UNUSUAL SPECIES
~By SaturnStorm

Author's note: I apologise for the lack of updates to this fiction. Most of the scenes from this were already hanging around on the computer, and a few needed re-writing. And one needed writing. It's been hard. Anyway, in the end I kind of like this chapter -- one of my favourite scenes to write (albeit a short one) is in this, and it still makes me giggle. I'll let you enjoy it now. Um... Enjoy! =)

~~~~****~~~~

A new day, a new predicament. This was what it felt like for Tracy, anyway, as she sat in her room, frowning at the little pink rock she had gotten from the Magicant site, the previous day. As beautiful and awe-inspiring as it was, it didn't provide any answers to her dilemma, and she couldn't study it herself, as she didn't know what it was she was looking for, or not looking for, for that matter. This left her with a small piece of a jigsaw puzzle amidst a sea of jigsaws. Or at least, that's what it felt like.
The dilemma was that, while she had been a bit of a help to Ness before, he had told her to stay behind for this one -- supposed to be dangerous. He wanted her to stay out of the way, so she wouldn't get hurt and/or cause trouble. So she wasn't a top-notch fighter. She still wanted to help...
But the fact remained, that while she wanted to be a part of the action, and she did have a small key to the whole escapade, she couldn't unlock that key alone, and she simply couldn't go with her brother. He wouldn't allow it. But that meant to be a part of the action, she had to sneak behind her brother's back. So she needed to go out, all alone, possibly fight more of the Starmen Chrome, and find a scientist that wasn't going to go running to Ness and say his sister was putting herself in danger.
How hard could that be?
Working with Escargo Express had given her a good experience, allowing her to learn about her hometown in it's entirety. She knew from the people that there were no scientists in Onett, since it was such a humble little place that no scientist could thrive in, so any science-minded people had gone elsewhere. This knowledge meant that Tracy didn't have to waste time looking around the small town, and could move onto the next. Surely she could overhear some conversations pertaining to any science-minded people who could help her out.
That in mind, Tracy reclaimed her slingshot and some spare clothes, throwing them into a bag, ready to go out on her own little adventure. Before she got too far, she noticed the bread-rolls still packed up on her chest-of-drawers. Smiling, she tucked those into the bag as well.
"Just in case." She whispered, remembering when she had been sceptical about them as Ness picked them up. The rock was slid into her pocket, and she was on her way, off to her own adventure.

****

After collecting Poo from Dalaam, the group were torn between sorting out this lost PSI, and getting to Doctor Andonuts to get him to study the rock. Both issues were equally important, since Starmen weren't to be trifled with, and Poo was a valuable asset to the team. It had been Pippi who had innocently suggested that Poo explain what had happened as they headed to Saturn Valley ("...Wherever that is." she uttered under her breath after). A quick stop at Pippi's house in Threed in the middle of the journey for food, sleep and extra clothes, and they were off again to Saturn Valley. Apple Kid was munching on a cookie and taking great interest in his surroundings, much like Pippi. Poo, Ness and Paula were in lead, discussing this PSI issue.
"So when did you lose it?" Ness asked carefully.
Poo looked at the tombstones gloomily. "It was about a week ago, now." he responded, "the ability simply.... vanished. There's no trace of the ability. Since its sudden cease, I have not been able to call upon one attack, and that second sight -- or Sixth Sense, as Jeff used to call it -- seems to have also gone. It is most unnerving."
Paula nodded sympathetically, "I can imagine. When you have your powers for so long, you don't realise how much you depend on them, right?"
Thinking, Ness asked "So you haven't been able to call up anything? Nothing at all?" he ignored Paula's scowl at his apparent lack of concern.
But Poo hadn't noticed. He frowned a moment and finally spoke, "There was -one- thing... Yesterday afternoon, during my meditation. My grandfather had told me of your predicament, and I felt powerless to do anything. So I tried to send my power to you. When that didn't work, I meditated. And then, I felt it... I knew you had done something amazing, Ness, for I felt the power significantly. But even now I can still not call upon an attack." He sighed.
