Thunder: Happy Holidays everybody! Hope your Christmas' and New Years parties were all good. Welp, back to the old grind!
Chapter 9
Night time in space and Danny was finishing the deck swabbing. To amuse himself, Stitch was licking the ground to help clean, then dumped his head in the sudsy bucket. When he climbed up to his post on the mast, looking at the young halfa, he hiccuped a couple bubbles. Danny smiled and leaned on the mop.
"Well, this has been a fun day, huh?" Danny asked. "Making new friends, like that robot psycho." Stitch growled and waved his claws around.
"Robot psycho, robot psycho." he said
"Heh. A little uglier." Danny said. Stitch then brought out his antennae, extra pair of arms, and spines on his back.
"Mwah-ha-ha-ha!" he cackled
"Pretty close." Danny said. Stitch shrugged.
"Well," Chase said, coming up the deck with a huge bucket, ruining the moment, "thank Wu ya for little miracles. Up here for an hour," Chase dumped whatever was in the bucket over the edge, "and the deck's still in one piece."
"Um, look, I, uh..." Danny said, "What you did... Thanks."
"Didn't your father ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully?" Chase asked. Danny looked at him, his cheerful expression turning into an almost glare.
"Your father's not the kind who teaches." Chase almost asked
"No." Danny said, going back to his mopping. "He was more the kind who takes off and never comes back."
"Oh. I'm sorry, boy." Chase said, showing a hint of sympathy.
"Hey, no big deal. I'm doing just fine." Danny said with a smile.
"Is that so?" Chase asked. "Well, since the captain has put you in my charge, like it or not, I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble." He emphasized his point by poking Danny's forehead.
"What?" he asked disbelieving
"From now on I'm not letting you out of my sight." Chase said
"You can't do-- "
"You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your butt without my say-so." He pounded his fist in the railing.
"Don't do me any favors!"
"Oh, you can be sure of that, my boy. You can be sure of that. Heh heh heh heh heh!" Chases slitted eyes shined in the starlights. Morning came in Space as the Legacy soared in the air.
"Put your back into it!" Chase yelled to Danny as he was trying to pry barnacles off the underside of the ship. Danny looked at the hull and all the barnacles that clung to it and sighed.
This is gonna be a long day. He thought. After they were finished with that long task they were soon peeling potatoes in the galley. While Danny used a knife, Chase used his dragon claws. Danny looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
I am a question to the world
Not an answer to be heard.
Danny remembered a moment when he was really young and his mother was holding him as he looked out the window of his old house as it rained outside.
Or a moment that's held in your arms
Danny was brought back to reality as Chase was trying to show him how to tie a difficult knot. Danny looked away, not caring the slightest.
And what do you think you'd ever say
I won't listen anyway
You don't know me
And I'll never be what you want
Me to be
After finishing the knot, Chase looked to his student to see the end of the rope tied around a part of the railing, but no Danny. He looked over the edge to see Danny walking away on the deck below. Chase looked at the knot Danny used on the rope, then on the one he made. They were exactly alike, and this made Chase smile.
The next Day, Danny was scrubbing away at the deck. Then Chase came up and looked down at him.
And what
Do you think you'd understand
I'm boy, no, I'm a man
You can't take me
Danny stood up and the two seemed to glare at each other before Chase shoved a bucket of water at Danny who grabbed it, never leaving Chase's gaze. When he was gone Danny dumped the water on the deck.
And throw me away
And how
Danny remembered back when he was a little boy with a little sail boat he was making. He put the top on and was so proud and his father came through the door. Danny held up the toy for his dad to see, but all that happened was a pat on the head as he walked past the small boy.
Can you learn what's never shown
Yeah, you stand here on your own
They don't know me
'Cause I'm not here
Older Danny was positioned on the bowsprit of the ship, looking out to the skies ahead of him. Later, Chase was telling a story, using his magic to make whatever monsters were a part of it appear in the air. Danny looked up from his drink and smiled.
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong
Danny just finished cleaning the dishes and Chase, using his dragon arms to carry all of it, came in with another load for Danny. At first he was surprised, but then defiant as he started scrubbing at the inside of a pot. As night fell, Danny was seen sleeping on top of a bowl.
And how can the world want me to change
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
'Cause I'm not here
Chase looked down at the sleeping Danny, Stitch sitting calmly on his shoulder. He looked up to see all the stuff that he brought in for Danny were sitting in nice piles shining. Chase rubbed the back of his neck and laid Danny's coat that was lying in a corner onto the halfa's back. Danny woke up at the feeling of his coat and saw the retreating form of Chase climbing the stairs up to the deck.
And you
see the things they never see
All you wanted - I could be
Now you know me
And I'm not afraid
Chase and Danny were readying a longboat to go on a quick solar sailing adventure. Danny jumped onto the other side of the boat and untied the ropes as Chase started waving at him as the boat drifted down and away. Danny looked down at his mentor a sad look coming to his face.
And I
want to tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am
A slightly younger Danny woke to the sounds of crying and ran downstairs from his room.
They can't tell me who to be
He found his aunt sitting at a table crying her eyes out, looking out the window.
'Cause I'm not what they see
Danny went out the front door to see his father with a bag on his back walking towards a ship at the docks.
Yeah, the world is still sleepin' while I keep on dreaming for me
He started running to him, falling over his own feet trying to catch up with his father.
And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe
Danny's father was on the ship already. The gangplank was drawn and Danny reached the docks too late, only able to reach out to his father as he watched him sail away.
Chase sailed up and held his position, waving for Danny to come aboard. Danny smiled and jumped down he the solar boat.
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong
Chase gave Danny the controls, pointing out what buttons did what. But Danny instantly pressed a couple buttons, grabbed the control and charged forward.
"Whoa!" Chase said, surprised by the sudden action.
And how can you say I'll never change
They're the ones that stay the same
Although Chase was terrified, he had fun as Danny steered the ship to sail behind a comet, surfing on its tail.
I'm the one now
'Cause I'm still here
They were out of the tail and shaking off whatever space dust they had on them and sailed back to the Legacy, smiling all the way.
I'm the one
'Cause I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here
Thunder: I feel really good about this Chapter. How'd I do with adding the song? Review please!