Ep. 26: Troublesome Twosome
Hey everyone, Kittyjen here for a brand new episode of SkyShorts.
In advance, thank you guys so much for over 500 reviews for Season 5 of SkyShorts! I remembered starting the first season, and it went pretty well. Sure, there wasn't many followers or favorites, but I knew I had to keep going for the people who read the season.
Possibly, due to all of the not-so-good events taking place through the seasons, at one point, I was close to canceling the entire series and just moving away from Minecraft altogether. But thanks to the support of all of you loving, awesome fans, you all have inspired me to keep going through the challenges, get over the events and just move on 'cause that's how life is. Change must happen, and we all must adjust to it or let it consume us and turn us into people we don't want to be.
Also, I'd love to give my thanks to my co-authors for SkyShorts Season 5, NinjaMaster220 and . Ninja helped me with a couple of chapters while Whovianist created the cover art for the season and also helped with writing chapters. I would have never kept going if it wasn't for them, so make sure to go and check out their profiles and show them some support for the amazing stories they've made. Thank you, Ninja and Whovianist, for helping me and sticking by my side for support, as I will do the same for both of you, as a true friend :)
So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy the new episode! It's based on a very, VERY, very serious and important matter...bullying.
Bullying can come in many forms. From assault to harassment, to even force. Bullying has existed for a long time, and while we can't exterminate bullying everywhere in every place, the least we can do is to protect that person who is being bullied from being bullied and discuss with the bully as to why they are inspired to pick on the person in the first place. When Amity meets with a unlikely friend and more of a person who likes to boss others around, can she do something about it, or will she let that person get away with bullying everyone, mostly her?
In the city of Blocktropolis, as usual, life is bustling about. Minecrafters sit with their friends near restaurants or café tables and converse about what has happened in their lives, either good or bad. Parks located across the large urban city are filled with visitors, parents of children sit near park benches or tables and enjoy themselves while their young ones have fun, playing tag or a game of Hide-and-Seek.
Near the edge of the territory of the large metropolis at a busy train station, two familiar beings pad into a large hall filled with crowds of Minecrafters. Mitch and Via, who make their way down the hall and towards the main central of the train station. Via is excited about something while Mitch holds a unsure look.
"Man, I can't believe we're gonna see your brother, Mitch. It's been forever since we last saw him", Via said, looking over at Bajan. Mitch response unenthusiastically "Yeah, it's gonna be...great...".
Via's excited look quickly turns into a concerned look and she asks "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just that...I don't know how my brother will react when he sees me...especially after I left home with Jerome to pursue my own life and I left him behind with Dad", Mitch explained, ceasing his walking and looks over towards his sister.
Via replies "Mitch, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. I mean, it was hard for me when you left home and soon after you did, I ran away to get my own life, but now, we'll finally be able to meet him again. Don't worry, he'll be excited to meet his big brother and sister again".
"I hope so", Mitch said, shifting his gaze. The duo resume their walk through the crowded hall and eventually, reach the central of the train station. They continue on and stop near the very edge where the iron railroad tracks ran vertically left and right. They wait patiently on the sidewalk for a particular train to arrive. A few minutes later, the sound of a sharp whistle meets their ears.
Mitch and Via gaze over their shoulders to the left and in the distance, they can faintly see a train making its way towards the station. The wheels on the train move rapidly as the gear that connects them propels the wheels forward and faster. Mitch and Via backs away slightly as the train approaches closer to the station and skids to a stop, the wheels make a sharp screeching noise as the locomotive slows more and more until it eventually comes a stop.
The door to the first railroad car opens up and Minecrafters exit out of the car and into the station. The other doors to the railroad cars open and more Minecrafters exit out of the car. Mitch and Via glance through the moving crowds of people, but can't get a glimpse of who they are looking for.
"Do you see him?", Via asked, looking through the crowd to her right. Mitch replies quickly "No. I don't get it. It's nearly 3 'o clock. He should be here by now". Slowly, the large bodies of people leaving the railroad cars starts to diminish to a small number. Mitch and Via glance at each other in worry, hoping that nothing bad has happened to their younger sibling. As the last person exits from the train, a small figure appears out of the first railroad car, clutching a small suitcase with him.
Mitch and Via smile in happiness as they recognize the figure. It turns out to be a young boy with straight-standing brown-shaded hair, hazel eyes like his brother, a dark-red jacket covering his white shirt, and dark-blue slightly torn jeans.
"Mitch! Via!", the boy exclaimed, bounding over to his older siblings. Mitch yells back as he kneels down to his younger brother's level "Connor!"
Connor runs up to his brother and embraces him tightly, burying his head deep into his shoulder. Via kneels down and joins in the hug, patting Connor on the head. After a couple of seconds, Mitch breaks the hug as he moves away and says "Man, I haven't seen you in forever, little dude! You've gotten so big!"
"So how have things been back at home?", Via asked. Connor answers with "Great! It was so nice of Dad to let me come and stay with you while he's working for the week".
"You're gonna love it where I now live, Connor", Mitch said. "I live in a giant ship with 9 million recruits in an army and I work closely with Team Crafted".
Connor replies excitingly "Team Crafted?! Is that like an army or something?"
"Not exactly. We're a team where we give orders, discuss topics, and help people around the world", Mitch explained.
"Sounds awesome!", Connor exclaimed. Then, Via says "Well, we better get back to the ship and get you settled in". Via takes Connor's suitcase in her hand as the young Minecrafter nods, turns quickly, and takes off from the train station in a excited fit.
Mitch lets out a relieved sigh. Via turns to him and says "See? He wasn't gonna be mad. In fact, he looked really happy to see us again".
Mitch replies to Via "Yeah, but I don't know how Connor will get used inside the ship, or with anyone on the ship. You know he's always had a hard time making friends in the past, and I don't know why. He's an easygoing kid and he's very sociable".
Via ponders about something for a moment, then realizes something and states to the Canadian "I bet he can make great friends with Amity. She's always looking for new friends". Mitch replies in sudden realization "Yeah, they will totally make great friends. They're both adventurous, looking for fun, and take interest in the Hunger Games".
"Speaking of which...I don't think I remember Connor ever being able to come to a Hunger Games tournament", Via points out, rubbing a finger under her chin in deep thought. "He's usually trained by himself while you and Dad went out to tournaments".