Pippi, who had just finished her inspection of some transclucent liquid dripping off the fence, piped up cheerily "It was probably that rock! It can do all sorts of things. A friend of mine told me once it was souped up with PSI energy, so it can pull off some amazing stunts!"
Paula looked to her innocently. "Would this be the same friend who told you about them in the first place?"
"Nah, it's a friend of ours we lost contact with ages ago." Pippi responded, "He was supposed to go to a prestigious school but he went missing and nobody's seen him since. Smart kid."
Ness shook his head and sighed. "That doesn't help us on the here and now, though. How do we find the missing PSI? I mean it's got nothing to do with the rock -- that only appeared yesterday."
Paula put in her two cents, "Maybe it's got something to do with the Starmen? Maybe whoever sent them caused his PSI to disappear?"
With a frown Poo responded "No, that cannot be it. There have been no Starmen in Dalaam. And in any case your PSI seems to be in working order. Why draw from one's PSI and not all three?"
"This isn't getting us anywhere." Ness groaned, rubbing his temples.
After a moments thought, Pippi carefully thought, "Maybe the lost PSI and the Magicant Stone and the Starmen -are- all related, but indirectly, so it's not like any of them are trying to actually affect each other, but they are anyway." She shrugged when the others turned her way, "The Magicant Rock wasn't actually a result of my friend's adventure when that happened, it just kinda happened. But everything on the adventure, however far out, was all related in some way. Maybe it's the same here?"
Paula folded her arms as she thought about this. She tried to ignore Apple Kid's mouse, which he'd insisted on bringing, as it squeaked painfully as some stray object in the red-head's duffel-bag fell atop of it. "So either the Magicant Rock or the Starmen have taken Poo's PSI, for whatever reason. And the Starmen are after that rock for some reason. And the rock causes a major psychic reaction in Ness for no reason." She shook her head. "This isn't getting us very far. I wonder if Jeff would know what to do?" She closed her eyes.
Apple Kid raised a hand meekly, "It wouldn't matter. There's a blizzard all over Winters at the moment and the phone lines are down." he explained, "It started up a few days ago, and apparently the snow's been piling so bad they're expecting it to cause some major disasters."
Ness's face fell. "So Jeff's got his own problems at the moment."
With a grin Pippi reminded them "That's why we're going to see Doctor Andonuts, remember? He's famous Worldwide, and he DID help you on your adventure right? Anything we need to know, he'll probably have an answer!"
Apple Kid nodded, "Or a good research session."
The others nodded, and a short silence passed over the group. It was broken when they found the hole that would take them to Saturn Valley. Ness, Paula, Poo and even Apple Kid readily accepted the hole as a neccessary pass-through. Only Pippi had it in her to complain.
"You mean we have to go... down there?!" she squeaked, looking in horror as they all began the descent.
Paula chuckled, waiting for her turn. "I was skecptical once, too. But after getting kidnapped by zombies and fighting a giant tent, you tend to accept things like a musty underground walk that much more."
Groaning, Pippi watched the others, feeling a bit green, "I may never get used to this..." she whined.

****

The Onett Hills were a jewel of Nature's beauty. The sun had a way of reflecting on the hills to bring out the fullest colours at all times of the day. The grass would flow with its own beat, always away from the hills that housed the Snctuary of Gient step, like it was framing it. The trees were tall, but their branches bent low, creating effective shelters that were welcoming against the sun, and the rain. The cliffs themselves were smooth with the weathering, and a cheerful colour that made all the residents who saw them smile. It made the sight serene and peaceful, which was perfect for locals to hide away and lose themselves in the scenery.
It was no different for Frank Fly, who enjoyed coming up to the Onett Hills and Giant Step during his lunch break. It always made him feel better after a rotten morning to come up to the hillside and watch the sun play on the blades of grass, listen to the wind as it lazily toyed with the trees, and just generally feel his anger blow away as he nibbled on his burger. It always made his less-than-satisfying job feel so worthwhile.
