Author's Note: First of all, sorry about the lack of updating! I wanted to do some research before I finished this chapter, and then life got in the way n' stuff. Hopefully I can update more often now. Second of all, thank you for the reviews--every time I get one it gives me the motivation I need to start writing. Please continue telling me what you think! I love reading what you guys have to say. Happy Halloween!

T a l k

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"I'm telling you sir, this idea is golden. I've been a businessman all my life and I know a good idea when I see one!"

Butch stood scratching the back of his head, leery about the offer presented to him. This new neighbor guy seemed shady--what with his slicked back hair and odd-looking clothes, which in actuality was nothing more than a typical grey business suit, but no one in town had seen or worn anything like it before. The man even held a flat, square, leatherbound bag that resembled a miniature suitcase, which Butch assumed was an oversized lunchbox of somesort.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer," the man insisted, overemphasizing hand gestures throughout his speech. "If we go into business together now, not only will we be doing the people of Nowhere Islands a service by introducing the wonders of 'Fast Food' to them, but we'll also become rich!" Butch listened but could not grasp the concept of what the "business" man was trying to get at. The only "rich" thing he'd ever experienced was the frosting he had on a cupcake once--but he wasn't quite sure why anyone would want to relate to frosting. Creamy and delcious as it was. Needless to say, most of the people in Tazmilly hadn't seen a penny in their lives.

"All you'll have to do is breed your cattle in large numbers and sell the meat to me. In turn, we'll make delicious food. You'll be rewarded greatly for your work!"

"I dunno, Mr. Jack... we never ate cows before. Pigs. Chickens. Sure. But no cows. These here are sacred creatures." With the last coment, he gently slapped the cow on its backside, and with impeccable timing, the creature emitted a toot paired with a foul smell neither man could ignore. In fact, they had to move quite a distance away in order to breathe again.

"So, my good man, what do you say?"

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Elsewhere, two different men were taking care of business as well.

"Wh... what happened!?" Lighter asked in shock.

The sight was a horrifying sight to the craftsman. Upturned and crooked posts bordered the sheep pasture--the very same fence Lighter had helped Flint build over 13 years back. The very same fence he had put his blood, sweat, and tears into--now nothing but a rotting row of uneven wood.

Flint set down the lumber he'd retrieved from the forest and glanced up at the pasture fence.

"Ah... I was tryin' to restore it. Didn't happen." Flint explained dismissingly. "Doesn't matter though, I'm just worried about gettin' a fence 'round my crops."

"Doesn't matter!? There's gaps everywhere! Your sheep could just waltz right through the crooked posts if one of 'em was feelin' smart one day. Look! One of 'em already tried!!" Lighter pointed out a fluffy white lamb that was lodged between two slanted posts, baaing feebily and struggling with its tiny feet in the air. Flint dislogded it and placed it back in the pasture where it pranced away gleefully, then he returned to Lighter's side. Before he could say anything however, they were interrupted by a stranger.

"Hello, gentlemen!" said the stranger, who happened to be the same suit-wearing man who had been pestering Butch and his family earlier that day. Despite the looks he was given, he approached undauntedly and greeted them both with a firm and brief handshake.

"Jeeze, everyone sure does love farming around here, huh! Well anyway, the name's Jack! My family and I just moved into town and I'm currently trying to start up a business." Both men were speechless and a little bit distrubed by the newcomer's forward attitude and odd attire. But even more so by the questionable things he was saying.

"I couldn't help but notice you two handy wood workers out here and just had to come over! I'm looking for some men who are good with their hands, and with wood too, of course. Hear me out..."

While the three fathers began discussing business, two of which unwitting participants to such, Lucas emerged from the house across the farm and glanced over at them. Although there was quite a bit of wood lying on the ground he wasn't sure what they were up to. Not that it mattered. He had been so excited to see how much the sprouts had grown since the last day that he hadn't even dressed before stepping outside, so his attention was drawn back to the tiny green beings sprouting from the dirt. Upon closer examination, the sprouts were growing beautifully, some simple green leaflings just barely poking out of the ground, others little bushels, and others still growing into miniature stalks. However, despite their ample growth, he could not seem to converse with them telepathically. Wondering if it was due to the rowdy men across the farm, he turned back and watched them attentively for a while. When one of them looked his way, he brought his hands to his mouth, to amplify his voice, and yelled out: "Dad! Do you want me to water the crops for you?"

