Author's Note: Hey everybody it's Hourglass of Fantasies here! Well this is my very first EarthBound story, so I'm a little nervous about it. I hope it's okay. Really. Anyways, this story is somewhat of an opinion. On Starmen dot net I read a fourm about Picky actually having PSI. I liked that theory so I decided to build up to it a little. Also, in this fic 'Pokey' is called 'Porky'. The reason being I like that name better. Also also, this is an EarthBound/Mother 3 cross-over. So it has MOTHER 3 SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! And happy reading!

Disclaimer: EarthBound/Mother is copyright by the wonderful Mr. Itoi.

Creation, production, and experimentation have all been well over-used on the pink bringer of death known as the 'Ultimate Chimera'. Years have been spent testing and retesting this creature, finding more and more ways to make it one hundred percent ultimate. All of these experiments were, of course, ordered by the ‘honorable’ King P for reasons not even the highest generals in his army knew. His determination to finish these creatures was fierce and bitter. Though the “UC’s” were his own creations, spawned from the darkest corners of his twisted mind, he wanted them to be just as he imagined. Forcing countless scientists to work around the clock, the UC was finally created… It took three years of testing to make one, but it was all in all how King P imagined them.

And thus something terrible was ensured…

-X-X-X-X-

Deep within one of the many hidden laboratory’s in the Empire Porky Building, King Porky Minch was listening to a nerdy little scientist explain the grand and long creation of the Ultimate Chimera.

Laying in his Spider-Mech, which was whirling and buzzing with the sounds of unknown machinery, King Porky listened with rarely any interest. Three long years of extremely hard work and he didn’t even care. Porky’s exact age was completely unknown. He claimed to be over a thousand, or maybe even ten thousand, but he just didn’t know anymore. He was old, wrinkly, and tired with gray hair and a mustache, but the with his machinery and evil will, he lived on.

Standing next to King Porky’s Spider-Mech stood the soulless commander of Porky’s army known as the Pig Mask Army. Everyone feared the commander, also known as the ‘Masked Man’ or ‘Masked Boy’. He was literally Porky’s pet. He did not move unless Porky said he do so. Everything he did was only at Porky’s will. No one else's. They say that the commander was only at the age of thirteen, but no one knew for sure, and they probably would never known, for the Masked Man never spoke. In his entire two and a half years of being on the Pig Mask army, he never said a single thing. Some thought he was deaf or stupid, others knew better.

“I don’t care about this!” Porky yelled at the innocent scientist, who was stunned by how upset King P had randomly become. “Cough! Tell me about the--COUGH COUGH--bird! Cough!”

“Y-yes, your highness!” the young scientist said, casting a nervous glance at the Masked Man who just stared lifelessly back at him. Averting the boys gaze, the scientist continued; “You s-see King P… Umm… I-if s-something were to h-happen to the Ultimate Chimera t-then the bird on it’s h-head would press the s-switch and t-turn it b-b-back on… There’s only one way you can destroy a UC! … The button...”

“What about the bird?” Porky asked, his tone calmer now. “Is it invincible?”

Not knowing what to say, the young scientist thought fast; “Um… b-but of course it is! Once it’s on your head it doesn’t come off… the Chimera’s I mean…”

“Good… now make me a bird you could put on a human’s head.”

“H-human’s head? K-King P--your highness--w-w-what are you talking about? That’s--”

“Just do it!” Porky snapped, coughing for a second. “I don’t care how! Just do it! Get Doctor, Professor, whatever Andounts to do it! You’d better have something good soon or else my pretty little pet you just slaved over will show you eternity…”

And with that haunting vision in his head, the young scientist nodded and quickly ran off to tell his co-workers it was time to work on another experiment…

It has been six months since then…

-X-X-X-X-

“No no no, Picky,” Ness, a young psychic-powered, black-haired youth said to his young blonde-haired friend who was also his next-door neighbor, Picky Minch. “You need to focus your energy,” Ness calmly explained as he watched Picky’s face go red with embarrassment and frustration. “Here, like this…” Ness stood up perfectly straight and closed his eyes. After a few moments he yelled “PK Rockin’! Alpha!” He pointed at the cloudless blue sky and shot a colorful blast of yellow, red, and blue psychic energy up into the air. “Like that.”

“O-okay,” Picky said nervously. “I’ll… I’ll try…”

Standing up as straight as he could, Picky closed his eyes and pointed at the sky. Focusing whatever energy he possessed he said quietly, “PK--” and then suddenly a blast of sparkling PSI shot from his finger tips. He was blown off his feet and tumbled backwards into the green grass of Ness’ front yard.

