The Beginning Perspective

by: EBounding

ebounding@earthbound.net

The year is 199X...

The night is clear, the sky is calm. For the moment of course.

Paula's House...

Paula was in front of a bright oracle.

"Who are you?" asked Paula guarding her eyes from the light.

"...disaster is coming...it's up to you..."

"But what can I do? I just get hounded by people because of my...powers."

"...you'll learn. Help is on it's way...Buzz Buzz...and...Ness..."

"Hmmm?" The light became extremely bright. And when Paula opened her eyes, she realized it was just a dream.

"Was...was it just a dream?" She got up from her bed. She opened up her bedroom window. She could feel that something wasn't right. The sky was clear, and the air was cool. She could hear sirens and police cars going off in the distance. Paula didn't understand what exactly was wrong. She closed the window, and uneasily went back to sleep.

Paula woke up the following morning not really caring about the dream she had last night. Paula worked with her Mom in their preschool. She was also home-schooled, and tutored, since she appeared to be some sort of "magical spectacle" in the media's eyes. Therefore, she didn't have very many friends.

Although she wasn't that bothered by the dream, she was bothered by the fact that she didn't know anyone her own age. Her parent's rarely let her out. But today, she felt that she had to get out of the house. Her mom was busy with the kids, and her dad was performing business on the phone. Now was her chance. She didn't care if the media hounded her. While her parent's backs were turned, she quietly tried to sneak out of back door, but then her dad got up and asked, "Hang on Lou- Paula! Where are you going."

Paula suddenly stopped, "Well, I uh...I'm...waiting for someone to come over."

"Oh really? That's great that you found someone to be friends with! What's her name?"

"Name? Oh, um..." she suddenly remember her dream and said, "Ness."

"Ness? A boy? Hmmm..."

"Uh, yeah..." Paula felt stupid for choosing a name like that, "Dad?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"I had a dream...that disaster was coming. And that I had to do something."

Her father smiled, "Well, I believe you'll do something for this world Paula...but stay inside for now."

"Oh...ok. I'm going to go to my room and wait."

"Did you hear the meteorite last night?" asked her father just as she was going to leave.

"Huh?"

"You slept through it? Wow! OH yeah! Anyway Lou-" her dad trailed off on the phone, and she went upstairs.

"Hmmm...maybe I can get out of here through my window. The cat does it all the time." She grabbed her purse off her dresser. She then saw her Franklin Badge. It was a memento from her father, and from his father, etc. Her grandpa always used to tell her that Ben Franklin wore it when he experimented with lightning. She always laughed, but her grandfather insisted that it was true. Just to humor him, Paula vowed to carry it around where ever she went. It was like a good luck charm to her. She pinned the badge to her dress, grabbed her purse, and opened up her bedroom window. She carefully climbed on top of the steep roof.

"W-whoa! Whew...now what?" She found the lowest point possible, took a deep breath, and jumped to the ground.

"Eyaaaa! *oof!* Whew...ok...I made it! Hmmm..." She dug through her purse, "I should have enough money to take the bus." She started walking east to the bus station. As she arrived she heard people talking about the meteorite crash in Onett...even though she didn't hear it. She got in the line of people who wanted to take the bus. The bus pulled in, and the driver walked out.

"Sorry folks, the bus is going to be out of line for a while. The main road to Threed is...um...blocked. Yeah...and that's our main line. We don't really have the authority to go elsewhere."

"What?!" scoffed an old lady, "I demand my money back!"

"Yeah! Me too!"

Paula was lucky, because she forgot to buy a ticket. She decided to see what was going on in the main tunnel. It took her a half-hour to get there.

"Huh? Where are the road blocks?" said Paula puzzled.

She walked into the dark tunnel.
"Boy...this tunnel sure is long." She suddenly had a strange feeling. She felt that she was going in the wrong direction. But despite these feelings, she kept going.

Paula shuddered, "There's something not right about this..."

"Go...back..."

"Wha-?! Who said that?! Who's there!?" she exclaimed in fear.

"You...can't..."

"What? What are you saying? Who are you!?" Paula could sense something around her, but she still couldn't see them. She tried using her PSI...but because they had no mind, she couldn't connect with them. So her PSI was useless.

"This is just my imagination. It has to be. Ahhhh! What's going on!?" Paula realized she was floating! She then blacked out.

"Umm...hmm? Oh...the light." Paula shielded her eyes. The light seemed somewhat weaker then last time.

"The Mani Mani...stop it..."

"Me?" asked Paula to the female deity, "What is it? Where do I go? HOW can I stop 'it'?"