"No! They don't need any waterin'!" Flint snapped, already frustrated by the neighbor's obtrusion. Dejected, Lucas regarded the plants a moment longer before returning to the house.

"Is that your son? I also have a son! Quite a boy, might I add. I couldn't be prouder of him! In fact, he's not much older than yours, I'm sure. Maybe they'll become great friends!" Jack placed his hands on his hips and ruminated happily. Flint didn't seem to share the enthusiasm, but Lighter joined in.

"Oh! I have a son too! His name's Fuel and he's always tryin' to help me out." Lighter seemed to be bragging. "But... he doesn't really like Flint's boy. The kid's kinda weird."

Flint face-palmed and walked away from both men. He couldn't give a rat's behind about business or "fast food" or sons. He just wanted his dag-gun fence made.

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Ness's Father wasn't the only one out making an impression on the town. Once her energy returned to her, Sarah, Ness's mother, couldn't wait to begin exploring the town, meeting the neighbors, and more importantly, showing off her beautiful baby girl. Unfortunately for Ness, she decided to drag him along too..

"Why do I have to go? You're the one who wants to meet the neighbors, not me." Ness hardly glanced at his mother, who was standing in his bedroom doorway. While she tapped her foot impatiently, he flipped to the next the page of the comic book he was reading.

"I'd like to stop by the store on the way back to pick up a few things, so I need help carrying the groceries." The woman began, displeased by her son's lack of cooperation. Ness was equally displeased, seeing as he was trying to find out how Waterwoman would get out of a pinch with a shark, but couldn't very well concentrate with his mom pestering him like she was.

"Besides, it wouldn't kill you to try and make some friends yourself. I don't want you loitering around the house all the time!"

Ness exhaled through his nose obnoxiously, then said under his breath: "And yet you yell at me when I bring people over..."

With that, Sarah snapped: "Get your shoes on!" and shut his door abruptly. Ness sat up in a snit and tossed his comic book off the bed. What was that woman's problem? She didn't even want him in her sight for weeks, and now all of a sudden she wants to drag him along on a leasurely stroll? Ness wanted to strangle her sometimes. Despite the sour mood however, Ness eventually made it upstairs and out the door with his mom and sister.

Tracy, still discolored and resembling a naked molerat, was sound asleep in her stroller, which her mother had taken care to decorate with blankets in case she got cold. Ness didn't so much as look at the baby as he stayed several feet behind her and his mother while they walked. Several people stopped to wave and Sarah promptly waved back and greeted them before moving on. Ness rolled his eyes and prayed for an escape of some kind. Amazingly and unexpectedly, his prayers were answered when a woman, close to his mom's age and size approached them.

"Oh my my! What an adorable baby!" The woman gushed, kneeling before the halted carriage and placing her hands over her rosy, plump cheeks. Her hair was chestnut in color, straight, and shoulder length. Sarah giggled and went on to tell her all the gorey details of the birth. Ness raised a brow and wondered how grown women could lose it like that over a wrinkly infant. His attention was drawn away from the women, however, when another boy with brown hair walked up to look at the baby as well. It was then that the woman stood up straight and introduced herself.

"So you must be the new neighbors! Well, my name's Coaleen, and this here is my son, Fuel. Ohhh, I miss having a baby around! Seeing your little one makes me want to try n' convince my husband to plant another bun in my oven!" Fuel looked at his mother in horror, then flushed and placed his hand over his face.

"Oh you should," Ness's mom encouraged, gently placing a hand on her new friend's arm. "It's the most wonderful thing! It really brought my husband and I back together. We couldn't be happier."

Ness stared crudely at Fuel, who's line of sight never met his own, that is, until their gabbing mothers finally proposed they go and chat more over a cup of tea. Lucky for Ness, that meant he was off the hook. Unfortunately, before he could run off and as far away from them as possible--the damned neighbor woman suggested he bring Fuel along with him. He had no choice, so he did.