Having discarded his apron, Frank looked up with a wide grin at the hills displayed before him. He couldn't wait to dig into his lunch under the shade of the large tree by the fence, overlooked by Giant Step's cliffs. He enjoyed the peace, even if it was only for an hour.
Before he could get there, however, two forms suddenly materialised into the area, staring him down ominously. He recognised them instantly from the Onett invasion that long year ago. And yet, they were different somehow. Not bothering to ponder the issue, Frank whipped out his trademark daggers, intent on stopping the foes with his own two hands.
~Why are they here?~ he thought, taking up an offencive stance. ~The invasion's over! These piles of scum should be rusting on the scrap heap by now!~
Apparently the Starmen had learned something in their dormant time, as the two Starmen teleported out of the way before Frank could even breathe, leaving him stunned. He looked this way and that in frustration, growling "Huh? Where are ya?! Come out and take it like tin-cans!"
Two identical searing pains shot through his arms suddenly, forcing him to drop his blades. Cursing up a storm, he knelt down to collect his fallen items, only to have the Starmen reappear nearby, one kicking his head, the other lashing out and wacking against his stomach. He was thrown back, hitting the base of the nearby rocky steep.
Frank growled as he forced himself to his feet. "Clever, aren't we?" he snarled, reaching slowly for something in his back pocket. "Let's see how well you do against--"
He never got a chance to finish. One of the Starmen teleported up to him as he spoke and re-winded him with a forceful blow to his gut. Instinctively Frank curled from the blow, only to have a metallic knee slam into his chin. The sudden clamp of his jaw bit down deep on his tongue, sending blood spraying from between his lips as his head flew upward from the attack. It didn't end there, as the Starman rammed into Frank with its own body, leaving a Frank-shaped imprint on the cliffside.
It didn't take long for Frank to realise he was seriously outclassed. Without his Frankymeister or his legion of loyal Shark gang members, he couldn't really defend himself. He spat out a mouthful of blood and spit, using his pinstripe sleeve to wipe away what excess liquid still dribbled down his chin.The telltale sound of teleportation told him the robots had just gotten themselves utterly too close for comfort. Looking up, he saw the two imposing figures looming above him, the light playing some cruel tricks behind them as they stood silhouetted in the sunlight; two shadows ready to strike, true to their dark nature.
Without warning one of the Starmen lashed out and caught his neck, pulling him up the wall and pinning him there, his free tendril trained on the former gangster's heart. In its tinny robotic voice, the other Starman demanded "Where is the Sanctuary?" somehow almost seeming to narrow it's robotic LED light-eyes behind its visor. When it didn't get a response, the first Starman's grip tightened, and shouted "Come on, answer me! Where is it?!"
Frank would have probably answered somehow if the Starman's tendril wasn't blocking his throat. He could scarcely draw the breath to live, let alone answer the question. Not, of course, that he would have told them anyway, but it wasn't like they were giving him much chance.
A sudden shot filled the air, striking down the Starman poised to fire. As the robot stumbled backwards, its companion paused, torn between losing the hostage to destroy the assailant, or killing the hostage to put its effort into the assailant. It didn't finish its decision as a pair of feet collided with its chest, forcing it backwards into its buddy, who had begun charging. The two robots fell back with a metallic -clang!-, and the young man who attacked them turned his attention to the dishevelled blonde and gave him a snack bar from his bag.
"Take this, it'll heal you quick." The male declared, before firing his weapon again, obliterating one of the Starmen instantly.
Quickly Frank scoffed down the strange cinnamon snack, silently praising his mysterious rescuer before scouring the battle-scene for his precious and prized daggers. Luck seemed to be shining on him then, as they weren't too far off, and a decent enough distance away from the slowly-heating-up-battle, so he was safe, too. He scuttled across the grass, keeping a close eye on the battle in case anything came his way. An unhindered journey led him to his daggers, then, without thinking, he whirled to face the battlefield, thrusting one of them out, smirking as it imbedded itself in the Starman's shoulder causing a momentary distraction. The younger male looked at Frank for a second, his eyes unreadable, then turned and finished off the last Starman with a shot from his futuristic-looking weapon.
