Author's note: I never meant to add this chapter,but today was a really stinky day and I had to write, this was what came out. I think it goes with the first two and I hope you like it.
Individual disclaimer: The song in the little part is Remy Zero's "Perfect Memory" And one of my fave songs.
One Last Memory
The magna defender slammed his fist into the wall of his bedroom. He was in his quarters back aboard Terra Venture, and rage was filling him, he should have been there, should have been able to stop this! Gurr, Kendrix was his friend, like a little sister and that pact he, Kendrix and Kai had made back in high school, to look after each other hadn't been enough. She was dead and now everything was a mess.
Mike couldn't believe that any of this had really happened, all because a dammed alien girl with red hair and big eyes. He slammed his fist into the wall once more and he didn't think as the skin on his knuckles split, seeping blood. He just rammed his other fist into the hard surface. He didn't care, didn't care…
The sobs came then as he sank to his knees and wept, wept for his friend, for the girl with the sweetest voice and the brilliance of a million galaxies. He could almost hear her now, the song all around him as it went…
Remember how they always seemed to know
We had the forest in our eyes but the earth was in our clothes
And they thought we'd fall
But not at all
"Hey smarts think you could give the rest of us a chance to answer the questions?" Mike looked up at the sound of Todd Davis's voice and saw he and a few of his gooney friends were taunting a pretty little girl with large glasses and a stack of books in her arms.
"Hey if you got it flaunt it." One of Todd's buddies called to him from a doorway and Todd laughed.
"Well she ain't got anything worth flaunting." He called back and Mike caught sight of the girl's trembling shoulders.
"Hey wait up!" He called as the girl hurried off. He didn't know why but he felt a sudden kinship with her. Maybe it was having been through it last year himself but he wanted to know the blonde.
"Go away." She mumbled and as he came abreast of her Mike caught sight of the tears streaking her pretty face.
"'Come on," he said solemnly pulling her off to one side of the hall. If those creeps saw her like this her taunting would never end. Still from the way she pulled to get away from hymn he knew she didn't know or trust him. That had him rechecking his tactics. "I'm not with those dorks."
"Why not? There right." She sniffled and he
"Why? Because their seniors? Right, look you have to talk back when they do that, to make cracks and not let anyone know that it hit the mark." He said handing her a tissue from the little travel pack he carried in his backpack.
"How would you know that?" She asked sniffing as she dabbed at her eyes.
"I've been picked on before." Mike shrugged. So what if he was a big guy he was still a person.
"You have?" The girl asked whipping off her glacis with yet another tissue. "But you're so big and…"
"'I was a freshman too; I wasn't like I am now." He pointed out with another shrug.
"Thanks." She gave him a little smile as he took the wad of tissues and tossed them into a trash can.
"No sweat." He readjusted his backpack. He hated wearing it but if it was in a bad location it would drive him nuts. "Listen what's your name?"
"Kendrix Morgan." She said looking up at him in a way that on any other girl might have been considered owlish.
"Well Kendrix Morgan" Mike extended his hand and she looked down at it for a minute. "I'm Mike Corbett and it's nice to meet you." He said as she placed her small hand in his. It was just so delicate, like his mother's.
"You too." She nodded and as she smiled he had a feeling this was the beginning of a real friendship.
"So where are you headed?" He asked and she sighed as if thinking of an unpleasant thought.
"Lunch."
"me too," Mike thought of his buddy Kai, he was a bit quiet, his father an army general and knew that Kai wouldn't mind if they had a third. He was pretty tolerant of anything but breaking the rules. "Say you have anyone to sit with?"
"No, I…" She was saying looking at her hand, which now held her glasses.
"Come on." Mike took Kendrix's hand and within minutes they were heading into the cafeteria.
"Hey Mike man wait up." Called another boy and Mike knew before he turned it was Kai.
"There you are bro." Mike grinned and they merged and Kendrix joined them trey in hand.
"Yeah, been waiting for you man." The boy in blue said and then he must have spotted Kendrix because he was gazing right at her.
"Had to deal with a few barbell heads." Mike shrugged. Mike shrugged and then was introducing the girl. He'd not realized she was not a freshman but a sophomore like them. She'd just been skipped a grade.
So look back on your treasured days
When we were young in a world that was so tired
Though it's not what we wanted before
Even the saints had to crawl from the floor
Mike thought of how they'd made it together through that next year and as he still sobbed silent tears he moved to his bedside table and picked up one of the three photographs of the three of them. There was one that had been taken on a field trip, one taken at the homecoming game, not that they'd been that big on dancing or secretly getting drunk but Mike was on the newspaper staff so had been required to go and like always they went together.
But now as he gazed at yet another picture he felt so tired, and angry and hurt… t was gone, all gone, their pact, their friendship that sense of belonging.