"...My dad helped build just about every house in town, and now he said he's gonna help Mr. Flint build a fence for his crops. I bet everyone's gonna wanna fence from my dad soon so he'll probably be really busy soon. Sometimes I help him build stuff too, but sometimes it's boring so I run around and play in the forest. There's SO many cool things to do in there! The trees are really good for climbin', and the dirt is great for diggin'--"

Alright, so "lucky" might have been a poor choice of words. Having his ear talked off by some overzealous kid wasn't exactly any better than spending the afternoon with his sassy mother, but Ness still hoped he could slip away before things got any worse. As they neared the square, his patience had thinned to a miniscule line that could disintegrate at any given moment. Fortunately, a real opportunity to escape finally came up. Out of what seemed to be nowhere, that blond, well-wishing boy appeared and disapeared into the Library. Ness stopped in his tracks, and Fuel did too.

"Tch, there's Lucas." Fuel let out an angry breath. Ness looked down at him with interest.

"You know him?"

"Uh, yeah. My dad's friends with his dad, but I HATE him. He's such a freaking wimp and he's sooo annoying." Ness scoffed at that comment and said "And you aren't?" under his breath.

"No one likes him cuz he's a creeper and does really stupid stuff. Like, I heard he talks to plants. As if they're actually people or something!! And he usually never comes out of his house, but when he does he acts strange... talking to himself and giving everyone the evil eye n' stuff. Sometimes he even goes crazy and starts hitting people and breaking windows for no reason at all!" Ness raised a brow at the statements, but wasn't sure if he should trust anything that came out of this kid's mouth. He remained skeptical. Lucas seemed shy, sure, but crazy?

"Oh, and I also heard he like, is dating his dog or something. I guess he's psycho cuz his mom is dead, but either way he's definitely not the kinda guy I want to be seen around with." Fuel finished, glaring in the direction of the Bookery. Ness decided he definitely couldn't trust anything coming from the brown-haired twit's mouth and decided to go say hello to the supposed plant-whispering, dog-molesting loon. At least he didn't go on and on about lumber and dirt. That alone gave him a few sane points.

"H-hey! Where are you going?" Fuel squeeked after Ness. The taller boy waved his hand and said "Don't follow me. I'll be right back," even though he had no intention of being "back" at all.

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Lucas appeared child-like as he waddled across the Library floor, cradling more books in his arms than he could ever read in a week, much less a single day. He was on a mission to find something to help him understand... anything, really. About himself, his life, the way he was feeling. Surely there had to be a book about a boy he could relate to. Surely, he couldn't be the only boy who ever lost a brother and was experiencing odd hallucinations and phenomena. Could he?

As he passed by a bookshelf near the back, he caught sight of one particular book which was a bit more striking than the others. His eyes couldn't make out the full title of the book, but the word "Brother" was enough to elevate his curiosity to the point of no return. He placed the load of books he was already carrying onto the ground, momentarily losing interest in them, and attempted to reach that one-in-particular book by standing on the very tips of toes. This proved useless. He was still too short to reach it. Glancing around revealed the only step ladder was currently in-use by the old shopkeeper, who seemed to be re-alphebetizing the books at the slowest speed imaginable, and Lucas was certainly not rude enough nor assertive enough to ask if he could borrow it from him. With a bit of a pout on his lips, he returned his longing gaze to the book, which happened to be sticking out just a little bit more than the others. Almost as if it was begging to be plucked off the shelf. Almost as if it could just fall right off, if someone, say... wished hard enough for it.

With his eyes locked on the object, brows furrowed, Lucas began to concentrate with every bit of his mental and emotional power.

Fall.

Yellow eyes squinted, small body tensing, he could imagine what he wanted to happen so clearly in his mind.

Fall. Fall. FA--

Just then, just barely, it seemed to move outward. Lucas jumped and gasped sharply. No one had touched it. No one had bumped the shelf. Had he just...?

"Sucks being so short, huh? You probably have to ask for favors all the time." The snidely spoken comment jolted Lucas, and out of nowhere the voices owner appeared. Ness gave the quiet blond a short, unreadable glance, then retrieved the book with ease. When the book was offered his way, Lucas pretended to be uninterested. He only took it the second time Ness pressed it towards him.

