Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Giygas was collapsing in on himself. He heard as the pig-nosed servant he recruited gasped out his final taunt to the boy of legend, Ness, before proceeding on to disappear into another time. All he could feel now was utter agony. His body was long gone, destroyed by the devil’s machine- And now his mind would disappear too. He felt his mind shatter into more and more pieces, his vision filled by nothing more than the pre-teenage boy in front of him. He had worked so hard to stop Ness from thwarting his plans, to beat fate. To stop Ninten from ever existing… To stop himself from feeling the pain that his surrogate father, George, caused him when he ran away. He hoped, to some degree, that maybe he would even stop himself from existing in the first place too… His mother, Maria, would stop existing too. He knew this, and tried so desperately to ignore it…

But now, he had lost, and despite the overwhelming pain as his brain melted into a soup of suffering… He almost felt… Good. It was finally over, all the hellish experience of existing— His own people had forced him into such an awful position… Their damned militaristic conquest made him have to decide whether he would kill the descendants of those he loved, or simply die. It was better this way. Dying to Ness… It was the only path, just as the apple of enlightenment had said.

Would he see Maria again after it ended? Maybe even George? No… He didn’t deserve it… But he could hope.

Giygas’s mind tore itself into shreds. Piece by piece, every pain and horror turned into another red blotch- Until there were too many to count. And then… Static… And silence. It was over, wasn’t it?

It was all… Finally . . . O v e r . . .

. . .

Giegue opened their eyes slowly, looking up at the mobile slowly spinning above their baby crib. Their long tail curled around in front of them, and their little arms and legs grabbed it, holding onto it tightly. They were sweating… And crying, too. Why were they here? Why did they have their body back- but smaller? They’d died. Just like the apple of enlightenment predicted, it all ended. So why…? Where was the pig-nosed gremlin? Where was the cave of the past? Where was… Ness?

They heard, suddenly, footsteps heading toward their room. This was… Their room. They’d forgotten. The room from all that time ago… Maybe this was some kind of eternal torture for their sins… Maybe it was Ness, or the pig-nosed brat coming to tell them they needed a new plan. But no- The footsteps weren’t firm like Ness’s were, nor were they fast and aggravating like the pig-nosed cretin. And beyond that, again… Why would they be there if they’d died?

The footsteps were dainty, sweet… Familiar, but they didn’t quite know why. They slowly floated out of their crib, holding onto the crib’s wall and peeking to see who would come through the door. Then… They shivered, realizing- Their eyes widening as much as they could, and tears pouring slowly down their cheeks.

A blonde, rosy cheeked woman walked through the door- She looked slightly tired, probably because it was early in the morning- But no malice in the slightest emanated from her being. It was her. Giegue couldn’t stop staring and crying, seeing her face again…

It was her, Maria’s soft voice spoke to them oh so gently, “Oh baby Giegue… What’s wrong, darling? Did you have a nightmare?”

She approached their crib gently, and picked them up… quickly, Giegue latched onto her- Hugging her tightly. Nightmare… Was it all a nightmare? Those hundred years? All the hate and pain? All the suffering? They held on tighter… It couldn’t be true. They’d become the embodiment of evil, an all-encompassing monster. But right before them was the mother they’d loved so long ago… They simply couldn’t believe it. Maria…

“M..mhm… N..nightmare… Scary… I…I was evil and… And dad left and… I became a monster a..and…” Giegue’s voice trembled, memories of what they had done flooding into their mind.

