So I know what you're thinking (if you're one of the ones who's read my other stories, that is). "What the heck is Iron Robin doing writing a fanfic about LazyTown?" (#noshame) And honestly, I have no excuse. What can I say? Make a show about a superhero and I'll watch it. Besides, I used to watch LazyTown every Saturday when I was little and even to this day it makes me happy. And I guess part of me wishes there was more serious conflict in the show. I knew I wasn't going to get that so I decided to write it instead.
Anyway, this isn't a SportaSteph story. Honestly, I've always seen Sportacus as more of a father figure to Stephanie than a love interest (they're too far apart in age for that). I might write another fic about an older Stephanie paired with Sportacus, but that's somewhere way off in the future.
But without further ado, here's Remember Me. (I don't own LazyTown or its characters, by the way.)
"It's looking like another great day in LazyTown," Stephanie wrote in her diary, a pleasant smile curling her lips upward. "My friends and I are playing basketball and-"
"Hey, Stephanie! Come play with us, huh?" Ziggy cried, making Stephanie pause in her writing and glance up at him. She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Stingy.
"But this ball is miiine. I never said you could play with it!"
Stephanie giggled and set her diary down on the bench before leaping up to make her way over to the two boys. "Come on, Stingy. You know it's more fun when we all play together."
Stingy pursed his lips and looked down at his ball for several long seconds, making slight moaning sounds as he did so. It went on for so long that Stephanie was about to ask her friend if he was all right when he finally answered.
"Oh, I guess you're right." He sighed. "Here."
Stephanie grinned when he tossed her the ball. "Thanks, Stingy!"
"Pass it to me, Stephanie!" Ziggy called, jumping up and down. "Pass it to me! I'm open!"
"Okay. Here you go, Ziggy!" She called back, hurling the ball in his direction.
Ziggy handily caught the ball and then turned toward the basketball hoop. "Okay, watch this! I'm going to make a slam dunk!"
Stingy shot Stephanie a doubtful look. "He'll never be able to dunk myyy ball."
Stephanie didn't want to admit that Stingy probably had a point so instead she cupped her hands around her mouth and called encouragingly. "You can do it, Ziggy!"
"Okay, here I go!" Ziggy cried, leaping up into the air with all of his might.
Stephanie and Stingy's mouths dropped open when it appeared that Ziggy might actually get the ball through the hoop. But just before he did, he released it too soon and it bounced off the rim, sailing into a tree near the Sport's Field.
"Aw," Stephanie said with sympathy, walking over to Ziggy and laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That was so close, Ziggy! You'll get it next time for sure."
Ziggy sighed and shook his head. "No, I don't think so, Stephanie. But thanks anyway."
"Oh, no!" Stingy suddenly cried.
"It's okay, Stingy," Ziggy said with another massive sigh. "At least I almost made it."
"What? No. I'm not talking about your failure-"
"Stingy!" Stephanie gasped, putting her hands on her hips.
Stingy ignored her. "I'm talking about my ball! It's stuck in the tree! I have to get it."
"Um, Stingy?" Stephanie started uncertainly, following him as he made his way over to the tree. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Of course, it is," he argued even as he began to climb the tree. "I can't just leave my ball up there all alone!"
Ziggy fidgeted nervously. "Ohhh, be careful, Stingy!"
The other boy rolled his eyes as he clambered onto the tree branch and stretched his arm out toward his ball. But the ball was just out of reach so he inched a little further along the branch. "Almost…got it…"
Stephanie bit her lip as she watched him. She could tell that if he went any further he would fall. And it looked like he was about to do just that. "Stingy, look out!"
But it was too late. The next step Stingy took along the branch ended in his foot slipping. He let out a shriek as he fell and quickly grabbed the branch, but he was only holding on by his fingertips. "Heeelllp!"
"Hang on, Stingy!" Stephanie and Ziggy cried in unison.
Sportacus was going about his morning as usual, brushing his teeth (twenty times up and twenty times down), eating Sportscandy (breakfast was the most important meal of the day), and of course, exercising (he literally couldn't stay still). He was in the middle of that third step when his crystal beeped.