Mitch, who nervously glances side to side for a moment, states to her "I...guess he didn't want to go 'cause he wanted to train more". Via glances at her brother with a questioningly look and asks "Are you sure, Mitch?"
"Yeah, of course I'm sure. Well, we better get back to the ship", Mitch suggested, then takes off in a hurry away from the sidewalk to find his brother. Via is left by herself in a state of confusion as to why her brother cut their conversation, but moments later, she decides to shake it off and follows the Canadian out of the train station.
Half an hour later, at the Butter Craft AirShip, Mitch and his siblings enter the upper dock of the ship, dozens of recruits pad along the floor. Connor looks in excitement as his brother exclaims "Connor, welcome to the Butter Craft AirShip, home to the Sky Army. This is where you will be staying for the week. There's so many things to do on this ship".
"Awesome! Hey, are there any other kids on this ship I can play with?", Connor asked with a slight mysterious glint in his eyes, which Mitch nor Via seem to notice. Mitch stutters for a moment before glancing around for a moment. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spots Amity walking alongside with her friend Aneria. He smiles as an idea pops into his head.
"Hey Amity!", Mitch calls out. The young girl glances over her shoulder and spots Mitch waving at her to come where he is. Aneria looks behind herself and asks "Hey Amity, you coming?"
"Um...you keep going. I'll catch up with you later", Amity explains. The other girl nods and Amity makes her way across the dock and reaches Mitch, Via, and Connor. Amity gazes up at Mitch and questions "Yeah, Mitch?"
Mitch kneels down to her eye-level and explains "Amity, can you do me a big favor and show my little brother around the ship?" Amity tilts her head a bit to the left as he says "I never knew you had a brother".
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure none of my friends on TC know that I have a sibling. Anyway, can you do it?", Mitch asked again. Amity smiles as she nods eagerly and replies "Sure. Anything to help you out and a chance for me to make another friend".
Mitch smiles in relief and states to her "Thanks, Amity. My brother Connor will be staying here for a while and I want him to be contented around his environment. Plus, he's had a hard time making friends back where he lived, so maybe if you can help him with that, that would be great". Amity nods again. Mitch pats her on the head gently as he gets to his knees and turns to his brother. He kneels down again as he says "Connor, this is Amity. She'll be showing you around the ship. Now, she's a very special girl because she is the daughter of the Sky Army general, Sky. You treat her nicely and civilly, okay?"
Connor looks away for a moment in a bit worry, then replies to her brother "Yes, Mitch". Mitch gets to his feet and smiles. Then, he turns towards his sister and states to her "Come on, Via, we should let these kids get to know each other better". Mitch starts walking away and Via follows along with him, but stops momentarily as she turns around to face the kids and exclaims to him "You two have fun, and stay out of trouble!"
As the adults walk off of the upper dock, Amity faces Connor, who seem to look a bit bored and starts looking around the dock of the ship, not paying attention a second to the girl in front of him. Amity doesn't seem to notice this and introduces herself by saying "Hey Connor. My name is Amity, and welcome to the Sky Army. A peaceful army who won't attack the threat unless the threat attacks them, then it's a not-so peaceful army".
Connor looks at the girl with a questionable look for a moment, then replies with a sigh "Yeah, my brother already introduces us. I don't think I need a second introduction..." Then, Connor states to himself in a hushed tone "...Runt". However, Amity hears the comment that Connor makes, and she couldn't help but feel a bit stunned by him insulting her. They had barely met. What did she do to him? However, Amity pretends to ignore the hushed comment made towards her and asks the boy "So...uh...what do you like to do for fun?"
"Oh, I like to do a lot of fun things. Only problem is that all the kids I ever meant trying to have fun with me...were weak, if you know what I'm hinting about", Connor implied, taking short steps around the girl while looking at his hands and cracking his fingers to lessen the tension within them. Amity is a bit dumbstruck for a second, then asks hesitantly "Are...do...are you saying I'm weak?"
Connor glances at the young girl and exclaims out "Oh, no, no, no, I wouldn't use a word like weak. Instead, I would use a more modern and throughly thought-out word like...undependable or flimsy".
Amity takes a step back in fear, as the insults get more and more complex. But she knew that these words coming from this boy were meant to say that she is useless and unreliable. She even felt a tear begin to form within one of her bluish-green eyes, sensing that her feelings were damaged beyond repair. But not wanting to embarrass herself in front of a rude, yet potentially new friend, Amity shakes away the tear and gives Connor a shaky smile
She replies "Well, I can certainly tell you that I'm not weak". Connor laughs in amusement as he takes a quick gander at Amity's appearance before saying "Ha! Don't make me laugh!"
"But you just did", Amity pointed out. Connor gets slightly annoyed by the girl's clever remark and snaps back at her "That's not the point! My brother and sister usually is out playing with their friends, and they leave me behind to just do whatever. But now that I'm here and they're not here, perhaps you and me can go cause some...mischief around the ship. If you in, that is".
"You mean...cause trouble?", Amity questioned. Connor nods in reply. Amity has doubts around Connor's suggestion on having fun. Her father had always told her that causing trouble around you isn't a way of having fun. So, going with what her parents have taught her, Amity answers "Yeah...I don't think I'm interested. My dad says it isn't nice to make trouble with others 'cause you might in trouble if you get caught".
"Aw...not only are you weak, but you're a daddy's girl as well", Connor teased at her, pushing her away with a quick jerk of his hand. Amity stumbles backwards, but gets her balance quickly as she cries out "No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are! Don't you deny it!", Connor said, pointing his finger at the young girl. Amity cowers back as she feels her self-confidence being completely destroyed by this boy's senseless insults, and starts questioning as to whatever did she do to deserve this type of treatment. Then, she hears Connor state "However, I'll tell you this. If you come with me to make trouble, then maybe...I'll ease up with the insults. If not, then deal with the insults...daddy's girl".
Amity blushes in embarrassment as she glares at the boy. Unknowingly giving in to peer pressure, she agrees by saying "Alright, Connor. I'll join you by making trouble".
"Alright. Trust me, this is gonna be awesome!", Connor states in excitement. He grabs Amity's arm and drags her along with him inside the ship. But Amity knew that deep in her innocent and growing heart, she was going to regret the decision she had made.