They didn’t deserve to be able to talk about their feelings, they’d done such horrid things to so many people… But, as they were self deprecating in their mind, Maria hugged them tightly back— Causing them to sob harder. She gently patted their back, holding them close…

Yet again, her voice soothed them, “Shh… It was only a nightmare, Giegue… It’s okay… You are not a monster, and you never will be…”

Each and every word stung in a way they knew well… The sting of love, the sting of comfort. They had run from it so many times, from Ninten, from Ness… But now… From Maria… They couldn’t bring themself to run. Was George still gone… They wondered? He had to have been… He betrayed them, so—

Then, quick thumping footsteps approached the door, and a man with white hair and a brown suit burst in. He quickly hugged both Maria and Giegue, and on cue, Giegue’s tears went full force again. It was George. George didn’t leave…

“GIEGUE!” George’s familiar gruff voice called out to them, “Oh I heard the little cries from downstairs. What happened?”

Maria smiled, and sighed… George could be so ridiculous, always obsessing over his next scoop for the paper— So when it came to what their children were sad about, he was always eager to find out what it was and soothe them. Giegue knew that, because Maria was always saying it… Not to mention it was always plastered on his face. Giegue stared at both of them… They were really back here. And it was different this time… George wasn’t gone.

They looked to the side, staring out the window. Wait… The sky was blue outside. They were on Earth, not on the mothership. Did that mean… They were never taken to the homeworld? Instead… Giegue was left with them. They supposed the nightmare had clouded their memories of what happened in the real world. It… Really was just a nightmare, wasn’t it? It was hitting them… But they looked back at Maria and George, their loving, caring parents, despite them being an alien they were forced to raise… And realized, it was more than a nightmare. Maybe it was… A warning. A warning on what rejecting love, and embracing their species ways would do them.

“Oh, I know what they need…” Her tone was knowing and gentle.

George chuckled heartily, then moved away, and tipped his hat, “Ah, I get it. I’ll be downstairs typing away— There’s been a new sighting a continent away! Some big lake monster called Tessie or… Something!”

They had no idea Tessie was this old. Had they just always been around-? Well… Anyhow. What were they talking about? Why were they being so cryptic? Was this all fake? Were they going to disappear? Were they-?

“Take a melody~ Simple as can be~...”

It was a lullaby. The eight melodies. The song that Maria had always sung to them to calm them down, to help them sleep and to bring them comfort… The song had weakened them in their nightmare, let them remember what love was and be forced to run away because of it— But now that there was nowhere to run… They were with Maria again… It soothed them beyond what they ever could have felt before. They closed their eyes, as Maria rocked them in her arms.

“Sing a melody of… Love, oh love…”

They didn’t feel sleepy as they usually did when she sang it… Instead, they just felt… Loved. Their tail wagged back and forth, as they nuzzled their alien snout into their mother’s neck. Maria finished the melodies, and petted their back…

With a smile so soft it could pass for velvet she spoke to them once more and, as they listened closely, they could hear laughter in the back of her throat as she did, “Looks like you’re all calmed down now… Why don’t I take you downstairs to the living room… I can make you breakfast in the kitchen, and you can play with those little metal spoons you love to bend!”

They nodded, happy to do anything she wanted. They forgot how much they liked using their PSI for fun… It was always just… For hate and revenge in their nightmare.

…

Maria brought them downstairs, gently placing them on the couch. They floated a little above it- The metal spoons placed all over the floor slowly rising into the air. They couldn’t help but get started early, and it made Maria giggle a little.

“You play with those, I can make you some cream of wheat and eggs. Alright, baby?”

Giegue nodded. They forgot what kind of breakfast they ate back in this time… They never actually ate in their nightmares past their infancy, because their species only ever needed nutrition capsules— They were definitely glad that they were out of that at least. Though… Cream of wheat wasn’t exactly the best thing to look forward to. Some of them wanted to somehow speed up the process of food development so that they could have the more tasty looking stuff they saw Ninten and Ness eating in their nightmare, but they had no idea how to do that. Humans could be so… Weird, and backwards when it came to scientific progression. Though… Their own species was completely backwards in terms of mental health, so it wasn’t like they could speak with a lot of authority.

