A/N..........sorry.....so very, very, very sorry, I really, did mean to update before this. I was working double shifts two weeks in a row, than I was moving and to top all that mess off I was sick, not once, not twice, bu-u-u-t you guessed it five freggin' times !#$%*
Phew, not that I've got that off my chest, after a long wait, here's chapter three. Prize to any one who can figure out the mystery of this chapter.
Forgot this in my last two chapters, Disclaimer:: Don't own SRMTHFG!
Chapter Three: Lost Northern Star
You are my waking dream,
Your all that's real to me,
You are the magic in the
world I see.
You are the prayer I sing
you brought to my knees
you are the faith that
made me believe.
Dreams on fire, higher
and higher, passions
burning, right on the
pyre.
One spark, forever yours
in me all your heart, dreams
on fire, higher and higher.
You are my ocean,
You are my heart
each day,
you are the laughter
from childhood games.
you are the spark
of dawn.
You are where I belong,
You are the ache I feel
in every song.
Dreams on fire, higher
and higher, passions burning,
right on the pyre.
One spark forever yours,
in me all your heart,
Dreams on fire, higher
and higher.
'Dreams on Fire'
-Slumdog Millionaire
I'll always be there for you.....'
The pliers slipped from her hands as she slowly turned, the words felt so real, she actually expected the speaker to be standing in the doorway of the small bridge. But no one was.
Closing her eyes against the surge of memories and images that flooded her mind, she sighed, it had been a year now since she'd been separated from her family, she would have like to pretended that it didn't bother her as much as it did, but she just couldn't, the lonely nights and empty days still got to her. Working on repairing the ship alone, eating alone, sleeping alone, without anyone else to talk to, laugh with and just to ebb away the empty feeling that came with rainy days, it was awful. Sure, she'd been alone before and it hadn't bothered her much than, but that was before she found company she wanted to be with.
With a shake of her head, she returned to re-wiring the main piolets controls, most of the primary systems had been fried along with the core a little over a year ago, it had taken some doing but she managed to purchase another core, and with what she knew, set about fixing the ship to a flyable standard.
She reached for a handful of wires, to continue stripping them and re wire them, but she stopped and instead reached for a small 4X6 frame that sat on the control panel, it was a teak frame, stained a brownish/red, it had fallen numerous times, it was chipped, cracked scored and scarred, the glass had been replaced at lest three times, but still they had kept the frame.
She loved it. Like the picture housed inside the frame, it a story and character, it also served as a small reminder as to why she kept fighting, why she kept going on, even in the darkest nights, why she felt like running to the furthest corner of the galaxy and hiding.
They were the reason why she kept fighting....
"Awww man. Is. It. Hot." Sprx whined as he shielded his eyes against the glare of the sun, beside him Otto chuckled
"No, it's a normal summer, you're just so used to tempter-less space that this is hot to you" Otto said "come on it'll be cooler through the park"
"Its Nova's party, so tell me why we had to go get the supplies?"
"Because Nova's cooking dinner, and your being nice" Otto stopped walking at a bench and sat down, gesturing Sprx should the same, grateful for the break, Sprx sat down next to Otto. It had only been a day since Sprx left the Sao's Salvage company and returned to Shuggazoom for Nova's graduation, the first night was spent with Otto cleaning out his old room, nothing had been moved or damaged, but Otto had run out of space to store all the equipment he needed to remodel the Robot, and used Sprx's and Chiro's old bedrooms. Sprx still couldn't get over how different the Robot looked.
One the outside, and throughout the inside, most of still looked the same, but the vents had been reduced in size and doubled in numbers, weak points were gone, everything that had crippled them in past battles was completely gone, not to mention a new and updated computer system, a brand new autopilot system. The metal was all new too, Otto had pointed out the sheets of metal Sprx had brought back for him, but Sprx couldn't tell the difference between the salvaged and the brand new, everything sparkled and shone like new.
Once he got over the robot, he went downtown and visited Gibson at his office, but Gibson was in a lecture, so Sprx took the opportunity to sit in and listen, he didn't understand a single word of what big brains was saying, but the students were paying rapt attention, hanging on his every word.
Antuari had gotten it into him to redecorate his room, when Sprx stopped in to see if he had wanted to go with him and Otto, the rock garden that was so costmary by the door was now moved to the far left corner, the circle of cushions that had been used in group meditations were gone, now a low table and a silver cushion took its place, upon explanation Antuari said he had taken up ink paintings, though Sprx didn't see any decorating his walls, Sprx imagined it was more of a hobby, something to pass the time while Antuari was not meditating.