A couple of moments later, within the many rooms of the ship, one particular room was more larger and wider than the others. It's the exercise room, where many recruits train up to keep their physical appearance in check. Behind a dumbbell rack, Connor and Amity peek over and watch as some recruits run or walk on top of treadmills, others lift up dumbbells of different weights, and some pull with effort on the handles of row machines.
Connors chuckles mischievously before saying "So many opportunities, but where to start?" Amity glances around the room for a bit, then sets her sight across the room and spots two certain recruits that she knows out of the millions that reside on the ship, Aver and Alix. Aver is laying back upon a seat as he desperately tries to push up a 30lbs dumbbell with Alix standing over him to help him lift the heavy bar.
"How about those two over there?", Amity questioned, pointing across the room. Connor looks in her direction and grins evilly. "Perfect. I know just the plan", Connor replies, then he moves away from the rack and starts sneaking through the room. Amity nervously follows behind him, praying that she and him wouldn't get caught as they were causing trouble.
Meanwhile, Aver has a lot of difficulty trying to lift the dumbbell completely into the air as his arms begins to shake uncontrollably. Alix states to him "Come on, dude. At this rate, you'll never be as healthy as everyone else". Aver grunts as he lifts the exercise item a bit upward before saying "I'm just as healthy as the next health freak on this ship. Besides, why did you give me this thing? It weighs like a ton!"
"Because in order to achieve something, you have to force yourself to do things that you're not willing to do", Alix explained to the red-eyed recruit. He places both of his hands beneath the bar to make sure if Aver loses his grip, his hands will be there to catch it and not crush his chest. However, behind the two men, Connor and Amity hide behind a empty rowing machine and spot the men a short distance away from them.
"So...what do you have planned for them?", Amity asked Connor. Without looking at her, Connor whispers to her "Only the ultimate move to make the perfect trouble". Connor moves from behind the rowing machine and carefully sneaks up behind Alix, who is oblivious to the child behind him. Connor stops behind the man and looks around momentarily before spotting a large dumbbell right besides Alix, leaning against a treadmill.
With a mischievous smile, Connor slides over to the dumbbell and squints his eyes as he builds up a plan in his mind. Then, he points one finger out and carefully touches the metal part of the bell. Then, that's where the trouble begins.
Slowly, the large dumbbell slowly begins to fall over. Connor quickly treads back over to Amity and watches his plan begin to unfold.
Alix glances over his shoulder for a moment, but gapes when he sees the large dumbbell falling forward. He doesn't have time to dodge it and one of the large weights falls on top of his foot. Alix yelps out in pain as he moves away from Aver's dumbbell and hops away, grasping his sore foot and makes the dumbbell fall away. Aver loses his concentration on the heavy item and his arms fall on top of his chest, along with the heavy dumbbell.
He grunts out in pain as he feels the full weight extent of the dumbbell. He grabs the bar and desperately tries to push the item off of his chest. Finally, he pushes the dumbbell off. One of the weights hits the ground while the other weight tips over and crushes Alix's other foot. Alix yells out again as he grasps his other sore foot while hopping on the other sore foot.
Alix loses his balance and falls backward, throwing out a hand in panic and grabs a piece of rope tied to a rowing machine with a male recruit ready to pull on the handles to lift the weights tied to the rope. Without warning, the rope snaps and Alix falls downward, taking the rope with him. The recruit pulls with all of his might, but only propels himself forward as a result of the combined effort and speed he exerted to lift the weights. Unable to stop himself, the recruit continues to fly forward before colliding with a dumbbell rack and does a full flip in the air before falling on his back, one of his feet accidentally kicks a lone yoga ball across the room.
Sierra, who is currently running at full speed on a treadmill, is nearly reaching her goal of 50 miles per hour on the treadmill's numbers. The yoga ball flies through the air and hits her in the back of her head. Sierra yelps out as she falls forward and the still moving gear belt throws her off of the machine. Dawn, who is running besides the machine Sierra was once on, glances over in worry as she sees the young woman thrown away from the treadmill.
But then, Dawn trips over her foot and she falls to her right, knocking over Krissi, who knocks over Glacier, who knocks over Rouge, who knocks over Serena, finally and knocks over Kitty. The women skid off their treadmills and roll around in pain from the impact of hitting the hard, rubbery surface of the moving belt. Kitty, who is the last one to fall, falls to her side as one of her hands collides with a see-saw like platform and thrown in the air is a pair of nunchucks.
Aver gets up to see the madness and chaos erupting in the room, but can only look up for a moment and gasps when he sees a pair of nunchucks flying right at him at a fast speed. One of the iron poles attached to the short chain strikes the recruit right in the groin. They clatter to the floor as Aver winces in pain and kneels to the floor while grasping his private parts.
"Agh! My lucky charms!", Aver exclaimed out loud as he falls to the floor. As some of the recruits move away from their exercise equipment to help the fallen recruits, sneaking out of the room is Amity and Connor.
When the duo reach the end of the hall where the exercise room is located, Connor lets out the laughs he had been saving since the trouble began when one touch of his finger.
"HA HA! Oh my Notch, did you see the look on that guy's face when those nunchucks hit him in the no-no square?! Ah...that was priceless!", Connor exclaimed, wiping a tear away from his eye. Amity couldn't help but let out a stifled giggle from the chaos that unfolded when Connor touched the dumbbell with one finger, but she quickly shakes it away. It wasn't funny at all, it was hard to watch as innocent recruits fall off machines or get crushed by heavy objects.
"I don't know, Connor. That...that was kind of mean", Amity pointed out. Connor glances at her and questions "Mean? That wasn't mean. That was comical. You should be laughing right now".
"You find it funny to see someone fall off of a machine and groan in pain?! Even my mom was caught in the chaos!", Amity exclaimed, raising her tone in anger.
"Well, she doesn't have to know that we were behind this, could she?", Connor replies back nonchalantly. "Anyway, how about you show me the cool places in this ship?"
"Uh...sure. I do know this one place that might be cool enough for you," Amity states to him, unsure whether or not to introduce Connor to the place she had in mind. But wanting to avoid getting teased again, she signals Connor to follow her and leads him down the hall while the madness still unfolded in the exercise room.
Moments later, in the lower right deck of the ship, Amity and Connor approach a locked door, which seem to have a identification device attached to it. Connor takes a closer look at the device and asks "What the heck is this?"