The battle over, Frank retrieved his knife and straightened out his red pinstripe suit. "Thanks, kid." He grinned, sheathing his weapons. "You saved by butt big-time back there."
The young man didn't respond at first, looking at the fallen scraps of metal. When he finally acknowledged he'd been spoken to, he looked up, his storm-blue eyes locked on Frank as he asked "what did they want here?"
Mildly miffed but not about to show it, Frank jerked a thumb at the Entertainers shack a small distance off. "The Sanctuary, apparently. Dunno if he meant Giant Step or what but--"
The younger teenager put his full attention into Frank, now. "What's Giant Step?"
"Where have you been?" Frank asked incredously. Then he snorted, "It's only the most peaceful spot in the whole of the Onett woodland! It's said to have some strange power or something like that, but personally I think the guys that say that are just nuts."
Walking over, the boy put his weapon away, kicking a Starman into the brushes lightly as he did so. "Take me there." he requested. His voice was too soft to hold enough authority for an order, although he probably would get tough if need be. Frank just grinned. "This way," he announced, walking toward the shack, grinning at his rescuer once again.

*****

Walking through the disgusting underground cavern had been a whole new experience for Pippi, who apparently seemed to have a fear of the dead for some reason. She complained bitterly the whole way through the caves, and would clench her eyes shut anytime they passed a corpse, emitting a high-pitched squeal that only dogs should have been able to hear. By the end of it they had -all- been glad to get out.
But of course this experience, while unpleasant, was -nothing- compared to seeing Saturn Valley, and, of course, its cheery residents.
Pippi had never seen a Mr.Saturn before. She'd never heard of one. She hadn't even known Saturn Valley existed until that day. It was clear she was no stranger to the unknown, having seemed totally at ease fighting those Starmen, but the little honking aliens had still shocked her. After a good five minutes of gaping at the little things, she finally gathered the courage to demand exactly what they were, and what were they doing to her feet?!
"These are Mr.Saturns." Ness declared, kneeling down to pet one of them, which honked cheerfully at the gesture. When he stood up he had managed to procure another atop his baseball cap, which he apparently hadn't noticed yet, "They're really smart, and really harmless. We had to save them on our adventure from a giant pile of puke."
Paula added "which also makes you appreciate petty things more."
At this time Pippi looked rather sick, "I would have thought so..." she looked to the side, but whatever she was going to say was lost as she noticed that Apple Kid had picked up one of the little creatures, while his pet mouse sat on his shoulder. "Forget it." she finally decided, "This is too much for one day."
Poo looked toward Ness calmly, "Do you know where Doctor Andonuts is today?" he asked. If he'd noticed the three Mr.Saturns at his feet, looking almost stoic, trying to mimick him, he didn't draw attention to it.
The Mr.Saturn on Ness's head didn't answer until the teenager stopped moving. Ness had gotten confused at Poo's question and for a few seconds had tried to see who Poo was talking to. When things calmed down the Mr.Saturn responded "AnDoNuTs In CaFe! HaVe CoFfEe He DoEs!"
"Cool." Ness grinned, heading off toward the caves that would take him to the cafe.
Lagging behind the others, Pippi found herself being 'observed' by the Mr.Saturns, who seemed to have an obsession with her feet, or at least poking their noses into them. She looked to Apple Kid. "Why are they doing that? They're like weird-shaped pets or something!"
The tubby genius set down his Mr.Saturn, who went after a ball by the pond. "They're trying to identify who you are. See, they don't know you, yet, so they're getting your scent." he jogged alongside her, "It's like their minds are little computers -- they see you so they get your image. They smell you so they get your scent. They hear you to get your voice. They then register you as a friend."
Pippi frowned, heading up the ladder. "Why don't they just use names? Isn't it easier?"
Apple Kid grinned, "Ness and Jeff tried introducing them to names once, apparently, during their adventure. The only two people with names now are Ness, who's BoYnEsS, and Jeff, who's called AnDoNuTs. I'm ThE aPpLe, apparently."
Mulling over the answer for a moment, Pippi couldn't help but ask, "Okay, but if -Jeff's- called Andonuts, what do they call Doctor Andonuts?"