Now that they thought about it, they still had their mind. The mind they’d gained through their experiences in their nightmare. They thought like a fully grown adult, despite still being a tiny toddler of an alien. They supposed maybe there was something more to the nightmare… Maybe it was some kind of PSI test, that would allow them to grow up quicker and prevent fate. Or… Something. They didn’t know. That damn apple of enlightenment messed with their head.

Chapter Text

Come on, bend in a circle... Bend...!

Snap!

Giegue sat midair in the living room, awash in defeat, the tenth spoon they tried to bend in a complete circle having snapped in two like all the others. They could bend spoons with their PSI with ease, but making them defy physics to not break when stretching them so far was... Proving more difficult.

Luckily, Maria knew they had such momentary fascinations with using their PSI for different things, so she'd bought numerous packs of metal spoons for them to use. They weren't actually using any of the ones the family ate with. They couldn't help but snicker with a sly tone at the memory of how much it might've cost Ness to buy so many silver spoons... The wealth of those that profited from the Gilded age really was something. And luckily for them, their parents happened to be part of that group.

Ness... No, they shook their head. No thinking about him, or anything else from their nightmare. Or... Test. Or- Warning- They still didn't know what it was, and it left a crater of annoyance in their chest.

But, as always, just as they were about to dramatically miserate about the issue- Maria had come home- With groceries, and... Something wrapped in a present box. Their eyes widened as they quickly floated over, dropping the spoons they held with their mind and staring at the present Maria had softly placed on the floor.

"Oh, darling, before you open that, could you help with the grocieres?" Maria said, as she walked toward the kitchen with what seemed like an endless pile of shopping bags hanging from her arms.

Giegue wasn't too great with social cues, especially ones that were for helping others. They supposed it was probably part of their species, or maybe, they were just bad at reading situations. Quickly, embarrassed from the moment, they launched forward and grabbed each and every bag from her arms, holding them all on their tiny arms and their long tail. They wanted to do it in one go, they refused to have to make two trips!

They immediately collapsed as they dropped the bags in front of the kitchen counter, and then floated back up to put everything away. Lots of Cream of Wheat mix... They really needed to get around to evolving the human food industry.

A soft giggle rang out from behind, "Oh my, thank you Giegue... You know, you hardly needed to take them all at once."

She picked them up, placing her hand over the marks made by the bags digging into their alien skin.

"Look... Now you have little marks..."

Still, she smiled, reassuring, soft...

Instead of retorting, they huffed. Maria understood what this huff meant of course, mother-child bonding left little to the imagination.

"Ah, I see... You wanted to so you could open the present faster, isn't that right?" She said, placing them back down on the floor. "Go on... Open it!"

They quickly floated back up to knee height, refusing to walk like a baby- Er- No, refusing to walk in general, and then nodded to her. Of course, she was right. Without a moment to spare, they zoomed over to the present box and opened it with their PSI. Then, they floated the toy within out... It appeared to be a fairly round apple. They tilted their head for a moment, thinking it was merely an apple- But then- It's front lit up, with an antique looking LED letter prompt. Though they realized it wasn't antique, since this was the time said antiques would come from.

Wait, did LED even exist yet? They didn't know.

Their mind's constant jumping from thought to thought made it so the next lettering on the apple caught them off guard- It read, "Shake for answers. Ask a question!"

The apple of enlightenment? Could it be? How did it get here? No no- It was impossible!

Maria blinked at the small alien, realizing that they didn't know what to do with it. "It's a new fangled toy called a magic 8-ball! Well, this one is called a magic apple." She walked over, grabbing the apple from their PSI grip. "You ask it a yes or no question, then you shake it... And it gives you an answer!"

She handed it off to their PSI once more. So it... Wasn't the apple of enlightenment. But it was an apple that answered questions... Weird. Well, fine then. They didn't prefer to speak usually, but, they'd do so for this.

"Is dad having a g..good day at work?"

They shook the apple, and waited a moment... And it gave the emphatic response of! "Try again later!"