Amity answers "That's a special lock for the door. Only authorized Sky Army recruits are allowed in there. Luckily, I'm one of them". Amity walks up to the door and tip-toes on her feet to reach the device. Stretching her hand out as far as she could, she eventually get her entire hand on the screen. A bright green line goes downward, then upward. A lock is heard unlocking and the door suddenly swings a bit open. Connor moves the door and walks inside, Amity follows behind him closely.
Entering their new environment, Connor and Amity find themselves in a landing dock with a large steel door blocking the entrance large and wide enough for a ship to fly through. Connor glances at the center of the dock and gapes in awe as he sees a large jet parked in front of the door. "Wow...what is that?", Connor said, walking even closer to the jet.
"That's a 313 Class 4 Sky Army Fighter Jet", Amity replied back as she glances over the aircraft. "My father recently ordered it to have it built and sent to the Sky Army ship, but it's a prototype and it still hasn't been tested yet".
"Well, why don't we test it out?", Connor asked, his tone full of mischief. The boy climbs up a ladder leading into the driver's seat of the jet. Amity gasps as she walks up to the ladder and exclaims "Are you crazy?! That thing is only meant for expert pilots!" But Connor simply ignores the girl's cautionary remarks and jumps into the driver's seat. He looks at all of the levers and buttons within the control panel of the jet. "Sweet! Look at all these cool gadgets!", Connor says to himself, moving a couple of levers back and forth and pressing a few buttons. He looks at the center of the control panel and grabs ahold of the steering mechanism. Connor uses his imagination and starts making jet noises with his mouth as he moves the steering wheel around.
"This is Jet Fighter Number 69! We are inbound within the enemy's territories! Deploying all missiles at enemy base!", Connor exclaimed while his imagination runs wild. He presses a button and imitates explosions going off using his mouth. Then, he stops abruptly to look over from the jet and sees Amity still standing at the base of the leader with a worried look. "Come on, Amity! Check this thing out!", Connor exclaimed, signaling with his hand for her to enter the ship with him.
"But Connor, we're not allowed to use the ship!", Amity replied back, still staying within the lessons that her parents taught her. Connor sighs as he rolls his eyes before insisting "We're not using the jet, we're touching the jet. There's no rule against that, is there?" Amity takes a moment to ponder the idea. Sky told her to stay away from the jet, but never did he say something about touching the jet.
"I guess there isn't", Amity said back. Filled with excitement, Amity climbs up the ladder and joins Connor in the driver seat. She glances at all of the controls surrounding the seat, curious as to what they would do. Connor looks at one of the buttons and exclaims "Wait! I bet this button starts it!" Connor reaches over to press the button, But Amity grabs his hand and states "Connor what are you doing? I'm the experienced one here, and I believe that that button is...", the girl pauses as she glances through the variety of different buttons and spots a green-glowing button near the steering wheel.
"Ah! Right here", Amity exclaims, placing her finger on the button. However, she leans forward a bit and her finger presses the button. The button starts blinking rapidly as a loud sharp noise starts erupting from the jet. Amity's eyes widen in fear, knowing immediately what she has done. Connor exclaims with shock "You started the jet!"
"I'm sorry! I'll turn it off!", Amity replied back quickly as she starts searching for the button to turn the aircraft off. However, Connor states "No, it's a good thing! Now, let's see how this thing flies in the air." Connor reaches down with his foot and presses one of the pedals down with great force. A split second later, the jet takes off like a bullet and leaves tire skid marks on the steel floor.
Within the jet, the glass dome completely covers the cockpit where the duo are in. Amity screams in fear as she covers her face while Connor shouts out in excitement as he steers the wheel side to side. The jet makes wildly sharp turns through the air, spinning uncontrollably in the air while leaving behind smoke trails from the jet engines.
Meanwhile, below where the prototype jet is flying around, Adam and the rest of the team are seen trekking through rough terrain. WeedLion, who is following from behind of the group, stops when one of his ears flicks. The large cat glances into the sky and sees a jet flying erratically in the blue sky. He recognizes the jet and exclaims "Hey guys, look up". The team turn their gazes skyward and spot the aircraft.
"Huh...someone is flying the prototype ship", Jason said, gazing at the spiraling fighter jet through his orange visor. He hears Adam state "That's weird. The prototype wasn't scheduled to be tested until next week. I wonder who's flying the jet?"
Bonkers, who is among the many eyes glued to the jet, squints her eyes and uses her prolong, advanced eyesight and stares into the cockpit of the jet. As the jet flies to the right, Bonks gets a good look at the driver's seat and gasps when she sees Amity and a boy she doesn't recognize within the cockpit. "Amity is in that jet, along with a boy!", Bonks exclaimed in alarm. Adam glances at the bug hybrid and questions in confusion "Amity?!"
Mitch figures out that the boy is his brother. "My brother Connor?!", Mitch questions in fright. The group can only watch as the jet does full spins in the air before losing control and starts plummeting right where they are. Everyone screams as they all jump out of the way. Moments later, the jet crash-lands upon the ground and skids across the dirt and rock of the terrain before finally coming to a stop when the very tip of the jet touches a tree.
The team get to their feet and approach the downed jet. Adam is shocked at the major damages done to the prototype, but is more worried about his daughter and the boy in the ship. In the cockpit, the glass dome is completely destroyed as shards of glass hang from what used to be it or fall off and hit the ground. Then, crawling out of the seat is Amity. She grunts as she pulls herself out of the wreckage and tumbles to the ground.
"Amity!", Adam exclaimed as he runs over to his daughter. He picks her up and brings her into his arms as he says "Are you okay?!"
"I'm...I'm fine", Amity stutters out, a bit dizzy from the hard crash-landing. Within the cockpit, Connor peeks out as he sees the team and his brother near the jet. He hides down as he looks around for something and spots a broken lever. He gets an idea, an idea that might keep him from getting accused in this incident. He grabs the lever and shutting his eyes tightly, he bashes the steel bar on his forehead. He lets out a silent scream as a large red bump appears on his head.
He lets go of the bar and pretends to weakly crawl out of the jet. When Mitch looks up at the cockpit, he gasps when he sees his brother appear with a bruise on his head and falls to the ground. "Connor!", Mitch cried out, pushing his way through his friends and approaches his brother laying across the ground. Connor looks up at his brother with tear-filled eyes. Mitch brings his little brother into his arms and asks "Connor, are you alright?!"
