.
"Yes," Sasha's father replied. "I've been there myself."
"What?" Sasha exclaimed, surprised.
"Well, it IS my job to investigate supernatural phenomena, and this place was definitely supernatural. In fact, I was never able to figure out how it was caused."
"What's this Tranquil Zone like?" asked Karen. "Guy and I have never seen one of these Sanctuaries."
Samuel thought back. "...When I went there, I felt a great calm," he said. "It was almost like there wasn't anything wrong in the world, and everything was totally at peace. I could see why they called it the Tranquil Zone; because it was absolutely calm there. Except for one thing..."
"What's that?" asked Zain."
"I felt a disturbing feeling in the back of my mind that I wasn't supposed to be there. It was almost like something was saying, 'You do not belong here. This is not your place.' I guess that's a little weird."
"Not really," Zain countered. "If the Tranquil Zone really IS a Sanctuary, then there's only one person that it's meant for. Each Sanctuary is meant for one member of the Chosen Eight."
Samuel blinked. "That WOULD explain it."
Zain turned to his friends. "Lumina Pillar was for Sasha, so she's already found her Sanctuary. That means that if the Tranquil Zone is a Sanctuary, then it could be meant for Guy, Karen, or myself."
"But there are still four members of the Chosen Eight that we have yet to find," Guy reminded him. "What if the Tranquil Zone is meant for one of those other four? If that is the case, then the Sanctuary would not react to any of us."
Zain sighed. "There IS that..."
Noticing Zain's indecision, Karen stood up. "Well, I think we should go there," she said with conviction. "We can sit around all night and play these 'what-if' scenarios, Guy, but the longer we sit around, the longer Neil is in THEIR hands. I can't accept that."
Guy stood up as well. "You are right, Karen," he said. "I apologize for my hesitation."
Zain stood up also. "I'm sorry too, Karen. You're absolutely right. This isn't just for us; it's for Neil, too, and the rest of the world. We can't hesitate just because we're uncertain."
Sasha's father raised his hand. "Hold it," he said. "Haven't you checked the time recently?"
Zain looked at the digital clock, which displayed 1:54 AM in large red numbers, and suddenly felt very stupid. "...Oh."
"It's too late for the four of you to go off into the wilderness. Besides, you walked all the way here from Duplora. You four need a good night's rest before you go anywhere else."
Sasha yawned sleepily. "...You're right, Dad. We HAVE been walking all day."
Zain didn't feel very tired now that they had possibly found another Sanctuary, but he saw the wisdom in Samuel's words. "I guess I AM a little tired, Mr. Maybee..." he said.
Samuel nodded. "How about this?" he proposed. "I'll get a separate room for each one of you in this hotel for the night, and then tomorrow I'll drive the four of you to the northern outskirts of town, in the company car."
"That sounds good," said Karen. "Not as much walking." The other three nodded in agreement.
Sasha's father smiled. "Great," he said. "I'll go downstairs right now and make the arrangements."

Kato moved away from the hotel window and climbed back onto the roof. He had overheard the entire conversation.
"So that is Zain," he said to himself. "Leader of the Chosen Eight."
For the past four nights, Kato had been staying in Troisemburg, waiting for Zain to arrive as the old master had said he would. Now, Kato's waiting had finally paid off. He knew it was his destiny to join forces with this young man and his companions.
Still, despite everything he knew, Kato felt somewhat hesitant. They are all older than I am, he thought to himself. Will they take me seriously?
They would after they saw Kato's great skill. Despite the fact that they were older, not one of those four appeared to have any training in the ways of battle. Kato had trained for battle all of his life, and he was the youngest person in history to have passed the training of Mu...
Kato stopped himself, realizing that he was making a mistake. I must not be conceited, he thought. Everything I have could be taken away from me at any moment. The training of Mu had taught him that.
Each of them must be unique and useful in their own way, Kato decided. They may not be powerful fighters, but each of them contributes something that, when joined together, creates an unstoppable force.
It was his destiny join Zain and add his own "something" to that force. Yet something held him back. He didn't know why, but some instinct told Kato to wait, that it was not the proper time yet.
Kato decided to obey the instinct. The old master, and his father Emperor Poo (he still wasn't used to thinking of Poo as his father yet), had always told him to trust his instincts, that they would never lead him astray. He would simply wait for the proper time to arrive; he would know when it finally came.
His mind made up, Kato sat down cross-legged on the roof of the hotel, ignoring the rain, and began to meditate.

Meanwhile...

Kaatz switched off his communicator, ending the link.
A Starman Elite, standing nearby, noticed his action. "Lord Kaatz," it said, "what does the master command?"
Kaatz looked at it. "The 'chosen leader' has revealed himself. Both he and Target Priority One were encountered by Mister P, in the town of Duplora."
"Truly?"
The man nodded, putting his communicator away. "According to Mister P, the chosen leader, now known as Zain, rescued Target Priority Three, and prevented Mister P from capturing her."
"I cannot expect that Mister P was able to defeat them," said the Starman Elite.
"Of course not," snapped Kaatz. "Mister P is a bumbling fool who relies too much on his overhyped gadgets, which Master Giaguo gave to him. It is now up to US to correct his mistakes."
The Starman Elite placed its armlike appendages on its waist, striking a very familiar pose. "What shall we do, Lord Kaatz? What are your orders?"
Kaatz thought for a moment, closing his mechanical right hand into a fist and resting his chin on it. "The meteor fell to earth in Primera," he mused, "so the chosen leader, Zain, must have come from Primera. Yet Mister P encountered him in Duplora. Since I cannot imagine that Zain would have remained in Duplora after Mister P showed up, I must assume that he has moved on... To Troisemburg."
He looked at the Starman Elite. "Our mission is to find Target Priority One, and capture her," he stated. "We will find her when we find the chosen leader. Tell the others to prepare to leave; we are bound for Troisemburg."
"Troisemburg?" the Starman Elite repeated. "Isn't that where Master Giaguo is experimenting with his weather control device?"
"Yes, it is," said Kaatz; he had forgotten about that. "That means we'll be going into a perpetual rainstorm, but it does not matter; our orders are to find Target Priority One and destroy the chosen leader. Tell the others to prepare to leave."
The Starman Elite saluted. "By your command, Lord Kaatz." It went off to carry out Kaatz's orders.
Left to himself, Kaatz turned and looked up at the night sky. He had seen the stars from the surface of many different worlds, but there was something about seeing it from Earth's surface that made it special.
The sight involuntarily brought back a memory. Long ago, he had stood on top of a mountain elsewhere on this planet, staring at the same night sky... Long ago, when he had had two real eyes to see it with, and he had been a very different person... Long ago, when he had been with people who loved him, and he had been happy...
Without thinking, Kaatz slowly reached his artificial right hand up to touch his face... And there was a clink as metal collided against metal.
Angrily, Kaatz wiped away the single tear that had begun to appear in his left eye. "That time is ended," he snapped to himself. "That person is dead."
"What are you talking about, Lord Kaatz?"
Kaatz turned in surprise to see a Starman Elite next to him. "Nothing," he said. "I was merely reflecting."
The Starman Elite stared at the metal half of Kaatz's face. "Lord Kaatz, your bio-cybernetic implants are non-reflective," it stated. "You are not reflecting anything."
"That is not what I meant!" Kaatz snarled. "Why aren't you preparing to leave?"
"We completed preparations approximately thirty seconds ago," said the Starman Elite. "We are awaiting your command."
Kaatz sighed; apparently he had been thinking for longer than he thought. "Very well," he said. "Let's move out."

To be continued...