"Peaceful Rest Valley. But..."

"Huh?" Paula was blinded by the immense light that was emitted.

"Hey, um, are you like, ok?"

Paula opened her eyes. There she saw a boy around the age of 16.

"Huh? What happened?"

"Oh man, you took quite a spill. It's those ghosts again."

"Ghosts?"

"Yeah! I swear! Ok, I was like, driving my car, ok? Anyway, I'm like in the tunnel. Then I start seeing these ghost things. I thought I was imagining it. So I turn on my radio. Then I hear these voices saying stuff like, 'NoOoOo!' I guess they don't like noise. But before I could turn up the radio, I ended up here somehow.

"Wow...that's horrible."

"Tell me about it. They broke my radio too."

Paula left, and headed to Burglin Park.

"What is that dream saying...is it a dream? It can't be. Well, there's something wrong around here, and I have to fix it," thought Paula to herself, "Now, what did she say? Ah! I know! Peaceful Rest Valley! That's by Happy Happy Village." Paula walked into the air market park. Everywhere you could see suspicious looking people. Paula bought a bread roll from a paranoid baker. She put the bread roll in her purse, and walked into the trees. She counted her remaining money to make sure she wasn't pick-pocketed. Suddenly, several people in blue suites surrounded her. They all had masks, so their faces couldn't be made out.

"It is her," said one of them.

"She's the divine one!"

"This is what Carpainter wants!"

"Sacrificing her will make more powerful then ever. Maybe blue will be sanctified because of her powers! Isn't that right Master Pokey."

"Heh heh, sure is. That Mani Mani statue is great. This hussy will be a great sacrifice," chuckled a short, fat, blond haired kid about Paula's age.

"Sacrifice? Hussy?! I'm no sacrifice! And I'm NOT a hussy! Get away from me!" Paula tried to run, but she was surrounded.

"Mani Mani will be pleased!" they all exclaimed.

"Mani Mani? AAAAAHHHH!! Mmmph!" Paula's mouth was shut with blue duct tape, and they wound her up in a blue rope. They gave her some kind of sedative, and yet again, she fell unconscious.

"Mmmmm...oh, here again. Who are you? Well, whatever you are, and whatever you want me to do, I seem to be failing."

The bright oracle then said, "Ness...you two..."

"What? Who is Ness?

"The...chosen one."

"He's the chosen one too?"

"Have him find you."

"How?"

"You have the power...remember?"

Everything faded out again.

The streets of Twoson were quiet for the moment. Ness was walking trying to seek directions. He knew that he there was something in Twoson he had to do, but he wasn't sure exactly. He suddenly stopped in the middle of the street, and looked up.

"Polestar Pre-School, eh? Maybe they can give me directions. Looks like there are people there." Ness knocked on the door. A man with brown hair opened the door.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"Um, yeah...I-"

"Are you from the TV station?" asked the man suspciously.

"What? Oh no...I-"

"Paula said she would meet a boy named Ness."

"So now what, sir Carpainter?"

Paula opened her eyes. A very large group of people in blue suites were surrounding her. There were nearly 300 of them.

A man came forward to Paula, "We will sanctify her with lightning!"

"Yes! Hail Mani Mani! Hail Carpainter! Blue Blue!"

"What are you talking about?!" demanded Paula.

"Everyone! Soon we will have the sacrifice's power!"

"Blue blue!"

"What?! Stop! What are you doing?" Paula was frantic to escape, yet she was surrounded.

Paula was now in the center of the large hall. Carpainter was in front of her. Behind him was a room with a golden statue. The rest of the people were spread out on the walls.

"Mani Mani! Lend me your power of thunder!"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Paula.

"Blue blue!"

A statue in the background in the room behind Carpainter started to glow. A massive bolt of lightning descended on Paula.

"Blue Blue!"

Just before the lightning struck, her Franklin Badge started glowing! It absorbed the electricity, and then reflected it all across the room.

"Oh no! Look out!" they all shouted in panic.

The electricity was eventually absorbed into the walls.

"She controls thunder! Oh WHY Mani Mani?"

"Silence, everyone!" commanded Carpainter, "She obviously has awesome power that we need to harness. We need this power to make a society of peace, and..."

"Blue!"

"That's right! Isolate her! Lock her up. After our 3 day ceremony, we will have the knowledge to manipulate her, and her powers!"

"Blue blue!" they all chanted.

They tied up Paula, and blind folded her. She had no idea where she was. She was being escorted blindly for about a mile. They removed the blindfold. She was in a small isolated house. There was a jail cell inside. They threw her inside.