“That was awesome!” Ness cheered, helping Picky back to his feet. “You did it, Picky! I’ll admit you’re gonna need a LOT of practice, but you might actually know some real PSI!”

Picky blushed, “R-really?”

“Yeah!” Ness said excitedly. “Now we really should try to figure out what it is before we--”

“Oh Ness” a happy-go-lucky woman’s voice called.

Ness turned to see his mom standing in the doorway of his house. He blushed with embarrassment. His mom was always in a good mood and found it entertaining to embarrass Ness in front of his friends. Mainly Paula… “Ness,” she called in a sing-song voice, waving happily. “You boys have been playing a long time. Come inside. I’ll cook up some steak!” And with that, she quickly ran back inside to get the steak ready.

Ness blushed. Picky asked, “Ness… how come your mom always makes steak? Is that all she knows how to make or something?”

Ness sighed and shook his head. “No. But Picky… when my mom asks what’s your favorite food… just say something you’ll never, EVER get tired of.”

Picky grinned, “I will.”

-X-X-X-X-

“Mmm!” Ness chirped between chewing his steak and discussing Picky’s newly discovered PSI. “Mom, you make the greatest steak… every time.”

“I try,” Ness’ mom chirped, spraying some window spray onto a window and rubbing it furiously.

“So anyway, Picky. I was thinking we--”

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Oh?” Who could that be? Ness… could you answer the door for me?”

“But mom… it could be burglars… or maybe a guy with a gun or something…”

“Dear, burglars don’t knock. They use windows. Which are looking quite shiny and clean, actually…”

Ness groaned, his mom was always weird like that. Pushing his chair back, getting up and walking over to the door, he opened it to see… Paula! “Oh!” he said, slightly surprised. “Paula! Hey, what’s up?”

“Hi Ness,” Paula said in her pretty little voice. “Um… I got a package in the mail, but it’s addressed to you… It’s really old and um… it’s from Porky…”

“Porky?” Ness asked, which made Picky perk up in his seat and stop eating.

“Yeah… umm… may I come in?”

-X-X-X-X-

“So you got a letter from Porky?” Jeff asked, who had flown to Ness’ house along with Prince Poo upon receiving a message from Paula. Pushing his glasses up he said, “Well that package looks really, REALLY old. It has no address, or stamp… so how did it come in the mail? All there is, is Porky’s signature… His classically bad signature…”

“Maybe it’s a joke,” Poo suggested.

“Or a trap,” Paula said. “Oh? Picky, I’m sorry. Are we bothering you, talking badly about your brother?”

Picky shook his head, “No. I hate the guy. He blackmailed me and took away all of my dessert for ten years…”

“In that case,” Jeff said, tapping the box, which Paula had placed on the table Ness and Picky had been eating at, their steaks forgotten, though the plates they used to be on were being washed by Ness’ mom who decided it best not to interrupt with her son’s affairs. “I think we should see what’s in it…”

“I’m not opening that thing,” Poo said, flinching almost disgustedly.

“Me either,” Paula said.

“One, two, three, not it!” Picky and Ness called.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me,” Jeff said, obviously unhappy. “Alright… because you guys are too afraid of a box from Porky and… ugh…”

“Scared, Jeff?” Ness teased.

“No,” Jeff said, trying to stay calm. “Alright,” he said, carefully reaching out and lifting up the box as gently as he could. Very carefully, he pulled back the old tape keeping the small brown box closed. Everyone readied their PSI powers as he pulled the box open very slowly. Once it was open he instantly dropped it on the table and flinched nervously.

Picky ducked behind Ness and then looked up. Everyone was flinching, their hands, except for Jeff’s, bristling with PSI.

Nothing happened.

Bravely, Ness took a step towards the table and peered into the box. Suddenly in an explosion of yellow feathers, something flew out of the box and landed on Ness’ head.

“ARGH!” he screamed. “Get it off of me! Get it off of me!”

“What is the thing!?” Poo demanded as Paula tried to settle Ness down.

Jeff readied a Ray Gun and pointed it at the yellow thing on Ness’ head. “It looks like a yellow duck chick…” he said as Ness calmed down. “And it looks like it likes... it's attatched to your head or something. Either that or it really, really likes you..."

To Be Continued...

Author's Other Note: I apologize to all of you who noticed; I rushed this chapter. Sowee.