Connor sniffles and rubs his eyes free from his pretend tears as he replies "No, I'm not. It was scary, Mitch. Amity wanted to drive the jet, but I didn't want to join her 'cause we weren't allowed to touch the jet. But she forced me to get in with her. Now, everything hurts!" Amity gapes in shock as she hears Connor accusing her of driving the jet when it was really him. Mitch gets to his feet as he carries Connor within his arms.
Then, he glares at Amity and exclaims angrily "What the heck is wrong with you?! I leave you with Connor for a couple of hours for you and him to become friends, and next thing I know, you force him into a jet that you're not allowed to touch?! You and him are just lucky that this crash wasn't any worse".
"What?! But it wasn't me driving the jet! It was Connor!", Amity stated in shock, pointing at the boy in his arms.
Everyone glances at Connor, but the boy cowers back and buries his face into Mitch's checkered hoodie. "I didn't even do anything! I just wanted to be friends with her, but she just kept making fun of me! Now, she's trying to get me into trouble!", Connor lied to his brother as his sentence came out muffled, grasping his brother's shirt tightly. Mitch rubs his brother's back before saying "It's alright, Connor. I'm just relieved to see you okay".
Then, Mitch looks up at everyone and states "Guys, I'm gonna have to leave the mining trip. I have to take Connor to Oceanus for the bruise on his head". Without another word, Mitch takes off in a hurry while carrying his brother in his arms. Connor looks up from Mitch's hoodie and glances over his arm and sees Amity. He gives her a devilish smile, then quickly hides his face back.
Amity glares at the boy, but quickly loses it when she sees the team looking down at her with angered looks. Adam walks up to her and states "Amity, you know better than to pick on someone who's just trying to be your friend".
"But it wasn't me! It was Connor! He's the one making fun of me AND the one who made me go into the jet with him!", Amity defended herself.
However, her father isn't convinced by her story and continues with "Amity, I'm glad that you're safe, but that jet cost me over a million dollars. Now, I have to dismantled it to pieces to bring it back to the ship easier, repair it and rebuild it, which costs another million dollars. Amity, because of this...you're grounded...for a month".
"But I-" Amity started, but her father cuts her off by saying "Do you understand?"
Defeated by her father, Amity glares at the ground beneath her feet as she replies weakly "Yes, sir".
"Good", Adam grimly answers. He looks up at the team and states to them "Everyone, head back to the ship. I need to regroup recruits to clean up the mess". Everyone nods and turn around to head back to the ship. Amity hangs her head in shame as she follows the group behind. She knew that she had payed the price for agreeing to cause trouble with Connor, only in the end...she was the one who got the full punishment.
As night begins to roll in, within the clinic, Connor shuts his eyes to keep the tears from pouring as Oceanus applies an ointment over the self-inflicted bruise on his head. He hears Connor let out a pained yelp and he states "I'm sorry, Connor. I know it hurts, but I'm nearly done". After putting a decent amount on the bruise, Oceanus grabs a large cotton ball and gently places it over the injury, Connor prevents his sobs from coming out.
Oceanus grabs a medical bandage, cuts a short length of it, and places it over the cotton ball to make it stay in place over the bruise. "There. All done", Oceanus said with a sigh. He places the roll of bandage down and picks the boy up from the table.
Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Mitch looks down with a worried look as he taps his foot on the floor at a rapid pace. Via sits besides him and gazes at him, worry plastered on her face and not knowing how their little brother will turn out. Then, the siblings look upward when they hear a door opening and stepping from one of the examination rooms is Oceanus, carrying Connor in his arms.
Mitch and Via stand up and make their way to the front desk. Oceanus hands Mitch his little brother back as he explains "He'll make a full recovery. Just has a mild concussion from the bruise on his head. Just make sure he gets plenty of rest and he'll be fine".
Mitch sighs in relief as he replies back "Thank you, Oceanus. I don't know what we would do without you".
"My pleasure", Oceanus answered back. "So, tell me, how did this accident happen?"
"Well, my little brother was visiting me while our father was out at work, and in the past, Connor has had a lot of trouble making friends, so I figured why not let him get to know Amity better be best friends? So, I let him hang out with her while Via and I did some work around the ship. After a few hours, I find him in the cockpit with her in the prototype jet Sky ordered. Amity forced him to go into the jet with her, even though that they weren't allowed to touch the jet. What's more, Amity even made fun of him. He must be traumatized after everything has had to go through with her", Mitch explained, then looks down at his brother, who had fallen asleep, and gently runs his fingers through his short brown hair.
Oceanus lowers an eyebrow in confusion before pointing out "That's strange. Amity isn't usually the type to go and cause trouble or be rude to others. There's has to be an explanation".
However, Via explains "There's no explanation. Amity put Connor through a lot, and we're not gonna let it happen again. We know Amity is Latin for 'friend', but after everything that she put Connor through, she doesn't live up to her name at all".
Oceanus points out to the duo "Haven't you two ever thought that maybe Connor could be lying about everything?"
Mitch angrily snaps at the doctor by saying "How dare you accuse my little bro of being a liar! You know what, I've heard enough of this!" Mitch turns around and says to his sister "Come on, Via, let's get out of here". Via nods curtly and follows her brother out of the clinic. Oceanus lets out a deep sigh, only wanting to help the siblings out. But inside, he knew that he has to figure this situation out. He studied Amity's behavior over the years since she was born, and never has she ever committed an act of rude behavior or cause damage to anything. Whatever is going on, it is certainly not Amity's fault.
Meanwhile, throughout the rooms, Amity is hanging out in her friend Aneria's room. Amity had just finished up telling her about the recent events that had taken place every since Connor's arrival. Aneria feels terrible for the new position Amity is now in thanks to the careless actions of Connor.
"..and then, my dad said that I'm grounded for a month, so that's about it", Amity concluded as she gazes out the window of Aneria's room. Aneria replies to her friend "Gosh, I'm so sorry he did that to you. Perhaps you should tell somebody about this".
"Why? It's not like anyone would care about me after they hear about this. They're just gonna think I'm lying to get attention", Amity replied back flatly, not looking at her friend and just keeps her gaze at the scenery through the window. Aneria replies a bit in anger "Hey, when you feel like no one in this world will care if you're gone, don't think that because there will always be someone who cares".
