EarthBound 200X Ch. 4: Goodbye Blue Sky

By Flying Zamboni 2

The silence was the second thing that the Chosen Four noticed when they'd entered Twoson that sunny morning. The first was the flames that rose out of the buildings and homes and choked the sky with black smoke. At first the four walked through the town in a daze, not believing that any of this could be happening. It seemed that every building was ablaze but that wasn't what made everything seem like some horrible nightmare. What was really unusual was the silence that had befallen the town. Not once did they hear a person scream or see a person running from a building, it was as if the entire town was dead.

Paula suddenly thought of her parents and ran full speed toward her house. The others saw where she was running and followed her, finally regaining their senses. When they caught up with her they found her standing silently at her burning home. Ness put down the half-conscious Poo and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Paula...I..."

"The hospital!" She said suddenly with a faint glimmer of hope.

"What?"

"My parents are at the hospital. Mom just told me. She told me telepathically."

"Paula, I know how you must feel but your mother can't use telepathy and I can see smoke from where the hospital is."

"It might be another building! And you don't know for sure that she can't use telepathy!" She yelled at him angrily.

Ness reached forward and grabbed her shoulders, "Paula! You're not thinking straight! This is probably a trap set up by whoever sent that Koga guy!"

She smacked him hard and he loosened his grip in surprise, "I don't care! If they're still alive I'm going to help them!"

She tore free from him and ran off in the direction of the hospital. Ness started after her and then stopped. He turned to Jeff, "Jeff, stay here and watch Poo, if I don't make it back then run to Onett!"

"But Ness-"

"Do it!" He ran off.

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Paula stood in tears in front of the burning hospital. She was unaware of Ness running up to her yelling for her to watch out. She was unaware of the laughing man that stood on the hospital roof aiming a gun at her. She was only aware of the horrible feeling of lost hope that occurs after you realize that there is nothing you can do to make the current situation any better.

Ness dove at Paula and tackled her out of the way of the man's bullet. She regained her senses and looked up angrily at the mysterious sniper. Who she saw standing on the roof of the burning building made her utter one word, "No."

The man was wearing a large pair of sunglasses and a bowler cap along with a stylish black suit. Small strands of blonde hair could be seen coming out from under the rim of his hat.

"No..." she repeated, "It can't be you. Shouldn't be you. We let you in! We let you walk by us near the cave! This can't be happening!"

The man gave an eerily charming grin and spoke in a friendly tone, "I'm afraid that this is happening Miss Polestar, sorry that you couldn't have seen what you caused yourself. It was magnificent. However it is indeed good to see you again I must say."

Ness screamed angrily, "Who are you!?"

The man gave an amused chuckle that in any other situation would have sounded calming and reassuring, "You really don't recognize me? Do these sunglasses really work that well? Well I guess now I see what Clark Kent sees in them." Insane laughing this time, "Well maybe this will refresh your memory!" He threw off the sunglasses, revealing his horrible yellow eyes and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, "Cain at your service!"

Paula glared at him angrily, "You!"

"Hideho good neighbor. I-" He was interrupted by the sound of coughing behind him. He slapped his forehead, "Oh that's right! I almost forgot, how silly of me! Your parents put up a pretty good fight for being so caught off guard like they were. I'll be honest with you and say that your father died trying to protect your mother. Well that kind of family unity just chokes me up inside and I felt obligated to spare the good widow." He turned away for a moment and bent over. A choking sound was heard and he turned back around with Mrs. Polestar's neck in his right hand. He stepped forward and held her over the edge of the hospital's roof.

Paula began to run forward screaming in both anger and terror. Cain raised his free hand impatiently, "Hup-hup-hup! Not so fast! You'll get her back if you meet a few simple demands."

"You sick freak!" Ness shouted.

Paula spoke, sounding very weary, "What do you want?"

"Simple, I want you to-" He let go of her neck suddenly and laughed insanely as she fell to the ground below. The moment seemed to go in slow motion for Paula. She tried to stop the fall with her PSI, but found that Cain had put a psychic shield around the falling woman. She could suddenly see everything with sickening clarity. She saw the tears in her mother's eyes, she saw Cain's sickening grin and heard his horrifying laugh. She heard her mother give one last cough as she hit the ground.

Cain threw his hands up in a "whoops" gesture, "Ooopsie-daisy. Just call me mister butterfingers!" He laughed again.

Paula furiously looked at him, tears of anger and sorrow streaming from her eyes, "SHUT UP!" Her pupils dilated furiously and she screamed at the laughing man with insane anger.

Chunks of cement began to tear themselves loose from the already flimsy burning building as if they were being pulled by some invisible force. Cracks appeared in the roof below Cain's feet. His eyes widened in surprise as it gave way beneath him and he fell into the flames below. Paula screamed again and ran full speed into the burning hospital. Ness, having been too shocked to do anything for quite some time, ran in after her.

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Ness ran into the building only a few feet behind Paula.

"Paula wait!" He coughed through the smoke.

But she was too angry to listen to him, "WHERE IS HE?! I'LL KILL HIM!" Some of the above floor gave way and fell directly at them. Ness jumped back and the large pile of former floor and wall separated him from Paula. Paula, meanwhile, psychically pushed the falling debris away from herself without even glancing back at Ness. She continued to charge forward and hurled herself through some double doors and into a burning room with a clear area in the middle where no fire was. She wasn't surprised to see Cain sitting on the floor wearily rubbing his head. She looked up and smiled when she saw that he had gone through every floor on his way down. He may have been able to soften his fall, but his luck wouldn't last much longer if Paula had anything to say about it.

She charged at him and caught him off guard, hitting him in the side of the face with her frying pan as hard has she could. He screamed in pain and fell over. She jumped on top of him and hit him again with the pan, this time in the nose. He clutched his nose in agony and then sent Paula backwards with a psychic shove. She got up quickly and fired Freeze Omega at him. He smiled and held out his hand, absorbing the blast. Paula's eyes grew wide with shock.

Cain laughed again, "Did you really think the end would come so easily? I am the most powerful psychic in the universe! I have the power of the Devil's Machine in me! Do you understand? Let me show you!" He stretched his arms out to his sides and the flames licking the walls jumped off and began to swirl around him. He laughed again and fired the flames at Paula. She quickly put up a shield and blocked the powerful fire blasts the best she could. After six jets of flames the shield broke and the next flame hit her left shoulder. She put the ensuing fire out with Freeze before any major burn could be inflicted. She fired off another blast of Freeze at Cain but it was negated by one of the swirling bits of fire. Cain's eyes glowed red and the ground began to shake. The ceiling above Paula gave way suddenly and chunk of wood hit her in the back, sending her to the floor.

Cain's grin grew wider as he began to levitate and the shaking began to get worse. The building itself finally began to give way and Cain's grin became laughter. Ness burst into the room suddenly and he quickly used Flash Omega. The shaking stopped and Cain's feet went back to the floor. He clutched his eyes, "I can't see! You insignificant piece of trash! I'll kill you!"

Cain swung his arm wildly through the air and sent a powerful psychic blast blindly at a wall. The wall exploded and the building began to fall once again. Ness quickly helped Paula up and blasted a hole through the wall with Rockin' Omega. The two jumped out of the building just as it gave way completely and collapsed in on itself.

Ness gave a sigh of relief and hugged Paula. She began to sob into his shoulder and Ness did the same. Jeff was supporting Poo on his shoulder and was walking up to the two slowly. In the distance the sirens of fire trucks from both Onett and Threed could be heard in the streets.

If any of them had looked over, they would have seen that there was no trace of Cain in the debris of the former hospital.