"Arghh...*oof*..ugh..."

"There. You will stay here, until our ceremony is complete."

They locked her up, and left the house. She was alone. She started to cry.

"I-I don't believe this. Why?" It was now late in the evening. All she could do now is cry herself to sleep.

Paula was dreaming about traveling with someone her own age to Threed. They had a great mission to fulfil, but she wasn't sure what it was. Paula woke up in the middle of the night. There was dead silence. All she could hear were crickets, and water rushing.

"What...what am I going to do?" Paula thought for a few moments, "Ness...who are you? What does this all mean?...I HAVE to contact Ness...whoever he is." Paula started concentrating. She searched minds all across the area. She could not choose which one would be Ness. She was about to give up until she sensed something, coming from the hotel in Twoson.

"Is your name Ness?" Paula asked. There was a long silence.

"I'm Ness. Who are you?"

"Um, I'm not sure where I am. There's a waterfall sound in the background though. I'm not sure why, but you seem to be my only hope. Please, Ness." There was no response. Paula then lost her concentration.

"Oh Ness, I hope you heard me." Paula fell back to sleep.

The sun shone through the window the following morning in the Twoson hotel.

"Whoa, what a funky dream," said Ness to himself as he got out of bed. He quickly took a shower in the hotel. He left his room to be greeted by the Bellhop.

"OH! Hello Mr. Ness."

"Hi."

"I can read today's headline from the Twoson Tribune for you?"

"Ok sure. Let's hear it."

"Twoson girl Missing. Local Cult Kidnapping a possibility."

"Oh wow. What's her name?"

"Um...I'm not sure...well, her first name is Paula, and she lives with her parents at Polestar. AH! She's the one with the powers the media is fascinated with."

"Her name is Paula?!"

"Yes, and-"

"Waterfalls...where's a place that has waterfalls?" asked Ness hastily.

"Wha-? Oh, well, Peaceful Rest Valley is known for its river and waterfalls. It's by Happy Happy Village too. There are also some mushrooms there too that I-"

"Great! Thanks a lot!"

Ness rushed out of the hotel. He saw a sign that led to Peaceful Rest Valley, and he went on his way.

"Excellent. Our ceremony is going perfectly," commented Carpainter, "Thank you for assisting us in our religion."

"My pleasure," said Pokey grinning, "That girl violates everyone, she's evil I tell you. Evil against us. Believe me, I know."

"Ah yes."

"But I think we're going to get some resistance..."

"Resistance?"

"Yes. Some jerk, will come. He's about the same age as me."

"Oh really now?"

"But we can take care of him can't we?"

"Yes. Of course. The thunder shall oppose all resistance that comes against us."

"Heh, exactly. Ness won't stand a chance."

"Who? Oh the name doesn't matter. You're a smart boy you know."

After traveling through mushrooms, and exploding cursed trees, Ness made it to Happy Happy village.

"This girl has to be around here somewhere." Ness started asking around. But he got many vague answers.

He suddenly ran into a kid with a mask on his face.

"Oh, erm, sorry about that."

"Heh heh. That's ok. Hey do you know about what we just did?"

"What? Um, no."

"He heh heh. You gotta keep up with all of this. Ok, listen up. Carpainter, me and this chubby kid, kidnapped this girl. Heh heh heh, we're gonna..heh heh heh, sacrifice her. He he heh heh. We put her in the cabin through that cave over there if you wanna take a quick looksee at her. Heh heh." He pointed his finger north to a cave.

Ness stood there amazed.

The kid continued, "Heh heh, and guess what else we're going to do to her? Well, what I wanted to do was- hey wait, UH OH...you aren't...Phil are you? Um heh heh, let's pretend this never happened. Heh heh. You know I was joking right? Heh heh, with my nervous laughter and all. Heh heh...Heh heh." The kid quickly ran off into the trees.

"Oh man...through that cave eh? I gotta save her." Ness quickly went through the cave. There was a light at the other end. When he finally got out, he could hear water rushing. It was getting late in the evening, and the sun was beginning to set in the distance.

"This has to be it...the cabin!"

Ness quickly ran up to it and opened the door. Dim light was in the cabin. Ness then saw Paula.

"Oh wow." She was sleeping. When she heard Ness, she quickly got up.

"Who....are you...Ness?"

"Yes...and are you..Paula."

"Yes! I am Paula! Oh Ness, I'm so glad to see you...even though I don't know you."

"That's ok..."

