COMPOSED → composer's writings

He had been safe in his machine, his mechanical womb of sorts. Porky had come to visit him every once in a while, but for the most part he was alone. That was how he wanted things to be.

But of course, they had to try to take that away from him.

When the children approached him, he felt a strange emotion.

Fear.

The fear was likely irrational, but when was he ever rational anymore?

The last time he had felt like this was when--

No. He would not let those memories flood back to haunt him. Not now, not ever. And he would not let history repeat itself.

Of course, his thoughts were far less articulate than this. Some might wonder if the strange creature ever truly thought at all anymore. It might be more accurate to say he felt- felt, and remembered.

He remembered, in spite of himself, the fear he'd felt when Ninten and the children sang that haunting melody. He remembered his overwhelming desire for vengeance as he had left that planet. He remembered all the planning, all the work...

Everything that had destroyed what he was and turned him into this.

He finally saw the boy's face up-close, which only served to frighten him more. He really did look like--

But he wasn't. He couldn't be. And he wouldn't win like the other boy had.

He heard Porky talking to them.

"Giygas will be stronger, a more powerful entity than any other!"

Soon... Soon everything would be the way they wanted it to be... the way he wanted it to be.

"He is the Evil Power."

That's right. He needed no body to defeat them- His current form was powerful enough to do so. But part of him wished he still had claws to rip through their small bodies, pointed feet with which to kick them in the face, a tongue to lick their blood from his claws and taste their anguish...

...

It was time. The battle had begun.

There were loud mechanical noises as Porky made the first move, tearing into the girl with the arms of his spidery mech.

The children were more powerful than expected. They had the ability to reflect his attacks back at him, and Porky was sustaining a lot of damage... and somehow, the one with the topknot had managed to confuse both of them.

Still, the two managed to weaken the children. However, it wasn't long until...

"I understand you guys are already claiming to be heroes. Well, it is a gazillion years too early for you to oppose Giygas!"

The children glared at him.

"You must feel pretty stupid to keep fighting without even knowing what Giygas looks like! If you were to ever see Giygas, you'd be so petrified with fear..."

And with that, the boy turned off the Devil's Machine, exposing the creature.

"So, isn't this terrifying? I'm terrified, too."

...child...

"You will be... just another meal to him!"

...they... will... d . i . e...

His consciousness was all that was left of him. What few fragments of thought he had were mostly unintelligible.

One after another, the attacks came. The children continued to shield themselves as best they could. The first attack he launched did nothing.

The things the boy with the glasses launched at him went through him completely.

...Ness...

This attack didn't hit anyone, either. All the same, the children were gripped with fear, just as Porky, who was hiding nearby, thought they would be.

In spite of their fear, they kept attacking desperately.

Porky came out from his hiding place to taunt the Chosen Ones again.

"You know, my heart is beating incredibly fast... I must be experiencing absolute terror! Do you want to scream for help here, in the dark!? Why not call your mommy, Ness!"

Any last shred of control he had before was gone now. But with that loss of control came incredible strength. Still, the children attacked him.

......Ness...

...It hurts... it hurts...

They continued their attacks in spite of his tortured cries.

It hurts, Ness...

His attacks grew increasingly desperate and incomprehensible.

In the midst of the boys' attacks, the girl had had an idea. She clasped her hands together and looked up into the black abyss.

"...Please give us strength, if it is possible..."

...who... useless... foolish girl...

"... ... ... Somebody... help us..."

After a moment, he felt something strange. Were his defenses... weakening?

Argh... Yaagh! ...

...Ness...

...It hurts... it hurts...

The children picked themselves up, having been rattled after his last attack. The girl clasped her hands together again...

"Anyone who can hear our plea... Help us..."

He felt a sharp pain.

Why was this happening? Why were they hurting him like this? What had he done? He didn't know...

...I'm so sad...
... ... Ness.

The boy's eyes widened, and his grip on the baseball bat he cherished so much loosened, if only for a moment.

...friends...

He wouldn't win, not even with the help of his little friends. If that boy won...

The girl gave the scared boy a meaningful look, a look that hurt the strange creature even more, though he couldn't understand why.

...It hurts... it hurts...

The boy looked from the girl to him with a new fire in his eyes. He would protect her, no matter what.

And she would protect them all. That's what she must have been thinking as she prayed for a third time.

"Speed this prayer to all the people of the earth."

And someone must have answered. There was another sharp pain, a worse one this time.

...Ness...

The boy holding the bat shifted in and out of his focus.

He gave another wilder, more desperate attack. Why wouldn't they stop? Not that he would have spared them if they had, but it would've made things a bit easier.

"Anyone who can hear our plea... Help us..."

Her eyes were filled with tears now. It was useless to hide her fear and desperation now.

"...Please grant us power!"

Her voice was cracking now with every word, her entire body was shaking.

With every prayer, he felt even more pain.

Argh... Yaaagh!...

...go... b...a..c...k...

He wanted them out of his home. He would make them understand that.

But why did his attacks seem to be getting feebler...?

...I'm h...a...p...p...y...

Argh... Yaaagh!...

It hurts... it hurts...

I feel... g...o...o...d...

He had no idea what he was feeling anymore.

The girl prayed again.

He hadn't felt this much pain since... since... when...? He couldn't remember anymore...

Ah, grrr, ohhh...

Why wouldn't they leave him alone?!

"Speed this prayer to all the people of the earth..."

The girl again. He needed her gone. He needed her...

Argh... Yaagh!...

Why was he so weak...?

...friends...

Was it because he was alone? No. It couldn't be... He needed no one.

Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness, Ness...

...go... b...a..c...k...

get out get out get out get out get out get out

The only sounds were his own tortured screams and the girl's sobs. Maybe she had finally figured it out. That it was hopeless. That they should leave. That he had won.

Or maybe she hadn't.

"I can't think of anyone else... Someone, anyone... please help us."

For a moment, there was nothing. No sound, no pain... nothing at all.

In spite of the fact that it looked hopeless, they continued fighting.

It's not right... not right... not right...

...go... b...a..c...k...

...Stop...

"Someone... can you hear me!? Please, give us strength!"

It seemed like the pain would never stop. The children trembled with fear as he let out one blood-curdling scream after another.

He faintly heard some of Porky's speech.

"It's going to seem like I'm running away. But perhaps I'll just sneak away to another era to think about my next plan."

And with that, the child left him.

The last thing he saw was the boy smiling. He wished he'd had the strength to kill him right then and there.

It wasn't supposed to end like this. He should have won. And now he might never get another chance.

And then, once again, there was nothing. He was left with his own disjointed thoughts, memories playing in his head over and over.

A mother's love. A sweet lullaby. His first failure.

Take a melody
Simple as can be
Give it some words
And sweet harmony.

Raise your voices
All day long now
Love grows strong now
Sing a melody of love, oh, love...

A plan.

"Porky... We will teach those ugly people a lesson. I will require your assistance."

What did they have that he didn't? He was power.

Could it really be...

...Maria...

No.

He didn't need love. Love was what had made him weak before.

Love is why he had failed the first time.

What was there to be done now? He had no body, Porky was gone...

All he had left were fragments of thought and faded memories.

And that was all it seemed he would ever have.

Ma... ma...

I l...o...v...e you...