They paused... Then giggled a little. This was no prophecy machine, it was just a dinky toy! But... Maria bought it for them, and it was a funny little thing. They... Loved it.

Quickly, they turned to her, their body filling with a soft warmth that washed over them whenever Maria did something for them. They knew this to be familial love now, and they knew rejecting that feeling was what led to their downfall in the nightmare. So, they flew up, and hugged their mother closely, her quickly hugging back.

"I'm so glad you like it dear..." she said, having been worried for a moment when she saw the lacking response it gave.

Then, they floated off. They didn't often really say goodbye or that they were going to their room- After all, they knew they'd see her again. It was pointless to say anything.

Once they reached their room, they placed the apple down flat on their bed. Well, crib- It was a crib, they'd just- Taken off the sidebars because they begged George to do it. They floated up, levitating a few inches above the bed, then pointed square at the toy.

"You... You're barely functional. Hardly even a toy, a prophecy scam made of cheap plastics and probably lead. I bet you're poisonous to humans, like everything else in this day and age. I bet if someone ate you, despite you being an apple, you'd break their teeth!"

They huffed, quickly wrapping their tail around it and bringing it close to their chest.

"But mom bought you... So you're good. Understand? Your worth is solely based on Maria's purchase."

They slowly sunk down into the bed, touching the sheets at last... curling around the apple toy and huffing again.

The apple of enlightenment was so much more practically useful, so much more applicable to all situations... It could change the future. But this apple was better. They picked it up with their hands, holding it over their head as they stared up.

"Apple... Was it all a nightmare?" They spoke, as they shook it softly. It retorted,

"Not sure!"

They squinted, then shook it again as they asked, "Was it something more, did it matter?"

"Try again later!"

They gripped it tightly. They might've huffed and put it in the toy box to the right of their bed, but... One more question popped into mind. They wanted to just know, speaking softly...

"Is this... Real?"

"Yes!"

Despite the fact it was only a stupid toy, made to sell cheap and keep kids busy while their parents worked or cooked... Tears still bit at the edges of their eyes upon reading that. Real... This was real. Maria, George, this Earth... they grabbed the sheets, pulling them over themself and placing the apple down- This bed was real, these sheets were real- these tears were real...

They gripped tightly to the pillow they laid their head on, and couldn't help but smile as they dug their oversized snout under it like a dog... Wiping any tears away with it's soft cushiony front.

This was all real... Even if they felt like they didn't deserve it.

Chapter Text

Hey pal! Looks like you got your head handed to you.

How about giving it another shot?

. . .

They shoot up, smashing their snout into the mobile above their head.

How long were they out?! It felt like... Years! No no- Was it all- Truly just a punishment?! All of it jumping along a timeline that they wouldn't properly be able to enjoy-!

They look to the window. Oh. It's just night time.

Still, they slept all day... At some point they must have tail-whapped the apple in their sleep, because it rolled onto the floor.

Considering what busybodies their parents are, they have to assume George and Maria are asleep by now.

Now Maria can't tuck them in and kiss them on the head... Damn!

They float up, grabbing the magic apple with their telekinesis, and proceed to kick their legs in frustration. Now what are they supposed to do?!

"Apple! Do I investigate the roof or attempt to recreate the recipe for the Lunchbox of Enlightenment?"

They drag the apple into their tail's grip, shaking it visciously. The response comes in an emphatic...

"Yes!"

...What does that even mean. Whatever. Lunch box with a brain on it from their nightmare later. For now, they have a roof to check.

Stealthily, they PSI open the window, and slip out in a snake-like maneuver. They float up, staring at the town of Podunk around them as they move. It really is... A fairly large city despite the name. Well, for the time at least.

Their eyes are drawn to the distant South Cemetery. So few graves, despite being built over forty years ago.

They'll have to look into that sometime.

Regardless, they reach the roof, and float softly above it's shingles.