And summer's when the money was gone
You'd sing
All your little songs that meant everything
To me
"I give you Miss Kendrix Morgan!" The MC called as she took her seat in the middle of the stage. It struck Mike that like that she looked like a little angel, in a pink sweater shot through with a glittery thread and a pair of blue jeans and the light hitting her curls like a moonbeam. As she sang he thought that they'd never been luckier to be friends. She no longer had the guys teasing her but chasing her, not that she cared. No, Kendrix was so deeply into her studies that it was crazy. But it was part of what the three of them had become, the three musketeers.
Shifting, Mike saw how Kai watched her and hoped he'd not get too attached, he couldn't see them together. There was something about Kai, too cool while she was too reserved. Still it didn't' mean they weren't' friends. Kai had worked hard to hide his feelings…
And I'll remember you
And the things that we used to do
And the things that we used to say
I'll remember you that way
It hit him then that the song was truly playing, it was coming from his CD player on the nightstand.
Forcing himself to his feet he moved over to it and popped the tape deck. But nothing, it wasn't' coming from there. Looking at the CD player on the top he only noticed then it wasn't even on.
"What the…"
Remember how they tried to hold you down
And we climbed those towers and looked out upon our town
And everything you hoped would last
It just always becomes your past
It hurts but
"The music is with in you." Came the soft voice and Mike turned to find Kendrix's figure, bathed in what seemed moonlight. But there was no moon and there was no way she could be there, she just couldn't…
"Kendrix?" He heard his hoarse voice asked bewildered.
"Hi Mike." She gave him a soft, sad smile.
"'But you're…" he just couldn't take it all in.
"'Yes, I know, I'm gone but Mike, it's not forever. I'll see you soon enough." She said and indicated the bed beside whe3re she sat.
And summer's when the money was gone...
"Hey you know these are the guy's barracks."
"I know but Mike this place is so big and the others are so good at this…" She said dejectedly.
"So? They were bigger than you in high school."
"I know but what if I can't do this?"
"Come here." He patted the beside him.
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember when Justine Brendan was making fun of you because you couldn't do the rope climb in gym senior year?"
"How could I forget?"
"Well we helped you out, didn't we?"
"Yeah but Mike you can't, you'll get in trouble."
"Naw, I'll leave that to my little bro." He laughed and ruffed her curls even as Kai came in.
And I'll remember you
And the things that we used to do
And the things that we used to say
I'll remember you always
Now as they were in his quarters aboard Terra Venture Mike didn't think, moving to sit down beside her.
"What do you mean?" Mike asked reaching out to take her hand, which to his surprise was solid enough.
"You were always my big brother and in ways that Maya, couldn't be my best friend." Her thoughts seemed to fly away from her and then she was looking at him directly. "I am not dead, I'm just waiting." She said at last.
"Waiting?" He asked confused, he'd seen the tapes; she'd been killed in that energy storm.
"Yeah, I don't know very much but when you have all come to where you need to be I'll be back." She said after a long moment's thought.
"Leo is in a bad place." Mike said examining her face at the very sound of the words and he saw just what he wanted to know. She did care for his little brother.
"I know, I went to see him." Kendrix confessed.
"You did?" He was not too surprised, if she'd come here then why not?
"Yes, but I couldn't tell him the truth, he'll need to accept my replacement."
"Your replacement?"
"Yes, soon you'll know who but for now just know I'm here and that I'll be close by." Suddenly her hand had little substance, as she began to fade away.
"Kendrix…" He wanted to keep her there, to never let his friend go but she was gone, no more remaining of her than a few sparkles of glitter.
"Always here…" Was the last he heard and oddly he felt better, as if all were not lost?
But then how this world slipped through my fingers
And even the sun seemed tired
I still cared
The next morning as Mike stood with the others, looking into the mock grave he knew it was not right and he remembered Kendrix's words of the night before. Yes, it was not her time. He's see her soon though and then it would be, everything would be. It struck him then that the others looked better too, at least Leo did. Kai seemed different as did Maya. Damon was solemn. So she'd not gone to all of them?
That was odd, but maybe she would, soon…
For now he had a mission, he'd take down Trakeena so that there would never again be a question if the universe was safe.
As they lowered you down my heart just jaded
In that moment the earth made no sound
But you were there
You helped me lift my pain into the air
I always thought you'd come home
None saw the figure, glittering golden and pink in the sunlight of the brisk morning but she saw them, she was there, just as she bid she'd always be. For as saving the universe was there fate this was hers, to watch over those she loved.
And I'll remember you
And the things that we used to do
And the things that we used to say
If it don't hurt you it won't hurt me
If it don't hurt me it won't hurt you
If it don't hurt you it won't hurt me I know
The end
***
PLZ let me know if you think Kai should have a chapter. too I'd love to know if you liked this.