"Why are you always here?" Lucas asked, attempting to hide the fear in his voice, heart beating nearly as fast as a hummingbird's. Without interest in the answer, he flipped the book open and made his way over to his table by the window. Ness flollowed.

"Why not? Am I not allowed or something?" Ness's tone was still a bit snide.

"You don't like books," Lucas answered matter-of-factly without looking at the other. Ness huffed in defeat, although he couldn't recall ever mentioning a distaste for books before.

"Yeah, but I'm used to being in school at this time of year. It's weird not having anything to do." He took a seat across from Lucas and propped his elbows up on the table. Lucas wondered if the boy was there to harass him. Ness never mentioned he was just trying to avoid that kid, Foul, or whatever his name was. Lucas tried to concentrate on the book, but his eyes kept finding their way, somehow, up towards the other boy, who was dazily gazing out the window. When he caught himself looking, he'd snap his line of sight back down to the book. It had been a while since he'd seen the dark-eyed boy, but once Lucas remembered he hadn't left his farm for a while, it all made perfect sense. Once again he found himself wondering why Ness felt compelled to stop and talk to him every time they met, but he didn't verbalize any of his questions. The calm silence ended with a very odd comment from Ness.

"Hey, Lucas. What kind of relationship do you have with your dog?" Lucas looked up from his book with a blank expression. No one had ever asked him that, and he wasn't sure what the motive behind it was. It must have been unimportant though, seeing as Ness shook his head and said "Nevermind" as soon as Lucas asked "...What?"

"You're not really popular, huh?" Lucas sighed at the question. Did this guy get some kind of kick out of asking such weird things? Ness continued to elaborate. "I've barely been here a few weeks... but it's already pretty obvious everyone here has some really weird ideas about you."

"Oh... you mean rumors? Everybody's obsessed with rumors..." Lucas said shyly, lowering his gaze when Ness turned towards him.

"Ahh, I get it. I didn't think you were actually crazy enough to talk to trees and all that." Ness laughed, but Lucas's face hardened.

"But I--that's--" Lucas attempted to find the words to defend himself, but before he could, something interupted his thoughts altogether. He stopped and looked towards the window.

"What? What is it?" The dark haired boy watched as Lucas got up and started towards the window. Moments later, he cringed as Lucas began to shout.

"H-HEY! STOP THAT!" And out the room he darted. Confused, Ness glanced out the window, saw nothing out of the ordinary, pulled back, and chased after the peculiar blond.

Outside, Lucas dashed towards a large apple tree perched imperfectly on the edge of the town square, where some of the neighborhood kids happened to be playing. If "playing" consisted of snapping off branches, flowers, and bark in an attempt to climb all over it, that is. Lucas instantly recognized all the children. Two of them were Nichol and Richie, the outgoing children of Thomas and Lisa whom he often ran into during his outings in town. They weren't mean children, but they ignored him and usually only interacted with eachother. The third in the group of heedins was none other than Fuel, the cheeky son of his dad's best friend, Lighter. They had never gotten along, and Lucas was indifferent to his destructive personality. It was no surprise he was the one climbing atop one of the tree's thick branches, while provoking the other children to join him. Lucas was furious.

"Get down from there!!" he demanded, raising his voice to a high-pitched squeal. All three youths snapped their heads towards the boy who was fast approaching. Ness wasn't far behind. "She doesn't like it when you climb on her!!"

"Go away Lucas!" Nichol shouted, stepping protectively in front of his sister. Fuel, who was currently hanging upside down from the branch, saw Lucas running towards him at top speed and knew he was in for it. Franticly, he shrieked and began pulling himself up. Although he managed himself upright by the time Lucas was beneath him, he hadn't taken care to pull his right leg up completely. Lucas grabbed onto his dangling foot, both hands wrapping around the ankle firmly, and instantly yanked it downward. Fuel screamed boyishly over and over as he was nearly torn from the branch, but managed to keep his arms and one leg wrapped around. Pieces of bark, twigs, and a slew of leaves began falling as the boys struggled against eachother. Lucas could hear Richie scream his name loudly as he yanked downward again--with exeedingly more force than the last time. This time he was successful. With a "thud" and the screams and gasps of the children around them, Lucas had sucessfully ripped Fuel from the tree. The spiky-haired boy let out a painful "Owww...!" as he attempted to prop himself up, but ended up falling back once more, the wind completely knocked out of him. Richie and Nichol kneeled at the boys side, asking if he was hurt. Fuel moaned. Ness stood at a distance, still gawlking and wondering what, if anything, had caused such an outburst from the seemingly reserved boy. Maybe he really was crazy, just like Fuel said.