The night sky above them glitters with stars, the kind that Ness and Ninten could never see because of light pollution. The kind that will vanish, if this world's path is as technologically backwards as the one they knew.

But right now... They can enjoy this, can't they?

The milky way above them. They can pick out so many stars in the night.

Polaris. Betelgeuse. They can even see the andromeda galaxy, and some of the planets in the solar system if they really squint.

...They aren't from here. It gives them pause. They know. It's obvious to everyone.

Their inhumanly white skin. Their long snout, their tail. Even the horns upon their head.

And yet... Maria and George love them. Feed them. Sing to them. Humans can be so... Kind.

Their tiny form curls up, as they stare into the abyss of space.

They realize... They have a sibling. Maybe multiple. They must. After all, how would Ninten come to be if they were George and Maria's only child?

They let out a hacking cough of surprise and shock.

"I HAVE SIBLINGS-?!"

Chapter Text

"Da- um. G...George... can you... tell me about the world?"

The question leaves their father stunned. They're worried they might've scared him, done something wrong. But that concern is... Fairly quickly averted with his booming cheer, "OF COURSE GIEGUE! I would be OVERJOYED to teach you the wonders of the world!" To his credit, his voice certainly would capture the attention of an audience if he was tossing out newspapers. They wonder if he'd ever want to be a public speaker, instead of a journalist...

"But if I do show you the old ropes of the world, I want you to promise me one thing Giegue!" He clears his throat to bring them out of their thoughts.

They tilt their head, tail curling into a question mark shape.

He grins like a madman, not threatening, just his 'I've got a big scoop' smile that they've learned to identify. "You are gonna have to show me how to do some of those fancy psychokinetics sometime, youngin!"

...Huh?

Oh.

Of course.

Of course.

Ice runs through their alien veins. "Okay George." Their voice comes out monotone, and as cold as they feel.

"...Giegue?"

Nothing will ever change. Nothing. Everything stays the same. George will take the knowledge of PSI and abandon them. Write his diary for Ninten to find one day, so that he can finish them off.

"Giegue?"

Maybe they should just-

"GIEGUE!"

Their line of thinking is shut down by a warm, tight hold. Arms around them, picking them up and hugging them close.

They're stunned still. But... Slowly, they hug him back.

"Sorry, youngin. I suppose I was too excited." What? "Needn't show me your power if it makes you uncomfortable," This is... "Understand?" He sounds remorseful.

Tears dribble down their cheeks, and they lean into their father. The fear and cold recede from their body, replaced with familial warmth.

"Yes sir."

"Call me dad or father, sport. For me?"

His wrinkled smile spreads wide, holding years of child-raising and life experience. Yet still, yearning for their familial acceptance.

They gulp, and nod. "Okay d-dad."

. . .

"Now," George drops a massive pile of papers onto the dinner table, his round glasses glinting in the morning sun shining through the window.

They're not surprised he ended up a mad scientist in their nightmare, really.

He spreads the papers out. "There is a 'public education' building in the city, even a brand new school for the young, to the east in Merrysville. HOWEVER!" He sticks his hand up, fist balled. "I DON'T TRUST THEM A DANG BIT! They aren't worth the soles of my shoes!"

They blink, staring, honestly dumbfounded. Their father is a very confusing man...

"I can show you the world much better... With these!" He presents the papers to them. It's actually deeply informative. Well illustrated maps, deeply detailed historical reports... It's exactly what they wanted!

They look over the largest map, and George walks over behind them, pointing at a continent on the north-east.

"We live here! In the wonderful land of America, in the very okay country of Eagleland." He points to the ocean right next to it, the excitement in his gruff voice obvious. "That would be the Pacific ocean! Once summertime strikes, your mother and I will take you there for some proper fun!"

They nod. It's interesting to see the world laid out flat like this, compared to how it looked from the mothership in their nightmare.

However, seeing everything labeled with humanity's strange "nations" and "regions" makes everything so much clearer.

Their eyes gloss to Onett.