"I knew you'd come to rescue me. But, I obviously don't have the key. Carpainter does. He leads the Happy Happyist cult. They want to sacrifice me."

"Oh man...yeah, I know."

"I tried everything to bust these bars down."

"Don't worry, I can get the key from Carpainter."

"Oh thank you! But why did you decide to do this for me?"

"We can talk later. I gotta get you out of here."

Paula blushed, "Thank you...I don't know what to say. I don't know how or why, but I know you'll succeed in whatever you have to do."

"Thanks...I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"Wait!"

"Huh? What is it?"

Paula took the Franklin Badge off her shirt and handed it to Ness.

"What's this?"

"It's the Franklin Badge. Carpainter can control lightning. Having that badge pinned to you will protect you."

Ness was a bit skeptical, "Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm positive. That badge saved me."

"Ok. I trust you...will you be alright?"

"Yes. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Just kick butt like I know you can." Both of them smiled at each other. Ness left the cabin.

"He's like no one I ever met before...could he be the one from my dream?"

Ness left the cabin confident. Just as he was about to enter the cave, three figures approached them. He turned around in an attempt to hide, but they easily saw him. They're identities were soon revealed. It was two Happy Happyists, and Pokey.

"Pokey! What are you doing?!" exclaimed Ness shocked.

"Heh. Ness you pin-head. I joined the Happy Happyists of course."

Ness was amazed that Pokey was the one that kidnapped Paula.

"So, did you see Paula yet?" asked Pokey.

Ness decided it was best to play stupid, "Who?"

"Ha, you don't even know what's going on."

"I'm trying to find my way back to Twoson."

"Heh, you are an idiot. I don't believe you for some reason. Get'm guys!"

The two Happy Happyists attacked with blue paint.

"Ack! Urggh!" Ness wiped off the paint, and swiftly SMAAAAAASHED the two Happy Happyists, rendering them unconscience.

"Ugh...hmm..maybe that was a bit of overkill. Where's Pokey?" Pokey was no where to be seen.

"Ugh...forget him, I gotta save Paula." Ness ran through the cave. He was exhausted from trekking from place to place, but his urge to save Paula, and defeat this religion was stronger. He found the meeting hall of the Happy Happyists. He was lucky since many of them were chanting, so they didn't see him go through. After sneaking his way through he went down another hall, and there was Carpainter. Behind him was the Mani Mani statue.

"Whoa...." said Ness in disbelief.

"Ah...may I help you?" asked Carpainter.

"Where-where'd you get that statue?"

"My family found it. It's a mighty oracle of what will happen with your religion."

"Uh...okay..."

"Are you interested in helping me build a society of peace and...blue?"

"What? No way! After what I've seen you do to Paula!"
"Ah, the girl. So Pokey was right. You DID come."

"Huh?"

"Oh Mani Mani! Lend me your power, prepare this rebel for the void!"

The statue began to glow, and Carpainter sent several bolts of lightning at Ness.

"Arghhhh!" Ness held up the Franklin Badge. The lightning was reflected and dispersed.

"Paula..."

"What?! You have the power too? Pokey never mentioned this...but you will feel the true wrath of all that oppose Mani Mani and the Happy Happyists! Brothers!"

The Happy Happyists flooded the room.

"Man oh man..."

"Assist me as I defeat this one who opposes us!"
"Blue...Blue..." they all chanted.

The statue glowed again. A strange power flowed into Carpainter, and Carpainter sent delivered the power directly at Ness. It sent him reeling clear across the room.

"Blue...blue..."

"Nugh...look...just, let Paula go!" demanded Ness as he struggled to get up.

"Ha ha! Feel the power of BLUE!" Carpainter whipped a blue substance at Ness. It was like paint, but it burned more.

"Ack! Ugh..." Ness tried shaking off the substance.

"Mani Mani! Destroy the one who opposes us!"

Again, the statue glowed. Carpainter and the statue began to spark.

"No...no!" exclaimed Ness.

"Ness!" exclaimed Paula, "He's in trouble...for the people of Earth and for...me...you must win Ness!" prayed Paula from her jail cell.

A subtle light shone over Ness.

"Paula...eygghhhaa!" A large blue beam of energy was shot at Ness.

There was silence. Ness was no where to be found.

"He is gone! We have pleased Mani Mani!"

"Blue, blue!" they all shouted in victory.

"Hey!"

"What?" said Carpainter in disbelief.

He looked back up and smiled, "You're right. C'mon, let's go! I'll explain everything that's happened to me on the way!" He took her hand, and they both left the cabin to continue their quest.