At first Apple Kid didn't look like he wanted to answer that question, but before she could ask again, he responded "GrAnDdAdDy."
Understandably, Pippi went quiet after that.
Ahead of them, Ness was chatting about something to do with the Mr.Saturns to Paula and Poo, who were only half-listening. In Poo's case it was because he had bigger things on his mind. Paula was busy entertaining a small Mr.Saturn that she had decided to bring with her up the ladder, but occasionally would throw an utterance to Ness to show she was listening. When they reached the top and entered the cafe, the Doctor was clearly seen, and he was indeed having coffee.
"Ah, Ness! It's good to see you again!" the doctor cheered, his warm smile broadening for the humans. "And Paula! Poo! How have we been? It's good that you're reuniting like this -- it's just a shame Jeff couldn't make it. How long must it have been? It must be a year since you were last together?"
Paula nodded, "something like that."
Before the doctor responded, Apple Kid came in, leading Pippi. With a grin he declared his presence, "Doctor! It's good to see you! Have we been well?"
This change of subject was acceptable for the man, "Certainly have! And I see you're in a fit shape, too!" This was, of course, an outright lie, since Apple Kid was just as chubby as he had been when they first met, but nobody complained, since it made the young inventor blush. "And the mouse, have you been looking after your master?"
The mouse with no name squeaked in a way that seemed to suggest "certainly have", though the doctor didn't understand anyway. Pippi watched this exchange impassively. After all, it was just like meeting anyone else; there was nothing grand about it.
"Oh, and who's this stunning young lady?" Doctor Andonut's attention turned to the freckled one with a mischievous look. "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss...?"
Pippi couldn't deny the attention was flattering, "Uh, Pippi. Just Pippi. It's an honour to meet you, Doctor Andonuts."
The doctor's face became slightly sly, "Ah, such a polite young lady. How would you like to meet my son? You'd make a good couple, and he's still single..."
Ness laughed, but eased the doctor away, slightly worried this attitude would leave a wrong impression on young Pippi, "Come on, now, Doc, you know perfectly well you don't offer out Jeff's hand. Tony would throw a fit." At the mention of the eager young dorm-mate, Andonuts grunted, then settled himself back down. Pippi, somewhat overwhelmed, slid down into a sitting position, expecting to awaken from this obscure dream sometime soon.
Paula had already settled down, and gotten a coffee poured for her, though nobody knew who poured it. She spoke up when everyone finally calmed down a little, "Well, as nice as it is to be here and catch up, Doctor, I'm afraid we're not here to exchange pleasantries." she admitted calmly, "In fact, we have a small dillemma or two that we could really use your expertise on."
The scientist nodded, then took a sip from his cup. "Fire away." he nodded, and the teenagers began to explain about the events that had happened over this last week. They went from Poo's missing PSI, to the dream, the Magicant rock, and the Starmen, and Pippi put in her two-cents were they were needed, going over what little knowledge she had from what she had been told from her friends previously. All the while the doctor listened, his head bowed, nodded on occasion and sipping from his cup at intervals. When they finished up on the arrival, Doctor Andonuts remained silent for a few seconds more. Before anyone could question whether or not he was asleep, he looked up at all of them, his eyes slowly going over each of the children personally, as if examining them. His eyes didn't hold the jovial expression they had when the kids first entered, but instead had the determined thoughtful expression shared by all scientists.
"I think," when he spoke it was also devoid of its previous playfulness, instead slightly more gruff, "I'm going to need to see this rock you speak of."

*****

What the Onett Hills didn't portray in its awe-inspiring beauty, with its flourishing colours and serene view, Giant Step did. Overlooking the tops of the over-hanging trees, which looked like a forest-green blanket, which seemed to have been thrown delicately over the hills by the Gods, probably after sneezing. The trees contrasted well with the bright grass that could never seem to reach that octave of colour anywhere else in the World. Not that Frank knew of, anyway. And the hills themselves, which were near-equal to them now, boasted better days, but they were proud of it, and if they had faces, they'd probably be beaming, or laughing, or sneezing, since the trees looked like they were flowing from that direction.