"Nnghh... d... damn you, Lucas," Fuel spat out, finally and dizzily sitting up with the help of Nichol. Lucas glared at all three children, undetered by the vulgarities.

"You're so MEAN, Lucas!" Richie blubbered, then stood to her feet and ran off towards the North side of town.

"You're off your rocker, Lucas," Nichol insulted, then followed his sister promptly.

Still a bit incoherant, Fuel sheepishly stood to his feet, dusted himself off, and threw one last insult before walking off in defeat.

"Psh, have fun humping your tree." Lucas watched the brunett walk away, a fairly vacant expression upon his face. Ness folded his arms across his chest and continued to watch from a distance. Lucas stared off until the other kids were out of sight, then once they were gone, drew his attention back towards the apple tree. He then stood before it, looked up, and gently placed the palm of his hand on the bark of the tree.

With the sudden outburst and the weird way he was touching the tree, Ness really didn't know what to think. Something kept him from running in the opposite direction however--curiosity, perhaps--and led him towards the blond boy once more.

"...What the heck was that all about?" Ness inquired, unsure about questioning a crazy-person's motivation. Lucas lowered his hand from the tree's base and turned around with big, glowing eyes.

"Can I have another one of those 'Korter'?" By 'Korter', he meant 'Quarter'. Probably. Ness half-smiled and half-laughed out of sheer disbelief.

"Answer my question first." Lucas pressed his lips together, displeased with Ness's lack of cooperation. From the comment he made earlier, he knew telling him the truth would do no good. He would just think he was crazy, like everyone else! Little did he know, after that little show, Ness already knew he was a bit batty and it would take something incredible to convince him otherwise.

"I-I... I just don't--well, this is my tree, and I rather... well, I-I don't want them..." Lucas's voice grew less and less confident and audible as he watched Ness's face contort with skeptisism, but he continued still as he lowered his eyes to the floor. "...playing on it..."

"What the heck is wrong with you? You're so... freaking weird. I bet the rumors are true." Ness breathed a sigh and dug through his pockets. Lucas felt bad and he wasnt sure why. A moment later, Ness admitted he didn't have any "change" on him, so Lucas lost interest and began back towards the library to retrieve that book he had been pining over earlier that day. Ness scratched his head, more baffled by that kid and his odd behavior than ever now. He didn't follow him that time.

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Around dusk that evening, there was a knock at the door. Lucas turned from the rice he was boiling to see his father answer it. Before the doorknob had ever been turned however, a looming feeling came over Lucas and he knew something bad was about to happen. When he heard his father's mumbled "Mmm?" of recognition, and a woman's familiar voice, he knew exactly what had happened. Fuel had told on him. The guilty boy lowered his head and returned to the rice, stirring it slowly. Boney sat by his feet and whimpered. Lucas heard only bits and pieces of the woman's rant and his father mumbling in understanding. Then, the door shut, and he could only brace himself for what was about to come.

"What's your problem boy? I'm sick of hearin' it from the neighbors. You need to get your act together." Flint's perturbed tone rung through the boy's ears and caused him to twitch. Unable to control the pent-up emotion, he began to cry. Although he was facing the stove, Flint could hear the sniveling and knew exactly what he was doing. Lucas fidgetted when Flint slammed his hand against the countertop.

"Are you crying!? I don't get you kid. If ANYBODY should be crying, it should be me, but I ain't. You know why? 'Cause men don't cry, goddamnit!" Flint was at his wit's end. He wanted to shake his son, knock some sense into him, anything. But he somehow knew that nothing was going to help. Lucas quickly tried to wipe his tears away with both hands, but the tears continued to form and he could never seem to make them stop.

"S-sorry..." Lucas could hardly look at his father under normal circumstances, so this was ten times more difficult. Flint brought his hand to his forehead, rubbing at a stress-induced headthrob. Lucas attempted to stop his tears.