Then he stopped by Nova's school, she wasn't teaching but rather going over the events planned for the night, her students, like Gibson's, were completely enthralled with her, staring at her with hero-worshiping eyes and million's of questions.
"Sprx!" Otto tapped him on the back of his helmet with his tail
"Ow, what was that for?"
"I said it was a nice sunset, and you didn't even respond, something bothering you?" Otto asked
"no, I was just thinking about how much things have changed with us" he looked at the sun sinking slowing into the sea "how much Chiro has missed" He added in a softer voice
"I know, Mr Gakslapper has got a whole new menu, the arcade's under new owners, and they seem much less threatening than Ma and Pa Shenko, not to mention that the mall's got a new floor, Jinmay'll love that..."
As Otto went on and on about how much Shuggazoom had changed since Chiro left, Sprx only sat there, watching him speak smiling.
"Come one Otto we'd better get this stuff back" Sprx said jumping off the bench and grabbing his bag
"Yea, otherwise Nova might do something violent to us" Otto said with his usual impish grim
Sprx grimaced "I'd rather avoid that if I can, I've only been back for twelve hours, I'd like to go a full twenty four before I get walloped"
Otto jumped off the bench and grabbed his bag, as he stood he looked at the sunset, the huge orb looked like it had set the sea on fire.
"But you know" He said in a voice so soft that Sprx almost missed it, he looked back to see Otto transfixed by the sunset "I feel that somethin' bad has happened to them"
"What was I supposed to say to that?!" Sprx asked, Antuari however did not reply, but rather shake his head
"I agree with you, Otto's statement is most disturbing, and with them being so far away it is quite possible that something grievous could have happened to Chiro and Jinmay-"
"Your not really helping" Sprx interuppted dryly
"however" he added with a pointed look in the red simian's direction "If anything....unwanted had happened to Chiro, I would have felt it, through the Power Primate, and I have not"
"But..can you feel him?"
"I can, he is....far away, but, as far as I can tell, he is fine"
"What about safe?"
"I don't know" Antuari replied with a sigh "He is to far away for me to appear to him, but I know he is fine"
"Hey, there you guys are" Otto said as he poked his head in through the open bay door, the monkey's had been helping Nova get ready for her party, when Sprx dragged Antuari inside the Foot Crusher.
"Nova's looking for you, she's almost ready and the guests have started to arrive"
"We're coming Otto" Antuari said, than turning back to Sprx, he laid a hand on Sprx's shoulder "He's fine Sprx"
"Or at lest you hope he is" Sprx muttered as Antuari left, with a shake of his head, he followed Antauri out.
The stars bore witness as the scene unfolded, as the sun left, the guests to Nova's party arrived to a make shift stage built between the feet of the Robot, three tables lined with food, all of which Nova cooked, and the greeting Monkey team. The Parents of course recognized the Monkey team, and even after all these years were still grateful for their dedication and protection, the smaller children, however had only grown up on stories, and were now meeting these fabled creatures in person, most of them were too excited to put two words together, some of them knew the monkey team since they were young and were now given the chance to meet their heroes.
Than came the awards, for each age a different level, and class, and for each child a different award that Otto had spent the week before hand making, As the children left the stage, their prizes in hand, they ran teary-eye and excited to their parents to show off. After awards the children, recovering from Hero worship, began asking questions, of Otto they asked about the Robot, and how he managed to build the things he did, and how he'd fallen in love with mechanics in the first place.
Sprx was questioned about his flying skills, how many enemies he'd shot down, and what it took to fly like him.
A few of Nova's student's, were also Gibson's, and they took the opportunity to talk outside class with him, mostly about stars.
Nova was surrounded by the smaller children, and Antauri was left with the smallest amount of children, but they were the few that were too young to know about the boy that led the heroic Monkey Team, they boy they didn't know, their questions were about Chiro.
They were innocent enough questions, What was he like? Did he look like a monkey? Did he fight well? Was he a hero too?
As the night wore on, Nova began in insist that the party come to an end, her and her teammates were tired, and so were the parents, but the children were full of boundless energy, finally at midnight Nova waved away the last guest.
"Wow, is it just me, or are kids getting more and more sugar these days?" Sprx asked as he shoved a table full of garbage into a huge trash can that Otto was holding the lid too.
"It is possible, since the new arcade has opened the bisnuess at the Halo Cream has nearly doubled" Gibson said bagging up his own garbage
"What does sugar have to do with any of this?" Otto asked, scratching his head
"Simple Otto, increased intake of glucose levels, equals to higher levels of epinephrine released which creates more erratic behavior" Gibson explained, Nova covered her smile at Otto's black expression, the green monkey looked at Sprx.