It's not very far from where they live. Just some north.

...Ness. They can't think about Ness.

They look up to George, who is staring down at them with a mile-wide smile. It helps.

They point at a random spot on the map, a tiny smile tugging at their snout. "Where's this?"

Their father couldn't be happier.

. . .

They collapse, floating on top of their bedsheets. They honestly thought learning all of this human history and geography stuff would be easy for their fully developed, hyper-advanced, PSI capable brain.

They were deeply wrong. And now, both George AND Maria will be committing themselves to homeschooling them!

They kick their legs in frustration, before resorting to their new favourite stress relief.

The magic apple is floated over, and placed into their tail's grip.

"Will I be able to learn all of the human things mother and father want to teach me?"

They shake the apple.

"Better not tell you now."

They stare, then squint at the apple, bringing it close to sit on their chest. "You are as useless as that Starman junior I sent to eliminate Buzz-Buzz."

They sigh. Being human is hard. They can't help but stare at their hand, wiggling their small digits. "One day, these hands will be claws. I am aware of this."

And yet, they know so well that their mother would hold their hand. That their father would give them a firm handshake.

No matter how different they are.

Chapter Text

Maria's humming song was so gentle, to the ears of anyone who could hear. Not quite the eight melodies, not so impactful on their soul... Yet still ever-soothing.

Today, was what Maria had called "An absolutely necessary lesson in creativity, for any child, dear." She was teaching them to paint, her set up with a more average easel and canvas, and Giegue with a smaller, child sized set.

Even the brushes and paints were smaller, although, they opted to hold them with psychokinetics rather than their hands, so it was a bit pointless.

They'd realized something, pretty quickly after beginning.

Painting is incredibly difficult. Only a few minutes into the session, they'd let out a frustrated huff. "Mom, this is dumb. I'm no good at it." They stared at the blotches of paint on their canvas, an abstraction of the carnations growing in their garden before them.

Their little puffed cheeks did manage to pull a stifled giggle out of her. "Humor me, sweet one. If you ask me... You're wonderful at it."

Giegue squints in disbelief. What they'd done thus far was abjectly amateurish and, by most metrics, just looked terrible. Especially peeking over to their mother's.

It was beautiful. Practiced, careful dots and strokes of paint, starting to make the carnations before them come to life on the canvas.

"That's a lie," They barely let slip out, a show of self deprecation that is often unheard of from them. Generally, things came easy to them. But homeschooling has proved otherwise. "You're way better."

Maria clicks her tongue twice, putting down her brush, then stood behind Giegue.

"I've been painting for so many years, little one. When I started, I could hardly hold a brush right... But look at you." She softly took their child's hand, bringing it to hold their brush, rather than psychically hovering it. "You already see the shapes in the world. Triangles and circles..."

They let her guide their hand, staring at the colours, then at the garden.

"But it b...barely looks like anything..." they huff.

"I can see it," the smile in her voice giddy. "The sweet reds and whites making pink, the golden rays of the sun... Nothing ever has to look exact, dear. Communicating the feeling, the expression... That is what matters."

They're really trying to understand. But, one thing stands out to them that they aren't sure they ever picked up on before.

"Painting m-means a lot to you, mom...?" They half asked, half stated. Maria never... Painted on the mothership. They never got a glimpse of this side of her in the nightmare.

She stepped away, back to her own canvas, grin brighter than the sun casting it's shadows over the garden.

"It's how I met your father, you know."

They held the brush tight inbetween their digits, tilting their head to continue... attempting to paint. "It was?"

She let out a dreamy sigh, one of memory and love. "Yes. Your father had come to town, to try to be a reporter here after the last town's newspaper had run him out. He made quite the name for himself..." she giggled, a kind, caring sound... "Running around, always looking for his next scoop. One day... He ran into me."

Her eyes lock onto the carnations in her painting. "Painting carnations outside of Podunk. So charming, and his hair used to be a slick black... He wrote about me being the best painter, the treasure of the town."