"I guess I just have to ground you. I don't wanna see you out again for a week." Lucas nodded slowly. Flint paused, then continued. "So... get to yer room. Uh--after you finish with supper... I guess."

Lucas did as he was told, carefully pouring the boiling water from the pot, then serving the rice with the fresh carrots and peas his father had brought home the day before. Once he was done, he sluggishly began towards the stairs. Flint looked at the steaming meal, then to his son.

"Uh... Lucas." The boy stopped midstep, one hand on the railing of the staircase. Flint seemed to struggle to find the words, but eventually said "...Come n' eat first, boy," and then turned his gaze back to the hearty dinner. Lucas sniffled and wiped his nose, then joined his father at the opposite end of the table. They didn't exchange any more words after that. When they were done, Lucas collected the bowls and placed them in the sink to wash in the morning. Both father and son retired to their rooms.

Lucas, unable to sleep and too antsy to sit and read, waited a couple of hours to make sure his father was fast asleep, then decided to sneak out of the house. He slipped on his shoes, opened his door carefully, and walked down the hallway just the same. Once he made it outside, he had to shush Boney--who could hardly contain his excitement to see someone was awake beside him. Maybe they could play! Lucas broke the news that he wasn't out there to play, but offered to take him along anyway. Boney, tail wagging furiously, stifled a bark and agreed instantly. They both headed into town together.

The boy stopped when he found himself underneath the big apple tree. Below his feet lied the mess from earlier that day; snapped twigs, broken, pinkish blossoms, and countless dishevelled leaves. The feeling of guilt was nearly overwhelming. But before he could even reach out to the tree, it reached out to him. Not literally though.

"Hello, little one." Lucas looked up and smiled solemnly, then greeted her with a meek "Hello".

"Thank you for saving me from those unruly children. It seems these days nearly everyone has lost respect for me. What's that saying of yours...?" The majestic tree paused. "Ah yes, 'Respect your Elders'. I wonder, does anyone know just how old I am? I was here before any of you. I was here before the village was ever constructed around me."

"Are you mad that they built the village?"Lucas inquired. He and Boney took a seat underneath the tree, curious about the wisdom she had to share.

"No, no!" The old "woman" chuckled, then continued. "I'm not angry at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. When I was a lass I was almost completely alone, save for the shrub here and there and the other fruit trees across the way. When they began building the village, I was excited. Finally, I had a reason to show off! Once everything had settled in and I bore my fruit, the villagers regarded me with such courtesy and admiration. I felt like a fruit-bearing Goddess!" Lucas smiled. He could just imagine what those days must have been like. "Because I provided food, life, and beauty, the people treated me tenderly. But as the years went on, the attention and love I recieved has gradually diminished. I still use all of my strength every year to bear my apples in fall, but people have lost interest in the harvest. The man with the silly hat comes by to collect a few baskets full, but much of my fruit ends up rotting on the ground above my feet." Lucas could feel the sadness welling up inside the old tree and he understood. If he spent the entire year building up strength just to bear fruit for people who didn't even care, he would have felt the same way!

"I'm sorry... I would feel sad if I were you, too." Lucas offered, carressing her bark with his fingers.

"Oho! You have no reason to apologize. In fact, I should be thanking you. You're the only one who still talks to me and treats me with the respect an old lady deserves!"

"My dad grounded me... so I can't visit you for a while. But when I can, would you like it if I read underneath you?"

"Of course! I'd love that. But I should rest now. I have a lot of energy to build up in time for autumn."

"Will there be as many apples as last year?"

"Hohoho, absolutely! Just because people have become ungrateful, doesn't mean I won't give it my all! In fact, I have a feeling this will be one of my biggest harvests yet."

"I'll pick a lot of them. I'll make pie and juice and preserves! That way no apples rot on the ground!"

"You are so sweet. Well, goodbye. Wake me up when you're finished being 'grounded'!" The tree didn't know the meaning of the word, but it didn't sound like a bad thing. After all, she herself was "grounded" too.

Afterwards, Lucas made his way back home with Boney at his side. The next week might be a boring one for the boy, but for the men involved in Jack's Fast Food scheme, things were just about to get exciting...