Amity feels a bit of happiness erupt inside her with her friend's supporting words and looks over at her and says "Thanks, Aneria. Perhaps I'll tell my parents about what's really going on".
"Trust me. They'll believe you", Aneria said. With a wave, Amity moves away from the window and exits Aneria's room. Amity begins to walk down the dark hallway and towards her parents' room when a voice behind her states "Hey there, friend". Amity glares as she turns completely around and stepping out of the shadows of the hallway is Connor. When he stops, a window next to him shines in the moonlight and half of his body is covered in light while the other half is covered by darkness, making him look very menacing.
"I'm not your friend, Connor, especially after everything you've put me through. I'm telling my parents about who really touched the jet", Amity said and turns around before hearing Connor state to her "Oh, so now you're a snitch now?"
"A snitch?", Amity questioned as she looks over her shoulder. Connor replies back "Yeah, a snitch. Basically, it's someone who loves to give out information to other people. Or better yet, you're just a plain tattletale! So go ahead, try and tell on me! But after everything that's happened to me, no one will ever believe you!" With that, Connor starts walking backwards and disappears into the shadows.
Amity gapes in shock as she tries to figure out what to do. Unknown to her, a shadow hiding behind a corner in the hallway she's standing in disappears moments later after Connor left.
"What am I gonna do?! I have to tell someone, but no one will believe me. I bet my parents won't even believe me", Amity said to herself, feeling more depressed as she is beginning to run out of options to solve her problems. Then, she gets one more idea.
"Wait...I don't have to tell Team Crafted about my problem. I need to tell someone responsible, someone who's kind, and someone who will believe what I say and help me...and I know just the person", Amity planned.
The Next Morning...
Amity walks up to a door in one of the many hallways of the ship and knocks on it. Taking a few steps back, Amity waits patiently for the person she had in her mind as the most responsible, kindness, and the best believer. Moments later, the door opens up and revealed in the doorway...is Brotato, or Tyler. He glances around for a moment, then looks down and sees Amity standing right in front of him.
"Um...can I help you?", Tyler asked, not expecting the general's daughter to pay him a visit. Amity replies shyly "Sorry to bother you, Tyler...but...I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice".
"Advice? Usually when I tell people my advice, they usually run away from me in pure panic", Tyler explained, unwilling to scare the child with what advice is going around in his collaborated mind. Amity gazes at the man with the most innocent puppy eyes and lets her bottom lip quiver in sadness. "Please?", she whimpers out in a sweet voice.
Tyler can't stand the innocent look on the young girl's face and eventually, he gives in and exhales out "Oh god, curse you and your innocent looks! But your dad would burn or freeze my ass with that amulet of his if I didn't help you...okay, ya got me. Come inside". Amity smiles with glee and bounds inside Tyler's room. Tyler looks through the hallways for a moment, then heads inside his room.
Amity seats herself on top of Tyler's bed, Tyler follows along and seats himself right next to her. "So, what advice do you need?", Tyler asks.
"Well...what do you do when there's this person who tells you to do something with them, but you don't want to do it, and that person gets away and you're the one who gets into trouble?", Amity asked as best as she could to avoid giving her "friend's" name.
Tyler ponders about this question for a few moments. "Oh, that's a tough one. If this person a boy or a girl?", Tyler asked to get a better understanding of the question. Amity replies "A boy".
"Oh...I'm not very good with boy-related questions. However, I do know someone else who just might be able to help. Wait right here. I need to go switch personas", Tyler quickly said. He turns and darts towards the closet of his room. The next thing Amity hears is clattering and things being dropped in the closet. Amity tilts her head in confusion as to what Tyler is doing in there, but sticks to her knowledge of the man and decides not to question it.
Moments later, the closet door opens and stepping out of it is a woman with gray hair, a dull pink dress and shoes, and is holding a cigarette in one hand. "Hello there, muffin. I heard from Tyler that you're in need of some boy advice", the woman said with a cracky voice, then takes a huff of her cigar and blows out a cloud of smoke. "Even though me and him aren't on good ground with each other".
"Uh...who are you?", Amity asked, not knowing who this new person is. The woman walks over to the bed and seats right next to Amity before saying "My name's Janet. I'm one of Tyler's personas. He doesn't talk to me much, but he told me about your problem and I'm here to help 'cause I know a lot about men".
"Um...okay", Amity replies hesitantly.
"Now, to begin, men...are like pigs. They both eat messy, they both smell like a rotten egg, and they both like to roll around in their own poo", Janet explained, taking a huff from her cigarette afterwards. Amity points out "Uh...I'm pretty sure men don't roll in their own feces".
"Well, my husband did before he passed on. Now, I'm like a necrophiliac whenever I visit him", Janet replied back. She takes a whip of her cigarette and puffs out a cloud of smoke over Amity. The girl coughs as she fans her hand to get some of the smoke away to prevent inhaling it. She states to her "Okay, first off, that is just so wrong on some many different levels. And secondly, you know that stuff's bad for you?"
"Smoking?", Janet questions, looking at the half-burnt cigar in her hand. "My kid lived to be in his 90's by doing one simple thing".
"By smoking?", Amity asks.
"No, by keeping his mouth shut or else he got the belt!", Janet answers back a bit assertive. Amity sighs in defeat before saying "Look, Janet, I'm sorry. But this advice you're giving me isn't getting me closer to a solution. I'm gonna have to talk to someone else more...how should I say...not smoking or...disgusting".
"It's alright. I usually get that from the mothers I met after I babysit their kids. I had a kid once, before Child Services stole him", Janet explained, clutching the cigar tighter on her hand in annoyance. Amity asks "They took him away?"
Janet replies "No! Child Services stole my kid, alright? They didn't take him away, they stole him". Amity jumps off of the bed and states "Well, thanks for trying to help anyway, Janet. I'll talk to you later, I guess". The young girl turns around and winces slightly in fear before walking out of the room. Janet sighs as she places the cigar in her mouth.
"Well, that didn't work. If that Tyler fellow was as dumb as dirt, he would cover an entire acre or more!", Janet said to herself. Then, stepping out of the closed closet is Tyler, who exclaims "Hey, I heard that! Now, get back in this closet. I need to put you back in my head!"