She tears her gaze from the painting, and moves on to look at her youngest.

"It wasn't long before we were married."

So then, their parents came together out of pure... Random probability. A chance encounter, between a painter and a reporter who weren't even from the same town.

So many little things needed to happen to bring them together, that seem so totally unrelated. It's something they've noticed in humanity. Everything is chance. Lucky breaks. Pure chance that their parents would come together, pure chance that these towns would even develop.

So opposed to the means of fate that their species believes in. That time is fated, predictable.

"I-isn't that... Kinda scary? You could've never... met dad. If... if he didn't happen to run into you, or g-get kicked out..." Expressing their worries is strange. But they feel like they need to.

And yet, their mother doesn't faulter. "Not to me, darling. No... It was a miracle. And I will always cherish it."

Blink.

"If miracles are real, c-can a brain food lunch fall out of the sky?"

She blinks as well, looking to Giegue. "What was that, little one?"

They shake their head. "Nothing."

. . .

They've been left to continue painting alone, while Maria goes to get them some lemonade.

Giegue stares at their canvas, blanking on what to add. It feels complete, even if it's still... not how they'd like it to be.

Beyond it though, something has appeared on one of the carnations. Some kind of grub. They look past the canvas, and stare...

"What?" They float over carefully, approaching the grub.

It's tiny. On closer inspection...

IT'S AN ATTACK SLUG!

They fall backward onto the ground, stunned. They know it- They see it! It's exactly like the one's they manipulated into attacking Ness in Giant Step cave! But how?!

Sure, it was just a regular slug that they gave a form of sapience. So. They suppose this, also, is just a regular garden slug.

Okay. They're overreacting, this is fine. They float back over.

...It wouldn't hurt to see if they can still...

They breathe in,
And out.
"Hn..."
Contact the slug. Give it just a little bit of their PSI. Let it... Think!

They groan under the stress, the psychic effort far more than anything that their child body has tried before.

But, suddenly...

The Grub Slug blinks!

It had no effect on Giegue.

"You... I did it! I still remember how! I am POWERFUL!"

They grin in victory, cackling to themself. They needed a win after all of this difficult human learning.

They psychically float the Grub Slug over, gently holding it on the edge of their tail. Now they wonder what use this actually has, since... They aren't an evil space general anymore.

"I... Hm." They ponder. "You will stay with me."

They float back to the canvas, gently placing the Grub Slug on the top of the easel.

This will do.

Chapter Text

The Grub Slug sleeps atop the magic apple, piles of lettuce and grass surrounding it. A proper way to keep it fed and healthy.

Now Giegue just has to make sure Maria and George don't find out they've snuck it into their room.

They telekinetically tell the Grub Slug, "Watch the apple of un-enlightenment for me," before floating out of their room and making their way downstairs.

They side eye the other two rooms in the second floor hallway on their way down. Sure, their room is at the end, but these other two rooms... They don't seem to be being used. They're unsure who, or what, they're for.

Maria's sing-song voice calls to them, beckoning them to the living room. "Child, come! Look who has come to visit!"

They enter, and immediately they're brought down from their floating to... Standing, for once. The figure standing before their parents is taller than them for certain, but more importantly...

"N...Ninten?" Their voice shakes and their body shudders.

Their parents ask "Who?" in unison, along with the strange individual turning to look at them with a cocked eyebrow.

Not Ninten then. Of course. Of course... But then, who...?

George slaps the stranger on the back, an attempted familial love-blow that was certainly a bit too rough, Maria bapping him lightly on the head for it.

He laughs out regardless, "This is your eldest sister!"

She approaches Giegue carefully, offering a hand. "The name's Doe. It's wonderful to meet you. I've heard a lot from our parents' letters."

They're struck silent.

Yes, they see it now.

Although she looks terrifyingly similar to Ninten, albeit much taller, she has a few blonde hairs peaking out from the brim of her cap.