"Someone's in trouble." He frowned, lifting his right hand. "Door!"
Sportacus crouched on the edge of the door and whipped his telescope out. His heart clenched painfully when he spotted Stephanie's pink hair through the glass, but it relaxed slightly when he could tell that it wasn't his favorite LazyTowner (don't tell anyone) who was in trouble. Ziggy, who was standing right beside her, didn't seem to be in any sort of danger, either. So who…
"Stingy!" Sportacus said to himself, setting his telescope down before moving his arms up, down, and then up again in his signature move.
He jumped off the door and flipped through the air, landing on the ground without a hitch. He then leapt into a series of backward handsprings toward the tree he had seen Stingy hanging from. As he drew nearer, he could clearly hear the boy crying for help. He could also hear Stephanie and Ziggy screaming at him to hang on. He could tell the exact moment when Stephanie noticed him because she cried, "Oh, here comes Sportacus! Just a little bit longer, Stingy!"
"I…I…caaan't!" Stingy yelled as his fingers slipped off the branch and he plummeted toward the ground. Fortunately, he never made contact with it because Sportacus flew through the air in a somersault, landed beneath where Stingy was falling, and caught him easily.
"Oh. Oh!" Stingy panted breathlessly.
Sportacus set him down gently. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. Yes, I think so. Thank you, Sportacus."
"You're welcome."
Stephanie skipped over to them, beaming from ear to ear. "Sportacus, that was amazing!"
Sportacus grinned down at her. There was something about her positive energy that made him smile whenever she was around. She always brought some extra joy to his day. He almost considered her to be family. But he was getting distracted. Where was he?
"Yeah, Sportacus, that was great!" Ziggy exclaimed, bouncing up and down. Just like Sportacus, he could never stay still. Though that was probably more from all the candy he ate than from a passion for exercise.
(Right. Sportacus had just saved Stingy. That's where he was.) "It was nothing," he insisted. "Although, Stingy, what were you doing in that tree? Don't you know it's dangerous?"
"Well, yes, but-" Stingy stammered.
"He was trying to get our ball," Stephanie supplied helpfully.
Stingy stiffened and pointed a finger at himself. "I think you mean myyy ball."
She laughed and rolled her eyes briefly. "Fine. He was trying to get his ball."
"Oh." Sportacus glanced upward and held up a finger. "One second."
He leapt up and grabbed the branch with ease. He then grasped the ball in one hand and dropped back down. "Here you go, Stingy."
Stingy eagerly snatched the ball away from him. "Thank you."
"It's no problem." Sportacus smiled at him and then lifted one hand in a wave. "See you guys later!"
"Bye, Sportacus!" The three kids chorused, and as he flipped away, he missed the hint of disappointment lingering behind Stephanie's eyes.
Was it too much to ask for those kids to be lazy for one day? Robbie was sick and tired of hearing them laughing and playing. He could never get any peace and quiet! And it didn't help that that Sportaflop was always going around saving people with the flippity floppity and the arm thing.
Robbie needed a plan to get rid of Sportakook forever! But first, he could settle for the kids being unable to play. So he pulled out one of his many evil magazines and thumbed through it.
"Let's see. What could stop those kids from playing and send them inside to be lazy?" Robbie asked himself. "Aha!"
He pressed his finger against a picture of the Weather Manipulator 4000 (now with a tornado setting).
"It's perfect!" He cried, tempted to commence a happy jig (but that would mean moving). "Those kids won't be able to play outside if it's raining!"
It was a brilliant plan! So Robbie picked up his phone and dialed the number in the magazine.
"Yes, hello," he spoke into the phone. "I'd like to order one of your Weather Manipulators. The 4000 version. Thank you."
Almost immediately upon hanging up, a wooden crate dropped in front of Robbie. He nearly jumped in surprise, but that would have been too much work.
"That was fast," he mused.
He got to his feet and opened the crate. The Weather Manipulator 4000…It was beautiful!
"With this, I can make it to where those kids never play again!" He exclaimed with an evil grin. "And if they never come outside, Sportacus will have no reason to come down from his airship! I'm a genius!"
This warranted a hearty pat on the back. So naturally, Robbie patted himself on the back.