Half an hour later, Amity explores through the rooms of the famous Minecrafters, hoping to find one of the Minecrafters who can possibly help her. While searching, Amity stumbles upon an slightly cracked-open door. She pushes the door gently and sees WeedLion sitting in the middle of his jungle-themed room, grooming the green fur on his arm.
"Um...WeedLion?", Amity asked. Hearing the voice, the feline lifts his head up and quickly states "I wasn't licking myself!" He gazes over his shoulder and his panic look instantly turns into a unenthusiastic expression. "Oh...it's you", WeedLion dully said. The lion just flops down on the floor, his mane is thrown against the floor and flies in all directions. Amity enters the room as she says "WeedLion, please don't be mad at me about what happened yesterday".
"Oh, I will be mad. You nearly took your life as well as Connor's for trying to fly the jet. Only a person with a cold heart would force an innocent one to put themselves in danger", WeedLion growled out. Amity walks over to the lion and falls on top of him. The wild cat glares at her with his blazing blue eyes.
"Please, Inge, I would never disobey my parents's rules or would I ever insult somebody. You know that about me", Amity explained as best as she could. WeedLion ponders about the subject. He remembers back a while ago, back in the savanna where he and Blue Monkey nearly went to war with each other over who truly deserved to be king of the savanna. Amity stepped in and convinced them that fighting over something that wasn't needed in a wild environment was unnecessary. He widens his eyes in realization, then says "Yeah, I remember you getting in-between me and James when we were fighting back at the savanna".
"I couldn't just stand back and watch innocent lives taken away. I had to do something, even though I'm only 8 years old", Amity explained, resting her head into WeedLion's mane. The feline smiles as he points out "You know, you always amaze me with your wide knowledge of words and sentence at such a young age, Amity".
"Well, ever since I was born, my parents trusted on Seto to teach me everything I need to know about the world. I've learned a lot, and right now, I've learned that I need someone to help me with this situation", Amity asked in desperation. WeedLion tries to think of something that may help Amity in her situation. Then, he catches an idea.
"I think I may have something that can help you. Have you tried standing up to yourself?", WeedLion asked, getting up and gently picks Amity up and sets her on her feet.
"Standing up to myself?", Amity questioned. WeedLion replies with "Yeah, stand to yourself. Be the alpha and show that boy who's in charge. You can't let him tell you what to do nor let him get away with trouble". Amity starts to understand what she must do and exclaims "You're right! I do have to stand up for myself".
"Then, what are you waiting for? Go find him and stand up to him", WeedLion encourages her. Amity nods eagerly and quickly skitters out of the room. WeedLion feels a bit accomplished, then he states loudly "And please don't call me Inge. Just...WeedLion would be fine". He laughs nervously for a bit, then whispers to himself "Ugh, why the Nether did my parents have to name me Inge?!"
Moments later, Amity runs through the hallways of the ship, seeking Connor to get up close and personal for all that he has put her through. When Amity enters the next hallways, she gapes in shock when she sees Connor cornering a male kid recruit against the wall.
"The next time you see me, you better stay out of my way!", Connor hissed at the recruit, who slides down the wall and nods rapidly to answer the boy's statement. Amity scowls for a moment before stepping in the middle of the hallway. "Hey!", she shouted out loud. Connor turns around and sees Amity standing in the hallway. The kid recruit stumbles to his feet and escapes out of the hallway.
"Why don't you go and pick on somebody your own size?!", Amity exclaimed towards the boy, standing her ground as adrenaline begins pumping through her still-developing veins.
"Perhaps someone...like...you?!", Connor questioned, forming one of his hands into a fist. Amity quickly realizes what she had just said and whispers out "Oops". Connor takes off towards the girl. Amity yelps in fear as she turns and quickly darts out of the hallway. Amity runs as fast as she could to escape getting pummeled by the boy, who is currently not slowing down.
Amity runs through the lobby of the ship, recruits look in shock as the small child darts through their legs and escapes through a pair of double doors. Connor runs through the crowds, pushing legs out of his way and makes recruits fall over. He kicks the doors open and continues chasing after Amity.
Amity runs through another hallway, disappearing behind the corner soon after. She ceases her running and gazes upward while gaping as she sees someone standing right in front of her. Meanwhile, Connor enters the hallway where Amity ran through. He stops his running and start walking towards the hall.
"Give it up, Amity. There's nowhere you can hide or anyway you can fight against me", Connor warned as he steps closer to the corner of the hall. "I'm braver than you, stronger than you, and above all...", Connor pauses as he reaches the corner and jumps out. "Taller...than...you?", the young boy slowly glances upward and standing right in front of him is Oceanus.
The scientist glares down at the child with crossed arms. Amity peers over from behind the doctor and sees Connor standing there, immediately retreating behind Oceanus's legs. Connor chuckles weakly as he says "Hey Oceanus. Amity and I were just...playing a nice game of tag".
Oceanus doesn't respond. He only strengthens his glare at Connor. Then, he eventually states "Don't think that I didn't hear what you said, child. Perhaps this would be a good time to consult the adults about this".
A while later, in the waiting room of the clinic, Sky, Dawn, Mitch, and Via are gathered with Amity and Connor on opposite sides of the room. Oceanus steps in and begins explaining "Everyone, I have some news. After the incident with the prototype, I've been suspicious on which of these two were telling the truth. So, after doing a bit of evaluation, I found out that Amity wasn't the one who's been making fun of Connor or the one who accidentally crashed the jet. It was the other way around and all points to Connor".
Mitch and Via gasp as Connor glances at him with a nervous look. Mitch looks down at his brother and asks "Connor, is this true?"
"No, it's not!", Connor exclaimed quickly, then he turns his gaze to the doctor and states "And you don't have any proof to prove it!" Oceanus pulls out a recording device and presses a button.
"So go ahead, try and tell on me. But after everything that's happened to me, no one will ever believe you!", Connor's recorded voice emitted from the device. Oceanus presses another button and stops the recording. Connor glares down at his feet as he mumbles "Nobody likes a tattletale". But Oceanus hears the child's comment and states "I'm not a tattletale, Connor. I'm just speaking the truth, and Amity here has been keeping it to herself and frankly, I know that it's hurting her, not being able to tell anyone without feeling embarrassed about it". Then, Via asks "Connor, why would you do something like this?!"