"More sugar, more energy" Sprx said
"Er, that's what I said" Gibson growled glaring at Sprx
"no, what you said was a lot of: blah, blah, blah, blah"
"This is insufferable, you've only been back for sixteen and two quarter hours and your already making an annoyance of yourself...Sparky"
"Don't. Start. Big. Brains" Sprx's growled
"Hey" Otto said, completely oblivious to Sprx and Gibson, "Where's Antuari?"
Nova sighed as she looked up to the shoulders of the Robot "Come one, Otto, you get the trash-" She activated her fists "I'll get the boys" She said starting towards the still arguing Gibson and Sprx.
Antuari allowed all the adrenaline from the party, seep out of him, as he quieted his mind, and relaxed floating inches above the Super Robot's brand new hull.
Below he could feel the tired minds of his teammates as they forwent the rest of the clean up in favor of hot showers and a good nights rest, he felt a pang of conscience, as he should have been down there, helping them clean up, but he couldn't shake the feeling.
He was talking to a young boy by the name of Jeremy, when he got the sudden overwhelming feeling of another wielder of the Power Primate nearby, it wasn't any of the others, and no one else in Shuggazoom wielded the Power Primate, that only meant one other person, but it would be a disgrace to Nova who worked so hard on this party, not to mention her students who worked so hard to get here, to just leave, and on nothing more than a feeling. So he stayed, but the moment the last child left, he went to the shoulder, his favorite meditation spot, and the easiest way to reach into space, mentally at lest.
As he felt the familiar tingle as his mind left his body, he fixed on the feeling, and headed in that direction, he kept reaching, out to space, where everything became dark, empty and cold, he knew what space was like, having been in it before, but he had never reached into it with his mind, he never experienced the darkness that never ended, quite like this. He wasn't long in searching, not far from Shuggazoom he found what he was looking for.....or so he thought, Antuari frowned as he came in contact with Chiro's Power Primate, it was Chiro's, Antarui could feel Chiro the moment he touched it, but something was really, really wrong, the amount of power was way to small, not to mention he felt darkness on all sides, like the Power Primate was dormant, or being hidden. Antarui reached in further and tried to communicate with Chiro, through the Power. But something was preventing him, coils of darkness snared him, but the coils soon began to melt, covering his body, Antarui tried to fight, but it was like fighting nothing, everything he did, everything he tried, nothing worked.
As the darkness swallowed him, he felt cold, numb, and empty, like he was in a void were nothing existed, and nothing was allowed in.
When Antuari came to, he was on his back, rain was pelting his face, his entire body from strained, he sat up, instinctively he knew he'd been 'gone' for hours. Shaking off the last of that feeling that persisted, Antarui stood and headed for the door.
Sprx was in the middle of a dream, not a particularly good dream, but not a bad one, either way, he didn't enjoy the constant tapping noise that wouldn't stop.
Sprx's sleeping pod slip open, as the bleary-eyed Monkey stumbled to the door, rubbing his eyes.
"You were right" Antarui stated as he walked in, after Sprx opened the door
"What are you talking about?....and what happened?" Sprx asked looking at the soaking wet silver monkey, once, just once Sprx was grateful that Antarui no longer had fur, otherwise it'd be hell to get that wet monkey smell out of his room.
"Or rather Otto was right, something has happened to Chiro"
That woke Sprx up "whoa, wait what are you talking about?"
"During the party I got the feeling that a wielder of the Power Primate was near, and it wasn't any of you, and since none of the Shuggazoomian's are welders of the Power Primate, that only left one person"
"Chiro" Sprx concluded
"Yes, but tonight, when I reached out to him....it was wrong...different, smaller, and when I tried to speak with him....something attacked me"
"Wait, wait, wait, are you saying that Chiro's Power Primate attacked you?"
"No" Antarui frowned "It wasn't the Power Primate...it was something else something.....older"
"And this makes you think something bad has happened?"
"Yes?"
"An-n-nd, this may make me look like an idiot, how do you come to that conclusion?"
"Because it Chiro's Power Primate, but it was not Chiro"
Sprx stared at Antarui dumbfounded for a few more seconds, but than the realization struck him like a thunderbolt, his mouth fell open and his eyes went wide was the implications of Antarui's words hit home.
Neither of them had time to consider this, as seconds later the alarm blared throughout the robot.
A/N: wow, okay, this chapter was longer than the last two also a lot crappier I did this on the fly it most likely will go through a revision. Once again I'm sorry for the delay
P.S. anyone who reads the Authors Notes, please begin your comment with a % symbol.
Signing off.....