They reach forward hesitantly, taking her hand in their much smaller one, allowing her to shake. Her grip is immediately too tight, and she shakes way too hard, sending the poor alien bobbing up and down.

"Y-Y-Youuu're a loooot l-l-like daaaad-" They barely squeeze out between being dragged up and down, sounding warbled from the movement. Maria can't help but giggle a little, although she then baps Doe on the head just as she had George.

"I always tell you, it's improper to strong-arm your siblings..." Maria sighs, with the laughter still in her voice.

George doesn't waste a moment before intervening, "AHHH THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO THINK! A STRONG GAL LIKE DOE IS GONNA STRIKE OUT THE BIG LEAGUES WITH POWER LIKE THAT-!" Which lands him another bap.

Maria quietly reminds them both to keep their energy on reporting and baseball respectively, and Giegue is still-

Dumbstruck.

They look at the hand Doe shook, with a mix of bafflement and... Reverence. This bantering, this attitude, this familial bond. This is the real family, that their species took away from their parents.

The real, human life, that in their nightmare Maria and George were forced to leave behind. George for two years, Maria... Forever.

And now, by being made to raise them here, aren't they still taking the two away from this? Making them focus on Giegue instead of Doe, or the other siblings they implied?

Before they can further dramatically miserate in their mind, George hauls them onto his shoulders, bringing them into a piggie-back ride. They're so stunned by everything it completely blanks what they were thinking about.

"COME ON! Your sister has a game, that's why she's in town! And doggonit we are NOT missing it! I'll write a whole novel about it!" He screams and laughs, carrying them out the door with Maria and Doe in tow.

Wait, game? George did mention 'Big leagues', and Doe seemed so strong... Uh oh.

They know absolutely nothing about human sports.

. . .

SMAAAASH!!

The ball goes flying past the bleachers they're floating slightly above, far, far into the distance. Giegue can't even use PSI to track it.

The loud crack of the wooden bat sends a momentary ill feeling down into their belly, reminding them of Ness and Ninten.

Of course, in that insant, George is screaming at the top of his lungs in cheer for Doe, and Maria is clapping. Louder than they expected, actually.

Doe runs home despite not needing to, with a smirk lining her lips. She waves over to the three of them, and George and Maria yell and wave about how proud they are.

But Giegue notices, she's waving to them too.

Do they really fit in here, as family? Others in the stands cheer or jeer, not making any fuss about the alien on the bleachers with them. They suppose, in this world, before they woke up, George must have spread the news of their existence throughout Podunk.

Otherwise, people would likely be screaming and running.

As usual, Maria brings them out of their thoughts by reaching up to hold their hand.

"Sweetness, come, sit beside us." She beckons, softly bringing the alien down to sit on the sturdy wood. They still don't like sitting or standing. But they can make the exception for family... they suppose.

Doe completely ignores the dugout, choosing instead to rush up to their parents and hug them. "I'm so dang happy you all could come to a game, finally."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world!" George drags Giegue into the hug, and, reluctantly, they put their small arms around what they can of the other three.

Doe smiles down at Giegue. It feels so weird. Another person besides their parents, smiling at them. Showing them any kind of affection.

"Glad you came, little puppy." She chuckles out, and it makes them realize their tail is wagging. They quickly grab it to force it still, holding it death-grip tight. They timidly answer back, "I. Was f-forced but. Um. I-it is nice."

That's all Doe needs to smile far too wide in Giegue's opinion.

She rushes to the dugout at last, and Giegue is left... Overwhelmed by everything today.

They still don't get sports. But it makes their parents so happy. It makes Doe so happy.

They suppose that is... Fine enough. A good enough way to meet the sibling they only realized existed not so long ago.

They cross their arms, returning to floating, but only slightly over the seat, to keep holding their mother's hand.

It isn't so bad. Human sporting events. They suppose.