Amity glances at her parents and Dawn asks "And Amity, why didn't you tell us this was happening?"
Before either child could answer, Oceanus steps in by saying "I think I can answer both of those questions. I've seen this type of behavior before around educational places and recently, it's gotten out of control. Bullying usually occurs when a child feels like they are superior to others much different in appearance, species, or even gender. But in this case, I think there's a different reason for Connor picking on Amity and I believe it's because he's doing it for attention".
"Attention?", Mitch questioned in confusion. Via gazes at Connor and asks him "Connor, are you bullying Amity because you want attention?" Connor looks away, shaking slightly as he refuses to answer the question. But with no way out, he looks up with tear-soaked eyes and exclaims "Yes! Okay, Via? Yes, I did it for attention! Neither you or Mitch ever played with back at home. I always asked Mitch if he could train with me so I could, one day, be good enough to fight in the Hunger Games, but he always said that he was busy. And every time, I saw him playing with his friends and wouldn't come back until night! Now that I came to the ship where he lives, I was hoping if he could play with me, but he gave me that same excuse that he was busy and yesterday, I saw him running to the Hunger Games with someone else covered in fur. He never even introduced me to him! I doubt that he even knows that I'm your younger brother!" Connor looks away, unable to hold in his tears and lets them out while covering his eyes with his hands.
Mitch gapes in realization. He had been so focused on being a expert PVP warrior that he forgot on what he promised his brother when he was back at home...be the best PVP warrior known to the Minecrafter community. Now here he was, so disappointed in himself for not being a role model to his brother. Mitch gets him from his seat and pulls his brother into a hug, Connor buries his head into his brother's jacket.
"Oh, Connor...I'm so sorry. I forgot that you were my younger brother and I forgot that you wanted to be just like me", Mitch gently said, rubbing the child's back to comfort him. The Canadian ponders about something for a moment, then gets an idea. He gently pulls Connor away from him and states "You know what, Connor? Here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna call Dad and see if he can let you stay with me. And starting tomorrow, I'm taking you to your very first Hunger Games tournament".
"Really?", Connor asked, his tears quickly disappearing.
"Really", Mitch replies, then he puts his hands on Connor's shoulders and turns him around to face Amity before saying "But only, if you apologize to Amity for bullying her". Connor takes a deep sigh before saying "I'm sorry, Amity. I thought picking on you would the pain of boredom in me away, but it didn't...at all. And I'm also sorry I got you into trouble".
Amity glares at the boy for a bit, but softens her expression before saying "Apology accepted, Connor". Adam smiles as the children have made up, but something else is bothering him at that moment and he would really like to talk to his daughter alone about it. Getting up from his seat, Adam kneels to his daughter's eye-level and asks her quietly "Amity, can I talk to you alone for a second?"
"Um...sure", Amity replied. Following her father's lead, Adam leads his daughter out of the room. Once the father-daughter duo are out on the hallway, Adam kneels down again as he gently grasps Amity's hands.
"Amity...why didn't you tell me that this was happening in the first place?", Adam asked, desperately to know the reason why Amity hasn't told him that she was being bullied. Amity looks down in shame as a faint blush appears on her cheeks. She replies shyly "I...I didn't want to be a burden to you. I know bullying is bad, but I didn't know to react when I realized I was being bullied. I knew I had to tell somebody, but I was too shy and I didn't want anyone to worry about me". Amity feels a hand lift her chin up and looks up at her father.
"Amity...there is nothing, absolutely nothing in this world...that is more important to me than your happiness", Sky stated as honestly as he could. Amity looks up at her father with her gleaming greenish-blue eye while the other is still hidden within her large bang. She asks him "But what about your duties as a god and the Sky Army?"
"They're my other priorities, but your content and comfort is my number one top priority", Sky said, smiling as big as he could as his smile quiver. Amity notices this and wonders in worry "Why are you crying?"
Adam inhales deeply as he tries to keep his oncoming tears from escaping before saying "Because I don't know why anyone would want to be so cruel to you. But...Amity, you have to know that I'm not always gonna be there to protect. One day, you'll have to fend for yourself in this never-ending changing world we live in. Maybe even one day, you'll the hero of tomorrow. But, until then...if something like this happen again, you tell me 'cause I want you to be happy and I love you with every inch of my heart".
Amity smiles and throws herself into her father's arms. Adam hugs her back, one tear managing to escape and cascades down his cheek. Amity looks up at her father's butterfly wings, glowing brightly to express the emotion he is feeling. She whispers to Sky "I love you, too, Dad".
After a couple of moments, the duo break apart, then Sky says "Here Amity, I want you to have something". Adam reaches over his neck and takes off his elemental amulet. He shows Amity the amulet and states "I want you to have my elemental amulet".
Amity gasps in shock before saying "What?! But Dad...that's yours. You use that to protect the world and the recruits". Adam explains "Well, it has a new responsibility now, and that is to protect you". Amity takes off her butter amulet and Adam carefully places the element-wielding amulet over his daughter's neck. Once the amulet is completely over her neck, the purple amethyst glows brightly as the elements shine out before dimming down. Amity looks up at her father and replies softly "Thank you, Dad. But how will I know if I need it".
"Whenever you are in need of help", Adam answers back. Adam brings his arms out and Amity embraces her father, feeling so much love and knowing that she has people around her who really care for her.
With that, I hope you guys enjoyed this loving, yet serious episode of SkyShorts.
Remember guys, if you are bullied or you know someone who is being bullied, go ask a responsible adult about, or even your parents. Because if you let this problem keep happening to you or anyone else, it's only gonna get worse and the only way to stop this problem...is to voice for yourself and for the bullied person. It's not embarrassing at all to tell someone about your problem and don't feel like no one cares about because there will always one person who does care.
If you guys enjoyed this episode, make sure to leave this hashtag:
#StopBullying2014
I apologize for the delay of chapters. One of the previous planned chapters got delayed, so I wrote this backup chapter. I promise to have the planned chapter up as soon as possible.
Also, make sure to go and check out NinjaMaster220 and show her some support 'cause she really needs the help due to some problems (want to keep this between her and me) in her life. If you guys can do that, that would be awesome!
So, that's all I have to say. I'm Kittyjen1337, and I will see you awesome friends later! :)