And then you had the step itself. A large hole with smaller holes above it, that looked remarkably reminiscient of a giant's footstep. Which was probably where it got it's name from, he thought in retrospect. On its own, it was an amusingly shaped crater in the dirt. But with everything else surrounding it, making it so quiet, and picturesque, it became a monument, that said "I belong to Onett, you should be proud."
It seemed this newcomer to town didn't share the beautiful view in such a way. His eyes were deep and sorrowful, as if this was something to mope about. But then, his eyes looked sad anyway. For some reason he didn't look happy, not with his eyes. It was a strange thought, and Frank, who had stared at the boy long enough, decided it was an avenue he would -not- be venturing this day.
The young man knelt next to the crater, and slowly traced along the side nearest him with a finger delicately. "Giant Step, said to be the stand overlooking the hills Giants once lived in, centuries ago." the boy spoke, not looking at his companion, who raised an eyebrow, "Behind here was supposed to be a Giant's house, and every morning he would step from his home and take in his surroundings. That's how the rumors go, anyway. There never was a house, there was no giant, it's all just a flight of fantasy created beause of it's amusing shape." his eyes glazed over, "I think I remember someone telling me once it was created by the old farmers of this land, long ago, so that thieves would think a real giant was watching over them so they didn't steal their crops."
"Well that just took the fun out of this spot." Frank grumbled, folding his arms in front of his chest. This was not a fun way to spend his lunch-break. He couldn't even eat, now, because his tongue hurt so much. He decided it would probably be a few days before the swelling really hit in, and then he'd be in trouble. And just what was he going to tell his co-workers?! They'd never believe he was attacked by Starmen and rescued by some strange kid with a gun!
The boy shook his head and stood up. "There are other spots." he said, turning to Frank finally. "If anyone asks about what happened, you were attacked by some gang or something. What's the local gang round here?"
Frank's eyes narrowed. "The Sharks."
nodding, the boy continued, "okay, that's good. Who's their leader?"
"Me."
This left a worthy pause as the boy changed his pace of thoughts, "Okay, then. A rival gang had you ambushed on your way out here. They've been stopped now and there shouldn't be any more trouble, but you should take some time off to be checked out just in case. Don't want to be working around food when you've got those injuries."
"How did you know I worked with food?" Frank demanded, wondering if this boy was psychic like Ness.
The boy grinned, "you smell like fast food. And you certainly don't look like you eat them yourself often -- not with that physique."
Smirking, Frank said "kind of you to notice." the looked out toward the hills north of Onett. He caught sight of the meteorite that landed over a year ago and frowned. "That's funny."
The young man brushed himself off and looked in the same direction Frank was. "What?" he asked.
Pointing, Frank explained "The Onett Meteorite, Buzz-Buzz, shouldn't be glowing like that. It cooled down months ago. I wonder what's set it off again? It's really weird." he turned to look at his companion, "Don't you-- uh."
Wherever the boy had been before, he wasn't now. Frank was alone again with Giant Step, a farmer's legacy, to keep him company. He scratched the back of his head as he thought about that kid.
"Suppose I should have expected that." he decided, heading back out to work.

*****

Hearsay told of a dashing young inventor in the Twoson area. He wasn't a big name, but the brands he was working himself through -- the raw-egg machine, the toast-breader, and instant-de-freeze machine -- certainly had potential, and would be a lot more reliable than the Super Orange Machine, or Suporma for short. Plus he was cute, and single. This made him popular among the teenage girls in Twoson.
And it was here that Tracy was headed. She had also heard that the not-so-cute but now-famed Apple Kid had gone off to some valley somewhere to learn with the great Andonuts, only returning for brief visits and what do you know, he'd only just left again. The next best science-researcher was in Fourside, and he wasn't someone young girls should be trusting, apparently. She decided not to ask.
Getting to the house wasn't too hard. "Go straight down, past Burglin Park, past the preschool, it's the orange house with the giant orange sign proclaiming "Orange Kid" in big, bold letters." she had been told. Briefly she remembered passing it on her way down toward Threed, but had been more interested in the rest of her surroundings to take in details. One detail hadn't escaped her, though, and that was the giant orange-shaped sign with "Orange Kid" written on it, which she remembered thinking as weird when she first saw it. Considering there were no enemies on the way, she found the journey less than troublesome.
Upon the orange doorstep of the orange house next to which there was a big, orange, orange-shaped sign proclaiming "Orange Kid", Tracy knocked on the orange-shaped door, a little too fed up with the theme to use the orange-shaped knocker which wouldn't have surprised her if it somehow managed to sound like orange as she knocked. She refrained from groaning as the source of all this orange opened the door in all his orange glory.
Indeed, Orange Kid still kept with his theme. Orange bomber-jacket had been replaced with a more stylish orange suede jacket, under which he wore a red-orange shirt and a black tie emblazoned with a pattern of dancing oranges, but the rest of the outfit was about the same. His blonde hair was still neatly trimmed and short, not forgetting the stalk that poked from atop his head which struck her as odd as most oranges she had seen didn't have stalks. His glasses weren't so much glasses as they were shades just a little too clear to really pass as shades really, and the amber tint almost made Tracy turn away in disgust.
"Oranges aren't all that great, you know." were the first words Tracy could think of as she looked him up and down.
Orange Kid had come to the door with a wary, suspicious air, which was quickly replaced with a dashing charm until she said those words, whereupon he was a little disappointed. "I was kind of hoping we could get a little conversation in before exchanging insults." He quipped, shaking his head. "I'm guessing you don't want me to introduce myself, then?"
This made Tracy giggle. At least he hadn't slammed the door back in her face, leaving an orange imprint. Offering her hand she said brightly "Sorry, forgive my bluntness. My name's Tracy, and you must be Orange Kid."
Mood swiftly brightening, Orange Kid took the proffered hand and smiled his warm, heart-melting smile. "Pleased to meet you. Have you heard of my exploits and come to see the fuss?"
She didn't feel like telling him she hadn't heard of him until two hours ago, but remained polite. "Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something." She told him, "I have something I want you to take study for me, and give a professional opinion on as a scientist."
"Oh, sure!" He didn't have the heart to tell her he was an inventor and not a researcher, but smiled away anyway, "Come on in." He stopped as he looked into her brown eyes a moment and thought something over. "You remind me of someone." He said quietly as he watched her try and keep a straight face as she looked around the orange room she found herself in.
Relieved to look at anything but the orange wallpaper, Tracy turned to him with a sweet smile and said "You probably met my brother, Ness. He's World hero, you know."
Orange Kid nodded as he closed the door, and decided this was going to have to stay entirely professional. After all, he doubted one of the strongest kids on the planet would be too happy if he found the orange-clad man hitting on his little sister. "So, what am I studying, here?"

 --To Be Continued...
_____________________________________________________

Author's note: This was a bit of a horrible writers block. This wasn't so much a writer's block though as it was a misplacement of inspiration. Instead of being completely engrossed in EarthBound (Shame on me! Then shame on you authors for not updating!), I've been slipping into different anime, and going "ooh!" and then "oh" and trying to decide quite why I thought that particular thought in the first place. It wasn't until I got into that new one over here, Shaman King, that something clicked, and after some confusing thoughts which (suprisingly) made it onto paper, Mother 1+2 snapped back into place, and I actually got the chapter finished! Good-o. In a few days, I'll be able to put this up on Starmen.net in place of the original, too. Maybe then people will be more tempted to read this... and leave some heart-warming reviews. =)
The next chapter... I'm going to be quite stuck on, however. I know one, maybe two scenes I can slip, in, but really, I can't develop a whole lot, yet... I'll try not to leave you all hanging TOO long. If you really get impatient, I'll start uploading these other ideas... although really I want to make them one-shots... especially a certain one, which... I can't even BEGIN to explain. Best words? Poor, poor Jeff.
Anyway, enough of me boring you with this, a review would be lovely. ^_^

~~SaturnStorm